Earphone is not working well, volume is very low in Galaxy SIII

This might seem silly, but I had this problem on my Razr Maxx HD and my solution was to use a canned air blower (with a thin straw) into the earphone jack.  It blew out ridiculous amounts of lint that must have been accumulating from the phone being in my pants pockets.


Use firefox as the in-app browser instead of chrome

Setting the default browser as Firefox (it was set to none, because I had disabled chrome) worked.
For firefox, the instructions can be found here
For others, "default apps" menu in the settings is what I had to change for my version (Android P), ymmv.


If they had the names like IMAG0001.jpg then the file from the first directory would have overwritten the second.

I have had files even on the same device have the same numbers, probably caused by me moving files around and screwing up its count.


Storage space running out. Some system functions may not work

On Samsung phones, type in the dialer *#9900# then choose the second option: "Delete Dumpstate/logcat".


The "offline feature" rather counts as cache (note that content downloaded for offline use will be available this way for 2 days only), so it's not considered "your data". You performed a factory-reset. From our factory-reset tag-wiki:

  What a factory reset does is basically to "wipe" (delete all content) from the /cache (holding the application cache) and /data (user data and user-installed apps, dalvik cache) partitions. Other media, like internal-sd and external-sd cards, are usually left untouched – though some devices/ROMs offer options to include them with the wipe.

So that includes your "files cached for offline use".

Also, as correctly pointed out by GiantTree, your comparison with several apps does not apply: Google Drive stores your data in the cloud (not on the device), same for most other "Google Apps". Nor do photos made with a camera app get wiped usually, because they are not affected by a factory reset (see above quote for SD cards).


Will a US tablet imported into the UK get OTA updates?

Yes, if you bought it in the US it will get otas.


Cell standby use about 35-50% of total battery?

What matters is, what is your total battery life, if your phone lasts 2-3 days, then 30% is reasonable, however if it only lasts 8-10 hours, then it isn't.

If it is the latter I would recommend clearing your cache (and davlik cache if you can) and or performing a factory reset and seeing if the problem persists, also try using a different sim card on another network.


Not recognising any of the items on sd card

If you mean the files on your SD card are not coming up in any app that used to see them, you may have a corrupted SD card from the forced power cycle. Try mounting the SD card on a desktop computer and see what it says. Use scandisk or fsck on it, but not in repair mode. If it shows errors, but you cannot get to the files, try repairing it, copy ALL the files to the desktop computer, then have your phone reformat the card. Then go back to your desktop computer and reload everything.


Android Lolipop broke my enyrpted nexus 7 (2012)

When doing updates, be it from OTA or flashing, you will need to wipe/clean the cache and dalvik-cache (They retain information that could cause problems as well as bootloops.) Just remember to leave system, data, and other partitions alone.


Make device take power only from charger when the battery is full

"I don't really understand since the device is directly connected to AC, the battery should be bypassed and never been used.

If you mean li-ion battery, cycle use is recommended
since keeping it fully charged for 24/365 may shorten its life cycle as in your case.

Since you need battery as backup only, use UPS (Pb  gel battery) coming with bypass instead


Seem to be an Android bug. I found this in the Android bug tracker.

https://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=42520&q=summary%3Abluetooth%20type%3Adefect&sort=-stars&colspec=ID%20Type%20Status%20Owner%20Summary%20Stars


What's the process for installing a new ROM after I've just completed one?

Assuming you installed ClockworkMod Recovery via Rom Manager app (or manually), you can do the following:

Install the Appbrain and Fast Web Installer apps.  Run Appbrain, sign in with your Google account, enable the Fast Web Installer from Settings, and perform a sync.
Download the ROM installation ZIP for MIUI and place it onto your SD Card.
Reboot your phone to Recovery mode, scroll down to "backup and restore", go in, and select the "Backup" option.  This will write an image of your phone onto your SD Card.  OS, your apps and settings will be saved.
Perform a full wipe of your device from Recovery by doing a "wipe data/factory reset", "wipe cache partition", and "advanced -> Wipe Dalvik Cache".
Select "install zip from card" option, and then "choose zip from sdcard" to flash the ROM zip that you downloaded in step 2.
Optionally, flash the GApps package, and any other files (refer to the ROM's instructions.)
Once the installation is completed reboot the phone, add your Google account, and set up the system to your lining (do not download any 3rd-party apps yet.)
Open the Market app, install AppBrain and Fast Web Installer again, and sign in.
Open the Appbrain app, and enable Fast Web Installer in settings again.
While still inside the Appbrain app, go to "Manage And Sync", press the Menu button, select the "More lists.." option.  Pick the list that was created for you in step 1, and press the "Add all apps" button.  This will queue up all the missing apps that you had installed on the previous ROM.
Go back once, and tap the "Execute" button.  After verifying the permissions, tap the Install button.  This will automatically download and re-install your apps.
Once the apps are installed, configure them to your liking.
Reboot back into Recovery, perform another backup, and reboot the phone normally.
Open the ROM Manager app, and tap on "Manage and Restore Backups."  You should see a list consisting of the 2 backups you just made, sorted chronologically.
Rename the first backup to "CM7", and the second to "MIUI".

You can now easily switch from CM7 to MIUI by simply restoring the corresponding backup.  Keep in mind that if you change anything on either ROM, you will need to perform another backup so that your changes are saved.


Android provides different methods for localization. Some of them are network based, some cell based, some GPS based, some mixed (well, that was simplified).

So yes: You could use plain GPS without network. Might take a little longer to get your initial fix, though. (Assisted GPS aka AGPS can speed this up, but requires a network connection.)

And quite logically yes to your second question as well, as far as GPS is concerned. For map data, if it's already downloaded to your device, no data connection is required either. But if you need updates while on the way, or want to be updated about traffic, things are certainly a little different.


I did 3 things, tried again, and it worked (I mean it got past File analysis). I am not sure which one of the 3 things did the trick, unfortunately. You might want to try them all.

Run SAMSUNG_USB_Driver_for_Mobile_Phones.exe
Use a different USB port, for me COM7 instead of COM6.
Get the ROM for my phone's region. It is binary equal to the file I tried yesterday, though, so I doubt it changed much.


Is it possible to use Linux/unix's dd to make an image backup of an android phone with the phone off?

You can't access any filesystems over USB (or any other way) with the phone turned off. To make a full backup of user data and the ROM (system image), you need to boot into your custom recovery and use that to make a Nandroid backup.


Nexus 7 2013: Bricked in recovery and no way of transfering data to it

A bit nerdy maybe but we don't know how nerdy you are, so ...

If you have access to recovery boot menu and the tablet is rooted then you should either use your current SD card or prepare a new one in eg Windows 7.

I would do this: Find your Multi Card Reader and plugin the SD. Backup files on the SD that you want to keep! Use PC software like MiniTool Partition Wizard Home Edition and use all space to create a fat32 partition. The card is now clean and ready to be written on.

Make sure you get the right ROM this time eg needrom.com then copy the zip-file to the SD card.

Make sure your Nexus is completely turned off. Then insert the SD into it.

Look at this thread #4 if you don't know the key combo to recovery: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2394113

Usually the SD will mount automatically if nothing else is wrong. Then try out the menu: "install zip from sd card" browse to find the file and then execute.

After this process I would select "clear/wipe cache partition" and even "wipe data /factory reset" just to be sure all is cleaned up.

Finally, select the menu "power off" if it's there.

Then you should be good to go. Be patient. The first startup is always slow. If everything looks fine I would then power off once again to be completely sure.

PS: If you only use Mac I cannot help you there but the procedure is very similar ;)


Why do I see a screenshot of something that I was doing in the background on my smartphone?

Do you mean that you see a little impression of the previous screen you were on even after you switch the app right? For example: You are using youtube and the you press home key and go to home screen but you can still see the faded view of the youtube app on homescreen.
First of all that's totally normal! I have a leeco le2 and experience the same thing everyday.. It's just because of the limitation of your screen(hardware). It's not any malware.. and definitely nothing to worry about.


I know Windows doesn't recognize the phone but I still want to try something.
Download Wugfresh toolkit from here: (For download links just scroll down, there are some mirrors)

http://www.wugfresh.com/nrt/

Once you install it, click "Full driver installation guide...". This will give you a thorough guide to uninstalling remaining drivers and installing the needed ones.

Hopefully, it will help you install the necessary drivers for the N5.
If it does work, Press the "flash stock + unroot" button on the right (I think you should check "soft-bricked/bootloop").

Hope it helps :)


I just moved to the ZenFone2 from a moto razr as well. Not having a menu button is NOT going to happen. A bit of digging, and found the option to set the recent apps button to menu, on long press. :settings/device/asus customized settings/


Head to Settings -> Apps -> All -> Internet -> Clear Defaults. Next time you do a search or open a link, you'll be given a choice of which app you want to open it with. Select Chrome and put a tick in the "Make Default" checkbox and that should make Chrome the default browser.


My android device has been splashed/soaked by sea water

Even though this may not be the place to ask this question, you deserve some help with this one. The information below will help, but there is now additional information on rice baths and using water vs. alcohol to clean electronics. Please read more from iFixit for more detailed information.
DON'T ATTEMPT TO APPLY ANY POWER

Separate the phone into as many parts as you can (i.e. take the battery out, back cover off) without taking screws out.

Cover the device fully with dry rice. Try three days, this gives the water time to evaporate, hopefully aided by the rice.

Reassemble and try the device again.

If this doesn't work, there's a few more things to try, but chances are you're out of luck :/
IF YOU WISH TO BE EXTREME, or have spilled corrosive material (soda, juice, etc.)
Note, I have a friend that has done this successfully several times, and even though it sounds scary, it has worked for many people:

first, take out the battery

second, check to make sure you took out the battery

next, submerge the phone (without the battery) completely in  deionized water (distilled should be fine). Leave it there for 24 hours.

ALTERNATIVELY: washing the internals with 90% or higher isopropyl alcohol will clean the device just as well, and evaporate much quicker, without the need for a rice soak.

after waiting such a time, remove the phone, scrub the board with alcohol to remove any corrosion,  still, do not replace the battery and cover it completely in dry rice for three times (or a week, to be safe) the amount of time you had it in the water

This process should clean the inside of your phone and hopefully remove any salinity, and should not harm the phone as long as there is no power applied to the device, i.e. the battery


Any easy and free way to install One app Two times in Android

I solved it using Shelter App. Shelter App created Work Profile on my Android 10.
Shelter is useful for creating an isolated space and utilizing the work profile feature on Android. And in that room, we can install or clone applications.


How to remove "calendar events" from the lock screen?

On the lock screen swipe left so that there's a big + sign on the screen (or maybe another widget) and then scroll back to the calender so that it's now full screen. Long press the calender and drag it to the top of the screen to remove it.

On my phone the clock was automatically re-added to the lock screen after this but if it isn't then go to the lock screen, swipe till till you see a big + again. Click on this and from the menu of widgets that appears select the digital clock.


The hex value you found in the wpa_supplicant.conf is the PMK (not the PSK directly but some intermediate value computing the PSK or something like this). This value is not encrypted, it is hashed as defined by WPA2 using PBKDF2 SHA-1 with 4096 iterations see Wikipedia.

SHA-1 is a one-way function, which means that it can not be reversed.

Wifi still works, because the PSK is the actual key Wifi requires to work. The passphrase is just for the "dumb humans who can't remember a simple 64 hex chars value" (aka user convenience).

Hence there is no "decrypt" function. The only way to retrieve the password back is to perform a brute force search on that password (trying all possible passwords). Depending on the length of the password and your hardware (CPU, GPU) this can take some days, weeks, months or years.

There is an issue on Github with indicates that the tool "hashcat" is able to break this value using mode 12000 (-m 12000):

See also Encryption algorithm used in WPA/WPA2


How to send all internet traffic to a SOCKS5 proxy server in local network?

The link you have provided is not setting up SOCKS but a transparent proxy i.e. it takes TCP/UDP traffic and SOCKSify it before sending through shadowsocks tunnel. But you need to make your traffic SOCKS-aware before directing towards SOCKS proxy. Either configure individual apps (which have built-in support for SOCKS) or enforce proxy system-wide transparently (what you are trying to do).

LIMITATIONS OF SOCKS PROXY:

  It looks like AFWall+ is able to create a NAT forwarding policy

AFWall+ uses iptables at back end and it can execute your script on network changes. Enforcing global proxy is (at least partially) possible with proxifier apps like ProxyDroid (which is iptables-based) and SocksDroid (which is VPN/routing based). I have no affiliation with either.

If manually workig from CLI, you can use a transparent TCP/UDP-to-proxy redirector like redsocks in combination with iptables. shadowsocks provides its own similar tool (ss-redir), so does Tor.

  I didn't tick any app so I assume that means all app go through custom script, right?

No. The problem with the iptables approach is that SOCKS5 is a layer 5 protocol in OSI model. So it cannot carry whole traffic from all apps. Most of the traffic generated by apps is TCP which works fine with SOCKS and is easy to setup. But some games, VoIP apps and above all the traditional DNS generate UDP traffic which is not supported by many SOCKS5 proxies. E.g. openssh and tor both don't, shadowsocks however does have UDP associate features. But it doesn't work with simple DNAT or REDIRECT (probably because SO_ORIGINAL_DST is not available for UDP sockets, I don't know the details). You can possibly redirect traffic only towards a fixed socket (IP:PORT) e.g. a DNS server or game server.

TPROXY is the alternative here, but the trouble is that it works only with PREROUTING chain i.e. the traffic coming from outside, not that generated on device. So you have to do extra setup to route your on-device traffic without NATing towards a local proxy server (usually default gateway) where you'll set up TPROXY.

Complicated? That's why VPN is preferred. Even if you need to use a proxy to circumvent firewalls, VPN tunneling through proxy spares you from the traffic redirection complexities. VPN operates at lower level in network stack (L2/L3 in OSI), so it flawlessly carries all IP traffic including ICMP echos (ping) etc. which can no way be sent through SOCKS. Another plus point is that VPN can be tunneled through transparent proxies - like shapeshifter-dispatcher and stunnel - or SOCKS proxies which are meant to forward only single port - like obfs4proxy.

If not forwarding single port (tunneling), SOCKS5 must be an application level proxy i.e. it should be able to forward arbitrary ports from different apps like SSH dynamic port forwarding does.

tun2socks is another SOCKSification method which collects TCP/UDP traffic on a tun interface (same like a VPN, no NAT involved) and forwards it through a SOCKS proxy. It recently added UDP associate support. Previously used UDP Gateway method also worked quite fine but it requires running a separate daemon (udpgw) along with proxy server. tun2socks is a non-root solution because apps - like SocksDroid and many other firewalls, sniffers etc. - using this method rely on Android's VPN facilities.

  ... and fool Google apps into thinking they are not connected via a VPN (Google apps implement additional security measures when connecting via VPNService ...

With both above methods (VPN through tunnel and Tun-to-SOCKS) it's not necessary to use Android's VPNService API (if that's causing problems for you). On a rooted device you can get a static openvpn or tun2socks binary and run that through CLI. That's far less hassle than setting up proxy through iptables. In former case, though, you need a VPN server obviously.

SOCKSIFY WHOLE DEVICE:

As you don't want to go with VPN/routing based solution, here is the simple iptables-based method.

First get redsocks binary for your device architecture (or try this one for aarch64 or this one for armeabi-v7a).
Create configuration file:

// redsocks.conf

// general configuration
base {
    redirector = iptables;
}

// for TCP
redsocks {
    local_ip = "127.0.0.1"; local_port = "12345";
    ip = "192.168.1.1"; port = "1088"; type = socks5;
}

// for UDP, assuming your SOCKS5 proxy supports UDP associate
redudp {
    local_ip = "127.0.0.1"; local_port = "12345";
    ip = "192.168.1.1"; port = "1088";
    dest_ip = "1.1.1.1"; dest_port = "53";  /* set whatever DNS server */
}

 * See redsocks.conf.example for details and more options.

Run:

#!/system/bin/sh

IPTABLES="/system/bin/iptables -w5 -t nat"

# create new chain
$IPTABLES -N PROXY
$IPTABLES -I OUTPUT -j PROXY

# exclude local traffic, see: http://manpages.org/ss-redir
$IPTABLES -A PROXY -d 127.0.0.0/8 -j RETURN
$IPTABLES -A PROXY -d 192.168.0.0/16 -j RETURN

# socksify whole TCP traffic
$IPTABLES -A PROXY -p tcp -j DNAT --to 127.0.0.1:12345

# socksify only DNS UDP traffic
$IPTABLES -A PROXY -p udp --dport 53 -j DNAT --to 127.0.0.1:12345

echo "Ctrl^C to exit."
trap "$IPTABLES -D OUTPUT -j PROXY; $IPTABLES -F PROXY; $IPTABLES -X PROXY" EXIT

# run socksifier
redsocks -c /path/to/redsocks.conf

You can add custom iptables script to AFWall+. redsocks can be run as init service with non-root UID, dropped capabilities and restricted SELinux context. See How to run an executable on boot?

RELATED:

Why is not all traffic captured from my device when routing through proxy?
How to set up a socks5 with Android CLI?


How can I access my Android Internal Storage (data/data) from the pc?

Directly accessing /data/data/* is not possible without root – neither on device, nor remotely from your PC.

But your question rather is a XY problem: what you really want to do is "to back up a few save game files to a pc folder so I don't lose them, just in case the tablet needs reset for any reason". And for that, you've even put a tag that already answers your question: adb. Follow up to its tag-wiki for some general hints (e.g. how to install a minimal version of it). Then see the backup tag-wiki and scan it for "ADB" (also check the linked questions there).

Basically, what you want to do is to adb backup the relevant apps. Such an ADB-Backup always includes the app's data, and optionally the .apk of the app as well:

# adb backup -f <file_name> [-[no]apk] <package_name>
adb backup -f myApp.ab -apk com.foobar.app

The only thing you need to figure first for this is the package name of the app you want to backup. Easiest way of doing that is checking its page on PlayStore, where the package name is part of the URL (id=<package_name). Alternatively, e.g. the app AppInspector can help you find the package name.

If you later need to restore that, adb restore <file name> is all you need to call.


Is a factory reset from recovery different from one started in the OS?

There is only one difference — on Lollipop and higher, a factory reset from Settings will remove Factory Reset Protection from your device.  It will ask you to enter your device and/or Google Account password in order to verify that you are the owner of the device.  Resets from Recovery do not remove FRP since they can be initiated by anyone, such as a phone thief.


Why does Android Device Manager not changes my password?

I solved the issue by installing ClockworkMod, and Aroma file manager with a sdcard, then I removed the next files:

password.keypattern.key
locksettings.db
locksettings.db-shm
locksettings.db-wal

Useful links:

HOW TO: Install ClockworkMod Recovery 6 on Galaxy S5 G900F

Remove /Bypass Lockscreen With Recovery


You have to have root access to mount the drive as that article is describing (calling su == becoming root).

What are you trying to accomplish? Can you push the file to the sdcard instead (if your device has one)?


Android: how to find application locking xtables?

/system/bin/iptables binary holds an advisory lock on /system/etc/xtables.lock file (which is usually /run/xtables.lock on normal Linux distros).
It's the native netd service which performs operations with NetFilter but on a rooted device normal apps (e.g. AFWall+) may also execute the binary to add or remove firewall rules.
Use the lslocks command to list all the system locks currently held and the applications holding them. Or read the /proc/locks file directly.
You should not try to drop a lock, instead (using iptables [-w|--wait] option) wait for the ongoing execution to end.


Android 5.1 update stuck on "Waiting to download..."

It does take a long time to download. Make sure you are connected to wifi if possible and have your phone plugged in to your charger. I was able to schedule mine to happen overnight.


what is latest android version for samsung s7562?

4.0.4 is currently the latest version, and updating your device does not make it any faster.
Try formatting your device as S Duos is prone to lag after some use.


How to enable linux ADB connection on marshmallow when USB debugging is enabled?

You just enable USB debugging and than connect devica via USB to PC, and on PC you'll have to get adb binary
click
Also maybe you'll need drivers for your device on PC.


problems with sync of contacts to google

By default the contacts you see on the web are your most used contacts.  You have to choose all contacts to see everyone.


Can I access my Android through ADB if the phone can only get to the fastboot menu?

No you can't access your phone via adb while you are in fastboot menu.

While in fastboot menu only the fastboot binary + driver can access your device.

ADB is only available when the device is booted (adb is usually already available from a certain boot stage on while the device is still booting).

Also certain recovery ROMs provide full ADB access. Simple recovery ROMS only provide limited ADB access, for adb sideload - it allows you to upload ROM images so that the recovery can install it.


DNS queries are cached permanently, how to reliably clear DNS cache on Android 7+?

HOW DNS QUERY AND CACHING WORKS?

  Mostly I find that subsequent DNS lookups are always just for mymovies and never again for mymovies.home

NOTE: Just to make sure, check that .home search domain is set:

~$ dumpsys netd | grep 'search domains:'
        search domains: home

This behavior is due to Negative DNS Caching. The question is not explicitly about Android but more about the understanding of how DNS works. In short:

When you type mymovies in a web browser (assuming that the browser doesn't cache DNS), Android's DNS resolver checks domain <--> IP mapping in local cache (netd) and /etc/hosts. Then it makes a query (for A record) to the IP address of DNS server it received from DHCP (or you set manually), which is dnsmasq in your case. As standard is to append suffix first, so mymovies.home is queried first. See details in How does Android OS do DNS name resolution?
dnsmasq checks static mapping in hosts and dnsmasq.conf file. If no result found, it forwards query to upstream DNS server, whatever configured in dnsmasq.conf or /etc/resolv.conf (or whatever mechanism the system uses) - say 1.1.1.1.
After receiving a successful or failed response, dnsmasq answers the client (Android phone) along with Time To Live (TTL) value.
Neither dnsmasq nor 1.1.1.1 is able to resolve mymovies.home because .home is not a known Top Level Domain Name (TLD) to any authoritative server. So a NXDOMAIN response ("which means that the queried domain name does not exist in the DNS") is returned by root server (or some intermediate recursive caching server). Response includes an SOA record with high TTL (and SOA.MINIMUM field) value - say 5 hours.
dnsmasq caches the NXDOMAIN response with 5 hours expiry and forwards the same to Android.
Android's resolver caches the same for 5 hours, but that time may get doubled in some situations; see some explanation here. Also How long does negative DNS caching typically last?.
Android's resolver makes another query for (A RR of) mymovies, which succeeds at dnsmasq and is returned with a smaller TTL which must be 0 in your case (see option --local-ttl in dnsmasq man).

So Android's resolver will make next query for mymovies.home after 5 hours, and for mymovies after 0 seconds. If you want that mymovies.home should be tried again sooner, define a static mapping, which can possibly be --address=/mymovies.home/ to get NXDOMAIN from dnsmasq with no TTL. Or to have some fun, setup NXDOMAIN Redirection locally.

DNS TROUBLESHOOTING:

I'll suggest you to simplify your setup. You don't necessarily need Wireshark, just use --log-queries option to see how dnsmasq responds to queries. Also once get rid of cache COMPLETELY on Android and DNS server. But note that you may still end up getting a cached response from some recursive non-iterative server, like if your ISP does DNS interception.

  I have tried lots of things like:

  chrome://net-internals/#dns to clear host cache and flushing the sockets too

Clearing browser's DNS cache doesn't clear OS's system-wide cache (maintained by netd), though both need to be cleared. Better try testing with some native tool (like dig or nslookup) which doesn't rely on system's resolver and doesn't do caching itself. On Termux, for instance:

~$ dig mymovies @<dnsmasq_IP>
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR
;; ANSWER SECTION:
mymovies.com.       0   IN  A   192.168.1.124

~$ dig mymovies.home @<dnsmasq_IP>
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NXDOMAIN
;; AUTHORITY SECTION:
.           10678   IN  SOA a.root-servers.net. nstld.verisign-grs.com. 2020010901 1800 900 604800 86400

Note NOERROR response and the TTL (0) of positive answer, while NXDOMAIN response, TTL (10678) and SOA.MINIMUM (86400) of negative answer.

  Even after restarting the phone the DNS lookups have now stopped caching completely and it firstly tries mymovies.home every time!

However on the very next query (dig mymovies.home @<dnsmasq_IP>), there would be no AUTHORITY SECTION. It's because SOA RR (the source of negative TTL) is not cached (as per RR format): "SOA records are always distributed with a zero TTL to prohibit caching". But dnsmasq is doing negative caching (see option --no-negcache), so this time it's responding with NXDOMAIN from its own cache, but with no TTL.

That's why if you clear cache on Android, it then keeps on querying mymovies as well as mymovies.home because both are not being cached on Android due to zero TTL, unless you restart dnsmasq or 10678 seconds pass. To verify, send SIGUSR1 to dnsmasq and see in log the expiry time against mymovies.home cache entry. However some other DNS servers may behave differently.

CLEARING DNS CACHE:

  ndc resolver clearnetdns wlan0

This command clears DNS server, not DNS cache. See How to configure DNS properly?.

  Is there a reliable, reproducible way to clear DNS cache on Android Nougat 7.0?

Yes, but not a straightforward command-line method. From the perspective of negative caching, we don't have anything like unbound-control flush_negative on Android. ndc resolver flushnet <network_ID> was removed in Android 7, though flushDnsCache still exists. Neither we can call _resolv_flush_cache_for_net from command-line. Services network_management and netd_listener also don't provide any such method.

However setResolverConfiguration (part of netd service) states: "Flushes the cache as needed (i.e. when the servers ... change)". This can also be called using ndc:

~$ ndc resolver clearnetdns <network_ID>
~$ ndc resolver setnetdns <network_ID> home <dmsmasq_IP>

* network_ID can be obtained using dumpsys netd | grep Default

So the cache should be cleared with DNS server reset. Additionally sending broadcast android.intent.action.CLEAR_DNS_CACHE (flushVmDnsCache) might also be required to clear DVM's cache (or kill the apps). A simple explanation can be found here.

But I'm not sure if this method works on all Android releases.
Turning Wi-Fi OFF and ON (or Airplane Mode) must work as network_ID is destroyed and a new one is created.
Or restart the networking / caching daemon (netd). This also restarts dependent services (including zygote), so causes a soft reboot and kills all running apps:

~# setprop ctl.restart netd

There's also a hack to bypass / disable DNS caching entirely using environment variable ANDROID_DNS_MODE=local. But it also disables search domains (.home suffix in your case).


Recover lost photo from Instagram stories

I have found the solution. The photos are saved in a folder of cache. If you are root user you can recovere them. There are in the next path: /data/data/com.instagram.android/cache/original_images


White notification LED not working in Nougat

Go to Settings-> Notifications-> Tap on settings symbol on top.

Under Lights check whether notification light pulse is enabled or not.
Also you can set custom notification colors,

Goto Notification light section(down), Inside that, under General section, check whether notification light enabled or not.

Under Advanced section, tap on use custom values, which enables a + on top-right, click on it, select WhatsApp and enable a custom value for notification light.
(These settings from Nougat 7.1.2 )


"Restrict Background data" with Jelly Bean on tf300t ASUS tablet

You can check the background process limit box. Its the best way to limit your background processes and in a way save your battery. You can also use power saving mode if you have one....


Transferring messages to android from a sqlite db on my laptop

Well I solved the problem. Documenting the solution here for future references.

Using any sqlite manager (I used firefox plugin- SQlite Manager), export the database to XML format (generally any db manager has options to export the database in csv, xls & xml formats).

If your sqlite was generated by nokia pc-suite sync, you would get an xml like:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

<sm_xml_export version="2.0">
  <database name="msg_db.sqlite">

      <column name="msg_txt" type="3">Your message body</column>
      <column name="msg_address" type="3">+919203487229</column>
      <column name="msg_folder" type="1">1</column>
      <column name="msg_time" type="1">1305483332</column>
      <column name="msg_imei" type="3">355940045825435</column>
      <column name="msg_status" type="1">36</column>
      <column name="msg_uid" type="3">{c33eb602-1456-4542-a755-268dc3728638}</column>
      <column name="msg_address_substr" type="3">4487229</column>
      <column name="msg_subject" type="3"/>
      <column name="msg_attachments" type="3"/>
      <column name="msg_type" type="1">0</column>
      <column name="msg_binary_path" type="3"/>
      <column name="msg_attachment_tns" type="3"/>
      <column name="msg_sent_frompc" type="1">0</column>

      <column name="msg_txt" type="3">Hi gopi, how are you? ;)</column>
      <column name="msg_address" type="3">+919582821300</column>
      <column name="msg_folder" type="1">1</column>
      <column name="msg_time" type="1">1305516490</column>
      <column name="msg_imei" type="3">355940045825435</column>
      <column name="msg_status" type="1">36</column>
      <column name="msg_uid" type="3">{15a0d257-2318-4baa-b764-dd14c1aa1fb5}</column>
      <column name="msg_address_substr" type="3">2821300</column>
      <column name="msg_subject" type="3"/>
      <column name="msg_attachments" type="3"/>
      <column name="msg_type" type="1">0</column>
      <column name="msg_binary_path" type="3"/>
      <column name="msg_attachment_tns" type="3"/>
      <column name="msg_sent_frompc" type="1">0</column>

  </database>
</smses>

Then you can use the following php script to do the conversion to the generate the xml format script required by the SMS Backup and Restore App.

<?php

$file=fopen("sms-20120708160401.xml", "w");
$xml=simplexml_load_file("messages.xml");
echo $xml->getName()."

";
$begin="<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8' standalone='yes' ?>\n";
$begin.='<?xml-stylesheet type="text/xsl" href="sms.xsl"?>'."\n";
$begin.='<smses count="">'."\n";
fwrite($file,$begin);
$start='  <sms protocol="0" ';
$finish='/>';
$i=1;
$j=0;

foreach($xml->children()->children() as $table) {
    echo $i++."  ";
    $read=1;
    $msg_status=$table->column[5];
    $msg_folder=$table->column[2];
    if($msg_status=="34") {
        $type=1;
        $read=0;
    }
    else if($msg_status=="36") {
        if($msg_folder=="4294967295") {
            $type=3;
        }
        else {
            $type=1;
        }
    }
    else if($msg_status=="1" || $msg_status=="5") {
        if($msg_folder=="4294967295") {
            $type=3;
        }
        else {
            $type=2;
        }
    }
    else {
        echo "
".$msg_status."; ".$msg_folder."

";
    }
    $body=htmlspecialchars($table->column[0]);
    $body=str_replace("\n", '&#10;', $body);
    $address=$table->column[1];
    if(strlen($address)==11) {
        $address="+91".substr($address,1);
    }
    else if(strlen($address)==10) {
        $address="+91".$address;
    }
    else if($address=="") {
        $i--;
        continue;
    }

    $sms=$start;
    $sms.='address="'.$address.'" ';
    $sms.='date="'.$table->column[3].'000" ';
    $sms.='type="'.$type.'" ';
    $sms.='subject="null" ';
    $sms.='body="'.$body.'" ';
    $sms.='toa="null" ';
    $sms.='sc_toa="null" ';
    $sms.='service_center="null" ';
    $sms.='read="'.$read.'" ';
    $sms.='status="-1" ';
    $sms.='locked="0" ';
    $sms.='date_sent="null" ';
    $sms.=$finish."\n";

    fwrite($file, $sms);
}

$end='</smses>';
fwrite($file, $end);
fclose($file);

?>

One point to be noted:

You have to manually write the count attribute in the smses tag. Just check the number of lines in your generated xml file & subtract 4 from it OR just write the last echoed integer by the script

Now just send this to your android & restore using the SMS Backup & Restore App. Bingo! you are done!


How to get the Pixel Android 7.1 Navigation bar back?

Seems like the problem was changing the language from English to a less common one. Once it was changed back to English the issue has been resolved.


How can I find out what app is using my GPS from the background?

First off, by "clear", what exactly do you mean? Many manufacturers' UI overlays provide ways to remove running apps from quick-access lists, like the one you get with a long press on the home key, but doing that usually doesn't actually close the app. Android, by default, keeps apps running in "background" mode after you back out of them, because they're faster to switch to if they're already in RAM than if you start them "cold".

So, unless you're "force-closing" apps using the Settings view or a "task killer" app, any app you had been running but "cleared out" is still running in "background mode". Most apps do very little in background mode, to economize on CPU and thus battery use, but some will maintain things like GPS access. Any social app that allows you to "check in" somewhere, like Facebook, Foursquare, "footprint" apps, etc is likely to do this, so that you can quickly mark your current location without waiting for the GPS to reacquire satellites and get your location.

If you are force-closing or task-killing apps you think are using GPS, and you're still seeing the GPS icon, it could be one of two things; first, the force-close action is not a "clean" way to shut down applications, and many will not expect to be force-closed, so if you force-close an app that was using GPS it may not clean up things like its connections to phone features such as GPS.

Second, there are some services built into Android, like the E911 service, that use GPS if it's available and that cannot be shut down. So, if you start up GPS for something else, one of those services may ask the OS to keep the acquired signals from the GPS satellites so they can maintain your location just in case you have to call 911, until you manually turn off GPS altogether (at which time the services fall back to less granular location methods, like triangulating from nearby cell towers or known Wi-Fi hotspots).

EDIT: To answer the actual question asked (novel concept, I know), I can't find any apps that will show GPS usage that are available on Google Play and do not require a rooted phone (and/or custom ROM i.e. CyanogenMod etc). The one I did find, Spare Parts Plus PRO, is purported to do so in a roundabout way, by showing battery usage of installed apps with permission to use GPS, but other than one user testimonial here (over a year old) I can't find any evidence it actually does this anymore (the free version does not and none of the documentation specifically says it will), and I'm not gonna spend money to find out just to give you an answer here. Sorry. If you want to try, it's only $1.75; do let the rest of us know.

The only thing I can suggest is to look for an app manager that will list running programs based on the permissions they require. There are several that list apps by permission; aSpotCat, PermissionDog, App Permission Watcher, etc. however I'm not sure which of them will also allow filtering by current running status (PermissionDog pops up a notice when an app starts, showing what it can do).

If you find one, the usage is simple; if it's running, and it needs the GPS, it's a suspect to be the app actually using GPS right now.

Lastly, from a technical standpoint, it's the Android OS actually "using" the phone's GPS. Most apps, especially ones that don't require rooting, cannot directly control any feature of your phone; they instead ask the Android OS to get or set information regarding those features, using the "service managers" that Android exposes in its API. An app that needs your location will simply ask the Android LocationManager service for your current location, optionally requesting "coarse" or "fine" granularity, and Android will then use whatever location services you have told it that it can use (GPS, cell towers, Wi-Fi hotspot location) to find out, returning the location and the method used (or telling the app that the requested level of granularity couldn't be used because you turned it off). Android does not, AFAIK, keep tabs on which apps have made recent requests through the API for its location services (much less which of those requests required the service to spend significant resources to find out); it only knows which apps have permission to do so, and as long as at least one of them is running and has made a request, Android keeps GPS active.

The upshot is that pretty much the best you can do is cross-check running apps with apps that can use GPS, to find out which apps may be using GPS right now. If there's only one running that has the required permission, it's pretty easy to narrow it down. If there are a dozen apps or services with that permission currently "running" (RAM-resident), it's a bit harder (especially because, as I said, some of these may be basic services of the phone that can cause it to crash if you try to force close them).


Difference between Android version in regions

Yes a few parts of the ROM are Region-specific like support for local fonts in that region, apps that come pre-installed based on region like flipkart app in India. And few more things. Even sometimes the ROM are in local languages instead of English.


Battery Life and First Time Charging on Li-ion Batteries. Myth?

That recommendation from the seller was true for old batteries, and it seems they still keep saying that to customers!

Nowadays, batteries are often Lithium-Ion or Lithium-Polymer and such batteries (as I have read many times and based on my own experience) would be stronger if you charge them often. The first time charging and "wait-until-full-discharge-before-recharge" and "don't-use-when-charging" are not applicable to these modern batteries.

Li-Ion and Li-Polymer batteries, if charged often, after about 1 month, would reach to their maximum performance, and you are recommended to charge them every time you find an outlet!

In stock Help application of my Sony Android device, In a section about Battery Life, it reads:

Charge your phone often, This will not affect the lifespan of the battery.


If you want to play selectef songs back to back it is recommended to create a playlist of the songs you tend to listen more often. It is quite easy way and reliable as well.

Add to queue is nothing but to add the songs it is showing right in the list.

If you want to play few songs at once back to back please choose 'play next' option, as your concern is by choosing 'play next' option let's say for 5 songs, your 5 songs will listed just below your currently played songs and after 5 songs you will see list of all the songs from library.


Your email address is stored as part of a "user account" on the device.

Settings => Accounts => Facebook : Menu => Remove Account

After clearing your cache and data for the app, and removing the account, your email should be removed. But, every time you log in it will add the account back into the settings.


zsh scp completion of remote files doesn't work when running SSHHelper

The culprit is android's crippled ls command. Zsh's completion run ls -d1FL which /system/bin/ls doesn't understand.

A way to fix this is to edit /data/data/com.arachnoid.sshelper/home/.ssh/environment such that /data/user/0/com.arachnoid.sshelper/bin is the first entry in PATH. (SSHelper ships with a more complete ls)

Note that SSHelper might rewrite this file on updates?


How to login with Fido U2F secured Gmail account in Android phone?

Answer from Oneplus support chat

  Unfortunately, there is no option for that right now. You will need to use another gmail account without YubiKey so you can install the applications that you want to yur OnePlus 3T.

Me requesting a plan when the feature will be implemented

  I will take note on that information and forward that to our ROM Team and hopefully, it will be available in the future.

I required them to inform me about the implementation but they could not offer a strict schedule.

Whatsapp's support answer

Confirmation that Oneplus Google Drive backup is not supported in Oneplus by WhatsApp

  Hi,

  Thanks for your message.

  The user cannot directly access data in the hidden app folders, only
  the app can access them. WhatsApp data is on a hidden folder in your
  Google Drive. To check whether or not your backup file is saved in
  Google Drive:

  Go to Google Drive (https://drive.google.com) and log in to your
  Google account. If you are accessing the link from your phone, you
  have to tap the [Menu Button] in the top left corner and then choose
  to use [Desktop Version]. Click on the [Gear] icon in the top right >
  [Settings] > [Manage Apps]. Scroll until you find WhatsApp in the
  list. Please note it may take several minutes for WhatsApp to appear
  in the list. Additionally, you can wait until “Hidden app data” size
  appears if you wish to see your WhatsApp backup size. Note: This may
  take several minutes. Learn more about Google Drive backup in this FAQ
  article.

  Note: If you wish to read your chat history on your computer, please
  use our Email chat feature instead.

  Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

  Regards
  ...
  WhatsApp Support Team

Output: you cannot access the data directly, only see the size of the backup file.


Why does Battery doctor interfere with the Google play store to update /download the Application

In the smart saving options I could de-select the auto kill apps on screen off option(i.e. When screen turns off the apps will be killed by default).  After de-selecting the option now the apps are being updated smoothly as usual


Transfer all data files from internal memory to external SD card

You can transfer files like audio,video and pictures and small portion of your downloaded app(as i can on my sony xperia e3). But you cannot move all of your app data to SD card. In order to do that you have to root your phone(it is quite risky if you haven't done that before).


How to fix a consistently freezing app download?

Ok this happens to me all the time I just go to app settings and then go to google play and them force stop and there it works


How can I use Termux with the JuiceSSH interface?

It's already supported.
I created a ~/.termux/termux.properties with the following contents:
extra-keys = [ \
 ['ESC','|','/','-','HOME','UP','END','PGUP'], \
 ['TAB','CTRL','ALT','DEL','LEFT','DOWN','RIGHT','PGDN'] \
]
extra-keys-style = arrows-only

It's enabled by opening the left sidebar (swipe from the left screen edge) and long-pressing on the "keyboard" button.
Documentation here: https://wiki.termux.com/wiki/Touch_Keyboard


How to fix phone always booting into recovery even when system exists

Mammuth's comment
points to a very simple solution that worked for me, once I adjusted it. Here's what I did:
Go to TWRP recovery terminal commands, and enter the following:
First navigate into /dev/block/platform/soc/:

cd /dev/block/platform/soc/

Now take a look at the contents of that folder by typing:

ls

If all is well, there will be a subfolder named xx.sdhci, where the xx is a string of numbers, e.g. 7464900.sdhci.
Now issue the following command, taking care to replace xx.sdhci with the folder name found in the previous step:

dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/block/platform/soc/xx.sdhci/by-name/misc

Finally reboot by typing:

reboot

This fixed it for me. I hope it works for you as well!


Orange San Diego browser opening "goolgle"

Thanks! I had the same problem, and was also using GO launcher. After uninstalling GO, this highly irritating feature disappeared.


How can I update my rooted Moto G to 4.4.2

You might have to (re-) flash the complete (stock) ROM. Rooting involves changing things on the /system partition, which changes its checksum. Some OTA updates use the checksum to see whether the update "fits", and thus will refuse to install if not. Looks like your Moto falls into this category.


How do I know which version of Google Play Services to update to?

You could use OpenGApps.  I believe it is sanctioned by Google and allows you to easily select the latest version for your device architecture and Android version, customizing the package by which apps/services you want.

The Doogee X5 has a MTK6735 chip, which is 64-bit ARM.  So you should select the ARM64 platform version and 5.1 Android version, and then decide which app package you want from there.  Once downloaded, you can flash it via Recovery (recommended).

It is also possible to extract the apps for a manual upgrade.  I just tried it this way on OSX (should also work on Linux):

Extract your downloaded zip file (to, for example, ~/gapps)
Run the following commands:

cd ~/gapps/Core
lzip -d *.lz
find . -name *.tar | while read line; do tar -xvf $line; done

You'll now have some folders with the APK files.  The ones of interest to you are probably:

gmscore-arm64/nodpi/priv-app/PrebuiltGmsCore/PrebuiltGmsCore.apk
gsfcore-all/nodpi/priv-app/GoogleServicesFramework/GoogleServicesFramework.apk


Is there a workaround to add recently *used* apps to my recently *launched* apps?

Alas, most probably the answer is: No.

Reason: Android's App model.

An app exists of rather loose coupled components (Activities here) that may be launched independently from each other. Only when the main activity is launched as a separate task an entry in the recently launched list is created.  Other apps can also launch an external activity (of another app) that does not count towards that list then.

This happens mostly when you dont launch an app from the launcher:

You click a notification (missed call, sms, calendar event, ...)
An app opens another app (twitter app -> browser)
follow a link in an sms -> browser
select an image in an app -> open in gallery
open youtube from a browser link
...

All those 'opened' apps count as part of the opening app and not as a separate instance (most likely)

I answered a similar question here: Function of back button after opening URL from (Twitter) application

Info about the underlying architecture: http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/fundamentals/tasks-and-back-stack.html


In Line Runner, what does "Restoring transactions" mean?

It means that the app is checking the Play Store to see if you have made any in-app purchases that have not yet been activated on that device. It is normal behaviour, you don't need to worry about it.


Using fsck to fix SD card returns invalid argument

The command, Like most Linux and Unix commands is umount. Heaven knows why they could not use unmount, but since the Android kernel is Linux based, and you should have busybox installed, it should just be umount.


how can I move my whatsapp account from an old phone to another without having the old phone to verify?

Delete your phone remotely with Google theft service.


Yes. If a folder contains another folder that is named .nomedia, the parent folder will be ignored.

The relevant code is here (note to the confused: File doesn't necessarily be a regular file - in Linux directories are just special files).

One of my favorite IME app also creates folders of this name (instead of files) in its asset folders - the assets are ignored by MediaScanner.

Trivia: If you managed to put other special files like symbolic links or named pipes (FIFOs) with the name .nomedia, it will also work. (Spoiler: indeed you can, but you need root).

An alternative way, as suggested by beeshyams, is to rename the parent folder and make it start with a dot. This has the same effect as having a .nomedia inside it, as both ways make the code return true (should be ignored).


How to use SD card's full storage capacity?

Your device is automatically using the SD Card as internal storage, this makes the mount directory change from storage/sdcard1 to storage/sdcard0, this is how Android utilises the SD Card as Adoptable Internal Storage...

You will still have the space you want,
If you would like to continue using internal storage as your primary storage location, you should select Phone Storage.. This will use a Fake SD Card emulated on User Data, Mounting the Fake SD Card  @ /storage/emulated/legacy and storage/sdcard0, however if you want to use the real SD Card as internal storage, it will mount the Fake SD Card @ storage/sdcard1 and the Real SD Card @ storage/sdcard0 ...

The main directory that changes is the sdcard directory, If you send a file to /sdcard/ it will write to the External Storage selection, either Real or Fake SD Card, depending on your selection.

I'm not sure how you are planning to use the card, but I imagine you may have thought the OS merged the available storage into a single larger storage device.. this isn't the case.


How to unlock my HTC desire 816 w after too many pattern attempts?

It depends on which OS you are using.  It is my understanding that phones with newer OS cannot be unlocked/reset if the device password is not known.

This is an attempt to make it more difficult for people to reset stolen phones.

Bottom line, depending on your specific device OS - you may need the password to unlock it.


Getting to the bottom of excessive logs?

The D/ entries show the log level is set to "DEBUG" – which of course generates quite a lot of logging, and shouldn't be necessary for "production use" (though it's quite helpful if you want to debug some misbehavior). For normal use, log level "INFO" should be sufficient.

As the default log level usually is defined in the init script, there's not much a "standard user" (without root-powers) can do about it, though. You can filter the output, though, as described on the logcat help page: so adb logcat *:I should only show messages using log level INFO or above. You could try run adb shell setprop log.tag.* INFO, but I'm not sure if that works; and even if it does, it would be reset at boot.

Apart from that, I can't say whether that would improve your battery life noticeably. For that purpose, you probably find better hints in our battery-life tag-wiki.


Stock e-mail client (Nexus 4) not synchronizing to IMAP SSL account since 4.2.2 update

My wife has a Nexus 4 too. I suggested to delete the account and recreate it. Then the sistems ask for authorizations of xxx stuff i cant remember and after agree it works again.


Why is charging from computer using USB slower than using an outlet?

A computer USB port is limited to 500 milliamperes (or 900 mA  for a USB 3.0 port). The dedicated wall charger, on the other hand, is usually able to provide 1000 mA or more.

Let's take the case where a connected phone uses 200 mA. Then, the USB port would have 300 mA left to charge the battery while the wall USB charger would have 800 mA left. A typical smart phone battery has a capacity of about 1500 mAh (milliamperes-hour) nowadays. This means that in a perfectly efficient world, a current of 1500 mA would charge the battery in 1 hour. So the same battery would then charge in 5 hours over the USB 2.0 port and in about 1h50 with the wall charger.

Of course in reality power losses would also affect charging times but these numbers are quite close to what I get with my actual phone.


Use "Battery Monitor Widget" app from Play Store. It can monitor the current flowing through the battery while charging.
I identified my Nexus 7s charger and an aftermarket charger's performance this way.


The Odin-able kernels for my Galaxy S are simply the zImage in a .tar file.  But the zImage has a peculiar format, and I believe it's specific to Samsung devices.

I would assume that either the kernel you've compiled is the wrong format, or simply doesn't work and the system is restoring the stock kernel from the recovery image.


Accidentally Deleted Voice-to-Text app for Samsung Galaxy SIII

Not to wake an old thread but I was looking for the solution to this same problem and wasn't finding a solution. I had disabled my Google  app , turning it back on fixed my issue. Settings,applications,all and find "google app"


As photosphere pictures are just "normal" jpg-files, you just have to download the photosphere image. If you use android you can view photosphere images with the google+ app. There is no real download-button, but you can use the share button and then send the picture to your email-adress for example. The standard android gallery viewer will open the picture like every photosphere picture you make with your mobile by yourself.


In my phone, I went settings->accounts, selected Google. There I have two e-mails  registered, I clicked on the first one, and a set of details opens.

On this screen you see on the top right corner a menu, that allows you to remove the desired account. It didn't wipe my Google's account - if you are afraid, you could just put it on flight mode before taking these actions...

In your case, however, instead of just deleting the account, I would do a factory reset before selling my phone (even if it is to a friend, due to personal stuff I have in it, like pictures and whatsapp messages)


Why does Samsung GS4 pattern lock sometimes change to side-by-side layout?

That seems like it is a bug in the custom ROM you are using. Many custom ROMs (or Xposed modules) that add a rotate lock screen function may have that bug. If it is disabled, and the bug occurs, there only ways to reverse it are to either restart com.android.systemui or to enable auto-rotation of the lock screen and then turn the phone into landscape mode, then back to portrait (it may take several attempts; it may not fix itself at all for both methods).

Alternatively, if you do not have that option, you can install Xposed Installer and either the module Wanam Xposed for TouchWiz or Gravitybox JB / KK for AOSP. To change lockscreen rotation settings.

Personally, I recommend adding a shortcut to your homescreen to kill systemui. You can do this by installing an app like ROM Toolbox Lite. Create a homescreen shortcut from ROM Toolbox (or whichever script app you installed) and make it a script. In the script, issue the command pkill com.android.systemui. Make sure that you have root privileges and to (if necessary) tell the app to run it with root.

BUG: There is an existing bug where, if YouTube is running in the background, may inadvertently cause lockscreen rotation. This can be solved by killing the background process YouTube.


One way to do this would be rooting the device, to obtain the "Mms.apk", and manually reverse-engineering it (using tools like apktool), and finding the overlay that's showing the text edit area's size (and the step that naturally follows, increasing it :) )


The following reply needs USB Debugging option to be activated on the target device.

You can easily operate your device with Vysor, it's an Extension for Goolge Chrome.

Refer to the link below for further details : How to fully control your android device from any computer


Can't get passed Setup Wizard after Factory Reset cause Google Play Services keeps stopping!

Well, this is probably a corrupted system files resulted from the reset. Flashing the firmware should solve  this.

Depending on the hardware platform, you'll need tools to flash the device. This phone comes with two variants: the one with Qualcomm chipset and the other with Mediatek chipset.

For your case the chip is a Mediatek MT6735 , you need SP Flash tool and ROM file for the phone exact model. Don't forget to install Mediatek USB and Preloader drivers otherwise the device won't be determined by the computer. Then follow the flashing process.


Go to Google Play --> Menu --> My Apps --> Update All

The "update all" should be near the top right corner. The default for most apps is "allow automatic updating". This can be changed for each app from this same screen by clicking on the app and checking the box "allow automatic updating".

BTW sometimes an app requires a manual update. The update all function will leave those out you have to click on each app and hit the UPDATE button.

I do know Google Play will not let you update an app if it thinks the update is not compatible with your version of software or hardware.


Does flashing Factory image on nexus 5 reinstall core apps

Go to settings>apps and scroll down to Google Play Services. You can uninstall updates from there. And yes, flashing the factory image would help, but is probably overkill for your problem.


Ok I contacted AVG's new troubleshooting team.   The Tech said he only knows one thing I can try.  He said to take battery out an hold down the power button for 15 to 20 seconds.  It worked....    Now it will work unless you turn on the speaker. If you turn on the hands free speaker you will lose voice again and have to do it over again.    Other than that he said to contact your carrier for problem solving it. It worked for me so I am all set sound to and from callers work on my Viper LS840 LG lte.


Recover Photos from user partition - unrooted HTC M8 MM 6

To answer your questions in order:

4) not currently.

5) no, TWRP itself does not lose your data. Flashing on locked bootloaders does.

6) not currently. Pt. 2) You do not have to unlock bootloader to install TWRP. You can also flash it via su dd after you root.

7) impossible, at least with SDK. If you know a JTAG specialist or an FBI tech person who owes you a favor, they might be able to recover your photos.

8) no, you are not screwed. There are a few recommendations below, and no, rooting won't "badly overwrite" your data.

Because I know how important photos are, I would suggest:

Option A: Since your photos are already deleted, you might as well unlock the bootloader and root. Unlocking and rooting shouldn't physically overwrite the sectors of the /data partition. (If they were important, life-changing photos I wouldn't have the balls to do this IMO.)

Option B: Buy your wife a new phone (same phone, different phone) and put the M8 in a drawer for about a year. By then, there should be one-click-root apk's for MM, or something better than that, where you won't need to wipe the device again.

Additional reading: Why unlocking bootloaders wipe the device - Android Enthusiasts


How scratch resistant is the screen of the Samsung Galaxy S 2?

The S2 has Samsung's toughened Gorilla Glass screen, see the videos in this answer to a previous question for attempts to scratch the Gorilla Glass on an original Galaxy S: https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/2756/looking-for-a-robust-android-smartphone/2777#2777

I can say that I've had an original Galaxy S for over a year now, and regularly keep it in a trouser pocket with my house keys, have dropped it a few times, and other slight accidents, and while the back and sides of the cover have scratches and chips on them the screen is still absolutely unmarked.

However what you might want to consider is the fact that the camera lens on the back apparently isn't gorilla glass, see this question Is Samsung Galaxy S II rear camera Gorilla Glass too?


How does OMS (Open Mobile System) relate to Android?

Apparently it's better known as OPhone and started as a fork from the original Android project, before Google bought it.  It looks to be mostly developed and supported by China Mobile, although there are rumors they might shut down the project.  OPhone 3.0 is expected in Q1 2012.


System Tuner looks like it could help you figure out what's going on. Excerpts from the app's description:

  Display log(cat) for all/one process (even on JellyBean Android 4.1)
  Record (optionally at boot) activities in the background
  Record all apps or all processes
  Allows analyzing past recordings without limits

I didn't try it for this special purpose, but the description suggests you can check what was going on when the device went down even afterwards: which processes were running, memory and CPU status, and more. As it is able to read system logs fine even on JellyBean, it should be able to give you the information needed to figure out what is going on.


Being online can't be hidden as long as the person is not blocked. But you can choose who can see your last seen at information at

Whatsapp -> Top right "three dot" menu -> Settings -> Account -> Privacy -> Last seen


Storage on SD-card and internal storage are quite different.

  You can save files directly on the device's internal storage. By
  default, files saved to the internal storage are private to your
  application and other applications cannot access them (nor can the
  user). When the user uninstalls your application, these files are
  removed.

  Every Android-compatible device supports a shared "external storage"
  that you can use to save files. This can be a removable storage media
  (such as an SD card) or an internal (non-removable) storage. Files
  saved to the external storage are world-readable and can be modified
  by the user when they enable USB mass storage to transfer files on a
  computer.

  Caution: External storage can become unavailable if the user mounts
  the external storage on a computer or removes the media, and there's
  no security enforced upon files you save to the external storage. All
  applications can read and write files placed on the external storage
  and the user can remove them.

This explanaton is given on the Android-Developer-Site


World Of Tanks Blitz is not on Google Play Store

According to the game's official website, it's available "exclusively on iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch". The developer has chosen not to release an Android version.

They may do so at a later date. Often with mobile games, the developer will release on one platform first (usually whichever they're most familiar with) to test how much of a market there is for the game, before porting it to the other platform.


How to find date a bluetooth connection was first paired

The database you're looking for is /data/data/com.android.bluetooth/databases/btopp.db

The full history should be there until you explicitly clear data in Application Manager.

I remember reading a full guide on a digital forensics site, can't find the link I had in mind, but this one tells us the log includes MAC addresses (good for legal evidence):

http://www.forensicfocus.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=11733/

Hope this steers you in the right direction.


Wiko UFeel phone won't restart after logo screen

As you formatted the card as internal storage, it will most likely be formatted at a factory reset (as it represents internal storage). Even if it wouldn't, you no longer were able to access it, as the encryption key will be lost after a factory reset.
definitely not, as your encryption key is lost after a factory reset (see previous point).
if you've got the encryption key extracted (which requires root-access), yes – see our adoptable-storage tag-wiki.
maybe, if you have a custom recovery installed or can boot into one (fastboot boot recovery.img). But that would require the device's bootloader to be unlocked. If you haven't done so already, the unlock process usually implicitly performs a factory reset / data-wipe itself; so this approach only works if the bootloader already had been unlocked before (see: bootloader-lock).


How to choose micro USB cable for my device?

Any Micro USB cable that has the capability of charging your phone does excactly that.

I found a link on USB powering. The source is from 2005 but the issue remains the same.

Some cables do charge your device due to a sufficient power flow through the cable while others don't.


i think u need to flash 2 more files , called "force dm verification" and "decrypt" not sure that's the exact name but these basically get the job done


Android N Beta update failed, how can I try again?

Turns out it just took time. By the next morning I had another alert asking me to download and install the beta. Despite having checked for updates and restarted the phone to see if I could trigger it.


You can lock a particular message in your conversation so you don't accidentally delete that. The check box is for those messages. See following screen-shots -

First Long tap on the message you want to lock, and select Lock.
The message should be now locked and a lock icon should appear at the bottom.
Now when you delete the conversation the message was in, the locked message would not get deleted if the check-box is not selected.


Pressing volume up and down at the same time on the Desire HD

Since the volume buttons are actually one button in a kind of rocker configuration, I don't think pressing both at once is supposed to do anything.  I.e. if the button was built properly you wouldn't be able to press both at once, but it's not built properly and you can indeed press both sides at once, at which point the phone seems to go "Eh?".

I get various results, including one of the buttons being ignored, both being ignored, and some weird vibration effects (one long vibration or a couple of pulses).

It doesn't feel right to me, so I try not to do it...


Unable to update Galaxy S3 Android after flashing CWM

This thread gives a nice step by step tutorial on how to re-flash to stock ICS, which will relash the stock recovery.

In a nutshell:

  How to restore Galaxy S3 to Android 4.0.4 ICS XXLAF2 stock firmware:

  Download the ICS stock firmware file from here
  or here.
  After the ROM file is downloaded successfully, you should extract its contents and you will get a single file with the ‘.tar.md5′
  extension. Save it on your computer’s desktop.
  Download Odin3 3.o4 for Galaxy S3 I9300 from here.
  Extract Odin.zip contents into a single folder and save it on your PC desktop.
  Now, power OFF your Galaxy S3 phone and after this you will need to boot into download mode.
  Boot into download mode by pressing ‘volume down’ + ‘home’ + ‘Power’ and release these buttons only after the display powers ON.
  Press Volume Up button to confirm that you want to load download mode.
  Now, go to your PC and launch the ‘Odin’ executable file. The one you’ve extracted at step 4.
  Next, connect your SGS3 I9300 to your computer and ODIN should display a message box saying ‘added!!’. If you don’t see this message
  then it means that the USB drivers aren’t installed on your PC and you
  should use the download links in the preparation guide, the ones
  listed above this tutorial guide. If Odin did find the Samsung USB
  Driver you’re free to move to the next step.
  In Odin click the button that is called ‘PDA’.
  Find the file you’ve extracted at step 2. It should have the ‘.tar.md5′ extension. Select it and it will be loaded into Odin. NOTE:
  Don’t change any of the Odin’s default settings and make sure that the
  ‘re-partition’ option isn’t selected.
  Press the START button in ODIN and the program will now begin to install the stock firmware files. When the installation is complete
  you will see a ‘PASS’ alert displayed by Odin and this means that
  everything went according to plan. Your phone will also restart and
  after the Samsung Logo appears you are free to unplug the device from
  your computer. NOTE: If Odin gets stuck you are required to disconnect
  the phone from your PC and remove its battery and then re-insert it
  and, now repeat all the entire tutorial once again as something went
  wrong and the firmware wasn’t flashed.
  That should do it, now your phone has been restored to factory stock firmware. Make sure to use the comments section in case you
  other questions.


Help need a way to know how to do bulk updates across multiple devices

No, there's not. You have to manually accept evey software update from every device. Imagine how big of a security problem it would be if you could do that remotely.

Of course you can ignore updates. They'll ask you for confirmation to install them, so you can just say no and be done with it (recent versions will allow you to block the notification if you don't want to see it).
Some ROMs even have the option to only check for updates manually, so you don't even need to know there's one available.


Disable Bluetooth auto connect for specific devices

In the Bluetooth settings for the headset, try selecting disconnect. This should disconnect it, until you connect again manually (I think). If that doesn't work, try switching off 'phone audio' in the Bluetooth settings for that device; but I'm not quite certain if you need to reenable that every time you want to use it.


HTC Sense keeps asking for Facebook permission

Go to settings>Accounts and add add your FB account to your HTC Sense app. After doing this the app shouldn't ask for the

But, as you use the native Facebook application why not entirely disable the Sense UI FB widget? The default app is more than sufficient for ones FB usage. Go to Settings>App>All and disable the default app.


Have you actually deleted it, or only disabled it?  Go into Settings > Apps, page over to 'All', and see whether Google Play Store (and Google Play services) aren't still there on the list; if they are, go in and re-enable them.


How to send sms to all contacts in Android 6?

Most stock messaging apps are not able to do this... if it does, create a new message and go to groups and select All Contacts.

If it does not have that capability, there are several alternative apps in the Play Store that do have that capability, such as Textra SMS, Chomp SMS, Handscent Next SMS, or most other 3rd party SMS/MMS apps are capable of this as well.

Note that in Android 6 there are some permissions involved and only one messaging app can be active at a time, so you would have to install the new one, give it permissions to be the default messaging app, send your group message, then change the default messaging app back to the native one that came with your device if you wish. Although, depending on your stock messaging app, you may find a 3rd party messaging app much more feature rich and you can safely leave it as the default.


my phone was stolen last day and its switched off now , is there any way to get my contacts back?

If you have your phone linked to your Google account, your contacts are, by default, saved to your Google account, and you can access them through gmail. Even better, if you get a new phone and link it to the same account, it'll have all your contacts again.
If it is linked and your phone is turned on you can find it's location through Google's Device Manager or remotely wipe your phone.

Keep in mind that if it's linked and they manage to get in somehow, they'll be able to access your Google account as well, so if you don't intend to locate the device you should unlink your device from your Google account, blocking their access to your account.

Unfortunately, if your device is not linked, or you chose to save contacts locally instead of the default location, there's no way of getting your contacts back, unless your manufacturer offers a way for it and you have enabled it. I believe HTC has something for it if you link your HTC account.


Why does Google Pay require location permission?

Apparently, Google Pay is more than just for payments. One of its features (or bloat) is that it can find jobs for you based on your profile and location, et al.
Per Google Pay Help:

How do I find specific types of jobs?
We recommend jobs for you based on your profile info, location, preferences and your activity in the app.
To find specific types of jobs, make sure that you update your profile info, location and preferences to reflect the sort of jobs that you’re interested in.


Mount inside subdir of /storage/emulated/0/

I was able to untangle the knot of directories by reading the Android init scripts. /data/media/0/ is the original. By mounting sshfs (remember to set allow_other) to subdirectories of /data/media/0/ I have access to it from Android applications.


Display two clocks in two different time zones in the notification bar

You can achieve this using tasker Play Store Link and a plugin called Text Inject Xposed Repo Link you will need to be rooted and have Xposed installed.
Instructions:

Setup a profile in Tasker that runs every 2 minutes. (Smallest interval)
Set the task to Parse Format Date/Time
Input should be Now.
Output should be h:mm a z
Formatted Variable Name set to whatever you want. Ex. %TimeOffset
Offset should be set to Hours and set the amount of hours needed.
Set a task to set TextInject Variable to the variable setup in previous task. Ex. TimeOffset = %TimeOffset
In TextInject set statusbar time to #TimeOffset and parse as time
Done


Why does my HP 10 Slate Tablet factory reset every time I turn it on?

I had this problem too on my old Chinese tablet. What I did was move the busybox file to /system/xbin using a root explorer and reboot. It worked fine after that.


There are several options out there, but nothing native.  Share to Clipboard by Alexey Lyubeznov is a much smaller app than Google Drive - only 11 kb - and doesn't require any special permissions. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sharetoclipboard


Capturing Screenshot

Install the required ADB drivers on your PC.
Connect your device with PC using wired or wireless ADB connection.
Open Terminal in Linux or Command Prompt and enter the following command.

adb shell screencap -p /sdcard/screencap.png

Now the captured screenshot will be placed on your internal sdcard. To copy the screenshot to your pc enter the command.

adb pull /sdcard/screencap.png

Now the captured screenshot will be placed on your PC


Is Mozilla Firefox for Android, Fennec, using same Desktop Firefox "Quantum Engine"?

Fennec (<=68) is being phased out in favour of Fenix (>=69).
From that standpoint, Fennec will be "frozen" at version 68 and will not be updated to the engine used by the desktop version of Firefox 69.
Fenix will, at some point in the future, replace the current version of Firefox Android and is slated to begin at version 69, with some overlap with version 68.
Fenix features a largely rewritten architecture and engine and brings a lot of potential benefits, but the existing Fennec is pulling too much developer time away from it and causing problems in both camps. As a result it seems they want to draw a line in the sand, call an effective halt to Fennec and move over the majority or developers time.
Android Police have some more information detailing the change.
One of the things not currently supported in Fenix is extension support, and it is for that reason that the article you list states that Fennec is "the last Android release with extensions/add-on support."
It is currently unclear, as far as I can see, as to what the intention actually is with regards to extension support in the future. It may well be that if we choose to upgrade in the meantime that extensions are lost temporarily but, short of Firefox following Googles lead with regard to crippling the extension system, I would expect them to return at some point.
It does appear that there is still some discussion going on and that feature parity with the current version (Fennec/68) is intended.
The mobilisation of developer time might actually turn this feature from "nice to have but low priority" to being actively worked on.


"Battery use" information screen not reporting apps

Though I do not have an answer to your question - I suggest you check PowerTutor (at powertutor.org) and see if it helps in the interim and/or long term


It sounds like you're trying to change the keyboard settings. Not all keyboard apps can handle multiple languages. On some, you have to install the language(s) you want from the keyboard's settings menu, and then switch the language through the menu (the one you already mentioned) or through a swipe gesture on the keyboard (such as swiping the space bar left or right).

Some keyboard apps can work out what language you're typing in on-the-fly, without you having to say explicitly. SwiftKey is an example of a keyboard that works this way: just enable all the languages you want through its settings, and it will detect what language you're typing as soon as you've written a couple of words.


How to specify the directory path on external memory card?

/storage/36E2-14BB/

this is what stands for the external microSD card,

/storage/36E2-14BB/mydir

...and this is for my own custom directory on the microSD.

(I got the /storage/36E2-14BB/ from an app where the available folder options were listed in a drop-down menu. Otherwise, no clue how to arrive to the 36E2-14BB and it is is unique or universal to each microSD cards.)


Does installing a terminal emulator from play store root my phone?

Not at all, a terminal is just a command-line utiity useful for executing shell commands, that might otherwise be difficult to input without such a utility, or alternatively can be achieved using adb via your PC.

On the other hand, rooting involves putting (and modifying) the su binary (that previously didn't exist in the device) giving appropriate permissions, in order to allow certain apps/proceses to execute with elevated privileges.

Furthermore a terminal app can even be used to carry out normal tasks that doesn't require root.


Vibration not working on my android device

if you are comfortable with the disassembly of the devices, you might want to give a look at your vibration module. It might be possible that it is stuck or
oxidized.


How to take a screenshot with an Android device?

If you have Android 4.0 or higher:
You can press the Power button + the Volume Down button at the same time to take a screenshot. It will be saved to your gallery.
Note: You need to keep the buttons pressed for around a second for this to work. This is to avoid the screenshot when this combination is accidentally pressed.
UPDATE 8.3.2021: If you have Android 10, you must press the Power button + Volume Down buttons ONLY BRIEFLY (< 0.5 seconds). If you press them longer, the Power menu will just open and the screenshot will not be captured.
If you have an Android lower than 4.0:
If you're rooted: you can install an app called drocap2. This will let you shake your phone, wait on a timer, or click on a notification in your notification bar to take a screenshot and it'll save it to your phone.
If you're not rooted: you can not run a screenshot app on your phone, period. You'll have to install the Android SDK on your computer, connect you phone via USB, and run a program called DDMS. This program is mainly used for developer debugging, but it has a screenshot utility under one of its menus.  For a tutorial, see this page.
Also, some constructor like Samsung have implemented this function on their phones (the buttons combination change from phone to phone, so search for yours).


How do I install a custom ROM on a Prestigio PMT3677

Custom roms must be ported separately for all device models. Installing a wrong ROM on a device even marginally different from the one it's intended for has the potential to brick the device permanently. If you cannot find a ROM made specifically for your device model, you are out of luck.


My Phone will not recognize USB connected

First of all, please make sure that you have latest Samsung USB driver installed on your computer, if not please update it or download latest version from this page.
Second, make sure that USB cable is working properly.
Third, if USB cable is ok, driver is up-to-date and you still won't able to connect, then type in your Phone app this string *#7284#and check the option MTP + ADB, press save and reset. This should solve connection issue.

P.S. If appeared *#7284#  "service screen" is different which means you can't see the MTP + ADB option please post the screenshot here.


Is there a way to get Google Calendar reminders to act like Alarms?

If you want to stick with your Google Calendar as backend and frontend, you might wish to check Calendar Event Reminder. You can tell that app which calendars to look at, and to annoy you until you're going crazy. I almost guarantee you cannot miss such a reminder! I've used the app for quite some time, before...

I switched to a different calendar frontend: Business Calendar. Very configurable again, also concerning reminders: vibrates and makes "subtle noises" (I've told him so) until I lose my nerves and switch it off :)

There are probably a lot of similar approaches. But I know of no way to even come near to one of them without any 3rd party tool being involved.


How to enable experimental reverse port forwarding in chrome?

Seems that what I was looking for was right in front of me. The option "Reverse port forwarding" from the article was renamed to "port forwarding" .


My phone's screen is broken; I'd like to transfer files to my PC, but can't, because Charging Mode is enabled by default

You might be able to access MTP mode via TWRP (Which i guess you have installed...) If you've installed TWRP, simply boot into recovery and connect your USB cable, you should be able to access your device via MTP then.

If you're not using TWRP, you can

download a TWRP image
boot your device into bootloader mode
use fastboot boot twrp.img to temporarily boot into TWRP

Another alternative, again from recovery-mode, would be using adb pull to retrieve the files. This is usually supported by all recoveries.


Nexus 5 gives Status 7 error when flashing 5.1 OTA

Your clue is in the output log:

  "System/bin/install-recovery.sh" has unexpected contents.

Since Android 5, OTA installs verify each partition as a whole so any changes will result in verification failing even if the file is not changed by the update. Something has changed the install-recovery.sh file, so you will need to revert the change or copy the original file back from a backup.


Powering off and back on restored the 3x3 picture size... makes no sense, but it worked.


Is there a way for a signature to be spoofed?

Yes, it's possible, but it's cryptographically hard. Signatures involve multiple steps:

Hash the application/message/whatever to produce a digest
Sign the digest with a key such that the signature can be verified using publicly available information.

Cryptographic hash functions are specifically designed to have collision resistance properties to prevent someone from finding multiple inputs that hash to the same output. By specifying that the original signature be maintained, you are asking about what is called the hash function's weak collision resistance, whether it is difficult to find a collision for a specific input. This is weak in the sense that it is easier to achieve than strong collision resistance, which is a measure of the difficulty of finding any collision between any inputs.

For a perfect cryptographic hash function, you can do no better than try random inputs (or malware + random element) in the hopes of generating a collision. The probability of doing this is 1/2^n for one attempt, where n is the number of bits in the hash output. For large n, the amount of time it would take to have a reasonable chance of finding a collision is astronomical even with nation-level computing resources available.

For any real cryptographic hash function, there is the chance that very smart people in the future will find a systematic way of finding collisions. This is when people stop using the hash function (for example, MD5) for secure applications and replace it with more secure alternatives.

In short, this is not something you should worry about, unless the signatures are found to be using broken hash functions.


How do I transfer contacts from a Nokia 3110 to an Android using a Mac?

You just need to create a .vcf file on your SD card and copy that to your Android phone

Or

Using your SIM card when you copy contacts select 'move original' to SIM from phone

Or

Connect your handset to your pc via pc suite and sync. Connect your Android phone to your pc and transfer them to it


No Google apps and no install zip option in recovery mode

Seems that your recovery got broken, Now you'll have to flash another one the same way you did the first one, via Odin, and i recommend you this version,

CWM_Touch_6.0.4.4_with_Odin

After you flash the recovery, Boot into it, Then select the "GAPPS" version that is compatible with the ROM version you've installed, If you don't have it, Just choose the compatible one from this thread

GAPPS_ALL_VER

Once you flash GAPPS, you're done.


How can I send all calls to voicemail during "busy" calendar events?

There are a few apps that can do this for you, or at least some of these things. One I saw on Lifehacker yesterday is Agent.

  Agent is a combination automation tool and personal assistant that will silence your phone during meetings, remember where you parked, auto-respond to texts and phone calls while you're driving, and more, all so you don't have to.


Voice commands, bluetooth, double press home

Although we may not be referring to the same program, I had issues with Android's built in Voice Dialer app. There are a few replacement voice dialer apps on Google Play, including Choice Dialer.  In many of these alternative voice dialers, there are options for controlling the confidence threshold before taking an action.  In the case of Choice Dialer, if a command cannot be understood with a configurable level of confidence, it asks you to confirm with a simple yes or no.  I found that this alone made it a lot better than the built-in voice dialer.

So, to answer your question, consider getting a replacement voice dialer.


Maybe you just unchecked some/all contact sources from showing up in the contact list?

Open the contact list -> open the context menu -> hit 'more' -> choose view settings


Why does it take very long to start downloading from the playstore?

You have not mentioned how you are connected to Playstore. Example Wifi, Broadband or Wifi through a Tether. Its too general a question.

The most common reason in this case is due to the network condition. Try to install at different time of the day. Switch to different networking environment and see the difference.


Where exactly does Android get its contact suggestions from?

As long as your WIFI has internet connectivity, Android will be able to communicate with Google's servers.

There is one thing that people get wrong when it comes down to contact suggestions, be it Facebook or Google: They imply that they are the only ones that have saved the contact somewhere. But it's also the other way round. Which means that, the contact that was suggested to you has most likely your gmail e-mail address saved in his address book.


Is it possible to enable the Android default keyboard on an HTC EVO 4G?

Yes you can - from this thread on XDA-Developers, you can use the APK on unrooted phones, depending on your Android version. Remember to pick the correct version for your phone.


Why doesn't uninstalling an app free all the space it had used?

It could be a cache issue. You could try downloading  Astro File Manager and open it. Then go to File Manager > Pref > Cache from there click on Other Internal Caches. beyond that you will probably need to do a factory restore to retrieve all your memory.

Resources:

Uninstall app doesn't change space used

Support Samsung Galaxy S2 Internal Memory
Problems


How to Disable FLAG_SECURE without root?

You might want to give Virtual Xposed a spin.

It is an application that acts as a sort of "host" for other user apps you can install inside it. It then has full control over the process of the inner app, and can apply the functionality of some Xposed apps without requiring an unlocked bootloader or Root.

However, it can only work for Xposed modules that don't modify the system. If your mentioned module tries to do that, VX won't be any good.


Prevent one particular autocorrect in Google Keyboard

To my knowledge, adding the word to your dictionary is the solution for this problem.


My phone is downloading "Google Play", over mobile data

Update: I have seen this happen many times by now, and typically right before other apps are updated. I have concluded that this is normal behaviour, just like microsoft office auto-updater updates itself first before updating office itself. If anyone knows otherwise, please respond!

(Posting as an answer, because it seems a lot of people have this issue based on how many views this question is getting!)


I placed mine in /sdcard/media/audio/ringtones. After that the sound appears in the settings menu.

See also: How do I set a custom MP3 as a ringtone for other notifications?


You could try a modded version of WhatsApp, there are many of them nowadays and are constantly being updated too.
I have tried a few for research purposes only and Gb WhatsApp seems to have a bunch of extra options with the ability to block features like:

typing status,

online status,

and blue ticks to mention a few...
Take a look here: WhatsApp modded versions for more information.


Cerberus will survive a Factory Reset if it was installed as a system app via root.

But nothing will survive flashing unless it infected the bootloader, which is hard enough that you can treat it as entirely improbable.


Is there a hidden trash can I can empty?

To answer this question I'll need to get you to understand what deleting means.

  Deleting is basically telling the operating system, I'm done with this
  storage space, give it to someone else.

Think of it like a room where an app comes with his stuff then if it so happens that the app gets uninstalled, they leave the room there. So when android is installing the next app, it comes takes up the room. Just because the app was uninstalled doesn't mean the room was also demolished.

This would also explain why it's possible to recover data(through third party apps) even after having 'deleted' it. Now Android and I should believe all mobile phone operating systems don't have a native way of getting this data back. By native I mean you can't recover data by using the OS like the way you can use recycler bin in windows. This is due to the fact that memory is a very very precious asset on phones (it's very limited and the OS would rather have it stored for some other reason) and having a recycler bin would simply end up taking  crucial memory making it more expensive to manage the phone.

So no, android doesn't have a recycler bin; but that doesn't mean you can't recover data. As to what might be taking up your memory consider wiping caches of your apps.

  Cache is app data used on the go that is stored temporarily

.  Also some apps have a nasty habit of leaving behind files after being deleted. They do this in anticipation that you might install the app again and if so you can just come back from where you picked off. I would recommend clean master app from the google playstore as I've I'm used it before and it works superbly fine in determining which apps you don't need and finding out whether your storage is being misappropriated and by who. They also fully uninstall apps and bloatware not leaving any files behind.


This looks like it could be an issue with certain background services malfunctioning. Try observing the background services and disable some of them to see if you might hit the culprit. To do it in a way that is less hit and miss, there are several battery app in the market or you can use ICS native battery monitor to see if there are anything that are consuming more battery than it really should.


Will encryption encrypt my "internal sdcard" (personal data)?

Short answer: no, the emulated SDcard storage is not encrypted.

I believe I am in a similar situation as you. I have a HTC One S4 ("Ville") here which also lacks an SD card socket extension, so the phone is partitionned in a way to make it look to Android that there is an actual sdcard in there. It is mounted in /sdcard and there's a separate /data partition that holds the usual private data (contacts, sms, etc).

Following the Encrypt phone procedure from Cyanogenmod 12.1, only /data is encrypted but /sdcard is accessible without a password! That is, to say the least, a little disappointing. I am not sure it is absolutely inevitable: I suspect that the internal sdcard wasn't encrypted because it was formatted as FAT.

I was able to reformat the filesystem as EXT4 by mounting it on my laptop and re-formatting, at least. Unfortunately, vdc cryptfs enablecrypto inplace found that the phone was already encrypted and didn't attempt to encrypt the SD card. I am still at a loss as to how to encrypt that part of the phone and so have resolved to avoid storing too sensitive data on that partition.