text:
"Conflicting Packages exist" for Google play services itself (cannot be uninstalled)
(I have already looked up many solutions involving apk-managers or un-/reinstalling offered in similar situations, but none of them seemed to work in my case.)
When trying to update the app "Google Play services" (microG Services Core, com.google.android.gms) I get the error message "Conflicting package exists". Meanwhile other apps are complaining that Google play services are not up to date. I am at a loss because I cannot uninstall this app, and solutions using apkmanagers have also failed, perhaps due to not having root access. I also tried installing the Google play services apk from apkmirror sites, but the installer would simply say that the app could not be installed.
I am open to more radical solutions like a factory reset, but I want to be sure that would even help before I do. I have adb tools on my laptop.
I have a mostly degoogled phone (e/OS) and usually use F-Droid for my apps, and aurora store for apps (such as this one) that cannot be found on F-Droid. I am trying to update Google Play Services through the aurora store. It has always worked so far, and other apps update normally. I think this issue might have happened while I was manually updating some apps and accidentally had two updates running at the same time? I'm not entirely sure.
E/OS has its own store but it has never really worked for me and I never use it. The e/OS store always claims that all apps are up to date.

Welcome to Android Enthusiasts. The question mentioned "microG Services Core" which is a replacement for the real Google Play Services, thus I'm not sure if updating the real Google Play Services is expected. On the other hand, microG recommends to update it using F-Droid. Have you tried it?

If you are degoogling your phone, why go to Play Store and why try and update Play Services?

@beeshyams thanks, I did mention the things I tried in the next paragraph, but I edited to make it clearer.

@RohitGupta just because I don't want my entire OS to be based and depending on google, it doesn't mean I might not want to use some apps for which Google services are required.

@AndrewT. Thanks so much, I wasn't aware that the services could be updated through F-Droid. I checked and F-Droid installed its own microG core package. As soon as they were installed, it prompted me to update, and then the same error occurred: "Install Failed". I'm not entirely sure what happened but some of my apps are happy with this fix for now, perhaps I got a slightly newer version through F-Droid? But I am still unable to update to the newest version.


text:
Caller Name Presentation (CNAP) enable android
How do I enable Caller Name Presentation (CNAP) in android?  Essentially in Canada there is an option called "Name Display" that comes with caller id.  There used to be a page here explaining it here but not anymore and archive.org is of no help.

Explaining what? We don't care what other pages do or don't exist, but to help you we need to know what the problem is.

@DanHulme what more information should be added?  I added a picture.

A) What mobile network operator are you using? B) Is your network operator willing to send caller-name data to your phone (maybe in exchange for a monthly fee)? C) What make and model of phone are you using? D) Which Android version?

@unforgettableid A) verizon B) yes C) LG G4 D) Lollipop

Verizon Only: So it appears this used to require additional software but is now a built in according to this page http://www.cequint.com/verizon/callernameid/
ATT and Tmobile have apps but non are truly caller id.

Yes. Verizon handles their "Caller Name ID" service using an app, and they preinstall the app on Android phones which they sell.

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


text:
Download epubs in Android
So I am not sure why this is but if I upload my own books to the Play Store they do not display download links.
Is there a way maybe using an app to get the books off of the Play Store?
So here is the picture of options I see, and the book is not free and not in my purchase history either.

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


text:
All Notification Tray Items Dismissed When Opening App
So on my iPhone the notification tray items disappear when I have viewed the message inside the actual application.  Windows Phone works the same way.  While all notification tray items for that app disappear when I open that application.  I do not like that all my notifications have disappeared.  Is there a setting for this maybe?
Right now I receive maybe 10 gmail or messenger notification emails and it dismisses all of the notifications as if I have read them all when I open the Gmail application from the home screen directly.  If I click on the notifications separately everything is fine.  This seems like very bizarre behavior to me.  I just can't open the app on my phone.
The hilarious thing is if I read one of the Gmail/Messenger notifications on my desktop it updates the notification properly and only dismisses one of the 10 notifications.
Edit: Ideally I am looking for a way to get this to prevent all notifications from dismissing from my mail application for sure.

I want them both though.  I want the notification dots and notifications in the pull down window to stay unless I have read the message or dismissed them individually.  I have been using notyfier but it doesn't work for all applications.  I have not tried Nova but I have a hunch a fundamental feature like this can not be changed with out root.

How about using Unnotification    to un-dismiss notifications  if you accidentally dismiss them

@xavier_fakerat No.  So unless I there is a hidden setting the application doesn't actually display a dialog when a notification is dismissed by the actual application.  This is not me accidentally dismissing them this is the Gmail app dismissing all notifications when I open the application.  There are apps like Notification Manager  that give a history which sort of work except then you have to open a separate application to see notifications and the notification links don't always work corrocetly.  Unless you have used an iPhone or Windows Phone my question is probably confusing.

@beeshyams I am on a Nexus so it is definitely not a samsung device, but I am running Lineage OS so it is probably close to stock but may be slightly different.  I have been talking to some android deveoplers and I believe you can setongoing to true to get around this issue but I haven't had time to experiment with such.  Try opening the app from the home screen instead of from the notification bar.  It appears to clear all notifications  for the stock Gmail app for me.  I really don't care about the numbers so much as the fact all the notifications get dismissed when I manually open the app

@beeshyams No.  I am using Tesla+Nova Launcher on my device.  For my device it does clear all notifications in the notification tray when you open the app from the home screen.  If you would like I can post a video.

@beeshyams I have a 2nd Motorola device running stock android 5.1 and it exhibits the same behavior as I described.  I have removed all references to notification dot/number in my question because that wasn't the question.  It is the notification tray items that I am concerned about.  If you haven't used an iPhone or Windows Phone regularly my question likely is confusing.

Let us continue this discussion in chat.


text:
Cant figure how my phone is full
I have a Galaxy S5 Neo, about 2 years old. For about a year, i have been getting notifications that the phone is full and cannot install updates etc.
I have gone through the phone a few times, deleted whatsapp videos and images and other stuff i don't need, and still is showing me 1.9GB free out off 11GB (this is after the clean up). When it gets to about 1GB of free space - it locks up and refuses to install updates.
I currently have 500MB of whatsapp images. All my own camera images and videos as well as music are all on the SD card.
Attaching an image of my folder root that i see on the computer - as well as tech specs.
Any tips appreciated.

Factory resetting it after you back up the data you need is probably the best option.

Have you already tried to search for apps that use too much storage? Like Facebook, Instagram, Google, etc... Tap "Clear Data" and it should resolve the issue.

@Fusseldieb - yes, i gained a few hundred MB

Are you using an external SD Card or the internal SD Card ... Some devices actually emulate the internal SD Card using space from the DATA Partition ( data/media/some location with emulated card ) ... This means that the internal SD Card will display the free space of your DATA region and not necessarily the free space of the emulated SD Card ...

@Zillinium - sorry not sure i understand the distinction. The SD card is installed in the phone and is set to save images and music on it.


text:
Display Notification Dot But Not Pull Down Notifications
Is there a way with or without root to display a notification dot for my Messenger(text messaging) app on the home screen but not on the notification dropdown?
Part of this setting is standard for all apps for iOS but the setting "On the lock screen" seems to only be available for certain applications like Gmail and Android Messenger in Android.  Not to mention this doesn't hide the notification on the swipe down notification bar.

This is possible with the Pixel 2 and Android 9.
Go in your app notifications (facebook messenger in this example) and make sure "Allow notification dot" is ON. Then select which category and in "Behaviour", select "Show silently and minimise".

When you get a new message, there will be a dot on the icon (second in the top row) and no notification on lock screen, no notification in top bar with the clock. However, if you drag down the menu, you will see a small notification.

Best I could find. Tested with facebook messenger and gmail.

I believe this only works for some apps at not all but I don't have a Pixel to test this with unfortunately.

This works for a lot but not all apps.  Download an app called "AutoNotification" in the app store.
Open notification categories.
From there set the app to importance to low priority.
Disable vibrate.
Enable Show Notification Dot.
Disable blink light.
On the lock screen. "Don't show notifications at all."

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


text:
Get All Recent Windows For Specfic App
I am running Lineage OS Oreo and as an example the default browser opens all web browser windows as seperate processes/windows.  There is no option to change this that I could find, but it actually seems to run better like this with less slow downs.  I believe they are running in separate processes or threads.  Is there a way to get recent apps for only that process maybe?  I want to see the pictures and not just a list of the past windows.

"Individual tabs in recent list" is a feature of the default Browser (Jelly), and actually seen as a perk by many LOS users (not me though). Just use a different browser instead.

@andyYan I am pretty sure they are running on the same thread or process.  Because the browser grinds to a hault when there 10+ tabs for example in Chrome or Samsung browser.

@AndyYan sorry I am not a developer so I might be using the wrong terms but jelly works well because each window is a separate process in Jelly I believe that is why it works better.  I am having the issue with Chrome and Samsung Browser when I have a bunch of tabs open.  They freeze jelly doesn't.  I like the jelly behavior I just want to be able to see all windows I have open.

I guess I understood you backwards then... No suggestions I can give, since AFAIK the recent list doesn't work that way.


text:
Set Constant Notification Dot Color
I have noticed the new version of Android has notification dots.
The new multicolor dots I find frustrating.   I would prefer if I could set one color for all notification dots(like red for example).

In complement to what beeshyams reply:
1.Answer:
As of now, you can't change Oreo Notification dots colors in AOSP, starting from Android 8.0, native Notification Dot color depends on its app icon colors.
I said AOSP, because some mobile manufactures are using their own UI apps (Launcher/ Theme apps etc... ), thus they can control Notification dots like Nova Launcher.
2.Workaround:
You can use  Nova Launcher Prime with TeslaUnread. with its built-in notification dots (also with number of notifications) and you can change and choose a constant color too.

Unfortunately the option of Notification badges is not available in the free version.

3.Example:
This example is using Numeric Badges, you can change the Numeric Badges to None, Dynamic Badges or Dots as seen in Android O.

Unfortunately this is unread count and not badge color you are changing.

From Android Developer blog

....we even extract the color of the dot from your icon.

From Stack Overflow, Is it possible to change the notification Dot's color on Android Oreo, accepted answer says the same with support in comments saying that it changes with icon design

So, not possible

Even with root?

I haven't found anything with root on XDA

I think theoretically a solution with Xposed could be viable as well. If you use it.

I prefer notification dots with respect to app icon color. In my stock moto launcher, it showed only in single color(light green), so I changed launcher to Nova launcher, which is now shows based on app icon color.

@Namnodorel Now that P is out I'll probably upgrade to that now which I don't believe has xposed support.

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


text:
Android version stable version?
I do not use my android phone for anything but making phone calls and browsing the web not logged into anything.
Is there an Android phone version or phone that is not upgradable.  I have noticed as the phone upgrades on both my iPhone and Android the versions of the phone gets slower.
Maybe android go or android one?
The Google Pixel works because you can install any ROM but is slightly to expensive.

That's the first time I hear someone complain that there are updates. That's a novum. Unless you buy a flagship device, updates being available are rather exceptional. Well, and if you insist, you can ignore update announcements and simply not install them.

@Izzy that is exactly what I do my iPhone mjcro updates auto install on Android

Urgs, it shouldn't do that… But if it does, I've no idea how it could be prevented.

Oneplus are a decent solution.


text:
What is the earliest version that suppprts iPhone Wifi Assist equivalent for Android?
On my iPhone I have something called Wifi Assist:

With iOS 9 and later, you can use Wi-Fi Assist to automatically switch to cellular when you have poor a Wi-Fi connection.

What is the first Android version that supports this natively?

I assume Lollipop (that's where I start to see the " WiFi has no internet connection" hints), though I don't have concrete proof yet.

There are posts indicating that Samsung had this before Lollipop but based on this https://android.stackexchange.com/a/91462/3573 really its all about switching a setting (or changing tolerance) for RSSI (signal strength) which
isn't quite as clear cut since the value will vary between one handset maker and another due to the different radios used.

So apparently Google implemented it in 2014 in Android, and you couldn't properly disable it. Not even today.
I believe this feature is baked into Android.
Windows 8.1 definitely had it in 2014 according to this https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/10652/windows-phone-cellular-and-sim-settings I'm pretty sure Windows Phones predating this also had it although documentation seems lacking.
Wi-fi assist was introduced in iOS 9(2015). https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT205296
There are apps for Android that do this but at least this one is 3rd party. No sources says it predates 2015. I have not experimented enough with this on Android. https://www.guidingtech.com/54831/get-ios-like-wi-fi-assist-android-using-speedify/


text:
Voice Control Offline
Is there a way to do "Ok Google" offline?
Basically I do not have a data contract.

"Alternatively" you should see: Where to ask for app recommendations? But the first part of course fits here. There is some rudimentary offline part with that, but I cannot tell in detail as I don't use that. Also see my list on Personal Assistants – I've read utter! is capable of that, but haven't tried it myself.

@Izzy thank you for this comment.  Your comments are sometimes as useful or more useful then actual answers. XD

For that you will need the Google Now offline voice recognition.
Go to settings >> Offline speech recognition (download latest supported language files).
You can perform some offline voice actions (play music, turn on wifi, turn on flashlight)
Here is a screenshot of Google assistant offline commands:

To make a call while offline:

Tap the mic on Google assistant
Then say Call "xx" where xx is any contact
After this it recognises the voice and identifies the contact and immediately calls the contact

See below screenshot:

(click images for larger variants)

Will this let me call people?  "Call Fred"

Yes it will work

Can one force that to always work offline, even if there is a data connection available? For privacy reasons, some folks don't like to have all they say sent to and processed on "other people's computers" (aka "the cloud").

@Izzy Good question! I am not really sure if there is an option to "force offline mode" perhaps I think blocking access to internet connection using a firewall may be an option, for privacy concerns. Probably safe if the user is out of data or doesn't wish to use internet altogether :)

That's what I read. Moreover, if offline it is reported to sometimes just giving an error pointing out that "no data connection is available". But as said, "I read". For the reasons given, I didn't try – too risky for me ;)


text:
Volume Button To Scroll Up Android
So there is probably one feature I miss sincerely and that is being able to hit the title bar on the iPhone to essentially trigger the "Home key."  Is there a way to assign this to one of the volume switchers or maybe add a fourth button to the bar at the bottom or even double tap the home button maybe.  I use it a lot and want it to be easily accessible.  I opened an xda question. This question is almost a duplicate.

Provided your device is rooted and a compatible Xposed Framework is installed, use GravityBox [LP] module. It can  add things in Navigation bar. Otherwise, try Xposed Additions module. It can assign a custom action to any hardware key.

So this is the best solution I have come up with out a root.  Basically install and pay for the application called Volkey scroll.
Then set the following settings.

Uncheck "Enable persistent notification."
Enable Automatic Start.
Set speed of scrolling to 100/100.
Selected action leap.
Stop scrolling after a timeout 500 seconds
Page size disable.
Continuous pages checked
The delay between pages 1

Now you only have to hold down the button until it stops at the top or bottom.  Sometimes you have to press it more then once to get this to work for example in Google Photos not sure why.  Now to adjust the volume you have to disable the app temporarily which is annoying or add it to the menu bar which isn't to bad.

So basically here is the deal someone created a plugin for this in older versions of android here.  I can't confirm or deny if this works.  Here is another app and a reddit thread.
For chrome you can set you javascript home bookmark to do the following.  javascript:window.scrollTo(0,0) which fixes Chrome.
This is volume scroll application and it appears to essentially emulating scrolling using accessibility and displaying it on screen.


text:
Ok Google Go to "Blank"
Is there a way to navigate to locations using Ok Google?
Similar functionality on the iPhone would be "Go Home."

Make sure you have the latest supported language pack. (You can get in-app updates)
Assuming you already have Google maps installed;
Set your custom address (e.g school)

On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Maps.
Tap Menu Menu and then Your places and then Labeled.
Choose Home or Work (school).
Enter the address.

Note: You must be signed in to set, edit, and see your home and work on the map
Use voice search and navigation commands

Open the Google Maps app
Say “Ok Google” or tap Speak.
Ask a question or tell Maps to do something e.g "Ok, Google. "Get directions to [school]." Alternatively, "Navigate to school."

Edit
If someone's address is in your Google Contacts, you can find their address on the map by searching for their name. If you search for an address, you can see any contacts matching that address.
If you wish to add or manage your google contacts, navigate to Google contacts.
Adding an address to a Google contact

Open the Google Maps app .
Search for an address.
At the bottom, tap the address.
Tap Label.
Enter the name of someone in your Google Contacts. To create a new contact, tap Create contact.
Choose an option:

Add home: Add the address as your contact's home address.
Add work: Add the address as your contact's work address.
Add custom label: Make a new label for your contact's address, like "Friend's house."

Note: Only people stored in your Google Contacts will show up as suggestions. You won't see contact info for people who are stored on your phone or tablet.
Credits

Find, add, or hide your Google Contacts on the map

I haven't gotten to test this yet but considered the upvotes I'm going to go ahead and give you the bounty.

No problem, I tried and tested it myself but if you have any issues don't hesitate to address, so I can assist further.  However unlike Siri, your suggestions are done in google maps and the navigation is automatic and also contacts have to be Google contacts not necessarily phone contacts.

Indeed there is.  One of the key phrases you may be searching for is:

"Ok, Google. Show me a map of [place name]."

You may need to press the microphone (voice search) button from Google Search or Maps if Google Now is not activated.
For some reason this seems to do a poorer job of identifying contact addresses than

"Show me a map of [name of place]." / "Get directions to [name of place]."

Many maps / navigation phrases are documented here.

Does this work for custom contact places

@LiamWilliam I don't think it works for custom labeled addresses on contacts.  You can, however; name your contacts any way you choose.


text:
Default applications budget phone?
Is there a reason budget phones for android contain so many default applications?  Maybe this is required by Google?
I find YouTube, play books,play games, etc. to not be needed and redundant when you have a web browser especially on 16 gb phones.

I am not sure if it is a hard requirements to provide all the Google apps by default, may be it is just the cheapest was for a device manufacturer (less apps may lead to a higher price the manufacturer has to pay for the Google Android certification?). Unfortunately it seems like those details are not public (at least I wasn't able to find something on that topic on the net). Therefore I am not sure if your question can be answered.

Android Compatibility Definition Document lays down both hardware and software requirements for every Android version //If you see section 2.2.3 (software) for Android 11,it does not list all those apps. It mentions only a few things like launcher, browser etc//IMO,they are not mandatory //Why included is opinion based answer

@Robert you are correct that less apps lead to a higher price the manufacturer has to pay. Also the manufacturers shipping only base GMS with their devices are treated as third class citizens by Google. Details are revealed when you apply for a contract.

@IrfanLatif do you have a source for that because that combined with beeshyams source answers the question.

@William sorry no source. Just a little exposure through someone else's experience. But anyway, your question is off-topic here in my opinion.

@beeshyams You have referenced the "Android Compatibility Definition Document", which from my understanding deals with AOSP. However the vendors do not install AOSP, instead the install Google Android which is AOSP+Google apps (and an own certification on top). It is similar to the emulators: The default images are plain Android, but there are also Google-API images.

@William helpful links from my answer: https://www.androidauthority.com/google-oem-licensing-345806, https://www.cetrixtablets.com/new-device-certification/

As Irfan Latif mentioned, this only applies to Google-certified devices, one reason is to include Play Store and Play Services for user convenience. On the contrary, non-Google-certified devices cannot have Google apps preinstalled, and they don't have Play Store and Play Services installed, among other Google apps. Compare to Chinese brands non-certified budget devices instead, they mostly don't have Google apps because Google is blocked.


text:
Is there anyway to make any other keyboard quick prediction insert like Swift Key?
I love swiftkey I use it as my main keyboard typing layout.
It autocorrects words like rhe->the automatically when you hit space.
It is called quick prediction insert.
Is there any way to get this effect in GBoard or effectively any other keyboard? iOS works this way.

Why not just use Swiftkey if it does what you want?

2 words budget phones

Open Gboard settings > Text Correction
In the Correction section, enable Auto-Correction. Word like rhe will automatically be corrected to the when you press the Space bar.

When using Gboard version 10.0.02.338070508, an indication of the auto-correction  for the word rhe by the being bolded among the suggested words. When it is not in bold, it won't be auto-corrected.

You have not used swift key if you think these are equivalent.  Alternatively there is something wrong with my play store or installation.

You wrote "It autocorrects words like rhe->the automatically when you hit space". And my answer shows that Gboard can accomplish it. So what is the complain? "Alternatively there is something wrong with my play store or installation", what has that have to do with your question?

"Is there any way to get this effect in GBoard or effectively any other keyboard?". I wrote an answer showing that Gboard can also auto-correct when pressing the space bar. What I don't understand is your complaint about what the feature is called in swiftkey, and not in gboard? Is your question about how the feature is named in other apps? Does your gboard not auto correct words after following the steps mentioned in the answer?

I have determined what is wrong there is a 2nd option under the settings. I have added a picture.

That feature is practically useless because you can always tap the word on the suggestion strip easily.
No (after considering possible scenarios) it is not possible in gboard because even if you somehow get it to write words on tapping spacebar (with Automate app.. i can suggest method for that if you want.. but it will be pointless in my opinion) then you won't get it to be "intelligent" (I mean when you don't want the suggest word and just willing to hit a simple space)

iOS works this way also so not useless.  I rarely have a word that is not in the default dictionary.  Automate app sounds interesting.

If you post the automate app I'll post the bounty.

This solution is going to be complex and will consume additional battery (less tho) But if you want it I'll post it. So what the automate app will do is check the keystrokes. If first key pressed is space then check the second key, if that too is space then insert the middle word from the suggestion strip(explained later) but if the second key is not spacebar then don't do anything. We will need an "interact with UI" block to select the middle word. Yeah.. that's it.. I'll say again it's gonna consume battery and is useless cause you can tap the word on the suggestion strip.

Ping me if you agree with the suggestion above =)

I don't agree... I just use SwiftKey then.

Yeah, that's what you should do.. =)


text:
Force Android to display "Desktop Version" when you add to home screen
I view several websites only as "Desktop Versions" but when I add them to my home screen they do not respect this decision.
Is there any way to force this feature to work correctly?

Which browser? With Chrome if you create shortcut when the site is in desktop mode, the shortcut on home screen also opens up in desktop mode

@beeshyams not for 5.0 android

@beeshyams no it doesn't

Yes . install kiwi browser and from kiwi browser settings turn on only desktop site option and create home screen shortcuts from kiwi

This does not work for messenger.com

@William  turn on desktop site first, then open www.facebook.com instead of m.facebook.com and start messeger from facebook...

Do you know why it doesn't work for messenger.com?

@William im afraid i dont


text:
Automated way to determine which apps have background permissions?
Is there an automated way given the apk to determine which apps are running in the background app on Android?
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/25987377/keeping-an-android-app-running-in-the-background-preventing-it-from-stopping-dy
I'm aware of background app usage but it is rather time consuming to install an app just to see if it's running in the background?

What's the "automated way"? An app? CLI method? In coming Android releases apps won't be able to even get other apps' names easily, rather determining if they are running or not. An app can't get other app's running status by normal means.

@IrfanLatif this should really be listed under permissions...but yes CLI is fine.

Perhaps make a script and execute it that checks the .xml of a given apk for background permissions?


text:
Messenger(FB) app that does not run in background
On Windows Phone and iOS messaging apps(like Facebook Messenger) simply use push notifications.
Is there an option only to only enable push notifications for FB messenger on Android?
Right now it continues to run in the background draining the battery.
So investigating some more, Lineage OS displays that background battery usage vs foreground implying it is running in the background for notifications.  "Force Stopping" the Android app and notifications stop coming through.  So the answer appears to be no.

Umm, on Android, background service is needed to receive push notifications since it's handled per app. That's also why sometimes apps don't receive push notifications since they're killed completely in the background by the system.

@AndrewT. doesn't that mean the more apps you have installed the greater the battery drain?

@AndrewT. what is Google cloud messaging then?  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Cloud_Messaging

@William GCM was the predecessor of FCM, but they are the same service, it became FCM after google acquired firebase. And no the battery drain will not increase if you have more apps because google uses a single connection to handle incoming push notifications, and then simply checks which app the notification is for and passes it on.

@Tim I can see the app running in the background and its draining battery so I don't believe that is correct.  Check out https://dontkillmyapp.com/

You are confusing the app running in the background with google maintaining a FCM connection. It's not the same thing.

@Tim here is a picture on my Motorolla phone.  https://i.sstatic.net/0dQyR.png  Messenger lite is definitely running.

See my previous message


text:
Upgrade android 4.2.2 to 4.4?
I have spice Mi 506 which runs on Android 4.2.2. Can I upgrade my phone to Android KitKat 4.4. If so how do I upgrade?

There is no official update from Android 4.2.2 to Android 4.4 for the Spice Mi 506. However, you can use a custom ROM. Instructions for this can be found on Update Spice MI 506 to Android 4.4 using custom ROM
Use at your own risk, your Phone can be bricked afterwards and maybe you loose your warranty.

Whilst this may theoretically answer the question, it would be preferable to include the essential parts of the answer here, and provide the link for reference. Otherwise, your answer becomes useless in case the link dies. For further hints, please see: How do I write a good answer.


text:
How does the Paypal 'Mobile Phone and PIN' login work?
The Paypal app has a two ways you can log in, 'Email and Password' and 'Mobile Phone and PIN'.
How does the second one work? I can't seem to set a PIN code myself and it doesn't use the one from my phone.

First off, you gotta login to the PayPal app on your phone.
(In this case, obviously, your Android device ;) )
Next up, you gotta visit your PayPal account settings through your web-browser
(The gear on the top right)

Then, you gotta go over to the "Security" tab and click on "Mobile Devices"

From there on you should be able to figure out how it works.
I haven't linked my mobile with PayPal yet, so I can't help from here on.


text:
Samsung Galaxy A10 asks for password after update to Android 11
After updating my Samsung Galaxy A10 to Android 11, I get the message "your password contains at least 4 characters, including at least one letter" so I can't unlock my phone's screen. I didn't set any password before, I had a swipe lock. I want to copy all data to the computer and then do a hard reset (I have password to google account so FRP won't be a problem).
I tried to unlock my phone and backup to Samsung Cloud via Samsung Find My Mobile but remote unlock is disabled.
When I connect my phone to my computer, file explorer doesn't detect my phone (I can't enable MTP mode).
USB debugging is disabled
Entering default_password also didn't help (maybe it's new default password for Galaxy A10?)
Is there any way to copy all data to computer or unlock my phone without losing data?


text:
On an Android device, can I plug a wired microphone and output to bluetooth speakers at the same time
It seems like if my Android phone is connected to a bluetooth speaker and then I plug in a wired microphone through the headphone jack, the bluetooth speaker stops working.
Is there any way to maintain a bluetooth speaker output and yet have functionality from a wired microphone?
I tried a pass-through app called "Mic To Speaker". That works with the phone's on-board microphone in that I can talk into it and the bluetooth speaker will output my voice.
However, as soon as I plug in a wired microphone, the bluetooth speaker output stops.

However, as soon as I plug in a wired microphone, the bluetooth speaker output stops.

Try changing the output audio path - After connecting to both Bluetooth speaker and wired microphone, locate an UI called Media output then switch it to your Bluetooth speaker. I've attached screenshots I took from an Android 14 device which might look different from yours depending on version of Android.

I tried doing that and while it technically works, it was unable to maintain an output from two connections at the same time.


text:
How to power off (not reboot) Samsung S10+?
I appear to have bricked my S10+ by incorrectly flashing what I thought was stock firmware using heimdall and am now stuck in a boot-loop (that may be the wrong term).
The screen shows:
only official released binaries are allowed to be flashed (SYSTEM)

...

An error has occurred while updating the device software
...

If I hold volume-down + power long enough the screen goes black but then the phone immediately appears to reboot right back into the same screen.
I am hoping that I may be able to boot into download mode (volume-down + bixby + power ?) or recovery (volume-up + bixby + power ?) and try to salvage the situation.
But step one on all the guides I've found is to turn the power off, and I can't work out how to do that.

To turn the power off, you may try holding the power button for  30 seconds or more

@beeshyams even holding it for several minutes does nothing (and volume-down + power just reboots every 7 sec). However, I have discovered that volume-down + bixby and then plugging in usb may be getting me into download mode - adb can't see it but heimdall can flash files (although all the ones I've tried lead to the same error message)

still no idea how to power off other than making the battery go flat but have fixed the phone with odin in virtualbox

Sorry for that. I am clueless too

@beeshyams no worries. I don't need the information any more but if anyone finally answers, it may be useful to somebody in the future

The only way I found to get out of this is by getting into download mode by holding volume up+down and connect the phone to a PC using a USB cable then unplug the USB and let the phone in download mode to power off itself after 30 minutes (it will be like idle).

Thanks. I fixed my problem so not able to test this method. Hopefully it will help someone else.


text:
Android TV removing app
I downloaded and installed a 3rd party app which was not on the app store
The problem I have is that every time I turn on my TV, it gets removed and I am forced to reinstall the app
I have found that after reinstalling, on occasions, when I am using the app, if the app gets closed and removed.
I have turned off play protect and it still happens
What is the best way to stop this from happening?
**
I have sldo tried using a different installer (apk mirror installer) same outcome

Have you tried other apps? May be the TV has a function to uninstall all "unauthorized" apps? What TV brand and model do you own?

The best way to stop this from happening is to know the cause first. If possible, get the log when it happens. Otherwise, it will mostly be a guesswork.


text:
Why is my Tecno pop2 is unable to install YouTube?
I am trying to install YouTube. It directs me to Google Play store afterwards it shows app failed to install what can I do to install it?

What is the error message?post a screenshot of that? How much of free space is on your device? [edit] to add details, as also your device details and Android version

Please clarify your specific problem or provide additional details to highlight exactly what you need. As it's currently written, it's hard to tell exactly what you're asking.

Can you install other apps or this happens with any Store app?
If no apps install and you are 100% sure there is enough free space, you may have any of the endless Google Play Store+Play Services errors. Clearing app data for both and restarting the device usually fixes that. If not, stop and uninstall updates for both apps, restart the phone, leave it around 10 minutes idle to allow Play Services to update itself and the store app, then retry the installation.
Soon someone will appear suggesting to manually downloading or updating Play Services or Play Store; you are better off ignoring such idea. I've been using Android since 2.3 and I've had all kind of phones with all the Play Store problems you can possibly think of, manually updating services is a bad idea as long as the OS was not modified or messed up with in any way.


text:
Can I USB tether from my Android phone to an Android TV streaming device?
Is there any way to USB tether to/from my phone to my Android-TV box/stick/dongle without relying on WiFi?

It should work if your other device has support for "USB Ethernet", most Android devices have it. It's easy to test, why haven't you yet?

@ChanganAuto Because I haven't bought a device yet until I can confirm this works. Maybe you could test it and report back to me.


text:
Android rk322x_box TV box on Andorid 6 tries to occasionally update and fails
I have an Android TV Box (MXQ-4K) Android/rk322x_box/. This device is on Android 6 and I bought it online; it came pre-rooted. It worked fine and then I stopped using it.
Now after few years, I have started using it again. It worked fine for few days, but now after few months, during YouTube video (which I use it mostly for) it just randomly tries to update without any cancel button, turns off with the DRIOD icon tries to update then the recovery screen appears telling, update aborted, turn off the device.
How can I fix this? Or at least simply disable the auto system update?

A pre-rooted device from pre 2016? Most likely the manufacturer doesn't exist anymore and thus connecting to the update server fails. You can try to sniff the traffic using an app like PCapDroid and check which servers it tries to contact and then redirect those servers to localhost using entries in the hosts file so the update check will fail fast.

Just remembered that on some devices you can disable system updates in Android developer options, but I am not sure if this also applies on Android TV. Anyway the system updater is a stand-alone app in your system. So with root you may be able to disable or remove it. Bug be aware that there is a chance that disabling or removing ( file renaming) the app may break system boot. Therefore only do it if you have a "back door" like a recovery ROM that you can do to revert your actions in case something goes wrong.

Everytime my stream smart started acting a fool a factory reset solved all the problems and just rely on kodis add-ons to auto update mine still works like a charm other than a lil slow 2g ram

But make sure u use reset button on outside of unit. DO NOT use factory reset in system setting as this my be an unrecoverable delete


text:
How can I unlock the lock screen of my RealMe 9 Pro Plus without formatting device, or retrieve just the storage?
I haven't been able to unlock my Realme 9 Pro Plus phone with the passwords that I remember. And I'm not sure what to do next.
I have always found it a bugging issue when my Realme phone asks me to enter my lock screen password every 72 hours so I don't forget it. I mostly use my fingerprint unlock, but when the mentioned message comes up, I have to enter my password every time.
Although it's a measure to prevent someone from forgetting passwords, unfortunately it became the reason I'm locked out of my phone. I have always put it right, over many months, but this time its not right.
My phone storage is sort of precious to me, about 126-127 GB out of 128 GB is at use, contains lots of media and other things that I made over life. (Including, being transferred from other old Realme phone, so its data of over 2 years I suppose.) I want the data to be safe.
I do not have expert tech repair offices here. Most know how to format/hard reset a phone when screenlock cant be bypassed. But I remember seeing a video on Instagram where some professional did some storage retrieval on a broken phone's encrypted storage, or something of that sort, and I'm even willing to keep the phone for years, locked, in hope someday I'll get to unlock it thru somebody, or storage retrieved.
With that said, I'm willing to do necessary steps to retrieve storage or unlock the phone, as much as I can.
Please do note that USB debugging is not enabled. I would have always kept it enabled for my convenience, but this phone sends a notification every 2-3 days I guess, saying Dev options is turned on and suggests to turn off. It bugged me every now and then as a regular user and hence I turned USB debugging off when it was no longer of use.
Please guide me what I should do. I'm also willing to root the phone if needed. And as I said I'm not willing to lose data on it. Any help is appreciated.
Thank you.

Have you rebooted the phone? Because if yes your "enemy" is not the lock screen but the device encryption. After every reboot the entered lock screen password is transmitted to the Android Gatekeeper which uses it to provide the user data encryption key. Without that key the data remains encrypted and to my knowledge there is no way to get the key but through Gatekeeper (which means no password means no data). Even if you have had enabled adb, then access to user data would have been blocked in such a case.

Oh, I understand. Although, the locked phone issue had been since two weeks or so, and the phone has been rebooted multiple times..

Then the only way to get your data is entering the correct PIN/password.


text:
Change Exchange Account Password
On my Phone (NordPlus 2, Android 12), I have setup an exchange Account which should sync Calendar and Contacts (not mail!) with a 3rd Party Exchange Server.
Some time ago, I changed the password for this Account and recently I discovered that the sync is not working anymore (as expected after the password change).
I would like to activate it again, but I can't find an option to do so.
Settings -> Users and Accounts ->  only shows 3 checkboxes for Mail, Contacts and Calendar and that's it. The Menu there only gives the option to sync now or remove the account.
I do not want to delete and recreate the account, as I would probably loose all events and contacts on the phone associated with this account.
What can I do to solve this?


text:
Vold makes my SD card disappear
I flashed a newer (unofficial) version of CM on to my phone, and whenever I try and use this version the SD card disappears moments after it is inserted. The kernel finds the card, vold detects this and does something. I'm not sure what, but it essentially causes the card to disappear from /dev/block before it can be fsck'd.
If I run this script, however:
while true; do
  if ls /dev/block | grep mmc; then
    killall vold
  fi
done

The SD remains visible and also mountable, and it also remains mounted after vold has caused its block files to disappear (/dev/block/mmc* disappear and /dev/block/vold/179:* (the SD card) remains, but in an unusable state, but the mountpoint still writes to the SD card)
The card has one fat32 partition that works in TWRP.
Relevant dmesg sections (lines containing either "sd" or "mmc" in dmesg): http://paste.kde.org/pyrxbgd9z/c5fjco
Logcat output:
D/Vold    (14152): Volume sdcard0 state changing 1 (Idle-Unmounted) -> 2 (Pending)
D/DirectVolume(14152): DirectVolume::handlePartitionAdded -> MAJOR 179, MINOR 1, PARTN 1
D/Vold    (14152): Volume sdcard0 state changing 2 (Pending) -> 1 (Idle-Unmounted)
W/MountService(  440): Duplicate state transition (unmounted -> unmounted) for /storage/sdcard0
D/MountService(  440): sendStorageIntent Intent { act=android.intent.action.MEDIA_UNMOUNTED dat=file:///storage/sdcard0 (has extras) } to UserHandle{-1}
D/DirectVolume(14152): Checking for bad partition major number
I/Vold    (14152): /dev/block/vold/179:1 being considered for volume sdcard0
D/Vold    (14152): Volume sdcard0 state changing 1 (Idle-Unmounted) -> 3 (Checking)
D/Vold    (14152): Trying to get filesystem type for /dev/block/vold/179:1
D/MountService(  440): volume state changed for /storage/sdcard0 (unmounted -> checking)
D/MountService(  440): sendStorageIntent Intent { act=android.intent.action.MEDIA_CHECKING dat=file:///storage/sdcard0 (has extras) } to UserHandle{-1}
D/MediaScannerReceiver(  974): action: android.intent.action.MEDIA_UNMOUNTED path: /storage/sdcard0
D/ExternalStorage(  989): After updating volumes, found 0 active roots
D/DirectVolume(14152): Volume sdcard0 /mnt/media_rw/sdcard0 partition 179:1 removed
D/DirectVolume(14152): Volume sdcard0 /mnt/media_rw/sdcard0 disk 179:0 removed
D/Vold    (14152): Volume sdcard0 state changing 3 (Checking) -> 0 (No-Media)
I/PackageManager(  440): Updating external media status from unmounted to unmounted
D/MountService(  440): volume state changed for /storage/sdcard0 (checking -> unmounted)
D/Vold    (14152): Found vfat filesystem on /dev/block/vold/179:1
D/MountService(  440): sendStorageIntent Intent { act=unmounted dat=file:///storage/sdcard0 (has extras) } to UserHandle{-1}
D/MountService(  440): volume state changed for /storage/sdcard0 (unmounted -> removed)
I/fsck_msdos(14152): FSCK wrapper - calling fsck_msdos with -p -f /dev/block/vold/179:1
D/MountService(  440): sendStorageIntent Intent { act=android.intent.action.MEDIA_REMOVED dat=file:///storage/sdcard0 (has extras) } to UserHandle{-1}
I/fsck_msdos(14152): ** /dev/block/vold/179:1
I/fsck_msdos(14152): Can't open: No such device or address
I/fsck_msdos(14152): fsck_msdos terminated by exit(8)
E/Vold    (14152): Filesystem check failed (unknown exit code 8)
E/Vold    (14152): /dev/block/vold/179:1 failed FS checks (I/O error)
D/Vold    (14152): Volume sdcard0 state changing 0 (No-Media) -> 1 (Idle-Unmounted)
W/Vold    (14152): Returning OperationFailed - no handler for errno 0
E/VoldConnector(  440): NDC Command {52 volume mount /storage/sdcard0} took too long (792ms)
I/PackageManager(  440): Updating external media status from unmounted to unmounted
W/MountService(  440): Insertion mount failed (-1)
D/MountService(  440): volume state changed for /storage/sdcard0 (removed -> unmounted)
D/MountService(  440): sendStorageIntent Intent { act=android.intent.action.MEDIA_UNMOUNTED dat=file:///storage/sdcard0 (has extras) } to UserHandle{-1}
D/MediaScannerReceiver(  974): action: android.intent.action.MEDIA_UNMOUNTED path: /storage/sdcard0
D/ExternalStorage(  989): After updating volumes, found 0 active roots

if you need any more info/clarification to help troubleshooting, ask and I will provide :)

Cyanogenmod nighlies are riddled with known and new bugs. Maybe flashing a better ROM is the way to go?

@RossC - it would be, but there's not much choice in terms of other ROMs for my device. An older build from March had working SD card but other bugs/instabilities.

I fixed it! Turns out it was a bug with vfat support. I had to format my SD to exfat, but now it's working again.


text:
Can I update my [rooted] phone using downloaded OTA zip file? how?
My phone (HTC One M7) is rooted, so I can't update it simply by accepting update option in the settings menu.
I downloaded a zip file from a forum for an OTA available for my phone.
Now how can I use this OTA zip file to update my phone? How can I do that?
My phone:
HTC One M7, rooted, bootloader unlocked, S-on.
thanks.

If you downloaded it, it's not an OTA update. OTA means it's downloaded and installed directly on the device. It's just an update.

this is the file I've got: http://www.htc1guru.com/2014/05/sense-6-5-11-401-10-ota-file/ I am assuming these guys some how GRABBED the ota and made a zip file out of it. still the question is how to install it?

These OTA files check for every part(file) of the update if a checksum still matches. If your rooting procedure touched some files on the system partition or you removed some preinstalled files this check will fail and the updating procedure will stop because of an assertion error.
As you already found out you need to restore your system partition to the expected state inside the OTA update(matching checksums) install the update via recovery and re-root as this procedure deletes all changes not included in the OTA update package from your system partition.

If you have already downloaded the zip file then you need to flash it via recovery mode using a custom recovery.
You usually get to this by holding power+ down on HTC devices.
Custom recoveries like TWRP can also reinstall root if it is lost during the update process.

ok, I already have TWRP recovery flashed. Should I reboot to the "fastboot" mode, connect phone to computer via USB and run the flashing command? what is the command, is it "fastboot flash OTA_file.zip" ? Could you please elaborate? I am newbie, I have been reading about these stuff for several days, but still did not figures it out :s

Stay in recovery mode. If you go to Advanced > ADB Sideload you can flash the update using the command adb sideload OTA_file.zip

adb sideload OTA_file.zip did not work. it says: error. No details. (and yes, adb is connected, I try adb services first and it returns the phone model). I am gonna try copying the OTA file in phone and try installing it via TWRP install menue.

Cool, let us know how you get on

1990clb, It started the update process, but did not go though.  In the middle process was canceled because of some PRELOAD apk files. I googled and appears this is an error with some models (even non rooted), or maybe it is just because my  phone was rooted! I dunno. I ended up flashing a stock rom, updating OTA, and then re-rooting.


text:
Galaxy S3 running jellybean 4.3 - Custom Rom Concern
I have a galaxy s3 running jellybean 4.3 as mentioned above. Following recent news there will NOT be a further update to the KitKat 4.4 version
My plan is to root and flash with a custom ROM, however, a big part of the problem is that I have a Gear 2 Neo, which uses samsung apps and more importantly Gear Manager, will I still have access to this after I flash the custom ROM
Also will I be able to still get google play store on my device
Thanks

Recommendations don't fit this site very well because they're opinion-based, rather than having a correct answer we can all agree on. You'll get more helpful answers if you [edit] your question down to focus on the fact-based part about Gear Manager.

Hi Dan, I appreciate your comment and it is true, I normally use StackOverFlow for programming help and always get sound advice, that why I came onto here so that I'm not having anyone answer my question, is there a sort of discussion part of the website I could post this too which would be more appropriate?

No. If you're looking to have a general discussion, there are several web fora you could do that. See http://meta.android.stackexchange.com/q/371/12442

There are many options for custom ROMS, even for "older" phones such as the S3.
Personally I would recommend Paranoid Android ROM as it's very "Googley". I run it on my HTC One X and it's very good. You can get started with that by looking on the XDA community for that device.
Unfortunately, you will have to wipe your apps and data, but if you are rooted you can do a backup with something like Titanium Backup.
You may be able to get away with just installing the apk for Gear Manager, there are many people that have reported that this works on other devices.
Yes, you will still have access to the play store if you flash the correct gapps for your device.

Thanks for the reply, the first thing I was going to do after some research was Root my device, I've found a good download file and instructions for this.
I'll then do what you said and back-up my apps to an SD card and remove during the flash process.
With regards to Gear Manager, is that my only option?


text:
Pixel 3 Stuck in Fastboot mode with "No valid slot to boot" after Magisk rooting attempt
I was trying to install the factory software image from https://developers.google.com/android/images#blueline on my Pixel 3. I downloaded the image as well as the platform-tools with adb and fastboot.
After plugging in my phone, I ran adb reboot bootloader which put me into Fastboot mode. After this I tried to run the flash-all.bat file, but it was just stuck on the "waiting for devices" prompt. I'm not sure what I did at this point, but I must have really messed up the phone, because now I can't even boot from Fastboot, where clicking "Start" just puts me back in fastboot with the reason "no valid slot to boot." Any idea how I can get my phone working again?


text:
Can I use an external hard drive on my tablet?
I'm wondering if I can use a hyper 5-in-1 USB-C hub with my x8max tablet so I can connect an external hard drive.it would make my life easier to just plug the drive into the tablet instead of copying files to an SD card or some other way to transfer large files. It would also make the tablet a lot more usable for other projects that I am thinking of. Any input on this would be very helpful.

can you clarify if it is "Honor X8 Max"

Android does support connecting USB Storage device. The speed of reading/writing would however, depend on the USB port (if it is a 2.0 port, it will be comparatively slower than a 3.0 port), but it should just work.

Have you actually tried an external hard drive ?  Should work is not good enough!

@RohitGupta the tablet is OTG enabled. I have already tested it by connecting a USB hub with a mouse, keyboard, and external SSD to my tablet's OTG port. Will this information persuade you?


text:
Whatsapp chats and media from internal storage
A few days ago, my Whatsapp deleted all my messages and media. Luckily those are still in my internal folder.
Is there any way to restore my Whatsapp chats and media from my internal storage as there is no backup for that?

In the internal storage, look for the databases folder with chat backup and rename the last backed-up file to msgstore.db.crypt12.

For the media, make sure all of it is in the "Media" folder.

If you re-install Whatsapp, they ask you if you want to restore data. you may try that as the last resort.


text:
How to only route one app's traffic through the VPN?
How to route only chosen app's traffic through the VPN and make sure it doesn't connect outside of the VPN? There are two use cases:

Apps not available in my country (for example Pandora) which I would like to use nonetheless and not accidentally burn/flag my account by revealing the real connection source.

Similar but for a browser. I would like to have a dedicated browser (maybe Brave) for connecting to some sites. Kinda like Tor Browser but without the hassle, slowness, and suspicion associated with Tor.

I do this successfully on the desktop by running a Mullvad VPN but only routing 10.0.0.0/8 through it and setting the browser to use the SOCKS5 proxy. This neatly routes only that browser's traffic through Mullvad while at the same time simply failing (kill switch) when the VPN is not active.
On Android, Mullvad app supports "split tunneling" which does the inverse of what I want. It allows to choose apps which are not routed through the VPN while all others are.

Web Browser is simple: there are multiple web browsers like Opera available with built in VPN just for the browser itself.

@Robert This is kinda like the Tor browser. I would prefer an arbitrary VPN and Mullvad in particular currently.

Then just use a VPN app that supports "per app VPN" with app whitelisting (in difference to app blacklisting done by Mullvad).

@Robert which apps offer that mode?

Welcome to Android Enthusiasts. Looks like there are similar questions already: How to VPN only a single application?. Does it help?

@DamnTerminal Sorry I don't know, just use the correct name of the Android feature to search for it or open a question on our sister site Software recommendations as asking for app recommendations is off-topic here.


text:
GBoard not available in work profile
I have Microsoft InTune and this makes two categories of apps: managed (work) apps and personal apps. In MS Teams, for example, I have a problem that there is only default Samsung keyboard and I can't switch it to GBoard which I use normally. I tried to find GBoard in the managed Play store, but it's not there. Ideas?

Unclear if you've seen: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/mem/intune/apps/apps-add-android-for-work and/or requested your device administrators to allow GBoard.

thx I will ask them if possible


text:
WiFi calling with 1st SIM number using cellular data of 2nd SIM?
Does Android support WiFi calling using cellular data of 2nd SIM?
When I travel I don't want to use the pricey roaming for my home SIM card (first), but I would like to make and receive call with my home number. I usually get a local sim card (second) and use it as data SIM card.
It would be perfect to use cellular data from second SIM card to make calls (travel/local) with first SIM card (home).
I'm using a Google Pixel, but I'm asking in general for Android.

I'm really not an expert, but my guess is it's not really possible to link the 1st SIM to the 2nd SIM in terms of their own mobile network, regardless of Google Pixel or even Android... but hopefully someone can prove me wrong.

Same question here! Have you been able to find a solution or a workaround?

@SanChamp does your comment means you have tried it and it doesn't work?


text:
Advanced "Find in page" in Google Chrome mobile?
Regarding the "Find in page" feature of Android's default and/or Google Chrome web browsers:

Is there a way to fine-tune the search parameters in order to search for strings with more precision or specificity (i.e. inclusivity/exclusivity)?

I've tried using regular expressions to narrow results, but they don't appear to be supported.

With Chrome for Android, you can't perform "advanced" search for example using regular expression. There are extensions such as Chrome Regex Search or find+ | Regex Find-in-Page Tool that allow to fine tune your searches on a page, but Chrome for Android does not support extensions.
If you are not opposed to the use of other browsers than Chrome, you can use Yandex browser or Kiwi browser (they are both based on Chromium. Install one of the extensions mentioned above as you will on your PC, then you will be able to narrow searches on a page.

It would be nice though wouldn't it. I haven't heard of these other browsers, but I can't think of a reason to only use chrome. It might be worth a look, thanks.


text:
How to disable Developer options on Moto E4 without clearing settings storage data?
In order to speed up my Moto E4 (Android 7.1.1), I followed this advice:
Settings > About phone > Build number (tapped about 3 times) which enabled Developer options. Then hit the back button >  Developer options.
One by one I opened three animation scales and brought them down to .5x:

Window animation
Transition animation
Animator duration

Then at the top of the screen I turned Developer Options off. However, it is still available now in my settings menu when previously it was not (before I hit "Build number" 3 times).
When I did this I didn't realize that I was opening a mode that wouldn't just close back when I was done. In searching for how to disable what I enabled, I read that I can disable developer options (remove it from the settings menu) by going to:
Settings > Apps > Settings > Storage > Clear Data
However, I am hesitant to do that because it says:
All this app's data will be deleted permanently.
This includes all files, settings, accounts, databases, etc

I'm not sure what files are included and how that will affect my phone.  It's only 700 kb though.
Is there another way that I can disable/close the Developer options that I inadvertently opened? If not, how can I know what the affect will be when I clear the settings storage data?
Thanks!

I just found an answer here that might apply to me but the build number is so much older and isn't the same device, so I will leave my question unless it is a confirmed duplicate.

after you have enabled developer options, and when in developer options, you get a toggle button to disable it. Otherwise, goto settings and clear cache and data of 'Settings ' application.

@RahulGopi Thank you. Yes, I mentioned that I did toggle to disable but that didn't remove it from settings.  I was asking if there was another way to remove it from settings without  clearing data of the settings application.

By doing above step, it will only affect settings app only. It doesn't affect with files, accounts, databases.

@RahulGopi that's what I needed to know. Now I'm thinking that I should reword my question so that someone else can benefit. The reason I was hesitant to follow the steps is because I thought that I would delete other stuff. Other people seem to be confused too.


text:
How to have a dark / black Quick Settings (swipe down) menu on Oreo 8.1?
I always used to have a dark or black Quick Settings (the swipe down menu) but since Android , it's white. And I can't find out how to change it. Invert Colors is not an option, as that messes up all colors on my phone whereas I only want to change the Quick Settings.
When searching on this problem I did find several apps (some of which even require root) to change the theme, but I can't imagine something so trivial really requires a custom app or even root.
Using Oreo 8.1 stock Android with all latest updates, no root.

Upon further searching, I found a partial solution: apparently if you set a "dark" wallpaper for your Home screen, it will automatically show the Quick Settings menu in dark instead of white.
Beats me why this can't just be customised manually, but for your reference: for example with the wallpaper below, I get a dark Quick Settings menu on Oreo 8.1 instead of white.

No clue what the criteria may be for a wallpaper to be "dark enough".
If there is a definitive solution I'd still love to find out!

Similar to using a dark wallpaper, you can kind of "hack" it by using a live wallpaper app that presents a fake background color to the OS, regardless of the actual wallpaper you're using. If that's an acceptable workaround, LWP+ works in my experience: https://www.androidcentral.com/lwp-lets-you-force-android-81-oreos-dark-theme-any-wallpaper


text:
How can I install the Google dialer (phone app) on any phone without root?
I want Google's Dialer phone app on my Nextbit Robin running Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow but without using root.

Download this APK: http://www.apkmirror.com/apk/google-inc/google-phone/google-phone-2-05-07_rc4-release/google-phone-2-05-07_rc4-android-apk-download/
It's an official APK Google released by mistake that does not limit which phone it can be installed on. Unlike the other versions that can only be installed on Nexus phones.

Fast forward to 2022 (or, 2020), Phone by Google is now available on the Play Store for non-Nexus/Pixel users


text:
See all Reviews/AppRatings on PlayStore in a better Way?
Is there a better way to see all Reviews / Ratings with Comments on an Android App in the Play Store?
Right now i on a Android Device, i can scroll to infinity and in the Browser i only get some random 40 reviews. Sometimes (on the Android Play Store) it also resets my settings for the filter.

Update
For better understanding, i want to read all comments programmatic and store them in a database for further analytics.
So the best thing would be something like a WebAPI or a Website which provide an tabular overview of all comments/reviews.

Play Store reviews , IMO , are not a good indicator of an app for reasons mentioned Why You Shouldn't Trust App Store Reviews (and What to Trust Instead).

Appbrain a front end for Google Play , gives a better filtering capability as mentioned here. In addition, you do get a better insight of app in terms of rating over time, updating details, change in price, versions etc

Aptoide , at least an alternative of numerically showing the number of reviewers per rating , along with overall rating and use that in addition to alternate ways suggested . Screen shot below

Post your update in the question, Sensor Tower could be an option. It is a paid service but offers a flavour of services by free login for Facebook for example
Amongst the host of features it offers, Review History is one of them as shown below

Export Reviews (Enterprise-only)- Export of reviews in .csv format will not be displayed unless you are logged in with an Enterprise-level account.

In the Play Store at your choosen app press the "Read all reviews" button, now you have to access all reviews (Only on your language. I am not sure you can read reviews around worldwide, but I guess you are'nt interested chinese ones anyways.) You should scroll all the way down to reveal all of the reviews.

On which device? can you please provide a screenshot? i can't find this button.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Pro with CM13 (6.0.1).
You can see screenshots here: link

You can filter the list of reviews by "Only newest" and "only for your device".
This is done in Google Play Store with the DropDown on the right top, when you hit a review (and thus open all reviews list).
Also you can sort the list by useful reviews, rating and newest review.

Yeah! but this is a bad method because it shows you sometimes multiply data and has always to load reviews at the bottom of the list.


text:
Battery drain when wifi is off
I turned off my wifi connection and noticed a heavy impact on my battery life. In a few hours without any usage, it dropped more than the whole day before.
See the drop at end while wifi (WLAN) was disabled:

There are many issues where battery life is reduced when wifi is turned on but not when turned off. What could cause this and how can I fix this? Could it be using some mobile data connection that drains the battery more than wifi or is it a device problem?
While wifi was on, it was actually connected to a network. There is no increase in mobile data usage. No suspicious increase for battery consumption for any particular app. Top consuming apps are:

idle 40%
display 19%
mobile standby 18%
android os 13%
wifi 6%
google services %4
android system 2%

Update: It looks like it's constantly switching between E, 3G, H and H+ every few minutes, even without moving the phone. In 2G mode the connection seems to be stable and the battery loss is gone.

A shaky 3g connection in poor coverage could do that is guess.

@RossC Do you know any any way to detect shaky connections? The icon always shows 3/4 or full EDGE coverage , sometimes 2/4 HSDPA. I live in a big city and I think I can see a cell base station right across the street (I did the whole test showed in the image at home).

If anyone has a guess why the question was downvoted or has any suggestion for improvement please tell me. I'm going to test it with 2G only option enabled now.

If your phone is constantly switching between 3G (HSPA) and 2G (EDGE), it's possible that the connection is unstable and your phone is continuously searching for (better) signal. This could definitely cause the battery to drain quicker than it you had a stable connection. 2G-only mode will probably resolve this. If your phone is rooted, you can automate the setting (via Tasker or Llama for example) whenever you are in that particular location.

Activating the 2G only option solved the issue, indicating a problem with the connection, as mentioned in the comments.
Another thing that solved it (temporarily, until I install more apps I guess) was reinstalling the OS. I only installed few apps and the minimal PA Gapps package (contains only some indispensable apps by Google), which presumably reduced the amount of background data send. Overall battery consumption with 3G enabled is way lower than with only 2G before.
I've also updated the radio firmware, though I can't confirm if it had any effect. It still seems to switch a lot between E, 3G, H and H+ but without any actual data traffic there is no noticeable impact on battery life.
Another suggestion I've found online somewhere is to use an app that switches to 3G only when particular apps like the browser is used and switches back to 2G otherwise.


text:
Dialogs of Apps don't show
I am running stock Android 7.1.1 on a Moto Z Play.
Recently I noticed that popup dialogs from apps running in the background or also in the foreground don't show automatically any more.
So, e.g. I have the apps Reminder with Alarm and Automate.
"Reminder with Alarm" has an option to show reminders as full-screen alarms with sound and Automate allows me to create widgets that, when pressed, should show a popup with a selection.
Both apps have the "Draw over other apps" permission enabled.
What happens instead of the popups being shown is that I only get a notification and when I press that notification the popup is shown.
I tried reinstalling these apps and also all other apps that reasonably could influence that behaviour. How can I further debug what is prohibiting those popups being shown?


text:
Take a screenshot of background app without launching it
I'm running Android 13 on a Samsung device. I have an app that runs in the background. I want to be able to either:

take a screenshot of the app's screen without launching it, i.e. while it's still in the background or
broadcast or mirror that particular app's screen to a webpage / url or
spy on / monitor that app's screen without launching it

Basically I want to obtain the information on the screen of the app without triggering it, because when I do, I will then be forced to take action on the information that's showing, but sometimes it is best to ignore it. Is there a technique that can allow me to do this?

Welcome! Software recommendation requests are off-topic on this SE, but on-topic on the software Recommendations SE: https://softwarerecs.stackexchange.com - I have edited your question to remove that part.  Feel free to post the software recommendations request on that SE.

I am not sure if apps in background are "accessible" at al by any other app, even if it has accessibility request. This means I don't think that what you want to do is possible on a non-rooted Android device. You may get a more detailed answer in forums on automation apps like Tasker, AutomateIt and so on. People often use such apps may be able to answer you if it is possible with or without root.


text:
How can I have an Android tablet to dial an Android cell phone to make calls?
I would like to initiate a cellular call from an Android tablet.  When doing so, I want to do so without touching the phone.
Additionally, I am wondering about using the tablet as a headset with a Bluetooth headset or pairing the BT headset with the phone.
I do not want to use VOIP or require an Internet connection.
In 2009, there was a solution from Broadcom's "Widcomm" Bluetooth stack.  This is no longer available.
Motivations:
Cell phones with a nice user interface for me are expensive and with my large fingers and poor eye sight, it is difficult to accurately push the buttons and read the text.
Cell phones don't seem to last long (4 years).  I have some tablets that have been working for over 10 years.
If a specific tablet and phone are required, this is OK, I am ready to replace my phone and a new tablet would be fine.
I would appreciate any help.

Tablets last the same time as Smartphones. It is just a matter of hardware quality and how you handle the device. You may be better by buying a large smartphone. In 2023 smartphones have reached screen size of a small tabled (~7"). And you should consider using voice assistants ("OK Google") to avoid having to use the screen.

Robert,  Thank you for responding.  My tablets have been larger than 7".  I prefer the tablet format for the variety of uses.  While I often use voice assistants, a significant portions of my phone time I do not want to converse with the assistant.  Further, I find I must repeat prompts often.  It seems the radio is a limiting factor in the life of a phone.  I would prefer to replace a cheap phone - I think.  I have not had a cheap phone and my phones don't last.  Of course, I cannot assure that quality has anything to do with price.  I am looking to learning about how I may control my phone.

Do you use special apps that are optimized for readability (high contrast, large font)? Linking a tablet to a smartphone is not impossible but very uncommon and thus to my knowledge not supported by stock devices. If tablet and phone are linked using BLE, an app can act as BLE GATT server, so it may be possible to have an app that acts as a Bluetooth headset.

Robert,  Thank you.  That was all new to me and there are many resources for learning more.


text:
How do I add my existing audio notes to the Google Recorder app on my Pixel 7 Pro?
I used audio notes extensively on my old Samsung phone. Now I'm migrating to a Pixel 7 pro and I love the Google Recorder app which is only available on Pixel phones. It has live transcription and audio search. However, I can't seem to find a way to import my old audio notes into the recorder app. I have the audio files on my new phone as well as on Google drive, but there doesn't seem to be an option to add audio files. I'd like to keep all my audio notes in one app so I can search them, and of course getting the free auto-transcription for my old notes is a major bonus.
Is there any solution to this? At an extreme I could re-record the audio notes by playing them into a high quality microphone plugged into my phone. But that would be very time consuming so if there is any way to directly add the files please advise!

I have been searching for an answer on this, and it seems as if it's impossible. Which is a huge oversight

Also looking for this, so annoying. I've got a recording I want to put over and I may just play it on some speakers while my pixel records it again


text:
SuperNote A5X - Cannot download
I've got a SuperNote A5X and I've installed some extra apps to make my experience better. I'd like to be able to download files (such as via a browser or cloud-storage app). None of these work on it. Some examples are:

Most apps (Tor Browser, EInkBro, Midori Browser) just say "downloading" and do nothing
Some (Proton Drive) fail with an error "system could not find any application that could create a document"

I believe need to install some sort of download manager for these to work, but I can't seem to find any. I also tried to copy my phone's apk to the supernote, but it didn't work because of SDK incompatibility (Phone was ~30, SuperNote was 27).
p.s. Please don't skip reading and then tell me to reset the device to get the factory app back, like in all the other similar posts. There is no factory app.

The SuperNote A5X may base on Android but is it really designed to be equipped with third party apps? May be the manufacturer removed certain services and apps that are installed by default that are required by other apps. E.g. there is by default a Download Manager running as system service. Copying such APKs form other devices will most likely fail because they don't have the correct signature.

Yes, it's not technically designed to, and the devs have said that it's not officially supported. However, I'm not installing anything that is wildly dissimilar to the stock apps. ProtonMail - Built in email app; ProtonDrive - Supernote Partner App; etc. All I need is a way to get files onto the device without having to use my laptop or phone or other device. I can't though because the download provider (as far as I'm aware) doesn't exist. Would something like https://alternativeto.net/software/free-download-manager/about/ work?

If the SuperNote A5X is not an Google Android device (no Google apps installed = device not certified by Google) then it is not a regular Android device and thus you can not expect that a common store app works. Too many components (besides the obvious Google services) can be missing. In your case it seems that there is no DownloadManager included in the ROM, so you can not use apps that require a DownloadManager.

Supernote has added an option to sideload apps. You can install any file explorer app with it. You could even install F-Droid and have a play store replacement - but you can also get apk files there directly.
There are a number of open source file explorer apps to choose from at Fdroid (search results for "file manager").
Don't expect all apps to work though, there are many limitations – e.g. some Apps require stronger processing power, need google services or the UI does not work without color etc..


text:
Use Pixel watch as Heartrate monitor for phone apps?
I have a Pixel watch and a Samsung S22 Ultra.
I want to use the Pixel watch as a heart rate monitor source for an app on my phone.. however, when I try to pick a heart rate source the watch doesn't show up.
Every web search I do talks about tracking the activity using a watch app.. but i don't want to do this, because it kills the already abysmal battery life.
Is there some way to use the Pixel watch as a connected heart monitor only?


text:
Why does the emulator perform so many writes?
I'm using the Android Emulator from IntelliJ on Kubuntu. I noticed in plasma-systemmonitor that qemu-system-x86_64 continuously does on the order of a few MB/s of disk writes even as I'm not using the emulator at all, it's just open. Sometimes it goes below 1 MB/s, sometimes up to a few dozen MB/s.
Is this level of activity normal? I'm starting to wonder if this amount of writes can shorten the life of my SSD if I leave it running all the time. Or could it be another type of writes that are not disk writes? I'm not 100% sure what plasma-systemmonitor measures.
I'm emulating a Pixel 4 with Google Play.

You should check which files those write operations are applied to (e.g. using inotify-tools or similar). May be it is simply some log file which is updated very often but not directly written to disk by the OS.

I'm not sure how to use inotify-tools for this. lsof doesn't show much in terms of files potentially being written to but shows a number of "pipe" and "type=STREAM" lines so maybe it's just interprocess communication.


text:
Accessing full Android storage
What was the last version of Android which allowed apps and user to have full read and write access along with all copy move or delete operations of everything inside the internal storage?
Currently, I am using a Samsung Galaxy S8.

The last Android version that used what is now called the legacy external storage system was Android 10. In that system all apps could request full read or full read&write access to the shared internal storage.
Starting with Android 11 apps have to use scoped storage by default. Only older apps targeting Android 10 are able to request access to internal storage using the legacy storage system. Storage updates in Android 11. And I think I have read that it also makes a difference if your phone has been upgraded from Android 10 to 11 or if it was originally released with Android 11.
On Android 12 and newer it doesn't matter which Android version the app is targeting, they all have to use the scoped storage system without any exceptions.

I bought a pixel 7 during black friday did i make a mistake by buying a lemon phone ? If scoped storsge is so limited compared to android 9 on my galaxy s8 is it even worth keeping it ? I really really am disliking and forming hatred towards my pixel 7. Is rooting the pixel 7 going to make any difference ?

@anmac1789 The scoped storage is a bit challenging for developers, but it can be handled. In the end it is not a bug but a feature: Apps only get access to folders they really need, so not every app you install for testing can upload all your private photos to some shady server unless you really want it. Scoped storage will stay, so get used to it or don't use Android anymore.

I dont like the idea of scoped storage at all. Is there any lesser storage difference between android 9 and android 10 ? I am using a webdav server app on my galaxy s8 which enabled me to see all the files and folders on the whole android system that I can use to backup my phone with. I want to retain this level of full access
I am worried if this will affect whatsapp, telegram, snap, IG and others and file manager interchangeability because I use these social media and file manager apps very often

@anmac1789 There are certain apps excluded from the scoped storage rule. File managers can still get full access using the new MANAGE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE permission. As far as I know only apps where the main functionality requires full storage access are granted this permission (respectively make it through the Google app review process).

But how do I know which apps have this permission ? I mainly use solid file explorer and File Manager+ those are very dependable for me. How do I know which apps are being limited by scoped storage ?

@anmac1789 Just look at the Play Store comments of each app. If it would no longer work on Android 11, 12 and 13 you would find plenty of negative comments there.

What about rooting would that make a better difference?

@anmac1789 Apps that use root permissions bypass all restrictions of the Android Java API. But to me it seems like you are thinking too much about restrictions that don't affect you. Just make sure the apps you use has been updated in the last two years and check their Play Store reviews. All apps that has been updated should be aware of scoped storage. Just try it out yourself before making unnecessary changes to your system.

The main one I find useful is File Manager+ which ironically since version 3.1.0 supports android 13 and is in 3.1.3 of its latest version (Checked since Jan 22 2023)


text:
How do I root Micromax Canvas 2 A110?
I want to root Micromax Canvas 2 A110 having Android ICS 4.0.4. How do I root it?

And added to our rooting index :)

The following instructions are from androidforums.com site.
The summary of the rooting procedure (just copied and pasted - credit goes to sagarwep the poster of the procedure) is as below:

Enable USB debugging on your device. To do that, go to Settings > Development > USB debugging.
Connect your device to any PC/laptop. The drivers will be installed automatically.
Download Bin4ry for Root A110 By sagarwep.7z and unzip.
Run RunMe.bat from the extracted location.

A command prompt with weird green letters will pop-up on your screen.
Follow the onscreen instructions carefully. To start off, you willl need to type in a "1" and press enter. [Note: If you ever want to Unroot your Micromax A110, follow the above steps till you reach this one and then, instead of typing "1", type "x" and hit enter. Follow the instructions that appear on the command prompt after that.]
Your device will reboot during the process after which Bin4ry will copy some files to your device.
With RootChecker you can verify whether the phone is rooted or not.

Please let us know about your success in using this procedure.

Actually I searched on this site only. Couldn't find any post regarding this. That's why I asked. :)

@Narayanan I have the same phone but my Android version is 4.2.1 Can I use the same method or should I post a new specific question


text:
Keep dial pad open during call. Proximity sensor NOT activated
I often keep my phone on speaker and muted away from my face. The screen goes completely blank after 10 seconds. This makes it very difficult to unmute and unspeaker myself if I need to say something. When I'm not in a call my screen goes dark after 2mins which is fine. I want my screen to remain on until the screen timeout or proximity sensor is activated.

Have you tried any automation app for this? Tasker, MacroDroid, Automate -- these apps can be given a try. A simplistic trigger and an action would likely be: if on call save user's screen timeout, set screen timeout to X minutes. When call ends -> reset screen timeout to user's screen timeout.

I will try those apps @Firelord

@Firelord they don't work


text:
TWRP stuck on splash screen, odin not recognizing phone
I have a Galaxy S5 (T-Mobile).
I recently booted into TWRP (flashed with odin,) and attempted to flash Resurrection Remix with NikGapps using an SD card. Upon reboot RR was stuck on the loading screen, and on reboot it tried to boot to TWRP but that got stuck on the splash screen too.
I tried to reflash with odin, but even in Download Mode the phone is not recognized by odin.
I've tried:

Countless reboots
Unplugging and replugging, trying different cables
Trying to get Fastboot to work (Unsuccessful)
Letting TWRP load for an hour (Unsuccessful)

Extra info: Every reboot redirects to the broken TWRP install, and Download Mode is still accessible from the phone.
If someone could help me, that would be nice because I'm scared this phone might be bricked.

Considering the age of your phone (about 7-8 years) a hardware defect is a likely cause for the problems: the soldering points of the USB-socket where it is connected to the mainboard can break when the USB plug is inserted too often with a high pressure or the plug was moved while inserted (prying effect).

broken twrp might still provide adb shell for emergency

What worked for me is erasing the band via Odin and re flashing the recovery and installing a rom. It's probably because you forgot to wipe the OS before installing the rom.


text:
Avoid waiting for short text speech recognition
When I use Google speech recognition on the keyboard with a short sentence, I have to wait on Google to know this is the end of dictation.
example : I tap the microphone, then I say just "ok, it's noted". I have to wait about 5 seconds. If I touch microphone icon, it stops the recognition and nothing is inserted.
Is there a way to force the end of dictation and the recognition of the short text I have pronounced ?

Maybe something here can help https://support.google.com/android/thread/22906479/how-do-i-get-voice-typing-to-to-type-a-period-question-mark?hl=en


text:
Tasker Scene WebView JavaScript Interaction
Is it possible to call a Javascript function that exists within a WebView from Tasker? I tried calling a URL on the WebView of "javascript:FUNCTION_NAME()", but that did not seem to work.
This is a completely random example. Lets say, from Tasker, that I want to be able to change the background color of the body of the WebView.
In the webview, I have the code
<script>
function ChangeBGColor(NewColor)
{
document.body.style.backgroundColor=NewColor;
}
</script>

I want to be able to call ChangeBGColor() from Tasker with a color.


text:
How do I disable auto-connect for Bluetooth device?
I want to leave Bluetooth on so I get texts to my Fitbit, but when I do that, my phone will connect to my headset which I'm using for something else. I use this headset with my phone too and don't want to unpair it.
How do I disable auto connect for this headset or disable auto connect for my phone entirely?
Samsung S9+.

Possible dupe: Disable Bluetooth auto connect for specific devices

Does this answer your question? Disable Bluetooth auto connect for specific devices

Use Bluetooth Manager controller app, and disable auto-connect, turn off all the notifications, hide the app :)

Bluetooth manager controller is full of obtrusive ads. Does not work. Personal experience and according to the reviews. It's also a $15 app.
I do not recommend. There is nothing to do what you ask at this time sadly.


text:
Possible way to flash a rom to an android device that don't connect to usb-otg or pc?
Phone Mi 10T, has crashed during a custom ROM flashing.
The problem is it can no longer connect to PC via ADB or MTP,
and also can't read any type of USB via OTG and can't also boot to System; can only boot to OrangeFox custom Recovery.
Any help or interaction I will be thankful.

In recovery mode there is usually an adb sideloading mode which allows you to install a new ROM using adb sideload <imagename>.

you can always connect in fastboot mode and flash another recovery that is properly adb enabled


text:
Recovery Menu on Fake Note3 China version
My colleague owns Faked Galaxy Note 3 from China with all the gifts - bloatware from Chinese market etc.  There is no root on the phone (I tried to check it with supersu/rom manager/uninstall) and the only option to get the root - probably to understand this "recovery" menu on Chinese:

UPD
I've found that first line is related to factory:

I've found that first 3 options are related to test -

any idea will be highly appreciated.

Having the same problem with mine.  According to google this was the translation I was able to get from the menu choices.

自动测试

Automatic test

手动测试

Manual testing

单项测试

single test

测试报告

test report

调试测试项

debug test items

清除e MMC

clear e MMC

版本信

version of the letter (?) - gives bb chip, ms board, IMEI, barcode, etc

重启手机

reboot the phone

If you find out how to enter download mode or root this device please share.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/lenovo-a3000/general/lenovo-3000-factory-mode-chinese-list-t2655858 - this thread gives the above info and also gives the sub-menu details. On my Acer E380 I used volume-down to get to the "reboot" option shown above and then pressed the power button to activate and as expected it rebooted the phone. Entering this mode was via power+volume-down for ~12s.


text:
Trying to perform a system update crashes the Settings app
I've bought a Lenovo A7 3300 16GB tablet running Android 4.2.2. I tried to updated my tablet to the last version of Android by going into Settings > About phone > System update, but when I tap on "System update" this message appears on the screen:

Unfortunately, settings has stopped.

In addition, my GPS is not working properly. I can turn it on, but it doesn't locate my position on Google Maps or other GPS apps.
My tablet is not rooted and I don't want to root it. I've tried factory reset many times, just for the record.

Is there any way to fix these problems without rooting?
What causes these problems?
Is this a hardware problem or a software problem?
Should I bring my tablet back to the seller?

Have you tried this? http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/69768/settings-app-unfortunately-settings-has-stopped

boo. root it. problem solved. custom rom, custom recovery. no settings crashes. no stock bloat.

There a couple of things you can try out, in any order you like!

New Tablet? Surprising, try a factory reset if you have nothing on it. This should fix it for most cases.
A single application crashing could be due to some stale values associated with the data it has cached, you could try force stopping the settings application and then clearing the storage.

If this doesn't work, check for the latest stable build of a rom for your device from the vendor itself, you might have to flash it.
Edit:
Just saw Jeff Chang's comment, and my answer is similar to the one on the link he provided. If it works, you can ask him to answer it for you and award him the bounty.

Unfortunately I had 7 days to return the device to the seller. So before your answer. I've sent it back. I don't have the device right now and I'm going to change it with another brand. Thanks for your time and effort. I vote your answer up.


text:
Is there a way to map/translate a pattern-lock to a numeric PIN?
I just encrypted my Moto X (Gen 1) (KitKat 4.4.4) using the default encryption option from the Settings > Security menu. After the encryption process finished, it asks me, "Type password to decrypt storage". Only there's one problem: it never asked me for a password.
It seems I'm not the only one who experienced this. I've tried my Google password like 3 times, and, like that other poor soul, I haven't been able to find a way to map my pattern-lock to a PIN, which might be what Android used for the encryption.
For the mappings, I have tried a standard phone dial pad:
1 2 3
4 5 6
7 8 9

and a standard keyboard numpad:
7 8 9
4 5 6
1 2 3

and a wild guess based on how a developer might do it:
0 1 2
3 4 5
6 7 8

Presumably, though not necessarily, Android stores that pattern as a string or number somehow. Given a certain unlock pattern, how do I find the string or number that represents that pattern?

To the moderators: I'm fine deleting this question if it's not on-topic. I think the question would have been on-topic if the answer fixed my problem. I'm not sure how you guys see that.

I downloaded the Android source and found the answer. The wild guess turns out to be right. This is the mapping:
0 1 2
3 4 5
6 7 8

If your pattern is from top-left to top-right (0->1->2) then down to bottom-right (2->5->8), the string version of the password is "01258".
The source for this comes from LockPatternUtils in package com.android.internal.widget:
/**
 * Serialize a pattern.
 * @param pattern The pattern.
 * @return The pattern in string form.
 */
public static String patternToString(List<LockPatternView.Cell> pattern) {
    if (pattern == null) {
        return "";
    }
    final int patternSize = pattern.size();

    byte[] res = new byte[patternSize];
    for (int i = 0; i < patternSize; i++) {
        LockPatternView.Cell cell = pattern.get(i);
        res[i] = (byte) (cell.getRow() * 3 + cell.getColumn());
    }
    return new String(res);
}

where the rows and columns are both {0,1,2}.
However, as I said in my question, I tried this mapping with my pattern, and it doesn't work to unlock my encryption. This turned out to be a dead end, but I hope this answer is helpful to others with a similar problem. (Note again that the other person who had this problem also tried to find the pattern-lock to PIN mapping, but the answer wasn't out there.)

Good info, thanx +1, if you get the right answer please edit your answer for the rest of us struggling with this issue.

I realize this thread is really old, but I actually used this info to much success! This is the correct grid to translate 3x3 pattern locks into a pin:
1 2 3
4 5 6
7 8 9

This work on my Oneplus 3 running Resurrection Remix 6.0.1. Long story short, I enabled decrypt password on boot, but upon restarting it gave me the password option. This grid worked like a charm!


text:
Is it possible for a Bluetooth device/button to wake up an Android phone and take a picture (hands free)?
Long story short, I am taking daily progress pictures and I am trying to take a picture with the phone without touching it or using a timer etc. Totally hands free.
The phone is a spare Samsung note 10+ mounted to the bathroom mirror and permanently connected with the back camera facing forward. Touching the phone isn't suitable because it's facing the wall and movement has the chance of bumping the position slightly (not ideal).
After experimenting with Bixby many thanks to the comment by @Morrison Chang, I found it does work hands-free suitably for my partner and myself, however listening to my partner trying to tell the wall to take a photo in a slow robotic voice is not optimal. So, the question remains,
Can a Bluetooth attached button wake a phone and trigger a picture to be taken?
Note: I am a career programmer so writing a simple app isn't out of the equation if need be.

Unclear if you tried enabling Bixby Voice wake-up and using a Bixby voice command to take a picture.

@MorrisonChang updated. Yes, thanks a lot for that, the bixby voice command does work for both of us, and we will fall back to bixby if need be., though I'm still curious about a Bluetooth button (remote camera button)

Based on Android Doze Mode - Bluetooth and accounting for https://dontkillmyapp.com/samsung it seems possible. Found https://github.com/michaelruck/ESP32_phone_camera_remote_shutter but Doze mode / holding wake lock would need to be tested. Accessing Bixby is via a Samsung feature means less concern about waking up phone/camera app.

@MorrisonChang thanks once again, very interesting, yeah it seems the sleeping might be an issue, agreed that Bixby would likely bypass that, however, that raises the question, the phone must be processing audio all the time for Bixby to wake :/ not that it's a bit deal.

See my answer to Does Android hold audio in RAM when listening for ‘hey google’? for references as to how 'wake words' work. The github project references the remote control feature of the open camera app. You may want to try with a bluetooth keyboard to see if you can make it work.