text:
How can I disable the warning "Using high brightness for long periods increases battery consumption." so that I don't see it ever again?
I use Android 10 with Samsung Galaxy S9. Whenever I set the brightness to be high, I get the warning:

Using high brightness for long periods increases battery consumption.

How can I disable this warning so that I don't see it ever again?

The page https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/mods-samsung-not-android-mods-collection-exynos.3772017/page-81 (mirror) seems to discuss how one can disable the warning "Using high brightness for long periods increases battery consumption.".
Here's below a mod from wlryss:

Hi.. Compared to Android 10 with warning about turning on high brightness and harm to the eyes in Android 11 there is a warning about the dangers of high brightness for charging the battery. SystemUI/smali/com/android/settings/ToggleSliderView.smali
method .method private showUsingHighBrightnessDialog() has a string

Code:
.method private showUsingHighBrightnessDialog()V
    .locals 3

    iget-object v0, p0, Lcom/android/systemui/settings/ToggleSliderView;->mUsingHighBrightnessDialog:Lcom/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/SystemUIDialog;

    if-nez v0, :cond_0

    new-instance v0, Lcom/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/SystemUIDialog;

    iget-object v1, p0, Lcom/android/systemui/settings/ToggleSliderView;->mContext:Landroid/content/Context;

    invoke-direct {v0, v1}, Lcom/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/SystemUIDialog;-><init>(Landroid/content/Context;)V

    iput-object v0, p0, Lcom/android/systemui/settings/ToggleSliderView;->mUsingHighBrightnessDialog:Lcom/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/SystemUIDialog;

    iget-object v0, p0, Lcom/android/systemui/settings/ToggleSliderView;->mContext:Landroid/content/Context;

    invoke-virtual {v0}, Landroid/content/Context;->getResources()Landroid/content/res/Resources;

    move-result-object v0

!!!    sget v1, Lcom/android/systemui/R$string;->sec_brightness_using_high_brightness_dialog_message:I  !!!

    invoke-virtual {v0, v1}, Landroid/content/res/Resources;->getString(I)Ljava/lang/String;

    move-result-object v0

    iget-object v1, p0, Lcom/android/systemui/settings/ToggleSliderView;->mUsingHighBrightnessDialog:Lcom/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/SystemUIDialog;

    invoke-virtual {v1, v0}, Landroid/app/AlertDialog;->setMessage(Ljava/lang/CharSequence;)V

    iget-object v0, p0, Lcom/android/systemui/settings/ToggleSliderView;->mUsingHighBrightnessDialog:Lcom/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/SystemUIDialog;

    sget v1, Lcom/android/systemui/R$string;->sec_brightness_using_high_brightness_dialog_button:I

    const/4 v2, 0x0

    invoke-virtual {v0, v1, v2}, Lcom/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/SystemUIDialog;->setPositiveButton(ILandroid/content/DialogInterface$OnClickListener;)V

    iget-object v0, p0, Lcom/android/systemui/settings/ToggleSliderView;->mUsingHighBrightnessDialog:Lcom/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/SystemUIDialog;

    new-instance v1, Lcom/android/systemui/settings/ToggleSliderView$4;

    invoke-direct {v1, p0}, Lcom/android/systemui/settings/ToggleSliderView$4;-><init>(Lcom/android/systemui/settings/ToggleSliderView;)V

    invoke-virtual {v0, v1}, Landroid/app/AlertDialog;->setOnDismissListener(Landroid/content/DialogInterface$OnDismissListener;)V

    iget-object p0, p0, Lcom/android/systemui/settings/ToggleSliderView;->mUsingHighBrightnessDialog:Lcom/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/SystemUIDialog;

    invoke-virtual {p0}, Landroid/app/AlertDialog;->show()V

    :cond_0
    return-void
.end method

SystemUI/res/values/strings.xml
Code:
<string name="sec_brightness_using_high_brightness_dialog_message">Using high brightness for long periods increases battery consumption.</string>

You need delete this toast alert with this string and button OK..
Look at .method public constructor <init>(Landroid/content/Context;Landroid/util/AttributeSet;I)V in this class
You find such code
Code:
check-cast p1, Lcom/android/systemui/util/SettingsHelper;

    invoke-virtual {p1}, Lcom/android/systemui/util/SettingsHelper;->isUsingHighBrightnessDialogEnabled()Z

    move-result p1

    iput-boolean p1, p0, Lcom/android/systemui/settings/ToggleSliderView;->mUsingHighBrightnessDialogEnabled:Z

In class SystemUI/smali_classes2/com/android/systemui/util/SettingsHelper.smali in method
.method public isUsingHighBrightnessDialogEnabled()Z - change 0x1 for 0x0
Code:
.method public isUsingHighBrightnessDialogEnabled()Z
    .locals 1

    iget-object p0, p0, Lcom/android/systemui/util/SettingsHelper;->mItemLists:Lcom/android/systemui/util/SettingsHelper$ItemMap;

    const-string v0, "shown_max_brightness_dialog"

    invoke-virtual {p0, v0}, Lcom/android/systemui/util/SettingsHelper$ItemMap;->get(Ljava/lang/String;)Lcom/android/systemui/util/SettingsHelper$Item;

    move-result-object p0

    invoke-virtual {p0}, Lcom/android/systemui/util/SettingsHelper$Item;->getIntValue()I

    move-result p0

    if-nez p0, :cond_0

    const/4 p0, 0x0  ###  previously it was 0x1  !!!

    goto :goto_0

    :cond_0
    const/4 p0, 0x0

    :goto_0
    return p0
.end method

And finally in SystemUI/smali/com/android/systemui/settings/ToggleSliderView$4.smali in method
.method public onDismiss(Landroid/content/DialogInterfaceV - change value
Code:
.method public onDismiss(Landroid/content/DialogInterface;)V
    .locals 2

    iget-object p1, p0, Lcom/android/systemui/settings/ToggleSliderView$4;->this$0:Lcom/android/systemui/settings/ToggleSliderView;

    const/4 v0, 0x0

    invoke-static {p1, v0}, Lcom/android/systemui/settings/ToggleSliderView;->access$1402(Lcom/android/systemui/settings/ToggleSliderView;Lcom/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/SystemUIDialog;)Lcom/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/SystemUIDialog;

    iget-object p1, p0, Lcom/android/systemui/settings/ToggleSliderView$4;->this$0:Lcom/android/systemui/settings/ToggleSliderView;

    const/4 v0, 0x0

    invoke-static {p1, v0}, Lcom/android/systemui/settings/ToggleSliderView;->access$902(Lcom/android/systemui/settings/ToggleSliderView;Z)Z

    iget-object p1, p0, Lcom/android/systemui/settings/ToggleSliderView$4;->this$0:Lcom/android/systemui/settings/ToggleSliderView;

    invoke-static {p1}, Lcom/android/systemui/settings/ToggleSliderView;->access$1100(Lcom/android/systemui/settings/ToggleSliderView;)I

    move-result v0

    const/4 v1, 0x1

    add-int/2addr v0, v1

    invoke-virtual {p1, v0}, Lcom/android/systemui/settings/ToggleSliderView;->setValue(I)V

    iget-object p0, p0, Lcom/android/systemui/settings/ToggleSliderView$4;->this$0:Lcom/android/systemui/settings/ToggleSliderView;

    invoke-static {p0}, Lcom/android/systemui/settings/ToggleSliderView;->access$2100(Lcom/android/systemui/settings/ToggleSliderView;)Landroid/content/Context;

    move-result-object p0

    invoke-virtual {p0}, Landroid/content/Context;->getContentResolver()Landroid/content/ContentResolver;

    move-result-object p0

    const-string/jumbo p1, "shown_max_brightness_dialog"

    const/4 v0, 0x0  ###   previously it was  -0x2  !!!

    invoke-static {p0, p1, v1, v0}, Landroid/provider/Settings$System;->semPutIntForUser(Landroid/content/ContentResolver;Ljava/lang/String;II)Z

    return-void
.end method


text:
Why don't I have MTP option in the USB menu
I used to be able to use the phone for debugging.
Now I have USB debugging enabled, and in it threr is a menu for default USB configuration. But it doesn't have an MTP option. The other options don't enable debugging either.

I see in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5B8KdbH5Do that it should have other options.
(Checked Where is the MTP and PTP option in Android 9? and older topics.)

"Transferring files" means "MTP" and "Transferring images" means "PTP". I guess, to make the functionality of MTP and PTP meaningful to a larger set of people, the words were replaced with something that would make sense to anyone instantly on reading the new labels.
In the future, perhaps "USB tethering" might also get replaced with "Share Internet over USB" or something.

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


text:
PIN locked Pixel with broken screen and USB debugging OFF, OTG keyboard doesn't unlock it
I got a Google Pixel 1 with a smashed dead black screen locked by a known PIN that I would like to recover some photos from. Nothing vital but now it has become a personal crusade to do it!
The good news are:

it shows as MTP device on win/linux
vibrates if I try to unlock it via fingerprint (as it requires PIN, so no can do)
if I connect a keyboard/mouse via OTG they do light up
in recovery mode it shows in ADB and I'm even able to put it into sideload mode

The bad news:

can't see sh1t (BTW Pixel 1 doesn't support USB-C -> HDMI)
USB debugging is OFF
if I enter my PIN via OTG+keyboard then plug it back to the PC, it stills shows as MTP and no files can be browsed (I would assumes it remains locked)

I'm pretty close to burn another 20 bucks and get a second spare screen but before I do that, any ideas?
From what I read, my greatest achievement so far which was to get it in sideload blindly is useless and every 3rd party tool seems to require USB debugging ON.
Thanks!

I assume bootloader is locked too. Given that you've already tried OTG solutions in vain and that USB debugging is already off, there is nothing else left to try. Get the screen replaced. Although there is a risk that the technician might just factory reset the device after replacing the screen (to get the screen unlocked), so that he/she can test that the new screen is reacting fine to the touches. // BTW, these photos that you are after, were they not automatically back up by Google Photos (assuming you had setup auto-backup and that you use Google Photos/accounts)?

As long as you can get into your phone (and the microphone/speaker works), accessibility options is another path. Have you tried to enable Google Talkback and navigate your way to either copy the files off or enable Android developer mode. Tried a USB keyboard on my Pixel 2, but my 7-1 hub doesn't passthru data for ADB/MTP. For navigation, bluetooth keyboard may be better.

@Firelord yes mate, bootloader is locked. I know how to replace the screen, I think I was just unlucky in the Aliexpress lottery with the spare I got before. Regarding why auto-backup was OFF... yeah, I'm gonna think about an answer that doesn't make me look that stupid and come back to you.

@MorrisonChang if I got you right, your are suggesting using voice commands which are not enable on my phone and the only way to do it is past entering my PIN which is where I'm stuck! Given you got a Pixel 2 let me ask you, once your keyboard is connect, how do you unlock the screen? I mean keystroke commands. I've seen some videos where people press SPACE to bring the PIN input screen, others press ESC. Thanks.

For me I plug in USB keyboard, space bar twice (first to wake, second to get PIN keypad), type in PIN, press enter. On a Pixel 2, squeezing the sides launches "Ok/Hey Google". From there one can enable Talkback per my link. Just realized that I was depending on "squeeze frame to launch Google Assistant" feature which Pixel 1 doesn't have (and I left enabled). Without talkback it is rather hard to navigate via keyboard only (some areas like the notification shade seem impossible). If you had a music player running, you might be able to use media keys to verify interactivity. Not sure if useful.

@MorrisonChang yeah that didn't work with mine. Thanks for the help anyway. A new screen seems like the only way!

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


text:
I have a Zenfone 6 unusable because of a broken screen, and a HTC one m9 with a broken power button. Is there a way I could use one of them?
The touch screen on the zenfone6 is unusable because it presses randomly.
I tried to connect it to my pc and use scrcpy to control it, but it doesn't detect it.
adb doesn't detect it.
I used to be able to use the htc one m9 by waking it by double tapping it, but right now the battery is dead. I charged it, but I can't turn it on. adb doesn't detect it
Is there anything I can do?

Zenfone is working? try to enable adb. otg keyboard may help. regarding htc try to simultaneously press vol keys and connect usb cable, maybe there is a way to reboot from recovery

adb cannot detect the zenfone. I dont have a way to connect a keyboard to the zenfone (no usb c adapter). Pressing the volume keys on the htc while connecting doesn't do anything. Thanks

Try the lighter ignition trick

Isn't it just for screens with deadzones? Mine registers false inputs


text:
Play Store -- Relevance of color of Icon with initial in it
I recently had an issue in trying to download an app for a Canadian product from Google play. Despite being in Canada, on a Canadian WiFi system or Canadian SIM Card on a Canadian carrier the download was refused because "This item is not available in your Country". I created a new account but had the same results, I used my wifes phone on her account, same result! I then remembered an old account I had, logged in with that and it worked. The only difference I could see with the new account on Google Play was the circle with my initial in it in the box "Search for apps & games" was blue in colour, all the other logins the circle was orange. What is the meaning of the circles colour?

The circle color is to an account property. If you don't have set a profile image as far as I know the color is just chosen on device side. If you are really interested why the could not be downloaded please post the Google Play Store link.

As per Robert's comment, the color is unrelated, it's randomly generated by Google. Your old account might have a country set to Canada, and/or also a payment method acceptable in Canada. The latter is usually important to unlock country-restricted apps.

@AndrewT. That a payment method has influence of the possibility to download of a free app is something I can not confirm. I have downloader accounts that never had a payment option and I can switch them to any country. The only possibility where a country restriction may get rely on a certain payment method is if it is more  a carrier than a country restriction. Baz: regarding country restricted apps please check out this question: https://android.stackexchange.com/q/161863/2241

Thanks for the responses, all the accounts I use have been created in Canada, the payment methods are on Canadian Credit cards. As far as I can see all other information on the accounts is the same except for the language selection. One account has English (Canada), this one failed the download. The others had English(United States) one failed, the other was successful! The app in Play Store is Bluelink Hyundai Auto Canada Corp. or there is another link that leads to it at: https://www.hyundaicanada.com/en/mobile-and-audio/blue-link


text:
Decrypting a user private key cert in keystore
Would like to ask if it is possible to decrypt the user private key store found in android keystore.
I know that you need the masterkey to decrypt it. But is it possible to obtain the masterkey from a rooted android device?

the only known method is freeze RAM https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/f0711b733ba46efa9730a82c13e4ee7d66b39e37

The Android Keystore (in code named AndroidKeyStore) uses on recent Google Android Devices the hardware based security of the ARM CPUs named Trusted Execution Environment (TEE).
Therefore the private keys are protected in a way that allows Android apps to use them (e.g. decrypt something using that private key) but you can't extract those keys, as the hardware compartment the code is executed in, has no export function.
Therefore even on rooted devices you can not get export or "decrypt" private and also symmetric keys that are stored in the Android Keystore. This means that apps using that keystore are bound to the device and you can't fully backup app data of such apps as the Android Keystore protected keys will always be missing.


text:
How to expose a folder to a PC using mount command
I've been messing with termux on a rooted tablet (mediatek), and I'm trying to expose a folder using mount that will be accessible to my PC via a USB connection over mtp (with read/write permission).
I've tried various iterations with mount, all to no avail. I can't find any tutorials explaining how this is done, so I'm basically relying on mount --help and trying to copy the logic of directories that are already mounted.
Any help with the CLI syntax regarding this issue would be appreciated.

I don't think you will succeed using mout. MTP is as far as I know provided by a daemon which uses the Android MediaStore database for getting the file-list. May be you should better try to use on your PC a file-manager tool that uses adb for file listing and transfer?

Use adbfs. Or run a SSHFS/SFTP, FTP, WebDAV, SMB... whatever server from command-line. All of these are opens-source and free. Personally I've using OpenSSH and pure-ftpd since long. Or find a suitable app. Like MiXplorer supports almost all of the above servers, though I only used FTP a few times. Or use directly UMS like a pro: https://android.stackexchange.com/a/205559/218526

@IrfanLatif thanks. Using mixplorer looks like a good solution. I'd love to take you up on your UMS challenge, but I'm a bit to green in this world yet. I think I'll take the easy road for now :)


text:
How do I Remove a Google Contact from Phone without Deleting it from Google Account?
My work Google account is one of many synced to my phone. I'm a teacher so I have lot's of student emails as contacts on my work Google account.  When I do a search for say "David" on my phone's contact list all my students I've ever had with the name David show up and it is very cluttered.
Is there a way to remove the contacts of my work Google account from my phone without deleting them from the associated Google account, and while still keeping access to emails from that account on my phone?

It may be easier to find a contact manager app that allows to limit search to a certain group or account instead of trying to delete an contact entry that does not sync into the cloud.

I had a similar problem with having my husband's Google account on my phone. It synced his contacts to my phone.
What I did was this:
Turned Airplane mode on.
Settings>Accounts-Google>[your account], and make sure Contacts sync is turned off. Make sure you turn off sync on all the Google accounts. Next, go to Settings>Apps, tap Menu>Show System, and select Contact Storage. Clear Cache/Data.
What I did also was select Calls, Call Settings, Contacts, and Contact Migrator; Clear Cache/Data.
Restarted the phone, turned Airplane mode off, turned sync on just my accounts on and opened contacts. It worked.

This is the best answer. It will delete all contact data from your phone, but as soon as you open the Contacts app, Android will redownload all your contacts from accounts with 'contacts sync' enabled.

If Your Phone is Set to Display Contacts from Google Account, it will likely keep showing except if you deselect the linked google account from displaying its contacts. Else, you will need to delet the contact and syncronize it.

Bummer, I was hoping that wasn't the case.

I just figured out that in my phone's "Contacts" preferences I can set a google account to not display any contacts which is exactly what I wanted.  I think that's what you are referring to, but I didn't get it when I read your response.  Some more details would make this a better response.  Thx.

I the same problem with my work google contacts. I tried the answers above but they did not work for me.
Here is what I did instead. (Note: I have a Redmi Note 10.)

Use a computer to delete all your google contacts. You can probably do this with your phone too. The phone will then sync and remove the contacts.

After the contacts are removed, go to Settings>Accounts & sync>Google> Select the google account and disable the syncing of contacts.

Go to Google Contacts and recover your contacts from the trash. These contacts will no longer appear on your phone's contacts.

I hope this helps.

As it’s currently written, your answer is unclear. Please [edit] to add additional details that will help others understand how this addresses the question asked. You can find more information on how to write good answers in the help center.


text:
Zenfone 5 t00j charging, but not recognized by computer
I have bought a second hand t00j however it seems that when i connect it to the computer via usb, it is not listed anywhere, but it is still charging. I tried different USB ports. I have tried with one windows and one linux computer. The phone is in MTP mode, I have the latest intel drivers. It is not showing up in the devices tab on windows. I tried enabling usb debugging. Nothing is listed when i run "adb devices". I opened the phone to make sure the connector ribbons between the usb board, the sim card and the mombo are connected properly. Please help.

i also tried different usb ports, different computers and different operating systems (linux and windows)

so finally try different cables, too. use linux lsusb, make sure to enable MTP mode each time again once phone is plugged. if still no connection, replace jack

tried different cables too, have not tried lsusb, will try it now. The water damage marker was red inside the phone, so hardware damage is completely possible here.

lsusb shows nothing. Most likely a hardware failure then?

my j5 xnlte works perfectly well with all the devices mentioned above.


text:
Installing Charles proxy certificate on Samsung
I have a problem with Charles proxy certificate on Samsung phone. On Xiaomi everything works fine. But when I try to decrypt traffic on my Samsung device I can't do it - SSL handshake with client failed.
I downloaded it from chls.pro/ssl and added in Settings - Biometrics and security - Other security settings - Install from device storage. Not I can see it in User certificates and in View security certificates.
But still I can't decrypt HTTPS traffic. Maybe I'm missing something?
Update: everything works on Xiaomis with Android 6 & 11 and doesn't work on Samsungs with 8 & 11. So it's definitely not related to the OS version.

Duplicate of https://stackoverflow.com/questions/62730978/some-androids-apps-wont-connect-through-fiddler/62731432#62731432

You can also check the expiration date of the generated certificate for each web site (not of the root-ca certificate by Charles). It should not be longer than 13 months for recent versions of Chrome.


text:
In GBoard, how can I set multilingual input for English and Swiss German?
The majority of my phone useage happens in either English or Swiss German, and I switch between these languages frequently, even within the same conversation. In GBoard settings, I see the following multilingual options:

In the English keyboard settings: German
In the German keyboard settings: English
In the Swiss German keyboard settings: German

None of these allow me to have English+Swiss German multilingual support. Is there a way this can be achieved?

If you have installed multiple languages in GBoard you can switch between them by pressing and holding space. https://support.google.com/gboard/answer/7068494?co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid&hl=en

I’m aware of this, but it’s inconvenient to do repeatedly in the middle of a conversation. I code-switch a lot when chatting, language may change multiple times within a single message. Note that I have additional layouts installed — Japanese, Japanese Handwriting and IPA — rendering the button that cycles through layouts virtually useless as well. I would find it acceptable if I could set defaults for which layout to switch to when pressing that button, but I don’t think that’s possible either.

I have just now discovered that the language switch key actually switches back to the previous language you had set if you’ve typed something. Thus I can use that to switch back and forth regardless of other installed layouts. This may be good enough. Still, if there’s a way to just have multilingual setup that would be far nicer.


text:
How to add missing mobile hotspot quick setting toggle on MIUI second space?
Recently I noticed the second space in MIUI has been stripped of several handy settings and shortcuts, which is a back draw on an otherwise good feature.
I am looking for a way to add missing shortcuts on quick setting panel (without necessarily installing 3rd party application(s)). I already have a shortcut to the required setting i.e mobile hotspot, but I prefer a quick setting tile.
I want to achieve something similar to this: How to Restore the Mobile Data and Mobile Hotspot Quick Settings Toggles on Samsung Galaxy Devices but in this case for MIUI second space.
Note: settings get secure sysui_qs_tiles already has entry for hotspot tile, but it just doesn't appear in second space.
Automation solution is appreciated but should be toggle option on quick settings
The device is rooted, running on Android 9 miui.

I solved it using an app that enables Wi-Fi directly from the second space. I use "Mobile Hotspot".
However, surely the programming expert knows how to display the native tool in the second space just using an editor like Setedit. I would also like to know how..

Your answer could be improved with additional supporting information. Please [edit] to add further details, such as citations or documentation, so that others can confirm that your answer is correct. You can find more information on how to write good answers in the help center.


text:
Cannot find an installable/working stock Themes apk installer after accidentally uninstalling it
My device: Huawei Mate 10 Lite
ROM: RNE-L21C432B130.
Recovery: TWRP.
Rooted phone.
I accidentally uninstalled the Themes app (the theme setter, not the theme downloader).
The app was a Huawei's version and was installed as a system app.
I don't have a Huawei account and haven't tried pursuing the "update and get it from Huawei" way. I would prefer this as a last resort solution (IF that is a possible solution).
I have looked everywhere online for a working Theme app's apk installer but to no success. Most versions don't get installed. Some give errors when installed with TWRP, some get installed but crash on launch.
Is there a "universal" Themes app that works fine with most phones?
If no, how or where do I get and install the Huawei's Themes app on my phone?

If it is a system app you can only uninstall it with root permissions. Otherwise the app gets simply disabled. A disabled app can just be reenabled without having to install anything.

I uninstalled it with root permissions (using Link2SD), so it's surely uninstalled...


text:
Why 'ping localhost' command in Termux returns a normal response even though there is no local web server?
I just tried 'ping localhost'command in Termux and response was positive.
How this is possible since I don't have a local web server running.

Ping (ICMP traffic) is processed by the network stack of the OS like in any other OS.

... and not by a web (or any other) server. Related: https://android.stackexchange.com/a/215881/218526


text:
Fixing bind mount on android 11 (Lineage OS)
On the lineage OS 18.1 there is my internal data somewhere but the OS has problem to mount it on sdcard and emulated/0 and has no access to the files. I can see my files by ls /data/media/0 command in adb shell.
Is there anyway to fix it.

check /mnt/expand is mounted /storage/emulated maybe https://android.stackexchange.com/q/214233


text:
Checking if my second hand Android phone is safe: am I right?
First of all, I know that this question has been asked before, but I'd like to hear if the way I'm checking my "new" phone is safe. I know I'm probably overthinking things, but I just would like to know.
So, to get to the point: it's a second hand, but very recent OPPO (2021) running ColorOS 11.1 (which I was able to update to the latest July security patch).

I did a factory reset
I did a reset via Recovery mode
"OEM Unlock" is OFF
Root checker apps say it's NOT rooted
Safety Net status: passed
The phone is Play Protect certified
I'm able to install banking apps and activate Google Pay
The official ROM for this phone isn't available online (I contacted support), so I can't reflash it myself.

The last time I used Android was before 2016, when it still was possible to install tracking software that could survive a reset... and as it's my first second hand phone, I'm just overthinking things, but want to know.
So: with all the info above, is it possible that the previous owner flashed malicious software that could survive the resets I did? Or is it no longer possible on Android nowadays (considering the info above)?
Thanks a lot in advance!

You did everything you could do to verify the phone firmware is genuine. Unfortunately there is still a chance that the OS has been manipulated, but considering the age of the phone the chance is very low is this had happened using an exploit. But I am not sure how your device would behave it it had been bootloader unlocked, modified and then relocked.

Thanks for your input, @Robert!


text:
Looking for a tool that can execute Dynamic Partitions operations
For managing dynamic partitions, there are a number of operations such as resize, remove, add_group ...
When flashing a Rom, these commands are listed in dynamic_partitions_op_list file (with Rom file) and are being executed with updater-script file of Rom;
An example of content of dynamic_partitions_op_list file:
# Add group qti_dynamic_partitions with maximum size 7588834592
add_group qti_dynamic_partitions 7588834592
# Add partition system to group qti_dynamic_partitions
add system qti_dynamic_partitions
# Grow partition system from 0 to 2344250624
resize system 2344250624

The execution of dynamic_partitions_op_list operations in updater-script file:
assert(update_dynamic_partitions(package_extract_file("dynamic_partitions_op_list")));

Right now for managing dynamic partitions (for example resizing one), I put my custom dynamic_partitions_op_list file into a flashable zip (with updater-script file);
Is there any way/tool that can execute those operations without the need for creation of a custom dynamic_partitions_op_list file and flashable updater-script file? (I mean something that could be executed via adb or fastboot)

what is wrong with unofficial tools like super_image_dumper?

using that tool, one first have to take a full dump of super partition and later on modify it. What I'm looking for is some type of command line tool that could for example resize a partition within super (e.g: adb shell tool resize system 2500MB)

understand but what is the benefit? resize system usually is not a daily task


text:
Trying to back up my phone data using ADB but having a lot of problems
I want to back up the data on my Samsung Galaxy 5 (particularly SMSs and Memo text documents). I'm trying to do it with Android Debug Bridge. I followed some online "help" pages but ran into all kinds of problems. I'm using Ubuntu, version: 20.04.2 LTS. Can somebody please walk me through this supposedly simple and straightforward process? I tried using another app, SmartSwitch, but couldn't get it to install on my PC.

https://android.stackexchange.com/q/231568 https://android.stackexchange.com/q/172765


text:
How to root my tecno camonX CA7
How to root camon X (CA7) or application for root access. How can i get root access?
Whenever i try it root it, it keeps saying no root access

Welcome to Android Enthusiasts, Ekwegbalu! Just in case you wonder about the downvotes (not from me btw) – your question lacks several details. As the device is not exactly well-known, a link to its specs would help. And especially what you've tried to root it – as it makes no sense if you get the very same stuff as recommendations which you know that failed, unless you used those tools wrongly that is.

Dump boot.img with SP Flash Tool,
patch with Magisk,
Unlock bootloader,
flash vbmeta disabled, and
flash boot


text:
Could not do normal boot. Invalid kernel
I actually don't know what happened to my dad's phone but I cannot get pass the Samsung logo. It shows a text in red saying Could not do normal boot. INVALID KERNEL.
I downloaded a new firmware from Sammobile.com and tried to flash but I get fails. I could really use a help. Images uploaded.
this is what shows when I tried to flash a new firmware (SM-A105F_XSG_A105FDDS6BUB1_A105FOJM6BUB1_A105FDDS6BUB1_A105FDDS6BUB1.zip) on it using Odin.
  <OSM> Enter CS for MD5..
<OSM> Check MD5.. Do not unplug the cable..
<OSM> Please wait..
<OSM> Checking MD5 finished Sucessfully..
<OSM> Leave CS..
<ID:0/013> Added!!
<OSM> Enter CS for MD5..
<OSM> Check MD5.. Do not unplug the cable..
<OSM> Please wait..
<OSM> Checking MD5 finished Sucessfully..
<OSM> Leave CS..
<OSM> Enter CS for MD5..
<OSM> Check MD5.. Do not unplug the cable..
<OSM> Please wait..
<OSM> Checking MD5 finished Sucessfully..
<OSM> Leave CS..
<OSM> Enter CS for MD5..
<OSM> Check MD5.. Do not unplug the cable..
<OSM> Please wait..
<OSM> Checking MD5 finished Sucessfully..
<OSM> Leave CS..
<ID:0/013> Odin engine v(ID:3.1203)..
<ID:0/013> File analysis..
<ID:0/013> SetupConnection..
<ID:0/013> Can't open the serial(COM) port.
<OSM> All threads completed. (succeed 0 / failed 1)

try another cable or usb 2.0 hub

I'll get a get a new cable tomorrow and try again. Thanks @alecxs


text:
How to access "hidden area" of SD Card in Android 11?
I have an unrooted Samsung A50 with Android 11 and have developer options activated.

I switch off my phone and remove the sdcard. Afterwards I mount the sdcard in my computer.
After mounting, I can see more than 360 files in the following path of the sdcard:
/Android/data/de.ard.audiothek/files/audio

Afterwards, I reinsert the sdcard in my phone and start it.
When I connect the computer with the phone, I cannot see any data below
/Android/data/
on the sdcard (everything else is visible).
If I use the most recent version of total commander on the phone and access the referring path
/storage/emulated/o/Android/data, there is a new link "-> Installed Apps".

as mentioned in https://www.ghisler.ch/board/viewtopic.php?t=72778 , I can just see one audio file there.

Is there anything I can do (apart from rooting) to access these 360 files when the sdcard is in the running smartphone?

Welcome Android Enthusiasts! Are 100% sure that /storage/emulated/o/Android/data is on your sd card and not the internal storage?

@ReddyLutonadio : I can only comment on what I can find in the referred link ( https://www.ghisler.ch/board/viewtopic.php?t=72778 ). According to it, /storage/emulated/o/Android/data is just an artificial link to the sdcard data.

as the link already explains there is a change in android 11 and there is nothing you can do. side note: sdcard is actually not your MicroSD Card


text:
Is it proper to format /data and /cache before running the LineageOS copy_partitions_script?
I've recently flashed LineageOS to my OnePlus6T by following the official guide on the Lineage website, I'm now writing a script I can run on my desktop which will perform the same procedure on a second device. In the official guide the instruction is to flash the provided script, which copies the content of the active partition slot onto the inactive slot:

In some cases slot b can be unpopulated or contain much older firmware
than slot a, leading to various issues including a potential
hard-brick. We can ensure none of that will happen by copying the
contents of slot a to slot b. This step is NOT optional.

My question is: is it proper/safe/optimal to wipe the userdata and cache partitions before flashing the copy_partitions_script? I can't see any reason why it wouldn't be and doing so would enable me to reduce the amount of interaction (read selecting things on the device) that the script would require. The official guide lists the data wipe as the next step after flashing the script, but it doesn't explicitly state that it must come after. Any insight would be much appreciated.

There is only one userdata partition in Android devices, including those with A/B slots. So whether you flash it before or after copying the rest of the partitions is irrelevant to you. Also, I don't think your device has cache partition. A/B system updates don't need, and therefore, don't use cache partition, hence new devices since A/B slots was introduced started not being shipped with cache partition AFAIK. My OnePlus 6 doesn't have such partition either.

encryption depends on ROM/firmware version, formatting userdata is required to remove old encryption. usually flashable zips are stored on device. if userdata formatted before, files in /sdcard get lost. but for sideload doesn't matter


text:
How to connect a monitor to a Galaxy Tab tablet?
I have a Galaxy Tab A (2018) and a Galaxy Tab S6 Lite tablets and I have to connect them to an external monitor with HDMI FullHD (1920 x 1080), how can I do that?
For example does it work with this adapter? - QGeeM USB C to HDMI Adapter 4K Cable, USB Type-C to HDMI Adapter
What kind of frequencies does it support? My monitor works best at 75 Hz, at 60 Hz it doesn't use all the screen space, it leaves a border of 1-2 cm unused screen space on the border.

HDMI with more than 60 Hz is pretty unusual. I don't think that this is possible on HDMI versions prior to 2.0. As the linked adapter only supports 4k at 30 Hz it can't be a HDMI 2.0 device, HDMi 1.4 would be my guess.

Few devices support USB video out (requires USB-C 3.0+, neither of your tabs have).

You may be able to do what you're looking for with Chromecast.
You'll only need one for each monitor/tv you're trying to use.
It's wireless, which may be a good thing, but it won't be perfect.  I think it won't be too good for fast paced games.


text:
How can I connect to a specific access point in a group having the same SSID?
I'm on Android 10 and I have a WiFi network with multiple access points, each one with 2.4 and 5 GHz, everything with the same SSID to let the phones pick the best one.
However android has a too low threshold for switching network: sometimes the signal is poor because I'm still connected to the same AP even if I moved around, while a much stronger signal would be available.
With the app "WiFi connection manager" I can list all access points within a WiFi network but by clicking on one the connection fails. I think it's an issue with Android 10, since this was exactly the point of the app, together with automatic switching according to custom rules.
The only workaround I found is to manually disable and enable again the WiFi, which results in a connection to the strongest access point, which is nevertheless not the best one, since the 5 GHz network from each access point is often a bit weaker power-wise, but it would nevertheless grant much higher speed.
Is there a way to connect to a specific access point, which implies also specific frequency?
No root privileges available, android 10 stock.

Why not use different SSIDs?

@alecxs well roaming between different access points takes place automatically when the signal is poor, while changing network takes place when the previous one is lost, which means I get better "worst" signal this way. My point is to forcefully change AP before that threshold is reached, to improve further. See also https://superuser.com/questions/362366/does-it-make-sense-to-keep-different-ssids-for-2-4ghz-and-5ghz-wireless-networks

My main router Xiaomi AC2100 kicks devices out of 2.4 GHz if it thinks they would get better speed on 5 GHz, but I think that functionality is not in firmware and was lost when I installed OpenWRT. Also, the other AP used as repeaters don't have that functionality anyway, they are AC1200.

In general, I trust the OS's ability to switch access points more than the router's Roaming Assist feature. So try turning this off on the router.
Additionally, many routers have a Smart Connect feature. This switches a device from one band to another band. You could try turning that off too.
If it still doesn't work, then I guess it's Android's fault. A workaround is to create 2 separate SSIDs for 2.4 and 5 GHz. Then just use the 5 GHz SSID.
It's likely that the 2.4 SSID doesn't confer any benefits, even range (at target throughput), so just don't use it.


text:
How to upload all Android photo gallery Albums to Dropbox?
I currently have my phone's digital photos uploading to my Dropbox "Camera Uploads" folder, but I recently discovered that some of the folders in my Gallery > Albums are not uploading. For example, I downloaded photos from the Disneyland app to my Android. Those photos were saved in my Gallery/Albums in a folder called "Disney". Those photos have not uploaded to Dropbox. Meanwhile, other folders in Gallery/Albums (such as my Screenshots folder) have uploaded to Dropbox.
Why would some folders not upload? Is there anything I can do too ensure that every single Album/photo is uploaded to Dropbox automatically?

I have the same question.  This is what I learned from Dropbox Community
"The automatic camera upload feature uploads all photos and videos from the "Camera" and "Screenshots" albums on your device."
See https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Dropbox-files-folders/Phone-Galleries-and-Camera-Uploads/td-p/539326


text:
How to find phone when mobile data switched off and ringtone off
My phone fell out of my pocket while I was out walking the dog. The kids use my phone sometimes, so I had switched mobile data off. My wife is a very light sleeper, so the phone was on silent. This made it very difficult to find my phone.

Key parts of this solution:

I had previously used my wife's phone as a hot-spot.
I could call the lost phone and knew it was receiving the call.
I had a way to visit android.com/find to find my own phone and make it ring loudly.
I knew it had about 25% battery left, so I knew I could keep calling it.

The approach:

Enable hot-spot on a friend's phone which you've previously used as a hot-spot.
Keep calling the lost phone.  This will keep the lost phone "awake".  While it's awake, it'll look for WiFi.
Retrace your steps while carrying your friend's phone. Keep looking at the "Connected Devices" screen on your friend's phone.
When your phone appears in the "Connected Devices", you're close.
At this point you can use android.com/find.  How you do that will depend on what resources you have available.  You might have to phone home and ask someone to do it on a laptop, or you might be lucky enough to have an old Android device with you, connected to the hot-spot on your friend's phone.

To figure out the method, I went out to the beach with my wife's phone and an old Android of my own (no SIM).  I put the old Android on the ground and walked away with the hot-spot so I could figure out what the conditions needed to be for it to regain the WiFi connection to the hot-spot.  The key thing was that after leaving the old Android on the ground for a while, it didn't matter how close the hot-spot was, the old Android wouldn't pick it up ... until I pressed a button and made the screen light up.
It took a bit of experimentation, conviction that I would succeed, and a lot of walking, but I eventually found it.  Phew!
Edit
A note on battery consumption
When I first left the house with my phone for the dog walk, I noticed the battery was on 37%. I made a short call while I was out but didn't use it otherwise. While hunting for the phone, I must've called it 30 or 40 times, letting it ring for a minute each time. When I picked it up, the battery was on 20%.


text:
Does the bootloader reset after removing the battery?
After successfully flashing a modern custom ROM on my old phone, I tried doing the same with my girlfriend's old Lenovo Vibe P1m.
However, after mistakenly pulling out the USB cable at the worst time imaginable (flashing the recovery image), the phone wouldn't start anymore. Nothing worked - power button, power + volume up, down, both - nothing! So I'm guessing the recovery flash got corrupted. In great despair and guilt, I started looking for second-hand phones to swap the internal storage with.
After leaving it unplugged over the weekend though, the battery got drained, and, even though the power button still didn't work, the power + vol down buttons did show the boot menu, from which I managed to boot it normally.
That was a great story, but my question here is: what happened when I (practically) removed the battery? I know the clock resets of course, all cache goes away, but.. is the bootloader/recovery also reset?

The bootloader is in flash and thus is totally independent of the battery. Sounds more like the phone was in a state where you thought it would be off but actually it was running. May be a hard reboot (pressing the power button 10-60 seconds) would have had the same effect like leaving it unplugged over weekend.

First your recovery got corrupted during flash interrupt. Then you booted into recovery accidentially, which made device crash. It stucked in crashed state and did not react to buttons, until battery drained. After you charged battery it powered on normally. During boot, recovery was restored from recovery-from-boot.p


text:
Redmi Note 8 locked, need help with unlocking/backup
I need help regarding a Redmi Note 8 that no longer accepts the correct pattern and is locked.
I'm looking for a solution that would allow me to either unlock my phone without data loss, or make a backup of the phone's internal storage on an sd card/pc before hard resetting.
The device is not rooted and I don't have custom recovery installed. USB Debugging is on, but my laptop is not authorized. Bootloader is locked.
With Adb, the device is detected but unauthorized. It seems to be detected normally in fastboot mode. I was able to get my laptop to detect it in recovery mode by clicking on "Connect with MIAssistant" while it was plugged in, but only in sideload mode. I also somehow managed to get into safe mode, but I used the stock screen lock, so unless there's something else that can be done in that mode, it doesn't seem useful in this situation.
I tried the actual MIAssistant software but it tells me to update my device before connecting. From what I found, this is because it doesn't even work with phones running Android 6.0 Marshmallow or above, so that seems to be a dead-end, unfortunately. Downloaded from here, updated to version 3.2.1.3111. If there's a newer version that could support my device, even an untranslated one, I would love to know, but I couldn't find a working one.
I had some ideas that could potentially solve my problem, but couldn't find a way to actually execute them, so here they are in case someone out there who knows more than me could help me with one of them.
1, Is there any way I could authorize my laptop for USB Debugging without being able to accept the prompt on screen?
2, Is there a way to make a backup of the internal storage of my phone in fastboot/sideload mode?
3, Is there a way to get adb to detect this device normally in recovery mode, instead of in sideload mode?
4, Is there a way to get my device into mtp/ptp mode instead of charging mode when connected to a PC without USB Debugging so I can copy my files?
5, Here's a thread I found that seems promising, although it's old. Could I somehow use this, or a similar method on Redmi Note 8? The Recovery Mode is much more limiting on this device, unfortunately, so I can't exactly follow this tutorial. Are there alternatives that can be done in adb fastboot/sideload mode, perhaps?
6, I have tried following these instructions, but after step 8, I got the message FAILED (remote: Fastboot boot command is not available in locked device). I assume this mean this method no longer works on a locked bootlocker. Is there a workaround for this?
7, If I am forced to hard reset, is there any method or software out there that could recover at least some of the deleted data afterwards, or is everything lost in case of a reset?
I am open to new ideas not listed above, as well. I am not a very advanced user so I probably missed some things.
Thank you so much for any answer in advance!

On a device with locked bootloader, standard recovery, no adb access and a lock screen that can't be passed it is next to impossible to get access to the data.

Does this answer your question? How to recover data when everything is locked (FRP, OEM)

Does this answer your question? How to make a complete factory reset, without anyone being able to retrieve my data?

Does this answer your question? Recovering data from Mi 4c able to get only to fastboot

This device runs new F2FS file system which is failure-prone. Furthermore files are encrypted with FBE file-based encryption, this is worst case for data recovery. However, if your data is worth it, pay for professional data recovery, some expert may by-pass signature verification and flash TWRP recovery from EDL mode proof of concept (assuming you know correct pattern). In any case don't do factory reset

Thank you so much for the resources. I will try to contact a professional and see if there's anything they can do.


text:
How do I enable zRAM with the highest priority in Android persistently?
I want to know how to use the /dev/block/zram0 in full power, but I can't apply the command swapon -p 32767 /dev/block/zram0 as it returns this:

swapon: Couldn't swapon '/dev/block/zram0': Device or resource busy

So how do I modify the actual zram's line I have in fstab.qcomto change priority?

/dev/block/zram0                                        none
swap    defaults
zramsize=3221223823,max_comp_streams=8,zram_backingdev_size=512M

It seems that you have a wrong perception about "full power" and high priority. swappiness is a different thing. // Resource busy means it's already mounted. // To set SWAP priority in Android's fstab, you can pass swapprio mount option: https://android.googlesource.com/platform/system/core/+/refs/tags/android-11.0.0_r1/fs_mgr/fs_mgr_fstab.cpp#214. But I don't see any point in it.

In application, how to write it in fstab?


text:
ES File Explorer - Space not freed after deletion from Recycle Bin
Every few months, my internal storage begins to fill up.
I store everything I can to SD Card, but Android has a limited ability to do so.  I'm running Oreo, unrooted.
The biggest dir by far is /storage/emulated/0/DCIM/.thumbnails/, which can stand around 3.1GB for some reason.  I used ES File Explorer to delete it, then went to the Recycle Bin in the app and emptied it.  The 3GB was not freed-up.
I've restarted my phone several times, looked around for residual files, could not find LOST.dir.  I'm honestly at a loss.  Where did it go?
How can I get the OS to free up this space?
What better way can I use to get rid of this stuff?

What Android version? How to you check how much free space you have? An alternative way would be to look at the free space of the user partition e.g. in {DiskInfo](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=me.kuder.diskinfo)

Does this answer your question? How disk space is used on Android device?

It might be issue with file system. Unfortunately you can't do much without root access (for example checking discrepancy between df and du). Factory reset is your last option


text:
t00j flashing unlock unknown command
I have been trying to unlock my devices(zefnone 5 t00j) bootloader, when i type fastboot oem unlock i get
FAILED (remote: 'unknown OEM command')
fastboot: error: Command failed
on the cmd, and when i type fastboot flashing unlock i do not get anything on the cmd, but i get "RESULT: FAIL(unkown command) on my phone.
please help.

Your device Asus Zenfone 5 A500CG (2014) seem to use an Intel CPU. Therefore it belongs to a very rare device category. Therefore everything you read about Android devices can be totally different on your device. fastboot oem commands are not standardized, every manufacturer can implement what they want. Therefore you need a tutorial exactly for your device, try e.g. https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/root-asus-zenfone-5-kitkat-4-4-2-100-work.2947092/

does not work im afraid, still thanks for the reply though


text:
Use high speed internet on hotspot
Today I discovered that my cellphone provider, with the excuse of "saving my high speed quota" throttles the speed of my internet connection whenever I use hotspot.
For work reasons, I need a high speed connection on the go. If that uses my GBs, that is fine, I am paying for that.
The disappointing part is that for my provider to know that I am using hotspot, the operative system (Android) has to reveal that information to them, otherwise the provider has no way to know whether the connections started in the phone or some other device under it.
Is there a way to avoid this differentiation of connections' origin, so I could use a high speed connection in the hotspot? In other words, to make it look that all connections are coming from the phone?

@alecxs yes it does. my question is duplicated.


text:
Why is my android device rebooting after connected to bluetooth?
I have a Samsung Galaxy M11 wich after i connect it to bluetooth and trying to play audio on PC immediatelly restarts.This happens after i've made some software updates.First i updated the soft while being on Android 10,before this update it wasn't rebooting,and then i updated to Android 11 thinking it might fix the problem but it didn't.
Any ideas?

May be something went wrong upgrading the pairing between both devices. Have you tried to unpaid them and then reestablish the Bluetooth pairing? If that does not help the manufacturer may have introduced a bug with one of the updates. You can enable Android Debug Bridge and check adb logcat right before the device reboots. May be you see an error message that helps you to understand what is going wrong.

I've unpair them and right in the moment i tried to pair them the device rebooted.

Do i have to enable Usb debugging to use adb logcat?Because i don't want to.

I don't know why but it doesn't reboots anymore.I enabled the USB debugging and connected the phone via USB to PC and used adb logcat and it doesn't restarts anymore.I also cleared the cache partition.

It happened again...:(

Having USB debugging and adb enabled is in my opinion recommended on modern devices because this allows you in case you screen is damaged to still get access to large parts of your data on the phone so you can create a backup and move to new phone if you don't repair the old phone. As USB debugging is limited to those PCs you have authorized to access your phone there to my knowledge nothing negative in having adb enabled.

Yes,i know that it is better with USB debugging enabled,i already did that but i didn't wanted to do it because this phone i bought it on wednesday so..it was a new phone,idk.How can i post the logcat here?Because it is an ending log,i mean after i write adb -s "device id" logcat in terminal it starts an ending writing,i mean it's too long.

This is the logcat when the device restarted:

The phone doesn't reboots anymore after a factory reset.


text:
How do I make my android ROM auto-mounts and activate a swap partition in my sd card?
I have created a swap partition via GNOME Disks in my SD Card and I found that my Android system doesn't detect it until I used Aparted to activate it but still It is not persistent after a reboot and I don't know how to recognize the path of my swap partition according to Android But I knew the path of my SD card via Aparted: /dev/block/mmcblk1 so I don't know how to modify fstab.qcom for permanently using the swap partition in my SD card.

Do mkswap once and then you just need to run swapon on every boot: How to run an executable on boot? // Similar question: https://android.stackexchange.com/q/78177/218526. // Why using SD card as SWAP partition is a bad idea: https://android.stackexchange.com/a/220042/218526

"swapon" just doesn't work alone as It needs a file argument and the android "swapon" is limited than another.

or tell me how to use mkswap/swapon with a swap partition I created on my sdcard?

It's obvious that you need to provide partition block device path to the swapon command. You can simply hard-code the path: /dev/block/mmcblk1p[N] in the boot script. Or to be on safe side, provide the UUID of the partition to swapon: https://www.man7.org/linux/man-pages/man8/swapon.8.html. Build a full swapon binary from util-linux package. Or do some scripting to get the block device path from UUID and provide that to the Android's minimal swapon.

yeah, I discovered that the path is /dev/block/mmcblk1p1 and swapon is working now but not persistent upon reboot. What about fstab.qcom I  have added /dev/block/mmcblk1p1          none            swap    sw              0       0 to it and it didn't work.


text:
Implementing Dynamic Partitions instead AB systems
Is there an easy way to implement dynamic partitions for the oneplus 7 or any other phone built in with AB partitions system
I want to support super.img to be able to test CGI images without the need for full wipe

what is full wipe? formatting userdata is always required between different ROMs, unrelated to partitioning scheme


text:
Android reports file sizes different than windows
Android and windows report different file sizes for the same files. why is that?
Looking at two video files, on device both the Gallery and file manager report a certain size, but browsing to those files on Windows 10 (USB connected)- shows they're significantly smaller

Vid A

Android: 2.289GB
Windows: 2.13 GB (2,294,649,056 bytes)
Difference: +7.46% on Android

Vid B

Android: 394MB
Windows: 375 MB (393,532,962 bytes)
Difference: +5.1% on Android

Windows shows more specificity, so I assume it's correct.
Is android just approximating? 5-7% seems like a pretty big difference to me.
Phone: LG G7, Android 9
Windows: 10 Build 19042

Possibly due to kilobyte vs kibibyte Both showing almost the same bytes though.

Vid B is pretty much clear (375 MiB = 394 MB) but for Vid A you made a mistake (2.13 GiB > 2.289 GB) windows is bigger than android because space occupied on windows disk (in bytes) is not equal file size in bytes

In addition to MB vs MiB difference already mentioned, recommended read: Why are there so many different ways to measure disk usage?. Or at least understand how du -b and du -B1 differ. du manual.


text:
How to turn on Gmail Android app text autocomplete
When I use Gmail's web version, it makes autocomplete suggestions to the text I'm typing (for example, if I type "long time no" see might show in autocomplete). It also underlines in red grammar mistakes and suggests grammar improvements underlining the text in blue.
I recently bought myself an android tablet (Samsung A7). I tried using Gmail Android app because it's hard for me to use the web version with my tablet. The app works fine, but it doesn't give me the above text autocomplete feature nor the grammar notifications.
Is there a way to enable this? This video goes through pretty much all settings and, although it lists an autoreply feature, I can't find anything about text autocomplete or grammar. Is this possible at all on the Android app?

Open Gmail, go to Settings.
Select your account. Enable Smart Reply in email

Thank you! but even when I enable these options it still doesnt work, I neither get writing suggestions nor squiggly underlines for grammatical mistakes. I'm using a Samsung Galaxy Tab A7


text:
is it possible to replace the bootloader firmware to unlock a 64bits cpu?
Sm-j700m cpu is arm64 but only allows 32bits android on it.
From here: https://www.reddit.com/r/LineageOS/comments/p9p3s3/comment/h9zan52/
I thought that, if the bootloader could be replaced or tweaked (change some bytes on it), it could allow 64bits android (lineage os 64bits build) to be installed on it.
But these are the only clues i got til now, any tips? Can it be done? Is there some software for that device, or other devices, that could do that on that device?
Related? Unlocking bootloader to change rom or firmware

https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=4057503

If your bootloader boots the kernel only in 32 bit mode, the only way: contact your OEM, get the bootloader source code and their private key, make necessary changes to the source code, recompile it to boot in 64 bit mode, sign it with their private key and flash to the device. Now compiling a 64-bit ROM (kernel and AOSP code) is up to you: Could a 64-bit hardware device run a 32-bit Android version?

Running a 64bit Linux on that phone with 1.5GB RAM doesn't make sense at all as there is no advantage. Also 64bit software usually requires slightly a bit more RAM and RAM is already short on your phone. And if you have an app that requires 64bit than it will also demand more RAM, more as your device can provide.

@IrfanLatif can root+adb be used to make the bootloader's private key unnecessary? I just think samsung will give nothing, but i may be wrong.

No. Root / ADB are high level userspace things. Under userspace lies kernel, and under kernel lies bootloader. So they have nothing to do with each other. Root just gives you access to the bootloader. You can extract it but cannot modify it. Bootloader binaries are signed with OEM's private key. Read about Android Verified Boot to know more. Any changes to bootloader are near to impossible. Except if the bootloader is open-source e.g. LittleKernel used in some Mediatek devices. But OEM's signature can be a limiting factor there too. Private keys are meant to be “private”, they aren't shared.

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=How+to+modify+Android+bootloader. Understanding OEMs' chain of trust: https://lineageos.org/engineering/Qualcomm-Firmware/. Android boot process: https://android.stackexchange.com/a/220678/218526 and https://javigon.com/2012/08/24/from-poweron-to-android-the-boot-sequence/


text:
adb shell input key event : perform a toggle button on off action
Questions

How do   I in Android 10 toggle  on /off the hotspot using adb
Su switch on / off for shell- How do I turn on Magisk manager &&  goto security options  && there  turn on / off the option to grant su to  shell. (see attached screenshot ) using adb

This question is here since it pertains to programabiliy  of  Android not an admin question.

So far

Using this guide I can using this commmand come to the point of  simulating the action of entering hotspot settings
  adb shell am start -n com.android.settings/.TetherSettings

Hoever after that i am left with a situation that needs to perform a toggle switch on to turn on my Hostpot and in case of Magisk Manager I Need to get inside and then go to security options and turn off Su for Shell . How can above both be accomplished

Have you tried Macrodroid

hadnt heard that ...sounds interesting..will give it a shot. I'd imagine there'd be a simple way to simulate toggle on hotspot and some activity of magisk manager that can  be called via adb. I am not an Android dev but now feel like i should open a few things under the hood


text:
How to force mount storage whetever corrupt or not?
I use my phone without back cover and I sometimes accidentally remove my Toshiba Exceria 32GB SDHC UHS-1
This time my phone keeps spewing out corrupt SD card and tries to make me format my already portable storage card.
I tried lsdsk but apparently Android doesn't have that command.
I successfully saved my files using an another android device that didn't give me any errors
Removing magisk plugin of "/media_rw sd card mount for apps because your nougat has sd card access issues on apps that doesn't have toggle for where to save thing etc" worked but I still would like to know how I can force mount SD cards/USB sticks.

There is no force mount but you can try to mount read-only (see mount --help)


text:
Smartphone can't connect to Google's services unless resetting the WIFI connection
I'm using Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus, which has a very strange behavior that I can't explain.
Everything works fine with 3G, 4G. But if I use my home's wifi connection, sometimes I can't access google search, youtube, play store. For example, I'm using the phone and need to do a quick google search, I open Chrome and input the keyword in the address bar, then hit Go. The browser will show that it's loading the Google search, but will never finish unless I turn off the WIFI and reconnect, then hit F5 on the browser. The same issue for YouTube, Playstore.
I notice that this is the problem of my phone, because my wife's Iphone does not have the same issue, and laptops also dont.
Can anyone explain this?

In the wifi settings for your network, is auto connect enabled? //Also, next time it happens, switch off wifi, turn on aeroplane mode, wait for a few seconds and enable both. That helps on solving wifi issues though I can't recollect the logic behind this

@beeshyams where can I see the setting? It happens all the time, like 1 hour interval.

I am not familiar with Samsung settings but it should be under your network you are connected to //You can try the aeroplane mode trick

do you mean the airplane mode? As I mentioned in my post this only happens to Google's services, and I can fix it by simply turn on/off the wifi connection on my phone.


text:
Want to install a custom rom (first time)
I want to install custom ROM on My Redmi 7A (pine)
And I don't want to flash a recovery instead I want to use the ADB and Fastboot I unlocked my Bootloader. It is Possible?
(I am a newbie to this kind of stuff (also bad english))

You can boot a recovery and it'll be transient instead of permanent, and 2) strictly using fastboot you can still flash GSIs, but these tend to be more buggy than device-specific ROMs.

Thanks! Andy Yan. I will still wait for more answers.

always follow the install instructions of custom ROM


text:
Put like on YT Music song without wakening my phone with Tasker
I want to make a Tasker script to like the current song in YT MUSIC by holding down volume button for example. The perfect solution is that I can put likes without flashing the screen and silently, so as not to disturb at night.
I'm thinking to use the example of Google Assistant, it can give likes to the current track on command. I read the logs and found an event that looks like the right command:
A: Media Operation Type: media.SET_RATING sent to package: com.google.android.apps.youtube.music

Next I tried to send Intent of this kind, but nothing worked:
Send Intent [
Action:android.media.action.SET_RATING
Cat:Default
Mime Type:
Data:
Extra:
Package:com.google.android.apps.youtube.music
Class:
Target:Activity
]

Continued researching and came across a feature on the developer site:
onSetRating(android.support.v4.media.RatingCompat)

But I don't know how to use the native functions through Tasker. It may be shell command, Java function or something? Can anyone help?


text:
In an attempt to install custom rom on my lenovo k6 note ,i have baked up using entire phone using adb backup , how can i restore my phone
in an attempt to install custom rom i wiped my OS on my lenovo k6 note now its not starting but it is going into twrp recovery mode. is there any way to flash stock rom or any other OS i have tried installing lineage,emulation x, but it failed giving an error .

ADB backup probably is as best a backup as you can get – but it's by far not complete. Without an OS on the device, it's useless – for that you should have made a [tag:nandroid] backup from TWRP first. Next: your question lacks essential details to help you out of that, like what guide did you follow, and what that error message contains. So if you could [edit] your question to include those details, that will help you getting helped. Best luck!

I guess This would help you. . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . https://flash-guide.com/download-flash-official-stock-rom-lenovo-k6-note-k53a48/


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Is there a way to get all the internal storage data from my LG W30 which doesnt turn on?
My android phone LG W30 fell pretty bad from a decent height and it doesn't turn on now. No response from any buttons. when connected to power, the indicator LED turns on and nothing else. This is the current situation of my phone.
I would like to retrieve all the data from the internal storage. I tried to connect it to my PC, but the device isn't getting recognized. Is there any way that i can transfer my data? Please help

Your device was release 2019 with Android 9. This means that all you data is encrypted by default and can't be decrypted without the CPU of your device in a working state.

oh ok. thank you for the quick response


text:
Taking a full backup for LG Velvet 5G (TMO) - does root/su matter?
I've got a stock LG Velvet 5G from T-Mobile that I'm turning in for an insurance claim (I was sent an LG V60 in exchange). I'm trying to take a full backup and then wiping it before I mail it out to them.
I've not been keeping up with current events in the tech industry, but upon loading up ADB I'm seeing a deprecation warning, which I've just caught back up about moments ago.  I'm aware ADB backup doesn't necessarily take a full backup (exclusions from manifest, xml paths, etc)., but I'm unsure what other method would be considered more all-inclusive at this point.  Furthermore, upon glancing at the XDA forum for this device (here), it seems that although a method to obtain root is available, the OP declares "backups are broken" and does not further specify any details.  I'm unsure if this means that the best I can do is take the ADB backup and hope it gets everything (and manually backup what I can think of — off the top of my head — that doesn't get captured, like 2FA tokens, etc), but will obtaining root/su actually help or not in my specific situation?

TMO Velvet is not BL-unlockable and the linked TWRP doesn't apply, and 2) "backups are broken" refers to TWRP's builtin backup capability.

"backups are broken" refers to the restoring part. you could try lglaf.py to by-pass bootloader lock and decrypt with TWRP (untested) but @Robert answer still apply

A rooted device allows to backup data of apps that simply deny backups in their Android manifest.xml.
Root has no effect on Apps that make use of the AndroidKeystore. This is a system service that allows to generate and import cryptographic keys (on recent Android devices symmetric and asymmetric keys). Those keys are stored protected by the CPU in  TEE so that apps can make use of the keys but they can't export them. This limitation also applies to backups using root. The keys are bound to the CPU and can't be exported, thus all apps that use such a key to encrypt their app data will fail after restoring their app data  as the necessary key is missing.

To further elaborate, would a rooted device be able to what you've mentioned in your first sentence above through, say, ADB backup with no additional command parameters/flags?  Using, e.g., the -all switch?  If not, I'll post a separate question to that regards, thank!

@Arctiic adb backup always works the same way independently if the device is rooted or not. On a rooted device you can use other backup tools like TitaniumBackup or oandbackupx. But even those tools will fail on apps that use the AndroidKeystore. But be aware that you will not recognize that the backup failed unless you recover the app installation from it and try to run the app.


text:
Is it safe to use a Temporary or Virtual Number for creating whatsapp account?
This article in link below mentions some web links and apps that can be used to generate temporary or virtual number, for creating whatsapp account
I want to know, whether this whole process is safe/secure or there any major apparent risks in this process?Such as collecting data from android phone(especially from confidential apps like banking apps) on which theses apps/links are opened for creating temporary or virtual phone number ?
https://mobiletrans.wondershare.com/whatsapp/how-to-use-whatsapp-without-phone-number.html

As far as I know who ever controls the phone number can take-over your WA account and get access to your active chats. Therefore I would say no it is not safe.

Since WhatsApp uses OTP authentication using your mobile number for login purposes , using one of those temporary number to create an account is not recommended if you want that account to be permanantly with you.


text:
I can't turn on cellular data for postpaid sim card
I was trying to start mobile cellular data. It's been a year I can't turn it on. Usually, I am currently using Postpaid sim card. When I was using Prepaid sim card than, I could turn mobile cellular data. I was reading the article. They said to change APN protocol. I have reset APN. But, I can't find anyway to configure existing APN protocol for Airtel sim card. But, I can't create a new one. They had said to Opt For a Factory Reset. I had reset my mobile 5-6 months ago. In the article, they had said to Reset Your Phone’s Network Connection by the "code" ##72786# then, I am getting connection problem or invalid MMI code. My sim card is 3G. I don't think that "I didn't make it 4G that's why I am getting the problem" (cause, my prepaid sim card was 3G either). I don't have any data limit also. I have rebooted my mobile thousand times. My mobile isn't in safe mode also. Sim card isn't expired also.

You can also manually configure APNs, see "Robi Internet Settings for Android Phone" section here https://wikiofinfo.com/robi-internet-settings/

@Robert still not working

If you can test the SIM card in a different device to check if it works at all for Internet. Otherwise contact your provider.

@Robert It's working well in other device


text:
snopping using developer options. keeps turning back on itself
I think my borther in law has gained access to my phone and written a admin app/ script to automatically turn on developer options. I have turned it off umpteen times and yet it turns itself back on.
can anyone think of how he can do this and what the solution to this is? It appears to do this regardless of having any form of connection to the internet/phone network. I removed the sim to establish this. I have tried to uninstall apps via adb but still.

Disabling developer options has no effect, it is just the menu. You can access this menu e.g. by certain apps even if it is not enabled. Or are you referring to the Android Debug Bridge (adb) that allows device access via USB?

adb bridge am referring to


text:
Write a script to extract memos?
Is it possible to run a script on Android that would access the Samsung memo app, take each note in there, copy its content, send it somewhere (e.g. an email or just store in a text file) then delete the note?
Can something like that be done in Java/C++?
Is it necessary to write an android app for that?  Or is there a way to let a script written in Java, C++ or even Python run on my phone?
By the way, my device is a Samsung S6 and it is unrooted.

Does this answer your question? How can I export Samsung memos?


text:
Apk signed with no rsa or dsa compatible signature
I am building an signed apk to uploaded on a mdm.
I used to do this routine without a problem but since I updated to android studio Arctic Fox 2021.3.1 I get the message:
"Your apk is signed using a certificate that we currently don't support. Please use RSA or DSA certificate".
Aren't apks signed with rsa or dsa certificates?
How can I use these kind of certificates ?

How do you sign the created APK (jarsigner or apksigner) and which key type has the used signing key?

I use android studio generate signed bundles with apk.

Please check the used keystore and the contained private key of which type it is. Th easiest way is to open the keystore file in a  GUI program like https://keystore-explorer.org


text:
Android tablet says it's OTG compatible, but it won't detect other devices when plugged in
I have a proprietary tablet that's been secured. It's a mediatek mt8163, with Android 8.0.
It's a "Managed Device" as android likes to call it. Anyways, I ended up being able to create a hack that installs an app, and I then gained root access.
When I run an OTG checker app, it says the device is OTG capable/compatible. However, when I connect the OTG cable to any device, it will only charge, it won't recognize that another device has been connected. Therefor I can't transfer data or anything of the sort, which is my goal.
Is there any setting that I may be able to access in the terminal that will fully enable OTG? I have Super User access in the terminal, so anything I can do to troubleshoot OTG from here would be greatly appreciated.

Mediatek devices rarely support OTG

@alecxs Could the OTG checker just be giving me a false positive?

I don't know that app but it may give you separate info about hardware- and software support. additional software may required

@alecxs That's kinda what I was thinking. I just can't find any other software and/or settings that may help with this.

search for other users with same issue same device sure you will find solution

Does this answer your question? Is there a definite way to know if my phone supports USB-OTG or not?


text:
Make SSL certificate trusted by Chrome for Android
I want Chrome to trust an SSL certificate. How do I add this certificate or its issuing authority to the system or browser so that Chrome will not generate an error upon trying to access the website that uses it?

A workaround I found is to use the default web browser:
https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/226765/ca-certificate-somehow-not-taken-by-browsers-on-android/255688#255688

Chrome is one of the few apps that trusts custom root CA certificates installed by the user.
First you need the custom root CA certificate. Usually it can be downloaded to your Android device. Place it e.g. in Downloads folder.
The following installation procedure is for Android 11 running a non-modified version of Google Android. On older phones or on phones that are running a heavily modified Android version (like used by Samsung and other manufacturer) the settings may be named different.
Therefore you can simply open Android Settings app and in the Security section select Encryption & credentials ->  Install a certificate -> CA certificate. Then select the downloaded certificate.
You can verify that the certificate has been installed in Encryption & credentials -> user credentials.
Note that the installed custom root CA certificate will be only used by Chrome. Other apps will not accept it as by default modern apps (targeting Android 6+) don't trust certificates installed by users.
2023-06:
Recent versions of Chrome for Android no longer accept custom root CA certificates because Chrome now checks certificates additionally using the Certificate Transparency system.

Is CT actually the reason Chrome doesn't accept custom CAs anymore?

@lxgr to may understanding yes, CA is the reason.

If I use Firefox instead of Chrome, it is not working either on Android 11 (Waydroid). We have to approve the exception manually so there is still a warning "Connection is not secure" when clicking on the lock logo and it will not work for some websites using HSTS preload like Facebook. Is there a workaround?

I just found out that there were is a secret way to make Firefox trust user CA certificates installed in Android: it is hidden in the secret debug menu.  If you activate this menu you can enable the option Use third party CA certificates.  Normally clearing the browser cache should delete HSTS cert pinning entries, but I don't know if Firefox has some built-in pinned certificates for popular domains that are not deleted by clearing browser cache.


text:
Force upgrade Huawei from Android 6? Is it still supported by Google
I have a Huawei CAM L21 that I have updated to EMUI 4.1.3 which is the last update I got a prompt for.
The Android OS is Android 6. I don't see any prompt or button for any further update.
Now I am getting messages that I can't use apps e.g. YouTube with the message that Google Play is not supported for this device. I also can not find the icon for Google Play anywhere (I have checked the disabled apps etc)
This error started happening few weeks ago.
I suppose that Google stopped supporting Android 6 recently?
In any case, is there a way to force upgrade from Android 6? What would the steps be? Or is there any solution for this device?

google stopped supporting huawei for political reasons. you can use alternative stores like f-droid or sideload apk

Google still supports Android 6, but there are actually 2 different issues that aren't really related here: 1) Google cannot provide Huawei with Google apps anymore, including Play Stores and Play Services due to the US ban 2) According to GSM Arena, Huawei Y6II only received upgrades until Android 6.0 officially. Further than that, you have to resort to custom ROM.

@AndrewT.: But why did the problem occurred last month only? Did something happened?

@alecxs: But why did the problem occurred last month only? Did something happened?

since updated EMUI?

@alecxs:No I hadn't. I started getting the errors and then updated to the last EMUI


text:
I'm having trouble identifying the SD Card on OnePlus Nord 200 5G for partition and format
I recently got myself a OnePlus Nord 200 5G running Android 11 and I'm trying to format my SD card. The problem is that I can't identify the card in ADB shell. From the shell:
OnePlusN200TMO:/ $ sm list-disks
disk:179,0
OnePlusN200TMO:/ $ sm list-volumes all
emulated:179,2;0 unmounted null
private mounted null
private:179,2 mounted a0104c1c-c041-4496-9c7d-aa584d166a71
emulated;0 mounted null

So is the 179,0 the internal and 179,2 the SD? If so, and I want to format like half or 2/3 as internal and the remaining as external (256 GB SD) how would I do that? I'm being extra careful because I have seen posts that bricked the phone.

disk:179,0 is the disk MicroSD Card and private:179,2 is the partition MicroSD Card. you already adopted 100% and will lose apps and pictures on repartition (no root required) https://android.stackexchange.com/q/224372

I'm afraid you can't do that without root access

Thank you, that's one thing I needed to know.

no root required


text:
What decides if WiFi sharing will work or fail?
Android 11, Mobile hotspot, under advanced, has an option called "Wi-Fi sharing", where it says "Share your phone's Wi-Fi connection in addition to mobile data".
I've switched this on, set the phone to have WiFi on and mobile data off, and then switched mobile hotspot on. But it immediately comes up and says "The current Wi-Fi network can't be shared using Mobile Hotspot. Mobile data will be used instead."
If I click OK, I see I have WiFi still on, mobile data still off, and I'm surprised to find I can connect to this mobile hotspot, and reach the internet with it. (In fact this question is being sent over it...)
My question was going to be what kind of WiFi network will this work on, and that is still my main question, so I can guess when it might work in the wild (*). But I'm also quite curious why I got an error message telling me it won't work when it actually does. I am running a VPN on the phone - could that be what confused it?
*: Main use-case I can think of is when you pay for WiFi at a hotel but they limit to you to N devices; or free WiFi which involves a tedious signup process for each device.

Which ROM is it? Not a stock Android feature but this can be achieved: https://android.stackexchange.com/a/202335/218526. Android offers Wi-Fi Direct sharing though.

Upvote from 30,000' having just spent $25 for WiFi I can barely use . I'm finding it really hard to Google an answer to this one


text:
Blocked numbers' calls still come through
I am currently under assailance of incredibly pestidious telemarketers that call me at the top of every hour, to the point of having literally ripped out a tuft of hair from my head.

I block all the numbers, but they keep changing the numbers they come from.
However sometimes I still get calls from those blocked numbers, they ring the phone, and when I go to block them, I see it's already blocked, and that indeed that number had called me before!
There are so many numbers I have lost track and count, so I'm not sure if it's just 1 bugged number or a variety of them.
I have tried unblocking and blocking again, to no avail.


text:
When I turn on tethering on my mobile, my phone stops having access to internet
I have recently changed carriers and never had this problem before. I havent changed anything yet but the new carrier claims I should be able to use both (1) pc connected over wifi to hotspot on my phone, 2)my phone as usual). But as soon as I enable 'wifi hotspot' on my Samsung Note 10, newest Android, all of a sudden I cant get email/notifications/data on my phone, until I disconnect. Then everything arrives.


text:
MIUI: Turn off auto flash off feature with power button
My Device: POCO M2 Pro
Useless Feature: If flashlight is on and screen is turned off, then pressing the power button will turn off the flashlight first instead of waking the screen.
My Question: How to disable this feature? It is set like this by default and there are no settings to change it.
If my screen is off, I can't turn it on when my phone's flashlight is being used for some purpose where a temporary cut off from light source would be a problem.
Disabling MIUI optimisations and then doing something is not preferred. Double tap to wake screen gestures etc. are not solutions to my problem. What if I press the power button accidentally!
Thank you in advance. Any suggestions are welcome.


text:
Will a wireless usb keyboard work with android smartphone
I have a samsung A10 android 10 smartphone. I intend to buy a On The Go USB adapter and plug in the Keyboard adapter that is usually connected to my laptop so i can use my wireless keyboard and mouse with my smartphone, will the android OS recognize and accept this operation, Thank You for your time and effort

You used an OTG cable and then plugged in the keyboard adapter?

Okay Thanks lemme execute then, lets hope it will work

As long as the USB wireless adapter does not require any special drives or tools on host side this should work (it just have to register as USB HID device). When it comes to wireless keyboards most people directly use a Bluetooth keyboard as all Android phones have built in Bluetooth.


text:
Is there a way to search for contacts with special characters in their name?
I have a Pixel 3. Some of my contacts have special characters in their name, e.g. "&". When I search for these contacts nothing comes up (nothing from my contacts, it will display some results, as far as I can tell they are results from the local caller ID lists).

Try different apps. Or develop a small one just for search purpose. It's simple.

Do you have a suggestion for a different contact app?


text:
Android app can see what kind of app installed on my phone
I privacy concern about my android 9 phone, my employer ask me to install app on my personal phone.

Can this app see what apps installed on my personal phone.
If I allowed to this app camera access could this access to my picture and files in gallery.

That would depend upon the app.  Some can, some can't.  You would have to check with your employer.

Package Visibility. 2. Camera and Storage are different permissions.

On Android 9, without XPrivacyLua app, you cannot prevent an installed app from getting a list of all installed apps.


text:
Widgets broke after restarting
I have a tablet (Samsung T805) and I have had a very annoying issue with it, since its very first day: every couple of restarts, happens that ALL widgets disappear from Home screens.
So I have tried different, several launchers, but the issue propagates also in them (tried Nova, Smart and Lawnchair), the best behaviour is in Go launcher Z, where the widgets boundaries are visible, and it is less painful to restore them.
In the others, they completely disappear!
This happens much often, usually every 3 resets/shutdowns.
I have tried several ways to avoid it, but no success!
It happened on Android OS 4, the very first one, up to 7, its actual LINEAGE version.
There are no memory full issues.
I do regularly a cache clean.
Here follows a screenshot of my Home screen:

Do you, by any chance, using an external SD card and moving the apps there?

no dude, I have always choose to use my SD as external storage only


text:
Is android letting apps know I'm using VPN?
I'm abroad and trying to use my Norwegian app using a VPN, but somehow it knows I'm connecting though VPN and denying me to stream. (It's giving  a specific exception giving this exact information.)
Is it actually possible for the coders to use a function to let the app check this, or is it because the IP is a known VPN IP?
Obviously it's not in the user's interest to let apps know you're using a VPN, and I don't see a reason why apps should have access to check network settings on OS level.

Read this and this to understand how streaming services detect use of VPN //you can use VPN servers that allow streaming and take remedies to prevent detection (not sure how effective it is though VPN Unlimited, which I use claims this as a big plus)

Check if a VPN connection is active in Android?

Even if OS doesn't let the apps know that their traffic is going through a VPN, it's hardly possible to hide this fact from a determined app developer.


text:
Is possible to extract app from original KDZ file?
I want to extract the Call/SMS App and the Remote controller App to install them in to a lineage OS version of the same phone.
I have a original KDZ and nandroid made it with TWRP bootloader.
The phone is not rooted. I was not able to do this.
The phone is an LG G4 H815 (T-Mobile)

Should be possible using KDZZ and then extract the image in the ZIP file contained payload file via "Payload Dumper Tool".

Does this answer your question? Extracting data from a TWRP backup


text:
Sign-in to Google account does nothing
I cannot add Google account to my Galaxy A5. I input email and password correctly, agree terms. Then the circle spins and nothing happens, account is not added. I cannot sign in to any Google stuff such as Gmail as well due to the same reason. I tried clearing cache of Google Play services but no help.

Which Android version is installed? Is the installed ROM the original or a custom ROM?

Version: 8.0.0. Should be original ROM if I understood correctly. I bought it from a shop 3 years ago. Google sign-in was working correctly but one day due to a forced update I guess it signed-out and now I cannot sign-in again.

You could try to manually update Google Play Services to a more recent version e.g using one of the variants that matches your device. Those APKs can be retrieved e.g. from ApkMirror: https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/google-inc/google-play-services/google-play-services-21-33-13-release/

@alecxs I already did.

@alecxs I also cleared app data. No help.

@Robert I update Google Play services to 21.30.59 manually but problem still continues.


text:
What to look for in a phone that will be kept for many years?
I am asking this on behalf of someone who strongly dislikes changing their devices. What should I pay attention to when purchasing an Android phone with the intention to keep using it in the long term (at least 5 years)?
As you know, after a certain age, smartphones tend to start having problems, such as slowing down (perhaps to the point of unusability), lack of security updates, complete battery failure, and probably a bunch of other things I did not think of. It is also unclear if spending more (e.g. flagship vs mid-range) actually helps with longevity. This is where I need your help: advice in preparing for the future. I am not looking for specific model recommendations. Instead, I am looking for information about what features/properties to look for that will help the device function well a few years down the road.  This device will be for "normal" everyday use (i.e. calls, messaging, photos, navigation, social media, etc.)

I am disappointed that my question was closed within 5 minutes of posting as a "duplicate" of another post which barely touches on an answer. The question might be similar, but the other thread does not have good answers, and by closing my questions you are denying me the possibility to receive better answers. Not a very good first experience.

That kind of question (like Why is Fairphone better than Samsung) attracts opinion-based answers what is not very suitable for this site. Descripe your single problem with android device so that others can suggest possible solution.

@Ship as the one who closed the question as a duplicate, I think it does answer your question: unlockable bootloader and good support for custom ROM (+replaceable battery if needed). Most Android manufacturers only have at most 3-years-of-support policy. Longer than that, you need to rely on their community support like custom ROMs. Also, this question is basically the same, and anyone can still answer the linked question so that all info is centralized, not fragmented. Otherwise, please [edit] and explain why the question is not a duplicate, and the community can evaluate and reopen it.

Yes, that answer basically says "custom ROMs and replaceable batteries". Customs ROMs require technical knowledge most don't have, and replaceable batteries are basically non-existent (and conflict with the other suggestion of getting a popular model). Overall, it is not a very useful answer.

@Ship whether the answer is useful or not for you, unfortunately that's how the Android market works. Call me curious though for what kind of answers that may satisfy you without contradicting the facts. (Also, alecxs mentioned Fairphone, which is possibly one of the niche Android smartphones that may satisfy your requirements)

"technical knowledge most don't have" that's one heck of an enthusiast...


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Installing an app (.apk file) from the native Android HTMLViewer 8.1
I have a tablet that's locked up pretty good (Android 8.1). Locked bootloader, managed android OS, proprietary apps, etc... I'm trying to see if I can get an app to install on it. One way I've thought of is through the Android HTMLViewer (version 8.1).
The tablet has a help file that's HTML, which opens with HTMLViewer. So I tried throwing an apk file in the same directory, and seeing if I could modify the help.html file with an anchor tag that points to the apk.
I've tried the following:
download

download

download

download

Each one gives that same result. The viewer simply tries to parse the file and gives me a huge jumble of whacky characters.
I thought about writing a small script in Javascript utilizing the FileReader object, such as this.
However, I'm quite certain that HTML viewer is so slimmed down, it probably doesn't support this object. It is compatible with jquery, so I suppose there is some hope for this.
Any ideas on how I could tweak this to accomplish my goal would be greatly appreciated.

I think your main problem is not the download but how you start the package manager which is responsible for app installation. But based on your description it is not clear how the device is locked. What have you tried so far and why does each method fails?

@Robert This device built for a secure environment... So it's super tight. No adb, slimmed down settings, fileObserver that deletes files that aren't supposed to be there. In short, it's one helluva challenge. It's a customized ROM. There was one exploit that worked, and has since been patched. So I'm looking for other potential.

@silencedogood Does HTML viewer normally support JavaScript? I tried opening an HTML file with JS with HTML Viewer on my phone, it didn't say that JS isn't supported, but it also didn't render any of the JS, only the HTML and CSS.


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How to dictate single letters and number to Android?
at the job we routinely use a web application through our smartphones and on one of its screens we have to input the chassis number of cars, technically called V.I.N.. Just to let you know, a likely VIN could be something like "LJCP013X00123...4F"
We would like to dictate those VINs because we usually wear gloves while we use this web app.
Now... I tried to dictate single letters as "El", "Jay", "Cee", "Pee", "Zero", and so on.
But Android goes nuts, tries to come up with a word that obviously does not exist and just stop listening.
Do you know if there is a workaround to dictate single letters and digits to Android?

So it turns out this behaviour was partially dependant on our application. Our application used to mingle with the dictated text to convert in upper case and to remove blanks while dictating. Once this behaviour has been turned off, we are able to dictate letters and digits too.

And how exactly did you dictate?


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Disabling screenshots systemwide
How can I disable screenshots systemwide for every app? I'm running the Samsung Galaxy A51 with Android 11.


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How to make it open in browser to click a YouTube video in the result of the Google search app?
If I remember correctly, clicking a YouTube video in the search result of the Google search app used to open YouTube in my default browser. For some reason, it now opens the Play Store link for YouTube. Can I prevent this and make it open in the browser?

@beeshyams I disabled the YouTube app a long time ago (if you see the screenshot above, you see "Enable) because I do not use the YouTube app and it cannot be uninstalled.


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The phone is not running Samsung’s official software
Does anybody why my Samsung a40 phone briefly in red text say "The phone is not running Samsung’s official software." and then booting to Download mode. I got this error after trying to flash Twrp.

TWRP is not an Samsung official software. Even if you failed to flash TWARP completely at least some change seem to be written -> the software no longer in a genuine state.

already linked on your other question one can't install TWRP on RMM state prenormal, your only chance is flash full stock ROM from Odin and wait 7 days with registered SIM card until device gets unlocked, then read carefully instructions how to unlock bootloader correctly without activating vaultkeeper

This answered my question: https://www.sammobile.com/forum/threads/45894-Restoring-Stock-Firmware-with-Heimdall