Is adb backup usable in case of soft-brick?

A softbrick usually renders the user unable to boot into Android OS successfully and satisfactorily, and most of the  time you can boot into a custom Recovery (you would be having it if you mentioned Xposed) and then use the ADB commands to restore the backup from there.

ADB backup method isn't useful in case of Xposed Framework since ADB doesn't make any image of /system or /data (Xposed makes changes into /system). ADB backup is concerned with user data (Apps, app data, settings, and similar things, internal/external SD card data) only. That's why Nandroid is recommended and always preferred.

Note that the command you mentioned will backup only shared storage (SD card), all apps (user+system) data and their apks as well. That's just it, but not enough to run a system.


Samsung duos remove and re-insert battery makes battery life sudden drop

In my experience as a phone technician, that kind of issue is most often the battery. There will usually be a 0-2% drop after a bat pull because of the required power for boot up. Does the battery have any sort of swelling to it? If so then it's undoubtedly the battery.


Revolut cards of Cyprus are not eligible for Google Pay per Revolut FAQ and that's the reason for the message.

  During the beta release, Google Pay will only be available to selected users from Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and Singapore. We’ll roll out Google Pay to everyone soon

(Cyprus missing)

Revolut cards of Cyprus are also not eligible for Google Pay contact less payment per Google Pay FAQ
There is a virtual card workaround if you wish to try (see spider 623 post) .
Interestingly, they are eligible for Apple Pay


Is it possible to set up an emulator with these specific requirements?

No, the Android emulator doesn't emulate specific SoCs such as Tegra 2, and it doesn't support Nvidia's instruction set extensions.


Try clearing it's data from application settings (in the settings app). Your messages will probably be deleted, but if you are ready to take that step, it may fix your issue.


Chinese-bought Samsung Galaxy S2 has a very limited language list

You would have to change to another (Android) ROM that has other languages. Take a look at How to Install Stock ROM on Samsung Galaxy S3 (S III GT-I9300).

You can download Nordic firmware at SamFirmware. (Nordic firmware's not in the related links in the link above, but you can follow the first link for the steps in installing/flashing a new ROM)


Getting Exchange Email Through a Cisco VPN ?

My colleague has just pointed out that ICS will include Cisco Any Connect functionality...

http://www.talkandroid.com/69015-cisco-anyconnect-vpn-support-to-be-implemented-in-ice-cream-sandwich-enterprise-users-rejoice/

Upon Further investigation there is an Any Connect Client for Android, but you need to have rooted your phone to use it:
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.cisco.anyconnect.vpn.android.rooted&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEsImNvbS5jaXNjby5hbnljb25uZWN0LnZwbi5hbmRyb2lkLnJvb3RlZCJd


Weird app on my andriod. Unable to uninstall it

That's most likely a MIUI app called Lazy Swipe:

Lazy Swipe (source: Miui; click image for larger variant)

This app might have come pre-installed with your device. I wouldn't consider it malware until proven otherwise. The "random search presets" might even be possible to deactivate. And if you don't like it at all, you can simply deactivate it in settings. Please refer to the corresponding article/review for details.

Hint: Miui is the GUI (Graphical User Interface) most Xiaomi devices ship with. This is why I hold it much likely the app came pre-installed with your device, and is no malware you've caught somewhere else.


How to get the full path of an image viewed in the default Gallery App on the Samsung Galaxy?

I was able to figure out how to get to the path by this message and steps provided by beeshyams.

The menu button on the Samsung Galaxys is the hardware Return Key.

The problem is that, there isn't an onscreen menu for the recent Samsung Galaxy androids.  I was stuck on the 3 dot menu step.

The Samsung Galaxy has a hidden hardware menu.  Pressing and holding the Return Button activate the menu feature.

While having an image in view, press and hold the Return Button, this bring up a menu that include the Details option.  Clicking on Details brings up a lot of information on the image, including a map marked where it was taken.  It also shows a properties block that includes the path of the image.


Use Android Phone like an iPod Touch (without SIM)

I don't have a Motorola Atrix 2 at hand, but as far my memory goes, you can go past the
"No SIM/Emergency Dial Only" screen if you boot the phone while holding the camera button pressed.


Conference Call on local network connection in android

You don't want a VOIP type application for this, you want a gamer voice-chat application like Mumble . It's a very similar concept but designed to be used on LANs and for end users to run their own servers without requiring any internet access.

Mumble in particular is very easy to install on Windows, Android.


This is sadly not possible.

You could, however, say OK Google a little bit different each time it has to be recorderd. This might help to make sure that your voice is being recognized when you aren't saying OK Google in exactly the same way as your voice model.


Yes, Google is in charge of the Android Market.


Nandroid Backup restore fails with error 255

I had a similar issue, turns out I did not have enough space on the phone.

So backup_file_size * 2 < memory_availaible

The data partition is mostly big so it might be exceeding the capacity.

A good alternative might be restoring from a USB device or an SD card.


How do I remove the 'Slot 1: No SIM card detected' notification?

I've recently rooted my phone and installed NotifyClean (requires the Xposed Framework). I've set it to block the Mobile Data app's 'No SIM card detected' notification:

I've previously tried to fix this issue with Notifications Off but it stops working after a device restart.


How can I get rid of this anonymous app?

Usually that is a virus app(no name and no icon and can"t uninstall) and you can uninstall it by using malware cleaner apps


How do I configure ADB for the Samsung Galaxy Y?

Is your USB Debugging mode enabled? Go to Settings->Applications->Development, and check the "USB Debugging" mode. This will help the ADB detect your device.

You may refer to the Android Developer Documentation: Using Hardware Devices for further information and details.


What am I supposed to do with Bug reports captured?

Where you share the bug report depends entirely up to you. A bug report can be generated regardless if there is an issue/error/crash or not.

Usually, bug reports are needed by developers and/or supports in order to find more details in pinpointing a specific issue. The bug report is essential since it provides a lot of details about the device from which the error/issue is occuring.

How you share it depends on how you are communicating with the developer or support, it's usually just through email, but it's also safe to save it via your own Cloud Storage account (e.g. Google Drive, Dropbox), then share the download URL.


How do I turn Google Play Books pages with Voice?

I don't think Google Books has a voice interface, which is a shame.  I don't know of any book app which does, I'm afraid. Moon+ Reader  is a great ebook app which has auto page turning, based on time, but they are very active and are always adding features - it may be worth emailing them and asking if they will implement it?


bring out stack view in Chrome for Android

Chrome's tab switcher view is only available on phones, not tablets. This is by design, since phones don't have space for the tab bar that tablets have. The Chrome documentation describes the differences between phones and tablets in how you work with tabs.


Select System Settings, then turn off Blocking Mode (under the Device heading). You (or someone!) might have accidentally pressed that button when scrolling down the list.   You could go into it first and confirm that the 'set time' is 19:30; if not then the problem is something else.


It's related with the touchwiz kernel, beacuse when I flashed adam kernel it started working. I think it has to do with selinux set on enforcing


ADB - Android emulator - Unable to record video - screenrecord not found with Android 5.11

Based on the comments from Google in this bugtracker - emulator support of screenrecorder isn't going to happen in the near future due to hardware requirements/limitations.

https://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=61682


How to turn off SMS Bubble on Karbonn Titanium Octane Plus running KitKat 4.4.2?

Try Disabling Notifications.

Go to messaging app information.
Uncheck show notifications.


Is there a way to control an android device with an external touchscreen?

If both devices are Samsung they have a brand specific app called SideSync which will allow you to link the two devices via a WiFi network. It's available via the play store or direct from Samsung.
I currently have an S6 edge, a galaxy tab S and a Samsung Smart tv and can control the phone or tablet via the tv and the also the phone via the tv or tablet.
Not too sure if you can control the tv or tablet via the phone as I've had no reason to try.
I have never come across an app which works in the same way if any of the devices aren't a Samsung but I've used this app with my current setup and with the old setup of S4, Tab 2 and older Samsung Smart tv I've owned over the last 12-18 months with no issues.
I hope this answers your question.


Your best bet would be uninstalling those unesecary security programs, seeing if the problem persisits, in my experience android security programs are both unesecary and cause more problems than they solve.


Note taking app that syncs with the cloud and lets me create a shortcut to a specific saved note?

I am using Springpad which meets all of your requirements apart from 4. But you can long press and select edit which sort of works like you want it to.


If you are rooted, this is quite easy to find out.

First you need to find the app's package name, e.g. com.swype.android.inputmethod for Swype, or com.google.android.apps.maps for Google Maps, for example.  You can usually search for the app in Android Market, and the link will contain its package name, e.g. https://market.android.com/details?id=com.google.android.apps.maps would be the link to Google Maps.  Usually the package names are descriptive enough that you can simply guess which app they represent just by looking at it.

You can do a few simple ls commands in Terminal Emulator or ADB shell to find out the app's name, and where it's stored.  However, you will need to have root access to the device since app and data storage is protected.

Pre-installed apps are generally located in /system/app directory.  Use the command ls -l /system/app/ to find how much space a particular system app is taking up:

ls -l /system/app/Browser.*
-rw-r--r-- root     root               418098 2011-06-26 01:05 Browser.apk
-rw-r--r-- root     root               472760 2011-06-26 01:05 Browser.odex

On most Stock ROMs you will see an .odex file along with a .apk file for each app - those are pre-compiled binaries optimized for your given device.  You cannot remove them.

3rd-party apps are installed to /data/app or /data/app-private directories.  Command ls -l /data/app/[package_name_here]* should return the amount of space taken up by this app on internal memory.  For example, here's the output of looking at Google Maps apk:

# ls -l /data/app/com.google.android.apps.maps*
ls -l /data/app/com.google.android.apps.maps*
-rw-r--r-- system   system            6330104 2012-02-04 09:01 com.google.android.apps.maps-2.apk

The app data and settings are located on /data/data/ partition.  There you will find a directory for each installed app, e.g. /data/data/com.google.android.apps.maps/ for preferences and settings related to the Google Maps app.  Again, ls -l /data/data/com.google.android.apps.maps/* will return a listing of all files with their sizes:

# ls -l /data/data/com.google.android.apps.maps/*
ls -l /data/data/com.google.android.apps.maps/*
-rw------- app_189  app_189              3783 2012-02-07 11:29 mobilemaps.clients.google.com.443
-rw------- app_189  app_189                37 2012-02-01 16:14 nlp_GlsPlatformKey
-rw------- app_189  app_189               208 2012-02-07 11:21 macs
drwxrwx--x app_189  app_189                     2012-02-01 16:14 webviewCache
-rw------- app_189  app_189              2450 2012-02-07 11:21 nlp_state
drwx------ app_189  app_189                     2012-02-01 16:14 selectors
-rw------- app_189  app_189               290 2012-02-07 11:21 nlp_devices
drwx------ app_189  app_189                     2012-02-01 16:14 models
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189             18432 2012-02-03 13:29 google_analytics.db
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189              5120 2012-02-07 10:38 google_latitude.db
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189              6144 2012-02-01 16:14 webviewCache.db
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189              5120 2012-02-05 17:27 local_active_places.db
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189              4096 2012-02-05 17:27 da_destination_history
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189              5120 2012-02-05 17:49 LayerInfo
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189              5120 2012-02-05 17:26 search_history.db
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189              6144 2012-02-03 13:29 userfeedback.db
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189             14336 2012-02-01 16:14 webview.db
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189                38 2012-02-07 11:13 DATA_SYNC_DATA_LOCAL
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189             26756 2012-02-01 16:31 DATA_PHOTO_145479516184369608
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189             26756 2012-02-01 16:31 DATA_PHOTO_4406538396446325405
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189              1813 2012-02-05 13:48 DATA_PROTO_CLIENT_SAVED_PHOTO_CACHE
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189               338 2012-02-06 23:41 DATA_TILE_HISTORY
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189                12 2012-02-05 17:49 DATA_SAVED_REMOTE_ICONS_DATA_BLOCK
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189             36580 2012-02-01 16:14 DATA_RemoteStringsBlock_en
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189             26756 2012-02-01 16:31 DATA_PHOTO_240647554975296207
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189             26756 2012-02-01 16:31 DATA_PHOTO_443613581827136957
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189              5620 2012-02-05 17:49 DATA_SAVED_BGFS_3
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189                57 2012-02-05 17:49 DATA_STARRING
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189               573 2012-02-05 10:04 NavZoomTables.data
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189             26756 2012-02-01 16:31 DATA_PHOTO_-7991748045000310303
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189               217 2012-02-05 15:29 DATA_LAYER_4
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189             26756 2012-02-01 16:14 DATA_PHOTO_-4352347968798340772
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189             26756 2012-02-01 16:31 DATA_PHOTO_-1960244636679913737
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189             26756 2012-02-01 16:31 DATA_PHOTO_7546641620697631512
-rw------- app_189  app_189                34 2012-02-07 11:21 nlp_clts
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189              2492 2012-02-07 11:30 DATA_location_history
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189                11 2012-02-01 16:14 DATA_LAYER_0
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189              1186 2012-02-01 16:14 ZoomTables.data
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189                11 2012-02-05 17:49 DATA_SAVED_BGFS_EXTRA_3
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189             18994 2012-02-05 17:49 DATA_PROTO_SAVED_CATEGORY_TREE_DB
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189               247 2012-02-05 17:49 event_store_v2_driveabout
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189              5294 2012-02-05 10:05 DA_LayerInfo
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189               380 2012-02-05 16:23 DATA_LAYER_5
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189             11387 2012-02-05 17:49 DATA_SYNC_DATA
-rw------- app_189  app_189                35 2012-02-07 11:21 cp_state
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189             26756 2012-02-01 16:31 DATA_PHOTO_-6319433669272599441
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189                76 2012-02-01 16:14 DATA_ServerControlledParametersManager.data
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189             26756 2012-02-01 16:31 DATA_PHOTO_-4787236618283354619
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189                57 2012-02-01 16:14 DATA_star_details_index
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189             26756 2012-02-01 16:31 DATA_PHOTO_-7325828578927889496
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189                76 2012-02-05 17:27 DATA_ServerControlledParametersManager_DA.data
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189             26756 2012-02-01 16:31 DATA_PHOTO_-5041077772587057686
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189                42 2012-02-05 17:26 DATA_PROTO_SAVED_RECENT_LAYERS
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189                21 2012-02-05 10:04 DATA_SAVED_BGSF_
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189               263 2012-02-05 11:30 DATA_LAYER_2
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189                26 2012-02-01 16:14 NavigationParameters.data
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189               330 2012-02-05 17:27 DA_DirOpt_en_US
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189             26756 2012-02-01 16:31 DATA_PHOTO_-4817178430903221341
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189             26756 2012-02-01 16:31 DATA_PHOTO_8476874153932292760
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189            141298 2012-02-05 17:27 DATA_Restrictions
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189                29 2012-02-05 17:49 DATA_PROTO_SAVED_LAYER_STATE
-rw------- app_189  app_189                61 2012-02-01 16:14 nlp_params
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189                 0 2012-02-05 17:27 DATA_Restrictions_lock
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189             26756 2012-02-01 16:31 DATA_PHOTO_8041021750103678571
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189             10237 2012-02-03 13:28 DATA_star_details_0
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189                 6 2012-02-05 17:49 DATA_RECENT
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189              5048 2012-02-06 23:41 DATA_Preferences
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189                65 2012-02-01 16:14 network_initiated_prefs.xml
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189                65 2012-02-01 16:14 friends_app_widget_preferences.xml
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189              1269 2012-02-01 16:14 ids.xml
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189               250 2012-02-03 13:27 settings_preference.xml
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189                65 2012-02-01 16:14 cache_settings_preference.xml
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189               358 2012-02-07 11:28 checkin_notification_preferences.xml
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189               119 2012-02-01 16:14 com.google.android.apps.maps_preferences.xml
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189               345 2012-02-05 17:49 DriveAbout.xml
-rw-rw---- app_189  app_189               317 2012-02-07 10:38 LOCATION_REPORTING.xml

Android 2.2 (Froyo) introduced the ability to move apps to SD card (or "external storage" on some devices).  This introduces a level of complexity since portions of the app get moved around.  For every app that you move to SD Card/media area, the system creates a virtual mount point named /dev/block/dm-X, where "X" is a sequential number.  It them moves the app's APK (Android package) file and some preferences there.  You can view this by issuing a mount command in shell/terminal emulator.  Along with other usual mounts, it should show which apps were moved to SD Card like in an example below:

/dev/block/dm-0 /mnt/asec/com.metago.astro-1 vfat ro,dirsync,nosuid,nodev,relatime,uid=1000,fmask=0222,dmask=0222,codepage=cp437,iocharset=iso8859-1,shortname=mixed,utf8,errors=remount-ro 0 0
/dev/block/dm-1 /mnt/asec/com.a0soft.gphone.aTrackDog-1 vfat ro,dirsync,nosuid,nodev,relatime,uid=1000,fmask=0222,dmask=0222,codepage=cp437,iocharset=iso8859-1,shortname=mixed,utf8,errors=remount-ro 0 0

Here I moved Astro file manager and aTrackDog apps to the SD Card on my phone.  Use ls /mnt/asec/ to view the directories created for the moved apps.  Issuing command ls -l /mnt/asec/* will list the file sizes within those folders:

# ls -l -a /mnt/asec/*
ls -l -a /mnt/asec/*
-r-xr-xr-x system   root               332826 2012-02-07 11:21 pkg.apk
dr-xr-xr-x system   root                        2012-02-07 11:21 lib
-r-xr-xr-x system   root              2363522 2012-02-07 11:18 pkg.apk
dr-xr-xr-x system   root                        2012-02-07 11:18 lib

The wrapper for the virtual partition gets stored inside a hidden ".android_secure" folder of the SD Card:

# ls -a -l /mnt/sdcard/.android_secure
ls -a -l /mnt/sdcard/.android_secure
----rwxr-x system   sdcard_rw          4290560 2012-02-07 11:18 com.metago.astro-1.asec
----rwxr-x system   sdcard_rw          2161664 2012-02-07 11:21 com.a0soft.gphone.aTrackDog-1.asec

Once moved the app's APK will no longer be under /data/app/ or /data/app-private/ folders.

Another area of interest is Dalvik Cache - an area that contains cached data for each installed app.  Upon first boot-up or new app installation the system generates a .dex file for each app that it uses for quicker start-up.  These files are stored on /data/dalvik-cache/ partition.  Command ls -l /data/dalvik-cache/*[package_name_here]* will return the space taken up by the app's Dalvik cache.  For example, here's how much space is taken up by Google Maps app:

# ls -l /data/dalvik-cache/*com.google.android.apps.maps*
ls -l /data/dalvik-cache/*com.google.android.apps.maps*
-rw-r--r-- system   app_189           4406016 2012-02-04 09:01 data@app@com.google.android.apps.maps-2.apk@classes.dex

Next, the /cache partition of the internal memory may be used by apps.  The command ls -l /cache/ will show you all files stored there, along with sizes and owner information.  For example, on my phone here's the output:

# ls -l /cache/
ls -l /cache/
-rw-r--r-- app_13   app_13            3640954 2012-02-07 09:16 downloadfile-1.apk
drwxrwx--- system   cache                       2011-12-31 21:03 recovery
drwxrwx--- root     root                        2011-12-31 21:00 lost+found

Besides the standard directories, there is a file named downloadfile-1.apk that belongs to something named "app_13".  I can cross-reference this "app_13" name to the listing of ls -l /data/data/ to see that this file belongs to Android's built-in downloader:

# ls -l /data/data/
ls -l /data/data/
......
drwxr-x--x app_13   app_13                      2011-12-31 21:02 com.android.providers.downloads.ui
......

Finally, apps can use the SD Card for their own purposes, and there is really no way to track this, unless the app names its folders something recognizable.


Why does charging leads to battery losing charge at times

Now your typical wall charger on a smart phone provides 1A of charging current. The USB 2.0 on a computer will only supply a max of 500mA, that is half as much. So if your screen is on and you are using the phone then it is drawing more power than it is taking in since the screen is the largest drain on the battery, therefore the battery will drain while charging on a USB connected to the computer.


How do I consistently receive notifications from one app, and no others?

I had what seems like this problem in reverse i.e. I was getting notifications from too many apps. After searching for any and every possibility I could think of, it finally turned out to be with Google and Facebook settings for my problem.

If it has been 2 years and no joy, you have most likely tried all the suggested places to look below but if not I hope one of them helps lead you to the answer.

Regarding Calendar notifications with Google here is a link to the page on Google Calendar Help that might help: https://support.google.com/calendar/answer/37242?co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid&hl=en

This will take to a YouTube video for the Galaxy S7 on the Android side but not specific to the Calendar: https://youtu.be/Z0ZeJdRPTWk

Here is another link to a short article on changing notification sounds to help isolate it: https://www.greenbot.com/article/2688096/how-to-change-notification-sounds-on-your-android-phone.html

Third party apps such as "Greenify" that hibernate apps you have specified when the screen goes off would also keep notifications from getting through. Here are a few more links.

S7 Notification Reminder: https://youtu.be/tiEwnht-JWg

S8 Calendar Notification: https://youtu.be/hETYdfgK45Y

This worked for several users: Go to settings, applications, application manager, then message. If notifications is set to block. Unblock it.

Lastly the best resource I have found for Android phones is at XDA-Developers: https://www.xda-developers.com/ It is definitely worth searching the site for your exact model of phone.

This is where I learned how to root Android phones. I found that the number of variations in the same phone is mind boggling. The exact model number & where a specific model of phone was made could mean the difference between groups of people having the same problem while others do not.


Rom flashed but phone is stuck showing boot logo

Go into recovery (generally power + vol down or power + home + vol. down) and flash another stable ROM.
How do I know this? I have bricked many phones a thousand times ;-p


How do i move apps and then information from the phone to the sd card

Try Using this app to move your application to your SD Card (Clean Master). If this does not work for your device then you have to root your device so that you can apps can be moved to SD Card. If your device is rooted then try (Link2SD).


Where can I get more information on the sm tool (command) used in the Terminal

The sm tool is not an Android tool, it's a linux shell command.  Android devices have some shell commands located in /system/bin - the variety of these usually vary by version, OEM, and platform.

You can issue this adb command to see what tools are available:

adb shell ls system/bin

You can ask for help on each tool - for example, with sm:

$ adb shell sm -help
usage: sm list-disks [adoptable]
       sm list-volumes [public|private|emulated|all]
       sm has-adoptable
       sm get-primary-storage-uuid
       sm set-force-adoptable [true|false]
       sm set-virtual-disk [true|false]

       sm partition DISK [public|private|mixed] [ratio]
       sm mount VOLUME
       sm unmount VOLUME
       sm format VOLUME
       sm benchmark VOLUME
       sm fstrim

       sm forget [UUID|all]

       sm set-emulate-fbe [true|false]


Recent Apps shows app contents even though when its locked

We've encountered this problem on a previous project I was on, a big banking application.

For added security we made the app to automatically log-out after five minutes of inactivity. We found it disturbing for the user that Android OS would still show your personal account info in the Recent Apps overview. This would be visible until you really closed the app, rebooted your Android or returned to the app and exited it on a screen without any banking info.

After quite some research we found out that Android (since ICS, so Android 4.0 and up) is using the internal screenshot feature to capture the screen for use in Recent Apps. There seemed to be no user option available to prevent this, only the developer of an app can restrict this.
You can ask the devs of ZDbox to include this feature in their app or options by contacting them at service@zdworks.com

Just a heads-up: If a dev does this, then the screenshot goes full black. We decided to offer a placeholder image instead, so it doesn't look bugged to the average user, see bottom app in screenshot below.

Hope this info is still usefull to you! :)


open messages to a contact at bottom of list

HTC provided the Froyo (2.2) update for my phone for my carrier which I've now installed and it is no longer a problem. Furthermore, the messaging app in 2.2 is a lot better than 2.1, so happy user all round here.


Can you get a list of the RUNNING applications on Android for the purpose of activating them?

Sounds like you're overthinking it. Android goes out of it's way to intelligently manage applications and resources. When you leave an app it will generally keep running as long as the resources are available. Long pressing Home and selecting it or just launching the shortcut again should take you right back to the running app.

Theoretically it shouldn't matter if it is still running or not, though -- every app is supposed to save it's state in such a way that if the OS kills it before you come back, it should still be able to launch back to the same state you left it in. This isn't universally applied in programs yet, but it does seem to be much more widespread these days -- presumably because the developers are getting used to the "android way."


Connecting phone to PC internet using Connectify

Thank you for your support in Connectify. It sounds like your antivirus/firewall software may be blocking internet traffic. Check our Firewall/Security Settings article in our Knowledge Base.

If you are a PRO user and continue to have problems please submit a ticket by visiting our website. We will work to help you resolve your issue!


Where does Google Now get its weather data?

Google displays Weather conditions using Weather Underground as per Google Web Search Features page.

  All weather conditions and forecasts are provided by Weather Underground, Inc.

So, Google Now also might be picking from the same source.


Missing some of the applications while updating existing apps in my galaxy s3

Google maps new version is all rounder application for your navigation and maps, You can find that feature inside your new google map application itself, That's the reason why your applications has been some applications are replaced with brand new application which offer all features of replaced applications.


How do I enable haptic feedback in Android 6.0?

The setting for this is, confusingly, Sound & notification → Other sounds → Vibrate on touch:


I found this app to be very easy to use and basically works with just two taps. It's called Change Lanuage and can be found officially from the play store. Then only setback is that you'll only be able to change languages based on languages installed on the phone. Which means if you don't have chinese dictionary and language pack on your phone you'll have to download it through the phone settings page first. Add the app widget to the home screen and you'll be able to change in less than 5 seconds.


Can I uninstall apps in Lollipop without clearing data?

Force stop → clear data → uninstall is the same as uninstalling app directly as far as removing app data is considered. It's just an extra step with no added benefit.
Force stop option is primarily to troubleshoot apps when they misbehave
Either method does not guarantee removal of all app data - you would need root to ensure that. See Can a app store data beyond uninstallation?


This sounds like an issue with Summer Time vs Daylight Savings Time? Most parts of the world are still running on Summer Time right now, which is generally +1 hour to your actual time zone.

As well as checking your phone's time zone, check to see if you have the correct settings for summer time/daylight savings set.


Galaxy S3 Mini screen seems to get touched when there's no actual touch

My opinion is the screen might be grounded with some metallic or conductive object inside the phone. Probably a loosened part due to use. You can try to wave a strong magnet (like neodymium) at the back of the phone. Data shouldn't be affected anyway because flash chips are resistant to magnetism. But its still much better if you can get it repaired thru warranty.


Restore app data backup without access to usb debugging

Since *.ab is an Android adb backup file you will have to do it via adb, but since you don't have the correct cord you will have to do it wirelessly.

Instructions to setup wireless adb:

Download WiFi ADB - Debug Over Air and install
Turn on your wifi and connect your phone and your computer to the same network.
The app will run you through the rest of the setup process.
Once setup try "adb devices" , if this works then you are connected and you'll be able to restore the way you normaly do via adb (but wirelessly).

Hopes this helps you overcome your problem of no cord.


Unable to see system navigation gesture setting

Gesture navigation is available starting in Android 10 (API version 29).
Your phone is setup with gesture navigation because it is running Android 10+, but your tablet might be running Android 9 (based on your question tags).
Check to see if there's a system update for your tablet, otherwise you'll either have to;

Wait until Android 10 becomes available for your Lenovo Yoga Smart Tab.
Find an alternative launcher app you can install that contains gesture navigation.


From the settings you will have to go to storage settings and then you will have to enable the sd card storage which would probably allow you to install all the apps and other downloads easily on sd card nd I would also prefer to buy an card with larger space in it.


S3 On CM 14.1: Made SD Internal Storage, Reversed, Now "Empty" Internal Shared Storage On PC

I fixed it by doing the following on Clockworkmod Recovery:

Clearing all caches (go to mount/unmount --> clear all caches (system, etc.))
Unmounting, then mounting everything (System, SD Card, Media, etc.)
Format SD Card (from CWM).  (then I had to restart to connect SD Card with CM 14.1 zip file).
Reinstalling CM 14.1

Now I finally have the internal storage and portable SD Card formatted correctly.


Is it possible to disable USB tethering from command line?

You can run this command:
adb shell svc usb setFunctions

This should reset the USB mode/configuration to charging only.


How do I run 2 Android phones on a PC simultaneously So that DroidCam for number 1 & TC games screen mirror for number 2?

Applications like DroidCam or Scrcpy that require adb to work often include an own version of adb. For DroidCam you can see it in the sub-directory adb the three files that belong to adb:

adb.exe
AdbWinApi.dll
AdbWinUsbApi.dll

However adb is designed to be present one time on a system because when it starts it remains loaded invisible in the background.
Now if a program has it's own adb version it prefers this versions and therefore when it starts it's own adb version the previous adb daemon running background is killed and replaced with the different adb version.
In your case the message adb server is out of date. additionally indicates that you have two different versions of adb installed and the newer version kills the older version that was already running (old version = out of date version).
Some programs like Scrcpy allow to specify via environment variable where adb.exe is located so that you can redirect it to one adb versions that is available on your system.
I am not sure if DroidCam also supports such an environment variable.
But in any way you should "equalize" all adb versions you have installed:

Search your system where it has adb.exe installed
On each found adb.exe execute adb.exe --version and identify the newest version (the version installed with Android Studio shows at the moment Android Debug Bridge version 1.0.41 - Version 30.0.2-6538114
From the newest adb version copy the three files adb.exe, AdbWinApi.dll and AdbWinUsbApi.dll to the other locations adb.exe was found overwriting the existing files.

This should at least solve your problem that the adb versions installed have a different version.


Samsung Galaxy Ace wont connect to my home wifi

I use to have this problem too. I recommend restarting your router and then try to connect to the Wi-Fi again. Lastly reboot your phone. You can find more instructions here: http://www.technobezz.com/android-wont-connect-to-wi-fi/

I hope this helps to resolve your issue.


I find the plugin Do Not Disturb and its Now mode more robust than eNotify because it is will disable all notifications of all applications by one button. However, it cannot do it for some applications only. I think eNotify could work for that but do not like its cost, its appearance, ... Its userbase is too small to get my trust.


KitKat update has made Google Play and Gmail inaccessable

Yeah first please answer the question that which device you are using and did you get an official update from your manufacturer or did you manually install a custom ROM?
(Although by your post it seems an official manufacturer update but please confirm...)

IF:
1.Official update , then you can just do that update all over again and this time try it through PC software(if you had previously done an Over the Air update). Or finally contact your manufacturer's customer care or go to service center.

2.Custom ROM , then it may be problem with the ROM or kernel . Reach the developer for that. Or you can even replace the Google Apps. Just find an appropriate .zip coinciding with your Android version.

Hope this helps or ask again with doubts. :)


Do you need root to flash a custom recovery?

No, it doesn't require root. Although we talk about rooting the device, all you're actually doing is getting root access within the Android OS. Flashing a new ROM or recovery happens before Android is running - it's a lower-level part of the firmware - so you can do it regardless of how Android is set up or what permissions you have within Android.


I faced a similar problem recently on my Nexus S upgraded to stock ICS.
The problems were:

Connecting the phone to the AC charger would sometimes show the phone to be charging, while the battery level was not actually increasing and sometimes the opposite.
Connecting the phone through USB to my laptop would allow it to charge, but my laptop used to throw a "Unrecognized USB Device" error.
The battery level displayed on my phone was misleading. For eg, the battery level was shown to be 44%, but when I restarted it, it suddenly dropped to 19%.
Shutting it down while connected to AC charger would cause it to hang on the shutting down screen till I remove the charger.
Connecting it to an AC charger while switched off would cause it to automatically turn on.

A little research on the net yielded this dicussion on the Google Product forums.
The alleged problem was the pin in the phone's USB port, and the solution was to bend it upwards a little using a penknife.

I was a little wary of taking things into my own hands, so I went to a nearby Samsung service center where they replaced the charging connector, and I haven't faced any problems since.


Oddities Reading boot.img - Way Too Big and Errors In Kernel

It turns out most of the problems seem to have stemmed from my trying to split the boot and recovery images in the wrong place. I was trying to extract the kernel and ramdisk at the 1F8B for gzip (the kernel before, ramdisk after), but there were several instances of 1F8B (specifically 1F8B 0800) in the hex code and the first one was not the correct one.

After splitting the image in the right place, I got a more realistically sized kernel and a ramdisk which extracted successfully.

I was also able to get boot.img and recovery.img via adb from /dev/bootimg and /dev/recovery by explicitly limiting the size as per aureljared's comment on the question regarding my original problem:

dd if=/dev/bootimg of=/where/to/store/it bs=6291456 count=1

Though the images still contain the error messages, I think they're probably supposed to be there as I've found them in some other known good images online.

Note that I haven't truly tested the images are valid as they're just backups and the only way to test them is to flash them and thus potentially brick my phone if they're bad. I'm fairly confident this problem is solved since I can extract the ramdisk, though.


Set native Jelly Bean dialer and contacts for Samsung Galaxy S3

The Samsung ROM doesn't have the stock AOSP dialer and contacts app. It has Touchwiz themed dialer and contacts app. This is one of the most glitchy and slowest of dialer apps out there.

Try the Swipe Dialer if you care to. It has good reviews and seems to be working fine across the board.
Another option will be to port AOSP dialer as in Cyanogenmod. This is advanced stuff and you'll need knowledge of ADB. Try it out if you want.
The easiest way out is to flash a custom ROM. Try Cyanogenmod, AOKP, Paranoid Android, etc. There are several others too. Try XDA Developers forums for more in depth info.


If you move and the signal gets stronger, that doesn't mean you moved closer to the Wi-Fi hotspot. Because of shadowing and reflections, the signal strength varies unpredictably from place to place. The signal your phone receives is almost never a direct, line-of-sight signal, unless both you and the hotspot are in a huge, empty field.

You'd have to measure almost every point in the room to find the very best signal: any kind of "warmer, colder" method isn't going to work at all.

Your best bet is just to tune it like a TV: try all the places you can put the phone down, and just see which one gives you the best signal. You don't need to go by the indicator on the notification bar, though: there are many apps that will tell you the received signal strength of all the Wi-Fi networks in the area. Wi-Fi Analyzer is one ad-supported example, and there are lots more.


Google Services hogging data - how to stop it?

Go To Settings> Accounts > Google > Click on Your Email/google account > Untick to disable any syncs that you don't need (eg: i dont need google play movies or bookmarks) > Turn off your device > take battery out > leave for 10 minutes > reconnect battery & turn on Your device > should be refreshed and ready to go with google services using less battery usage


How to have a different password for Facebook and Facebook messenger?

Yes.  I have the messenger app on my phone.  When I log in, I use my phone number and a password.  When I log into Facebook I use my email and a different password.


Google video hangouts on 2.3.5 Android phones?

Yes, any phone that has a front-facing camera and is running Gingerbread (Android 2.3.x) and above will be able to join and initiate Hangouts with the latest version of Google+ app.


I've mentioned below some use-cases tested on Android 5.0.2. Choose the one which suits your need.

GMD GestureControl

It needs root access. It can launch an action (say music app) using gesture from any app opened on the screen including lock-screen.

Usage instructions

Install and launch the app.
Tap Menu key and select Settings. Choose Device Setup at the very end of instructions if the gesture doesn't work.
Enable Start on boot to get rid of the need of launching this app manually to activate gestures on lock-screen or system-wide.
Create a gesture by tapping Select Gesture.
Choose which type of gesture you want, be it curvy (select Record Gestures) or the simple straight directional ones.
Unless you chose Record Gestures, the step would be to tap the direction icons to record gesture.

Touch Point: Mention the  number of touch or fingers you would be using to make the gesture
Anywhere: Location on screen where the gesture would work
Action: Choose the action to be performed like launch of an app, once you're done making the gesture
Per App Action: Mention where do you want your gesture to be activated. Default is everywhere

Go to Action.
Choose Application if you want an app to be launched.
Choose your app.
Go to Advanced options.
Enable Activate on Lock Screen.
Save and apply the changes.

(Click image to enlarge; hover to know details)

I tried this app with CM12's default screen lock and third-party SlideLock Locker. The result is that the gesture would execute the action if you perform the gesture on lock-screen but you can't see anything unless you unlock the screen if Password/PIN/Pattern or any security measure is set.

Nevertheless, it is a very powerful, intuitive and useful app.

GestureLocker

It doesn't need root access. Last updated in 2013, yet surprisingly, it worked on my device without hitches. Also, it seems that unlike traditional lock-screens it simply creates an overlay on the screen (with a lock icon) and your opened app  would continue to be visible but non-interactive unless you perform the unlock or other user defined gesture.

Usage Instructions

Install and launch the app, and uncheck Show LockScreen Gesture (it hints your gesture on lock-screen).
Uncheck default gestures and tap Add Gesture.
Name and record your gesture, then tap the newly created entry.
Select the app which you want to be launched using the gesture.

(Click image to enlarge; hover to know details)

Notable mentions

Gestos - Gestures -- last update an year ago, so it didn't work satisfactorily on Lollipop. But it may work nicely on Kitkat or prior Android versions.
Pi Locker -- it is a regularly updated lock-screen app and has some inbuilt gestures with no support to add user gestures as of now. I noticed some glitches during usage but that may be device specific.
Locker Master- Fun, DIY Themes -- you can create your own custom lock-screen without any programming I believe. It required internet connection to work satisfactorily and I dropped this idea considering its hunger for app permissions.

I've compiled two videos (ripped) to show the two main apps in action, both of size ~6MB:

GMD GestureControl
GestureLocker

Cheers!


How to factory reset phone when I can't find the factory reset option?

Posting this as answer in case anyone else runs into this.

It turns out that I had manually disconnected my Google account years ago, when I switched to a new phone. By reconnecting the Google account, it added the Privacy section (including the Factory Reset option) back into the Settings app. Once that option became available again, the reset worked with no problem.


Why do applications enforce read-write and read-only permissions for other apps to use it?

Because if the app is storing your data, it's responsible for keeping it secret. To take an example, let's say there's an app to store something you'd rather keep quiet, such as your collection of Jason Donovan albums. This app would have a database with the relevant information inside, and this database is private to the app. No other app can read it (without root), and thus your embarrassing music taste is kept secret.

Now let's say the app author wants to allow other apps to use the same data. It could be another app by the same author, or he could widen it to allow other authors to access the data. That way, other apps would be able to add a home screen widget with a Jason Donovan album of the day, or create calendar entries for the anniversary of each album's release, or import  anything else. He does this by creating a content provider, adding it to the manifest, and publishing instructions for developers on the format of the data and how to access them. The content provider is like a server: it provides a way for other apps to query the app's data and get results back, without accessing the database directly.

If that's all he does, then any installed app can access the data. You install an innocuous-looking flashlight app that only has "INTERNET" permission, and suddenly it's able to find out all your embarrassing music and email it to scammers for blackmail purposes. Obviously this is undesirable: an app developer who would let this happen should not be trusted with your data.

The app developer can prevent this by creating a new permission, and giving it a human-readable description, such as "Read your favourite Jason Donovan albums". Creating the permission doesn't do anything itself: he also needs to change the content provider so that when an app queries it, it checks that that app has the permission before responding to the request. If the app has the permission, it gives it the data it asked for; if the app doesn't, it might choose to give it an exception (an error that tells the program what the problem is), or simply to return no or partial results. For example, it might tell the app about the Rolling Stones albums you're not ashamed about, but not the embarrassing Jason Donovan albums.

This way, the innocuous-looking flashlight app can't access your data. Before you install an app that wants access to the data, you can see "Read your favourite Jason Donovan albums" in the list of permissions, and you can abort installing if you don't trust the app author with that information.

How many permissions the app creates depends on what kind of access it offers other apps, and how fine-grained the controls should be. In our example, the app doesn't have a way for other apps to add albums, so there's no need for a read-write permission. Even if it did, it may be that the app only has a read-write permission, which other apps need to have to either see the list of albums or edit the list. This might be enough for a simple app like this. But for something like a social media app, it's more important to limit how many apps can send messages (or write content) on your behalf, so two separate permissions might be used in that case. It's up to the app author to decide how many permissions are appropriate for the app, giving users control over their privacy without creating confusing combinations that are hard to understand.


How to configure and Enable WiFi Hotspot through terminal without ROOT

Setting and enabling hotspot (software access point) is possible by calling methods setWifiApConfiguration and startSoftAp of wifi service. But at least since Android 8, the former requires permission OVERRIDE_WIFI_CONFIG while the latter requires NETWORK_STACK. Both permissions have Protection Level signature, not to be used by third party apps. Neither adb shell has any of the both permissions. So it's not possible without root access.

A workaround is to simulate taps and keyevents using adb shell input command, though it's not a commandline solution in true sense.

RELATED:

How to create a WiFi hotspot from the terminal?


Android Contacts no longer syncs multiple accounts?

First, make sure that you have added both accounts to your phone under Settings -> Accounts, and enable contacts sync on each one.

While in the Contacts app, begin adding a new contact by tapping on the "+" which brings up the "Add new contact" screen.  Directly under the contact photo, and above the contact name there is a "Saving to" box, which is a drop-down that can be accessed by tapping the down arrow to the right:

This drop-down should contain all your other accounts that are synced:

Select the account you wish to save this contact to by tapping on it, fill out the contact details and tap the check-mark on the top-right to save it.

Keep in mind that other contact management apps will most likely have a different way to save contacts to different accounts.


This is to point out a possibility of replacing echo option, with a copy paste option

( Before that, here is a similar search Prevent complete charging?. .)

Related efforts  and success for AC charging by replacing the file itself, when echo was not possible, (for reasons I still don't know) is my answer for Honor 6 phone here How do I override charging current on Huawei Honor 6?.

On a side note, similar effort for Samsung Note 2 https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/127288/over-ride-charging-current-on-note-2-n-7100 has not yielded a solution. Unconfirmed views are :

Kernel alone can do that for this phone (from two kernel chefs who made kernels for this phone)
Chipset limitations. This from a developer

Since their views are based on email, cannot quote names

All the best and will be looking to find if there is yet another way


Yes, I did that myself, like this:

power the phone off and remove the old SD card
mount the old SD on a PC, copy its entire contents somewhere on your hard disk
mount the new SD card on a PC, format it as FAT or FAT32 (make sure it's the same file-system as the old one)
copy the contents of the old SD card onto the new one
insert the new SD card into the phone, power it on.


Although the exact cause can not be said, and since you already tried Clear cache but below are few things that you may want to try:

1.Check the date and time of your device. This was the problem with majority of users complaining about this error message in their Google Play Store app.
If your date and time are not correctly set, you will again the “No connection – Retry” error message.
2.Uninstall Updates: Sometimes Google Play Store updates automatically, and If the above mentioned steps don’t help you, use the “uninstall updates” option of Play Store app, it will revert to previous version and may also fix the problem. 3.Make Sure to Enter the Correct Google / Gmail Password

Another solution is to check your Google / Gmail account password. Did you change it and forget to re-enter in on your Android device?  As soon as you correctly enter your new password, your Android phone or tablet would be able to get all the Google services back on the device.


How can I add a Google Now card from corresponding search result card?

It's not possible to do that, no. You can add each currency to your interested stocks by opening the Google Now menu > Customize > Stocks, but I don't know if that will do what you're looking for.


Factory reset will resolve this issue! To get to that option though you have to be in recovery mode. To boot to recovery mode press the power button and volume up button simultaneously! And then you will get this screen:

Then just reset to factory version and it should work!


WI-FI And Bluetooth Doesn't Turn On - Samsung Galaxy A5 2016 A510FD

If the factory reset didn't work I would probably get it warrantied. It seems like a hardware issue.


Identifying the correct version of Google Play Services

The easiest way is to go to the Google Play services page from the PC using your Google account (the account used on your phone). Then launch the installation for the page. The correct version for your device will be detected and installed.

If you can't do that, then this version (18.3.82) from Apkpure should be compatible with your device.


Samsung Note 3 Phone - Clicking camera button fails to take picture

I knew why you have x1.0 appeared on the screen and can't take photo. I had the same problem and found out the answer. If two fingers touch the mon, it will appear x1.0 in order to zoom, and if there is still one finger on the mon and haven't move away, you can't press the camera button until all the fingers have moved away from the mon, the camera button will function again!


Saving draft emails whilst offline (Gmail App on Galaxy Note II)

Have you tried MailChimp? I think it works even offline in iOS and Android phones.


Performing key combinations in connectbot?

The ConnectBot developers recommend Full Keyboard to issue keyboard shortcuts. But there are also other keyboards.


I need to view the saved WiFi passwords on my non-rooted Android phone

This is not directly possible (as noted in the comment below your question).

You can let Google save them to their cloud:

Go to: Settings->Privacy and enable those two options:

Back up my data (Back up application data, Wi-Fi passwords, [...])
Automatic restore

Also, say yes when you're prompted if you want to Restore data during the first time set up of your new SGS3. If you've done the first time setup already withouth that option enabled, then maybe the Automatic Restore settings does it afterwards (not tried yet, though).


Moving Content from Galaxy S7 to iPhone X

Apple Move to iOS app really sucks. It is only available to transfer a
  few items from Android to iPhone and you have to factory reset iPhone
  to bring up the app.

  So my question is: what is the fastest way to transfer 60G content,
  including Contacts, WhatsApp, Music and Photos.

Apple’s made it easy for Android folk to move all of their data from their Galaxy  HTC, or Lenovo phone, etc. i konw some ways:

For contacts: Apple’s official mail app supports iCloud, Microsoft exchange, Gmail, Yahoo,  so if you use one of those services, linking up your email account is pretty straightforward. Source.

For photos, videos.
Apple suggests you use PhotoSync ($3, iOS and Android). You’ll find those freshly synced photos in the Photos app in Albums. You can also move photos and videos with a computer. Download Android File Transfer then go to Transfer > DCIM > Camera to drag the images from your device to a folder on your computer.(source)

For messages.. sorry, i dind't know.. if you found great way to transfer messages from phone to another phone, please let us know.


How to use Wi-Fi and hotspot at the same time on Android?

WI-FI REPEATER MODE ON ANDROID

I don't know of any straight forward tool other than Android apps (which use Wi-Fi Direct) that will let use wi-fi and hotspot at the same time. Neither it's a standard feature introduced in custom ROM's so far (AFAIK). However you can do this manually if you are comfortable with commandline usage. But it's NOT possible without root.

WHAT'S NEEDED

Rooted device
Device must support nl80211 driver

All newer devices with Qualcomm MSM chipset support this AFAIK e.g. Xiaomi's Redmi Note 4 (mido) built with MSM8953.

Kernel must also support this driver. To confirm:

~# zcat /proc/config.gz | grep CONFIG_CFG80211
CONFIG_CFG80211=y

~# lshw | grep wireless=
       configuration: broadcast=yes driver=wcnss_wlan multicast=yes wireless=Qcom:802.11n

Device must support managed mode and AP mode at the same time.

~# iw phy | grep -iA2 'valid interface combinations'
        valid interface combinations:
         * #{ managed } <= 3, #{ IBSS, AP } <= 1, #{ P2P-client, P2P-GO } <= 1,
           total <= 3, #channels <= 1

This means that your wireless chip supports creating at maximum 3 interfaces, one of which can be in AP mode, with others being in managed or P2P mode, and at maximum 1 channel is supported. If channels value is 2, you can operate both interfaces on different channels. However using same channel is recommended to avoid interference.

Standard wi-fi interface on Android devices (usually wlan0) is always run in managed mode. We are going to create a virtual wireless interface to be run in AP mode.
Linux tools: iw, ip, iptables, hostapd, dnsmasq etc.

You can also use wpa_supplicant in place of hostapd with slightly different configuration.

Usually these binaries come bundled with Android. However there are modifications by Google and vendors to make these tools fit for Android needs. So they may not behave as standard Linux tools and in rare cases you might need to compile them from source.

Wireless tools should be newer enough to have support for driver nl80211.
Terminal emulator (Termux is a good one)

STEPS:

For ease of use, I have summarized all steps in a shell script with brief explanation. You can put this on your $PATH e.g. /system/bin/android_ap and execute it directly: ~# android_ap start. A Custom Quick Settings Tile can also be created for ease of use.

#!/system/bin/sh
set -e
#set -x

[ "$(id -u)" != 0 ] && echo 'Not running as root!' && exit

SSID=MyAP                           # set this to your desired string (avoid spaces and non-ascii characters)
PASSCODE=foobarfoobar               # set this to your desired string (8 to 63 characters)
WIFI_INTERFACE=wlan0                # set this according to your device (lshw | grep -A10 Wireless | grep 'logical name')
SUBNET=192.168.42                   # must be different than WIFI_INTERFACE
AP_INTERFACE=${WIFI_INTERFACE}-AP
IP=${SUBNET}.1
DIR=/data/local/tmp/$AP_INTERFACE

USAGE()
{
    echo 'Usage:'
    printf '\t%s\n' "$(basename "$0") start|stop"
    exit
}

STOP() {
    # hope there are no other instances of same daemons
    pkill -15 hostapd dnsmasq
    # remove iptables rules
    iptables -D INPUT -i $AP_INTERFACE -p udp -m udp --dport 67 -j ACCEPT
    iptables -t nat -D POSTROUTING -s ${SUBNET}.0/24 ! -o $AP_INTERFACE -j MASQUERADE
    iptables -D FORWARD -i $AP_INTERFACE -s ${IP}/24 -j ACCEPT
    iptables -D FORWARD -i $WIFI_INTERFACE -d ${SUBNET}.0/24 -j ACCEPT
    # delete AP interface
    ip link show | grep "${AP_INTERFACE}:" && iw $AP_INTERFACE del
    rm -rf $DIR
} >/dev/null 2>&1

CHECKS()
{
    for binary in iw ip iptables hostapd dnsmasq; do
        which $binary >/dev/null && continue
        exit
    done

    # this check is necessary if need to use single channel
    if iw dev $WIFI_INTERFACE link | grep -q '^Not connected'
    then
        echo 'First connect to Wi-Fi for internet sharing.'
        exit
    fi

    if ! iw phy | grep -iqE '{.*managed.*AP.*}' && ! iw phy | grep -iqE '{.*AP.*managed.*}'
    then
        echo 'AP mode not supported.'
        exit
    fi
}

CREATE_AP()
{
    if ! iw dev $WIFI_INTERFACE interface add $AP_INTERFACE type __ap
    then
        echo "Couldn't create AP."  # :(
        exit
    fi
}

FIND_CHANNEL()
{
    # find what channel wi-fi is using
    CHANNEL="$(iw $WIFI_INTERFACE scan | grep -C5 "$(iw $WIFI_INTERFACE link | grep SSID | cut -d: -f2-)" | grep -i channel | tail -c3)"
    if [ -z "$CHANNEL" ]
    then
        echo  "Couldn't find channel info. Are you are connected to Wi-Fi?"
        STOP
        exit
    fi

    # if more than 1 channels are supported, use any frequency
    [ ! -z "$CHANNEL" ] || CHANNEL=11
}

ADD_IP_ROUTE()
{
    # activate the interface and add IP
    ip link set up dev $AP_INTERFACE
    ip addr add ${IP}/24 broadcast ${SUBNET}.255 dev $AP_INTERFACE

    # routing table 97 needs to be put necessarily on Android
    # because in main table, route for $WIFI_INTERFACE takes priority (ip route show)
    # and all traffic goes there ignoring $AP_INTERFACE
    ip route add ${SUBNET}.0/24 dev $AP_INTERFACE table 97
}

HOSTAPD_CONFIG()
{
    mkdir -p "$DIR"
    cat <<-EOF >$DIR/hostapd.conf
        # network name
        ssid=$SSID
        # network interface to listen on
        interface=$AP_INTERFACE
        # wi-fi driver
        driver=nl80211
        # WLAN channel to use
        channel=$CHANNEL
        # ser operation mode, what frequency to use
        hw_mode=g
        # enforce Wireless Protected Access (WPA)
        wpa=2
        # passphrase to use for protected access
        wpa_passphrase=$PASSCODE
        # WPA protocol
        wpa_key_mgmt=WPA-PSK
    EOF

    # you can tune other parameters such as mtu, beacon_int, ieee80211n, wowlan_triggers (if supported)
    # for better performace and options such as *_pairwise for better security
}

INTERNET_SHARE()
{
    # allow IP forwarding
    echo 1 >/proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_forward
    # route and allow forwrding through firewall
    iptables -t nat -I POSTROUTING -s ${SUBNET}.0/24 ! -o $AP_INTERFACE -j MASQUERADE
    iptables -I FORWARD -i $AP_INTERFACE -s ${IP}/24 -j ACCEPT
    iptables -I FORWARD -i $WIFI_INTERFACE -d ${SUBNET}.0/24 -j ACCEPT
}

DHCP_SERVER()
{
    # configuration
    cat <<-EOF >$DIR/dnsmasq.conf
        # we dont want DNS server, only DHCP
        port=0
        # only listen on AP interface
        interface=$AP_INTERFACE
        listen-address=$IP

        #bind-interfaces

        # range of IPs to make available to wlan devices andwhen to renew IP
        dhcp-range=$IP,${SUBNET}.254,24h
        # where to save leases
        dhcp-leasefile=$DIR/dnsmasq.leases
        # set default gateway
        dhcp-option-force=option:router,$IP
        # add OpenDNS servers for DNS lookup to announce
        dhcp-option-force=option:dns-server,208.67.220.220,208.67.222.222

        #dhcp-option-force=option:mtu,1500

        # respond to a client who is requesting from a different IP broadcast subnet
        # or requesting an out of range / occupied IP
        # or requesting an IP from expired lease of previous sessions
        # or obtained from some other server which is offline now
        dhcp-authoritative
        # don't look for any hosts file and resolv file
        no-hosts
        no-resolv
    EOF

    # open listening port
    iptables -I INPUT -i $AP_INTERFACE -p udp -m udp --dport 67 -j ACCEPT

    # start dhcp server
    dnsmasq -C $DIR/dnsmasq.conf
}

if [ "$1" = stop ]
then
    STOP || true
    exit
fi

[ "$1" = start ] || USAGE

# basic check
CHECKS
# stop running instances
STOP || true
# create virtual wireless interface
CREATE_AP
# find channed already used ny wi-fi
FIND_CHANNEL
# configre newly created interface
ADD_IP_ROUTE
# configure acces point daemon
HOSTAPD_CONFIG
# start hostapd
hostapd -B $DIR/hostapd.conf
# share internet from Wi-Fi to AP
INTERNET_SHARE
# run a dhcp server to assign IP's dynamically
# otherwise assign a static IP to connected device in subnet range (2 to 254)
DHCP_SERVER

echo Done.

SOURCES:

Linux Wireless Modes
Software Access Point
create_ap
Linux and Android routing tables
hostapd.conf
dnsmasq.conf


If you are talking about when you do:

  abd -s device-serial-number command

Then you can do this if it is the only device connected via USB:

  adb -d command

But that will only work if you have just one device connected via USB, if there are more than one android devices connected via USB, it will return the "multiple devices" error.


Why does the Play Store need access to NFC?

The Play Store app has two main features regarding NFC, both of which require the NFC permission.

It registers intent filters such that when you scan an NFC tag with a market:// link or a link to play.google.com, you get the Play Store app instead of a browser, the same way you would when you click such a link. This doesn't require calling the getNfcAdapter function, but it does use the same permission.
It uses Android Beam. If you look at an app's page in the Play Store app, then bring another Android device to NFC range, you can send that app link to the other device.


Is there an official Chinese handwriting input method for Android?

I found it: it is an app in the Google Play store called Google Handwriting Input.

It doesn't say it has Chinese Handwriting Input there right now but it in fact does.


How do i reset my frozen phone without losing all my data

Well, unfortunately you can't really recover your photos. If they were on a SD card it would be a lot more easier but it seems like the photos are in the internal storage.

There is still 1 thing you can try:

Your recovery! Find a way to boot your phone into the recovery. I assume your phone is still startable (not bootable). In most recoveries is an option for browsing the storage. If that's the case you just need to copy your photos to an external storage.

But what if your recovery doesn't support such a feature?
But you must have tried the first option first because this option is more risky:

Download TWRP (twrp.me) <- You will love that thing ;D (EDIT: This will only work if your bootloader is unlocked!!!)
Copy the TWRP zip to your external storage
Boot in your recovery and flash the zip
Reboot into your recovery (should be TWRP now) and now I believe there is a way to open the doors to your internal storage for your computer. Otherwise there is an option for browsing your phones internal storage (on the phone)
Last step! Copy the whole thing over there ;D

Hope I helped ya! ;D


Don't know about the verbose log but for the battery drain issue, i may suggest you to try the 'Battery Calibration' app(requires device to be rooted). I own a Samsung galaxy S3, had similar issues but found significant improvement after following the steps detailed in the app.


How can I turn on google maps speedometer alerts on exceeding the speed limits?

Both these apps appear to meet the requirements (not tested by me). I have requested OP to add/edit based on their tests.

You can try Velociraptor - Speed Limits & Speedometer, which is free and links to Open Street Maps (OSM) as also appears as an overlay  on Google Maps (select auto Launch in advanced settings). It is free & Open Source

Features:
• Automatically displays in any apps you choose (e.g. Google Maps)
• Intelligent caching & fast refresh of speed limits
• Sound alert when speed limit is exceeded
• Speed limit tolerance: % and integer amounts
• Transparency, size, and tap to hide setting

Alternatively, app Maps speed limits . It's a paid app with one week free trial

Maps Speed Limits shows the current speed limit in Google Maps or any other app.
Speed limit alert: play a sound when speeding

Barlop / OP adds
Looking at the screenshot below, you see on the left of the screenshot. (red circle aside), Velociraptor showing speed limit and speed.
Also on the left, you see the red circle, that's map speed limits. (not so necessary as Velociraptor shows both speed and speed limit anyway).
The speed mentioned on the very bottom is google maps saying that, google maps suddenly decided to state the speed!
I don't mind having both, sometimes the speed limits reported can differ, as the speed limits use a different database and they can update at different positions on the road. Velociraptor makes clear it uses OSM, and i'm not sure what database map speed limits uses.
They work internationally and have an option to switch between kph and mph.
Velocirapter also has quite comprehensive settings too and is pretty easy to navigate. And the google play app velociraptor page shows some screenshots of the settings it has too.
It is an overlay so google maps is open there, and any app showing the speed or speed limit is showing it as a floating  overlay over it.

Here is another pic from here incase anybody doesn't believe that the above is google maps (it is). As is the pic below. And since its google maps it applies to works for whatever country you are in.


Is there a way to download the files stored on Google Drive to an Android device?

You can use ES File Explorer.
To get connected:

Press the settings button on the phone, or the app.

Expand the Network list, and click Cloud.
Click New, and choose Gdrive.

Enter your Google credentials, accept the terms, and you're all set up.

To copy a file to the phone:

Locate the file on Gdrive through ES File Explorer.
Long press the file.
Press More, then Copy to.
Select the location to copy the file to, and press OK.

OR...

Locate the file on Gdrive through ES File Explorer.
Long press the file.
Press Copy.
Navigate to the location you want the file.
Press Paste.


You can go to Settings > Display and then un-check Auto-Rotate. Since that's rather inconvenient, I installed an app called Power Toggles which makes it possible to force lock the screen orientation to landscape or portrait from the notification bar very easily.

I particularly liked this app since its very lightweight, only about 248kb. It also makes it possible to add single-click actions for things such as the turning on the flashlight or mobile hotspot.


If  you cannot keep distance between screen and your skin (cheek) as bigbadonk420 said. Then, in my experience, always speak from your phone with headset connected. There by not having the tension of cutting the call and giving freedom to the hands simultaneously.  Simple isn't it...


Matthew was right. Though since most of the steps had been already done from original rooting, I simply redownloaded the Superuser.zip and installed from recovery.

Fixed the problem.

Thanks.


this log from the system process is the properties of your device and you can change the version in the file build.prop in the /system directory loop the pics :


Properly update a rooted Nexus 5X with stock Android 7.0 to October Security update

From XDA Developer's [GUIDE] Unlock/Root/Flash for Nexus 5X, I went away and:

Downloaded the OTA zip file
Installed the Android SDK tools,
connected my device and rebooted it into TWRP
Then went to Advanced -> ADB Sideload
Then from the command prompt, typed "adb sideload /path/to/OTA/zip/file" and hit enter
It took a few minutes to 100%, then I rebooted my phone and all is well and updated now.
Re-rooted my phone using NRT.


Why are bluetooth devices shown as paired, even though they are not even available?

The Paired devices section list out the devices which are already paired with your device. i.e., just an entry. However, it doesnt matter paired device are actively in connected state. Even when the paired device is not connected currently, the paired device section will list out since it has been paired already. if it bothering, you may long press the paired device and delete it but you need to paired it again to transfer the files.

hope this helps!


I have a Samsung Galaxy S Relay with a physical keyboard; how can I remap a spare key to send Esc?

Here are some threads from the xda-developers Galaxy S Relay 4G general forum which may be helpful.

"[root]Alternative keyboard layout compilation"
"[GUIDE] How to get good Ctrl and Alt keys in SSH while keeping Fn"


Will a shutdown Android phone wake me up (like feature phones do)?

There is no way to sound the alarm when the device turns off. This is a limitation in the Android operating system.

If you have a certain Samsung device, you use the NoMoarPowah app, but this only supports a very small number of devices.


Disable the "screen is pinned" toast notification not rooted tablet

You can setup adb and issue this command:

adb shell appops set android TOAST_WINDOW deny

You won't be having that toast anymore. However, this has the side effect of not being shown any toast that Android package would have displayed, so keep this under consideration.

You can replace deny with allow to revert the changes.


Latest Gmail update is not working on my Samsung Galaxy S3

I have GMail 4.3.1 on my AT&T 4.1.1 S3. I find that the Archive and Reply action buttons only appear on the new mail notification sometimes. As near as I can tell, two conditions need to be true for them to appear:

There must be only one new email. Multiple new emails will change the notification style to a list of new emails. So if you get a lot of email, you'll never see the action buttons.
There must be enough room in the notification pane to show an expanded notification without needing to scroll the notifications. So if you have a lot of ongoing notifications, you'll never see the expanded new mail notification with the two action buttons.


Deleted photos reappear after reboot, new photos dissapear

Well, it appears the SD card stopped recording new data. Here's how I get to this point:

I ejected the microSD card from the phone.
Using a MicroSD to USB I inserted it to my computer.
I tried to delete the data, the adapter, inserted it again - noticed nothing has changed.
I tried to format the MicroSD, ejected the adapter, inserted it again - noticed nothing has changed.

I bought a new SD card, copied the backup (applications and stuff) to the new one. Photos work as they should.


export multiple WhatsApp conversations to .txt or .csv format

The manual way of doing that is

> To email your chat history, follow these steps:
> 1. Open the chat you want to send by email.
> 2. Touch More options.
> 3. Touch More.
> 4. Tap Export chat.
> 5. Choose NO FILES or INCLUDE FILES.
> 6. Select the onedrive application and load. The email will be sent as a text. When the history is sent with attachments, only the most
> recent 10,000 messages are sent. Without files, you can send up to
> 40,000 most recent messages. These restrictions are due to the maximum
> size of the email.


NO you can't based on the hardware and most windows phone are made by nokia which android doesn't support, if its been less then 2 weeks most phone providers will allow you to exchange your phone.


its a faulty digitizer or the screen is faulty. my recommendation  go for a replacement if you still have the warranty period . Anyway, its a pure hardware problem, don't reset your phone, as you are going to earn absolutely nothing


Android software corrupting again and again

I am also a unite 2 user and i had faced this problem. However i repaired it myself. May be the problem is with your ROM. Micromax customer care service is of worst level so leave them. Here is a fixe.

Flash a new stock ROM. Download ROM And installation guide from here

Flash ROM with the help of SP flash tool and format your device before flashing(its easy)


Can user data be recovered after formatting and flashing stock ROM?

I have formatted the whole phone including bootloader

Bootloader can't be overwritten, your device will be bricked. I think you meant boot partition which contains kernel. But that doesn't contain personal data you've been saving. That's saved on userdata partition which is mounted at /data and one of its directory /data/media/0 is exposed as /sdcard through emulation. So the major concern is to securely erase /data partition.

  Are there any chances that my data may still be recovered?

Please note that on most newer device /data partition is encrypted by default (FBE/FDE enforced using forceencrypt or contents_encryption_mode flags in fstab). In this case your actual data is saved to /dev/block/dm-0 which is a logical volume mapped by device-mapper's crypt target over userdata partition. It means that data available on userdata block device is encrypted and not identifiable.
Secondly Android issues a scheduled/continuous TRIM command to flash storage (eMMC), which makes sure the deleted data is physically Erased from cells (which is a requirement before re-writing it; this is where Flash Media differs from HDDs).
Thirdly when you do a Factory Reset with stock recovery, BLKDISCARD or BLKSECDISCARD is issued before creating filesystem (formatting), which again makes sure the whole block device (userdata) is Erased. It means that all the Logical Block Addresses (LBAs) which belong to this partition will now return zeros if read.

If all of the three conditions meet on your device, be ensured that your data won't be recoverable.

Note that:

Overwriting data may not necessarily overwrite it, particularly on F2FS, which always writes data to new blocks as a part of it's wear-leveling strategy.
Simply formatting (creating filesystem) neither erases data nor overwrites it. It just recreates data structures (e.g. superblocks, file tables, directories, inode/block bitmaps, journals etc.). Formatting should be accompanied by TRIM or BLKDISCARD.
There is still a possibility that data is not Erased from physical cells (PBAs) even after issuing TRIM or BLKDISCARD, and it can possibly be recovered e.g. with chip-off forensics. There are a number of factors involved, including Over-Provisioning space, Wear-Leveling and Garbage Collection capabilities of the eMMC on your device.

For more details: How to make a complete factory reset, without anyone being able to retrieve my data?


Text to speech erratic after android 4.3 update

I released AnkiDroid 2.0.3 yesterday, it fixes the TTS bug described at https://code.google.com/p/ankidroid/issues/detail?id=1892

Does 2.0.3 fix the problem you described in your question?

Before 2.0.3 the TTS part of AnkiDroid had not changed in a long time, so it must be that TTS changed in Android 4.3.

If anybody has some info about what changed in Android 4.3's TTS it would be extremely appreciated.


If you run adb with no arguments, the help text will tell you the answer to this question.

adb uninstall -k com.mycompany.myapp

removes the app but leaves the data and cache directories. Similarly,

adb install -r myapp.apk

reinstalls an existing app with a new APK file, keeping its data intact.

As a side-note, I don't know if this affects you, but don't forget that Google Play's developer terms forbids apps from updating themselves (updating the APK file) through a non-Google-Play channel. This is to stop developers side-stepping the Google Play terms by building a 'stub' app that, once installed, replaces itself with an app that doesn't meet the Google Play terms. Updating data files and the like is perfectly fine.


The newest version of Android I can find is CyanogenMod 11. Needless to say it is not getting any updates any time soon, as CyanogenMod is dead and was superseded by LineageOS. There's some guy on the XDA forums trying to build Oreo for it but let's be real for a moment; A Tegra 2 device with 1GB RAM will run Oreo like a 486 old-school PC runs Windows 10.


How to get warning if there is an e-mail?

Uncheck the "Notify Once" option in your GMail account settings and you should get a notification for every new message.

(Specifically: Menu -> More -> Settings -> Notify Once)

Edit: Apparently older versions of GMail do not have this option, in which case you would actually need to try a third-party app such as GMail Notifier.


Can the on-board ADB Server find the device itself?

I don't think you can access the device directly from ADB on the device. but you can access the logcat if you need to in /dev/log/.

Just about anything you would need to access via adb should be accessible directly on the device, one way or another.

For example, adb gets screenshots from reading /dev/graphics/fb0


chrome uninstall left behind com.android.chrome[noinfo] apk with active connections

The behaviour of the browser is perfectly normal. Because opening a new internet connection takes a lot of power, after an app is finished with an HTTP connection to a given server, Android keeps the connection open a little while longer in case the app wants to download more from the same server. Keeping the connection open while idle doesn't take any extra power. This fits well with the usual behaviour of web browsers: typically you download a web page, then all the images &c. for that page, an AJAX request to the same site, and then a few minutes later maybe a new page from the same site.

The servers you mention are very typical. Amazon AWS and Akamai are content distribution networks. They're used to host many websites. People who run websites pay these companies to host static content and serve it to end users, which is good for you because it keeps internet latency down. When you visit (say) android.stackexchange.com, only the dynamic content comes from Stack Exchange's servers, and the static content - images, fonts, etc. - might come from a server much closer to you, run by Akamai or another CDN.

Other sites on your list are sources of "share" and "like" buttons, such as Facebook, StumbleUpon, and LinkedIn. Every time you visit a page with the official Facebook "Like" button, the browser has to go to Facebook's server to download it. That's how Facebook tracks you across different sites, but it's not the browser tracking you: it's the websites you visit. Uninstalling your browser and switching to a different one won't make any difference.

There's one last thing that seems to have added to your confusion: the "Application details" screen in that app shows a log of which sites the app has connected to, not the sites that have open connections right now. That's why old connections are still shown in the list after you restart the device, and after uninstalling the app.


How can I unlock a pattern lock if my screen is defunct?

YES That worked for me!!!

I've broken my screen, and after removing the SIM to another phone, the avast alarm starts louder every time I turn on.

Connect USB
Open KIES
Let the KIES waiting the screen unlock
Log in @ http://findmymobile.samsung.com/
Ensure choose the correct device, unlock the screen.
Done!!!!!

I did without the SIM card


I can't flash a custom rom onto my Galaxy Note N700

I fixed it! I did it like this:
The problem .. ? I don't know it.

In console these commands helped me

adb start-server // start the adb
adb usb          // restart the mobile phone with usb mode
adb sideload philzrecovery.zip //
adb reboot recovery
adb sideload custom rom
adb sideload google apps

Answering both comments of RossC and Izzy

I didn't have a custom recovery installed. philz touch recovery is a custom recovery that is based on cwm and has a touch interface. U can see it here

MD5 sum was okay and was the same as from the downloaded page. So that would mean there were no corrupt files or downloads. Gladly that it worked. Just seems like you can't flash custom roms with a stock recovery (I don't know if it's true, but seems like it).

So the steps are ( for windows )

Install adb driver ( I used these )
Navigate to the installation foldler with CMD (next steps are cmd commands)
adb start-server
adb usb
adb start-server
In mobile phone "Install zip from ADB"
adb sideload  (PhilZ Recovery)
adb reboot recovery
adb start-server
In mobile phone "Install zip from ADB"
adb sideload  (Custom ROM)
adb reboot

Done!


You could try SandroProxy, a free app developed by XDA Developers member SandroBSupp.

  It can act as pass-through proxy, traffic is not stored, ssl tunnel
  remains the same to server.

  SandroProxy doesn’t require root. All you need to do is to hit the
  Play button and the app will serve as an SSL MITM proxy (Secure Socket
  Layer Man-In- the -Middle-proxy). Your HTTP/HTTPS requests will be
  redirected through a web server, making your sent and received data
  invisible and, thus, protected.

You can access transparent proxy, a network layer proxy which, in turn, redirects the traffic needed by your phone for proxy identification. The only traffic that this proxy modifies are those which are absolutely necessary for proxy identification and authorization.

Uses proxy on localhost:8008

Haven't used it but it looks promising for what you're trying to achieve.


Samsung Galaxy Ace Duos has Android 2.3 installed, so you should be able to use Plan B.

This app sends the location of your phone to your email. Of course this requires your phone having a connection to Google play with your account.

In general: saying 'I have several apps installed' does not help, providing information what apps are installed maybe does.


How do I force stop an application downloading from Android Market?

Go to Settings... Applications...  Select Filter Options (contains All, Running, Downloaded).

This option can be chosen by clicking left/right option depends upon handset model.

Choose 'All'...so that you can see all applications. Select Download Manager; there you can click 'Clear data' button. It will stop all downloading applications.

Just now I analyzed and found it out.


LG P880 - No keyboard after factory reset

You do this:
Simply skip setup wizard (turn off cellular data to be able to do this), then when get to launcher turn on bluetooth and transfer keyboard .apk file and install it (check unknown sources to do this). Than go to play store and login to google account. To prevent this from happening again use titanium backup and convert keyboard to be system app.


How can I find a lost phone or help people return it?

Try Prey for Android.

Some features:

To trigger it, you send an SMS with specific text (default: GO PREY)
Once triggered, starts recording its location to display on your Prey dashboard
If "missing" you can put text messages on the screen or cause a loud alarm to be played

Here's a recent review: http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/10/28/prey-for-android-is-an-open-source-anti-theft-service/


Are you referring to LineageOS? CyanogenMod is no longer in active development. I don't know what device you are using, but if you can, you should upgrade.

Anyway, the default camera application for LineageOS is Snap (source). You should be able to see it in your launcher as Camera.


What are the "Window animation scale", "Transition animation scale" and "Animator duration scale" settings in android developer settings?

All 3 of these are set to 1.0× by default ;  you don't need to turn them off, just cut the values in half and set them all to 0.5 for noticeable snappier performance.

As for what each one does specifically and using my Galaxy S8+ to test them ᎓

Window animation scale controls pop-up window opening and closing animation speed, such as the pop-up you get with the various speeds you can choose when you select this option.

Transition animation scale controls app window opening and closing animation speed,

Animator duration scale controls app switching animation speed.

If you use your phone's stock launcher, one of these — likely the middle one — will also affect homescreen-to-homescreen transition animation speed ;  on my phone I use Nova Launcher and homescreen animation speed is adjustable within Nova itself, and is unaffected by any of the above developer options.


EzCast | How to cast to a projector by connecting to it's Wi-Fi Hotspot and still keep internet Wi-Fi connection?

I think this works only if the projector is Wi-Fi Direct™
certified, and also if your android device support such capabilities.

Wi-Fi Direct is a Wi-Fi standard enabling devices to easily connect with each other without requiring a wireless access point. Simultaneous Wi-Fi direct and network Wi-Fi is an optional feature for devices. Some devices allow this and some do not.

References

Can a device simultaneously connect to a regular Wi-Fi network and a group of Wi-Fi Direct-certified devices at the same time?
Android running Wifi Lan and Wifi Direct simultaneously
Wi-Fi Direct


Galaxy S3 is stuck at Samsung logo splash screen and won’t charge

Sounds like it might be the "sudden death syndrome" problem. If so, Samsung should fix/replace your phone for you (even if you've rooted it):

http://androidcommunity.com/samsung-galaxy-s-iii-suffering-from-sudden-death-syndrome-20121221/


I had the exact same problem running 7.0 android on the Samsung Galaxy s7 edge. I clicked on settings then  applications found the Google app clicked on it then I cleared all data and that erased all of the updates taking it back to the stock installed version from their I  updated the app restarted my phone and  my Google assistant works fine .hope this helps


Phone listed in Device Manager isn't mine

Follow the instructions below. I suggest you should change your password just in case.

Use your phone's browser to go to myaccount.google.com.
In the "Sign-in & security" section, touch Device activity & notification.
In the "Recently used devices" section, touch Review devices.
Touch the device you want to remove > Remove.

Source: https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/6264236?hl=en


No, there is no danger in you case with a Spreadtrum device, unless you have an issue in the following situations:

Warranty: In some countries/regions warranty will be void because they don't want you to bother their after sales. maybe this is the only reason. But if you have a full flashable factory firmware you will avoid this case.
Bootloader: Google/ODMs/OEMs/Carriers locks it because they simply don't want you to alter their configurations.
Bricking: If you don't know exactly how to deal with root. rooting a device maybe dangerous and may lead to soft brick it, unless you have again a full flashable factory firmware. personally i never encountered a hard brick case while rooting MTK/Spreadtrum devices.
Grant access to Adaware/Malware:- rooting is dangerous for newbies, it will let malicious apps to install unwanted Lock screens, unwanted software, view ads everywhere, etc...)

Why rooting a device is needed?

You are bored from factory OS and want to try a custom OS if available.
You a modder and want to tweak factory OS by removing bloatware or alter some system apps.
If you are a developer, in some cases you should have root (controlling a serial device for example).


Sending all contacts *with number* via Bluetooth

I am also a android phone user. To my knowledge it is not possible. when you import all your conatacts it dumbs everything into a single *.vcf file where with only this file you can export it to an other phone, it does not allow users to select their individual contacts to do so as you have mentioned. The only way is to delete it manually by choosing the contacts individually.


How can I view my Google Analytics data on Android?

Actually, they now have their very own Google Analytics app. Enjoy!

Description from Google Play:

  Essential data for your sites & apps. Anywhere, anytime. The Google
  Analytics app shows what is new and what is important on your Google
  Analytics profiles. See real time statistics, customizable dashboards
  and intelligence events on your phone.


Based on the discussions with OP, he has

Broken Win 10 machine, unable to get into OS
Rooted Android

He wants to

Extract Data from the Win machine
Install OS

Solution

Install DriveDroid ( requires root ) which can

  DriveDroid allows you to boot your PC from ISO/IMG files stored on your phone. This is ideal for trying Linux distributions or always having a rescue-system on the go... without the need to burn different CDs or USB pendrives

From the developers XDA thread, download Hiren's boot CD (for windows) - link in OP into the Android device
Enter BIOS of your machine and set the Boot order to boot from USB as first choice ( key combination would be based on the machine and Google can help)
Connect Android to device and boot, device will recognised and a temporary Win environment Win XP / 7 can be created. Connect an external drive and transfer files to drive

Above based on my personal experience in getting data out of  dead Win XP

Installing new OS

In my case, CD was working so I installed OS again
One of the reviews ( by Steffen Mossefin) claims he was able to do that using this app.

Edit:: Help section of app suggests ways of installing windows using this app by creating bootable USB drives, which of course need access to another PC - not tried this


Why I can't follow more than 600 users on Instagram from Android device?

Instagram lifted the restriction on my account and now I'm able to follow more people from android. I did not contact them though but the restriction was auto lifted after few weeks.

There was a temporary restriction on the account for some unknown reason that is most probably only known to instagram tech team because I did not exceed their follow/unfollow or like/unlike limit.

During this period I found same complaints from other instagram users on internet.


My default voicemail number somehow changed to *74274, which gives an error message. How do I switch it back to *86?

Try Settings->Call Settings->Voicemail. On my Fascinate this pops up with a dialog box where I can enter a new voicemail number immediately. On my EVO (CyanogenMod) I have to go into Settings->Call Settings->Voicemail Settings->Voicemail Number to get the same box, so it's very similar but does take an extra step.


Simple way to toggle between 2G and 3G connection

With Xposed module and Gravity Box installed, the pull down status bar can be customised even on stock ROM (of course it has to be rooted).

I have a Nexus 5 running stock 4.4.4 and following is how it looks:

With these installed, one can swipe down with two fingers from top and just tap the last tile shown as "3G" in the image. Though this nearly misses the first requirement of using no more than one tap, technically it still does as you have swipe down and use one tap.

That tile toggles between 3G, 2G, 2G3G states.  There is a minor lag to see the signal strength tile to reflect the status as "H+" or "E".

By installing the Gravity Box, I was also able to bring in the additional tiles like "Torch On/Off", "Auto Rotate Lock" etc which were not available in the stock ROM.

Update:
Thanks to jsen who was kind enough to share an intent to switch between 2G and 3G using Tasker and Gravity Box (that implies Xposed framework and rooting).

To avoid a dead link in future, the content of that Tasker hack is as below:

Send Intent [
Action: gravitybox.intent.action.CHANGE_NETWORK_TYPE
Cat: None
Mime Type:
Data:
Extra: networkType:1
Extra:
Package:
Class:
Target: Broadcast Receiver]

networkType enum values are:
0: WCDMA Preferred
1: GSM only <-- This would be "2G" on GSM networks
2: WCDMA only <--WCDMA is "3G" on GSM networks. You may know it as HSPA
3: GSM auto (PRL)
4: CDMA auto (PRL)
5: CDMA only <-- This would be "2G" on CDMA networks
6: EvDo only <-- EvDo is "3G" on CDMA networks
7: GSM/CDMA auto (PRL)
8: LTE/CDMA auto (PRL)
9: LTE/GSM auto (PRL)
10: LTE/GSM/CDMA auto (PRL)
11: LTE only
12: "unknown"

In my office, I have very bad 2G signal which drops my call very frequently. Hence I used to switch to 3G when I reach office. I created an entry task named "Enable 3G" and an exit task named "Enable 2G" which just sends intent as above. With Tasker's "Cell Near" state I can ask Tasker to enable 3G when I am near office and switch back to 2G while leaving.


Try re-flashing a suitable ROM from XDA.
Samsung Galaxy Y GT-S5360 ROMs [XDA]


You can run Google free device, however you really have to know what you are doing.
Removing Google apps and services from an existing device isn't a recommended way. You may run into serious problems. The common way to get a Google free device is installing a custom ROM without Google apps (for license reasons most custom ROMS don't include Google services/apps).

If you disable GSF apps will loose the push notification service (if they still run at all). For a large number of apps GSF is a requirement.

Some apps have an alternative custom push system implemented but now every app has to run it's own background service. For example signal has such a service but the authors warn that it causes "reduced reliability or performance" and as every app has to open an own connection to listen for messages the overall power consumption increases.


What's the complete map from letter to mobile network type?

The letter R means that you are roaming. You are out of your mobile provider home country or you are roaming while using a virtual mobile provider. Some providers that don't has his own network can cause that your phone shows a roaming signal, dependent of your phone firmware.


Stream music on Android to Desktop speakers

Yes you can. No additional soft or hardware required. Android 4.4.2 and WinXP. Like this: enable BT on both devices, make sure under Windows' BT Configuration->Local Services you have 'Headset' service set to 'Automatic startup'. Connect the devices (using pass-phrase if required), check on Android that 'Media audio' is enabled for the connected PC. Play some music, enjoy!


Problems with changing the default country in Google Play Store

unfortunately you can't do it in google play.but can login to your google account, and there you click on edit next to your email id and here you can see the option to edit information in the country field. Now you can change your country whatever you want.
but if this won't help you and want to access the playstore apps that have a country restriction, you can use apps like Hideman hideman VPN playstore link  to access play store apps via their servers at USA and you can actually download them.


Bought Samsung Galaxy II in China, need to change alerts, etc. to English

You could get a US/UK Firmware from samfirmwarec.com and flash it with heimdall / odin. But you will lose your warranty and I can not guarantee that it will work (it could even leave your phone in an unusable state).
Flashing can be done with three easy steps:

get your phone in download mode
connect it with usb
configure heimdall/odin and start the process

There are some other things that you need to be aware off, but everything is documented in the links I included. Maybe you son will also help you. :)