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Could Android go on PC?
I am wondering if Android could grow beyond mobile devices and go on PC too. I know Samsung has Dex, and Google has ChromeOS. But do you think the Android project is compatible with the PC ecosystem?

There have been several distributions of Android for x86 PC hardware. None of them have achieved a lot of market share. They include:

android-x86
Remix OS
Bliss OS
Project Celadon
Emteria provide it for embedded and IoT usage.

The difficulty with running Android on x86 PC-based hardware is the vast diversity of PC hardware. Android was put together for mobile devices, with the expectation that device manufacturers would customise it for each device and supply appropriate device drivers. Doing that for all the combinations of PC hardware out there is not practical.
The customisation is not mandatory, although almost all 'phone manufacturers want to do it. They think it builds brand loyalty; I find it makes using unfamiliar 'phones much more confusing.
However, the device drivers are required: Android is not set up to allow download and installation of device drivers the way Windows and Linux are. That's one of the prices it pays for not needing management and system administration in the way that Linux and Windows do.
Laptop manufacturers could provide Android for their laptop configurations - I had a mini-laptop that dual-booted Windows 7 and Android in 2011-12 - but rarely seem to see it as worth the cost.
There's a current oddity in the Lenovo Thinkbook Plus Gen 5  which is a combination Windows laptop and Android tablet, as a literal 2-in-1 device. The keyboard unit is an Intel-based Windows 11 system; the screen is an ARM-based Android tablet that can serve as the laptop's display. I doubt this will inspire a trend, but it's interesting.
Addition: While x86 Android would run apps written in Java or Kotlin fine, running apps that use native code could be more challenging. Some, but not all, of them supply x86 native code. Since there are no Android smartphones on the market that use x86 processors as of 2024, the app producers have little motive to produce x86 native code.
ChromeOS provides an environment that can run x86 Android apps, but many Android app producers ignore it: it seems to be regarded as an operating system specialised for particular markets.

Thanks, that's some food for thoughts. Now, maybe this is a separate question, but then wouldn't it be possible to create a more generic version of Android that needs less customizations ? My point is that for the sake of the application base on Android it could be great to port it on PC. That may be easier if later Android goes on RISC V, I guess

@trya2l: See amended answer.

Linux doesn't need to download drivers the way Windows does either, it's pretty hands-off unless you have some really unusual device (or a GPU) and you need to install the driver manually (often through the package manager). AFAIU: Android works the same way if compiled with reasonable build flags, and if desired GPU drivers for both major GPU manufacturers could be included in the base image if they exist. Hardware support is not the reason.

I'll second @ave - Android is based on Linux, so all that infrastructure for using kernel modules surely is already in place. Modern desktop Linux distros already ship with support for ungodly amounts of hardware out of the box. Maybe except for telephony, GPS, accelerometers and other smartphone-specific hardware (which would not be of concern on a PC anyways) hardware support should be straight-forward.

@ave Android !=base Linux so what is called 'drivers' is really the HAL and related Android specific APIs, see: https://source.android.com/docs/core/architecture/kernel so while there is nothing preventing a standard PC Android, hardware support not just kernel modules

@JohnDallman -- Aliexpress and the similar places are chock-full of dual Windows/Android devices. I'm not saying they're perfect for any of the two purposes (quite the opposite, usually borderline usable as an Android tablet and nearly unusable as a Windows device), just to mention that this isn't some oddity but a very common occurence.

@Gábor: Are those dual-bootable devices, or two separate computers? The latter is what I thought odd about the Lenovo.

Other answers explain well the most known Android-on-x86 projects. I think it fails in the reason, why it has not a bigger penetration.
Android uses a Linux kernel and everything works on Android PC-s as would work on Linux. There is practically no problem with the hardware support.
The real answer is that today people don't install an OS to their own machines.
They buy a laptop in the store with a preinstalled OS, and/or they buy a phone with preinstalled Android. In their view, they have bought a laptop and/or they have bought a phone. They could switch the OS only hardly, after collecting some experience, but most importantly, they can not imagine, why would they need that. That is the reason.
A commoner does not see an Android. Your mother wouldn't say, "my Android wants to restart due to an update", she will say "my phone wants to restart due to an update" (likelier she just won't say anything and click "ok" as a reflex and then go drink a coffee). She does not see an Android, she sees a phone.
Same is for PCs. People buy and use PCs, mostly laptops. In their view, they use their laptops and not the preinstalled OS. Many of them don't even know, what is an OS. They see their laptop.
Things would be hugely different if people would need to pay separately for an OS as they buy their laptop, and buy separately Android and a phone.

> Your mother won't say, "my android wants to restart due to an update", she will say "my phone wants to restart due to an update" - I find it tends to go the other way, the less tech-savvy will refer to their phones by the brand ("my Samsung", or even "my iPhone" even if they run Android!), and they'll refer to their laptops as Windows or even Microsoft even if the issue has nothing to do with the OS. But it's true that they don't care about the intricacies of what OS they're running or what that might mean.

I am not savvy on this but I think expanding on There is practically nothing problem with the hardware support would add weight as that seems to be the thrust of the other answer which you say is fake information +1

I don't think buying the OS and hardware separately would help with this. There's still the problem of needing Android device drivers for the vast variety of PC hardware, and the problem that Android is not set up to install device drivers into an installed OS. The system design sacrifices that - and a lot of other configurability that PC Linux and Windows have - to avoid the need for system management skills. You can't expect everyone to learn those skills, and the need for them on PCs is why so many people have switched to phones.

"The real answer is that today people don't install an OS to his own machines." is right in a way, but doesn't go far enough IMO - those that do install their own OS do so because they want a level of choice and flexibility that Android doesn't offer, rather than the simplicity it does

While a valid answer, it only speaks for commercial vendors (i.e., few customers = no money in it, to put it bluntly) and doesn't explain why the open-source/hobbyist/amateur community has not picked this up. AOSP does exist. My suggestion (not worth an answer probably) would be that the people tending to start this kind of big, high-effort, complicated project are likely not the one "needing" the end-result (i.e., hyper-simple app-based installation of software with no-brains operation), but are having all their needs already fulfilled by Linux itself.

I for one could definitely see a use-case for a sleek wine-like Android layer on Linux, for the very occasional app that has no desktop equivalent or with closed data, for debugging, etc.; but I guess this is only one side of the coin - a full-fledged Android that boots without a Linux/Windows host is a different beast.

@AnoE that market is largely taken up by Chromebooks.  The one I had was just too old for official Android support, but there were some unofficial workarounds.  It made a nice Linux machine except every update broke Crouton (the chroot tool needed to run much Linux stuff on there) and I never gt a bare metal install working

What's "a PC" or "the PC ecosystem"?
If a PC is a device with a CPU, RAM, storage, a screen, and input methods, then there are plenty of tablets which fit the bill. They really are PCs with a little bit of dedicated hardware (see below on why this is important).
There are actually quite a few devices out there which can be ordered with either Android or Windows (or sometimes Linux), especially in the Digital Signage and IHM worlds.
Add a keyboard to your tablet, and you're quite close to a laptop.
But many generic PCs lack a few things which are standard on tablets and phones, and which are really part of the tablet/phone experience, for instance:

A touch screen, with multi-touch. Many applications are really a pain to use if you can't pinch to zoom for instance. While there are alternatives, the experience just isn't the same.
The ability to switch between landscape and portrait. Some apps only support one of the two modes, and being constrained to only one orientation is problematic.

Also, while people have been talking about the merging of the tablet and PC experiences for a long time, and Windows has tried to do this for quite some time (and the result has been mostly terrible), like the guys at Apple, I feel they are different experiences which require different interfaces. For instance:

On a device where the touch screen is the main interface, you need large buttons and other UI elements so that you can use them with your fingers. But that feels weird when you use the device with a mouse (you suddenly have these huge UI elements all over).
On a device where the mouse (or touchpad, but with a pointer) is the main interface, you want to be able to optimize the amount of content you can display, and you'll use smaller UI elements.

So if you want a tablet: use a tablet. If you want a PC: use a PC. But trying to have a device that is both at the same time is nearly always a weird compromise.
Even in the same ecosystem (e.g. Android), you can see the same kind of issue between tablets and phones: while the line is sometimes blurry, most apps just can't be exactly the same (just scaled) for both. You need to optimise each version for the specific class of device and its use case if you really want to get something nice, and not something meh on both or good on one but bad on the other.

As Android is based on a (modified) Linux kernel, it can run within a container on a fairly standard Linux distribution such as Fedora or Ubuntu.
A working example of this is Waydroid which, to quote https://waydro.id/,

A container-based approach to boot a full Android system on a regular GNU/Linux system like Ubuntu.

It allows an Android OS such as LineageOS (with or without Gapps) to run quite happily on any x86 hardware which is supported by the host OS (the host OS deals with all the hardware drivers), and an ARM translation library can be installed so that ARM only apps can be run. (As only a small number of apps provide an x86 option).
Compatibility is pretty good. I haven't yet found an app which doesn't work due to the platform, with the only problem being LineageOS itself, as some apps don't like running on a rooted system.

Oh, this question brings me back. I remember owning a netbook (Remember those?) more than a decade ago that ran a custom Android distribution on an x86 chipset.
From what I remember it was awful, compatibility with existing Android apps was extremely rare. However, I do remember managing to root it so I could install Doom 2 using a bash terminal.
So it was possible back then but barely useable, no clue if anyone has done more work into making Android useable on desktops nowadays.


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In Genymotion, a couple of apps are not visible in Play store. Reason?
In Genymotion, a couple of apps, for example, Brawl Stars are not available in the Google Play Store on any of the OS I tried.
Why is this? and how do I sort it out? Any workarounds?

Possibly related/dupe: Why the game is compatible in BlueStacks, but not in Genymotion?

@AndrewT. Yes, it surely seems like a duplicate :), srorry i did not notice. I think the question is duplicate but this current answer adds something extra

Genymotion in VirtualBox based emulator which means it can not emulate a different architecture of the host CPU. If your PC has an Intel/ADM x86_64 CPU then the virtual Android device will also run with that architecture.
But next to all Android device have arm/arm64 CPU architecture. For running apps that have no code for x86 or x86_64 architecture some Genymotion emulator images contain a translation engine that is capable of translating arm-v7 (Arm 32bit) code to x86/x86_64 code. However this translation engine is AFAIR not available in all emulator images.
Without that translation engine you will only see apps that are capable of running on x86 or x86_64.
Some games only support arm64-v8a (Arm 64 bit) as CPU architecture. Those apps are the one Genymotion can not execute at all even if the emulator image contains the translation system.
See also Genymotion support page on that topic.

Thanks! A lot appreciate it (+1). Just a little help, how do i get a translation engine (after doing research, i still couldn't find it), can you just guide me regarding shifting to arm through translation engine because it's my first time, also can we change the architecture manually?

Im stuck at a point where i downloaded the translation tool zip but am unable to run it and install it in the system. Appreciate any help

@Arjun I don't think that the answer Andrew posted the link to is still applicable. It was written for the Genymotion emulator version from 2017. A more recent version that also supports arm64 seems to be this project: https://github.com/niizam/Genymotion_A11_libhoudini

Thanks a lot @Robert, I appreciate it

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


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Android Beta 15, leaving the beta program without wipe
I have Android Beta 15 (AP41.240925.009).
Is it possible to leave the beta program without wiping?
I tried opting out from the beta program, but then received an update that said it will wipe the device.
When I opt back in, I get an update for Android 15 QPR2 Beta 1.
That update clearly says

If you are currently running a Beta version of Android 15 QPR1 (build starting with AP41) and want to exit the beta program without wiping your device, you can opt out of the Beta program before applying this update

But that doesn't seem to be the case:

Is it possible to leave the beta program without wiping? No, it isn't.

I was in A15 beta and left. Then an A14 (stable) update showed (as this was before stable A15 came out), so I ignored and did wait until A15 (stable) came out.  A15 stable then replaced the the beta update that was showing as an update.  So maybe try and leave the beta and wait to see if A15 stable eventually shows up. Then you can update w/o a wipe. Make sure you are rebooting your phone also periodically.
With that said, I believe once you go QPR, you cannot exit without a wipe, which I believe this link confirms (see the second bullet): https://www.androidauthority.com/p-3471654/

If you don't want to continue beta testing and opt out without data wipe. It's always the same for all beta versions of Android. You just opt out and ignore the updates with data wipe until you are offered a stable update without a data wipe.
The information above regarding qpr exit is false, you can opt out without data wipe from all beta versions in the opt out period which for qpr 1 is this month:
If you have installed the QPR1 Beta 1 update, you’ll have to wait until December for the next opportunity to leave the program without having to wipe your data.

It would be nice to have a reference for this.

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


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Does the Google Maps timeline show specific location you visited, the time and date, and how long you stayed?
Does the Google Maps timeline show the specific location you visited, the time and date, and how long you stayed?

Will the google maps timeline show specific location you visited and the time and date and how long you stayed

Yes, though sometimes it can be slightly off.


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Samsung Phones and the new MMI Apps installed that cannot be turned off
I was just wondering how Samsung or Google can force people to participate in the MMI group study without the customer's permission? Will I have to purchase from a different phone service to opt out of this? Every call is now being recorded and shared for discussions.
Thank you for any advice!

Possibly related: What is "MMI Group" app?

Looks like this is limited to Samsung devices. Google doesn't seem to have anything to do with it.


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Inject Commands Without ADB
So, I've got a phone here with no screen, and adb isn't enabled (I'm not even sure if developer settings are enabled, to be honest)
I'm looking to extract whatever data I can off of it at the least, and at the most, control the phone remotely from my computer.
I've never done this type of thing without the use of adb, so any help would be greatly appreciated!


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Is it possible to switch slots with virtual A/B in AOSP device using fastbootd?
My Android device is an AOSP 14 launch device, based on x86_64 architecture, bootloader is also unlocked. Seamless A/B support and Dynamic partitions support is present in my device. Also I can switch slots using fastbootd (fastboot <IP ADDRESS> set_active <SLOT>). By flashing images to both slots, I can set _a/_b slot as active and the device will boot with that slot.
Recently, I enabled virtual A/B support in the device. Is slot switching still possible with fastbootd? As far as I know, with virtual A/B, slot_a and slot_b dynamic partitions will not present inside the super image at a time, slot switch will happen only through OTA. During OTA, the update will get snapshotted and applied on the base device, and if it succeeded, that snapshot got merged with the base device and the active slot will be switched to another slot.


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Entire phone wiped, no partitions, no GPT, only EDL
I have a ZTE nubia Red Magic 7 on Android 13. I accidentally had to erase all checked in QFIL when trying to bring it back from soft bricked. That's irrelevant now though as erase all did just that. 0 partitions. 0 GPT headers.
I have backups from before in QFIL. However, this is not working either as they are all snippets for QFIL to use. I have a full partition list from before d and a few readings from the partition manager as well, user and system I believe, maybe different, can't read it to tell.
0 help on XDA. 0 help from the manufacturer. 0 help from Qualcomm. 0 help online.
How can I bring this phone back from death?


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Specific data and applications from TWRP backup
I have an almost 2-year-old TWRP backup on my HDD drive.
I have changed my device in the meantime.
I'm wondering whether there is a way to extract WhatsApp data from that old device.
What I did was I extracted literally everything until I got to folder com.fmwhatsapp.
Now, as far as I know, I should be copying com.fmwhatsapp to data/data which I did.
The problem with that is the fact that FM WhatsApp just keeps crashing after that.

First of all, I'm wondering whether applications actually have all of their data kept under data/data.
Second of all, is there any way to prevent an application from crashing, so I can access a number or two that I lost in the meantime that is in my chat list?

Might be related: How to manually transfer entire Whatsapp installation to another device (the hard way) -> check the file permissions


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"Erase not allowed on the locked phone" when trying to flash or reset my itel A58
I'm trying to flash or reset my itel A58. I tried to reset the phone using adb fastboot erase userdata, but I got "Erase not allowed on the locked phone" problem.
How do I solve it?

You should describe in detail what you are trying to do. Just mentioning something like "adb-fastboot-erase-userdata" which nobody understands isn't enough.

Is there a reason you cant unlock it?


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Stops "Update your device settings" popup when there's a sport game on
A long time ago, I opted to watch the scores for one game on my phone. It allowed itself to draw over other apps, and was cool.
I want to turn this feature off, but I can't find anywhere to do so. Reportedly, it's from the Google app itself. I have denied the permissions, but every time there is a game on, I get the following popup (typed for ease of searching):

Update your device settings
Pinned matches lets you follow sports games and scores even while you
are using other apps. Turn on permit for drawing over other apps

How do I get this to stop popping up without allowing the scores to stay on?
In case it matters: Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G (SM-G781W), running Android 13.

Also posted on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/AndroidQuestions/comments/1ggthn1/how_to_stop_sports_from_wanting_to_show_up/

@AndrewT. Ya, uh, that's me... Lol


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How to add contacts from WhatsApp in the Script Rehearser app?
I am using the Script Rehearser app from the Google Play store. This app lets me hold imaginary conversations with contacts (which, may be real, or imaginary). I can use the app to plan what I want to say, and conversations I want to have, ... or to plan a conversation for a book, for a television show, or a YouTube channel.
I wonder whether there is a way to include profile pictures of contacts from WhatsApp, in the Script Rehearsal app. This would be useful. I could then even search by contact, my script, and reversions.
How do I do this?


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Transfer apps from another device to secondary user account on Samsung Galaxy S10 Ultra
I am a new user of the Samsung Galaxy S10 Ultra tablet. I created a 2nd user for my relative, but when I attempt to use Smart Switch to get her apps on her user, it says she is in guest mode.
How to transfer the apps to 2nd user?

A lot of tools like backup and restore were never adapted by Google to support a user different than the main/primary user. Seems like Smartswitch also was never adapted for a non-primary user.


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Apps are not allowed by Google to read SMS messages, but why can they read OTP SMS directly?
Termux:API app has a command termux-sms-list to list SMS messages on the Termux terminal. However, the wiki says that it is not supported anymore because of Google.

Usage of this API is no longer allowed by Google and we had to disable it to prevent delisting of Termux:API application from the Google Play.

But still, banking apps that use OTP authentication using SMS can still auto-read the incoming SMS and enter the password without user interaction.
So what makes them different API-wise?

See also: How does an app read an OTP SMS without SMS permission?

Google blocks apps from (mis)using Call Log and/or SMS permissions if they are not the core functionalities of the apps, with some exceptions and alternatives.
SMS (termux-sms-list and termux-sms-send) and Call Log (termux-call-log) are not the main purpose of Termux:API app, thus the developer had to remove the permissions to prevent the app from being removed on the Play Store.
From Play Console Help,

If your app does not require access to Call Log or SMS permissions, you must remove these permissions from your app's manifest. Details on policy compliant alternative implementation are also detailed below.
When should you access these permissions
You should only access Call Log or SMS permissions when your app falls within permitted uses and only to enable your app’s critical core functionality.
Core functionality is defined as the main purpose of the app. This may comprise of a set of core features, which must all be prominently documented and promoted in the app's description. Without the core feature(s), the app is "broken" or rendered unusable.

There are some temporary exceptions that the developer can apply for (detail on the same help page), but in the end, it's up to Google's discretion to allow it or not.
On the other hand, Google also provides an alternative exclusive for reading OTP SMS, called SMS Verification APIs which utilizes Google Play Services. This doesn't require an app to request SMS permission, but the device needs to have Play Services working.
Though, the restriction is mainly limited to the Google Play Store's policy. Apps hosted on alternative markets or self-hosted may ignore this and just use the Android permissions as before without worrying about delisting, though users may feel uncomfortable with such privacy-invasive permissions.

In short, API-wise, the difference is:

Termux:API used Android's permission system, which is restricted by Google Play Store's policy now.
Banking (and other) apps utilize Google Play Service's SMS Verification API, exclusively for reading OTP SMS targeted for their own apps only.

It's perhaps worth noting that in case of SMS verification the app does not and cannot read any of the SMS messages - Play Services service looks for the OTP string, parses it out and passes only the OTP code to the app. It does not forward any other SMS content to the app.

TL;DR Google read the SMS and parses the OTP. The App only communicates with the Google service that only provides the parsed OTP token. This also means that Google API will fail with strange OTP SMSes, although I'm pretty sure it works 99.9% of the time and if it fails it means your SMS has extra data in a weird format that shouldn't be there in a plain OTP SMS message in the first place.


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Displaying the saved name for self-phone number in WhatsApp
I have my own WhatsApp account's number stored as a contact in my mobile.
Theoretically, WhatsApp should detect my own number from the contacts list and show the name of the contact as set in the list of chats if I send myself a message.
The following screenshot shows the chat thread with my own phone number even though it's already saved in the contact.

Is it possible to display the name from the saved contact instead?

Theoretically, it should. However, WhatsApp doesn't allow that. So, whilst you can still somehow start a chat with your own number and send messages, there's no way to make WhatsApp see it as a contact and show it with a name. I have tried saving it in different ways to no avail.
I often use the self chat to save important messages and to take notes without having to send the message to a random contact. And for that I just type in my number to quickly get it there.


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Switching WhatsApp back and forth without sending "security code change" system message
I currently have 2 Android phones which, just for the sake of convenience, I routinely switch back and forth using the same WhatsApp number. One problem that I have is every time I switch my WhatsApp number to the other phone, it sends a "'security code change" to my contacts. My question is, how can I stop WhatsApp from sending a notification to my contacts while still being able to routinely switch my WhatsApp number between those 2 phones and still using the same number?
Because when that notification is sent, it implicitly tells my contacts that I'm switching phones and I for certain reasons don't want that. I'm asking this in the context of the current WhatsApp version (2.23.12.75) but also I don't really mind whether I have to use a modified version of WhatsApp in order to achieve this feat. Is there such a modified/3rd-party WhatsApp app that can do that?
Also, using the current WhatsApp, does it matter whether I have saved my contact number to my WhatsApp or not? Let's say, if I didn't save it, but on that phone, I have chatted with that contact previously, will it still send him/her that notification when I switch between phones?

WhatsApp Web
WhatsApp Web is the most secure way and the one that WhatsApp suggests for these kinda situations.
This is the official way to use WhatsApp on multiple devices.
You can link your WhatsApp account to up to four devices simultaneously, including phones(but to mention that you should put your browser to desktop site mode).
This is the official website: [web.whatsapp.com][1]
Steps (if you wish to test):

First login to your WhatsApp account on the app and rather the most used phone.

On the second phone open the WhatsApp Web website and before you do anything put to desktop mode.

Now do regular steps of connecting your account using the QR scanner on the Main phone to scan the QR code on the second device.

For easier access try to add the web page to your Home screen (install app on some devices and Add to Home screen & like these)

Unfortunately the UI will be bothering (it is for me as i use this method till this day) , but it works.
About your last question, to my knowledge if using the app on both device yes even if you haven't saved your contact number in WhatsApp, it will still send the "security code change" notification to your contacts if you switch WhatsApp between your two phones
But if using the web method , it's less likely to trigger a "security code change" notification to that contact cuz it's kinda of an extension. But i most mention that This is based on general understanding. WhatsApp's behavior can sometimes be unpredictable and even new Updates might change the apps behavior in this matter.
small update: i just tested the web method and there was no "security code change" notification on the other contacts of mine (i checked on several devices).
wish i helped
[1]: https://web.whatsapp.com


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HTC Desire Z boot loop
I put in the battery on my HTC Desire Z, set it on to charge, press the power button, and boom, a loud little boot-up song with the logo on the screen "htc quietly brilliant" not so very quiet. 5 seconds later, it goes dark, and BOOM, right in my face with that same noise and logo. It has been in a loop like that since.
Yes, I'm aware that the HTC Desire Z was released years ago, but I'm still willing to try. I have tried force shutdown and everything that I could find, but first of all, it won't even turn off and it's giving me a migraine headache from that loud noise. I'm out of options, and I'm not risking an electric shock from taking out the battery.

Leave the phone charging for a time without powering it on. Assuming all hardware keys are functional you should be able to enter recovery mode ( recovery hold volume down and power) and perform a factory reset. Smartphone batteries use a voltage of less than 10 Volt. Not sure how anybody could manage getting an electric shock from such a low voltage.


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Increase accelerometer sensitivity
I have a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. I wish to increase the sensitivity of my accelerometer.  I play a combat game with jets and cannot switch to a joystick as I have played too long with an accelerometer, tilting the phones to move left and right.  It is like being able to move quicker left and right.


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Controlling a Bluetooth app over the internet
I have a robot mower and it's great, however, if it gets stuck, it can only be controlled via Bluetooth using its Android app, which is not much use if I'm away from home.
Is there a way to control a spare phone mounted on the robot that has the app on it from my own phone over the internet?

Have you tried apps like TeamViewer or AnyDesk that allow to remote control the phone?

Many thanks for the reply.Yes, I have tried 4 or 5 different ones, unfortunately, my Internet is really quite slow as I live in a semi rural area.

Is there such a thing as a pair of devices that can just relay my Bluetooth commands

That is not possible because apps can not read or modify Bluetooth commands/packets sent by other apps. Therefore you can not forward it to a second device.


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Google's "Find My Device" shows confusing, delayed information
My Samsung Android phone was stolen 10 days ago while on vacation in Rome. I used Google's 'Find My Device' from my Android tablet a couple of hours after the theft; it said the phone was in California, which was its location two days prior to the theft. However, I had spent the whole day in Rome using Google Maps on the phone, so obviously there was plenty of network traffic (I had an international cellular voice and data plan on the phone).
The next day, 'Find My Device' said the phone was located at the Vatican which is where we were on the morning of the theft. Then later that day, 'Find My Device' told me the phone was located at the Rome Termini train station, which is where the theft actually occurred.
So my question is, is it normal for Google's 'Find My Device' to be so out of date (delayed) in terms of location when the phone was obviously very active in terms of GPS and network?

By "find my phone", did you mean Find your phone from Google Account, or Find My Device? I assumed the latter? Also, is it the web app, or the Android app?

I believe you are correct - 'Find My Device', Android app; confusingly labeled 'Find Device' on the main screen!  I'm normally a desktop user and I'm finding it very hard to type on this tablet so I appreciate your corrections.


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"Reply-To" header not correctly handled in Gmail on Android
When replying to an email on an Android phone using Gmail, the reply-to header is ignored and the reply goes to the sender instead of the address provided in the Reply-To header. The same email sent to a desktop using Windows 11 works correctly and the reply to is addressed to the correct person.
What can I do as this is a serious bug from Google?

Google Bug Boards perhaps, or the specific community (in this case Gmail's support page) would be my first two picks.


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How do you disable notifications for system apps on Android 14?
I have a device running on Android 14. There is the "Codec status" app, which is a system app. I want to disable its notifications, but the "Show notifications" toggle is greyed out.

I've searched around a bit, but the only answers I could find were for older versions of Android that don't really work anymore or require root access, which I would like to avoid, given that I like having a warranty.
How do you disable notifications for system apps on Android 14?

I'd assume you have seen "Show notifications" is greyed out for some apps. What's causing it and how do I change it? which was about older Android and/or needs root.

This question is similar to: "Show notifications" is greyed out for some apps. What's causing it and how do I change it?. If you believe it’s different, please [edit] the question, make it clear how it’s different and/or how the answers on that question are not helpful for your problem.


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Block "Check charging accessory" notification completely
I have a Google Pixel 6a with the latest updates. When I charge it, a "Check charging accessory" notification appears.
The cable and power supply are not going to be changing, and the phone charges perfectly fine and exactly as we need it to in its remote location.  It's just the message is flat-out wrong for this use in this location.  It's going to be unattended for weeks at a time, in a very remote monitoring site, with multiple redundant power sources feeding it. If we lost contact with it for 15 minutes, we would know and the message keeps getting in the way.
The reason why it is immaterial and I am not seeking any advice on cables, adapters, reasons why, etc., is because I simply want it gone. I don't want to see the message again.
Any advice on removing it is very welcome.

I would assume that this notification appears because the used charging mode is slower than the maximum supported (e.g. blocked by the USB-C cable). Thus charging works fine just not at maximum speed. As far as I remember there is no "Fast charging" setting in Google devices you could disable (which should prevent this message).


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Bluetooth is not turning on NetHunter Android
I am using Kali NetHunter on a rooted Android device, and I'm encountering an issue with Bluetooth. Whenever I try to enable Bluetooth through the GUI or using the command line, it simply doesn't turn on. I can see the Bluetooth icon, but it stays stuck on "Turning on."
It was working in the beginning, I could connect to headphone, I sent a video file from PC to tablet via Bluetooth.
service bluetooth status

bluetooth is not running ... failed!

Then I started
service bluetooth restart

Stopping bluetooth: /usr/sbin/bluetoothd.
Starting bluetooth: bluetoothd.

but this does not restart the Bluetooth. Right after start command, service Bluetooth status still says "Bluetooth is not running ... failed!"
I already run those commands:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install bluetooth bluez
sudo systemctl start bluetooth
sudo systemctl enable bluetooth

lsusb command shows this:
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub

It does not show anything about the Bluetooth adapter
I also added kali-tools-bluetooth, but this did not help either.


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Disabling installation of some apps (both through APKs and through app stores) on a stock ROM
I want to disable the installation of some common non-free (proprietary) apps such as Facebook, WhatsApp, and all non-free Google apps, in order to comply with the policies of the FSF to make the ROM free software. The ROM has only FOSS apps installed (microG, Fossify, Revanced, AuroraStore, etc).
I want to do it preferably by modifying the package installer, so that someone can install the ROM by flashing the system.img of it. To accept the risks and use the app anyway, the user will need to install a patched version (APK) of the app modified for privacy, performance, and battery life, which has a different signature (but often the same package name).
The ROM is actually an Android 9 stock ROM (no, it's not a custom ROM), which I debloated and installed FOSS apps.
Is there any way to do this?

Modifying package installer means compiling your own AOSP version. But that is a lot of work. And with bootloader unlocked anybody could still install an APK as system app. Unfortunately you have not explained why you want to do this. If the phone would be just for you, the simple answer would be just don't install these apps. A simple alternative would be creating dummy apps without icon in launcher that use the package names you want to block. BTW: usually a "stock ROM" is an unmodified ROM.

@Robert I clearly mentioned that I wanted to do this to comply with the policies of the FSF to make the ROM a Free operating system. The ROM is not for my use; I created a thread on XDA and released this debloated stock ROM. "Stock ROM" obviously refers to the ROM which came with the device and was loaded onto the device by the OEM. Also, this ROM can still boot with a locked bootloader. But the idea of installing dummy apps is great. I could install these as system apps, and when the user will try to install their apps, it would fail due to signature verification. Thanks for this idea!


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How to decrypt user data on Android / LineageOS via bootloader / TWRP / adb?
Phone: Google Pixel 3a XL
OS: Lineage
Goal: Retrieve personal data like photos
Problems: Forgot password pattern; user data encrypted
I forgot the password pattern to my Google Pixel 3a XL and want to get my photos out before doing a factory reset.
What I've done already:

Entered Recovery Mode
Enabled ADB and connected Phone to Laptop (Arch Linux (Manajaro))
Flashed TWRP image onto phone:
adb reboot boatloader, fastboot boot twrp.img
With TWRP UI on phone, I deleted a db file related to passwords in folder data/system/
Also accidentally deleted device_policies.xml, but created a new device_policies.xml and pushed it via adb
Booted OS/Lineage normally
Wasn't asked for a password anymore, but on display, it was saying "Smartphone is starting...", but nothing happened*
I was still able to swipe from top downwards, connected to WiFi, opened the settings, enabled USB debugging, and set a new password (this time 4 digits)
Repeated 1.-3., created backup with TWRP, did some other things with TWRP that I don't recall anymore (did not delete any more files though;)
Booted OS/Lineage normally again
Tried to decrypt the phone via settings, but the option seemed disabled
Repeated 1.-3.
Tried to decrypt data via TWRP - was asked for a password but the one I created before (see step 8) wasn't accepted
Tried to pull data via adb but no permission (I'm SU, rooted)
Now trying to boot OS normally fails - infinite Lineage logo animation

What I would like to achieve:
I only care about retrieving my personal data from the main user profile of that phone - i.e. the photos.
The problem is that neither can I pull data via adb nor decrypt the data via TWRP.
What options do I have left now? Please help - and keep in mind that I'm a complete noobie.
Could I somehow get the whole (relevant) partition out of the phone onto my laptop and then maybe try to decrypt the data using some brute force tool?
Or is there maybe an easier way to get the data?
*) Update: Don't know if the "Smartphone is starting..." message is related to the previously taken steps, since it only appeared after swiping to open the screen - which wasn't possible before due to the password protection which I bypassed by deleting that file (see 8.)

To my knowledge user data is encrypted by a key that can only be retrieved from gate keeper by providing the correct user pin/password/pattern.

You need to have your password or your data can't be decrypted by TWRP. The security chip uses your password to unlock encryption keys.

Any encryption worth its salt is designed to prevent access without the key. This is what keeps the bad guys (including rogue nation states) from accessing your personal data, which is why you’d want encryption in the first place. The downside is that, if you lose/forget the key, you’ll be locked out of your own data.
Since losing/forgetting the key is always a risk, some encryption systems provide recovery mechanisms – which basically means storing a copy of the key somewhere else, often in a different form than the original key.
To my knowledge, Android encryption is pretty solid, at least when the device is powered off, up to the point at which the encrypted partition is unlocked on boot. (Apparently Google Play services have some backdoor, but it requires the device to be running, have a network connection, and the partition to be unlocked.) So there is no backdoor if you’ve forgotten your key. I am also not aware of any key backup/recovery option on Android (Google tends to consider user devices no more than a cache for their cloud services, hence they aren’t paying much attention to data recovery from the device).
Unless you’ve backed up your data somewhere, your best bet is to try to remember what unlock pattern you used. Otherwise, I’m afraid you’re out of luck this time.
To prevent this from happening in the future, I recommend:

Use a password manager, which stores your passwords in encrypted form. Keepass is a widely used free and open source password manager; clones for different operating systems (which support the same database format) are also available. Keep the password database on a different device.
Back up your data regularly. Cloud backup might me the easiest to set up, but you’ll be entrusting your data to a cloud provider. If you don’t want that, you will need to back up your data to another device, e.g. your laptop. Either way, this will also keep you from losing your data if your device gets lost, stolen or damaged – mobile phones are at a particular risk here.

thanks for your answer! i already unlocked the screen (deleted data/system/locksettings.db and then created a new password). the problem i'm facing now is that the apps (including file manager, gallery, sms..) aren't mounting - i see "phone is starting..." on screen - see this new post

if i can fix this issue then i could simply send my data (i.e. photos) to myself via usb debugging or email or some messenger..

@vuelicious What you did already invalidates any further attempt to access your previous data.

@ChanganAuto how so?


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Emulator MDM fully enrolled device
We have a project and development within an Esri ArcGIS enterprise platform that will utilise the FieldMaps Android (standard Play Store) application. We need to work out how to side-load data (regional map data) onto the device within an MDM-managed environment. However, we are struggling to use Android Studio to create a fully managed device within a mobile device management platform.
We have tried:

At AVD Creation, we don't get an option to allow the out-of-the-box experience (i.e. initially setup) to enroll a device into fully managed.

We have attempted to factory reset the emulated device but it never actually resets

We have been able to enroll a device as a work profile, but this isn't the same as a Managed Device.

For a fully managed Android device, you press the screen 8 times at the setup stage and it asks how you want to enroll, but in the emulator, it bypasses this.
Any way to get it back? Or is it a specific image we need or is it not possible?

Just don't use emulated devices. Only use physical devices.


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Comprehensive list of Android apps that detect and don't work with rooted phones
I've been trying to determine if there is a comprehensive list of Android apps that have root detection built in and do not run if root is detected. Examples would be Good for Enterprise, Fox Digital Copy, Barclays Mobile Banking, and DIRECTV GenieGO.
Is there such a list?

How can it be comprehensive? There are new apps coming out all of the time.

Comprehensive as of today, or recently. Obviously there will be new apps, there isn't a list of any kind.

List questions like this aren't a good fit for Stack Exchange sites because they require a lot of continuing effort to keep up-to-date.

The most comprehensive list I've seen its available on the RootCloak website, towards the bottom...
http://repo.xposed.info/module/com.devadvance.rootcloak

While this link may answer the question, it is better to include the essential parts of the answer here and provide the link for reference. Link-only answers can become invalid if the linked page changes.

Just for the record, I wrote that list after asking this question... :)

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


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Update Nexus 7 to a Nougat ROM
I have an old Nexus 7 (picked up from I/O 2012) that got unbearably slow after an OTA upgrade to Android 5.  After seeing hints from early adopters that Nougat is serviceable on this device, I decided to give it a whirl by following these instructions:

Connect from PC via adb and run:
adb reboot bootloader
fastboot oem unlock
fastboot flash recovery twrp-3.1.0-0-grouper.img

Hold Power + Volume Up to boot into TWRP Recovery Mode.
Advanced Wipe, selecting all partitions.
Advanced | ADB Sideload | then on PC run:
adb sideload aosp_grouper-7.1.2-ota-eng-20170410.ds.zip
adb sideload "Mini_Dynamic_GApps-7.1.x-20170121.zip"

Ensure /data is mounted (checkmarked under TWRP's Mount menu).
Still in TWRP, start Terminal and run:
echo "SYSTEMLESS=true" >/data/.supersu

Another ADB Sideload:
adb sideload "SR4-SuperSU-v2.78-SR4-20161115184928.zip"

Wipe, selecting Dalvik / ART Cache and cache.
Reboot to system, allowing TWRP to install its app when prompted.

Here are the files I used:

twrp-3.1.0-0-grouper.img
aosp_grouper-7.1.2-ota-eng-20170410.ds.zip
Mini_Dynamic_GApps-7.1.x-20170121.zip
SR4-SuperSU-v2.78-SR4-20161115184928.zip

The device booted up and began the setup wizard, but as soon as I tapped an option to either set up a new account or copy data from an existing one, I got the error:

Setup Wizard has stopped

and on repeated attempts:

Setup Wizard keeps stopping

After some more research, the consensus seems to be it's a permissions issue with blame ostensibly pointing to the CyanogenMod (presumably now LineageOS) team.  I tried a few suggestions below, but I could use some help on how to proceed.

Swiping down (notifications bar) or trying other "gesture hacks" to get to some sort of system options page to adjust the permissions for the wizard all fail.  The app seems to lock up the device pretty thoroughly into "kiosk" mode.
I'd love to try this supposed fix:
pm grant com.google.android.setupwizard android.permission.READ_PHONE_STATE

but after booting into the system the device is no longer visible under adb devices.  For what it's worth, running the command in a TWRP Terminal doesn't work either (and I'm not sure if it should).
Mounting System in TWRP and running df in a Terminal shows the /system partition is 98% full, with 16064 [bytes?] available.  I used the same GApps as the guy who wrote the instructions I was following; is it too big?
In TWRP I was able to rename /system/priv-app/SetupWizard/SetupWizard.apk to keep it from running, and that at least got me into the system.  But I can't figure out how to enable Developer Options / USB Debugging (required for adb) or even a Terminal window for that matter.  Tapping repeatedly on Build number in the About Tablet screen does nothing.
I could try and grab a Terminal app from Google Play, but I'm hesitant to proceed with setting it up with my credentials under this "Default Owner" profile.  Is it safe to skip the initial Android Setup Wizard altogether and just start using the device?
I also tried another TWRP Wipe, using the default partitions (Data, Cache, Dalvik).
I suppose I could try and sideload a Terminal APK.  But... really?

I came here because I didn't want to get too far ahead of myself before getting a second opinion.  I tried to document the steps taken so far as thoroughly as possible (as well in part to help others, since the documentation out there in the wild for all this is a bit scattered and confusing).  I'm hoping this is just a case of me having missed a small detail in the procedure that someone can point out.

UPDATE
I've done many flash attempts and at the advice of folks here and elsewhere I more recently switched to using:

LineageOS 14.1
addonsu-arm-signed
OpenGApps 7.1 nano (20170426)
This gapps-config-grouper.txt to trim the GApps packages
I also tried GApps nano with a more documented gapps-config-grouper.txt which I created in an attempt to only install BatteryUsage and CalSync (was hoping to save on some /system space and get the rest from the Play store afterward)

So instead of Steps 4-7, it's now:

Run on PC:
adb push lineage-14.1-20170423-UNOFFICIAL-aaopt-grouper.zip /sdcard/
adb push addonsu-arm-signed.zip /sdcard/
adb push open_gapps-arm-7.1-pico-20170426.zip /sdcard/
adb push gapps-config-grouper.txt /sdcard/

Install | Add the three zips (in the same order as listed above).
Safely ignore the "Updater process ended with signal: 4" and "Error installing the zip file" messages.

I was able to bypass the Setup Wizard - by using either the build.prop tip Andy Yan pointed me to, or the four-corner tapping trick Nadav Tasher suggested in his answer.  However I'm still having problems with apps stopping (even those from the Play store).  Presently working on identifying and granting missing permissions.
By way of example, while troubleshooting I found com.google.android.setupwizard was missing these requested permissions:
    android.permission.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION
    android.permission.CALL_PHONE
    android.permission.CAMERA
    android.permission.PROCESS_OUTGOING_CALLS
    android.permission.READ_CONTACTS
    android.permission.WRITE_CONTACTS
    com.google.android.apps.now.OPT_IN_WIZARD

I was able to grant all of them except the last one, but didn't manage to get the wizard to restart afterward so gave up on that (particularly after being told it wasn't that important anyway).
Haven't gotten a chance to do similar analysis on any other apps - and not that inclined to.  I feel like if things were working right I shouldn't have to be doing this, and am hoping someone can suggest a better way (e.g. a LineageOS tweak or maybe a different GApps?).

Had this problem a couple days ago.
Solved it by bypassing the SetupWizard.
Steps to skip:

Tap the top-left corner of the screen.
Tap the top-right corner of the screen.
Tap the bottom-right corner of the screen.
Tap the bottom-left corner of the screen.

Repeat this until the SetupWizard skips.

Holy smokes what kind of super secret Konami code is this!

did it work for you?

It got me past the Setup Wizard.  Handy to know.  But I'm still getting app crashes from various programs.  Seems something is wrong with my installation.  Based on what I saw of com.google.android.setupwizard, I think my APK's may not have all their required permissions.

try to give them permissions or update them somehow or reinstall gapps for 7.1.2

Hmm, it's not just the GApps I flashed.  Other Google apps I grab from the Play Store (e.g. Google app) are also having similar errors.

thats probably because the google play services is incompatible. it comes with gapps.

You mean the Google Play Services included in GApps isn't compatible with the Google app from the Play Store?  Is the Google app you get from the store the same product(s) which gapps-config refers to as Search and Hotword?  Does this mean I can't get Speech or Text-To-Speech either unless I install from GApps?  (I guess that would explain why they're in nano even though they're listed on the store)

it isnt compatible with the version of android so it crushes when being started by another google app.

it means that Google Play Services is incompatible with the rom so every app that uses it crushes.

you need gapps for android 7.1.2

Oh jeez!  That explains it.  I just figured that's what OpenGApps 7.1 was (i.e. that it meant 7.1.x).  Could you point me to a good GApps to use which is LineageOS-friendly?  e.g. How 'bout Beans?

this site has some: http://rootmygalaxy.net/download-android-7-0-nougat-gapps/

The GAPPS is outdated. Android 7.1.2 introduced changes to the Setup Wizard that will break it for older versions. Use the actively maintained OpenGAPPS instead, with the added benefit of choosing the version (mini, micro, nano, etc.) you want, and also make /system less occupied. Just wipe everything in TWRP and start from where you sideload the ROM and GAPPS.
Also, just a hint: AOSP is clean but lacks features. If you want to fiddle with more customization, there are plenty of choices out there (e.g. LineageOS). You also likely won't need to deal with SuperSU if you flash them, as they have built-in SU management.

Thanks, will try that!  By the way is that LineageOS build you linked to (2017-03-15) the one I should use, or should I go with the 2017-04-23 one listed here?  What does aaopt mean, anyway - is that the maintainer?

Yup, that's the maintainer. Use the 0423 build (since XDA people reported no major bug) paired with the latest GAPPS so as to avoid bumping into the Setup Wizard issue.

Apparently adb sideload streams the zip without storing it on the Android device.  I'm going to use adb push instead, but if I didn't, I'm curious:  How would I supply a gapps-config-grouper.txt and more importantly, where would the installer write logfiles (like open_gapps_log.txt)?  It said "Copying Log to /sideload" but nothing was there.

What are you looking to achieve? You could just install OpenGAPPS without configuring it. Is there an app in the package that you really want gone?

Sideload isn't the "mainstream" way to install - usually we have a copy of those packages on the internal storage. That's why CWM/TWRP has "install from storage" upfront but hides "ADB sideload" in a corner.

Makes sense. Got LineageOS and OpenGApps installed (and it looks different!) but once again getting the "Setup Wizard has stopped" error on first boot :-S. Used this slightly modified gapps-config-grouper.txt and the logs seem successful.  Most of that config was inherited from where I got it; I think the only one actually removed from stock CM was Email (see 0's in this earlier test). At least this time I can gesture my way into Settings.  Really appreciate all your help; looks like I'll need to poke around some more.

Let us continue this discussion in chat.

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


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How much usable storage space does the 16Gb Nexus 9 have?
How much usable storage space is available on a 16Gb Nexus 9 once the space occupied by the OS, preinstalled software, etc. is subtracted?
Please do not answer with speculation; I am interested in answers with authoritative sources, or from people who have a Nexus 9 and can report directly.
To clarify: I am interested in the space available on a brand new Nexus 9, complete with everything that Google include on it. I remove it from the box, turn it on, and check the available storage. What do I see? :-)

There isn't a nexus-9 tag yet. Would anybody with rep like to create one? :-)

I've created nexus-9 tag. It will be active only after review of the moderators.

Are you talking about a stock Rom with all the bloatware or just a custom Rom that has been stripped down? They will have different sizes.

I'm interested in how much space is available if I take a new Nexus 9 out of the box, turn it on, and check. Thanks for pointing out ambiguity, I'll update the question.

For the 16GB version: 11.05GB Source

Click image for larger version
For the 32GB version: 25.61GB

Click image for larger version


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How can I stop Lollipop ignoring my wifi network?
Android 5.0 has a new "feature": If a wifi network has no connection to the internet, it will remain connected to it but route traffic over mobile data instead. A small exclamation mark shows in the status bar over the wifi symbol.
Unfortunately, for some reason Android has decided that my home wifi does not have a good internet connection - which is not true, as I'm using it to access Stackexchange at the moment - and is, instead, trying to send everything over GPRS.
With mobile data disabled, things work over wifi just fine, despite the exclamation mark - so it isn't a problem with the wifi not working, per se.
Is there any way to override this "smart" feature? The only way I have found to make things work at the moment is to disable mobile data while I am in my house - which is not a practical long-term solution.
EDITING to add that I have now solved this problem by buying a new router! I was using something very old... But, I'll leave the question here for the benefit of anybody else with the same difficulty.

I'm a developer and I connect to a special device via WiFi, I've the same problem but I've no solution for now. Let me know if you find a something, thanks.

I remember there is a similar option to enable/disable this on KitKat, but yeah, I don't know why Google removed it on Lollipop. Then, there is a WiFi dropping case on Nexus 4 that made this a lot worse.

@Andrew What are you talking about on Kitkat? Please explain :)

@Seraphim ah, I was talking about "Avoid poor connection" on Jellybean and KitKat WiFi advanced setting, which I don't see it anymore on Lollipop. I thought it's replaced by "Aggresive WiFi to Cellular handover" on developer menu, but it seems I was wrong.

Just disable captive portal detection. In the terminal, or in adb shell, issue the command
settings put global captive_portal_detection_enabled 0

and reboot.

When you are connected to your home wifi do you see the notification to 'Sign into Wi-Fi network'? If you tap on that item and then the 3 dots menu you will have the option to 'Use this network as is.' I'm in a similar situation as @Seraphim's host and so far this solution seems to be working.
edit: This solution isn't working 100% fo my situation, hopefully it will help for yours though.

No, I don't see that.

This option is on the "Sign in to network" dialog/screen - see here.

@Mr.Buster ...which would be great, if I ever saw that screen :-) Presumably that page is only shown if Android thinks it is behind a captive portal.


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How to transmit and receive custom wireless data using Android's inbuilt baseband SoC?
I want to transmit and receive custom wireless data by using Android's baseband. So the question remains:

How to do it?
Is that true that the baseband operates on separate SoC & separate firmware?
If the baseband operates on different firmware, then can it be changed?
As we know, OTA updates exist on Android, so it means it's possible to upload a different firmware. But, is it possible to change the baseband firmware using a Cable-USB-PC method or not?

Case 2: if the baseband shares the same storage unit with the main OS, then it could be easier, but where to locate the firmware, what does the firmware extension look like, converting binary files to relative files?
Scenario 3: We can modify the stock ROM which contains baseband firmware. The stock ROM file contains baseband firmware which can be edited/modified or replaced with custom firmware, then we can upload it to the phone.
There could be multiple cases. Please help me.
I have experience in coding, custom Android firmware cooking, mobile rooting, extracting firmware of TVs/routers, etc.
Please remember my ultimate goal is to transmit and receive wireless custom data using a built-in Android baseband radio chip.

Similar to your prior question but your statement of "i have experience on coding, custom android firmware cooking, ..." and what you describe in 'scenario 3' imply otherwise as on Pixel device (custom ROM friendly) the binary blobs are available: https://developers.google.com/android/drivers Ideally if you have access to the datasheet for the chipsets you may be able to do something. Otherwise you are in the realm of black hat and security researchers looking for vulnerabilities not on open web.

There is no "Android inbuilt baseband". The baseband is phone specific, Android does only defines what API it has to provide, but the baseband itself is as far as I know developed by the phone manufacturer respectively the SoC manufacturer. Also baseband software is closed source and IP of who ever has developed it. Besides the API towards Android they are not documented. Feel free to extract and decompile a baseband yourself, however don't expect fast results.


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Disable Ctrl + Shift shortcut to choose input method
I have a Lenovo Tab K10, Android 12, using Gboard. I'm trying to use Ctrl + Shift + arrow from an external keyboard to select words, however, Ctrl + Shift causes the "Choose input method" popup window to show up

The selection of words is fine, but it's interrupted by this window.
Is there a way to disable this shortcut in Android?

What Android device (model, manufacturer) do you use and which Android version is installed?

It's android 12, Lenovo Tab K10. They are asking me to update, but I'm afraid the update can add more problems instead.


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Chromecasting video calls onto Android television screens
I want to know whether there is a way to screencast/Chromecast video (such as video, from WhatsApp, phone/video calls), onto an Android television screen.

Assuming the Android TV is not physically connected to the device/dongle, streaming via Chromecast usually requires support from the app as the TV receiver will want to get the video stream from either the device or a cloud server using a supported protocol. The big problem is that the microphone input would be separate from a usual play video stream. If the device is HDMI to TV and has micrphone/webcam then it is possible as seen here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Chromecast/comments/1b0ih7w/will_video_calling_work_on_chromecast_with_google/ More details about the configuration may help.


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How to set up fingerprint confirmation for deletion (or modification) of anything on the phone
A number of things can be deleted unwantedly in households where people share a phone or have a person taking care of another person and as such grab a hold of their phone, regularly.
I wonder whether there is a way to set up, globally, fingerprint confirmation for all deletions of anything on the phone (and requiring fingerprint confirmation to remove such support if desired). This could be a solution to the problem.
I am tired of having WhatsApp messages, emails, documents, and other files on the system and in the cloud removed unwantedly, just to get back to that later, and find it is not there.
Where can I find this solution in the settings?

If you want to have a deletion confirmation of an element within an app like a message in Whatsapp then the app is responsible for implementing such a check. From Android perspective there is just the app and it's data. If the data is one video or thousands of messages is unknown to Android. => talk to Facebook/Meta


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Is there a way to let me use my cell phone as a keyboard for my tablet?
I'm trying to use the Bluetooth keyboard app on my cell so I can control the use of my tablet.
Is it possible? Otherwise, is there a way to let me use my cell phone as a keyboard for my tablet?

Off-topic here. See: https://softwarerecs.stackexchange.com/search?q=%5Bandroid%5D+bluetooth+keyboard


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How do I adjust screen brightness linearly?
Got a new Samsung Galaxy A55 5G running Android 14, One UI 6.1, and discovered (among other modern horrors) that the brightness bar control is wildly logarithmic.
This means that being on like 10% of the bar puts you at 50% brightness (and in my opinion is already way too bright). It makes it extremely difficult to adjust brightness however I want to.
Before I go and make myself a widget to handle this myself, are there any known ways of managing brightness linearly?


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Can one prevent Google Assistant from calling numbers not in one's contacts?
When asking Google Assistant (on a Samsung Galaxy A54) to call a specified person, if it can't find the contact, it resorts to looking for and automatically dialling a phone number from the internet. This can be wildly incorrect - it has been known to start expensive international calls.
Is there any way to force Google Assistant to restrict its search to the user's contacts?


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Block altering, moving, or uninstalling apps
I have an Oppo A53 phone, and I want my kid not to alter, move, or uninstall apps. Is there a way to deactivate the clicking and dragging of apps with some sort of script? I don't want to hide apps, I want the pages to be like JPEG, not an Object.
I didn't try creating a new user yet due to storage "working on it"; also I didn't try hiding apps because I don't want it.

It would probably be easiest to create a new user for him. If you're concerned about storage, you can create a temporary guest user and then delete it when he's done using it.
See this android help article for information about how to create a new user: https://support.google.com/android/answer/2865483
If you would like more information about guest users, see this article:
https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/6115141


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How to revert to a prior app version when OS reports backed-up app is not compatible with device (while it is)?
From time to time, I take backups of all my apps using the Baria open-source app (although I see that Baria has not been updated since 2016).
I was using another app on my Official LineageOS 21, no Gapps, device.
I updated the app in question, and then it failed the Play Integrity check, which the app apparently just started checking for as of the latest version.
So, I uninstalled it, and looked up the last Baria backed-up version I had, and tried to install that.
However, I got the error message: "This app is not compatible with your device."
I also used the APK Explorer & Editor app to extract a backup of the same app from another similar device (the device is from the same manufacturer, series and year, but not the identical device).  I transferred it to the device in question and tried to install it, with the same result.
I am pretty sure the former version app is compatible.  So is there something in the Dalvik cache or something that the app developer left behind to prevent anyone from reverting to a previous version?
I wanted to wipe the Dalvik cache, but the LineageOS recovery does not have that option.  The only thing that one can do is a factory reset, and then it is an arduous task to reinstall & set up everything from scratch.
Or am I looking in the wrong place?
How can I install this prior version?

The age of Baria is most likely one problem. In 2016, all apps were solid APKs - one app = one APK. That has changed, nearly all apps installed via Play Store are now split APKs. As Baria is so old, if you encounter a split APK, this tool will most likely only back up the base APK, thus the backup will be incomplete.
The generic error message "This app is not compatible with your device." unfortunately doesn't help us much. The only way to get an error message we could work with is if you try to install the backup APK using adb install command. That requires a phone with enabled Developer menu and Android Debug Bridge (adb) plus a connected PC with Android SDK or minimal adb and drivers installed.
My guess for this error message is the new blocking of old apps Google has introduced with Android 14. If the app was already installed when you upgraded to 21, the app was not affected as the blocking only gets active if you try to install a new app.
This block can be bypassed via adb, see "App not installed as app isn't compatible with your phone" when installing APKs on Android 14

Thank you for your response.
I tried to install with adb install and it gave me: INSTALL_FAILED_MISSING_SPLIT

I tried to install the bare apk with adb install and it gave me: INSTALL_FAILED_MISSING_SPLIT
Should I try the override, or could that result in damage?
When I extract from another device using the APK Explorer & Editor app, as mentioned above, I get a folder with 3 files: base.apk, split_config.en.apk and split_config.xxhdpi.apk
Can adb install be used to install that?
When I tried it it gave an error message because the folder name does not end in .apk

@Johnson No overriding wouldn't get you a working app. The app is a split APK app, thus you need multiple APK files for installing. Normally there is base APK, one CPU architecture specific APK, one language specific APK and some apps also have separate settings APK and may be even more split APK files. Unless you have all of them (and install them together) the app will not work.


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How can I activate the "Disable permission monitoring" option on my Motorola Moto G23?
I just want to know a way to activate the "Disable permission monitoring" option on my Motorola Moto G23 so that I no longer have problems with my mouse (otherwise, the right click does not work).
If that option does not exist, can you recommend other alternatives?

Welcome. This looks like XY-problem where you're trying to "fix the mouse right-click" by "activating 'Disable permission monitoring'", which might or might not be the solution. That said, googling the option hints at Developer options, which can be enabled by going to Settings - About phone - tapping Build number 7 times. However, looks like the option is not available on every device (Google Pixel 3a on Android 12 doesn't have this). Curious, from where did you get this information?


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Prevent call participants from adding others into WhatsApp call
Is there any feature on WhatsApp by which I can prevent my friend from adding others into our WhatsApp call (a call which began between two of us and which I intend to be that way during the entire duration of the call)?


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Why am I not able to use Instant App on my Android device?
I have been trying to use the Instant App feature on my phone for 3 days now, but I haven't been able to. By Instant App feature, I mean the features shown in the video posted on this page. One of the features is being able to try the app/game with the "TRY NOW" button without installing it as shown in this screenshot,

What have I tried?
I have enabled Instant App for my account in Play Store by following this instruction. I have multiple Google accounts and I have turned it on for all of them.
I also tried it on multiple devices like Samsung Galaxy S, Android Pixel, Emulator, etc, all of which have the latest versions of Android.
Any help, feedback, and thoughts would be much appreciated.

What do you see, what error do you get

@RohitGupta, no error; just don't see "TRY NOW" button at all. That entire column/line shows just "INSTALL" button, unlike seen in the screenshot.

Most of the information here comes from these reddit posts:
Are instant apps dead?
What happened to Google Play Instant?
Short Answer: Instant Apps don't really exist anymore. There are no apps (that I can find) on the Play Store with the "Try now" feature as shown in your screenshot. Although, you can find some Instant Games on the Google Games app. Usually they don't have a full app that goes with them, though.
Long Answer:
Instant apps fell into two categories:

Instant Games
Instant Apps that opened from a link

For Instant Games, devs didn't want to put in the effort to maintain a separate Instant App version of their game that only a small portion of users would ever see. According to Google Play Instant documentation, developers had to greatly shrink their app size in order to make an Instant App, and if most users didn't ever use the Instant App, it didn't really make sense from a development perspective. There are still some Instant Games on the Google Games app, but most of them don't have a full application that goes with them because of the extra dev work that goes with it. Some of these Instant Games on the Google Games app are made by Google as well.
Instant Apps (that opened from a link) on the other hand, didn't really ever have a use. The idea was that links could be opened in small apps for increased functionality. However, if there was a link, a webpage usually worked just fine. Instant Apps from a link tried to fix a problem that didn't exist.
As a result, Instant Apps faded away over time. I can't find any examples of Instant Games on the play store, or any links that open in instant apps. They aren't officially depreciated, and as far as I can tell, developers could still make an Instant App if they wanted to, there just isn't a need to make one.

Thanks much for summarizing it!

@Dhunju_likes_to_Learn No problem, if you think my answer answered your question sufficiently, you can press the green check below the down arrow to mark it as accepted.


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Do regular Bluetooth keyboards work with Mororola Droid X running Android 2.3?
I remember reading couple of years ago that most (or even all) normal Bluetooth keyboards would not work with Mororola Droid X running Android 2.2. (surprisingly this didn't seem to be covered on Android SE)
Does anyone know whether the situation has improved since then by introducing Android 2.3 stock ROM, or better/more capable Bluetooth Keyboards? Or was the problem with Droid X hardware and thus unfixable?

Download BlueKeyboard JP from the Play Store. This makes it a lot easier to set up a bluetooth keyboard.
Here is how to set it up:

Install the app.
Then go to Settings > Language & Keyboard.
Check BlueKeyboard JP and go into its settings, and then into bluetooth settings.
Enable Bluetooth and scan for devices. Make sure your bluetooth keyboard is on also.
If you see it in the devices list, click it and then it'll ask you to enter a PIN. Just type 4 numbers (0000 or 1234 for example) and press OK.
Once you do that, on your bluetooth keyboard, type the same number sequence and press Enter and it should say your keyboard is "Paired, but not connected" on your Droid.
Go back and disable Auto Capitalization, select your keyboard in the Selected Keyboard tab and you should be good to go. To try it out effectively, disable your Android keyboard (or select the Bluekeyboard JP keyboard in the Input Method tab) and go into any app and select a text field and it should say that the keyboard is trying to connect in your notification bar. Once it does, try typing and it should work!

The Google Play page has some reviews from Droid X users saying it works just fine for them. That said, a lot of reviewers (on various devices) complain of unreliability.

How is this an answer for whether DrodiX problems with BT keyboard were resolved in 2.3 stock ROM vs. are they hardware limitations? In the second case the program won't help at all

@DVK I've added more info to Conn's answer.


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"Send USSD failed" keeps coming up every minute
I have a Samsung Galaxy A52. The "Send USSD failed" error message keeps coming up every minute. The phone is connected to the TruConnect network.
I did all the basics, but TruConnect says it's not them.
Are there any prompts I can do?

Perhaps you need to reset it and troubleshoot from there.

Exact duplicate of Why do "send USSD failed" notifications keep popping up? (Samsung on TruConnect network). Please try the answers from there and let us know the result.

This question is similar to: Why do "send USSD failed" notifications keep popping up?. If you believe it’s different, please [edit] the question, make it clear how it’s different and/or how the answers on that question are not helpful for your problem.


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How did I create note of phone call time and date on OnePlus 7 Pro
I use a OnePlus 7 Pro. After I made a call to Simon, I closed the Phone app and was left with a 'Notes' page with the text "outgoing call to Simon" with the time and date.
By the way, after I tapped on the tick to confirm it, the note disappeared and I can't find it.
How did I manage to create this note without meaning to? To be honest, I wondered if there might be something uninvited on my phone logging calls.

Does this happen with other outgoing/incoming calls? Also, is the time the exact time you made a call, not an approximation?

It's the only time I have seen it and, yes, it was the exactly the same time as in the call list in the phone app.


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Why is there unplayable (pending) video in my phone when I recorded video correctly?
I'm using a Samsung Galaxy XCover 5. My video is pending file even though I recorded it correctly, and there is a maximum video length on the system.

How to solve this problem?

AFAIK, this might happen when the video recording app fails to write the video file to the storage completely (abruptly stopped in the middle of writing), thus resulting in a corrupted video file.

Can i find this folder?

Sorry, I'm not sure what you meant by "this folder". If you meant the corrupted video files, then they're listed on the screenshot that you're currently opening: External storage/AllRecovery/Video and External Storage/DCIM/Camera.

thank you sir.i solved the problem by use mp4 recover tool.thank you sir

Same issue occured in my Samsung F41 .
But in my case it used to happen with the images.
The solution to this is very easy , i simply just clicked one more photo and the glitch was resolved at that instant.
Please try this it should work.
Sorry i cannot comment as i did not meet the reputation requirement.

thank you for your comment!i solved it to use mp4 recover app.thank you


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Jailbreaking Vantron 5081G tablet
I have a Vantron Tech Tablet model 5081G with Rockchip 3366H processor. All the settings are locked. My PC doesn't recognize it as a USB device. In recovery mode, the only option is to reboot.
Can anyone help me to unlock it?

What is the history of this device? Has it been owned by anyone before you? Could it be a device that had belonged to a child and is still under Family Link control?

Browsing about Vantron Technology, looks like they're producing industrial-oriented tablets, so it might be locked down to prevent damages. I kind of doubt if it's possible to root it, considering that there are many specialized Android ROM+firmware that behave like this.

@johndallman it was prison tablet and presumably still running it's intended system

@Andrew T is there any else I can do in order to make it function like a normal tablet without any restrictions?


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Achieve long exposures on live photos
Similar to this. Android phones have live photo feature but I couldn't found any way that can do live effects.

AFAIK, live photo is not a feature of Android but an addition of the manufacturer's camera app, e.g. Google Camera on Pixel devices.

@AndrewT. Galaxy phones also has similar feature, and I know that's a feature of the manufacturer's camera app, the manufacturer's library app also supports live files like that so they also support modifying the file


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How to add automatic punctuation when using Google Voice Typing keyboard?
How to make automatic punctuation marks in Google Voice Typing keyboard in 2024?

Please explain with an example


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WhatsApp and other messages and contact or profile-based apps: making contacts available to other apps via a service with permissions
In this post, I ask about how to make contacts from Whatsapp available in the Script Rehearsal app.
This post is not limited to WhatsApp but extends to other message and contact or profile-based apps. I am asking for/about Android support to make contacts available to other apps via a service with permissions.
Indeed, it would be nice to be able to export the contact list from an application that made use of contacts with contact information to the device and make it accessible to other apps, via a service, that asks you permission to access the contacts.
Is this at all supported in Android? What apps and web services (Facebook?) support this?


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Will Android fix erase files on USB?
I was hacked and managed to transfer most of my laptop data to a USB device. USB has a mini USB port for a Type C like my Android phone. I have an unactivated Android phone that is showing the files, but it wants to fix the USB and I need those files.
Will fixing the USB destroy or erase the data stored?

Since you used your laptop to write to the USB, it is highly likely that it was not formatted suitably.  If it was Windows, it probably used NTFS.  Android will not work with NTFS, it will work with FAT32.
Do not let anything write to it in any way.  Take it to a friends place to look at it from a laptop, and make a copy of it first.


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sony xperia z1 whatsapp sound notification problem
Hi I have the following problem.
I get whatsapp notification on the top of my screen when receiving new whatsapp message but I dont want any sound with it.
I tried to look in whatsapp settings - notification tone - but it just lets me select different sounds for the pop up. No option to have no sound at all?
This is super frustrating as I get so many whatsapp messages and it keeps beeping every time unless I turn down the phone sound alltohether (which then also turns down the volume of incoming calls).
If anyone know how to solve this I would be greatful to hear...
Thank you

Update your Whatsapp Application from the Play Store.
I am using Version 2.11.277.
And in this version, I can turn off the notification sound by doing the following :
Whatsapp

Go to Settings
Select Notifications
Untick Conversation tones

Edit : In this version it is also possible to set the notification tone to None, this is also available under the Notifications Setting.

Its very simple
Under the phone settings you have different adjustable sound options.
You can reduce/mute the volume for notifications .Reducing/muting the notification sound will not have any effect on the Incoming calls.
To select the notification sound

From your Home screen, tap .
Find and tap Settings > Sound > Notification sound.
Select the sound to be played when notifications arrive.
Tap Done.


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How to start service 'package' with ADB
Using adb, I uninstalled some system apps on my device. Sadly, I uninstalled something important, and now the device is in a bootloop.
During boot there is a window of time which I'm able to login with adb. But when I try to reinstall the system apps:
adb shell cmd package install-existing --user 0 com.xyzname

I get this error:
Can't find service: package

I used to be able to run install/uninstall commands in this bootup window, but now the service 'package' isn't being started.
I tried looking up how to run services with adb, and I found some commands using am, but nothing pertaining to specifically running 'package'.
I need to get service 'package' to run. Begging for help here.

See if you can run this command: adb shell pm install-existing --user 0 com.xyzname. If that doesn't work either, you have to do a factory reset because I am assuming you don't have a custom recovery (which at least offers a way out in this case).

Thanks for the suggestion. Sadly it doesn't work, I don't have custom recovery. The service package needs to be running ☹

I had the same error and finally got it to work by adding su -c.
For your case, it should be:
adb shell su -c cmd package install-existing --user 0 com.xyzname


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Galaxy Note 2 shows no sim card after radio flash
I have the SGH-T889 (T-Mobile USA version of the Note 2). When I got my Galaxy Note 2, I loved the device, but disliked the software. So, I decided to flash CyanogenMod 10 build from the N7100 forums. Although many things worked, the radio did not work. So, I decided (in my infinite wisdom), to dd the radio from the Stock SGH-T889 T-Mobile rom to the /dev/block/mmcblk0p10 partition (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2039081).
This did not work, so I installed the stock SGH-T889 rom just to get it back to working order. However, my sim card was no longer being detected. I have tried flashing other roms to try and get the radio back, but alas all say that there is no sim card.
I realize I have probably permanently messed up my phone. Does anyone have any ideas or things to try to get it back to working order? I am out of things to try.
UPDATE: I have tried everything you guys have posted, and ended up sending it back to Samsung and get them to fix it under the warranty. I believe they replaced the whole motherboard, so I will never know exactly what the problem was. If you decide to send yours back, make sure to reset the binary counter that you see in download mode. There are guides around the Internet for this. Thanks for all of the help.

How did you flash it back?  Have you tried Odin with repartitioning?

You could search the net for an original radio image for your device, and flash that the normal way. With some luck the Samsung service might provide you with that (in case you don't find it on the net).

Thanks for the ideas. I am pretty sure that I have flashed with Odin with the Re-Partition option checked, but I will try again tonight to make sure. I have found and flashed this modem zip with no luck: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1957380 (do 'modem' and 'radio' refer to the same thing in Android?)

Get the ODIN package from here. Then use ODIN to restore to "True" Factory Stock. This will put you back to stock (but will not reset your flash counter). Then from there you can start and use ODIN to root the device again, flash CWM and flash custom ROMs. The modem/radio you linked to should be the radio that you will want to flash if you flash an N7100 ROM. But, as you can see, I would stay away from ROMs that are not for the specific model. the T889 has a couple ROMs based on the stock N7105, but there have been changes (things like the radio) replaced with versions that are for the T889.
I eagerly wait for an AOSP build (specifically CM) for the T889, until then, I am running one based off the N7105 with the Bullet Kernel by cmenard. This kernel has the modules for CIFS support, which I use constantly.

I had the same problem. So I just read through threads and was able to fix the problem. I simply looked up my model number for the Galaxy Note 2 T-Mobibe version, and I discovered by flashing the stock modem kernel fixed my problem of no SIM card error.
Download the modem stock recovery here.

Simply look for your model number. I have tried 10 different stock kernels before one of them worked. When you get the right stock kernel for your model, it will work.
Flash the kernel with Clockwork Recovery. If you don't have Clockwork Recovery, you can download it from Google Play, but your phone must be rooted.


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Using adb to move app and data to my tablet
I feel close to the solution... I have a Bluetooth grill temp probe from Thermopro. I have used it on my phone for a while and have a bunch of saved temp graphs of various dinners. Good information to review. Anyway - the app sort of shuts down if I get a call, so I want to move it to my tablet, but I'd like to copy all the good temp graphs and alarm settings from my phone too.
Using ADB, I made a copy of the apk from my phone and made a "backup" of the data.

First - I went to Google Play and found the proper apk name of the app. ex: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cn.com.adsmart.thermbbq

Using the ID, I found the full path to the app adb shell pm path cn.com.adsmart.thermbbq
package:/data/app/~~2bkB2UtzWXCnq6FqrD-qZw==/cn.com.adsmart.thermbbq-M73nd-LoCb2rEdiN3Pohiw==/base.apk
package:/data/app/~~2bkB2UtzWXCnq6FqrD-qZw==/cn.com.adsmart.thermbbq-M73nd-LoCb2rEdiN3Pohiw==/split_config.arm64_v8a.apk
package:/data/app/~~2bkB2UtzWXCnq6FqrD-qZw==/cn.com.adsmart.thermbbq-M73nd-LoCb2rEdiN3Pohiw==/split_config.xxhdpi.apk

Then I made a backup on my laptop of the apk adb pull /data/app/~~2bkB2UtzWXCnq6FqrD-qZw==/cn.com.adsmart.thermbbq-M73nd-LoCb2rEdiN3Pohiw==/base.apk cn.com.adsmart.thermbbq.apk

Then I made a backup of the data adb backup - cn.com.adsmart.thermbbq -f cn.com.adsmart.thermbbq.ab

Then disconnecting my phone from ADB and USB, I connected my tablet to USB and enabled ADB.

I installed the apk adb install cn.com.adsmart.thermbbq.apk

Then I restored the backup data adb restore cn.com.adsmart.thermbbq.ab

The app works fine, but all the data I was hoping to preserve is not there.
I feel like there is one more twist I am missing. Any pointers are appreciated.

First the app has to allow backup at all. second adb backup and restore doesn't work anymore on Android 12+ for recent apps (that means all apps that had been updated in the last ~2 years).  Adb backups save no data

Thanks Robert.  I believe that might be so.  The backup file is very small.  47 bytes.  Is there a way to edit the manifest to allow backup at least for a moment?  Or maybe some way to find the files in the file system and copy them over and trick the app into having the saved data on the tablet?

Manifest editing wouldn't have an effect if the device is Android 12+ (that wouldn't work anyway as you would have to resign the app which makes it a different app, so your data would have to be deleted to install the resigned app). The best chance is to contact the company developing the the app and ask how you should proceed, may be there is a way to export your data and import them on the tablet using a functionality inside the app.

Robert - thanks for the reply.  I didn't know all that - but it makes sense.  I am thinking it is time I give up and learn to live without the data I can't transfer.  Thanks again


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Someone said my WhatsApp status was online, but I didn't touch my phone
I wasn't using my phone, let alone my WhatsApp at the time, and my SO called me via video call. I didn't answer, but she said the status said "online" and clearly it did so. She screenshot it and I'm confused because I wasn't touching my phone and it wasn't turned on at all.
Is it a problem related to my phone or internet or something that caused my last seen as "online"?
This is becoming unsettling for me and her because it happened multiple times, and neither of us knows why, and I felt guilty because it made her think about it the wrong way. I'd like to experiment with this, but in the meantime, any help would be much appreciated.

Are you using WhatsApp Desktop?

I don't recall seeing a status anywhere.  I just tested it, I can not find any status visible when I make a video or a non-video call.  The only thing that is visible is a message that you can put in, in your profile.
By default it says something like "Hello I am using WhatsApp".  I think you have changed that message to say "online".

The status "online" or "last seen" can be seen in each individual's chat, not call.


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How to completely disable app installation on rooted Android device?
I want to make a basic Android phone with only a few simple apps. I will root it and remove smart apps. I don't want any side-loading of apps of any kind though, because somebody can just put it all back if you can. I am trying to make a sort of kids phone that cannot be modified or undone to make it smart. I am trying to disable the app installation. How?
Gabb phone, Sunbeam F1, and a bunch of other kosher phones do this! There is no way to install apps via APK, and you can't enable developer options, so I think no sideloading by ADB as well.
So, basically, I am trying to do this same thing on my own phone, but there doesn't seem to be one simple way of doing this. I have found much conflicting info on XDA and other places. I heard some people say to remove the package installer, but others say that creates a boot loop.
Can anybody help me? I saw similar questions on here, but nobody seems to have a satisfactory answer.

Modify package manager source code. It is responsible for app installation and app updates.

Related/possible duplicate: How to block any app from being installed?, pm disable activity, Disabling sideloading APKs via disabling the packageinstaller

Found this on XDA
https://xdaforums.com/t/block-app-installation.4080929/
Looks like it might be a better solution then any I have seen on here


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PWA does not reinstall
It appears that once a PWA (Progressive Web App) is installed, and then deleted, it can not be installed again.

On Android, clicking on Save to Home Screen shows an option to Install.
If this PWA is deleted from the home screen.
Clicking on Save to Home Screen no longer shows an option to Install.

I have tested this on Android S20 and S24. And also on iPhone 11.

I have restarted the phone.
The PWA does not appear in Settings-> Apps, so nothing can be deleted.

Is there a way to get around this?

Deleting an ordinary Android app from the home screen does no uninstall it. Look in the list of apps (swipe upwards on the home screen) and see if it is there?

The icons look like individual apps, but actually they are just additional links to your web browser. Which Webbrowser have you used for saving the PWA? This means only the web browser manages them. If nothing helps you can clear app data of the browser to reset/remove all saved links.

It turns out that a PWA has a manifest file called Manifest.json.  The tool that I was using did not update it so the links within were not pointing to valid resources.
And a line in the index.html file pointing to this manifest file got removed along the way.
I manually fixed the files after Googling to see what they were supposed to contain.  It had nothing to do with removal, the files just got mangled along the way.


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Problems with unlocking the phone after a standard software update
Recently, I updated my Infinix Hot 20i, and I encountered the following issue. The phone took a long time to update, and upon rebooting, it prompted me to enter the graphical key on the unlock screen.
I have a very simple pattern lock that I have not forgotten. However, when I enter the correct pattern, the phone thinks for about five seconds and then says that the pattern is incorrect. If I enter an incorrect pattern right away, it immediately shows an error.
Could you advise me on how to resolve this situation without losing my data, as I do not have a backup?


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APK-installed app is not visible in other users except admin user after upgrade to Android 14
I usually install several APKs necessary for my work. They are internally released, so they are not available over Google Play.
We have several users on the device, so multiple users can use their own profiles. However, after recent updates, these apps disappear from other user accounts. And it seems there is no way to install them. More annoying, one app is still visible in the other user accounts, but it cannot be opened. It flashes and then exits.
Can anyone share some experience on how to fix this problem, or maybe in Android 14, the APK-installed app cannot be used by other users by design?

Just verifying that the apps become missing from the device app list instead of just the home screen app. For the app which appears and disappears what does the adb logcat say. How are the APKs deployed normally (website, special app, etc.) You may want to investigate if your devices are running Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) software and a recent setting has blocked them.

nope, it really not available. And now it seems I need to actually install the apk for all users separately. Which is really annoying.