How to downgrade, root, and install CM 12.1 on 5th gen Kindle Fire

If you plan on rooting a new Fire, it is advisable to not connect to the internet during setup to avoid forced updates. 5.1.2 is required to install CM. Note that 5.1.2.1 does not work but is displayed as just 5.1.2 in settings.

Enable debugging

From the Settings app open Device Options. Enable developer options by tapping on the serial number several times.
In Developer Options turn "Enable ADB" on.

Your tablet should ask to authorize your computer when it is plugged into the computer.

Downgrading

5.1.4 can be downgraded to 5.1.2. Needs Android platform-tools (adb) and the 5.1.2 firmware.

I retrieved the SuperTool and 5.1.2 firmware from http://rootjunkysdl.com/files/?dir=Amazon%20Fire%205th%20gen. ADB is also hosted there though I used my copy from the Android SDK.

Power off the Fire and connect it to your computer.
Hold volume down and power for about 10 seconds. A menu should appear.
Select "apply update from adb". (press volume up then power)
Run adb sideload fire-OS-5.1.2-update-kindle-global-37.5.4.2_user_542168620.bin
Wait for this to finish. The tablet will return to the boot menu.
Unplug and then press the power button to select the reboot option.
You should now be on firmware 5.1.2.

From here I connected to the internet and was not prompted to update my Fire.

Rooting

I used the RootJunky SuperTool to assist in rooting.

Choose option 6, "Root your Amazon Fire 5th gen" and follow the prompts. This will install RootKing. I had the most trouble here. RootKing may fail several times to gain root. You may want to manually reboot between attempts. When you get root, continue with the SuperTool prompts to install SuperSu.

Prevent 5.1.4 Update

Choose option 3 from SuperTool, "Block OTA Updates from Amazon" and follow the prompts.

Flashing CyanogenMod 12.1

Download from http://forum.xda-developers.com/amazon-fire/orig-development/rom-cm-12-1-2015-11-15-t3249416 CM 12.1.
From http://opengapps.org/ download the ARM-5.1-nano package.
Place both these zips on a micro sd card and insert it into your Fire.

With the SuperTool select option 2, "Install Google Play store". Use Google Play to install FlashFire.

Use FlashFire to prepare your device. In the bottom right corner is a red "+" to add actions. The defaults for the commands are fine. You may swipe away the hints in the command queue.

Add "Wipe".
Add "Flash ZIP/OTA" and select the CyanogenMod zip.
Add "Flash ZIP/OTA" and select the Open Gapps zip.
Move "Wipe" to the top of the command list.
Press the "Flash" button.

You should reboot into the CyanogenMod setup.

Extra Notes

CyanogenMod lets you enable root from developer options.

I had to install Google Play Games from APKMirror because the Play Store kept giving me error 505.

Kindle Fire specifications can be found on Amazon.


How to use an USB-attached wired Ethernet adapter through USB-OtG on an Android smartphone?

According to GSMArena, this phone doesn't support USB-OTG. That would explain why none of the other devices you've tried worked.

In that case, there's nothing you can do to make USG-OTG work, and you can't use a USB ethernet adapter.


Android TV Google Play Services Keep Crashing | Raspberry Pi 3

I just had to uninstall the updates, and re update it from the Play Store.


Bad voice quality on phone calls, good with WhatsApp

I tried a factory reset to resolve the problem, but it did not help.
Also I send in the phone to the sellers technical service. They wanted more money for repairing the phone than the phone is worth.
However, there were suggestions on the internet stating that sending the device to Samsung could help. Even if they would not repair the device, it could help resolve the problem. However, it turned out that my phone had still warranty, so they repaired it for no cost! Now everything is working fine!


Yes, Firefox wastes too much space (especially when showing open tabs), maybe they fix that someday. In the meantime, have you tried with Chrome for Android? It has new gestures to switch between tabs:

  In Chrome for Android, you’ll be able to:

  Swipe horizontally across the top toolbar to quickly switch tabs.
  Drag vertically down from the toolbar to enter into the tab switcher    view.
  Drag down from the menu to open the menu and select the item you want    without having to lift your finger.


GPS Chip manufacturers and infos on Android tablets

I didn't find anything up to date over the internet.

Thing is : nowadays gps modules in mobile devices get embedded with other components such as gpu / cpu / wifi receiver / ....

So what you have to do is googling for "cpu details Galaxy Tab 10.1" for example, and then see what's included in this particular kind of chip.

Anyway I started a list for my own personal use, feel free to use / amend it : https://github.com/mhicauber/android-devices-gps-chip-manufacturers


How can I receive 2 video streams from 2 Android phones over USB tethering using IP Webcam?

USB tethering is not necessary, just use adb port forwarding. It allows you to connect to  multiple devices via USB. On the PC you need Android Debug Bridge from Android SDK installed. On OSX the simplest way should be using brew and install android-platform-tools.
And on all Android device the development menu has to be enabled and the Debug Bridge mode has to be activated.
First get a list of connected devices via to get the device ID of each device.
adb devices

Example output with the two devices HABY39RL and DARY42EE:
List of devices attached
HABY39RL        device
DARY42EE        device

Next establish a port forwarding for each device:
adb -s <device ID 1> forward tcp:8080 tcp:8080
adb -s <device ID 2> forward tcp:8081 tcp:8080

Afterwards you can connect to the web cam app on the first device on the PC using the address localhost:8080 and on the second device using localhost:8081.


How to put the Kindle Fire in airplane mode?

On the original Kindle Fire Airplane mode does not seem to exist, but you can turn off wireless using these directions:

Tap the Quick Settings (the Gear) icon in the top right hand corner of the Home screen.
Tap Wi-Fi.
Ensure Wireless Networking switch is in the off position.

On the new Kindle Fire you can enable airplane mode by doing the following:

Swipe down from the top of the screen and tap Wireless.
Tap On next to Airplane Mode


Backup boot.img via terminal one-line command

Fortunately, there's a static path available for you:

/dev/block/bootdevice/by-name/boot
           ^^^^^^^^^^

Problem solved

dd if=/dev/block/bootdevice/by-name/boot of=boot.img

Stay away from /dev/block/platform, it'll only make things harder.


I assume you use the wrong parameter in your fstab. You can't place the footer in space already reserved for a filesystem. Either make an extra partition (sdc5) and specify footer=/dev/sdc5:0 (to put it at the beginning of this partition) or specify a negative offset to use the space at the end of the partition, e.g. to use 16k of the partition specify: encryptable=footer,length=-16384

Not sure if you'd need to make your ext4 filesystem not smaller than the partition, otherwise it could overwrite your footer.


android thinks accounts.db is corrupted and deletes it

I got it fixed, even when i do not understand what happend

I checked the created sqlite file with PRAGMA integrity_check;, and after reindex and vacuum i actually got a message its corrupted (not before).

I tried to recreate it like in this blogpost and set the file permissions, which caused a bootloop.

Then i rebootet to recovery and replaced the accounts.db with a empty one from a second account on the phone and then read the dump_all.sql created before into the database.

Now it works, even when i do not know what's the difference between reading the data into a fresh database (which caused a bootloop) and reading it into a android created empty database.
It may be related to missing selinux contexts or something similiar.

So the working steps for anyone with a similiar problem:

dump the data from the possibly broken db (even when freshly created by TitaniumBackup)
copy an empty db
import the data into the db
reboot


I have found a solution here.

Hold tap near the changelog button and you'll see an export option pop up.
Click on it and it will export zip file in internal storage in a folder called Updates


How can I use passthrough/reverse-tether on the HTC One V with Ubuntu?

There are several Q&As already available here which probably help you in getting started. The probably most usefuls include:

How do you set up internet pass-through ( reverse - tether ) on linux?
Use USB as network access for an Android device ( reverse tethering)?
How to set up reverse tethering over USB?

There are also some apps available on the Playstore which could prove helpful, e.g.:

Reverse Tether (requires root)
USB Reverse Tethering (requires root)

As far as it looks to me, reverse tethering alsways seems to require root. Also, if your computer just provides ad-hoc network -- without root (and some special tricks) most Android devices are not able to use that.


How to boot system-as-root device always as rooted?

If you go through How Magisk works and How to manually root a phone it would be easy for you to figure out why it's impossible to achieve what you are looking for.

init is the very first process started by kernel, which at its early stage sets SELinux enforcing (if it's not already enforcing). Before that happens, we need to modify SELinux policy so that it doesn't restrict the root daemon (magiskd) from running. Also init.rc needs to be patched to inject magiskd service.

A simple option is to patch /sepolicy and modify /init.rc when rooting the device and save the files on device. But on system-as-root devices both files are on system.img (and possibly vendor.img), not on boot.img. So modifying them would break "systemless" approach and other related things, in particular dm-verity and OTAs.

Another option is to run a process even before init which patches SELinux policy and changes init.rc on the go. And the easy way to achieve this is to replace original init file with Magisk init so that kernel executes the latter. However on SAR devices init is also on system.img, so we can't replace it. But we can always boot to recovery mode which does have a ramdisk where Magisk's init can be placed and executed before any other process. On A/B SAR devices recovery ramdisk is in boot.img, so Magisk always boots to recovery by forcing kernel to ignore skip_initramfs cmdline parameter received from bootloader.

  Is there any way to achieve the root on a normal reboot?

On non-A/B SAR devices (like yours) there is no ramdisk in boot.img, so the only option to retain systemless approach is to place Magisk init in recovery ramdisk on recovery partition, and always boot to recovery mode. From there system.img is mounted at /system_root by Magisk init, contents of ramdisk are then copied to / cleaning everything previously existing, files are added / modified in rootfs /, /system_root/system is bind-mounted to /system, and finally [/system]/init is executed for normal boot.

However things have changed with Android 10, now system.img is mounted at / but the files to be added / modified like /init.rc and /sbin are overlaid with bind mounts as tweeted by Magisk developer.


Changing Play Store default language and/or country

System settings > My device > Language and keyboard > Language.

Note: I also have an S4, and also from Philippines.


Delete the account and set it up again , before finishing unsync sms...


How to view pdf file with chrome on android

There isn't. Chrome on Desktop/Linux uses Chrome PDF Viewer, a plug-in. Plug-ins are not supported by Chrome on Android.

Source: Quora


Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 stuck at Samsung boot logo after rooting it with Kingo root app

Do you have recovery on it? Example: Clockworkmod recovery?
If answer is yes, try booting to recovery with key combination: Volume down+power+home and after 2 seconds keep holding volume down+power but stop pushing home.
You should download a custom rom designed for your phone, which is a zip file. Then on the recovery install from SD (must have SD card) and pick the zip file.

EDIT:

I had the same issue than you, service center couldn't help. Lastly I took it to the electric shop I bought it from, they helped.


How to run my Play Games with its correct game progress after it runs another Play Games account of the same game app?

Looks like the problem is finally found out. I guess it is because when my new phone downloading .dat files from the cloud, I immediately signed in account B. It was saved at the same location in my new phone as account A. The data then sent back up to the cloud. Therefore when I opened my phone B, it downloads the data back from the cloud to my account B.
Lucky enough, I have backups of the .dat files somewhere else very long time ago to restore it.


Force links to open in the app, not the default browser

Apps can request that links be opened using the app, using an API called an "intent filter".

If the app has the correct intent filter, you will be prompted to open the link using that app, and the app will then do something with it.

This has to be coded in by the app developer, and there is no way to implement it yourself unless you decompile the app and add it in.

An example of an app that does this is the Google+ app.


Google contacts in Google+ that have no profile image

I think Google+ profile pictures have to be chosen by the people themselves. Your Google contacts are private to you while their profile picture on their public profile is public.

In their profile information you will see private contact data as well, but it's explicitly mentioned and are additional.

I don't think their is a way to do so because it just isn't meant to be done.


changing cyanogenmod dialer behavior: screen goes blank

The answer is hitting the power button.  If the phone still does not wake up, a second press wakes it up.


Format SD card after playing with fdisk (No card reader)

Android has built-in formatting capabilities that are usually available via Settings -> Storage -> Format SD card (or something similar depending on the device you use).


Deleting images on SD card is sometimes painfully slow, how can I speed it up?

I remember this issue.
It's not a problem with your SD card or your phone in general, but with Samsung's TouchWiz.

The system is completely overloaded (800+ mb RAM out of ~900mb used right after boot), so many apps are slowed down when requesting RAM.
Asking the system to delete a file (because of taking care of permissions, handles etc.) requires the system to wake up a process (or launch it if necessary) which then asks for it's own RAM and thus needs to wait until the system cleaned enough memory for it.
Because of the tight RAM condition, it takes time to close processes that are not needed anymore.


Will a stylus work with my HTC Sensation?

The HTC Sensation uses a capacitive touchscreen, so any standard capacitive stylus will work for touch-based input. Simply be sure you don't purchase a stylus designed for a resistive touchscreen.


New contacts added to my phone get deleted after sync with my Google account

solved!

I had the problem for a while, I now tried to add the contact to another google account (I have 2) - this time to the main account the phone is registered on.

The contacts have yet to disappear!

hope this will continue working (I know this isn't the best solution, cause what if you don't have 2 accounts?!)


I do not see this feature in the current version of Gmail (Sort by read/unread) However you can always remove the "Inbox" label from the message. This way your inbox will only show unread messages.


Fastboot boot command allows a Bootable image to be started on the device without flashing it permanently... It can be a custom boot kernel image, a recovery environment (TWRP, CWM, Philz), or other custom image. Having an unlocked bootloader is a requirement to boot an unsigned (meaning not stock) image like TWRP.


You google apps will work exactly the same as before; either they'll be prepackaged with CM or you will download an update pack that will install them for you.
Battery/radio/GPS issues are mostly related to specific hardware.  You'd have to check the CM forums and wiki for your phone model to answer that one.
Compatibility is an issue for some apps, but in the vast majority of cases the answer to this will be no (and in fact, some apps are compatible with CM but not with stock ROMs).
You can most definitely still use the phone to develop apps :)

The nice thing with flashing a new ROM is that you can go back to the stock experience anytime you like, either by making a backup or downloading the stock ROM and keeping it around to flash later if you want it.  So you aren't really risking anything except some time invested in fiddling the ROMs.


Try this way.
Go to the photo > Click "View Full size" > Then click and hold on the photo, where you'll get an pop-up asking to Save image,Open in new tab...etc


Phone randomly black screens, forced to remove battery and reboot

I think I had the same problem recently. When I pressed the phone's power button to wake it up, the display would turn on, but stay completely blank. It happened multiple times a day for me and I got frustrated, so I tried three things and one of those seems to have fixed the problem. Knock on wood.

I reformatted my external SD-Card.
I removed almost all of my media files from the phone.
I disabled JuiceDefender's CPU frequency scaling

My prime suspect was the SD-Card, because the problems started to occur, when I inserted it, but I cannot be sure.


How can I search for different types of items on my phone?

Go to SETTINGS > SEARCH > SEARCHABLE ITEMS

Then tick mark all the things you want to be able to search for from the Search Box. Applications like Evernote, Dropbox, Catch, Meridian, ColorDict and many others which are compatible and you have installed should be listed. You can pick and choose whichever options suit you.


My Galaxy Tab 3 requires a cable so what can I use as a substitute?

If your using the charger that came with the tablet it doesn't matter really.

You can use any charger if you want but it may lead to damage to the battery if you overcharge it. But the cable doesn't make a diffrence.


There is no such site that lists all the available ROM's for all the devices - if there was, it would be huge.

The best way to find a custom ROM, as well as ways to flash & guides, is to check the more popular forums - such as XDA-Developers or the Android Forums.


Where is "Call forwad" in marshmallow (Android 6)

Look in the Dialer/Phone app settings itself to see if the option is there. On my S7 Edge the option is there, but that Dialer/Phone app is most likely different from Huawi's.


How can I choose between Shazam and SoundHound?

I would pick a handful of songs that are of the type of music you like and see how each one does at identifying them.  Also consider how long it takes each one to get you your results.  Also if you buy music through a particular service, consider the app's ability to interface easily with that service.  The other big thing to consider would be startup time of the app, since you want to be able to tag a song before it ends!


Why does my Galaxy S now displays 'couldn't connect' when I press the microphone key

The text-to-speech conversion in Android is all done on the cloud.  The phone sends in your recording and returns the speech.  You need to make sure you're connected to either 3G or Wifi for this to work.

Do other apps that require connections work?


List of purchased apps and app install/uninstall history log anywhere?

To view a list of apps purchased in the play store click on the menu icon then account. Under account you will see order history.


Where can I find a list of the default emoticons on Ice Cream Sandwich?

I do not have a mapping between characters and images, but I was able to figure out where the images are stored and its contents.  The images are stored in  /system/framework/framework-res.apk.
Having pulled this file from ICS emulator, I extracted and found 16 files for emoticons grouped based on DPI.
The following are the files and its preview for ldpi.

and the hdpi:

I could not find the map between the string that we type and its corresponding image.  There are many Google search results that will help to replace these image files and add some more stuff as well.  The added emoticons will make sense only if both sender and receiver has this modification, else it will be seen just as a text only.
I know this does not answer your question, but while trying to find out one I stumbled on this information which could be useful for some one or some one knowledgeable enough can take it from here.
Mapping
Roxan shows us that Android's default keyboard has 16 emotions when you long press the ":-)" key. Let's see if we can figure out how the map to the symbols:
:-)   emo_im_happy
:-(   emo_im_sad
:-D   emo_im_laughing
:'(   emo_im_cyring
:-/   emo_im_undecided
:-[   emo_im_embarrassed
O:-)  emo_im_angel
:-!   emo_im_foot_in_mouth
:-$   emo_im_money_mouth
B-)   emo_im_cool
:-*   emo_im_kissing
:O    emo_im_yelling
=-O   emo_im_suprised
:-P   emo_im_toungue_sticking_out
;-)   emo_im_winking
:-X   emo_im_lips_are_sealed
o.O   emo_im_wtf

You can edit the answer if you found an error or a new mapping


From the Google play page of the app-

  Q - I uninstalled this app and again installed. Can I get my locked
  pictures back? A - You need to unlock pictures before uninstall. Files
  are not available in new install.

Unless you can get the phone working to access the app again you won't be able to decrypt the files. Decryption won't be possible on your computer too.


Meaning of two low battery screens on Acer Iconia tablet?

Singhnsk says:

  I'd go with your conclusion. Similar, although not identical happens on my Nokia 7.2. If it is fully empty and I try to turn it on, I get that icon (second one2 with wire and plug). And when I connect power in such a state, it shows the first icon1 for some time before it gets some charge and then moves me to the charging screen as defined in the device's ROM or firmware. Somebody told me earlier that this is a CPU's screen which is used when the battery is extremely low.

1 "Empty battery icon" (with lightning bolt)
2 "Icon with a low battery and a power plug"

In this view, the answer is:

"Charging, please wait till the battery gets at least 1%."
"Battery is dead; connect to power."


Use something other than finger that can be sensed by a capacitive touch screen

Yes, capacitive screens just need something that alters their capacitance: something conductive or a dielectric.

As per usual, Wikipedia has more information.


How to solve "Unfortunately, Launcher has stopped." Galaxy Note 4?

Go into safe mode, this will filter out any third party app which could be causing problems.

Here's how to enter safe mode

Turn the device off.
Press and hold the Power and Volume down key.
Release the Power key when the Samsung logo appears but continue to hold the Volume down key until the device finishes restarting.
Safe mode will display in the bottom left corner of the screen.

When in safe mode, disable ultra power saving mode. You could also clear data for your launcher. To do that, go to settings>apps, in the menu, select 'show system apps'>touch wiz>storage>clear data.

If there are any third party apps that you suspect of misbehaving, you should uninstall them while in safe mode.


What are the features that HTC Sense has that vanilla Android does not have?

integration with social networks (Facebook, Flickr, Twitter), including down to the contacts application, with contact pictures and everything
free "lost phone" functionality, without the need for a third-party application (eg. Lookout), including remote lock and wipe
an (arguably) easier to use keyboard, with quick access to numbers and common symbols
HTC-specific applications (Navigation, Sync, launcher, widgets, etc.)

Keep in mind that all of the eye-candy features offered by Sense do reduce battery life, so it may be desirable to install a third party ROM or remove them from the existing ROM using Titanium Backup.


What folder does cyanogenmod store its updates?

You can find it under:

/storage/emulated/0/cmupdater


Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (forgot password) Disable the lock screen

Assuming you had a Samsung account setup correctly (and activated?), one may go to the website 'findmymobile.samsung.com' on a seperate device.  Once there, they should log in.  "On the next screen, click Find, then More, then Unlock My Device."  This will allow one to change the authentication.

(Source: https://www.ifixit.com/Answers/View/189126/I+forgot+my+password+to+unlock+my+Samsung+Galaxy+10.1#answer335608)

Also, a similar question with a better answer can be found at: Can not unlock my Android device as have no internet connection?


How to automate UI of a 3rd party applications?

To start an application, select the "App start" block. Then choose the app you want to start and/or the activity, action that should be started when it is launched.

To  simulate a press or click on the screen, select the "Interact" or the "Interact touch" blocks. You can use the "Record interactions" of the Interact block to help click exactly where/what you want.


how can I fix my Samsung Galaxy Y GT-S5360?

As your device is stock, something likely became corrupted in the file system and a factory reset is about your only option. You will lose all your data, unless your phone will still communicate with a computer. If so, you may be able to use Kies to back up your data from the phone first.

To factory reset:

Enter recovery

Power off the device. Press and hold the volume up key and the home button while powering up the phone. Hold these keys until the Android recovery screen appears.
Use your volume keys to navigate to wipe cache partition. Press the power button to choose this option. This won't destroy your data and may allow it to boot normally. Select reboot system with the volume keys and press power. It will reboot and hopefully work. If it doesn't, follow the next step.
Enter recovery mode as described above. Select "wipe data/factory reset" with the volume keys and press power to select it. THIS WILL DELETE ALL DATA FROM YOUR DEVICE. BE SURE YOU BACKED UP ANYTHING IMPORTANT. Now reboot the system and it should be back to stock with everything working again.
If you used kies to backup your data, now you can restore it.


Calling address book contacts in Skype 4

Try Sky Dialer for Skype App, It lets you make Skype calls to your android contacts without even going to the Skype app(It requires the Skype app to be installed to work), lets you mark and organize favorites for easy calling too.

Full Disclosure: I am the app's developer


If you are rooted you can try this.

In cwm recovery, advance -> wipe battery stats.
Reboot and drain the battery fully
Recharge the battery 100 % without any interruption.


Samsung Galaxy S3 camera light keeps flashing

S3 users have reported similar issue while receiving calls and alarm going off at AndroidCentral forums here.

The solution posted there is to go to Settings > My Device > Accessibility > Hearing > Flash Notification

Un-check Flash Notification.

Even if the flash notification box is not checked, check it once and un-check it again. It should solve your problem.


Remove pre-installed configuration on Android phone

Long press the notification and it will show you what app sent the notification. Next, go to Settings > Apps and look for the app. Once you click it you will have the option to disable notifications, or to diable the whole app.


Can I keep my WhatsApp videos on the cloud?

WhatsApp doesn't have the feature to save videos to a cloud. As soon as you download a video sent to you, WhatsApp deletes it.

You can have all your WhatsApp messages and media backup to Google drive, but that's not easily accessible unless you restore all messages from Google drive (usually done when switching phones or data loss.)

My suggestion is to get an app that will backup your phots/videos. Like Google phots.

Or you can move all videos to your SD card and then delete them from WhatsApp.


Is there a way to edit Google Documents with Android

We can now edit Google Docs with our mobile with the official App :)

More information can be found in this blog entry from the official Google Documents blog.


Internet Apps are not working but browser works just fine and i am able to access websites

That's a stumper - have you tried calling up your carrier and making sure that it's not an issue with them?

Have you installed any permissions privacy management apps?  They might be blocking internet connectivity by default.

Failing that, the only suggestion I would be able to make is to do a full factory reset... not very appealing, I know.


How do you skip the PIN to go directly to the camera from the lock screen?

There is no way in Android to access to the standard Android camera from a password-protected device. However this little application allows to access to a simple camera with a triple press on the power button even when the device is password locked...

Camera Unlock (free)

Disclosure: I am the developer of this app


Battery drain on Galaxy Note-I after updating to Jelly Bean

I used to own that same device and in my experience with several ROMs the best way to get a battery to not drain quickly was to switch to a AOSP rom like Slimkat/Slimsaber and to use adaptive brightness. The screen being 5"+ used to use a huge amount of battery.
The stock Samsung ROMs are good but the AOSP ROMs make it a lot better in terms of battery usage.


is fully charging new phones before turning it on a must?

No, not at all necessary.. This is generally a misconception.
Just switch ON the phone and start using it.
The charge will already be around 75%.
You can recharge it when the charge drops below 15%.
Additional References:

Many people think that the first thing they should do with a new smartphone is plug it in and charge it to 100%. This is simply a myth. Remember, smartphone batteries work best between 40% to 80%, and since most phones ship at half capacity, you should be good to go out of the box. As a side note: If you fire up your new smartphone for the first time and the battery is below 40%, you might want to consider taking it back because that battery could be very old.
Source: http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/10-things/10-common-misconceptions-about-mobile-device-batteries/

Technical Background:

Why fully charge Lithium battery powered devices before first use?
For safety during transportation and storage, from the factory to the warehouse to the store, one would like the battery to be mostly discharged so that it's holding less stored energy in case of some mishap. If a forklift spears a big box of product, you'd like a minimal amount of energy released from the dead short which may be caused by crushing or puncturing cells. Probably there will be some protection built into both the cells and the product to try to prevent fire, however it's still safer to have less energy to release. Airlines in particular may have rules or laws which describe how batteries should be transported.
For purposes of maximizing lithium battery lifetime, it's better to keep them charged between 20-80% of full capacity most of the time. It's very damaging to over-discharge a battery and may render the cells useless. While any product shipping with a lithium battery should have circuitry to prevent over-discharge, it's possible the load on the battery will never quite be reduced to zero even when the product is "off" or in full shutdown, as there could still be a low-power microcontroller watching for a press of the power-on button, some tiny current powering the battery protection circuitry, etc. While this circuitry might run "indefinitely" from a full battery, if the battery is run down to empty and then the product is left in a drawer for a year it's possible the battery could get over-discharged regardless of the circuitry trying to prevent it.
One possible scenario could be that the factory charges the battery, the device goes into inventory for over a year (due to the product not selling well), the battery loses most of its charge by self-discharge and a small amount of current powering the "off"-mode circuitry e.g. microcontroller. Then if the device is turned on with this nearly-dead battery in it, the large pulse of discharge current causes the battery voltage to dip to where the undervoltage protection triggers, which may or may not turn off the current before the battery has been run below its minimum voltage for some small amount of time, like milliseconds. It probably won't destroy the cell but isn't a good idea. Especially if the user sees the product doesn't turn on and keeps hitting the power button a dozen times before deciding it must need to be charged up.
To minimize tech support phone calls, it's better to tell the user to fully charge their battery before trying to use the product, so you don't get calls about the product "not working" when the actual problem is that the battery is simply empty. It's one less variable in debugging whether the product is faulty. A product may have features that take more power than the baseline mode, and might turn on and operate properly, but then appear to fail when a higher-power feature is turned on (when in fact it's shutting down or resetting). Turning on the backlight in an otherwise simple device, or wireless transmission, loud audio, fan or motor, anything that's a large percentage of power consumption. If the battery is fully charged, it will have enough energy to power all modes, so this problem is avoided while talking to tech support.
That said, there's a lot of mythology out there regarding how batteries should be handled. The customer care person is probably not an engineer, and may be going by some mix of training, passed-around heuristic, and made-up baloney that's designed to mitigate unhappy boss or unpleasant customer rather than detect "the problem".
Source: https://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/95487/why-fully-charge-lithium-battery-powered-devices-before-first-use


I also recently upgraded my Note2 from 4.1 to 4.3 and was having the same problem. I installed the Wakelock Detector by UzumApps and found that the Noom Walk pedometer app was waking the screen. I uninstalled the Noom Walk app and the screen no longer wakes. The Noom developers have posted a test APK which can be found here: http://noom.uservoice.com/forums/207934-feature-requests-noom-walk-/suggestions/4147991-fix-noom-walk-on-the-samsung-galaxy-note-ii
I have not tried it yet. I may post more later if I try installing it.


How can I see (and change) what sensitive notifications are?

The notification's sensitivity (visibility) is set by the developer, but can be overridden (to some extent) by the user.

There are 3 types of notification's lock screen visibility:

Public: not sensitive, the full content is always shown on the lock screen
Secret: never shown on the lock screen
Private: sensitive, only the basic info (title and short content) is shown, but the full content is hidden

By default, all notifications are private (sensitive) unless overridden by the developer.

Changing the "On the lock screen" setting affects all notifications:

Don't show notifications at all: all notifications are treated as secret
Show all notification content: all notifications are treated as public
Hide sensitive notification content: all notifications are treated as private, except for public notifications.

The user can also control per-app notification visibility, either from the app itself or from the Android system (general setting on Android 7.1 and below, or more fine-grained using notification channels on Android 8.0 and above).

Though, based on self-experiment, it's impossible to override per-app notification visibility to higher visibility than the general lock screen's setting. (e.g. when the lock screen is set to "Don't show", setting per-app to "Hide sensitive notification" does not work and instead will not show any notifications).


Is it possible to use a keyboard and mouse on android to control a remote pc?

I've been using Splashtop (another remote desktop app, just like TeamViewer), and mouse & keyboard works just fine, but definitely not exactly like you're "in front of it". It can recognize right clicks (Android can't natively), but lots of common shortcut keys like Alt+Tab or Win+* are absent, not necessarily because the software can't support it, but because they already have a purpose in Android itself and that's of higher priority. For example, Alt+Tab actually switches apps on the Android device, instead of the remote one.


How to install TWRP if usb device not recognised?

Since you already have a version of TWRP flashed and working, you can use it to flash your new recovery image without the aid of a PC.

Boot into TWRP, select Install and follow the screenshots for the rest.

(Click an image to enlarge it)

If you know where the recovery partition corresponds to under /dev, you can also use TWRP's command-line feature.


How to fully back up a phone's content to a PC, possibly for restoring on a similar phone

LG provides different Software (or maybe just different names)
- LG-Bridge
- LG PC Suite
- LG Mobile Switch
- LG ANDROID BACKUP

For experts also there is LGUP flash tool which may shipped with qualcomm factory loader, with this you may able to create/restore full partition dump, root the device without data loss, or install TWRP via EDL mode


Is there way to view two applications split screen on Android tablets?

There is a company that is working on doing this but they said they will not be releasing it to consumers, they want to go directly to OEMs: Onskreen.


Change the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 white dial pad to another color

You can always try a different dialer like GO Contacts Ex, and have it replace the stock dialer. It lets you change themes / colors.


Is there a way to see which apps are using GCM?

In Settings -> Applications, in the permissions section, tap on Show All and under Network Communication there should be Receive data from internet if the application has requested push (GCM) permission.

Tested on 4.1.2, labels and positions may differ.


Recovering Cyanogenmod (no context found)

You can try clearing cache and rebooting if you are able to get inside CWM


Package error "package file was not signed correctly"  when updating Google+

You can try deleting the app folder entirely in a file browser of your choice. You should be able to find a folder called:

/Apps/Google+

If you remove this folder completely, there should be no confusion as to whether the app is installed on your phone or not. From this forum thread I would also like to point out that it might be an issue with Titanium Backup if you use that. Try removing any backed up versions of the app in that app as well for good measure.


Can I restore downloaded paid apps after a factory reset?

Once bought, always yours. New device, factory-reset, does not matter -- as long as your account stays the same. Paid apps are bound to the Google-Account you've purchased them with.

To give some proof: I use several apps I bought once on 3 devices simultaneously. I never was asked to pay again when installing them on the next device. Provided I used the same account, of course.


How to delete some files on unbootable phone with low memory?

You can ask the OEM developers if they can help with an official solution. Problem is the 1st Level Support will always deny such requests. You can request the source code instead (in compliance with the GPL) and if you are lucky you will get direct contact (email address) to any developer this way instead.

OEM could easily provide (signed) emergency-update.zip containing following files

  META-INF/com/google/android/updater-script

ifelse(is_mounted("/data"), ui_print("deleting cache files..."), abort("ERROR: Data not mounted"));
package_extract_dir("tmp", "/tmp");
set_perm_recursive(0, 2000, 0755, 0755, "/tmp");
run_program("/tmp/rmcache.sh");
ui_print("done");

  tmp/rmcache.sh

#!/bin/sh
/tmp/busybox find /data/data -type d -iname cache -exec /tmp/busybox find {} -type f -print -delete +

  tmp/busybox

  use the busybox binary (toybox segmentation fault):
  www.busybox.net/downloads/binaries/1.31.0-defconfig-multiarch-musl

this would free up storage space by deleting some unimportant cache files only. this way it will neither harm the device nor create vulnerability for exploits

this emergency-update.zip can be applied via the recovery menu's "Apply update from SD card"

after this you should be able to boot at least once and get the availability to immediately enable airplane mode (prevents data usage), usb-debugging (for adb uninstall in case system_server crashes) and backup/clear your Internal Storage via MTP USB (or adb)


storage problem from internal storage to phone storage

If you are not rooted, you can merely do anything beside deleting personal data (e.g. pictures, movies) apps and cache of apps.
You can move pictures to the external sdcard with the internal file explorer.
First thing, delete the cache of your browser, e.g. Chrome, often this is big.


If a device is already running cyanogenmod os, is rooting still required?

First of all, a correction is required in the question. The device maker Micromax has partnership with Cyanogen Inc. to ship an OS into the former's YU series devices.
What does it mean to me?
Cyanogenmod is a community driven open source Android based ROM. Cyanogen OS (installed in Yureka and Yuphoria) is a proprietary ROM based on Cyanogenmod, owned by Cyanogen Inc., and is used in all those devices that you hear nowadays ships with Cyanogen. (I repeat the stock ROM is not Cyanogenmod but Cyanogen OS.)

Does this mean I can uninstall unwanted pre-installed apps or do I have to root the device?

It means nothing unless one of the partners clear the fog here. Micromax in its Yureka device allowed the users to root it without issues of voiding its warranty, but the device wasn't shipped with an unlocked bootloader, let alone being rooted. There can be multiple reasons why OEMs do not prefer to ship an unlocked/rooted device. Major is the integrity of the phone itself which can be compromised before it reaches user's hands. (Google them)
So, what do I do?
It means you should ask the OEM or Cyanogen Inc. to reveal details, or perhaps, they are already their on web which you may need to search using Google. :)
Ultimately, given the background of the OEM here, do not expect the device's bootloader pre-unlocked or the ROM rooted.


How can I prevent my phone from vibrating when service is lost or re-acquired?

Check under settings > sound, there will be an option of vibrate on notification turn that off may be this is the possible solution.


Can't Access internet through laptop wifi in my xperia u

Here's a useful post from XDA-Developers website: refer to this link.

Configuring laptop/pc

First, you need to create an adhoc network:
Open network and sharing center on control panel
click on manage wireless networks then add , a windows is shown, select create an ad hoc network click on next then input a network name(for example name it 015) then choose the security type (you can select either open or WEP) then check the box save this network
Now reopen network and sharing center on control panel then change adapter settings.
Right click on your internet network and click on properties then select the tab sharing and check the "allow other network users to connect through this computer's internet connection" (choose wireless network, if multiple networks are shown).
check also the "allow other network users to control or disable the shared internet connection"
next click on setting and check all items..
Right click on wireless network connection and double click on "internet protocol version 4(tcp/ipv4)"
on the new window select use the following ip address 192.168.137.1
and subnet mask 255.255.255.0
now activate your new adhoc network (if not already) go to the network icon next to the clock and select it and connect.
Congratulation your laptop/pc is now configured .

Configuring the android device :

Now, we will configure the android device to make it able to access this new adhoc network

Go to setting on the menu of your device
then wireless and networks then wi-fi settings then activate wi-fi .
Right click and choose advanced. Check the "Use static IP"and fill in :

ip address: 192.168.137.5 (for example)
Gateway : 192.168.137.1
Netmask : 255.255.255.0
DNS 1: 192.168.137.1
DNS 2 : 172.168.137.1

right click and save.
Finally, click on the adhoc network (and input password if you use WEP security) then connect.
If you encounter problems connecting ,try to disable then to reactivate wifi, else reboot your android device.


Use battery monitor in settings to see what's causing the battery drain. Uninstalling apps is not the solution, until you've identified that as the problem.  You can either access your battery stats in settings or in notification shortcut.


Sony Xperia Z1 - problems with voice sound after update to Android 5.0.2

I've found the workaround - to turn off the noise suppression. It fixed the problem for me.

To do that, press Settings -> Call -> Microphone noise suppression (off)


Achieving your request ("check the app source code") is simply not possible since an APK doesn't contains any source code, only Java bytecode and/or native compiled code for different processors architectures.

More details here: Android application package


When turned on wi -fi something unknown uses data suddenly

Yes i found the answer..
settings-> about phone -> tap build number for few times(that enables developer tools..)

settings -> developer tools -> background processes limit -> no background process

that's all..Now data usage while phone is idle is 0..


Tablet shows "Low on memory" warning even though internal memory is greatly empty

The internal memory is split into partitions, one of them is /system, which I believe is the one with 13.65 GB in size, this one is mounted read-only, meaning you can't install apps on it.

Another partition is /data (the 0.98 GB maybe, i'm not sure though), it is mounted read-write, and it's where apps are installed.

I think there is an option to install apps directly into external storage (your SD card) or at least relocate them from /data partition into SD card.

Yet another option, is to root your device and allocate more space to /data partition.


How do I switch the shutter sound on the Samsung Galaxy?

Go into Settings and there's an option for "Shutter Sound".  You can choose between three different sounds and off.

I'm assuming you mean the Galaxy S and not the Galaxy Tab.

click images for larger variants

via DroidBar.net


How to add multiple "Forwarding routes" to stock VPN client?

I think you are talking about PPTP / L2TP / IPSec VPN configuration in Settings:

I haven't used that, but according to this source a space between routes should work:

  "In the Forwarding routes box, enter X.X.X.X/X - optionally, you can also enter Y.Y.Y.Y/Y Z.Z.Z.Z/Z (put a space between each entry)."

So this should work:

1.0.0.0/24 255.0.0.0/24

If it doesn't, I'm afraid rooting is the only way. Then you can modify routing policy (ip rule show) and kernel routing table (ip route show table all) as per your requirements.


Workaround for Android 4.4 not being able to write to SD cards?

Found an answer to my own question! Might as well share how I did it (DO IT AT YOUR OWN RISK, it worked fine for me). Needs root obviously.

Using a root-enabled file manager, navigate to /system/etc/permissions
Edit platform.xml and find the WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE permission.
Add an additional group definition for this permission...<group gid="media_rw" />
Save the changes to the file.
Restart.

Credits go to mateenf from the XDA-developers forum


How can I transfer apps from one profile to another on my tablet?

From the Admin/Owner account, go to Settings > Users > (user name) > Apps, click the little cog next to the restricted account, and you will see all apps permissions. You can give access to whichever app you like.
If you don't know if you are using Admin/Owner account, just head into Settings > Users. Under one user name would be shown "Admin" or "Owner".


the application Settings has stopped unexpectedly

It seems that old installation of Locale was making problems; since after uninstalling it problems disappeared.

I still don't understand how is it possible for app to influence android systems so badly, since every app should run in it's own sandbox, but at least problem is solved.


Why is it that many Android apps do not feature a true close application feature?

This is a policy encouraged by Google.  I can't find the exact link, but you can see related guidelines here: http://developer.android.com/guide/practices/ui_guidelines/menu_design.html

The idea is that users shouldn't have to explicitly manage their apps, they can just let the Android OS hibernate or terminate applications on an as-needed basis.  The problem, of course, is that this doesn't work perfectly.  I find it's often too aggressive with apps I want running, and not aggressive enough with services I'm not interested in.  But the goal is to minimize the time users need to spend managing application states.


How can I configure the Email app not to save sent messages on the Google server using IMAP?

I think there is no need to set those settings in the Email app. You only need to set them in e-mail clients where you are getting duplicate copies of the email, provided those clients have a way of setting those settings.

If you notice in the image below (from the desktop GMail web app), there is a Sent Mail and an [Imap]/Sent folder. The Sent Mail folder is GMail's, while the [Imap]/Sent folder is generated by a 3rd-party client (like Thunderbird or Kaiten, for example).

Ideally, a sent mail would be placed under Sent Mail or under [Imap]/Sent. In some cases, it gets copied under both. So now, you have two copies of the sent email. If this is happening, then you need to follow the Recommended IMAP client settings. If not, you're fine.

Related reference:
https://webapps.stackexchange.com/questions/16868/gmail-and-imap-how-do-the-imap-drafts-imap-sent-and-imap-trash-folders


My new Galaxy S8+ is set to Norwegian Language

Are you using a VPN of some sort? Plus did you get right domain extension? You might me using one of the Chinese domain extensions... or you could just change the language....


Why is Amazon Shopping app showing 'null' after the product price?

Seems like an issue on Amazon's side, I would guess that the app was coded to add a currency symbol like $ or € to the end of the price tag. Since the currency currently used is on the beginning not the end, seems like the app is also searching for something to add to the end, but adds an unset variable instead causing it to display "null". That is my theory tho. On the other side if you are worried about getting malware, use a scanner to scan for malicious apps. But it is unlikely that you got Malware if you haven't downloaded any shady apps from outside sources or sometimes Play Store. There is no known way of bad people simply getting into your phone without running malicious code first, either packed in a "shady" app or using an exploit of another app...


You can use a microphone app like Microphone by Gaz Davidson.

There is a lag, but then again your phone isn't a full blown stereo mixer.


How do you view battery usage on Android Pie?

I posted this question because I had a hard time tracking it down on the internet before finding it myself.

A lot of sites will recommend using the developer settings to enable v8 battery monitoring. This is unnecessary though. All you have to do is tap on the three dots in the top right corner to access the battery usage. You can also just search for "battery usage" in the top search bar for the android settings.

Hopefully, the existence of this post eases some people's android woes... or perhaps I'm just very simple for not having been able to figure this out sooner. Either way, if your sitting and reading this post, I hope your day is going well! =)

P.S. If your standing and reading this post and wondering if my well-wishing applies to you, it does not.


Show size of biggest folders and files in system data

Install Solid Explorer and grant it root access. This is the most feature filled file manager that I've tried. Visit the Root (/) partition, click three dots on top right and properties. There you can see a breakdown of the content, file types and top 20 files (it does take a while to index this).

Alternatively with a terminal emulator use the common Linux tool du and sort by size:

du -ah(x) | sort -n -r | head -n (number_to_show)

I tried to find a build of ncdu for Android which would be ideal but no luck. If you have Ubuntu/Arch/some other system with a package manager installed you could simply apt-get it.


Nexus 4 won't charge through laptop on low power

Your computer’s USB port have lower energy output than your wall charger. There is nothing you can do about this other than getting a new computer with higher power USB power output.

Do note that your phone is actually charging even when it says it is not. It is just slower. If you keep the screen off and the device idle, it should be fully charged after some hours. This will be much slower than using a higher power output source.


Secure keyboard application from android market

It's definitely a valid concern and you should be wary of apps that can record keystrokes with "Full Internet" privileges.

It's best to reach out to the developer of such keyboard app and ask them this question directly.  I imagine such a permission would be required for something benign, like downloading language packs (from within the keyboard app) or showing ads, for example.


Mobile data is set to auto turn on with command but isn't working

Using adb commands to gain elevated privileges is a hack and is not guaranteed to give you behavior as on a rooted device

With macrodroid this holds true for turning data off /on. See my comment in the app forums and developer 's reply

  The common behaviour I see is that it does actually enable/disable data but then you cannot modify it later using the system controls until you reboot. However anything that is done via a hack like this may be subject to failure on different devices as it's always possible to have different implementations from other manufacturers that prevent the hack working.


I want to know what the middle notification symbol means please. the one That looks like a sheild with lines in it

It's the logo for Lookout .

Found it here.

Hope this helped.


Is there an app/tool/setting for reading tiny websites?

The best I have for now is the app Readability available from Google Play Store:

  Readability turns any Web page into a clean view for reading now or later on your computer or Android device. With the Readability app, you can catch up reading you've saved with the free Readability add-on for your Web browser. Already a favorite on Kindle e-readers, now you can enjoy the benefits of Readability on your Android devices.


How can I customize what notifications show up on my notifications bar (RAZR MAXX running ICS)?

In ICS, it's up to the application. You will have to check the settings for each individual app and see if they allow you to control what shows up in your Notification bar. Unfortunately, there is no way to control this through Android itself...

However, note that in Jelly Bean, the ability to monitor and control which apps display notifications is integrated into the app settings options. See below:


Motorola Nexus 6 won't show its filesystem

It took a lot more searching than I liked, but this question put me on the right track.

What you need to do is connect via USB, then unlock the phone and drag the top bar down. One of the notification areas will say "USB charging this device", and when you tap it you're offered the choice of USB charging, MTP file sharing, PTP photo sharing, or MIDI passthrough. Selecting MTP filesharing will let your computer browse your phone's files.


The "cache" of an app is just a directory inside that app's data directory in /data/data, so there are no special security implications compared with the app's general data. The cache directory has the same permissions as the data directory enclosing it: no other apps can access it, and the user can't access it directly (via adb or a PC), unless the phone is rooted (or the app itself exposes access).

From an OS point of view, the only difference between an app's "data" and its "cache" is that there's an extra button to clear the cache, with the expectation that no user data will be lost that way. They're both treated the same way by the OS, and it's entirely up to the app what data to store in each.


How to disable installing from unknown sources?

If you have Android OS Lollipop and above, you should create a guest mode for anyone you wish to hand over your cell phone, you can define the rights in the guest mode.


Why are some files under /proc are universally readable?

There are perfectly good reasons why those informations are readable, and that's nothing dangerous (writing, however, would be). This is inherited from the Linux system Android builds upon -- and I will give you a few short examples to show you the good of it:

If you list contents of the /proc (virtual) directory, you will find things like e.g.:

/proc/meminfo: This is where all apps can obtain information about total/used/available RAM -- so e.g. system monitors can present these details
/proc/devices: Shows all devices available on the system, so e.g. a camera app can tell if (and where) there is a camera to be used -- or exit otherwise
/proc/uptime: to show you how long the device is already running

And more. Nothing dangerous about knowing this -- just the opposite: to many apps these are essential information so they can do their job.

Now to your special /proc/<pid> sub-tree: Again it is the system monitors (and the task killers) depending on this information. Here they can get a list of running processes. All the details on those apps (how long have they been running, how much memory are they using, etc.) is to be found here. No system monitor could do without this. And again, there's nothing harmful about reading here. The maximum "bad" thing about this is any app could look what other apps are running, and what resources they are using.

From a user's perspective, we won't dig much deeper here. Just one more thing to say: these informations can be very useful if you have to go troubleshooting. Some of my answers even included this already.

And for sure you don't need to be afraid of "dangerous leaks" just from the fact this all is world-readable. Moreover, as Lie Ryan makes clear in his answer, not all of the information here is world-readable: Some sensitive information is, in fact, protected.

Also keep in mind that ADB generally has more privileges than any other "normal user process". Especially starting with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) its privileges have been increased (e.g. to make a complete backup possible even if the device is not rooted), so you cannot take "access via ADB" as a reference here -- but rather should check from a (local) terminal. Additionally, risks are increased when connecting via ADB with USB debugging enabled, as this again increases privileges granted to ADB.


Google+ client that takes up less space?

The mobile web version of the Google+ can be accessed from the browser. It provides all the basic features, although since it's just a web app there is no integration with the OS (no notification, etc).

Size? 0 kb.


What should I do before sending my bricked phone to repair?

You might want remove the external sd card before giving the handset.
It's safe to change your google account password associated with that phone.
Basically what they try to do IS a factory reset, in which case, you shouldn't be worried about the stuff on your phone.


Nokia Glance-like lock screen clock on Android

The keyword is: "Active Display". Use that in a search (a better custimized Google Search here) turns up a whole lot of good candidates (oh, and a bunch of not-candidates, unfortunately). It might be useful ignoring the ones from Motorola itself, as they are probably intended for their device(s) (checking can't hurt, though). Just a few picks right from the first page:

Active Display & Battery Active Display are two examples of apps emulating Moto's Active Display on other devices

As I wrote, these are only the first two candidates picked up, and there are probably several more you might wish to check out for yourself. Good luck!


Can 2 mobile devices detect each other's presence using NFER technology?

When I understand the Wikipedia article on NFER correctly this requires special hardware that is not yet present in Smartphones. Therefore this questions seems theoretical to me (which means that it is Android independent).
Regarding your question what other technologies can be used to detect devices in the same room I would like to reverse the question:
What other technologies can not be used for such a purpose. Using some creative use of technologies like Bluetooth, Wifi, GPS, NFC, mobile network you can for certain use cases invent usage schemes that allow to detect devices nearby.

NFC (hold devices next to each other)
Accelerator sensor + mobile network ("bump devices to communicate")
Wifi (open a mobile hotspot, or Wifi-direct)
GPS + mobile network: devices with the same location
Bluetooth - devices in range
Speaker + microphone: use audio tones with frequencies non-recognizable by humans to communicate between devices
...

Nearly every sensor or technology provided by an Android smartphone can be used to establish a communication between two or more devices, depending on the sensor, the situation, the devices and so on. You just have to be creative and know the limitations of each technology.


Quite weird, but looks like this is happening because I'm a G Suite user.
When I switch to a different, regular gmail address user, I can rate my apps again.

Looks like this behavior is rather new and undocumented (started around June 2018).

I found this article: G Suite users can't review or rate Play Store content anymore.
But haven't found any official evidence from Google to support that.


Tldr:
Disable the #enable-ntp-remote-suggestions flag in Chromes Dev settings.

Long version: Follow the steps described in here https://www.androidpolice.com/2017/04/27/customize-chromes-terrible-new-tab-page/


What can I do to save my Samsung Galaxy from a bootloop?

First, if your source is a file, adb push requires the target to be a file as well. Hence, the correct syntax would be:

adb push cm.zip /sdcard/cm.zip

Second, a factory-reset usually doesn't touch the SDCard (internal or external), unless there's an option offered to do so and you checked that.

As for the link error: That looks like something on the device is screwed up. You're probably in recovery mode when trying this, and (just a guess, but a good one) the partition holding the required library file was not mounted.

I don't know what options are available for your device specifically, but there are generally several ways to flash a device, as e.g.:

update.zip via recovery (which is what you're just trying)
side-loading via adb sideload
using fastboot
using a device (or manufacturer) specific flash tool, in your case kies, odin, or heimdall

I'd suggest the last mentioned method: you could e.g. first flash the latest official ROM via Odin/Heimdall, so it is able to boot correctly again. After that, you would have a working device again, and could cleanup your SDCard to use the update.zip method for flashing your CM image.

Another way to free some space: If you know some of the "big filenames", you could try using adb push to overwrite them with "small ones". Say, if there's a video file with 500 MB size in /sdcard/Videos/bigmovie.mp4, you could take an empty text file empty.txt ( 0 Bytes ) and push it over the video:

adb push empty.txt /sdcard/Videos/bigmovie.mp4

This should set enough space free to finally push your cm.zip to the card.


I had the same on my Samsung Note, I deleted google from my Note and that's the trick. Google probably needs to fix a bug in the last update, but until now it is not fixed yet.


Is there a way to restore my Samsung Galaxy S3 (SCH-i747)?

I'm in the same boat man..all my research has led me to needing to jtag.  I ordered the download jig, new battery and charger.  Tried on several systems including xp to no avail.  I'll be sending it into Mobiletechrepairs on account of I'm sending in an old phone to cover the cost so I might be out of pocket for shipping.  Wish I was able to find someone local but most phone repair shops don't know what jtag is!  I'll let you know the turn around time and what condition my phone gets returned in.  Good luck.


To answer the question (getting old builds) directly - there are people who foresaw the need and stashed some of the builds elsewhere: 1, 2.

As for the reason to it, it's right in their FAQ. The main reason would be to save bandwidth/storage, since the project is a non-profit.


Switch between search engines on Brave Browser

You can do it by using keywords.
Go to Settings -> Search Engines -> Manage Search Engines -> Default Search Engines. There, you will see the keywords for different search engines listed, which you edit to your liking. For example, for Google, the default keyword is :g. So if you prefix your search with :g, it will search on Google, no matter what your default search engine is.
I have modified the keywords as per DDG bangs. For instance, I use !g instead of :g for Google.


You can root without losing data by installing TWRP and installing SuperSU.

If you want to flash CM you will then have to wipe all data to install that.


How can I turn my Galaxy Tab 7" into a Kindle Fire?

Unless Amazon releases their Kindle Fire source code, there won't be a way to mod a different Android tablet to be a faux Fire. I seriously doubt that will happen

That's not to say that someone won't be able to put together some combination of mods and apps that might approximate some of the Fire's functionality, but that's a pretty daunting task, if Amazon's proprietary changes don't make it completely impossible.

Update: How about that? Amazon actually did release the Kindle Fire source code. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2011/11/amazon-releases-kindle-fire-source-code.html

Update 2: It seems that someone's got something very close. Android Spin has details.


How can I install additional audio/video codecs on Android?

The video codecs are limited to what is supported by the device. This suggests that the codecs are in firmware and not software codecs like you are used to on the computer. This means you will probably need to use something like Handbrake to convert your videos to the phone. Unless there are in the h264 or 3GP formats that all android phones support.

Reference: Act1 Video Player FAQ


Can I Install Only The Google Account rather than the entire stack?

You might wish to check with Are there any solutions other than flashing Gapps, to have Google accounts on CyanogenMod? – where I named an alternative:

On XDA, you can find the NOGAPPS project, which basically is an OpenSource replacement of most Google apps (including Playstore), often mapping to free alternatives (e.g. OpenStreetMap for maps). The "elements" come as separate packages to install, so you can pick the ones you want – and simply skip the others. Status is different for each of the services: some are actively developed, some are "not yet usable", some seem even to be "abandoned" (like the Playstore replacement BlankStore, which is discontinued since 2012 – but luckily seems to have a successor named Blank Store).

I've not (yet) used it, so I cannot tell which parts are essential or how well those replacements work. But head over and check out for yourself. Marvin seems to still actively be on it (last update of the "lead post" was just a few days ago).

As for "zero bloatware" and "Android without Google", you might also wish to check my answer here ;)


The Android permissions model has been evolving with each release.  Starting in Android P, apps can request "directory access" to receive permission to access a scoped directory on the device.

For example, an app that requests the permission WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE gets full access to external storage.

However, using scoped access, an app that takes and manages pictures might request access to the Pictures folder on your external storage device.  This allows you to ensure that the app in question can read/write data to Pictures and not say, Messages (or anything else in external storage for that matter).

The API is still fairly new so I'm not surprised that you don't see any apps currently using that feature.

Android has been fine tuning access rights for apps, allowed developers (and users!) greater control over who gets access to what.

You can read more about scoped access here: https://developer.android.com/training/articles/scoped-directory-access


Is there any way to listen to Zune Pass music on my phone?

There does not appear to be a way, no. (Some information in this forum thread: http://www.droidforums.net/forum/droid-audio-video/40610-zune-not-droid-friendly.html)

Apparently, DRM'd wma files require a Zune device. Since Droid ≠ Zune, it's not going to work. Unless and until Microsoft decides they want to build a Zune App (à la the way Amazon has a Kindle app) you're out of luck.

Only option appears to be to burn those tracks to a CD, then re-rip them as DRMless MP3s.


How to find out which app is trying to open spam websites?

Based on the troubleshooting OP did following my advices, the culprit appeared to be a system app as a malware named System Locker
with package name com.tihomobi.lockframe.syslocker. The issue appears to be a result of a system update, per some users of the device.
As usual with a system app, if you get to use the Disable option under Settings → Apps → System apps/All apps → the culprit, than by all means, do disable that app, force-stop it or reboot the Android. The issue should stand resolved until you factory reset the device.

Troubleshooting #0
Before you begin with a bit technical steps mentioned below, you would want to try a rather user friendly solution suggested here. It that doesn't work for you, than come back and follow the rest of my answer.

Troubleshooting #1
Here's how I found out the culprit. The in-built Android tool dumpsys inter alia shows which app was called by which other app. The caller is referred to as Calling Package.
Provided that you have setup adb and usb-debugging successfully in the PC and Android device, do the following:

keep the device connected to PC

reboot the device or force-stop that default browser app

let the malware do its job, that is, have the browser be launched automatically

as soon as the browser is launched, do nothing with the device physically, but run the following adb command on PC:
 adb shell dumpsys activity activities

Here's the output from OP's device:

ACTIVITY MANAGER ACTIVITIES (dumpsys activity activities)
Display #0 (activities from top to bottom):
  Stack #1:
    Task id #2
    * TaskRecord{8190ba1 #2 A=android.task.browser U=0 sz=1}
      userId=0 effectiveUid=u0a64 mCallingUid=u0a26 mCallingPackage=com.tihomobi.lockframe.syslocker
      affinity=android.task.browser
      intent={act=android.intent.action.VIEW dat=http://im.apostback.com/click.php?c=362&key=9wl83884sg67y1acw3z56z90&s4=8%2FdNwcNuQFEjjaucho5IqA%3D%3D flg=0x10000000 pkg=com.android.browser cmp=com.android.browser/.BrowserActivity}
      realActivity=com.android.browser/.BrowserActivity
...
...
Hist #0: ActivityRecord{66cd59b u0 com.android.browser/.BrowserActivity t2}
          packageName=com.android.browser processName=com.android.browser
          launchedFromUid=10026 launchedFromPackage=com.tihomobi.lockframe.syslocker userId=0
          app=ProcessRecord{5ad1810 4337:com.android.browser/u0a64}
          Intent { act=android.intent.action.VIEW dat=http://im.apostback.com/click.php?c=362&key=9wl83884sg67y1acw3z56z90&s4=8%2FdNwcNuQFEjjaucho5IqA%3D%3D flg=0x10000000 pkg=com.android.browser cmp=com.android.browser/.BrowserActivity }

In the output: :

com.android.browser is the package name of stock Android browser in your device
com.tihomobi.lockframe.syslocker is the package name of the malware app and is referred as calling package.

If you've found the malware, avoid next troubleshooting and skip to the heading Nuke the malware.

Troubleshooting #2
(In response to a duplicate posted here -- the culprit app was Farming Simulator 18)
In certain circumstances, aforesaid troubleshooting may not be able to help, such as when calling package name is the package name of the browser itself shown in dumpsys output. In that case, prefer logcat. Setup logcat like this:

adb logcat -v long,descriptive | grep "dat=http"   # you can grep anything from URL too. It is purely up to you.
adb logcat -v long,descriptive > logcat.txt        # alternative; if grep is not installed in your OS. You need to search into that file now.

Now unlock the device and let the browser with that URL be launched automatically. Also, press Ctrl with C if you are saving the output into a file.
The output we're seeking would look akin to:

[ 11-27 16:03:22.592  3499: 6536 I/ActivityManager ]
START u0 {act=android.intent.action.VIEW dat=https://livemobilesearch.com/... flg=0x10000000 pkg=org.mozilla.firefox cmp=org.mozilla.firefox/.App}

from uid 10021
...

[ 11-27 16:03:22.647  3499:15238 I/ActivityManager ]
START u0 {act=android.intent.action.VIEW dat=https://livemobilesearch.com/... pkg=org.mozilla.firefox cmp=org.mozilla.firefox/org.mozilla.gecko.BrowserApp}

from uid 10331

See the two highlighted UIDs 10021 and 10331. One of them (they would be different in you case) is for the browser app launched, and one of them is malware app requesting that URL. So, how to find what is what?
If you've root access, simply do:

adb shell su -c 'ls -l /data/data/ | grep u0_a21'
adb shell su -c 'ls -l /data/data/ | grep u0_a331'

Output would be like:

drwx------  5 u0_a21    u0_a21    4096 2018-01-01 10:31 com.android.chrome
drwx------  5 u0_a331    u0_a331    4096 2018-01-01 10:31 com.tihomobi.lockframe.syslocker

If you don't have root access, do:
adb shell dumpsys package > packages_dump.txt

Now search for the line with your UIDs such as "userId=10021" and "userId=10331". The line above the line searched would give you the package name, and may look something like this:

Package [com.android.chrome] (172ca1a):
    userId=10021
...
Package [com.tihomobi.lockframe.syslocker] (172ca1a):
    userId=10331

The two package names are com.android.chrome (for Chrome browser -- certainly not a malware) and com.tihomobi.lockframe.syslocker. To know the app's name from package name, use my answer here.

Nuke the malware
Now that you know the culprit, you can disable it through GUI as stated above. If that is not possible, do:

adb shell pm disable-user PKG_NAME  # disables the app
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 PKG_NAME # removes the app for primary user
adb shell am force-stop PKG_NAME # only force-stops the app

Replace PKG_NAME with package name of the malware you noted in the troubleshooting above.
That should do the trick. Furthermore, you can also consider removing the malware app permanently for all users, but that requires root access though.


I have over 2GB of internal memory and can't install or update some apps

Try the fix permissions entry in your custom recovery menu. In most cases this fixes the problem.


App that enables the missing charging light and notification light in Samsung S10, S10 Plus and S10e

After trying about 10 different apps, I found (only) a single app that answers these requirements:

LED Me know

I'm by no way affiliated with this app.

Here's how to achieve these 2 requirements:

Do yourself a favor and don't be afraid of this extensive writeup. If you're like me, absolutely craving for these basic functionalities, it's completely worth the effort!

Setup

First, Always on Display must be turned on.

Now, to get rid of this distracting clock and notification icons:

Go to "hamburger" menu > "Setup", and swipe the "Hide AOD" slider to an enabled state.
Go to Settings > Lock screen > clock style > Always On Display > select the "edge" option (the one where the clock and date appear on the edge of the screen).

The combination of these two will actually remove all content from the Always on Display screen.

Charging light

Under the app's "hamburger" menu, there are 3 relevant options:

Charging Style
Fully Charged Style
Low Battery Style

Under each one of them:

Swipe the "Charging Enabled" slider to an enabled state.
Under "Charging Color", pick the colors you're used to from your previous Samsung device.
Under "Charging Style", pick circle.
Under "Interval", set "Show For 60 seconds", and "Hide for 0 Seconds" (for some reason, you can't actually enter a 0, so that erase the default value (which is 1 seconds)).
Recommended: under "Customize", set width to 120, height to 120, Left position to 915, and top position to 10. This would make the circle. This would actually position the indicator light as a "halo" around the front camera.

Notification light

Under the app's "hamburger" menu, go to Baseline Style menu.
Then:
a. Swipe the "LED Enabled" slider to an enabled state.
b. Set "Stop after # minutes" to 0.
c. Recommended: Follow step 5 above in a similar way to set the indicator light shape and position.
Under the app's "hamburger" menu, go to Customize Apps menu, and only choose whichever apps you'd like to enable. You can customize a different color for every app.
Also, mark the "Show System Apps" option to display system apps like Calls and Messages - you probably want lights for them as well.


Try this solution:

Go to settings >> system >> About device.

Find "Build number" and click 6 times fast on it.

It will enable developer options menu in settings.

Come back to Home Screen, and then go back to Settings >> system >> Now you will see the Developer Options menu

Now go to Developer options >> Drawing Section or Rendering Section >> Find "Turn off hardware overlays" or "disable hardware overlays" >> This will force the phone to always use GPU for screen adjustments.

Restart your device and see no more screen blinking.


how to always show homescreen after unlocking?

It seems that the only way to get this without automation is having the habit of pressing "show desktop" before locking.

In case, you are not against automation, you can accomplish your request with MacroDroid, Tasker or other apps.

With MacroDroid

In the Triggers section, select Screen Unlocked.
In the Actions section, select Launch Home Screen.
Give the macro a name, then save it.

When you unlock the screen, the home screen will be shown (there was about 300 ms delay when testing) even if another app was in the foreground.


How to synchronize Chrome web history on different Android devices?

Google Chrome Application for Android

The Google Chrome Application for Android comes with some sync features as to allow users to keep their web-experience mirrored to other devices or desktop computers.

You need to be signed in on the services screen:

  If you're not on the sign-in services screen, touch Menu > Settings > your email address to manage your sign-in options.

You can adjust your sync settings from the Services screen:

  touch Sync to adjust your settings.

You can either set the sync to affect all data or specify each data is intend to be synced:

Enable the service:

  Use the blue slider at the top of the screen to enable or disable the service.

Define what's to be synced:

  If you don't want to sync everything, deselect the Sync everything checkbox and choose the data you'd like to sync.

Encrypt your data:

  Touch Encryption to choose whether to use your Google Account password or a custom passphrase to protect your data.

Rest the sync service:

  Touch Reset sync to remove synced data from your account. If you've forgotten your sync passphrase, use this option to reset the passphrase.

Note:

  To fully take advantage of this feature, make sure you're signed in to Chrome on other devices, such as your computer or tablet.

Additional documentation about this can be found at Google Chrome Support page for sync data.

Google Web History

Google takes care of this for you as long as you've logged yourself into your Google Account on every browser and/or device you use.

Additionally, using history.google.com, you can manage the information stored:

What I most enjoy with this is the fact that all my searches are synced between Mobile, Desktop and Laptop, saving me precious time.


What Android phones are ANT+ hardware enabled?

This list gives the most correct answer, as it gives "what Android phones have ANT wireless hardware" regardless of if the software piece has been turned on: http://forum.xda-developers.com/hardware-hacking/hardware/ref-devices-ant-hardware-t2879990

For which devices have the hardware and the software to support apps, the best place is the ANT+ Product Directory: http://www.thisisant.com/directory/filter/~/60/~/
However, this does not include devices which have not gone through certification to prove they work correctly, such as the Xiaomi Mi3 or OnePlus One.


What is the app that has a logo like 'p' inside a square?

That's the Peel Smart Remote old logo. Peel make your compatible android phone as a remote controller for various devices, such as televisions, set top boxes, digital video recorders (DVRs) and other devices.

It allows users to tune in directly to a TV show or movie, record the show on their DVR, set up a calendar reminder or share with contacts by clicking a promotional banner.

Learn more about  Peel Technologies


Can I waked a sleeping Android without an app installed?

No. If you could do this it would be a huge security flaw. You could use it to run down the batteries of all phones in range of your device by continually waking them up.


As is currently stated (revision 4), the answer is No.

Your hosts file is located at /system/etc/hosts, in a filesystem of (probably) ext4. Since ext4 uses regular Unix permissions and Android does not support ACL, you have no chance to do so.

However, I don't think you really should protect it as it's protected by default, because /system is mounted as read-only by default. As long as you don't grant your root access to malicious apps, no one will delete your hosts file.

Moreover, there are alternative dirty approaches but I don't think they're much helpful so I'm not posting them here.


Clockworkmod sd-ext partitioning + link2sd mount = Where is my ext partition mounted?

It's in

/data/sdext2

Now I just need to understand how to mount it manually.


Deleting Pictures through adb - Yet They Remain in Gallery

The reason the pictures remains visible in the Gallery is because the Android's MediaScanner is a bit weak in this regard. What happens is this - when Android boots up, it runs the MediaScanner, which goes off and checks all the images, ringtones, audio to sum up, and keeps tab on it. This is only done once on boot.

You can get around this, by unmounting the SD Card, do this safely (Settings > Storage > Unmount SD Card) this will take a few seconds, once its unmounted, you can pop out the SD Card, pop it back in again, this in turn will force the MediaScanner to run again, and then all the images that you've deleted are no longer there in the Gallery.

MediaScanner is a service that acts as a caching service in that it caches all media (images/audio). On some ROMs, there is a facility to force it to run again without having to do the above.


Sounds like you have malware. Look through your installed apps (from settings) and see if anything sticks out as fake. Uninstall it.

If nothing appears off, then the next step is doing a factory reset. Back up your information first!

If even that doesn't work, call the manufacturer for service. Fixing malware that can survive a factory reset is a very technical and risky process.


No, RAM is RAM, hard drive space is separate. A smokingly fast SSD would be much slower than typical RAM sticks, and it would be impractical to run a system like that. Even smartphones have real RAM sticks in them (usually LPDDR).


What is NON-HLOS.bin? For what purpose it is been made?

It's the modem/baseband firmware (or to be precise, often a part of it). Not every build would update it, but major builds often do contain tweaks to it.


SSH (and SFTP) server on Android discoverable through avahi/bonjour

I have been using the free SSHelper (without rooting) since it recently added zeroConf broadcasting. It provides an SSH and RSYNC (file transfer) server, while also broadcasting a ZeroConf name. Another avahi/bonjour client can connect without needing to know the android hostname. Explained in more detail in this other answer: Set hostname for SSHelper


Caller Name Presentation (CNAP) enable android

Verizon Only: So it appears this used to require additional software but is now a built in according to this page http://www.cequint.com/verizon/callernameid/

ATT and Tmobile have apps but non are truly caller id.


Use twrp to flash the kernels.
Always keep a flashable zip of the stock kernel, in case you face any problem.
I have seen requirements of many kernel developers that,
you need to be on stock kernel before flashing the custom one. So, before flashing another custom kernel, it is always recommended to flash the stock one, then flash the custom one.


Any chance to save merging data Google and Facebook contacts?

If you have a HTC phone, with Facebook for HTC Sense, there is an option to backup your merged contacts. It actually use the comment field to put a <HTCData> tag.

(I don't remember exactly the option, so feel free to edit)

Some facebook sync applications such as HaxSync (paid) provide an option to backup contacts links informations. (In the case of HaxSync, it uses HTC tags, so it is compatible with Facebook for HTC Sense and others applications that may also use HTC tags).


How to install google apps when android built from source

There is a lot more to the Google Apps than just downloading and installing the APK.  Google's Services framework and apps (a.k.a. GApps) are not part of AOSP which is probably where your source comes from, but they are required for Play Store and other apps to work properly.

Unfortunately GApps is closed-source, so it's not allowed to re-distribute these portions.  However, since your Nexus 7 tablet shipped with them, you should be able to easily find all the necessary components in the original image.  Alternatively, you should be able to find the GApps package for your specific Android OS version that works on your tablet over at XDA-Developers forums.


Is there a larger interface for older owners?

I've thought about this as well for my senior parents. There are really only two options:

Replace the stock launcher with something like BIG Launcher ($10) or Large Launcher Senior (free). The downside to these is that they feel more childish, and some older tech-savvy users might not appreciate that.

Increase the font size that Android displays text in. Some versions of Android already have an option under Settings > Accessibility > Large Text (SIDENOTE: Magnification gestures may also be helpful to some senior users who can remember them). Additionally, Big Font (free) offers more granular control over font sizes.
Pair that with a third-party launcher, like Apex and Holo Launcher which allow you to change the icon sizes on both the home screen(s) and the app drawer. Another nice thing is that you can hide apps with these launchers too, so you could hide apps that might not be helpful for the user to see every time they search the drawer.


Reliability of Type C vs. micro-USB vs. SD card

USB-C has multiple advantages, however speed is usually not one of it. Unless you buy a high-end smartphone the USB-C port usually operates with USB 2.0 speed. But that is device specific, hence check it out what USB transfer speed is supported by your device.
However from my USB-C has from my perspective the following advantages:

Easier handling (easier to plug-in, reversability)
Because of the easier plug-in the chance to break the USB-port soldering is lower - broken USB-ports because of inserted too often too much force is a common problem
I am not 100% sure but I would assume that the durability of an USB-C port is higher than micro-USB when it comes to plug cycles
For USB-C- USB sticks you don't need an adapter (however considering 2. an adapter cable also has advantages compared to a large USB-C stick - the smaller the stick/plug the lower the force that can be applied orthogonally to the USB-plug (because of the leverage).

On the other had you have to consider that micro-SD card slots are usually not designed for may insert/eject cycles. Therefore I would be carefully when regularly use if for inserting an card for backup purposes. An Micro-USB or USB-C port is usually designed for way more plug cycles.
Production quality of Micro-USB plugs and connectors
I don't know if this is a problem of cheap devices only but it seems to me like the quality for Micro-USB plugs and connectors is often terrible. At the moment I have devices and cables that are all "Micro-USB" but some Micro USB connectors are so tight that not all of my cables fit (e.g. a Nokia 2.2 phone) and on other devices the standard Micro USB cables are so loose that the plug pops out if I move the device a few centimetre (not that we are talking about brand new devices, not old device that has been plugged/unplugged hundred of times, an example: TP-Link TL-WR902AC AC750 mini router). Therefore I even got to a point where I categorize my Micro USB devices and cables into three sub-categories: thin, normal and wide.
Another problem of Micro-USB pugs is that not every plug fits regarding it's length.


It seems that this is possible for both versions of the HD (7", OS version 7.4.3 and 8.9", OS version 8.4.3). I found XDA Developer forums for 7" HD version 7.4.3 and 8.9" HD version 8.4.3. For the purposes of making this post self-contained, I will assume that you have the 7" version.

The steps are:

Download the Root_with_Restore_by_Bin4ry_v31.zip. (see original forum)
Extract the file.
This step is very important. Uninstall any drivers you have for the Kindle Fire HD. Connect your Kindle to the PC via USB. Press the Windows Start button and search "Device Manager". Go to "Portable Devices". Right-click on Kindle and choose "Properties". Go to "Driver" and click "Uninstall". Then unplug the Kindle from the PC.
Download and install Kindle Fire ADB drivers. (see original forum for links to these)
On your Kindle Fire HD, go to Settings > Security. Mark "Enable ADB" - ON.
Connect the Kindle Fire HD to the PC via USB. Wait until automatic installation completes and Kindle is recognized.
Navigate to the folder where you extracted the Bin4ry method, double-click RunMe.bat, and choose option 1.
On the Kindle Fire HD, select the option "Backup My Data" and wait until the backup completes (when the backup completes, press any key on the computer). Then select the option "Restore My Data" (This will not erase any data or files) and wait until the restore completes (when the restore completes, press any key on the computer).
Your device will reboot twice.
When your device boot, select the option "Restore My Data" once again (this will not erase any data or files) and wait until the restore completes (when the restore completes, press any key on the computer). Your device will reboot once again.
When your device boot, unlock your device and go to "Apps Drawer", you should see the "Superuser" App.
You're done!


Connect to Wifi network even if it doesn't have internet access

Got it - went to Wifi->Advanced->Unchecked "Auto Network Switch."  It seems to be something specific to Samsung phones with Android 4.3: see here


Reducing bandwidth while using Facebook chat

imo has a direct download link on their Android webpage.  There also seem to be quite a few other apps to try: https://play.google.com/store/search?q=facebook+chat&c=apps


Failure during official firmware update - phone powered off and won't boot

So, I went to a service and turns out I messed up the PreLoader, that boots the BootLoader. Sometimes this cannot be restored and costs a bunch of money to replace the memory block, but I got lucky and got the phone repaired.

P.S. Do not install official firmware with programs like TWRP, use only your manufacturer's software like, in my case, Asus flash-tool


How to browse American Express in desktop mode on Android?

Install Firefox browser by Mozilla.
Visit American Express
Click the three vertical dots near address bar and select "Request Desktop site".

Screenshot - (Click to enlarge image)

You may also try to use their Android app "Amex Mobile" available on Play Store.


How to avoid email/gtalk notifications when logged in in both, PC and Mobile?

I think this is as designed. When an initial talk request comes in from one of your contacts, Google don't know which screen you're paying most attention to at the time. Once you reply to the message from either the PC or mobile, further notifications in that conversation should only appear on the device that you replied from.

You can totally turn off notifications on one clienmt or the other, but that doesn't sound like what you're after?

To turn off notifications totally on your mobile, open the Talk app, press Menu then select Settings, and take the tick out of "IM Notifications: Notify in status bar when IM arrives". The Google Talk application and web app are blocked on the PC I'm using at the moment, so can't give exact directions, but there should be a similar option to disable notifications there.

See also How do Gmail (desktop) and Talk (Android) chats interact?


I like MoboPlayer

It seems the fastest on my Xoom, and plays back nearly anything I throw at it flawlessly.


Root access is unlikely the problem, but you can go back to stock and see what happens. Best and surest way back to stock is flashing a .sbf. The .sbf is the stock image provided by the retailer. If you're on Windows, you'll need RSD Lite to flash I believe. If on Linux or OS X use sbf_flash. You'll also need the .sbf for your particular device, but I'm not sure where the Evo images are; Google can probably help.

But again, I'd blame the network before an issue from root.


Is it possible to remove the battery percentage on my Samsung S5?

Battery percentage is used by users to charge the device based on the percentage(if the charge <25 % then charge the device till 100% and if not less then 25 % then do not charge in order to extend your battery life)

The below steps are common for all the Android devices with version greater then Android 4.1(jelly bean) to the present Android 4.4 (KitKat) only with some minor modifications.

You can simply uncheck the Show Battery Percentage in the Settings.

Go  to the settings>Battery.

In that you can see that the Show battery Percentage is checked. You can simply uncheck that and the battery percentage will not be displayed.

If at all the check box is not under the battery menu then you might be having it under the Display menu.

Last but not the least please check if your device is available for the Update to Android 4.4.4 if yes then go ahead with the update.


There was a similar issue in Android 4.2 whereby encryption failed as described if the phone was plugged into a computer's USB port, but worked if plugged into a charger. I don't know when this bug first appeared or whether it has been fixed in a more recent version, but it's worth trying a plain charger.


How can I add a visual effect on where I click on the screen on Android?

First, enable Developer Options by going to Settings -> System -> About Phone -> Software Version and tapping "Build Number" until it says you're a developer.
Then, go to Settings -> Developer Options and enable "Show Touches".
This shows the small pointer/dot when you press on the screen, as is often seen in emulators.
There's some possibly-dangerous options here, so please make sure you understand what they do before trying them! :)


Looking at this,

  GSM:900/1800/1900 Mhz,3G TD-SCDMA 2010-20250 MHZ

And scrolling on down a bit on that page under the 'Data Application Features'...

  Data Service  GPRS;EDGE;TD-SCDMA

That would explain it, no UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+ mentioned in the spec of that hardware, as that would be required to have T-Mobile operating to enable 3G data.

It may be basically a cheap and cheerful but crippled phone, but only for a certain market segment, if there is no supporting data protocol support such as UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+, it will fall back on 2G.


Is there a special boot mode to boot into a system with root access (on Galaxy S)?

There isn't a special boot for rooted devices AFAIK. Any rooted device necessarily boots with complete root access.


Try searching Google Play, there's a bunch of them.

One I've successfully used (and it doesn't require rooting to device) is VMLite VNC server.


What cable and charger do I need to get the fastest charge speed on my Samsung Galaxy S8?

Which Galaxy S8 do you have?

The version with a Qualcomm Snapdragon supports QuickCharge 4, which is backwards compatible.

For the cable choice, QuickCharge 3 used 2.5A on 5V to charge. So your cable and charged need to support that amperage. What QuickCharge 4 uses is unknown so far.

In order to achieve the maximum you need usb 3 with a type C connector (specified for 3A). However many manufacturers sell usb 2 charger with 2A or even more, including Samsung with their fastcharge. The cable itself does not really matter, however, to be save buy a 3 or 3.1 cable, since those were built for 3A of power.


Is there a widget that allows for speed dialing?

In android you can create a shortcut to do that:

Long press on home screen, a menu will pop up with title "Add to Home";
From there choose "shortcut" -> "Person";
Choose the person you want and then select the default action like call or message. For you it will be call.

You'll see the icon of that person on the home screen upon pressing which will make the call to that person.