text:
How do I change what "Web Search" in Gmail opens as its search engine?
Question Summary
How do I stop Samsung Internet from popping up when I select text in Gmail and click on the 'Web Search' "button", and instead bring up something else, such as DuckDuckGo search, or Google search, but not Samsung Internet?
I do not want to root this device in order to fix this issue, because if I had to go to that level, then I would just cope with it by copying the text to tge clipboard, followed by pasting into a web search engine outside of the Gmail app.
Android version

Device Model

Detailed Problem Description
Recently, perhaps due to some Android update on my Samsung Galaxy tab S3, the behavior of the 'Web Search' popup dialog (see first image below) has changed. Before, it would allow me to search in some browser or other app, but now it pops up something called 'Samsung Internet':

This is a screenshot of what pops up when I click on 'Web Search':

Things that I tried
I have tried selecting text in other apps, and I see something different, and that difference is acceptable to me, as it is searching in DuckDuckGo search engine (this other app happens to be Firefox):

I looked inside the Gmail settings, and there does not seem to be anything there that indicates how to change the default search engine that it uses.

I looked at Settings/Apps/Gmail that was referenced by https://www.greenbot.com/article/2879150/how-to-change-the-default-search-engine-in-android.html but I did not see any indication of which search engine Gmail itself would use. My theory was that Firefox has some specific setting that can be changed, so I figured that Gmail itself would as well but that is not the case.

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/bing/forum/bing_gettingstarted-bing_tips/how-do-i-set-bing-as-default-search-engine-in-my/b725b25b-3ac8-4c3e-a1ed-0a44a1769164
'Settings, choose Advanced, then Set Search Engine' does not show anything about search engines at all.

I have the same issue. "Search" opens Edge and "Search in Edge" opens Edge again.

For Android 12 (and maybe your phone):
Settings -> Apps -> Samsung Internet (or whatever app you are trying to avoid) -> set as default -> clear defaults.
This worked for me when Google took over "web search" events in gmail.


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Installing custom recovery using Odin will erase data or not?
My phone's model is sm-g5108q(SAMSUNG G5108Q Galaxy Core Max).
I'm going to install custom recovery on my phone.
But I can't found custom recovery package suitable my phone.
So I prepare custom recovery package similar version.

Installing custom recovery will erase data?
Is there any problem others?

It will not wipe data; however, using an image for another device is always a dangerous (if it flashes at all) idea.

The installation itself will not erase any user data, but to boot a custom system image or custom recovery, your bootloader needs to be unlocked. If it isn't already, then unlocking the bootloader will erase all user data.
Note also that it is generally not possible to use a system image or recovery that was prepared for a different phone. Samsung in particular tends to release two completely different phone models under the same marketing name. Commonly one has an SM- model number like yours, and the other has a GT- model number. ROMs made for one model will not work at all on the other model.

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


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I have restricted background data but i am still getting whatsapp and facebook messages,,, am using an android 8.1 oreo
I have restricted background data but i am still getting Whatsapp and Facebook messages notifications.
I'm using an android 8.1 Oreo.

Push messages are usually not received by the app itself, but by the Google Push Notification Service (part of the "Google [Play] Services"). This prevents that every app have to built their own notification system which would cost a lot of battery and traffic.

To elaborate on this a little, in general you cannot disable background data for Google Services... Background data on or off is not relevant, this is considered an essential service and always has access to data when it is available. Most apps such as Facebook Messenger, Whatsapp, and most messaging apps, even many Echange email compatible apps, use the Google Push Notification service. To my knowledge this cannot be disabled without Airplane mode, or root access using 3rd party tools as disabling causes lots of other things to not function correctly.

@acejavelin While I haven't tested whether or not it works, I can "flip the switch" on Google Services' access to mobile data on my phone. I have a Honor, so it's probably a feature of EMUI.

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


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How to create Language Pack/Dictionary for Keyboard auto correct
Is there a way to create new language pack for android? I would like to use my local language words, but i wouldnt want to add them in the 'English' pack, because they are words/phrases in my country and it would make my english pack messy.

Have you found the answer yet?

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


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Is is possible two tablets of the same model has different functionalities?
I've bought a Huawei IDEOS S7 up front (there isn't a monthly fee) for SGD 885 (682 USD) before realizing that it costs only:

SGD 468 (USD 360)
SGD 549 (USD423)
SGD 488 (USD 376)
(SGD 324) USD 250

My tablet supports GSM voice communication and I can make phone calls with it. I was basically wondering is it true that all Huawei IDEOS S7 can be used to make phone calls,
Or is it true that some Huawei IDEOS S7 have support for GSM voice communication (mine) while others do not have support for it (those cheaper ones shown in the list above)?
Or did I just lost $385?

It is possible. But, most notably they would tell you if there was a Voice version, and a non-voice Version.
Just like some tablets have 3G connection, and some only have Wi-Fi. They'd tell you.
However, you also have to be careful sometimes. Some sites that sell these really cheap, are like Chinese Wholesale sites, and they make counterfeit versions of these, but sell them off as the real deal.

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


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Package cannot be (re-)installed or uninstalled
My device is a non-rooted device. I was trying to install SDMove.apk (sideload) from my ICS tablet.
Adb reported:
Failure [INSTALL_FAILED_ALREADY_EXISTS]

When I issue uninstall command, it reports Failure too.
When I try to browse all installed apps on phone (via launcher or via Settings>App menu) the application "SDMove" does not show up.
How can I fix this error?

Could it be the app is already (pre-)installed as a system package? That would be the easiest explanation: A package with that name already exists (so it cannot be installed) -- but being a system packe, you cannot uninstall it. If you know the package name (something like com.foobar.app), try an adb shell "ls /system/app/com.foobar.app" to check if it's there (hopefully this doesn't require root ;)

@Izzy, thanks, but I confirm in negative. It is certainly not a system app. Continue to be stumped.

Include me with your confusion -- the above was the only reason I can think of at the moment, sorry.


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How to use Wifi re-installation code?
I've a Samsung Galaxy Ace but my Wifi is always not in range.
Google Helps state:

Use WiFi driver re-installation Code *#*#526#*#*...Reinstall the
  firmware for Wifi. Try it on other Routers as well  this is a common
  problem with Androids. as i see (seen in lot of forums people
  discussing Wifi problem of Androids) My cousin bought the same Handset
  and he is having same problem. If it doesn't help show it to your
  vendor from where you have brought it

How do I use the WiFi driver re-installation Code *#*#526#*#* ?

I had the same problem on Galaxy Ace but I dialed *#526# and not *#*#526#*#*. I don't know if it's the same thing. Also try with removing and renewing the Wi-Fi connection on your phone.

These are called dialer codes, so naturally try typing it into your Dialer as if it were a phone number.  I just did it on my Vibrant and got this:
WlanTest Engineering Mode
Status...
Unloading Normal Driver and Loading Mfg Driver

Driver loading successful

@Pacerier I know some other things like touchscreen drivers might have similar codes, but in general you don't want to mess with drivers.  Most of your installs will be apps, which certainly aren't done through dialer codes :P

Btw my Wifi still doesn't seem to be in range evne after installing the driver and restarting the device. Do you have any idea what may be causing the problem?

@Pacerier Sorry, no.  Have you tried it with multiple Wi-Fi networks?


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Why does my storage page say I have 34 GB of Audio files when there are only 2 audio files stored, totaling 2.1 MB?
I've been trying to free up space on my Pixel 2XL, and the Storage menu in Settings says I have 34 GB of audio files stored, but when I go in to the files to try to erase things, I only have two audio files taking up a total of ~2.1 MB. I don't even know where to find what else might be taking up the space, there's nothing else there... Any ideas?
Storage Menu:

After pressing Audio

After pressing Unknown

After pressing VoiceRecorder

Apps may not store files with music file extensions, this is why they cannot be seen as audio files. You should try clearing app data of Apple music or something similar or check in its directory to see what you want to keep. Sometimes android also recognizes file extensions wrong and interprets them as audio files, such as incomplete downloads. You may use apps such as Files Go from Google to optimize your device storage space.


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Uninstalling 360 Security
I'm trying to delete 360 Security from my phone ( Samsung J 6 3 ), and it is activated as my device Administrator, when I go to deactivate the device administrative permission it shuts down my settings. How can i get rid of this app?

What happens if you  open the app page in Playstore and try to uninstall?

It asked me to deactivate the app as an administrator.  And that action causes the settings to shut down .

Try to repeat this step in safe mode. You can access safe mode by these steps.

Power off your device by holding down the Power button and then tapping on Power off.
  Power on your device by holding down the Power button. As soon as the Samsung Logo pops up, press and hold down the Volume Down key until your device as rebooted.
  You will now be able to see Safe Mode down the near the bottom left of the screen.
  To exit safe mode just reboot the device.

Hope it helped.

In safe mode the same thing happen it shuts down the setting app.

Funny things happen .I updated the 360 security app and then went back and the device administrator was deactivated .don't ask me why but it seemed to help .Thanks everyone for you answers.


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Open local file from Excel Cell in Android
In Android, I wish to open a local file from a Hyperlink in Excel. XLSX file and the linked image are in the same directory folder. I've tried the following:

=HYPERLINK("cat.jpg", "Cat")

=HYPERLINK("./cat.jpg", "Cat")

=HYPERLINK(".\cat.jpg", "Cat")

=HYPERLINK("file://\storage\emulated\0\Download\Cat.jpg", "Cat")

=HYPERLINK("file:///storage/emulated/0/Download/Cat.jpg", "Cat")

=HYPERLINK("/storage/emulated/0/Download/1.png", "Cat")

=HYPERLINK("file://storage\emulated\0\Download\Cat.jpg", "Cat")

=HYPERLINK("file://storage/emulated/0/Download/Cat.jpg", "Cat")

=HYPERLINK("storage/emulated/0/Download/1.png", "Cat")

I get the same error message on all Cells:

Is it possible to achieve the above result? If Android as an OS restricts launching another app programmatically, can we we have the open with dialogue similar to the one in ES Explorer.

If it affects - I downloaded MS Excel via Play Store and I'm not a Office 365 user.


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Android system takes too much data usage
Checking through Glasswire application, Android system has the highest data usage everyday on my Android. I only used my phone for tethering to my laptop and it don't take that much of data (My laptop only has Glasswire apps so I can check).
I have searched through the internet and most of them said you should restrict background data. However, if I set it, I won't receive notification from my instant messaging app.
Also, it seems weird that the upload data usage take more than 100 MB. I realize I even didn't upload too much things.
Are there any solution?

Android System data usage
When you use tether your Smartphone and your PC the I assume that those data will be accumulated in the "Android System" entry - or did you encounter a separate entry in the Android network usage list?
On your PC you should check if the tethered network connection is marked as cellular / metered connection network connection (Windows).
Background data user
You can restrict the background data usage for ever app separately. Therefore you can spare the apps where you want/need background data.

On Lineage OS 14.1 (Android 7.1.2), the data usage shows a separate "Tethering & portable hotspot" entry for it.


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Android equivalent to Remote Messages/WiFiSMS on iOS?
One of my favorite things about my iPhone was the ability to receive/send SMS/MMS through my web browser on my computer. As far as I know, Android has alternatives for this, but they all rely on an online service which isn't ideal.
Is there any way to send/receive SMS/MMS through a PC without the use of an online service?

You could use AirDroid which offers more functionalities.
It does not need internet service

✔ SMS: Send and receive individual or group messages.
  ✔ Files: Transfer files between Android and computer from any network. Share files and chat with friends.
  ✔ Notification Mirror: Mirror phone notifications from any allowed apps to computer.
  - Contacts: View and edit all the contacts.
  - Photos: Transfer photos between Android and computer.
  - Music & Videos: Play and manage music & videos on Android and transfer them between Android and computer.
  - Ringtones: Set music as ringtone and export ringtones.
  - Screenshot: View the real time screen of Android devices, take static screenshots. (requires root)
  - Apps: Import and export .apk files.
  - Camera: See through the lens of both front and back cameras.
  - URL: Push url to Android and open it with default web browser.
  - Clipboard: Share clipboard content between Android and computer.

Alterntively, Wifi SMS for android offers to send/recieve SMS


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Preserving a whatsapp account from an inactive/foriegn SIM on a new device
My dilemma is as follows:

I signed up for WhatsApp in a foreign country on my Tecno R7 and used it happily even after returning back to my home country.
When i returned, I of course restored my home country SIM cards, but WhatsApp was unaffected and ran normally.
However, my Tecno R7 malfunctioned and I had to change to a Samsung Grand Prime. So, when I tried to move my whats-app account to my new device, it initiates a new registration.
I do not wish to open a new account and lose my old history, all my contacts were also already hooked on my old account.

Is there a way to transfer my old WhatsApp account from Tecno R7 to Samsung Grand Prime, without effecting a new registration (changing numbers)?

Just take a backup of the WhatsApp conversations in old phone and copy the entire folder /sdcard/WhatsApp/ and send (copy) it exactly to the same location in your new phone..
Now open WhatsApp from new phone and Enter the desired number (It may or may not require verification)
After verification is over, it'll prompt you asking for restoring chat backups..
Just restore them.
The latest version of WhatsApp supports backing up of data to Google Drive.
So, if you can update to a latest version, better sync it and try the same.


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How to simulate keypress event in recovery mode via adb?
I know it's possible to simulate a keypress event in Android via adb using a command like:
adb shell input keyevent 24

The command above will trigger a Volume Key Up event, for example.
My problem is, my volume key is broken. I can get access to recovery mode using adb reboot recovery, but how can I navigate in recovery mode while my volume button is broken?
I've tried to use adb shell ... commands as above but it said that the "input" binary was not installed.

Does you device has support for USB OTG? Volume buttons and digitizer doesn't work in my old device but it has USB OTG support so I use a mouse to choose the options. It is another matter that in my device stock Recovery doesn't support OTG but custom one does.

Hmm, how can i check if my device support USB on the go?
And if it's supporedt how can i do it?
Thanks :D

You can search on Google whether your device supports OTG. You may alternatively try apps like OTG Checker. If it's supported then you would have to buy an OTG cable (they are very cheap) and needs a standard mouse. Connect them and see the magic.

@Firelord
I follow your suggestion and OTG Checker app said my firmware support it.
Hmm im still a bit in darkness haha. So you mean by connecting OTG Cable adapter with standard USB Mouse I can access the menu in Recovery Mode?
Does the OTG driver loaded in recovery mode? If it can't (by using OTG Cable - USB Mouse), is there any command to invoke keypress event in recovery mode? Thanks in advance :).

As I said earlier my custom recovery loads drivers which supports some peripherals but stock one doesn't. It would depend upon which recovery you're using. Besides, did you mount /system when trying to use input command? Also I don't think it would work since it needs internals of full-fledged Android OS and Recovery is a bare-bone OS.

Ah yes, i didn't read that part you use custom recovery. And I think I didn't mount the /system  before. Ok I'll try it and reprt the result. :D

Well I think i just found a work around to handle my problem. I just realize that there ara TWRP Touch (TWRP recovery with touch screen support) I installed it and voila! I can isntall custom rom with that. Well this not answer my original question above. But maybe could be an alternative to them who face a same case with me. Maybe if anyone know how to invoke keypress command at recovery mode could fill it below. Thanks alot to Firelord and Stackexchange Team who already tried at his best to give support and answer this question. Thanks all :)


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Reinstalling KitKat after upgrading to Lollipop
My Asus Google Nexus 7 has failed completely after upgrading to Lollipop from KitKat 4.4.4.
Now the tab can not handle running more than one app at a time and frequently hangs requiring power shut down and restart. Can some one detail how KitKat 4.4.4 can be reinstalled? The tab worked marvelously earlier.

You can use this nexus-7 link to get started. There are nexus-7 developer forums where you can look for rom (other OS) to install it on your nexus-7.
Also,  you can install cynogenmod 12+ which is modified lollipop version of Google's Android OS. CM12+ is lot smoother in terms of performance and also has many features like themes and audioFX.
Please note - While installing anything on your phone voids the warranty of your phone.
Also, remember to follow each and every step as described in forum. Otherwise, there is a chance that phone will get bricked.
So, please be careful.


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Galaxy S4 refuses to gain signal after being disconnected for a period of time
So, the scenario is this: I have a Verizon Galaxy S4 (SCH-I545, Android 5.0.1). One of my work sites is an amazingly effective dead zone. No signal whatsoever. If I enter the dead zone for a few minutes and leave, everything is fine. However, if I stay in the dead zone for 30+min or so (as is often the case), and then leave the dead zone, the phone will still display empty bars with a little "x" indicating no signal. It will stay like this indefinitely. I could turn on and off mobile data. I could turn on and off airplane mode. The only thing that fixes it is restarting the phone.
It's as if, once the phone realizes there's no signal coming its way, it will just refuse to even check for more every several minutes.
Is there a way to force such a check?

Google helps (even on the wrong stackexchange ;-)): http://www.technobezz.com/fix-samsung-galaxy-s4-signal/


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Screen color changes with brightness slider. How to solve?
My Samsung Galaxy A5 is rooted and I tried to remove the boot animation with the remove boot animation option in the Boot Animations app. It removed the boot animation but then created a new problem.
When I slide the brightness slider to lower values, the screen develops a green tint and the display becomes like an 8bit display. Can anyone suggest what to do to make it normal?

Did you take a backup before making these changes to you mobile?

No, there's no custom recovery available


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Power Saving Option in Samsung Galaxy S3
I see there is a Power Saving switch in the Galaxy S3.
What makes the Galaxy S3 save power when it is turned on?
Is there a difference this and using JuiceDefender?
Can using JuiceDefender and turning on the Power Saving switch help or hinder performance?

Please avoid placing several question onto the same post. Provided answers get hard to be accurate or complete as to satisfy the multiple topics presented.

Well, Samsung's Power Saving Mode consists of 4 features:

CPU Power Saving: Limits the maximum performance of the processor (may also disable some cores).

Screen Power Saving: Uses a low power level for the screen.

Background Color: Uses a dark background color for some apps, which might reduce power consumption on some screens (see here).

Turn off haptic feedback: It's the vibrating if you use the hardware keys or type something on the virtual keyboard.

JuiceDefender consists of several other features which might save some battery, if correctly configured:

It lets you control when to use WLAN/2G/3G connection, so you don't need to change them manually (It can be configured to disable all 3G and WLAN at night for example).

It has location aware WLAN control, so it can automatically enable/disable WLAN when it's available in this location.

It can also do CPU-Scaling, limiting your CPU power when your phone is in idle state.
* Some features might not work because they need a specific ROM.

So JuiceDefender can save a lot of battery life if properly configured and will only slow down your phone when it's not in use (only if configured properly). (CPU) Power Saving will definitely reduce your performance.

tasker or llama can also automate your wifi / 3g connections based on location as well as switching profiles etc.

Keep in mind tools like JuiceDefender might also cause a lot of wake locks and can also drain your battery a lot. More about wake locks: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1179809


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How do I change the name of my Android device?
My Android device is the Nexus One.  But this should apply to all current Android devices.
How do I change the name of my Android device?
When I connect to my wireless router's client tables, my android devices is listed for example as: android_1234567890abedfc.  I'd like to give it a more readable name.

It's also possible to configure the hostname via the DHCP server. But I haven't checked if android uses this configuration option. It's anyways just a cosmetic option.

http://blog.burrowsapps.com/2011/09/android-change-hostname.html.

@Flow (Varies but) Android DHCPCD does not have the dhcpcd-run-hooks for setting the hostname from DHCP. Atleast on my Samsung Froyo device. It doesn't have the ntp hooks either. DHCPCD does support it though.

for GNU Linux: http://askubuntu.com/questions/9540/how-do-i-change-the-computer-name , low level kernel methods will work

To change the hostname (device name) you have to use the terminal (as root):
For Eclair (2.1):
echo MYNAME > /proc/sys/kernel/hostname
For Froyo (2.2): (works also on most 2.3)
setprop net.hostname MYNAME
Then restart your wi-fi.
To see the change, type uname -a
some devices needs reboot for work!

Does this work on jelly bean?

This works, but does not persist on reboot.

uname -a doesn't show the hostname for me, though it does say localhost.  what do you expect it to show?

Summary:

getprop net.hostname (Android System Hostname, likely android_24412414 type name)
echo $HOSTNAME (shell/terminal/env hostname, likely ro.product.device from build.prop)
cat /proc/sys/kernel/hostname (Linux System Hostname, likely localhost)
head /etc/hosts (Linux System Hostname, likely localhost)
hostname (Command not always installed, if installed via busy box, will read /proc/sys/kernel/hostname)

Depends on which version of Android you have.
Android 4.0 and Above
Newer versions will use the right build.prop entry. Well, that is to say, Android reads the build.prop as it's normal boot process. Once the Connectivity Service runs, it checks to see if net.hostname is set in the Settings, then if empty, then it uses the "android_" + (permanent) android ID. So that's all you need to do.
Add net.hostname=HOSTNAMEHERE to /system/build.prop (Root may be needed). Leave a blank line at the end of the file.
Kitkat's ConnectivityService.java, notice the IF isEmpty statement:
    // setup our unique device name
    if (TextUtils.isEmpty(SystemProperties.get("net.hostname"))) {
        String id = Settings.Secure.getString(context.getContentResolver(),
                Settings.Secure.ANDROID_ID);
        if (id != null && id.length() > 0) {
            String name = new String("android-").concat(id);
            SystemProperties.set("net.hostname", name);

Android 2.3 and Below
Older versions, Gingerbread, Froyo, etc, just clobber it. It doesn't bother to check. It will set net.hostname to android_24412414... no matter what. So you will need to change it after that Connectivity Service has finished loading. Luckily, it only runs the startup once, not on every new connection. So we just need to run setprop net.hostname HOSTNAMEHERE after that for it to stick. Unfortunately, it runs fairly late in the boot process, so you need something that will make the changes on boot_complete. Most likely an App that runs by itself.
Froyo's ConnectivityService.java:
    // setup our unique device name
    String id = Settings.Secure.getString(context.getContentResolver(),
            Settings.Secure.ANDROID_ID);
    if (id != null && id.length() > 0) {
        String name = new String("android_").concat(id);
        SystemProperties.set("net.hostname", name);

But then there is another issue.
The net.hostname setting, is not copied to the entire system! If you use a console/terminal application, you might not get the same hostname. My phone, a Samsung Sidekick 4G (semi-Galaxy S based) has an init.rc which runs hostname localhost, so all underneath commands will not see either your build.prop hostname or the android_id hostname! So you need to set that too.

hostname HOSTNAMEHERE or echo HOSTNAMEHERE > /proc/sys/kernel/hostname

Note: Depending on how you are doing it, you'll need to run the above command as root in order for it to work. Init.rc is typically on the read only system partition, so root access is needed to edit it.
The dhcpcd command, which is run to get a dhcp address, will not update to a hostname provided by the server (That can be fixed by adding the right dhcpcd-run-hooks and dhcpcd.conf), and it will not provide a hostname to the dhcp server if $(hostname) (The hostname command) is blank or localhost, and it does not internally use net.hostname. libnetutils is used for calling dhcpcd with -h "net.hostname", but if for some reason it decides not to call with -h, DHCPCD WILL STILL SEND THE SYSTEM HOSTNAME via gethostname(), as long as it's not "(none)", "localhost", or empty. On Stock Froyo anyway. Samsung screwed the pooch on some devices like mine. No hostname pass through, forced network time, etc.
My Solution for Gingerbread and below Samsung, Edit the DHCP Client Daemon config:
The last thing you can do is edit /etc/dhcpcd/dhcpcd.conf. If you add hostname YOURHOSTNAME to the file, it will use that, unless a hostname is given on the commandline. This won't fix the android_234etc issue, but will if the hostname is localhost (My problem, since Samsung screwed libnetutils and localhost in init.rc). You will need Root, but this works across reboots. This won't work if dhcpcd is called with -h Hostname option.

Who uses Android 2.3? Does this version still work in 2020? The links from 2008 still work, this is backward.

@user3123159 well i did answer this in 2014...

I found a way to do this on my rooted Nexus 7 with 4.2.2. The setting is saved persistently and works throughout reboots.
Source: http://nileshgr.com/2012/10/13/how-to-change-wifi-host-name-of-your-android-device

Note that the device must be rooted to use adb
Run adb pull /system/build.prop
Edit the build.prop file and append net.hostname=NewHostname
Run adb push build.prop /sdcard/build.prop (or /mnt/sdcard, if it fails)
Run adb shell and execute the following commands:
$ su
# mount -o rw,remount /system
# cp /sdcard/build.prop /system/build.prop (or /mnt/sdcard if you used that previously)
# mount -o ro,remount /system
# exit
Reboot the device

This was fixed in newer versions of Android. It checks net.hostname from build.prop. Older Android versions do not (Mainly Froyo, maybe Gingerbread).

ICS isnt 4.2.2, that would be JB

an easier way to do this is to use the setprop command via a root shell on the device:  for example setprop net.hostname NewHostName

@mark that would be clobbered on reboot. This answer is a permanent version.

I have not ran stock in a long time but in Application Settings > Development you will see the option 'Device hostname'.

on what versions of Android? When I look at development options on my Droid 3 (Android 2.3.4), I don't have that option.

This works on CyanogenMOD and probably other modified ROMs but not stock AOSP ROMs.

Completely dependent on the manufacturer and builder, as well as android version.

Go to Google Play Store. Search for "hostname", and download hostname changer app.
Must be rooted.

Will renaming the device mess up anything internally?

Hostname is used to easily identify and remember hosts connected to a network. It's set on boot, e.g. from /etc/hostname on Linux based systems. Hostname is also a part of DHCPREQUEST (standardized as code 12 by IETF) which a DHCP client (Android device in our case) makes to DHCP server (WiFi router) to get an IP address assigned. DHCP server stores the hostnames to offer services like DNS. See details in How to ping a local network host by hostname?.
Android - instead of using Linux kernel's hostname service - used property net.hostname (since Android 2.2) to set a unique host name for every device which was based on android_id. This hostname property was used for DHCP handshake (as added in Android 2.2 and 4.0). In Android 6 net.hostname continued to be used (1, 2, 3, 4) in new Java DHCP client when native dhcpcd was abandoned and later service was removed in Android 7. Since Android 8 - when android_id became unique to apps - net.hostname is no more set, so a null is sent in DHCPREQUEST. See Android 8 Privacy Changes and Security Enhancements:

net.hostname is now empty and the dhcp client no longer sends a hostname

So the WiFi routers show no host names for Android 8+, neither we can set / unset / change it.
However on rooted devices you can set net.hostname manually using setprop command or add in some init's .rc file to set on every boot. Or use a third party client like busybox udhcpc to send desired hostname and other options to router. See Connecting to WiFi via ADB Shell.


text:
WhatsApp cannot be reinstalled
I had uninstalled WhatsApp and downloaded the latest version, but after the download I can't install it. I am using a Lenovo A6000. Please tell me what I can do to reinstall the app.

What happens when you try to install. What phone? Android version? Need much more details than you have provided.

Here, try downloading this and installing it: http://www.apkmirror.com/apk/whatsapp-inc/whatsapp/whatsapp-2-12-373-android-apk-download/.
Make sure unknown sources is enabled: Settings > Security > Unknown Sources and confirm the popup. Then just click on the downloaded file and it should install.
It is officially signed so you will be able to receive updates from google play.


text:
How do I change my name on the Gmail Android app?
I changed my name on the computer side, but it did not change my name on the app. How can I accomplish this?

I don't think you need to change it on different platforms. Change on one, should change it on the server.

thats wht i would of thought but it still has old name on the app. so i thought maybe i needed to unistall and reinstall

Maybe it might need to be resynced. I don't use the mobile app very frequently so I suggest waiting until somebody comes up with an answer.

As of 2019-02-24 there is a known bug in the Outlook app for Android with changing the "from" display name for gmail accounts. This bug only affects the Outlook app on Android with Gmail accounts.
The issue is that changes to your display name in Google, which appear in your "from" display name in gmail, are not reflected in the Outlook app on Android. It will be reflected everywhere else -- gmail.com, the gmail app, any other email app on the same phone -- but the Outlook Android app does not pick up the new "From" google display name.
I confirmed this by doing a factory reset on my phone, re-installing Outlook, and it still didn't pick up the new display name from Google. Other Android email apps let you specify your FROM display name but unfortunately the Outlook Android app doesn't have this as an option and instead picks it up from Google.
Here's confirmation of the issue from the Outlook Android team:

You can try to clear the cache of the Gmail app (Settings → Apps → All Applications → Gmail → Clear Cache).
If that doesn't help, clear the Gmail app's data as well and sign in again into Gmail(Settings → Apps → All Applications → Gmail → Clear Data).
This, as @SharpSTA said, will force a resync with the servers, and hopefully update your information.


text:
ADB Backup does not work for Skype App
I have a Nexus 5 with Android 6. The ROM is stock and not rooted. My bootloader is locked too.
When I try to save the Skype data files (chats, messages...) nothing will be saved.
adb backup -noapk -f Skype.ab com.raider.skype

This command will be used to save the data like messages and more.
My question: How can I backup my Skype data?

It is possible that the app disallows backup. Have you verified this possibility?

I Think you need to connect  with pc and need to take backup as mentioned in the skype doc
this is not poosbile with android
https://support.skype.com/en/faq/FA413/how-do-i-back-up-my-configuration-and-instant-message-history?platform=android
this is for windows
https://support.skype.com/en/faq/FA413/how-do-i-back-up-my-configuration-and-instant-message-history


text:
wifi is getting turned off and mobile data is getting turned on automatically
I am facing a weird scenario in my android phone since 2-3 days.
My wi-fi is automatically getting turned off and my mobile data pack is getting turned on.
It has been cost effective 2-3 days.
I have followed different questions on Android forum and stackexchange it self.
I am listing out the suggestions, i have already tried:-

Disable battery saver app
(I dont have any battery saver app installed)
Did restrict background data for each and every app installed on my phone
(As many blogs were suggesting the same)

Still am facing this issue.
Model-Micromax A310
Android Version - 4.4.2

try after reset device after backup

Can you mention which apps in your device are granted  CHANGE_NETWORK_STATE and CHANGE_WIFI_STATE permissions? (Optionally, see Is there a native way to find all the installed apps that have access to a phone feature? || How can I find which apps/packages reference a given permission using command line?)

Did you turn off "connections optimizer" in phone settings?

Check for advance options for auto turn off in wifi connection app.

There is an option in the Wi-Fi settings:
Keep Wi-Fi on during sleep
It has the following options:
-> Always
-> Only when plugged in
-> Never
Make sure the above is set to "Always".
I believe it will have set "Never" in your case.


text:
How do you save an Instagram picture to the Android gallery?
How do you save Instagram picture to Android gallery?

Instagram does not provide any options to download images or videos to the phone. However, you can use third party applications like "Instasave for Instagram" for doing this.
App Link:  https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=dstudio.tool.instasave&hl=en

Go to Play Store and Install Instasave application
Open Instasave app
Press home button and open Instagram App
Find image that you want to download
Click on Menu button (three dots)
Copy Share URL
Open Instasave app and you will see your image/video
Click on Download icon.

IF you have a rooted device + xposed framework then check out the instaprefs xposed module which adds extra functionality including saving assets:

https://www.xda-developers.com/instaprefs-xposed-module-instagram-features/

❗❗❗ WARNING: If your device does not have root/magisk/xposed-framework already installed then be aware that trying to install them on incompatible hardware/software versions might BRICK your device and will most likely void your warranty! I would recommend NOT using your daily driver device for experimentation.


text:
How can I put a link to an SD card folder on the home screen on HTC Desire Z?
I have a folder on  my SD card that I regularly access to open documents of different types.
Is it possible to have a link on the home screen that opens the contents of this folder, e.g. using a File Manager application?
Currently I'm using the Adao File Manager to open the folder, but every time I have to select SD Card and Folder to get there.

The answers to How do I copy pictures onto a folder on the home screen? provide a couple methods of creating shortcuts (it requires another file manager).
As well, the Root Explorer file manager allows you to set the default path when it opens; you could set it to the path of this folder, so you wouldn't need to browse to it.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5/


text:
What program can I use to compress (zip,rar...) and password protect files on my Android Froyo
I was just sending a backup via mail to my Google account.
This backup contained readable information (csv format) from sensitive data.
Does anyone knows of a program to compress files (in .zip format, or .rar if necessary) on my Android phone (running Froyo), with a password protection used while compressing.
That way I can compress/protect my data before sending it via email.
Thanks.

Dual File Manager

It appears that the program is now called Dual File Manager XT

all_licenses: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5/


text:
MIUI newest version displays annoying message popups
Whenever someone writes me a message on hangouts or messenger, I get this popup:

Screenshot (click to enlarge)
How can I disable this? It's very annoying when I'm watching a movie

The simplest way would be to just turn off all notifications for the applications.
You need to swipe down your notification bar and then long press on each notification, it should open up a menu for disabling all notifications, if this doesn't work then you'll need to open up the applications individually and thoroughly go through the settings of each app, most likely you'll have an option to turn these type of notifications off.

For miui goto settings app>notifications & status bar>App notifications>YourAnnoyingAppName>Show notification(turn off the toggle).


text:
Can I use Dvorak on a physical keyboard?
I use Dvorak as my main typing layout. I own a Motorola Xoom tablet, for which I bought an external bluetooth keyboard. I couldn't find how to use Dvorak on the physical keyboard though; I tried some of the Dvorak-capable keyboard apps in the App Store (Hacker's Keyboard, Honso Multiling, XenionSH Dvorak Keyboard), but none of these seemed to help (ASK has an open issue for this: http://code.google.com/p/softkeyboard/issues/detail?id=181)
Has anyone managed to do something similar (using either an external BT keyboard or a phone with an inbuilt physical keyboard.)

If your phone is rooted I think that you can write your own keyboard layout. I'm using my own layout (on SGS I9000) for some Chinese blouetooth keyboard that I bougth recently.
Layout files are in /system/usr/keylayout/ directory. Layout file that is used by my keyboard is Broadcom_Bluetooth_HID.kl. I think that layout used by built-in keyboard will be qwerty.kl - you could modify it and check if it's working.
Remember to make backups of original files before changing it...

Thanks - for those looking for more detail I found the following tutorials: http://www.mjvanderwielen.com/?p=1321 and http://jahrome.free.fr/index.php/keyboard-mapping-android-htc-desire?lang=en . Note that these require root.

I've made an app that supports a lot (over 30) different layouts and for the latest version (version 2.7) I've added the Dvorak layout. It does not require root.
You can read more about the app here: http://www.apedroid.com/android-applications/external-keyboard-helper

Maybe you should mention that your program is not free.

I tried a couple options and ended up using an app from RaidSix (com.tiagofalcao.raidsixinputdevices)*, which added new layouts for physical keyboards.
I was then able to add multiple layouts to both a Bluetooth and a Logitech Unifying Receiver (via a USB On-The-Go cable) wireless keyboard, under:

Settings/Personal/Keyboard and Language ->
Physical Keyboard/the-physical-keyboard-in-question/Set Up Keyboard Layouts

It may not be as convenient as the External-Keyboard-Helper app, though.
Amazon Fire, Fire OS 5.1.1, Google Play Store enabled
* I don't know what the policy is for linking to specific apps, but here's the full Google Play Store link.


text:
Why does my Milestone Droid erroneously report a drained battery once every few weeks?
Every so often, my phone (Motorola Milestone, firmware 2.1-update1) decides that the battery is almost drained and that I have to turn the phone off.  This may happen just a few hours after charging it, and a subsequent restart confirms that yes, the battery does still have a charge, still at 70-80% capacity.
This tends to happen every few weeks, and it's been happening basically ever since I bought the phone a few months ago, so I'm pretty sure it's not a charge memory issue, especially when combined with the fact that the problem is intermittent and very infrequent.
Does anyone know why this might happen, and what I could do to fix it?

I saw this exact same issue on my Motorol DROID v1 (same hardware I believe).  With Android 2.0, 2.1, and 2.1 update 1 my phone would sometimes report the battery completely drained just a few minutes after unplugging it.  I have not seen this issue again since the 2.2 update.  Before the update the way I would get the phone to display the proper charge level was to plug in the USB charger for just a moment.  As soon as the phone saw that it was charging the charge level immediately displayed correctly.

How did you get the 2.2 update?  It's not being offered OTA...

The Motorola DROID got the 2.2 update over a month ago from Verizon. I also use to see this behavior but have yet to see it on 2.2.

I believe the 2.2 image for Milestone is floating around the web somewhere, and you can flash without rooting your phone.  Or you can wait for the official OTA update from your carrier.  I'm on Verizon and received the OTA update a few weeks ago.

Some custom recovery images have a command to clear the battery cache, this has fixed similar problems on different phones for me.

Although not generally recommended for Li-ion batteries, I believe a full discharge and recharge cycle will also clear these statistics.

What statistics are you referring to?  (And if this is due to battery statistics, why does rebooting seem to fix it temporarily?)

I was refering to the battery cache that schwiz posted about.  Im not entirely sure why rebooting would fix it.  Are you running a custom rom?

No, no custom anything on this.  It's not rooted.


text:
Add meta information to photos?
Is there a decent camera app that will easily let me add a bit of text to my photos and store that text in the image file as EXIF/IPTC/XMP metadata? So far I have tried the stock Samsung camera app, Camera Zoom FX, Camera FV-5 and Catch Notes. I have read descriptions on numerous camera apps, but it seems like all they have to offer are various ways to distort - I mean enhance - your photos. While Catch Notes did offer ways to store your photos along with a description, it did not store the info as meta data inside the photo itself, which means it will be a mess if you ever want to transfer the photos to your computer and expect the data to stay intact.
This seems like a no-brainer that you'd expect to be available in almost every camera app. I mean, we've got the camera and the keyboard in the same device - what's the problem? I just want to be able to take a photo, click on an icon and type "This is a Bohemian Waxwing" and have that description stored inside the JPEG file. I'd even be fine with a gallery app that only let's me add information to already existing photos.

How about if you just rename the filename? That's what I usually do instead.

It's an alternative indeed, but as an absolute last resort. I'd much rather go for the metadata approach, this is after all what the EXIF information that's already in the JPEG's is for!

Stock Android photos app provides this feature since at least 7.1.1

There are a couple of apps in the Playstore which permit you to view/Edit EXIF data:

Photo Image Editor - Photoshop (free) says it can View, edit, or delete EXIF data
Same promised by Photo Editor
Exif Editor and Viewer (paid) promises to remove, modify, and add individual or multiple EXIF tags
Pixelgarde even states: Edit exif metadata for several photos as a batch, or just individual photos

There are probably many more, so I just picked two of the more promising examples. And as Play Store is known for losing apps, please consider the above examples for the fact such apps exist – and check with my list here for what is currently available.

Allright, answer accepted. Photo Editor is probably the best option. It's smooth enough when you use the camera apps' Share function > Photo Editor > Save (top right corner icon) > Modify > (enter text) > OK > Overwrite > Yes. Still, I cannot understand why this is not a standard feature in most camera apps, but I guess it's more fun to add a sepia effect than to write down what the photo actually is before you forget it.

Since this question was posted, Android stock photos app now has a description field (Android 7.1.1). Open an image and click on the (i) icon, you will be able to add a description.

Does that description end up in the Exif metadata somewhere?

I am a owner of this app and suggest that you can use my app. This app called ExifTool, you can easily to change, add or delete metadata including Exif, XMP, IPTC, QuickTime or MarkerNote.
This app is ported to Android from ExifTool by PhilHarvey.
Download this app (ExifTool), then click to Add Metadata.
That all info you needs.
Download from Google Play

I recommend SwiftTags. It allows you to add EXIF keyword tags quite simply to your images, so later, you can use standard photo organizer software on your desktop to search your photos based on these tags. It focuses on simplicity, so you can assign your tags quickly.

Just installed Picscribe.  This allows you to add comments to exif data. Can't tell you if its a keeper app, as I have yet to abuse its power...! ;-)


text:
On flashing TWRP: Custom binary blocked by FRP Lock
Whenever I try to flash TWRP I get

Custom binary blocked by FRP Lock.

I'm trying to flash with Heimdall.

I rebooted into the firmware and went

Settings
Software information
Click Build Options 5 times

Then I went to

Settings
Developer Options
OEM Unlock

I did an FRP bypass, and then to make it permanent I did the OEM unlock followed by a factory reset.

On recent Android devices, when you have Factory Reset Protection, which is enabled automatically when you setup a Google account, custom binaries (the files that are not signed by the OEM) are blocked (custom recoveries, boot, etc) for security reasons as one can bypass that lock and gain access to your data.
So disabling OEM lock in the Developer Settings, which opens the bootloader to non-signed binaries, should let you flash any custom binary.
EDIT:
To recover your device, simply flash it with a stock firmware uing Heindall or Odin.


text:
Why does ADB sideload always stop at 47%?
When I sideload stuff (like Google Apps) or LineageOS through LineageOS Recovery, it always stops at 47% with the adb sideload command. Why is that?

The answer can be found on Reddit

If I remember correctly (from a discussion long ago), Google's ROMs are transferred about 2.2 times across the sideload. To make the progress bar add up to 100%, they said "2.2 times the file size equals 100%". Our ZIPs are transferred just once, so the final progress is at about 47% with a success. The xfer seems to show the transferred data compared to the file size. Ours clocks in at x1.00 or x1.01, while Google's is about x2.something.


text:
TWRP tells me: adb: sideload connection failed: insufficient permissions for device: user in plugdev group; are your udev rules wrong?
❯ adb sideload lineage-17.1-20201108-nightly-guacamole-signed.zip
* daemon not running; starting now at tcp:5037
* daemon started successfully
adb: sideload connection failed: insufficient permissions for device: user in plugdev group; are your udev rules wrong?
See [http://developer.android.com/tools/device.html] for more information
adb: trying pre-KitKat sideload method...
adb: pre-KitKat sideload connection failed: insufficient permissions for device: user in plugdev group; are your udev rules wrong?
See [http://developer.android.com/tools/device.html] for more information

This is because TWRP doesn't support sideloading on the One Plus 7 Pro. From the official port page

If you don't download the zip file to your device first for any reason, you will need to adb push the zip to the device because MTP is not currently working on the OnePlus 7 Pro in TWRP. If you are unable to use adb, you can also use a USB stick with an OTG cable, if you have those handy.

udev permissions problem is a generic one arising due to unknown USB VID/PID: https://android.stackexchange.com/q/144966/218526. It doesn't always indicate that sideloading isn't supported. That's a device-specific case.


text:
Does the One Plus 8 Pro's IR camera work with Open Camera?
I'm trying to figure out whether or not, the One Plus 9 Pro's IR camera

Is exposed as any other camera?
Is a special device that is not exposed as a camera, but only a proprietary feature of the special One Plus Camera app?

Was this IR camera ever exposed as a stand-alone camera?

No, at least not currently the Camera is not exposed through the official Camera1 or Camera2 API. It's only available in GCam and GCam clones (like LMC 8.4) (or other apps which use CameraX and JetPack), as the functionality is provided by a high-level extension to com.qti.chi.override.so. It amounts to OpenCamera and other camera apps not being a JetPack app and relying on lower-level Camera 1 and Camera 2 APIs. And, GCam being CameraX, which gets the IR camera functionality through the  higher-level CameraX extension that OP provides.
For more information see my follow-up "What is CameraX and JetPack?
"

How do GCam apps access this infrared camera then?

Through some proprietary Google extension.

@tsilvs major update ^ thanks for for the upvote.


text:
Does LineageOS provide "Zip Signature Verification"
TWRP provides an option on boot for "Zip signature verification". Is that option part of Android ROM packaging and would LineageOS support it? For me, that option does
Checking for Digest file...
Skipping Digest check: no Digest file found
verifying zip signature...
Zip signature verification failed!
Error installing zip file '/data/lineageos_updates/lineage-nightly-n1awifi-signed.zip'
Updating partition details...
...done

I ask this because this ROM was download with the OTA update from LineageOS, and when it failed I download a new ROM from the website and it also failed.

No! LineageOS does not Zip Signature Verify, instead the LineageOS download site provides SHA256 codes which the user or the downloading app can use to verify their downloads (using a tool like sha256sum).

You can click on the sha256 link above and change the ?sha256 in the url to ?sha1sum for example make this
https://mirrorbits.lineageos.org/full/guacamole/20191212/lineage-16.0-20191212-nightly-guacamole-signed.zip?sha256
Look like this,
https://mirrorbits.lineageos.org/full/guacamole/20191212/lineage-16.0-20191212-nightly-guacamole-signed.zip?sha1

You can verify build authenticity by checking the signature,
keytool -J-Duser.language=en -printcert -jarfile lineage-build-signed.zip


text:
How to setup screen sharing for business meetings?
I'm wondering if it would be possible to use android-based tablets (or ipads) in business meetings.
The idea would be to have each person in the meeting, with its individual tablet, see what a "meeting-leader" is seeing on his own tablet, navigating through the web or using apps.
I see some solutions that seem to be mostly directed into remote-control, but what I want is just to screencast in realtime to multiple receivers, privately. The ability to let some other person take control would also be nice, but not mandatory.
How could I set this up?

You may use join.me for this. The organizer installs the client on his/ her machine and rest everyone may join in through their web browser.

Didn't know about it. Seems an interesting utility, but it seems to enforce that the "meeting-leader" has a windows machine, and ideally in my setup, everyone would use tablets, including the "meeting-leader".
I'm hoping for something better, but maybe this is the best there is, who knows.

There is a nice little app by Smart Dog Studio called Remote Control Add On that will let your device act as a VNC server.  You can then connect as many clients as you like using the VNC client of your choice (I usually use Android VNC Viewer).
Frame rate is a little low, but definitely adequate for a presentation that doesn't involve video.

There is an app for this: Screen Stream.
I use it and it works.


text:
What are the drawbacks of moving an app to SD card?
Since I upgraded to Android 2.2, I noted some minor disadvantages of moving an app to SD card, like having to wait the SD card to be mounted after a reboot to be able launch the app.
What other disadvantages are there?


text:
Support for Multiple Users on same device
Is there such a thing as a "current user" on Android and a way to switch it?
I'm interested in getting a Motorola Xoom and would like to share it with my wife when at home.  For my Windows laptop we us fast-user switching so that we can keep our own tabs and logins.  I'm not specifically interested in the privacy aspects of user-switching, so if the OS doesn't support separate users, is there a concept of profile switching?

This can be done by backing up and restoring repeatedly, but it's definitely not "fast" user switching; probably more trouble than it's worth.  Hopefully Google will support this soon, with the advent of tablets that are likely to be shared and such.

Instead of having to back up the user's ROM each time is there any way to setup a dual boot with two separate instances of Android?  That would allow for somewhat quickly switch users by rebooting (assuming the xoom has a quick boot time). Maybe something like this?

Matt, this is an interesting idea, but would double the storage space that Android occupies on the device.  It would make more sense to implement user profiles similar to how the various Linux desktop environments, Mac OS, and Windows support multiple user accounts.  There's no reason why Android cannot do the same.

@DerekMahar: there is a BIG reason why Android cannot do the same thing that Linux does for multiuser switching; the main reason is due to the way Android implements application security jail. In Android, every dalvik app runs under its own user account (barring a few exceptions); this means the user is constantly switching accounts while switching between applications. This does not mean that you cannot implement multi-user in Android, but it wouldn't be implemented the same way as it is on regular Linux desktop.

See this: http://www.androidpolice.com/2012/07/30/multiple-user-accounts-are-coming-miles-of-code-is-already-in-aosp-and-some-of-it-is-quietly-working-on-devices-right-now/ This was announced a day ago on reddit

This is available for phones starting in Android 5.0 (Lollipop):
http://www.android.com/versions/lollipop-5-0/
And for tablets starting in Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean):
http://developer.android.com/about/versions/jelly-bean.html#42-multiuser
As Tatjana Heuser mentioned, it's also available as hidden functionality in Android 4.1, but not accessible through the regular user interface.

Supporting multiple users has been discussed before, and I think that it is something that is needed as well. If I buy a tablet, and set it up for my email, calendar, etc. I don't want that device to be a community device. Which would mean that multiple tablets would be needed in a family household.
A problem with being able to support multiple users is the space required. If each user had their own settings, then the /data/data would have to be much larger to support these extra users. But not only settings, it would have to support all the apps installed by the user too, so /data would have to be much larger too. You couldn't use the same apps between users, because the paid apps are tied to the account that bought them.
I think this will eventually happen, but much larger storage would be needed for the devices. As it is, my device consistently fills the /data/cache and I have to clear that out because of the number of apps I have installed. Now just imagine have 2 (or more users) using the same device. And where do you set the limit on the number of users that can use one device? There are 2 adults and 3 teenagers in my household. So that is 5 people that could potentially be using one device.
I actually experience issues with Google TV about this very topic as well. It doesn't, currently, have gmail, or apps like that, installed, but I can log in to gmail via Chrome Browser, and then if someone else comes and uses the TV/Browser, now I am logged in. (I don't actually do this, but I noticed it to be an issue with services like youtube and such)

update
Google has been hard at work starting to implement this. No actually information on when it will be available, but the start of the foundation has been laid.
In the LockPatternKeyguardView is the following code:
public void onUserChanged(int userId) {
           mLockPatternUtils.setCurrentUser(userId);
           updateScreen(getInitialMode(), true);
}

So multi-user support is coming, at some point.
Update 2 (10/29/2012)
With the announcement of JellyBean 4.2, Multi-User support is available, but only on tablets.

"... but only on tablets." -- which makes sense because phones are usually not shared. Tablets are.

SwitchMe app just appeared featuring profiles for root users. The free version is able to manage 2 profiles. In order to manage more profiles you need to buy the key for around 3$. SwitchMe needs, not surprisingly, root.

SwitchMe is a unique application for root users that allows you to log
  in and out of multiple installations of Android just as you would on a
  desktop computer.
The technology behind SwitchMe saves all of your applications and
  data, protects it and stores it as a file in memory. You can then log
  out of an account and log into a fresh installation of Android or
  another account with its own unique content.
You may create as many profiles as the memory is capable of holding.
  Some of these may require very little free memory because they contain
  few apps, others will be larger as they contain many applications and
  lots of cache and data.

I am really impressed by the App: That was exactly what I was looking for to share my modded Kindle Fire with other people.

With the update to 4.1.2, multiple user profiles can be configured.
There's some documentation on xda:

Switch User Profiles on Jelly Bean
Discussion
Application (needs root)
Application SwitchMe (doesn't need root) and works starting 2.1, so this is probably what the OP might be looking for.

In JellyBean, according to XDA, using the commands (need root, so su prior to calling)
pm create user <name>
pm remove-user <number>
pm list-users

user accounts can be created, deleted, and listed (in this order).

I'll admit this isn't a great solution, but in case it helps somebody, Titanium Backup has very limited support for this:
http://www.titaniumtrack.com/kb/titanium-backup-kb/titanium-backup-howtos.html#multi-user-data-profiles

There is an app called Devide by Enterproid that may do the trick.  It's meant to be for deploying in a work environment so that a user can have a work profile and a personal profile on the phone, each separate and secure with different settings and apps specific to the work or personal environment.  I don't see why it wouldn't work with two different people's profiles instead of the work vs. personal setup.  I don't know about compatibility with the Xoom, or cost (it's probably not cheap) and they are still in an invite only beta but it's worth requesting an invite and checking it out.

From what I've read the "Work" partition of Divide is extremely limited, eg you can only load apps onto it that have been approved by Enterproid. If you're happy with these restrictions then it is probably the easiest way to divide a device between two users.

You can login with another user, by adding multiple user in your Android device. We can Enable Multiple User Accounts on Android 4.2 and Above.

Create another User Account by opening the notification by double pulldown notification to get the other quick settings.
In that other quick settings, on top-right corner you'll find a round icon. That is Admin user icon(if you're using it for first time).
Click on it and create a new user(it'll remain until you delete it) or use a guest user(it'll be deleted after using it, but you can also keep it).
After creating new/guest user. Just go to Google Play Store, install whatever app you want. Don't worry it'll use your existing same app files but not users data, so it won't download a new one.
You can login those apps with another id. Like this you can use Whatsapp, hike, facebook, twitter, paytm and more...
Before that, go to more settings Click and open that created new/guest user's settings and enable Allow phone calls and SMS. So that you'll get verification SMS or call.
If any help you can comment it, i'll keep on updating it if any change or improvement.


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Duplicate entries in 'All apps' list
I started to have for some reasons duplicated entries in 'All apps'. For many apps it was not a problem but one of apps is Google Maps - how to get rid of the problem without:

Restoring to factory defaults
Uninstalling Google Maps permanently

Edit: My phone is HTC Wildfire from 3 (to respond to comment).

model, manufacturer, and carrier please

Are these apps that are to replace built-in apps? If so there may be nothing for it.

@Al Everett: sorry - I do not understend.

Are you using mods or stock Android? What Android version? Did you install alternative updates (e.g. Brut's map hack, etc)? Generally, there can only be duplicate entry in menu if the application is installed under different identifier (e.g. com.google.android.apps.maps and brut.googlemaps for example)

Stock 2.1 android without any hacks or rooting. It is gone now after uninstalling one of app with duplicated entry.

Uninstall one of the duplicate apps

I realize this is an old answer, but I have this problem on 4.0 (LG Optimus G) and uninstalling one uninstalled both. The app isn't installed twice, just double entries in the apps list.  Rebooting resolved the issue.


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Quitting eBay application
Is there any way to quit the eBay app, so that I stop receiving all these event notifications? I like notifications, but only when I decide to run the eBay application...

Do it in the app directly:

eBay app (home screen) -> settings (below WOW list entry) -> notifications -> none

Since Jelly Bean (Android 4.1), it's possible to disable notifications for individual apps. Long-press on the notification and go to App Info or go to Settings -> Apps and then choose the eBay app. Uncheck the Show Notifications checkbox (detailed description with video here).
Notifications are most useful if an app needs your attention but is currently not in your focus. So i don't think there is a system setting that allows to stop notifications when the app is closed and to reactivate them if the app is started.
Maybe you can send a feature request if that setting would make sense for this individual app. You can contact their mobile support team, find out how on google play.


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Comparing signatures of apks
I have two .apk files that are supposed to be different versions of the same app.
What is the best way to check if they where both signed with the same key?
I want to make sure no mistakes were done and the newer version would be treated as an update of the same app.

The key is only part of what would consider it an update. You can use the same key to sign multiple applications. The other important part of ensuring an app is an update is the packages having the same package name.

yes. I am aware of this however as far as I know I am o.k. with the package names. where in the apk would the package name be listed (just so that I can make sure ?)

If you open the AndroidManifest.xml file you can find the package name even without decompiling the app. It should be near the beginning of the file between some symbols.

For updating an APK file two properties must match:

The app package name (can be seen in AndroidManifest.xml after decompiling it)
The app signature must match (the used signature certificate must be the same).

The best way to verify a signature of an APK file and viewing the used signature certificate and public key to use apksigner.jar for the Android SDK (build-tools):
The following example executes verifies two versions of the Samsung E-Mail app using apksigner:
java -jar <path to apksigner>\apksigner.jar verify -verbose --print-certs "Samsung Email_v4.2.74.1_apkpure.com.apk"
java -jar <path to apksigner>\apksigner.jar verify -verbose --print-certs "Samsung Email_v4.1.43-5_apkpure.com.apk"

Each time you are getting an output like this:
Verifies
Verified using v1 scheme (JAR signing): false
Verified using v2 scheme (APK Signature Scheme v2): true
Number of signers: 1
Signer #1 certificate DN: EMAILADDRESS=android.os@samsung.com, CN=Samsung Cert, OU=DMC, O=Samsung Corporation, L=Suwon City, ST=South Korea, C=KR
Signer #1 certificate SHA-256 digest: 34df0e7a9f1cf1892e45c056b4973cd81ccf148a4050d11aea4ac5a65f900a42
Signer #1 certificate SHA-1 digest: 9ca5170f381919dfe0446fcdab18b19a143b3163
Signer #1 certificate MD5 digest: d087e72912fba064cafa78dc34aea839
Signer #1 key algorithm: RSA
Signer #1 key size (bits): 2048
Signer #1 public key SHA-256 digest: 0470be656b9375d253fbb94c3a87dc7040e2f2760c19c4292eb62cc68e02de4a
Signer #1 public key SHA-1 digest: df1e4fd4fc2ebfc187f79309dfc6a4c662bda4d0
Signer #1 public key MD5 digest: 7c6371f33db3b4361504cb13beb6e818

You only need to compare the sha256 digest of the certificate and/or of the public key. If for both APKs they are the same you can be sure that they have been released by the same person or company (as long as the app owner did not sell the app to someone else or the private key was stolen).

You'd need to check two things:

whether the package names are identical
see: Read the package name of an Android APK on our sister-site. In short: Run aapt dump badging file.apk and watch out for package:. If the package names are identical, it should be the same app – but it's still unclear if they are from the same dev and thus whether the "new one" would be considered a "valid update" – or the "signature check" would fail in that process.
whether the signatures match
This means, whether they are signed with the same key – which should guarantee they have been (created and signed) by the same dev, who should have kept his/her signing key secret. Again, see on our sister site: How to view the identity of person who signed the apk on Android device? // Getting certificate details from an apk.

Note that the tasks described need at least a basic install of Android developer tools. aapt is even part of a minimal ADB installation – jarsigner and keytool would need a more complete package (though if you're on Linux, openssl provides a different approach – details can be found in the linked posts from Stack Overflow.


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My photos are gone
I was sick of photos from web pages I visit being stored on my phone, so after researching I installed a .nomedia file.
However, since doing this all my photos from my gallery are no longer there: I can see them in media explorer, but there is nothing in the gallery! Can anyone help? Any photos I take on my camera now are happily appearing in the gallery, just all my old ones aren't there.
My device is a HTC One M8.

To see your pictures again in the gallery, just remove the .nomedia file, it's hiding the pictures in the folder from the media scan.
You need to trigger a rescan to be executed by the media-scanner (e.g. by performing a reboot) for your photos to show up. Only thing I wonder: new photos are shown, just old ones are gone – that sounds like a different issue, unless the new ones use a different folder.
New section contributed by Izzy


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Android Phone taking up more space than it should
I have a relatively new HTC ONE M8 running Android 5.0.1 (according to the settings page).
The phone is supposed to have 10.5 GB space according to Windows, but at the moment only 945 MB is free (again, according to Windows). However, when I select all of my files within and check properties it shows that they all take up only 5 GB of space, meaning another 4-5ish has disappeared. Any ideas how to fix this, as I'm trying to free up space for more music and pictures?

Screenshots from DiskInfo and DiskUsage:

Added screenshots to my question. The ~5GB music is correct, so I assume my apps are taking up all the space? Is there a way to completely erase all apps and their data, and then redownload the ones I paid for, for free?

You can use factory reset to remove all the third-party apps and any app's data. Alternatively, you may go to Settings -> Apps, and uninstall or "clear data" for the apps you wish for.

How disk space is used on Android device?

There are a few problems it could be (or a combination of):

The stock software is massively huge and HTC has a problem that an update will fix.
An app you've downloaded has installed Bloatware and clogged up your storage.
An app you've downloaded assumed you wanted to download other things (photos, videos, etc) without telling you.

I'd advise Storage Analyzer & Disk Usage to determine exactly what it is that is taking all that space. Happy hunting!

Windows is wrong; DiskUsage is right
Based on your question, and on the comments on the question:  It is clear that Windows cannot see all the information stored on your phone, but that DiskUsage can see it all.
You need not do anything yet

I'm trying to free up space for more music and pictures

You still have 1 GB free. If this remains true forever, it's no problem.
I suggest keeping an eye on your free space.
Once your free space falls to about 500 MB, you'll be unable to install new apps. I think you may also be unable to upgrade existing apps.
Once you become unable to upgrade existing apps, it's definitely wise to take action. This is because it's wise to always keep security-sensitive apps (such as Chrome and WebView) up to date.
Buying a MicroSD card
Because your phone has a MicroSD card slot, consider buying and installing a MicroSD card and moving some stuff (music?) from your phone to the card. This will cost you money but may save you time.
Choosing a MicroSD card
Another thread provides advice on how to buy a good (non-counterfeit) MicroSD card for your phone.
OS upgrades
Perhaps you can upgrade your phone to an operating system which supports "adoptable storage". Such operating systems include:

Android 6.0 "Marshmallow",
or CyanogenMod 13.0 "Marshmallow",
or LineageOS 13.0 "Marshmallow",
or better.

Certain other "custom ROMs" also support "adoptable storage".
I do not know whether your phone supports any of these operating systems. I have not checked. To find out, you can do a Google search, or you can post another question.
If you can do such an upgrade, consider doing so before you insert the card for the first time. The operating system will offer to reformat the card for adoptable storage.
Upgrade warning
Before upgrading your operating system, and especially before switching operating systems, I strongly recommend that you back up all your data. You can back it up to the cloud or elsewhere.

authors: Миша Гончаров


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Can RAM and flash memory be increased after rooting a device?
How can I increase RAM and flash memory after rooting my Lenovo A269I running Android 2.3.6? After rooting an Android would the RAM and flash memory be increased?
I have not rooted my device yet. But I want to do so.

Rooting doesn't upgrade your hardware – it neither will give you more RAM, nor more storage. OTOH, it gives you more possibilities to manage existing resources.

No. Rooting will not change the hardware configuration of your device

You can better use your device's ROM(internal storage) after rooting.

You can't make your phone "faster", expand storage or upgrade other hardware by rooting your device.
However, you can remove some unwanted system apps when you are rooted, and that should give you some more storage space on your phone.
I suggest you to use Titanium Backup to remove some unwanted apps. Be carefull, because if you remove the wrong apps, your device might not boot anymore.

can also go with the option of custom ROM. Better UI

It can be possible by upgrading Hardware only. But the existing memory can be used wisely by rooting your device.
For example, to get some free space,

ROM (can remove unwanted System apps)
RAM (can swap some of your unused app memory from RAM to secondary storage (SD card); try out RAM Expander for instance )

Note: we cannot expect the same hardware's performance while swapping
 RAM.

Note: The RAM you expand to your SD-Card won't be as quick as on your internal storage.

I agree with you @SuperThomasLab but it help out in critical situations

Well there is an existing workaround - by using an SD Card.
Apps like link2sd (if that doesn't work, try similar apps with good ratings) can actually virtually merge internal storage with SD Card and thus you would be able to install those big apps to the SD Card instead.
Also create another partition in SD Card and use the app Swapper (root) to create a swap partition and thus increase RAM.


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Converting a USB flash drive to a part of the phone's storage without booting the system?
Connect the usb flash drive with otg to the phone and make it a part of the phone's internal storage without booting the system and without booting the Rom.
It is possible or not

Not on a bootloader locked device.

Not possible at all


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Does rooting a device and installing a custom ROM SIM unlock it as well?
I'm a bit confused about this topic. I have a T-Mobile myTouch 3G which I've recently replaced with a Nexus One so it's kind of standing there. I was contemplating rooting the myTouch and installing an alternative ROM but I also wanted to unlock it so it can be used with other carriers.
Now, the real questions:  When rooting and installing a custom ROM, will that also unlock the phone so it can be used with other carriers? Or is that a baseband feature?

See also: What is the difference between: Rooting, Jailbreak, ROM, Mod, etc.?

No, rooting your phone will not let you use it on other carriers. If you have a good standing account with tmobile, and I believe you have to have been a customer for like 9 months (or something like that), you can call them and tell they you are going out of the country and want to be able to use an international sim card. they will give you the code you need to unlock your phone so you can use it on other carriers.
You will not get 3G data speeds unless the carrier uses the same bands that tmobile does. for example, AT&T does not use the same bands, so you will only get EDGE.

thanks @Ryan.. that's pretty much what I gathered online too.  I wanted to confirm though.  And so, where exactly are the sim lock settings stored on the phone? Do you know?

you will have to key in a # code in to your phones dialer.


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Why do some (many?) Youtube videos not play?
Very often when I click on an embedded Youtube video or even access a Youtube video though the Youtube app, I get an error that curtly says "This video cannot be played". What gives?

There is a flag that people can set on their YouTube videos to allow or disallow those videos to be played on a mobile device. What you are seeing when you try to access those videos is that the person has set the flag to 'Disallow'.

Typically producers of popular music disallow their content to be played on mobile phones.

Is this flag set to disallow by default?

@S Red - It didn't used to be. I haven't uploaded a video in awhile, though, so I don't know. What videos are you trying to watch? As @Bryan pointed out, things like music videos aren't typically allowed on phones.


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Can I use an Android phone without an Internet access plan?
I'm interested in buying an Android phone for Xmas. Currently my pick is LG Optimus One.
I will be using it without any Internet access plan, only using Wifi wherever possible.
Some questions that I have:

Can the phone be usable even if I don't have any Internet access plan, or there will be severe usability issues? (eg: features that will not work)
Do I have offline access to Google Calendar and GMail, auto-synchronizing whenever it detects Wifi connection?
Is there an option to block any attempts from apps/phone to connect to Internet through GPRS/3G (thus slashing my credit from the carrier, since I won't have an Internet plan...)?

Thanks.

This isn't quite the same as your question, but you might find this previous question usefu; Can I use a modern Android phone with no phone plan? http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/701/can-i-use-a-modern-android-phone-with-no-phone-plan

YES. You will use it as a regular phone, but will be disconnected from the networks (Facebook, Twitter, IMs, Sync, etc)
YES. You can access your calendar offline. And yes, you can sync when Wi-Fi is available.
Yes, you just disable data traffic.

Great! That's what I needed to go buy the phone. Thanks!

how about you have to sign in to google account, in order to be able to use the phone?

While its physically possible to use a phone without a data plan I don't know a single carrier in the US that will allow a smart phone be activated on their network without a data plan.
Edit: just saw that you're not in the US so this may not apply to you.

For info, I have a friend who's just picked up a Desire HD without a data plan (in the UK). He has Wifi at home and office, and his network allows you to add a short-term data add-on on to the contract as and when needed which he plans to use for holidays, etc.

I've forgot to add info about that. I'm in Portugal, and it's possible to use any phone without data plan. As said by @GAThrawn my network allows me to get 1 day of Internet when needed (but for 1 euro and 10MB of data... not a good deal, but can be useful). Thus my 3rd question. Thanks.

Matt's right about the US though.  I had the reverse situation -- data only, no voice -- and my phone stopped working after 3 days.  T-Mobile somehow detected my device type and claimed regular plans "don't work" with Android smartphones.  Total BS :P it's just an excuse to make you pay for a full voice+data plan.

That's good to know.  I was toying with the idea of getting a Nexus S and only running Data on it (using SIP for calls).

I have an android phone bought SIM free over the Internet. I just walked into a phone network shop, bought a pre-pay SIM and used it. No problems. Whenever I want data access I buy a minimum cost (£5) top-up and get, in addition to voice call credit, 128MB data that expires after 3 months if unused. Most of the time I just rely on WiFi for data.


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How practical it is to use an Android phone, bypassing Google completely?
One of the first things that I noticed on my Nexus One as I turned it on the first time, was GMail, Talk, Voice, Maps, Google Calendar and many other Google based services.
I know that even on a Windows or Linux PC it's very hard to avoid using Google... but it is possible, as there are alternatives to every service that Google offers.
On the Android, however, things seem to be very tight. You may recall the time in which Internet Explorer owned over 95% of the market share, simply because it was tightly integrated with Windows. Back then, Netscape was available but even if it performed as fast as Internet Explorer, starting it would take considerably longer.
So, my questions are:
(1) What are the non-Google alternatives to GMail, Talk, Voice, Maps, Google Calendar on the Nexus One?
(2) Do they really perform as fast as the "native" Google apps/services?

One thing you won't be able to replace is the search engine.

I recommend changing the title from Nexus One, to Android. This isn't specifically tied to that phone.

@Earlz I've changed it.

I am living (almost) without Google on my phone. I have setup a junk account just for downloading apps from market and use Google Maps. Nothing more.

@Al Everett Really? Search application (widget and the one which reacts to hardware button) is just an application. One can write a replacement for that.

See also this post, discussing some pros and cons.

(1) What are the non-Google alternatives to GMail, Talk, Voice, Maps, Google Calendar on the Nexus One?
Can't say specifically about Nexus One, but the stock Android platform does not come with Google-branded apps; so, yes, it is possible for the phone to live without Google. However, IMO if you're using Android and avoiding Google's services, you're missing a lot.
The stock Email application can sync to Gmail or other mail services through IMAP and POP. However, just like syncing Gmail from desktop through Thunderbird/Outlook, you won't be able to use the unique Gmail features, like Priority Inbox, Archival, Labeling, etc.
Applications that uses Cloud to Device Messaging (a.k.a. Push-to-Device) requires a Google account. Without C2DM, applications would have to poll their servers periodically, therefore draining the battery. There are alternative implementations C2DM that does not connect to Google's servers, however most programs are not designed for those alternative implementations and may have problems.
Google's Android Market is the largest Android market place. Needless to say, you won't be able to download as much apps as easily if you avoid Google's Android Market.
Google Maps and Navigations can be replaced by, e.g. Waze, Navdroyd, NDrive, RMaps, etc. I don't think there's a good replacement for StreetView, however.
There are certainly replacements for Google Calendar, however, I've not used any of them, so I cannot comment on how good they are.
(2) Do they really perform as fast as the "native" Google apps/services?
Yes, if we're to believe Google's words, none of the Google's apps use any "hidden" Android APIs that could magically cause their software to outperform other applications. However, because Google is Google, Google's own apps typically have the best integration to the Android platform and 3rd party programs typically would prefer to integrate their own apps with Google's applications.
Also, since Nexus One is a "Pure Google Experience" phone, this means rooting and installing custom ROMs on a Nexus One is among the easiest from all Android devices.

Excellent answers by both  Matthew Read and Lie Ryan. I wish I could accept both but SE only allows accepting one. :)

Actually they use hidden API. On devices with stock Google applications there is a special .jar that implements underlying functionality which is stored in /system partition where non-root users have no access. That is why it is hard to install Android Market as a standalone .apk

Android comes with an Email app that lets you use any POP3, IMAP, or Exchange account.
Talk can be replaced by Meebo, eBuddy Messenger, and many others.
Voice is a fairly unique service but some features can be sort of replaced -- you can use a SIP phone number and an app like Sipdroid for calls, or something like Kik Messenger for text-like instant messages (think BlackBerry Messenger).
Searching "Maps" in the Market shows several results that look promising, same with Calendar.

The Email app is very, very buggy and low on features.  I'm confident there are other mail apps that are better though.  On the other hand, Talk is also pretty buggy; I find eBuddy to be much better.  And many people have problems with Calendar.
When it really comes down to it, a quality app is a quality app, whether Google wrote it or not.  Android doesn't seem to be as biased toward Google's apps as Windows was towards Microsoft's apps.  My hodgepodge of Google and non-Google apps works well for me and I'm sure you can get a set of apps that will work at least as well overall as Google's apps do.

And there are, of course, alternative app markets.

What about contact list coupled with gmail account?

Good question.  On some devices you can bypass setting up a Google account, so presumably you could use Contacts without it.  Otherwise you still wouldn't really "use" the Google account unless you wanted to -- you'd need to have one, but if you had no Google contacts then nothing would be different than a standalone contacts app.


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Easiest way to reduce power consumption to phone only
Sometimes I'm in a situation where I can't charge and want to have phone service as long as possible.  I won't care if nothing else is enabled.
What's the easiest way eliminate as much other power consumption as possible?  Minimal apps, no sync, no data, GPS, Bluetooth.
I'm configured to easily turn off all the radios (BT, Wifi, GPS), but I'd like to strip down as much else that burns power as possible without spending a lot of time reconfiguring.
...AND I'd like to be able to return to normal use just as easily (rebooting would be fine for this, too).
In my case, needs to work on CDMA network, too.

I don't think conserving power is the right 'attitude'...why have a smart phone you cant use? I made a cable/battery box that I can plug the USB data/charge cable into, and charge my phone on the go - it has four rechargable batteries in it, so if I get short of juice, I plug it in, takes about as much time as the wall wart to charge the phone to full. You can buy commercial ones as well.

Yes, purchasing or rigging a mobile charger would be a possibility.  However, there are situations in which I don't have access to all my gear and need to be able to keep voice communiation alive even if I have to sacrifice lower-priority features.

See my related answer about battery conservation.
In your case, you want your phone to become a "dumb" phone.  Use APNDroid to cut off your data.  There's even a widget to make it a one button press.  Other than that, keep your screen dim and you should be good to go.

APNDroid says it doesn't work on CDMA.  I'll have to look for a CDMA equivalent.

Really?  I've used it before?

Yeah, vendor comments say "not designed for CDMA...".  I guess that leaves room for it to actually work.  But if you've had it working with CDMA, that's encouraging.

Yeah, I know I've gotten it to work on my Droid before.  I haven't used it recently though

Terriffic!  I was able to boost my battery life over 400% this weekend when I had no charging available.  Thanks!

Gingerbread (2.3) has the setting:

Settings->Wireless & network settings->Mobile Networks->Data Enabled

for turning off mobile data without needing an app.  Dunno if this is specific to Gingerbread - it's my first android and I've had it for less than a week,...

It's in CyanogenMod 6 (Froyo) and CyanogenMod 4 (Donut) as well.


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Are there any thin/precise styluses that are compatible with the Droid X?
I'd like to write formulas and notes on my Droid X. All the styluses that I found have a thick end and don't simulate a pen, it's more like a finger. Does anyone know of any styluses with thinner or more accurate tips? Do pens from tablets like Lenovo work?

You may want to separate the wacom pad question into its own question. Users don't know you have that question just by reading the title to this question.

Thin styluses are usually for resistive screens, they don't work with Droid X's capacitive screen.
The difference between capacitive and resistive touchscreens

I have a Pogo Stylus which was originally meant for the iphone although I see they have an Android version now.  It works ok, but I feel like I have to push down harder than I want to to get it to work.  It is accurate, more so than my finger, however if I don't maintain enough pressure when drawing a line for example, there will be gaps in the line.  I have a screen protector on and I've never tried it on the naked screen so this might be a factor.  When all is said and done I don't use it very much so I can't provide a detailed review.
If you don't want to spend the money there are a number DIY capacitive tutorials that look pretty good.  Some mimic the pogo design and others don't.  Here are a few:

Pogo like 1
Pogo like 2
With a sock
With a piece of anti-static bag
With an energy bar wrapper and a drunk puppet

I remember seeing someone do tests on the accuracy of capacitive screens and in reality, they're terribly inaccurate. Unlike resistive screens, a stylus won't make much difference for you. I believe it was said that a fine stylus would provide just as much accuracy as using a hot dog.