Android PTPP VPN session stalling after precisely 30-31 minutes

Does the rest of the Internet work? Or is it just the Netflix service?

In any case, contact your VPN service provider for advise. As long as the VPN connection is not terminated (as you say it isn’t) any problem is likely to be much easier debugged on the service providers side. You have noticed a pattern, and that should be debuggable for them.


Why Does My Samsung Note 4 Shut Off When it Reaches Around 20% Battery Life?

Since no one has responded in the time it took me to do my own little experiment I wanted to post what I found.

I found that I needed a new battery.   The new battery can maintain the needed voltage down to single percentages where as, depending on what I was doing on my phone, the old battery would allow my phone to die with little to no warning like I described in the question above.

So if your phone is not draining much lower than 20-30% and dies try buying a new battery.

Also thank you benjaminS for supporting my thoughts in comments of the question.


I'm with Virgin Mobile; should I buy Unlocked or Sprint-locked?

I'm just wondering which one, locked or unlocked, will provide me with the easiest process when setting up the S5- or whether there'll be a difference.

If you're buying the phone from the same carrier that you will be using the phone with, there's no difference to you. The only thing that makes set-up hard is if you buy a locked phone from one carrier to use with a different carrier: in that case you need to unlock it first.

Unlocked phones do have a slightly higher resale value, because the next user can use them with any carrier without having to get them unlocked. Unlocking a phone from the carrier typically costs in the region of US$10, and you can do it officially (by paying the carrier a fee) or unofficially (in an independent repair shop, or through a third-party website).

There's no advantage to the user of having a locked phone.

To avoid confusion: note that this carrier lock is completely unrelated to the PIN or pattern you use to unlock your phone. It's also completely unrelated to having a locked bootloader. Those are three separate concepts; they just have similar names.


How can I remove the recent apps part on Xiaomi mi A2

"Recent apps" is a standard part of Android navigation and it cannot be removed. You should probably just stop swiping up that long from the bottom and you will never encounter the recent apps screen.


It's a preinstalled app(bloatware) so follow this guide and you should be able to remove it(NOTE:Requires rooting your phone which means voiding your warranty and beside rooting no way to remove them exists): https://www.androidpit.com/how-to-uninstall-preinstalled-android-apps#delete-preinstalled


Why can't Banshee Remote connect to server?

Ensure your phone is connected to the same WiFi network as your computer, and remember to use the internal IP.

To do this through 3G you would need to forward ports and use your external IP.


Sync is currently experiencing problems. It will be back shortly

We had the same problem, and to make a long story short, tried all the answers we found online (clear cache, clear data, reinstall Calendar, delete, then create Google account, but no factory reset).

The problem for this phone (Samsung Galaxy S3) was that we had restricted background data on Google Play Services. Once that was enabled, the calendar synced right away.

Home> Settings> Connections> Data Usage> Scroll down to Google Play Services, and make sure to uncheck "restrict background data".


How to unlock my device after locking with “Find my device”?

I managed to solve this, so for future readers:

I went to emergency and pressed back(this brought up the phone lock screen with the pattern option). Rebooting seems to also bring up the lock screen temporarily.
I managed to enter the lock-screen pattern correctly from muscle memory(even though it didn't seem to work all the times I had tried before). I believe if you enter it incorrectly enough times, it'll let you enter your google account info to reset the password, but I never got to that point.
After the phone unlocked I changed my default password and all seems good now.

I'm still not sure why google wouldn't let me set a temporary password. God help anyone that doesn't remember their original one.


Re-lock and unlock bootloader on the Nexus 5X for Android Pay

Currently, No.

Locking the bootloader actually requires a wipe as well now so you would have to back up your device and then restore after locking.

I was in the same scenario with my Nexus 6P and as I didn't need the bootloader unlocked any more i have locked it. I used a combination of adb backup, copying files manually off my device and the built in backup/restore functionality.


Why were some of my contacts automatically merged without notice?

I found a solution that kind of works, but IMO it's still unsatisfying.
After some googling, I found that this is a known bug in Android.

Apparently it's fixed (the issue is closed), but I don't think so, because not only do I have these problems now, there are also comments with complaints which were posted after the date when the issue was closed.

One of the comments had a solution that works for me, but it's not ideal:

When I edit the contact (which has my father's name, as mentioned in the question) it shows both contacts to edit...still on the same screen, but clearly separated as different contacts.

On this screen, I can separate or merge them in the options menu. When I choose to separate them, they become two different contacts again...but only on this device. I have to repeat that on the other device in order to separate them there as well.


Well, it turns out I didn't download the correct ROM, I had to download one from https://boycracked.com/2015/06/12/lenovo-s898t-stock-rom-2/, vibeui_v2.0_1503_7.18.1_st_s898t+.zip.

I hope this can help anyone with the same problem.


try this code in android 5.1

ifconfig eth0 up
dhcpcd eth0

OR (static)

ifconfig eth0 192.168.70.65 netmask 255.255.255.0 up

and now

ndc network create 100
ndc network interface add 100 eth0
ndc network route add 100 eth0 192.168.70.0/24 (gateway)
ndc network route add 100 eth0 0.0.0.0/0 192.168.2.40 192.168.2.50
ndc resolver setnetdns 100 localdomain 192.168.2.40 192.168.2.50 (dns1 dns2)
ndc network default set 100


How to install a file manager to Xperia L WITHOUT internet connection?

Plug the device into the computer, drop the .apk into the sd card and use the web browser to go to file:///sdcard and open the .apk file to install it.


Can't log into my email using Nexus 7 email client

You need to get this information from your university. Ask the IT department to walk you through it or just give you the necessary information.
From what you've said:

  email accounts are provided by Microsoft.

seems to me they're using Exchange in a Windows domain (I could be wrong). Therefore, you'll need a server link, domain name, username, and password.

Also, on a separate note, you should do some research on how email works and email protocols (POP3, IMAP, SMTP, Exchange, Gmail, and so on). Here's a helpful link: Email protocols: POP, IMAP and MAPI


It depends on the NotoColorEmoji.ttf font file you have installed. If that file doesn't include a glyph for the Unicode code point you want, it can't show it. Here's an SO post about fonts and glyphs:
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/3582944/how-does-a-unicode-character-get-mapped-to-a-glyph-in-a-font

This reddit post talks about replacing your system's NotoColorEmoji.ttf font file with one that includes EmojiOne emojis:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/3xezb9/emojione_on_android/


tasker to turn on do not disturb when plugged into charger

It doesn't work because you designed the action not to do anything but let Android disturb you, as usual. Here's what each entry corresponds to under Audio → Do Not Disturb:

None: silences all sounds, including alarms - Total Silence
Priority: silences sounds except for certain calls or notifications - Priority Only
All: this effectively ends Do Not Disturb mode
Alarms: silences all ringtones & vibrations except alarms - Alarms Only

(Content partially derived from the article: Silence your device with "Do not disturb"  - by Elena)


How do I set battery charge min-max range to make it degrade with time less?

I managed to do it for the same device cutting off charging at am upper level.
 How do I override charging current on Huawei Honor 6?
Surely something on those lines can be implemented for lower l level maybe a macro to shutdown the phone ( too drastic) or sound alarms and send text messages or mails if you are not close to the phone
Hope this helps


Can I have Gmail and Inbox by Gmail installed together

You can indeed! Inbox will give you a pop option to disable notificaitons from Gmail and get them from Inbox, or you can just get the usual Gmail notification. They are completely separate applications, both just happen to link to your emails, which are online so the Gmail app will have the usual layout, and Inbox has its bundles, previews etc. If you wanted you could get notifications from both of them (though that would be more of a pain I'd imagine)

I've been using it for a few weeks now with both installed and I have no conflicts bar one small one: Tesla Unread Plugin. This is an extension for Nova Launcher Prime that shows the number of unread mails/texts/missed calls etc over the icon for an app. On a rare occasion Gmail has a '1' over it after I've read the mail in Inbox. Opening and refreshing Gmail, or just leaving it alone for a few minutes solves it.


unable to store whatsapp chat in new account

Use the same phone number as used during the time of backup.
If that doesn't work reinstall Whatsapp.


The emulator process for AVD Nexus_5X_API_22 was killed

Go to:  Tools > Android > AVD Manager
Press the "edit" (pencil) icon next to your AVD
Change "Graphics" to "Software".


Why is checking Android filesystem possibly harmful?

It's even riskier than cybersam says. You shouldn't check/repair a mounted filesystem (i.e. when it is in use), on any operating system, because programs might be using the files while you're checking them and possibly making changes. This could cause the checker to think there are errors where there are really no errors; it might cause unexpected behaviour of any program that happens to read or write files during the check; and any files written during the check might be corrupted or completely lost.

On a PC, you can check a non-essential filesystem by unmounting it before the check, or you can check a system partition by booting from a USB stick or CD so that no filesystems from the hard disk need to be mounted. On Android, the closest equivalent is doing it from the recovery: this way, you can check any filesystem other than the one the recovery is on (assuming the recovery doesn't mount the SD card).


Is it possible to wipe Samsung S5 finger print scanner data from recovery

The purpose of the lockscreen is to prevent someone from accessing your data, which would be erased by performing a factory reset. A fingerprint scanner is not more secure than a password, it's only more convenient. A few cases where it falls short as a password are:

You leave your fingerprints everywhere
Its easier to obtain your fingerprints by force, than a password
Its harder to change your fingerprints than a password

And Fingerprint lock in Samsung Galaxy 5 easily defeated by whitehat hackers


After upgrade, every phone call displays an ad?

I forgot I had added recording software.  Going into safemode definitely established that it was not Android itself.  Then the question was how to find the app.   I don't have a great answer, but scanning through all the apps showed me that I had added one, and denying it privileges fixed the problem.

As a side-note, Android desperately needs a way to identify a page or notification and see who is responsible for it.


Error looping, "Unfortunately, Setup Wizard has stopped."

Here is a method that you can do without whiping,

Boot into TWRP Recovery
Mount System ( Mount → check System )
Advanced → File Manager
Browse to /system/priv-app/Setup-Wizard
Delete it


Can you play Pokémon Go on Oneplus 2 with CM13?

Oneplus 2 and Pokemon Go do not work well together as of August 2016 if GPS is in the high accuracy mode.

If you enable GPS only mode and restart then Pokemon works normally.


App doesn't access GPS location directly

Android Engineer at Citymapper here!

The issue you're describing sounds quite similar to one we fixed recently.
So I would recommend updating to the latest version of the app.
The current version in the Play Store as of writing is 7.1.


From here:

You might need to activate adb root from the developer settings menu. If you run adb root from the cmd line you can get:

root access is disabled by system setting - enable in settings -> development options

root access is disabled by system setting - enable in settings -> development options
Once you activate the root option (ADB only or Apps and ADB) adb will restart and you will be able to use root from the cmd line.


ADB can detect devices but it can't detect device in recovery move

You can't ADB in recovery mode, not with a stock recovery. You can only ADB Sideload which is used to flash zip packages (updates, gapps, etc). To install TWRP, you need to flash it in Download mode.

Download TRWP or here
Boot in Download mode (Hold volume down then briefly press the power button. Press Volume up to confirm).
Download and unzip Odin then launch it.
Click on PDA or AP button and select TWRP file you downloaded previously (Should be in .tar format. If in zip, unzip it)
Click on Start button
When you see PASS, disconnect the phone and power on (Hold volume up this time: you should boot in TWRP recovery )


Two things to check given GMail is already set to sync.

First, double check you have notifications ticked inside the GMail app, this can be found by opening the left menu and opening the settings located at the bottom.

Secondly, in settings open data usage, then open the three dot menu and ensure that "Auto-Sync Data" is on and "Restrict background data" is off.

Note: These directions are based on Stock 4.4, if they don't correspond just let me know what phone and software version you have.


LG optimus P-500 firmware update: PC suite for Linux?

You may try to run Windows copy in VirtualBox. VB has ability to connect physical USB devices to virtual machine. So Windows will detect your phone.
BUT BEWARE! Using such way for flash your phone may render it unusable (brick your phone, in another words). It is good to make sync between phone and PC.

Also I'd like to see native Linux version of PC Suite too.


Android 7 ignoring Auto Updates turned OFF. Any solution?

Updates to Android (the operating system) are completely separate from updates to apps.  You can only control the former through the system Settings app.

To disable automatic updates for applications: Open the Play Store app, go to Settings → Auto-update apps, and select "Do not auto-update apps".


Sync saved wifi passwords from defected mobile

There are multiple possible approaches:

If you have Google Cloud Backup activated on the "old" device, your WiFi passwords have been stored along (plain text, by the way). So starting with a new (or factory-reset) device, you should be asked on account creation whether to enable it here as well. Answering with "yes" will restore several things even from your old device, including WiFi passwords (for details, please see Google Backup: Multiple devices using the same account - what happens on Restore?)
If both devices have root access, you can use either a dedicated tool like WiFi Pass Recovery & Backup, or straight go for a full-fledged solution like Titanium Backup
If at least the "old" device has root access, you can obtain your passwords from their configuration file directly. They are usually stored in /data/misc/wifi/wpa_supplicant.conf using plain-text.


How to re install rom on blank htc desire?

You can follow This Link depending on your HTC, your phone model is HTC Bravo you can download your roms here your

Edit: Official RUU 3.14 Desire Gingerbread---[v1.2/1st/August/2012] this is best rom it also give you more then 100mb free space. i used it for my device too


As Firelord asked, did you uninstall the apps or only the updates?

If only the updates, if you open the play store on your phone, and it should seek for updates to both your play store and play services. If it doesn't happen automatically, try clearing the data of the play store app, and then manually trying to find the update by going to the settings activity of the play store and tapping on the version number.

If you've uninstalled the apps, then I presume you already have root access, because uninstalling them without root access is very difficult.
In this case, flash a recovery to your phone if you haven't already, and flash the Google apps zip (GApps) matching your android version, and clear the cache and dalvik cache if necessary through the recovery after the install.


Get lat and lng based on my position from android phone

There are several GPS apps which, amongst others, display the exact coordinates on your screen. Some even offer to export them. Moreover, there are apps for GPS tracking, recording your positions and usually allow you to export your recordings in GPS eXchange Format or Keyhole Markup Language. In both cases, exported files have the locations in plain ASCII.

For your case, a well suited app should support manual recording of Waypoints. This way you'd end up with exatly the locations recorded you want (and no extra ones).

A good choice would probably be GPS Status & Toolbox, which in its pro version (~USD 3) allows you to a.o. "show/store/edit/export multiple waypoints".

GPS Status & Toolbox (source: Google Play; click images for larger variants)

Note that the (implicated) other part of your question (how to process them for/in your app) is off-topic here, as this site is dedicated to end-users (not developers).


There are many apps out there which will help you know which apps are running in background and hogging resources with extra features from stock task manager. Few of good apps are

Elixir 2-Application Monitoring Manager.

Wake Lock Detector-Tells you which apps are keeping your phone in partial awake or in full awake state.

Advanced Task Manager-Will help you manage running processes.

Stay away from task killer apps they are no good and  drain out battery.


Can my location be tracked/can my phone be duplicated

As soon as there is no details in your question I'll answer in general: if you've got an android device - you could be tracked. This is not only about some sort of embedded Google telemetry or hidden spying apk - any app, that has permission to access your sms/camera/other data can do so.

This is how it may look like:

:

Of course there are couple of ways to avoid such a mess

Download and install XPrivacy. It's free application and it's rather hard to use, but this is the most clean way as soon as this app is opensource. Further instructionshere. Root access required.
Use other restricting permission app: there are plenty and here is the quick comparsion. Check out this and this tool. May require root access.
Freeze suspected apps which receives sms. This tool could do the trick. Root access required.
Just do not install any app that desires sms privilege - kinda tricky but the only way if previous are not possible.


android studio will not recognize my device and my emulator will not load

Make sure your device is connected to the computer and run adb device in command prompt (you may have to browse to <Android-SDK>/platform-tools. See if adb displays your device. If it doesn't, go to Settings > Developer Settings  and select Revoke USB debugging authorizations. Disconnect and reconnect your phone and authorize it to be debugged through the computer.


You don't need root.  You also don't need a terminal, for an app to use its own private utilities.  But if you want vim, Terminal IDE provides that, a number of other utilities (git, ssh, tmux), the ability to use bash or Java as a 'scripting language' at the terminal, and the ability to create and install Android apps on-device.  I use Terminal IDE and vim quite a bit, (but with Better Terminal Emulator Pro's terminal, actually.)


Keep Hangouts from opening links inside the same task?

This started happening to me too recently. All links in Hangouts messages, when clicked, open in what appears to be a Hangouts-integrated browser. There is NO option to change this behavior.

It is definitely just an embedded instance of the Chrome browser - if you disable the Chrome app entirely, tapping a link in Hangouts gives you the normal "open with" dialog, and you can choose a default (I like the Adblock browser). But with the Chrome browser disabled you can't browse Google Play or update apps. And if you simply re-enable Chrome, it goes right back to opening links in Chrome and silently wipes out the choice of default that you just made.


Any Android keyboards that operate & feel like you're using an iPhone iOS keyboard?

Admittedly, I haven't tried this one, but I found it by doing a quick Google search. The screenshots look decent and it appears as though it will do the job.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sixgreen.android.softkeyboard

If you're after the newer style, this one also seems alright:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.arvin.applekeyboard


Widgets are not updating post-boot on CyanogenMod nightlies

The problem was solved by installing TK-Gapps micro on top of the pico that were installed.

A day later it stopped working again. If I use the google now launcher instead of trebuchet it does work.


How to install or go to fastboot mode if my phone is stuck in animation boot and has no fastboot in it?

Can you get ADB to find the device? From a command window, with the device connected via USB, type "adb -d" and see if your device is listed. If it is, type "adb [device] reboot bootloader"


if my phone shuts down, does my google incognito tabs stay up?

No,they will not remain open because in order to fix your device it needs to be opened up and that means battery of the device will be removed...etc ! So, no worries about it at all if it gets fixed your parents wouldn't be able to see the opened incognito tabs. because after a reboot they are usually not re-opened automatically !


Android 2.3.3 on Kindle Fire - lost internet conectivity after modifing /etc/permisions/platform.xml - FIX?

Judging from your actions, I am guessing you have root access and possibly a custom recovery.

First, a word of advice:

DO NOT modify the system framework directly especially permissions/platform.xml. This along with a few other files is responsible for defining what android permissions are, giving the permissions for the core part of the system and the mappings involved with it and the SDK. If you somehow mess up the files, then you could seriously lose functionality and as you noticed, permissions. If you modify other parts of the framework, you could cause system instability, boot loops or it just might fail to boot Android altogether.

Additionally, dropping the jar file into the framework directory doesn't work. This is because its actually installed in system/lib or system/bin (have to check android source. Might have this confused). Next, this jar file is usually installed with Google Apps package (or gapps for short) and the updater-script takes care of all that so if you still want to manually install the jar file, I suggest you look at the updater-script for the location of install.

Now, what is the quickest way to fix this and install the jar file?

reinstall whatever ROM you have - you dont have to wipe the data as only the system was modified. If you have a stock ROM, factory reset wont help. This is because a factory reset wipes the data and cache. It doesn't wipe the system partition that you changed and so the problem will still remain when you reboot.
Flash the latest version of gapps to your phone using recovery. This will reinstall all the Google Apps as well as the corresponding libraries needed to extend their functionality. It will also help your other app work.


How to stop notifications from interrupting music in Android?

If your phone is set to silent, notifications shouldn't make any sounds. If it only happens in the Anghami app, this is something for the developer of Anghami to fix. If it also happens in other music players, check if the call volume is really set to zero.

The last option might be to choose an empty sound for notifications, but that's not really a fix.


How to tether lg optimus v without rooting

ClockworkMod Tether works for sharing your phone's connection with a PC, even if your carrier blocks tethering, without root.


The firmwares files you are trying to flash using ODin have bootloaders removed and they are for s5570 while you have s5570i.
You should download the firmwares that are specific to your phone from here http://www.sammobile.com/firmware/?page=3&t=1&o=1&m=GT-S5570I&r=1#modelsa1
Hope your problem gets resolved if it isnt till now...


How to move apps on SD-card to bigger SD-card without PC

There are a couple of ways to do it:
For simplicity I prefer to split into categories:

Backup of files (music, documents, videos, any other media files and miscellaneous files)

Backup of installed applications

Other (e.g SMS/MMS attachments etc)

Method to back up Categoty 1 Data
Prerequisites:

Unlimited/suitable data plan

Must have signed to a cloud storage (or have one Google drive will do just fine)

You can easily upload the data to google drive or other similar cloud solutions.
To retrieve it you need to redownload it again.
Method to back up Category 2 data
To preserve the intergrity of all your apps (with thier data), you need additional app, capable of doing this. (Install in internal memory).
A good example is Helium - App Sync and Backup (doesnt require  root). Other similar app is Utimate backup, alternatively browse around playstore to pick one there.
It allows you to choose the apps you want to backup. Again if there is no enough space on internal memory use the cloud solution e.g dropbox or similar.

Method to back up category 3 data
This requires much less space than the 2 above. You can just back up in internal memory as well.
Retreiving data after installing new sd card

All the data that have been backup up can then be downloaded again, using the cloud solution previously used and from internal memory.


You are trying to load a kernel module (noticeable at the .ko extension) as a software module (typically .jar or .so) Those .ko modules have to be compiled together with the kernel. You can't load them with a command, they have to be loaded by the kernel. If your kernel supports that module, then copying and rebooting is enough and the module should load and run. If it doesn't do so then you need a custom kernel with that module already built in.


Looking for application that captures name-card and sync with google contact?

You could give CamCard a try.

  CamCard is a professional business card reader and business card
  scanner. Simply take a picture of a business card, CamCard recognizes
  the business card and saves contact information in Card Holder or your
  Address Book. Then feel at ease to manage cards with CamCard -
  business card reader and business card scanner.

Of course, you can always sync Google contacts.


Yes, at the end of every mic message the keyboard make a toast appears that says

  Audio saved to your account


As far as I know there's no way of doing this directly.  However you have a few options:

Enable Google's backup (Settings -> Privacy). It will sync your settings and app list to the cloud, as well as any app data for apps that support it.
If you're rooted, use Titanium Backup.  It can save all your apps and data, and you could put the backup on your SD card.  You won't want to restore the data for system apps between two different phones though, since they're unlikely to be entirely compatible.


How can I recover photos from my bricked Google Nexus 5X

Android doesn't allow you to access your storage unless you boot into your phone or have your bootloader unlocked. And if you unlock your bootloader, you lose all your stuff in that process. So if you really want your photos, you will have to go through the tedious process of booting your phone and copying images one by one until it reboots, rinse and repeat. If you remember your folder structure, its way faster to use ADB commands to pull all your images than doing copy paste. Use - adb pull /scard/my_family_photos pc_backup_folder

  Do I understand correctly that the device is likely beyond (affordable) repair?

Fortunately, there is a fix for this infamous Nexus 5X bootloop issue. You need to disable all high performance a57 cores. Instructions for doing so are in this XDA thread

PS: Did you check photos.google.com? Maybe it has everything backed up on the cloud? Also, try contacting Google/LG regardless of your warranty status. You might just get a replacement device or a refurb.

Edit: One very unsafe and risky way is to let your storage be wiped while unlocking, apply the patch mentioned in the thread and use recovery apps like Undelete or Photo recovery to try to get something back. But this is very risky process and wouldn't work 100%

Another crazy hack is to put your phone in a plastic wrap, put it in freezer with the USB cable dangling out, connect to your laptop and try to copy your photos. It should give you 5-10 minutes before it starts rebooting. You can do this 3-4 times and get everything off your device. Don't let your device get moist though.


What are the security implications of enabling NFC on my Andriod device?

It sounds like you're overthinking the capabilities of NFC. Most devices are configured so that the phone must be unlocked in order for an NFC to be triggered (this can be overridden with an app). Unless you place you phone on a tag with the screen on and unlocked, the tag won't be read.


On my S4 with Verizon's version of Lollipop, this option isn't in the settings menus; it's one of the entries under the "Mode" button on the actual viewfinder screen.


Android Updates: Why Carrier Involvement?

It has to do with the contracts that carriers have with the manufacturers. They also have to do testing of the deployments, to make sure they "go off without a hitch". If the updates fails for users, the carrier is the one that has to take the service call. They also have to do training for their customer services people on how to handle any update issues.

Besides deployments, they also need to test that the update doesn't compromise the network, or the device.

Let's also not forget about the bloat ware that the carriers add to the releases. These are applications that the carrier may be getting paid to distribute, another way for them to make some money off the device that they are selling at a subsidized price.

If you buy your phones outright, you will pay more up front for the device, but buying subsidized, you pay more for it with the higher contract fees. Non-contract plans are cheaper per month, and every carrier offers them, you just have to ask for it. They don't advertise them because they make more money off the contracts.


Can I Change My Device Info For Reach Another Version of an App On Play Store?

As I've already pointed out in my comments on the question, modifying your device's build.prop to appear as a different architecture is a very bad idea. It won't "hard-brick" your device, but certainly will have side-effects you won't like (e.g. the device might refuse to boot up at all – not sure what exactly will happen, as I was not yet bold enough to try; if you really want to know that, either try (not recommended if you don't know a way out then) or ask that as a separate question).

Concerning your real goal: As pointed out in my answer here, you can use Raccoon on your computer for that.

While the other question focuses on apps you've bought, Raccoon of course also works for free apps. For different device architectures, you will need to create different profiles: DummyDroid can create the required "GSF IDs for mock up devices" if you don't know the one of yours, based on the given device's build.prop. If that doesn't work out, or you want to use the "real ID", please see my answer here on how to obtain it from your device (or from that of your cousin).


Bluetooth tethering is a native function supported by Android. You do not need third party apps.

To tether your internet via bluetooth on your Galaxy S4:
Go to home Settings ► Connections ► More networks ► Tethering and portable hotspot ► and check Bluetooth tethering.

As explained in this answer, you can tether two mobile devices easily by pairing the devices and enabling data on the first device.


Switching from IPhone to Android is really easy. You'll need Google drive installed on your iPhone and set your Google account.

Further explanations can be found here

If your android device is a Samsung, you'll need Smart Switch app.

To get started, you'll first need to install  Samsung Smart Switch Mobile app from the Play Store on your Samsung device.

After launching the app, select iCloud from the list of options. The service works by using your iCloud device backup, and transferring your information to the Samsung device.

You may not feel comfortable with giving Samsung your Apple credentials. For this scenario,  Samsung has created a desktop tool to transfer your information. The tool can be found here.
Just follow the steps on screen.


Does the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Support ANT+ WSN technology

This is the current list of supported devices.  There look to be 3 top level variants for the Note 3.  If you select the model then press the more info link there is a list of the actual model numbers.

I am not sure if all the Note 3 variants are ANT capable but I think the majority are, you need to check the exact model number really to be sure.


Can WhatsApp video calls be restored/reviewed?

No, WhatsApp video calls can't be restored and reviewed. It's not stored anywhere locally on the phone or remotely on the internet.

The size shown here is the total data transferred through the internet while on the video call. It's basically the usage of network data, mostly for data usage auditing/monitoring on a limited internet plan.

There are some 3rd-party apps that can record WhatsApp video calls locally on the phone, but WhatsApp doesn't have a feature to record both phone and video calls natively.


Why are my auto-complete suggestions so bad?

This appears to be a bug in the 2.3.4 update. It is being tracked here.


You can try  this while the phones is on.

(You MUST have USB debugging enabled and authorized)

adb shell recovery --wipe_data


System ui crashing after installing cyanogenmod

Try clearing the data of the SystemUI application from the Settings->Apps-All Apps menu.

If you cannot operate the phone because the crashes are too frequent, you can do it with a computer through ADB shell command.


WiFi Tether Causes a BSOD in Laptop Using Intel WiFi Hardware

Its happening to me as well since yesterday. Never happens with dell but first time in HP. Read somewhere that enabling FIPS in wifi setting in laptop will solve this problem will check and revert.


You will need to recompile your entire ROM as 64 bit, then flash the GSI

GSIs will need the vendor and kernel and well everything else to be 64 bit

This is not a task for the faint heart,  but I'm sure you can find a guide somewhere. Even so, the source ROM may not have the required 64 bit libraries, so you'll have to include those. Basically the only way to bring 64 bit support is a 64 bit ROM. Not undoablle, but not easy.


You can turn off your mobile data while playing the games. Settings > More Settings > Mobile Networks > Deselect "Mobile Data"

But with this, you can't sign in to Google Play Games service (if available in the game).


Will Google play store auto update in future if I install latest store APK manually for now?

Yes, It will :)

I do this all the time when a update comes up and available to my phone.

I too am using Play Store 4.9.13.

Even if this doesn't work out, you can uninstall updates in app settings in your phone.


Device rooting fails, but doesn't brick?

You can install Busybox from the market too: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=stericson.busybox&hl=en

And to your other question

  i just wanna know what does busy box do?

taken from market description:

BusyBox is a software application that provides many standard Unix tools, much like the larger (but more capable) GNU Core Utilities. BusyBox is designed to be a small executable for use with the Linux kernel, which makes it ideal for use with embedded devices. It has been self-dubbed "The Swiss Army Knife of Embedded Linux".

The official BusyBox website about page has some more info about what it is too.


What to do when mobile gets wet and the battery is not removable

It looks like your screen has been effected by the water and needs a new screen.

You can also open it up and dry the screen and digitalizer carefully. Maybe the screen and digitalizer are still wet on the inside. iFixit has said that it's "impossible" to repair it (open it up and being able to close it again), so be warned.
The other option is to turn your phone off and put it in the oven for a short few minutes. The heat will come into the phone and the water will dry up, but it's not guarenteed, since it looks like the screen has already been infected.

It's best to let a technician do it's thing. Take note that waterdamage is probably not a warranty thing, so that they're charging serious money. It's your choice to let it repair or not, because I don't think your phone will suddenly stop functioning. If it does, you can always let your phone being repaired later.


Unpinning apps when using Gesture-based system navigation

I am using a Huawei Mate 20 Pro, using gesture navigation, and I have found that to unpin an app you have to swipe from the side, as if you were going back, but hold it instead of releasing it. Then it will take you to the lock screen. Hope this helps.


Searching in a specific folder of Google Drive on Android

No, searching by folder is not currently allowed in the mobile versions of Google Drive. It's unclear if Google is planning on adding it to the mobile versions.


Some location based mobile sites not working in chrome

It seems that starting with the April release of chrome for android, only sites using https can request location information.

https://developers.google.com/web/updates/2016/04/geolocation-on-secure-contexts-only?hl=en


Short answer

Unfortunately, the answer is that you can't make it work. (at least, not without modding your Nexus 7)

Long answer

As jeff says in his comment:

  I can confirm unlike some other android devices I have used standard volume control headphones that work with iPhones and many other mobile devices, including android do not work on the Nexus 7. This is a hardware issue as far as I can tell

According to the Crossfade LP product page, the volume controls are only for apple devices:

  Universal Compatibility and Microphone Communication
  LP comes with 2 cables for universal compatibility with all modern mobile and audio devices. The 3-Button remote microphone cable is designed for the latest Apple devices, including iPhone®,iPad®, iPod®, and Macbook series. The long audio-only cable and 1/4" adapter is universally compatible with all audio devices and professional equipment. (Emphasis mine)

In order to understand how these headphone volume controls work, I asked about this over on Electrical Engineering stack exchange, and it appears that this relies on the switches presenting a fixed resistance between the ground and the microphone input. Thus this technique requires (at a minimum) a 4 pole (TRRS) jack, rather than a standard 3 pole (TRS) jack as is used in the Nexus 7.

Note while that the Asus Nexus 7 spec suggests that it has a Headset Jack (i.e. headphone and microphone), Google have confirmed to at least one person that this is incorrect, and the Nexus 7 only has a headphone jack.

As such, the volume controls are not intended to work with ordinary headphone sockets such as the one on the Nexus 7.

I'm not sure how you got it to work with Windows XP/7 unless the headphone socket on your windows machine was also a headset jack and also supported this volume control technology (or you are running them virtualised on a Macbook, in which case OS-X will be taking care of it for you).


Which version of clockwork recovery creates backups as a tar files?

There is no incompatibility for backups/restores between CWM versions 2.x, 3.x and 4.x. Both the filenames and the contents of the backup files will be the same.

With the CWM version 5.x:

It can read and restore the backup files created by all the older versions of CWM.
If you create a backup with 5.x, an try to restore it in one of the older CWM versions, two issues come up:

File formats:

The contents of /data and /sdcard/.android_secure are now in tar files instead of the old yaffs2 image files.
Filenames:

The backup filenames have changed from partition_name.img to partition_name.fstype.ext.

To answer your question:

Since you have files like the partition_name.fstype.ext, they refer to a backup from the CWM version 5.x.

e.g., your file system.ext3.tar is from the partition system, using file system ext3 and backed up within a .tar file.


Backup and Restore

Following the app recommendations made in this XDA post How to backup local contacts with their high res pictures ?

I set a hi res 1984 × 1800 picture for contact and backed up using Super backup: SMS and contacts , took a backup , deleted the contact and restored

To my eyes, it appeared to be high resolution as originally set

The other app was not tried as it was pointed out in app review that it didn't work beyond 720 resolution

I tried to locate the storage of these high resolution pictures to manually verify the restored file size but couldn't. Method described in Where does android store contact photos ? didn't work

Edit

The reason I wanted to verify pre and post backup - restore process was to check if hi-res photos were backed up , not wanting to believe my eyes judging the resolution of the picture in a small circle on an LCD screen. So I asked this question High resolution contact pictures in Marshmallow - what is their size and where are they stored
As iBug explained in the accepted answer the resolution is capped to 720 by 720 irrespective of the picture size , an improvement implemented from KitKat days

It turns out that my suspicion was well founded !

As an aside, contact thumbnails (  used for notifications, messaging applications ) which are scaled down to 96 by 96 can be scaled up to 256 by 256 by this Xposed module Clarity

Bottom Line: Any contact picture irrespective of original resolution will look no better than a 720 by 720 resolution, whether you use an app , Gmail sync or for that matter in any manner


If you are rooted and have a 3rd party ROM that has not been tested, it might be a bug or a glitch, I would contact the developer.


Generally speaking, you want the appropriate su binary to be executable from the PATH, such as putting it in /system/xbin.  What version you use is up to you, but if you're using SuperSU then use the binary that comes in its flash package (https://download.chainfire.eu/396/supersu/).


How does Android detect new mail, tweet, etc?

It's a very clever system called "Push Notifications".
How it works
An Android device will keep an active connection to Google's servers. This is a small connection, using very little amount of data and power. Notifications are sent from app developer servers, say Twitter, or Facebook, emails, etc. to the Google servers. The Android device will then see that notification and download it.
I just found a better explanation on Stackoverflow. The good explanation of how it works can be found here. (Here's a quote of the first answer, although answer two is easier to understand):

There is simply a TCP socket waiting in accept mode on a cloud Google server. The TCP connection had been initiated by the Goggle Play application. That's why Google Play must be installed on the device for making Google Cloud Messaging (GCM) (formerly Android Cloud to Device Messaging Service - C2DM) work.
When this TCP client socket receives some message, the message contains information such as the package name of the application it should be addressed to, and of course - the data itself. This data is parsed and packed into an intent that is broadcast and eventually received by the application.
The TCP socket stays open even when the device's radio state turns into "idle" mode. Applications don't have to be running to receive the intents.

Why using push notifications are useful
The effect of having a single open connection means two important things:
Firstly, your device uses less data/bandwidth connecting to all the third party servers.
Secondly, it uses less power, as applications don't have to be open in the background to check for notifications, as it's all handled by a single background application.


There are many ways in Android of scheduling things to happen later on certain conditions. One of them is the AlarmManager, which lets an app run at a predetermined time, or at a given interval between 15 minutes and daily. This is how most recurring tasks work on Android, such as checking email. There's no user-modifiable control for the AlarmManager: it's up to the app to expose appropriate settings.

Android apps can also register broadcast receivers to be notified when certain conditions are met or when events happen. For example, the email app might also register a broadcast receiver to be triggered when an internet connection becomes available. That way, if it misses its times for checking email because you were offline, it can check email once you go back online.


Nexus 7 is stuck in reboot loop after full discharge

If you've just plugged it in to the charger, leave it a while before you try to turn it on.  The boot sequence uses power faster than USB can provide it, so you will need a little juice in the battery in order for it to boot up all the way.


Is it possible to restore the data of Microsoft authenticator from a TWRP backup?

With much thanks to @Robert and especially @Firelord I was able to resolve my problem, and with relative ease.
Below contains all of the steps I had to take to recover the necessary information I required from the Microsoft Authenticator folder.
Pre-requirement steps:

I had to have access to my entire TWRP backup, with all of the data partition files (I transferred my TWRP backup from my SD card to my PC to be able to access it with conveniency/effiency)

Then I had to change all of the data partition file extensions to .tar (The easiest way to do this was to just rename the files, and add .tar at the end)

Microsoft Authenticator Recovery Steps:

Next, I had to look through all of the ".tar"(s) and find the one that had the _\data\data\ directory, from there, I found the com.azure.authenticator folder

I opened the com.azure.authenticator folder, and then found and opened the databases folder

Then I looked for the PhoneFactor database file which contained all OTP related information for Microsoft Authenticator (I made sure it's not the cached verison -> I was able to tell which was the cached version by comparing the two PhoneFactor files and determining which is bigger, the bigger one is the "actual" file --- It seems all of the "cached" files have a size of 72 bytes)

I extracted the PhoneFactor file to an accessible location -> downloaded a SQLite Viewer application (I chose DB Browser for SQLite) -> I proceeded to open the PhoneFactor file with the SQLite viewer

Then I clicked the Browse Data button (The highlighted red boxes on the left side of the image are solely to indicate what I was looking for, which is all of the OTP information - On the right side, the highlighted red box is meant to display where you have to click to actually get the information)

You should now see all the information related to your Microsoft Authenticator app, including all of your OTPs and the names you assigned to them, the usernames you set to them, and most importantly, their oath_secret_key(s)

Now, you can either manually type in the oath_secret_key(s) alongside their name(s)/username(s) into Microsoft Authenticator, or any other 2-factor-authentication app you prefer

Boom, you have now successfully recovered the OTP information from Microsoft Authenticator


How can I send a SMS (Instead of MMS) from a Motorola Atrix 4G?

It automatically changes to MMS when a message's length goes over 160 bytes (160 ASCII characters). You should be able to go back to SMS by starting a new message.


Belkin mobile wireless keyboard F5L175 set to wrong language on galaxy tab e, how to fix

Here’s how to set things right. First, turn on bluetooth on your device & connect to the external keyboard. On android device, you need to go into the Settings menu, then find the ‘Language & input’ option. (On recent versions of Android, you should see a ‘Select keyboard layout’ option in your notifications, which will take you to the same place.)

From here, find your Bluetooth keyboard listed under ‘Physical keyboard’ and press on its name. A menu will appear that lets you choose a keyboard language. If you don’t see the correct option, choose ‘Set up keyboard language’. Then, find your desired language (e.g. English – US android) and tick the box. Now your Bluetooth keyboard should be set to its desired language.
Thanks to the guys at MobileFun.uk


stuck installing cyanogenmod on htc one X+

In the CyanogenMod zip's updater script, remove the entire assert() line. That will remove the device identity verification and will let the recovery commence flashing immediately.


Unified remote has worked very well for me in the past.

Website

Android app


Solution found,there is something strange on my net because i see 554 port on every machine!

But if i did a telnet outside this machine..554 doesn't answer.

I investigate..meanwhile i'm happy my android is not infected,firefox probably take a fake virus.


Play Store icons are no longer transparent

This seems to be a known bug in the Play store app from v4.8.20. Try uninstalling the updates to the play store app. This could be a temporary fix until the bug if fixed in a future version of the app.


Files and Data loss when sd card is changed from java supported phone to android phone

If you removed the micro SD card from a device (any device) while it was still in use, this can cause filesystem corruption. This can often be repaired by connecting it to a card reader on your PC and using a disk scanning tool (e.g. ScanDisk on Windows).


Why does adb shell have higher permissions than common terminal applications?

In short, a normal terminal application runs with "normal user" privileges. ADB shell is designed for debugging purposes, so it has more privileges.


LG Optimus G Pro E985 - How to make pictures more colorful

If the colors are washed out even on automatic mode and good lighting, it may be a hardware issue. Best option might be to use a 3rd party app to increase the photos' vibrance. I personally use Perfectly Clear and Pixlr Express to improve colors on my Samsung Galaxy S4.


Why my phone battery has four terminal? what is the use of the fourth?

Connector A seems a U.FL-R-SMT-10 and probably is for an external/additional antenna.

  U.FL, is a miniature coaxial RF connector for high-frequency signals
  up to 6 GHz manufactured by Hirose Electric Group in Japan.1 U.FL
  connectors are commonly used inside laptops and embedded systems to
  connect the Wi-Fi antenna to a Mini PCI card. Female U.FL connectors
  are not designed with reconnection in mind, and they are only rated
  for a few reconnects before replacement is needed. The female U.FL
  connectors are generally not sold separately, but rather as part of a
  pigtail with a high-quality 1.32 mm doubly shielded cable, which
  allows for a low-loss connection.

(from Wikipedia)


When I plug in earphones into my HTC Desire S, it dials the phone

HTC Desire HD Android 2.3.5

I had exactly the same problem, would plug in standard headphones/ earphones/ aux cable to speakers... all of these would register on the phone as earphones with a mic built in for some reason.  it would cut music tracks short and play the next one or start ringing a call.

strangely, as i was searching for this thread, the problem has self corrected.  All that is different is that I updated ALL of my apps on google app store today.  This is the only factor that I have changed.  Try this!  I hope it works out for you as well as I know how frustrating it was!

best wishes


How to see what is stored in System memory area?

Just get X-plore mate ;D. I have been usign it since 2006. It is available on multiple platforms.

You can see system folders.
You can see hidden files and folders.
Which you can delete/copy/move (be careful when you do that)
You can open many archived files as well.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lonelycatgames.Xplore


I have the same problem with my samsung galaxy S4. Try to reset the phone and if the problem persists try with phone formatting. I solve this problem with the second way I told you. I hope that I can help you


Why doesn't my device ever show 100% charged?

A Google engineer said (on Google+, I think) that Nexus phones are designed to not charge the battery to 100 %, as it is stressful for the battery. Even when a phone shows 100% and charged, the circuitry actually charges and discharges the battery, always keeping it under 100% (and above 92%, I think).

I tried to find the source, but Google search hasn't turned anything up yet. Will add it here if I find it later.

So when your device does not show 100%, do not panic. That's by design.


OnePlus 3 - 2G (GSM) network not working - Selected network (o2 - cz) unavailable

This has all the symptoms of a hardware issue. I would get in contact with OnePlus customer support and ask what they can do for you. Since the device is new, they will likely replace it.


No there is not way to turn off charging.


Stuck on welcome screen & language selection

Own answer

Auto rotate helps.

More concretely the landscape orientation because you see in the bottom half of button without text (i.e no 'go next' or something else) and can go next so I clicked but I don't know why UI is so big. I suppose the author built UI big. That's why you can not see button next in portrait orientation


The only way easy way to have a phone with current software is to buy from one of the 4 companies (Google, Honor/Huawei, OnePlus, Xiaomi) that bother to keep older devices up to date;

https://www.xda-developers.com/list-android-devices-project-treble-support/

so that the OS will notify you of updates when they are avalable.
You can double check by cross referencing the kernel version and android security patch level with

https://www.kernel.org/

https://source.android.com/security/bulletin

Lineageos is a nice alternative for unsupported phones but is not without  issues;

https://web.archive.org/web/20170517160235/https://cve.lineageos.org/


Its better to block ads on android through the hosts file rather than via a proxy but you need root for that. If you have root access the you can use Adaway along with  an updated hosts file from XDA for a stricter ad blocking.( You can add the source location of the hosts file in adaway)

http://adblock.mahakala.is

If you don't have root access then you can use adgaurd. But it sets up a vpn. For more effective ad blocking in apps, you should get adguard premium version.


How does blackberry security features differ from standard android?

Well, it depends on what you mean by "standard Android". There are some non-exclusive features and some special.

BlackBerry provides monthly security updates. This is not exclusive, for example Google and Nokia provide security updates, too. Some other vendors provide regular updates for a subset of their portfolio. Maybe some of them are even faster than BlackBerry. But BlackBerry phones are still much better than average there, because many vendors completely ignore security updates.

BlackBerry also provides state-of-the-art security features like verified boot, downgrade prevention, encrypted filesystem and so on. I am not sure about others in the industry, but at least, BlackBerry is likely not worse than others. I believe that some of those are now requirements and some are done voluntarily, so I guess BlackBerry is slightly above average there.

BlackBerry has also some visible exclusive feature: DTEK. Please don't confuse DTEK app with DTEK phones, BlackBerry makes some mess in naming. DTEK  is some security suite that contains not only a security checklist (that might advise you, for example, to require PIN for boot), but also allows you to manage permissions of all the apps (and revoke them even for pre-Marshmallow apps) and watch their usage (e.g., find apps frequently accessing location in background, or even be notified when some app accesses location in background). Of course, this is not just for location, one might be also concerned about other permissions.

AFAIR, BlackBerry has performed some kernel hardening, but I don't remember details.
Overall, BlackBerry seems to be a reasonable choice if you want a reasonably secure Android phone. It is not the only reasonable choice, as there are some other choices that might be good, too.


Is there a way (not date) to number photos sequentially.

To my knowledge, all digital cameras follow the Design rule for Camera File system (DCF), a Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association JEITA standard (CP-3461B) for digital cameras. This is why your digital camera sequences the photos.

Phones do not necessarily have to follow this standard, since they are not just digital cameras. Phone storage still used the DCIM folder to give a standardized placement for photos, but this does not mean that they photo file names will follow the standard.

As far as phones storing photo with sequential numbers, yes, it is possible that they could do that. It would mean changing how the file names are generated to use a sequencing number instead of the randomly generated number or, in my case with the S9, the use of the time in military format for the second half.


Recent Android versions have a setting to let you designate some Wi-Fi connections as "metered"; i.e. they're actually a hotspot for which you get charged per byte transferred.

On vanilla Android, go to the Settings app, then Data usage, then on the overflow menu, choose Network restrictions. The name isn't very obvious, but the next screen explains:

  Metered networks are treated like mobile when background data is restricted. Apps may warn before using these networks for large downloads.

Within apps, any "only on Wi-Fi" options are affected by these settings: the networks you select do not count as Wi-Fi for that purpose.


How to disable Peek / Heads Up notifications globally in Android Oreo?

It's possible to disable the heads-up notifications with adb, without root, using one of the two options below. Sadly, on some of the most recent LG or Samsung phones, this setting is saved only in RAM, hence it only works until the next reboot.
Preliminary steps (required for both options)
On your phone:

Disable "Disable alerts during game" feature (see this issue for details)
Under Android Settings/Developer Options, enable USB Debugging;
Under Android Settings/Developer Options/Select USB Configuration, enable PTP (Picture Transfer Protocol);
Plug your phone to your computer.

On your computer:

Install ADB standalone for Windows;
Install the drivers;
Open a command prompt to the folder C:\Program Files (x86)\Minimal ADB and Fastboot
Run ./adb devices to make sure your device is properly recognized;

On your phone:

press OK on Allow USB Debugging?

Option 1
On your computer:

Run ./adb shell settings put global heads_up_notifications_enabled 0

Option 2
On your phone:

Install SystemUI Tuner
Follow the instructions and run the required adb commands
Edit Quick Settings:

Add the Heads-up Notifications Toggle to quick settings:

Tap on the toggle to disable the heads-up notifications:

As mentioned above, both options work only until the next reboot on some phones which save this settings in RAM, so option 2 is more convenient because it allows to easily re-disable the heads-up notifications after reboot using the quick settings toggle.
Android 9 and above
It is possible to disable them from:

Settings > Custom restrictions > Don't pop notifications on screen (source)

If that still doesn't work try disabling and enabling:

Apps & notifications > Special app access > Adaptive Notifications (source)


The first step must be done manually, and one extra tap (confirm a prompt) for each device is required.

Enable USB debugging (after unlocking Developer Options) for every device
Prepare the files. A custom recovery (you should find it by yourself) and a SuperSU flashable ZIP
Prepare a script and place the downloaded SuperSU ZIP and recovery IMG in the same directory. Rename the SuperSU ZIP file to SuperSU.zip and your recovery image to recovery.img
Plug in one device and run the script. Tap "Authenticate" if it prompts for USB debugging. It will reboot several times. When the device shows the normal operating system, unplug it
Repeat step 4 until all are finished.

Script (Unix version):

#!/bin/sh
echo "install /sdcard/SuperSU.zip" > openrecoveryscript
echo "cmd reboot" >> openrecoveryscript
adb wait-for-device
adb reboot bootloader
fastboot wait-for-device
fastboot flash recovery recovery.img
fastboot boot recovery.img
adb wait-for-device
adb push SuperSU.zip /sdcard/SuperSU.zip
adb push openrecoveryscript /cache/recovery/openrecoveryscript
adb reboot recovery
# You're done!


How do you cast video/content to your television from Amazon Prime Video app?

2018-09-13 update

Short answer is: you can't. You can use a laptop (windows/linux/mac/chrome-os) with Chrome browser to cast. Or you can buy an Amazon-Fire hardware device.

Long answer: the "cast your screen" solution now seems to be broken.

Broken? Exactly how?:

the audio plays from the TV screen
the video does not play form the TV screen (TV is black where the video should be)

So for android devices, I don't know of any way to cast from your Android device to a Chromecast.

2017-12-12 Use the Android feature called "cast your screen".

how to use "cast your screen"

turn on your TV and Chromecast
make sure your chromecast/phone are connected to the same wifi
unlock your phone
pull down the "quick settings" drawer from the top
touch the "cast screen/audio" button
your chromecast should now display what is on your Android device's screen
open the Amazon Prime Video app
play your content on your phone and the audio/video will show up on your television

Official directions from Google on how to cast your screen: https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/2865484?hl=en

background

The Amazon Prime Video app does not support streaming to Chromecast from the app.

However a less well-known feature of newer Android versions is the ability to "cast your Android device's screen and audio" to the television. Or to put it another way you can "mirror your display" from your Android device to the television.

The "cast your Android device" feature is supported for later versions of Android 4.x (I don't know what version exactly).

caveat

The "cast your screen" requires your Android device to be on, screen on, unlocked
because "cast your screen" mirrors your android device

the battery usage is high
the wifi bandwidth used is high (has to send the audio/video from the internet to your phone, then from your phone to the router, then from the router to the Chromcast)

the resolution on the television depends on your phone's pixel resolution
"cast your screen" can cut out for various reasons and does not seem to be as reliable as normal Chromecast


How to install/swap Recovery on Redmi 1S, running on CM11

1 & 2: Just flash what you want to have on your device, the old recovery will be overwritten. I recommend the app "Flashify" from Google play store for flashing recovery without computer.

3: About phone > tap build number seven times > press back > developer options > check "update CM recovery"


Files app (com.android.documentsui) crashes on Recent tab

Enable Developer options. Go into Developer options > Running services > Cached processes. Stop  all Google service or process you see there.


How can I deal with unwanted system applications without rooting?

No, that is impossible -- as only root can make the system partition writable (which is required to delete a system app, which is stored there). However, using ICS (Android 4.0) or above, you can at least "freeze" them (make it "invisible and unusable") -- and, if you later decide otherwise, also unfreeze them again (see e.g. How to Remove / Disable the Bloatware Apps in the HTC One X or Bye-bye, bloatware: Disable system apps in Android Ice Cream Sandwich).


How to power off when charger is removed?

Using Macrodroid:

On the Triggers tab, under Battery/Power section select "Power Connected/Disconnected", then choose "Power Disconnected".
On the Actions tab, under Macrodroid Specific, select "Wait Before Next Action", then set the delay period to 20 seconds.
On the Actions tab, under Device Actions, select Reboot/PowerOff, then choose "Power Off". If "Power Off" does not work on your device, choose "Power Off (Alternative)".
Save the macro and give it a name.

When completed, the macro will look like the image below. Use the 3-dot to test the macro.

Note: Powering off requires the device be rooted.

Update:
The way the macro is programmed above does not allow to stop the device from being power off if the charger is connected again before the 20 seconds delay expires. To stop the trigger, a condition to check the state of the device after the delay expires but before the action to power it off.

Edit the macro. Add a new action. Under the Actions, on the Conditions/Loops section, select "If clause". Add a condition. Select "Power Connected" under the Battery/Power section and choose "Power Disconnected", then OK. Click the up and down arrows button on the Actions box, move the "Power Off" action inside the "If...End If". Save the macro. The macro will look like the image below.


From a quick search of the Market, only Northern Bank has anything obvious in there at the moment, and they're not quite one of the really big UK High St banks.

(Barclays have a couple of apps but they're all related to their marketing/sponsorship nothing to do with personal accounts).


Will the 'wipe data/factory reset' option in clockworkdmod also wipe the internal sd card?

No.

This would make no sense, because the main use of wiping from ClockworkMod is to install a new ROM from SD card. As certain devices (e.g., Nexus S) do not have an external SD card, wiping the internal storage marked as "SD card" would wipe the ROM you are about to install.


Can I downgrade from Kitkat to JellyBean on my Moto X?

The full guide can be found here but i've included the steps below in case that page is not available.

NOTE: All of your personal information, data, accounts and so on will be deleted so make sure you have a backup

  On your computer Android SDK must be installed: learn how to install Android SDK on Windows, or learn how to set up ADB on MAC OS X / Linux.

  Also, on the same computer the Moto X drivers must be installed.

  Download the RSDLite app from here.
  Save the file on your computer.
  Also, install the program.
  Get the Moto X stock Android OS from this page.
  On your computer, unzip the downloaded update file.
  Then, from the folder that will be created right click on the file
  with .XML extension.
  Select “open with” followed by “notepad” or any other XML editor
  from your computer.
  Find the following string and delete it: “step operation=”getvar”
  var=”max-download-size”.
  Save and close the notepad window.
  Open the RSDLite program on your computer.
  Take your Moto X and connect your phone with the PC via USB cord.
  On your PC now open a command prompt window (start -> run -> cmd).
  On the cmd window type: adb reboot bootloader.
  Your phone will be rebooted in fastboot mode.
  From RDSLite, click on the three-dot browse file button and select
   the .XML file.
  Up next, click on “start”.
  Wait while the process is running on don’t press anything else.
  When the firmware is successfully installed you will be able to
   unplug the USB cord.
  Good; now reboot your smartphone.


When will my device get the Android 5.0 update (Lollipop)?

This community wiki will list all of the known and rumored dates for devices. If you have an update make sure to follow the format that's been established, and the following guidelines:

Keep devices in alphabetical order listing the manufacturer and model
Specify if the date is confirmed or rumored and link to the source
If there is an unofficial release, link to the site where it can be downloaded

Phones

HTC

Butterfly 2: "January-March" (confirmed)
Butterfly S: "March-May" (confirmed)
Desire 816: "March-April" (confirmed)
Desire EYE: "January-March" (confirmed)
One E8: "January-March" (confirmed)
One E8 Dual SIM: "January-March" (confirmed)
One Max: "March-May" (confirmed)
One Mini: "March-May" (confirmed) Not receiving update
One Mini 2: "March-April" (confirmed) Not receiving update
One M7: "within 90 days" (confirmed), "GPE is late November-December, Sense based devices is January-February" (confirmed)
One M7 Dual SIM: "January-March" (confirmed)
One M8: "within 90 days" (confirmed), "GPE is late November-December, Sense based devices is January-February" (confirmed)
One M8 Dual SIM: "January-March" (confirmed)

LG

G2: Will follow the G3 update (source)
G3: Q4 2014 (source, source2)
Nexus 4: 2014-11-14 (official, confirmed)
Nexus 5: 2014-11-12 (official, confirmed)

The Nexus 5 is also one of the two devices for which there is an official developer preview image

Motorola

Droid Maxx: Yes (official)
Droid Mini: Yes (official)
Droid Ultra: Yes (official)
Moto E: Yes (official)
Moto G (1st & 2nd gen): Yes (official)

2nd gen / unlocked: 2014-11-11 (confirmed)

Moto G with 4G LTE: Yes (official)
Moto X (1st & 2nd gen): Yes (official)

2nd gen

unlocked: 2014-11-11 (confirmed)
Verizon: 2014-11-25 (confirmed)

OnePlus

One: Yes (rumor)

Samsung

Galaxy Note 2: Never (confirmed)
Galaxy Note 4: Yes (source)

Exynos variant: 2015-02-11 (confirmed)

Galaxy S 3: Never (confirmed)
Galaxy S 4: Probably, early 2015 (rumor)
Galaxy S 5: December, 2014 (source)

Sony

Xperia Z Series: Yes (confirmed)
(Xperia Z, Xperia ZL, Xperia ZR, Xperia Z1, Xperia Z1S, Xperia Z Ultra, Xperia Z1 Compact, Xperia Z2, Xperia Z3, Xperia Z3v, Xperia Z3 Compact)

Tablets

Asus

Nexus 7 (2012 & 2013): "In the coming weeks" (official)

WiFi versions: 2014-11-12 (official, confirmed)
The Nexus 7 2013 Wi-Fi is also one of the two devices for which there is an official developer preview image

LG

G Pad 8.3

Google Play Edition: 2014-11-29 (confirmed)

Nvidia

Shield: 2014-11-18 (official)
Tegra Note 7 (aka Advent Vega Tegra Note 7, Xolo Play Tegra Note 7, eVGA Tegra Note 7, GAZER Tegra Note 7, Gigabyte Tegra Note 7, HP Slate 7 Extreme): Yes (confirmed)

Samsung

Nexus 10: 2014-11-12 (official, confirmed)

Sony

Xperia Z Tablet Series: Yes (confirmed)
(Xperia Tablet Z, Xperia Z2 Tablet, Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact)

Other


How can you verify titanium backup is encrypting backups?

As per this post titanium does not encrypt apps binaries(apk). It just encrypts apps data.


Turning my mobile into wifi hotspot using computer connection?

If you're using a PC with Wi-Fi, you don't need the mobile to create a hotspot: How to Turn Your Windows PC Into a Wi-Fi Hotspot

You should also be able to use this method if you're getting the Internet connection on your PC through a mobile device via USB.

Hope this helps!


Incoming calls from unsaved numbers showing UNKNOWN NUMBER in my MOTO G

This usually happens when your phone contract doesn't include caller ID. When you have caller ID, numbers will show and Google will do a search to show you who is the caller.


LG G6 (H870) LineageOS 14.1 - Encryption not working

It's currently not implemented, the patch needs reviewing or something. I spent several days trying to figure it out. If you're into it, you can merge it yourself and rebuild and it should work: https://review.lineageos.org/#/c/165296/ (although I think this patch is for file-based encryption, there is a separate one for full disk encryption).


My new tablet tells me that I am making a wrong pattern and I am not able to use it

What actually happened there is that:
You were setting up the tablet and it asked you to set a pattern for unlock.

You then drew the pattern and repeated the same on reprompt. It got accepted and saved.

Now, you need to draw the same pattern to unlock the tablet.

Here's what you can do if you have forgotten the pattern that you have initially drawn:
Go into the recovery mode and perform a factory reset. Now, since this is an unknown tablet, running on gingerbread, I cannot suggest the exact key combination to enter the recovery mode. So, just keep on trying all these combinations one after other when the tablet is powered off.

Note: Press and hold the keys mentioned.

Volume Down + Power
Volume Up + Power
Volume Up + Power + Home
Volume Down + Power + Volume Up
Home + Power

In the recovery mode, you will get the options for wipe or factory reset. Just do it and your tablet should start from fresh. Be sure to read the instructions while setting it up this time.

If you know the manufacturer of the tablet, then please try searching their website or directly on Google about how to enter the recovery mode on it.


What are the tiny superscript numbers on home page buttons?

It is called a Notification Badge which is a feature that became available in Android 8.0:

https://developer.android.com/training/notify-user/badges

You should be able to manage each app's notification behavior under

Settings->Apps & Notification->[App Name]->App Notifications


The recommended way is to go into Security -> Encryption. Encrypt your phone, which takes several hours. Then do a factory reset.

Others will have no way of recovering your personal data.

Additional Info:

It works much like BitLocker on Windows. When you start up the phone, you'll be required to enter a password before loading Android OS (or the Recovery Mode). Afterwards, none of the applications running on the OS will even notice the encryption.

What the encryption does is:
1) make it extremely difficult (i.e. for all practical purposes impossible) for other software to recover the /sdcard/ files (e.g. user data) after a factory reset.
2) prevent external applications and operating systems from reading those files without first decrypting it, which requires Android OS to load.


Can't see Macbook WiFi access point on Android smartphone

In Snow Leopard (sorry, I don't have a Lion to try this with):

In System Preferences > Sharing,

Enable 'Internet Sharing'
Enable 'To computers using AirPort'
Click the 'Airport Options' button and set up hotspot's network name and encryption. The AirPort will have to be off for this button to be active.
'Ok' to back out to the Sharing pref pane.

On the Network Preference Pane, or on the menu bar,

Turn on the AirPort.

Your device should see your Mac as a WiFi access point.


Basically what you need to do is to install a custom rom on your phone. Tweak the rom so that your app is included as a system app. If the user does a factory reset, the systems apps go back to their default state.

You'll want to test it out, though. I don't know if a factory reset wipes all the data for system apps (clean slate) or if it resets it to how the app was when the rom was installed.

On top of that, though, a user who steals your phone may install a rom of their own. In that case, you are out of luck. As far as I know, there does not exist a custom recovery that can be password protected (to keep people from installing another rom).


Is there a way to enable monitor mode on my Samsung SM-G350 device?

This is something I also wanted on my Nexus 5, but after doing some research  I found that for enabling monitor mode on your android device your chipset must have monitor mode. In case the chipset doesn't support it, its not that easy to get this enabled. The supported chipsets as of now are broadcom 4329 and 4330 WiFi chipsets.
Though for Nexus 5 by making some modifications in the kernel, some developers on XDA found a way out. What seems the reason for getting it specifically for Nexus 5 is that this device still has development going on till date.
For your device unfortunately its chipset doesn't come up to be supporting monitor mode.


Is there a way to force apps to use internal memory only?

you say your phone is rooted, it is then possible to change the default installation location that the packagagemanager uses to install apps. this will only work with apps that allow it, as others have already pointed out, apps may choose to ignore the packagemanagers recommendation and install to internal/external anyway even if you choose the opposite. also, big game files in the obb directory are stored where the obb directory actually is located; this is dependent on which phone you use.

to change the default installation directory:

1) use terminal emulator from google play (or, alternatively, enable usb debugging and use adb)

2) in terminal emulator, enter:

su

accept the superuser request, then try either:

pm setInstallLocation X

or:

pm set-install-location X

where X can either be

0 = let packagamanager decide

1 = install on internal by default

2 = install on external by default


How does update_engine validate a differential update-image with dm-verity enabled?

Is either one of these hypotheses correct?

I haven't experimented with A/B device so far but what I understand from official documentation and source code is that it's both. SHA-256 hash of target partition is checked against the one received from update server. And after reboot dm-verity check is performed.

From Life of an A/B update:

  "5. The whole partitions are re-read and verified against the expected hash."

Additionally implementer can put extra post-installation checks. And:

  "After rebooting, update_verifier triggers the integrity check using dm-verity".
  ...
  "After the check completes, update_verifier marks the boot successful."

.

  Android update_engine performs some validations of the received update image before it proceeds to write the target partitions

A/B updates differ from old non-A/B recovery-based updates. In latter case update package is verified twice against public keys in /system/etc/security/otacerts.zip (normal boot) and /res/keys (recovery boot). In case of Block-Based OTAs dm-verity is an additional check. But A/B updates have support for streaming updates:

  "Updates can be streamed to A/B devices, removing the need to download the package before installing it. Streaming means it's not necessary for the user to have enough free space to store the update package on /data or /cache
  ...
  update_engine will update the raw blocks on the currently unused partition as it streams the update package."

So it's not always possible to verify the integrity of whole update package (payload) before flashing. Instead integrity of update package is verified after updating. If something goes wrong, the older partition slot is still intact as a fallback while the updated slot is marked unbootable until next update.

.

  Does that mean that update_engine computes a complete linear SHA-256 hash of all source-partitions that it is supposed to update?

"During incremental or delta updates, the binary data from the current slot is used to generate the data in the new slot". But update_engine computes hashes of all target partitions after those are updated. From source code:

  "This action will hash all the partitions of the target slot involved in the update. The hashes are then verified against the ones in the InstallPlan. If the target hash does not match, the action will fail."

.

  dm-verity does not perform an exhaustive check on every boot, because that would take way too long. That's why I assume that update_verifier, in contrast, does the exhaustive verification upon a reboot after a successful installation

From the details found in Implementing dm-verity, hash of every 4k block is pre-calculated and appended at the end of system.img (or vendor.img) in dm-verity table (metablock; slightly different details in case of AVB) which is signed by OEM's private key. Public key is saved to kernel's system keyring (on A/B devices) which kernel uses to verify the integrity of verity table on every boot.

  "One way of verifying a block device is to directly hash its contents and compare them to a stored value. However, attempting to verify an entire block device can take an extended period and consume much of a device's power.
  ...
  Instead, dm-verity verifies blocks individually and only when each one is accessed. When read into memory, the block is hashed in parallel. The hash is then verified up the tree. And since reading the block is such an expensive operation, the latency introduced by this block-level verification is comparatively nominal.
  ...
  If verification fails, the device generates an I/O error indicating the block cannot be read."

update_verifier reads a list of blocks on next reboot. No I/O error means new system.img is signed by genuine key and the updated slot is marked successful.

  for a very small differential update, only the blocks that have changed are checked. For a full update, all blocks are re-read. Is this assumption correct?

Documentation says:

  "update_verifier will read only the blocks listed in /data/ota_package/care_map.txt, which is included in an A/B OTA package"

It won't read other blocks whether updated or not.


Booting into custom recovery with a locked bootloader

tl;dr

No, you can't use fastboot boot to boot into a custom recovery if the bootloader is locked (as Jerry Chin noted in a comment).

Longer Answer

Android Security Internals says in Chapter 13: System Updates and Root Access (in section Recovery, subsection Custom Recoveries):

  A custom recovery is a recovery OS build created by a third party (not
  the device manufacturer). Because it is created by a third party, a
  custom recovery is not signed with the manufacturer’s keys, and
  therefore a device’s bootloader needs to be unlocked in order to boot
  or flash it.

And in Chapter 10: Device Security (in section Controlling OS Boot-Up and Installation, subsection Bootloader):

  In order to ensure device integrity, consumer devices are shipped with
  locked bootloaders, which either disallow flashing and booting system
  images completely or allow it only for images that have been signed by the
  device manufacturer.

Thus, if you try to use fastboot boot twrp.img, the bootloader will find out that twrp.img is not signed by the manufacturer's key, and would refuse to boot into it.

And just in case we are not sure whether fastboot allows bypassing the restrictions that a locked bootloader introduce, we also have in Chapter 13: System Updates and Root Access (in section Bootloader, subsection Fastboot Mode):

  Commands that modify device partitions, such as the various flash variations, and commands that boot custom kernels, such as the boot command,
  are not allowed when the bootloader is locked.


Use android as xbox360 wireless adapter?

This will almost certainly be impossible.  Your XBox doesn't have USB drivers for your Android phone.


Doing a simple Google Search provides you with a list of How-Tos:

How to Root HTC Incredible S
How To Root Your HTC Incredible S
How to Root HTC Incredible S
All-in-One S-Off and Root Method for Incredible S

Even video tutorials are found:

Root Your HTC Incredible pt 1
Howto Unlock HTC Incredible S + CyanogenMod 7 Part 1 (part 2 and 3 are linked there)

With so many sources available, you should be able to find what you're looking for. And in case it's all to scary: We already have August, so...

HTC Incredible S to receive Ice Cream Sandwich update by end of August


Recover Google account password without unlinking/deleting the main account from android device

I am able to receive reset links despite having logged in today, yesterday and pretty much every day. However you should be able to access your account on your phone (as it will use your login details to sign in to chrome) then use that to add your phone number to your account. Then pick reset my password with my phone which will send an SMS to your phone.


What could cause a page opened on Firefox to have an enormous data usage?

Do you know what embedded miners are?

https://platform.jsecoin.com/?register=1&utm_source=referral&utm_campaign=aff139531&utm_content

http://join-shortest.com/ref/bdb9481b4c?user-type=new

They are a way for a webmaster to make money off of their webpage without a bunch if banners. The visitors of the website are having some if their computer power used to mine cryptocurrency. That uses data, right?


Can gmail notifications be customized by label?

This has recently become a feature in the native GMail app.


Is there an app or method that will let me use a cloud-synced folder on the SD card?

SugarSync does this. They specifically market it as a way to keep your photos backed up, but it works for any file/folder. They describe their "Autosync" system in this blog post.


Disable Encryption after Factory reset on Android 6.0 (Marshmallow)

For me (Lenovo P2, Android 8.1/LineageOS 15.1) the TWRP procedure below worked although with one side effect. It may also work on Android 6.

Please note that it requires an unlocked bootloader, a custom recovery image (standard for custom ROMs), blanks the /data and internal /sdcard partitions and involves rooting - note that this may result in problems with some security-sensitive programs, such as banking/payment apps.

It is essentially this one for a different device, apart from the steps to mount storage and using a different zip (important); the screenshots are instructive. It is worth being familiar with the recovery program.

Backup /data partition, including the USB mounted internal storage (which I think is /sdcard on my phone). I would also recommend syncing contacts, backing up WhatsApp to cloud ..etc. Back up the entire phone flash memory if you are not using a custom ROM/recovery.

I would advise studying/reading up a bit on this - I somehow failed to do /data properly, so had to reinstall and reconfigure all apps.

Download the Magisk zip on this page or a newer one if you can find it (it may be possible to update it with newer Magisk files; or you can flash a newer Magisk version after rebooting the system and confirming the /data partition is unencrypted).
Reboot into recovery (TWRP).
Format the /data partition (for TWRP use the specific Format Data button under Wipe - see screenshot on first linked page).
For TWRP reboot into recovery again so it definitely understands the /data partition is now no longer encrypted.
Mount /data & /sdcard and move the Magisk zip to the sdcard area.
Install the Magisk zip.
Reboot System.
Open Magisk Manager under the apps and configure Magisk Hide for any relevant apps. Magisk Hide settings may not survive a reboot on some filesystem implementations - worth checking as if you are blanking /data, that is also a good time to change filesystem on it if you want those settings persisted!

Side effect on Lenovo P2 is that the fingerprint sensor and settings do not work. (If I encrypt the data partition later from within the Android settings, then it works again.)


Recently, I have installed Marshmallow firmware. But this time I did it manually. I downloaded firmware from www.sammobile.com web site. Now in new Marshmallow, Skype is working properly. There is no issue at all. Thanks to Sammobile.


At first, there's a current Hardbrick warning and a tool to diagnose this for the Galaxy Note (and other Samsung devices).

Here's the Galaxy Note N7000 CM9 team's current issue list, it doesn't mention missing S-Pen functionality (unlike an experimental build #1) so I guess it's fixed.

The CM9 alpha for N7000 announcement on XDA also mentions S-Pen beeing worked on.

And finally, here's the CM9 builds for N7000 and a full update guide.


How can I forward SMS via Jabber (XMPP) to read them on a PC?

GTalkSMS (Google Project Page) does what you want (and much more).

Edit: After actively developing GTalkSMS, I decided that it's time to spawn a new project called MAXS. See my second answer.

Note: According to the FAQ I have to disclose that I am involved into GtalkSMS. GTalkSMS is an open source GPL licensed Android app. Everyone can contribute.


CyanogenMod - Xperia SP maintainer here. If you are sure about having a Xperia SP then you can safely remove that assert check in the install script of the zip :)

you should have the right prop id so you can continue on with normal releases. i've never seen this issue before.


It seems the main goal is to remove this notification icon. This is most likely caused by Secure Zone

Secure Zone creates an alternate user account which you can run
simultaneously with your ‘Open Zone’ (Regular account).

One feature of secure zone is cross-zone notifications:

Cross-zone notifications: Notifications from Secure Zone are displayed
in Open Zone with a small red dot to differentiate between the two.

Resolution
To get rid of such notifications, you have to delete secure zone:

Switch to secure zone, pull down the status bar, press and hold "secure zone" icon, enter secure zone settings screen.

Press menu key, and you can see a "delete secure zone" menu.

Hope this helps
Credits: Lenovo K920 Vibe z2 pro Secure Zone


How to turn on USB mass storage with JellyBean

Starting in 4.0 (actually 3.0, but few devices used that), most Android devices use the MTP (Media Transfer Protocol) class rather than the Mass Storage class.  This was done for various reasons, including the annoyances attendant to having to unmount the SD card from the Android device to access it from the PC.

Samsung has embraced this new way rather fervently and doesn't allow mass storage at all under normal circumstances (If you have root, you can force it on some devices.  Not sure if it works for a Tab 2).

MTP mostly "just works" on Windows since XP and on Mac, though getting it working on Linux can require a bit of effort if you don't use GNOME.  The Arch Linux wiki has a useful article on the ways and means of accessing MTP devices on Linux.


Factory reset for every Cyanogenmod Update?

You can either update manually or using installer instructions

Quoting from Cyanogenmod official site updating related to manual
Updates

  If you are doing a major update (such as from CM 7 to CM 10) or wish to clear the device's data partion, select Clear data partition or Factory Reset (depending on the recovery menu you are using)

Again from release versioning

  CyanogenMod 9 - 10.2 build tags-
  CyanogenMod 9 through 10.2 were qualified with tags: Experimental, Nightly, Release Candidate, and Stable. The Snapshot tag was added with the introduction of M builds in CyanogenMod 10.2. These tags were meant to indicate a build's suitability for general use.

  Nightly: usually generated every 24 hours, experimental, newest features, unstable
  Experimental: testing version requested by device maintainers to evaluate specific changes
  M Snapshot: milestone snapshot, more stable than a nightly but potentially some issues
  Release Candidate: last builds before stable release, few minor issues, mostly stable, and safe for daily use
  Stable: most stable version available, all or nearly all issues resolved

Nightlies are not recommended unless you can handle issues arising out of it

  These ROMs are largely untested, and as advised by CyanogenMod, not meant for use for an average user.

To answer your question now, avoid nightly/ experimental/ snapshot  builds, install only stable builds and update as recommended by CM installer or manually as highlighted.

Generally minor updates and nightly builds do not need factory reset

This is about official builds. If you are sourcing your build from other developer forums follow their instructions


How to "undo" Android cats easter egg and remove cat power controls on MIUI 12

I finally found it. You need to go to settings, then Notifications & Control centre, then under Smart home choose None instead of Android R Easter Egg.


How can I browse old mails in an IMAP folder?

In K-9 Mail, if you scroll down in your inbox, it shows the option "Load up to n more", and by repeating this you can go back further and further.


Use Android device as a barcode reader for PC

I made a free alternative: Barcode to PC: Wi-Fi scanner.

It sends realtime keystrokes, no copy&paste required, works everywhere


How to Play Pokémon Go in High Accuracy GPS -mode with Oneplus 2 of CM13?

This is Pokemon's server side problem. You cannot do anything here but wait that the company improves. Now, the situation is better.


Not receiving WhatsApp messages unless I open the app when on 3G (on WiFi there is no delay)

Samsung phones have an option to sync data in the background, disabling it, saves data, as updates are only checked for when an app is open (email/im/whatsapp etc). You need to enable that (see green icon in image below) to let your apps periodically check for data.

Screenshot (click for larger variant)


How to remotely log into google account?

I am sorry but if the Google account has been removed from the phone it is now no longer related to you.

That is the reason you should protect your phone at least with a PIN code. Then your Google account can't be removed from the device that easily. Of course a factory reset can still be performed but then the "finder" of your device runs into the Factory reset Protection (FRP).


How do I decrypt files on my SD card that I encrypted

Open the Settings app, and select Lock screen and Security.
Scroll to the bottom and select Decrypt SD Card.
Tap Decrypt SD card to begin the process.
Enter your lock screen pin, pattern or password.
Wait for the decryption to finish - you can keep an eye on the progress in the notification panel. Make sure to keep the device charged during the process as it can take some time.

Reboot Your Phone and try again if not works.


How do you trace incoming/outgoing HTTP connections on a rooted Android?

Shark/Sharkreader in market (tcpdump frontend)


Unable to Install TWRP / Cyanogenmod on Moto G 2013

As it's obviously the stock recovery you've used to flash CM, that won't work as it will do a signature check and thus reject the ZIP as being invalid. So here's what you do instead:

put cm-12.1-20151117-SNAPSHOT-YOG7DAO1K9-falcon.zip onto your device's SD card
boot into bootloader
now boot (not install) TWRP: fastboot boot twrp-3.0.2-0-falcon.img
TWRP will show up on your device. Chose "apply update from SD card", navigate to where you put your CM .zip, select it, confirm

Worked for me, though on a different device.


What does an android Launcher actually do?

A launcher, in simple terms, is an interface for your home screen; it determines the appearance of it, if you like.

If you were to install a 3rd party launcher (Nova is quite common), it would not run on TouchWiz, nor would it uninstall it.

If you do install a new launcher and want to go back to using TouchWiz, it's just a simple matter of tweaking a few settings in the Settings app.


How do I make my Nexus 5 work with ADB on my Windows 7 desktop?

Figured it out myself. While I had uninstalled the previous drivers through the control panel, and uninstalled through the device manager what I needed to do was uninstall through the device manager and check the delete check box before reinstalling. All works fine now.


Nexus 7 (2013) WiFi Connection/Reconnection Issue

Looks like it's related to "Wi-Fi optimization" option under "Advanced" setting in Wi-Fi screen. By turning it off I can consistently find the WiFi AP I was looking for. Once it's connected I can turn it on again without negative consequences.

Edit:
Nevermind, looks like it only help some of the time, there are still times when the device cannot find the AP every other device has no problem discovering and connecting to...


Limit sync'ed address book entries to bluetooth car-kit

Please note, this solution will work on SOME Android phones, but not all of them.

As of right now your best bet is to make a group. Go to Contacts or People (depends on phone), view your groups, and then create a new one (usually done by selecting menu and then Add Group. Then add the contacts you want to that group (it might be easiest to go online from a computer and do this.

Then go into the settings of your groups or from the main contact screen and see if you can only show that group as visible.  On my phone I cannot select individual groups to show and not show. But I think other Android phones can do this. Look for a "View" option.


Does the StageFright vulnerability affect Facebook Messenger? What can I do about it?

libStageFright is a general media library used widely on Android.  Facebook Messenger is likely to interact with it for media, and thus you are vulnerable through it.

Your best bet is to update — to a custom ROM if the manufacturer/carrier hasn't made a patch available.  Otherwise, see Stagefright security issue: what can a regular user do to mitigate the issue without a patch?

See also: http://www.androidcentral.com/stagefright


Can I safely disable google app on my android as I use chrome app?

Yes, it is.  I haven't even had the Google app installed for most of the time I've had my phone, and I only browse with Chrome.

Note that some ROMs do have a dependency on Google Now, so it's possible that disabling it may cause you other issues.


Control your smartphone using your laptop please answer!

Sony ZR supports OTG, so im sure this will work. What you have to do is Buy an OTG cable and connect USB Mouse via USB cable and try using the mouse pointer. Also Keyboard should work.

But if your screen doesnt show at all, then im sorry.