text:
Enable USB Debugging with broken touch screen and no physical buttons
I'm trying to fix a phone (LG G3 Stylus) that has been badly injured, so now the touchsreen doesn't work, and the only button that works is the volume-up one.
I need to backup some stuff (notes, calendar, contacts, and some apps data), so I was trying to add a Google account to sync the data.
Now I was going to do this by using an OTG cable, so I bought one (USB 3.0 A to USB C that has a USB C to micro usb adapter) to connect a mouse, but it didn't work.
Now I found this solution to control the phone with a Windows PC but it needs USB debugging activated.
Now that's the problem. How do I activate USB Debugging without the touchscreen. I read that I could get into recovery mode, but the power button doesn't work. What can I do?
EDIT 1: I found another app that allows me to control the device: Vysor. Now I still require USB Debugging enabled.
Now I tested the other OTG cable (usb 2.0) and it didn't work either. But I found something: USB debugging was already turned on, but for some reason I can't find it when I run adb devices.
Anyways there are some random touches so I am waiting until the screen unlocks.

Why an OTG USB-C adapter? AFAIK the LG G3 Stylus has just a micro USB port. If your mouse has an USB-C cable it is not a simple one (which may be that it does not work e.g. because the phone does not provide enough power).

No, I meant a USB A -> USB C  cable and a USB C -> MicroUSB adapter, but I think the problem was that the cable was USB3.0 and the microusb port was 2.0

What is "the other OTG cable"?

I meant that I have two OTG cables one is 3.0 and the other one is 2.0. The 3.0 is USB-A to USB-C and the 2.0 is USB-A to MicroUSB. The first one (3.0 USB A to USB C) came with a USB C to Micro USB adapter. I tested this cable with my tablet (with usb c) and it worked, but it didn't work in my personal phone (nor the phone I'm trying to fix) with the adapter. The other one (2.0 USB A to Micro USB) worked with my personal phone but not with the phone that I'm trying to fix.

I read somewhere that not every OTG cable worked with every phone. So I'm just going to be trying other cables until one actually works.

If you aren't seeing it in adb the try killing the adb server first with
    adb kill-server

If still nothing, you may be missing adb keys files.

Actually, we can Enable USB Debugging on Android with Broken Screen by OTG Adapter and USB Mouse or by Using ADB Commands and Fastboot.

Thanks I will try with OTG again. I think it didn't work the first time because the cable was 3.0 and the microusb port was 2.0. Now I tried a 2.0 OTG cable and it seems to work well with my phone.


text:
What is this strange icon?
Anyone know what this icon at the upper left is?

you might want to drag the notification panel and check.this looks like a notification from some app.

Looks like a check mark with an underline that's on top of a part of your wallpaper.

@touchstone   Please mention your device name. May be some video editing tools, please check whether you have similar apps.

This is exactly the image size we need when trying to identify a very small icon on the top of your screen. Can you send a better screenshot where we don't have to guess what the icon is even trying to show? (I see two location markers on a street)

it's not my wallpaper. 2) there aren't any notification messages. 3) my device is a xiaomi redmi note 5 pro, with AEX rom installed. I don't have any video editing apps.

The checkmark with an underline is the download completed icon (when an app downloads something using the download manager). The 3 circles are a part of the wallpaper

Nothing downloaded and the circles are not part of my wallpaper. It's an icon. It disappears. And it reappears. It does so at what seems random. There's no observable pattern here. I don't understand why anyone would vote the answer correct except me. I'm obviously the only person who can confirm correctness of any answers.

@touchstone well I can't comment on the 3 circles but the checkmark is definitely a download compete icon. Check your notification history? https://www.howtogeek.com/242073/how-to-view-notifications-youve-dismissed-on-android/

I checked the history. Nothing is registered as happening at the times the icon appears.

Have you enabled any custom icons in the status bar? Resurrection Remix would allow me to put icons there and sometimes it'd bug out displaying icons over one another

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


text:
What fastboot erase actually does?
It's been said that we can do a factory reset with the following commands:
fastboot erase modemst1
fastboot erase modemst2
fastboot erase cache
fastboot erase userdata

Now, the fastboot CLI provides the following description for erase:

Erase a flash partition.

What does the erase command actually do? Does it erase the partition, or does do a factory reset?

From what I can find, they just wipe the partition. Great For clean Wipes ahead of a ROM install, not so great when you was trying to delete your personal storage

This thread on XDA has a post

....what is the aim of the "fastboot erase modemst" command?

Answer

modemst1 and modemst2 are storage partitions for Radio Firmware .... - and it's obviously a recommended practice to wipe these partitions when flashing a newer Radio Firmware

This XDA thread is all about fastboot commands

fastboot erase system
fastboot erase data
fastboot erase cache
Are explained as

fastboot allows for about the cleanest of wipes by the way. And each partition can be done separately too.

Elsewhere in same thread

... with a lot of new phones userdata = /data + /sdcard (/data/media), so all data, any personally saved files, and system are flushed out permanently with fastboot's erasure. Note that TWRP factory reset would leave /data/media intact

So, putting your list of commands in question, a device is being wiped cleanly of all the partitions mentioned including all data, and thus getting ready to flash a new ROM on the cleanest manner as against dirty flash which has remnants of earlier ROM  affecting performance

Thanks for the answer and for pointing out the thread. Just one question, clearing all these partitions will automatically trigger a recovery process that will bring the device back to default state it comes from factory?

It would not trigger automatically a recovery process IMO, since you would need to reboot using other means. That is my understanding, as I haven't used these commands for the purpose explained

I understand, then if after these commands I do a fastboot reboot, when rebooting the system will restore itself or I must do fastboot recovery and trigger the recovery process manually? Thanks for the aid again!

I think the former, should suffice. Thanks for accepting

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

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


text:
Is there any way for an app to insert text at the cursor in another app, in the currently focused input field? (With the ‘accessibility’ permission)
I'd like to have an app with my custom programmatic text snippets, that would insert them at the cursor in the focused text field, next to other text that I already entered. I'm using both Tasker and Automate, and both can enter text letter-by-letter, or rather keycode-by-keycode—with me translating the letters to keycodes, I guess. Neither of the two can just insert text: instead, Automate can ‘set text’, overriding all text in the field, and IIRC Tasker's docs suggest using some command via adb, that requires root permissions.
I wonder: is there perhaps some way to just spill some text into the focused input, at the cursor, without affecting surrounding text? Both apps have the permission to work as accessibility-helping apps.
I asked this question in one of Automate's communities, and was directed towards the docs for ACTION_SET_TEXT, which doesn't have any options to specify the target position for the text, or to keep the text that's already there.
I would vaguely hope that accessibility apps can help the user with entering text, among other things, and thus have some means to that end.
There's a kind-of-a-workaround with setting the clipboard text and then pasting it, but that's rather dirty since the existing clipboard value is not preserved: I looked into getting the clipboard contents and putting them back after all is done, but this turns out to require a rooted phone again. Plus the solution is generally hacky.
Maybe there's some way to get the cursor position in the text field, extract text before and after the cursor, and then use SET_TEXT? I could live with the text formatting being lost, if only that would allow me to enter snippets.

Hi, just FYI, the question received a close vote for "app development" probably due to the wording. Just to make sure, I assume this is about using an existing app to achieve this, possibly using [tag:automation] apps like you have mentioned, e.g. Tasker and Automate?

@Andrew T. No, I'm actually wondering about whether it's at all possible in Android currently, and how. If it is, I could talk to app authors about implementing the feature, or try to slap together an app of my own.


text:
How to make Android 12 let me pick the app every time when opening URLs on a particular domain?
If I click a Youtube link, which opens another app, I want to choose every single time which app to use. This worked fine in Android 11, since I could just set the option to 'ask every time' in the app manager, or something like that, and never tap 'always use this app'. However, this was rehashed in Android 12, at least on Pixels, such that I can only enable or disable opening certain links in a particular app. Is there a way to revert to asking always, if just for a certain domain?
If I turn on opening the links for the official Youtube app, it becomes the default one for Youtube links. If I then also enable the same for the alternative app, the Youtube app still opens by default. There's a nuance that the Youtube app has 'verified links' for the youtube domain, and the alternative app just has a list of domains with '0 verified links'. Does this mean that Google simply took the decision away from the users and gave it to domain owners?
Google's instructions on the matter is that I need to turn off automatically opening links, for each of the alternative apps. But after that links are just opened in the browser instead of letting me pick the app.
Even weirder is that some links still do ask me to pick an app—but not links to Youtube, which is what I use the most.
This question was previously asked in regard to Android 8—but as mentioned above, the feature worked fine in v11, and then the problem cropped up again in v12.

Edit: the docs on ‘Verifying Android app links’ say that only one app can be set as the default for a domain, which is understandable. This implies that enabling opening links in a particular app sets it as the only choice, and the functionality of letting the user pick the app each time is gone in this configuration. (Perhaps with the links that still give me the choice of the apps to use, those apps are built for an older version of the API—I might need to look into that.)
It's also said there:

Before you manually invoke domain verification on a device, you must reset the state of Android App Links on the test device. To do so, run the following command in a terminal window: adb shell pm set-app-links --package PACKAGE_NAME 0 all

This command puts the device in the same state that it's in before the user chooses default apps for any domains.

It's unclear whether this works on a particular app or all apps on the phone, and what the behavior is when the phone is in this state. Presumably it's back to when opening links is disabled for each of the apps, and they're opened in the browser instead. It's also vaguely and hazily suggested that Android will verify the links again on seeing a url-opening intent, not just after upgrading the app.
Kinda sounds like my only solution is to have a separate app that acts as the default for the links, and have it pop up the choice of the other apps to kick the link to.

Not sure if this still works, but there is the BetterOpenWith app which is set-up as default web browser but instead of loading the web page it shows an app selector and then allows to redirect the URLs to the app you have selected. https://xdaforums.com/t/app-4-0-better-open-with.2831738/

@Robert Yeah, I've encountered that or another such app, and didn't understand back then why I would need it. Remembered about it while writing the edit for the post. Though since Android allows adding domains to open with an app by default, this probably can work without setting it as the browser. (I think even that Tasker/Automate can serve for this.)


text:
Tethering Not working
if I enable Tethering (wifi/usb):

my phone and the pc can share files on the local net ( phone - pc )
but the Internet connection is not shared at all

How can I debug/fix this issue ?

After enabling Tethering follow the steps below:

On the Android phone, press Home, press Menu, and touch Settings to open the  Settings application.
Touch Wireless & networks > Tethering & portable hotspot.
Check USB tethering.

Hey reply me if still have a problem  with usb tethering.

I will check and let you know.
Is it possible that there are some limitation on my data connection to avoid Tethering ?

If I got you: I should fist enable Wifi tethering and then enable usb tethering ? is it some workaround for a known issue ? I mean I know how to enable tethering ...

Okay , so still u have issue with it or it's resolved?

no lucky here: same issue

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


text:
Tracking Android Phone via IMEI number
I have lost my Android Phone. How can I track it via IMEI number.
Can I install any application which can given me the number of SIM currently on given IMEI number.
Please help

TRACK IMEI (website)

TRACK IMEI is here to help you locate your lost mobile. If you have lost your mobile and remember the 14/15 digit IMEI number of your mobile which is a unique number for every mobile then you can register you mobile with us, if any of our dealers across the world will come across that mobile having that IMEI number we will contact you on the details provided by you while registering with us.
If you have already registered with us the details then you can search for your mobile by entering the IMEI number in the below search for IMEI number field.

Track IMEI (useful before you lost the device)

Have you ever had your phone lost or stolen, and then had it reset or had the battery die? Traditional tracking software will not be able to help you because it requires the phone to be on and your account attached. This is where Track IMEI comes in.
Track IMEI is a mobile phone tracking system that stores your phone’s past and current location in a secure database which you and only you have access to. This means that if a criminal resets your phone, you will be able to track it the entire way until it was reset. Most of the time this is at the persons house, and you are then able to let the police know.
Current features:
  Track past and current location of phone at a time interval set by you
  Change the time interval from our easy to use online interface located at www.trackimei.ca
  View your current and past location on a map in the application
How to Use:
  1. Install the app on any supported Android powered smart phone.
  2. Create an account directly on the phone.
  3. Once created, log into your newly created account right on your device.
  4. Go under settings and turn on background update and select the tracking interval you want
That is it! You can now log in at www.trackimie.ca with the same login info to view your device history.

Is giving imei number in these sites safe?

Does not seem to work!


text:
my samsung galaxy plus battery draining quickly some time it is showing 50% but immidiatly 0%
my samsung galaxy S plus battery draining quickly some time it is showing 50% but immidiatly 0% so please help me to solve this
ITS GINGERBOAT MODEL GT-i9001
yog

So it shows 50% and then literally the next second turns off..? What are the actual times? What apps does your battery manager say is using up the most battery?

Not a lot of information but to venture a guess -how old is the battery? Batteries don't last forever.  What radios (GPS, Bluetooth and so on) are running?


text:
How to disable charge waiting time Alcate 9024w
My Alcatel A30 tablet 9024w is a great tablet but it has this issue. If i let my tablet die it will be 20 minutes of charging until i can use it again. I would like to disable this self-imposed limitation.
And btw, I know there's gonna be that one huy who's like, "isn't that bad for the battery if you do that?" And I am going to say right now, I dont care.
(Sorry if i come off a bit harsh)


text:
How can I copy Program Files/Bluestacks folder to another drive?
The Bluestacks folder is now 5GB large and is taking up too much space in my C:\ drive, so I decided to move it to my D:\ drive. But, when I do that, Bluestacks says the software is corrupt and I need to redownload Bluestacks from their website.
What can I do to change the location of Bluestacks?

You should use a directory junction, which will make the old folder point to the new one (and automatically work when the old one is accessed as normal).

Fully exit Bluestacks

Move C:\Program Files\Bluestacks to D:\Bluestacks\Files (for example)

Likewise, move C:\ProgramData\Bluestacks to D:\Bluestacks\Data

Open a Command Prompt and run:
mklink /D /J "C:\Program Files\Bluestacks" D:\Bluestacks\Files
mklink /D /J "C:\ProgramData\Bluestacks" D:\Bluestacks\Data

Repeat similarly for any other directories you might need to move

I had a problem and received the message "The syntax of the command is incorrect."
So, for directory path with gap, it is necessary to use quotation marks.
For example: (link is first, target is second)
mklink /D /J "c:\Users\All Users\BlueStacks" "d:\_ProgramFiles\BlueStacks"
Junction created for c:\Users\All Users\BlueStacks <<===>> d:_ProgramFiles\BlueStacks


text:
How do I play a video in the YouTube app at zero volume while simultaneously playing music in an MP3 player app?
Sometimes, I love to play music at a high volume while watching text YouTube videos and muting YouTube, like what I do on PC.
I have a Huawei phone running Android 5.0 (Lollipop).

Find an app that works similar to multiscreen on Samsung devices. I use a Samsung and it comes preloaded with multiscreen. You may find an alternative on the play store.

nah i didn't find one on Huawei


text:
How to use CyanogenMod Camera
I have been using CyanogenMod Camera for a while. But my latest automatic update installed a new version of it. That wouldn't be a problem, except that I can't find any instructions on how to use it. Its behavior has changed.
The obvious searches (CyanogenMod camera help, CyanogenMod camera instructions) only come up with installation instructions not usage instructions.  Maybe the way to use this program is obvious to everyone else, but it isn't obvious to me.

I'm using Camera on a Motorola Moto E 2nd Generation running CyanogenMod 13.0-20161122-NIGHTLY-surniaunder Android.

Are you referring to LineageOS? CyanogenMod is no longer in active development. I don't know what device you are using, but if you can, you should upgrade.
Anyway, the default camera application for LineageOS is Snap (source). You should be able to see it in your launcher as Camera.

@paul I can't reply to your comment as my reputation is too low, but you should definitely upgrade. I see LineageOS 15.1 (unofficial) for surnia on XDA. You may be in luck, since it looks like it may become officially supported soon!

I didn't think I was running Lineage  -- I thought I was running stock Motorola Android converted to CyanogenMod.  Has the stock Android system been converted to LineageOS?  I had never heard of LineageOS before seeing it referenced in this thread.


text:
How to increase/decrease volume in smaller increments/decrements?
I'm using Huawei P10 (released in ~Feb 2017, using Android 7.0). One annoying thing I noticed is that the volume button changes the volume by 20 units (out of 100). Phone call volume in general is ok but for some apps like whatsapp, even 20 units is unbearably loud. I installed Precise Volume app which lets me change volume in smaller steps. However, it is not tied to the volume button i.e. I'd need to switch to that app's UI to change the volume. Is there any way to fix the volume button in general so that it changes the volume in smaller units?
I wonder if smartphone (software or hardware) makers are focusing too much on the smart and overlooking the basic phone features like call quality.

My bad, had posted a solution requiring Xposed not aware that Android 7 has no xposed framework (had to delete) though its the closest to what you're trying to achieve:(

@xavier_fakerat thanks for trying to help. i cannot believe that this simple volume thing is not supported despite all the smart bells and whistles in an android phone.

From the look of things Android Nougat has limited options to achieve this, but still a few options exist:
Using Magisk
This method is belived to be ideal for devices running on Android 7.0+ Nougat as is in this case.
Requirements

Magisk
Terminal Emulator app.
Volume Steps Magisk module (recent versions) or XDA link

Proceedure

Install the module by flashing it via recovery or the Magisk Manager app;
Next, open the Terminal Emulator app and type this command: vol_magisk;
Press Enter;
If you used the latest version of the module, you would see some values that you can apply by typing and pressing enter.

*For other android (rooted) versions, please see the workaround in my other post : How can I increase the number of volume levels?*
Edit
For higher Magisk versions (20.4+) find the module here.The default config has media volume steps set to 30, call volume steps set to 10.
However modifications can easily be made by customising system.prop values to your liking and zipping up the repo.
Acknowledgements

Learn to Add More Steps to your Volume Slider with VolumeSteps+

Volume Steps Increase (for Magisk v10+)

bladeSk


text:
Security patches for LG K8 Android 6.0
Recently I looked at my Android security patch level (after hearing about the BlueBorne vulnerability) and saw that is is at 2016-07-01, 14 months old.
My device details:
LG K8 4G dual (LG-K350nds),
Android 6.0 (not rooted)
How do I get the latest security patch. Online resources say I should go Settings > General > About phone > Common > Update Center > Software Update > Check now for update, but it says “You are using the latest software version for current OS”.
Is my device not supported? I bought it last september, so two months after the latest security patch I got.
Edit: I just received an update, security patch level now at 2017-09-01. Though this isn't the latest, it fixed BlueBorne, and it's nice to see finally getting patches from LG.

I have same model on same patch. I'll have to disappoint you because you will not receive patch for blue born vulnerability, or any other (I'm sure there is at least one more lethal bug unpached), at least not officially, maybe we can somehow create patch and make to stay stock rom. However soon I will try to make LOS ROM but I don't know what will happen since K8 have troubles when even TWRP is flashed. However if I succed I don't know if the bug will be patched because maybe it has to be pushed by OEM (like in broadcom bug case).

Today I received update on my K350nds and now it is on 2017-09-01 security patch level, and according to this app it is not vulnerable anymore, also this should include dirty cow exploit fix, didn't check that one.

authors: Једноруки Крстивоје


text:
Mysterious "Installation Failed" and reboots
Non-programmer here. I've noticed recently a message popping up on my 4.1.2 Galaxy S3 running stock firmware (except I have root)  build number JZO54K.T999UVDMD5. This was happening before I rooted it and before I installed DroidWall in an attempt to prevent any uncommanded activity. "Installation Failed" is what it says.  I've also happened to have observed it restarting a few times when I was not touching it. I installed aLogcat today and set it to "Events" so that hopefully I will get more information. Any suggestions on how to learn more about what's up would be appreciated.

I don't think aLogcat will be able to work on your device since you're running JellyBean. Android stops apps seeing each other's log entries from 4.1 I think, if you convert it to a system app then it should work.

Sorry for the irrelevant answer to the OP's question but felt a need to point out about aLogCat.
aLogcat seems broken at the moment under JellyBean (due to an additional introduction of permission READ_LOGS required for reading logs).
Just keep an eye out for the update soon (or flag the developer by starring the issue here).
If you fancy the alternative, try this version called CatLog found here on github, this has the permission in place to do so.
As for Droidwall, forget about that version - its old and obsoleted in favour of the more updated version AFWall+, the linky to the play store version is contained on the github page, alternative linky to F-Droid Repository here.


text:
How to search Android Applications by size?
Is there any way I can search or filter android apps by size less than 1MB or 2MB on any android app store? I have a low end android phone with less memory and installation space.
Light weight apps are mostly faster and I can install more of them therefore I want to search small apps only.


text:
Transfer of data from PC to Samsung Note 8 GT N 5100 using USB cable is very very slow
Transfer of data from PC to Samsung Note 8 GT N 5100 using USB cable is very very slow.Have changed cables as well. Same Issue

Driver update ?

This is usually caused by plugging the USB cable into a USB 1.0 port on your PC instead of a USB 2.0 or USB-SuperSpeed port. Although they all look the same, and the USB protocol is backwards-compatible, USB 1.0 is much slower, and most PCs tend to have both varieties.
Try plugging the USB cable into a different USB socket on your PC.


text:
Are there any Android devices that cannot be rooted?
I bought a new Galaxy Mega and it seems nobody has figured out a root method for it yet.  Are there devices that have been on the market for more than a few months that are not rootable?

To my knowledge, all devices are rootable but if it is not a popular phone or it is a new phone, there might not be a kit for it yet

All android devices can be rooted. From what I've observed, there aren't many guides to root dual sim phones .

Just for clarification: Are you looking for a list of devices that have no rooting tools yet – or is your question rather How do I root the Galaxy Mega? In the latter case, you might wish to consult our rooting tag-wiki and rooting device index. The latter also lists some "generic tools" you might want to try if there's no specific "rooting set" available for your device yet. Don't forget to report any success, you might even answer your own question :)

Wikipedia provides a few answers:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_rooting

In the past, many manufacturers have tried to make "unrootable" phones
  with harsher protections (like the Droid X), but they're usually still
  rootable in some way, shape, or form. There may be no root exploit
  available for new or recently updated phones, but one is usually
  available within a few months.

But that's the past.

Only a minority of Android devices lock their bootloaders—and many
  vendors such as HTC, Sony, Asus and Google explicitly provide the
  ability to unlock devices, and even replace the operating system
  entirely.

So shortly speaking, no worries, if there's no root yet, surely there's one to come out soon.


text:
ProxyDroid says it connects, but won't access the internet
I'm trying to get my schools proxy to work through ProxyDroid on my Galaxy S3 4.1.1. I can use the proxy fine through the default settings application, but that only allows me to use my browser, no applications. With ProxyDroid I can't even get my proxy to work on the browser, much less any other app.
To use my dorm's WiFi (and ethernet) I am forced to log in through the proxy. I'm not sure what the problem could be. I've got the correct url (I also have a proxy.pac option, but it ProxyDroid woudln't read it) and correct authentication.
When I enable the proxy in ProxyDroid it says it connects fine, I just can't access the internet.
I am rooted.


text:
Android play music cannot hear when opening for the first time
I am running Android 4.2-jelly-bean on cm10.1. When I start the play music, and play a song, it behaves as if the song is playing except there's no sound.
I have to exit the app, long press the home button, remove the play music from the list. Then only, I can hear the sound. Anybody else experiencing this problem? How to permanently fix this issue?

Have you tried disabling the Apollo player via Settings > Apps > All > Apollo > and disable the Apollo player? Restart phone, then see if that makes any difference?

Apollo is already disabled.


text:
nexus 10 remote
I just bought a movie for my nexus 10 on Google play, then I realized I could connect it to my television, the movie looks great but is there anyway I could play/pause the movie remotely? Maybe with my nexus 4?

the movie is on nexus 10. then the nexus 10 is connected to the tv via hdmi cable is that right?

That is right ..

Probably the easiest way to do this is not with another phone, which would need specialist software for each app you want to control, but with a Bluetooth gamepad such as a PS3 controller. Connect the gamepad to the Nexus 10 using Bluetooth, and then you can use the gamepad to control any app, including Google Play Movies.
"Any app" is a slight exaggeration: some apps might not entirely work properly just with D-pad controls, especially if they have custom controls. But most apps should just work fine, and some have special functionality to make them easier to use with gamepads (such as navigating between screens with the shoulder buttons).
The one thing you might have trouble with is adjusting the volume. Since that's controlled with physical keys, it's hard to get at through the GUI with the D-pad. But if your Nexus 10 is connected to your TV, you can change the volume of the TV with its remote instead.


text:
Backup Possibility?
Although I am fairly technically proficient, I am very new to Android, having only very recently purchased my first Android device, the Galaxy S4 phone, T-Mobile USA version, latest stock ROM.
I should mention that I have no interest in backing up the PIM data, as I have a Microsoft Exchange account through work, and have all my contacts, calendar, etc. on Exchange, and could easily re-sync it if lost on the phone. Of course also that Exchange e-mail account, but also have other personal IMAP e-mail accounts, which could also be re-synced. However, important for me to back up device settings, app settings, etc., as that could take many hours to re-configure if lost.
There seem to be various backup apps available, although some only work if the device is rooted. I have used Helium, and also Samsung Kies.
I am wondering, however, if the following would work:
What if, with a file explorer, either on the phone or on the desktop (with phone connected via USB and all files showing on the desktop computer), with the file explorer set to show all files--hidden, system, etc., show extensions, etc., one just copied everything in the phone's internal memory to a folder on the memory card? (And of course one could then copy that folder to a PC as well.) Would that folder have all the settings, etc., in it? If the phone crashed and lost all its data, but the memory card was still good (or if not,m and one saved the folder to an external computer), could one then restore the system to how it was by copying all the files in that folder back to the phone's internal memory?
Of course, one could save space by compressing that folder into a .zip, .rar, .7z, or other compressed file.
However, I have no idea whether saving all the files in internal memory (with the file explorer set to show everything) to the memory card or PC would really save all settings, etc., to be able to restore it to the state when one did that if need be.
Does anyone here know if that would work?
Thanks in advance for your response.

That's what Titanium Backup does. However, it requires root, and also in line with your question, you need root to be able to backup everything as you described.

I don't know whether or not that would work, but you might want to check out this post: http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/28296/full-backup-of-non-rooted-devices

It's not as simple as "copying the files" (and that's also not exactly what Titanium Backup does). Several services keep their data in memory, once loaded, and write changes back when they quit (and thus would overwrite some of the files you "restored"). So no, it wouldn't work reliably to use a simple file-copy, even when rooted.

Operation system has different processes constantly being loaded in and out of memory and constantly changing states. It's complex than just the collection of files and folders. So, if you want to copy everything and restore everything just using file browser, it would be impossible. To save app data only, you can use titanium backup but you need root permissions.


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Can your android device get malware?
I admit, I watch porn now and then on my android phone. But I never, ever, download something or click any adds or links. But here's the weird thing, sometimes when I visit such a website, an automatic download starts. I thought I removed them but when I installed an antivirus it detected 5 threats, all from that site. And the weirdest is, when I installed an other antivirus, it detected 4 more threats! Are these the same threats or did the first antivirus fail on me?
And do android devices get severe viruses?

Did you see: http://android.stackexchange.com/q/341/23379 and http://android.stackexchange.com/q/4236/23379

No, Android doesn't "get severe viruses" or malware much; it's Linux based, and is generally quite secure from being exploited even if a user does manage to install a malicious app.  And while it is possible to get it from a website that uses an exploit on a mobile browser, it is extraordinarily improbable.  Most likely the AV is reporting non-malware like tracking cookies as "threats".
More details:
AV companies define "threats" extremely broadly, in order to keep users paranoid and buying their software.  One of the ways they do this is to include things like tracking cookies and the like, which aren't technically malware.  This is probably what your AV is "detecting", as website drive-by malware infection on Android is hugely unlikely.  AV for the average user is useless on Android (and worse, slows down your phone); AV providers prey on user ignorance and fear from the fact that Windows requires AV (which most users have had drilled into them by now) to sell their products for Android.
The most likely scenario for getting malware is installing an app from someplace other than Play (sideloading), followed by being incautious when installing a Play app and not bothering to check the permissions an app is asking for (even then, extremely unlikely that it could do much other than send some of your personal info to a server for marketers to buy, or use up your bandwidth to pop up ads).
Many malicious websites will start automatic downloads, in the hopes that you'll be foolish enough to run whatever is being downloaded.  So long as you don't install whatever it is, there isn't a problem.


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path for echo binary location
I am unable to find the "echo" binary in the /bin path (supposedly the path for storage of essential binaries) on Galaxy S2 on which I am working on. And yes, the "echo" command is perfectly working when I tried it on adb shell. I have also tried looking into sbin, xbin and other such directories.
Does somebody know where else I can find it?

Yepp, in the shell. echo is a built-in command, see Why is echo a shell built in command?, Wikipedia: Shell built-in, and The echo command. So you won't find any "echo binary", as it is contained in the sh command.

Sorry, actually what I meant was an executable, and not a binary. So, I can see "mv", "ls" and other such executables.. but not "echo" although echo command works.                  I require to use the path for this executable in another system call.

All the same. The echo command is, as I wrote, built into the shell. The shell is executed when you log in (e.g. via adb shell), so there's no need for any separate executable or symlink (as it is done with busybox, for example).

If the system shell on your Android device is an mksh (i.e. /system/bin/mksh, normally), and the mksh version is recent enough that it supports direct builtin calls already, then you can create a link or symlink from echo to mksh (anywhere not mounted noexec). This will then expose the shell’s echo builtin as externally callable utility.
Note that you should normally be using the builtin, not an external utility, for speed, if possible.
Disclaimer: I’m the mksh maintainer.


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Chrome keyboard shortcuts, external Bluetooth keyboard, Samsung Galaxy Tab
There are a lot of Google hits in which people report that the usual desktop Chrome keyboard shortcuts (e.g., ctrl+t for a new tab) work fine on Android Chrome with an external Bluetooth keyboard.
However, none of the shortcuts seem to work in my system. I am using the following setup:

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1
Android 4.0
Chrome web browser
Microsoft Wedge Mobile Keyboard
Nothing strange configured or installed; I have recently reset the tablet

For example, these things work OK:

System-wide shortcuts (e.g. win+l for Calendar) work.
If I tap on the address bar in Chrome, I can use the keyboard to enter a URL.
I can also edit the address as usual when the address bar is active. Arrow keys work, ctrl+a works, ctrl+c / ctrl+v works, etc.

However, these things seem to do nothing:

Using any of the usual keyboard combinations in Chrome: ctrl+t, ctrl+n, ctrl+l, ctrl+w, etc.

This guy claims working keyboard shortcuts on Note 10.1 http://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/16pcqx/til_that_chrome_for_android_supports_the_same/

I tried to plug-in a USB keyboard via OTG. Ctrl+A, Ctrl+C, Cltrl+V works, but not Ctrl+T (and the others). I don't have a bluetooth keyboard. So, I can't try.

Installing External Keyboard Helper Pro seemed to fix the keyboard shortcuts in Chrome.
(I have no idea why it helps; this was completely unexpected. I was just installing it to get rid of the onscreen keyboard.)


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Installing applications with larger size on S DUOS
I am using Galaxy-S-Duos
Android 4.0
Internal memory 1.8 GB !
What if I want to install application like Modern Combat-4 (1.9 GB)
These applications require to be installed in phone memory for their 1st run.
After that the can be moved to SD card..
Is it possible to install them directly to SD card?

Installing apps from Google Play will first download the .apk file to /data/local, which is in the device's internal memory – so you're already lost before the installation itself even had begun. And that's only the first hurdle to be taken:
Though one could set the "default installation location" (using adb set-install-location, see adb help), the app must explicitly support to be installed on anything other than internal storage. If it does not support this, it cannot be installed there (though you might be able to move it there lateron with some special apps enforcing it).

use foldermount to mount the specific data and obb folder to mount it as external storage.You will need root for this.Alternatively,you can use link2sd and/or gltosd for the same.I have nova 3 installed that way

Welcome to the site, and thanks for helping other visitors. This answer could be a lot more helpful if you described the process in more detail. Assume the questioner doesn't know what foldermount is or how to find the data and obb folders.


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A second Boot Loop, any underlying causes?
Recently, a while after I rooted my Galaxy SII, I decided to take the plunge and flash a custom rom.
I went with the stable slimbean roms, It survived for a little over a month or two, with 1 maybe 2 updates to newer builds, but about 2.5 weeks back, it went into a boot loop.
I tried most solutions I could find, and nothing helped, so in the end I flashed AOKP rom, and that worked really well for 2 weeks. Now even that is stuck in a boot loop.
I am trying to figure out if these are one off things or if it is something I am doing wrong or could it be a hardware fault?
Details-

When I went from slimbean - AOKP, I did do a clean wipe (tried once without wipe and it was stuck in boot loop) but after the clean wipe I came across Nandroid Manager, and used it to restore my user apps data back.
The couple of days before it died I experienced some general sporadic slowdown along with a wierd problem that sometimes it would completely freeze when playing a song for a second or 2. I put that down to either sdcard issues or song corruption, but now I am not sure.

Those bootloops may happen because the ROMs you are using are not stable enough. and may by you do something on your phone that the ROM that you are using does not like(keeping in mind that may by the rom you are using is not so stable). I recommand reisntalling again a custom rom, but you allways have to do a full wipe of your phone and clear dalvik cache!

You could try connecting the phone to PC and reboot. After powering down, start  adb logcat on computer. In this way you could see system logs during booting and may find what's wrong with the phone.

I Tried, but didnt get anything, I assumed the phone side of the logging hadnt started yet? let me try again

yup, nothing, clean flashing a new rom now.. hope this one sticks


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Can a device running Android OS record a stereo audio source?
This question is very old. Time to ask again, because hardware and software changes. The question is simple.
What have I tried?

Searched here. Dead links.
Read up on OTG.
Got a Roland Go Mixer. Monitor jack outputs stereo, specialized app records mono, other apps still record the phone mic.
I find out that this is a long standing issue, and that neither the OTG USB sound card nor the specialized app is to blame.

So the question is simple, and I suspect the answer is very simply, no. Not on any device running Android OS, with any audio hardware, with any audio driver, with any specially written app therefor.
So, as per the title: Is there an exception?


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How to make a file show up in the Downloads App?
I have copied a file to the Downloads folder with the File Manager App. But when I open the Downloads App, the file doesn't show up.
The Downloads folder is definately the right one: I've deleted a file in the Downloads App and could wittness its disappearance in the Downloads folder in the File Manager App.
Does the Downloads app register downloads somehow and only shows files that have come to the Downloads folder the right way by some Downloads App standard?
Update:
I renamed a file in the Downloads folder to a filename, that already showed up in the Downloads App. That did work, I could open the file from the Downloads App.
Seems very strange to me...
My phone is a LANIX Ilium LT500 on Android 5.1.
Update 2:
Even a reboot of the phone could not make the Downloads App show all files in the Downloads folder...

Edit /data/data/com.android.providers.downloads/databases/downloads.db.

nothing strange on this behavior. the downloads app is not related to files. it's just a kind of notifications history, similar to your pc's webbrowser download history


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How to determine if my phone supports AndroidOne?
The HTC U11 Life got my attention when I saw androidone printed on its back. Now I got one, but this one doesn't have the androidone print on its back. Are there two versions of the phone, one to support androidone and another that doesn't?
Is there a setting I can check that would clearly tell me whether my phone supports androidone or not?
It came with Android 8.0.0 and it says there are no Software updates available...
Update: According to the HTC website there are indeed two versions of the phone: one such and another with a (T-Mobile) suffix. Upon booting the phone there is a T-Mobile screen, thus it looks like I’ve got the T-Mobile version. The question remains though: is this version of the phone not part of the android one program?

There is indeed a variant of the HTC U11 Life that does not have the Android One branding:

the American variant of the same phone does not have the Android One branding

The answer to my question should therefore be: if it isn't labeled androidone on the rear, it's not in the Android One program.
I will generously assume that the vendor, who marketed the phone with Android One, was also confused by the HTC marketing strategy for this phone. They can take it back though.

This article states that:

Android One is a Google-devised programme for hardware manufacturers making smartphones. Being part of Android One - and labelled as such on the rear of the phone - brings with it a guarantee that it's a solid and stable version of Android that's not loaded with other apps, services and bloatware.
  Essentially, it's a stock Android experience.

Your device is an Android One as shown here, here and here.

With Android One, your device will receive up to two years of upgrades to the latest version of Android.

In North America, it was released with Android 7.1. It came already installed with Android 8 in some parts of the world of the world and is upgradable to Android 9.

Is there a setting I can check that would clearly tell me whether my phone supports androidone or not?

There is no such setting.

@MorrisonChang A list of Android One devices (Wikipedia providing a better list than Google; this world is coming to its end :)). Also an old article for XDA Developers. Bare in mind that Android One is just a program not the software. So the device will still be Android 7, 8, 9 and 10 but with no bloatwares from manufacturers.

I want to stress again, that my phone does not have the android one label on its rear. Is it possible there is a version of the HTC U11 Life that is not part of the android one program?

@ReddyLutonadio I deleted my comment when I checked  archive.org for https://web.archive.org/web/20180124095614/https://www.android.com/one/ and found HTC U11 Life as part of the program.


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Dual band hotspot (DBS)
Phone has snapdragon 765g processor, which natively support dual band hotspot (2.4g and 5ghz), plus Android 12 has support for DBS, but the settings screen doesn't show any option to enable DBS.
How do I enable DBS?

What phone do you use? Android in general may have DBS hotspot support but manufacturer often don't use original AOSP version instead use a modified version and forget to include certain features of new Android versions.

I use one plus device, is there any adb means to activate it, even if it's rooted how do I activate it?

@Chemist your phone support dual band in client mode. But not in a server (wifi ap mode) your best bet is to buy a device that ships with android 12 or 13 and has a wifi driver that support dual band in wifi ap mode

Didn’t know that, Thanks


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Root Samsung device with Qualcomm chipset, without tripping knox?
I currently own a Samsung device with 730g snapdragon processor,I wish to root the device
After some research what I have understood is, Exynos processors Have efuse, which can be blown when unsigned code is run during boot(when trying to root) and essentially trips knox permanently
Since my phone has Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, would it trip knox permanently when I try to root the device?

What does the rooting tutorial say?

It doesn't address this issue

then it will trip knox


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How to open data folder from android
http://postfiles6.naver.net/20130808_261/fermat22_1375962717749SdDOq_PNG/info.png?type=w3
This is app info
(setting->application manager->app)
I want reading this app's data(261mb) but i can't finding this folder.
How to find(or open) this app's data folder

If your device is not rooted, you cannot access any app's data folder.

The link you posted is dead: it gives a "Referral denied" error. I strongly recommend using the built-in "Upload image" feature to add your screenshot (if you must add one at all) instead of using some dodgy third-party site.

@DanHulme I guess he lacks the necessary rep for that.

An app whose package name is com.example.app has its data files in /data/data/com.example.app. This applies to pre–Jelly Bean systems, and to the first user on Jelly Bean systems. For other users on Jelly Bean systems, user 1 has the data files for com.example.app in /data/user/1/com.example.app, and so on.
Reading another app's data files can only be done on a rooted phone. Even then, you need an app that's designed to work with root access. See the rooting tag wiki, and How do I root my Android device? for more info, but bear in mind that rooting will void your warranty.


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How can one know if one's battery is damaged
What are the signs of a damaged or completely drained battery for Samsung Galaxy Note II? The battery displays it is empty and yet does not charge. It does not power the phone either. Am confused

You can check the the battery status using the service menu of your android device.
You can see the current battery level there. The device suggests whether or not to change the battery.


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Sporadic SMS on Galaxy Nexus after upgrade to 4.3?
I have an unlocked Galaxy Nexus I bought directly from Google and use a T-Mobile plan. Last week, I got the OTA update for 4.3. Since then, I haven't consistently been able to send text messages. The usual scenario is:

Send a text message.
It hangs at sending (Messaging eats up more battery than normal during this.)
It'll sit there indefinitely until I send another text. Tested this by waiting all day on two occasions.
After I send another text, either a.) that one hangs too or b.) that one, and any ones that are stuck at sending, will all simultaneously send. It's like the successive text wakes up all the other ones.

This happens enough to not be coincidence, and as I said I've let the stuck messages sit there for about eight hours without sending any more messages and they would not send until after I did. Anyone have any idea what's going on here?


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Samsung Galaxy S2 boot loop
Today I updated my S2 with the android version provided by the carrier, but I thought it went wrong because of the lack of space on /storage and afterwords some of the apps lost their settings. Also after the update all the apps started to have disk space errors when trying to update, so I deleted some of the apps or moved them to external sd, but still had little space on the 2Gb partition.
I looked for a rooting solution and since I'm on Ubuntu I downloaded Heimdall.
I downloaded the latest firmware version for I9100 from sammobile.com and in console I ran the following command (saw this in a tutorial)
sudo heimdall flash --factoryfs factoryfs.img

And I got this error
Uploading FACTORYFS
21%
ERROR: Failed to confirm end of file transfer sequence!
FACTORYFS upload failed!
Ending session...
Rebooting device...
Re-attaching kernel driver...

Now everytime I try to boot my phone it goes into recovery mode.
How can I get pass the booting sequence and install a new and functional android rooted version? Am I missing something in the process, is my first attempt to root my phone.


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How to diagnose malfunctioning wifi?
Nexus One, cleared internal user storage to near-factory settings using the boot menu.
My computer is connected to wifi, and I have a USB tether to my phone.
But when I click on "Connect to wifi" -- even in the virgin "user setup" menu -- No networks are found, and the device becomes unbearably slow.
The device had functioned properly for 1.5 years ... until yesterday.
I don't know whether the problem is hardware or software.
If it is in software, I would like to fix it... but I don't have wifi, and I don't have 3G.
What are the steps to diagnose this problem?
If it is a software problem, what are the steps to fix it?

From my experience working on Service Centers I would say it's probably HW. But you can try some things to confirm it or not:

Usually Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are on the same SoC. If BT is also not working it's a good indicative that it's HW issue on that SoC.
If you go to Settings -> System -> Advanced -> Reset Options -> there is an option "Reset Wi-Fi, mobile and Bluetooth". Have you tried that?
Another option is to take a look at kernel logs, even if you don't understand much. With USB debugging enabled, try to connect to wifi and while the device is slow type "adb shell dmesg". If you get a "permission denied" error try "adb bugreport" and in the generated text file look into the "Kernel log" part.
If you see consecutive error/fail messages of somthing related to Wlan or Wifi, this probably means it's a HW issue.

Tap the Menu button on your handset.
Tap Settings.
Tap Wireless and Networks.
Tap Wi-Fi settings.
Tap the Menu button again.
Tap Advanced ( Figure B ).
Tap the Proxy setting and make sure your
Android device is not set up for a Proxy.
(Unless the Wi-Fi network you are on
requires a Proxy, this setting will get in the
way of your device's access to the computer)
If you tap on Proxy and see an IP address or
domain, delete it.

Tap Advanced : "The Application "IP Address settings" is not responding [Close / Wait]

After rebooting, I tried accessing this menu again, and there were no proxy settings, just settings for MAC address, IP address, and static IP address. The MAC and IP address fields are set to "Cannot use", and the static IP is not in use. In order to use these settings, wifi must be turned on... but as soon as I turn wifi on, the device becomes too slow to access this menu. I'll try it once, then I will have to reboot to speed up the device again.


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Samsung Galaxy S phone USB device recognized by host VirtualBox OS but undefined in guest OS
My phone model is

Samsung Galaxy
S SGH-T959

When plugged in via USB cable, the phone is well recognized by Windows as below snapshot.

But when I select the Samsung phone device from Device menu of the  VirtualBox guest OS window as below snapshot, the device is not regconized after Windows try to auto update driver for that device :(

Is the USB icon on the VirtualBox enabled on the guest OS.
If that's disabled, the USB on the host side will not pass it through the guest, this requires the handset plugged in host side.
It's a small icon on the bottom of the VM window, near the hard disk where it shows blinking activity? Click on that, to enable USB pass-through.
Are you intending to flash the device from within a VM?

Yes the icon is flashing @t0mm13b. And yes I do ^^ You got my intention in flashing the device from a VM since the flasing tool(s) available on the internet are full of scary trojan/virus :-(

@NamG.VU All I can say is, be careful in flashing a handset from within a VM. Sure USB pass through are somewhat better than what it used to be, but there is a risk involved, be better off to flash it from the host instead for better stability in USB commmunications.


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Is there a way to detect that SMS text messages have been deleted, or is there a text message deletion history?
I don't know if this is possible, but is there a way to detect that SMS text messages were deleted on an android phone, specifically the Samsung Galaxy S4 phone, Android OS 4.2?  I'm not looking to find the content of deleted text messages.  I'm curious if you can, essentially, see a text message deletion history.  For example, you deleted 5 text messages on this day from this person.  Is this possible?  Has anyone ever heard of something like this?
I would appreciate any help.
Thank you.

Sqlite database which is where the SMS are stored, are purged depending on Settings from within Messaging App, specifically Delete Old Messages as limit is reached which is IIRC defined by Text Message Limit.

I heard a while back that all of the text messages you send get kept on your SIM card. I just did some quick research and I guess it is true:

http://www.pimall.com/nais/phonefilepro.html
http://hiddencameragear.com/cellphone-sim-card-file-retriever-recover-calls-texts-history-and-more

These devices will allow you to see the contents of the text messages and also the sender and receiver. If you are looking for a way to do it through your Android device, then it would be a lot more work. You would have to try to do a data recovery on your hard drive (which is a lot of messing around). Even if you did do a data recovery, the chances of you getting any of your text messages back are slim, and if you have encryption enabled forget it.

AFAIK, most newer phones nowadays no longer save text messages on the SIM card.


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Share mouse and keyboard between multiple androids
I'm new to android but I have an application in mind that I'm willing to work long for: setting up three or four android tablets upright, as if I were looking at a four-monitor desktop pc, and use one bluetooth mouse and keyboard between the four of them.
Where should I start. I'm sure that some combination of android packages must allow me to do this... :)

AFAIK it isnt possible, because Bluetooth protocol currently allows just one-to-one connection. You have to create "master" device which next share keyboard and mouse throw diffrent protocol, eg. WiFi.
But I still do not see any use for this :)


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"Save Image" doesn't work
Using Android 4.0.4 on the LG Optiomus P970 I cannot save images from browsers.
When using the preinstalled browser (not Chrome on this device) tap-and-hold brings up a context menu including "save image". Pressing that option closes the menu but otherwise has no effect.
When using Chrome choosing "save image" brings up a list of apps to use including Gallery, Dropbox and Google Drive (all three allow selecting an existing file only, but doing so doesn't change that file) and a couple of non-senical options like Camera, Camcorder, Audio and voice memo.
Any idea what might be going wrong or how I can troubleshoot it?

Are you sure it has no effect in the default browser? Once you've pressed Save image, it's done, so you shouldn't expect to see anything further. Go into the Gallery and look in the Downloads album.

Sadly no. Nothing there.


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How to make notification lights turn off automatically when new email is read from another platform?
I'm using a Samsung S3 and I currently have the notification LED indicator option ON when an email arrives.
Is there a way to make the flashing blue light stops when I read this new email from another platform (Thunderbird for example)?
For example: Unread new email inbox : Flashing
             New email recently read: Stop flashing
Thanks!

Could be possible with Tasker. You might check for unread message count, then turn off the led.


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USB Tethering Problem
I am using USB Tethering to use my phone as a modem. Whenever I activate USB Tethering, there will be two network present in my PC. One named Network X(X being a number which is incremented every time I connect. Currently it's 13.), another named unidentified network. On basic Network section, it would show multiple network and there is no access to internet.
To use internet, I have to disable Local Area Connection 9 and then enable it which removes the unidentified network. Now I can use internet. I have do it every time I want to use Tethering.
My Handset: Sony Xperia Tipo
Android OS: Ice Cream Sandwich
PC OS: Windows 7
What is the cause of this and how can I solve this problem?

How are you doing USB tethering? Using an app? (or the phone's default feature? -- I don't know where this is though)

I'm using the default one.


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copy my exchange server settings password
The password field under "exchange server settings" is blocked out. I want to add my business email to another phone. Is there any way to reveal the password?
Thanks.

you don't know the password to your business email address? @_@

well, the one I regularly use doesn't work. Meh, I'll ask my boss, hopefully she knows.

I'm sorry if that came out rash, but hopefully there should be a way to reset that password through your Sys Admin (or better if your boss knows).

don't understand why it would block the password to begin with. most apps you can click a "show password" button.

Pretty sure it's there for security reasons, all the more since that is business email.

If you are talking about the stock Email app, there is no way to show the password. This is for your privacy and security. You don't want people to be able to see your password if you lost the phone, especially if don't use a PIN- or password-enabled lockscreen.
The best way to resolve this issue is to contact your company's IT Support, and request for a password change.


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Cyanogenmod 10.1 becomes unstable with usage?
Does CM 10.1 become more and more unstable with usage? I have a Galaxy Mini S5570 running CM 10.1. After flashing the ROM my phone works fine for one or two weeks. But soon my phone starts crashing more often. The phone starts rebooting every now and then. Apps (especially Camera.apk) start crashing often even though I haven't installed any new apps. This doesn't happen for the for the first few days after flashing the ROM. Is there any fix for this? Any patch available so that my phone can run smoothly even after 2 weeks?

If you don't get any answers here, I would suggest asking in the CM forum: http://forum.cyanogenmod.com/forum/666-samsung-galaxy-mini-tass/

I wouldn't run the "Addon Apps" like "RAM Manager" or the "Seeder" script. I am not sure if you are using those, but the RAM manager could cause instability because it forces applications to close to "free ram".
The need to free RAM is a myth, if an application kills other apps, to free up some RAM, the OS will find something else to fill that RAM. Android does not want free RAM, it sees free RAM as wasted RAM.
As for "Seeder", if you are running that, I would either try updating, if you don't have the latest, or fresh install official CM without this script. Even the developer of this is acknowledging that it has been causing instability, like locking and reboots.
The biggest issue, really, that I see is that you are trying CM 10.1 on a device that has not been supported by CM for some time. This device's last official build was CM 7.2. So another reason you are seeing instability is because you are trying to run a version of Android on hardware that really doesn't support it. The CM team usually only drops support for a device when they can no longer get the latest builds to run on the device.

I flashed the ROM with and without the performance scripts but ended up with the same result. Does CM 10.1 store any cache that could possibly use up memory? How is it that the ROM runs smoothly in the beginning?


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Samsung Grand duos not visible in Mac Finder but visible in DDMS
I have eclipse installed and can see my device DDMS tab. Debugging also works normal. But oddly, I dont see my device (both internal memory and sd card) in Finder. I am unable to transfer to-and-fro my Mac. My Android OS version is - 4.1.2 (Jellybeans)
Solutions already tried:
1) Rebooting both device and system multiple times.
2) Select/unselecting "USB Debugging" in developer options.
3) Connecting device as "Media Device(MTP)" and "Camera (PTP)"
4) Installing Kies and trying to access device from there. I get a perpetual "Connecting..." message.

5) Plugging/Unplugging device from Mac. I get the message "Try reconnecting or restarting your device."

The device is definitely getting detected by the system as its shown in DDMS. But what could be the possible cause of not letting me access the storage?
P.S.: Device works fine in Windows, both storage duly pops up in the "Computer" section.

permission problem? what group/id is DDMS under, maybe kies on mac os/x needs to be on the same group?

How and where do I check this?

Disabling 'debugging mode' did the trick for me.


text:
Notifications enabled on app make the app run on background?
Let me start with an example, Delta's airline app called "FlyDelta" has an option in it settings to enable/disable "Get check-in reminders & status notifications". My question is, if I enable this "Get check-in reminders & status notifications" will the app from that point on run in the background at all times (even after restarting the phone or killing the app)?
I'm a bit confused on how notifications work. I know that Google has a very nice infrastructure to push notifications to an app, but does the app has to be running in order to consume the data? any help explaining this specific app behavior will be greatly appreciated.

See: http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/40990/how-push-notifications-work

Polling for updates
It depends on how the app is written. Most commonly, the app uses Android's AlarmManager to run itself at intervals (say, every hour) to check for updates. Some apps might do this to keep themselves in sync with server data regardless of whether notifications are turned on or off in the app, and may (or may not) have another setting to disable syncing completely. Other apps might only run this periodic check if notifications are turned on, and only sync when you start the app yourself.
However it controls that, you should expect that when the AlarmManager starts the app in the background, it runs for as it long as it takes to get any new data from the server, and then stops running when it's finished. It will then not run until the AlarmManager starts it again in another hour (or however long it's set to wait). There's (usually) no need for the app to be running in the background the whole time, though of course a badly written app may do this.
Cached background processes
Don't forget that Android keeps background processes in memory even when they've stopped running, unless/until another process needs to use that memory. If the app is 'stopped', it's not using any resources, not even if Android is keeping it in memory.
Google Cloud Messaging
Apps can use Google Cloud Messaging (GCM) to be 'pushed' updates from servers (i.e. from "the cloud"). Instead of being started at regular intervals to check for data, they're only started when new data are available. This means they use less power, because they're not being started unnecessarily; and less data, because they only talk to the server when they know it has new data.
As above, an app might use GCM to keep its data in sync with the server, even if notifications are turned off. It's an implementation detail of the app: it shouldn't affect its observable behaviour, just how much power and data it uses.
Android itself keeps an open connection to Google's servers. There's only one such connection on the whole phone, so installing a new app that uses GCM doesn't use any extra resources. When the Android system receives a GCM message for a particular app, it starts that app in the background to give it the message: the app doesn't need to have been running already.
The app then runs, and reads the message. The size of GCM messages is severely limited, so the app may still need to contact the server to find out more. For example, the GCM message might just say how many new emails there are, and the client then needs to check the server to download the new emails. For flight details, it may be that the message only has a gate number or an updated departure time, so the app might not need to contact the server for more details. As before, when the app has finished processing the update, and it has created a notification if necessary, it can stop itself: it doesn't need to keep running.

I think it might differ among apps. To figure out the app in question runs in background or not, just use system> apps> running services.
If it's push notification, it consumes data only when it receives data. Even if it runs in background it does not consume data.


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How to update Samsung Galaxy SII SHW-250K from ICS to jelly bean?
How can I update Samsung Galaxy SII SHW-250K from ICS (4.0.4) to jelly bean?
I tried using samsung kies but it shows that
"SHW-250K does not support initialising".

You can simply flash win Odin GT-I9100 firmware.
Firmwares you can get from sammobile
Odin you can get from http://web.djodjo.org/?a=download:android:tools:win:bootloadertools
get Odin307
You can also check this tutorial for flashing with Odin.


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Saving contacts on Nexus 4
I'm using the Nexus 4 with android 4.3 and i have a problem. Since i don't want to never, ever sync my contacts with google (when i choose the phone it lasts about 5 years so no need to worry about "what if i change it?") i want to turn off that feature because it's more pain than gain.
When i try to add new contact ("People" -> "Add new"), when app shows up i have only two options - to sync that contact with my google account or with my company mail account. No "store locally" option.
When i go to "Settings -> Accounts" and delete all email accounts (gmail and company mail account) and then try to insert new contact - voila, i can choose to save that contact locally. As soon as i create any account (needed for tracking my email) i lose "save locally" option. What to do? What service do i have to disable so i never get that annoying "sync with email" message?

Somone just did this here. DISABLE GOOGLE CONTACT SYNC IN YOUR APP SETTINGS!! (Not the app setting. Settings -> Apps (in all) -> contacts sync -> disable
this is not the same as just disabling the syncing aspect of the contacts page, it removes google from being all up in your contacts period since they blocked nexus owners of having a local contacts option.
and there is another way as well. i did the first one.
http://forums.androidcentral.com/general-help-how/352276-i-have-stock-android-phone-there-way-have-contact-list-not-google-affiliated-2.html#post3392252
repost it to people who ask! google is full of it. I've never seen another phone not have a local contacts page.

David, thanks for the hints! Mind to include an abstract from the link you've posted? Since if the link dies, those details would be lost.


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Is it possible to get bbciplayer working on an arm v6 device?
Have been playing about flashing modded firmware to an older android device which has an arm v6 processor and have been disappointed in not being able to view any media through bbciplayer either through the app or online.
Checking out the bbc help pages regarding this is confusing as they confirm bbciplayer should run on android 2.1 and up.  The fairly recent addition of needing the bbcmediaplayer installed to play any bbc media through either the bbciplayer app or their website means that this device appears to be unable to play bbciplayer media at all.  After researching on bbc's help pages this is due to bbciplayer using adobe air 3 for which demands arm v7 minimum specification.
Is it possible to run adobe air 3 on an arm v6 device?

Highly doubt it can be done, since Adobe Air v3 targets ARMv7 instruction set, its like comparing chalk and cheese in regards to both ARMv7 and ARMv6 instruction set.
So the chances of back-porting to the older instruction set is difficult to say the least, not alone that, it is a proprietary software so no going in there.
The trend is there and is to stay this way with the advent of increased hardware, supply/demand which dictates support ARMv7 and let ARMv6 die off.


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unable to connect laptop to cisco vpn when laptop is using tablet internet connection
I am facing an unusal problem. I tried searching but seems no earlier post is here addressing my problem.
I am using 3G mobile data connection(SIM card) in my samsung galaxy tab 2. As you know android Jelly Bean has the feature of sharing the tablet's data connection via wifi tethering/hotspot. Now: I can connect to the internet easily from my acer laptop(windows 7) via the wifi tethering of my tablet. However, when i try to connect my laptop to my office vpn(cisco) using cisco vpn client, i get the error that the client is not able to connect to the vpn server. But if i connect my laptop to the internet via bluetooth modem of my nokia c7, then vpn connection is easily established.
Is it something with the wifi tethering technology? Please help. The tablet itself can connect to vpn server using vpncilla for android.
Please suggest.

The problem is that whereas the bluetooth connection functions as a bridge network device, Wifi tethering creates a NAT which may prevent some functionality. See if enabling Transparent Tunneling or IPSEC over UDP on the client help. Since tethering doesn't support port forwarding, you can't use PAT on the device.


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Be notified of an update to an app that is not installed
Is there any way to receive an update/new version released notification from the Play Store for an app that is not installed in my phone? I'm using 4.3 on a Nexus 4.

With Changelog Droid being currently "out of order"1, let me mention an alternative:
App Watcher claims to do the very same:

App Watcher notifies you about updates of applications from Play Store even the app is not installed currently on your device and provides quick access to the "What's new" section.

App Watcher (source: Google Play; click images for larger variants)
1:  (according to a comment from winchendonsprings); by a response I've got from the dev, he's quite busy with other tasks at the moment, but did not abandon the app – he still plans to update it, but cannot give an estimate.


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get webpages from command line
How can I get the contents of a webpage from the command line? On my mac I use the curl command, but there is no such command for the android command line. what command do I use?

There is a port for cURL for Android:

http://thesoftwarerogue.blogspot.com/2010/05/porting-of-libcurl-to-android-os-using.html

But I think that your best bet for this one is the git repo:

https://github.com/jahrome/curl-android

                             _   _ ____  _
                      ___| | | |  _ \| |
                     / __| | | | |_) | |
                    | (__| |_| |  _ <| |___
                     \___|\___/|_| \_\_____|

README
  Curl is a command line tool for transferring data specified with URL
  syntax. Find out how to use curl by reading the curl.1 man page or the
  MANUAL document. Find out how to install Curl by reading the INSTALL
  document.
  libcurl is the library curl is using to do its job. It is readily
  available to be used by your software. Read the libcurl.3 man page to
  learn how!

I found this distribution of curl that is more easy to install http://curl.haxx.se/download.html It works just fine.


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How to get my original ROM working again?
I have a Samsung Galaxy Ace GT-S5830L and I a few days ago downloaded and installed a custom ROM 4.2.2 the name of the file is (cm-10.1-20130503-NIGHTLY-cooper), It worked good at first, but then the apps didn't download it used a lot of memory, it crashed/hanged and it became annoying, So I'm trying to return to my previous original version 2.3.4, but It doesn't work... I made a backup with clockworks, but it doesn't work. I tried downloading one from the internet and using thor (i think that was its name) to install it, but it doesn't connect succeed anytime I try... I also tried with kies, but It didn't work, it just staid there for hours without doing anything...
So what are my options to restore the original ROM?, I really need to get back to it, this version is just to buggy and annoying for me to stay with it.

"it doesn't work" doesn't give us enough information to help you. If you say exactly what you did, and what happened, someone might be able to help.

Also, you might like to try the stable Cyanogenmod ROM instead of the nightly build. The nightly build may or may not work on any given day, but the stable build is tested and should be reliable.

I agree with @DanHulme, using nightly builds as your everyday rom is not a good idea. You need to do some searching to find a mod that fits perfectly to your device. Remember that if you try to load a mod on your phone that is the build for a phone on a different carrier, you could soft brick your device. Close only counts in horseshoes and handgrenades =)

Sorry about not providing enough information, at the moment I'm going to try to install the latest stable build, Thanks for the help :)


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Cannot un -sync sms sync on galaxy s4
I have just restored my galaxy s4 as i was having trouble with it. now, all my texts are going to my email. i have gone to the option ünsync sms"but it wont work! it just says unable to change sms settings at this time. What do i do?

Where can I find Unsync SMS? I also have an S4, but don't know where that is. Maybe I can help.

Delete the account and set it up again , before finishing unsync sms...


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Samsung Galaxy S4 USB Not Recognized by Windows 7
When I connect my Samsung Galaxy S4 (Verizon) with a USB cable to my work PC that is running Windows 7, my work PC recognizes it immediately.  I see all my pictures, music, etc.
When I connect my phone to my home PC which is also running Windows 7, I get a device named "CD Drive (F:) Verizon Mobile".  I see a very short list of folders and files that includes a USB driver (with an autorun) and a few Mac OS folders in it.  In Device Manager, this shows up under DVD/CD-ROM drives" with a driver named "SAMSUNG File-Stor Gadget USB Device".
After a few seconds of looking at  these files, Windows removes the device and replaces it with one labeled "SCH-I545".  Clicking on SCH-I545, there are no files visible.  I have many files and photos on my phone, but I can't see any of them in Explorer.  If I right-click SCH-I545 and get Proeprties, I see a battery level, but nothing else.
Opening Device Manager, I see SCH-I545 in the list of portable devices.  The manufacturer of this driver is Microsoft.  I have tried uninstalling the driver, unplugging the phone, and plugging it back in, but the same thing happens.
I have tried downloading and installing the USB driver from the Samsung site, but the same thing happens.
I have managed to get Samsung Link working to load some files onto my phone, but I would much rather use a file copy mechanism.
Does anyone have an idea of how I can get my home PC to recognize the phone and let me copy files to and from it?

What are these drivers you installed? Is it from Samsung Kies?

Most, if not all, devices are treated as CD device initally, that is to enable to install the driver from the device, once installed, it switches to another USB mode, that is, a drive with your files on it. What Android Version? What mode is it in, MTP?

After searching the Internet for similar issues, I did the following:

I unplugged my phone from the USB cable.
On the home screen, I pressed the bottom left Settings button and chose Settings.
I selected "... More".
I pressed "Developer options" in the list below.
I turned on the Developer options at the top.
Under the Debugging section, I checked "USB debugging".
I reinstalled Samsung Kies.
I started Kies.
After Kies started, I plugged in my phone to the USB cable.

After connecting my phone with Kies running, the Windows Update form appeared and a new entry was in the list.  After the driver installation, everything worked.  I don't even have to run Kies first before connecting my phone to get Windows 7 to recognize it.  It just works.
I don't know exactly what series of events caused this to start working, but now I can actually copy stuff to and from my phone.  (Yay!)

When you connect your Galaxy S4 to the PC via USB, open the notification center and you'll see a message that says something like Connected to USB. Click for more options. Click it, and then select View as camera. After that you, should be able to copy files from the PC to your phone.


text:
Netflix refusing to log in, tried all the typical solutions
Just got my new tablet, tried to get netflix running. I took the following steps.

Installed netflix, got 15001 error
Ran system update, I am now completely up-to-date, error no longer occurs
attempted to sign in, got the following error message:
"we're unable to connect you to netflix please try again later"
cleared cache, deleted local data, got the same error message
uninstalled app, reinstalled, got the same error message
uninstalled app, restart tablet, installed app. Got the same error message

I only get this error message when using the correct username/password, using a bad one gives an appropriate error. So it's not a connection issue, just an authentication one. I have no idea what else to try.

Netflix has a troubleshooting guide for Android devices.
See if any of them works. If not, share your findings.

I have already tried all of the steps listed there. Like I said in my question: This is not a connectivity issue, it is an authentication issue. The error message doesn't even show up in netflix's help center search.

@AdamSpurgin Can you log-in via the website though? Log-out first, then log-in.


text:
YouTube app won't display the same search results as the desktop version
The main problem I've been having is that searching for "Stairway to Heaven" and a few other songs on the app returns only covers, live performances, etc; Only when I search on my laptop do I get the actual song. Is there any way to get past this issue?
I'm using an Xperia Miro ICS 4.0, and the default YouTube app.

Some videos on YouTube are not available to mobile devices. This restriction applies via the website (when accessed through a mobile device) as well as the YouTube app. This happens when someone has filed a "copyright claim" against a video (that is, they believe the video infringes their copyright, or "Content ID" matched the video against some copyrighted content, most likely the latter given that you're searching for a commercial music recording), and the alleged copyright-holder has told YouTube to allow their content to be used on desktops but not on mobile.
Even if it's possible to work around this, it would probably be illegal for us to make this information available to US citizens, because that's circumventing a technological restriction under the meaning of the DMCA. This applies regardless of whether the copyright claim is well-founded.
You can get the actual song by buying a recording of it, or by downloading it through some music-pirating service.

well I'm european is it illegal if I explain how do to it ?

@Kiwy It's a crime in the US wherever you do it. US police have been known to arrest people on entry to the US for offences under the DMCA committed by foreigners outside the US, e.g. Dmitri Skylarov.


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Link2SD - Lost first SD partition
I've been running Link2SD on a year or so with no issues. I use an 16GB SD card with a 1GB second partition. I have most of my stuff linked to SD, but a few apps I just left on the first SD card partition. Within the past week or so, it seems I've lost my first partition. When I go to Storage Info in Link2SD, it shows the same stats for /mnt/sdcard and /data/sdext2. All the apps that were on my first partition are missing, along with all my music, pictures, and application data. File explorers on the phone just show the stuff from the second partition, as well.
When I connect via usb to a pc I can see all the files and folders on the first partition, so it is there and I can get to them via the phone's usb connection.
Is this a link2sd isssue or a "funny" with mounting the SD's first partition?
Any help gratefully accepted.


text:
What is the difference between Calendar and Google Calendar in Account sync settings
In Settings > Accounts > Select Google Account > Account sync. There are switches for synchronizing various content of the account, such as Contacts, Drive, etc. I also have Calendar and Google Calendar in there. What is the difference, why is there two?
Phone models:
Google Pixel 5
Motorola Moto G8

It is a Motorola Moto G8 and it has no OEM calendar app that I can find.

As per this Moto ships with it's own calendar app. Can you recheck in your apps// Uninstall Google calendar and see if you can find calendar app

Thanks, I have rechecked the app drawer. I have gone into Settings > Apps & notifications > See all 71 apps and manually scrolled through them all to see if there is any preinstalled calendar app which I might have disabled in the past. I couldn't find any. The app for calendar from Google is simply called Calendar. I only have 1 Google account added in the phone at the moment.

Same question. Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 lite, Android 11. These are clearly two different services from Google Workspace. Disabling Google Calendar sync from settings makes itself visible in both the Calendar app and Outlook. Disabling Calendar sync does not appear to affect anything, from what I can see.

Same question here. Getting an old Samsung Ace 3 out of the drawer, rooted and "upgraded" to LineageOS 14.1 / Android 7.1.2.
Settings / Accounts / Google account shows Calendar and Google calendar, both with switches.
As far as I know, this is not related to any other calendar app that may be installed on the phone, since this settings allow to sync different google services/functionalities.

This does not really answer the question. If you have a different question, you can ask it by clicking Ask Question. To get notified when this question gets new answers, you can follow this question. Once you have enough reputation, you can also add a bounty to draw more attention to this question. - From Review


text:
Android Playstore speed problem on Stock Android phone
I am using Android One phone with Stock Android 8.0.0, I see some major speed problem in my playstore- while downloading from playstore I only get 250KBPS speed whereas my actual speed is 1.3MBPS -which I get in other apps..and even other phone's playstore while connected to the same network..
I don't know what is happening..
Any help and tips..?

With out more information it could be a bunch of different issues: Google could be throttling you download speed, your network router could be throttling it, or your internet provider could be throttling.  The play store is rather rudimentary IMO considering it historically doesn't allow the parallel downloading of applications

It is basically the problem of the software version  of the current update..There is no other way to wait for the next update.


text:
Android video and audio playback speed is nearly double
Yesterday I was showing a video to a friend of mine and something weird happened. As he went to grab my phone while I was holding it he had a few fingers on the screen and something flashed up and flashed away in the time span of about half a second so I wasn't able to exactly read what popped up. Although, since that happened it seems all my video and audio is being played at a high playback speed, I'd say around x2 the normal playback speed.
This isn't just limited to one app either. This occurred in an app called BuzzVideo, but the playback speed is global, in the YouTube app, YouTube Red, etc. I tried a combination of gestures on the screen while on that BuzzVideo app, but nothing seems to change the playback speed.
Do you have any suggestions?
What I've tried:

Restarting the phone
Rebooting the phone
Resetting the data & cache for the app that caused the issue

Might also add I'm trying to avoid an app data reset as I've disabled notifications for countless apps and have settings that would be very tedious to add back in for certain apps

If it helps, this is my device specs: http://specdevice.com/showspec.php?id=bc96-50e4-ffff-ffffb051cabc

I ended up accidentally wiping it (factory reset) while attempting to clear all app data, which in turn, fixed it (just not the way I was hoping for).
Now I've gotta manually remove the bloatware from my telecommunications provider and from the phone manufacturer and restore all those nice settings & applications I had.

Go back to the same video through the same app and hold it again the way you were- perhaps the dialogue will pop up again and you can catch it this time. I imagine you simply long-pressed for an options menu to come up. Just be ready to let go (or not) when you see it. Should fix your prob.

Sadly not, already tried that for about 2 hours in total, using 1-5 fingers, sliding, holding, pressing, tapping in different ways, although I already tried it, it could very well be a valid answer for someone else so no downvote from me :)


text:
Audio only calls with google hangouts
Is there a way to make audio only calls with Hangouts? My data plan is very limited (100 MB), and I do not want to waste it on video.

Not really, no. But a Hangout can be used to call a telephone number.

AFAIK you can initiate a call, and then turn off the camera − which basically would make it an "audio only call".

Would turning off the camera reduce significantly the data usage?

@András I would assume so. Video is larger compared to audio.

I knew that part I am just not sure hangouts will not keep sending the blank screen as video. It will not be a lot because of the compression, but still.


text:
Unbrick HTC Desire
This is my output of fastboot getvar all
(bootloader) version: 0.5
(bootloader) version-bootloader: 6.93.1002
(bootloader) version-baseband: 5.17.05.23
(bootloader) version-cpld: None
(bootloader) version-microp: 051d
(bootloader) version-main: 2.12.110.4
(bootloader) serialno: HT08MPL005xx
(bootloader) imei: xxx
(bootloader) product: bravo
(bootloader) platform: HBOOT-8x50
(bootloader) modelid: PB9920000
(bootloader) cidnum: T-MOB003
(bootloader) battery-status: good
(bootloader) battery-voltage: 4109mV
(bootloader) partition-layout: Generic
(bootloader) security: off
(bootloader) build-mode: SHIP
(bootloader) boot-mode: RUU
(bootloader) commitno-bootloader: dirty-365c78d6
(bootloader) hbootpreupdate: 11

I have downloaded RUU RUU_Bravo_Froyo_HTC_WWE_2.29.405.14_Radio_32.49.00.32U_5.11.05.27_release_224699_signed
Which is for a different radio. So I downloaded 32.49.00.32U_5.11.05.27 and did:
fastboot flash radio radio.img

and received this output:
sending 'radio' (26112 KB)...
OKAY [  4.836s]
writing 'radio'...
FAILED (remote: image update error)
finished. total time: 8.362s

according to google that means that the radio.img is corrup. I took it from the mirror of http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=687464 I have found an other radio.img which has the same version as the RUU from http://www.generalfiles.me/download/gs61d0834bh32i0/bravo.radio-5.11.05.27-signed.zip.html but that did make the desire shake three times when it was writing the radio and then hang.

Thanks for sharing the story -- but what exactly is your question?

Lol, well the radio flash failed, and because of that the ruu failed. so how to proceed to have a working htc desire again?

Ah, OK. Always good to mention the question explicitly :) As from the error message, could it be the radio.img is corrupt? You could e.g. check Where can I find stock or custom ROMs for my Android device? for an alternative source.


text:
Does GPS signal quality influence battery life?
Does bad/weak GPS signal affect battery life? For instance, when in the city downtown with lots of tall buildings or in the woods or mountains, will running GPS drain the battery faster?

Is this related to the question you asked previously?

No, I consider the questions as separate topics.

No. Bad cellphone coverage decreases battery life because the phone has to transmit with more power to be able to communicate back to the cell tower. It's like when you can barely hear someone hollering at you: you shout louder too to make sure they can hear you. But GPS is a one-way signal: the phone only receives it, it doesn't transmit anything. It doesn't matter how much attenuation there is: either the phone can hear or it can't.
The only way a weak GPS signal would cause more power use is if you leave the screen turned on waiting for an app to get a position fix :-)

GPS generally affects battery life significantly only when used (in standby, its energy consumption is neglible, usually far below 1 mW). But when it tries to aquire a fix (i.e. you want to know your current position), it might reach consumption values comparable to your device's screen (~500 mW).
So in your described situation, it might influence battery life. But the "if" and the "how much" depends on how often apps try to aquire a fix. While this usually is done in foreground (i.e. you actively trigger it), there might well be apps using it in background, such as e.g. Location Reminders.

GPS eat up battery, as described in How much does “GPSing” drain the battery?. But I have no clue is poor GPS reception decreases battery significantly. And I also read this somewhere: GPS only takes up battery life when something uses the fine position permission.
However, it drains more battery if you allow the GPS to be assisted by your network provider. In the Samsung Galaxy S4, this is found in System settings > More > Location Services > Use wireless networks. It will use network information to make GPS location even more accurate based on network cell sites that are found nearby. And if network is poor (e.g. 1-bar signal), the phone works harder and drains more power.

Well, network location is not used to make GPS more accurate – it's rather a (less accurate) substitute. If you're pointing at AGPS: That's used to speed up the GPS fix by downloading the almanac data from the network instead of from the satellites.

I'll neither say yes or a no to this question. :)
Debateable - if you're acquiring a GPS fix through Wifi, you will not get it in the woods or mountains  :)
However, if pulling 3G data across in order to acquire a fix, the question then steps in, how much battery juice is eaten up when trying to get a good "proper" signal (in between switching masts to get a better signal threshold) etc. (This ties in with @Dan's answer here)
Don't forget some apps will attempt to get a location as well Facebook is one example of such app.
Depends on what apps installed that have location permission, and as well as for services running in the background, all of these, will inevitably, slurp juice trying to run to obtain a GPS fix. So user bias can come in there as well.
One handset with just Maps will claim its fast, another handset with Facebook, Maps, G+, FourSquared will claim its slow.


text:
How does an android factory reset work?
When performing a factory reset, does Android remove all the added applications and user data or does it completely reflash an image of the OS
I am running on jelly bean 4.3 stock


text:
android tablet not waking up
I've got a cheap android tablet running Android 4.0.4 and it doesn't seem to be "waking" up when I want it to. So, when it shuts off after period of inactivity or when I put it to sleep (not powering it off, though), it won't "wake up" at a specified time via the built-in alarm clock or another app (like tune-in which has an alarm feature built into it). When I manually "wake it up" by pressing the power switch, the alarm that should have gone off before goes off after a few seconds.
Do I just have something disabled that is preventing it from waking up? Or is this possibly a hardware issue?

sorry about that...I should have been more clear. The link was to a previous post I made where I was trying to find out what my tablet is and who the manufacturer is. To the best of my knowledge, it's a TWD_MID...I don't know much more about it than that.

Do I just have something disabled that is preventing it from waking up?

There's no user-visible setting in Android for disabling alarms. That would kind of defeat their purpose!  The only way you can have disabled alarms is if you've rooted the device and gone around uninstalling system apps or poking at the internals. If you have, we'd need to know a lot more detail on what you've done to know if that's the cause, and the fix would probably be to flash a new ROM.
This does sound like the kind of system integration error you might find on an incredibly cheap tablet. Not quite a hardware issue, but a bug in the device's software. If it is, the only way to fix it would be to try to get an update from the manufacturer, but if you don't even know who they are, you might be out of luck.

I believe the device was shipped with root access (I didn't root it myself but I opened up a terminal and did su with no problem). The only settings I've changed are the typical ones that are available to regular users in Android (I think)...so I wondered if one of those would cause my problem.
And you're right...I have no idea who the manufacturer is and certainly not their website...so there's no update coming for me. Although, there is a setting that asks me if I want to check for system updates...which I've done a few times and (surprise surprise) there are no updates. Any other ideas?


text:
Reversing the order of notifications in the notification bar of a given app
I have a Galaxy S1 (I9000) running SlimRom (Android 4.2.2).
The problem I have is the following:
Assume someone sends me 3 messages in whatsapp (this is case important to me, but the problem is in general): First he sends 'a', then 'b', then 'c'.
The way I see the notifications is, from top to button, is 'c','b','a'.
I realize this is caused by the stack like implementation of the notifications, but since I read top-down I would like to see it as 'a' at top, then 'b', and finally 'c' at the bottom.
I recall that with the latest CM10 I had (also Android 4.2.2) they actually fixed this problem, but I am happy with SlimRom and I don't want to change my Rom solely on the sake of this problem.
Is there anything I can do about it ?