text:
Cannot start android emulator64 due to Qt unable to load xcb
I cannot start the (android) emulator64-x86. It always fails with:
--> ./emulator64-x86 -avd loli -gpu off
This application failed to start because it could not find or load the Qt platform plugin "xcb"
in "".

Available platform plugins are: linuxfb, minimal, offscreen, xcb.

Reinstalling the application may fix this problem.
zsh: abort      ./emulator64-x86 -avd loli -gpu off

Every forum thread I found on thw problem was to run ldd on the emulator64 and the XCB library to check for missing dependencies:
--> ldd emulator64-x86
    linux-vdso.so.1 (0x00007ffefb048000)
    librt.so.1 => /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/librt.so.1 (0x00007f3bfefb5000)
    libX11.so.6 => /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libX11.so.6 (0x00007f3bfec75000)
    libGL.so.1 => /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libGL.so.1 (0x00007f3bfe9e9000)
    libdl.so.2 => /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libdl.so.2 (0x00007f3bfe7e5000)
    libQt5Widgets.so.5 => /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libQt5Widgets.so.5 (0x00007f3bfdf9f000)
    libQt5Gui.so.5 => /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libQt5Gui.so.5 (0x00007f3bfd838000)
    libQt5Core.so.5 => /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libQt5Core.so.5 (0x00007f3bfd14d000)
    libQt5Svg.so.5 => /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libQt5Svg.so.5 (0x00007f3bfcef8000)
    libstdc++.so.6 => /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libstdc++.so.6 (0x00007f3bfcb73000)
    libm.so.6 => /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libm.so.6 (0x00007f3bfc828000)
    libutil.so.1 => /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libutil.so.1 (0x00007f3bfc625000)
    libpthread.so.0 => /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libpthread.so.0 (0x00007f3bfc407000)
    libgcc_s.so.1 => /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libgcc_s.so.1 (0x00007f3bfc1ef000)
    libc.so.6 => /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6 (0x00007f3bfbe39000)
    /lib64/ld-linux-x86-64.so.2 (0x00007f3bff1bd000)
    libxcb.so.1 => /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libxcb.so.1 (0x00007f3bfbc11000)
    libGLX.so.0 => /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libGLX.so.0 (0x00007f3bfb9e0000)
    libGLdispatch.so.0 => /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libGLdispatch.so.0 (0x00007f3bfb72a000)
    libpng16.so.16 => /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libpng16.so.16 (0x00007f3bfb4f7000)
    libharfbuzz.so.0 => /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libharfbuzz.so.0 (0x00007f3bfb258000)
    libz.so.1 => /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libz.so.1 (0x00007f3bfb03e000)
    libicui18n.so.57 => /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libicui18n.so.57 (0x00007f3bfabca000)
    libicuuc.so.57 => /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libicuuc.so.57 (0x00007f3bfa825000)
    libpcre2-16.so.0 => /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libpcre2-16.so.0 (0x00007f3bfa5b8000)
    libdouble-conversion.so.1 => /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libdouble-conversion.so.1 (0x00007f3bfa3a7000)
    libglib-2.0.so.0 => /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libglib-2.0.so.0 (0x00007f3bfa093000)
    libXau.so.6 => /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libXau.so.6 (0x00007f3bf9e8f000)
    libXdmcp.so.6 => /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libXdmcp.so.6 (0x00007f3bf9c89000)
    libXext.so.6 => /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libXext.so.6 (0x00007f3bf9a77000)
    libfreetype.so.6 => /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libfreetype.so.6 (0x00007f3bf97c2000)
    libgraphite2.so.3 => /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libgraphite2.so.3 (0x00007f3bf9595000)
    libicudata.so.57 => /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libicudata.so.57 (0x00007f3bf7b18000)
    libpcre.so.3 => /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libpcre.so.3 (0x00007f3bf78a6000)
    libbsd.so.0 => /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libbsd.so.0 (0x00007f3bf7691000)

And for LibXCB:
--> ldd /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libxcb.so.1
    linux-vdso.so.1 (0x00007ffc465d8000)
    libXau.so.6 => /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libXau.so.6 (0x00007f68c727c000)
    libXdmcp.so.6 => /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libXdmcp.so.6 (0x00007f68c7076000)
    libc.so.6 => /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6 (0x00007f68c6cc0000)
    libbsd.so.0 => /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libbsd.so.0 (0x00007f68c6aab000)
    /lib64/ld-linux-x86-64.so.2 (0x00007f68c76a8000)
    librt.so.1 => /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/librt.so.1 (0x00007f68c68a3000)
    libpthread.so.0 => /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libpthread.so.0 (0x00007f68c6685000)

Additional details:

Android emulator version 27.1.7.0 (build_id 4581633) (CL:b5ec07662db0f9d8644e5fbda7040053a8741bfd)
Debian SID x64

So it seems that all dependencies are OK. How can I debug that issue further ? Any idea how can I make the emulator work ?
It turned out I can run QT with debug logging:
QT_DEBUG_PLUGINS=1 ./emulator64-x86 -avd loli -gpu off

So I it fails because of:
Cannot load library /home/svetlin/software/android/emulator/lib64/qt/plugins/platforms/libqxcb.so: (/home/svetlin/software/android/emulator/lib64/qt/plugins/platforms/libqxcb.so: symbol _ZN26QPlatformIntegrationPlugin6createERK7QStringRK11QStringList, version Qt_5 not defined in file libQt5Gui.so.5 with link time reference)

Today it started working without doing any chnages.

I tried every possible solution I could find on the net but I still got:
Cannot load library
/home/darkstar/android/emulator/lib64/qt/plugins/platforms/libqxcb.so:
(/lib64/libQt5XcbQpa.so.5: version `Qt_5_PRIVATE_API' not found
(required by /home/darkstar/android/emulator/lib64/qt/plugins/platforms/libqxcb.so))

This application failed to start because it could not find or load the
Qt platform plugin "xcb" in "".

The error message is actually misleading. In my '/lib64' folder, I do have a file  'libQt5XcbQpa.so.5' and it links to the shared lib 'libQt5XcbQpa.so.5.10.1'.
This is not the correct version. All of the correct libs are actually stored at:
~/android/emulator/lib64/qt/lib

If you include the above path as part of '$LD_LIBRARY_PATH', the emulator will run.

For Android SDK version 30.3.5.0 build_id 7033400 it turned out to be a bug.  This version requires directory structure properly created at $HOME/.android for successful startup.
In order to create the directory structure you have to run the emulator with -writable-system once.  For example, suppose you've created an avd named 'test', then you can start the emulator as follows:
/opt/android-sdk/emulator/emulator -no-window -writable-system -avd test

Once it's created you don't need the option any longer.
/opt/android-sdk/emulator/emulator -no-window -avd test


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Sd card COMPLETELY unrecognizable after rooting
Around a year ago, I rooted my Samsung Galaxy Tab T-113. I cannot find the respective rooting thread anymore, so I cannot provide any links :/
I do remember that the thread told me from the start, that the external sd card (Sandisk class 4 32GB, used for rooting) would be locked to the device after rooting it.
The external sd card functioned without any issues for a while, until the device got into a bootloop. I restored the device to factory settings after which the sd card became unreadable, not even recognized as corrupt by the device.
I then tried formatting the sd card through Windows, but Windows doesn't recognize my sd card either.. no sound, no cards in device manager. It can't even be recognized by other phones/laptops (tried multiple)
Is anyone aware of any rooting tools which actually locked the sd card to the device? I'm trying to find the method, in order to find a solution..
Or does anyone know how I can retrieve the data from the sd card? (maybe through additional purchasable hardware for sd card recoveries?
Thanks in advance! :)
P.s: the sd card was never exposed to extreme temperatures or water.

Sounds like the card malfunctioned. Most likely it has nothing to do with the device or root.

See if the solutions here help in recognising SD https://android.stackexchange.com/q/190820/131553

Can you access the SD card using a computer or some other device?

If your pc doesn't see sd card but you are able to hear a sound when connecting to the pc then you have a chance of recovery. Try to connect via USB adapter and first go to your pc didn't management. If you can see your sd card there then you just make it visible. If you can't see through disc  management then log in to your bios and see if you can see your sd card there. Also try to use other port. If you can see via bios then you need to create  another usb with Windows restoration environment or create bootable USB with command line in order to be able to perform file check command. I don't know how advanced you are in these things. If don't feel comfortable doing this then perhaps you need to ask some tech. If you think you can do it yourself then check first whether you are able to see it as I have mentioned.   Also try to create bootable USB with Linux on it and boot your pc into USB with Linux on it. If you can see your sd then just work in Linux virtual environment.  Sorry may seem a bit complicated but it's the way it is.

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


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Possible to backup an android by just copying all the files?
Is it possible to backup an android by just copying all the files onto a PC? Is it really necessary to use a backup program?
I just dragged and dropped all the files from my android internal storage, and they appear to be all there. The question is whether they can actually be used if I need to restore something.
Seems like everywhere I look there are programs to archive everything into one backup file, and then save the backup file on a cloud or you copy it to your PC. Is this really necessary? Is it possible to get by just copying all the files?

Same question here: Backup Possibility?. Same answer: Backup – yes. Restore: Probably not. Or at maximum partially. Or with such a huge overhead, that it isn't worth it. For better ways, see Full Backup of non-rooted devices.

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


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Checking virus/security status of specific app?
So I let my 8 year old cousins play a game on my tablet for a bit and next thing i knew they had downloaded and installed three new games, some of which acted suspiciously, displaying notifications every second until another app was installed for example.  Is there any way I can check if these apps on the market are legitimate, or if my system has been compromised?  I use this device to check my primary email and access bank statements etc.

Reading the reviews on the app store could be useful too. People aren't shy about complaining when an app is a bad actor.

Though I know of no definite way, I'd suggest looking them up on AppBrain. Additionally to the "Permissions" tab we had in playstore before their "Win-8 relaunch", that site offers a tab "Permissions & concerns", where some things are pointed out.
It might also be worth taking a look at their search results: Spam apps are "filtered" at AppBrain, so they show up single-line instead of full-heights in the result list.
While all that might only give indicators (and no definite answers), it's one step in the desired direction at least. A second step would be searching the web for reports. Including the app names (with links) in your question might also give you the chance somebody here recognizes the one or other.


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HTC Desire HD Random Restart
I have a HTC Desire HD phone, I installed "Android Revolution HD" and "BlackOut Rom" to it before, I made same overclock stuff... Now my phone restarts randomly, generally while connecting mobile network, if I make it AirplaneMode and only use for wireless network connection it works (but restart sometimes too), I watched debug strings with ADB but can't find why it keeps restarting... buy the way it is not restarts when in recovery mode...
So how can I understand what is wrong with my phone ? Where should I look ?, should I install a ROM from HTC to see if it is working right...

You could start by not overclocking the device. That's a common cause of system instability even in ROMs that are usually stable. If it's still unstable because of that, it could just be instability caused by (bugs in) the ROM you're using. Try flashing back to the the stock HTC ROM.
If it's still unstable after flashing back to the stock ROM, it could be that your overclocking of the device has caused internal components to overheat, permanently damaging them. One of the functions of the CPU power governor is to slow things down when the device is overheating. Overclocking the device, or using a custom ROM where the governor is replaced by a less cautious or buggy one, defeats that protection, risking that kind of damage. If that's happened, you probably need to replace your phone and be more careful next time.


text:
What are some reasons for big difference in time usage and small difference in mAh?
I have found an android phone with really good specs like 1.5GHz Quad Core, 1GB RAM, 5", HD screen. My question though is on the battery
Battery Size: 2000mAh
Usage Time: 6 Hours
Battery Standby: 72 Hours

In comparison with let's say Samsung S4, it comes with a battery of 2600 mah,
Stand-by     (2G) / Up to 370 h (3G)
Talk time    (2G) / Up to 17 h (3G)

Why is that big difference in the time of usage with just 600mah? I got the numbers for the S4 from Gsm Arena and the other one from the manufacturer.
Thank you for your time

How would you explain to someone who didn't understand aerodymanics or mechanical engineering why some cars get better mpg (more km/l) than others?

I'm not sure where you got those figures from, they seem a bit too good to be true. 370 hours is next to impossible for Li-ion batteries (when they are attached to smart phones). 370 hours is more than 15 days. As of 2013 there is no Android powered smart phone that can last in standby for more than 15 days. It doesn't cost a ton of battery to be connected to a cell tower, but over hours and hours of being connected, it adds up to be a lot. Plus add in a ton of background processes to the mix and you have yourself a battery eating machine.
And your figure isn't really practical anyway because I could not think of anyone who could let there phone sit on standby for 15 days without using it.
I know 2 people who have the S4 and both of them said that they can't get more than 2 days out of their charge with practical use.
So to answer your question, there is not a big difference between the two, but the S4 does come with some nice software to help you make the most out of your battery with practical use:

If I had an S4 I would definitely check this out because if you want to get the most out of your battery, this "Smart Screen" is a great start.
from Wonder How To
I think that this is the article you were referencing. This artical states that the "average" battery life is 57 hours:

now 57 hours is a more manageable number. I was interested in how the S3 did in the same test. Here are the results:

Now all of that said, the difference between the two is only 14 hours. 14 hours is a great improvement for Samsung's next S generation phone.

Don't always believe things you see on the net =)

Actually I don't think you addressed exactly why the difference is so big. but yes you do have a point in how he should think of battery consumption.

You are comparing USAGE TIME with STAND-BY TIME and TALK TIME witch is incorrect.
First of all you will never get a clear answer when comparing battery consumptions, not even when you compare 2 identical phones, because for you may by talking is a priority and for another browsing the internet, and when you would compare battery life with him there will be a very big difrence.
Now talking about GENERAL battery consumtion, for the this example assume that exactly the same operations are done at a point of a millisecond.
Now what you have failed to mention, and it is one of the most important thing, is the screen SIZE.
You will find that the screen size is one of the biggest power eater that you have on a phone, the bigger it is the more it will eat.

To answer your question(partially answer it) may by the phone with the 2600mah has a smaller screen then the one with 2000mah and it is normal to see such a big increase in battery life.

Then there is the software. Witch even tough they are all android device the way that they handle things when you close the screen is different from manufacturer to another.

And again that can be a diference to, a very big actually.

One more thing, you are comparing usage time with STAND-BY and TALK TIME. Witch both require the screen to be off, while USAGE TIME requires the phone to be on and allways use it like send a email, open a photo, then send a tweed, etc, that is usage time.

Now keeping that in mind we cannot make a decision for you if it is a big difrence or not, you will have to take a decision by your self, but one thing is for sure, don't compare usage time with stand by time.

thank you for your answer, however I mentioned that the one has 5" display and the SG4 has 5" also.

Like I sayed your error was in comparing usage time with stand by time, witch I have explaned the diffrence to.


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Nexus I9250 - Got stuck with updating android 4.3 update
Am not able to update my nexus i9250 to android 4.3. I have never rooted or tampered with the system earlier. Any system updates, i generally get a notification and then it starts getting updated. But now, under settings>about phone>system update, it states that "waiting to download - 139 mb" and is stuck there. There is no other icon for 'checking status updates' or 'download'.
Please let me know how to proceed in downloading the system update to 4.3?

Have you tried restarting your phone?

Are you on Wifi? Some Nexus versions default to only installing updates while on Wifi, but I can't remember where to check or disable this.

Building on Onik's comment, make sure that Wi-Fi only is not checked. In the Samsung Galaxy S4, this can be found in: System settings > More > About device > Software update > Wi-Fi only. So, check the About device section of your phone.


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how to move google email acct to new phone
I just got an HTC DNA (old phone is HTC Incredible). I need to move my gmail acct to new phone. I then need to remove a new gmail acct I created in error. Thanks, Jim.

Remove the new account from which device?

You add your Google Account to your new phone. When you're satisfied that all your old data is there, you factory reset the old phone. What, specifically, are you having trouble with?

As Al Everett said, the best way would be to just sync your new phone with you Google account. But before you do that, make sure you:

Make sure all contacts in contact book are synced to Google, not backup assistant or internal storage.
Make sure all bookmarks or other web data are synced (if you use Google Chrome on Android)
Make sure all of your Pictures and Videos are stored on your SD card, and not on your internal storage.

Optional: you could create a backup of your phone just in case if you need any of your data back. It's better to backup before and not use the backup than do it and need a backup and not have one. Just a thought.
Once you have everything synced to Google, then you are all set to sync your new phone with your Google account and factory reset your old phone.

Settings -> Privacy -> Factory data reset -> Yes, I'm sure -> Yes absolutely sure -> ...

Good luck with the new device!


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Availability of the Menu Key
As seen on backwards compatibility for the Android phones, do some phones always have traditional physical keys like the Menu Key, ususally on Gingerbread and older only? I was wondering if most modern phones running on Jellybean and Ice Cream Sandwich will always have virtual Action Overflow button in replace of the Menu Key.

There is no real standard here — every manufacturer does whatever it likes. E.g., many Samsung devices (including Samsung Galaxy S4 and Samsung Galaxy Note II) use the traditional layout — Menu, Home, Back (with Menu and Back as touch keys, and Home as a physical key; and the Back key is really on the right side, while many other manufacturers place it on the left side). Given the Samsung market share, there is a significant number of phones shipped with recent Android versions and still having the Menu key.

Is that mean that the availability of the Menu Key may depend according the version of the phone brand? For example, some phones always have the physical Menu Key while other phones don't have the Menu Key but it appears as an Action Overflow regardless of the app?

The Action OVerflow can be programmed to be visible regardless if menu key is present or not.

If the older devices have a menu key, the overflow action indicator will not show, this is by behaviour! See my answer on StackOverflow.

For switching app window, does it uses a hard Menu Button by default if this phone is available to have one?


text:
Unable to download any apps whatsoever from google play store
Recently I found an issue with downloading apps from the play store. I am able to select the install button, and it goes to the loading bar without issue, but stays in that indefinitely. I left my phone overnight for several hours, to wake and find that an app has yet to install. It does not show a progress bar, but instead consistently says it is “downloading”. I am running Nougat on an Asus ZenFone Deluxe. There are no current patches or updates issued as of today that I write this post, so I cannot download a new update and hope that this is some bug that will be fixed. I have tried force closing the app, changing networks and connecting through wi fi and cellular, as well as clearing the cache for the google play app. I checked that the phone connected to the internet through using the web browser, which worked perfectly fine.
Addition 1: As suggested by a comment, I cleared my data for Google Play as well. Had no effect.

Cleared the data, still hasn’t helped :(

Restarted your phone?

Yep, I did that too

I’ve restarted it several times. Should I just do a factory reset? Everything is backed up to the cloud anyways, and I don’t really have any documents on it or anything that I couldn’t afford to lose.

you can try downloading apps from a browser on play stores website, otherwise i can't think of a suggestion other than factory reset

Try uninstalling all updates of play store and connect to Internet for updation and see if that helps

Tried that, still hasn’t worked ;(

Ok. Now it works....maybe networks were the issue? All the networks I use have Been spotty.


text:
Manually (Re-)Encrypting a Whatsapp Backup File
Problem
So, after rooting using a custom ROM and rooting my phone somehow WhatsApp wont let me back up my chat history anymore, see below. The problem now is that I want to transfer my chat history from my old phone to a new one.

.
Alternative Plan
From what I've gathered WhatsApp Backup files are crypt12 encrypted msgstore.db files that are located at the root directory /data/data/com.whatsapp
Things I have:

Old Backup from a few months ago
my current unencrypted msgstore.db through root access
crypt12 key file through root access

My plan now is to basically create a new backup by encrypting my current msgstore.db and transfering that to the new phone, hopefully recovering my chats. The only thing I need is a way to reencrypt the file to be the same as a WhatsApp Backup File. Or just modifying my existing, old backup with the new content. Is this possible?

I'm confused. From the problem, it seems like backing up is not working, but from your solution, it looks like you are trying to restore old messages. So which one is it?

WhatsApp's native backup function seems to be broken for some reason and I cant get it to backup locally. However I do have access to the msgstore.db which is what a backup contains. I want to transfer that to my new phone with but I need to wrap it as a backup file first so Whatsapp will accept it and I can restore it like a normal backup on my new phone.

oh, I didn't realize you are trying to transfer to a different phone. I can't give any good ideas on how to reencript, but did you try saving to Google drive?

I had the same problem when I bought my phone last year. But my chats were not very important, so I didn't researched for a solution for too long to know how to solve it...

@ABochur Saving it to google drive works by creating a local backup first, then uploading it to the drive so same problem...

@Syntic Were you able to solve this i.e. re-encrypt the file?

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


text:
Installing apk files on Kyocera Dura XE (flipphone running android)
The Kyocera Dura XE is a flip phone running Android Lollipop 5.2. I've enabled developer mode, usb debugging and all the "verify stuff" options are unchecked and "Unknown Sources" is on in Security Settings.
Basically, I've done all the stuff there is to do on the phone.  When I try to install an apk from file, on the phone I get "Install Blocked" and when I try to install an apk from adb, I get

Failure [INSTALL_PARSE_FAILED_INCONSISTENT_CERTIFICATES]

and logcat shows the following
D/AndroidRuntime(13719): >>>>>> START com.android.internal.os.RuntimeInit uid 2000 <<<<<<
D/AndroidRuntime(13719): CheckJNI is OFF
D/AndroidRuntime(13719): Calling main entry com.android.commands.pm.Pm
I/ProcessStatsService( 2524): Prepared write state in 5ms
D/DefContainer(13606): Copying /data/local/tmp/playstore.apk to base.apk
I/ProcessStatsService( 2524): Pruning old procstats: /data/system/procstats/state-2018-02-16-22-14-21.bin
W/PackageManager( 2524): COMPARE_PACKAGE SIGNATURE UNKNOWN : android.deviceadmin.cts
W/PackageManager( 2524): COMPARE_PACKAGE SIGNATURE UNKNOWN : com.android.cts.verifier
W/PackageManager( 2524): COMPARE_PACKAGE SIGNATURE UNKNOWN : com.android.cts.robot
E/PackageManager( 2524): checkKCSignature error
I/art     ( 2524): Explicit concurrent mark sweep GC freed 195715(8MB) AllocSpace objects, 6(1631KB) LOS objects, 33% free, 9MB/13MB, paused 1.506ms total 120.970ms
I/art     (13719): System.exit called, status: 1
I/AndroidRuntime(13719): VM exiting with result code 1.

I've resigned the packages and still doesn't work, I can't even install a hello world app I build myself in Android Studio. Kingroot doesn't work (yet, although I've read forums where it has worked).   It seems like ATT has got this thing very locked down.
All I really want to do is put a couple scripts on the thing to download podcasts for me (which is all I really miss from giving up my "smart" phone), so maybe I'll ask another question if this one is unanswerable. But, what's up with this phone.
I've read almost every deadend forum post, tutorial and guide you're gonna get by binging it or googling it or searx'ing it or duckduckgoing it.
I'm not sure how to get it into fastboot mode either, it's not vol-down + power (I did wind up in 'safe mode' once, but I don't know what that is)
What I really want is to know where I can get more debug information so I can figure out why it doesn't want to install any APK files.

You are not alone. I want to install maps on mine. Please let us know if you will succeed at this.

I still haven't figured anything out, but I haven't tried much lately - Kingroot still isn't supporting it FWIW.

You'll get more information about your problem by using:

adb logcat -v * > mylog.txt

you'll find the file mylog.txt in the directory where you've executed the adb command. (you can share it to help you figure out what's the problem)
The problem is:
The same package name (APK) exists on Android device with different signature.
When you try to install the same package (APK) again signed with a different signature:

Example:
The first APK was signed with Debug keys, then the APK you're trying to install is signed with Release keys

The solution is:

Uninstall the old package (APK) manually from Settings> Apps

or from the CMD shell, run:

adb uninstall your.package.name

Thanks a lot, I added the relevant info from logcat, the package I wanted to install wasn't installed on the machine to begin with - this phone pretty much won't let me install anything on it.  Now, that's pretty much as advertised, but it is an android phone (albeit a flip phone) so I figured it would be easier to work around the security features..


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Configure Australian Phone to work on US Network
I have an HTC Desire HD (unlocked) purchased in Australia, currently operating on a T-Mobile network but I am not getting any data service. I purchased an activation kit from Amazon and the $30/mth unlimited data package from Walmart. Text and voice are working fine, but I am not receiving any data.
The data plan is a 4g plan but I assumed that would also include 3G for those without 4G phones.
On the phone settings, T-Mobile is listed under settings > Wireless & networks > mobile networks > Network Operators. When I select Network Operators > Select Automatically it flashes up a message "registered on network".
Is there something I must do to get my phone to work here? OS = Gingerbread.

Check for your APN settings - found in Settings > Wireless & Network settings > Mobile Networks > Access Point Names.

Thanks. I found some APN settings on the T-Mobile site, and it is working, but very slowly.

You can't. The "international" version of the HTC Desire HD is not hardware compatible with T-Mobile USA's 3G frequency bands. The phone's antennas support HSPA on the 900 and 2100 MHz frequencies (the North American GSM variants should work, though: source), and software settings will not have any effect on this. T-Mobile's 3G network uses:

850 MHz: Acquired via a roaming agreement as part of the failed AT&T merger
1700/2100 MHz AWS: the device must support both of these frequencies to work because the 1700 band is used for uplink and the 2100 band is used for downlink.
1900 MHz

As you can see, these do not line up (excepting half of the AWS band, which is not sufficient). You'll need a new phone if you want 3G service. See Can I use my device on a different carrier? for suggestions on how to determine which phones will work.

Thanks. I think you must be approximately correct. I am receiving very slow internet after changing my APN settings as indicated above. Cheers.


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Change attachment download folder
I use the builtin mail app to access a Exchange mail account. I have set it to download all attachments automatically, and it puts them in the Downloads folder. There is only an option to choose between internal and external storage for attachments, but you can't choose the folder. Is there and config file or similar that I can tweak to change this?

Just curious, but why would you want your email client to automatically download all of your attachments? Seems like kind of a security hole, even for a linux based system...

I download all the new mail when I'm using Wifi so that attachments are not downloaded later on a 3G connection

Ok, it is less of a security threat on Android devices because you are less likely to get a virus that can run on Android through email, I have personally had viruses sneak in this way on desktop computers. Just a thought.

Ok so you are wondering if you can change the download folder by changing some sort of config file. This sort of behavior has been sort of deprecated in Android. As an Android Developer, we are supposed to make all of our cache files private so that they cannot be accessed by another person or, more importantly, another program. Letting other programs root around in your files was a big security hole for linux, so it is kind of frowned upon now, so I would be very surprised if you found a config file where you could change the Download folder. If you want to be able to set your download folder, then you could try to find an app on the market that has such functionality.
And yes I know the frustration you are talking about, I used to use my Droid 3 for doing my school email and finding and opening attachments was next to impossible.

It would be nice if you could specify where you wanted a certain download to go. For one of my accounts I sometimes would like to save attachments directly to a network drive and avoid the hassle and overhead of going through the local filesystem.


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how to install stock rom from recovery?
first I saw my phone is off and then I tried to turn it on but it hanged on Galaxy note welcome page, so I do Factory reset ,wipe cache and Dalvik cache and System, but while I want to reboot from Team Win Recovery Project I saw No OS installed, Are you sure you wish reboot?
after rebooting it hanged again in same page
I think I need to install stock rom but I don't find any stock that i can install from recovery, all of them need Odin
downloading mode doesn't work and I had installed 4.1.2 and vAlliance custom rom v3

It got stuck in boot loop due to reset where the bootloader is not getting the correct file to load. The only way to fix it is to use Odin to get a stock ROM. Any deodexed ROM (stock ROM) can also be used from recovery mode, if it is able to start in recovery mode.


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How to display current location on the home screen?
In my old phone I had a setting called "Area Info - cell information". When enabled it would show the location information next to the mobile network name, like:
  Vodafone
Foobar Street

I can't find this setting anywhere in Android :(

Not all carriers support this. And Android does not show this by default IMHO. If you're still with the same provider and in the same area, you might want to check your app drawer. Some have an app called "Cell Info" pre-installed (I have it e.g. on my LG Optimus 4X – but in my area this feature is not supported).
Alternatively, you might want to look for some location widgets you could place on your home screen. Several weather widgets also display your current location along with the weather reports.
If the notification area would suffice, you also could take a look at GPS Notification or GPS Status & Toolbox. These apps display your current position in the notification area as long as GPS is turned on (not sure whether you can configure that to city/street, as I didn't try them out).

GPS Notification (source: Google Play; click image for larger variant)
Another possibility would be "self-made widgets" using e.g. Zooper or UCCW. Again, I didn't try one of those, so I cannot say for sure whether they would go down to street level. But at least those widgets would go directly to your homescreen, and you can customize them heavily.

but they only display the city :(

I just updated my answer with additional possibilities. Hopefully one of those might do.


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galaxy note N7000 wifi disconnect and forgot wifi network
i'm connecting to wifi home spot and after phone screen turn off wifi disconnect and forgot pasword ... in settings about wifi and sleep stays "Never"

So every time your phone goes to sleep, it disconnects from the wifi and forgets the wifi encryption key?

yes, right @John


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When I transfer files from computer using USB (MTP), I can't access them on device
Trying to set up my shiney new Nexus 7 (2013 edition) I used MTP to transfer files (music and ebooks) to the device from my Win7 PC. It seemed to work, but then when I ejected/disconnected the tablet, it registers that there is space being used in the folders, but doesn't show any of the files (when looking at Storage it says there's 600MB worth of stuff in the folder, but when I tab on it there's no files listed, and my music player and e-reader apps don't see anything either).
What gives?
Thanks in advance for your help!

Have you looked with a file manager? Which directories have you transferred the files to?

I have only looked using the 'storage' menu and Windows...I put the files in the 'Music' and 'Downloads' folders that are in there by default.

So maybe you can try with a file manager and let us know? Some file managers also contain a search feature, so you could have them look specifically for one of the files transferred.

I installed OI File Manager, and it could see everything. When I copy-pasted things around using that, they showed up in Kindle and Kingston. Weird, but I guess that solves this?

It's up to you to say whether the issue is solved :) Feel free to answer your own question, and later accept the answer to show it's a solution. Please include the steps taken so we are able to follow/reproduce what was going on :) Thanks!

At Izzy's suggestion, I installed a file manager (OI), and was able to see the files that my Android itself didn't recognize. I used OI to cut-paste them to a new dummy directory and then back to where they belonged, Android recognized them and I can use with the relevant apps (Kindle, Kingsoft Office).

For those of us who are frustrated in trying to alter the file system to MTP and cannot find how to change it. Do not despair.
If you've opened Samsung Kies and connected phone with a USB cable and got the error message, go to your phone and swipe top to bottom on the NOTIFICATIONS list you will see the USB symbol on the left hand side and the line stating - Connected as Camera. If it says - Connected Media Device - then your connected properly. To Change from Connected as Camera, tap/select the line - Connected as Camera and you will be shown another screen with the Camera option selected - Just select Media Device MTP and you will be able to connect to Samsung Kies, and all will be calm and peaceful, no more screaming at the PC or mobile phone.

Welcome to the site. In this case, the questioner already said he was connected with MTP, so your instructions for switching from PTP to MTP aren't relevant.


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My android earphone socket doesn't work
When i plug my apple earphones into my phone it only plays on speaker. But when i put them into other devices sound comes out. I checked my phones socket to see if anything was maybe stuck in there, looked in my settings, but there was nothing connected to either. I know my ear phones work, but i don't know what else could be wrong. Please help?

Do other earphones work?

FYI: Would Apple EarPods work on my Android phone?

I don't know, I didn't try other head phones yet, but Yes they should work.

Well, that's basic troubleshooting. All the advice in the world won't help it's your headphone jack that's faulty.

Are you running a custom ROM? Did it used to work?

From the sound of your question, it sounds like your earphone jack is faulty and isn't recognising that earphones are connected.
You would have to send your device for repair.


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Tasker "Night" profile won't exit
I have a profile set-up to activate when the phone is connected to power AND the time is between 10:30pm and 7:30am.  This shuts off autobrightness, dims the screen, shuts off vibrate, and lowers the ringer (except certain contacts).
This run an exit task to reverse all of this after 7:30am because both conditions are no longer met ... but it doesn't.  If I unplug the phone before 7:30am, it will exit the profile.  If the time passes, it won't exit even if the phone is unplugged.
Any suggestions?

I have a similar profile for nighttime and I don't use an exit task.  Since the task only runs during the time span you specify, it should shut off by itself once it's 7:30am.


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How do I keep my email and passwords secure without full-device encryption?
I bought a cheap, no-name Android 4.1.1 tablet a while back, and was dismayed  to find that the "Encrypt Data" option was simply not present in the "Settings" -> "Security" menu.  I then upgraded to a more mainstream Asus Memo Pad HD 7 assuming that this would have the full device encryption option, but this tablet didn't have it either!
So I was wondering if there were any means of keeping e-mails (including ones that were sent unencrypted)/ passwords safe from attackers who have root access in case I lose my device, in the absence of full-disk encryption? Keeping web-browser passwords/ authentication cookies secret would be very handy, too.
Thanks!


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FireFireFire Kindle Fire stuck in strange bootloop
I have a Kindle Fire (1st gen) using the FireFireFire bootloader to boot TWRP and AOKP. It has worked fine for a while before. Now, I cannot turn it on when it is not plugged in. When it is plugged in, it automatically boots to FireFireFire, then turns off, then back to FireFireFire, and so on. I do not have time to choose a boot. I also cannot get ADB to recognize the device because it is never on long enough. What can I do?
Thanks for any help.

Did the battery run down all the way or anything of that nature? Anything else that may have changed recently, or did this start happening suddenly without warning? In some cases a fully depleted battery has caused people to see unusual boot behavior, and charging it via the wall charger (or, generically, any higher amperage charger) for a while will typically help.

The battery is full. It has taken a while to turn on before, but I have always been able to fix it in a few minutes. If it helps, I started to need to choose a boot option to go beyond the bootloader. Other than that, nothing strange has happened.

I had the same problem with my kindle fire 1st gen.  i had to open the case, remove the battery connection to the motherboard for 20 seconds.. plugged in the battery and it started working again.


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adb start-server and listen on all interfaces
ADB in Android 4.3 SDK implemented -a option. What I want is:
adb -a start-server

so the background process is bound to all interfaces, but it does not work. I need to start it like this on Windows. I have managed to start the server in foreground mode with the following command:
adb -P 5037 -a fork-server server

(copied it from Linux)
Is there any proper way of achieving the same?

This is a bug in the current implementation. Although adb has the -a flag, it doesn't forward it to the daemon when it launches it, so the daemon still only listens on localhost. Until this is fixed, launching the daemon in the foreground seems to be the only solution.
Another improvement would be to keep the command server on localhost, but to allow adb forward to bind to all ports. I guess I should open a bug for that.

Just to add to the answer, this is the command to start it in foreground: adb nodaemon server

This is really a solution. Checked and launching server in foreground with adb -a nodaemon server really makes it listen on all ports (while -H and -P arguments seem to be respected by adb in the client mode only). As of version 1.0.36, adb client still doesn't forward the -a option to the daemon. Also, running in foreground is a good thing in itself if you want to launch it using init system like systemd.

ADB 1.0.41 still have this issue, adb -a start-server doesn't makes adb server listen on all interfaces, it listens localhost only.

The only way of doing this is recompiling adb as explained here:
http://rxwen.blogspot.com/2009/11/adb-for-remote-connections.html
You can also use the precompiled binaries from that site..


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Voice of turn by turn navigation alternating between male and female
Sometimes the voice will be the female voice of Google text-to-speech and sometimes it will be the one from SVOX TTS, which is a different one. What should be causing them to alternate and how can I make it stop?


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Galaxy S2 stuck in boot loop (nor reco, no safe mode working)
I have a Samsung Galaxy S2 GT-I9100 that when hot after intensive use, the day after while rebooting it got stuck to the Samsung initial logo screen and could never start again.
I have tried the boot tricks :
- Safe mode: won't go pass the logo screen (tried power + menu)
- Recovery mode: won't start either (tried volue up+menu+power)
--> When doing that the screen goes black, the phone looks to be off
--> There is no SD card in the phone, is it required ?
I tried before those action to do both a soft reset and hard reset to no effect.
The only thing i can get the phone to is the odin mode (volume down + home + power)
From there i used Heimdall to check if the device was detected and it was, i could even download the pit file (but don't know how to check it's content). I was thinking of doing a dump, but this option have been removed since it was not effective.
This being the situation, the phone have not been backed up (nor locally, nor online) and I wish to recover the address book (and optionally SMS) so I would like to try all option that would allow me to keep those data before trying anything destructive.
Any hint, help and ideas would be appreciated,
Thank you in advance


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How to move apps from old Nexus7 to the new one? (multi users)
I bought a new Nexus7 and now I'd like to move a few games from my old Nexus7 to the new one. On the old and new device I have two users. (if it matters anything)
I tried a few ways...at first I tried TitaniumBackup, but when I move my backup to the new one and check the integrity, titanium backup says that there are faults. When I try the restore, the app hangs at 0%.
Then I tried the adb backup with the Nexus Root Toolkit...but when I restore, the restore windows ever appears at the first user even though I'm logged in at the second user.
Then I thought about, I can do it manually..
I know that the main app data will be saved at /data/data/package and the specific user data will be saved at /data/user/0 or 10 etc /package. I tries to copy the files from one device to the other...but when I start the
app after the copy process, the app crashs.
So can anyone please help me?
PS: Google Backup Service did only work for a few apps.

To be clear: is it the game's saved data you want to move, rather than the game itself?

Related: Android Apps from Old Tablet to New Tablet / Is there a way to move installed apps from one device to another? / Questions about phone migration using rsync / How to migrate applications to other user account without downloading the applications again?

I wanted to move the games saved data (the free and bought  apps are still available in the play maket).
I looked at the linked forum posts..but all suggestions uses adb backup/restore (or apps like carbon, which uses adb backup/restore), but adb backup/restore does only work for the device administrator.


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Usb tethering does not work but pdanet does
Here's my problem: If I go to the built-in android tethering system and enable it, the computer connects just fine but it does not have internet access(the yellow icon is there). However, I installed pdanet and it works great but the free version is limited :/.
How can I get the built-in tethering to work?
Info:
I installed the adt and I can upload programs to the phone via usb with no problem.
Brand: LGE720
Android: Android 2.2 Kernel 2.6.32(there is no newer version for this phone)
I only want usb tethering.
Let me know if you need additional information. Thanks!

Android offers a standard usb-network adapter (implemented in software) to accomplish usb tethering.
The problem can be on the PC side or on the Android phone's side as well.
Some hints for debugging:

Do you see that usb network device on your PC if you enable tethering?
If so, do you get a DHCP offer from that "USB network card" on your PC?
Can you ping the phone gateway from your PC (usually ping 192.168.4.129)?
Can you resolve DNS entries (nslookup google.com)?
Can you ping a random host on the internet (eg. ping google.com)?

To view debug logs on the phone use a logcat viewer and see for obvious entries.
If the problem is your phone software and you're willing to void your warranty, the aftermarket CyanogenMod firmware also offers this functionality, as well as several other custom ROMs (your phone seems to be supported, according to CM's device overview).

Thanks for answering. The phone does make a dhcp server and I can ping the phone gateway. However, I cannot resolve the DNS entries nor ping a host on the internet. I also installed cyanogenmod, but that made it worse(no DHCP server/usb network device). Oh and thanks for pointing out the link to cyanogen, it looks and works a lot better than the stock rom :).


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Performance impact of device encryption
As far as I know, most or all Android devices don't have any hardware cryptography accelerators, so the block-level storage encryption happens on the CPU.
How high is the impact of encrypting and decrypting on the CPU with regards to read/write performance and battery consumption?
This will probably depend on the CPU and the storage used (I can imagine that on newer devices, the bottleneck is not the AES algorithm on the CPU, but the NAND write rate); some benchmark numbers from different devices would be very useful.

You are absolutely correct in stating that the bottleneck is actually not the encryption/decryption but NAND write rate. In fact, the performance observed for read/write of encrypted v/s non-encrypted does not vary significantly owing to high cpu speeds. What you might look at though is the rate at which block level encryption happens for the first time. Once the device is block encrypted, the performance numbers are pretty close.
You can use AndroBench to profile your device pre and post encryption.


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How can I have Android automatically connect to a VPN only when on an unsecured WiFi Network?
Let's say I want to connect to a WiFi hotspot, but it is unsecured. I'd like to connect to a VPN server, but only if I'm on an unsecured WiFi network. If I'm on a secured network or data, I'd like it to stay in VPN off mode.

Have you looked into Tasker?

Please clarify... Do you know the set of wifi y you want to connect to or are looking at a solution that first determines if the network is open or not  and then act accordingly

I don't think any app can do this, given that you want to run another app or script to connect to a vpn based on conditions of open/secure WiFi
Hence, you need to look at automation, I prefer MacroDroid ,being easier to learn-that's why I use it :-), and free version offering creation of upto 5 macros.
Coming to the solution, approach is based on this logic

Connect to an open network only if not connected to secure network.
You have a list of open networks to start with, which can be manually updated. Detection of a new open network and dynamically updating list of open newtworks is creating complexity , since you may not want to connect to any available open network for reasons like- how long it permits your session, ease of logging into it, stability, speed amongst others.
You have an app of your choice to create a VPN connection.

The macro would look like this.  I have tested only once , since there are no open networks around where I live.  The app used for creating VPN was VyprVPN. That is the app site link. My PS is not connecting to give you PS link . This app also gives you option of connecting to untrusted networks automatically, once you enter the network name. Connection beyond a limit is subscription based.
Trigger
WiFi enabled (macro will only trigger if any WiFi is connected)
Actions
Wifi connect to network> configure> connect to network> select all open networks from the list ( you have connected to these in the past and show up on your cell)
Wait 30 Sec (wait before next action, configurable)
Launch Application . From the drop down menu choose preferred app to create VPN
Constraints
WiFi State > not connected to network> from list choose all secure networks
The macro gets triggered only when WiFi is enabled, and actions executed only when the constraint is TRUE, meaning you are not connected to any securenetwork. It then connects you to open WiFi from the list of open networks and after a pause launches the application to create a VPN
This is the skeleton macro and can be tweaked for optimal performance after testing and you may like to add additional things like sounding an alarm, announcing that you are connected to open network, popping up a notification etc.
Hope this solves...all the best


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Google calendar created on PC won't show on galaxy 4 active
I have created a new calendar in my Google calendar and I can't get it to show up on my calendar on my Galaxy 4 Active.  I cannot locate a menu icon in the calendar app on the phone to add the calendar to this device.  Any advice out there???  Items added from my phone show up on the calendar on my PC if they are added to any of the other calendars that were previously created.

I have the Verizon S4 and this is how you do it with that phone:

Open stock calendar app
Hit the left hand soft key for menu options
Chose Calendars from that list
All of your calendars should be listed there
Hit the Display option to choose which calendars you want to display all the time (All is also an option). Check All or select individual calendars.

That might be an issue in Sync. Have you checked the Settings --> Accounts --> Google (your_account_name) --> Calender. Is it checked? Please make sure, this one is checked so that Google could sync the data.
Also if this is checked, sometimes the ISP might block the service.
On top the issue is just with the sync.
On this post, the issue is somehow posted: http://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/calendar/vrkNNwbOdwg
The guy had S4 and he managed to work it out, by going to settings. Try it out. :)

I've tried going into settings and "sync calendar" is checked. I've unchecked and rechecked and resynced.  I also tried the possibilities in the post you referenced.  No luck.  :(  When I add an event it lists the calendar as one to choose from to add the event.  However, when I add the event it doesn't show up on my phone. It does, however, show up on my PC/laptop.  I had this problem with my previous iPhone 4 as well and became so frustrated I stopped using the calendar app.  It's like I need to find the place to choose which calendars show up on my calendar app, but I can't find it.THanks!

I was having a similar issue - I'd added a new calendar to one of my google accounts and it would not show up, regardless of the calendar app I used.  Occasionally it would be on the list of calendars, but when I went to show it, it disappeared from the list.  Finally, I removed that account and added it back.  Thus far it seems to be working.

My phone Galaxy S4 was syncing but then quit. I think it has to do with upgrades that come thru.
Here is what i finally did that made it sync again. It took me a week to figure it out.
On the google calander (blue one ). click on calendar select + sign choose event. Now right under where it says enter title, times etc click that and then click the events tab under your google address. Mine synced right a way


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Will JTAG wipe internal memory on Galaxy sII?
I have hard bricked my phone by flashing wrong bootloader. My phone wont show any signs of life but warming of the back side.
I have some private photos, messages, etc  that i don't want the repair man see them. He said to me that when you JTAG the phone, all the phone memory contents such as ROM and internal memory are completely wiped. Is this true? Cant he recover internal memory sdcard before or after JTAG?
Please only answer if you are 100% sure
Thank you

What do you mean, "when you JTAG the phone"? JTAG is the name of a standard used by hardware debugging interfaces. Are you going to connect a hardware debugger to your phone's mainboard?

Yes, its exactly what you mentioned. However i dont have the hardware... The complete expression would be "JTAG unbreak recovery".My phone wont boot up and using such hardware a new rom/bootloader will be forceably installed to the phone.

Your files even the deleted files Can be recovered even from dead phone with the help of JTAG or ISP Solutions !
1 - Find or Locate Pinouts
If your phone available pinouts for JTAG'ing you can JTAG otherwise you can relate to ISP pinouts if two option not available for your phone you can always chip-off and recover the DATA !
JTAG : ort-jtag.com
ISP  : emmc-pro.com

For the case of Galaxy S2 - You can JTAG or ISP Direct!

2 - Read the Full image of your phone !
After reading the full image of your phone with the software mentioned above .
You can analyze the Dump and extract your private pictures etc..
3 - Data Recovery
Data Recover : Autopsy ( Sleuth Kit )
Best Regards


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using galaxy s8 usb-c cable into lg g5?
I have questioned my LG G5 I had for 2 months today first time using different cable because I forgot my cable in a friend's car so I had to charged my phone and I used my brother galaxy S8 USB-c cable (original s8 cable) and my original LG wall charger is will cause any damage can damage my phone?

Questioned? I suppose you mean Charged. Please [edit]

USB type C cables are a mess because of different standards by OEMs. LG G5 is no exception and adds to this . See more for such misery. While I can't say it is fine or not, my suggestion would be to avoid charging from mains but use a laptop to charge -slower but safer


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System control take over by whatsapp media playback or a call
For some reason, as I activate media playback in WhatsApp or hold a call there, mobile phone controls are deactivated and the screen is blacked out until the playback, or the call ends.
This is a very unpleasant behaviour, how to deal with it? This happens also with a full charge; first I thought this would be some energy saving trick but it seems not.
It is not even possible to regulate the audio volume during that.

On video playback this does not happen.
I do not touch the proximity sensor on audio playback.

Device: Sony E6653. Androis OS 7.1.1, Kernel 3.10.84, build number 32.3.A.1.54

Are you covering your proximity sensor by any chance?

@ABochur do not think so. Good point! On whatsapp call, proper control of the proximity sensor would indeed make sense to swap the mode as held on ear or not.

@J.Doe does the screen do the same thing when you make a regular call not in WhatsApp?

@ABochur I can't tell as I have got a data only SIM for this device.

I suspect that it has to do with the proximity sensor even if you're not blocking it, something it's broken about it. Because both media and calls in WhatsApp will blacken your screen when close to your ear.

Go to Settings > About phone > Diagnostics > Test > Ear proximity. Does the phone vibration even when your hand/finger is not covering the proximity sensor?

this item is not available; if I search for it, it seems to be there but as I select it, it jumps to "About phone".

There's an app that lets you test your proximity sensor. When the sensor is covered, the app will show a hand over the sensor, when it's uncovered, the hand moves away. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.zerosevengames.app.selfcheckProximity

@ABochur ah now that is interesting! indeed sth is wrong with the proximity sensor, you are right! the app shows it locked all the time, and if I bend on the corners very slightly, proximity is shown to go lower.
So given the sensor is fragged , what do I do now?

The problem you are describing, is a result of a faulty proximity sensor.
What's supposed to happen is, when you listen to voice note or make a call, the screen will stay on, but as soon as you put the phone to your ear, the screen turns off. When the sensor is broken, it thinks that the phone is always by your ear.
One way to get around this, is by using an app called macrodroid.
You can set it in a way, that when the proximity sensor is activated while in WhatsApp, the screen will stay on.
Here are the few simple steps to set this up:

Open macrodroid  → add makro  → sensors  → proximity sensor  → near  → ok. Now press on proximity sensor and add each of the options separately.
Press on actions on the top of the screen  → screen  → screen on/off  → screen on (alternative)  → ok
Constraints  → device state  → application running  → running in foreground  → ok  → WhatsApp  → ok.  ↠ application running  → alive in background  → WhatsApp  → ok.
Now press on the check mark on the bottom, and give a name to this action.
From the main page of the app, press in macros, and after pressing on the one you just made, near constraints, press on and and change it to or. You should see the exact settings as I have below:

Now test this out. Go into WhatsApp and make a call. The screen will stay in during the call.
Note:

The screen will stay an as long as WhatsApp is running, and it will disregard the set sleep time. It will also stay on while not in WhatsApp, as long as WhatsApp is running in the background. If that happens, you can go into your recent apps, and swipe WhatsApp away.
I tested this in s galaxy s5. No guarantee that it works across all phones.

Upd - nice app but the maxro does not trigger. -.-

Does it all look like in the screenshot?

Make sure to enable the app from settings > accessibility

@J.Doe try this: macrodroid > macros > press on the macro you made, and press on the plus near triggers > applications > launched > WhatsApp > save

Worth checking by adding (or) alive in background since in both cases the foregoing app may be media player/ call +1// OP can try this and revert +1

If this works , OP would need to swipe Whatsapp from recents when not in use. OP can also check from settings > system logs if earlier macro was called when tested. If it was not called , then it supports what I said ( also to check from 3 dots menu in macro if logging is enabled)

@beeshyams thanks for your input. Edited. Waiting to hear from OP

Ok so: 1. I can be sure now if macro triggers by adding user log entry and a short buzz. 2. Macro does not trigger by proximity sensor activity, maybe because there is no event. 3. It triggers by launch of whatsapp, but it happens before I press playback. 4. Zrigger screen off does not trigger either.

@J.Doe it worked on my s5, so I'm not why it doesn't work by you. So I guess one thing I did help determine, is that your proximity sensor is broken, and there's why it's not working. Hope you have luck from here onwards


text:
Is completely isolated multi-tenancy possible on Android comparable to Linux?
Is it possible to have on an Android device:

(permission based or virtual volumes) isolated data storage?
user specific, independent device usage configuration?
simple user relogin?

The Linux user system is used in a totally different way on Android - typically each application has it's own userid. Therefore things like "user relogin" are simply out of scope of Android.

Stock Android (AOSP) itself doesn't provide any of the three features, except some limited user isolation: https://android.stackexchange.com/a/213921/218526 But some OEMs do provide enhanced security and isolation. Plus Android is based on Linux kernel, so you can use any mechanism including DAC, MAC, namespaces and cgroups on Android too. However integrating with Android framework would be a tough task. Also concept of multi-users is entirely different on Android than on Linux. Your question is very broad, consider narrowing it down to a specific situation.

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


text:
What’s the difference between stock Android, Android One, and Android Go?
I'd like to know what the difference between stock Android, Android One, and Android Go is?
Each is a flavor of Android, each originates from Google and all have a few things in common.
Is it just the theme/skin/UI that's different or is there something else?

Just click on the tags below your question and you get to the tag info page that contains a short summary. E.g. for "stock-android": The version of Android originally on the device as supplied by the manufacturer or phone network, including any customizations, alternative interfaces and updates.

Stock Android is meant for Pixel devices/other OEMs who like to keep the Android experience stock. Pixel devices are guaranteed to get 3 years of OS updates and security patches. Features, functions, skins, update policies all change when it is ported by other OEMs.
android-one is a Google initiative in collaboration with OEMs to provide stock Google experience to users of other OEMs while guaranteeing 2 years of OS updates and 3 years of security updates. See Two years of operating system upgrades (Android - one) - how is it implemented?. More importantly, users are expected to get quick updates but that's not been the case with all OEMs. Also, in theory it's supposed to be stock experience but OEMs don't always follow suit and cut corners.
Android-go
is meant for entry level devices which have less hardware capabilities and less storage available (<2 GB) . Goggle provides apps for these devices in Play Store. For example, Maps for Android go is smaller than the regular maps app and obviously has lesser features. For more see this. AFAIK, there are no guarantees for OS / security updates


text:
Does adb backup/restore still work because it says it's deprecated?
I want to reset my phone but want to recover the system data before doing so. I tried to create a backup with adb and tried to restore it on a virtual device to see if it works. So I tried to restore it with adb on the virtual device and it would say that it fully restored it at the end. But nothing really changed. I wonder if adb backup/restore still works or if I did something wrong.

Deprecated means it is fully functional but may be removed in future versions. Google of course prefers that their cloud is used so that they still control access to the backup data.
The only part that seem to have changed by the deprecation is that the help text of adb backup has been removed from the adb binaries. So to show the help text with all options of adb backup you have to execute now: adb shell bu help
However adb backup has a problem with app that disallow backup via it's AndroidManifest.xml. The main problem you don't get any warnings or errors for such apps. hence it is totally unclear if a backup was successful by just looking at the messages printed on the console while creating the backup.
From an app perspective there is also the way to allow only partial backups. By a configuration file the app can specify certain paths or file types to be included or excluded from backup.
Therefore my recommendations is to backup only single apps without APK. Based on the size of the created backup archive you can see if the backup was potentially successful or not.
An alternative is to create a full backup (with or without APKs) and in the end convert the created backup archive using Android Backup Extractor to a tar archive and check that archive for the most relevant apps what files have been backuped.
Update for Android 12+
On Android 12+, apps that have a targetSDK of 31 or higher (are developed for Android 12+) app data backup via adb backup seems to be no longer possible:

For apps that target Android 12 (API level 31) or higher, when a user runs the adb backup command, app data is excluded from any other system data that is exported from the device.

https://developer.android.com/about/versions/12/behavior-changes-12#adb-backup-restrictions
adb backup on Android 12 only work if targetSDK is lower than 31 or the app is marked as debuggable=true. Apps downloaded from Play Store are never debuggable and Google enforces apps to set targetSDK to the latest API level. Therefore apps from Google Play Store that has been updated in 2022 or later should no longer allow app data backup using adb backup.

How do you backup single apps without the apk as you recommend? Titanium backup? Pull /data/data/com.whatever-app-name? Other ways to do this?

@Nomenator accessing /data/data requires root permissions so adb pull from that directory requires root permissions + adb root (which itsel requires a patched adb binary). As this answer is about the command adb backup I am wondering why you ask for adb pull instead of trying adb backup for the package name you want to backup.

@Robert Sorry, I misunderstood, I was thinking more in line of "what to do when adb backup does not exist anymore?"

@Nomenator Then only Google cloud backup is left on unrooted devices.

so do i understand this correctly, that there is ... with android 13 ... NO WAY to fully backup your device so it is recoverable after a disaster?
I already find it extremely stpd that there is no out of the box way from google themselves like there is with IOS, but it gets even more insane ...

@Chris Apple has the advantage that they control bot hard- and software and thus can easily implement a secure backup. On Android there is no way to backup the inner data in a secure way so that it could be restored on a new device without making the data dully accessible to the user.

"On Android there is no way to backup the inner data in a secure way" ... i doubt ... there is just no will by anyone who could actually implement it (Google)

Plus: now they actually disable adb backup

@Chris This is not a matter of software but of software and hardware, thus simply implementing it would make Android be able to backup, but at the same time introduce a backdoor where you could access data that should not be accessible by anyone. Securing this requires a hardware anchor which is what Apple did, but Android has no such anchor.

@Robert, This doesn't make sense. You have the device physically with you connected to your laptop via usb. So if adb backup doesn't work, surely there can be an (open source) tool that does what it fails to do?

@Pacerier there are backup solutions for Android but they require a rooted device. Android without root doesn't allow access to app data. Even with the AndroidKeychain is protected by security hardware and can not be extracted or backuped.

"On Android there is no way to backup the inner data in a secure way" Funny that Seedvault manages that. It's a replacement to the Google Cloud backup used with several custom ROMs. It allows you e.g. to store your backups on an external SD card or a cloud service under your control (Nextcloud). As long as you have the pass phrase, you thus could restore at least app backups to any device, and even more to an identical device. TL;DR: enforcing encrypted backups (phrase stored on-device in (hardware) keystore) would be what "secures" backups.

@Izzy: "[Seedvault] uses the same internal APIs as adb backup which is deprecated and thus needs a replacement."


text:
How is the screen resolution calculated for phones with curved edges and rounded corners?
Consider phones like the pixel 2, Samsung or iPhone X with notches and non rectangular screens. How is the screen resolution calculated? Do they take a rectangular screen with a standard resolution and 'chop off the edges' and use the regular value as the resolution?

Okay I asked ##techsupport on freenode and they answered it. If anyone else is looking for the answer:
The resolution specifies a rectangular screen with the same width and height of the screen. Rounded edges and notches are the rectangular screen with the appropriate bits cut out


text:
Soft key lights not turning on when touching screen of s7 edge
I noticed that those 2 soft key lights back and recent button lights are not turning on when i touch the screen. They light up when i touch one of them but not when i touch screen.
There is no setting for that in settings menu.  I've googled and found app called galaxy button lights 2. It can be used to make it always on xhange the duration but not a setting to make it light when i touch screen
 How can i do that ? Please help


text:
I'm interested in using a laptop battery as an external battery pack for phone
As title said I'd like to use a laptop battery for my phone as an extender.  One usage would be on a plane where my laptop is too bulky to really use but I could pull the battery out of it and use it to keep my phone battery charged while watching movies and what not.  It seems like I should just need a 7805 voltage regulator either linear or switching.  Has anybody done this or thought to do it, it seems like it should be fairly straightforward?

Do you have a specific question?

The question is has anyone done this and am I correct that it is as simple as I think it is?

Many laptop nowadays supports charging over USB while sleeping/suspended. So you only need a long USB cable, and put your laptop under the seat in front of you in sleep mode. A 1.5m cable is best but 1m would work as well.

Some airlines don't allow you to keep your laptop in a sleep state, they require you to turn it completely off. That being said, some laptops provide power to at least some USB ports even while the power is off. For example, my old Asus EEEpc 1215N had this feature on it's right side USB ports.

@onik: Good point. Though frankly, if the airline  prohibited laptops in sleep mode, I doubted that they'd not also prohibit turning on a phone.

I can't see the point of doing this when then are commercially available solutions. Search using the keywords "mobile power bank". Sure this is an interesting project and you can probably save a couple of bucks, but remember you're traveling in a plane, where you might need to explain to the security officers how your homebrew or "hackish" solution isn't an improvised terror weapon.


text:
text message notifications on my lock screen of my galaxy s 3
I have just gotten a galaxy s 3 and am trying to get the notifications of a new message to show up at a push notification on my lock screen. I have looked for setting to change to do so but can't find anything other than the message showing up in my lock screen. Can someone help me? ?

Welcome to Android Enthusiasts Melanie. Please clarify your question: you say that messages are showing on your lock screen but then you say push notifications aren't? Please describe exactly what you are seeking to achieve.

As far as I know, there is no setting for this unfortunately.
Samsung will occasionally update the S3 with OS updates such as recently to 4.3 which changed the way text messages are displayed on the lock screen.  So it not only depends on which version of Android you are running but which Samsung update you have got.
Perhaps you can try download a lock screen replacement app from the Play Store?

Please rephrase your answer listing what versions do not have this. Perhaps a snipped from a Samsung blog for the changes? Is the latest version 4.4, which had this feature/bug?

my point was that you can't control how the built in lock screen functions and there are no settings provided, and further, its features may change every update they do. Its not a feature I keep track of specifically, but noticed that it happened in general with samsung

That's weird.  I have an S2 and when I get a message I can swipe the message notifications action and it gets me right to the message.  If you didn't find anything  maybe you can add messaging as an unlock shortcut to get you right to your messages.


text:
Control PDF presentations on Linux -- Samsung Galaxy Note 2
I use LaTeX for all my presentations and therefore use a PDF viewer as my presentation software. I would like to be able to control my PDF presentations using my Galaxy Note 2. I'm looking for an app. to help me do that.
Features I need

Navigate slides from phone.
See slide preview on phone.
Linux compatible.

Bonus features

Ability to annotate slides using S-Pen.
PDF-viewer agnosticism (i.e. works with most/all PDF viewers).
Free.

Connectivity with either Bluetooth or WiFi would be acceptable.
Is there such an app. around? Barring that, is there a general purpose Linux remote around?

Try gremote, it's good for presentation, but difficult to configure

Anyremote for Android

Can you edit your comment into your answer. Also, please try to add more details and links to the app in Google Play.


text:
How can I auto-end the media process on Android?
Media is consistently topping the list for battery usage at 80%+. I can go and force stop it, but it restarts by itself, when I use things such as camera or download things etc.
Task manager does allow you to auto end applications, but as media is not an application it is not on the list. Is there and app or any other way to auto-kill media on a NON rooted phone?

Seems like it would be far more useful to find out why the media scanner is using so much of your phone's battery.
I had a similar situation once, and it turned out to be caused by some filesystem corruption on the SD card. I took out the SD card and used fsck on my PC to check the filesystem for errors, and repair it. I then put the SD card back in my phone: media scanner ran once and finished normally. It no longer ran all the time, running down my battery.
You might like to try something similar before you attempt something that might stop apps on your phone (such as Gallery) working properly.

The "media process" gets triggered by different applications. Some of them you already encountered: Camera and Download. Basically apps which add new media (or manipulate existing ones). They are signaling the media scanner that there are changes to process (so the media database gets updated). As the media scanner is, simply spoken, just a "system process", you don't see a related app.
Auto-Killing would not be very helpful in this case (for the described reasons, media scanner must do its job or e.g. the gallery wouldn't find your fresh shot pics). It rather might be that some app requests its services much to frequently (that was the issue in another case I encountered recently, but I don't remember the app causing it). So you would need to find the culprit causing that (not killing the obedient servant): Go through all the apps you've installed and check which one might deal with media (if the problem just started recently, it's even easier as you can concentrate on those recently installed/updated). See if you can temporarily disable/remove them, and if the problem is gone with that. If so, re-enable them slowly one-by-one until the problem re-appears – which is when you just re-enabled the culprit which thus is identified. That's the app you either need to find a replacement for, or have the dev fixing the issue.

Done a factory reset, used super backup and transferred some files to PC before the wipe. My battery life is back to normal now... 18 hours.


text:
Galaxy S3 is stuck at Samsung logo splash screen and won’t charge
A little bit of help would be highly appreciated.
A few days ago, my Samsung Galaxy S3 started freezing randomly. I had to remove the battery in order to restart it. Yesterday the problem got worse: whenever I try to turn the phone on, it freezes in the first splash screen (the “Samsung Galaxy SIII GT-I9300” screen). When I push the power button for a few seconds in order to turn it off, it goes off but then turns on by itself immediately after and freezes again in the first screen. I have to remove the battery in order to turn it off.
When I try to charge the phone with the mains charger or with the USB cable connected to my PC, a gray battery icon with a static circle inside appears and the screen doesn’t change. After several minutes, the phone gets warm, but there’s no evidence that the battery is charging (the icon of the gray battery with a static circle inside is still there).
I took my wife’s S3 battery (50% charged), put into my S3, pushed the power button and the phone froze at the same point (“Galaxy SIII” screen). I’ve also tested my battery on my wife’s S3: it charged normally and her phone worked flawlessly. I guess this means it’s not a battery issue.
I’ve already tried to clear the cache partition or even factory reset my phone (removed the battery for a few seconds, put it back, then pushed Volume Up + Home + Power for a while), but it didn’t work either (the Android System Recovery screen never appeared).
The phone is rooted, but I’ve never installed any custom ROM.
I’ve read many android forums and tried a few workarounds, but nothing seemed to work.
Any thoughts or suggestions?

I don't know Samsung devices well enough, but AFAIR they also offer a "download mode". As you obvioulsy cannot even reach "recovery mode", maybe there's a chance to get there and see whether the device becomes visible to adb devices. If so, there might be a chance to "wipe" it from there, or using some of the Samsung-specific tools like Odin or Heimdall.

Thanks for your help, but I have given up trying to soft unbrick my phone.
I’ve tried to enter recovery mode, to no avail. However, I can get into download mode and I've already tried many unbricking procedures using ODIN, but none of them have worked.
I'm deciding whether I'll replace the main motherboard or not.
I'll keep up posting.

Giving it to service might also be a variant, at least if it's still under warranty. I know it's rooted, which voids that in most countries; but at least here in EU they make a difference (EU law says rooting doesn't void "implied warranty", which any manufacturer must ensure).

If you ever enabled "USB Debugging" in the Developer options, you can look at the ADB logs and see what's going on with your phone using a USB cable and the adb logcat. My hunch is that of Alex's i.e. "sudden death". It happened to my phone some years ago.

It could be a problem with a launcher such as Nova or Apex or it could be a problem with a 3rd party application. Try starting in safe mode and see if it is that :)

My S3 was stuck at the splash screen and couldn't go into recovery mode, and rebooted constantly when I plugged in the USB. So not quite like yours but similar enough that people might see my answer here.
My battery charge was at 8% when the phone quit (I tried to delete some corrupted movie files). I fixed it by turning it on till it was at the splash screen, then plugging it in and leaving it for about ten minutes. Eventually I heard the sweet sound of it continuing to boot up.

Dont worry, your phone is not officialy dead. It's in bootloop because of some corrupted partition or filesystem. Only one way out. You need to get into Download mode and flash some custom or stock rom using ODIN tool with full wipe. make sure you have 100% charged your battery , before doing such things.
You can easily find ODIN and ROMs for your model. If you dont know how to proceed, contact some friends or colleagues of your who had done such things earlier. You can also do this, just you need to follow the steps.
Your best resource will be XDA forums.


text:
What material is Note II screen
I made a little bit of research and I didn't find anything conclusive.
It is not listed in Gorilla Glass list. But somewhere I found its screen is glass, but someone else reported he scratched its screen keeping the device in his pocket without protection.
From a practical point of view how easily will the screen get any scratch if no protection film or case is used?

Due to a disclosure agreement, Corning (who make about 90% of screens) will not answer any questions on what devices use their technology. However, Samsung have said: "GT-N7100 does not have Gorilla Glass 2. Thank you for your interest."
That doesn't say who makes it or what type of material it is I'm afraid. However, from friends and others I would say get a screen protector, it is MORE scratch prone than say the S4 (G Glass 3) but not more than the average device. Just remember the screen is BIG and that gives it more leverage if it is in a tight pocket / bag and is likely to have more force on it in these situations.
I'll keep looking and update if I find out!

Any links? This isn't wikipedia or anything (no "citation needed"), but I'd enjoy reading the articles that talk about the non-disclosure agreement.

Nothing concrete I'm afraid, I just know people there. Anything online is just speculation on XDA / Android forums. It's weird that it isn't something that you are told upfront. It has a such and such processor, it has mystery screen, it has a blah GPU etc. I don't get it, but I'll get digging for you! :) Speaking of wiki they have it on their list of devices that DO have it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_devices_with_Gorilla_Glass    I'm at a loss here, Samsung say one thing, Corning say nothing, and now this!


text:
Why does Sound Recorder in Cyanogenmod need network permission?
It doesn't seem to be able to share sound recordings. Why does it need that permission? Cyanogenmod 10.1 although I've seen it in other versions.

I guess that's better asked at the CyanogenMod Forum. The developers should be able to tell.

There's no malicous intent you can safely use it.
This App has been part of the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) since at least Android 1.5 Cupcake and Cyanogenmod only adapted it.
Here's CM's source code which shows it was only copied from the original AOSP code:
https://github.com/CyanogenMod/android_packages_apps_SoundRecorder/blame/cm-10.2/AndroidManifest.xml
Here's the initial AOSP version from 2007 which already has the same permission grant:
https://android.googlesource.com/platform/packages/apps/SoundRecorder/+/e2118f54af4c5215bd988979769e383292b9c9cb/AndroidManifest.xml
Now one may ask why it has this grant in AOSP already: I don't know why, it's seemingly not needed.

Even if:

This is an old thread,
You explain the app is generally reliable (and open source), ...
It seems "obscure" the request for such permission.
Related: https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/242690/why-would-app-x-need-permission-y ?


text:
Any way to auto close Chrome when closing the last tab?
I have been using the stock Android browser for several years and I am trying to make the switch over to Chrome.  The one major annoyance I have with Chrome is that the browser doesn't automatically close when I close the last tab like it does in the stock Android browser.  This may not seem like a big deal, but I tend to use a lot of apps that open web pages.  With the stock Android browser, closing the last web page will auto close the browser and return me back to the app I was using.  With Chrome, I have to manually close the browser or manually switch back to the app I was using.
Does anyone know how to make Chrome automatically close down when I close the last tab?  If not, is there another good browser that works this way?

For Dolphin browser, use the phone MENU button and chose EXIT
For Firefox, install the Quit Now add-on and use the new QUIT button in the menu.
For any other TAB browser, close all TABs prior to push BACK in order to exit.
For any persistently running browser, use the task manager to kill it.

I've never been a fan of Chrome. It lacks too many features compared to other browsers.
Anyway, most browsers support tabs and have an x symbol on the tab. Normally, the browsers remain open even if close all tabs. There is always 1 tab that remains open, and it won't close even if you click the x symbol. You'd have to click the back button to close the browser.
Among the browsers I use - about 4 of them - Maxthon behaves differently. It doesn't exactly do what you want, but if you click on the x symbol, it acts as a back button. So if there's only 1 tab open and you press it twice, it will exit the browser.

At least in Chrome 39, it works out of the box. Just click the x close button on the tab and then browser quit.


text:
Start with Second Tablet on Google Play
My old tablet was a LePan II from QVC.  It quit on me.  It wasn"t worth the money to have a pro look at/repair it. So, I got a Proscan PLT9045K (from ShopNBC).  After I got it charged, I went straight to Google Play, but I do not see how to add a new device.  I understand that there's not really a way to delete the original device from my account (and if there is I'd like some help there).  How can I connect my new tablet with my existing Google Play account.  I really don't want to set up a new gmail.

What do you mean that you "went straight to Google Play"?  As in Play Store website?

Yeah. Sorry,I'm not up on specific terminology.  I did mean the Store.

What you need to do is to enter the account information on the new tablet.  It should ask you for it (along with the other stuff like the time and date) when you first power the device up.  Alternatively, it will ask you for it when you open up the play store/market app on the device.
There's no need to remove the previous device from your account nor is there any way to.  You can have at least 10 devices associated to the same google account at the same time.
Also, the device will automatically get removed from your account after it hasn't been in contact with the play store for about 9 months.

My new tablet already knew the date & time.  It didn"t ask me for anything.    I'd like to find where it should have.  When I went to Google, I just logged in with my email address and password.  Should it have recognized I was on a new device?

My old tablet already had the Play Store on it.  Do I need to get it on the new tablet?  If yes, how?

Don't you have it on the new tablet?

This device isn't listed in Google's list of devices supported by Google Play. Not all Android devices have (or can run) Google Play: Android is open-source, so anyone can make an Android device, but only those certified by the Open Handset Alliance are allowed the Google apps and Google Play. It doesn't seem likely you'll be able to use Google Play with this device.
The manufacturer's website looks like it was made by children, and ShopNBC is the only retailer that advertises the device. I'd suggest you stop buying tablets that are cheaply made for shopping channels and buy one from a reputable manufacturer.

Thanks anyway.  I guess I'll have to find new apps through Amazon Appstore and Apptoide.


text:
How to turn off/mute the USSD notification sound in Jelly Bean?
I recently got my Lava Iris 501's OS updated to 4.1.1 and now it even chimes whenever my operator sends me a 'Last Call/SMS/Data Cost' notification. This happens even on the Silent/Meeting modes also.
What can I do so that my phone doesn't bug me at my workplace?


text:
How to open multiple PDF files at once?
I would like to open two PDF files at the same time. However, it seems like "doing more than one thing at once" is a concept which has yet to be invented in the tablet world. Is there a way to do it?
Ideally I'd like some sort of MDI interface where I can view files side-by-side. The next best thing (option 2) is a tabbed interface where I can see the files one at a time but switch between them. The next after that (option 3) would simply be to have two files open but use the app switcher to jump back and forth between them.
At first I thought that I'd be able to use Firefox as a container and could make option 3 work - but Adobe don't seem to have released their NSAPI plug-in for Android. So files are opened in their standalone "Reader" app.
The next failed idea was to use Firefox and PDF.js. This actually works, but PDF.js is so ridiculously slow that this is not a viable option.
Then I heard about "Dolphin" which supposedly has a PDF plugin, but after trying the browser out, before even getting to the stage of downloading the plugin, it's clear that this app is buggy and useless.
Frankly, I'm not in love with the idea of using a web browser for this task anyway.
The other idea is to install several different reader apps, but this is a horrible, ugly solution, and I assume I'll have to either pay up or accept ads.
Are there any simple ideas that I've missed? Is there some way to get "Reader" to not close the current file when I want to open another PDF?

Modern tablets have this feature I'm pretty sure

To answer my own question: while I haven't found a completely satisfactory solution to this problem, I have discovered in Adobe's Reader app the "Recents" list - which shows recently read documents in the descending order of last-opened date. This, combined with the fact that the Reader app remembers the position of each document that you read, and the fact that the "Recents" menu is only a click of the back button away, gives a workable solution to reading multiple documents at a time, albeit slowly.
I wish that someone from 1998 could come back in time and give us proper multitasking. How great it would be!
For now, I hope this idea helps someone else.

Try Kingsoft Office...
It can open and edit all sorts of Office files, and view PDF. It allows you to have several documents open and switch between them in a tabbed interface.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cn.wps.moffice_eng

The only app I know in Android that provides this functionality is iAnnotate.
PD. Right now (4/21/2015) seems to be a bit resource hungry, I'm not sure if it's leaking memory.

I had same problem, I searched forums, but couldn't find a nice solution. Than I switched to test some appps, and Kingsoft office and pdf is quite good. If you open a new pdf file, it will appeae as a new tab. And the same with docs, but all different file tipes are in a new window
link https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cn.wps.moffice_eng
I started to use it today, so a cant tell anything about bugs or stability of the app

The core of your answer is the said app which has already been covered in this answer here http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/54216/how-to-open-multiple-pdf-files-at-once/57237#57237 May I know the reasoning behind this redundancy?

As of Android 7.x, multi-window is officially introduced. While that itself doesn't allow you to open multiple instances of the same app (not by default anyway), this app named Taskbar can greatly enhance its function.

By default it allows multiple windows to be arbitrarily placed and resized just like in any desktop OS, and - to answer your question - after some settings one can open multiple instances of the same app. Provided that your device can handle the workload well and your screen real estate is enough, what you're looking for can be achieved.

Aside from WPS office & PDF, I used to open two applications instead. One Adobe reader, and another pdf reader.
 I then switch to between the two applications.

I use Xodo - it has a tabbed interface and works fine!

I know nothing better than EbookDroid to see pdfs. And it has tabs too!

Could you add a link to the app you're recommending?

Use Stick App in android hope it helps

Stick App? What is that? Do you have a link to Google Play?


text:
I did factory reset without taking backup of messages. can i recover those messages?
I have did factory reset my phone with out taking backup of messages... its all important messages.. can i recover those messages back. if so, please guide me.
Phone : HTC Explorer

A factory reset wipes android settings, databases used by apps, including Messaging. In short, you're out of luck. :(

What messages? SMS? Email? Kik? WhatsApp? Skype?

If you're talking about your SMS/MMS messages, then there's practically no way to get them back.


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how to make Google cards always appear?
I really like the Google card thinghies but I don't like that they disappear.
Is there any way to force them to stay on the home screen as widgets? I want the weather and the currency exchange one to be always there

Google Now includes a widget. Just add it to your home screen.


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Handling Notifications - Vibrations / Screen / Tones?
My HTC One seems to vibrate for every damn notification that comes on.  When it does this, the screen does not come on and there's no sound.   I know how to turn notifications off, but I"m trying to figure out how define when a notification :
a) Turns on the screen so I can see the notification without having to turn the phone on, go to the notifications screeen, etc.
b) Provides a audio notification / tone
c) Does or does NOT vibrate
Personally, I find the vibrate with no sounds and no screen to be the most annoying.

One other comment.   Is there a way that I can defined what shows up in the notification bar without turning off all notifications?  For example, I run a software called "PlaceMe".   In the notification settings, it shows "PlaceMe is running".  I want to be able to receive notifications from it, but I don't want the "PlaceMe Is Running" to permanently take up real estate in my notifications center".

You can turn off notificatioins / vibrate / ring tone for each individual app, or go into Applications >  and turn off notifications altogether. There is no system wide 'turn off notifications etc' in Android. Still. It's dumb, and annoying, but that's how it works on Android.

Most applications itself will contain these settings...

This worked for me on my HTC One M8
First Go to Settings, then go to Accessibility, and click Notification Reminder to Off
http://www.reddit.com/r/htc/comments/2w3op7/htc_one_m8_lollipop_notification_constant/

First, make sure you have priority interruptions only. You can change your priorities here.
(Click image to enlarge)

You can also disable notifications, so your phone won't buzz.


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How to disable softkeyboard in cyanogenmod 10.0.0 parmanently?
I want to disable the soft keyboard on asus tf300t permanently. I have read a lot of post on stackoverflow that allow you to block the soft keyboard but all of them explain how to do them in a specific app. I have root access to the device. its running cyanogenmod 10.0.0 on it. it has a dock keyboard. I could not find the .apk fie in /system/app for the soft keyboard that I could remove. does someone know how to remove the soft keyboard ?
thank you

I remember having read about a method to disable a given IME (Input Method) via ADB, but cannot find it currently (see also: Flaw in adb shell ime list -a? for a starter). But this hint might give you an idea what to look out for, I hope...

I found a file /system/app/LatinIME.apk
This file is responsible for the soft keyboard. I tried to change the name of the file from the terminal but it wont allow me to do so. kept giving an error "Read only file"
So I installed root explorer. in root explorer there is a tab top right that enables you to mount R/W to rename that file.
then I went back to the terminal and renamed the file so the system does not recognize the file. this blocks the soft keyboard from poping up on anywhere in the cyanogenmod.

Yeah, but that's not the clean way to do it. It had been cleaner to disable the app (than to remove/rename it), which could be done with e.g. pm (the Android package manager) via adb shell. But whatever you like, as long as it solves your issue :)


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Samsung Galaxy SII camera blank
The camera in a Samsung Galaxy SII GT-I9100 shows a black screen. Photos cannot be taken either. However, pressing the shutter does seem to activate the flash sometimes. Even the front cam fails!
I've tried flashing a few custom ROMs (4.3 based Carbon ROM) over recovery. The ROM works, but the camera gives the same result.
I even tried to flash an official JellyBean stock ROM for S2 via Odin. Camera still fails.
Logcat (filter level: 'error') shows:-
E/SecCameraHardware( 1839): nativeGetPreview: warning, ESD reset the camera device (6)
E/SecCameraHardware( 1839): FimcV4l2 poll: error 0
E/SecCameraHardware( 1839): nativeGetPreview: warning, ESD reset the camera device (5)
E/SecCameraHardware( 1839): FimcV4l2 poll: error 0
E/SecCameraHardware( 1839): nativeGetPreview: warning, ESD reset the camera device (4)
E/SecCameraHardware( 1839): FimcV4l2 poll: error 0
E/SecCameraHardware( 1839): nativeGetPreview: warning, ESD reset the camera device (3)

The worst I could fear is the camera sensor being busted, but is there any other software level stuff I could possibly try out?

@ALEX I don't have the device with me anymore; it seems like the camera IC or some part responsible for it was damaged. More of a hardware issue.