text:
Where are cached email messages stored in the Gmail app?
Google recently disabled one of my Gmail accounts (and will apparently take several days to re-enable it), but luckily I have some emails I need right now saved in the Gmail app.
Is there any way I can download them to my computer? In what folder are they stored on Ice Cream Sandwich?

Gmail usually stores its data on internal storage:
/data/data/com.google.android.gm/
├── cache
│   ├── download
│   └── webviewcache
├── databases
├── files
├── lib
└── shared_prefs

From this directory structure you may guess some things. I'm not sure what exactly is stored in the cache subdirectory except for downloads (the extracted Nandroid backup I've got on my workstation comes from a device where Gmail actually wasn't used). Your messages (in fact, your entire mail contents) are however stored in a SQLite3 database: databases/mailstore.<address> -- where <address> is your mail address.
So if you can pull this directory to your computer (which might require root privileges), you could use a graphical SQLite frontend to explore this database. The messages table will be your primary target.


text:
Trigger WiFi hotspot based on known WiFi availability or location
I have a HTC One XL and a Nexus 7. They both know my home WiFi network and a few other networks, and my Nexus knows my HTC's WiFi hotspot as well. When I'm out and about I press my hotspot widget on my HTC to enable the WiFi hotspot, which allows my Nexus to automatically connect and get online.
What I'd like is a way to

use a known WiFi network if available (to save battery and mobile data), and
otherwise automatically turns on WiFi hotspot mode
can be WiFi based or location based

This will allow me to use the Nexus 7 wherever I am, without having to take out my HTC and flick the hotspot switch. At the same time I'd like the Nexus to prioritise other known networks over the hotspot, so that if possible it drops off the hotspot network and uses the known network.
Searching for anything containing 'WiFi hotspot' returns dozens of apps to get around carrier imposed hotspot restriction, so I am not having much success there.

While I agree with Matt on the usefulness of Tasker, as to my current knowledge you'd have to configure all your Wifi zones manually here based on their location (e.g. via "Cell Near", which leverages cell tower information and does not use much battery as the current cell is either known to the system, or via network-based or GPS location). If you one day add a new Wifi, you had to manually add it to Tasker as well -- if not somebody has found a way to automate this.
So I want to additionally introduce Smart WiFi, which automatically does that part of the job: As soon as you connect to a Wifi, it records the corresponding cell tower IDs. Next time one of them comes in reach, Wifi will be turned on automatically. So you then could use a tool like Tasker to kick in on the "Wifi off" condition to enable your Hotspot functionality, and disable this again as soon as Smart Wifi enabled Wifi again.
Also agreed with Matt: Once you've got to understand Tasker, you will not want to miss it again -- it's such a powerful tool. Concerning its price: There's a 7-day trial available at the Tasker homepage. You can export its configuration, and uninstall and re-install the trial for another 7-day-period (as described by its developer) and import your configuration again, which gives you at least 14 days to get familiar with this app. You certainly won't regret it.

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


text:
Is it possible to change the text bubbles on the s3?
I just am trying to figure out how to change the backgrounds behind text messages. Is there a setting or some app which lets you do this?

Go to the Messaging app and hit the settings button. You will see Bubble style and Background style.
When you select Bubble Style you will see options at the bottom of the screen that you can scroll through (the top option is the look for your outgoing messages, the bottom option is the look for received messages).
When you select Background style there are a few options to scroll through at the bottom of the screen as well.

You could install a 3rd-party app like GO SMS Pro to replace the stock Messaging app. This would allow you to customize the font size, colors, backgrounds, theme, and others.

Go to your messaging app on your front screen or where ever you have it placed and then once you are on it go to the bottom left corner on your phone and tap it and then hit settings and scroll down and it says bubble style or background style and there you go you changed it and you can also change your messaging background

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


text:
Get Facebook app to use full screen in Android 2.3?
Is it possible to make the Facebook app in Android 2.3 use the full screen? I remember being able to do this on a different device with Android 1.6 but I can't find a way to do it with Android 2.3.

I think its app dependent rather than OS version dependent.

Are you talking about the official facebook app? Maybe things have changed

I am talking about the official app, yes.

This answer is certainly not eligible for the bounty, but I'm afraid the answer is: it's not possible.
Even though I can't share resources that do tell us that it's not possible, I can share resources you'd expect to have the answer, but don't:

This Google-fu leads mostly to development threads
Again, with "-developer" added things don't improve much
The help center on Facebook is utterly useless as well, even with more specific queries
The settings for Version 1.8.4 of the Facebook app do not contain any remotely close option (there aren't too many settings, anyway).

Perhaps someone else can refute this answer?


text:
J2ME emulator that works for ICS?
Is there any J2ME emulator like JBed for ICS? I've found a ton of tutorials like this but  as far as I know, all of them are exclusively for Gingerbread and below.
P.S. I already tried J2ME Runner but whenever I submit my JAR and JAD files for conversion on their site, it would hang up and send me a converted .APK with corrupted content so that cancels out that method too.

Think this should belong on StackOverflow

How so? This isn't programming-related. I believe it's an end-user question since I'm wanting to run old Java games from my Nokia phone on my Android phone.

Are you sure you get corrupted content? Do you have the J2ME Runner inside your phone?

With Android's Gingerbread builds, it was built using the Java 1.4 components, ICS and later are built using Java 1.5+.
Nokia uses Symbian specific Java midlets and JAR's written using Java 1.2 or 1.3 ME edition.
And from the tutorial linky, there is no mention of specifically running Nokia's apps on it.
Rather, the impression I get, is Java agnostic JAD/JARs/Midlets not tied to any platform.
In your case, Nokia apps are specifically for Nokia which I guess is why it failed.

I've also tried a Java game that ran quite well on a Samsung Corby 2 so I doubt that that's the case. I'm convinced that the problem I'm having is because of the lack of ICS support though. :(

There is a working one called phoneME. It was written for Android 2.1-2.2, so don't expect it to be stable. Here's download link:
http://davy.preuveneers.be/phoneme/?q=node/10
Also, emulator doesn't appear to like paths with spaces and to run JAR files directly, so you need to make a JAD file. Sorry for my bad English.


text:
Huawei IME and input language
I've encountered a problem using my Huawei U8350 Boulder powered by Android 2.2.2. The phone has physical keyboard and I would like to switch between different keyboard layouts (or input languages) while browsing. I have two input methods one is Huawei IME and Android keyboard. I checked forums and they suggests to find "Input languages" in "Android Keyboard" settings which is unavailable on my phone.
However Huawei IME is very handy and has a hotkey to switch between input languages, but it looks like it works for Chinese only, because when I switch it to, for example, Russian it still uses English letters.
Maybe someone encountered such problem and knows the answer?


text:
Some features of Chrome for Android cause it to crash to the homescreen
I have an LG Optimus 2X P990, which is running Android 4.0.4, ParanoidAndroid ROM. I have downloaded Chrome for Android from the Google Play Store and it works like a charm in some places, but others just dont work.
For example, one of the most important features to me is tabs. Once I click the tabs button, it doesn't cause any errors or exceptions, all it does is close Chrome. The same thing happens with some other features like gestures and such - it just brings me back to my homescreen.
I have tried this on several ROMs, but none work. Is there a fix for this? Is it a known issue? How can I fix it, or is it something with my phone's hardware that simply will never work?
LOGCAT:
08-17 15:47:43.817: W/NvAudioDevice(15019): @@(Device.cpp-hal)@@
setOutputMute(force unmute)
08-17 15:47:43.827: D/(1049): @@(WM8994)@@ ACWM8994SetPowerMode(),
CurrPowerMode = 1, PowerMode = 1
08-17 15:47:44.717: I/chromium(20957): Initial Minidump data written:
08-17 15:47:44.717: I/chromium(20957):
/data/data/com.android.chrome/cache/Crash Reports
08-17 15:47:44.727: W/chromium(20957): Output crash dump file:
08-17 15:47:44.727: W/chromium(20957):
/data/data/com.android.chrome/cache/Crash
Reports/69c81f37-f360-aabd-59341dd1-267f1586.dmp
08-17 15:47:44.747: I/WindowManager(1587): WIN DEATH: Window{41320470
com.android.chrome/com.google.android.apps.chrome.Main paused=false}
08-17 15:47:44.747: I/ActivityManager(1587): Process com.android.chrome (pid
20957) has died.
08-17 15:47:44.747: W/ActivityManager(1587): Scheduling restart of crashed
service
com.android.chrome/com.google.android.apps.chrome.sync.ChromeSyncInvalidationListener
in 5000ms
08-17 15:47:44.747: W/ActivityManager(1587): Scheduling restart of crashed
service
com.android.chrome/com.google.ipc.invalidation.ticl.android.AndroidInvalidationService
in 15000ms
08-17 15:47:44.747: W/ActivityManager(1587): Force removing
ActivityRecord{40ec7e00
com.android.chrome/com.google.android.apps.chrome.Main}: app died, no saved
state
08-17 15:47:44.757: I/chromium(20974): [INFO:sandboxed_process_service.cc(317)]
SandboxedProcessService: Force exiting sandboxed process.
08-17 15:47:44.807: I/ActivityManager(1587): Process
com.android.chrome:sandboxed_process0 (pid 20974) has died.
08-17 15:47:44.827: D/Zygote(1056): Process 20957 terminated by signal (8)
08-17 15:47:45.157: W/InputManagerService(1587): Got RemoteException sending
setActive(false) notification to pid 20957 uid 10081
08-17 15:47:45.307: D/dalvikvm(3295): GC_FOR_ALLOC freed 5179K, 35% free
16188K/24711K, paused 46ms
08-17 15:47:46.127: D/dalvikvm(3295): GC_CONCURRENT freed 2054K, 22% free
19302K/24711K, paused 7ms+4ms
: E/(): Device disconnected

Have you done the usual stuff for a truculent app? Clear the cache, data? Force close?

I has been like that since i first installed it, i have done it, still doesn't work

I've always thought Chrome was excellent- especially since it completely negates the need for chrome-to-phone.
It shouldn't have anything to do with your hardware, but why don't you go into the Developer Settings, check "Show all ANR's" and see if that produces a FC dialog. If not, try running '$ adb logcat' -- reproduce the close, and tell us what the logcat says.

I dont see any button or checkbox named "show all ANR's", check out the logcat in my question


text:
Mounting as USB drive before syncing?
I'm going through the different alternatives to synchronize my ICS-based Samsung Nexus with Outlook.
While sync works fine over wifi, I'd rather use USB which The Missing Sync is supposed to be able to sync over USB, but the documentation seems meant for older releases of Android, and I don't know how to get the Samsung to work.
It says: "Before synchronizing with a USB cable, confirm that the Android device is mounted as a USB Drive on the computer", but doesn't explain what to do on ICS.
I tried either MTP or PTP, but still get the error "Unable to sync: no bluetooth, wifi, or USB connection is available".
Thank you.

Edit: I followed "Missing Sync for Android: Syncing via USB", but it fails syncing with USB:

The Androphone supports "USB Tethering", as seen in Settings > Wireless &
Networks > More... > Tethering & portable hotspot > USB Tethering. Do NOT
check the option!
Turn off the Nexus, remove the battery for 1 minute, put it back and turn the
Nexus back on. Wait until it fully boots.
Connect the Nexus to the PC with the USB cable
If prompted to mount the SD card, choose "Charge only"; If it is mounted
with no prompt, slide the Notifications section down and select "Charge only"
Open the Missing Sync application on the Nexus, click on the menu button
(three, vertical points) > Settings > Unselect "Secure Sync". Close.
No "Secure Sync", only "Secure WiFi sync" which is checked by default
Click on Sync, and choose to sync via USB, and wait a few seconds for
syncing via USB starts.
"Unable to sync, no bluetooth, wifi or USB connection is available".
Unpaired wifi, tried again: "Unable to sync, no bluetooth, wifi or USB
connection is available"

I'm using version 4.0.3 on a Samsung Galaxy S2.
To mount the internal storage and any installed SD card via the USB do the following:

Unplug USB cable.
Goto Settings -> More... -> USB utilities -> Connect storage to PC
and follow the instructions.


text:
How to configure smartphone/tablet to have no data connection?
Before going on a trip overseas with no data plan, I need to check how well my Google Nexus 7 tablet works to geolocate me with just GPS + Glonass + GSM towers.
From experience, I know that just relying on GPS with no data connection pretty much doesn't work: Even after being outside in open skies for hours riding a bike, my GPS-only smartphone had a very hard time geolocating me, and wouldn't follow after it did, while it did work in just a few seconds when connecting to the Net through wifi.
So, I'd like to experiment while I'm still home: Is it possible to configure an Android device to have no data connection and only rely on other means to geolocate the user?
If needed, I don't mind moving to different ROMs such as CyanogenMod.
Thank you.

Edit: I found the reason why GPS wouldn't work even after hours standing outside: In Settings > Location, the option "Download GPS assisted data only over Wi-Fi networks" was disabled; Once enabled, geolocalizing through GPS alone works OK, although it works faster and better with the Nexus 7 tablet that has GPS + Glonass.

This is incorrect. You can just use GPS without needing to connect to network. Otherwise, there's no point in using offline maps. Check also the related question.

Thanks for the link.
Theoretically yes it should work, but experience showed that it pretty much doesn't work on the Galaxy Nexus: Like I said, even after being outside in open skies the whole day, it could barely show where I was. Maybe that phone relies heavily on AGPS to work, hence the lack of signal when no data connection is available.

Airplane mode should do what you want.  If you want to turn off just the mobile or just the wifi, you can do that in CyanogenMod anyway from the pull-down notification-- just click on the wifi icon to turn wifi off, or the mobile icon (usually labeled with your carrier) to turn mobile functions off too.  You can always pull your SIMcard to be absolutely sure you're not using your mobile network.  If by the way, you want to use mast-based positioning/triangulation without using your mobile connection-- that may be a bit more difficult.  Try using an app like llama which I believe uses cell towers signal strength to triangulate your position.

Thanks much for the infos. I'll experiment this week-end while on a trip in a neighboring country.


text:
Set web proxy in Cyanogenmod?
Since the Android port of the Privoxy web filter isn't actively supported, I'm thinking of installing it on a Linux host at home, and configure the web browsers (Dolphin and Chrome) on my Android phone to hit it first for some on-the-fly filtering.
I've moved to Cyanogenmod and was wondering how to configure the phone so that all web browsers go through a remote proxy.
Thank you.

Have you checked the settings for your WiFi APN in Settings→WiFi? In its advanced options, you can specify proxy settings (and more). This is not specific to CM, but should be AOSP (at least with 4.0+).

Thanks for the idea, but I was thinking of a setting that would work both for 3G and wifi.

Proxy settings are always bound to the network used. I don't know of any global setting for that – except when using VPN. Maybe you can specify proxy settings in some browsers (Firefox on desktop supports that, no idea about the mobile version). But then again, it's per browser, and not for all of them in the same place. Maybe apps like Proxy Settings or Proxy Manager can do what you want?

PS: ProxyDroid looks promising, too (seems to have a "Global" switch even). Find more with a little search for "proxy settings" :)


text:
A way to copy data from android?
I have a samsung s4 on android 6.0.1 and the phone has a cracked and unresponsive screen. I tried to plug the phone to my computer so see if I could copy pictures from my internal drive but it wouldn't work. I tried  adb pull since I have root access and developer option was always enabled but I get error: insufficient permissions for device: verify udev rules.
adb devices  shows 9a22b563  no permissions (verify udev rules); see [http://developer.android.com/tools/device.html] I think this is happening because of my locked screen. It is stopping adb from working properly. Is there a way to get my data back by disabling the lock screen?
I have root and custom recovery access but unable to reboot to recovery due to adb not giving access.

You can manually boot to recovery without adb. Therefore turn your phone off and then press the power button, home button and volume up (at least as far as I remember) simultaneously for several seconds. This should boot the phone to recovery and you can try to use adb although I don't know if you now have the needed permissions.


text:
Will Nextflix Widevine L1 play with magisk?
If my phone natively supports Widevine L1 in order to play 1080p to 4K videos on Netflix or Amazon Prime, will Netflix play the high res rather than 480p with magisk that passes safetynet.

I can confirm the answer is no.

Unlikely. Generally, on most phones, your DRM keys will be wiped when you unlock the bootloader. So, even if you clear SafetyNet, your Widevine level is most likely already dropped down to L3. That means no more HD playback. Locking the bootloaderback will work on some phones, won't on others. Ideally, it is a permanent loss of Widevine L1 when you unlock with no way to restore it.
I am not sure if there are some hacks which pass fake Widevine status to the apps in question and restore their HD playback.

Thanks, I decided to cancel my netflix subscription instead.

@singhnsk I disagree with you. Simply unlocking the bootloader doesn t means losing the L1. I tried to see if I could still play L1 videos on my Galaxy tab S3 after unlocking the bootloader but before rooting it and it worked.

@user2284570 can you kindly check with the DRM Info app about what's your current Widevine status? The drop in widevine should happen on every well secured Android device. In case it didn't on the Samsung, then it is Samsung which is not properly following the implementation of DRM.

@singhnsk I confirm it still shows that level. I suppose Samsung does it only once the efuse is trapped.

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


text:
How can I change my phone's resolution?
I would like to change the resolution of my s4 1080x1920 to 720x1280 not the dpi but the resolution. I have root access and am on android 6.0.1. How can I do this.
I want to do this to see how much battery I can save. Usually my phone last 3 days (normal use) on my custom 7800mah battery without charing but I don't really have much use for an UHD screen so I want to see if it can last longer by lowering the resolution.

Using adb, no root required
Use the command adb shell wm size 720x1280
Using phone, root required
Download any Terminal app, such as this one.
Type the command su to enter superuser mode, and then type wm size 720x1280 into the terminal.
Source: http://www.theandroidsoul.com/change-screen-resolution-adb-android/

Does this method survive a reboot?

Yes it does survive a reboot since I have tested it myself. I searched google play and found no apps that could do this. I will make an app myself using this method and upload it to the play store so others like me can have an easy way to change the resolution. Thanks @SSS

This really does help, usually I lose around 30%/day normal use but  I'm barely losing 20%/day nowadays. For anyone else doing this on s4, the best dpi for 720x1280 in my opinion is 300. I had 480 when resolution was 1080x1920

@answerSeeker Could you open your app's source? I have same need, https://stackoverflow.com/questions/78895074/how-to-change-set-top-box-resolution-programmatically

I run this on set-top box, it can't change the output resolution, it just make display area changed, please help.

Since you don't want to use the dpi route, instead you can modify a system property in build.prop file.
Navigate to /system/build.prop and find this property name : persist.dash.max.rep.resolution under property value put 1280*720

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


text:
Preventing syncing of Google+ contacts to Galaxy S3
Have done my bit of research but couldn't find a good solution. When I sync the contacts with my primary Gmail account, the Contacts get filled with all of my Google Contacts including those from Google+ (1000s of them) which I obviously do not want to be in my phone.
How do I prevent this from happening ?

I do not want to create a new Google account just as a workaround
Have tried to locate the possibility of syncing just with a specific group. But can't find it in S3
I do not prefer 3rd party contact managers

Open the Google+ app. Click the MENU button and choose SETTINGS.
Uncheck ADD CONTACTS FROM GOOGLE+

This option was not on my Google+ App (Build 3.0.1.31545355) on my Droid 3 running Android 2.3.4

Is it possible that unchecking this will not remove the already synced contacts with? How can I remove those as well?

Ok it just took several minutes to make the change.

Settings > Accounts > Google > Google+ > UNCHECK "Keep Contacts up to date"

I didn't want all of my Google Contacts to display because that is not where I store phone #'s.  I was able to get the GS3 to only show contacts that have a phone # by going to:
Contacts > click on Settings button, scroll to bottom and click on Settings again and then choose "Only contacts with phones".  This way, I have my Google Contacts on there, but not the ones that I use only for emailing.

An option I went with was that in my g-mail account, I deleted all my contacts. I then synced my s3 with my google account so that it updated with the 0 contact list. Once I cleared my contact list from my phone, I unchecked the syncing option so that I wouldn't have this problem again. Back on my gmail account, I undid deleting the contacts so that I could retain my contact list in my email (revert it back to before this process), but still have 0 of those contacts on my S3.
Hope that helps (even though it's 2 months late).

It sounds like this does only delete the Google contacts and not the Google+ contacts. Plus your device won't be able to sync the Google contacts in the future. Sorry, but I would not recommend this option.

If Sparx's answer is not an option, the I suggest to simply hide the Google+ contacts  in the app. This does not prevent syncing but it's a sufficient  solution. For ICS open the contacts app, select the list view and press the context menu button, which should present a menu with the "Contacts to display" option.


text:
Inbox messages auto remove once read Samsung s3
Have tried droid mail, k9 mail, as well as the local email app. My outlook is set to leave a copy of message on server. Emails that have been read, disappear when updating or polling for new messages. Verizon tells me gotta talk to google tech support. Does anyone know how to, or of a program, that will allow my messages to be saved locally and accessed even when outside of cell service range?
My droid and droid 2 both had no problems keeping inbox messages, read or otherwise, in my inbox.

cant' you use IMAP?

If you set Outlook to leave copies it doesn't affect other clients unless you have an Exchange mailbox. You should set this on the server (can maybe be found in webmail settings). Also, please mention the protocol you use, we're just assuming POP.


text:
What does "Quick Upload" do?
Using Motorola Atrix with Android 2.3.
When long-clicking an image in the Gallery (Galerie in German), among others there’s an option to “Quick Upload” (“Schnelles Hochladen” in German). What does this option do? It seems to do something for a while, but then it doesn’t tell me anything.
The first time I used it it asked for an e-mail address. I specified my Gmail address, assuming that it would upload the images to the relevant Google account. But I can’t find them anywhere.
It’s the fourth option in this screenshot:

I think the translation is Instant upload, and it means that it uploads the photo to your Google+ account's Instant Uploads album in the background. Check your g+ profile for this folder.

Well, but it doesn’t. I’ve checked all over Google+, especially the albums. There’s nothing there. (There’s also no indication of uploading in the background.)


text:
Messaging contacts color change
I got my Galaxy S3 about two weeks ago, and have been texting on it normally. Now, for some reason, when I look at my text log some of the names of my contacts are in blue, while some remain in white. It started with a few names becoming blue, and now the majority are. It's a completely random thing, but I'm just wondering why..

My girlfriend's Samsung Fascinate is experiencing the same behavior ... in her Text Messaging window, some of her contacts' name's are in blue, and some are in white. They change, for no discernable reason.

I see a discussion in AndroidForums stating that this behavior is a strange bug.  It seems that few experienced this issue for whom the color changed after receiving an emergency message.  They also say that deleting such messages restores the color. If you had received any such emergency message, can you please try to delete it?
Out of curiosity and the attraction of bounty led me to search for this issue else where. I do not have an S3 or know anyone having S3 to confirm this.

to the up voter: thanks at first. Could you please add a comment if deleting the emergency message did solve the issue? This will also help other S3 users.

The upvoter needn't necessarily own an S3 to find your answer useful, both Maarx and Emma haven't been here since you posted your answer (seen in their profiles)

It seems to be a bug concerning severe weather alerts. Simply delete the culprit message, then force-stop the messaging app. Everything should go back to normal. You may permanently disable the culprit messages from coming in by going to messaging>settings>emergency alerts and uncheck the boxes.
As confirmed on: http://forums.androidcentral.com/sprint-galaxy-s-iii/192562-text-messages-all-changed-blue.html


text:
PTP (“connect as camera”) no longer working after update
After updating my Samsung Galaxy Nexus to Jelly Bean, PTP no longer works:
When I connect the phone via USB to my MacBook Pro and enable PTP on the phone, it does connect properly as a camera device and is visible as such in iPhoto / Picasa. However, it’s usually displayed as empty, even though there are photos on the phone’s camera, taken both before and after the update, which haven’t yet been synchronised.
Sometimes it’s not empty but the images that are transferred are merely thumbnails, not full-resolution photos.
Has anybody else got this problem? Is it a bug? Is there a workaround?

Incidentally, the import works on Windows using the Windows Live photo managing tool.


text:
Dialling with favorites
With My old phone as soon as I hit my favorites button, the phone would automatically dial the number that I set as a default.  With this phone, when I hit an entry on my favorites list, it brings me to a list of numbers and I have to choose a number.  HOw can I program  the phone to automatically dial a favorite number? I tried setting a number as a default and it doesn't work.

which Android version?

in ICS, if you use the Favorites tab in the People app, then it will behave like you mentioned; however if you use the Favorites tab in the Phone app, then it will directly call the number you set as default number for the contact.


text:
Samsung Galaxy S3 Latest Firmware Contacts App Lag Issue
I have upgraded my phone to the latest firmware which is MainBand : I9300XXLFB.
Before that release no problem was recognized with the contacts app. But now; I am facing with an issue that; it takes 3 to 5 secs to load the contacs list.
Is this a specific one for me or a global issue ?
Regards

I had a similar issue right after the update. My situation was far worse. If I were to receive a call from 'specific' contacts, the phone would crash (com.android.phone module) and I wouldn't be able to answer it, let alone identify who was calling.
The simple solution for this problem is to Export all your contacts onto your internal SD card. Transfer them over to your computer and Import them by Kies. (This method solved my issue. Maybe it will help you too.
Regards,
Sterex

well since I have problems with kies as well. That my phone is unable be found on Kies. I think I got real problems with this g s3

Ok. Kies via data cable also does not work? :(

Correct. Kies via cable not working. I think the old caches I moved from my old android device corrupts it. I need to go to factory settings. But it needs some times for that operation.

I am not sure if this problem still exists but I've experienced that some contact apps may cause android to crash. My phone was crashing in the contacts edit menu ( indeed, unable to go to the edit screen ) But I see that the problem was with an app that tries to handle some events.


text:
Phone number shown as unknown. Always says sender is invalid
I have a Samsung Galaxy S SHW-M1105 and it displays my phone number as unknown. Is there a way to change it? And one more when I try to reply a message it says the sender is invalid. Someone please help

You can enable your caller ID from Settings -> Call settings -> All calls -> Show my number -> Show. As for the SMS reply problem, please check the settings in your Messaging app, make sure that the SMSC (Short Message Service Center) number is correct foryour network and SMS Reply Path is off. Otherwise, just double-check the number and try with and without the international format.


text:
Call Log or now called Recent Calls
Where did the ability to sort and see your calls either by missed calls (those that you did not answer), received calls (those that you answered) and Dialed calls (those that you dialed.) There is no menu selection to choose like in previous versions of Google's Android System.

Open the phone app and open the Call History tab. (Icon is a clock.)
If you're using Google Voice tap the word "Inbox" at the top of the screen and it will pull down a menu of the different boxes for GV (e.g., Text, Missed, Received, etc.)

I think he means filtering this list by the criteria he mentions, i.e. three separate lists...

Doesn't exist. Might be an app that does that.


text:
Is it possible to improve word suggestions?
I used to use the "swiftkey" app for writing, and was very pleased with the suggestions they generated. I have now changed to 8pen "keyboard" instead I'm very pleased but miss the good autocompletes, is there someway to improve the autocompletes without using swiftkey? Changing suggestion engine, importing language from facebook etc. My phone is rooted

The quality of Swiftkey's predictions is basically their entire sales pitch. It seems unlikely that there's a way to reach that without simply using Swiftkey - you'll probably just end up having to decide which features are most important.

It doesn't have to be that awesome, just better than the regular one. Also I payed for swiftkey, so maybe get the dicitionary from swiftkey and add it to the system somehow.

This is not a direct answer to your question, but it could be if you find it useful.  Swype is another keyboard with which you can input text (composed of recognised words) easily. If not aware, try to see www.swype.com

Swiftkey have an article on this although it's a little vague, it's seems more like they are describing how to use entirely different keyboards here:

I want to use a different keyboard, how do I switch?
Press and hold in any text field to bring up the pop-up text menu and
  choose Input Method. Here you can choose other keyboard types,
  including the default Android Keyboard.
On devices running Android 4.0 and later, whenever the keyboard is on
  screen you should see a notification in the notification bar that will
  take you to the input method selection screen when clicked.

thanks, this doesn't maintain the swiftkey autosuggestions though. I've been digging around in swiftkey-cachefiles, it's not entierly impossible that I could come up with a solution...


text:
"Application cannot be installed in the default install location" error while updating
I have a Galaxy note which was recently updated to ICS (about a month ago)
Today I noticed that some of the applications, that are on auto update, keeping failing to update with this message:
"Application cannot be installed in the default install location"
I have enough storage left so I am not sure what this error means or how to fix it?

That sounds like a known problem updating apps which were moved to the SD-Card using App2SD. It does not always happen -- but if it does, a helpful work-around is:

move the app back to internal memory
run the update (should work now)
move the app to SD again (optional -- if you want it to be on the external SD)

Thanks for the answer, but i think you misunderstand my question. I did not move any apps to the SD card (my phone wont let me, which is fine) but I literally can't install new apps (not updating). and sometimes it works, other times it doesn't. Is there an easy fix to this? like i said before, i have plenty of app memory.

Could it be that the apps in question have the sd card as "default install location" (the developer can declare preferences in the Manifest, and this theoretically could even include to "force" it to sd by not permitting other storage AFAIK). Does it happen with all apps, or just with some?


text:
Does the Android emulator generate some sort of log file I can access if it crashes?
Let's say I am working with the Android emulator, and get it to run one of my custom images/custom kernels, and it gets stuck in a boot-loop or crashes after a little while in booting up, does it produce a log file that I can look through?  And if so, where does it store this "boot" log?  (most likely somewhere in the Android build tree)

you could also just do an 'adb logcat' and start your instance to see what happens

Yeah but it just says .  And if the emulator is simulating the phone crashing, does the emulator itself produce any log messages?

Well, the emulator itself is just fine. Simulating phone crashes and reboot loops is just as indifferent to it as normal operation

There are some questions about it on Stackoverflow (google search), it's more dev related though but there are a number of hits. Most probably it has to do something with either permissions for adb or your build is not adb enabled

kernel panic
When a kernel panic occurs all user space programs are immediately stopped, preventing a user from detecting the cause of the panic: logcat; dmesg and /proc/kmsg will do you no good.
You can still check the /data/dontpanic/ folder for any files present, like:
apanic_console or apanic_threads

kernel boot
Method of logging kernel messages:

invoke "dmesg":

See it as it happens:
# adb shell dmesg

Direct to a file on your sdcard and see it later
# adb shell dmesg >/mnt/sdcard/dmesg.txt

"tail" the kernel if "syslogd" and /var are available:
# adb shell cat /proc/kmsg

dump the kernel file /proc/kmsg:
# adb shell cat /proc/kmsg

Note: You may need to issue su to gain permissions over some files if you're stuck with an error message. Alternatively, removing shell from the command will execute it on the computer side, not on the phone.

References

Stackoverflow answer from eldarerathis to "Can I get logcat logs after phone reboots?"
BootLoader How to get kernel messages from Android?
flashmyandroid How to get logcat and dmesg outputs for trouble shooting !
Stackoverflow Android: How to get kernel logs after kernel panic?
Stackoverflow Shutdown Log in Android

This is great information (as well as the posts you reference).  However, it seems there's one massive wall every developer is going to run into:  what about a BOOT-LOOP?
You're phone (or emulator) crashes as it boots up with your installed image, and keeps trying to reboot, but keeps crashing.  How do you get kernel messages or any kind of log to figure out how far the phone gets?

@9exceptionThrower9 All comes down to the cause! you may check for the folder /data/dontpanic/ for logs concerning the kernel failure or act according to instructions provided by eldarerathis (first link on the references section).

@9exceptionThrower9 Keep in mind that this type of issues are prone to be very specific, since they depend on many variables. Ain't easy to have a bulletproof solution :)


text:
Motorola Razr MTP error
When I connect my Razr it says the device driver software not successfully installed. Under device manager it says device cannot start error code 10.
How can I fix this?

A variety of issues can cause Windows to report This device cannot start (Code 10).
The first thing to check is to go to Windows Update and install any relevant updates for your computer. You may also need to select any optional updates which aren't yet installed.
Once the computer is up to date, try reinstalling the device driver provided by the phone manufacturer. You can find these for the Motorola DROID RAZR at Motorola's web site (choose Handset USB driver for Windows 32-bit or 64-bit depending on which version of Windows you have). You can also use the Motorola Device Manager to install the drivers.


text:
Does Google Talk push messages?
I would like to know if Google Talk works like Gmail where it actually pushes your messages onto your phone instead of the phone pulling periodically.

Yes.

Cool, so battery drain (by Gtalk) should essentially be null when no messages are received?

@Weboide I'm not completely familiar with the Jabber protocol but I would assume so, yes.

I suspect there is a minimal overhead, the server needs to know whether you are online. There might be regular pings. It's difficult to tell without digging into the code.

@DrG I think you're right about GTalk doing something like that, but I know some other clients don't do it.  If you lose your connection while using eBuddy, for example, you might remain "online" for days without knowing it.  (Which indicates to me that it only sends "I'm signing out now" messages rather than "I'm still online" messages.)

No, GTalk messages are not received on Android GTalk client while away (sleeping). So I assume there is no pushing, as it is done in the Blackberry GTalk client.


text:
How to keep two versions of an app installed?
Android Market has just updated an app in my device. I liked the update, but its fully different from last version which was also my favorite. So, I want to keep last version too. I have last version's apk thanks to Titanium Backup. But, I can't install it without replacing current one (Android architecture sucks). Is there any way to do this? Hacks etc..
Note: I want to keep current version which must be connected with Market to receive future updates.

You can't do this. Each Android application has a package name, which effectively defines the Java/Dalvik namespace that its classes occupy. You cannot have two packages of the same name installed because it would create overlapping namespaces, which is why it always replaces the old one when you install a new one. The only way you could feasibly do this is if you were able to get the source for the app and change all of the package definitions.

Do it with in 5 minutes
Method : Change package name so that android will recognize it as a different app.
No APKtool, no adb, no super user skills needed.
Tools required

PC with JAVA ( Windows, Linux, Mac )  ( JDK 8 prefered )
ApkRename

Steps

Backup/Download a copy of the desired app (app.APK)
Transfer to PC
On PC download JAVA and ApkRename
Change package name by providing, path to APK file and new package name, to ApkRename
Sign the APK using ApkSign
Transfer the new APK to phone and install it.

NOTE: In case any difficulty in signing the APK, use android APK editor app like  Advanced permission manager and make any edit, press save & install. At this time they will sign the app.

You could try repackaging the application. I once installed some edited version of a game and the result was two games. If remember good, package names weren't the same.

Sometimes, there are some references in executable library (.so), and changing package name (also smali -> classes.dex) does not help either.
In simple cases look for ApkEditor.

This is a good start, but doesn't explain what changes you need to make in ApkEditor. If you want your answer to be helpful, you might want to edit it to add a bit more information.


text:
How do I set Wi-Fi sleep policy to Never on Froyo 2.2 Droid X without Advanced Wi-Fi Settings menu?
I've encountered the following instructions on a forum about battery drain

Set Wi-Fi sleep to Never in the Settings > Wireless & Networks > Wi-Fi Settings > Advanced >Wi-Fi Sleep Policy menu.

However, my Droid X (Stock rooted Froyo 2.2) doesn't have "Advanced" option in "Wi-Fi Settings" menu!
How do I set Wi-Fi Sleep Policy?

possible duplicate of How do I keep my wi-fi on in sleep mode

Not a duplicate. The answer to that question mentions an "Advanced" option, which the OP says is missing.

Those instructions sound incomplete. You need to press the Menu button on the Wi-Fi Settings screen. Advanced will be in the menu.


text:
Why does Samsung Kies say that my device does not support software upgrading via kies?
I bought a Galaxy Ace. It initially came with:

Gingerbread 2.3.3
Build is GINGERBREAD.XWPKY, for regions France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, UK
Unrooted

With that, let me add that I am from the Philippines. And I know that there's a 2.3.4 Asian ROM update (DXKPD) as per here:
http://www.pinoytechblog.com/archives/have-you-updated-your-samsung-galaxy-phones-to-gingerbread-yet
But Kies doesn't show any update. So I thought that Samsung has not released an update for that European region, and concluded that I might need to change it to my region. (Although my local carrier was able to send me GPRS settings while under this region).
So that's what I did. I used Odin on 2 attempts I did so far. I flashed it FIRST with a different region ROM (Germany, I think). SECOND time, I got it right. I now have 2.3.4 GINGERBREAD.DXKPD via Odin and using an OFFICIAL 2.3.4 Asian ROM from this page (MediaFire link):
http://rumah-android.com/new-stock-rom-android-2-3-4-s5830dxkpd-for-asia.html
Here's what troubles me.

Regardless if there's an update or not, Samsung Kies tells me that I couldn't update my firmware even if it's an official ROM.
I can't get GPRS settings now that the region's changed.

Finally, the questions:

Is it possible that my phone is locked to that European region? Is there such a thing?
Or did I use an unofficial ROM?
What should I do next from here?

I'm sorry this is too long. I'm confused and I just need clarifications. I hope I made myself clear. Thanks in advance.

Did it say the same BEFORE you flashed anything with Odin? and if it says there's no update and you already have 2.3.4 then simply there are no further updates for the  Ace based on the ROM you're using. Phones are locked yes by the Regional carrier, most likely your carrier has ties with the European carriers hence your phone coming with an European ROM.

GPRS settings are given to you by the carrier so ask them, what you should do now? go to XDA and find another working ROM.

It said that there are no further updates for that ROM. But I wanted an update. And seeing that an official update for my region was released, I was convinced to flash it to the correct one. But I fixed it already. I found out that the CSC was set to Serbia, changed it to my country, worked like a charm. 3g signals are up, Kies doesn't show that error message and says that I have the latest firmware. But the only problem I have now is that I can't download anything from the Market. I even installed Market 3.4.4 and cleared the cache. Any ideas? Thank you.

Fortunately there is no region-locking for phones, just carrier locking.
If your phone came with European firmware then you should probably stick with European firmware.  Ideally you'd be able to find something from your carrier even if it was re-packaged by someone for Odin.
As for your network settings, there are a couple possibilities.  You may need to supply the APN information, which you can usually find by doing a web search for "<carrier> apn" or similar.  You might also need to flash a different modem if the one you have is buggy or otherwise incompatible with your device/carrier.

Thank you, that problem is resolved now. The only trouble I have left is that I couldn't download anything from the Market after I changed the CSC. :(


text:
How can I know if my Android Tablet supports Wi-Fi N?
How can I know if my Android Tablet supports Wi-Fi N and speed up to 150 MBps?
I don't have any description covering that in device specifications.

You could try switching your router temporarily to 802.11n-only mode and see if the tablet still connects. If the tablet doesn't connect, it doesn't support it.

Unfortunately the BT Home Hub 3 "n-only mode" (802.11 n 40 MHz) still allows legacy 802.11g devices to connect, despite a warning to the contrary... "802.11 b/g devices are not compatible."


text:
Why can't I move apps to the external memory on Huwait P8 lite 2017?
I have a Huawei P8 Lite 2017 phone and it is slow as hell simply because the internal memory is almost full. I have a 64-G microSD card, but for some reason I can’t move any of my applications to that one. There are no ways to properly analyze and free space either.
In a nutshell the OS and the app date uses all my 16G internal memory.
It’s kind of annoying. Any suggestions what to do?
UPDATE (15-Apr-2017): The main issue (as shown in the screenshot) is that some apps use a lot of internal memory and there is no way to move them to the SD card. Any ideas how to make that happen without rooting? It seems to be a common problem.

What do you mean under There are no ways to properly analyze and free space either? What shows storage menu applet?

@Suncatcher hi there. I have just updated the main post for more information. Thanks.

Your answer is here.

No rooting needed, try this. Works for me. https://forum.xda-developers.com/android/software/auto-formatting-sdcard-to-internal-t3583875

It seems like they have removed that option, I am using the same device and had previously using Marshmallow device. I do not have a storage issue though. This is the trick that worked for me, I changed the default storage to SD Card before I installed and updated apps. The app package is stored on internal memory but the data is on SD Card. However, my internal storage is always a minimum of 3GB and note that I have lot of apps, including games.
I guess if you change the storage type late, it doesn't move the data of apps to SD Card.
My advice is, backup your apps then reset your phone. Thereafter, initially  change the the default storage to SD Card then you can reinstall your apps.

That sounds good, but backups never work the way you want them. It's just too much hassle and something always goes wrong. Haha.


text:
Does wi-fi sleep policy "never" mean that my phone's battery will be drain a lot faster?
I have just decided to change my settings on the wi-fi, because it seems to give me a hard time regarding the fact that the some application are "unable to connect to server".  However, I am worried about the battery life. Does the setting "never" mean that the phone will scan non-stop, draining my batter like crazy?

It will keep the connection on. It does drain battery but not like crazy. You can test it out yourself very easily.

If you have "wifi-sleep" on, when the device goes to sleep, the wifi connection will disconnect from the access point. It doesn't happen right as the device goes to sleep, but a little delay after. It shouldn't drain the battery much more then just having wifi on.
Of course, if you have very network active apps running, then it may drain it a bit more. But on the other side, if wifi goes to sleep, and you have network active apps, they will just use your mobile connection, if it is available.


text:
Why does dialler sometimes fail to dial?
I recently bought a Moto G2, with Android 4.4.4.  I'm very happy with it, other than the fact that sometimes when I dial a number, the phone just drops the call immediately, and doesn't even save it in the recently dialed list.  I tried installing a 3rd party dialer, and found exactly the same behavior.  What's up with that?  How to fix it?
Also, there doesn't seem to be any way to get to your speed dials/favorite contacts except by making and ending a call.  Am I missing something obvious?

@Izzy - done.  Nothing fancy on this phone; I bought it on Amazon.com and haven't done anything more invasive than install apps from Play Store.

Thanks for the update! Though I'm not able to help you on this issue, the additional details provided should help others doing so. Good luck!


text:
Update Xperia Mini Pro (SK17i) to Jelly Bean
How can I update my Xperia Mini Pro (SK17i) to Jelly Bean (Android 4.2)? Please provide me the best step by step guide.

Would this be of any help?

Does Xperia Mini pro (SK17i) has an official update beyond 4.0?

@t0mm13b: Is this unrootable?

@Narayanan: My device is showing Android version 4.0.4. Probably this is the latest released by Sony for my mobile.

I had understood your question as "How do I root my Xperia Mini Pro (SK17i) running Jellybean?" and hence was surprised to know that JB update was not available officially by Sony. If so, then you should be on custom ROM which means you would be rooted - most likely. With your info that yours is running 4.0.4, I presume you are asking "How to update my Xperia Mini Pro (SK17i) to Jellybean?". Pl. confirm.

@Narayanan: Android 4.0.4 is not Jelly Bean. Its ICS. And I have never installed any custor ROM in my device. This update is provided to me by Sony.

Looking at the comments, I very much assume that what the OP wants to really do is upgrade his device to the latest version of Android (then 4.2).


text:
Compressing Torrents
So I am trying to download a torrent to my tablet, but it is 51.67 gb, which is HUMONGOUS. Any way to compress it and make it fit into my tablet?

Flagging as off topic since it seems to be asking for software recommendations. Although, it's asking about torrents as well, and I'm not sure if this goes against community guidelines or not.

Download it from computer, compress it & put it in your device..

On most torrent clients, you can select which files do you want to download. You can download some first, then do something to them to reduce the filesize (though audio/video file won't get better size because it's already compressed) or save it to external storage, then download the rest. Rinse and repeat.

No, you cannot compress files from torrents before they finish downloading. The torrent file contains a list of the blocks and their correct hashes. Your torrent client needs to download these blocks to the filesystem and check their hashes.
You are free to reencode or compress content once the torrent is downloaded, but this will not help you on a storage-constrained tablet.

Could I download it on my computer, compress it, then transfer it to my tablet?

@Kindler Yes, but it's simpler to move only some files in the torrent.

You could try raring or zipping the files into parts. But saving space is minimal. I guess you don't have an otg?

How are you going to rar the torrent before it has downloaded?

authors: Михаил Кочетков


text:
Pokémon Go without Google at all
I bought an android phone recently and tried to use it without any Google account and so far that was alright.
But I wanted to try Pokémon Go today and I cannot play without signing up with a Google account.
I heard that you could create a Pokémon club account instead of Google but I don't even have the option, only the button to sign up with google appears.
Does anybody have a solution for that?

You could ask this on our sister site for gaming Q&A (http://arqade.stackexchange.com). Possibly. Refer their on-topic guidelines to see if this question would be acceptable there. It probably would be, and since they have a community of users around Pokemon Go, you would probably find more help there than here.

Maybe Lucky Patcher?

Unfortunately Creating a Google Account is currently your only option, It's not hard to create a new account and it will probably be beneficial for many other applications you might download.  It's annoying to create a whole new account just to keep things separated but it's necessary to gain access to Google's location features on Android.

As far as I know, Pokémon GO relies on Google positioning and map frameworks, so theoretically you are required to have Google Apps, or at least (?) Google Play, Google Maps and Google Play Services. Without them, even if you managed to log in without Google, you will not be able to get GPS position.

Revoke Pokémon GO’s Access to Your Google Account
You must login to the Google account permissions page and look for the entry “Pokemon Go Release”. Click on it for a detailed view and then, click the giant “REMOVE” button.
But i have to tell you that this may lead to your Pokemon Game STOP.
Use a Burner Google Account
Okay, we get it. You want to keep playing, but are (rightfully) dubious about handing over your account. Here’s a little workaround: create another free Google account, with nothing in it, and use that to sign into Pokémon GO.
I think sooner or later, Pokemon Go won't require Google Play Acc anymore. This is a ridiculous thing about this game. I heard that Pokemon Go on Itunes no longer requires this account.

Revoking access isn't applicable to the question, because the questioner doesn't have a Google account to start with.

If you do not see the "login with google" option you probably specified a too young age on the start screen when asked about you birthdate.
At least this was the problem when I had it, too.
You would only have to enter your birthdate once at the very first start of the app, but you have to enter it again if you clear the cache, apparently.

The questioner does see the "login with google" option. They want to use another login option.

Its only in certain countrys as part of a limit release for the beta but thankfully apkmirror uploaded it , they're a very safe site enjoy.
http://www.apkmirror.com/apk/niantic-inc/pokemon-go/pokemon-go-0-29-0-release/pokemon-go-0-29-0-android-apk-download/

The problem is not about downloading and installing it, but the problem seems to be requiring to sign in to Google account just before you can play it (after installing it, of course).

then youd create a pokemon account


text:
Keep Hangouts from opening links inside the same task?
I just opened a link to a friend's Medium post inside Hangouts, and when I view all running apps (the recent-tasks list), the task with the Medium post in it is my Hangouts rather than a separate Medium window. Opening Medium, it's doing its own thing. Opening Hangouts, it shows the Medium post -- I can't go look at other chats or anything without closing the Medium post I'm reading. This is frustrating, as I might want to switch between typing comments in Hangouts and reading the article (for example).
I would like more generally to stop apps from doing "this sort of thing" if possible (though I expect this isn't possible). When Twitter introduced an in-app browser, I turned that off as fast as I could find the setting -- I want to be able to open links and then switch right back to Twitter, letting the link load in the browser while I read a few more tweets. Hangouts appears not to have introduced any setting to disable this behavior. I've noticed a couple other apps do "this sort of thing" as well, though specific instances slip my mind now; a general solution would be great.
I've checked, and this (new?) behavior in Hangouts is identical on my (Cyanogenmod) phone and my (Samsung) tablet.

If you're open to solutions for root users, I saw an Xposed module that could possibly help you. It's called ActivityForceNewTask, but it hasn't been updated since 2015.

I have been long not using Hangout, but is there an overflow menu (3 dots) on the top-right, saying "Powered by Chrome" when you tap it? Recently, Google apps integrated Chrome Custom Tabs on their apps (e.g. Google Now, Google Search), so I guess Hangouts is included.

@DeathMaskSalesman , that module is the app for the job, but I guess it probably won't work with MM and above (as you said, it hasn't been updated since last year). However, for KK and below, I can guarantee it works, and works well.

@AndrewT., No, there is not. The current problem is with hangouts opening the Medium app, not the chrome app (though generally speaking the chrome app is the more common case for this kind of annoyance).

This started happening to me too recently. All links in Hangouts messages, when clicked, open in what appears to be a Hangouts-integrated browser. There is NO option to change this behavior.
It is definitely just an embedded instance of the Chrome browser - if you disable the Chrome app entirely, tapping a link in Hangouts gives you the normal "open with" dialog, and you can choose a default (I like the Adblock browser). But with the Chrome browser disabled you can't browse Google Play or update apps. And if you simply re-enable Chrome, it goes right back to opening links in Chrome and silently wipes out the choice of default that you just made.


text:
Cannot access Google Play store on Bluestacks
Got the dreaded "There was a problem communicating with Google servers, try again later" error. This all started with notifications stating my account could not Sync with any of my apps. Seen many posts with possible solutions ...
1.Removed the account, then tried to re-add it and got the above message. Tried to add other accounts ... same thing.

How can I fix this?

Have you tried beaming an app to bluestacks using appcast?


text:
Setting VPN when the built-in setting is absent/hidden
I know Android has native support for PPTP VPN, but I'm trying to set a custom PPTP VPN on an Android TV Box which has the setting hidden. Does anyone know if there's another way to enable this (without rooting)?
Any thought appreciated.

I am not so sure but try the apps : 'drony' or 'psiphon'. I personally use psiphon in my college. I recommend psiphon, its easy to operate upon.

These don't allow setting custom PPTP VPNs, right?

Like I said I don't know for sure but you can try 'Pshiphon or Drony' as they let you connect without having to root your device. They are small apps, look for it yourself :P

Did it solve your problem?

I've just tried both, but neither allows me to set a custom PPTP VPN server.

Well I am sorry then.


text:
switch off sound effects, when headphones are connected to phone
When I use headphones, music is only in headphones, but info sound(ie when I get  email our IM message) is playing to phone dynamics. How to change this behaviour?
Phone is Galaxy S plus.


text:
Recover user profile image
Android 5 has options to have users, so multiple people can use the device. I had my Motorola G 2 set up to use multiple users, but it now only has one profile which would be nice to recover the profile picture of:

Can this be done (without root etc as well)? I can get a very low res 90px image from screenshots but that is about it.

/data/system/users/0/photo.png is the picture you're looking for. But, you cannot get that pic or even visit its parent directory without elevated privileges. adb shell isn't enough to get it.
There is a catch here. In my Paranoid ROM (AOSP) I found that the owner is supposed to create a contact (about me) for himself. Any image used in that contact is directly user by the system as the image of the user, and hence, gets copied to that said location. This isn't the case in CM12 though.
The images provided to contacts are saved at the location /data/data/com.android.providers.contacts/files/photos. Your profile image is saved in /data/data/com.android.providers.contacts/files/profile.
Both location are inaccessible by ADB and an ordinary user. Now that I've given you ample stuff to search and research, it is up to you to choose a path: 1) root and get the stuff easily, 2) find an app that can copy the profile or contacts images in a standard format from which you can retrieve your profile image.

You can export the contacts through SMS or Bluetooth. The .vcf file would have encoded image into it. May be you can convert that encoding into a full-fledged image since Android can.


text:
Clear profile data on Firefox for Android
I am using Firefox for android on Android 4.1.2, and I created a master password for passwords etc on Firefox, and promptly forgot it.
I think a way to solve this and start again is to remove the profile's directory (according to this, it is located at data/data/org.mozilla.firefox/files/mozilla/), but as I have not rooted this device, that is difficult.
I have also tried removing /storage/sdcard0/Android/data/org.mozilla.firefox, which did not work

You should be able to go into Settings>Application Manager and clear data and cache for the Firefox application.

/data/data/org.mozilla.firefox/files/mozilla/ contains the profiles directories.
You would need root access and won't have to compensate with all of the data just to remove the master password. You would need an app with root explorer feature.

Force-stop Firefox from Settings → Apps → Firefox.
Go to your profile's .default  directory and remove key*.db and signons.sqlite. * could be 3 or 4.

Start Firefox and the master password option would be found back to default state i.e. no password.
(Source)


text:
How to access VNC server running in an android phone in another computer?
I have installed Ubuntu in my Android phone and I can access its GUI in my phone by connecting a VNC viewer to localhost:1. The VNC server is running inside Android.
Is it possible to access this in a computer connected to the wifi hotspot of the phone?
I connected to computer to the phone's hotspot and tried to access locahost:1 in Real VNC Viewer, but it says "The connection was refused by the remote computer".
Please note that I am not trying to access vnc server running in another computer in my phone but the opposite.

How are you running this VNC server on Android?

Yes, I updated the question

Go to Setting > About Phone and note down the ip address of your mobile phone.
Now connect to the Wifi hotspot of your mobile phone. In the VNC viewer, connect to the address ip-address-of-mobile-phone:1, to access the localhost:1 of the mobile phone.


text:
How to know if my tablet is compatible to a later Android version?
I have a Pandigital Star tablet with Android 2.2.
But now Pandigital have closed their business.
I would like to Upgrade to atleast Android 2.3 myself.

Can I do it?
Should I do it? Will it make my system slow?
How to do it?

Can you do it ? Yes you can, how hard or time consuming is it going to be? A lot of time for sure.
Sure you can go ahead! Many people run custom roms or build their own roms from AOSP on their android devices.
You can either search for compatiable custom roms for your device else go pull a branch of AOSP and build on it!

Please answer in details. Where to get custom roms etc.

Where can I find stock or custom ROMs for my Android device?

I actually did a little searching for you, just a little, couldn't find anything solid! Looks like you will have to do some deep searching on your own. The comment by @Izzy seems to have the sources you should look at.
PS: I think this answers your question

authors: Сергей Становов


text:
My note 3 will not mount on to my computer
I used to plug it in, and it would show up and I could download the pictures and movies and such. Today, it will not mount. It is charging from the computer, but I can not download any of the stuff I've done.
Running windows 7 on my computer.
I've turned it off and on again, it is not working.
I probably have added an app or two, I am not sure. It has been a while since I uploaded from this phone, but I plug it into the computer every night. Is it possible I accidentally hit a tick box and instructed it not to mount?

Welcome to the Android Enthusiasts, Daniel! We will need a few more details in order to be able to help you: Anything changed since it worked last time (settings, new apps)? And the old IT question: "Have you turned it off and on again?" Sometimes things get stuck, so a reboot might help.

Also: have you tried connecting your Galaxy Note 3 to another computer, if any? Have you tried with a different (but compatible, of course) USB cable, if any?

You probably don't have the correct Samsung USB drivers for Windows 7. Download the USB drivers, install it, plug in your Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and let Windows install the appropriate drivers to allow your device to connect seamlessly with Windows.

What operating system do you run on your computer? That sometimes happened to me when I used Windows. Have you tried using AirDroid, though? I use that now. It basically does remotely, what you would do with a USB.
But that's just an alternative, I'll wait for your response to see if maybe I have a solution.

Indeed, this is a good emergency solution if what you need is to transfer files between your computer and your device with some urgency.

Yes, it is, haha. Is this not what you were trying to do, though? Because you have cross-file browsing and sending SMS, accessing camera, Gallery and more. But have you tried another cable? Or maybe mount settings in Android?

I know the requirements, but you don't need the same network now, only "any" type of network connection. But that just uses up more carrier data.

Well this isn't an FAQ per say, but try: http://airdroid.com/download/ I'm trying to find the FAQ as well.

Computer requirements: There is no need to install any software or drivers on your PC/Mac though - an existing web browser (Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari) is enough. Source: Install AirDroid. (This info is from Oct 15, 2013)

The Questioner submitted an edit to your answer stating that they run Windows 7.  I presume they were trying to add a comment.

I solved similar problems by installing Samsung Kies on my Laptop (Windows 7). It installed all drivers that couldn't be found using Windows Update.


text:
Can I set up Wi-Fi and USB tethering on the Galaxy Nexus without rooting it?
I am about to buy the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and I need to tether with the following connections

USB to my Windows PC
Wi-Fi with my Mac, iPad or iPhone (to download apps over 20MB)

I will be using Verizon Wireless's LTE 4G connection to my smartphone
I also don't want to root my phone, install a custom rom or pay Verizon $20/GB
I heard of PDANet and EasyTether and Tether.com but they only provide USB connectivity to the Mac or PC (I won't be able to use it with iPhone's or iPads)
Any help is greatly appreciated.
I am willing to pay for the software if it provides Wi-Fi and USB. (Bluetooth is optional but not needed)

I would assume that just like with previous devices if you want wifi tethering you're going to have to root it (unless Verizon did not disable it).

Is it hard to root a "Pure" google phone?

No, it's pretty straightforward since the bootloader is unlockable, and much easier than other devices. Koushik Dutta has instructions up on his Google+ page.

Is verizon so bad? I can do all this without rooting or applications in Belgium: http://cl.ly/1V0h2x1s2r2M1p35230z

ClockworkMod Tether does USB tethering without root and Bluetooth tethering is planned (it's still in alpha).  Unfortunately, from what I understand only Windows, Linux & Mac OS will be supported, but who knows what will happen in the future (maybe Wi-Fi support).  Koush's apps are great.

I use PDAnet for the USB tether (which is something like $16) and FoxFi (Free on the Android Market)  FoxFi enables Wi-Fi WITHOUT rooting.  I use it all the time, even for running my kids Wii.  Should work fine for running your tablets, iPhones, and iPads, etc.  Works great for using my laptop while traveling also.
They both work awesome for me.


text:
Copy SD Card contents to USB HDD
I'm considering to buy an Android Tablet (e.g. Nexus 7). One of the things
I would like to do is, copy some content of my SD Cards (e.g. camera, gopro) to
a USB HDD.
Can I do this with an android tablet? What app(s) do I need (if any)?
Anything else?
Is somebody aware of any instructions or How Tos that describe this?
Many Thanks!

The n7 doesn't support writing to USB drives out of the box, you need to root it + StickMount. More here. One can also install a custom firmware, eg CyanogenMod. Other brands may support this out of the box. Besides this limitation: The N7 is very capable an worth it's money, it's also rather easily moddable and will receive longer software support than others (just some hints on the pros/cons).

Thanks ce4! How about the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7". I have seen that it has a USB connectivity kit? would that also be a solution? THX!

The Samsung Tab would be possible, for sure. I prefer Google Nexus devices because of superior experience (longer software suppport cycle, faster updates, great community support for 3rd party firmware, etc.). They're also very cheap to boot. So: If you don't mind to root it and/or install a custom ROM like CyanogenMod, go for a Nexus 7. Else buy the Samsung tab (Here's a side by side comparison of N7 and Tab2, note the LCD and processor/graphics differences especially)

Note that the Samsung has a micro SD slot that supports up to 32 GB. I have an N7 myself, but I'm looking at using it to backup photos to HDD. Whatever I end up doing, I need to factor in an external SD card reader.


text:
Is the "What's here?" Google maps feature known from the PC/Browser available on Android?
The PC Version of Google Maps offers a What's here? feature (giving grid reference in decimal degrees) which is seemingly not available on the Nexus 7.
This is very useful for navigation to locations without a specific street or house number address, e.g. rural areas.
How can this feature be accessed or is there a work around?

Just tap and hold the point of interest on the map, and then tap the location when it pops up. Then select What's nearby?.


text:
Kiosk App - Auto-Update
update on an android device (Samsung Galaxy S2). A I am waiting for the app to download and install. Is there a way I can force this to take place without user interaction.
I was thinking about the following :

Killing the app (from another app)
Reopening the app after 1 hour (from another app)

Is this going to work? Can I garantee that the update will have taken place?
Thanks in advance!
P.S
I have 700 devices so this has to be automated. I have waited overnight for the app to install while the app was running and it didnt happen. I am open to any suggestions.

Is the app on the play store?
If yes, it should push out an update without user intervention provided the setting to 'Auto-update apps' is set, depending on preference of either Wifi or using Mobile data. See below:

In order to do this without user interaction (silent install) and without the play store, one of the following items should be addressed:

Device must be rooted
App must be signed with the OS system signature
Device is managed by a MDM preinstalled in the OS (And therefore signed by the OS vendor)

Without one of the above, Android will prompt the user to approve the update. And there will be a Cancel button that you can't control. Keep in mind also that if the uses cancels the upgrade you will fall back to the device launcher.


text:
Want to organize apps on nexus 4
I have many apps, i want to organize my 150 apps in folders (but not on the home screen). Any suggestions how to do this properly?

Welcome to Android Enthusiasts. Please note that your question (recommend some app) is off-topic on this site.

The core problem may or may not be solved by an app, so I edited the Q to ask more broadly.

It depends on the launcher. Most stock launchers won't, but I know Nova Launcher (only Prime version) has folders in the App Drawer. It's all manually done, though.
Other launchers, which I can't name right now, can probably organize it for you.

This isn't a difficult thing to do. You just need to use a 3rd party launcher which is highly customizable. Like Nova or Apex Launcher.
You could also give "Aviate Launcher" by YAHOO a go which automatically makes a few "categories" as your home screens. But it's nothing like the usual launcher we use so liking it or not will be upto you.

Yes nova prime can organize in your drawer.

A link to the app and how to do it would be good.


text:
How to control additional tethering settings on android phones?
I want to use my phone and data plan as a temporary solution for providing Internet for my whole home network.
I have plugged it into my OpenWRT router via USB and it's network device usb0 is so far member of the bridge br0 so that all my network can use it. All is working fine except for one thing:
The phone now acts as DHCP Server and the subnet (192.168.42.0) is not controllable and different to the previous subnet in my home network (192.168.2.0). I have a few fixed IPs that I don't want to change.
It would be great if I can change the phone's tethering subnet to be 192.168.2.*.
Is this possible?

What phone and OS version do you have? Also, are you using the built-in tether from your carrier or one from the Play Store? Who is your carrier? I can configure these settings for my Sprint Samsung Galaxy S III on Android 4.1.2. This may be different for different phones AND different carriers.

It's an old Xperia X8 running CyanogenMod 7 (Android 2.3). I also have a spare Nexus S but the Xperia is better suited for that purpose :-)

Related https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/46499/how-configure-the-dhcp-settings-of-wifi-tetheringhotspot-in-android

Instead of changing the IP of the phone's network, you might simply change your router's config so usb0 is not in the brige any more but is configured more like a "WAN" port, complete with the usual NAT.  In this configuration, the phone's DHCP server will only serve an address to your router (to use for the usb0 interface), and all the router's clients will get their IP from your router instead.
The advantage also is that if/when you want to get your internet access from elsewhere (e.g. DSL/cable/younameit), you'll only need to change this part, but all the local network config will stay the same.


text:
Terminal emulator's ssh trying to read /data/.ssh instead of $HOME/.ssh
When I try using Terminal emulator's ssh I get

ssh: Warning: failed creating /data/.ssh: Permission denied.

or since 2012-08-19:

Could not create directory '/data/ssh_client'.

But when I type:
echo $HOME
/sdcard

Why isn't ssh checking /sdcard/.ssh or /sdcard/ssh_data?

That is a question you should ask the author of the terminal emulator app.

@Robert: Good suggestion, I will try that :-)

Added source link and info... I find this question legitimate, btw. See my answer...

This doesn't happen when you run ssh as root.
/sdcard is an unsafe(!) location for ssh client config and valuable keys (some users don't even encrypt their keys for reasons of laziness). Each app has read access to that location, so this is most probably set deliberately not to /sdcard/.ssh for security reasons.
If you have root access, create a symlink from /data/ssh_data or /data/.ssh to /data/jackpal.androidterm/ or create the folder with appropriate access rights for the terminal app (not system wide read/write though!).
By the way:
This might be fixed soon. See CyanogenMod's github commit log here. Excerpt:

Some users have / as home directory, some /data. This commit fixes ssh
and ssh-keygen trying to create /.ssh which is volatile and read-only
anyway.
To allow an app (e.g. Android Terminal Emulator) to use ssh
/data/ssh_client still has to exist and owner permissions need to be
set to the app user. This could be fixed by using the real data
directory (/data/data/"app") in a later commit.


text:
How to turn off flashing notification LED on HTC Sensation XE?
Two problems:

The LED flashes green every now and then. I disabled all options in Setting-Display-Notification flash, but it just keeps on flashing now and then. How can I completely turn it off?
The LED flashes red when the battery is low. How can I disable this, too?

Thanks in advance! I ask this because I often read ebook on my phone, it's annoying to have the light flash.

did u ever find out a solution?

@Jorge I gave up.


text:
Android hangs after rebooting when upgrading to 2.3.5
I used HTC's update software functionality to upgrade my Android to version 2.3.5. Though, upon reboot all I get is the cryptic icon (a phone and a red triagle with an exclamation mark inside). When entering System Recovery (volume + power button) I see:
Copying fotaBoot to /data/system for customize reload...
Verify current system...
  assert failed: apply_patch_check("/system/framework/com.htc.resources.apk", ..., ...)
  E:Error in /sdcard/download/OTA_Marvel_S_HTC_Europe_2.13.401.3-1.33.401.3_release_237845pg2016qpaadczbkc.zip
  (Status 7)
  Installation aborted.

And four options are given to me:

Reboot system now (which I have done)
Apply update from sdcard
Wipe data/factory reset
Wipe cache partition

I am tempted to select "Apply update from sdcard". Though, I cannot imply if I will find sideffects in doing so as I do not understand the meaning of "Status 7".
Any help would be appreciated!


text:
What's the "MTC Мобильная Почта" update on my Samsung Galaxy?
What's the wierd looking update that's just turned up on my Samsung Galaxy phone?
"MTC Мобильная Почта" by "OJSC Mobile TeleSystems".
The review section has lots of one-star comments saying its malware etc, but I'd have thought actual malware would look more like something I'd want to install than something wierd in Russian.
Should I be worried? Is this malware or some perfectly normal component buried in the OS that's somehow found its way into public view? Should I install the update?

I did some searching due to the other answer and found someone on XDA claiming that this is a Market/Play bug, and you're seeing it because the Market thinks one of your apps is actually that OJSC Mobile app.
Even better, I found this just-published story on The Verge:

Samsung has several pieces of software that it installs on it devices but that aren't in the Google Play store (for obvious reasons). However, every single Android app has an app name that identifies it on the Android system, in this case the "unique" name is com.seven.Z7, which identifies Samsung's email app. What appears to have happened is that Russian developer OJSC Mobile Telesystems gave that unique identifier to its "МТС Мобильная Почта" app, and so these Samsung devices were tricked into thinking it was an update to Samsung's email client. Since Google Play allows for automatic updating of all apps, it was installed on many devices.

I couldn't find the app in the Play Store anymore, so perhaps Google has taken it down to resolve this.
Below is the original version of this post, which would still be applicable in more normal circumstances.

If it's a system app for supporting Cyrillic text, which is what it sounds like, it could hardly be called malware.  Crapware, perhaps, if you don't need it.
If you don't need it, then no need to update (unless you want to be rid of the notification, though in that case I recommend rooting and removing the app).  No reason not to update either I'd say — you already have it on your device, so unless it's doing something nasty in the new version in particular then you've already been exposed to any dangers it may contain :P.  Of course, updating will require more space on your device unless you are rooted and can entirely replace the original version with the update (normally the system keeps all original versions of system apps).

I've copied the cyrillic name from your answer into my question text and title. Thanks.

"Мобильная Почта" means "Mobile Mail" in Russian.

These identifiers are supposed to be unique simply because the only ones allowed to use com.seven.Z7 would be the ones who could control Z7.seven.com in the DNS system. It's not immediately obvious to me that seven.com has any connection with either Samsung or some Russian “MTC” company, does anyone know which of these used the name correctly, if either? (Assuming this is not actually an update for what Samsung installed, that is.)

This is DEFINITELY an ugly mixup, as shown in the update on Verge. Just a Russian app with the same system ID as Samsung's app... so no need for hysteria, not everything in Russian spells a nuclear threat ;).

I found a fix...this is a piggy-back app attached via a file. Go to your phone files, view your files as "List and Details." You should now see the date/times each file was created. Delete ALL files two days before and after when you first noticed the MTC app requesting update. Reboot phone and it will be gone from your Market. I did this four days ago and so far no MTC app. I never choose auto update for any app due to this reason.
Hope this helps and good luck.

From what i've read on XDA-Developers, it seems to be a russian telefoon company who pushed a update wrongfully to all (or a big group of) Samsung S2 users. Since the update isnt made for phones made Cyrillic text, it could cause your phone to crash.
so dont install it unless your absolutely sure you need it.

Can you please link to the relevant information on XDA-Developers?

Ive read a few things online this morning about the MTC app being malware or a virus, It doesn't show in your apps list however it was said that if it is a virus it might be piggy backing off something else installed on the phone, I had it come up on my phone but not sure how to remove it yet

Source please .


text:
Is my device vulnerable to the SwiftKey update bug? (June 2015)
Quoth The Independent:

There are usually protections in place that stop hackers from performing what is called a “man in the middle attack”, by encrypting communication with the server, as well as ones to stop any malicious code from getting too deep into the phone. But Samsung has given its version of the software special permissions, which means that hackers can get through the protections in Android that stop third-party apps from tampering with other bits of the device.
  ...
  Researchers have confirmed that the exploit works on versions of the Samsung Galaxy S6, the S6 and Galaxy S4 Mini. But it may also be active on other Samsung Galaxy phones, since the keyboard software.

Does this vulnerability have a formal CVE reference?
How can find out if my device is vulnerable?
How can I tell if a fix has been successfully deployed?

This may be worth reading. It does provide a step by step guide/explanation (inc. proof of concept exploit) that may help you verify if you're vulnerable. I believe this issue has been assigned CVE-2015-2865


text:
How to write a script to assign adobe reader as the default application for opening PDFs on Android?
I am distributing locked down tablets to my employees, ~40.
Right now, one application opens a PDF and the user is presented with multiple PDF readers to choose from. This could cause confusion (I know.. I know..).
The two solutions I have come up with are:

Write a script that assigns a default PDF reader for the user
Uninstall all of the other PDF readers (Both AT&T and T-Mobile have their own PDF readers and we may add other carriers with however many PDF readers.) (Could I write a script to uninstall the other PDF readers?)

Are these solutions viable with Android? If so, I would love to here solutions!
Thanks
Note:
I am not using the devices and I do not have physical access to them. The users of this device boot into a locked down home page with an Icon for 'manual' that opens a PDF. The users cannot change anything about the device. They can't open settings, Can't open a browser, etc. Nothing.
Right now, the users in the field are being presented with the option to use 2 or 3 separate PDF readers. I want all of my users using the same reader so that I can test the usability of the PDF.
Because I cannot personally access all of the devices ( we push updates through Soti Mobile), I want to deploy a script that forces the device to use Adboe reader

Hmmmmm well Soti should be forcing the device into a locked down state. I'll have to test this.

Development questions are off-topic here. Ask at Stack Overflow.

Hahaha! I have been told otherwise at SO: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/9913465/how-to-write-a-script-to-assign-adobe-reader-as-the-default-application-for-open#comment12650850_9913465

:D Really laughing situation. Actually, they are wrong. The script needs to interact with API of Android.

Any more guidance you can give?

What you added lately as Note, add that at SO. Without it, question looks like normal question to which I answered.

Do most tablets from a provider not allow root access? If they do, I should be able to get root access.

I think option 2 may be your best bet.

I wouldn't say this is totally off-topic.  We've covered shell scripts for users to accomplish tasks before, and this isn't that much different.  However, you need to stop cross-posting.  Keep it on one site -- the SO question is still open so I'm closing this.

There is a deprecated api which allows to set preferred activities for specific intents. So you could for example set the adobe reader as the preferred activity to start when "open pdf" intent is sent
However as it states this api is deprecated so it could be removed in future versions of android
http://developer.android.com/reference/android/content/pm/PackageManager.html#addPreferredActivity(android.content.IntentFilter, int, android.content.ComponentName[], android.content.ComponentName)

You don't need any type of script.
When user is presented with multiple PDF readers to choose from, one can found a checkbox Use by default for this action at bottom. Check it & tap Adobe Reader. Done!

That's the thing. I don't want the user to be presented with a default app selection. I want to choose for them. This is for a locked down device, ~40 tablets within my company.

@ericf What do you mean by locked down device? If you can bother running a script in all devices, you can do this too. Its not a 10-step solution.

I am not using the device. The users of this device boot into a locked down home page with an Icon for 'manual' that opens a PDF. The users cannot change anything about the device. They can't open settings, etc. Nothing.
Right now, the users in the field are being presented with the option to use 2 or 3 separate PDF readers. I want all of my users using the same reader so that I can test the usability of the PDF.
Because I cannot personally access all of the devices ( we push updates through Soti Mobile), I want to deploy a script that forces the device to use Adboe reader.

I am sorry to say, such things are off-topic on this site.

SO: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/9913465/how-to-write-a-script-to-assign-adobe-reader-as-the-default-application-for-open#comment12650850_9913465


text:
How can I go back after flashing an unsuccessful file with no backups in HTC EVO 3D GSM?
I have accidentally flashed a file (http://www.box.com/s/k8ch8jjne6y2aa5g4lg9) that allows full arabic in HTC EVO 3D CDMA. When I reboot, the phone stops on the HTC white screen.
The problem is that I haven't made a backup in recovery before. I don't know how to go back. I have wiped all dalvick, data and cache but the problem persists.
My device is on Bootloader Unlocked + CWM recovery + S-ON

Are you able to get to the recovery console? Have you tried flashing the GSM version of the ROM on top of the CDMA one?

Yes, I am. About the GSM version, I will check.

Can't find the GSM version. Is there another way?

Simply flash any compatible GSM ROM to your phone (look for one on xda-developers forums) via recovery console after performing another round of wipe. Whatever incompatible drivers and radios were introduced by the CDMA version will be overwritten, and the phone should boot successfully. After that you can continue searching for the ROM with full Arabic support.


text:
How can I make the Galaxy S3 detect media on my sdcard?
I have transferred some mp3s onto my sdcard using samba but the operating system doesn't seem to automatically detect them as it would if you copied it using MTP or whatever.  How can I force it to detect them?

do they show up after a reboot? If so you probably just need to get the media scanner to run. See the answer to this question: http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/9449/how-do-i-play-mp3s-from-my-dropbox/9451#9451

My S4 wouldn't recognize music on my external SD-card. You can fix this on your S3 by going to settings> more > storage > remove SD-card. Wait till it says 'You can now safely remove your SD-Card' then remove the card out your phone. Clean your RAM and then put it back in again. Wait a few seconds till it's succesfully installed and your card will be visible. I.E for music open your music player and it'll all be there. Make sure the files aren't in too many subfolders or your phone will not find it and show it in your music player.
Have a nice day,

Run the following shell script on the command line, either via SSH or adb.
#!/system/bin/sh<br/>

export ANDROID_ASSETS=/system/app
export ANDROID_CACHE=/cache
export ANDROID_DATA=/data
export ASEC_MOUNTPOINT=/mnt/asec
export ANDROID_ROOT=/system
export BOOTCLASSPATH=/system/framework/core.jar:/system/framework/core-junit.jar:/system/framework/bouncycastle.jar:/system/framework/ext.jar:/system/framework/framework.jar:/system/framework/android.policy.jar:/system/framework/services.jar:/system/framework/apache-xml.jar:/system/framework/filterfw.jar
export EXTERNAL_STORAGE=/mnt/sdcard
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/vendor/lib:/system/lib

am broadcast -a android.intent.action.MEDIA_MOUNTED -d file:///mnt/sdcard

Source: Can I trigger a media scan via the command line?
Alternatively if you prefer a UI I find Force Media Scan ideal. You do not have to reboot your device for these.


text:
Remove duplicate contact information
After merging contacts from different sources like Facebook, Twitter, Exchange and Google+, it was apparent to me that now my contacts contain a lot of duplicate information such as the same email addresses, birthday date, website address.
Ideally, all those redundant entries should be merged as well so not to clutter things.
I've looked almost everywhere but could only find information relative to just merging issues with contacts.
(If it matters, I am using Android 2.3.)

I have the same problem. All applications I have found are only joining contacts (kind of linking), but there is no real merge option. I would also prefer an option without necessity to upload all my friend parsonal information to google ...

Visit the Contacts app in a desktop browser and sign in with your Google account with which your device is getting synced.  Once done (you should have successfully synced your contacts before this), the more button (as seen in the image) has option to merge.

This is not my issue; The contacts ARE merged, but information like email, birthday etc, are duplicate because they come from different sources.

I do not have any other apps to identify and merge. But having taken your contacts to Google's contact page (as above), you can edit (at least it will be better than doing in phone) to merge manually. You may also consider to export it to some other formats (like CSV) and write a small Excel macro to accomplish the task.


text:
Application keyboard shortcuts
In CM7 (now running CM9 on my EVO 4G) there was an option somewhere in the settings to set keyboard shortcuts (I think it was limited to Search+[key] combinations). I loved using this with my Bluetooth keyboard, for example using "Status Bar Expander" to be able to see my notifications by only using the keyboard.
However, in CM9, I can no longer find this option. Does anyone know where it went or how to get this functionality otherwise?
Update: I've found this (quite useful) list, but I would still like to know if I can edit/add these key combos.

ESC: Back (woo!)
Targus FN + F* keys: (edit: These only work with the specific model of
  Targus keyboard. Your FN key may only perform functions as labelled,
  test it to verify)
FN+F1: Search
FN+F8: play/pause music
FN+F7: Skip Prev
FN+F9: Skip Next
FN+F11: Volume -
FN+F12: Volume +
FN+ESC: Wallpaper, manage apps, system settings.
Alt+Tab - recent apps, task switcher (WOO!)
CTRL + Alpha keys:
Ctrl+A: Market (edit: this opens the "add to home screen" menu for me)
Ctrl+P: Settings
Ctrl+W: Wallpaper
Ctrl+M: Apps
In Browser: (edit: these work in other apps too, if they apply)
Ctrl+B: Bookmarks
Ctrl+A: Select all
Ctrl+C: Copy
Ctrl+V: Paste
Ctrl+W: Close current tab
Ctrl+T: Open new tab
Command/Windows button + : (edit: these commands work from anywhere,
  even in other apps)
Win+E: Launch Default Email App (brings up a choice dialog if
  necessary)
Win+A: Launch Calculator.apk
Win+S: Launch Messaging.apk (SMS App)
Win+C: Launch Contacts
Win+B: Launch Browser.apk (not your default browser, unfortunately)
Win+P: Launch Music.apk (not your default music player, unfortunately)
Win+L: Launch Calendar
Win+M: Launch Google Maps

@Al Are ICS and CM9 that much different now that we shouldn't tag both? Or was the original a feature of CM7 and not stock?

As far as I know that was a CM feature only.

Gotcha. I was unaware! Thanks for the tag revision then :)

You can also assign your custom application to Search+key:
[ Source: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=26105269&postcount=3 ]

Must be using either nova or apex launcher
Long press on home screen and select shortcuts
Select activities (for whichever launcher you are using nova or apex)
Scroll down and select settings
Scroll down and select Quick Launch (the first one) and it should create the shortcut icon on your desktop


text:
Where is the SMS "Drafts" folder on the Xperia Play?
The manual says when typing a text, if you stop to answer a call, whatever you were typing is placed into a "Draft" folder or is saved as a draft. The thing is, that I have never seen or found any "Draft" location other then when I use the browser to go online and goto my email site, and hat isn't where its going.
I was typing a huge text and I am really upset that I will have to re-type the entire thing, knowing it is in my phone somewhere, unless the manual from Sony Ericsson written specifically for this phone is totally wrong. Even though the manual says it is saved, it also is too vague on conveying where this draft folder is.
Can any one help me? This had been am ongoing issue and this "unfinished draft" location must have 400 messages in it by now. I am totally confused. The manual said to goto the "Time Save" app but I don't even think that's correct.

There's no drafts folder per say, when you access your SMS APP, the conversations list appears:

If a draft is present on any conversation thread, you will see "draft" written in red. Tap and you're back on your draft.
If it was an SMS with no conversation thread, it is presented the same way.

Check your Phone's manual, page 39, where it reads:

If you exit a message before sending, it gets saved as a draft. If the message is part of a conversation, the conversation gets tagged with the word Draft.


text:
Wi-Fi tethering with HTC Magic
Will Wi-Fi tethering work in HTC Magic running Android 2.2?
I wonder also, is the 2.2 update for htc magic a official update or one of these custom ROMs?

Yes, you can do Wi-Fi tethering with the HTC Magic.  However, it might require a custom ROM.
All versions of the HTC Magic except for the Dream/G1 have gotten an official 2.2 update, as far as I am aware.  This includes the T-Mobile myTouch 3G and the Vodafone Magic.

Not all versions. I have a Google Ion phone (htc magic 32B) whose only available versions were Android 1.5 and 1.6 I think I will never buy again a "developer phone".