Is rooting 4.2.2 really this complicated? On 4.2 (or was it 4.1?) it was really just a few keypresses in the Nexus 4 Toolkit, or downloading a simple app. With the current version 4.2.2 however, rooting has become a huge task, apparently.

I've been trying to root my Nexus 4 (running 4.2.2) but the Nexus 4 Toolkit says it's offline. From my searches it turns out that 4.2.2 has extra "security" that makes this harder than it used to be. I'm not a developer but there's something about telling my phone that the PC that wants to root it is trusted.

I found this 14-step guide in which I am asked to install a developer toolkit, install Eclipse, and a few other things. My impression is that this is like shooting sparrows with cannonballs.

Is it really this difficult, or am I totally missing the goal here?

My further investigation indicates that the Nexus 4 Toolkit isn't the best one to use - in fact it doesn't seem to work at all with 4.2.2.

Instead, the Nexus Root Toolkit seems to work well with 4.2.2 and is basically a one-click installer. Download from the linked page and run it; it will do the rest by itself and/or give you simple instructions when needed.

Update: I've just completed the rooting process with this tool. Worked well and was simple enough. Note that after completing the process, I had to download and install the Superuser app from the Play Store - this step was not completely evident, but simple to do.


HARD BRICKED AFTER INSTALLING 4.4.4 UPDATE IN MOTO E 1st gen When I updated my mobile, it power offed then it gone to bootloader mode then I pressed on normal power, but it didn't, so I press on recover, it gone to TWRP mode and I pressed on recover, there some codes happened, and then it gone off.  till then nothing working.

not even charging,  and not opening bootloader too.

pls I need your suggestion. THANK YOU

This video on Youtube (published March 2015) is showing same problem that I have. You can see in the comments that still this problem is going on.

see article about Easy JTAG on internet.  you can understand how this begin and end.

Rolling back to old os may be difficult. So you can try custom os. But if you need stock rom back try fastboot rom. Check whether fastboot rom is available for you. You may want to use tool to do that


Album art doesn't change So I've been successfully using programs to change album arts for my cellphone for the past 3 years and something bothers me about the way that the actual app on the Samsung reverts this changes under the following circumstances:

If I've put a music from a specific album, for example, Abbey Road, with a specific album art, onto the memory card of my cell phone, and then I decide that I want to change the art, and so I delete this album from the memory card and just put the same one or a different one, it doesn't matter with a different art but with the same album name, Abbey Road, the app will automatically show the album art that was the first time Abbey Road was in the cellphone.

Are there any ways to fix it?

Yeah, album art caching sucks.. I know exactly what you're going through. But I'm pretty sure I have a working solution for turning off auto-relation.

You may or may not need root, depending on if your album cache is stored on /sdcard/Android (which usually is the case) or in /data/data.

Go into /sdcard/Android/data/com.android.providers.media/albumthumbs -- where all the album arts are stored, and delete all of them.

But that isn't going to fix the problem for future offenders. To do that, we'll have to disable caching. I got the idea from a guy on an XDA thread.

To effectively disabling caching, thus turning off auto-relation, change the permissions on the albumthumbs folder to read-only on all groups. If the folder is part of the app data under /data/data it may be difficult to do so, even with root. On Samsung and ZenFone, you won't run into this issue.

Hope this helps!


Samsung S3 pattern lock on used phone How do I get past the screen being locked up with pattern lock for Samsung S3? I just got the phone and has someone else's settings. I just want to get to the basic swipe unlock. If a phone is reset, will it remove the pattern lock, and need to use it? I just want to get into the apps so I can use the device. Right now, I can't even get to the main screen page.

A reset (through the recovery) will remove all data from the user.
If you don't want to preserve that simply follow the short guide:

  (Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvD6ZCENlJA)
  1. Shut down your device.
  2. Enter recovery mode by holding Power, Home and Volume-Up at the same time.
  3. When the screen turns on you can release the Power button. (keep all other buttons pressed until the recovery comes up)
  4. Select Wipe data/factory reset from the menu with the Volume-Up/-Down buttons.
  5. Press the Power button to select the action.
  6. Reboot your device. (In case of no auto-reboot do that like you did with the factory reset)

  First reboot will take some time to set up everything. After that all data is lost, even on the internal "SD card".


Non-root tethering app with Ubuntu client for Moto Droid on Verizon I love PDAnet for android, works great on my Windows machine. Unfortunately, I just found out (after installing Ubuntuon my HP mini) that there's no Linux client. Can anyone recommend a tethering app,  non-root, with a Linux/Ubuntu client?

Try AziLink (http://code.google.com/p/azilink/).  You will need to do a little setup on your Ubuntu machine in addition to loading the app on your DROID, but it will work without requiring you to root your DROID.  This is a USB tethering solution that I have used in the past with my Ubuntu netbook to great success.


Need to recover android system for soft bricked Onda v919 4G I have an Onda v919 4G that I messed with and broke. I changed a line in the /system/etc/parameters file. I wanted the system to use my SD card (256 Gb) as the primary storage device for my apps and data.  That change caused my droid to refuse to boot up. If I could mount the file system and just edit that file things would be just fine. But no.......

I can't just mount the file system and edit the file. Now I have to burn the blood of a virgin or something so that I can fix this thing.

I tried using fastboot but apparently my tablet doesn't support flashing from fastboot which begs the question 'what the hell is fastboot for?' I've got no clue.

Can I mount the file system at all? I'm using an ubuntu 14 laptop as my primary work machine. Unfortunately I've looked everywhere on the net I can think. But I haven't found anything useful/understandable. Anyone able to teach a fool how to recover from his mess up? My tablet runs on an MTK8572 chip if that helps matters. An 'lsusb' command in terminal identifies my tablet as HTC (High Tech Computer Corp.) Dream / ADP1 / G1 / Magic / Tattoo. Again, I hope this is helpful.

Peace to you and yours.

I am not familiar with the system/etc/parameters directory. What you have done is altered the system configurations that appear to be used at boot. You would have needed to install a custom recovery when you rooted your device. Fastboot is ,in essence ,the equivalent of that recovery except it is included in the Android SDK(Software Development Kit).Most custom recoveries also include a fastboot option.  You will have to scour the web to find a version of the stock firmware for your tablet.

For future reference, be very careful when accessing or dealing with the system directory and especially the /etc directory as it contains configuration files for your Android system.


What can i do to update the android version of my android device if there is no available update available for my device? my device is ondo vi10. it is a android tablet i bought from a IT Fair. The current android version is 4.0.3. What are some ways i can update it?

If there is no official update available, your only option is to flash a custom ROM on your device. This operation is potentially dangerous if you don't know what you are doing and you may brick your device. The tricky part is not the installation (which is selecting the ROM into a software and uploading via USB, or even simpler, booting in recovery with the new software on SD Card - dead simple, a button combination). The tricky part is to find a correct new ROM/software/image for your device. ROMs are not available for less known devices such as "Ondo" vi10 (did you want to say Onda?). But there are ROMs available for some other --identical-- devices. With the same camera, cpu, chipset, ram amount, etc. And that will work on your tablet. Do some research, see what other people used with that tablet. I'm sure someone "flashed" some custom firmware on that Ondo/Onda before.


SuperOneClick freezes when I try to root my Sony Xperia Tipo Dual SuperOneClick freezes when I try to root my Sony Xperia Tipo Dual.

I did unlock the bootloader.

It's possible that the method of rooting used by SuperOneClick has been blocked on the Tipo Dual. I haven't seen the phone on any of the compatability lists for SuperOneClick. There are other methods you can use, and for the Tipo Dual I quickly found UnlockRoot and a guide on how to root from XDA-Developers. Use at your own risk.


What is this "shadow" called and what's the purpose? When you slide Chrome browser (or FireFox) to extreme left, right or upwards, you see this shadow (for want of a better word) for a few seconds, as shown

What is it called and what's the purpose ? (Can't Google since I don't know what it is :)

It's on Moto X Play and it's not the jelly scrolling reported on some recent phones

This appears to be called EdgeEffect and is used as a visual indicator when the user over-scrolls.

See relevant images on Google Images here.
A book commenting on the glow effect produces.
A question on Stack Overflow.


Can I run ICS on the Samsung Galaxy S+ I9001? I have read a lot of documentation about how to run ICS on the Samsung Galaxy S I9000. Can I use the same approaches for the S+? Or is it not possible to run ICS on the S+?

The Galaxy S Plus i9001 looks like the i9000 however it has completely different internals:

side by side comparison at gsmarena.com
different CPU (1.4GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon vs. 1GHz Samsung Hummingbird)
different GPU (Adreno vs PowerVR)
different baseband modules (the i9001 has faster HSDPA)
better battery, less internal space (512MB vs 2GB for the i9000)

Most importantly, the i9000 is well supported while the i9001's community support is rather poor. There's no official CM port for it. See the i9001's forum at XDA-developers.com. Regarding the approaches: Yes, you can use the same tools and your knowledge for the i9000. Just not the same ROM downloads.


Why does my browser think that it's Chrome? While browsing the web from my phone, I currently use the stock browser. However, I've encountered a curious problem.

If I go to a page, and then switch to another tab, it will often take the tab that I was on and turn it into this:

It puts data:text/html,chromewebdata into the URL, so it shows a page with chromewebdata.

In addition, for a while, every time I Googled something, it would show me 'We've detected that you're using an older version of Chrome' blah blah blah. It also switched itself to the desktop view. (When going to get a screenshot for this question, however, that magically fixed itself, so...)

Why was this happening?

As Andy commented, some Android stock browsers are based on chromium.

The issue you explained is kind of a bug where Android WebView built on chromium fails to loads the page in question due unmapped ssl error.

As explained here: https://bugs.chromium.org/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=395638;

  Android Kit kat WebView component built on chromium is unable to open
  web page due to an unmapped ssl error! It is usually  occurring on
  secure login pages presented by captive portals.

Here is their extracted log entries

04-09 12:49:49.215: W/chromium(24516): [WARNING:ssl_client_socket_openssl.cc(182)] Unmapped error reason: 261
04-09 12:49:49.215: E/chromium(24516): [ERROR:ssl_client_socket_openssl.cc(870)] handshake failed; returned -1, SSL error code 1, net_error -2
04-09 12:49:49.245: E/WiFiWebLogin(24516): ExtWebViewClient - ExtWebBrowser-veiw-1 - onReceivedError: errorCode=-1, failingUrl=https://1.1.1.1/login.html?redirect=syslynxservices.com/ description=net::ERR_FAILED
04-09 12:49:49.265: I/chromium(24516): [INFO:CONSOLE(12)] "Not allowed to load local resource: file:///android_asset/webkit/android-weberror.png", source: data:text/html,chromewebdata (12)

Had the same issue, and what stuck me is that they sugested it usually occurs on secure login pages by captive portals which is right where I saw that funny message telling me "we have detected a you are using an older version of chrome".

Could'nt come up with a solution but had to switch browsers but like you noted the issue vanished away eventually.


is there a keylogger in my phone I have an Android phone accent a400 and I sent it to a repair store to change the broken screen.
After receiving the phone, I noticed that they did a reset to the phone and the internal memory doesn't appear in the file manager. Also the application SuperSU which was installed by default doesn't exist any more, so I installed ES file explorer and used it to verify that the system and racine folder still exist. Then I installed Framaroot after rooting the phone and the application SuperSU became visible.
Sometimes "the message was sent" popup alone when using the phone. How would I fix this?

use this app to check pesent logging apps on your phone http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=17612559
if your phone is not a htc only one or two should show up, tombstones (crash dumps for kernel panics and such) and, flash Player (if installed)
possibly google services would show up but that would be googles av scanner built into google services

for htc devices another would show up for htc usage logs


Nexus 5: Safe to update to Lollipop if on rooted + TWRP Android 4.4.4? I have a Nexus 5. It has TWRP as the custom recovery and on official Android 4.4.4 KTU84P build.

I just received a notification that I'm able to update to Android 5.0 now via OTA. I'm aware that I'll have to re-root my device. But, is it safe to update it with its current state? I already did a Nandroid backup hours ago, BTW. What else needs to be done pre and post-update? Thanks.

UPDATE: I backed up all my files then did another Nandroid back up. I downloaded the update via OTA and was asked to restart my phone. But it went straight to TWRP, doing nothing.

So I restarted my system via TWRP. It's still on 4.4.4 and the Lollipop update does not show anymore. What happened there?

The answer is the update won't push through if you have a custom recovery like TWRP. I had to restore the stock recovery using the Nexus Root Toolkit. Then the update showed again, and it went through flawlessly. Even the re-rooting part (again using NRT) was perfect.


Will Nextflix Widevine L1 play with magisk? If my phone natively supports Widevine L1 in order to play 1080p to 4K videos on Netflix or Amazon Prime, will Netflix play the high res rather than 480p with magisk that passes safetynet.

Unlikely. Generally, on most phones, your DRM keys will be wiped when you unlock the bootloader. So, even if you clear SafetyNet, your Widevine level is most likely already dropped down to L3. That means no more HD playback. Locking the bootloaderback will work on some phones, won't on others. Ideally, it is a permanent loss of Widevine L1 when you unlock with no way to restore it.

I am not sure if there are some hacks which pass fake Widevine status to the apps in question and restore their HD playback.


Streaming Amazon Instant Video in HD Is it possible to watch HD Amazon Instant Video (eg, Amazon Prime) on non-Kindle Android devices? (Galaxy Nexus with MHL adapter)

AFAIK, Amazon does not support HD streaming in the browser; this would require a native app.

Google Play does support this, but I haven't been able to find anything about Amazon.  (other than Flash streaming, which I don't think will do HD)

Just did it today on my Samsung Galaxy S3.

To stream Amazon Prime (or other Flash) movies:

Download Flash 11 onto your android device. You won't find it in the app market (Google pulled it this summer) but there are a couple different guides online. I used this one from CNET.
Download the Dolphin browser from the app market (other browsers MAY work as well if they let you change the user agent string, but Dolphin makes it easy and is the only one I tested successfully on).
Go into the Dolphin browser settings and set the "User Agent" setting to "desktop".
Login to Amazon and you can now stream Amazon prime/instant movies.

I used an MHL adapter to output the video/audio to my receiver and can now watch the movies on my surround-sound projector setup (though its not surround sound).

YMMV, as I'm not sure if this works on all android devices but it works on my S3. Good luck!


While updating LineageOS, do I need to update Gapps too? I'm flashing a new nightly version of LineageOS. I'm just gonna flash it without wiping data/system since I already have it installed. However, I also use Gapps (stock variant). Do I need to flash an updated version of it too?

You normally don't need to re-flash GApps as most GApps installers will install an addon.d script which restores GApps automatically after flashing a new ROM that supports addon.d (LineageOS does so).

If you are using Open GApps (http://opengapps.org/) you are on the safe side.


Is there a way to set a default volume for different bluetooth connections? I use my phone as my main audio player, with headphones, through my car, and through my speakers at home. When using it in the car I crank the audio on my phone to full volume and adjust volume through the cars audio system for a clearer sound. When at home I use the volume control on the phone and keep my speakers set to max for convenience. So if I go from my car to my house, the initial audio is near deafening.

This wouldn't be a problem except that once you connect to a bluetooth device it automatically starts audio playback, so I can't connect, decrease volume, then hit play. I'm also unable to decrease the volume without bluetooth being connected to something, and it's not convenient or easy to remember to turn down the volume every single time I get out of the car, just in case I play music at home before I drive again. I see two possible solutions but am unable to figure out how to accomplish either.

Solution 1 (preferred): Find a way to set a volume based on what device I'm connecting to.

Solution 2: Find a way to disable the auto-play function, but still allow for volume control once a device is connected.

Thanks for any help in advance y'all!

There are two app in the Playstore you can try A2DP Voume and Bluetooth Volume.

A2DP is an app project hosted on code.google.com

Some features of A2DP:

Captures car location automatically when device disconnects. Automatic car locator. (option)
Each device can be independently configured.
Automatically adjusts the media volume on Bluetooth connect and resets on Bluetooth disconnect. Automatically captures location information on disconnect so you can find where you left your car. Read More

Screenshot (Click to enlarge image)

Bluetooth Volume app feature:

This app is perfect for people that always adjusting the volume on their phone immediately after connecting to Bluetooth in the car. This app will do that for you automatically.
Also has an option to launch a Car Home when you connect to Bluetooth.(You need to install Car Home app to use this feature).

So, I think one of the above apps is what you might be looking for.


How can I debug Droidwall blocking every app? Starting some time ago, I have noticed that when Droidwall (1.5.7) is enabled, no apps can access wifi.

Although the app is checked, it doesn't work, until I turn the firewall completely off. This has happened for some time, is this a known bug with Droidwall or Android 2.2?

Running iptables -L shows this, among others:

Chain droidwall-wifi (4 references)
target   prot opt source              destination
droidwall-reject 0  --  anywhere             anywhere
droidwall-reject 0  --  anywhere             anywhere
droidwall-reject 0  --  anywhere             anywhere
droidwall-reject 0  --  anywhere             anywhere
droidwall-reject 0  --  anywhere             anywhere
droidwall-reject 0  --  anywhere             anywhere

Any ideas on what could be causing this?

This sounds like the behavior if you have blacklist mode enabled. Double check the (subtle) whitelist/blacklist default button (the text above the apps listing).


Strange lucky wheel on my Whatsapp There is a strange app that appears on top of my Whatsapp (Android) on the right side, if I click on it, an lucky wheel appears on the center of the screen, as the attached image. What a heck is this, some kind of virus? I was unable to find similar image on google. Also, it is not listed on my apps. Where can I find it?

Ok, I think I've found the source, it is an ad from my Keyboard app, Go Keyboard.

It's a good keyboard app, but those ads forced me to give it a low score.


Sync MP3 Ratings on Android, with MediaMonkey / MusicBee on Windows Both MediaMonkey and MusicBee, as music players let you 'rate' songs from 1 to 5 stars.  I would like to have this functionality as well in an Android app.  The main problem is syncing these ratings.  Android apps like NRG Player do have a rating, however if I rate songs using NRG Player, they are not 'understood' by neither MediaMonkey nor MusicBee.  Also, any ratings I give to songs via MediaMonkey or MusicBee are neither understood by the NRG Player.

Is there any app which reads/writes ratings in the same format that either MediaMonkey or MusicBee do?  Or any app which syncs such ratings?

After I posted this question, I found out that 'PlayerPro' music player allows you to choose the type of ratings it saves to.  MediaMonkey is one of them, so this basically is what I needed. Unfortunately, it is not a free app, but for me although this is a tiny feature, this is something I'm willing to pay for.


How to download files to sd card from ftp without rooting Simple question, but I couldn t find the answer anywhere (all answers requires rooting on android marshmallow because ftp clients doesn t include the permission to write on the sdcard).
I have a huge file which is too large to be downloaded on internal storage. So it can only be downloaded on the sdcard directly.
It also seems no ternal apps have the permission to write to the sdcard so I cannot use command line tools directly.

As the file is huge, I also need to be able to pause and resume downloads.

I use Folder Sync.
But it depends on your android version,    If you have 5.1 or above then the application developers must include Environment.getExternalStorage.....

EXAMPLE FILE USAGE

File file = new File(Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory(), "myfile.txt");

instead of the old hard coded way.

File file = new File("SDCard", "myfile.txt");

For more information about pause resume with FTP, i have included a link to a development question regarding pause resume on Android Clients

Folder Sync Free

Developing FTP Client with Pause Resume on Android

For terminal emulator, you should run

getprop vold.path.external_sd

then try running the external directory as returned

NOT

sdcard/download/txt.txt

RATHER

storage/sdcard0/download/txt.txt

It's usually just one directory / legacy directory isn't accessible anymore. so you need to get the actual path with some command...

getprop

getprop will return all current system properties, this includes storage paths and network status results


Is it possible to use the GMail "Call Phone" functionality on Android without Google Voice? I'm outside the US so don't have access to Google Voice.

On the GMail web page, if you enable chat, you can see a "Call Phone" option which allows you to call land line phones from the web page.

Is there any way, to make use of this functionality to make outbound calls on Android?

It may not be the ultimate approach -- but you probably could use Clipboard Dialer (left picture) to achieve this:

  This little tool enables you to extract all phone numbers from what ever text is in your clipboard. It will present a list of all numbers it finds giving you an easy way to call, SMS or create a new contact.

So as long as the numbers are visible on the screen, you could copy them to the clipboard -- and then let this tool kick in. Or, using the same principle: CopyNDial (picture to the right):

  Dial from everywhere browser, message apps


Is it possible to change the Operating System of the K599 (chinese iPhone) Possible Duplicate:
  Can I install Android on my non-Android device?

I have an electronic device the model is K599 was built in China. The operating system of this device is a minimalist FreeBSD with java installed. I would like to know if is possible to change the operating system from Actual FreeBSD to Google Android.

Another doubt: Is it possible to install a new operating system inside the SD memory card?

I have been stuck on this for a long time.

Does someone have the same problem?

Please Help.

I don't see why it is not possible (ever heard Android running on iPhone?), as long as someone writes a driver for it. However, if your device is a niche device, then it might not have enough user support to attract an experienced driver developer to release an Android driver for it.


is AT&T network possible on the Droid a855? Is it possible to use AT&Ts network on the Droid a855? At all possible? Tough to find a direct answer on the web for some reason.

Thanks!

No, the Droid is a CDMA phone.  In general you can assume that phones on Verizon and Sprint won't work on AT&T or T-Mobile, and vice-versa.


How can I train voice recognition on ICS? Is it possible to train Android's speech recognition?  I have read Can I train Google Voice Actions to better recognize my voice? which suggests that there is a setting in the voice search app but I'm running ICS and don't even have a dedicated voice search app.

The setting should still exist, it's just a little bit more awkward to get to. The easiest way is to hit the microphone icon on the search widget (though I think anywhere it appears will work) to bring up the voice action dialog. There's a wrench in the top right of that dialog that opens the settings:

Tap that to open the settings page, which should have the checkbox titled "Personalized recognition" as in previous versions (tested on a Galaxy Nexus running CyanogenMod 9, Android 4.0.4).


Applications think that GPS is off while it is on I have a Prestigio Multiphone 3400 with Android 4.2.2. The phone is new and not rooted.

In Settings -> Personal -> Location Access, there are two checkboxes:

Access to my location
Wi-Fi & mobile network location

Both of them are checked.

But the only application with working GPS is Google Maps.

I tried for example GPS Test and GPS Essentials, but they both show GPS is off / GPS is currently disabled.

In the Settings -> Device -> Apps -> (application name) there is "This app can access the following on your phone:" followed with "approximate location (network-based)" and "precise location (GPS and network-based)"

Why are the Google Maps special? And why other apps cannot use GPS, while the permissions are obviously granted?

The specs for the device state it does not have GPS.

GPS: No

Google maps is using 'best location source' for you which is Network / WiFi signal on your device. If you have all of them turned on it will revert to the most accureate one it can find, which are in the order Network > WiFi > GPS generally. Basically Google Maps isn't using GPS for you, it just isn't giving you an error message.
The Prestigio site doesn't mention GPS at all.
This link isn't in English but mentions No GPS in several reviews.
e.g.

Trocha ma štve GPS,ktorý telefon nema
It annoys me the phone has no GPS.

Another quick translate turned this up:

I was disappointed inability to run the GPS. Neither the manufacturer's website is not clearly stated whether the GPS is present or not. Due to the navigation application on the phone, I assumed that it will run. Unfortunately, the opposite is true. I would therefore asked how the GPS is really whether it is hardware GPS device in the phone is present and could be a problem installing the software and possibly what. thank you


chmod failed "Unable to open FILE: invalid argument" Device-info:

Phone: Sony Xperia Z1
Model number: C6903
Android version: 5.1.1
Build Number: 14.6.A.1.236
Rooted

In order to solve another problem on my phone I want to change permissions of a folder and subfolder recursively:

chmod -R 777 /data/local/mnt in the Terminal Emulator app in su mode.

The folders under mnt are another linux system (with typical folders like dev,etc,home,mnt...)

After executing chmod (like above) I get some Error like:

Unable to open /data/local/mnt/usr/include/pnglibconf.h: No such file or directory

But pnglibconf.h exists and it is not just one File which cause the error. So if I execute chmod -R 777 /data/local/mnt/dev I get the error:

Unable to open /data/local/mnt/dev/video39: Invalid argument

So such an error Unable to open /path/to/file/ nearly happens to every subfolder I execute chmod on.

So what causes the error and how to fix it?

First, try updating BusyBox.

However, I doubt it will help you much, because you are trying to modify very internal Linux "files" that may not even be files or block devices, or be in another filesystem (like ext4 while your phone may use f2fs etc.), or be corrupted. Maybe it's problem with file owner, I don't really know.

What I know, however, is that it's not good idea to run chmod -R 777 on Linux internal files


using a Pixel 2 without Google account I would like to buy a Pixel 2 but use it without signing in to a Google account. I would get apps from F-Droid, for example. I do not wish to use any Google apps. I also do not wish to use a custom ROM. My questions:

does this work?
would I receive OS updates?
are there any problems to be expected when using a Pixel 2 without ever signing in to Google?

It's possible to use an Android without a Google account, but it would not be a "fun" experience.

You will need a 3rd party app store in order to download apps (apk download sites will work, too).

I think you will receive OS updates (not sure).

Now for the 3rd question: are there any problems? Yes, there will be. Some apps ask you to sign in to Google - you won't be able to use those apps. Some apps ask you to have Google Play Games - they will work, but you will not get achievements. In addition, items like contacts and downloaded apps will not sync, making it hard to transfer to a new phone (without Wi-Fi and Bluetooth).

Overall: it is possible, but would not be a good idea.


Child-proofing an Android phone? Is there a way (an app, or a special launcher, a set of apps with instructions) that allows turning an Android phone into a child-proof "only call parents" one?

Here are my main requirements (and some possible implementation ideas I was thinking of as bullet points):

The phone's main purpose is to serve as an emergency way to contact parents etc...

Yes, I know there are special child proof phones like LG Milo - I am interested in how to turn an Android phone into that same functionality when not "unlocked".
When "locked down", the only thing a child must be able to do would be to call one of several pre-defined phone #s.

Whitelisting #s in dialer app (requiring password for non-whitelist)
or, having a custom dialer that only has "call Mom" etc... buttons with no way to dial specific phone #s; and tuning off access to Android dialer app (see item #2)

When "locked down", access to ALL non-whitelisted apps is restricted

Password protecting ALL apps not whitelisted (including of course Play Store and browser).
Or, custom Launcher that doesn't have anything but a widget for calling whitelisted #s and apps.
Or, if push comes to shove, I'm OK with ONLY phone functionality being whitelisted if no other apps can be to get this to work.

Less importantly, it's a nice-to-have if the phone can be "unlocked", perhaps via "parent" password, to allow full Android functionality without having to re-flush/reinstall etc...
This does NOT need to be genius-child-proof. E.g. if the way to unlock it is to reboot and launch Recovery mode, that's safe enough for me. The goal of locking down is mostly to cut down on accidental bad usage; and on temptation to do stuff that the phone isn't designated for in school (IOW, emergency contact method); if a child is smart enough to bypass lockdown, it's not the end of the world.

As far as what it takes to do this, I'm extremely comfortable with rooting, somewhat comfortable with flashing as a process (but less comfortable with flashing a random ROM of questionably stability, for obvious reasons); very comfortable with generic Unix commmand line; shell, Perl and C programming; but not Java or Android development. Basically, the sky's the limit technically as long as I don't have to actually write a genuine Android program

Activate Fixed Dialing Numbers feature from Call Settings (and, add numbers there to allow). You may need to contact your carrier. This is supported by even classic Nokia phones, so all ROMs should support it.
Kiosk lockdown the device and allow only Phone/Dialer app in Kiosk Mode. For Kiosk Mode, try searching "Kiosk" in Play Store. SureLock Kiosk Lockdown app looks great to me.

Don't forget to allow kid apps other than phone in Kiosk Mode. Happy Parenting!


How to write a script to assign adobe reader as the default application for opening PDFs on Android? I am distributing locked down tablets to my employees, ~40.

Right now, one application opens a PDF and the user is presented with multiple PDF readers to choose from. This could cause confusion (I know.. I know..).

The two solutions I have come up with are:

Write a script that assigns a default PDF reader for the user
Uninstall all of the other PDF readers (Both AT&T and T-Mobile have their own PDF readers and we may add other carriers with however many PDF readers.) (Could I write a script to uninstall the other PDF readers?)

Are these solutions viable with Android? If so, I would love to here solutions!

Thanks

Note:
I am not using the devices and I do not have physical access to them. The users of this device boot into a locked down home page with an Icon for 'manual' that opens a PDF. The users cannot change anything about the device. They can't open settings, Can't open a browser, etc. Nothing.

Right now, the users in the field are being presented with the option to use 2 or 3 separate PDF readers. I want all of my users using the same reader so that I can test the usability of the PDF.

Because I cannot personally access all of the devices ( we push updates through Soti Mobile), I want to deploy a script that forces the device to use Adboe reader

There is a deprecated api which allows to set preferred activities for specific intents. So you could for example set the adobe reader as the preferred activity to start when "open pdf" intent is sent

However as it states this api is deprecated so it could be removed in future versions of android

http://developer.android.com/reference/android/content/pm/PackageManager.html#addPreferredActivity(android.content.IntentFilter, int, android.content.ComponentName[], android.content.ComponentName)


Recover deleted video in Google Photos app In Google Photos I deleted permanently a video (before it was backed-up). Is there any way that I can recover it? It's very important to me.

You can only recover videos and photos which aren't permanently deleted.
But if you have mistakenly permanently deleted the video you can contact Google Drive Support regarding this issue. They might help you with this.
But I believe it will be more difficult to recover since Google has removed the Google Drive Support for Google Photos.

Link to Google Drive Support


How to install Google Play on Kindle Fire 7" (2016)? I'm trying to install Google Play (and rest of Google services) on my Kindle Fire 7" model 2016. I've done little bit of research and noticed that things change rapidly. I'm looking for verified and latest way of getting this installed without rooting my Kindle, is that possible? I'm trying to be able to install any Android app from  the Google Play Store.

This android police article describes how to do it without root. In short:

Enable install of "Apps from Unknown Sources" in Settings.

Install in order:

Google Account Manager APK
Google Services Framework APK
Google Play Services APK
Google Play Store APK

...profit!


Is there a way to determine the charging current available? I have a Moto X that has recently stopped charging while in its car dock, even though it indicates that it's charging.   I will diagnose the problem by eliminating the USB cable, the dock, and the 12->5V converter one at a time, but I have to use the phone for a while to determine whether it's charging or discharging after each step.   Is there an app or other way to determine how fast the phone is charging or discharging?

Try CurrentWidget.

It's a widget that you can configure to show not only the current but also the temperature and voltage.

If that doesn't work (as what seems to be the case with modern devices), Ampere is worth a look. From the XDA post, the Moto X 2014 is supported - I'm not sure if you have that model, though.

Also, from the app thread:

  If your Lollipop device (or later) shows 0 all the time: There are Lollipop devices which don't have a working power profile (the new Lollipop interface to get the measured current). But on some of them is the old interface still present and maybe also working. Please use the settings option "Old measurement method" in this case. You can force the app with it to use the old interface, if the Lollipop device has at least one. Maybe it helps...


TWRP failed to install ZIP for Lineage 16 Samsung Galaxy Note 2 GT-N7100 (t03g) I tried to flash the ROM for Lineage 16 to my Samsung Note 2 N7100 (t03g) with TWRP custom bootloader, but  there was an error which was:
Installing zip file '/sdcard/lineage-16-20200104-UNOFFICIAL-n7100.zip'
Checking for Digest file...
Unmounting System...
Warning: No file_contexts
Target: samsung/t03gxx/t03g:4.3/JSS15J/N71000XXUEMK4:user/release-keys
detected filesystem ext4 for /dev/block/mmcblk0p13
Patching system image unconditionally...
mkdir "/cache/recovery/8833b259bb088b2e13f62771d46006a40f54bc20/" failed: No such file or directory
E1001: Failed to update system image.
Updater process ended with ERROR: 7
Error installing zip file '/sdcard/lineage-16-20200104-UNOFFICIAL-n7100.zip'
Updating partition details...
...done

What I've tried to solve the problem were:

unzipping and rezipping the file
deleting the assert lines in /META-INF/com/google/android/updater-script
rezipping after deleting asserts

They still failed to fix the error. In between attempts I've wiped the cache, Dalvik, system, data as normal. Since ERROR: 7 is a very general problem, I think the problem is on line mkdir "/cache/recovery/8833b259bb088b2e13f62771d46006a40f54bc20/" failed: No such file or directory but for the life of me can't figure out what it means. I'm certain that mkdir is supposed to create a new directory from scratch, so I find the "No such file or directory" very odd.
I'm using Comico Team's custom ROM and TWRP version 3.4.0. At first I did want to ask over there but the creators seemed to be unresponsive. So, anyone here know how to fix this?

in TWRP go to advanced > terminal, then create /cache/recovery with
mkdir /cache/recovery

solved the problem for me


How to improve tethering while travelling in a train? While traveling in trains, I like to surf the internet via the mobile browser or via laptop that is usb tethered with the android phone.

Many times I have realized that in rural areas with bad GSM network coverage, it is possible to get html pages on the phone whereas the laptop cannot get the page.

After switching to 2G-only the surfing on the phone is much better now but surfing on the laptop is still bad.

I also read why-usb-tethering-goes-off-after-a-while but I do not think that my problem is caused by the network operator because surfing on phone still works.

Any ideas why this happens?
Are there any settings on the laptop to improve the situation?

I am using android 2.2 samsung galaxy fit and a win7-64bit laptop using the e+-gsm/umts phonenetwork

You can change your "User Agent" to Android or iPhone, this would speed up browsing on the Laptop. (There are several addons for every Browser out there which can do this)

But would only display the mobile sites, which are designed for use with a mobile device (e.g a Smartphone)


Where does Google sync my photos? I really don't know where or how to find my photos. I had a Samsung device and I used Google to backup my pictures. Will someone help me?

Backed up photos are accessible via plus.google.com/photos.


Move viber to another device without activation? I want to transfer viber from old phone to new, but i don't want viber to send a notification to all my contacts that i joined viber. I hate this option. How can i avoid it? There has to be a way...I've tried Titanium Backup and obviously the activation windows popped out anyway, but how exactly does it detects that it' a new device?

So i did it! Here is how:

Both phones need to be rooted.
Install Titanium Backup on both phones (I used the pro version). Also install Device ID on old phone
On old phone back up Viber with Titanium
On new phone install Xposed framework and the module Xprivacy
Move the backup file from old phone to new and restor it (dont launch Viber)
Open Device ID on old phone and Xprivacy on the new one.
In Xprivacy open settings, and there you can enter the fake info you want to send to apps. We need to copy from old phone Hardware serial, Android ID And advertising ID (advertising ID can be found in Android Settings→Google→Ads). After that tap on viber icon, find Identification and check the first box.
If all done right the viber app will launch in same condition as on old phone. After that you need to uninstall Xprivacy for better stability of viber.


Turning off Galaxy S4 while charging I manually upgraded my Galaxy S4 to Kitkat; since it was rooted, upgrade couldn't be done automatically. It was successfully done but thereafter my phone turns on automatically whenever a charger is connected.

I sometimes prefer turning off my phone while charging (to make it charge faster). This is impossible now. How can I solve this problem?

If you want to charge your phone faster without turning it off (due to the update), then you can simply:

Turn on airplane mode
Turn off WiFi, mobile data, and GPS

After that, it will charge just as fast as if your phone is off. If it's not charging, the battery level doesn't change for hours, unless you actually turn on the screen.


I have lost All my contact on Samsung Galaxy S GT I9000 Yesterday I have lost all the contacts on my GT-I9000. The device was left alone for 5 minutes & when I checked it again for some work, I found that the contact numbers had been lost & I am not able to find them.
Is this a common problem with GT-I9000? Is there any way to get the contacts back?

I don't know how you lost them or if its a common problem. But you definitely can get back the lost contacts provided they were synced with Google Contacts(not SIM contacts).

First try to sync and see if contacts come back. If we cleared data of "Contact Storage" from Manage Applications, all the synced contacts in phone will disappear until you sync back again.

If that doesn't help, Google Contacts fortunately has restore option. Open Gmail, go to Contacts, Select More and select Restore contacts.


Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 USB Debugging Detection Issues My PC - well, specifically, Flashtool - doesn't detect that my X10 has USB Debugging turned on, even though it displays that it has been activated both in the Settings menu and the notification shade. I've tried the modded Flashtool from XDA-Dev, and the latest versions, but to no avail. Any suggestions? I believe the drivers are up to date, as I can turn storage mode on when plugging it in and transfer files just fine. Rooted, running stock. It was fine pre-root, but as soon as I rooted it the first time around, it hasn't been able to detect. Recovery can't be flashed due to the lack of debugging.

Install Sony Pc companion.Go to folder in which flashtool is installed mostly C:/Flashtool.You will find Drivers folder in which you will find Driver.exe click it select the driver for your device click install.

Windows will give you error select Trust the vendor. It is better to turn off your antivirus.

Once installed enable usb debugging mode and connect


Reinstall Gallery app on Samsung Galaxy S3 I accidently uninstalled the Gallery app that came with my Samsung Galaxy S3. I installed another gallery, but I cannot choose a photo for lock-screen.

Is it possible to reinstall the Gallery app? If it is, how do I do it?

Personally I would use the Google Photos app, but yes, you can re-download it.

Here is a list of downloads for the S3 stock apps for Jellybean:

http://www.the-area51.com/2013/01/samsung-galaxy-s3-jellybean-stock-apks.html

Download the gallery apk file on your phone, and open it. A promt will open, click install. Once it's finished, you can delete the file you downloaded, and open the app like you normally would.


Lost synced contacts in my HTC Desire HD I have synced my contacts with my Google account in my HTC Desire HD. It showed that over 400 contacts synced successfully. But I was not using that Google account as activ. Than I have installed a custom rom to my HTC and added my Google account but my contacts are lost. Where should be those contacts? Where did it synced? Do you have any idea?

Update:

The rom I have installed is CyanogenMod and I have enabled sync and contacts to display is set to all. The problem is I can't see my contacts in gmail. Before I install new rom I have confirmed in contacts application of HTC that all my contacts synced with my Google account.

You may need to re-enable syncing of your Google contacts. Here's a simple guide on how to do that: http://www.wikihow.com/Sync-Google-Contacts-With-Android.

Also, the contacts may be on your phone, but not set to display. To fix this, go into your contacts list, hit the menu/options button, and open "Contacts to Display". Make sure that your gmail contact list is enabled in this menu.

Finally, if those don't work, check this link: https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/gmail/zCWHBp5d9h4


Android restore bootstrap nandroid backup after a failed rom flash I was trying to flash my Droid X2 to CM7, but it failed. Before I attempted the flash, I did a nandroid backup using an app called "system recovery" (MOTODX2_Bootstrap_signed.apk).

I want to restore to that backup, but I cannot seem to boot into the same recovery menu.

Someone please help me. My phone gets to the boot animation and keeps resetting.

Sigh. You are bricked. Not an easy fix. You have options, though.:

Flash the stock ROM via PC, and see if it is a soft brick. If that works, you'll be at step 1 again, but that's better than a unusable phone. This is assuming you can aaccess a mode to flash ROMS via PC.
1.5. Make a USB jig (look up one, it varies on device). Use it, and it will make option 1 easier.

1.7. Take apart your phone, grab the hard drive, load it into anything that will take it(again, look it up, I know someone asked about it here a while back) and grab the backup, then do option 1.

Keep trying to get it to boot up, and keep it charged. You may just get lucky.
Take it to the manufacturer, and say it just stopped working. Provided they don't work out what you did, it''ll be at stock again.
Throw it in a bin :(

Some of those may be crazy, but there is often little available for bricked devices. I have lost two devices like this.


Does Google Nexus 4 work in India? I am planning to buy a Nexus 4 from US and want to use it in India.
Should I expect any issues with this?
Is that phone compatible with all carriers in India?
Are there any power related problems?

Yes the phone is compatible with all Indian carriers. I personally use it on Vodafone.  Side note: Why are you buying it from the US when it's available here? The $200 model is sold out you know.


Why is the Google Calendar website showing my calendar as a guest on events added from the phone? I have noticed a strange behavior in the Google calendar app. When ever I add an event from my phone on a calendar that is not the default one, and later view it on the computers browser, I see a "person icon" indicating a guest. And when I enter that event I see the name of the selected calendar as the guest (technically I'm my own guest).

Is that a result of settings which I can correct? (Or is that a bug?)

I'm using Android 2.3.5

I had the same problem. But it disappeared. I am not 100% sure why, but I suspect that either Android 4.0 (CM9)  fixed it, or the new separately released official Calendar app on Play Store.


Need a way to prevent phone wakeup when slider opens Is there a way to stop my phone from waking itself when the slider opens? Because my phone does things in my pockets :(

The easiest solution would be to use the unlock pattern instead of the swipe to unlock screen.

It is far less likely that your pocket will manage to input your entire unlock pattern, thus the device will do nothing even if some touchevents do get sent to the screen.


Small keyboard in landscape I love Swype, but it has one big problem: it's almost impossible to use in landscape on a 5-inch screen. It just gets difficult to run my finger correctly across the keyboard when it's spread out across the entire screen.

Is there a way to restrict the width of swype (or virtual keyboards in general) when in landscape mode? I just want it to retain the standard layout of the portrait keyboard.

Running a fully rooted and customizable Nexus 4.

It is possible in Swype to change the size (width) of the keyboard, and shrink it. Press-hold on the Symbols key ("?123"). There will be options to change the keyboard size. Drag your finger to the icon showing the size you may want (on the left side, right side, floating...).


How to back up my current android ID? I want to flash a new rom, but it will change my android ID. Is there any way to just back up my current android ID WITHOUT make a whole-system-backup?

IF you simply backup an Apk application, from within TiB, and then restore that app, you probably WILL have problems, for such system apks on some devices (certainly, that's my experience on Lollipop for several devices lately).
Instead, use the built in function to restore the DeviceID from another Nandroid-style backup, or when it prompts you during the startup wizard -> avoid restoring entire system apks, even within the same ROM, for the same device, and save major version of android (if this doesn't apply to you, consider yourself the lucky and rare).
There is an ALTERNATIVE TO TiB, which doesn't require a purchase, (scroll down to the most recent download attachment) here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2109484 or be generous and support the DEV via the Play Store (search for apps/details id=com.liamw.root.androididchanger)

NOTE: The above app needs to be a system app, which is why it needs root.

You can have more than one device ID, for example, when a device has multiple users (available on certain devices running Android 4.2 or higher), in which each user appears as a completely separate device, so the ANDROID_ID value is unique to each user.
In most cases, if you can't gain root on your device (and workaround locked bootloaders, which are often the case), then you probably shouldn't be messing with DeviceID.  Walk before run, is a better slogan than "if you aren't an expert" -> because EVERYBODY at some point was clueless what they were doing.  Just climb the smaller hill first.
For a highly relevant XDA Discussion on restoring ONLY the ID, or other stuff too, look under (google this..) nexus-4/general/titanium-backup-android-device-id-t2006461
NOTE: Above thread regards restoring lots of crazy stuff (no longer doable on most modern devices), or just the ID itself (which may be ok in many cases, STILL).
Document Your DeviceID (don't just back it up): Search for Play Store App id=com.evozi.deviceid, which can be used to document the ID via text, for your own records (along with IMEI, Mac, etc, a good first step with new devices, BEFORE you root).

ANDROID_ID (String) Official Definition from Google:

A 64-bit number (as a hex string) that is randomly generated when the user first sets up the device and should remain constant for the lifetime of the user's device.

GoogleSearch for this Info, via Domain: developer.android.com Under > reference > android > provider > Settings.Secure.html   ...
Which reveals this ID is a string, found in the: android.provider.Settings.NameValueTable
One of the values in: android.provider.Settings.Secure
Java Class Object: Settings.Secure (public static final class / extends Settings.NameValueTable)
NOTE on CLASS: Secure system settings, contain system preferences that applications can read but are not allowed to write. These are for preferences that the user must explicitly modify through the system UI or specialized APIs for those values, not modified directly by applications.

How to Verify the Device_ID from TiB via 2ndary Source:

The ID provided by the play store app by evozi (that's not me, btw, and I don't know that DEV), you will find MATCHES the value in the DB for DeviceInfo backed up by TiB, which I often move to SDext2
So, use something like aSQLiteManager, go to the Database: /path.you.set.in.TiB.prefs/com.keramidas.TitaniumBackup/settings/databases-sysinfo
Then look at the Table: deviceInfo for the Field:  androidid:xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

How To Backup Restore And Changing Your Android-ID With Titanium Backup

From a webpage named: "how-to-backup-restore-and-changing-your-android-id-with-titanium-backup"

Some applications or games use it as a identification ID for your account. As an example, all games from Gamevil will save your Android ID in their game archives. When you try to hack one of their games, your Android ID will get banned. And you wouldn’t be able to play their game anymore from your Android device.
To be able to play Gamevil games again, you will need a new Android ID. As far as I know, Titanium Backup is the only application in the store that have the function to changing, backup, and restore your Android ID.
Changing your Android ID is a good way to experiment with some hacks before you use it in your game data. And it is the only solution when you get banned by Gamevil.

BACKUP

Run Titanium Backup
Click on "Backup/Restore" tab
Find "Setting Storage" from the list.
Try to use the "Filters" if you have a long list of apps.
Click on "Setting Storage", and choose "Backup !"
After the Backup process, click again "Setting Storage" to open the "Backup properties"
Click the title part of your new backup (area between the Restore and Delete button)
Scroll down untill you find "Protect this backup" and click it
Now your Android ID is protected and will not get overwritten when you make another backup of your new Android ID. So you can have multiple Android ID as much as you want

CHANGE

Run your Titanium Backup
Press the menu button, click on More, and choose Manage Android ID …
TB will show you a dialog window with your current Android ID as the title
To change your Android ID, click "Create new (random) Android ID"
TB will showing your new Android ID and asking your permission to reboot the device.
Click "Yes, do it" to change your current Android ID with the new one you see on the screen.
Your device will be rebooted and have a new Android ID

RESTORE

Run your Titanium Backup
Press the menu button, click on More, and choose Manage Android ID …
TB will show you a dialog window with your current Android ID as the title
Click on "Restore Android ID from a backup"
TB will show you a list of all Android ID you have.
Click on any Android ID you want
TB will showing your new Android ID and asking your permission to reboot the device.
Click "Yes, do it" to change your current Android ID with the new one you see on the screen.
Your device will be rebooted and after the reboot your Android ID will be restored.


What are these icons on an Android? Could someone please tell what these apps are?

Icon on the left is the notification by the app Musical.ly.

musical.ly is a global video community with editing tools and share video with the world.

Icon on the right is the notification by the app Smart Manager in Samsung.

This app is used to manage battery, storage, RAM, Device Security etc


How to install the official Android 2.2 (froyo) on Samsung Galaxy S without Windows/Kies Possible Duplicate:
  How do I upgrade Firmware on my Samsung Galaxy S without windows

Froyo has been finally released for Samsung Galaxy S. The update seems to be only available via a Windows application called Kies. I don't have access to a Windows computer any more (I use Mac and Linux systems only). Does anybody know how to install the update (the official one, not CyanogenMod) without this application? Can I use Custom Recovery for this like in this related answer?

Going through the Galaxy S Flash/Root/ADB/ROM guide on XDA, I just spotted this:

  I'm running Linux/OSX. Can I still flash my firmware? Do I need to
  install windows?

  If you are running
  Linux you do not need to install
  Windows. You can either run Odin in a
  virtual machine or alternatively use
  Heimdall by Benjamin Dobell. Heimdall
  runs natively on Linux and has reached
  a well tested release state.

Which takes us to here Heimdall - Cross-Platform Open-Source Flashing Software:

  What is Heimdall? Heimdall is a
  cross-platform open-source utility to
  flash ROMs onto Samsung Galaxy S
  phones.

  How does it work? Heimdall uses the
  same protocol as Odin to interact with
  a device in download mode. USB
  communication in Heimdall is handled
  by the popular open-source USB
  library, libusb-1.0.

  What platforms does Heimdall run on?
  Linux, OS X and Windows (XP, Vista, 7
  etc.)

  What Galaxy S variants has Heimdall
  been tested with? I've tested Heimdall
  with a Galaxy S GT-I9000 (8 GB) from
  the United Kingdom and Galaxy S
  GT-I9000 (16 GB) from Australia. I
  don't have access to any other devices
  to test with at present, but community
  members have confirmed it to also
  function correctly for the AT&T
  Captivate.

Hopefully this will help us all out!

Though obviously as this is effectively a replacement for Samsung's Odin software it's more designed towards people who are happy grabbing their ROMs from various places across the internet and flashing them on in a fairly custom way, as opposed to Kies which is (supposed to be) pretty much plug and play.


Android SSH with AWS and JuiceSSH I am trying to use JuiceSSH to connect to my Amazon instance with Ubuntu and I am unable to skip the request for password, documentation says I should be using -i in the ssh command but I don't see that option in JuiceSSH

Added screenshot

This was primarily my own mistake and I am leaving it here only for future visitors who may face the same issue.

I was using a wrong pem file and since the issue was not highlighted as "wrong pem" but as it needed password I was confused.


Samsung Galaxy S3 (GT I9300) does not restart. It does not go into download mode as well. Please Help My Samsung Galaxy S3 (GT I9300) does not restart. It does not go into download mode as well. Please Help.
Today morning I was checking the weather wizard of my samsung galaxy S3 home screen. Then suddenly the screen got horizontal white, black and pink stripes. I tried back button, home screen button but it kept flashing. Then I even started power off button. Nothing happened for 10-12 seconds. Then suddenly it turned off and at the same time I removed the battery. When I tried to restart it does not boot. I can see the blue LED indicator flashing when I switch on but the screen remains black. It even shows red LED when I tried to charge it. I tried removing battery and replacing, removing sim and even holding start button, home and volume down button to get into download mode. But nothing happens. I can connect to laptop but the folder shows no content. Please help. Thanks!

There are two possibilities:

Broken screen
Hard bricked

To find out what you can try doing the fastboot combination for a couple of seconds and then connecting it to your computer and see if it shows up in fastboot devicescommand (with correct drivers installed.


Custom recovery location in boot.img I am using samsung galaxy y. I have installed a custom kernel and that kernel  has a custom recovery that boots automatically when i boot into recovery. I want to change custom recovery present in the kernel.

I unpacked boot.img and found zimage file & ramdisk.cpio.gz. Then unpacked ramdisk.cpio.gz and found many files. But I have no idea where is that custom recovery.

Please guide me its location and procedure to do so.

Found the recovery location in /sbin directory.


How reliable age certification at Google Play is? So far I've been trusting in PEGI certifications nearly as in bible.

Today, I found Alchademy game, which has PEGI 3 age certification, but deeply in the game's desc you can find something like this:

  This game is not intended for children and may have some content that is inappropriate for children under the age of 13.

Please, explain, what am I missing? How can a game pass PEGI 3 certification with such a note?

Based on above, I come with the conclusion that PEGI certifications at Google Play are completely worthless and when deciding whether particular app is or isn't applicable for my children, I must always dig description or -- the best -- install and play the game myself.

If that's truth then what is the reason in fouling people with that whole PEGI stuff at all?

Disclaimer: I don't develop Android apps so my answer might be lacking. I hope our residents developers will provide more clarifications if necessary.
According to Content ratings for apps & games, The rating of an app is done by independent 3rd-parties not Google. The app's developer fill a rating questionnaire, then independent 3rd parties rate it:

To receive a rating for each of your apps and games, you fill out a rating questionnaire on the Play Console about the nature of your apps’ content and receive a content rating from multiple rating authorities.  Since they are independent third party rating authorities, each rating authority uses their own methodology to assign your ratings (see Rating authorities & descriptions below). The ratings assigned to your app displayed on Google Play are determined by your questionnaire responses.

It is possible based on the last sentence that the responses to the rating questionnaire prompted the rating agencies to rate the app PEGI 3 while the developer(s) state(s) even on their own website that:

This game is not intended for children and may have some content that is inappropriate for children under the age of 13

Thus, the app should be rated PEGI 12. As a comparison, the game is rated +9 on the Appstore.
The rating can be inconsistent as shown here where keyboard apps with the same content are not rated the same:

The Fleksy app, which has been on the Play Store for around eight years at this point — and per Play Store install stats has had more than 5M downloads to date — was PEGI 3 rating until earlier this month. But then Google stepped in and forced the team to up the rating to 12.

That’s not the end of the saga, though. Google’s Play Store team is still not happy with the regional age rating for Fleksy — and wants to push the rating even higher — claiming, in a subsequent email, that “your app contains mature content (e.g. emoji) and should have higher rating”.
Now, to be crystal clear, Google’s own Gboard app also contains the middle finger emoji. We are 100% sure of this because we double-checked…

In the case, of the link article above, it was Google that forced the rating change not independent 3rd parties. After the developers complained to International Age Rating Coalition, the rating was then restored. It shows that Google can manipulate the rating.


Device or resource busy when deleting Youtube folder from /data/app I am trying to delete my /data/app/com.google.android.youtube-DVUYe6iX9r5J1nYk8PlC2w== folder to fix the bug described here; however, I keep getting a "Device or resource busy" message. I tried using this command
adb pull /data/adb/service.d/vanced.sh > %UserProfile%\Desktop\vanced.sh

and also Total Commander file manager but received the same error. How can I delete the folder?

The problem was caused by the Vanced-related files in /data/adb and /data/adb/service.d operating on the Youtube folder hence it being busy. The solution was to delete all of these files, reboot, then delete the Youtube folder. It seems the Vanced contributor failed to realize this and instructed me to delete the Youtube folder while Vanced was still operating on it.


What is the unlock code for Motorola Droid Pro? I brought my Motorola Droid Pro back from the USA to Switzerland. It has never been actively on any network, as i bought it through Amazon as a "spare phone" on a Verizon network. I never activated the verizon chip. I am now back in Switzerland and when I try and put in my Swiss SIM card and access the network, it asks me for "SIM network unlock PIN".
Does anyone know how to unlock it?
thanks.

See this thread on XDA-Developers Unlock Motorola Droid Pro:

  You simply call Verizon and tell them
  you're going to spend some extended
  time in Europe and you want the
  ability to unlock the phone and change
  out the SIM card so you can use the
  phone as a local phone without all the
  charges, etc. They'll then tell you
  that you won't have the Verizon
  guarantee of service, etc., if you
  remove the SIM card while overseas.

  ... They gave me
  a code to use when and if I ever
  insert a foreign SIM card in the
  phone. At that time, it will prompt me
  for the unlock code.


Sync volume control? I'm running 7 on my Galaxy s6. Is there an app or setting I could change to where all the volumes are the same when I change them?
(Ex when the media is half way, all of them are half way)

Volume Sync- Sync your Volume does exactly that

It can sync all the volumes - Notification, Media, System, Alarm and In call volume together or selectively as you want

I didn't try them all synced at same time but it worked well -just installed, tested briefly


Completely disable audio jack as a media output I bought 3.5 mm. dust plug jack and I'm using its buttons, but Android is considering it as a headphone and always routing the audio to it not the phone speakers nor the Bluetooth. I need to completely disable it as a media output. Please advise or guide where to ask. Stackoverflow, Super User, XDA, Android Central or Reddit. My phone is rooted and ready for any solution.

https://plus.google.com/100255718384858554176/posts/Bqp8GtkQY9x Mr Ian Grody had posted a solution to be done by tasker and Lesser audio manager.

Edit for in case the link was changed.

You need to send Lesser AudioSwitch intents and it'll switch between headphones and speaker..
By Tasker.

LAIH (232)
    A1: Send Intent [ Action:com.nordskog.LesserAudioSwitch.HEADPHONES Cat:None Mime Type: Data: Extra: Extra: Extra: Package:com.nordskog.LesserAudioSwitch Class:com.nordskog.LesserAudioSwitch.SoundBroadcastReceiver Target:Broadcast Receiver ]

LAIS (233)
    A1: Send Intent [ Action:com.nordskog.LesserAudioSwitch.SPEAKER Cat:None Mime Type: Data: Extra: Extra: Extra: Package:com.nordskog.LesserAudioSwitch Class:com.nordskog.LesserAudioSwitch.SoundBroadcastReceiver Target:Broadcast Receiver ]
Edited for


Android Auto-Shutdown I own a Samsung Galaxy S4 (Lollipop 5.0.1) and have recently had the problem if it automatically shutting down whilst in mid-use. I would try turning it on again only for it to quickly shut itself down after the Samsung logo appears on the screen.

However, the problem goes away once I plug it into a power source and then turn it on.

Has anyone any experience on how to remedy this problem - if it is a application causing the auto shutdown or if it is due to something a little more sinister?

Thank you!

The most probable reason of your Auto-shutdown could be low battery. (I know its "duh", but bear with me)
Reason 1: Wrong Battery Stats:
This is most probably the problem, because some time ago, I was also in the same position as yours.
Here, you will see that your battery is well above 15%; yet it shutsdown in middle of it, and act asif the battery is finished (not booting there-after).
The thing is, that the battery is finished, but your phone is actually getting the wrong or messed up battery stats.
So when your battery is 1%, your phone is showing 20%.
And then BOOM your phone shutsdown unexpected to both user and the phone.
For me, In order to reset the battery stats, I have to pull out the battery and plug it in again, then with charger on, boot it and it will show correct battery stats.
The culprit?, well it was Easy Tether app.
I used it to connect to my PC and use the WiFi-internet on PC.
As I connected my phone to the PC, it was charging.
And Easy Tether, somehow, messed up my Battery Stats.
(I simply switched to PDAnet+ to get resolve it.)
Solution: You can re-calibrate your battery stats, by deleting the batterystats.bin system file (take precautions tho!).
UPDATE: @Arch gave a very good source about Re-calibrating Battery Stats Please take a look at it!
Reason 2: Damaged Battery.
Well, nothing can be done about this. Find a new battery and see if the problem persist.

If these dont work, try to be more specific about your circumstances.
You have hardly given any information you know.
Kudos!


How do I diagnose hanging and restarts? I have a Droid which was running fine with Cyanogen Mod 6.0. I travelled for a week out of service range, and since I returned it's been both hanging (no response to user input) and spontaneously restarting.

I'm suspicious that an app update is causing this, but I don't know how to diagnose it. Is there a way to diagnose this?

I ended up spotting the offending program via Battery usage. There was one app that was showing a lot of battery use even though I wasn't doing anything with it (NewsRob). I killed that and everything's been fine since.


Cannot make changes to specific folder My phone is rooted with aokp build 38 on it. It is a Verizon Galaxy Nexus (toro)

There is a folder /sdcard/data that I can't make any changes to. Some of my apps are trying to use this folder but are not able to because any changes to this folder fail.

I tried deleting it but was unable to. I even used adb shell with root access and tried to rmdir, but it says "Permission Denied"

I also tried to chmod 777 to give full access to the folder, but I still was unable to make any changes to it.

I'm at a loss as of what to do to make this directory writeable again.

Make a backup of your data first.

  every folder and file in the /sdcard/data directory is 0 bytes.

This looks like a corrupted filesystem or a defective sdcard (see correction). Especially, folders have a usual minimum size of 4.0K.

I'd suggest you to back up your data first, then check for errors:

Does "dmesg" show filesystem errors on mmcblk0 or similar?

If so try to backup, reformat sdcard (see correction) and restore or replace the faulty sdcard.

(EDIT) Correction:
The Galaxy Nexus has no SDCard but a unified EXT4 filesystem for /data that also includes /sdcard (which is symlinked to /data/media). You might solve the problem with a wipe. But that will also delete all of your /sdcard content too.

You might have luck entering recovery and adb'ing into it to fsck.ext4 your /data partition, I'm however not sure if your rom supports this command

 # boot to recovery first!
adb shell
cat /proc/partitions
 # look for the biggest one and replace the ?? accordingly
fsck.ext4 /dev/block/mmcblk???

Here's an external report about a similar issue:

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1541379


How do I change the default SMS application on my HTC Hero? I recently got completely fed up with the built in Messages (SMS) application and switched it out for Chomp (also looking at Handcent, haven't decided on one yet). I want to use the "Messages" icon though, as well as treat the new app as the default SMS program. I know about "Manage Applications" and clicking the "Clear Defaults" button for the app. But the "Clear Defaults" is disabled for the Messages app and it says that no defaults are set. I read on someone else's post that their AT&T provider had somehow hardcoded this as the default app and they couldn't change it. So...

Can they really do that? Is that why my HTC Hero doesn't let me clear the default? Is there a way around that?

One word. Root. I would suggest rooting as a solution to your problem. Here is documentation for how to root your CDMA Hero:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=581577


Is it possible to add widgets available in home screen on lock screen (on rooted phone)? I am using android 9 on Samsung device, is there is any way to add widgets available in home screen on lock screen (on rooted phone) and able to use them without opening lock screen ?

It is possible with edxposed and GravityBox module.
Note: Gravitybox doesn't go well with heavily modded UI like Samsung, Huawei etc. So check the XDA
thread, for your device specific issues and fixes. It may or not work.

Installation instructions for EdXposed (though it's for Android 10, it is applicable for Android 9 too as far as installation of EdXposed is concerned). Note that some Samsung, Huawei devices also have issues in installing EdXposed and you may need to try alternatives (YAHFA /Sandhook)

Download & install GravityBox from XDA thread

In the GravityBox menu Lockscreen (first menu option) →Shortcuts, select the apps you want displayed on lock screen

Test by tapping the widget, opening the screen lock. Your application should be launched. Unlike Phone and Camera options that are usually found on lock screen and can be launched directly without unlocking device, you need to unlock device to access the app launch. If you want the behavior to mimic phone /camera, you will need to disable lock screen


Stuck on Google Verification after performing a hard reset I have Oplus phone with 5.1 Lillipop that stuck in google verification. Its says that I need to enter my previous gmail account to continue, but i don't have any access of it. I already forgot how I create that account. I have searched on google about this but I found nothing.

Oplus phone is powered by Mediatek chipset (MT6582). Just flashing the FRP partition will bypass the lock. Require paid softwares.

Method 2:
Try one of many ways to get a temporary access to the device. When you're in, do the following:
(I won't show you how to access the device. You'll have to find how to by yourself)

Download this APK file and install it.
When installed, open it. You'll be asked to enter your Google credentials (E-mail and password).
Afterwards, factory reset the device (from the menu or from the recovery)
Now when the phone boots, it will ask for Google account, enter that E-mail and password (the one you previously entered before the reset).
Et voilà. FRP bypassed.

Disclaimer:
Use this method only if you forgot the account associated with the device. Do not use it if it is a stolen device.


Support for Dolby Digital? I have an embedded Android system and I connect it to my TV via HDMI.

Also my system has an Optical audio port.

I would like to know...

Does Android support Dolby digital (via MHL or HDMI or any other option)?

Though I found no concrete specs saying all (or which) Android devices might (or might not) support it, there are strong indications that it's possible (and at least partly supported):

Jabra advertizes its app for Dolby sound. No explicit mention of "Dolby digital, though.
XDA has a thread titled Beats audio with dolby digital advanced audio; as you can see, this explicitly mentions "Dolby digital". As this discusses an Android app, this pre-supposes the technical possibility.
AndroidAyuda.com has a Spanish article on this topic, which also implicates the availability

There are about 5 million hits for a google search on 'android "dolby digital"', which you might want to check some more from. The few I've picked didn't state any restrictions as to the device (though there are probably some, for what use does the support make if you have no appropriate output, such as HDMI). But it's clear that the Android OS is no hindrance to it.

TL;DR: Android itself can obviously deal with it, if the device supports it.


Should I clear my Gallery Data? If I clear my gallery data, will I lose all of my albums? My gallery has been taking up a lot of data to the point that I have little data left. If I clear it, will all my albums be deleted?

Data store by the gallery apps are thumbnails it generates to preview the pictures and videos. The Gallery app can be considered as a movie theater where you go to watch a movie (in your case, viewing picture and videos in your phone). If its goes bankrupt (in your case deleting its data), it won't stop you from going to another movie theater.
Furthermore, if you delete the Gallery app's data, next time you opens it, the thumbnails will be recreated. When you navigate inside inside the folder thumbnails, more thumbnails will be recreated to preview their content. That's what increases its size.


Galaxy SIII has a weak data connection I've noticed that my Galaxy SIII has a very weak data connection at times. This occurs even when people around me with the same phone and carrier (T-Mobile) have perfectly adequate connections.

Are there settings somewhere I'm missing? I've looked at the app mentioned in this post, but would prefer not to install another app if this can be fixed with configuration changes.

Look for the signal indicator in between  clock and battery bar. If the signal indicator is full, then voila! You should be able to get the fast data connection.


How to unlock a Motorola Photon 4G for other carriers? I won a Motorola Photon 4G. They are tied to Sprint, which is CDMA, but it is a world phone, which means it supports GSM and uses a SIM card. I was reading that there may be an unlock code to allow it to work with other carriers.

How can I unlock my Motorola Photon 4G for other carriers, specifically AT&T?

According to AndroidCentral and these XDA posts, the Photon 4G is specifically made to prevent access to AT&T or T-Mobile and an unlock code won't do anything.  Presumably so that if you are in the US and don't need to roam away from Sprint, you can't switch away from Sprint.  The limitation doesn't appear to have been hacked around yet.


Disable ads in applications? Possible Duplicate:
  Is it possible to block ads in Android applications?

Is there a way to disable in-app ads (on a rooted CM7 phone)?

I am NOT talking about the ads in browser.
Blocking ads is legal where I live.

As mentioned in the comments, the question Is it possible to block ads in Android applications? already covers this. There are some ad-blocking apps available on the market, but they usually require root-access on the divice -- a condition you meet, as you state in your question. So you may want to take a look at:

AdAway
AD Blocker & Data Toggle Trial
Ad Detector Pro
AdFree Android
AndGuard for Root

Just to mention a few examples. Another good option is to buy the app (if there is a payable version), to honour the developers work; he also needs to make a living.


Home Screen and Recent Apps buttons don't work I am using Moto G3 TE. I was happy with the 5th version but because the frequent alert for 6th version was killing me, I gave up and updated to Marshmallow. It's been like 8 days and now my mobile is showing issues which I listed below:

Home Screen and Recent Apps buttons are not working. Though they show effect on touch but nothing happening.
I am unable to see Quick Settings through swiping from up to down
Pattern lock is not visible, when I press the lock button on side. My phone can be easily access by anyone now.
Moto's special feature of showing notifications on screen when I touch the phone, isn't working.

I am assuming the problem might be because of the upgrade to Marshmallow.

Other possible problems could be (considering today's activities):

Trying to upload around 2GB of data to Google drive. (When I tried this, unknowingly whole drives' data was downloaded to my phone until there was no space and then  the "DU battery saver" app crashed, this is the first issue I observed)
Giving some security permissions to "CM Security" app.
Inserted micro USB pen drive and moved some files from internal storage to pendrive through inbuilt explorer.

What I tried (in sequence):

Uninstalled "DU battery saver" app.
Uninstalled "CM security" app.
Installed "Clean master" app.
Reinstalled "CM security" app.
I restarted my phone several times but no use.
I take off the screen glass from the screen, still no use. (unfortunately, the screen glass broken)
Tried to reset factory settings but it seems the "reset" button is disabled.
It seems I even can't able to do "Hard reset" which I tried by holding the lock and volume up button. The phone just gets restart. It is not that I want to do this but I just thought to give it a try.

PS: My phone is six months old.

Please help.

I was facing a similar error with the Nexus 5. Safe mode and wiping the cache partition were not working for me. People also complaining about not be able to use the adb commands because the phone does not connect.

One option I read about was doing a factory reset. This is probably not the preferred option so I found another one. This worked for me although it seems a little unconventional.

Download/install/open Nova Launcher
Long press on screen
Click on widgets
Create a nova activity
Scroll till you find setup wizard
Look for setup wizard test activity
Click on the icon you just created
Run through setup

I also read that it is caused by almost full storage. Unlike in the description I did not get a message telling that the storage is full and the phone is going into a mode optimized for low available storage. After, the phone rebooted (I also can't confirm that the phone rebooted).

Source: http://forums.androidcentral.com/android-6-0-marshmallow/600742-nexus-5-marshmallow-home-button-not-working-many-more-problems-3.html#post5344015

Nova Launcher: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.teslacoilsw.launcher


My Samsung Galaxy tab 2 (7.0) can't see 5ghz networks My Samsung Galaxy tab 2 (7.0) can't see 5ghz networks.
Am I missing anything?

The spec sheet lists compatibility as "Wireless Internet WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, WiFi Direct".    If it has a 5 Ghz radio, it should list a/b/g/n.

Despite this, there are plenty of discussions around the net about getting the Galaxy Tab to work on a 5 Ghz AP, so your problem may be something else.


How to disable DRParser Mode to use mobile data I have an Samsung A310F with Android 7.
I switched off "mobile data using" but every time when i turn on the phone or restart it, the "DRParser Mode"(System application) use my mobile data.

How to block, disable or remove this app?

Thanks for help

Images are here: http://imgur.com/a/RCiPe

There are two apps that you can use to disable unnecessary packages (and in this case DRParser Mode) .

These are Package Disabler and Adhell. Both apps list out all the apps and services installed on the device and let you disable or enable them with a single tap. Most importantly it’s completely reversible and no root is required.

  Adhell is a Free, Open Source Ad Blocker with Package Disabler for
  Samsung Devices, while Adhell is free while Package Disabler costs a
  little over $1.

Acknowledgements

http://www.androidguys.com/2017/06/30/disable-system-apps-on-the-samsung-galaxy-s8-without-root-using-these-apps/


Why doesn't my galaxy s4 screen display anything? My Samsung galaxy s4 will suddenly not show anything on the display anymore. It vibrates and such as if everything but the display works. Sometimes it will flash something that looks a bit like part of the android guy, but it flashes so fast I cannot be sure that is what is it or if it just flashes.

I have tried the top solutions that my google search have led me to try:

-Removing the battery and holding volume up and home button for ten seconds.
-Removing the battery and holding the power button for a minute and letting the phone sit for 5 minutes.

It is possible that the phone received a hit during the day that led to this problem but other people who have had this problem have not had it because of any hit or drop and I am therefore not 100% sure that any hit it may have received during the day caused this problem or if it is software related.

My question:
Why doesn't my galaxy s4 screen display anything and how can I fix it?

Try removing the battery and pulling it back in again. Then hold power button + home + volume up for a few seconds until the screen lights up. If nothing shows up the screen make sure your battery if loaded. Try it again and if that doesn't work either. Try exactly the same except you use the volume down now and not the volume up. If that doesn't work it's probably a hardware problem. It's not software because the last update was a few months ago so then it would've been occurred earlier.

It could be a software problem if you've rooted your phone. Try flashing your stock software on it. You can't see anything but moving through download mode isn't that hard. Power + home + volume down. Wait a few secs, press volume up. Plug into PC using USB and flash stock software using Odin. If it isn't rooted it's a hardware problem. Go to your nearest Samsung Repair Center and maybe the repair is free because of the warranty. Unless it's rooted of course.


Has anyone successfully downgraded there moto G v2 from lollipop? I made the mistake of upgrading OTA to Lollipop (5.0.2) since then have been considering flushing the device down the toilet:

Unable to answer incoming calls half the time.
Unintuitive UI update.
Regular drop outs when using as data hotspot.

Has anyone managed to get there phone back to KitKat and if so how did you do it?

My phone is the Australian Dual Sim unlocked retail version.

Apologies to anyone that thinks it is lazy for me not to wade through every generic answer and roll the dice on bricking the phone without at least asking if someone has succeeded (or failed) with identical circumstances.

You could try restoring it to the factory settings in the boot mode.Or try this link techdroider.com  downgrade from lollipop to kitkat.


AbsListView on Samsung Galaxy's logcat running Android 4.3 JellyBean I've been having an issue on my Galaxy S4 following the 4.3 update whereby it will occasionally reboot the phone then go into a reboot loop. If connected to a charge the loop will stop and the battery will be fine (e.g. at 80%).

Now one thing I've noticed in trying to diagnose this via logcat is that the following message:

13:37:54.600 AbsListView unregisterIRListener() is called

occurs about 26 times a second. Is this normal behavior? If not how can I find and eliminate the cause?

try to replace in the adapeter:

view = context.LayoutInflater.Inflate(Android.Resource.Layout.SimpleSpinnerItem, null);

with

view = context.LayoutInflater.Inflate(Android.Resource.Layout.SimpleSpinnerItem, parent, false);

Ref#: this link


Is it possible to make 'admin' user apps available on other user accounts? With 4.2 on my Nexus 7 I have a few separate user profiles.

I have a number of kids games installed on my tablet admin account ('Rob'), with that account attached to a Play account.

I'd like to make those games available on another non-admin ('Callum') account, which is not attached to a Play account.

How can I do this?

As far as I know: Not at all.

Each user account is strictly separated from another and there is no shared folder or app sharing concept at the moment.

I haven't checked your specific question in detail, however each user has their strictly separated userdata partition where everything is stored (even their media, on Nexus devices) and cannot access any other's data residing in their userdata section, which includes user installed apps (they're in /data/app/).


How to automate UI of a 3rd party applications? I have a flow diagram in Automate that starts automatically with system. I want to add few blocks which will launch monitoring/diagnostic applications (CatLog, Network utilities, etc.) and will press certain buttons. How do I do this?

To start an application, select the "App start" block. Then choose the app you want to start and/or the activity, action that should be started when it is launched.

To  simulate a press or click on the screen, select the "Interact" or the "Interact touch" blocks. You can use the "Record interactions" of the Interact block to help click exactly where/what you want.


Can I restore apps from my SD card? I was a bit quick to switch phones, is it possible to restore the applications with their settings from the SD card (When they were installed on the card, ("regular" and Link2SD).

(I can of course get the apps from Google Play, but I would like the "old" settings to come back)

As you no longer have the original device, you've lost one option: Backing up those apps using Titanium Backup ★ root, sending those backups to the new device, and restoring them with the very same Titanium Backup.

If you didn't back up your apps before turning the device in, it's like asking: "I just burned those papers. Can I still get a copy of them?" At least the "regular" ones are gone that way, as apps2sd only moves a part of the app to your card. An essential part (including the app's data) is left in internal memory.

Still having your card, it might look a little different for the Link2SD part: Here you can at least pick the .apk files from your card, as they are still there. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for their data: Link2SD does not move application's private data files; it moves apk, dex (dalvik-cache) and lib files. (from the Link2SD app description on Google Play).

If you additionally used Root # All Data2SD card., it's again a completely different thing. In this case you should be able to re-install the app from the .apk, Link2SD it again, Data2SD it, shutdown the device, put the SDCard to your computer via a card reader, replace the data directories from the copy you've made of the old SDCard, unmount safely, put the card back to your Android device, and start it up.


How can I get the Google Calendar app to sync more often? I'm new to Android and am having an issue where the Google Calendar app seems to only sync with my Google Account every 3 or 4 days. This is a real pain as I often miss appointment and reminder alerts that I set via my desktop.

Is there a way to have this sync more frequently?

it sounds like you might have "limits" set on your "background data". try enabling instead of restricting it.


Whatsapp shows me online when I'm not in the application What reasons are there that WhatsApp shows me online, although I am neither using the application nor the phone as such. I don't know enough about WhatsApp to explain this to a friend who thinks I am lying. Could connection problems lead to a false status?

Whatsapp by default shows your status to your contact list - only. You have the option to show your status to contact list, everyone or nobody. This option can be reached by going to

  Settings > Account > Privacy

Based on your question/scenario, it seems that your app is not working properly. Whatsapp only shows your 'ONLINE' when you access the app or are actively on it. If you close the app - but leave your phone on, the app should not show you 'ONLINE'. I would uninstall the app and reinstall it.

Of note, I would use an app like clean master to make sure that all files associated with the application are truly uninstalled to ensure that you have a clean re-install.


Setup wizard on samsung phone: run or make it run How can i make a samsung phone, go through setup wizard again so the end user may personalize the phone?

I tried the factory reset but it wipes all data and applications installed, my interest is to keep applications and only wipe existing user data.

Is there any way to run it through ADB?... (this way i can only turn the phone off and let the end user handle the rest)

You can't factory reset a phone and keep applications.  This is by design.

  my interest is to keep applications and only wipe existing user data

Apps are tied to a user, not a device.

Actually, the reason is because of Google's Terms of Service:

https://play.google.com/intl/en-us_us/about/play-terms.html

When you download an application from Google Play, you are agreeing to the ToS.  Setting up a new user with pre-installed applications breaks the agreement between Google and the end-user, since agreement happens at install time.

This is also why multi-account devices also do not share applications - each user is required to "agree" to fair use of each app.

Additionally, using the App Licensing service, developers can block use of apps that haven't been licensed to the current user properly.

Finally, Google has been urging app developers to include EULA within their apps thus corroborating the above.

All that being said, if you had root permissions, you could make any apps system level apps and theoretically circumvent this issue - but I wouldn't recommend nor endorse it.


Sync contacts between different account types I have two account types on my phone: Exchange and Google.

I'd like to sync the two, to make sure that an account that exists only in Google exists in Exchange as well, and vice-versa. I'd also like to sync the photos (in my case, the Exchange photos are all very old and low quality, and I'd like to fix that).

I couldn't find a way to do this using the standard Contacts app on my phone (Galaxy S8). I'm guessing I'd need to use some kind of app for this, but most searches yield backup-restore applications which seem to be designed to, well, backup to a file / restore from a file (which isn't what I need), and completely ignore the photo problem.

Any suggestions?

After doing some research it seems it's impossible to do this using stock Android software.

Sync can be done with Contacts Optimizer. This should transfer basic contact information between account types, however leaves out picture information (at least I've found it to copy low-res photos only).

So I've tried apps like Sync.ME and CoSy for pictures (at least to get the latest info from social media sites). The former was a miss - it doesn't actually store the downloaded FB information as part of the existing contacts. The latter seemed to work much better, and actually stored high-res photos as part of the contact information.


How to enable non-3G data After I got my mighty Fly-Ying FG8 I didn't care for mobile data, mostly due to the measly 5MB data plan with extortionate overage charges. I miss the occasional emails on the road, Waze navigation and A-GPS so I thought to put these 5MB to good use.

The problem is that in the Settings => Mobile networkד I have only "data roaming", "Access Point Names" and "Network Operators" on both SIMs. I couldn't make the device use its EDGE capability. Does anyone know how to turn it on?

Appereantly, you have to define an "Access Point Name" in order for your mobile data to work.

in Settings => Wireless & networks => Mobile networks => Access Point Names => menu => New APN

The settings vary by operator, you can find the Israeli ones here.