iOS Emulator on Android I am a user of the social network Snapchat and would like to be able to upload screenshots and other items from my gallery up to my story.

I have noticed that users of iOS have done it and I was wondering if that there is some kind of iOS emulator that would allow me to run this application (which I believe is LaterSnap/LaterPic or Upload Snap).

If there isn't a way to run the application on Android, is there any free application that would allow me to upload pictures to my Snapchat story? (SuperSnap doesn't allow that and has become obsolete with the latest Snapchat update)

Snapchat for android has been updated with the ability to upload screenshots to chats, my story etc.


Messed samsung galaxy note 3 May i ask what solution to my problem in my note 3, i rooted it and try to flash a new rom phronesis ROM using twrp, but no luck i didnt succeed due to md5 issue and signature issue, then after searching via Youtube somebody comment to format not only wipe, so it is totaly formatted, bad luck, then now totally format and still twrp is working, and im still trying to flash rom using twrp because still in recovery mode twrp is the one functioning then still no luck, then somebody told me to try to flash cwm, i download cwm then my twrp uninstall then the booting is not working i try now the odin to even install stock ROM always fail. May  i know what to do. I try 2 kinds of phronesis, 4 kinds of recovery app cwm twrp odin new odin old v, tried 3 stock rom tar. Md5 file still fail. Thank you in advance sorry for bad english

Check this thread on XDA Developers. I think you get errors because you are trying to flah a lower version. Download the Lollipop update and you should be able to revive your phone .


Using IP to ping a real Android device that is plugged by USB from computer I plugged my Android tablet to the computer with USB cable and looked at the IP of Android device and tried something like ping 160.xxx.yyy.zzz on the computer. There is no response.

I wonder, does being in a huge network that prevent one machine to see the other one affect to
pinging from one machine to another, even they are connected by a USB cable?

If your network is correctly setup, and both devices are on the same network then you can ping an Android device just fine. I've just tested it on my office network.

If your network administrator has configured the network such that devices can't ping each other, then obviously it won't work. Similarly, it probably won't work if your phone is on mobile data, since most carriers don't allow incoming pings to devices on their network.

Connecting the device with USB makes no difference at all: pinging is a network operation, so it goes over the network connecting the two devices.


how can i lock my gallery vault on external sd card? My gallery vault was saved in external memory card. My phone is lost . Can someone access my gallery vault which was in external memory card ?

Yes the files are in a hidden folder but a brilliant person can always get them by unhiding and renaming the photos to jpg. The app doesn't encrypt them. It just hides and renames... So there's nothing you can do to stop this other than hoping he formats the sd


Borked my Cyanogenmod installation - please help! (LG Nexus 5x) This was totally my fault but now I'm stuck. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I just bought 2 nexus 5x phones and planned to install Cyanogenmod 13 on each. I succeeded on the first attempt but this is what happened on the second:

I forgot to re-enable USB debugging after unlocking the bootloader but managed to proceed with installing twrp and vendor.img. When it came time to push (adp push) cm13 to /sdcard, adp gave me this error: "adp: error: connect failed: no devices/emulators found". "fastboot devices" shows that the phone is connected and the recover mode screen shows fastboot mode. (install instructions: https://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/Install_CM_for_bullhead).

I can get into twrp but trying to boot the phone normally does not work. I get an error saying that the device is corrupted, and then the boot hangs at the weird google animated logo. The screen never shuts off and the animated logo just keeps going around and around.

I can't do a hard reset because I keep ending up at twrp when I try to follow the hard reset instructions.

What should me next steps be?

Thanks.

Flash it again using twrp. Also you can do a hard reset with twrp to


Can't log into Google Play Store or my Google account Through a series of mishaps, I deleted Google Play Services, Google+ and probably many other apps. I did a factory reset, but it did not bring back my missing apps. My phone was rooted and I used Titanium to delete them, not knowing services was needed. Now whenever I hit Google store and need to log in I can't because it says:

  Couldn't sign it. There was a problem communicating with Google servers. Try again later.

I am really confused as to what to do. I cannot download from online directly because it still wants me to put my Google account and I get the same message.

Any help or is my phone just done at this point? I have an android LGMS323.

Well, that sure looks like you have messed your device really well, I would suggest the better option would be downloading the stock ROM and flashing it over your device anyway there's also another option which you can use like get the apk file of the apps from sites like Android Police.

Google PlayStore,
Google PlayServices,
Google+

Install then over your device and I guess rest of the app can be easily downloaded over the Google PlayStore.


What does the "Force stop" button mean? When I go to Settings > Applications > Manage Applications > Downloaded I see an application list. If I select some applications I see button "Force stop" active, but some applications have this button dimmed.

What does it mean? What happens if I press this button?

This button can't mean application running, since the applications with this button are not listed in Running section.

Can I list just applications which have the Force stop button active and uninstall them?

Android version: 3.2

As said in my comment to paco's answer, the information he gave is mostly correct: Most apps don't exit completely if you leave them, and no app should exit if you leave it via the "Home" button. Moreover, some apps have background services running which the user otherwise cannot quit.

Now there are some situations where you need an app (including its background services) to be stopped -- e.g. if you want to uninstall that app (or, in case of a system app, its updates). You will notice this when the "Force Stop" button is active, the "Uninstall" (or "Remove") button is grayed out -- but the latter gets activated when you stopped the app via "Force Stop". (If both buttons are grayed out, you can tell it's a system app, by the way -- which you cannot uninstall).

Btw: If the "Force Stop" button is grayed out ("dimmed" as you put it) it means that app is not currently running, nor has it any service running (at that moment).


Multiplayer Games and Wifi / LAN So at work, 2 of my colleagues also have android handsets:

I have an SGS3 (stock, for now)
Colleague #1 also has an SGS3 (stock)
Colleague #2 has an SGS2 (rooted and ROMd)

We have been trying to get some lunchtime android games going, but are not having any luck :(

We have been trying games with local wifi gaming such as Minecraft, Mini Motor Racing, Dungeon Defenders, Guerilla Bob etc. But none of them let us join or even see each others games.

We are all connected to the same wifi. I checked and we had some setting where wifi deices cant see each other, so we switched to an alternate network, still no joy. Also I would of thought there would be some ad-hoc mode available to us if wanting to play in a location without a central AP to connect to.

Using Fing or similar we can see each others devices on the network. Also have tried setting up a wifi direct with the other SGS3 (the SGS2 does not have this feature) but nothing.

Any ideas?

It will probably be the fact that games use a port that is disallowed on your work network.try using the tethered hotspot on your SGS3 as an alternative.


How come moving files on my phone when it's connected to my computer actually does a copy instead? So, I copied a file from my desktop to the phone's microSD card. Then I realized that I'd like the file to be in a subdirectory on the card, so I initiated a move. Shouldn't take long at all, as it's just a file system entry update and not an full copy, right? Wrong! I had to wait the same amount of time as the initial copy! What's the reason for this? Is it some limitation of MTP?

I would really need more info to give you a precise answer, but I think I know what you are speaking of. When you move a file through MTP with your mouse, on your computer, your computer is not just moving the file... it is a totally different type of filesystem, and therefore has to basically read the file and write the file in new location. It is not the same as if you were in adb or terminal issuing:

  mv FILE NEWFOLDER/FILE

...or a root explorer long pressing to move, which issues the same as above.


Adding a 2x Picture Widget on home screen I have a Samsung Galaxy S4.

I have a picture that I would like to have as a 2x2 widget. I don't want to set it as  background; I want it like the Weather widget.

There is a 2x2 Picture widget. Drag it to your home screen.

Here's what it would look like:


(Why) does Android connected to Mac not just behave as a normal USB drive? When I connect my Android (Galaxy S5) phone to a Windows computer, I can browse the phone storage just like any USB/external drive. That's not the case on Mac. There I need to install Android File Transfer or something, which seems to be unresponsive and slow.

Is there no way to just mount my phone like any other USB drive on Mac? If not, could you maybe give a short explanation, why?

The Default mode for Android USB Transfer is MTP (Media Transfer Protocol), which isn't supported by Mac.

  Apple’s Mac OS X is a holdout — it doesn’t include MTP support at all.
  Apple’s iPod, iPhone, and iPad use their own proprietary syncing
  protocol along with iTunes, so why would they want to support a
  competing protocol?

  Google provides an Android File Transfer application for Mac OS X.
  This application is just a simple MTP client, so it will work for
  transferring files back and forth on a Mac. Google doesn’t provide
  this application for other operating system because they include MTP
  support.

  Source: http://www.howtogeek.com/192732/android-usb-connections-explained-mtp-ptp-and-usb-mass-storage/

So, that's why you need an extra software for Mac, because Apple only wants its devices to be supported.

To avoid that, you could try to mount your SD Card in USB Mass Storage (UMS) Mode.
That could be easily be done from Settings if you're using Android JellyBean or below.

For KitKat (4.4) and above, you need to have a rooted device & some other external apps like Universal MASS STORAGE Enabler (created by me) or USBSharer or whatever.


How to restore from Titanium Backup with file on computer? I flashed new firmware and before doing so backed up apps and data with Titanium Backup. How do I restore? I have the folder on my PC which contains two .gz files and a properties file.

It's simple. Copy from PC the entire folder on your external SD or internal storage and name the folder as you wish

Use the Detect option on TiBu

Preferences → Folder Location  → Detect → All

Select location, click Use Current ( where current is the folder you have copied )

How to restore your backups on a new phone, or after installing a ROM (if you wiped your phone

  Click the Backup/Restore tab
  Click Menu (the button), Batch
  Click “Restore all missing apps + system data”
  Reboot your phone

Caution: If you are restoring on identical device with same ROM step 2 is fine.

For Restoration on other devices , other ROMs/ upgrades (as in your case), doing this will cause serious problems as

What is user app on one ROM may be a system app on another
ROMs may be "cooked" differently so replacing a system app from different ROM can cause serious problems
Apps that are device specific e.g., Samsung Planner will not work on a Moto device

In this case, choose Restore all apps with data and a menu shows up, where you can de-select what you don't want to restore (like the first few in picture below)


How do I record a ~45 minute 1080p video with external mic? I am currently using the camcorder function that comes with lgcamera because it allows me to use the microphone as the source of sound input. But I found that it stops when the recording size reaches 1.9GB (or 2.0GiB in the linux world, or about 16 minutes). I believe this is an arbitrary limit set by Android for apps? I googled and found some people reporting the same file size limit problem.
Is it possible to get around this file limitation problem (I have nexus 5)?
or is there a recording app that would break down the video into smaller sizes? The external mic is a requirement for me though.
If you know how to use external mic that with the native video recording app (1 hour recording limit), that would be even better. soundabout did not work for me.
Reference:
People complaining about the limit:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1714021

I emailed Google about this here is the response I got:

"Thank you for contacting Google. I appreciate your patience with me as I look into this issue. It seems as though the limit placed on the video data file of 2gb is written into the android operating system. This is in effect on all types of android devices.
I have researched a few video control apps, they follow the same rule and stop at 1.9-2gb. At this time I do not believe there is a work around for this issue. I do not have software update information available either. Some of the research I have done points to a possible legislative law that limits the video recording time of mobile devices as it takes away from video recorders."


Android images backup to the Cloud Is there a way to backup all images of my Android, something like Dropbox, but for all images of gallery, not only camera and screenshots? But for monitor other folders, created by other apps too, like 'WhatsApp images' or 'Messenger'.

Thanks in advance.

There are tons of apps that will allow you to backup images to the cloud in addition to Dropbox. Some are more "aggressive" than others.

Google+ Auto-Backup
Copy
Carbonite Mobile
BitTorrent® Sync
more...


Wipe data/ factory reset problem I tried to wipe data/factory reset my techno p5, but I a list of no, no, no, no, options.... I didn't see a yes option to selected to Finnaly reset my device

the "yes" option could be at the bottom and you may have to scroll to it for it to appear.


The power button on my Galaxy Nexus stopped working I got a galaxy nexus at Google IO, and randomly today the power button stopped working. I was on a call, used it to lock the screen after I got off, put it in my pocket, and when I got home the button wasn't working. The rest of the phone works if I plug it in to charge (waking up the screen), but the button doesn't respond. Short press doesn't lock/wake and long press doesn't bring the power menu up. What happened and how can I fix it?

I've tried pulling the battery and letting it sit for a few minutes without rebooting it, and it didn't help.

If the phone is working normally except for the power button not responding, you most likely have a hardware issue. That is, the power button is probably physically broken.

In this case, you will need to return the phone to the manufacturer or the point of purchase for a repair or replacement.

Before returning the phone, copy off any personal data you wish to keep, and remove the battery, SD card, SIM card and any external case; do not ship those or any other accessories back along with the phone. You may get a replacement phone, and your data and accessories will not be transferred.


Factory reset for every Cyanogenmod Update? I plan to install Cyanogenmod on my new Android phone. For this first install, I've to do a factory reset - what's no problem on a factory new phone.
But do I have to perform this factory reset on every minor and major update of the mod in the next month and years - and loosing all my app settings, logins, game highscores etc. again and again?
Or does the Cyanogenmod update behave like a normal Android update (just a little bit downloading, rebooting and continue with all apps and settings as before)?

You can either update manually or using installer instructions

Quoting from Cyanogenmod official site updating related to manual
Updates

  If you are doing a major update (such as from CM 7 to CM 10) or wish to clear the device's data partion, select Clear data partition or Factory Reset (depending on the recovery menu you are using)

Again from release versioning

  CyanogenMod 9 - 10.2 build tags-
  CyanogenMod 9 through 10.2 were qualified with tags: Experimental, Nightly, Release Candidate, and Stable. The Snapshot tag was added with the introduction of M builds in CyanogenMod 10.2. These tags were meant to indicate a build's suitability for general use.

  Nightly: usually generated every 24 hours, experimental, newest features, unstable
  Experimental: testing version requested by device maintainers to evaluate specific changes
  M Snapshot: milestone snapshot, more stable than a nightly but potentially some issues
  Release Candidate: last builds before stable release, few minor issues, mostly stable, and safe for daily use
  Stable: most stable version available, all or nearly all issues resolved

Nightlies are not recommended unless you can handle issues arising out of it

  These ROMs are largely untested, and as advised by CyanogenMod, not meant for use for an average user.

To answer your question now, avoid nightly/ experimental/ snapshot  builds, install only stable builds and update as recommended by CM installer or manually as highlighted.

Generally minor updates and nightly builds do not need factory reset

This is about official builds. If you are sourcing your build from other developer forums follow their instructions


Device says bootloader unlocked but OEM unlock option can enabled and disabled? I have a Redmi Note 3 (INDIAN VARIANT Kenzo/Snapdragon variant running on Marshmellow 6.0.1 with MIUI Global 10.2) on which I performed an bootloader unlocking procedure via the tool XiaoMiTool V2 from xda since the official method kept denying me for some reason
I also want to let you know that during the procedure i left the oem unlocking option disabled and ran the tool
So after the device's bootloader was unlocked (ss attached)

I noticed that the OEM unlocking option was still active (meaning I can flip the button and it will just ask for the pass and warn me and enable the option: again ss attached)

So my question is is my device properly unlocked? OR Did I mess up with procedure ?
I know i could dial *#*#7378423#*#* (which doesn't work in miui devices) or using fastboot method mentioned here- but the problem is that my device's usb port is damaged in a way that charging works but MTP or any other option doesn't (Yeah I tried multiple usb cables, brought a brand new from official store and multiple devices) or is there any app to do that ?
EDIT :
Okay now I tried by adjusting the chord into the port and running fastboot getvar unlocked(ss attached)

Now what does this mean ? Is it still locked ?
I would really thankful if someone can help

It would be good if you enable the Allow OEM unlocking option before proceeding to unlock bootloader
I tried by adjusting the chord into the port and running fastboot getvar unlocked which gave no value meaning the device is still locked (ss attached)
Even though it says nothing (unlocked : YES etc), I did switch the toggle on for Allow OEM unlocking before proceeding to flash just to be on a safer side and successfully flashed twrp recovery and carbonrom and the device is running well


How can I decline the latest update? The latest update for the HTC Incredible looks to be mostly bloatware and a few small fixes. I'd rather not update, but the constant reminders are super annoying. Is there anything I can do, or is my only recourse to go ahead and install the update?

I had the same problem when I originally rooted on my Droid with Stock ROM.  Eventually a newer version of Froyo came out and I had to upgrade (and lose root) or switch to a custom ROM.  I ended up switching to CyanogenMod.  No more nagging update messages and I kept root.  You might want to consider rooting your phone and switching to a custom rom for the Incredible.


How can I fix or troubleshoot my Internet connection problem? I am using a Sony Ericsson Xperia running Android 2.3.4. When I try to access online applications like Gmail, Facebook, Android Market etc. I get an error that says No connection, retry? or No data service provider.

How can I overcome this problem?

Make sure this isn't a DNS issue.  In the browser try navigating to the website by its IP address as opposed to the name.

On your computer open command prompt and type in ping google.com and press enter.  The 4 numbers 1-3 digits long separated by dots is the IP address (e.g. 74.125.113.106).  Now on the phone open up the browser, and in the  navigation bar type in "http://" followed by the IP address you got from your computer (e.g. http://74.125.113.106) and press the Go key.  If the website loads - your phone has a bad DNS entry.  The Market has several apps for changing phone's default DNS.


Get data/data/com.android.browser/databases/webview.db from backup.ab I followed Nikolay Elenkov's method of unpacking backup.ab.

Is it possible to get data/data/com.android.browser/databases/webview.db from backup.ab?

I found a bypass to this problem. Just do a full adb backup including all app data, apk and system data. Then root the phone and restore everything from backup. Then I would be able to access data/data/com.android.browser/databases/webview.db using Root Explorer on my phone.


Internal memory decreased even if no apps is installed I have an Alcatel 918N Glory X with internal memory of around 320MB (160 of which goes to RAM) I have been installing quite a few apps and moved them to SD card and I notice that the internal memory free space has decreased even if I move it to SD card, is it normal? For the real problem, I have downloaded an app around ~40MB in size from Google Play (with ~50MB free internal memory). However, the app was not installed due to "insufficient memory". I decided to ignore it, but when I checked my internal memory's space, it was reduced to just ~8MB only, without even the installed app. I have set my default install location to SD card using ADB before I downloaded the said app. Can you tell me what happened here? Is it that the downloaded app resides in internal memory and I have to delete it? if so, please teach me how.

When you move an application not everything is moved. Namely the application's data stays on the internal memory.

As for your issue, go into

settings -> applications -> all

and select clear cache for the listings: "Play Store"  and "Download Provider".
Than reboot.


Is it possible to use a Google Play Gift Card with In-App billing and purchases? I have installed the free version of an app on my phone from Google Play. Now I want to purchase the full version of that application using in-app billing or purchase option already available in that application.

I don't have a credit card, but I have already purchased Google Play gift cards, and I want to pay for the in-app purchase with a gift card.

Is this possible, and if so, how?

It is possible

just click through the in app purchase dialog and there will be a "redeem" button. if you click it, you can simply enter your code and that's it.


How to forward calls in Android without extra application? In Nokia, I did it by typing *71003584012345678 where 71 for the unanswered calls, 00358 for the Finnish country code and the phonenumber 4012345678.
I know there are many applications for the task but I do not want to use them.

I heard that some Nokia Android phones and Sony phones have a builtin feature for the call forwarding in their phones.
However, I cannot find such a feature in my Oneplus.

Phone: Oneplus 3T
OS: Android 7.1.1

I got the answer in Oneplus support chat

  In that case, please Go-to phone app-> click the 3 grey dot right top corner-> click settings -> call setting-> select SIM 1 or SIM 2.

Output: as expected.
Details

Set your Smartphone to Airplane mode or switch it off if you want to forwarding to go directly to your second phone. Setting: unreachable call.


How can I decrypt or view images encrypted in Sd card, in other phone? I had enabled Sd Card Encryption in my "HTC Desire 816 (d) phone in July 2015, after that I had taken backup of "Phone memory" in my computer, But few days back my phone got stolen. Due to which I m not able to view images encrypted in Sd Card. How can I decrypt or view images encrypted in Sd card, in other phone?

Kindly help me.

Answer: You cannot decrypt, since it requires both the device and the key which was generated on it to encrypt

Why

Encrypt Files on Your SD Card Using Your Android Phone explains this in simple terms. Quoting relevant portions (emphasis added; deleted text denoted by "...."):

  Unfortunately, it is virtually impossible to access or decrypt the files on your SD card without the right password. Android's encryption algorithm is based on two major factors - the mobile device and the password. Lose any of these, and your encrypted SD card files will be inaccessible. You can only decrypt the SD card files by inserting the SD card into the mobile device that was used to encrypt it and then entering the correct password when the device is powered on....
  The password or key is stored to your mobile device's Random Access Memory (RAM)....Encryption is essentially classified as a high level data storage security process. When you encrypt a file, you are altering its form using a specific algorithm so that the operating system will not be able to readily classify or identify it. With advancements in information security, the encryption algorithms being employed nowadays are basically "fool-proof". This means that there is no viable way of opening an encrypted file other than getting a hold of the key. Even hundreds of supercomputers could take thousands of years to open an encrypted file.

  Encryption is designed to work this way for one obvious reason: Security

To further clarify on the query of OP- again, No, you require the same device on which it was encrypted, it will not work on same model device. A simple  explanation for this is

  The password or key is stored to your mobile device's Random Access Memory (RAM) ( hence, you require the same device)

The underlying principle is that data and key required to access it should be in separate physical/logical locations. While the algorithm for key generation is OEM specific, the actual key generated is linked to the device on which it is generated and hence decryption will not work if the device is changed, since the "key" portion of the puzzle is missing


Phone no longer sees computer connected Even yesterday afternoon I was being annoyed by Android File Transfer reopening lots of times while the phone was USB connected to my computer. This morning, all of a sudden, my phone seems to not notice being connected to the computer: it's as if I connected it to a charger, it doesn't show the usual "Connected as media device" notification or any other sign of it thinking it is connected to a computer. Except it is. And I have tons of files to get onto that computer. So how can I get that mobile to see the computer?

Update

I tried working my way around this by Bluetooth, but when I click "Browse device" on My computer it goes This device does not have the necessary services or the likes. What does that mean? Is there a way I can send a file from my mobile to the computer?

Update 2

I forgot to mention I would like a way that doesn't lose the metadata (Date Modified, Date Created) during the transfer, as happens with Airdroid (which I have already) and Xender (which I just tried following the answer). Sorry, answerer, but I don't think I'll be using that solution…

Update 3

Magic magic, the mobile is now connected as a media device, or at least says thus. Except Android File Transfer doesn't find it. What can I do now?

Update 4

Magic magic once again, the phone only connects as media device when the earphones are connected to it, and Android File Transfer doesn't see it, earphones or not. So summing up, the media device connection is mysterious, AirDroid and Xender both lose timestamps, which I'd rather preserve, so my files are stuck on the mobile, and trying other ways (Bluetooth and FolderSync) has failed. Here are screenshots of the chat, 1 2 3 4 5 6. If anyone has any idea how to solve my problem of keeping timestamps, or how to get AFT to see my mobile (and that mobile to connect as media device), please comment/answer.

Update 5

I changed cable and everything works fine. I don't think it was just leaving the phone dangling from a 4cm-long cable, but rather the twist I gave it on Thursday that might have caused the problem. So my 4cm cable works for charging but not for USB connection. However, I can't use the other cable instead, because -- nonsensical as it may seem -- I run a (statistically) greater risk of losing a longer cable in Uni than I do with the micro-one I have now. So the problem persists. And even the hypothesis of that twist being the culprit doesn't convince me, since the effect was delayed by at least a disconnection of the cable. Ha-ha! Surprise surprise, I twisted it again, and voilà, everything is fine now! How did that happen?

Update 6

Seems that whether the Computer sees the mobile or not depends in some pseudo-random way on how much I twist that cable :). Not only how much, but like, in what direction I twist it. THis is so strange.

Try "Xender Web"

Open Xender App in your Smartphone
Now see top-right side of the app carefully and click on button to open Connect PC Page
Click on “Scan” button and hover your camera to the below given QR code.

Note : Use Wi-Fi whenever possible, because using it with Mobile-Data will consume your data quickly.


Disable auto formatting of period in SMS? When I type a domain like example.com, Android automatically formats it like this example. Com

Is there a way to disable this?

Try going to settings->Language and input

figure out which keyboard is active and look for the settings page for that keyboard.

Look for settings like: "predictive text", "auto punctuation", and "auto capatilize" If you have any of those settings ensure that they are turned off. Once you've done that test again.

If you wish to use some of these features it may be worth it to try flipping them on one by one and figuring out which is the actual culprit that is breaking your links.


How to add whatsapp contacts in bulk? I want to save 1000's whatsapp contacts which were not added in contact list  in bulk which is the fastest way to do it?

Store all the numbers in csv file and than

On your computer, go to Google Contacts.
On the left, click More and then Import.
In the window that appears, choose how you'd like to import your contacts
Check that you saved your contacts as a .csv or .vcf file. Then click CSV or vCard file  and then Select file.
Click Import.
Than let the contact sync with your mobile


Exchange e-mails deleted from Samsung Galaxy S III when downloaded on computer When I have Microsoft Outlook running on my computer, exchange emails are self deleting on my Samsung Galaxy S III.

I can see the incoming email on my Galaxy S III, but it goes as soon as Outlook downloads the same email.

Why is this?

This problem is due to your email server setup. Server is setup to delete mails from the server once they are downloaded to your Outlook. Your Android Email client only shows mails that are on the server, hence you can't see mails once they are downloaded.

You may have an option where you can disable deleting downloaded mails, however my corporate mail server doesn't allow me to do this and always deletes downloaded mails, so I'm not sure about this.


Can I restrict Nexus 7 2013 LTE to 2G/3G, instead of just 2G? In the settings on Google Nexus 7 2013 LTE, there is an option to restrict the device to 2G networks for better battery life, which makes it use 2.75G GSM EDGE.

Why is there no option to do the same for 3G?  Isn't 3G UMTS/HSPA+ also better in the battery-life department than 4G LTE?  Is there any app to address the limitation?

What version of Android you currently have on your Nexus device?

I have (I think) exactly the same device, as you (ASUS Nexus 7 II (2013) LTE) and three days ago it was upgradred from 4.3.0 to 4.4.2 KitKat (I issued manual upgrade, by connecting to WiFi network and going to Settings > About phone > System Updates).

After upgrade, option you're referring to (Settings > Wireless & networks > More > Mobile Networks >  Use only 2G networks) has been changed to Preferred network with options: 4G, 3G and 2G.

Now you can fully control, which kind of network your tablet access and you can limit it to use only 3G networks (second option), which has full fallback to 2G network, if 3G one isn't accessible in your area.


How to edit 'etc/hosts' file? I'm using Nexus 5 on Android 4.4. Kitkat. I would like to edit /etc/hosts file and add redirect mappings in order to block few ads.

I need to know how to access/modify/replace /etc/hosts file.

I have already checked below similar Q/A:

How to change the 'hosts' file to redirect URLs? -> Link in the answer is broken
Guide to editing /etc/hosts -> Not found a way to edit hosts file.

This is actually a compilation of answers and my own expirience.

So, get/install a copy of ADB, then type

adb devices -l # make sure your gadget is listed
adb shell # run a shell there
su # become the root (don't miss confirmation request!)
mount -o rw,remount /system # allow to write
vi /system/etc/hosts ## edit the file in place - do what you whant, then <ESC>:wq ##
mount -o ro,remount /system # get things back to normal
exit # unroot
nslookup YourBlockedAdSite.Net # check if it works
exit # good bye

You're done.

Things after # are comments and may be omited from your input. If you cut'n'paste them, it should be safe enough too.
It's supposed you have root access on your device (or the su wont work).
Actually, you'll be unable to edit the file if you have no root anyway.
It's supposed you have a busybox installed (otherwise you may miss things like vi and nslookup). Well, you may still try to play with adb pull/adb push then.
It's quite common the adb remount fails to work and this is a workaround.

Note:
When you run su in the shell, you may be asked on your gadget to confirm!


I updated to Google Play Services 6.5 and I want to revert back to actual official version I found the latest 6.5 release for the Google Play Services here. I installed it hoping the smart lock position feature would work and sadly it does not.

Since it was the only one for Lollipop I thought it was the right one for my Nexus 9, but I was wrong.

The app crashes every now and then, and it's quite annoying. Is there a way I can re-install/revert to the actual official version (6.1) without resetting the tablet? When I try to "uninstall updates" under the Google Play Services details it asks me if I really want to reset to default factory settings, which I only want to do if there's nothing else I can do.

When I browse to Google Play Services on the Play Store from my computer (since for some unknown reason this page cannot be accessed from my device, it says my devices (cellphone and tablet) both have the app installed... but my tablet still has the wrong version.

If you open Settings > Apps > find Google Play Services and select uninstall updates, that should revert to your previous version of GPS.

I think you did the same as me, as it wasn't clear on any site that this APK wasn't suitable for the Nexus 9 - were you getting an error message with regards to GP Music as well?

AC


Note taking on the Entourage Edge I recently came across some free money and am considering buying a tablet.  Specifically, the entourage edge because it would be in my hands the day the money is.  What I'm curious about, however, is how well this baby can take notes.  The floor model had been on for several days and had had sever people screwing around with it and had hence crashed.

So:

Can the entourage edge take notes in real time (ie what is the latency when dragging my pen over the ereader screen) when it has not been abused?
how many pages of notes can it store without extending the memory?
how well does the edge sync with a parent computer, specifically a mac?

According to the review on Engadget, note-taking is laggy; up to a second between writing a letter and it appearing.


My phone is sending out mms messages to unknown numbers My phone is sending out MMS messages without my consent to random unknown numbers and out of my contacts,
The message that is sending out on my phone is as follows :
You have received an MMS message. Read here then there's a http address I won't put it here don't know what on earth it is,can someone help me please,  I've ran an anti virus app do I need to do a factory reset?

I sounds like you have managed to install some malware - check the Application settings for those with permission to send MMS messages and disable MMS functions for any that you don't recognise or need to be able to send messages and possibly uninstall them. It is probably worth doing this periodically anyway.

If you go to Applications in the Settings area, (the gear), and select the options, (the pile of 3 dots on the top right on my version), you can select SMS to get a list of all the Apps that can send SMS, and presumably MMS.


nexus 5 android 5.1 installing I am trying to upgrade my Nexus 6 with version 5.0.1 (Build number LRX22C) via OTA to Android 5.1.

The OTA update is downloaded successfully and after pressing "Restart & Install" I see a dead droid with the message "Error!".

The phone was rooted and I unrooted it via SuperSU. Did not help. Wiping cache partition also did not change anything.

Since Android 5, OTA installs verify each partition as a whole so any changes will result in verification failing even if the file is not changed by the update. You said that you unrooted via SuperSU but it is likely that there is something that has changed in the system partition. Usually the error message will indicate the file that has caused it to fail.

Therefore, your options are to restore the system partition to the 'stock' state (removing any files you've added, reverting any changes to files and re-instating any deleted files) and flash the OTA or flash a factory image using the steps in this answer (using the 5.1 file names in place of the 4.3 ones in that answer)


Transfer applications and settings from my old Android phone to my new one Possible Duplicate:
  How to backup an Android device?

I recently purchased a new Android device and I would like to be able to back up all of my settings/installed applications/app settings so that I can easily transfer them from the old phone to the new phone.

I know that my Gmail synced items will automatically sync, but this doesn't help me with things like bookmarks and settings on my apps.

Are there any good applications available on the market for helping me with this transfer?

I'm not sure if it will cause any problems, but the old device is running Android 1.6, and the new device will be running Android 2.x

Titanuim Backup, MyBackup, Astro FileManager, Handy Backup and there are loads more in the market!


Cannot take pictures without SD card inserted. Any solutions? I have no SD card in my Android phone's SD card slot. Therefore I cannot take any photos or upload any. I have tried installing other camera apps to see if one of them might have its own storage but really none of them have worked (all need an SD card to store their files on).

Does anyody know any apps for taking pictures that do not need an SD card and have self storage? Or is there even an option?

Every app that wants to make files publicly available to other apps on an Android device has to save to known shared location with read/write permissions to everyone (or at least the apps that need to). This designated location is /mnt/sdcard on Android and this is where the SD card or an internal equivalent (eMMC) is accessible.

Reason:

If multiple apps want to access some file (e.g. pictures like G+, upload service, Gallery viewer) they need appropriate rights to do so
Each app has its private storage section in /data/data/[App's Package Name]
This section is private, i.e. /data/data/[PackageName] is not accessible to any other package for security reasons
/mnt/sdcard or /mnt/emmc are the only sections with world read permissions (and write permissions for those apps with an appropriate permission)

Conclusion:
An app that takes pictures to save them in its private area would not be beneficial for other apps. It needs to write to /mnt/sdcard where other apps suppose shared data that is accessible to them.

Solutions:

Buy an SD card, it's cheap
I you have root, you could fake mount a tmpfs file system (mount -o tmpfs none /mnt/sdcard), this solution and all the data on saved to it will however not survive a reboot of your phone

For the record: Above said is not 100% correct but I think suitable for answering the question.


Accessing web server application from server itself? I have downloaded a web server program, and when launched it gives an IP address to access it through port 8080. However, nothing happens, so I can draw the conclusion at these possible problems:

The server is not pointing to any files, hence, nothing shows when you type that IP address and port number in the browser. In such a case, I can't figure out how to configure the server, and the developers do not explain in good detail.
There's an issue with accessing port 8080, which would be a restriction by the kernel or a related sort(unrooted operating system).
The server doesn't work correctly.

Now, in general, the program is installed in the SD card, the SD card is obviously mounted, and it automatically is set to access itself in directory format as follows: mnt/sdcard/server/

However, the HTML files are stored following: /server/HTML/index.html

I do not know how it is, by default, configured, and there's very many configuration files in Extensive Markup Language(XML). So, these following questions I directly ask:

Is there any default blocking of port 8080, or otherwise noteworthy issues that could explain this port number, the local machine connection to it, etc.?
Is accessing data from the server while on the server problematic?
Is there any standard way server software is configured/set up(so I could maybe tweak around with a goal specifically in mind)?

The server app is: PAW server. Despite following its instructions just fine, nothing loads when the IP address is typed in, and a "welcome page" reportedly should.

What I've tried:

Accessing the IP address without the port number; nothing happens.
Changing the directory the app points to; app doesn't work then.
Changing the files in the HTML directory; still nothing.
Digging through and editing some presets that seemed off in some XML files; still nothing.
Changing the port number; still nothing.
Accessing from another device; still won't load the page.
Using HTTPS instead of HTTP; still doesn't work.
Adjusting browser's settings, trying different browsers, etc.; still doesn't work.

Screenshots (click to enlarge)

PAW is supposed to show a "welcome/sign in" page by default configuration, I believe.

No, there's no default blocking of port 8080, accessing an HTTP server from the same machine doesn't itself cause a problem, and there's no standard way to configure a server. The standard way to configure anything in Android is through the application itself, with the GUI it provides, not by editing XML files.

After trying everything you have, I'd suggest it would be best to ask the developer for help directly.


Will deleting all system apps from Android for debloating purpose prevent it from starting up? The motivations of profit driven corporations like Google, Samsung, Microsoft alongside the motivations of the secret services like GCHQ and the NSA are at odds with my desire to use the expensive smartphone that I have paid for to run only the applications that I choose.

It's seemingly impossible to buy or build a phone with nothing but pure open source android installed. They all have shocking amounts of bloatware pre-installed.

So I have rooted my phone and I am using a the Debloat (terminal emulator) to remove system apps. I've removed nearly everything related to Google, Samsung, Microsoft etc.

My phone is now taking over an hour to restart and getting very hot.

My questions is, if I continue to remove all apps and system apps. Will the Android operating system continue to run in such a way that I will be able to install only the open source apps of my choice? Or are there some apps that are truly essential for the operating system to startup?

1. All of the system apps cannot be deleted

System apps are not just apps to be used by end users, but many of them don't have any user interface and they provide some core functionality of Android OS. So you cannot remove them. E.g. SystemUI app loads basic user interface including status bar, notifications and theme, while Settings app does what the name suggests. Other examples of such apps deeply integrated with Android core framework include Bluetooth, ContactsProvider, DocumentsUI, DownloadProvider, ExternalStorageProvider, Shell etc.

Though mostly system apps are part of AOSP, some might be vendor or hardware related. E.g. on Qualcomm devices there are QtiTelephonyService, TimeService and QCRilMsgTunnel etc. in /vendor/app/. Vendors may also inject their own code to AOSP apps. SystemUI and Settings apps are almost always modified by device OEMs to provide custom user interface and settings. So are other essentially required apps like Launcher, Keyboard and Dialer, though you can replace them with your own apps.

So it's not always practically possible to remove bloatware apps completely, and the situation may vary for different vendors, different phone models and different Android versions. An easy way to avoid the hassle of failed debloating attempts is to use a vanilla Android custom ROM on a rooted device with open source kernel and unlocked bootloader.

2. Deleting apps may not debloat the device completely

If you are too much concerned about bloatware, removing apps (system and/or user) only may not be enough to completely debloat your phone. Though in most cases Java apps are the culprits and you need to be more cautious about closed source apps usually included by OEMs, it's not that the other software components on device may never contain some kind of bloatware stuff.

Android apps run in Java-like virtual machines, so they come into play only after the zygote is up. But from bootloader to zygote in booting process, a huge chain of native code is executed. Bootloader starts Linux/Android kernel which starts first userspace process: init. init in turn starts many native services and daemons in background which provide different functionalities. To name a few, there are rild, netd, mediaserver, surfaceflinger, servicemanager, logd etc. zygote is started in the last.

Most of this code is open source; Google develops AOSP and a common kernel source. Latter is further modified by device OEMs according to device hardware, but not all of them release kernel source. OEMs might also modify AOSP native stack, though it's not very likely that they contain some anti-privacy code. But SoC and hardware related code including bootloaders and binary blobs (HALs) in userspace are always closed source. And your device can be controlled remotely even if it's turned off or even if there is not operating system on it.

So it's hard to avoid falling prey to profit-driven corporations and secret services unless you stop using gadgets. To avoid human bodies being tracked or controlled remotely might be the next challenge.


Nexus 7 32GB - Cannot mount as a drive in Windows but USB cable still charges I have tried this on multiple machines - my Nexus 7 doesn't actually mount in Windows no matter what I try. The USB cable works as I can see that the device is still charging - I've tried this with multiple USB cables on different computers and the problem persists (which would assume the problem is down to this tablet).

When I place the USB cable into the device it charges but I cannot see a removable drive appear in 'My Computer'

This ** definitely** worked before as I have already transferred a number of files to the device - anyone got any ideas of how to fix this?

I am using the stock ROM from Google and is not rooted, MTP is checked in the USB computer connection.

I've had similar results with my Samsung Galaxy Nexus.  It will be charging fine when plugged in to the PC, but the PC will be oblivious to any device being connected.  And it worked fine the day before.

My first thought was also software fault.  But it happened with multiple USB cables on multiple PCs.  What I did notice was that sometime, especially when I plugged it in slowly, it will flash with a "Could not install device" prompt on Windows.  Which means it did find something, even if only briefly.

I managed to successfully connect by plugging it in only 50% on the device.  Obviously this was not ideal, so I investigated further.  Turns out my usb micro slot on the device was not exactly straight.  The tongue inside the receptacle was just a fraction too close to the side,  very nearly touching the bottom.

What I did to fix it was VERY GENTLY insert a toothpick between the tongue and the bottom of the receptacle and lift it up, just a tiny fraction.  I cannot overstate how gently you need to be.

That solved it and it has not given me any problems for the past 6 months.


Phone call quality suddenly choppy, even though signal is good I have a Sprint HTC EVO 4G running the Fresh Gingerbread ROM. The call quality in my apartment has always been great. However, this week the call quality has been extremely choppy to the point of not being usable, no matter how I hold it. I haven't really done anything to the phone or my apartment, even though all its signal bars except one are full.

If I remember correctly I still have good call quality at work, so I don't think its solely a phone issue...

Any idea what's going on?

Appears to be a Sprint issue - call quality's good again today. The lesson here is that there's always more to call quality than cell signal bars.


Does the LG Aristo work with gamepads, if so how can I connect it too the ípega? I have an LG Aristo and I recently got an ípega Bluetooth controller off the wish website, the phone isn't rooted an I don't know much on what to do so it's not working for any of my games I don't know what to do please help...

You can connect your GamePad to your LG as you connect  headphones or any wireless devices.

Your gamepad  supports android 3.2 and above.

METHOD 1:

Install iPega Game Center English version(Google for that).  and install it. This will serve as  IPEGA remote Bluetooth gamepad driver for your Android device.
Enable Bluetooth on your LG phone.
Once you have installed the IPEGA Game Center successully you need to enable BitGames IME as default input.
Turn on the controller by pressing Y + Home button simultaneously. Wait until the red LED indicator blinks as it pairs with your device.
Once the red LED indicator blinks, open the IPEGA Game Center application. Go to mydevice and bind controller.
A console will open. This will help you calibrate your controller.  Try moving the joystick and the buttons.
Done. Test it with a supported game or an emulator.

METHOD 2:

If you have the PG-9028 model, you won't need  the IPEGA Bluetooth controller app.

Turn on your IPEGA PG-9028. Also, make sure that your LG Bluetooth is turned on.
Now, on your IPEGA Bluetooth controller,  press and hold both the X + HOME button, simultaneously.
Wait until you see the LED from your IPEGA gamepad with touchpad blinking constantly.
On your mobile device,  open the Bluetooth menu. Scroll down (if needed) and look for Available Devices.
What you should look for is “PG-9028” or sometimes Android will see it as a keyboard input device.
Select PG-9028 to start pairing. Once the pairing is successful, you will notice that the LED light on your IPEGA PG-9028 will stop blinking.
Done.


LineageOS 16.0, can't get tethering to work, Samsung Galaxy J5 SM-J500FN I use 'Free' French ISP. Tethering was working previously, I made no update.
I have another device with LOS 16 that works well with tethering.
After running dhclient usb0 from my Linux OS, I get my private IP address, adb logcat shows:
07-16 01:46:41.940  4507  4507 I dnsmasq : DHCPREQUEST(rndis0) 192.168.42.124 00:11:22:33:aa:bb·
07-16 01:46:41.941  4507  4507 I dnsmasq : DHCPNAK(rndis0) 192.168.42.124 00:11:22:33:aa:bb address in use
07-16 01:46:44.221  4507  4507 I dnsmasq : DHCPDISCOVER(rndis0) 00:11:22:33:aa:bb·
07-16 01:46:44.222  4507  4507 I dnsmasq : DHCPOFFER(rndis0) 192.168.42.119 00:11:22:33:aa:bb·
07-16 01:46:44.222  4507  4507 W dnsmasq : Ignoring domain domain.tld for DHCP host name (null)
07-16 01:46:44.224  4507  4507 I dnsmasq : DHCPREQUEST(rndis0) 192.168.42.119 00:11:22:33:aa:bb·
07-16 01:46:44.224  4507  4507 I dnsmasq : DHCPACK(rndis0) 192.168.42.119 00:11:22:33:aa:bb linuxbox

from my Linux box, I can ping the Android device as well, but I can't get network access through Android
the Android interface rndis0 is up with ip in the same network as my Linux box.
I have default route established to the android device as well.
from the Android shell (via adb), I can ping whatever domain or IP.
in sysctl, I have net.ipv4.conf.all.forwarding = 1

This is some errors from dmesg:
[ 910.429371] 2 init: 1] init: Received control message 'interface_start' for 'vendor.lineage.trust@1.0::IUsbRestrict/default' from pid: 230 (/system/bin/hwservicemanager)
[ 910.429463] 2 init: 1] init: Could not find service hosting interface vendor.lineage.trust@1.0::IUsbRestrict/default

Any clue ?

Found the issue.
Blokada app is blocking tethering. Filled a bug report


How to transfer Viber message history to a new phone Since Viber currently doesn't offer backup and restore functionality, I resorted to using Titanium Backup for transferring message history to a new phone.

However, after the restore, when launching viber, the message history appears for a second and then the activation screen pops up for confirming the new device -- and after the device is confirmed (via incoming call or sms), all the history vanishes!

Any ideas?

You can do it without root access

Requirements:

Install ADB and OpenJDK 8 (I had nothing to do with security extension) by following adb backup guide on XDA
Download adbextractor

Then do

sudo apt-get install openjdk-8-jre-headless
sudo apt-get install android-tools-adb android-tools-fastboot

Now, do the following

Connect the old mobile, create backup with adb backup (disable WiFi and data and forget the old phone)

sudo adb backup com.viber.voip -f /home/user/Downloads/viberoldphone1.ab
sudo java -jar abe.jar unpack /home/user/Downloads/viberoldphone1.ab /home/user/Downloads/viberoldphone1.tar

Install Viber on new phone and activate Viber, connect the new phone and create backup with adb backup

sudo adb backup com.viber.voip -f /home/user/Downloads/vibernewphone2.ab
sudo java -jar abe.jar unpack /home/user/Downloads/vibernewphone2.ab /home/user/a/vibernewphone2.tar

Open TAR archives in an archive manager (found Archive manager for GNOME 3.14.2 on my Lubuntu LiveCD). Copy files below from viberoldphone1.tar DB directory to vibernewphone2.tar

viber_data
viber_data-journal
viber_messages
viber_messages-journal

Repack to .ab and restore data to phone

sudo java -jar abe.jar pack /home/user/a/vibernewphone2.tar /home/user/Downloads/vibernewok.ab
sudo adb restore /home/user/Downloads/vibernewok.ab

Works like a charm. I have just tested on Android 4.1 and 5.0. I run into problems on Win7 with adb so finally used Lubuntu.

You can try to edit Viber DB files with SQLite editor. Probably DB files could be restored directly but I had no time to test

References:

http://dbremes.wordpress.com/2013/02/11/how-to-get-a-backup-of-your-android-applications-database-in-windows/
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/2078710/android-adb-access-to-application-databases-without-root


"Too many files specified; only takes APK file and verifier file" problem I have some devices attached to my PC. Now I want to install Astro to a specific emulator. Unfortunately, I get this error.

hieund@hieund:~/Downloads$ adb install "Astro File Manager 2.5.1.apk" -s emulator-5554
too many files specified; only takes APK file and verifier file


Google Play Store accounts for over 50% of battery use! Solutions? Google Play Store alone accounts for 52% of my phone's battery use!

I would think Google Play Store would only run when downloading or updating apps, or when checking if apps need updated. Since last unplugging, I haven't manually run Google Play Store, nor have any apps been automatically updated.

Clicking through reveals that Google Play Store has been continuously requesting GPS. But I always have my GPS off in system settings.

I have all the sync settings off too. I don't want autosync.

So why is Google Play Store running uncommanded in the first place, and moreover, why is it using so much battery? How do I correct this?

Phone is LG G3 D855, Android version 4.4.2 KitKat. Rooted w/ xposed framework installed.

Things I tried:

I pressed the "stop" button in the above screenshot, which force-stopped the Google Play Store. But then many system services started shutting down and prompting me with "not responding" dialogs, until I eventually pulled the battery and restarted the phone.

I used SystemCleanup to disable several autoruns (such as receivers) for Google Play Store, so that it won't be constantly called on to run. I also killed the task using SystemCleanup (which did not kill the system).

Please delete the Google Play data and login again. Update the GP if neccessary. Let this time autosync GP till all is synced and now you can disable the sync of GP only. I guess it won't use much anymore then.


Deleted Stock Dialer App, Not Receiving Call Notifications So, I have the BLU STUDIO 6.0 LTE and am rooted. I deleted the Stock Phone app, replaced it with Reactiv Dialer. I can make calls just fine. But I hear the ring when someone calls but no screen pops up for me to answer. Any apps that would give me third party notifications for PHONE CALLS?

You'll have to reinstall it, I'm afraid. If another app provided such a function, this would cause conflict and even possible device crashes.


How can I change the default browser? I need to change the default browser in my Android device to Opera. Is there any way to do that?

After installing Opera, when you open a link from somewhere in the system, you should see a popup asking you to choose between the browsers available. That popup should have a checkbox for saving the browser you choose as the default browser.

If you have already set a default browser, you must go to Settings > Applications > Manage applications, find the browser you now have as default and click on "Clear defaults" in the details page, then go through the process described in the first paragraph.


Change IMAP folder subscriptions on default email client I've set up an IMAP account in the default email client (android 2.2.1), and have added and removed some folders on the IMAP folder. How do I change the android email settings to subscribe to these new folders?

Email APP
If you are referring to the APP named "Email", you don't have to make any adjustments, the subscription process is fully automated, I just test.
Ps: No options available on this application for that type of settings, perhaps the reason as to why its fully automated and by default in sync.

Gmail APP
If you are referring to the Gmail APP, you need to:

Open the APP
Tap your device "menu"
Tap "more", then "settings"
Tap your account
Scroll down until you find "Sync inboxes and labels", and tap
A list should appear with all your folders, tap over the ones you need to Sync and select the desirable option.


Reformat damaged Card My SD card is damaged and a message occurs "SD card is damaged. Try reformating it" what should I do?

Moto E
Android-4.4.4
SD card-kingston 16 GB (class 10)

Before using atomics, I'd try to attach the card to a PC with a card reader, and use the PC's tools to check and repair (i.e. fsck on *nix systems, or the corresponding tool on Windows – I'm using Linux, so I'm not familiar with the Windows part: chkdsk? ScanDisk?)

Most likely you've "unsafely removed" the card (e.g. plugged it out from your computer before having it "unmounted"), which left the file system corrupted (not being closed properly). Using fsck/chkdsk and similar tools, you might be able to "recover" without any (or with just minimal) data loss.

If however this occurs regularly without you having either "unsafely removed" the card (or hard-reset your device, cutting it off from power without having safely shut down), there might be an incompatibility between your card and your device (such are reported from time to time). In that case, it's rather adviced you by a new card of a different brand/size/specification and see if that's running more stable.

Please also see our external-sd tag-wiki, which even has a nice and easy-to-follow graphic for how to deal with SD card issues (congrats to me for that :)


Removing app from download queue in Amazon App Store A few weeks ago I installed Amazon App Store and tried to download a game that was free for that one day. I "bought" it for free according to my Amazon account, but I've never been able to download it as the file size is large and download's wi-fi only. My wi-fi's very patchy so I've never been able to complete the download, apart from once when it said there was a "package error" after downloading.

I'm not even that bothered about downloading this game - I just wanted to check it out since it was free - so now I just want to get rid of it from my "My Apps" download queue. There seems to be no way I can find to just delete it. Anyone know how I can get rid of this?

Many thanks

Go to My apps-> cloud-> hold the app you want to remove (it is valid only for installed or downloaded apps not for paused ore ongoing download).

If you want to remove ongoing download, then you must cancel that. To cancel, you have to go to setting-> running apps-> amazon app store.

You will see 4-6 processes there. You have to stop download process from there. Note: the download process will only appear if that download is running at that time and it may take a few seconds to appear.

After stopping download process, when you will return to that app in app store's cloud section, you will see download cancelled. Now you can hold that entry and safely choose remove from upcoming box.


Why are Google Talk notifications at a low volume? When I am chatting with someone in Google Talk and I receive a message, the notification sound is played at a very low volume, low enough that I have some difficulty hearing it.

But if I receive a message in Google Talk while the application isn't open, the notification sound is at full volume.

I have notification volume cranked up to maximum in Android's settings, and Google Talk doesn't seem to have a separate setting for this that I've been able to locate.

How do I get my notifications to be played at full volume in Google Talk?

The device is a Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX with Jelly Bean 4.1.2.

When you are chatting with someone, you already know that you are chatting. You can see messages as they come. You are already notified.

So Google Talk behaves intelligently and reduces notification volume. - thats for your answer

To get louder notification, the only way to fix this would be a Custom ROM with modified Google Talk app, where you can disable this feature.


Does Google Nexus 5 has arm or armX86 or armX64 processor? I am trying to install Xposed module on my rooted Nexus 5 running stock  Android 5.1.1. In that process I am trying to download the files from [this XDA page. I am unable to find whether my Nexus 5 is an arm or armX86 or armX64.

Sure, I can try one after the other as I have a nandroid backup, and I can also Google it and find it in pages like this.  But, how can I be sure of myself? I can rely on any app that might say so after installing in my phone or some reputed sites say it so. What would be the best and authentic way for me to find the same?

The Nexus 5 runs a Snapdragon 800, which is not a 64-bit supported processor. That means you should be going for the arm version of Xposed, and not the arm64 version.

NOTE: You are getting confused with the meaning of x86. In this context, x86 refers to mobile processors made by Intel (the Nexus 5 has an "arm" chip). The difference between "arm" and "arm64" is whether it supports 64-bit execution. There is no such thing as "arm86".

Currently, there are only unofficial builds of Xposed for 5.1 and higher.


Strange icons and notifications, is there a malware in my phone? Possible Duplicate:
  Is this red star icon malware? How to get rid of it?
  Red Star And Green Cross Icons?

I have a Samsung galaxy nexus with official Android 4.1 running. I sometimes get strange notifications with a green + as the icon, saying you have won..., click here to..., or similar messages. Of course I would not open any of them as they immediately appear suspicious. I also sometimes get some shortcut icons on the home screen looking like games, etc. I do not find them in the app list though. I have had similar incidents before upgrading to 4.1.

Does anybody get things like these? Is this a malware living in my phone? Any thoughts would be highly appreciated.

It is probably spam notifications being generated by some third-party app that you have installed.  Quite a few "free to play" games pull this garbage these days.

It could also be malware, but it is more likely that some game you have installed is doing this.

Note that in Android, an application icon does not have a 1:1 correspondence with installed applications; many applications provide different icons (or no icon at all), because of the way that Android applications are put together.


How can I check whether an app is installed on internal storage or the internal SD? I asked another question about problems with the default launcher and one user suggested that I might need to check that my app is installed on the internal storage or the internal SD card, but I can't find anywhere in the app settings that shows that. How can I check where the app is installed?

Why would you have to look in the app settings?  Just determine its location via certain organizational/explorer apps (ES Explorer comes to mind), and voila, where it is—that is your answer.


How do I move apps to my SD card? Recently brought a new phone and put an SD card in it to store some of my apps but I can't move my apps from internal storage to SD? I've installed 2 apps since I got this phone so far and phone is already saying "internal storage running low"... I have already cleared data/caches from preintsalled apps...

Some apps can't be moved to the SD card, because they wouldn't work properly anymore (widgets would suddenly dissapear, services would randomly stop).

The normal way to move apps to the sdcard is to go to settings > apps > * app you want to move* and click "Move to sdcard". If the app prevents that, the button is grayed out.

If you're running Android 6 or higher, you can format the sdcard as internal storage, then apps would be moved to the sdcard automatically. To do that, go to settings > storage > sdcard, then click on menu and select "Format as internal storage".

If you have a lower version of Android, the only solution would be rooting, which I wouldn't recommend if you don't know what you're doing. It would also allow you to move apps to the sdcard, but you can also destroy your phone completely when you're rooted and you don't know what you're doing.


Will Google Music sync my iTunes playlists? I have been invited to the Google Music Beta, and in setting up the service, I chose to upload music from "My Music" folder rather than the "iTunes" option, simply because my music files are in the root folder of "My Music" and not in the "iTunes" folder "My Music." I was unsure of whether the "iTunes" option in Google Music only takes the music from the iTunes folder. However, in choosing "My Music" as my upload source, will it lack my iTunes playlists when I play from my Android Device?

Figured it out. Originally synced it with "My Music" folder option and no playlists showed up. Restarted with option of "iTunes" and in a few minutes my playlists showed up without having to resync all the music.


Removing the home screen number to have one more row of app shortcuts Is there any way to remove the home screen "numbers", i.e. (red rectangle):

and instead have one more row of app shortcuts?

I am using a Samsung Galaxy S5 SM-G900A with Android 4.4.2.

This is not possible on Samsung's Stock Launcher but many alternative launchers have the possibility to display even more rows by shrinking them in height.

Try a third-party launcher as nearly all Samsung stock applications tend to be unoptimized for any Samsung device; especially in memory consumption.

E.g. using Nova Launcher Prime you can remove the scroll indicator as follows:

Result (the number of rows and columns of the desktop grid can be changed as you want):


How to transfer files from Galaxy s7 I had a galaxy s7 until i dropped it and the LCD broke.  The screen is black but the phone is on.  To repair it is $250, Id rather not pay that.  But I need my files from my phone.  Any ideas???

Sorry to hear that. You can connect your phone to a pc or Mac to transfer files from your phone.

You can find it below.
https://support.google.com/nexus/answer/2840804?hl=en

Hope this helps.


Does Google Photos allow for "Hidden" albums or photos? I have not found anywhere in Google Photos to "hide" and album, collection, or specific photo from view under any given context. Is there a setting or workaround that will allow a user to select specific photos or albums from being in the main view when viewing photos in either the album view or timeline view?

Use case: If one backs up every photo taken to Google Photos, it would be helpful to have "hidden" folders or photos that are only visible when selecting to view those photos or collections/albums, or various contextual "profiles" to view photos as, such as "Personal," "Business," or "Show All." That way, depending on the context of why the user is viewing the photos, one could see all photos that apply to that given context.

There was a lot of emphasis on "contextual learning" at Google I/O 2015, and this is one obvious way that it would seem Google Photos would work under that philosophy, so it may be that I just haven't found the setting yet.

I have seen no indication anywhere, from every setting within the site or app to deep searches, that indicates any such feature exists. The last mention of it I see dates back to Picasa. It seems the feature died there.

I personally have entirely separate Google accounts for different needs, and I keep my photos in those locations that don't belong in my general collection. Not optimal, but the only solution I've found.


Pixel 3a charging over computer USB connection I have an Pixel 3a device that I connect to a Linux computer via USB cable (A to C). Sometimes when I plug in the device, the notification on the Pixel 3a says, "Android System - Charging this device via USB". However, the battery icon indicates the phone is not charging (does not show the lightning bolt), and indeed, the charge level does not go up. If I switch the USB connection to MIDI, PTP, USB tethering or file transfer, then the phone starts charging.

How can I get my phone to reliably charge without granting extra data permissions?

As for "sometimes", if the Pixel 3a previously did not charge with no data transfer, then it will continue to not charge with no data transfer in subsequent connections until some data is granted. If the Pixel 3a charged in the last connection, it may or may not charge on the next connection with no data transfer.

I assume one of the problems here is that you don't use an USB-C to USB-C cable in combination with using the "USB controlled by this device" mode.

"USB controlled by this device" should be equivalent to what was called OTG with USB2/Micro USB. At that time you could not use OTG with charging at the same time.

In the USB-C era it should be possible if the phone supports USB-Power Delivery (USB-PD).
The Pixel 3a as far as I know supports USB-PD.

Now comes the problem: When you connect the phone using the USB-C to USB-A converter cable and select the mode "USB controlled by this device" then the phone is in the USB master role. For a connection to the PC the PC would have to act as USB slave - which is AFAIK not possible as USB 2/3 PC connections (using the old Type A socket) can only act as USB master!

Therefore we have on each end of the cable an USB master which effectively that there is absolutely no communication possible between them, as the USB standard defines exactly one USB master in a device tree (the USB master plus x USB slaves - the connected devices and hubs).

No communication automatically means no connection for negotiating the available/required power. Therefore in the end your phone doe snot charge.

When you change the mode to "MIDI" or one of the other "use USB for" modes this implicitly changes the USB controlled by" mode to "Connected device" - Android does not only support them this way.

Conclusion: By default you should select "USB controlled by connected device" - this is the default as it was in USB2.0/3.0: The "connected device" is the computer and the computer is the USB master.
Using this mode means computer and phone can communicate and therefore also charging works.


Does encrypting an Android device add any real security benefit over a key-lock? Would encrypting my Android device make my data any safer in case of theft?

It seems to me that since the encryption key necessarily is identical to the PIN code or password used for the key-lock, gaining access to the phone data simply relies on recovering the PIN code or password or somehow bypassing the lock mechanism. And this applies regardless of whether encryption has been applied or not:

Without encryption an attacker must unlock the device with the PIN code or password to access any data
With encryption an attacker must decrypt the device with the same PIN code or password to access any data

So encrypting the device or not does not seem to actually matter!? In either case the thief must recover the PIN code or password (or bypass the lock mechanism) to access the phone.

Are there any scenarios when encryption actually provides added protection beyond the key-lock, considering the above?

Please consider the case of a factory default Android 4.4 KitKat device, that is not rooted, and that does not have developer options enabled.

Note that I am not aiming to protect my data against people and organizations with extensive capabilities, like forensic and massive code-breaking tools. I'm simply wondering whether enabling encryption actually will really yield any added security against your average hobby hacker with skills in rooting etc.

Decrypting the device and bypassing the lock mechanism are completely different things. The request for the PIN code/password in the standard lock screen occurs AFTER the device has booted. It is possible bypass it by gaining indirect access to the already available data. And bypassing the lockscreen password is relatively easy.
With encryption enabled, it occurs BEFORE the boot and there is NO data that can be obtained without getting the actual key. There is no bypass there, except extracting the key from you by physical force... (An obvious assumption here is that the actual encryption mechanism/software does not have obvious bugs, but this assumtion undermines ANY discussion on security whatsoever, so I'm not taking it into account).
Your phone may have an external SD Card with lots of data on it (like mine). Encryption will protect it if the phone is lost, since ejecting it and trying to mount it elsewhere will fail. That's not a "forensic-level" attack.


How do I troubleshoot my IR Blaster (Samsung Galaxy Tab 4) I've had my Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 for many years now and I have occasionally used the built-in "IR Blaster" with the Peel Remote app.  Now I have a more pressing need to use this, I found that the Peel app no longer shows any remote configured, and when I go to set it up, the only options offered are to connect to a ROKU device via bluetooth or to setup a 'Pronto' external IR Blaster device. This tells me that Peel no longer 'sees' the internal IR circuit.

I compared this to my Samsung S5 phone which also has an IR blaster built in.  Peel Remote app on the phone correctly sees the IR Blaster, and will change channels, etc.   On my proven Samsung S5 phone, I downloaded a simple 'remote control' app called ASMART Remote IR, which I then configured it to control my Vizio TV.  Worked. I downloaded the same App onto the tablet and it failed to work (no error messages, just failed to work).

I figured some combo of apps / settings had messed up the tablet so did a factory reset, and chose NOT to restore any prior apps or data - a totally clean start.  On this clean tablet, I then installed Peel again; but again, it did not 'see' the local IR blaster, and offered to setup a Pronto device (which is a 3rd party IR Blaster). I also re-downloaded the ASMART app, and it also failed to work.

So I'm baffled as to what could have happened (other than the IR blaster circuit is dead).

Anyone have any thoughts?  Thanks!

Edit To Add: looks like the Android 5 (lollipop) upgrade from Samsung removed support for the IR blaster. So I may have to downgrade to Kit-Kat (Android 4). Darn. There's some suggestion out there that this can be made to work, but I haven't figured it out yet. I guess it's time to get a standalone IR device that talks to the phone wirelessly.

In galaxy S5, we can use *#0*# to open the Hardware module test app. So I guess it needs to work for your galaxy tab 4. If it works, then click on the IR module to test it.


Export data from Facebook to Google accounts My Android phone is linked with both my Google and Facebook accounts. Many of my friends' email addresses are available only in Facebook account details. Is there any way (perhaps an app) to copy the account information (like email address) to the contact details in Google?

I am aware that exporting is not allowed from Facebook now, but there is a possibility of having some applications in Google Play Store which can copy details of merged contacts.

I had done a bit of a research on this.

There was a trick until a few months back, by linking the Facebook account to Yahoo account so that the contacts get merged. Later it was possible to export the contact details from Yahoo.

But now even this method doesn't seem to work, as exporting the contacts will only export Yahoo contacts and not the one merged from Facebook. :(


Android messages deleting themselves/ Not showing up! All my messages were working fine until a few weeks ago when i could message everyone and receive messages.

Now one of my contacts can receive messages from me and can send messages successfully to me, on my phone the message shows up in notifications but whenever i go into the app they aren't there also, when i message my contact they receive the text fine but i can't see it on my phone.

The only odd thing i have seen is that the time stamp is the 8th Nov 2016, today is the 7th.

How can i fix this so i can see inbound and outbound messages?

The problem was that the "date" i had sent it on was in the future.
I must have been getting coins in a game or something, so the messages where, according to android, in the future so i could not receive messages from that contact until the 8th.

To fix this problem if you have it either:

Wait for the date to arrive
Delete the messages from the "future" (Not tested)
Set the time on your phone to past the time stamp on the messages

Side note - You can still receive messages in the notifications bar, just not in messages.

You can also send messages, they just don't show up.


Can't install Google Apps I'm using an Allview Alldro P2 phone with Android 2.3.5. Fresh out of the box it worked like a charm. After a factory reset from Settings I couldn't install any apps from Google (Gmail, Youtube, etc).

Later edit : Gmail failed, Youtube failed, Google Maps worked... odd right?

I'm getting an error like "Problem parsing package" but if I download other apps, they work like a charm.

Any ideas? It's the first time I'm having this issue. Meanwhile I will be exploring this site for any clues.

Thank you.

This problem is taking place when you install Google apps APKs directly on phone.

The solution is installing Google apps image in Recovery mod.

You can always get the latest GApps for any android version such as Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0.x), Honeycomb (Android 3.x), Gingerbread (Android 2.3.x), Froyo (Android 2.2.x) and Eclair (Android 2.1.x) from this address Latest GAPPSS


Using external AIS and GPS and OpenCPN via Windows/Linux on a smartphone for sea navigation Having read excellent answers about using external USB devices on SmartPhones (HTC Desire in my case), I would like to complicate the issue still further: I'd like to use a Windows emulator on the Android OS in order to run an external AIS dongle (and possibly an external GPS).

The reason for this is that suppliers of these maritime safety devices seem to make them only with drivers for Windows (occasionally for Apple OSs too), but not for Android/Linux.

The point of what I'm trying to do is to avoid using a laptop at sea A)as they are vulnerable and have to be kept inside, B) go wrong at sea anyway C)have long startup times D) most important of all, they use a lot of battery power so can't be left on permanently.

What 'every' boat owner wants is a portable device that can run C-MAPS (sea charts) on a program called OPEN CPN (freeware) without entering into the equipment race by various 'big screen' GPS manufacturers who sell their various charts in various formats at exhorbitant prices.

So I know I speak for at least tens of thousands of people who would love to find a solution to this issue.

So does anyone know if/how to install drivers on, say, an HTC Desire to make it work with an external AIS dongle? (The data stream should be relatively simple if I understand rightly. Would I need Android drivers for the external USB or Windows drivers for it (if a Windows emulator is to be installed), or both? or is there a smart person who can make a driver for such external devices on a smartphone with Android and make himself 'millions' and avoid Windows altogether, (using perhaps Ubuntu or a stripped down Linux version (- OpenCPN works with Linux)). (Saying that, there will always be companies who make products with drivers for Windows only, so maybe via windows isn't the worst way?).

Boats work on 12v so the optimal solution would be to find a phone/tablet as the 'mother part' in such a system that works on 12v - or - if a voltage converter is to be used, the more efficient it is, the better.

The reason for wanting the device on all the time is for safety at sea - watching for an AIS signal 24 hours a day = a vessel approaching, or so that the 'anchor watch' can be used (= if the vessel moves more than a few metres whilst one is asleep, or the water depth changes, an alarm sounds).

Having researched the issue, it seems no in the whole world has made a system that runs Open CPN that is not laptop based. I haven't even found a tablet based version capable of running the external AIS receiver/GPS as well, which I find almost shocking. But using a phone would mean far less power usage and a cheaper platform, available to all. The ability to then connect an external screen (by the helmsman, for out in the weather, daytime, let's say) would be the creme de la creme.

Got all that? Good! ;)

First, there's really no way to emulate modern Windows PC's on Android, and there is a long list of reasons for that. So to be honest, you're simply not going to be able to run Windows software on an Android phone.

That said, OpenCPN can actually be run on android. And googling shows that there are some "easier" guides for making it happen. Many Android devices already have a built-in GPS and communications hardware, which (I assume) would be sufficient for your needs as long as you're in coastal or inland waters (Where you have a data connection). I wouldn't be surprised if some AIS Dongles worked with Android without need for drivers, giving you AIS access virtually anywhere at sea(But I could be very wrong).

As for AIS as a separate feature, there are actually quite a few AIS applications available for Android with varying feature sets. I don't think I have enough information to determine if they have the features you need, but feel free to look at them. Here are some links, if you haven't already found them yourself:

Boat Beacon, MarineTraffic Ship Positions, and mAIS - Ship Position Reporting

Now, on to the down-and-dirty: If you want a seamless, power-efficient setup "That Just Works™", then Android most likely isn't going to be the answer. I would suggest looking at low-power Atom-powered Windows tablets. You can keep Windows or, alternatively, install Linux on them. They draw considerably less power than an average laptop and are quite capable.

TL;DR... OpenCPN works on Android. And you can get how-to guides on making it happen (needs root). There are AIS Applications for Android (Links above). Finally, your best bet is probably a cheap Windows tablet, not Android.

I suggest this tablet, or anything similar.


Are there codecs or codec packs? I have a video without any problem in Windows (with K-Lite Codec Pack, but probably it is not important).

I copied it into my smartphone with OS Adroid 5.0.2, and I indeed need some codec/codecs for playing it back, because I got a message that is not possible to
playing it back.

I know that there are media players with embedded codecs but it is not a solution for me - I want playing it back with my favorite media player.

Converting it to another (supported) format is not acceptable, too.

Is there a codec for it? Here is MediaInfo output for it:

General
Complete name                : C:\Videos\Woods.avi
Format                       : AVI
Format/Info                  : Audio Video Interleave
File size                    : 43.2 MiB
Duration                     : 2 min 59 s
Overall bit rate             : 2 050 kb/s
Writing library              : VirtualDub build 24469/release

Video
ID                           : 0
Format                       : MPEG-4 Visual
Format settings              : BVOP1
Format settings, BVOP        : 1
Format settings, QPel        : No
Format settings, GMC         : No warppoints
Format settings, Matrix      : Default (H.263)
Muxing mode                  : Packed bitstream
Codec ID                     : DX50
Codec ID/Hint                : DivX 5
Duration                     : 3 min 15 s
Bit rate                     : 1 977 kb/s
Nominal bit rate             : 3 695 kb/s
Width                        : 640 pixels
Height                       : 480 pixels
Display aspect ratio         : 4:3
Frame rate                   : 25.000 FPS
Color space                  : YUV
Chroma subsampling           : 4:2:0
Bit depth                    : 8 bits
Scan type                    : Progressive
Compression mode             : Lossy
Bits/(Pixel*Frame)           : 0.257
Stream size                  : 41.6 MiB (96%)
Writing library              : DivX 5.2.1 Beta (UTC 2004-09-08)

Audio
ID                           : 1
Format                       : MPEG Audio
Format version               : Version 2
Format profile               : Layer 3
Format settings              : Joint stereo / Intensity Stereo + MS Stereo
Codec ID                     : 55
Codec ID/Hint                : MP3
Duration                     : 2 min 59 s
Bit rate mode                : Constant
Bit rate                     : 64.0 kb/s
Channel(s)                   : 2 channels
Sampling rate                : 22.05 kHz
Compression mode             : Lossy
Stream size                  : 1.32 MiB (3%)
Alignment                    : Split accross interleaves
Interleave, duration         : 40  ms (1.00 video frame)
Interleave, preload duration : 502  ms

If you use an Android device with Google Play Services, Google has a document which requires what the device MUST have:

Current Android Compatibility Definition Document - 5.3 Video Decoding

As you have an Android 5.0 device this document would apply:

Android 5.0 CDD - 5.1.3 Video Codecs

Note that your video file is an AVI container format which isn't listed so it would be up to the manufacturer to support that format or any additional codecs.

As to why can't you just add a codec see this StackOverflow post:

Adding video codec to Android

The short version is that codecs are in ROM and you can't write to ROM unless you are creating your own Custom ROM.

TL;DR: No, you can't add codecs. Use a third party player which supports your format or convert your video to a supported format (both of which you've rejected).


ICE-Emergency contacts Need Help - How to remove contacts from Emergency list
I have S5 , I have added couple of numbers under “ICE-Emergency contacts “ groups. Its was displaying under Emergency Contacts.

Now I want to remove those names form emergency list . ..opened contacts and removed the names from that group but those numbers are not getting removed the screen ( Local Phone and Click Emergency call) same list is getting displayed .

Even restart of the device is also not working .. Any idea how to remove the numbers from that group.

On the Samsung Galaxy S3, you have to do this from the Contact, and re-save.
From the ICE list that contains the contact, click the contact and Edit it (S3 uses a pencil Icon to indicate editing). See the Groups area for the contact, and uncheck. Save the Contact/Group association. Save (again) for the Contact.

The contact should now show as removed from the ICE list.


Music players isn't finding tracks on Samsung Galaxy S3! The music player in Samsung galaxy s3 isn't finding my tracks. I tried different application like google play music but nothing seems to read my tracks at all.
This problems happened suddenly I don't know why.
I tried rebooting the phone but with no hope.

I solved this problem by going to Settings->More->Application manager->All->media storage.

I tapped Media Storage then Clear Data.

Then, at Settings->More->Application manager->All->My Files, I tapped Clear Data too.

Finally, I restarted the phone. And it worked.


What does the option "Allow mock locations" represent? What does the "Allow mock locations" option under the Applications >> Development settings page represent?

Fake GPS data.  Presumably this is for testing apps that use GPS, so you don't actually have to travel all over the world :P

Apps such as Location Spoofer take advantage of this.  You could probably fake Foursquare checkins or something using it, but they do check to make sure your checkins are "realistic" so you probably don't want to check in to London UK and Melbourne AU within the same hour.


I can't turn off "Easy Mode" on Galaxy On5 and there are missing options in the "Settings" Menu I really need help here. I accidentally turned on my sister's "Ultra Power Save Mode" and, when I had realized I had done this, I turned it off. When the phone rebooted on again, it asked me what kind of set up I wanted, and me not knowing what it was talking about, selected one of the options and now it's stuck on "Easy Mode", but the apps are limited and there are missing options from the "SETTINGS" menu. I'm at my wits end and I'm afraid I might have to buy her a new phone. If anyone could answer me, that'd be amazingly helpful...

From Samsung Galaxy S5: How to Disable Easy Mode in Android 4.4.2 Kitkat:

  Method #1: From the notifications panel

  Swipe down the top of the screen to open up the notifications panel.
  Tap the gear(1) to go to the easy settings menu.
  In Easy settings, tap Easy mode .
  Tap Standard mode to select it.
  Tap Done button.

  The easy mode will be disabled and the standard mode will be applied in your phone.

(1) Added emphasises due to original article has a picture instead of text.

  Method #2:

  From the Easy settings shortcut in Home screen
  By default, you can find the easy settings in the Home screen in easy mode as an app and you can use it to access the easy settings menu to disable easy mode. See the following steps to disable easy mode:
  From the main Home screen, swipe the screen from right to the left until you see the Easy settings shortcut/icon  and then tap it to go to the easy settings menu.

  Tap Easy mode .
  Tap Standard mode to select it.
  Tap Done button.
  The easy mode will be disabled and the standard mode will be applied in your phone.

  If in the easy mode you'll be provided with a simpler layout and the easy settings menu, then in the standard mode you'll be provided with a conventional layout and more complex settings menu. Also, in the standard mode, you can find and use all features owned by this phone unless you disable them.


Android Market: Comments not consistent I've noticed that for each app i see different comments if i'm going from the web version or mobile version of the market althought I click "Read All User Reviews" on both.

Have you also noticed this?

What is the reason?!

App: https://market.android.com/details?id=com.vodafone.mCare

Web Version: http://d.pr/WJz5 (Logged with my Google Account)

Mobile Version: http://d.pr/ldxN (Logged with other Google Account)

Ps: Nevermind the language, it's portuguese, it's an example.

UPDATE:

I've confirmed it has to do with the Google account that you'r logged in. But what are the criteria?! Shouldn't we all see the same?! (at least if we're not the app owner).

Ok. I found a even more strange thing. The differences are due to the language.

If I set my browser language to portuguese suddently I see all the comments that I saw on the other account (that I was seeing on an Android device set to Portuguese). This is very strange as all comments are written in Portuguese. I haven't discovered yet how they associate the language to the comment...

My guess:

Comments are only visible on the language that they are added. For example: (this is a guess)

If i add a comment with my browser in Portuguese, only people with
browsers/devices in Portuguese will see it

Shouldn't the market show all anyway, with somekind of language filter (our language vs all) or use Google Translate to translate all from the start?

Does anyone else has a clue about this?!


Galaxy S2 not recognized by computer When I try to connect my Galaxy S2 device to my computer via USB, I get an error saying that the device has malfunctioned and is unrecognized. It appears as "Unknown device" in device manager.

I'm using Windows 7.

I tried this from my Samsung Galaxy Ace Plus and it worked:

From your mobile, click MENU > SETTINGS > APPLICATIONS > DEVELOPMENT
UNTICK USB debugging, Stay Awake, Allow mock locations
Insert USB cable from mobile to PC/laptop > "Enable USB debugging" > OK
Drag down the the USB icon from the upper left part of the screen
Tap on "Connect USB" > "Connect to USB storage"
Then, automatically, your PC/laptop will now detect new mobile/sd device
From the laptop/PC, select "Open folder to view files"
There, you'll see MEMORY CARD storage and MOBILE storage as "Removable Disk..." (mine is G)
You should now be able to transfer files from PC>mobile and vice versa.


How can I read my text messages from another device? I have been using my country's local network for quiet some time, this number is used for all my transaction and other otp authentication stuff, also i use this to track incoming text messages from different services that i have subscribed to.

This number is currently used in my nexus, however i have plans to travel to another country (long time) where i need the otp and auth stuff. The country where i would be travelling would not support this cell network or its too expensive to have it supported.

Essentially, is there a way I can read my Nexus 5x's messages remotely I.e. from another device?

Remote Control? Hmmmm.

AIRDROID!

Airdroid is an app that allows relative remote control of a device, remotely.
Install it on the 5x, and make sure you create an account. Y'all be needing it. Also, tap the menu, then settings, and disable the confirmation for lite mode and enable keep-awake*
On the other device, go to and bookmark web.airdroid.com DO NOT LOGIN YET!
Disconnect from WiFi on your 'other' device, and in the 5x too if you want. Then, login on your other device.
If all goes well, it will connect to your phone, no issues! Just tap 'messaging' in the corner, and you are done!

*You may need to enable Developer options (Settings -> about phone tap build number 7 times, then back, then pick the new options) and pick stay awake while charging (tick it!) Also, Airdroid is battery consuming, so keep it on charge!


Will a factory data reset make my camera working again? I was having low memory on my Sony Xperia phone and while emptying space, I removed some files related to the phone camera. Since then it is showing the following error on starting the camera -

  Error - Camera not available.

I would not like to delete all my personal data unnecessarily, otherwise.

1) You should (of course) back up your personal data first!

2) Yes. A factory reset/clean should do the trick. That is: if the camera worked during your last system clean.


Can a Google/Samsung backup be restored if the account holder is not logged in? I am concerned about security on an old phone that I have given away, after resetting it.  Smart lock won't  make any difference, as it only applies to my home location.

You can remove the device from your Google account prior to factory reset with this link Google's Security Checkup Page  and for recent device removal have a look here Google's Recent Devices Page ... if none of these help then look at this for all linked devices Google's Support for Linked Devices