text:
Why would a free app be in the top grossing section?
I was just browsing through the play store and noticed that there are a few free apps in the top grossing section and that's a little puzzling. This might not be the best place to put up this question but I didn't know where else to go .

Perhaps in-app purchases are included in the calculations?

As per Oxford: top grossing means earning more money than other similar things or people.
But as per google app store it may refer to :
Top-Grossing = Sum of all revenue generated from the purchase of the app + sum of all in-app purchases
It also means that app listed in top grossing lists holds people's attention for the most time. So even if an app is free but still if it is getting downloaded the most then it will feature in this list.
Also many of the free versions apps like angry birds, cut the rope etc. provide in app purchase ability i.e you don't need to bye a paid version but to access more features you have to pay some amounts which ultimately boost's apps revenue and ranks app higher in list.

@THelper you are absolutely right.


text:
Is it possible to restore a ClockWorkMod backup to an emulator
Is it possible to restore a ClockWorkMod backup to an Android emulator using a PC?

I'm leaning towards no. A nandroid backup can't be used on a different phone because of the difference in hardware. And since the emulators included in the SDK are going to emulate a specific hardware set, I doubt it would work right.

You'd have to make the backup from the emulator.

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


text:
What exactly are DRM keys?
I was thinking of unlocking my ST17i's bootloader but I saw on the Sony Mobile website that unlocking the bootloader will result to the deletion of DRM keys from my phone. What exactly are they? And what will be affected if I lose the said "DRM keys"?

DRM stands for "Digital Rights Management", and mainly is used with sold eBooks/PDFs and the like (and also for sold music files plus maybe even videos). Those keys are to identify your ID as to prove if you have permission to access those documents. If you never bought any of those "crippled" documents, chances are you don't have to bother.

What about things I've read on XDA such as TrackID not working anymore? TrackID is, I believe, an application exclusive to Sony Xperia line of phones to detect and determine songs just by recording a bit from it.

No idea what that should have to do with DRM support. You could listen to a non-DRMd title, or have it played from some external source (e.g. radio, or some player in a bar). I see no connection here. But that's Sony -- they are a very special DRM-case. If affected by that, there are several alternative apps on the playstore (Soundhound etc.).

Will this DRM key thing affect stuff I download from the Play Store as well?

I don't think so -- but I also don't know the "stuff" :) As said: DRM is used to "protect" content from being copied. The Playstore uses different methods to protect apps (verification via Google servers). But nobody can guarantee for crazy devs -- or media you bought on the market, maybe. I doubt apps would be affected.

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


text:
Can't install previously installed apps from Google Play
My Samsung Galaxy S2(I-9100) was upgraded to 2.3.6 by the technician at a Samsung Service Station. This resulted in a wiped-off of all the apps that I had installed along with some other data(like contacts,sms etc).
I had to go through the entire procedure of registering your phone with my gmail account.
I cannot install some of the apps that I had previously installed (from the web store) because I cannot choose the device and I get the message "Your device already has this app installed".
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks.

Did you try installing from your device directly instead from the web interface of Play Store? I vaguely remember having a similar issue previously on my phone (HTC Desire).

@MartinTapankov I hardly use the Play Store on my device because I have a 2g connection and it takes a hell lot of time to load. I tried installing from my device and it works. But I prefer using the web store instead.

I see your point, I also frequently install apps from the web interface. My point was to try and install the same app from there to see whether it works at all, it might be a synchronization issue with your Google account after factory reset.

If you don't mind spending, I'd recommend WidgetLocker Lockscreen over MiLocker. I can bet.. its the best in Play Store..

The issue is I cant install some apps and MILocker is one of them. I did try WidgetLocker and i prefer MILocker over that

The issue here is that the uninstall process wasn't registered at Google Play Store.
Without the uninstall process registered, Google Play Store still reports the app as installed on the device that's associated with your Google account.
To overcome this, you need to manually trigger the uninstall from the Google Play Store, within the "MY ANDROID APPS" list:

Step by Step
I have a couple of apps that I've uninstalled from my device and the uninstall process wasn't registered at Google Play Store. I'll use one as a guide:

Access "MY ANDROID APPS" list, search for the desired app and click the recycle bin icon to trigger the uninstall:

After confirming, the app will get marked as "removed":

Now you can access the application at Google Play Store, and install it like you mentioned that you prefer to do:

Is that MY ANDROID APPS section new? It does exactly what I was looking for about a month ago and never found!

@GAThrawn I would guess 2 months :)

@GAThrawn Did a search just now and bloggers started talking about this at the end of June.

I don't have the recycle bin icon.

The uninstall option has been removed from Play Store... This is no longer relevant. Apparently giving up privacy for Google to see your apps is pointless. Cannot install anything because: "It's already installed"... Hopefully Google will fix this.. don't hold your breath

Error message still appearing
If you've signed in to your device's Google Play Store app, downloaded an item, and your device doesn't appear on the Google Play website, you can try clearing your app's data by following these steps:

Open your device's main Settings menu.
Select Apps or Application manager (this may be different depending on your device).
Select Google Play Store from your list of apps.
Touch Clear data.

Google Play seems to have changed in the last few years and I wasn't able to find an uninstall feature on the web. It seems like the best workaround here is to just install from Google Play on the device itself.

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


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any application to detect sound tone?
is out there any Android application that would tell me what sound tone makes my Singing bowl?

HTC Desire on Android 2.1

Never heard of a Singing Bowl until now. Thanks Radek.

@gary comtois: never heard about them either. I knew the name Tibetian bowls :-)

Any guitar tuning app should help.
(There should be some.. or else I'll make one.. ;)

I need the application to tell me. :-) I am not music literate at all :-)

Well, a well implemented guitar tuner tells you the tone you're closest to and how far from the perfect pitch it is.

Try Spectral Audio Analyzer

gStrings is an awesome guitar tuning app.  It should do exactly what you want.  You can have it try to match a specific pitch or you can do "Tune auto" to find out what pitch you are currently at.

I guess I need the 'Tune auto' ... so far I am lost and cannot get what I want. Let me try

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


text:
Is it possible to output audio from the speakers while a Bluetooth headset is connected?
In iOS, this is achieved by double-tapping the home button, swiping right twice, and selecting the speakers.
Can this be done in Android?

You can accomplish this by disconnecting the stereo audio (A2DP) profile from your headset. This still keeps your headset paired with the hands-free profile.
You can do this by opening Bluetooth settings, long-pressing your attached device and unchecking Stereo audio.


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WinSCP for android equivalent
Is there a drag/drop ssh client for android so I can connect to my home server via ssh and easily transfer files from server to android phone? something like winSCP for Windows?

Isn't there a variant of ConnectBot with support for file transfer added?

ES File Explorer is one that can use the secure FTP protocol over ssh protocol.
To get the settings, from ES File Explorer:

Hit menu key, Show Tabs, Local, LAN, FTP, NET appears
Tap on FTP
Then tap on New that appears underneath, a dialog box will appear prompting the different FTP types, tap on SFTP

Enter the details of the ssh server that hosts the secure FTP protocol

ES File Explorer will remember the next time, so tap on the server, and then you can browse the file system of the remote server and upload/download files

How can we ues .ppk key for SFTP?

@Thompson .ppk keys are specifically for PuTTY. It's more standard to use an id_rsa or id_dsa style OpenSSH key. You can use PuTTYGen to convert your .ppk to an OpenSSH style key.

I used to use ES File Explorer, but over the past couple of years it has become bloated and laggy on my phone, so I've removed it and replaced it with File Manager + which is much lighter weight. It doesn't do everything that you can do in ES File Explorer, but cut & paste style SFTP is one of the things it does quite nicely.

Ghost Commander If you want to go to an opensource client you'll have to add the SFTP Plugin
AndFTP is another client is another alternative but with publicities


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How do I close all, or many at once, Chrome tabs on Android on a phone?
I'm on Google Pixel 2, Android 11, Chrome 87.0.4280.101.
I have 494 open tabs, as I explain in my answer here on how to count them. I need to selectively close about 450 of them, or just close all of them then re-open about 20 to 50 of them.
How do I mass-close many or all of them at once?
The last time I mass-closed hundreds of tabs manually I sat there for like 30 minutes swiping until they were all closed. I don't want to do that again. That was ridiculous. (Compared to full computers, phones are garbage. :))
This tablet-specific answer doesn't seem to apply to phones, or to apply anymore to the latest versions, so it does not contain an answer that works for me: How do I close all tabs in Chrome for Android?.
Here's what I see in my Chrome menu when I click on the 3 dots in the top-right corner:

This is in French. Translation:

New Tab
New Incognito tab
Favorites
Recent tabs
History
Downloads
Translate
Share
Search on the page
Add to welcome screen
Version for computer
Settings
Help and Feedback

Other nifty tab tricks, such as grouping tabs: https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/2391819.

Closing all tabs in Chrome is very simple with the recent version and works on smartphone and tablet:
First press the button that shows the tab count:

Then open the three-dots-menu

And finally select "Close all tabs".

Tested with Chrome 87.0.4280.101.

Same instructions it looks like: https://www.lifewire.com/close-all-tabs-computer-android-browsers-4173831.

Update: Better answer: https://android.stackexchange.com/a/232571/121619

I couldn't find a good solution, but here's what I did, and it was really irritating I had to do this, but it worked:
Solution: Uninstall the Chrome app, then reinstall it:

First, go to here in Chrome on your computer (chrome://history/syncedTabs) and open up on your computer any tabs (that you see open on your phone device) that you'd like to send back to your phone later to essentially "keep open".
From your phone: Uninstall the Chrome app from your phone: Play Store --> click 3 horizontal bars in top-left (sometimes called the "hamburger icon") --> "My Games and Applications" ("Mes jeux et applications" in French) --> "Installed Applications" ("Applications installées") tab --> scroll down to Chrome and tap on it --> click the "Uninstall" ("Désinstaller") button.
When done, reinstall it. This seems to have worked. All tabs are now closed in Chrome, and it shows I have 1 tab open!
From your computer: "Restore" the few tabs you wanted to keep open by simply right-clicking the tabs on your computer you wanted to send back to your phone, and selecting "Send to your devices" --> "Google phone". On your phone, a notification will pop up. Click it to open the new tab in Chrome. You have to do this once per tab you'd like back open on your phone. I did this for about 10 of my 494 tabs I had open on my phone. So, now I'm back to 10 open tabs on my phone.

How dumb I had to uninstall the entire app to close all the tabs at once. GOOGLE/CHROME, PLEASE FIX THIS! MANY THANKS IN ADVANCE! Update: do this instead. See the comments under that answer too (nevermind, an admin deleted them--just be sure to click the number of open tabs icon BEFORE clicking the 3 dots icon is all, as doing that step first causes the 3 dots menu to change).

Note that prior to uninstalling the Chrome app on the phone I also cleared all of its cache and storage data on the phone. This did NOT close all the tabs by itself. The complete "Uninstall" process was required. I'm not sure if doing these two things prior to uninstalling the app had any effect on the uninstall/reinstall process, but in case it did, I'm mentioning it here. I don't think it did.

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


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Start services at boot
How to make applications start at boot? I have at least 2 which I'd like to start automatically but they don't (I need to manually start them to have services run in background):

Skype
Lookout

(I'm flagging it as a duplicate since while this answer is correct, the answer on there is more complete)

The best thing for this is going to be tasker. Best three bucks you will ever spend on an Android phone.

Ok. I was going to buy that anyway. One more reason to use it.

@Maciej It's highly customizable

@Bryan: I know. I will have my phone replaced this week to different colour so I will refrain from buying it till then. For sure it is app on top of my TODO list.

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


text:
How can I diagnose this problem: Can't flash ROM to my Samsung Fascinate
When I boot into recovery all the text moves so fast I can't read what's happening, then it just boots normally without the new ROM.  Is there any log I can review to find out what is happening?
Here's a little background on what I'm doing:
I started with a stock Samsung Fascinate fresh from a factory reset.  I rooted it using this method.  I installed ROM Manager from the Market then I installed Clockworkmod with this method.  Finally I tried to install jt1134's Super Clearn 0.9 (DJ05) from ROM Manager.  It downloads the ROM offers me the option to backup my current ROM (which I decline because it's already backed up) and the option to wipe cache and data which I choose then hit OK.  From here it boots into Recovery and then the text scrolls up the screen so fast I can't see whats happening, then it boots into the regular stock ROM which would suggest the ROM installation failed.  One other note, ClockworkMod recovery appears to work except when I manually boot into it and choose "reboot" it hangs on the clockworkmod icon.

It sounds very much like the recovery is borked.  I recommend using Odin to re-flash recovery (or even the entire ROM if you can get ahold of an Odin-flashable version).  Here's a recent guide from XDA.

Perfect. It took a little before I warmed up to Odin but it's a pretty good way to load things onto the phone.  Thanks.

Great.  Odin has definitely saved me many times.


text:
Copying files to tablet with Android
When I copy file.pdf to my tablet with the command (in Linux - Ubuntu)
cp file.pdf /media/Archos_7/Data via USB cable and then disconnect USB and look to the Data directory, file.pdf has size 0 B, or the file is not there (e.g. file.epub). I don't know what is wrong. I copied a few *.pdf and *.avi files successfully.
Do you know where is the problem?

Now, I copied three files - file.avi, file.pdf and file.epub to the Archos_7/Video folder. file.avi is copied OK, file.pdf is copied but has size 0 B, file.epub is not there.

Does your device auto-mount its storage to the PC when connected?  On most devices you need to pull down the notification bar and click the USB notification to mount.  You should dismount the same way, after dismounting in Linux, before unplugging the device.
And, how much free space do you have?

Now the device is mounted twice (according to cat /etc/mtab) /dev/sdc /media/ARCHOS\0407 vfat rw,nosuid,nodev,uhelper=hal,uid=1000,umask=0077,shortname=winnt,utf8 0 0
/dev/sdd /media/ARCHOS\0407_ vfat rw,nosuid,nodev,uhelper=hal,uid=1000,umask=0077,shortname=winnt,utf8 0 0

In Internal flash storage I have 2 GB and in Internal device storage I have 414 MB Available space

It was needed to umount.


text:
Is there a way to see call log with duration?
I need to log how long I spend on the phone. In Lollipop, this seems impossible:

First, the dialer only shows the start time.
Second, if I make multiple calls to one number, the logs become inaccessible as they're grouped, and entering the contact record only shows the most recent history.

Is there a way to see the actual logs?

I don't think there's a native solution. But lot's of third-party-ones: see my list of apps for Statistics for calls, messages, data

No native solution, it's crazy what Google thinks will be too much information for our simple minds...

Yeah, but nothing we can do about that, can we? So third-party is the next best thing. If you want a closer recommendation, come over to SoftwareRecs :)

OK, if you want to post a "no you can't do it in stock lollipop, get an app" answer I'll accept it.

There you go – even with a good candidate mentioned :)

possible duplicate of How to get exact call time?

What is your model and carrier? I was just researching this same issue for my Samsung Galaxy S3 on Boost Mobile, and found several forum discussions revealing that on the Sprint network (over which Boost also operates), call durations were exposed in the stock call log on ICS, but went away with the JB update, while S3 owners on other networks continued to have access to their call durations on JB. Since the discussions I found were mostly from 2011-2012, I don't know if L omits duration from the logs on all carriers, but it's certainly an avenue to explore.

From the phone app, tap the Action Overflow button (...) in the top-right corner, then tap Call History. Tap any entry, then Details, and it will show you the date, time, and LENGTH of call, or calls (individually, in a list) if multiple were grouped together.

Seems not to work that way on all devices. On my O4C (running JB) there's a) no overflow button, b) using the "menu" key, there's no "call history" entry. While it has a separate call-log tab, that doesn't allow for grouping (just filtering, via the "menu" key). So maybe that's device-specific (ad different devices/manufacturers might use different "phone apps") – or was introduced with a later version of Android?

The questioner specified Lollipop, which is what I based my answer on. I don't have a pre-Lollipop device handy to see how they compare, but I feel relatively confident there WERE comparable solutions. But they change the layout of the dialer in ever version. Plus OEMs modify it in all sorts of ways. Sorry I can't be more help on that one.

Thanks anyway. Of course you're correct that OP asked specifically for Lollipop (and thus will be happy). Was just checking when that might have been introduced.

works on nougat (7.1) as well.

To my knowledge, there is not (and never has been) a native way to achieve this. However, that doesn't mean it's not possible: for most of the details, it's just the frontend that's missing (data is available in the resp. "data providers"). But to investigate the data, you would need a 3rd party app.
There's a manually curated list of hand-picked apps available on my Android website you could chose from: Statistics for calls, messages, data. Depending on what features you favour (how much details you need, how fancy it should look, etc.), different pieces of it might suit you.
If you prefer to get a few choices introduced closer, head over to SoftwareRecs (the link goes to their rules: SR is quite strict for what questions – or answers – must contain to not be "dropped").

In the 'Recent Calls' list or 'Recents', touch the name of the person/business. NOT the picture or letter icon/initial, which will open the contact - or the phone icon, which will call them again.
If you touch the Name itself, it should drop down another menu with "Video call", "Message" AND "History". Touch History and you'll have a list of calls made WITH Duration.

Here is the solution (but needs root in some cases). It wasn't showing for me too even after updating the Contacts app. And then I found that the Contacts app on my relative's phone shows:

I realize that she had an old version. Even if I deleted all the updates, it is still older than mine (by the way, both run on Pie Android One phone). She sent me the APK of Contacts but I couldn't install it because it older version. So, I opened Titanium Backup, pressed and hold on Contacts, turned it into a user app, uninstalled it, installed the version that she sent to me, and then make it a system app again with Titanium Backup (or any alternative app that transforms a system app into a user app), and it worked really well.
Anyway, the version that shows the time of the call is 3.0.7.210756853. So you should uninstall the updates of the app (from app info, then the top-right corner, and uninstall updates).
Then, if you have a version older than 3.0.7.210756853, you don't need root or Titanium Backup or that kind of stuff. All you have to do is to download this version and install it.
But if you uninstalled the updates and it is still newer than 3.0.7.210756853, you should have root and do what I explained above.


text:
Missed call notification shown even in auto rejecting or deliberate rejection?
I have a Galaxy Note 8.0 N5100 tablet which is updated to the latest version of Android (4.2.2) using the following official ROM from SAMMOBILE.
My problem is even when I deliberately reject someone's calling, there's a notification shown like this:

This is really annoying for me because I have put someone in my auto rejection list, but whenever he calls, this notification is shown.
I did factory reset, and now the problem is fixed. But can anyone help me pointing what was wrong? Is it because of the Android update?

Problem is fixed. The answer is I had "Any.do" app on my device. I feel like a fool now because instead of thinking about uninstalling an app, I thought that it may be a software bug so I updated my Android version.


text:
Why is hotspot requiring me to go to the settings menu?
I I just click the hotspot app it says checking my subscription status and flashes 'turning hotspot on' but then comes back and does NOT turn the hotspot on.
However If I go to Settings -> More networks => Mobile Hotspot I can turn it on there.  Subsequent to this if I click on the hotspot application icon. It says 'Turning off hotspot'  and it does actually turn it off.  However immediately clicking it again does NOT turn it on.
Is there any way to make it so the application icon itself 'can' turn the hotpot on without doing that from within 'settings'.
This is for a Samsung s5.
I'm using a (99 cents) mobile hotspot app that I downloaded from the play store.

What hotspot app is this? What phone do you have?

Added more info.

I don't know the app, and you haven't supplied a link. I would say your best bet is to contact the developer on this.


text:
How can I remove a blank homescreen page once I've moved all the apps off it
I've consolidated my 5 'pages' of apps into 3 pages.
Now I have two blank pages that have no icons in them.
These are the pages that are represented by the small squares on the home page screen that take you to these various pages that have colletions of app icons.
Having moved apps/icon to other pages, the last two pages are now blank.  How can I actually remove them?
This is a Samsung Galaxy s5 running Android 4.4

You should provide the model smartphone you use, as the techniques can differ by the particular launcher program.

Depends really, try pinching to zoom on a homescreen and see if it zooms out to show all five, then you can drag them to the bin / trashcan / x icon to remove. It really depends on device / launcher though. Those aren't pages of apps by the way, those are homescreens. You can add shortcuts to apps, or widgets etc (very useful). The actual list of apps is in the 'app drawer' usually accessed by pressing the bottom middle icon in the dock (often has a picture of lots of little squares). If you can't delete them look into some useful widgets (calendars, weather, notes, reminders etc)

Added phone model info and android version.

Thanks, I just tried pinch-zooming out but it didn't do it.

Wait I tried pinch-zooming out again (on a different home page) and it worked!  Great!

Finally found that if I went to one of the blank screens and then pinched out from there, I was able to see a trash can at the top and then I could move that empty page into it.

Please accept your answer if it is correct. Also please edit your answer to include a reference that the correct steps where from @RossC

I'm down voting because you took what RossC posted as a comment and used it as your own answer without giving him credit or to ask whether he could post it as the answer. Bad manners. His comment stated "home screens" which includes blank/empty ones.

Go in your home sreen, push the settings button for 1-2 seconds or try to zoom, and then all your pages will appear, now you will be able to delete the pages you don't need anymore by clicking on delete or maybe there is a button in the top right corner.
Hope it will help.

For Xiaomi MI-4, to remove additional blank home screens, put three fingers in blank home screen. And swipe slowly to left and right. This will bring all the home sceen in one sceen with option to delete It and add as well. I did the same way and deleted 5 blank home screens.
thanks.


text:
Creating and handling an encrypted folder on sd-card for unrooted devices
I'm looking for a way to create an encrypted folder on the sd-card and provide password protected access to its contents. Ideally, this would provide a UI to encrypt new files by moving files to it and retrieve them back.
I know there is EncFS but it only works in rooted devices.
And also BoxCryptor which is only for Google Drive or DropBox.
I need a solution which would work with sd-card folders and on unrooted devices.

See also these previous similar questions: Locking SDHC Memory card on Samsung Galaxy 2 and How do I secure/encrypt SD card data transparent to apps?

"Is there an app that does X" questions are generally not a good fit here. (Please see the [FAQ].) I've edited your question to ask for a solution to a problem rather than an application.

ok, I changed the title to comply with your comment. thanks

There are many available choices, depending on the features you need:

Cryptonite uses EncFS and requires root
LUKS also requires root and provides on-the-fly encryption (AES by default) to virtual folders
Eds provides encrypted containers and does not require root. It even is compatible to TrueCrypt.
DroidCrypt can encrypt single files or full directories. No root needed.
Encryption Manager is a file manager providing file encryption support, and so is AnDisk
FilesCrypter supports encrypted files and folders

And many more.¹ Just check the examples, and take a look at the "also recommended" stuff on their market pages to find more.

¹ disclosure: link goes to my Android site

Thanks, I will buy and try Eds. It seems to have everything I needed.

@BehzadMomahedHeravi There's also a free trial available if you want to check it first. Eds looks like the best choice to me as well, though I did not (yet) try any of those apps. Good thing about the TrueCrypt containers is, this way you can even safely store data in the cloud ;)

Most of these links are dead.  Are there new pages for these apps—were they renamed?  Only EDS and Encryption Manager still have pages at the given URLs.

@intuited you've noticed that answer is 6 years old? That's half an eternity technically :) May I suggest you check with my corresponding app listing? That's kept updated.

It might be helpful to update answers every half-eternity or so—otherwise they cease to be useful. That link to your app listing doesn't seem to work: it required a name and password.

@intuited please count the number of answers I've given here. Can't track them all. Core answers I update from time to time, but keeping track of all would be a full-time job. Apart from that: This is not app recommendations. So the apps linked are just examples. Even if the links die, the answer is still valid: There are apps for this, and their names look like that. // Included the link to my corresponding app listing, which (as I already wrote) is kept up-to-date.

There's LUKS Manager which is available in the Play Store. It also requires your device to be rooted, however.
It's also open source. I have not tried it myself however, so I can't comment on how well it works.
The closes you can get without a rooted device is probably full disk encryption.

Thanks, but I'm specifically need an app which works on unrooted devices.


text:
Deleting Pictures through adb - Yet They Remain in Gallery
I'm attempting to write a script to test out a camera for long periods of time, and one of the issues right now is the fact that it runs out of space when pictures are taken. My initial approach is to remove the picture using adb after its taken. The issue is, even after I remove it from the location it is saved in, it remains visible in the gallery, and I assume it's taking up space somewhere. The properties associated with it (such as width, height, flash info, etc) all get deleted as well, except for the size.
What I'm currently doing is deleting all files in the DCIM directory (where the camera saves the pictures) after every time a picture is taken, using adb. Additionally, when I search throughout the phone using adb, I cannot find anything similar to the pictures anywhere in the file structure.
Is it possible to fully delete the pictures using adb? Is there a cache where the images are stored somewhere? The only way I can get the pictures to fully be removed from the phone are to either reboot, or use monkey runner to delete the pictures through simulated touches in gallery (which is tedious for a large # of photos).

Check the accepted answer in This Question for an alternative to mount/unmount manually

The reason the pictures remains visible in the Gallery is because the Android's MediaScanner is a bit weak in this regard. What happens is this - when Android boots up, it runs the MediaScanner, which goes off and checks all the images, ringtones, audio to sum up, and keeps tab on it. This is only done once on boot.
You can get around this, by unmounting the SD Card, do this safely (Settings > Storage > Unmount SD Card) this will take a few seconds, once its unmounted, you can pop out the SD Card, pop it back in again, this in turn will force the MediaScanner to run again, and then all the images that you've deleted are no longer there in the Gallery.
MediaScanner is a service that acts as a caching service in that it caches all media (images/audio). On some ROMs, there is a facility to force it to run again without having to do the above.

Try the proposed solutions in this post. In short, one of these may trigger media scan:

Send a broadcast Intent ACTION_MEDIA_MOUNTED. Note that it's possible to send an intent via ./adb shell am.
Run the Rescan Media app
Renaming a file
Taking a photo through the Camera app
Remounting SD Card
Rebooting

Unfortunately, 2-5 don't work for me, at least on ICS. I'm trying 1 now, but judging by the fact that 5 didn't work, I don't have high hopes for it.

While other answers have given nice workarounds for this issue, most of them seem to not work properly in ICS. The only sure  method of deleting all pictures was as such:

Delete all files in DCIM Folder
Clear Data for Gallery
Clear Data for Media Storage
Kill both Gallery and android.process.media

I've attempted to get these into a script, the issue is with 3 - as Media Storage doesn't give it's process name, and as such I can't clear data through 'adb shell pm clear processname' for it.


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Lollipop Easter Egg (AKA Flappy bird) is unplayable when using Arabic language
I have LG G2 on CyanogenMod 5.0, and I set it to Arabic language. When I tried to play the hidden easter egg (Flappy bird), the flying robot is not shown when using Arabic language.
How to solve this issue?

who voted down should tell me why ??

I'm not the downvoter, but could you tell me what did you see when you're trying to access the easter egg? What if you use different language?

And FYI, I can access it with no problem on Nexus 5, Lollipop 5.1, both in English and Arabic.

@AndrewT.:Thank you, for the info, I tried it on LG-D802 with Android 5.0.2 CyanogenMod version 12-20150131-NIGHTLY-d802, with English & French it works perfectly but with Arabic the Android robot is invisible and of course you can't play the game!!

It's a confirmed bug related to RtL (Right-to-Left) feature on Lollipop.

The bug is to start the easter egg hidden in Google Lollipop, Flappy Droid or Lollipop Land depending on how you want to call, quit the game after a few seconds, enter "Developer options", check the "Force RTL layout direction", and then return to the easter egg.

(slight modification to correct the menu name)
Based on existing data, it seems it's still exist on Lollipop 5.0.2 (OP's case), but it's fixed on Lollipop 5.1 (based from my testing).
The fix is to update to Lollipop 5.1 if it's possible. As for the workaround, simply change the language to the one that is not RtL (e.g. English).


text:
Trying to set up SSH with shared key, but the server is not recognizing the device's key
I'm running an Amazon Fire HD 7 first gen, with CyanogenMod 11 on it. Here are my system settings since they're required on Reddit:

I'm trying to set up SSH with a shared key on CyanogenMod. Normally, it's very easy to connect to my server, but I'm having difficulty setting this up.
I did
ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096

on my Kindle as root, because the user didn't have access to the folders (why is this, by the way? Why can't the user even see the data folder?). I put the key in the default folder with the default file name, which was /data/.ssh/id_rsa. Then I copied id_rsa.pub over to the authorized_keys file on my server, where all the other keys that work are. I restarted the SSH server, but it keeps telling me the public key failed. I ran SSh with the -vv option, and it tells me the same thing, that the keys are not matching with the error message Permission denied (publickey).
What do I need to do to get the server to recognize the key?

Are you sure it's even looking at the /data/.ssh directory for the key? That seems like kind of an odd place for it to go since it's not a directory user processes could access without root. Are you basing this setup on some sort of instructions or documentation? Maybe it would help if we could see the steps you're trying to follow in their full context.

@eldarerathis unfortunately I haven't found a guide that involves setting up cyanogenmod as a client, only one that sets it up as a server. These are exactly the steps that I have followed, based on my experiences in setting up ssh and some googling for information. I have no idea why ssh-keygen would choose /data/.ssh/id_rsa as the default because, as you said, it is not accessible to the user. I only ever use ubuntu, so this flavor of linux is completely new to me, so I'm struggling through it.

Why not just move the key to somewhere the ssh binary can read it? You'll probably need to check the owner and permissions on it too.

@DanHulme Sorry, I think I'm not being very clear with this. I'll go back and edit the question. After I got root to ssh using the -i option, I moved the private ssh key to a location readable by the user and did chown u0_a67. The issue is that I'm not really sure where to put the key so that I don't have to use the -i option. I am also trying to create an alias so that instead of having to type ssh -i /folder/secondfolder/anotherfolder/file theuseriwanttouse@thehostimtryingtoconnecto.co.to I can type a short command that will be interpretted as that.

@DanHulme still not sure why, as root, it checked /data/.ssh/id_rsa and, despite the file being there and apparently correct, it said rejected the key. also not sure how I'm supposed to do this without the -i option using the default user.

I did more digging, and it looks like this has been a pretty typical problem throughout the versions of CyanogenMod. Not sure if it's a bug or I just lack understanding of the problem.
I was able to connect using ssh -i and specify the address of the key. When I had set the -v flag, it checked the key I was using and said it didn't match. So I'm thinking at best ssh ships so it's not set up correctly, and at worst something is broken.
I made an alias so that I don't have to type out -i, then the address, then the other options I want, then the user and hostname every time I want to connect to my home server.


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Why are some apps unmovable?
I recently just started downloading a lot of apps, and sometimes it will come up with saying insufficient storage available even though I've only used 4GB of a 32GB card. I'm not sure how it's not working.
So, I tried installing an app that puts apps straight to the SD card, but then it says some apps can't be moved because they are ROM only. It's taking up all the space of my 1GB internal storage, and I can't move them.
I really need help.

When making apps, there is a parameter that makes the card only installable in the internal memory, so you get the "move" option disabled.
You just can't move them.
You can root your phone or install a custom rom to free it from wasted space.


text:
How can I find my phone when it's on silent/vibrate mode?
Sometimes when I can't find my phone, I call it from my wife's phone or my landline. (There's also online service which provides a free call to your phone, it's a handy way to find a missing phone).
Unfortunately, it doesn't work very well if the phone is set to vibrate, and not at all if it's set to silent. Can I configure my phone to ignore the vibrate or silent setting and always ring for a specific number?
My old phone was a Blackberry, and it had a couple of features that made it obvious how to do this: 1) it had very flexible distinctive ring features, 2) it had a feature called "ringer profiles" that allowed users to create additional conditions where special distinctive ring conditions applied. (I mostly used its distinctive ring features to set an annoying person to always silent). Do we have anything similar on Android?
Alternatively, is there another good way to configure the phone to reveal itself even if it's set to silence? (Play music when it receives the word "sing" by text, for example.) If not as a native feature, are there apps that do this?
Finally, I know that nothing will work if the phone is out of charge, turned off, or set to airplane mode. The only solution there is "Don't misplace the phone when it's set to airplane mode."

@Andrew T, good edits. The bold is useful, and the title is clearer. No spam was intended with the specific web site mention; it's the only such service I knew about.

If you have a Google account associated with the device, you can use Google Device Manager to send an alert to your phone.

Sign in to your Google Account on android.com/devicemanager.
If you have more than one device, click the arrow next to the device name to select a different device.
Select any of the following options in the top left corner of the screen:

Ring: Rings your device at full volume for 5 minutes - even if it's set to silent or vibrate.
Lock: Locks your device with a new password.
Erase: Permanently deletes all of your data.

You can also use the Device Manager Android app for this.

Download and install the Android Device Manager app from the Google Play store on your device.
Open the Device Manager app on your device.
Sign in to your Google Account.
If you have more than one device, click the arrow next to the device name to select a different device.
Select any of the following options in the top left corner of the screen:

Ring: Rings your device at full volume for 5 minutes - even if it's set to silent or vibrate.
Lock: Locks your device with a new password.
Erase: Permanently deletes all of your data.

(source: Android Device Manager - Google Help)

What if no internet connection on the device?

@KiranReddy That's not an issue, because if you're searching for your phone, you're going to Device Manager from a different device, presumably one that does have Internet. The phone receives the ring, lock, or erase command through the cellular network, not through the general Internet.

@Steve do you have a source on this? I thought the Device manager commands are sent over the internet, and require the target device to have an internet connection. Also, how would this work on devices with WiFi only?

@onik I don't have a source. Maybe I'm confusing it with a similar tool from my cellular carrier.


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Set Kiosk mode in Chrome for Android
I'm trying to set the --kiosk and the --kiosk-printing flags in Chrome for Android on my Galaxy Tab 10.1.
All the instructions that I can find here and elsewhere tell me to go to chrome://flags and set the flag there. But neither of these flags is mentioned in the list there.
What do I need to do to set kiosk mode?
I'm using Chrome 39.0.2171.56 on Android 4.0.4

This page suggests you can put them in /data/local/tmp/content-shell-command-line.
eg adb shell 'echo "chrome --kiosk --kiosk-printing" > /data/local/tmp/content-shell-command-line'

Can somebody explain what this does. When I execute I get nothing in that directory and the flags don't appear in 'about:version' in Chrome.

If the flags appear in about:version then it should switch Chrome to kiosk mode - ie full screen with silent printing. I must confess I gave up on Chrome and switched to Firefox with a full-screen add-on for my kiosk device.

Ok, do you need root to add the flags? Thanks.

I presume the flags are set at build time, or am I misunderstanding the question?

On Chrome for Android on my side it was: adb shell 'echo " --kiosk --kiosk-printing <url>"  > /data/local/tmp/chrome-command-line'. It now appears in chrome://version however, the kiosk-printing is still not working.

Is it possible to build an APK to setup this so adb shell isn't needed? I cannot edit the file with Termux, what can I do?

It is not possible to do this in Chrome on Android; you can achieve what you want to with Kiosk Browser Lockdown instead.

Thanks very much NStorm. I don't see any reference to --kiosk-printing in the docs for that app. Do you know if it's possible to enable this (or some other way to print directly to the printer via the browser without user interaction)?

I don't think that's possible with the app.

It is not possible to add flags to chrome on Android unless they exist in the  chrome://flags a list.


text:
Install Google Play Store on ROM without Google apps
I rooted my Samsung Galaxy S3 and flashed SlimKat's 4.4 ROM and it has no Google Play. When I downloaded GAPPS, it says "Cannot open file" when attempting to open.
How can I install the gapps.zip?

To install gapps, flash them from the recovery (the same way you installed the ROM), you shouldn't open the .zip file since it is automatically processed by the recovery.

OK. So I need a laptop again? Or I can somehow install them from recovery boot you're saying?.... Thanks so much.oh one more...since they're already downloaded on my phone they should automatically be in my recovery right? Or am I gonna have to redownload?

You don't need the PC if you have the file already on your phone, just open recovery, then install zip from SD card, and then simply choose the gapps file that is located on your phone.

Yes I figured it out thanks to you. I'd posted my gratitude already...I suppose it didn't load. I just asked another question...maybe you can save the day again? Thank you so much....to think it was that simple.


text:
How do I delete a single calendar in Android (not just hide it)?
How do I delete a single calendar from the native calendar app (not only the entries: the whole calendar) without wiping out the app or all calendars, in android >4.0?
This feature was available till ICS. In Kitkat, it's still not possible.

Why do you per se want to do it from your phone? No pc browser nearby? I guess you don't need to do this on a weekly basis?

I have to do it just a few times during development. How would a pc help? I am using a mac and the calendar appears just local on the phone.

Ah it's only a local Calendar? It's not synced? Then Chahk's answers makes no sense basically... My default Calendar app on Android 2.3 doesn't seem to support local calendars.

I just ran into the same problem. I created a local calendar with an app and then removed the app before deleting the calendar. I could re-install the app and delete the calendar there. So, for you as a developer, this means you should probably add this functionality to your app.
However, if you need a quick fix or if someone else is running into this problem with a third-party app that does not provide a way to remove its own calendars, you can use the (no longer free) app iCal Import/Export CalDAV by Lukas Aichbauer, as this app allows you to remove any local calendars.
Just start it, select "Edit Calendars", then "Choose Calendar", and select the calendar you want to remove. Then click "Delete Calendar" and confirm if you are certain you have selected the right one.
Maybe use the same app first to pull a backup of the calendars you want to keep.

Thank you very much! This was surprisingly hard to find. SolCalendar had created a calendar named "My Solcalendar" which remained after I had uninstalled the programme. Now I have been able to delete it. Incidentally, why doesn't Android itself have an interface to manage its calendars? Odd.

The app is offline, any other apps that would do that? Insane how google allows third party software to create local calendars that Google Calendar automatically set as default, but does not allow any means of removing it.

Since it seems there is no easy free way to do this, I created my own =)
Here is the app: Calendar Toolbox
If someone needs to create, delete, or update a local calendar, it will do it.

Awesome: Installed your toolbox, removed the default calender, uninstalled the toolbox. Thanks!

"App doesn't have permission to edit this calendar"... How to deal with that?

@Rune Look at what it says in the Account name field for that calendar. That might give you a hint. Try to log out of that account, or remove the app with that name, or something.

I found also ( in year 2022) , "Calendar account delete helper", which helpt me to delete  a calendar from already uninstalled app.

Android devices have a local calendar storage database that is opaque and difficult to modify with app-level programmatic. You can, however, clear all local calendar data, which should remove the calendar entries permanently. Any sync'd calendars will repopulate.
Settings > Apps & Notifications > See all Apps > (... menu) Show System
Navigate to "Calendar Storage", choose "Storage & cache", and then "Clear storage".
All calendar events will disappear, sync'd events will repopulate via account sync over the next few minutes.
Another comment noted a paid app "CalDEV". My guess is that it does a less nuclear version of this.

In "See all Apps" there is a gigantic popup of all apps. Between these Apps, I can not see a "Show System", and it also does not look like an app name.

Calendar Backup lets you backup and delete calendars. I just used it with the Samsung calendar on a Galaxy A6.
Before deleting it, you can export it as an .ics file as backup, and it offers you to save it or directly share it to an email or messaging account.


text:
Other apps to manage permissions?
I used to use -  and loved - LBE Privacy Guard which allowed you to revoke specific permissions from specific apps.
Ever since AT&T finally pushed out Jelly Bean for the S3 though, it no longer works, and puts my phone into a endless reboot loop.
Searching in the market, I couldn't find any other app that does this (though the are plenty that just let you SEE the permissions of all your apps).
Anyone know of another app that does the same thing as LBE?

Do you still have root? I would imagine that if your phone accepted an OTA update from AT&T, you no longer have root. In which case, you'll need to re-root your phone.

Yes.  You're correct, I did wind up losing root, but I have rerooted. Superuser, ROM Manager, ROM Toolbox,  SQLLite Editor all work fine.

LBE works on JellyBean -- just not the version you install from the Playstore. The boot-loop problem is a known issue (so nobody can understand why the developer did not even place a note on the app's playstore page).
On XDA you can find multiple threads discussing this issue, and at least one of them also holds modified versions of LBE to download. Take e.g. a look at:

[APP] LBE Security Manager v4.3.2738 (this is a new version only released in Chinese -- but some XDA members provide a translated version here)
[APP][ROOT] LBE Privacy Guard - Most Powerful privacy protection app for Android
[APP] LBE Privacy Guard v2 is now available

Alternatives to LBE would include:

PDroid Privacy Protection
PDroid Manager (Open-Source alternative to it)

A few apps for you to try out:-

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.stericson.permissions.donate


text:
Phantom device showing on Google Play
I was going to install an app to my device from Google Play on my desktop, when I noticed a "No carrier Samsung GT-N7000" in my device list:

(the Nexus 7 is mine)
Apparently this device is the original Galaxy Note[1]. I've never even seen one of these devices, and there shouldn't be one registered on my account. It doesn't show on Android Device Manager.
Is someone else on my Play Store account, downloading apps/media on my credit card? I use 2FA, so I'm worried about how that could have happened. Is there anything I can do to find out more about this device?

It's a long shot but, have you ever installed custom firmware? If a ROM had an edited build.prop it could happen like this, but it's highly unlikely that they'd put in the original Note details in there. Since this is potentially a fraud situation I would contact Google asap about this, and keep a paper trail in place in the worst case scenario where transactions are initiated on your account you want to flag it ASAP to expedite any dispute resolution that may occur.

@RossC Yeah, I've run Paranoid Android and Cyanogenmod in the past, and I'm currently running the Android L Developer Preview on my tablet. I have contacted Google (though I'm not sure I've done it the right way, they seem intent on not dissuading users from contacting them)

I have a few devices showing that I don't actually own due to ROMs and my own messing with build.prop as well as certain Market Enabler type applications. Plants Vs Zombies 2 not compatible with Google Play Edition S4 ROMs etc, being the kind of thing that prompted messing with the settings. My keyboard has me registered as having 12 devices, six are real and six are the same device that was messed with. Very unlikely you'd get a Note 1 in there though. Unless something like the market enabler use it as a good default device to get compatibility with apps?

Are you using Android emulator on PC, e.g. BlueStacks? Recently I also observed this (Samsung device too) on my account after using BlueStacks and connect it to my Google account. However, I'm still not sure.

@AndrewT. Ah, that's it!

If you're sure that you never login to any Android physical devices recently, then there's a possibility that you're using Android emulator with Google Play services (e.g. BlueStacks), and login your Google account on it.
Based from observation (this question, self-testing, and another source), BlueStacks tends to emulate Samsung devices. As explained by jpr on AndroidCentral forum,

Well, BlueStacks has to show as some type of device if you connect to Google Play to download apps, or you wouldn't be able to download apps from it. Which device it shows as can vary. It historically has been some type of Samsung device, usually a Galaxy, and usually is a T-Mobile version, but of course they could have randomized the carrier now or switched to AT&T to avoid easy detection.

(minor copyedited)


text:
Root Samsung Galaxy S Duos
I have Samsung Galaxy S Duos (GT-S7562) because I want to use ROEHSOFT RAM Expander (SWAP) application to expand my RAM by using SD Card.
Before using this application, I need to be sure if my device support swap or not, and I need to root my phone to check this.
How to root Samsung Galaxy S Duos?

Follow the steps below:
I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE IF YOU DAMAGE YOUR PHONE AND THIS WILL VOID YOUR WARRANTY
This will root your phone and install a custom recovery.
Windows is required

Install the Samsung drivers. (links at bottom of the post)
Download the s7562 Rooting Kit.
Extract The kit, and open Odin.
In Odin click on PDA and choose the Recovery.tar
Now, on your device:
 a. Switch on USB debugging
 b.Put Cwm_SuperSU or Cwm_SuperUser, just choose one, I prefer Cwm_SuperSU
 c.Turn your device off and boot it in download mode ( Hold Vol_Down & Home & Power until you see light coming out from the device, then if you see warning click Vol_Up.
Connect your phone to the windows pc and you should see this in Odin: Com:****
Make sure to Have : Auto Reboot & F. Reset time & Pda Checkedd after you done Step 5 & 6.
Remove the back Cover of your phone ( you must do that )
Now Click on START in odin
You should see a Blue bar in the download mode on your device
Wait till it's finished.
When it finishes. When you see the samsung logo, remove your battery
Remove the Usb cable from your device, and reinsert the battery
Now you changed your Stock Recovery, With CWM_Recovery. Now you want to go to your new recovery, by pressing Vol_Down & Vol_Up & Home & Power release the buttons when you see the samsung logo.
Note : Your touchscreen is disabled here , move with your Vol_Up / Vol_down and choose with Home button and go back with back button.
Optional Make a backup in CWM recovery to external Sd-Card.
now choose Install Zip from sdCard and go to Choose zip from Sdcard Or From internal sd Card ( Depends on where you put your Cwm_SUperuser)
Now go to where you have put your CWM_Superuser / Cwm_SuperSU and click on the home button, and click yes and now wait till it has finished.
Now go back and choose Reboot System now.

Now you should have root:-)
Files:
Samsung kies : http://www.samsung.com/us/kies/
Droidzer Rooting kit : http://d-h.st/BtL
Hope my answer helped.

I am getting below errors in recovery mode..
E:failed to verify whole-file signature
E: signature verification failed

@shubha what step?

step 17. i am pressing power button to choose Cwm_SuperSU from external storage of my phone.

Somewhere in the recovery there should be an option to disable signature verification, and did you successfully install CWM recovery?

are you talking about installing "Galaxy S Duos S7562 Droidiser Rooting Kit\recovery.tar" from odin? Yes i got a green PASS in that step. Then i downloaded "CWM-SuperSU-v0.94" from the link you have given, and copied it to my external SD card.  the started recovery option and inside that i selected "CWM-SuperSU-v0.94" from SD card, and getting the above errors.. Installation is aborted

OK try Method 2 of this link: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2344909

Hey, Just tried all steps again, This time successfully completed all steps :-) thanks a lot, Now how i will know if my phone is rooted or not?

Just installed Rootcheck software and checked, Its showing my phone is rooted..
Thank you so much :-)

In order to root your Android device, you can download and install Root Masters on it, then run the app. At the "ROOT" tab you will see the face of the Android Jelly Bean mascot, and at the right side of it there will be a rectangular root button. Tap/Touch it. The mascot's face will turn into a "ninja" Jelly Bean face while the app attempts to root your device. If the rooting process is successful, the mascot will smile.
If the rooting process fails, you can download, install and run iRoot, which is another neat one-click rooting app for Android. It looks very similar to Root Masters, thus if you managed to use Root Masters then running iRoot will be pretty much straightforward/self-explanatory.
By using any of the above methods, I was able to root the following Android devices:

Samsung Galaxy S Duos 2 (GT-S7582L)
Samsung Galaxy S Duos (GT-S7562)
Samsung Galaxy Y (GT-S5360B), AKA "Galaxy Young"
Samsung Galaxy W (GT-I8150), AKA "Galaxy Wonder"

PS: if by accessing any of the indicated links/URLs your browser gives you an alert of "dangerous" or "malware" website, just ignore it and access the website anyway: these are safe websites hosting safe apps. These alerts happen because these websites host rooting apps, and rooting apps are rootkits (they execute one or more exploits, which are pieces of software that explore the operating system's vulnerabilities in order to get privilege escalation: in this context, root/superuser privilege). There are no viruses in these apps: only rootkits. Anyway, if you feel insecure about it, just install an antivirus and let it running on your device while you install and run the rooting app.
PPS: for those with a Motorola device, you may want to try Kingo Root. With the Kingo Root app, I managed to root:

Motorola Razr HD (XT925)
Motorola Razr I (XT890)
Motorola Moto X (XT1096)

Firefox shows "Reported Attacks Page!" for the first link.

@Firelord: it's a false alert, no need to worry. These rooting apps are rootkits, and rootkits are basically groups of exploits (pieces of software that take advantage of the operating system's vulnerabilities in order to obtain privilege escalation: in this context, root/superuser privilege). Hence, websites hosting rootkits are frequently flagged as dangerous, as a source of malware et cetera. But all these rooting apps do is to give you root access. Anyway, if you feel insecure just install an antivirus in your device and let it running while you install and run the rooting app.

KingRoot is a possible option - it is a one-click root app which is reasonably easy to use and works for Android versions up to 5.1 on most devices - it has been known to work with the OP's device too.
Do note that KingRoot installs some bloat apps on the device - but those can easily be removed (uninstalled) as they are not system apps.

@beeshyams , this is an answer, albeit a very, very, extremely poor one. I'll try and edit it to make it more aligned to answer guidelines.


text:
Add background/shade on app name
I would like to have a background appear around my app name, like in the image below. I have looked around quite a bit and have not been able to find anything to help me achieve this. Are there any settings/ways to have this feature? Or do I have to use 3rd-party app?

The screen showing the app name with dark background from aHome Theme: openSUSE
(click image for larger variant)

The link provided in the question serves a clear solution. The background is a theme to be used as an add-on to aHome or aHome Lite. When clicked, it yielded a page not found, but a simple search would have led you to the right page for the launcher(s) in question to download and install, then allowing the theme in question.

That doesn't work - aHome does not come from the Google Play Store and it does not seem to be functioning properly.

I was able to achieve my intended result  by installing ADW Launcher from the Google Play Store.

Could you mention the link of this app?

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.adw.launcher&hl=en&referrer=utm_source%3Dgoogle%26utm_medium%3Dorganic%26utm_term%3Dadw+l&pcampaignid=APPU_1_9l55VZElxMawBcKwg6gP

You can use a different launcher, I know Nova Launcher can do this. You will have to setup all your apps, folders and widgets again though.

Could you mention the link for the said app?

Can you provide more detail as to how I can achieve this through Nova? I cannot find any settings/features within the app.

Yes, i am also using Nova Launcher. Try the free version before you decide to buy the premium. You can personalize every aspect of your app icon, widget, shortcut etc. But i think you need to be accustomed with the interface.


text:
What does "svc power stayon wireless" do?
Looking at the reference to svc on my phone there are options for svc power stayon [true|false|usb|ac|wireless]. I'm curious what usb, ac, and wireless do when you use them?
I tried svc power stayon wireless and it seemed the command succeeded, but I don't know what it did, or how to revert it.
I'm on an LG Tribute if that helps.

Executing svc power on the shell will bring the usage:
usage: svc power stayon [true|false|usb|ac|wireless]
         Set the 'keep awake while plugged in' setting.

The command will set whether to keep your device awake (prevent sleeping) or not while it's being charged on specific platform: USB charging, AC power, wireless charging, or all of them:

true will set all flags (usb, ac, wireless)
false will clear all flags
usb/ac/wireless will set that specific flag while clear the other

The same setting usually can be accessed on "Developer options" named "Stay awake", though it's simpler with only toggle to turn on/off.
Reference: source code of com.android.commands.svc.PowerCommand

Is this setting permanent or will get reset when I reboot the device.

@darth_coder I haven't tested the reboot, but I believe it persists. Let me know if it's otherwise...

also will this disable screen lock until the device is flashed.

Does this persist after reboot?


text:
Revoke GPS permission for a system app on 4.0.4
I have a Sony Xperia Miro running Android 4.0.4 - Not Rooted, Stock Firmware. It contains Facebook as system app. Now, i don't want them to track me so i usually have GPS disabled. My question is now: is there a way i can enable GPS but make Facebook think its actually disabled without rooting the device?

No you cannot. To do that, you need access to app ops from where you can disable certain operations on a per-app basis. There is no way to do this right now without rooting your device.

too bad, means i cannot use GPS :/


text:
Obtaining boot.img for unrooted device?
I have a Vodafone Smart 4 Turbo / Coolpad 8865U. I cannot find other means of rooting it and to be honest I don't trust most oneclickroot.apks. I am trying to root it manually but I cannot find a way to obtain a boot.img.
I managed to get a .CPB  file which I believe to be the firmware for my phone though I am not sure. However I cannot find a way to unpack it either.
So how can I obtain a boot image for this phone or manage to unpack the .CPB file?
EDIT: I made progress but I'm also back to square one. I found a tool called cpbtool.exe that successfully extract the *.cpb firmware. I then obtained boot.img from there. Modified it so that it boots insecurely and tried to boot the now insecure image using fastboot but the thing just hangs at "booting..."
For some reason it seems like fastboot doesn't really work on my coolpad device despite being oem unlocked.


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Connector allowing charger and usb computer connection as same time?
PoE lead me to idea of having some kind connector, allowing supplying my connected tabled with power from it's charger (5V 2A) and in same time being connected to computer (for backup or whatever purpose).
Do you know such hardware solution?
To make it bold: I want to connect charger for power (2A) and have data connection in same time! (imagine a kind of "Y" saped thing :) )

I don't understand your issue: connecting your Android device via USB does exactly that (except for the 2A, maybe), it charges your device while connected to the computer. And yes, while charging this way, data connections are possible. I use that regularly this way.

You may be able to use one of these which has one 2.1A USB port, but only if the device you are charging supports it. Most devices when transferring data lock the power output to the standard USB power standard when connected as a data device though.
Also if you are using a modded device with a USB fast charge enabled kernel, you won't be able to accomplish what you want because of how it is implemented. The force USB fast charge mode tricks the phone into thinking it is on mains power so it shuts off data ports.

It works that way by default. You can plug into your computer and use data while charging.  It may be your specific USB cable, I have seen some that don't always work. Bottom line there is nothing special needed

No it doesn't. I can not connect charger for power (2A) and have data connection in same time!

@Booger USB ports can't supply 2A or power, only 100/500/900mA for USB 1/2/3 respectively.

I am just saying that this is a limitation to your hardware (Computer, Cable, or device) - as by default you can charge and use data at same time.


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HTC Clock widget takes 2-3 seconds to update after unlock
On my HTC One X, my home screen has an HTC Clock widget on it. When I unlock my phone, the time displayed on the clock shows the old time (when the phone was last unlocked) for about 2-3 seconds, and only then updates to the correct time. The system time (as seen on the lock screen and in the status bar) is correct at all times, so for a jarring moment the widget and the status bar are displaying different times.
If I place an HTC Clock widget on a panel other than the home one, a similar problem occurs: the clock is not updated until a few seconds after that panel is displayed, at which time it 'jumps' to the correct time.
Is there anything I can do to fix this? Is this a problem unique to the HTC Clock widget, or would this also happen if I used a different app?
edit this behaviour remains the same in Airplane mode, so it's not a network latency issue

Following an OTA upgrade to Android 4.1.1, this problem appears to have been fixed. On unlocking, the clock widget immediately shows the correct system time.

Im having the same issue on Android 5.0

From your description ..
It would appear that the widget is just polling (ntp to Internet timeserver), rather than ever trusting the inbuilt (battery backed) clock.
This could simply be a design decision / flaw.

I've just checked, and the behaviour is the same in Airplane mode. Editing question to include this.


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Notification icon that looks like "b" with segmented rings and a circle
I have this strange icon that appears in my notification bar (on the right hand side) every once in a while. I have only seen it when running an app in fullscreen, and then checking stuff in the notification bar. It disappears after a few seconds when quitting the full screen app.

(I have HTC One M8 with Android 4.4.4)

Have you looked at all your installed apps to see if any of them have a similar or related looking icon?

@MichaelKohne Worth noting: "in my notification bar (on the right hand side)" (emphasis mine). That almost rules out an app, as the "right hand side" usually is reserved for "system status".

Checking my sources, this might be a status icon signaling "Location service is ON" (see network icons on this page, right column, third-to-last row). Unfortunately, each manufacturer seems to use his own set of icons, so it's hard to say. So you might try a Google Image Search on the terms "htc notification icons" (a good load of useful results, I've just tried).

It's HTC BoomSound. It shows when sound is playing.


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Why does Wiko Cink Peax 2 reboot when it receives an SMS containing only '=' (equal sign)?
I have a Wiko Cink Peax 2 and when I receive one SMS with the only character '=' (equal sign), my phone reboots the system. How can I fix it?

It seems this is a known bug that affects majority of Wiko phones. Receiving an SMS with '=' (equal sign) as the only content will soft reset the OS.
References (in French):

Quand un simple SMS peut faire redémarrer un téléphone Wiko
Une faille qui fait planter les téléphones Wiko à distance

There is a suggestion from the first site: Use other messaging app, disable the pre-installed messaging app.
Flashing custom ROM doesn't seem to fix the issue. It might be caused by hardware issue, but currently there is no update on the real cause.
If it's still in warranty, then maybe it's possible to ask for replacement and ask them to test this issue first.


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How do I use a pattern to unlock the phone screen?
Is there a way to set up my lock screen so that I can draw a pattern to unlock the phone? That way, only I can unlock it again. At the moment, my phone automatically locks the screen, but you just slide to unlock it. Because of that, any one can unlock my phone, which is not ideal.

From the home screen hit the menu button, then choose Settings > Location & Security and from there you should have an option to set up a patter or pin based screenlock.  The pattern lock will give you the option to create your own pattern on the 3x3 grid:

If you want to be able to draw a completely random pattern, Cyanogenmod 6.2 has the option to draw any invisible Gesture to unlock the screen.

Thank you very much. All along it was within android itself. I wasted a lot of time looking for an app that would do this. Once again, thansk : )

@Jay: Which is a large part of the reason we strongly encourage people to ask for solutions ("How do I...?") and not ask for apps ("Is there an app that...?")


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What does the *#*#4636#*#* dialer code do?
Has anyone tried the *#*#4636#*#* or *#*#7780#*#* dialer codes on HTC phones? They're not working for me.
Secondly, what does it show, means what kind of information? Is it safe to run on brand new phone?

What happens when you try the dialer code? In what sense is it not working?

Also, what are you trying to accomplish? It seems odd to be tinkering with secret star codes without a goal in mind already.

Yes, I have a Samsung Galaxy S and the *#*34636#*#* does actually work.
It gives all sorts of statistics.
You might read my following question: regarding this exact number and contact lists.
-- EDIT --
Sorry, didn't see the HTC phones bit. Just noticed the 'Samsung-Galaxy-tab' tag, and thought you were talking about the Samsung Galaxy S phone.
The part about the statistics , is ok , though.
On my phone.

Phone information
Battery information
Battery history
Usage statistics ( I was very interested in this option )
Wifi information

Usage statistics

Usage time
Launch count

what sort of statistics?

@I-M-JM : see my edits

Are you sure you're dialing it right? I just dialed wrong twice in a row (*#*# not #*#*) and got this error: "Connection problem or invalid MMI code." When I dial it correctly, my HTC G1 reports Phone information, battery info and history, and usage statistics.
Take a look at this more general question about dialer codes (aka secret star codes) for reference, too: Is there an official dialer code resource? There are some good links there for lists of dialer codes and some caveats about using them without adult supervision.

I use this code to change my network type also. While it does display all this information, this code is very useful for changing from 4G to 3G to 2G, and all sorts of other options in between.
If you do get this working, look under phone information, then set preferred network type. You'll have to read up on which type means what for your type of network, but this has allowed me to get better battery life and, at times, better cell service even with a 2G network.


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Does Gingerbread use extra battery power to make calls when the phone has poor signal?
Since I got this phone (Galaxy S, originally on Eclair, then Froyo) and switched network provider, I've had major problems with the signal at home, and call quality as a result.
Following the upgrade to Gingerbread, it seems to be behaving differently. I notice that I can have no bars of signal but then on attempting to make a call and connecting it shoots up to 3/4.
Checking the battery usage graph afterwards shows that voice calls (around 5 minutes worth) used 32% of the total battery usage, with display at 34% when it's usually at a much higher percentage.
Is this a feature of Gingerbread? And if that is the case, is there a way to turn it off? Sure, it's useful as it makes for clearer calls when the network is being a PITA, but it's also masking the problem the network is suffering from and as such may prevent me from being able to get out of the contract under the Ts & Cs of their provision of services. (I'd quite like to get out of my contract, so I could get a Galaxy S 2, with its extra power...)
The other side of it, is although it helps with calls, it doesn't help with receiving of text messages, so I'd really rather the network's flaws were fully exposed so I could switch to a provider with whom I could actually use my phone properly.

I would assume this is due to the cell radio firmware, not Android.  But I'm not sure.  In many cases you can flash older Modem firmware using Odin or Clockworkmod, so you could test and see if the Froyo firmware affects this under Gingerbread.  There should be a thread in the Galaxy S forum on XDA with the modems, I'll update this if I remember to look for it later.

Yes, your Gingerbread phone does this, and no, it's not a feature of Gingerbread. This isn't an Android-specific behaviour at all: it's part of the GSM protocol itself, so all phones do it.
When the cell tower transmits, it says the transmit strength in the signal. The phone then works out how much attentuation there is (i.e. how much weaker the received signal is). The more attentuation, the louder the phone has to transmit to reach the cell tower. This works well regardless of whether the attenuation is caused by objects/buildings between the transmitter and the phone, or just because of distance.
If it didn't do this, it would either have to transmit at full power all the time (which would be very bad for phone battery life), or it would get disconnected owing to the slightest bit of attenuation, even though it has enough power to reach the cell tower. Both of those would be much worse.
Because the details of how strong the transmission should be are specified by the GSM protocol, it's very unlikely that using a different official radio firmware (aka modem firmware) would make a difference. Even if you hacked the radio firmware yourself to disable this behaviour, you wouldn't be using a GSM phone any more, so any "if there's no signal at your house" provision of your contract wouldn't apply.


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Settings that work for Call Recorder Cube ACR on Google Pixel 8 Pro [no audio is recorded]
For Call Recorder Cube ACR on a Google Pixel 8 Pro, it doesn't seem to work. ie: either no file is recorded at all, or the file has no audio in it.
Which settings work?
On Android 14.
Cube ACR:

https://cubeacr.app/
On Android app store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.catalinagroup.callrecorder&referrer=utm_source%3Dcacr_site

Note: I have also installed and enabled the Cube ACR Helper by following the instructions here: https://cubeacr.app/helper.html
Here are some of my settings:

Showing that the Cube ACR Helper is enabled:

Cube ACR settings:
I've tried "Voice recognition (software)" and "Voice communication (software)" modes. Neither work.

Related research

Seems to indicate that it worked on Android 13 but not on Android 14 now: https://www.reddit.com/r/GooglePixel/comments/17bupwo/cube_acr_call_recording_and_android_14/

Uninstalling Automatic Call Recorder and going back to the Voice recognition (software) setting has made it work.
This comment of this Reddit thread indicated that that setting should work, and it does now.
So now call recording works on Android 14 with the Google Pixel 8 Pro via the Cube ACR app + Cube ACR Helper app.
Key takeaway
Call recording does not work with any bluetooth device, but it does work with the normal ear speaker and loudspeaker. So, be sure to disconnect any bluetooth device before recording a call.
This apparently is an unsurmountable limitation due to the restrictions Google has intentionally imposed inside the Android OS itself.
Tests to perform:
Key:

[x] = works / passed
[F] = Failed
[ ] = not tested yet

Cube ACR Setting: Voice recognition (software)
Over normal ear speaker ("Phone", in the Google Google "Phone" app):

[x] Normal outgoing call over cell tower with normal ear speaker: works
[x] Incoming call over WiFi with normal ear speaker: works, but loses the first few seconds of the call (does not record it)
[ ] Incoming call over cell tower (by disconnecting from WiFi) with normal ear speaker: ?

Over loudspeaker ("Speaker", in the Google "Phone" app):

[x] outgoing call over cell tower: works; the other person is louder and clearer than with the normal ear speaker
[ ] incoming call over WiFi: ?
[ ] incoming call over cell tower (WiFi off): ?

Over Bose QuietComfort noise-cancelling headphones connected over Bluetooth

[F] outgoing call over cell tower: fail! It records me but not the other person
[ ] incoming call over WiFi: ?
[ ] incoming call over cell tower (WiFi off): ?

Over Google Pixel Buds Pro noise-cancelling earbuds connected over Bluetooth

[F] outgoing call over cell tower: fail! It records me but not the other person
[ ] incoming call over WiFi: ?
[ ] incoming call over cell tower (WiFi off): ?

So, recording in "Phone" or "Speaker" mode seems to work, but over Bluetooth devices it only records you instead of the person too.
Cube ACR acknowledges this as a limitation of their work-around they found to make the software work at all. See their FAQ: https://cubeacr.app/faq.html:

Can’t hear the interlocutor when on Bluetooth/headset (Android 9-14)
Unfortunately, the fix we found to work around Google's call recording limitations on Android 9-14 will not work for calls using a headset.

Cube ACR Setting: Voice communication (software)
Bose QuietComfort noise-cancelling headphones connected over Bluetooth

[F] outgoing call over WiFi: fail! It records nothing at all

Cube ACR Setting: Voice call (software)
Bose QuietComfort noise-cancelling headphones connected over Bluetooth

[F] outgoing call over WiFi: fail! It records some background fuzz but that's it; no voices from either side

Other Cube ACR notes

They recommend using setting voice communication (software) for Android 9, and voice recognition (software) for Android 10-14. They also sometimes recommend voice call (software).
See their FAQ:

Does Cube ACR app support Android 10/14?
...
Set phone recording audio source to ‘voice recognition (software)’ and increase the recording clarity in the app settings - recording. In the same menu, also enable ‘force in-communication mode’. If this does not help, change the audio source to ‘voice call (software)’ and try again.

and:

The recordings quality is very low
Make sure you have set the correct audio source for the phone calls: ‘voice communication (software)’ ( Android 9)/ 'voice recognition (software)' (Android 10-14).

Bluetooth devices don't work, as mentioned above.


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How can I backup and restore Cyanogenmod 12.1 rom installed on my Samsung Galaxy 2 i9100?
Cyanogenmod(12.1)'s recovery has no backup or restore option. As I read in the answer of a previous post, CyanogenMod recovery is basic, so we should flash another recovery. The easiest way would be to use rashr, Fashify or GooManager to install CWM or TWRP. Unfortunately, these solutions don't work on my i9100.
An other answer in the same post says : "Especially for Galaxy S2. I stuck with Cyanogen Recovery for a couple of days. Neither Rashr nor Flashify worked for me. In the end, reflashing a TWRP kernel (Apollo 9 light) with Flash Gordon did the trick."
My questions are where do I find this TWRP kernel and how do I install it ?

I found a link to a signed stock kernel providing TWRP v2.8.7.0 on xda Forum : [ROM][I9100][5.1.1][OFFICIAL] CyanogenMod 12.1 Nightly Builds
It can be flashed with the Cynogen Recovery.
https://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=24052804347787517


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None of any chatting apps shows contact list
Today I updated my Lenovo A6000Plus to Lolipop Via OTA
Now I am suffering from a very weird problem.
WhatsApp Hike doesn't show any contacts in List. Although When I open my contact List I can see all of my contacts.
What I tried :

Checked the permission of each app. Every app is allowed to read contacts.
Rebooted my device
Removed my google account and sign in again
Navigated to whatsApp setings->contacts their Show all contact is already Checked.

All these methods doesn't work
Whenever anyone message me on hike or whatsapp i only see the number.Even When I add that Number I am not able to see the name.
I googled but nothing found.

Now I realized no one can help you except yourself.
Finally i Found a way.

Navigate to Settings - > Apps - > All Apps
Search For contact and Contact Storage
Clear Both Apps Data

Booom You Are Done.....
Note
Clearing Contact and Contact Storage Erase Your all Contact SO make Sure you backed up your all contact online or somemwhere else. In my case I use google account.

Your contacts would've been erased if you did clear "Contact Storage". Did you backup them earlier? I think so, but please mention that in the answer.

@Firelord Yes my all contacts are backed up in google....


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Pictures do not appear at the gallery?
I'm using Android 4.1.2 (I tagged with 4.1 jelly bean because there is not a 4.1.2 tag, my phone is Samsung galaxy S3 mini.
If I open my gallery, in wich all pictures on the phone should be present, only pictures on picasa and pictures taken by the camera do show in the gallery. I have a lot of pictures in my phone, for example pictures on the downloads folder. They don't show up.
I tried with the answers of other questions and it was in vain.
I restarted the phone many times. I re-scanned the device with this app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.promethyl.force.media.scanner&hl=en
I went into settings, manage applications, all apps, I stoped the media storage app and the gllery app, also deleted all data (and thus the cache, in fact after deleting the data I tried to delete the cache but the phone didn't let me, I realized that it was because when deleting all the data, It also deleted the cache)
Also music on the phone do not display in the music application. I also deleted music app data, but still it's not there.
EDIT 07/09/2015: The solution that worked for me was to delete .nomedia "hidden" files, in particular a .nomedia file in the MAIN folder preventing the media scanner to scan anything in the main folder of the SDcard. After deleting it, all pictures everywhere seem to be scanned and they appear in the library.

Clear app data of Media Storage app.
Find and delete .nomedia files on sdcard.
And reboot.

Terminal command to delete .nomedia files recursively.
Install Terminal Emulator for Android app. Open it and enter the command.
find $EXTERNAL_STORAGE $SECONDARY_STORAGE -iname ".nomedia" -exec rm {} \;
NOTE: Since android 5.0 doesn't allow third party apps to delete contents of external sdcard, U may need root permissions before that command to delete any .nomedia files on external sdcard. In terminal emulator, Hit su and enter and grant root permissions before using that command.

how I find .nomedia files? Are they hidden files? I have to find them everywhere?

@Santropedro Bharat is suggesting that you download a terminal emulator from the play store and run the command they provided. It will search your SD card for all the .nomedia files and remove them.

I searched the nomedia files and I can remove them manually. Ill try first that to see how it goes

yes they are hidden files. Any file/folder name starting with period is hidden. U dont have to find them everywhere, only in the paths where u have media and want to show up in gallery/music/video players. I just gave that command for ease.

Yes, it worked, in some sense, but it worked! I just deleted a couple of nomedia files. There was a .nomedia file inside a very important folder, the PHONE folder. I think that means the scan was skipping everything inside the phone folder, wich is practically everything. I don't know when to accept an answer. I think I should wait some days to see what happens before accepting answer, to see if this is the definitive and permanent solution.

Ok. Better delete all .nomedia files recursively with the command. Coz u maynot get to all of them manually. Ur gallery might become crazy temporarily. And then put .nomedia file in /sdcard/Android/data/ and other folders that u think are not media ones.

+1 Could you link the app? I think you can also do find $EXTERNAL_STORAGE $SECONDARY_STORAGE -iname ".nomedia" -exec rm {} \; or find /storage/{sdcard0,sdcard1} -iname ".nomedia" -exec rm {} \; or find /storage/  -iname ".nomedia" -exec rm {} \; to nuke from any detected storage.

@Firelord , thanks for the suggestions. wasn't aware about the $SECONDARY_STORAGE variable.


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Backspace deletes too fast
In my android 4.1.2 samsung galaxy s3 mini, when I'm writing sentences, sometimes I want to delete words because grammar mistakes or whatever reason, problem is if I hold backspace after a small time starts to delete at a uncontrollable wild fast pace, and that makes impossible to control and delete messages difficult. It would, for me, be much better a constant speed much slower like windows, letter by letter and not word by word. Is that a serting somewhere?

That is the functionality  of the  keyboard app. Swiftkey does that but AOSP in my Lollipop doesn't.

Hey, what you mean by aosp? seems like a organization  not a software, i don''t understand correctly you sentence?

This "feature" depends on the keyboard. Before we can answer your question, we need to know what keyboard you are using.

What do you mean by keyboard? I will give answers that probably covers what you are asking. My phone is screentouch, there is not hardware keys they are virtual. I'm using android 4.1.2 and I never made a choice of what keyboard I want software. I have the degault option, and is the same keyboard for wroting in any app or to write an sms.

Sorry for the grammar mistakes. When on computer I'll correct them.

The interface (those Q W E R T Y like keys ) using which you write something in your Android is considered a keyboard and it is actually an app in system, so we generally call it a keyboard app, or say soft-keyboard. You've to find an app that doesn't delete words but characters at a time. See if AOSP or Google keyboard app works for you.


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System time not updating while screen is locked
Device: ASUS MemoPad 7 (K013), running the latest ASUS ROM based on Android Lollipop 5.0 (updated automatically with the included ASUS updater).
When I lock the screen, the system time stops ticking until I unlock it again.
After unlocking, it does not update to current time, instead lags behind for the amount of time it was locked.

The time zone is set correctly and the device has stable Internet connection via Wi-Fi (no packet data option available on this device).
The date/time update setting is set to "Use network time", which disables manual time adjustment. After unchecking "Use network time" I can set the time manually.

Interestingly enough, after adjusting the time and re-enabling "Use network time", the time instantly skips back to the "lagged" value (how it was before manual adjustment).
Rebooting the tablet forces a time update, although the problem keeps persisting on screen lock, which renders the system clock, and thus the device, useless for my purposes.
A similar problem used to occur for me on a different device, but the time was updating automatically a couple seconds after unlocking. This is not the case here.
Please advise.

It seems this is a known issue with ASUS MemoPad. XDA Forum mentions to clear system cache or wipe with stock recovery, AndroidCentral Forum mentions the probability of network time sync sets wrong time. No clear solution as of now though.

And AOSP Issue Tracker on the same issue

Wiping cache with stock recovery seems to have solved it for me.

Power off phone (be sure to turn off fast reboot in settings first). Boot into recovery by holding volume-down key and then holding power key until boot menu appears. Volume down to RECOVERY and tap power to select. HTC logo appears followed by a blank, dim screen. Wait about 30 seconds for red triangle icon to appear.
Now, hold down volume-up and tap power button. Recovery menu appears. Volume-down to "Wipe cache partition" at bottom of list and tap power key. Cache gets cleared. Then select "reboot system now" by tapping power key again. Done!

What is the reason I'm being downvoted when this method solved my problem?

Well sometimes the community is real harsh to downvote without giving the reason. I hate that kind of behavior too. Discourage people despite their effort. Back to this question, I'm looking for a solution to this very problem. Although it "seems" to work for you (you observed for long enough? until now still works?), I did a dirty flash yesterday but the problem persists. The time is only 5-10 minutes off though, but it's still bugging me :).

Issue's been gone for me ever since, actively using the tablet on various ways day-to-day. Thanks for your reply.


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"Slide to answer" alternative on Lollipop
I'm using ZTE Maven running Android 5.1 Lollipop, and while there are 3 physical buttons on the front of the phone beneath the display, by default to answer a call you have to touch a green virtual button on the display and "slide to answer".
I get calls very infrequently and when I do I have a lot of difficulty answering calls.  At first I concluded that I have to hold on the green virtual button until it activates, and then slide it, but recently that doesn't work either and I end up missing the call.
I understand there are apps for changing this behavior, but I'd prefer a configuration solution.  I think once I found a mention of an accessibility setting for this, but the only documentation I can now find is for pre-Lollipop versions of Android and it doesn't seem to apply.
Is there a way to configure Lollipop with an alternative way to answer calls?

If any of the already-existing answers has satisfactorily solved your problem, please accept the answer by adding a green checkmark.

You could use a Bluetooth headset's "answer call" button, but if you don't receive many calls, it might be a hassle to wear the headset all day.  Alternatively, maybe you could use a voice command to answer calls, but I have no idea whether or not this is really possible using the current version of the Google Assistant.

Do you have a visual impairment which makes it difficult to see where the call-answering slider is located? Or do you have issues with hand-eye coordination, which make it difficult to slide the slider? Or both?

@unforgettableid  I think it was more about that particular phone, as I have no trouble with slide-to-answer on iPhone 6s now

If you're using Samsung Galaxy S-series, you can change the call answering and ending options in Settings > Accessibility > More settings > Answering and Ending calls. I didn't like the way it worked, I now have it set up so all I press is the home key.
The other one is Single tap mode, which is like its name, answering/rejecting incoming calls with a single tap.

Image courtesy of AndroidCentral

I don't see "More settings", are you using Android 5.1 Lollipop?

Yes, it isn't a selectable option,  more of a subcategory/title, it may be device specific, I'm unsure. What device are you using?

My device is a ZTE Maven, it only cost $50 but it is quite satisfactory in other respects

OK, from the image that I found on GSMarena, it looks like your phone doesn't have any hardware keys on the front, so i don't think that this will be an option. However, if you can see  single tap mode in your accessibility options, you could enable that, which would negate the need to slide the green/red icon to answer/reject calls. BEWARE: this does the same for  alarms, calendar events and timer alerts, so instead of sliding to dismiss, you would tap the icon

I do have three buttons on the front but they are behind the glass and I could see where they wouldn't be obvious in a photo.  While single tap mode sounds promising, I couldn't find that either.

Online documentation: http://www.att.com/devicehowto/?make=zte&model=ztez812 I'm getting the impression that I'm out of luck.

I'm away from pc at the moment  but as soon as I can, I'll explore it, there has to be a way, we just need to figure it out

I added the "Samsung device" since Samsung customized most of Android's stock feature.

To find your "tap once", go to settings, accessibility, talkback, when you are in there, it has its own settings (top right hand corner), press that from there you scroll down the list until you see "single tap selection".  Don't know if it will work but it is worth a shot.

I have checked the box but TalkBack remains Off.  I'll let you know how it goes, thanks.

I've only taken 2 or 3 calls since then but I'd have to say it doesn't seem to have made a difference

on an lg k20 go to settings> accessibility> motor and cognition> touch and hold for calls. hope this helps!

Swipe once, then tap blue phone symbol once.


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Always-on clock
I have a rooted device with an Amoled screen and Android 5.1 (CyanogenMod 12.1) installed. I would like to also use it as a desk/night clock. I know that with the Daydream (‘screensaver’) feature, I can get this, but only while charging, or docked.

Is it possible to allow Daydream also while on battery?
If not, is there another option?
Optional extra requirement: Ideally, the screen would turn of completely when it is covered.

I prefer ‘simple’ solutions, but am also interested in ones that are more complicated and involve, e.g., some form of automation. (They may also be of interest to others.)

@beeshyams: Can you put your answer in an answer?

You can try Day Dream . It is not on play store but install via Aptoide

were you able to check it out?

No, but it is a good suggestion. Given that it only (officially) supports Android <5 and the fact that it is not on the Play store mean that I will most likely not try it.

I had been looking for this quite some time ago... Turns out you don't need any complicated apps for this. Get Daydream Launcher. Does not satisfy optional requirements but is already awesome.
EDIT: Totally forgot that additional settings (including duration) requires Plus (99 cents). My bad.

The daydreaming does not persist, it stops after a short while (sleep timeout?).

@equaeghe Click the "Daydream" shortcut in launcher to start the persistent daydream.

That is what I did, it does not persist.

@equaeghe Look inside "Daydream Settings" and set "Daydream sleep" to desired time value. If that doesn't work either then I have no idea what's with your device.

I do not have that setting, just one to start daydreaming right away and to select when to daydream (docked, charging, either). The general sleep timeout does determine how long the immediately started daydream will last, but it can't go over 30 min and moreover, I do not want to set this to another value.

Uhh... I mean the "Daydream Settings" shortcut in your launcher.

I did not find this “Daydream Settings” shortcut, there is only the “Daydream” shortcut itself (and the widget, which does the same thing, launch daydream). Can you provide more information about this, perhaps also in your answer?

@equaeghe Ugh, dammit, forgot I have the Plus version, settings is only available for Plus... Sorry, support the dev if you want to, or use beeshyams's solution if not.


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Bluetooth HCI Snooping integrity
For a project I am sniffing bluetooth communication between an embedded device and my android phone. To make this work I enabled the Bluetooth HCI Snoop log option on my Android phone in developer options. The bluetooth used is Bluetooth LE (Bluetooth Smart)
The embedded device communicates through bluetooth with an app installed on my Android device. Opening the created log file with Wireshark I found some interesting results. I compared my results to that of an example bluetooth capture file and noticed that about half of communication is not present in my capture log.
In my capture log there is no PIN code request/reply, no connection events (only disconnect), no link key messages and no SDP or L2CAP protocol usage.
I don't understand why I am getting these strange results and I  wonder if the entire bluetooth connection and communication process between embedded and android device (including the app) is not captured