text:
Obtrusive notifications
If I'm playing a game or watching something in full screen, why does the notifications come over it? I've noticed especially whatsapp notifications fill up the screen.
I need to be able to only stop the heads up notifications when in game mode or full screen watching video, not totally turn it off. is there a way to do that?

Need some clarification: are you running on Lollipop? If it's, then it's the heads-up notification (new feature on Lollipop), if it's not, and only WhatsApp do that, then check the settings on your WhatsApp.

@AndrewT. yes it's loliipop.

Answer to first question: Because Google wanted a new notification system that was more visible and obvious, much the way iOS handles their notifications. A lot of defectors from iOS actually missed that.
Answer to second question: this is done on a per-app basis, for those that support it. Most apps don't even use the feature, but for those that do, some allow you to disable the pop-ups, or heads up notifications. But that's the only real way to do so without potentially disabling notifications in general.

Open Whatsapp and set the following for Message Notification and Group Notifications

Whatsapp-> Settings -> Notifications -> Popup Notifications -> None

Now you won't get the notification poped up when you are using some other applications. And all the popup nofications for individual and group notifications will be turned off.


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adb push ... Permission denied
I am trying to push a file to a directory on a physical android device, but I am running into the following error.
>adb push data.db /data/data/com.me.app/databases
failed to copy 'data.db' to '/data/data/com.me.app/databases/data.db': Permission denied

I believe adb has sufficient privileges.
>adb root
adbd is already running as root

Here are the permission details for the path: /data/data/com.me.app/databases
drwxrwxrwx system   system            2014-01-14 10:31 data
drwxrwxrwx system   system            2015-05-23 16:06 data
drwxrwxrwx u0_a224  u0_a224           2015-05-23 15:26 com.me.app
drwxrwxrwx u0_a224  u0_a224           2015-05-23 15:30 databases

I am not sure what to do here. Perhaps I am going about this the wrong way, but I just want to push the data.db file into the /data/data/com.me.app/databases directory on the device.
Does anyone know what I am doing wrong or what I should consider? Thanks.

Put your workaround as an answer here, and accept your own answer so people looking for a similar problem will see it answered when they search for it.

Edit: I found a work-around: AirDroid allows me to upload the file, but the permissions on the file are set to this:
-rw-------

Performing the following commands solves this problem (from Windows 7 command prompt).
>adb shell
# su
# chmod 777 /data/data/com.me.app/databases/data.db

I had a variation of this problem so going to leave it here in case someone else googles for it:
./adb push update.zip /sdcard
[  0%] C:/Users/Alex/AppData/Local/Programs/Git/sdcard
adb: error: failed to copy 'update.zip' to 'C:/Users/Alex/AppData/Local/Programs/Git/sdcard':
remote secure_mkdirs failed: No such file or directory
update.zip: 0 files pushed. 41.6 MB/s (131072 bytes in 0.003s)

However in my case the problem was running adb from Git bash Shell (MinGW64). Running it from regular Windows shell worked fine.

Worked for me. Thanks!

The usual approach, which doesn't require any additional apps:

Push to /data/tmp/;

Copy on the device using adb shell, using cp if it's available on your device or cat if it isn't.
 > adb push data.db /data/tmp/data.db
 > adb shell
 # su # or run-as com.me.app
 # cp /data/tmp/data.db /data/data/com.me.app/databases/data.db

Remembering to change com.me.app to the correct package name for your app.

This approach worked for me. For completeness, I actually pushed an obb file to /sdcard/ and then used adb shell without root permissions to copy this file to the correct package folder for this file (in /sdcard/Android/obb/packagename/ where packagename needs to be changed to match that of your Android app.

I had to create it first: adb shell mkdir /data/tmp/ ; adb shell chmod 777 /data/tmp/ ; adb push file /data/tmp/

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authors: Джон Траволта

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Accept e-mail calendar requests?
Is there a way (app, configuration, etc) that will allow me to accept e-mail calendar requests sent to a POP3 account?  The request could be iCal or could originate from Exchange or Outlook.  Once accepted, I would like them to be added to my calendar.

Minor clarification: The original question was spurred by the Mail application. When I forward calendar requests from work to my phone's e-mail, I can't accept them and they don't get added to my calendar.  However, if I forward an exchange calendar event to my gmail, I don't get an option to add it, either

What version of Android are you using and what phone? Also, if you have mail app connected to your work email you shouldn't need to forward anything. Just open the app and accept the apt. If you do not have mail connected to your work email and you will not be able to get it connected, then you should sync your phone using sync software, like from HTC or use the app from google that syncs Outlook and Google calendar.

Froyo (2.2); This includes invitations (such as iCal) sent from other users whether to to my Android GMail or email apps. In my case, it isn't a matter of connecting to work e-mail.

I am going to update my answer...

Yes, support for this is native in Android.
I have an Exchange account added to my phone (Settings > Accounts & Sync > Add account). Once I snyc'd email and calendar I was able to receive meeting requests through the Mail application, accept them, and then see them show up in my calendar with a different color. The way Google handles Exchange is really sweet.
Update:
So I played around a bit and here is what I found. From the gmail app on the phone you cannot accept appts. But, not sure how it works with iCal and such, I just sent myself a meeting notice from my Exchange Outlook calendar to my gmail account. I signed into Gmail from my computer, got the invite, I clicked yes I am attending, and it now shows on my calendar.
So from the gamil app it appears we cannot accept invites but from a computer we can. :(

I know this feature is in Android 2.2 Froyo. I'm not sure if this worked in 2.1 or earlier not?

Yup exists with 2.1 too. I had my phone setup the exact same way with the same feature set on 2.1. Mind you I have an Evo and it is conceivable there was a difference in which version of ActiveSync carriers used for their phone, but I think this is supposed to be set by the Android version. But I say this because in our testing at work we noticed slight differences across phones.

The context of this question is not receiving through an Exchange account.

Additional observations. Since original posting, I've received a couple of calendar requests the Mail app that I was able to accept. It appeared to work. I expected to have an "accept" option on the mail message. Instead, I had to open the file attachment before I was offered the option to add it to a calendar. However, I've also had both forwarded Exchange calendar requests and iCal attachments that were not possible to accept. Looks like I have a little more research to do, but the basic matter is resolved.  Thanks!

Huh so it seems support is flaky then? Good find on opening the attachment! I'll keep my eye open for that next time I get an apt sent to my gmail account.

It's a known problem in Android system.
You should use a third party app.
I know (and recommend ןא!) the 'ics 2 android' application. You can download it from google market:
ics 2 android

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text:
Voice command slow with large contact list?
On my HTC Hero running 2.1, the voice command is slow - both startup and processing.   I have a large contact list (on the scale of 1000 contacts), and I suspect that is the cause.  Does anyone know if there is a correlation between the two?  If so, is there a solution other than trimming the contact list?

I have a similarly sized contact list and I've found that the Voice Dialer is both slow to load and slow to find responses on my Moto Droid (on 2.0, 2.1 and 2.2).  I stopped using the Voice Dialer and started using Voice Search (aka. Voice Actions) by saying "Call Jane Smith mobile."  I've found Voice Search to open quickly and to find contacts quickly. Both of those apps came preloaded on my phone and are from Google.
While I don't know the architecture of either app it would make sense to me that the Voice Dialer would be affected by the size of the Contact list more directly than the Voice Search app.

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text:
How to drag in the web browser without moving the page?
With the stock browser when using a web page has a feature that requires dragging, how do you drag without moving the page?
For example, cropping an image on the Gravatar site requires dragging the boundaries, but whenever I try to, I end up moving the page... but not dragging.
UPDATE: I did notice on a third-party page with Google Maps embedded that the map did drag correctly.  However, the above example still holds.

I don't know the answer either way but it may be helpful if you specify which browser you are using as there probably are browser specific aspects to this behavior.

With sites like Gravatar or Twitter's image cropping, I've found that the two finger "pinch" gesture works.

On my LG Optimus V, that just zooms. Not useful (to me). And I get the same behavior in Skyfire as the default browser.

Double tap to enable drag?


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How to improve camera shooting responsiveness?
Is there a camera application (or other solution) that has quick response time between button press and taking the picture?
On HTC Hero, the delay from button press to shutter is painfully long - focusing, etc seem to take a lot of time with the stock camera app.
On HTC EVO with the stock Camera app, distant shots focus and shoot quickly. However, closer shots can take some time focusing.

Its the same on the droid too.

I'd be content even with something that works like the "half-press" option on many cameras.  When half-pressed, the camera focuses and sets up for lighthing.  Then when fully pressed, the shot is taken immediately.  An app with two separate buttons, one to take readings then lock the settings, and one to shoot would be fine.

Whoops, my bad.  I misread you question.  Actually, the Droid does have the half-press focus feature and the time between button press and shutter isn't half bad.  The time between opening the app and when you can actually take a picture is painfully long for me because it has the normal app opening lag, then the shutters does something weird and it automatically tries to focus... I'm impatient.

On EVO startup time is great.  Button is a software button only, so there's nothing to half-press.

Oh, that's not cool :(

I think that if you tap on the screen to set a place for the focus, you'll gain some seconds for the effective shoot.
It's also allow you to focus on a special part of the picture.
I hope it's help.

Turning off other processing features, like face recognition, may also improve performance... though at the expense of other benefits.


text:
Why can't I change the Google Calendar on an event after it's been sync'd?
Galaxy-S (Vibrant), Android 2.1
If I create an event with the stock Calendar app, I can freely change which Google Calendar the event is associated with.  Once it sync's with Google Calendar, however, I can no longer change which Calendar the event is associated with.  I can do change any other aspect of the event, and even delete the event, but I can't move it to a different calendar.  I can change the calendar from the Google Calendar web page, though.
Thanks!

I don't know why, but I can tell you I can't do it on my Moto Droid either.  I believe it is a limitation of the Stock Calendar app and not specific to the Galaxy S.

This is probably because of how the Google Calendar server API interacts with client applications.
An update request has to be sent to a specific calendar on the server.  If you could change which calendar the appointment is tied to, synchronization would have to send a "delete" from one calendar and an "add" to the other.
I've developed and maintained a number of systems which have synchronization and replication... and I suspect that a decision as made to favor simplicity and avoid the possible complexities of cross-calendar edits.

Correct me if I'm wrong but you are just restating the problem that the question is asking about instead of answering the question. Here's the way I read it... Q: why can't I change the cal? Your A: you can't.  BCooksey, am I missing something here? If I am I apologize but please clarify for my sake.

My wording could be better.  I was trying to distinguish that there is no edit option when looking at event details, but there IS an edit option in tap and hold from the event list.  On re-reading the question, it also appears that even with clarification, what I addressed isn't what was  asked!

I've re-written my response to address the question being asked. It took a little digging into the Calendar app source and the Google Calendar API.

You can do this with some third party calendars.  Business Calendar from Appgenix lets me.   I am not affiliated or compensated in any way.


text:
Should I use Tasker or Locale?
For general detecting circumstances and triggering actions, what are the advantages/disadvantages of Tasker and Locale?  Which one does the best job overall capability for improving the usefulness of a phone/device?
Categories of particular interest (in no particular order):

"Recipe" power
"Recipe" ease-of-creation
Variety of circumstances that each app can detect
Actions and configurations that can be triggered
Backing up setup
Sharing configuration

The easiest way to compare these two apps:
Locale costs more.  But it is a lot more user friendly.  You just set up "situations" with triggers and actions. Then you prioritize the situations.  That's it.
Tasker costs less.  But it is a lot more customizable.  It's more like being given a scripting language.  There are TONS of options and choices and it can get really confusing if you don't know what you are doing.  It is not made for the average user.
I will say that anything Locale can do, Tasker can do it too.  It just isn't as quick and easy to set it up.
In regards to backing up, you can backup Tasker into script files.  Locale has no built in back up system.
Both of these applications are extendable to do practically anything because they support plugins.  Tasker supports Locale plugins too.
Also: personally, I use both of these apps.  I use locale for setting up common situations (disable sounds when asleep, adjust brightness/screen timeout when plugged in, go silent at work, etc.) and then Tasker for... well... tasks!  Such as plugging in my headphones I reduce my media volume to 50% (I've blared music accidentally way too many times) and displaying a menu of music apps.

Does Tasker use both conditions and actions from Locale plug-ins?

I am the developer of Locale, and I wanted to make sure the most up to date information is available here:

Locale does support backup and restore.  More information about this feature can be found on our website at http://feedback.twofortyfouram.com/forums/5655-locale-feedback/suggestions/74784-backup-settings-?ref=title
We publish a Headphones Plug-in condition and a free Media Volume setting for Locale, giving Locale the ability to adjust media volume based on headphones being plugged-in/unplugged.

Does locale support 'and' conditions, like 'I am at home' and 'it is Sunday'?


text:
What settings does Sprint Gingerbread (2.3) update reset?
After installing the Gingerbread upgrade on my EVO, I noticed that my alarms have been reset.  Now I'm wondering what, if any, other settings were reset or changed.
I have not been able an official list anywhere.
Which settings get changed or reset with the Sprint Gingerbread update?

As far as I'm aware, there really shouldn't be any other settings which are affected by the OTA. In fact, Android Central has a thread where people are compiling a list of new features and apps along with reported issues and bugs. They've put this (losing your alarms) in their list of bugs. It looks like it also broke Netflix and Wireless-N support, for what it's worth.

It also appears that some form of fiddling with the app will allow them to render again.  Not sure if it's close/open or change tabs, but I've seen them disappear and re-appear after being re-created after upgrade.


text:
How can I buy an app that isn't supported on my (current) device?
As you may know, the official Android Market is in the process of having a sale, charging only 10 cents for a bunch of apps for 10 days. They're going to pick 10 new apps each day, so the apps for sale today won't be on sale tomorrow.
I am an OG Droid owner, and I'm one of the many who is waiting to pounce on the moment the Galaxy Nexus shows up in Verizon stores. I could have upgraded my phone weeks ago, but .. well.. you know how it is.
One of the apps on sale today (Asphalt 6: Adrenaline HD) won't let me purchase it, because the Droid doesn't support it. But (hopefully) within a week I will have a phone that definitely supports this game. I don't even care if the game sucks; it's only 10 cents!
Is there any way I can buy the app anyway, so I can install it at a later date?

Do you have root access? You might be able to change the build.prop file to spoof your phone as a different device

In this case, root is not an option. I was just hoping Google would have the concept of "pay for app, but don't immediately install it". If I miss out on a few 10-cent apps that don't support the Droid 1, for just a few days (come on December 9th!), it isn't the end of the world.

Do you have a friend with a supported device? You could login to your gmail on that phone, purchase it, then remove your account when done.

I wish the answers were Market functionality and not hacks :(  That's also a theoretically good idea that isn't going to happen, Bryan.

You can buy it on the Amazon android appstore. They have the same prices the Google Play. It just gives you a warning that you may be purchasing a game that does not work with your device.
and, as of today (Dec 11th 2011) its still $.10

You can only buy apps from the Amazon app store if you have an american account.

There are still some apps that are 10 cents, don't want to install on my Droid, and aren't available on the Amazon market, but it is nice to know that where there is overlap, the price is 10c on both.  Also, as a side note, I'm obviously still without my Nexus; probably won't be released during the entire 10-day sale :(

I would suggest using a friend's android phone that does support the game, setting up your account in his phone and purchasing it. Be careful not to select any auto-sync features while doing so and make sure you remove the account from the phone once you've finished your purchases.
@Bryan Denny : Looks like you beat me to it :) Didn't see your comment for the question.

There apparently aren't many devices out there that support this particular game, especially with all the Nexus delays in the US. This is a less-than-ideal solution even if I had a friend with a different bleeding-edge phone. I sound like a broken record, but I find this to be a surprising missing feature from the official Market, even though it doesn't really come up except during sales like this one.

@Josh sorry a bit late as its dropped off the 10 cent list today, but you don't need a very new phone for Asphalt 6 HD, I got it yesterday and it installed ok on my (over a year old) original Galaxy S.


text:
ICS Navigation app change default from walking to driving?
When I try to add a new "Directions" shortcut to my home screen, the shortcut interface defaults to "walking" directions instead of "driving" directions.
Also, when I use Chrome To Phone to send a directions page to my phone, it shows up in Walking Directions mode.
Is there any way I can change this default, so my phone assumes I'm talking about Driving directions first?
It seems like it would be a better default.

It's to do with the transport mode you're using when you tell maps to ask for directions.  Pick a point on the map.  Press and hold till the bubble comes up.  tap on the bubble, choose directions, now the directions panel comes up with from and to lines and under that will be the choice driving, public transport or walking.  choose driving then press navigation.  that works for me after I was suffering the same problem as you.  Hope this helps


text:
How to prevent the OTA Jellybean update on Droid RAZR Maxx
I have a Motorola Razr Maxx with ICS (4.0.2) on it.  It went and downloaded the JellyBean upgrade, which I do not want to happen.  Each hour the phone prompts me to upgrade.  How can I keep this from happening?  Can I delete the new files for JB and stop the hourly message?  Thanks in advance.

Are you rooted?

(1) If you have root, you can use Titianium Backup, and uninstall "Device Management 3.0" (or some other version).
(2) OR, [also needs root], remove dmclient.apk, dmclient.odex, cmclient.apk, cmclient.odex from /system/app. Back-up these files first, in case you want to update in the future; you will need these.


text:
LG Optimus Logic Transferring apps to Micro SD instead of internal memory
I recently purchased an LG Optimus Logic Net10 phone which runs Android 2.3.6. The phone was advertised as having 1GB internal Memory and also came with a 4GB Micro SD.
When I download apps, they seem to not be using the memory properly. I tried to move apps to the SD Card, but the only option to move is "move to internal memory". "Move to SD" is not an option. When I select "move to internal memory" the apps go to the 1GB Internal Memory as I would expect. The option for memory management then changes to "Move to Phone".
I mounted a 32GB micro SD, so what I really want to do is move the apps from the 1 GB internal memory to the micro SD, but there is no option to do so. Is there a way to get the apps onto the SD card?
Thanks much!

Trouble is that the "standard App2SD" seems able only to switch between 2 storages. So as soon as there's an internal storage (as it is in your case), the sd card no longer is an option. I'm not sure whether one of the "extended App2SD apps" on the playstore can solve this, as I never used App2SD (I've got 6GB internal storage, so I never needed this) -- but it's certainly worth a try.

Go to app settings and click the apps that you want. When you click it, it should show its information and move to internal memory (aka MicroSD card).

In fact I'm doing this on my logic its a good phone i recommend

The internal memory on a LG Logic is NOT the SD card.  There are 3 storages on the phone.  System storage, Internal storage 1 gb and the SD card that came with it.  4 gb.  Without software, you can't move any app to the SD card.


text:
Problems with installing stock ROM for Nexus S
I'm trying to install a stock Nexus S ROM from Google's site, but I keep getting the error E:signature verification failed
Any ideas how I can fix this?

Download the correct factory image here, unpack it, and run flash-all.sh to reset to stock. You must boot your Nexus to fastboot mode beforehand and also have an unlocked bootloader first (fastboot oem unlock). After the flash is done, relock your bootloader again (fastboot oem lock).

How do I run flash-all.sh from the phone?

@meds You don't run it from the phone, you have to connect via your PC using adb and fastboot. This a guide for setting up adb and fastboot on Windows. Alternatively, you may want to use this One Click Method


text:
Connectivity problem on LG Viper LS840 just updated to Ice Cream Sandwich
MY LG LS840 (Viper) is not opening Play Store after it updated to Ice Cream Sandwich  yesterday.  My emails are not sending either: they stay in my outbox.  How do I fix this?  I pulled the battery and it's still not working right.

Have you tried a factory reset?

UPDATE:  Apparently my phone is LTE and that's not available where I live, so my cell was working overtime trying to connect and it caused an issue with my data connectivity once I updated to ICS.  It took 4 days, a replacement phone, and 5 Sprint techs before SOMEONE figured it out!  I updated my profile, PRL, and clicked off LTE/CDMA to just CDMA and all is running perfectly!  GEEZ!  I hope my trouble helps anyone else with this particular phone.

you should post this as an answer to your own question...

Apparently my phone is LTE and that's not available where I live, so my cell was working overtime trying to connect and it caused an issue with my data connectivity when I updated to ICS.
I updated my profile, PRL, and clicked off LTE/CDMA to just CDMA and all is running perfectly!


text:
Droid 4 puts itself into silent mode
For the past couple weeks my Droid 4 has been switching itself into silent mode at night. At first I thought it was me, but it's not. At around 11pm I plug it in and set it on the table. At this point it is not in silent mode. In the morning it is in silent mode, which means the alarm has not gone off. After I take it off silent mode, the alarm volume is still at zero, so I have to adjust that too. And like I said, this have been the case for a couple weeks.
I have installed no new apps. There are no smart actions set. Any ideas? Thanks.

Do you use any auto-profiles app? I had a comparable issue not long ago where such an app went nuts (I was able to cure that by uninstalling and re-installing it).

Did you use night hours in preferences?


text:
How to connect Android phone to a Wifi network using PPPoE?
I have an ISP at home, which provides me with a PPPoE connection. My router supports that and I've configured it to autoconnect periodically, so I don't have to type my username and password each time.
When I connect to the Wireless router from the PC, I have internet and everything works fine. However, when I do so using my Android phone, there's no internet connection on the phone. It connects to the router, but I cannot open any web page.
How can I enable internet access from such an ISP on my phone? Is it something in the router setup? The router is Linksys WRT54GL.

Duplicate? http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/9109/create-broadband-connectionpppoeconf-on-android

There is an app that enables it (aptly called WIFI PPPOE), but it requires you to root your phone. PPPoE is not natively supported in the Android SDK.

Is this the only solution?

@Slavo Short of personally coding support into Android, yes. A non-root user doesn't have the permissions necessary to add that level/type of functionality. You could also push for the feature in the Android forums, but that's not an immediate fix to your problem.

I don't think that the OPs problem is that he want's to do PPPoE with Android. For some reasons OPs Android device just doesn't get internet connectivity when connected to the users router (which does PPPoE).

@Flow. Yes, exactly. Is there a way to make the router handle the PPPoE and hide it from Android?

That is what a home router basically does: Handling the upstream connection (in this case via PPPoE) and NATing this connection to it's clients.

I agree with @Flow, I think you're looking at a router config issue.


text:
Clear search history in ebook reader App (Desire S)
Is there any way to clear search history in ebook reader App on Desire S?
(It is the default reader App for ebook on HTC desire S).
Thanks.

Here is the HTC Desire S user guide in PDF, but I couldn't find there anything about clear search history in the section Reading eBook (pages 148-151). So, being that the default eBook reader, I guess that clearing search history is not possible unless you clear data from that app.

Clearing data from the app clears also list of all books that have been loaded on the app.


text:
Go back to previous custom rom - adb issue
I decided to try a custom ROM from here.
I downloaded Exodus ROM to my computer, and via ADB transmitted it to the sdcard/0/ folder. I then rebooted and flashed this custom ROM. Everything went well but I don't like this version, partly because it seems old.
The problem is that I don't know how to go back to the previous ROM(Jellybean).
I made a backup of Jellybean to a folder of clockwordmod, but when I flashed the Exodus ROM the Jellybean ROM was not there.
So, what to do? I have it on my computer, but the problem is how to put it back to the phone. The problems are:

The ADB connection is not working via USB cable any longer.
I could download an ADB app from Play Store that uses Wi-fi, but the Play Store is missing in the phone.

How could I possibly solve this issue?
Very grateful for answers.
Edit: I succeeded to downloading it to my phone, that is the zipfile that holds the OS jellybean. But at the bootmenu where I select the zipfile it starts but soon fails (installation aborted).
finding update package
opening update package
installing update
installation aborted*

And then the droid is laying down with a read exlamation above.

The zipfiles contents look like this

but when I flashed the Exodus ROM the Jellybean ROM was not there. -- what do you mean by it? Doesn't it mean the Jellybean ROM backup in the clockworkmod folder wasn't there? // 1) What's the current status of your phone? Can it boot into any OS? 2) I assume yes because of 2.. Why can you not use MTP to transfer Jellybean ROM backup files from PC to SD card?

@firelord - I trying this right now, to download (a custom jelly bean I found on internet) to the downloadfolder via a http-connection. Hopefully it works. The folder /clockworkmod/backup/ was empty. I knew it was there before.

But you also wrote I have it on my computer -- I assume this the backup of Jellybean that you copied into computer as well. Isn't this the case here, or I misunderstood it?

@Firelord - yes the previous rom (jellybean) - an image is in my computer, but I cannot access it. So I am gambling on installing a fresh jellybean right now, from internet. Then later go transfer the image to the phone.

Very strange - I succeeded downloading jellybean zip and flash it but when phone reboots it still loads Exodus OS - but in another shape. I cannot just get it?

Do you know any mirrors that holds jellybean? Thanks!!!

Actually, you can access it if you connect your PC and Android via wifi/hotspot/USB_tethering and run a web/ftp server on PC. In that way, you just need to use a file browser like ES File Explorer, or a browser to download the image from your PC into Android. I know Exodus probably won't be having any browser but an apk (genuine) of Firefox can be arranged for sideloading (enabling unknown sources). // Anyhow, it seems the backup file isn't valuable to you so I guess you would stick with downloading from internet.

[T]he Play Store is missing in the phone.

It is because Exodus doesn't come with Google Apps (aka gapps). You'll have to flash them explicitly. You may try these links to download Gapps:

AndroidFileHost
PA-Google Apps Plus(All ROM's) at XDA

Caution: Always flash gapps package meant for your ROM only. E.g. Do not flash gapps for 5.1.1 over a 5.0.2 ROM, or the vice-versa. You'll end up with bootloops, device stuck at boot logo, and what not!

The ADB connection is not working via USB cable any longer.

Since you've already mentioned that the backup of Jellybean ROM is on the PC as well, you may transfer it to your Android device without using ADB at all.

Connect your phone via MTP into your PC and transfer the files; or,
As I mentioned in the comments, you can host an FTP server on PC (see this answer for know-how) and access it over wifi/hotspot/USB-tethering.
Thereafter, you can use a browser like Firefox(apk available) to access the backup files and can download into Android.
Alternatively, you can host a server (locally; see this answer for know-how) on your Android and do the transfer from PC. But that would be too much to detail here (unless asked).

I don't know how to go back to the previous ROM(Jellybean)[?]

Once you've transferred files from PC into Android (in the folder clockworkmod):

Boot into Clockworkmod recovery;
Find some backup/restore option and select the backup file you transferred. It's best to clear (before restoring the backup) Data, System, Cache, Dalvik/ART cache to avoid any issue.
Reboot the device.

Done!

thanks for answer - wish I could upvote. I succeded in installing the zipfile to the phones downloadfolder but I cannot intall the OS - It sais: installation aborted very zoon after opening update package. I dont know why - is it because the files is in .tar format?

Instead of upvote you may accept an answer. Anyhow, 1) can you mention the link from where you downloaded this ROM? 2) Does it show any info in the error other than "Installation aborted" in the recovery? 3) I seriously advise falling back to backup of Jellybean to avoid these unnecessary troubles. 4) You didn't mention the name of your device.

I updated my question - theres an image of the zipfile. The zipfile is the file I wanted in the first place, that is - from my computer. I transferred it from my local webserver to the phone. My device: Samsung galaxy S3  (GT - i9300).

@java The content in the image are the files that clockworkmod makes as backup. You cannot restore a backup (there is a way but this isn't that case) using Install Zip option in recovery. Just go to recovery -> Backup and restore (or similar) -> choose your backup and proceed. It will show something like verifying files (checksum) and then will restore. Don't forget to clear data,system,cache, etc as mentioned in the answer.

authors: มุต บางอารมณ์


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ADB-client stops working when root is turned on
Very strange - I've Cyanogenmod rooted device and cannot use the adb-client from computer when rooting is turned on. In other words  i have to go to developer settings, turn off rooting - then I can access the device from the computer.
The problem i need to be able to connect computer with the device in rooted mood cince i've an nandroid there to push back to clockworkmod on the device.
What could the reason be adb from computer no longer work when root is turned on?
I dont get it!
And another question - whats the alternatives if I want to copy a rom-image from computer back to the device?
thanks in advance

Which CM version and build is it and for which device? See if adb root works.

@Firelord CM version: 6.0.4.6 ; Kernel-version: 3.0.31-ArchiKernel-CM-gd13f4d1root@ArchiDroid#1.;  Samsung Galaxy SIII i9300

is adb-daemon residing in kernel or userspace? just curious


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In Android Google Sheets, "enter key" (->|) won't move to cell below. How to fix?
I don't know when or how I changed the behavior of the "enter key" (->|) in Google Sheets for Android. It used to enter the text I was typing (if any) into the current cell and then move to the cell below the current cell. This is what I want.
But for no apparent reason, "enter" now adds a line feed to the end of the text being typed and does NOT go to the next cell below.
Wrap Text is NOT selected and never has been.
How do I make touching the "enter" key move to the cell below the current cell and NOT merely add a line feed to the text being typed into the current cell?
*** EDITED ***
FWIW, I just noticed that touching "enter" twice puts a line feed at the end of the text being entered and THEN moves to the cell below the current cell, a bit surprising--why not add a second line feed? After all, if we're allowed to enter entire paragraphs into a cell, why not a generally-accepted properly-formatted  second paragraph (blank line between the two)?
Surely the vast majority of users would prefer to have "enter" move to the next cell below the current line (or simply staying in the current cell) than adding a linefeed for possible (but rare) additional lines. I don't get it.
Why is there not an option to specify "enter" key behavior, as in Excel? (Or is there one and that's what I can't find?)

It depends on the keyboard you are using. I tested it first with Gboard and secondly with Hacker's Keyboard and Microsoft SwiftKey Keyboard. With Gboard pressing Enter, insert a new line on the same cell. With Hacker's keyboard and Swiftkey, it takes you to the cell below. So, a possible solution is to use another keyboard (if GBoard is your default keyboard) while using Google Sheets.

Why is there not an option to specify "enter" key behavior, as in Excel?

That's a question Google developers (Gboard) will answer better than us as to why their keyboard behavior is different from the other (I have not found a webpage yet a reason for this behavior).

(Or is there one and that's what I can't find?)

There isn't one (for now).
Disclaimer: I am just a user of the mentioned keyboard apps.

Using Swiftkey and probably any other keyboard, you can long press the text input box to bring up the menu and select "Insert line break".
(Sheets Version 1.23.242.03.9 - 26 June 2023 with Android 13)
Using Hacker's keyboard, you can do Alt + Enter

My workaround: put a blank space at the end of each line of text in cells where you want Enter to always move down to the cell below the active cell. Then Enter moves to the next cell below.
Adding end-of-text spaces is a sufficient way to get "dropdown" cursor movement. But sometimes the cursor moves down without a space at end of text in a cell. So it's not a necessary thing to do.
I haven't tried to study the end-of-text characters to find a pattern or a rule for when adding a space is necessary and when not. Won't try anytime soon. Maybe someone knows or will do exhaustive testing and notetaking to find the rules.

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


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Mail app keeps freezing (Jelly Bean 4.1.2 on Samsung Galaxy S3)
Mail app keeps freezing (Jelly Bean 4.1.2 on Samsung Galaxy S3).
Really annoying since I use it for work mail.

Is this the first time it happened?

Did you try to clear its cache (maybe something got messed up there)? Also, some additional context would help to locate the problem. With the current phrasing, all we can say is we feel sorry for you...

I use the "out of the box" email app to connect to our exchange server. When I click on the "email" icon, I see all the current mail, but, when I click on the mail nothing happens. About 2 minutes later I get a popup stating "Mail is not responding, do you want to close it."  I updated to jellybean yesterday.  Never had this issue with the old Ice Cream software. What other intor might you need?

This has been going on ever since I upgraded to Jelly Bean 4.1.1 (not 4.1.2)


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Rooting Xperia Play 2.3.4 without unlocking bootloader
After reading many forums, just came across this site. I may sound outdated, but I want to root my Xperia play. After reading many forums. I am confused.
I have an unlocked Xperia Play 2.3.4 build 4.0.2.A.0.42 (not locked to operator). Can I root it with SuperOneClick latest version 2.3.3 ??
I want to root Xperia Play for saving internal space. I don't want to unlock bootloader.
Will I lose all my messages, contacts, settings, etc by rooting?
Please guide me with links to the software for rooting if possible.

After doing a quick search, I found on a thread that you have to downgrade to 2.3.3 to root it. And yes, that could erase your messages. I suggest you make backups of them.

You can backup your contacts, settings etc. with TitaniumBackup. It's a local backup though, you might want to dish out money for the pro version so you can backup to Dropbox/Google Drive etc.

I didn't even realize it was possible to root without unlocking the bootloader.


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Changing language from hardware keyboard in ASUS Eee Pad Transformer TF300T
Today I have updated my Asus Eee Pad Transformer TF300T to Android 4.1 and was very disappointed. On Android 4.0 I used Ctrl+Space in Russian ASUS Keyboard to switch input language between English and Russian, and now it's not working! Just pop up notice that language was changed but language stays Russian. I've tried to use other languages, but all of them do the same. Restarting device does not help.

Ctrl + Shift does the job. A window appears where you can change the language. Worse than in Windows, but still...

Might help to include screenshot of this?


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I cannot charge my tablet
I only have a USB cable to charge my tablet and I plugged it into my laptop to charge and a little red X shows up on the battery thing. How can I charge my tablet?

Have you tried swapping another cable? Does the battery icon change when tablet is plugged in?

A computer's usb port does not supply enough current to charge your tablet. The tablet takes roughly 1A or 1,000mA to charge, a desktop's usb port only puts out about 500mA. Some laptops just can't provide the specified 500mA and will not charge it at all. YMMV
You can charge it though, only very slowly, AND the tablet has to be completely turned off.

It is only going to take more time to charge when charging current is low (i.e. limited to 500mA as said) and not totally stop charging. Hence the moment there is a current flow towards the battery the battery icon (if shown) will indicate it - no matter how low the battery is.


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How can I draw over other apps?
I'd like to be able to use my Asus Transformer for a presentation using the HDMI out and I'd like to be able to draw on the screen over videos, pictures and over a powerpoint presentation.  Obviously I can't be drawing and navigating simultaneously with touch but I guess I'm envisioning an "always on top" floating dock or tool bar to toggle between the "paint" function and the normal touch input.
To be clear I'm not interested in specific "drawing" apps, I'm looking for the ability to draw persistently over any and every open app.
Is there an app or hack that will accomplish this?

In my old school days, this were trivial because just right behind the projector screen are whiteboards which is sometimes used as a "screen" which can be drawn on with markers.
As more modern alternative, there are also smartboards that provides a virtual whiteboard to draw on with digital annotations. And one of them can be controlled and viewed from an Android tablet.
If you only need video and slides, then you can run your presentation on the computer running smartboard software and connect to the computer with the Android tablet controller. This doesn't actually allow you to draw over arbitrary apps though.

Yes but we've done away with projectors and now we just run our presentations on a 50" LCD display.

I know this is a very old question, but I was looking for the same thing and finally ran across an app that does this.
Ink Over Apps
This is an old app that you need to download from a site that has old apk files. here is a link to one of them.


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Galaxy Note Phones lock when call ends
Galaxy Note 3, and Galaxy Note 4 Edge:
When a call ends because:

The caller hanging up first, or
Ending call using Bluetooth earpieces (a number of different brands and models)

The device LOCKS.
It does not do that if you end the call first using the buttons on the device screen.
Also this problem is with:

Phones that are encrypted and phones that are not.
Phones that have S View covers, or have no cover at all.
Phones that use PIN lock, and phones that use fingerprint lock.

Note also that this problem does not occur on S3 or S4 to my knowledge, but that is simply a friend claiming that he does not have this problem with his phones.

It is not a feature, it's a bug. I own a Galaxy Note 4. I unlock my phone with my fingerprint. I make a call over my Bluetooth earphone, then end it with Bluetooth. For the next call I have to unlock the phone again, although my security settings allow the phone to stay unlocked for 5 mins.
If I do that without a Bluetooth device, there is no problem.

As far as I can tell, that is simply the phone working as designed. If you receive a call while the device is locked, the device will remain locked after the call ends. This should be the same whatever device you use.
It may be different if you set your device to have no lock screen, but I hadn't tested it.


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How to block all apps notification except sms and calls?
By accident I made a reset to all apps notifications, and suddenly I have a machine gun of notifications popping up on the phone. Please, I know it's a smartphone, but it's still a phone and I merely want to be notified with phone issues: sms and calls.
How can I block all apps notification, from sounds and in status bar, except sms and calls, without going individually to each of one?

Do you want to block just sound or block even appearing of notifications in status bar? If you want to block sounds of app except calls and sms you can do that with do not disturb and set priority to calls and sms. If you want to block appearing of notifications you can do it with Tasker (I think so) but I'm not really familiar with it, otherwise you always can block it one by one from settings.

I mean also notifications in status bar. I'll edit accordingly

It is possible with  Macrodroid automation app (free upto 5 macros) and real easy to learn
Trigger: Notification → Notification Received  → Select app  → Text content  → Any  → ok
Action: Clear Notifications  → choose apps from drop down (don't use clear all, since it has phone and SMS )→ ok Text content  → Any  → ok
Constraints: Leave blank
Name the macro , save and you are safe from machine gun fire :)

If your device is rooted, you can Configure App Notifications individually or collectively

Quick primer on app here

I used the application Notifications Off (you need root access). It is straightforward and simple. You simply uncheck all apps and then tick only call and sms apps.

authors: Једноруки Крстивоје


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Do I have to charge my phone before I use it the first time?
When I got my last phone, a Sony Ericsson k850i, I was recommended to charge it fully once before I even turned it on. Does this apply today as well, for my coming HTC Desire HD?
Why was I recommended to do so in the first place?

All newer phones use Lithium polymer batteries.
Why is it Partially Charged?
To decrease their aging they are intended to be stored at 40% charge. This means when you receive your phone it should be at 40% charge, otherwise they will have aged your battery for you. (you are probably used to the effects of aging, like a 2 year old phone seeming to have very short battery life). When you get your phone you can use it until it is discharged, but they normally say 'charge it' because people will not notice the partial charge.
Do Not Fully Discharge
You should not fully worry about fully discharging, this is superstition to earlier battery technologies. Fully discharging a lithium battery is one of the best ways to make it fail. below a certain charge they will have their overcharge protection circuitry fail and you cannot charge it at all. I have seen studies that show that this makes up more than 75% of "failed" lithium batteries.
Lithium Battery Aging
Lithium batteries have a set number of charge discharge cycles before they fail. This might be a number like 500 cycles. You actually get more like 1000 cycles if you only discharge to 50% before recharge. Lithiums really do not like a deep discharge, I cannot stress this enough.
If you would like more information about lithium battery technology let me know, I can get you many links, just drop me a comment. I have a few answers on the electronics and robotics stack exchange about it.
 Can I leave it plugged in all the time?
Yes, and no. This is very dependent on whom makes your device.
For example, my Lenovo laptop will not apply a charge to the battery unless it is under 97%. When it does charge the battery it charges directly to 100%, then stops until the battery sags below 97%. Many laptops did not do this, on most just applying charge if it is not 100%. This would put the battery through thousands of charge cycles in a week when you are not using the battery. This ages a battery quickly.
If your phone maker took the time and paid the extra cash then your phone will stop charging once it reaches full charge and just power the system from the wall outlet. It is significantly more likely that your phone is charging your battery on a short cycle and aging it thoroughly.
Myths
Some people have some confusion from some of the myths that go about. The primary one is memory. As Battery University will say, this is mostly extinct, and actually applies to nickel-cadmium batteries. As was stated in a comment about crystals Battery university has in reference to nickel-cadmium:

With memory, the crystals grow and conceal the active material from the electrolyte. In advanced stages, the sharp edges of the crystals penetrate the separator, causing high self-discharge or electrical short.

Now, talking about Lithium batteries, which your phone uses, there is even more difference. To quote them battery university directly from their simple guidelines:

Avoid frequent full discharges because this puts additional strain on the battery. Several partial discharges with frequent recharges are better for lithium-ion than one deep one. Recharging a partially charged lithium-ion does not cause harm because there is no memory. (In this respect, lithium-ion differs from nickel-based batteries.) Short battery life in a laptop is mainly cause by heat rather than charge / discharge patterns.

I understand how this may go against what you have been taught, but I am someone who not only has researched this, but uses lithium batteries in my day to day work as an engineer.

-1: If I can't fully discharge my battery, how am I to counter-act the crystal forming in it? If you keep discharging it to 50% and then charging it again it will gradually lose capacity until it's completely unusable.

@Arda Xi, you can discharge it until it says it is dead, but if you give it any time to continue that way you will have the self discharge take it below the safe charge.

@Arda Xi, You are also incorrect, this does not happen with Lithium batteries. I will add links to answer. I work at a job where I use lithium batteries in the thousands every day.

@faken, I think Arda Xi mixxed up battery technologies, nothing major, I kind of expected it.

@Kortuk: I have my phone on my desk every day while at work. Would it help to charge it every day at the start of the day ? Meaning, charge it even though its still 90% charged , just to make sure it's always full whenever I leave the office ? Now I am just waiting until my phone tells me to recharge after which I , mostly , charge it overnight.

@Edelcom, It probably only makes a minor difference to you. Yes, it is better to charge the phone in small increments. If your phone is well engineered then when you power connected and the battery charged it will not pull power from the battery. This is a feature a user cannot recognize, so they normally do not do it. The rule here is to charge your phone often and avoid deep discharge. If you are never letting it power off from lack of power you are not at risk of causing battery failure, which is the major thing people cause when they think they need to full discharge.

No. You do not need to fully charge ANY battery to the max until usage. It does not matter if it's new, old, a phone, or even a remote. It does not affect the battery unless that battery has been over-used. So, what I am saying is, no. You do not need to fully charge something new before usage.

Most of the time, yes you have to charge the phone fully and then sometimes fully discharge it the first time you use it.  Most of the time you'll be fine with the phone turned on while you charge it the first time, as long as it gets fully charged before unplugging it.
There are a few reasons for this, some historical, some practical.  The historical reason is that with older battery tech, the battery had to go through a full charge/discharge cycle in order to keep the battery life high.  Phones would be shipped with batteries that only had enough power in them for initial set-up, forcing the owner to do a full charge when they got home.  The practical reason is that batteries don't maintain their charge indefinitely when they're unplugged, so although your phone may have been shipped with a battery that started off with a full charge, by the time it gets to you, it may already be very low.

Lithium batteries are never shipped full charge, and you should never take the battery through a full charge discharge cycle for "lifetime". This is quite bad for a lithium if you take your discharge to too low a charge.

You're absolutely right.  However, as I said, older generations of batteries are not like Li-Ion and Li-poly batteries in that they could degrade severely without a full charge/discharge cycle.

This question is about an HTC Desire HD. This uses a lithium battery http://www.htc.com/www/product/desirehd/specification.html The original phone he mentions also uses a lithium battery, that took some looking. It is speced here: http://www.mobiletechreview.com/phones/Sony-Ericsson-K850i.htm


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Default account in Twitter app
I have two Twitter accounts in my Twitter app, one personal and one for work. I added the personal one first, and it appears first in the Android Accounts settings. I want the Twitter app to use the personal account when it first opens, but it always defaults to the other one - can I change this?

I would suggest logging out of both and signing into your personal account first. Then the work account. This should then default to the first account you signed up with...
-edit (sorry for being so stupid)-
Try another twitter client such as twiddle (free) or talon (Paid). These may have the feature your looking for...
I can't comment as I don't have enough rep yet.

He stated clearly in the original post:  "I added the personal one first"

Unfortunately I've tried that on both my current and previous phones, adding the accounts both ways round. It might be alphabetical or something.

Updated answer to make it a bit better


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How to enter recovery/download mode with broken home button and broken bootloader
I was trying to install NightOwl cm12.1 Android 5.1.1 Beta 5 build for my Galaxy Note 1 N7000. I followed all the installation instruction on that ROM's thread. I flashed philz CWM 5.15.0. And now I'm stuck at step 4 after flashing the new kernel (6.48.4) to get updated CWM recovery. Now, my phone is unbootable stuck in the n7000 screen. If I wait just a little longer, the phone would just turned off. The installation guide says that I could still enter recovery mode by pressing "home" and "volume+" and "power" buttons. But unfortunately, my hardware home button is broken.
I read somewhere that we could still enter recovery/download mode via ADB. I've tried it with no luck. It can't find the device (since it won't turned on). Is there any other way for me to at least enter download mode to reflash it back to the original stock rom via odin?

Can you still boot to the ROM?

Step - 1: Read ALL Instruction before doing risky things. You know your Home is broken.  So you cannot flash this ROM.
Have you tried to enter fastboot or Bootloader mode or flashmode? for my device its to plug in the usb while holding Volume+ key. For now, try all the combinations of hardware keys and see it any works.
And Remember "If Your Phone Is Truly Bricked: Take It Into the Store and Play Dumb" :P

Samsung devices can usually be forced into download mode using a JIG. They are pretty simple and cheap to make. If your device has been soft-bricked this will almost always work.
http://www.xda-developers.com/need-a-samsung-usb-jig-build-your-own/

Use ADB, there is a command on there to reboot your phone to Odin/download mode, it's adb reboot download.


text:
Google Services
Good day to you,
 I have an ALPS MT702t phone (MEDIATECH MT6572)  Android phone. It has Android 4.4.2 on it.
 This phone does not have on it Google Services, and Google Framework.
I can install applications using Aptoide, FDroid, etc.
 To have some of these apps on my phone it is necessary Google Services.
Using GAPPS, when I install them I get
Unfortunately Google Services has stopped
(I used the XIAOMI installer, I rooted the phone, nothing works)
Is there something to use instead of Google Services, please (to have the apps that do not work without Google Services)?

After installing Gapps, do you clean the cache, dalvik/art?

I have done everything possible to have the Google Services running, there are like 8 methods to do this. Nothing has worked.

Can you update your post with the phone model? Have you tried installing custom Roms?

The phone is MEDIATECH MT6572 . Where can I find these custom Roms please?

Unless I am mistaken, Mediatek does not make phone, but chips, processors used on phone. So your phone can be made by Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi, LG, etc while using a Mediatek chip. That is why I was/am asking for the phone brand, manufacturer

The phone is Alps M702, it is a Huawei clone having 7 inch display

Let us continue this discussion in chat.

There is something called Microg, which is an open-source alternative to the Google Play Services Framework, and this allows you to use apps that depend on it without having any Google Services on your phone. Though I'm not sure if you can install it without having rooted your phone.


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Show Fullscreen Portrait Layout with Miracast
I'm trying to display my phone's screen on a monitor. Landscape works correctly but when I flip to portrait the screen fills a small portion in the middle of the screen instead of changing orientation. I plan to turn the monitor sideways to display the device screen and lock it in portrait. Has anyone come up with a way to change the orientation? I'm using the netgear ptv3000. I'm considering purchasing the allsharecast hub, but I'm not certain that will work either. Thanks!!

I believe that this is the way graphics are outputted and cannot be changed (it is the same with iPad's and their output connector)

I am sorry to have to tell you this, but this is not possible.
The OS outputs the data to the screen, and the screen follows this. When the device is in portrait mode, that is what the device outputs - as the screen has wide space, it fills it with black bars.
This is the same for the iPad's (I know, I hate them as well) with their screen connectors - if the iPad is in portrait mode, then the screen sits in the middle of the screen.

If it is on the OS side, then it is something that can fixed with software, possibly requiring a custom firmware which does make it possible.

@plackemacher True, but I dont really think the OP wants to build thenselves a custom ROM ;)

I am the OP's friend. We may be considering such a thing as we want to demonstrate an app at a trade show and our only other option at the moment is to buy a 60"+ TV which we cannot afford.

I don't believe there is an easy solution out there, but there has to be some possible way to do this

Think about it, if you were to stretch that screen on the handset when and only if, plugged into the TV set, it would look hacky and awful at worst!
Reasons include:

Would chew up a lot of memory to allow translation on the fly to accomodate the width of Android's graphics frame-buffer device - which is a limited size based on the resolution of the handset and only one framebuffer is available!
An extra layer of complexity to tell Android "Right, we're plugged into TV, now stretch"
As RAM is chewed up to "accomodate" a bigger buffer to hold the graphics in a stretched state for desktop screen/TV, that could result in Android slowing down to a crawl as the apps would not have enough RAM available to run in.

All in all, it may be do-able, but having to reserve memory for the "stretched" resolution, say, for example, 800x480 resolution, Portrait mode on WVGA, 480x800, Landscape mode, 800x480, using that one singular frame-buffer device.
Have a mosey around in the kernel configuration as there may be something in there for Media/TV capture...? as for the actual app within Android itself, have not seen it. Worthy a investigation into the kernel though :)
But then again, if there's a chip that supports HDMI, maybe its a different story, but interesting question OP! +1 from me!

One alternate would be to use a third party launcher that has Landscape home screen mode enabled, like GO or Nova. See if this solves your problem.

Could you link the apps here?

Hello I beg to differ:  If you connect to the Miracast while already in landscape mode, you get a landscape mode display on the TV.  At least, with 2 differnet phones (Android v4 and V7) and 2 differnet miracast (Microsoft's and chinese compatible) I get landscape mode.
Marc

I have acomplished this by using a cheap laptop connected to the tv, with ms display set to portrit. I use Soti Pocket controller, an app to send the phone screen to the laptop. Takes a little tweaking, but you can get full screen of phone on the TV, edge to edge. That's the only way I know to do this.

authors: Любашка Крисанова


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Exchange e-mails deleted from Samsung Galaxy S III when downloaded on computer
When I have Microsoft Outlook running on my computer, exchange emails are self deleting on my Samsung Galaxy S III.
I can see the incoming email on my Galaxy S III, but it goes as soon as Outlook downloads the same email.
Why is this?

Note: This is not an Android problem. Your Outlook uses the old POP3 protocol to fetch mails and deletes them on the server afterwards. Switch to IMAP or activate a "leave mails on server" option (or similar).

This problem is due to your email server setup. Server is setup to delete mails from the server once they are downloaded to your Outlook. Your Android Email client only shows mails that are on the server, hence you can't see mails once they are downloaded.
You may have an option where you can disable deleting downloaded mails, however my corporate mail server doesn't allow me to do this and always deletes downloaded mails, so I'm not sure about this.


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Sending an automated SMS before switching off the phone
Can I send an automated SMS to any specific number by an application/service (which I set ON), if phone gets switched off before closing that service or application?
Also can I do the same if phone breaks down in an accident or if I do specific action on phone, such as "Tap the screen 3 times while phone's screen is locked", or "shake the phone 3 times while it is locked"?
Thanks.

Have you looked at tasker?https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.dinglisch.android.taskerm

Tasker should do the first things you asked about, but I doubt you'll find anything that can recognize "Tap the screen 3 times while phone's screen is locked" or "shake the phone 3 times while it is locked", short of writing a custom app.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.dinglisch.android.taskerm&hl=en
Tasker is a great app in general that you really should check out since it sounds like you want to do a lot of automation type stuff.

While agreeing on the "tap while locked" (especially when the screen is off), Tasker should be able to handle the "shake" stuff fine (except if the device turns the sensors off when screen is shut off). Difficulty here, however, might be the special shake-pattern (which Tasker AFAIK does not support itself); maybe some addon is available which could realize even that. Btw: Free trial of Tasker avaialable on their homepage. It's worth every cent to buy it, when you find you can deal with it. You just have to get used to it ;)


text:
App for calling a list of contacts, one after another
My daily commute is rather long, and I make lots of phone calls while driving. Dialing while driving is illegal, so I have to stop by, dial, and drive again, which is inefficient, time consuming and unsafe.
Is there a way to create a list of contacts in advance, so that my Android will dial all the contacts on the list one after another?

What about using Voice Dialling via a bluetooth headset? Is that considered against the law in your location?

It is not illegal, but voice recognition in Hebrew is nonexistent or poor. Moreover, it requires action on my part and distracts my attention from driving.

While it doesn't dial automatically, you can add contacts to your home screen for one click dialing.
Home Screen > Menu > Add > Shortcuts > Direct Dial
Now choose a contact.
You'll now have an icon on your home screen that will dial with one click. Do that for all of your contacts and you can have a homescreen of contacts.

It's a nice idea, but the contacts are not always the same, and clicking a contact still requires some attention.

Not a good idea, but seems the only current solution. putting big number of contacts on home screen, and sorting them each time is hard.


text:
Xperia Z2: SD Card not being shown as mounted under Storage, but is accessible from file manager
After I rebooted my Xperia Z2 running Lollipop 5.0.2, the micro SD card is not indicated as being mounted  in Settings → Storage. I see a button to mount it, and another one to erase it, but it is accessible from FX File Explorer and I can read from it, and write to it without a problem.
Here's a screenshot of the Storage screen showing the card unmounted :  https://goo.gl/photos/VdtZNy8uN52q9N9e7
If I remove it and put it back in while the phone is still on, it shows up just fine in the Storage (I see a button to unmount it, and another one to erase it).
This makes me think that something is going wrong at start-up, that prevents it from being mounted properly.
I tried several new micro SD cards, and I can tell you it's not a problem with the cards themselves.
Any help is appreciated.

After a lot of research and browsing the XDA-Developers Forum, it appears that the problem lies within the stock kernel I'm using, so I flashed this custom kernel instead http://forum.xda-developers.com/xperia-z2/development/kernel-andropluskernel-v10-t2974841 which appears to solve the issue.
I rebooted my phone a few times, and my SD card is being mounted properly after each reboot.
A word of caution though, don't flash this kernel if you're using XZDualRecovery, you must uninstall it first (there are detailed steps in the post I linked above).


text:
Negative timespan on battery usage graph and blank WiFi data usage graph on CM12.1 after installing WhatsApp
I recently installed CM12.1 on my Moto G 2013 XT1033. After installing WhatsApp and rebooting, the data usage meter isn't showing. The same goes for the battery usage details.

Click image(s) for larger versions

data usage showing up weird data cycles.

Have you set the date & time correctly? It seems that the device date is set in the future, or at least there's a discrepancy between internal date and shown date (only a guess, since I don't know how Android store the date). 315854661 seconds is around 10 years, and the date cycle showing up to 2016 is really strange.

Btw, I added your comment from the answer to add more info about the issue. Feel free to fix/improve if there's a wrong info.

There is one more thing which i came across. android os shows that there has been a small (about 3.30kb) data usage in a future year, namely the year 2025.

It's a bug. Just try to restart your phone a couple times, and it will be ok.

It may be, but do you have link(s) to back the claim?

i did a clean install today again. same problem persists. any of you having this problem?

i noticed something: on installing whatsapp and rebooting phone, whatsapp encounters an error saying that phone date is inaccurate. after that the data usage history messes up.

Hy guys, i research a little and i found this.  http://prntscr.com/7hktdx

what about the data usage bug?

i don't know man. i found just for batery, i didn't found anything for data usage.
Is that helped you for battery?

Yes, but the fix is not persistent.

It's a  bug buddy and I had my download percentage shown 157% on CM once. Restarting did the trick.

Restarting isn't really helping. And this keeps happening as soon as i install whatsapp.


text:
Nexus 6 Not Showing up in "My Computer" or ADB with Debug Mode Enabled
I use my Nexus 6 for the purposes of developing Android apps, and I have been using my laptop along with my phone to write and test the apps. In the past, I have never had any issues with connecting my phone to my laptop, but as of today, my phone only shows up on my computer when Debug Mode is disabled. When debug mode is enabled and I plug my phone in to my computer, my computer plays the tone that indicates new hardware, but the phone never shows up on the "My Computer" listing, and adb devices does not show it. I have tried rebooting both the computer and the phone, but that has not resolved the issue.
My computer is running Windows 10 Pro x64, and my phone is running Android Lollipop v5.1.1 Build LMY48M.
I do not know if there is any connection, but prior to installing the latest update to Android System WebView from the Google Play store, this worked just fine. The only reason that I cite this as a possible cause to the problem is because after getting this update, my app drawer was updated to look like the Android Marshmallow app drawer which I thought was not going to be released ahead of Marshmallow.
UPDATE: I tried plugging my Nexus in to my machine running Fedora Workstation 22 and it works just fine regardless of whether Debug Mode is enabled or not.
UPDATE 2: Whatever the issue is, it's got something to do with my computer. I tried it on my mom's laptop and it works just fine. She does not have the Android SDK installed, but aside from that, her machine is identical to mine.

Have you tried to use a different USB port? Sometimes that is the issue. If not, open your SDK manager and make sure your drivers are up to date.

I tried both of these things and neither warranted any results. Thank you for the suggestion though.

Installing Universal naked drivers shall solve your problem. Assuming you are skillful enough installing drivers manually as you intend to make use of ADB, here's a reference link to Universal Naked Drivers: http://forum.xda-developers.com/google-nexus-5/development/adb-fb-apx-driver-universal-naked-t2513339
It generally supports all Nexus devices(probably all), if it doesn't help, uninstall the current installed driver from Device Manager and replug your Nexus device to make it install its drivers again.


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How to install extensions on Android's stock browser?
I have JellyTime (R30 - https://code.google.com/p/jellytime/) installed on my HTC Desire HD phone which is running a variance of Jelly Bean 4.1.2.
Is it possible to add some extensions/features to the default available Internet Browser in Jelly Bean? For ex. Ad Blocker, Flash Blocker, etc.?

Are there any extensions to the default browser? I know of none. So the answer is probably "No".

The default Browser does not have extensions, but what you are looking for might be found as Android apps, for instance: "Bookmark Sort and Backup" (BookmarkSB).   The bookmarks themselves are considered part of Android not of the default browser, but the addon would only have use through the default browser and there are changes made to the options in Browser that you will not see in other browsers from installing this app.
For serious stuff like effective ad blocking and changes to the hosts file you would need root access, before you can use full features of such addons, and in particular modify your hosts file.   The hosts file would apply to your entire system not to a specific browser or application.


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Share PC storage with BlueStacks?
I am using BlueStacks Beta 1 but its storage capacity is limited. Is there any way that I can share PC storage so that I can install more apps?
EDIT: I have Bluestacks 0.7.5.2700 installed and it does have limited disk space :(
Please find below screenshots to illustrate the problem.

How limited? How many apps do you have?

You have to choose "Install Here" option to install to the PC. Choosing "Install to phone" will obviously push-install the app on the phone. I am not aware of any storage capacity limitations that are built into Blue Stacks App Player. As long as you are installing to the PC there should be no limitation. The only limitation, if any, is the storage capacity of your PC disk drive.


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Enable the keyboard on the right side of the emulator
I am currently using the latest Android SDK. Whenever I run a device, I can use the hardware buttons on the right side and the D-Pad.
But, there's no qwerty keyboard below it. Is there any way to make it show up?

Old emulator layout (with QWERTY keyboard)

New emulator layout (without QWERTY keyboard)

Have you tried to double-tap the terminal? By default keyboard on Terminal Emulator on my Xplay does not show up too, double tapping the screen solves the problem.

Find the emulator's configuration in your HOME directory.
~/.android/avd/<The_Device_Name>/config.ini

Here the The_Device_Name is the name of the android virtual device your created using the AVD Manager.
Open this configuration file(.ini) using Notepad editor and change the setting to have the below line which enable the keyboard
hw.keyboard=yes


text:
GTab with access denied to all app databases
I have a brand new GTAB (Android) that was working fine but suddenly, give a reboot while I was using anMoney, a very good application of financial organization.
Until anything I'd like to observe that I have plenty of space in NAND Flash storage memory, something about 100 MB. This storage is used to keep app's databases under /data directory. I'd like to observe that my ROM is original and android version is 2.2.
So after reboot, all applications that effectively use SQLite stopped to work. Each one gives substantial logs, pointing me that this problem are involving not so exclusive SQLite:
App1: anMoney
E/ApplicationContext( 1933): Couldn't rename file /data/data/com.zvasvari.anmoneyp/shared_prefs/com.zvasvari.anmoneyp_preferences.xml to backup file /data/data/com.zvasvari.anmoneyp/shared_prefs/com.zvasvari.anmoneyp_preferences.xml.bak
E/ApplicationContext( 1933): Couldn't rename file /data/data/com.zvasvari.anmoneyp/shared_prefs/com.zvasvari.anmoneyp_preferences.xml to backup file /data/data/com.zvasvari.anmoneyp/shared_prefs/com.zvasvari.anmoneyp_preferences.xml.bak
I/Database( 1933): sqlite returned: error code = 14, msg = cannot open file at source line 25467
E/Database( 1933): sqlite3_open_v2("/data/data/com.zvasvari.anmoneyp/databases/My Book", &handle, 6, NULL) failed
V/com.zvasvari.anmoneyp( 1933): com.zvasvari.anmoneyp.database.az: android.database.sqlite.SQLiteException: unable to open database file
V/com.zvasvari.anmoneyp( 1933):     at com.zvasvari.anmoneyp.database.sql.a.a.a(Unknown Source)
V/com.zvasvari.anmoneyp( 1933):     at com.zvasvari.anmoneyp.database.sql.s.a(Unknown Source)
V/com.zvasvari.anmoneyp( 1933):     at com.zvasvari.anmoneyp.app.book.a.t.b(Unknown Source)
V/com.zvasvari.anmoneyp( 1933):     at com.zvasvari.anmoneyp.app.book.a.t.doInBackground(Unknown Source)
V/com.zvasvari.anmoneyp( 1933):     at android.os.AsyncTask$2.call(AsyncTask.java:185)
V/com.zvasvari.anmoneyp( 1933):     at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask$Sync.innerRun(FutureTask.java:305)
V/com.zvasvari.anmoneyp( 1933):     at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.run(FutureTask.java:137)
V/com.zvasvari.anmoneyp( 1933):     at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1068)
V/com.zvasvari.anmoneyp( 1933):     at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:561)
V/com.zvasvari.anmoneyp( 1933):     at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:1096)
V/com.zvasvari.anmoneyp( 1933): Caused by: android.database.sqlite.SQLiteException: unable to open database file
V/com.zvasvari.anmoneyp( 1933):     at android.database.sqlite.SQLiteDatabase.dbopen(Native Method)
V/com.zvasvari.anmoneyp( 1933):     at android.database.sqlite.SQLiteDatabase.<init>(SQLiteDatabase.java:1812)
V/com.zvasvari.anmoneyp( 1933):     at android.database.sqlite.SQLiteDatabase.openDatabase(SQLiteDatabase.java:817)
V/com.zvasvari.anmoneyp( 1933):     at android.database.sqlite.SQLiteDatabase.openOrCreateDatabase(SQLiteDatabase.java:851)
V/com.zvasvari.anmoneyp( 1933):     at android.database.sqlite.SQLiteDatabase.openOrCreateDatabase(SQLiteDatabase.java:844)
V/com.zvasvari.anmoneyp( 1933):     at android.app.ContextImpl.openOrCreateDatabase(ContextImpl.java:540)
V/com.zvasvari.anmoneyp( 1933):     at android.content.ContextWrapper.openOrCreateDatabase(ContextWrapper.java:203)
V/com.zvasvari.anmoneyp( 1933):     ... 10 more

App 2: Battery Widget
E/ApplicationContext( 2674): Couldn't rename file /data/data/com.elvison.batterywidget/shared_prefs/com.elvison.batterywidget_preferences.xml to backup file /data/data/com.elvison.batterywidget/shared_prefs/com.elvison.batterywidget_preferences.xml.bak
E/ApplicationContext( 2674): Couldn't rename file /data/data/com.elvison.batterywidget/shared_prefs/_has_set_default_values.xml to backup file /data/data/com.elvison.batterywidget/shared_prefs/_has_set_default_values.xml.bak
I/Database( 2674): sqlite returned: error code = 14, msg = cannot open file at source line 25467
E/Database( 2674): sqlite3_open_v2("/data/data/com.elvison.batterywidget/databases/alarms.db", &handle, 6, NULL) failed

App 3: Meridian
E/Database( 3110): sqlite3_open_v2("/data/data/org.iii.romulus.meridian/databases/webviewCache.db", &handle, 6, NULL) failed
W/ApplicationContext( 3110): Attempt to read preferences file /data/data/org.iii.romulus.meridian/shared_prefs/google_ads.xml.xml without permission
I/Database( 3110): sqlite returned: error code = 14, msg = cannot open file at source line 25467
E/Database( 3110): sqlite3_open_v2("/data/data/org.iii.romulus.meridian/databases/google_analytics.db", &handle, 6, NULL) failed
E/SQLiteOpenHelper( 3110): Couldn't open google_analytics.db for writing (will try read-only):
E/SQLiteOpenHelper( 3110): android.database.sqlite.SQLiteException: unable to open database file
E/SQLiteOpenHelper( 3110):  at android.database.sqlite.SQLiteDatabase.dbopen(Native Method)
E/SQLiteOpenHelper( 3110):  at android.database.sqlite.SQLiteDatabase.<init>(SQLiteDatabase.java:1812)
E/SQLiteOpenHelper( 3110):  at android.database.sqlite.SQLiteDatabase.openDatabase(SQLiteDatabase.java:817)
E/SQLiteOpenHelper( 3110):  at android.database.sqlite.SQLiteDatabase.openOrCreateDatabase(SQLiteDatabase.java:851)
E/SQLiteOpenHelper( 3110):  at android.database.sqlite.SQLiteDatabase.openOrCreateDatabase(SQLiteDatabase.java:844)
E/SQLiteOpenHelper( 3110):  at android.app.ContextImpl.openOrCreateDatabase(ContextImpl.java:540)
E/SQLiteOpenHelper( 3110):  at android.content.ContextWrapper.openOrCreateDatabase(ContextWrapper.java:203)
E/SQLiteOpenHelper( 3110):  at android.database.sqlite.SQLiteOpenHelper.getWritableDatabase(SQLiteOpenHelper.java:98)
E/SQLiteOpenHelper( 3110):  at android.database.sqlite.SQLiteOpenHelper.getReadableDatabase(SQLiteOpenHelper.java:158)
E/SQLiteOpenHelper( 3110):  at com.google.android.apps.analytics.PersistentEventStore.getNumStoredEvents(Unknown Source)
E/SQLiteOpenHelper( 3110):  at com.google.android.apps.analytics.PersistentEventStore.startNewVisit(Unknown Source)
E/SQLiteOpenHelper( 3110):  at com.google.android.apps.analytics.GoogleAnalyticsTracker.start(Unknown Source)
E/SQLiteOpenHelper( 3110):  at com.google.android.apps.analytics.GoogleAnalyticsTracker.start(Unknown Source)
E/SQLiteOpenHelper( 3110):  at com.google.android.apps.analytics.GoogleAnalyticsTracker.start(Unknown Source)
E/SQLiteOpenHelper( 3110):  at org.iii.romulus.meridian.core.Utils.startTracker(Utils.java:440)
E/SQLiteOpenHelper( 3110):  at org.iii.romulus.meridian.IndexActivity.onCreate(IndexActivity.java:82)
E/SQLiteOpenHelper( 3110):  at android.app.Instrumentation.callActivityOnCreate(Instrumentation.java:1047)
E/SQLiteOpenHelper( 3110):  at android.app.ActivityThread.performLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2627)
E/SQLiteOpenHelper( 3110):  at android.app.ActivityThread.startActivityNow(ActivityThread.java:2503)
E/SQLiteOpenHelper( 3110):  at android.app.LocalActivityManager.moveToState(LocalActivityManager.java:127)
E/SQLiteOpenHelper( 3110):  at android.app.LocalActivityManager.startActivity(LocalActivityManager.java:339)
E/SQLiteOpenHelper( 3110):  at android.widget.TabHost$IntentContentStrategy.getContentView(TabHost.java:651)
E/SQLiteOpenHelper( 3110):  at android.widget.TabHost.setCurrentTab(TabHost.java:323)
E/SQLiteOpenHelper( 3110):  at android.widget.TabHost.addTab(TabHost.java:213)
E/SQLiteOpenHelper( 3110):  at org.iii.romulus.meridian.MainActivity.initViews(MainActivity.java:292)
E/SQLiteOpenHelper( 3110):  at org.iii.romulus.meridian.MainActivity.onCreate(MainActivity.java:150)
E/SQLiteOpenHelper( 3110):  at android.app.Instrumentation.callActivityOnCreate(Instrumentation.java:1047)
E/SQLiteOpenHelper( 3110):  at android.app.ActivityThread.performLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2627)
E/SQLiteOpenHelper( 3110):  at android.app.ActivityThread.handleLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2679)
E/SQLiteOpenHelper( 3110):  at android.app.ActivityThread.access$2300(ActivityThread.java:125)
E/SQLiteOpenHelper( 3110):  at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:2033)
E/SQLiteOpenHelper( 3110):  at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:99)
E/SQLiteOpenHelper( 3110):  at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:123)
E/SQLiteOpenHelper( 3110):  at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:4627)
E/SQLiteOpenHelper( 3110):  at java.lang.reflect.Method.invokeNative(Native Method)
E/SQLiteOpenHelper( 3110):  at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:521)
E/SQLiteOpenHelper( 3110):  at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:868)
E/SQLiteOpenHelper( 3110):  at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:626)
E/SQLiteOpenHelper( 3110):  at dalvik.system.NativeStart.main(Native Method)

To turn things more intriguing, I bought an Andoid app called SQLite Editor and open the 3 individual databases given above. All 3 are intact, without presenting data loss or corruption.
What can be wrong? Any one can point me what is happening?


text:
Do you need to run uninstallers/cleaners on Android to maintain performance levels like on Windows?
You'll have to forgive me as I'm not as familiar with the internal workings of Android/Linux as I am with Windows.
I'm curious about performance degrading on an Android device in the absence of, for lack of a better term, maintenance. When I try out a bunch of apps and then uninstall them, do I need to run any sort of cleanup? I know Android doesn't have a registry like Windows but does it have some part of the operating system that gets cluttered up and needs to be tended to/purged over time?

Usually not: as you already said, there's no "registry" or the like. Only when you experience problems, there might be some cleanup needed. You might want to check My device is getting slow, apps start misbehaving/crashing. What can I do? for related information.

As for uninstalling apps, I don't think so.  Standard apps (ones that don't use root access) have at most three parts:
A single executable file

A .apk archive containing the entire app -- similar to Windows apps that are entirely contained in a .exe file (like most installers: It not only carries all the code it needs but also all pictures, config files it needs, etc.)

It is stored in /data/app usually

A single folder containing all userdata

This is for things like settings storage, or caches

Although this is comparable to yoir appdata folder it doesn't get cluttered because apps are only allowed a single folder here that is managed completely by the system and is easily deleted when uninstalled

Stored in /data/data

Possibly another folder in /sdcard/Android/data

Basically the same as the /data/data folder but if the app needs a lot of space for extra files it puts them here

When an app is uninstalled, all these parts are destroyed by the system, so I can't think of anything that would get cluttered but the fragmentation of the sdcard.  DO NOT download any defrag apps (I haven't found a single one that wasn't some sort of scam).  Instead, get a card reader and defrag it on your PC if need be.
Edit: As suggested by Izzy below, SD Maid is a nice manager/cleaner

Hoho... A non-scam app would be SD Maid. But you are right: In general, things work like you described. "Left-overs" are rather exceptions. But still, they sometimes happen...

@PoldieMar defragmentation doesn't slow anything down?

@Poldie Also, isn't defragging strictly an NTFS thing? Or does it also apply to FAT32?

@Poldie *fragmentation


text:
How can I configure a Galaxy S4 to allow me to touch Dashclock to open items?
How can I configure a Galaxy S4 to allow me to touch Dashclock to open items?
I want to be able to tap on the email icon to open email, etc.  Dashclock appears to support this (I may be incorrect here?) but the S4 insists on making me swipe to unlock whenever I try to tap the email icon.

Why do you say that DashClock appears to support it? Is it in their Description?

When I tap the icons they light up as if something is supposed to happen but instead the S4 lock screen shows "Slide to unlock".


text:
Building CyanogenMod 14.1 for Nexus 6
I am interested in using CyanogenMod 14.1 on my Nexus 6, but since it is not available even in the form of an official Nightly release just yet, I have to acquire it elsewhere. As always, there are third party developers who have compiled their own builds of it, but since they are not directly from the source, I do not trust them, and would rather build it myself. I started researching how to build CyanogenMod for the Nexus 6 on the CyanogenMod Wiki and I managed to get everything done until I ran into the proprietary blobs. According to the Wiki, I need to be already running a version of CyanogenMod containing containing the blobs that I need. How exactly can I do this, given that there is no official release of CyanogenMod 14.1, nor is there even an Android 7.0.1 release for me to use instead? Is it possible for me to use the Nexus 6 stock blobs from Android 7.0.0 build NBD90Z? If not, how can I go about making the blobs "work" with CM 14.1? Even after I get the blobs, I am not sure what I am supposed to do with them.
Edit: Apparently I have other problems as well. The Wiki states that I should cd into ~/android/system/device/moto/shamu, but that folder does not exist in my repository. Why is that?

You can't build that from the official repos yet, since the code is not ready.
There is a reason unofficial builds exist - the devs write their own codes and patches to make the code buildable, bootable and functional ahead of release, and put them in their own repos. Unless you're skilled enough to do the same, you do have to use their code or wait for official nightlies to drop (by then the official code will be ready too).
As for the trust issue... Devs don't usually interfere with CM common code; rather they create device, kernel and vendor repos which are device-specific. Again, if you still can't trust their knowledge about the device then it's up to you to research from the ground up.
Finally, since CM12.x, the blob extraction step is obsolete.
I build CM on my own PC too, but I sync from third-party repos when possible (e.g. if another dev posts his CM14 builds, I get the repo from his XDA thread) and trust them, because why not? CM is made up of individual maintainers; if you can trust one there's no reason you can't trust another.


text:
Data usage slider missing in Android Lollipop
After upgrading my Galaxy S5 to Android 5.0, the sliding bar on the graph which allows you to show data usage for a prescribed date range is no longer there. For example, in the older Android I was able to slide the bar to show data usage for the last 24 hours, or for whatever range of days I wanted- it was so easy and fast. I understand that there is an option to change the date range in the options, but this is more time consuming and you need to change it every time you want to show a different range- the slider was so much easier and faster. Is there any way to bring this back or perhaps an app that has this feature? I don't understand why several useful features have been removed in the new update, as I mention in my other question here.

It's a Lollipop thing and not Samsung specific. A lot of people are pretty unhappy about it. I haven't come across the reason why the previous usage sliders were removed.

Yea I always miss those sliders. They were so useful for tracking down data hogger apps! Sometimes Google just decides to kill something that is very useful because they think they know better. What is that option to change date range (the one you mentioned as time consuming)? Is it to change start date of cycle? I find that changing start date is a workaround to filter the data usage at least for the last x days.

Samsung probably removed this ability in their recent update, as LG handsets are also missing this feature from previous Android versions.  The best course of action to monitor your data usage in detail is to run a search on the Play Store for data monitoring apps.  A quick search I ran returns a plethora of results.

Thing is mine disappeared but I still got the notification that I reach my limit. From that notification I could use the data slider but if I come out from it I won't be able to get it unless the notification comes up again.

I'm not sure if it'll work, but disable wi-fi, enable mobile data and resart your phone, try if it works

Nope that doesn't work- that option seems to have completely gone- there is no sliding bar at all. Does anyone know if it was removed or whether there might be an app that has this feature?


text:
Cannot write to /storage/emulated/0 after nandroid restore (even as root)
On  my rooted Motorola Moto G 2014 LTE I can no longer access the directories under /storage/emulated/0/, such as Download, Documents, Ringtones.
Using a file explorer, without root access, I just get access denied when trying to open the folder; with root access, I can open the folder but I am unable to write in it. Folder permissions seems ok (770, owned by root and group sdcard_r).
Using a terminal emulator, trying to do an ll inside the folder (as root) returns opendir failed, Permission denied.
What I did prior to the problem was:

unlock the bootloader, install TRWP recovery
root
install various apps (including Link2SD to move some apps to the SD card)
perform a nandroid backup
trying to flash Xposed: I had some issues here after reboot, so I restored the nandroid backup

Another thing to notice: after the nandroid restore, an app installed before making the backup (FX File explorer) was missing.
EDIT: I solved with a full wipe (not just factory reset) and restoring again the previous backup.

@Firelord I've read from various sources that the "fix permission" tool is deprecated and actually does more harm than good on Lollipop. In the end I just solved with a full wipe and another nandroid restore, and the problem was gone.


text:
My Android device with USB host does not recognize my WiFi Adapter dongle. Is there a way I can install a driver or do anything else?
I bought an Android device that doesn't come with WiFi but comes with USB hosts and, as stated in the site, supports Wifi dongles. But mine is not working.
I successfully plugged in a USB mouse, keyboard, hard-drive and a bluetooth dongle but specifically the WiFi dongle doesn't even turn on (the light doesn't turn on).
Is there anything else I can try?

You need to find a WiFi dongle with a chipset the device supports. Each chipset requires different drivers, so you'll have to find one that's supported. There a discussion thread on the site you linked to about exactly this.

Thanks.. I didn't even know this site had a forum for each product. I already ordered a compatible dongle for $10


text:
How to make phonecalls on an Android AVD?
I am new to Android SDK and AVDs and I was wondering if there is anyway I can enable the cellular network on an Android AVD and make for example phone calls.

Do you use Eclipse as IDE?

No.I do not like Eclipse.I use Netbeans.

You can call between AVD's. Run 2 AVD, each will have diffrent number - it is placed on window title bar, example 5558. Call from one to other using this numbers. You can also text ;]
In your AVD you simply cannot use real celluar network because your PC/Mac do not have built-in GSM modem (even if, AVD is not supporting this kind of feature).

Thanks for your help.I tried it between 2 AVDs and it works.

Some laptops do have built in 3g modems.  If you had one of those, would it be possible to route a call over the celluar network?

It can't support this king of feature.This is what fones explains in the last sentence in the parenthesis.Unless he/she is wrong.    :)


text:
Is there a way to visualize music from the microphone?
With all the media and 3D graphics capabilities available on modern hardware I'd like to see a nice visualisation application that listens to the microphone.
If anyone knows the G-Force winamp plugin they know what I'm talking about.

Some 3rd-party apps can do this, such as:

Spectral Audio Analyzer

Free real-time audio analyser with 8 kHz spectral bandwidth. Display any sort of audio from the microphone as a coloured spectrogram. Identify environmental noise, search for annoying tones, view harmonic patterns of instruments and voices, analyse the frequency range of your speaker... .

Ah thanks very much, I hadn't found those. The AudioScope one is getting there but none are anything close to G-Force or Milkdrop or anything like that. I'm sure given time something will appear in the market. These are still handy analysers though!


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My PC doesn't recognize my GTablet through USB
I have a GTablet GingerEdition. It has no OS, hence I need to install it from my PC, but when I connect the tablet to my PC I can´t see it as a USB device. The PC says that there are no drivers.

Missing USB drivers for the operating system on the PC. Just go to the manufacturer website, download the correct USB drivers, install it, then connect your GTablet. The operating system, like Windows, will automatically search for suitable USB drivers to enable the connection between your tablet and PC.

I am not sure if it works. But first of all update the driver from sdk\extras\google\usb_driver for your device. Also, check in root mode if any help is available.


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How do I change the spell check language independently from the hardware keyboard layout
I'm using an Asus Transformer Pad Infinity with a German (Swiss variant) hardware keyboard and with the standard Asus variant of Android version 4.2.1.
On a regular basis I need to type in both German and English, so it would be nice to have spell checking in both languages. However, whenever I switch to English spell checking, then the tablet assumes I'm using an English keyboard layout and swaps keys around such as the Y and Z keys. Is there any way around this?

What a great question!


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Not able to access the service menu on my Galaxy S3
I have a Samsung Galaxy S3 from US Cellular and I'm trying to use it on a different carrier. I added the new SIM Card and I tried all the possible options to access the service menu and it always says "Mobile network not available". My phone model is SCH-R530U. Thanks.

Is your Samsung Galaxy S3 from US Cellular locked for US Cellular only? If YES, you won't be able to use a SIM card from a different carrier with it. You'll have to unlock the phone first so that it allows SIM cards from other networks.


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Galaxy S2 Messaging: persistent badge number
I use a Galaxy S2, SPH-D710VMUB (Virgin Mobile) running Android 4.1.2
The default messaging app it comes with has this (very common) feature of showing a little red circle with the number of new text messages in it. When you read your messages the icon disappears and you are left with just the yellow envelope icon.

Lately it has been displaying "3" new messages whether I have new messages or not. It never goes away, always the little red circle and the "3" inside it.
My notifications tab at the top of the screen is properly updated, if I have no messages it does not display anything.
It doesn't seem to affect any of the other apps, notifications or functions of the phone. It's almost as if the icon simply never refreshed or something.
I have already restarted the phone, cleared RAM in Active Applications, etc.
Thanks for your time.

Head to Settings
Scroll down to find Application manager
Scroll to the right until you reach the page All
Locate Badge-provider
Click on Clear data, if you cannot click clear data then first hit Force stop, then you should be able too.
Restart your phone

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