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Force display cursor/pointer on Android
I bought a graphics tablet (Huion HS64) that works wonderfully with my S10. Only problem is that I can't see where I'm about to tap due to no cursor display. Is there any way I could force the mouse pointer to always be on or have my phone recognize the tablet as a mouse?
I could try and connect both a mouse and the tablet with a USB hub, but I'd rather a coding solution. My phone isn't rooted, but I'm not opposed to rooting to solve the problem. Thank you in advance!

I discover this method to show the cursor on Samsung A6+ (2018) using the Huion Pen Tablet HS64. It is not an "arrow-type cursor" but a "small-circle cursor" similar to the Samsung Note series with S pen.

Go to Settings
Open About phone
Under Looking for something else?, tap Reset. (If you do not see the reset, go to General Management and then tap Reset)
Tap Reset setting (just go through to make your settings can be reset)
Reboot the phone
Just do the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd steps, and then tap the Reset Accessibility Settings (just go through to make your accessibility settings can be reset)
Reboot the phone
Plug an OTG with a USB cord to the phone
Plug the USB cord to the Huion Tablet
The cursor will appear on the screen as a small circle

This is the method I used to my Samsung A6 plus 2018 and it worked perfectly. Now I can use my Huion Pen Tablet for my Digital Arts.
Note: I can't tell you guys if your Samsung phone can be work. I just want you to share this method. But I really hope can be work on your phone too. Please tell me if it works for you.

Thanks Conash. It worked except that there is no Accessibility Reset on my Samsung A pad, but simply doing the Settings Reset fixed it for me. :-)

I just created an account only to thank Conash for his / her "guide" to reset the settings. It worked for both my wacom and huion. They were useless in my samsung tab A 8" without the pointer Ps. The developer options (pointer location) only shows what you already have "clicked". It is not useful for using pen tablets like huion and wacom

I confirm @Reeshar experience. Just resetting works. It would be nice to know why, though...

Try turning on developer options(if you don't know how, you go into settings, about phone, software information, and tap on the build number a few times), and scrolling down in developer options to the one that says "pointer location". Tell me if it works.


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How to watch chrome history of my friend, who is logged in from my gmail id?
What i did - I have signed in, one of my friend's android phone (its samsung j2) with my gmail id.
What i want - I want to monitor his phone's youtube and chrome browsing history using my gmail id
is this possible?

Congratulations! You are a spy now! what you can do? goto google.com & click on search bar & you'll see search history Or just tap on the google search bar on your phone & you'll see last searches.
To get the full activity history click here: https://myactivity.google.com/myactivity

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


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How does an app (e.g. Whatsapp) automatically detect when the phone receives a 2FA SMS verification code without being granted SMS read permissions?
When installing some apps (for example Whatsapp) the user is required to receive a verification code on the phone via SMS.
I have noticed that some apps automatically verify this code as soon as the text message is received by the phone, without the user having to open the SMS message or type the code manually. The app does this without being granted any permissions by the user to access or read their calls and texts.
How is this possible, and is it a privacy or security concern?

Whatsapp requests the permission <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.RECEIVE_SMS"/> in it's manifest. Therefore it is no magic that it can read the 2FA SMS code.

Google Play services do that on behalf of WhatsApp, like many other things like doing analytics and receiving Push Notifications. Deny SMS permission to GMS/GSF and SMS verification won't work.

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


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Can I get non ASCII numerals globally (without rooting my device)?
I'm using 'Redmi note 7 pro'. This device has a huge language support, but unfortunately it does not handle numerals efficiently. It supports non-ASCII numerals in some places (eg. dates, phone numbers) but doesn't support them in some places (eg. Dialpad, time)
Is there any way to make this setting global (and not local)?
Is there any software which can change the UI in a way which enables unicode everywhere?

Could you clarify a little bit more? And perhaps, a specific one (in what language is the non-ASCII numerals?). Do you mean displaying non-ASCII (might be restricted to the font used by the app), or inputting non-ASCII (use 3rd-party keyboard apps)?

Ok so I have selected Marathi (an Indian language) as my system language. This language uses Devanagari script. Right now I am able to see some system apps names in Devanagari, numerals at some places, but not everywhere.


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How do I update the emoji set for standard messaging applications?
I have a basic compatibility problem with emoji: the emoji available on one Android device (Android 8.1) do not match those available on a second (Android 6.0?) in applications including the SMS messaging application or Google Hangouts. Some emoji show up as blank boxes on the receiving end.
Is there a way to update the older Android device to include newer emoji? Assume that the messaging applications such as Google Hangouts have the latest updates for their respective platforms and that the receiving device is a normal end user device that is not rooted.

Kind of related/duplicate: Is there a way to replace the 4.4.2-style emoji graphics with the Google Hangouts versions? (need root). While some apps deliver their own emoji for consistency (e.g. WhatsApp), others just depend on the system fonts.

@AndrewT. The answers to that question seem to suggest root access is required. Is that true?

Root is probably the only answer, otherwise each app developer needs to integrate Emoji Compat into their code.

I had the same issue recently.
From what I gathered, emojis and non-emoji codepoints in Android are stored in separated font files.
Regular chars and any non-emoji symbols come from the system fonts, which can be edited on some systems.
Emojis, on the other hand, seem to come from a static file named "NotoColorEmoji.ttf".
The latest version of this font can be found in this google repository.
However, at this time no system API seem to allow the manipulation of this file.
So you are left with rooting the device as the only method to accomplish this update.


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Connect to Android phone stuck in boot
I would like to access the data from my Android phone stuck in boot. Is it possible to connect using ADB or anything any this stage?
Details:
I have a Huawei Mate 20 Pro purchased April 2019. I believe something is wrong with the charging mechanism. There has been a charging issue for several weeks now - it charged very slowly. When the phone is unplugged, it shows the red logo indicating that the battery is empty. When the phone is plugged in, it goes to the HUAWEI boot screen and gets stuck.
I took it to the Huawei repair center. In order to conduct ANY repair, they must first delete the data to comply with German law. I have not heard of such a law... but anyway... is there any hope in recovering the data before I send it off for repair?

Do you have an alternative charger you can use, which you know to be good on another device?

Basically no, the data cannot be recovered from a bricked phone. If you have TWRP installed, you could take a backup of the data, but that doesn't include photos/videos/documents.

I would say that they don't have to delete the data but they want to do so as otherwise if they mix up devices from different customers or do something other wrong they can get a penalty dues to the GDPR. Therefore this more a statement like "we are too stupid to handle our customers data correctly - therefore we eliminate the risk this is simpler and cheaper for us".

If you have already activated adb you can simply try it out. If not you can't as for enabling adb you need a fully booted device with access to it's GUI.


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How do I reduce WeChat storage size on Android?
Wechat takes up a huge amount of storage space on my phone (Moto G5 plus). Almost all of it is due to the Wechat cache (which has ballooned to 11gb) but neither the app nor my phone settings allow me to clear the Wechat cache. When I use File Manager to open the Tencent-Micromsg-xlog folders, I see that a lot of space is taken up by files like MM_20190420.xlog or MM_20190430.xlog. What are these? Can I delete them to free up space? Otherwise, how do I clear my wechat cache? Thanks!

Select "Me" on bottom panel. Then Settings > General > Manage Storage. For the cache, I have a "Clear" button on the this screen and was able to clear the cache by pressing it.
On this screen, can also press "Manage" which brings up another screen where you can select conversations from which to remove all pics, videos, and attached files. Text msgs are kept. Don't know about audio msgs. After pressing orange "Delete" button on my version a warning window popped up telling you what's about to deleted and asking for confirmation.

But it seems to grow back fast. My theory is the app is "reserving the disk space for itself", even if it doesn't have a use for it at the moment.

I tried deleted the xlog folders, nothing happen, looked safe, but over time it will built up again, so I keep deleting them from time to time.


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TWRP: vendor partition is not existed
I try to flash LineageOS on a OnePlus 5 (cheeseburger).  I installed TWRP 3.3.0-0 from here. I repeatedly wiped the partitions.
What I cannot manage is to adb sideload LineageOS 16.0.  I get this message:
Starting ADB sideload feature...
Installing zip file '/sideload/package.zip'
Error: Vendor partition doesn't exist!
Updater process ended with ERROR: 7

I have read here that I should install the latest stock ROM (from here), but that results in almost the same error message:
Starting ADB sideload feature...
Installing zip file '/sideload/package.zip'
vendor partition is not existed, exit ota!!
Updater process ended with ERROR: 7

How can I create/populate/fix that vendor partition?

OnePlus 5 didn't support project Treble out of the box, so there was no /vendor partition. However with update to Android P (as explained here), said partition was created to support Treble. If you didn't undergo that OTA update, you must haven't /vendor partition on your device.
You can also create the partition yourself from within TWRP if you are a bit tech savvy. parted or gdisk can be used for the purpose. But playing with partition table could be risky if you aren't sure what you are doing. You can see the partition table of your device in given link.

The /vendor partition was first introduced on OnePlus 5 with OxygenOS 5.1.4.  You will first need to flash that image on your phone so that the proper partitions are created.  This post on xda-developers forums has download links to older firmware.
I would recommend reverting to stock recovery image (download link in the same post), then flashing OOS 5.1.4, and finally trying again with latest versions of TWRP and LineageOS.


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Is it possible to change camera settings of an app on android emulator?
I am using Nox Android Emulator and i have a question about if i can change default camera settings of an app, i have uninstalled stock camera app by android terminal but this app still uses to default camera and don't ask for camera preferences.

However it depends on the emulator I personally recommend bluestakes4 it also have an option for default apps and supports almost everything

i thought that it depends on apps, like an another app asks for which camera do i want to use, but an another one doesn't even ask and just use default camera app. I am trying to change preferences of this app.


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Fastboot Xiaomi system partition problem
I am trying to upgrade Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite to Android Pie via fastboot ROM images. It was on Oreo, initially. Had TWRP
installed in boot.img because it is an A/B slots device. TWRP is officially supported.
Had made a full TWRP backup, also system_image and vendor_image, which are exact copies of the whole system. Then
tried official Xiaomi fastboot Pie images, and system.img doesn't flash. Other smaller in size system images I flashed to see
what would happen do go through, but they don't work. Pie image is 2.1 GB. Other partitions are all flashed.
Each attempt via Xiaomi flash tool ends with: Chunk data size exceeds partition size.
Log:
$fastboot -s 08f97d930705 flash system_a C:\XiaoMi\XiaoMiFlash\Source\ThirdParty\Google\Android
\daisy_global_images_V10.0.10.0.PDLMIXM_9.0\images\system.img   ||
10:26:06 AM  08f97d930705:target reported max download size of 534773760 bytes
10:26:06 AM  08f97d930705:sending sparse 'system_a' 1/3 (462332 KB)...
10:26:06 AM  08f97d930705:OKAY  59.062s:writing 'system_a' 1/3...
10:26:06 AM  08f97d930705:flashSuccess False
Fastboot flash_all.bat gives:
fastboot  getvar product   2>&1  | findstr /r /c:"^product: *d
aisy"   ||
The system cannot find message text for message number 0x8 in the message file f
or System.
Fastboot flash system sends sparse chunks and gives:
data too large
So, what gives? Any ideas greatly appreciated. Oh, TWRP boots, but can't use touchscreen at all, no response
whatsoever, can't restore my perfect Oreo backup, and wanted to go to Pie and cutom ROMs anyway.
If anybody can shed some light, I will be grateful.
Also tried flashing different boot images from Pie and Oreo and different TWRP versions than the latest, nothing works.

this should help regarding touchscreen. for system you can convert to ext4 image and then adb push https://twrp.me/faq/openrecoveryscript.html

Thanks alecxs. TWRP commands helped me restore. Greatly appreciated.


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Does Google Play Store change apks with time
I have a trivial app up at the Play Store. It calculates its own keyed checksum and displays the results.
The Play Store checksum is always different than that of the uploaded apk file. I understand Google is adding its own special sauce to the apk, presumably in the manifest.
The Play Store checksum has changed since the app was first available. Is Google Play changing the apk from time to time?

When uploading an APK file to PlayStore Google add another signature to the APK file.
This "Google PlayStore Signature" (also known as "frosting") allows to identify if an APK file has been retrieved from Google Play Store.
Based on the APK signature scheme v2 an APK file can have multiple signatures.
You can't add add every signature in the signed content the signatures are ignored when verifying the APK (or in detail the complete APK signing block is ignored).
Therefore adding the frosting signature does not invalidate any signatures you have created.
This may be the reason that a APK file retrieved from PlayStore has a different check sum that the one you uploaded.

Whatever they're doing, do they change their additions with time, i.e. monthly?

@Reddy Most of the information I have about this comes from the following SO page: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/48090841 Especially the link to the Avast apkverifier code shows some details.


text:
Bypassing FRP on SM-T567v Samsung Tab E Questions
My company currently has 70 Samsung Tab E's (model # SM-T567v) that are FRP locked that we are trying to repurpose but are currently not able to. I have 1 tab e that is currently unlocked.
I have watched and tried every youtube "solution" to bypassing the FRP I could find. None of them work. I and I cannot find the firmware version T567VVRU1CQHD to download and reflash with odin. I have tried a couple of software solutions like imyfone lockwiper but even that comes back saying cannot find country and firmware version.
Is there anyway I can essentially make an image of the one working tablet, put it on a micro sd card and then essentially reimage all of the other tablets? Would I have to root the devices? Can I even root the devices if FRP locked out?

Welcome to Android Enthusiasts! Have you already consulted our frp tag wiki? (Most of our tags have such wiki pages, where we collected the "core data" from related questions; always worth checking ;)

Ive looked in there but it seems like from what im gathering else where is that this specific model to due being verizon 4g lte cant be rooted and cant be re-flashed without bricking it and losing the cell data capabilities. I cant find anything to confirm or deny this. But I cant attempt this process and waste the tablet in the process. Seeking any help I can get here.


text:
what is Market, on an Android device?
In looking up an issue I'm having, I came across 2 questions and associated answers that talked about "Market" (for example, Application Always Downloading).
I've never heard of this app, and couldn't find anything on my phone that even resembled it. I also couldn't find it in Google Play or Google's search engine, and couldn't really find anything about it.

Something about how it was talked about on the aforementioned questions/answers made it seem a lot like Google Play. Turns out, it basically is.

Heh...I thought this answer was a bit rude...then I made it O_o Hope this makes someone laugh


text:
Access missing settings in Developer options?
On my Moto C Plus (7.0), "Cool colour temperature" and "Picture colour mode" appear in Settings search results but don't show up once tapped in Developer options. Is there any way to access them if they seem to have been hidden or removed? Thanks.

Sorry for the lateness of my reply, developer options are enabled but the two settings still don't appear. After reading this, I think it could be because my display isn't supported.


text:
Bluetooth volume on headset vs. phone
I have two pairs of Bluetooth headphones (stereo).
With one pair, when I adjust the headphone volume using the buttons on the headphones, it adjusts only the headphone volume and not the phone's Bluetooth audio volume. This is my desired behavior. (My car's (Bluetooth-capable) audio system also displays this behavior - when I adjust the volume in the car, it adjusts only the car's volume, not the phone's.)
With the second pair, when I adjust the volume using the buttons on the headphones, it adjusts both the headphone volume and the phone's Bluetooth audio volume - making for large steps (large increases and decreases in volume) - too large to be useful.
How can I make the first behavior the default behavior? i.e. make my phone ignore external device's volume commands by default.
Phone is rooted Moto G6 with 8.0 stock

You can try to change setting 'Disable absolute volume' in Developer options, but it can affect other devices also.

@hank15 thanks, worked

@hank15 if u want to repost your comment as an answer, I will accept it


text:
Can a virus/spyware install itself on a system partition remotely?
If I install malicious app accidentally can it copy itself onto the system partition? Or if a hacker gains access to my phone remotely can he install spyware onto the system partition?
I have read that malicious apps installed on system partition cannot be removed by factory reset or wiping the cache and the only way to remove them is by flashing the original firmware. Is this correct?
If possible then how can I prevent an unwanted software installing or being installed permanently?

On newer Android versions at least, chances aren't much. /system is read-only, protected by dm-verity, very strong framework. Apps are strictly sandboxed in DAC and MAC. Though vulnerabilities are never zero, what you suspect doesn't happen very often. Also Android's/Linux's executable code isn't that much open to accept viruses as Windows' is. So malware can't propagate that fast. Another margin is the hardly available administrative/root privileges on *NIX-like OSes.

You say newer versions are better protected. What versions do you mean?

New security mechanisms are added to new versions, bugs are fixed, so every new release is better than previous. Also security updates are released on monthly basis to fix any security vulnerabilities. So the priority should be to keep updated AMAP.

Yes, under certain circumstances it is possible to install software remotely on your system partition. And yes, once a software is installed on the system partition it is immune to a factory reset, as the factory reset never changes the system partition.
However for doing so your device must be vulnerable to an exploit that allows to modify the system partition, as this is normally not possible from within a normal app.
Consider the two scenarios which are common ways to infect your device:

You install an app that contains malicious code that uses an exploit to temporary root your device and then installs itself onto the system partition.
You are surfing the web using a browser that has a vulnerability. You end up on a web site that exploits the vulnerability of your browser to download malicious code into browser. Afterwards the code additionally exploits your system similar to the first infection variant.

If you don't want to be affected by malicious code that installs itself permanently onto your device there are some basic guidelines:

Don't download apps from the internet or other untrusted app stores.
Or even better, don't install apps you don't know.
Always install the updates for your favorite webbrowser app(s).
Use a device that regularity gets security updates from the vendor (the more often the better, for some devices there are security updates monthly). Hopefully this allows you to fix the security problems before an malicious app can use it.
Don't use a device that no longer receives security updates. If your device is no longer supported I would recommend to to root/unlock the device and install a recent version of LineageOS. Of course this usually means that you should consider this when buying a device (possibility of unlocking plus supported by LineageOS).


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Flashing stock LG firmware in GNU/Linux?
I'm looking for a way to flash stock LG firmware for the LG M700DSK (Q6) in GNU/Linux.
I have tried running LG UP though Wine though it doesn't seem to open the installer for LG 8998 USB DLL. The LG UP installation itself went well. Is there anyway to flash these *.KDZ in Linux environment?


text:
Android screen is dark, no USB debugging is enabled, how can I recover contacts?
My phone screen is not showing anything, although the touch detector works perfectly. I hear the sound of the notifications and call and I can answer them but it shows nothing.
What are my options for recovering my log and contacts, I read that I need to root the phone since USB debugging is not enabled for me, is it possible to pull the database files from the phone's storage and extract the data from them, or are they encrypted ?
PS: (my phone is Samsung J2)

https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/213373/recovering-files-from-soft-bricked-nexus-5x#comment273103_213373

@AlexMyers No they are not syned, is there any hope ?

You need to find someone figuring it out for J2 https://talk.sonymobile.com/t5/Xperia-Z3-Compact/Enabling-USB-debugging-with-OTG-keyboard-without-seeing-the/m-p/1301419#M27733

Unfortunately your phone does not support MHL. With MHL support you can try "Micro USB OTG Charge HUB" + "MHL micro USB to HDMI converter" + Monitor/TV + Keyboard + Mouse


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Android OTA update fail when increased the system.img size
I am working on IMX6Q with Android 7 for OTA update. Current system.img size 499 MB with this OTA update work. I increased this due to compilantion error. If system.img is above 499 MB ota update fail.

eMMC specifications?

Removed webview application from build. webview application is the default one in Android AOSP build. But, It takes 40MB.


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duplicate files in categories>documents
I have a Huawei GR5 2017 BLL-L22 cell phone running Android 7. There are duplicate files under Categories>Documents. For example, There are two "birthday 9-10.txt", both having the exact same date, time and file size. Another example: "18614_20190915 financial.xlsx". Again, same date, time, and file size. There are more.
The strange thing is if I delete the duplicate, leaving only one copy of them. Not before long, the duplicate comes back. I'm not using Cloud. I don't synchronize anything. Who or what is making the duplicate and how do I stop it?

Your media database (maintained by the Android Media Service app) seems to be corrupt. You can clear the app data of the Android Media Service to enforce the database to be built completely new.

I can't find that app on my cell phone.

This is a system app that is not visible in the launcher app menu. You have to open the Android settings and there the app list. On some devices you additionally have to select in the menu to show all applications including system apps.If you still don't find use AppInspector and search for the app com.android.providers.media.

I opened: Settings>Apps. Couldn't find it. I then downloaded AppInspector and ran it. Still, did not see it. The closest thing I found is com.android.providers.partnerbookmarks. There is nothing else under com.android.providers.


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How can I know whether my Samsung Galaxy S9 phone got rooted in the past (Android 9, One UI 1.0)?
How can I know whether my Samsung Galaxy S9 phone got rooted in the past (Android 9, One UI 1.0)? (even though it might have been unrooted afterward)

Related https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/19821/is-it-possible-to-determine-whether-the-phone-has-been-rooted-or-not?rq=1

@ReddyLutonadio Thank you, hopefully there is some solution for Android 9.


text:
Are Android App Permissions Placebos (Android Pie)?
I'm looking at every app that has 'Microphone' permissions on my Android Pie Galaxy Note phone, accessed through:
Settings > Apps > Hamburger Menu > App Permissions > Microphone

Five apps have microphone permissions enabled, which I'll list below:

Camera
Duo
Google Play services
Messages
YouTube

Note that Bixby (and associated Bixby apps) do NOT have microphone permissions. Yet, I can press the Bixby button on my phone and speak commands that Bixby will understand, and act upon. How is Bixby accessing my microphone without permission?
Furthermore, if I look at Bixby permissions, the list simply says "No permissions required".
Does Bixby indirectly obtain any permissions it needs through Google Play services? If any app can indirectly get the permissions it wants through Google Play services, what's the point of even having the any permission toggle switches, other than to decieve the end user?

Bixby is a Samsung app, therefore I assume you are also using a Samsung device?

@Robert Yes it is a Samsung device. Never the less, I didn't grant the Bixby app permission to use my microphone, and it is using the microphone. Isn't that the point of permissions? The only items on the phone that have access to the microphone are the items I explicitly grant permission to?

While there's some truth in using Google Play Services to "bypass" permission, I don't think Google Play Services' microphone can be used by other apps directly. On the other hand, looks like Samsung is implementing their custom permissions, which Bixby uses. Custom permission won't be listed under Android's standard permissions though.

I would assume that the Bixby app is only the front end of the Bixby service embedded into your system. Therefore the microphone access is implemented in this system service which don't need any permissions because system apps can do anything they want. Therefore the answer to your question could be "Permissions are only relevant for third party apps. Apps from the phone manufacturer (if they are system apps) just ignore these permissions."


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My Samsung Galaxy GT-S5830i wants to force stop everything
The phone starts up normally and then when I enter my password but then I am immediately greeted by: 'Sorry! The application (process com.android.) has stopped unexpectedly. Please try again.' and a Force close button underneath for every service and application.

this can be a software issue or even hardware issue. Did you try flashing it?

I haven't done anything to it at all I did was take a picture on whatsap and it stopped so I took the battery out and put it back in and from then on this has been happening.

So you need to factory reset it then. Use key combo (Volume up + Home while powering up)

That is what I have been doing.

this seems likely a hardware issue. you should bring the phone to a repair shop, they should be able to fix it

Okay thanks for the answer I ordered a new one for less than it costs to repair it now but thanks anyway :)

Let us continue this discussion in chat.


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Can no longer select "none" lock screen option after factory reset
Previously I've had my phone (Nokia 6.1 plus running android pie) set to use the "None" lock screen option but after doing a factory reset this option no longer appears. I'm only able to select the swipe, pin, password or pattern options.
I find this extremely infuriating and am probably going to have to buy a new phone if I cant fix this. Any help would be appreciated.
Things I've already tried:

Clearing the credentials.
Disabling all device admin apps.
Setting a password and then trying to find the option.
"hard" resetting the phone through the device recovery menu.
Removing my google account.

I've searched high and low for a fix for this and nothing works.
Thanks for your time!


text:
Update a rooted Android phone from 4.4 to newer version
I have a rooted sony xperia Z2 with Android 4.4.4
Is it possible to update the phone to a newer Android version and still have root permissions?

You are a bit late. LineageOS had images for the Z2 (Sirius), however they stopped support for that device: https://forum.xda-developers.com/xperia-z2/development/rom-lineage-os-xperia-z2-sirius-t3700292

But they should be still working right?

If you are luck, yes. But I assume you will find only nightly builds, therefore the images you can find are mostly untested any may contain bugs.

You can definitely get a newer Android version, and i suggest you Do it Regardless of the Minor Bugs...
Major Bugs are a different story, but for Minor Bugs... The added Security of even Android 5.0 will be a vast improvement over Android 4.4
To make sure that you dont already have an Official OTA ( Over The Air ) Update...
Go to
• Settings
• About
• Software Updates
And try a Update in the Settings,
If your Update Application returns that you have the Latest update, you need to do the Update by Installing a Custom Recovery & Firmware..
I looked around and found a lot of Stable options for your Model...
Official Resurrection Remix - Nougat Based
This is an official build of Resurrection remix based on Android 7 ... That is already jumping a few upgrades !
Have a look around for some Stable & Daily Use builds....

Thanks for this Answere. I didnt do a official Update because it would remove the root permissions or am I wrong?
And I already found this custom rom and it sounds like the best solution even with Android 8.1.0 but I still need to get the steps right for the Installation ^^. It says Beta Version but no bugs are listed so I guess its not so bad.


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Red-and-White Megaphone App coming up unsolicited
For about a month, an unknown app has been occasionally coming up on my cell phone's screen, interrupting whatever I'm doing, displaying a black screen and that rolling circle in the middle that means I should wait.
It lasts a couple seconds or more, then leaves without a trace, returning focus to whatever I was doing before.
When it lasts a little longer, I'm able to press that lower-left button that "zooms out" to all open apps, each with its logo on the top. I'm then able to close it, or take a screenshot.
The logo of our mystery app is a red-and-white megaphone, which I do not recognize. See attached screenshot.

That logo does not appear in the list of all installed apps.
The timing seems to be random.
What is this app, what is it doing, and how do I get rid of it?
The phone is a Samsung Galaxy S9+
I'm running Android version 9
The phone has served me flawlessly for over a year before getting this issue.
I do have many apps installed, some of which are ad-supported games. They all either came preinstalled, or came from the Google App Store.

Do you happen to be near your PC when this happens, because troubleshooting requires it? Setup [tag:adb] in your PC, and whenever this issue occurs again, run these three commands:adb shell dumpsys window windows > windows.txt, adb shell dumpsys activity activities > activities.txt, adb shell dumpsys activity recents > recents.txt. Upload these three files somewhere on pastebin or add their content into your question.


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Dropped cell phone in water.display is working but touch is not responsive
I accidentally dropped my Sony Xperia XA2 in water. I quickly picked the phone switched it off and tried to dry by using hair dryer for few seconds. Then wiped it with a cloth.
After which I accidentally switched on the phone and went to sleep.
When I woke up after 5 hours.only to check that my phone display is Working fine however the touch is not responsive.
Now I kept it in rice.Will my phone work fine or should I have to take it to expertise. As I am from India and this is imported phone.I am not sure if authorised service center will help me.
Thanks in advance,
Zack.

I don't think the hair dryer was a good idea. Usually they use a temperature way too high, which means that you may have damaged something. Also you should read this answer.

Thank you for the answer Robert. After 1+ days I switched it on. Luckily its working. Right now typing this from my phone. However, do I still need to take this to authorised service centre. Or is it fine to use it as it is now?


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is it possible to activate usb debugging using adb command line?
i have xiaomi phone and forget mi account. so i try to restore it using factory reset. i try to enabling USB debuging then. but it says "developer option is not avaiable for this user". adb is active. my question is "is it possibe to activate usb debugging using adb command, and how?" thanks

Can you see your device listed after running adb devices command?

Please add some screenshots.

yes. my devices is listed on adb devices command. but now i cant get in to my phone. it is locked and ask for activating mi account. maybe i will try to flash it.

It's chicken or the egg situation. USB Debugging enables you to use Android Debugging Bridge (adb). And you want to activate USB Debugging using adb.

If the usb debugging is off. Your device won't appear in adb devices list.
So you cannot turn it on any other way than opening the developer options and manually enabling it.

YES you can switch on USB debugging through ADB provided you bootlaoder is unlocked.
Just have to pull few files ---> edit them ---> Push them back.
It is explained on Github:
https://gist.github.com/pantasio/3d0eb4bb03a1e696aae8696f60730859#file-enable-usb-debug-adb

Since Android 9 /data/property/persist.sys.usb.config no more exists. Now there's only one file: /data/property/persistent_properties. And that too isn't plain text but includes arbitrary characters. Even after editing that, adb authentication won't work without extra steps.


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How to easily switch keyboards on Android 9 (MIUI)
My old phone (Android 8 I believe) showed a little icon on bottom right side to allow switching keyboards, from Gboard to Hackers' keyboard or else.

My new phone on Android 9 (also a new brand, Xiaomi, MIUI) after installing several keyboards, does not show the switch.
Does someone know how to switch keyboards easily on Xiaomi's Android 9 (as I could do previously on older Android) without having to go everytime into Configuration menus.

Welcome to Android Enthustiasts! Are the other keyboard enabled?

Thanks! Yes, I am able to switch keyboards from the configuration menu unless I misunderstood what enabled is.

To switch between different languages in Gboard (keyboard visible in the screenshot in the question) —

Long press on the spacebar
(In much older versions of Gboard, you could also switch between different installed keyboards this way, but that feature disappeared long back.)
Use the language switch key (the globe-like icon on the left of the spacebar)

To switch to another installed keyboard —

Go to Settings → Additional Settings → Languages & Input → Current Keyboard → Choose Keyboards
Make sure that the keyboard that you want to use is enabled.

Now, navigate to any text input and start typing with your current keyboard
You should see a notification from Android System, that says Choose keyboard
(Note: This notification lasts only until your current keyboard is open, so you have to open the notification panel, without closing the keyboard, to see this notification.)

Tap on this notification and you should be able to choose your other keyboard in the menu

I think the second part of your answer is what the OP asked.

I thought the same, but I mentioned both, just to be clear.

Thanks! That was it! I did not know about the notification to change keyboard, that worked here. A thousand thanks!

Did you mean this?

First, you go to Settings > Apps > Manage Apps > Select 3 dots on the top right corner > Show All Apps.
Then find the Android System, search notification name "Virtual Keyboard."

In the default Android keyboard (gboard) just add one more language. It will make appear the world key to switch between languages but, more importantly, also between different keyboards, that is what you are trying to do but easily.

I did not see the option to switch keyboards because I forgot that I blocked the notification for keyboard input. I fixed it by following these steps:

Go to Settings > Apps > Manage Apps
Tap on the three dots on the top right corner and select Show All Apps
Find and tap on Android System
Tap on Notifications and scroll down to Virtual Keyboard
Enable the notifications for Virtual Keyboard

Long press space. All keyboard options will display. Choose the one you want.


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How to force shutdown a android phone? (ZS570KL specifically)
My phone fell several days ago, and the screen didn't display anything now.
The model is ASUS Zenfone 3 Deluxe (ZS570KL), and I didn't root, flash recovery, or turn on debugging mode on it. The Android version is 8.0.
I've talked to customer service of phone manufacturer and was told that there's no more spare screen.
I tried to shut it down, but long pressing power button can only make it reboot. Is there any way that can force shutdown the phone?

Your device supports HDMI over USB-C, so you can connect it to an external display.  You may want to reach out to repair companies that will likely have an inventory of the screen, such as U Break I Fix.

Why don't you let the battery discharge fully? It would do the job.

JW0914: My device doesn't support HDMI over USB-C.
@Firelord: How do I know it is fully discharged?


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Delete personal data from phone that can't sign in to Google
We have an old Galaxy that grandchildren use for play. No SIM card, but on wifi.  The Google account previously used is obsolete, so we can't sign in.  But without signing in, the "play store" won't let us get to the list of apps to delete them.  And some of them need root to delete, and I don't want it rooted.
We'd like to delete things like the entire contact list, the list of calls and transcribed voicemails, facebook messenger stuff, etc.  Nothing to hide, as the saying goes, but no need to have curious little ones reading about deceased relatives, other peoples' phone numbers, things their parents did as kids, or questions on child-rearing.  :-). Or unintentionally tapping a name and sending an e-mail.
The method that I used on the Moto X4 that I lost in Spain a year ago for deleting messages doesn't work here.
If we reset to factory settings, all the games disappear too, and we'd have to log in to a valid account to get them back.

Why can't you just to Settings - Apps and delete/disable the apps? No access to Play Store should be required. That said, I would highly suggest recovering that Google account if you have many purchases on that account, as this will be a continuing issue. And you can't factory reset without the Google account credentials or you will likely be locked out of the device unless you remove the Google account prior to the factory reset. Otherwise if the account is truly inaccessible, perhaps you should just get a new one with proper recovery information and repurchase the apps if it isn't much.

Can’t find the settings!  And since that account hasn’t been used in years, there must not be any purchases we need.  To delete the account, we have to recover the account (which might be worthwhile).

Finally found the settings, after lots of hunting.  Background was camouflaging it (which is probably a good thing if the kids are playing with it).  The App Manager UI is rather pathetic but I did manage to delete almost everything that the kids shouldn't be messing with.  Contacts, messages, and mail do have ways to delete all the items received/sent, though they aren't the greatest UI either.


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USB Audio interface with Google Pixel 3a
I just migrated to a Google Pixel 3a coming from an old iPhone and I realized that I can't use my USB external audio interface for recording videos with my new phone.
I used my Zoom UR-24 without any problems with an old iPhone 5s
It's a shame, because one of the main reasons to migrate was the camera quality and for recording videos with external audio.
Is there any usb soundcard compatible with Android/Google Pixel ?

Here are some options:

Use an alternative camera app, which will allow you to set the audio source. For example: Open Camera
Record the audio in a separate app then edit the audio and video together later. An example app for recording audio from your interface is USB Audio Recorder PRO

Also, since this question is a top hit for "Pixel USB Audio Class 3", I want to also mention that the Pixel 3a does not support USB Audio Class 3.0. This means that unlike the Pixel 2, it does not support more than audio interfaces with more than 2 channels. I learned this by calling the Google's product specialists.


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Access Android log files for specific periods on android 7
Is it possible to access old log files,lets say 3 months old, to see the usage on the android device, by usage i mean, any app installed or unistalled, time spent online, via wifi or cellular, time offline, times switched on and switched off,apps used and any other usage data.
Is this possible through the ADB on windows? I want to be able to connect the tablet to my PC and access all the logs for the last 3 months, currently am just getting the current date only, i cannot even get logs for yesterday.
The command am using is adb logcat > currentdevicelog.txt
Any help would be highly appreciated, the version of android on the device is Nougat-7.0

Android does not store the output of logcat in flash memory. Instead logcat uses a ring buffer in RAM of usually 64KB up to 4MB (depends on what is configured). RAM is much faster than flash memory and also flash may fail earlier if constantly logmessages are written onto it.
A ringbuffer means that if the buffer is full the oldest entry will be overwritten by a new entry. Therefore logcat usually only contains the last minutes or hours. And only log messages after the last reboot as the logcat buffer is not saved on shutdown and the RAM memory is also lost on reboot.
Therefore there are no old log messages you can access.

there is no logs stored on the internal memory other than the RAM?

Only some kernel messages are usually stored in case the kernel crashes. As I wrote persistent logs are not designated by Android as this could reduce the flash memory life time and it costs more battery.


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Can't boot to system after installing TWRP with Odin
After I installed twrp on a S7 Edge, when I reboot to system I get stuck on a loop that only shows the "Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge" black startup screen for about 8 seconds  and then reboots automatically.
I can get to twrp recovery mode if I press the key combo.
I can even flash the original stock ROM with Odin and start the install process all over again. But still getting the same results...
What am I doing wrong?

Where did you download TWRP from?

I think this site is the official one for twrp downloads: https://dl.twrp.me/hero2lte/

dm-verity would be preventing boot if you allowed System Modification. Disable dm-verity


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How can I disable the screen timeout on Samsung One UI (Android 9)?
How can I disable the screen timeout on Samsung One UI (Android 9)?
I've only found:

which only allows to increase the screen timeout, with a maximum of 10 minutes.

I don't want to copy answers of other users, so I just link to the question instead: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/8840954/how-do-i-keep-my-screen-unlocked-during-usb-debugging.
As you can see, there is a developer option to make the screen stay awake as long as the device is charging. I hope this helps.

@GiantTree thanks!


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How to enable edge-to-edge display for any app in Android Pie?
I recently upgraded my OnePlus 6 from Android Oreo to Pie (OxygenOS 9.0.8; rooted).  This release came up with a restriction that only the apps listed under Settings → Display → Apps to display in fullscreen can use edge-to-edge display (full immersive mode including notch area). As of now, YouTube app (using YouTube Vanced v14.21.54) is not shown in that list, and when I enable immersive mode that app doesn't make use of the notch area at all.
Here's how immersive mode looks like with and without notch area:
(Images edited. Courtesy of OnePlus)

One thing I noticed is that, for the apps in the list if they are set to be launched in fullscreen (including notch area) the appops operation APP_SCREEN_COMPAT is set to deny, while in default state, it is set to ignore. Manually changing it via adb to allow further reduces the immersive mode screen estate.
I tried adding that operation (op) manually for YouTube app but it didn't make any change, including when I force-stopped the app and even restarted the device. The op is reflected in appops query though.
I used this command:
adb shell appops set com.google.android.youtube APP_SCREEN_COMPAT deny

I also tried changing policy_control global settings property to immersive.full=com.google.android.youtube but it didn't make any difference either.
I came across some forums where users shared similar problem with their choice of apps with no solution in sight. I also looked for some related Magisk and EdXposed solution but found none. GravityBox [P] doesn't have any feature either.
So, how do I make sure any of my app can use edge-to-edge display in immersive mode?


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hospot problem on andriod 6 on sony experia z3
I am using android 6 when I open the hotspot setting they give the error " Tattering Hotspot Creating failed". When I use pda net for creating hotspot it will easily created. What the problem behind them?

Use [tag:logcat] to find out the problem.

@Firelord explain your answer


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rooted device: how to run SSH server persistent even on reboot
I (linux user but not an expert) just moved from iOS to android, my device is rooted (Samsung s9) and I want a ssh server running all the time on my android device (I prefer openssh over dropbear) since I have to rsync files. I also prefer linux style commands e.g., systemctl restart service or similar.
I noticed that one can use Termux but it is an emulator, it won't work upon reboot.
MagiskSSH seems to be interesting. Also noticed this thread where pre-built Native OpenSSH and BASH are shared. Also, I am not sure if they run upon reboot). Buildroot has also been suggested to compile the package on my own (but my knowledge is limited on this topic).
On the top of this, I have to install rsync and bash.
So, how do I run ssh server persistent (works on reboot)

Possible duplicate of How to run SSH/SFTP server for multiple user logins with password authentication on Android?

For persistence, run it as an init service. So do I, but only when I'm connected to some network. Also see Termux:Boot if you want to stick with GUI apps.


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Delete system image file on kenzo
As the subject line suggests .Can i delete the system image partition on my kenzo?Theres a system  partition as well.Both show up on twrp recovery. Ive been looking everywhere for an answer, but cannot seem to find one .
Im trying to free up some space .
Can anyone help?

userdata is the only partition you should be concerned with when dealing low-storage issue. Tinkering with rest of the partitions would do no good to you.

You're probably confusing TWRP backups with existing partitions here. TWRP backs up in two different ways:

image: a disk image (i.e. a block-wise copy)
tar: disk contents (i.e. a file-wise copy)

So you have two backups of the same partition here. Also see my answer on Trying to understand the options in TWRP backup for more details.
Moreover, if you want to "free up space", /system is the wrong place to start. Rather check with the questions linked from our insufficient-memory tag wiki for this task.


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Use video for camera emulator in Android Studio for debugging camera / image recognition based App
I need to debug some image recognition app and therefore need a specific camera input to see if the app is working.
Is there a way to use a custom recorded video, for example using the Android Virtual Device manager and it's emulated camera?

AFAIK only "real" webcam streams can be forwarded to the emulator. However there are applications that simulate a webcam (e.g. to Windows) based on a video.


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Disable external GPS
I use Android Auto a lot.
My car's entertainment unit, which I connect my phone to via USB in order to use Android Auto, has it's own GPS antenna.
But it's slow to obtain my location, and often downright wrong, like several kilometers/miles off.
My phone's GPS is a lot faster and gets much better results.
But it seems the external GPS in my car always takes over when I connect to it.
Is there a way to disable it completely, and only rely on the phone's own GPS?
Hardware information:
Phone: OnePlus 7 Pro, Android 9, Oxygen OS 9.5.11.GM2BA
Car entertainment unit: Alpine iLX-702D

I would double check the granted permissions and if battery savings mode is enabled (disable any battery savings and test). You may also want to identify which country or region you are using the device if there is some location related issue.

@MorrisonChang All permissions granted to Android Auto, including location. No indication of battery saving being enabled, couldn't find an app-specific setting for that, just the general one that's disabled. As for the region thing, I don't see what it could be. I mean... either GPS is enabled or it's not, I doubt there's a middle ground. And it does work most of the time, it's just slow (1-2 minutes) at getting a fix on my location at first, and once in a while it's inaccurate. But only in the car, never when the phone is used standalone.


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Why phones with Android One don't get update to Q right now (2019)?
Android one phones are near stock version of Android.
Starting Android 8 (or 9) project treble aims to deliver new version of Android without work from the OEM.
Yet phones with Android one and treble don't get update right away, see for example the Nokia roadmap to Android Q:

For example, Nokia 2.2, Nokia 3.2 and Nokia 4.2 all have Android one and start with Android 9 (so they are treble ready) and have to wait until Q1 2020. Why can't they get the GSI directly from Google servers to get update as fast as it's released by Google?

Nokia is in the best position to answer your query. Did you try asking them?

Marketing decisions are at the discretion of the business. Maximize profits by fewest interactions to keep devices current, probably. Anyways, marketing decisions, especially the "why" of things are outside the scope of this stackexchhange.

"aims to deliver new version of Android without work from the OEM" - not that simple, as OEMs still have to update their vendor blobs, proprietary apps, etc.

@wbogacz I mean why can't user get the GSI by themselves if phone is treble compliant.

@AndyYan Not since treble according to news and documentation about the subject, if I understand correctly.

Even assuming there are already read-to-install Android 10 versions for all the Nokia Android One devices - are you sure you want to install an untested update? Before releasing you have to intensive test each update on each device using many different mobile networks and set-ups.

@Hugoy That's a very idealized situation - although OEMs technically can just leave vendor untouched (and often GSIs do work, yeah), from time to time upstream hardware-related code will still be updated, be it to improve performance or to patch holes. As for why users can't just use GSIs - not all Android One devices are bootloader-unlockable, as you can see. Android One can also include some OEM stuff (Moto's Moto Actions, Nokia's camera, etc.) which these OEMs don't want you to miss.

In the end, the direct answer to your original question would be - Nokia locks their bootloaders and refuses to let you unlock, so you can't take advantage of GSIs.

The updates are still required to be done by the OEM. And if you try flashing a GSI yourself, it will either not boot or be ridden with issues.
The underlying vendor partition also needs an update along with new and updated drivers and HALs from the component vendors to make the hardware work properly with the new OS version.
Hence, it takes time to merge, develop, test and then make the final market release. I wish updates were as easy as picking the Google system image and sending it to the phones. GSIs normally work ok if you're installing the version for which the installed vendor partition was built. But in my case they weren't fully smooth. For example, my Nokia 7 has a badly performing modem when on a GSI. And the Android 10 GSI just kept on bootlooping.

“The goal of HIDL is that the framework can be replaced without having to rebuild HALs. HALs will be built by vendors or SOC makers and put in a /vendor partition on the device, enabling the framework, in its own partition, to be replaced with an OTA without recompiling the HALs.”

But you need a compatible /vendor too to boot a major release. Isn't it?

In Android one programme updates are provided by google itself and they give the pixel phone the higher priority as if all the phone will start having android 10 pixel will start losing edge.
Android one updates are not necessarily the fastest. Even Huawei is providing P30pro with android 10 in coming December

Yet that is not what project Treble and GSI promise.

No. Google doesn't provide the updates. The updates are developed by the OEM, but generally delivered via Google's infra.


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Whatsapp limiting network usage?
Someone I know has recently registered with Whatsapp and has been a heavy user of Video chats and other bandwidth heavy features. Today they've had an issue with sending and receiving messages, and got some kind of warning about network usage (I've not actually seen the warning).
I checked in the Network usage settings / statistics and the user has managed to send and receive a whopping 1GB (respectively) within one week :P. Does Whatsapp impose some kind of restriction on the usage of its network with regard to data usage? I'd just like to be able to work out whats causing the error, and how the user can best handle it :).
Thanks for any clues and your time, regards!
P.S. I have sent an email to Whatsapp's support, but I reckoned I might get a quicker response here :P !

Please state clearly what warning you get and also make sure that's from WhatsApp.

There was and possibly still is a restriction on message forwarding but there is none on data usage.

WhatsApp has announced it will restrict the number of times an individual message can be forwarded.

The only restriction on video is about the size. When it is larger than 16MB then you need to reduce it.

If you choose to send an existing video, it is limited to 16 Megabytes. On most phones, this will equal about 90 seconds to three minutes of video. If you choose an existing video that is larger than 16 MB, then you will have the option to trim the length of the video before sending it.

You should check if data limit is set or not on the phone. Go to Settings -> Data usage -> Cellular data usage. Clicking the gear, should show you the data limit and if it was set or not.

That 16MB limit is also enforced at device level which can be changed with root. All you have to do is sed -i 's/"media_limit_mb" value="16"/"media_limit_mb" value="1000"/' /data/data/com.whatsapp/shared_prefs/com.whatsapp_preferences.xml.

@IrfanLatif You are correct. Unfortunately I don't think the OP nor his friend have rooted devices. I might be wrong though.

Right. But the point is that 16MB limit too doesn't give some kind of warning about network usage.

@IrfanLatif True. That's why I wrote restriction and not warning on the video part.


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Samsung Galaxy S7 stuck at boot - power button not working in recovery mode
my Samsung Galaxy S7 is stuck in boot with the "no command" error screen. I found out I can possibly fix the problem by wiping the cache partition, and have found the recovery menu to do this.
However, my power button does not seem to work in the recovery menu (it does work for powering the S7 on, however. Thus, I can not select the menu item to wipe the cache partition.
How can I get rid of the no command error? If wiping the cache partition is the right way, what am I doing wrong? I don't want to factory reset my device.
I am not usnig a modified version - I use the android version shipped by Samsung

My power button will work after scrolling to the option using the volume keys but I've always wondered about what it says below the options for the hashtree lineup..


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adb install apk successful on device (or emulator), but not found
I am using command line to install apk on devices and emulators. There is only one device at one time, so I don't have to specify the device's name.

adb install file.apk

output:

Performing Streamed Install
Success

I check on the device (or emulator), but can't find the installed app.
Could you please help?

"can't find the installed app" did you mean it's not shown on the launcher (as with any apps having no launcher activity), or in the Settings-Apps list?

my app has the launcher activity. "can't find the installed app on device" literally means I don't see the installed app on the device or emulator.

Check whether the package is listed in the output of adb shell pm list packages. If yes, the problem is with your app per se because the app is still installed. May be try directly launching an activity through adb in that case. If not, you would have to dig into [tag:logcat] to see what goes on when the apk is getting installed.

Thanks @Firelord. Indeed, the package is in the list, but I don't see my app on the screen. Probably it's due to the app itself. I will try to run the app directly from adb.

perform a full uninstall
adb uninstall <your-package-name>

then try reinstall your app
adb install app.apk

I faced this issue on the flutter release installation.
This problem happens because of different app signatures between debug and release

I kid you not. In my case, I was comparing two apps(app1 and app2) and what I was actually doing was install the app2(adb install in app2 directory where the apk path and filename happened to be identical to app1), when I really meant to install app1, and it simply said "Install Success", which was true; the app2 was indeed installed.

I had to run adb uninstall com.myname.myapp from a different machine.
When I did it from my windows PC, it was failing because it did not find the app. When I did it from my ubuntu laptop, uninstalling worked. Subsequently running the installation from the original machine (Windows PC in my case) did work as well.


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“agrep” for Android Terminal?
How can I do this (agrep) in the Android Terminal?
This program allows elastic text searching, which means that searchqwery would match searchquery, and searching Android would also match Anfroid or Androis.
How can I install it so that it can be run from the Android Terminal?

you need to compile a static binary for your architecture from source. this can be done with Linux Deploy https://packages.ubuntu.com/source/xenial/agrep

Not sure if it has that, but worth a try: the Termux app is an Android terminal that a.o. comes with apt and a lot of packages to be installed that way. It might have the agrp package in its repository.

As commented by @Izzy, Termux has a wide repository of Linux packages, but agrep isn't among them so far. So you have to go for compiling the binary from source, or you may give this one a try. It's a static binary for aarch64 architecture.


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What is the Samsung account on Android Phones for and what does it sync?
What is the purpose of the samsung account on my android phone? Does it make sense to use it and what does it sync to the cloud?
If I use a google account, isn't that basically enough? Do they interfere with each other?

What is the purpose of the samsung account on my android phone?

According to MySamsung:

Your Samsung account is a free integrated membership service that enables you to use Samsung services on smartphones, tablets, websites, TVs and other devices. Enjoy various Samsung services through your Samsung account, without having to sign up for each service separately.

Does it make sense to use it

Using it provides according to Samsung the benefits listed below. Whether it makes sense or not depends on whether you believe will add something to your experience while using a Samsung device.

A single ID for access, order tracking and support for all of your products
Exclusive services like Samsung Pay, Samsung+ and Samsung Health
Gift cards, special offers and more with Samsung Rewards
Product news and discounts from Samsung.com
Tips and tricks sent directly to your inbox for your registered products
With a Samsung Account, you are auto-enrolled into Samsung Rewards so you earn points from your purchases on Samsung.com and in the Shop Samsung app to redeem toward products and more.
  = With a mobile device, you get access to apps and services that also earns you points to use for great rewards.

and what does it sync to the cloud?

It can sync your files, pictures, SMS, etc. You will select what you want to sync.

If I use a google account, isn't that basically enough? Do they interfere with each other?

Yes, using a Google account is enough if you don't care about the benefits and the fact that some services offered are just redundant. But note that some updates may come only from Samsung store; and to use Samsung store, you need a Samsung account.
I don't think they interfere with each other but I might be wrong.


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My GPS location changes when on a call
My GPS location is accurate in Google Maps except when I am on the phone.  It consistently changes my location to another house 5 blocks away. When I end the call it goes back to my real location.
How can I resolve this?
Scott

May be this is your "non-GPS" location (automatic disabling of GPS while calling or you cover the GPS sensor so that it no longer finds the satellites)? Have you checked what happens if you disable GPS? Try to perform the call hands-free may be the position then doe snot change.

Now that I understand the difference between GPS and non GPS location it makes sense because it always puts me in the same wrong place when I’m on a call which must be where one of the cell towers try to locate me.


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how to mount internal NTFS
I have a Chuwi hi10 plus.  It is a dual boot windows 10 / android 5.0 tablet that I put on TWRP 3.0.2 rooted it and a custom Lineage OS  Marshmallow 6.0.1 ROM on from Konstakang.com
Chuwi tablets have a funky inability to boot from USB because have a UEFI boot system....  I need to change the Windows password and there is a sticky keys method to copy cmd.exe over sethc.exe and then use the net user command once the command prompt is opened.
I have installed termux and updated the packages and installed tsu for true root access to the filesystem.  But . . . the termux mount does not produce a string of its version from mount -V and while mount -t ntfs /dev/block /mnt/xxx command does not give an error - where I have done a mkdir /mnt/xxx it does claim "no such device". I have used the exact device I know is the windows partition which is ntfs from a "cat /proc/partitions" command
"ntfs-3g" does  not recognize as a command at all, and I even tried the mount_nfsd_fuse setup from https://forum.xda-developers.com/android/general/guide-mount-internal-windows-partition-t2978679  It must need a touch or something because the file is in /system/xbin but says command not found even invoked as root from that directory
The kernel was compiled from source for the ROM by Konstakang so I do not know if ntfs support is in it ... is there a way to check and / or does anyone have a suggestion how to get that partition mounted rw as ntfs internally ???
The Paragon Ntfs rw mounter that is supposed to work with Total Commander has not appeared to operate as pics show it or once did

How did you place the mount_nfsd_fuse in the/system/xbin folder? Also does the command have the right permissions?

Yes it is in /system/xbin and I changed permissions to 755 using Total Comander

I am wondering if the mount_nfsd_fuse driver is for ARM - and my tablet is x86 Cherry Trail

Did guide did you follow all the steps in order? 1. Download the mount_nfsd_fuse file from the download link provided below or here
2. Place the the downloaded file in the /system/xbin/ folder using a root enabled file manaager, eg. ES File Explorer, Root Explorer and and change to approriate permission.
3. Open Terminal ( If no terminal app installed, download one from Google Play), and obtain Su permission.
4. Mount the NTFS partitions using the code for example :
mkdir /storage/D
mount_nfsd_fuse /dev/block/sda2 /storage/D
format : mount_nfsd_fuse /dev/block/(partition) /(mount point)

Also maybe from a root shell chmod the permissions from the command prompt instead of the file explorer.

Yes I did all of that - I am an old Unixware Engineer and I got to the bottom of this ... see answer below

I gave up on the mount_nfsd_fuse driver because the ntfs-3g driver uses fuse also and has proprietary kernel hooks in it.  It comes installed from I believe the Ntfs ULB mounter
this is a permission and file issue between two different mount files not in the path when the termux tsu command is the root super user command invoked.  termux is screwing the pooch And the help text of the driver is wrong also
Despite what the help text of the tuxera driver says the format is mount.ntfs /dev/block/xxx /mnt/xxx Not ntfs-3g
so after mounting I get "unsupported reparse point" errors but it does mount the partition as rw
see https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1377049 and then https://jp-andre.pagesperso-orange.fr/advanced-ntfs-3g.html
See https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/android-x86/HyPx8fr_kwc
here is the working one . . .
|root@chuwi_vi10plus:/ # which mount
/system/bin/mount
does work as mount.ntfs
root@chuwi_vi10plus:/ # exit
whereas this below does not work from the termux mount file
$ tsu
which mount
/data/data/com.termux/files/usr/bin/mount
exit
exit
$
which mount
/data/data/com.termux/files/usr/bin/mount
does not work
see again for how I figured this out https://groups.google.com/d/msg/android-x86/HyPx8fr_kwc/k1LDJ9jwBgAJ
Here is how you know it's working but the usage instructions are wrong   OH JOY
oot@chuwi_vi10plus:/mnt/hold/Windows/System32 # mount.ntfs
ntfs-3g: No device is specified.
ntfs-3g 2015.3.14 external FUSE 29 - Third Generation NTFS Driver
                Configuration type 1, XATTRS are on, POSIX ACLS are off
Copyright (C) 2005-2007 Yura Pakhuchiy
Copyright (C) 2006-2009 Szabolcs Szakacsits
Copyright (C) 2007-2015 Jean-Pierre Andre
Copyright (C) 2009 Erik Larsson
Usage:    ntfs-3g [-o option[,...]]
Options:  ro (read-only mount), windows_names, uid=, gid=,
          umask=, fmask=, dmask=, streams_interface=.
          Please see the details in the manual (type: man ntfs-3g).
Example: ntfs-3g /dev/sda1 /mnt/windows
News, support and information:  http://tuxera.com
Correct Example IS
Example: mount.ntfs /dev/sda1 /mnt/windows

Good stuff unioncos.

It should also be mentioned this driver above is 3.14 which is too old fron windows 10 ntfs which uses compression that causes the reparse erros. A plug in is needed against ver 3.23 or better you may need to build yourself from  https://github.com/ebiggers/ntfs-3g-system-compression but at this writing it is read only at the moment


text:
Samsung galaxy gt-19070, wiped system in twrp
I use Samsung galaxy gt-19070 that runs under cyanogenmod with rooted and bootloader unlocked. I recently wiped my system in twrp and my phone is stuck in "android is starting". Please help!
Thank you.

You only said that your "/system" partition is wiped so it means that only your "/system" partition is clean and other partitions are untouched. You also said you used TWRP. So, I assume you still have access to TWRP.
What you would need is:

TWRP access
Your original CyanogenMod Custom ROM zip file

Since you didn't state your TWRP Recovery version, I assume you are using version 2.x
Step 1:
(Skip this step if you still have your CyanogenMod ROM zip file)
Download your CyanogenMod ROM zip from where you originally downloaded it.
Step 2:
Boot into TWRP Recovery
Step 3:
Still in TWRP, go to "Mount" and tick the box with "Internal Storage" and "External Storage"
Step 4:
Go to "Install" and find the CyanogenMod ROM zip file that you originally flashed.
Note: the folder "sdcard" is your "Internal Storage" while the folder "sdcard1" is your "External Storage" or "SD Card"
Step 5:
After the flashing is completed, go to "Advanced" --> "Reboot" to reboot your phone
Your phone should now work normally as usual and CyanogenMod will load as per normal!

Thanks for your reply. But I want to install another custom rom for my phone. The twrp version is 3.0.2-0. Now with this (previous) condition I tried to flash a custom rom but it said no md5 file found and there was error installing zip file. Please help. Can I install another custom rom for my phone after wiping all my data and do I need to install the kernel too?

Thankyou. I was just able to flash the same custom rom (cyanogenmod) which I was using previously. Now its working perfectly better.


text:
dropped phone in water and it had holes in it what do i do?
I dropped my lg sty lo 3 in water on accident and it had to holes in the screen  the phone turns on but it does not let me click on the screen I put it in rice but it does not work and I don"t have money to buy a new one what can I do?

Get it fixed by a professional. There is nothing substantial we can do about this from here.

You switched on too early that was a mistake. Watch this video how to remove the battery. Keep it off for about ~1 week. Dry your phone in the sun or oven (max 70 °C degree celsius/ 150 °F degree fahrenheit) https://youtu.be/xWD61VPnJEs buy USB-OTG adapter and connect a mouse, this should give you opportunity to enable usb-debugging in developer settings and backup your data

please check duplicate questions for answers too https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/water-damage


text:
Install Magisk on Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge (SM-G935FD) UAE ROM
Going quietly mad here... have tried and tried. Steps taken are
I purchased a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge online - its an SM-G935FD, with an original ROM (official) from the UAE (XSG).
I install TWRP - no problems there - then install Magisk Manager on the phone via the website.
I download Magisk also, and then boot into recovery with TWRP.
I install Magisk, but after rebooting, I get the following message -
"Verification failed" "Unable to restart your device. The integrity verification has failed. You need to reset your device to factory default settings. This will erase all your data"
Any ideas or suggestions as to what I should do with this? I rooted to phone, and have lost access to Samsung Health, which I'd like to use. I don't need Samsung Pay.
Any advice greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Did you set OEM Unlocking ON in Dev Options and unlocked bootloader?

Yep.
I finally solved my issue late last night. In recovery, using TWRP, after trying to install Magisk, I'd get a response that was something like "unable to mount /data partition"..and I believe that was what was causing the issue. I found this html site at XDA developers
https://forum.xda-developers.com/android/general/how-to-fix-unable-to-mount-data-t3830897
which steps you through the process of repairing the data file systems (both ext2 and ext4), and that worked. Magisk installed correctly and is now working with my banking details, as well as Samsung Health (which involved changing a digit in the System/build prop file (tima from 1 to 0).
Now if someone could show me what to do when the next samsung update comes along, I'd be grateful. Don't want to lose it all (Magisk install) after the next update...

Looks like found the (partial) solution to your own issue which is great! However, it seems you also accidentally created a duplicate account. Please follow this help center to regain the ownership of your previous account and the question so you can comment on the question & accept the answer. Thanks!


text:
the EZ file explorer ftp on huawei pro 20 android 9
So i am trying to transfer some files from my pc to my android and both filezilla and the standrad windows explorer ftp wont connect i tried the 'wifi ftp' app on android store too but it wont connect to that either? using windows 10.

How your PC and Android are connected to each other? What address did you put in FileZilla?

its the standard ftp server that ez file explorer come with


text:
Methods to modify Ambient Display
I am trying to modify Ambient Display as the one in my ROM is missing on some features, such as Pick up and Hand Wave gestures.
I have researched a bit and found that Ambient display feature(s) reside in SystemUI.apk and framework-res.apk and I have successfully pulled them.
Is there any way to integrate/enable the features?

Pulling the APK files is easy, but writing them back is not that easy. Without root or unlocked bootloader it is impossible.

I have been able to enable the features, albeit in the xml files only. I have root access and unlocked bootloader. I have successfully recompiled the apk and installed it but the system is crashing now. Any ideas on what could possibly be wrong with the recompiled and signed apk?

use adb logcat to see what is going wrong. It works already while the boot process has not yet finished.


text:
After formatting SD card "as internal", can the partitions be downsized?
I've a 16 GB MicroSD card that's apparently faking its size. Using H2testw I found that only the first 7.8 GB are usable. Before buying a new one, I want to see if I can "fix" it. The idea is to have Android format the card "as internal", unmount it, and then either through a rooted Android or a Linux/Windows desktop downsize the three resulting partitions to fit inside the first 7.8 GB of the card.
Is there any reason why this wouldn't work? My only concern is that the Android phone might have its own record of the sector ranges of each partition, which I would be changing.
I'm not just trying it out, because I don't have a card reader on hand, and want to find out if it's likely to work, before I invest time into it.

So you are asking this only theoretical? because I would not make experiments with a card that has  a manipulated firmware. In the end you earlier or later loose your data. Anyway a new 16GB card costs nearly the same as sd-card reader.

@Robert no, I intend to try it out, if it makes sense. I guess you could consider this an exercise. I think I can presume that if I try to use this card, with properly resized partitions, and the firmware is defective enough to cause problems, I'll notice it quickly. Unless its treatment of bad sectors is bad or something. I don't keep important information on my phone, so I don't feel like I'm risking much.

If you bought a 16GB card and only ~8GB are usable, you likely got a defective or counterfeit card (a more common occurrence than people think). Just replace it.

@acejavelin I realise that. The idea is to make it work anyway; knowing that it might malfunction in some other way.

@Dominykas The problem is that you can't determine where each sector is located in the flash. Additionally because of wear-leveling algorithm the sd-card reallocate the sectors at any time (and of course it can reallocate it into the non-existent flash part). Therefore the problems can arise at any time!

@Robert hm, didn't realise that. Bummer. Thanks for making that clear!

I'm abandoning the project, since the card I was going to do this with is counterfeit and apparently unsalvageable (or at least not in the way I envisioned). To quote Robert: "because of wear-leveling algorithm the sd-card [can] reallocate the sectors at any time (and of course it can reallocate it into the non-existent flash part)".
Anyway, for people trying to find out how to work with these Android SD partitions, here's a few links from my research:
http://blog.sam.liddicott.com/2016/02/android-6-semi-adopted-storage.html
I want to split one MicroSD card into two parts: part adoptable storage, and part normal storage. How can I do this?
One of the tools used in the above posts is adb shell sm (or just sm). It can manipulate the partitions on the SD card. I didn't look into it further, but if I wanted to go through with this, the sm command is what I'd investigate next.
Of course, one of the things to know about working with Android's adoptable storage partitions is that one of them is encrypted, so unless you decrypt it, you can only manage it with the phone that encrypted it.


text:
How to switch on Samsung Galaxy when Power Button jams?
Since my smartphone's casing is so tight, I had to press the buttons harder, until the power button got permanently stuck. Now I dont't know how to switch on my Samsung Galaxy without using its power button.
I already tried booting into the "download mode" but it does not work.

Even if you would manage to power up your device you won't get far because long pressing the power button for ~10 seconds usually initiates a hard reboot. Remove the casing and get your device to a repair shop that is IMHO the only thing you can do.

that's sad to hear. but, thank you.


text:
How to set individual sensitive content hide in android 9
Before using Android 9 I was able to set individual sensitive hide content on lock screen rule app by app. Something like, globally I selected Show All notification on the lock screen and then go to the specific app and set hide sensitive content on the lock screen.
In android 9 stock android, I can do this, but the individual settings do not work, it still keeps showing sensitive contents on the lock screen. More specifically, when I am using WhatsApp or Messenger, It displays the message content on the lock screen even though I have set hide sensitive content on the lock screen. Is that a bug?

AFAIK, since Android 8.0 Oreo, each app can have multiple notification channels for different types of notification. Have you checked the setting for each channel?

How can I check this?


text:
How to bypass system dialog asking to allow access to tablet data on Android tablets, specially those by Samsung?

I am developing an Android application, which connects with a Raspberry Pi hardware via the USB port. The issue is that this system dialog (as shown in the picture above) pops up every time I connect it. Requiring to tap on 'Allow' every time is resulting in bad user experience. If the user taps to 'Deny' or dismisses the dialog, the Raspberry Pi is unable to detect the connected Android device.
Is there a way to bypass this? Note that I'm using a non-root Samsung tablet powered by Android.
(Reposted the question here as suggested by someone in the comments. OP here: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/58371723/how-to-bypass-system-dialog-asking-to-allow-access-to-tablet-data-on-android-tab)

What version of OS, and have you tried all of the different states in  'Settings'->'Developer Options'->'Default USB configurations'

Android 8. As soon as I connect the Android device with the Raspberry Pi, the Default USB configurations automatically change to MTP.

The dialog "Allow access to tablet data" is a security dialog, therefore from within an app it is not possible to "bypass" this dialog. As it is currently not yet possible to identify a PC via USB and MTP protocol (may be this is possible in future by authenticated USB) there is also no option available like "always allow this computer to access my files".
Otherwise anybody with access to an unlocked Android device could simply copy e.g. all photos and videos fro the device using USB.
The only known way is to enable the "Developer Options dialog and permanently set the option "USB configuration" to "MTP / file sharing"
Alternatively you could use Android Debug Bridge (adb) ADB instead. On adb level there is a computer authentication which allows to allow a computer permanent access to the device via USB. Of course ADB is disable by default, therefore the user first has to enable the Development menu and the enable adb.

thank you for the answer. Let me verify the same as suggested by you. Once I verify, I will accept your answer

Unfortunately, there is no MTB/File sharing option on the Tab A. Only "Transferring files", "MIDI", "Transferring images" and "Charging phone only".


text:
How to mount 100% ext4 sd in Android Pie?
My phone (Redmi 6A) is running Android Pie(MIUI). How do I mount a 100% ext4 formatted sd card, such that it would be seen by vold? My phone is rooted. I am not experienced with the android shell commands though, and my terminal emulator cannot run adb commands.

Use vold-posix.

I do not have Magisk, and vold-posix does not work on >Android 8, in which I am using Android 9

I never used that personally, just know it exists. What's the purpose of being seen by vold? Why not mounting manually?

How do I mount it manually then?

Using mount command.

Ok, thanks. I will try that.

The mount command returns Invalid Argument

What command did you execute? Follow proper syntax: http://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man8/mount.8.html

Thanks. I was able to mount the ext4 sd card successfully.


text:
Broke my Nexus 4 screen, is there a plug & play keyboard so I can unlock it?
I broke the screen on my Nexus 4 and it has a passcode for the lock screen.
Is there any way I can unlock it without fixing the screen, e.g. buying some sort plug & play keyboard for the micro-USB port?

not for nexus 4. but you can enter fastboot and boot into twrp from where you have full adb access (if bootloader was previously unlocked already)

Any way to get access to the data I have saved on the phone without fixing the screen?

with locked bootloader, maybe you can inject modified ROM (only system partition) with LG Flash Tool or LGUP, where adb root is enabled in /system/build.prop

Please also check LG Bridge software, it has backup option. Maybe you can restore backup after unlocking bootloader


text:
What is adb error on Android?
I want to send a file from my PC in Android recovery mode, but I can not get an error. The error is as follows:

adb push file.zip

*daemon not running; starting now at tcp:5037
could not read ok from ADB server
*faild to start daemon
adb.: failed to check server version: cannot connect to daemon

  And if you use Advacnced> ADB Sideload> Swip from an Android device from https://android.gadgethacks.com/how-to/sideload-flashable-zips-android-with-twrp-0176529/ an error was displayed . How do I solve it?

Data successfully decrypted , new block device: '/dev /block/dm- 0'
Updating partition details . . . . . .
done
Unable to mount storage
Successfully decrypted with default password.
Updating partition details . . .
.. .done
Unable to mount storage
Failed to mount '/data ' (Invalid argument )
Full SELinux support is present.
Unable to mount /data/media /TWRP/ . twrps
MTP. Enabled
Starting ADB sideload feature...


text:
Stock OnePlus 3 randomly rebooting multiple times per day
It might have been since the update to Oreo or just coincidence but my phone started rebooting by itself. Also noticed when it reboots after doing the usual booting animation which takes much longer than usual it will ask for unlock pattern and do the boot animation again. I notice sometimes after reboot the phone feels weird, a bit sluggish and some apps don't work properly. For example anything that calls the camera will say it is not available. Other things like for example VoIP features in messaging app won't work. Another reboot would fix the issue or it would stay the same and require another reboot. This issue got worse and worse where it would require multiple reboots or take longer and longer for the reboot sometimes just switching off during the reboot.
Of course I tried wiling cache. Didn't help.
I wiped the phone and gave it to my mom and it seemed to fix it at first. It started appearing again eventually. So I see multiple possibilities.

Rogue app. But my mom has only a few apps, different from what I used.
OS update messed up? Phone is currently on latest OTA on Pie. Would a custom rom help?
Battery issue? This would be simple to fix but the phone rebooted regardless of charge state, once I saw it even doing so while hooked up. I didn't observe a drop in charge after reboot either.
Mainboard / Nand issue.


text:
I can't integrate updates to system
I am using Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus. Unlocked the bootloader and installed TWRP recovery. Then installed Magisk as root agent. Everything seems to be working fine. But I can't integrate updates of the system app to the system. And when I try doing it, it responds with failed. And it seems something breaks and many of my finely running apps no more can launch. They all crash as soon as I open them.

try out FlashFire

seems the FlashFire is an outdated firmware flasher app. But what my issue is might be specific to Xiaomi devices or Oreo or may be Magisk. Whenever I try to change something of system apps the problem starts. The nicely working apps start crashing.

Have you found the solution?


text:
How to get Assistant to look for music only on my phone
I have about 60 gigs of music on my Samsung Galaxy S8.  I normally uses Pi Music Player, and am very happy with it.  But that's not so convenient while driving, so I'd like to control my music through Google Assistant.
However, when I ask Google assistant to say, "Play John Prine from my library", it's hit or miss whether it starts playing my John Prine collection or whether it offers up some random John Prine video from YouTube.  I can't seem to find any way to tell it reliably that I only want music from my phone.
I was about to buy a new car and enjoy the pleasures of Bluetooth voice commands so I don't have to fiddle with my phone while driving (my existing ten-year-old car does not offer me this option).  But it now appears that there's no way to do that; unless I pick up my phone and use the touch screen, the system is going to play whatever it feels like playing rather than the music that's right there on the phone.  I've put the car purchase on hold until I figure out whether there's a solution to this.  (I've also just spent an entire very frustrating day trying and failing to find settings I can adjust...)  Is there in fact a solution?

As you have music on device have you tried play xxx on pi music player as the ways to invoke an app from Google Assistant is limited. The phrase "my library" is too broad and as you've seen can invoke other apps. Related: https://developers.google.com/voice-actions/system/#media_actions

@MorrisonChang :  I have absolutely tried that ("play xxx on pi music player") about 17,000 times or so (because I never learn) and it makes absolutely no difference.  Sometimes it plays the music on my phone (without opening pi music player) and about half the time it brings up some marginally related youtube video instead.

Pi Music Player appears to support Youtube. Find one that doesn't, unless you've tried to disable that feature and the Assistant is bringing up the YouTube app. In my mind "Pi Music Player" isn't a unique enough app name for Assistant to not mishear a single syllable.

@MorrisonChang :  If I say "open pi music player", it opens pi music player every time, so it''s not mishearing.  It just doesn't play any music.  If I use the touch screen to start playing music in pi music player, then I can use google voice to say "next song", "previous song", "Pause", etc, and it all works great.  But I can't get it to switch to a different artist, album or playlist.  No matter how I try to word that request (and I've tried an unbelievable number of ways), the assistant just takes me right out of pi music player and starts offering youtube videos.

Hmm, assuming the authors of Pi Music Player did everything correctly, unfortunately when Assistant isn't behaving correctly there is little anyone can do other than sending feedback in the Assistant app.

@MorrisonChang:  I get exactly the same behavior with other music apps, so the problem is not with Pi.

I solved the problem by installing a different music player, namely Pulsar, which I believe is designed to play only local music.  I also did a bunch of other stuff, like disabling YouTube and uninstalling Google Play Music, which might or might not have contributed to the solution.   But Pi Music Player is still installed and the voice commands still fail to control it properly.
I (once only) told Google Assistant to "play Steve Goodman on Pulsar", it did what I asked, and ever since, it's been defaulting to Pulsar for all of my music requests, just as I wanted it to.  Following the exact same strategy with Pi Music Player does not work.

Edit: 1/3 Music - Bose QC Buds - Google's Assistant - Android Enthusiast Website
Solved the problem:
I'm using Samsung Music Player
I say, "Hey Google, Play Samsung Music "
And it worked
I shall have to split my answer into probably 3 posts because I will have to take more than 2,500 limit to properly deal with the topic.
1: Probably, the problem isn't what car you are driving, but the quality of the installed radio system, earbuds, earphones, headphones, and apps being used.
2: Google Assistant doesn't know what music player you want to use -unless you are inside the correct music player that you want to use, and also the music player will actually play the music and also is compatible with the Google's Assistant that are compatible with the latest voice commands.
3: If you weren't inside the correct music player - Google Assistant will probably have to guess, which place to go to, for example, to play the music requested.
4: I shall tell you how I managed to solve the problem eventually, but you should replace the things that I use with the ones that you use.
5: But I don't know if the things that you are using are good enough (have the latest software) for Google Assistant to take advantage of the voice recognition commands.
6: Make sure that you are using the latest updates with products.
7: Replace my items with the ones that you use.
8: I use the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra phone  - You should replace it with your phone each time that I mention my phone, S20 Ultra.
9: I've got the latest Android 11 version that should be good enough  to operate Google Assistant voice.
10: I've got plenty of spare storage space on my phone, because as far as possible I save data onto my relatively fast read and write SanDisk Extreme Plus, V30 128GB, MicroSDXC Card inside my S20 Ultra's Phone (Ccleaner app may help to increase storage space).
11: I transferred data from my phone using Myfile that either came with my S20 Ultra's Phone or that I installed from Google's Playstore.
12: I then moved (cut and paste) data using Myfile inside my S20 to the SanDisk Extreme Plus 128GB MicroSDXC Card.
NB! (Note well)!
NB! If necessary used Samsung's (phone's) Technicians to solve any compatible problems with; Samsung Music Player, and Myfile, to allow Google Assistant to be able to automatically find all the relevant music, and play them.
I, shall check that commands work in 2 and 3.
Divide notes in Google's Doc App into half and hope that both halves are within the limit - copy and paste into this forum.
Hopefully, these 3 posts will help people to use voice commands within their products.

Welcome to Android Enthusiasts Stack Exchange, a Q&A site for Android end users and power users solving their issues. We appreciate your contribution here, but I'm afraid I'm having difficulty understanding some part of the answer due to formatting issues and some txtspeak (what is "NB!" ?). Could you [edit] and fix them?

Thanks for improving the post! Perhaps it should be noted that Stack Exchange is a Q&A site, not a forum. "Answers" should be used for answering the question, not for posting a long discussion (consider taking a quick [tour] for a short introduction about this site). Also, just FYI, a single post can contain up to 30000 characters. You probably don't need to split it into multiple answers unless the solutions are distinct.

Andrew, T, - Thanks for your help - Some people already gave curtailed (short) answers that still didn't solve the question. I prefer to provide a full answer that will solve any person's problem. - Any person who still doesn't understand can state why they don't understand, and the administrator can email me the website's page and I shall supply further infor. -   Editing was time consuming  - The limit was about 2,600 characters, and not 30,000 - Didn't have the option to edit - programming bug, Fault. - Hey Google Open Samsung Music stops the music, but may have to use right Bud to reboot


text:
Google play and play services for Sony Experia T3
I lost my phone and lost all google apps as a result. Now I want to reinstall Google play and play services. Kindly assist

Welcome to Android Enthusiasts! Can you give more information? You lost your phone and was able to get it back? Or do you have a new phone? If you got it back, where only Google Play and Play Services that were no longer available? Did you check if they were disabled? Please edit your post and add more details.

I managed to get the phone back, long after I had bought 2 other phones. Now I want to start using my old phone which has no google play apps save for google. I have tried downloading google play and services, but to no avail.

Have you checked if they have been disabled in Settings -> Apps, then click the 3-dots followed by show system apps? Is/was your phone rooted?

The app preferences were reset and th phone is rooted


text:
incorrectly receiving DNS settings from AP when connecting to public wifi
I had to fly recently. The flight had in-flight entertainment through gogoinflight, but I couldn't access it on my phone while everyone around me could.  I thought the problem was with the router but I couldn't access the public wifi in the destination airport, either.  I couldn't even open the wifi login pages to accept the user agreements. Nothing seemed to work!
Cellular internet works fine.  Wifi at home works fine.
On another recent flight, I also took my laptop so I could check network settings against my phone's settings.
# ip addr

yielded the same subnet and same gateway
# ip route

yielded the same routes, too.
(from memory)
# ip route
172.19.131.141/23 dev wlan0 proto kernel dhcp scope link src 172.19.131.0

from my laptop, the login page, or airborne.gogoinflight.com was in the 172.19.134.x subnet, but that should be fine based on the route's mask (/23).
for good measure, I added a 0.0.0.0/0 route through wlan0 but still nothing.
At this point, it looked like my phone knew how to get at IP addresses, but there was a problem with the DNS settings.
I checked DNS settings in /etc/resolv.conf on my laptop:
/etc/resolv.conf
--------------------
nameserver 172.19.(something).(something)  <--essentially, the access point transmitted the DNS to my laptop correctly and I was able to resolve addresses without problems

on my android phone:
/system/etc/resolv.conf
------------------------
nameserver 8.8.8.8 <--because google and android...
nameserver 8.8.4.4 <--because google and android...
nameserver 172.19.(something).(something)  <--essentially, the access point transmitted the same DNS server to my phone when I connected.

Even though I know it doesn't matter, I removed the WAN dns entries to google for good measure and made the resolv.conf file match my laptop's, but to no avail!
I tried multiple browsers (Chrome and Firefox), too,  to make sure it wasn't a browser setting.
any ideas?

Android's bionic libc resolver doesn't use /etc/resolv.conf normally: http://androidxref.com/9.0.0_r3/xref/bionic/libc/dns/resolv/res_init.c#286. And ip route isn't enough to see Android's routing table. It only shows main (254) table, while Android uses table 97 for WiFi.

Hi, Irfan.  Thanks for your response. I am unfamiliar with libc's dns resolver.  Glancing through the code, it looks like it's parsing a file called _PATH_RESCONF, which, as found in resolv_private.h, is defined as "/etc/resolv.conf" or "/etc/ppp/resolv.conf" (I don't know the value of ANDROID_CHANGES).  My phone doesn't have a "/etc/ppp/resolv.conf" file, so that leads me to believe it uses "/etc/resolv.conf".  This is contrary to what you suggested. What would it use if not /etc/resolv.conf?

Related: https://android.stackexchange.com/a/205740/218526. Android's DNS resolver uses nameserver values received from DHCP which the client doesn't save to /etc/resolv.conf or any other file.