Where are Messages and other data like Application caches or even Applications saved?

Messages are stored in /data/data/(apps package name) folder which you cant access since your device is not rooted.
There are built in options in these app to delete conversations
( e.g in whatsapp go to settings>chat setting>delete all conversation)
You can also delete this data by going to settings>apps>App  which you want to delete data e.g:Whatsapp>clear data
(NOTE: If you will clear data you have to log in agian in app(whatsapp/hike) and dont select restore conversation in whatsapp)


There is no OTA update from the developer preview to the official release. You have to download the release version and flash it using fastboot.


Docking Asus Transformer Prime back-to-front?

No, the tablet only fits into the Transfomer keyboard/dock one way, with the screen closed against the keyboard when folded shut.


Wireless tethering between two Android devices

Your Android phone (if that is what you mean by having two Android), should have a setting for Wireless Tethering. Open the Settings -> Wireless option in your Android phone and there you will get the option.

You will need to provide a name to the network and then try to search for that name in the other phone, as a New Wireless Network. Also, your Data provider should have allowed tethering on your phone; they sometimes block tethering where unlimited data plans or plans with high data usage are provided.

Also, could you provide some more details on how you went about doing the same, that might help in providing a more useful answer.


Go to your Gmail settings. Most probably you can go by pressing your menu button. Then select your email address, such as xxxx@gmail.com. Make sure, you have notification option ticked. Go below and you will see Gmail Sync option, make sure it is ON. Now try refreshing.


Reading and writing application data requires at least system permissions (user id 1000 or less) or explicit permissions (user id of the application itself). Some applications share user ids (like free and pro versions of an application) to share the same data but as a normal, not system user, you are unable to even list the files inside the /data partition where all the application data is stored.

The backup procedure from android/google itself is done with system permissions as the system user (id 1000) and does only work on applications which explicitly set the allowBackup tag to true.


Tethering not working on rooted phone (both WiFi and USB), free third-party apps also fail

It always says cannot claim USB interface: Device or resource busy

This is because you have adb running in your system. ADB opens USB interface so no other app can access it. Stop adb either with killall adb or using adb kill-server (assuming the adb binary is in your PATH).


Locating application files on the android system

Using abd shell and the ps command, I determine the name of the package of the application.

Then, the files related to an application are located in the directory:

/data/data/package.name/

But the files in here are not accessible unless you have root rights. Or unless you run adb shell, and run-as my.debugable.app.
Unfortunaly release application are NOT eligible for the run-as command.

Not possible to list files in such a directory with ls

So the necessary next step is to learn how to root an android phone.


Android tablet not recognizing external keyboard?

Yes, I had the same issue, it never worked for any PC USB Keyboards, except the one which we bought from DOMO, that nCase K6. That K6 worked perfectly (even to my PC). But a PC USB mouse worked on my DOMO Slate X3G. Buy a nCase K6 or, preferably you could install USB Host Controller from Play Store, as said by the first answer.. That should fix your issues.


How to prevent Chrome tabs or any kind of app from sleeping when in background?

No, it's designed like that by the app's developers, so you can't.

Though for YouTube, if you're rooted, there is a Xposed Module called Green YouTube that have an option to play music from YouTube in background (but it doesn't work on my phone).


How to use Google Talk voice and video calling on an Android?

There is no official Google talk voice/video chat for Android phones. You can use Google Talk in Android 2.3.4+ to make video chats now. Additionally, any calls made via Google Voice are done via cell tower (using your minutes), not data.


Will Google+ Photos automatically migrate to the new Google Photos?

I just installed the app and I have access to all my G+ photos, plus the ones I have in Google Drive and a few scattered ones that were only on my phone.


Is there any way to root the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1?

These instructions are pretty hard to follow but should work: root insntructions


Why can I enable a hotspot on Android 5 but not Android 9 with same sim card?

From these observations, I infer that Android 9 (but not 6) enables
  carriers to implement policies regarding mobile hotspots. Is that
  correct?

Yes

  Is there a difference in behavior between Pixel 2 phones bought though
  a carrier and those bought directly from Google ( Device Manufacturer )?

Yes

  If Android does facilitate device limitations, does anyone have
  backstory about why Google enables policies that are counter to
  anti-net neutrality?

Yes

Many Carriers wanted control over tethering so Android just did what was wanted in that aspect, some carriers wanted to charge extra for tethering and even offer tethering specific deals that allowed you to get all your devices online for the cost of a single connection, some carriers offered unlimited data connections with mobile internet, thinking that it would only be used for everyday things like YouTube and Facebook, not expecting people to run WiFi hotspots off of a single device and effectively give internet access to anyone in range for free... Theirs many reasons to restrict network sharing, for example... let's say you purchased a few WiFi boosters ( repeater's ) and boosted that small business up the roads Free WiFi to half the city, half the city would have free internet ( it's a far fetched idea, however still concerning for internet providers )
Yes the difference is exactly as you stated.
One device is directly from the manufacturer and most likely a world-wide edition, meaning more language support and network band support in some case's.
However carrier released editions usually come prepackaged with all the providers software, these are usually limited to certain bands and require unlocking by the carrier to allow the other network bands... This includes any extra features they'd like to implement, like stopping WiFi hotspot and tethering.
The story isn't much,
Carriers got scared by the simplicity of sharing Internet access to people that haven't payed for Internet... While Android made a normal business decision to allow carrier's more control over their releases of the device.

It's all pretty straight forward and easily circumvented with additional software.


Why can I see '/' in a file manager when my device is not rooted?

I thought that root was required to do this.

That's not quite right. Any user can see that directory, but only root can write to it. Directories lower down the hierarchy such as /data/data are not world-readable, so while you'll be able to see that that directory exists, you won't be able to see its contents on an unrooted device.

Some file managers choose not to offer the option to display system directories like the root directory unless the device is rooted, simply because it's not very useful to do so when you can't see the contents of some of its subdirectories or change it.


Insufficient Storage - SD Card used as Internal Storage

What error does Google Play Store give. Insufficient storage? Or any other. And could 36GB be insufficient? Please note that application package rests on /data/app which is obviously internal, then all it's data is got in the sd. That means you may encounter that error if internal storage is below 15% of it's original size no matter how massive is your external sd. If that isn't still the issue, I think that's a bug in the Lineage OS you're running. I'm running lineage too. That feature works perfect like on any AOSP


can't see what I'm writing on a web form

The obvious:

try portrait mode
use a hardware keyboard
get a device with a bigger screen (ouch -- yeah, I stop this ;)

The not-so-obvious:

try an alternate keyboard, which consumes less space or offers transparency:

A.I.type Keyboard: According to the screenshots, it offers transparency
FloatNSplit Tablet Keyboard: The name suggests already it's for tablets only -- but allows to split the keyboard and move it around
TransparentKeyboard Froyo: Again, as the name suggests, another transparent keyboard

There might be more solutions (and certainly more alternative keyboards) available, so this list is far from being complete...


You might need to replace the system. Using adb, type in adb sideload ____.zip (after installing a zip for the device) because ASUS devices are built with Android, just with a different launcher and features. NOTICE: Before you sideload, make sure to enter recovery mode and choose apply update from ADB. If the launcher is replaced, you should install ZenUI Launcher.


Contacts recognized in one app, but not the other?

Import the contacts from SIM card to the phone memory. My phone also does not support viewing SIM contacts directly. Importing is a simple process. Just tap Contacts>Menu>Import contacts>SIM card>Select all>Import.That's it.


Htc one m9 unable to find firmware files for update from Android 5 to 6

You need to check wich firmware version your rom needs. For latest viperonem9 it's 3.35.401.12.

Now you can go to the xda-developer page http://forum.xda-developers.com/one-m9/development/firmware-t3068243 to find the latest htc firmwares for the m9 with a detailed guide.

Be aware that the fullstock firmwares force a full wipe, so you will lose your data. To avoid that you can use the nowipe firmwares wich are linked on the same page.


Strange problem with proximity sensor on Nexus 5X

Answering my own question. As I didn't have much to loose, I opened the phone up and found HUGE amounts of dust inside, including around the proximity sensor.  The whole sensor was just clogged with dust. I took out all the tiny parts, gaskets, etc., carefully cleaned everything with a soft brush and re-assembled the phone. Voila! Everything works correctly now.

I suspect the dust was getting in the way of the light in the proximity sensor - but it wasn't fully closed due to the dust moving around there.


Don't know of any YouTube option for that end, but if you are open to use an app to limit other apps, you can give a go to Onavo Count | Monitor Data that has an option to limit the app to Wi-Fi only:

  Save money on your mobile bill - avoid costly overage fees! Onavo Count puts you in control of your 3G data plan. Easy setup, three brand new widgets, tailored alerts and automatic blocking tools will keep you safe from bloated data bills.

Update September 2016:
It looks like Onavo Count is no longer compatible with some modern Android devices including devices like Nexus 6P. Onavo has a new "Protect Free VPN+Data Manager", which still has the above functionality in addition to some cool VPN features.


Switch language on Android device with bluetooth keyboard

Go to Settings → Language and Input, then find Languages and select English and your language.
Now you should be able to use Ctrl+Space key combination to change languages from the Bluetooth physical keyboard.


How to override default Android's default screen lock security policy?

A couple of ways (None of these tried by me)

This XDA thread HOW TO GUIDE VPN Without Security suggests a way of editing lock screen database settings using SQL editor . OP has specifically tested on Kitkat
You could try Xposed module Lockscreen Disabler. Module description says

  To setup a VPN you are forced by the system to setup some kind of security.

  This module is for all the users who don't want to be forced to use a protection, although using the services described above

If you are not familiar with Xposed, Xposed: The mighty Android tool box by @Izzy, would be very useful

VpnROOT-PPTP-Manager claims to do that, amongst other capabilities. App description says

  This application was designed to allow connection of a VPN server without having to use PIN or Pattern Lock-Screen in Android.

Edit: The first method did not work for me on 4.2.2 (tried after posting this answer).


Unable to find partition for path '/sdcard' in TWRP

Sounds like encryption is blocking the recovery from accessing the internal storage. Try using the latest version here.


How to change the 'hosts' file to redirect URLs?

The original link is dead. I pulled this short guide from way back machine, copied here:

  With the first few official Pre-Alpha builds of CyanogenMod 7 being
  released, it’s worth noting that a new feature has been included that
  allows you to change the hostname on your device from the Settings
  menu. If you have a supported device, you can get the nightly builds
  from the TeamDouche Mirror System. Once you’ve flashed (I take no
  responsibility if you break something – make sure to read up on
  issues/pitfalls/requirements before flashing), open the Settings menu,
  then choose Applications, then Development, and select Device Hostname
  at the bottom. This setting persists between reboots and ROM upgrades
  (unless you wipe).

  Warning: I accept no responsibility if you brick your phone while
  doing this.

  I ditched my iPhone due to problems my local provider was having and
  got an HTC Dream instead. I promptly rooted it using the Cyanogen Mod,
  but noticed that by default, Android reports the hostname as
  ‘localhost’. I don’t really like this, so I set about finding an easy
  way to change it.

  First off, even rooted, the / partition is mounted read-only when you
  boot normally, so you need to boot to Recovery Mode (Home+Power). In
  the recovery menu, choose to boot to console. From there, browse to
  /system/etc/init.d.

  IMPORTANT: Make a backup of ’05userinit’ before continuing! You can do
  this by simply running the following command – ‘cp 05userinit
  /05userinit’ (without quotes). This will create a copy of it in the /
  directory. If you screw up your editing, you can just rm the messed up
  version and cp the backup back in.

  To add the command to set the host name, we’re simply going to echo in
  the following two lines:

echo  >> 05userinit

echo hostname NEWHOSTNAME >> 05userinit

  Note that there are two spaces after the first ‘echo’ command. This
  creates a blank line at the end of the file. The second echo adds the
  hostname command. This way, whenever your phone boots, the hostname is
  set. Also, be sure to use two greater-than signs (>), as that
  appends – if you only use one, it overwrites the contents of the file.

  Make sure the edits are correct by typing ‘tail 05userinit’ – as long
  as it isn’t blank, and there’s more than just the hostname line,
  you’re golden. Reboot the phone by typing ‘reboot’ at the prompt and
  hitting ‘Enter’, and you’re done.

  Once you’ve booted back up, open up your terminal emulator of choice
  and type ‘hostname’ (by itself, no parameters) – it should echo out
  whatever hostname you specified.

  Update (April 6th, 2010): To change your hostname on Cyanogen 5.x, add
  the following line to the bottom of /system/etc/init.d/01sysctl — and
  make sure you make a backup of 01sysctl before editing it!

echo NEWHOSTNAME > /proc/sys/kernel/hostname


Android's native process management vs. Greenify

From the Android developer site:

  If an activity has lost focus but is still visible (that is, a new non-full-sized or transparent activity has focus on top of your activity), it is paused. A paused activity is completely alive (it maintains all state and member information and remains attached to the window manager), but can be killed by the system in extreme low memory situations.
  If an activity is completely obscured by another activity, it is stopped. It still retains all state and member information, however, it is no longer visible to the user so its window is hidden and it will often be killed by the system when memory is needed elsewhere.
  If an activity is paused or stopped, the system can drop the activity from memory by either asking it to finish, or simply killing its process. When it is displayed again to the user, it must be completely restarted and restored to its previous state.

Also:

  So, as the system runs low on memory, it may kill processes [...] beginning with the process least recently used, but also giving some consideration toward which processes are most memory intensive.

As far as technical implementation goes, the system calls into apps to let them know that they need to release memory or risk being killed:

  Also, when your app process is currently cached, you may receive one of the following levels from onTrimMemory():

  TRIM_MEMORY_BACKGROUND

  The system is running low on memory and your process is near the beginning of the LRU list. Although your app process is not at a high risk of being killed, the system may already be killing processes in the LRU cache. You should release resources that are easy to recover so your process will remain in the list and resume quickly when the user returns to your app.
  TRIM_MEMORY_MODERATE

  The system is running low on memory and your process is near the middle of the LRU list. If the system becomes further constrained for memory, there's a chance your process will be killed.
  TRIM_MEMORY_COMPLETE

  The system is running low on memory and your process is one of the first to be killed if the system does not recover memory now. You should release everything that's not critical to resuming your app state.

So to directly answer your questions:

No, Android does not clean anything up for apps, but it lets them know to do so themselves and kills them if they don't (or if it's not enough).
Greenify appears to do "on-the-fly" disabling of apps, so it is not allowed to run anything when in the background (and can't be started automatically when not running), but can still do anything when in the foreground.  This is completely different from how Android does it as you see above.
Yes — disable them (from Settings → Applications → <App Name>) (though you will have to re-enable when you want to run them manually). Or, for those that don't have automatically restarting services, simply kill them (i.e., long press the Menu button and swipe them away).  The latter will not prevent them from restarting if the system delivers an Intent to them, etc.
No, not at all.  True multitasking has long been available on mobile devices — the original iPhone was an oddity when it launched without that ability.


How does an Android app accesses any browser's history?

That app uses Accessibility service (originally meant to assist users with disabilities) to read what is being displayed on the window. It also uses app usage permission to track what app is being used at a time. Combine the two features and the app can know when a web browsing app is active, and what is being typed in there and displayed there. That app has already declared in its description on Play Store that it uses the said service. Under Web Content Filtering & Web Monitoring heading, it states:

  This app uses Accessibility service to limit app usage and keep your children from internet dangers

Related:

How do certain apps record everything we type in android?
Unusual ways of using Android accessibility services (by Maksym Dybarskyi)


Restore SMS messages from a rooted phone with a broken screen to an unrooted phone

I managed to restore my text messages using a borrowed 3rd phone that is rooted!

Using:

The rooted phone with the broken screen that you want to restore from (Phone A)
The rooted phone with the intact screen that you borrowed (Phone B)
The unrooted phone that you want to restore to (Phone C)

Do as follows:

On Phone A:

Activate recovery mode and pull the mmssms.db file using adb: adb pull /data/data/com.android.providers.telephony/databases/mmssms.db mmssms-phone-A.db

On Phone B:

Activate recovery mode and do the same: adb pull /data/data/com.android.providers.telephony/databases/mmssms.db mmssms-phone-B.db (use this later to restore the borrowed phone's text messages. Note the different file name)
While still in recovery mode, push the file you pulled from Phone A to the Phone B: adb push mmssms-phone-A.db /data/data/com.android.providers.telephony/databases/mmssms.db
Change the file owner and permission of the mmssms.db file: adb shell then chown radio:radio /data/data/com.android.providers.telephony/databases/mmssms.db and chmod 0660 /data/data/com.android.providers.telephony/databases/mmssms.db
Restart to regular mode
Install any SMS backup app (I used SMS Backup & Restore but any app would do)
Run the app to backup the text messages
Copy the backup file to some cloud service that you trust or to your desktop/laptop

On Phone C

Copy the backup file from the cloud service or desktop/laptop
Install the same SMS backups app and use its restore function

Don't forget to restore the original mmssms.db to the 3rd party phone!

On Phone B

Restart the phone to recovery mode
Push the mmssms.db file you pulled from Phone B back to it: adb push mmssms-phone-B.db /data/data/com.android.providers.telephony/databases/mmssms.db
Change the file owner and permission of the mmssms.db file: adb shell then chown radio:radio /data/data/com.android.providers.telephony/databases/mmssms.db and chmod 0660 /data/data/com.android.providers.telephony/databases/mmssms.db

Enjoy your restored text messages and return Phone B to the friend you borrowed it from ;)


How to lower global media volume of Doogee X30?

Go to Settings -> Sound, and then scroll to the bottom, where you'll find a feature called Sound enhancement

Try and toggle the volume booster button on/off.


Why is the screen going black on my LG Optimus 4X HD when I make a call?

I have looked into how to disable the proximity sensor on the Galaxy S4 and Nexus 4.

The S4's instructions were on stackexchange: Screen turns off during call with Tecno F7

But it appears Android 4.x AOSP, by default, does not have a way to disable the proximity sensor (I would love to be proved wrong). That's the issue with the N4, and possibly with your 4X HD.

There is a third party application, which I have not tested, that claims to be able to do this: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.itsme4ucz.screenoff


Thanks for the reply. I tried those instructions before but there is no Personal option. I did find it though. For anyone interested, it's Settings > Cloud and Accounts > Accounts > Google > Tap Account > [Menu] > Remove Account. For some reason it wouldn't open up the option to remove the account without having to "cancel sync" first in my case.


ADB is working, fastboot is not (HTC Desire Z)

From your first quoted block, I assume your phone is booted up normally (adb devices lists it as "device"). Fastboot cannot find it there. Try adb reboot fastboot, then check again when your device has booted up into fastboot mode.

See also:

How to Boot Android Devices in various modes (Fastboot/Recovery/Download)
fastboot intro (CyanogenMod Wiki)
FastBoot Mode (KingoApp)
Know Your Android Tools: What Is Fastboot & How Do You Use It?
our fastboot tag-wiki


How to mount SMB/CIFS Network Shares on android device?

You have to be rooted and you have to have the kernel module for cifs support. if you have froyo, you also will need slow-work.ko kernel module as well.

Once you have those, you can use (shameless plug) Mount Manager, it can handle loading the modules for you automatically and lots of features available for auto mounting when connecting to wifi, and other stuff. It is a lot like Cifs Manager, but has a more robust system for loading the modules, and supports multiple modules and has support for being a plugin for locale/tasker (paid version).


Whether the file is on mediafire or xda, you still run the risk of a user putting up a bad file (whether maliciously or incompetently). You have to trust someone unless you decide to make your own rom from scratch.

You could always open the update.zip file and do a cursory look at its contents. And if the poster has a good history, that gives points in their favor. Many posters on xda host their files on external download tools like mediafire; it doesn't inherently make the file more suspicious.


where to find the folder "/driver/net/"?

The discussion you've been reading is about compiling a modified kernel and a custom ROM for the Galaxy S4, using a replacement wireless driver that's been changed to add support for ad-hoc Wi-Fi networks. The path /driver/net/wireless is a path in the kernel source tree, which contains the source code for the driver that needs to be changed before compiling the new kernel. It doesn't refer to any path on the device itself, or anything else you can change on the device.


What does it mean when appears a no Sim/SD Card when I turn on internet

It would help if you shared a screenshot of the same. But I'll try to answer your question,

The SD card mentioned in the Settings is mostly external
The icon that appears close to the internet icon is usually a sim
card icon
The option to activate your SD card might appear grey if the SD card is not detected(if you have one) or not available.


Samsung Galaxy S6: Back button presses by itself

Had same problem. I did a factory reset which solved nothing, i tried the code which resets touch screen sensortivity.  No joy.  It's hardware. If your phone is under warranty take it back.  My cell was not so took it too local repair shop. They replaced a strip that runs around perimeter of my cell. This strip contains the sensors on the bottom of the cell and the side as well as the charger port.

Problem solved. Hope this helps


How to access GBoard clipboard manager without turning on 'Show suggestion strip'?

For the time being, the only way to access the clipboard manager is when the suggestion strip is enabled in Gboard settings. There are no shortcuts on the keyboard nor is there an option for it in the settings.


Any solution for sharing text with friend but prevent copy?

Simple idea is to type the required message in any text editor on phone (or in any messaging app itself / or write a Gmail and save as draft) and then take a screenshot of the text and send it over to the intended people!


Opening incognito tab in chrome when swiping on chrome icon?

I don't believe this is possible. According to this Reddit post it is not possible when writing an app as the Chrome code ignores the request if it is not Chrome initiating it, so an app or user cannot trigger the incognito tab. I assume the same applies when trying to launch the activity 'manually'.

  So what these are doing, is checking whether the intent should be ignored based on whether it is the user or chrome performing the action. They make this determination based on whether there is a token from a signed Google app. So unless there is a way to trick find that token and figure out how to attach it to Tasker I don't think it'll work.


How to extract SMS from an HTC One ICS SMS backup file?

As we checked out on chat, the file was not (as originally expected) some compressed XML in any known format -- so there seems to be no easy way to read the contents of that file. Which leaves you with a few options:

re-flash the stock image to your device, import the backup, then use a good backup app like SMS Backup & Restore to back up your SMS. After that, flash back your current ROM, and import with the same app.
This should always work (and did in the OP's case), but means a bit of effort as one has to flash the device at least two more times (to stock, and back to current). Before doing this, consider making a backup if you already put some customization/configuration work into your current ROM.
Similar: Use an Android Emulator (the one from the SDK, or Jar of Beans), load the same Android version you had on your device before, import the backup, and use one of the mentioned apps to export it from the Emulator, as well as to import it on your device.
Note: this might only work for "Plain Vanilla Android", as the emulator will most likely not support device-specific (or manufactur-specific) stuff. Unless there's an emulator around supporting device-specific images, of course. In the OP's case it did not work, as the app in question was bound to HTC's Sense stuff.

Unfortunately we've been unable to determine the file format used. For completeness, one other thing we tried:

If a complete Nandroid backup is available, the SMS database can be found in /data/data/com.android.providers.telephony/databases/mmssms.db and explored using any SQLite frontend (recommendation for a graphical one: SQLiteman). Unfortunately, in this case the database was empty due to the wipe occuring when unlocking the device.


Just now, 51 hours after the sync failure problem began,my tablet and phone both started Gmail manual syncing again. No fix was applied. I can only assume therefore it was a Google issue and not my account, devices or the app. The only unifying root cause would be a Google server issue or my Gmail account, and that account always worked on my computer. Hopefully it will remain functional.


Is it possible to have the same apps from the same amazon account on 2 different devices?

Did you register the devices with Amazon?  You can install amazon store purchases on multiple devices, but they must be authorized.  When you are in the app store, looking at an app, there should be a list of your devices, under the purchase button, with a notation on which devices the app will work with.


To disable MMS

  Under your phones network settings you will see a section called
  “access point names” or “apn’s”. You will see either one or two apn’s
  listed. If you have two, the second one will be the MMS control. If
  you only have one the MMS control will be down the bottom of the apn
  settings. Just highlight the apn and choose “edit”.

  Look for:

  MMSC - http://mmsc.mms.o2.co.uk:8002

  MMS Proxy - 82.132.254.1

  MMS Port – 8080

  and insert a * or # at the beginning of each line.

If you're not on O2 then the details will be different in these three fields - or lines as phrased above, but this won't make any difference.


Help automating Wi-Fi Calling or Airplane mode toggle with Tasker

Create a profile "Home" with state "Wi-Fi Connected" and SSID set to your home Wi-Fi  network name.

On the profile create a task that

Turns on Airplane Mode
turns on Wi-Fi

This will be triggered when connected to your home network.

On the same profile create an exit task that

Turns off Airplane Mode

This will be triggered when disconnected to your home network.

Finally set your Wi-Fi Calling preference to "Cellular Network Preferred" (or whatever it is on your phone).


Google account doesn't accept app password

Apparently, Lollipop supports 2-step verification natively so it doesn't accept app passwords any more (as they are infinitely less secure). If you don't have access to authenticator app, change the associated phone number to the one you are using now and security token can be automatically verified via SMS.


Identifying a white elliptical shaped icon in notification bar

If that icon appears on the notifications tab:

You could drag your notifications bar down, try clicking and holding to find out what application it is and click on the info button then 'uninstall'.


As GAThrawn already indicated, the answer to your question is covered by How to backup an Android device?. As far as the kernel is concerned, two of the answers apply:

using adb pull to do a file system copy as described in this answer
create a Nandroid Backup from within your custom recovery as detailled in this answer

Both variants require your device to be rooted, and for the Nandroid backup you will need to have a custom recovery (e.g. ClockworkMod) installed.


Try a different USB cable.  Or try plugging it into a computer to check if it's the cable.


Nexus 5x won't use custom ringtones/notifications

I had this issue, but only with the Alarm media files.

Use a file explorer, like ES File Explorer:

Using the ES File Explorer, navigate to the folder you have place your custom alarm media files.
Click on the file you want, and in the "Open with" prompt select "ES Media Player"
Open the menu in the top right, and pick "Set ringtone" (the entry with a bell icon)
In the dialog that appears, pick "Set alarm"


Unable to update Chrome, even after setting SD card as default installation path

Unfortunately the only real solution is to clear up some space on the system 'drive' - uninstall things you don't need, media files and so on.

I typically plug my phone into a computer, move as much stuff out as possible, and try again.


How do one know which folder is created by which Android apps?

If you open a file as Context.MODE_PRIVATE, then the file is created in /data/data/app_packagename and is only accessible to your app. You can see the permission and owner of these files in command line.

adb shell ls -al

drwxr-x--x    1 app_28   app_28        2048 Dec  6  2011 com.android.mms

But files in sdcard is public to all user, so you cannot find out which folder belong to which app.

  Files saved to the external storage are world-readable and can be
  modified by the user when they enable USB mass storage to transfer
  files on a computer.

See this link for details.


Romanian Layout for Physical Keyboard is absent

Have you tried this? https://android.stackexchange.com/a/103494/241518

  What you have to do is pair your external keyboard then

  Go to Settings -> Language & Input -> Physical Keyboard Then tap on
  your keyboard and a dialog for choosing the keyboard layout should
  appear. Choose the layouts you want (note that you have to select two
  or more to be able to switch) and then press back. Near the bottom of
  the dialog a label saying "To switch, press _____ " which, in my case,
  is

  CTRL + SPACE Hope this helps!

I don't have a way of trying it out myself, so I don't know what languages are available for physical keyboards.

If that doesn't work, perhaps this app could help (External Keyboard Helper Pro- looks like there is also a demo version)? https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.apedroid.hwkeyboardhelper&hl=en or free demo version: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.apedroid.hwkeyboardhelperdemo


How can I make my Samsung Galaxy Nexus volume go louder than what stock allows?

I use a program called Volume+ Free.  Works pretty well.  The free one is capped though at +4 db.  If you want to go higher you have to get the paid version.

The full version can be found for free on the developer's website.


On TWRP recovery, tap Reboot and then System


Formatting internal MTD storage: selecting block size?

I select largest possible block size for mke2fs to avoid block fractioning as erase operation on that MTD memory performed by 16 KiB chanks:

android# /sbin/mke2fs -t ext4 -I 4096 -O ^huge_file -m 0 /dev/block/mtdblock9
mke2fs 1.41.14 (22-Dec-2010)
Filesystem label=
OS type: Linux
Block size=4096 (log=2)
Fragment size=4096 (log=2)
Stride=0 blocks, Stripe width=0 blocks
1162128 inodes, 4651520 blocks
0 blocks (0.00%) reserved for the super user
First data block=0
Maximum filesystem blocks=0
142 block groups
32768 blocks per group, 32768 fragments per group
8184 inodes per group
Superblock backups stored on blocks:
        32768, 98304, 163840, 229376, 294912, 819200, 884736, 1605632, 2654208,
        4096000

Writing inode tables: done
Creating journal (32768 blocks): done
Writing superblocks and filesystem accounting information: done

This filesystem will be automatically checked every 35 mounts or
180 days, whichever comes first.  Use tune2fs -c or -i to override.

then:

android# tune2fs -c 0 -i 0 /dev/block/mtdblock9
tune2fs -c 0 -i 0 /dev/block/mtdblock9
tune2fs 1.41.14 (22-Dec-2010)
Setting maximal mount count to -1
Setting interval between checks to 0 seconds

NOTE There is no need to format /data and /cache partitions. That can be done automatically in wipe data of recovery menu.


Show event names on month view in Google Calendar

Google Calendar doesn't have that feature.

You can use a 3rd party app like aCalendar instead (paid/free).


How to fix Facebook (Build 14...), download manager process on Samsung Galaxy S2

Go to downloads, click on it and send it to trash. Worked for me.


Manually changing shared_prefs and forcing app to update to it?

Try to edit the file after 'force-stopping' the app in settings → applications → manage applications. You cant edit the permission of the app to display notifications however


Well, I gave up and did a reset of the phone. The problem didn't appear anymore.


Gingerbread -- how to wake up to 100% battery?

It should wake up with anything between 95 and 100%. Anything less and either you're charger/battery/phone is doing something wrong.

Turning off the device and letting it sit in the charger (reconnect the charger) should fill the charge to 100% from whatever it it in a couple of minutes (10-30) while you wake up and get you're stuff.


Try rebooting into Safe Mode. If its a 3rd party app messing with your phone then it won't work on Safe Mode. Then try backing up your data and resetting the phone.


Yes, the Nexus 7 allows the installation of 3rd party apps.

Settings/Security/Unknown Sources


I fully agree the storage screen shows "incoherent data" (more cache used than there's storage available), so it must have miscalculated.

As your device is already complaining about "low storage", I assume installing additional apps is not an option. If your device were rooted (which it is not), you could figure which app(s) is/are responsible for "high cache consumption", utilizing ADB:

adb shell su -c "for dir in /data/data/*/*cache; do du -sk $dir; done"

This shows the directory (including the app's package name) and the size of cache used in kB. Snipped of example output (from one of my devices):

2224    /data/data/com.feedr/app_cache
32      /data/data/com.feedr/cache
32      /data/data/com.fsck.k9/app_sslcache
32      /data/data/com.fsck.k9/cache

Without root, there might be ways achieving similar results via tools like "package manager" (pm) – but I couldn't figure that yet. If the culprit was found with the above command, you can selectively free its cache running rm -rf against the specified cache directory (again as root), or just clear the cache altogether (see Clear Caches from ADB). Clearing the cache completely doesn't require root and is possible via most (stock and custom) recoveries, and also (stock, custom, root or not) via the fastboot erase cache command.

If the above is not possible for you, and you're still able to install apps (maybe after deleting another installed app), you could go the way SarpSTA recommended and install a cache manager to check. If that's not possible either, the "long way" would be going to Settings › Apps and walking the "All" tab – opening each app's page and see how much "cache" is printed for it, manually hitting the "clear cache" button for "heavy eaters".


Can Facebook Messenger read screen contents?

The "draw over other apps" permission (known to developers as android.permission.SYSTEM_ALERT_WINDOW) only lets the app create a window of type TYPE_SYSTEM_ALERT. This is the same type of window used by the battery warning, amongst other things, and is shown on top of any normal window, whatever you're doing.

Drawing this window on top of the other windows is done by Android itself. An app with this permission still can't read other parts of the screen or read other apps' data. This permission doesn't even let the app see (the names of) what other apps are running, which is controlled by a different permission called, "Retrieve running apps". Facebook Messenger doesn't use that permission, but the main Facebook app does, in order to support Facebook Home.

Even so, this permission is far from harmless. An app might use this permission to display pop-up ads when you're doing something else: ads that you can't dismiss, not even by pressing home. With a bit of cunning, it might even be possible for an app to place a window that conceals an important confirmation dialog, so that while you think you're answering "Yes" to a harmless question, the button belongs to a warning about installing further apps or deleting your data, which the system alert has hidden. This was a common tactic used by Windows malware a few years ago (before UAC arrived in Windows Vista).


How can I get my Galaxy S3 to behave at night? (turn off LED and notifications, etc.)

People might expect me to recomment Tasker including a profile -- so I will do this first. But I will include another, free solution as well this time.

First, how to solve this with Tasker? Quite easy:

Condition: Time (10pm to 7 am, for example)
Task:

Airplane On (optionally, so no incoming calls)
WiFi On (so weather-updates and streaming music for my alarm clock still make it)
Silent Mode On (that's the important one: everything off except for media volume)

This is just an example of what can be done. Many more options are available, but Tasker costs you about 5 Euro (it's really worth it, as other answers here tell you as well -- you can let hell freeze with it!). If that's too much for you, you have two options: First check with the free 7 day trial from the Tasker homepage -- or look for an alternative. Well, to be honest: nothing can get near Tasker, but for your case there are some options left:

Timeriffic is a very good scheduler (can deal well with time based events, like the above described)
Llama - Location Profiles can do with location based, time based (don't be fooled by the name of the app), and more
I know I repeat myself: Tasker can do all this and much, much more. And if you feel there's something missing: there are so many addons available (all Locale addons fit). And so many apps interface with it...


How to efficiently install same apps on 2 phones?

Transfer all apk files of apps to backup phone using any transfer app or Bluetooth. And install all that apk files in backup phone.

There is not required any internet data.


Market App Downloads always fails/never starts

The cause of these problems is a bug in Google Framework Services, at least in 2.1 and 2.2.

I have been able to fix it temporarily by clearing the cache for all Google apps -- GFS, Talk, Voice, GMail, Market, etc. -- but I do not believe there is a permanent fix.  Perhaps in 2.3, I don't have it on my phone yet.


How do I rename entries in Google Authenticator?

Touch the entry you want to rename for one/two second until a an accordion appears.
On the top of the screen, you'll see edit icon (pencil) allowing you to rename the entry.
Click on the pencil and rename the entry.


Is my Exchange email encrypted on my device?

By default email will be stored in the phone's internal memory, not on the SD card.  (Though you can 'move' the app to SD storage, so it is possible that the SD card gets used).  As others have said, once your mail is on the SD card, there is no protection as the SD card is removable (since the data is unencrypted).

For mail that is stored in the phone's built-in memory, an attacker would have to unlock the phone to get the data.  Either directly through the mail app once unlocked, or to put the phone into "USB disk mode" to read the phone's state from a USB-attached computer.  (A really sophisticated attacker could probably disassemble your phone and wire the flash to a custom reader, by passing the phone lock and read your unencrypted emails off of the flash.)

Note that the Exchange connection allows the Exchange server to send a command to wipe your device.  (I believe this is contingent on some setup by the Exchange admin.)  In the web UI for my Exchange email server, there is an option to list authorized devices and to wipe them remotely.  Of course, the phone needs to be on a network to receive this command, so an attacker could delay this command by preventing the phone from using its networks.


Is it possible to update from 2.1 to 2.3?

It's perfectly possible to skip Android versions, but 2.3 has not been released for the Galaxy S.  See When will my phone get the Android 2.3 update (Gingerbread)?

You could try a custom ROM, however; check out XDA's SGS Development forum to find one.


Yes, you can now install the stock Android keyboard from the Play Store - it's called Google Keyboard.


WiFi Direct - only one device (Samsung phone)

Try using the app SuperBeam to receive files on a device without wifi direct from one that does have it.


can't connect my Android device to the router dwr 712

If you're talking about your own WiFi network, a network address must be agreed upon by your router and your Android device. This is usually done via DHCP, with your router managing available IP addresses and assigning them to devices which connect to it.

Now, those addresses are usually assigned dynamically, and „time out“ when the „lease time“ configured in the router is running out and the device has not been connected within that time frame. That's done so the router doesn't run out of available IP addresses, which are (in a class C network, which is commonly used here) limited to 254.

So if you want your Android device always to use the same IP address, there are two approaches you can take – depending on what your router supports:

tell the router to „always assign the same IP to that device“
use an IP address outside the configured DHCP range and configure that as „fixed IP“ with your Android device.

The former is easier to achieve, and there's nothing you'd need to configure on the Android device for that.

For the second approach, you first need to check with your router about the DHCP range (wich might e.g. be 192.168.0.200 and higher), then pick an address outside that range but still in the same network and not already used by another device, e.g. 192.168.0.199 with the mentioned example (don't use .0 or .255, which are reserved for special use). Then configure that in your Android device, by editing the settings of your WiFi network:

Go to Settings › WiFi (where the networks are listed)
long tap the entry of your WiFi, and chose to „edit“ its settings
chose to show „advanced“ options
enter the IP address (from above calculation), gateway IP (your router's IP), name server (e.g. consult your router what it uses, or try with the router's IP again), and the network mask (with a class C network, that would be 255.255.255.0)
Save


How safe is it to build and flash LineageOS myself?

Will I be getting security updates ?

LOS team will keep merging in Android-side security patches, so each time you sync and build you get the latest they've merged, but kernel-side ones are up to you.

Will it be safe to use banking apps with the custom ROM ?

Root is optional on LOS - if you don't opt into that, the risk is low.

What can happen if I lose/someone steals my phone ?

With encrypted data and a good enough lockscreen passcode, your data will be secure.

Should I stick with my bloated stock ROM ?

Why did you ask this question in the first place? ;)


How can I  upgrade my device without going through my carrier?

Not officially, and not without voiding your warranty. You would need to install a custom ROM, of which there are several, the most popular of which seems to be CyanogenMod.


Where is the backup location from Titanium Backup on a phone without an SD card?

You can put it on the internal SD card as well (e.g. /sdcard/TitaniumBackup). At its first start, TiBu will ask you to chose a location.


How can I view contacts that were on my now destroyed device

Your only means of accessing your list of contacts is through your google account (which is how I assume you tried to do so with your wife's phone). However, this is dependent on when you last synced your contacts with your google account on your phone before it was destroyed. So, it's possible that you didn't make a recent sync back when it was still working. You can double-check your gmail account and look at your list of contacts there.


You can just reinstall your firmware using this tool. It's the official update tool for lg phones. After that you can just root your phone again. Just remember, it's almost impossible to completely ruin your phone ;)

Edit: You might want to make a backup, because during the update you lose everything on your internal sd (everything on your external sd is safe)


How can I enable keybord Samsung Galaxy S3 GT-i9300 Android version 4.1.1

While it sounds strange that there should be no keyboard present, and as trivial as it might sound: Simply installing an alternative keyboard from the playstore should fix that. Take e.g. Hacker's Keyboard, which is a very flexible one, and well rated (I'm using it myself on my tablets). Simply install it, and its settings should turn up at the place you've described. Optionally, add the dictionaries for the languages you like to have them (see the keyboard's playstore page, some are directly linked to the app).

Do it from a PC/Laptop

As you currently have no keyboard available on your device, it might be difficult/impossible to use the playstore app on the device itself to install the above. You can still install it:

on your laptop/pc, open a web browser and go to https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.pocketworkstation.pckeyboard
log in with the credentials of the Google account you use on your device
click the "Install" button, accept the permissions for the app (they are OK)
the keyboard will be pushed to your device

Once the installation has finished (you can see this in your device's notification area), you can go to the described place (Settings → Language and Input → Keyboards and Input methods) and make the new keyboard the default input method. With that final step, you problem should be solved.

No Google-Account configured on the device?

In this case, installation via the web interface cannot work either, as the app-to-be-installed cannot be pushed to the device. Still, there is something you can do:

On your PC/Laptop:

Visit the Hacker's keyboard project's download page and download the .apk file to your computer
if you don't have any file manager on your Android device:

You will need the Android SDK installed, or at least a "Mini variant" (the adb/adb.exe binary and, on Windows, its helper .dll files -- check the adb tag and its wiki for details, and see QtADB for a simple, user-friendly variant working on Windows, Mac and Linux)
When on Windows: Make sure you have the drivers for your Android device installed

On your Android-device:

Enable unknown-sources to activate side-loading (Settings→Security: Check "Unknown Sources")
if you don't have a file-manager app on your Android device: Enable adb debugging (Settings→Development: Check USB-Debugging)

Connect your Android device with your PC/Laptop via USB cable
to install your .apk...

if you have a file-manager app on your Android device:

simply copy the .apk to your device as you usually copy files there
use your file-manager app to navigate to the .apk
"tapp" the .apk file's entry. After asking your confirmation, the app will be installed. Skip all below -- you're done.

if you don't have a file-manager app on your device: use pm install via the ADB command-line to install the .apk on your Android device (see XDA-Developers for more details on this -- usually it should be adb pm install /path/to/download/*.apk, replace the /path/to/download part with the full directory name of where you saved the .apk to).


Is there a QR code reader with instant sync to PC?

This is not an exact answer, but it can simplify what you want to do..

You can copy results in clipboard & get clipboard data on PC using AirDroid (It doesn't require internet connection; it works over internal Wi-Fi network).


Can't check 'Phone Audio' setting for a Bluetooth headset

I found this fix/workaround: Go to Settings, then Bluetooth. Turn off the Bluetooth and the screen should show a link for the scanner settings. Click the link to turn off "Bluetooth scanning." Then it works...

I copied it from here: https://forums.lenovo.com/t5/forums/v3_1/forumtopicpage/board-id/MotoG4thGen/thread-id/16482/page/4


As far as I know, the GMail app and the mobile version of GMail does not have any way to add filters. You will have to use the Desktop/full version of GMail to create filters.


How to set up a host to IP mapping on unrooted Android?

You cannot simply edit the hosts file on Android, as it resides on a read-only file system: /system/etc/hosts, see:

How to edit etc/hosts file
How to change the hosts file on android

Alternatives are:

use a DNS server like DNSMasq in your local network to take care for that "centrally"
use "root powers" to force-edit the system file as described above
install a "local DNS server" on your Android device to use that, e.g. DNS Server


Use SD card (or part of it) as internal storage

There are a quite a few options.

Open Terminal Emulator and check with the 'df' command, how much space is left on your partitions. Is /data or /system full?
Goto system/apps/all > 'Sort by size to' find out which apps eat up the most space.

Check if you have big size apps installed where you could change data location within the app to sdcard. Thinking of navigation apps and games. Every app where you have to download additional data to the actual app.
Make sure you use the sdcard for media like photos (camera settings) music and video.
CM has a built-in system to move apps to SD under settings/apps/on sdcard. Check apps that are big and you use rarely and are not interactive first. Reason: If you still use the USB feature those moved apps are not available to system anymore and are least likely to cause trouble.

Another option is to use the app FolderMount. Use it to move certain locations to SD like the Download* folder. Or the DCIM folder if the camera doesn't support sdcard location in settings.
Use the app Link2SD which is able to move every bit from an app (including app data) to SD. It has a good overview on how much space an app really needs. You will have to create a separate partition on the SD card for that to work.


When phoning, is there some way to 'say' the digits to a menu system in stead of having to enter them on the keyboard

Basically, the problem with this is that your phone cannot distinguish between what you want to say and transmit to the other end of the conversation, and words you want to be commands to the phone.  What if you call an automated system that says "Say 'one' for X.  Say 'two' for Y."?  When you say 'one' or 'two', there's no way (without very advanced AI) for the phone to decide whether you intended to transmit that speech (e.g. "two") or intended it to be a command for the phone to dial ('2').

You could possibly have a custom dialer app where if you press a button on your phone, it stops transmitting your voice and accepts commands, and pressing again stops accepting commands and resumes transmitting your voice.  I'd bet a lot of money that no one has made such a custom dialer.

Of course, there are many phones where you can enter "pauses" into the dialer, followed by menu choices.  For example, 555-555-5555-PAUSE-PAUSE-PAUSE-2-PAUSE-1 will:

Dial 555-555-5555
Wait for the call to connect
Press '2' (for a menu option)
Wait for the next menu
Press '1' (for a menu option)

This might serve your needs if you know the menu layout, but otherwise I think you're stuck (unless you want to use headphones as Lie Ryan suggests).


Delete pre installed apps under oem/apps folder?

give the root permissions to the RootAppDelete app from the superuser app.

and I would recommend you to use titanium backup to delete pre installed app


Move only a specific group of pictures from Android Gallery to PC

More information is needed such as what type of computer are you using..

Sounds like the easiest way to do this is simply plug your phone in via usb to access the phone's storage and then find the camera and other apps' photo storage folders. From there you should be able to sort by date just like in a normal folder.

You don't need to use the shell. you may need to install google's usb driver though..


Android tablet booting issue (Sanei n80)

z4root is for android version 2.2, as versions such as honeycomb have such methods of rooting patched. Try a hard reset.


I guess, you have three options here:

Bring the phone to service center if your warranty is active. This is the most harmless way.
Flash the stock radio or complete stock image.
Hard reset the phone with ##786# code. However, you need MSL (master security lock) which you should obtain from seller/carrier, which makes this way a bit cumbersome. More on this here.


Can I use Titanium Backup to extract and restore user apps from a Nandroid backup of a different model?

Yes, you surely can. Make sure that user apps you want to restore are not already present as system apps for example FM radio is a system app with some OEMs while it may be a user app in others. Next thing to watch out is for version incompatibility, though not very common

It takes a long time to restore from Nandroid so be patient. At times if the app doesn't get restored, it's better to install manually from Play Store and restore only data

Also see the last part of answer here Migrating to new rooted phone, how do you restore from your titanium backup from the saved cloud backups


How can I automatically disable the onscreen keyboard when a Bluetooth keyboard is connected?

Not automatic (per se), but you can use something like Null Keyboard which is a null input method you can enable when you have your Bluetooth keyboard connected so the soft keyboard quits from popping up.

Also, in my experience, Cyanogenmod9 ICS ROMs prevents the keyboard from appearing when an external one is connected. It might be worth seeing if they have a distribution for your device.


adb backup should work at least on some apps. Test it for example with a simple tea timer or stopwatch app those apps should not disallow backup. If this does not work the backup function on your device may be defect (encountered this once on a Lenovo tablet).

But if it works for simple apps that the it is just that the other apps disallow backup (android:allowBackup=false set in AndroidManifest.xml). Note that this settings affects disables adb backup as well as Google Cloud backup.

If the app disallows backup then there is other way to backup the data except using root permissions.

However if you have root and TWRP installed you may be able to perform a user data backup. However AFAIK this only works if TWRP is able to decrypt the user data. If you only see the encrypted files or the encrypted partition I doubt that restoring those files will later work on the same device (it will never work on a different device).

Note that a (decrypted) user data backup independently how it was created can not be directly restored via ´adb push`. For doing so adb would have to run with root permissions which is usually no longer possible (unless you have a manipulated adb version on the device).

What you can do with root permissions is backup and restore app user data. For example manually by using tar in an adb shell with root permissions.


have you tried backing up the files you would like to keep from the device onto the SD card, and reflashing a fresh system and GApps .zip entirely? this may solve your issue, but i am unfamiliar with the common operation of your specific device, this is sort of a blanket, last resort panacea type solution. hope this helps :] Note that this requires a decent fastboot usage knowledge and root access


How do I remove a review I've written from the Android Market app?

Nowadays, there's a Delete button on the Play website:

So, the remainder of this post is just in case things change again at some later time, especially as in November 2012 Google has made things worse, but also kind of solved the problem for existing reviews by removing your name:

  Google Play is now connected with Google+ to help you find reviews you trust.

  New reviews will be posted publicly using your Google+ name and picture. Your name on previous reviews will appear as "A Google User".

Also note that someone reported Issue 16483: Android Market doesn't allow removing an existing application's rating and comment. Voting might help! Or maybe there's some alternative market app that interfaces with Google's store?

My findings:

Despite what many write: clearing all text including the title does not clear the review for me; it just moved my old review to the top again, with a new date and an updated version number. In the Play app the "OK" button is disabled when clearing the title, so I guess the title text is mandatory. Indeed, just typing a title on the website does save the new review with an empty description. Still, that does show my name, rating and title.

To edit one's own review on the website, even if it's actually shown on the main page: first click "All reviews" or go to the tab "User Reviews", then find the "Edit Review" button next to "My Review". Note that different languages might show different reviews! (I cannot find my review in the Dutch Google Play, as I entered it using an English Play app?)
In the Play app one can swipe the stars to the left to get "unrated", but then the "OK" button is disabled.
Uninstalling the reviewed app does not seem to remove one's review. (Which makes sense, I guess.)
As true for new or updated reviews too: it takes quite some time for changes to propagate. Even once the new review is shown, refreshing might show the old one again. I guess there's multiple servers involved and it takes some time to synchronize. Be patient, for otherwise you might actually activate the old review again.
Old versions of the Market app reveal an option "Remove my review" by simply pressing the hardware menu button, when viewing an app one reviewed. That seems to have gone in 2.3.5 and I cannot find it in Play on 4.0.4 either.

I tried with an old Android 2.1 device, with Market version "2002306". That old Market app still works just fine, but not all apps are visible on that old device, and some show "The requested item could not be found" when selecting it.

Sniffing the network first shows some HTTPS request, probably authentication. Removing the rating gave me a POST to android.clients.google.com:

POST /market/api/ApiRequest HTTP/1.1
version=2&request=CpQDCr[...]OTc2NTE4MzgYARQ

This is a request like many others that people have been deciphering. Unfortunately the unofficial Android Market API does not support these rating requests.
Using "Manage apps" I removed all updates for the Play Store 3.5.19 on Android 4.0.4, getting me the version 3.4.7. No luck.
I also tried AppBrain, hoping it would somehow interface with the Google Play Store and would then allow for changing ratings. No cigar.


It turns out this particular modification isn't so difficult or dangerous. Data is the last partition (30th in this case), so it it merely needs to be deleted and recreated with new size. Just be careful with the starting block. Print the existing partition table beforehand.

reboot into recovery
make backup of data partition
copy parted utility to phone using adb push
enter adb shell and execute following code

chmod a+x parted
./parted /dev/block/mmcblk0
unit b
rm 30
mkpart primary ext4 2617245696 15634251263
name 30 userdata
quit

restore data from recovery


The support is based on device performance rather than the actual hardware or software limitations.

For example, if your device has a slow processor then reading the SD Card to do a Media Scan will take for ever... So long that it will impact the user experience constantly waiting for the SD Card to read.

So, as to improve the user's experience they decided to implement a recommended maximum SD card limit.

It is only a recommendation.

You can usually not format a device in Fat32 larger than 32GB .. However if you use other software or even the inbuilt Format option, it will use a modified Fat32 called ExFat ... ExFat can handle larger than 32 bit and is basically a workaround for the 32 GB limit of Fat32.

So, just format it and wait a little longer for the card to load... A few seconds or minutes waiting is well worth the extra storage in my opinion, however some people prefer Speed over Size.


Yes, Android supports .wav audio files.

The Supported media formats lists the audio & video formats supported by Android, and .wav audio is among the many listed.

Supported file type(s) / Container format (only audio file types are listed below)

 • 3GPP (.3gp)
 • MPEG-4 (.mp4, .m4a)
 • ADTS raw AAC (.aac, decode in Android 3.1+, encode in Android 4.0+, ADIF not supported)
 • MPEG-TS (.ts, not seekable, Android 3.0+)
 • FLAC (.flac) only
 • GSM(.gsm)
 • Type 0 and 1 (.mid, .xmf, .mxmf)
 • RTTTL/RTX (.rtttl, .rtx)
 • OTA (.ota)
 • iMelody (.imy)
 • MP3 (.mp3)
 • Matroska (.mkv)
 • WAVE (.wav)
 • Ogg (.ogg)
 • Matroska (.mkv, Android 4.0+)


First thing to know when you purchase an Android device from AT&T or Verizon: bootloader is locked and not unlockable. Downgrade is also a no-go for Samsung devices.

XDA-Developers is the place to go to if you want any sort of development. There is a way around the locked bootloader (namely, Loki/Safestrap), but it's nowhere as elegant, and since I don't have the phone myself, I don't know whether it applies to your current Android version. Do read carefully and good luck tinkering with your phone.


Getting apps to work on Android-x86 with Virtualbox

Most likely this is a problem with the Android-x86 image you've downloaded, or else that the virtual hardware you've set up in Virtualbox doesn't match the configuration the image is expecting. Check which image file you've downloaded, and make sure the configuration matches what's described in the setup instructions.


You can do this with an app called GrooveIP: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gvoip

I have it on my OG Droid, which is no longer activated on VZW, and use it as my "house phone" with my Google Voice number.


Do I have to root Samsung Galaxy S4 Verizon before I install CyanogenMod 11?

Yes, because you need to have root in order to install a recovery; which you will, in turn, use to flash CyanogenMod.


Why is built-in call recording such a rare feature on Android devices?

I think it mostly has to do with both of the following:

A lack of demand for the feature. While a small minority of users may want this feature, most "normal" users probably never even think about it.
The laws in the US regarding recording phone calls are relatively complex. They usually vary from state to state (source). Companies probably do not want to expose themselves to additional liability.

If #1 was to change so that a sizable number of people want this feature, then a company would be more likely to put the effort in to make sure that the feature works legally.


Why are Android games so much smaller than iPhone games?

The maximum size allowable for an Android app on the Android Market is 50MB. [1]

The maximum size allowable for an iPhone app on the App Store is approximately 2GB. [2]

To answer your question, when you download the Android version of this game, you are downloading an application that will download all of the data files either to your phones internal memory or SD card. Due to the nature of the game, this is likely to account for the majority of the size difference unless different compression methods are used for resources such as the sound, textures and 3D models.

The iPhone's App Store has a much bigger file size limit which in this case means that all of the resources can be bundled into the initial download. The phone will not have to fetch any additional resources.

[1] http://support.google.com/androidmarket/developer/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=113469

[2] https://stackoverflow.com/questions/6659627/iphone-app-size-limit


Slide to unlock appears even when pattern lock is activated. How can I get straight to pattern lock mode after screen is turned on?

Are you running a custom ROM?

I know that in cyanogenmod you can choose to keep the slide to unlock screen and then your unlock pattern. That's the way mine is set up.

To turn this off (in cyanogenmod 7's case) follow these steps

Go to settings
Tap Cyanogenmod settings
Tap Lockscreen
Tap Unlock options
Then uncheck the top option labelled "Skip on security"

You might be able to find the "Skip on security" setting somewhere else on your phone if you aren't running an official version of cyanogenmod or if the rom is only based on cyanogenmod


Can I delete a file called 'UPDATE' in the dload folder, or will this delete the operating system?

This shouldn't delete the OS.  Looks to just be a small update file.


What do I say to make a new line when using voice recognition?

I found that saying period newline gives you a new line, after putting a period on the current line.
Also period new paragraph work.


Samsung S3 only boots into safe mode. Also plays a female voice reading everything on homescreen

Can you provide a screenshot? Also to deactivate the voice just go to Accessibility and deactivate Talk-back.


I'd like to know why F-Droid shows updates before Google Play Store. Wouldn't the developers of such apps submit changes at the same time to both?

It's common for app developers to upload their updates to many markets at the same time; certainly they want as many users as possible to use their latest update. The only difference is how quick their updates are up on each store. Since F-Droid update workflow is considerably simpler than Play Store (automatic build from source, and no further server validation), big chance the apps will be up on there first.
While I have never used F-Droid, market apps in general can check updates for already-installed apps by getting and comparing their package names and versions, even though if it's installed from different source. (That's already possible by comparing 3rd-party apps manager: show app's package name and version from its manifest).

F-Droid also tells me that the signing key is different as well. Is it a common practice to create new signing keys upon updating an app?

From this statement, I assume you installed the apps originally from Play Store, then F-Droid notified you about the update.
First, I think there's a little misunderstanding: it's uncommon to create new signing keys upon updating an app, because it prevents users to update it!
The more reasonable practice is, that the developers use different keys for each store, but still (and must) use the same key when updating their apps to particular store. This might be used to prevent cross-market to interfere the update (e.g. security issue, different flavor, etc).
The other reason (which is this case) is, F-Droid forces their apps to be signed by them:

Packages built by F-Droid are signed by F-Droid, so all apps in the official F-Droid repo are signed by F-Droid keys. F-Droid will generate a new key for each app that is included. All of the different APKs built from different versions of an app will be signed by the same app key. But do note: if an app is also distributed in an APK signed by the developer, like in the Google Play Store, then the F-Droid APK will have a different signature.
(Emphasis mine)


open multiple URIs with one click (similar to desktop Firefox "open all in tabs")

It's not a perfect solution but it should help you out. Following preformatted text is a very simple script that can open a series of bookmarks which are tagged with a particular keyword. Each bookmark would be opened in the browser selected as default for the bookmark's URL type.

Script

#!/system/bin/sh

list=/data/media/0/bms_list;
keyword="$1";
browser="$2";
mkfifo $list;

# force-stop default browser
[[ "$browser" ]] && am force-stop "$browser";

# get URL of bookmarks associated with the supplied keyword
content query --uri content://org.mozilla.firefox.db.browser/bookmarks --projection url --where "keyword='$keyword'" | busybox sed 's/.*url=//g' > $list &

# Take each URL from the saved output and launch it using the default browser
while read line; do
    am start -a android.intent.action.VIEW -d "$line" --activity-exclude-from-recents;
    sleep 1;
done < $list
rm $list;

Prerequisites

Here are the hard prerequisites for the script to work:

You must have root access1.
Busybox must be installed and available under PATH variable.
Firefox Browser for Android is required. It is required because Chrome doesn't support tags, the bookmark folders are not visible through Chrome's content provider and it would be painful to me if I begin to parse Chrome's bookmarks file available in its private directory. I didn't test with other browsers so that's another reason why I made Firefox a prerequisite.

It is to be noted that you're not required to use Firefox browser as your daily driver, but only to make and keep bookmarks in it for them to be sorted through particular keywords. Firefox browser doesn't support multiple keywords for bookmakrs, as of v44.0.2.

To add a keyword: Bookmark a link in Firefox, go to Bookmarks tab, long press on your bookmark → Edit → add your keyword under Keyword.

I've not tested with a keyword containing a space so if the script doesn't work with a keyword containing space(s), replace space(s) with _ in your bookmarks and then try the script.
I've only tested this solution with Firefox and Chrome so I can't guarantee that this would work with any browser. However, common sense dictates that if it is a browser for casual browsing, it would have registered for an intent having a URL data type, so the browser should have no problem with my script.

Note: For some reason, Firefox couldn't handle the series of bookmarks after some time and crashed. (It actually crashed every time.) On the other hand, Chrome v45.0.2564.95 didn't crash even for once.

Here's how the script can be executed after saving it under /sdcard with extension .sh:

Running the script

Install a terminal emulator app and execute:

su -c 'sh /sdcard/FILE KEYWORD BROWSER'

Example:

su -c 'sh /sdcard/bms_launch.sh Stack_Exchange com.android.chrome'  # this would launch all the bookmarks tagged with the keyword Stack_Exchange in the default browser com.android.chrome

Things to know:

FILE: file name of the script, e.g.: bms_launch.sh
KEYWORD: the keyword to which all associated bookmarks should be searched for and be launched in default browser
BROWSER: package name of your default browser. To know the package name, follow View app's full package name?

Note: it is not necessary to provide package name of the default browser. I used it because I had to force-stop Chrome as Chrome was causing some complication without a force-stop.

Convenient execution

How you would execute this script in your device is upon you to decide. I can recommend these two methods. Any of them would be enough.

a home screen shortcut made through Terminal Emulator app to a custom command on your home screen.
Tasker, to create an icon on home screen, tapping which would execute the script.
assigning script to a pie using LMT launcher.

1 Root access is needed because I don't know how to generate (and easily parse) a list of bookmarks from some browser dynamically. Even if I can have such a list, I wouldn't be able to go on unless I know that those bookmarks can be sorted using a tag or a keyword. This is why I chose Firefox and root access.

The dependency on a single keyword might cause inconvenience but I've given you a (possibly good) idea. If your preferred browser supports multiple tags/keywords for bookmarks then you should have no problem in tweaking my script per your needs.


Desktop/homepage shortcut to send pre-built email in one click

Automation is the preferred option. Many apps are available. I prefer using MacroDroid , since it is free (upto 5 macros and you need only one macro for your need)
and easy to learn.

Give the app all permissions it asks for and from Settings →Email settings, enter your Gmail account details.
Create a macro as shown below (use + to add triggers /actions). In the send mail action fill in details of recipient and the text of mail. In pop up action enter text that you want to be displayed when you create a widget (explained in next step). Save the macro with any name.

(click to enlarge)

From the widgets drawer of your launcher drag and drop MacroDroid Shortcut widget on top your screen. On the menu that opens up, assign it to the macro you saved.

Tap the shortcut to send the mail. I've tested and it works fine.

(click to enlarge)

You may edit the icon of widget to a custom one and add more bells and whistles by way of adding a sound action, scheduling to send mail at fixed times /days, or whatever you want ( endless possibilities)
later


Monitor data connection based on location constantly

There are no apps appear to suit to your need. But you could use two separate apps to do what you need to do.

Use Googles My Tracks to record your location data automatically. This app,

Record data of where you are using GPS coordinates.
Allows you to monitor your trip or the places of visits in 3D maps.
Promotes easy sharing of your data.

Use Traffic Counter to monitor your data usage. This app,

Records your data usage details real time
Offer some good in-app analysis tools
Can be used to monitor calls, SMSs, WiFi, apps, etc. as well

With the help of these two, you can achieve your objective. No need to ping a site!


Home, Back, Menu, Search buttons not working

This means the provisioning (first run) got somehow interrupted.

To fix this, run the following command from a root terminal or from adb shell:

sqlite3 /data/data/com.android.providers.settings/databases/settings.db "INSERT INTO secure (name,value) VALUES ('device_provisioned','1');"

and then reboot.


Is GSM telephony feasible on the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9?

You write that the 8.9" tablet has support for GSM telephony but that it is not activated out of the box - and that suprises and concerns you.

Well, for many of us, the original 7" Galaxy Tab is the same: the hardware supports GSM telephony but the North American firmwares have no support for it.  Presumably this was done at the behest of the N.A. carriers who want users to use the tablet as a second cellular device - not as a replacement for a phone.

As a result, I had to root the Galaxy Tab and load a European firmware on it in order to activate its GSM telephony.  Once I did this it worked perfectly well as both a phone and a tablet.  (Though it does seem rather slow by today's standards, and it won't be getting ICS.)

It sounds like that is the same situation that you would face with the 8.9" tab: the fact that the GSM telephony was not supported out of the box did not mean that it didn't work well - but you need to be prepared to get your hands dirty to 'activate' this functionality yourself.


How To Stop Annoying "Cellular Network Not Found" Popup Prompt?

The popup you're referring to exists as to alert the device user that the cellular service as become unavailable. If you wish to stick to a specific network, there's nothing you can do.

Options for Mobile Networks are located at:

Settings → Wireless & networks → Mobile Networks

And there's no option to prevent the system from warning you about the lost of network connectivity.

From the above location, under "Network operators", you have an option "Select Automatically", that will allow your device to select another network without disturbing you.

But by your question contents, you don't want this.


You have to unlock the bootloader first. Here is a page to help you do it:

https://developer.android.com/wear/preview/downloads.html

Here are step by step instructions:

http://forum.xda-developers.com/watch-urbane/development/everything-urbane-root-how-tos-files-t3243975

That page also contains the files you need to flash.

IF YOU ARE NEW TO THIS PLEASE READ THE POST ENTIRELY BEFORE TRYING TO FLASH OR INSTALL ANYTHING. I TAKE NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANYTHING YOU DO TO YOUR DEVICE.


How to find which language the app is built?

You can be pretty sure, but you first have to know all the technologies that can output Android APK.

If you know, export the app as an APK and extract it with any zip tool. Then check its content:

If you see 1 class and /assets full of HTML content, then it's likely Phonegap / Cordova
If you see folders named like Appcelerator or Titanium, then it's Titanium Appcelerator
If you see something like a normal Android native structure, then decompile the APK using some online tool. When you do that, you'll be able to see if they used Java only or C++ (if you see a lot of .so files)
If you recognize Kotlin language, then it's Kotlin. You'll see that the code isn't Java
For other technologies, I am not sure but I'm pretty sure there must be something that identifies it.


Generally speaking why do tablets have lower quality cameras than phones?

The manufacturer is trying to help you. Walking around taking photos with a tablet makes you look like a twerp, so they try to discourage you by not putting a good quality camera in there.

That might be a slightly silly answer, but it's not entirely untrue. Taking photos with your phone is really popular these days, because you always have your phone with you. The quality of the phone camera is therefore a big selling point, and manufacturers compete on that.

It's much less common to take photos with a tablet: not just because you look like a twit holding it up, but because people don't take a tablet with them on a night out, or a bike ride. Tablets are mainly for using at home on the couch, or in bed, at the office, or on a long train ride. The cameras on tablets are mainly targeted at scanning QR codes, and maybe doing a little video calling over the Internet. For this reason, the camera quality isn't such a selling point, and it makes more sense for manufacturers to spend the budget on other factors that consumers rate, such as the screen, the RAM, and the processing power.


How can I make the SD card work again after deleting necessary folders?

I think for starters you should back up any important files from the card, and then re-format it, wiping it completely. I'm not sure if it'll work, but it should trigger Android to recreate what it needs to. After that, you can copy any old data back to the card.


Power management on Android — is app CPU correlated to power usage?

Yes. CPU is not the only thing using power but definitely a major one (when not idling).
Most Android devices have a 'Battery' section in settings which lists what applications are using up your battery. I think it gets reset every time you plug in a recharger. There might be 3rd party apps which collect that information over longer term and display it moer pretty.


How can I regenerate .thumbnails folder in DCIM

Go to Setting-->Applications--->Gallery-->Clear Cache

After clearing the cache, open the gallery app, it will automatically regenerate thumbnails.


How to find the PID of an app without ADB?

If you are using Android 7 or above, you need to have access to ADB (either command-line client, or an app which used adb on localhost) or root access to see the PIDs of other processes.
If you are in Terminal emulator app or in Termux app, and you have root access, do this:

su
ps -A -o PID,USER,NAME

This would output text segregated in three columns: first column as PID, second column is the user which owns the process, and the third column showing the name of the process.
Example output (posting only a snippet of it here):

28574 system       net.oneplus.odm
28622 u11_a149     com.oneplus.gallery
28646 u0_a149      com.oneplus.gallery
28701 u11_a149     com.oneplus.gallery:recyclebin
28727 u11_a149     com.oneplus.gallery:contentdetector
28778 root         [kworker/1:2H]
28789 u0_a329      su
28794 root         sh
28872 u11_system   com.oneplus.opbackup

Instead of ps command, can also use pidof as suggested by Yahya Uddin here.
Note: PID and UID are altogether different things. If you are after UID, see How can I find app name by UID?


Connect your device with a USB cable,
activate USB debugging
issue: $ adb shell input keyevent 82

Alternative geeky answer, let's say.


Automatically power on Nexus 7 when plugged in

Install Tasker to be able to:

Power off tablet when car is off
Use command

fastboot oem off-mode-charge 0

To reset to normal, change the 0 to 1
Event for Tasker profile : Power


Cache from installed apps also resides on the phone's internal memory, and if not cleared in a while can grow large enough to fill it up.  Go to Menu -> Settings -> Applications -> Manage applications -> Menu -> Sort by size.  Then tap on the largest apps and tap on the Clear Cache button.  GMail, Browser and Maps are known space hogs.

You can try various apps that clear cache with one click.  For example, aCCleaner or CacheMate.  Keep in mind that some of these apps require root.


How do you find out what changes there are in new firmware?

Firmware update
A firmware update usually brings to your device bug fixes or new features. This is good because insures your device security and readiness for a stable usage.

After spending one hour trying to find a changelog for Samsung firmwares, the best I could came up with was this website:
SamFirmware

What is this? The firmware page of SamMobile is specially for the die-hard Samsung owner.

Since firmware are country related, and I don't know yours, you can try to locate the firmware there:
Your new version:

PDA:LPD / PHONE:LPB / CSC:LPD (TMU)

Marked at bold what's relevant to find that firmware.
Enter LPD in the search box and look at the column "CSC", than locate the row with the firmware released for your country.
Note: Nonetheless, there's not much information available.

There's also:
This two websites provide a comprehensive list of the firmwares released:

Samsung Galaxy S2 Firmware Updates via Kies Official Releases compiled list

How To Update Samsung I9100 Galaxy S II Firmware

Locate your current firmware

Touch Menu;

Touch Settings;

Scroll to and touch About phone;

The software version will be displayed.


I got semi-invisible Google Play 1-star rating

Comment in Google Play store separate for different countries.

You can simply add to URL &hl=en where en is two-letter language code defined in ISO 639-1

For example:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.adobe.reader&hl=en
(English)
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.adobe.reader&hl=pl
(Polish)
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.adobe.reader&hl=it
(Italian)
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.adobe.reader&hl=fr
(French)
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.adobe.reader&hl=es
(Spanish)

Source

What is a google user comment ?

If we go through what is written here, we get that after updating review profile by user, play store simply replaces old user name by new entry A Google User. This can also be because of some reasons like reviewer changed his name or deleted his account.


Connecting Android Devices to Windows 7 via Bluetooth

I located a solution from this youtube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZNPO1gMcoA and thought I would share here since this was the first result when I began looking for a solution.

The problem is that Windows does not detect the Bluetooth serial links automatically.  You can manually point to the standard windows drivers by completing the following steps.

Go to Device Manager
Right click the item under Other Devices labeled Bluetooth Peripheral Device and click Update Driver Software
Click Browse my computer for...
Click Let me pick...
Select Ports (COM & LPT) and click Next
Navigate to and select Microsoft in the left field, pick Standard Serial over Bluetooth link on the right field, and click Next
Click OK on the driver install warning box and it should successfully install the driver

I am unsure of why windows cannot automatically detect this component and install the driver, but this solution worked for me.  Hopefully it will for you as well.


Super slow file transfer via OTG and system lag Android 9

Probably the USB OTG adapter.

on some controllers I have to flip the USB around, one side of the USB C runs at USB 2.0 speeds.

The other side will run at 3.0 speeds.

If your tablet has a full USB port - then im baffled. running fast at start then slowing down is usually a sign of write caching. sometimes it doesnt measure the speeds right.


Google Maps Location not working when offline

There is actually a Google Maps Offline version app you can download. I always had problems getting directions with google maps on devices that didn't have cellular connections, I now use one of my old smartphones as a dedicated GPS for my car.


How to reduce number of screens on HTC Sense android phones?

Unfortunately you can't change the number of screens and still use the HTC Sense UI. At least not in any of the versions I've seen.

You can uninstall it or turn it off, but then you won't have free access to all of the HTC widgets, if you like those.

If you really want the performance kick you'll get from less screens in total, and therefore using less RAM, you'll have to go back to Vanilla Android.  Simply using less widgets, as you've done, will certainly help somewhat.

I feel you pain too, I really only need 3 screens for my favorite widgets and folders, but I kind of like some of the HTC widgets.


Actually, I think I fixed it. I did another factory reset, and tried wi-fi, wouldn't work, tried reboot, didn't work. But I then turned off then turned on, and worked. Thanks for replying!


Fall back to pattern lock if fingerprint not recognised

As you have seen yourself, that is not the standard procedure. Hence, if you like to have that I would suggest to have a look at Trust Agents (Smart Lock feature uses them). You probably could write your own Trust Agent app that checks for failed fingerprint authentications and then call the pattern authentication.


Chrome and Skype takes up a lot of storage

You cannot do anything about those two monsters using so much data – they're known for that. But still, there's something to work around that, enabling you to "update" without losing your data:

Backup for safety (data only)

adb backup -noapk -f Skype.ab com.raider.skype
adb backup -noapk -f Chrome.ab com.android.chrome

Remove the apps, but keep their data

adb uninstall -k com.raider.skype
adb uninstall -k com.android.chrome

Install the apps anew using e.g. the Playstore app

If that doesn't work out (as the amount of data still is too much), ommit the -k in the second step – and to restore your data, follow the third step by

adb restore Skype.ab
adb restore Chrome.ab

This requires your computer to be equipped with adb (see the adb tag-wiki for details, including a minimal install as you won't need the entire SDK for that).


my Nexus 7 device is formatted accidentally

Don't worry, you have a few options!

Option One: (I don't have an N7 anymore, so I don't remember if it supports adb push in TWRP. But I think it does) Boot into TWRP and use adb to push the file from your computer to your device. You can try to open a Windows CMD prompt or Linux Terminal Emulator, navigate to the local file, then do the following:

adb push AOSP-4.3-JWR66V-grouper-rooted_Androguide.zip /sdcard/

This will push the file to the /sdcard/ directory - which should exist already (Even on a Nexus device).

Option Two: Boot the device to Fastboot/Bootloader Mode and flash any of the Factory System Images via the fastboot tool. Because using fastboot can be intimidating. You could also use the Nexus 7 Toolkit to automate the process.

This will put stock Android back on your device, and will also remove TWRP. Fortunately, you can use the Toolkit or Fastboot to reinstall TWRP immediately afterward.


Since it's lollipop you'll have to unlock the bootloader before being able to root.(warranty will be void)
Then you can download a compatible recovery and flash it using fastboot.
You can then use the recovery to install su.
Caution: Unlocking bootloader will clear all the data from your tablet.
Lemme know if you understand the risk and are willing to do it. I'll write a guide for you if you want.
Here's a wiki link for unlocking the BL:http://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/Template:Unlock_Bootloader_Asus


How do I disable the bootup sound on (TMO) Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge?

1. You can use Silent Boot - Google Play

2. also you can do this with Root access and Root Explorer :

Goto -> /system -> media -> audio -> ui

and rename this files :

PowerOn.ogg
PowerOff.ogg

to something like this :

PowerOn.ogg.disable
PowerOff.ogg.disable

but, there's not non-root method that guarantees silence the Startup sound.


• FusedLocation - for fused network and gps switch

Different devices use different apps other than Fused

Mine is Qualcomm Location


com.google.settings has stopped Micromax Android one

A sureshot way to fix this would be to factory reset your device. I understant that you've already tried it from settings while the OS is booted and running. You could try factory resetting it from the stock recovery.
This Google help page will help you with what needs to be done. But do remember - everything in your internal storage will be wiped clean.

Reset device in Recovery mode
Before you begin
If your device is running Android 5.1 or higher, your device is protected to prevent other people from using it if it's been reset to factory settings. To ensure that it's really you doing the reset, you'll need to enter a Google username and password associated with the device after factory reset. If you don't have this information, you won't be able to finish the setup process and use the device at all after factory reset.
You'll also need to:
Wait 72 hours if you recently reset your Google account password
Make sure you have an Internet connection
Back up your data to your Google Account and be ready to restore
To do a factory data reset, follow these steps:

If your phone is on, turn it off.
Press and hold the Volume up button and the Power button at the same
time until the device turns on.
Press the Volume down button to select "Recovery mode." If you need
to navigate to the "Recovery mode" option, use the Volume up button
to move the arrow and the Volume down button to select it.
You’ll see an image of an Android robot with a red exclamation mark
and the words "No command."
While holding down the Power button, press the Volume up button and
release it.
Use the volume buttons to scroll to "wipe data/factory reset" and
press the Power button to select it.
Scroll down to "Yes - erase all user data" and press the Power
button to select it.

Your Android One device will erase all of your data and restart with its factory settings. You'll see the Welcome screen just as you did when you turned the device on for the first time. When you're done with the setup process, follow these steps to restore your data.
Note: If your phone becomes unresponsive at any point during these steps, you can restart it by holding down the Power button for several seconds. If that doesn’t work, try taking the battery out and putting it back in and starting the steps again.


Can I sync my Kindle books with my Android phone?

It currently doesn't sync outside content with your phone, no pdfs, txts, emails... only kindle books you get from amazon.  I have tried to manually load pdfs with no luck. I believe the functionality is planned but not yet implemented.


Restrict background data for Facebook, but notifications still coming in

Facebook's notifications come through Google Cloud Messaging (GCM). As such, the Facebook app itself isn't using the network at all, as all apps' GCM messages come through one connection, owned by the Google Play Services process.

There's no user control for individual GCM endpoints. It's up to Facebook to provide an option for notifications.


You can try using a File Manager app and  look for your photo in one of the following folders:
For photos you took by your phone:
DCIM
For images you received by WhatsApp:
WhatsApp > Media > WhatsApp Images


This happens when you go to Play Store from within settings > app >app info (depending upon your OS).
If you go directly to Play Store (not from app info of installed app) and search for the app, you can find the "share" option.
I noticed this ever since I upgraded to Pie in January.
One on the left is from within settings and on the right is direct search on Play Store.


Is there a media center extender app for Android?

HomePipe is one such service.

Subsonic is an open source server / web based solution.

A free alternative solution is ampcache / amdroid


Which phone brand and model? Search in the internet for the firmware. If it is a samsung you can use software ODIN and reinstall stock-firmware. Press and hold Volume Down, Home and Power buttons, all at the same time, this will give you download mode. If everything is back to normal, as a precaution then flash clockworkmode or TWRP recovery (this is more user friendly).


How to sync my contacts with their gmail account?

The best way is to create or import your contacts under Google account. You can add both Email or Facebook info under each contacts. You can also log in to Facebook app and sync Facebook contacts. Same name will be linked automatically and you may need link manually for the remaining contacts.


Wil my HTC Desire auto-adjust for daylight savings?

Go to Settings -> Date and Time and ensure your time zone is properly set.  This should be enough, but you can also check Automatic or Use network time or similar to ensure it picks up the proper time.


Enable navigation bar on CM10/10.1 on Samsung Galaxy S (1)

You can set a NavBar on your device by just adding a single line to your build.prop file.

qmenu.hw.maikeys=0

also you can disable you current h/w buttons by

give a # symbol before

key 172 HOME
 key 158 BACK
 key 139 MENU

in file /system/usr/keylayout/Generic.kl

ES file Exporer will automatically make a backup for those files. You can use that .bak files if you want to revert.

you can edit build.prop file using ES file manager app

OR

You can try flashing zip specified here