How to restore the stock firmware to the Asus Zenfone 2? Asus Zenfone 2 (Z00AD, ZE551ML)

I have downloaded the stock firmware from here. But how to flash it? This guide tells me to put it on an external SD card and boot into "update mode" by pressing Power + Volume Down, but that combination doesn't do anything on my phone.

It looks like I can use something called Asus Flashtool, but it appearantly involves using a different type of format for the firmware, which I will need to download from a third party.

Asus has provided me with the firmware. How to flash it?

I found out how to do it with the official firmware from asus.com. I'll post this for the benefit of all sentient beings future readers with the same problem. I'm writing this in a very beginner-friendly fashion.

Note: I had stock recovery. These steps will not work if you have a custom recovery.

Disclaimer: This is only what worked for me. It may or may not work for others. Follow these steps at your own risk. Any problems you encounter or global nuclear wars you cause while following these steps are your own responsibility. If something goes wrong (such as a power outage or loose cable) in the middle of the flashing, it will soft-brick your phone. If you don't know how to deal with such things, take your phone to a proper service center instead of following this tutorial.

 1. I downloaded the official firmware from here.

Important(!): You must select the exact correct file. Failing to do so could damage your device. It's important that you match all the numbers with those on your device. In my case, the relevant values were ZE551ML and 2.20.40.184 for WW. ("WW" is the important part.) You may think you have the same phone as me, but your values may be different. In that case it's very important that you get another image, namely the correct one for your device!!

I used Windows 10.
Downloaded and installed this driver.
Downloaded and installed Minimal ADB and Fastboot.
Copied the firmware file (from step #1) to the folder in which Minimal ADB and Fastboot was installed. (In my case C:\Program Files (x86)\Minimal ADB and Fastboot.)

Before proceeding, ensure the battery is above 50% (just to be safe.)

Turned off the phone completely.
Pressed and held the Power button and the Volume up button both at the same time.
As soon as the phone vibrated, I let go of the power button.

Please note: I had to try several times before this key combination worked. If it doesn't work immediately, try again until it works.

After a short while I saw this:

I pressed Volume down twice until it said RECOVERY MODE inside the box. I then pressed the Power button.
When you see this dead android, and a message saying Error!, do not despair, I also saw that message.

On that screen, I pressed the Power button and the Volume up button both at the same time.

Please note: I had to try several times before this key combination worked. If it doesn't work immediately, try again until it works.

I was then taken to this screen:

I pressed Volume Down to select apply update from ADB. I then pressed the Power Button to select that option.
I connected the phone to the computer.
I navigated to the folder in which Minimal ADB and Fastboot was installed. (In my case C:\Program Files (x86)\Minimal ADB and Fastboot.)
Holding down Shift I right clicked in the white space in that folder and selected Open command window here.
In that window, I typed adb devices and pressed Enter to check the connection to the phone.

In my case, the output to that was

List of devices attached
0123456789ABCDEF        sideload

I then typed adb sideload UL-Z00A-WW-2.20.40.184-user.zip and pressed Enter.

Important: Unless you have the exact same file as me, you have to replace UL-Z00A-WW-2.20.40.184-user.zip with whatever file name your actual firmware file has. Remember to include .zip as Windows often doesn't display file name extensions by default.

The process took around 20 minutes. This time may vary. The command prompt window told me the percents of progress along thew way. I was given a confirmation message after it was done. I rebooted the phone, and I now have the stock firmware on my phone.

I actually also wiped data and cache partition (which wipes all personal data), because I wanted a totally clean phone. But I think that's optional.

Attribution: I followed this tutorial, but I had to do some of the things differently and figure parts of it out on my own.

By the way, I've successfully rooted now, and it works again! :D


Understanding why an app-supported link opens in the browser first This is primarily an attempt at understanding what's going on (and whose fault the shitty UX is ). I don't think there's anything I can do to fix it and that's fine, I'm okay with that.
The situation
I have a subscription to the New York Times. I have their app installed, and I'm subscribed to their email newsletter. When I open one of these emails, they contain a link to the article at the end, which looks like https://nl.nytimes.com/f/newsletter/[id]. This obviously contains an article reference, as well as probably some tracking code for my subscription.
When I click that link in Gmail...
What I would love to happen is:
Android's app selector dialog pops up and asks me whether I'd like to open this in the NYT app, or one of my browsers.
The app is fine, but sometimes I might want to have it in the browser instead for various reasons.
What I would expect to happen is:
That it just jumps directly to the NYT app.
Not my prefered solution, but I think my use case is bit unusual and just going to the app is probably what most users would expect after installing the app.
What actually happens:
Android's app selector dialog pops up and asks me to select one of my browsers (but not the NYT app!). After selecting one, the browser pops up for a split second, then makes way for the NYT app.
What... the hell!?
That makes no sense, is a bad experience and provides no benefits!
Whose fault is this? Does the app not register the correct URL intent? If so, any theories as to why they didn't?
Or is this a flaw in Android's intent system and the app did the best it could?
Or do the browsers do anything they're not supposed to? (I have Chrome and Flynx installed, btw. With intentionally none of them selected as a 'default' -- I want to get the selector modal each time.)

I guess the NYT app registers itself as URL handler for https://nytimes.com URLs, but not for https://nl.nytimes.com. This is why only the browsers can be selected.
Then nl.nytimes.com page redirects to the main nytimes.com page, and the NYT app can take over.

And all this probably happens in the name of tracking, so that the NYT newsletter people see what content people like most.


Musicplayer that shows BPM information and allows sorting according to BPM Is there an music player that shows the value in the BPM tag? I would also like it to sort according to BPM.

As far as just showing BPM, PowerAMP does that quite nicely while the song is actually playing and in the info section. Sorting is a different story (though lots of other great sort options). and of course this is a paid app. Now that you've mentioned it though, I might email the dev about it.

Neutron MP is also an interesting program that shows everything from BPM to sampling rate to crossfade sliders to a bunch of other advanced dj controls that you'll probably never touch. It's slow as molasses though and while it's uber advanced, it's not particularly user-friendly. Also I could find no sortation options at all.

I tried (unsuccessfully) to find BPM info in the following music apps: 3, WinAmp, BoomBoxoid, Meridian, Zimly, and MixZing. I also tried the tagging programs iTag & Pimp My Music with no luck.


Does Android support the EXT (filesystem) for removable storage cards? As the subject indicates, does Android support any of the Extended File Systems ("ext", "ext2", "ext3" and "ext4") for removable storage cards (such as Micro SDXC storage cards)?

Android is a Linux-based operating system, so surely such filesystems would be supported?

My question relates to both Android 4.4-4.4.4 ("KitKat") and Android 5.0-5.1.1 ("Lollipop"), as I am just about to buy the Sony Xperia Z Ultra which runs the former, but has an upgrade available for "Lollipop"...

The reason I ask is because Extended File Systems have a number of distinct advantages over Microsoft filesystems, and I do not use Microsoft Windows-based operating systems at all (well, at work I do - but personal stuff can't be used with their computers...), so it's only logical to utilize Extended Filesystems where possible, for the technical advantages.

Yes it does support ext4 from what I gather from other sites and I am doing it right now on my own card.


All apps moved onto the SD card have disappeared On My phone LG E460, all the applications moved on SD card, have disappeared.

On play.google.com (and play store) these applications are marked as installed.
I don't know how to reactive these applications.

The app advanced SD card doesn't see them.

Restarting the phone usually solve this problem for me. Alternatively remove your SD card and put it back...


How can I know which Android phones support multiple users profiles? Android (Stock android) has a feature that enables Android to support multiple user profiles. Note this has nothing to do with online accounts such as a Google account.

Within the phone you can define profiles and switch from one account to other effectively running apps and other staff separately.

This is what I mean: https://www.howtogeek.com/333484/how-to-set-up-multiple-user-profiles-on-android/

In practice I found out most phones disable this feature. For instance Samsung and Oppo devices do not have it. Others have it. In the specs of the phones they never mention this feature, i.e. by looking at the specs of a phone I cannot know if it is enabled or not.

Is there any way to get a list of all devices which offer this feature?

Many new phones that appear support this feature. the function is valid since android 5 but of course, it also depends on the device you have. All the new phones that appear like Samsung, Lenovo, Apple,.. support these functions. If you wanna be 100% sure go online and search for the phone you want to see the specifications.
Good luck!


What's the difference between 'adb push' and 'adb install'? Will adb push only copy the file into the target location whereas adb install copies the file into the target location and also sets the proper permission for you?

adb push will copy any file to the phone, whereas adb install will only accept an apk file, and will install it onto the device.


Factory reset an LG P500h I just managed to prevent my LG P500h android phone from booting by uninstalling the home screen. I'm not a very smart man.

Now, my phone can only get to the android logo, and is totally unusable.

How do I reset the phone back to the way it was before? I've tried going into recovery mode, but I don't know how to select any of the options. All the guides that I've found said to use the "camera button", but my device doesn't have one!

Help is much appreciated at this point.

This site and this other confirm this method:

Power off device completely
Hold down the Home and Volume Down buttons
Press and hold the Power button until the device powers on
Follow the on-screen instructions to reset your device


Cant stop packet data in my android phone I am using xiaomi redmi 1s. In every 15-30 mins, my phone pings something by mobile data.
Even the mobile mobile data is off and I am using wifi.This leds to plenty of usage display messages by the operator. Sometimes i need to reinstall the battery to refresh and avoid these messages.(phone gets stuck by the messages).Currently  am using mokee MK4.4 armani release, but the same problem comes with stock MI rom also.

I was having the same problem, had mobile data off and still it kept on charging 4 paisa now and then. Eventually I seem to have resolved the issue by checking "restrict background data" in advanced settings of mobile data.

EDIT

I figured out that in my case the location was enabled which was accessing mobile data. To see what is causing your data to leak, you can install mobiwol from play store and it would display the applications which are accessing mobile data and wifi.


How do I eliminate "labels" from the Gmail app on Android? The Gmail on my tablet has a bunch of old "labels" from past email traffic, and I wish to remove/delete those labels.
None of the old labels have any documents in them (they are empty), but they are still shown on the left side of the Gmail screen. They are listed under the headings: "Recent Labels" and "All Labels"
By the way, I did access another screen that has the following listings:

delete labels
remove labels
label:Junk-E-mail-FRIENDS
cancel labels
discard labels
labels
remove account
remove account withdrawal
create labels

I tried all the above commands to eliminate the labels appearing, but with no luck.
The message I get is ...

Whoops! We didn't find anything for "xxxx labels"

How do I remove these old label listings from appearing on my screen?

From app help, search for Remove Labels
On a computer, open Gmail. You can't edit labels from the Gmail app.

On the left side of the page, hover your cursor over your label's name.
Click the Down arrow.
Click Remove label


disconnect adb of device connected over TCP does not work I run the following command to connect device over TCP ;

adb connect 192.168.56.102:5555

I am not able now to disconnect it  I even made two attempts :

 adb disconnect 192.168.56.102:5555

The second is , I reboot adb

  adb reboot

Unfortunately, when I run adb devices  , the connection is still there :

List of devices attached
192.168.56.102:5555 device

Brief, I am looking for the opposite of this answer

I just use "adb disconnect" and it worked fine for me. See the photo below:


I want to connect my mobile to system in office through reverse tethering I am using Yu Yureka Mobile. I want to connect my mobile to system in office through reverse tethering. My Yureka Mobile was running on Cyanogen Mod 12.1 with Kernel version 3.10.49-cyanogenmod-gbca6118. Can anyone help me how to perform reverse tethering on my device?

Connect your phone to the PC
Enable USB tethering from Settings>More (Wireless and Networks)>Tethering and portable Hotspot
Assuming a Windows computer in office, go to Network and Sharing Center
You should see two active networks, one from your ethernet and the other from your mobile phone (unidentified network)
Click on (Ethernet) Connections: Local Area Network
Properties
Click on the Sharing tab and enable the first option. Click Ok and you're done

This method will work well if your office does not use a proxy server to log in.


Phone/Text/Contact History? Does Android keep a log of numbers contacted similar to the Phone Call Log/History but for texts?

My mother accidentally deleted a bunch of texts. The actually messages themselves are unimportant, but now she has completely lost the contact number and I am wondering if their is a way of pulling up the number of the last text(s) sent.

No. It doesn't. They are not backed up like apps,settings and call history. Only on Pixel phones SMSes are backed up.

There is a possibility though - If she had called that person and if backup was enabled on the phone and if she remembers the date and time when she spoke (lot of IFs) then you could take a backup of all important stuff on the phone do a factory reset, restore from Google backup and reconstruct from call history, to get the contact number . It's a slim chance  with so many IFs.

You need to weigh the efforts of backing up data and restoring the phone subject to her remembering when she called and of course backup being enabled on device


Android (Galaxy Tab 6) Will not reboot to bootloader Im hoping someone can point me in the right direction. So I am in the process of attempting to unlock the bootloader on my Galaxy Tab 6. However, the device will not boot to the bootloader. I can use the Vol up + Home + Power to get to the menu options (Wipe cache, Wipe data, Reboot to bootloader etc..). However, the reboot to bootloader option simply restarts the device to the OS. I have no issue booting to the OS at all.

First I thought I had a corrupt bootloader. I used ODIN to reflash the stock OS, CSC, and BL to the tablet using the Samsung provided files.  in BL I selected BL_T580XXU3BRF1_CL13839138_QB18630808_REV00_user_low_ship.tar.md5 . In AP I selected AP_T580XXU3BRF1_CL13839138_QB18630808_REV00_user_low_ship_meta.tar.md5 , I left CP blank as there was nothing provided, and lastly for CSC I chose CSC_OXX_T580OXX3BRF3_CL13878383_QB18711126_REV00_user_low_ship.tar.md5 . As far as ODIN options go, I have used Phone EFS clear, bootloader update, NAND erase all, and re-partition. I have had no success though. The tablet boots and works fine other than not being able to boot to the bootloader. Its really strange. Can anyone provide any insight?

I resolved it. I discovered that its a problem that was quite common with the T580. I was mistaken about fastboot being on there. The issue is actually with the version of TWRP that was being used. It it for the T580, but does not work. This file must be used -- twrp_3.2.3-1_sm-t580_29918.tar . That version works flawlessly.


Why is meet attendance icon not enabled in Google meet? I (seem to) have installed the meet attendance chrome extension for Google Meet by clayCodes.Org from Chrome Web store from my android phone. The site responded by messaging that it has been added to desktop.
But I find that the feature is not enabled when I start Google Meet on my android phone, because I can not see the checkbox icon representing meet attendance during Google Meet session.
Can I have this feature enabled so that I can use it in my android phone ?

You'll need a desktop to use that extention as it needs chrome desktop to run. And attendance will show up only when you join a meeting, given you are using a desktop. You can still use Google meet android app(that lacks important features from web) and you can't add features that are not available in there.


Back button does not light-up when I press home button I bought a Samsung Galaxy Y phone yesterday. I was wondering why the Back button does not light up when I press Home button on the device.

On my Samsung Galaxy Ace the Back button and Menu button light up immediately whenever I press home button.

Is there a setting associated with this that I need to change?

The Galaxy Y GT-S5360 simply does not have backlighting for its capacitive buttons (source 1, source 2) whereas the Ace does - there is nothing you can do.


Large files on machine after installing Eclipse and Android Studio After installing and uninstalling both Eclipse and Android Studio several times, I have some very large (> 200MB) files on my PC (Windows 7). I currently use the Android Studio version that is installed under C:\Program Files (x86)\Android\android-studio.

Is there any way to know which of these files is safe for deletion?

These files are all system images for the Android emulator. That is, they contain the filesystems for the emulated Android phone inside the emulator. The ones that are in SDK directories can be removed from the Android SDK Manager and reinstalled any time you want.

The ones in your user directory were generated by running the emulator: they contain the files and data you've created in the emulator. Only you know whether they contain any important data. If your emulated Android system doesn't have any data you want to save, you can delete them. Make sure to remove the corresponding AVD entries that use them from the AVD manager, as the AVD won't be able to boot once you've removed its files: you'll have to start a new AVD from scratch.

BTW, it's not necessary to download a fresh Android SDK each time you install an IDE. Just tell the IDE the path where you installed the Android SDK. Rather than just worrying about the large files, it'll be better to completely remove the copies of the SDK you're not using.


Disable notifications when other audio is playing I have a Sony Xperia Z1 with 4.4.2 Kitkat

Is possible disable the sound of the notifications when I listen music or doing something?

I'm watching a video of youtube, listen music with headphones ( device is silent), etc. but when telegram or whatsapp receive a notification it sounds. If i disable the media volume i can't listen the video or the music

I know that other devices have the option to disable notifications.

You can goto Settings->Sound->Volumes->Ringtone&Notification and reduce the volume.

(or) You can press the volume down button to disable notification and then start listening to media.


How reliable are waterproof phones? I want to have a waterproof phone that I can realiably wear when I am windsurfing.
During a session it might get wet and might sink for a few centimeters for a couple of seconds from time to time.
I bought a refurbished Huawei P20 Pro for the purpose, IP67 waterproof.
I had watched videos on Youtube where it would be under 1.5 meters water for 15 minutes and still be working fine.
After a short session on the water with this phone, where it got wet but never sunk, the next day the phone was dead forever with water damage.
I imagined that, being refurbished, it might have been hacked by the previous owner.
I got my money back and bought the same phone again, also refurbished.
This one was really new, in the box with all the gadgets.
I took it on a session, this time in a cheap "waterproof" pocket.
At the end of the session, there was some moist in the pocket.
Next day the phone was dead forever. Again.
Was this hacked too? I don't think so.
I got my money back and bought a refurbished Samsung S9, which is waterproof IP68.
Now. I am not going to bring it with me on the water until I am sure it will survive.
I could buy a IP68 protection for it but wouldn't it be overkill and actually nonsense (IP68 + IP68 = IP68) and maybe still let water in?
Are these videos on Youtube realistic?
Maybe 10 minutes after the video the phone becomes useless.
Are the IP67 and IP68 certifications reliable for general public phones?
I am sure they are when it concerns professional equipment.
Thanks for your thoughts

I have a fair amount of experience using and testing IP68 waterpoof phones.  Here are my experiences.
I personally have had quite a bit of success with them in several different types of environments.  When getting a new one, here's what I do before I put any data on it:

I charge it up and turn it on.  I make sure it works before testing.
I set the display to go off after 5 minutes.  I set an alarm with both sound and the buzzer to go on in 10 minutes.  This will ensure the speaker and buzzer work underwater, and will also provide a little agitation.
With the device turned on, I place it in a tall glass of fresh water for 30 minutes.  I want the glass to be tall to increase the water pressure.  A flower vase works well.  The device's display will shut off after 5 minutes, as expected.
With the device still wet, I turn it back on, and test it.  The speakers may temporarily sound horrible; I find this to be normal on some models.
Now, I place it under a water faucet turned up to a flow rate in which I would wash my hands.  I wash it under that pressure at all angles for several minutes and at various non-extreme temperatures.
Repeat step 4.
I let it sit overnight.
Repeat step 4.
I place it in the bottom of a tub as deep as I can, but within the manufacturer's specifications.  I try to agitate it as much as reasonably possible, often using a long stick or with a long piece of string or dental floss attached.  Then I let it sit in the water up to the duration specified by the manufacturer.
Repeat step 4.
I dry it with a cloth and vigorously shake it to remove some of the water within ports.
Repeat step 4.

I have yet to test a device that hasn't survived these basic tests.
At this point, I repeat the above steps with the type and temperature of water to which it will be exposed during real-world use.  I do this knowing that it may invalidate a weak warranty by a manufacturer that does not have confidence in their products.
I have only found a few minor downsides to waterproof devices:

Often, after being wet, the speakers sound really bad.  I typically have to wait for them to dry completely.  If I need good quality audio before then, I'll play loud music to use the air pressure created by the sound waves to help extricate the water.
Charging and data transfer are often risky/impossible until the device is completely dry.  Depending on environmental factors, this may take anywhere from 30 minutes to 12+ hours.  I've learned not to plug it in for as long as possible after being wet, to reduce fire risk or shorting a circuit.  When I do finally plug it in, I keep an eye on it, and I don't let it charge unless someone can supervise it (and therefore cannot be asleep).  I've learned to not attempt any data transfer via cable for at least a day, if I can wait.
Any ports are the hardest thing to get dry.  I haven't tried them yet, but I'm researching buying some little rubber port covers to hopefully help with this issue.  I am concerned that they will all fall out and get lost on the fist use.
It's often hard to find waterproof phones with easily replaceable batteries and microSD slots.
Repairs can be harder to perform yourself or more expensive for a technician to perform.

I have spoken to repair shops who state that they get waterproof devices that weren't nearly as waterproof as the manufacturer claimed.  Because of this warning, I tend not to intentionally push the limits of the waterproofness once the device has data on it.  Remember that increasing water pressure due to turbulence is similar to increasing water pressure due to depth.
If I'm going to be in extreme conditions, I place my waterproof phone inside a clear waterproof bag (which also has a rugged lanyard, which I have reinforced).
Overall, I highly recommend waterproof devices.  Just test them well before use, and make sure you backup your data frequently.  As we say in rock climbing, "never climb higher than you are willing to fall".
If you do have to return a device due to a waterproofing failure, please do your best to ensure the manufacturer doesn't just offload it to a refurbisher who will then sell it to an unsuspecting person who will not be aware of the device's previous failures.  No one wants that to happen to them, so let's work together to make sure it doesn't happen to others.


Empty /data/log folder I have Galaxy Sii s9100 with CM 10.2 (android 4.3)

I am encountering the bug that fill the folder /data/log and display the notfication "Storage space running out"

I can see that the problem is coming from the log folder using DiskUsage (1741Mo)

The problem is I can't succeed to empty this folder, I tried :

DiskUsage (it says that I can't delete log files)
ES Explorer (the folder looks empty)
Dial *#9900# (got an error IHM not valid)

Any other ideas ? Or any ideas why I can't use these methods ?

Automated solutions could involve tasker: Make a job running in intervals (e.g. all 3 hours), with the task to shell-execute rm -rf /data/log/* as root, should keep the folder clean. Tasker has a "run shell" command, where you can tick "use root" – that's what you would need.


Questions on phone contacts and Google contacts I am using 7562 Samsung S Duos.

I merged all the phonebook numbers to my Google account. Those numbers are not shown in phone book, but are shown in the Google account in my phone.

How do I copy all the numbers to the phonebook?
Where are the numbers actually stored now? Is it in Google server or is it in my phone only?
What will happen to these numbers if I log out my Google account from my Android phone?

Go to Contacts. Press contacts to display, then select which merged contact you want to display. Or, select all contacts. You can also customise the contacts to display.


Recover data of app not on Play anymore? Seems I deleted an app or a directory too much from my Android 2.3 phone. In particular I remember removing an app called App2SD or similar. Now, after booting the phone, I cannot see the apps anymore that were installed on the MicroSD card. However, I would like to access data from one app in particular. This app is called Epistle, and I was thinking about simply reinstalling it. However, it is not available on the Play store anymore.

What strategy can I use to get access to the data of that app?

Solved. I found a copy Epistle on the web, and installed it using:

adb install 2388.-Epistle_v1.2.1.apk

Now I can see old data again!

Warning: I was aware of the risk that during installation the app may reinitialize its database. If that had happened, then bad luck. The data was comprised of some notes that, while nice to have, would not have been terrible to lose.


How do you download an apk file on sd card? I want to download an apk file to my sd card so I can take that sd card and put it in my nook to get google play? I honestly don't know what I'm doing and I have an older model of the nook color. I only have my phone so I don't even know if this is possible

You need to use either Your smartphone or the card reader. Insert appropriate for Your nook (apparently it is a tablet according to what Google told me. Have never encountered it before) SD/memory card in the phone/card reader and connect it to Your PC/laptop.

After downloading the needed .apk file on Your computer, copy it into a folder of the SD/memory card (for example "E:\Downloads" or any other name it will be given by the system) and disconnect the card reader/phone from comp. via safe way (most probably nothing will happen if You will simply plug it out, but just in case).

Insert the memory card (if it was in your phone in the first place - take it out beforehand. Don't forget to switch off devices when inserting/unmounting memory cards) into your nook device and switch it on. Go for the file browser (aka File Manager and so on), find the folder you have put .apk file before (Downloads folder for example) and open it via touching it's name. The system will suggest to install .apk file and demand for Your approval of the action.

That should be it, pardon if too much text/too detailed explanation.


My Epic Touch 4G can only boot into Odin mode Installed ClockworkMod via ROM Manager, selected reboot into recovery via manager and the phone only boots into "Android System Recovery" now. OK button doesn't work to select "reboot now", though long depress does what it should.

I just flashed the EG30 tar file (see comments) successfully, but it booted back into "Android system recovery" again and the ok button will not select on "reboot system now" but long long depress will reboot it... back into recovery though. Any ideas on how I can get the phone to start up properly?

My first instinct is to say the partitions are messed up.  I would try using the "shipped ROM" from here and re-partitioning via Odin.  I found the .pit file here.


Is there any way to replace the desktop dock app on the Droid 3? Or at least change the widgets/dock area icons in productivity mode? I have the Motorola desktop dock for my Droid 3 (on Verizon). When I drop the Droid in the desktop dock it lets me bring up either nighttime mode or productivity mode. I'd like to change what happens in productivity mode. I don't need two calendar views, for instance, and I'd like to have the Gmail app on the right side, instead of messages, and I'd like music instead of the camera app.

Does anyone know how any of this can be modified? I'm happy to spend a few dollars on an app if it will be able to take over from the built-in one when I put the phone on the dock.

If you've got a replacement app, you could utilize Tasker for that:

Condition: Docked
Task: Start App [your-replacement-app-here]

On the next docking, you would be asked for the app to perform this action with. Decide for "Tasker" and see if it works as expected. If it does, make it the default next time.

As alternate app you could e.g. use Desk Clock Plus, which might even support this without the help of Tasker.


Is there an alarm clock event log? Occasionally I wake up and find out that I've missed an alarm. I'm considering using a different program that is more likely to wake me, for example Math Alarm Clock. However before torturing myself with mathematical problems every morning I would first like to find out why I missed the alarm to see if there is an easier solution to the problem.

Did I try to hit the snooze button but accidentally turned it off?
Did I not hear it even though it rang 5 times?
Did I set it for the wrong time and it didn't ring at all?
etc...

In order to help investigate what the problem was I'd like to see a list of alarm related events. Is there any log where I can see all (or recent) alarm clock events, including changing alarms, alarms ringing and being turned off?

I use the currently use the default alarm clock on the HTC Desire, but if the logging feature is only available in another alarm clock application I would consider switching.

The only place that I can think of off the top of my head would be the logcat logs.  There's an app on the market called aLogcat that will show you the full system logs, or you can use a terminal emulator and just run the command 'logcat' to get the scrolling log output. There's also DDMS, available through the Android SDK, that will show you the system logs from your phone on the computer as well.

Honestly, I'm not sure if the Alarm is something that is reported to the logcat logs or not, but it'd definitely be worth checking.


Using WhatsApp on emulator, how to scan the QR for WhatsApp web? I am using WhatsApp on a laptop with BlueStacks (Android emulator), and I cannot scan the QR code. I don't have any Android phones.

How can I link my WhatsApp profile with WhatsApp web?

You have to have a camera. Try with an external webcam installed on the PC.
Or hope some root programmer shell guide. Keep on googling.


Can't find Package and Tools buttons on the top part of the Android SDK Manager I have Eclipse installed on Ubuntu with the Android SDK and latest JDK and JRE. I'm trying to manage add-on sites in the Android SDK Manager, but I can't find the two tabs for Packages and Tools as I normally do on my Windows PC with the same settings.

I also tried installing the ADT bndle, but still the same thing.

This is a screenshot of what I have:

This is what I'm expecting:

I'm sure I'm doing something wrong, and any help will be appreciated. Thanks!

Is the menu bar at the top of the screen, instead of inside the window? That's how Unity (the desktop environment in Ubuntu) works.


fastboot flash bootloader = FAILED (remote: (InvalidState)) I'm trying to flash bootloader on my Nexus 7 (2012) and getting FAILED:

mbp:nakasi-lrx21p alexus$ fastboot flash bootloader bootloader-grouper-4.23.img
sending 'bootloader' (2100 KB)...
OKAY [  0.305s]
writing 'bootloader'...
FAILED (remote: (InvalidState))
finished. total time: 0.445s
mbp:nakasi-lrx21p alexus$

What am I doing wrong?

According to this XDA thread it's an issue with the bootloader file. You could try downloading a different factory image for your device and try the bootloader from there instead (the recent images have all had the same 4.23 version, although different files).

  Does anyone else get a "invalidState" and "signature mismatch" message
  when trying to flash the bootloader.img from the new JWR66Y factory
  image? Flashing the previous bootloader.img from JWR66V image or JDQ39
  image works just fine though.

Although the thread refers to a JellyBean issue I encountered the same problem when flashing my Nexus 7 to the Lollipop (LRX21P) factory image as well. As I already had v4.23 I did not flash a new bootloader, my Nexus 7 has booted ok so you could skip it all together.


Android Studio unable to see any connected targets, neither hardware nor virtual In Android Studio, I can successfully do a clean build, but every time I try Run, I see the "Select Deployment Target" window say Initializing ADB, but then in Connected Devices I see .

I can create a Virtual Device, but after creating it I can't see it in the Connected Devices window.  If I go to Android Virtual Device Manager I can see the new device and several others I have created.

I can open terminal and run adb connect 192.168.1.229 (my device's wifi IP) and get a connection.  Then I can run adb devices and see it listed. But still the Connected Devices does not show it.

The idea.log repeats the following:

2018-10-29 18:36:00,808 [st Monitor]   WARN -            #com.android.ddmlib - Unable to open connection to: localhost/192.168.1.43:5037, due to: java.net.ConnectException: Operation timed out
2018-10-29 18:36:00,808 [st Monitor]   WARN -            #com.android.ddmlib - Connection attempts: 12
2018-10-29 18:36:00,825 [st Monitor]   INFO -            #com.android.ddmlib - adb restarted
2018-10-29 18:37:17,045 [st Monitor]   WARN -            #com.android.ddmlib - Unable to open connection to: localhost/192.168.1.43:5037, due to: java.net.ConnectException: Operation timed out

I have no idea why it is trying 192.168.1.43 and there does not seem to be a server running there.  Is this a setting I have to change?

Attempted fixes:

kill the adb server
restart Android studio
restart laptop
upgrade Android Studio and reinstall with default settings rather than keeping my old ones

System Details:

OSX 10.13.6
Android Studio 3.2.1
Android Debug Bridge version 1.0.40 Version 4986621

For posterity the answer was that localhost had been reassigned.  I discovered this by typing "ping localhost" at the terminal.  The solution was to add a line in etc/hosts, as Chappie said.  I have still not been able to figure out what caused it to be reassigned, nor how.  Warning that reassigning your localhost could cause some programs to cease working correctly.


How can I make my Lenovo ThinkPad tablet charge up faster? It takes a very long time (half a day) to charge up with a USB 2.0 charger plugged in the wall outlet.

Put your device to sleep mode for faster charging.
check o/p voltage and current of your adapter(charger) and use higher o/p current adapter(this option might produce more heat while charging so could damage your device, proper cooling while charging expected)


ADB/fastboot over Serial/COM ports? Long story short, my phone messed up and it's stuck in a bootloop. The phone in question is a Coolpad 7560U, also known as Orange Nivo, running Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean. Data and cache wiping do not fix the bootloop. USB jigs are not a valid method either. The usual means of connecting to it using adb or fastboot don't work anymore -- neither will detect the phone in any way. I have tried all of the power on button combinations. All I can manage is to get into the stock recovery mode (the same one the bootloop passes through) and a QPST "通讯中 Secboot" Download mode.

I am connecting the phone to my Windows 8 x86 PC through an USB cable. For a certain timespan during the boot loop, the following devices show up in Device Manager, all at once:

3 storage devices : One of them is a CD-ROM drive and the other two are generic removables - None of them are accessible, returning the prompt "Please insert a disk into drive *:".
4 other devices:

  Under "Ports (COM & LPT)"

  Coolpad Android AT USB VCOM (COM7)

  Coolpad Android Diagnostics USB VCOM (COM10)

  Coolpad Android NMEA USB VCOM (COM9)

  Under "Modems"

  Coolpad Mobile USB Modem Phone

These four seem like my only means of landing a connection to the phone.

Update: According to Alex P.'s answer, I can confirm that the "Secboot" mode puts the phone into a QPST Download mode. The 4 serial port devices do indeed allow for access to the phone through Qualcomm's QPST software suite, and probably impossible to push adb or fastboot commands through.

The serial interface you see is a Qualcomm DIAG interface. It has nothing to do with ADB/fastboot. It can be used to recover the phone though by flashing the proper bootloader. You will need to use Qualcomm tools like QPST and find the proper flashing image in QPST format.


Mi2 broken screen, any way to retrieve photos? My daughter's got a Xiaomi MI2 stock phone with a screen broken in such a way that it can't be unlocked. She already had a new phone on the way but she's devastated at the thought of losing her photos (no backup).
Is there any possible way to retrieve the photos short of getting the screen repaired?

I've read around quite a bit but every possibility seems to require ADB enabled.
And the Xiaomi MI phone manager can connect but doesn't show any files at all, nor allow backup, so I assume the phone has to be unlocked for this to work.

Oddly, some methods I've tried of retrieving the images (dropbox, windows) activated the camera, where I could see and delete the most recent picture, and also determine the pictures are stored on a path that suggests an SD card, but I understand this is only a virtual SD card so presumably removal is not an option.

So this is my last ditch attempt to avoid a screen repair. Can anyone help, or confirm that I really am out of options for retrieving the photos?

Thanks for your time.

You could try and boot the phone into recovery or bootloader mode (using either adb or just turning it off then holding the power and volume up or down keys as it's booting back up) and then use the adb pull /sdcard/DCIM/* C:/camera_backup command (as LyricWulf suggested) to backup all the photos from the phone.

Good luck getting those photos :)


Synchronizing phone numbers from android to gmail not working I'm trying to sync phone numbers from my android (honor by Huawei) to my gmail account. I followed all the instructions, i.e. - I have my gmail account on the phone, I've gone to settings and enabled sync (including contact sync), it says that everything is synchronized but I can't see any of my phone contacts on my gmail (when I open it on my computer). Any ideas?

screenshot

Google only syncs the contact which you save in google contact. The contacts saved in your mobile default contact library are not synced directly through the sync settings.

For synchronizing contacts in above stated case you need to use third party backup applications which provides services that include syncing of contacts to google servers and afterwards you can also get those contacts back to the device from google servers with the help of same application.

Such apps also provides the privilege to backup text messages, so they are worth trying.


Is there an Android open source alarm clock? I want to log whether or not I press snooze I want to add custom features to an alarm clock in a way that it logs whether or not I press snooze every day.
Is there a good open source alarm clock that I could use as a basis?

I highly recommend the standard android clock as a basis for this: http://android.git.kernel.org/?p=platform/packages/apps/DeskClock.git;a=summary


Is it possible to unlock the bootloader without root access? Is it possible to unlock the bootloader without root access?  If so, is there another way to unlock the bootloader without using the command...

fastboot oem unlock

Now, for the background stuff that might be helpful to understand my question.  My particular device does not seem to support fastboot so I am wondering if there is a way to do it using

adb shell

This is the behavior when I try to use fastboot.

build@build-VirtualBox:~$ lsusb
Bus 001 Device 009: ID 2207:0010
Bus 002 Device 002: ID 80ee:0021 VirtualBox USB Tablet
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub

build@build-VirtualBox:~$ adb devices
List of devices attached
OUGRYBWWCM  device

build@build-VirtualBox:~$ adb reboot bootloader   #<--- Tablet enters      bootloader mode

build@build-VirtualBox:~$ fastboot devices        #<--- Empty results, no fastboot commands will work

build@build-VirtualBox:~$ lsusb
Bus 002 Device 002: ID 80ee:0021 VirtualBox USB Tablet
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub

# Bus 001 Device 009: ID 2207:0010 --> missing from lsusb command

The device is based on Rockchip's RK3066 processor.

Short answer is yes you can. Long answer is below but basically it depends on your device, your bootloader and if someone has figured out an exploid to unlock the bootloader yet.
More information:
From this link you can see the difference:

What is bootloader and why unlock it?
In literal terms, bootloader is code that is executed before any Operating System starts to run. Bootloaders basically package the instructions to boot operating system kernel and most of them also have their own debugging or modification environment. As the bootloader kicks off before any piece of software on your device, it makes it extremely processor specific and every motherboard has it’s own bootloader. Every Android phone has a bootloader that instructs the operating system kernel to boot normally.
Why is it locked?
A bootloader is usually locked on an Android device because although it’s an open source OS, still the manufacturers want you to stick to their Android OS version specifically designed for the device. In order to apply this concept, manufacturers lock the bootloader. With a locked bootloader on Android devices, it is virtually impossible to flash a Custom ROM and forced attempts void warranty as well as usually end up in bricks.
Why should I unlock?
The explanation to this question is really simple. If you want root, you’d be wanting to flash Custom ROM post-root, and if you want to install a Custom ROM, you’d need to have your stock bootloader unlocked. In simple terms Unlocking the bootloader allows you to install custom Firmware on your Android phone
Warning: Unlocking your phone’s bootloader voids its warranty. It also completely wipes (formats) your Android phone’s internal memory including applications, contacts, SMS and MMS messages etc.

Just a quick note…. Root can be achieved without unlocking the bootloader but that requires an exploit that is discovered by a developer.
This quick note is the important part really. It has to be discovered by a developer, so it depends on the device and if someone has figured out the exploit and released tools for you to do it. HTC let you unlock your bootloader through HTC Dev Site but others will not give you an inch on this.


Permission denied when trying to mount USB storage I'm trying to mount USB storage using the "Terminal Emulator" app with the following commands:

mount -t vfat -o rw /dev/block/sd* /storage/usb1

or

su mount -t vfat -o rw /dev/block/sd* /storage/usb1

But I get a permission denied message.

I've tried different su binaries. One of them is:  http://e2e.ti.com/support/embedded/android/f/509/t/279726.aspx

The shell command which I'm using is working in adb, but I have to execute it within an app. Without permissions, I cannot do that.

So:

Is it possible to root this Android image (I'm using TI release for Beaglebone Black)?
OR, can I give permissions using chmod? If I can, which files should I give permission?
OR, is my approach wrong?

I finally found the solution. Yes ADB of Beaglebone is rooted but there isn't a SU binary. So I wasn't able to execute this code within my app:

Process proc = Runtime.getRuntime().exec("su mount -t vfat -o rw /dev/block/sd* /storage/usb1");

But I finally find a program to root Beaglebone Black and install a valid SU binary. You can download it here :

http://www.unlockroot.com/unlockroot.html

But be careful! It installs bunch of unwanted programs to your computer too. Once you install the program, connect your Beaglebone via USB. First you need to unroot Beaglebone. So open the program, you downloaded, and click UNROOT. It will take a couple of minutes. Then restart your Beaglebone and click ROOT from program. Then restart your Beaglebone again. And voila :D You have 100% rooted Beaglebone with a valid SU binary.

You can mount and unmount USB storages and copy files within your application . But You should do it like that :

Process proc = Runtime.getRuntime().exec("su", null, null);
OutputStream os = proc.getOutputStream();

os.write(("mount -t vfat -o rw /dev/block/sd* /storage/usb1;
           cp -R /myFile /storage/usb1").getBytes("ASCII"));
os.flush();
os.close();
proc.waitFor();


Google Play Services crashing constantly My wife has a Samsung Galaxy Note 4, she didn't install any new apps on the phone today or yesterday, but now her Google Play services is crashing constantly (like every 5-10 seconds).

We tried the obvious stuff:

Uninstall a bunch of apps she's not using
Close all the apps
Reboot lots of times

So my next step was to enable USB Debugging and Connect with ADB.  This gave me this clue when the error dialog shows up:

07-17 19:14:05.078 18130-18130/? E/AndroidRuntime: FATAL EXCEPTION: main
   Process: com.google.android.gms.persistent, PID: 18130
   java.lang.RuntimeException: Unable to create service com.google.android.location.internal.server.GoogleLocationService: java.lang.SecurityException: !@Too many alarms (500) registered from pid 3620 uid 10015
       at android.app.ActivityThread.handleCreateService(ActivityThread.java:3817)
       at android.app.ActivityThread.access$2100(ActivityThread.java:221)
       at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:1882)
       at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:102)
       at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:158)
       at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:7225)
       at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method)
       at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:1230)
       at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:1120)
    Caused by: java.lang.SecurityException: !@Too many alarms (500) registered from pid 3620 uid 10015
       at android.os.Parcel.readException(Parcel.java:1620)
       at android.os.Parcel.readException(Parcel.java:1573)
       at android.app.IAlarmManager$Stub$Proxy.set(IAlarmManager.java:217)
       at android.app.AlarmManager.setImpl(AlarmManager.java:484)
       at android.app.AlarmManager.set(AlarmManager.java:466)
       at irq.a(:com.google.android.gms:162)
       at irq.a(:com.google.android.gms:210)
       at irq.a(:com.google.android.gms:199)
       at idq.e(:com.google.android.gms:457)
       at idq.<init>(:com.google.android.gms:164)
       at com.google.android.location.internal.server.GoogleLocationChimeraService.a(:com.google.android.gms:107)
       at com.google.android.location.internal.server.GoogleLocationChimeraService.onCreate(:com.google.android.gms:85)
       at com.google.android.chimera.container.ServiceProxy.onCreate(:com.google.android.gms:151)
       at android.app.ActivityThread.handleCreateService(ActivityThread.java:3807)
       at android.app.ActivityThread.access$2100(ActivityThread.java:221)
       at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:1882)
       at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:102)
       at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:158)
       at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:7225)
       at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method)
       at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:1230)
       at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:1120)

I keyed in on this portion of the error:

Unable to create service com.google.android.location.internal.server.GoogleLocationService

So I revoked Location permissions from a few more applications, and changed the Location Mode from "High Accuracy" to GPS Only.  At that point the error message became manageable when not in an application that needs it, but still comes up very frequently if I open Google Maps.

What else should I be trying to resolve this issue?

As a last resort before resetting her phone, I saw she still had "Pokémon Go" on her phone.  I uninstalled that and the problem went away.  It must have some background services too, because the app wasn't running in the task swap view.

When I reinstalled the app, I picked her profile, and it reloaded.  The phone worked fine for the last few hours, so it seems to be resolved.


Longer disk-encryption passwords on Samsung Galaxy S5? I'm trying to encrypt my Samsung Galaxy S5 (AT&T) and it only allows me to use a 16-character passphrase for my encryption key.

Is there a way to bypass this or change the encryption key to something longer? This is really annoying at best and is a bad security practice to limit the size of the passphrase.

(Android internally uses the Linux dm-crypt method for encrypting the disk, which doesn't mention such password-length restrictions, and I've used it in the past with very long passphrases.)

It is a poor password policy, however you should rest assured that a strong 16-digit password is sufficient to protect from brute force. As demonstrated by GRC, an exhaustive brute force attack would take 10 billion years using a massive cracking array: https://www.grc.com/haystack.htm


Force shutdown on a Galaxy Nexus? Similar to this question: How to force Samsung Galaxy Tab to shutdown?), how can I force my Galaxy Nexus to shutdown?

I can see that it is still on because I've got lightflow installed and the status LED is flashing. However none of the buttons are waking up the screen, so it is pretty much frozen. I've tried holding down the power button for 60s but its still on! :)

Thanks!

The easiest solution would be to simply remove the battery. As far as I know, holding down the power button on the Galaxy Nexus doesn't force it to power down.


Samsung Fold, Settings screen items looks strange I've recently updated the Galaxy Fold to Android 10, OneUI2.1.

On the outer screen the setting items looks really strange:

I think those switches needs to be in one line with the title and subtext items. This screen is small, but I think before the last update it was working fine.

This is the good way (screenshot is taken from another Galaxy /not Fold/ phone):

Can I do something to fix this beyond waiting for Samsung to fix this in some future release?

According to @MarianD, I have changed the font size to the smallest available:

Here is how it looks like (nothing is changed, except the font size):

All you have to do is to select the smaller font size in Settings.


How to remove this sliding app section? A couple of weeks ago a sliding app section appeared on my home-screen. I have no idea how it got there, and no clue on how to disable/remove it. I tried all I could on the homescreen, to no luck.

Using Galaxy S3, Android 4.1.2, everything standard (so no custom launcher).

Any ideas on how to remove it?

It's part of Samsung's multi window feature, and was added by a system update. To disable it, go to the main Settings app. In the Device group, click on Display. In the General group, there's a Multi window item. Uncheck this setting to turn off the sliding tray.

If you want to use the multi window feature sometimes, but don't want the sliding tray there all of the time, you can add an item to the quick setting menu (at the top of the notification panel). The setting for that is also in Settings → Display. Click Notification panel to go to a page that lets you drag buttons on and off the quick setting menu. Multi window is one of the items, and that button toggles the tray on and off.


How can I download entire folders/albums or songs from my PC (over wifi, BT, or USB) to my phone to take on the go I have tens of thousands of songs on my PC organized by artist/album in folders, and would like to be able to view my collection and manage what comes with me when I travel. Ideally I could browse and select what to download to the device over wifi/BT/cable, with some sort of server app running on my PC.

Bonus points for some sort of "sync" type option where it maintains the directory of music that is on the PC (even when offline) so I can queue it for download as I remember music during my travels, then have it download it when I get home.  I'm not necessarily looking for it to be a music player - just something to manage my 250GB collection between my phone and computer.

I'm NOT looking for a streaming app, but for downloading. In fact, it doesn't really have to just be music - it could be movies, or even docs I guess...

Best variant, combining most of your wishes: FolderSync. I'm using it myself (Pro version after having tested it one day), and I'm very fond of it. You can setup multiple folder pairs (which folder on your device should be synchronized with which folder on the "other end") for multiple "accounts", where an "account" simply identifies "the other end". That can be a cloud service such as Dropbox, but as well your Windows PC via Samba (Windows Share), or your Linux machine via SFTP (SSH), some FTP server, ... FolderSync supports a lot of protocols.

Moreover, the full version has support for tasker, giving you a load of options for when to sync. I use it e.g. to sync my backups: "when charging, and it's 4am, (optionally more conditions), then call the task named 'SyncBackups'" (the latter then tells FolderSync to sync multiple backup locations with my Linux machine). Well, if you don't have Tasker: FolderSync also has a time-based scheduler included.

Remark: My suggestion lacks the "remote management" on your PC. I'm not aware of any all-in solution here, especially for "offline queuing". When you're at your PC, that's not a big deal: simply copy the files to your sync location on the PC's end. For other cases, I might be able to add some "online management" using your data connection (or WiFi hotspot), depending on the OS your PC is running.


Two phones -- Two separate contact lists (me / wife) want to use same account for calendar I have a Droid X, which I am about to give to my wife and I am getting a newer Driod.  We have been using the google calendar, with great success, for the past few years.  This will be the first time we have two smart phones and we want to keep the phone contacts (and email in my case) separate from each other such that they don't download each others to the other phone.  Can that be done?

My wife and I have been doing something like this for years.

We each have our own separate Google accounts (separate contacts, Gmail, etc.)

We've also done this with our calendars:

We each have our own default Google Calendar and have shared read-access to the other.
We've also created several shared calendars (Household, Local Events, plus a calendar for each of our children) that we both edit
As needed we create separate calendars that we can choose to share or not. (For instance, she doesn't really need to know when my meetings are at work, just if my work schedule is different.)

(This works just fine on regular old Google accounts.)


Firefox for Android mysterious connections after turning everything off in settings I created a user.js that incorporates support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/how-stop-firefox-making-automatic-connections and other tweaks, yet Firefox for Android still attempts to connect to several addresses that appear to be Mozilla updates related (63.245.217.* aus4.mozilla.org).

Review of about:config confirms user.js was recognized.

user.js: http://pastie.org/private/syyzqotsooclhwnuoxqo7w

This is just for establishing a baseline where no connections are made without user consent and not for regular use.

Question 1: Does anyone know of another tweak I should make that could solve this?

I posted this on a Mozilla support site (https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1088951):

There are no responses so far. As I understand it, that's a volunteer run support site and it possibly focuses on simpler questions.

Question 2: If this isn't solved here, where should I try next?

Note: I'm not suspecting something nefarious. The merits of that particular user.js are out of scope for this question.

The solution is to set media.gmp-manager.url to empty. Setting media.gmp-gmpopenh264.autoupdate doesn't seem to work (appears at https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/OpenH264).


Google Play website doesn't show all previously installed apps When I browse my app history on the Google Play website(of apps that I have tried out in the past but aren't currently installed on my phone), it only lists them in alphabetic order until about 'L'. Nothing beyond that is shown. Does it have a hard limit on how many previous apps it can show?

It stops for me as well, so I am lead to believe that it only stores so many in the database.

Looking at it, it seems to be limited to 20 pages (it doesn't even get to 'C' for me).


I've rooted my phone.  Now what?  What do I gain from rooting? This is a common question by those who have just rooted their phones.  What apps, ROMs, benefits, etc. do I get from rooting?  What should I be doing now?

Things that Require Root
Root File Explorers
You can remount your /system/ directory read-write, which will allow you to remove carrier-shipped applications you don't like and so on.  Root file explorers can allow you to view all folders on your phone, such as /data/ which is normally protected.

Mount /system RO/RW
Root Explorer
ES File Explorer

Patching Apps
With root access you can patch other apps to gain special access to functions, or removal of self-protection for some apps.

Freedom - Get iAP (in-App Purchase) for free! Buy diamonds, rubies and Pro unlocks without real money. Note: Legal restrictions may apply depending on your country/region.
Lucky Patcher - Patch apps so that they don't require Google Play Services / displays no more ads / automatically become Pro version / work at certain DPI... There's many you can do with Lucky Patcher and there's even a bunch of patches provided already.

Moving & Removing Apps
Access to /system also means you can move apps or updates to system apps from /data to /system (with caution!), if the partition has enough space.

Titanium Backup - Back up all of your applications and data.  Also allows you to uninstall or freeze system apps, integrate updates into your ROM to save space, move apps to SD, and more.
apps2rom - does for free what the pro version of titanium backup does: lets you move apps to the system partition.
Bloatfreezer - Freeze or remove system apps
Link2SD - Move (system) applications to a second partition in SD card, liberating loads of free space in /system partition.

Note that moving apps to the sdcard has risks and cons, and should be undertaken only if space is needed. Most modern devices have enough memory for many apps (16GB+), providing that photos/videos/music are stored on an external sdcard.
Tethering
Some devices already have Wi-Fi tethering out-of-the-box, like the Samsung Galaxy S, so this isn't such a big deal on them unless the carrier charges for the feature.

Android Wi-Fi Tether
Wireless Tether

Screenshots & screen recording
root is needed for screenshots before 4.0-Ice Cream Sandwich.
Most pre-lollipop screen recorders also require root.

ShootMe
Drocap2

Backups

Titanium Backup - Back up all of your applications and data.  Also allows you to uninstall system apps, integrate updates into your ROM to save space, and so on.
ClockworkMod Recovery (ROM Manager) - Usually requires root to install via ROM Manager.  Allows you to backup the entire device, including your ROM, as well as flash new ROMs and other advanced tasks.

There are also many apps that claim to make a full nandroid backup.
Application/Network Control

AdFree - Removes ads by changing the hosts file (so both ads in apps and in browser)

Adaway - Also blocks in-app adds.

Droid Wall - Firewall application.  Got an app that's using up all your data when you're not even using it?  Block it with this!

Orbot - Tor app

Cache Mate - Clear cache of all apps

Droid VNC Server - Connect to your phone via VNC

LBE Security Master - Selectively revoke permissions from app

Button Savior - Helps to add on screen button to compensate a failure of a physical button.

ClockSync - to automatically sync the device's time with few predefined atomic clocks.

Xposed Framework
The Xposed framework allows apps with advanced tweaking functionality to be installed.

GravityBox (for Android 4.2 4.4 5.0 5.1 6.0) - An app that provides many system tweaks.
XInstaller - Various tweaks for Package Installer.
XHangouts - Improved version of google hangouts.
XWhatsApp - Mod for the popular whatsapp messenger.
XPrivacy - Finegrained app control.

CPU Control

SetCPU - Control the processor speed of the phone, can also setup profiles.  It allows underclocking based on conditions, e.g. underclock to 125mhz when screen is turned off. It dramatically increases battery life without affecting performance (when you're actually using apps / the phone) or can improve performance via overclocking.
Overclock Widget - Similar to SetCPU but less functional

Enable swap file / partition

ROEHSOFT RAM-EXPANDER (SWAP) - Use SD card for more RAM.

Memory Swapper Free - support swap file.

Advanced and Miscellaneous

ROM Manager - Facilitates installing new ROMs with ClockworkMod Recovery, and allows you to back up your entire device (ROM + apps + data) and other advanced tasks.
Quick Boot - Allows you to reboot into recovery or the bootloader / Download Mode.
LED Hack - Disable LED on phone (no longer available on Android Market)
Lag fixes - Various tweaks and filesystem changes to speed up your phone or prevent issues with your phone pausing / freezing temporarily.  These are particularly useful on some Samsung phones that use an RFS filesystem.  An Ext4 lagfix like Voodoo is recommended, but there are also Ext2 lagfixes like RyanZA's One Click Lag Fix which also allows you to change advanced memory, Wi-Fi, and disk scheduling options.
TRIM - Some older kernels do not have TRIM.
StickMount - Automatically mount USB flash drives, keyboards, mouse via USB OTG cable.
BusyBox - Makes terminal emulators feel more like linux.
Sideloading apps.  Most carriers/phones allow this option but AT&T does not.

ROMs
Though root is not required for flashing new ROMs, many apps that make it easier do require root.
CyanogenMod is a very popular rom that many people put on their phones.  It is also easy to install via the ROM Manager app.  First install the Clockwork recovery.  Then run a backup before you flash any roms.
Also check out "Where can I find stock or custom ROMs for my device" or the XDA forums for other custom roms.  Most devices have a specific "Android Development" sub-forum where ROMs are posted.
Always do a nandroid backup before installing any rom or mod!  You may also need to wipe all data and cache from your phone before installing or upgrading a ROM.
Custom Kernels
One popular set of kernels is those provided by ChevyNo1. You can also download them via the premium version of the ROM Manager.  Make a nandroid (ClockworkMod) backup before using these kernels! You'll also want to get SetCPU to make the most out of these kernels.
Start with the low voltage kernels at the lowest speed and work your way up to the 1.2GHz.  If your phone is stable up to the 1.2GHz range, then try some of the ultra low voltage kernels.  If you start getting force closes, then switch back to a low voltage kernel.
Basically each phone (of the same phone brand/model) varies by which kernel it can handle due to the manufacturing differences between processors. So I may have a Motorola Droid that can run ultra low voltage kernels and yours may not be able to run them.  These phones weren't necessarily designed to run like this.


Why is my Android fetching http://xtra3.gpsonextra.net/xtra.bin upon start? I notice my HTC Desire fetches http://xtra3.gpsonextra.net/xtra.bin when it boots (and before I enter the PIN).

What is that ?

Here's the HTTP Request sent:

GET /xtra.bin HTTP/1.1
Accept: */*, application/vnd.wap.mms-message, application/vnd.wap.sic
x-wap-profile: http://www.openmobilealliance.org/tech/profiles/UAPROF/ccppschema-20021212#
Host: xtra3.gpsonextra.net
Connection: Keep-Alive
User-Agent: Android

That is done by gpsd. The XTRA files are the current GPS Almanac. The location of where to download the XTRA files to is defined in /system/etc/gps.conf.

These files contain data that speed up the GPS, which will result in faster GPS position fixes.


answering machine app on Galaxy Note I want to install an answering machine app on Galaxy Note, didn't find anything interesting in Google. What do you recommend? Or is there such a feature on the phone itself, in settings or somewhere?

Something with a recorded message saying "I'm not available now, please leave your message or phone number".

Google Voice should do what you want if you're in the US.  On my phone I can go to Settings -> Call settings -> Voicemail and set it as the "Voicemail service" (you'll need the Google Voice app to do this).

There might be other apps to hook into this voicemail service setting but I can't find any at the moment.


How do you remove app icons from screens on a Galaxy Pocket? Just how the heck do I remove unwanted app icons from my home and other screens? On my Galaxy S4 I just slid them off the side, but on the damned Galaxy Pocket, they just bounce off the side back onto the screen, or slide across to the next screen.

Do I have to use Applications Manager and actually uninstall them, or is there some better way?

When you long press the icon you will see a trash can. To remove them from the screen, drop them on it.


Keep getting invalid package error when downloading app from Play store I can't download any app from Google Play, I get invalid package message.
I know this is an old problem and I that I have to clear Dalvik cache.
Problem is that I can't down load the file manager to do this.

Problem is that I can't down load the file manager to do this.

You can download a file manager from the browser and install it. OI File manager avaible from the web page as are many others if you search around.


What is the analogy of the X Server on Android? I know well the desktop world of the Android and I am currently digging for, how does it work.
I think, because multiple processes (apps) can interact simultanously with the desktop, some central service (process) should exist to collect their change requests and unite them into an always consistent form (for example, if the content of a window changes while it is not visible, then the change should be invisible on the screen - until that window does not go into the front). Only this process has direct access to the frame buffer of the display (i.e. only it can directly change the pixels).
In the Linux/Unix world, this is being done by the X Server. The processes (apps) interact with the X Server on Unix sockets.
On Windows, as far I know, it is a kernel feature (thus, there is no specific process for that), and the processes interact with it on LPC (local procedure calls, windows-specific user space - kernel space communication mechanism).
On the net around, there is a huge mass of detailed documentation about the app-level interface, but nothing about this deeper internals.
How does it work on Android?

Summarizing the answers: display handling happens by the Surface Flinger, which is a service process started by the init scripts on boot.
Apps interact with the Surface Flinger over Linux/Android IPC mechanisms. The comment did not detail, how. Androids preference is binder and shared memory in most cases. Binder uses device files for process communication.
Surface Flinger communicates with the hardware over the vendor-provided HAL. Until Android 8, HAL was a set of shared libs in /lib/hw, provided by the vendors. Since Android 8, HAL is a set of system services (also processes started by the initialization). Legacy HALs in the form of shared libraries still do exist.


Is Samsung Push Service redundant? I would assume the Android OS would handle Push Notifications for applications, since some phones are not Samsung phones. Can I safely disable this push service, and still get push notifications from non-Samsung related apps?

Short answer

If there's no app using it, it should be safe. You can disable it and find out for yourself; but before really removing it (i.e. deleting the "service app"), you should be very sure. Though: if any app wants to use it, but you don't care about that app: as Samsung's push service isn't pre-installed on non-Samsung devices, the app should continue to work. You'd only no longer get those notifications then.

More detailed

To understand this, you will first need to know how push notifications work. I will outline this here in a simplified way:

the app that wishes to receive notifications registers with the local notification service on the device (and then can go to sleep)
that local service registers "in the name of the user" (verified by account) with the central service on the Internet (in your case, Samsung's servers)
long time ago, in another universe (kidding), the service sending out those notifications already had registered with the central server, and thus is known to it. So it sends its notifications there. The central service in turn notifies the (still listening) local service on your device, which in turn wakes the app and hands over the notification.

The idea behind it is not every app needs to be "awake and listening" all the time, but just a single "service" does. This saves battery, bandwidth, and other resources.

But now comes the culprit: apps have explicitly to support the given "notification service" – and there is more than one: Google's "GCM", Amazon's "ADM", Nokia, Samsung … No big deal if your apps support all of them and let you chose; but most times they only support one or maybe two of them.

So you need to be sure the apps you want those "cloud notifications" for support a service you have running. Usually you can tell that by taking a look at their permissions:

com.google.android.c2dm.permission.RECEIVE indicates the use of Google Cloud Messaging (GCM), dealt with by the Google Services Framework (GSF) – which is part of the Google-Apps-Package (GApps) usually pre-installed on most devices.
com.amazon.device.messaging.permission.RECEIVE points to Amazon's Device Messaging (ADM); not sure what is responsible here as "local service"
com.nokia.pushnotifications.permission.RECEIVE would be Nokia's corresponding service
(I currently don't know the permission for Samsung, but Samsung permissions usually start with com.sec.android)


How to access Google Now settings on Nexus 10? The Google app requires a menu button (like I have on my Galaxy S4) to access options menu and edit Google Now settings. However, on my Nexus 10 I do not have an option button. Most apps have the "3 Dots" button in the top right to replace it, but the Google app does not have this! How am I supposed to access the options menu in the Google app on my Nexus 10?

The overflow menu for Google Now (on all form factors, I believe) is in the bottom right corner of the app instead of the top right, where most other applications put it. You need to make sure you've scrolled all the way to the bottom of your cards, though, because it shares the bar with the "Show more cards..." button, which is hidden if your screen is full.


Forcing higher USB current The big problem: Like a lot of people, we are finding that our tablet does not maintain charge when connected to USB (PC or other device, not AC jack, we need data and charging simultaneously).

What has worked so far:  On two tablets, we have been able to successfully force the tablet to draw a higher current by writing a higher value to the files

on Acer Iconia Tab 8: /sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:18.1/i2c-1/1-0035/power_supply/smb34x-usb_charger/
on Samsung Galaxy Tab A: /sys/devices/soc.0/i2c.65/i2c-13/13-0066/max77849-charger/power_supply/max77849-charger/

on those tablets in the above directories, after setting the appropriate permissions (Acer: chmod 777 input_cur_limit, Tab A: chmod 777 current_now) we can change the USB charge current by writing to the files with the commands:

Acer: echo "1000" > input_cur_limit
Tab A: echo "1000" > current_now

This works great on these two tablets.  An inline meter on the USB shows the current going higher (close to 1000mA, or whatever we specify) and we are not frying anything (PC, OTG device, tablet) and when the battery fills up itself regulates to a lower value.  All good.

The Problem now: We have a new tablet. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 - 7" (also tried on an 8" with the same results).

We found the file we thought we should modify:

current_now in sys/devices/platform/3.i2c/i2c-8/8-0049/power_supply/sec-charger

We changed the permissions and used echo "1000" > current_now to try and modify the file and nothing happens. It keeps returning instantly back to 450 and the meter reading does not go up.

Any ideas? It worked on the first two devices we tried, but not on these last two (Tab 4 - 7" and 8").  Maybe someone has a completely different method?  Maybe there is another file to change (we have tried several other similarly named files). We understand that this breaks the USB 2 spec, but we need to charge the tablets and send data at the same time.

This is to point out a possibility of replacing echo option, with a copy paste option

( Before that, here is a similar search Prevent complete charging?. .)

Related efforts  and success for AC charging by replacing the file itself, when echo was not possible, (for reasons I still don't know) is my answer for Honor 6 phone here How do I override charging current on Huawei Honor 6?.

On a side note, similar effort for Samsung Note 2 https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/127288/over-ride-charging-current-on-note-2-n-7100 has not yielded a solution. Unconfirmed views are :

Kernel alone can do that for this phone (from two kernel chefs who made kernels for this phone)
Chipset limitations. This from a developer

Since their views are based on email, cannot quote names

All the best and will be looking to find if there is yet another way


Modify 30 second incorrect PIN delay How can I modify/disable the 30 second delay after trying the incorrect PIN 5 times?
Device is a nexus 7 rooted running SmoothRom 4.4

This is possible to be done (infact, anything is possible in android. Thats the beauty and power Android has being open source :) ). You will need to edit android source code.

First, a little info. This text is a string that resides inside frameworks_base/packages/Keyguard/res/values/strings.xml in android source code.

The actual string declaration is:

<string name="kg_too_many_failed_attempts_countdown">Try again in <xliff:g id="number">%d</xliff:g> seconds.</string>

Now for how to edit this timeout.

The lockscreen controls are controlled by a library KeyguardSecurityContainer which resides in frameworks_base/packages/Keyguard/src/com/android/keyguard/KeyguardSecurityContainer.java

You need to edit this library.

The method that controls this timeout is showTimeoutDialog().

Although the code may slightly vary according to rom and android version.

For instance, in CM 12, its declared like this->

private void showTimeoutDialog() {
//This is likely the variable you need to assign your new value to
        int timeoutInSeconds = (int) LockPatternUtils.FAILED_ATTEMPT_TIMEOUT_MS / 1000;
        int messageId = 0;

        switch (mSecurityModel.getSecurityMode()) {
            case Pattern:
                messageId = R.string.kg_too_many_failed_pattern_attempts_dialog_message;
                break;
            case PIN:
                messageId = R.string.kg_too_many_failed_pin_attempts_dialog_message;
                break;
            case Password:
                messageId = R.string.kg_too_many_failed_password_attempts_dialog_message;
                break;
            // These don't have timeout dialogs.
            case Account:
            case Biometric:
            case Invalid:
            case None:
            case SimPin:
            case SimPuk:
                break;
        }

As you can see, you will need to assign your new value to variable timeoutInSeconds.

NOTE: Currently my laptop battery is quite low to compile and test the rom with edited or changed values. So this method is untested. Please perform any modifications at your own risk and after you have proper backups. At best, it could be a change in variable that controls the timeout (since I merely gave the this a quick reading). But this is the library that controls keyguard actions.

Also, on side note there might be some third party app that allows you to do this (although currently I do not know of any such app. But in case it exists...). I told you a direct way to mod your lockscreen guard.

Hope this helps.


Can adb backup/restore be used to root a device? I have read a bit about the adb backup format, and it seems quite straight forward.

Is it possible to use adb backup restore with a specially crafted backup to root a device? If not, why not?

The idea is to restore something to some place on the device that usually could only be there when the device was already rooted. Like the adb backup service itself. It must run with quite high permissions. So why not restore a special tool with appropiate permissions?

Your assumption that the process which writes the restored files to the storage device runs with "quite high permissions" is wrong. Backup service calls backup agents (implemented by applications themselves) to backup and restore data. So each app backs up and restores its own backup data.


How to backup Angry Birds saves/data? I need to reinstall my Android ROM but before I would like to backup my Angry Birds savegame/data/scores.

Do you have any idea how can I do it?

Yes you can back up your Angry Birds data, without rooting your phone! It takes a few steps, and it's a manual process, but pretty easy nonetheless. This works with my Samsung Android 2 phone.

Install the Android SDK onto your computer from http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html. You will be using the ADB program, part of the SDK's Platform-Tools.
Connect your Android device to your computer in debugging mode. On my Galaxy S Android 2 phone, I had to go to Settings / Applications / Development and turn on USB Debugging before connecting the cable.
On your computer, start a Command Prompt and run these commands:

    cd "C:\Program Files\Android\android-sdk\platform-tools"
    adb pull /data/data/com.rovio.angrybirds/files/highscores.lua C:\MyBackup\ab_highscores.lua
    adb pull /data/data/com.rovio.angrybirds/files/settings.lua C:\MyBackup\ab_settings.lua

Of course, supply your own directory names depending on where you installed the Android SDK, and where you want the files saved.

To restore the files later:

Reinstall Angry Birds and complete at least one level. (This ensures the device has the appropriate directories.)
Connect your device in debugging mode and start a Command Prompt, as done above. Run these commands:

    cd "C:\Program Files\Android\android-sdk\platform-tools"
    adb push C:\MyBackup\ab_highscores.lua /data/data/com.rovio.angrybirds/files/highscores.lua
    adb push C:\MyBackup\ab_settings.lua /data/data/com.rovio.angrybirds/files/settings.lua

Q: Is it safe?A: Yes! The Android SDK is provided by Google, the developers of Android, for use by software developers that write applications for Android devices. ADB, its Android Debugging Bridge is the official way that Google wants developers to interact with their Android devices. As long as you are careful with what files you push/pull, it's fine.

Q: How about Angry Birds Seasons?A: Same as above, but type "angrybirdsseasons" instead of "angrybirds" (and of course change the name of the local backup file!).


It is possible to forward all audio to the Android smartphone via wi-fi? Are there apps/methods that allow for the sound to be forwarded to the smartphone?

So if I would watch a YouTube video on the PC, I could also hear the sound via the smartphone.

One way to do this is to use Airfoil Speakers for Android, which is free, but requires a server component (Airfoil) to be installed on your PC. The free version plays audio fine for 10 minutes and then overlays noise. The license key is $25.


Does the installation of the custom rom like "resurrection remix" need root? I was wondering if root is required or only unlocking the bootloader will do for custom ROM installations?

I already have TWRP installed.

In almost all cases: No.

Flashing a custom ROM is done in the recovery.
The recovery is independent from the system (which you can root) and thus no online/active system protection is present.

Sometimes you need to unlock the bootloader in order to write to the system partition at all (comparable to hardware write protection).
This can often be done in fastboot (fastboot oem unlock).

Many custom ROMs will provide root access (for developers of the ROM, no custom ROM is/will be in a production-ready state).
Thus flashing a custom ROM is way to gain root access.

For the cases where it won't work (weirdly locked bootloader), you need a rooted device to unlock the bootloader from within the running system (because of signatures, for instance).


Get rid of toast message when Spotify Track changes I am trying to figure out how to get rid of a toast message that pops up whenever a family member changes tracks in her Spotify app on her Galaxy S5 (Android 5.0).  It seems that most of the time when the track changes (either because the song ended or because she changed tracks), she would usually (but not always) get a toast message that says: MP:com.samsung.MusicPlayer.playstatechanged

I would appreciate any advice on how to get rid of this toast message.

From the toast message,

  MP:com.samsung.MusicPlayer.playstatechanged

and comparing to a source code, it seems that the user is using Simple Last.fm Scrobbler.

The app also supports many music players, such as

  Supported apps: Android Music Player, HTC Hero/Sense Music Player, Google Music, PlayerPro, Meridian Player, MixZing, Archos Music Player, Rhapsody Android, Vanilla Music Player, bTunes, ³ (cubed), WIMP, Zimly, Just Playlists, PowerAMP, Winamp, myTouch 4G, RockOn, jukefox, DAAP Media Player, Folder Player, GoneMAD Music Player, MIUI Music Player, ServeStream, Default Sony Ericsson/Xperia Music Player, Neutron Music Player, Music2Dance2, Rdio, DeaDBeeF, Music Pump XBMC Remote (Beta), JRTStudio Android Music Player, Music Folder Player, Apollo, LG Music Player, Now Playing, Shuttle Music Player, My Cloud Player, SoundSeeder, Amazon Music, more...

Uninstalling the app will remove the toast message when playing musics with listed players.


How can I install an Epson iPrint App? I have a 10.1 inch Android Tablet (4.4 Operating System).
I want to install an Epson iPrint App so that I can use an
Epson wireless printer. I keep being getting the message
that there is insufficient storage available to install
the iPrint App.The App contains 26.4 MB.I have already
uninstalled 80MBs worth of Apps but the Tablet still won't
accept the iPrint App.The Tablet has a 32GB microSD storage
card.What can I do?

Android seems to need more space than the app requires to download and install it - as a rule of thumb on my older devices I cleared 4x what was required to get app installs to work.  However on newer devices (including my Nexus 7) most Google applications (including Play Store) won't let the device get below approx 500MB.

Things to try are

For apps which store a lot of offline content set them to use external storage (this may not always be available).  For example in Google Play Music - Hamburger > Settings > Storage Location > External
Clear the cache of an app - Go to Settings > Apps > Overflow Menu > Sort By Size and look for the largest app you're not expecting to be using much space (e.g. Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter) - try clearing the cache.
Remove some downloaded content (e.g. video, music) from the tablet (e.g. video you've downloaded from BBC iPlayer or Amazon Instant Video)

When you have sufficient space to install apps again, Disk Usage https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.diskusage is a handy app to have installed - it can identify apps which are using way more storage than you expect (e.g. offline video from an app you've long since removed).


How can I make a message appears on my PC when my phone is ringing? When I'm at work, I usually have a headset on my head and I am listening to music. My phone is always on vibrate to respect co-workers.  However, I don't keep the phone in my pocket because of its size, so I don't feel it vibrating.  I miss a lot of calls.

I was wondering if it's possible to forward "phone is ringing" notifications to the PC, ideally via a Bluetooth connection.  I would not mind installing a 3rd-party app on the phone or software on the PC.

Currently Android doesn't have such functionality built-in.

However, there are 3rd-party apps that can do what you ask. Desktop Notifications is one such app.  It requires installation of the app on the phone, as well as a browser plugin on your PC (Chrome and Firefox are currently supported.)  Once both pieces are installed and configured, any notifications (including incoming calls) will pop up on your desktop.  The only limitation is that this is done via data connection, not Bluetooth, so both your phone and your PC must be connected to the Internet.

On your desktop you may want to enable background apps to run when Chrome is closed to ensure you continue to receive notifications.  This option can be found in Chrome advanced settings -> "Continue running background apps when Google Chrome is closed."


How to see which partitions are mounted? I want to see if every partition is mounted correctly on my devices; in particular I want to see if the /proc gets auto-mounted. How can I see this?

In the Android Terminal, you can enter the command mount to view what has been mounted.For a graphical extended view and to view if it gets mounted at boot, you can install the shareware app EzyMount.


How do you make the music volume louder than the highest volume on the Sony Xperia M2 I recently got a new phone and the music volume continues to decrease so I was wondering if there is a way to make the volume higher than the max volume on the Sony Xperia M2, also I have already put the sound enhancements on so I need a different way.

You can try Volume Booster app which increases maximum volume by 30-40%.

Alternatively, have a look at the Play Store search query here. There are many other applications in Play Store which would meet your needs.


In terminal-ide how do I get telnetd to start automatically whenever the device turns on? I think terminal-ide is the best thing since sliced bread but I am not sure how to get the telnetd to start automatically.

I don't know of a better solution for now, but I could do it by adding telnetd in the end of the .bashrc file. It is run many times, but the command fails if the address is already in use anyway.

This is a quick hack, but it would be nice to have an initialization script run when the app starts.


How do I remove stuck notification? I have a notification from the TED app that refuses to go away. I tried clearing app data and rebooting and it didn't go away. I tried uninstalling and rebooting and it didn't go away. Is factory reset my only other option now?

I'm using a nexus-7 running stock build JOP40D (4.2.1). The device is not rooted.

Go into the app info by going into settings applications and finding your Ted app or dragging it from the launcher to the app info button. Disable and re-enable notifications with the "show notification" button.


Access app menu on Galaxy Note 2 running KitKat In KitKat on Galaxy Note 2, the menu key was changed to the running app key. Now I cannot access menu on apps with no menu button. Long pressing on the buttons does not bring up menu.

What can I do to access menu?  (I know this has been asked before, but the solution of long pressing a button does not work).

Press the Apps button, lower right on home screen, then press and hold menu button.  This works on my LG Ultimate 2.


Android 4.4.2, Google Play Store error: No connection, but pages loads fine in browser The Android version is 4.4.2. When I open Google Play Store, it says "Error, no connection"But when I open browser I can load pages like Google.com.

I tried clearing cache, logging with other Google account, but it isn't working.

Any ideas to resolve the issue?

EDIT: I downloaded Anututu and it says that there is root access..

Try going to Settings > Applications and finding Google Play Services. Clear the cache and force stop the app. If that doesn't work, try clearing data instead of cache and then force stopping it.


Android Memory Problem So I had a problem with my memory today. I recently rooted my Samsung Galaxy Trend (GT-S7392) with RootGenius 1.8.7 I rooted my phone because I wanted to transfer apps to my ext sd card since Samsung Galaxy didn't support transferring apps to ext sd.

After rooting my phone, everything was fine, except I found out that my internal memory is full, so I checked it what was wrong with it and I saw that my system memory is taking all my space on internal memory. I dont really know what was the cause of it and my question is how to fix this?

-Total Space: 4.00 GB

-System Memory: 4.00 GB

-Applications: 210 MB

Sorry for my grammar, english is not my first language :)

Thank you in advance!

The best solution would be format your mobile. There can be too much waste data in system memory.Or clean the system by using some cleaning app. There can be any number of reason behind this. BTW I would say that your mobile is outdated. In android, 512 ram and 4gb memory is not gonna do anything. It is gonna create problem again and again.


Can tablets differentiate between regular wi-fi and mobile hot spot? There are a lot of apps in Android which act differently depending on the internet connection.  Such as apps which auto-upload photos to the could only when connected to Wi-Fi, and not when connected to broadband on a smart-phone.

Unfortunately, when such apps connect to a mobile hot-spot (limited data; tethering), they think it is regular (unlimited data) Wi-Fi, and work accordingly.

Is there any way for a tablet to notice when a Wi-Fi connection is from a mobile hot spot, and act as if it was connected to broadband?

If your tablet (or phone) devices are Android version 4.1 (or newer) then you can tell them that a particular wifi connection is a hotspot rather than broadband, which will let apps know that they should limit the traffic they use.

On the Android 4.1+ devices, if you go into Settings -> Data Usage and then press Menu (or press the "..." overflow button) you should see an option called "Mobile Hotspots".

In here should be a list of all the wifi networks that the device has connected to recently, with a tickbox alongside that you can select to say that the network is actually a mobile hotspot. This tells your phone to treat that wifi network as if it is a mobile data (eg 3G) network instead of a broadband connection.


How do I prevent my keyboard from trying to suggest 2 sets of spelling corrections? A decent while ago, my keyboard decided to start recommending two sets of spelling corrections. The new type of spelling corrections tends to get in the way of me using the one that I prefer to use.

For reference, I included an image. The popup coming down from the misspelled word is the spelling correction system I do not want to use, while the one underneath it is the one I do want to use.

I am on an LG phone with Android version 9.

Shortly after asking the question I decided to do some testing, and I figured out how to fix it. I went into my keyboard settings and disabled the spelling correction feature. This disabled only the "red line with drop down" spelling correction set while the spelling correction set that was below it and built into the keyboard was still there.

It was under Settings > General > Language & keyboard > Spelling correction. From there, I disabled it, and everything was back to how I liked it.


Facebook Messenger Chat always shows one chat unread The Facebook Messenger app always shows a '1' next to the speech bubble indicating that there is a 'Chat' I haven't read. How can I clear this, or alternatively, find and read this supposedly unread chat?

Inspired by SocMedSean's page of fixes:

Open Facebook in your desktop web browser (not on mobile)
Click on the Messenger (speech bubble) icon
Click on 'Settings' (the cog)
Click on 'Unread Chats' - this will likely reveal some very old chats that you have never marked as 'read'
Click on each old chat to mark them as 'read'
Check back in Messenger to see if there are still unread messages showing


How to increase speaker/call volume? (cm11.2) Sometimes after I install new version of cm speaker volume is too low. Then I install another version and it is ok. I did some search and found this post (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2400231)  describing how to fix that for Samsung.

The exact line I you need to edit is RX5 Digital Volume:1:65% but I did not find that one in my 'snd_soc_msm_2x' config file.

Any one could explain how to fix the volume for HTC One XL? I do not want to install any sw to make this work.

Currently I am running 11-20150104-nightly and the volume is very much too low. My snd_soc_msm_2x looks like

Code:

EnableSequence
    'SLIM_0_RX Channels':0:eek:ne
    'RX3 MIX1 INP1':0:RX1
    'RX4 DSM MUX':0:DSM_INV
    'LINEOUT1 DAC Switch':1:1
    'LINEOUT3 DAC Switch':1:1
    'LINEOUT1 Volume':1:73
    'LINEOUT3 Volume':1:73
    'RX3 Digital Volume':1:73
    'RX4 Digital Volume':1:73
    'SPK AMP EN Switch':1:1
EndSequence

The original steps how to fix it from the link above are....

Code:

Navigate to device folders.
Open "etc" folder.
Open "snd_soc_msm" folder.
Open file "snd_soc_msm_2x" file with editor.
Look for the following section below, it is at 41% using ES editor.

SectionDevice
Name "Speaker"
Comment "Speaker Rx device"

EnableSequence
'PRI_RX Channels':0:Two
'RX5 MIX1 INP1':0:RX1
'RX5 MIX1 INP2':0:RX2
'RX6 DSM MUX':0SM_INV
'LINEOUT2 Volume':1:100%
'LINEOUT4 Volume':1:100%
'RX5 Digital Volume':1:65%
EndSequence

The exact line you want to edit is
'RX5 Digital Volume':1:65%

Only change the percentage amount, and only change it in small increments

I'm thinking your phone is codenamed "evita" and the file you're looking at is here.  Maybe you could try kicking up those ":1:73"s to ":1:78" or another small increment, restart, and see if it's any louder.  If so, raise the number from 78 to 83 or whatever until you find the volume you like.

You can compare with this change for mako (Nexus 4) and this comment as well...  You might also Google for "msm8960 volume" to see recommendatiosn for other devices that use your qualcomm system-on-a-chip.

I don't know for sure if this will work as expected, but you can report back and let me know if it does.