text:
Voice dial without Internet connection
I'm new to Android, just purchased a Sony Xperia Arc S.
So far I haven't been able to figure out how to do voice dialing (in car etc.). I've read that you can use Google Voice Search, but this fails if there is no data connection (and why do I need to send data to Google for an internal operation like this?).
Perhaps I am missing something? ( My 6 year old nokia feature phone does this :/ )
UPDATE:
It seems that the 'google voice search' way is the only method on this phone,  so I've tried it out. However it doesn't seem to work for me (just comes up with 'did you mean', and a list of unrelated terms) - perhaps its an accent thing.  So I'm still looking - currently I'm unable to dial while driving, which is pretty important to me.

Have you tried Vlingo… Use its in-car mode too...

@SachinShekhar - No, I'll take a look - thanks.

Regarding the Internet requirement, the voice processing is done on Google server so needs Internet.

@roxan - yeah I assumed so, but I don't want to share this information with Google.  These phones are more than capable of processing voice locally - it's disappointing that there doesn't seem to be such a capability built into Android :(

Last time I checked hands-free voice dialing is not possible with Android.
http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=9817
Put simply, Android is NOT car-friendly telephone.
In fact, Android phones may be banned from use while driving in some states, as Android does not support hands-free operation.
Perhaps, nothing wrong with that if we consider it as just a small internet tablet and not demand full telephony capabilities from it.

"Voice Control without Internet by K&J Software" app seems like all you'll need.
Description from the Play Store:-

Unlike most voice applications on the the market which require
internet connection, this application installs a light-weight speech
recognizer on your phone, so it can run locally WITHOUT internet
connection. You can make your own speech commands to start an app,
call a friend or browse a website. Speech commands can be defined by
phonetic alphabets, so it literally supports any language.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.KnJSoftware.VoiceCommander&hl=en
I haven't tried it out yet, but it looks promising and has decent ratings. Not sure how well it performs..
It also seems you can set the "voice dialing feature" through this app. Hope it works out well! :)
Note: Free version has a few limitations.

Voice commander works ok..it is slow and clunky. but it is better than nothing. I would like to take the salesman out and beat him to a pulp for upgrading me to a phone that will not do what my old one did easily.

Could you add the link to the Play Store/download page? I couldn't find an app called "Voice Commander" in the Play Store.

If you enter the dialpad to call, you should see a microphone icon that you can click to voice dial.  You can also add a voice dial icon to your home screen.
As for needing a data connection, it's not the processing that's the issue - it's the amount of data that would need to be stored on your phone in order to do that processing that's the problem.

Thanks, I'll try that.  I don't buy your comment about the amount of space required on the phone for voice dialing though - my ancient Nokia phone is able to do this.

Just checked - there's no microphone icon on the dialpad screen on my phone :/

Perhaps your phone doesn't support voice dialing then?

I can't comment on your Nokia, but I do know that Google's processing employs a huge database to compare the sample you submit to it.  I imagine part of the reason for it is simply a different design philosophy: Google makes cloud-based software services, and Nokia most likely produced an app exclusively for their own brand in a time when cell bandwidth either didn't exist or was expensive as heck.

The Nokia approach was very simple. You record a 'tag' and it tries to match what you say to the (v. small!) db of recorded tags (no voice-to-text required).  Google however seem to be using their general purpose voice-to-text service for this, which must match multiple accents etc. (so yeah, that's going to be big). One could argue that a general voice-to-text system is complete overkill for a voice dialing system, and less fit for purpose (e.g. it can't deal with foreign name pronunciation).

Well, Google's system isn't just for voice dialing - it's for control of several phone functions, including search.  So it needs must have a much broader base.  The Nokia app is far more niche.

That's exactly my point - but dialing is a rather important niche for a telephone.

It DOES dial. It just doesn't do it the way you feel it should. Since that's the case, I suggest that Android isn't the platform for you :)


text:
Bluetooth pairing fails, no more PIN entry field
I wanted to pair a bluetooth device (specifically, Dynamo Harvester) with my Moto G 2 (Android 6) with the normal workflow: Open bluetooth system settings, scan for devices, select Dynamo Harvester, enter the PIN and it is paired.
Now, after entering the wrong PIN (0000 instead of 000000) several times – where most of the time a message was displayed that the PIN was wrong –, I entered the correct PIN, and something strange happened. The Incorrect PIN message popped up for a brief moment, and afair the device moved to the list of paired devices.
Since the app still did not recognize the Dynamo Harvester, I turned bluetooth off and on again. Now the device has disappeared from the list of paired devices, but appears in the scan list. If I try to pair, I cannot enter a PIN anymore but receive a message Can't communicate with Dynamo Harvester.
I thought that perhaps the device is broken somehow, but connecting with a Samsung Android tablet worked just fine (with the correct PIN).
What can I do? Might this even be a bug in Android because of the strange message about the incorrect PIN, although it was correct?

Did you read the FAQ? You don't pair it in System Settings like a normal BT device, you have to pair it in the app... "Some Bluetooth devices are to be paired in the system settings. However, de Dynamo Harvester is paired in the Setup menu of the app". http://be-on-bike.de/en/harvester/faq.html#BLUE1

AFAIR (this is many years ago and I don't use the Dynamo Harvester anymore due to lack of a dynamo and the bike itself too) I could pair the Dynamo Harvester from the app itself. Pairing it from the System's Bluetooth dialog did not work, probably because that dialog mainly pairs audio devices.

I recently had a similar problem though different devices (Android Google Nexus 7 running Marshmallow and Motorola Buds Bluetooth headset). Turns out the headset needed a reset to forget all the devices it had learned. Since I switch between devices, I suspect my data in the headset itself had become corrupted. In any case this fixed my problem. You might try finding a headset reset for your device and see if that fixes your problem. You may also need to have your phone/tablet forget all the devices, too, as that has helped me in the past.

Go to setting / system / reset /reset Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
Turn on Bluetooth. Search device and tap on it. It will ask pin. Enter your pin.

source: Stack Exchange

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

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

sort: votes


text:
Is this android vulnerability bug #8219321 fixed?
In 2013, Bluebox Security announced that they had found a bug in Android that could be used to modify the contents of any application package (including ones distributed as part of the system software) without affecting the attached cryptographic signatures; details to be disclosed at Black Hat USA 2013. I don't want to explain in detail as this site explain it well: http://www.computerworld.com/article/2483525/security0/android-flaw-lets-attackers-modify-apps-without-breaking-signatures.html
However there was no news if it has been fixed. I find that there is really an app "Xmodgames" which is exactly doing the same thing.After granting it root permissions It modifies game files without breaking its signature.
You can't update that app automatically from play store once its signature get broken right? I assumed the same thing but even if xmodgames applies the mod on a game you can still update that game from play store. It means that it keeps the signature intact. Has it not really  been fixed till yet?

The answer is important for me because then  I'll look forward how apps with granted root permissions do that without breaking signature.

The only way an APK needs to be resigned is if its content gets altered. I don't know about XmodGames, but a similar tool, Lucky Patcher, extracts the file called classes.dex (the binary) from the target base.apk (signed archive), performs a check to determine the bytes to patch, creates the base.odex with what's unchanged from the classes.dex and the patch itself (the patched bytes must be located at the same offset as the original ones), and finally puts the base.odex into a subdirectory called arm where the original base.apk resides, for which root is needed.

I find that after apk is installed, its classes l.dex file is copied in /data/dalvik-cache folder. Doesn't it require new signature after modifying it?

The funny thing is that the DEX and ODEX are not signed: they are executables. Think of them as a sequence of ones and zeroes. The APK is somewhat of a ZIP archive, and can archives be signed? Indeed they can. So, resign just the APK if you edit its contents and repack it. Patch the DEX and ODEX directly, no further operations required. Granted, patching is way harder than decompiling, editing, recompiling and signing.

@DeathMaskSalesman Do you have any link where I can learn more about dex and odex patching and modification?

These are the Smali instructions references. You should be able to correctly patch a DEX file by binary editing it, and replacing its opcodes, although I suggest you to try decompiling from a computer to familiarize with Smali's workings, first.

Yes it was fixed (sourced from MasterKeyDualFix) on Wed Jul 03rd 2013. Generally vulnerabilities like this are reported to Google a long time prior to it being publicly announced. In this case it was reported to Google in Feb 2013 and the fix had already been passed to OEMs to include in their releases. (Note, the date it was committed to AOSP (the first link) is not the date it was available to Google and the OEMs)
As for the second part of your question I believe XMOD works by modifying the files after the app has been installed which bypasses the signature checks. Although I am not that familiar with XMOD I'm pretty sure that it is not using this vulnerability.

If I recall correctly, XMOD patches the classes.dex, similarly to Lucky Patcher, which creates a patched ODEX, so it's possible to update the app without changing its signature.

That's why both lucky patcher and xmodgames were removed from play store. This is big vulnerability to android apps. Any app with fully granted root permissions can modify other apps in its environment without breaking the signature.

@user334283 Sure, but the only thing Google does by removing them, is to bury their heads in the sand, instead of properly counter the vulnerability.

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


text:
How do some android apps know from where they have been downloaded?
If you read privacy policy of some online apps, you will find that their services also store information about from where you download their app.
I wonder if this is possible because apk is a compressed archive which can't capture this information while being downloaded. Is it possible that google play store and google play services maybe adding this information after you install that apk.
Most of the time I don't even download or update apps from play store in my every android phone. I just share the apk from one device among every other home device via wifi and side-load them. How do they come to know the download source in this case?

I'm not sure of the exact method and it probably varies based on what they're using to track it with. But I think it's mostly the installer apps themselves reporting back, like Google Play or Amazon Marketplace. In my Google Analytics reports, I've seen various Android package names, like com.amazon.venezia for installs through Kindle for example. Most are entries of "not set" which is probably what you'll get for ADB and side-loaded APKs.

@Mufasa you're right. I did some search and found that they implement google analytics in their source code.


text:
How do vendors flash ROM in Android phones during manufacture?
When Android phones are manufactured, during their factory state they are just an electronic hardware with no piece of software in them. How does a vendor install its stock ROM if those new phones cannot communicate with PC? Is it done through a specialized flash tool which programs the chip for the first time?
Vendor's service centers even recover completely hard bricked Android phone and cost you high price for that. If flashing stock ROM in an empty hardware is so easy for them then why a normal user has to go in so much trouble to treat his hard bricked phone when an easy and free online solution can be provided by the vendor itself.
In my view completely hard bricked phone is equivalent to the newly manufactured device which is yet to be flashed with stock ROM because hard brick loses its ability to boot or enters into recovery mode.

If a solution to a hard brick was free, from where do you think that vendor service centers would make money? #D

I don't know how phones are exactly made but in factories I have been
to they had some sort of automated flash programmer such as this one:
http://www.bpmmicro.com/. These programmers automatically put a ready
software image - bootcode, Linux, userland programs onto thousands of
NOR/NAND flash chips. Flash memory is programmed before assembly
process is started so that ready pre-programmed flash memory can be
used.


text:
Nexus 7 won't boot after installing twrp
In How do I root my Nexus 7? step 7, I couldn't figure out what "on-device fastboot controls" meant. Now when I boot the nexus 7, the google logo with an open padlock appears for a second, and then the colorful 4-circles android animation spins, for many hours.
Just once, I saw the Teamwin splash screen, showing the version number 3.1.1-0 matching the twrp.img that I'd downloaded from dl.twrp.me and flashed in step 6.  (Yes, it's the right version, "flo" for nexus-7 2013 wifi.)
adb devices and adb reboot bootloader both report no devices found.
The battery is full, and staying full while the USB cable to the PC is plugged in.
How do I restore the tablet to a state where I can either give it commands from its screen, or from adb over USB from my win7 PC?
Is there some magical button-holding or adb command that can interrupt or prevent its infinite loop?  Holding the power button for 5 seconds returns it to the google logo, but then the dance starts all over again.  (It's fine to wipe the data on it. My eventual goal is to install cyanogenmod CM13.)

To shut off device adb shell reboot -p 2.  On device fast boot controls means using hard ware keys 3.I am not familiar with your device but suggest redoing the process

#3 was what I wanted to be able to do.  #1 failed because adb still couldn't find the Android device.  But #2 worked.  If you answer this with "hold power and volume down until you see the "fast boot" screen with the green robot on its back with the cover open", then I will accept it.  Thanks.

Partial answer
On-device fastboot controls means using the hardware buttons as explained in How to enter Google Nexus 7 Fastboot Mode.

Power off the device completely.To enter Fastboot mode, hold down Volume Down and Power.

Release the buttons only after the Fastboot screen appears, which shows the green robot on its back with its cover open.

Doing this made the Nexus 7 responsive again.  Then I could complete step 7 properly and start step 8.


text:
nexus 7: set static IP address for non-wifi
My desktop PC's second NIC is configured to IP address 10.0.0.2, subnet 10.0.0.0/24.  Other PCs talk to each other, when I give them similar addresses (10.0.0.3, 10.0.0.4, etc.).  All these PCs plug into a NetGear 100base hub.
How can I add a Nexus 7 tablet running Android 6.0.1 to this network?
My USB-to-cat5 dongle successfully connects the tablet to the internet via a router.  But when I plug it into the NetGear hub instead, I see no way to specify an address like 10.0.0.5.  (Were this wifi instead of cat5, then it would be easy.)
If I replace the hub with another router (which would give the tablet a DHCP address), then the host PC gets confused because it has two 192.168 networks at once: https://superuser.com/questions/1101720/if-i-have-two-routers-how-do-computers-choose-which-to-use.
Edit: From google play I installed "wifi static" and, through that, set the IP address to 10.0.0.4.  But then I still couldn't see it on the 10.0.0.xxx net.  Ping from PCs to the tablet failed.  The tablet's TeamViewer  app (for remote desktop) failed to connect to PCs with "connection error."

You can address reserve the tablet by using address reservation on router with the MAC address of the tablet.
MAC address an be found in About Device -> Status

Settings -> about tablet -> status -> (ip address, or wi-fi mac address, or any other item) is a dead end.  None of those, tapped or held, can change any setting.  I see no way to set an IP address there.  Holding an item only reports "text copied to clipboard."

Sorry, do you mean to change a setting on the tablet, or on the router?  (There is no router on the 10.0.0.0/24 net now.  But I can replace that net's hub with a router, if I must.)

on the router, theres a feature for that its called ip reservation

So the full answer is: you can't set the IP address of a Nexus 7's wired network.  Instead, replace the hub with a router, configured to assign DHCP addresses in the range 10.0.0.0/24.


text:
What happened to Lenovo LePhone? Is it on the market? Was it released?
I found a lot of adds, comparisons, and presentations of Lenovo LePhone, mostly from January 2010, but on earth I cannot find any store where to buy it! Was it released at last?

It was released, but only in China:

In May 2010, the company launched its 2,899-yuan LePhone, which China Unicom sold 145,000 units after hitting the market, to compete with Apple's 4,999-yuan iPhone4.

OMG, why only in China???

Only Lenovo can answer that.


text:
How to clear Android browser's localStorage?
I've got an HTC Evo Design 4G (Android 2.3.4), and I can't figure out how to clear localStorage in the browser. Clearing the cache, history, form data and everything else doesn't do it. Resetting the browser to default settings doesn't do it. The website (served from the local network) doesn't show up in Website settings either.
The only thing that does work is deleting ALL data from the phone by resetting it to factory defaults.
Is there an easier option, and how come this isn't done as part of clearing cache which should "clear locally cached content and databases"?

Thanks for this. Just solved a clients problem. It's seems VERY annoying that it just can't be cleared.

Try: Settings → Applications → Manage Applications → Select Browser ("All apps" tab) → Clear Data. This would delete all the data belonging to the app. Quite like a factory reset, but just for that app.
Be careful while using this. Make sure you select the correct application (Its called 'Browser' some phones and 'Internet' on some) in the All apps list.
You can accidentally delete your contacts and other important stuff if you are not careful

Thanks, that works! Instead of Browser I have "Internet", I guess it might be Sprint's way of making it more "accessible".

This question came up in Google search for a generic Android/Chrome local storage removal/reset question so here's an answer for how it is done in..
Chrome 68

With browser open tap 3 dots 'menu icon' (top right)
tap 'settings'
tap 'site settings'
tap 'storage'

to clear individual site storage

tap 'search icon' find the domain you want cleared
tap on domain
tap 'delete icon' (garbage can) to remove 'stored data'
confirm by tapping 'clear all'

to clear local storage on all sites

tap 'clear site storage'
confirm by tapping 'clear all'

I noticed this when Browser had way too many megabytes of data.
If you're root you can remove the localstore files without clearing all browser data (bookmarks etc.) by using Ghost Commander or similar app, or adb shell, to remove the localstore files from /data/data/com.android.browser/app_databases.


text:
Facebook contact sync in Ice Cream Sandwich
The rivalry between Google and Facebook seems to have gotten in the way of a really useful feature from Gingerbread: Facebook contact sync.  Currently my Verizon Galaxy Nexus has the ability to add accounts for Google, Twitter, LinkedIn.  There is even a Facebook entry in the add account list.  However, clicking that does nothing.
I see that in 4.0.3 there are new social contacts APIs that will let 3rd parties extend this feature with checkins and posts.  Is there a way to enable Facebook contact syncing in ICS (with or without 4.0.3)?

This is one area where manufacturer customizations are better. HTC's Sense does a great job of social network integration, it even supports Flickr so you can see your contacts' latest photos.

@Rex: I have only used Sense on someone else's phone, but I was really unimpressed.  It may add some useful features, but personally I think features like social network integration should be built-in.  Maybe Sense has gotten better since I last used it (admittedly it was more than a year ago).

Yes, sense 3.0 is the newest. Had very impressive widgets and theme support. You can also customize the lock screen in multiple layouts, and directly open some apps from it.

I use Hax Sync on my Nexus. Works perfectly for ICS, it will sync high quality photos (if they are available to sync). I highly recommend it.

@swapnil I don't think the facebook API lets you pull down phone numbers? I think that's what I've heard before

There are a number of 3rd-party apps available on the Market that can help with Facebook contacts sync.  Judging from comments, Friends Sync and other similar apps seem to do the job on ICS.

Thanks for the answer.  I'll leave this open for a while longer to see if anyone has 1st party solutions (native Android trick or something directly from Facebook).  If nothing comes up I'll accept your answer.

If you look for the official facebook app on the market, you won't find anything else offered by them, so it's highly unlikely that there would offer something else.


text:
no notification for automatic upload of images and videos in google+
How can I configure my 2.3.5 phone so that I don't get a notification for automatic upload of images and videos in google+?

If you're talking about when your phone uploads to Google+ automatically using the built-in Instant Upload, then you can just switch that off in the Google+ notifications. In fact I think that you must have switched that on at some point because I'm sure it was off by default for me.
Open the Google+ app, press Menu, select Settings, press Notification Settings, and then scroll down to the Photos category and take the tick out of "Photos added from Instant Upload". You'll still get the red notification box at the top inside the Google+ app, but won't get notified in the standard Android notifications bar any more. The other notification settings are there too, if you want to tune any of the others.


text:
How do I set custom search engines in Android?
For years now, on every browser I own, Firefox, Opera, Chrome and Internet Explorer, I've assigned w as a shortcut/keyword to the custom search engine http://www.google.com/search?q=site:wikipedia.org+%s&btnI.  That is, I just type w android comparison to jump to the befitting wikipedia article.  I use many, many other custom searches.
Is there a way to set this up on Android?  Not necessarily with the stock browser?

Have you tried Firefox Mobile? My phone doesn't support Firefox Mobile, but these are the kind of stuffs that Firefox Mobile might be able to do. Opera Mobile and Opera Mini also has custom search, although, AFAICT, not using the address bar but a separate search bar.

Yes, with Firefox Mobile. The search plugins from addons.mozilla.com can be installed directly in Firefox mobile.
If the search plugins from addons.mozilla.com don't cut it, Shortmarks.com lets you make your own search plugins to save on your Firefox install. This guide might help.

I'm afraid, the shortmarks solution no longer works...

With Firefox:

Tap the menu button next to the address bar:
Tap Settings.
Go to Search.
Go to Add Search Engine.
Add a name and a search address (e.g. Wikipedia and  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%s)
Repeat the last two steps for each engine you want to add.

Then when you'll tap the address bar you'll be able to choose the engine you like by tapping on it.
The best way to use this feature is through the Firefox widget, which automatically proposes the engines to use.
With Chrome
I found an app that does the job (it can work with any browser), but unfortunately, it is not free if you add more than 5 custom engines.
install SearchBar Ex, then add search engine with ADD > Search > Custom Search.

There are a number of apps that will either give you a Wikipedia search widget on the home screen, or add Wikipedia as an option to the built-in search widget's drop-down selection. Have a look at a few of these: https://market.android.com/search?q=wikipedia+search

Sorry I have many, many, many such custom searches. I only used Wikipedia as a relatable example in my question, but there are no search widget in the market for many, many many of my custom searches.

@WilliamC fair enough, you might want to mention in the question that Wikipedia's only an example rather than the main focus of the question.


text:
open a list of bookmarks in one go?
How can I open a list of bookmarks into different windows of Android's 2.3.5 browser in one go? For example, how can I set up a bookmark list that opens 3 windows in one go with the pages: www.nytimes.com, www.usatoday.com, www.washingtonpost.com all three of them from just one bookmark that will open the three pages in 3 different browser windows?

You might beable to set something up in Tasker (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.dinglisch.android.taskerm&hl=en) to do this


text:
keep screen from dimming down when running certain app?
My 2.3.5 Android phone is set up to dim down the brightness after 30 seconds of inactivity, and shut off and lock the screen after another 30 seconds. After that, I need to unlock the screen to regain access to the running app. I would like to be able to keep a certain app with the screen accessible, while keeping the same configuration for any of the other apps. So instead of having a phone-wide system of brightness dimming, I would like to have an app-specific system. Any ideas?

Settings -> Display -> Screen timeout?

Just to reiterate, I want this to be different for a specific application than it is for the rest.

There is a system permission that the app can request that allows it to keep the screen on while the app is running. This is how programs like media players are able to keep the screen on while you're watching a movie. If the app you're running doesn't currently have that facility, you could get in touch with the dev to ask them to implement this.

That's easily possible using Tasker (I do the same for selected reading apps to increase the timeout to 2min, while also having the 30s default for all other apps):

Condition: App (select the apps you want to keep the screen active for)
Task: Display Timeout (configure the timeout interval using the sliders)

Alternatively, in "Task" you could also let Tasker switching the keyguard off to disable the lock screen.
At least concerning the display timeout adjustment, this might be possible with other automation apps as well, such as Llama -- I'm not sure, as I use Tasker I don't use the others. Though Tasker might look a bit pricy (~5 EUR) and complicated, after you figured out how to use it you will find it worth every cent. Until then, there's a free trial available on their homepage.

thanks, that's exactly what I am looking for, but ideally for free (and open source).

The trial is free for 7 days. On day 6 (or whenever your config is stable), export configuration and profiles. On day 7, uninstall the app, reinstall, and import configuration/profiles. So it runs for 7 more days (this hint comes from the dev himself). I know of no other tool as powerful as Tasker, but feel free to look around -- might well be you don't need "that much power", so some other app would be enough. Considering the work and effort put into Tasker, the fee is nothing more than a friendly pat on the back.

You might also want to take a look at Llama, which might be able to do the same.

There is an app you could use: Stay Alive! Keep screen awake

it prevented the screen going dim while usb is connected, cool thx!


text:
Why does TI backup say there's still unnecessary cache?
I noticed that the newer version of Titanium Backup says I still have unneeded Dalvik Cache to clean up, even after I reboot and wipe dalvik cache in Clockworkmod. Where are these extra cache files, and why aren't they in /data/dalvik-cache? Or, is this a bug in TI-backup?

Could it be you confuse "cache" (/cache, which you cleaned via CWM) and Dalvik-Cache (/data/dalvik-cache, which you also should be able to clean via CWM)?

Thanks, but I only have two empty folders in /cache.

OK, but that's not what TiBu complains about. Again: TiBu talks about Dalvik cache. You talk about app cache. Please read my previous comment again for clarification :)

Sorry, that's what I meant - see edited question

Oh -- in that case it rather looks like TiBu got a little confused. I'd say contact Joël (the dev) and ask him directly (give him some details on your device/ROM etc, so he gets something to play with).


text:
How can I debug Droidwall blocking every app?
Starting some time ago, I have noticed that when Droidwall (1.5.7) is enabled, no apps can access wifi.
Although the app is checked, it doesn't work, until I turn the firewall completely off. This has happened for some time, is this a known bug with Droidwall or Android 2.2?
Running iptables -L shows this, among others:
Chain droidwall-wifi (4 references)
target   prot opt source              destination
droidwall-reject 0  --  anywhere             anywhere
droidwall-reject 0  --  anywhere             anywhere
droidwall-reject 0  --  anywhere             anywhere
droidwall-reject 0  --  anywhere             anywhere
droidwall-reject 0  --  anywhere             anywhere
droidwall-reject 0  --  anywhere             anywhere

Any ideas on what could be causing this?

Do you have it set in whitelist mode or blacklist mode? And have you clicked "apply rules"?

Yes I applied rules multiple times, I finally saw that the top "mode" was blacklist, tapping the title and selecting "whitelist (allow selected)" fixes it! Please post this as the answer, this is easy to miss as it doesn't look like a button/setting.

This sounds like the behavior if you have blacklist mode enabled. Double check the (subtle) whitelist/blacklist default button (the text above the apps listing).


text:
Android Jellybean not booting
My phone suddenly stopped booting. When I press power button to turn on my phone, I see manufacturer animation in a loop and phone doesn't start.
I didn't do any thing like flashing custom ROM. I don't know what happened to my phone. What should I do now? Is there any hope to fix this?
Phone model : HUAWEI ASCEND G610 U20
Android :     Version 4.2
Internal Memory: 4GB (1.5 GB Usable)
RAM: 1 GB

Have you tried a factory reset from recovery?

You are most likely going to have to flash your stock firmware. Let me do a little digging and I'll post some links. Hopefully I can have it to you by the end of the day

@acejavelin : Yes, I tried doing a factory reset (Power Button + Volume Up thing). But that didn't help. And I lost all data in my internal memory too.

@asloss : I have only 4GB internal memory available and 1GB Ram. I am not even sure that any new custom rom would even fit into it!!!

Download the stock firmware. The website seems pretty slow and the download is 1.41 GB so this might take some time, but it is the official website. It also includes the official flashing tool, so you may not need to download below mentioned flashing tool.
Download this flashing tool.
Extract the flashing tool to your desktop or wherever you want it. You can use the SD card if you like. In that case, all you need is to put the UPDATE.APP file in dload folder in sdcard, insert sd card to phone, Press Volume Up + Volume Down + Power Button. When Phone vibrates, release power button only, and when upgrade starts release volume keys too. Wait for some time.
Follow Steps 6-12 on this website and you should be good to go:
It has pictures :)

here
Be patient this process might take a little while. the first boot will also take some time so don't turn off your phone or disconnect it from the computer before it is done.
If you have any questions feel free to comment and I'll try to help as much as possible as I don't have this phone.

Thanks Asloss, I downloaded same file but not from huawei site, but from google drive, some user might have put there so I got good download speed. And There was no need to download the flashing tool you mentioned, that 1.4 GB download already includes that.

Glad I could help! Even if it was only a little haha!

That download has files for SD card Upgrade or Upgrade using PC, and An instruction manual (official, by Huawei guys) about how to upgrade and precautions. I chose SD Card upgrade, everything gone well and now I am able to use my phone again.


text:
Android 6 wlan wifi disconnects always
Got a problem on my Galaxy Tab A since the upgrade to Android 6. The Wlan disconnects and reconn. always. It is not the routers fault or any other but most likely something in the software. Well I started searching through the different settings and changed this:
"More connection settings" - "Nearby device scanning" and set this off. Now it seems to be fixed. I suppose this scanning disturbs the wifi frequencies or sth like this. Any other suggestions?
Thanks,
Hendish

"it is not a question for help, but I want to discuss this" › then it is off-topic here, sorry. This is not a forum to discuss things, but a Q&A site. I'd recommend you [edit] your question and remove that paragraph (otherwise your question gets closed as being off-topic) if you're interested in solutions – and move the discussion part to a forum.


text:
Routing to Google Map services issue
I'm developing an Android application on a tablet that must use both Ethernet (trough USB adapter) and internal LTE carrier (or WiFi) to access Google Map services.
When I connect the USB/Ethernet adapter the application becomes unable to authenticate on Google Map services and therefore map is not populated at all, when USB is unplugged the application works correctly and Google Map component correctly shows its content up to the maximum level of detail.
May this depend on a routing issue? How can I fix this?
BTW the Ethernet port on this device is used only to access other devices located on a private LAN whose network is known.
PS The device is a Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 t719 running Android 7.0.
-- UPDATE --
I'm not certain of the missing authentication since USB port is busy and I cannot see app logcat dump in realtime but the behaviour is the same I can observe if Google Map authentication fails for some other reason (i.e. WiFi turned off while debugging, invalid Google Map API key etc).

Is the device rooted?

@Robert Nope. But if needed I can try to root it.

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


text:
Record screen problem
vivo 1902 - unable to capture the screen of this interface due to app limitation on
how to override this situation when record screen from some apps. If I use the app recorder it just blanks when I play it again.

You cannot do screen recording on apps which restrict taking screenshots and recording. Your only solution will be root access, I believe.


text:
My device has files listed as other in one of my old file explorers but I could not access them they are eating my internal memory
Does anyone know how to get rid of these files they will not show up at all not even to anti-virus software but they are using all internal memory I clear up within minutes

Comments are not for extended discussion; this conversation has been moved to chat.


text:
Where map applications get live traffic data?
Nowadays, there are a lot of traffic applications that help us to choose the better path to being arrived at the destination.
Therefore, it's the common question for people, "How does it work?"
I need some professional information about it. Please tell me in deep detail.
Any help would be appreciated.
UPDATE:
I don't mean "How does Google know where I am?" or something like that which asked in THIS link.
Look at this picture and you'll understand my objective.

@beeshyams No, I just updated the question.

"Google Maps check the traffic by tracking moving of Android phones on roads." Question is about a Google's proprietary product, not Android.

@IrfanLatif Thank you. Now I got something.

when i am on the freeway at 3:00 a.m. it shows me yellow (slow traffic). but in fact the road is free, not much traffic, except for 90% of vehicles are trucks (which have speed limit). this makes google believe all cars driving unusual slow https://fossbytes.com/google-track-live-traffic

I can't go into 'deep detail' about the exact mechanics as I simply don't know them.
Google own the 'social' navigation app Waze.
Waze allows you to report traffic accidents and roadworks and such so that other users can be made aware of them before they get to the affected area and, hopefully, adjust their route accordingly.
One of the permissions you give Waze in exchange for this free service is the permission to track your location.
Waze and Google then use this information to calculate your speed.
Obviously live traffic mapping wouldn't work very well if there was only one person using the app.
Thankfully many people use Waze every day and Waze and Google use the data from all  users to accurately map out traffic jams and calculate average speeds and journey times.
I can't say for all places but, in my local area I know the local radio station help to report traffic accidents and roadworks on Waze and also use Waze for their traffic updates.
For a brief explanation on Waze specifically you can read this page https://support.google.com/waze/answer/6078702?hl=en


text:
Is there an easier way to type apostrophes on the Droid X keyboard?
Is there an easier way to type apostrophes on the Droid X keyboard?
Two issues --

I press and hold the period key, which brings up the little pallet of punctuation.  But the apostrophe is inexplicably all the way over on the left.  Can I move this closer to the right, where my thumb is while clicking and holding the period key?  It's the most common character I use from this pallet.
Alternately, can I somehow get an apostrophe on the overhead menu that appears when you type a space?  This is the place where auto-correct goes, but when you type a space, it becomes a comma, exclamation point, question mark, etc.  How can I get an apostrophe in this list?

You can 'cook up' (create) your own keyboard thanks to an awsome android dev. (That way you can have the apostrophe wherever you want :-)
See here: http://www.gimpsta.com/themer/
It has also had a blog review here: create-your-own-custom-keyboard-for-android-devices


text:
Problems with Adobe PDF reader on Android 2.2.1
I'm using a tablet computer (Archos 101 internet tablet) running Android 2.2.1.
On this tablet, Adobe Reader is installed. Unfortunately, I have problems while reading PDF files: the rendering process is very slow and sometimes the text is not rendered at all. Instead, it is showing a blank white page or rough pixels. I have to scroll and zoom around to force a new rendering and if I'm lucky, the PDF is rendered then. This happens with big (MB) and small (KB) PDFs.
Is this a problem because of :

slow tablet hardware
crappy Adobe Reader software
pdf files?

Does anyone else have those problems? Would be a change to a different reader, for instance ezPDF Reader, help?

Try it out and see what results you get :)

Thank you for your advice @t0mm13b :-) I thought some else has these problems and I do not have to try around by myself ^^

I have got the same problem with an Archos G9 101 tablet. The rendering of some PDF files is incorrect with the Android version of Adobe Reader and correct on other devices. So it is not pdf files otherwise they will not have a good rendering on other devices.


text:
Notification icon that looks like 2 arrows inside a circle with leaf on Huawei device
I have a Huawei Mate 9. The notification icon looks like this:

2 arrows inside a circle with leaf

Things that I have done:

Tried to find this on Google but returned no results
Checked my apps icons, nothing matches

First, I thought it belonged to Snapseed, but it's not theirs.

Basically two arrows facing opposite to each other indicates data transfer on most of the phones and a leaf indicates eco. So it's a data saver basically.

That's a notification originating from the Data Saver feature in Huawei ROMs (EMUI 5.0).
Data saver helps to reduce data usage by preventing background apps from sending or receiving data and limiting the data access frequency of running apps.

When data saver is active, a data icon with a leaf will appear in the
  status bar. This may prevent users from receiving updates from emails,
  chat and other social media apps, and images will only be displayed
  when you touch them. To enable the data saver mode, go to Settings ->
  Mobile data -> Data saver.

Source: First view of EMUI 5.0 ROM: Android 7

On my Honor view 20, it is "smart data saver"

I just found out that it means that Smart Data Saver is on. This prevents some apps to run in the background so you don't use a lot of data in case you are roaming in another country, for example.
Go to settings, wireless and networks, data usage, and click on smart data saver to turn on/off.
When turned on you can still select the apps you want to keep using data and give them permission.


text:
How does Google test and check Android apps uploaded to Play Store?
I have found so many apps on the Google Play Store which are just useless. There are so many apps whose names are like "Useless App", "Nothing" and just rubbish, even in their app descriptions, it is written that this app does nothing, and those apps really do nothing. And the irony is that even these apps have hundreds of thousands of downloads.
How does Google test the apps uploaded?

How do you categorize something as useless?? What right does Google Play Store have to remove an app as useless?? If an app does not violate the norms of Play Store, it automatically goes live after security testing. Google doesn't have the right to decide which app is 'useless'; it's the developer's choice. If you don't like an app, you're free to rate it with low stars, and if you find it violating any rules, you may report it.

By useless, I mean when you install it, it only shows "Useless" on the screen and does nothing. Even its name and description is "Useless", which is provided by the developer by himself.

And if you want, you can search the term "Useless App" in the play store. Or I can also provide you some examples.

Good question. In all those years, I've found quite a bit of gibberish on the supposedly "safe" Play Store. Upvoted.

As per my personal experience, Google does not check each and every functionality of the app, it just does some routine validation check for publication. Whereas Apple's App Store does the opposite, Apple requires working login credentials for checking each and every screen at least.
Now, it is perfectly fine to publish an app in Play Store, which does nothing, i.e., useless till the time it is adhering to the Play Store's policy. Now if you found some apps which are violating the listed policy Play Store Policy, you can always report it to Google and most probably Google will unlist that app for sure.


text:
Getting absolute path with "ls" command
Is it possible to output the absolute file path when executing ls -l on Android (e.g. via adb shell or in a terminal app)?
Here is the output I get from ls -l /etc/ (I have root access):
E:\Dropbox\Droid Explorer\src\main\resources\com\droid\explorer\adb>adb shell su root ls -l /etc/
-rw-r--r-- root     root        16656 2009-01-01 03:00 CHANGELOG-CM.txt
-rw-r--r-- root     root         9944 2009-01-01 03:00 CHANGES.txt
-rw-r--r-- root     root       154482 2009-01-01 03:00 NOTICE.html.gz
drwxr-xr-x root     root              2009-01-01 03:00 acdbdata
-rw-r--r-- root     root       598006 2009-01-01 03:00 apns-conf.xml
-rw-r--r-- root     root         5491 2009-01-01 03:00 audio_effects.conf
-rw-r--r-- root     root         6198 2009-01-01 03:00 audio_policy.conf
drwxr-xr-x root     root              2009-01-01 03:00 bash
drwxr-xr-x root     root              2009-01-01 03:00 bluetooth
-rw-r--r-- root     root       101774 2009-01-01 03:00 build-manifest.xml
-rw-r--r-- root     root         1045 2009-01-01 03:00 clatd.conf
drwxr-xr-x root     root              2009-01-01 03:00 dhcpcd
-rw-r--r-- root     root         1362 2009-01-01 03:00 ethertypes
-rw-r--r-- root     root        18300 2009-01-01 03:00 event-log-tags
-rw-r--r-- root     root        14309 2009-01-01 03:00 fallback_fonts.xml

What I would like to get is the absolute path, ex:
E:\Dropbox\Droid Explorer\src\main\resources\com\droid\explorer\adb>adb shell su root ls -l /etc/
-rw-r--r-- root     root        16656 2009-01-01 03:00 /etc/CHANGELOG-CM.txt
-rw-r--r-- root     root         9944 2009-01-01 03:00 /etc/CHANGES.txt
-rw-r--r-- root     root       154482 2009-01-01 03:00 /etc/NOTICE.html.gz
drwxr-xr-x root     root              2009-01-01 03:00 /etc/acdbdata
-rw-r--r-- root     root       598006 2009-01-01 03:00 /etc/apns-conf.xml
-rw-r--r-- root     root         5491 2009-01-01 03:00 /etc/audio_effects.conf
-rw-r--r-- root     root         6198 2009-01-01 03:00 /etc/audio_policy.conf
drwxr-xr-x root     root              2009-01-01 03:00 /etc/bash
drwxr-xr-x root     root              2009-01-01 03:00 /etc/bluetooth
-rw-r--r-- root     root       101774 2009-01-01 03:00 /etc/build-manifest.xml
-rw-r--r-- root     root         1045 2009-01-01 03:00 /etc/clatd.conf
drwxr-xr-x root     root              2009-01-01 03:00 /etc/dhcpcd
-rw-r--r-- root     root         1362 2009-01-01 03:00 /etc/ethertypes
-rw-r--r-- root     root        18300 2009-01-01 03:00 /etc/event-log-tags
-rw-r--r-- root     root        14309 2009-01-01 03:00 /etc/fallback_fonts.xml

ls by default list everything supplied via argument. From man ls:

-d, --directory
               list directories themselves, not their contents
-l     use a long listing format

So you can simly supply everything inside your targer directory, and give the option -d.
[adb shell] [su -c] ls -dl /etc/*
^ optional, depending on your shell environment

Which gives
rwxr--r-- 1 root root 1024 Jun 4 22:32 /etc/hosts
...
(and a lone list)

Since the Android is rooted, you can use any of the following commands:

# Replace DIR with the directory's path; prefix adb shell wherever appropriate.

su -c 'busybox ls -ld DIR*'
su -c 'toybox ls -ld DIR*'
su -c 'ls -d DIR*'  # this does not work with long list format available through -l

(Courtesy of the answer here from An̲̳̳drew for listing the argument -d).
Android Marshmallow comes with Toybox. For any other Android version, you would need to setup BusyBox or Toybox.
Example:

So I'm guessing the adb shell ls is limited. Dang I was hoping to do this without busybox. Thanks anyways

You can also write a recursive list function in sh - this function can be copy-pasted in adb shell, without root permissions:
function rcrls() { ls -d $1/* | while read f; do echo "$f"; if [ -d "$f" ]; then rcrls "$f"; fi; done }

Then, use it as:
shell@myphone:/ $ rcrls /

Unfortunately, it will persist only for the current adb shell session, once you're out of it, you'll have to paste it again; or you can use it like this:
$ adb shell 'function rcrls() { ls -d $1/* | while read f; do echo "$f"; if [ -d "$f" ]; then rcrls "$f"; fi; done } ; rcrls /' | less

Then you can see files listed as:
...
//acct/uid/1000
//acct/uid/1000/cgroup.clone_children
//acct/uid/1000/cgroup.event_control
//acct/uid/1000/cgroup.procs
//acct/uid/1000/cpuacct.stat
//acct/uid/1000/cpuacct.usage
...

To get a listing with -l info, it's a bit tricky, since there's no working sed on adb shell; however, we can use string variable shell expansion and truncating to remove the basename from the listing, and then we can append the full path:
function rcrls() {
  ls -d $1/* | while read f; do
    if [ -d "$f" ]; then
       fl="$(ls -ld $f/)";
       echo "${fl%\ *}" "$f";
       rcrls "$f";
    else
       fl="$(ls -l $f)";
       echo "${fl%\ *}" "$f";
    fi;
  done
} ;
rcrls /

Or, as one liner:
adb shell 'function rcrls() { ls -d $1/* | while read f; do if [ -d "$f" ]; then fl="$(ls -ld $f/)"; echo "${fl%\ *}" "$f"; rcrls "$f"; else fl="$(ls -l $f)"; echo "${fl%\ *}" "$f"; fi; done } ; rcrls /' | less

... and then you get a listing as:
drwxr-xr-x root     root              2017-11-15 02:29 //acct
-rw-r--r-- root     root            0 2017-11-15 02:29 //acct/cgroup.clone_children
--w--w--w- root     root            0 2017-11-15 02:29 //acct/cgroup.event_control
-rw-r--r-- root     root            0 2017-11-15 02:29 //acct/cgroup.procs
-r--r--r-- root     root            0 2017-11-15 02:29 //acct/cpuacct.stat
...


text:
Vertical scrol lag in Motorola DEFY
I'm planning to buy the Motorola DEFY. I tried it out a demo piece at a store .... It seems to have a vertical scrolling screen with icons as well as a set of horizontal scrolling home screens. While the horizontal scrolling seems snappy, the vertical scrolling seems laggy. As I install more apps, will the vertical scroll lag increase further. What's the point of having both those screens anyways ?

Vertical scroll is for app drawer... It can be changed by installing Home Launcher apps.

I just bought the phone yesterday after reading a lot about it. My phone doesn't have any lag in the app launcher(the screen with the shortcuts for the installed applications, vertical scroll) and has about 50 shortcuts and it's quite responsive.

I assume you're talking about the home and launcher screens.
The launcher is exactly that, a place for your to launch apps from, while the home screen can be populated by shortcuts, folders, and widgets which make content richer and more accessible.
Perhaps a defy owner may be able to suggest a reason as to why there might be lag and what to do about it, but it might just be a bit of struggle for your phone to load all the apps you have, which is dependant on memory size and cpu speed.
Perhaps a replacement launcher would be faster.
The top two seem to be ADW and Launcher Pro, of which I think Launcher Pro might be marginally faster. You might also want to try Go Launcher and Zeam. Do some research and testing.
As well as being faster, their are often highly configurable. For instance, the feel of the native launcher on my Samsung Galaxy S2 is very 'tactile' and 'organic' despite the power of the handset. However, ADW allows me to set the speed of the homescreen and appdraw so that it is snappy as hell. I can also create differing app draws, excluding unnecessary apps and allowing it to load faster.

What you are describing as the horizontal scrolling is the home screen. It's there to hold shortcuts to apps and widgets. Think of it as your PC's desktop.
The vertical scrolling list is the list of actual applications that are installed (like opening C:\Program Files). When you add new apps, it might take a second or two for Android to load their icons into the cache. So long as you don't install hundreds of apps, this shouldn't get exponentially slower.
I suspect that demo unit probably needed to be reset since dozens of people handle it every day. I haven't played with the Defy specifically, but I have a wide selection of phones running different OSes at my desk and none of them are terribly slow in the launcher app.


text:
Cannot rate apps on Google Play
I just found out I cannot rate apps on Google play. Any app. And yes, I have them installed. But the rating 5 stars or 'Rate' button are missing.
Am I missing something? Anyone else experiencing the same issue or know why is this happening / How to overcome this?

Were those apps sideloaded or updated without Play Store?

I have had this issue for many years on my "apps for business" Google account (or whatever they're calling it these days). No solution in sight.

Quite weird, but looks like this is happening because I'm a G Suite user.
When I switch to a different, regular gmail address user, I can rate my apps again.
Looks like this behavior is rather new and undocumented (started around June 2018).
I found this article: G Suite users can't review or rate Play Store content anymore.
But haven't found any official evidence from Google to support that.

Yes, that seems to be exactly what's happening. Google docs say: You can only review apps you've previously downloaded and installed. When you download an app, it's linked to your Google Account. If you downloaded the app but don't see the option to write a review, make sure you're signed in to the right account. But that's incorrect, I installed the app with a G Suite account -no review available- and changed to another Gmail account and it let's me write the review.

Try the workaround below.
 I found this trick mentioned in one of the support threads that Google
 stubbornly ignore

Go to the Play Store page for the app you want to rate, e.g. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.osmand
Copy the app ID (after ?id=) from the URL bar - here that is:
net.osmand
Go to https://play.google.com/store/ereview?docId=, adding the copied
ID: https://play.google.com/store/ereview?docId=net.osmand
You should now see a blank page with a small text box in the middle.
Just write your review and click Submit. You can then edit or delete
the review the usual way, from the store page.

Not working any more

Did just work for me; March 2023

@Erhannis Were you able to see your review afterwards?

@plu Yup; if I go to the app in the Play Store app, I can see my review.  I don't know whether other people see it, but I'd assume so.

@Erhannis I tried the method and pressed "submit"; it greyed out and didn't give any confirmation that the review was submitted. I also could not see any such review on the review section of the app, even after a couple of weeks. Perhaps it is still related to my account being a "G Suite" one; I tried with a different non-G-Suite account and there were no problems.

I'm a long time G Suite/GAFYD user. I found this item offering advice just now and it DIDNT work for me just now, just like @plu said.
i.e. You get to type in a review and choose the number of stars, but the submit button just greys everything out and nothing happens.
I turned adblocker off, didn't help.

This worked for me just now. I immediately saw my review on the Google play website. (Which also made me realize that I can simply write reviews on the site. No need to go to that review URL.) And after I cleared the data (not just the cache!) for the play store app, I was also able to see it there.

I just restarted my phone and the problem was gone. It seems the problems roots are from the G+ extermination. Some accounts were affected in this regard. You don't need to delete and then add your account again; it's more like a re-login and since every time you restart your phone you login with your credentials is enough.

Doesn't work. Tried it multiple times.

To resolve the issue JUST sign out of your Google account on your phone (remove account), restart your phone, and then sign in to your google account again. (It might also work without restarting your phone.)
To do this, go to settings, user accounts. (On different devices these names might be a bit different.)

I'm able to switch accounts right from the play store.


text:
How to clear the keyboard autocomplete suggestions
I need to completely clear the autocomplete words my Sony Ericsson Xperia arc has learned. I used it for entering some random letter combinations (CAPTCHA entries) and now they are part of the autocomplete for some important prefixes. How can this be done? Looked in the settings screen but no luck.

This is positioned high in Google, so I'm gonna paste my solution here. I own a Sonyericsson Xperia Arc S and the Personal Dictionary list was empty.
The way to go was to go into the app listing (all apps), find the Xperia Keyboard service and Clear Data.
It resets every keyboard configuration, but it's how it works.

On some devices (even Xperia ones), it's, "International Keyboard".

You can clear learned words under Settings --> Language and keyboard --> User dictionary. Long press on the learned word and then edit or delete.

This solution does not apply to recent Sony devices unfortunately. They can learn words without being added specifically to the user (personal) dictionary, which is what the OP and myself had a problem with.

Go to setting ---> Controls ---> Language and inputs ---> keyboard and input methods --> (setting icon) behind your keyboard type -- > predictive text --> clear personal data .. :)
That's all :)

Clearing the words by Setting:Language and Keyboard:User Dictionary works only for words you've saved manually.  To unlearn words that were learned automatically, you need to go the the app that drives your text input and clear the data for that app.  For example, on my Casio Commando, I go to my list of apps, click on XT9 Text Input app and click on "Clear Data.

For xperia

Go to setting ---> Controls ---> Language and inputs ---> keyboard and input methods --->Select the Keyboard you using (eg., Xperia Keyboard)--->Settings icon--->>Use my writting style--->In My Words you can delete the words you want to remove or you can go to Clear data to clear all your words.

To clear the autocomplete suggestions and be able to type the message: double tap on the word you are trying to write, than try to finish writing your word.

Open any app like mail or message and start typing, predicted text will be displayed. Just long press it and select remove from prediction.. Done


text:
Get internal storage path for pulling over ADB
I want to get an internal storage path for pulling over ADB, and by "internal storage", I'm referring to the folder that's shown to you on a PC when you connect your device.
I can use adb shell pm list -f  -s/-3 to get the paths of system apps and user apps respectively. I don't know how I can find the internal storage path though.
From my 5 minutes of googling, I've found it could be at /sdcard/sdcard0, though I've yet to see that in any official documentation and I have no clue if that's consistent across phones/Android versions.

Depending on your Android version, there could be a few "canonical" directories:

In old times sdcard and userdata are two separate partitions:
/storage/sdcard0

In modern times (mostly Android 5+), sdcard is part of userdata
/storage/emulated/0
/storage/emulated/legacy

Finally, there's always a convenient way to reach it
/sdcard

Simple, right?

I would assume /sdcard is considered a partition. Are there any caveats for copying files into this dir/partition in an updater-script ?

@MattM. Nope. For sure.

You can use this command:
./adb pull /storage/self/primary/


text:
What is Cyanogenmod KANGs?
What is Cyanogenmod KANGs? I have read about compiling the most up-to-date source code as a "KANGs" but I can't find out anywhere what it refers to.

CyanogenMod developers coined the term "kang" originally.  It goes back to the beginnings of Android development.  It used to mean having one's development work taken, manipulated, rebranded, and re-released by someone else with no credit to the original developer.
Later this term morphed into having a less malicious meaning, and stands for the process of creating a code based of someone else's code or reapplying code that someone else created into your own code.  A "KANG" therefore is a derivative work, based on the original with some modifications. It usually means an unauthorized version of a custom ROM.


text:
Improve barcode scanning on a low resolution camera (3.2MP) without auto focus
I have two phones, one has a 3.2MP camera, and the other has an 8MP camera. I downloaded the 'Barcode Scanner' app on both phones, it works on the 8MP phone but the 3.2MP phone sometimes doesn't pick up any barcodes at all.
Update: from the discussion in the comment thread, it seems the phone doesn't pick up barcodes because it doesn't have Auto Focus. Is there a way I can get around this?

I suspect it's a focusing/lighting issue. My 1-year phone also has trouble sometimes picking up a barcode in suboptimal conditions. Changing the distance to the barcode and holding your phone still should help.

QR codes are designed for phone cameras, so it's no surprise it works with those. You need a pretty good image for standard bar codes to work. Have you tried getting very close to the bar code? Bad lighting can also do it.

3.2 mp camera should be able to pick up bar codes fine... as Martin said, it's probably a lighting or focusing issue.

ok, seems like a focusing issue, the specs say it doesnt have 'autofocus'. is there a way around this?

Try another app, NeoReader works pretty well on every device I've tried it

You could try Google Goggles as well.

Does tap to focus work from the app you're using? Tapping the barcode should focus on it

what's the particular model of the phone?

(I'll address your 2nd edit below...)
Some cheap camera modules don't include an auto focus feature, i.e. they are fix-focus'ed to infinity.
Barcode scanners need a near focus though and cannot (or hardly) scan the resulting blurry images that result from infinity-focused fix-focus cameras.
The only way around this would be to attach a macro lens specifically designed for smartphone cameras (also works with fix focus). Search for smartphone macro lens to see some samples.
I already tried that once with an older (also fix-focus) Sony-Ericsson Xperia X8 and it worked back then.

FREE solution:
I've had success with a fraction of a drop of water or oil over the lens of the camera on my ZTE Score.  It causes bar codes close to the camera to be in focus, and they read reliably.  Enough to form a convex surface, but not so much that it drops off.
The ZTE Score has a smooth back; I dip my finger in oil and, with the lens aimed up, touch the back of the phone where the lens to put a droplet of oil on it.  Then I can turn the phone face up (lens down) and I can scan bar codes.  If the outer surface of your camera lens isn't flat, this likely won't work, but it's worked with my ZTE score and should work with most low-end (fixed focus) phones.
A clear convex on one side, flat and sticky on the other side piece of plastic would do the trick too; I recall seeing stick-on rubber feet that would have served well, but haven't seen 'em and haven't tried that.
I got tired of doing this every time I wanted to scan a barcode, and just ordered a macro lens.
If the codes don't fit on the screen when in focus, your drop is too big; use less.

As I know, if you put a distance between the phone and the barcode far enough so there's no need for auto-focus, the phone should recognize it. But in some cases, the barcode distance may be far from the specific rectangle by the app, so it will not be recognized. In this case, this situation will differ from one phone to another, and btw I had this case in the past, and it never worked for me.


text:
Is it possible to emulate iOS on Android?
Some apps are exclusively made for iPhones, thus I would like to know if there is a way to make iPhone apps work on Android. Emulator maybe?

Some Columbia University students have managed to get iOS apps running on Android with their Cider compatibility layer. As far as I can tell this is not something that is available to the public but it shows that there is some development effort into getting iOS apps running on Android.
I wouldn't get too excited yet though as most iOS apps run very very slowly and they also don't have access to most hardware features such as GPS.

Again you beat me to it (+1). Maybe you want to include a link to more details?

You can try these three emulators:

Appetize.io Online iOS Emulator
Corellium Online iOS Emulator
RunThatApp iOS Online Emulator

I'm not sure if anyone of them is paid or not.
Source URL: https://whofixit.com/3-best-ios-online-emulators-for-pc-android/


text:
Can I run Windows Phone apps on Android devices?
I need to run a Windows Phone 7 app developed for our company but no one has a Windows phone.
Is there any way I can run it on my Android, perhaps a simulator or something?

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff402563(v=vs.92).aspx

There is currently no way to run Windows Phone 7 apps on Android devices.

I believe you, but can you cite a source?  Of course, how do you cite a source for something that doesn't exist.

@Chahk - see my answer below! :)

Windows uses Win32API binaries, along with an optional virtual machine called .NET CLR for .NET binaries, which encompasses C#, VB.NET, and Managed C++.
Whereas, Android apps, are written in Java that targets DalvikVM.
The nearest is MonoDroid, which enables apps written in .NET languages and sort of transliterates the compiled bytecode suitable for DalvikVM... I say transliterate.. it's not exactly 100% on the ball either and it's expensive as well! The added bonus with it, is cross-compilable for iOS too :)


text:
Is it possible to change the locale of my device?
On my Android phone, when I go to Settings -> Language and Keyboard Settings -> Select Language, I see "Locale" as the title on the top row and see that only a few languages are listed. I suspect it's because of this "Locale" setting.
Where can I change it so that all supported languages will be listed? Under Settings -> Language & Keyboard, I don't see a "Locale" option.

What phone do you have and what version of Android is it runnning? That may well affect the answers.

I don't think "Locale" is a separate setting anywhere. It just looks like the list title/header to me. This also sounds like it may be a duplicate of How do I add a new language?

android version is 2.3.5 . Does the language list depend on teh android version or is it divide by the mobile manufacturer

Here was how I changed them on my Google Pixel 7:

Open "Settings"
Choose "System"
Choose "Languages"
Choose "System Languages"
"Add a language" (I added "Español")
Drag that language to the top using the drag icon (two lines) on the right

My system switched to Spanish, although bits were still English. I bet if I restarted the phone they would all switch to Spanish.
Then finding that setting again was not so easy for me! (I hadn't written down how I got there, and now it was all in Spanish.)


text:
Using Google Voice Without Simcard
This is a simple question but I couldn't find the answer in this website?
Is is possible to call phones without a voice plan just using Google Voice?

You can do this with an app called GrooveIP: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gvoip
I have it on my OG Droid, which is no longer activated on VZW, and use it as my "house phone" with my Google Voice number.

No, Google Voice does not work over data.  You can use a VoIP solution or do some complicated things with SIP accounts and clients to make use of your Voice account over data, but this isn't supported by Google or the Voice app.


text:
What does Hot Boot mean?
In Miui ROMs, there are four options for rebooting a phone from the power menu:

What does "Hot Boot" mean, technically speaking? Are there any circumstances where a hot boot could cause harm? Are there any reasons for choosing to hot boot at all?

If it works like other "hot boot" apps and functions, then it basically restarts the Android GUI processes/threads. There was an XDA news post a while back after someone made an app for it where the app author described it as such:

Hot reboot by rebooting only the graphical Android shell.

From what I know it's sort of equivalent to restarting your X server in a Linux environment (like hitting CTRL + ALT + BACKSPACE, for example). I would definitely doubt that you'd cause any damage by restarting your graphical environment, especially considering other OSes do this pretty easily, but I suppose there's an outside chance if MIUI implements it strangely.
Typically the reason people use a "hot boot" option is if the UI has somehow gotten sluggish and would benefit from a restart but they want to save time by not restarting the whole system (maybe a memory leak in the UI or something of that sort). It could also be useful if you need to restart the UI to apply some sort of change, like a theme perhaps.


text:
Google voice indicator on incoming calls?
I'd love to know when people call my cell phone through its original cellphone number and when people call me through my Google voice number.
Is there an app that can show me an indicator on the call screen?
Thanks!

Unfortunately I don't believe so.  You can set google voice to show your google number instead of the caller's, but then you don't know who is calling.

There is no way to tell if the call is coming from Google Voice unless you change your settings to show the google voice number, but then as Chris stated, you wont know who is calling. The reason, it is not the google voice app that handles the incoming call, you can actually receive google voice calls to your phone without even having the app installed. The google voice servers forward the call to your number(s), and based on your settings, they send either the callers info or your google voice number with the "caller ID" info.


text:
How do I empty the Downloads Folder
My internal sd card is full because the downloads folder my browser saves stuff to contains a bunch of old files.
How do I empty this downloads folder in android?

Download a file mananger -- Astro is quite popular -- and delete the contents of /mnt/sdcard/Downloads. The path may be different if your phone has large internal storage.


text:
What does the random "ding" in Google Maps Navigation signify?
Ever since updating my Nexus S to ICS, I've noticed that when using Navigation I sometimes hear a random "ding" when driving around.
Any idea what this means? I was thinking maybe it was a warning about the speed limit or something, but I haven't noticed any particular circumstances whenever it does it. Sometimes its multiple times per journey, other times not at all.
In the UK, Nexus S 4.0.3.

It sounds like you might be getting the "ding" noise discussed on this Google groups post:

Thanks for the question. The alert chime you here indicates is a
  prompt for an upcoming driving maneuver. It plays in places where the
  Text-to-Speech engine is either unsupported or unavailable, but it
  also may play if the data connection becomes flaky during guidance and
  Navigation isn't able to process a road name in time.

Ok that kinda makes sense, the text-to-speech for Navigation has been buggy since I updated to ICS, it sometimes fluctuates between 2 different voices!

Also worth noticing from the same link: A single ding  appears to be a warning for an upcoming section where you have to continue straight ahead. A ding-dong seems to indicate an upcoming turn.

Anyway to change the ding noise? Or set it to None? I want to keep the voice but get rid of the annoying notification ding


text:
Are ROMs with deodexed programs faster or slower than odexed?
I am a bit confused by the effect of deodexing (or even by terminology).
Based on answers to "What is the difference between odexed and deodexed roms?":

A "deodexed" ROM is one where the .odex files have been more or less merged back into the .apk

This one seems to imply that "deodexed" ROM is an odexed (thus precompiled/optimized) ROM where the .apk package contains the .odex stuff instead of it being in a separate file.
However, the same answer has a seemingly opposite quote:

ROMs are typically released in deodexed form because they can be themed and modified fairly easily, whereas theming/modifying an odexed ROM is basically impossible (at best things would crash like crazy). Some people also choose to release their ROMs in odexed versions for people who would prefer the performance gains.

This second quote seems to imply that the deodexed ROM does NOT have the performance gains of the odexed ROM (based on the last sentence) - I am guessing because it completely removes the .odex info for the sake of portability/theming; whereas the first quote seems to say that deodexed ROM is just as optimized as odexed, but differently packaged.
Which one of these meanings is correct? What am I missing?
Example:

Fission Vanilla: "ROM has root and has been deodexed, and zip alligned"

Deodexed ROMs do not have the .odex files integrated into the .apk's, they are removed.  What eldareathis meant in his answer to the other question is that the reliance of the .apk's on the .odex files is removed; some information is integrated back into the .apk, but not the actual .odex file itself.  This page has some technical details.
Deodexed ROMs may be slightly slower because of this; however I believe that as the Dalvik cache is built up from using the ROM, the performance gap is minimized.

thanks! Would you be able to elaborate on the "performance gap is minimized" piece? Does that mean that the gap is eliminated completely for any .apk after the first use (and mimized applies to "not every .apk has a cache built at once), or does it mean that for a given .apk, odexed version would still be faster than the deodexed even after the cacge is built?

@DVK In general I think the .odex would still be faster, but having cached .dex files eliminates the need to translate all of the .apk at each startup.  I think that overhead is probably much more significant than the optimizations, in most cases.

@DVK: I see how that was unclear in my previous answer, so I went back and tried to clarify a bit. Thanks for pointing that out. Regarding this question, everything Matthew has said in his answer is absolutely correct.


text:
swap space for performance

Possible Duplicate:
How will a swap partition/file affect the system?

so what do you think, is it better to use swap space or not for small memory phone such as T-Mobile G1 to increase responsiveness and overall performance?

Related: http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/2310/how-will-a-swap-partition-file-affect-the-system

I found it better to use compcache rather than swap. Basically -- a section of RAM is reserved and used as a swap space with compression. Even with the performance hit from compression, it was sufficiently faster than conventional swap that it was a clear-cut winner in performance.
CyanogenMod supports it (Settings > CM Settings > Performance, I believe). I'm sure other mods include it as well, but I am not familiar with them.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5/


text:
Upgrading LG P500 (Optimus/Maximo One)

Possible Duplicate:
Where can I find stock or custom ROMs for my Android device?

I've thinking about rooting my LG Android for a long time but I've been hesitant because I use it on a daily basis and I'm afraid I might mess it up and not be able to restore it to the previous condition.
The main reason reasons I want to root it are:

Get rid of my providers' bloatware.
Upgrade to Android 2.3 Gingerbread.
Possibly overclock it (how safe/risky is this [on this phone/model]?).

I've never rooted an Android phone before and I would like to get some answers on these questions:

How do I root it?
Sorry if this question seems lame, but I honestly have no idea. I read some threads on the XDA forums and from what I gathered the SuperOneClick application seems to be the way to go, right..? Is there any precautions I should take? Also, I think I also need a to get a new Girgerbread / Froyo ROM compatible with my phone model. What is the "place to go" to get this?

Can I backup the current ROM / state of my phone?
So that if anything goes wrong I can restore it?

Exporting / Importing Contacts and SMSs
I'm not very worried about contacts since most of them are also stored my Google Account, but what about SMSs - is there any way / tool I can use to avoid losing them?

EDIT: Thanks to the links @Matthew posted I've managed to root and save all my phone data, however I'm still stuck regarding the ROM upgrade, I've found a forum thread on XDA that has a 2.3 ROM compatible with my phone model, but it still has some annoying bugs I would rather avoid. I see a lot of hype around CyanogenMod but it doesn't seem to be compatible with my phone (is it?).
So, can I get a 2.3 (or even 2.2) ROM that works on my phone without any major problems? Thanks!

OK, to answer the part of your question that wasn't answered by the questions I linked in the comments: Yes, you can unofficially upgrade to 2.2 or 2.3.  This XDA thread has a relatively comprehensive list of ROMs.  It looks like all the 2.3 ROMs are pretty buggy, so you should probably go with a 2.2 ROM that looks good to you; after a brief look, the one I would probably try is called "AmberHome".  The thread for each particular ROM should have installation instructions.


text:
Is there any way to erase personal information from my phone that has already been stolen?
My phone has been stolen. I do not want the thief to have access to any of my personal information such as calls, texts, and information saved in the phones contents. Is there any possible way I can get this information erased from my phone?

Sorry to hear about your phone being stolen. If you can get PlanB set up on it and locate your phone, be careful with the action you take against the thief.

As long as your phone still has battery power left and is still switched on and connected to the phone networks, you can use one of the phone wiping apps that specifically advertise that they can be remotely installed and used after the phone is stolen.
From a quick search of the Android Market, there are PlanB that is designed for this purpose:

Plan B is the 'find my phone' app that
  you download AFTER you lose your
  phone.
Plan B is your last resort to find
  your missing phone.
This is the first and only 'find my
  phone' app that you download AFTER
  you've already lost your phone. Having
  Lookout on your phone is the best way
  to protect your phone and find it
  fast, but use Plan B if you have
  already lost your phone and didn't
  have Lookout installed.

And Phonelocator Pro is one that advertises this:

Can be installed after the phone was lost. Install this application to your
  phone from the web Android Market
  remotely. Send the "PLlocator" word to
  your phone, in a text message. It will
  respond back with the phone position.
  The word is case sensitive, so be sure
  you send this exact word "PLlocator"

Wow, very cool use of the Market's push feature.

Yes, if you installed an app to do this (obviously not in your case) or if your phone came with such functionality.  If you don't know if you have it or don't know how to use it, you should call your carrier and ask.  They will know best what to do about a stolen phone.

Go to google dashboard
and click wipe when you find the device in it
https://www.google.com/settings/dashboard

If your devices didn't stole but you want to protect your device.
You may need to install the Google Device Manger
And go to DeviceManager


text:
Remove folder from App Drawer in TouchWiz (not home screen / app launcher)
TouchWiz (TouchWiz Nature UX on Samsung Galaxy S III mini) allows creating folders and reorganizing application in application list / app drawer (in "Apps") when using 'Customisable grid' view type:
"Menu > View type > Customisable grid", then "Menu > Create folder"

This allows creating folders to group applications. You can edit name of folder by touching it and then touching on name, you can put such folder on home screen / launcher via long press, and you can put applications in folder via "Menu > Edit" and selecting folder (edit works only on folders); then in this edit mode you can add apps with "+", and remove them by moving them outside folder.

I cannot find however how to remove such folder from TouchWiz app drawer.
(The articles and answers I have found by googling are about folders on home screens, i.e. in apps launcher not apps drawer).

Once you have created a folder in the Apps (i.e. I created a "Temp") and then  remove it:
1. Go to the App Drawer, Apps, and find the panel holding the folder.
2. Menu > Edit
3. Press and hold the folder until "Remove" appears.
4. Drag to Trash Can (Remove).
5. Save

Gone.

For Samsung Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge, follow the steps below:
Go to App Drawer -> Click Edit -> Click Minus ("-") sign on the folder you wish to remove -> Click Delete on the warning displayed and you are done.
The apps will not be uninstalled, only the folder will be removed. The apps would show normally in the App Drawer afterwards.


text:
Can't boot into recovery or fastboot and not going to EDL completely (Redmi Note 4)

Please read the full text and help me if anything can solve my problem. Also I can't go to Mi help center due to this lockdown, so can you suggest ways the help center person would do to fix this issue?

I have Redmi Note 4 (SD).
I flashed MIUI 11.0.6.0 port for mido (ROM discussed in this video.)
It had many bugs so I was trying to flash back to stock ROM using Mi Flash Tool (old version).
I was using linux for fastboot and adb commands and for Mi Flash Tool i was using win 7 in virtual box
I selected clean_all&lock.bat
But after systerm image processing it gave me error

error message said something about partition not been empty(sorry cant remember the exact error and log file also doesn't exist anymore)

Now my phone was on fastboot mode for atleast 5 hours so I used
fastboot reboot

via linux terminal.
But phone didn't boot and gave me black (empty screen)
I thought might be battery is low but when I connected it to charger nothing happened.
I couldn't boot to recovery or fastboot mode (and can't do it now too).
I searched on internet more for help and found about EDL mode.
I tried that but Virtual Machine wasn't loading the Qualcomm driver so I installed windows 10 .
ALSO
I searched about the error on internet and found the solution to use latest mi flash tool.
So I tried with that. BUT I AM NOT SURE IF IT IS CONNECTED BY PROPER EDL MODE BECAUSE MI FLASH TOOL INSTEAD OF SHOWING COMX AS DEVICE NAME, IT IS SHOWING MY INCOMPLETE FASTBOOT DEVICE NAME .
I clicked to flash by selecting clean all&lock but it gave me this error

The volume does not contain a recognized file system.Please make sure that all required file system drivers are loaded and that the volume is not corrupted.

ALSO THE DEVICE IS SHOWN IN LATEST VERSION BUT NOT IN OLDER VERSION IN EDL MODE
Then after many attempts to flash
Now it shows this

$fastboot -s 34564c88 getvar product   2>&1  | findstr /r /c:"^product: *MSM8953"   || fastboot -s 34564c88 getvar product   2>&1  | findstr /r /c:"^product: *mido"   || echo Missmatching image and device

It was stuck at this for like 1000+ seconds.
I searched about it and tried this solution. In this it tell to delete line 10 and 11 but in mine file it was present at 4 places so i deleted them all.
But then it got stuck at next command in clean_all&lock.bat file

[9:39:38 PM  34564c88]:start process id 8956 name cmd
  [9:39:38 PM  34564c88]:info1:$rem fastboot -s 34564c88 erase bk12 2>&1
  [9:39:38 PM  34564c88]:info1:$if not 0 == 0 exit /B 1
  [9:39:38 PM  34564c88]:info1:$fastboot -s 34564c88 oem device-info   2>&1  | findstr /r /c:"Device unlocked: true"   || echo Device oem locked

To give a try I deleted this line too but then it got stuck at next line.

ALSO TO ACCESS EDL WE NEED TO SHORT JTAG PINS BUT MY LAPTOP (WITH WIN 10) ACCEPTS IT WITHOUT DOING THAT

read Mediatek or Qualcomm

@alecxs I tried qfli tool and it gave me this error Download Fail:Switch To EDL FailUnable to load DLL 'QMSL_MSVC10R.dll': The specified module could not be found. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x8007007E)

where have you posted the link because  using this qualcomm i tried qfli tool and it gave me this error Download Fail:Switch To EDL FailUnable to load DLL 'QMSL_MSVC10R.dll': The specified module could not be found. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x8007007E).      I am unable to boot to edl mode (i think!)

look at page 3 there you will find test point. after you managed this, there is a nice answer with link to pure Linux Qualcomm USB flashing tool

i just switched from linux for just my phone to work. Can I run it in kali linux live usb or any other bootable usb for linux distro with persistence because virtual machine doesn't seem to accept  this device with port ( i tried with linux as main and win as virtual)?

you can run in any linux as long as persistence is large enough for compiling. if you have Laptop with Windows, use QPST instead

I have tried qpst and qfli but everytime i get some error like fh loader failed or sahara failed. Mi flash tool also gives me errror i.e. cannot receive hello packets. So I will be using Linux Method but I have one doubt How would I know that I have successfully enabled edl mode? because in windows device gets connected to COM10 in non-EDL and COM3 in EDL mode. So, is there a similar way or linux will directly accept device in EDL mode only?

you can see in device manager if it is named Qualcomm HS-USB QDLoader 9008 (COM3) then it is connected in EDL mode. for linux i don't know. you have a 30 second gap after connecting, after this Sahara fails with timeout https://android.stackexchange.com/q/219810

@alecxs is 10gb persistence enough? my rom size is 3.37gb

@alecxs I tried flashing MIUI 9 using mi tool and it worked perfectly. Just want to clear something up! I selected clean_all&lock.bat while flashing but my bootloader is still unlocked. So is it OK or it can cause any problem in future or it is imperfectly unlocked?

it is recommended to keep bootloader unlocked, this way it is easier to rescue data (in case display is broken)

What do you mean by display is broken?         2. But I selected clean_all$lock.bat so is it unlocked the correct way? or in edl mode that thing is not considered?

Alecxs helped me with the solution so I am posting the solution that worked for me.

Install MIUI 9.6.8.0 fastboot ROM (it works with this only) and extract it to C drive.
Run MI flash tool and select the extracted folder.
Now boot the phone to EDL Mode and immediately click refresh and then click flash.
Because if you are even 2-3 seconds late then process fails.
Wait for flashing to complete and then the phone will reboot.
If it doesn't reboot then just check (press them a little bit) all the connectors on motherboards of phone (display, fingerprint and battery) and then connect to charger. Battery icon will appear and now you can power ON the phone.

BOOTING TO EDL MODE

Don't remove battery. Not required.

To boot to EDL we need to short JTAG pins that are present on right side of fingerprint connector. (And not the 1st and 4th test points shown in many videos on internet).
And while shorting it insert the usb cable immediately.
You will see red led light blinking.
Phone will be shown as COM4 (probably).

For more information search google with test points for Redmi Note 4
You will be forced to update to MIUI 11.0.2.0 because you will face
  various bugs like

mi cloud won't sync
fingerprint won't work

OTHER THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND

If you decide to update to MIUI 11.0.2.0 then don't install RedWolf or ** OrangeFox** recovery because when you enable OTA updates in them and flash MIUI 11 rom you will get *ERROR 7 * message and and when you reboot you phone will stuck on MI logo.
When stuck on MI logo then don't try flashing rom again using Mi Flash Tool by booting to Fastboot mode (if you can boot to it) because you will get System flashing error.

FIX FOR STUCK ON MI LOGO

Requirements

unlocked bootloader
adb and fastboot tools
fastboot extracted rom (can be MIUI 11)

If you are stuck there then don't worry. Try if you can boot to Fastboot Mode (Vol - with power key). If not then try recovery mode or repeat EDL method. If yes then read ahead.
If you can then install adb and fastboot tools in your PC. And paste all images folder files of MIUI 11 fastboot rom to adb folder.
Now type the following:
Check if phone is accepted by
fastboot devices

Now flash system.img by
fastboot flash system system.img

After completion flash boot.img by
fastboot flash boot boot.img

After completion flash recovery.img
fastboot flash recovery recovery.img

After completion flash cache.img
fastboot flash cache cache.img

If you want to completely erase user data and make the device a newly
  bought then type
fastboot erase userdata

After completion type
fastboot flash userdata userdata.img

Flashing is completed
Now just type fastboot reboot. Phone will boot properly now.

If you are using MIUI 9 or 10 rom to fix stuck on mi logo then when
  the flashing is done you will face numerous bugs in rom like

mi cloud won't sync
fingerprint won't work properly

Do you have a link to MIUI 9.6.8.0 fastboot ROM, I can seem to find it anywhere online?

@xavier_fakerat Hi, I will have to find in my disk, if I get it, I will share a link here.

Nevermind I got it right just in time. My situation was exactly as yours but I managed to flash with 8.5.4.0 ROM instead worked just fine :). This guide is quite helpful!


text:
Jorte sync NationalHolidayCalendar with Google Calendar
Is there any way to sync the NationalHolidayCalendar which the Jorte has with Google Calendar?The NationalHolidayCalendar of Jorte has been set up to show Greek Holidays.The google calendar shows greek national holidays ,but it only shows a few of them,while jorte shows most of them.So,I was wondering if there is anyway to sync the Jorte's NationalHolidayCalendar with Google Calendar.

From the Jorte help pages:

Select menu → Settings → Data Syncronization

If "Select synsapplication" is not checked, tap on "Select synsapplication" and have it checked.
When the "Calendar" item is checked,
synchronizing will start immediately.


text:
ABNT2 keyboard for Android x86 2.2 r2 sparta "distro"
I'm using Oracle Virtual Box to emulate an Android-x86 device. I installed android-x86-2.2-r2-sparta.iso to a virtual HD. Then I changed config to put it in Portuguese (Brazil) language. It is ok until that point.
But in keyboard options there isn't ABNT2 keyboard layout, so some keys are missmatch the machine keyboard (e.g. "ç", "{", "}"...).
How can I solve that?

I would suggest looking at alternative input methods (keyboard apps) that specifically support Portuguese language.
I personally used AnySoftKeyboard, which does have a Portuguese language pack.  There are many other similar keyboard apps on the Market as well.  You might need to get them elsewhere though, since your build most likely doesn't have the Android Market access.

do u know any alternative for non-homologated devices, like chinese tablets?

As long as you can side-load APKs, you should be able to install keyboard apps on any supported Android OS version.


text:
Restrictions of a Kindle Fire in Canada?
I wanted to order a Kindle Fire in Canada but I saw that it wasn't available. Now I really wanted one and I could always just cross the border and get one. What I want to know is how restricted will it be in Canada. I hear it's probably only the Amazon content distribution system that won't work, meaning I still get a full-featured Android tablet with the Android market. I should be able to get any apps and any books from the Android market that I can normally with my phone in Canada.
Is that how it's looking?

I've got a friend bringing me mine next month, I'll make sure to answer this if no one else has by then :P.  It's possible Amazon will use (some of) the same restrictions as the Appstore, in which case this post may be useful.

Just to be clear: the Market is not included on the Kindle Fire. I believe it's possible to get it if you root, but I don't know if it's possible without rooting.

@eldarerathis Oh snap, that changes everything.

Just got a Kindle Fire as a gift.
So far I've been more than disappointed.

No apps
No Amazon Prime membership.
No Cloud.
No MP3's
No storage.

Yes Facebook works.
Yes I can check my email.
Yes I can browse the web.
Bottom line is, if you're in Canada, spend a few more bucks and get a tablet that you CAN use...

I got a Kindle Fire and returned it to get a proper Android tablet. Unless all you're doing is reading Kindle books, a proper Android tablet is so much nicer.

I have a kindle Fire I received as a gift and live in Canada. The Amazon App Store is visible but you cannot download anything. It says "this service is unavailable in your region" The web browser works fine, as does downloading books from Amazon .ca
You can see the content for sale or borrowing in Amazon Prime, but get the same message.


text:
Galaxy Tab - How to keep alerts visible until the screen is unlocked?
I've noticed that when I get an alert (an incoming email, or a notification from an app (cough Words with Friends cough) and the screen is locked, I'll hear the alert sound but, when I wake up the tablet, I won't see the alert.
Is there any way of having the tablet leave those alerts on the screen until I wake it up?
I'm using a Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 wifi-only, running Honeycomb 3.2.

So... nothing? Not even that this isn't possible?

The Samsung flavor of Android (and possibly others?) keeps the alerts accesible, but very well-hidden. Click on the section of the bottom menu bar with the time, then slide up where it reads "Settings". The alerts are visible there.


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Where has the option to mount as hard drive gone ...?
I have an HTC Desire HD (on Vodafone UK). I noticed this week that when I now connect it to either pc or mac the option to mount as a hard drive is no longer present. Why? What do I need to do to get it back?

Has anything changed since last time you were able to mount successfully?  E.g. new Android OS version, new apps, new computer, new USB cable?

The only thing I can think of is that I may have d/loaded a couple of apps, but nothing that should mess with core Android features in this way. e.g. Solitaire.

Ok, so I had a look at this thread and, as it suggests, I took the microSD out and put it back in again. Now it works as before. Smells like a bug to me?

The exact same thing happened to me - taking out the SD card resolved it too.


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Reset ringtone picker preferences
My Samsung Galaxy S2 on Gingerbread was set to use Handcent as the default ringtone picker, and I accidentally changed this back to the built-in ringtone picker. How do I get it to use Handcent again? I went to Handcent, cleared the checkbox and marked it back again, but it didn't help.

You can use Handcent app as the default ringtone picker. To set Handcent as default ringtone picker, go to

Settings | Applications | Manage Applications | All | Android System
  (Sound picker for SE phones)

Click 'Clear Defaults' button.

After this, When you are choosing a ringtone, You will be presented with a dialog box asking you to select one of the application as ringtone picker. Enable the 'Use by default for this action' Check-box and select Handcent. This will set Handcent as your default ringtone picker.

I couldn't find the sound picker, but I did this for Android System, and it worked. Thanks!

in android 4.1/4.2 etc etc its called "media storage" (the one you clear the defaults of)
ya i did just actually go through the whole list and pick it out of ALL of them .. and OMFG IT WORKED ..
hey, sorry im late, but, people seem to be clicking these defaults and not knowing how to clear them (like me) then they go and search for it and nobody knows ..
im actually kind of thankful that it wasnt something more difficult to find, so .. there you go . . "media storage" on samsung galaxy s2 android 4.1

For those that have Samsung 8 the place to reset the default apps is
Settings|Apps|App Manager|
Go to the Three dots on top right and from the pull-down select Reset app preferences

One workaround would be to temporarily install another app that has a ringtone picker in order to show the ringtone picker selection screen, select Handcent, and remove the temporary app. For example, you can try Zedge.

Reinstalling Handcent is another option.


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How can I refresh an email in the native gmail app?
I get many emails with pictures in them.  When I try viewing them in the native gmail app, it displays some of them, but not all.  The only way to view the undisplayed ones is to preview them one at a time.
Is there any way to tell the app to refresh the current email?

Go to Inbox, press MENU button and click on Refresh. Now, open the email again.
In the Gmail app, there is no way to refresh the current email, you can only refresh your Inbox.  When you refresh Inbox, emails are downloaded(in text format) to your inbox. Images from the email were downloaded on opening the email.