text:
Where are Chrome tabs stored?
I've noticed that, if I have multiple Chrome tabs open and restart the browser, the tabs are still open.  This suggests that the tab info is stored on the hard drive somewhere.  Where is this information?

Related/possible dupe: How can I export the list of open Chrome tabs?. Some of the answers also mentioned the location.

The information is found in /data/data/com.android.chrome/app_tabs.  On my phone, with two tabs open, I see
0/
    tab17
    tab20
    tab_state0

You can confirm this by deleting those three files and restarting the browser.  The tabs will all be closed.


text:
Wi-Fi direct vs. Nearby Share
I wonder which is a faster way to share large files: Wi-Fi direct or Nearby Share.

Nearby Share uses Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, WebRTC or peer-to-peer WiFi. For larger files I would expect that also Wifi is used, in such a case there should ne not much of a difference to Wifi direct.

Nearby Share uses Wifi for sharing files. So, it does not make much difference.

You should always use Nearby Share.
Nearby Share uses the fastest possible connection it can establish with both devices. If it is not possible to establish a stable or secure proprietary Wi-Fi Direct connection, then it may fall back to using Bluetooth only. That will always be a magnitude slower.

Nearby Share uses Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, WebRTC, UWB, and peer-to-peer Wi-Fi to allow users to share files and links between devices. It was first released on August 4, 2020

Have you used the Nearby Share app on Windows?
I'm able to send a 1.2GB file from my phone to my PC at 60MB/s and I'm about thirty feet and four walls away.

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


text:
Remove internal storage from locked phone to read data?
family of a close friend who died recently asked me (technically IT guy, but not even remotely my field of expertise) whether it is possible to retrieve data from the locked phone of him.
I d'ont know the exact model yet, but I guess the only option that comes to mind is to desolder the internal storage and read the data externally.
But I have no idea if android phones these days have disk encryption enabled by default? I've read stuff about File Based Encryption being the default now, which I guess would also prevent this approach?
My gut feeling at least tells me, it is not possible to retrieve the data like that, but I guess asking does no harm. Does anyone have experience with that, is it a feasible approach?
Thx for help!

Assuming its a recent Android phone, it is already encrypted

As for encryption, Android devices are already encrypted by default, so without your PIN the data on your phone is essentially unreadable. But in Android 11 the encryption is applied immediately after an over-the-air update, before you've even logged back in. It's a small change, but it closes another loophole that could have been used to get at your private information.

From The Android 11 Privacy and Security Features You Should Know
And so is Apple

Even if you don't think about it often — or at all — you benefit from encryption every day. It protects your identity, your family photos, your home Wi-Fi network and your finances. If you're one of the world's 700 million iPhone users, it's very likely that encryption protects everything on your smartphone, as 95 percent of Apple's phones are encrypted when their screens are locked.
That default protection ensures your phone keeps your data safe from intruders. This is especially important when you're traveling, but your phone could go missing at any time. It's vital to make use of the encryption when you aren't using your phone. Fortunately, it's easy to encrypt an iPhone with a few simple steps.

From iPhone Encryption
More Info at apple.com

You might have better luck trying to guess a pin, if one is being used

Thx for the quick answer, that's what I also assumed, but its good to hear the confirmation!

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


text:
Prevent Google Play from reinstalling apps after factory reset
I've got multiple Android devices and have a plethora of apps.
I've just done a factory reset on one in order to use it for development purposes only, however there are a couple of apps that I need that I've already paid for.
If I attach my Google account to this device, by default, the device will begin downloading all of my apps.. and while this is a good feature for some, I don't want all that crap on this device.
How can I prevent my device from automatically downloading apps when I attach my play account?

I've often wondered about this and believed this to be the way it should work. However, when I got my Nexus 4 and connected with the same account I had used on my tablet for a while and installed many apps from Google Play, nothing was downloaded and installed automatically to my phone?!

The best way I know (using CM11 as a reference) is to go to Settings -> Backup & Reset and removing the checkmark next to Auto Restore. It may be under another heading on different ROMS so you may need to look around for it. It is best to do this before you do the factory reset.

It would appear that by un-checking "Backup my data", it automatically grayed out (and therefore prevented) "Automatic Restore"... even thought the automatic restore checkbox is checked in it's grayed out state. note: this is a Nexus 4

But this happens not only after reset, but after delete and then create my Google account...

When creating your account, you also can change this setting right in the beginning. If doint that, no backups should be restored.

If you've already allowed Google Backup to backup your apps, then changing settings before you do the factory reset won't make any difference.
After the factory reset, when you next start the device, it'll go through the first-time setup steps again: where it guides you through connecting to a Wi-Fi network and signing into a Google account. On the screen where you sign into your Google account, there's a checkbox there to automatically restore your apps and data onto this device (I forget the exact wording).
Uncheck the checkbox at this point, and no apps or data will be restored to your device. You'll still be able to install any paid apps you previously bought. If you later turn on Google Backup on this device, it'll start a fresh set of backup data. Once it has backed up to this fresh set, next time you factory-reset this device, the restore will be from this fresh set. (If you factory-reset again before making any changes, or before it's had a chance to back up, you'll still get the old set.)

But this happens not only after reset, but after delete and then create my Google account...

What does "data" mean, like it won't restore contacts?

Yes, if you uncheck the checkbox, it won't restore anything. Contacts that were synced to Gmail (or some other contact syncing thing) will still sync like they used to.

@DanHulme Is there some way to restore contacts without restoring apps (or somehow wiping out all the apps that are 'backed up' so that only contacts are restored)?

@n00b If you have a new question, click the "Ask Question" button and ask it. If you put a question in the comments it's a good way of making sure it won't be answered, because most other people won't see it.

https://www.google.com/settings/dashboard?hl=en
This is the exact link to where you can go down the rabbit hole to delete google android play store restore data.

Thanks for the link. I hate how the 'Delete backup data' seems to be all-or-nothing though.

I don't see a "Delete backup data" link there.

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


text:
How to set the end date of a reminder?
How should I utter the comment so it can understand the end date?
The following does not work:

OK Google, remind me to do this every day at 3 for 5 weeks.

Try this: Ok Google, remind me to do X daily at Y up-to Z. where, X=topic for reminder, Y=time of reminder and Z=period of reminder.

@parthu_panther does not work

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


text:
Camera zooming by using Bluetooth buttons that act as volume buttons
I have a Huawei P30 Pro and this Bluetooth camera shutter. The shutter had dedicated buttons for zooming.

Sadly, the volume buttons on the P30 just act as a shutter (the zooming buttons on the shutter just send the volume buttons signals too) and there is no customization option in the built-in mobile app to set them for zooming).
I found Adobe Lightroom  that lets you use the volume buttons for zooming, but it does not utilise the optical zooming of the phone and the shutter button will stop working (it will be similar to the zooming-out button)
Is there any workaround? Alternatively, any apps that can be installed to take photos instead of the factory app?


text:
Does GooglePlay search show different results for different cities?
I have a few different Android apps and for some reason, one is very heavily downloaded in India and Nigeria.
And the others have at least 35% US downloads.
Would anyone know whether the GooglePlay search is different in different countries? Or is it the same everywhere?
Thanks!

maan, a persone is saying that i gave you the answer and you mark him as the correct answer?

Yes, it is different. Just like Google search Google play search  uses different settings for every person, just like rat2000 said.

thank you. Would you know how to check an app's ranking for different countries?

I'm not sure if you can check your ranking for different countries but if you have this option it should be in the Google play developer console.

you cannot check app's ranking for diferent countries

It is not the same. for countries. Google search is not the same for you and a friend or your neighbor.
Google keeps data for every person that uses that services and determines what he might like or might not like. At a country level based on all the search that you made and the citizens it decides what you or another citizen might like. Basically it is all very connected and there are very powerful algorithms that determine what a user might need based on the location he is, the nationalyti, the previous searches, his friend searches, everything matters more or less.

I didn't mean Google search. I meant GooglePlay search. Do you know if GooglePlay search is different across different countries?

It is the same. all services are interconnected. if you make a search in google play for a specific game, next time you use google search it will know that you like that type of games, and it goes the other way around.


text:
How are apps ranked differently between GooglePlay search and Category listings
When I do any search like "games" or "business" in GooglePlay, I get a certain way in which the apps are ranked.
But for some reason, in the category listings, the app are listed in an entirely different order.
Would you know why there is such high discrepancy? And what factors the category listing takes into consideration?
EDIT:
Here is an example:
@Izzy Sure, when I type "business" into GooglePlay search, this app comes up as #5 for me. But when I go through Categories --> business --> free, I have to scroll all the way to #140 to see that app. Why does difference happen?
Thanks,
Alex

Maybe you could give an example, so we can understand better? Thanks!

@Izzy thanks, I just added the example in my original question.

So you are not talking about ranking in the sense of rating, but rather about the position of the app in the list displayed? That's comparing a category listing versus keyword search. It could simply be the keyword is present more often in that app's description than in others.

@Izzy Yeah, I am talking about the position in the app store where the app is displayed.

OK, now that's perfectly clear :) Unfortunately, I don't know the algorithms used by Google. Let's see if someone else does. Good luck!


text:
Cant answer the phone
Often when someone phones me, the phone just locks up. I can't slide the ring up to answer.
Sometimes the ring moves a little.. sometimes not at all. I just can't do anything until the caller stops ringing. The phone becomes responsive again and I have to call them back.
I have just upgraded to 4.0 from 2.3 and the problem is still there. I haven't rooted the phone or done anything special to it..
Apart from this the phone is always responsive and I don't really have any other problems.
How can I sort this out?
Phone: HTC Sensation-xe

Sounds like they screwed up the threading.  The phone process normally has high priority but it shouldn't be so high that it prevents you from interacting with the phone.

Try to install the rocked dial and in settings try to make it default app for receiving calls. Settings>caller ID

Can you catch the error message using adb logcat when connected to the computer?

HTC has inbuilt answering. By moving the phone into a vertical position it answers the call, if you face it towards the ground it rejects it.

@avirk, installing rocket dial does seem to have done the trick, I've had no lock up for several days now. Please make your comment an answer so I can accept it!

As user said my comment helped him and post it as answer.
Try to install the rocket dial and in settings try to make it default app for receiving calls.
Settings>caller ID
Also you can use free version of HD Caller ID which has option to overtake the default caller screen.

Thanks. although the rocket dial app does seem to be quite messy - the default dialer shows for a second before rocket dialer kicks in - it does seem to have fixed the problem.

In caller ID settings you will see an option Set the time delay for showing caller ID and set it to No delay by default it has set to one second.

Your welcome :)

I updated my answer you can check it :)

Is the phone connected to a PC/charger while you were trying the call? Try to have a good 'earth ground' at all times when handling a phone with capacitive screens.
I had the same problem when my phone was connected to the PC/charger.
If that wasn't the problem, try using a different dialer app from the market and see if that brings up the problem.

No, its not connected. Doesn't a dialer app only affect outgoing calls?

I had the same problem with my Droid 2. For me, it was a precursor to the hardware for touch interaction going haywire: it was registering other touches on the screen in a line on the right side. I was able to view them by opening a drawing program, or popping up the gesture screen in Dolphin HD. Random touches would appear up and down in a straight line.
This happened more frequently when I'd been outside working, or the phone got warm through other means.

I've read the ICS ROMs on Sensation XE were buggy. Hence they delayed the ICS ROMs for (original) Sensation to fix the bugs. (Assuming you're using stock Dialer.) Update to the latest build of ICS that's been released for your device.

I just have.. No difference.

It has happened to me on my Nexus S, running stock Gingerbread and now stock Ice Cream Sandwich, that occaisionally when I try to answer the phone the touch screen is unresponsive. I find that if I press the power button to turn off the screen (which silences the phone as well) and then turn it back on I can answer the phone.

Its not Android problem its HTC Problem. I have experienced same problem few times. All you can hope is an upgrade of HTC Sense from HTC. Ring was introduced by HTC because there was problem with earlier approach of dragging up. Try to kill few unwanted process in your cellphone so that your becomes even more responsive.

Your best option will be to root and use a custom ROM and kernel...  it's the touch screen drivers locking up


text:
Is there a way to speed up the delay when pressing the home button?
My guess is that the reason there's a delay when pressing the home button is due to the fact that it could be re-purposed into launching "Google Now" or "S Voice" by pressing it twice. So it has to wait for a second before it sends a signal "this is a single press" to the OS. I don't believe it's caused by phone waking up from sleep because it happens every time and it's consistent.
If my guess is correct and I'm not using "Google Now" or "S Voice", it would be great to remove this delay. How do I do that? Is that even possible?
In my opinion, it is annoying. The moment I press the home button I'm expecting an instant response by showing up the home screen as immediately as possible.
EDIT:
I already disabled all the apps that could possibly make use of double pressing the home button like "S Voice". Now when I open an app to foreground, pressing the home twice doesn't take me to home screen but instead nothing happens. That means there's no longer any function that is currently bound to double pressing the home button. If I press the home button once, it still takes a delay before it takes me back to the home screen.

Disabling apps makes no difference because it's not the apps themselves that wait for the double-press. The Android system itself reads the double-press and sends an intent to start a search app. You might need to use a custom ROM to disable that.

I had to mention I disabled those stuff so others will not try to guess that it's causing it.

An important navigation mechanism in Android is called a long press. You perform a long press by pressing and holding down a physical key or touch (capacitive) button. If the long press is successful, the phone will provide some physical feedback such as vibration, and the long press action will take place.
You can use a long press to open menus that are specific to the active item - think of it like opening a context menu on a PC. For example, performing a long press on a song in the Music player application in Android 2.2 will open a menu that allows you to add or remove it from a playlist. To perform a long press that opens a context menu, press and hold the select key or the trackball.
Yes you can increase/ decrease  the time duration of the home button under the settings>Accessibility scroll down to Mobility.
Select your desired time gap from the three  -Long/short/medium

I have those options, but being honest, even the short is way toooo slow. How can I speed it up more? I need to wait almost an entire second, where maybe 400ms would be enough.

changing the animation in developer mode to be off should speed up this process.

Why? What do animations have to do with it? The reason behind the delay is rather what OP writes in the first paragraph of the question.

When I use other launcher, little bit improved.
I have used poco launcher


text:
Why does my Galaxy S3 make a noise when I put it down?
Occasionally, when I put my Samsung Galaxy S3 down relatively firmly, it makes a noise that's sort of half way between 'BONG' and 'CLANK'. When it happens I can immediately pick it up and put it down again to make it happen again. I can repeat this for as long as I like. Pick up, put down, BONG/CLANK, repeat.
There are no on-screen messages, just the noise. Why is it doing this? Can it be stopped?
Thanks

Sounds similar to how my laptop alerts me when it's been jostled and the head has been retracted from the hard disk ... but the SGS obviously has flash storage so that wouldn't make sense :P

Similar, but not quite the same. I imagine if you shake your laptop from side to side it would alert you, but my phone only BONK/CLANGs when I place it down flat, so I guess it's not simply telling me to be more gentle.

Well, I've figured it out. Sort of. I habitually put my phone down on top of my wallet, which contains my NFC-chipped credit card. It turns out the phone actually makes that noise when it finds an NFC chip. If I push my credit card against the back of the phone the same thing happens.
I'm still not sure what it really means, though.

+1 - I totally just did this same thing. Mine was responding to the RFID/NFC chip in one of my credit cards. The noise it makes is saying "I recognize an NFC chip is close but I cannot act on its information," which is appropriate as your phone can't read the encrypted data stored on your card. Pretty cool if you ask me!

There are NFC cards and tags that contain data on which your phone can automatically act, such as open a webpage or connect to a Bluetooth carkit, for example. Examples of such tags are Sony's Xperia SmartTags and Samsung's TecTiles.

Thank you! I was so close to throwing my phone at a wall.

Thanks! I also have that habit, and that wired sound bugs for quite a while. Finally relieved today.

For me it was the New Delhi Metro Rail smart card


text:
How do I clone a SIM card?
When I search the web, all I get is hits on how to transfer your "contacts".  "SIM" is an acronym for "Subscriber Identity Module".  So, as I understand it, there is more information on that little thing than just my "contacts".  I just got a new phone (with a new SIM card), and I want to move every bit from my old SIM to the new SIM, not just the "contacts".  How do I do that?

Is there anything preventing you from using the old SIM card in the new phone (assuming you are keeping the service provider and your number)?

@Chahk: I am using the old SIM card in the new phone.  I just wanted to know if it was possible to transfer all the data to the new SIM.  I guess I didn't really understand exactly what is on that thing.  Dan's answer was helpful.

Cloning a SIM card is not what you think it is. Apart from the simple contacts information, the only thing stored on it is a code which identifies your phone to your carrier. It's like a user ID, which the carrier can use to look up which plan you're on and what phone number you should have.
Although cloning a SIM card is possible, it's not something you want to do as a customer. It's a technique used by crackers to impersonate another user to the phone network, in order to illicitly receive their phone calls. It may be illegal where you live.
Think of the SIM card like a credit card. It belongs to the carrier: they just lend it to you for the purpose of using their service. If your bank sends you a new card, or you change bank, you don't "clone" your old card onto your new one: you just use the new card. And, just like a bank card, if your carrier didn't send you the new card as a replacement for the old one, then it refers to a completely different account.
If you simply want to move your old phone number to your new phone, you need to contact your (old) carrier to do this.

I asked this question because my new phone came with a new SIM card, so I figured I'd use it.  Like all physical products, these physical products wear out don't they?  I just wanted to move to the newer physical product.  I thought that would be a simple procedure, but apparently, it is not.  What do I do when my "old" SIM card dies?

@raven I've added another paragraph to my answer. I hope this clears things up for you.


text:
How can I syncronize android time with machine via ADB
How can I update android time via ADB?
I know I can run this comand via windows cmd:
adb shell date -s 20140414.130000

But I need to synchronize the time with my windows machine.
Is this possible to accomplish?

I found a solution for this by using the perl.
I created this perl script, which sends the current date with the correct format to the android device via adb:
use Time::localtime;
$_=localtime;
system'adb','shell','date -s',sprintf("%04d%02d%02d.%02d%02d%02d",$_->year+1900,$_->mon+1,$_->mday,$_->hour,$_->min,$_->sec)

Then I just need to open cmd and run this:
perl < clock.pl


text:
Why is custom recovery a prerequisite for flashing a custom ROM?
I have read in many guides that before flashing, we need to have a custom recovery like CWM installed. I am not able to understand why is this a prerequisite for flashing a custom ROM. Can I flash a ROM without custom recovery?

Stock recoveries usually check the update.zip file being flashed for a specific signature that is only known by device's manufacturer and/or carrier.  You cannot therefore flash custom ROMs on stock recoveries, hence the need for a custom recovery which bypasses said check.

Yet sometimes the signature can be kept intact or forged. In those cases the stock recovery will do fine. For example you can flash a new recovery using the stock recovery with a SGN n7000.

Technically, it's not prerequisite, but convenience.
You can download an update using your handset and store it locally on the sdcard, then reboot manually into recovery. Or use Rom Manager to do all that in an app and enjoy backup/restore and OTA updating without the need for a computer.
Stock recoveries won't let you do all the fancy stuff that a custom recovery let's you do.
Among them are:

backup/restore
using adb in recovery mode
flashing custom .zip's (that's what you'll need)
format individual partitions
wipe individual parts (Dalvik Cache, /Cache)

Some handset makers have their own means of low level access to flash. Fastboot then has not all needed commands built in.

HTC/Google/others: fastboot
Samsung: fastboot, proprietary (Heimdall open source flash tool)
Sony / SonyEricsson: fastboot, proprietary (Flashtool by Androxyde)
...

U said that it is just a convinience, but is there a possibility that the stock recovery will not allow the flashing of an update if it is not signed? In that case it is a necessicity rather than a convinience right?

Yes, stock recoveries won't allow that (often). You can use other means besides any recovery to flash images (Heimdall & Flashtool being 2 of them). So for Sony & Samsung you can bypass to use a recovery (theoretically)

why do you call odin fastboot?


text:
Can I mark read SMS messages as unread in 2.2?
I've just switched to a Samsung Galaxy Europa from a push-button Sony Ericsson K660, and already I'm finding a few features in the old device that I'm missing in the new one. For example, sometimes when I read a text message, I'd prefer to reply to it later. On the K660 I'd read the message, then return back to the inbox listing and mark the message as 'unread'. This adds the envelope icon back on the taskbar, and renders the message title in bold, so I know to respond to it later.
However some research on the web doesn't turn up much, and I wonder whether this isn't included in the stock messaging application. I'm running version 2.2. Any ideas?

Do not think you can do that with the stock messaging app. Might be best to install an alternative app to do that... let me look for that question elsewhere here...

There's handcent-sms (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.handcent.nextsms), and go-sms(https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jb.gosms) mentioned in the tags, also there's Chomp(https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.p1.chompsms) as well.

Incidentally, I should point out that I prefer apps with extremely limited permissions and yet those apps all want the moon on a stick. I'd prefer (and would pay for) a SMS/MMS app that just used the " SMS" and "read contact data" permissions... I will explore the market!

Do not think you can do that with the stock messaging app. Might be best to install an alternative app to do that. There's three alternative popular ones available from Google Play.
There's handcent-sms, go-sms mentioned in the tags, also there's Chomp-Sms as well.
As for permissions yeah, that's a tricky one, as long as they don't have the over-usage of permission demands, you should be pretty ok.
As an off-topic, I do know that in CyanogenMod, there is a setting to deselect the permissions as required for each and every app you install, for example, an app called 'FooSms' - uncheck 'Read SMS', the app may bomb out with an Security Error exception due to the said permission being revoked. Incidentally, there is CM7 available for Europa via Madteam.

Thanks again for your answers. As a new smartphone user it didn't occur to me that something as basic as SMS messaging might be available in a different app!

That's the beauty of Android, an alternative customized app for your own liking that can easily replace stock android apps :)

As for total re-modding, I'm a bit nervous about that. I'm happy to root the device using the default firmware, since I believe it's 99% easy and safe. I would assume however that swapping the whole ROM image carries a bigger risk of turning the device into a paperweight!

That's a question that I must dispel the myth about it... in fact, Samsung devices are impossible to brick!

Wow, that's very handy to know. How is it implemented - is there a hard reset or something where you can always get back to a stock ROM? (I'm thinking of what would happen if one flashed it with a build for a CPU that uses a different byte order, for example - I'd expect total system crash and no mechanism to boot up enough services to try reflashing again.)

Not hard reset, really, its a re-flash - with either Odin or Heimdall! A lot of roms that are built are cross-compiled targetting the architecture of the chipset (so there would be no such different byte order) The only true and tried tested method of doing damage is to disconnect the cable halfway during the flash, then you're totally kaput and screwed. For that to be restored, would have to be JTAG'ged by disassembling the handset to get at the JTAG pins, make the connection with specialized JTAG cable and perform a complete flash.

That is outside of the scope of this forum and beyond (am not an electrical whiz so would not have an earthling of a clue in how to do that - if it happened to me, I'd gladly pay someone else to do that for me :) ) IT happened to me once and learnt from that and was out of 50euro in pocket as result!

Well, that's all most interesting - and good to hear that bricked phones can be rescued for less than the price of a new phone! I think I will start off with a stock rooted ROM, but your response does give me confidence to try it. Once I'm sure my local phone backups are working, I may give that a go...


text:
Is there an Android calendar with limited security permissions?
I've just bought an entry-level Samsung Europa, running version 2.2. I'm technically-minded but new to this OS. I'd like to find a calendar that runs in limited security permissions, so that my calender isn't synced to anywhere over the internet. I am happy to take responsibility for my own backups.
I have signed up for a Google account to run the stock Calendar app (it mandates it), to access Google Maps and to access the market. I've set the Google account to "Sync is OFF" in General Sync Settings, and I've turned off Auto Sync. I've kept Background Data turned on, and turned off Google syncing in the Calendar options. I am hoping this combination of settings means that my calendar will not be copied off the device, though I'm not confident this is the case.
I wasn't aware until after purchasing that app-level security permissions could not be modified in Android - some light research just now suggests that one needs to root the device to get that feature. (I may well do that, but I want to get a working set-up first). Since the sandbox permissions for Calendar are do what you want, I've been looking at alternatives. Jorte Calendar requires wide permissions, and Smooth Calendar looks like it just relies on the standard Calendar app as storage, as I think does GO Calendar Widget.
I'm okay with limited data flowing to Google/Microsoft/BigCorp - such as map usage or market searches. But I'd plan to avoid using remote storage for private data: my contacts, texts, calendaring and so forth (there's something about Calendar refusing to start without a Google or FB account that is a touch irksome). I could use a local calendar on my old Sony K660 without wondering if it was being copied without consent - are there calendar apps that will do this? Or is rooting & resetting perms for Calendar my best option?
Addendum: in Privacy Settings, I've turned off Back Up My Data. Turning it on then off again reveals this dialogue box message: Are you sure you want to stop backing up your settings and application data and erase all copies on Google servers?. So that's a reassurance that file system data won't get synched by the stock OS - just Contacts and Calendar to go :-)
Post Addendum: I suggested in the comments that I might use the Corporate feature, in which one can add a Microsoft Exchange account. However this appears sadly to be subject to similar privacy objections that I apply to the Google account requirement. The user is asked for an email and password, and is confronted with this message:

By activating this application you accept that part of your mobile phone data (comprising IMEI and model name) will be stored, processed and used by Samsung for the purpose of reporting activation of the application to the licensors of the application software itself. Such data held by Samsung will be dealt with strictly in accordance with Samsung's privacy policy. A copy of the policy is available upon request. Continue?

Admittedly this is a small privacy risk compared to the wholesale copying of a calendar or contacts, but it still emphasises the point that the corporate storage of ones data is essentially mandatory. (Added here for the benefit of search engines on this topic.)
That said, it may still be worth a go. For those of us without access to a real private Exchange server, one would need to find something to emulate one, so that the Google account can be removed. Once I've settled into using the phone, I will look into these alternatives - and this in particular. Also of interest is package support in some Linux distributions - not much for OS X yet, but I will keep on looking!

Thanks for your reply. Jorte requires Storage (which an offline calendar would require, so that's fine). Also it requests System Tools (prevent phone from sleeping, start at boot), which sound harmless. Phone Calls is not so good (my number, my IMEI, who I call) and neither is Network Communication (web access) or Your Accounts (access to registered sync accounts like Google). To be clear, I'm not of the view that there's malicious code in Jorte or Calendar - just trying to lock down the machine as if it were a laptop (or as close as one can get). Us programmers are cautious types! :)

There's a way to remove permissions from apps without root though - ooh, cool. Can you supply a link?

Thanks for that. For the benefit of this page, here's a theoretical idea that would solve the issue another way: delete the Google account from the device and use the Corporate connection (which is a strange way of describing a Microsoft Exchange Server). So if there's a free/open-source program that acts like a local Exchange sync, that might sort it. I will do some searching around that idea :).

@RichardBorcsik: it does seem to be as option on 2.2, but I don't have access to an Exchange server proper, so haven't been able to test it. I appreciate all your comments - if you'd like to put a brief answer below, I'll pass over a small retrospective bounty (when the system permits it).

@RichardBorcsik: no, I don't have a Live account. I only want to sync to a local machine.

@RichardBorcsik, ah sorry... asleep ;-). Good idea, I will get one. I've also added some more avenues of research into the question.

To answer my original question, I've found aCalendar, which has very limited sandbox requirements. It just asks for Your Personal Information, which it needs to write to the shared calendar store - impressive! As I've said elsewhere, this leaves calendar items prone to accidental synchronisation with Google, but for most people this is acceptable.
Happily, the UI of this calendar is excellent, with only a couple of niggles (in particular, the small screen of the Europa makes it very difficult, occasionally impossible, to touch on calendar items in the 7-day view). Issues aside, I am likely to settle on this app, unless a better one comes along!

I'm not sure if this is the answer you seek, but if you want a calendar app that does not sync unless you set it up to do so, check out ColorNote.  I use the note stuff for jotting down stuff on the run.  If you tap the upper-left corner it shows a menu from which you can select calendar.  I don't use calendar extensively so can't comment much on it.

Thanks @dutara. I don't think I've seen that one, will take a look. One of the things about the stock Calendar is it has a very polished UI, and a couple that implement their own widgets look a bit 'home made'. I'll see what ColorNote feels like.

Just tried it. Very impressed with the sync approach, which is very permission based (requires sign-up) and encrypts with AES prior to sending. The month-level calendar view is arguably clearer than the stock Calendar (in terms of blobs representing appointments). However the day view is a bit limited (you can only see the first 10 chars of each item, and you have to drill down to read it) and appointments cannot have a time, only a reminder time. Still good though, and an excellent stop-gap until I find a better non-Google alternative.

@RichardBorcsik: yours, I presume - you supply a passphrase in the Options panel, from which a key is derived.

@RichardBorcsik - ah, good catch! Confounded by the many-tentacled monster again :D

Although my original question was to source a calendar that did not have wide security permissions, the purpose was to avoid having to sync with remote cloud services. I've found a Windows product that will do this locally, and the site makes it look pretty polished. This approach (afaik) makes use of the built-in calendar, so one just has to trust that it doesn't sync elsewhere regardless of which sync provider you select.
(Side note: I'm nothing to do with this product/company. I've not tried it, as I'm on OS X).


text:
What should I try to bring a rear camera back to life?
I have been handed an H801+ Android phone, where the rear (main) camera has stopped working, and I have been trying to fix it without much success. I am looking for ideas as to what to try next.
The phone has been obtained from eBay and seems to be of no-name Chinese manufacture. It has 2GB of RAM and a 4-core CPU. It has three SIM ports, two cameras, a 2800 mAh battery, and all the usual wifi/bluetooth/GPS/gyro interfaces. The screen is approximately 6 x 2.5" in size and supports full HD. It is running Android 4.2.1 (I believe this is Jelly Bean).
I am told that the rear camera used to work, but now no longer does - I am wondering whether my friend received an Android update via her provider, which stopped it working. The front camera seems to work, although (since I am not used to large-screen devices) it seems to be permanently auto-focusing and clicking every few seconds. I don't know whether this is a feature or a fault!
Having done some research, I believe a "swirl" arrows icon should appear superimposed on any live camera image to toggle between camera devices, but I cannot see this anywhere. I have tried the following apps:

Camera (stock app) - front camera works fine, no way to switch to rear camera
HD Camera Ultra - crashes
Camera (downloaded) - only front camera
Dual Camera / Double Shot - crashes

Both of the crashy apps seem to have a lot of Play reviews, so I am minded to think there is a problem on my device specifically, rather than just that these apps are of low quality.
I notice that if I put Camera (the non-stock version) into Panorama mode, it tries to connect to the rear camera, whereas for movie and pictures it uses the front camera. However it seems to fail to connect to the rear camera:

Camera error
Can't connect to the camera.

I suspect this is a good sign - it is perhaps "half connected"!

I wondered if it just needed a factory reset, so I have done one, taking it back to "here's a demo of your device" state. However this hasn't made any difference.
My thoughts on the reasons why I cannot get this to work:

The rear camera has developed a hardware fault
The whole phone is fussy about what version of Android it uses and/or — given that it is unbranded — has not been tested as well as it should have been
The front camera is stuck repeatedly auto-focusing and as a result does not give the rear camera an opportunity to initialise (update: I don't think this is the case now; if I hold the phone far enough away, and focus on something in good light, the focus box goes green and the front camera stops auto-focusing)

There are a few things that might be worth a try:

Find a test (camera) app to give me techie info about the devices the phone can detect. I have looked for such a thing but cannot find one
Do a hard reset with a pinhole switch, though I cannot find one, and presume this is not an option
Downgrade Android an official way (using my SIM). This might bring the camera back to life, but possibly it may be overwritten when my friend puts her SIM back in
Upgrade Android the approved way. Using my SIM I have searched the Play store for "upgrade Android" but cannot find anything useful. I believe (from material on the web) there should be an upgrade option in "About this phone" but I don't seem to have that
Root the phone and try a later minor version
Root the phone and try a later major version

I haven't asked whether my friend would mind me rooting the phone, but I am given to believe it is safe these days. What do you suggest?

Can you enclose a picture of the device in question or a linky? Its hard to tell from the question above? If its faulty and is a no-name chinese phone, there is a very good chance that there is no known update either, or that your friend got ripped off?

Thanks @t0mm13b, link added (obtained just via a search, so not sure if it is exactly right, but at least it matches the model number). It's possible that it was a rip-off, but the spec of the rest of the phone seems genuine, there really is 2G of RAM, the screen is great, and general responsiveness suggests a pretty decent CPU.

Interesting spec, just spoke to someone about it - a HTC One clone! Uhmmm... might be best to get an RMA on the device and return it back to get that camera fixed?

That might be the only option, @t0mm13b. I am told the sellers are not responding via email, though I suspect if it is indeed an eBay special, eBay may be willing to help. I will try to persist via a technical route first, and if that fails will return the advice with "get yer money back" advice. In the meantime, is it possible to force an upgrade to the latest minor version of 4.2? I feel that is worth a go, but haven't ever done that before.

Try it, but what makes me question it, is there actually a official updater for the MTK6589T chipset? You may have to google-fu around a small bit, probably end up hitting some site somewhere in China, just be careful! :)

I don't know if there is an official updater - do you mean that the chipset is (or is not) recognised by Google, who would deliver updates automatically? I will do some more searching, as you suggest.

Google will not deliver automatically via their updater found in Settings > About Phone > Update - that only applies to Nexus series only.

I am still interested in responses to this question. For the time being, given the research I've done, I am assuming that my options are limited to: (a) asking for a fix from the manufacturer, which will probably not be forthcoming (b) asking my friend's provider to force an upgrade via their usual channels - I don't know if providers are generally willing to do that on request - or (c) rooting the phone and trying to install a different version manually.

Ah, I have just found an "APKs Install Assistant" on the device - I presume that is a way of installing non-Market software. Is there a trusted source for Android upgrade packages I can use with this?

Still looking for responses to this. I'm hoping to find an Android image I can just drop onto the device, possibly of a later minor/major version than the current 4.2.1.

Did the rear camera works with HedgeCam 2? If the rear camera is not working with HedgeCam 2, try OpenCamera Put the results of the 2 apps (HedgeCam 2 and OpenCamera) (crashes, only front camera, error message or others) in comments

This is a common problem with this unit. I contacted the manufacture about it (http://www.orientdeal.com/orientphone-one-max-5-inch-1080p-screen-quad-core-1.5ghz-2gb-ram-32gb-rom-android-phone.html) and was told that due to the heat that builds up around the camera the modules fail. They recommend replacing the entire camera module. My unit they told me was under warranty and the work would be completed without cost, IF it was returned to them in China. I sent the unit off and many months later it was returned as "Undeliverable" I contacted them again and they re-confirmed I was shipping it to the correct address and had no idea why it had been returned. I sent the unit back again (At another $14 cost!)and once again after many months it has been returned as "Unclaimed" This time the manufacture will not return my emails or chats and I am beginning to question their honesty. For purchasing a brand new phone, I have now had to buy another to have one that works. I recommend looking at Elephone, quality is good and so far they stand behind their products. I am looking into replacing the camera module myself, but I doubt I would ever buy Orientdeal products again.

Thanks for your feedback on this, and sorry to hear of your own woes! I would agree that there is a risk in purchasing a product where only overseas support is available, that the warranty is likely not be honoured in practice. I don't know if the one I had was from the firm you mention, but given that I did not know how to proceed last year, I had to give it back to the owner unrepaired.

Success, after a very long time researching this problem I have found the answer!
It appears that the camera's sub-mini connector is very poorly soldered to the main board. With vibration it starts to loosen until eventually it comes completely apart sticking into the camera's connector. The bad news is this is an extremely small multi pin connector and requires special soldering and precise alignment. Even with soldering paste and a precise heat gun I doubt if a repair can be made successfully. Perhaps knowing what the problem is though, a local repair facility with the proper surface mount equipment might be able to attack it. The best news is that there is another way to repair it. Ali-Express carries an exact replacement board with the camera connector attached for $55.70 to 59.79.
Store: Cyberezone-China Professional Accessories Supplier                                                                "Original mainboard 2G RAM+32G ROM Motherboard for Mlais MX59 MTK6589T Quad Core 5.0 inch FHD 1920x1080 Free shipping"
Yes it says Mlais MX59, but it is the actual board as used in the H801+ also. They also carry the replacement camera, but I am sure my camera is still good. Just pull out the embedded connector and plug into the new board. I wish I had not spent all the money waiting for Orient Phone to honor their warranty. This is a quicker fix and in the long run costs less!


text:
Is there a way to eliminate Google Play Books / Newsstand?
I've never used Books or Newsstand, and I'm continually running out of space. Is there a way to just delete these apps?
Android 4.1.2
Kernel 3.0.31-889555

What phone do you have, and what Android version are you using?

@DanHulme Sorry about that, added the info

If you go to Settings→Apps, select the "All" tab, scroll to the apps in question, and open their entry: Does it have a button to disable them? If not, it might be labeled "uninstall updates", and should be renamed "Disable" after you did that. With some luck, it's not grayed out then, here's the "push sequence": "Delete Cache", "Clear Data", "Disable". Done. If it is grayed out, all that's left is root and some "Bloatware remover", as indicated by Lucas' answer.

@Izzy Thanks, I did just that. I hope I didn't break anything in the process :-)

Glad to read! I've just made it a full-fledged answer with additional details you might want to "accept", as it solved your issue :)

Since Android 4.0, it is possible to "disable" apps without root. However, not all apps can be "disabled": some (pre-installed) system-apps are protected against this. Still, it's always worth a try if you don't want to root your device:

Go to Settings→Apps
Select the "All" tab
Scroll to the apps in question, and open their entry
Here you see either a button labeled "Disable", or one labeled "Uninstall Updates". If the latter is there, tap it: this will uninstall all the updates this app received during the time you already used the device. Now the "Disable" button should be visible in its place.

Is it "grayed out"?

Tap "Delete Cache", then "Clear Data". This will remove all cache files the app might have created, all its data, and its configuration.
Still "grayed out?" Then this app is "protected", you cannot "disable" it without root.

Otherwise: Tap it. This will disable/freeze the app.

These actions are reversible: You can always re-visit the apps entries here, and push the button again (it will be labeled "Enable" then).
If you could not deactivate an app this way, all that's left is root and some "Bloatware remover", as indicated by Lucas' answer. Apart from Titanium Backup, there are several other "root-apps" which can do that – though Titanium is a great choice, as it also provides the means to do full backups and more. If chosing this path, make sure to freeze apps first to check for side-effects: As with above steps, a "freeze" is revertible – a "remove" is not (at least not easily).
Also see our bloatware tag-wiki, which will give you / point you to more information.

Yes. Your device need have root. Search for make root on my device (put here the device model). After having done root on your device, download Titanium Backup and write backup your apps and after delete. Sorry for my english.

I'll give that a try


text:
Default player doesn't play *some* .ogg files
I have ripped a number of CD's with Rhythmbox on Ubuntu.
I've noticed not all files play.

Some .ogg files do play on my Android Galaxy S6
Some .ogg files do not play ...

I have no idea what can be the problem. I don't see any difference in the properties between the files that play and those that don't.
Could you help me troubleshoot this?
Edit: The plot thickens, I've converted some files to MP3 and ... they still don't play.

Try playing them with VLC, here is the link for the Google play store.


text:
Is it possible to extract Nexus 7 serial number through command line (e.g., ADB)?
I'm possibly into a rare situation. I have a Nexus 7 LTE 2013 that suddenly stopped showing anything on the screen. It looks like turned off all the time, even the LED light does not turn on. I tried charging it in various ways and it did not help.
I contacted Asus and they asked me for the serial number, which I don't have. They said I can find this on the box, which I don't have either.
Using ADB, while N7 is connected to my Macbook Air, I did adb devices and it shows up a device that is "offline". When issuing the command adb get-serialno, it says unknown. It looks like the device is not dead but probably the screen is.
Is there any tool that can get me the serial number through command line?
Update:
I had an alarm set on the device. Today the alarm was fired and I heard the alarm ring from the device. I could only turn off the alarm by holding the power button.

"...suddenly stopped showing anything on the screen. It looks like turned off all the time" - I have to provide this as a comment because its not an answer to your primary question. I experienced this issue on two different TF-101 tablets. The first one I had to send back for replacement. The second happened recently when trying to enter bootloader screen manually. After trying to enter the bootloader screen, I found I had to hold the POWER button for 10 seconds to get the device to start. The momentary presses, and the press and hold for 1 second, did not work.

"I contacted Asus and they asked me for the serial number, which I don't have. They said I can find this on the box, which I don't have either" - also see Determine ASUS Transformer Serial Number when you get the device powered up.

@jww Yes you certainly need to hold the power button for some time. And, determination of the serial number on the screen is of course not an option for now. Thanks for the comment anyway.

Yes you certainly need to hold the power button for some time" - did it boot for you?

@jww since "adb devices" returns something but it says the device is offline, it looks like the device is actually turned on.

@ Hussain - OK man. Sorry to waste your time. Good luck with your problem.

The "device offline" output means that the device is detected, but it refuses any operation because the user didn't allow that particular computer to connect (secure ADB). Your device is up and running, and displaying a confirmation window on its non-functioning screen. You could try to power the device on and blindly hit the OK button after unlocking the screen, then all ADB commands should work. Alternatively, if you have used ADB with another computer, try it with that.
Also, all devices offer some kind of ID even in this state, displayed by "adb devices"; this is the serial number most of the time. See if it's the right format.
Edit: "fastboot devices" should show the serial number too. Also, it should be easy to put the N7 into fastboot mode even without a screen.

I used the number that came out from "adb devices" and provided it to their agent, he said this is not the right format.

When using fastboot, I got this: $fastboot devices
ERROR: could not get pipe properties

I haven't yet met that error message, and it seems to be OSX specific after a bit of googling. One site suggests running fastboot as root - it will probably give you the same number as ADB, but it's worth a shot. Did you put the device into fastboot mode?

Also, running the command adb shell getprop | grep serial should show at least two entries, but first you have to get ADB access by blindly tapping that OK button. Also, it may be the case that the serial number in Android from the one you're after. (source, post #12; although it's for N7 2012)

thanks for the help and follow up, I think your answer is actually nearest to the solution. I finally figured out an extremely lightly printed serial no on the back of the device, called them and they accepted it as the device's serial no.

You're welcome, and I'm glad your problem was solved :)


text:
Is there Android for ARM (Windows) laptops?
I'm thinking of buying an ARM laptop as a second laptop for programming and hacking experiments.
Ideally I would set it up to multiboot Windows, Linux, and Android.
I've seen several articles and videos on the internet for setting up x86 Android on an x86 laptop, but can't find anything on ARM laptops.
I'm guessing it would come down to things like device drivers and maybe UEFI?
Is it possible for a normal person to install Android natively on an ARM laptop intended for Windows/Linux? (And preferably dualboot/multiboot?)
(I'm aware some highly skilled hacker types can probably do it using AOSP. I'm also aware I could just use a VM or emulator. For this question I'm only exploring the options of installing natively on the hardware.)

Do realize that this question is off-topic: Can I ask questions regarding hardware suggestions?. It may help to read: Bootloader/BIOS, flashing ROM and correlated risks. Why Android devices are more brickable than PCs?. Do realize that if you have a Android phone you may want to look at Termux for a Linux-like env.  Or look to the RaspberryPi community for Linux on ARM.

@MorrisonChang I'm not asking which hardware to buy? I'm asking if this is possible. Can you point to which sentence breaks the topic rule so I can change it? I'm not looking to run Linux, that's easy. I'm looking to run Android as the/a natively installed OS on any ARM laptop - if it's currently possible.

Your question leads to simple "no not for mortals" answer. A slightly better one would be "Why can't Android be on xxx ARM laptop" but until https://source.android.com declares official support for ARM's SystemReady program the issues in my second link apply esp. getting drivers from silicon vendors for any third-party OS porters, related: Are there any booting standards for ARM-based computers?.

@MorrisonChang: If the answer is "not for mortals" then I'm happy with that and would accept it as an answer. Before asking I had no idea if it was for mortals but hard to Google or not for mortals. That's an entirely different thing to a hardware suggestion and I assume it's still on-topic.

I'm willing to admit a mis-read on the off-topic link rational. I'm not sure if this question isn't parital answered by the second link, which can be fleshed out by finding out how ARM laptops support Windows/Linux (which is not strictly Android).

Your difficulty with this is that boot arrangements for ARM-based computers are not currently standardised, and device drivers are specific to particular operating systems.
ARM Windows laptops are all based on Qualcomm SoCs at present, and Microsoft control the ecosystem far more than they do for x86 hardware. They seem to boot using a system devised by Microsoft and Qualcomm, which is quite different from Android booting, or Windows x86 booting. The device drivers you'd need for Android are different from the ones that come with Windows, even though they would drive the same hardware. You can run Linux on them via WSL2; Microsoft don't support booting standalone Linux.
Booting Android on them would require writing or modifying a boot loader and device drivers. It's a substantial reverse-engineering project, not something for ordinary users.
You could have run Android apps on them via Windows Subsystem for Android when this answer was first written. However, Microsoft have now abandoned that product, apparently because they couldn't make money on it.

Yes I think it's technically possible but not currently practically possible. Perhaps some company will bring out a dual-booting Android/Windows tablet at some point and after that a dual-booting laptop would be possible. But it's unlikely unless the demand appears.


text:
Can dual-sim phone use one sim for voice\sms and second solely for internet access?
Is it possible with dual-SIM Android phone to use one SIM-card for voice and SMS but not internet access and second solely for internet access? I tried reading PDF manuals for such phones but it's a bit unclear.
I'm moving abroad for work and will need to keep my current work SIM to communicate with the main office but I'd also like to use a local operator to access internet because it's going to be way too expensive to continue to use internet via my work SIM abroad. And I really don't like to carry a second phone or portable router for this. Looking at HTC One Dual sim at the moment, looks good but I never used dual-SIM phones before and have no idea how those actually work. Will it be able to function the way I need it to?

Yes you can. Both sim can be used for internet and voice calls. You can also select which sim can be used for internet and which can be used for voice calls.The settings can be found under Settings-> Wireless & networks.


text:
Why are Let's Encrypt security certificates invalidated prior to schedule on affected Android devices?
According to a well-regarded QA answer by a member of our Android community here on Stack Exchange:

By the current schedule, Let's Encrypt cross signing will end on September the 30th 2024. After this date Android 7.1 stock devices will become more or less useless for Internet surfing as all Let's encrypt based certificates will be considered untrusted and the connection will not be established.

Has this schedule changed?  I haven't seen any announcement of a change, but I've noticed that affected devices suddenly have certificate validation failures when trying to connect to many internet hosts.  The problem seems to stem from Let's Encrypt R3, which is affected by the changes that were supposed to be effective much later this year.
Is there any documentation as to why these devices are being affected earlier than planned?  Are there any workarounds for non-rooted devices?
Relevant:

https://letsencrypt.org/2024/03/19/new-intermediate-certificates
https://letsencrypt.org/2020/12/21/extending-android-compatibility.html
https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/lets-encrypt-new-intermediate-certificates/209498

By "suddenly", did you mean very recently, i.e. today? this week?

@AndrewT. Good question. Fortunately, I'm not around technology all the time, so I don't know exactly when people started having issues.  But I think during the last few weeks is a reasonable estimate.

The relevant article is: https://letsencrypt.org/2023/07/10/cross-sign-expiration.html

On Thursday, Feb 8th, 2024, we stopped providing the cross-sign by default in requests made to our /acme/certificate API endpoint. For most Subscribers, this means that your ACME client will configure a chain which terminates at ISRG Root X1, and your webserver will begin providing this shorter chain in all TLS handshakes. The longer chain, terminating at the soon-to-expire cross-sign, will still be available as an alternate chain which you can configure your client to request.

Therefore the cross signing still works, but by default most server certificates will no longer be created in a way that make use of the cross signing certificate chain - which from the user perspective means Let's encrypt certificates that have been issued after Feb. 8th will by default no longer work on Android 5.0-8.0 (in stock state).

Thanks.  Does that mean it should have stopped working on Feb 8, or would there have been a substantial propagation period (greater than 24 hours)?

@EndAnti-SemiticHate Certificates that have been issued before will still work until they expire. The life time of a Let's Encrypt certificate is usually 90 days, so today is day 62 of 90, which means two third of all servers that use Let's encrypt certs should no longer be usable on Android prior to 8.1 (unless the server admin has configured the Let's encrypt cert creator to still use the cross signing cert chain which works until June 6th).

Can you explain that in just a little more detail, please? Why, when the certs expire after 90 days, would 2/3 of all servers be in that situation after 90*(2/3)? The math makes perfect sense (which is why I chose to write the previous sentence using long-form math), but I'm trying to understand the reasoning behind the math.

@EndAnti-SemiticHate Let's encrypt server Certificates have to be renewed every 90 days, so all servers that had their last cert update before Feb 8th got the cross signing version which will still work with old Android versions. But as not every server has started using Let's encrypt at the same day the 90 days period is different for each server. Assuming the days a server has to refresh the certificate is uniformly distributed among the 90 days, you can say that after 2/3 of the 90 days have passed, 2/3 of the servers have already updated their certificate after Feb 8th.

Thank you for explaining that like I'm a very intelligent 5 year old, which is exactly what I needed in this case. :)  Now it makes perfect sense.


text:
Bug in text selection on Android O?
Nexus 6P, Android O (8.0.0), not rooted.
When I long-press (or double-tap) a word in a textarea field, often the result is that much more than the targeted word is selected. Roughly two lines of text may end up selected. Obviously this makes text selection more difficult, because then I have to use the handles on the selection to resize it to just the word I wanted.
This doesn't occur every time, and I'm having a hard time understanding why/when it does or doesn't occur.
I normally use Swype as my keyboard, but I tried switching to GBoard and saw the same behavior, so I don't think it's related to the keyboard.
I've seen this behavior in Twitter, Fenix (third-party Twitter app) and Google Keep (maybe other apps but I don't remember). But like I said: not always.
I've never had this problem before Android O.
Has anybody observed such a behavior? Is there any known fix for it?
One thing I'm beginning to note as I write this post: this problem doesn't seem to occur if the text is in English; only if the text is in French. It seems a little weird but it's the only criteria that I'm able to discern for now. (I use both languages frequently; I have Android itself set to English.)
Example (screenshot below): long-pressing any word after "montre" (first line) results in this exact selection. Long pressing any word before (and including) "montre" gives the normal result (only one word selected). (In case you're wondering, the selected text has absolutely nothing to do with Google Maps.)

UPDATE
No solution found yet, but in case it helps somebody, I noticed that once this larger selection is set, you can tap a third time on the word you want to select, and then the selection will be reduced to this word. So the problem is not as bad as I first thought. No need to use the selection handles, you just have to tap three times instead of two.


text:
Galaxy S6: It just won't wipe
So, I have my old, and broken Samsung Galaxy S6, and I have some plans for it, but I need to get it to a "factory status" in terms of user data, meaning that I need to wipe everything but system.
Right now I'm in a weird position, since the screen is partially broken, meaning that I cant see but I can touch. Luckily for me, that isn't a barrier, since I was able to connect to ADB and use scrcpy to navigate the phone.
The thing is that the phone dosent wants to be wiped. I dont know what could it be. At first, I tried on the stock ROM. Went to settings and looked for the factory reset menu, did all the confirmations and proceeded with the supposed wipe. After giving it some time, I noticed the phone was dead cold, and I thought maybe it had shut down instead of rebootng. After I turned on the phone on back again, I was greated with the old lockscreen, meaning that nothing at all was wiped. This was with the stock recovery, since flashing TWRP and booting into the system would re-install the stock recovery. I tried many many times, and also tried to unplug the USB after seeng the "rebooting" text, thinking that the usb could be triggering the charging screen to be loaded instead of the recovery.
Since I was totally unsuccesfull, I went ahead and with no screen, installed Resurrection Remix OS. After manually adding the ADB key.pub to the corresponding path to the phone and enabling usb debugging by editing build.prop,Ii was able to set up the phone using scrcpy, and immediatly after doing so, I went ahead and tried to wipe the phone again, just to find out that it also wont do any changes. Since I cant see the screen, I dont know if some "confirmation menu" is being displayed, so I'm stuck at this point.
And, to add to the problem, the openrecoveryscript present on the latest official version of TWRP is lacking the format data command, and also, wont allow me to do wipe sdcard.
My last thought is to manually wipe partition by partition the hard way (without openrecoveryscript) and hopefully free all that used storage. Since probably not so many people have tried to wipe partition by partition using adb shell, I wasnt able to find any info on google, so I thought I might as well ask here.

in TWRP you can format data from cmd line with mke2fs. you can double check current file system type with df
adb shell
df -t ext4 /data
umount /sdcard
umount /sdcard
umount /data
mke2fs -t ext4 /dev/block/platform/15570000.ufs/by-name/USERDATA
reboot recovery

the official cmd line is
adb shell twrp format data

https://twrp.me/faq/openrecoveryscript.html

As I said, the latest twrp version available for the galaxy S6, dosent have the twrp format data command. Also, how can I be sure that the filesystem is ext4?

adb shell df -t ext4 /data


text:
How to unlock the bootloader of Samsung galaxy grand 2?
I searched the whole internet and couldn't find any guide for unlocking the bootloader of this specific model. my main goal is to install Lineage OS but the instructions on the page don't seem to be for this device.
Page Link: https://lineageosroms.com/ms013g/
(can't find a way to make fastboot find my device - it seems grand 2 doesn't have an actual fastboot mode. it has a download mode).
It says you need to enable OEM in developer mode but there is no such an option available.
I've also found a TWRP for my device here: https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/twrp-v3-2-3-0-for-galaxy-grand-2-sm-g7102-unofficial-updated.3778414/page-2
do I need to unlock the bootloader to replace it with the recovery mode of device?

Is your phone a branded device or somehow bound to a certain mobile network operator? That could explain the missing unlock option.

What do you mean by branded device?

TWRP is available for my device and everyone is installing it. but I don't know how did they figured out how to unlock this phone.

by the meaning of branded phone I don't actually think my phone is branded.

this device is not bootloader locked

"Volume down + power + middle button" takes me to download mode and "Volume up + power + middle button" takes me to recovery mode. I want to flash TWRP and install lineage OS on it. which one is the bootloader?

OK adb reboot bootloader works. thanks.


text:
Messages is processing an incoming message
When there is an incoming SMS, my phone would show "Messages is processing an incoming message" in the notification drawer, but then that notification would disappear and... nothing! There is no notifications for the actual SMS. When I opened Messages, I couldn't see that incoming SMS. I checked the web interface for Messages, not there either. Couldn't find it in the "Spam & blocked" or Archived either.

I need to read this SMS for two factor authentication. I would wait for the SMS to appear, but most of the time it didn't appear until the authentication code expired. I had to request auth code 2 or 3 times before I got it in time.
Is there a way to get SMS quicker?
Android version 9. Device is Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1. Messages version 9.2.030.

I'm having the same issue (and coincidentally we're in the same country, perhaps a provider-dependent issue?). My current workaround is to open the web interface before requesting the OTP, and while it might not always succeed, I observed I often got the SMS a bit quicker (i.e. originally from more than 5-minute delay to more bearable 2-minute delay). Not yet found the cause and permanent fix...

@AndrewT. wah salam kenal! Don't think it is Indosat's problem, because that "Messages is processing an incoming message" popped up pretty quickly. Maybe google should add more servers for Messages.
Thanks for the tip, I'll try it next time.

Surprisingly, my provider is also Indosat :) but this only happens on my old Nexus 5 (Lineage OS 14, Android 7), not on a quite new Pixel 3a (Android 11). I haven't got a chance to test with other providers though, or re-flash my Nexus and see if there's any improvement...

It is possible that the received SMS was an MMS. As far as I remember an MMS is a special SMS containing a link where to fetch the MMS content. If fetching the MMS content fails then such a behavior as you have observed would be possible.

i have telkomsel. i can confirm i have this problem. its an otp request sms, which have very limited time to input. its very pain

I have this issue as well.
Living in Jakarta; using XL Axiata, Xiaomi A1. I thought this problem is from my banking OTP, but it is confirmed & tested that any kind of incoming SMS will give the same exact problem with the original poster. It is not only OTP guys... As long as it is through SMS, it is a problem. Some application gives you OTP through WhatsApp, then it is not a problem.

Same here. XL or Indosat. Its all the same..

For what it's worth. I've seen this message on European phone networks as well. I think it's just that your phone is underpowered for Messages. I have a Nokia 1 Plus as a spare phone, and it's tediously slow (to the point I can barely pick up the phone when someone calls me before they hang up). That phone shows that message pretty regularly.

Hi guys, I'm living in Germany and sometimes coming back home to Indonesia for a longer period of visit. I can only confirm that the issue persists regardless of the country I'm in. I suppose it's got more something to do with the hardware than the network provider. I'm on Pixel 2 (Android 11, rooted) and it suffers from this issue. When I'm on my old Nexus 5X tho, it works just fine. Have you guys tried to clear the cache & data of the Messages app and/or reset network settings? Haven't tried it myself, just concerned if it's gonna make things worse...

@AndrewT. Just out of curiosity: which "web interface" were you referring to in your comment to "roll the dice" for the workaround? ...and are you still having this issue?

@GlennMohammad I was using Google Messages, and it has the web interface. My Nexus 5 went dead already, but I didn't have any issues with a new budget phone.

@AndrewT. Returning to Europe this summer; I believe I found a way to enhance just enough your workaround to get by. Now I can receive SMS "normally" again within 2-3 seconds window. I'll write something down as a possible solution to this issue. Thaanks a lot! :`)

Hardware Performance?
It could be that your phone is underpowered.
Your mention a Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1, which is a mid-range phone from 2018. So I wouldn't think it's THAT slow, but I definitely see this message occur on underpowered devices (including one of mine, a Nokia 1 Plus), and depending on your setup it be the cause.
I'd recommend you try to "lighten" your phone a bit:

remove useless apps (to ensure enough available memory to run smoothly),
replace some apps with lighter versions (for instance, I use Android GO versions of Google Apps when possible, and I use Olauncher as a minimalist launcher),
disable background tasks where/when possible.

Network / Operator Performance?
I don't think it's related to the phone network operator.
I get these on different networks with that phone. And I have not issues when I use other phones on these networks.

Just a note, I bought a new phone and with this new phone the SMS appears quickly. So the solution is buy a new phone :D

@EndyTjahjono: nah... ;)

This happens to me on my new pixel 6 pro

As of June 2023, here's how I managed to make this infamous "Messages is processing an incoming message" issue resolved on my Pixel 2 (running a rooted Android 11 ):

Upgrade to the latest Messages app.
Open https://messages.google.com/web in your Google Chrome on your Android device (yes, it's gotta be on the corresponding Android device where you got the issue, otherwise it won't do). Check on "Remember this computer", take the screenshot of the QR code.
Quickly send this QR code screenshot to your own self on WhatsApp/Telegram/Signal or similar app (the idea here is to be able to open this QR code on another machine via WhatsApp/Telegram Web/Desktop so that you can scan it using your phone).
Using your PC or Mac, open the chat-to-yourself containing the QR code screenshot from the previous step on e.g. WhatsApp Web. While leaving it open, open the Messages app on the problematic phone, go to "Device pairing" and scan the aforementioned QR code.
Now that your Messages app and Chrome for Android are paired on the same phone, open again https://messages.google.com/web in your Chrome (on your phone) and verify that the Messages Web works correctly there.
Lastly, click on the Chrome's menu while opening the Messages Web tab, and select "Add to Home screen" – this will add "Messages Web" to your phone's home screen.
After this pairing act between your Messages app and Chrome for Android on your phone, you should be able to receive messages/SMS normally again within 2-3 seconds window! ⚡

I believe the pairing act forces the messages/SMS checking mechanics to be constantly executed somehow by the Messages app:

I was able to get theses kinds of messages by simply downloading a new messaging app that carries over your current messages. I personally had access to Verizon's messenger+ which worked fine for me. Hope this helps

It's good to know that your issue was able to be solved only by changing a messaging app, though I have tried this before many times and it didn't change the result :')

I guess it's the phone problem. I recently change my phone and now it take years for the sms to came in. Previously with the old phone, I can receive sms normally

I also strongly believe that it's the hardware problem. Yet, I cannot 100% prove it... (still hope that it is not somehow)

Nvm. I found a solution (workaround) that works reliably now :D
https://android.stackexchange.com/a/252565/261045


text:
how to change boot logo without using fastboot
I know how to change the boot logo(logo.bin) from fastboot, but the problem is how can I change the boot logo without using fastboot.
I can't go to fastboot mode because I think my device(ME-702) doesn't support fastboot (I tried adb reboot bootloader but no benefit).
My device has not any recovery too.
Is there any way to change the logo in adb mode?

do you have adb or fastboot already installed on your computer?

i have adb! but fastboot won't working :(

adb shell su -c dd if=/sdcard/logo.bin of=/dev/block/boot-device/by-name/logo


text:
How the name of a song can be displayed when listening to local FM channel in MyRadio?
In MyRadio app, when I listen to local FM channel the name of the song playing is displayed near the channel name. How do they do it? Does the broadcaster do some effort to display it?

The broadcast channel is surely using Radio Data System (RDS), also called Radio Broadcast Data System (RBDS) in the United States. It is now common practice (at least in my country) to transmit informations like Channel's name, programme's name or song's name with this system.
Your app simply receives and parses these data to display it, like a compatible radio set or car's radio would do.

@user51810 Shywim has put time and effort into answering your question here so that everyone can benefit. It's not polite to go pestering Shywim or anyone else to have things explained to you off-site, where it won't help anyone else, unless you're willing to pay whatever fee they ask for private consultancy.


text:
DLNA through two routers?
I have been trying to achieve a DLNA / Media Share between my Nexus 5 and Xbox 360, so far I have been unable to achieve this and I decided to turn here to see if anyone could shed some light.
What I basically want to do is stream media from my Nexus 5 to my Xbox 360, now what makes this all quite confusing is I have a standalone router flashed with DD-WRT to handle connections upstairs, this includes the Xbox 360. The app I am using to try and achieve this is BubbleUPnP Pro.
The Xbox 360 has its own IP Address defined within the second router, I guess it is an Access Point as it simply connects to the main router wirelessly and then provides access through the ethernet ports.
My question is, is it possible for me to stream media from my Nexus 5 (which is connected to the Main Router) through the Access Point and to my Xbox 360? If so - will it require any action on the Main Router and what are the steps I need to take to achieve it?
Thank you -
(I have attached a image to document how everything is set up network-wise)

That's not really an Android question, but rather network related. But the short answer is:
It should work as long as all the devices described share the same "subnet".
I have a comparable setup here (TV→cable→router→cable→main-router→wireless→tablet), and can use BubbleUPnP fine to stream from my tablet to my PC. All share the same network (192.168.1.*, netmask 255.255.255.0), so UPnP/DLNA finds it's way from end to end. The main router acts as DHCP server for all devices in the network, no other DHCP server concurring.
If however your main router and router2 both use their own subnets, that might get tricky.


text:
Recover data off internal memory of a pin-locked phone?
How to retrieve data off of internal memory for LG Optimus (android 2.3.4), not rooted, locked via PIN password, and no forgot password showing up on PIN entry screen?  I'm more particularly interested in contact data then anything else.

A good point would be disabling the lock. There's e.g. an app you can install via the Playstore WebIF which does this. See: Can not unlock my Android device as have no internet connection?

Using adb, you can use adb pull to take any file you want from your phone, event if it is protected and locked (I tried on 4.1.2, don't know if it works on more up to date versions).
Only the /data folder needs root privileges to be read and it is where your contacts are stored. If you have root privileges, you can look at this answer to know where you can find them.
Note that you have to enable USB debugging before trying these steps.

Why is there no "Forgot PIN" or a Mail recovery option there? :(
See if this app is compatible and use it:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.thomascannon.screenlockbypass.pro
If you have your contacts synced on your Google account, they will automatically get restored.
This might help you get the data back:
http://www.vogella.com/tutorials/AndroidCommandLine/article.html#adb_copy

authors: Xäťëšt Smïlë


text:
Ringtone volume decreases after silenting and unsilenting my HTC Desire X
It's that clear as Title says.

I can see that current Ringtone and Notification volume is at the highest level.
I now put my phone in silence mode and deselected Silent (I selected it using maximizing the top nav(?) bar, and activating silent (and then deactivating silent mode) from there.
Now I go back to Settings and see that the Volume is very low (about 10% as it looks).

I want my settings back after disabling Silent mode and going Normal.
Environment:

Phone: HTC Desire X Dual Sim
Android Version: 4.1.1
Kernel Version: 3.4.0-ge410a46
Software number: 1.0.0. Desire X

I can also give the whole information in Settings -> About -> Software Information if they are not enough.

Can you provide more information about which phone you are using, and which version of Android?

Don't you have an update to 4.1.2 available? I don't know if the Desire X have it, but in general, every device running Jelly Bean 4.1 are updated to 4.1.2...

It's less than a week that I have bought my new phone and I haven't even rooted it. I haven't also updated to 4.1.2 myself. The information was gathered from Settings -> About -> Software Information.


text:
Headphones controls not working with xperia ray
I have Marshall minor headphones with microphone and control buttons for music.
I am using these with my Sony Ericsson Ray but I am unable to use the microphone on the headphones.
When I plug the headphones into my phone it comes up with accessory not supported.
So I have to use an adaptor/converter but this only allows me to listen to my headphones, not use the controls on them? How can I fix this?

You might like to read http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/24559/headphone-music-controls-not-working-correctly from the 'related questions' list.

The Ray's 3.5mm jack only supports sound. It isn't a microphone jack.


text:
Bookmark current song
I don't know if I need an app for this or can I do it with the given music app. I've downloaded a bunch of lectures and they're all in one album.
 Sometimes I want to listen to music, but when I do, I lose my place in the lecture album. Is there a way to bookmark or save the current song/position so I can quickly switch back? Preferably free.

You'll probably need to find a music application which supports podcast/audiobooks, and then set your lectures as one of those.

Try using the Audiobook variant of MortPlayer. I believe it ought to suit your needs. Also - it's free.
One of its features is particularly useful:

List of 10 most recent events for each track (where did you press play, stop, got interrupted by a call, activate the sleep timer, ...)


text:
How to determine if device supports 802.11ac?
How to I determine if an Android device supports 802.11ac (5Gz WiFi)?

Read the device specification. A pretty useful device database is for example https://gsmarena.com/

@Robert BLU V50 doesn't appear in that database.

https://www.droidafrica.net/blu-v50

Check CPU Info's Hardware tab, item "WiFi 5Ghz".

goto Settings - WiFi - show available networks. if you see 2.4G/5G your device supports it

I don't see any 2.4 or 5G icons on mine. I'm wondering if the hardware is 802.11ac capable and the software is disabling it. The BLU V50 is a fairly recent, low-end phone (a 2013 Galaxy S4 supports 5GHz).

That 2.4G/5G badge seems to be a proprietary modification of your phone manufacturer, because on my Pixel 4a stock Android 12 such badges do not exist.


text:
My phone's system keeps breaking and eventually stops booting
I own a Xiaomi Redmi 4X which has a really strange problem. The phone keeps restarting at random over a few hours until it enters on a bootloop, and eventually can't boot to the system anymore (the loop stops, it straight up doesn't boot at this stage and only shows the loading screen)
I've tried everything, from doing a factory reset to unlocking and flashing the stock rom, as well as custom roms that I checked were compatible with my device, but no matter what I do it always ends the same way even if it looks like it got fixed (usually about a week without restarts and after that the phone straight up refuses to boot, with the animation even freezing in some instances)
Doing a clean flash allows me to use the phone again for a few days, but as I said, it eventually breaks again without me doing anything to the system. I know it has to be something happening to the configuration of the device because I can access recovery and fastboot just fine and dirty flashing doesn't mitigate the problem at all, however I have a hunch that it may be a hardware problem, because sometimes the phone restarts itself several times when it reaches 80% charge and has been turned off (sometimes when it is on too, but is somewhat inconsistent). Can anyone help me and give me some direction on what to do?

This device probably reached wear estimation for eMMC flash memory (eMMC wear-out). Backup your data that device will reach end of its life soon.


text:
Color os: Phone corrupted after update
I just updated my oppo find x2 neo from android 11 to 12. However the phone tries to power on a few times, and then goes to recovery mode. Online update does not work (it says "no updates found.")
Is there a way of fixing this without losing all my data?

There is no way to fix it. You have to factory reset :(

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


text:
Android with Microsoft SwiftKey Keyboard - how to get an TAB (tabulator)?
I am on an Android mobile device, I use the Microsoft SwiftKey virtual keyboard in version 9.10.37.20
Where can I find the TAB key, or what is the short cut to fire an TAB event?
I asked Bing Copilot:

Certainly! To insert a tab (tabulator) using the SwiftKey keyboard on Android, follow these steps:
Double Space Key: SwiftKey provides a convenient way to insert a tab. Simply double-tap the space key, and it will insert a tab character.
Remember that the availability of this feature may vary depending on the keyboard app and its settings. Give the double space key a try, and you should be able to insert tabs easily!

But this do not work.
I checked my settings. Double tapping on the space bar -> is doing a dot.
I switched the setting off, but the behavior is still the same.
I also checked my settings -> a long press on space will show the cursor to navigate in text.
Why I need the TAB key?

Bing search is offering the auto-suggestions via tab
In terminals (yes it is possible on mobile)
Edit text in Microsoft Word

Well Bing Copilot's response is not the correct as you have already figured out.

On the keyboard, press the 123 key then press the {&=.
Press ⭲. See cercled key on the image below.


text:
Why cant I get Snapchat working?
I have it working under Windows 10, so my login details are correct. But on Android, it gives me

Due to repeated failed attempts or other unusual activity, your access to Snapchat has been temporarily disabled.

At this very instant, I can still log on and access Snapchat on Windows.
Using-

Samsung Note 20
With latest updates
On Parallel Space

How can I fix this?

After trying various things, it appears that Snapchat is not happy about Parallel Space.  It runs fine outside of it.
Inside it gives the bogus error in the question.


text:
4.4 Update (Sprint Galaxy S3) disabled pattern lock, can i reenable?
This morning I applied the 4.4 update on my Galaxy S3 (Sprint). I noticed that I can no longer use a pattern lock. The message: "Turned off by administrator, encryption policy or credential storage" is shown for Pattern, Swipe, Face unlock, Face and voice, and None.
I thought that this might be related to my work email, which I get on my phone and is exchange, but i removed all device administrators and nothing changed.
How do I re-enable pattern lock?

Go to Settings
Select Security
Under Credential Storage select 'Clear Credentials'


text:
Always get android updates instantly
A Nexus 5, for example, receives the latest android updates instantly.
Is it possible to get this pure version of android on any custom android phone (like Galaxy S3)?
Do note I DO NOT mean:

Something like Cyanogenmod. While it does eventually give latest android update it is not instant like on Nexus devices. Default google apps are also not installed out of the box or updated automatically.
A solution that keeps requiring manual install (like a custom mod maybe) everytime a new official version of android is out. I am looking for a solution where after manual intervention once, stock android will be installed and I will receive android updates instantly.
A specific solution to Galaxy S3. I'm just looking for the term used to have instant automatic updates on your device, I'm very new to Android sorry.

No. When new Android versions are developed by Google, they use the Nexus devices to test and develop them. They co-operate with the vendors of the different hardware and software components inside the device so that all the necessary driver changes will be ready for the new version, and they only announce it when the updates are already available for Nexus devices.
Google works together with the leading handset manufacturers to give them early access to the new Android version and to help them make the necessary changes to support it, but even so, there's always going to be a delay between when the new version is announced and when manufacturer updates are ready.
Third-party ROMs like Cyanogenmod are another option, but as they're made by volunteers without early access to Google's code, they usually become stable much later than official ROMs are released.
So if you're not happy with the timeliness of updates for Samsung devices (or any other manufacturer), your only option is to not buy devices from that manufacturer.

There is no official stock version of android for many devices.
Updates for for Example an S3 aren't brought by google. They are released by the manufacteur, in this case Samsung.
Android (Stock with gapps and everything) is for Nexus Devices at first. For any other branch you need other kernels, other drivers and whatever.
So if you'd take the master-branch and even compile the source (which is always up-to-date) at your own, it won't work.
So no, unfortunately there is no possibility to recieve the same update as a nexus device at the same time.


text:
Meaning of version code name on Google Android ROMs?
While watching this, I wanted to find out the meaning of version code names like KRT16M? Is there any documentation for decoding what it means, or is it just a random hash code?

Per this:

... the first letter is the release family (e.g. KitKat), second letter is the branch code (Release or Testing), and the next three characters indicate date code (quarter beginning in Q1 2009, day number within quarter).

I know the K stands for KitKat, but not sure what the others mean. You might want to check the Codenames, Tags, and Build Numbers documentation for more information.
KRT16M would refer to android-4.4_r1, the Initial KitKat version, Nexus 5 (hammerhead).


text:
How can I remotely change the volume?
At home I often connect my android to some speakers, to listen to internet-radio. It would like to be able to change the sound-level through a command on my laptop.
I can open an ssh shell to the phone, but I am stuck finding a command to change the volume on the android.
Is there a command to change the audio-volume on the android-shell? Or maybe there is a different approach without ssh that I missed completely?
I am running Android 4.1.
Edit
The accepted answer should work for rooted devices. I am still keen on getting an answer for an unrooted device.

Have a look at simulating keyevents on Android and search for "KEYCODE_VOLUME_UP" and "KEYCODE_VOLUME_DOWN".
Events can be generated by executing "input":
#local shell:
input keyevent 24 #vol up
input keyevent 25 #vol down
#remotely using ssh
ssh your-phone input keyevent 24 #vol up
ssh your-phone input keyevent 25 #vol down

# 'su -c command' to make it run as root (if not already). EDIT: now escaped properly.
ssh your-phone su -c "input\ keyevent\ 24" #vol up
ssh your-phone su -c "input\ keyevent\ 25" #vol down"

Your shell needs appropriate permissions most probably to fire input events I guess. If you do public key authentication and keep your private key loaded in memory (ssh-add) you can make a wrapper script and just execute this without beeing asked for a passphrase. Note: There's a considerable overhead for both 'su' and 'input', all in all one single volume adjust takes 2.5s to complete on my HTC Desire.
EDIT2:
shell@android:/ $ id
uid=2000(shell) gid=2000(shell) groups=1003(graphics),1004(input),[...]
shell@android:/ $ time input keyevent 24
    0m0.92s real     0m0.29s user     0m0.06s system

Seems like you have to be member of the input group (here GID=2004) to have the capability to generate keyevents using 'input'. Also, I noticed that the screen has to not be locked (and/or off), because the lock would consume all keyevents eventually. Note also that the command takes almost 1 second.

This looks very promising. The commands are accepted by the shell without failure, but the volume does not change. I will probably have to play a bit more with my permissions.

it works for me (using a locally connected phone via "adb shell" with root). Most probably it's a question of permissions. Maybe look at logcat if there's some output about rejected 'input' calls

Nope: I don't think I have root access. Additionally, It tells me 'su not found' when running as android user. Logcat gives the following output: I/Input   ( 2502): InjectKeyEvent: KeyEvent { action=ACTION_DOWN, keyCode=KEYCODE_VOLUME_UP, scanCode=0, metaState=0, flags=0x0, repeatCount=0, eventTime=399847, downTime=399847, deviceId=-1, source=0x101 } I/Input   ( 2502): InjectKeyEvent: KeyEvent { action=ACTION_UP, keyCode=KEYCODE_VOLUME_UP, scanCode=0, metaState=0, flags=0x0, repeatCount=0, eventTime=399847, downTime=399847, deviceId=-1, source=0x101 }. I have to add that I am new to android.

Ok, I am not a member of the input(1004) group. I will root my device one day, and try again.

There must be an option to not needing root, like (mis)using tasker with intents for that (tasker most likely has the necessary rights for almost everything...)

tasker works on un-rooted devices only by using an AccessibilityService.. and an AccessibilityService can only interact with default ui-elements like buttons and views - or elements that have explicit made accessible by the app-creator, see http://developer.android.com/reference/android/accessibilityservice/AccessibilityService.html#onAccessibilityEvent%28android.view.accessibility.AccessibilityEvent%29


text:
Can't bluetooth tether between sprint galaxy s6 and nexus 7
On my galaxy s6, I activate the Bluetooth server. I've confirmed that Bluetooth tethering works with my laptop.
On My Nexus 7, the s6 shows up in the paired devices list. I click on settings, and check "use for internet access".
"Connecting..." Flashes, and then goes away. Check box becomes unchecked.
How do I tether my Nexus 7 to my s6?
I'm open to a different app if it will work.
I've read that there are issues withe Bluetooth on the Nexus 7. Could this be the cause?
**edit: I'm using PDANET on my s6 **

What software are you using for Bluetooth tethering from the S6? I haven't used a Galaxy in years, so I can't speak to this too much...