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Authentication problem while connecting to WiFi hot spot!
I just unboxed my androidOne device (Micromax Canvas A1) and while connnecting to my WiFi hotspot it loops through:

When entered the password, proxy etc: Saved, secured with WPA2
When tapped on connect: Authenticating...
and then: Authentication Problem

Note that my room-mates (and even I, with my other phone,) can use the hot spot.
Is this an indication of problem with device?
I tried:
1. Forgetting access points and resetting passwords.
2. restarting my phone several times
3. restarting my hotspot several times
4. factory resetting the phone once

nothing worked.

Try forgetting the network and putting the password in again.

@DanHulme ya ... I did it several times.. I even did a factory reset! still no success

If you don't want your and everyone else's time wasted with suggestions you've already tried, [edit] your question to say what hasn't worked.

I solved the problem by replacing the default wifi driver that comes with windows with the one downloaded from manufacturer website.

I faced a similar problem since months on my Android phone ( Jellybean and Kitkat ). The problem some how used to come and go and recently it was the same again. After spending a couple of hours with many hit and try things with my phone and router I finally found a good article which solved this problem ( at least ) for me.
Solution

Settings, Apps, All, Clear data in google services framework and restart
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/45501-43-wifi-authentication-problem

Read the above article as it has a lot of other methods also but in my case none of the others worked. Check if anyone works in your case.
Before following above steps I would kindly request to go through the article about what things can be impacted when Google Services Framework data is cleared.
http://www.talkandroid.com/185088-google-engineer-explains-why-you-shouldnt-clear-google-services-framework-data/
In my case I have tried almost everything and nothing worked. Clearing the google services framework data was the last option left and I gave it a try. My case - it worked well and I did not even have to restart the phone, I was able to connect the WiFi.
Hope it helps.


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Moto G 2-gen - can I recalibrate automatic brightness mechanism?
Is there any way to recalibrate/reconfigure automatic brightness behavior?
I would like to make it a little bit brighter in low light conditions.
I'm using Moto G 2-gen with KitKat without root access.

It is not possible to calibrate the mechanism normally. The screen brightness values are fixed.
You could use an app like Lux Auto Brightness to manage your screen brightness instead of using the default auto brightness setting. This isn't a perfect solution but it is probably the easiest to implement. Alternatively, you could root your phone and install the Xposed Framework. You could then use a module like Gravitybox to manually set your preferred auto brightness values.

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


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How do I better organize my contacts on Galaxy Nexus?
I remember when I was using my HTC Desire Bravo, it had this nice option to amalgamate duplicate contacts into a single profile contact. But in my Galaxy Nexus I am finding it cumbersome to do the same thing. Odd thing is these redundant contacts persist only on mobile - my Gmail doesn't have such data. I am thinking perhaps its the various other accounts I use along with Gmail such as Lync, Skype, Twitter, Facebook, etc.
my contacts spans around 4000.. I've tried Contacts+ and other apps but it didn't help. How Can I better organize the contacts and sync to my Gmail account?

Why are you finding it cumbersome? Is it too many clicks to link a contact, or hard to find the contacts to link, or something else?

@DanHulme How can you link them all? pls explain more

From the stock People or Contacts app, find one of the contacts you want to merge. Click the pencil icon to edit that contact. Then from the overflow menu (click the three dots in the top-right), choose Join. Then click on the duplicate you want to merge this contact with. You can click Join again to merge further contacts with this one, or press the back button to go back to the list of contacts.
This works the same way regardless of where the contacts come from, and the merging is stored in the phone's contacts database, so it's available to third-party apps too.

my present contact list spans around 4000 contacts, any batch operational support?

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


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how do I disable my screen lock pin on my galaxy tab 3?
I added a screen lock pin number on my galaxy tab 3 but my children play the games and I am not always around to enter it.  How do I disable it?

If it's running standard firmware, you should go to Menu > Settings > Security > Lock Screen > Screen Lock > None. For the Galaxy Tab, I'd presume it'd be something similar to that.

I tried that before, but on the Galaxy tab 3 "Security" and "Lock Screen" are separate and in the same column. When I tap "Security", there is no option called "Screen Lock".  When I tap "Lock Screen", there is an option called "Screen Lock", but in smaller letters under this option it says "Secured with PIN". When I tap "Screen Lock" I only get the option "Confirm PIN".

The system needs your current password in order to allow you to change the security settings.  Otherwise it wouldn't be very secure :)  After confirming your PIN, the other options should appear.

I had the same issue and just figured it out.  Go to Settings -> Lock Screen, then un-check the box next to Lock instantly with Power key (5th from the top).
Disregard the other suggestions offered.  This is all you have to do to turn it off.

Welcome to the site! It's exciting to have new members around to ask questions, but let's not tell people to "disregard . . . other suggestions".


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Nexus 7 rooting false device not responding
I am tried to root the nexus 7,
at the time of rooting i wrongly deleted the boot.img so device not switch on.
i have tried lot many ways to switch on the device and recover the operating system no use in that,
do u have any way please help me!!!
i need to know how to restore os or install new os to boot the device please help me!!!
any way to recover that problem!!!
what is an need to write the os on flash at first time.

Have you tried to boot to HBOOT (first screen, when power Nexus 7 with "volume down" pressed). If it can boot - we can use fastboot to flash normal bootloader and recovery.

ya tried but no use,device given to service center

Ok, then, please close the question, because completely correct answer isn't possible to detect now...


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How can I replace the "gallery" app? (On rooted bluestacks app player)
I am using BlueStacks app player with a rooted Android system installed. I use it for WhatsApp and Kik messengers. I like to send pictures to my contacts but the shared folder is not visible in pictures, so I downloaded QuickPic which works Awesome! but one drawback: Some applications still launch the gallery app, and ignore the fact that QuickPic is my default gallery app. I cannot uninstall "gallery" from the apps.. so how do I replace it? Gallery app is limited and unusable for me, I like to browse the directories myself on the SDcard. I also have a terminal available if that's of any help (Android Terminal Emulator). How can I permanently replace the gallery with QuickPic? I cannot choose my own wallpapers because Gallery is launched instead of QuickPic.

Most apps, when they want to choose an image, use an implicit intent, which just says what they want to do, and doesn't specifically name the Gallery app. This means that any app that can perform that action can be started, and if you have more than one, you get the chooser to choose which to launch. This is the normal behaviour.
You won't get a chooser if you've previously clicked Always in the chooser to set one app as the default, or if the calling app uses an explicit intent, naming the Gallery app specifically.
It's best to check the first case. In the device settings, go to the list of all apps, and find the Gallery. Click it to go into that app's info page, then click Clear defaults. If Clear defaults is greyed out, then it's not set as the default for anything.
If you still don't get a chooser, then it's the second case: the calling app is specifically asking for the Gallery, not just for any app that can choose an image. Only the author of the calling app can fix this.


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can you "voice to text" without using wifi or data
Is there a way or app that allows  "voice to text" when I am not near wifi or have data?

For the most part, sure.
I just put my Galaxy Nexus (Android 4.2.2) into Airplane mode and tried to compose an email message with speech-to-text.
It worked, but it was slo-o-o-o-w. And not as accurate as I'd like.
If you go into Settings > Language & input > Google voice typing (settings) you can set which languages are downloaded to your device for speech-to-text. English is my default (and is already downloaded) but I see about 20 other files I can download.
However, whether you can do this or how well it works depends a lot (I think) on your device and the version of the OS you're running.

It really does depend as I put my phone into airplane mode and it was very fast at picking up my speech and very accurate.

Any information on the privacy policy when using this offline? IS the data transmitted later when going online?

"I think it depends..." is not an answer.


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How to change /system/fonts directory permission to writable in switch off mode?
I have Micromax A57 android 2.3.5 rooted phone, I have installed font using "Font Installer  Root" application , after installing successfully I realize that font is not good, then after I delete that font from /system/fonts directory, and I install DroidSans.ttf font from that application, while installing process device get hanged, so I remove battery and place it again and start the device , Now my phone is not started,
when I attach cable with device I can see in Eclipse that in /system/fonts folder DroidSans.ttf has o bytes that means by mistake that font has been deleted, now wants to copy that font in /system/fonts directory, i have tried with Eclipse but it has read only permission so I am failed, If I can copy that file then issue can be solved,
Please help me to change permission of /system/fonts directory so that I can copy that fonts and get my device data back

As it seems you can access your device via ADB, you should be able to remount /system read/write to repair that file, using
adb remount

After that, you can copy the intact DroidSans.ttf to /system/fonts, overwriting the 0-byte-file. Following a reboot, /system will be mounted read-only again, and everything should be working.

In case that adb remount should fail with a "permission denied", you might wish to read How to remount /system as read-write in Android, which explains the manual remount process step-by-step. That would basically be:

get a shell on the Android device using either adb shell or a terminal app
become root using su
find out how and where /system is mounted, using mount | grep system
mount /system read/write using the information obtained, e.g. mount -o rw,remount /dev/block/<device> /system (make sure to use the device obtained in the previous step instead of /dev/block/<device>)
verify whether your remount was successful, again using mount | grep system
now copy your DroidSans.ttf to /system/fonts
either reboot, or simply remount /system read-only using the parameters obtained in step 3, e.g. /dev/block/<device> /system ext4 rw,relatime,barrier=1,data=ordered 0 0

Always make sure to use the device and parameters obtained from step 3, or you might completely mess up.

Hello Izzy,
Thanks for answer,
but when I write "adb remount" in command prompt, it says "remount failed: Operation not permitted"

Exactly for that case I wrote the second part of my answer, below the horizontal ruler. Have you read the part In case that adb remount should fail...?

when I enter su after in adb shell it says "su: permission denied"

Then either your device is not rooted, or you have denied the shell in SuperUser/SuperSU. First time you execute "su", you have to confirm the SuperUser/SuperSU popup on the device itself. If you don't, it will simply timeout and reject the requestor.

But how can I see popup on device although my device is not being switch on.

That's in fact a problem: when your device's GUI does not fire up (due to the missing font), the popup cannot be shown. Have you tried to boot into recovery, and work from there?

yes, I reboot the device in recovery mode by holding up power key, volume up and volume down key together and its working there

Glad to read! So your issue is solved by this? If so, please indicate by accepting/upvoting the answer :)


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Moto X has 5 models with different LTE bands. Does it matter which one I get?
I want to purchase an LTE phone for use with T-Mobile.  According to Wikipedia model XT1053 is what I need... however it uses LTE bands that many of the other phones don't use.

What is an LTE band?
If I purchase model XT1055 and use it on TMobile will I only use LTE band 4, and the other ones are unused?
Is there an impact on battery life if using a phone that has a different LTE band then expected by the network?
Is it correct to say that these LTE bands are hard coded into the phone and can't be changed?

An "LTE band", or any other type of "band" that you read about with relation to a phone, is referring to the radio frequencies that the phone picks up. Each cellular provider builds their network on a specific set of radio frequencies which are divided up into chunks that are assigned band numbers. So, using your T-Mobile example, band 4 is specifically comprised of two frequency ranges:

Upload bandwidth uses radio frequencies between 1710 and 1755 MHz
Download bandwidth uses frequencies between 2110 and 2155 MHz

A phone's spec sheet effectively lists the frequencies that its antennas (and cellular radio) are designed to support. You cannot change the antenna's supported bands because this is not something that is set in software - the supported bands listed in a spec sheet are, generally, a statement about the phone's hardware support for different networks*. Therefore, your phone must support the carrier's LTE network bands in order for you to have LTE coverage. Otherwise the LTE radio will be unusable.
Cellular antennas these days are pretty much always multi-band pieces of hardware (that is, one antenna picks up several bands). The difference between powering a 5 band radio and a 2 band one is probably measurable with very precise instrumentation, but it's certainly not going to be an amount that would be perceptible when actually using the device. Further, having support for additional bands is generally considered a net benefit because you have the ability to use the phone on multiple carriers (assuming a SIM unlocked device).
Per your specific example of the XT1053 vs the XT1055: you could use the either on T-Mobile USA's LTE network, because both support band 4 LTE, which is what T-Mobile is using. However, the XT1055 will not work on T-Mobile's current HSPA+ network because it lacks support for the UMTS 1700 band. In places where LTE is too weak or not available, you would drop all the way back to EDGE (2G) speeds, whereas the XT1053 would be able pick up HSPA+42 speeds (if available).

*There are some exceptions to this rule, where a device may actually use a radio chipset/antenna combination that provides hardware support for a band that is effectively "locked out" by the software layer. One example of this is the Nexus 4, which does not list LTE support in its specs but does, in fact, have an LTE band 4 chip installed that can be enabled on older baseband versions. However, you could not force the N4 to work on, say, LTE band 17.

Some phones can have extra bands enabled via software. For example, the AT&T Galaxy S4 doesn't support the 1700 band, but QPST can enable it (since the underlying hardware actually has the capability). While this phone may not have that option, it isn't always accurate to say that a phone cannot have extra bands enabled. http://galaxys4root.com/galaxy-s4-tutorials/how-to-enable-t-mobile-hspa-aws-bands-on-att-galaxy-s4-sgh-i337sgh-i337m/

@StephenSchrauger: I would argue that's splitting hairs a bit, though. You couldn't force it to support some other arbitrary band without disassembling the phone and finding a way to attach a new antenna. The point I was intending to make is that you cannot change the hardware's supported bands via software means. Perhaps this wasn't clear enough. Incidentally, I would wager the number of phones with software band lockouts like that are pretty small (though perhaps increasing; the N4 has an LTE band 4 chip that is software-disabled by the baseband as well).

LTE bands are the bands of radio spectrum that the cellular networks run on.  There are 44 defined bands and different carriers in different areas use different bands to provide service.  Wikipedia has a fairly extensive list of who uses what bands.
Yes, T-Mobile operates on band 4 (aka AWS), so any other band capability on the device would go unused.
If you don't have the same band available on the phone as on the network, you won't be able to use the network period.  It would be like trying to pick up an AM radio station on an FM-only radio.
Yes.  Band availability is determined by the hardware radio set the phone was built with.


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What is the exact functionality of Google Play Services & Google Services Framework (gapps)?
Is there an official or unofficial description of what is the exact functionality of Google Play Services and Google Services Framework (gapps) apart from things related to the Play Store account-related functions?
From my understanding it includes at least:

GPS location
ads, tracking and stats
GCM (Google cloud messaging for push notifications)
everything related to managing Google accounts, services and Google user profile data.
apparently some machine learning pre-trained models for voice recognition, TTS, keyboard gesture typing.

What else?
The question came up after I noticed that for example the Google Podcasts app size is only about 300Kb and it won't work without gapps, so that indicates that some core functionality is already in gapps.
The combined size of Google Services Framework + Google Play services is over 700MB — this is enough for an entire operating system. So what exactly does this code do?

Update: correction about the Google Podcasts app — I have identified that the tiny size of the app is explained by its dependency on the Google app and not just the GSF.

And our google-play-service tag wiki. Always check those tag wikis first, your answer might already be there :)

Google Play Services (com.google.android.gms) is an app which works in collaboration with a number of other closed-source apps to provide Google Mobile Services (GMS) to Android users. To quote a few of them are Google Ads, Firebase Analytics, authentication (of Google account login, saving credentials from other apps, through SMS), Google Cast devices, Game Manager, Drive, Cloud Messaging (push notifications), Google Fit, Location Provider, Maps, Instant Apps, nearby devices, search predictions, Google+, SafetyNet, Tasks, Wallet etc. Further details can be found here and here. Play Store (com.android.vending) provides additional APIs/services like In-App Purchases, App Licensing and Play Protect.
From your comment:

So is it only APIs for app integration, or is there also Google's internal proprietary code for analytics, usage tracking, metrics etc?

Developers can tell better, but AFAIU everything is proprietary except the API interferes. Google's own proprietary apps like YouTube, Chrome, Gmail, Maps, Gboard, Messages etc. rely on these APIs/services, and mostly refuse to work without GMS on device. In addition to those, OEMs are bound in contracts to ship their devices with Play Services pre-installed as system apps. App developers find it more convenient to build their apps with Google APIs. In fact many AOSP features are becoming dependent on Google's proprietary products unnoticeably. Quoted from here:

The Doze restriction on network access is also likely to affect your app, especially if the app relies on real-time messages such as tickles or notifications. If your app requires a persistent connection to the network to receive messages, you should use Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) if possible.
  ...
  FCM is optimized to work with Doze and App Standby idle modes by means of high-priority FCM messages.

If you have GMS installed on your device, dumpsys activity services will usually show more than a dozen Google services running in background like MeasurementBrokerService, PersistentBoundBrokerService, ContextManagerService and GcmService etc.

Also, how is the functionality split between Google Play Services and the Google Services Framework?

There are a number of apps which work in background with Play Services like Services Library, Shared Library, Carrier Setup, Market Feedback Agent, Backup Transport, Config Updater, Contacts Sync, Partner Setup and so on. A more exhaustive list can be found here. Google Services Framework (com.google.android.gsf) is also one of these apps (sharing UID with com.google.android.gms) which is mainly about Cloud Messaging (FCM) but there isn't a clear line (at least officially spoken) between functionality of different components of GMS suite.
FURTHER READING:

Install Google Play Services without Google Play Store
What Is Google Play Services? Why Do You Need It?
GMS Certification for Android 9 Pie Based Devices
The facts about Google Mobile Services (GMS) in the Enterprise

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


text:
How to fix hanging Samsung Galaxy S II phone (GT-I9100)? Also flash and root it?
I have a Samsung Galaxy S II model smartphone. GT-I9100 is the exact model number 1, mentioning it since I saw here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsung_Galaxy_S_II
that there are variants with slightly different model numbers (such as GT-I9100G) and correspondingly slightly different hardware features.
1 That exact model number (GT-I9100) shows both while it boots up, and also when you go to Settings -> About Phone.
(Sorry for the slightly long question, but I have tried to make it as clear as possible.)
A while ago it suddenly stopped booting properly. Before that it was working fine for over 2 years. I had bought it used; not sure if that has anything to do with the problem, but after I first bought it, it almost never had any problem for those 2 or so years, except for one issue: it sometimes used to shut down automatically, without my doing anything. But powering it on again, always resulted in it working normally again. I asked the dealer from whom I bought it, about this issue, and he said it was a known issue in that model.
Now, whenever I power it on, it only goes up to the initial Samsung splash screen (with a big stylized S in the middle of the screen), with the model number GT-I9100 on the right side of the screen, then only the big S for a bit, then again the big S with the words "Samsung Galaxy S II" below it [2], then hangs at the point, indefinitely. Also, while in this hung state (which can only be stopped by removing the battery), it intermittently a) flashes the big S a little brighter, and then b) makes two short beeps. Events a) and b) keep repeating at intervals, of maybe a minute or two. The phone also gets a little heated, maybe due to the big S getting brighter (and then dimmer).
[2] Image of phone in that state is at bottom of this post.
I would like to know how to do the following:

Fix it so that it boots fully and works normally. I would like to preserve the data on it, such as contacts, etc., but in the worst case, I'm okay with losing all the data, as long as I can get the phone working again. (I have an older Samsung Android phone which I using as of now, and I had saved most of my important contacts in my Google account, not in the phone or SIM.)
I would like to know how to flash and root it, maybe with CyanogenMod or a similar OS. I heard from a friend that by doing that, the battery charge lasts for longer, due to no unwanted apps or services running, apart from the fact that a flashed and rooted phone can be used for more things, such as sshing into a server where I have an account, or getting a Linux console on the phone (which would be cool and useful, even if I could only run a subset of Linux commands).

I will search the net for steps for flashing and rooting it, but would like to know if anyone has any general guidelines for that.
If I need to give any more information for any one to suggest solutions, please let me know.
Thanks.

OK, so for question #1
Try to get into recovery mode and then wipe cache partition and dalvik cache - that should help. As I remember, stock recovery is capable of doing that kind of basic things (if I'm wrong - correct me).
Basically, you can get to recovery by holding volume down and power button while your phone is off, then release the power button but hold the other one. That should work, if not - check YouTube, I bet guys got the video about how it works with your device.

UPDATE

As for second question, I don't really see a point of flashing CM or something similar cause it somehow buggy. My buddie at university has got the same device as you and after all the geeky flashing stuff he decided to go along with rooted stock.

In order to root your device - again YouTube or XDA should help you ;)

Thanks dnomad, will try out your suggestions and then reply here again on the results. I should have mentioned that I know Linux well as a user and some as a sysadmin (though not done that for a while), so if anyone has any suggestions that involve Unix knowledge, including connecting to the phone from a PC running Linux via a cable to do any troubleshooting (I realize it will have to be after the phone can boot again), please feel free to give such suggestions.

Well, that makes things a bit easier though. Firstly, check if you have android-tools-adb and android-tools-fastboot installed. The way to check this is obviously depends on your package manager, in case of debian derivatives with apt-get as Ubuntu: sudo apt-get install android-tools-adb android-tools-fastboot. Then connect your device to computer after getting in recovery. From that point you can use some diagnosis tools with adb/fastboot. Anyway, firstly you should try to clear cache as I mentioned before.


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Web Browser roadmap for HTML5 features?
I've been watching the caniuse.com site for a while now, and at one extreme we have Firefox releasing a new browser once/week (okay, slight exaggeration), and at the other extreme the Android list of 2.1/2.2/2.3/3.0/4.0/4.1/4.2 never changes. There is still nothing in the "Near future" or "Farther future" rows.
There are a number of HTML5 technologies not implemented even in 4.2, and I'm wondering when there is a new version coming, and what we can expect it to support. (EDIT: I'm looking for links to official announcements, developer blogs, etc. or a confident "nobody knows"; not speculation.)
(E.g. http://caniuse.com/eventsource )
(BTW, the StackOverflow Android tag seemed to suggest this was the best place to ask this kind of question. But if another site is better please let me know.)

I don't think this isn't the right site for your question. This isn't a problem you're having with your Android device. We don't have any more access to this information than you do. A new version of Android 4.x is rumored, but not confirmed, to be slated for release in the near future, but Stack Exchange isn't for idle speculation, either. You may want to have a look at http://developers.android.com and perhaps ask in the forums there.

I'd disagree, Al Everett; it is a question about the Android OS - the browser - so I think it's relevant, even if it is slanted towards web application development.  If the question was "When can I start viewing pages that use HTML5 features on my Android's  browser", it would sound more topical but be essentially the same question.

@Logos but you're not asking anything the Browser as it is now, which we could answer - you're asking about possible future directions of the Browser which would be purely speculation on our end, which isn't a type of question that fits.

I can see this as a borderline case. Since it's not obviously off-topic, it seems fine to stay. It's still asking us to speculate, though.

@AlEverett, GAThrawn: I just edited my question to make it clearer I'm looking for announcements, or high-quality rumours (e.g. links to interviews with core developers), not speculation.

The default browser is being replaced by Chrome as of Android 4.1 for stock Android, so I doubt it will see any updates in the future.  If you want to use sites that have HTML5 features, you should install Chrome and use that (and by extension if you're targeting Android devices with a web app, you should be targeting Chrome).

Chrome may be the new default, but my Android 4.2 devices still have "Browser".

Thanks. Here is direct link to the reference quoted on the Wikipedia page: http://www.muktware.com/3779/chrome-out-beta-default-browser-android-41

According to caniuse.com (gs.statcounter.com), which I take with a pinch of salt, 4.0: 1.41%, 4.1: 1.34%, 4.2: 0.12%. Versus Chrome for Android on 0.6%. (firefox for android on 0.05%). So Chrome has perhaps 1 in 6 of the Android 4.x users.

Chrome is only the default browser on stock Android devices that came with 4.1, stock Android devices that did an OTA update to 4.1 (or 4.2) still have the Android Browser app. So, Nexus S, Galaxy Nexus, Motorola Xoom all of which are stock Android and have been OTA'd to 4.1 or 4.2 still have the default browser app. This means that there's a lot of stock 4.x devices not using Chrome by default.

@GAThrawn: true but irrelevant to the OP's actual concern, which is when will "Browser" get HTML5 updates.  The answer still is: probably never, as Google has switched to Chrome for the default browser going forward.

@Logos true, it's just that the way it was worded sounds like the problem with lack of updates will go away with 4.1 because everyone is moved over to the more frequently updated Chrome browser. I was just pointing out that this is a little optimistic and the problem with an un-updated Browser will be around for a bit longer, and it will need users to make a personal choice to (or be told to) move over to Chrome.

You can install the Dolphin Browser, and change the user-agent to ipad.
Then dolphin can use html5.
You see these instructions when you try to activate flash in Dolphin.


text:
Tethering: I can search, but no search links work
House move, ISP screwed again, so I'm trying to tether from my Android 4.2.2 phone. This is UK, using t-mobile pay-as-you-go sim, with a 2GB data package. They appear to be tethering-friendly (EE own T-Mobile)
I can check email (secure POP, port 995), but not send (secure SMTP, port 465).
I can do searches on google, yahoo, duckduck, but in all three cases trying to follow a search result just sits there forever. All three of those sites does the annoying redirect thing, instead of linking directly to the target site, so the browser URL is still their site when it is not working - it does not get as far as the target site. The sites I tried directly also do not seem to work, e.g. I could not connect to stackoverflow. (I'm on free wifi at a coffee shop, currently.)
Outgoing ssh (on a non-standard port) worked fine.
An rdesktop connection failed (port 3389, I believe).
This has all been from Linux. I tried both Firefox and Chrome.
I'm a bit stumped where the problem might be: on my machine, at the android phone, or with the network.

UPDATE: As the fact I can write this shows, tethering is now working for StackOverflow (and related sites like this one), and also rdesktop is working. And clicking on google search results. (But not outgoing SMTP, that still fails.) Weird. Could it be bad DNS settings, er, or something, being cached??
UPDATE #2: Three days since I posted this question, and tethering continues to just work. I had just one period of no connectivity, but I was in a better troubleshooting position then, as I had two devices connected, both of which were affected. So I rebooted the Android phone, and it then worked when I tried again.

I guess. you connect to google by ssl - so your provider cannot read your http agent string... Can you use a socks proxy over your ssh?

Thanks for the hint @davidbaumann. Is a socks proxy something I install on linux, or on the android handset, or is it a service I need to sign up for, and connect to first (like an http proxy I might use to pretend to be in a different country)?

I think, this has already been explained once on the internet...

Animal, vegetable or mineral? If you, or someone, can give me a hint, or a URL, I can do further research on what I need to install and/or signup for.

Open your webbrowser. Go to www.google.com. Enter "socks proxy over ssh". Pick one of 1 Mio results.

Sorry, if someone could answer less cryptically than David, i.e. answer the question I have in my second comment here, I'd really appreciate it. :-)

2nd link is exactly what you want: http://wiki.vpslink.com/Instant_SOCKS_Proxy_over_SSH#Linux

Thanks @davidbaumann, I think I get the idea now: because SSH works, tunnel from my linux machine, through the android handset, to some server I have access to, and use that as the proxy? Tethering is magically working currently, so if/when it stops again, I will give that a go, and then self-answer if it works  (and if no-one has already answered by that point).

Great. Waiting for you result!


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Android Wifi with same name
I want to know if i add wifi network with say ssid="test" can i anyway add same ssid="test" with different configurations like ip and gateways?
EDIT :
Suppose wifi has been configured with below configuration :[Added manually]
SSID : "Test"
Security : None
and No Any advance settings provided.

Now can i add another wifi with settings below :
SSID : "Test"
Security : WEP
and No Any advance settings provided.

Could you [edit] your question and add a little more detail about what you're trying to achieve?

@DanHulme edited

@DanHulme any clue for answer?

I still don't understand the problem. Do you already have two Wi-Fi networks with the same SSID, and you want to know if you can add settings for both of them? Or is there one Wi-Fi network, and you want to connect to it with two different sets of settings? Why?

Adding  any number of duplicate SSID's is possible if you have a unique IP address.
In lay man's terms SSID is nothing but just an identification given to that particular network given to distinguish that network from others for simplicity. What defines that network is it's IP Address.If you have a conflict between an IP address then it may be a real problem.
For some devices(like Samsung) you need to check the to Display open Network connection if available in order to view open connections and for some devices it shows by default.
Ex:-Let's say you have two network's with SSID as Test.
Test1 has an open connection available for public use and Test2 is for personal use and is encrypted. Your mobile device will simply connect to a network whose signal strength is good. As the IP address is different there will not be any conflict and you can do your browsing.
In case there's any  conflict(same signal strength) then the device will ask the user to select the desired network or search for a new network.
Caution:-Browsing an open network for reasons related to finance leads to severe security threats browse at your own risk.
An IP address serves two principal functions: host or network interface identification and location addressing. Its role has been characterized as follows: "A name indicates what we seek. An address indicates where it is. A route indicates how to get there.
The most simple definition for IP Address I could give is-
IP address act as you house address to which the shipment has to be delivered.If you have two same addresses then to whom will the shipment be delivered.
For further details about IP read this

but android let me add with different ssid id and same ip with no issue... basically i just wanna understand whats unque factory to add extacly duplicate wifi settings

@DIVA I had two SSID's with same I.P addresses(old and new SSID) but later caused me a problem because my device was not clear about which I.P to use. So I had to forget the old SSID. Android will allow but the networking protocols may not

how do i test this in real time?

You need to get two WI-FI's network around you with the same ISP provider. As ISP's generally have same SSID for many customer's like the popular D-Link. Save both the SSID's and check their IP  addresses. The open and the closed might have different IP's although they have the same Name .For more details check on the IP address and it's limitations with the duplicates in google or other Stack site.

ok but i dont thing it can ever happen that ssid id can be same and rest say ip and all r different...i tried to add same ssid with different configs butnever works

It happens for the DLink or the UT-Starcom kind of modem's wherein the customer's don't change their SSID (modify the default SSID which comes when installed to the custom names) and it's not a good practice.

but m talking abt android device wifi :(

U didn't get me dear @div it's in the Android device. The android device will detect network's based on the SSID the modem's broadcast.

ohh ok, are you sure ip is the atleast unquie factor betteen networks?

kindly view the answer updated

@Div It's the easiest definition I could provide

ok let me back with some more questions


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How to install apps into android device without internet connection?
I have:

A Windows XP with internet connection.
The .apk file in the computer.
A USB cable.
A rooted android device with sdcard.

I do not have:

WiFi connection for my android device.
Any file explorer app in android device.

You will need to use adb install full-file-name.apk from the command line, where "full-file-name" is the name of the application you want to install.
See here to install ADB

An ADB Install instruction can also be found on our site: Is there a minimal installation of ADB?. While it's a good idea to have such a thing ready, for this task it's not really needed: Copying the .apk to the SDCard, and open it from any file explorer, does the job as well -- see the question which this one is marked as "possible duplicate" of.

A file explorer is great but the OP said they do not have one, thus needing to use the adb. And thanks for the link I will switch to that one for more internal promotion of other users content.

Oh -- I must have missed that one. Still, it's not necessarily needed. Two more options include: the web browser (using a file:///mnt/sdcard/ URL to browse/navigate to the .apk), and the "Downloads" app (if the .apk was placed into the download folder on the card). If you want to make some extra rep, you could sum up something generic in the installation tag wiki, so it's at a central place we all easy remember where to find :)

Thanks, I didn't know the other two options. And I will work on that.

Great, thanks! Btw: I should have tried the two mentioned methods before mentioning them here. Though they sound logical, they seem not to work on all devices: stock browser on my Optimus refused to list directory contents (though another browser might do so) -- and simply copying a file to /sdcard/Download didn't make the "Downloads" app pick that up :(


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Chrome for Android: How to see network console information?
Is there any way to see networking information on mobile Chrome, ala the networking tab on fully fledged desktop Chrome, on the device itself? I'm attempting to try some remote debugging for a user but I can't really ask them to install the required software to test on a desktop. I need to see if any scripts / etc are failing to load.
Am I out of luck?

There are a lot of links showing in chrome://chrome-urls/, but I think what you want to do requires connecting the device locally in USB debugging mode and seeing the results on your desktop. (Remote debugging)

I have written an Xposed module that allows a user to use Developer tools on Chrome for Android. See my Xposed module ChromeXt.
Here are some screenshots of the Network tab:

Using the eruda console

Using the DevTools

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


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What will happen to my apps when i switch phones?
When I get a new android I would to keep the apps I have purchased. I will keep the same account but I was wondering if I will have to rebuy my games?

Please see How many times can I install an application I've purchased on the Market? / If I flash my ROM or wipe my device after buying an app, will I have to buy it again?

No.  Android apps (as well as anything else (books, magazines, movies, etc.) sold in the Play Store) are linked to your google account, not to your physical device.
All the apps and games you previously purchased will be available for download.


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How to lower down the volume more than by default?
When receiving calls, I sometime use the default headphone but the sound is too high for me.
I set the volume to the lower, but it's still too high.
How can I define the volume lower than the limited default from android, and if yes, how ?
Info : I don't have a volume parameter on my headphone
Info 2 : It's a HTC One S (not One, One S !)
Thanks for your help.

possible duplicate of Reduce minimum in call volume? See also: Volume limit specific app? / Minimum volume is too high with headphones


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How can I change SELinux from Enforcing to Permissive on Samsung Galaxy Note 3?
My device is Samsung Galaxy Note 3 SM-N9005.
This phone comes with SELinux set to Enforcing by default.
I have been trying to change this to permissive but to no avail.
I built the kernel from source code following Samsung instructions, and added a line to init.rc file in the ramdisk: "setenforce 0" and this worked, however WiFi broke and I am not clued up on kernel development.
I have tried, as root, running "setenforce 0" in terminal and via adb. There is no error, however it stays Enforcing.
I am running out of options have looked through the init files in the Samsung source code and cannot find anywhere where Samsung set SELinux to be Enforcing.
Any help will be vastly appreciated!

setenforce changes only the runtime mode, so if you want the change to persist over reboots, add setenforce 0 to your init.rc files or edit the value of ro.boot.selinux

I'm not sure how this answers the question.

You cannot get root shell from ADB on stock and Enforced devices since 4.2.2, without additional boot.img hacking. This make a terrible mess for everyone, but you can do it from a local terminal shell.

If you're rooted, install Android Terminal Emulator from Play Store and open a root shell. Also make sure you use latest (>2.00) SuperSU to handle SELinux. Then type: su 0 setenforce 0 and see what happens. Check with id. If that doesn't work, also try with: su system setenforce 0. In AOS >4.3, it's not enough to just be "root" (uid=0), you also have to use the right context.
EDIT: 2015-11-06
Apparently, since AOS >4.4, Google started using a permanent enforcing mode which actually enforces the SELinux policy. These phones have disabled the Permissive option through the DCONFIG_ALWAYS_ENFORCE=true kernel config flag in their Kernels. You need to flash an insecure Kernel (e.g. CF_Root) or a brand new kernel where this flag has been disabled.
Google writes here:

In the Android 5.0 (L) release, Android moves to full enforcement of SELinux. This builds upon the permissive release of 4.3 and the partial enforcement of 4.4. In short, Android is shifting from enforcement on a limited set of crucial domains (installd, netd, vold and zygote) to everything (more than 60 domains). This means manufacturers will have to better understand and scale their SELinux implementations to provide compatible devices. Understand that:

Everything is in enforcing mode in the 5.0 release
No processes other than init should run in the init domain
Any generic denial (for a block_device, socket_device, default_service, etc.) indicates that device needs a special domain

For more info how to recompile your Kernel, look here.

doesn't work on my S5, still enforcing :-/


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having issues hiding my photos and albums on my htc one
On my htc one, when I click on gallery, under albums. Then I click on the right top menu button to show/hide albums, none of my camera shots or albums will show up. So I can't hide anything. Can someone please help me out?


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Galaxy S3 won't boot, gets stuck at the "Samsung Galaxy S3 GT" screen
I seem to have the same problem as many other Galaxy users with the Boot Loop. I cannot access my phone:

I am not able to load the Stock ROM or factory reset it, nor erase any data.
It is stuck at the Samsung Galaxy S3 GT screen and then turns off.
If I go to "download" or "volume up mode" (I am sorry I don't know the name) it turns off.

I have already tried:

pulling the battery out
waiting until the battery has no juice
connecting to PC to try to update the firmware

Does anybody know what should be done?

It might be a power button issue. when you take the battery out, and put it back in does the phone automatically turn on by itself? or do you have to press the power button to do that? You should turn it back on with the power button, if it turns back on automatically then it means your power button has gotten stuck. What I did was hold it and kept pressing it a few times in order for it to get unstuck. it'll turn on like normal once it's unstuck


text:
How to hide status bar notification icons?
I'd like to figure out how to hide the icons of the status bar that would appear in the left. Is there a way to control that? Some apps such as Weather.com don't have the option to hide that icon from the status bar.

Interestingly, you don't need an app to hide those notifications. You can go to the App Info screen for an app and uncheck the "Show notifications" option. There are a few ways to get to the App Info page for an app.

On some launchers, you can drag the app out of the drawer, and onto an "App Info" area.
Likewise, on some launchers, you can long-press the icon and an options menu comes up with "App Info".
Go to "Settings", then "Apps", then select the specific app you're looking to hide notifications (and icons) from.

Let's also take a moment to learn the reason why apps (like weather apps, etc) don't have an option inside the app itself to do this!
If an app requires its notification to be displayed 100% of the time, then Android's Garbage Collector/Process Manager is not able to automatically kill it. If, for example, The Weather Channel's app allowed you to disable the notification/icon, then using that option would possibly allow Android to kill the background process (without knowing that it's important) and it would stop getting weather updates.
Services that use Push Notifications (Like Hangouts, Email, lots of chat apps, etc) don't need to be constantly running in the background to function. However, apps that need to do more background processing or need richer data (I guess weather apps?) need more than just push notifications. That's why this is a thing.
Fortunately, disabling notifications inside the App Info screen does not affect the app's other functionality. The app is still requesting the notification to be shown (Therefore protecting itself from getting killed) but the SystemUI App is just configured not to show it.

Thing is, if I do that, the Weather app would turn off completely. I simply want to get rid of the icon in the statusbar.

I'm fairly certain - as I said in my answer - that doing that will not disable the app. Although perhaps I misunderstood your intentions. Do you want to keep the notification, but only get rid of the icon? (If so, I believe you're out of luck - I don't think that's possible without doing some system hacking)

It is possible since 4.1, look at my answer

Looks like this feature might only be available in 4.1 and later.

This is great! The notification is actually completely hidden but it still launches (like he said) in background!! Even after a memory clear, or a hibernate, it still works fine. This is great for things like Swipepad that you use all the time but never need that notification.

Try Notifications Off.

Notifications Off is a useful utility for controlling application
  notifications in a centralized way. Instead of toggling notifications
  for applications individually from the settings screen you can turn
  off notifications for all applications from one place.

Although the question does not state so  unambiguously, I interpret it as asking to remove the status bar icons only and leave the notifications as they are. If that is what you want to do you can try the app NotifyClean. However, your phone needs to be rooted and you need to have the Xposed Framework installed. If that is a possibility for you, the app will give you very fine grained control over which icons/notifications to display or hide (see app description for details).

NotifyClean doesn't work like this on my android 4.4. It hides the whole notification.

Came across this question here while trying to solve it for myself. With further googling found a solution that doesn't require root, but it does require your device be on Oreo (or possibly Nougat, not sure).
If you're on Oreo, you can go in the notification settings for the app and change the importance level. If you set it to the lowest level the notification icon will not be shown. The notification itself will remain, but it might get collapsed if there's three or more different apps showing notifications.
If the notification setting for the app says something like "no sound" or "make sound" you can click on that and change the importance level in the next screen. If you can't find any way to change the importance, you can try using a third-party app AutoNotifications although it's not free and will also require giving it some permissions. I have not tried the app myself, my issues were resolved without the app.

I went to sound  and notifications under settings. Scroll down to app notifications click on it. Your apps will display you can select what notifications you want blocked.


text:
Why do I get the same "updates available" for apps even though I have already updated that app before on my S3?
I have noticed that my Google Play apps keep notifying me of apps with new updates but when I click on it I see that's it's sometimes an app a old update which I have already installed but the "update" button is still there for apps which I have definitely updated. What is the fix and the cause?
OS: 4.1
S3

Just because the description hasn't changed doesn't necessarily mean they haven't updated the app.  Some devs are lazy about that.

I mean in the status bar when it says "new updates available" for so and so apps.  @Compro02l1: I know for fact that an app that said "new update" was not new because I had emailed the dev and the last updated date on their Google Play page had not changed.

I thought this was the case for Skype, but it turns out they aren't updating the version number in their description. If I check Skype under Settings/Apps, then the version number does increase.


text:
How to fix my droid phone that is just blank
I have the Samsung droid Charge (SCH-I510) and I tried to load bootloader to it and now the screen is just black.when I insert usb to it,the buttons at the bottom light up but the screen is just blank.I there anyway to connect the phone to a pc so I can flash it I don't care about the files on it.

The only way that I personally know is to flash a custom recovery, and wipe your phone from there. If you can, follow this tutorial to install a custom recovery. Also, the tutorial doesn't mention it, but if you don't have windows, and have macOS or Linux, use JOdin. If you're using JOdin for macOS, install this driver before installing JOdin. If you need any help, feel free to comment on my answer, and I can help you .

You have to use ODIN to reflash your phone. Its the last resort I can say for your phone. I was too in same situation. I was having Sammy's Galaxy S which on rooting and upgrading went blank. I used ODIN and refalsh it with stock rom and made my phone alive. Give it a try. See the link here it might help. There might be some problem with your network after recovering.
See  Link. Its for Verizon. Kindly find your appropriate ROM and flash it. XDA forum is great resource for Andy users/developers


text:
Android TV full screen on 21:9 display
Is there a way to display full screen video on Android TV on a wide screen 21:9 monitor?
I'm using the Xiaomi Mi box, if that's relevant in any way, as my understanding is that it must be a feature supported by the OS, not hardware.
This is a screenshot illustrating the problem.

Clunky workarounds
Given that there is no support on the OS side, here is a the workaround applicable only for local/LAN and network-streamable 21:9 videos that can be opened with VLC (or kodi):

In the monitor settings on-screen menu accessible via the physical buttons on the display select Ratio -> Wide — this will distort the UI and stretch everything to take the full display width.
Open the video file/URL in VLC and in the three-dot menu repeatedly tap Resize until the FILL mode is selected. Given that VLC can browse LAN hosts over samba/FTP/SFTP/FTPS/NFS this can cover some but not all use cases.

Kodi can also be configured to change the video aspect ratio for videos so a similar effect can be achieved via the cogwheel click -> Video Settings -> View Mode.
With this workaround you get full-screen video with the correct aspect ratio, but horizontally over-stretched UI.


text:
No internet access using USB tethering on Android phone
I used to access the internet on my notebook by tethering it to my android mobile phone. However recently this stopped working. Even though the notebook was tethered to the phone there was no internet access. Changing phone settings did not help.

On googling I found that my mobile service provider recently disabled internet access over tethering. This can be fixed by the following the steps described here.

Enable USB debugging on your android phone (Settings > Developer options > Enable USB debugging).
Download adb.exe from here and follow the steps here.
Connect the phone to your computer using USB cable.
Open command window in the folder containing adb.exe.
Type: adb devices -l (this will list your device model).
Type: adb shell (to enter in your mobile's shell).
Type: settings put global tether_dun_required 0.
Reboot your phone and you're done!

After a lot of headache and trying everything, including Martin's answer (but I got no permissions error when I tried settings...), this solved the problem for me:
Go to Configurations > Wireless & Networks > Mobile Networks > Access Point Names, make a copy of the default selected APN (you probably need to input a copy all by hand after going to "New APN" in a menu), and then in the copy add ,dun to APN type (if it was default, make it default,dun).

I have resolved this issue by changing the APN in mobile. Go to your cellular network -> choose new APN with the same configuration of your selected one or create new APN with the same configuration of current one.


text:
Silencing notification of scheduled quiet mode (LG G2)
I have quiet mode scheduled and it works exactly as I want. The problem is there is a notification every morning that my scheduled quiet mode occurred. I'm starting to hate seeing this notification and I don't need to see it.

What application do you use to enable quiet mode? Is it standalone application or a system app?
If it's a standalone application then you could try turning off notifications for that app however note that this will disable all notifications coming from the app, not just the silent one.

It's the system quiet mode app. Can I adjust notifications for that? I'd like to do the same thing with the Battery Saver thing that always has a thing on my notifications, but the Settings app doesn't let you disable or edit notifications.


text:
How to undo silent mode on Nexus 4
On the Nexus 4, I can silence the ringer by pushing the volume down button, however, when I push the volume up button, the ringer remains on silence until I go to settings and change the volume bar in ringtones. Shouldnt the volume up button work? Any suggestions?

There are any number of volume-control widgets in the Play Store. Will one of them not serve?

Does your volume up button work at all?

That's odd - mine behaves the way you want:  pressing volume down decreases the volume, and then goes into vibrate and finally silent mode; then pressing volume up reverses all of this.
My Nexus 4 has the current version of Android: 4.3 (JWR66Y) on it.

I have looked, but it seems there is nothing that will work with the volume up button to undo the silence.

Al, yes, my volume up button does work otherwise.

Tom, that is exactly what I want but my volume up button does not work to bring back the silence mode. I have to go into settings to do that. I am also on ver 4.3.


text:
Google+ id from Google+ App
I would like to get my id profile or my profile URL from the official Google+ app, in order to copy it to clipboard.

id  : {21-digit-number}
url : https://plus.google.com/u/0/{21-digit-number}

I would be also interested if there was a way to get it, from any official Google application on Android, different from a browser of course.


text:
Sound defaults to vibrate
Sound defaults to vibrate after any notification even though phone (Nexus) is on loud.
Tried power off and battery switch. Changed vibrate and ring tone settings.

Does it still vibrate even if you turn off vibration?

Could you add more info, such as if this happens even when you or in normal mode or if the phone switches to silent mode automatically?


text:
What applications can I disable on my Samsung Galaxy S4?
I have just bought a Samsung Galaxy S4 and discovered that it comes with a large number of programs that I know I will never use (Amazon MP3, all Samsung Apps, TripAdvisor etc.). I have found that they can be disabled by going to Settings > More > Application Manager, selecting a specific application and choosing Disable. The problem is that I don't know which applications can be safely disabled.
Can someone provide a definitive list of all the applications installed on a new Galaxy S4 along with whether they are required or not?

Anything with a "Disable" button should be safe to disable. Crucial system apps won't be listed in the app manager or, if they are, won't allow you to disable them. You'll never get a "definitive" list of the apps you can shut off. At best, you might be able to get a good list of the apps you should leave alone.

You can check out DjeMBeY's pre-rooted S4 thread in XDA. The author has debloated (i.e. removed unecessary apps) the stock S4 ROM. There is a download link that contains all the APKs that he has removed; search for Removed Apps. It is safe to assume that these apps are safe to be deleted.
Better yet, why don't you just flash his custom ROM? That seems easier. :)


text:
Is it possible to get notifications for specific email senders?
I just want push notifications when my boss sends me email.

This will probably depend on the email app you're using and possibly your email provider.

You could try the solutions mentioned in this answer. Otherwise we're need more details on what kind of email and phone setup you have.


text:
Voicemail Notification Stuck
I'm on T-Mobile, running Android 4.1.2 on Samsung Galaxy S2.
I have had this voicemail notification stuck on my home screen for the past two days. I can't swipe it off the notification screen (can't dismiss it), and when I check my voicemails it says I have none, so I'm unsure why it's still there.
I've tried multiple times reaching my voicemail inbox, to see if that would correct it... and I've reset my phone a couple times as well and still no luck.
Anyone else having this issue, or have any idea how to get rid of it (aside from completely resetting the phone, or calling T-Mobile and having them reset it)?

Screenshot (click image for larger variant)

This would seem to be the same issue: Voicemail indicator won't go away

One of my old numbers got perma-stuck like this do to an error on the carrier's end.  The phone would check for VMs and get told there was 1 even though there wasn't.

Long-press on the notification and you should get a little "app info" box.  Hit that, then hit "force stop".  If the app info box doesn't appear, go into Settings -> Application Manager -> All, find the Phone app, and force stop it.  That should send the notification packing.
If it comes back, the problem is T-Mobile sending out erroneous "You have voicemail" announcements and you'll have to talk to them about it.

It went away after I restarted the phone.


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Can I change the phrase "OK Google Now" to something else?
I want to say a different name or phrase when I wake up my Moto X android.
Is there any way, or hack that I can use to change the name?
Ideally I don't want to "root" the phone because I don't know what that does and think that opens me up to security issues.

For what it's worth, it seems the magic phrase is now just "OK Google". Supposedly, "OK Jarvis" (aka, the computer from Iron Man) works as well.

Apparently you can use the training software it includes and just train it to hear something else. As in, if it says "read this: " just say whatever you like.

You can use the attempts described in Louis's post here, but they have limited success.
As of now, there is no way to change the Touchless Control hotword to anything you want, but as per the "hack" you requested, using AutoVoice with Tasker would be the way to go. You can set up AutoVoice to listen continuously for any hotword you want, then use that hotword through tasker to trigger Google Now. A tutorial for the setup can be found here that also uses AutoShare.
Be aware that this workaround won't give voice responses, as it essentially records your voice and uses the input to do a text search. If I find a more usable example, I'll share it here, but this may be as good as can be done without root.

Moto X users (and possibly others) can now change the phrase to anything they want with the 5.0.2 updates that was just released.

Sorry but I found out that you can not change that phrase. I tried to but in the settings there is no option, only the enable and disable. It would be great if they did that but Google is not yet so modern. Hope Google fixes that problem because it would be great. We need to wait a few more years and hopefully this problem would be changed. Sorry everyone who wanted to change the phrase or the quote on their computer,laptop,iphone or android.

Use Open Mic from the Google Play Store

This answer might be helpful if you add a link to the app you're recommending. Also, please confirm what relationship (if any) you have with this app: it's OK to recommend your own app on this site, provided you're honest about it.

OpenMic and OpenMic + Donate has a constant media beep which goes on continuously and interrupts other mic-based applications. Check it out @DanHulme. I don't think it's worth it.

I use KitKat 4.4, Moto X.
You CANNOT use any phrase you wish. I tried, and it does not work.


text:
Reinstall default apps on Galaxy S3 before updating to Jelly Bean
I want to update my Galaxy S3 to Jelly Bean but after downloading the firmware using Kies, it starts updating, but then it stops with a "dead" Android with a red triangle icon.
I think it's because I have removed some default apps like ChatOn and Yahoo widgets.
Is there any way to get them back or to install the official Jelly Bean update without a factory reset? I don't want to reinstall my apps again and lose my settings each time I need to update the OS (I also don't want bloatware apps that are pre-installed).
EDIT:
I have ClockWorkMod recovery installed. I think that might be the problem. Is there any way I can flash the stock recovery only?.
My operator is vodafone from Portugal.
Any ideas?

I'm afraid with most major upgrades (i.e. if the Android version "changed its name", and not just the 3rd digit gets bumped like e.g. 2.3.3 to 2.3.4) a factory reset will go along.

Building on @Izzy 's statement, that isn't frequent enough to be a deal-breaker as far as I am concerned (although inconvenient).  It is slightly inconvenient, but it does allow for everything to be clean for the new release since JB focused on being smooth.  Another option would be to root and use Titanium Backup to backup apps+data.

As the OP remarked the updated might have failed due to "removed some default apps", I guess the device in question is already rooted. The current problem most likely is the device no longer booting up ("red triangle"), so a TB backup cannot be performed (@Bruno-P: Maybe you could clearify this).

Is the device is already rooted. I can boot it. i just cant install the update.

Depending on what network you are on the official OTA update may be your easiest answer. When I updated my razr m  from ICS to JB 4.1 on verizon with the offical JB OTA update, none of my data was lost, didn't have to reload any apps, or reset options.
Also when you clear your user data your phone may automatically re-download apps that you previously had. In my case when I cleared my user data to root my phone, it re-downloaded all the apps I had before the clear but unfortunately the options for the apps were reset.
You may want to try clearing only your cache first (that will not erase any contacts or apps) and try reinstall again.

If you do not disable but uninstall system ROM apps, resetting won't make any difference. You need to download a stock rom (try sammobile for instance) and flash it via odin.
This is the best method I recommend. Get the DBT (germany) rom as it has no bloatware. Also, avoid using KIES to update. Really untrustworthy.


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Media scanner ignores .nomedia on external sd card
I have my music on the external SD card on my phone, and use FolderSync to automatically sync podcast files to the same SD card from my computer. There are .nomedia files in the podcast folders (they are synced from the computer), but not in the music folders. When I start SongBird, both music and podcast files show up. Why? What can I do to fix it?
If I wipe the media cache, SongBird shows no music and no podcasts. When I run rescan, it only says "Scanning /storage/sdcard0" (internal SD) but afterwards the media files on the external card (/storage/sdcard1) show up in SongBird.
I use DoggCatcher with virtual feeds (watched folders) to listen to podcasts.
Phone: Samsung GT-i9000 running CyanogenMod 10.1.2-galaxysmtd

Just to make sure: Have you placed .nomedia files (file name beginning with a .) in the podcast directories? Maybe also tried placing one in its top-level directory? The title of your question mentions .media files: not that you've made the same typo there.

Oops, sorry. Corrected the title now.
The data structure is (simplified):
/storage/sdcard1/Media/Music
/storage/sdcard1/Media/Podcast
so the .nomedia files are two directories down from the SDcard root. I can try moving the directories one level down and see if that helps.

So you have the .nomedia file in /storage/sdcard1/Media/Podcast? That should work for all files and directories below it. I don't think the "depth" should be an issue here.

Different apps interpret .nomedia as different things. If your default file browser isn't reading a certain folder with actual media in it, then I would avoid using .nomedia altogether. (Although I have had quite excellent results with both SDcard AND root files using FX File Browser via the Google Play Market).

This question is a little old, but I will post my findings on it.
This seemed to be a bug in Android 4.0. There was an issue in Media Scanner that it ignored the .nomedia file in most instances. If you cleared the Media Scanner cache, it would re-index and then honor the .nomedia file.
According to the bug report, it was fixed with this changeset.


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Stuck at "Verifying Information" when updating to ICS
I've been trying for a few hours to update my Desire S running Android 2.3.5 to the newly released official ICS rom "RUU_SAGA_ICS_35_S_HTC_Europe_14.01.401.2_Radio_20.76.30.0835_3831.19.00.110_release_275068_signed".
Running XP, I've installed the latest HTC Sync from the HTC website (to get the drivers). No matter what I try I always get stuck at the screen "Verifying information on your android phone. Please wait...". I've let it sit there for over an hour without it ever continuing, I'm not getting any kind of error message.
When using the HTC Sync program the phone shows up as connected without any problems. I've tried running the installer both while having the program on and having the phone in "HTC Sync mode", and having the program turned off and having the phone in "Charge only mode". USB debugging is of course turned on. I've also tried turning the AV and firewall off, just in case. I've also tried resetting the phone to factory settings, just for the hell of it. No change.
The phone is not rooted and is S-ON. I've tried restarting both phone and computer a number of times (phone both using fast boot and regular boot) but I just can't seem to get it working.
Any ideas?
Edit: I also found a log file from the RUU, containing the following:
    <LOG>
    <T170112><INFO><VERSION>1.0.6.2012</VERSION></INFO></T170112>
    <T170112><DEBUG><PAGE>====== WelcomeDlg ======</PAGE>
    </DEBUG></T170112>
    <T170117><DEBUG><PAGE>====== VerifyingMobileDlg ======</PAGE>
    </DEBUG></T170117>
    <T170117><DEBUG>strPath = C:\Program\HTC\HTC Sync 3.0\
    </DEBUG></T170117>
    <T170117><DEBUG><CMD>adb devices</CMD>
    </DEBUG></T170117>
    <T170118><DEBUG><OUT>adb <T170118><DEBUG><CMD>fastboot devices</CMD>
    </DEBUG></T170118>
    <T170120><DEBUG><OUT>fastboot

Found a solution myself. The problem was that the adb and fastboot tools in the HTC Sync program didn't work. I solved it by downloading the Android SDK, installing platform-tools, removing HTC Sync from the path variable and adding the platform-tools directory in its place.

yzfr1's answer helped!
When I installed HTC Sync there was only adb.exe but no fastboot.exe, using adb.exe and fastboot.exe from the SDK and putting them in HTC Sync's directory solved the problem.


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Video and game lags after rooting S3
I recently rooted my phone, and am now using Paranoid and I love it. However, whenever I play videos and games it lags really noticeably. This never happened before I rooted my phone. I'm using Samsung Galaxy S3 and have tried using Seeder with no luck. Can I fix this poor performance?

Goto the forum site for your ROM. See if they have a fix or a workaround. It might be a performance settings problem (ie. wrong processor/governor setting or other). But you'll have read to see what other Paranoid users say.

This is probably a bug in the custom ROM you've installed. You should report it to the developer of the ROM, and either wait for it to be fixed in an update, or use a different ROM.


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Regaining root access after 4.4.3 update
I had rooted my device and hidden the SuperSU app using an app called Apphider which requires root access to function. I applied the Android 4.4.3 OTA update successfully. Now I cannot unhide SuperSU or update it in any way. Upon checking for root using root checker apps, it still showed that the device was rooted. In an attempt to fix the issue, I had removed the root files also(/system/xbin). Now I am unable to install the binaries also. So is there any way I can grant superuser access to the hider app exclusively and then reinstall SuperSU and the binaries?

You can flash SuperSU from recovery (CWM or TWRP) to reinstall the su binaries again. You should then either have SuperSU already installed, or you can install another SU app. Then install Apphider again, grant it root, and then unhide SuperSU if it's not already showing. I ran into something similar yesterday while applying the OTA to a rooted Nexus 5, and this fixed it.

Thanks. I reflashed twrp and installed SuperSU from it manually. That solved the problem

Glad it helped!


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Galaxy S2, 3 year old. Battery went from 55% to 13% in 5 minutes, then phone started restarting
this morning going to work I had my battery at 55% was listening to music and chatting in skype. All of the sudden skype started lagging really hard and then phone restarted. When it turned back on, the battery had went down to 13% and phone restarted quite a few times ever since
what could cause this?

Was the battery life decrease sudden, or has it been getting noticeably worse recently? If so, might be time to get a new battery for your device. Regarding the restart, are there any apps that you've installed recently that might have a bug or something leading to restarts? When a phone reaches that age, I would personally root it and flash something like CM or Slimbean, to get some solid battery life back out of the device (I've personally flashed ChameleonOS on my S2 to get the best of both customization and battery).

apart from that accident I havent had problems with the battery. I do not know how to root it, not to mention flashing it :) I uninstalled couple of apps afterwards (unique galaxy, isGenuine and a few similar apps) also I uninstalled the last build of my own app and I havent had this problem since yesterday

Would you be willing to do so, though (rooting)? If so, XDA-Developers is a good place to start. It's got a bunch of how-tos and ROMs for you to check out. If it's a sudden decrease, I'm honestly not quite sure whether to direct you to buying a new battery or rooting the device, as I don't want to be the person who makes you buy a battery and have the problem fixed :P http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s2
Has the battery life improved since yesterday? Or is the device still down in the dumps and crashing?

no the device is perfectly fine every since :) I might check out that link though

I have Faced the Same issue on my device. It was 2 years or so when I started experiencing the Problem. the Battery was draining inside 3 hours, even when the phone was in Stand By,flight mode .
When i checked my battery status
 *#*#4636#*#

The battery Health was shown good.
I checked the Battery operating voltage during the same period and the discharge voltage using a Mulimeter. The was a bit higher than expected and operating range, meaning the Battery was short.
Under the circumstance, i changed my battery.
Inside 3 Months I experinced the same problem again. The issue was traced out to the Charger, which was sourcing by Battery with a Higher than expected voltage continously causing damage to the Battery.
Proper Solution,
1. Change the Battery, It would have already been short by now.
2. Check the Charger, (I dont know to check, i approched a specialist for this), get it replaced if necessary.
Now my phone is about 3 year old with still awesome battery performance. Only,issue at present is Touch Wiz RAM Hog, which wats up 80% of my RAM even on first Booth and Wiping Cache memory and disabling PreBuilt apps which I dont Use.


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Swype keyboard does not show, after changing to Swype keyboard and locking screen
Device: Samsung Galaxy Grand
Android: 4.1.2
I downloaded Swype keyboard and selected it for use. After that, I locked my screen and tried to type my password, but the keyboard is not opening. Now, I can't use my phone.

Restart your phone (turn it off, turn it on). Then, let us know what happens.

sometimes its happen to me also.But I can deduce that issue can be happen with swype in two cases.

if you are running out of RAM then swype will take some time to launch. because as I have seen swype will take more than 30 MB of RAM and it can take more while it have to start.
If you have moved your application SD card then it may take some amount of time to launch.

what actions supposed to do ?
  If you are running any kind of task killers , set swype to ignore for killing.
keep swype in your Phone memory only.


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How to backup Angry Birds saves/data?
I need to reinstall my Android ROM but before I would like to backup my Angry Birds savegame/data/scores.
Do you have any idea how can I do it?

Angry Birds' data would be stored inside the phones memory under the folder Data. Access to that folder is not permitted to you or any app for security reasons.
Without having root access there is no way to access that folder or backup your app. However once you've obtained root access you could either extract the data yourself or use an application like
Titanium Backup:

I highly recommend Titanium Backup for root users.  Especially if you like to flash new mods a lot.

I used Titanium Backup with root permission, it worked very well.

not even when from a PC?

@Louis Rhys: You can access it through ADB, but IIRC it won't show up in USB Mass Storage mode.

Yes you can back up your Angry Birds data, without rooting your phone! It takes a few steps, and it's a manual process, but pretty easy nonetheless. This works with my Samsung Android 2 phone.

Install the Android SDK onto your computer from http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html. You will be using the ADB program, part of the SDK's Platform-Tools.
Connect your Android device to your computer in debugging mode. On my Galaxy S Android 2 phone, I had to go to Settings / Applications / Development and turn on USB Debugging before connecting the cable.
On your computer, start a Command Prompt and run these commands:

    cd "C:\Program Files\Android\android-sdk\platform-tools"
    adb pull /data/data/com.rovio.angrybirds/files/highscores.lua C:\MyBackup\ab_highscores.lua
    adb pull /data/data/com.rovio.angrybirds/files/settings.lua C:\MyBackup\ab_settings.lua

Of course, supply your own directory names depending on where you installed the Android SDK, and where you want the files saved.
To restore the files later:

Reinstall Angry Birds and complete at least one level. (This ensures the device has the appropriate directories.)
Connect your device in debugging mode and start a Command Prompt, as done above. Run these commands:

    cd "C:\Program Files\Android\android-sdk\platform-tools"
    adb push C:\MyBackup\ab_highscores.lua /data/data/com.rovio.angrybirds/files/highscores.lua
    adb push C:\MyBackup\ab_settings.lua /data/data/com.rovio.angrybirds/files/settings.lua

Q: Is it safe?A: Yes! The Android SDK is provided by Google, the developers of Android, for use by software developers that write applications for Android devices. ADB, its Android Debugging Bridge is the official way that Google wants developers to interact with their Android devices. As long as you are careful with what files you push/pull, it's fine.
Q: How about Angry Birds Seasons?A: Same as above, but type "angrybirdsseasons" instead of "angrybirds" (and of course change the name of the local backup file!).

It works! I've tested it with linux, and works fine at least to pull those files from the device. When I reinstall (or upgrade) my android, I will know if it works too pushing them back.

This worked perfectly. I did it with angrybirds rio (com.rovio.angrybirdsrio) and it worked flawlessly. You have to type of the path exactly though, and you can't navigate the filesystem on the android device with adb shell. You'll get lots of permission denied errors if you're not root. Oh, and I did it with a galaxy tab 10.1.

Works perfectly. I exported them from a Xperia X10 mini to a Nexus S. This answer should be the selected answer to the question, indeed.

There is a program called "Angry Birds Backup" on the market that allows you to back your progress up without having root access. I've not tried it myself, but I've heard good things. You can read more about it on their web site at http://www.angrybackup.com/

I used a program by Antbee called Angry Birds Backup. It worked great, and it was free. For Seasons and Rio, I used Angry Birds Seasons Backup and Angry Birds Rio Backup by Whitney Powell. All three worked flawlessly.
It saved me from having to root my phone and/or replay all those levels.

I can't test this since I am rooted, but I assume ADB will allow you to access the data via shell. At worst you can copy over the data into a directory on the sd card. Restoring it would be problematic.
ADB = Android Debugging tool as part of the android SDK.
http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html
Fortunately unrevoked has a tool to root your phone as an application exploit so that you don't get the 100% root (can do nandroid and replace kernels) but you can run titanium backup.
www.unrevoked.com (unrevoked forever is the 1-click root). Check their list for supported devices.
As long as your phone is not bricked, this should not void your warranty as long as you just run titanium and remove unrevoked + titanium when returning the phone.

ADB won't give you access to the data directory unless you're rooted. But once you've rooted it, then you should be able to.

@mlevit: Dang! Yet another reason to root.

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


text:
How to read Exchange e-mails on Android?
Is there any Outlook for Android? If not, should I use an IMAP or POP3 client for Android instead? Which one do you recommend?

IMAP is almost always better than POP3, as you have two-way synchronization. Android's built-in email applications (called Email) supports both IMAP and POP, it just depends on your email server.

You don't mention which phone or Android version you're using. On my Motorola Droid (Android 2.2) the built-in E-mail application allows me to connect to my employers Exchange server. When I created the account, I had three options for connecting: POP3, IMAP, and Exchange.
There are other e-mail clients out there that may also connect to Exchange.

I thought the built-in app was only for GMail accounts

Gmail is a separate application.

You could try K9 Mail.  I use it for non-Exchange accounts and it works great, so I know it's a great email app in general.  I believe it has the ability to connect to Exchange servers, too, so...there you go!

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


text:
How do i make a new album in the HTC Photos application?
I have an HTC Hero (with the Android 2.1 update). For the longest time, I've wanted to create new albums in the Photos application and can't for the life of me figure out how to do it. It has a bunch of default albums like "My Favroties" "All photos" and such. I just want to create my own albums so I can organize some pictures, like an album of all the pictures of my ridiculously cute niece. Anyone know how to do that? Or can suggest a better photo management application for Android 2.1?

It's actually quite simple just hard to figure out.

Install a file manager app (Astro, inKa File Manager)
Using a file manager app navigate to sdcard > media folder
Create a new folder

Place all your photos into that newly created folder. It may take some time but eventually the new photo album will appear inside HTC's Gallery app.

No idea how you figured that one out. Would you suggest just using a different application? Or follow these steps and stick with HTC's app?

@Chaulky It really depends on how you want to manage your photo albums. If you want to be able to move photos in the album through the app then you can't using HTC's Gallery app. But on the other hand if you don't need to move photos in through the app (or even if you do but not too regularly) then this just saves you having to find another gallery app.


text:
I keep losing my Swype keyboard
I'm running CM6 on a Motorola Droid.
Every now and then (at least once a day), my keyboard will revert from Swype back to the Stock Android Keyboard and I have switch back to the Swype keyboard to be able to use it again.
And sometimes (at least once every other day), the Swype keyboard will be completely disabled and I have to go back into Settings --> Keyboards and re-enable Swype.
This is starting to get really annoying.  Any suggestions?

What happens if you try other alternative keyboard? Do you lose them as well or is it just Swype?

@Lie Good suggestion, I'll try that

I've not seen this behavior. Then again, it IS a beta.

I believe this problem was caused by having Swype installed to the SD card.  Moving Swype back to the phone's internal storage seems to have fixed the problem.
Settings-->Applications-->Manage Applications-->Swype-->Select "move to phone"

It's so irritating to see the OS differentiating between storage locations.

I want to be able to install anywhere, always.

Good question... I'm experiencing this currently although the app is already living on my phone. A quick fix for me seems to be un-selecting Swype as the alternative keyboard (see steps below) and then re-selecting it. Then I will then have to reset Swype (i.e. long-press in a text field, select Input Method and select Swype).
Settings > Language & Keyboard > Swype

Just a suggestion: is it possible that you have Swype on the kill list in your task killer?
(NOTE: I have a Droid as well, and have not experienced this. I do not run a task killer though. Also, I could not live without Swype.)

No, I do not run a task killer.

Try relicensing it.  That has worked for me in the past.


text:
Will the Android OS Support Higher-Resolution Screens?
As of Android 2.2, the screen resolution for an Android device is capped at 854x480, which has pretty much become the standard resolution for recent Android handsets. However, with the current generation of the iPhone sporting the so-called "Retina display", is there any information on if and when this cap will be raised? I haven't been able to locate any definitive information on whether or not this cap is altered in Gingerbread.

Gingerbread is adding support for "extra hdpi" and "extra large screen" devices, but this primarily geared towards tablet devices than actual phones (but who is to say that won't change).  More information can be found here on the updated dev guide on supporting multiple screen sizes.

Unfortunately, it looks like the supported resolutions are still the same (according to the grid on that page)

The Samsung Galaxy Tab has 600 x 1024 pixels on it's 7 inch screen. So I'm not sure that 854x480 is actually a cap?

There is no "cap" on the resolution. In the froyo (and gingerbread) emulator, you can enter any screen dimensions you want, and there's no real problems with apps or anything (unless they're doing something wrong.) Apps just probably don't take advantage of the extra pixels or different physical size.
I think you're confusing "not supporting large screens" with "not optimized for large screens"
Honeycomb will allegedly make big screens look and feel awesome ;)


text:
Android 2.3 Keyboard on SE X8 running 2.1
Recently I've found out that it's possible to install new Android keyboard on 2.2 version of Android (here's the installer).
I was wondering if the same applies for 2.1?
I own SE X8 which I've recently updated to 2.1.

I've read that it only works on 2.2.

The 2.3 keyboard cannot be installed on 2.1 as-is.  It relies on the 2.3 Voice Search app, which uses API methods not present in 2.1.  (See this XDA post.)  I'm sure someone is in the process of hacking the keyboard to work though.  To be honest, the only difference I see with the 2.3 keyboard is that the keys are smaller, which I dislike.


text:
Disabling the nexus-one proximity/position sensor?
I think my nexus one is trying to be too smart. For each incoming call the phone stops ringing as soon as I pick it up. That's perfectly fine as long as the phone is sitting on my desk, but when I'm out there the phone is most likely in my jeans front pocket and I end up missing every single call. My guess is that the phone stops ringing/vibrating immediately. Is there a way to dumb it down?

In HTC Wildfire there is option in Settings -> Sound & display Quiet ring on pickup (Reduce ring volume when I move phone). It might be the same option or similar in nearby.

My nexus-one came with the stock Eclair UI, that option seems specific to htc phones with Sense (or maybe it was added in Froyo?)


text:
Is it possible to run an app directly from a USB flash drive (OTG)?
I'm almost giving up on this, can anyone help me?
I have a Samsung Galaxy S6 which means that I can't get an external sd card mounted to my phone. So I bought an OTG flash drive with the hope that I can install or run apps and games from there so my storage problem is solved. But after researching on several forums I'm still getting no answer for this.
Is it possible to run or install apps on a USB flash drive?

Adoptable Storage will work for you, but then you cannot remove the OTG drive anymore. (Apps will start crashing)


text:
Android Jelly Bean help or user manual
Can I get inline help with functionality in my Android device? For example, my good old Nokia had a help feature, with which after selecting an item for a few seconds, it used to display the description and purpose of the selected item.
If this is not possible, where can I find a Jelly Bean user manual or documentation?

What's the purpose of the manual? I think most of the basic functionalities of the device are quite intuitive.

some of the features/settings are confusing to the new user.

which features exactly?

What model of phone do you have?

Well, I was expecting some kind of A to Z user manual for android so as to discover the functionalities that I am not aware of instead of particular feature for particular device (of course some features may vary across devices).

When you first activate an Android phone, there is a short tutorial that walks you through the home screen, adding icons/widgets to the home screen, navigating the home screen, etc. On stock android, there is also a helpful widget on the homescreen.
For many phones, there is a small booklet (often called the manual) in the box when you purchase the device. These booklets can also be found online, for example some popular Android 4.0 devices: Galaxy Nexus user guide, or Galaxy S3, or HTC Incredible. You can find manuals for your device by browsing the manufacturer's website or googling for "(device name) manual" or "(device name) user guide".
Manufacturer websites also typically have a Knowledge Base, Support Center, etc. For instance, HTC Support Center for Desire X or Samsung Support for Galaxy Note.
Finally, there are also Android StackExchange and other Android-related forums which contain lots of helpful people willing to answer your questions. If you're still unclear on anything specific, ask away!

Google Support offers some online guides. At present, the devices listed under Jelly Bean are:

Xoom
Galaxy Nexus
Nexus S
Nexus 4
Nexus 7
Nexus 10

Here's the Nexus 7 user guide in PDF format. Since it was the first device to launch with Jelly Bean and isn't hampered by manufacturer/carrier customizations, it's as close to a pure Jelly Bean user guide as there is.

There is always the Complete Android Guide, a PDF/wiki/book created by long-time Lifehacker editor Kevin Purdy.


text:
Make Material UI more square?
I'm on Android 14 and it's UI is getting more and more round. Is there a way to make it less round / (almost) completely square? It's probably a personal taste but having almost all boxes with radius 90 looks awful...
EDIT: I mean UI elements like buttons, tabs, pills, etc. and NOT the icons on the home screen.

If you are referring to the app icons in the launcher, there are launchers where you can define the shape like Nova Launcher.

No, I want UI elements (buttons, pills, decks) etc.

AFAIK, UI elements are embedded in framework.apk, and thus root is required to modify them. Unless the manufacturer provides their own extensive theme customization, probably flashing a custom ROM is another alternative.

So, as usuall, I'l have to go to a brand that allows custom roms (and find a rom that allows modifying that…)...

You can use any number of launcher apps.  As mentioned in the comment, Nova works. It is what I use.
Here is the setup screen for the Home Settings.  You can change an awful amount of things both visually and functionally.

No, I want UI elements (buttons, pills, decks) etc. / I already use Nova launcher and, for icons, I try to avoid any nonsese of "adaptive icons" and just use plain-old-regular icons where each icon has distinct shape so it's easier to distinguish them...


text:
How to get setting information before booting Android devices like in BIOS?
Is there any method by which we could get the system information before booting android OS.
Like wise in PC/laptop, we can get into BIOS setting before booting and get the system information. Do Android devices have such thing?
If yes, how can I go through before booting? Is there BIOS like setup in android? Shed some light.

Can you state what you want to achieve? Just see that information, or adjust something -- on every boot, occasionally -- and if, what to change? This would allow for a more precise answer.

There is no BIOS type thing in Android, although there is the Logcat and DMESG.
There is an app on Google Play that allows you to change your boot animation to show you the live logcat as your device boots.
If you want the System Info, as per your question, you would just have to Google your device, or use a site such as GSM Arena to lookup your devices hardware.

I search and find that dmesg command = get kernel log and logcat command = get android system log both show the log related to system. Is there any thing which install before installing OS like in PC system i.e BIOS. If we have to install other OS in mobile how it detect it.

No, I said that.

I got something that is SPL / Bootloader(Second Program Loader) is like BIOS on a computer . What is SPL and can it work like BIOS ?

BIOS stands for Basic Input Output System. It is the computer system that does the very basic set up of computerized system. Some BIOS's can be altered by the user and some can not. Take an HP computer vs. a custom built machine with Asus motherboard for example.
In regards to a smart phone, there is a "BIOS" however you can not change it or update it, etc. It is hard coded into a chip on the phone.
The bootloader is the second step in the boot process. Many Linux machines use GRUB or LILO, etc. I imagine that SPL is the bootloader used by a smartphone.
I am not including i-phone type equipment in this explanation. I-phones run on magic and Skittles!! LOL

Could you support your answer with sources, or is that your own experience/imagination?