text:
(SOLVED) How to recover data from Android ... /sdCard/ ... /Downloads on Xiaomi Mi5 MIUI8 (Android 6 Marshmallow)
UPDATE: 2018/06/27, bootloader implies wipe and it is a dead end for Data Recovery, mount as USB Mass Storage implies root to change settings, and for Mi5 or MIUI 8 this implies flashing ROM (dead end too as implies Data overwritten) so the only method I found is this (if the device is functional) then with the RAW partition dump recover files is easy
(LEGACY-post as is solved)
I have a problem I want to solve:
Notice: This is a specific problem, please try to advice on that matter (see complications at the bottom), any help and clarification will be very appreciated.
Fact:

I deleted by mistake files on path .. sdCard / .. / Downloads (internal memory)
Seconds after mistaken-deletion, I shut off the device, to prevent overwriting.

Specs:
Smartphone
Xiaomi Mi5 Miui 8 (Android 6 Marshmallow)
Non-rooted
Stock-recovery
WiP (workflow):

I notice about USB Mass Storage instead MTP (as key feature to connect device to PC) (and use some kind of recovery app like (Recuva or R-Studio (r-tt.com))
But I don't know how to activate that (Mass Storage) on my specific device and MIUI (Android version)

Another choice is create a image dump from custom recovery (TWRP) but how to install custom recovery...
... without changing the stock ROM,
... I saw unlocked bootloader is needed
Complications:

How to recover data from (internal sdCard, eMMc | UFS), without overwriting data.
How to root (if needed) without the changing of custom-ROM (if it is possible), on this specific device.
How to install custom recovery (bootloader unlocked is needed) to make a "raw image dump" exact byte-by-byte from the recovery ( isolated image dump, to work with IT Forensics tools)
Xiaomi Mi5 (how to root, methods, if it is needed), and how to install custom recovery, TWRP (bootloader unlocking etc)
Thanks in advance, first post here (a reader for years), I hope some people lead the way ^^, I want to learn.

Xiaomi Mi5 particularities: (more info-sources will be appreciated)

root methods (without ROM-changing)
TWRP recovery (stock ROM if possible) => create internal memory RAW image) to work with.
Bootloader-unlock methods and process

Please focus on one question (you are asking 4 of them)- one question at a time will help you get quicker answers and is best suited for this site. There is nothing stopping you from asking multiple questions !

While waiting for answers, please take a look at our data-recovery tag-wiki and the questions using that tag. As you correctly assumed, using a custom recovery requires to unlock the bootloader, which usually implies a factory-reset. There might be a [tag:rooting] method that works without; as @beeshyams pointed out, that would be a separate question ("How to root the Xiaomi Mi5"); our rooting index doesn't have that yet and neither could I find that question on our site, which means you should go for it.

You are right @beeshyams (my mistake, as newbie) I will create separated questions to isolate the problems, then link that to the "main problem".

Thanks for suggestions @Izzy, I will (Data Recovery tag and related for clarification), as you said I want to avoid "as maximum as possible" writings on internal-memory, avoiding "factory reset" or wipes as possible. After TWRP is installed, I could create a NANDroid backup of specific partitions (raw images) then set them read only and mounted on PC I could use some IT-Forensics apps... to recover deleted (non-overwrited files)

If your device is unlocked, you could even use TWRP without installing it: fastboot boot twrp.img would directly boot it without any modifications to the device.

Thanks, that is good idea, the problem, device has locked-bootloader, now I am searching for an easy and minimal method to unlock bootloader (without flashing ROM, wipes, factory reset)... Other devices have easy methods to unlock bootloader, I will create a question as how to unlock bootloader methods in this particular device, searching for the best method, less agressive with internal memory writings.

Flashing TWRP or boot via FastBoot with TWRP image It is technically impossible with a locked bootloader? There is nothing like a hack or something? ... If not I could backup partitions via ADB? If unlocking-Bootloader is the key, I need to find a proper method (official, unofficial or new back) thanks for answers.


text:
root-android.org - A scam?
I would just like to know whether the website root-android.org and its product is a big scam when it comes to rooting Android devices. If it is, then I advice other would-be rooters to stay away from it if they were to come across it.

30 bucks to root your Android? We would be rich if we would charge only half of the amount. Instead we give away this information for free @ Android Enthusiasts.

@Flow Very good point

According to this ScamWarners post, it may be a SCAM.

The site Root Android.org supposedly carries out the service of rooting and unrooting mobile phones with a "special" program. Like all scam sites "100% money back guarantee if not satisfied" is a in your face feature, alas nothing is further from the truth.
  After initial email contact regarding technical issues with the downloaded program, there is nothing and certainly no contact when exercising the refund option.
  I have since searched and found that the program Root Android.org uses is a free download from a few specific sites that deal openly with the global community.
  The old warning of buyer be ware rings true, I sincerely would not use this site again and warn anybody who is contemplating mobile phone rooting to steer clear of Root Android.org.

For sure one program can't possibly be used for multiple devices, rooting depends on your specific phone & the version of Android running. My main point was to warn potential newcomers to Android, if they unsuspectedly came across the site and thought it was good idea.

What would prevent one program to be used for multiple devices? E.g. SuperOneClick comes with many rooting methods.

@Flow I thought that in order to Root, the method was specific to your individual phone, thanks for advising otherwise

@Simon each rooting exploit is specific to a "kernel bug", and such bound to (a range of) Android version(s). In some cases, manufacturers might backport fixes, so the exploit cannot be used on that device -- but in general, the exploit is not device-specific but Android-version-specific.

@Izzy Thx for clarification

They are absolutely scammers. Their software, whatever it is, didn't work for me. Support "helped" by telling me to install a number of free software apps from the web and then never responded to further emails. SafeCart did not respond to email requests for a refund. After a week of trying to get someone to answer an email I finally called SafeCart and they issued a refund no questions asked.

Nothing better than an account from first hand experience

They list testimonials, which are from anonymous people who may not exist, so like most testimonials those are worthless. They don't list any reviews from any publications or other sources you might trust. They talk about being mentioned on Google and other places, but those are just search engines that have found their site.
So they've got no credentials.
Maybe it works, maybe it bricks your phone, you MUST be prepared for that because everyone who roots is screwing around with things that sometimes brick phones, sometimes work, and none of the free advice is written clearly or works for long, as files keep getting taken down or obsoleted.
Use a credit card, if it bricks the phone charge it back if you don't get a prompt refund. if it really worked so well, how come they can't get anyone to review it and post the review? Not even forum threads from "known" forum members?
"If it sounds too good to be true" it must be a rooting solution. The guys who say rooting is easy and reliable, somehow never are capable of writing really clear and complete instructions on how to do it. Never.

Most likely they gather rooting software or rooted kernels from XDA-Developers and sell them along with a guide also copied from there.
There isn't any fast way other than those you can find through a Google Search.
While I can't say it's a scam, I don't recommend you paying $30 for that. Better search Google for how to root your device and also add your Android version, because most of the time that matters.

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


text:
Bought Samsung Galaxy II in China, need to change alerts, etc. to English
I just bought my phone here in China and have changed the language settings to English.  I get all my alerts, error messages, ets. in Chinese characters.  Wish I could read them, but since I can't, how do I make my phone communicate to me in English?  I am a total Android newbie having dumped my iPhone and it's lackluster battery for this phone.  As soon as I tweak it a bit, I'll be thrilled.
By the way, pretend I am in kindergarten when explaining what to do, otherwise I'll have to ask my son to help and I really don't want to give him more tech power over me than he already has.
Thanks in advance for the help!

If you've changed the language settings to English and still see Chinese characters in the stock apps, i'd be worried about the authenticity of the phone...

You could get a US/UK Firmware from samfirmwarec.com and flash it with heimdall / odin. But you will lose your warranty and I can not guarantee that it will work (it could even leave your phone in an unusable state).
Flashing can be done with three easy steps:

get your phone in download mode
connect it with usb
configure heimdall/odin and start the process

There are some other things that you need to be aware off, but everything is documented in the links I included. Maybe you son will also help you. :)

Can you once try Menu-> Settings -> Language & Keyboard.
The first entry is "Select language".
English is third in the list in my phone.

You can change to English: Go to Settings , then select language.
I bought mine in Beijing and I only use English.

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


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Can an Android device be locked down by an administrator?
I would like to know if it is possible to use android devices in a work environment with restrictions on the phones usage.
These phones would be given to members in the field to log data, and only that. Is there a simple solution that exists for this purpose?

Yes indeed.  Android 2.2 and higher supports Microsoft Exchange security policies as well as administrator applications.


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Save accepted untrusted certificates on email app (HTC Sensation)
I have a problem with the mail (not gmail) app on my HTC Sensation, that I'm guessing is part of HTC Sense 3. I'm using a server that has an untrusted certificate, and every time I try to refresh my email a dialog requesting the certificate to be accepted pops up. The problem is that when I try to send an email from that account the messages get stuck in the outbox until I manually refresh the mail forcing the certificate to be accepted again.
Is there any way of storing the known/already-accepted certificates for the mail app?
Thanks!

Option 2 seems most promising.  And another method.

Did you check whether that would work with server certificates? In both cases, topic are Certificate Authorities (CAs) -- which are the ones who sign those server-certificates the OP has trouble with. Would be interesting to know whether one of the described methods is applyable here.

I'd suggest switching to an alternative mail app -- K-9 Mail probably is a good choice. I use it for about 2 years now with a mail server having an "untrusted" (self-signed) certificate, and never experienced what you describe -- so this should solve your issue.


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Write to device failed (no link / unknown error / too many links)
I am trying to flash TWRP to my ZTE Axon 7, but until now I just keep getting errors every time I try to flash something.
D:\ZTE Axon 7>fastboot devices
a773911d        fastboot

D:\ZTE Axon 7>fastboot flash recovery "D:\ZTE Axon 7\twrp-3.5.2_9-0-ailsa_ii.img"
Sending 'recovery' (16104 KB)                      FAILED (Write to device failed (Unknown error))
fastboot: error: Command failed

When I look at any guides/videos online, it just works, but not for me. The device is already wiped and the bootloader is unlocked. I also tried some commands like clear cache and reboot bootloader, but they produce the same kind of error. I am in fastboot mode, I also get some unknown error in MiFlash.

So basically I haven't really been able to flash anything. Already tried different ports and cables, don't have any other cables lying around.
Trying to use fastboot boot (different USB ports):
C:\adb-platform-tools>fastboot boot twrp-3.5.2_9-0-ailsa_ii.img
Sending 'boot.img' (16104 KB)                      FAILED (Status read failed (Too many links))
fastboot: error: Command failed

C:\adb-platform-tools>fastboot boot twrp-3.5.2_9-0-ailsa_ii.img
Sending 'boot.img' (16104 KB)                      FAILED (Write to device failed in SendBuffer() (Too many links))
fastboot: error: Command failed

C:\adb-platform-tools>fastboot boot twrp-3.5.2_9-0-ailsa_ii.img
Sending 'boot.img' (16104 KB)                      FAILED (Status read failed (Too many links))
fastboot: error: Command failed

Really running out of ideas on this one, I've already tried numerous things and keep getting a variation of these "Write to device failed" errors all the time.
PC does have a Ryzen 5800x, maybe that is the problem?

"Too many links" does not mean that your Android had too many sausages for breakfast. This stupidity has persisted for too long. In Linux EMLINK (Too many Links) is 31. In Windows 0x0000001f is "A device attached to the system is not functioning". In Fastboot for Windows they let a Windows error get translated as a Linux error. In short, the Android was not responding over USB. Why is a different question.

Ok, the solution is pretty weird.
I was reading MrNoob - How to fix data transfer failure (Too many links) error in Fastboot? which mentions something about Windows 10 drivers being problematic, so it is suggested to use a USB 2.0 adapter or something similar. So I have one of those and tried a command, and it worked. Next, I tried flashing
fastboot flash boot twrp.img

But it still didn't work and got the "Couldn’t parse partition size ‘0x’". But I thought to myself how can this be, one command works and the next just fails like that all of a sudden.
Then I read through DroidWin - How To Fix Fastboot: Error: Couldn’t Parse Partition Size ‘0x’. I guess you can skip the root requirements for now and look at the flash command used:
fastboot flash:raw boot twrp.img

However, this still didn't work and I have tried it before, do you know why? In my case, it's really f-ing weird.
One thing I must mention before this is that I also installed the "QDLoader HS-USB Driver_64bit" drivers, on Windows 10. This will now display some "Test Mode" text on the lower right because these drivers are not signed by Microsoft.

Connect the phone to USB 2.0 adapter with a proper cable
Make sure the device shows up in fastboot devices
The weird thing is, DO NOT use any peripherals like a wireless mouse on the same USB adapter the phone is connected to. It probably interferes with it somehow.
Now run the command and it should work (you can use fastboot reboot bootloader just to make sure it's OK and commands work)

Might have to repeat these steps if the commands stop working again.

I've been going through every step you're all talking about. Most of the articles are fairly accurate, but they're outdated.
It's a weird procedure and you have to have the right tools installed (drivers, software, etc.). But, I've found that the key is in the order that you do these steps for fastboot to connect (recognize the device).
It's still a trial-and-error but so far, I've deduced:
Once you have everything set up correctly, unplug the device from USB, enter flash mode, plug in the device, run fastboot devices, and verify it's detected (make sure it's the only thing that is connected). If it's not detected, the fastboot command will fail. If it is connected, run your fastboot command and cross your fingers!

This is definitely port’s problem, use usb2.0 port instead will solve it all.

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


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Can I install Android using Android studio on any supporting devices?
I have a Samsung phone. I don't know anything about installing Android and about Android Studio.
Can I install Android on it using Android Studio?

Android Studio is purely for developing Android apps. hence you can only build Android apps, install them on a device or emulator and you can run/debug it.
Android Studio has no functionality for flashing Android system images or "installing Android" on a device.

There is no general Android and no general way to install a new system image onto a device. Nearly every device/chip manufacturer has it's own way to do so. hence without exactly saying what phone model and manufacturer you use nobody can help you. The best way is to visit the device specific forum at https://forum.xda-developers.com/ and read there about the specific way to root your device and install custom ROMs.

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


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Disabling the clipboard history on Samsung devices
Samsung Galaxy Note 9 running on Android 9 stores all old clipboard entries which requires me to manually delete it every time.

[2
How can I opt-out of this "feature"?

AFAIK a clipboard with history is not part of the standard Android system. Therefore it has to be Samsung or app-specific.

After a long while and more serious privacy flops I had, I found a solution to this security breach of Samsung (Credit).

Install adb on your computer (manual)
Setup adb access (e.g. USB Debugging) on your device (manual)
Launch adb shell and execute the following commands:

pm uninstall --user 0 com.samsung.clipboardsaveservice
pm uninstall --user 0 com.samsung.android.clipboarduiservice

Do you lost the Copy/Paste function after uninstalling samsung.clipboardsaveservice and samsung.android.clipboarduiservice while using Samsung Keyboard? BR

No. Only that nasty clipboard display.

"Only that nasty clipboard display" suggests a fix which is merely cosmetic. It would be good to know whether the two commands suggested above actually stop the OS from keeping a list of the stuff that was copied to the clipboard. Ideally, a command that could be run prior to the two pm commands that dumps the clipboard history could be repeated after the pm commands to show that the OS no longer has a notion of clipboard history.

"It would be good to know whether the two commands suggested above actually stop the OS from keeping a list of the stuff that was copied to the clipboard."
Now I have tested this. The OS not only keeps the list, but it also keeps adding to the list even if the above 2 applications are uninstalled.
(I installed them back and new entries where there.)
So unfortunately. This is not a solution. We need to find which application does the recording and maybe even where does it records them.

Does this solution work on rooted and non-rooted devices?

@RockPaperLz-MaskitorCasket worked for me on a non rooted device.

To revert the uninstall, you can use pm install-existing --user 0 <package name>.
For example pm install-existing --user 0 com.samsung.clipboardsaveservice

I want to suggest a more robust and smooth way to solve the problem. You do not need such brute-forcing as uninstalling the Samsung clipboard agent, but an automated way of cleaning the clipboard.
The solution will be two-folded:

Keep your passwords in a full-fledged password manager Keepass2Android
Clipboard cleaner built-in the above password manager will do this for you

You can set up whatever timeout you want, and it will clean upon reaching this timeout.

Advantages against your solution, Shimmy:

No need to USB debug enabling
The same automatic cleaning way, but more flexible
The cleaning affects only passwords, whilst you can enjoy typing history for all other text pieces, which is very handy

This feature is not reliable! The Keepass2Android documentation explicitly states that this feature is not guaranteed to work. For security reasons, the android clipboard should never be used to copy sensitive data:
"Note, however, that information in the clipboard can be monitored by all apps on your device and clearing the clipboard is not always possible"

maybe it is not reliable but better than ADB way

Not tested because I am not rooted
ClipboardSaveService and ClipboardUI are made to keep copies of the Clipboard, and your system copy functionality will break if you disable/uninstall them (You need a ported AOSP version to let it only copy once and to make it be stored in the RAM not stored in the NAND)
You can use an Automation software (like Automate or Tasker) to delete "/data/Clipboard" files after you paste. (Yes this is the directory that Samsung store the files in it instead of RAM)


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How to stop Google from eating event texts
I am using Messages version 14.5.20.5. After the most recent automatic Android update (One UI 5.1), Google is eating texts that contain event links. An "add event" button briefly appears and then disappears. About 30% of the time, an event is added to my calendar but it doesn't contain any useful information (not even the link nor the name of the sender). So basically these texts are lost.
Presumably, Google was trying to implement a feature that would generate a useful calendar event from texts. I don't need such a feature. How can I turn it off? (Also how did I give Google the indication that I wanted this feature turned on in the first place?)

Welcome to Android Enthusiasts. Based on checking the app version, looks like this is Samsung's stock Messages app, not Google Messages. Thus, it's very likely that Samsung added the feature, not Google.

@Andrew You're right, it appears to be a Samsung app. (Given that this is the case, why would an Android update cause it to start the Add Event behavior?) In any case, your solution appears to work. Thank you!

This Samsung UI feature of creating events from SMS was discussed here last year.
Based on a quick look, it appears you can (and should) disable it from the Settings > Advanced Features > Smart suggestions screen.
For a moment, I assumed there was an SMS standard that includes events in a Calendar-useful format, but it seems to be a simple script sniffing your SMS contents and trying to guess if this is an event-related text.


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Galaxy Edge 7 edge lighting reminders
How would I go about setting a repeating reminder that just lights up the Edge on my S7 Edge?
I have a need for a reminder that just lights up the edge in the same way as it does when the phone is face down and you receive a call (Edge Lighting in Settings).
I have to do something every hour but I don't want the phone to vibrate or make a sound whilst I am in the office do as not to distract my colleagues.
Ideal situation:

I set a reminder for 9am to repeat every hour
At 9am, 10am, 11am, etc. the edge lighting comes on with no sound or vibration

As per this blog , edge lights up only when selected people call . Is there any other condition under which it lights up? Please mention all events that trigger that to think of a solution

I'm not aware of any other condition. I can't believe it hasn't been done already though, seems like a really obvious feature to add given the capabilities of the device. I don't want to have to write an app, I only need to use it for a few weeks.

I suspect the answer to this question is "no, not without a 3rd-party tool". Might have to resort to some third-rate Q&A site like Quora if that's the case.... shudders

Hmm..I was thinking of automation since you are talking of hourly schedule but that would mean that the automation app runs on another device and gives you a call every hour. Not convenient, but that's the only idea I have

Have you checked your alarm app to see if it lights up?

Yeah, having something call me every hour seems like overkill. Maybe Samsung will read this and add it in their next update package.. Now there's wishful thinking for you :D

I have checked the alarm app, I added an alarm set not to make a sound or vibrate but it didn't light the edge up unfortunately =\

Lighting up notification LED seems doable though , but then they may not meet your needs

Yeah I won't see the light but I can see the Edge... "This awkward bugger.." I hear you say. Well, you're not wrong :D thanks for all your suggestions though :)


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How to Turn on mobile data on all apps when each is set to off
I somehow  individually turned off mobile data on 250 apps. How do I turn all of them on. I don't remember how I did it. I am on a poco F1 android 9 miui 10.

Did you any app to switch mobile data off? Please update the question with your device models and Android version.

I can't find it through the settings but finally I found a popup view window titled restrict data that appeared when an app requested mobiledata permission, selected to restrict all and then clicked a second time to unrestrict all. It's an option at the top of the list of apps. It is different from the restrict data in the settings


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LineageOS / bardockpro / recent LineageOS installation package do not work
I have been happily using and occasionally upgrading a bardockpro device for many months.
However, in summer 2019 the device stopped booting into upgrades that were released after July. The most recent build that works, insofar as I know, is the 20190710 nightly build.
Since then occasionally I tried newer builds - never successfully. I habve also flashed stock rom. and then retried recent lineageos builds. No success.
The problem, in my reading of an issue  is that the device is not critically unlocked. Therefore not all parts can effectively can be flashed.
so, one question was: how to
get
Device critical unlocked: false

to
Device critical unlocked: true

?
However, my reading of the issue was misleading - and this was not the question. The question was way less specific: how to get the device working with the updated builds?

https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=3704406

Well, the solution emerged in a conversation in the German Android-Hilfe. The solution was to

flash an older Stock ROM version.
let the Stock ROM update itself, and in that process, seemingly, get all the partitions "right".

Afterwards I was able to install recent Lineage OS builds following the standard installation instructions.


text:
samsung galaxy s5 screen blink problem
I am using Samsung Galaxy S5 android 6.0.1, after marshmallow update i am facing screen blinking problem. when i unlock screen it started blinking. and when i open hayday Game, it stopped blinking. so anyone tell me what should be the issue for this problem?

What is hayday application?

Hayday is a game.

Try wiping cache partition, it may be that old files there are causing the problem

@MANI if hayday is a game then why it shows in application's list?

Try this solution:
Go to settings >> system >> About device.
Find "Build number" and click 6 times fast on it.
It will enable developer options menu in settings.
Come back to Home Screen, and then go back to Settings >> system >> Now you will see the Developer Options menu
Now go to Developer options >> Drawing Section or Rendering Section >> Find "Turn off hardware overlays" or "disable hardware overlays" >> This will force the phone to always use GPU for screen adjustments.
Restart your device and see no more screen blinking.


text:
How to create QR contact code from vCard
Just came across a website with a QR code that when I pointed the mobile phone camera towards it (I am using a mobile phone with Android 10), it opened a window with Name, Phone, Email, Website, Title and a button to "Import contact".
I know that it is possible to generate QR codes specific for social medias, like WeChat and Facebook and those will detect your social medias, but I am wondering if it is possible to generate a QR contact code readable solely by the camera of my mobile device, ideally from my vCard with similar functionalities as the one above, more specifically the "Import Contact" option?
If yes, how do I do it?

The QR content is explained in ZXing's wiki, a library to generate & scan QR: Barcode Contents - Contact Information. The behavior also depends on each camera app since not all Camera apps support QR scanning though, thus need to install specialized app.


text:
xolo q1011 can't root
I have a xolo q1011. I tried to root but none of the methods vroot,towelroot,pieroot,sideload,cwm worked.  Is there any other way to root my phone so that I can install cm ROMs. Its in version 4.4.2 it have the Google sync problem as well

Finally I found it. The 1.7.8 version of Vroot can root my phone

Kingoroot.
http://www.kingoapp.com
I hope it will work for you

tried Kingoroot,SmartRoot, and few other similiar softwares no hope. Is there anyway I can manually do it?


text:
Dialer Apps crash after a few seconds, 4.4, almost new phone, no modifications
As titled. Two week old Sony Z3 Compact, running 4.4. Not flashed/rooted. Plenty of apps installed. I'm very new to Android, so I have no idea how to go about troubleshooting this issue, and could use some advice. It's a new phone and I can't make calls. I'd like to avoid the wipe everything and start again approach I've seen elsewhere online.
Thanks

If you can, try to go to Settings -> Applications -> All
applications and find your Dialer app (usually called dialer). Then
delete data and reboot your phone. That should fix issues coming
directly from the dialer app itself.
If other applications like
Contacts or Messages (Hangouts) crash then some databases inside
your phone (eg. contacts.db) are corrupt or have wrong permissions
associated with them.

Rooting and then fixing permissions manually may solve the problem if the first option didn't do it.

I don't have dialer in the list - could it be called something else?

For me it's called "Telephone". Maybe you find that in your list.


text:
Seems like my SD Card just died... can I insert a new one?
So today my HTC Desire randomly froze, then started acting strangely - only showed the background image, nothing else. Didn't respond to power-off or anything so I pulled the battery.
After this, it simply would not boot up, just gets stuck on the boot up screen.
The phone is flashed with InsertCoin ROM so I can still get into fastboot but can't make backups - it can't load the SD Card. Error given is: E:Can't Mount /dev/block/mmcblk0p1 (Invalid Argument)
When I try to mount the SD Card to my computer it fails (ie. computer doesn't recognise it at all). Tried other random SD Cards and they mount no problem (thus shouldn't be a problem with the reader)
Main question... can I insert the original SD Card that came with the phone, and will the phone bootup and be usable? (note: this SD Card would be pretty much 'as-is' since I used a diff SD Card pretty much from day 1)
Sub question... anyone with ideas on if I can salvage what is left of this original SD Card? (can't seem to get anything to recognise it at all...)
Thanks in advance!

Ok, after a lot of headache (the replacement SD card I got sent from where I originally purchased turned out to be a 2GB card rebranded to be 16GB!), I think I now understand everything a bit better.
This is my understanding of the situation:
Flashed with Insertcoin ROM (and possibly other ROMS)
The SD card needs to be partitioned in a particular way for the custom ROM to work (ie it requires an ext2/3/4 partition to boot up). So inserting a brand new unpartitioned SD card would not work. You will at least need to format the card accordingly. With the correctly formatted card, I would imagine you can then boot up the phone. Data on the SD card will obviously be lost, but data on the phone should be ok.
Note: When I put in the new SD card, I wiped all caches, phone memory etc and re-flashed the ROM, so I lost everything. Though having played around with it a bit more, I do think it would have been possible if I just partitioned the SD card and booted the phone up. (Not tried, just an educated guess, and if it is true, it will hopefully mean you lose less data in the unfortunate event that your SD card retires)
Stock non-flashed phone
My guess is that you will be able to insert a new card and things should work. Data on the card will obviously be lost.

There's no reason you can't use the original card.


text:
What is the effect of "power saving mode"?
Android OS from ICS and above has a "power saver mode" by default (I own a samsung)
What does this mode actually do?
If it reduces clock speed of cpu, then by how much?
How does it attain this power saving? By limiting cpu? Gpu?

It limits your CPU, but how much varies on each device. For example, my device maxes out at 1.2GHz; power saving throttles it down to 810MHz. It also lowers brightness when using the Samsung browser and disables haptic feedback.

I think this is a manufacturer specific feature, not an Android feature.
My Nexus 4 running 4.4 has no power saver mode.
My HTC One running 4.4 does have a power saver mode and although I can choose what aspects of the phone I want to limit to conserve power, I am not told how / what they do to save the power. I guess this will be chosen and set per manufacturer but for example, on my HTC device in power saver mode the options are;
CPU Power
Conserve CPU usage
Display
Reduce screen brightness
Vibration
Turn off vibration feedback
Data connection
Put to sleep when screen is off
Have you had a look in your settings menu? It may well tell you in there what is being limited.


text:
Can Android and/or Apps handle switching an SD card temporarily?
I have a lot of apps and app data on my SD card. I know Android handles unmounting and remounting that card very well.
However, what if I temporarily insert another SD card onto my Android device - will the system handle this OK and be back in the same state when I reinsert my original card? What about apps, should they in most cases handle this well too?
What I'm worried about is that Android seeing the empty SD card decides that I've removed all the apps that I had on my SD card, and any apps I have left will also think I've removed their data and rewrite some internal indexes accordingly...

AFAIK it is very difficult for an App to identify the inserted SD-Card. A regular App should be able to handle the case if the SD-card is not available (ejected or connected as drive to the PC via USB) but I assume that most Apps can not handle the case when you regularly switch between two SD-Cards.
In general you should not start any Apps that use the SD-Card while you have inserted the "wrong SD-Card".
Regarding the Apps moved onto SD-Card - this is a different topic. As my device does not allow to switch the SD-Card while running I have no clue what happens e.g. to the app data in your device if you switch the SD-Card.


text:
How do I turn off the power-on sound and camera sound in a Galaxy S II?
I have followed several guides and can't get any of them to work on my Galaxy S II. How do I disable these sounds?!

See also: LG Optimus P690 - how to launch silently

This requires a rooted phone. There is a good guide here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1103399
If you don't have ADB, get the full Android SDK from here: http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html (it might come in useful multiple times, and all app developers should already have it). Don't trust websites offering ADB alone unless it the official Android site. After installing it, browse to the install directory, then "platform-tools", then open the command line -- on Windows 7, this is done by shift-right-click and choose "Open command window here", then type "adb".
Power-on sound
This sound file is NOT in the standard location for Android (/system/media/audio) so most guides haven't worked for me.
Connect your phone to your computer and open ADB. Go into shell with "adb -d shell". Now become super-user with "su" - your phone must be active and unlocked - a dialog will open which you accept. In ADB again: " mount -o rw,remount -t yaffs2 /dev/block/mtdblock3 /system".
Now rename the sound files so they can't be found!
"cd /system/etc"
"mv PowerOn.wav PowerOn.wav.old"
"mv 1_Power_on.ogg 1_Power_on.ogg.old"
Restart your phone. There should be no power-on sound.
Disable camera sound
Again. this sound file is also not in the standard Android location (/system/media/audio/ui/camera_clicker.ogg) so most guides haven't worked for me.
First, make your / read-write. In ADB, go into shell then type "cat /proc/mounts", find the line where "/" is the second column, and remember the first column which in my case is "rootfs". In ADB do "mount -o rw,remount -t yaffs2 rootfs /"
Now you need to edit the root default.prop (that is, "/default.prop"). In ADB: "cp /default.prop /sdcard/default.prop". Copy it from your SD card to your computer (Samsung Kies is the easier way). Add the line "ro.camera.sound.forced=0" and save. Put the edited file back onto your sdcard with the same name. Now "cat /sdcard/default.prop > /default.prop"
Restart your phone. Open the camera app. Taking photos and videos should now be silent.

Just go to sounds and set volume to 0 for system


text:
SD card problem, card gets suddenly removed and later added- Sony Xperia X8
I am using xperia x8 version 2.1 update 1.
Sometimes my phone creates problem with sd card i.e it automatically ejects stating "sd card unexpectedly removed" and after sometime it again shows "sd card preparing" and it works on. This distracts me to work in phone automatically the process gets delayed. I even tried by shutting down my phone, but the problem occurs.

Looks like the cause of you problem might be:

Your SD card is corrupted or with some problem
Your version of Android is very outdated and might have bugs

Try to use another SD card, if you get the same problems then I highly recommend you to flash a custom ROM like CyanogenMod 7 for example. Here you can get some tutorials about how to make it Update Xperia X8 with official firmwares or custom firmwares

I faced the same issue at least couple of times, but now its stable. I also have Android 2.1 update 1 version on my phone.
I strongly recommend you back up all your data (Call logs, Messages, Bookmarks, Contacts and Market Apps) to a PC.
After backing up your data try the following:

Reset the Settings (Settings -> Privacy -> Settings reset). It's going to restart the phone. Let it restart the phone.
If step 1 doesn't help then do factory reset (Settings -> Factory data reset). It's going to remove all the data from your phone.
If still no help then use Sony Ericsson Update Service to flash the Stock (Original) ROM into your mobile.

Please format, remove and reinsert the SD Card into your mobile.
You can try Nathan's solution, but your phone's Hardware should support the latest Android versions (>= Android 2.2) otherwise there are Custom ROMs.
As far as I know your phone's hardware won't support higher versions of Android. It allows you to flash the custom ROM but you will be able to use very minimal features of that Android.

I solved my problem by going to Settings -> SD card and phone storage and unmounted then remounting the card.

This could be a hardware issue. If the SD card is continually failing / un-mounting like this, try another SD card, and try the first SD card in another device.
If the first card fails in the second device, it's the card. (Cards are cheaper to replace, so hope it's this.)
If the second card fails in the Xperia X8, it's probably hardware related. I would not root & mod to attempt to solve this problem as it's more likely to be hardware/warranty related.

use the chkdsk method
first insert your sd card in a reader then insert it in your computer then type cmd in start windows then run the cmd next type chkdsk /x /f then the card letter ex.chkdsk /x /f F: and then it will check the error and fix.


text:
Can't boot, can't view recovery options, winok w77, no support from manufacturer
I have a friend staying over and he has an android tablet: winok model w77
The tablet is stuck on a boot loop and I am trying to get it working again however nothing I have done so far has been of any help.
If I turn the tablet on then it goes to the splash screen (of manufacturer) and it will stay there until I turn it of or the battery drains
Pressing volume down +  power has no effect
Pressing volume up + power button shows the splash screen, then the android image with a gear on it for a fraction of a second to then go to the android dead image, no options in between nor after, pressing on anything or combination of anything has any effect, tapping on any area of the screen has no effects
ADB
ADB works in both while normal boot (although in a loop) and in recovery
SHELL works only in normal boot
SHELL in recovery says:
- exec '/system/bin/sh' failed: No such file or directory (2) -
I am guessing previous is because partition is not mounted, adb remount says:
remount failed: Success

After reading a while I notice some people saying about the dalvik-cache causing problems, since I don't have any automated options like mentioned in many posts I tried by going into normal boot then

adb shell
rm -r /data/dalvik-cache
rm failed for /data/dalvik-cache, I/O error

I suppose is because it is in use? or maybe corrupted?
Also getting Segmentation fault on recovery:

adb shell
recovery
Segmentation fault

The device was not modified in any way from the manufacturer
There are only 3 buttons volume up and down and power
Battery is not removable
From here I really don't know what to do, is there no way to fix this thing?
The manufacturer does not answer emails, they don't have a phone and don't even have a support page on their website so I can't get any type of support from them, does anyone here has something I have not tried?

---EDIT---
@Izzy, following your message about formatting the data and cache partitions:
format and factory_reset commands were not available in my tablet, after searching around I found a way to format the partitions on my device link thanks also go to raskolnik from that link, I have also kept a copy of the sdparted zip so if the link on that page stops working send me a PM and I will send you a copy, that link describes the general usage but here is what I had to do:

127|root@android:/dev/block # mount
mount
rootfs / rootfs rw 0 0
tmpfs /dev tmpfs rw,nosuid,relatime,mode=755 0 0
devpts /dev/pts devpts rw,relatime,mode=600,ptmxmode=000 0 0
proc /proc proc rw,relatime 0 0
sysfs /sys sysfs rw,relatime 0 0
none /acct cgroup rw,relatime,cpuacct 0 0
tmpfs /mnt/asec tmpfs rw,relatime,mode=755,gid=1000 0 0
tmpfs /mnt/obb tmpfs rw,relatime,mode=755,gid=1000 0 0
/dev/block/nandd /system ext4 rw,nodev,noatime,user_xattr,barrier=0,data=ordered 0 0
/dev/block/nande /data ext4 rw,nosuid,nodev,noatime,user_xattr,barrier=0,journal_checksum,data=ordered,noauto_da_alloc 0 0
/dev/block/nandh /cache ext4 rw,nosuid,nodev,noatime,user_xattr,barrier=0,journal_checksum,data=ordered,noauto_da_alloc 0 0

From the above I was able to recognize the data and cache partitions as nande and nandh respectively so I then ran

1|root@android:/dev/block # parted /dev/block/nandh mkfs ext2
parted /dev/block/nandh mkfs ext2
Warning: The existing file system will be destroyed and all data on the
partition will be lost. Do you want to continue?
parted: invalid token: ext2
Yes/No? yes
yes
yes
Partition number? 1
1
1
File system type?  ext2? ext2
ext2
ext2
Information: You may need to update /etc/fstab.

root@android:/dev/block # parted /dev/block/nande mkfs ext2
parted /dev/block/nande mkfs ext2
Warning: The existing file system will be destroyed and all data on the
partition will be lost. Do you want to continue?
parted: invalid token: ext2
Yes/No? yes
yes
yes
Partition number? 1
1
1
File system type?  ext2? ext2
ext2
ext2
Warning: File system has errors!  You should run e2fsck.
Ignore/Cancel? Ignore
Ignore
Ignore
Information: You may need to update /etc/fstab.`

As recommended per the script above I then ran e2fsck

16|root@android:/dev/block # e2fsck nande
e2fsck nande
e2fsck 1.41.6 30-May-2009
nande is mounted.

WARNING!!!  Running e2fsck on a mounted filesystem may cause
SEVERE filesystem damage.

Do you really want to continue y/n? y

Hell yes, I now got nothing to loose so yes

yes
nande contains a file system with errors, check forced.
Pass 1: Checking inodes, blocks, and sizes
Inode 2131 is in extent format, but superblock is missing EXTENTS feature
Fix y? yes

Inode 2131, i_blocks is 584, should be 146.  Fix y? yes
yes

Pass 2: Checking directory structure
Pass 3: Checking directory connectivity
Pass 4: Checking reference counts
Unattached inode 2131
Connect to /lost+found y? yes

Inode 2131 ref count is 2, should be 1.  Fix y? Fix
yes

Pass 5: Checking group summary information
Block bitmap differences:  +4706--4726 +4928--4959 +5824--5832 +19478--19488
Fix y? y
yes

Free blocks count wrong for group #0 7660, counted=7598.
Fix y? yes

Free blocks count wrong for group #2 (7678, counted=7667).
Fix? y
yes

Free blocks count wrong (982715, counted=982642).
Fix? yes

Inode bitmap differences:  +2131
Fix? y
yes

Free inodes count wrong for group #0 (4085, counted=4084).
Fix? yes

Free inodes count wrong (524277, counted=524276).
Fix? y
yes

nande: ***** FILE SYSTEM WAS MODIFIED *****
nande: 12/524288 files (8.3% non-contiguous), 65934/1048576 blocks
1|root@android:/dev/block #
1|root@android:/dev/block # ^C
C:\Program Files (x86)\Minimal ADB and Fastboot>adb reboot

So I was done at this point and rebooted the device hoping for the best and got the same splash screen so

C:\Program Files (x86)\Minimal ADB and Fastboot>adb devices
List of devices attached
20080411413fc082        device

C:\Program Files (x86)\Minimal ADB and Fastboot>adb shell
root@android:/ # cd data
cd data
root@android:/data # cd dalvik-cache
cd dalvik-cache
root@android:/data/dalvik-cache #

Bingo I now have access to the dalvik-cache folder and after a little wait ~5 min the device started, all data is lost but the device is functioning, thank you @Izzy again for going along on the troubleshooting with me!! :)

Our edits just crossed, sorry. Feel free to edit again, take a look at my formatting. Basically, it was enclosing code blocks by <pre>..</pre> or indenting code lines by 4+ spaces. // I'd say move the big "detailed process" to a pastebin for reference. It's too much to be included. Maybe I take the most relevant lines (e.g. from mount) into my answer, but we probably don't need the complete output inline :)

Summarizing the solution from the comments:
The cause of trouble was a corrupted file system: not being able to delete files from the dalvik cache turned out being caused by the system not being able to access them. From the comments:

ls /data/dalvik-cache gives me /data/dalvik-cache: I/O error

With the trace showing an error to even stat the directory, a wipe showed similar errors in many other places (as it tried to delete all files and directories recursively). So options were to re-format the file system of /data in the hope it was only the file system being corrupted (and not the block device itself). Different approaches here. Though most of them failed somehow, I'll list them all – as on a different device things might look different, and one of them might succeed though it did not here:

booting to recovery and issuing a factory-reset (or with a custom recovery, even directly formatting the affected partitions) was not a way to go, as it was impossible to even boot into recovery
fastboot -w, fastboot format userdata, fastboot format cache had to be sorted out as well, as the device didn't boot into fastboot mode
luckily, the device was able to be accessed via adb, so

adb shell wipe data; adb reboot; failed as described above (tried to "delete" instead of formatting)
some places mention format CACHE:, format DATADATA:, and format DATA: via adb shell, which initially failed here as format was not a recognized command
same for the factory_reset command available on some devices

hint: ls /system/bin and ls /system/xbin are pretty helpful to figure what commands are available on the device

last resort was to figure the file system parameters via mount (or checking /init.rc, or other means), and then using the corresponding mkfs command to manually re-format the partition.

root@android# mount
[…]
/dev/block/nande /data ext4 rw,nosuid,nodev,noatime,user_xattr,barrier=0,journal_checksum,data=ordered,noauto_da_alloc 0 0
/dev/block/nandh /cache ext4 rw,nosuid,nodev,noatime,user_xattr,barrier=0,journal_checksum,data=ordered,noauto_da_alloc 0 0

root@android# parted /dev/block/nandh mkfs ext2
# bunch of warnings etc. here, all suggestions approved with "yes"

root@android# parted /dev/block/nande mkfs ext2
# same game as with nandh

root@android:# e2fsck nande
# again confirm to fix each inode

Returned to the command prompt on the PC:
adb reboot

And the device came to the splash, took a few minutes building up the Dalvik cache again, and then booted fine!

One thing you might have noticed is a minor difference: mount reported the partitions as ext4, while Tlacaelel then formatted them ext2. Both are variants of ExtFS, with ext4 definitely being the newer one, so this shouldn't be a real issue.

Further readings and references:

Clearing Dalvik Cache without root?
Wipe data/Factory reset through ADB
internal storage partitions screwed up (this gave the final clues to the OP)


text:
No network after installing CM7 on Xperia Arc
After successfully installing CM7 on Xperia arc by following the steps here, my phone doesn't pick up any network. I looked through the forums and see that some people have reported the same problem. I downloaded the stable image from CM home page for Xperia arc.
After scouring through xda-developer forums I came across this new ROM for arc, does it solve the problem? http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1310313
Also found these in the forums, http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1102523&page=127#1263 which essentially says,

Use flashtool to flash baseband_36 (.tft)
Use fastboot to flash cm7 custom kernel (boot.img)
Use recovery to flash the rom (wipe cache & factory reset then flash the rom)
Start your phone and go to apps menu
chose "Dev tools" -> Bad Behavior -> Crash the system server -> reboot

I am using linux and couldn't make sense of the first step to flash the file.
Any help on solving this problem would be very helpful.

A "baseband" would generally refer to modem firmware.
It seems like the first step is to modify the modem firmware so CM7 can use it.
Does this flashtool have a linux binary? (This tool seems to be unique to SE phones, I didn't have to use flashtool to modify HTC phones, only fastboot.)
Found Flashtool. XDA link | Source Code Repository

You have to re-add the mobile network.  The mobile network site should have the info you need.  Go into Access Points in your mobile system menu.


text:
Can't install from market: INSTALL_FAILED_DEXOPT
I have an LG Optimus V with CyanogenMod 7.1.  I cannot install/upgrade anything from the Market.  I keep getting "Package File Invalid".  I think it may have something to do with s2e, though I only have apps and download cache moved to SD-ext.
I tried to install an app from the Market, and it gave me "Package File Invalid".  I then ran adb pull downloadfile.apk to get the downloaded apk.  Running adb install downloadfile.apk gave me:
Failure [INSTALL_FAILED_DEXOPT]

How can I fix this, so I can install apps?
EDIT: Could this be due to not having enough space for my new apps' dalvik cache?  I tried to use s2e to copy the dalvik cache to sd-ext, but it's not working.  It says "reboot required", and after I reboot, it still says that; I don't think it copied the files at all.

Can you install any file off the market or are you getting the same error no matter which file you try and download?

It's weird.  When I try to upgrade an app, I get "Package file invalid".  When I try to install a new app (one I've never installed before), sometimes it works, and sometimes I get "Package file invalid".

I updated my market to 3.3.11, and it seems I can install/update some apps now, some still give "Package file invalid".  I was able to fix some updates by uninstalling then reinstalling.  Why do some apps not install, but others do?

When I rooted my G1 and was using Cyanogen and we had a similar error we didn't need to reflash the rom, but just the gapps package - try reflashing that. Or other wise on AndroidPolice they have the latest market apk file which you could download and trash flashing that and seeing if that will install over the current market.
If that still doesn't work consider reflashing the ROM and GAPPS package again, but make sure you wipe before flashing. I always found that doing a wipe before each flash made for far fewer issues and errors.
Case in point is my wife is using my G1 running Cyanogen's 2.2 version of Android and has been up and running for the last 6 months and we haven't had any crashes or errors yet on it, and I made sure to do a wipe and clean install when loading it.

Updating the market to 3.3.11 kinda helped.  Some packages installed/updated correctly, but others still didn't.  I can try to reflash GApps (and then re-update my market).

Thanks for the suggestion, but reflashing gapps didn't help =(


text:
How to open big EPUB files?
Just found out that Play Books has a limit of 100MB for each .EPUB file one wants to upload.

Are there alternative eReaders for Android that would allow to upload/read bigger .EPUB files?
This one has around 400MB.
I am wondering how should one open these files?

Have you tried Perfect! Viewer?

Check out moon + reader pro.

eReader prestigio, but ideally chrome must add support for epub spec, it is part of W3C after all.

authors: Валерий Заподовников


text:
Where can I find the Caller ID settings on BQ version of Android N?
I have a BQ Aquaris U, which I have upgraded to Android 7.1.1, but now when I call somebody, my number is private. I cannot find where the related setting is moved. Thanks for the help!

After hours of searching among the settings:
Phone -> More options (three dots) -> Settings -> Calling Accounts -> SIM -> Additional Settings and voila, there it is :).

I don't have the same options. It appears that this solution is specific to the phone model.

@ale Or rather, the Phone app in use.

Yes, I believe that only applies to BQ version of Android.

it is there, but it's greyed out. what the heck?

Go to the phone dialling pad screen. Then go into the 3 little dots top right of screen. Select 'Settings', then 'More Settings' and in there you'll find the setting you're looking for.

nope, there is no caller id there (8.0)


text:
One-Click-Root Failed On Samsung J7 SM-J700H
I have a Samsung Galaxy J7 running 6.0.1 marshmallow which i tried to root using One-Click-Root methods like desktop versions of "Kingroot" and "Kingoroot". However, "Kingroot" doesn't support my device type and "Kingoroot" gives "Root Failed" without showing any error code (as shown in the image below) . I have my phone's OEM Unlocked and USB Debugging on and I use ONE-CLICK-ROOT because it is believed to be the safest method (according to a quora discussion). So my question is, why is this happening ? And what could be a safe alternative to root my phone ?

Kingo root "is believed to be the safest method"? If I check our site for "Kingo root", it seems the safest method to get into trouble. Failing to gain root is even the best outcome. Alternatives include sudden adware appearance and certain apps being installed over and over, regardless of your removing them… Apart from that: No, I've got no Sammy, so I cannot help you obtain root on it. But you're welcome to check with our rooting tag-wiki.

I have rooted several phones using kingo(isn't the best but it worked fine) .. Maybe Odin would work better ?

Granted: if it works out fine, people are not coming here to complain :) As I wrote, I don't use Sammys. So I have to pass this one over to someone else. Good luck!

Possible duplicate of What is KingoRoot error code 0x15F6D5?

@PradanaAumars How can that be a duplicate when it is about a particular error code, and this question specifically says there is no error code?

One click root methods seem not to work on Samsung devices running Android Lollipop and above. They use an exploit that is already patched by either Samsung or Google.
So, the best method still the  Chainfire's CF-Autoroot. I root mobile devices daily and this method seems to work on every Samsung devices. The method consists of flashing a modified recovery by entering the device in Download mode, no ADB here but OEM unlock should be required.

Download this file
Download Odin flasher
Open Odin, click on AP/PDA and select the file you have downloaded.
Boot the phone in download mode (volume down + power button the volume up to confirm)
Click on Start and wait.

The developer has rooting files for  almost all Samsung devices from his site.


text:
Is it possible to install Kali Nethunter's Apps on OxygenOS?
I just bought a OnePlus 3T. I like the OxygenOS, but I wish I had the ability to preform USB HID Attacks and use apt-get on OxygenOS if I don't want to install Nethunter. Is this possible?

Try Termux, a free application which allows you to access apt-get and many other Unix commands right on your smartphone.
You can also install the termux-sudo plugin, which allows you to run commands with root access.

I tried that, put their package manager isn't complete.

No, it isn't, but that's the closest you're going to get on Android. Each package has to be built and adapted for Android - the already available list is immense already.

Nethunter is actually a ROM Overlay, I'd still have OxygenOS and all the apps would be installed anyway.


text:
How to disable Vibration in Android devices?
I find vibration super annoying and utterly useless, especially in tablets.
I want to totally disable or even destroy, if needed, the vibration feature or part of all my 6 Google Nexus phones and tablets, and 1 Samsung tablet.
Anybody can help?

Community bump prevention: this question was closed because the question seems to have been abandoned (OP hasn't visited the network for more than 5 years, and no answers have score above 0). If anyone can evaluate the existing answers, feel free to vote accordingly and reopen the question (or mod-flag the question requesting for reopening). For anyone else having the same issue, please post a new question and refer to this question as additional context.

It depends on the mobile. On Samsung Galaxy S7, there's "Sounds and Vibration" in "Settings".
For Nexus devices, you may want to check Change volume, sound & vibrate settings.

Thanks for the info. Any clue about Nexus devices? I have only 1 Sumsung tablet, but 6 Nexus phones and tablets.

@NickChen Updated my answer for Nexus devices.

I have stock ROMs from Google on all Nexus devices, mostly rooted. There is no option to disable vibration or haptic feedback in Settings, not even the Developer options.

In AOSP there is no way to entirely disable vibration to my knowledge (currently running Android 7.1.2.).

Is their anything like sound & vibration settings, Sometimes you will have sound profiles in their, you'll see the one that you're using is marked beside it, Try to open the settings for the profile your using and then see if you can turn it off in their ... so Sound & Vibration > Profile Settings Button > Turn of vibration . ???? I'm on 5.0 so I'm not sure if it's still their

Install Vibration Tuner Xposed module (root required) after installing Xposed framework and set "global vibration strength" to 0%.
Compatible with at least Android 5-7 (I don't personally own a device with Oreo installed).


text:
How do I add a Google Assistant command to a button on the homescreen?
I'd like to add a widget/shortcut/whatever to the home screen that would allow me to execute a google assistant command as if I had said it.
For example, "Turn off the Livingroom TV".
This would be extremely useful, as it would allow me to dedicate a page in my launcher to home automation tasks. Sometimes it's not reasonable to use my voice (baby on lap for example) and while I'm aware I can hold the home button then click the keyboard icon, I was hoping there was a quicker/easier way.
Although I'd prefer a general answer, I'm using an LG V30+, running Android 8.0.0 if you have any more specific ideas.

Since asking this question, Google has release an app called Action Blocks which does literally exactly what I'm asking for in this question.
With it, you can create "actions" which are either from one of the predefined examples or you can type in arbitrary text which would be parsed as if you typed (or said) it into google assistant directly. These actions can be attached to the homescreen as widgets.
It's not the fastest application in the world, and it's still a bit buggy at time of writing, but it's also only about a week old so I imagine it'll get more solid over time.

Another new alternative that has come to the surface since writing this answer, is the Home Assistant integration. Those with a technical inclination will likely prefer this method. For me, it's been vastly more reliable than google's action blocks and far more customisable and was easy to set up seeing as I already run a home assistant server (though admittedly not as easy as action blocks).

There is Assistant Shortcuts app on Google Play. I haven't tried it myself, but I think it is a possible solution to your request.

I appreciate the idea but reading the description it looks like the app you mention is deprecated in favour of one with pretty low reviews. I'll give it a try if no other answers come to the surface.

I had a bit of a look at this application - and it does handle some phone automation tasks, but I couldn't find a way to trigger google actions that aren't related to that specific device.

If you create a routine in the Google Home app, you can then add that routine to your home screen on your device.  No need for extra apps other than the official Google Home app.


text:
Start Page for "Opera for Android"
The problem: I am trying configure my "Opera for Android", the "full" browser for the Android OS, to start at the "Speed Dial", and not at the last loaded website page.  This is an issue of saving data traffic.  I run a website where some pages are long lists, which I don't want reloaded the next time I start Opera.  Yes, I know I could (and do if I remember) close Opera by clicking on the red O, and pick "exit".  This works to close all tabs, but I would like to not have to be dependent on my remembering.  Any help will be appreciated.
I have found no answer for this issue. Usual search results are for everything else other than "Opera for Android".  My apologies if I missed an answer somewhere for "Opera for Android".
The "Opera Forum" is not usefull, because, again, all answers are not for the Category "Opera for Android". Also, this question is not for Opera-Mini.


text:
Suddenly getting "Gmail won't run without google play services, which are not supported by your device"
Samsung Galaxy J7 running Android 8.1.0. Totally vanilla, not rooted or anything like that.
A few days ago suddenly gmail and other google apps stopped working, showing messages like "Gmail won't run without google play services, which are not supported by your device". Have had the phone for years & been using all the usual google apps all the time and this has never happened before.
Looking in settings->apps, Google Play Services is in there, but the Google Play Store is not.
What I have tried:

Reset app preferences.
Went into google play services under settings->apps and tried to uninstall updates, but it said something like "failed to uninstall updates".
Attempted to remove my Google account from the device (thinking I'd add it again afterwards which might reset something) but it asks for my Google password and does not accept the password (which is definitely correct, I can see it and compare directly with the one that works on my computer).

I have not tried a factory reset because I am concerned that if google play services still don't work after the reset, I won't be able to install whatsapp and other apps that I rely on.
Any ideas?
thanks
EDIT: I followed advice in the comments and installed google play services from apkpure. Now, the phone doesn't work at all. I keep getting the message 'com.google.process.gapps keeps stopping' and it prevents me from doing anything at all on the phone.

Download this.. https://apkpure.com/apkpure/com.apkpure.aegon/download and try updating play services

@Aayush Sorry but if you post a link to an app please name the app and describe what it does. As anybody can post here links it could be just malware or something other unwanted.

It's ApkPure.. Sort of an app market.. trusted.. He thinks he won't be able to install apps after reset cause Play store won't work..........

@Aayush while version 3.17.19 of APKPure app is considered safe, the previous version has been infected by malware at least once.

@AndrewT. Ohh.. didn't know about that.. btw i currently use aurora store from fdroid.. open sourced.


text:
how to mount storage and data partitions in recovery mode in adb shell?
iam a newbie.but i have learnt adb commands.
i need to enable usb debugging through adb shell commands.
i am confused with terminologies itself so please answer simply.
steps i want to perform:
1.boot into recovery mode
2.run adb shell
3.mount system & data partitions
4.some adb commands...

If you're using a custom recovery:
CWM (Clockworkmod-based):
1. Use volume buttons to navigate and power button to select
2. Find "Mounts and storage" menu
3. Select "Mount /system" and "Mount /data"
TWRP (TeamWin's):
1. Tap "Mount" in main menu
2. Tap "data" and "system"
Manual way (using adb command):
Run adb shell and run these in the given sub-shell:
mount -o rw /dev/block/bootdevice/by-name/system /system
mount -o rw /dev/block/bootdevice/by-name/data /data

In case /dev/block/bootdevice doesn't exist, run:
fdisk -l /dev/block/mmcblk0
# If it shows a lot of entries, find the partition number of system and data manually then
mount -o rw /dev/block/mmcblk0pX /system
mount -o rw /dev/block/mmcblk0pY /data
# X and Y are the numbers you found from fdisk's output

i am getting this error error: device '(null)' not foundi have installed google usb drivers my phone's drivers and everything is fine.although i haven't turned on usb debugging.because my touch is broken.by the way my struggle is to turn on usb debugging and use phone  by mirroring to my pc

mount /sys/block/mmcblk0xxx /data
You will need to replace "xxx" by proper partition value, it depends on your device.
Same applies for system.


text:
Pixel 4 OEM unlock impossible?
My new Pixel 4 just arrived, and I want to install LineageOS on it. Problem is, the OEM Unlock toggle is disabled (greyed out).
It's not a carrier-locked device or anything like that (purchased from a Dutch retailer).
I've tried a bunch of "fixes", mostly various combinations of factory reset, with and without WiFi or SIM, the adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.android.phone command, etc.
Are there any other options, like sideloading a custom recovery (if that's even possible)? Or is there a chance it will become available after 7 days as I've read somewhere?

Based on existing questions, looks like there are Pixel devices (particularly refurbished) that are bootloader locked. I'm afraid this is also one of them.

As original Pixel 4 devices can be bootloader unlocked the phone you bought is not what you could expect by the "Pixel 4 " product description (unless the locked bootloader was explicitly mentioned). Usually this should allow you to send back the phone and get back your money (most country has this in their consumer protection law).

@Robert Yes, here you can return things for any reason within a set period (unless damaged in which case warranty applies). Returned it and got a Galaxy S10e instead, which unlocked no problem.


text:
Cannot install google play store on xiaomi Redmi2
Google play store stopped working so i tried to uninstall/reinstall it
The problem is that when i try to install it by the Google Installer app (i downloaded the apk of the google installer and transferred it by usb) the download automatically pauses as soon as it starts and remains paused forever... In the notifications, google installers says that its "waiting for network"
Im using a functional wi-fi connection (can use the internet in other apps without any issue).
I already tried to:
Unistall updates/force stop/clean data of Google Play Services (wich is already installed);
Removed my google account;
Added a fresh google account;
Restarted the device several times;
Try to install using other internet conections;
but i just cant make it work...
Does anybody have a clue on how to solve this issue?
The device is a xiaomi HM 2LTE-BR, Android version 4.4.4 KTU84P

Try to use Gapps, download and flash it through recovery mode


text:
I accidentally boot looped my Lenovo A2010-a
I recently flashing ResurructionRemix 7.1.1 unofficially ported for Lenovo A2010 and after successfully flashing and booting into the ROM I noticied that the touch screen is not working properly (touch points were jumbled).
So I booted into recovery (TWRP) to flash another ROM (CUBOT) which was working without any problems. But even in TWRP I the touch points were jumbled and I couldn't swipe to confirm the flashing.
So I tried to flash the stock rom (which i downloaded) with 'SP flash tool' but ended up with boot loop. Then I tried to reflash TWRP and I ended up with a bootloop and NO custom recovery.
I am still relentlessly searching for a solution so please help.
EDIT: Flashing stock rom as mentioned by @esQmo_ fixed the bootloop but the touch screen problem still persists.

Flashing an appropriate stock firmware will solve this! Did you try booting in recovery then perform a factory reset?

Thanks @esQmo_ it worked. But the touch problem still persists. And for the recovery, its as i said touchscreen problem.

You may have a touchscreen problem. You need ro change it

Hey bro I also meet the same thing I repair this by flashing stock frimeware from PC using so flash tool

Had same problem, spent hours figuring it out. Only thing I can tell you, that problem is NOT the touch screen or its fw but LCD. Something in custom rom forced LCD parameters to overwrite resolution and that causees touch screen to think touch points are where they are not. I bought new phone, never figured how to solve it.


text:
Can I install Android app without all required app permissions?
For many apps on Google play such as Facebook I would like to install them, but I would not provide all the access they require while installing. For instance, I would not like to provide the access to Contacts. Is this possible?
I am targeting the Android versions 6 and later.
I know how to revoke the permissions later time, but installation time, Facebook prompts me with the big accept list, that at that time I cannot disable.
The needs access to dialog pops just after I press the install button.

If an app targets Android 6 or higher, most of the permissions listed in your screenshot will have to be approved (or denied) by the user at runtime – i.e. when you're using the app. There are several permissions not falling into this category, as Google defined them as "normal" (and only "dangerous" permissions are considered worthwhile to be presented to the user). So you e.g. will never be asked for Internet access (if you denied, Google couldn't show ads).

OTOH one of course could argue: if you're concerned about your privacy, Facebook is the wrong place to go in general :) And of course again, if you don't trust an app, watch out for alternatives. Best at F-Droid where you can trust every app.

I would like to switch on "runtime permissions" model somehow. At the moment "needs access to" dialog forces me to Accept on all. I am still not sure if there is some setting where I can manage the accept.

@lzzy, btw, I am on Android 7.1 I believe if this helps.

You can't "switch that on": either the app targets Android <6 (then it's off), or the app targets Android 6+ (and its on). All up to the dev. For older apps, you can just "revoke" permissions afterwards, if your ROM allows. Again rudimentary this is possible via Settings › Apps (either by a global "permissions" tab, or via a "permissions" button on each app's details page).

@lzzy, I would switch that off if possible. My question was how to suppers need access to dialog if possible.

All up to the dev.  Can you clarify this. Are you saying that this depends on the device?

 For older apps, you can just "revoke" permissions afterwards, if your ROM allows.  Yes. I can do that from Settings > Apps, I can confirm that. I can control the access permissions for any app, not just for some older apps.

@prosti your question didn't say you just want to suppress the dialog (which is a bad idea anyway; I'd rather want to have it complete again). You wrote you want to install an app without the listed permissions – and that's what my answer matches. And it's up to the dev what permissions the app requires, as well as what Android version (and thus permission model) he compiles it for. And yes, you can control some permissions via Settings but not all (e.g. no Internet).

@lzzy, the dialog we are talking about is not providing the option to accept or deny a service installation time. You must accept all in bulk. I would not say this is good or bad, but how you would install that app without suppressing this dialog? I guess I need to ask another question :)

Created https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/196664/is-it-possible-to-suppres-the-bulk-access-dialog

@Izzy "Best at  where you can trust every app."  Come on now, you know better than to make a blanket statement like that.  FDroid is a reputable marketplace, and lots of transparency, but there's no way anyone can guarantee any app marketplace to that degree.

@YetAnotherRandomUser name a better place. But agreed, healthy scepticism never hurts. Though, it's still more true than "only install from Playstore because that's the {only} safe place" (whether with or without the "only"). From a privacy standpoint, Playstore is a nightmare.

no that is not possible at that time because they are preset conditions in the android manifest which need to be fulfilled before downloading the app on your device

Wver heard about "runtime permissions"? If an app targets Android 6 or higher, e.g. access to the Camera, Photos/Media/Files, Contacts, Calendars etc. will have to be approved (or denied) by the user when the app runs.

Thanks for the comment @jainil looks like you are right but I will check for more feedback on another answer.

@prosti that's only true for Android 5 and below, as I've pointed out.


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Android Notification Issues relating to time
Over the past few weeks, I've had a serious increase in issues related to notifications on my Pixel, running Android 7.1.2. I'm beginning to suspect some sort of larger overarching problem, and I'm curious as to what the technical minds at Android Enthusiasts think.
My problems:
1) Notifications appear anywhere between 1 hour and 2 days late.
2) Clicking on notifications usually doesn't work, and sometimes presents the activity for the notification hours or days later. (example: I was at a CostCo and clicked on the location aware notification from the Google App, yesterday. This morning I was simply using my phone and then the Google Maps page for CostCo finally appeared.)
3) Do not disturb has failed to turn off at the appropriate time. (I set Do Not Disturb on Total Silence for one hour, eleven minutes after the time it was suppoed to turn off I looked at my phone, tried to change the volume, and the status bar appeared explaining the phone was on Total Silence for -11 more minutes. That's a negative eleven. In this instance, my sim card was out at the time, but I don't think that should have affected it.)
What could be causing these issues? Is it something timing related like I hypothesize?
Edit: I have rebooted multiple times and am fully up to date.

I have rebooted multiple times and am fully up to date. Edited post.

My wife is having the same issues with her phone, an LG G5 on Nougat as well. Verizon has now sent her two replacements that are having the same issue. No resolution in sight.

@Andrew sorry to hear that! Try and follow this question to see if there's a solution later.


text:
Crash when installing application leading to weird "No such app found" entry in drawer and forced reboot
A few days ago I installed a app from an .apk file. Unfortunately, my phone decided to die during the installation process. Since then I have a weird entry in my drawer looking like this:

If I click on it, I get a toast saying "No such app found". This alone wouldn't bother me but since then my phone also crashes after about two minutes after it started.
I've tried investigating this problem but I couldn't find anything really helpful. The only thing I found is a post from StackOverflow describing what happens when you install an application. Based on this I think there went something wrong with the intent registration, corrupting a intent register or something like that.
What I've tried so far is cleaning the cache and installing and uninstalling the app again. When the app is installed again, the weird entry in the launcher disappears and even after the app is uninstalled, it doesn't reappear. However, my phone still keeps crashing and after a reboot it reappears.
Does anyone have a idea what is going on here and how to fix this? I would be very thankful for any help :).
Additional information:

Device: Samsung Galaxy S7 (herolte)
ROM: LineageOS 15.1 (Android 8.1.0)
Rooted: Yes

EDIT:
I've also already tried getting the logcat output before the crash but unfortunately it shows nothing really interesting and I think the reason for the crash is not included because it crashes before a write to the logcat takes place.
Also, for clarification, I would like to avoid a factory reset.
EDIT 2:
I've now tried rebooting into safe mode. The drawer entry persists, but the system doesn't crash here. Also, when long pressing on the app and selecting "App info", the launcher crashes with the following entry in logcat:
06-17 18:16:00.960  4599  6669 I ActivityManager: START u0 {act=android.intent.action.VIEW dat=market://details?id=<redacted>} from uid 10026
06-17 18:16:00.960  6727  6727 D AndroidRuntime: Shutting down VM
06-17 18:16:00.961  6727  6727 E AndroidRuntime: FATAL EXCEPTION: main
06-17 18:16:00.961  6727  6727 E AndroidRuntime: Process: org.lineageos.trebuchet, PID: 6727
06-17 18:16:00.961  6727  6727 E AndroidRuntime: android.content.ActivityNotFoundException: No Activity found to handle Intent { act=android.intent.action.VIEW dat=market://details?id=<redacted> }
06-17 18:16:00.961  6727  6727 E AndroidRuntime:        at android.app.Instrumentation.checkStartActivityResult(Instrumentation.java:1937)
06-17 18:16:00.961  6727  6727 E AndroidRuntime:        at android.app.Instrumentation.execStartActivity(Instrumentation.java:1616)
06-17 18:16:00.961  6727  6727 E AndroidRuntime:        at android.app.Activity.startActivityForResult(Activity.java:4487)
06-17 18:16:00.961  6727  6727 E AndroidRuntime:        at com.android.launcher3.Launcher.startActivityForResult(Launcher.java:1916)
06-17 18:16:00.961  6727  6727 E AndroidRuntime:        at android.app.Activity.startActivityForResult(Activity.java:4445)
06-17 18:16:00.961  6727  6727 E AndroidRuntime:        at android.app.Activity.startActivity(Activity.java:4806)
06-17 18:16:00.961  6727  6727 E AndroidRuntime:        at android.app.Activity.startActivity(Activity.java:4774)
06-17 18:16:00.961  6727  6727 E AndroidRuntime:        at com.android.launcher3.InfoDropTarget.startDetailsActivityForInfo(InfoDropTarget.java:70)
06-17 18:16:00.961  6727  6727 E AndroidRuntime:        at com.android.launcher3.popup.SystemShortcut$AppInfo$1.onClick(SystemShortcut.java:97)
06-17 18:16:00.961  6727  6727 E AndroidRuntime:        at android.view.View.performClick(View.java:6294)
06-17 18:16:00.961  6727  6727 E AndroidRuntime:        at android.view.View$PerformClick.run(View.java:24770)
06-17 18:16:00.961  6727  6727 E AndroidRuntime:        at android.os.Handler.handleCallback(Handler.java:790)
06-17 18:16:00.961  6727  6727 E AndroidRuntime:        at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:99)
06-17 18:16:00.961  6727  6727 E AndroidRuntime:        at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:164)
06-17 18:16:00.961  6727  6727 E AndroidRuntime:        at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:6494)
06-17 18:16:00.961  6727  6727 E AndroidRuntime:        at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method)
06-17 18:16:00.961  6727  6727 E AndroidRuntime:        at com.android.internal.os.RuntimeInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(RuntimeInit.java:438)
06-17 18:16:00.961  6727  6727 E AndroidRuntime:        at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:807)
06-17 18:16:00.965  4599  6669 W ActivityManager:   Force finishing activity org.lineageos.trebuchet/com.android.launcher3.searchlauncher.SearchLauncher
06-17 18:16:00.970  4599  6781 W DropBoxManagerService: Dropping: system_app_crash (1567 > 0 bytes)
06-17 18:16:00.971  4599  4614 I ActivityManager: Showing crash dialog for package org.lineageos.trebuchet u0

You have to use logcat. If you know that an auto-restart is imminent it is best to put the device plugged Into PC and logcat output being redirected to a file. Once restart happens, check the contents of the file from bottom to top. Errors or warnings should be the first to look after. As for a fix, are you willing to try a factory reset? A lot of times, a reset fixes manifestation of a problem (not the problem itself if it is due to a bug).

@Firelord Ahh yeah, forgot to mention I've already tried getting the logcat output before the crash but unfortunately it shows nothing really interesting and I think the reason for the crash is not included because it crashes before a write to the logcat takes place. As for the factory reset this would most likely solve the problem but I don't want to loose my app's data :/. Would you know a way to backup my apps despite the crashing?

Assuming your device is rooted you can try to check the various places mentioned here: https://android.stackexchange.com/a/200983/2241

@Robert Thank you for the hint. I've checked all locations mentioned there but my app doesn't turn up in any of there lists.


text:
"error: neither -p product specified nor ANDROID_PRODUCT_OUT set" when trying to `fastboot flashall -w` on Nexus 7
I am trying to flash the latest 6.0.1 build onto my Nexus 7 tab.
I picked MOB30X build from here
naveen@gandalf:~$ fastboot devices
015d2a4ffd181016    fastboot

But, when I do
naveen@gandalf:~$ fastboot flashall -w
error: neither -p product specified nor ANDROID_PRODUCT_OUT set

What is this product about?
Further,
Looking like the build comes with a nice installation file flash-all.sh
While running
fastboot -w update image-razor-mob30x.zip

I'm again hitting this error

checking product...
FAILED

Here's the complete log file
naveen@gandalf:~/Playground/android/razor-mob30x$ sudo fastboot -w update image-razor-mob30x.zip
[sudo] password for naveen:
archive does not contain 'boot.sig'
archive does not contain 'recovery.sig'
archive does not contain 'system.sig'
archive does not contain 'vendor.img'
Creating filesystem with parameters:
    Size: 30550261760
    Block size: 4096
    Blocks per group: 32768
    Inodes per group: 8192
    Inode size: 256
    Journal blocks: 32768
    Label:
    Blocks: 7458560
    Block groups: 228
    Reserved block group size: 1024
Created filesystem with 11/1867776 inodes and 161260/7458560 blocks
Creating filesystem with parameters:
    Size: 464519168
    Block size: 4096
    Blocks per group: 32768
    Inodes per group: 7088
    Inode size: 256
    Journal blocks: 1772
    Label:
    Blocks: 113408
    Block groups: 4
    Reserved block group size: 31
Created filesystem with 11/28352 inodes and 3654/113408 blocks
--------------------------------------------
Bootloader Version...: 4.23
Baseband Version.....: N/A
Serial Number........: 015d2a4ffd181016
--------------------------------------------
checking product...
FAILED

Device product is 'grouper'.
Update requires 'flo'.

finished. total time: 0.157s

fastboot flashall is AFAIR not the correct command to flash a factory ROM. You have to directly execute flash-all.bat / flash-all.sh without fastboot.

Just unzipped and went through flash-all.sh. Looking like that's what is needed. Running it now.

I was not able to see any output for flash-all for almost 30 mins. I aborted the execution and ran the first command. "fastboot flash bootloader bootloader-flo-flo-04.08.img". Now seeing the message "< waiting for device >"

Finally got past this when I ran with "sudo". Now seeing "signature mismatch" while flashing bootloader. sha256sum seems to be fine. This is something else.

Signature mismatch seems to be OK. The older bootloader should be able to handle the flashing/installation. I'm seeing an error again. "checking product... FAILED" Will attach the complete log to this post.

The bottom of your log states an issue with devices variant: "Device product is 'grouper'. Update requires 'flo'". You may have downloaded the wrong firmware.

So... according to the Driver Binaries, "grouper" is Nexus 7 (Wi-Fi) while "flo" is Nexus 7 [2013] (Wi-Fi)..?

You need to set ANDROID_PRODUCT_OUT in /etc/environment.
You may have a folder with boot.img and system.img etc. in, this is the right folder.
Example:
ANDROID_PRODUCT_OUT=/path/to/folder/with/images/

After that, you can call sudo fastboot flashall -w.
It also works for self-builds.

fastboot is trying to play it safe, and make sure you're not flashing from the wrong location. The easy way is just to export ANDROID_PRODUCT_OUT=./, and run fastboot (or fastboot script) in the same directory as your firmware images.

Marking Andrew / Robybyte's answer as it is a little more descriptive for the readers. I understand you were saying the same thing. Got past it! Phewww!


text:
Can an Android device connect to the internet before decrypting the storage?
Can an Android device connect to the internet before the user enters their decryption password? I assume it cannot connect to saved WiFi networks, as these should be encrypted, but how about mobile networks?

Yes, it can. Android uses File Based Encryption which has Device Encrypted storage that encrypts device data and non-personal user & app data without screen lock credentials so that this data can be decrypted in Before First Unlock (BFU) state. Device Encrypted (DE) storage includes data like WiFi passwords, Bluetooth connections, alarms, theme, wallpaper, apps & device settings. Apps can also mark some of their data to be encrypted by DE so that they can operate in BFU state. Most of your personal and app data is encrypted under Credentials Encrypted (CE) storage which requires screen unlock credential for decryption.
Mobile networks and SIM card does not depend on device encryption. Only /data partition is encrypted. /system and /vendor partitions kickstart the hardware components. As soon as their firmware is loaded from /vendor after verified boot checks, modem starts searching for mobile networks and then SIM card authenticates with the station. You will receive incoming calls and SMS but you won't be able to see their contact names. For security reasons, the incoming SMS is not shown in BFU state either. As device settings are decrypted at BFU state, your device knows your preferred connections to choose from. From Android 12 onwards, you can disable 2G connections.
Android 12 devices support Resume on-reboot feature which schedules reboot for OTA updates. This requires an internet connection before and after the scheduled reboot so that the device can connect to Google servers to obtain the encryption key which is used to fully resume the device without having you unlock it.

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


text:
Chrome 65 doesn't allow screenshots in Incognito mode
Seems that in Chrome for Android version 65, a "feature" was introduced which doesn't allow you to take a screenshot in Incognito mode.
When attempting to take a screenshot, Android will now show an alert saying "Taking screenshots isn't allowed by the app or your organization."
     /**
     * Sets the attributes flags to secure if there is an incognito tab visible.
     */
    @VisibleForTesting
    void updateIncognitoState() {
        WindowManager.LayoutParams attributes = mWindow.getAttributes();
        boolean currentSecureState = (attributes.flags & WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_SECURE)
                == WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_SECURE;
        boolean expectedSecureState = isShowingIncognito();
        if (currentSecureState == expectedSecureState) return;

        if (expectedSecureState) {
            mWindow.addFlags(WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_SECURE);
        } else {
            mWindow.clearFlags(WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_SECURE);
        }
    }

Source: chrome/android/java/src/org/chromium/chrome/browser/incognito/IncognitoTabSnapshotController.java
This is imposing rules you can expect to have in a enterprise environment on a personal phone.

The operation system UI should make clear when and how other apps are recording the screen. As an app developer, I should not be bothered with avoiding screen captures. Breaking this functionality breaks the lowest common denominator of data sharing: Taking a screenshot. One of the reason to make a screenshot is just because an application misses a proper data export functionality.

Source: HN Discussion

Is there any way to disable or prevent this behavior?

That could be due to your device admin policy (if you are on a corporate device or allowed your company as a device admin). Did this start happening from the browser upgrade?

Related: Disable Screenshot security

Surely the point of doing this is to prevent you accidentally leaving evidence of what you did in incognito mode?

Update:

Navigate to chrome://flags

Search for "Incognito Screenshot" and mark and mark the incognito-screenshot as Enabled

Restart Chrome

Previous workaround:
For now, the workaround to take screenshots in Incognito mode is the following:

Navigate to chrome://flags

Search for "share-screenshot" and mark the chrome-share-screenshot as Enabled

Restart Chrome

Open Incognito mode, click the share button below the address bar

Select Screenshot and then Save

Nice to know! Might want to also mention the Chrome version if possible for historical purpose.

This appears to be a side-effect hiding incognito tabs from the recent apps list, which is intended as a privacy feature.
They also added an --enable-incognito-snapshots-in-android-recents switch to change this behavior, but unfortunately that's not easy to pass on Android, and there isn't an entry in chrome://flags. I didn't find anyone requesting a way to make it (easily) optional; I suggest filing a bug report about the screenshot-blocking side effect; that switch should at least be exposed as a flag.

This isn't a side-effect, the implementation was in Canary months ago and landed in stable 65. As far as I know there's no effort to fix this behavior.

@MatijaGrcic I don't think there is a way to block it from appearing in the recent apps list w/o blocking screenshots; that's an Android limitation (one flag controls both), so Chrome can't fix that. They wanted the former; the later comes with it, hence a side-effect.  You're correct, though, that 65 is released; I'll fix that. I couldn't find any bug about the inability to disable it; do you have a pointer to one? Or has no one asked?

I've filed a feature request to add the flag to chrome://flags. Please star it to get it fixed more quickly.

@ThomasOrlita The status of the request is now WontFix (Closed). How nice of them!


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SD card unpartitioning
I own an HTC Chacha and I partitioned my SD card for phone rooting and discorved my phone is s-on so it cant be rooted! So how can I unpartition my SD card to reuse the partitioned space (this partitioned space cant be read by my phone)
thanks

The easiest way is to backup the contents of the SD Card to your PC, then delete all partitions, create a single Fat32 partition, and then restore the card contents.
Simply either use the same partitioning tool you did when you partitioned the card to begin with, or one of many free partitioning tools available.  I highly recommend GParted.


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The name "Alicia Han" appears to be calling!
I think there's a bug in Android where some Alicia Han appears to be calling. This happens some times if you hang up on someone calling you, or you have a missed call. The name appears in the instant before the correct name of the caller appears on the phone. To be specific: In the interim between the phone screen turns on and the content is loaded on the screen.
All relevant hits I get on the subject is this tweet. So I'm not crazy!
Have any of you seen this, and do you know what happens / who Alicia Han is?
This has happened haphazardly since I got my HTC Sensation XE a year ago.
Edit: I think the problem might be that there is a standard Label text for a Person entry (such as the ones in the Persons list) that is set to 'Alicia Han' and the label text is replaced when the Person information is fully loaded.
Edit: The bug is reproducible (at least for me) by hanging up an incoming call. The name Alicia Han appears for a few milliseconds before the real name is loaded.

The tweeter in your question confirmed that it was on Sense. Found 2 other persons on Sense too with this problem. I contacted the htc dev team. I'm awaiting an answer now.

@HenningKlevjer Got some response from htcdev, they are completely avoiding my question and offer a free 'repair' of my phone.

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I've been looking for the answer to this question since I read it a year ago. I searched several times and I always find the same question in many forums, but no answers. The only certainty is that it is not a bug of Android as such because it only happens for users of the HTC brand, but I've never found anything productive that comes out of HTC staff in this regard. This question was asked over a year ago and still there is no answer, so I'd like to be the first to give an answer, even if it is a guess.
What I can conclude from the comments on this and other forums is that "Alicia Han" is a placeholder for contact name which the HTC developers put to be replaced for real contact data when you receive a call (in the same way this placeholder could be "John Doe" in English or "Fulano de Tal" in Spanish), although it seems feasible according to the comment of @qdoe (being HTC a Chinese corporation), I don't know how random can be that choice of name, it could be even a co-worker's name as suggesteded by @Propeller, or maybe it is only to sound less chinese, given that "Alice" is a western name.
The problem is that, likely due to a bug in programming such functionality, the placeholder is shown instead the real data when lockscreen is active, or when hanging up an incoming call. Probably by this time the bug has already been fixed, that's why HTC offers free "repair" of the phone, as happened to @Siebe.


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Are users always asked to accept application permissions?
Does the Android OS always ask a user to review an application's permissions if it is not downloaded from the Android marketplace directly? For instance, downloading an application from a non-Google Android marketplace or directly from a website or computer. I could not find any information about this If so, please provide a documented occurrence or source.

No, or at least not in a way that can't be automated away.  Titanium Backup can install apps without the user seeing this prompt, for example.  It may require root to do this.
Without root, only the system can access the areas needed to install apps.  So barring any bugs, apps can only be installed by the system and the system will show the permissions if the Market has not already.  I don't have documentation of this, but the source code is freely available :P
Edit: Eldarerathis points out the AOSP security page, which indicates that the permissions dialog will be presented on app install, although adb install does not require this (presumably because you have physical access to the device in that case).  This is also confirmed by another official resource that sbaskin89 found.

I tried posting an answer to my own question but am not allowed to do so due to user restrictions. Here was what I was going to post: Unless someone else has tested/experimented with this, I have found this under the Android Developers Resource stating that

Applications statically declare the permissions they require, and the Android system prompts the user for consent at the time the application is installed.

@ Matthew Read Thanks for the answer, I should have clarified that I was asking in the context of non-rooted phones. This question is relevant to a research paper I am writing.

It's documented on the AOSP security page that a dialog will be presented (barring root access like Titanium, though I don't know specifically how it dodges it). However adb install also subverts the permission system and does not require root.

It is the same functionality as hitting "Run" as an "Android Application" in Eclipse I believe, something the OS must recognize. The link you gave states exactly the information I was looking for under the section heading How Users Understand Third-Party Applications.

I would guess Titanium uses something like pm install <someFile>.apk which will not display the permissions, but requires root.