text:
Is rooting 4.2.2 really this complicated?
On 4.2 (or was it 4.1?) it was really just a few keypresses in the Nexus 4 Toolkit, or downloading a simple app. With the current version 4.2.2 however, rooting has become a huge task, apparently.
I've been trying to root my Nexus 4 (running 4.2.2) but the Nexus 4 Toolkit says it's offline. From my searches it turns out that 4.2.2 has extra "security" that makes this harder than it used to be. I'm not a developer but there's something about telling my phone that the PC that wants to root it is trusted.
I found this 14-step guide in which I am asked to install a developer toolkit, install Eclipse, and a few other things. My impression is that this is like shooting sparrows with cannonballs.
Is it really this difficult, or am I totally missing the goal here?

My further investigation indicates that the Nexus 4 Toolkit isn't the best one to use - in fact it doesn't seem to work at all with 4.2.2.
Instead, the Nexus Root Toolkit seems to work well with 4.2.2 and is basically a one-click installer. Download from the linked page and run it; it will do the rest by itself and/or give you simple instructions when needed.
Update: I've just completed the rooting process with this tool. Worked well and was simple enough. Note that after completing the process, I had to download and install the Superuser app from the Play Store - this step was not completely evident, but simple to do.


text:
Voice command when switching pages on home screen
On the main home screen when I slide between the different pages, a voice says "page 1 of 2" "page 2 of 2" etc. This also happens when my phone is on silent mode and out of driving mode. How can I get rid of it, or at least make it silent while my phone is on the silent mode?
Very much appreciated!

Check to see if TalkBack is enabled under accessibility in the settings menu.

I can't post an answer yet even though I have a rep of 101. Anyway, I was having the same issue on my S2 - I found it was because I had LastPass installed and turned on under Services. Maybe if any Service (TalkBack, LasPass) is On the S2 talks when you turn pages. Turning both services to off on my S2 stopped the voice prompt.

A bit late I know, but I've just been having a similar problem with a Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini.
This is how I got rid of it. I tried other ways, but found that if I turned the phone on and off again, the speech would come alive again. This was the only way I could kill it off for good.
Go to Settings -> Accessibility -> Text to Speech and there will be a list of current text to speech providers (I had 2, Google and Samsung)

Go to Application Manager -> All
Find Google Text to Speech and disable it
If there is no disable button, you will have to click Uninstall All Updates first, then go back, and the button should now read Disable

You'll want to do the above step for each Text to Speech option you had in your list. I had 2, so I did it again for Samsung TTS.
Now if you go back to Settings -> Accessibility -> Text to Speech there should be nothing left in the list and your home screen will finally be silent. Hooray!
I also have driving mode and TalkBack disabled. I already had them turned off, but they didn't help.
Hope this helps.

Go to Settings>Voice input and output>Text-to-speech settings and check "Driving mode".

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


text:
How to use a Bluetooth output sound while there is a Digital TV receiver connected to the phone jack?
I cannot find a way to get this to work properly. I want to connect my Android phone with Digital TV to my car's Bluetooth receiver. The TV's signal is boosted with an antenna connected to the phone jack of my cellphone. But when I connect the antenna the audio outputs directly from the phone itself and not from the Bluetooth. Is there a way to fix this?

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


text:
How can I disable the Wi-Fi connection of my Android phone from my laptop?
Is it somehow possible to control the Wi-Fi connection of my Android phone from my laptop to disable (not only disconnect) the Wi-Fi connection of my phone if both my phone and my laptop are connected to the same network?
USB-Debugging is enabled on this device.

Do you want to disable or disconnect from the Wi-Fi? Is USB debugging enabled or SSH server running on device?

Dear @Firelord, USB-Debugging is enabled but no SSH server running. I want to completely disable Wi-Fi and not only disconnect to conserve energy.

If you have root access then through USB or Wi-Fi but using debugging mode, this command can work: adb shell su -c 'svc wifi disable'.

It returns error: device '(null)' not found. How can my laptop know my device over Wi-Fi, assuming that there could be other phones on the same network, too?

The following is non-root method:

Create a dummy app in Android Studio. [Credit]

MainActivity.java, put right after setContentView(R.layout.activity_main):
WifiManager wfm = (WifiManager) getSystemService(Context.WIFI_SERVICE);
try {
    wfm.setWifiEnabled(Boolean.parseBoolean(getIntent().getStringExtra("wifi")));
} catch (Exception e) {
}
System.exit(0);

AndroidManifest.xml, put before <application:
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.CHANGE_WIFI_STATE" />

Enabled USB debugging settings, plug USB cable to your phone,  press Shift+F10 to run the app which will also install the app.
In your phone, navigate to Advanced Wi-Fi and get the IPv4 address.
While USB cable still plugged, issue adb shell command,
Issue pm list packages command to find out the package name if not sure. For example package:com.blogspot.diannaoxiaobai.dummyonly, remove the prefix package: is your package name. Or you can simply get the package name in AndroidManifest.xml, e.g. package="com.blogspot.diannaoxiaobai.dummyonly".
Issue setprop persist.adb.tcp.port 5555 (credit) command.
Ctrl+D to quit adb session.
Unplug your cable. Reboot your phone now.
Assume your phone automatically connected to wifi on reboot, and your laptop connected to the same wifi network. No need any USB cable now.
Issue adb connect 192.168.11.5, in which this ip get from step #2 above.
Issue adb shell am start -n com.blogspot.diannaoxiaobai.dummyonly/.MainActivity -e wifi false to disable wifi. com.blogspot.diannaoxiaobai.dummyonly is the package name get from step #4 above.
You can remove the port 5555 set from step #5 above with adb shell setprop persist.adb.tcp.port "" command. (Credit)


text:
Run Tasker if battery falls from a specific value to another one?
I am struggling to set up a Tasker profile so that it performs a task when battery falls from value X to value Y.
I always get the error that the Y value (to) cannot be smaller than the X value (from).
Does anyone know how to properly set up a Tasker profile that runs a task when battery falls from a certain percentage to a lower one?

Do you really need to set the starting value? like X is 100% and y is 20% then there is no use of the start value. Just set trigger to "if battery percentage reaches X% && it is not plugged in charge"

Thanks! Where can I find this trigger?

@Aayush for me it would be if battery falls from 30% to 29%.

Do you really need to use Tasker?? Want to try any other app? Easier to use.. I will suggest you to use Automate app.. It is very easy to use and has various functions too..

Will give that one a try, thanks!

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


text:
Where to get com.android.calendar for Android 4.0.3 from?
I accidentally deleted the package com.android.calendar.
Now it refuses to sync my Google Calendar.
Where can I get this specific package to install it back to /system using Link2SD?
Model specifications:
HUAWEI U8666E
4.0.3
Baseband version: 2030
Kernel version: 3.0.8-perf-00271-g4fdddbe
Build number: U8666E-1V100R001C40B935

Tell us the exact model - maybe someone could grab a factory image and extract it for you. Ones from other models might not be an exact fit.

@AndyYan please see my update.

Standby, downloading from external site - will share after it finishes. I will also refer you to the original link in case you need other files.

Russians over at 4PDA have a thread dedicated to the phone, which hosts a number of firmwares, including stock-based ones. Here is the Calendar app extracted from the "Stock+" one, uploaded to my AndroidFileHost for your convenience. You can also get other files from the package in case you need them.
As validation, the version number of the ROM as extracted from build.prop:

ro.build.version.incremental=C40B935
ro.build.tags=release-keys
ro.build.description=U8666E-user 4.0.3 GRJ90 C40B935 release-keys
ro.build.fingerprint=Huawei/U8666E/hwu8666e:4.0.3/HuaweiU8666E/C40B935:user/ota-rel-keys,release-keys
ro.confg.hw_appsbootversion=U8666E-1V100R001C40B935_APPSBOOT
ro.confg.hw_appversion=U8666E-1V100R001C40B935_KERNEL
ro.confg.hw_appfsversion=U8666E-1V100R001C40B935_SYSIMG

"B935" - matches your current ROM exactly.


text:
How do I get Facebook Live mobile app to use the wide angle camera?
Many phones today have more then one camera with many of those having wide angle lens. I'm specifically interested in LG v30+ but it can apply to most modern smartphones now.
How can I get Facebook mobile app to recognise the other rear cameras and use them?

Have asked elsewhere: How can you use wide angle on phones that have more then 1 camera? | Facebook Help Community and Ask Facebook to support wide angle for Facebook Live on LG V30 : lgv30

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


text:
How do you show a phrase or sentence in full screen?
Previously there was a menu option in Google Translate to show the translated text in full screen so it's easy to read from a distance. You could also use english as the visibility was the main feature useful in like a noisy nightclub or if one was temporarily or permanently mute.
However that feature in the latest update has disappeared.
I tried internet searching for "full screen" google translate for tens of minutes but couldn't find any answers.
What's the easiest way now to show large text, preferably though not necessarily using pre installed apps (such as Google translate) for availability?
See screen cast recording for further details.

Could you clarify if the question is about "text translation" (as per the tags) or "showing text in full screen" (as per the title)?

Removed "translate" tag. Google translate was where I first discovered this feature in a convenient format but it is not necessary to use this app, just has to be easily available on android phones.

If I'm understanding your question correctly, you're likely looking for a signboard app.  Just be warned, I haven't vetted any of these myself, so if you're wary of malicious apps (becoming more prevalent these days despite Google's mitigation efforts) you'll want to take your own precautions and research before settling on one.  For additional features such as preventing touch, etc., you may want to search for "kiosk" apps instead.


text:
Privacy, Malware & Android Permissions
From a privacy perspective is the sheepoll app ok to use? Whilst the owner has reassured us they're not looking to snoop there is a possibility of a nefarious deeds being done so comments? It's for a polling entertainment show so not important to install.
It also has this scary permission description:

Device ID & call information
Allows the app to determine the phone number and device IDs, whether a call is active and the remote number connected by a call

The app owner's reply:

Hey Darryn, the new app has a heap of new features we couldn't do playing from just a web browser. As for the device and call info, I think you have misunderstood it. All the app does is identify your phone so when you log back in it picks up from where you left off. There is no recording of the numbers of people you call. We ain't the CIA. We do hope to see you at our shows though. Can't wait to see your Baabaatar!

From a privacy perspective, any app that requires more permissions than its actual usage is not a secure or private app. Is there a valid reason why they would need your call information? Is the software related to managing calls? From what I can tell, not really. You can never trust developers for their words. Many people in the past claimed they will not spy or collect additional data even with permissions, many more people will do that in the future, yet there are a lot of them who do break their "promise".
I am personally relatively paranoid, so if an app is just a news browsing app, if it requires permissions like my SMS history or anything more than its initial purpose, It is a massive no go.

I've quoted what the owner reply was in addition to my link. He says he needs it to identify the phone although a cookie could of done the same I guess?

Yeah, I think so, no reason why a cookie couldn't, well if you clear them, it might be an issue. I would need to investigate further on the possible identification options for apps. Login could be a reliable one.

Unfortunately login requires friction which would prevent uptake of the app usage. But I guess that is an option especially for those with multiple devices.

I'm part of the development team of the Sheepoll App. Glad you came up with the question.
When developing an Android app, you have a lot of Android hardware/software functionalities that require permission to be used.
These permissions are declared in a "Manifest", basically a file that says:

This app needs internet
This app needs to use the device camera
This app needs to write data to the external storage.

And so forth.
After investigating, we found out that unnecessary permissions indeed were being requested by our app. These permissions have been added by default during our development phase. This issue has been identified and fixed, as seen here.
These permissions will be removed in the next release of the Sheepoll App. :)

Thanks for your reply. I tried to find a way to PM you but couldn't. I've also asked this question here https://www.reddit.com/r/AndroidQuestions/comments/6nwrob/privacy_android_permissions_sheepoll_app/

Why do you need draw over other apps?


text:
Swype installed but does nothing
I downloaded and installed swype on my HTC Droid incredible 2. I went to settings > keyboard > text settings and checked swype. Now when I use my keyboard I draw across the letters and nothing happens.
Am I missing a step?

Did you remember to switch to Swype from the default keyboard?
Press and hold inside any text box (like Google Search, for example).  A pop-up should come up with one or more options.  Select the "Input method" option and then select "Swype".


text:
Does a HDMI splitter exist that will split hdmi into video and audio?
I'm trying to hook up a GoogleTV to an older Sony TV and the TV has an HDMI input but just below it are the familiar red and white RC jacks for audio. I remember trying to hook up my XBox and the audio not working and now I'm having the same issue with GoogleTV and I think it's because this was made before the audio was integrated into HDMI or something.
I look all though the TV setting and couldn't find a "use RCA jacks for audio option" and was wondering if anyone ran into this before and if maybe there is some sort of splitter I could buy.

The Sony doesn't have the yellow video jack?

4x2 True HDMI Matrix Switch w/ Analog Audio Output
or
1 x 2 HDMI Splitter Distribution Amplifiier with Toslink Audio Output

$200! That's 20% of buying a new 55 inch TV! Thanks though.

The first one is $59 and splits the audio and video as you requested.  You may be able to find something cheaper direct from China.

I found that:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/5Ft-HDMI-Male-to-5RCA-5-RCA-Audio-Video-AV-Component-Cable-Gold-Plated-/390383800639?pt=US_Video_Cables_Adapters&hash=item5ae4b0113f
I'm still waiting for it but that can be good for you too!
Regards!

That seems very unlikely to help. As the item description points out, the cable just puts the digital HDMI signal on some RCA (phono) connectors. It doesn't transcode it into the analogue signal a receiver would be expecting on RCA inputs. I don't know of any A/V receiver that can understand a digital audio signal on RCA inputs.


text:
Saving ringtone selection in Contacts app
My wife's Samsung Captivate (AT&T's Galaxy S variant) phone is running CyanogenMod 7.1 (Android 2.3.x). Several times for various reasons her Google account was removed and had to be re-added.  The problem is that each time her contacts were deleted from the phone, and in the process of being re-synced lost all customization, such as assigned ringtones.  Apparently syncing to Google Contacts doesn't save the ringtone selection, probably for a good reason.
Is there a way to preserve this info so that when contacts are deleted and re-synced she doesn't have to re-associate each one with a ringtone all over again?  Is there a way to do this via a 3rd-party app like Titanium Backup?

Ringtone Keeper is also an free alternative that looks like it does what you want.

After years of back-and-forth, Ringtone Keeper is by far the best app for saving ringtones.

Mybackup does not backup these ringtone assignments.
Titanium backs this up but it seems to assign to the wrong people after restore (source).
Back My Tones Premium looks like does what you want!

Thanks!  I'm trying Back My Tones Premium right now, will update with results.


text:
Reducing bandwidth while using Facebook chat
I live in place where the data charges are extremely high (~0,70€ per MB in Ethiopia, for example.)  If I wish to chat on Facebook, data charges rack up quickly due to the standard Facebook app's bandwidth use: always updating the stream, downloading all of the images and profile pictures, etc.
Is there a way to restrict or minimize bandwidth utilization while using Facebook chat, basically only transmitting the text data?  3rd-party apps would be fine as well.
PS: I already tried to download imo.im from the Google Play market - but this one is not available in Ethiopia.

imo has a direct download link on their Android webpage.  There also seem to be quite a few other apps to try: https://play.google.com/store/search?q=facebook+chat&c=apps


text:
Filtering notifications
Is it possible to filter the notification that my Android device shows to me? For example I'd like to filter out the notifications about apps getting updated.
(I use CyanogenMod 9 if that matters.)

When you say "filter the notification", do you mean "filter out" (as in do not show them) or "filter for" (as in explicitly display them)?

Also, app shopping is off-topic on the site, so you may wish to edit your question in the form of "How do I..." as opposed to "find me an app that does ..."

I meant filter out.

Most apps should give you control of their own notifications via their internal settings.  For your specific example, app update notifications are coming from the Play Store app, and can be toggled on or off from within the app itself via menu -> Settings -> Notifications.  Other built-in apps like Gmail or Talk, or 3rd-party apps like Yahoo! Mail or Facebook for example, have similar controls that allow you to adjust notifications with varying degree of control (e.g. frequency, etc.)
In Android 4.1 and above, Google introduced a way to completely disable notifications for certain apps that either don't have such settings at all, or don't offer enough control for your liking (or include aggressive advertisements via push-notifications like AirPush).  Long-pressing a notification and tapping the new App Info option will bring up properties of the app that spawned it, and from there you can completely turn them off.  This feature appears in most custom ROMs as well that are based on the Jelly Bean (Android OS version 4.1.x/4.2.x) code base (CyanogenMod 10 in your case.)

Regarding the Play Store app, I have "Notifications" disabled but I still get notifications. The sad truth is that even the apps that do let you control their notifications, don't have controls that are fine-grained enough. It's not that I don't want to receive all notifications from the app, it's only some of them. If I cancel all the notifications from a certain app, I might be missing some important notifications. So really I don't see how what you're proposing is helping me.


text:
rooted my phone but want to go back to stock rom
Okay so i rooted my Samsung Galaxy Express to jelly bean 4.2.2 using the method below.
but i cant access Samsung kies because it doesn't recognize rooted phones. So i was wondering if there was any way to keep the rooted features but go back to the stock rom? And if there is how do i do it and where do i get the file from?
Here are the steps I took to upgrade my phone:

Flash Clockwork Recovery

Download Express OUDHS CWM.exe.
Turn off the phone
Press and hold volume down and power to enter download mode (if this doesn’t work, press and hold volume down, power and home key)
Connect your phone to your computer via USB
Window ID: COM should be highlighted in yellow, this means your phone was properly detected
Press start and wait for installation
Disconnect your phone, recovery is now installed

Install SuperSU

Download SuperSU v1.25
Connect your phone to your computer via USB
Copy the SuperSU v1.25 file to the root of your SD card (make sure you have an SD card in your phone)
Turn off your phone
Hold volume up, power and home key to enter recovery (as soon as you see blue text on the top of the screen that read entering or
  booting recovery, immediately release all the buttons)
Click on install zip from SD card and locate SuperSU file
Select the SuperSU file and install
After installation is complete, reboot your phone

You will now have both custom recovery and SuperSU installed on your
  phone, which allows you to install custom ROM’s, which is the next
  step. (Make sure USB debugging is still enabled). Please note that
  these versions of CM10.1 and CM10.2 are unofficial builds, however are
  stable enough as daily drivers.

Download CM10.1(Android 4.2.2) or CM10.2(Android 4.3)
Download Gapps (Google Apps) for CM10.1 or Gapps for CM10.2
Connect your phone to your computer via USB and place ROM and Gapps files in root of SD card (make sure they are on SD card)
Download ROM Manager and reboot into recovery. You can also manually reboot into recovery by powering off your phone, pressing and
  holding volume up, power and home key.
Create a backup.
Wipe data/factory reset, wipe cache partition and dalvik cache (found in advanced)
Install the ROM from the SDCard
Install Gapps from the SDCard
Reboot phone and let it sit for a few minutes while it boots for the first time. It may take a few minutes, and this is only evident
  upon initial boot.

You will likely run into issues with non functional WiFi. To resolve
  this, after flashing the ROM, follow these simple steps:

Download this file.
Power off the phone.
Hold volume down, power and home button to enter download mode.
Press volume up to enter download mode.
Connect phone to your computer
Open Odin and flash the downloaded file as Bootloader (You should see a green box that indicates that the method passed and worked)
Reboot the phone and test WiFI

Ahem... What's your question? :) This rather looks like a question including its answer. But nobody will find the question is answered. Would you mind to move the answer part to an answer? We really love when people share their knowledge and experience, but wouldn't it be a pity if nobody notices! Thanks a lot!

@Izzy It looks like Taylor posted instructions he used to root his phone to begin with.  He's looking to reverse them and go back to stock.  Pretty sure we have a question that covers it.

@Chahk Reading it again with your comment in mind makes me pretty sure you're correct :) So maybe we rather encourage Taylor to create a separate post on "How do I root the Samsung Galaxy Express", placing his process as an answer, and link it here? That would be a profit to all, himself included! Taylor: you might also take a look at our tags for odin and heimdall for "partly alternatives" to Kies.

Samsung Kies is no longer recognizing your phone because you've replaced the operating system by installing a custom ROM (CyanogenMod in this case.)  Simply rooting it and leaving stock Samsung firmware would've been sufficient, and wouldn't interfere with Kies.  You should have stopped after the "Install SuperSU" step.
With that said, here are the instructions for returning back to stock Samsung firmware:

Galaxy Express comes in different flavors, depending on your country and/or carrier.  Find out the exact model number of your device (e.g. GT-I8730/T for international version, or SGH-i437 for US AT&T/GoPhone) and download the latest firmware from here. Make sure to pick the correct region.
Make sure you have taken a full backup of the contents of your device. Flashing factory firmware will wipe your device clean.
Extract the downloaded zip file to your desktop. You should get a file with a .tar.md5 extension (.md5 extension may not be visible in Windows)
Download ODIN (instructions here). This is a special tool used to flash firmware files on to Samsung devices. Extract the downloaded zip file to your desktop
Make sure you have installed all the necessary device drivers for your phone on your PC. You can also get the drivers by installing Samsung Kies
On your phone, enable USB Debugging from Settings -> Developer Options
On the PC, launch ODIN. Click the PDA button in ODIN and load the stock 4.1.2 firmware .tar file you got in Step 3
Make sure everything else in ODIN is left at default values. Just make sure Auto Reboot and F.Reset Time boxes are checked, and the RePartition box is left unchecked
Switch off your device and reboot it to Download Mode by pressing and holding Volume Down+Home+Power buttons together. At the warning screen, press Volume Up to enter Download Mode
Connect your phone to the PC via USB cable now
ODIN should display the message Added! and the ID:COM port box in ODIN will turn yellow
Click the Start button in ODIN to start flashing the stock firmware on to your device.
Once ODIN has successfully flashed the file, it should display the message PASS!, and your phone should reboot automatically
Disconnect your device from the PC now, and proceed to set up your phone.

After the above process is successfully completed, you can try rooting your phone again.  This time do not install a custom firmware, and you should be all set.


text:
What does waiting/clock icon next to a message mean and what if I delete message in this state?
When my device is not connected to any network (WiFi/Cellular data) and I send any message, I have seen a waiting/clock icon next to that message.
So what exactly does that mean? Is that message added to a queue for next batch process to inform server or something else?
And during that state (waiting/clock icon next to message) if I delete that message, will that deleted message still be delivered to the recipient?
Actually, I mistakenly sent a message to one of my contacts and luckily that time I was not connected to any network. After a few seconds when I realized this, I deleted that message. But I am not sure if it got deleted completely or it will get delivered when I reconnect to any network. I don't want that message to be delivered to the recipient, so I had disabled all networks on my device.

If not connected, it most likely stands for "scheduled", as you've assumed correctly. If deleted in that state, it should not be sent (how could it?).

@Izzy Yes even i think same. But not sure, how whatsapp devp had implemented.

That I can't tell either. I'm not even using Whatsapp :)

The Clock icon means that you haven't sent the message yet. If you see a single tick mark it means that you have sent the message and it has been received by the WhatsApp server(but not the destined user)
If you see a double tick mark, that means the message has been received by the recipient too.
If a message has a single tick with it, it can't be stopped from getting to the user. But if you sent a message when offline and deleted when the phone was offline I don't think the message will reach its destination.

Yes, ideally message should not reach to recipient and get deleted completely. But not sure, how whatsapp devp had implemented.

After 10 or more minutes you should get a notification that replaces the +⏰ (Message Symbol with a Clock overlaid) with a red 'Triangle Exclamation Mark' and a sending failure message. Clicking on the Message gives the usual options but if you scroll down it will say "Retry Sending" (so you know it wasn't sent). Clicking on it also offer the option to delete. Different Phones may have different options than HTC.

Based on my experience, if you send a message with no internet connectivity (clock sign appears), it shouldn't go to their server. If you delete it for everyone, it should immediately get deleted. But what happens after is if you now turn your net on, the message goes despite deleting it for everyone.


text:
galaxy s2 wont turn on just keeps popping up us cellular symbol than re does it again
My galaxy s2 charges normally but when I turn it on, it starts up and then just randomly keeps restarting. I have taken out the battery and it still does it. It also charges just fine when I just plug in my charger to my phone it shows up like it normally does with the battery and the dots under it. It was working just fine about 2 hours ago and now it wont load at all!
How do I fix this?

Are you rooted? Using a custom ROM?

Which android version you are using? Are you using stock firmware or any custom ROM?

As you correctly tagged your question 'boot-loop': have you checked the boot-loop tag-wiki? As many other tags, it contains some useful first-aid hints. You can reach those tag-wikis easily: hover your mouse over the tag, then select "info" in the pop-up. Or simply click/tapp the tag, and then select "Learn more..." (or simply the "info" tab).


text:
Can I charge my Samsung tablet without the plug in charger? Are there any other ways?
I have a Samsung Galaxy Tablet but my charger is a little broken. It only charges if I play around with it but that frustrates me. Is there any other way I can charge my tablet without wasting money? Can I plug it in an Apple computer or Dell?

As with all other devices, any USB power source should do: laptop, computer, etc.

The charger needs to output at least 2A to charge.
While by default USB ports don't output that much, Asus has a bit of software called AI Charger that should let you charge off some USB ports. Lifehacker reports it works on other motherboards and some Android devices.
However in the long run, getting the charger is a much better idea. You can use it on other devices (like future tablets!), and you're not tricking your desktop or laptop into doing something it normally does not do.

2A is undoubtedly preferred but it is not required. See this answer to a related question.

unscientifically, I've not had much luck charging my tablet off USB, though I grant I've not tried AI Charger myself despite having a compatible motherboards. I still think getting an approved, compatible charger is the smart thing to do here, however

One of the main advantages to USB chargers is standards-based compatibility - you can plug a phone or tablet into the USB port on your computer and it should charge without and software, settings, or modification. The amperage negotiated with that port will be lower than 2 A though (500-1500 mA) which is why a dedicated 2 A wall charger works more quickly.

I ran into a similar situation, I just bought a USB wall charger. This way you can charge your IPod, tablet or whatever all from the same USB socket.
As Izzy stated in the comments, you can always just plug it into your computer as well.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/GoPro---USB-Wall-Charger/6608113.p?id=1218767500831&skuId=6608113

I wouldn't buy one online, just go to Walmart (or your Walmart equivalent). Almost all cell phone stores carry them as well, but they sometimes charge more for them.


text:
Block Google Play installing certain applications
I want to block the Google Play Store from installing a certain list of applications or only allow the Google Play Store to install that list of applications.
Is there any way to write a program to do that?

Are you trying to get rid of stock applications that your phone won't allow you to remove?

All the applications are fine.  I am preventing the users trying to install some apps that the admin doesn't allow them to install on the mobile phone.  To make an example, suppose a corporation distributes company-controlled phones to its employees but the company doesn't want its employees to install any app that the company doesn't allow.

So you're probably looking into some kind of "device administrator" stuff. I'm not familiar with that, but the keyword might prove helpful to your search ;)

If you really want to know about writing an app to do this, then this question is better suited for Stack Overflow. A moderator can migrate it for you if you flag the question and ask them nicely. I've not flagged your post myself in case there's some non-development solution to your problem. In the meantime, it's possible to use a Broadcast Receiver to receive "package installed" events, and may be possible to use the PackageManager to uninstall them.

Your specific question is:

Is there any way to write a program to do that?

Yes, it would be hard for the Android programmer novice, but it can be done. It would be a lot easier to do with root permission as well. For a long time companies liked to stick with BlackBerry because they were easier to 'child lock'. More and more, I am actually seeing people with IPhones now having this 'company child lock software'.
I'm sure companies out there are making software for Android devices that inhibit the use of certain apps and prevent downloading them all together. You could probably pay to get this software onto a device but it would probably be very expensive.

There's also the BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) model they could use. That's like Samsung Knox (expect to see more of this sort of thing in Android going forward, but that's not official yet shhh). You have your apps and your things yourself, but the secure Knox part of the device will only allow enterprise / white listed applications to be installed. Any custom kernels / ROMs will trigger Knox permanently and might be a good corporate solution. For the record: I HATE Knox, but that's another conversation!


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How to gain S-OFF on HTC Salsa
I want to root my HTC Salsa phone. According to this link I need to gain S-OFF on my Mobile.
There is nice article to gain S-OFF.
But my Question: Is there an alternative way, without using any hardware to gain S-OFF ?

I've just added your device to our rooting index (linking here), as it is not yet covered on our site. You might want to check the questions on other HTC devices linked from there, as S-OFF is a HTC speciality. It might turn up something useful, until a direct answer turns up here. If you found a solution yourself, feel free to answer your own question and accept the answer :)

the Salsa is supported by the official HTCdev bootloader unlock process
While this does not make your phone S-OFF (which would allow overwriting things like the radio software), it does make enough of the partitions writable to install custom recoveries like ClockWorkMod, root the device (by installing rooting packages like superuser or SuperSU), and install custom ROMs that don't need updated bootloaders (the vast majority).

Not Helpful buddy, Because that will not increase my Internal Memory.

Nothing will increase the physical amount of memory. 2) Most methods to deal with lack of memory in a certain partition only require root or custom ROMs (app2SD, etc.) so work fine with HTC unlock. 3) Are you talking about some sort of bizarre repartitioning process?


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selecting a chime in Caynax Hourly Chime
In Caynax Hourly Chime when I select chime option a dialog with a Search button appears. But while I have some sound file in my SD it do not show them. How can I choose chime file in this app?

You need to place your audio files in the correct directory structure, as I explained in this answer:
There are special directories you can use to store your custom "noises". The "starting point" (root-of-noises-dir) may be different between devices (so this is rather a generic answer, as I do not own all of them) -- pick one and check if it works, if not, pick the next:
/sdcard/media/audio
/sdcard/media
/sdcard

In there, put the directories for the specific events:
┌───────────────┬───────────────────────┐
| directory     | description           |
├───────────────┼───────────────────────┤
| alarms        | for your alarm clock  |
| notifications | for... notifications? |
| ringtones     | for incoming calls    |
| ui            | keyboard click etc.   |
└───────────────┴───────────────────────┘

Then place your sound files into the appropriate directories. Done. Now you should be able to pick them in your configuration(s).
Alternatively, for an easy, non-techy way, you might want to take a look at the Ringdroid app (a Howto can be found e.g. at MakeTechEasier).

Thanks, In my device such folders are in /sdcard/*. Also I have some mp3 files in them, unfortunately yet the app do not show the mp3 files.

I don't know the Caynax, so I cannot tell for sure. Have you tried all 3 variants? Which one finally works might be differently implemented by the vendors' custumizations. For an easy, non-techy way, you might want to take a look at the Ringdroid app (Howto).

free app version lists all sounds up to 30 sec. You don't need to place them in specific folder. To refresh list that app uses you can unmount sdcard and place it again and then start app. if you have really lots of sound files it might take awhile to load.


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Restore Weather App Samsung Galaxy S2
I seem to have deleted the weather app that came with my Galaxy S2 - is there an easy way to re-install it?

Factory reset, but you probably don't want to do that.

Aah - the old computer problem - little pink digit on end of hand causes disaster!  Thanks Al, I may try a factory reset simply because all sorts of enthusiastic 'helpers' have put a load of rubbish on my phone!

Was it an app or a widget? My S3 has a weather widget that has no associated app icon. Also, are you still using Touchwiz or are you using a different launcher? On my S3, the weather widget only shows up in Touchwiz, it doesn't show up in Nova Launcher.

It just appeared on the phone with no associated icon.  After a restart to solve a wi-fi problem the area it normally occupied was just a blank space ith a line around it and in trying to resolve the problem I deleted it.  It didn't matter which launcher I used the weather display appeared automatically.

Just a quick note - did a factory reset and it all went very easily.  I did backup to my Kies so everything was saved.  My message to anyone out there worrying about the reset - don't, just back up and all should be fine.  Weather widget now back!


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Can't download files to HTC One X
My phone has stopped allowing me to download any files to the download folder on my sdcard. The download folder is now empty too which it wasn't before and I never deleted the files manually. Its a HTC One X+ so the sdcard is internal rather than an sdcard I've provided. I can still download from the Play Store, update apps or install new ones but anything I try and download through any browser fails regardless of file type. If I browse to the download folder in root browser I can't create a new folder, operation failed. I can create new folders in the sdcard just not in download folder of sdcard. I'm assuming a mount problem of some sort?

Could you provide some error messages? Or a logcat snippet?

This is usually related to a corrupted FAT partition (I think the HOX+ uses FAT32 for the internal sdcard). I would back up everything off your "sdcard" and then format it.


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How can i turn off the message received tick
I have a sony ericsoon xperia x10 mini.  when I send a text message, a tick appears to let tme know it has been received by the recipient.  This costs me money, how do I turn this off?  I have looked through the menu and cannot seem to find the answer.

Message App--> Setting -->Turn off  Delivery Report

I advise you to start the Messaging App to see if a Settings menu is attached to the application, rather than as a General Setting. Look for a setting similar to the name "Delivery Report" or "Delivery Confirmation", and turn it off.


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Combining Facebook contacts with SIM card numbers
I have a new HTC One Mini and I can only import all of my contacts from Facebook, not just the ones I want in my phonebook contacts list, so that is really annoying.
Also, I added a few numbers to the SIM card, but I can't combine them with the Facebook contact that ubersync has come up with; I also can't add numbers to the existing Facebook contacts.
In addition, I can't edit the contacts I've added so far to the SIM card, so they can have images like in Facebook.
Adding contacts to this phone is really annoying the hell out of me, am I being stupid?

Let me explain in brief the difference between SIM storage and Phone storage. The later section will contain your solution.
There are two types of storage options for contacts, messages, etc.
SIM Storage-The contacts that will be stored in the SIM card of the service provider of your device are called SIM stored contacts.
Advantages:-

You can have your contacts safely stored and is highly portable. Even if tomorrow your phone crashes (formatting, etc.), you will have your contacts with you and don't need to search for them as when you place the SIM in another device, the contacts from the SIM memory will be displayed easily.

Your contacts will be safe and private because most applications have access to only the phone memory but not to the SIM memory, so some annoying apps cannot leak your contacts info to other third party's

Disadvantages:-

As you know, the SIM card has very limited space, so it cannot have more contacts to be stored.

Bigger names cannot be saved as there are restrictions to store a name with a limited set of characters (approximately 6 or 7).

If you lost the SIM, then you have lost all your contacts irrespective of the storage area where you stored them.

Cannot personalise the contacts stored in the SIM (adding pictures, date of birth, email id, etc.)

Double display of contact numbers (if you use what's an app like messenger, it will display double contacts: list 1 with the SIM card and 2 with the WhatsApp contacts list).

Phone storage-The contacts which are stored in the phone's storage area and have a predefined space limit by the Manufacturer are phone storage contacts.
Advantages:-

As the contacts storage area is more you can store more contacts when compared to the SIM card.

Personalise add/modify any details to your contacts (third-party apps can add photos, etc. to your contacts display).

No double display of contacts if you are using any messenger because all the details of one contact are displayed under a single name.

Apps can check your contacts in phone memory and can update it with all the relevant information.

Disadvantages:-

As your contacts are being stored on the phone memory, your contacts will not be portable because if tomorrow your phone crashes/is modified/updated, then you lose all the contacts because the complete phone memory will be wiped out.

You will lose security over your contacts as most applications have access to the phone memory and will eventually leak the data to their servers.

Now coming to the answer, you can simply combine your Facebook contacts with all the details like photos by

Step 1:-First, move all your contacts in phone memory

Step 2-Under the display option, disable view contacts from SIM (in order to avoid duplicate from SIM card).

Step 3-Next as you have your contacts on your phone, you can simply synchronize your contacts with your Facebook mobile application.

Step 4 (not necessary but good to follow)-After a complete synchronization, restart your device and then you can see the pictures of the user from the relevant apps you use.

Upload all of your sim contacts to gmail contacts with email addresses of contacts.
Then select the facebook account from the accounts and choose to sync to existing contacts.

It is currently working on my galaxy note 2.


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Sound on Power-On
I want a sound to be played when the user presses the power button, Since I am customizing Android for Visually Challenged people this feature might let them know if the tablet has actually powered on or not.
This feature is by default switched off in my firmware. And also I think that since this sound comes just when the device is switched on, that is, before the Android Boots, the power on sound should be a function of underlying Linux kernel.
Any clue how to go about it and turn it on. Thanks in advance.

As you describe it as "underlying kernel functionality", it is rather a development question (and thus would be off topic here). Initially you however describe you want the sound being played whenever the power button is pressed; things like that are usually doable using Tasker. However, when pressing the power button usually the screen reacts (switching either on or off); if a user cannot see that, I'm a bit at a loss regarding how (s)he shall use the device at all?

@Izzy: I'm a bit at a loss regarding how (s)he shall use the device at all?
That is handled by some customized TTS and gestures enabled launcher.
Anyways I have no clue about the Tasker..let me look into it.

Two links for you: Tasker (Playstore) and my personal Tasker ressources listing. The latter is mostly German, but you'll figure the links and headlines (plenty of English stuff in there as well). And right, there was "haptic feedback" and TTS. Just hard to imagine if one's not affected... I could write up an answer with some useful Tasker examples (TTS, haptics, voice-control) if that would help you, just let me know.

@Izzy: I couldn't relate to what link I should look into even after translating the page into English. Anyways I don't want to install some app (and that too paid..:P); I want to know some code level details as to where I can turn some boolean from false to true to play the sound on power button press or just rectify the path to the power_on.ogg. or something along those lines.

First, there's a free 7-day trial on the Tasker homepage. Second: for "code level details", this is the wrong place -- for that you'd rather check with our brothers and sisters at Stack Overflow. However, my offer stands if you count it as a possible solution: I can compile an answer with useful automation for your case, such as specific feedback, voice control, and the like.

One of the brothers and sister from stack overflow suggested me that these question are not related to android development and should not be posted there..hence I deleted my question from stack overflow..:X
Anyways where should I go for Firmware question or that brother was not correct??

As I wrote: We deal with problems on the user-end here -- and development stuff ("code level details") is off-topic (see our [FAQ]). You might, however, want to check with Where can I ask questions that aren't Android Enthusiast questions? for a good place, if SO doesn't accept the topic either. I'd say the XDA community should be a good place.


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Using the same Skype number on computer and phone
I have a Skype account on my computer. I have a need to have the same number on my cell phone.  What do I need to do?

Install Skype application for your phone
Login using your Skype ID & Password (which you are using on your system).

Your Skype account information is held on the Skype servers, not your local device, so from Skype installed anywhere you can just login with the same Skype name and password. I agree with the first answer.


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Do Android devices become slower with time?
I own a Galaxy S (2.3.5 / GT-I9000 / BVJV3) and use it since two and a half years. I also have bought more recent hardware, like an iPad Mini and a more recent Android tablet, which comparatively are much more reactive.
So I was wondering if the slowness of my device was just a feeling, or if devices actually become less responsive with time ? The phone is always lagging (click sounds always a second behind), running the basic functions of the phone (messages, phone, contacts) always need a good 4 seconds to actually show on screen, returning to the home screen sometimes takes 5 to 10 seconds while it's doing something to the icons. A game like Pudding Monsters is bacically unplayable, but I didn't expect this phone to run recent games.

Have you tried doing a factory restore? Was it like this when you bought it?

I would say yes. I know for instance that my Windows computers become slower with time. This is because I am using them every day. I install and uninstall applications, most of them leave shitty data behind, some of them manage to screw up and bloat the registry, and it all just adds up. Even when not installing too many applications, just by using them data is generated. Therefore I try to keep it a policy to reinstall Windows (or any other OS) at least two times a year. Now-days Windows and applications for Windows have become more efficient and effective though.

I didn't want to evoke Windows because I haven't used it for a very long time (before XP) , but this was a recurring problem at that time (the slow bloating of the system that invariably ended by "formatting the computer") that looks similar to what I'm witnessing.

Yeah, it's like that Daft Punk song, Technologic. "Name it, rate it, tune it, print it, Scan it, send it, fax - rename it, Touch it, bring it, pay it, watch it, Turn it, leave it, start - format it." It's all part of a technological life cycle. So I suggest you "format it". I'm sure it wasn't like that when you first bought it?..

You might want to take a look into My device is getting slow, apps start misbehaving/crashing. What can I do?


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How to make automatic SIM card selection for specific contacts?
Everytime I call someone I change SIM card to one of them and call from that SIM card. Is it possible to assign a SIM card for each contact, so that when calling a contact the phone select the SIM card automatically based on the settings?
Even if a contact is saved in first SIM card but currently second is active, phone uses second to call.

I don't have a Samsung device but in my devices (with 4.2.1 and 4.4.2) the default contacts app has an option to associate SIM card with an individual contact. Open Contacts -> tap contact name -> press menu key and select Associate. See if you also have this option in your default said app

The menu contains only these: "Edit", "Delete", "Share namecard via", "Add to reject list", "Add shortcut to home". I can't find "Associate".

There are some specific DualSIM apps helping you out here (I have no DualSIM device, so I cannot tell how well they work). Some dialer apps have specific support for this. The linked list is pretty short, so you might wish to check it. Also take a look at this list: a bit longer, but might have better hits ;)

Related playstore app

For lollipop versions, Goto
Settings -> Sim Cards -> Call settings -> Phone account settings -> Make calls with ->
Under this you will have three options

Sim 1
Sim 2
Ask First

Select Ask First option from that menu and when you call someone from the contacts, you will be shown the Sim 1 and Sim 2 option. Select the Remember SIM for number checkbox and select the sim card you want to associate the contact to. The next time you call that contact it will automatically call using the sim you configured as default(It wont show you the sim selection iption). Do remember that you can always switch the sim cards while connecting to call by clicking Change sim option.
Update:
For Kitkat,
First you need to enable this feature in
Dual SIM settings -> Call settings -> Automatic SIM selection.

The  setting for Dual SIM settings->Call settings->Making calls should be set as “Ask every time I make a call”.
Dual SIM settings -> Call settings -> Making calls.

Select Remember SIM for number and then select either SIM 1 or SIM 2 to make the call. The next time you  make a call to that contact it will automatically call using the sim you configured as default based on the call history.

Your answer is promising but in Galaxy S4 Mini, I can't find "Phone account settings" in "Call Settings" menu

@Ashot What is the os version of your phone?

Android version is 4.4.2

@Ashot updated the answer check the kitkat solution..see if you can find the settings in your Samsung mobile..i have motorola so it might be different..

Is the selection really based on the phone number? How can you use each sim to call your voice-mail number, which is identical for each SIM/provider? I'm using Android 5.0.2.

@Bas I don't think it's based on phone number. It's based on the SIM selection(SIM1 or SIM2). I cannot understand your second question.

@Lucky: Sorry I was not very clear. The screenshot has a check-box 'Remember SIM for number'. I was asking how that feature works, I live in the Netherlands where most telecom providers use the number 1233 to call your voice-mail box, if the remember SIM feature remembers your decision based on the number you are calling, I can't have 2 contacts (one for each provider) that uses the correct SIM to call to the respective voicemail-boxes.

i cant find this option in galaxy S5 with android 5.0
mainly i cant find "Dual SIM settings"

I can't find these settings in samsung core. Need help.

Is it possible to have an auto-selection of the used SIM based on the called number? Like for example if I call a number starting with +7, use SIM1, if +49, then SIM2, otherwise ask.

@DannyLo You should ask that as a new question.


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Upgraded my device from KitKat to Lollipop, is there a way to get the airplane mode back to the power options?
I recently upgraded my phone's OS from KitKat to Lollipop, and noticed that when I press the power button for an extended time to open the power options, there is no longer a quick button to put the device into airplane mode, which was present in the KitKat version. The only way I can now put my phone to airplane mode is via the settings menu, which is not as fast and effective as it used to be. Does anyone know if it is possible to add the airplane mode function to the power options and if so, how can I do this?

you'll probably need root at least. does the notification bar toggles not have airplane mode included?

Yes, seems the notification bar has airplane mode included when swiped all the way down. That will be my new quick way to access it

This is the way Google wanted the power menu to work in Android Lollipop. It's just terribly inconvenient for those who used Android before. But if you really need to bring back the feature and have a rooted phone, you can try this method which works on Nexus.
But you don't need to go to the settings to enable Airplane mode. From the top of the screen, just swipe down twice or drag down once using two fingers to reveal the Airplane mode toggle.
It's the quickest way to use the Airplane mode in Lollipop. Some apps in play store(Power Toggles, Toggle Airplane) has shortcuts to enable Airplane mode but you need a rooted phone for that to work.

the swiping was new to me since just getting acquainted with the new Lollipoop, thanks for the help.


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Android voice recorder with unlimited recording time
I've tried the Bighand and Tape-a-Talk Voice Recorder apps, but both only seem to record continuously for about 1 hour.  Is there an Android app which will allow me to record until I run out of storage space?

I use PCM Recorder and it will record until it consumes entire storage space.  Also, I am able to use the phone for other tasks and PCM Recorder seems to keep recording in background, which is cool. I can even lock the phone and there by switch off the display which makes the drain on battery to very minimal, in par with the stock voice recorder application.

I've been testing this over the last 2 days and did a total of 3 recordings.  Recording 1 stopped after 6 hours and was around 2.1Gb.  Recording 2 stopped after 6 hours and was around 2.1Gb.  Recording 3 I manually stopped after 3 hours and noticed that it only recorded audio in the first hour, the remaining 2 hours were silent.  So it seems that PCM Recorder does not consume the entire storage space...  I have a 16Gb card, and 2.1Gb twice only takes up 4.2Gb.  So why is it stopping after 6 hours or 2.1Gb?

I have used PCM recorder for recording 8 hours session. The recording was stopped my me as my need was over. Also the Google's Play web page for this app says 'Records no time limit'. Hence this should be either a bug or some other issue. Can you send your observation to the developer of the app and share with us what he/she says?

Will do.  I've found that you can get about 18 hours at the lowest hz, but only 6 hours at the highest hz... I'll pass on a note to the developers to find out why they have Records no time limit in the description.

I've not known and used any voice recorder on Android except Smart Voice Recorder. It's got good ratings too.

Try Dictadroid, the highest ranked voice recorder on Google Play. Just set the recording capacity setting to "Unlimited".

This app is incompatible with my phone according to play.google.com.  Putting that aside for a moment, does this app also have a 6 hour or 2.1Gb limit per recording?


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Get rid of 'battery-low' popup after some delay?
I'm using an Android phone (a Motorola Defy+ running CM9) with OsmAnd as a map solution mounted on my motorcycle (it just shows the map and a gpx-track as a driving hint).
It's not connected to a charger yet and I don't mind when it runs out of battery (I have spare ones).
However there's this "battery low" message popping up at 15% downwards. It covers a huge part of the map and stays there until you hit the OK button which does not work with gloves on and during the ride at all.
That remaining 15% still give >1h runtime which I want to enjoy withouth nagging popups!
Is there a way to hide it completely or get rid of it after some seconds automatically?

That is hard-coded into the framework am afraid.
Look in frameworks/base/core/java/android/os/Power.java
public static final int LOW_BATTERY_THRESHOLD = 10;

The alternative is to roll-your-own ROM to do this, there's a broadcast intent for battery low warnings (ACTION_BATTERY_LOW) but that's only for system signed apps AFAIK and cannot be intercepted.
The alternative is to listen for the ACTION_BATTERY_CHANGED broadcast and perhaps using Tasker, just to mute the battery warning sound...

Anticipated that, sadly... Any idea how to automatically 'click' it away with tasker??? It's not the sound that annoys me but that it needs my attention and an action (click away) before I can see the map again (not possible with motorcycle gloves).

hmmmm....http://www.robotbriefs.com/tasker/2010/8/29/battery-low-profile.html

ah, a tasker profile. Not really good at tasker (although I have bought it once)... Thanks, looking at it atm... Maybe there's a way to click it away

I'm afraid t0mm13b is correct. Searching around, I found Low Battery Sound Silencer in the playstore. In the app description you can read: Note that the low battery window still will be shown, since it is not possible to eliminate it. for an app like that, I'd assume the dev really did look for it.


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Is there any old style keyboard (numpad style) available for Android?
I have a smaller screen Android Phone (LG Optimus One P500).
Does anyone know whether there is a keyboard available for Android phones that has an "old phone" style? Like a numpad style? Here's an image example:

The reason I'm asking for this style of keyboard is:

This style uses only 12 buttons. So the buttons are large and very spaced out. You can click on them easily without having to strain your eyes too much.
You can quickly keep clicking away without having to spell out each word because the dictionary will take care of that. So "moon" becomes 4 clicks on the numpad 6. How fast is that?

I sure personally feel that lots of people are used to this kind of keyboard layout (from the times before Android became so popular). I don't understand why I can't find keyboards with this kind of a simple layout but I would be very grateful if someone could help me find an app like this.
Edit: Forgot to mention. I'm not looking for paid apps right now but would consider it if they have a trial.

You're not likely to find a free app that lets you tap each key once, using a dictionary. This feature is called T9 and is patented, so even an open-source project would have to pay a large license fee to offer it.

Well...Look for a keyboard that has a T9 layout.
As an example, I use Smart Keyboard Pro (which is a paid app, but a trial is available) and you can choose from the full, T9 and compact modes for portrait as well as landscape orientation. There are tons of other customizable options and considering that a keyboard that one is comfortable with, is what allows one to at their productive best, I opted to buy the full version.

Try Multiling keyboard. It's free, it supports multiple languages, it have two numeric layout for you to choose from.

You can try GO SMS Pro. It lets you select between 2 different layouts.

It's not the T9 style that you're looking for, but I use the MessagEase keyboard. Here's a sample:

As you can see, it certainly has large buttons. It's also far more capable than any other keyboard I've run across. From the keyboard shown, you can enter lowercase letters, uppercase letters, numbers, symbols, cursor movement commands, and more. Some are entered with a single tap, but most are entered with a simple gesture, such as a swipe or circle.
It also features word completion, which you can see in the screenshot, but I rarely use it, since I find my typing speed is fast enough not to bother with it unless I'm typing a really long word. The learning curve is steep, but worth the effort, in my opinion.
(In case anyone is wondering, I have no association with the development of MessagEase, I'm just a satisfied user.)


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Desire password-required login for Facebook on Android
I would like the security of mandatory password login to Facebook from my phone.  How to do this on Samsung Galaxy Express?

I don't see a setting within the app. I think you'll need to manually log out.

As AlEverett has stated, there is not a setting within the app to do this. Though you could download the free app called App Lock and set a password that way on whatever apps that you'd like.


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Map HTC Logo on HTC One
Is there any way to have the HTC Logo on the HTC One (between the home and back buttons) to be used as a multitasking button AND press and hold for a menu button?

There are custom kernels supporting the HTC logo as a button. You might e.g. want to check tbaldens kernel @ XDA, which is available in different variants underlying the logo with different features:

HOME2Wake and HTCLogo2Sleep
HOME2Wake and HTCLogoMenu

Watch the videos over at XDA-Developers to see how it works. It is not the combination you asked for, but maybe that one was added later as a variant (another dev continued with a fork in this second thread, which lists a few more details), or you can ask the dev to do so.

I have already looked at those, neither of which serve my purposes

To my knowledge, at this time there don't exist other solutions. Which does of course not mean it won't ever be: I'm pretty sure more solutions will pop up with the time.


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Turn off cell standby?
I have a Droid Charge, but I live overseas and it's not an international phone so I can only use it for wifi. It is constantly searching for a signal that doesn't exist and it's eating my battery up! Is there a way to turn off the cell signal while keeping the wifi on?

I don't know for the Droid Charge in special, but on many phones you can turn off the radio separatly. And even if that doesn't work, in your case it should be fine to simply enter airplane mode, and then activate WiFi again (plus Bluetooth, when needed) -- which eventually has the very same effect.
I remember having used Dazzle Configurable Switcher for this on my old HTC Wildfire (to turn off radio separatly), and it worked like a charm. On my Motorola Milestone 2, however, I was not given that choice -- but could use the work-around described.

Most Android devices I've owned don't allow Bluetooth in Airplane Mode. (That's a LG Optimus V, a Motorola Triumph, and a LG Nexus 4.)

Admitted, I rarely use BT -- but that's new to me. Will check with my LG P880 and Motorola Milestone 2 to verify -- it definitly works with my tablets (Android 4.1.1).

I meanwhile tried: I can enable BT while in airplane mode, on all devices I checked (including a Motorola Milestone 2 running CM7.2 and a LG P880 with stock ROM). Strange that you can't...

Just tested my Nexus 4 and it worked. I swear it wouldn't let me do that before. I definitely had to tweak a setting on one of the older phones to make BT work with Airplane Mode on.

The trick to turn on airplane mode and then switch back on wifi works but if I go in the battery settings, the cell standby still shows up with 41% of battery usage.

Toggle Cell worked for me. When turned on, the Cell standby goes down to 20%.

@GuillaumeBois sounds interesting, but not always desireable: that app switches off the cell antenna when connected to configured WiFi networks. That means, you can no longer receive or make calls, and no longer receive or send text messages until you leave the WiFi. Heavy trade IMHO – unless you're using a solution that does VoIP anyway.

Set airplane mode.
Under phone setting, enable airplane mode. When this happens your phone's WiFi will turn off, but you can activate WiFi again.
Airplane mode ONLY disables your phones radio. It usually turns off other communication features such as WiFi and Bluetooth but these can be turned on again.
There is also a detailed article on using an Android phone as a WiFi only device (no cellar connection).


text:
Google+ Photo Backup Failed
I have an HTC Inspire and I'm trying to use the new Google+ auto backup. All the photos say "Backup Failed". However, it is uploading the videos.  I have checked every setting that I know of and it looks like it is setup right.  Any ideas?

Did you set your photos to be uploaded when there is Wi-Fi or mobile data or just when there is Wi-Fi? Do you have a good Wi-Fi connection? Are you trying to "Back up all" to backup your previous photos?

This method seems to work for me: Try deleting Google+ data/cache, then start Google+ app. It will log you in and then you can choose Auto Backup setting. You can then go to Sync settings, untick "Sync Google+ Auto Backup" and then tick it again. You can also go to the Google+ app settings and get it to upload all your photos/videos to start the sync.

Taking advice from this post: http://productforums.google.com/d/msg/google-plus-discuss/d3s4VKI3yWo/bq39QiqknWoJ

Another solution that worked for me was turning off Standard size in
the Auto Backup settings altogether. When taking a new 8MP jpg using
my camera and when Photo Size was set to Full Size in Google+, all the
photos seem to be successfully uploading without error. This further
confirms that the error is arising when Google+ is trying to convert
larger jpgs to standard size.

I tried taking pictures at different resolutions, from 1.9MP - 8MP. 3.8MP and below uploaded without a problem. Anything with a higher resolution still failed.
So, the solution for now seems to be:

take pictures at a lower resolution
or

Change the Photo Size setting in Auto Backup from "Standard size" to "Full size"


text:
Custom Boot animation is not working in Android Jelly Bean
I am reading this tutorial for creating a custom boot animation.
I have created a custom bootanimation.zip and put this file into the system/media/ folder but it's not working. When I replace it with the original bootanimation.zip it works fine.
How can I get my custom boot animation to work?

I have tried to clean up your post to make it more understandable. Please [edit] it if I misinterpreted what you were saying.

What device do you have? Reading that link it seems there are limitations on some devices. Also, have you unzipped the original boot animation to see that yours looks similar?

@MichaelKohne smile tablet  1024*768 resoltion 7 inch.


text:
Can't turn on my Galaxy s2 sprint SPH-D710
I tried to root my Galaxy s2 Sprint. I turned my phone off and went to downloading mode, then I turned the odin and connected my phone to pc. After it, i hit start and nothing happened except saying "do not turn off the target." So I waited an hour and nothing happened or downloaded. SO i though theres so glitch in odin so i unplugged it and turned it off. Then tried to turn it on but it didn't. The screen is black on the blue light on. I tried to go back to downloading mode but it didn't respond. Now I can't turn it on or charge. When I stated to root my battery was full.

Isn't there something missing? Your S2 said that right away when you started the Odin programm? No other components (say, some image you tried to flash, or some file to transfer)? One doesn't usually just connect Odin and then do nothing. And even if, that IMHO doesn't change anything in the device :)

I used odin excution v1.81, i hit start and waited. No files were transfered.

Start what? OK, looks like I don't get it at all, but isn't Odin used to flash something instead of flashing nothing? Just start Odin, and hit "Start"? Didn't you select any files in the section above the start button?


text:
Twitter keeps showing a notification about the same Direct Message
I've deleted the message from twitter on my computer, and from my phone both using the native twitter app, TweetDeck and the builtin social app. Yet every morning I've got a notice in my status bar and it's the same DM. I've received other DMs since then. Any idea what's going on?

Which app did you originally use to send the DM? Try clearing data for that app.

It's a DM I received!

Do you know which app is showing the notification?

I'll add here that I had a similar problem, where Tweetdeck (TD) kept notifying me of a particular DM every time I opened it (like every few days on restarts for whatever reason). It was quite annoying. I searched and found this discussion, though no solution.
And then I found the solution (in TD, at least): it turns out that in TD's column holding my messages, I had not specifically clicked on the message to "read" it (which I guess marks it "read").  Clicking on the "notification" pop that TD was showing didn't do it.
I realize the OP may have solved this long ago. Hope it may help others.

This seems like a bug in one of the apps you use. Best you can do is report it to their developers through the Play store.


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cannot play or copy corrupted video
I have a Samsung galaxy S4. I have changed the settings so that the pictures and video taken from the phone camera are saved in a folder on the external memory card.
Usually this works quite well.
I took a quite long video recently (>1 min) resulting in a file of 119MB.
The issue: The file seem corrupted. If I play it with VLC on my phone, it works for the first few seconds, then VLC crashes.
I have tried to copy the file to my PC using Airdroid, but the download fails at some point after 11.3MB (each time exactly at the same point). hence I suspect it is an issue with a bad sector on the memory card (Although I am not a specialist and open to other possibilities)
I have done a few searched on Internet but not found any solution so far.
I tried for instance this tutorial, but this assumes that I can copy the file which I can't.
It is a great video so I really would like to recover it. Help!

Please try the following steps to see if your issue is getting resolved:

Install Web PC Suite from Play Store
Open the IP address shown on your phone or use scan QR code
Then try to download your file on your computer

This software is really good, fast and works very well.
Second method:

You can try using an OTG cable (on-the-go cable for S4)
Connect your pen drive to your phone using the OTG cable and then see if you are able to copy the file to your pen drive.

Since you have mentioned AirDroid in your question, I believe you want to do it wirelessly, so you can try "Web PC Suite".
There are other ways too, but you can try the first method to see if your problem gets resolved.

If the file is corrupt, using a different program to copy it won't change the result.

I had similar problem last week and I thought the file was corrupted but after copying it to my computer it worked just fine. Just a suggestion to the user to make it work. Using different program helped many times in my experience.

@Sam is the software you are refering to "PS (pc suite wifi explorer)" by editor "SPIDREN INC." ?

No it is not the right one.. software is called "web pc suite v1.0.3" by Geeksoft.. I am giving you the link from where you can download this software from play store  or app brain https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.geeksoft.wps  or http://www.appbrain.com/app/web-pc-suite/com.geeksoft.webdroid please try. I use this software regularly and it works very well.


text:
Android crashes in a Bak BK-NB711G
I have a netbook device running Android, Gingerbread 2.3.x, but it does not load.
Upon boot-up, it is forever stuck on the familiar splash screen with Android written on it.
Can someone help me?
Edit: I have taken the liberty in editing this question, the device in question comes from this site

That looks like it's frozen during boot (rather than crashed). Can you boot into recovery? If so, can you delete cache from there, and try booting again? A last ressort (requiring you to boot into recovery as well) is to factory-reset the device (beware that this will also delete your apps and data from that device).

More than likely its stuck in a boot-loop for whatever reason - what was the last app you installed prior to this issue?

@t0mm13b I did installed nothing, it happened after some time of use. Thanks, by the way, I had forgot to put any kind of referring to the device. '^_^

Can you run adb logcat with USB plugged into netbook from another computer?

I'll try connecting the netbook to my pc. What should appear in the screen if something's wrong?

@bluefirebolt You already know something's wrong. The log output might help us work out what's wrong.

@DanHulme I think he's asking what sort of messages to expect.


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LG Optimus P500 system essential apps deleted accidentally
I recently rooted my LG P500 successfully.
But after that, in removing some bloatware I deleted some of my system apps.
After that my notifications area is visible but my home screen and apps screen are not visible.
Also, I performed a factory reset to the phone. So the USB debugging is gone, so cannot connect through adb.
Please help!

If you performed a factory reset, it would restore the phone to its default state as if left the factory, at this point, the phone should be ok and booting normally, read you will have to re-root the device again, so what's the issue here?

I got this :) . Everything was working normally, but only the system default packages were deleted. I used LG MOBILE SUPPORT TOOL and update it again, which brings the phone default ROM to its original state. Thanks for the reply.


text:
ZTE Nubia Z5 Problem?
I have a Zte Nubia Z5 ("2nd Hand") with a software camera problem (I think is a software problem because the camera works sometimes)
The phone has Android 4.1.2. I tried to hard reset the phone but I just got a white screen. And I tried to enter into Recovery Mode and get the same white screen. The phone in adb devices is recognized as "NX501 Recovery". Normally is in "NX501 Device". That means something in the Recovery NAND or something I do not know is bad.
The phone was normally working fine, since my brother installed Chainfire 3D and is stuck in the boot logo, a normal tune is heard as normal like its entering in the OS. But still stuck on the boot logo. I read that is a Chainfire 3D problem in some devices.
So I start to try To install some custom recovery CWM, TWRP etc. It was difficult to find a Recovery because all the information you can find on the internet about this phone is in Chinese and Russian.
I did find a TWRP Recovery (Also a CWM too), but both in Chinese. I tried to enter in boot-loader mode to install the custom Recovery. The phone does go into the the boot-loader and gets recognized as a "Sooner ADB Device", but in ADB does not get recognized. With ANY of the ADB Drivers, ADB Composite, ADB Interface etc.!

try sudo fastboot flash recovery openrecovery-twrp-x.x.x.img or sudo flash recovery recovery-clockwork-x.x.x.img?

@t0mm13b Nothing Happend!


text:
Eclipse ROM on Droid X2 = no Wifi
Having a problem with a Droid X2 after installing the Eclipse ROM.  The Wifi connection won't connect, and upon looking in the settings window it just says, "Error".
Phone-> About shows version 2.3.5

You went through the whole "install 2.3.4 SBF, temp unroot, update to 2.3.5, etc." process, yes?  If so, did you use the 2.3.5-418 update?

I was on 2.3.5-418 when I flashed to Eclipse - do I need to 2.3.4-380, then use the "Official OTA" update to 2.3.5-418?


text:
My Samsung galaxy s GTI9003 stuck in flight mode
I want to disable the airplane mode in order to return to normal state. After a long press on power button, I do have the "device options", however nothing happens when I press Airplane mode (airplane mode enable). I am stuck in airplane mode
I tried restarting, SIM change, removing battery ....but nothing worked.
Have you experience this? Is it a known bug? How can I disable airplane mode.

It seems you have done everything you could. If possible hard-reset your device.

Before factory-resetting (sorry for splitting hairs, Heidar -- but a hard-reset he already did: plugging the power source (battery) from the device), you might try to wipe all cache: boot into recovery, and see if it offers you such an option. With a custom recovery installed, you could even wipe Dalvik cache additionally. That's 2/3 of what a factory-reset would do -- you'd only skip the purge of /data, and thus hadn't to re-configure everything. Might not really help, but it's worth a try.

I had the exact same problem since yesterday, but my mobile is Galaxy S2,this post was the solution: http://www.inflightmagazine.co/?p=351
I am not sure if it will work on galaxy s, but wouldn't harm to give it a try
The author refers to two steps to solve the problem, I would add the following steps between Step 1 and Step 2

Install BusyBox from the play store
Open BusyBox after rooting, grant it superuser permissions
Click install on the left bottom corner of the screen
You'll be asked to use Smart Install vs Normal Install.. I chose the first option, not sure if it makes any difference if you pick the second one
Proceed to step 2

I just had the same problem today. I went through all the steps you did as well, but eventually, had to resort to the factory reset to get it to stop forcing the airplane mode on me.  Hope someone can figure this out so I dont have to keep factory resetting should it happen again.

did anyone experienced the same problem "phone stuck in flight mode all of a sudden"


text:
Nexus 7 can't connect to PC
When choosing MTP or PTP, the box is checked, then when I exit the screen and go back to the USB Device Settings screen, my previous choice is not seen, and both boxes are unchecked. It's like the Nexus has forgotten I've made the choice.
Now I can't connect my nexus to PC as the PC won't recognize it!
I recently plugged my Nexus into my LG TV using the USB lead, if that is at all helpful.

And your pc is running what os?

Windows 7 Starter
however i have the same issue when connecting my nexus to other PCs and devices (ps3, tv etc.)

Sometimes you need to lock and unlock the tablet to have it connect. If you are running any sort of task manager, disable it. Can you post some screenshots?

Is it charging? if not check the cables and replace them or check if the usb port is not damaged. Did you try to unlock(Android device) it after you connected it to the pc? It wont be displayed to the pc unless you unlock it.


text:
My LG Motion is stuck in boot loop after hard reseting
I tried to install a font using Font Installer on my LG Motion which was rooted, and it went into a boot loop. I hard reset it, but it is still stuck in a boot loop. Help me out, please? If I need to download any files, please, give me a link.

Might not do the job, but worth a try: have you removed the battery for 10s+, and then re-inserted it? Oh wait, that is a hard-reset -- if you did not mean factory-reset (which would be a last ressort as well). You could try booting into safe-mode and see if that is possible. But if you meant factory-reset when you wrote "hard reset", that won't help either.

Once again, I hard reset it because it went into a boot loop. But it is still in a boot loop...

Once again, too: What do you mean by "hard reset"? Check the hard-reset tag-wiki (hard reset = take out the battery, put it back again), and the other links from my previous comment -- and then please clarify what you really mean. Often people say "hard-reset" when they really mean "factory-reset" -- and I'm not sure if this is one of those cases. Unless you clarified that, it's hard to help you.

Actually, Hard reset was the short term originally used for "Factory Hard Reset," which replaces safe mode when it cannot be booted. But if it pleases you, Factory Reset.

Eff, it's not that I have it with words (as for me, it could be called "potato chipping"). But you will admit that there's a little difference between taking out the battery (hard-reset), and a factory-reset, technically spoken? :) Usually, a factory-reset should solve this issue. So if removing power completely for 10s+ doesn't do it, that's really weird -- and might require a flash (see: Where can I find stock or custom ROMs for my Android device?). Did you modify something in /system before this happened?

I have already removed the battery for a whole day. I did not touch anything in there. I was just installing a font package. I dont know how to flash or do any of that. I don't even know how to put my phone in fast boot. Do you have a link to a tutorial?

You probably installed that font-pack to the system partition -- which is why the factory-reset cannot help you, as it doesn't touch /system. I have no tutorial for fastboot at hand, but I will try to setup some basic help as an answer.

Usually, you use a factory-reset to solve a boot-loop -- but it doesn't cause one. Sometimes, a hard-rest (i.e. removing the battery for at least 10s) solves things, as it makes the entire device powerless so nothing can "stick". In your case, however, none of the two could help:
Analysis
As it turns out, the culprit is a font-package you installed. A little background on that:
While "normal apps" get installed into the /data partition, more system-oriented stuff (font packs, specific frameworks, things changing core system behavior, modded notification bars, and more) need to reside in the /system partition. Now, when it comes to a factory-reset, the /system partition is never touched -- so if things get messed up there, they stay messed-up. As in your case, obviously.
So what's the remedy? You no longer can boot up normally, as your device is stuck in a boot-loop due to some system mismatch. You also cannot help yourself booting into safe-mode to remove the culprit; while this would work for user-space apps (which are not run in safe-mode), you won't even be able to boot into this mode with a messed-up system. This leaves two things:

if you still can boot into recovery-mode, you might be able to undo your changes via adb shell from your computer. But this usually requires a custom recovery (such as clockworkmod or twrp) on your device, as stock recovery won't give you the required root access.
if you cannot boot into recovery mode, or have no custom ROM installed on the device: re-flashing your device-firmware will fix your issue for sure, as that would wipe /system and install everything anew. With a stock-rom this usually also means you lost your root access. Flashing in your situation can still be done via either recovery mode (if you can boot your device into it), or fastboot mode (if your device supports it; I've read many LG devices need to have the bootloader unlocked to do so)

Flashing needed?
You might want to check Where can I find stock or custom ROMs for my Android device? for the rom to be flashed. Further hopefully helpful links include:

Fastboot Commands for LG Android Smartphone
How to Flash LG Motion 4G

Abstract from the latter link:

get the official firmware from lg-phones.org

KDZ_FW_UPD_EN to be extracted to your PC
LG Motion .cab firmwares need to be converted to .kdz (see Official LG Motion 4G Firmware Download for details)
msxml.msi needs to be installed to your PC (ouch, Windows only, sorry)

get the USB drivers from lg-phones.org and install it
start KDZ_FW_UPD.exe

"Type" choose CDMA
Choose in "Phonemode": Emergency
Click the folder icon and choose the .kdz file that UpTestEX_mod2_marwin.exe just made (in step 1).
Click "Launch software update"

The rest should run automatically.

Postscriptum
I included a bunch of tags into this question. You might want to follow them:

click them for questions relevant to the topic
better: hover your mouse over it, and follow the revealed 'info' link to their "tag wiki". Out tag-wikis often include a good description as well as some "first aid"
hovering your mouse over them lets you also chose to see...

the most frequested questions tagged such
top users contributing to that topic (might be helpful to see their profile, as they obviously are "experts" in that area that might reveal further interesting and related questions/answers)


text:
Unable to load stock firmware (US Cellular)
My phone has gone into emergency recover and I've tried to recover it by flashing it with both "Odin" and the samsung "SimpleUpgradeTool" but it has failed everytime I've tried it.
I have the SCH-530 from US Cellular and am unsure on what to try next.
Any and all help is greatly appreciated.
The following is the ouput message from Odin ---
<ID:0/003> Odin v.3 engine (ID:3)..
<ID:0/003> File analysis..
<ID:0/003> SetupConnection..
<ID:0/003> Initialzation..
<ID:0/003> Get PIT for mapping..
<ID:0/003> Firmware update start..
<ID:0/003> recovery.img
<ID:0/003> NAND Write Start!!
<ID:0/003> cache.img
<ID:0/003> Complete(Write) operation failed.
<OSM> All threads completed. (succeed 0 / failed 1)


text:
How can I require the pattern unlock only for specified times
Is it possible to require the pattern unlock only during certain times? For example, while I'm at work, I don't want to require the pattern unlock, however, anytime I'm not at work I do.
Is this possible?

Sure. If you use automation app like Tasker, you can make your phone to disable screen guard, if it detects you are in your office. Detecting your location can be achieved in many ways. You could use any WiFi, if it can be used as a reference or rely on cell id, defining a radius.
Please see a guide aptly named as Location without tears. It explains the various ways with which the Tasker can identify your location. It goes more explaining the pros and cons, the trade off between the battery life and accuracy etc.
I use Tasker in my mobile to reduce all volumes when I am in the vicinity of my office. I did this by creating a profile and choosing the State as my first context.

In the next screen Select Phone Action I selected Phone and select Cell near option. This brought up the following screen:

When I pressed scan Tasker started to log near by cell tower's id. I left it for a while and walked around my office so that it will gather maximum ids. I initially thought Tasker only retains last eight ids, but when I exported the profile to XML, I could see many entries. Hence the more time you keep it scanning and more walk around you make, more will be probability of successfully recognising your location.
Well that's only half job done. I then assigned an action that the Tasker can perform when this profile is active.  There are two kind of tasks - one is called entry task and other is called exit task.  I used Keyguard action to switch key guard off  as entry task, which will fire when this profile is made active. I used the same Keyguard action to swtich the key guard on as exit task so that when this profile is deactivated.

Yes it is possible to enanble and disable the phone's key gaurd (phone lock) depending on various context's (Example, when in office)
I have personally setup my phone to do it.
My setup uses Tasker (a paid automation app in Playstore) to identify if I am in office using an approximation of my phones GPS location co-ordinates
And then I use Secure Settings (A Free Plugin for Tasker) which has the capability to enable and disable the phones key-gaurd
Note - System Settings will require root to be able to toggle the keygaurd.


text:
Google+ Location Sharing: How to share only city level locations
For some time, Google+ contains the possibility to share your current location with your friends. This feature is similar to Google Latitude but uses a different permission-system: Where Latitude uses a seperate friend list (the Latitude Friends), Google+ uses the people from your circles to check, who can see your location.
In the settings of the location sharing (in the Google+ App, in the drawer "Locations", Settings), I can select which people can see "who can see your best available location". All these people see my exact location, so determined by GPS (if available). If a person is not included in this list, the person does not see my location at all.
Question: How can I select which persons can only see my city, but not my exact location? Just like it was possible on latitude? As expained above, I only see the possiblity to share the exact location or to share no location at all.

From what I can see, you can't, unless you change your location settings to be manually updated.

You still can't. However, if you check in to Google+, you can choose "city location".

This is now addressed in Google+ v4.1

4. Location sharing includes more controls
  Starting today you can share your pinpoint or city-level location with others (if you want), and you can do so on a circle-by-circle basis. For example: you can share your pinpoint location with family, and your city-level location with co-workers. You can also use circles to filter who appears on your “Locations” map.
It’s rolling out to Google Play over the next few days (goo.gl/xaxMx)...


text:
No root permission after installation of ClockworkModRecovery kernel
My smartphone is the Samsung Galaxy Ace 5380 running Android 2.3.6 and I want to flush it with the CyanogenMod 7.2
I'm performing the steps from this guide: http://wiki.cyanogenmod.com/wiki/Samsung_Galaxy_Ace:_Full_Update_Guide
I have done the "Installing the ClockworkMod Recovery" steps and performed a backup of my current ROM. Now I want to run a backup with Titanium but it says that I have no root permissions.
I thought the ClockworkMod Recovery kernel brings the root permission, because it sounds so by the guide mentioned above.
Is there any other thing I have to do now to activate the root permission or must I root my phone additionally with some other guide? If so, I read that after the root-procedure I have to "wipe data factory reset" and that would delete the things I want to update, but for the update itself, I need root permissions.

The root permission exists inside the recovery, but not in the normal system, you need to root it in there,  TL;DR - there's two partitions recovery and system, you booted into the CWM residing on recovery which is rooted, but not system.

ah that makes sense. I just read that the CyanogenMod brings the root-permission at runtime (system) with the installation of the CyanogenMod. So rooting the phone means always flash everything, and I could only save the apps, that I installed AFTER the rooting right?

not necessarily always flash everything, see this: http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/18489/how-can-i-root-my-samsung-galaxy-ace

thx! that helped me :) Now I'm running CyanogenMod on my device.

@t0mm13b maybe you sum up your comments and make them an answer? They are worth at least a +1 :)

The root permission exists inside the recovery, but not in the normal system, you need to root it in there.
There is usually, two partitions recovery and system, as the OP indicated, was booted into the CWM Recovery which resides on recovery hence is rooted, but not the normal Android system.

interesting, could you please explain how to enter CWM in recovery mode? I've installed CWM with heimdall, boot in recovery mode and install superuser on my device from the cwm interface. but when I boot the phone, I'm not root.


text:
How to Deactivate my Android phone using IMEI number?
I lost my Sony Xperia Sola(MT27i) recently.
As there was no SIM card inside the phone, when got lost, I am finding it very difficult to access my mobile online from mobilesecurity.norton.com, which I have installed on my device.
All that I have in control is the IMEI number of the gadget.
Can anyone help me suggest on how to lock or make my phone completely useless?
I got official confidential files stored in it.
Please help other than suggesting to go for filing FIR, approach network operator, all that stuff.

In short, you need to notify your mobile operator to block the IMEI and therefore prevent your handset getting registered on the said mobile operator's network, having said that, it would work outside of the country of origin regardless of network block or not provided it is unlocked. As for "official confidental files" stored on the handset is not exactly a suitable place to have it on the handset in the first place.


text:
Android won't boot after unsuccesful wipe operation
I rooted my Asus Transformer Prime and tried to install a custom ROM but I managed to fail. I selected the option to wipe data from the table in the bootloader menu (accessed it via holding power button and volume down) and then I cancelled it by turning the device off because I wasn't supposed to select that. It seems this wasn't wise...
I tried to boot the device but now it's stuck saying "Asus" in the middle of the screen. If I try to power it off, it turns off but immediately it turns back on.
I can't access the bootloader menu. Fastboot nor ADB sees the device via USB.
How can I restore it?

Have you researched into this post on XDA?

Thanks for linking that. I would need a device specific blob.bin file to restore my tablet using that guide. I don't have it because I didn't have intentions to brick it. Well, actually I didn't know that. Another problem is that it doesn't work with Jelly Bean.

This is not abrick, a brik would not display the samsung logo or respond to commands. What do you mean byt bootloader menu? you mean entering in download mode or recovery mode?

Then what is it? I can't access the bootloader menu to enter fastboot. Android won't boot. What's wrong? (PS. It's Asus!)

@Rat2000 Yes, recovery, fastboot etc... Power + volume down

I have deleted my post since it is irelevant for your problem. I will try and find another way and see if i get back to you.

I tried to find some answers, but I can't. I am sorry. Perhaps others will be able to help you more

There's also this thread on XDA - which sounds very similar to your situation. Do you see any other message on the screen besides the bootloop?

Try to enter to the bootloader again, there is no reason not to succeed, the wipe should not affect that.
In addition, which recovery do you have? (if it's CWM or TWRP, there is an option to load a rom from your computer).

I was having the same issue as this. I was in a "recovery boot loop" and could not get to the recovery options.  I did have ADB access to the device after I installed the "Naked Drivers". Once I did this I was able to see the device using the command "adb devices". The MAGIC command once I had adb access was "adb reboot bootloader" BAM! It rebooted mid bootloop and I was able to select the fastboot option. I followed all of matt95's instructions above including following the link he provided to XDA. The link at XDA explained how to get the "blob" file. It's easy, you download the current rom from ASUS and extract the blob file from it. I literally copied and pasted each command with the exception of the path to my blob file and my TF201 has been resurrected!
Good Luck!

Try these instructions:

Copy a recovery which supports the Android version of the ROM and put it into SD card .
Boot into recovery .
Install the recovery.zip
Reboot recovery ( If CWM , this option is present under "Advanced") .
Wipe data/factory reset
Wipe cache.
Install ROM zip file
Reboot system.

I can't boot into recovery.

It seems that you have installed the wrong recovery and your devices is semi-bricked (it's not over for him yet).
You should:
1-Download the correct firmware blob from the official ASUS site
2-Boot your tablet into recovery and then type on a computer with the device connected
adb reboot bootloader

3-Your tablet should now receive fastboot commands even if it seems not on the tablet screen (on the tablet the screen seems stuck)
4-Type all these commands one by one:
fastboot erase system
fastboot erase recovery
fastboot erase userdata
fastboot erase boot
fastboot erase misc
fastboot erase cache
fastboot -i 0x0B05 flash system path/to/firmware.blob
fastboot -i 0x0B05 reboot

If these commands do fail try this 4th step again
Also, refer to this great thread on XDA

I can't boot my device into recovery. I can get into APX, but I don't have the blob file from nvflash for my system.

You will need to download a proper firmware(ROM) for your device, possibly an identical one as of your current damaged one, then wipe data/system/cache (BUT NOT THE SD!) install the rom from recovery and done.
For details contact me directly, I can help you with advices.

Yet another answer that suggests going into recovery mode. As said, I can't access the recovery menu.