text:
How do I stop apps from installing themselves to my SD-card?
It seems that some apps default to saving to SD-card when they're first installed on Froyo rather than defaulting to internal memory, this is annoying because whenever I mount the SD Card as storage in Windows the icons for those apps disappear from my home screen, and I have to go into the apps list and find them to add them back onto the home screen. If I even notice they've gone.
I have a Galaxy S with over 1.4GB of internal memory free, so have absolutely no worries about apps taking up space on the internal storage, or running out of memory, so I'd like to use that space and save the SD storage for my files (ie pictures, movies and music).
Apps that had somehow moved themselves onto my SD Card when I checked just now were SliceIt and Open Signal Maps. In the past I remember that both Angry Birds and Angry Birds Seasons had done this too until I moved them back onto the phone (in fact I thought for a bit that Angry Birds Seasons had replaced Angry Birds as the original disappeared from the home screen around the same time that I installed Seasons, I then got suspicious a few days later when Seasons disappeared too and found them both on the SD).

Thanks to this answer to this question Is moving apps to SD only available to rooted devices?.
I've discovered the getInstallLocation ADB command and set the install location to internal on my un-rooted phone.
With the Android SDK installed, and my phone connected via USB with USB Debugging mode switched on, enter the following commands:
adb devices
(check that ADB can see my phone, and start necessary services)
adb shell
(connects a shell to the phone)
pm getInstallLocation
(returns 0[auto])
pm setInstallLocation 1
(sets the default install location to internal memory)
pm getInstallLocation
(run again to check that it is now set to the correct location, returns 1[internal])
exit
Safely Remove Hardware, unplug phone and all done, without any need for root!

Nice, i prefer option 2 i mean pm setInstallLocation 2 xDDD all to sdcard :(

Interesting, I had to be rooted to do this via Terminal Emulator on my device but I didn't try adb.

I haven't tried it yet myself, but here is an XDA thread featuring a program that lets you move any app on or off your SD card and set the installation default to Internal, SD or Auto. I believe Auto is the default.

Looks like this needs root, and has mainly been tested by people with the opposite wish to me (ie they want everything to go to SD card). As I'm currently unrooted, I'd prefer a non-root method if possible.

The only other method I've seen involved ADB commands on a rooted phone. I will say just once that root isn't something to fear and can open up lots of other capabilities on your device. Still up to you ultimately and I'll keep my eyes peeled for other solutions.


text:
Exchange Client That Supports Rules
I set up rules in Outlook (which is synched to a Microsoft Exchange server) to automatically filter emails to specific folders, based on sender.
I have been able to sync the Android email client to my mail server, and the inbox contains all of the folders I had set up in Outlook.
My problem is that the Android email client offers no way to sync ALL email folders at once.  I have to sync each individually, which is not really feasible with over 20 folders.
Is there a better email client that will sync with Exchange AND allow synching of all folders under the inbox?
Thanks,
Seth

You can configure your rules on your server account to do that, so you don’t need the filtering rules on every client. Is very practical.
But don't remember now if K9 Mail client offer filtering/rule system
Also there is SEVEN Mail client that if i´m not wrong you can create and modify server-side email rules. With SEVEN you will get  PUSH mail notification for mail, exchange, imap, yahoo, etc...
Note1: Your can create the rules through OWA(Outlook Web Access). Rules created through OWA are Server side rules. Your Exchange server should have a OWA access point. Usually something like : https://owa.yourserverdomain.com

How do you configure that on the server?

@Seth I'd talk with whoever owns the Exchange server.  I know when I've created rules on my Exchange account they've been server rules automatically.

Create the rule through OWA(Outlook Web Access). Rules created through OWA are Server side rules. Your Exchange server should have a OWA access point. Usually something like : https://owa.yourserverdomain.com

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


text:
Remove/hide contacts of one account when multiple Google accounts are added to phone
I have added two Google accounts to my phone running Android 12. Contacts of both accounts are now being shown on the device, in the app named "Contacts" by Google.
Is there a way I can remove/hide the contacts of one account? Note that I do not wish to remove the account just want to remove/hide the contacts for this device.

I encouraged users of the Google Contacts help to submit their feedback in the app and tell the Google developers that they need this feature.

Once they are synced, you need to remove them yourself.
To Stop them syncing

Go to Settings
Account sand Backup (or Accounts and Sync)
Select Manage Accounts (or accounts are displayed anyway)
Select Account (From the ones with the Google Icon) (Image-1)
Select Sync Account (Image-2)
Turn off Contacts switch (Image-3)

To remove the accounts

You can do it manually
Or you can use a third party app such as Contacts Optimizer to help you
I also find MyPhoneExplorer very handy.  You can copy the contacts to your OPC and manage them there.

Image-1

Image-2

Image-3

Are you saying that the Google accounts need to be removed? Isn't there a way to hide the contacts without removing the Google account altogether?

You need to remove the account from the phone, not delete it from Google.

The question clearly states that he needs a solution that does not delete Google accounts from the phone. So this answer is not a solution to the question. It does not hide contacts for a particular Google account.

You can filter the contacts you see in the Google Contacts app to only display the contacts that are stored in a particular Google account's cloud storage. This is the best you can do, there isn't an easy way to permanently hide contacts from a Google account, you can only enable a filter. This has been tested on stock Android 14.

Open the Contacts app (the one made by Google)
In the top right hand corner of the screen, click on the profile picture of your Google account. A list of Google accounts should be displayed now, alongside the menu options "Add another account", "Manage account on this device", and so forth.
Tap on the Google account that you want to focus on. The dialog should close and you should return to the main screen of the app.
Now tap on the hamburger menu icon in the top left corner of the screen. A sidebar should appear, with "All accounts", the name of the selected Google account, and then a list of labels.
Tap on the name of the Google account to filter contacts to just those stored on that Google account's cloud storage.

You can enable or disable Contacts sync for particular Google account, but that isn't enough to hide those contacts from the Contacts app.

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


text:
Is it possible to translate websites in Chrome Android in "realtime" like I did on the PC?
On my Windows 7 computer with Chrome I could translate entire webpages using Google translate with the click of a button.  Is there a way to do this in Chrome or the stock browser? Or any other browser?
OS: 4.1.1
Samsung Galaxy S3

Have you installed and tried Chrome Beta for Android https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.chrome.beta&hl=en

I have Chrome installed but how do I access the translation feature?  When I go to a foreign website nothing happens automatically.

Chrome Beta automatically prompted me when I went to the French version of the BBC site http://bbc.co.uk/french. What site/language are you looking at.

audible.de for one.

Just went to audible.de using Chrome BETA version (which is different than Chrome) and it prompted me for translation.

Is it made by Google?  My phone is not rooted.

Yes Chrome Beta is made by Google. No rooting is required.

When I did a Play search some weird "Chrome beta" program showed up.  Net search found it.  How can I give you points since you answered in the comments?

Use Chrome Beta for Android. It is made by Google to test out new features. No root is required and can be installed side by side with the original Google Chrome app. By default, Chrome Beta for Android will prompt you for a translation when you visit a site.
The app can be found on Google Play.
Also, if you use the same Google account on your phone and in your PC browser, you can install the app from your PC without having to search for it on your phone. It will automatically install.

So the Chrome Beta will always remain a Beta?  Will the translation feature never be put into the stable version?

That is up to Google when features in Beta will be moved to the main Chrome app. Translation only got added in May 2013 to Beta. But there is probably a good chance that when Google moves the mainline Chrome for Android to version 28, it will get translate.

Hope the points got to you.

And main Chrome for Android now has the translation feature: http://googlechromereleases.blogspot.com/2013/07/chrome-for-android-update.html

Yes, it is possible with the current beta build of Chrome. It works exactly the same way it does on the desktop.

How?  On desktop, I used a Google Translate plugin...

The desktop browser has had a built-it translator for a while now, you can refer to this link for more information: https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/173424?hl=en.
The Chrome beta for Android also has the same feature, http://cdn.thenextweb.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2013/05/chrome_translate_android-730x380.png.

Can you show me how to activate this feature on Chrome Android?

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text:
Is there a way to make a page in the Kindle app less brighter than the options available within the app?
I have my bright setting on the lowest in my app and my phone is at the lowest possible brightnes too but I find it too bright to read a page in the Kindle app in the dark.  Is there any way to lower the brightness? I only find that the Android stock browser's lowest brightness setting to be bearable in the dark; even the lowest possible brightness setting in Chrome is too bright.  Is there some radical way to make the brightness in the Kindle lower than the default?
Samsung Galaxy S3
4.1.1

To break the upper/lower limits of device settings, you'd most likely need to tweak your ROM, which requires the device to be rooted. I know there are some solutions for volume limits around ("booster"), so I won't rule out they do exist here as well.
To work around system settings at the "lower end", as it is your intention, you might e.g. want to take a look at Screen Filter:

Applies a shade that acts as a dimmer to ensure your eyes don't hurt. Far more powerful than Android's built-in brightness setting. Great for low-light gaming, web browsing, and eBook reading. It even saves battery life for AMOLED displays!

So this app uses a trick by adding a semi-transparent layer on top of what's displayed, which makes the display appear "darker".
Then there's also Night Mode, which has a similar goal (and uses a similar method to reach it):

Night Mode's main goal is to reduce the brightness of your screen lower than you can achieve with the default settings.
This application applies an overlay filter that acts as a dimmer to darken the screen and ensure your eyes don't hurt.

Pick your choice -- or check for another. Where there are two, there might be more (Super Dimmer, Screen Dimmer, Screen Filter, ...). A Playstore search will be your friend here (note that that's also all what I did -- I didn't use any of those solutions myself, so no guarantees :)

I quite like Twilight - basically overlays a translucent slightly orange layer on the screen at night. Very similar to f.lux for the pc, although slightly buggy at times

You can change the brightness in the Kindle app by touching the "Aa" icon near the upper right. This will bring up the font, size and brightness settings, which you can then adjust to your liking.

I have that at the lowest setting possible already. And, my phone is at the lowest setting too.  I was looking for something to alter this...

How can you go any lower than the lowest setting!

I've heard some people say you could through the OS but I'm not sure about any details...

Maybe, but that's a completely different question than the one you asked.

This is great! It was very frustrating to see that the system brightness did not coincide with my book's brightness. On this screen you can also say that the brightness SHOULD match the system's brightness.

change the background colour to sepia which will appear less bright or even wear sunglasses!

I think the OP was looking for a more, um... technical solution than "wear sunglasses".

@Chahk:  Sunglasses are an easy solution.  It takes only seconds to put them on or take them off; that's probably less time than it takes to enable a screen filter app.  If the OP has a pair of sunglasses handy, this is a quicker and better solution than using a screen filter app.  I've upvoted this answer.

Same thought here Upvoted

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

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


text:
Floating browser window that can be minimized?
My problem: I need to have an open web page floating on top of my Kindle app which can be minimized to the screen and not on the status bar as that covers the book.  What I need is an open resizeable window with transparency settings so I can read and research at the same time.  How do I go about solving this?

This is also a duplicate of your other question,Is there a way to turn an app into a floating one?

@onik: I'm not that stupid.  I'm asking two different things.  This question has to do with one thing: browsers and the existence of a solution for my problem.  My question pertains to whether you can make your own floating app out of any app.

I meant "my other question pertains to..."

Browsers are Apps. The only difference I see between the two questions is that this one asks "how to make a browser window float" while the other asks "how to make an app window float". I don't think that, if a solution exists, that there will be one specific to browsers, therefore I also consider this a duplicate question.

@Flow I think they can be considered as different questions. If no generic solution exists (e.g. making an app float), then it may be good enough for verve if a specific solution exists (e.g. making a browser float).

Boat Browser has a floating tab feature that can minimize to the notification bar (pulldown menu). You can also resize this window. It's the closest I can recommend.

Boat Browser (click for larger image)


text:
How to remove in-game visual bugs on the S6?
So after moving my apps from the S3 to the S6 on 5.0.2 a lot of my games and other apps have a visual bug constantly on the screen. But this bug is not present on the S3. Is there any way to remove it?  That circle bug can be moved around the screen too but does nothing when clicked on. Like this:

When you hold it you should be able to move it to a trashcan. It is called a Toolbox.

What Toolbox? These bugs are not present on my S3. These are full screen games.There is no Trash.

You should be able to switch it off in settings.

How?  What is the cause? This is in most apps that have not been updated for the S6 I gather.


text:
How do I make the Google Assistant notify me when I get email from a specific person using my S8?
I have a Google Mini & the IFTTT app but I can't figure out how to make Google mini make a voice notification when email from a specific user arrives. Is there a way to do this?
I use Gmail & have an S8.


text:
Chrome browser frozen from scam tab. How to fix?
I got an ad popup in a new tab in the Chrome broswer from visiting a site & now that tab ad won't close or let me use Chrome.
Tried force stopping & clearing cache but Chrome is still frozen. Tried restarting phone. No change. See the photo for the tab that won't close.  It's the "critical..." one that has frozen Chrome. Can't close any tabs at all too. Any suggestions? Also,  Malwarebytes' scan result = nothing.

how bout turning wi fi and data off and trying to open Chrome again? Will it still be like this?

You didn't mention clearing data of Chrome app from Settings app. Are you avoiding it for some reason? That would definitely solve the problem.

You could always uninstall chrome, and then reinstall. That's assuming you don't have any bookmarks you care about.

If the app was preinstalled in your system you can 'uninstall updates' and force stop Chrome.

If you don't have a warranty on your phone anymore, you can root it and then uninstall 'preinstalled apps'.

Can you please provide instructions for both of them?

That depends a lot on the phone. But there's an app - One Click Root- that worked fine for two of my phones (LG G3 and Samsung Galaxy A5 2017). After you root your phone, install System App Remover, you can find it on play store or on One Click Root page at Root Apps. The through that app you can remove preinstalled apps from your Android device.
ADVICE: When rooting your phone, search and read carefully and make sure it's alright to root it. Nobody wants to brick their phone.

Just wipe user data, related to browser (Settings => Apps). No need for reinstall, wiping data+cache is the important step!


text:
Galaxy S3 running CM11 - SystemUpdateService keeps getting disabled
SystemUpdateService is currently destroying my battery (phone awake 98% of the time) because it's not running (The update services acquires a wakelock to check for updates, but since SystemUpdateService is disabled, it never finishes the check and the device stays awake.)
The service is under both of the following apps:

Google Play Services
Google Play Services Framework

If I use the DisableService app I can kick them back into action again... but whenever I restart my phone, they're disabled again. Also, sometimes they randomly switch off again at random.
Any idea how to keep these services running please?
Many thanks

Do you have the app ops option under settings ? if not are you open to install it from play store ?

add more info about your problem, so you want those two google play services running all the time or you don't want them running all the time? (because you said 'Any idea how to keep these services running please?'). Please ask clearly once again.

Thanks @ranjithstar256 - I've just updated the original post with more context :)

Thanks @lord-ralf-adolf - I think I've used this app before, but I've just installed it and will give it another go.

I don't think your problem is that the services not running ,it's a known bug that have been reported on XDA several time and I had and still have it I fixed it by denying wake lock permissions from the google play services (not relly a fix but a work arround) you can try that and tell me if your device is sleeping fine or not

@lord-ralf-adolf I think you could also mention the tool or the tutorial in a comment that you used to deny that wake lock permission (like Amplify or something), and if it works for OP, then it would be worth having it as an answer.

The tool I used is app ops ,I disabled the the following permissions to the Google play services : keep awake ,wake up and auto start


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How to identify camera app?
Is there a way to identify the stock camera app on an android device? Browsing the installed packages using Titanium Backup didn't show any package with "camera" in its name.
With the app identified, i hope to find some info or documentation regarding the app's features.
EDIT:
To be more precise - i'm trying to detect the name of the camera app that came with the device. I own a Galaxy Tab 3 and a Fairphone - the camera apps on both devices differ regarding functionality.

The camera and gallery apps are the same on Android 4.3 and below.
It got separated only on KitKat version.
So you have to look for gallery apk on titanium backup. Probably named Gallery 4.apk or Gallery 2.apk with com.android.gallery3d....as its package name

I think by "stock", the submitter means the name of the camera package that came with the phone (which likely is not google's app). Most devices come with their own flavor of a camera app, each with its own features and under its own package name.

Exactly - i'm trying to detect the name of the camera app that came with the device - i've edited my question. But thanks a lot @AlexanderTheGreat for a first answer!


text:
Does Android block any ports when tethering?
I have a Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini running Android 4.1.2. I have a regular 3G voice & data plan with an Optus reseller in Australia. I often access the Internet from my laptop via bluetooth tethering on this phone and it works beautifully, except for one small problem.
I have several web servers that I access via SSH but I have configured the SSH servers to listen on non-standard port numbers. Although I have selected very large port numbers (ie. greater than 33,000), according to the TCP/IP standard they are valid numbers so they should work fine. Indeed, I have been happily SSH-ing to these servers for years on my wired connections at home and work, but have never been able to access them when tethering.
I have just spent several hours searching the web trying to find out if this is a carrier issue or an Android issue but found nothing useful.
[Additional Notes] The configuration is as follows: laptop is paired via Bluetooth to the phone. The phone has "Bluetooth tethering" enabled so that I can share the phone's Internet connection with the laptop. So the laptop connects to the phone, the phone connects to the Internet via 3G.

Can you please [edit] your question and include some details on the "when tethering" constellation? Where is the device you want to reach? WiFi or USB tethering? Normal or "reverse tethering"?

Hopefully my additional notes have cleared this up.

Connections are clear now, thanks! Can you also give an example of where you have been unable to connect: where is the server you try to connect, from where are you trying, and what would be the "path"? I guess you try to connect from your Android device to e.g. (behind) the tethered laptop?

laptop -> bluetooth -> phone -> 3G -> Internet -> server

That should do. Do the logs on "server" show anything concerning an incoming connection? Can you reach the very same server on the same path with other protocols (e.g. http, ftp)? If "yes" to the latter, and "no" to the former, I'll have to pass this on to someone with some tethering experience (I myself didn't "play" much with it yet).

I can reach the server through ports 80 and 443 but not the high, non-standard port that I'm using for ssh. The laptop just times out trying to connect and there is nothing in the server logs to indicate that a connection attempt reached the server. Thanks for you continued attention to my question.

For the record, I just had the opportunity to set up a new server so I left the ssh server listening on the standard port (22). I could connect OK when tethering. So the problem really does seem like either Android or my carrier is arbitrarily blocking a certain range of ports.

Could be the carrier, but could also be the tethering device here. To check which one is the case, you could try with a port-scanner directly from the Android device (or simply using some SSH client on the Android device, e.g. JuiceSSH). If that fails as well, it's your carrier – otherwise the tethering device.

The answer to this question is that no, neither Android nor my carrier are arbitrarily blocking traffic on high-numbered ports.
The problem is that I had forgotten how paranoid I am about security and that, in addition to making SSH listen on a non-standard port, I had also created an iptables rule to only allow connections to that port from my home IP address and my work IP address. Obviously I was using a different IP address when attempting to connect via my phone, hence the failure to connect. (And I probably didn't look hard enough when prompted by @Izzy to check server logs, because I'm sure there is a record of the blocked connection attempt in there somewhere). D'oh...
My apologies for wasting people's time, but in case anybody else thinks they have a problem with Android or their carrier arbitrarily blocking ports, hopefully this answer will prompt them to triple check everything about their connection, including their server firewall, before they go off logging tickets.


text:
Android uninstall app before boot completion
A strange one this. I have got myself into a situation where I think that a single apk is causing boot to fail. I have the same situation on a Nexus 4 and Nexus 7 running 4.4.
Running adb install <com.myapp.package> would hang - then the device would reboot - then would get stuck on Android is upgrading...Optimising app 1 of 1.
I can list packages through adb shell at this point - but uninstalling with
pm uninstall <com.myapp.package>
will just hang - presumably as the current process is doing something with that apk already.
If i try to boot into recovery at this point i get a dead android with a "no command" message.
Fastboot is locked on the device and its not rooted.
My only option at this point i think is to unlock fastboot but was wondering if im missing something.
EDIT: I just wiped via fastboot on one device and it works again - dont really want to do this on other device if poss
Thanks!

The application apk will be stored in /data/app/ or system/app/ you can navigate there and rm .apk, then reboot


text:
Do keyboard autocomplete suggestions get transferred?
I used to have a Samsung Galaxy Nexus and was using AT&T as my network provider. I lost my Nexus phone and bought and a new Samsung Nexus Mini.
When I installed Facebook and WhatsApp on my new phone, I can see all my keyboard suggestions, though the chat history from WhatsApp was deleted.
How did my phone remember (and transfer) all my keyboard autocomplete suggestions?

There's no such phone as a "Samsung Nexus Mini", but there are several with names of the form "Samsung something Mini". Please check what model of phone you have and [edit] your question to update it.

Are/were you using the default keyboard app, or did you install another such as SwiftKey? Word completions are provided by the keyboard app, not the app you're typing into.


text:
Galaxy S4 and Motorola CS3070, got paired but NOT connected
I am trying to connect my Samsung Galaxy S4 to a Bluetooth scanner Motorola CS3070 unsuccessfully.
Anybody aware of any compatibility issues or fixes?

According to the GS4's specifications, it supports the following Bluetooth profiles only:

PBAP - Phone Book Access Profile
A2DP - Advanced Audio Distribution Profile
AVRCP - Audio/Video Remote Control Profile
HFP - Hands-Free Profile
HSP - Headset Profile
OPP - Object Push Profile
SAP - SIM Access Profile
HID - Human Interface Device Profile
PAN - Personal Area Networking Profile
MAP - Message Access Profile

Your Motorola CS3070 scanner supports the following BT profiles:

HID - keyboard wedge
SPP - Serial Port Profile

I believe the absence of SPP profile support on GS4 could be the reason you cannot properly connect the two devices without additional software.
According to this video, software called "BluePiano" can be used with this scanner model.  In the comments they specifically mention the SPP profile, and that there should be instructions in the scanner's manual on getting it to work with some handsets.


text:
How to download and INSTALL apps in the memory card? (and not the phone memory)
How to download and INSTALL apps in the SD memory card? (and not the phone memory known as Device Storage)
Since when I download something on Aptoide it says that my memory is full. The fact is, my device storage memory is full but my SD memory card is empty.
I have an Android based Samsung Galaxy.

check out this https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ljmobile.move.app
may be it can be helpful. There is a bit work but it get the job done.

I may not be completely up to date on this but there may be no solution to this, as (most?) android apps cannot installed on the sd card, some of their data can be moved (resources and such) if the developer prepared for that.
So a solution to your memory problem may be to attempt to move some of the app data to the sd card (if you run into issues to this, let me know your version of android and I will try to help).

My mobile(Android 2.3) has in-built option for that:
Settings>Applications>Manage Applications

then Select app and click "Move to Phone".

I believe it was in 2013 that Google supposedly instructed apps writers to discontinue allowing apps to be installed to SD cards.  Something about apps not working any longer after an SD card is removed, then re-installed.  I discovered that after purchasing a 16GB Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 with a 64 Gigabyte microSD card.  I currently have 4Gigabyte available of the 16 original in the system available for use.  Though I can't put apps on the card, I put the card in a laptop
 PC and transferred videos mpg4, photos, songs and documents on the card then reinsert ed the card into the Samsung.  It works fine.  There are a few apps that may still able to be installed on the card, but still won't work if the card is removed then reinstalled.

You can try the following:

free some space on device (by uninstalling unnecessary apps) to download desired app
move downloaded app to sd-card so that it will require less space on device
you can use Link2sd app to move app forcefully (root require)

Please visit this link :
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1278349
The post is to help you set your phones default install path to your phones sd card on any android device.


text:
Texting with Samsung Galaxy S4
My Samsung Galaxy S4 has been saying that my text is "sending" for hours now.  However, one of the recipients has responded to my text. Was not doing this earlier today

"Have you tried turning it off and back on again?" Honestly, I would just recommend restarting your device. It might just magically fix the problem.
Sometimes, if you're sending a message to multiple recipients, one person will receive the message before the others. Your phone could have lost cellular service during the process of sending the message (thus resulting in one person replying while your message is still being sent to the others).
If restarting the phone doesn't work, you can try the dumb brute force solution:

Copy the content of the message.
Delete the message from your outbox.
Create a new message with the pasted content and send it.

Maybe another user can recommend a techy solution, but this should be enough to get you past this issue if it happens again. If it happens regularly, you should contact your carrier.

"Is it plugged in?"

This is most likely a carrier issue instead of a phone one.

Why do you think it's a carrier issue? Any reasons or sources for this?

When I had similar problems with my Galaxy S3, it was due to Sprint upgrading the towers where I was at. Now that the upgrades are complete, I've had no problems sending messages.


text:
According to Link2SD I only have 2% system space left
I have plenty of space everywhere else. How can I fix this?


text:
Restricted Access for SIM when use internet (3G, 2G and wi-fi)
I am using THL W3+ and i have some problems when I switch on the internet (3G,2G, wi-fi) - it is working in normal mode for not more than 5 minutes and then the SIM and voice calls are in restricted mode and PIN is required.
Did somebody meet such problem and did somebody find a solution?

What do you mean by restricted mode? Does the SIM lock? Drop out of the network?

it appears the "Enter PIN" screen, the same as you just switched the phone on. until you enter the PIN and it is successfully accepted, there is no voice call available (neither incoming, nor outgoing)

This sounds like it's a problem with the SIM card. My suggestion would be to check the SIM card seating and verify that there's no dust or debris between the SIM card and the connectors. If this doesn't help, try to use another SIM to test if it's a problem with the SIM card itself. If the device works with the other SIM, take your SIM to the carrier and ask for a replacement. If not, then I'd suggest taking the phone back to the shop for warranty repair.

thank you for the answer. Because it has a common behavior when i use 3G/2G or Wi-Fi ... that is why I consider it should not be a problem of SIM card. To be sure ... i also checked that out and the problem remains even with another SIM card.


text:
Where's the alarm widget on my new HTC One m8?
I just "upgraded" to a HTC One M8 from a Galaxy S3 and I can't see how to add the alarm home-screen widget.
On the S3 there's the '2 x 1 Alarm' widget which is great. How do I add this to my M8 please?
Also, is the disappearance of this due to a newer version of Android or is this widget only available on Samsung phones?

Sounds like you've got it right: It's probably a Samsung-specific widget.

As you've suggested, this is a Samsung-only widget. You can easily find equivalents on Google Play if you want one; perhaps you'll even find something you like better than your old Samsung widget.

That is a Samsung-specific widget. I would suggest you to install other apps from Play Store with same functionality. You can give Timely Alarm Clock a try.


text:
Why does my power button take screenshots?
I haven't installed any screenshot applications, in fact my phone was recently wiped when upgrading to gingerbread. I have Gingerbread 2.3.4 and I use the GoLauncher homescreen. Samsung Mesmerize from US Cellular. I know they install bloatware but I've used this phone for months and it only did this after the upgrade to gingerbread (that I know of).
On occasion when I hit the power button the screen turns white and the phone vibrates, and I get a toast message saying "screen captured saved as image file" or something like that. Half the time the power button does that, half the time it turns off the screen normally. Right this second I couldn't replicate, it's very random and frustrating. What could cause this? I see no unusual running apps unless GoLauncher is doing this, and I see no setting related to this in their app.

When you hold the Home key and tap Power, it takes a screenshot.  Unfortunately sometimes lag causes the Home press to be delayed/extended, so if you press it and let go before hitting Power it will still happen sometimes.
The original SGS suffers from this issue as well, though it uses Home+Back.  I would try the same workaround I propose in my answer to that question:

Go to Settings -> Applications -> Running Services and click on ScreenCaptureService to end it.  You'll have to do this every time you boot up your phone, unless you get a task killer or can remove it somehow, though either of those may have other side effects.

It appears to be the back key that does it on my phone, but that helps at least, thanks. A very annoying feature I never heard of...

Hold your home button and your power button at the same time. Then hit the power button then it will lock it. It works just fine.


text:
How to sync my contacts with their gmail account?
I have bought Nexus 4 and i have imported phone contacts from my older Phone. I don't have email id for many of the contacts,i have just their phone numbers alone. Now i want to sync them with their email. Is there any way to do this. And is there any way to sync them with their fb account. (To be clear my question is if i can sync them to their gmail or fb by just using their Number). Actually i have 'Add Connection' option in 'People' tab and i'm able to get the contacts from Google Plus correctly. But when i add them to circles they are saved as separate contact and my old contact with phone number alone as separate contact.

You might wish to check other questions tagged contacts+sync, which might provide useful details.

You could first add a facebook account from
 Settings->Account->Add new account->Facebook

Then the FB contacts will get synced with their numbers if users have added it on facebook. After that try syncing with the Google account.
If this does not work, you could always use the 'link contacts' option provided in almost all contact application. it will detect similar accounts and link them to form a single contact file.
Hope this helps!
Import Facebook contects to Goole+.

Thanks for your comment. But i have no option to Add Facebook account in settings tab from Nexus 4. I don't know if its an issue between Facebook and Google.

You will need to first install the facebook app

yes i downloaded uber facebook sync and able to sync only 20 existing contacts. I want to sync other 200 existing contacts manually as i can do with 'Add connections' in 'People' app. Is there any way for that?

Online Contatcs Sync using FullContact or FullContact - Google Sync.

Using Google Contact Sync.
Using Google Play App Sync.ME.

Only those contacts will sync with Gmail that are fed or created as Google accounts. Some phones do not give this choice while the contact is being created and so, it is just a phone contact.
To sync these contacts with Gmail, you have to edit such contacts. Use the following steps:

Go to contacts.
Click edit contact.
On top of the contact above the name will appear Phone Contact".
Tap it to open other option. You will see:

Google
SIM
Phone

Choose Google.

Now your contact has been saved under Google. When you sync your account it will be synced to your Gmail account.
Let me know if you face problems after this!
Cheers!

The best way is to create or import your contacts under Google account. You can add both Email or Facebook info under each contacts. You can also log in to Facebook app and sync Facebook contacts. Same name will be linked automatically and you may need link manually for the remaining contacts.


text:
I want to flash my my Skyrocket I-727. There's an issue, though: My USB conneciton isn't recognized on any computer
I got a Skyrocket my father no longer uses and there's a big problem with it: the Wifi doesn't work.  after some checking with buddies, discussions, and searching, I'vbe figured out it's a software issue.  I'd like to root, and then flash and install the latest stable release of CM 10.2 on the device.  All of this would have been done weeks ago, however, it seems that my device's USB port is either unreadable or corrupt.  Any computer I plug it in to the device is not properly recognized.  Hell, I would have used the CM Installer already.
So my main question is:
I have a stock, non-root Skyrocket I-727. The Wifi does not work, nor does the USB connection.  Is there any way to put a custom ROM, or even another Stock-based ROM on this device using just the shirt on my back and a microSD?

Try uninstalling all Samsung USB drivers, including the Kies program, rebooting the computer and then installing the drivers from here: http://www.samsung.com/us/support/owners/product/SGH-I727MSAATT

What you need to do is head over to sammobile.com and download the latest firmware for your phone, then using Odin you can flash the new firmware.
If your driver issues are software related then this will work because Odin uses your phones "Download Mode" and that is a different driver all together, and if your truly stock and not rooted there is no way you could have changed it.
Samsung Kies will come with the needed driver for download mode to get that too if you don't already have it.
Also you can check out forum.xda-developers.com there is a lot of useful tools and guides there.
Another option if the Samsung Kies for skyrocket supports it is a firmware emergency recovery. It will install the latest firmware, and use download mode to do it.

Thanks for the suggestion!  Unfortunately, Nothing as far as your suggestions worked.  It still shows that the USB is unrecognized, and ODIN doesn't even recognize it in DL mode.  I'm guessing the problem is my device itself, because the cable itself recognizes other devices.


text:
Stop wifi connecting to open networks
I live in a large city and there are random open wifi networks everywhere that allow my Android to connect to their network but won't give internet access because there is a paywall. This is only apparent when you start a browser on the phone. (And is annoying because working mobile 2G/3G access is suppressed in the mean time)
Is there an (automatic) way to stop my phone connecting to a wifi network unless it's password protected ie when I'm at home or at a friend's house?
EDIT: The networks are often named the same eg "BTOpenZone" (but have different IPs so can't be blocked one at a time). There are a wide variety of providers like BTOpenZone. I'd like to block them all, adding exceptions if I ever find a non-paywall connection.

It shouldn't be connecting to WiFi networks unless you have previously connected to them.
If you go into Settings and view your WiFi networks you should see a list similar to:

The ones that are listed as 'Not in range' are networks you have connected to previously. If these are the open networks that you no longer want to connect to you can click on each one and click the 'Forget' button that appears.
Your phone should not connect to these networks again (unless you tell it to).
EDIT: After your edit it appears like this question will help.

As mentioned in the Edit, they will often have the same name but different IP addresses so can't all be blocked at the same time if they're all named BTOpenZone

Wanted to test out Wifi Ruler for a bit before accepting. It's working great. Thanks for your help

You will be connected auto only when you have connected to that WIFI network and Selected the checkbox auto connect when this network is availabel..You Have to go to WIFI settings and Remove the unwanted networks listed

As mentioned in the Edit, there are too many to block one at a time

That's not about blocking. Your device will not auto-connect unless you have manually connected before. So this will only be an issue if there's one AP with the same name of another you're normally using.


text:
How to open links directly in Firefox full browser?
In some apps (Google News, Read - Simple RSS Reader) when I tap on a link, it won't directly open in Firefox but in a simplistic viewer, supposedly also by Firefox. From there I only have two choices, close the viewer (which brings me back into the app) or open the actual Firefox browser. The problem is that all plugins are disabled in this viewer, so I always need two taps to open a link from those apps. How can I disable this viewer?

I have Firefox 68.3.0 installed, but the problem has existed for a long time.

Some app developers prefer to keep user within the app as much as possible, even when visiting external links. WebView embeds external web content seamlessly in an app activity so that it looks a part of it. However large contents like complete webpages which cannot fit inside app layout require a minimal browser to show them. Some apps have their own in-app browsers. A relatively recent addition is the ability of standalone browsers (including Chrome and Firefox) to show Custom Tabs inside other apps the same way an in-app browser looks.
When you tap a link, app may fire an explicit intent.action.VIEW to web browser or an implicit intent with URL as data. In latter case if there are more than one apps which can handle the given scheme in URL (e.g. https://) and a default app isn't selected already, system activity resolver (com.android.internal.app.ResolverActivity) shows Open With dialogue (with help from package manager which shows last selected app on top (see more details in this answer):

Then an explicit intent is forwarded to user selected app. So here if you select a browser (or other app) which doesn't provide Custom Tabs functionality, full browser is launched. But if the intent is a CustomTabsIntent (with EXTRAs) and the selected app (e.g. browser) supports Custom Tabs, the URL is opened within the calling app. Browser may start a CustomTabsService in background to receive intents with ACTION_CUSTOM_TABS_CONNECTION:
~$ dumpsys package | grep CustomTabsService
      android.support.customtabs.action.CustomTabsService:
        b5a09c8 org.mozilla.firefox/org.mozilla.gecko.customtabs.GeckoCustomTabsService

Firefox, at least, provides an option in settings to disable Custom Tabs:

Similarly some apps can provide a configuration option to open links externally, disabling in-app browser and/or custom tabs. Or you can customize the custom tabs behavior using third party apps like Lynket - an open source project (I have no affiliation). Theoretically the same approach can be used to disable custom tabs by selecting such app when "Open with" dialog is shown.

I get a preview that comes from Chrome, with an option to "Open in Firefox", which is my default browser. How can I disable this Chrome preview?

To answer my own question: go to the Firefox custom tabs option as shown above and do this sequence: off / on / off. I guess that turning it "on" steals the option from chrome, and then turning it off again finally solves the problem.


text:
Is there a way/browser plug-in available that can turn off and on Airplane Mode without using the physical button?
I want to quickly turn off and on data on my S3 while I read long articles on the web which I noticed saves a lot of battery.  But the physical button is too worn off already and I don't want to exit whatever I'm doing to off the data.  Is there a way to off and on Airplane Mode from the status bar or a plug-in I can install in the Chrome browser?
OS: 4.1.1
Phone: Samsung Galaxy S3

Reconnecting to a Wi-Fi or 3G network uses more power than leaving it idle for several minutes. Although having it off saves power, don't think you can save more power by turning it off for a few minutes at a tine.

I tested it.  For now something is draining my battery at the rate of 1% a minute and I find when I turn the data off it drains at like 1% every 6 per minute.

That's suspiciously much. It sounds more like an app keeping the CPU hot than the data connection itself. If you go into Settings → Battery, are there any apps using a lot?

I've been trying to figure that out.  Right now, it says Chrome is using the most at 40%.  But why does my phone last longer with the data off if it's the CPU?  Temp is 31 degrees in Celsius.

It could be that Chrome is doing something CPU-intensive, but only while an internet connection is available: turning data off stops it running. 40% is a lot, but I can't think what it might be doing. Try force-stopping it and clearing its cache (from Settings → Applications Manager) and see if that helps.

Actually, if it's while you're using Chrome, it may be its precaching. In Chrome, go to Settings → Bandwidth management → Preload web pages and set it to Never, and see if that helps.

Temp of the battery that is....

Chrome wasn't pre-caching at all and I cleared the cache but it doesn't seem to make much difference.  What does the cache do?

Several, I'm sure. There's the simple Airplane Mode Widget for one. Then there's the way more complicated, but way more powerful Tasker for another (since it's capable of creating widgets to execute any of the tasks you define).
Oh, wait, the title said widget, but the question says status bar. On my S3 (also on 4.1.1), I can pull down the notifications, slide the power switches to the left a little bit, and there's the switch for Airplane mode. Does that work on yours?
If you haven't got the Airplane mode switch in your status bar, then the easiest solution would probably be SwipePad with a shortcut (not widget) to toggle Airplane Mode. This is the combination I use to turn on my LED flashlight (with TeslaLED). The reason you want a shortcut instead of a widget is because it saves you steps. If Airplane Mode Switch does indeed use a shortcut instead of a widget, then you're golden without having spent a dime. If it doesn't, then you can still buy the WidgetPad add on for SwipePad and use a widget, or buy Tasker and use it to create a shortcut which toggles airplane mode.

When you pull down the notifications bar, there's a row of buttons at the top: Wi-Fi, GPS, Sound, Screen rotation, &c. You can flick them to the left to see more, but there's no Airplane mode switch on my S3 (4.1.2).

That's interesting @DanHulme. Which country are you in and which carrier are you on? I'm in the US on AT&T, with 4.1.1 and I do have airplane mode in the status bar switches. I think Samsung gives you the ability to choose the switches in their 4.2 update, but who knows when or if the carriers will push that out.

The UK, but with a German unlocked build of the phone. I know I used to have different buttons until it OTA'ed, but can't remember whether Airplane mode was among them.

"Airplane mode switch" has not been updated for years so I'm worried it might be unstable with the newer systems.

I suspect "Airplane Mode Switch" is so simple, there hasn't been any need to update it, @verve. In any case, it worked just fine on my S3 when I tried it earlier.

One of the features of Battery Widget Reborn's notification is buttons to toggle WiFi, Bluetooth, Sync, Mobile Data, and Airplane mode. I got it for the battery usage analysis, but this extra feature is a really nice touch. Now I only need pull down my notification shade to access these important toggles. (Although, yes, with the new settings panel in Jelly Bean I don't really need it. It's a couple less taps.)


text:
How do I export my favourites from Chrome to the stock browser?
I have been searching online for a way but couldn't find anything.  How do I copy my Favourites from the latest version of Chrome Android to the stock browser on my Samsung Galaxy S3?  I want to be able to open my list of Favourites from within the stock browser.  Any way?
OS: 4.1.1

I know you can export Chrome bookmarks using a desktop version (https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/96816?hl=en-GB), but I do not believe that the stock browser can import bookmarks.

Have you tried doing this with syncing your bookmarks over google account?
I know that stock browser reads the bookmarks synced with google account when logged in.
If you log into google using chrome browser, syncing bookmarks and then logging into google using stock browser should get your bookmarks there.
Can't test it because I am currently on 4.2.2 and don't have Chrome for android installed so this is just a guess how it could be done.
edit
When you first start your chrome browser it asks you right away to login into your google account.
If you have done that it asks you the same question as in the desktop version - whether to synchronize things like passwords, bookmarks etc. between your chrome instances.
If you have done the first thing and answered the following question with "yes everything" or just "yes" with a marked checkbox for bookmarks you're pretty much set up.
If you don't have this done yet you can reconfigure synchronization in chrome settings.
Now if you take a look into the bookmarks section of chrome you should see some folders like "mobile bookmarks", "other bookmarks", "desktop bookmarks" (due to my german version the titles may differ a bit).
Every bookmark saved under "desktop bookmarks" will be synchronized back to your google account.
If you open your stock android browser some minutes later and login to your google account when asked you will see your google email address as a folder/category inside bookmarks section containing your bookmarks from chrome.
Even if you will install i.e. a chrome browser on your desktop some day you will end up with your bookmarks/tabs/passwords/... beeing pulled from your google account once you login.
Here are some screenshots (as I already mentioned they're unfortunately from my german version):

I don't have desktop access.  Can this be done with just my phone?

I think that should be possible. Stock android browser fetches bookmarks from google account automatically (different lables > "local" / ""). So if you can get your android chrome browser to sync its bookmarks to google you will imo end up seeing your bookmarks of your google account inside of the stock browsers bookmarks (at least in 4.2.2 browser). If you want to see what is there to get synced between your chrome browser(s) etc. see here. Correct me when I am wrong due to my missing chrome for android knowledge.

Can you give me a step-by-step.  I'm lost.

@verve Just downloaded google chrome on my android phone to test it myself. Check my edited answer.

What about Phone 2 Google Chrome and Google Chrome 2 Phone ?

@felix: I don't have any desktop bookmarks in Chrome so how will it work?  I only have stuff under mobile bookmarks.

I want to transfer mobile to mobile bookmarks.

I have my Chrome bookmarks synced but when I go into stock and sign into Gmail I don't see my bookmarks.  :-(


text:
How can I record audio running through my S3 speaker on Jellybean?
On my computer I use Replay Media Catcher to capture audio or video clips I want to save offline from the web. Now on my Samsung Galaxy  S3 running 4.1.1 I want to record audio from websites. All I see on Play is "voice recoders" but I want a simple way to record audio coming from online to my phone as an .mp3 file etc. Any way?
What I want is to be able to record ANY audio running through my speaker not just from online.  Like, if I'm an audiobook on my audiobook app I want to record the sound coming from that.

Possibly relevant: Is there a way to record sound coming from the speakers, like Audacity does on the computer?

I already read that.  It isn't what I'm looking for...

You may want to clarify your title (possibly the body as well) a little bit then, because it seems to be quite identical based on the current phrasing. The OP of that question was looking to record audio being played back from a website as well.

Can you help me edit it?  It's like I'm dumb or something.  That post talks about an app that doesn't have any internet-recording features.


text:
How do I stop the "which browser" window from popping up every time I try to open a new page in the stock browser?
My stock browser never used to have this problem until I downloaded the Puffin browser and the Photon browser today.  So, every time I type in a URL or open a new window in the stock browser I get the "select which browser" to use with the "always" and "once" button options.  I wanted it to stop popping up so I click "always" but after that I don't know how to proceed. Chrome doesn't seem to be affected. How do I fix this?
OS: 4.1.1
Samsung Galaxy S3

Probably uninstalling the other browser would work, though you probably don't want to. It looks like the stock browser is asking for any of the applications to handle the tab, and then the android system isn't remembering the decision (Or the stock browser is making a unique request each time). Probably only way to fix is to remove other browser or to modify the stock browser in some way.

Could you clarify some things, please: Did you check the "always" checkbox, or did you just think about? If you did, what changed (or what didn't -- as you "don't know how to proceed")? Is this problem restricted to the stock browser only, and are you just talking about working inside that (i.e. clicking a link while in that browser, typing URLs into that browser's URL bar, etc.)?

@ Izzy: Yes, I click "always"  then it says go to "settings" but when I go to the "appications manager" to select "all" or whatever it says to do after pressing "always" I don't see what I 'm supposed to do exactly.  Yes, only with the stock browser; every time I click a link the popup shows up asking which browser I want to choose.


text:
Is there a way to remotely access my desktop and transfer files over the net to my S3?
I have Win 7 Pro on my home desktop and a 4.1.1 OS Samsung S3 phone.  Is there a simple tool or something I can use to move around and transfer files directly from my desktop to the internal drive on my Android phone?  It would be good if I can stream videos to my phone too.  I have no knowledge of how to setup ports etc.  too so something simple.
Edit: I need to fransfer files that are like 700MB.  Desktop is in another city so wifi won't do.  And, I need to be able to set it up on the desktop by just a simple software download because someone else who is not conputer savvy has to setup the desktop while I do my Android.

You might want to take a look at our most frequented file-transfer questions. Plenty of good answers there :)

To transfer files you can try AirDroid. But it is free only when the device are on the same wifi network. Access via mobile data is limited to 100 MB/Month.
For video streaming, you can try Emit. The free version puts ads on your stream and you can stream to your phone even when not on the same network, but you'll need to mess a bit with ports.


text:
Is it possible to zoom in on any text in an app in realtime?
I have an app that has tiny tiny writing that I need to read and I can't take a hundred screenshots to zoom in to read each one and the developer has yet to fix it but I was wondering if there was a way to have a magnifying thingy on top of this app and move it around the screen to enlarge whatever I can't read in realtime. Any tips?  And, the text is not able to be copied or pasted etc.
OS: 4.1
Phone: S3

If your Android version is 4.1 (Jelly Bean) or greater, you can find magnification gestures under your system settings.

Go to Settings
Accessibility
Magnification Gestures

Info:

Magnification Gestures
Usage

I'm on an S3 on 4.1 which doesn't have magnification gestures. :-(

It may/may not solve OP's problem depending on the OP's resources, but it could be helpful for the other android users for other alternatives. You could record the screen of your mobile using a screen recording app and view it on a large computer/tv screen to view the text clearly.
Alternatively, you could also use an emulator such as Bluestacks and install the app you want to zoom and view it on your computer screen or a projector to make the small objects and text clearly on a larger screen.


text:
Is there any way to remove the timecode from an .srt file on my S3?
I want to remove the timecode  from an .srt file so I can just copy and paste the text into a document.  Is there a way to achieve this without manually deleting each line?
S3
4.1.1

You might wish to check for an editor app which supports Search-and-Replace by RegExps.

@Izzy:  But how would that work?  I don't want to replace but I'm looking for something that can strip a .srt file of it's timecodes just to be left with words.

Sure: Replacing the timecode with "nothing" would be the same as removing/stripping it, right? See geffchang's answer: His command removes lines consisting of nothing but digits. ^ is start of line, $ is end of line, and [0-9]+ means "one or more of the characters from 0 to 9". / is the delimiter, and d says to delete. For the curly braces and the N you need to ask geffchang, I never saw that notation.

I'm going to provide a suggestion, but it's not an Android app.
You can try subeditnet:

A simple tool to add or remove time to a SRT subtitle file. I
  developed this in my spare time, so don't expect it to be completely
  bug free. Please always BACKUP your .srt file ;)
You will need Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 to execute it on older
  Operating Systems.

Or via Linux command (not tested):

$ dos2unix subtitles.srt
  $ sed -r '/^[0-9]+$/{N;d}' subtitles.srt > outfile

Why is it not Android related?  I need to do this on my phone hence the question.

@verve In that case, it is Android-related, but so far I haven't found anything that will do what you want. Windows apps may be your best bet for now.

Assuming the linux command is correct, you just need to install busybox and a terminal emulator from the play store. It's also possible that dos2unix and sed are already available (without busybox) but you may need to do some extra work to find the right path to the tools. You'll also need to make sure you have write permission for the correct location.

As explained it the comments to the question, and indicated by geffchang's answer, what you need for that is an editor supporting regular expression search and replace. An example for such is Jota+ Text Editor, supporting that for Android 2.2 onwards.
To learn more about Regular Expressions, see this Wikipedia article, which also provides additional links. To teach them would go beyond the scope of this site, but the examples given might already work out for you.


text:
How can I get the device to read back to me what I type?
I'm looking for something that would read back to me the words I typed in as I'm typing. I'm using Bluetooth keyboard.


text:
Is there an autorun or scheduler?
I have an s3 mini.  It has an app called "My Galaxy" - a marketing adware kind of thing.  It runs without me launching it.  How is that done?  Is there a scheduler somewhere that launches this app?  Can I make changes to that scheduler?
I don't just want to stop "My Galaxy" (I could uninstall it), I want to know how it gets run automatically.

Maybe using a service? They can launch the app?

Can you disable this app in settings?

You cannot start manually.... It is started at specific broadcast intent..... You can only see it in Setting>Apps>Running..... And you can kill that background service...... There is nothing like autostart or scheduler in android....

There are many ways in Android of scheduling things to happen later on certain conditions. One of them is the AlarmManager, which lets an app run at a predetermined time, or at a given interval between 15 minutes and daily. This is how most recurring tasks work on Android, such as checking email. There's no user-modifiable control for the AlarmManager: it's up to the app to expose appropriate settings.
Android apps can also register broadcast receivers to be notified when certain conditions are met or when events happen. For example, the email app might also register a broadcast receiver to be triggered when an internet connection becomes available. That way, if it misses its times for checking email because you were offline, it can check email once you go back online.

And if all other apps lets you down, you always have automation apps like Tasker.

I think it's worth being clear that Tasker uses these features of Android to let you define new tasks to run at intervals or when certain conditions are met. It doesn't let you control or override an app that uses alarms without offering any settings.

Its not about startup or autostart.... You might have some application that is installed on your phone and you would have mistakenly given the right to run... Not an issue... just see the application name in Setting>Apps>Running and uninstall/Disable. Or if you want to do another thing just force stop and then clear application data fully. Then application cache will set to defaults. And you have give any right to execute it will ben revoked and your problem is resolved without harming the parent application.
Another thing is that, you cannot start an application natively, automatically... But yes there are some few apps in Play store that will automatically launch that application at scheduled event.
Note: The launching of application is not same as that of the application running in background (background service). Background service is meant for some specific task to be done automatically that generally do not need any user input/intervention. You can launch application at scheduled time either by programming or installing third party scheduler app that will meet your needs. But you cannot start application's background service..... And technically its not of worth for you.

This does not answer how to make new applications run automatically.

Talking from the developer point of view..... In android there is nothing like autostart or scheduler..... Application could have broadcast receiver that gets invoked automatically each time when specific event happens (Broadcast with specific intent). There the application starts automatically. This could be at some specific time, idle time, power on time, network status change, call event, message event etc.... etc... That you can only see in Setting>Apps>Running>Cached..... That is actually what, i was telling you.... If you are android developer then u will understand this point....


text:
Galaxy Tab 3 GT-P5210 Downgrade to 4.0.3 ICS
I was searching the web trying to find ROMs for downgrading my Galaxy Tab 3. No matter how deep I have gone, it seems that there is not any available ROM for Android 4.0.3 dedicated for my device. A little more searching gave me the feeling that this kind of ROM will never be available for downgrading.
Does anyone know if such a ROM exists, or if it is impossible to exist?

Have you checked forum.xda-developers.com ? If it's not there, you won't find anywhere...

oh yes I have checked it some thousand times...I think that I won't find it anywhere...unless I make a ROM of my own..

Isn't came with Android 4.2.2? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsung_Galaxy_Tab_3_10.1 so that won't be there. Nobody gonna port old rom to the new phone. If you know codename, check download.cyanogenmod.com

I have checked already Cyanogenmod, AOKP, MIUI . Also sammobile and samsung-updates. Many times, in many days.
You are probably right, nobody is going to port an old rom to the new phone, especially for Tab3 which has an Intel Atom instead of an ARM processor. Even if I try to compile from source, I will still need some vendor components which are probably proprietary or unavailable.

Can you tell me why do you need ICS on yr tab 3? There may be some tweak that can be done on your JB?

I need to work on an application implemented for the old bluetooth stack. The application was developed for ICS. Unless google release an update on 4.4 KitKat that allows L2CAP communication, I will have to work on ICS.


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How to root a S4 google play edition on mac?
I have been cracking my head open trying to find a good guide to root my Google Play Edition Samsung. I have sought out YouTube videos that utilize motochopper and terminal and while I manage to get Superuser installed, I don't have root access. I've also tried forums but most of them just use Windows. Is there anyone who's done this and can instruct me on how to do it?

Do you have adb set up on your computer?

No. There is an adb file on the folder but i have no idea what its for or how to set it up

I've posted an answer below that will hoepfully help. I would encourage you to read up on ADB, recoveries, firmware etc in the meantime. I said it below, but the feeling of bricking a device is horrible! Sorry had to delete the whole answer, I misrad, I didn't realise it was Google Play edition. That's far less easy.

It seems like you would be better off getting to a Windows PC and using ODIN and CFAutoRoot. Heimdall is the equivalent of ODIN for mac, but it seems like the Google Edition / CfAutoRoot / Heimdall do not work together.

Before You Root Android on Mac OS X

Make sure you backup all your data.
Backup MMS/SMS
Backup Call details & restore app
Backup other stuff with my most recommended Titanium Backup & MyBackup Root
Also make sure that your phone is charged at least 90% so that it does not goes of in the middle of the Root Android on Mac OS X process. Also be sure that your computer is set of with the antivirus and firewalls, the cable with the specific drivers must be ready

Please Download Droid Easy Root v7d.zip Now Extract this Zip Folder to specific destination.
Set USB debugging Enabled for your Phone, To do so go to Settings-Applications-Development, and check the box for “USB debugging”.
Connect your Phone with The PC.
Don’t select file sharing or tethering mode.Just be in the Charging Only State.
Open terminal and change the path to the folder we just extracted that is “Droid Easy Root v7d”.
Now execute the “run_to_root_your_droid3.sh” present there to open the one click root tool.
Its Almost Done, Now just follow the On screen Instructions and wait for the rooting process to take place.
Also during this the Phone will Reboot many times so just keep calm and let Root your android device.
You have Rooted Your Android.

OR
Please Download Droid Easy Root v7d.zip. . Now Extract this Zip Folder to specific destination.
After Download if the Zip File doesn’t unzips itself then double click and open it, A folder of same name will be opened.
Find the path of the new folder, To get it Right Click on the File and then File Info, the file path appears on the left side.
Open Terminal (applications>utilities>terminal)
Change directory to the new folder (the file path you found earlier) the following file path is an example:cd /Users/yourname/Downloads/droid_easy_root_v7
Press enter now the terminal will change to the new directory.
Remember always entering these commands – These Commands are case sensitive and you need to take care of your Caps Lock.
On your DX, be sure USB debugging is turned on, If not So then enable it by going settings>applications>development>USB debugging and tick mark the check box.
Now Connect the DX to your Mac and select Charge Only from the notification bar. Don’t Go For tethering or File Sharing Mode.
While still in terminal and now in the proper directory type :./run_to_root_your_droid3.sh
Now Press Enter. And Keep Upper Case and Lower case Letters in Consideration.
Now Just Follow The On screen Instructions And In this process the Phone will Reboot for 3 times.
Enjoy Your Rooted Android Through Mac OS X.

Downloads Droid easy root v7d


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How do I take a shot without the volume display on screen?
How do I take a screenshot on my Samsung Galaxy 10.1 without the volume display showing on screen?

I assume you're on TouchWiz and are trying to take a screenshot by using Vol - and Power.
On TouchWiz it's Home + Power.

I have battled this issue ever since they pushed Android version 4.2.2. On my Galaxy Tab model GT-P5113 the power + volume down would work only about once every 10-20 attempts. Since the new build was pushed last week I checked it again. Now the screen shot does not work at all.
But I gave up long ago and came up with a solution. I use my Samsung Victory telephone to take a picture of the tablet and send that to the tablet to by whatever share method is handy.

there are many free app on the Play Store that can acquire a screenshot without pressing any physical button on your phone. Please take a look there: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.icecoldapps.screenshoteasy.  Hope to help you!

Press Vol - plus Power button at the same time.

I guess that's what the OP tried, as indicated by "without the volume display showing on screen". Either timing is a bit tricky here (which is the case for some devices), or Samsung is using a different hotkey-combination on its devices. Are you sure your hint applies to the Galaxy 10.1?


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How to turn on USB connection to PC
I bought a KingSing K5 Android phone, and there doesn't seem to be an option for turning on USB connection to PC (to transfer files). I have the Google USB driver installed on the PC, but when I connect nothing happens. Is there a specific way to turn on USB connection in Android 4.2.2?

@AlexP. The question you linked is about turning on ADB, whereas as the questioner here wants to "transfer files", I think the question is more likely about MTP.


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If you unlock you don't have to unlock again in X time
Is there a way to have my phone stay unlocked for some period of time after I have unlocked it once (via PIN, pattern or whatever). In other words, if I unlock my device with my PIN, if I turn the screen back on within the next 30 minutes I wouldn't have to re-enter my PIN.
If it matters my device is on Android 4.4.

I use an app called Delayed Lock. You can set it to stay unlocked for a set time after last unlock or after screen off and then it will enable the pin/pw again. It can also be used to unlock the device on specific wifi networks and lock when it disconnects (you still have to use your pin/pw the first time). And there is a plugin for it that uses location to disable the pin/pw as well.


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How to merge SMS threads from same contact with different numbers?
I'm looking for a way to do the following: I have a contact with 2 numbers. He sends me messages through one number and I have to reply to the other one. I want to merge the threads and have a number to send by default.
I have a Samsung Galaxy S2 with stock ROM Android 4.1.2. I use the default texting app which I think does not allow me to do this.

As of February 2017 none of top SMS apps are capable of merging SMS threads either from same contact or different contacts or same contact same number with just different number formats.
However there is a workaround that did the job for me.

As a preparatory step you can merge/link your contacts beforehand (if needed) with any contact manager app. I have used True Phone for that.
Get Google Hangouts v10 from apkmirror. Recent versions are worthless as they have [killed conversation merging][3] starting from v11.
Immediately after installation disable automatic update of Hangouts via Play Market (app page -> menu -> uncheck Auto-update).
Run Hangouts and select settings in menu. Turn on Enable merged conversations. Tap SMS, enable it and choose Hangouts as a default SMS app.
Unfortunately you will not be able to run Hangouts directly as it will insist on update on each run. But it can be launched from any other app that wants to send SMS.
If your stock dial application support messaging - launch hangouts from it. Alternatively you can install any good 3-rd party dial application (drupe worked for me). I just find contact, drag it to SMS, Hangouts is launched with a proper merged SMS thread. When sending you can select which number of destination contact to use. Nice feature of drupe is merging SMS with other IMs(skype, whatsup, viber, etc) into one feed per contact (only summary is there without message details).

PS. Beware of drupe's downsides: it is very aggressive app and it will use your contacts in a way that you may not like.

Using an app that won't run without updating isn't really long term solution

You can use Microsoft's SMS organizer. It does what you want. Easily available in Google play.

I wish Microsoft's SMS organizer be available outside of India... Even if you manage to get apk - it will ask for +91 number during startup.

-1 because 'easily' would imply no geoblock


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Encrypted Android phone - sharing files
I am using Sony Xperia M with Android version 4.3 (Jelly bean) with official update.
Android allows me to encrypt my files. You can get this menu: Settings --> Security --> Encrypt phone. Now I want to know, if I do this process, how is with sharing files by Bluetooth, e-mail or wi-fi?

It will share files fine.
Its more for security if your phone was stolen etc. Once you have encrypted your phone, you will be prompted for the password to 'decrypt storage' everytime you turn the phone on. Once the phone is on, the files are accessible and readable. However if your phone was lost / stolen and was restarted, the data on there would be completely useless without your password.


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Did I just brick my HTC One X
So today I unlocked bootloader on my HTC one X then flashed CWM recovery then attempted to install cyanogenmod. It said in the recovery that zip file installed successfully, but when I reboot it is stuck at the cyanogen logo boot screen. I did a full wipe before I installed the ROM. Now I cant use adb, device not detected, can't install another rom because I cant use the phone storage. All I can do now is go to the recovery or bootloader screens, the device is detected by my pc though. Did I just brick my phone? any leads to what I should do? I can lock/relock bootloader and flash the recovery

Don't panic. Try this:

On your computer, browse your ROM .zip file, there should be a file named boot.img at top level. Extract it somewhere on your computer.

Plug your phone into your computer via USB cable.

Boot your phone into bootloader mode. (Power + Volume Down button for 5 seconds.) At bootloader screen your phone should say FASTBOOT USB.

Assuming you know where your fastboot.exe is on your computer, issue this command in cmd:
path/to/your/fastboot.exe flash boot path/to/your/boot.img

After that restart your phone and see if it can boot into your ROM:
fastboot reboot

You Need
WinDroid HTC One X Toolkit
HTC One X (At least 50% charge)
Windows XP - 8.1
USB Cable
Read this XDA Thread this Can Help You..


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Disable vibration alert in samsung fame
Have moved to Samsung Galaxy Fame from a Samsung Galaxy Mini which died. Via settings>sound have disabled vibrate alert for incoming calls, how do I do the same for incoming texts please?

Vibration on my Samsung, which is a Galaxy S3, is controlled from within the Messaging app itself. Start the app. Settings > Notifications > Vibrate. Uncheck.

If you are using Hangouts as the SMS app it's the same thing Hangouts > Settings > SMS > Vibrate and uncheck. Android handles notifications on an app by app basis so everthing you want vibrate off on needs to be set individually.


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Can you use a boot disk with Anroid 4.1 Tablets
I was wondering if you could give me steps (if even possible) as to how you would boot (ubuntu linux since Android is linux based) a flash drive on my Android Tablet. I currently run on an OTG capable Kocaso M736 with Android 4.1.1 with a Rockchip processor.

You can't boot a boot disk for a PC on on Android device (which isn't a PC). If you want to install Ubuntu, Ubuntu needs to support your device, and if it does, you can find instructions and all the files you need to download on the Ubuntu website. Obviously as this is an Android site and not an Ubuntu site, we can't help you with Ubuntu installation, nor if your device isn't supported.
There's also an app "Ubuntu on Android" which gives you an Ubuntu userspace, but running as an app on top of Android. Again, we can't help you with that on this site.


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Galaxy 4 - Remove widget from homescreen
I have a picture from my gallery in front of my wallpaper on my homescreen, it  got there by accident while in my pocket.  how can I get rid of this pic so all I see is my wallpaper? I've tried changing the wallpaper but the picture is still in front with the wallpaper behind it.

It's hard to say without seeing it, but what you describe sounds like you've added a home screen widget (a.k.a. appwidget). Long-press the widget to pick it up, and a delete icon will appear (it looks like a bin or an X). Drag-and-drop the widget onto the delete icon.


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ERRORLEVELs in adb push and pull
I need to execute adb commands from DOS batch files, but I need to know if the push and pull commands were successful.  Do these commands return an ERRORLEVEL, or some other environment variable to determine of the push or pull was successful?

According to the source code for ADB push and pull commands, they return 0 for success and 1 for failure.  I have not tried this in batch files, so cannot comment on accuracy.

Thanks, that is useful.  When you say they return these values, do you mean as error levels, or to standard output?  Can I use this:  adb -s mydevice pull file1 file1 > reseult.txt ?


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Recover data from encrypted SD card
I have an HTC Butterfly phone and what I did was I ordered a new SD card with much larger memory. I had my previous card encrypted already and took that out and inserted my new card in.
The phone asked me to encrypt it again else the new inserted card would remain read-only. So, I did that. And now when I insert my old card in my phone again I cannot access data of my old card through the phone as the phone says the format is incorrect or the card is damaged and in order to use it I need to format it again.
Is there any way in which I can access the data from my old card? I cannot access it through my PC as it is encrypted already.
I have Android 4.3 and HTC Sense 5.5

Deleted photos, yes. Encrypted photos, no. If PhotoRec or ZAR can't recover them, they're gone. (ZAR even bypasses the CPU in the SD card, so it doesn't matter if the card is accessible or not.) and they can only recover data that looks like photos. "Data" that looks like random data (which is what an encrypted file looks like) isn't "recoverable" with file recovery techniques.
The encryption algorithm used in Android, due to the limited processing power, isn't unbreakable.
This is the reason that ALL important files should be backed up to at least 2 independent devices. If you don't have the time to do the backup, the files weren't that important.

Plain text data recovery can be done using a straightforward process like using any data recovery tool. But encrypted data or cipher text recovery cannot be done. Only the proper decryption can restore the data. So make it sure to decrypt the data before removing storage device. After removing storage drive like SD card without decryption, it is very difficult to restore data from the drive.

authors: Андрей Лукьянов


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How to set default SMS App in Android 4.2 Jelly Bean
It is possible to set it in Android 4.4 KitKat. But how can I set it in Android 4.2 Jelly Bean?
After installing Tango I fell in this problem.

Uninstall it, or go to Settings > Applications > Tango > Remove Defaults and then select a new default SMS and dialer appliction. There should be a setting in your SMS app but I have no idea what phone you have. You can aslo go into Hangouts settings and set it as default SMS.

I have Sony Xperia Z Ultra. I don't want to uninstall it. I need Tango.
I couldn't find where you told. I couldn't find a place in my phone to set default SMS application.

In Android 4.4, it is possible: http://www.cnet.com/how-to/manage-default-sms-app-on-android-4-4-kitkat/
but how to in Android 4.2?

In settings->app->Downloaded->Tango->Clear default

Thanks all.
In Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, We should manage default app in same app we don't want it to handle SMS.
In Tango 3 settings, there is an option to avoid SMS handling.


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ADB backup is not working
I just tried to make a backup from my Nexus 5 (before installing CM 11) It is unlocked but not rooted. On PC side I'm working with Ubuntu 13.10.
When I type
adb backup –all -apk -nosystem –f /data/Nexus5Backup/backup_17042014.abk

then my phone asks me if I want to backup and I confirm. But the terminal in Ubuntu immediately returns to prompt (~$) and my phone says the backup is complete.
When I type
adb backup –all -apk -shared -nosystem –f /data/Nexus5Backup/backup_17042014.abk

and also confirm that I want to backup then the terminal hangs at
Now unlock your device and confirm the backup operation.

The phone is displaying "shared storage".
But the weirdest thing is that in both cases the backup file (/data/Nexus5Backup/backup_17042014.abk) is never being generated.
How can I do a full backup? I already did backups in the past and they worked. Is this a bug in my Android version (4.4.2 KitKat)? And is there a workaround?

This solution worked for me:
http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/83080/adb-backup-creates-0-byte-file-prompts-for-current-backup-password-even-though/130421#130421

This solution worked for me:
http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/83080/adb-backup-creates-0-byte-file-prompts-for-current-backup-password-even-though/130421#130421

I asked this question some time ago and as I weren't able to fix it, I simply forgot about it. However as adb backup seems to work again for me and because it may be an issue for others I'll post here, what has changed since last time.
Actually an update fixed that issue. So I guess it was a bug. I can't determine which version it was but everything works fine at least since the versions of Ubuntu and adb you can see below. If the tip of matt wilkie doesn't work out for you and if you are using an older version of Ubuntu and/or adb I strongly recommend an update.
$ adb version
Android Debug Bridge version 1.0.31
$ lsb_release -d
Description:    Ubuntu 14.04.2 LTS

Is ADB hung or just inconsiderate in reporting on what it's doing?
I came here with a similar question; on Win7 adb backup -apk -shared -all -nosystem -f path\to\backup_file.ab the Nexus 5 reported "com.stuff.foo .com.stuff.bar" ... for awhile and then stopped for a very long time, 20+ minutes, on "shared storage".  Jacking up the confusion and anxiety level, after I picked up the phone when the screen blanked, the display auto-rotated, and then from that point didn't show any status messages at all.
On the PC side, the console never reported anything other than the initial unlock device message.
What kept me hanging in was that the backup_file.ab was created, the time-stamp continued to match current time within a minute or so, and the file size was multi-GB and kept increasing slowly -- albeit in fits and starts -- one pause was about 10 minutes(!), and then jumped by 0.5GB in a single shot.
After more than an hour the phone the Backup/Encryption Password screen closed of it's own accord, and the PC console prompt became active again. Neither one exited with a message to indicate whether they'd finished successfully or in an error state.
Final .ab file is just under 8GB. Nexus > Settings > Storage reports 12.55GB total space and 500mb free.
I think perhaps you just didn't wait long enough (understandable given the lack of feedback!) and that perhaps Linux spawns adb as a background process? (thus the return to prompt).

((next Q: how to verify what is in backup and that it is good?))

Actually the machine I used doesn't exist anymore.
On my recent computer with a newer version Ubuntu everything works perfectly (The file is generated and immediately grows). Ubuntu 14.04 comes with a newer version of adb. So I guess it was a bug in adb.

FWIW, On a Motorola G3Turbo with Android 6.0, and:
adb --version
Android Debug Bridge version 1.0.41
Version 30.0.1-6435776

I had to use quotes in a rather... weird way:
./adb -d backup "-all" "-system" "-shared" "-apk" -f <filename>

Which should have been absolutely the same as no quotes at all.  Since this really, really should have been the same as no quotes at all (I am on Linux, using bash, which should have eaten the quotes itself so adb would never get the chance to see them), the likely answer is: retry the command a few times.

I had to use the quotes even more strangely:
adb backup "-all -system -shared" -f
Centos7 - Android 10
Android Debug Bridge version 1.0.31

Just add

adb backup –all -apk -shared -nosystem –f /data/Nexus5Backup backup_17042014.abk

double quotes!
adb backup "–all -apk -shared -nosystem –f /data/Nexus5Backup/backup_17042014.abk"


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How to get the information of users connected to a Wi-Fi hotspot?
How can I get the IP address, MAC address, etc. of a user connected to a Wi-Fi hotspot? ( Using Karbonn A21 Phone running Android 4.0.4 with minor changes to the skin)


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What to do after replacing the phone's battery?
I have a Nexus 5 (1.5yo; I know, it's old but still worthy!) and the boy was heavily suffering from short battery discharges. I'm a phone heavy user so I figured out I had depleted the battery's life, and decided to buy a new one.
I used that great iFixIt guide to replace the battery and everything is fine, except that my phone keeps lasting 2 hours and something after a full charge, just like it did with the old battery.
Are there any special procedures I can take to ensure I can have a lasting battery life, or could this be related to the power port or other internals? I feel the back of the phone overheated just like it happened with the old battery as well.
UPDATE: it seems that battery I bought was faulty. After some weeks the phone dropped on the floor and the battery stopped working completely. The new one I got from the warranty gave the phone new life, as expected :)

There might be an app draining your battery. You can check in settings > battery.

And for that answer. Battery calibration can help, but you should already notice a difference with a new battery.

You shouldn't need to do anything, the time remaining  may be incorrect for a short time, but it should correct itself. If your phone is getting hot, it is an indication something is not right... and since you replaced the battery that probably is not, and likely was not, the real issue. Either you have a hardware problem, or a software problem, the heating is likely due to the an application not sleeping properly and keeping the  device awake, which will also reduce you battery life. I would install GSAM or BetterBatteryStats and try to figure out exactly what is using your battery up.

@acejavelin, I will try those. I'm used to watching the default Android Battery Stats screen, but this seems promising. Would you turn that comment into a full answer? So I can vote it and, maybe, mark it as correct :)

You shouldn't need to do anything, the time remaining displayed in the phone may be incorrect for a short time (a few days at most), but it should correct itself with a few charge cycles. Wiping batterystats.bin has no effect on the actual life of the battery, but it can have an effect on the display of the remaining life of the battery. Source: XDA/Google
If your phone is getting hot, it is an indication something is not right... and since you replaced the battery that probably is not, and likely was not, the real issue. Either you have a hardware problem, or a software problem, the heating is likely due to the an application not sleeping properly and keeping the device awake, which will also reduce you battery life. I would install GSAM or BetterBatteryStats (paid), and possibly WakeLock Detector (root needed), and try to figure out exactly what is using your battery up. Although more rare, this could be caused by defective hardware as well.

a few days: I'm in that range, but I still feel the battery going away quite quickly. Gonna try what you suggested.

Again, the batterystats.bin file is used to calculate the remaining life of the battery, not the actual battery life. Do a couple FULL discharge (until it turns itself off) and charge cycles, the batterystats.bin file will correct itself. This has NO EFFECT on the actual battery life, just the time remaining calculations.

@acejavelin it doesn't need "a couple" usually (see: How frequently is it okay to let the battery discharge fully or as low as possible?), and draining the battery until it's dry never is a good idea (LiIo & LiPo batteries don't like that, it shortens their life time). Given OP states it's empty after 2h, following that by a full charge (in one run) already implicates calibration (down to 10% should be enough for that).

@Izzy you are correct, it usually doesn't need a couple cycles, and the phone should shutdown on its own prior to a complete discharge of the battery which is why I stated until it turns itself off.

That's correct – but an "emergency shutdown" is for emergencies. AFAIK batteries work best with a charge between 30% and 80% (yeah, would be crazy to stop charging at 80% just for that), so I'd better not go too low if I can avoid it (and definitely not too often). But OK, we both know what's meant :)

You could try solutions mentioned here https://productforums.google.com/forum/m/#!topic/nexus/lI6A3fA8bvw

You need to recalibrate the battery. An app to do this (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nema.batterycalibration&hl=en)

Battery calibration is a myth. Especially you won't need an app for that. If, as OP indicates, the battery goes down to "ground zero" and one applies a full charge, that already implicates a calibration (one full charge-discharge cycle).

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


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Performance gain from upgrading higher class SD card

Possible Duplicate:
Is the class rating of my MicroSD card relevant?

If you've upgraded the SD card on your phone to a higher class, have you measured or noticed any significant performance difference?  What kinds of apps seemed most affected?

I noticed an overall improvement in the performance "feel" on my HTC Hero.  Proably because I was using a number of apps that do store data to SD.

This is the earlier question, so why was it closed?   What prevails - the earlier question or something else?

A higher class card is going to give you faster read and write speeds to your SD card. So any apps that use or write data to the memory card will get a boost (one example would be the camera and gallery apps). Another possible example would be apps saved to the memory card. You probably, however, won't be able to tell a huge difference, or at least it won't be as noticeable as it would on a DSLR camera where high speed cards make a world of difference when taking fast, continuous shots (sports).

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


text:
How do I change the default SMS application on my HTC Hero?
I recently got completely fed up with the built in Messages (SMS) application and switched it out for Chomp (also looking at Handcent, haven't decided on one yet). I want to use the "Messages" icon though, as well as treat the new app as the default SMS program. I know about "Manage Applications" and clicking the "Clear Defaults" button for the app. But the "Clear Defaults" is disabled for the Messages app and it says that no defaults are set. I read on someone else's post that their AT&T provider had somehow hardcoded this as the default app and they couldn't change it. So...
Can they really do that? Is that why my HTC Hero doesn't let me clear the default? Is there a way around that?

One word. Root. I would suggest rooting as a solution to your problem. Here is documentation for how to root your CDMA Hero:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=581577

For information on what "root is and why you should do it, refer here:
http://www.addictivetips.com/mobile/top-10-reasons-to-root-your-android-phone-2/

How did I know that would be the "only answer". I would love to root my phone. However, I bought the protection plan from Sprint and if I root the phone and something breaks i'm basically screwed. Thanks for the link though. I do plan to root after I get a new phone next year and keep this one as a Dev phone.  Also, the article says the Android 2.1 update from Sprint might close the security bug exploited, any idea if it actually did?

Don't forget, you can always unroot your phone if you need to return it. Rooting does not void the warranty on most phones, although it is probably frowned upon by tech reps at the carrier store.

At least one partial solution for those who can't root and want to use another messaging app.
Go to the Settings of the stock messaging app and turn off notifications, now only the messaging app will notify you when a new text message arrives.
Without rooting (and most likely removing the messaging app) there's no way to replace the stock one if it's protected, but at least with this solution, it will stop bugging you!

Thanks Ivo. Fortunately I've done that already, or it would have been so annoying I might have given up on it all.

I came across an application that eases this pain and does the required superbly. The app is called Default App Manager. You can clear you previous defaults as well as set new ones. Probably this could be useful.

The default applications that you can clear in the "Manage Applications" view are for URIs (URLs, file extensions, ...) only. You can not set the default SMS Application by this. There is no way to set something like the default SMS application on Android explicitly.
There are three approaches to switch away from the stock SMS app to another one:

Install the alternative SMS app and disable notifications in the stock app. Little Drawback: The SMS messages will still appear in the stock app.
At least Handcent and GoSMS provide a feature that blocks "duplicate messages", which prevents the SMS from show up as "duplicate" in the stock app inbox. Drawback: Other Apps, that are also listing for incoming SMS messages, e.g. because they trigger some action when magic word appears in the SMS, won't work either.
Root your phone, uninstall the stock SMS app and install another one.

I suggest you go with the first option.
Technical Background: As I sad before, you can not set the default SMS application on Android. That is because incoming SMS are propagated by the system with an so called intent broadcast. Every app can register for this SMS intent. So if you install a second SMS app, both apps, including the stock app, will receive the SMS (via the intent) and put it in their inbox. Apps can also abort the intent broadcast, which is exactly what the "block duplicate messages" option in GoSMS and Handcent does. But then no other app that wants these intents is able to receive them.

I just went into settings in Handcent app and found a setting in thier that made it the default app.

Please explain your answer a little bit.

You can simply set it in Handcent and it disables the other one all together. In handcent just click: menu -> settings -> application settings -> default messaging application, and set it for both sms and mms. There you go. I think android does not let you unset it because then nothing would be set. It is up to a new application like handcent to set itself as that.

Just simply go settings, applications, manage applications. You then need to scroll down to viber and press clear defaults.
I'm not sure about others phone sets but for htc, its works .

You're sending him to the same screen he says he's already visited, and referring to an application that he doesn't mention in his question at all. Care to edit?