I was struggling too to get a working playlist with VideoLAN on Android. Apparently the app didn't (and probably still does not) provide a way to have a playlist which doesn't vanish after shutting down the app I came up with a crude solution to create a file with a pls extension on the Android devide and have VLC load it. Still I had to do this on every launch of the application, but it worked. I describe details at http://vlc-playlist-android.blogspot.com/ and hope other could benefit from it. If VLC itself now provides a working playlist, please let me know in the comments there, or here.


If you have a Bixby or S Voice installed and would prefer to use Google's voice assistant instead, your best bet might be to disable Bixby or S Voice on your device entirely. And if you’ve downloaded Alexa, Cortana, or any other voice assistant on your phone, either disable or delete it.
Also, make sure the Google app is updated to the latest version. Also make sure to grant all permissions for the Google app by going to Settings > Apps > Google app > Permissions (the path may differ from model to model)


How do I set up Google Voice as the provider for an unactivated phone?

Check out the free version of 'GrooVe IP Lite' in the Play Store. The Free version utilizes Google Voice over WiFi only, but that's all you're asking for so you should be golden.


What is SIM Toolkit and how do I remove it?

SIM Toolkit brings up a list of things like horoscopes, music videos, chat etc. It depends on your service provider and you're not really missing much by not being able to use it! You can't delete the app if your phone isn't rooted.

You can remove it if you're S-OFF/using a custom ROM. Just remove stk.apk from /system/app directory

But in my opinion leave it, don't bother removing it because it's really small app.


Phone reboots when I connect it to my pc via usb

I find that Rooting and such causes unforeseen problems. I am trying to learn to keep everything stock and update when they are available. It is very hard sometimes to resist the temptation.But usually there are negative results down the road. I would rest my phone to factory by going to >Settings>Backup & reset>Factory data reset>Reset phone. It will pop up a confirmation click yes and the phone will then reboot and continue the Reset from recovery mode.


Google Maps Location History is showing an incorrect location

From Google's Location Source and Accuracy page:

  Data sources

  The following location data sources may be used to derive location:

  GPS: GPS accuracy can be up to several meters depending on your GPS signal and connection. Your phone must support GPS, have it enabled,
  and allow Google Maps access to it.
  WiFi: WiFi (wireless network) accuracy should be similar to the access range of a typical WiFi router, or about 200m or better. Your
  phone must support WiFi and have it enabled.
  Cell ID: Cell ID (cell tower) accuracy depends on cell tower density and available data in Google's cell ID (cell tower) location database.
  Accuracy may be approximated at distances up to several thousand
  meters. Note: Some devices do not support cell ID location.

  ...

  Note: When Latitude is running in the background, it will default to
  cell ID (cell tower) location on most phones to preserve your battery
  life.

So if you didn't have Google Maps open for any reason at the time of the erroneous location, it will have defaulted to it's least accurate location finding service, that depending on the density of cell towers in that area (generally more dense in urban areas, less dense out in the countryside) could be out by several kilometers.

If you visit the Location History page in your Google account on a PC, at https://maps.google.com/locationhistory/b/0 then it should show a similar map and listing of places as you see on your phone, but you can also click each recorded location to see how (in)accurate it was. When you click the blue dot for a location, Google draws a blue circle around it that shows approximately the (in)accuracy of that location fix.

The picture above shows an inaccurate fix that covers 3 villages, and a number of roads (I was actually on a train at the far southern edge of that blue circle).

As long the problem location fix has a large blue circle around it, and you can account for being somewhere in that blue circle then you should be ok.


Yes, the files you purchase you have some limited control over; ones you rent you do not.

Music - You purchased (or uploaded your own) music to Google's Servers. You have a license to these media files. They can be downloaded off the Web version of Google Play Music, or with Google Play Music Manager.

Books - You purchased the book, you have a license to these media files as well, some of these files allow you to obtain copies outside of the Google Play Books app, via the web store.Web Play Store > My Books > A Book I Owned > How To Read should present alternative methods to download.

Movies - You rented the movie. Google Play Movies does not (yet) support purchasing of movie media files, as such it is not yours to do with what you wish. You are limited on time to watch it and availability to move it. You are able to watch it on the Web, Tablet or Phone.


Xperia mini 17i update Android 2.3 to 4.0

You can't terminate wininit.  If their installer is trying to do so then it's broken, or trying to install a rootkit by replacing system files in use by wininit.  Normally you should have an option to ignore the warning and it will simply need a reboot after the install (though given that it's warning about a system process, I wouldn't trust it as far as I could throw it).  Did you get the installer from Sony's official site?


It appears google already does, if you open the app Google Settings, Then Search and Now. Then Voice, at the top you can pick from a bunch of languages. I added Espanol (Mexico) since I know a little and it recognized my voice in spanish. Hope this is what you are looking for.


CyanogenMod install failed on Samsung Galaxy S II, phone now shows boot screen and then a black screen

Note: Keep in mind, Samsung Galaxy S2 has infamous Superbrick bug. Every flash can result in permanent brick (only board changing or maybe JTAG unit can recover device). You can learn more about it here.
Note2 : Last resort to enter Download mode is to get USB JIG. There is plenty of this on Internet and it's very cheap. Also there is tutorials on Internet to make it yourself, if you can't get it shipped in your country.

You can try to:

return to stock ROM
install custom recovery, wipe data/cache/dalvik/system partition and reflash custom ROM

Steps for returning to stock ROM:

Download ODIN.

Download Stock ROM from Sammobile site.

You will probably get zip file with one dll and one tar.md5 file. You need to unpack only tar.md5 as it is the file you need to flash.

Put your device in download mode - Pull off battery, insert it again, push "Vol Down" + "Home" + "Power" button.
Now connect it into PC using USB cable (check if you have install Samsung USB driver, search on Google for it)

Only check auto-reboot and F. Reset time! Repartition must stay unchecked.

Put unpacked tar.md5 in PDA section (if you downloaded Odin v3.07, can be different on other versions).

Click Start. Do not unplug your phone or it will result in a brick.

Phone will reboot and if everything went OK it will finally boot.

Steps for recovery solution:

Download ODIN.
Search XDA-Developers for CWM flashable file (I will try to post it in a comment, I cant post links anymore - reputation) and download it.
Search for Recovery-flashable file of CM that you need - usually just zip file. You will need to put it on External SD-card and insert that SD-card in the phone.
Put mobile in download mode, make sure you have Samsung USB drivers, and that in ODIN you have only checked Auto-Reboot and F. Reset Time. (Also connect your phone into PC).
Put recovery tar.md5 in PDA section and click Start.
Now pull off battery, insert it again and press "Vol Up" + "Home" + "Power".
Wipe /data,/system,/dalvik,/cache.
Go to flash and select zip file that you downloaded from SD-card.
Flash it.
Reboot device, and check whether it works.

Note3 : Be aware that following anything involves flashing can result in permanent brick of the device. Maybe it is even smarter to take in to service so they can better fix it.
Also, I or others (including this website) shall not be held responsible for any damage that may be caused to your device by using the aforesaid instructions.


Is there any way to erase personal information from my phone that has already been stolen?

As long as your phone still has battery power left and is still switched on and connected to the phone networks, you can use one of the phone wiping apps that specifically advertise that they can be remotely installed and used after the phone is stolen.

From a quick search of the Android Market, there are PlanB that is designed for this purpose:

  Plan B is the 'find my phone' app that
  you download AFTER you lose your
  phone.

  Plan B is your last resort to find
  your missing phone.

  This is the first and only 'find my
  phone' app that you download AFTER
  you've already lost your phone. Having
  Lookout on your phone is the best way
  to protect your phone and find it
  fast, but use Plan B if you have
  already lost your phone and didn't
  have Lookout installed.

And Phonelocator Pro is one that advertises this:

  Can be installed after the phone was lost. Install this application to your
  phone from the web Android Market
  remotely. Send the "PLlocator" word to
  your phone, in a text message. It will
  respond back with the phone position.
  The word is case sensitive, so be sure
  you send this exact word "PLlocator"


How to enable USB tethering on your Android phone to Mac OS X Lion

Easy Tether works for me for USB tethering on OS X Lion. android.stackexchange.com/q/15735/15, android.stackexchange.com/q/5168/15

To elaborate, here are the steps involved:

Open the Easy Tether application on your Android device and select USB (you will see the ET notification in the notification bar).
Plug your Android device into your machine via USB.
Open Network Preferences, select EasyTether and select Connect.

Also, if you do any Android dev, make sure to follow the Mobile Stream's  FAQ (although I just moved the .kext to the trash since kextunload was not working for me):

  ADB on Mac OS X stops recognizing the attached device after installing > EasyTether driver

  Do not follow this advice if you are not a software developer who uses
  the Android SDK on Mac. Otherwise run "sudo kextunload
  /System/Library/Extensions/EasyTetherUSBEthernet.kext" to unload the
  EasyTether driver manually. Load it again with kextload when/if
  necessary.


Sending an application (apk) through NFC

Assuming you have the app available as an apk file, you can use the app NFC Transfer to share it. It uses Android Beam to share any file (NFC is used to set up a Bluetooth connection to transfer the actual file).


Can I get a shortcut to the Downloaded Files folder?

If you want to add a shortcut on your home screen to your Downloads folder or any other folder for that matter get ASTRO File Manager (free).  The app is pretty useful on it's own, but it also adds the option to create a shortcut directly to any folder on the homescreen.  To do this, simply long click on the homescreen, choose "Shortcuts", then choose "ASTRO" then choose the particular folder you want a shortcut to.

I had ASTRO for a while before I realized I could do this because the option is deceiving.  At first look I thought it would create a shortcut to the app, not to a specific folder like it does.

Edit: After reading Keith's comment I realized you are probably talking about market downloads.  In that case do what Al Everett said.


Viber does not detect my contact list on BlueStacks

Viber has not been tested on Bluestacks, as it is not a platform that supports Viber on its  own.

However, in order to have a contact list, Viber syncs to the device on which it is installed. You can try deleting Viber and re-installing to see if it syncs with your contacts. Other than that, there is not much that we can assist with.


Why do my photos on LG G6 seem overly compressed?

Yes, it's normal. LG camera software does it.

You can fix it with Google Camera ported to LG G6. It may lack some functions compared to LG camera app.


How to move app to sd card when it is not possible?

on my Asus Zenfone 2, i formatted the micro sd with one partition adopted and second in fat32 and with Apps2SD or Link2SD i always got error "second partition not found".

I found that with the swiss-knife "Titanium Backup ★ root" it's very easy and it's working:
just keep my finger on the app i'd like to move and select "move to adoptable" et tah-dah: my app is moved on the adopted partition on sd.


What is the difference between: Rooting, Jailbreak, ROM, Mod, etc.?

Rooting and Jailbreaking are essentially the same things, Jailbreaking is the iPhone users' word for what Android users call Rooting. Rooting is when you gain "Root" access to the phone giving you the power to do anything you want to it (it comes from the Unix Root User, essentially the Unix equivalent to the Windows Administrator account). Normally you're prevented from being Root for your own good, as it's very easy to break your phone once you have root access, and quite hard to break it without. More info: What does “to root a phone” mean? and I've rooted my phone. Now what? What do I gain from rooting?

A Nandroid backup is a backup of your phone that is an exact image of the state of your phone. So you could make an exact copy of your current phone, then do major changes to it, and then restore to your previous backup by flashing the backup back to the phone. Flashing means to copy or to install.... you are essentially wiping the device and restoring a previous state (a backup) or you are flashing a new ROM (see below).  NAND is your device's flash storage, which is why copying files there is called "flashing".

The Android operating system is the software that manages the hardware in an Android phone such as the screen, data communications, storage, camera and GPS. It provides a common layer that allows applications the use of and access to these resources on a range of different devices without the app having to know anything special about the actual hardware that it is running on. The Android Operating System also includes a number of standard apps and services such as the Contacts, Camera, Photo Gallery and web browser apps and allows the user to do such things as control the screen brightness or connect to wifi networks.

Although the real definitions are different, in the Android world, ROM, Mod, and Firmware are all used as if they mean essentially the same thing. They all refer to a customised version of the Android operating system that has been modified to work on a particular brand of phone with a specific set of customisations or changes. This can be done so that an old phone like the G1 can be given a brand new version of Android, such as 2.2 even if the manufacturer has decided not to provide it. Or could be to provide extra functionality not available in the manufacturer's supplied version of Android, or to fix problems in the manufacturer supplied version.  More info: What's the difference between an AOSP ROM and a stock ROM?, What are the advantages of a custom ROM?, Why are there so many different Android kernels and Where can I find stock or custom ROMs for my Android device?

A Driver is what tells the Android software operating system how to talk to all the different hardware that is in an Android phone. When someone is putting together a ROM for a particular phone model they will need to include of all that phone's drivers inside the ROM (for things like the cellular modem, WiFi access, the particular camera type, the specific processor, etc) otherwise the ROM either won't work on that phone, or will only be able to work certain parts of the phone and, for instance, may not be able to use the front-facing camera, or may not be able to connect to a WiFi network. This is exactly the same as when you plug something new into Windows and it runs the New Hardware Added wizard and goes looking for a new driver before you can use it.  Drivers are loaded by the kernel, the core of the operating system.

An Over The Air (OTA) update is when your phone receives an update to its Android operating system "over the air", ie it is sent the files automatically over the cellular network from either Google or from your phone network without ever needing to be plugged into a PC. This contrasts with the way that, for example, the iPhone was originally updated where it needed to be physically plugged into a computer running iTunes to get its updates.

The bootloader controls how the device boots.  Google's PC-side tool for getting into the bootloader and other related tasks is called Fastboot, and running the bootloader interactively may be called "Fastboot mode".  A locked bootloader will verify the Android system partition and restore it to stock if it doesn't match, whereas an unlocked bootloader doesn't do the same checking, which is why unlocking the bootloader is required to permanently root a device.

The term recovery is often used to mean several different things. It could mean a mode of operation for the phone. For example, to boot into recovery mode on Atrix 4G MB860 olympus, one must:

power-off the phone
hold PWR and VOL DOWN buttons simultaneously until phone display shows "Fastboot"
touch and release VOL DOWN repeatedly (seven times) until "Fastboot" changes to read, "Android Recovery"
touch and release VOL UP button to choose this option
Finally, when the phone displays a triangle surrounding an exclamation point adjacent to a green android robot, then either:

if using Android 2.2 (Froyo), then touch lower-right corner of phone display
if using Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), then hold both VOL UP and VOL DOWN buttons simultaneously

to enter Android Recovery mode.

This is a mode of operation that allows the user to make major changes to the phone. Or recovery could also mean the recovery partition on the phone. Or recovery could also mean the image file (filename.img) that can be flashed to the recovery partition. For example, the Atrix 4G MB860 olympus ships with a stock recovery image flashed to the recovery partition, and booting into recovery mode on such a stock phone allows the user to make some major changes to the phone:

reboot system now
apply sdcard:update.zip
wipe data/factory reset
wipe cache partition

It is possible (though this usually requires an unlocked bootloader) to replace the code that executes in Android Recovery mode by replacing the stock recovery image that the manufacturer installed on the recovery partition with a custom recovery image like ClockworkMod. Installing and executing the code in a custom recovery image often allows the user to make many more comprehensive changes to the phone and also often allows the user to make Nandroid backups and restore these backups to the phone.

The bootloader may also play some part in flashing firmware, though this is usually part of recovery.  While you normally don't want to mess with the bootloader, advanced users will often flash a custom recovery like ClockworkMod (though a locked bootloader may prevent this).  This allows one to flash firmware that hasn't been signed by the manufacturer (such as custom ROMs), since stock recovery usually checks for the signature, and do advanced tasks like complete Nandroid backups.  Recovery is a bit like the BIOS boot screen on PCs in that you get to it by pressing a special combination of buttons as the phone starts up.  Recovery can also do things like run an update file from the phone's SD card, or let you connect from a PC via ADB (Android Debug Bridge) to manage the device from the command line.
More info: What is the relation between ROM Manager, ClockworkMod and Nandroid? Which one(s) do I need?

Many mobile phone networks that sell GSM phones on a contract restrict the phone so that it can only be used on their phone network, this is known as a SIM lock, network lock or subsidy lock. This allows a provider to ensure that a phone that they've subsidised can only be used on a network that will help them them recoup that money. The phone reads the IMSI code of the inserted SIM card and checks that it corresponds with the allowed country or network codes that the phone has been programmed with. SIM unlocking removes this restriction from a phone so that any network's SIM card can be inserted and used. This generally involves typing a code into the phone's dialler that removes the lock. There are different ways to get this code depending on your device and network, some networks will give you the unlock code once you reach the end of your contract's term, some manufacturers publish these codes on their websites, some manufacturers embed these codes into their devices in a way that can be extracted by an app and some require use of special PC software to reprogram the phone. The SIM lock is usually implemented in hardware/read-only firmware, so it's generally not possible to unlock your device without a code.
More info: Can I use my device on a different carrier?

Related: Another question that explains some parts of the Android platform in terms familiar to users of traditional computer systems is:
In normal computer terms, what are the different parts of an Android system?


Export contacts/text messages in a readable format

At least if using the stock Messaging app SMS Backup + can backup your messages in a readable format to your Gmail. And for contacts I'd recommend syncing them to Google Contacts and exporting them from there (as Chahk mentioned in the comments).


Cut power to a phone without a removable battery?

HTC's solution to this issue is to "Press and hold the Power button for at least 10 seconds, and then release it. HTC One X will be shutdown and then boot again."

This is the only solution I would be able to see. If you require something more, then as a phone modder I would recommend you take apart the phone and manually disconnect the battery. This is rather risky unless you are confident in what you are doing. You may be able to refer to this page: http://htcpedia.com/news/HTC-One-X-How-To-Take-It-Apart.html for a tutorial on how to disassemble the unibody of the HTC one x.

The last safe option you have is to simply wait a day or so (since it is stuck on) until the battery drains completely. From there of course charge it up again and continue with whatever software modding you were doing.


Snapchat without Google play services? +other problems

you should download the old version of snapchat, this doesn't require play service.
link: https://snapchat.en.uptodown.com/android/download/46825
you should sign in or sign up and after, update it. and it will work perfect. you can also try this with some apps that requires google play service. just download the first version on Uptodown store and update it after.


Is there a way to enable WiFi-tethering without root access?

I don't know of any way to do wifi tethering without root (before 2.2).  You can, however, use bluetooth or a USB cable with PDANet which does not require root.


How to change someone's profile picture in WhatsApp?

Try this out. To summarize the steps in the link:

Resize the pic you want to use to 561×561.
Save it in /sdcard/WhatsApp/Profile Pictures on your phone.
Then rename it to your friend's phone number, including country code first. (If Jenny lived in Manhattan, her filename would be 12128675309.jpg)
Reopen WhatsApp and the picture should be there.


With the stock ROM, you won't be able to do anything.
Consider switching to a custom ROM like cyanogenmod.
OR, if you like the stock samsung experience, you can find several stock based ROMs on XDA which gives you this feature


The purpose of calibration is to figure out how to compensate for how the components in your phone (screws, speaker magnets, etc.) interfere with the measured magnetic field.

The calibration process is based on the fact that you can separate the internal and external contributions to the magnetic field by looking at how the field changes as the phone is rotated. For example, in one orientation the magnetic field from the magnet in the speaker will add on to the Earth's field; but when the phone is oriented in the opposite direction, the two fields will partially cancel out.

As you wave the phone around, the magnetometer records how the magnitude of the measured field changes and uses this to calibrate the x, y, and z magnetic field sensors. See geometrikal's answer to a similar question for more details on this process. Note that this calibration does not let you compensate for the influence of other external objects (e.g., your refrigerator) on the magnetic field.

Regarding the implementation in Google Maps: I believe that Google Maps has no control over the compass calibration because there is no such functionality  in the Android API. The magnetometer is probably calibrating itself continuously, and Google Maps is just asking you to rotate your phone so that the magnetometer can collect the data it needs to get an accurate calibration.

In other words, you can calibrate your compass any time the magnetic field sensor is being used just by waving your phone – there is no "calibration mode".


Is there a way to recover contacts and T Memo from touch broken galaxy core

You can use an OTG cable to connect a mouse to the phone that will give you full access to the device.

You will then be able to go into contacts>settings>contact settings>export contacts, and select your desired method. I would suggest you export the contacts to an sd card, put it in into your new phone, and import them.

You should be able to do the same thing for your memos. Export them to an ad card, or save them to a cloud.


Back button does not light-up when I press home button

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.


I inadvertently locked my HTC 1 via "find my phone" (wrong phone). I "found" it but cannot access it.

This should be the screen you should see on your phone when you remotely lock it using Google's 'find my device'

Simply drag the lock icon in any direction and that will direct you to a page where you can enter the code that you have set when remotely locking the device. On newer devices, it will ask you to enter the regular code that you use when unlocking your phone.

If the above is not what you see on your screen, then restarting your phone should bring it up.


How do I get my Android Phone to connect its internal SD to my PC via USB?

As you did not mention your phone nor the Android version, we can only make wild guesses.
Simplest case: It is de-activated on your Android device
Most likely you unintentionally deactivated the USB Mass Storage (or MTP, depending on device/version) mode. To get it back:
When you connected the USB cable, wait 2-3 seconds, and then pull open the notification area. It should show an entry with the USB symbol which lets you chose the action to perform ("charge only", "USB Mass Storage", "MTP", ...). Chose the one you want. Now your computer should see the new device.
Simple case: Your USB-cable got "broken"
Of course another possibility is your USB cable "got broken" (e.g. due to physical stress). If the above did not solve your issue, you might try with a different cable.
More difficult case: Ubuntu messed up
Third option I can think of is that Ubuntu somehow messed up. To rule this out, try with a different computer (e.g. visit a friend if you don't have a second computer). You can also try booting from some live CD/DVD on your Ubuntu machine. Using the same machine for the test bears the risk that, if it's a hardware issue with the machine, results are simply the same; in case your USB port might be the issue, try a different port (and try a different device on the same port to cross-check).
If it's Ubuntu messing things up, our sister-site AskUbuntu might prove helpful, and we are not any more...
Hard case: USB port on your computer is broken
I already showed above how to rule this out: Try connecting your Android device to a different USB port. If it works there, the former port most likely is broken. If not, try connecting some other USB device (external hard disk would be ideal) to the former port. If that works, the port is OK.
Ultra-hard case: USB port on your Android device is broken
If you cannot get anything to work on your devices USB port, it's a case for the repair shop...


How can I see if my boyfriend has added a listening, tracking app on my zte?/

PC World had an article on the topic a little while back and recommended Anti Spy Mobile Free and Anti Spy.

Be careful when using them - judging by their descriptions, they appear to be using heuristics that might be fooled by legit apps in some cases. Of course, if they show an app that's deliberately hiding itself and can read your text messages, it's probably spyware.


Sometimes, a corrupted cache can make the system behave unexpectedly.

So, try clearing the cache partition from the recovery mode on android. It solves most issues.


No. As far as I know, you will have to change them all manually.

You may want to try out other alarm clock apps, though. I use Alarm Clock Extreme (free & paid), and while I can't batch update in that either, I can set defaults for every option for new alarms.

If you really want a bunch of alarms to have one ringtone that can be updated later, you could use Llama. One of the features in that app is that you can set a ringtone to a profile (called a LlamaTone). Then when you create an alarm, you tell it to use the Llama ringtone; Llama registers as an option for ringtone selection. In the future, you only change the Llama ringtone, and all the alarms will be updated. Basically, you are creating an alias or shortcut.

Edit Yes, you can! If you have root, that is. The main alarm clock app keeps all of its alarms in a SQLite database. You can run a sql query to update them in one go.

First, create a new alarm with the ringtone you want ALL other alarms to use. Then run the commands below (in bold). Modify the alert to be the same as the alert you wish to use.

sqlite3 /data/data/com.android.deskclock/databases/alarms.db

sqlite>.headers ON

sqlite>select * from alarms;

_id|hour|minutes|daysofweek|alarmtime|enabled|vibrate|message|alert|intent|no_dialog
 1|15|5|0|0|1|1||content://media/external/audio/media/27||0
 2|15|12|0|0|1|1||content://media/internal/audio/media/58||0

sqlite>update alarms set alert="content://media/internal/audio/media/58";

sqlite>select * from alarms;

_id|hour|minutes|daysofweek|alarmtime|enabled|vibrate|message|alert|intent|no_dialog
1|15|5|0|0|1|1||content://media/internal/audio/media/58||0
2|15|12|0|0|1|1||content://media/internal/audio/media/58||0


no system partition - lost adb connection while updating

I got the update (with system.img) from the Google site. The problem is fixed now - so much time wasted. First I wrote an update.zip file that formatted the system partition (to fix the corruption) & write out the files in system.img. That seemed to work, but my tablet would only boot to Recovery. I suspect the formatting - perhaps a boot flag was needed. In the end, I discovered that I was wrong about not being able to flash. AUGH!! I could have fixed this so easily. Once in Recovery, if I rebooted into the Bootloader, I was connected. I reflashed the system partition & all is well now.

On the plus side, I learned a lot (trying to see a silver lining from so much wasted time). I know how to write flash updates that run in Recovery mode, and I know a lot more about the features of TWRP. I think I could wake up any soft-bricked device at this point. :)


What apps does "Clear memory" actually clears?

As the screenshot clearly shows, the app to take screenshots and the app to indicate the battery level never got closed.

Yes your are absolutely correct, even it display no of application are closed it actually free resources used by application.As per my understanding it closes some running services which are nothing but UI less applications.Some applications which are installed in device uses this service for many reasons such as alarm clock, or to check periodic update of an applications etc.

There are some service though that even you close them manually they just get restarted.


Ok here how I have managed to correctly boot the phone:

Boot in fastboot mode ( power + volume down )
Flash again CWM: fastboot flash recovery recovery.img
boot into CWM: fastboot boot recovery.img
reboot the system using CWM (fix root)
re-flash with flashify

step 3 is to be sure that CWM will be rebooted.
step 5 is to be sure CWM is flashed ( in the past I have experienced some problem flashing the recovery image with fastboot )

There is probably some other way but this way worked for me so it maybe useful to other as well.


Apps force close on a Galaxy Ace GT-S5830i

• First is make very sure you've free space of memory. My One Plus handset makes this behaviour when it is near to 'out of storage'.

• Second is make sure you have not deleted any root directory by opening file manager with some specific app explorer. (This might create problem as once i meshed up with those folders and end up tolerating crashes.)

• Third is the last option do a factory reset .


Will I get OTA updates from Vodaphone Australia by flashing stock I9300XXEMC2 ROM on Samsung Galaxy S3?

Will I be able to get OTA updates if I install this?

CSC of XSA or VUA works for Australia. As long as it's stock ROM, you should be able to get OTA update. If it doesn't work, try to update via Kies on your PC.

  I've read that it might have problems if the modem and CSC don't match
  up.

It's OK for modem and CSC to be different, but CSC must be correct if you want OTA updates.


Where can I download the stock clock apk for LG G3?

A "hard reset" would not change the /system partition, which is where the .apk originates. Since you deleted the system app, I'm going to assume that you have root access. After installing the .apk, I recommend manually pushing it to /system/priv-app/ (command: adb push LGAlarmClock.apk /system/priv-app/, replacing LGAlarmClock.apk with the full path to the .apk. Alternatively, you can change it from a user app to a system app (via an app like Titanium Backup if you install it from PackageInstaller, but I highly recommend pushing it to /system/priv-app/ from adb. Here is a link to LGAlarmClock.apk, pulled from the latest stock lollipop 5.0 build on XDA.


You can easily switch modes if you mistakenly if you default to a selected mode. Just follow the steps below:

From the Home screen, touch and hold the Recent Apps Key  (in the Touch Keys bar) > Settings > Storage > the Menu icon  (at the upper-right corner of the screen) > USB PC connection.

From here, you can choose which mode to use:
 - Media sync (MTP)
 - Internet connection
 - Camera (PTP) to connect to the PC.

Tap Charge phone to use only the charging function and not the USB function.

It also allows you to safely disconnect your phone from your PC.

Source: LG Support


How can I get a good route for many way-points?

Foursquare and your phone's GPS might help you a bit.

Search for a venue type
Click the venue in the search results
Click the map of the venue
Open the map in an external app like Google Maps
Use Google Maps' Route feature to create a route from your position to the venue

I'm not sure if it's possible to create a route with public transportation. At least in the Philippines, there's no such option.


Samsung Galaxy S3 Stuck at Samsung Logo, possible virus?

Odin mode is run in a very very early stage of phone boot - that's why you don't see the phone logo when entering Odin mode. The virus (if it really is the problem) will not have a chance to execute its malicious code because the bootloader isn't even running in Odin mode.

So yes, you can safely Kies your way back to working condition, but sometimes you should use the specially created Odin program (Google it, I can't give links right now as I'm on a slow connection) to flash the firmware by yourself if Kies doesn't feel like working.

Just note that either way, you'll have to download 1+ GB of firmware.


Does Android keep deleted photos and images from the phone?

It is very basic when you try to understand the current digital storage techniques.

Deletion is not actually deletion on any OS, it would be far to demanding on the CPU if a full change from 1 to 0 was made on every single sector, therefore the computer just registers the area as reusable..

The next operation to copy onto that area will technically do the deletion ( sort of )

Think in all 1's & 0's with me for a second here >_<

Let's just say hypothetically your image looked like this in binary ( computer language )

1001001001001001001001001

To erase the image, your CPU would need to write 0 over all the sectors ( Secure Delete )... Let's say that each change from either a 1 or a 0 to a 0 will take 1 second... that's 25 seconds to delete that image..

Now let's look at how a computer handles this consumption...

Instead of taking 25 seconds to write nothing over the sectors, it could just mark these sectors as writeable...

Instead of 25 seconds to wite nothing + 25 seconds to wite a new same size file to the same area... It could just skip the first write ( 25 seconds ) and half the time by just overwriting instead of rewriting...

A full ( Double Cycle ) rewrite would consume twice the CPU for every single delete and write...

Therefore, computers do not "DELETE" so-to-speak.

The idea is all based on older Computers, The founding machines if you want ..

The founding machines are alot slower than modern computers and maybe some time soon this will be addressed...

To, Un Delete is not to UnDelete, As Delete is not to Delete...

Un Deleting is marking that area on the storage as Used again.. Meaning the computer knows the file exisrs their and it is not replaceable.

...

Dispite all of this, Android ( since 5.0+ ) now actually keeps your picture's in a hidden folder after deleting, you don't need to do a Sector Scan to find the files marked for replacement... Instead you can see the deleted image's very easily...

This is partly in my opinion due to Law Enforcement Agencies wanting easier access to deleted photos for the obvious reasons...

Ok so want to test what is findable on your phone ?

Run this program called Disk Digger from Google Play...
Disk Digger - Photo Edition Non Root (folder scan) - FREE

Disk Digger - Root ( full sector scan ) - PAID


High resolution contact pictures in Marshmallow - what is their size and where are they stored

Assume you're using an AOSP ROM, you just missed the correct answer:

/data/data/com.android.providers.contacts/files/photos

Whatever the original size of the image is, it will be resized to 720*720 and shrinked to less than 64 KiB.

To verify this by yourself, get these commands executed in a root shell. You need BusyBox or Termux for find and xargs Android M introduced ToyBox which has find and xargs built in.

# cd /data/data/com.android.providers.contacts
# ## Add a picture of your choice to a contact
# find -type f | xargs ls -t

See the output. find -type f outputs every single file found under current working directory, and xargs use piped stdin as arguments to ls -t, which lists and sorts all files from the command line by last modification time. You will see that the top 3 files are

./databases/contacts2.db
./databases/contacts2.db-journal
./files/photo/3 (num. varies dpd. on your env.)

The answer is clear as seen above.


Sorry for the trouble. I'm the writer of that fix. Well, I was able to get it right on Nexus 5, Unite 2, Galaxy S5, LG G2, LG G3 and MOTO G as well. So, if you've come across a different problem try doing a factory reset. And, keep a backup of your data before formatting it.


This can often be caused by filesystem corruption on the SD card. The SD card might appear to work normally if you don't access the corrupted parts of the filesystem, but since the media scanner reads the whole filesystem, it's much more likely to get stuck on a corrupted file or directory.

Try removing the SD card and using a card reader on your PC to check the filesystem (e.g. with scandisk or fsck).


How can I be informed through my computer if a new SMS is received?

If you have Android, try Texdro. I tried a few of the other related apps and this worked the best for me. It allows you to send and receive texts from your computer. It also allows you to silence SMS notifications on your phone while the program is running so you can just be notified on your computer (or you can be notified on both). The free version of the app allows you only to connect via WiFi and the Pro version adds USB and Bluetooth options. I will probably be purchasing the pro version when I get some handy $$, mostly to support the dev, because WiFi connectivity works fine for me.

Texdro - Desktop SMS for Android on AppBrain

Android Market QR Code


Certain apps fail to update from Play, while others work

This was solved by going into /data/data/ and finding the appropriate folder belonging to the failing app. I found one with "swiftkey" in the name, deleted it, and following that the update worked just fine. Most likely, the app installation was failing in the background with INSTALL_FAILED_UID_CHANGED due to the app being restored with TitaniumBackup, as detailed in this answer.

So, in short, this seems to be an error caused by the UID changing between installs and Google Play throwing a fit, and it's solved by making sure app data is removed.


Not enough time for GPS lock for geo-tagging when taking a photo

I've found that if I'm using another app in the background that polls for location (e.g. latitude in Maps) I tend to get much more accurate geo-tags in photos. YMMV, but perhaps if you know you're going to be shooting photos you can open up Maps or similar first to start the process going.

WRT your battery life question, leaving maps open tends to destroy my battery in a few (5-7) hours (Dinc 1, known for horrible battery life anyway, even among android phones), especially if I'm shooting a number of photos. When I know I'm going to be using my phone in that manner I typically bring a second battery along, so that when I'm done I can still make calls.


Is this phone compromised? Sending invisible SMS

Most definitely, non-system applications can send SMS messages, and then delete them from the history.  I use PushBullet all the time to send SMS messages using an app on my Windows desktop, via a corresponding app on my mobile phone.  See pushbullet.com.

On more recent versions of Android (you haven't said what you're running) non-standard apps have to be explicitly permitted to send SMS messages.  This permission can be enabled and disabled in the system settings.  Exactly where in the settings depends on the version of Android you're running.  On some systems, go to "Settings" -> "Networks" -> "More" and then find "Default messaging app" or "Defalt SMS app".

Also, "Device administrator" apps can get increased access to your system, which may include access to SMS.  Check "Device administrators" in the "Security" settings to see a list of apps, and to remove them if required.

Also, consider uninstalling any apps that you don't recognise, or even doing a factory reset.


how or any app that can block users from removing apps?

Third party apps can help you to prevent uninstalls.
Have a look at this answer: https://android.stackexchange.com/a/21496/98689


How to hard brick an android phone (Galaxy Nexus)?

As far as I know, your device is not that hard bricked, that you can't boot into the bootloader (fastboot mode). so at every time you should be able to install a custom recovery via fastboot flash recovery recovery.img. if you are in recovery mode with a working recovery, you can do a factory reset (reflash the system, root,... partitions from a protected image) and reboot your device. alternatively you can do a factory reset in fastboot mode.

note: if you erased everything, your recovery will freeze like if you pull off the hard drive from a running Linux. also there are partitions, you are never able to flash, as example the RADIO partition, fastboot or the one, containing the factory reset data. (RADIO partitions contains fine tuned configuration and management of the gprs, lte,... modem)


Natively, there is no way to schedule shutdowns and boot ups of the Android system. If you do decide to root there are applications in the Play store that can shedule a shutdown (you may even be able to make your own busybox script instead). However booting up will never be possible the way Android handles shut downs because when Android shuts down, it is not running.And so, there is nothing in memory to initiate any sort of startup process.


Why does my HTC desire mount the SD card in read only mode?

I had the same problem with stock 2.1 ROM.

After the OTA update to 2.2, the problem vanished.


Galaxy S4's LCD broken. How do I access hidden folders in the storage using computer?

As you're able to access your device (i.e. apply input to it), the easiest option would be activating usb-debugging and then use adb. There are even good graphical remote-tools when it comes to ADB (if the device is rooted, and your computer is running Windows, I strongly recommend taking a look at Droid Explorer; its dev is an active member here at this site), but you can as well deal with the command line (ls -a would include hidden folders and files in a listing of the directory you're in).

For additional hints, please take a look at our tag-wikis for broken-screen and adb, plus at my list of ADB tools – the latter including pointers to several "ADB file-managers" which might prove helpful in your case.


The touch-screen part of a touch-screen monitor doesn't work over HDMI, but with a separate USB interface. It requires drivers specific to that monitor. To make it work with the Gooseberry Board under Android you'd have to find or write drivers for that monitor.


If you have a warranty I would use it as this sounds like malfunctioning hardware, not a software problem.


YouTube no longer available for old Android 2.2 devices?

APKMirror provides mirror for (almost) all version of YouTube APK.

You could try sideloading YouTube 5.2.27, the last version that Froyo (Android 2.2) still supports.

The next version, which is 5.3.23, already requires Gingerbread (Android 2.3.3).


An App disappeared after downloading, Where is it?

It appears there is an issue with your phone with Google Play not installing correctly.

If the app is in Google Play you can't install it manually
When you go back into Google Play and search for the app you have installed, do you see the button Install or Open?

If the buttons Uninstall & Open show the app is installed
if the button Install shows you will have to reinstall


Android OS 4.0 - USB host mode support for external keyboard

USB Host Mode was introduced with Honeycomb (Android 3.1, see changelog. This clearly explains why it failed on your Gingerbread (2.3) device -- and also should answer your question whether it is supported by Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0) and above: Yes, it should work. As ov1d1u explained in his answer, it will require a "USB OTG cable" (OTG stands for "On-the-Go"). Does fine on my Cat Stargate 2 btw :)


Sim card factory reset my S7 without asking permission

A.) Unfortunatelly if you didn't made a backup from your pictures, apps, data it's all gone.

B.) I'm a bit confused because your phone won't be download and install any system update without prompt. The auto download part is hardly possible but the auto-install part, is quite difficult to believe.


How do I enter Recovery mode without keyboard or Home button?

The best way to get this done is to use Android Debug Bridge (adb).

Get Android SDK on your PC, plug in your Android Device, and run adb reboot recovery in ADB shell.

That command restarts an Android device in recovery mode.

Here is a lifehacker article that might be useful:

The Most Useful Things You Can Do with ADB and Fastboot on Android

And here is an extract:

  adb reboot recovery
  Function: Reboot your phone into recovery mode.

  A lot of functions like flashing ROMs to your phone require you to boot into recovery mode. Normally, this requires you to hold down a particular set of buttons on your phone for a certain length of time, which is obnoxious. This command allows you to boot directly into recovery mode without performing the complex finger dance of your people.

Hope this helps.

PS: this method was already recommended by a user (at the time of posting) named GiantTree as a comment. I am only posting this answer so that others might find this thread appropriate and useful.


Desire HD GPS can't "lock" on a satellite?

I advise you to use the application GPS test, where you can see (in a bar chart) the satellites your device sees and how good the reception is for each satellite.

If the GPS of my device is working, the first satellite shows up in less then 5 seconds or so. Then I gradually see more and more satellites appearing, with a lock taking something like a few minutes (or much less).

If my GPS is not working, no satellites appear, not even after 10 minutes or more of waiting. (However, take care, as the app does sometimes show old satellite charts, but you can easily see this because the reception values for each of the satellites remain constant, while they normally change every second or so)

And yes, the GPS icon stops blinking once it locks on a position. That's when the latitude and longitude values are available.


Schedule songs as alarms that sound ONCE with no need to touch 'Dismiss' or 'Sneeze' or anything similar

Tasker would be a nice solution - it's not free, but it's very handy in a lot of other scenarios too.


How to open text files with DropBox on Android?

In Dropbox 2.0.1 (and in pre-2.0 versions, IIRC), you can tap on a text file and it can offer to open it in "DB Text Editor" which comes with the app (or some other editor which has been assigned to open files with .txt extension). Note that this won't work on just about any other file -- Dropbox does not recognize mime types, but rather uses the extension to pick a program to open a file with, even if the file in question contains text.

This also works with other file types -- for example, I am able to open my password database from KeepassDroid (extension .kbdx).


deactivate PIN-request after airplane mode

The answer lies in the source... it seems to be that the property to request pin-lock is built into build.prop or default.prop.
Have a look at the reference found in the TelephonyManager source, between lines 735 and 755. For brevity,
public int getSimState() {
        String prop = SystemProperties.get(TelephonyProperties.PROPERTY_SIM_STATE);
        if ("ABSENT".equals(prop)) {
            return SIM_STATE_ABSENT;
        }
        else if ("PIN_REQUIRED".equals(prop)) {
            return SIM_STATE_PIN_REQUIRED;
        }
        else if ("PUK_REQUIRED".equals(prop)) {
            return SIM_STATE_PUK_REQUIRED;
        }
        else if ("NETWORK_LOCKED".equals(prop)) {
            return SIM_STATE_NETWORK_LOCKED;
        }
        else if ("READY".equals(prop)) {
            return SIM_STATE_READY;
        }
        else {
            return SIM_STATE_UNKNOWN;
        }
    }

The key is TelephonyProperties.PROPERTY_SIM_STATE which is referred elsewhere, between lines 94 and 98.
//****** SIM Card
/**
 * One of "UNKNOWN" "ABSENT" "PIN_REQUIRED"
 * "PUK_REQUIRED" "NETWORK_LOCKED" or "READY"
 */
static String PROPERTY_SIM_STATE = "gsm.sim.state";

After searching through the source code here on my machine, I'll give you the idea of how often this method getSimState is called, notice the names of the java source to clue in on how its integrated within Android, not just in the Telephony layer but elsewhere.
services/java/com/android/server/am/BatteryStatsService.java 219:      int simState = TelephonyManager.getDefault().getSimState();

telephony/java/android/telephony/TelephonyManager.java 523:    public int getSimState() { 551:     * @see #getSimState 562:     * @see getSimState

policy/src/com/android/internal/policy/impl/KeyguardUpdateMonitor.java 478:    public IccCard.State getSimState() {

policy/src/com/android/internal/policy/impl/KeyguardViewMediator.java 545:            final IccCard.State state = mUpdateMonitor.getSimState();

policy/src/com/android/internal/policy/impl/LockPatternKeyguardViewProperties.java 57:        final IccCard.State simState = mUpdateMonitor.getSimState();

policy/src/com/android/internal/policy/impl/LockScreen.java 273:       mStatus = getCurrentStatus(updateMonitor.getSimState());

policy/src/com/android/internal/policy/impl/LockPatternKeyguardView.java 173:                && (mUpdateMonitor.getSimState() == IccCard.State.ABSENT); 217:                final IccCard.State simState = mUpdateMonitor.getSimState(); 469:                && (mUpdateMonitor.getSimState() != IccCard.State.PUK_REQUIRED)) { 512:   secure = mUpdateMonitor.getSimState() == IccCard.State.PIN_REQUIRED 513:                            || mUpdateMonitor.getSimState() == IccCard.State.PUK_REQUIRED; 643:        final IccCard.State simState = mUpdateMonitor.getSimState(); 662:        final IccCard.State simState
= mUpdateMonitor.getSimState();

policy/tests/src/com/android/internal/policy/impl/LockPatternKeyguardViewTest.java 49:        public IccCard.State getSimState() {

Do those file names give a clue, yup, in the lock screen...
Theory
This requires root at this point, by invoking the adb shell and calling getprop and setprop to do this, the only part is this, by invoking
adb shell getprop will get back the pertinent information as shown below
sh-4.1# getprop
[gsm.sim.state]: [READY]

This subtle property seems to be dynamically persisted into a backing property store, from the moment of powering up and is adjusted accordingly, based on number of things, service, and not to mention accidentally dropping the handset which may knock the sim-card out of its reader which would change the state of the card to "not-ready" or "unknown". (ref: system/core/include/cutils/properties.h and system/core/toolbox/   [ getprop | setprop ].c)
Now at this point, theoretically, by invoking setprop prior to locking the screen, it could be circumvented temporarily, but then again, that could get resetted by the telephony layer! Have not tried that! Which is leading to this...
Conclusion
The only way this can be switched off, is to effectively disable the pin-lock request on the actual sim-card. That is where the "magic" bit-flag is stored on that, in which the telephony's RIL layer reads it in via the proprietary htc/samsung/qualcomm's library, and that would prevent propragation of the persisting of the property "PIN_REQUIRED" up through the layers of Android.
A possible work-around, for Android Developers only :)
This would require hacking and recompiling the source.
For the airplane mode, when entering that mode and leaving airplane mode, the property could be split up, into two, gsm.sim.state can be left as is, but devise another property, something like this, gsm.sim.state.airplane.mode and assign a value along the lines of SIM_STATE_PIN_NOT_REQUIRED, and modify the airplane mode check, to read that property and if set to that, do not show the pin dialog box, otherwise as usually does, prompt it.


How to disable speed camera notifications in maps?

No they seem to have implemented it woth no option to turn it iff. Keep complaining on the feedback. I think it's distracting and dangerous (since it doesnt tell you the limit)


I know of 3, there may be more: I found these on stackapps.

DroidStack
Stack Remote
StackAnywhere

None of these apps really allow you to "login" and you can't ask or answer questions. This is probably a limitation of the StackExchange API. It also doesn't allow you to vote (since you are not logged in).


How to use an ext4 formatted sd card as external storage with working app permissions?

I simplified my way to apps see my ext4 formatted [1] on internal something apps will see folder usb1 and may read it (I have to check the write) .

[1]

mkdir /data/media/0/usb1
su -mm
mount -t ext4 /dev/block/sda1 /data/media/0/usb1/
mount -t ext4 /dev/block/sda1 /storage/emulated/0/usb1/

Full answer here : https://android.stackexchange.com/a/204616/119381


Is there a reason to install, say, VLC from F-droid instead of play store?

Given the second para of your question, where you are sure of developer, I would go with downloading from Play Store -:

Faster updates. Updates from F-Droid are typically slower than Play Store, more noticeable if developer updates app very frequently. For instance, check out open source email app "FairEmail" and see the versions on Play Store and F-Droid. Admittedly, this is an extreme example because developer at times pushed out 3 updates per day!
If it is a paid app, it is easier to use Play Store while installing on a new device.
Not sure of this but I have noticed that non Play Store apps are at times not backed up by Google and restored on new devices. Backing up and restoring has too many factors, so wouldn't weigh this heavily.


Your device is in a bootloop. Check boot-loop tag info. Boot loop usually happens when you flash a ROM that is not compatible with your kernel, or you delete a file that is crucial to the booting of your device.

If you're rooted, you can try entering the recovery and flashing the ROM again (with correct files this time).


Can I charge my battery in another phone?

As long as its the same phone and the same charger or charger port (micro usb), i don's see why anything could go wrong in charge. Try to charge it in your sister's charger and tell if it works or not.


Try clearing cache in recovery, clearing exchange app data and cache in app manager in settings and if all else fails backup and factory reset from setting. Google any instructions you don't understand. Good luck.


You are looking for Bluetooth HID (Human Interface Device).

So instructions for Ubuntu can be found here:

https://askubuntu.com/questions/229287/how-do-i-make-ubuntu-appear-as-a-bluetooth-keyboard

Although its is unclear if anyone has made it work on more recent versions of Ubuntu.


I couldn't find much real info/review about those apps. Some reviews say that they are fake, but one thing I can conclude is, both apps are not available on Google Play Store. As far as I can see, both apps provide their installer on their websites only (links are not provided to prevent spam, since it's easy to find them). As a user who often installs 3rd-party app from unknown source, I'd say to be very careful with these kinds of app, as they could be malicious, even though they are from their "official sites".

If you really need parental control apps on Android, it'd be better to try some that are already reviewed:

tom's GUIDE - 10 Best Parental Control Apps
your sphere - 10 Android Parental Control Apps.

All of these apps have been reviewed, and they are on Google Play Store, which is "more" secured. (Not saying that all apps on Play Store are safe, but it tends to, since Google did remove malicious apps on there)

Conclusion: in the end, it's up to you to believe which is which. If you can trust the developers, then you might just use it.

Disclaimer: I'm not affiliated to the blog/article and all of the apps at all.


What does the "modify/delete USB storage contents" permission really mean?

If you are familiar with the concepts of read and write permissions on various PC platforms, that is pretty much the same as what is going on here. You are giving the application write access to your "external storage" Which could be an SD card, or some storage space that comes with your device.

That permission indicates that the application is able to create, modify, or delete any files that reside on the SD card (or the non-removable storage space that the the OS treats most like an SD card).

So it could download a file from online and manually save it to your SD card.

It could generate its own image, text, audio etc.. file and save it to your SD card.

It could delete any file on your SD card.

It could find a file that already exists on your SD (even one with nothing to do with the app) and make changes to it.


What permissions does root give to an app?

From my understanding and past experience programming Android apps in rooted phones, getting root permissions in an app is to have access to everything.

Once a phone is rooted, you, the user, have access to the entire file system1, which allows anything to happen with it, including apps modifying their own permissions2.

Android is built on Linux, which means that su, or the root user, is the master user. Root user has the ability to do anything they want3. Apps granted root permission can add, modify, or delete things as they please throughout the file system. Along with that, they have access to the APIs that control the hardware of the phone, which means that they are capable of doing anything without your knowing, among other things (reason 3).

TL;DR Root has access to everything and can do anything.


How to install a language pack into a now-defunct 3rd-party keyboard?

Confirmed to work on Android 5.1.1 with 8pen version 2.6.1 and 2.7

Since mid-2014, 8pen ( is only accessible from your purchases in Google Play) language packs no longer install for the keyboard since the servers are no longer operating. Luckily, one of my roomates hasn't updated his phone since he downloaded the English dictionary.

Using Android File Manager I copied the original dictionary file

Android/data/com.eightpen.android.eightpen

and loaded it onto my Nexus 7 which has 8pen version 2.7 installed. After clicking to "download" the language pack, it successfully read the new files and the dictionary is operational.

Unfortunately while trying to figure all this out I uninstalled by 2.7 version and can't get it back... but the same method is working on version 2.6 on my Nexus 6.

While this is not the most elegant solution, you can download the file you need from here and copy the folder needed into Android/data. I've included a README with detailed steps. Happy 8penning!

(Now to figure out how to get version 2.7 back.)


One-click full backup & dropbox sync in Titanium Backup?

I can trim to two clicks: 1 for Full backup to local storage & another for Dropbox sync.

For Full Backup to Local Storage:
1. Tap & hold on empty home screen area. Choose Widgets.
2. From Pop-up list, tap Titanium Backup (Actions). Again, tap Action.
3. On next screen, choose Backup all user apps + system data & tap Create Widget button.
4. Done! Now, all you have to do is to tap this widget from your home screen.

For Full Sync to Dropbox:
1. Make sure you've already enabled & configured Dropbox sync from Menu ~> Preferences.
2. From Preferences, tap Dropbox settings & then Labels to synchronize. Check Synchronize everything checkbox & tap OK.
3. Done! Now, all you need is to open app & tap Sync to Dropbox now ! button at bottom from Overview tab..

Main Method For Full Backup to Local Storage (To shoot out your confusion):
1. Tap Backup/Restore tab.
2. Tap Click to edit filters just below tab bar (right-side). Make sure all radio buttons are set to All & there's no label are selected (if you've labels). Tap Apply button on top-right.
3. Hit Physical Menu button & choose Batch.
4. On next screen, tap RUN button left to Backup all user apps + system data. Tap Run the batch operation button on top.

Go really for a sleep:
Setup & enable a full backup schedule profile from Schedules tab. It will be enough if you just enable the two default schedule profiles. You can change its backup frequency after tapping Edit button.

So, in the last, you just need 1 click: 0 for Full backup & 1 for Dropbox sync! :)

What about 0 clicks??
Install Dropsync & link TB's Backup directory to a folder in Dropbox (free version supports 1 directory linking which is enough for this). It'll sync backups with Dropbox automatically (make sure Auto Sync is check in settings). So, you don't need even that one click...


What specific code is it asking for? Cell phone companies can give u your plu code to enter and unlock to restore phone. Or performing a master reset manually..keyboard won't pop up right?


Even the best GPS doesn't lock on instantly. You can use "assisted GPS", or aGPS, to help get a rough fix quickly while you wait for the more accurate GPS to get a lock; this only works when you have internet access, since it uses your IP address to locate you. Go into your device's GPS settings (Settings -> Location access)

Also try clearing the data of the navigation app and installing other gps toolbox apps to see if it fixes the issue.


How do I access google play music from the Philippines?

You have to create a gmail account using an US-based IP address. For that install any VPN app, run it, selecting the country as US, or any other country that supports Google Play Music. Then create a gmail account from the phone itself. Log into it, and you're done.


Mirror/push Android notifications to iOS device

Okay, I found an answer by myself.
First we need to download Pushbullet on the App Store.
After all authorization and stuff, we go to our android device and buy Tasker. Then we download Notification Listener and Push Tasker.
We create a profile by choosing plugin-notification listener-posted and select the applications.
Then we make a task where we choose plugin-push tasker and choose the desired notification.
Now we just have to keep Notification Listener running.


From what I read, there's some caching that makes this difficult, but basically you need to add +1 Area code.  Here's the exact steps I do to make sure this works, it's a pain to do it when you run into a number that's bad, but I'm too lazy to preemptively fix up my address book. But maybe I should.

Delete all messages related to the person, if it was a phone call,
I'd delete the call log as well.
Hit your home key button to get to your home screen
Hold down your home key button to open a list of running Apps (Some carriers
disable this I think)
Close all of your apps dealing with contacts, dialing and messaging.
Go into system Settings > Storage (I get there by hitting the menu key from the home screen)
Clear all of your cached data, there's a button on the storage screen.
Go back in to your contacts and edit the contact you just dialed.
Add +1 Area Code before the number (i.e. +1 555 555 5555)
Go back and try dialing by looking them up in the Address book

This works for me.  There is some caching that happens, which is why I do it in this order.  Hope it helps.


How To Change browser font in Chrome For Android?

You can try using Per App fonts -an Xposed module. It requires root though


Sending an intent to tasker, from tasker

I figured it out:

The intent sent needs to be configured like this:

Action: net.dinglish.android.tasker.ACTIION_TASK
Cat: None
Extra:[task name]
Target: Broadcast Receiver

And the Receive intent profile needs to be set up like this:

Action: net.dinglish.android.tasker.ACTIION_TASK
Cat: alt
Cat: None
Priority: Normal

Then Tasker will react to an intent tasker sends to Tasker.


Some folders and files not showing up on PC when connected via USB

This is a known issue. Go to app manager and find 'external storage' and 'media storage' and clear data and cache for them, then reboot, and wait up to 10 minutes and then connect to PC via USB.
Sometimes media scan apps from play store help if you don't want to reboot.


This link contains the parts where you can intervene / add your own functionality

The rough flow is Power On > Bootloader > Kernel > Init Process > System Server > Boot Complete

At the bootloader stage, the following is run:

A. The first boot loader stage will detect and set up external RAM.

B. Once external RAM is available and the system is ready the to run
   something more significant the first stage will load the main boot
   loader and place it in external RAM.

C. The second stage of the boot loader is the first major program
   that will run. This may contain code to set up file systems,
   additional memory, network support and other things. On a mobile
   phone it may also be responsible for loading code for the modem CPU
   and setting up low level memory protections and security options.

D. Once the boot loader is done with any special tasks it will look
   for a Linux kernel to boot. It will load this from the boot media (or
   some other source depending on system configuration) and place it in
   the RAM. It will also place some boot parameters in memory for the
   kernel to read when it starts up.

E. Once the boot loader is done it will perform a jump to the Linux
   kernel, usually some decompression routine, and the kernel assumes
   system responsibility.

Here's another link (more on the Linux side) on the topic with references: eLinux website answer

This comment stood out to me:

  In general it is quite tricky to create a boot loader for an existing
  phone since they often come with tailor made boot loaders from the
  manufacturer. To add to the difficulty they also have security
  features that aim to prevent you from downloading your own bootloader.
  However, if you have an open platform you need an initial bootloader
  stage and a main bootloader able to start and/or flash software to the
  device. For the main bootloader you probably want to check out u-boot,
  http://www.denx.de/wiki/U-Boot. The initial bootloader stage needed to
  start u-boot need to be aware of the boot-protocol in the hardware
  requiring some documentation or reverse engineering in order to create
  or download a suitable one. To sum things up reprogramming of existing
  phones is often more work than its worth unless you are really
  interested in which case there are a lot of forums dedicated to that
  sort of thing.


How to completely wipe an android phone through a PC?

If you can boot your device in bootloader mode, you can use fastboot for this task (see our fastboot tag-wiki for details):

fastboot -w            # erase userdata and cache (and format if supported by partition type)
fastboot format cache  # format cache and userdata
fastboot format userdata

This does not make it completely impossible to recover any data with forensic tools, but makes it sufficiently hard to not being worth the effort – unless data stored on the device is that valuable that one would invest some thousand dollars to get it.

Of course this requires the appropriate tools (and on Windows, also the drivers) to be installed on your computer.


Send SMS instead of MMS when texting multiple people

I was facing the same problem for long time on my Galaxy S3, at last i figure it out

by default android SMS allow you to send same message to multiple people without converting it to MMS.
But when you Select the option Group Messaging under the multimedia message (MMS) setting
it now set group messaging only for MMS

try un-checking the option

hope this will help ( am using default sms of android)

Screenshot (click to enlarge)


Disable the app Peel remote. Find the app and disable it.


How to fix the "Andy Installation failed - Please verify your connection" error when installing Andyroid?

What worked for me was uninstalling Virtual Box and letting Andy install the version it wanted. A hassle for sure.


In pre-2.2 stock keyboard, typing the ? is a two step process:

Alternatively, you can long press on . and a pop up menu will appear:

In 2.3 stock keyboard, the auto-correct bar will show common punctuations, including ?:

The old two-step ways of using the ?123 page and long-pressing on the . still works, although when you long-press on . now you only need to slide your finger to the punctuations.

In Swype, you can long press on the letter M to produce ?:

Alternatively, you can press Sym keyboard:

If you're using SwiftKey X Beta, the ? has its own dedicated key in the main keyboard:

If you're using HTC keyboard, you can long-press on the letter k:


As you already figured out, there's SSHelper hosting its own .apk. But you might also wish to check with F-Droid, and find out there are even more SSHd's to download without using Google Play Store.

Edit: As it turns out, I wasn't aware F-Droid also features forums, and the above are only forum links. To compensate: You can also find some SSH Server apps on 1mobile, e.g. SSH Server. The website allows you to simply download the .apk from your browser, no login required. Other than with F-Droid, I'm not sure concerning their reputation, though.

Apart from that: In my experience, it's always worth checking the resp. dev's website, where they sometimes host their own .apk files for download. If not, asking them helped me as well :)


How to Make Spotify the Default Music Player in CM13?

How do you want it "default"? Play music when clicked file in a file manager, or take over media button actions?

Maybe simply disable/remove the built-in one (Eleven)? Do note that Eleven is capable of playing music directly from file managers, and Spotify may not have this function.


PC version of iroot v 1.8.8. might help check out link below

https://forum.xda-developers.com/general/help/zte-n817-root-t3443935


Install and update app without play store

If you app is not available in any store app you are using there will be no updates. If you want to update it you have to install a newer version of the app's APK file manually.
If the app is available on Google Play or a different app store the situation is different:

On Android 7 and below there is only the Google PlayStore which can update an app. If the manually installed app is also available on PlayStore you can open it in the PlayStore App and install an available update. Once you have done this Google PlayStore will continue to include this app to the apps it will look for updates.

Other app store apps can also provide updates for apps, however the user has to manually confirm such updates (similar to a downloaded apk file that is installed).

Starting with Android 8 the user can configure which app is allowed to install other apps. Therefore alternativ appstores can provide an store app that can check installed apps for updates and install them accordingly.


fast boot oem unlock does nothing. No output

I finally got it to work. I tried flashing the recover using the command:

fastboot -i 0x2A96 flash recovery twrp.img

That didn't work. So instead I booted directly into the recovery mode using:

fastboot -i 0x2A96 boot twrp.img

Once I was in the recovery mode I was able to flash the ROM normally.


If it only happens when the phone is plugged in, I seem to remember this referring to the fact that Android Debugging was activated, though I also thought this usually showed a pull-down notification as well. If it only happens when you're plugged into a computer, try un-selecting Android Debugging under settings, and see if it goes away.


Is it possible to remove text from under the icons on the home screen?

Yes this can be done on the Google launcher itself . But you will have to root your phone. You will not only be able to hide the text but be able to tweak even more stuff. But let's just stick to hiding the text for now.
Download Xposed GEL Settings
It is an xposed module and requires the xposed framework. If you don't know what that is, here's a video to get you started off with the  Android Xposed Framework.
If you still have questions, do ask.


Generate a location intent to share to other apps from a Google Maps

this app may help you to bridge different map apps. Here

you open Google Maps and share that location and choose this app. You can then open it using other maps which accepts location intent.

Hope it helps


Simple, just turn on the audio from your music player,  and in the app, mute the sounds in it. Although you may keep the in-app sounds if you wish, they may interfere with your audio


Use Backup & Restore application on your mobile. Take the Backup of your messages only. Its going to store in SDCard/data/backup/.sbf.

You can copy this file into your PC using a Cable or using Bluetooth.

Anyways I prefer SMS Backup+ which syncs your SMS, Call Logs, etc with your gmail.


What Changes Take Place When Installing A Custom Launcher eg Nova To A Rom?

If you install a alternate launcher, the first thing you'll see is a difference in how the home screen, widgets, (maybe lockscreen if it has support for that), and the app drawer appears and works.

AFAIK that's the only changes you'll see from changing the launcher regardless of what ROM you use.

But one thing's for sure - depending on which ROM you get, the experience will change very little or a lot.


Market Application (process com.android.vending) has stopped unexpectedly

Clearing the cache worked for me. settings / applications / manage applications / google play store and then clear data.


What limits the stated maximum capacity of supported microSD XC cards in smartphones?

Well, first of, that's a good question.

Periodically members of the industry come together and publish a standard that specifies how a device must perform if it's going to be, say, "Micro SD." This includes a range of capacities that a device must support if it is going to claim to support that kind of device.

Eventually, technology catches up and the original standard is no longer sufficient. For example, the original SD standard supported the FAT 12 and FAT 16 file systems which are good up to 2 GB but no higher. When this was no longer viable they went and modified the standard, which became "SDHC". This standard uses the FAT 32 file system and can use up to 32 GB.
The SDHC standard is now starting to not keep up with the available technology, so there's SDXC which again introduces a new file format and a new range of sizes (up to 2 TB now).

If you have a device and you program it to be able to read FAT 12, FAT 16, and FAT 32 then you can read SD and SDHC cards but not SDXC. You could publish this as "Can read microSD and microSDHC cards," but most users don't realize that there are different generations of card at play, so it's easier to just say "Works with cards up to 32 GB."

It's just the format of read/write, and not the actual hardware that limits the size.


You can try relocking the bootloader. If it doesn't help, flashing a stock firmware is the last chance.

Download the file from here. Unzip the file and use RSD Lite to flash to the phone.


How to read comments to app of another country?

When using the Google Market website, go to the bottom of the page and change the language in which you are viewing the Market pages. You will then get user reviews based on the currently selected language.

Note that the system seems to display comments only in the language the users have been using when posting them, so if you are looking at applications that make sense only for a specific country, you will probably see English comments interspersed with others in the native language.

Nothing precludes you from leaving a comment on a Swedish application on the Italian page written in Urdu, should you choose so.


Why does Gmail force close when I open it?

Go to Settings>Applications>Manage Applications, then find the Gmail app in the 'All' tab. Click 'Force Stop' and 'Clear Data'. Restart the app and see if the error occurs again.


No network after installing CM7 on Xperia Arc

A "baseband" would generally refer to modem firmware.

It seems like the first step is to modify the modem firmware so CM7 can use it.

Does this flashtool have a linux binary? (This tool seems to be unique to SE phones, I didn't have to use flashtool to modify HTC phones, only fastboot.)

Found Flashtool. XDA link | Source Code Repository


Is Google Play Service a kind of "bypass" of my apps authorizations?

To my understanding, there are 2 way to retrieve the current location from an Android developer's perspective:

The Android framework location API: android.location
This is "the old way" and developers are encouraged to adapt the newer API:
The Google Play services location API.

To access the former, an application has to request permissions to use them:

  Unless noted, all Location API methods require the ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION or ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION permissions.

To access the latter, developers still have to request the same permissions:

  Apps that use location services must request location permissions. Android offers two location permissions: ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION and ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION. The permission you choose determines the accuracy of the location returned by the API. If you specify ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION, the API returns a location with an accuracy approximately equivalent to a city block.

So, no, the service does not offer a way to bypass permission checks. Both ways require the same permissions.


"Error while downloading . There is insufficient space on the device"

Clear cache of the apps which you don't use often, that will solve this issue. Also uninstall the apps which you no longer need.

Go to Settings --> Apps --> <App_name> ( scroll down ) --> Clear cache.


There are many ways to sync your Exchange contacts to Gmail.  The easiest way is to do this on your computer.  This involves exporting your contacts from Outlook into a CSV file, and then importing that file on https://mail.google.com site.

Export your Outlook contacts to a CSV (Comma Separated Value) file.  Steps to do this vary for different Outlook versions, so search your Outlook's help for exact instructions pertaining to your particular version (e.g. Outlook 2010 instructions are here.)
In your browser open Gmail, and navigate to "Contacts" section (click on the "Gmail" to reveal the drop-down.)
On the main Contacts screen click on More button and select the Import... option.
Click the "Browse" button in the "Choose FIle to Upload" window, and navigate to the folder where you saved the CSV file from step 1.
Click the "Open" button, then select the "Import Contacts", and the contents of the CSV file should import to your Gmail account.
Either wait a bit, or manually force a sync via Settings -> Accounts & sync screen on your phone.


Volume is system wide and not application wide, unless an application has it's own volume management, meaning there won't be a bulletproof proof solution, only application specific solution.

System wide volume can be altered on settings.db.


Moto X rooting - ROM doesn't boot, but have Safestrap

From the OP:

OK, managed to solve this. Can't answer my own question for 8 hours, by which time I'll forget. If a mod can mark this as answered, please do

Fastboot will allow you to install signed images, apparently, so the trick is to use one of those.

Steps to resolve:

Downloaded a copy of the relevant ROM from here.
Unzipped. I couldn't just push using fastboot update because fastboot expects ROMs to contain certain informational files (android-info.txt and android-product.txt) which the above archive lacks.
Pushed each of the files using the following commands. mfastboot is the Motorola-specific fastboot, which I found here. That archive contains versions for Linux, Mac, and Windows, which is nice. (Darwin == Mac.) I'm fairly confident you can use that in place of fastboot everywhere below. Make sure you use the right carrier code and ROM! I have Verizon (vzw).

fastboot oem fb_mode_set
fastboot flash partition gpt.bin
fastboot flash motoboot motoboot.img
fastboot flash logo logo.bin
fastboot flash boot boot.img
fastboot flash recovery recovery.img
mfastboot flash system system.img
fastboot flash modem NON-HLOS.bin
fastboot erase modemst1
fastboot erase modemst2
fastboot flash fsg fsg.mbn
fastboot erase cache
fastboot erase userdata
fastboot erase customize
fastboot erase clogo
fastboot oem config carrier vzw
fastboot oem fb_mode_clear

Done! At this stage I rebooted and it was exactly as new.


How to install working Play Store on a clean device (CWM13 ROM)?

While in recovery, you need to flash the ROM and then without booting to that ROM, flash gapps. If you're using TWRP MultiROM you can still boot into other installed ROMs without bootlooping the one you just flashed. If you're using regular old TWRP, just flash the OS and gapps all in one go.


How to get root access on Android 2.2 with HTC Magic?

Have you tried the SuperOneClick root method?


How to quickly switch between two apps on one half of the split-screen view?

Tested on Oreo 8.0. lt works as described without destroying split view

Try EAS App Switcher
it creates a floating icon that can be hidden as well and find it particularly good in switching to previous to previous app , that is juggling with three apps ;

In Settings Single tap on second icon → switch to second last app does this

It prompts to you to change the home which makes it faster. It doesn't support gesture navigations that you are looking for but offers some like fast pull to display notifications etc


Galaxy Nexus - How do I start adding strangers' numbers to "auto-reject"?

If it's the same people ringing you regularly what you could do is:

Add them as a contact, under 'Ignore1', 'Ignore2' etc. whenever they
ring
Go to Contacts -> Select 'Ignore1' -> Options (or action menu) -> Select 'All calls to voicemail'

Or if you don't like this method then you could try:

Mr. Number: Text, Call & Block
(free)
Extreme Call Blocker Droid  (paid)


Hidden gesture to scroll to top of SMS list, or glitch?

If you're running the stock version of Android 4.3 on your S3, this is actually a feature provided by Samsung's TouchWiz. You can find the toggle for it in Settings > System > Motion. You can find documentation for it on Samsung's support section. It says:

Double tap to top: When viewing a long list, like your contacts list, or scrolling through a website, tap the top of your device twice to be taken back to the top of the list or page.


Is there a way to enable the headphone output for audio while using HDMI for video?

This is a non-answer to close the question. In the unlikely case that an actual answer appears, I'll transfer the accept to that.

No solution was found for the question as asked. By now, I doubt that anyone will ever care for that particular model of tablet, which was cheap even back when it was new. I'm still using it, as it happens, but mostly only as a PDF reader.

For displaying video, some monitors have an audio output to external speakers driven by the audio from the HDMI. It turns out my monitor had that - I'd just somehow managed to miss that at the time. I also now have a TV/monitor with built-in speakers. I still don't care about broadcast TV - I want the composite video inputs for an old PS/2.


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

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


Why Google still use my localisation when I have disabled all location services?

The system setting and the browser setting for location use different systems. When you disabled those settings in system settings, you disabled Google Apps (and other apps) from using your location, using your hardware.

However the browser differs in that while you use a webpage, the web server can use your IP address to locate you (using IP-address-based geolocation). This does not have anything to do with system settings. The browser does not prompt you about this.  Indeed, once you connect to their servers, there is no way to prevent their servers doing IP-based geolocation, as their server can see your IP address and draw inferences about your location on its own.


Preventing Android 7.0 Nougat from downloading updates over cellular data

This issue already been raised to dev team.
Check "System update using cellular data" thread for more details.

They said its fixed and fix will be pushed in future builds

But someone already mentioned that its not fixed yet (check date).

Keep following that thread.


How to call GTalk to GTalk from Android?

Google Talk Video/Voice support will be rolled out shortly on all Android 2.3 Gingerbread devices or on the Nexus S now (but as an OS update, not an app update, so you would find it in Settings, not in Market)


Galaxy S4 restarting and freezing after root

FWIW I've been having a similar problem, but without the modifications you mention. My process was to root, install SuperSU, Titanium Backup and then restore a bunch of apps.

The first time I got the problem, I thought I had restored some system apps or something, so I reverted to stock, and tried again, but being more careful to only restore apps and stuff like wifi access points. This suffered the same problem (but possibly less so).

I've gone back to stock again, and I'm going to try it to see whether I get similar behaviour without rooting. If all is well for a day or so, then I'll root, and see if anything changes. If it's still stable, I'll start using apps that utilise root and see what happens.


My newly updated Droid rings at max volume even when ringtone is muted

Try using do not disturb, that usually helps by going to Settings > Sounds and notifications and check that the following are selected to how you want. There are two options:

Volume: To adjust the volume level for music and videos,  system sounds, call ringtones, and notifications.
Do not disturb: Mute incoming call and notification sounds, except for allowed exceptions.

  For the Do not Disturb option, check that you are not leaving an exception for incoming calls before enabling because that could be one of the problems too.

Also, as a last resort like you said, you can also flash your phone using this well-explained guide by clicking the link here (don't mind the title, the process of flashing can either upgrade(which you don't want) or downgrade(which, of course, you want) ) which will provide all the resources you need to properly flash your phone.

  REMEMBER: I am not responsible if you brick your phone if you follow these instructions incorrectly. MAKE SURE you select your correct device along with the correct ROM you want to use on the SamMobile website, meaning, since you want to downgrade, select a firmware other than the 9.0 Pie firmware, so an older one like one back in 2017. If you don't know how to use Odin, follow this link which will provide you with instructions of how to use it. ALSO NOTE: To avoid the stress of you permanently bricking your phone, install a custom recovery like TWRP, which will make life easier when you have to deal with a bricked phone.

I  hope these instructions were helpful and wish you the best of luck.
Cheers, Joe


How to sort comments by likes on the facebook app?

I believe the answer is that the order of the comments is post specific and not dependent on the device you're reading the post on.
So while you were on your iPhone you might have seen a post in which the setting was to show the top comments first (sort by activity) and on the Nexus you must have seen a post that had the setting to show the comments in chronological order.
Reference:
http://www.adweek.com/socialtimes/facebook-sort-comments/294414


What is Direct Boot or File Encryption in Android N

TL;DR In previous Android versions you risked missing notifications, text messages etc, in case your phone rebooted or restarted for some reason when you didn't notice. Reason being, you had to boot in with your password or PIN for the device and apps in it to communicate notifications. In Nougat, this is overcome by allowing the device to boot (without any security risk) without entering PIN or password and access limited functionality such as notifications. You would however need to sign with your PIN or password for complete access of your device

Source

To overcome such problems, in Android Nougat, Google decided to add a new type of system encryption that it calls “File Encryption" This is comprised of two different types of data:

Credential encrypted data: This data is protected and is only accessible once the device has been fully unlocked via PIN, pattern, or password. In practice, this acts similarly to full-disk encryption in terms of user experience.

Device encrypted data: This is what’s new in Nougat. It makes certain non-personal data available to the operating system before the user inputs their unlock info. This includes generic system files needed to get the OS up and running in a usable state, allowing Nougat to boot up to the lock screen without any user interaction.
With this, developers can also push certain files into this encrypted space, allowing things like alarms, phone calls, and notifications to come through before the device has been fully unlocked. That means no accidentally sleeping in because your phone crashed and rebooted in the middle of the night.

When apps are allowed to run in this “device encrypted” state, they can push data to credential encrypted storage, but they can’t read it—it’s a one-way street.

Android’s file-based encryption is also known by a much simpler name: “Direct Boot”. This name, which doesn’t really exist in Android’s menus but was used at Google I/O with the announcement of Nougat.

Related How does Nougat encryption work technically?

Additional Reading: All The New Security Improvements In Android N


Dead spot in android screen - can't press some keys

The solution that i've found is to use sthe swiftkey keyboard, but choose "compact" layout.  it looks lik the right section in [1]

Than by pressing on the arrow shift it to the other side, and resize to maximum.

Works pretty well.

[1]http://fs01.androidpit.info/userfiles/4471351/image/Switfkey/thumb.png


Can WiFi and Bluetooth be enabled through adb using Firesticks USB connection?

The most probable way is doing it via input key events as suggested here: How to turn off Wifi via ADB?

But in this case we need to turn it on using a similar proceedure

adb shell am start -a android.intent.action.MAIN -n com.android.settings/.wifi.WifiSettings
adb shell input keyevent 19 & adb shell input keyevent 19 & adb shell input keyevent 23

  The first line launch "wifi.WifiSettings" activity which open the WiFi Settings page. The second line simulate key presses.

These keys may not be the exact for your device in which case use appropriate key events and play around until you hit the best match :)

Also for bluetooth try this:

Using adb enter;

am start -a android.bluetooth.adapter.action.REQUEST_ENABLE & input keyevent 20 & adb shell input keyevent 21 & adb shell input keyevent 23

Source: Can I restart Bluetooth from the terminal?


Issues getting screenshots in emulator. parts of screen missing

This may help:

  1.Firstly start the emulator

  2.Then go to the DDMS please select the emulator

  3.Then left side we have button Screen Capture click this button

  4.Screen Shot taken own App.


how do you turn off the vibration alert for incoming text messages on a samsung galaxy s3 mini?

On my Samsung Galaxy S3, this setting is inside the Text Messaging app, rather than as a general setting.

Open the Text Messaging app, and start the Settings menu.

About halfway down I have a block of Notification settings.
First being Notifications,
Second being Ringtone,
Third is Vibrate.
Uncheck and you're done.
Hope your Settings Menu is similar since its from the Samsung family.


Phone will no longer connect via USB after bad ROM

With these things there are always exceptions and a few clever work-arounds, the below is general advice.

Only flash a ROM for your exact device model

You can't flash something not 'stock' through the stock recovery, attempting to do so will cause signature errors. The opposite; flashing stock ROM through a custom recovery will also error. So you will not be able to restore to stock first (more than likely anyway.)

However, since you don't immediately need the phone on stock, then you can copy any ROM compatible with your device onto the SD card and flash that through recovery. At least then you will be have a booting device, and can deal with the USB drivers issue.

Installing in recovery would usually involve the 2 main steps below:

Wipe the device
Install from zip

And then install any other zips you may need (e.g. google-apps).

You could attempt to mount the SD card in your recovery but I'd guess you've tried all those options.

Also as Izzy has pointed out you may need a new radio-firmware flashed on the device to allow "low level interface" connection, so the kernel has nothing to connect to.

Once again ONLY flash something for your EXACT device or you will have a shiny paper weight!


I was able to do this flawlessly with the Nexus Root Toolkit. I'm unsure how to do it on a Mac, though.


Blocking all external traffic and allowing only internal traffic through

What Dan Hulme said is possibly the best advise for a solution IMO. Anyhow, if you can afford to root the device, then go ahead and do it, and install SuperSU, Busybox and AFwall+. AFwall+ is a firewall which requires some binaries available via former app.

Launch SuperSU and create a PIN/password in the Settings. This might require Pro version. -- this is a superuser application. It must be protected from any unauthorized access because it grants root access to apps.
Launch Busybox and follow the instructions there to install the binaries.
Launch AFwall+, and:

Tap three vertical dots next to lens icon and choose Enable Firewall.
In the same section go to Set password and select a password for your firewall.
In the same section go to Preferences and check Device Admin to make AFwall+ your device's administrator -- this will prevent a user from disabling or force-stopping the app. Fiddle with other settings which would meet your disabling external network access requirement.
Install Applock and disable Install/Uninstall, Settings, Play Store, etc. that you think users shouldn't access.
Use a launcher like Smart Launcher which allows hiding app icon.
You can use Helium to make and restore app backups along all other devices.

The instructions should be enough to keep normal users at bay. There are workaround for every step here if the user is bit clever so I suggest to install a tracking program to keep an eye on suspects. :)