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Does Alcatel One Touch Idol 3 show which LTE Band is used (e.g. 12)?
I'm a T-Mobile US customer, and I'm quite interested in getting a phone with Band 12 support, and one that'll actually let me have a better understanding of the network and whether I'm receiving the benefit of having the upgraded phone with the Band 12 support.
As per https://sites.google.com/site/cellularbinder/compatible-phones and the specs of the phoe itself, Alcatel One Touch Idol 3 does appear to support LTE Band 12.
However, does it have the ability to show which band is presently being used, like some other non-Google phones can?  (I currently have a couple of Google Nexus phones, and am quite disappointed that there appears to be no way to see which exact bands of LTE or UMTS do they use.)

I currently have the Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3, and yes it does support band 12. In fact, my phone is currently using band 12 over band 4 which is what my OnePlus One was using, since it doesn't support band 12.

One way to check is to download the LTE Discovery app.
Or, open your phone's dialer and type *#*#4636#*#* -- this will open up Testing mode.

Go to Phone information and it will show which band your phone is using.
See screenshots below. First two are from my Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3 and the last two are from my OnePlus One. As you can see, the Phone information mode for the OnePlus One does not show the LTE band for some reason. (Depends on the phone I guess.)
Also notice how band 4 is in use on the OnePlus One according to LTE Discovery and there are no bars, whereas the Idol 3 has 2 bars of Band 12 LTE.

Note that these two phones are placed right next to each other.

Click image(s) for larger version

Supporting Band 12 is one thing, but what about VolTE?   Can you make a call on the  Idol 3 and take another screenshot while in the call?

@AjithAntony Yes, the phone itself does support VoLTE, however its not enabled. It needs a software update to enable it. Calls instead, will be done through 2G (EDGE) or 3G(HSPA+) and switch back to LTE once the call is completed. Yes, you can take a screenshot while in a call.

thanks for the update.   I doubt we will ever see a software update to let the Idol do VoLTE on T-Mobile.  This is a problem becuase the point of Band 12 support is to have coverage where only Band 12 is available as it has a better range and building penetration than band 2 and 4.   If there is no band 2 or 4 signal to fall back to then one cannot make calls unless you have VoLTE.

Just to highlight Michael Trinh's answer:  Yes, as of this moment, it supports band 12 data.  No it does not support band 12 calling.  If you are in an area of only band 12 coverage, then you will not be able to send or receive calls or SMS despite the signal bar claiming coverage.


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Need notification sounds for all messages, including follow-up
With updated Lollipop on Samsung S4, the notification is sounded for the first message from a contact, but not any of the follow-up messages.  Annoying to constantly check for reply messages by unlocking the home screen with the phone in my hand all the time.  All settings are set to full sound and vibration.  Any suggestions?

I have the same problem since updating to lollipop.  You might try another app for messaging called Messages Plus which can be downloaded from the play store.  It will alert you after every response.  I'm not crazy about the format but at least it does alert you after each response.

Could you mention the link for this app?

with Android if you go to Google Play and look for the app "messages plus", download and install, you can even customize  the screen so that you will have balloons instead of just colored lines on the side.balloons for you and the  responder can be made different colors and it will perform the same as the old app we used under KitKat or the other operating system but with this app you will get alerts each time the other party responds

with Android just go to play store and type in messages plus. you can also customize it to have the different colored balloons for sender and responder as well as other customizations I don't know the actual link because I downloaded from Google Play Store. but if you go on to your computer and in Google search type messages plus you should be able to copy the link from there

source: Stack Exchange

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

sort: votes


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Google Keyboard sync doesn't work anymore
Synchronisation for devices with business apps is not available

I added an Google Classroom account and since then I even couldn't change the sync account.
This account is now removed, but I have no business apps installed..!?

Try to delete Google Play Services cache

all_licenses: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/


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How to 'move' sygic maps to sd card
I've a new Lollipop smartphone (LG Spirit), i've Sygic Gps, but when i download maps, Android save it to internal memory.
I've moved them to sd card (cut and paste), but when i start sygic it asks again which maps i would like to download.
Is there an hack i can do to make it work ?

I guess you might have been doing it wrong or maybe  the feature to switch to sd card storage was not yet introduced yet in the Sygic version.
According to instructions given on Sygic help, try the the following:

Depending on your device specifications and settings, Sygic files will
  install either to your SD card, or in your device's internal memory.
  If you want the Sygic files to be installed specifically to your SD
  card, please follow these steps:

before installing Sygic on your device, select the option Store new apps on SD card

or

If you already have Sygic installed on your device, you can change the storage location at any time, via the settings in the application.
Just go to Menu → Settings and tap on "Maps and Data storage" then choose the removable sd card option


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SD CARD- I just bought for my galaxy phone
I just bought a SD card for my Samsung Galaxy S5 and its still showing storage space running out. The Sprint store said it takes a few days for it to go away?

Go to Settings => Memory and set the default location for apps to your newly boughz SD-card.

This is quite normal, especially if you've recently inserted the MicroSD card into your Android device. What you can do is go into Settings >> Storage and change your default location for installed applications and files.
Did you migrate your files?
So, I'd assume that the files on your phone is what's taking up your storage. What you can do is install something like ES File Explorer. It has something like an SD Card Analyst built in and lets you copy all of the files from your phone to your SD card (or vice versa). I don't know, but I'd image since you got an SD card, you haven't yet configured all of your files on it. I'll update my answer with more advice, provided you update your question or make a comment asking for further help. Good luck!


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Booting into TWRP fails
I have a Motorola Moto G 2014 XT1068 (Titan) with an unlocked bootloader. I am running the stock ROM, recovery, kernel, etc. for my device and my device is not rooted. After I download the latest TWRP image for my device from here, I run the command fastboot boot twrp-2.8.6.0-titan.img.html whilst in fastboot mode. The output on the PC looks fine: downloading boot.img... OKAY [0.358s] booting... OKAY [0.229s] finished. total time: 0.587s. The device then displays the Motorola boot logo briefly before a blank screen appeared. The device then repeatedly flashes up the logo (for even less time than it did immediately after the command) before displaying a blank screen for around 5 seconds. This goes on until I hold down the power button to boot back into Android, which works fine. I have tried these steps twice now and both times they have failed. How can I successfully boot into TWRP recovery? Please note that I do not want to flash the recovery, but boot it. I am able to run the same command for the appropriate TWRP image on my Nexus 7 and it works fine.
Many Thanks.

Why not simply use the command fastboot boot twrp-2.8.6.0-titan.img. Are you sure you downloaded the .img file (8.5 MB) and not an .HTML file?

This is the command I am running and I have downloaded the correct IMG file.

@user1871 I just noticed when looking back at this after so long that the file extension in my post did indeed end in .html. I suspect this was the issue.

@Firelord I just noticed when looking back at this after so long that the file extension in my post did indeed end in .html. I suspect this was the issue.

I encountered the same error so after a lot of research I referenced this site: http://androidforums.com/threads/recovery-unofficial-cwm-6-0-5-0-peregrine.859010/
Before you flash recovery you need to transfer the file to the SD card. After I did that I ran the below:
C:\adb>fastboot flash recovery CWM-6.0.5.0-peregrine.img

I then booted into recovery mode and it worked.  You need a different build because I have an XT1040 and you have an XT1068 but the same general principles should apply.

please note that I do not want to flash the recovery, but boot it. -- Your answer is against it.

Yes, I am able to run fastboot flash but not fastboot boot.

Why do you transfer the file to the SD card? Your command is correct, but Fastboot will push the file from the PC directly to the phone, you don't transfer it before hand.


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rooting my samsung galaxy s4 kitkat version 4.4.2
i have read a lot of articles on rooting my s4 but it just does not happen. I downloaded ODIN to do so and there appears to be some issue there which i just cant figure out. I also tried motochopper to root my phone. this method actually worked but on downloading superuser on my phone it says that the phone must install latest 'su binary file'.
I am a first time Android user and a novice, please help

Install the binary, it will activate root access ;)

What S4 are you talking about: GT-I9500, GT-I9505 etc.

First off all you should download the proper root-file written for your phone (e.g.  cf-autoroot) and odin  3.09.

Activate the developers options by hitting the build number seven times.
Enable usb-debugging and unknown sources
Put your phone into download mode and make sure your phones usb drivers are installed to your pc.
Then turn off samsung kies and your antivir, because they will cause problems.
Now start odin as an administrator and connect your phone via usb. There should be a blueor yellow com:0 box lighten up.
Press the pda button and select the unzipped content from your cf-autoroot file.

!!!Do not touch the ticked boxes on the left side!!!
Press start. Your phone should load the data and restart by its own. The rest happens by itself.
If this is too complicated for you google for framaroot or towelroot and try them.
Cheers.

Okay I will change it later on. Thanks for your advice.


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Phone is stuck on "downloading... do not turn off"
My phone is stuck: has the green bot and reads  downloading... Do not turn off. Target.
Top right reads
{odin3}
Product: amazing3gtrf
Version: s738cwyamj1
Custom binary: Samsung official
System status: Official
I was trying to do a SD test app and phone froze.
It's been like that for about two hours. Will it ever work or what should I do.

If you're still in that mode (It's called download mode) you should hold your power button till your phone reboots.
Download is a mode where you can flash ROM's etc to your phone.

authors: Алла Василенко


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triggering proximity sensor when receiving phone calls
i find one thing annoying with my Android phone is that ,whenever i receive a call with the phone inside my pocket, i accidentally end up cutting(i mean ending) the call when trying to take the phone from my pocket .so i need to create an app to do this following: whenever i receive calls i need to activate the proximity sensor and turn off the screen to prevent ending of calls. is this possible practically?i found this feature in cyanogen mod phones but not with other standard android skinned phones

i need to create an app to do this following -- that's Off-topic here (see [help/on-topic]). You can actually tweak this line to make the question On-topic.

There might be a module for Xposed (root) that you could try to enable. This feature is available in CynaogenMod so you could also flash CyanogenMod to your phone if there is a ROM available.


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Install Vanilla Android Lollipop on Insignia Flex 8" NS-14T002
I have an Insignia Flex 8" NS-14T002 tablet which I have successfully rooted using KingoRoot. The device is currently running Android 4.4.2 KitKat stock ROM provided by the manufacturer. I wish to upgrade it to the next level, i.e., install vanilla Android 5.1.1 Lollipop.
But unfortunately ClockworkMod doesn't support the device. So I am unsure how to install the ROM into my tab as I have never done so before. Also, is there a separate vanilla ROM for each device?
Can someone give a step by step procedure of how to install a ROM manually without CWM?
Please comment in case you need any further details.

There is a CWM recovery here for your device. Besides, clockworkmod.com only mentions those devices on the website which are officially supported. The link I mentioned is an unofficial port. This one  is another tutorial for CWM. As for finding a custom ROM, somebody else perhaps can help here. Good luck!

@Firelord: I came across this one. Have the CWM downloaded with me. But how am I supposed to use it? Should I directly install it like ROM Manager or is there some other procedure for it? Also, the file is a .img file. How am I supposed to use it?

If your device supports flashing from fastboot, then boot into fastboot and enter fastboot flash recovery <YOUR FILE>. If not, then you can use adb and ddto flash recovery partition. The easiest is to use a tool like Rashr or Flashify. Caution: Take backup always, I can't stress this more.

Also, I did mention (in my first comment) this tutorial for flashing CWM.

@Firelord: Thanks for the information. I'll try running this and keep you posted if it works fine.


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Apps Disappearing from Home Screen and App Manager
Does anyone of you knows why my apps disappeared on my home screen and my app manager? At first, I was just communicating with my friend via the messenger app then it suddenly crashed and my phone turned off. It, thankfully, switched on but the thing is my apps were gone. I tried rebooting my phone many times but they didn't come back. Then I tried installing the apps from my backup (first) then from the playstore but it says "app not installed". What should I do?

I can't tell why your apps disappeared, but I think you're not able to reinstall them because of leftover data files. I used SD Maid to delete data corpses, in order to be able to reinstall some apps after flashing a rom.
Once installed, go to CorpseFinder, scan and then delete the corpses you find. You should then be able to reinstall your missing apps.

Better wipe off your data and system partition and reflash the ROM you're using.

Did you consider Kyla might be a "beginner", and not know how to do what you're suggesting? Also, what makes you think a reflash is necessary, and e.g. a factory-reset wouldn't be sufficient? On a not-rooted device it's pretty unusual that something alters the /system partition (and thus making a reflash necessary).


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sleep of death nexus 4
I have Nexus 4 with Android 5.1. Recently it started to get Sleep of Death occasionally. I think it started after updating Android from 4.* to 5.*. I read that it's bug in Android Lollipop and some advises to fix it for example to turn off wi-fi when phone sleeps. I tried, but it didn't help.
Some other advises: one, two, three. I don't know which I should follow, it required a lot of time to try them all.
And I want to avoid rooting.

Well your "one" and "three" links don't seem to require more than a few seconds each to try, have you tried them?

for one: I didn't find Wake my Android Pro in Google Play.  three: wipe Google Play Services' data, does it mean clear cache?.

And maybe it takes several seconds to try but I should wait several hours or days to check if it has effect.

I assume it means clear cache, settings, and data. Several hours or days isn't a "lot of time" to wait to see if your phone behaves normally. You're going to have that phone for months or years anyways. Just try one of the solutions then go enjoy the weekend, get back to work next week, and if it happens again, try something else. Besides, no matter how you look at it, if the problem itself only happens once every few days, you're going to have to wait a few days no matter what solution you try. The fact is, the Sleep of Death doesn't have a single known cause, it's different for everybody.

okay, will try with Google Play. As I said I tried with wi-fi before and several days it was okay, I thought it was fixed, but then it started again.

If this issue still persists, then ultimately you may need to reflash the ROM (and even the kernel) and losing the data (still, you can backup the data first), but let's hope we don't need to do that. Meanwhile, try some that are mentioned on this article and this. It seems there's no clear cause, so you have to try everything you can first.

@ Andrew, I did wiping Google Play Services' data couple weeks ago and didn't have SOD since. Hope it's fixed now.

just wrote that it's okay now and got this SOD again.

I wiped Google Play Services' data again and didn't have SOD for two week, got it again today. Should I wipe data every 2 weeks?

I have used my Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 Charger and had success every time to wake up my phone from SOD. It takes around 5-10 min before you can see on the screen that it is charging. But a fast indication can be that the fixed red LED will start to flash and after a couple of minutes the screen will wake up and show that it is charging.
PS: I have discovered that both Samsung and LG phones are very picky when it comes to which charger you are using. Samsung and LG phones usually accept each other's charger but they will not accept unbranded ones or ones from other brands like Sony. So if you don't have a Samsung or LG charger go to your local store and buy one. I can't guarantee that it will work, but it does work on my phone.


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How can the microphone work for speakerphone calls but not regular calls?
My Droid Turbo (Android v.4.4.4) has developed a problem. When I make calls nobody can hear me, but as soon as I hit the speakerphone button everything is fine. I'd take the phone back to Verizon for a replacement, but it's the same microphone in both situations, right? So how could it be a hardware problem? Is there maybe a volume setting somewhere I need to tweak?

Lots of phones have more than one microphone on them. I know for a fact that my Oneplus One has three, and I think your phone has four. If that's the case then it could be a hardware issue.  before taking it back do a full reset and see whether that helps. At least then that eliminates the possibility of a software error.

My LG G5 running Android version 8 developed the same problem earlier this year but the cause ended up being the case I was using because I had no problem while the computer was not in a case and the two cases I bought since then, an Otter Box Defender and Otter Box Symmetry, do not seem to cause a problem for the microphone but the transparent plastic case from Amazon that I was using from 2022 to earlier in 2023 seems to have begun blocking the sound from the microphone during handset calls but not speakerphone calls.  Was the original poster using a case?  If yes then did they try without the case?

The critical bit is that there are at least 2 microphones. And one or more of them are getting blocked by the case.

all_licenses: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/


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Is my brother's phone unfixable?

This is the screen my brother's phone stays at, no matter what action is done, after his phone died and he tried to plug it in. I've seen similar images but most ways to fix it seem to be "flash a new rom" and even then, the images that were posted in that case didn't have those invalid_ver_info notices.
Is my brother's phone dead or can it be fixed, preferably without flashing the rom and possibly doing more harm than good.

first of all, relax. You just need right hands with right tool. But, only flashing know-how will not help much. Need deeped expertise.

The same thing happened to a friend of mine and according to him, the following solution worked:

Use the volume buttons to turn the phone off
Switch it on using the power button
If this screen appears again, reboot into fastboot
reset the phone via a windows computer

fastboot devices
fastboot erase userdata
fastboot erase cache
fastboot reboot

If nothing works, play around with the phone and learn something new!!

Doesn't this require an unlocked bootloader?

I was assuming that yours has an unlocked bootloader... :/

Assuming without mentioning creates misunderstanding and a frustrated user might even downvote your answer for this deliberate mistake. Please avoid this in here and in any answer in future, and make an edit.


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lenovo A6000 not booting
I have a Lenovo a6000 which I recently flashed and when it rebooted I cant even see the logo and if I press the power button it just vibrates again and again in a few intervals,I tried to boot into recovery by pressing volume up and power button but that was also no use what can I do to get into recovery

Could you share the tutorial you used to flash your phone? Also, do you see display lights turning on when you hold the power button, or the phone only responds through a quick vibration? I guess its bricked, but just to be sure, can you boot into fastboot mode by using some button combinations?

To get into Recovery you need to keep both VOLUME + and - keys pressed down and hold .. Also press the POWER button till you see the Lenovo logo. Then let go of the POWER button but keep the VOLUME Buttons (both + and -) pressed down until you get to RECOVERY mode.
Hope you have backed up the Stock ROM before you did the Port ROM install.
Another way to get to Recovery is to flash a new Copy of RECOVERY (CWM).
http://techolaty.net/how-to-install-cwm-root-lenovo-a6000-smartphone/
If your phone is not booting then, keep the Volume Down button pressed down with the POWER Button, then release the Power button on seeing the Lenovo Logo, also release the Volume button.
This screen looks almost the same as the Lenovo Boot Screen however if you look closer, to the bottom you will see

Powered BY
  android
Powerkey long press can reboot phone

BINGO!! You are in Fast boot mode
Now follow the link above and start off with
STEP 3:
Open the C:\Program Files (x86)\Minimal ADB and Fastboot directory and press and hold the shift key and right click anywhere inside the folder at the empty space and choose "open command window here".
Now type:
adb devices

This will not show any authorised devices. Basically it will not show anything.
Now type:
fastboot boot recovery.img

The best solution for your problem is to flash the stock firmware for your phone using the official tool from Lenovo, after getting your phone working again, you can then flash any custom rom if you want (i don't!), to flash your phone with the stock firmware follow the guide from here (it's in russian but with pics - also google is your friend), and for the firmware itself you can download it from here.


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How to play youtube in the background in android?
I have been using PVSTAR+ app which plaeyed youtube in the background and I could listen to youtube while its closed.
Youtube recently updated it's API so PVSTAR+ doesnt work anymore.
it's also have been deleted from the store so I wont get any updates.
Is there an app that play youtube in the background and works now?
And I dont want to use AudioPocket-it can't search youtube.
Thanks.

Check out this post http://android.stackexchange.com/a/90288/81850


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Sony Xperia E can't install apps caused by storage problems
I've got a problen with my Sony Xperia E (Android 4.1.1.).
In the settings it says there's still 1.37 Gb free storage but when trying to install an app (about 20mb) from google play I just get an error telling me there's not enought free storage left. I don't have root and I don't want to root my device.
I know this problem has been discussed several times on the internet and here in the forum but I couldn't find a working solution.
I'm hoping anyone can help.
Regards
Nils

Correction please, [android.se] is a strictly Q/A website and not a forum. Anyhow, did you see this 1.37Gb in the Settings -> Storage or Settings -> Apps? You can use an app like Diskinfo(<1MB) that can help you to tell the storage left for app installation (in data).

In Settings -> Storage but I think it should be the same. I'll try later to download Diskinfo.

No, it is not the same. There is a separate storage space reserved for apps installation which is different from the internal storage you use (music, pictures, etc). You can see apps storage space in Settings -> Apps, but Diskinfo would give you some other info as well (if you need).


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Malware installed with remote debugging
Is it possible for someone to install apks without you noticing, using remote debugging? (E.g. over TCP/IP, or on the same WiFi network). I found articles referring to this after a quick Google, but I'm not sure if they are not just alarmist.
EDIT: This paper seems to talk about something similar - "Android’s External Device Attack: Demonstration and Security
Suggestions" - Wei et al.
I was thinking of enabling debugging mode, but this is keeping me from doing it.

I see. Can I also check, if some of the built-in software on my Phone has some remote debugging option enabled (e.g. stuff like remote wipe software or the like), which someone could exploit?

The attack (in question) mentioned in the said research paper would work on a device only when your device is running  ADB in TCP/IP mode. You have to specifically give the instructions to bind the ADB on a particular port on your device.
Entering adb help would give one such entry:
adb tcpip <port>             - restarts the adbd daemon listening on TCP on the specified port

Until you restart ADB in TCP/IP mode you're safe from said network attacks (there would be no port opened by ADB to allow access to your device until restarted with aforesaid command).
For surety you can use an app like OS Monitor to see if there are any open ports on your device while running ADB over USB only.
You can enable USB debugging safely. However, other attacks like pushing malicious files or installing APKs et al would definitely work on ADB over USB, so be cautious while handing phones to others.

is it possible for someone to install apks without you noticing, using remote debugging?

Yes. First you have to have remote debugging (ADB over TCP/IP) on (typically requires root). Then they have to know your device's IP address and the port number used for ADB over TCP/IP. If done through a malicious app, you would have first had to install the app, and it would need to have a root privilege escalation method to work to enable adb debugging and adb over tcp/ip.
As of Android 4.2, there has been changes to how ADB works. It now requires device Authorization first, over usb. When connected to the right version ADB client, the phone prompts the user to accept the client device fingerprint. Until that happens, the device cannot connect over TCP/IP. After it is authorized once on usb, then it can work over TCP/IP.
Additionally, there is the Verify apps (under security) and Verify apps via ADB (under developer options). This sends details about sideloaded apps to Google for verification, and will block common malware from installing, even via ADB (if checked, naturally). It will not catch everything.
To mitigate this, you just need to follow a few common sense steps. First, use a SU manager, to prevent random root access. Second, keep ADB over TCP/IP disabled until needed. Third, keep Debugging or development disabled. Forth, be wary of any app outside of the Play store.
In short, its possible, but harder to happen since Android 4.2

Thanks for the reply! Should I have an SU manager installed even if I haven't rooted my phone? E.g. could legitimate apps (antivirus software or antitheft) have root access without me knowing?

A su manager requires a special su binary file that calls the manager.  It only Works if rooted. And no, those types of apps wouldn't have it root. They do tend to have higher rights as they install as device managers


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I have 2 androids saving doc is my problem
I want to write a doc or text in my program that came installed on my devices and save it to my 32 gig micro sd that my tablet now recognizes. HOw do I do that?

What is the name of this program (hyperlink too)? Can you not somehow select/see the location as your SD card when you try to save the doc/text file?  You've added [tag:insufficient-memory] tag which is often the case only when device is having low memory issues (system messages of such). Please [edit] and remove this tag if there is no such issue. Also mention the details I asked here.

Depending on the application, there should be an option in the settings that allows you to choose your storage medium. If that option is not there, then I suggest saving it on the cloud. Moving manually may not work the way you want. If you do want to move it manually, then download Astro File Manager. From there, navigate to the default folder (each application may be different and because you haven't told us the application name, I can't help you there). Find the file you desire to move and from there it should be obvious.


text:
The SamsungGalaxyAce doesn't let me download apps!Even with a huge SD Card
I have a Samsung Galaxy Ace and a 4GB SD card, I only have one app that is whatsapp, and When I try to download another app That is 40MG(a lot less than 4GB), it says insufficient Space, but I go to settings and it says that I have 3.69GB of space on SD card, and on the phone's space that comes with it says 20 MG available, so I have 3.69GB,and 20MG, and it doesn't let me download apps!What do I do?

If the device info is correct here then your device's internal memory is 158MB (quite low IMO) in total out of which you can use Diskinfo(see Userdata in it) and Diskusage (both <1MB individually)to see how much space is used and is available. You can then uninstall any app that you may have installed at some time but don't remember.
However, I don't see much scope here since the issue would arise again sooner or later considering the (very low) storage set by OEM.
Note that the storage used by apps is /data which is different from the external SD card that you've of any size. Some apps until Android 4.2+ can transfer data files (.obb) into external SD card rather easily but it is a painful job in above versions now.

Apps do not download directly to the SD card, even as far back as Gingerbread. You must have adequate built-in storage to do this. Once installed you can move some bits of some apps to the SD card, but internal storage will still be required for some things. Kitkat and Lollipop make this even worse by effectively making the SD card read-only.
I suggest bringing up WhatsApp's app info and seeing how much cache space it's taking up. Clearing cache on apps -- even built-in ones -- can help significantly.

authors: فياض جيروديه


text:
Fix for "Trebuchet has stopped"
I recently installed cyanogemod 12 unofficial version on my xiaomi redmi 1s.But whenever I try to lock a folder on my home screen it says "Unfortunately trebuchet has stopped working".I want to know if it can be fixed.

Method 1: Clearing data and cache

Go to system Settings > Apps > Open “All” tab > Select Trebuchet
Click Force Close> Clear data and Clear cache of Trebuchet
Restart the phone

Method 2: Install a different launcher

Install a different launcher like Nova or Apex and set is as default launcher
Since you already have Trebuchet it might conflict with the new launcher so  with root explorer or file explorer go to System > Apps > Delete/Rename Trebuchet to something else

Method 3: Weird fix

Simply press menu button and you should see “Trebuchet Settings”
( If you still can’t find the Trebuchet settings, install a launcher like Apex or Nova > Widgets > Activities > Trebuchet > Preferences. Now you can access Trebuchet Settings/Preferences from Homescreen.)
From Trebuchet Preferences >  Go to Dock Divider deselect and reselect it.
From Trebuchet Preferences > Homescreen> Set the number of Homescreen to 7.
From Trebuchet Preferences > Homescreen> Enable search bar.

Source

Note: this is probably specific to latest Android 5x updates which are pushed out by Cyanogen.
You need to enable Google (Search ) App if it is disabled. You can find it in Settings → Apps → Disabled section.
Here is another specific fix.

Wipe cache and data in recovery. Reboot.
If problem persists install latest version of Cyanogenmod (dont dirty flash) --->
CM12.1 R8 link

how do I "Wipe cache and data in recovery"


text:
Nexus 10. The device cannot start. Code 10.
I had some problem with my Nexus 10. Died on me and then came back from the dead.
Since then it refuses to connect to my PC.
In the Device Manager I get "The device cannot start. Code 10."
I have uninstalled/reinstalled the USB and ADB drivers to no avail.
Even did a factory-reset to the tablet (was nothing real important on it).
I am totally stuck. I need to use it for development and it is totally useless to me like this.


text:
Galaxy S4 poor Video playback Quality
I have a problem regarding S4 Video playback. I got it a few days ago. The problem is whenever I play videos from either the phone memory or from the internet the areas in the video with black or any dark color gets pixelated.
I have tried GPU options in developer mood and I am using MX player with s/w decoding. Despite that the display of the phone is perfectly fine, in wallpapers and in games but it only happens with videos. Currently I am running Kitkat 4.4 do you think that lollipop update will fix it? and either it is a hardware or a software problem? the pic is attached to show you people problem clearly.

Galaxy s4 has resolution of 1920 x 1080 , and you might be playing a video of lower resolution this effects the overall quality of video.

What happens when you try playing it with H/W decoding? Is this problem only for .avi files? .mp4? .mov?


text:
How do I make a backtick with a bluetooth keyboard?
My android bluetooth keyboard doesn't have a backtick, but it has function buttons.

Figured it out: finally:
hold Function + L


text:
Looking for a more efficient way to avoid apps that require creating online accounts
Here's an example of a recurring problem: I'm looking for a simple GPS-based pace-keeping app to keep me on track timewise while cycling, running, hiking, etc.  So I find a candidate app via the play store, if it's not free I buy it, then I install it and run it for the first time.  Then I discover that its use requires creating an account at some online site.  I find this unacceptable, so I delete the app, and go back to searching.
Of course, the whole maybe-purchase-install-start-uninstall cycle gets to be very time-consuming when the probability of success (i.e. finding an app that does not require an online account) is low.
In my ideal world, there would be a way to filter search results to exclude apps that require setting up an online account, but I'm not holding my breath for this feature.
Is there a way to identify those apps that require an online account before installing them?


text:
Is there any quick way to delete the standard emails trash files.
I have had a Galaxy S3 for some 3 years and I have recently noticed that I have in excess of 45,000 emails in the standard email's trash folder.
I have tried selecting the trash folder and then using the "delete all" option but the speed of deletes is staggeringly slow, one every five to ten seconds.
It is synchronised with an Office365 account, and I have checked on the server side to see if the same folder exists but it doesn't, it is only on the phone. (Note that this is the standard email app, it is not Gmail or anything similar).
Is there some quick way to empty the email trash folder, either through a file app, or a third party app?

Keep in mind that your phone's name for certain specialized folders, such as trash, differs from what Office 365 will call it. In Office 365's web interface, and Outlook, the folder is named Deleted Items, and they are kept in sync with your phone's comparable Trash folder. So look there to see the correlation. And yes, deleting from your phone will be dramatically slower than deleting from your computer or the web, the latter being fastest as it's connected directly to the server.

Thanks TurboFool, the only folders I have through the server side of office 365 are Inbox, draft, sent items, deleted items and junk e-mail. Only inbox and sent items have files, the other folders are empty. This makes sense because I usually delete things off my phone once I have read them knowing that there is a copy on the server.

That doesn't make sense, though, because if you're using Office 365 it synchronizes between your phone and the server. You can't delete an email on your phone and it still be safe on the server. Only Blackberry does that. Any other enterprise solution is a 2-way sync. Any change you make in one place, reading, deleting, moving, goes to the other one.

I have the server/incoming settings "delete email from server" set to never. This allows me to delete the email from my phone but leave it on my server. This is what I want as I use my phone primarily to check my emails, I use my laptop as my primary email device. While I am away from my laptop I scan my email, when I get back to my laptop I quickly delete the emails that I don't want and retain the emails I do. The mobile therefore has a separate trash folder of email I have deleted off the phone.

Well, that's what's preventing you from being able to do that easily. Office 365 wasn't really designed with that concept in mind, and it throws things off pretty heavily. No, there are no third-party utilities to empty this folder for you, as it's a proprietary closed database in Samsung's app.


text:
Mute button greyed out - Any app replacement
All,
I have a redmi 1s which I have flashed with cyanogen mod 12.1. All is well except, when I am in a call, mute button is greyed out.
This is a pain for me as I am a part of various conference calls for hours during any weekday and I cant stay without muting always.
Any solution to this in terms of replacement or tweaking my cyanogenmod?
It would be really helpful

Have you tried clearing the cache and data of the Dialler app. If not find the Dialler app under Setting > All apps > Dialler > Clear Cache and Clear Data. Restart you phone and check.
If the problem persists, then you can try a third party app like Muted Conference Calls


text:
Very frequent Wifi disconnection while being in China
I'm having an issue on my Nexus 4 (Stock Android 5.1.1).
It keeps disconnecting from my Wifi. When I go back to connect, it says "No Internet access, automatic connection impossible".
I currently live in China so my guess is that Android checks if internet is available by querying a Google server, which is blocked in China so it then concludes "No Google = No Internet" and disconnects me from my Wifi.
I can't find any way to disable that Auto-Disconnect "Feature".

Can you check in your WiFi settings about an option "Avoid poor connections"? Make sure its disabled.

Nope, there is no such settings. (Advanced wifi settings screenshot on my phone)

Why have you got a VPN running? Disable the vpn and try again.

Disconnections happen when the VPN is not running (because when it is running, google server are reachable). I had the VPN running on the screenshot in order to be able to upload it. The Wifi settings menu does not change if a VPN is running or not. :/

See also https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/176993/how-to-force-android-6-to-automatically-connect-to-a-network-without-internet-ac

See also https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/100657/how-to-disable-captive-portal-detection-how-to-remove-exclamation-mark-on-wi-fi

See also https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/66964/connect-to-wifi-network-even-if-it-doesnt-have-internet-access

See also https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/220414/how-can-i-automatically-re-connect-to-a-wifi-network

See also https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/186993/captive-portal-parameters

See also https://stackoverflow.com/questions/37218510/android-6-0-1-force-wifi-connection-with-no-internet-access

I know this is an old thread, but I found the solution. Enable airplane mode, then enable wifi. It will show the internet connection is down, but wifi will still work. Then you can disable airplane mode and it will stay connected to the wifi (until you leave the coverage area, then you'll probably need to do it again when you return).

Thanks for your reply ! I no longer live in China and I no longer have the issue I described in my post. So unfortunately, I have no way of testing if your solution works ! Let's hope it'll work for other people having the same issue as I did :)

This just turns off mobile data, which obviously will make the connection fall back to Wifi. Wifi was never actually disconnected.

My experience is that Android verifies the connection to a google server.
Guess what's blocked here (China). Right. Google.
Apparently Android's new policy is to prevent auto-connecting to trusted networks if it can't see any internet on the network. Which of course there is, may it be slower and limited to the Chinese Firewall.
So far I haven't found a way in Android to disable this check. And I'm forced to use 3rd party apps to solve this issue.
If I ever find a proper fix, I'll definitely post it here.

Screenshot - Failed to auto-connect (Click to enlarge image)
I travel here frequently, so I need this.

I'm assuming the Chinese ROMs use a different verification server?

No doubt, Fastest servers they can check here are probably from Baidu.

[Tin-foil-hat-mode] Or probably an other government server, that keeps track of your location.

Or nothing at all (old style Android)

This is interesting. It should really check several servers in case one is down or blocked.

I've added a screenshot.

@Huey Technically it's correct, as there is no "internet" in the broadest sense.

Check your Wifi encrytption. WEP dont seems to work , get it changed to WPA/WPA2

Do you mean WPA rather than WEP?

Yes, my bad. I edited the response


text:
Storage space and system functions error message
I keep getting an error message on my Samsung Galaxy S5 as follows:
Storage space running out.  Some system functions may not work.
In reality I have nearly 400 Mb available.

I assume you mean MB, not Mb (MegaBytes versus Megabits). 400MB is considered VERY low on storage space for a mobile device. It gives you very little room for apps to decompress before being installed, nowhere near enough room for system updates, and because of how flash memory works, that little space available will dramatically slow down your phone.
I'm not sure what capacity phone you have, but regardless, 400MB free is considered danger zone on an Android device. Try to have at least a gig free.


text:
Updating Samsung note 2 to android 4.4
My galaxy note 2 works on version 4.3, Some time ago it started pinging me continuously about upgrading to 4.4. I wasn't ready to do the upgrade then, so I managed to stop getting the notification every three hours.
I would like now to do the upgrade, but when I click on updates as explained here: http://www.samsung.com/us/support/faq/FAQ00050889/56008/SPH-L900ZWASPR nothing happens.
How can I upgrade my galaxy note 2 to the latest Android version available for the device?
thanks,

No worries, If you have not upgraded it till now then the possibility of no OTA update might have occured which does not mean that you cannot update.
Here is it what you need to do:

Install Samsung Kies
Connect your Samsung galaxy note 2 to laptop
Install required drivers for your phone
Open Samsung Kies and you can find the firmware update for Android 4.4.2

or else here is link to various official release of Android 4.4.2 for note 2
http://androidromupdate.com/2014/08/03/install-n7100xxufne1-galaxy-note-ii-n7100-official-4-4-2-kitkat-update-firmware/

Kies only installed the new firmware, but Android is still 4.3, and the update button still does nothing.

The easiest method would be to take it to any Samsung store and get it updated or use the link above.


text:
Recovering contacts from my phone
My boyfriends phone was stolen & all we want out of it is the contacts. The phone is currently activated & being used. Can we retrieve the contacts & put them on another phone? If so, does the new phone have to be activated first?

Google Sync is a valid option. If it was setup on that phone just change your password, connect to that account with new phone and in contacts menu select Import>From Google Account(s)

Second option (has nothing to do with android):
It's not a 100% reliable way, and will depend on your mobile provider. Take ANYTHING that might prove that the sim-card was yours: top-up receipts, the big  plastic card from the sim (with phone number,pin, puk codes, etc. written on it), if you topped up online a bank statement with those payments might also do.  Pay them a visit, explain what happened they might help you recover your contacts and if you are lucky the number as well!
Second option worked out for me once, although they did charge me a little for the contact retrieval.

Are your contacts backed up on Google account? If so, they will be automatically added to the next device you login to with the same account.

If your boyfriend was using his Google account to store his contacts, he can access the contact information at https://contacts.google.com/
When he signs into a new android phone with his Google account, the contacts will be available.
Note: If the phone is still being used and activated, I would suggest he change his passwords, as well as report it to the carrier so the phone can be blocked.


text:
Simplest way to find the PID of your app
When using the adb Monitor tool to read the Logcat, I like to filter out all everything but what directly affects the app. Trouble is, it's really hard to tell what the PID of your app. It easy enough if the app using Unity, but if it doesn't, It's almost impossible to use to tell.
So is there a ADB command that can tell what PID an app used?

Simply do:
adb.exe shell pidof com.packagename.example

If you want to ensure only one PID is shown try:
adb.exe shell pidof -s com.packagename.example

Worked perfectly on Android 9. Seems like an optimal answer.

You should be able to run a shell command from adb:
adb shell ps | grep your.app.name

And that will return details about your process.  The second number will be the PID of your app.  This is if grep is installed.  If grep isn't installed, you can just run ps and it will dump all processes to your screen.
You can dump logcat to a file to retroactively look at processes (up to a point)
logcat > /sdcard/logcatDump.txt
However, logcat data is stored in memory so it will all be lost after a reboot.

I had the same thought in my mind and in fact wrote the answer until I realized that ps actually shows the PID of running processes. What OP asked here is the PID an app used. ps doesn't care for dead processes AFAIK.

Ah, I missed that part.  logcat is the only process that I know of that will have that data.  It's stored in memory so you can't get it after a reboot.  Question is modified to include that.


text:
samsung galaxy s4 pressure
sorry if this is slightly off topic but please could you give your thoughts to this
recently,  I had my s4 in my front pocket and while sitting down in a chair i could feel that I was slightly sitting on the phone
it had a back hardshell case and it was the screen facing down in the pocket
when I took it out everything was fine, can't see any scratches/ cracks
my worry is that because there was some pressure put on it, could there be some damage not visible now that could cause some problems in the future? should I be worried?

No , you don't need to worry at all. As mentioned if there are no scratches/ cracks on your device it proves how tough these devices are in reality.
Here is an example which shows how much of actual force is required to damage any device. Taking the case of a pencil:

Think about how tough your device is ? Galaxy S4 can handle pressure of more than 130 lbs whereas this pencil was just at 80 lbs.
So, no worries your device should be absolutely fine. In this case you also had extra protection with additional hardshell case to it.

No you don't have to worry at all. These devices are designed to withstand huge impractical amounts of pressure that would never occur in a typical day to day life situation. Especially since you said you have a hardshell your device is fine. The only reason you should be worried is if the screen is garbled or if your battery heats up but those are unlikely.


text:
Can't get my old contacts
The screen on my old phone went black and I don't remember my Gmail name or password.  Store told me that I was S.O.L. concerning getting my info.  Is there anything I can do to get my info?

Can you still connect the phone to a computer via USB and view the data stored on it?

It depends on what details you gave on your Google account. You have to had entered either a recovery email or you phone number and your real name. If you had these, you can try to recover your username from https://www.google.com/accounts/recovery/forgotusername and after that you can reset your password from https://www.google.com/accounts/recovery/ .


text:
Sharing photos between two accounts
My wife and I use Google Photos to share pictures between our devices. We like it because it has Auto Backup and automatically syncs pictures between our two phones.
To make this work, though, she has had to add my Google account to her phone, which comes with a host of annoyances. Even when we turn off sync for everything but Photos, many Google apps automatically switch her over to my account. The worst is Hangouts -- because I use Google Voice, she gets all of my text messages and voicemail, and I can't find a way to stop that.
Does anybody have some advice for either:

A way to sync photos using Google Photos, but without my wife getting all of my messages in Hangouts?
A non-Google app that will give us similar functionality for photos (automatic backup and syncing)?

Have you looked into Dropbox, Box, or any of the many other file-syncing services?

I've done this with OneDrive before -- in fact, I auto backup all of my photos to OneDrive as well. But it has a pretty crummy interface for actually viewing my photos. Do you know if Dropbox or Box is any better?

I could be wrong, but you ought to be able to sync the photos to a world-readable location and then use whatever app you want for other tasks like viewing them.

Yeah, good thought. I could do OneDrive combined with a better app for viewing them.

Me and my wife use Picspro android app for Google photos.  It allows browser authentification to sign into any amount of Google Photo accounts without having to add the full Google account to the phone itself.  Personally,  We keep all our photos on her account,  using this app I can be logged in and view them and also upload to it so our photo collection is unified.  We also use this to upload to our Mum's accounts too and it works a treat. Settings>accounts>add account.  Untick the box next to "Use phones account"
To fully back up all your Google photos to your PC, just go to Google Takeout and you can download any or all of your photos whenever you like.
Hope this helps :)

Ooh, that sounds good. Thanks, I'll give it a try!

I am trying to figure this out as well. I was keeping copies of photos on our respective personal laptops and then using something like Microsoft Sync, but didn't like it. Then went to BitTorrentSync which seemed to work well. Then I would use the desktop app to keep photos in sync with each person's Google Photos account.
Then I decided to setup a makeshift server to save our photos to. But this caused issues with uploading to our respective Google Photos accounts as now there is only one laptop in the server.
So, I may go back to BitTorrentSync. But, I wish there was an easier way to do this. I really like having local copies of my photos, which are backed up on Backblaze without having too many programs running that can crash and to maintain.

I achieved this using Google Photos and Drive. I activated, in Google Drive, the Google Photo folder, then I shared it with my wife. If she do the same you can see each other photos from Drive "shared with you" folder.
Activating also "Google Drive" from Photo settings and adding shared folder in Google Drive (from context menu on the folder) should also bring those photos in each Google Photo app.
You can also create a Google Photo shared album if you don't want to share every photos, but that way you have to manually add photo to it.


text:
I installed bad android ROM now phone is screwed over :( any help?
Some time ago now I installed an unstable android ROM which I thought was a stock ROM (but it wasn't) so now that I have this crappy ROM on my phone, my camera doesn't work, I can't access all my storage, most apps crash when opening and overall its just a real annoyance. If anyone knows anyway to fix this it would be greatly appreciated if you could tell me! Thanks :)

Where can I find stock or custom ROMs for my Android device? You know how it works, so why not fix it by installing a "good ROM"? I hardly see any other chance here.

Izzy I would but for some reason my computer does not recognise my device for some reason when I plug it on via a USB and I can't install the things off the internet so I can't do it that way either :l do you know any other ways of transferring files to an android phone?

Many, depending on "the device" you keep so anonymous here: 1) use a card reader and copy to SD, 2) use WiFi solutions (which might not work for you due to "unable to access storage"). To name more, it would require more details from your end. I'd recommend creating new questions for solving the multiple issues here: 1) have the device (name? Android version?) recognized by your computer (OS? version?) 2) solve the storage issue (device name, Android version, better description of the problem including error messages).

ok thanks :) hopefully this will lead to my problem being fixed :D

I very much hope so! Btw: You can link between your question where it looks helpful to provide context ;)


text:
Are GPS coordinates more accurate if they are fetched at a small interval
I've been doing some tests with a self-written application that uses the GPS to report locations and plot them on a map. One of the things I've noticed is that the coordinates seem to be more accurate when the interval at which they are gathered is smaller. In general, when reporting every 10 or 15 seconds the coordinates seem to correlate more with the actual position at that time, whereas when reporting every 30 or 60 seconds they seem to be less accurate.
This is even true for a non-moving phone. If I put it down in my backyard and leave it to gather 10 coordinates, once every 10 seconds, I seem to get coordinates that are less spread out and actually are a pretty good indication of the actual location. When gathering 10 coordinates, once every minute, I get a lot less accurate measurements.
Is there any hard evidence to suggest that gathering coordinates at a small interval is more accurate? Or is what I am seeing just coincidence?

What's happening during these intervals?  If you're in a car or something I would guess that the phone loses sight of more satellites the further you move.

I've done some tests just walking around, moving about 20-30 meters. But also tried just putting the phone down somewhere and not touch it...

An easy explanation (no source, so not proven): The shorter the interval, the less the device could have moved. GPS accuracy is not "down to the millimeter", but with shorter intervals errors are easier to compensate. Think of adjusting your time via ntpdate, same principle there: even with a single server given, by default it asks 4 times and then builds the "average" out of the results – while for more accuracy you can have it ask more times before "correlating". However keep in mind: the shorter the interval, the more battery it eats (keyword: WAKE_LOCK). Find a balance.

Not really.
It's more accurate the more satellites it's receiving. On a shorter interval, it's most likely that more satellites are received, compared to just restarting every minute.
Also, it depends on your location. On a flat field, you will receive a lot of satellites fast, whereas close to buildings or houses, it will also take longer.
What I measured is that you could check the accuracy of the received location. If it's equal or less then 10m, the location could be used. If it's bigger, then wait until you receive a more accurate location.

The tracking is not 'restarted', I'm simply asking for updates from the LocationManager at bigger intervals. So you're saying that bigger intervals might cause the LocationManager to stop tracking satellites and I should actually 'warm up' by requesting, say, 5 location fixes so the device actually starts looking for more satellites again?

yes thats true, you could also use all providers, not only gps, inside a city wlan works also pretty good. this behavior  you could also see in google maps, first your position circle is width, after some time it's get smaller and more precise


text:
Communicating offline between different android devices
I have multiple android devices that need to operate in areas with limited network connectivity. At the same there, I need the data capture on one of them to be immediately available on another device in the vicinity. The different devices can connect to one host device which can host the wi-fi and hence be in the same LAN. Then, what are some good ways to use the host device as a server that can persist and expose data?

What kind of data do you want to capture? You can run a server locally very easily on Android.  I use Servers Ultimate Pro but take a look at the lists here compiled by user Izzy.

This is fairly simple actually. With "ssh server" (ice cold apps is a good one), you can install it on each android device, and then connect from one device to another across your Lan. Of course if you have no network connectivity you won't be able access the Web, but it should be possible to push pull data using rsync (you will need busy box and root to gain full functionality), but it is certainly very possible.
Although, depending on what you actually want to achieve, some easier options are available - eg for simple file sync, you can use bittorrent sync, even without an Internet connection

You can in fact use SFTP to copy to-and -from the device. SFTP can be mounted as a drive/folder on both Windows/Linux easily.


text:
SMS saving to SD
Is there any way of saving simple SMS mixed with MMS messages to an SD card prior to running a full factory reset? I got a Sony Z3 that refuses to send pic messages other than when I'm hooked to WiFi - Voda can't find or fix the issue and they suggest a full factory reset but I don't want to lose all the messages

I use SMS Backup & Restore, it works great! And it has a cloud plugin for saving messages to Google Drive and Dropbox.
Once installed, go to the app settings, and choose your SD card as backup folder.


text:
How to install Android ADB drivers on Windows? (Any Android Phone)
How can I install the Android ADB drivers on a Windows 8.x PC/Laptop?
I followed tutorials on the internet but nothing worked for me.

PS: The adb driver should be compatible with any Android smartphone.

I've personally found the Nexus Root Toolkit's process and walkthrough always makes this exceptionally simple. Just install, run, let it do its updates, and then click the Full Driver Installation Guide - Automatic + Manual to have it guide you through. The process can often be trickier than merely installing drivers, and this will help you know what you need to remove first, and what odd manual steps may be necessary.

There are many tutorials on the internet, and I will explain the best method here in my answer.

Download this program: http://www.mediafire.com/download/gy3g3gdc1vzcv6a/adb-setup-1.4.2.exe
Open the program.
Select Y on every option.
ADB should now be successfully installed on your Windows 8.x computer.

More information can be found here.

authors: Игорь Гниздилов


text:
Android Tablet (stuck in loop?)
I need to know if there is any way to backup files before I reboot my tablet. It has frozen on startup.
Nextbook 7P12
Stuck in infinite loop during startup.
Was getting to the third load screen (the flower)
Now, it rests on the second load screen (girl with headphones)
Pretty certain I'm going to be told there is no way to save my files, it's too late. I'm here to know and then move on to fixing it so it can, in the least, be usable again.
Thanks in advance!

You could always try to boot the tablet into the bootloader and pull off the info via adb. Just search on google for how to put your tablet into bootloader mode then look up the commands for adb and then you can pull off the info. The other option if you can get adb access, is to install a custom recovery. Then you can pull off the recovery files and go through them like that. Most recovery backup options put them in a compressed archive files.

To install a custom recovery, you need to unlock the bootloader, and that will wipe all the data.

adb only works if you can boot into at least recovery mode. You even need to be able to boot into at least recovery mode to use fastboot also. If you can't boot at all, neither fastboot or adb will recognize the device. To try and boot to a recovery menu on this device, you try to boot by holding down the power button and the vol down button.


text:
How do I downgrade from Lollipop back to KitKat on htc desire 816
How to go back to android kitkat from lollipop in htc desire 816 dual sim?
factory data reset and phone reset in settings, i have tried.

If this is stock rom, you probably can't.

You would want to look for official stock firmware(Kitkat) provided by HTC, if you find one, you can flash it and get back to Kitkat. At least that's what I did on my Nexus 5.

This explains that yes, the downgrade can be done. But it doesn't explain the procedure to follow. Assume that OP doesn't know about flashing (no signs in the question) and then re-write your answer. You can quote as well, and avoid link-only answer. :)


text:
exclamations mark shown with wifi networks
I have an issue with my moto g 2nd gen ,that it's shows a mark like exclamation sign with WiFi network and work slow due to this sign .plz give me solutions for this problem

I don't think Moto G 2nd gen comes with Android 2.2 which you have used as a tag. Consider an [edit] if it's a mistake.

The exclamation mark on the Wifi sign means that you are connected to the access point but don't have internet connectivity. Ever since Android 5.0, when this happens, it falls back to your mobile data connection. This is probably why the network slows down to a crawl.


text:
Google photo backup failure
Iam using a Motorola G 2nd revision and the google photo app.  I notice 2 days ago that my photos were not backup on Google+.  Inspecting the photo app on the phone it says "Backing up 1 of 119".  I had about 20 photos on the camera.  I have no idea what photos it's looking at.  At any rate I deleted all the photos, shut the phone down waited 5 min and then rebooted.  After 3 hours it still says "Backing up 1 of 119".  Before and after I can see that it is connected to my Wifi.
Any ideas.

Perhaps try it when your phone is charging.

I have tried that and that does not seem to matter.  I also tried to uninstall the Photo app and after I reinstalled it showed me the same listing for the upload message.   Since it is of no value in this state I think I will uninstall it permanently later today.

Please try the steps found on the official help page for Google Photos: My Photos aren't backing up
If it still says "backing up 1 of 119", please try to go to Settings → Apps → Photos (Google) → Storage → Clear Data. If that still doesn't work, try (from that same location) to uninstall updates by tapping on Menu (3 dots on top right) then select Uninstall app updates. If that still doesn't work, try to update the app by going to Play Store → Menu (3 lines on top right) → My apps and games → then update Google Photos App.


text:
Youtube Offline Data
I like to use Youtube Offline videos because my location often has no connection. But lately I've added too much and it says not enough space. I don't want to delete them. Is there a way I can transfer videos into my computer? Or somehow add more storage space? Thanks (Samsung Tab)

http://android.stackexchange.com/q/112998/1465

Since those downloaded video files are in the .exo format, even if you do manage to transfer them to PC (which I don't think is too easy either), You cannot usually change a file extension (like the EXO file extension) to one that your computer recognizes and expect the newly renamed file to be usable.
Having said that, you may want to try few options mentioned in this link.
And since those download files are stored on to internal storage of your device, most likely to something similar to below path:

Internal
  storage/Android/data/com.google.android.youtube/files/Offline/(system
  generated folder name)/streams

And, you will not be able to move those to additional extra space such as sd-card.
Remember, for offline feature, YouTube controls access to the offline file.
The permission is controlled on their server per account basis, to access those downloaded files.


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Easy way to rename an app?
A non-technical friend has asked me to solve a problem for him.  He has bought an Android phone (Galaxy S5) for his daughter, but he's very nervous about giving her such unfettered access to the Internet.  So before he hands it over to her, he wants to install MobileSpy, so he can monitor her internet usage.  At the same time, he does not want her to know that this app is installed on her phone.  But MobileSpy is not a hidden app; if she would open the "Applications" menu, it would be sitting there, staring her in the face.  And that would be awkward.  So he wants to rename the app to something really boring and non-eye-catching.  Not just in the "launcher" home page, but also in the "Applications" menu.
Easier said than done.
I have Googled around and most solutions I found required rooting the phone; he understandably does not want his daughter's new phone rooted.  I found one site that claims to have a non-root solution, but the 3rd party apps that it relies on are extremely buggy, and one of them was identified by Chrome as malware when I tried to download it.
Most of the answers I found online are pretty old, so I'm hoping someone will have developed something a little more reliable for renaming apps.
I am not any kind of Android expert, so please don't assume any basic knowledge when you answer.
DISCLAIMER: I personally do not think this is a good approach to managing one's children's Internet usage, and I have said so to my friend.  He is nonetheless pretty resolute about this, so here I am asking on his behalf.  That said, let's keep the answers to the technical rather than interpersonal advice.
Thanks!

Some Launchers like Nova Launcher supports HIDE APPS and RENAME APPS
To Hide Apps in Nova Launcher:

Go To 'Nova Settings.'
Than Go to 'Apps And Widget drawer'.
Click on 'Hide apps' and Check the apps you want to hide.

Rename Apps in Nova:
* To rename app you have to long press the app you want to rename and than edit app option.

But if you open the native Android "Applications" menu, that will still reveal all your installed apps.

But here chances are less..What if she will click on renamed app (accidentally)? she will know that it is an spy app.

This guide shows in a very lucid way the steps required to rename apps.
Note that it requires .NET framework so make sure you have latest version.
I also found an app called ApkRenamer which claims to rename the APK.
An APK is equivalent of EXE in windows. You need to get the apk of Mobile Spy (which I presume the company gave you when you have purchased the app).
In case you don't have:

Download and open X-plore from Play store.
There will be a section called App manager. Click it → swipe right.
Choose a folder where you want to save your APK (anywhere on SD card)
Swipe left → browse to Mobile Spy → long press it
Choose Copy → click OK

Now you have the APK file of your app Mobile Spy. After you have renamed the APK by any way, click it to install it and choose OK when prompted to replace app.
In case you get an error of conflicting signs -- you need to uninstall your current Mobile Spy app and install the edited one.

Thanks!  I had already found the same guide you mentioned (see my question) but the APK renaming apps he recommended there were out of date or buggy.  I did not find that ApkRenamer app in my searches though, so hopefully that will do the trick!

For the record, I totally agree about the unfettered internet usage.  I wouldn't even consider getting smartphones for my kids (which luckily is culturally consistent with the rest of our community here) - my argument with my friend is about concealing the monitoring software from his daughter, which could be catastrophic if it is discovered.  If I were to do that to my kids, I would be open about the fact that I'm monitoring their usage.

No dice.  ApkRenamer resets the app name; it doesn't allow you to choose the new name. :-(

Can you please elaborate what you mean by "resets"? Something like - "I opened and renamed the app. However, after saving (or exiting) and rebooting, the app still shows the real name." or "After reboot, the name resets to previous real name" I will presume the second one for now.

Wait a sec, you havent told that your phone isnt rooted? In any case, do you have any rooted device (with xposed installed) in your convenience? Also note you can actually very easily rename apk. Its in Android Manifest.xml under android:label . But its not quite newbie friendly.

Correct, the phone in question is not rooted, and should not be.

Please re-read my comment. Im asking whether your phone, not your friends new phone, is rooted or not. Also elaborating the reset thing will spread some light.

No I don't have any rooted device.  But if I did, how would that help?


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Please help me for android recovery
I am using Symphony xplorer w35.
I wanted to install a custom ROM on it, so I backed up the the original ROM (normally, without using CWM recovery). After that, I installed CWM recovery mode on it. Then, I wiped my data & cache and installed a custom ROM, but I forgot to backup the previous ROM using CWM! Now, when I wanted to restore the previous ROM, it is impossible!
The previous backup is a .backup file & CWM can't restore it. I have to restore it via normal recovery mode, but whenever I turn on recovery mode, CWM mode automatically comes there! How to restore my previous ROM?

Usually you can download the stock ROM from your manufacturer's website.

Use Sp Flash tool to flash Stock ROM on your device. Then restore the backup using the normal Recovery. It will work. Here are the instructions.

Here you can download the stock ROM for your device: Stock ROM for Symphony Xplorer W35
Instructions:
How to Flash
Step 1: Download and extract the stock firmware on your computer.
Step 2: After extracting you will find the SP Flash Tool, Driver and instruction manual.
Step 3: Install the USB Drivers (skip if drivers are already installed).
Step 4: Open the SP Flash Tool and load the Scatter File from the firmware folder.
Step 5: Connect your Smartphone to the computer using the USB Driver.
Step 6: Click on Upgrade / Download Button in the SP Flash Tool to Begin the Flashing.
Step 7: Green Ring will appear at the end of successful Flash.

For more detailed instruction with images: Detailed Instructions with Images
Source: http://xdafirmware.com/symphony-w35
Hope my answer helps!


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Message Not Sent in the text messaging
I have a thing that is coming up on my phone and it says touch to review the message and try again. How do I get that off?


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Terminal for android
I'm still learning how to use the terminal. I know the dangers of fiddling with it. But I want to use the terminal emulator app to navigate my phone(messaging, camera, launch applications, etc) from the command line. What are the commands and where should I start

If it's possible, yes. I'd like to be able to, say I get a text. Instead of tapping the messages icon, I want to be able to enter something into the command line  and the app opens. Kinda like if you type( gnome-system-monitor. ) the processes menu pops up on ubuntu

My first suggestion would be to take a Nandroid backup (requires a custom Recovery) first if you've had an unpleasing incident on some other OS, or want to recover from one after fiddling with terminal on Android.

I want to use the terminal emulator app to navigate my phone(messaging, camera, launch applications, [and so on).]

Messaging and Camera (UI not HW) are also apps in Android and are accessed in the manner similar to other apps (they have their .apk in /system/app). The most common way to access an app is to call its component or activity using am command. Consider this as an example to use am. See more examples on Stack Overflow like:

How to start an Android application from the command line?
How to run a specific Android app using Terminal?
How to start an application using android ADB tools?

am will only launch a part of the app and possibly would need root access if called without ADB(has higher privilege then a normal user). So how would you interact with the app from command line?
For that, I prefer to use Android keyevent or Pointer location (under Developer options) combined with the input command.  See:

ADB Shell Input Events
How to use ADB to send touch events to device using sendevent command?

You would now be able to launch an app with UI and can use the app rather easily from command-line.

What are the commands?

I'm not aware of all the commands but you can take a look at /system/bin and /systen/xbin (like /bin and /sbin in GNU/Linux). You'll need root access to use some of them. (See Busybox too.)

Where should I start?

Well, I'm unaware of a crash-course and I would advise to work on an issue or a possibility to learn the know-how of terminal rather easily. Try this answer for a start.
Good Luck!

You can try your hand on Qpython
Basically QPython is a script engine which runs Python programs on android devices.
It includes libraries like SL4A and Android Helper which can do all the things you mentioned via its terminal.
You can also install only SL4A
HERE is information about it.
An excerpt from site on installation

SL4A is really easy to install. The application is distributed as an APK, the standard format for Android apps, so it can be installed in the same way. However, before installing apps from 'unknown sources', you need to allow that on your device. If you haven't already, open your device's main Settings menu, open the Security menu, then "allow installation of non-Market apps" by checking the Unknown Sources option. Now you're ready to install the Scripting Layer.


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gallery and music player are not working
My gallery is not showing pics and videos of SD card
So I installed quickpic which is showing every thing
My music player is also not showing my music
I have restarted the phone my times after this but it won't help
Pls help

go to settings>Apps>all>Gallery
a)click on force stop
b)click on clear data
c)click on clear cache
now again go to settings>Apps>all>music
a)click on force stop
b)click on clear data
c)click on clear cache
now again go to settings>Apps>all>Media Storage
a)click on force stop
b)click on clear data
c)click on clear cache

7.Now,restart phone
note:- wait for 2-3 minutes to allow gallery and music player to build their database again.


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Auto restore doesn't work
I just switched from a Nexus 4 to Moto X 2nd generation this morning. I had backup ON on my nexus 4. When I added my account on the new phone I expected all the apps and related data to get restored on it. But this didn't happen, I removed and re added my account, even ran a factory reset but nothing helped. How do I get all my apps and data back(without having to manually reinstall all of it).


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Missing MENU button
I have an application, which uses MENU button for navigation purposes. Some devices doesn't have this button.
I have tried long pressing app switch button, but it is not working.

It depends on device.
Device has menu button

If device does not have menu button then Menu items appear on App ActionBar and/or with overflow button

No, nothing appears.

This used to drive me crazy. I have an app where it is critical to be able to use the button. I was sitting, and my headset cable fell across my phone, and I saw the button pop up.
After playing around I found out, that pressing the two outer buttons, and holding them pops up the menu button!
I was on a Samsung Galaxy S7 with Android Nougat and Oreo with this issue.  On an S9 with 8.1 Oreo there is an extra button on the toolbar for this menu. I.e. It came back on my new phone.


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What is shutdown monitor on my lg3
My wife has an lg3. When I search our history on google search it say stuff like com.lge.shutdownmonitor what is she doing and what does this mean.

Where are you searching your google history to see this?

It is probably a test application. Anything as com.lge.*** will be there by the manufacturer LG. There are often several test and debug applications that are included in the OS, but are normally hidden to the user.


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adding MRLs to a playlist VLC
I am having trouble making a playlist for MRL networks streams. Each time I open a new network stream it creates a new playlist and the previous stream is no where to be found (the history is overwritten with the most recently opened stream as well)
What steps do I have to take to create a MRL playlist? Do I need to store the playlist in a file somehow? I have been playing with the app for days and I cant find the answer here (https://wiki.videolan.org/Documentation:Android/)  either

Input the MRL where VLC android asks in order to play the stream.  Once playing at the bottom of your android screen keep your finger pressed on the stream being played.  VLC player for android then goes to this screen where it shows the stream being played at the top of the screen and below it a list of your media files on your phone...  to the top right hand side tap the menu and there it gives you the option to save the playlist for the current stream you are listening to.   Krykie!!  it took me a bit to figure that out and absolutely no thanks to the help files on the official VLC site what so ever...  oh well.

I was struggling too to get a working playlist with VideoLAN on Android. Apparently the app didn't (and probably still does not) provide a way to have a playlist which doesn't vanish after shutting down the app I came up with a crude solution to create a file with a pls extension on the Android devide and have VLC load it. Still I had to do this on every launch of the application, but it worked. I describe details at http://vlc-playlist-android.blogspot.com/ and hope other could benefit from it. If VLC itself now provides a working playlist, please let me know in the comments there, or here.


text:
What is meant by "nightly" in the context of mods?
I'm using CyanogenMod and all of the updates are always "nightly". What does this mean? I'd prefer a more stable update then the newest with latest features. Is there anyway to get this (I have noticed some stability issues)?
See here for what I'm talking about: https://download.cyanogenmod.org/?type=nightly
By the way, I always update from my phones update feature for CM.

In a nutshell, Nightly has the latest technology  available while Stable is bit  old but heavily tested technology. Depending upon your requirements, you may choose either of them. Just be aware that Nightly is supposed to cause issues at some point by its very nature.

From FAQ on Cyanogenmod Forums :

Nightly
These builds are highly experimental. They are the bleeding edge and it is possible for things to break. These are automated builds that are used to test whether the code added to the code base compiles properly. If it does compile, that’s a result. If it doesn’t compile, that is also a result.
The CyanogenMod team releases these builds to the public to allow them to see the progress made. Usually these builds work great and many people use them as “daily drivers”. However, due to the raw nature and the fast-paced development environment of CyanogenMod, things can go wrong. The dev team does not accept official bug reports for these because of the ongoing development.

More Info:

Nightlies are not released as an end product.
What does this mean? It means they are built, automatically and periodically, with no human intervention and no audience in mind whatsoever. They are not verified before being published, and their principal purpose is to compile code and see if it builds on a per device basis. Build failed? That’s a positive result. Build completed? That’s a positive result.

What's a stable build?

Once a build has gone through all the development and testing phases, the CM team will release the stable builds. After a stable is released, the team goes back to developing nightlies. It is an ongoing process and will always allow you to see the progress that is being made.

Where do I find Stable and Nightly builds for my device?
If your device is officially supported then visit here and choose the build based on your needs from the left pane:

Otherwise,  see this link for unofficial ports.

So for the Xperia Z2 there's no stable? https://download.cyanogenmod.org/?device=sirius&type=stable

I checked all, seems to be only nightlies available. You may ask on Cyanogenmod forums to know the reason for such unavailability.

@Firelord "Stable" doesnt exist anymore. For a "stable" ROM you should choose "snapshot".

@SuperThomasLab I disagree. Stable (CM12) was available for OnePlus One two  months ago. Surprisingly, only nightlies, test are available now. If I go by your suggestion, then I'll end up with CM11 and not CM12 (at least in case of OnePlus One) :)

Umm, about anymore, since when do you think they are unavailable? Did this decision was consider by CM few weeks ago?

@Firelord as you can see here: http://download.cyanogenmod.org/?type=stable the stopped at cm10.2.1.3. Now "stable" has become a "snapshot".


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Google Play Music - Error while retrieving information from server
Google Play Music - Error while retrieving information from server. When tapping Get Started. Screenshot:

Clear data and cache of the app and then try.If it doesn't work then you can wipe dalvik cache in recovery and reboot.

I already did that and it didn't work.


text:
A better music control on lock screen
I am new to the android world, used to be an iphone user.
I would like to know how can I get a better music control player on my lock screen?
Is there anyway to add more options, like the trackbar to move forward within the song, repeat and random buttons etc?
thanks

I'm using Rocket Music Player. It has all the features and option you asked in your question like Prev, Next, Random, Forward-Rewind(Track bar control), Repeat.
Additional Options:
You can even access the player's Playlist, Go to Album, Go to Artist, Add to Playlist, Delete, Ringtone from the lock screen itself by clicking the three dots at the bottom right of the display.
For this to appear in your lock screen you need to, Install Rocket Player and open the music player's and go-to
Settings > Operation > Lock Options > Rocket Player.
Take a look at the screenshots for enabling this,

Screenshots (Click to enlarge images)
To unlock the screen you need to just swipe the Blue Arrow to the right side blue dot.
Hope its useful. Enjoy Music!!!

Hi, is this possible to do with Samsung Grand Prime? I can't seem to find the Operation in the settings menu, nor the Lock Options anyware :(

@Jonathan What is the OS version of your Samsung Grand Prime? I'm sure it will be there under your Music Player's settings. (Don't confuse with the device settngs menu). Check the screenshots in my updated answer.

Yeah, I confused it with the settings menu. Do you know if rocket player work with google music? I will give it a try. Thank you


text:
how to get back a void license afterif we root or flash rom a device
does stock roming my phone recover its official update license?? if yes how to stock rom? if not is there another way to recover the license back?? I want to stoke romroomm it to an official kitkat version and software update it to lollipop by going to settings>my phone>about device>update.. is this possible

Yes it does , just go to Download stock rom file
Since you didn't specified your cell phone model,  just go to xda forum search for your cell phone model and there you will find stock rom file and procedure to install it , you can unroot at any time and you will be able to update your phone ,provided by manufacture.
If you still having problem just provide your phone model for more exact link


text:
How do I effectively use offline documents on a WIFI-only tablet and other connected devices?
This is more of a usability type question. I have a wifi-only tablet. I also have done a lot of documents online using Evernote, Google Drive, etc., and have tried to store them in various places like box.com.
Because wifi is not always available, I'm trying to find an effective way to be offline on my tablet, but have things sync up once I have connectivity again. I spend most of my time creating document either in M$ Office, or Google Documents. Evernote works okay, but I'd like something a little more full-featured; it just doesn't quite feel right.
I'd like to have quick and easy access to everything on my phone (sorry, can't hotspot), tablet, and desktop, regardless of my internet availability. What solution can handle all of these use cases? Does anything work well for anyone out there?

Are you saying a solution such as Dropbox, Google Drive or ownCloud would not work in this scenario?  Do you specifically need to be able to access the document on your phone immediately after editing it on your tablet without connecting to the Internet?

Try Autosync. There might be extra charges for syncing files larger than 8MB. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ttxapps.drivesync
Another option is FolderSync Lite (no file size limitations as far as I know):
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=dk.tacit.android.foldersync.lite


text:
Flash a different region ROM
I have a Moto X 1st gen. The model is XT1060 (60 means Verizon US version).
I want to flash the XT1053 version of the phone (the US Retail version without bloatware) on it with RSD Lite. Basically, the ROM is the same, only the carrier which is made for differs.
Am I doing right? How else can I transform my XT1060 ROM in XT1053?
Thank you in advance and sorry for my lack of knowledge to explain this. I have looked for days all over the internet and asked forums and people. Nobody seems to want to answer or doesn't know.

Nevermind guys, I've solved it.
I got an XT1053 T-Mobile Retail image from internet. Flashed it with RSD Lite.
Now my XT1060 is XT1053 and everything works fine.

This is not possible. The XT1060 for Verizon is a CDMA phone with GSM world-compatible capabilities. The XT1053 is their unlocked GSM-only model. It would lack support for the Verizon-specific CDMA functionality that would allow it to work on your network. ROMs are very much, permanently, dependent on their device and can't generally be shifted to another device, except in the rare case that different model numbers are only for marketing purposes and the internal hardware is actually identical. It's not, in fact, JUST the carrier that's different. A lot of other functionality has to change to support that carrier.
Your only alternative would be to find a custom ROM built for the XT1060 that incorporates the specific functionality you're looking to get from the XT1053.

We cannot have cross-platform ROM's from other device.But We can only install the custom roms which are dedicated for our devices. For this you can follow " http://forum.xda-developers.com/ " ; by selecting your device appropriately you can get multiple Custom roms.


text:
Blacklist recommended apps in Google Play?
As the title says. I want to remove apps I have zero interest in from the so-called recommend apps list. Also block certain contacts from influencing the recommendations if possible.

Everybody wants to control these kind of things. But Google won't let you to do so.

You can remove the suggestions by tapping the triple dot and selecting Not intersted. However, Google yet doesnt allows you to block certain people. For now

Either make a new gmail, one for social and other for useless stuff, including downloading apps. (You wont get recommendations in that, Just dont add you friends in that)
Unfriend (Or uncircle) those contacts (seriously, hardly anyone will notice that as Google+ is very scarcely used)


text:
What happens when a phone is rooted?
which files in the phone are changed when a phone is rooted. Is any app is installed during this? Can we manually change apps in phone to have root permissions?

To answer your main question. Normally rooting installs an app to control the allocation of the root permission to apps that request it and also adds the root (or super user) binaries to the device therefore enabling it. You cannot change an app to request root but you need to change it at the source to do so. Which is a question for stack overflow.

"Can we change apps in phone to have root permission?" If the app was built to use root permissions, you need them to run the app. Unless said app is open source, you cannot modify it to use root permissions. I also do not believe an app can root a device. You must have an in depth knowledge of the OS to make an app to root a phone. Which files are changed?
I dont know. I do know that you sound like someone who wants to root ur phone. The process is probably more complicated than changing a few lines of code in some remote, hard to find file in your device. I suggest learning more on the topic and on already-available solutions if this is you. If not, well, ignore this last paragraph :)

Basically just exploiting the system to allow arbitrary code execution, or code not from the developers.
Check out this article: Android Rooting: A Developer's Guide

You can execute any code any when on android using the ADB shell. So this isn't very accurate. But along the right lines.


text:
Can't save to disk after rooting device
I have rooted my Android 5.0.2 (Samsung Tab 8.4 Pro, TM700) the day before yesterday, and I noticed yesterday that my Chrome won't save files anymore, at all. I then installed Firefox, same behaviour. WhatsApp, can't download images or videos. My mail application downloads files just fine, so I am not sure what is going on here. What do I need to check for? Could it be permissions on some folder, and if so, what folder to check?

Try checking the permissions on your downloads folder and your sd card. use es file Explorer

is this internal or external storage?

The download folder is not on the SD card, so internal. Although I wasn't able to find it via ls so far, no idea where the default folder for that stuff is. ES Explorer asked for root permissions to change files on the SD card, and then was able to do so. How can I give an application root rights, or should I chmod the folders to 777?

I checked the /sdcard folder (since this is where downloads is), and the rights are lrwxrwxrwx, so every program should be able to write there. Edit: every subfolder there is lrwxrwx--- so no app without ownership can write there it seems.

yeah, I thought that was probably not the problem, but what is the problem in double checking?

the default download folder is /mnt/sdcard/Downloads/

I just rechecked, the subfolders dont have permissions on them and belong to root. Guess I will try changing each folders permission

use a batch script for the job. shall i make this an answer?

How do I change the permissions? I have done "chmod 777 Download", yet nothing has changed there. Is there some other way to do it properly? I have su earlier

You can use rwxrwxrwx for chmod instead of the code. check letter codes for chmod on Google. or manually do it using es file Explorer

Can you make it an answer? It says "Bad mode" when using rwxrwxrwx as chmod parameter. And ES Explorer says, the folder is Write and Read enabled. But the permissions are rwxrwx--- only.

Okay, I just installed root browser, and it said that it couldn't change permission on that folder, which is in line with everything I have seen so far. Why on earth can't I change permission on my download folder? I want every application to be able to access it.

u need to chown to user first. only if u are the owner can u change the permission. rebooting in rooted devices does this. Probably your root is bad. root the device again after completely uninstalling supersu or whatever you use.

the chmod rwxrwxrwx isn't exactly like that. check the bash manual page for the correct format

i don't remember it atm

Try adb or if all else fails, twrp recovery. twrp Explorer has an option for chmod 777. I recommend you reroot

Try this in a Terminal Emulator. The 'su' command is for becoming the root user and the next one fixes all the permissions.
su
restorecon -v -R /data/media

Only SELinux context, not all the permissions.


text:
How to record a short audio clip as quickly as possible
I'm trying to figure out a combination of apps/settings that will allow me to record a short audio clip (think reminder note) in as few taps as possible. At the moment I am using the standard voice recorder app. If I'm in the middle of listening to a podcast and want to record a short clip, I currently have to:

hit the power button to wake up my phone
hit unlock
pause the podcast
launch the voice recorder app
hit "record"
when I'm done, hit "save"
resume the podcast

I'm looking for a workflow that will let me launch a recording app and start recording automatically (ideally right from the lock screen) then when I'm done save the clip without being told to and resume whatever was happening before (usually a podcast).
Can anyone suggest apps to look at, or settings that might help?

Might be a job for tasker, the most famous automation tool. Other automation tools might be capable of the same (think about llama) – but as a Tasker user I'll describe it this way (feel free to adapt).
The "task" to be exececuted would be:

Keyguard › Off
Disable screen lock. Might require the SecureSettings Plugin if the native variant doesn't work.
Media Control › Pause
to stop your podcast, music, or whatever media stuff might be running. This can be set as "toggle". You might need to experiment a little here; consider e.g. what would happen with "toggle" when no podcast is currently played – that would have the opposite effect then, so maybe better just "pause" here directly.
Launch App
Select your voice recorder here.

Note that manipulating app controls is more tricky (and might require root). I didn't play with that, so I cannot give advice on it. I just know theoretically that Tasker is capable of that as well. Another tricky thing is the "continue podcast" part, which might not be wanted if it wasn't played before – but you've got the idea, I hope.
Now, we need a trigger and assign it the task from above. Multiple choices here with Tasker alone – and many more with the tons of plugins available (see e.g. my collection of Tasker resources). So I only give an example here which should make sense:
Shake lets you define a shake-pattern. So e.g. "shake the device twice from left-to-right" could trigger above action.
Even limited to the steps I've explicitly described, this would minimize the steps you need to take: Shake the device, hit "record", hit "save", and then (optionally) continue your podcast.

Many thanks for this answer, I will go and check out tasker

Best start with our tasker tag-wiki. Tasker has a free 7-day trial available at their website to test it first, which you can prolong for another week by 1. exporting your config, 2. uninstall Tasker, 3. re-install Tasker, 4. import your settings (hint from the dev himself ;)


text:
How do I save a Google now suggestion so I can read it later?
Google now has started giving me suggestions to interesting articles, but I only seem to see them during the day when I'm working and don't have time to read them.
How do I save them for reading later, without going to the article and emailing it to myself?

Make bookmark of it in browser.

Thanks, unfortunately the result is still the same in that I have to visit the page or risk the card vanishing before I get to see it. Not great when I'm in meetings!

Or you can take screenshot of the card and later search for that article

There isn't official functionality for this. You're best off using something like Pocket/Instapaper or taking a screenshot like Ash-Ishh says. Anyway, the cards should stick around for some time.

you could raise a feature request for this

I don't think google has thought about this feature, this is the most needed feature. I have posted this in Google forums, please upvote the options request, so that Google finds it as more needed feature. Link here https://support.google.com/chrome/thread/37113615?hl=en&dark=1