text:
HTC Desire low on internal storage, I'm clueless -- Any help?
It's been bugging me for a while but getting quite bad lately. I get warnings that my internal storage is full, I have about 13mb left of what I believe is 512mb worth of rom. I have checked with the app "diskusage" and my apps take about 122mb, with about 20 more mb being used by "data" (unsure what this is). When I check the apps list, my biggest app is some 12mb, and even within the first screen of apps this drops to just over 6mb. So I don't have extremely big apps, and I don't have all that much of them either. I try to put most on my sdcard, so no problem there either.
How do I figure out what's hogging all this space, and how do I fix it ?
On a related note, what is the Android equivalent of "formatting" your phone? I believe factory settings doesn't remove all data (sdcard etc) or does it?
EDIT: I have done a hard reset on my phone, and the free space available is somewhat similar to what I saw before. So, is it normal to only have about 150mb available for apps when the internal rom should be 512mb ?

The Android equivalent of "formatting" is a hard reset, this will end with your phone with a clean ROM, with no programs installed, is a complete wipeout of the internal storage of the phone.

I tried "diskusage" and it should give you the exact distribution of your internal ROM. So you have 122mb for "Applications", 20mb for "System data", then how much "Free space" is reported by "diskusage" ?

Doliveras, when you say hard reset, do you mean "reset to factory settings" ?

@HannesFostie That does sound like what he means.

you can just use unrevoked.com, was a bit trial and error for me but easy enough

One problem I've noticed is the (at least in Android Froyo), the stock Web browser caches to the phone storage. The browser cache can quickly take up 20+ MB and therefore use up free internal storage.
I've moved to using an alternate browser (Dolphin) and set it to cache to the SD card. This has removed my "low internal storage" limits; my free internal storage space now stays much more consistent except when installing new applications.

Your OS may be taking up the remaining space.  My OS is several hundred MB.  There's not really anything you can do about that, although some custom ROMs might be smaller.  Move apps to SD, delete data, uninstall apps, etc.
Edit: To integrate system app updates into your ROM, use Titanium Backup. For example, my GMail app shows (updated) in Titanium's list:

App list (click image to enlarge)
Long-press on it to bring up this menu and select Integrate update into ROM:

Long-press menu (click image to enlarge)

I would find it strange that the OS uses several hundred MB. For instance Android 2.1 on my Motorola Milestone uses 32.5 MB of my 198 MB ROM. The remaining is usable for applications.

Wow.  My current ROM is ~200 MB before it's even uncompressed.

Also note that some space is reserved by the OS even if it isn't "used".  This allows for updates and such.

that would mean some 350mb is being used by my OS... seems a lot

This right here helped me free up an additional 30 or so mb of space. Working with about 55mb free atm, better than ever.

Great, glad to hear it!

I also had similar problem with HTC Desire. My solution was to use SD card as second partition for application's dex, lib and apk files. Now I have 1GB free space for applications to install.
For this you need root. If you don't have rooted follow this simple process in this guide.
After that you have to partition your SD card. You can use clockwork mod recovery for that. Now you can use link2sd program to move your apps(dex, lib,apk) to SD card. You can follow this guide for details if you chose this path to follow.

This seems like the best solution

I had a similar issue and found that it was mainly due to the contacts taking up 40mb when I enabled the Facebook and Twitter sync.
I would use the DiskUsage app http://www.appbrain.com/app/diskusage/com.google.android.diskusage to find out what was taking the most space on the internal memory.

The Asker says right in his question that he's already used Disk Usage.

https://market.android.com/details?id=com.google.android.diskusage&feature=search_result

On ny Hero after I'd updated, I kept running out of space, none of the obvious things were working. Then I realised that when I had connected my phone to my Flickr account I'd selected an option which meant that I'd downloaded 100s of Meg of data from the Flickr site when keeping my account updated.
The moral being check whether your social networking is eating your storage.

this is not the case, or anything similar

I'm experiencing a similar problem (low internal memory) and have yet to find a good 'fix'. Already done the obvious things - move as many apps to SD card, remove unused apps etc.
Though, one day my htc desire told me I only had 0.98mb free space! So as a temporary fix this is what I did:

Delete old/non-important sms threads. As a guess, got rid of ~100 messages, this gave me ~10mb extra space
Currently using "Dolphin Browser" so deleted the data/cache from the stock browser, another ~10mb space
Similar to above, deleted data/cache of any unused apps (some apps can't be deleted without root, but you can at least minimise their footprint)

So now I have ~20mb free space which should be enough for now (hopefully!). What I plan on doing...

Root the phone and uninstall the pre-installed (but never used) applications
Follow some of the suggestions listed here  :)

I also have a Desire, with similar issues as you do, despite having moved all possible applications to the SD card (and I haven't even installed all that much in the first place).
I believe the cause of the problem are the updates to some of the preinstalled applications on the device (Flash Player, Google applications (Maps, GMail, Search, Market, Voice Search, YouTube), Facebook). Unlike normal applications, you are not able to remove those completely, but rather only to uninstall the updates you have applied and return them to the "pristine" condition since your last OTA update.
Those updates must have taken some space on the ROM, as they are nowhere to be found on the SD card and function even without the SD card being mounted. Effectively meaning that you have two versions of those applications stored in the ROM.
Unfortunately, I have no solution at this time for the problem.

This sounds like a reasonable explanation... now, does anyone have any ideas how to figure this out?

If you are rooted, you can use the app Titaniun Backup to merge system app updates into the ROM and reduce the space used.

@Matthew Read could you tell me how to do so? I can't seem to find the functionality in the app

@HannesFostie I've updated my own answer below.

I struggled with this issue for a long time and it's one of the biggest reasons I have rooted my phone and have an EXT partition on my SD card mounted as internal storage. This enables me to move the entire application to SD (more than the Froyo+ Apps2SD feature) and also the Dalvik cache, which is a huge difference maker.
I run the latest CyanogenMod custom ROM and the 'DarkTremor' apps2sd script.

HTC made a poor choice when deciding to only leave 150MB for /data which is used for all market apps (besides apps2sd).
There is a possibility to re-partition that, but that is rather intrusive and requires full modding and a ROM that fits into the shrunk /system partition.
http://alpharev.nl/ has different repartitioned hboot images that range up to 300MB for /data. Cyanogenmod up to 7.2 fits into CM7 r2 hboot and offers 287MB for apps instead of 150. See the on-site instructions on how to install those.
But beware: This is not for the faint hearted.

I have a Desire too and after reading this post I’ve been doing some tests on the device and as you noted, of the internal 512MB of ROM only 150MB are available for the user to install applications.
I’ve changed the stock ROM of the Desire for the CyanogenMod custom ROM a few days ago, and even now I have a top of 150MB to install applications.
I would say that the internal ROM is divided in two partitions, system and apps, which is the cause of we having access only to 150MB of the full 512MB of ROM.

Two quick ways to help resolve your problem:

Requires Android 2.2+: Move all apps to the SD card that will let you do so.  This will trim down how much space these apps use in your internal memory and moves some of it to the SD card.  However, remember that these apps will not instantly show up on start up or if you mount the SD card for any reason.  Use an app like SDMove to figure out which apps you can move that you haven't already moved.  SDWatch will alert you in the future if an app you installed can be moved to the SD Card.
Delete applications that you are no longer using. If you haven't used it in weeks, remove it. Every couple of weeks, take a glance at all of your applications and see which ones you aren't using and remove them.  You can filter applications by their size in the settings to quickly remove the bigger sized apps first.  Also remove anything under Settings > Applications > Running services that you aren't using, such as extra keyboards or other notification services.

This would be the perfect solution if his device was actually full of applications. But the question seems to expose a problem where the ROM is full even if only a small part is actually used by the system and applications.

as jmbouffard says, the amount or size of apps shouldnt be the issue here. 120mb hardly seems like a lot. And I move as much of them as possible onto my SDcard, so no problem there either

@HannesFostie What exactly does DiskUsage say?  On my Motorola Droid, mine says: Data 262 MB == Apps 190.3 MB + System data 34.7 MB + Free space 36.8 MB.  Is your system data particularly large?

I mentioned that in the OP. I have since removed some apps, I currently do not get the warning, DiskUsage says the following:
147mb data, of which 96apps, 20.4 system data, 31mb free space. As far as I know, a Desire has 512mb internal ROM, so where did the rest go ?

@HannesFostie The rest is probably being used for the /system and /cache partitions. I don't know how you can check the size of those (without root, at least).  This post talks about re-sizing them: http://forum.cyanogenmod.com/topic/8031-repartition-system-and-data/  Otherwise, I believe you are stuck with what you have.  You'll just have to remove some apps :/

I find that hard to believe, I really hardly have any decent sized apps. As a matter of fact, even the 122mb mentioned seems bigger than what it should be

@HannesFostie check to see if any apps in particular are consuming a lot of data, not just app size.  Disk Usage should be able to point those out for you.  Flash, Facebook, Google Maps, etc. are particularly large.  Also your contact or dialer storage may be really large.  You can try deleting old text messages or clearing call logs.  Or reducing the number of contacts you sync (especially if you pull some in from Facebook).


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Moving apps to SD card?
How do I exactly move apps to the SD Card? I have already rooted my phone, but I still don't know what to do next. I did some research, but I ended up getting stuff like "Settings > Apps > [App] > Move to SD Card" but that button is nowhere to be found...

Good job rooting! Makes the process easier to explain.
First of all, take your SD card and backup all the data.
Then, partition it into two partitions - 1 half for regular usage. Format this as FAT. 2nd Half for the apps. Format this EXT2 format. I'm not too sure how to format on windows. I use the mac disk utility.
Then, insert the SD card back in and download Link2SD or Apps2SD. Load up the SD card. Link2SD will ask you to choose the partition for the apps. Here choose the EXT2 option. Once you've selected it (and rebooted your phone, which is required to load up the partition), you can link apps to SD card. Linking is just like moving and saves a lot of internal space.
Feel free to comment if you have any Qs.
Good Luck!

Thank you very much! :) Will report back once I try it out.

Okay, so I've created a second partition for my SD Card. I choose the EXT2 format for it. It all went fine for the partitioning part. I then downloaded Link2SD. But when I opened Link2SD, it prompted me to select the file system of my SD Card's second partition. I selected the EXT2 option and pressed "Ok". Then I got "Mount Script cannot be created. mount: No such device" Help please?

I forgot to ask, what device is yours? Which OS  version are you running? There's this app called busybox installer on the play store. Download that and install busybox, if you already haven't. You need that.

My device is a Lenovo A328 with an Android 4.4.2

What do I do once I install it?

Well, after you install busybox, and load up Link2SD , you should be able to mount the SD card partition. Have you tried with EXT2 again? If that still doesn't work, try other options.
If that still doesn't work, give Apps2SD a shot. It's actually better

I tried Apps2SD, it worked like a charm :D Thanks dude!

Glad to help :D

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


text:
Lg stylo2 moving apps to sd card problem
I have an lg stylo2 from virgin mobile running android 6.0.1. I'm trying to free up some internal space by moving some apps to the sd card. Everything i have seen says that you go to apps, storage and click change. There's a problem. There is no change button on my phone, for any app.

Is this something that virgin mobile turns off or what? If i have to root the phone, which i am not opposed to, does anyone know how for this particular phone? I haven't been able to find a tutorial yet.
Thanks

According to this it was a feature removed in Marshmallow update.
Quoting user tommytm75 from the android central forum:

There is no solution yet. I have the same issue. After going back and
forth with LG, finally someone answered my question.  This is the last
email I got from LG.
Hi Tom,
Thank you for contacting LG!
We regret any inconvenience you’re having.  Upon checking, I’m afraid
that the Adoptable Storage feature  has been removed on the
Marshmallow update of the LG G Stylo  and this means you may not be
able to fully use the SD card as internal storage of the device. I’m
so sorry to disappoint you in this matter.
Should you have any other questions,  please feel free to contact us
again via Email, Live Chat, or Phone by calling 1-800-793-8896.
Thank you and we wish you all the best.
Sincerely,
Edrian
--- LG Customer Service

Source: LG G STYLO - not enough memory on sd card?

Shoot. That sucks.

It does tried to look if there was maybe a root but couldn't find one for that specific phone.

I think its a fairly new phone so the lack of a root method doesn't surprise me. Thanks for the info anyway

HOW TO CREATE ADOPTABLE STORAGE FOR LG G STYLO (MOVING APPS TO SD CARD)
I have the Lg g Stylo from Boost Mobile (Model# LGLS770) running on 6.0 and spent the last 3 days on figuring out how to make my 32gb SD card my default storage now when I download stuff it goes directly to the SD Card and not to the internal storage (mostly games)
Here we go,
NOTE: You don't have to root your phone to do this I did this from my PC (I used  Windows 10).
1st "Download Java" -it is necessary.
You can find out where on the internet and then watch this video from Youtube if you need help installing it:
"How to install Java JDK on Windows 10 ( with JAVA_HOME )".
NOTE: pay close attention to the part of the video when you get to around 5:53 in the minutes BECAUSE YOU MUST COPY AND PASTE THE PATH EXACTLY WHERE IT IS SHOWN and not at the end of the file path which he says. It actually goes right after the 1.0\; (one point zero backslash semicolon) don't worry it will all make sense when you see the Java installation video.
Next download the “Android SDK Software” from the  developer.android.com/studio   website.
Get the zipped version/file... when you unzip it you will eventually find the “platform-tools“ which holds the "adb and fastboot”  files you will need to install on your PC.
This Youtube video will help It’s what I used,
“How to Install FASTBOOT and ADB using Android Studio on Windows PC”
(The one Published on Jan 16, 2016 by  Dawson, Jim)
Once all that is installed connect USB Cable from PC to your phone (Make sure to turn your phone USB Debugging on)
Open your computer Command Prompt (cmd.exe)
Then enter all five (5) codes separately  type the first code then hit enter, the second code then hit enter, third code then hit enter  ect… until all five have been entered and your done !

Code:
adb shell
Code:
sm set-force-adoptable true
Code:
sm partition disk:179,64 private
Code:
sm set-force-adoptable false
Code:
sm list-volumes all

You don't need to watch any YouTube videos to install fastboot and adb on your machine: we have step-by-step instructions on this site.

From my point of view, the only solution is to root phone and install App2SD ROOT PRO from Play Store. I had similar problem. Do not use Link2SD because it does not work properly with MM.

Right, but i cant do that because, as far as i know, it doesn't look like a root exists for this phone just yet.

So, try to use any App2SD app without necessity of root (there is a lot of such app in Play Store for free). It moves part of Your applications to SD (not all) but You will have more space in internal memory.

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


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Is WiFi data usage included in the "Data Usage" screen?
Android devices feature a Data usage screen, accessible from the main pull-down menu.
The data usage page lists both the total data consumed and the data consumed per application.

Is WiFi data included in this count, or only Cellular data?
P.S. It makes sense that the metered data count only includes Cellular data, but I would like to have a canonical source to settle this issue.

Based on your screenshot it only measures Cellular data. Can you please check if the menu / 3-Point overflow button includes the option to show wifi data aswell? It does on my device - but I'm running Cyanogenmod so I'm not sure if this option is included in a Stock-Rom aswell :)

No, There's no such option - I can't add or remove WiFi from the summary.

What is your device model and Android OS? On Nexus 5, Android 6.0.1, the WiFi usage can be enabled by going into the overflow menu (3 dots), and select "Show WiFi" (AFAIK, it's added since Marshmallow though). But by default, it only shows cellular data.

Did you check this resource: https://support.google.com/nexus/answer/2819524?hl=en?

What you are seeing here is cellular data (mobile data) only.
I am not sure what you would count as a "canonical answer", but the following three screen captures have been taken from a stock android ROM with Android 5.1.1 (as you can see by the presence of the Samsung bloatware):

Data Usage (default) / with hamburger-menu / data usage, WiFi tab (click images for larger variants)
The first screen capture is the same as yours.
The second screen capture shows the menu that pops up if you touch the kebab icon (the three vertical dots.)  As you see, the menu contains a "Show Wi-Fi usage" option.  If you enable showing Wi-Fi usage, two tabs are added to the screen, one for mobile data (probably "cellular data" in your case) and another for Wi-Fi.
The third screen capture shows how the "Wi-Fi" tab looks like on the screen.


text:
How does Android audit file actions?
I was wondering if there is a log of when an application read or write data. Furthermore, how would I go about accessing this data? If there is none, is there another way you guys would think of logging applications creating or opening files?

You can do certain checks using the stock logging software's, ( MTK Logger, Android Info Etc.. )
The quickest way to see your logs is by calling *#*#info#*#* or *#*#4636#*#* Notice the opposition's *# and #*
You could hypothetically log this information using a folder change watcher on your internal SD like
Folder Sync Free on Google Play
Folder Sync Full on Google Play

Ok Here is what to do

Install FolderSync
Create a New Folder Pair.
Call the Pair ( Error Invoke ) or something rememberable.
Edit the Filter At Bottom to Filter Everything or .*
Now set it's sync method to Instant ( file change sync )

Ok so hypothetically, FolderSync will start a sync caused by the recent file changes or folder additions and deletions... The sync will

notice changed folders/files
start a blank sync
log the sync details
Open the log for file change history
see changed files

This method could work, but it's just hypothetical. I use FolderSync for way more than just synchronized folders !

Great info! Will look into this!

No, there isn't, and I don't think there's any way to achieve this as a user without making your own custom ROM.

authors: Максим Коваленко


text:
Shared contacts list
I want to have a shared contact list between two (or more) handsets. So that whenever someone is adding a contact to the list, it'll be automatically added to all handsets who share this.
It's very useful for people who work in the same place, and have many shared work-related contacts. Instead of making each employee add them to the contact list - any one who add work-related contact will add it to everyone.
How can I do that with Android?

Actually, this is pretty easy.  There are two workable answers I can offer:

If you have Google Apps for your organization, you can simply turn
on contact sharing and make sure everyone adds their Google Apps
account to their phone.
If you don't have Google Apps or don't want to use contact sharing,
simply set up a single dummy gmail/Google Apps account for every
person to add to their phone.  Any contacts added to this account,
be it via a phones or via the gmail contacts book, will appear
on every phone whenever a sync happens.

To add another account to your phone:
Settings->Accounts and sync->Add account

After adding the account on the phone, make sure you click on it again and set syncing to just contacts and not gmail, calendar, etc (unless you want these)

Simple and beautiful. I knew about the Google Apps path, but I think about adding another account.

There's an app for that, it's called Shared Contact List. It does exactly the thing you describe.
Disclaimer: I work at the company that made it.


text:
What's the standard font called that comes on droid x running 2.3?
What font ships with the droid x on 2.3? Is the same font used across all android devices running 2.3?

The answer to this question applies to all phones that don't have a replaced standard font (like maybe some of the expensive fashion branded phones)

Prior to Android 4.0 (aka Ice Cream Sandwich) It's called "Droid", and comes in Serif (Regular, Bold, Italic, Bold Italic), Sans (Regular, Bold), and Sans Mono variants.
A new font family "Roboto" was released with 4.0.
Wikipedia article on Droid (font)
Google+ post on Roboto


text:
Microsoft Exchange bandwidth out of control?
Yesterday afternoon I synced my Galaxy S II with Microsoft Exchange and my multinational corporation's exchange server. Mail settings were to push at all times.
Over night my phone drained its battery completely and rang up 550MB in mobile upload charges via Exchange. I'm certain it was exchange because I have a traffic monitor tool and that particular email client is only holding my exchange account.
This was, to understate, surprising.
Is this normal behavior for Exchange? I only received 8 emails over night, none of which had any attachments to speak of.

Well I finally figured this out, after racking up 800MB of upload and 3.5MB of download with my Exchange Email over 2 days... I had tried to send someone an 8MB PDF and it never sent successfully... so it tried again, and again, and again, and again.
The email was stuck in my outbox and couldn't be deleted. I'd get "server error" messages (DERP!). The solution was to de-couple the device from Exchange, completely removing that account, thereby deleting the message, and then re-registering the device.
Now all is as it should be...
Long story short -- keep an eye on your outbox!


text:
Moto Droid v1 disabling primary Wireless AP
I have a Motorola DROID v1 that is running Froyo (2.2).  I've noticed that if my device sleeps for a while, when I wake it up it will not attempt to connect to the wireless AP in my home.  When I go to the wireless settings section, I see a note next to the AP entry that says 'disabled'.  If I click the entry and select 'connect', it connects right away.  It will remain connected until the next longish sleep, when it is again marked as disabled.
Is there any way to prevent this AP entry from being marked as disabled?

Is your wireless network set to broadcast the SSID? I've heard of people having problems when this is hidden (and there is no real benefit to doing so)

No, it isn't hidden.  The security is set to WPA-PSK.

Did you ever find a solution?

No solution yet.

My wife's Droid 1 has problems connecting to our AP too.  Sleep Policy is set to "Never", but that hasn't helped.  Happens on all of the stock ROMs, CyanogenMod, and Sapphire.

Try this - go to SETTINGS > Wireless & Networking > Wi-Fi Settings. In this screen, press the MENU button and then ADVANCED. Click WiFi Sleep Policy and set it to NEVER.
Hopefully, that will retain a connection to the Wi-Fi Access Point.

I tried this, but it didn't appear to have an effect.  I think the root cause of the issue is that there are areas of my home with very poor WiFi coverage, and after making several attempts to connect, the OS is marking the AP as disabled to prevent further tries.

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


text:
HTC Evo's Facebook Sync Reboots Phone
After a week's worth of troubleshooting, I have discovered that enabling any sort of account synchronization for "Facebook for HTC Sense" will cause the phone to randomly soft-reboot.  I believe this happens if either "Sync live feed" or "Sync contacts" is checked in "Accounts & sync".
I would like to have my facebook feed available to the facebook widget and I like having my contacts' pictures automatically updated when they change their profile picture.  However, the random reboots are extremely annoying and it also causes a ridiculous amount of battery drain.  One last symptom is that the stock messaging app will continuously scroll you to the bottom of a conversation when you attempt to scroll up.  Is there any way I can get the best of both worlds?
I am running 1.47.651.1 (Android 2.1).  Will upgrading to 2.2 fix this issue?  I haven't upgraded yet because currently their isn't a way to root 2.2 and I'm still on the fence about that.

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


text:
Is there a music player that supports play counts and smart playlists?
I'm looking for a music player for Android that supports smart playlists and play count metadata like the iPod and iTunes.  Ideally I'd like something that:

Keeps track of statistics like last played, play count, last skipped, etc.
Allows rating of songs from Android.
Supports smart playlists that are live updating (for example, if I have a smart playlist to match all songs I haven't played in a month, and I play a song from it, the played song drops off the playlist without having to sync back with my PC since it no longer matches that criteria).
Is supported by a desktop PC media management application such that these statistics are synchronized back to the PC.  (I'm open to switching, so as long as it's supported by a stable, relatively featured desktop app, I don't care which).

I've tried the stock music player, which doesn't support any of these (to my knowledge), and doubleTwist, which supports ratings but doesn't support smart playlists or play counts yet.

I'm right there with you on this. I've had a hard enough time finding a Windows application that supports these features, let alone a companion on Android. Currently using Songbird on Windows and doubleTwist on Android but these leaves much to be desired.

Scrobbling (or simply a file with a list of played songs) would be nice too.  I agree with all the other points.

iSyncr does this. They also do wireless sync. lifehacker article
Unfortunately (for me at least) it uses iTunes and I hate iTunes, but it does work. I think I hated iTunes so much I bought an Android to avoid it, but now have to use it anyway because of the smart playlists. It is the only thing I've found that keeps smart playlists, playcounts, and ratings updated. Everything you said you wanted. Plus you already use iTunes and seem to not hate it.
I think iSyncr could work for you. :)
You should be able to use the stock music player, MixZing, or a half dozen other popular other android players in combination with the sync app which pushes playcounts and ratings to iTunes.

This looks promising; I'll check it out.  Thanks!

iTunes is a no-go, for me.

I haven't looked into it much, but perhaps you should check out Winamp.  They have an android player in beta now that supports wireless and USB synchronization to a PC that is also running Winamp.
The App is currently not available on PlayStore. You can download the apk from the official Winamp forums and download the app under the Android category,
Download WinAmp Page

Nobody mentioned PlayerPro Music Player - which does exactly what you need.
Here's the related PlayStore description,

Music stats and SMART PLAYLISTS: Recently added, Top rated, Most
  played, Recently played, Least played. Build additional custom
  playlists using the SMART PLAYLIST EDITOR and the many different
  criteria it offers: album, artist, genre, title, play/skip count, last
  played/added, rating, is a podcast, duration, year, file path etc. All
  smart playlists are AUTO-UPDATED.

There's also a 10-day trial version of this app available on PlayStore, if you want to try out the features,
PlayerPro Music Player Trial.
Note: The Pro version is standalone. Please uninstall the trial version after purchase.

Could you provide the link to the app? Searching for "Player Pro" returning PlayerPro Music Player which has 10-day free trial version, but last updated on Dec 2014.

Hi, yes, that is the player, and I got the last update date from the "What's New" section. I see now that they released a new version today! I'm very excited!!!

A commonly recommended app for this is DoubleTwist. Along with the desktop app it will let you import any iTunes playlists, counts, etc. as well.

MixZing Music Player, I believe, does both. At the very least, it supports "semi-smart" playlists generated according to your rating tracks.

Rocket Player Pro does that exactly.


text:
Disable alarms for all day events in google calendar
When I have an all-day event in my calendar (a friend's birthday perhaps) I find that my phone will notify me to the start of the event at 11:50pm the previous day and every few minutes after that.
Generally I don't need a notification for all day events, but find notifications for events with a specific time to be useful.
Is there a way to disable notifications for all-day events?
Or is there a way to disable calendar notifications between say 11pm and 8am (I'd be happy if the alerts sounded after I woke up) but I imagine that's harder to set up.

http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=3807 Just found this issue that seems unresolved.

It's seems that the answer may well be to just be attentive to the alerts when creating events as the default alert is for both types of event in Google calendar itself.

Or set the event for 8am on your friend's birthday, instead of "all day" :)

See also: http://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/17824/how-can-i-stop-unwanted-notifications-from-google-calendar-on-an-iphone

I suspect that the events for which you get notifications have a reminder set in them. So the easiest way to get rid of the notifications is to turn off the reminders in the events themselves. Typically, you would not have a reminder in the birthday event but if the event came from somewhere else (like Outlook or other phone) then the reminder might get added to it. I had this problem on some phones...
however, it could be very tedious to remove reminders individually if you have many events with unwanted reminders.
The second part of the question: I'd use Tasker app for that. However, you have to pay for it. I am aware of a free automation app AutomateIt (sorry can't add a link because I don't have enough rep here) and from description it looks like it can also kill sound based on a rule but I have not used it myself so will not comment.
For Tasker there are instructions on how to implement "Sleep mode" with which the phone with "shut up" at night. If you go down this path I can assist more since I have set this up on my phone and it works quite well.

I've just published the new version of Nudnik Calendar Notifications.
This app integrates seamlessly with your Google Calendar. There is a quiet hours feature so you can set not to be notified for certain hours. You will get the notifications when the quiet hours are over.
Check it out - it has the best nag features (popup, sound, led, vibrations) + other cool stuff like Shake-to-stop/snooze, notify events without reminders, quite hours, and much more!
https://market.android.com/details?id=amProgz.nudnik.full
Thanks :)

Please be sure to read the [FAQ#promotion] about promoting your own products.

if it's an HTC, theres an option to set "Reminders" to "None" instead of the default 10 minutes. it's just under the "Description" box in the new event screen.
**********i'm stupid.
You said Google calendar, i skipped that part when reading the post title.
If you go to your online calendar (google.com/calendar) you can edit the event and click the "x" next to "Reminders", and that will remove the alarm on your calendar (and device, as long as device syncs).
Hope this helps!

Yea, if only there was a setting in Google calendar for turning of reminders for all-day events...

Scratch that, in fact you can. http://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/17824/how-can-i-stop-unwanted-notifications-from-google-calendar-on-an-iphone

I found a solution: select All day event, type 0 and the time when you wish to be notified.


text:
querying the android market place for GPL license?
Is there a way to get the full list of GPL-licensed apps in the Android Market via a URL or any other method?

I don't think that there's any standard way in the Market for developers to declare what license their app is developed under.
A normal text search of the Market for "GPL" comes up with hundreds of apps that have specifically put the word GPL in their title or description.
Other than that an awful lot of the Android GPL developers seem to host their code on Google Code, everything there is open source and there are ways that you can search that by license type, that might well be the closest that you can get (though you'll obviously miss out on developers who host their code elsewhere).

I don't know the answer to your question, but the closest thing I've found is: http://fdroid.org/


text:
Can't access emails in Gmail labels
This is a problem that suddenly appeared (or rather didn't!) on my Nexus One running Cyanogenmod 7.
It was fine and then all of a sudden I could no longer load any emails in any of the labels, it just says "loading conversations" but never loads or times out. Search is affected the same way.
I don't often have to use labels so I put up with it. However, it is still happening on my new Samsung Galaxy S2.
Choosing to sync specific labels for offline access means I can get to them fine, but it's impractical for all labels.
As suggested by Google mobile help I tried deleting the data for the Gmail app (though there is no additional "gmail mail storage" app)  and rebooting before re-syncing, to no avail.
During all this I have always been able to access labels on my 2.2 tablet and having just reinstalled CM7 on my Nexus One am now able to access them fine.
Any ideas?

Well, looks like the issue resolved itself, though I'm at a complete loss as to how. If anyone has any ideas, I'd still be interested in case it happens in future.

Ok, so this problem reoccurred a couple more times until I realised it seemed to happen after my phone restarts and sorts itself out after killing a few running services I didn't need.
I narrowed it down to an app called Announcify.
The lesson for me, and others, is to try selectively killing services to troubleshoot any such problems in future.


text:
How can I change the volume increment from the volume buttons?
On my Samsung Fascinate, the volume buttons change the volume by 3-4x the amount that I would like them to. Is it possible to adjust this amount?

The situation seems to be improved in the Android 2.2 update.

You could try flashing a custom kernel with Voodoo Sound.  I don't know if it changes the volume increment but it may provide better values for those increments, and certainly a much better sound experience overall.

I'd like to avoid doing anything that will void my warranty.

That's valid.  The Galaxy S phones are super easy to revert to stock and nigh-impossible to brick though, so you can make it like it never happened ;)


text:
How to back up the address book?
I want to wipe the phone clean (or reset it, not sure about the nomenclature).  Meaning, I'd like to get rid of all the apps, all the data, everything.  Except for the contacts.  I'd like to somehow restore them after wiping the phone.
So I know there is an option to go to Settings/Privacy/Factory data reset, which wipes it clean (i assume), and that is what I am planning to use.
I also see an option to Back up my data in Settings/Privacy.  However, this option backs up all the application data, passwords, etc... as well to Google servers.  But, again, I only want the contacts.
So, is there a way to do what I want?
For reference, this is a Nexus One with Android 2.3.6.

Your contacts are automatically backed up to the Google account you set up your phone with.  So long as you have the "Contacts" sync setting on, any changes you've made to your contacts should be mirrored in your Gmail contacts online.  After you wipe your phone, if you use the same account to set it up again the contacts will automatically download on the first sync.
You can verify that your contacts are backed up by going online to Gmail, clicking on "Contacts", and checking them against your phone's address book.


text:
Can I purchase apps from Android Market without installing them?
There's currently a promo on the top 10 applications, available at barrel-bottom prices. I'd like to purchase them but not install them just yet. My phone is low on internal storage and there's just not enough space to put some of the bigger ones. I can't even attempt to install some of them (yeah, it's that bad).
I'm planning on purchasing another Android device in the near future, and those nifty apps will surely come in handy when this happens.
Please don't suggest the usual circumvention methods of moving apps to SD, installing custom ROMs, removing unused applications, etc. These either won't work or have already been done.

It won't even let you hit the "Buy" button? What if you try to buy it from the web store?

Same motivation as http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/16586/how-can-i-buy-an-app-that-isnt-supported-on-my-current-device :)

The best you can really do currently is to buy them from the Market (web or app) and then just cancel the download/installation when it starts on your device. This only works with apps your device supports, though. Purchasing unsupported apps was the topic of this related question.

I don't think this answer still works. Most likely the app is immediately refunded if you uninstall it. Canceling the download I would assume also end in a refund.

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


text:
How does one restore data to phone from Google drive?
I backup my data from my Android phone to Google Drive. I then performed a full factory reset. I was given the option to exchange data with another phone, but not restore from Google Drive.
When I go to Google Drive from the app, I'm able to see the backup. I can view the files, but the only option I'm given is to delete them.
Is there something I'm missing? Why can't you restore incrementally from Google Drive? And how do I get my data back without having to do another factory restore? Finally, why wasn't I given that option when I perform the factory restore?

That's one of the reasons this type of backup is what I discourage from (it's not a backup if I cannot chose when and what to restore – but I'm preaching the choir here I guess). If you don't mind the command line (adb shell), you might be able to trigger things via bmgr (the "backup manager"). I've never played with it so I cannot give detailed instructions, hence just this comment as pointer. See here for more – and please let us know the outcome!

It doesn't appear that this will work with the existing backup. So is what I have on Google Drive useless?

No idea; I've stopped using Google stuff years ago, my devices run LineageOS w/o GApps.

you could maybe download to pc and analyze file format, maybe it can unpacked and restored manually

Here's a real-life case on someone who'd gotten Google Backup to restore indirectly without root: screenshot
As I recall, a manual trigger for the G Backup restore function was planned for the Pixel series, but this was over a year ago that I'd read about that so I'm not sure what became of that; at that time, an ADB command existed to trigger such behavior, but I'm unsure what the prerequisites and/or limitations are.
My post here also briefly touches on G Backup and other methods I'd explored to solve my own issue with restoring a backup file's data.  Note that there is versioning requirement for the standard restoration method(s) to work, i.e., you can only restore onto a device running the same or higher  of Android (if even then).
Finally, here is a guide I wrote (and fixes) for an Android game, but the same functionality can be applied to more general usages as well.

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


text:
How to remove a certificate Authority installed on my Android mobile (Redmi Note 5)
I installed an app LUMEN that installed a certificate. Ever since the certificate was installed, it is showing that your secure network maybe monitored or modified
How to remove a certificate Authority installed?
Device model: Redmi Note 5

You need to go to:
Settings > Security > Encryption & Credentials > Trusted Credentials > User
You can remove the installed CA from there.

For Xiaomi MIUI 12, you should go to Settings > Password & Security > Privacy > Encryption & Credentials > User Credentials. You can delete the certificate from this page.


text:
Gmail account disappeared and Google Play Store app not working on MXQ Pro Android TV Box
I have MXQ Pro 4K Android TV Box. The personal Gmail account disappeared and the Google Play Store won't allow sign-in/access.
How to fix it?

I've had the same problem.
What finally worked is:
Remove updates for Google Play Store and Google Play services (
Search on your computer for compatible .apk downloads for both apps (APKmirror.com has these files as download).
In my case (MXQ Pro 4k Amlogic S905) it was Android 7.1.2
Copy both .apk files to a SD card. Put it in the TV BOX and use APK Installer app to install these on the TV Box.
Then reboot.
Hope this will be helpfull


text:
Notification with inverted color with dark mode
On Android 10, negative images i.e images with inverted color are displayed in the notification from custom-notification apps when dark mode is enabled.
Notification with light theme/dark theme:

How to prevent that from happening?

The image is not simply inverted since the inversion of blue<->orange. Instead, these are actually 2 different images specially designed by Amazon themself; one for light theme, another for dark theme. Perhaps the follow-up/real question is: "How to force an app using light theme's images on dark mode's notification?"

No, they aren't, Actually, I have only captured the screenshot of these notifications on my device. and they are same notification, the only difference is of theme .

It's possible for an app to detect if the Android system is on light/dark mode, then the app can customize the notification (or, everything) that depends on it, including the image on the notification. Also, considering that common ad/promotion images might have already been downloaded and cached already, so it can be swapped immediately. That said, we need more data points if this is only from this specific notification, or only from the Amazon app, or all images, and also it might be helpful to know the device model unless you know if this is a global issue on Android 10.

Firstly, this notification is not from amazon app, and this is happening only for custom notifications(layout designed with remote view) only if I use android-defined templet the notification image doesn't change color.

After a quick research, I noticed it also happened on the Facebook app and the New York Times app. I stand corrected. However, whether it's a bug or not, I'm not sure if there's a way for the end-user to fix this (perhaps need rooting? Magisk/EdXposed module?). For developer-approach solutions, you have to rely on Stack Overflow's community instead.


text:
Why I cannot grant "Allow all the time" location permission to WhatsApp?
I have a Pixel 4 and Android 10 stock. I want to share my location for a few hours with a friend using WhatsApp, but the system only offers me these options for location permission:

Allow only while the app is in use
Deny

But there is no "Allow all the time". I'm afraid that it won't work without that permission.
I guess Google removed that option for that particular application, other apps have it enabled. Is that right?
PS: I'm aware of who owns WhatsApp and their issues.

Open adb shell and execute: appops set com.whatsapp COARSE_LOCATION allow; appops set com.whatsapp FINE_LOCATION allow; appops set com.whatsapp GPS allow; pm grant com.whatsapp android.permission.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION; pm grant com.whatsapp android.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION

You can share it , whatsapp has managed about this features even without that permission. I am also using thePixel 2and already checked it. I didn't goes in deep about coding implementation but yes it is working even in background.

WhatsApp has seemingly stopped supporting this function. Use Google Maps instead.

So here is the problem: the latest (non-beta) WhatsApp is set up with a target platform of Android 10, but the developers failed to include a request for ACCESS_BACKGROUND_LOCATION in the manifest.xml file in the APK.
This is a problem because this is a new permission introduced in Android 10, and any app not requesting it which also targets Android 10 is assumed to not want background location access.

Well that figures. I tried @IrfanLatif 's adb shell method which simply set the permission from 'deny' to 'allow only while using the app' (I was hoping there was a background setting hidden from the UI). I contacted whatsapp they gave a number of useless unrelated templated answers, after finally showing them screenshots and asking them specifically and directly to answer my questions they end the conversation with "Unfortunately, we can't provide any comments." Yikes.


text:
Automatically synchronize files between PCs and Android without Internet
I have two laptops. One has internet access while the other does not. Both laptops are in a remote location (one in the office and the other in the home). I have to download some files on a daily basis (3~7 files having 500MB~2000MB file size) for my office project and need these files in the home as well.

I do not want to re-download these files in the home, so I use the following procedure:

Download file in Office Laptop
Copy in (Android) mobile (via SHAREit App)
Paste in the home Laptop (via SHAREit App)
Delete from Mobile
Delete from Office Laptop

Is it possible to do all these steps automatically?
This means, at the end of the day (before leaving my office) I just run a script that copy (latest) files on my mobile and delete these files from the office PC; when I reached home (from mobile) I run another script, which copies these (latest) files in my home PC and delete from mobile.

Possible in multiple ways. E.g. run rclone on all of the three devices. Or run sshd/sftp server on phone and clients on both PCs. Or even simple run a FTP server on phone temporarily. With all these options you can use a local WiFi network if available. Or phone's hotspot. No internet required.


text:
How can I close my current app via a keyboard shortcut?
I have an Android phone (Cosmo Communicator) with a keyboard but without function keys. On Windows or Linux, ALT+F4 closes the application (well, window) that is focused.
Is there anything similar on Android (9.0 Pie)? I find it hard to believe this is impossible yet I was unable to google it out.

A spin on the Markus Lankeit's answer, tested on my Android TV.

Hold Alt key entire time
Press Tab key (app switcher will appear)
With arrow keys, select an app that is running
Press Del or Backspace to close the app
Repeat for other apps
You can press Esc to quit from the app switcher any time
Release Alt key

Overall, this task-killing keyboard procedure is essentially the same as on Windows 10, for example.

In Android 9:

To go home you can press the Windows key (if you have a keyboard for Windows) plus Enter

Press the Win key plus -. Android will show you all shortcuts.

Another way, if you already have plugged in your keyboard, go to "Settings" and search "Physical keyboard", there you will find configuration needed.

I do not have Windows key, unfortunately, and my keyboard is an integral part of the phone.

In my device (Redmi Note 5), we can force close the app by pressing the back button for about 3-5 seconds.

hm, does not work on my device. I am running Android 9 Pie, on Cosmo Communicator by Planet Computers. But it would not be practicle, I would like something instanteneous. Weird Android does not have that.

@sup LineageOS (a custom ROM for Android) has that feature built-in.

That does not exist from my device yet though :-( (If I understand it correctly, it needs to be adjusted for every device).

I got a video projector a few months back that is running Android as a base OS, to which I attached a cheap wireless generic Windows keyboard.  Projector is running some older versions of Android. Here is what works for me:
Note: Hold down the Right-Alt key the entire time:

Tab to get a list of running apps.
Pick the app to close, then Down arrow, then Space to actually close it.
Repeat for other apps.
When done, release Right-Alt key

F3 also brings up the list of current apps, but it also seems to immediately context-switch to the selected app. The same happens when you Alt-Tab and don't hold down the Alt key.

I am sure it helps somebody, but my phone unfortunately does not have a right alt key and with the left one, this does not seem to work:-(. Thanks for the suggestion though!

I'm on Android Pie as well, and under the keyboard settings (Language and Input), there is a physical keyboard section which lists out the shortcuts available (example).  If your keyboard doesn't come with a function key, you may need to find a mobile equivalent to AHK that can bind a certain key input or combination to invoke the meta key input.  Also note you may be able to send a keyinput event through ADB or your device's local shell terminal, which then might be made more accessible through various automation methods, some of which may have device-dependent factors.
Note: though it doesn't seem to appear on the list, I distinctly recall Alt+F4 working with a keyboard?  Will verify on current device when I get the chance.

AHK is autohotkey, a software for windows:-).
Seemns like I could use button remapper https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.irishin.buttonsremapper&hl=en  for that but I need to get root first, otherwise the action to kill current app is not available. (also not really sure if "kill current app" is what ALT+F4 does.)

Yes, that's the platform I'm most familiar with, nothing comes to mind specifically for Android but I would think it'd be strange if there wasn't an equivalent available out there somewhere.  And I don't believe root is required, but this could be dependent on your make and model's limitations and quirks.  I've seen some that work without root and some you can just grant a permission through ADB for it to work.

Also, here's an explanation on the different terms.

TLDR: keymapper sequence
Longer answer: A keymapper sequence to implement the answer given by Slider2k.
Keymapper is an app to remap your keys to perform another action, or sequence of actions. In this case I am remapping the double Volume Up press to kill the current app.
Disclaimer: I think keymapper is a great app, but it can be troublesome to get to work. Mostly to due to optimizations added by the manufactures into the firmware. Make sure to read the information given by the developer. Start by taking a look at  Don't kill my app! to access how hard this maybe to get up and running in your device.
I my case my phone's manufacturer is not that bad, but I still got into trouble with the latest version of the app and had to stick to version 2.4.4.
You will probably want to start with a version from the Play Store of F-Droid.
In case you get the app to work here is the sequence I am using:

Switch to the Key Mapper Basic Input Method, as otherwise the latter commands will not work.
Open recents. This is equivalent to pressing Alt+Tab, with the advantage that you do not need to hold the Alt key.
Then input the DPAD_LEFT key. This moves to the previous app.
The input the DPAD_RIGHT key, to move back to the original app. I had to add this detour as the recents app ignored a direct delete key.
Now input the DEL key to kill the app.
The final call to recents selects the previous app. I prefer not to be left in the app selection.
To finish-up I restore the keyboard to Gboard.

I chose to add 300 milisecond delays in between actions to make sure the sequence always worked. However I did not test smaller delays so it might be possible to reduce these timings.


text:
Bypass FRP on RCA Tablet
My friend recently purchased a second-hand RCA tablet running Android 6.0 Marshmallow. He came to me to root the device as I have helped him before. Although I have made a mistake this time. I factory reset the device with a Google account still on the device. My friend can no longer get in contact with the original owner.
I've looked everywhere and other FRP bypass guides don't work because they have all been patched.

I managed to bypass setup and open settings, but when pressing on build number many times, nothing happened
I installed an app that would pull up developer options, but it just says that it's not available for this user
I've factory reset via settings, no luck
I've force-killed the setup application, home button reappears but doesn't do anything when pressed
I disabled Google in an attempt to prevent it from asking for an account to be set up, still no luck

I've now run out of ideas, and I'm wondering if anyone can help me.

I brought the RCA tablet DVD combos from eBay in Feb 2021 and with with same issue with PIN code or needs to enter previous gmail been synced. After spending one day research on how to bypass the FRP code. I found this YouTub video works. Be aware of it needs to have a second language to make it works. https://youtu.be/kqiRw-6HRxQ. Once it works, be sure you uninstall the two software from their server.

I figured it out!
Step 1:

First, boot up normally
Sign in to a network
Allow it to check the connection
Then when it asks you to verify your account, press the back button until you get back to networking
Choose a different network, type a bunch of random letters/numbers then press show password select it, press assist.
Then Google will open
Search for Settings
From Settings, go to Backup/reset
Reset the device
Boot normally once again

Step 2:

You will be asked to verify again. Turn your device off
Reboot into safe mode
Then re-bypass into Settings
Head to Device info
Enable developer mode (press build number 7 times)
You can't enable dev mode unless you are in safe mode as there is protection for it
Once you have dev mode enabled, you need to turn on USB debugging and OEM unlock

Whatever you do, don't press the home button. If it works, all of the settings will be unapplied and setup will restart
Step 3:

Now, reboot to recovery (power off, then hold the volume up button while turning the device back on)
Next, we need to scroll to <Reboot to Bootloader>
Press the power button to select it. You will boot into fastboot

Now you will need a PC

First, let's check if OEM unlocking is enabled. Run fastboot flashing get_unlock_ability from CMD/terminal (you have to have ADB/fastboot installed).
You will get (bootloader) unlock_ability = 0 if it isn't enabled. But if it is, you will get (bootloader) unlock_ability = 1XXXXXXX

If it's enabled, we have to unlock the bootloader (this will void your warranty). We have to do this as OEM unlock isn't really enabled. What we've done is made it so the system sees that it's both enabled and disabled. This means the only command that will work is fastboot oem unlock

We're going to run this command. When you do, spam the volume up button to select yes.

Now we're almost done. We have to unlock it from flashing too and unlock system critical (in the security update from 2016, the FRP partition was marked as critical and unless we unlock critical partitions, the FRP lock won't ever go away)

First, flashing unlock. Run fastboot flashing unlock

Spam the volume up again

Then run fastboot flashing unlock_critical

Spam volume up again

Now close ADB/fastboot on your PC

And unplug your device

Since security is still enabled, fastboot reboot doesn't work. So we have to wait for the device to drain completely.

Then charge it a bit and turn it back on. It will wipe the FRP partition alone with all the other ones, except for the /boot partition.

FRP is disabled now.
This will work on any Android device with fastboot. Did this from an RCA tablet, so it does.

Yes it works, tested with rca-rct6873w42mkc. Many thanks to OMG(user)

What if I I click on a different network after pressing back and input the random letter/numbers. Then show password and select, but all that comes up after it's selected is "Cut, Copy, Paste" no assist. What do I do then.


text:
How to get a list (scan) of all available Wi-Fi networks/APs via ADB without root?
Non-root solutions only.
I found a bunch of questions and answers on how to connect to specific WiFi manually, but surprisingly none about gathering network info (without requiring root or some custom packages/apps). I don't think there is legit aircrack-ng for Android, all I've seen are some shady ports and regardless, it will require root.
What I want is a built-in way to list detected networks/APS (including placeholder entries for hidden) via default ADB.

You can call o  WifiManager.startScan()
adb shell su 0 service call wifi 11

I already said I dont have root

Termux has a package that can retrieve the Wifi list from the last Wifi scan:https://wiki.termux.com/wiki/Termux-wifi-scaninfo

@Robert thats an API not package


text:
Inside Facebook app, how to set YouTube links to be opened on YouTube app?
How to set YouTube links to be opened on YouTube app on Android in Facebook app?
I saw some videos how to do it but they're too old.

Does this answer your question? Force links to open in the app, not the default browser

Possibly duplicate of this also https://android.stackexchange.com/q/194218/131553


text:
Does Samsung has a feature like Second Space in Xiaomi?
In Xiaomi, we can do a second space.

Put a certain password, and we go to the first space.
Put another password, and we go to the second space.

Xiaomi also supports dual apps, which is a different feature. Combined, I think we can have like 4 WhatsApp accounts per phone.
What about Samsung? Do we have a second space in Samsung?
I've heard some devices allow for multiple users to share a phone. Say, you do regular WhatsApp on one device. You do your secret businesses on another user. If someone forces you to open your devices, you will just show your first user.
Note: Samsung seems to have ways to allow multiple users on the same phone: Multi-User switching accounts - something you should be aware of. However, there is no way to hide those extra users from say, cops. Android in general can:
How to Set Up Multiple User Accounts on the Same Device. However, there is no way to do it like a second space.

http://www.samsungknox.com

Partially related: How to switch user profile based on password / lockscreen pattern. In general, this feature is very niche and only exists in very few Chinese brands.

UPDATE: there are apps for isolating environment and e.g. hiding other apps. Check Island.
Unfortunately, lots of Android capabilities are limited by producers - that's the case, too. According to this link on Reddit, people are searching, but with no success. The only devices are tablets, described e.g. here on Samsung Support page for Galaxy Tab S.
Of course you can enable multi-user functionality by modifying system files, but mostly that's not the way a standard user like - warranty issues, triggered Knox, disables access to S Apps... essentially, lots of problems.
So, to sum up - without modifications, it's impossible on Samsung smartphones to enable multi-user functionality. Root your phone, and then you'll be able to turn on multi-user, but keep in mind that rooting your device comes with lots of pros and cons.

Did you try Save Folder? It may have what you are looking for.


text:
How to determine the amount of app space available?
I have recently experienced the "Can't install app in default location" error (code -20), despite 700 MB still free on my phone (no SD card present). Having googled and read, I now know that not all memory can be used to install apps. So while I have some space available, the app-partition (?) space may be up.
But I've never encountered any partitions on my phone. So the question is: how can I determine how much space I have on my phone for the apps?
I use Samsung Note 2, Android 4.4.2.
df output (using Terminal Emulator; please note that by now I have already uninstalled several apps, so the available space might have increased. I still don't know how to see it in this listing):
/mnt/secure/asec: Permission denied
/mnt/shell/container: Permission denied
/mnt/shell/emulated: Permission denied
Filesystem                   Size     Used     Free   Blksize
/dev                       892.5M   140.0K   892.3M      4.0K
/mnt/secure                892.5M     0.0K   892.5M      4.0K
/mnt/asec                  892.5M     0.0K   892.5M      4.0K
/mnt/obb                   892.5M     0.0K   892.5M      4.0K
/system                      2.0G     1.7G   253.6M      4.0K
/efs                        19.7M     9.5M    10.2M      4.0K
/cache                       1.3G    21.9M     1.3G      4.0K
/preload                   551.2M   141.9M   409.3M      4.0K
/data                       10.5G     9.8G   702.1M      4.0K
/storage/emulated          892.5M     0.0K   892.5M      4.0K
/storage/emulated/0         10.4G     9.8G   682.1M      4.0K
/storage/emulated/legacy    10.4G     9.8G   682.1M      4.0K

Your Android device, Android version? Is the space left more than 10% of userdata partition?

@Firelord, added the device and OS, thanks for the remark. I am not aware of partitions on Android. I have: 16 GB total memory, 5.54 system, 7.04 used space, 142 MB cached, 2.62 GB misc and 680 MB available space. And I cannot install a 26 MB app.

Can you post the output of the df shell command?  Easiest way is to use the ADB utility from Android SDK, but you will also need the proper USB drivers installed on your PC.

Yes, df command would do. Alternatively, you can try DiskInfo app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=me.kuder.diskinfo&hl=en

@Chahk, added. Actually, the current listing might be misleading, since, in the attempt to install the app, I have uninstalled some other apps already. Please explain how to read the listing, if it does answer my question. (And post it as an answer, to make it acceptable.)

Time to clear some space. I would presume that Samsung didn't tweak the default low disk space which is 10% of userdata. Try to delete some stuff, possibly make the free space close to 1100MB and then attempt the installation (with an optional reboot).

Hmm...  There does seem to be enough space in important areas like /data (app storage area), /storage/emulated/ ("Internal SD Card" area) and /cache.  @Firelord could be correct with the 10% "low space" threshold.

Also, before uninstalling more apps, try deleting the logs that sometimes clog up the internal storage on Samsung devices by using a dialer code *#9900# to bring up the SysDump utility and selecting the "Delete dumpstate/logcat/modem log" option.

A clear case of the "insufficient memory" error (see our insufficient-memory tag-wiki for first aid and hints). It's your /data partition: less than 10% of its space is free.

@Izzy, guys, come on! You want to say I have to have 1 GB of my device empty to install a 25 MB app??? (1) Can you please post it as an answer, if that's what you are saying. (2) Any reference?

@texnic Have you followed up my reference (tag-wiki)? "Storage low is triggered when free space reaches 10%". And please, I didn't define that limit (or I had chosen some absolute limit – percentage doesn't make much sense here, I absolutely agree).

@Izzy, yes, I've read that of course (I appreciate the effort people are putting in trying to help me). I am not sure why a warning (which makes sense) is converted to an error by Play Store, nor why I am still able to install at 720 MB free and was unable to install when it was about 100 MB less.

Updated my answer accordingly with additional details, @texnic

@I zzg,  looks good now, the other comment removed. Thanks.

It's your /data partition running low on free space (as always when this error occurs – see our insufficient-memory tag-wiki for details, first-aid and further information). According to the output you've provided, only 700 MB out of 10 GB are available. The "storage low" error is triggered when free space here reaches 10%.
This limitation was introduced to keep a "safety margin" for the system. So the user gets a warning when it was exceeded. In this state, of course Google Play Store refuses to install any new app, as it considers the system alreading running "low on space" and doesn't want to "worsen the situation".

When the 10% rule was introduced, devices came with much less internal storage, so it was quite reasonable (think of those devices with less than 512 MB). Nowadays, it does no longer seem a good idea – especially with MTP being introduced to have the "internal storage" and "internal SD card" on one partition, spanning multiple Gigabytes. Looks like this is an issue not yet addressed or "simply forgotten".


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Cache size exceeds phone capacity
What is going on here? (please see attached screen shot).
This is a Galaxy S5 Mini. Totally stock rom, never rooted. I have recently restored it to factory settings in an effort to overcome a fast draining battery.
Apps are complaining about lack of space, but based on this I believe that to be false (also, I have put almost nothing on the phone).
Anyone have any ideas on the best way to fix this?

Storage (click to enlarge)

Install App Cache Cleaner and check what apps use the cache. It'll make analysing easier.

@SarpSTA should be sufficient to boot into recovery mode and "wipe cache", no additional app needed for that. It's even possible to Clear Caches from ADB. But right, if you want to analyze before, that's a different thing. Though it will be hard to install an additional app with the storage already full ;)

@Izzy I didn't suggest him to do that so he can wipe cache, I suggested it to figure out the app that generates that amount of cached data.

@SarpSTA I just tried to figure how that can be done without an app (as obviously, OP hardly can install additional apps). And I found a solution. If the device is rooted, analysis can be done via ADB: adb shell su -c "for dir in /data/data/*/*cache; do du -sk $dir; done" would list the apps having cache with the cache size (in kB) and their package names.

@Izzy seems useful! OP should give a go to it.

@SarpSTA I've summed it all up in an answer. Though it's clear OP doesn't have root access, I've included the "root variants" (maybe useful for other readers) – but also showed a manual non-root variant to "analyse and clear selectively". Hope it's helpful!

Thank both - I will experiment with the proposed solutions and I will see if I get anywhere. Appreciate the help.

I fully agree the storage screen shows "incoherent data" (more cache used than there's storage available), so it must have miscalculated.
As your device is already complaining about "low storage", I assume installing additional apps is not an option. If your device were rooted (which it is not), you could figure which app(s) is/are responsible for "high cache consumption", utilizing ADB:
adb shell su -c "for dir in /data/data/*/*cache; do du -sk $dir; done"

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

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

Without root, there might be ways achieving similar results via tools like "package manager" (pm) – but I couldn't figure that yet. If the culprit was found with the above command, you can selectively free its cache running rm -rf against the specified cache directory (again as root), or just clear the cache altogether (see Clear Caches from ADB). Clearing the cache completely doesn't require root and is possible via most (stock and custom) recoveries, and also (stock, custom, root or not) via the fastboot erase cache command.
If the above is not possible for you, and you're still able to install apps (maybe after deleting another installed app), you could go the way SarpSTA recommended and install a cache manager to check. If that's not possible either, the "long way" would be going to Settings › Apps and walking the "All" tab – opening each app's page and see how much "cache" is printed for it, manually hitting the "clear cache" button for "heavy eaters".

authors: Владимир Деменков


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Tasker: switch on VPN when opening specific URL?
Tasker is an automation app for Android (see http://tasker.dinglisch.net/)
I want to start VPN whenever I start http://*.intra.mycompany.com - as intra.mycompany.com are urls that are just accessible over VPN.
Anyone knows how that could be achieved?

On the Tasker homepage there's a section called "Plans" where the developers outline future ideas that they might incorporate into the product: http://tasker.dinglisch.net/todo.html
Also listed on this page are those two lines:

Actions/Tasks: VPN (dis/re)connect
Events/States: VPN connected

So it's not included yet but it might be at some point in the future. Again citing from the page:

This is an informal list of features under consideration for Tasker.


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Saving a bookmark in Firefox?
This question might sound dumb, but I really don't understand how can I save a bookmark in Firefox for Android!!
I see no bottom menu option for that. If I click on the address bar I still have no option to save a URL as a bookmark!
Who can help me? Please!

On Android < 3.0 or on Firefox v8 or earlier I think you still have to use the clunky, not-so-intuitive method. You swipe the screen to the left and it will reveal a sidebar on the right side of the screen which has the bookmark star. Press that and it bookmarks the page. How they expected to you to find this on your own I will never know.
On Honeycomb devices with Firefox 9+ (currently beta) you just need to press the little star icon on the far right side of the address bar. It pretty much works just like the desktop version.
Annotated screenshot for the right sidebar:


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How can I edit the title of saved/starred places in Google Maps Android?
In Google Maps Android 5.10 you can save a place by clicking and starring the place. However, the name of the saved place is automatically generated by Maps, and can't be edited.
Is there a good way to edit that title, to show the correct/actual name of that place for example?
Googling I only found a solution involving editing the starred place in Google Bookmarks webapps. Is there a better solution?

Update 11 Jan 2016
In latest Google Maps Android (version 9.18.2 2015) there is now an "Add Label" feature/command available when you view a saved/starred place. See Give a place a private label for detailed instructions.
Old workaround (no longer necessary)
After starring a place in Google Maps Android, you can open Google Bookmarks webapps to display your bookmarks. Sort by date to show your latest bookmark and clicking on the Edit button allows you to edit that place bookmark title. The new title would display in My Places (now shown as Your Places) on Google Maps Android. Not an ideal solution, but a workaround involving additional webapps.
Update 13 July 2015
Unfortunately latest Google Maps Android (version 9.11.0 2015) doesn't show the place bookmark titles that you have edited in Google Bookmarks webapps.
References:

Google Maps Support - Google Maps Mobile - Give a place a private label
Arstechnica - Google Maps for Android finally adds custom names for places - 22 July 2015
Android Forum - Google Maps - Label Starred Locations? - 9 April 2010 - provides three workarounds: #9 add suffix "(Title)" to address in Google Maps webapps before starring (not editing on Android); #11 use Google Bookmarks to edit title (solution I chose above); #14 add to contacts and edit contacts names (will search each time use the address in contacts).
Google Mobile Android Forum - Why can't I edit the name of a "Starred" place on google maps? - 1 June 2011 - mentioned bookmark & contacts solutions above, also registering an address as a business place, then can edit the title.

A bit cumbersome but inevitable. Thanks.

I was going to edit My Places to Your Places as it shows in latest Google Maps Android. But I didn't see the edit to saved places title I did in Google Bookmarks webapps  showing there. I'll wait a while and see. Or can someone else confirm this workaround is still working?

@Benjamin  there is now "add label" feature on Google Maps Android. Finally. :-)


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Google Voice Upgrade: Get a new number from Google or use my mobile number?
Google voice added an upgrade recently, in which they allow to choose whether you want to use your own mobile number or get a new Google number.

Will I be able to activate my android with either one of the options? Is there a good reason why to prefer one over another?

Take a look at the Choosing your Google number page in their help section. Specifically, have a look at the "Learn more about the difference between the two options" expandable link.
The gist is that unless you have Sprint, choosing to use your mobile number will simply allow you to port your mobile number and turn it into your GVoice number or continue using GVoice Lite. This means you lose your mobile number for your cell plan, which is probably not what you want in most cases.
If you have Sprint then you can choose to have your GVoice number be a copy of your actual mobile number, allowing GVoice communication to essentially appear as though it originated from your mobile phone (among other things, explained more at About Google Voice on Sprint).


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How can I log the start and stop connection with known WI-FI networks
At the end of a week , I would like to see a log for each connection with a (known) WI-FI network I made with my Galaxy phone.
I automatically connect to different networks.
It would be nice to see the time of start/end connection for those networks I am connected to. This would give me an indication for hours spend at each place.
Anyone knows if this is possible ?

I will answer my own question until someone else shows me another application.
I have found the following one in the market : Wifi Monitor.
Time will tell whether it really does what it promises.
Still, if anyone has got some other software which does this, please let me know !
UPDATE
After trying this app for a week now, I can confirm that it works. When I enter/leave buildings with a known WiFi connection, the start and end of the connections are logged. This gives me an easy although crude way of hour-logging.


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How can I turn off the 3G connection?
I'd like to be able to turn the 3G connection on and off without navigating the "Settings -> Wireless and networks -> Mobile Networks" menus each time.
Is there a widget (or some other way) of turning 3G on and off from the home screen or the "Dashboard"?

Dashboard: I don't know what it is called but it is accessible by tapping the clock (bottom right).

Instead of widget use apps like data switch. Unlike widget this app doesn't consume resource when idle. There are tons of other apps/widget if you don't like this one or this one doesn't work for you. For eg:
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.aispl.mdsswitch
https://market.android.com/details?id=ru.chernish2
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.m039.tools
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.myreallife.mobiledata
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.datalinkswitch

I use the Power Control Widget. Allows you to toggle Data, wifi and various other settings from your home screen.


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Is it possible to update the Android platform my phone runs on?
I just got my first Android phone. The ZTE Score which runs on Android 2.3.4.. I'm curious if I can update to a newer Android os, or if I'm stuck with 2.3.4..

Actually, version 2.3.4 is the latest version. Version 3.0+ is for tablets and version 4.0 has not been released yet.

Oh, so when 4.0 is released, I'll be able to update to it?

Maybe. It all depends on how modern the hardware is and whether the manufacturer and carrier want to make the effort. We track announced updates to Android 4.0 here: http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/14766/when-will-my-device-get-the-android-4-0-update-ice-cream-sandwich

As I stated in the Comments, version 2.3.4 is the latest version for phones. Versions 3.0, 3.1, and 3.2 are all for tablet devices. Version 4.0 will be released on the Galaxy Nexus sometime this month. Version 4.0 (code named Ice Cream Sandwich) was designed to run on both phones and tablets which may clear up the confusion surrounding the numbered releases.
Though Google controls the Android operating system and when it gets released, it is up to the manufacturers to decide whether to put it on their devices. Some companies, like HTC and Motorola, actually rewrite pieces of Android with their own special features, like HTC Sense and Motorola Blur. The companies have the choice to push out an update or not. Some of those companies have come out with plans to update their phones to 4.0.
ZTE has not announced (as of a couple weeks ago) any plans to upgrade their phones to 4.0 but there's no doubts they won't.
The second option is to wait until Google releases the code for 4.0. Once they do this, the Android community (like XDA) will work on a ROM of the operating system which you would then be able to install on your device manually. Doing so is not an easy process and involves dedication and a free weekend. If you consider this route, you should also do a little research to make sure doing so won't "brick" your phone or cause side effects with your service provider. However, it will provide the most clean and pure Android experience you can get.
EDIT: As @eldarerathis pointed out in the comments, Google did release a version of Gingerbread numbered 2.3.7 but it is only to support there Google Wallet product which at this time is only supported on Nexus devices or devices with NFC. If you'd like to build this version yourself and install it on your device, you can download the Android source code and build it yourself. There are instructions on how to do this at the site. However, I would strongly recommend waiting until 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) is released. For documentary purposes, I will update this answer upon release of 4.0.

Cool thanks for a great answer and all the info! :)

The latest revision of Gingerbread is 2.3.7, but I don't think any devices other than the Nexus line have received it (not counting CyanogenMod and the like).

I was going off of the SDK version listed at the Android developer site. 2.3.4 is the highest available version that a developer can program for. The 2.3.7 update is only for phones that support Near Field Communication (NFC). At this moment in time, the Nexus line is the only line that supports NFC. Also, since 2.3.7 is for Google Wallet, it is a closed SDK only for the companies involved in Google Wallet (like Citi).

@PortableWorld The fact that the release notes mention Google Wallet as the only new feature of 2.3.7, doesn't mean that it didn't contain various minor improvements and bug fixes. Besides, you're forgetting about 2.3.5 and 2.3.6, which exist as well.

As I said, I was initially going off the SDK release of 2.3.4. So, yes, it might be beneficial to upgrade to 5., .6, or .7 for the minor bug fixes to the OS if you own one of the Nexus phones. All the press releases I've read about .5 and .6 talk about how it is only for the Nexus and fixes bugs found only on that phone. (CM 7.1 includes the 2.3.7 update because of the NFC features.) Hence why the SDK remains at 2.3.4. However, I feel the discussion of Gingerbread minor version releases is overwhelmed by the release of 4.0. The discussion isn't, mute, mind you. Just eclipsed.


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How can I control the brightness from the notification bar?
My friend has the Galaxy S and is able to control the brightness by sliding his finger over the notification-bar. He said he didn't install anything to have it (but he has a custom ROM, so that doesn't have to mean anything).
I have the HTC Desire running with the Cyanogen MOD. I tried finding a widget or something else that will allow me to control the brightness from the notification bar, but came up with nothing.
Can it be done?

I don't think widgets attach to the notification bar.

Yeah I would think you'd need a custom ROM/theme.

As far as you have cyanogenmod, you can do it ;)
Follow the below settings menus:
Settings-> CyanogenMod Settings-> Interface -> Status bar tweaks ->
Than make sure Status bar brightness control is checked.

This is an undocumented feature in certain Samsung devices. Hold your finger over the notification bar and then sliding it left and right can increase/decrease brightness.
It started with the Galaxy S, IIRC. Also, "auto-brightness" setting must be turned off.

My Samsung Droid Charge also has this undocumented feature. What a great find! Thanks Sparx!


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How to enable a disabled app in Samsung?
Phone: Samsung Galaxy S9, Android 10, OneUI 2.0.
After updating my OS last month, the "Enable" button disappeared from the App info panel (Settings | Apps | (app) | Enable, said How to enable a disabled app). And "auto-disable unused app" setting is not available either.
I tried pm enable ... cmd in adb, but got
Security exception: Shell cannot change component state for .../null to 1

If the app is installed by the Play Store, I can re-enable it in the Play Store app. If not, how to enable it?

Try this:
adb shell pm uninstall -k --user USER_ID PACKAGE
adb shell pm install-existing --user USER_ID PACKAGE

Reference:
Post in thread 'adb shell pm enable does not persist after reboot' https://xdaforums.com/t/adb-shell-pm-enable-does-not-persist-after-reboot.4548847/post-89370422


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Unable to delete .apk file
I downloaded a ROM file on my Google Pixel 3a XL and it left behind an APK file with the name of the game.

I am now unable to delete the file. When I try to, it just has a pop-up saying 'couldn't delete 1 file'.
If someone could please advise as I'm worried about having this file.

You are on Android 10?

You could try rebooting your phone and deleting the file.  It's possible that a running app or service has that file handle open and won't let you delete it for that reason.
It's also possible that maybe the file is already deleted, it's just your app that you're using to view the file that needs to be refreshed.  It can't delete a file that doesn't exist.
You could also use TotalCommander to delete the file.
If that doesn't work, you can always plug your phone up to your computer and use ADB.
adb shell rm "/storage/emulated/0/Download/Mario Party 7.apk"

(replace /storage/emulated/0/Download with actual file path)


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How GBWhatsApp works?
I came across an application named GBWhatsApp. It is developed by some unknown people and there are many sites from where you can download the APK. It's not officially on the Play Store for some reason.
It was a big surprise to me to see that using this app, I can actually chat with the people who are using the official WhatsApp application.
I did some googling and found out that it is a modded app of the original WhatsApp application. It is built on top of the original application. This means some people/developers/engineers decompiled the original APK and inserted their code and published it with another name.
My questions are,

Is WhatsApp APK so much less secure that some engineers were able to decompile its Java code successfully? And they provided a lot of new features that are not there in the original app?

I know APK can be decompiled, but if the original developer team has obfuscated the code (ProGuard, etc), then it's almost impossible to reverse engineer the Java code. How did this happen?

Also, if it is not a modded app, it means they build their own app which is similar to WhatsApp, then how they are able to send messages to the official app?

nothing useful but maybe a little more information https://forum.xda-developers.com/android/apps-games/whatsapp-gbwhatsapp-devices-t3518808

It's not a matter of "security" - any app can be decompiled, modified and reassembled. Moreover, obfuscation isn't a magic wand, as it's only a deterrent to rookie "hackers": if someone is persistent enough, they can eventually interpret what the different parts of a program actually do, edit them and get their own version to work. GBWhatsApp is an example.


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What is EastworldService running from the Play Store app?
I looked in on my running apps and my Play Store has 1 process but 20 services running: Play Detection Async services, Collection Dispatching services, Thunderbird Setting Injector service's, Device Connection watcher service, GCM service, Pending Intent Callback service, Context Manager service, Nearby Direct service, Cable Authenticator, Emergency Persistent, Lockscreen, Scheduler, Google Location Management, Local Accuracy Injector, ClearcutDebugDump, Local Persistent, and Nearby messages service.

Is this not a little odd? Please please someone help. My phone is driving me crazy

The "Eastworld Service" is an integral part of the Google Mobile Services (GMS).
From it's code it seems for example to collects some device statistical data like app (un)installations, available Playstore updates, screen on-times, charging times...
BTW: The GMS core package also contains a "Westworld" service and other funny names. Also the Thunderbird service is mentioned here, seems to be related to Google Cloud Messaging (better known as Push Messaging system or "Firebase Messaging").


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Monitor and identify which apps create a specific file/directory
From time to time, there is a directory (and files inside of it) that is created on the internal memory of my device. I keep deleting it, but after a few days/weeks, it's back. The folder in question, by the way, is Tencent. I already uninstalled the game associated with them long ago, but the directory keeps popping up.
I would like to know what other app is creating it. I don't have that many apps, mainly social media ones and tools, and I think they are only associated with games.
Searching around, I found an app that logs all accesses to files of the filesystem, but it doesn't show what app is doing it.
The answer from Software to monitor file owner is not going to work in my case because these files are all 0 bytes so it's way too fast to catch the app creating them. Not to mention that the creation time is random. It could take days or weeks for the app to create it again.
Anyone have some good ideas before going into detective mode as last resort? I'm firstly asking for an app because that would be the easiest way to monitor the filesystem.
PS: My device is rooted.

Is there a reason why you don't post the exact and full path name of that folder? The community here often has some valuable hints which app may have created those files. Tracing the origin of file operations is not possible on an unrooted Android (and even on a rooted device the ways I can imagine requires some programming skills for an Xposed module or a Frida hook).

@Robert, it's a folder named Tencent in the root of the internal memory.

I think a fast loop in a terminal checking lsof with a filter for the folder name, also checking what apps have just been started, all that in a loop in a shell script, may do the trick. I will try that.


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Missing 2G only on my Galaxy s4 I9505 on lollipop
I have a problem with receiving calls and text messages due to a weak 3G signal, now I want to make my phone and force it to work on the 2G mode only, but since I am on lollipop 5.0.1 I don't have this as a choice. I tried using this code: #*#*4636#*#* but it doesn't work with me. I also tried a few apps from the play store (e.g. Toggle Network Type 5.0 which was specifically made for Lollipop) but nothing works.
My phone is rooted.

On my 5.1.1 device I have it in Settings › Network › Mobile networks › Preferred network type, on my 4.4 device as well. There I can select between "LTE/3G/2G". I'd wonder why 5.0 shouldn't have that setting. Guess it's rather some Sammy-specific issue.

This widget has nothing to do with my problem, I tried it yesterday. Even though thanks a lot for your effort

Some Samsung devices require root access to launch the hidden testing menu. The normal code will not work in the dialer; even with ADB, you don't have access to the menu.
Since you have root access, just type the following in a terminal on your phone and the hidden testing menu should appear:
su -c "am start -n com.android.settings/com.android.settings.TestingSettings"

It may be easier through my app Root Essentials that can do this and more. You can find that test menu under "Device Info".

That exactly what I needed, the application does the job, thanks a lot

Try it with the App called Radio Switcher. This works on my Blackberry Keyone

The right code is *#*#4636#*#*. If this doesn't work then try to use an app from play store. It is called Phone Info Samsung. Another possible solution to your problem is described in this link, but it depends on the file structure of your OS.

@Mohdows did you pay attention to the order the asterisks and hashes appear? If so (and your input started with an * and not a #), what happens when you dial this code?

@Izzy yes I did pay attention to the order; and I did even try other combinations to make sure that I am using the correct code, and for you information nothing happened when I dial the code.

@Mohdows OK – this time your details where clear as glass :)

@andreas I've tried the application you mentioned above, but it doesn't give me anything useful.


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Samsung Galaxt Tab 8.9 (Wi-Fi) stuck in charging screen, doesn't turn on at all
Recently, I have decided to install a custom ROM on Galaxy Tab 8.9 (Wi-Fi) and messed up everything.
I downloaded some "ICS 4.0.3 or something" .zip file to my root folder. Stupidly didn't install any ROM manager (Play market couldn't download any app in my tablet). Tried to download .apk file, and when failed, I fed up with everything: turned off the tablet, then turned it on with VOLUME UP and POWER buttons pressed. Then in the stock recovery pressed "apply update from sd card" and chose the .zip file...
...the Samsung Galaxy Tab icon was showing up on the screen the whole night. I was thinking that it's being updated and went to sleep. But I was wrong. The next day it was turned off and when I put the charger in, some stupid big charger symbol came up. I can't turn on the device and pressing VOLUME UP and POWER buttons brings me to the recovery menu, where I've tried anything (wipe user data/factory reset, reboot) with no success.
However, when the tablet is in the recovery menu, my PC sees the device through adb when i run "adb devices". I can even push some file to "/data/local/tmp" with "adb push" command. Now I want to know: can I still somehow install some ROM or at least factory reset to my tablet?
"I want to hide under some rock for a couple days until someone helps me"

Same way you did it last time: push the .zip file to the SD card, and flash it from recovery. This time, make sure the ROM you're flashing is really intended for the device you're flashing it to – unless your device is named "Samsung or something", the previous one might have been wrong ;) This post might help you finding a match: Where can I find stock or custom ROMs for my Android device? Good luck!

But my tablet doesn't have any SD card slots...

I didn't say "slot" :) It certainly has an internal SD card. Alternatively, you've been able to flash from your "root folder" before, so put it there.

Can I do this with adb, and how? My PC doesn't see the tablet's storage.

Try adb push <update.zip> /sdcard/<update.zip> (replace <update.zip> with the real file name). You can also push it to /data/local/tmp (which you already did before), and then use adb shell to move it to where you want it to be (e.g. via the copy command: cp /path/to/update.zip /new_path/to/update.zip).

Finally I learned what is Odin used for, a tool all samsung noobs need. I've flashed Android ICS 4.0.4 downloaded from this link with Odin(v1.85) and it looks great!

Well, no points to leave comment, so here is my (unchecked) advice.
Since You can login via adb, remove zip from sdcard, and reboot tablet into recovery mode, and select restart. I don't think flashing anything or selecting 'wipe' is necessary. Probably the patch didn't even apply. If this will not fix it, then I guess You'll need to adb push working ROM and repeat update from sdcard procedure in recovery mode.


text:
Is it possible to change the background automatically when charging battery?
This is a feature of older nokias, I would like to have it on android! On a related note, it would be nice to have a different background when silenced or on airplane mode.

Yes, using Tasker.
See "Set Wallpaper" action and "Power" state. It even looks like it'd be rather easy to configure that event.
For your related notes, also see "Airplane Mode" state and %SILENT variable.

You should also check out Battery Fun!

I found two live wallpaper apps for you:

Liquid Battery
Power Puddle


text:
Why are playlists breeding like rabbits on my device?
I use Banshee 2.2 to synchronize music and podcasts to my Android 2.3 device. On the device, I'm using PowerAMP to play music.
When I open PowerAMP and look at the playlists, each one is repeated a dozen times. So, for example, I have a playlist called "Pop". After a dozen syncs with my computer, I now have 12 playlists called "Pop". 11 are empty, and one has the actual playlist in it.
At first I thought this was a problem with PowerAMP, but since I have tried the Android default music player and a few other music apps, the problem is repeated no matter what I use to play music. So it seems this isn't an app specific problem, but a system wide one.
I have scoured the onboard memory and the SD card, but I have no idea where the playlists are stored. (Note my phone is not rooted, nor do I intend to.)
How do I clear out the empty playlists and stop this behaviour?

This problem may have become moot. After an upgrade about a day or so ago, PowerAMP now seems to check for m3u files instead of the Android system playlists. I am not 100% sure of this, or if it will be a long term solution, but I thought that it was worth mentioning.

This sounds to me like a similar problem I have had with duplicating images in the gallery. I fixed this by clearing the gallery data, and allowing it to rebuild next time the media scanner ran.
I would suggest trying the same technique. I would imagine that whereas I deleted the data from the Gallery App, you should try clearing data from the stock Android Music Player, or failing that from PowerAMP.
Settings-Applications-Manage Applications-All-Gallery-Clear data (confirm). This doesn't delete your media itself, just the database that details where the media is. The media scanner will rebuild this database automatically next time it scans.
It would be prudent to backup your phone contents before you try this.

Unfortunately, this did not help. I did as you instructed, and now PowerAmp can't seem to find any music files at all, even though the files are still on the SD card.

hmm that shouldn't happen. Has the media scanner run since you cleared the data? It should do this when you start PowerAMP, or when you boot the phone or when disconnecting the phone after you've connected it to a PC over USB.

Yeah... this isn't good. I rebooted the device, and I also uninstalled and reinstalled PowerAMP. I reselected the folder where the music is, selected rescan, and it just says "scanned two folders and zero files". If I plug in by USB and check the folders, all the music is there. So... yeah... I don't know what's up with that.

Hmm, could try clearing data on the stock Android music player. That's forced a successful rescan for me before.

Okay, got the scanner to find the music again. Turns out the directory was marked differently than it was before. Now that I had the right directory, it found it. However, the original problem has returned. I have about 1 million duplicates of every playlist I have ever had.