Is there way to track the location only during a small predefined time window?

You can use a combination of Macrodroid and GPS logger for Android to automate the logging process.

Step 1: install apps and configure GPS logger

Install GPS logger for Android and Macrodroid.
Open GPS logger. Give the necessary permissions. Tap the menu, then General options. Select Start app on launch.

Step 2: macro to launch the app

Start Macrodroid, click on Add macro.
In the Triggers tab, select Date/time trigger. Set the day(s) and time when it should run. Click ok.
In the Actions tab, in the Applications section, select Launch application, select GPS logger. Select Exclude from recent apps.
In the Actions tab, in the Device actions section, select Press back, give the appropriate permission, go back select Press back.
Save the macro and give it a name. It will look like the image below.

Step 3: macro to stop the app

Still using Macrodroid, click on Add macro.
In the Triggers tab, select Date/time trigger. Set the day(s) and time when the macro should run and stop the app. Click ok.
In the Actions tab, in the Applications section, select Launch application, select GPS logger. Select Exclude from recent apps.
In the Actions tab, in the Macrodroid specific section, select Wait before next action, set it to 2-3 seconds.
In the Actions tab, in the Applications section, select UI interaction. Give the appropriate permission Go back select UI interaction, select Identify in app. Open GPS logger, click the Macrodroid UI notifications on the status bar, then click the Stop logging button of GPS logger.
In the Actions tab, in the Device actions section, select Press back.
In the Actions tab, Applications section, select Kill background process, select GPS logger.
In the Constraints tab, in Device state section, select Application running, give the appropriate permission. Go back to the macro, select Application running, select Alive in background
Save the macro and give it a name. It will look like the image below.

The first macro starts the app  at the selected days and time while the second stops it by pressing the Stop logging button, then kill it from running in the background at the selected days and time. Make sure that in step 5 of the second macro, Stop logging is selected and not Start logging. If when selecting Stop logging, Start logging is instead selected, then select Start logging instead of Start logging.


moving a contact to the bottom of the list

I think special characters and numbers are grouped together, and would appear at the top when sorted alphabetically.

The way I'd order special contacts is just like what you suggested, prefixing them with z so they'd move to the bottom.


Previously it was removing access of the google account from the device and now also its doing the same. To remove account access in a specific device, just click on the 3 dots as mentioned above and click sign out.

You can also view your devices from this link https://mydevices.google.com


Tasker/Security Settings 2G switch not working on OnePlus X CM13

So here is the way I solved it: After discovering the right place to edit the preferred network mode I tested to change it:

adb shell settings put global preferred_network_mode 1
adb shell settings put global preferred_network_mode1 1
adb shell settings put global preferred_network_mode2456921 1
adb shell stop ril-daemon
adb shell start ril-daemon

The problem was that the changes were not reflected and with the restart of the ril-daemon they were reset (preferred_network_mode 9).

So I used Gravity Box (Xposed module) to change it and with this it's working fine:

Send Intent [
Action: gravitybox.intent.action.CHANGE_NETWORK_TYPE
Extra: networkType:1
]

Sadly it was not working without it (so I could have saved the money for Security Settings but however.

So if you want to try it with tasker I would recommend to use it with Xposed and Gravity - that's probably the easiest way actually.


How can I view the timestamp for History items in Firefox Android?

Here's an idea:

First, you need to setup Firefox Sync. It's simple, here's one of the many tutorials (got this from first Google result, no affiliation to the site/article).

Once you set that up you will have your history (and bookmarks, tabs, etc.) synced between your android device's Firefox and Firefox on your PC.

On your PC in Firefox open the history (Menu -> History -> Show all history).
In that window's menu bar go to Views -> Show Columns -> Most Recent Visit.

Now you can see the page there in the history with the exact time of the last visit next to it.


Where is the battery animation called when charger connected to phone (OFF)?

At last I got the solution, you can achieve this by deleting system/bin/charge_only_mode file. Please do that at your own risk and before deleting have backup of that file. I got the desired result that was boot when its connected to wall charger and now its working fine. All the best!


Should Dalvik Cache be wiped in Android OS that supports ART?

No, you don't need to wipe it. It is probably still in recoveries because you could need it at some point, or developers just didn't remove it yet.

For me, dalvik cache folder is empty.


Create pdf document shortcuts on home screen

Astro File Manager (free, ad supported) will do what you want.

Once installed, add a shortcut to Astro to your homescreen and it should let you browse to your PDF (or any other file, for that matter).  The shortcut on the homescreen will then take you directly to the file you chose in the file browser.


adb sync shows Product directory not specified

The adb sync command is for people to use while developing Android ROMs. The "product directory" mentioned is part of the Android source tree, and adb sync can only be used with a ROM you've compiled yourself.

It has nothing to do with syncing contacts or any other app data.


how to force the phone not to use wi-fi to upload video to youtube?

Use the mobile YouTube interface instead of the YouTube app?


How to prevent Wifi auto-connect without forgetting that connection

Looks like (if its still relevant) this may be a thing of the past, as manufacturers are implementing this feature in newer android versions a well as builds i.e there is an option to disable wi-fi auto-connect.

AFAIK, this feature comes 'out of box' for Xiaomi (MIUI based) and Samsung Galaxy phones, you can disable wi-fi auto-connection with just a few taps:

If have a MIUI based device, navigate to WLAN settings → Tap the right arrow besides the wi-fi SSID name then toggle to disable the 'Auto connect' feature:

  If you are on Samsung device  you can control the “Auto reconnect” feature from

  wi-fi ssid name (long tap) → Manager Network Settings → Uncheck “Auto
  reconnect”.

(Image credits)

Nevertheless if you can't find this feature on your device, there is another workaround:

You have to install, an additional third-party application called WiFi Prioritizer (which seems to be working after trying dozens of related ones. Note I am not affiliated with this app or developer)

  WiFi Prioritizer aims to solve a simple problem by attempting to
  automatically reconnect to a higher priority wireless network when it
  comes in range while still being connected to a lower priority
  wireless network.

Workthrough

After installation open the WiFi Prioritizer app, toggle the Enable Scheduled Job switch to On.
The Access Point list contains all your saved Wi-Fi networks. Here, you'd have to set the priority of the networks. Start off by dragging your preferred connections to the top. From the problem onset you may want to leave out "test" connection.
You may optionally set signal threshold (in case you have multiple defined APs apart from the test. As long as the job is running you are assured the device wont connect to test AP as its not included in AP priorities.

You may also want to take a look at WiFi Manager (again I am not affiliated with it).

Hope this helps

Credits

How to Prioritize Wi-Fi Networks on Your Android Phone


How to create a Local Area Network with Android device?

Connect it to WiFi or ethernet via cable.
At router or DHCP server settings reserve IP address for Android.

Now you has network and known IP address for your Android device.

P.S. if you don't have router and directly connected to internet via cable - you can emulate WiFi router on your PC (not all adapters supported).


Is there a way to bookmark all tabs in Chrome for Android?

Follow these steps:

Sync the opened tabs in Chrome for Android with Chrome for PC.
Once the sync is completed you would see the opened tabs of your Android under History section (click Tabs from Other Devices in left panel) in your Chrome for PC.
Thereafter, click the three dots line in the upper right panel, choose Open all. Make sure to close other tabs in your Chrome for PC.
Once all of them have loaded, right click on any tab and choose Bookmark all tabs (as reported by Ed Rhee on CNET).

That's it. Since the two devices are now synced you can access those bookmarks on any device.


Configuring wired network connection with WiFi still enabled

In systems with two interfaces (such as this Android device with wlan0 and eth0), routing is not automatically setup to use two gateways. This is why 'traceroute' shows that the traffic that you'd like to go out on `eth0' is actually going out on 'wlan0'.

Another way to confirm this is:

# ip route get 172.16.100.2
172.16.100.2 via 10.1.0.1 dev wlan0 <snip>

The solution is to configure multiple default routes by adding a new routing table for traffic on 'eth0' and then adding appropriate rules to the routing rule set. See this article for an example. (Even though the article describes a Linux system, the two commands you need to use, namely 'ip route' and 'ip rule', are available in Android.)


What does "CUSTOM BINARY DOWNLOAD" mean exactly?

Yes, you guessed it right. It increases everytime you flash a ROM / kernel. It's also called binary counter. It's one way of checking if your device has stock ROM or not

  The binary counter in a Samsung built device is a flip counter which turns up or increments a number after a non-official ROM is Installed.


Note: I wanted to post this as a comment, but have yet to reach the requisite reputation requirement; I'd appreciate if someone can move this for me, or if not just ignore me, thank you!

I double checked and MessagEase does indeed have the backup flag enabled in its manifest, so as @Izzy pointed out ADB backup should be a viable method to export them all (personally, I am still having issues with the ADB restore function, just be aware it may not throw any error messages from syntaxical issues by default, and do some further reading on how to troubleshoot).  If you do wind up having to do it manually, note that holding down the hand icon key with a keyboard's hex data on-screen supposedly brings you to the keyboard exchange step and imports it (according to the app's FAQ, I have not tried the feature myself); that might help cut down the labor/time a bit.

Additional Thoughts
I initially thought maybe one might be able to find where all the hex values for keyboards are being stored in some directory in root, but apparently it's a bit more complicated for IME/input devices than I'd assumed.  Someone else more knowledgeable might be able to advise on locating such a directory (or potentially in a .db?).


From what I understand, you have three storage devices. You don't want to change your default storage disk, but you want to take the applications off of your SD Card and onto your phone to conserve SD Card storage -- is this right? If so, you can use something like All-In-One Toolbox which will allow you to move apps to different storage devices. I use this on my Android device as well.


How to grant certain apps root permission through ADB?

You don't give certain apps root permission, but certain apps ask for root permission by executing su binary. It's the developer of the app who decides if the app would perform some tasks with root privileges or not. In order to let apps request root privileges, you need to root your device using e.g. Magisk, SuperSU etc. (whatever works on your device).

When you get root privileges on adb (e.g. by executing adb root or adb shell su) it runs adbd process on device as root (UID 0) user. So all commands which you run through adb have root privileges. To grant root access to apps you need a special su binary which is not shipped with Android.

The usual su binary (like on any UNIX-like OS) makes a transition to UID 0 by making setuid syscall to kernel. This is not possible on Android due to certain restrictions. The special su binary (the one provided by rooting solutions like Magisk) connects to a background daemon to get a root shell for the requesting app, where the app can execute commands with root privileges. However the app itself is still running with its own UID (assigned at the time of installation).

For more details see:

What special privileges “/system/xbin/su” does have w.r.t. root access?
How Magisk works?
How to manually root a phone?


Can I automatically check in to Foursquare?

Tasker can do it, using the foursquare API and the HTTP POST task
In the http post task, fill out the form as follows:

Server:port -> user:pass@api.foursquare.com
Path -> /v1/checkin
data ->
vid=362349
private=1
facebook=0
twitter=0

vid is the numeric id you can get from foursquare.com by looking up the venue. I have it set to not share auto checkins with others. You can also use a tasker variable for VID and define the VID from other events.. IE, I have my office assigned by 'cell near', same with the park where I walk my dogs.. I just call the named tasker task and it checks me in when I get to that location. I follow it up with a 'Notify' action to let me know it checked it, and what venueid (this was mainly for testing..) You will want to use a phone number login for foursquare, not a emailaddress.. the @ sign in the email will confuse the http post function.


How can I decrypt an encrypted SD card (HTC Evo 4G) on a different device?

The simple answer is: You Can't

The volume is already encrypted and can only be read as random hex because the required key is stored in your phone in order to decipher it. Unfortunately there is no way for you to recover your sdcard contents because the key on your phone is also lost when you factory reset.

Just reformat it if you still want to use your sdcard.


This does not really remove the app from your device, but "freezes" it (i.e. makes it "hidden", so it no longer shows up in your App Drawer etc.):

From your Homescreen, open the menu and go to Settings → Apps → Browser, and there hit Disable.

If you later decide you want it back: Same path, and Enable it again.


Can't add google account after phone reset

According to this post on Google Forums:

Check if two-step  verification been enabled on the account (https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/185833?hl=en&ref_topic=2784804)?
Try to open a browser on the device, go to https://mail.google.com/ and sign into your account.
Also try the Unlock Captcha function (http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=78754):  https://www.google.com/accounts/DisplayUnlockCaptcha
You can try disabling IMAP (from the web-interface) and re-enabled it.  Or deleting the account from the device and setting it up again.

  NOTE:  When two-step verification is enabled for an account, you need
  to create an application specific password (to be used in place of
  your regular password) for any client/application/device that doesn't
  know how to ask for the 2-step code (like your phone).

  Check
  https://support.google.com/mail/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=1173270

  From: https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/gmail/zGCCBpsvusw

Other possible solutions:

[XDA Developers][Solved] can't acces/sign in google account after factory reset
[AndroidForums][SOLUTION]Cannot add Google account after factory reset

The first one works if you can't estabilish connection to Google servers, the second one needs rooting the phone (Remember: you do it only on your own risk)

Hope it help


Is it normal to have two (or more) apps with the same codebase and database in Google Play?

It's not normal but there's nothing to forbid a developer releasing multiple variants of the same product with different branding. Some companies even develop white box apps, which their customers add their branding to and publish, the same way that one off-brand gadget or home appliance is sold by different companies under different names.

It's only forbidden if one developer violates copyright by publishing another developer's app without their consent; for example, if I decompile the APK of Angry Birds, replace the name and splash screens with "Bangin' Avians", and publish it on Google Play, then I'm violating Rovio's copyright on their product.


Is it possible to only silence certain notifications?

I asked this question to a friend and he suggested the AudioManager Widget. It allows you to control volumes for Alarm, Media, Alerts, Ringer, System, and Voice Calls independently. It also allows you to toggle vibrate for alerts and ringer independently. So far, it seems to be a solid app.


If they don't have anything in them, then it should be fine to delete because they'll just be auto generated again when the app needs it.


Creating and enabling an internal storage swap partition on rooted Android Kitkat

Just a raw idea, not tested/verified by myself:

Swap can also be established using a swap file, so you could easily test whether it works at all. Try via adb shell or a terminal app, after becoming root, whether the dd, mkswap, and swapon commands are available. If so, you can try:

# create a file to be used for swapping
# (adjust the filename to where the file should reside, and the count
# to the size in kb it should occupy)
dd if=/dev/zero of=</path/to/swapfile> bs=1024 count=65536

# initialize the file for swap use
# (use the file created in the previous step)
mkswap </path/to/swapfile>

# enable swapping
swapon </path/to/swapfile>

# to disable swapping to that file:
# swapoff </path/to/swapfile>

There are ways to fine-tune this (e.g. setting specific values for swappiness) – but with the steps described you can easily test whether it works at all, without big danger of breaking things. Not even a reboot is required. In the best case, it simply works – in the worst case it does not, and you might have to manually delete the </path/to/swapfile> ;)


Can't install a new p12 user certificate

Android Nougat doesn't allow to install user specific CA certificates. From Google blog:

  By default, apps that target API level 24 will—by design—not honor
  such CAs unless the app explicitly opts in. This safe-by-default
  setting reduces application attack surface and encourages consistent
  handling of network and file-based application data.


Where do i found file manager in SONY Xperia?

From the Sony Mobile site there doesn't seem to be a file manager included in Sony's ROM.

However, many excellent file managers are available on the Play Store.

I personally use ES File Exploerer for many years now and it is excellent.

Astro file manager is also very popular.

Here's a search for many, many more posibilities


While I agree with Uwe on #1, it does not correctly relate to your question. What you want is only one visible app, so the users cannot switch to any other. That's what Kiosk Mode is about: Creating a "jail" to keep the user in -- while the "admin" can "break it" for configuration etc. (which would e.g. require a password then). For alternative solutions on "Kiosk Mode", just search our site for "kiosk".

Second, there are a lot of "App Lockers" and "Child Mode" apps available, which are also a variant of Kiosk Mode. Simply search the Playstore for "app-lock" to find a good selection.

For #2 I must disagree with Uwe: Unless you're a developer, you cannot make "every app" a home screen (the app must register as such). But this should be handled by the app providing the Kiosk-Mode -- so watch out that this feature is available with that (keywords would include "autostart", "launcher" or "homescreen").

Not sure about #3. I know there are big touchscreens around, but I have no idea how they can be operated by an Android device. Taking a good guess, "Google TV" could be involved with that ;)


Can I reverse tether my Android device to my phone using Bluetooth PAN or DUN?

On my rooted device I was able to start connection once and it never worked again. Command is:

android# pand --connect XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX
android# netcfg bnep0 dhcp

alternatively if you know the address of remote device  - let's say 192.168.101.1

android# ifconfig bnep0 192.168.101.1
android# route add default gw 192.168.101.1 dev bnep0
android# setprop net.dns1 192.168.101.1

I'm not sure why it stopped working for me. Maybe I'll restore factory image, root it and try again.


Galaxy S3 Mini - my provider only offers micro and nano SIM cards

A Mini-SIM is the same thing as a standard SIM nowadays. The term was coined back in the day when SIM cards were the size of a credit card. Thus, the current-day regular SIM was known as Mini-SIM. Micro-SIM is the next step (used in newer smartphones, examples from GSMArena) and then there is the Nano-SIM (used only in iPhone 5, iPad mini and Asus PadFone Infinity, as far as I know).

See GSM SIM card evolution for graphical representation.


Is permission elevation still a security issue for end users when updating Android?

From my understanding this vulnerability only works for updates that introduce new permissions.

Therefore the update from 2.3.6 to 4.0.x which contained a lot of changes had the highest impact regarding this vulnerability.

I have not checked it but my impression of the latest major Android updates is that the major privacy related permissions don't change very often. Therefore even if this had not been fixed by Google the attack surface is relative small.

Additionally at that time only the static APK manifest defined permissions existed. Nowadays Android has the additionaly run-time permission system where the user is been asked to explicitly grant a specific permission to the app at run-time (e.g. sd-card access). This also reduces the impact of such an attack if it would still be possible.


By default that is not possible on stock Android phones.

It works for Samsung, because they have basically taken the Android source code and made their own fork of the repo. Having access to the source code allows them to turn on/off or even edit features.


SHOULD I remove stock internet app on galaxy J5 2015?

you can remove it without any problems but i would recommend to flash a custom "lite" rom the is debloated even more depending on you model number of the J500


To hear voice calls from Bluetooth Speaker

Yes, you need a Bluetooth router. There are example apps in the play store.
BTMono, or BAR are example options.


Low Signal Strength after Firmware Upgrade

Flashing your Phone probably also changed your Modem/Baseband. Flashing another might give you better Signal.

Here you can download Modems for your phone:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1158783


Lg Optimums L3 (e400f) Continuously Syncing Problem

After a factory reset, I had found out that Google play services was the culprit, the reason that the icon stayed up there was because I had stopped the application once while it was syncing, and since then the icon stayed up.

I still don't know the reason why it did that.


How can I calibrate the compass on my phone?

It depends on your model of phone.
If there is no built-in compass calibration application from the manufacturer, then likely you can calibrate your compass by opening up any application that uses the compass, and moving the device in a certain manner. Here are two types of movements to try:

The "figure 8 pattern" easier said than understood. Here's what it looks like YouTube Video of Figure 8 compass calibration.
Three axis rotations: Rotate 360° around each of the three axes, so one full rotation with screen facing up, one full rotation "rolling" sideways, one full rotation "pitching" forward.


Unable to access Google Play because of account verification problem

Because this account is the primary account on the device, Google Play tends to use it as the default. You can switch which account to use by opening the side drawer:

You can see the other account icons that are there, and I have a dropdown next to my primary account. Clicking on that allows me to choose a different account.

But since you don't know the password for the primary account, I would suggest the following options:

Log in to the Google account on the computer and reset the password. There you can click on helpful links like "forgot password". Once you reset the password you can change the password on the device and then the account will be verified.
Remove the account completely from the device. If the account isn't used for email and such, which since the phone is not logged in to the account, I would guess this is the case. Go into Settings => Accounts and remove the account that you do not know the password for.


How to connect an Android device to an FTP server?

As Izzy suggested; did you try an FTP client?

AndFTP
Turbo FTP client & SFTP client
FTP Client
WM FTP Client
Greyhound FTP Client

I've only used AndFTP before and it worked fine so I can recommend that one.


Re-route all audio from tablet to PC-Speakers

According to Lifehacker, you can use a headphone splitter in reverse to achieve your goal.


How do I connect to an IRC server behind NAT using Android phone?

One way to do this:

Run an SSH client on your phone, such as ConnectBot
Forward a local port to the remote IRC server, say localhost port 1234 to irc.server.ip:6666. (Directions for ConnectBot, with screenshots)
Connect your IRC client to localhost:1234, instead of irc.server.ip:6666. If this doesn't work, check that you have permissions.

When your connection's not working, you will have to do some extra debugging to check that the SSH tunnel is still up. But otherwise, you should be able to use any IRC client.


Why does the email app on my Samsung Galaxy S4 keep loading old messages and telling me they're new?

This sounds like you're using POP3 to access your email. This doesn't sync read status back to the server. Can you configure your email using IMAP?
Take a look here and use these settings


Assuming you have logged in your Gmail account on your galaxy 4. Your contacts & calendar are already backed up to Gmail server. You can easily get access to them by logging into your Gmail account through your PC and click on Gmail icon at top left of your screen -> select Contact. For calendar click on square tiles at top right of screen and select calendar.

You can get the contacts and Calendar details on your Iphone also by logging the same gmail account to your IPhone which you had used in your broken S4.


what happens if you plug a non QC 2.0 device into a QC 2.0 charger?

From Qualcomm FAQ :

  .... Quick Charge is compatible and interoperable, a certified adapter can be used with a non-Quick Charge device, though the fast charging benefits of Quick Charge will not be available

(Emphasis supplied)

QC chip is integrated within the device in enabled devices, and negotiates with the QC charger to vary the voltage and or current. In devices which are not enabled with QC, this negotiation cannot happen and normal charging takes place

If a cable/ charger that does not support fast charging is used, there is no harm caused -  charging will be normal charging instead of fast charging. In the case of cable, it is because it may not be designed to carry adequate fast charging current, which is usually higher


It's aa problem of Theme,Change the Theme


Can someone identify this icon (looks like a ear) in the notification bar?

It's supposed to represent a hearing aid, and it means that Hearing Aid Compatibility is enabled.

It should go away if you go into the call settings and disable the hearing aid option. It'll either be something like Settings->Calls or pressing the Menu button on the dialer to get into the call settings (I think it varies some).

Supporting source, second source


Take multiple pictures instead of making a video

In the camera settings, look for Hold Shutter button to. You should see 3 options: Take a picture, Take the burst shot and Create GIF. Select Take the burst shot.

This article explains the difference between the 3 options.

  Take a picture. Essentially, it is identical to the single tap gesture.
  Take the burst shot. You are using the Galaxy S10 burst mode. All photos taken in the burst mode will be always saved in the phone storage even you set the storage as the SD card.
  Create GIF. Galaxy S10 camera will take a series of photos and saved them as one GIF animation file. Please note, the resolution of the GIF animation is 480*640 (VGA) only. You do not have the option to change the resolution for the GIF.


Internal memory (sdcard0) not writable - Android 4.3 - Xperia T (LT30p)

I finally fixed it. In case someone has the same problem in the future, here's what I did:

After googling here and there about how to completely wipe an Android phone, I read that to do that you must encrypt your data first and then do a factory reset.

So, I still don't know what caused it, I only know that now it's fixed.


Transfering an Incoming call to loudspeaker

I haven't tested this, but Tasker should be able to do this. Create an Event "Phone Ringing" profile to perform the "Speakerphone" task (which you configure to turn the speakerphone on). This can be configured to only activate for certain callers if necessary.


On Android the app developer can upload different app versions for different platforms.
Therefore it can happen that on your smartphone you have an Google Meet version from Dec. 2020 but on your tablet the latest version is still Aug. 2020.
This can even happen if both device are using the same Android versions. Just the fact that the one device is a tablet and the other a smartphone is enough so that they get different versions of an app.
If you open the page of an app in Google Play Store app and there is no "update" button then you already have installed the latest version that has been released for your current device.
Other criteria that may lead to a different version are:

Android version
Supported ABI of the CPU and OS (armv7 = 32bit and/or armv8 = 64bit)
Screen size
Country
Mobile network provider
Device name
Installed libraries (some manufacturer add special libraries that are required for certain apps)
Available hardware features such as NFC, fingerprint sensor, ...


Sensitive information in the About screen

I am no security expert, but here are what I have gathered. I urges you to read the source links and visit our sister site Information Security to get more detailed information.
I have listed them from the higest to lowest risk.
IP
From Can your IP address give away your identity to hackers, stalkers and cybercrooks?:

Andrew Lee, CEO of London Trust Media, Inc./PrivateInternetAccess.com (a VPN service that protects users' privacy and identity), says linking users to their IP address is not simple, but it can be done. Many email providers, some IRC networks, extreme tracking sites, poorly configured forums and design flaws in applications such as Skype and AOL (among others) have disclosed users' identities along with their IP addresses.
He adds that email providers have been known to leak IP addresses to advertisers, market researchers, and other such agencies and some emails (like those from mailing lists) are indexed by Google. "Thus, the IP becomes searchable," Lee says. "Programs such as skypegrab.info (now inactive), which reveals users' personal data are developed every day by programmers across the globe. Extreme tracking sites link IPs to Google searches and make them public. And business websites including, but not limited to, Facebook, Twitter, Google, etc. — in addition to ad targeting companies — already have your personal info linked to your IP address in their databases. Anyone with access to those databases, including those with legitimate or illegitimate access (such as hackers), can obtain any and all of that information."

IMEI
About the IMEI, this answer states that:

Knowledge of the IMEI and/or IMSI of some user does not give extra ways to break into the communications of that user; they are not secret values.
However...
There may be a slight privacy concern about IMEI and IMSI, in that they allow to "track" user habits:

An application could generate a random unique identifier each time it is installed on a phone. However, by using the IMEI, the application can tell whether it is re-installed on a given phone; it can also be used to cross-reference the table of known installed application instances with cell phone locations obtained through passive radio listening from some base station.

MAC Address
From this answer:

Disclosing the MAC address in itself shouldn't be a problem. MAC addresses are already quite predictable, easily sniffable, and any form of authentication dependent on them is inherently weak and shouldn't be relied upon.
MAC addresses are almost always only used "internally" (between you and your immediate gateway). They really don't make it to the outside world and thus cannot be used to connect back to you, locate you, or otherwise cause you any direct harm.
The disclosure can be linked to your real identity since it might be possible to track you using data collected from WiFi networks, or it can be used to falsify a device's MAC address to gain access to some service (mostly some networks) on which your MAC address is white-listed.
Personally, I wouldn't really worry about it. However, when it's not inconvenient, I usually try to redact any irrelevant information when asking for help or sharing anything.

The Bluetooth address and build number are low on the list of risks.
Sources:
Can your IP address give away your identity to hackers, stalkers and cybercrooks?
What is the risk of leaking IMEI / IMSI numbers over a network
Is it dangerous to post my MAC address publicly?


Why did my battery usage on 3G grow with the Android 2.3 update?

"cell standby" = "background sync". And if your Wifi turns off on screen off, apps will use 3G instead.

You might want to check your Wifi policy, which is hidden in the "advanced" menu: When in "network & wireless" -> "wifi", hit the menu button and select "advanced". Here, switch your Wifi policy to "always on" -- so it will stay on when the display is switched off, which means no 3G fallback as long as Wifi is available.

I've read about this issue a couple of times, and many report setting the Wifi standby policy as described above largely improves the situation.

UPDATE:

I obviously wrote bullshit here. I left the bullshit in (but striked it so you can see where I was wrong). Closer investigation brought me to this: What is Cell standby and how can I keep it from eating my battery?.

So basically my reasoning here was wrong, but luckily the recommendations still match somehow :)


How do I disable the popup when I connect my phone to my PC via USB?

If you enable USB debugging in the Developer options, the phone's "USB Connected!" screen doesn't popup anymore :)


Find out which app is making notification sounds?

You can disable your notifications by following these steps: (Depending on model of device and Android build these steps may or may not be exact)

Go to Settings -> Applications
Select Application and uncheck the 'Show notifications' box
When prompted to confirm -> click OK.

I did this manually, but there is an app in the Google Play store that can disable all notifications but it requires ROOT.

Here is the app in case you have ROOT access and decide to go that route:
Notifications Off


is it possible to mask esn of a smartphone?

Since the nature of your question is simply "is this possible", the answer is yes, there are ways to spoof your ESN. Often this is a form of phone cloning, which is also simply referred to as ESN cloning. The concept is that you take one phone and then configure it to broadcast using the ESN of a different phone, effectively "cloning" the second as far as the network is concerned.

However, it's important to note that in most Western countries (and possibly elsewhere) doing this is illegal. In the US it is considered "cell phone fraud" or "subscriber fraud" and is covered on the FCC's website in some detail. I believe it's similar across much of Europe.


How can I retrieve home screen icons after I delete them?

I assume you are talking about removing icons from one of the home screens on your phone? If you long press on the home screen, or press Menu -> Add to Home you can select from various options to re-add items to the home screen. I suspect the icons you are talking about would be under Widget.

A little more information about your phone would help people to identify exactly which widgets you are talking about, and where to find them on your phone. For example, if your phone is an HTC and is running the default OS you can find all sorts of widgets for wi-fi, gprs, gps etc in Menu -> Add to Home -> Widget -> Settings, or the 'Power Control' widget can also control many of these functions.


Why doesn't Android store the packages as binaries like on other Linux distros?

There are really two different issues here. Your question about "compiled code" is dealt with by another of today's questions. This is completely separate from whether an app is unpacked from its package file. Don't forget that Ubuntu (and other Linux distros) can have apps written in Java and shipped as JAR files, as well as native executables, and Android apps can include native code as well as Java. In both cases, the binary itself is a small part of the package: the images and other data (known as assets) used by the app are far larger.

It's mainly for historical reasons that applications on GNU/Linux have to be unpacked into separate files. This is much less efficient than keeping the package file itself, since the separate files take up more storage space and are thus slower to load. But because of the way GNU/Linux software is developed, and the way different tools work together, it's much more convenient to keep doing it the same way.

As Android is a new OS (with a Linux-based kernel), it's not limited by its history in the same way as Ubuntu. The init system, and the framework with which apps are written, are set up to support running from the APK file itself, while keeping it read-only. As well as the storage advantages above, it also makes it easier to keep apps protected and isolated from each other, because each app is a single file in read-only storage. There's no need for complicated setup scripts to make sure the correct files are overwritten or replaced in upgrades, and the intent system makes it unnecessary for packages to overwrite or replace each other as with Debian's update-alternatives script.


How can I make silent mode affect media volume too?

RealSilent may do the trick for you:

Battery-friendly background service that will automatically mute
the media volume on your phone when you change the ringer to silent.

Features:
- Ability to mute on silent mode, as well as vibrate.
- Ability to restore media volume to what it was before going to silent/vibrate.

There's a bug report for this issue, but it hasn't been acknowledged by Google.


How to disable PIN lock in android device without touching it

So when you say broken screen, but then "everything is working except touch", does the display work?

Below I've written a solution that'll work with a broken display and touch, if your display does work, then just use an OTG adapter and a mouse, if not follow the steps below.

Get an OTG adapter with a mouse
Make a screenshot (probably power + vol down)
Connect your phone to your PC and view what's in view what's in /sdcard/DCIM/Screenshots/
Continue doing that to go into Settings > Developer Options and enable USB Debugging (it's painful, but the only way)
After you've done that you can use scrcpy to mirror your screen to your PC via adb and interact with it. (The first time you use your PC with adb you'll get a prompt to authenticate on the phone you'll have to click allow there, just keep that in mind)


Frequent login failure on Yahoo Mail from GMail app

I encountered the same issue. I didn't find a solution yet, but I'd like share my opinion on the possible cause of this issue.

After I re-try the sign-in, the sign-in page shows an error indicating redirection loop or proxy loop error.

Sometimes, I get error message saying that I'm trying to login from an unexpected country, and I have to verify the log-in with a SMS message.

Some other cases, if I login the www.yahoo.com with the browser, with password and CAPTCHA, on the same connection, I re-try the login in gmail app, it works.

Most of the time, in the gmail app, when I re-try the log-in, I just get a dumb error message that leaves no clue.

My theory is that the yahoo server does a lousy job when it tries to balance between the user convenience and security. The server is too sensitive to "suspicious" login attempt, and didn't have a better way to offer CAPTCHA validation with the gmail login.


What is the difference between AOSP and AOKP?

AOSP (Android Open-Source Project) is the project with the open-source parts of Android. It's used as a base by anyone who wants to build or customize an Android ROM. Although new Android features are developed in secret inside Google, when a new Android version is released, all the code changes to the open-source parts get merged into AOSP soon afterwards. ("Soon" is a relative term: sometimes it's not very soon at all.) Conversely, Google receives and incorporates changes submitted to AOSP (such as to fix bugs) from outside, but sometimes with a delay (because they have to create a release branch of the source long before the next release).

AOSP doesn't include the closed-source components: mainly, that's hardware drivers, and Google's special apps that only ship with certified devices (Google Play, Google Now, etc).

AOKP is one particular custom-rom project. Like other custom ROMs, it's based on AOSP, but adds extra features. The maintainers also need to find (possibly closed-source) drivers for all the hardware on a device in order to support that device.

Generally, most people use the term stock ROM to mean the manufacturer's ROM that came with their device (possibly including any OTA updates). As t0mm13b points out, this ROM almost certainly wasn't built from AOSP: the source will be based on AOSP (or Google's internal sources, if the manufacturer is big enough to have access to them), but it will include any drivers for that device, as well as the manufacturer's customizations such as Samsung's TouchWiz or HTC's Sense.

If you're interested in the discussion of what exactly constitutes a "stock ROM", you might like to read the comments on this answer from last year. TL;DR: authors of custom ROMs don't all use the term to mean the same thing.


Prevent my phone from showing messages in the wrong order if I reply quickly?

It seems to be related to the local time on my phone, which I suspect was slow compared to the network. So, while the incoming messages where arriving listed as the "correct" time (on the network), I was then replying "before" them as far as my local clock was concerned and thus when the phone sorted on time their positions were swapped.

So, I've manually adjusted my clock forward a minute, and seem to have avoided the problem since.

Speaking to a friend knowledgeable in these things, O2 (my provider) apparently do not provide phones with network-updated time, I don't know if this is true or not, but it would explain how a difference could appear in the manner described.


Need some clarification on Developer Settings

First of all ,those options are meant for development reasons ,mainly for developers to get different debugging outputs for every situation their app may face.

For the first part of your question :

  Will those options affect the play of animations in a webView ?

I will go throw the options one by one :

Animation and transition scales :

This option is for the system-core animation the ones included in framwork-res.apk and other system framework  or in any android application under res/anim

Those animations are used by the system to change between views or par third party applications to change between activities view or for playing animations so if you change the Animation and transition scales only those animations will be affected ,since your Application uses the Webview to render and play the animations it will not be affected by those sittings.

Forced GPU Rendering :

As you may already now in any computer or phone there is two types of rendering software rendering  and Hardware rendering the first one is when the screen is displayed by the CPU it self ,the second is when the GPU is the one rendering it ,in android the system decides when and where use softrendering or hardrendering if you activate this option the system will always choose the GPU to render the screen ,which may give you a small performance gain because the CPU will remain free for other operations ,the power consumption may increase (corect me if I am wrong) GPU uses more power than the CPU.

Do not keep activities :

This option will kill any activity as soon as it goes to the background means that as soon as you leave an activity it will be destroyed so when you go back to that activity it will start a new one rather than resume the previews session ,this may not affect your application when you are on it but the second you leave it it will be destroyed ,this option may give you a little bit more performance because all other apps on the phone will not run in the background which may free up some resources (note that the background services will not be killed by this options only activities that are no longer displayed will be killed ) .

Limiting background processes

For this one I will quote @Dan Hulme in this answer

  Setting this option forces Android to stop each process as soon as it
  is empty (that is, when no services are started and no activities are
  on screen for that app).

  To be clear: this option won't stop apps that would normally run in
  the background from doing so. Your mail client will still run
  periodically to check mail, if it's configured to do that. Apps that
  use Google Cloud Messaging to receive push messages from Internet
  servers (such as Gmail and Facebook) will still be able to do so. The
  option would be better named "Cached background process limit", since
  it limits apps that would otherwise show up with that label in the
  apps manager.

  Next time each app needs to start, Android has to load the app from
  storage, from scratch. This uses more power and takes longer than
  running it again when the process was in memory. This doesn't just
  mean when you start an activity from that app deliberately; it also
  means the email client has to be loaded after each time it wants to
  check email. Over time this can build up to a huge battery drain.

  Because this is a development option, it can also trigger rare bugs in
  certain apps, and those apps' developers may not be keen to fix them.
  One example is that, on Nexus devices running 4.2.2, when this option
  is on, the in-built Calendar app will keep restarting itself with this
  option set, because stopping the cached background process causes the
  calendar's content provider to be removed, which causes a loop of
  services restarting each other to check for calendar updates. If this
  happens, the loop will run down your battery very quickly.

So as you can read this option will not affect your application all side affect of this option are noted in the previous quote.

For the second part of your question :

  what "Disable Hardware overlays" does exactly?

To answer this I will define what is Hardware Overlays :

In computing, hardware overlay, a type of video overlay, provides a method of rendering an image to a display screen with a dedicated memory buffer inside computer video hardware. The technique aims to improve the display of a fast-moving video image — such as a computer game, a DVD, or the signal from a TV card. Most video cards manufactured since about 1998 and most media players support hardware overlay ,The overlay is a dedicated buffer into which one app can render (typically video), without incurring the significant performance cost of checking for clipping and overlapping rendering by other apps. The framebuffer has hardware support for importing and rendering the buffer contents without going through the GPU or CPU.

Now to get back to your question will it affect your scenario ,if you disable this feature android system will not allow hardware overlays which may cause a reduced performance , in other words Without a hardware overlay every application that is displaying things on the screen will share video memory and will have to constantly check for collision and clipping to render a proper image, this can cost a lot of processing power. With a hardware overlay each application gets its own portion of video memory, getting rid of the need to check for collision and clipping .Basically, using hardware overlays can reduce CPU usage by quite a bit, so I would leave it enabled in your case.

like I said earlier those options are meant for developers to get different debugging outputs for different scenarios their apps may face.

References
 Hardware Overlays Wikipedia / Hardware Overlays on ComputerHope.com


How to root Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Pro with linux computer

install wine on linux, then run windows program and root
download link :

  or install windows on vmware.


Looking for a way to use voice commands create calendar entry in non-Google calendar

While strictly speaking, app recommendations are off-topic here – let's tread it as "how can I do that". And as this is my second question today, it's time for the app which answers every second question here: tasker, optionally with the AutoVoice addon for more convenience and flexibility.

The Tasker UserGuide explains:

  Calendar Insert:
  Insert an entry into the specified calendar.

(More details there)

With AutoVoice, you can have a widget/shortcut on your homescreen to activate it (or have Tasker do so via some other event, e.g. "shaking the device up-down twice"). Then speak your command, and Tasker would execute the Task assigned to what it recognizes. There are tutorials around also explaining how to make a "loop" for the "Sorry, I didn't understand – please repeat!" case ;)

Drawbacks: Both apps come with a fee if you want to really use them. Tasker has a 7-day-trial at their homepage, AutoVoice has a limited "free version" – so you at least have a chance to check first if it meets your requirements. Will take a few days getting used to Tasker – but once you did, you will wonder how you could do without ☺


Can my phone be monitored by my family members without them ever accessing it?

Only if they have the password to her Google Account or her device is set in the Family Friendly mode (which I find very difficult to happen, otherwise she wouldn't be able to use WhatsApp), tell her to try changing her Google Account password, also, she can install Kaspersky Internet Security (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kms.free) to check if her device contains any Spyware or related software.
I hope this helps her, if you have any doubts or want further information please let me know by commenting.


The answer lies in the kernel source for that HTC Wildfire - look in arch/arm/mach-msm/acpuclock.c to see the table of the accepted frequencies. Since the WildFire is based on MSM-7x25 chipset here's the excerpt of the frequencies table hardcoded, assuming its a GSM handset:

/* 7x01/7x25 normal with GSM capable modem */
static struct clkctl_acpu_speed pll0_245_pll1_768_pll2_1056[] = {
    { 0, 19200, ACPU_PLL_TCXO, 0, 0, 19200, 0, 0, 30720 },
    { 1, 122880, ACPU_PLL_0, 4, 1,  61440, 1, 3,  61440 },
    { 0, 128000, ACPU_PLL_1, 1, 5,  64000, 1, 3,  61440 },
    { 0, 176000, ACPU_PLL_2, 2, 5,  88000, 1, 3,  61440 },
    { 1, 245760, ACPU_PLL_0, 4, 0,  81920, 2, 4,  61440 },
    { 1, 256000, ACPU_PLL_1, 1, 2, 128000, 1, 5, 128000 },
    { 0, 352000, ACPU_PLL_2, 2, 2,  88000, 3, 5, 128000 },
    { 1, 384000, ACPU_PLL_1, 1, 1, 128000, 2, 6, 128000 },
    { 1, 528000, ACPU_PLL_2, 2, 1, 132000, 3, 7, 128000 },
    { 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, {0, 0, 0}, {0, 0, 0} }
};

First column, indicates that the frequency can be scaled, if it's a 1 in there, that chipset frequency can be scaled up or down, think of ramping up the CPU when there's a processor-intensive app running and that is done by the kernel dynamically within the confines of a safe threshold without burning down the chipset - please note:  This is only for the kernel to use, further on in the answer, that shows the overclocking table, that is "end-user" responsibility - not the kernel!!!!!!
Second column, the normal frequency in KHz as dictated by the what I think is called the a11 clock (somewhere within the bowels of the chipset itself)
Third column, not exactly sure but is specifically related to chipset itself
Fourth column, the selector used for the normal frequency setting
Fifth column, the divisor used for normal frequency setting
Sixth column, the overclocking frequency in KHz
Seventh column, the overclocking frequency selector
Eighth column, the divisor used for overclocking frequency setting
Ninth column, not sure either what that signifies

There's actually in fact, 12 fields used, the remaining fields are filled in at kernel boot-up, perhaps adding guards and ensuring that the conserved values are not explicitly over-ridden, a "gate-keeper" if you like, read on...

Further on in the source, there is usually a conservative over-clocking frequencies (the common MSM-7x 01 / 25 / 27 ) chipsets supports it), again same layout as the "conservative values" as highlighted above, notice every single one of the frequencies can be scaled up/ramped down for each overclock frequency That is how SetCPU can adjust those values as it has a 1 in there in the first column

#ifndef CONFIG_MSM_CPU_FREQ_OVERCLOCK_AHB
/* Conservative AHB overclocking */
    { 0, 403200, ACPU_PLL_2, 2, 2, 134400, 2, 5, 122880 },
    { 1, 480000, ACPU_PLL_0, 4, 1, 160000, 2, 6, 122880 },
    { 1, 595200, ACPU_PLL_2, 2, 1, 198400, 2, 7, 122880 },
    { 1, 604800, ACPU_PLL_2, 2, 1, 201600, 2, 7, 200000 },
    { 1, 614400, ACPU_PLL_0, 4, 0, 204800, 2, 7, 200000 },
    { 1, 633600, ACPU_PLL_0, 4, 0, 211200, 2, 7, 200000 },
    { 1, 652800, ACPU_PLL_0, 4, 0, 217600, 2, 7, 200000 },
    { 1, 672000, ACPU_PLL_0, 4, 0, 224000, 2, 7, 200000 },
    { 1, 691200, ACPU_PLL_0, 4, 0, 230400, 2, 7, 200000 },
    { 1, 710400, ACPU_PLL_0, 4, 0, 236800, 2, 7, 200000 },
    { 1, 729600, ACPU_PLL_0, 4, 0, 243200, 2, 7, 200000 },
    { 1, 748800, ACPU_PLL_0, 4, 0, 249600, 2, 7, 200000 },
    { 1, 768000, ACPU_PLL_0, 4, 0, 256000, 2, 7, 200000 },
    { 1, 787200, ACPU_PLL_0, 4, 0, 262400, 2, 7, 200000 },
    { 1, 806400, ACPU_PLL_0, 4, 0, 268800, 2, 7, 200000 },
//  { 1, 825600, ACPU_PLL_0, 4, 0, 275200, 2, 7, 200000 },
//  { 1, 844800, ACPU_PLL_0, 4, 0, 281600, 2, 7, 200000 },
#else
/* Agressive AHB overclocking */
    { 0, 403200, ACPU_PLL_2, 2, 2, 201600, 1, 5, 200000 },
    { 1, 480000, ACPU_PLL_0, 4, 1, 240000, 1, 6, 200000 },
    { 1, 595200, ACPU_PLL_2, 2, 1, 297600, 1, 7, 200000 },
    { 1, 604800, ACPU_PLL_2, 2, 1, 302400, 1, 7, 200000 },
    { 1, 614400, ACPU_PLL_0, 4, 0, 307200, 1, 7, 200000 },
    { 1, 633600, ACPU_PLL_0, 4, 0, 316800, 1, 7, 200000 },
    { 1, 652800, ACPU_PLL_0, 4, 0, 326400, 1, 7, 200000 },
    { 1, 672000, ACPU_PLL_0, 4, 0, 336000, 1, 7, 200000 },
    { 1, 691200, ACPU_PLL_0, 4, 0, 345600, 1, 7, 200000 },
    { 1, 710400, ACPU_PLL_0, 4, 0, 355200, 1, 7, 200000 },
    { 1, 729600, ACPU_PLL_0, 4, 0, 364800, 1, 7, 200000 },
    { 1, 748800, ACPU_PLL_0, 4, 0, 374400, 1, 7, 200000 },
    { 1, 768000, ACPU_PLL_0, 4, 0, 384000, 1, 7, 200000 },
    { 1, 787200, ACPU_PLL_0, 4, 0, 393600, 1, 7, 200000 },
    { 1, 806400, ACPU_PLL_0, 4, 0, 403200, 1, 7, 200000 },
//  { 1, 825600, ACPU_PLL_0, 4, 0, 412800, 1, 7, 200000 },
//  { 1, 844800, ACPU_PLL_0, 4, 0, 422400, 1, 7, 200000 },
#endif /* CONFIG_MSM_CPU_FREQ_OVERCLOCK_AHB */
    { 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, {0, 0, 0}, {0, 0, 0} }
};

Depending on the table lookups, and depending on the chipset, only the max is specified, and is re-inforced by the kernel (in the remainder of the fields of the record that the kernel reads from and process it - as mentioned above!)

  I eventually created a setcpu.txt file which I put in the root of the
  SD-Card. The thing is when I had a frequency of 800MHz SetCPU still
  read it but the max frequency it could obviously touch was 768MHz.

That is why you can never override the maximum as dictated, as in the OP's case, to prevent thermal damage to the chipset and clock frequency!

Random reboots, random freezes, battery overheating quicker than normal (normal as in within the regulated CPU clock frequency threshold) are all symptoms of a overclocked chipset.

This is a big give-away clue when someone asks about random reboots but does not say that it is probably overclocked!


Can I run a Linux executable on Android?

Yes it is possible but due to Android using a different libc and architecture you'll need to compile your program with android-ndk.


This article at HowtoGeek describes a possible way utilizing the adb:

enable USB debugging
connect your device to your computer
execute the command adb shell pm setInstallLocation 2
(or, new syntax, adb shell pm set-install-location 2)
disconnect, done.

This command will set the devices default installation target to your SDCard. That doesn't necessarily mean everything gets installed there: only apps supporting this will go there, and devs can "overrule" this in their apps manifest if they think it's needed. From the linked API reference:

  Changes the default install location. Location values:

  0: Auto—Let system decide the best location.
  1: Internal—install on internal device storage.
  2: External—install on external media.

  Note: This is only intended for debugging; using this can cause applications to break and other undesireable behavior.

For more details on ADB, and how you can e.g. get a minimal version of it to your computer (without the overkill of installing the entire SDK), you can take a look at the adb tag-wiki.

Update: To avoid confusion with t0mm13b's answer, some clearance on the installation process:

you find some app on google-play-store and decide to install it
after you've clicked "install" and agreed on terms/permissions, the apk is downloaded to /data/local, i.e. to your internal-storage. You can't change that.
when the download is completed, the .apk will be installed automatically. Where to, depends on multiple things:

if the dev did not specify the android:installLocation property in his apps Manifest, the app will be installed to internal story. Full stop, no other choice (see: API reference).
if this android:installLocation is set to preferExternal, and external storage is available, it will go there.
if it's set to auto, it again depends:

does the app contain widgets, services, wants to start at boot, and several other things, it goes to internal storage. Full stop, no other choice.
it goes where the devices "default install location" points to


Once you have added your Google Account to your phone, do this:

Open your device's Settings app .
Tap Users & accounts. If you have more than one account on your device, also tap the one you want (if you don't have an account, you can add one tapping +).
Tap Account sync.
Tap More -> Sync now.


Cannot see my device in Dalvik Debug Monitor

Have you installed the USB driver? You need to install the USB driver to use development tools in Windows, they have to be downloaded and installed separately. For your device Micromax A50, try the following guide.


In this case, tethering means connecting the phone to the computer and using an application on the PC to update the firmware of the device. An example of this is updating with Samsung Kies or Odin.


Prevent apps from getting list of installed apps on phone

I'm not making my own answer as correct answer (although it is in some ways) to see if we have other options.

I found this XPrivacy that based on Xposed and it let take control of most API's to send fake data or deny apps requests.

There are 3 things here that might be valuable:

Xposed need root access. (and rooting device will wipe all data)
Installation (From rooting device to using XPrivacy app) is not easy and user should be advance.
Xposed not available for Android Oreo yet. Xposed Github Issue

Here is installed version on OnePlus 3t on android 7.1.1 (Oxygen OS 4.3) and result is success:


Disclaimer in advance: I didn't try this myself – so I'm not sure if the "turning on" part will work.

In Tasker: Create a task to stop the Tasker service (Tasker › Disable)
In Tasker: Create a task to start the Tasker service
On your homescreen, add a Tasker-widget (Tasker ships with that), and connect it with the Task.

So when you hit that widget for #1, Tasker will be disabled. You will have noticed the strike-through at #2: If Tasker is not active, it does not listen – so there is no such action. From the Tasker help on "Disable":

  Permanently turn off Tasker's Monitor and stop running tasks.
  Tasker will not do anything further until enabled via the On/Off button in the Profile List screen.

So I am afraid that's all you can get: a widget to disable Tasker, but none to (re-) enable it.


Connect a 3G Android phone with a WiFi-only tab to see phone call information on the latter

MightyText is a free app that allows you to get communication notifications on your tablet through WiFi. While its geared for people that would want to text from their tablet, it also has some other really nice features. Among them are call notifications, battery alerts, and photo syncing. They also have a Chrome extension which allows you to get the same features on a computer. I used to use this app all the time and highly recommend it.


External SD card not being recognised; data intact on card

The card was confirmed as a counterfeit by the manufacturer over the phone.


Turn off the voice notification for emails on GALAXY S4?

If this is happening to you, you might be in Driving Mode.  You might have not actually switched to Driving Mode physically, but if you've paired (Bluetooth) with you're vehicle, it may automatically switch to Driving mode when you enter the car.

Pull down the notification bar from the top of the screen. If Driving Mode isn't one of the five icons at the top of the screen hit the icon that looks like three little boxes and one set of arrows.

That should open a big list of toggle switches. Look for driving mode and see if it is turned on/lit up. If it is turn it off and the voice notifications should stop.


Should I accept 2,5 year old Samsung Galaxy replacement battery?

Comparing confirmed Chinese translation of these four symbols (yes -- it is a manufacture date) with Izzy's answer, which states, that Li+ batteries have a self-discharge rate of approximately 5–10% per month, we end up with conclusion, that even with most optimistic scenario, Li-Ion batteries stored in store or warehouse without cyclic re-charge (which most likely never happened) are completely dead after 20 months at most.

Which is equivalent to less than two years. Which leads us to a conclusion, that 2,5 half year old Li-Ion batteries are completely useless and shouldn't be purchased nor used.


How to hard reset MI tablet when the volume down key and power key combination leads to fastboot screen

You can wipe the userdata partition  in Fastboot mode.

Connect the device to an USB cable. Install drivers if needed, you'll have to download them.

Download Minimal ADB and Fastboot (link 2), it a command-line utility. Open it and tape, the following:

fastboot -w (confirm by hitting ENTER)

The device shall reboot and all settings reset.


How to change alarm volume without making sound?

There are certainly simpler solutions, but I use Tasker and it is also possible with it.

In Tasker simply create a new task there you can set the different volume (alarm, ring tone, ...). Then execute the task manually and the set volume is accepted.


Show all running services on Samsung Galaxy S3

When you go to setting, there are a few options. Depending on which OS version you're running (you haven't provided this but I'm assuming it is a bit old), you can go to the Apps sections and there are 3 tabs 1) Downloaded 2) Running 3) All. You can go to the Running tab to see which processes are running.

Another option is to go to the Memory section and it'll tell you which apps are taking up how much memory on your device. You can also force stop these services here.

Finally there's the battery sections where you can check which app/service is taking up or draining your battery life. You can force stop these apps/services here as well.

It would be best for you to provide the Android OS version so that we can better assist you since the settings and apps occasionally change with each Android OS update.


What is this "com.android.backupconfirm"?

After googling around a little, I found the source code of BackupRestoreConfirmation.java, which is used to build the package com.android.backupconfirm. Quoting from its comments:

  Confirm with the user that a requested full backup/restore operation is legitimate.
  Any attempt to perform a full backup/restore will launch this UI and wait for a designated timeout interval (nominally 30 seconds) for the user to confirm.  If the user fails to respond within the timeout period, or explicitly refuses the operation within the UI presented here, no data will be transferred off the device.

So this confirms what I already guessed in my comment on the question itself: it's belonging to the dialog popping up when initiating adb backup, and which does nothing but asking you to confirm whether the remotely triggered backup should be executed (and if you want to protect it with a password).

As the comment is further speaking of a backup manager service, one could also think of the Google Cloud Backup (see: google-backup). So let me again stress some important keywords from the comment's start:

  a requested full backup/restore operation

Google Cloud backup neither is a "full backup/restore operation", nor can it be "requested" by the user. The only backup service this applies to is adb backup.


FASTBOOT commands don't work at all on my Samsung phone

The only possible way to backup EFS partition on a non rooted Samsung is using Odin to flash TWRP which corresponds to your device and after that boot to recovery using key combo. Power+Home+Volume^. At recovery access TWRP Terminal. Copy the /factory_init.rc to /sdcard. Copy the file to your desktop and open it with wordpad. It should look something like this:

import /init.environ.rc
import init.fon.rc
import init.trustonic.rc
import init.nvdata.rc
import init.microtrust.rc
import factory_init.usb.rc

on early-init
    # Set init and its forked children's oom_adj.
    write /proc/1/oom_score_adj -1000

    # Set the security context of /adb_keys if present.
    restorecon /adb_keys

    start ueventd

    write /proc/bootprof "INIT: usr/eng build setting"

sysclktz 0

loglevel 5

# Backward compatibility
    symlink /system/etc /etc
    symlink /sys/kernel/debug /d

# Link /vendor to /system/vendor for devices without a vendor partition.
    symlink /system/vendor /vendor

# Create cgroup mount point for cpu accounting
    mkdir /acct
    mount cgroup none /acct cpuacct
    mkdir /acct/uid

    mkdir /system
    mkdir /data 0771 system system
    mkdir /cache 0770 system cache
    mkdir /config 0500 root root

# Mount staging areas for devices managed by vold
    # See storage config details at http://source.android.com/tech/storage/
    mkdir /mnt 0755 root system
    mount tmpfs tmpfs /mnt mode=0755,uid=0,gid=1000
    restorecon_recursive /mnt
    # Support legacy paths
    symlink /sdcard /mnt/sdcard

    mkdir /mnt/secure 0700 root root
    mkdir /mnt/secure/asec 0700 root root
    mkdir /mnt/asec 0755 root system
    mkdir /mnt/obb 0755 root system
    mkdir /mnt/media_rw 0750 root media_rw
    mkdir /mnt/user 0755 root root
    mkdir /mnt/user/0 0755 root root
    mkdir /mnt/expand 0771 system system

    # Storage views to support runtime permissions
    mkdir /storage 0755 root root
    mkdir /mnt/runtime 0700 root root
    mkdir /mnt/runtime/default 0755 root root
    mkdir /mnt/runtime/default/self 0755 root root
    mkdir /mnt/runtime/read 0755 root root
    mkdir /mnt/runtime/read/self 0755 root root
    mkdir /mnt/runtime/write 0755 root root
    mkdir /mnt/runtime/write/self 0755 root root

    # Symlink to keep legacy apps working in multi-user world
    symlink /storage/self/primary /sdcard
    symlink /mnt/user/0/primary /mnt/runtime/default/self/primary

    write /proc/sys/kernel/panic_on_oops 1
    write /proc/sys/kernel/hung_task_timeout_secs 0
    write /proc/cpu/alignment 4
    write /proc/sys/kernel/sched_latency_ns 10000000
    write /proc/sys/kernel/sched_wakeup_granularity_ns 2000000
    write /proc/sys/kernel/sched_compat_yield 1
    write /proc/sys/kernel/sched_child_runs_first 0

#INTERNAL_START
# Temp Backward compatibility
    symlink /dev/block/platform/mtk-msdc.0/11230000.msdc0/by-name/boot /dev/bootimg
    symlink /dev/block/platform/mtk-msdc.0/11230000.msdc0/by-name/recovery /dev/recovery
    symlink /dev/block/platform/mtk-msdc.0/11230000.msdc0/by-name/secro  /dev/sec_ro
    symlink /dev/block/platform/mtk-msdc.0/11230000.msdc0/by-name/kb /dev/kb
    symlink /dev/block/platform/mtk-msdc.0/11230000.msdc0/by-name/dkb /dev/dkb
    symlink /dev/block/platform/mtk-msdc.0/11230000.msdc0/by-name/seccfg /dev/seccfg
    symlink /dev/block/platform/mtk-msdc.0/11230000.msdc0/by-name/proinfo /dev/pro_info
    symlink /dev/block/platform/mtk-msdc.0/11230000.msdc0/by-name/nvram /dev/nvram
    symlink /dev/block/platform/mtk-msdc.0/11230000.msdc0/by-name/para /dev/misc
    symlink /dev/block/platform/mtk-msdc.0/11230000.msdc0/by-name/logo /dev/logo
    #create mountpoint for persist partition
    mkdir /persist 0771 system system
#Create nvdata mount point
    mkdir /nvdata 0771 system system
#INTERNAL_END

    # Healthd can trigger a full boot from charger mode by signaling this
    # property when the power button is held.
    on property:sys.boot_from_charger_mode=1
    class_stop charger
    trigger late-init

    # Load properties from /system/ + /factory after fs mount.
    on load_all_props_action
    load_all_props

    # Mount filesystems and start core system services.
    on late-init
    trigger early-fs
    trigger fs
    trigger post-fs
    trigger post-fs-data

    # Load properties from /system/ + /factory after fs mount. Place
    # this in another action so that the load will be scheduled after the prior
    # issued fs triggers have completed.
    trigger load_all_props_action

    trigger early-boot
    trigger boot

on fs
#INTERNAL_START
    write /proc/bootprof "INIT:Mount_START"
    mount_all /fstab.mt6735
    write /proc/bootprof "INIT:Mount_END"
#INTERNAL_END

Take note of codes at Internal start. The blocks that hold system images. For example mine uses nvram for IMEI but if it could have been a Samsund device the EFS location could be here:

/dev/block/platform/mtk-msdc.0/11230000.msdc0/by-name/efs

And back to phone's terminal and write:

adb shell
su
dd if /dev/block/platform/mtk-msdc.0/11230000.msdc0/by-name/efs of /sdcard/efs.img

Here you could have managed to backup the efs at /sdcard. Writing back the efs to phone will be the opposite.

dd if /sdcard/efs.img of /dev/block/platform/mtk-msdc.0/11230000.msdc0/by-name/efs

But if it's a rooted device, just download terminal app and run the codes right away:

If it helped just never forget to let me know


How can I convert Google+ to a system app without buying Titanium Pro?

For the process to work, requirements are:

Titanium Backup zip file, see below
The license key file TitaniumBackup_license.txt.

The idea being, is copy the license file and install the app onto the new device.

Caveat Emptor

This is only for legitimate licensed Titanium Backup owners.
Device is rooted
USB cable plugged into device
Functioning copy of adb.

Step 1.

Easiest way, is to generate the Titanium Backup zip file,

Tap menu
scroll to the bottom, titled 'Special Features'
Tap on "create 'update.zip'"

Scripting Type - Edify Default
Titanium Backup will be installed as - User application Default
Select the name of the output file - TitaniumBackup-6.1.0.zip Tap that selection

This will create the appropriate zip file on the /sdcard.

Pull that zip file across to your PC, as in adb pull /sdcard/TitaniumBackup-6.1.0.zip.
Unzip it, the file to look for is data/app/com.keramidas.TitaniumBackup.apk

Step 2.

Pull the license file across to PC, as in adb pull /sdcard/TitaniumBackup_license.txt

Final step.

Now with both steps completed, it's a matter of:

pushing the license file across to the new device as in adb push TitaniumBackup_license.txt /sdcard. It must be the root of the SDCard, anywhere else, it fails!
install the apk, as in adb install data/app/com.keramidas.TitaniumBackup.apk

Now launch the Titanium Backup, it should pick up the license file and treat it as Pro version. In the event it does not, its likely a very weird glitch in the application, try reboot the device, to see if it works, if not, report it to the developers. (I have this problem on my Xperia Mini, have a valid license, and it does not recognize it despite having the license in the root directory of the SDCard!)

The hardcore way

This will apply to any app. Gist of these steps, is to move the application to /system/app.

Remount the system as re-writeable, adb remount
Shell in via adb and invoke su, adb shell followed by su.
Move the app from the /data/app to /system/app directory

For example:

an app called fooBarApp
its underlying name is /data/app/fooBarApp-1.apk

So without further ado:

cp /data/app/fooBarApp-1.apk /system/app/fooBarApp.apk (we need to drop the -1 part of the name as system apps do not have them)
rm /data/app/fooBarApp-1.apk (To avoid duplication!)
At this point, the ownership may get clobbered, or the permissions, for that matter, so make it chmod 644 /system/app/fooBarApp.apk
Reboot


Sigmachip Keyboard is not functioning on Tablet

Dude check the stripe underneath keyboard.

I had the same problem, at morning a tablet keyboard case was delivered home after connecting to tab input keyboard was detected as Sigmachip Micro USB keyboard but I was unable to get any key like "B" "R" "T" "P" etc. so I open up the case & notice there was strip underneath the keyboard (strip is located just below those keyboard leds in front be very careful while opening the front side of keyboard you might tear a part those strip by profession I open such items regularly) which was not connected properly I reconnected the strip now my keyboard is operational. Open your case in a clean way so that even when you fix it to after.

But I am still going to replace my product as few keys are not working at all, from customer point of view I didn't buy that product to fix it by my self.


Create new image file of 750 x 380 px on Android phone

Don't freak out. That would be silly.

I just tried (for your question) an app named PhotoSuite 4 Free. I was able to start a new project, specify its pixel dimensions and add a text layer. Seems to be what you're looking for.

(Click image to enlarge)


How to Bypass a pattern lockscreen on a oneplusone phone

I succeeded in removing the lock pattern on a rooted OnePlus One using the below.

On the OnePlus forums an employee suggested this:

  You have to delete all your key files from system folder. Try this.
  Connect you device with usb and run following command. If you are not able to do so, i am afraid. You need a full wipe.

adb devices
adb shell
su
cd /data/system
rm *.key

  Even if shows lock screen after reboot, try a easy random pattern.

In my case that worked, besides the tiny detail that the su would spawn an approval prompt, which I of course couldn't confirm because of the pattern lock.

However, because the device was rooted (and you might be able to do this after the fact, that I don't know) I could boot it into recovery (holding Power + Volume Down), in my case TWRP. In there I could rename the 3 *.key files and pronto, after a reboot the pattern lock was gone.

As a side note, this is a demonstration that any screen lock is pretty useless from a security perspective.


How do I remove an app installed if the buttons in "Manage Applications" are locked and can't be pressed?

Some apps register with the "Device Administrator" to avoid accidental/unwanted de-installation (e.g. child-protecting apps, so the child does not simply uninstall it -- also stuff which implements additional "rules", such as MS Exchange related apps). In this case, you need to remove them from the "Device Administrator" first:

Go to Settings→Security→Device Administrator and check if the app is listed there. If so, remove it from here. Now you should be able to uninstall the app.


Use Samsung or Google account for automatic backup?

If you are going to switch phones to another Samsung brand in the future, use the Samsung backup.

If you switch to a different android phone manufacturer, then use Google backup.

However, there is no reason not to use both. All of the Google service stuff, to my knowledge, does not backup with Samsung, and vice-versa.

As for restoring apps and data, I do not think they will collide.

You could also change what each is backing up. Say for instance, let Google save off the Apps and other google service things, and let Samsung do the rest.


Open PDFs Automatically from Browser in Google Drive or Google PDF Viewer

Cloud Viewer add-on for Firefox opens PDF links without downloading the file.

  View PDF, DOC, XLS and PPT files without downloading them to your device. Save downloading time and space on your device. Here's how it works: Just before a compatible file starts to download, you are prompted to open the file in the Google Docs Viewer instead. If you choose to open in the online viewer, a new tab is opened and the viewer is loaded.

It does give the print option also but I haven't verified it. Tested on Firefox 55.0.2, the latest on Play Store

On clicking a PDF link, you get a self explanatory dialog as below


How to use android device as display or terminal?

My current partial solution:

android: Use usb-tethering to create rndis connection.
headless: bring up network device with a static ip
android: ssh to pc
headless: pipe output to connected pts with write(1)


As far as I know, there's nothing built into the OS for that.

I guess it depends completely on the developers of the app you're using. I've seen some apps where, once you start scrolling, a "handle" appears on the side of the screen that you can tap-and-drag to scroll faster. I've even seen an app or two where you could touch the top of the screen to immediately scroll to the top of whatever multi-screen thing you're looking at. But it's certainly not universal.


Can I use an external hard drive with an Android phone?

It is possible but not with all devices

USB OTG (USB On the Go) capability of the device both from the hardware and ROM (specifically kernel) decides whether your device is capable of connecting to a hard drive.
You would need to search on Internet if your device supports it or not. There are apps on Play Store, that can tell you but they require root (usually )
Rooting is not required if your device supports OTG connection to hard drive. Rooting helps in flashing a custom kernel that can enable OTG , provided your hardware supports and your device is supported by developers who make custom ROMs and kernels (popular devices are supported (search on XDA for your specific device model)
Also be aware that certain devices support OTG capability in terms of connecting a flash drive but not external hard disc (powered externally or not )

For more, see usb-on-the-go ( tag added to the question ) and frequent questions and How can I determine if my device has USB Host Mode (OTG) support?


Cyanogenmod Unofficial and custom kernel

Availability of official CM builds for MI devices isn't guaranteed (see note at the end) because the individual maintainers usually put bug fixing at priority and keep other factors (e.g. enforcing SELinux) hanging, some of which are required by CM. This is the same for almost all devices - who doesn't want a fully functional ROM before anything else?

As long as the build itself works fine, the only things you need to worry about it are 1) what extras are added in the build (e.g. themes, apps favored by the developer) and 2) how often it's updated (again, largely depends on the developer).

As for the kernel... When the issue isn't resolved in the original build, it's rare that a custom kernel can remedy that (or why wouldn't the developer of the original build merge it?). You will get kernel updates separately from the kernel developer - flash every update manually. Also, every time the ROM itself gets updated, the custom kernel will be overwritten, so you need to flash the kernel at that point, too. Talking about security, if you could trust the dev of your CM build, there's no reason you can't trust the dev of the kernel - they're on the same tier and are equally likely to compromise your security.

For the last part, IMO, a good kernel combines stability, performance (e.g. overclocking and opt flags) and battery life (e.g. underclocking, undervolting). All other features are just icing on the cake.

To others: feel free to comment and point out missing/faulty contents!

Note: Official Lineage OS 14.1 Nougat ROM is available for some MI devices.(Redmi 1s, Mi3,Mi4,Mi5,MIMAX,Redmi3/Prime, Redmi Note3)


Most often the phone simply recognizes that the flash needs to be completed, and refuses to enter most modes until it is.  So, first check and see if Odin will see the phone regardless of what's on the screen.  Otherwise:

Remove the battery, then re-insert and try to get into Download Mode again.  If that fails, then remove the battery and, while holding the key combo for Download Mode, re-insert the battery.

If that fails, plug into USB and try both of the above.

If that fails, try all 4 of the above with different key combinations.  The most common that might trigger something:

Home + VolDown + Power
Home + VolUp + Power
VolDown + VolUp + Power
VolDown + Power
VolUp + Power


Bluetooth issues on note 2 when paired to speaker

When you say slightly move, how much do you mean exactly? There's a range Bluetooth devices work in. Are you sure you're not moving out of range?

If that's not the issue, try updating your phone, or installing a custom ROM. Another possibility is that there is a problem with your Bluetooth driver, but an upgrade in your phone might solve it. Note at this point it's like threading a needle in the dark and the issue seems rare, so it might not actually solve the problem.


What is the LG Motion 4G processor speed?

I just got a new LG Motion from MetroPCS, and before updating the system or anything, I used the app CpuSpy and it told me the CPU is 1.5Ghz.


How do I make my wallpaper scroll on my Android?

Check out http://novalauncher.com/ for a great Launcher if your device does not natively support wallpaper scrolling; it's possible to force it with Nova Launcher.

I'm not sure it's possible to implement wallpaper scrolling with a single page; you could try duplicating the page and removing the transition animations to achieve a similar effect.


How can I make a symlink (or equivalent) inside /storage/emulated/0?

ANDROID STORAGE:

On Android 5:

/sdcard >S> /storage/emulated/legacy >S> /mnt/shell/emulated/0
/mnt/shell/emulated >E> /data/media

On Android 6+:

# USER-ID of current user in case of multiple users, normally "0"

# for apps
# VIEW is one of "read" or "write" and /storage to VIEW bind mount is inside a separate mount namespace for every app
/sdcard >S> /storage/self/primary
/storage/self >B> /mnt/user/USER-ID
/mnt/user/USER-ID/primary >S> /storage/emulated/USER-ID
/storage/emulated >B> /mnt/runtime/VIEW/emulated
/mnt/runtime/VIEW/emulated >E> /data/media

# for services/daemons/processes in root namespace
/sdcard >S> /storage/self/primary
/storage >B> /mnt/runtime/default
/mnt/runtime/default/self/primary >S> mnt/user/0/primary
/mnt/user/0/primary >S> /storage/emulated/0
/storage/emulated >B> /mnt/runtime/default/emulated
/mnt/runtime/default/emulated >E> /data/media

>S> for symlink, >E> for emulated and >B> for bind mount

In short, /sdcard points to /data/media/0 through FUSE or sdcardfs emulation. This is to restrict unauthorized access of apps/processes to private media on SD card. Read Android's Storage Journey.

SYMLINKS:

Now /sdcard is not a real but emulated storage which represents a FAT/vFAT/FAT32 filesystem (for backward compatibility and permission management) which doesn't support symlinks (and other things including *NIX permissions and ioctls like FS_IOC_FIEMAP). So the Option 1 and 3 of yours won't work whether you create symlink directly on emulated storage or try to emulate the symlink already created on ext4.

BIND MOUNT:

This is the commonly used alternate of symlink for FAT family of filesystems. What you have tried in Option 2 should work. This is what apps like Apps2SD do. But there is again a constraint: mount namespace. You need to bind mount in global/root mount namespace so that the mount is visible to all apps:

su -mm -c 'mount -o bind "/data/sdext2/AppData/WhatsApp Media" "/sdcard/WhatsApp/Media"'

On Android 6+ this needs to be bind mounted on each VIEW (default, read, write) separately for all apps to work.

You can make it permanent by setting Mount Namespace Mode to Global in Magisk or by disabling Mount Namespace Separation in SuperSU. For details see this answer.

RELATED:

What is "/storage/emulated/0"?
How to bind mount a folder inside /sdcard with correct permissions?


I found a solution.
In Android Chrome go to chrome://translate-internals

Change the only editable parameter from your language code to
en

Now restart Chrome.

When you open a page in a language different from yours and English you see the usual "do you want to translate..." question but source and target language are now clickable and you can change them as needed.


Maybe you can with root, but if understood correctly I think you're wrong in the basic of your question: A device has a maximum volume (which can or cannot be achieved regularly[1]) and the possible range is being split into a numbers range that will allow you to choose.

In your case, if you'll root and be able to change the range, it will do one of the following:

Set every 1 current unit to two new units (like jumping in 0.5 each time).
Split the volume control in another way so that it's not distributed evenly.

[1] Maybe it will be possible with root to increase the maximum volume by reducing the sound quality - but that's not what your question asks.


software update available -- how to find out the details?

Your carrier is responsible for sending OTA updates.  Check their website, call them and ask, or try searching for your carrier's name and "Android update".


How to convert Viber's voice message files to common audio file?

i found this Solution :

video :

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWAbs9TgpG4

Software :

  http://www.convertervideo.net/

just, copy the caf file to Computer then, use the video to convert this file to MP3

hope this helps.


This has happened to me on several occasions, mostly when backing up/restoring Wifi settings using an app such as TitaniumBackup. Here's what I recommend, starting with the safest solutions:

First try going into the wifi settings and removing the problematic network. While you're there you might as well remove any other unused networks:
https://support.google.com/android-one/answer/2819519 > Change, add, or remove saved networks > Remove
If that doesn't work, the only remaining option that doesn't require root access is to delete all of your saved networks.
If you don't want to delete all of your saved networks and you have root access, the wifi network settings are kept in a text file (/data/misc/wifi/wpa_supplicant.conf), which can become corrupted. I've been able to fix problems by manually editing the file:

Turn off wifi (if you leave it on, the corrupted wifi settings may get rewritten)
Back up /data/misc/wifi/wpa_supplicant.conf
Edit /data/misc/wifi/wpa_supplicant.conf and remove any problematic networks.

If you've made it this far and you're still having problems, turn off your wifi and delete /data/misc/wifi/wpa_supplicant.conf. Of course this will delete all of your saved networks. The file will be recreated the next time you turn on your wifi.
As a last resort, you can delete /data/misc/wifi, but I don't recommend it. If you do decide to do this, make sure you back it up first. The folder should be recreated on reboot with default settings, then you'll need to set your networks up again.


Automatically have my frequently-used apps handy

determine which apps I use most frequently and place them on my home screen automatically.

There is Smart Widget.


Whatsapp backs the data up to a google drive account and I don't think family link accounts for under-13 accounts allows google drive so that might be why whatsapp fails to back up the chat history.


Company owned devices options for system apps

My interpretation of https://support.google.com/a/answer/7292363 is that
com.android.phone is a system app that cannot be disallowed
However you can create a policy which will prevent non-emergency calls:

4.24. System radio management
4.24.5. IT admins can configure whether the device can make outgoing phone calls, excluding emergency calls (see outGoingCallsDisabled).

At which point you can put your own Phone app on the device. Note limitations on Phone apps that developers are bound to.
So presumably the device will still have the Google phone app but that app can only be used to call emergency services.


Move all your existing photos into a different directory anywhere else. Then just be sure to not allow Google Photos to backup folders. It will by default grab just the DCIM/Camera folder.

Gallery/other file managers will still have full accessibility.


How to take a screen shot of my text messges?

For my US Cellular Galaxy S running gingerbread, I had the same problem. When trying to screen capture the text conversation by holding the "back" and "power/standby" buttons, it backs up a screen and takes a screen shot of the message board. I found a work-around. Pull up the message thread you wish to capture. Press and hold the back button. Tap the power/standby button (I know, it will capture the message board). While still holding the back button, tap the message thread you wish to capture. The message thread should now pull up. Press the power/standby button again, and *click", you have your screen capture! This is the only way I have found to do this.


Any reasons to update Android from stock firmware (via PC) rather than OTA?

Is there any reason to update Android firmware via PC using software like Odin, rather than just doing an OTA update?

Yes.

Since Android Lollipop, Google has moved to block based OTA updates which means if the system partition is tampered with (often done when rooting the device) the OTA upgrade would and should fail. How would you update the OS then?
In Android versions prior to 5.0, OTA update still fails sometimes because checksum for a file in system partition doesn't match. How would you update the OS now?
During OTA upgrade, some users report the device being stuck in recovery mode. How would you update the OS now?

Note: I've never found an incremental update that can be flashed via fastboot and I'm not familiar with Odin or the likes of it.

  Is there any difference between the two methods in terms of performance, battery life, etc.?

I can't give an objective view but note that there are multiple reports on this site where you would notice that OTA (it usually do a dirty flash) upgrade  caused performance issues, such as sluggish animation, frequent app crashes (result of dirty flash), automatic reboot and issues with functionality of some apps. Often, a factory-reset fixes them.

In the case of flashing the OS from PC, you're most likely going to clear the data partition as well so the resultant, once the flashing is completed, would be equivalent of buying a  device with OS shipped from a vendor. If the OS isn't faulty, you shouldn't be having major issues.

I speak from experience with OnePlus One. OTA never worked for me. They either caused overheating or radio issues.


Error 505 when installing Facebook Messenger

My girlfriend and I both Sony Xperia Z5 Compact have the same problem (Error 505) after we had updatet to Android 7 Nougat. I think for the most people the problem will become public, when the old facebook app gets outdatet and force an update. I was so stupid to deinstall facebook, messanger and sitemanager for a fresh install try and now are only able to use these facebook platforms by browser. I postet the same problem in Sony Support Forum and are also shocked, that such popular app errors on android 7 results only in 1-3 problem topics at this time.

Official answer from sony: Make a factory reset because problem happens with update... not the espacted answer - but seems the only solution, when the company don't want to fix these issue.


How to unbrick a samsung galaxy S5 (Softbricked no hardware keys)?

You didn't mention what caused the brick as it can be a hardware issue, a damaged eMMC chip for example.

However, instead of flashing one file, you should try flashing ''repair'' files which are 4 flashable files you can load individually. These files contain the full set of Samsung firmware files. Inside these packages you will get PDA, AP, Modem, Phone, CP, BL, Bootloader, and CSC file.

Download theme from here and flash using Odin.

Fell free to ask if you encounter any problem.


Internal memory decreased even if no apps is installed

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

As for your issue, go into

settings -> applications -> all

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


Try to carefully clean the speaker with a toothpick


How to sync notification and ringtone volumes when pressing up/down buttons on Galaxy S6?

I don't think there is anything built in to the Android O/S to link/sync ringtone and notification volumes (for the Galaxy S6 anyways).

The best I've found (and currently using) is Volume Sync Pro by Plextab Software.
It does exactly what you want with the up/down volume rocker button. It's a paid app though.

I've tried these free apps and they did not work for me.

volume Control + by Coffee Break Apps
Volume Sync by Jesta's Funhouse


There are one major differences between an USB stick and an USB SSD: power consumption

As SSDs usually don't have the possibility to use a separate power supply you have to place a active USB hub (a hub with an own power supply) between the phone and the SSD.

The SSD is optimized for high performance and therefore requires much more power than a simple USB stick.

The Sandisk Extreme Portable SSD 500 GB requires about 4 Watt.
Usually smartphone only support USB 2.0 and therefore the output is limited to 5V at 500 mA = 2.5 Watt. Only a very few smartphone support USB 3.0 or USB power delivery in OTG mode which would make it possible to use an SSD via OTG.

On a regular computer the SSD works because USB 3.0 allows 900 mA (5V at 900mA -> 4.5 Watt) and therefore it can power the SSD correctly.


How can I get a longer Samsung USB data cable for Galaxy S4?

Based on my understanding of the multiple posts on Internet dealing with charging of S4 :

The Charging adapter has it's D+ and D- pins shorted with resistors across them. This is done  to ensure that higher current does not flow , reducing chances of damages to the device (see Fizz's answer on electrical.SE and this XDA post
This is NOT non standard but less frequently implemented (Apple legacy continued with few Android OEM's )
This affects (or should ) charging only
USB cables should not have anything to do with data transfer when connected to a PC . The only reasons I can think why this is happening are :

Non OEM cables purchased may be poor in shielding - XDA post linked above mentions this , though on context of charging ( I am not entirely sure how much it could affect )
They happen to be all Power only no data aka USB condom cables

Both possibilities are debatable

To eliminate the possibility of shielding affecting , suggest you to consider the cables mentioned in my answer here . They are very sturdy and 2M long and give excellent charging performance too ( I am not canvassing for them - totally satisfied customer )

USB cables of Samsung are also modified in some way , and this prevents other USB cables from transferring data - this is more likely but haven't come across any solid evidence to support and will update if I do find something


MyMobiler unnable to connect to device (via WiFi)

OK, I changed to another network and it started to working. It may be some permission which denied my app from working. Thank you very much, onik, for assistance.


What does the *#*#4636#*#* dialer code do?

Yes, I have a Samsung Galaxy S and the *#*34636#*#* does actually work.

It gives all sorts of statistics.

You might read my following question: regarding this exact number and contact lists.

-- EDIT --

Sorry, didn't see the HTC phones bit. Just noticed the 'Samsung-Galaxy-tab' tag, and thought you were talking about the Samsung Galaxy S phone.

The part about the statistics , is ok , though.

On my phone.

Phone information
Battery information
Battery history
Usage statistics ( I was very interested in this option )
Wifi information

Usage statistics

Usage time
Launch count


How can I get cloud integration working again in Android 5.1?

Solved this myself, I figured out I needed to use the original Cloudhub.apk that came with my stock firmware. I was trying to use one pulled from a G3, and that's a no-go. If anyone runs into this issue, make sure you use an original APK, odex file and dummy library file pulled from the system apps directory of original Stylo firmware. And permissions must be set correctly. That should solve the problem and allow you full access to cloud services in the photo Gallery and elsewhere.