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How can I quickly remove all of my data from my device and then get it back again?
Soon, I'll have to give my phone (a non-rooted LG Nexus 4) to another person for some time. As the phone contains very sensitive information, I do not want this person to be able to access any of it. Unfortunately, I don't have data encryption turned on, so I can't just turn the device off and be sure that the other person won't be able to decrypt it.
Basically, I want to wipe my phone right now and then restore it to exactly the state it was before the wipe.
Therefore, I was thinking of backing up my device completely, wiping it and then restoring the backup. How can I do this? Will adb backup -all -shared -apk be sufficient? I guess not, since I'm afraid there are some settings that adb won't detect. Is there a lower-level way, like making an image of all the phone's memory with fastboot/recovery or something?

Seems relevant: Full Backup of non-rooted devices

You would need to root your phone and install a custom recovery in order to make a nandroid backup of your entire system.  There are YouTube videos on how to do this. Please remember that there are risks in rooting and in flashing recoveries.

If you don't want to root (as given in the other answers by @johnF and @Izzy) you can try an application called Helium which can backup your apps and app data.
A factory reset will remove all the data on your device... just make sure you check the backup to see that everything was indeed backed up before you do it.

As JohnF already states in his answer, a nandroid backup would be the first step. Basically, this creates an image of all partitions on your device (read more in its tag-wiki). But this doesn't cover the SDCard(s), which you would need to copy -- at least the internal, the external you could simply remove.
Now you've got your data backed up. But you still need to wipe your device. A factory-reset won't be enough for this, as it a) still leaves traces which can be carved, and b) might not even touch the SDCard. So for that, you might want to take a look at apps like Nuke My Phone, which safely wipe all data (i.e. not only delete the files, but overwrite everything with "garbage data"), so there's nothing left to recover.
Oh well, you can recover: Simply restore the Nandroid backup you initially created, copy back the data to your internal SDCard, and insert the external SDCard. Et voila, you're done :)


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Internal memory full even when all apps are linked
I have an Acer liquid Metal rooted. I have already linked(with link2sd) almost all my apps, even some previously system apps, to my sd. The problem being that my memory is still full, the best I can get is 30 mb free and this, only for a while.
Is there any solution to that? Like bypassing what the phone thinks as being its internal memory?
Thanks

Have you checked with the link2sd tag-wiki? This includes some hints on what to look for. Also check the insufficient-memory tag-wiki for more. After having that done, you might wish to edit your question with what you've tried and, if so, where you are still stuck.

@Squirtle What version of Android are you running? How much internal and external memory do you have?

link2sd doesn't move data to your extra partition of SD Card. So even when you've linked all apps your internal storage will get filled by app's data.
In lnik2sd click the sort icon and select sort by data size. From there you can see which app uses most data and maybe clear them.

source: Stack Exchange

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

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Update to Android 4.2 disappeared after factory reset
My Galaxy SII recently updated to Android 4.2. I then had to reset to factory settings and the update has disappeared. If I search for updates, a message comes up saying the latest updates have already been installed. Can I get this back somehow??

Check Android version. You're already at Android 4.2. Resetting to factory setting won't reset it to earlier Android version.

Well, that's my point - it has. Maybe I got this wrong in my description, though - I'm talking about the update to 4.2 Jelly Bean. It's just not there anymore.

If you go to Settings->About phone, what Android version does it report to be installed on the device?

A factory reset on and Android device is really not the same as a factory reset on like a computer. Really a factory reset on an android device just restores the original apps on the phone and whips your user data and settings. It does not clear out system updates. You are still running android 4.2 most likely.

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


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If someone is seen online does that mean they have opened our conversation or any conversation on whatsapp?
When you open a conversation on whatsapp and the contact is seen as online have they opened your conversation or just any conversation?

You can read from the WhatsApp FAQ:

What does "last seen at..." and "online" mean exactly?
"online" means that contact has WhatsApp open and is connected to the internet. However, it does not necessarily mean they have read your chat.

That clearly stats that a contact with "online" status just needs to have the app opened within an active Internet connection.


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Can't debug with LG Nexus 4
I am at my wit's end here trying to debug using a new LG Nexus 4 developer phone. Debugging is enabled on the phone, and the USB driver from the Android SDK is installed. When I try to run in Eclipse I get a message that says 'No compatible targets were found'.
I have previously used a Samsung Nexus S developer phone, and a Nexus 10 tablet with the USB driver from the Android SDK and it was not a problem. I have also debugged using my Samsung Galaxy S4 using the drivers from Samsung.
I plug in the Nexus 4, and go to Device Manager. In Device Manager, the device is listed as Android Phone > Android Composite ADB Interface. I right-click and select 'Update Driver Software...', then 'Browse my computer for driver software'. I then point it to the '\sdk\extras\google\usb_driver' folder of my Eclipse/Android SDK install, but I am notified that 'The best driver software for your device is already installed'.
I have tried uninstalling the driver, but as soon as I plug the phone back in, my computer automatically installs the driver, and when I go back in to Device Manager to 'Update Driver Software...', I am again told that 'The best driver software for your device is already installed'. And yet still, even after rebooting both my PC and the phone, when I try to run in Eclipse I am still notified that 'No compatible targets were found'.
Any ideas? This device is completely useless to me unless I can get it to debug from Eclipse. A co-worker was able to get it to work just fine on his PC, and we have the exact same PC specs. Please help!

Perhaps anecdotal, but I was debugging my Nexus 4 fine until I installed the Samsung drivers for the GS3 and Note 10.1. Removing those drivers (with Driver Sweeper) fixed my situation.

@mawcsco I just uninstalled drivers for all my devices, rebooted my PC and the Nexus 4, tried it again and still doesn't recognize the device. I'll try Driver Sweeper, but am not familiar with it, or how to target the Google USB driver that comes with the Android SDK for uninstalling. Will give it a shot though.

@mawcsco I tried following the instructions for Driver Sweeper, but I couldn't figure it out. I uninstalled all the drivers normally, then rebooted in Safe Mode and ran Driver Sweeper, but didn't see any Android or USB drivers listed, I only see drivers for things like display and sound and mouse.

Sounds like you already got them with the regular uninstall. Incidentally, for me it was the Samsung drivers that caused problems. Like I said, this is an anecdotal case (which is why I didn't provide an answer).

Couple of suggestinos that might work:

First, try to update your Android SDK with the Android SDK Manager. Sometimes, due to a old version, newer phones are not recognized.
I'm assuming you are using Windows. Wich version? x86 or x64? When you go to Device Manager and see Android Phone > Android Composite ADB Interface, does it have a yellow admiration mark? If yes, the the drivers are not installed correctly.
This might be a bit trivial, but have you tryed to reboot your PC and your phone?
Also, what minSDK version do you have in your application set, and what version does your Nexus 4 have?

Already tried updating everything that had updates available (including the Google USB driver).
Windows 7, 64-bit. There is no yellow mark in Device Manager.
Have tried rebooting both (was in my OP).
minSdkVersion="9" targetSdkVersion="17". How do I see what version the Nexus 4 has?

It is better to post a comment on the question soliciting additional information instead of having an answer filled with questions! (just saying) ;)

@tjc59 In your phone, go to settings, Phone information (the last entry), and you should see there Adroid Version. My Nexus 4 is in 4.2.2 right now.

Mine is 4.2.2 also. According to the Android developers website, targetSdkVersion="17" should be compatible with Android 4.2.2.

@tjc59 connect your phone to the PC, and from a consolo try to run adb devices. Post the output here, please

@AitorTheRed it just says 'List of devices attached', but doesn't actually list anything. Meanwhile, if I plug in my Samsung Galaxy S4 and run the command, it shows up in the list.

use a usb 2.0 port. sometimes usb 3.0 screws up with adb

As far as I can tell, all my PC's USB ports are 3.0, so not sure how this is going to be possible...

then you have to use windows' default usb 3.0 drivers for it to work (as compared to maybe a proprietary one??)

Sorry, but I don't know what you are talking about. As I said in my OP, a co-worker has the exact same PC (model/specs) as I do, and he had no issues getting the Nexus 4 to work with Eclipse.

Normally USB 3.0 comes with drivers. There's the default which Windows installs over auto-update, then there's the one that came with your laptop/mobo. Mine worked after using the default Windows driver.

I searched for "Windows 7 USB 3.0 driver" and got no results from Microsoft, so I'm still not sure where this default Windows USB driver is. And all my Windows Updates are installed, so not sure what else I can do here regarding your suggestions.

It could be that MTP interferes with ADB/USB-Debugging:
In my case, MTP (Media Transfer Protocol) was enabled. So I disabled it in storage settings (see: Settings→Connections→USB Connection Mode). Everything works smooth now.

@Izzy, this could be an answer. After all, defining how the phone connects to the computer (using MPT or PTP) may affect whether USB debugging would work or not.


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Trebuchet: Disable/Hide Dock
Is there a way to disable the dock entirely on Trebuchet on CyanogenMod?  I find that I always go to my main home screen before touching the app drawer out of habit, so I'd like to have that extra space for the regular screens.  Is this possible?

Off-topic, when you say "out of habit", is it because you used a different launcher before that had this behavior? If yes, what launcher was it?

@geffchang No, I just have an apparently irrevocable reflex to go to my main home screen before launching something from the dock :-/

There does not seem to be a way to do that in Trebuchet on CyanogenMod (when not on CyanogenMod you can do it in the Trebuchet Settings).
As an alternative you could use nova launcher, it is free and the dock is removeable (even on CyanogenMod).
There may be many more launcher providing this feature, but nova is tho only one I used on CyanogenMod.

Nova launcher isn't in f-droid :/

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Has anyone heard of a "Coin mode"?
Someone asked me how to get out of "Coin mode" the other day. The user in question may have misunderstood a prompt or been confused as I was unable to reproduce the specific error. However there definitely were errors. I have never heard of it, and would like more information on it if it exists. Connecting with a wifi network seems to have resolve the issues, however if that was the issue, it should have corrected itself using the data connection via mobile without intervention. It is my guess that "coin mode" may have been an error given by an application rather than the OS?
It had stopped working as normal after several months of standard behavior. Supposedly an icon of the Android-guy came up and said device was in "coin mode" or something similar.
The device was a Samsung Nexus phone running 4.2.1 which must have been pushed onto it as the user would not have modified her own phone herself. The time became messed up, and the last system update was listed as in the year 1999. The tool-bar on the top was also messed up. The device had several other glitches, including the backgrounds not properly updating when in applications such as Google play.

Not heard of such a thing, no. I assume you did a web search for it? Did they perhaps mean "kiosk mode"?

I'd rather say offline mode (or "airplane mode"), as a network (WiFi) connection solved the issue. Most likely one app needed network access and complained not being able to "work in offline mode". Though the last paragraph points to a bigger problem, which might need a factory-reset to be cured (more information needed to confirm that).

Ooops: Help! Stuck in Coin Mode - xda-developers => ODIN mode LOL Yeah, that also explain the "Andy @ Work". Though people already thought about a Google-Wallet-"insert a coin"-error #D // BTW: 11.100 results for a Google search on 'android "coin mode"' :-O


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"Settings" is crashing after installing gapps
I've install custom rom called JELLYTIME on my HTC Desire HD phone. Recently I tried to update it to most recent version. After the update I installed google apps from this website: http://goo.im/gapps. I installed version 20130301. Since then the settings section works very badly. It crashes often and I can't connect to any wifi network for example. I'm afraid that I installed the wrong version of gapps but according to the table I should have installed that version for android 4.2.2. Can anyone please tell how can I fix the problem?

Did you wipe data/cache? If the answer is no, that would explain why settings is crashing (you were coming from a different ROM prior to this?).

Yes I tried it several times. I used the same ROM, just tried to upgrade it.

Used "same ROM?" What version was it prior to upgrade to 4.2.2?

I don't know why and how but in one case I solved this problem using wifix manager app. Just installed it and wifi started to work normally. Hope this helps anyone.
http://www.fardjad.com/android/wifix/


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Android and using Mozilla Thunderbird
I would like to sync my THUNDERBIRD program on my PC to my GALAXY NOTE 2, is this possible as the web suggests it is possible

Thunderbird is not an email service, it is an email client. Therefore it accesses an email service from the internet. If you have an email client on your phone, or use an online one, as long as they are both accessing the same email service they will be synchronized. It's probably better to use IMAP as it works better for synchronizing multiple clients.

...assuming IMAP is used as protocol (with POP, when messages are downloaded from the server they are by default deleted on the server, so the second client wouldn't see them. Furthermore, with POP it's hard to sync the read state).

Does that mean if I install outlook with the same settings as my Thunderbird I can sync accounts

@Izzy Good point; I'll add that to my answer. Stebar: The settings may be different for different clients; check with your email provider to see which settings to use for each.

Okay what does someone recommend to run with Thunderbird so I can get my email on the move

This is for a work account and therefore I cannot use Yahoo

@stebar Just google "free email android app" and you'll find several.

Why not add an email forwarding account on your yahoo email setting, to your gmail, and use it in this fashion? And from your Galaxy Note, still use Gmail app.

Or look for k-9 mail in the playstore, and handle different providers from within one app (I wouldn't like to trust one provider with all my data either :)

Are there any people who can get their mails from their PC´s and mobile,K9 looks poor, this can not be a difficult issue, surely


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Tablet will not sleep
My Xperia tablet Z is set to sleep after 30 seconds of inactivity. However starting yesterday it no longer goes to sleep at all and the battery just goes flat. Is there any way to fix this?

Check this question: http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/34969/how-to-deal-with-orphaned-wakelocks Maybe you have apps keeping your tablet awake


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How to root phone without losing WhatsApp account?
I'm planning to root my Sony Xperia P, but there's a complication. Due to issues with my telco, I currently don't have a plan - my phone is practically just a Wi-Fi device right now, and in addition I lost my phone number. I'm afraid that when I root my phone and reinstall WhatsApp, WhatsApp will not be able to verify my device, leaving me no other option than to create a new account. This is not an ideal situation because I will lose the access to my chat groups and I won't be able to use WhatsApp until I sign a new contract with a telco.
Is there a way to prevent this scenario from happening?
My phone:
Sony Xperia P (LT22i)
Android version 4.1.2
Build number 6.2.A.1.100

If you do get a new number, WhatsApp will let you switch your account over to the new number and all chat and groups will be ported over too.  Then you could root your phone after

If you are planning on using the same phone again, you can simply uninstall whatsapp and reinstall it after you add the new number. Whatsapp FAQ says that you will be given an option to restore all the data at the reinstall process. They specifically ask to install the app from their website rather than downloading from Google Play. (I couldn't find any reason for this).
If you can use the previous number, you will not lose your account or the data. Simply login to the app again.
On a side note, it is highly advisable to backup your chat history to your SD card as explained in this answer before you attempt anything (rooting, uninstall, etc.)

I think he doesn't want to get new number.

This is just speculation, but they might prefer you to install it from their website if that APK has content/behaviour that's not allowed on apps for Google Play, such as invasive collection of private data or notification ads.

1.) Copy WhatsApp folder from your internal memory of your device to your computer and uninstall WhatsApp.
2.) Root your device with kingo root. Restart your phone copy that WhatsApp folder to internal memory and install WhatsApp from playstore.
3.) Verify with the phone number which is lost, your WhatsApp account will start on that phone number only (lost one)!!
Don't forget to copy WhatsApp folder to your PC (backup) or you will not be able to access to that phone number

Rooting will not remove your whatsapp data so dont worry until you're flashing new ROM.

The thing with whatsapp is, you need to have a SIM CARD inserted at all times onto your device for it to continue to work.
In your case, if you're just going to root the phone and not install any new ROM, the following should help :
* Keep a SIM card installed on ur phone at all times
* Root your phone.
* When you turn your phone back on, you still have whatsapp working normally like it did before. (Make sure you have a sim card installed, ANY SIM card will do, not just the one that's associated with your account)

Hope this helps.


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how to backup contacts if the touchscreen is not working?
My HTC Explorer A310e fell and now its touch screen is not working. I mean display is fine, but it isn't taking any input. Is there any way I could take a backup of the contacts?
To suggest the extent  damage: it rings but I can't receive calls.
I am travelling and can't go to a service centre until next week so if there was a way I could get my contacts out of it.

Could you check if your Google address book (the contacts in Gmail) contain the information you're looking for? It may already contain all your contacts if you're set up to synchronize contacts.

in this link they provide you with some usefull commands to try to get the contacts.
Basically, you need to install the Android SDK, but I think you need to have the USB debugging option on in your phone. Not sure if you need root also.
cd <android-sdk-dir>/platform-tools
[In linux] ./adb pull /data/data/com.android.providers.contacts/databases/contacts2.db
[In Windows] adb.exe pull /data/data/com.android.providers.contacts/databases/contacts2.db

The path to the contacts database might vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.

That doesn't require a full SDK install (see: Is there a minimal installation of ADB? And it has another show stopper: Usually adbd doesn't run in root mode, so adb pull has no access to those directories. To work around that, there's the Insecure ADBD app on play (and XDA); but to activate that, one needs to push a button -- which hardly can be done with a broken touch screen (except for, maybe, injecting keyevents via ADB).

The above commands used will not work unless you are rooted IIRC.

from a Forensics background, you could download the ViaExtract virtual machine which you can download here.
ViaExtract is a tool that can help recover almost everything from a connected android device n it has an easy-to-use graphical user interface. just connect your device to the virtual machine and start the extraction procedure. it will recover bookmarks, contacts, messages n a lot of other stuff. the above link also has a video tutorial on how to go through the extraction process too.
the configuration process may seem hectic but considering how often people may need help recovering stuff from their phones, it's kinda worth it.
other mobile forensics tools you can use are OSAF or SANTOKU

SAMSUNG KIES worked for me - not rooted, developer mode off, screen not working

Isn't Samsung Kies only for Samsung phones? It doesn't seem applicable to the HTC device described in the question.

@StephenSchrauger No, it worked also for my Sony Xperia devices


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Change layout of software buttons on home screen
I have a China-branded tablet running Android 4.2. The tablet has the "new" Jellybean 4.2 home screen button layout where the software buttons are centered on the screen, rather than aligned left as in common desktop operating systems such as Windows and Linux (with the KDE or Gnome 2 desktop).
The problem is that the button layout in my tablet differs in a slight, but annoying way from the Android 4.2 default, which is to put the home button at center, surrounded by the back button at the left and the recent apps button at the right. Instead, my tablet has the home button displaced one position left of center, which is occupied by the recent apps button followed by the two volume buttons (down/up).
Is there a way to edit the layout/order of the software buttons of the Android home screen? My ideal would be this sequence: volume down, back, home, recent apps, volume up. (Such a layout would retain the volume buttons, while keeping the home button in the familiar center slot.)
I know that Cyanogenmod has a settings tab precisely for fixing this problem. However there's no Cyanogenmod port for my tablet, its main saving grace being that it comes "pre-rooted", which allows me in theory to mess with any system settings if only I knew how.

I don't think there's a setting for this, so you'd have to replace the System UI (which is a system app, effectively) with a new one that has the behaviour you want.

The comment above about replacing System UI is correct. However there's a hack that overlays Android's built-in navigation bar with a "customizable navbar-like panel". The real navbar is hidden but still exists.
If you're still interested in a hard fix you need to unpack, modify and repack SystemUI.apk. This can be done using the apktool utility, which unzips the apk in editable form. In the resulting file tree, look for and edit res/layout/system_bar.xml using a plain text editor. Add the keymap and icons for volume control:
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.policy.KeyButtonView android:id="@id/sub" android:layout_width="@dimen/navigation_key_width" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:src="@drawable/ic_sysbar_volume_down" systemui:keyCode="25" systemui:glowBackground="@drawable/ic_sysbar_highlight" />
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.policy.KeyButtonView android:id="@id/add" android:layout_width="@dimen/navigation_key_width" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:src="@drawable/ic_sysbar_volume_up" systemui:keyCode="24" systemui:glowBackground="@drawable/ic_sysbar_highlight" />

The exact placement of the code probably depends on the customization done by the ROM vendor. But a likely spot is to search and place it after the line that contains the text "android:src="@drawable/ic_sysbar_recent".
After inserting the references, you need to copy the icons themselves to the right folder:
res/drawable-mdpi/ic_sysbar_volume_down.png
res/drawable-mdpi/ic_sysbar_volume_up_land.png
res/drawable-mdpi/ic_sysbar_volume_down_land.png
res/drawable-mdpi/ic_sysbar_volume_up.png

The final step is to repack the edited system_bar.xml and new icons along with the rest of the unpacked SystemUI.apk.
I'm sure my instructions are incomplete. So remember to keep a good (and tested) backup and recovery tool at hand before attempting to install your hacked apk!

Whoops. Stupidly failed to read that you just want to rearrange the navbar icons not create new ones. In which case just rearrange the lines containing @drawable/ic_sysbar_back, @drawable/ic_sysbar_home, @drawable/ic_sysbar_recent, @drawable/ic_sysbar_volume_down, @drawable/ic_sysbar_volume_up and ignore the part about copying icons to the right folder.

Why don't you modify your answer, based on your comments? That would be better than posting it as a comment. :)

See this article
With USB debugging enabled and adb installed on a connected computer, run
adb shell settings put secure sysui_nav_bar "space,recent;home;back,space"

Note: On my device, with ADB from Windows, I had to run adb shell seperately and then run settings put secure sysui_nav_bar "space,recent;home;back,space" due to quoting issues.
The article gives details on adding custom buttons.
You might be able to read out the settings from your device with the desired configuration using
adb shell settings get secure sysui_nav_bar # Some devices gives "null"

Both devices need to run Android >= 4.2

(Volume buttons can be done with the custom buttons, the question in the title ask about layout changes, so I'm leaving additional buttons to the link)


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Can ADB Handle Multiple Connections?
I am trying to script ADB and I was wandering if it can handle multiple installs at the same time in different threads. Does anyone know if this is possible?

Yes, it is. You can specify the device ID at the command prompt. Just invoke adb without any parameters to see its full syntax.

Even on the same device?

Nope, not that I know of. You should update your question to make clear what you target at. To me it looked like you meant "different/multiple devices", sorry.


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how is using busybox possible without mounting /system first?
run_program("/sbin/busybox", "mount", "/system");
looking at updater-scripts (this was from a gapps zip) i noticed a mount command such as above. how can the script use busybox to mount before the system is mounted?
what if the persons phone never installed busybox in the first place?
also i looked in my /sbin folder and dont see a busybox binary. its in my /xbin directory.
obviously im missing something here. please help.


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How to take screenshots from a generic ICS 7" tablet?
I want to know how to take a screenshot on a generic Ice Cream Sandwich tablet? I believe this certain model is called the XTOUCH X708S. I already tried pressing power button + volume down and it just does its respective functionalities without taking any screenshots. The owner isn't very literate when it comes to Android devices so she doesn't know how to either.

How long did you keep the buttons pressed? On some devices it's just a question of timing, and I remember some have proven a bit tricky with that.

As soon as I pressed power or volume down it would either prompt me to shut down the tablet or lower the volume until it reaches the lowest volume possible. I also tried holding it for an extend amount of time and it just stayed that way.

You have to press both buttons simultaneously (not first one, then the other). Assuming you know that and have done so, I'd suggest contacting the support staff.

Hold down the back button for 3 seconds. Still holding the back button press the power button once and release both buttons.

I tried to do that just now and it just turns off the display. I also tried varying lengths of holding down the on-screen back button. Still no go.


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What should I do before sending my bricked phone to repair?
There are similar questions here, but this one is about a phone that doesn't turn on. I can't reset to factory.
What should I do? Change my Google password? What information will the technician have access to?

You might want remove the external sd card before giving the handset.
It's safe to change your google account password associated with that phone.
Basically what they try to do IS a factory reset, in which case, you shouldn't be worried about the stuff on your phone.


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Samsung Galaxy S GT-i9000 - MicroSD Card not recognized
My Samsung Galaxy S GT-i9000 rebooted unexpectedly and when it came back up all my app symbols showed a grayed out android image with SD written in the bottom right corner.
All my music was gone too. I went to check under "SD Card and Phone Storage" and under "Storage Settings" it said "Mount SD Card". I clicked on "Mount SD Card" and it turned into "Mounting.. Mount in progress" but nothing happens (15min).
I tried powering off the phone and removing the battery and SD card, putting everything back and powering up again, but no success.
I also tried a Factory Reset, the SD Card is not recognized.
I inserted the SD card into my friends Samsung Galaxy S2 and it appeared on his phone and he could copy pictures and music to it, but on my i9000 the card does not appear.
What do you suggest i do?

@jeffreylin_ His question states he did (second paragraph).


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Galaxy S4 Video Recording: File Size Limit & Frequent Blurring
I'm trying to use Galaxy S4 as a video camera for recording offline usergroups. Apart from whether it's a good idea, it's generally succeeding, but there are some critical problems:

Android file system does not support files larger than 4GB. At 1280x720 resolution, this is about 40-something minutes, which is sometimes less than what I typically need (some sessions take 60+ minutes), which causes a sudden video stop, and if I'm conscious enough, I press the recording again, and lose about a minute or less in between.
I'm thinking this problem might be solved by rooting the phone and buying one of the programs that allow mounting NTFS for Android, formatting an SD card as NTFS as well. Would you expect this to work? Any luck with any of this programs and recording to memory card?
Sometimes the phone blurs the text it records and afterwards the text becomes clear again. Sometimes this happens quite often that it becomes annoying to anyone watching the video. I have tried disabling video stabilization but this doesn't seem to improve it much. It still insists on blurring text at random times. It probably is trying to help me with some autofocus thing, but it's only doing harm.
I'm short of ideas for this one. Anyone managed to stop it?

Not sure if this should be split into 2 questions, but would appreciate help on either anyway. Thanks a lot.

I'm not 100% sure (so it's a comment, not an answer, simply giving thoughts), but AFAIK the file size limitation is not only on the file system, but generally kept by Android. So a solution would be a camera which automatically splits a running recording into multiple files, say at e.g. 2 GB, and continues recording. Additionally, it should permit you to turn off auto-focus (you've guessed correctly, that's what causes the "blurry effect"). Not working much with vid cams, I cannot give closer advice – but hopefully these hints help you a little.

An app that automatically creates files will be perfect too (assuming it won't lose video while switching). Any suggestions for that? I couldn't find anything except a hidden-cam app (I want to see what I'm recording).

As written, I do not work much with that, so I cannot give examples (besides, app recommendations are off topic here).


text:
No contacts showing in list in messages
I have just purchased a Galaxy s4 mini and I can see all my contacts in the contacts list but when I want to send a message and add a recipient the contact list is empty. How can I fix this?

What do you see on the contacts list? Is there No results found, or just an empty box?

How are you adding a contact? Typing  text in the Enter recipient or clicking the contacts button to its right?

you may try any custom contacts/messaging app.
if you like you could try contacts +
, which can also be used for texting.


text:
Is there a way to find out the Google account currently registered to my stolen phone?
Unfortunately Android Device Manager does not provide this information. It also doesn't provide an SMS feature where I can send an SMS to my stolen phone telling the current user that the phone was stolen from me.

What phone is this?

If you report the device stolen to your carrier, they will blacklist the IMEI.


text:
Android to Android Bluetooth Tether
My android does a pretty good job doing a bluetooth tether for my PC (in which PC shares my Android's internet), but I was wondering how to get another Android device to connect/tether to it (my first android device)?

You can do this easily by pairing the devices and enabling data on the first device. Steps are listed below.

Enable bluetooth on both the devices. (Obvious!)

Then, pair them up by clicking “Search for devices” on one of the devices and clicking on the name of other device. You’ll be asked to verify a PIN number. It doesn’t matter what the PIN number is, as long as it’s the same PIN number on both devices.

Go to Settings, choose More then choose Tethering & Portable Hotspot. In there, you have tick Bluetooth tethering. If you don’t, the tether will not work!

On the second device, go to Settings, then click on the word Bluetooth (not the toggle – the word). Finally, click on the name of your second device you paired earlier. To get it all working, choose Internet Access.

Now you should be able to use the data connection of your first device.

I did try that. What version Android is this? On my devices (4.1 & ~2.x) it just shows "File Transfer" (step#4) (on either devices, doesn't matter which phone's connection I share to whom)

@laggingreflex This should be available the devices running at GB or above. Screenshots aee from a Galaxy Nexus phone.


text:
How to restore adb backup on Nexus 4 (boot loop)?
Recently I have flashed unofficial cyanogenmod 10.2 for my Nexus 4. After testing some features I the device came into a "bootloop" (stays on cyanogenmod logo launcher).
I tried to reflash it with cm 10.1 (wipe dalvik cache and /cache partition) but the same effect.
Now I have completed the adb backup but if I restore it I get the same effect as described above.
I can launch the device successfully on clear cm 10.1 but it won't boot after restore of my backup. What can I do now ?

Do not restore the full backup taken, but Restore only part of it. And do it "piece by piece", so if the error re-occurs you at least know where it comes from and can skip the faulty part.
Edit: As I was not fully clear about where I pointed to: Titanium Backup is capable of restoring parts from nandroid as well as adb backups.

While that is true, my answer there is still partly valid here (will update my answer to reflect that – sorry for confusion)


text:
how can i get back in my phone
I was playing around with my phone lock app and put in a pin password I later turn back on my phone and realized I forgot my pin I have no idea what to do will i still be able to get back in my phone I have tried turning it on and off,holding the power button with the lower volume sign nothing worked.

What phone? Android version?

I never use pins to unlock keyboards, but in pattern unlocking there was a choice where you were authenticating yourself with your google credentials. Not sure if it is applicable in android 4. So, if you are in Android 2, try many times.

If you enter your pin incorrectly a number of times, the device should present you with a temporary time lock. If you continue to enter it incorrectly you should be prompted to login with the Google account associated with your device to disable the lock.


text:
Can I restore my CM10.1 phone to factory ROM without using USB?
I have a Galaxy S2 i9100g with CM10.1 release.  Everything is peachy except that the USB port seems to be going -- most of the time I can't charge or connect to a PC.
I'd like to send it in for warranty repairs, but I figure I should put it back to factory before I do so.  Normally I'd find a "stock" image and flash it with Odin or something, but I wouldn't trust a firmware update to complete successfully over the wire with this wonky connection.
(Before you ask: this is definitely not a custom firmware problem; it won't even charge properly when turned off, which is before any custom ROM / bootloader even starts.)
Can I somehow flash back to factory via recovery?  If so, can I then re-flash back to CM10.1 (in the event I can't get it repaired for some reason), without using the USB connection?

Have you tried another USB cable or the USB port on the PC is dying? This may seem trivial but have you eliminated that first before doing the reverting back to factory state of device?

Yup, I tried at least 3 different chargers, plus 2 USB cables on different PCs.  It's a consistent problem.  It's possible that the port is just "dirty" or something -- I might try cleaning it with an old toothbrush before I send it back -- but it seems more likely to me to be an internal problem.


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Connect to internet via proxy
My office network is connected via proxy. While I connect to the internet(via browser) using mobile Wi-Fi, it asks for user name and password. When I enter the user name and password, it connects to the internet.
But when I open Google Play store , I see 'Server error' means it could not connect to the internet. How can I fix the issue ?

See if any of these help: http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/46999/google-play-store-says-no-connection-retry

Please post updates of your findings.

That's a so-called "captive portal" as it sounds. You might have to login first using your browser, and then everything else should pick-up the connection. For automation, you might want to take a look at Can I automatically log in to open WiFi that requires web login/password? If it's a different proxy, you might want to check our other questions tagged proxy or proxy & wi-fi.

if you are rooted,Use proxy droid. Apps use different settings than the ones u provide in the wifi. so not only will your google play not work but also whatsapp and such apps. for that you would need a global proxy. and for that u need to be rooted. You install proxy droid.install iptables. and then ur done

Can you provide a link?

authors: Дмитрий Мартьянов


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Navigation app is on filesystem, but cant find it on Android
I have an Android navigation Navon Platinum Explorer with Adroid 4.0.
I reseted it to factory settings, and the navigation software, iGo Primo, disappeared from the list of applications.
However it is still on the filesystem.
How can I "recover" the application, so Android will see it?
I cant just reinstall it because of specific license files.

Which navigation app is causing you problems, Navon or iGo?

iGO Primo software

I backed up the filesystem to my computer and then downloaded and installed the original iGo Primo .apk file.
That did solve the issue.


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recovery mode works but cant select option galaxy i9000
I am trying to update my rom and install carbon-rom. i have put the zip on the sdcard rebooted into recovery mode by pressing vol up +home +power.
I can enter recovery mode. when i do i see for options but can not select any of them. At the bottom of the screen in yellow writing it says "manual mode".
I have looked into it and thinking that the recovery is locked? Or am i just not pressing the right button to select the option?
I do not have odin or cwm installed, is this required? my phone is uk bought when first released and never updated.


text:
Exotic case of Galaxy Nexus not booting
Symptoms :

Put battery into Galaxy Nexus (tried with two different including a brand new one)
Plug cord to USB host or charger
Large battery charge indicator icon appears in the middle of the screen
Six seconds later the screen goes dark and no further user-observable activity happens
During the whole process, device does not react to any button input - including the 'while holding down Volume Up and Volume Down buttons together, hold down the Power button for ten seconds' maneuver that should have taken it to fastboot mode
When plugged to an USB host, no USB activity is detected from the host - whether by adb or other USB observation tools.

Context :

The device having suffered a cracked screen, it has been swapped for a new screen
This problem appeared on first boot attempt after the screen swap
The device worked perfectly before suffering the cracked screen
The appearance of the battery icon proves that the replacement screen works

I may have broken something during swapping the screens... But with disabled hardware I would have expected a frankly non-functional device.
What further steps can I take to find what makes the boot process fail in the aforementioned way ?


text:
Uninstall from emulator doesn't work
I'm doing my first steps with Android. I'm using a Mac, and no Eclipse.
I've installed my first toy application with
adb install bin/*.apk
and verified that it existed in the emulator. Then I made some changes, reran the build, and tried to install again, which brought the error message
   pkg: /data/local/tmp/DefaultActivity-debug.apk

Failure [INSTALL_FAILED_ALREADY_EXISTS]
Fine, so I have to uninstall first. So I tried the following:
adb uninstall DefaultActivity
adb uninstall de.rf.DefaultActivity
adb uninstall DefaultActivity-debug
adb uninstall /data/local/tmp/DefaultActivity-debug.apk
adb uninstall de.rf
but all of them just brought the error message "Failure", with no further explanation.
It's not a really big problem, because I can simply restart the emulator and use "adb install ....", but I'm curious: How do I correctly use the "uninstall" command?
My activity looks like this:
package de.rf;
...
public class DefaultActivity extends Activity
{
  ...
}

You don't have to uninstall, when you install an app already installed, you have to use adb install -r. (for more help, juste type adb)
To uninstall an app, you have to use adb uninstall package-name (e.g. adb uninstall com.example.app).

Thanks a lot, this works. Strangely I have read through adb -help several times, but somehow always overlooked the (clearly visible) -r switch!!!

To uninstall the package using adb, you need to use the package name listed in the manifest, for example:
adb uninstall com.shadowburst.showr

You might also want to use the -k option to avoid deleting the app's data when uninstalling.
You can also uninstall apps from the Settings app: click Apps, find your app in the list, then click Uninstall. This works even if the app was installed via adb or directly from an APK file.
By the way, don't use de.rf as a package name, even if you own the internet domain rf.de. You want the package name to be something inside a domain you control, to ensure that it won't clash with another Java package you write (such as another app or a library).

Thank you for your suggestions and explanations! Right now I'm just playing around, and I will for sure follow your recommendation and use a more sensible package name when I'm starting to do real work.

BTW, clicking on "Settings" displays a message box saying "Unsupported Action". Could it be that this is because I'm using an Android SDK which is already a bit outdated (0.9beta)?

Probably. The early versions of the emulator were a bit rubbish.


text:
tasker: grace time on events
I use tasker to act on state change on wireless services (WifI on, Bluetooth connected, ...).
There are cases where, for a very short time, the state of a service changes (no matter the reason: a thicker wall, repairing of BT, ...) and the exit actions are triggered.
This is particularly annoying when I rely on continuity (I have, for instance, Waze being killed when the connection to my car's BT is over - but the car sometimes requests a repairing out of the blue and Waze is killed -- which by the way never happens on a 120 km highway section but always right on the middle of complicated turns in a city :)).
What would be the best way to configure a "grace period"?
when an action is triggered (say, by BT disconnecting)
  wait for *n* seconds
    then if the state is still there (= BT is disconnected)
      go ahead with the actions to perform
    otherwise
      do nothing

I know that I can add the logic above to selected actions but this is cumbersome and prone to errors (a short cut may trigger an exit action, then immediately after an entry one, while my timer on the exit one is still running). It would b better if the "state" of a service was aware of the possibility of these short interruptions (and therefore manage correctly the exit and entry actions)
Thank you for any advice

Depends a lot of what your tasks are doing. A separate profile won't do (as it doesn't steer other running tasks). You could try starting your exit tasks with a Tasker->Wait for, say, 10..15s (whatever the maximum interruption usually is), and play with the collision settings (what to do if a condition is triggered while the profile is still active -- here the new "runner" could take over). I never tried that, so I cannot say whether that might work.

This is a very interesting idea. I will test this over the next few days and be back with feedback. Thanks!

Looking forward to your feedback with lots of interest! Please don't forget about it :)


text:
Is there a way to obtain temporary root (until next boot) on a locked HTC device without S-OFF?
Let's say I want to run some app requiring root access on my HTC Droid DNA (2.06 stock firmware, 4.1 Android, NOT broken, meaning it's S-ON).
My (somewhat naive) understanding of S-ON/S-OFF is that it write-protects the ROM, and thus makes writing anything into it impossible (such as whatever changes are needed to install root that persists from boot to boot).
The question is, is there a way to obtain temporary root without breaking S-ON, such that it only persists till next boot? (with the understanding that any changes to filesystem made by the need-root application that would have been saved into protected parts of the filesystem would ALSO be lost after reboot).
P.S. Please note that the question is about technical detail about rooting - asking me to clarify which app I need to run to help me do the same task without rooting is entirely off-topic.

There used to be an app on the playstore called "System RW" that does exactly this. It needs root but it works on S-ON devices and makes /system writeable until reboot - The changes persisted though. It was made for HTC devices and I used it around 5 years ago. It apparently got deleted from playstore a long time ago though as I was unable to find it again ~2 years ago. I couldn't find it anywhere on the internet, maybe you have more luck. This does need root, but on my HTC I never needed S-OFF to get (permanent) root.


text:
How to Hide an Application
I have a Samsung Galaxy S3 Plus and I have one application listed in my Settings - Manage Apps list that I want hidden from the user.  This is not an icon - it is the application name in the list of apps on the phone under the setting section.  Is there a way to either 1. hide the app (make it not visible on the app list) or 2. lock the app list so the user cannot open it to see what apps are listed there.  I do not want to password protect the whole phone or individual icons, just the Manage Applications section under Settings.
Best solution is to figure out how to make that app name hidden from the Manage Applications list, but I am not sure that is possible without either deactivating or removing it.  Any help is appreciated.

Related: Hide applications from Apps menu

If you don't want to remove or deactivate the application, then either:

you can install a 3rd party launcher (like Nova) and hide the application from the app drawer.
you can download Hide it pro and basically you can anything in your phone.

On 4.3 you could create a restricted user profile, and block access to the Settings app from that profile (and to the app you want to hide, presumably). If you're not on 4.3, or you're not willing to create a restricted user profile, you're out of luck.
Hypothetically, you could replace the Settings app with one that's programmed to hide the app you're interested in, using a custom ROM (or if you're rooted, by just replacing that package), but I don't think someone has already patched the Settings app that way, so you would probably have to do a bit of programming to achieve it. Such a piece of software would be very like what's known in the PC world as a rootkit, a type of malware, so you should think very carefully before searching for or attempting such a thing.

Aren't user profiles--even restricted ones--still only limited to tablets?

Oh, of course: it hadn't occurred to me that the OP is particularly interested in a phone. Looks like he's in the "out of luck" case, then.


text:
I am running Paranoid Android 3.97 but Root Checker is showing me that my Nexus 4 is not rooted
I am running Paranoid Android and Franco Kernel but I do not have access to data/data folder is empty. Root Checker app is showing me that my phone is not rooted for some reason. It was working fine when i was on Android 4.2.2(Paranoid Android 3.67). How can i fix this?
Thank You

You need to Flash the Kernel first and THEN root the device. In 4.3 google have implmended a securty feature which causes some rooting problems.


text:
Facebook Messenger - No ring tone for calls
I got a Lenovo Essential tablet. I have a problem that when someone call me via Facebook Messenger, the table only vibrates, it doesn't call any sound at all. But the sound for Facebook messenger's notification like - incoming inbox message, miss calls, still works. Looks like only the ring tone for calls is not working.
what I have tried that doesn't work:

Clear data for Facebook messenger.
Re-install Facebook messenger.
In Facebook messenger -> Notifications & Sounds, I enabled everything.

I check this article

Go to Settings-apps- messenger. In there will be an option
  that says notifications. For some reason it was set to low priority
  and silent. I changed it and it's been working perfectly

but I can't find any thing (I see "Show notifications" checkbox, but it has already been checked)

(sorry for the image's quality, I can't figure out how to take screenshot with this Lenovo Essential tablet)
So how can I enable ring tone for calls in Facebook Messenger?


text:
Front Camera Not Working, Showing HARDWARE_LEVEL_LIMITED
I had to replace the screen on my Lg V20 and broke the front and wide angle camera while doing so. When I ordered replacements and replaced them, the wide angle worked, but now the front camera crashes both the LG camera and Google Camera port. When I scanned it with a Camera2 API scanner, it showed up, but I noticed it said HARDWARE_LEVEL_LIMITED next to hardware level. Is there anything I can do to get this working?

did you replaced the hardware in authorized service center or in a local repairing shop?

@parthu_panther I replaced everything myself using parts from fixez.com

than it might be the case that you replaced the new hardware of higher version than your phone could have supported.

@parthu_panther I have a V20 and I bought the parts for the V20. The wide angle camera worked and the connectors were the same.

as you stated in your post that 'when you scanned it with camera2 API scanner, it showed up'. That means your software config are fine. I think you should show your device at a trusty hardware repairing center.


text:
My phone is missing whatsapp communication
What can I do to bring  back my whatsapp number? I was using  my friend  phone  to communicate  with my whatsapp number  and I forget to change and now she still have my whatsapp number and she continue to receive message.

Did you manage to fix the issue?

If your WhatsApp account is registered on a different device, while using your number, you can easily reclaim your account, as long as you can receive text messages on that phone number.
Download WhatsApp on your phone, register your account with your number, and it will automatically close the account on your friends phone.

On a side note, if you're looking to transfer all your messages from your friends phone to your phone, you can transfer the local backup from that phone, to yours.

And remember to take backup from your friend's mobile before installing on your device if you haven't selected to backup automatically on google drive.

@parthu_panther it will not help to select backup to Google drive, cuz both phones have to be under the same Google account. But a local backup will definitely help


text:
Accessing Gmail Password from Android Device Remotely
I was using a Nokia 5 and I lost it over the weekend. I have the gmail app stored there that has sign ins to 3 of my emails
s*****@gmail.com,
r******@gmail.com &
r1*****@gmail.com
Unfortunately I have no access to the last mailing address because apparently I forgot the password. It was a fairly new account so when I try to recover the password, google cannot verify its my account. The account is linked to my local bitcoins account therefore I cannot log in and have access to my bitcoins.
I have the following question, if I get a new phone and restore android, will the gmail app appear with the accounts logged on? and if not, is there a way for me to find out the password? I am not sure if this is allowed but I will spare some few bitcoins to the person who can help out.( if not allowed, I will edit and remove this part)

by the way its only logged on on the app and not on chrome

If i get a new phone and restore android, will the gmail app appear with the accounts logged on?

When you log in on your new phone using some account, only this account will be present on this device. To read mail from other accounts, you will need to sign in to those accounts as well.

Is there a way for me to find out the password?

When you log in, your password is sent to Google servers, and they check if provided password is correct. If authentication passes, the server returns session token and no password is being stored on your phone. So no, there is no way to find out the password.


text:
Android 6.0.1, Samsung S5: Storage issues
My Samsung S5 with Android 6.0.1 has not enough storage memory. By default, it has 16GB available of which 4.2GB is used by the system (according to the "Storage" information page in the settings). My phone says, I'm using around 10GB of storage memory.
Up to this point, I moved almost everything except for some very small apps to my SD card and removed this SD card from my phone, so it's content won't show up in the stats.
To find out which places eat the most storage memory, I used a File Manager app from the App Store ("File Manager") which can access the root folder of my device. It turns out that the folder /storage/emulated/0 (the place which you can examine using the default file manager) only takes up around 4GB!
However, the other folders in the root folder only contain very small data in the range of megabytes.
How can I examine where these 6GB went?!
By the way, of course, I deleted all cache files which I can delete, I even deleted the logs from *#9900#.


text:
GS3 Screen Turns Off before timeout
I have an unrooted Galaxy S3, with official Samsung Android 4.1.2 ROM.
Yesterday the device just started to turn of the screen without locking the phone and before screen timeout, and it just won't stop !!!
I tried to change the screen timeout duration, didn't work, I stopped the Galaxy S3 feature smart stay and set it back on again and again and it's not working, I googled this problem and I can't find anything related..
I only have one option to do, and I wish I'm wrong, which is to do a factory data reset
I'm afraid that there might be a problem in the power button, again I hope I'm wrong.
Please any help is very much appreciated ..

Have you installed any automation tools such as Tasker, AutomateIt or Llama? I know that certain automation tools make setting or resetting the Display Timeout an easy example of an automation capability.

I did install a game "Real Racing 3", when I noticed the problem I removed the game.
I doubt that the game has caused the problem, because it's trusted and free in play store.


text:
Automatic system-wide proxy
When I'm on a public network that I don't trust, I use a combination of ConnectBot and ProxyDroid (with "Global Proxy" enabled) to tunnel my phone's traffic through a trusted server that I control. However, I have to set that all up manually, and I'm sure plenty of other data leaks out around that tunnel (at the very least, apps will check in between the time I connect to a network and the time I set up the tunnel). Also, the process is involved enough that I usually only go through it when I'm on a public network and I get SSL errors from the browser telling me google.com is using a certificate signed by GoDaddy.
I'd like to set something up that smooths the process out a bit, such that a tunnel is automatically established whenever I connect to a network, all traffic is routed through it, and apps aren't able to connect to the Internet unless the tunnel is open (very important). Obviously, it should verify the authenticity of the server before connecting (though I haven't seen a VPN that doesn't). I'd like something that uses SSH since that's the simplest to set up, but anything will do. What sorts of solutions like this are out there? My server runs Ubuntu 12.04, and I can install extra software on it if needed.
Again, the most important part here is that no app can access the network unless it's going through the tunnel, and if the tunnel hasn't been established yet, no traffic escapes. Obviously, the one exception would need to be whatever app is actually making the initial connection to establish the tunnel.
I'm currently using a rooted HTC Incredible running CyanogenMod 7. I'm in the market for a new phone though, so if anyone knows of any solutions that require something newer than Android 2.3, those would be welcome as well.

Maybe shadowsocks? There are different os client/servers, even for routers.
http://www.shadowsocks.org/

Proxies by design aren't meant to be set system-wide. Apps are supposed to make proxied connections if they want to. And mostly apps fall back to no-proxy mode if for some reason proxy server isn't accessible. Also there are other limitations. http proxies can't handle UDP traffic and SOCKS proxies can't handle ICMP echo (which ping uses). A VPN network, however operates at lower level and forwards all traffic to remote end. For details see Why proxy set on Android does not work when used as hotspot?

it should verify the authenticity of the server before connecting (though I haven't seen a VPN that doesn't)

Mostly http proxies support basic authentication, and obviously SSH and VPNs do.

I'd like something that uses SSH since that's the simplest to set up

You can create a SOCKS5 tunnel using SSH dynamic port forwarding, it can forward UDP traffic too. But you need to use third party apps, Android doesn't support SOCKS proxies. For details see: How to set up a socks5 with Android cli?

I'd like to set something up that smooths the process out a bit, such that a tunnel is automatically established whenever I connect to a network, all traffic is routed through it, and apps aren't able to connect to the Internet unless the tunnel is open (very important).

Android by-default doesn't offer such functionality but you can use automation apps in combination with VPN based apps to hopefully achieve the desired result.


text:
Does Google Galaxy Nexus has Visual Voicemail?
I just realised that I cannot find any button or option in my Google Galaxy Nexus for Visual Voicemail, whereas iPhone and many other Android phones do have such feature.
Is there no visual voicemail in Google's Galaxy Nexus?

Usually on android phones this is a carrier supplied feature.  You can get some visual voicemail app from the play store, or you can move your voicemail from the carrier's system to Google Voice, which provides it.


text:
New line for system built-in SMS message in Samsung Galaxy Nexus
The built-in SMS application doesn't allow me to enter new line as below snapshot. What's wrong with my keyboard :( ?

I've also noticed that on several devices. Even if it shows an enter key, that usually sends the message instead of inserting a line break. Guess the reason behind is that 160 chars don't require a word processor. Only few draw ASCII art :)

What if you long-press the enter key?


text:
What files are needed to gain root access on an Android device?
Are there other files besides su that need to be installed to gain root access on an Android device? I know that installing a "superuser" app isn't strictly necessary but merely important from a security perspective.
What I want to know is whether simply transferring a working su binary to a device is enough to "root" an Android device. By "working" su binary, I mean having su installed at the proper location and blessed with the proper permissions.
Note: I'm not asking about the means (e.g. some esoteric security hole, adb, a bogus *ab backup file, or a recovery zip) but the goal, the absolute minimum number of file(s) that need to be transferred to root an Android device.

good question .. i think so .. but the transferring isnt so easy as non-su =/ i think this is the only problem..

Answered here: How does SuperSu provide root privilege? and here: How Magisk works?

Copying a working su binary does not make the device rooted!
The method of rooting depends on supporting files, for instance:

a shell script
a binary that exploits
possibly, another script to copy over the superuser app...

Also, it is entirely dependent on whether your handset can be rooted or not depending on kernel, android version, manufacture/make of handset.
With Jellybean 4.3, it is now much harder to exploit and security has been clamped down more, this caused headaches for the creator of Chainfire's superuser app in order to work around the extra security put in place by default. It will be a matter of time now, when trying to exploit and gain root will become harder!

The absolute minimum is exactly a su executable. It grants root access to whoever calls it. But this su should not be taken from an existing rooting software. Without its corresponding root manager it won't work alone. Actually you can grab the su source code from a Linux distro and mod it, then compile it by yourself and it'll work.
That's not practical because everyone can gain root access without any restrictions. You don't want a malicious app to do so. So a practical minimum is 2 files: su and Superuser.apk. The latter manages permission grants and rejections. I've tested this with SuperSU. Just copying the APK and one binary made it work.

su source code from a Linux distro won't work on Android JB+, a privileged daemon (daemonsu or magiskd) is required to be running in background which proxies (over UNIX socket) requests from apps when they execute dummy su.


text:
change download folder to external sdcard in ttpod
I am new user of Sony C6603, with Android 4.2.2. For free music download, I use TTPod. I find the music can be downloaded for free in this App, but I wonder if I can change the default download folder (/storage/emulated/0/ttpod) to somewhere external sdcard (/stroage/sdcard1)? Or maybe such a change prevent some functions of this app?

Press 3 line button beside TTPod to open the menu
Press "Settings"
Press "Downloads"
Press "Audio auto download directory" and select where you want to save your files


text:
Automating "Stay Awake"
I use my personal Android smartphone for development. Every morning, I go to Settings \ Developer Options \ Stay Awake and check the box.
At the end of the day, I uncheck the box — since otherwise any notification (including the "fully charged" one) will trigger the screen on, and it will stay on from that point on.
How can these two operations be automated?


text:
Android early boot console over usb
I'm trying to port newer kernel versions onto my Nexus S device.
Most newer kernels panic very early on in the boot process. I would like to debug this.
However, since the phone has been provided to me by my school, I cannot get a hold of a serial port (if it does exist..not sure)
Is there any way I can obtain the messages via usb onto my PC?

This sounds like a rather development-related issue. As we here are dealing with the end-user, Stack Overflow might be a better place to ask this (also better chances for developer-related answers ;)

@Izzy It could be from a user perspective too. What if he just wanted a way to see the logs as soon as he turned on the PC? Could it be done via adb?

Porting a kernel is close enough to development for it to be on topic at Stack Overflow, there are people at SO who would be able to give you a lot better answers than we could, we are just trying to make sure you get the best answer for your question.

This site describes how to get access to the serial console on the Nexus S, which is really the only way of debugging boot problems. It's not for the faint-hearted, though: you need a UART-to-USB module, with resistors connected across certain pins, all connected to your phone. If you screw it up you will blow up the phone.
The same information's also mirrored here, in case the first site should disappear.
BTW, if you'd tried asking this on Stack Overflow instead of here, you'd have found this duplicate question which has the same link I just found :-)


text:
Upgrade form froyo to jellybean
I recently upgraded by Samsung galaxy exhibit 2 to jelly bean 4.2.2 from gingerbread. I was wondering if it was also possible for my Samsung dart, running on Froyo. Can i flash the same ROM? Is it the same process?
Thanks

ROMs are device specific. So: No, you cannot flash the ROM from your Exhibit on your Dart without most likely breaking the latter.


text:
Can I share my wifi connection to wifi tethering?
Can I do it on my android? I seem can't find any reference for it.

As in Can we use an Android phone as a Wi-Fi repeater?

Tethering is a feature that is usually offered by the carrier for an additional fee.  You should check with your carrier.  Also it would have helped to include which android device you have.....


text:
How can I do ADB backup without PC?
I can backup with PC by "adb backup"command.
 But can I create backup file without using a PC somehow?
Android device standalone.

Yes you can. There are some tools to provide you with this functionality, e.g. Helium - App Sync and Backup. If your device is rooted, this app should work out-of-the-box. Otherwise you will need to initialize it once after each device start (reboot), which then requires a PC with ADB.

As requested in the comments, a few hints on how to get Helium started on a non-rooted device. First, this requires you to have at least a basic setup of ADB done on your computer (see: Is there a minimal installation of ADB?). Having met that, it should be as easy as enabling USB-Debugging on your Android device, connecting it via USB to the PC, and run the helper script downloaded from Helum's web page. The last 3 steps have to be repeated only once after each reboot of the device, and activate a background process Helium itself requires but cannot start itself (the user via ADB has higher privileges than an app in user-space, and thus can).

my device is not rooted.can helium do backup without pc?

Yes. If your device is not rooted, you only need a PC once after each restart/boot of your device to get a background service started (no "normal" app gets enough elevated rights for that, so ADB has to do). For the backups themselves you don't need any additional device, and they are done to your SDCard.

Izzy - Can you elaborate on how to initialize the program with ADB, after each restart?

That depends on your pre-conditions. But you're right, I should include some hints although they can be find on the app's page.


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Is it possible to isolate audio input/output devices?
Is it possible to make the 3.5mm audio jack port of an Android device into a purely audio INPUT device (something like a mic)? I would like to see if I can receive audio input via the jack and push out the said input to a bluetooth headset.
If this is not possible, why?
If it is, how would I go about implementing it?

This seems like a development question, which are off topic here. This SE website focuses on the Android operating system as a whole, not developing for it. Your question might get more attention, and better answers at Stack Overflow

@John - I'm not looking for code. Simply wondering if this is possible.

the how would I go about implementing it? sounds a bit like a development question. That said this question has already been asked: How do I use an external microphone with my Galaxy Nexus?

@John - I don't want an actual mic. If I connect it to the audio jack of my laptop, I want the laptop's output.

Oh alright, so you want to use your device as a mic over bluetooth?

This question seems perfectly on-topic to me.

@AlEverett This question is really confusing to me, it might be the wording but I thought he was trying to attach a mic to his Android device using the audio output jack, and then use the output of the mic over bluetooth to his computer. But now in a comment, he said he wants to connect his device to his laptop using the audio output? I am very confused by this question.

@John - Please give the question another read. I said "audio INPUT device" "something like a mic" not a mic but something like it.


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What does a red battery icon indicate?
While charging my Jellybean 4.1 device at my PCs' USB, I see the following red battery icon in the notification bar:

What does the red color indicate?

are you using the original cable / charger?

It was a hot battery alert, so the charging was interrupted for safety reasons:


text:
SmartBook Surfer - Bootmanager broken after ROM-flash
I recently installed the VegaComb ROM to my Smartbook Surfer MN10U.
Obviously I got the wrong ROM, which causes a boot loop.
The worse problem is, that I'm now unable to access the Clockwork Bootmanager. Since the Smartbook seems to have no connection options to a PC (as far as I researched, there is no cable to plug it to USB).
So what I'm basically asking is:

Is there a possibillity to connect the Smartbook to a PC?
Is it possible to make the Bootmanager accessible, without such a connection?
Is it possible to install a new ROM without said connection, and without the Bootmanager?

Does it have a microUSB port? What ports does it have?

none. That's the problem. no microUSB and no other obvious ports.

The only port that might help is the port that's used to connect with the dock. But the dock has also just the usual usb ports and a hdmi port. Might there be a chance that USB Crossover might be possible?


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Use Google Play without any other Google apps installed
I'm using Cyanogen Mod 10.1 and I wonder if there is any possibility to use Google Play without installing all Google apps. I don't need Gmail, Talk, etc. I don't want to link my device to google. Is there any way to just put in your Google account data for Google Play and not for the whole device?

I don't want to link my device to google means you cannot use Google Play either, sorry. There are alternatives, of course − but not with a repository as big as Google Play.

@Izzy is correct, all of the google apps will automatically pair with your google account if you sync your google account with your device.

I found myself an answer: https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1918484 Now only Google Play is installed without Gmail, Talk, ... but I had to link my phone anyway to Google.

It is possible to install just the play store without the rest of the Gapps stuff.  See Minimal set of .apk files to enable Google Play.

@Compro01 sure it is. But that doesn't change a thing concerning the device being "linked", which the OP wants to avoid.

@Izzy - To me, the question is unclear about what is actually wanted.  The title and last sentence suggests he simply wants "only play, not gmail, hangouts, and stuff".

https://android.stackexchange.com/a/214984/10015 is relevant.

I would imagine that Google Play is not reliant on the other apps like Maps, Talk or Hangout. Just to be safe though, here is what I would recommend:

Create a full system backup of phone
Delete any apps that you don't want and see if they affect your usage
If any apps affected your usage, restore your device and do not delete those apps.

Remember that it is always better to make a backup and not need it, than to need a backup and not have one =)


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Uninstalled original alarm by accident on samsung galaxy ace ii x (gt-s7560m)
I rooted my phone and uninstalled the alarm app thinking i could find a better one, which i couldn't. I was wondering if any one knows how to go back and reinstall it? Thanks

The usual answer: Restore the backup you've made before starting to manipulate your system. As everybody else, I'm sure you've made one (← Lessons to learn ;) Luckily, RainyTaxi found a "backup" on XDA you might install.

Since you've already rooted your phone, this should help.
Here!

Whilst this may theoretically answer the question, it would be preferable to include the essential parts of the answer here, and provide the link for reference. Otherwise, in case the link dies, your answer becomes useless.


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Locating stolen phone after factory reset
I assume any reasonable thief will wipe the phone as soon as possible, thus removing any tracking apps and user accounts.
I there a method to track the phone any way?
A possible method is to use a tracking app (and it's configuration) that's embedded in a custom ROM.

Is the phone already stolen or are you preparing just in case?

just preparing...

There are such solutions, if your device is rooted. In that case, some anti-theft apps such as Cerberus are able to integrate into the system part (ROM) of the device, so a factory-reset wouldn't help the thief.
However: As we are talking about the "clever thief", he will first grab the device, switch it off, take it into some Faraday cage before switching it on again, then boot into recovery/download mode, and flash a new ROM. Bummer. Protection gone.
So there is no 100% protection. Technically, it might be possible if it's integrated into the hardware itself – but I've never heard that such a thing was done for a consumer smartphone.


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How to reach local computer via machine name instead of IP?
Developer here prototyping a mobile app, somewhat new to mobile:

I have a simple HTTP service running (currently) on my main laptop with machine name latitude.
Another laptop named vaio sharing the same WiFi network can access that service via http://latitude:8080 -- in other words, it can easily resolve the (current) IP 192.168.x.y (or whatever dynamic IP it has at that moment) of latitude somehow.
Now my HTC Android phones, connected to the same WiFi network, can reach the IP address of latitude so opening in its browser http://192.168.x.y:8080 works.
But I'd like to use the machine name here, too, like when I access the HTTP service from vaio, simply by typing http://latitude:8080 and have the phone resolve the current dynamic IP of latitude. This doesn't work, only get the standard browser error page: "Webpage not available".

Is there some DNS setting in Android I need to tweak? Haven't found anything from playing around with Settings, and a question like this is notoriously hard to google, too...
The One V has Android 4.0, and the One M7 has Android 4.2 in case that makes a difference.
(Note, this should work even when the Android is not USB-connected to my computers and is not acting as a WiFi Hotspot -- obviously, since it's consuming my main WiFi network anyway).

Related: How to ping a local network host by hostname?

Regardless whether you're connected to your local network via WiFi and DHCP is in use, Android always seems to override its DNS entries using Google's servers. It's somewhat hidden, but easy to change – provided you have your own DNS running (a lot of routers offer that already).
To do so, go to your list of WiFi networks in Settings, long-press your WiFi's entry, select to edit it. Activate Advanced Settings. Now you can edit the DNS entries. Simply replace the first entry with your own DNS server's IP, and leave the second entry (DNS 2) untouched for fall-back.
Now, if your own DNS can resolve your local network's machines, you should be able to use their hostnames to reach out to them. No root and no editing the hosts file necessary (thought that might be an alternative, if you've got no own DNS service running). Works excellent here with me and my network ;)

Thanks! Here's the weird thing, when I do this then my router (gateway) is already also entered as DNS1 (and Google's or 8.8.4.4 as DNS2). Well I'm going with these defaults and apply them, NetBIOS and SMB are enabled on the Windows machine, but still no name resolution...

I have no plans with Windows. In my case, it's a Linux based environment, and the router (AVM Fritz!Box) has a name server running. Works smoothly.

This should at most (if even) apply only to old versions of Android. My first dns is my local one while the fallback is google's 8.8.8.8. Looked it up with getprop | grep -i dns See also http://android.stackexchange.com/a/32278/15713

Firefox acts different and doesn't show this behaviour, I guess it's Chrome's omnibox ( combined search / URI input box) that does this

Firefox doesn't use its own DNS servers (at least I would wonder if). All software usually asks the system for that information, so the browser should not matter here. @ce4: Yes, that's how I configured it manually on my device: same fallback, but the primary I had to manually change from 4.4.4.4 to my local DNS server. I know that my DHCP server sends that information, but did not see a single Android device honoring that.

Update: See my comment here, it looks like I have to partially withdraw my statement as described behaviour might be specific to Android versions or manufacturers. Just cross-checked on my newer 4.1.1 devices, and my DNS is used correctly there; though I must admit I've lost track on which ones I might have configured that manually. But as both still were set to DHCP (and the change requires to use static), these are more liky not tampered with.

CM7.2 also honours the settings received via DHCP (only for the GSM radio interface (rmnet1) it sets Google's DNS servers (probably to overcome shitty provider DNS servers):
[net.dns1]: [192.168.x.x] \n
[net.dns2]: [8.8.4.4] \n
[net.rmnet0.dns1]: [8.8.8.8] \n
[net.rmnet0.dns2]: [8.8.4.4] \n
[dhcp.tiwlan0.dns1]: [192.168.x.x] \n
[dhcp.tiwlan0.dns2]: []

When I use a static IP address under Android 7.1, my LAN is suddenly unreachable (despite using identical network settings to what DHCP was providing)!

Izzy, thanks for your answer. Since it's 7 years old, I can't find those settings in Android anymore. I'm wondering if you know how to answer https://android.stackexchange.com/q/230644/22600 Thanks for your thoughts!

@Ryan they are still in the same place: Settings › Network › WiFi – and by tap-and-holding a name you can open a menu that allows you to change the AP's settings. It might look like, when opening "advanced" settings, the details are gone, but try to scroll there, they just hide :) Oh: and the "edit" button is only available for the network you're connected to it seems. Just checked and verified on Android 7+8.

@Izzy Thanks. On Android 11, if I long-press a wifi network name, I only see options "Disconnect" and "Forget". If I click the gear icon, I see Advanced, but none of the data / options in there seems helpful.

I cannot help with that, I don't have any Android-11 device here. But maybe one of the WiFi config apps or DNS Tools can help you out?

When I want a machine name instead of an IP I edit the HOSTS file.  Try adding the devices and their IP addresses there. A google search for the hosts file for your operating system should be easy.

Editing HOSTS is only useful if the IP address of the laptop always stays static / the same. This won't be the case as I'm working on the go, different WiFi networks, dynamic IP addresses. Also editing HOSTS requires a rooted Android but I need it to stay unrooted and largely untweaked to test under "normal consumer phone" conditions..

Add two lines at the end of your device's hosts file (/etc/hosts) file with ES Explorer (needs a rooted device).
Template:
your_host_machine's_IP_address  domain_name

Example of domain_name can be localhost.
Example:
::1  domain_name

It works fine when typing localhost in URL bar instead of IP address.

I corrected \etc\hosts to /etc/hosts and  made some changes in the formatting. I tried not to change the intent but make it look better. Let me know if I messed up somewhere.

In my case, on Windows 10, temporarily turning off windows firewall made surfing to http://latitude:8080 possible.
For the longer term I created a rule to let these sort of connections through the firewall ...

{Windows} >  Start > "Firewall" > Windows Defender Firewall with Advance Security. Inbound Rules > New Rule ...

General

Name: TCP web connections from LAN
Allow the connection if it is secure ...
Choose: "Allow the connection if it is authenticated and integrity-protected"

Protocols And Ports

Protocol Type: TCP
Local Port: 80, 880

Advanced

Specify profiles to whcih this rule applies: Private

{Android}. Test with Firefox or Chrome, not Dolphin


text:
Location services not working after a few days
The funny thing is that when this happens, Google Maps and Google Earth can still find my location, but all other apps, such as Facebook, Chrome, and even the Samsung Weather Widget, can't find my location. Rebooting the phone again fixes the issue, but then it comes back after a few days. This leads me to think that it's a software problem instead of a hardware problem; why else would Google Maps and Earth be able to find my location but other apps can't, and that rebooting solves the problem for a few days?
Does anyone else have the same problem? I don't exactly know when it started happening, but it's a small bother.

Could you give a few more details on your device and Android version? If it's already 4.3, the Google apps could be using a "different source" (IMHO there was some "un-disable-able" background location service introduced)...

It's Happening from Android 2.2 and above versions(Samsung,Sony Ericsson,MicroMax....)

Similar: http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/50819/not-getting-current-location-even-if-location-services-are-enabled

And this seems to be a known issue, I've experienced it when developing an app that used location services. Question on SO about it: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/13594932/network-provider-not-providing-updated-locations

I already used google play services but its not working for me. If u have any sample code pls send me. Every device working for 4 or 5 days continously.


text:
External harddrive case to spin-down drive when idle
I try to make external 2.5 hard drives automatically spin down when idle and connected to android devices. The device I have got in mind is a HDMI TV-Stick with USB connector. I tried a few cases/harddrives and found only one old 3.5 case which will spin down the drive when a .nomedia file is present on the drive to prevent indexing. Are there general differences between external drives which can influence their ability to spin down idle drives? Also I would be grateful for hints to android software which can trigger the spin-down and for explanation which requirements to make this work exist in general (for software, disk and case).

It's entirely up to the drive and enclosure. The USB mass storage protocol doesn't have disk-specific instructions, e.g. for spinning up and down drives. The only thing you can do from the Android side is make sure the files aren't in use: e.g. by adding a .nomedia file as you already found.

So for what drive/enclosure features do I have to look? What about apps to spin down drives which support this on other platforms? As a side note: I figured that the ultimate way to prevent android from accessing the files is to unmount the drive (for which there are apps e.g.) Just the .nomedia file seemingly won't do.

Which drive enclosures support spinning-down when idle isn't an Android question.

I have been pointed here from superuser.com with similar argument. My question is not 'Which drive enclosures support spinning-down when idle?'. It is 'How can I realize disk spin down when idle on android?'. I don't really care if it is answered by 'Use drives which have feature xy' or 'Install app xy/run command xy'. I just want to realize this in an android environment.

That's why I answered that part of the question: you can't do it from Android, you need a drive (enclosure) that has the feature of being able to spin down. As far as I know it's not a "box feature" that'll be advertised on the enclosure: either it does it, or it doesn't.


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Half screen in android whatsapp camera while scanning QR code
I have still the same problem, my internet is working perfectly. I use idea 3g network for Xperia U running on Android 4.0.4. I cannot scan the barcode because of whatsapp camera is open in 1/4 of the screen.

I had the same problem, but as mentioned here, basically You just have to move the phone a little to the left or bottom (depending on how you're scanning the code - portrait or landscape).
Hope it works for you too.
Edit: by the way, I have the same smartphone.
Edit 2: I could not make a video because the screen looks completely black, instead of 3/4 of it ¬¬ (ironically, taking a screenshot of the desktop shows 100% of the screen xD). Anyway, what I do is this:

Open whatsapp and go to the Whatsapp Web option.
On portrait mode (vertically), center the QR code on the screen (the 1/4 that you see). The idea is to center it like You would without 3/4 of black screen ¬¬.
Move the phone to the left until I see only half of the squares on the top left and top right corners of the QR code. That's when the code gets scanned.

Hope it helps :)

I have done that too but still i have got  the same problem. Can you make some small video on that??

@HarshitChampaneri, were you able to solve the problem? I've edited my answer (in case you didn't see it).


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Help! I can no longer access photos from my gallery when trying to send a picture
I have a Samsung S4.
when I'm trying to attach a photo to an MMS I used to get an option of accessing the photo via galary or Samsung link. Usually I selected gallery. This time I accidentally clicked Samsung link and now I can't access pics to send via gallery it only takes me straight to Samsung link.
My question is how do I access pics to send via gallery not Samsung link?

You can reset the default application settings in settings > apps > [your app] > "launch by default"

or you can manually select the image from gallery and share it via MMS.


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WIFI connection with question mark
My android phone connected with WiFi shows full signal. Whereas question mark appears on the signal mark and I'm unable to connect to the internet.
Can anyone give me a solution to reconnect my internet? So far I have not faced these problems.

I believe wifi with a question mark means that wifi is available and in range, but not connected.
Can other devices connect to this AP ? Try rebooting your AP. Also try deleting and reconfiguring the connection ?

I suspect this scenario is caused lack of internet connectivity with respect to the wi-fi access point.  In other words the device is properly connected to the Wi-Fi connection but the internet connectivity might be down due to one or a few cases.
This issue can be attributed to one or more issues:

DNS resolving problem with your Internet service provider (ISP) or router.

It could mean that the route to your DNS addresses/servers is inaccessible at the given moment, so the problem is with your service provider and not your phone.

Misconfigured DHCP/DNS settings

The normally results in the DNS server  not responding to connection attempts. In addition faulty DCHP settings may cause the device to having difficulties  getting IP Address assigned by the DCHP server.

Problems connecting to Google servers (captive portal server)

According to this post,

Android tries to reach a file named generate_204 on one of the
  Google servers and if there is no positive response, it means that
  there is no connection to the internet, and notification is generated

Also highlighted in the above discussion, the  detection url differs between different Android versions.

clients3.google.com/generate_204 check (kitkat)
connectivitycheck.gstatic.com/generate_204 (marshmallow)

Possible fixes:

Change DNS address of router/modem

Check DNS settings for both your router and your phone. Try to manually set DNS servers to Google's public DNS servers 8.8.8.8 and/or 8.8.4.4.

Rebooting device (with SIM card removed)

You can try rebooting the device a proceedure similar to "clean boot" on PCs by following the proceedure:

Toggle Airplane mode On/Off.
Power off your phone ➡ Remove your SIM card ➡ Turn on your phone ➡ Power off your phone ➡ Re-insert your SIM card➡ Boot your phone.

Bypassing wi-fi check during initialisation (new user creation).

One user was able to bypass this issue, creating a new user to bypass the connectivity check during initialisation. Here is their proceedure:

Reboot phone and wait until wi-fi is connected
Go to Settings and create a new user
Continue with user setup until you see "checking connection"
As soon as you see "checking connection", switch off your phone
Switch on your phone again
Toggle wi-fi, and the exclamation mark should disappear quickly
You may optionally remove the new user you just created

The following methods need root:

Changing captive portal server

Install a terminal app alternatively these  commands can also be run via the adb shell.
Open the terminal app and run su.
Run settings get global captive_portal_server. This will show the current captive portal server. A "null" reply is usually the default.
Run settings put global captive_portal_server YOUR_SERVER_ADDRESS. You can  add google.com as the captive portal server, i.e settings put global captive_portal_server google.com.
Run exit once to exit from su, then exit one more time to close the terminal.
Reboot the Android device. Will not work without a reboot.

Disabling captive portal

Since the culprit is a method isCaptivePortal() which access clients3.google.com/generate_204 to test if a connection is deemed
  "usable". The page, as its name suggest, is designed to always return
  a HTTP 204 status code. Based on this you have a couple options:

i. Kill isCaptivePortal() completely

with adb set, run adb shell su -c "settings put global captive_portal_detection_enabled 0"

Note:  The down side is that isCaptivePortal() is actually useful to detect for example when a WiFi network requires login. If the request to the 204 page gets redirected to a login page (not a 204), the system will understand and display the exclamation mark as intended.
ii. Change the target of isCaptivePortal()

another workaround is replacing the Google host with a host that is accessible within the specific region. This host should also be returning 204 every time /generate_204 is accessed.
i.e adb shell su -c "settings put global captive_portal_server {alternate_host} "

Other methods
Using hosts

You can edit hosts to block the captive portal detection url thus bypassing the sending of the requests to captive portal server.

References and acknowledgements

Mihai Neacsu (author):  How to fix Android Cellular data and Wi-Fi network connected and working but with exclamation points
Signal data exclamation mark!
How does WiFi in android detect if the device has to sign in or not?


text:
Huawei Sonic u8650, I'm building custome ROM, need help with list of apps I can remove
I'm building Huawei Sonic custom ROM for myself. And I will share it with all of you of-course. I own this phone for 2 days now, its great, my first Android :) And I tried all custom ROM and they all suck. Ok, ok they are ok, and have overclock and whatnot, but what I want is a clean and simple ROM. I want stock ROM, that's cleared of all the crap apps, and rooted.
So my ROM will be moded stock ROM, without stock apps, and it will be rooted.
Now I need your help since I own this phone for 2 days now, I don't know what system apps can I remove safely, and what are the apps that just needs to be there for the phone to function?
So can you write a list of all processes that can be safely removed? And we can work through this together and build a plain Sonic ROM, without all the crap and with Market so you can download your own stuff. Its a nice phone but not that powerful, so lets make it mean and lean :D
I just need a list of apps & services I can safely remove, or the list of ones that must be on the phone for it to work?
Thanks!

Usually completely de-branding an android device is not as easy as just removing the "extra" system apps.  Manufacturers and carriers often modify the devices' firmware to a great extent, so simply deleting "bloat" apps would seriously cripple that device's functionality.  ROM makers usually either try to minimize the prevalence of manufacturer/carrier customizations by trial and error (remove APK -> see what breaks -> rinse, repeat), or go all out and build a completely new ROM that is based on "vanilla" Android from AOSP (Android Open Source Project) source code which is released by Google.
AOSP code contains only the Android Operating System, and does not contain the kernel or hardware drivers for any devices.  Those pieces are most often proprietary, and therefore non open-source.  Rare exceptions are handsets and tablets in Google's "Nexus" line, which are intended for developers (even then, drivers are provided pre-built by the manufacturer, since Google doesn't make the hardware.)  Developers either have to use the closed drivers as-is which greatly limits what can be modified in the OS itself, or somehow find a way to make similar/older drivers function in AOSP.  Furthermore, AOSP code must be modified to work for the specific device it's being ported to.
Needless to say, the effort to get an AOSP-based ROM onto a new device is not an easy undertaking.  There are a few projects that do attempt this.  The most famous ones are CyanogenMod and MIUI.  While MIUI attempts to enhance the user interface, CyanogenMod (usually shortened to "CM") tries to stick as close to the AOSP source as possible, while providing behind-the-scenes tweaks and enhancements.
Currently your device is not officially supported by wither CM or MIUI teams, but there are several "unofficial" ports that you can install.  Those would be a good start to see what it would take to build your "own" ROM.


text:
Google Services consumes an excess of data since I moved
You know the part of android that checks your email, syncs your calendar and the such? Google Services has murdered my data cap, taking 605 MB of data in four days, two of which were spent with background data restricted and missed emails as a result.

Is there something wrong with my profile that Android sync keeps trying to fix but cannot? Is it something else? I noticed this started shortly after I moved from Wind in Italy to O2 in Germany.

I'm not looking for ways to monitor or restrict background data, given that the graph and the switch are right there. :-)

Known issue, see e.g. here. For a possible solution, see XDA Developers: It's obviously a bug, either with OTA or Network Location or Google Play.


text:
Can the trebuchet launcher be installed on the stock ROM?
Phone: Samsung Galaxy S4
Android: 4.2.2
Can the trebuchet launcher be installed on the stock ROM?
I can't find the app on Google Play. Where could I get this?

Is there any specific reason why you prefer Trebuchet to launchers that aren't created for CM? There are a bunch of them.

@bigbadonk420 Just for testing purposes. I already have Nova Premium installed.

Trebuchet is a modified version of ICS(upgraded to JB) AOSP launcher with CyanogenMod tweaks, might work/might not as it could be relying on CM specific settings. Try it out and let us know! :)

Yes it can (with varying degrees of success)! I'm running it on my Prestigio 3350DUO (Android 4.2.2). But there is a problem with crashing on certain preferences (NumberPicker), so I cannot change number of screens or default screen, as well as number of docker icons/pages. Besides that, it works great - it's fast and stable and looks cool!