text:
What is the analogy of the X Server on Android?
I know well the desktop world of the Android and I am currently digging for, how does it work.
I think, because multiple processes (apps) can interact simultanously with the desktop, some central service (process) should exist to collect their change requests and unite them into an always consistent form (for example, if the content of a window changes while it is not visible, then the change should be invisible on the screen - until that window does not go into the front). Only this process has direct access to the frame buffer of the display (i.e. only it can directly change the pixels).
In the Linux/Unix world, this is being done by the X Server. The processes (apps) interact with the X Server on Unix sockets.
On Windows, as far I know, it is a kernel feature (thus, there is no specific process for that), and the processes interact with it on LPC (local procedure calls, windows-specific user space - kernel space communication mechanism).
On the net around, there is a huge mass of detailed documentation about the app-level interface, but nothing about this deeper internals.
How does it work on Android?

https://android.stackexchange.com/a/16244 https://android.stackexchange.com/a/221825

@alecxs First link: I think it is mostly unrelated to my question, and surely does not answer it. Second link: I think system_server is probably what I am looking for, although it is unclear, how does it access the display hardware, and how do the processes (apps) interact with it.

@alecxs I am sorry but if you think that this answer has anything to do to this question, you probably do not understand this question. Btw, I don't think that this answer is an useful answer for this question. Thank you very much, but I know that a kernel is not a "platform" (the OP probably understands the set of Java libraries on "platform").

@peterh-ReinstateMonica The question linked by alecxs mentions "Surface Flinger (Android's Display Server)" which is from my understanding the answer to your question. See for details: https://source.android.com/devices/graphics/surfaceflinger-windowmanager

@Robert 1) He linked an answer (which is imho NAA) 2) Yes, "Surface Flinger" is already an important trace, but there is still nothing what is it. It is a process? A java library? A kernel module? Or what? How do processes (apps) interact with it?

SurfaceFlinger is an init service, at least in recent Android releases; a native binary as well as a library. Check /system/bin, /system/lib, pgrep -a surfaceflinger, getprop init.svc.surfaceflinger on your device. Somewhat related: https://android.stackexchange.com/a/221749/218526. "How do processes (apps) interact with it?" is purely ROM / HAL development question, not suitable here. In short they use Android's/Linux's IPC mechanisms for communication. You may check official documentation for details.

@IrfanLatif Thanks! It is already an answer. The details of the Android/Linux IPC mechanism would be imho interesting, but I think it uses unix sockets (AFAIK sysv ipc does not exist on Android).

Android's preference is Binder and shared memory in most cases.

Summarizing the answers: display handling happens by the Surface Flinger, which is a service process started by the init scripts on boot.
Apps interact with the Surface Flinger over Linux/Android IPC mechanisms. The comment did not detail, how. Androids preference is binder and shared memory in most cases. Binder uses device files for process communication.
Surface Flinger communicates with the hardware over the vendor-provided HAL. Until Android 8, HAL was a set of shared libs in /lib/hw, provided by the vendors. Since Android 8, HAL is a set of system services (also processes started by the initialization). Legacy HALs in the form of shared libraries still do exist.

SurfaceFlinger communicates with vendor-provided HAL, not hardware.

@IrfanLatif Tyvm!

"HAL is a set of shared libs in /lib/hw". No. Binderized HALs introduced in Android 8 are not libraries but run as native daemons.

@IrfanLatif Thanks! I inserted it into the answer, is it okay?

Yes but not all HALs are daemons. Legacy HALs are still shared libraries.

@IrfanLatif Thanks, I inserted it into the post.


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How do I see number of or icon for unread messages?
My device: I use Android 9 on samsung galaxy s9.
Background: I believe there was a feature before (or maybe currently still, but I turned it off) about showing number of unread messages on apps like whatsapp, viber or the SMS app (and i guess gmail or facebook) or at the very least there's some kind of dot or something on a corner of the icon of such an app that indicates there exists at least 1 unread message (so the dot is an alternative to a specific number of unread messages).
My situation: I do not have such number or dot on icons on apps on my device. If I get a message on whatsapp or viber or regular SMS but say I have to install some updates and so my phone has to turn off or restart, then the notification of this message is gone.
Question: How do I see number or existence of unread messages on icons of apps such as viber and whatsapp and the SMS app?
I have tried looking this up, but

I wasn't able to find any articles specifically on Android 9 and Samsung Galaxy S9.

The solutions proposed in articles I've found on Android 9 but a different phone or on different versions of Android have not worked for me.

I've tried looking up some apps on the play store, but I haven't downloaded any because of the reviews.

You you are looking for is named icon "Notification Badge". Official Android got this feature very late, therefore a bunch vendor specific API extension exists to trigger such badges on devices  that use Android before this feature was officially introduced. Not sure about S9 on Android 9.

Nova launcher supports this, don't recall if it is a paid feature

(part 1) @Robert Oh thanks. I found out, both online and even in settings, badges go away when you swipe...Guess I'll have to resort to...

(part 2) @beeshyams nova or some other launcher. thanks!

@BCLC nova does I don't know about others

I found out, both online and even in settings, badges go away when you swipe...Guess I'll have to resort to nova or some other launcher.

Some sources:

Source 1:
DudeThatsErin
It goes by what is in your status bar. If you swipe them away the number will disappear.
dark_sage94
They notification bar disappears for me once I read one text
LoyalRoyal18
Nova launcher does what you want, I believe.
https://www.reddit.com/r/GalaxyS9/comments/9e66n7/notifications_badge_on_icon_disappears_even/

Source 2:
Eh can't find anymore right now

With an ASUS Zenfone do the following: Pinch-in at the Home screen, then go to Preferences > Home screen > App icon badges to complete the setting.
On other phones you may want to press a few seconds the homescreen and then 'home preferences' or similar

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


text:
How to find the creation date and time (aka timestamp) for a file or folder in Android?
In Android, it is simple to view the modified date and for any file or folder.  Just about any decent file manager (such as Solid Explorer) includes this functionality.
But how do you view the creation date and time (aka timestamp) for a file or folder in Android?

Birth/creation time is not standardized feature of filesystems. Android's emulated filesystem doesn't support this field. See https://android.stackexchange.com/a/209243/218526

Unfortunately, this is not possible when using Android's emulated filesystem.  Android's emulated filesystem does not store the creation date of files or folders, so there is no way to retrieve this data, as it does not exist.
(Many thanks to Irfan Latif for confirming this, and to Izzy for clarifications.)

“not possible in Android” is not precisely true. It's the limitation of filesystems and the available tools to dump info from filesystem. ext4, for instance, can have inodes larger enough to store crtime which can be dumped using debugfs tool (requires root access) as demonstrated in my answer linked in the comment. Also if you have kernel 4.11+, some tool (like this) can be used to retrieve the same info (doesn't require root). The same can be true for other filesystems

Note that Irfan's initial comment didn't say "Android doesn't support", but "Android's emulated filesystem doesn't support this field". He was pointing to what's called "external storage", ie. the sdcard file systems (for the external SD card as well as for the internal one, the latter using an emulated FAT via FUSE).

@IrfanLatif and Izzy Thank you both for the clarifications. My brain is a bit overwhelmed with life stuff right now, so please bear with me. I have a few detailed questions about what you both wrote, but I need to do more research and also have a clearer mind before I can ask the right questions.  In the meantime, I'll update the answer to be more accurate.

@Izzy and IrfanLatif I hope you choose not to delete your comments, as I think they are both very valuable and helpful.

I'd say we leave them be until you've integrated them with your answer and someone marked them obsolete ;)

Use command stat. The Access time would be the creation date time if the partition is mounted with option noatime, which is the factory default for all 3 of my android phones.
That is to say, practically, you can check file/folder creation time.

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


text:
How to download video from Youtube, FramaTube, Media CCC or mp3 from SoundCloud?
I'm using Mi 5, I want to download hot trend videos from Youtube, FramaTube or video conferences from Mediaccc and then make the tiktok video for fun. How to reach this?
Also, sometimes I want to listen Youtube music or offline video while screen off. I found some answers but it is not working. Anyone can suggest me?

Try this
HBTube. It allows to play Youtube background, download video, audio from multi platforms. No Ads when watching videos. You can visit HBTube Online to see more detail.
Good luck!

Hello. Are you affiliated with this app? If so, please disclose the affiliation.

Thanks you. Just tried this app. Exactly which I want to find. Very good!


text:
Error 504 when downloading apps from Play Store?
My device is Motorola Xoom MZ604. The internet connectivity is 4G WiMax via my laptop as hotspot.
The problem is when I'm trying to download any app from Google Play Store, it gives me an Error 504 with the message I mentioned in title.
However, if I navigate to the application via browser and click: Install → Select Device → Install and then restart my device, it sometimes works.
Some googling brought me that it's a gateway timeout error. But I'm still unable to figure out how to work around the problem. So looking forward for your help.

A screenshot showing the full message would help, as error 504 can mean different things.

According to the list of status codes at Wikipedia, a 504 error means the following:

504 Gateway Timeout
  The server was acting as a gateway or proxy and did not receive a timely response from the upstream server.

In other words: the culprit should neither be (on) your device, nor (at) Google Play -- but in between.
A thread on the Nook forum describes the very same problem, and one of the conclusions there is:

Generally, that means a Gateway error and I would suspect the problem being on the router end rather than the Nook side. Sometimes a router reset will cure it.

Which corresponds to my conclusion. So if you're using mobile data, it might help to switch data off and on again (or better: switch to airplane mode and back), in the hope you will get a connection into a different segment of your provider's network (and thus a different gateway on that end).

From a thread on XDA about all the Google Play Error Codes

Method 1:

clear data
clear cache of google play store & google service framework

Method 2:

remove your gmail account
reboot
Re-add account

Funnily, the very same issue comes to a very different conclusion on Yahoo answers: here the user had not enough space on his device, so after removing some other app it suddenly worked. I suspect this was a co-incidence (when he tried again after having freed up space, the gateway was "fixed") -- but it cannot hurt to check for that.

Several more sulutions might pop up with the time. To me it proved helpful to search Google for '"Google Play" "error 504"'.

I added some info I found on XDA about the error code. Didn't want to create a new answer because this one has a lot of useful information about what it could be, and solutions.

Thanx, @RyanConrad – but I doubt that clearing local data can solve anything on the remove server: 5xx are server-side errors. So what should manupulating the local installation achieve here? Except, of course, if the connection "playstore error code <-> HTTP response code" is totally wrong.

I don't know if 504 error from google play is the same as a 504 HTTP error. If it actually is an HTTP 504, i agree, it won't fix anything on the server.

Yeah. Unfortunately, that XDA post doesn't speak about reasons, just about possible solutions.

found some more info that says a 504 error is INSTALL_FAILED_UID_CHANGED - this is comments to a bug fixed in titanium backup, but it's more info :)

Thanks again, @RyanConrad! And more confusion: What UID changed? That of the (installed) app? In that case, the XDA solution wouldn't help. Here are several pointers at SO on INSTALL_FAILED_UID_CHANGED suggesting completely different approaches. If that's the same error, that is: some of those questions rather connect it to the "-24" error.

UID is usually consider the UserID, sometimes called a SID in windows. Which if it did "change", then it would make sense as to why those methods do work, because it re-initializes the UID (method 2), or re-caches what it thinks the UID is (method 1).

Hope this will help someone.
In my case I was trying to upgrade the app (currently installed on device) which has Target SDK 23 to the app (newly uploaded app in play store) which has target sdk 22.

Yes the log said : "Error -504 while installing : -26: Package  new target SDK 21 doesn't support runtime permissions but the old target SDK 23 does"

I'm not sure this is a comprehensive solution to OP's question.  For example, I uninstalled all previous instances of the app from my phone, tried to reinstall it through Google Play, and still getting this error.

@IgorG. unfortunately you need to uninstall the app from all the device which uses this a/c... (for ex. if three devices using same account and u have installed app using this a/c, you need to uninstall the app from all three  devices to get rid of the error.)

Try resetting the play store app. You won't lose your apps following these steps. Nothing important will be lost.
Steps to follow on a motorola xoom

Go to the app drawer (menu)
Tap settings
Tap applications
Tap the "All" tab
Scroll through and look for play store
Tap Play Store (not play store services!)
Tap "clear data"
You will then get a warning, click "ok"

That's it, go through your problem again and see if it fixed. Bear in mind you will have to re-accept the terms and conditions for the play store app, when this comes up, simply click "accept"

Great i will try this out and let you know.

Ok. Glad I could help!

Ya :) i will surely reply about how your solution worked for me but probably will be a bit late. being busy at this moment :(

This could also appears when you trying to install an app that is not install on the current user, but still installed on the guest or another user.
You have more that one user on Lollipop devices.

Setting the phone into Airplane mode and back did the trick for me. So it most likely was indeed the Gateway issue. Tip though. Dont just turn it on then off. Wait about 60 seconds before you turn airplane mode off again. If you just toggle it, it picks up the same gateway.

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


text:
Restrict Mobile data but exclude some apps
My daughter has a mobile plan that has a restriction on the data she can use each month. But it comes with unlimited Facebook, 4square, Instagram and Twitter.
I want to setup her phone so that she can use as much of the above 4 apps as she wants but the rest of the data gets restricted above the cap.
It is a Galaxy S2 running CM10
Can this be done?

I don't know of any solution off the shelf; and I cannot think of anything custom that just works. Problem: accurate mobile data measurement is impossible with current carrier accounting practices. They measure sent data, but with UDP there's no guarantee sent data will actually reach your phone. E.g. a big UDP video stream is accounted completely but your connection only transmitted half of it. If you however receive a "data plan exhausted" SMS, you could use "tasker" to activate "droidwall" with a setting that just does allow those 4 services.

Thanks, I don't know if there is a txt when the allocation is exhausted. I wonder if, and I realise it won't be accurate, tasker could monitor the in built data monitor so when it alerts droidwall could kick in? I haven't used Tasker, but I will look into it. Thanks

Tasker might be able to monitor data usage, of course. I just noticed that it's unreliable, because Android measures what arrives on the phone and a carrier accounts all data sent over air. Always wondered why I got that 80% SMS message when I only calculated 76% or so. YMMV, just don't rely on it if you get charged per MB after you reach the plan's limit. Izzy has a list of links, it's mostly German but there are some en. links too: http://www.androidpit.de/de/android/forum/thread/435917/Tasker-Ressourcen-Sammlung

You are running CM10 in your phone. So its rooted. You can restrict Mobile data usage with some exceptions for specific apps by an app called Droidwall fro playstore.
This app is seful to specify which apps can use Mobile data and which cannot.

Thanks for all the tips. Looks promising. I will report back.

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


text:
Brand new galaxy tab 2 7.0 can't connect to wifi? Authentication error every time I try
My tablet won't connect to wifi. I get authentication error every time
I try and it just says error every time..

Welcome to android Enthusiasts. The more information you provide, the more likely someone will be able to help you. Information like the type of router you are connecting to, the security type of the wifi password, if you are able to connect with other devices.


text:
searching emails in s3
I want to search for old emails/senders/subjects etc. in my samsung galaxy s3 email app. There doesn't seem to be a search function. Any ideas how to do this, or alternative mail apps which you can recommend? Thanks

On my Samsung Galaxy s3 I can hold down the menu button inside the built in mail app - This enables the search function.
You can search for

All
Title
Sender
Date
Attachment
Advanced (which is a combination of Title+Sender+Date)

Emoze has a search function which is much better than any other email app I've tried.

Might be best to include a bit more information rather than just a linky and one-liner to save us linky-jumping :)


text:
Android Media Player Achieva Astone A100 missing VPN
I just bought an Astone A100 which is also known as an Achieva A100.  It's an Android media player with WiFi, HDMI, and an Air Mouse.
The ROM that comes with this device is based on Android 4.0.4.  However, unlike my i9000 phone's Android 4.0.4 there doesn't appear to be a VPN option in the settings menu.
Based on Google Play Store and the SystemInfo app, this ROM identifies as "SoftwinerEvb".  Google says SoftwinerEvb is a ROM for an 8" tablet.
Is the VPN option something I can just add in, like adding kernel drivers to linux, or drivers to windows, or do I have to recompile a whole ROM for this functionality?


text:
Phone thinks it is charging when not plugged in
Quite often my phone lights up the charging symbol even if the phone isn't charging. It applies when it's of and on. The behaviour seems somewhat glitchy, it turns on and off.
Is this a well known error? Can I do something about it?

Sounds like it could be a damaged USB port.


text:
Samsung galaxy SIII is there a way to add a new call ring?
I proudly own this phone, but I can't find a way to set up a classic ring call. What can I do?
There's a way?

In System Settings -> Sound you should be able to select Pick Ringtone. If you don't find the ringtone you want, you can use any MP3 or OGG. Just put the file on your sdcard in /sdcard/Ringtones/. Media scanner will classify anything in this directory as a Ringtone.


text:
How to know if a Galaxy Note is a real one?
I'm in Thailand now and I've seen a Galaxy Note device that seems to be a real Galaxy Note phone, but it has an extremely low cost (about 100 USD). I'd like to confirm that the phone is real, how do I prove it? I had the chance to play with the operating system and it is like my Galaxy S, but with a larger screen. I cannot "open" or connect to laptop, but I can play with it.

Grab MAC address of Wi-Fi adapter of device. Go to Settings ~> Wireless and Network ~> Wi-Fi Settings and tap/press options key. Then, tap Advanced. Here, you can get MAC address. The method can vary based on firmware.
Look up this MAC address at http://www.techzoom.net/tools/check-mac.en or http://www.coffer.com/mac_find/ . If device isn't legitimate, you can detect here.

@Richard Getting MAC of unit from manufacturer's range isn't easy. So, they don't generally care.

But yes, its still not a super solid way...

@Richard They can spoof only first six digits. After that, they'll fail. Most of lookup tools have access to manufacturer's database. Are you getting my point?

@Richard To get MAC to produce thousands of units, you'll have to break seal of thousands of official unit because addressing is done randomly.

First six digits are constant for a manufacturer..

Gadgets in Thailand are way cheaper than anywhere else but, there's a small heads-up - more than likely, it will have a CSC code for Thailand, Asia, so the updates on that would be somewhat, slower than the rest of the region zones.
Having said that, you can flash it with a different regional CSC code. So go for it, when the first Samsung Galaxy Tab 7" (P1010T with Wifi only) came out, it was on sale there in Thailand - a mate of mine was there, and got it for me - 200 euros - it was a steal, it would have been about 450euros to buy in the EU. And yes, it was genuine, the real thing! :)

Funnily enough, my mate regrets it in not buying a few and make a few from selling it :)


text:
I accidentlly wiped my device with Android Device Manager
I accidentally deleted my phone through Android Device Manager as I thought it was stolen. I have found the phone.
Can I still use the phone, or is it no longer usable since it has been wiped from Android Device Manager?

Yes you can. What you did only completely wipes the phone(all stored data, contacts, etc will be lost). You should be able to set it up again and get it running for you.


text:
Android 5.0 Lollipop device not detected via USB
When the device is set to use MTP, neither Windows, nor ADB will detect the device when connect via USB cable. I have tried multiple cables, in multiple USB ports. I have not tried other computers yet, as this is the only one that actually has the driver installed.
Disclaimer: I am running an Unofficial CyanogenMod 12 build of Android 5.0.2
Device : LG G3 (LG-D855)
Android 5.0.2 CM12-Unofficial-20141228
Google USB Driver: Installed
USB debugging: Enabled
PC: Windows 8.1 Pro Update 1
No one, except me, has reported this as an issue in the XDA thread.
I have been unable to get my PC to detect the device via USB since I first installed CM12, which was around 11/10/2014.

If i change to PTP, Windows will detect the device, as will ADB. But Windows will only let me access the internal storage, and Camera folders.

Just out of curiosity, did you try PTP mode? I found that adb on my Linux machine would not recognize my wife's G3 unless it was set to PTP mode, goofy as that is.

It did work in PTP, but the problem with that, I wanted to be able to access the files from Explorer and when in PTP you can only get to the Camera files.

do you live in the future?? :D  -  Because you installed CM on 11/10/2015. kinda unlikely isn't it??

@RahulBasu I am from the future. Wait until you get this version of CM. It is fantastic. - Thanks, for catching that, fixed it.

After a couple of days of digging, I found the solution to this issue.
I opened up Device Manager. My first problem is I was looking for Android Composite ADB Interface, which is what it usually is called. I started looking harder. When I noticed ACER Device. My machine is not an ACER, nor do I have any ACER devices attached, or so I thought. I expanded that group and found ACER Composite ADB Interface.
These are the steps that I followed that got my ADB working with my device. YMMV.

Download the latest USB Driver from Google
I right clicked this device
Uninstall

You may need to reboot after. I did.

Open device manager up again

The device may identify differently, and will probably have a triangle icon.

Scan for hardware changes
Right click the device again
Selected Update Driver Software
Clicked on Browse my computer for driver software

Select the path to the drivers that you downloaded at the first step, check the "Include subfolders"

Let it install
Open a command windows (I had to open as administrator)
Run the following:

adb kill-server

Now run:

adb start-server

Finally run:

adb devices

Profit!

This worked! And it was driving me crazy with the Nexus 6. Thanks! :)

This worked for me too, but be sure to select the 'delete the old drivers' option when removing the Acer Composite ADB Interface, as it your PC will keep telling you it's an Acer device and won't let you assign new drivers.


text:
How can I root the Amazon FireTV?
I would like to root my Amazon FireTV so I can sideload applications on it. Like XBMC (Kodi), Google Play, Google Play Movies.
My FireTV OS version is 51.1.1.0_user_511070220. Can I root it? What are the steps to root it?

Important: Not all versions of the FireTV can be rooted. See below if your version can be rooted.
For a list that may be more up-to-date, see AFTVNews software list.

Due to recent software updates that block rooting, some Fire TVs
  cannot be rooted. To know if your Fire TV can be rooted, check your
  software version by going to: Settings > System > About on your Fire
  TV.

51.1.4.3_user_514020320

Released: 2/5/2015
Rootable: NO

51.1.4.2_user_514015320

Released: 12/15/2014
Rootable: NO

51.1.4.1_user_514013920

Released: 11/18/2014
Rootable: NO

51.1.4.0_user_514005520

Released: 10/23/2014
Rootable: NO

51.1.4.0_user_514006420

Released: 10/23/2014
Rootable: NO

51.1.3.0_user_513010720

Released: 10/26/2014
Rootable: NO

51.1.3.0_user_513011820

Released: 9/25/2014
Rootable: NO

51.1.3.0_user_513011520

Released: 9/13/2014
Rootable: NO

51.1.2.0_user_512073320

Released: 8/13/2014
Rootable: NO
Notes: As of 1/1/2015, all updates after this date have not been rootable.

51.1.1.0_user_511070220

Released: 7/9/2014
Rootable: YES

51.1.1.0_user_511069920

Released: 6/25/2014
Rootable: YES

51.1.0.2_user_510058520

Released: 4/29/2014
Rootable: YES

51.1.0.1_user_510055620

Released: 4/7/2014
Rootable: YES

51.1.0_user_510047320

Released: 4/2/2014
Rootable: YES

If you made it this far, congratulations! You have a build of FireOS that is rootable. Let's proceed

Download TowelRoot by clicking on the Red Icon

Download SuperSU Apk - We need the APK because we do not have Google Play - XDA Thread for SuperSU
Side load the applications on to the FireTV - This is beyond this question, I may do a Q&A for this in the future. In the mean time, look for adbFire to sideload the apps or Ask a Question for help with this step.
Launch towelroot from your FireTV application menu
Use the remote and click make it ra1n button

Wait for towelrootto finish.

You may need to reboot.

Launch SuperSU
Update su binary if you are asked.
Verify you have root access - see how can I tell if I have root

this can be done from a console/terminal window and connect to the FireTV via adb
adb connect xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:5555
adb shell su

You should be promted on your FireTV with a Grant request


text:
Downgrade Nexus 4 from 4.4 to 4.2
I have recently updated  my Nexus from 4.3 to 4.4 . But having an immediate requirement i would like to downgrade back to 4.2 . I originally bought it with 4.2.
Any step by step to downgrade back are highly recommended.
tried factory reset but of no luck. Is rooting mandatory for this? I have read some where that factory images are helpful. Please throw some light on this and a step by step document is needed being a layman on this?

Factory reset only removes "user data", it does nothing to system files. A factory image is probably your best option.

How do i proceed with a factory image? Where to get it from and how to install it in my device?

See: Where can I find stock or custom ROMs for my Android device?. When you found your ROM, you most likely found the instructions along.

Do i need to root my device to proceed further? Is this the correct link i found as in screenshot.https://www.dropbox.com/s/sjigbqx7rygf8wr/Nexus%204%20factory%20images.JPG Where can i find Instructions for this after download? I may be missing those for my nexus looking for 4.2.2 in that link

this might helps.
https://android.stackexchange.com/a/50728/39466
Pretty much details process from XDA forums
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2010312


text:
In what version of Android was process caching first implemented?
Android can cache app processes to improve start-up times for subsequent app executions.
You can see this capability on some devices by going to Settings->Applications->Manage Applications (or just Settings->Apps on others), going to the "Running" applications tab, and either pressing the Menu button or another button on the UI marked with the option to Show cached processes.
Here's a list of devices I've looked at to see if this "Show cached processes" menu item is available:

HTC Hero (Android 2.1-update1) - No
HTC T-Mobile MyTouch 3G Slide (Android 2.1-update1) - No
Samsung Dart (Android 2.2) - No
HTC EVO 4G (Android 2.3.3) - Yes
HTC EVO Shift (Android 2.3.4) - Yes
HTC EVO 3D (Android 4.0.3) - Yes
Samsung Nexus S 4G (Android 4.1.1) - Yes
Samsung Galaxy S3 (Android 4.1.1) - Yes

Based on these devices, it looks like process caching became visible to the user in Android 2.3.
So, the question:

In what version of Android was process caching first introduced (even if its not visible to the user)?

Any answers with strong evidence (e.g., Android documentation or AOSP source code references, 1st person observations of devices) are appreciated.

Am not 100% sure, but this looks borderline... ?


text:
What is the difference between system memory and internal storage?
I am using LG Optimus L3.
When I look into the app manager, there is a system memory of 157MB and an internal storage of 1GB. I can't install all the apps on internal storage. It's something like internal SD card.
Can I somehow extend the system memory and shrink internal storage?

You can't simply change the sizes. Butt you could use App2SD to move apps from "phone storage" to the card.

Are you suggesting that by "extending the system memory" you could install apps on it?!

@Izzy: that could easily break the app, though.  Most modern versions of Android (Froyo on up) automatically install on SD card unless the app has to be installed in system memory.

@Logos if the native App2SD offers to move the app, it should not break the app -- unless the dev made errors compiling his Manifest to state it should not be moved. If you force incompatible apps to be moved, that's a different case -- but I was of course not suggesting that.

Ah. There is an app called App2SD, which is what I assume you were referring to.  I don't think I've ever seen anyone use that term for Android's built in app manager's feature before.

"System Storage" is where the OS and the System Applications are installed. This could also be considered where the User application are installed (based on your question). User installed applications are installed in /data/apps, settings and app data is stored in /data/data, and then application cache data is stored in /cache. These are all part of the "System Storage".
Internal Storage is an area that is used like an sdcard. As far as the Android OS is concerned, it is an sdcard. Some applications may save data to it, but it is mainly used as direct storage for your stuff. Like pictures taken with the camera, music, ringtones, things like that.
You cannot just adjust the size of system memory. Is it technically possible, yes. But doing so could require you to have knowledge of linux tool, rooting, custom roms, recoveries, and even possibly having to compile your own linux kernel and ROM or other information that I am not thinking of at the moment. Which is well beyond the scope of this site.

Ryan is correct - I've done something similar on my old G1 to increase system memory enough to install Froyo, and it is not a simple task even for an experienced user.

@Logos, I agree. But still some kernel developers are now implementing pain free ways of adjusting system partition thru recovery or simple kernel flash. XDA forums has plenty of guides on how to do this.

@forums: the problem with XDA forum guides is that they are often geared at a higher level than the average noob, and assume background knowledge that might not be present.  I'm no noob, and I've found them confusing myself.  Plus there's often multiple guides posted, with different methods, and no way to discern which is the best/correct method between them for a more naive user.

Fair enough. It really depends on ones technical understanding for it to work. But what I'm pointing out is that, compared to the earlier generation, today's guides are more noob friendly :P


text:
Remove internet access for pre-installed apps that you can't disable
I don't like any of the bloat-ware that comes pre-installed with my phone. I don't understand why carriers think they're helping me by putting it on there and not letting me take it off. When they let you disable it, it is at least a step in the right direction. But certain apps can't be disabled. The worst part is that they use up data without being able to turn it off.
I want to disable internet access for pre-installed apps, is this possible?

It sounds like one of these previous questions is related to what you're after: Preventing mobile data use for select apps on non-rooted phone?, or Allow only specific apps to use cell data, only when on 3G, or Block apps from accessing the Internet on Android device

With Android 4.x you can Disable carrier installed applications by going to the Settings -> Applications and select the app. You should then see "Disable" for the application.
Now, Samsung has found a way to prevent some applications to not be disabled, like their Launcher, Email client, stock browser.
You can also go to Settings -> Data usage and select the application and choose "Restrict background data". This will prevent the application from using the mobile network, but if you are on wifi, it will allow it network access.

The problem is that the ones using all the data is not disable as I disabled as much crapware as possible. I'm over wifi a lot but it's limited as well.


text:
When tethering, is there a way to turn off the phone's own data usage?
Just a quick question, really.
When I'm tethering (via USB, or wireless, or whatever) my phone's apps (and there are a significant number of my apps which do this) are constantly using the phone's mobile data connection to push notifications.
My phone's mobile connection is poor at the best of times (Samsung Galaxy S3 on o2 in the North East of England), such as now, where it's constantly flicking between G, E, H, H+ and 3G.
As such, I'd like to effectively "disable" my phone for every purpose other than providing an internet connection my laptop via USB or wireless.
Is that possible?

Try Android Firewall from the Play Store. You could create a "White list" that starts off with denying all network activity for all apps, to which you'd then allow just your tethering to go through.
Then, when you want everything to go through again, just disable the firewall...Or better yet create another white list that you can switch to.

Take a look at this article. I think what you're looking for is "Restrict Background Data." Keep the tethering app in the foreground and every other app will be starved of connectivity.

Restrict Background Data: This option prevents all apps and services
  from using data in the background. Apps that depend on background data
  won’t work how you’d expect them to – for example, Gmail won’t
  automatically download new messages in the background if you enable
  this option.

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/why-you-dont-need-third-party-apps-to-manage-background-data-use-in-android-jelly-bean/

Instead of just linking to another source, you should post the answer here. If that page is removed, or unavailable, it becomes a very poor answer.

@RyanConrad, The whole article is useful. If I copied it here, that qualifies as plagiarism or a copyright violation.

true, but you could answer the question and link to it for further reading. I wasn't saying to copy the entire article, I was saying that you should answer the question here, not just point to an external source. I was refering to the help - Links to external resources are encouraged, but please add context around the link so your fellow users will have some idea what it is and why it’s there. Always quote the most relevant part of an important link, in case the target site is unreachable or goes permanently offline.


text:
Turning off Proxy for chrome incognito?
I have tested Adblock plus which tries to filter ads as a proxy.
After uninstalling i had to remove proxy settings.
It works generally, but not in chrome incognito mode.
How can I change proxy settings for incognito mode in chrome?
I am using Moto G2 with Lollipop.


text:
USB driver for RCA 7 Voyager rct6773W22
I can't seem to get my RCA rct6773W22 (7 Voyager) tablet to be detected via USB and RCA does not offer any driver.
If anyone has any idea how to fix this, I would greatly appreciate it.

I have the same tablet and have been unable to find a way for this to work. I don't see a platform listed in the question or tags - Linux, Windows, Mac? I can't get it working in Windows 10.

This question was answered on this website. I will briefly summarize the steps I took to allow my RCA Voyager (RCT6873W42) running Marshmallow 6.0 to sync up with my Windows 7 computer and ADB in Android Studio.

Install the Google USB drivers.
Find the device ID by navigating in Windows to Control Panel > Device Manager > Other Devices > Android ADB Interface > right-click: Properties > tab: Details > ‘Property’ drop-down: Hardware Ids, which yielded

USB\VID_8087&PID_0928&REV_FFFF&MI_01
USB\VID_8087&PID_0928&MI_01

Open up C:\Users\[USER_NAME]\AppData\Local\Android\sdk\extras\google\usb_driver\android_winusb.inf in Notepad++ and add the following lines after both [Google.NTx86] and [Google.NTamd64]
;RCA Tablet RCT6873W42
%SingleAdbInterface% = USB_Install, USB\VID_8087&PID_0928&REV_FFFF&MI_01
%SingleAdbInterface% = USB_Install, USB\VID_8087&PID_0928&MI_01

(Notice that you have appended the device IDs you obtained in step 2 to the direction %SingleAdbInterface%=USB_Install,.)
After saving android_winusb.inf, navigate back to the device manager, right-click on the unknown device (Android ADB Interface) and choose ‘Update Driver Software…’.
Choose Browse my computer for driver software: Locate and install driver software manually. Then choose Browse, navigating to where the drivers are stored (C:\Users\[USER_NAME]\AppData\Local\Android\sdk\extras\google\usb_driver) and clicking OK.
Make sure that the ‘Include subfolders’ option is checked and click Next.
If you open up Android Studio with your device connected, it should now show up in the ADB after several seconds.

Note: Some of these details may vary. The location of your SDK will undoubtedly be different. What you write in the .inf file comment is arbitrary. I chose to write ;RCA Tablet RCT6873W42. I assume you have enabled developer options on your device, allowing USB. You should be able to easily follow Google's direction on installing their USB drivers. An additional step was listed on the website (see above) which I did not have to follow.

This device works with the standard Google USB Drivers. But some sources say that the driver info file has to be modified before installing.
From an XDA Topic on the RCA Voyager 7 Tablet:

Download/unzip the latest Android USB drivers from Google then add:
;RCA Tablet
%SingleAdbInterface% = USB_Install, USB\VID_0414&PID_0C02&REV_0216&MI_01
%SingleAdbInterface% = USB_Install, USB\VID_0414&PID_0C02&MI_01

after the [Google.NTx86] and [Google.NTamd64] in android_winusb.inf file

The driver is available in the SDK Manager tool or as a standalone download.

This approach doesn't work for me.

I did this and it kept giving me an unable to install driver, so I selected update device driver, browse computer, then let me pick, click Google, Inc., Android ADB Interface, click next, click ok when it says may not be compatible, and then it showed up on my listed devices

In addition to the changes in the .inf file and
enabling Developer on the RCA Voyager tablet, I had to enable USB debugging.
Once you enable Developer mode.
You'll see Developer Options in the Settings menu.
Under Debugging you can turn on USB debugging

Something you may want to try, set the USB connection to use the PTP protocol rather than MTP. I did not need to modify any drivers, my RCT6773W22B was recognized as 'a camera.
Modern Android devices use the MTP or PTP protocols — you can choose which one you prefer.
To select a USB connection protocol, open the Settings app, tap Storage, tap the menu button, and tap USB computer connection. You’ll also see the protocol your device is using as a notification when it’s connected to a computer via USB.


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Galaxy Y is restarting again and again after factory reset.
I formatted my phone due to "low space in memory", after I click on factory data reset and now my phone is restarting over and over.
I waited for 5 minutes but it was not turning on then I removed my battery and I restart it but it was showing samsung's logo only.
I also tried to enter into recovery mode for factory reset by pressing volume down+power button, but same thing happened restarting again & again showing only Samsung logo

A hard rest on that device is: Hold and press the Volume up, Home, and Power buttons simultaneously for 10-15 seconds.
There is a set of visual instructions here: http://visihow.com/Reset_a_Samsung_galaxy_young_gt-s5360_using_two_different_methods if you want to get a sense of what that will entail.


text:
Ringtone shortened with lollipop
Having issue since update to Lollipop on Samsung Galaxy S5.
When phone rings, sound comes on for 1 second, off for 3, one for 1, off for 3. This happens with Zedge and system ringtones.
I have changed ringtone to one from the system. Checked settings til I'm almost blue in the face. Thought it might have something to do with motions, but no.
any suggestions?

i searched over and over for a solution and finally found it this morning, remembered you had the same problem and had to post this for you...
follow these steps:

go to settings...
go to accessibility
go to answering/ending calls
uncheck the "using voice commands" box

and that's it...test it to be sure but it worked for me... i hope it works for you as well...
let me know if it worked... i need to know it worked for you too...


text:
LG V20 not recognized by MTP apps when in MTP mode on Mac
Problem Summary
Neither Android File Transfer nor OpenMTP will detect an LG V20, model LG-H910, over USB when it's in MTP mode. The phone is detected by them in other USB modes, there are no issues with connecting to the phone via adb and the phone will mount under Windows. Changing cables and computers makes no difference. MTP works fine with an LG V20 LG-LS997.
Details
I've got an (unrooted) AT&T branded LG V20, model LG-H910. I'm trying to transfer files over USB, but neither GUI MTP app I've tried for Macs (Android File Transfer 1.0.12; OpenMTP 3.1.10 & 3.1.15) will detect the phone when it's in MTP mode; they present "No Android device found" and "Android device is either busy or not connected" messages, respectively. When the phone is set to charge-only, each MTP app detects the phone but rightly can't connect (reporting "Can't access device storage" and "Your phone storage is inaccessible.", respectively). Image Capture connects to the phone when it's in PTP mode, though can't pull images (this also happens with another LG V20, so it's not surprising).
As a test, mtpfs (installed via MacPorts) will recognize the phone (though misidentifies it) and supposedly mount it, but all attempts to access the files via the mount result in a "Device not configured" error. Sample local shell session:
$ sudo -s
# mkdir /Volumes/phone
# mtpfs /Volumes/phone
Listing raw device(s)
Device 0 (VID=1004 and PID=633e) is a LG Electronics Inc. LG G Flex 2.
   Found 1 device(s):
   LG Electronics Inc.: LG G Flex 2 (1004:633e) @ bus 20, dev 29
Attempting to connect device
desired configuration different from current, trying to set configuration
libusb_set_configuration() failed, continuing anyway...: Operation timed out
Android device detected, assigning default bug flags
Listing File Information on Device with name: V20
# ls /Volumes/phone
ls: : Device not configured

mtpfs has other issues, such as taking about 1 minute to run (there's about
a 1 minute pause before the last line of output, beginning "Listing File Information [...]"). I'm not so much interested in mtpfs as a solution as I was using it to test MTP on the phone.
Whether USB Debugging is enabled or not makes no difference to MTP, though when enabled, the phone is accessible via adb, both from the command line and in Android Studio (I can run a shell on the phone, pull files, install & debug apps in Android Studio &c.).
AFT didn't log any messages to the system console when the phone was connected in MTP mode.
There were no file access issues with the LG-H910 when connected to a Windows computer (both internal & external storage mounted, and the files were accessible). AFT and OpenMTP detect and can access a different phone of the same type, an (unrooted) Sprint-branded LG V20, model LG-LS997.
I've tried rebooting phone & computer, ejecting the SD card in the phone & rebooting, different cables, different ports and different computers (both Macs, one with a clean install of OS X); nothing had any impact on the issue, and the only common factors are the LG-H910 and OS X. A factory reset of the LG-H910 made no difference.
Question
How can I get AFT (or even OpenMTP) working with the LG V20 LG-H910? What other troubleshooting steps can I take?
Related questions
There are similar questions on this site, but none seem to describe the same situation, or have solutions.

"Android File Transfer not working between El Capitan and Android 6": AFT detects the phone
"My Mac doesn't recognize my Galaxy S2 through USB": accepted answer doesn't work, not even for poster of that question
"Samsung Grand duos not visible in Mac Finder but visible in DDMS": poster wasn't using AFT
"Galaxy S6 not seen by pc at all": phone not detected via adb; bad USB port
"Nexus 7 (2012) no longer connecting via USB Mac OS X": phone not detected via adb; bad USB port
"Samsung Galaxy S6 no MTP,PTP connection error": Difficult to tell if the issues are related, due to the shorter description, but this seems to be a case of no data connection at all (likely bad USB port); mentions Macs only in passing; no answers
"Samsung Galaxy S III (S3) Won't Connect via USB with Android File Transfer with MacBook Pro - Mountain Lion": AFT detects phone; also, particular to Samsung phones (and Kies)
"Why my Android suddenly stopped connecting to my Mac?": not detected via adb

There are plenty more questions, but all are either AFT isn't installed, AFT detects the phone, or the phone isn't detected by anything.
System Info

mid-2012 13" MacBook Pro
MacOS 10.14.6
Android 8.0.0 (both phones)
Android File Transfer 1.0.12
OpenMTP 3.1.10, 3.1.15
mtpfs 1.1

My guess bases on the error message Android device is either busy... May be you have a component installed that always connects to the phone and blocks MTP for other programs?

The Answer
The LG Mobile Drivers, installed by LG Bridge, interfered with MTP operation on the LG V20 LG-H910.
The Process
Going off of Robert's comment, I disabled all kernel extensions in /Library/Extensions (which were all 3rd party extensions) by moving them to "/Library/Extensions (disabled)" and restarted. Android File Transfer was then able to detect and connect to the LG-H910. Among the extensions were a number of extensions with names beginning "lgandroid_", which are the LG Mobile Drivers.
After re-enabling all but these extensions and restarting, AFT still worked with the LG-H910. After enabling the LG extensions and restarting, AFT stopped detecting the LG-H910. So, after a final round of disabling the LG extensions, AFT was working.
Originally, v 5.4 of the extensions were installed. I tried the newest, v 6.1, but they had the same issue (which has been reported to LG). LG Bridge, when run, asks to install extensions, which turn out to be the LG Mobile Drivers; with the drivers disabled, LG Bridge won't function (not a big concern to me, but for others with the same issue, you'll probably need to reinstate the drivers before using LG Bridge, and then disable them & restart afterwards).


text:
How can I configure Google speech to text so that whenever I say "Frank" it writes "Franck"?
How can I configure Google speech to text so that whenever I say "Frank" it writes "Franck"?
I use Android 12 with a Google Pixel 6.

Glad to see you didn't have to change your name just to accommodate Google. ;)  Personally, I think you should spell it with two c's, but that's just my opinion.

@RockPaperLz-MaskitorCasket I'm reading Frank so often that I might start to do the same typo at some point!

I think we need to arrange a posthumous meeting with Mary Shelley and get her to rename her creation to Franckenstein.  The confusion obviously is her fault.

there is isn't a direct way doing that. unfortunately Google voice to text translation is terribly biased. it offers various accents for English but it will not translate anything perfectly  and errors remain.
so how do you force corrections that come from bad voice to text translation  ?
from settings go to dictionary  &  add  Franck and make Frank the shortcut. I believe this is the closest you can come to what you you want to achieve


text:
Bluetooth -- is there a regional difference in implementation?
I have a new Sony Xperia 5 III
The bluetooth on it acts really funny. For example, when I get into the car, the car often fails to pair up with it, and I often have to go into the phone and manually connect the bluetooth. (No other phone, Android or iPhone, has this issue in my car.)
When I paired up with a megaboom speaker today, it took two tries, which never happens with the megaboom.
What do we think is going on?

This may help https://android.stackexchange.com/a/239489/131553

@beeshyams Thanks! That is not relevant, I am afraid. It has happened on fully clean systems (clean on both sides of the bluetooth story).

IDK if this would help but from developer options change the Bluetooth AVCRP  to a lower /higher one

@beeshyams And where is that setting changed in an android phone?  I don't see it so far...

It would be under developer options (about phone - build number, tap on it 7 times or more)

@beeshyams FYI, I tried the "Bluetooth AVCRP" modification path. It makes no difference. The problem is the phone. Suggest avoiding that model, as Sony messed something up.

Answer: The Sony Xperia 5 III just has bluetooth problems with some systems.
There does not seem to be a fix. The fix is to use a different make and model of phone.


text:
Intermitent SSL_PROTOCOL_ERROR when using Android Wi-Fi hotspot
When browsing the internet using the Wi-Fi hotspot of my Android phone (Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro), some requests fail with the following error: net::ERR_SSL_PROTOCOL_ERROR
Here is a screenshot of the error I'm getting in Chrome for Mac OS:

I noticed that it is happening only on specific websites (I have no issues on Stack Overflow for example). This also seems to be happening regardless of the LTE network quality.
I tried using the Wi-Fi hotspot from another phone, and everything is working as intended.
I'm using a Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro running MIUI 12.5.6, and I'm browsing on Chrome on Mac OS 10.14.6.
Anybody have an idea on how to debug this issue? Thank you

I fixed the issue, turns out the default APN was not correctly configured.
I re-configured my APN with the configuration given by my phone provider (for Orange in France, the config is here: https://assistance.orange.fr/mobile-tablette/tous-les-mobiles-et-tablettes/installer-et-utiliser/se-connecter-et-parametrer-un-reseau/se-connecter-a-un-reseau-mobile-3-4g/comment-ajouter-un-point-d-acces-internet-apn-sur-votre-mobile-xiaomi-sous-android-_321636-856633)


text:
Can not answer phone after enabling Google Voice
I Have a Sprint Google Nexus S.  Was working fine.  Enabled Google Voice - set up my account, options, etc.   All incoming calls require pressing "1" to answer.   This worked for a while.  Now, when a call comes in, I am pressing "1", but the call does not answer - it goes to voice mail.   Ideas?
ler

If you have not yet rebooted your device since this problem started, do that first, then try the following if that still doesn't correct the issue.
Log in to the Google Voice site and go to Settings -> Calls and turn off Call Screening.
Now see if a call will go through, you wont have to press "1" because you are no longer screening. If you do want call screening, Try to now turn the call screening back on.


text:
Xposed framework on android L (5.0.2)
I would like install Xposed framework. My device is running Android L (5.0.2). The Xposed framework is compatible with android 5?

Sorry, but the XPosed Framework is unable to work with ART (the default runtime on Android 5.0).
The fact that the code is compiled/optimized during installation blocks rerouting functions and injections done by XPosed.
XPosed will also refuse to install on Android 5 because it's not done, yet.
The developer said: "I am working on it, but it's far from being done. I'm not even able to install it. It may take more than 6 months to see an alpha version of XPosed on ART."


text:
why does my tablet say insufficient space?
I have a few apps, but this tablet is new and I want more apps. Every time I say download, it says I have insufficient space. Please help!

Go to settings>storage and take a look at what you have for space.  Some devices come with very little to start with (4gb) while others have buckets (64gb).  Downloading a few movies or games (or loading a big music library) can push a 4gb device to its limit fairly quickly.
If you've checked settings and see that you have very little available space, doing some app housecleaning will obviously help.  Some devices will accept an external microsd card, so you have a relatively inexpensive way put a bunch more room on your tablet.
If you've checked setting and there is a lot of available space left, then we need to explore other options.

Glad to hear it!

I would suggest checking what it says in your storage settings to see what you have available for space, and what is taking up the most space. Your media files, downloads, or cached data may be taking up more space than you expect.

Welcome to Android Enthusiasts SE.  Unfortunately, this does not consist of an answer, this is something more for the comments section.  I know you don't have the reputation to add comments yet, but try answering questions, or asking them to raise your reputation.


text:
Is there a maximum number of files per directory or maximum directory size?
Recently I made a directory with > 20,000 small mp3 files in it. Not all the files successfully copied across from my desktop computer and if I tried to add any more I received an error message similar to - 'Unable to create the file'.  I assumed I had reached some sort of system limit, but I was just guessing.
Samsung galaxy tab.

In any case creating catalog with a lot of files isn't good idea. In such way you make filesystem sloooooow. Make subfolders and sort files into them. Also it simplifies file searching.

This, really, isn't an android question, it relates more to file systems.
The limitation is set by the file system. FAT32 can have 65,536 entries. Each file and
subdirectory takes from two to thirteen entries, depending on the
length of its name.
There is one entry that hold the Short (8.3) name of the file name. If the actual name doesn't fit that entry, then there will be one to twelve more entries, each of which holds 13 bytes of the full name.
The size of the file itself, doesn't have make a difference, unless the file is larger the 4GB, which is the maximum file size for a single file in FAT32.
You can read more on the FAT32 Spec if you wish here.

The size of the file itself, doesn't have make a difference, unless the file is larger the 4GB, which is the maximum file size for a single file in FAT32.
I've often get problems with files bigger than 2GB on FAT32 FS.

FAT32 can have 65,536 entries.
If article in wikipedia [1] is correct, there are some    moments. 1. There are different items in file system: root entry catalog, directory catalogs and entries in these types of catalogs. 2. It looks like that the number of entries is linked with cluster size. 3. All files in subdirectory is described in this subdirectory's catalog.
Also we don't know what type of FS is using OP. Maybe it is FAT32, maybe ext3, or maybe NTFS (I'm really not sure does Android support it).
[1] -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_Allocation_Table

@George, I assumed FAT32, as he is copying files to his SDCard, while he could use extX, it is unlikely, as FAT32 is how android formats the sdcard. And AFAIK, android does not have an NTFS filesystem module.

I've checked NTFS support status. Yes, you are right there isn't support for NTFS in stock firmwares. But if you need so, you can add it by hand. Please, look here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=13337600&postcount=6
Also I agree with you that most common FS for memory cards is FAT32.
But in Android devices there is internal storage. And it can be mounted to desktop PC when you connect Android device to PC. And what FS is used there is question. Another good link: http://leemn.wordpress.com/2011/01/27/galaxy-tab-changing-file-system-to-ext4-and-upgrade-to-modaco-rom-beta1/

The only file system that android will recognize for the sdcard is FAT32. if you format it as anything, you would have to do other "tricks" with scripts to get it to mount it. I have a partition on my sdcard formated as ext3 back on my G1 so I could do apps2sd, and android does not see it as part of the sdcard. there were external scripts that were used to mount it.

Where did you find that rachels wrote files on SD but not internal 16GB of Samsung Galaxy Tab? It isn't obvious.

the internal storage on a galaxy tab or galaxy s device is recognized as an sdcard, and is formatted as FAT32.


text:
Not able to add words to dictionary while texting on Jelly Bean 4.1.2
I just installed Jelly Bean 4.1.2 on my Samsung Galaxy Note N7000. I am not able to add words to the dictionary. I use more than one language while texting. There are no options in the settings either.
How do I get myself out of this rut?

When you type in a word that is not in the standard dictionary and then click on it do you not get the prompt "<-- Touch again to save"? Also are you using the stock keyboard or a different one?

Ok I believe I'm a step closer to solving this adding to the dictionary issue.
This is how I'm getting around it
Firstly my keyboard is set to portrait type 3x4
Predictive text on with continuous input. Now to add a word turn OFF predictive text.
Now type your word manually and when your done, and with the cursor flashing directly next to the end of your word, goback into settings and turn predictive text back ON.
Now when you back out of setting you should see your word in the suggestion list above the keypad. Tap your new word and you should find it added to your dictionary.
This method also works for email addresses.
Just to be clear this is for use on Android 4.1.2 my device for all concerned is Samsung GS2.
Let me know if this helps.

I have been able to add and edit words on my Samsung Galaxy S2 running Jellybean 4.1.2 by using a free app called QuickShortcutMaker. The app allows me to create a home screen shortcut to the user dictionary.
A detailed tutorial can be found here: How to Add & Edit Words in the User Dictionary on Jelly Bean 4.1.2


text:
How to edit a contact in the "Contacts" app using LG G3
I use the Contacts app with this icon

and write something in the search field to find a contact.
I click the contacts name and come to this screen:

Now, I have found no way to edit the phone number.
Clicking inside the box with the green caller will call the contact.
Clicking the menu will give me the menu alternatives: Delete, Join, Add to Home screen.
There is no text anywhere that sais "edit contact" or the like.
Clicking the contacts name will not result in anything.
Clicking the contacts photo will show it bigger.
Long clicking inside the box with green caller will popup a menu with the alternatives "Forward contact" and "Copy to clipboard".

That's not their real phone number is it? Maybe remove that!

I have altered the image to not reveal the phone number.

That's because the contact is synced to your contacts via online account (Facebook in this case). You are not allowed to edit that contact that is why there is no option of editing it. Get it!

The phone number is not from facebook.

Is this the only contact you are facing problem? Normally 'edit' icon would be beside 'menu(3 dots)' icon.

Some contacts have the pencil, some not, it seems. I never thought about checking more contacts, for some reason.

I'm not getting whats wrong exactly because I never had that problem in any Android phone (LG, Samsung, Sony). I'll look around for solution.

The problem is that the pencil is not always there. If you find a solution, let me know!

You can actually test if this is the the reason. Open facebook and tell it not to sync your contacts. if this contact is not there, or you can now "edit", it is the cause.

I don't know if you have found the answer you are looking for but I found if you click the join button in the edit menu you can combine two contacts into one. So all you need to do is make a contact for the person with their number or what have you and then join it with the facebook contact listing.

No, I did not really find an answer. Joining is of course possible, but why is it needed?

Long press the contact and then the edit button will show up !


text:
Root for HTC ONE M7?
Is there any way to root the HTC M7 and flash CM without loosing any data? My friend has recently rooted his phone,  a M7 too,  and lost all his data.  Any way to prevent this?  Links will be appreciated :D

You can root without losing data by installing TWRP and installing SuperSU.
If you want to flash CM you will then have to wipe all data to install that.


text:
Sending video to Android Camera
I'm testing an app that will require users to verify their identity with front facing id, back facing id and a selfie. It's really tedious to do the tests by hand one by one, i'd like to have a few people make videos in different lighting conditions, then I can send those videos to the camera feed of a real android phone and see how the app fares.
I know it's possible to do something like this on PC with ManyCam, where you can send a video to the camera api, I was wondering if there's a similar app or method to achieve the same thing on androids.

For testing, depending on your app you have a few choices:
If the the app just needs camera and is configurable either:
a) use the Android emulator on PC which can take a USB webcam as input and use that to inject the images/video feed.
b) Android devices starting with Android 9 can accept external USB Camera and use the standard API or need custom libraries for earlier version of Android. This would require the app to support such alternate inputs.
If you are testing biometric, there is a way to test with fingerprint using emulator but on physical hardware per the documentation secure camera hardware is required to prevent injection attacks on face authentication.

I'm about to deepdive, thank you for the neat answer! I'll report back with my findings.


text:
Update.zip signing- different sha for the same file
I am trying to flash a customized update.zip on a pre-Kitkat device.
In the zip there are 2 files with SHA1 signatures of other files in the update. But they have different signatures for the same files.
Example:
META-INF/MANIFEST.MF:
Name: system/lib/libcustom_jni.so
SHA1-Digest: +PhV5XphkQTNTyM2TSRTeiaDlCA=

META-INF/CERT.SF:
Name: system/lib/libcustom_jni.so
SHA1-Digest: 7ooFhqk1oYWF5pmVuSAhF2pFVNw=

I can get the first one using:
sha1sum system/lib/libcustom_jni.so | cut -d\  -f1 | xxd -p -r | base64
+PhV5XphkQTNTyM2TSRTeiaDlCA=

How is the second one computed? The second file has a hash of the first file, so maybe the other hashes are salted with the first file or something?
From what i found in java doc the SHAs should be identical, except all SHAs are the version 1 in the original update.zip.
It seems hat the certificate used to sign the update was the android test one so it should work, but aborts instead.

This answers my question if it is true, need to test it: https://stackoverflow.com/a/9384919/1333247

it seems you have more knowledge than me, kindly check my answer and feel free to correct (or post own answer) https://android.stackexchange.com/q/222262

@alecxs Thanks, but i only really played with a single Android 4.2 device so far. That question is about Android 9, i think too many things have changed between them for me to be able to help.

Answered here as i wrote in the comment. The second hash is a SHA1 of the 3 lines in the manifest file.
I can obtain the second hash by running:
echo 'Name: system/lib/libcustom_jni.so\r\nSHA1-Digest: +PhV5XphkQTNTyM2TSRTeiaDlCA=\r\n\r' | sha1sum | cut -d\  -f1 | xxd -p -r | base64
7ooFhqk1oYWF5pmVuSAhF2pFVNw=

The echo command adds the final \n so it must be removed from the command to not be duplicated.
Edit for posteriority:
The update.zip is then signed by SignApk using the -w argument, which makes it generate a ZIP comment, without which the installation fails.
The comment consists of signed by SignApk string followed by a signature block. Code at Android SignApk source
This was the last piece of the puzzle that allowed me to create a custom update.zip for my Prestigio tablet.


text:
what is A2SD+ and how to use it?
I'm using the MIUI ROM on my HTC Desire and it has an option called A2SD+ which is supposed to be an SD partition that the device treats as internal memory.
I don't know if it comes from the ROM or from Android (2.3.4).
How can I use it? Do I need to partition my SD somehow with an outside tool like I saw on some posts here?
If yes, how do I then tell my device that the 2nd partition is for A2SD+?

If it works like older roms that used to support the "apps2sd" before the google implementation, then yes, you need to format your SD card outside of your phone, on a linux distribution. You can use like an Ubuntu Live CD if you don't have linux installed on a PC already. Then you open up a partition tool, like GParted, and set up your partitions. IIRC, the first partition must be EXT2/3/4 in order for the device to use it like it is actually part of the internal memory. Then you can partition the rest as FAT32.
Back before Froyo, when the custom ROM I used supported this, there was nothing else to do. Just put in the sdcard, boot the device. It would pick up the partition and mount it automatically. As for MIUI, I do not know if it does that. I am actually surprised that they still support this. All ROM devs I know have dropped support for it since google introduced the "built-in" method. I personally hate the built-in apps2sd. I dont feel that it works very well.
While the ext2/3/4 method has the drawback of not really being able to remove your sdcard, it does still give you the ability to mount your FAT32 partition, if you choose to, to your PC and still let the device have access to the ext partition.


text:
Is there a way to improve voice to text results?
Lately, I've been doing quite a bit of dictation using the voice-to-text functionality.  For the most part, it's all right but it's developed some annoying behavior.

Regular words are getting replaced with proper nouns.  "My Key" becomes "Mikey" even with a decent pause between the words.  "Two Chains" becomes "2 Chainz"
Words are getting shortened "cause" often becomes "cuz".

Are there settings to make the voice-to-text NOT change what I actually said? I do see it type out "My Key" and change it into "Mikey"
I have my language set to US English

With Gboard, there's indeed currently no option to correct a word so that you can improve the speech to text recognition.
See https://android.stackexchange.com/a/244527/12202  for a mediocre workaround.


text:
Does Google Play balance expire?
I have a credit on Google Play that is from a gift card and not a promotion. Do I have to use it by a certain date?

From the Google Play Gift Card Terms of Service:

No Fees or Expiration. No fees or expiration dates apply to this Gift Card. Any refunded Google Play amounts, if applicable, will be
  credited back to your Google Play balance for future use under the
  same terms, unless otherwise required by law.

This is partially because of laws around gift cards:

In 2009, Congress passed the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility
  and Disclosure (CARD) Act, which set consumer protections for gift
  cards based on many state laws. The law provides that gift cards
  cannot expire within five years from the date they were activated and
  generally limits inactivity fee on gift cards except in certain
  circumstances, such as if there has been no transaction for at least
  12 months. The federal law creates a floor for regulation and leaves
  room for state regulation on redeeming gift cards for cash and
  unclaimed property provisions.

I upvoted Ryan Conrad's answer because it is correct, and also provides some interesting additional information. However, it is correct for the United States.
Here in Australia, Google Play cards have this clause (unfortunately):

3. Expiration Period; No Fees. Gift Card value expires 2 years following the date of (1) card issuance, or (2) last activity on Google Play stored value account into which the card is redeemed, whichever is later. No fees apply to the Gift Card. If required under applicable law, any refunds will be credited back to your Google Play balance for future use under these terms of service, unless otherwise required.

I actually found a card that I had completely forgotten about. Thankfully it still worked!

The answer regarding US cards is false.  Despite the wording on the cards themselves saying there is no expiration date, they still expire after 2 years. If you call and complain, Google will tell you deal with the store that issued them, which is usually impossible.


text:
Upload explorer error
I am trying to upload some files from my phone to a few sites.
Unfortunately, the file explorer doesn't show the files in any of the following lists... Recent, downloads, etc
The files are in the download folder but are not being displayed.
How do you refresh the file explorer so that the files are shown, and can be uploaded??


text:
How can I force my contact list to get updated on my Samsung Galaxy S9?
I store my contacts in my Google account. I can access these contacts on my Samsung Galaxy S9 phone via the Samsung contact application. After I add a contact in my Google account via another device, how can I force my contact list to get updated on my Samsung Galaxy S9?

On every Android device I have worked with there was always an option to force synchronization of Google data in the settings of the account:
Open Android settings and navigate to the account list. Open the used Google account and then it's "Account sync" page (synchronization settings).
There you can enable/disable each synchronization category like Contacts and so on. And there is in the upper right corner a three-dots-menu which allow to "Synch now"


text:
ZH960 tablet, suspicious hardware parameters, what to do?
I've bought a recent, middle (or top) category Android tablet model ZH960. It specification says 8GB RAM and 128GB flash, with an astonishing 1280x2560 display.
However, after I've tried it, it simply did not work so. It is slow (particularly using recent browsers), the display resolution is clearly worse than specified (pixels are well visible), contrary that the "Settings" -> "About this tablet" says the values specified by the reseller.
What to do? How to check it?

This is a fake.
Probably the "producer" bought tablet with 1 GB RAMs, and flashed them with a firmware lying about their hardware. However, some simple adb shell commands show the real hardware capacity:

Fact is that the device has 1GB RAM and a 16GB flash. It is today a low-end device, overwritten by a firmware which falsify the reported hw parameters.
The internet is full with

Unclear / contradicting "specifications" of this hardware.
Warnings about the scam (example).

I could not find any trace of the producer. Most likely, the model does not even exist.
If you bought this table, here is the time to initiate a customer complain. If you can not, my sincere condolences.

Side note: I bought this thing on ebay. The seller paid my money back, but wanted the fake device back. I sent it back to him. And then... he simply sold it to others! I tried to report the cheat to the ebay, but nothing happened! Their reporting page does not even have a cheat/fake option!


text:
Can I use the phone's mic when connected to a bluetooth speaker?
When connecting the phone to a BT speaker that includes a mic (pretty much all of them), the speaker acts like a BT headset, and the phone's mic is disabled.
Can I use the speaker for audio output only, using the phone's internal mic?
Update: Think about handling a phone call using the BT speaker, but its mic is lousy and noisy, so I want to use the internal phone mic instead.

If you have the BT, the best thing would be to test

@Beveloper - ... and how should I test that???

you asked: Can I use the speaker for audio output only, using the phone's internal mic? your post sounded like you did connect the speaker but the mic is disabled. So to test if the internal mic works is to use a sound recorder on your phone to check that

@Beveloper - re-reading my post, I do not see why you understood that the mic is disabled. My question is - how to disable the external (remote) mic and use the internal mic instead, while still being connected to the remote speaker for audio output. See update.

Okay. Lets see if this works: Go to your phone Bluetooth setting, from the list of paired devices, select the configuration button on the right of the BT Speaker. There's always options to select "functionality" which can be marked on or off. Check if you'll see a Mic option there and deselect it...

How the person's voice will be head over the speaker

@Beveloper - OK that was a good idea. I checked the phone BT setting for the speaker device. You can configure it to pair as a phone device or as a media device. So I disabled the "phone" setting and tried calling. The problem is that now it won't connect for phone calls at all. So, no luck here.

sorry about that. Wish I could assist futher. I guess you may have to disconnect the speaker when making calls then


text:
How can I delete Hotmail emails when using the Gmail app on my phone
I use the Gmail app to read emails on my Android phone. I defined two accounts, a Gmail account and a Hotmail account. The Gmail account works w/o a problem, for syncing, reading, writing and deleting emails.
However, when using the Hotmail account, reading and writing emails work fine, but whenever I delete an email (with any of the various standard methods), the email is removed from Inbox, only to re-appear next time the account syncs (of course, when doing this from the web interface, it works just fine).
I tried a few solutions, including changing the Outlook options and changing settings on my phone, but nothing seems to work.
How can I make my deleted Hotmail emails really disappear?

What do you know... Shortly after posting this, I found a thread in the Gmail help forum with a solution that worked for me, by user Nico P.
Quoting here, for reference:

If you look at your folders from your outlook account you'll notice
  that there is a folder named "Trash" (or another equivalent) and
  another folder that is the actual folder for deleted emails.
Try to delete this "Trash" folder , it will move it to the actual
  trash folder (you can then safely deletethis "Trash" folder from here)
  and sync your Gmail app again. You'll notice that the "Trash" folder
  is now gone.
Then retry to delete an email. It should work and appear in the
  "deleted elements" folder.
I think Gmail is programmed to automatically identify the trash folder
  and when this "Trash" folder is present it's messing up with the real
  delete action as the "Trash" folder is actually an artefact and not
  the real one.
Hope it helps, this solution solved my deletion problem.

Note that you don't need to delete the Trash folder. You could just rename it to get the same effect.


text:
How to activate internal mic during phone calls when using headphones with a USB-C to audio dongle?
I would like to use my Samsung Galaxy S20 phone with my quality studio headphones for phone calls. Since the device does not have a 3.5 mm audio socket, I am using a USB-C to 3.5 mm dongle. The problem is that when the dongle is plugged in, the phone expects the audio recording to come from the headset's inline microphone, while disabling the built-in microphone.
Is there a way to set the phone to use the internal mic while using external headphones through the dongle?
I tried a couple of dongles and all have the same issue.
Update: Phone is Samsung Galaxy S20, Android version 11, not rooted.

Mmmm... what? I am not sure my question was understood - I want to use stereo headphones. They don't have a mic. But when plugged into the phone using the USB-C dongle, I cannot make phone calls, b/c it disables the phone's built-in mic. I don't need to record the call. Just to enable the microphone.


text:
How to tell what app or process periodically sends SMS messages?
About a week ago I purchased a T-Mobile SIM card and activated it on a $3/mo prepaid program. This program requires you to load your account with $3 per month to keep it alive, and these include 30 minutes of talk or 30 messages.
I am using an old T-Mobile G1 (aka HTC Dream, the first Google Phone, I think) as an emergency or an extremely-low-usage phone, so that $3/mo plan fits just my needs right. Because this is such an old phone, the OS is updated to version 1.6 and can't be further updated.
When first loading the account, the minimum amount allowed was $10, so I figured out it should last for some 3 month, which is great.
To my dismay, I soon noticed that the remaining balance in my account was draining very fast, and I expected to be without funds in a couple of days, although I did not make any calls nor sent/received any texts. Chatting and then calling the customer service, I was told that messages were indeed sent from my phone, apparently w/o my knowledge, but they could not tell me who (what) sent them. The representatives promised to block any SMS activity for this account and to refund my lost money.
A few days later, I now have $0 in my account. What changed is that I can now see a few notifications telling me that:

453: Free Msg: Unable to send messages - Message Blocking is active

The 453 seems to be T-Mobile's service number, as I received notifications from 456 telling me that my requested account changes (supposedly the SMS blocking) is now in effect a few days ago.
Questions:
1. How can I determine what app or process is trying to send SMS's, if the Messaging app does not show any outgoing messages?
2. Why don't the outgoing messages get recorded in the Messages log?
3. How to determine what number is being called (messaged)?
NOTE: A few questions here address similar issues, but unfortunately, the solutions involved installing some permission tracker apps which are incompatible with the old firmware version I have.

No, it does not answer my question - it just tells how to list all possible offenders, and then suggests to install an app that I cannot install on my machine, as I mentioned in my original question.

Honestly, you'll probably be hard-pressed to find anyone (or any software) that can provide relevant help for an Android 1.6 device. Have you tried factory resetting the device? Can you use an old "dumbphone" instead? If it's just an emergency phone, it seems like you wouldn't need any apps, and your plan (as described) doesn't include data for maps or anything of that nature.


text:
Is there a Skype compatible client for voice calls over WiFi?
I understand that operators blocked any Skype over the data connections, but is there an alternative that works on the WiFi network?
Update: I am using a HTC/Tmobile G1 phone, in the US. However, I am not connected to any carrier, as I use it (here) as a PDA over WiFi and not as a phone.

I may be confused, but my skype client seems to work just fine over wifi.

You are aware that there's a native Skype app for Android? http://www.appbrain.com/app/skype/com.skype.raider

@Al Everett - No, I am actually not. When searching for Skype on the Applications store, I got no Skype client, but once I'm back at home this evening, I will look at it again. Just to clarify - I have a HTC/Tmobile G1, which I just updated with the latest available firmware. I have no mobile plan and have only WiFi access. Can this be the reason I did not get the client with the search?

Skype for Android has a couple versions.  Most are WiFi-only, so you would be able to use them no problem except that the G1 is not in Skype's list of supported devices, so you won't find it in the Market.  Looks like it's Verizon-exclusive.  The newest version won't run on your phone even if you grab it pseudo-legally; I'm not sure about older versions.
Skype's API agreement also prohibits other apps from making Skype calls, as far as I'm aware.  Fring used to support Skype, for example, but had to remove that feature due to threats from Skype.

What country are you in? Skype have only got an exclusive deal with Verizon in the US, outside the US it isn't restricted to any carrier AFAIK.
If you go to an international version of the Skype site, like http://www.skype.com/intl/en/get-skype/on-your-mobile/download/skype-for-android there's a different Skype app that will work on any Android 2.1 phone (even if you manage to download it in the US, it may do further checks to see if you're in the US or not once installed).
Also if you search in the Android Market from a non-US phone (that is running at least Android 2.1) you should be able to find this official Skype app.
See here for more on the differences between the Skype apps.

thanks. See my update to the question. I am not subscribed with any carrier. Using it on WiFi, but in the US.

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


text:
Manage Phone Audio Player through Car Stereo over Bluetooth
I spent yesterday evening looking through Q&A and I see this question asked in different ways, but not answered. I will try to make the question very clear.
I have a bluetooth-enabled car stero (Kenwood). I have a bluetooth-enabled Android phone (Samsung). I can pair the two without trouble. They automatically pair every time I get in the car. On the phone, I can enable bluetooth call control and  bluetooth audio control.
What I want to do is get in my car, turn on the stereo, and press the play button to start playing music from my phone. I cannot do that. What I have to do is get in my car, turn on the stereo, get my phone, open a music player app on the phone, press play on the music player app, and put my phone away again.
I downloaded a variety of Kenwood apps, but they are all USB apps, not bluetooth apps. Is there some way to make a phone start playing music by pressing play on the stereo?
In response to the comment below...
At lunch today, I went out to a coworker's car. She had her phone in her purse. She started her car and turned on the radio. She pressed "source" to change it from FM to BT. The radio showed playlists on her phone. She scrolled through the list and selected one. It started playing. She never took her phone out of her purse. She did everything from the radio. So, how can I expect the phone to respond to pressing a button on the radio? Simple. It does that for other people. I want mine to do it for me. I want to know how such a dismissive comment gets a +1.

Seconding that. All I can think of is auto-pairing to cause your car stereo swtiching to the "new input", and then controling it like a BT headset with buttons would do. But I've got no experience in that field.

Highly depends on the bluetooth profile and capabilities of your stereo. Some only implement call button profiles, some implement audio only and some support audio and buttons. Some have advance support for Playlist and file system. A FM Bluetooth adapter I had could play and stop my music but couldn't see play lists or anything.
If you press the play button twice does it work? Or long press? If you play your music, do the buttons play at that point? But in any case, there is no way to really change it, without replacing the stereo.


text:
The installation steps of android package
I just want to know the full steps.
Does Android just copy the application package to another location?
when to run the application, the android unzip app package every times?

I don't understand your question. Can you clarify?

I think this is what he's trying to say: "How does Android handle an apk file when it's installed?  Is the apk just copied to the file system whole or does it go through a more complex installation process that unpacks the apk file?  When Android runs the app, does it unpack the apk file every time?"

yes! Matt. The process

No, it does not unzip the package every time. The dalvik-cache is where is stores the cache of the the dex (The dalvik executables) files.
I know system apps are cached when the device is first booted, if the cache does not exist. User apps, if I had to guess, would be done when installed or first launched.
After it is cached, it will not have to update that cache until the application is updated, which is why I think it happens in the install process. But it is also possible to just read the Manifest from from the APK and see what version it is when it is launched. If the version is different then the version in the cache, it could re-cache it.
edit
I want to build on this a little.
I just cleared my dalvik-cache and rebooted my device. Watching the device logcat through DDMS while it booted shows that it does system apps and "users" apps at boot up.
The PackageManager "collects" the certs of the apk. then it unpacks the apk. The PackageParser stores any permissions that the APK has.
So these steps are done when the device boots (if the apks changed since the last boot, or the dalvik-cache was cleared). But this same process would be completed when the APK is installed, since the PackageManager & PackageParser are the ones that handle the process.
edit2
This isn't just the "run" process, this is what happens when the app is installed. The dalvik-cache acts as sort of the "registration" of the application. But during install, the app also registers with the system any "receivers" that it has. These are like the listeners for specific actions that happen, what type of links it handles, things like that. There is not a registry like the windows registry, but yes, the OS keeps track of the applications that are installed, and the actions that can launch the application.

thank you, now i know the process to RUN an app. then what' the installation process? Does it like windows that copy files and update system reg? Is there a system reg in android?

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


text:
How to sync notification and ringtone volumes when pressing up/down buttons on Galaxy S6?
When using the volume keys on the galaxy S6 it changes the volume of the ring tone only. However, when pressing the volume buttons I would expect the volume of both the ring tone and notifications to be affected.
Is there a way to link those two volumes in a way that both are changed when pressing the hardware volume buttons ?
My previous phone was a S3 and the volume keys were setting both volumes.

I don't think there is anything built in to the Android O/S to link/sync ringtone and notification volumes (for the Galaxy S6 anyways).
The best I've found (and currently using) is Volume Sync Pro by Plextab Software.
It does exactly what you want with the up/down volume rocker button. It's a paid app though.
I've tried these free apps and they did not work for me.

volume Control + by Coffee Break Apps
Volume Sync by Jesta's Funhouse

Thanks for the suggestion. I think needing a paid app to achieve that is really bad though. It should be the default behavior of the volume button.


text:
Taking the odd photo that is confidential and shouldn't be synced or posted anywhere
I use Google Photos to backup all photos. For my camera app I use OpenCamera. On the occasion I take a picture of something confidential (for work or personal use). What is the easiest/best way to to take a picture and have it only stored locally on the phone (even better if password protected)?
I tried putting the phone in airplane mode but this doesn't work so well as I need to use the internet before I can delete the picture.
I tried turning off google photos temporarily but this is tedious and I think there's other apps that automatically get the picture, for example Facebook was asking me if I wanted to post the new picture and gave a preview.

Use Signal Messenger. It has the option to send notes to self.

Use any file browser and rename you image extension to say .xyz. As its not a image file anymore no app will take it as image and will not sync it. When you want to view that image just open it as image. Best file browser to do this is ES File Explorer and is available on Play Store.

That would still require him to turn off the internet before naming the picture.


text:
The WiFi connection on my Dell XCD 35 (Froyo) times out
I recently bought the Dell XCD35, one of the biggest issues I'm facing is that it keeps disconnecting from an established (and saved) WiFi network and I need to manually select 'Connect' for it to get on WiFi.
I don't have this problem with my Galaxy 3, which I'm also using. And the problem persists even on other WiFi networks that I've tried connecting to. I've checked the settings (WiFi sleep, etc.) Also downloaded WiFi Manager app but no difference.
There is no trouble while connecting, but the moment the screen times out, the Wifi connection does too! This is very annoying, because it used up precious network. Is there a solution or should I just junk this phone?

So your Wifi sleep policy is set to "Never" but it still disconnects?

That's right...

There is an application in Google Play named Blade WiFi Fix; it will solve your problem.

Can you add the link to the app?

Do you mean this application?  https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bladewififix

it happens to my dellxcd too.  i think u cant use both bluetooth and wifi in xcd at same time.


text:
Updating to LineageOS 17.1, replacing su with Magisk
Up to 16.1, LineageOS provided su as an add-on, in the shape of an extra zip file which could be installed along with the OS itself using a recovery image such as TWRP.
However, with 17.1 they have discontinued their su addon and no longer support root access. Those who still want it are getting pointed to “one of the other su solutions out there”.
A quick search pointed me to Magisk as pretty much the only solution under active development. However, the install instructions are a bit confusing.
The device is a OnePlus One (bacon), upgrading from LOS 15.1. For now, I am just interested in having a replacement for what su offered up to LOS 16.1; any other features offered by Magisk are secondary to me.
Will it work if I just grab the latest Magisk zip from the Github release page and install it alongside the OS, through the recovery of my choice (currently on TWRP 3.2.2-0)? Or is using Magisk Manager a hard requirement?
Are there any major differences in UX over my current LOS + su setup?

I just went through the trouble of solving a similar situation for a OnePlus Nord. Meaning getting root access via Magisk on a LineageOS 17.1 device.

"Will it work if I just grab the latest Magisk zip"?
Yes. I sideloaded it with the LineageOS recovery and after rebooting the system I was able to grant root access to apps using magisk.

Are there any major differences in UX over my current LOS + su setup?
Yes. By installing the magisk zip-file you will get the magisk App which is used for managing your root privileges. I do not have the root option in developer options anymore (as I was used to when using su).

Unfortunately I don't have a bacon here to test your specific case, but maybe my experience will still be helpful.


text:
Can't factory reset my Galaxy S20
I'm trying to factory reset a Galaxy S20 because I've forgotten to add MDM in the intial setup and as far as I know you can't add this later.
To do the factory reset I've done Settings > General Management > Reset > Factory data reset. Then tap Reset and Delete all. But it then asks me to confirm my Samsung Account which it somehow can't do, because I always get a loading icon which fails after some time. Then it asks me for the password of my Samsung Account and again goes into a loading icon which also just stops after some time. I don't get any error message.
There's also the option to send a confirmation e-mail, but this also leads to the loading screen but after some time I get a little pop-up telling me there is a network error. The screen here stays white and I need to use the back button to go the confirmation screen of my Samsung Account.
I do have internet access on my phone, because I can open websites with Chrome. I'm using my home Wlan Network to connect to the internet.
I didn't find any solution to this problem with Google, just the normal documentation from Samsung of how to factory reset a phone, which doesn't work for me.

Have you removed all accounts shown in Settings -> Accounts (or wherever the accounts are listed on Samsung devices)?

No I didn't, I didn't know you need to do this before a factory reset. But it looks like I can't remove my Samsung Account?

You don't have to, but without any accounts left there should be no query for Samsung account data.

I've removed my other accounts, but I don't see how I can remove my Samsung account and it still asks me for it in the factory reset.

Your Samsung account should be present in the accounts list: https://www.samsung.com/us/support/answer/ANS00062033/

Yes thanks it was a little more hidden with the Samsung account than with the others. Here I have the same problem with accessing the Samsung account site.

The solution to my problem was that somehow my phone couldn't access the Samsung Account site over my home network. I've switched to a hotspot of my other phone, and now everything is working as it should. I was lead to this solution because I've seen other people having problems with accessing the Samsung Account site. Perhaps some providers have problems with this.

If you'd like to factory reset your Samsung device, you must hold the Home, Power, and Volume Up button. It will then take you to the Samsung recovery mode. When there, use the volume keys to control the options and the home buttons to press. There should be an option called factory reset, press that and wait for it to delete all data from your phone. Then, click restart the phone. The phone should boot up normally and the setup will begin. I hope this solved your problem.
Regards.

after factory reset that still requires password of Samsung Account on initial setup - which for some reason did not confirm because of network issues. this answer is partially helpful, but will not solve the problem

There is a sort of recovery mode called EDL, the new ODIN mode.
As you are using a samsung phone, download galaxy S20 firmware (you need to type somewhere the phone e.g. SM-G530FZ Galaxy Grand Prime phone code), and downlaod Odin.
Shut Down completely your phone.
Press volume down button until connect your phone to pc, and the phone should be recognized  by ODIN.
Else if it's not, Download some EDL Utility.

EDL mode is for qualcomm chipset only, this phone is Exynos chipset. EDL mode always existed on qualcomm devices, not to mix up with Odin/Download mode (which is a different mode). EDL mode requires device specific OEM signed factory loader (firehose programmer) which is not available for consumer

Ok, sorry becasue i don't know what CPU has every phone,

Anyways, thanks.