text:
Searching for a way using ICS Calendar files from dropbox
So I currently use Thunderbird with Lightning and have imported several ICS files there on my Windows system (more details on how I did this here). This works great. But for Android there does not seem to be a simple app for this.
To sum up: overall I already have Dropbox for syncing. So I would just need a app that let me choose the ICS files and let me use it just like in Thunderbird. I already tested 20 apps. None was able to do my task so far.
I also don't need just an import app for ICS files. Because then the Dropbox wouldn't sync anymore for sure and I would have trouble on my Windows system. So just an editor that accesses ICS files would be perfect. As I have currently 7 ICS files, it would be great if the app would show them together like Thunderbird does.
By the way I already tried to open an ICS file with the Android Calendar app and it actually showed me an event. But I was not able to show all and the behaviour was very strange.
Update from the comments

I found ICSDroid which allowed me to add ICS files from Dropbox correctly
these Calendars where correctly added to the Calendar system
the problem is that they are not added to "My Calendars", instead they are added to an external list, which is read-only!
also the Sync is kind of broken on these calendars, updates in thunderbird are not shown on my Android calendar apps (I tried the normal, aCalendar, Planner Plus)

BTW: Be welcome to check with my list of Calendar Tools. ICSdroid seems to fit your description: "ICSdroid allows you to add/subscribe and manage external (web) and local (i.e. Dropbox, adb push etc) iCalendar/ics files on your Android device." If you can confirm this, feel free to flag a mod to have your question migrated to SR, so I will setup an answer there.

Well it's not free. Before buying and it does not maybe not work, you might know some others that are for free? And sure if this question does now fit here, move it. Maybe it's also possible without an app, so I changed the title :)

I just found 2 similar questions. But none of the answers worked for me: http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/10085/how-to-sync-calendar-with-android-without-google?rq=1 and http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/64333/sync-android-calendar-tasks-with-calendar-from-pc?rq=1

I've never been in need of that, so I didn't check for this specific feature. But besides: If you look up that app in my list (which I linked), you might note it's available for free from F-Droid (from the list, you could even download the .apk directly to try it out).

Installed ICSDroid and tested it. Actually adding ics files works well. I can see all the events from different ics files in the usual Calendar app. But somehow I'm not able to edit them on my phone. It just says I have no Calendar chosen? I'm new to Android maybe I'm using the Calendar in a super unusual way? I think this is a non ICSDroid issue :)

I've no idea with that part, sorry. ICS files are plain ASCII – but editing them with a text editor might not be convenient (nor recommended if you don't know what you do). They are thought as a format to exchange informations rather than to be edited directly. The preferred way is editing the events within your calendar app, and then export that calendar again to .ics.

Sure sure, that's the way I want to do it, too. Reading ICS file and editing the events directly in the Calendar app. I don't want to edit them in an editor for sure. I also now tried to change an event on my Windows system. Then the ICS was updated by Dropbox. But anyway I can't get the new Event on my Android Calendar. Synced anywhere it was possible. Any idea on this? I mean if this does not work that app does not make sense for me =/

Why do I get the impression we're having some kind of XY problem here? Could it be your real question is "how to sync my calendars between Win and Android without using a 3rd party service"? Because in that case, answers might be very different.

Yes that would be the abstract way to describe my issue indeed. But I really want to use Dropbox and ICS files for some reason. So this is very important for me as well. What would you say, how can I improve this question? And many thanks man.

Ohh I know understand why I was not able to create or edit events. You can just edit events that are under My Calendars. But there is no way to move the external Calendars to that section. Wow that really frustrating =(

Uh-oh. Well, first off it might be a good idea to keep things separate then: having this question dedicated to your Dropbox approach (where I've to resign from), asking a separate generic one as suggested with my previous comment, and finally mention "the other question" in each (linking them together) to make clear why they're no duplicates. In the generic question, include your environment (PC and Android versions etc.) and whether applications/web-server components (I think of ownCloud here) would be acceptable as well. Keep it as "how-to", not "which apps" ;)

Alright my friend, gonna do that tomorrow. Thanks.

When on it, may I suggest you try to include the essence of our comment chain with your [edit] of this question – and then ping me for a comment-cleanup? Looks like a mess already :)

http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/135793/how-to-move-icsdroid-calendars-to-the-phone-section is this fine? Feel free to improve :) No let the comments here. I don't need to delete my friend.

I now solved with installing ownCloud on my server. It was not difficult and is easy to setup. Also it gives the possibility to enable even more features.
So in Thunderbird I just add the online calendar URL to the specific calendar. That's it. The only bad thing is that Thunderbird(Lightning) does not get the colors from the server. So you have to set them manually.
And on Android you need a special app like CalDAV which is really cheap and as well easy to setup.
Now you can use any calendar app like the of your Android. Planner Plus or aCalendar. This is totally up to you. I really like Planner Plus somehow.
For me this is a really good solution. Synching is working perfectly even with different users on it at the same time. You can also manage the rights the users have in your ownCloud which was impossible with the row ics Dropbox solution.
I also use the Tasks app of ownCloud, what is called the app OpenTasks under Android, which makes it pretty easy also to use tasks on Android.


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HTC One M8 - Do Not Disturb still plays sounds in Videos and Music. Any total sounds off option?
Do Not Disturb>On
Message displayed:

This turns off all sounds and vibrations, including from alarms,
  music, video and games.

If I turn on this mode, go to Youtube (or any website with a video) the sound is still on.
Is there a way of simply disabling all sounds from this phone? This can be a problem E.g. If I browse to a news website with an auto play video, the sounds can start up
Screenshot (as requested) of the Message and Do Not Disturb setting

Can you post a screenshot?

@Firelord Image of the message added:-)

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


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Persistent restart
Can anyone here help please?
my galaxy tab 2 with jelly Bean 4+ keeps restarting itself. Here is what happens:
1- while it is rebooting itself constantly, i hold the power button. it boots.but stays on only for one minute and starts its rebooting cycle again.
2-i put it on safe mode.the little " safe mode " shows up at a corner.but there is no real change.it doesn't really go into safe mode. All apps remain there and it falls into it's rebooting cycle again after one or tow minutes.
3-i press and hold the right buttons for recovery. The recovery mode comes up. I select factory reset.and then say yes.it brings up some 4-5 new lines up and says I can boot now, which I do. It turns on but again no changes.no reset happens at all.and soon it sinks into its restarting cycle..
So to put it in a nutshell it neither factory-resets nor does it go in safe mode.
All I can do now is what I explained in number 1 above. I turn it on and during that one minute window, before it restarts itself, I bring up boot menu and turn it off.
Now, What can I do?, Without using a computer.I don't have one.
But if connecting my tablet to a computer is the only way, then how could I do it using a computer?
And I am not a geek.
Thank you very much

1)Boot into recovery mode and clear cache.

Power Down the tablet
Hold Volume Up button and power button at same time, wait until it starts and release Volume Up button only after you see the menu,
In this menu only volume key and power key works, so, navigate to , wipe cache partition and press power key, that will select that option and proceed.
-In new menu , agree to proceed, by selecting OK , using volume key and power key.

2)Boot into recovery mode and Factory Reset.

Follow same steps as above
In this menu only volume key and power key works, so, navigate to , Wipe data/ factory reset and press power key, that will select that option and proceed.
-In new menu , agree to proceed, by selecting OK , using volume key and power key.

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


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device not showing in fastboot
I have a Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 (GT-P5210GNYXAR) currently with NO OS (I completely wiped the tablet in TWRP.)
However, I did root the device, so now it has the TWRP thing. I tried installing the superSU OS I used to root android OS, no luck. I have not tried reinstalling the factory OS because the download time takes 2 hours.
I'm trying to install Ubuntu onto this tablet with a windows computer (that's for a different question) but fastboot devices doesn't show the tablet. adb devices does, however it says it is "unauthorized" and I don't know how to authorize it without an OS.
Is there some TWRP-specific program or something?
UPDATE
I tried downloading the stock rom from a website however the download was too slow (because I'm not paying for premium) and the download failed. However, I will retry tomorrow and use Odin or Heimdall.

For the fastboot command to recognize a device, are you booted to the devices bootloader?

You can't access fastboot devices from TWRP. You need a key combination to get to download mode for that.

There's no fastboot mode in Samsung devices.

SuperSU is not an OS, it's a binary (and associated app). As RMarkwald indicates only adb can interact with Recovery (whether TWRP or otherwise), fastboot is for interacting with the fastboot mode.  You will need to boot into fastboot mode to flash a ROM via fastboot.

If its a Samsung, you might consider looking into Heimdall:

Heimdall is a cross-platform open-source tool suite used to flash firmware (aka ROMs) onto Samsung mobile devices.

I've personally had success with it


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Cannot download apps
I recently have received error 495 on my Nexus 6P running Nougat, causing none of my apps to update. I tried common solutions like clearing cache and signing in, but they didn't work. I eventually reset my device and restored the apps from a backup. The apps downloaded and installed fine, until the error came up again. In Google play, the downloading loading bar would show, but it wouldn't do anything else.
Also, I tried downloading an APK for Amazon app store (and a few other apks), yet there would be no downloading notification, and eventually, it would say unsuccessful.
I think the error has to do with download manager. Does anyone have tips on solving this problem?
UPDATE: it is an issue with downloads. I tried downloading a file from a generic download test site, and the same thing occurred with the APK downloads.

Apparently it had to do with the VPN adblock Block This! I disabled it and now it downloads normally.


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Second partition can't be mounted (link2sd)
I'm trying to partition my external SD card (32GB SDHC), so I can link application to the second partition with link2sd. Now the problem is that, no matter what filesystem I use, link2sd can't create the mount script/fails to mount. I tried FAT32, FAT16, ext2, ext3 and ext4. Same result everytime, I tried formatting it with MiniTool Partition Wizard and ClockworkMod Recovery. I made the first Partition a FAT32 primary and the second partition an put in filesystem here primary partition. I also tried diffrent sizes between 256MB and 4GB.
I'm on Cyanogenmod 10 running on an Samsung Galaxy Ace (I-5380).
Edit: It seems like the question is quite popular. If you have the same issue, try the things that I said I tried above. In most cases this resolves the issue, my accepted answer is for a silly not so common cause for this issue.

Ok the problem was simple and stupid. SuperSU had denied link2sd its root access permanently, I must have clicked on denied once...
Enabled root access for link2sd and everything was working fine.

Go into ClockworkMod recovery → Advanced → Mount and storage and mount SD ext. Done.


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Backup/flash system and data without unlocking bootloader?
I was wondering if I can make a full backup of my system partition via fastboot or adb and re-apply the backup to a different phone of the exact same model? Or is this only possible if the bootloader is unlocked? Right now it sounds to me that the locked bootloader only prohibits flashing a new bootloader or recovery.
The firmware being backed up would always be an official firmware.
My case right now is about a Sony phone but it would be good to know if this is something that's generally possible or not.

The current set of commands in a typical fastboot binary supports only  partition flashing, which means, an image can be sent from PC to  Android but data of the partition can't be pulled from Android into PC. You'd have to use [tag:adb] for that, either from a custom recovery or when Android OS is running.

So it is possible to do a full system partition backup via adb without root?

I've not heard of any other method of creating disk images in a running Android other than of using dd utility with input as block device file. In order to create an image dd must have appropriate permission to access the block device directly. The simplest way is to read from the block device file /dev/block/mmcblk***. The permission on that file is restricted to root user and root group only, so non-root users definitely can't make an image.

You cannot do full partition backup via adb, but take a look at adb backup functionality which does not need root or unlocked bootloaders.

@Firelord put both your comments together, and you've got a fine answer :)

As Firelord asked me to sum things up, here we go:
First, you cannot do a backup using fastboot. Fastboot is like a one-way road: you can only use it to write partitions (either by flashing a corresponding image, or by wiping it) – but you cannot "pull" a partition.
Which leaves ADB. Yes, it's possible via ADB – but it will require root. As Firelord pointed out, to create a disk image one has to access the corresponding block device, which can only be done with root permissions, as root is who owns them. On rooted devices, one then can use the dd tool. My tool Adebar can prove helpful in identifying the partitions you might need, even creating a script for you to back them up (and to restore).
Whether that's possible with the bootloader locked might depend on the device. For some devices, directly replacing the recovery partition is even the recommended way to get a custom recovery running on it, while on others even that doesn't work. Certainly, the backup part would be possible in any case – but what you'll get is not a "pure stock ROM", but a "rooted stock ROM" – for the reasons pointed out. Only way around this would be doing so while booted into recovery-mode using a custom recovery (as stock recoveries usually don't ship equipped with ADB or other means to access the shell).

1: short for "data duplicator", "disk duplicator" – or "disk destroyer" (as you easily can end up that way if not being very careful)


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Talk to Android Device via UDP via a wired connection
I have an application that can be controlled via Open Sound Control, a UDP based protocol. Now this works fine via wifi but I NEED a wired connection because wifi will not be available to me later for this project.
I'm using a Galaxy Note 3. I tried to attach a Ethernet->USB adapter that worked on an Android TV stick but it doesn't seem to work with the Note 3 and pretty much any other android phone I tried.
Now is it possible to either get Ethernet working or use a standard USB connection to the Host PC? It doesn't have to be available in the whole LAN, just the PC connected to it via USB needs to be able to send OSC messages to the Note 3.

This was WAY simpler than I thought it was. I was trying to get this working for days now but it's actually really simple.
My first approach was using reverse tethering, having the idea that I would need the Android device to get its Internet/LAN connection from the PC and not the other way around.
Though that is not the case, just enable USB Tethering on your android device and thats all you need.
After you did that, open a terminal emulator window on the device or open an adb shell session with the command adb shell. Enter netcfg to print out all the IPs and look for a device named rndis0 or usb0 or maybe another name, depending on your ROM or device. Simply look at all the devices that are "UP" and make sure its not Wifi or Mobile data connection, you can recognize them by the device name.
If you think you found the correct adapter (it shouldn't show more than 2-3 devices that are listed as UP and have an valid IP next to it) simply send your OSC messages to that IP adress and it will work just fine. This should work with about any network protocol.
You should be able to access the device over another computer aswell by setting up some port forwarding on the host PC to the android device IP and sending your messages to the PCs IP. Or maybe using the Android IP adress works aswell though I somewhat doubt your Router is aware of the device.
Double check the IP if its not working, it will not be the same sub network as your LAN. I made that mistake with my first try and blindly entered the first 3 number blocks without having a closer look.


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How to switch between touchscreen and mouse (or enable both)?
I have a BeagleBone with Android 4.1.2 and USB Keyboard and USB Mouse connected. With the DVI-D cape, keyboard and mouse work. But with the LCD7 cape, only the keyboard works. I assume that the touchscreen driver takes over and disables the mouse driver.
How can I switch between touchscreen input and mouse input, or enable them both?
(The reason that I want to use the mouse with the LCD is that the resistive touchscreen of the LCD7 cape is not enough responsive to use some Android applications. With the touchscreen it's e.g. nearly impossible to scroll within the Android settings dialog).


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How can I send my 4.4.2 device's SMS from the Web without changing the default app?
I would like to be able to send SMS from my phone via the Web.
I used to use MySMS, however, since upgrading to 4.4.2, the app demands that it be the default messaging app due to messaging changes introduced in 4.4. I'm quite happy with using GoSMS and don't want to change.
What options do I have?

Check out my edit it might help you

Sadly that's a limit of android Kit-Kat the "options" I see are:

not to use MySMS for sending via Web, and have GoSMS as default SMS App
Set MySMS as default SMS App, in order to send via Web
Wait until and if in the future MySMS support that feature ie. sending via SIM without having the default privileges
Find an other app that may fit both of your needs.

eg. A quite similar app is HOLA SMS it can send web SMS without being default (edit. That changed to the last update)
So you can buy credits for it and send web to sms with sender your Phone Number so nobody can understand that it is not a SIM message. Then setting it as default once in a while the messages will be synced and added to your phone.


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Headphone Controls Android
Most threads I find on this information is pretty old, so I wanted to see if anyone has come up with a workaround.
My headphones are the RHA SA950i (wired), which are wonderful. However, the headphone controls (Volume Up, Pause/Skip, Volume Down) only slightly work. The center button, Pause/Skip works, but Volume Up/Down do not. I have a Google Nexus 6. I was wondering if there have been any apps or other workarounds created that allows for me to use Volume Up/Down? Also, I do have a custom ROM (OmniROM) with Root access.
Thanks!

Sometimes custom rom's have issues with Bluetooth, contact the maintainers of this rom and maybe check if other people have problems.

Sorry, I should have mentioned these are wired headsets.


text:
Remove multiple contact photos at once
I made a mistake of using Micopi, an app that changes all of the contact's photos on the phone. This got synced back with my contact list on Google. I'd like to know if there is a way to do a multi-edit on all of my contacts to remove their photos from my contact database at once instead of manually going through my list.
edit: Device: OnePlus One, running Sultan's CM12.1 ROM, rooted

Is the device rooted? Which device is it? The photos most likely would be stored in /data/data/com.android.providers.contacts/files/photos

@Firelord Yes, it is.

@Firelord Device info added to original post, there are 6 files in the directory which don't seem to be pictures. http://i.imgur.com/w7Dn8Q5.png


text:
A Cardboard Performance Problem
I selected Sony Z1, HTC E9+ and Redmi Note2 for Cardboard App performance test.
Before this test, I supposed the Cardboard App could get the good performance on HTC E9+ (it has a high score on Performance Benchmark).
As below test result, HTC E9+ had the worst result of this test!!!!

Does anyone have suggestion for this test result?
What's the major factor for the Cardboard App Performance?

Test App Description:
Mojing:(Chinese VR App)
http://mj.mojing.cn/
VideoTheater:
This App is implemented by myself.
SimpleVideo Player(a Unity App):
Create a simple VR secne and play a video inside it
VerySimple VR App (a Unity App):
Same as "SimpleVideo Player" but remove the video player
Cardboard Example App@Unity:
Download from Cardboard Developer Web.
Cardboard Example App@Android:
Download from Cardboard Developer Web.
Thanks,
Tony

Newer phone = better performance (with a specific application)? I'd like to watch a drag race between 2012 Honda Jazz and 1967 Ford Mustang.

Ford Mustang is a cool car~~ OK, I understand your point. I need to correct the wording >"<.  I supposed HTC E9+ should get the better test result because it has a high score on the "Performance Benchmark". http://blog.gsmarena.com/htc-e9-performance-benchmarks/

I understand how you think and it is a fallacy called ceteris paribus  which means all else is same, but it is not! The difference between phones that can affect the results of your test varies from screen resolution to Android version, to chipset, etc. There are a lot. For example, if the phone's screen resolution was halved, it would run with much much better FPS since GPU would have half the work it did before.


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Sign in to Chromium on Android not working
I am trying to sign in to Chromium for Android from my Android phone and it is not working. I am getting the following error message.

The account already exists on your device.

I tried to delete the Google account on my phone and tried to set it up again. Still, it is not working.
Is it not possible to sync Chromium on the PC and Android?

Google has cut off support for any third-party Android browsers using the Chrome Sync API.

A bug report was filed on January 3 on the Chromium bug tracker, explaining that attempting to sign-in with Chromium builds on Android resulted in an 'INVALID_SCOPE' error. After many reported the same issue, the likely cause was found - a recent change to how scoped refresh tokens were handled. This meant that only official Chrome builds could request tokens, and it only affects Android (Chromium builds on the desktop continue to work normally).
If you're using any browser on Android that syncs with Chrome, you have probably already noticed it stopped working - and cannot be fixed.

Source

The account already exists on your device

has to do with Chromium Contacts permissions in Android phone. In Settings/Apps/Chromium/
Permissions if you give Contacts permissions and clear cache and data you will see a dropdown with the gmail accounts that are on the phone. Then you can proceed with login and see if sync works.

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


text:
Remove apps from Samsung Knox
I have a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge 32GB. Recently I found out that out of the 32GB, at least 8GB is being used by apps inside Samsung Knox. Not Knox itself, but apps inside it.
I'd like to keep Knox for its features if my phone gets stolen, but I won't actively be using the apps within.
How can I delete apps like WhatsApp from Knox?

When an app is added to Knox and/or "Secure Folder", it's actually a copy of the app.  You can safely uninstall an app from knox and the copy of the app that lives outside of knox should still be installed.

Actually, WhatsApp is a system app in the main system and not in Knox. However, when you allow it to be copied to Knox, it will be a system app also in Knox.
When I tried to remove it from Knox, it removed itself from the main system also and defaulted to the preinstalled on the main and on the Knox.

Thank you so much for this answer. I ended up calling samsung and they disabled Knox for me. Still stuck with a nearly full phone but at least it's slightly less.

For uninstalling apps in My Knox, you can go to My Knox settings and uninstall from the application manager.

I prefer using the original Knox pre-installed on our phones. It is more secure than "My Knox" from Play Store. Both are by Samsung, but with pre-installed Knox, you cannot use third-party apps which makes it more secure; with the latter one, other apps installed inside your Knox container can still access your files in your Knox container.
Still, the choice is up to you... (I am a Samsung Note user)

My phone installed the app by itself.

I don't have "knox", I only have "My knox"

You need to uninstall your my knox to see the original knox.. & if u want to use it... you need to format your device once..

When I got the phone it asked me to use knox & I hit yes, so it's there, but it got thatapp, idk

Open Knox
Go to MyKnox Settings
Scroll down to Application manager
Touch the app you want to uninstall
Tap on Uninstall

Note: System apps can't be uninstalled, but you can disable them.

WhatsApp can be uninstalled

MS Word can't be uninstalled

I only have disable and force stop

Those are for system apps I guess. Third party apps should be removed

I doubt WhatsApp is a system app.

No, WhatsApp ain't a system app. Please provide screenshoots of every steps

https://goo.gl/photos/TmG7YShhKjTxFyiY6

I don't speak the language displayed, can you upload in English please?

Left is "disable" right is "Force close"

Check my update. It is possible to uninstall WhatsApp and all user apps. Only system apps are not uninstalled but can be disabled.

WhatsApp is a system app now? GG Samsung

You could use an Android debugger even if you think you couldn't. No root required.

Unlock developer mode on your phone
(i) Settings > About your phone > About your Software > Build number - tap it 7 times

Allow USB debug on the phone
{} Developer mode > Debug > USB Debug (toggle)

Install "App Inspector" from Google Play to get package names for undesirable apps (Touch name with icon -> Package name)

Connect your phone to PC in "only charge" mode, allow debug

Install Android Debug Bridge
For Linux OS, this is most likely sudo apt-get install adb , there are Windows packages as well. You also could connect Android to Android instead of PC and use the ADB OTG Android app from Google Play on an auxiliary device (Android Debug Bridge On The Go)

Figure out user ID for Knox folder
admin@admin:~(10/18/21 13:07:24)$ adb shell
1|star2lte:/ $ pm list users
Users:
    UserInfo{0:Взрывоопасный Поцык:13} running
    UserInfo{150:Secure Folder:50020030} running

--user 0 is a default user, and pm list users allows you to find out Knox user number. Probably you should keep Knox folder unlocked.

Slaughter the bloatware
star2lte:/ $ pm uninstall -k --user 150 com.google.android.apps.tachyon
Success
star2lte:/ $ pm uninstall -k --user 150 com.samsung.android.bixby.agent.dummy
Success
star2lte:/ $ pm uninstall -k --user 150 com.android.chrome
Success
star2lte:/ $ pm uninstall -k --user 150 com.samsung.clipboardsaveservice
Success
star2lte:/ $ pm uninstall -k --user 150 com.microsoft.office.excel
Success
star2lte:/ $ pm uninstall -k --user 150 com.facebook.services
Success
star2lte:/ $ pm uninstall -k --user 150 com.facebook.system
Success
star2lte:/ $ pm uninstall -k --user 150 com.facebook.appmanager
Success
star2lte:/ $ pm uninstall -k --user 150 com.microsoft.office.word
Success
star2lte:/ $ pm uninstall -k --user 150 com.microsoft.office.powerpoint
Success
star2lte:/ $ pm uninstall -k --user 150 com.samsung.android.bixby.service
Success
star2lte:/ $ pm uninstall -k --user 150 com.samsung.android.kidsinstaller
Success

Just don't cut anything sufficient

Open Knox
Go to Settings
Go to Applications
Uninstall the app like any other
It will unistall only on Knox

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


text:
`adb reboot -p` usually reboots instead of power-down which it is supposed to
When writing:
adb reboot -p

I expect the unit to power down indefinitely. Instead, it just reboots automatically, the same as having written:
adb reboot

only.
Why is that? What should I write?

Related: http://android.stackexchange.com/a/138057/96277

From my notes,  adb shell reboot -p.

shell only means it opens a shell first and writes the same there.

@JohnyTex Nein, it's not the same. adb reboot -p means execute adb with arguments reboot and -p. adb shell reboot -p means execute a shell on the device, then execute the program reboot with argument -p which resides inside the device. This is the difference.

Yes, what I meant (sloppily) was that the result is the same, right?

Many phones start booting when a power cable is attached. This could be the reason here for the phone rebooting instantly instead of staying off.

Do know what could be done about that?

@JohnyTex you would have to disconnect your phone just after issuing the command

This should work
adb shell reboot -p

Welcome to the Q&A site Android Enthusiasts Stack Exchange. While this is a valid answer, could you [edit] and expand on the reason why it works? Otherwise, it's okay.


text:
Mount external sdcard obb to internal SD card
I want to move a game's obb (1GB) to an SD card.
Copied the obb file to SD card, and symbolic link by:
su
ln -sf /storage/sdcard1/Android/obb/com.game /sdcard/Android/obb/com.game

but failed with "function not implemented".
I googled it, and got "some filesystem doesn't support symbolic link".
So I tried to use mount by command:
su
mount -o bind /storage/sdcard1/Android/obb/com.game /sdcard/Android/obb/com.game

but I found only root can see the files in the folder.
Then I do:
cd /system/bin/
chmod 4777 ./toolbox #make anyone can use mount(in toolbox)
su u0_aXXX #the game's uid
mount -o bind /storage/sdcard1/Android/obb/com.game /sdcard/Android/obb/com.game
ls -l /sdcard/Android/obb/com.game
$ -rwxrwx--- u0_aXXX sdcard_r com.game.obb

But when I
cat /sdcard/Android/obb/com.game/com.game.obb
$ cat: /sdcard/…ame.obb permission denied

I'm using Android 5, any solution?

(I posted this question on Stack Overflow before, then I found here may be a better place to post this question.)

Finally, I found the solution to this question by myself!
The app can't access the obb by itself, it requires media_rw to access it.
Found by lsof:
sdcard 340 media_rw 15 ??? ??? ??? ???
/data/media/obb/com.game/com.game.obb
sdcard 340 media_rw 17 ??? ??? ??? ???
/data/media/obb/com.game/com.game.obb
com.game 26335 u0_a266 36 ??? ??? ??? ???
/storage/emulated/0/Android/obb/com.game/com.game.obb
com.game 26335 u0_a266 37 ??? ??? ??? ???
/storage/emulated/0/Android/obb/com.game/com.game.obb

So I have to mount the external sdcard folder to two places and each has to have its right owner:
owner    folder
u0_a266  /storage/emulated/legacy/Android/obb/com.game
media_rw /data/media/obb/com.game

But if I mount /storage/sdcard1/Android/obb/com.game to those two places, it will become:
owner    folder
u0_a266  /storage/emulated/legacy/Android/obb/com.game
u0_a266  /data/media/obb/com.game

Then I found if I do:
mount -o bind /storage/sdcard1/Android/obb/com.game /storage/emulated/legacy/Android/obb/com.game
mount -o bind /mnt/media_rw/sdcard1/Android/obb/com.game /data/media/obb/com.game

I found this works fine, because the mount command's source and destination is their original owner.
The app can run very well!


text:
Where is the "systemless hosts" file under Magisk?
Where is the "systemless hosts" file? I normally just replace the hosts file in /etc/ since I have a customized list. With the systemless hosts, I don't know which file to replace.
P.S., for the newer magisk, it is under /system_root/etc.

The file is in /magisk/.core.

As far as I know, the point of that Magisk feature is to hide the hosts file from both apps and Android itself. That means you should be able to edit the hosts file with a file editor app, or use a hosts editor app, without it being aware of Magisk. You just have to turn the feature on and grant root to the app.
My /etc/hosts is identical to my /magisk/.core/hosts, and I only use a hosts editor app to edit it.


text:
How to bulk move Android apps to the SD card?
I have an Android 4.4.3. Currently, all my Android apps are on the phone's internal storage, which is quite low @ 8GB. I've recently installed a 32GB SD card into the phone.
I understand that I can go to Android Application Manager > Apps > click on app > click "Move" (to the SD card). For the several apps I've tried to do this, the "Move" button was grayed out. Only one app I've tried has had the "Move" button enabled.
Is there any way I can bulk-move all Android apps to the SD card?

Can I assume you are not rooted, if you were any number of apps could likely do this such as Titanium Backup, but if not Android 4.x was weird with SD card permissions and many functions like that could be only be done by the system and not a 3rd party app

Yeah, not rooted. Having trouble rooting my phone here. I can't install SuperSU.

Without root it's one at a time... Sorry.

Okay, no problem. Add an answer if you like.

Also be aware some apps cannot be moved to the SD card; but some of those apps can store data for the app on the SD card.

Moving apps to the SD card in bulk requires root, with root access apps like Titanium Backup should be able to move them easily. Otherwise you must move them individually.

As per Mario's answer:
There is an easier way than manually finding and moving one by one. I'm aware it's no bulk, but it helps.
App2SD
It helps to find all movable apps, and gets you to the move screen one by one, after you perform the move (manually), also instructing on impacts for each app.

2022 update: App2 SD finds all apps that can be moved from device to SD. The app has an automatic mode for then moving all these apps to SD card (via Android accessibility tools, easy to use).


text:
Does sharing installed apps pose a risk of sharing personal data?
Let's say I install an app on my phone from the play store. Now I want to give this app to a friend. I use an app called File Commander to share an installed app via bluetooth.
Will any settings or data used in my app also be sent with the apk, or just the app itself?
Thank you.

Did you pay for it?  If you did, legally, you're in violation of the copyright.

i mean free apps not paid

Most likely, it is not going to send the app data with the app.
If the only file being sent is an apk (example: angrybirds.apk), then there is no data sent with it. The apk is just the app itself.
However it is possible to send app data. If you are using "File Commander", it would depend on whether File Commander sends app data or not (sorry I don't have this app). It may be an option in the settings, so you could perhaps enable/disable the sending of data along with the app.

Full ack. Complementing: As without root usually no app has access to another apps data (few exceptions when signed with the same key, which implicates same dev), if your device is not rooted, this exactly is what happens: only the .apk is shared.

An .apk file is just the zip of the actual app. It's what you download from the AppStore. It doesn't contain any user data.
The user data is located in /data/data/


text:
Which system service apps could I disable to protect my privacy
I have a non-rooted Samsung Galaxy Note 4 with a Google account and would like to know what system, root and service apps I could disable. The purpose of this is, I want to stop or making it difficult for Google spying my phone data etc. As you can see I have already disabled some apps like Google Calendar Sync or Google Contacts Sync or Google account Manager

But I want to know if there are more apps to disable which are sending data to Google or other third-parties.

And an other problem is the Google Play store is'nt working anymore with my actual disabled apps. The only Google-Services I don't want to disable are that which are required for using Google Play Store, updating and installing apps via that. All other services and system apps with are not for using the Play Store required like Calendar or Contact sync and other syncroisations services for personal data I want do disable.
And I want not only Google syncronisation services to disable, also Samsung, Facebook and other apps which are spying my phone I want to disable.
So. I would be very grateful if you could list me all apps and services which I can disable without to waive the Google Play Store.
If you don't know specific to the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 you can say it general for all android devices.

You need an active Google account to use the Play Store, so it's safe to say you shouldn't disable the account manager.

Thanks for the tip, therefore I'm asking what apps I can disable and whitch not!

Root the phone, you won't regret it. Unless you're on Verizon of course. Verizon hates modders and security enthusiasts.
The spyware apps you definitely want to get rid of are RootPA, Silentlogger, DT Ignite, and Carrier IQ (man, I hate those bastards.)
The rest is just bloatware for special features (ANT+ for S-Health, T-mobile/Verizon's ringtone apps, freemium services for watching movies, music, etc)
I forgot, since you have Samsung, there is a way to disable system apps without rooting. It's called Package Disabler Pro - Google Play and it only works on unrooted Samsung devices (some kind of device loophole per se). You can disable any system app from there that Settings.apk won't allow.
You can also use a VPN firewall without root, such as this one, to protect sensitive data from ever getting out there. Otherwise root and use DroidWall, more secure, doesn't rely on a third party VPN.

Just a remark, rootpa is definitely not a spyware, it's used for provisioning a secure storage space on device to store sensible information.


text:
Rooting HTC One M7 Verizon
I have an unrooted HTC One M7, from Verizon. I used to be able to root it with KingoRoot, but now that does not work. I have tried many things to do this:

KingRoot
KingoRoot
TowelRoot
WeakSauce
The PC Version for KingoRoot
iRoot (PC and app)
And several other programs

None of those worked. I am running 5.0.2
I can not unlock my bootloader with HTCDev.com because my phone is branded by Verizon.
Also, Rumrunner does not work. I get either: (F**k it) or (Such dumb issues you have...). I would also like to know what is causing this.
My end goal is to be root with Cyanogenmod and TWRP Touch.
Thanks in advance
EDIT:
I think it would be good if I provide some more information:
The HTC Sense version is 6.0
The Software number is 6.22.605.6
The HTC SDK API level is 6.55
The PRI Version is 4.79_002
The PRL version is 15480
The ERI Version is 5
The Kernel version is:
3.4.10-gdcab6f5
and@AABM #1
SMP PREEMPT

The Baseband Version is 1.13.41.1209
The Build number is 6.22.605.6 CL495599 release-keys
And the Software status is Official
I think some of these aren't relevant, but I just put everything to be sure.

http://theroot.ninja/
Support almost all HTC devices, starting with HTC M7 up to HTC 10 and also Motorola's.
The only chance that you have is the Sunshine root app. But this is a paid method, and there is not free version.
It will check if the device is supported and if root is available and then ask you to pay using Paypal (that was the last method when i used it awhile ago).

I do not have $25 to do this. I have tried that before. And Sunshine needs root to do the S-OFF.

Sunshine can also get root before doing it all those things. And yes, its $25.

Will it charge you even it doesnt work?

As i said, it first verifies if it can work, and if yes, it aks to pay. If not, it lets you know it does not.


text:
A2DP Bluetooth audio randomly shows "(no media)"
Sometimes when I connect my phone to my headset, the Bluetooth device will be listed as:
"Connected ( no media )"

When this happens, it uses the "Phone audio" profile. The "Media audio" profile (A2DP) will also have a checkmark, as if it were connected, but all sound is coming from the phone's speaker (see photo below). If I attempt to uncheck it, it will immediately recheck itself. When it is working properly, it will wait two seconds and disconnect.

Rebooting the headset, or disconnecting it manually doesn't solve the issue.

Solved: The android system is likely connected to the headset for phone calls, and some other device for A2DP (media). Some other device is still using the audio connection, even though the sound comes from android's speaker!
What this means is that if you have any other A2DP devices that you've paired your android with (laptop/stereo/etc) then you will have to disconnect via the other device, not android.
However under android's "Paired Devices" list (see image), the other device isn't always listed as connected, even though it is! If you manually try to un-check the "Media audio" profile for the other device, it will not disconnect!
You must manually disconnect the other device outside of android.
For example: If the other device is a laptop, you must disconnect the audio connection using the laptop. If the other device has no way to manually disconnect (no buttons), just turn it off and use your android to connect to the correct device.

Wow, this was my problem and surprising (what a terrible design that you cannot figure it out on the device).  In my case it was a Fedora laptop, which did not show the A2DP device as connected (it was the other day) but as soon as I turned off the Bluetooth stack on the laptop, the "music source" connection was usable after I disconnected and reconnected on Android.
The headset itself said it was "ready to pair" so I don't think it was connected to the laptop.  It may be that since the laptop is paired with the handset as well they were all on the same PAN (needs to be tested/isolated).

This helped me realize my Android Wear watch was the culprit. I'd just disconnect and reconnect my headphones, and it'd be fine. But I wonder if disallowing "Contact Sharing" to my watch will help...


text:
What differences are there for an "international version" phone? (Galaxy 4s)
I want to buy a Galaxy S4 without a new contract, and I noticed that the "international version" is slightly cheaper.
Are there any cons to owning the international version in the US?
For software/firmware, would there be compatibility differences (such as when installing different ROMs)?
For hardware, would I still be able to use Verizon's 4G LTE?

I appreciate the moderation Izzy, but removing the tag "custom rom" seems overzealous, as my question was related to "custom roms". For example, if the international version of a phone requires a special build of a rom (such as cyanogen mod), it may get less updates or support for said rom. That was part of my question.

Often times, one of the main differences between Android phone models is the supported frequency bands. This can be because they simply use different antennas for different bands, or because they support completely different network standards (e.g. CDMA and GSM versions). It is not uncommon for devices to be released with completely different names on different networks, in fact, when they are essentially the same device. For example, the original Galaxy S had a number of named variants on different carriers: the Captivate, the Vibrant, and the Fascinate.
There can also be other hardware differences between variants as well. In this case specifically, the i9500 international version of the GS4 doesn't have an LTE radio, although the i9505/i9506 does. In the GS4's case, this is because they are built with entirely different systems on a chip: the i9500 uses an Exynos whereas the others use Snapdragons. Significant hardware differences like this are, from what I've seen, not generally as common (although I have no hard numbers), though some changes to less essential things like the camera or NFC support could exist as well1. The spec sheets for each version should outline this information, though, so it is worth checking since there is no real way to "generalize" these differences.
The international versions will work on AT&T and T-Mobile USA's 2G networks, as well as AT&T's 3G and certain T-Mobile 3G areas (ones using the 850 MHz band), but won't support LTE on either. They will not work at all on Verizon, because they don't support CDMA networks nor do they support Verizon's LTE band. Even if they did, Verizon will typically not activate non-branded phones on their network. If you're going to use Verizon, you need to buy a Verizon phone. Can I use my device on a different carrier? has more detailed information on how to make these determinations.
A ROM for one phone will not typically work on other variants, or if it does it will be somewhat broken. For example, running a ROM for the GSM Galaxy Nexus (maguro) on a CDMA variant (like toro) would often work since the hardware was largely the same, but you couldn't make phone calls or access 3G data or the like. In this specific scenario, I would not expect a ROM for the international GS4 to run on another variant at all. They use completely different systems on a chip.
In most cases, the only real "con", as such, to owning an unlocked/off-network phone is that you cannot get official support for the device through your carrier. They will often be willing to provide some kind of equipment protection plan or insurance, but if you go into a store or call customer service for technical support they will not be able to help you.

1With Samsung it may be slightly more common, because of the nature of the situation. They designed the Exynos chipset, which is why they use it in their devices in place of Qualcomm's Snapdragon, but they did not have an Exynos SoC that supported LTE at the time. Thus, in markets where they intend to support LTE, they sometimes go with entirely different chips (like Snapdragons).


text:
Gmail: "Couldn't sign in" error with latest version, but other google apps sync just fine. Older Gmail version works fine
While using the latest version of the Gmail app: 6.3.117716127, I cannot sync my mail whatsoever.
Update: 6.4.120760496 has the same issue.
Please note that this is NOT a universal "Google" sign in problem, where you get a black background with white text and you have to enter your credentials, although the message is the same ("Couldn't sign in")
This is for the Gmail app only. Observe the error in my screenshot below:

Tapping "Sign in" just makes the message at the bottom go away, but nothing else happens, and it doesn't sync. If I try refreshing my inbox, it will bring that sign-in message back.
My last sync with the newest version was April 13th. Then I reverted back to an older version of Gmail from November of 2015. That version syncs just fine.
You can see email from April 19 in the screenshot, because I tried upgrading back to the latest version, but it still wouldn't sync.
Deleting the cache and data doesn't help.
I did not change my Google password.
My phone is a Galaxy S4 running Android 4.4.2 (Hyperdrive)

Same issue on my Samsung Galaxy Note 4 starting from 6PM April 21, 2016 (last successful sync) on the same stock Android 4.4.2 Hyperdrive. Did you find solution?

No, I am still using an old apk. My only bet right now is to wait for another update to gmail. I'll be sure to update this question if I find anything.

What's wrong with this question?

I think it's a problem of the Gmail app itself. Does it work in other devices ?

You deleted the cache/data of the gmail app?  See also https://forums.androidcentral.com/google-nexus-4/314980-problems-gmail-i-keep-getting-message-saying-couldnt-sign.html

Its time to update your phone or buy a new one. Its possible to update to Android 6, 7, 9 with a custom ROM. Android 4.4.2 is no longer among the used things, that's why you have problems. The GMAIL app requires certain regulations and security features to be followed. The old apps do not have them. This is why its not working probably, also the access for less secure apps in you google account is probably disabled. You can try enabling it. Soon I will receive the Ulefone Armor X7 and Xperia X Compact, I can recommend you a phone if you want.

@CFCBazarcom Who are you replying to? This question was asked in 2016.

If its not accepted to answer, I will delete my comment. I see a highly active question and it appears at the beginning of the search.

Android 4.4.2 is officially discontinued for newer Gmail versions.
That's all.
You can check out custom ROMs like this that is made on top of latest Android versions to upgrade your device's OS.

authors: Колян Мартьянов


text:
How can a bookmarklet be ADDED on mobile Chrome without copying and pasting?
On my Android phone, how can a user add a bookmarklet to my Chrome bookmarks, without needing to use another device, and without copying and pasting?
I have a bookmarklet on my website that I want other people to add to their bookmarks, so I'm looking for a straightforward method.
Bookmarklets are bookmarks, but of which contain Javascript code instead of a regular web link.
Bookmarklets can be added to Chrome on the PC very easily in many ways.

However, on Android, if the bookmarklet is displayed as a link on a
page, it cannot be "dragged to the bookmark bar" as with a PC.
If I try to open it in a new tab, the address bar will not contain the
Javascript, so the user can't use the bookmark button.
Tapping the link to the bookmarklet will not put the code in the address bar either.
The only way I've been able to add a bookmarklet on my
phone has been to tap and hold on the link, then tap "Copy link
address", then edit a pre-existing bookmark's link and pasting in
the bookmarklet code, then renaming said bookmark. But that's a pain, and trying to explain it to non tech savy folks isn't happening.

Is there a more simple method?
Note that I have a particular bookmarklet that even when added on my PC, does NOT sync to my Phone's bookmarks. I believe it may be due to the length (It's over 9000 characters!). This is why I need an easy method for users to save this bookmarklet.

You can add (and execute) bookmarklets entirely in Android Chrome.
The caveat: it takes more work than just drag-and-drop in the desktop counterpart.
Save a bookmarklet (Android Chrome)

Long tap the desired bookmarklet
Select Copy link address
Go to Menu (three dots) and tap the Star (bookmark)
BEFORE IT DISAPPEARS, tap EDIT! (at the bottom)
Erase everything in the URL field, and type javascript:

Side note: If the url of the page is really, really long, you might want to long tap the url contents: the keyboard will appear, and then start typing immediately.

Long tap at the right of the javascript: and then tap PASTE
If you did it right, the begginning of URL should look somewhat like:

javascript:(function(){lots-of-code-here...
(The : is still in javascript:)

Change the Name to something useful (you'll use it later, see below)
Optional: Pick the destination Folder where you want your bookmarklet stored.
When done, press the back button.
You might want to test the bookmarklet. Read below:

Execute a bookmarklet (Android Chrome)
From How-To Geek (the link you sent):

In mobile Chrome, you’ll need to launch the bookmarklet from the location [address] bar. Open the web page you want to run the bookmarklet on, tap your location bar, and start searching for the name of the bookmarklet. Tap the bookmarklet’s name to run it on the current page.

Sorry, but I think there is some confusion here. For one, you steps are basically the same as in my 4th bullet point. Also, you don't add javascript: to bookmarklets, as they should already have that in them. Otherwise, they wouldn't be bookmarklets in the first place, and they wouldn't work by dragging them to the bookmarks on a PC.

Let's be easy. He mentions adding javascript: because he accesses it from the "star" button, which happens to let you bookmark the current visiting page, apparently it's http:// which he suggests clear it all. Besides, he did show the way to execute a bookmarklet, which I didn't know.

If I understand your question correctly, you want to:

Let users add bookmarklets from your own website in Chrome for Android. To achieve this, you could use JavaScript to add a bookmark from here:
https://gist.github.com/oilvier/70abd45d1f2ffc98b568
If this does not work, you could use JavaScript to copy the bookmarklet into the user's clipboard. Not really the solution you're looking for, but it removes one step in the user guide mentioned below.

Let users add bookmarklets from any website:

Long press on the bookmarklet and select "Copy URL"
Press on the 3 dot menu on the upper right and touch the star.

At the bottom, there is a small popup where you touch "Change"
If the popup disappeared too fast, repeat step 3 which brings you to the "Change bookmark" screen too.

Long press on the text field below URL and then choose "Insert"
Hit the arrow pointing to the left.

Solution (2) is very similar to your current solution, but you don't need a desktop or a pre-existing bookmark as it creates a new one. 5 easy steps for average users, especially if you use screenshots to help them understand where to touch.

Chrome Android doesn't let you run Bookmarklets the traditional way, But, there is a workaround, you can call Bookmarklet from the address bar,
First, you have to manually create a Bookmarklet by editing it,
For example, javascript:alert('foo'); and name it.
Then, on the page you want to run this, search for the bookmarklet name in the address bar, and click on it.

Below Tutorial might be helpful.
https://paul.kinlan.me/use-bookmarklets-on-chrome-on-android/

This "answer" doesn't answer the question. The question states that a solution that doesn't involve editing a bookmark is desired.

@Bort I clearly stated it's not possible to do what you are asking for, instead I gave you an alternative method to accomplish what you wants. I think that's a perfectly good approach.

Here is an easy solution.

Save the bookmarklet on Chrome on your desktop give it a name, say, BM1
Turn sync on the chrome browser in both desktop and mobile Chrome browsers. When the sync is on, all the bookmarks and bookmarklets gets transferred to the mobile phone as well.
Now, this should make our bookmarklet accessible in the mobile chrome browser. Here is how to execute the bookmarklet: Type the name of the bookmarklet BM1 in the search bar. And, google chrome will give you suggestion based on what you type on the address bar and there will be your bookmarklet. Now, simply click the bookmarklet once you see it.

I'm afraid this doesn't answer the question. I am looking for a way to save it on an android device. Also I already stated that I tried saving it on my PC and it does not show in Android Chrome due to the large URL size.


text:
Can't connect an already booted device to adb
Every time I want to connect my phone to adb via USB I need to turn it off, plug the cable and turn it back on.
Is this the right way to go or am I missing something?
Documentation doesn't seem to explicitly state that.
Some details:

Samsung GT-B5510 Galaxy Y Pro (Android 2.3.6)
Android Debug Bridge version 1.0.29
Debian GNU/Linux 7.0 (wheezy)

Hi cYrus, some more info on make/model and Android version would be helpful. You're right, your phone's behaviour is not standard.

Is USB debugging enabled?

@ce4: Added some more infos.

@LiamW: Sure, as I said, I manage to get it working if I turn on the device with the USB cable plugged.

Ok, as a start you could see if adb is running from within Android. Install terminal emulator and run ps | grep adb (you should see somthing like: shell     2818  1     4496   200   ffffffff 00000000 S /sbin/adbd if it runs). If it does only run after you booted it with usb plugged in, it's a problem with your device. It's probably fixable, but that requires root. Ping me in the chat it's probably faster to discuss there.

This is the real issue cYrus had (we tracked it down via interactive chat):
The phone has obviously some race condition between plugging USB in and USB ready. Plugging in basically gives 2 events:

Power connected event (start charging battery)
USB connected event (enumerate devices etc.)

If the Host system asks for USB enumeration too quickly (before the power-connected event has settled probably), then that operation fails and the device stays invisible.
The workaround is to slowly insert the USB cable.
Reason: USB has 4 pins, the 2 outer ones are +/- and protrude longer than the inner 2 data pins. If inserted slowly, there's a time gap between the power-connected event and the data-connected event

You need to be nice to your phone, hehe. Open a can of jokes now... :-)

I have had similar trouble with a different device.  After you plug you device in try:
adb devices

If your phone is not listed, try restarting ADB:
adb kill-server
adb start-server

Lastly, check if there are any driver updates for your phone.  A good place to start looking for drivers is Google's OEM page and Samsung's support page.  Additional tips might be found on this SO question.

Restarting adb makes no difference, I'll check for driver updates, stay tuned...

Forgot to mention: I'm using Linux.


text:
How can I make two Android devices show the same video simultaneously?
I would like to attach two Android tablets to the back of my car head rests so that my two children can watch films on long journeys.
I want them to be watching the exact same video at the same time, and I want them to be as in sync as possible, because the sound will be played over the car's speakers.
I am open to any solution: whether it's having a separate machine as a streaming server running Windows, Linux, or another Android tablet. Another solution might be that the two devices have both have the files on them, but control data is being sent from one device to another - master/slave style. In a truly ideal world, it would be controllable by a device by someone sitting in the front, but that's a nice to have.
My question is - are there any apps that allow any of these scenarios? I have been looking for about three hours myself and haven't found anything.
nb: Pressing play simultaneously on the two devices is not a viable option, and neither is getting the children to wear headphones.

Sounds like it would be far easier to just use one tablet and hang it between the two headrests?

i've considered that, but it would be a) difficult - how would one physically hang a tablet between two seats?, b) dangerous - a suspended tablet could be lethal in the event of a collision.

A) My brother's done this in his car with a Nexus 7, buy a protective case that you keep on while using the device, sew two loops to the top two corners, hook them round the head-rest pillars, done. Most things in the car, including the backs of seats can be lethal in the event of a collision, but you're entitled to make your own choice where you place those risks, so fair enough.

What about android as device streaming video, then LCD screens/monitors for the headrests? Seems like a easier solution.

i am currently testing Syncplay for VLC.  seems like it would work.  if it does, i will post a step by step.  http://addons.videolan.org/content/show.php/Syncplay+interface+module+for+VLC?content=159160

Have you thought of using Miracast? I'm about to take on a project to do this with a pair of budget tablets... Miracast would allow for master slave. All the content would be on one device and cast to the other. Plus the master device could connect to the car Bluetooth system to provide the audio. That's my 'theory' anyway.

VLC works perfectly for me :)
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.codejugglers.android.vlchd&hl=en
Did you tried this link? It uses Moboplayer and ES file Explorer.
http://apcmag.com/how-to-stream-video-to-an-android-device.htm
Davy

Anybody had this work? Is this a working solution?

would you mind expounding on HOW to use VLCHD remote to synchronize videos?  as is, this is more of a comment than  a proper answer.

GarethD I know that your original question was posted over five years ago but, I have been looking for same solution and so far I have found just one that works for me.
You need to download two apps.
No ROOT required!
On master device install: Mirror
On slave device install:AllCast Receiver
That is pretty much all. Start AllCast Receiver on slave, then start Mirror on master, choose receiving device from the list and you should see the master screen on slave device. Exit the app on master, choose your video player, start playback, sit back and relax ;)
I have master device connected to car stereo so audio is played over the car's speakers.
:NOTE:
1. Both devices have to be connected to same network for this to work.
2. Mirror app in free edition is casting watermark. If you watch films with black bars at top and bottom this is not too obtrusive. It will get in the way for full screen videos. Or you can just upgrade to the full version.

It took me ages to work this out, but to play one movie in sync on two tablets download an app called gplayer. After that:

hold down on video you want to play and click "add into share list"
go across to share and select the second device also do this on the second device but obviously select the the other device
on the second device click the shared video and let it download.
go it setting from the drop down menu on the right scroll down to the "group media sharing settings" and tuck the box that says "enable group media sharing  service" do this on both devices
ensure both screens are on and in the share section and open on either device and it should play in sync on both screens

Colin, could you please [edit] your post and include a link to the gplayer app? Do you mean GPlayer?

try http://www.mirrorop.com does what you need.
check this up.
http://clintonmann.com/blog/software-for-mirroring-a-display-across-multiple-android-devices/

You can use upnp monkey for android. it can stream to multiple devices

That might be an option, if one can find the suggested app. Could you please [edit] your answer and include a link to it? Thanks! :)


text:
Samsung Galaxy S2 can't transfer pics, shuts down by itself, does not charge
My Samsung Galaxy S2 (not rooted) has all sorts of problems.
It started when I tried to take some pics today. I would take a pic, and it would shut down.
I tried to get pics off my phone by syncing it with my computer. The computer said the files had errors, and asked if I wanted to skip those files.
Then, the phone started shutting itself down for no reason.
When I turned it back on, it said low battery. So, I plugged it in. About 30 mins later, it said it had 100% battery (I'm sure it didn't). When I turned it on and tried to use it, it would act like it had low battery again and shut down.
Now, it's getting worse. I can't get it to stay turned on for more that 5 seconds. It shuts down straight away.
I could see that the phone still had the pics on it. I'm hoping it can be fixed, so I can take it to someone to try and get the pics off the phone. My new baby pics are on there as well.
Any ideas as to what it is? I'm hoping a simple battery change will fix it, but I'm not sure why it says it's charged when I know it's not.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.
**Missing details....
Thanks. Yes, I've removed the battery for up to an hour. I was originally charging on AC power. I had to use the phone after being charged for about 30 mins. It showed it had around 75% power. I went to use the camera, it shut off and when I turned it back on it showed very lowe battery. When I plugged it back in and turned it on it showed 90% power. When I went to use it again it showed low power then turned off. Turned it back on and it showed 60% power. I left it charging and in a few mins. it showed 100% on charge. If its on USB or AC power it will get to the lock screen. I can unlock it then it shuts down after 5-10 seconds. Doesn't matter if I'm doing anything on it or not. If its not on power it doesn't complete the start up sequence. Only gets to the start of the "music" after you see the "S".

Have you tried to remove the battery for a couple of seconds/minutes? And if you charged via USB, follow that (battery-removal) by charging from a real AC power source until the device reports to be completely charged. Missing details: How far does it get before it reboots? Up to the lock-screen -- or just the boot animation? If it gets as far as to the lock screen, next thing to try would be booting in "safe mode". -- Just as fast suggestions. If you add the missing details plus feedback on my suggestions, I might be able to give a more complete "real answer" ;)

Thanks Izzy. How do I boot in safe mode? I've put the missing details above :)

There are hardware key combinations for that which differ between devices. I have no SGS2, but found on the internet: Press power and menu, then release the power key but keep pressing the menu button. The word "Safe Mode" should appear on screen. See if the problems happen there as well. Try first to make a backup of everything possible, because you might need to make a factory reset to get your device working normally. I will go sum up something for an answer, and update it later when you've got more facts.

This answer will be updated along the process. So for now, it just holds initial steps / a raw solution.
There are several things you can try to get your device back to working normal. I will list some steps; just break as soon as anything came back to normal: in that case you will not need to walk the remaining steps unless the last step taken explicitly mentions something alike:

battery check

take out the battery, leave it out for at least 30s (2min won't hurt, more should not be necessary).
insert battery again, but do not yet switch on your phone.
fully charge your phone on AC (not USB from a computer).
switch it on again. If it's working now, everything's fine and you are done.

faulty apps check

shut down your phone
start it in "safe mode"
(how to do that depends on the device; on the SGS2 this should be accomplished as follows: Press power and menu, then release the power key but keep pressing the menu button. The word "Safe Mode" will be displayed on lower left if I'm not mistaken. -- source: LowYat.Net; I have no SGS2 so I cannot verify)
none of your self-installed apps will be started in safe mode, only system apps are available. Check if the behaviour changed (I guess not, but it's a good point to know for the last group below).
while in safe mode, try to backup as much things as you can reach. If already on Android 4.0 or higher, see Full Backup of non-rooted devices for how to safe the most of your precious stuff, but better stick to separate small packages (backup on a per-app basis, as restoring the full package later might bring the problem back). On rooted devices, Titanium Backup is probably the best choice.
this was just an intermediate step; even if your phone is working normally in safe mode, this will not have fixed the issue for "normal operation", so go on.

factory reset

do a factory reset of your device (warning: all your data and self-installed apps will be lost from the device, hence the backup recommendation above; your sd card should not be affected, but it cannot hurt to copy all its data to your computer as a backup before doing the factory reset)
startup the device again. Before installing all your apps again, make sure the issue has been fixed by the reset.
if your device is back to normal, you can go on re-installing your apps / restoring your backups app-by-app. Between each app, make sure to test a while: if any of the apps was the cause, you might otherwise bring the problem back by restoring the "faulty" backup. If that happens, remember which app it was; start over from step 3.1. and ommit this app in the next run.
if you've restored everything, and your device is still working normal: congratulations, you're done!

if the issue still remains, it has to be some hardware issue. Could be the battery is broken, so next I would go to your local dealer (best the one where you've bought it), and try with a "spare battery" from his store. Explain the reasons, including the results from the "safe mode check", and also that you've already tried a factory reset (because that's the first thing he will do otherwise). If the new battery solves you issue: buy it :) If not, next step:
If you still have warranty, send it in for repair (or let the "local dealer" handle this for you). Make sure all details (including results from the "safe mode check" and the fact you already tried a factory reset without this solving your problem) are included with the report.
if you don't have warranty anymore, ask the dealer what a repair might cost. It could be cheaper to simply buy a new phone...


text:
Continuous clicking sound on the jack
While the phone is powered on, and I plug something in the jack of the phone, I hear a continuous clicking sound, with the frequency of about 4 times per second, on the right speaker. The left speaker plays the audio as it should.
I don't have a mono device to see how it behaves with it...
The phone's speakers do not have this problem, or the Bluetooth headset.
The sound is identical, as far as I can tell, to the sound (almost?) any audio device makes when it's plugged in (and/or out?).
Phone: Lenovo A800
Android version: 4.0.4
The issue doesn't happen on my Nexus 7.
Happens with headsets, earphones, external speakers... Pretty much everything in the jack.
I chose to post the issue here because I have found various similar issues with other Android devices around the Internet, but no working solution.
Is there any known cause for this? Any solution..?

My brother just bought a new headset, and there's no clicking sound with it.
I looked at the jacks and there seems to be no difference.
Any ideas...?

Oh, I forgot about this.
My brother came to me and jammed the jack in as far as it could physically go.
The problem was fixed...

The jack component on the board inside is failing. Common problem. Fixable. Caused by overheating

How can it be fixed?

Wasn't the problem. The real issue was the jack resisting the insertion too much. Enough to make me think it was all the way in. In fact, it wasn't.


text:
Is all data lost after factory reset?
I had an LG Optimus I phone (LG E410f) with Android (can't remember the exact version now, but I believe it was 4.1.2) -- and I had OI Notepad pp installed  (app home is here). There were some very important notes saved on that notepad, but I accidentally did a factory reset while trying to boot into recovery (as far as I remember I did boot into recovery, but now everytime I boot it, the phone will start the initial setup again). I did not finish the initial setup after the accidental factory reset, so as to not overwrite any data in case it's possible to recover.
The device was rooted prior to booting into recovery (but I did not install alternative recovery/os/anything -- I just used some apps that needed root access).
So, my question is: is there any way to recover the app data?

Did you just boot into recovery – or did you perform any actions there? Just booting into recovery mode doesn't change (or delete) your data. Next time you boot up the device normally, you should find it as you've left it.

Every time I boot, it behaves as it would start setting up the phone for the first time again (asks for Google account, etc). I dit not proceed any further (didn't set up the Google account).

That's a complete different issue then. Looks like your device does a factory-reset either on startup or on shutdown. I vaguely remember we've had a related question already.

Ok -- I did search a bit and found this question: http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/89777/my-android-phone-is-completely-reset-whats-the-best-way-to-recover-the-deleted Is it that one? (I really think I rebooted into recovery, but if you say it's factory reset, then I'll take a lok into that)

No, that's not the one. The one I think of was about a device resetting itself on every boot. Bot just booting into recovery doesn't trigger that.

I edited my question -- including the title -- since it seems that a factory reset was performed.

If you really performed a factory reset, data recovery won't be easy. Please see our data-recovery tag-wiki and the questions linked from there.

Thanks! I took a look at that page, but  I don't know how to transfer the data out of the device without overwriting it. Can I finish the initial setup process, and then use adb to transfer an image? Wouldn't that be risky?

Each new write lowers chances of restore, of course. I'd rather boot into a custom recovery and try creating an image from there (writing it to the external SD card).

But I suppose I can't boot into custom recovery if I never actually installed one, right?

Depends. fastboot boot recovery.img works for some (temporarily booting the provided image without installing it).

I think I found a way. I can boot into recovery mode by holding volume-UP and plugging the USB cable. I tested, and it works (and I can get a shell through adb, and -- su works and I get root access). So now I should just dd the partitions to an external SD card, and start file carving on them, I believe. I'll tell later if it worked!

Sound promising! Pointer: One Way to Use a Linux Computer to Recover Files from an Android Device uses this approach.

I got the images, and a preliminary (and naive) grep on the image seems to indicate that the data is still there!

You might have a chance via a custom recovery:

boot into recovery-mode and see if adb devices shows your device
if not, or if you have no custom recovery, you can "temporarily load one" using fastboot boot recovery.img (this is not guaranteed to work with all combinations, but I had luck with this using twrp on several devices)
if it shows up, use adb shell to get to its prompt. This should be a root prompt.
use dd to create an image of the relevant partitions (the /data partition is what you're usually after). Have it created on your external SD card.
use adb pull to get the image to your computer
use a file-carving software (see our data-recovery tag-wiki) to get back your deleted content from that image

Detailed information can be found in the article One Way to Use a Linux Computer to Recover Files from an Android Device – including those for some of the tricky parts: how to find your partition (step 4), plus an alternative way to grab it (adb shell su -c "cat /dev/block/mmcblk0" | pv > mmcblk0.raw would work even if you have no external SD card, and write the image directly to your Linux machine).
If you got no Linux machine, there are several LiveCDs available you could use. To use ADB on those, see our adb tag-wiki for a minimal installation; I'd recommend to simply download the minimalist archive from my site, unpack to an empty directory, and run it from there.

If the data was not encrypted and not over written, it is technically possible to recover the data using (linux) data recovery tools.
It will require a root shell, it can be the one of your main system, one from the recovery system or one from a volatile system you would load from a computer using fastboot binary.
You may want to check if you didn't just cleared dalvik cache.
If adb is enabled on your recovery or volatile system, you can explore the file system to check if the application folder is still there.


text:
F-Droid keeps downloading apps that were installed from other stores
F-Droid, again and again, downloads updates for an app that is installed via another (namely Play) store.
Obviously, it cannot be installed because of different signatures.
How can I get F-Droid to ignore foreign-store apps?

For these common apps-  In F-Droid, open the info page of an app in question, click on the 3-pointed menu and select to ignore all updates for this app.

Source
Edit: Thanks to input from BubullC this feature is incorporated in the latest version of F-droid. I haven't verified it but adding it for benefit of future vistors

this works - thank you! but it would be great if F-Droid would recognize by itself that it is not responsible for these apps

Maybe suggest that in F-Droid forums, of not done already ? I didn't check

@vlad_tepesch It does now, since version 1.0 :-)

@BubuIIC- Thanks for the input. Haven't verified it but will add to the answer with credits to you


text:
How to disable DRParser Mode from using mobile data?
I have a Samsung Galaxy A3 (2016, A310F) with Android 7.
I switched off "using mobile data" but every time when I turn on the phone or restart it, the "DRParser Mode" (system application) uses my mobile data.
Screenshots are below:

How to block, disable or remove this app?

There are two apps that you can use to disable unnecessary packages (and in this case DRParser Mode) .
These are Package Disabler and Adhell. Both apps list out all the apps and services installed on the device and let you disable or enable them with a single tap. Most importantly it’s completely reversible and no root is required.

Adhell is a Free, Open Source Ad Blocker with Package Disabler for
  Samsung Devices, while Adhell is free while Package Disabler costs a
  little over $1.

Acknowledgements

http://www.androidguys.com/2017/06/30/disable-system-apps-on-the-samsung-galaxy-s8-without-root-using-these-apps/


text:
Hometech Alfa 7LM Plus bootloop error and can't access via adb/fastboot
My device is Hometech Alfa 7LM Plus. I made a mistake while rooting my device and now I can't boot it.
I tried rooting my device, but TWRP did not support it, so I tried rooting without TWRP.
I downloaded my device's stock ROM (not sure if it was safe or the right ROM, just the label was true) and copied boot.img (I don't remember the device's CPU model, so I am not sure I must copy boot.img or recovery.img or anything else) file to the device.
Then I patched the stock ROM with Magisk in the device itself and flashed to the device patched_boot.img with fastboot. It flashed, but now I can't boot my device nor access recovery with power + volume keys or adb/fastboot (even if they don't connect or list the device).
How can I fix that situation?

Your device is uses a MediaTek CPU. MediaTek uses special flash tools for Windows (that have leaked so you can download it on certain sites) that usually can flash a device when it is in shut down state (really weird). That would be a way to recover your device, however you would still need the factory image in the format for the flash tool.

I have stock ROM for device. When I execute neofetch on termux in device, it return "Armv7" as CPU, are you sure about MediaTek (I don't know very info about hardware, sorry.) Anyway, can you say name of that flash tool please? Thanks for help.

Armv7 is a CPU architecture, not a CPU manufacturer. Armv7 is like getting "x86" on a PC that runs Intel or AMD CPU.

Oh, my bad. Thanks for info. Does that tool you said is "MTK Flash Tool"?


text:
Installing kernel from another device
I installed Samsung Galaxy S9 firmware (Android 8.0) on a Samsung Galaxy Note9 because they have almost the same specifications, but the problem is that some drivers don't work correctly (fingerprint, camera, audio).
Can I install the Note9 kernel on a Galaxy S9 firmware for the drivers to work correctly?

Different chips need different drivers. If you have a kernel from a different device you have a different set of drivers, therefore it is not unexpected that some components don't work.

You're quite lucky that the Note 9 is working as well as it is. Flashing a ROM for a different device presents a significant risk of bricking it irrecoverably.
Trying to substitute a different kernel into an existing ROM, without a complete understanding of what you're doing, only makes sense if you're happy to sacrifice the device. A complete understanding of what's involved would require having and understanding the full source code of both devices' ROMs, and a detailed knowledge of the hardware. This information is not found in easy-to-digest form on the Internet.

Samsung's Android team(s) could tell you what's involved, but won't answer such questions unless you're part of the company.

The LineageOS source for both devices is available, and you could study that, but it's a big job. Unless you seriously want to take up producing custom Android ROMs, you may find it an excessive amount of work.

I don't actually want to create custom roms, I just want to enjoy my Note9 with Samsung Experience (Samsung's UI skin for Android 7-8, replaced by OneUi) instead of OneUi ...

Unfortunately, that is a custom ROM. It's not one Samsung provides.

I dont actually want to create custom roms, i just want to enjoy my Note9 with Samsung experience instead of OneUi, anyways thanks for help

@sans400: See amended answer.

Yeah i know, i flashed stock S9 firmware just to see if it works, i dont actually want to upload my custom roms somewhere

Btw, Samsung Experience is the name of the software overlay for stock Samsung in Android 7-8. It's succeeded with One UI. Both are indeed stock Samsung (and yes, it's confusing).


text:
SquashFS explanation for Android system
I have an Android Pioneer car audio tablet. I want to root the firmware. I managed to backup firmware by taking the eMMC chip and backup partition. For many days, I was trying to unpack system.img, but then I found it was SquashFS and not ext4. I downloaded the Windows 10 WSL Linux terminal, fixed everything, and succeeded to unsquashfs the system. Now the difficulty is with which command I will make the folder like the original system.img.
I tried mksquashfs system.img but something is not right with the final file. The original is 2 GB, and the modded is 1 GB. I can't get how compress has to be made to be like the original.
Here is the link to the original system, just unzip the file for someone to help me.

According to some gist I have found for modifying the squashfs image it is better not to unpack it but directly mount and modify it using the common Linux file operation tools: https://gist.github.com/natsumerinchan/7a7a819538dfb44d997475ab889d6b47

When I download and "unsquashfs" your system.img file, I get a directory of 1.82 GB. Could I ask what Pioneer model number this is for?


text:
macroing on android (without touchscreen)
I have used repetitouch in the past to record touches for use in macros.  I have been trying to do the same on my android tv box however repetitouch doesnt sense any input and so it records, but then when played back nothing happens.
Are there any input recorders that would record keyboard and mouse strokes?
Mainly trying to accomplish 2 task (in case there is another approach I'm not thinking of)

automate web page from entries and submission
automate resource collecting in COC

If you can elaborate what you want to achieve in detail i might be able to suggest Tasker or MacroDroid for automation

not sure whats missing from above.  i indicate that i need something that will record keyboard and mouse strokes, to auto mate web page form entries, and resource collection in COC.  Tasker usually would use repetitouch files to launch apps and simulate touches, however it doesnt record keyboard and mouse input, so i need an alternative

If touch doesn't work you may try using directional keys and tabs to move to a place and perform actions by tasker or MacroDroid


text:
Effective storage ridiculously small since Marshmallow update
I have been using a 16GB HTC One M8 for the last two years with no major hiccup (although I met the infamous infinitely growing .thumbdata file taking 8GB from my storage just because, fixed with a factory reset then disabling the gallery app, and now seems fixed in Marshmallow since I can't see it anymore), but I'm now facing something way trickier.
My storage is CONSTANTLY low. I use a 32GB SD card where I put most of my stuff (music, pictures, downloads etc), so my internal storage is rather unused - it's only used by the few apps annoying enough to not support SD card (like Whatsapp) and they aren't taking that much space anyway.
I checked numerous ways to analyze my storage:
Android system's storage analyzer says 15.88 GB of my 16GB are being used. Of this, it counts:

System: 9.07GB (really? Nine gigs for the system? This seems a lot but oh well)
Apps: 4.85GB. This surprised me as I don't have much big apps except one ~400MB game. I checked the app list, checked and cleared the caches for the biggest apps (which weren't much anyway, I only have three apps over 300MB - including data - and their data/cache isn't much), and funnily enough if I add all of the apps' storage usage I get around 2.2GB. Where are the extra 2.65GB from?
Images: 244MB - meh, just random downloads etc, won't help
Audio/video: 10MB (my audio/video is on the SD card!)
Downloads: 151MB
Others: 1.49GB, includes my podcast app with the local podcast cache, reader, whatsapp stuff that I empty every once in a while anyway - I don't want to keep deleting the 500MB of whatsapp images/videos I have just because my phone is dumb!
Cached Data 69MB

So here I see two problems: Why is it detecting way more apps than I have? As an example, I removed Cytus (1GB app) about two weeks ago to free some space. My phone is already low on memory and I don't know what the hell have I done to get 1GB extra in there... Haven't installed or downloaded anything since then yet this 1GB got magically filled somehow. Also when I click on "Make more space", it tells me that there are only 2.21GB of "Removable apps", which is consistent with what I calculated above - why?
I factory reset it about two months ago to get rid of the thumbdata files, and now I'm back to having no memory available just because. So I went on two different apps to look for answer
Alternative 1: the app 'Drives'
Link for the app here.
When scanning my internal storage, Drives says that my drive space is 10.68GB (which I guess is the accessible storage, rest of it being system?). However, when I check the drive usage, it only gives me a 2.88GB total, split between apps, whatsapp etc.
I checked the files by size and the two biggest files Drives show me are 418MB (a game .obb file) and 159MB (another game .obb file). Won't tell me anything else about the remaining storage!
Alternative 2: the app 'Storage Analyzer'
Link for the app here.
Alright this it where it gets interesting. According to this app my accessible internal storage (/storage/emulated/0) is 10.68GB (consistent with 'Drives'), with 10.39 being used (I'd guess the remaining 5.32GB are system, which sounds way more plausible to me). And according to this app, I have:

2.9 GB "Used by publicly accessible files"
7.49 GB "Used by Android/inaccessible files"!!!

Basically according to this app I only have access to about 2.9GB of data that I can actually read, delete etc. What are these 7.49GB of inaccessible files? I can't see them on any app! I also checked the DCIM folder to see if I had another case of infinite thumbdata file, but couldn't find any.
So here I am struggling to actually use my phone. I have to use Gmail through web since it won't synchronize on low memory, and I can't download a single app. Would anyone have any idea why most of my internal storage is eaten up like that? How am I only allowed to use 18% of my total storage?
If you need any other data please let me know, I'll try emptying stuff to download other apps if needed
NOTE: My device not rooted - could root it if needed but well, I just never did it cause I didn't really need it.
EDIT after suggestion, I tried looking at what DiskUsage says:
I can scan App Storage and storage/emulated/0
/storage/emulated/0
DiskUsage says it is 10934 MB. Includes:

7647MB of "System data" - damn is the HTC software that heavy? My Nexus 9 tablet has around 4 GB for the system. Any cache to clear maybe?
About 2 GB of other stuff, which is consistent (whatsapp stuff, applications obb files, podcasts)

Surprised at the big amount of space the system gets - how would 8GB phones ever live then
App storage
DiskUsage says:

4575MB of Data
3813MB of applications (!)

In all the applications, I see a whole lot of system apps that don't take much space but are required and I can't uninstall them. I'd say that's pretty consistent with what the system storage analyzer says: 2.2GB of "extra apps I can't uninstall". I'll assume these apps are system apps (since I see a lot of HTC sense stuff etc).
Which would mean ultimately that the entire system (system files + unremovable apps) takes around 10 GB - this sounds like WAY TOO MUCH for a smartphone. Then my personal storage is basically 2GB of apps and 2GB of data for certain apps - ridiculously small!
Is there any way to see what the system files are composed of? I wonder if there are some stupidly big cache files in there?

I had the same issue for quite a while, unfortunately I don't have a solution as I had tried clearing cache from boot etc.
My "Solution" would be to wipe your phone and then combine the SD card storage with the phone if you have Marshmallow.
My phone now reads the 32gb + 9gb usable phone storage as a single partition.
I am posting this only because you received no other replies after writing such a detailed question and my own research into it yielded no solution either.
If you happen to have found a solution please update the question.
(I'd love to know if there was HTC garbage I could have removed.)


text:
Insert ROM in PDA file
I have a problem. I am new in the domain of android customization and that is why I am testing.
I have a PDA file for my old GT-S6102 Galaxy Y, which contains the following files:

boot.img
param.lfs
Sbl.bin
system.img
userdata.img

I also downloaded a custom ROM from the internet called evo_x2.1 (evo_x2.1.zip) which contains the following files:

META-INF (folder)
system (folder)
installbusybox (file)

Normaly this file is supposed to be put on /sdcard and update the system partition only from recovery mode.
But I have a question: Can I edit my PDA file mentioned above by inserting this ROM in it? (so that when I flash this firmware with odin into my phone I will no longer have to update it with this ROM separately afterwards, manually)
I tried to create a system.img which contained the files included in the ROM file and replaced the system.img in the PDA file with the system.img I just created from the ROM file.But when I try to flash the PDA with Odin, it crashes while analyzing the file.
NOTE: there is no md5 hashsum at the end of the PDA so there is no problem concerning the integrity of the file.
Thank you, and any observations are welcomed.

IIRC the .img has to be EXT4... I never even thought of doing it this way so I don't have further info.


text:
Android error - No SIM card/Emergency calls only
The problem: phone doesn't want to register in network.

Android device shows No SIM card.
After playing with menu *#*#4636#*#* it starts showing Emergency calls only.
Phone displays available networks, but don't want register in it - says Your SIM card doesn't allow a connection to this network (this means gsm module works well, but complains on sim card).
This SIM card works well in another phone (this means there is no issue with SIM).
Any other SIM doesn't work in this phone (in both slots: micro and nano).
On inserting SIM-card phone asks sim's pin code and accepts it. (this means that phone is communicating with sim well)
In radio logs the following (collected lines from long output, don't know how relevant is this):

> E/SubscriptionController( 7326): getSubState: invalid subId = 2147483644 D/SubscriptionManager( 6723): [getPhoneId]- fail
> D/RilRequest( 7326): [4032] SET_NETWORK_SELECTION_MANUAL error: com.android.internal.telephony.CommandException: ILLEGAL_SIM_OR_ME ret=
> D/RilRequest( 7326): [4173] E/GSM     ( 7326): Unrecognized RIL errno 7
> D/TelephonyManager(  495): No /proc/cmdline  exception=java.io.FileNotFoundException: /proc/cmdline: open failed: EACCES (Permission denied)
> E/TelephonyManager( 1078): hasMatchedTetherApnSetting NPE
> E/TelephonyManager( 1078): java.lang.NullPointerException: Attempt to invoke interface method 'int com.android.internal.telephony.ITelephony.getTetherApnRequired()' on a null object reference

Full radio log (after ejecting/inserting SIM) http://paste.evervolv.com/view/d00213a4

More details I've posted on http://en.miui.com/thread-264222-1-1.html
(in two words: phone Xiaomi Mi Note Pro, never locked, worked before 6 month).

I think this is wide spreaded Android bug - exists many complains on this issue.
Any suggestions?
UPD1: The SIM is factory micro-sim, not hand cutted one.
UPD2: I am not sure that logs are represents root cause of the bug.
UPD3: The root cause of failure was found in logs:

E/RILQ    (  964): (1/964): RIL[1][main] qcril_qmi_init_core_client_handles: qcril_qmi_presence_init returned failure(-3)
E/RILQ    (  964): (1/964): RIL[1][main] qcril_qmi_client_send_msg_sync: Failed to send sync qmi msg 0x03 w/(-2) QMI_SERVICE_ERR

This is error of QMI protocol communicating with GSM module. So this is chipset (Snapdragon 810 in this case) hardware error...
It was very loud to say 'android bug'... Android mistake was in hiding so much kind of errors behind common message 'No SIM card'.
Closed.

What kind of phone is it? Is it locked to a particular carrier?

Xiaomi Mi Note Pro, not locked. I guess this is common android issue. See i.e. http://thewichitacomputerguy.com/blog/how-i-fixed-your-sim-card-does-not-allow-connection-network-g1

That guy thinks the problem he was seeing was caused by the network, and it was seven years ago, so I don't think it's actually the same problem. Your problem looks specific to Xiaomi phones.

1 - http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/138613/lenovo-a3300-gv-tab-andorid-4-4-2-no-sim-card-emergency-call-only, 2 - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2698621, 3 - https://www.wiknix.com/how-to-fix-insert-sim-card-and-not-registered-on-network-error/, and more ...

None of those posts mention the logs you're seeing, and the two with "fixes" are both fixed by a reboot. If yours wasn't fixed by a reboot, it's not the same problem.

FWIW, I used to see the same error message a lot, but in my case it was because the SIM card was slightly too small and came away from the contacts. Not everyone with the same error message as you has the same problem.

I'm note sure this logs is related to this bug... It's just errors found in logs during registration.. May be root cause of this bug fails silenlty..

SIM card is not cutted, this is factory micro-sim. I've inserted this sim only one time, six moth ago.

On ''Your problem looks specific to Xiaomi phones' - I don't think that Xiaomi modifed root android code (SubscriptionController, TelephonyManager). It's very stable code and changed rarely.


text:
How are /dev/block/dm partitions determined on Android?
I was looking through my Android device's partitions and noticed that the root directory / is mapped to /dev/block/dm-5.
Cold starting and rebooting the device did not influence this partition number. However, updating the device or in general, flashing another image did cause it to change. Using the same image on two different devices did not give the same results, leading me to the question:
How are these partition numbers determined, and what are the permissible values (e.g. / is typically mapped to .../dm-5 to .../dm-9)?

/dev/block/dm-N are Linux Device Mapper virtual block devices which, on Android, exists due to Dynamic Partitions, Verified Boot, Disk Encryption etc. Numbering usually starts from 0 and goes up as more and more physical block devices are enumerated. Enumeration is handle by init and ueventd in Android. You can check their code.


text:
ADB command to set microphone always on
I have a Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+, and the microphone is disabled whenever I switch from Discord to the home screen (only if the screen stream is on).
I've tried almost every possible way except using ADB commands to set my microphone as "always" since there is no such option in settings.
So, is there a way to set the microphone always on for Discord via ADB commands?

By "settings" you mean Android settings or Discord settings?

android settings

Please edit your post to include the model number/year and OS version that the device is running (Samsung has a tendency to use similar names). Also identify how you are connecting to discord (app/web).

Opposite of How to make Discord Android app to stop using microphone when it's not active or closed? and How to stop microphone or app on screen lock?. Did you enable all notifications for Discord? Otherwise, did you see a notification about Discord VC when switching to the home screen?

yes,i see VC notification,and all notifications are enabled..ill look at them,thanks!