Do I need to root my phone before installing CM on my S3

Technically no, you don't have to root your current ROM before you can flash CyanogenMod on your S3. Instead, you will simply gain root when you flash CyanogenMod itself.

This is due to the way in which Samsung's bootloaders work in comparison to the ones on other devices. Samsung devices effectively have unlocked bootloaders right out of the gate, but they don't have a way to use the fastboot utility that other devices use. Instead, you can use the Odin utility (and a third party, cross platform implementation: Heimdall) to reflash the device from its "Download Mode" at any time, as the CM installation instructions describe.

Therefore, since Download Mode is accessible to the end user without any sort of modifications to the device, you don't need to "root" beforehand in order to install a custom recovery (and, by association, custom ROMs). The reason why you need root on many other devices is because it's the only way to write to the recovery partition and get the custom recovery installed. Often this requires unlocking the bootloader in the process as well.


Try setting the default offset using hwrotation= ...
HW Rotation props are not intelligent, it will not understand that by 0 you mean landscape...

You need to actually set it to a value of rotation out of 360 degrees.

So...

ro.sf.hwrotation=270

OR

ro.sf.hwrotation=180

OR

ro.sf.hwrotation=90

OR

ro.sf.hwrotation=0

If that still is not fixing the issue, then please let me know...

It is most likely being set by default.prop as part of the boot.img   -   Default.prop properties take priority over Build.prop properties.


i have an android htc one sv, it has an internal storage of 4.46gb when i DL an app it says i have insufficient storage,

Maybe this is due excess cache. I guess before an app is installed on to our internal storage, Android caches the data to cache memory. So please try to clear it and try downloading again.

To clear, just go to Storage Management and click on 'Cache'. It prompts you whether to clear and you need to choose clear. Try and reply if it worked.


How do I install CyanogenMod on the Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 Wi-Fi?

Overview

One user reported a method to do this on the CyanogenMod forums back in January, but it isn't exactly detailed.

Similarly, my path has three main steps, with varying levels of detail:

Install a custom recovery. I used TWRP.
Wipe the device.
Install CyanogenMod.

Root?
Note that I did not root the device. This is because I used Odin to install the custom recovery (TWRP). An alternative way would be to root the device and then install TWRP, without Odin; however, I shied away from rooting. There is more than one way to go about this.

Terminology
I do not explain certain concepts and terminology, but most are available here:

http://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/Doc:_glossary
http://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/Basic_concepts

Requirements

One Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 Wi-Fi
A willingness to void your warranty
A PC or Mac with admin rights for flashing the custom
recovery
A USB data connection cable An external SD card could be
helpful

Furthermore, these instructions assume you have the stock Samsung ROM installed. If you've flashed before, probably you don't need this guide or can use it to figure out how to adapt it.

Step 0: Familiarize

If you are new to flashing, read through these instructions and some other resources (see below and search your own) to familiarize yourself before going ahead. In my case, I read for about a week before I decided to act.

Step 1: Play and charge

If your device is new, turn it on and play around with it. This way you can familiarize yourself with the stock ROM to see what you will not miss later once CyanogenMod is installed. Since I'm new to tablets and smartphones, I didn't hate TouchWiz, but the stock ROM did feel restrictive. Personally, I didn't even turn on Wi-Fi at this point, much less enter any account details or install apps.

Most importantly, charge the battery to at least 60%. I just went ahead and charged it all the way. If the battery were to die while you're flashing later, it would brick your device.

Step 2: Install a custom recovery

http://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/All_About_Recovery_Images

The custom recovery will allow you to install CyanogenMod. This is the most critical and the most involved step. I've divided it into several small steps and provided lots of detail in an attempt to anticipate questions and reduce confusion.

Note on the choice of custom recovery:
The CM wiki instructions suggest using ClockworkMod (CWM) or TeamWin Recovery Project (TWRP). From reading on the XDA forums, I gathered that TWRP is both easy to use—it uses touch buttons rather than using the volume and power buttons with CWM—and most importantly that it works well. Having used it, I can confirm that it not only works, it provides useful feedback and an intuitive interface. I haven't used CWM, but it is also known to work.

The following four steps (2.1 through 2.4) can be followed in any order.

2.1 Enable USB debugging

I assume your device is using the stock Samsung ROM. If so, select Settings, then General (top of screen) and select About Device (on the left, probably have to scroll down). Look for "Build number" and tap it seven times, and it will display "You are now a developer."

There is now a new menu entry "Developer options." Select it and then tick "USB debugging" and select OK when asked whether to allow. Now you can power off the device.

2.2 Install USB drivers on your computer

You need these to communicate with your device via USB cable. This guide provides instructions here for Windows 7. I understand that it also works on Mac OS X. (I don't use anything Apple.) GNU/Linux, though indicated in the CM wiki, is out of luck since Heimdall is known to not work (see the threads linked in the question).

There is a good guide for installing the drivers on Windows, the key parts of which are reproduced below. As an aside, Samsung Kies didn't work for me.

2.2.1 Download the Samsung USB drivers
The link from the android.gs guide

This provides SAMSUNG_USB_Driver_for_Mobile_Phones_v1.5.25.0-retail.exe
You can get them directly from Samsung by entering your device, selecting Product Support and clicking on USB drivers, but companies like to change their web pages and drop support, so no guarantees.
This provides SAMSUNG_USB_Driver_for_Mobile_Phones_v1.5.45.0.exe.

2.2.2 Scan the drivers with your anti-malware program (optional)
My scan gave no indication of a problem.

2.2.3 Install the driver package
Launch the exe file you just downloaded and provide the administrator password when prompted, follow the on-screen instructions.

2.2.4 Reboot
After completion of the install, reboot the machine. You'd probably never have guessed this one.

2.3 Install Odin

According to the instructions on the TWRP website there are two methods of installing TWRP that require you to root the tablet, which this guide avoids, and one that doesn't require root but does require Odin. A way with just FOSS would be better, but I did go this path, which is a weird one. Odin is leaked software, so there is no official download site. Fight a web site you can trust to obtain it; one possibility is another android.gs article. The version that worked for me is Odin 3.10.6. Odin 3.10.7 is also available, but not necessary.

If you mistrust using Odin, look at the instructions on the TWRP site, or use CWM.

2.3.1 Download Odin
Search for yourself, although there is a link in this guide (June 16, 2015). The link from that android.gs guide is this.
Wherever you download Odin from, be sure it's a safe download!

2.3.2 Extract archive and scan with anti-malware
The program is in a zip file, whose contents you can extract and scan with anti-malware.

2.4 Download the TWRP image

This is an easy one. Go here

Under Download Links, click "Primary (Recommended)" and then the most recent version with the .tar filename extension. Currently, this is twrp-2.8.7.0-picassowifi.img.tar (9 MB).

2.5 Install TWRP with Odin

All of the above steps should be completed before continuing with this step. Your tablet should be charged and turned off.

2.5.1 Launch Odin
On your PC, navigate to where you extracted (unzipped) the Odin files, and launch the executable. You don't need administrator rights. At least, I didn't.

2.5.2 Plug the USB cable into the PC
I had success with the white cable delivered with the device, but that may be different for you. It needs to be a data cable; some are only designed for charging. Do not plug the cable into the tablet yet.

2.5.3 Boot into download mode
The Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 Wi-Fi has an unlocked bootloader, which is one reason we don't have to root it. It thus comes with a unique boot mode called download mode. To enter it, press these three buttons simultaneously for five to eight seconds:

Power + volume DOWN + Home

The first two are on the top edge, the Home button is the one in the middle on the front under the screen. See for example here.

WARNING!!! This is your last chance to not void your warranty. Samsung has a KNOX flag on this device, an e-Fuse that you very likely cannot reset. Continuing will void your warranty. Yes, Samsung has an unlocked bootloader and then voids your warranty if you use it. To me the tablet is only worth having if I can have control over it, so Samsung makes voiding the warranty a necessity.

2.5.4 Plug in the tablet
The USB should be plugged into the PC at this point, the tablet is in download mode, and Odin is waiting to see a device. Now plug the USB cable into the tablet, connecting it to the PC. This is the moment of truth whether the USB driver was correctly loaded. I had some doubt, because Windows popped up a dialogue with the spinning blue disc, saying "Searching Windows Update" for approximately longer than I could handle. It finally did work though, and the battery had charge.

You'll know it worked when Odin's "Log" window adds a text to show the detected device:
<ID:0/003> Added!!

That's what it read for me, anyway. Where Odin says ID:COM above several bars, there will also be a light blue background with the first tab listing 0:[COM3].

2.5.5 Set up Odin for flashing
Click on the Options tab to the right of Log, and make sure only the following two entries are checked:

Auto Reboot
F. Reset Time

The others should NOT be checked. Checking/ticking the wrong boxes here could brick your device. See here for some explanations of Odin terminology.

Now check/tick on the box next to the AP button. In earlier versions of Odin this button is apparently the same as the PDA button. Against my expectations, the BL (bootloader) button is not correct; the twrp.me instructions explicitly mention to use the PDA button (now AP). Browse to the TWRP .tar file you downloaded in step 2.4 and select it. Do not press Start yet.

2.5.6 Double-check everything
Seriously, do.

2.5.7 WAIT: Read this before pressing Start
We are about to flash TWRP to the device. The flashing goes very fast on this device, only a few seconds, and then the boot happens right away. The stock ROM will probably overwrite TWRP if allowed to boot. To prevent this, you want to boot immediately into recovery mode as described below. You need to have the tablet in your hands and be ready to press the keys as soon as you see it is rebooting.

2.5.8 Press Start and enter recovery mode
After pressing start, the tablet will soon reboot. To enter recovery mode, press and hold the following two buttons simultaneously:

Power + volume UP

If it worked, you will be greeted with the blue (in version 2.8.7 at least) TWRP splash screen.

If you missed entering recovery mode (I did the first time), Samsung will start your tablet as usual. Don't panic. Power down the device and repeat the preceding steps, starting with 2.5.2.

The next time you boot into download mode, you may notice the following line:
KNOX WARRANTY VOID: 1
Be glad that you are now out from under Samsung's oppression. :)

Congratulations. The rest is pretty painless, even fun!

Step 3 Use TWRP to install CyanogenMod

TWRP is powerful software. Respect it, but don't be afraid. It's actually easy and fast.

3.1 Pick your CyanogenMod

Based on the 36-page thread on CyanogenMod 12.0 Nightlies for the Tab Pro 10.1 Wifi (picassowifi) (link), the June snapshot is stable for daily use, and that is my experience so far. (The 12.0 nightlies were discontinued sometime in April with the advent of 12.1 nightlies.) If that's the version you'd like, get the snapshot here
The CM12 June snapshot filename is cm-12-20150626-SNAPSHOT-YNG4NAO0A0-picassowifi.zip (231.71 MB)

Do not unzip the file. I recommend transferring it to the SD card in its own folder.

Note on file integrity:
Note there is a sha1 sum listed below the download. You can use this to check the integrity of the downloaded file. If you can use the PC to transfer this file to the Android storage, you can use the PC to check the file integrity after download (easy on GNU/Linux and probably on Mac, may need to download a utility on Windows). In my case, I couldn't get the PC to see the Android storage, so I ended up turning on Wi-Fi to download the CM12 snapshot directly on the device. If you want, "there's an app for that."

3.2 Back up (optional)

Restart the tablet in recovery mode (see 2.5.8 above), so that you are TWRP. If you want, you can back up the stock ROM to revert to in case of eventual trouble. I recommend putting this on the external SD card.

3.2.1 Press Backup

3.2.2 Set backup name (optional)
If desired, give a meaningful name; note it includes the date and build number, mine was KOT49H.Tt520XXUAOB1. I also clicked to enable compression (smaller file size, but takes longer) and allowed MD5 generation (for an integrity check when restoring, I believe). Use the enter key when done. (Took me a while to get this.)

3.2.3 Select Boot, Data and System

3.2.4 Swipe to Back Up
When done, return to the home menu

3.3 Wipe the tablet

This is a crucial step for correct flashing.

3.3.1 Press Wipe

3.3.2 Press Advanced Wipe

3.3.3 Make selections
You want these four:

Dalvik Cache
Cache
Data
System

Do not select Internal Storage or external_sd.

3.3.4 Swipe to Wipe
This will go fast. When done, return to the home screen.

3.4 Install CyanogenMod

Go for it!

3.4.1 Press Install

3.4.2 Select the CM zip you prepared
You can use the Folders area on the left to navigate between external (SD card) and internal storage, wherever you stored the zip file in step 3.1. Select the file, making sure it's the right one. You can select "Zip file signature verification?," which I suspect also verifies the file integrity.

3.4.3 Swipe to Confirm Flash
Shouldn't take long, actually.

3.4.4 Return to Home menu
When done!

3.4.5 Press Reboot

3.4.6 Press System

3.5 Boot into CyanogenMod

You should now see the CM logo animation and walk through the device setup. Rejoice!

Notes

Note on GAPPS:
I want to get away from Google and did not install the standard Google apps. If you want to do that, it's your homework.

Note on Google leftovers:
Unfortunately, CyanogenMod is not entirely free or open-source software—there are remnant proprietary Google components. You theoretically can remove these using a script called freecyngn. Sadly, I haven't been able to confirm yet that it worked on my device.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2550769

NB: I didn't know how to take screenshots, but experienced helpers are welcome to do add images.

Resources

Install CM 12 Final Android 5.0.2 Stable ROM for Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 Wi-Fi (Uses root)
Samsung USB drivers
How to root Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 SM-T520 (updated March 2015, see download mode)
How To Root Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 SM-T520–Easy Guide (Feb. 2014, see Odin interface)
How to Use ODIN to Flash the Official ROM [Ultimate Guide] (Jan 2013, see Odin terminology)
Odin Tutorial: How to Use Odin to Flash ROM on Android Device (Jan 2013, older guide)
How to Install Custom ROM using TWRP Recovery! (Get a feel for using TWRP)


How to use android phone as SD card reader?

I believe there is. I use Nexus Media Importer (though I think it works on most phones with OTG) and it works as a basic file explorer.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.homeysoft.nexususb.importer

There is a free version, but I can't remember what the limitations are. (I have a feeling it might just be pictures.)


How to unlock number lock in android 6.0

enter in the numbers of in the same order and location as where the dots would have been in the pattern unlock EG

...   123
... = 456
...   789

so if you pattern was a square then you number pin would be 13269874 that would be a square starting at the top left corner. if this dose not work for you then you can always flash stock img with cmd and restore form back up


How to run an app on startup in background

Probably the best way to auto-launch an application in the background (without UI explicitly) is using the am startservice -n command together with automation with applications such as Tasker and the like capable of registering a BOOT_COMPLETED signal.

Depending on the nature of the application (which may require root), you can set up this in Tasker:

Note: The application needs to have a defined service(s) declared in manifest.xml file

You can use Tasker (7 day trial available) to accomplish this:

Objective: Auto start a defined application in background after boot

Profile (or Trigger)

Create a Profile which allows triggering of the Task after boot:

Go to Profiles Tab and click  "+"
Event  → System  → Device Boot
Tap back to exit from this window

Task

You will notice as soon as you exit, you will be prompted to link this Profile to a Task;

Scroll all the way up the Task list select "New Task + "
You can name this Task AutoStart or anything.
Click "+" to add new Action
Code  → Run shell → enter command start the activity (it can be the main activity of the app or certain parts e.g monitoring data in my example:
Using NetMonitor Mini (info.kfsoft.android.TrafficIndicatorPro) I may decide to auto start in background the data monitoring service, so in the command box I write: am startservice -n info.kfsoft.android.TrafficIndicatorPro/.TrafficMonitorService to start at boot.
If it needs needs root, remember to check the box accordingly.
Press back the way all back until you exit Tasker (your profile is now saved and is ready for execution)

Extras: Give Tasker more priority (allow auto-start for Tasker, exclude from battery optimisations, task killers etc)

Explanation: Soon after boot, the  action  starts the application in background)


How can I configure an OBD ELM327 cable to work with an ICS tablet?

I have the kyocera event that also runs Ice Cream Sandwich and in turn is rooted... ...using kernel tuner(very old version) I saw it as well and tired it myself, it did work for about a minute then a portion of the system went bad and restarted. After it restarted the option was no longer visible in the app. In conclusion the option is there but full OTG  support is not. If you still want the support for OTG it may be best to flash a custom kernel.


Ever since connecting to a Chromecast, my device floods the network with SSDP packets

I doubt there is a setting on the Phone or on the Chromecast device that allows you to set the SSDP query interval. I've certainly never seen one.

Technical detail
Firstly, 1 UDP packet a second is not a flood.  Secondly, it's just the device sending out SSDP probes.  This is not a big deal.  I think once a second might be a bit much for a discovery protocol - once every 5 seconds for the application might be better, but that's just quibbling over a few seconds.  If the device was "flooding" the network with a thousand or more a second, then you'd have a problem.
WS-Discovery (which is a similar discovery protocol) uses the same multicast group (239.255.255.250) but on a different port (3702).  Make sure you aren't mixing up SSDP with WS-Discovery probes and responses.  If you have Windows boxes on your network, you'll see a lot of (WS-Discovery) messages bouncing around.
Also, in your typical network with Apple devices or AirPrint printers, you'll see a lot of Apple Bonjour (mDNS service discovery) UDP packets flying around on 224.0.0.251.  If you get less than 1 UPD message per second at this address, then you have a really quiet network (or some really old devices).
There is likely a bunch of other UDP multicast packets flying about on your network as well.
So, any modern local network with a modicum of devices will have at least 3 service discovery protocols chatting away at any given time - WS-Discovery, SSDP and mDNS.  If you have databases or other routers, then you'll have a couple more multicast service discovery protocols firing away.  The amount of traffic created by these protocols in the way they are implemented by most devices is just some minor network overhead.  Don't worry about it.


How do I identify on when was an application installed previously. Currently I don’t have the app on my android device

Your best bet is Google Takeout. I'm unsure whether it lists sideloaded and system apps as well. Download the Google Play Store data only. Extract the data from the archive and look for your app in the files Install.json and Library.json under Google Play Store directory. Those two files can be opened in a text editor, such as Notepad++, Sublime Text Editor, etc.

Related:

Where can I find out when I installed an app?
How to export a list as Text of all Play Store Apps that I have ever installed


Samsung Note 1 - cut or copy in any app causes it to hang and crash

There is a clipboard-related Samsung firmware bug which is known at least since July 2012 and happens on multiple Samsung devices with Android 4.0.x (ICS). It is reported to be fixed in Jelly Bean updates, but they may not be available for all devices which have this problem. Other solutions discussed in the bug comments, such as removing everything from the /data/clipboard directory, require a rooted phone.

The bug is also not present in custom ROMs which are not based on Samsung TouchWiz (such as CyanogenMod).


How the device (that is off) decide how to publish itself for USB: "MediaTek PreLoader USB VCOM port" or "MediaTek USB Port" device?

I can't see the question here ?

Are you asking what the driver is for ?

Please have a look at this video to understand what the preloader is, MTK Backup & Restore

The Mediatek Preloader is used for flashing new image's to your device.

Their is two different boot loaders on Mediatek device's..

MTK DA USB - For flashing the Preloader
MTK Preloader  - For flashing all other image's

How does it register as a device while it's off ?
This is so you can fix your device when it won't even turn on, it need's to be before the boot of your system.

I hope i somehow answered the question here.


Google Now "not eligible" after switching from personal account to G Suite account

From Google Product forum help     How to Enable Google Now for Google Apps for Work??!!

  Question: ....Can someone help me to Enable Google Now for our Google Apps for Work account?
  I am an Admin.

  Best Answer: I got the actual answer from Live Chat support, and it is totally different from what the support docs say. Here is where to find it:
  Admin console > Device Management > Mobile > Device Management settings > Android settings > Enable Google Now (also applies to iOS)

Note: Google Apps for Work is repackaged as G Suite

Trust that solves


Music Players with Equalizer Almost Killing Battery on nubia

It's the manufacturer, nubia's fault.

nubia pretty makes a lot of non-regular functions in their ROMs, namely nubia UI. It implements its own fingerprint API (which is not compatible with any existing ones), its own charging detection and its own immersive status bar. This time it's nubia's own music effects API.

Both Poweramp and Musixmatch calls AOSP's MusicFX API for equalizers, but on nubia this does not exist. So everything that should have been done by DAC is done by CPU instead. Adding that Snapdragon 810 is a burny stuff, the phone gets hot very quickly.


How do I disable this MTP connection popup upon USB cable connection?

This problem can have three reasons:
1- You connect your mobile phone to the computer, in this case, you should on this page, select the option to only charge and look for an option with the theme "Always do the same" and activate it.
2. Your charger has a problem and your mobile phone recognizes it as a computer. Try another charger.
3- If the problem is not solved after doing the above work, your phone probably has a hardware problem


Eight seconds after powering on, my phone goes dark and becomes unresponsive. What can I do?

I have owned several Samsung galaxy devices (including an S3 which is somewhat similar to your phone). Often I find that the battery becomes faulty after 2 years of usage. The symptoms you mention also sounds like battery related problems. The key giveaway is that you unable to sustain download mode before your screen goes dark.

Troubleshooting

Try replacing the battery. This will eliminate the possibility of a
faulty battery. After replacing the battery, see whether your phone
will stay on for more than a few seconds.
If you unable to acquire a second battery,  try booting your phone whilst in the charger. It should be noted that using the phone
whilst charging isn't usually a good idea, however for
troubleshooting it should be fine.
Check your charger, wires should not be frayed or worn. Worn
chargers can affect your phone's battery.


How do you SIM-unlock the SGH-I317 (AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note 2) on Jelly Bean 4.1.2?

Calling AT&T may get you an unlock code within 24 hours. You do not need to buy one, or follow this technical guide.

But if all else fails, you can unlock via a downgrade to 4.1.1. How to do this is below.

The most reputable source I found is here: XDA Developers AT&T Samsung SGH-I317,
a BIG thank you to: Odin Guide
and last steps are from After 4.1.1

Estimated time: 2 hours.

About SGH-I317

This is the code that identifies the AT&T USA version of the Samsung Note II. Every carrier has a different firmware, so you would need to use the firmware for your carrier.

About Unlocking

Unlocking is not the same as rooting. Unlocking let's you use your phone with other SIM cards. Rooting let's you have more control over the internal software system of the device.

About Samsung Odin

A 3rd party software used to change the firmware of Samsung phones.

About 4.1.2 Jelly Bean

This is the Android version of the phone. It is an older version, but onl version 4.1.1 has a free unlock menu.

About Kies

A similar to iTunes for iOS, a proprietary phone syncing tool.

About I317UCALJ2

This is your baseband version for the 4.1.1 on AT&T USA. A list of all the baseband versions of the modems are here: http://www.androidayos.com/samsung-galaxy-note-2-stock-firmware/

Requirements

Samsung Galaxy Note 2 USA AT&T Locked 4.1.2 Jelly Bean
Windows Computer

Downloads Needed

Exact version: Odin 3.07 (newer versions will not work): http://forum.xda-developers.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=1168421&d=1341114315 (may also need the Note 2 USB driver: https://mega.co.nz/#!yVJnlCAL!W2TKtTloGVWQtFD0AON1DG1pgPJCEqAVxonqlSPeqOg )
4.1.1 Original firmware, sometmies called J2 Modem for your phone: AT&T is here: http://d-h.st/wsW Full List here: http://www.androidayos.com/samsung-galaxy-note-2-stock-firmware/
Samsung Kies: http://www.samsung.com/ca/support/usefulsoftware/KIES/JSP
7-Zip: http://sourceforge.net/projects/sevenzip/

Steps to Unlock

Disclaimer: If your phone is not an SGH-I317 (see device settings) or if you don't follow the steps or your not careful, you may brick your phone. I take no responsibility, follow at your own risk:
Charge phone to full battery.
Backup important phone data.
Install Samsung Kies
Install Samsung USB driver.
Enable USB debugging from your phone’s settings. Go to Settings > Applications > Development, and tick the box that says ‘Enable USB Debugging’.
Ensure that KIES is closed and not running in the system tray! Kies will interrupt and doesn’t like Odin, it will block you from flashing.
Turn off phone completly. THEN while off: hold the Volume Down key, Home button and the Power ON/OFF button simultaneously until it says Downloading.. Do not turn off target!!”

Plug in USB cable from phone to computer.
Use Samsung Odin 3.07 (for SGH-I317) to downgrade the firmware to 4.1.1 I317UCALJ2
In Odin window – the ID:COM box will turn to blue color and indicates the COM port number and a word “Added” on a log box will prompt you that the device is already detected or recognized by Odin. Your COM port number might be different from mine. If you do not see a COM port number then there’s something missing or wrong

Wait for the word PASS!! ** takes about 7 minutes **
Troubleshooting: Phone should reboot. If it gets stuck at samsung logo ad-infinitum (give it at least 2 literal minutes, sometimes it needs to process for a bit), try to poweroff by holding power button. Worst case, remove battery. While off: Hold Volume Up, Power, and Home buttons and do:
1) Wipe data / factory
2) Wipe cache partition
Dial this into your phone

*#1234#
Verify you have 4.1.1 now (I317UCALJ2) Settings > About Device.
If this did not work, see this guide for troubleshooting:  http://www.androidayos.com/2013/04/07/unroot-and-restore-back-att-galaxy-note-2-sgh-i317-to-original-firmware-stock-rom/
Finally, Dial the following into your phone app.

*#197328640#
Select  [1] UMTS > [1] Debug Screen > [8] Phone Control > [6] Network Lock > Options [3]Perso SHA256 OFF >
After choosing this option, wait about 30 seconds.
Then go back one step by pressing the Menu button and then select Back.
This will take you to  [6] Network Lock options
Choose [4] NW Lock NV Data INITIALLIZ
Wait for a minute then reboot your phone.
Insert a SIM Card from a non-AT&T carrier


How to manage Android's filesystem from a Mac?

As your device is rooted, you could try to install come SSHd app:

QuickSSHd explicitly mentions root support
DropBear SSH Server even requires it
SSHDroid mentions root as option

So all 3 of them should be able to "export" the full file system via SSH. So on a Mac (and Linux/Unix/BSD as well) you could directly connect from a terminal, or integrate the device's file system using e.g. SSHFS or Fish, on Windows you could use the famous WinSCP -- and probably many others.


You could download the OTA zip file from Google, then flash it using ADB commands which are in the Android SDK, so you'd need a computer as well:  Official Google OTA link

Taken from the above link:

To apply an OTA update image:

Download the appropriate update image for your device.
Verify the checksum of the image: the OTA mechanism has a built-in validation feature, however verifying would save you some time in case the file was incomplete. The last portion of the filename is the first 8 digits of its SHA-256 checksum; the full SHA-256 checksum is also shown next to the download link.
With the device powered on and USB debugging enabled, execute:

  adb reboot recovery

The device is now in recovery mode and an Android logo with red exclamation mark should appear on screen.

Hold Power button and press Volume Up once, and a menu will be shown. Select the option of

  Apply update from ADB

Run the following command:

  adb sideload (ota file.zip)

where (ota file.zip) is replaced with the file you have downloaded and verified.
Once the update finishes, you should reboot the phone by choosing:

  Reboot the system now


Are you rooted? There is no way to edit partitioning directly from the device without root, once you have root privileges, there are several apps which allow for the card to partitioned, such as AParted or Parted4Android.

If you have custom recovery, such as TWRP or CWM, some of those builds have SD card partitioning built in.

Remember that Android will only mount one SD card partition by default, with root you can manually mount a second partition.


What is the analogy of the X Server on Android?

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


Chrome for Android, Note 10.1 2014: Where is the share web address button?

On the Note 10.1, and most Samsung devices, you use the physical menu button to bring up the menu instead of the on-screen three-dots icon. You'll find Share... on that menu as usual.


Whatsapp chats only partially restored in new phone

Unfortunately, if your old phone is wrecked, I'm afraid you can't.

You were able to recover the data that was backed up.

It happened to me when I changed my phone - In my case, my old phone was still working, so all I had to do was turn it on, connect to internet and backup everything I wanted.

On Whatsapp, you go to Config->Conversations (or messages, not sure in English, since my app is in another language)->Backup. There you can check when it was your latest backup, and you can to force a backup.


How do I stop Android speaking my commands?

Method 1

Tap Home key > Tools > Settings > General tab > Accessibility > Vision. Then, disable Talkback

Method 2

Hold Volume Up + Volume Down for more than 3 seconds to disable (or enable) Talkback as described in this answer from XDA.


What exactly is the APN field used for, and why do some providers require it while others don't?

APN settings are necessary for data service on GSM and related networks (UMTS, LTE) to work.  It defines what network to connect to and the configuration of the network (e.g. the gateway GPRS support node address, which is the interface between the mobile network and the public internet).

APN settings are always required for data service on GSM and related networks.  The reason why you didn't need to enter them before would be either that you purchased the device from the carrier, in which case it would have been pre-configured with their APN settings, that the ROM (either stock or custom) included your previous carrier in their APN database, or your phone was able to accept automatic configuration from the carrier.

Most custom ROMs and some stock ones (in the case of direct-from-the-manufacturer devices) include an extensive database of different carrier's APNs and Android can automatically choose the correct one (Based on information from the SIM card) so you don't have to enter stuff manually.


Many devices for one android user. Are there limits?

This is as close to an answer as I can find at the moment. Looking at the site for the (soon to be launched) Google Play for Education site, one of the benefits that they mention is:

  For Educators

  Android tablets in the classroom

  Google Play for Education brings the innovation of Android technology
  into classrooms. Educators can set up and deploy large numbers of
  devices in just minutes or hours rather than days.

  ...

  Over-the-air delivery to student devices

  After finding apps they want to use, educators can push them instantly to student devices over the air. They can send the apps to individuals or groups of any size, across classrooms, schools, or even districts.

(My emphasis, from http://developer.android.com/distribute/googleplay/edu/about.html)

Which sounds promising, but if you go to the Sign Up/School Interest Page it has this interesting bit of wording on the form:

Which suggests that there's a limit somewhere around the 30 device number. Which would match up with what you're seeing. As I can't find anything else official mentioning this limit, I can't find any official advice for getting round the limit either, sorry.


Sync Hotmail with Android so it recognize read status

I know the built-in Android mail client doesn't sync read status with Hotmail.

Have you tried the official Hotmail client? It does seem to support most of Hotmail's more advanced features.


What podcast app supports podcasts that require basic authentication?

BeyondPod supports Feed Authentication.  I use the pro version which costs $7, but if you choose not to go pro there are only a few limitations.  The free lite version should still handle Authentication.


Can I use my Google account on two or more phones?

Yes, you can do it and use all your apps.  You can't currently use the Market with multiple accounts, though, so if your girlfriend already has her account on her phone then you can't use your account for the Market unless you remove hers and add yours as the primary account.


Stock HTC got bricked by the latest OTA (4.20)

The problem your device is having is that it can't protect an area of memory. This causes ART (the Android Run Time, the system that runs regular Android apps) to crash, rendering your device unbootable.

If you haven't modified your ROM before the update (for example by rooting it, or installing a custom kernel), this was probably a bad update from HTC or the updating process failed somehow.

If it's not possible to downgrade to your previous ROM, you could try to reset all data. If this doesn't work or you don't want to do that, you should contact the store you bought your phone in or contact HTC support. They might be able to put a working software version on your phone. This might wipe your data anyway though.

If you really don't want to wipe any data, you might be able to "dirty flash" a custom ROM over the stock ROM. This replaces the system partition so that if the system was corrupted by the OTA, it would be bootable again using the custom ROM. The custom ROM has to be the same Android version to not require a complete wipe, and installing it requires you to install a custom recovery. This might also void your warranty.


"No Backup account is currently storing data"?

The backup transport is the part of the system that takes backed-up data from the phone and sends it to some provider's backup storage. This is a manufacturer- and carrier- replaceable component, to allow (for example) Samsung to make their phones backup to Samsung storage with a Samsung account, instead of backing up to Google, while remaining compatible with apps that use the Android backup system.

Possibly the Cyanogenmod ROM you've installed simply doesn't have a backup transport.


You can use Tasker to accomplish this, but since we need a bluetooth disconnect as event instead of state we need to create a dummy entry
task then move the actual task to exit so that it corresponds with bluetooth disconnect event.

Profile Context

Go to Profiles Tab and click the "+"
Event ➡ State ➡ Net ➡ [BT Connected (Name: name of BT device, Address:Input MAC address of BT device)] For multiple devices don't input anything in these fields
Tap back to exit from this window

If using BT name seems not to be working try using the MAC address of BT device instead.

Entry Task

You will notice as soon exit, you will be prompted to link this to a Task
 Here we just create a Task wait action as dummy

Scroll all the way up the Task list select "New Task + "
You can just keep it anonymous or give it a name
Click "+" to add new Action
Task ➡ Wait  ➡ 4 seconds
Tap back all the way until you exit this task

Exit Task

Create a new Task (name it anything)
Click "+" to add new Action
Audio ➡ Silent mode: Set Off
Tap back to exit from this task

Once you're done, Tasker should now automatically turn off Silent mode upon disconnection (exit) from your selected Bluetooth devices.


VLC for Android: Where does it stores playlist files?

The playlists and other media informations are stored in this database file:

/data/data/org.videolan.vlc/app_db/vlc_media.db

The easiest method so far is to modify the playlists from inside the app by adding/removing media files from/to them.

However, if you have root access to your phone/tablet, an sqlite editor/reader (you can get one here), basic knowledge of SQL and a bit of patience you can modify the playlists by doing the following:

Navigate to /data/data/org.videolan.vlc/app_db and copy vlc_media.db to a folder you have full permission.

Open the copied file mentioned above with the SQL editor app. In the 'Tables' tab, you will see all the tables among them Playlist, Media, PlaylistMediaRelation, AudioTrack and VideoTrack.

In the 'Sql Editor' tab, insert the code below to get a list of all playlists and their files, then click on 'Run':

SELECT id_playlist, name, filename
FROM Playlist
Inner Join playlistmediarelation ON playlist_id=id_playlist
Inner Join Media ON id_media=media_id
WHERE name = 'your_playlist_name'
ORDER BY id_playlist

To check your media files with their ids:

SELECT id_media, filename
FROM Media

From these information, you can modify your playlist(s):

To insert/append media to playlist:

INSERT INTO PlaylistMediaRelation(media_id,playlist_id)
 VALUES(520,1)
To delete multiples media files:

DELETE FROM PlaylistMediaRelation
 WHERE media_id IN (456, 520) AND playlist_id=2
To update a media:

UPDATE PlaylistMediaRelation
 SET media_id=321
 WHERE media_id=476 AND playlist_id=7

Don't forget to copy the file back to the original folder.

Note: The numbers for id in the code are just examples.


Turns out that Keepass2Android did the work correctly, it works on Firefox like a dream, but they have not implemented it in Chrome even to this day which is sad. The best I can do is to share the page to Keepass2Android and the app will take me to a keyboard selection page where I can choose the special keyboard and be sent back to chrome to fill my fields.


Google Now by default will think that you're in the USA.
The app pulls your home address from Google Latitude. This is also how it knows when you're home and it is the basics for traffic info.

To change this go into:

Maps ->  Location History (tab)

Here you can set both your home and work address.


Google Map alternatives with offline navigation support

I've never used it, but here's one: OsmAnd

  Open-source OSM-based GPS app with
  online/offline capabilities and
  audible navigation.

  Online: maps, routing, search, edit OSM POI/bugs.
  Offline: search POI, address, transport, map cache.


How do you create a folder on a home screen in Honeycomb 3.0.1 (Xoom)?

You can use Smart Shortcuts (lets you organize applications and bookmarks in folders using tags), of the Astro file manager, which let you add shortcuts to folders of the filesystem.


Mobile network not available on unlocked Active

First, make sure the APN settings on your phone are correct for your carrier. Next, try cleaning the SIM card's and phone's contacts. You should also try a different SIM to rule out a broken card (also try your current SIM in a different phone.)

If the problem persists - then it's most likely a hardware issue with the phone's SIM card connector.  You may want to get in touch with Samsung to send the phone in for service.

The SIM card contacts on the phones are notoriously fragile, and can be easily damaged by using an adapter (Micro-to-Nano for example) that is either defective or simply improperly manufactured. If the adapter is not an exact fit, the contacts can get "caught" in the gap and bend or even break off during removal.  It's possible this is what happened to the previous owner of your Galaxy S4.

This type of damage is usually not covered by manufacturer's warranty, but it won't hurt to try anyway.  Worst case - there are SIM housing kits available for sale for the Galaxy S4, and ste-by-step replacement instructions on YouTube.  It's fairly easy to replace this module on your own.


Install command line application on android globally using termux `apt`

Note that for SSH access to Termux you can install sshd with apt install openssh.

Setup the authorized keys as normal ($HOME/.ssh/authorized_keys), start the sshd daemon and connect on port 8022 by default.


Using a keyboard to send Volume Up signal to confirm flash on device without volume rocker?

Fastboot is implemented in bootloader (like aboot or LK) i.e. in boot chain it loads even before the first process (kernel) of main OS. It has its own very minimal kernel which doesn't recognize any hardware components (even on device) except those necessarily required at this stage (processor, memory, display, flash storage etc.). Communication with PC over USB is only acceptable through fastboot protocol which doesn't have support to accept keystrokes or other input events (at least I never heard of such functionality). So it won't receive your


Insufficent rights for npm install in Termux on Android

WARN tar EPERM: operation not permitted, futime indicates that futime syscall (used to change file last access and modification times) fails with error: EPERM. From utime manpage 1:

  EPERM  ... the caller's effective UID does not match the owner of the file ...

That seems to be the reason of failure. You are using path: /data/data/com.termux/files/home/storage/shared/ which is actually /sdcard/ 2 (symlink to /storage/emulated/0/). It's not an actual filesystem but an emulated 3 view of underlying filesystem (ext4 or f2fs). It has fixed permissions and doesn't support many features of Linux filesystems including symlinks and ioctls like FS_IOC_FIEMAP 4.

Due to fixed permissions all directories and files in /sdcard/ are always owned by user root (UID 0). So while trying to change file's timestamp, Operation not permitted is returned. touch command however uses utimensat 5 which has different permissions requirements.

So to avoid this problem, you should not use emulated filesystem. Termux $HOME directory is on ext4 or f2fs, so it's a good place to save files. Use e.g. /data/data/com.termux/files/home/npm-test directory.

From comments:

  But is it possible to somehow create a link inside $HOME to another location, which will grant all the rights that Termux has for $HOME for all the subfolders of this distant location?

No it's not possible on non-rooted phone. Apps can write only to their private directories in internal storage (which is /data/data/com.termux for Termux) and in shared storage (/sdcard/Android/data/com.termux). Apps with Storage permission granted can read and write to whole /sdcard/. There is no other place on device where apps can save files 6. With SELinux disabled or permissive, it's possible to write to a sub-directory created (with adb shell) in /data/local/tmp, but it's not intended use of this directory.

LINKS:

1 utime manpage
2 How do I access $HOME/storage outside of Termux (with a file explorer)?
3 What is /storage/emulated/0/?
4 How can I make a symlink inside /storage/emulated/0?
5 How to change the modified date of a file without root?
6 Where Android apps store data?


How do I troubleshoot inconsistent call quality?

I experienced a similar problem on my OnePlus One a few months ago. I fixed it by disabling "Ok Google" detection from any screen in the Google app settings.

Apparently, the always on voice detection interferes with the voice in the call and hence the other person is unable to hear. It appears to be a Cyanogen bug.


Remember wifi password but never automatically connect

Not exactly what you may have intended, but still a possible solution: Using an app like

Wifi QR Code Generator
WiFi QR Share

you can generate a QR Code of your friend's Wifi connection, print it, laminate it (for protection), and put it into your wallet. Now, whenever you want to use that Wifi network, take out the QR-Code, scan it with Barcode Scanner -- and get connected. For a "log-out" simply disconnect, and remove the network from your list (to keep your device from autoconnecting).

Not quite elegant -- but it saves you from typing the long password everytime. Side-Effect: Print out the QR multiple times, and give it to your friend's for other guests. Do the same for your own Wifi. Now you never have to tell your passwords: To permit your guests to connect, somply show them the QR-Code to scan (and have them delete the network from their devices when they leave, as Android stores Wifi-passwords unencrypted).


What is the apps for the the two icons shown

The first one you asked about means the phone is connected in debug mode to a computer:

and the phone between zig-zag lines means it's on vibration mode.


Where does the partition information in /proc/dumchar_info come from, on MTK devices?

/proc/dumchar_info is provided by the dumchar driver, which reads the partitioning info from a header file generated during the build process and compiled in when the kernel is built. This header file is also used by other components, like the preloader, possibly bootloader, and both regular and recovery kernels. This means unless you can rebuild said components with a new header file, the partitioning is quite literally hard-coded.

A scatter file is related, in that it's generated from the same source. You can use the information from /proc/dumchar_info (together with some assumptions) to generate a scatter file.

For more information on partitioning on MediaTek devices that don't use GPT, see here.


There's a much easier way, but it may not be supported in all countries: Buy them each a Google Play Gift Card, and attach it to their accounts. They come in different "sizes", so you can limit the amount they can pay. No identification stuff connected to the cards, and once they're used up there's no more use for them (of course, you can buy the next one).

Another positive aspect: you might decide to let your kids use them themselves. The danger is just as high as the value of the card (though content might pose a risk). So it's like "pocket money" for learning "monetary responsibility" :)


How to disable TouchWiz Easy Home mode and enable TouchWiz Home?

Here's how I got it to work on my S4.

There should be an entry on your apps (swipe to the right) called Easy Settings, which will have an Easy Mode button.  If not, click More Apps, scroll to Settings, click "My Device", and then click Easy Mode.

From either of those, you can change it to Standard Mode.

If for some reason you can't access your settings or this doesn't work, one other option would be to download another home screen app from the Play Store, like Nova Launcher.  When it installs, your phone will ask you which home screen you want to use when you press the home button.  TouchWiz Easy Home and TouchWiz Home will be two separate options.  You want TouchWiz Home.


Is it possible to Install cyanogenmod on Galaxy S2

Yes - you can install Cyanogenmod for the i9100 S2.

Get the CyanogenMod (nightly if you feel adventurous or stick with the stable since you're new at this) from http://download.cyanogenmod.org/?device=i9100

Also, you'll need to flash the appropriate gApps package from http://goo.im/gapps

I highly recommend you read through the major posts of this thread on XDA

Also, learn how to use CWM or TWRP recovery - Youtube has a number of videos. See how its done, before attempting to do it yourself, and of course - please back up your data to the cloud or to your PC / laptop / external SD card before attempting this and if possible, perform a NANDROID backup so you can revert back to how things were should the unexpected occur and you need to recover.


There's an alternative method here if what you're looking for is greater control and access to settings not available through the default settings UI: Settings Database Editor

Word of warning: you can possibly brick your phone if you don't know what you're doing, so proceed with caution, back up your data, and thoroughly research any customization.

Through this app, you can directly access and modify the db values for your various device settings.  This doesn't necessarily require root (might depend on device model & OS version), as you can grant some of the permissions through an ADB command.

EDIT: fixed link.


Why are some old images downloaded from the web always sorted under "Today" in Gallery?

You may want to look into some EXIF editors to edit the metadata of those images (specifically the time). I can't name any great editors in particular, but there are plenty of apps and programs available as I looked through. If I find any good ones, I'll be sure to tell you the names of them. Best of luck!


Why is not flashing process protected by password?

Locked bootloaders are more secure than any password-based measures. Unlocked bootloaders will render any password-based measures useless.

Most if not all phones come with locked bootloaders by default, and the process of unlocking it isn't simple in most cases - it usually involves having physical access to device, being able to power it on (enter the OS) and having knowledge of ADB/fastboot. Some devices even make their bootloaders non-unlockable in the first place. If your OS is also protected well by PIN and/or fingerprint, the chances of breaking through are pretty minimal.


Reset application specific or phone-wide default image folder

A possible solution is to reset all the defaults:

Settings > Apps > Menu > Restore App preferences (or something, I have a Dutch version installed)


How can I hide phone number during incoming call and display only contact name?

It seems that there is no out-of-the-box way to achieve this. Maybe knowing the device that you're using will help (by editing your question, or commenting on it), but I doubt that.

That being said, You can achieve your goal with an app, like Full Screen Caller ID. In there, at Settings->Display there are check boxes for Display phone number and Display name.

Personally, I wasn't too impressed with this app, but it does what you wanted.


Installing Android ROM on a HTC HD2 on the SD card - Performance impact?

Quite a few people dual boot Nook Colors (internal vs sd card).

Take a look at this xda thread on running CM7 on the sd card (for the Nook Color) and this thread about booting from sd card performance.

In short, it really depends on the read/write abilities of the sd card you use. A crappy sd card is going to give crappy performance.

(Sorry for the specifics to Nook Color, but in general, it should be similar)


To replace HTC Sense completely you will have to root your phone and replace the ROM completely. Please see this post for more information: How do I root my Android device?

If on the other hand you're looking at replacing your homescreen/launcher then there are plenty of options.

LauncherPro
ADW.Launcher
HelixLauncher
plenty more...

I personally have LauncherPro and have upgraded to the Plus version. The Plus version has 90% of the widgets Sense UI has but is in my opinion far quicker, more stable and has way more features.

NB: I don't believe any of these Launchers allow you to utilise the widgets from Sense UI.

EDIT: Just to answer your comment. LauncherPro is an app you can download and install from the Android Market. Once installed clicking the Home button will prompt you to select which launcher you'd like to use (either LauncherPro or Sense UI). All you would do from there is check the "Default" checkbox and select LauncherPro.


I had lost few of my data from my Android phone's memory card

Its most likely a one time issue. No, you don't need to run and buy a new SD card. There is a high chance that the issue was with your phone or a rogue app on it.
Also, always back up your data to prevent a major loss.
Its hard and many times costly to recover data from Flash drive unlike a hard drive. I would suggest you let go and if preferable format the SD card and forget about it.

Its a problem if this happens again anytime soon. Also check your apps to see if you don't have any rogue app or a pirated app.


How to use Android modem without using PC

Some devices would have the kernel compiled with ACM serial support (this is dependent on manufacturer/board/kernel) so that it could be used as a dial-up modem from a PC via USB cable, that is the functionality behind /dev/ttyACM n where n is a digit as allocated by the kernel.

To check for that, look in /proc/config.gz which is the kernel configuration file used, this is a gzipped file detailing the configuration of how the kernel was built, the ones you are looking for is, need to search for it:

CONFIG_USB_ANDROID_ACM=y
CONFIG_USB_F_SERIAL=y
CONFIG_MODEM_SUPPORT=y

again, its dependent, some elect to not include it, others will omit it

So basing my comment above, I think you're using the wrong device file name, the real modem device file is /dev/smd0 which is used in conjunction with /dev/socket/rild (See my answer on StackOverflow explaining about that).
/dev/smd0 sits in front of /dev/socket/rild, rild daemon reads from that device and relays it to /dev/socket/rild which is then handled by the android layer in both directions.

Try using either of the device filenames, with atinout program referenced on sourceforge, to see what outcome you will get.

Disclaimer: I am not responsible for messing up your telephony stuff if you carry it out as per on the sourceforge site, if it gets messed, reboot!


Where can I locate the picture that is currently being used for my lock screen?

From what I can tell from the other answers it sounds like the image you wish to retrieve is also your wallpaper.
If that is the case you could use an app I have been working on for this exact purpose, called Get Current Wallpaper.

It will retrieve your current wallpaper, save it to your Pictures folder on your external storage drive and allow you to share it with whatever app you use to share images :)


Why aren't these UI "hacks" more often exploited?

That chat bubble is there because you granted Messenger the permission "draw over other apps". In simple terms, call it overlay. The qualified name of the permission is android.permission.SYSTEM_ALERT_WINDOW.

  Allows an app to create windows using the type TYPE_SYSTEM_ALERT, shown on top of all other apps. Very few apps should use this permission; these windows are intended for system-level interaction with the user.

(Emphasis mine)

I don't think chat bubbles of Messenger, in any capacity, are meant for system-level interaction with its user, so you can assume that developers of that app and any such app chose to abuse the system's feature for their own interests.

Furthermore, you definitely are not the first person who thought about exploitation of the overlay feature of Android.

ArsTechnica: New Android ransomware locks out victims by changing lock screen PIN

  Dubbed Android/Lockerpin.A, the app ... overlays a bogus patch installation window on top of an activation notice. When targets click on the continue button, they really grant the malicious app elevated rights that allow it to make changes to the Android settings. From there, Lockerpin sets or resets the PIN that unlocks the screen lock, effectively requiring users to perform a factory reset to regain control over the device.

  ...

  Once the continue button is pressed, the app will acquire administrator rights [becomes a Device Administrator]. From there it will change the PIN and periodically continue to overlay a fake window in an attempt to hold on to the elevated privileges. It's the first known Android lock-screen ransomware to set a phone's PIN lock. Because it requires non-paying victims to factory reset their phones, it causes them to lose all of their data.

(Emphasis mine)

Just so you know, Android understands the potential damage overlay can cause to a device, hence, when an overlay is actively drawn on screen and user attempts to sideload an app, the install button simply fails to work. See Why can't I press the Install button when installing applications from unknown sources?

If only Android extends this feature to activation/deactivation of device administrators, that would be very nice of them.

In case, you want to know which other app has the same permission, you can use my answer on Determine which app is drawing on top of other apps?

The notifications you mentioned, intrusive they may be, are called Heads-up notifications. Until Android 5.1, users didn't have an official way to get rid of them without losing all notifications from an app.

Android Design: Heads-up Notification

  When a high-priority notification arrives ..., it is presented to users for a short period of time with an expanded layout exposing possible actions.

  After this period of time, the notification retreats to the notification shade. If a notification's priority is flagged as High, Max, or full-screen, it gets a heads-up notification.

(Emphasis mine)

As you may have guessed, Heads-up notifications are not the default type of notification a system should be displaying to a user and a developer have to explicitly opt for it in the app's code. It's just that some developers opine that the things their app do are of the ultimate priority in the life of the user, let alone the system, so they often choose to show every notification as a Heads-up notification.

That said, heads-up notifications were introduced only in Lollipop while your device runs Android KitKat, so definitely, as Andrew T. put it in comments, it must be Facebook's native code which is both creating and displaying those pseudo-Lollipop notifications at the top and above a window.

The reason you can't interact with system bar when that pseudo-Lollipop notification is active, is most likely the use of blocking overlays to display a view which is perceived as a notification by the user. Aaron's answer has explained it with a good working example app.

I searched web between the range Oct 2013 to Oct 2014 (the developmental age of Android 4.4.x) and came to know that there were apps available in Play Store primarily meant to create those pseudo-Lollipop notifications. One such app is Floatifications and the other one I found was Metro Notifications Free. Both uses the same blocking overlay to create those pseudo-Lollipop notifications.

I'm surprised you didn't find toasts pesky enough.


How to connect android phone as portable device?

you can go into hisuite by connecting your phone up and then  selecting "connected as a media device" select that notification and then tapping "use as cd-rom" and then it should appear as a cd-rom drive and then install hisuite


If I have a phone contact and I sync my contacts to my google account then will the contact see my email address in his contacts?

Yes, it does, especially if you or the other person uses Google Contacts app

Details for updating contacts and adding people are based on

Suggestions could come from a user’s Google profile, Maps, or a corporate directory when in an enterprise environment
Suggested contacts to add: You’ll now see suggestions to add contacts you frequently communicate with across Google’s products (Gmail for instance)

I have observed suggestions to add a Gmail address for a contact who corresponds with a different mail address with me.

Another source could be if you both linked Google + profiles


How to be alerted when to get off the train?

Ask your railway company. Or your government. Or both.

The Dutch Railways (NS) has an app where you can plan train trips, but also get notifications when you need to check in and out and change trains, and realtime information about delays and schedule changes.

And since all Public Transport data is freely available in my country (and some others), there are other apps that can do the exact same.

So just search for the names of your transportation comnpanies in the Play Store, and see what you find. You may be surprised.


How can I keep an app (not made by me) running in the background continuously

Android kills apps automatically for memory. However there is an internal "priority" which it follows in doing so. For ex the system apps have usually much higher priority and hence lesser chance to be killed.

There is a way to explicitly assign higher priority to any app using third party apps. One such app is Memory Locker.

Just install and open the app, tap on app you want to be locked in memory, and set the priority. The lower the priority the lesser is the chance for that app to be killed or suspended.

NOTE: It needs root.

Additional Info:

How it works:
It actually edits a file called oom_adj inside /proc/[process ID]/. This file is nothing complex. Infact, it can simply be opened in any text editor and it contains just a number (for example -12). This number is process priority. You can change/edit this manually and set the priority for processes yourself if you dont want to use external app.


App showing battery charge based on its voltage

There is no app that does that, and there never will be, because it is impossible. The voltage of a battery does not tell you how much charge a battery has, nor does any other characteristic of the battery. Battery voltage does drop as capacity drops, but the voltage drop is a function of the percentage of charge, not amount of charge.

It is impossible to directly determine the amount of charge in a battery at a given point in time, by voltage or any other means. Battery capacity tests can only be conducted by spending the battery charge, and measuring it as it is used up. The test doesn't tell you how much charge the battery currently had at any given point in time; it tells you at the end how much charge the battery had at the beginning. I suppose a smart aleck might say that at the end of the test you know how much charge the battery has at that point in time, because that charge is zero. However, you're still not determining that by measuring the charge directly; you're measuring the current, and inferring zero charge based on zero current.

It should theoretically be possible to design an app that estimates capacity by conducting a drain test, but I haven’t been able to find such an app. Maybe that’s because it would be a major pain to run the test. The test would need to start with the battery fully charged and run until it is fully drained, and in order for the test to be accurate you would need to leave the device idle for the duration of the test.

The best method I can think of to estimate battery capacity is to compare the drain rate of the stock battery (or any other battery whose specs you trust as a baseline) to the drain rate of the battery you want to measure, under circumstances that are as similar as possible.

I'm not sure exactly how Android measures the battery percentage. I've read in unofficial sources that it's supposedly based on current and/or voltage, but I've also read that due to the nearly flat voltage vs. charge percentage curve, voltage is not sufficient for determining the charge percentage of lithium ion batteries, and other characteristics need to be used, possibly in combination. In any case, I recommend starting the test from the same percentage charge for both batteries and near the middle of the range, due to the fact that some of the characteristics that can be used to estimate charge percentage (such as the voltage) have a non-linear relationship to the charge percentage, and the curve tends to be flattest near the middle.

Step by step:

Insert the reference battery (whose capacity rating you trust) and power up the device.
Set the timer for 1 hour, or some amount of time during which you expect that the battery will drain at least 20% but no more than 50%. You it to be enough to produce granular results where rounding errors won’t significantly throw it off, but no so much that you’ve almost depleted the battery and entered the steep part of the voltage curve.
To reduce the number of variables that can impact the power drain, run the test after a restart, turn off all network connections (airplane mode), and make sure the screen brightness is constant (by disabling automatic adjustment and screen timeout, or making sure the screen is off for the duration of the test. Running a high drain app can help get more significant results more quickly. However, to ensure that you’re reproducing the same drain rate for both batteries, choose an app with a constant rate of power usage (such as an LED flashlight app). Don’t run any other apps or interact with the device for the duration of the test.
Drain it to 75%. The moment it reaches 75%, start the timer.
When time runs out, check the battery percentage.
Power off, and repeat the test using the extended battery, (make sure you use the same charger and same amount of time, of course).
Divide the change in percentage for the extended battery by the change in percentage for the baseline battery and multiply by the baseline battery’s capacity.

For example, running my Galaxy S4 for one hour, in airplane mode with the LED flashlight, on, the screen brightness at maximum, and the timer app displayed, starting from 75% charge, the stock battery drains to 39%, and my Deep Stretch DPS430 extended battery drains to 52%. The stock battery’s capacity is 2600 mAh. So, to estimate the extended battery’s capacity based on how its drain compares to the stock battery:

(75 - 39) / (75 - 52) * 2600 = 4070

To my surprise, that was actually pretty close to the stated capacity of 4280 mAh (keeping in mind that the test isn’t perfect, and is subject to rounding errors. In this case rounding errors could throw off the results by up to ~110 in either direction, so the actual result really should be stated as “approximately 3960 to 4180 mAh”.)


Google Talk not working over Corporate Wifi. What can I do?

The problem is, that my android device automatically turns off the 3g connection as soon as wifi is available.

Why don't you shut off Wi-Fi?

Since you can't control port forwarding or anything at work, there's not much else you can do.  Although, you could just ask and see whether they'd consider opening the Google Talk ports (443/5222/5223).


How to copy SMS messages from phone to PC if I can't install apps?

Use Alcatel PC Suite. You can synchronize your smartphone data with PC this way.


Android Bluetooth Profile - AVRCP Version on JellyBean

I don't think that base android supports avrcp beyond version 1.0.  A lot of the community created ROMs have added support for the other levels into their custom systems. However the stock version doesn't have it.


How can I find the messaging sounds that are used in Google's Messenger (sms) app?

AOSP: The AOSP Messages source code is here, but the source code does not have a "sent sound" (nor any sound) because those sounds are in your system sounds. You can find them at /system/media/ from a file manager like ES File Explorer.

New Google Messenger: The sounds can be found by decompressing the .apk. They are in /com.google.android.apps.messaging/res/raw/. All independent sounds are there!


How to disable Screen timeout for a particular program only

You can user Tasker to control the timeout for individual apps.


How to get Adoptable SD card encryption key with root access?

There's some interesting pointer found in Decrypting Android M adopted storage (emphasis mine):

  Android M allows for adoptable storage, which is implemented similarly to internal storage FDE -- using dm-crypt with a per-volume, static 128-bit AES key, stored in /data/misc/vold/. Once the key is extracted from the device, adopted storage can be mounted and read/written on any Linux machine. Adoptable storage encryption is done purely in software (at least in the current preview build), so its performance is likely comparable to encrypted internal storage on devices that don't support hardware-accelerated FDE.

Also take a look at Corrupt SD card formatted as internal storage, which gives a quite detailed tutorial on how to do it :)


Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 charging paused, battery temperature low

I can only get min to charge in safe mode. In normal mode it makes the charger connect sound, immediately followed by charger disconnect sound. To start in safe mode simply power down and restart, it will first show static Samsung logo, and then start animated Samsung logo, when second logo starts press and hold volume down. The screen will go slightly grey after a few seconds. You can leave the button then, it will start in safe mode.
Only workaround seems to be rolling back to Kit Kat.


Phone takes a long time to boot after installing Darky 10.2.2 EE

The first time you boot a device after installing a new ROM, or wiping the Dalvik Cache , the OS needs to rebuild the Dalvik Cache. This cache is what is used to launch the applications on the device quicker.

Any time you install a new application or update an application, a dalvik cache for the application is created. When you wipe the cache, this needs to be rebuilt. The more apps you have installed, the longer it will take the first time it boots.

As a good practice, you should clear the dalvik cache when ever you update your ROM.

On top of that, there could be extra boot scripts that will "extend" boot time.


Is it possible to install Android on a PC?

The HowToGeek has a set of instructions on how to Run Android on Your Netbook or Desktop here. It uses the Android builds from Android-x86.org but I don't know how active that project still is?

However if you just want to try Android out you're probably far better off just using the emulator on your PC.


Calling adb through command line ignored

Izzy was correct. My own files were fighting with the sdk's.
Bumping '\sdk\platform-tools\' to the top of the Environmental Variables list fixed it..
Probably should also rename my files to not 'adb'.. But they have a lot of dependencies on each other so that's on 'TODO' list.


As those ports are closed on your router, there is no "on-phone solution", only "on-router solutions". You will have to open those ports on the router, use a different WiFi AP, or switch to your mobile data connection.

If you want to go for the "open ports on router" solution, this is beyond the scope of our site. But you're certainly welcome with that question on Super User, which (amongst others) covers personal and home computer networking according to their help center.


Your question is bit unclear to me. Still I am trying to answer.

Almost all the Android phones these days (including Galaxy Nexus - GNex) have a micro-USB charging and data-syncing port. So they can be connected to your computer using a micro-USB to standard USB cable. Like most other phones, GNex also comes with a micro-USB to standard USB cable and a wall charger. You can use wall power or your computer to charge your phone.

And if you want to see exactly what charger comes with the GNex, checkout any of the tonnes of unboxing videos avaliable on YouTube!


Google will push this update automatically... but not at app launch. So, just wait.

There're ways to do this manually, but that's not guaranteed safe. Play Store is just a re-branded version of Market app. There's no change at all. You'll find only icon & label changed wherever involved.


I just bought the phone yesterday after reading a lot about it. My phone doesn't have any lag in the app launcher(the screen with the shortcuts for the installed applications, vertical scroll) and has about 50 shortcuts and it's quite responsive.


What is the unlock code for Motorola Droid Pro?

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

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

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


I've found that it's an issue of Skype application.
E.g. Google Hangouts gives good sound quality with and without bluetooth headset both.

I've filed a bug report here: https://community.skype.com/t5/Android/Forced-low-quality-voice-with-bluetooth-headsets/td-p/4366926


Root a Samsung Galaxy 4 tab 7", Kies isn't working

Flash your stock ROM using Odin whilst your device is in
Download mode  Power  +  Volume Down  +  Home

(Put the file in the AP/PDA depending on what version of Odin you have). If this works then your tablet may be back to factory state, but if it fails then you have Hard bricked your tablet. Presuming it isnt bricked, use the latest .apk file of King Root to root your Sm-T230.

Stock Rom Download from XDA forums: ACHERON ROM v2.1.1 and
Odin 3 download


Did you try adding the messaging settings to the APN you created? You can add both webs as mms settings and then select that APN.


can you use wireless charging on LG G3 s

Your phone doesn't support wireless charge, but you can try to find a cover which enables it: the cover connects to the micro usb of the phone and has an embedded coil (and some other hardware). I'm not sure it exists, but you can try to find it.


Cannot read from encrypted external SD Card - writing works though

Today a new update appeared in the phone, and another after that. It seems to work normally now. All apps can read and write to the external SD card.

Glad I waited, because I was considering returning it to Sony to get this fixed.

NB: The second update worked without unlocking the phone by the way. I don't like that! That happened on my previous phone as well.

See Reboot encrypted phone without having to enter password and PIN after crash


Does ADB push and pull work on non-rooted phones?

ADB commands work without root. However the /data partition is only accessible by rooted users* and while /system can be read by anyone, it's a read-only partition and root is needed to remount it as writable.

*There's one exception. The/data/local folder is accessible by non-root users too. This folder is primarily used for temporary like when you install an app via ADB.
The only practical use for this folder is that you can use a custom bootanimation by pushing a bootanimation zip file here.


Where is clone Apps data stored in Realme 2 Pro (Color OS 5.2)?

Open File Manager → Choose Phone Storage → defaults folders will be visible, select Search icon/text area and type 999 and click enter, you will be redirected to 999 folder with following pre-defined folders:

Android
DCIM
WhatsApp

Click on WhatsApp → Media, and find your relevant files like images, profile photos, videos, animated gifs, documents, etc.


How do I remove an incorrect word from autocorrect?

I fixed it! The trick was to clear the cache and data for Google Keyboard.

Settings => Apps => ALL* => Google Keyboard => {Clear Data, Clear Cache}

* Be sure to go to ALL instead of RUNNING. The instance under RUNNING will not give you the correct data clearing options.


Google play services doesn't get installed

You can download it from here,
you need to search for your android version.
http://www.apkmirror.com/apk/google-inc/google-play-services/
you need to download for your android version>4.1/4.4/5.1/6.0
or try to reinstall YouTube

I have the same problem.

I just download play services and problem was fixed.

EDIT:they support android 2.3+ im using old android phone now,and I can confirm that they support ,also confirm that it's  working for 4.0.


How to lock network operator or to never go on roaming, or get out of roaming as soon as possible

It seems that Android M Marshmallow does fix this bug.

I am now running Android 6.0.1, CyanogenMod version 13, and the operator does not revert back to automatic-selection anymore after reset.

The exact CyanogemMod version I am running is: 13.0-ZNH2K-20160430-STABLE-Sultan-bacon.


Where can I obtain an SQLite 3 command line binary for Android?

Your best bet would be to use ADB and pull it off the emulator, or pull it from another ROM. You will then have to put it on your device, but you will have to have root to put it in the directory with the other binaries.

sqlite3 does not come on most of the devices. I think it only comes on the developer phones, like ADP1/ADP2, and Nexus One/Nexus S. I know it is not on the Samsung Galaxy S devices such as the Vibrant (I am guessing it's on the Nexus S).


What's the difference between the Xperia X10 and the Xperia X10a?

The X10 is distributed in two varieties for different regions of the world, and they're internally referred to as the X10a and the X10i by Sony Ericsson. Strictly speaking, X10 is just a general term for the hardware of either of the X10 phones, so there's no "difference" since an X10a is an X10.

As for the difference between the X10a and the X10i, you can find a good explanation on the Wikipedia page. Essentially, the X10a is sold in South America and the X10i is sold in Asia and Europe. Both phones are sold in the US and Australia, but on different carriers. For instance, in the US, AT&T carries the X10a and T-Mobile carries the X10i. Because they are targeted at different regions/carriers, they support slightly different frequency bands. The rest of the hardware is the same.


Where can I find the Smat Tab 4 Clock and Weather Widget?

Do this (at your own risk) if that's a default widget came along with OS because those widgets are unrecoverable once deleted.
1 Perform a backup of your important data (remember 'not the settings') in the Tab to a PC or Cloud.
2 Then do a "Hard Reset" of Tab. (Every handset has a unique way to do a hard reset. So Google it.)
3 Tab will be reset to its initial state of course.
4 Restore backup again.
-This is bad idea if you have large amounts of important/sensitive data on your Tab and also ignore this answer if that is not a default widget-


How to connect two phones via SSH with a central SSH server?

What I have understood from your question:

You have two phones A and B, which are connected to internet through Mobile Data. Phone B has a SSH server running, listening on port 8022. You want to login from phone A to phone B, but since the later doesn't have a public IP, you want to create a reverse SSH tunnel from phone B to another SSH server running on AWS cloud, listening on port 22. In this way you want that all traffic received on port 9099 on AWS SSH server should be forwarded to port 8022 on phone B, so that phone A can access it on internet.

If I understood correctly, the simplest thing you have to do is:

On AWS run a SSH server, which is listening on port 22. Since you are able to login to this server from both phones A and B, I think you have done it correctly. Let's say your login user here is server_user and IP address is server_ip.

You need two additional keywords in /etc/ssh/sshd_config, should look like this exactly (no extra spaces):

# /etc/ssh/sshd_config

AllowTcpForwarding yes
GatewayPorts yes

After changing configuration, don't forget to restart server.

First parameter ensures that port forwarding is allowed i.e. you'll be able to create tunnel.
Second parameter ensures that the reverse tunnel will listen on all network interfaces, and not only the local (loopback) interface on AWS server.

On phone B run a SSH server, which is listening on port 8022, let's say your login userame is phone_user (Termux's SSHD requires no username).

Do test if you can login to this server. For instance create hotspot on phone A or B or connect both to some third WiFi network. Now login from phone A to phone B. If it doesn't work, troubleshoot the problem, most likely with password / key authentication.
On phone B create a reverse tunnel i.e. forward AWS SSH server's port 9099 to phone B's (local) port 8022:

~$ ssh -NR 9099:localhost:8022 server_user@server_ip

This can be done on Termux or use some GUI app like ConnectBot.

To test if the the tunnel works correctly, on AWS server:

~$ ssh phone_user@localhost -p 9099

It should login you to phone B.
On phone A, login to phone B through AWS SSH server:

~$ ssh phone_user@server_ip -p 9099

If it doesn't work, repeat the steps.

RELATED:

How to connect to Android through SSH over 3G/4G public IP?
How to run SSH/SFTP server for multiple user logins with password authentication on Android?


Are .smi or .srt files more compatible with the S3?

This question is probably opinion-based.

I'm not familiar with the trend in subtitles, but I use them a lot since I am hard-of-hearing. Most of the subtitles I get from SubScene are .srt files. Occassionally, I'll encounter a .sub and .idx combo, but RARELY an .smi.

A lot of media players support .srt; a lot others also support other formats. My guess on the app that you found which supports only .smi - which you didn't even mention its name - is that it may have been a niche app to play videos that have .smi subs. There may have been no other app that played .smi when it was made. I am just speculating.

But one thing for sure, .srt is not going away any time soon.


Why has the emergency contacts functionality been removed?

This may differ depending on what brand and model your phone is, but with Nougat an Emergency Information feature was introduced. You'll find it under Users in the settings screen.

If you open it, you'll see two tabs: Info and Contacts.

Under Info you can add information about yourself, such as mediaction, allergies, and of course your name and under Contacts you can add contacts which can then be called without unlocking your phone. However, accessing it is a little involved; you need to bring up the emergency call screen, then hit Emergency information twice.

The screenshots were taken on a Samsung Galaxy S3 running LineageOS 14.1 Nightly as of 13 February 2017. Currently I have no contacts on that phone, so I can't add any to show you, and my primary phone is still on Marshmallow, which doesn't have that option.


Android camera shoots with the same sensor

Camera does not give you the raw data it captures. Before it outputs the format you desire, the data will be processed by a set of algorithm implemented differently by each manufacturers, giving effects such as sharpening, denoising and anti-Moire. How they decide to implement it is beyond our discussion.

Manufacturers keep the algorithm private, so in many cases it's unclear whether it's only in the drivers (blobs) or requires both the app and the low level to work together. However, it's clear that without these proprietary algorithms, image quality will degrade more or less, as evident in custom ROMs without the camera blobs. In Sony's case, that algorithm can also get lost once you unlock the bootloader, causing equally significant effect.


Why does the Ebay application automatically startup at boot?

Well it starts because that's how dev coded it.

You can try programs like startup manager that will kill the program once it starts.


Are you using the same cable that came in box? if so then it should charge fast not that fast 80% in 30 min... that's test lab results... in real life application those figures may differ... its pretty much normal.


How do I install a sticker app directly into gboard?

You must implement Firebase appIndexing for your application

https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2017/09/create-stickers-for-gboard-on-google.html


Deleting log files on galaxy tab s 10.5 sm-t800

If the file explorer cannot find it,  I suggest connecting it to your computer.  If you cannot find the log files there,
 Take note of folder sizes.  Check back every few days and see which folder has grown in size.

This may lead you to whatever is taking up space.

Hope this helps!


kies stuck on "connecting" on mac+galaxy s2

You can't use Kies with custom ROMs (like CM), only with Samsung ROMs.


ICS stock email client consumes too much traffic for POP3 accounts

This is not an issue of your email client. This is the way POP3 works. In Gingerbread's email client, you'd had set leave copy of email on server. So, your ICS email client is downloading all past emails from server. Unfortunately, POP3 doesn't allow selective downloads. Your mails are being fully downloaded (not just header) with attachments too. That's the reason of high traffic. You should now un-check leave copy on server (to make sure, it'd not download an email repeatedly after its removed from local cache). After full download, everything will become normal.

If you can, I'd recommend to use IMAP instead of POP3. IMAP syncs everything (e. g. email read status) with server-client. If you delete an email locally, It'd be deleted from server too (provided its in configuration). So, you can keep emails on multiple devices in sync. IMAP allows you to download email header only, download attachments on demand etc. So, it can save your data.


Boot into specific Hangout with one person

I have done this using tasker. You are completely on the right track, instructions below.

SQL to find contact ID

Find the unique contact ID from the contacts database (which it seems you have already done). In case you have the wrong ID you can check with the SQL instructions. I had a few issues with this given I was only entering the first name when looking for the contact, and for some reason it wasn't being found. Anyway, this SQL query should work on the file: /data/data/com.android.providers.contacts/databases/contacts2.db

You can use a SQL app/program, browse to that file, and enter the SQL query:

SELECT _id FROM data WHERE raw_contact_id LIKE (SELECT _id from raw_contacts WHERE display_name LIKE "Contact Name" ORDER BY _id DESC LIMIT 1) AND DATA4 LIKE "10" ORDER BY _id DESC LIMIT 1

Or you can enter this command into the terminal provided you have sqlite3 on your specific device (often not included in production release devices):

sqlite3 /data/data/com.android.providers.contacts/databases/contacts2.db 'SELECT _id FROM data WHERE raw_contact_id LIKE (SELECT _id from raw_contacts WHERE display_name LIKE "Contact Name" ORDER BY _id DESC LIMIT 1) AND DATA4 LIKE "10" ORDER BY _id DESC LIMIT 1' | sed s/\"//g

Just replace "Contact Name" and put the contact you want to open inside the quotes. The full contact name preferably.

Unrooted phone

I was working on a solution for this, but app backup is explicitly disabled in the contacts app manifest. Try the solution below and let me know if it works. I wasn't able to test it without root.

Install Tasker and AutoContacts. AutoContacts is paid, but you can get a in the next 15 minutes after buying the full version if you just want to test it.

Setup a task in tasker, name it, then add a new action Plugin > AutoContacts > AutoContacts. Then in the configuration type in "Contact Name or Nickname" the name of the desired contact. Press the tick. Press the back button in Tasker to get back to the list of actions for that task (you will have 1 now). Add a new action Alert > Flash. Press the button on the right of "text" that looks like a label and select "Autocontacts: 01. Hangout Uri ... %achangouturi". Press back to go to the action list. Press back again to save the task. Go back into the task and run it. The ID that you need for the contact you want will be at the end of the string that flashes up and will usually be 5 digits long. Run the task again if you didn't catch it in time.

Creating Tasker task

Once you have the ID copied down, you need to go into Tasker to create the task that will open hangouts to the conversation. You have the right idea to use an intent, it is just a little different from what you already have. In the new task create a new action "+" select System > Send Intent. Create the intent in the following format:

Action: android.intent.action.VIEW
Cat: None
Mime Type: Leave blank
Data: content://com.android.contacts/data/#####
Extras/package/class: Leave blank
Target: Activity

Where ##### is the contact ID you found earlier. Mine were all 5 digits long.

Now you should be able to use this task for whatever your heart desires. Give it a test by pressing the play button in the task in Tasker.

A quick note, I mainly use mine in conjunction with AutoVoice in order to open a message I just got sent. I found it very useful to be able to launch hangouts back to the main screen and actually found this quite difficult as the Tasker "kill app" wasn't completely restarting hangouts. I found the way to do this is create an action "Launch App" and select the "Always launch a new copy" checkbox. This will always open hangouts to the main threads list.

Most of this is from this Google Groups discussion. Good luck, let me know if you run into any troubles.


Additional SD card remounts itself as read-only

Most likely there is some filesystem corruption on the SD card. Try scanning it with a filesystem checker on your PC (e.g. fsck under Linux).


Where Firefox for Android is keeping add-on generated files?

Browse into the location /data/data/org.mozilla.firefox/files/mozilla/. Among many directories there would be one directory whose name would end with .default. That is your Firefox profile directory. Within that directory, you can find what you are looking for. Extensions (xpi) are saved inside the extensions directory. Some extensions may have data inside the directory browsers-extension-data while others may have it stored inside storage/default.

You can access those files by entering the URL file:///data/data/org.mozilla.firefox/files/mozilla/ in your Firefox browser. If you want to access them using a non-Firefox app, such as a file explorer app, than you need to have root access.


How do I hide the SSID of an Android phone?

You cannot hide AP SSID (stop SSID broadcasting or beaconing) through Android API.

SSID hiding depends on the kernel/WiFi-driver that you have on your phone. Only a few drivers (devices) support this feature. Also, a few drivers support monitor mode. Vendor-drivers have closed source which makes it difficult to add these features to them. See bcmon project for example.

Android API allows you to connect to the network with specific SSID (it may be hidden) programmatically. You should know network SSID and password (see this link about WifiConfiguration class and hiddenSSID, this link about WifiManager class, and these Stack Overflow answers: programmatically create WiFi Configurations, connect to a specific WiFi network).


Unfortunately, I cannot use the comment system yet, but I know what you're referring to.  Once you access the "share" feature, it automatically provides a "shortcut" to the last app you tried to "share" with.  I actually find it a pretty convenient feature.  I don't think you can get rid of it (unless you find a custom gallery or something).  If you share your photos with anybody, I'd use the most-oft used app to share with, and just leave it there. i.e. messaging / facebook / etc.


What happens to my google account if I factory reset?

No! Your google account is not stored locally on your device. It will still be available on any other device and on any other desktop browser you choose to use!