text:
Galaxy S7 - Stock Rom - Stuck at Downloading
Thought I'd re-edit to make it clearer:
I have a stock Galaxy S7 that is stuck at the 'Downloading...do not turn off target' screen.
I have tried restarting it via vol down and power, and it keeps ending up there.
When I let it naturally boot after forcing a restart, it ends up at the 'Downloading' screen without the device info in the top left. However if I force it to go into download mode by using the home vol and power button, the info is in the top left corner.
The phone is encrypted and has a security pattern.
I want to receieve the data off the phone like photos voice notes etc.
I've tried with ODIN using the HOME_CSC rather than just the CSC and the other files but it gets stuck and says it can't locate the PIT partition.
Can anyone help?

your volume button stuck/is wet/short-circuited

I don't think it's that. I can get into download mode, and prior to it doing this. It was just stuck at the 'SAMSUNG' bit that flashes slowly whilst booting up. I commented earlier on the thread below, I want to try it, but no idea how:
https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/201468/how-to-fix-bootloop-or-decrypt-data-in-twrp/242836?noredirect=1#comment324400_242836

Please clarify your specific problem or provide additional details to highlight exactly what you need. As it's currently written, it's hard to tell exactly what you're asking.

It's strange behaviour as I can force it into download mode and I get the same screen where it states do not turn off target, but when I do it this way it shows the model number, secure mode etc details in the top left. My question really is how do I get the device to boot again so I can retrieve my data off it? I can get to 'Download' mode and I think that's about it...

if it's a hardware reason fix the hardware. the buttons would be my first suspect. if it's a software issue you can't safe data off it, but heimdall could help to flash stock ROM without flashing userdata. TWRP is useless it doesn't support encryption

Does this answer your question? How to flash stock rom with Jodin3 on linux?

Hi alecxs, I gave it a full charge overnight as it was completely flat at one point. When the charger cable is plugged in, it shows the battery icon with the lightning symbol, but doesn't show it animating, and it's grey in colour. Once it eventually has some decent charge, it boots up to 'Download... Do not turn off target' but without the info in the top left corner. I can manually boot it into 'Download' mode and then it shows the info of the device in the top left corner.
I've tried to use smart switch, and it doesn't detect the device in Emergency recovery mode.

ODIN detects the device, and I've managed to find the correct ROM for the device, but fails to apply it to the device, and it sits at 'Initializing' then eventually fails. I wish there was a way to recover this device.

PIT = partition table (if not readable that indicates bad connection). ODIN will erase your data, that's why you should flash necessary partitions only (no pit, no repartitioning) and keep userdata partition, see very last line in above link

I am now getting this:
ID:0/005 Added!!
ID:0/005 Odin engine v(ID:3.1401)..
ID:0/005 File analysis..
ID:0/005 skip file list for home binary
ID:0/005 param.bin
ID:0/005 modem_debug.bin
ID:0/005 Home Binary Download
ID:0/005 Total Binary size: 3954 M
ID:0/005 SetupConnection..
ID:0/005 Initialzation..
ID:0/005 Get PIT for mapping..
ID:0/005 Firmware update start..
ID:0/005 NAND Write Start!!
ID:0/005 SingleDownload.
ID:0/005 sboot.bin
ID:0/005 Complete(Write) operation failed.
 All threads completed. (succeed 0 / failed 1)

The above was after I changed the USB port/ different firmware, BTU from XEU


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App cannot be installed on Xperia Z3
I found an Android chess app with network here but I can't install it.
For an unknown reason, the installation requires the program to be able to send SMS.
When I try to install this app (I trust the author of the app), the installation program warns me and ask me if I really want to install the program; I click on "Install" but nothing happens. It's an Xperia Z3 and the installation from unknown sources is allowed.
On Archos 50 Helium, the installation works though. Can you help me?

Well the application may not contain graphic activity, it may contains background services, or broadcastreviver that work on background I mean in hide mode.

can you please edit your answer to be more clear

i m unable to edit my question because i have no privileges to edit...

type it as a comment and i will edit it for you

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


text:
Can I get this latest update off my phone (Galaxy S4, Lollipop)?
Can I get this latest update off my Galaxy S4 phone? I can't handle the color changes and need it off my phone.

Are you rooted and/or do you have a custom recovery?  The latter will likely be necessary.

The TouchWiz color scheme, sigh. Anyway, is this possible without tripping Knox?

If you updated your phone to android 5.0 through Samsung OTA updates. Then I'm sorry. You can't go back because you updated your Knox boot loader. One thing you can do is install Cyanogenmod 12.

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


text:
The app Facebook has violated its self-enforced StrictMode policy
I am using Red Mi Note running on MIUI5. Recently, I am getting this error:

The app Facebook (process.com.facebook.katana) has violated its self-enforced StrictMode Policy.

What does it mean? How can I resolve the issue? It becomes frustrating when the error comes as it continues to pop-up and doesn't hide on pressing OK.

(Click the image to see its larger variant)
The Error message doesn't have any specific time to occur even the error is not app specific. It occurs randomly on different situations.

I have downloaded the app from play store only not from the Any other sources. And I have messenger and Facebook app both installed. And i am confused whether this error is because of Facebook App or due to messenger App

com.facebook.katana is the Facebook app.

Seeing that the package name is com.facebook.katana, I believe it's Facebook, not Messenger. Does this happen randomly, or on a certain condition? (on certain time? while using certain app? etc).

The error message doesn't have a fix time to come...In a day it comes randomly 4 to 6 times. I tried uninstalling also but it comes again

Sometimes it comes when i play games and sometimes when i use apps,... as far as i am concern and studied about the occurence of this error it is not app dependent...

In the dex provided by Facebook app, on com.facebook.katana/app_secondary_program_dex folder, we find a lot of references to the StrictMode.
So, for short, if a programmer use StrictMode, he has a reason. Basically while forking a busy process (read: animation, reading data, dictionary values for data, open a new fragment or activity on main thread), instead of crashing app there must be put (show) a message to user to inform about waiting or terminating app.
In the particular case of Facebook app, there's /facebook/strictmode/setter/Policy$All and also errorreporting/StrictModeException. So the message comes after raising an exception. We can just assume an activity take too long or force running in main thread.
The key word is in MessengerApp. We may think about Facebook and Messenger app as separate apps, but the truth is Facebook has embeded FbandroidMessengerAppModule functions calls in it's core and also performs some logical checking as for example:

IsMessageBroadcastEnabled
IsMessageBroadcastGkEnabled
IsMessengerAppIconBadgingEnabled
IsMessengerAppIconBadgingGkEnabled
IsMessengerBlockingEnabled
IsMessengerFlatBufferEnabled
IsMessengerLoggedOutAppIconBadgingEnabled
IsMessengerPhotoEditDefaultModeDrawing
IsMessengerPhotoEditDefaultModeDrawingGk
IsMessengerSonyAppIconBadgingEnabled
IsMessengerSyncEnabled
IsMessengerThreadShortcutsEnabled

Without access to debug console, I can't predict what cause that kind of message (is it about reading values from stored DB, or are some DB files corrupted, user switched from a WiFi connection to internet connection while parsing some data ?), but my advice is to make sure Facebook app and Messenger for FB are clean installed and updated to the latest version.
Sometime a game app can embed Facebook SDK to share data and try to access data without user FB permissions set on that game (app), or is written badly so it can raise some exception (I think this indeed your problem).

This is because of ROOTING.You should UNROOT.

Any reference that could backup your answer?

authors: Геннадий Кривошеев


text:
Moto G on Lollipop is auto-locking the screen
After Lollipop update, Moto G 2nd generation phone is auto-locking even the time for autolock if undisturbed is set for 5 mins. Why and how to fix it?

Go to settings and then to security and turn off power button instantly locks

authors: ابو صخر عزالدين


text:
Can Material design be backported to older Android versions?
With the introduction of Material Design in Android Lollipop, a consistency in app design was received quite well by the user community. However, most of these apps are showing their Material designs only when the Android version is 5.x. Is there any way to make these display the same way in Android 2.x to 4.x?
I mean, can't the design libraries be backported to older Android devices by embedding them in-app, so that the consistency is maintained across all Android versions?
I have heard about apps or more specifically, Xposed modules like Monster UI which theme your device to look like so, but System Apps aren't affected. Can't such libraries be included in pre-packaged System Apps?
For example, a normal app uses the Holo theme in Android versions 4.x, and the Material theme in 5.x. Can't it be made to use the Material theme in older devices?

You are free to use AppCompat v21 (http://android-developers.blogspot.de/2014/10/appcompat-v21-material-design-for-pre.html) to backport Material Design to pre-lollipop devices, but keep in mind that certain system-dependant features like tinted navigation bar are not available on pre-lollipop devices.

@GiantTree , Tinted Status Bar and Nav Bar can be achieved through Xposed. I'm looking for things which can be included into pre-packaged apps ...

Well, you need to change integral parts of the Android UI. It's not like changing an app, you need to change the system itself. Those features are implemented at a very low level and a simple library in your app can't change them.

You can do that at your on risk!
You must modify the the build.prop file (if you have rooted phone) on these values:

ro.build.version.sdk=21
ro.build.version.codename=REL
ro.build.version.release=5.0.1

You must have Android 4.4 to do all these!
Note: Tinted Status Bar is not supported!
And then, by downloading the Google Now app from playstore (And google of course) and after rebooting your phone you can get the material design.
This is what I did thought..
Hope it helps!!

Only do this with a very high chance of bricking your phone!

Or maybe not. I have done this in the past months nothing went wrong Thomas. Maybe, its better for you to take a closer look to build.prop variables.

There seems to be nothing wrong in defending your answer but I suggest You can do that at your on risk!  making it more strong. You must be aware that build.prop is critical for system and if its gets messed up, then SuperThomasLab will hail here. :-)

I'm on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, and rooted already, running on a custom ROM that is based on an AOSP port. I don't care about bricking, since I have recovered my phone MANY times from such things. Moreover, Tinted Status Bar works for me using the Xposed module of the same name.

But, will the system apps, like Settings, Default Launcher, Dialer, Contacts, Messages, etc. adapt to Material design ? I mean, I have got to know how to include the Ripple effect, the new Checkboxes and all that, but I'm looking for actual inclusion, not theming. Not making those apps look like having Material design, but making those apps HAVE Material design. Like, my ROM has the Holo Dark theme applied by default to all apps, I want to change that to Material design.


text:
Set calendar events to available/busy
I now have Lollipop on my phone, I wish I hadn't as it seems to have messed with the way I set my phone up. I am using the calendar for mine and my children's appointments, so some events were set up as busy and some as available. During the busy events my phone would be silenced, during the available events my phone wouldn't be silenced.
I might be wrong but I seem to be unable to do this and now all the events put the phone into silence. I do not want have my phone silenced when my children are at Tae Kwondo, but I want to be able to use the calendar to keep track of their busy social lives.

Solved it. I had to share the calendar with my other email to activate the busy/available option. I don't know if it is because of the way my two emails are connected or if you just have to share the calendar.
I know that the public/private option is deactivated if the calendar is fully private (which make sense). I don't know why the busy/available option would be deactivated as well.

I guess it's because the purpose of busy/available is to give indicator for those whom you share the calendar, whether you're busy or not. If it's for personal use, then you know by yourself if you will be busy or not.


text:
Mosquitto broker on android 9 hotspot = random broker address
after some years of great and reliable service, my old Android 7 phone, used as hotspot and mosquitto broker, has decided to retire himself.
In my previous setup, Mosquitto runs in a termux shell on boot, and with an app/tasker plugin -mqtt client-, I can intercept messages sent from an esp32cam client (I use it as a PIR alarm), then send me sms through tasker and a mail with the captured image through wifi.
On android 7 the hotspot address is always 192.168.43.1 and for months I had no problems.
Now I have a new phone as hotspot, with Android 9, but I can't replicate my setup: the gateway address, so the mosquitto broker address, changes randomly at every new connection, and I can't fix it on the esp32 and on the mqtt client app.

Solved after thinking about it a bit more:
On mqtt client app (that runs on the android hotspot) i've set the broker address as "localhost".
On the ESP32 cam alarm add this lines after the wifi connection
int mqtt_server = WiFi.gatewayIP(); //ugly but works
client.setServer(mqtt_server, 1883);

hope this helps others that want to run mqtt broker directly on their android hotspot

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


text:
unlocked phone can be used for all compatible phone service providers?
There is an Android phone ad like this:
Due to USA carrier VoLTE restrictions, this phone is only certified to work on T-Mobile and T-Mobile MNVOs(Mint Mobile, Google Fi, etc.) It however is unlocked and will work on any carrier outside the USA. Inside the USA, T-Mobile and T-Mobile MNVOs only.
I am confused. The phone is unlocked. So it should work for AT&T because T-Mobile and AT&T are both use GSM. And the phone may also work on Verizon if it supports CDMA.  Am I right?  How is the phone restricted to only work on the T-Mobile network?
EDIT:
The phone's spec says it will support almost all networks in the world. From a hardware point of view, this unlocked phone can be used for any phone provider in the US?

Might help if you could mention the device model to check the spec. While I don't really know what "USA carrier VoLTE restrictions" really are, I think this is about LTE frequency bands in the USA and the fact that not all devices supporting all LTE bands.

Irrespective of which bands and network frequencies your device supports, the carriers (in the US especially) are notorious for only enabling VoLTE and VoWiFi calling on devices that have been certified by them.
The phone will work with AT&T's 3G and 2G networks if the bands are compatible with them. However, for 4G, the operator is not going to enable VoLTE services since the device is not certified by them. VoLTE provisioning is entirely operator-dependent even if the device hardware supports it.
You can follow the list of AT&T's supported devices below. Only these devices will be able to use VoLTE services once they shut down 3G services (early 2022).
https://www.att.com/idpassets/images/support/wireless/Devices-Working-on-ATT-Network.pdf
Edit: The same is for 5G services as well. They'll only enable VoNR for devices that are certified by them.

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


text:
Convince android to use AAAA records when VPN has IPv6 but main connectivity doesn't
I have a VPN (WireGuard right now, but the same behaviour manifested with OpenVPN) that provides me with an IPv6 address. I can confirm that it is working because pings (both from the android terminal with ping6 and to the android terminal from the other side of the VPN) work. This also confirms that the VPN is establishing the DNS server properly, as I am using an internal domain while pinging from Android.
However, the browser (both Chrome and Firefox) only work properly when the main connectivity has also IPv6 enabled. That means that if I am connected to a WiFi that provides IPv6 connectivity, then the VPN works properly. But if I am using mobile data (my ISP doesn't provide IPv6) or I am using a IPv6-less WiFi, then the browser doesn't work for IPv6-only URLs. The android terminal ping6 command keeps working in all scenarios, meaning that the VPN is properly connected and working, but it's as if the browser/android machinery refuses to use AAAA records and the browser gives me an error.
Is that a known issue? I am using Android 11. Can I change something or force Android to believe that there is an IPv6 connection established? Is the browser's fault? Is the DNS resolver fault?
Edit: Forgot to mention: if I manually enter the IPv6 into the browser, it loads the web properly. So it seems that there is a DNS issue there, but the DNS is properly set up. So I assume that Android (or both browsers) are misjudging when to use AAAA records, hence the title of this question.

Configure your VPN to route the entire IPv6 address space. The requirement is that you need a default route for IPv6 for chrome to consider AAAA.
I was having the exactly same problem on android 12 and my VPN was configured to only route a ULA /56. Setting a default route through the VPN should cause chrome to start resolving domains with AAAA.
The caveat is of course all IPv6 traffic now goes through the VPN even when your WiFi/Cellular has native IPv6. I guess I just have to prepare two profiles now.

Thanks, this solved the problem for me. I'm curious to understand the reasoning for this behaviour. Do you know if there is any documentation about it?

@IanB No documentation as I am aware of, but this behavior does make some sense. If you don't have a IPv6 default route you most likely aren't connected to the wider IPv6 address space (by extension the Internet). No point to resolve an AAAA if it can't be routed.
In my case, the VPN route a IPv6 internal network w/ a local AAAA resolver that only resolves some internal domains into ULAs. I think android can still attempt to resolve AAAA and fallback to A records if it turns out to match no routes IMHO, but google is google.


text:
Lollipop theme on Android KitKat
I have a Dell Venue 8 running Android 4.4.2 KitKat. I want my Android to look like Lollipop without rooting, from status-bar to navigation keys, everything like Lollipop.

This device seems to have a lollipop update from OEM. Is there a reason you want to theme but not update to Lollipop?

I have 3830 update is for 3840.

Thats not possible. Not without root. Even with root there is no mod to turn that navigation panel as you said (atleast no universal verified mod).
You can change navigation keys though. Again, not without root.
At best, you can install some custom launcher and make homescreen icons and style look like lollipop, nothing beyond that.

Let me declare what I have already Google launcher,android apps updated to material design, google keyboard, material peoples app, lollipop lock screen,material wallpaper.

Yup, and additional launcher and icons are only customization you can do further. Since modifying any system elements (for ex the notification panel, statusbar, navigation bar etc etc) require system files modding which needs root.

But super status bar? Don't forget about it.

Yes there are a good bunch of similar apps. Besides super status bar theres omega status bar a lot of similar apps too. But they simply make an overlay on your current statusbar. In other words, they dont modify anything, but instead try to overdraw on them. Hence more than70% of times it wont work because android doesn't allow overdrawing system elements that easy.... You can clearly see that from reviews of that app. So if I were you, I wouldnt rely on these apps.. Again, you can always give them a shot ;)

But they don't really have lollipop theme, looks like their is wait for update.


text:
Sharing paid apps between two devices
I've checked the posts saying how a paid Google app can be shared between two devices, but no-one says how to do it. There's all this stuff about using the same Google account, but what does that mean - it takes me no further.
Can anyone help please with easy-to-follow explanation?

You need to link your two devices together with a Google account. Done, hope this helped!
Okay, I'm not going to be that guy...
Here's how to really do it:

Open your Settings app.
Scroll down to find an option called something like Accounts and tap on it.
Now find an option that says Add account.
Now click the type of account, in this case, a Google account.
Now sign in with the same info used to initially buy the app or game.
When you're done, go into Google Play and swipe right to enter the options for the app, or click on the three-line-symbol in the top left.
Click on your current account to switch it out, now click on the account you just added.
Find the application you previously bought, and it will say Purchased.
Download and complete!

Hmmm... I tried this, and it did not work.  Any suggestions?

Don't search the app, go to the menu and My Apps and Games, then Library. You can install from there without paying again.


text:
When I connect via USB (Android to PC), it automatically starts charging. How do I transfer files?
When I connect via USB (Android to PC), it automatically starts charging.
According to what I've read, a 'File Transfer' window should open.  Mine just says, 'slow charging'.
How do I transfer files?

1. First, check your USB cable
a. Your cable could be a "charging only" cable (i.e. only has wires to carry power and no data wires)
This cable could be a charging-only cable, which doesn't include the D+ & D- cable streams. If you're unsure of the type of cable, try using a different cable that you're sure works.
b. If you are using USB 3.0, it could be "bad"
USB 2.0 minimum cable requirements were easier to manufacture because of the lower data rate requirements. Ever since USB 3.0, lots of USB 3.0 cables don't meet "spec" and therefore can not work or damage your phone. Make sure you have a brand that you know is good.
2. After checking the cable, you need to check your phone's settings. Make sure it is in "File transfer" mode and NOT "Charging only".
From Android 6.0 onwards, file transfer is disabled by default when a cable is connected to the device, mainly due to malicious USB hubs which pretend to be normal charging ports, but instead copy data from your device whilst charging.
To enable File Transfer Mode

Turn on your device and connect it to your computer (using a cable which supports data transfer)

Unlock your device and open the notification labeled "USB charging this device" - you may need to swipe down from the notification bar

Select "Transfer Files" from the menu that appears.

You should be able to access your device on your computer.

3. Try a different USB port on the PC
I tried a bunch of cables on one USB port but nothing was working. So I tried a different USB port and it all worked again!
4. Lastly, try restarting the phone and restarting the computer.
Some might say this is the first thing to try.

Is there any way to get to the window on your screenshot? i have to go to developer options to change this setting @samdd

I have two notifications: one is 'cable charging' and the other is 'transfering media files'. Clicking the last one show something like your screenshot. But android file transfer is not seeing the phone.

@myself: android file transfer started seeing the phone after I enabled developer options and set 'usb configuration to 'MTP''

Make sure your wire supports both charging and data.
If it does, then on the phone go to Settings -> Storage -> Overflow menu (3 dots) -> USB Computer Connection -> Change the mode from Charging Only to MTP or USB Mass Storage.
If neither of these works, then make sure you have drivers installed for your device on your computer.

Generally, whenever you connect the USB, the phone is in USB charging mode by default.
To change to any other mode (File Transfer Mode in your case), go to the notification pane where a notification will tell you that USB is connected and charging. Tap on it and select the MTP or File Transfer Mode.

This works for Pixel 3 on Android 12.
Settings > System > Developer Options > Default USB Configuration > File Transfer / Android Auto

Also the lock screen has to be unlocked.

Pick down the taskbar and tap phone charge, and in the new window, select the MTP or flash option.

Try removing your SIM card(s).  I had a similar issue and it worked fine again after restarting without them.  I have checked now and it does work/transfer-files again, also with the SIMs in too.


text:
Snapchat gave me the real name of a user I dont know. How?
A long time ago I added a person to Snapchat. His username (display name?) was O*, and I added him with that display name. Today I received a message from him, but the name that showed up in my notifications was S* R* (his real name). When I opened the message, his regular display name O* was displayed.
What can explain that his real name showed up in my notifications?

It may be a bug in Snapchat. You can send snapchat a contact form explaining how it happened.
But you cannot be sure it is the real user name, unless you asked.
Since it is Snapchat, I suppose you shouldn't. Just ignore the name you saw, and go on with your usual business.


text:
Connect TV to mobile via HDMI port
I have LG TV which has a HDMI port only. How to connect my mobile Micromax Nitro 311 via HDMI port?

I think your device does not support MHL Out. Check this first. Anyway, you can try to use an adapter (I use an micro-USB to HDMI for my device).

If your mobile can support HDMI, you can buy an USB MHL to HDMI, or SlimPort to HDMI.
The last option is to try the Google Miracast which allows you ton display 1080p content wirelessly.


text:
Are Google Photos' high-quality pictures compressed even if they're under 16 megapixels?
Recently, Google has changed the Google Photos app so that everyone has free and unlimited access to store 16 megapixel files.
The camera on my phone is under 16 megapixels. When I downloaded the app, it asked me whether I wanted to keep the photos in original or high quality.
I would like to take advantage of the free storage so my question is if the photos are originally less than 16 megapixels, is high quality going to be the same as original or would Google compress it more?
Also, what happens to the existing photos on my Google Drive that are less than 16 megapixels? Are they automatically not counted toward my quota or do I need to somehow migrate them to Google Photos? Just that, the majority of the files on my Drive are photos (which are less than 16 megapixels) and since I've downloaded Photos, the space available has not changed.

I just took a picture with my phone (8MP) after configuring auto backup with both Google Photos (with "high quality" option enabled) and Dropbox.
I compared both images and I can't see a difference between them, although the file sizes differ (the image in Google Photos has 1.3 MB and the one in Dropbox has 2.2 MB). I made the same comparison with an older image (when I had the "original" option enabled in Google Photos), and the files are exactly the same.
Seems like Google is really compressing the file, although keeping the image quality.

No, High Quality won't be the same as Original as Google will compress it again using a similar method to JPEGMini. See this and this comparison tests for more information.
Your space available hasn't changed because Photos might be accessing your photos on Google Drive. You don't need to migrate them, just make them available to Photos.

Pictures uploaded using Google applications with enabled free option will be recompressed even if they are less than 16Mpix.
Pictures uploaded using 3rd-party software will be as-is regardless option and will use quota if their size is bigger than 2048px by longest dimension even if they are less than 16MP, even if options is set to free.

Google openly said in its announcement as well as in its help pages that the free unlimited High Quality option will compress photos 16 MP and under - but will still keep the same resolution and "almost" the same indistinguishable quality.

The compression does not apply only for photos, but for videos too.
When you choose the "High Quality" option even with a camera of 8MP, you won't be able to upload a video of more than 1Gb. On the other plan (i.e. "Original Size") you can.

Photos less than 16MP will actually be compressed. Just try it.

There is at least one review of that feature where the testers found that for one of their test pictures, Google Photos reproducably reduced the resolution even though the original picture didn't exceed 16MP.

Original image (3024 x 4032 = 12.19 MP; 7 MB)
Google Photos 'High quality' (2268 x 3024 = 6.86 MP; 2.68 MB)

However, they don't write how many images they tested in total, just that all others did not exhibit this behaviour.
This is enough for me to avoid Google Photos's recompression, which otherwise seems to use very sensible settings and methods.

Basically, the question can be answered by the two customer plans Google offers as of 2015.

Free: Allow Google to process the photos, alter Exif information and be subjected to changes and new features that may or may not affect your photo's metadata and quality
Paid: Upload and retain a byte-original file by using your Google Drive's storage, which is fully integrated with Google Photos as per 2015. Every user has a 15 GB storage for free, of which you will likely already have consumed some of its storage-quota if you have been using Google Drive for a while.

Links:

https://support.google.com/picasa/answer/6558
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Photos

Google in I/O have said that the photos which are less than 16MP will not be compressed and the ones above the 16MP are the only ones which if chosen to be stored under the "unlimited storage" space will be compressed.

Also from my experience I've not seen any change in my drive storage after the new "unlimited storage" option. So it should only mean that the present ones would stay the same.

That was widely reported the first day, but it was a misunderstanding. What they meant was that photos less than 16 megapixels will not have their resolution reduced. They will still be compressed (file size reduced, not pixel-for-pixel original).


text:
Delete group in Viber
I made a group in Viber by mistake. The other members complain that their phone number is made known to unknown people.
Can I delete the group?
I read that "When all participants leave a group, it will automatically be deleted". How can someone leave a group? There is no choice to "Leave group".

Everyone can leave any group of Viber on their own. Tap the overflow menu on the top-right and select "Leave and Delete".

authors: สุวรรณ พรมเมฆ


text:
SIM is unsupported on Galaxy Y running CM11
There's a problem with my Samsung Galaxy Y S5360 after upgrading from GingerBread to Android KitKat.
I followed all the steps starting from downloading CWM, CyanogenMod 11, and the KitKat ROM. And thankfully I was successful. At first, it was so long before the update was fully installed on my Galaxy Y.
Problem: When I turn it on, it accepts the SD Card, but SIM card is not detected.
I tried rebooting over and over again. But only the SD card works, specifically that only the SD card is inserted, not SIM card and it works properly. But it doesn't start when SIM card is inserted.
Now I rebooted it with only the SIM card inserted, hoping that "somehow" my Galaxy Y will take its time rebooting while my SIM card is inserted. But still, I'm not sure what will happen. Please help me.

Here's what you have to do:

Reflash your ROM
After reflashing, let it boot
Turn off your profile and shutdown
Wait until the phone vibrates and open it again

If it doesn't work, format cache, system, data, and also cache on CWM recovery, then try reflashing again.

Is there any technical reason as why it is supposed to work or any reason as to why the issue occurs?


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Google's location history minute by minute
My phone was stolen. Is it possible to get the location history as realtime as possible from Google?

Related http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/18644/my-phone-was-just-stolen-an-hour-or-so-ago-are-there-any-options-for-tracking     and http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/2492/how-can-i-find-a-lost-phone-or-help-people-return-it

It's quite easy, You have to just login here with your Google account which is configured on your mobile - https://maps.google.co.in/locationhistory/b/0/
Then you can get location.

You can use The Phone Locator by Google. As they show you the pin on the map click the pin it will redirect you to a new tab, keep refreshing. the data is there.


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Does Google Nexus 5 has arm or armX86 or armX64 processor?
I am trying to install Xposed module on my rooted Nexus 5 running stock  Android 5.1.1. In that process I am trying to download the files from [this XDA page. I am unable to find whether my Nexus 5 is an arm or armX86 or armX64.
Sure, I can try one after the other as I have a nandroid backup, and I can also Google it and find it in pages like this.  But, how can I be sure of myself? I can rely on any app that might say so after installing in my phone or some reputed sites say it so. What would be the best and authentic way for me to find the same?

The Nexus 5 runs a Snapdragon 800, which is not a 64-bit supported processor. That means you should be going for the arm version of Xposed, and not the arm64 version.
NOTE: You are getting confused with the meaning of x86. In this context, x86 refers to mobile processors made by Intel (the Nexus 5 has an "arm" chip). The difference between "arm" and "arm64" is whether it supports 64-bit execution. There is no such thing as "arm86".
Currently, there are only unofficial builds of Xposed for 5.1 and higher.


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How to root OnePlus One?
I want to root my shiny OnePlus One device aka flagship killer. There is no dearth of guides available on Internet and accessible easily via Google, but I'm not sure which one to follow as I don't want my device to face issues during rooting which could make my phone unbootable.
How can I root my phone safely?

Device : OnePlus One (bacon)
Android version : CM 11S, COS12, or COS13
Status: Untouched bootloader
Storage: 16GB or 64GB

It is true that the guides available for this device are extremely large in quantity. Rooting OnePlus One is fairly easy, safe and doesn't require any prerequisite knowledge of Android OS internals, though having it would ease you to root with confidence.
Note #0: The instructions will wipe everything on your phone including Stock Recovery, and you might possibly not receive OTA updates (I although receive them with no issues). Also, while this guide may seem lengthy (since written from the perspective of a completely new user), the instructions are one of the safest to ensure that any troubleshooting, if required, can be done easily.
Note #1: If you're worried about your data, whatsoever it is, please refer to this one-stop guide - Full Backup on non-rooted devices. I personally prefer adb backup combined with Helium app available at Play Store for free.
Following instructions require ADB and Fastboot tools to be installed. Regarding installation, there is a very helpful guide here - Is there a minimal installation of ADB.

Windows users may look here and this for dedicated solution, or use this popular hassle free installation tool called 15 seconds ADB Installer suggested at this guide.
As for Linux users, ADB and Fastboot are usually available in the repositories of most of the popular distributions and covered already in this aforementioned guide. See this if in want of an easy installation. Many errors faced in using them are already answered on Android Enthusiasts. Otherwise, running as root user on system (not recommended) solves most of them.
I'm unfamiliar with OSX so can't recommend anything :(

Note #2: Before proceeding for further instructions, make sure your device is working fine with ADB and Fastboot.

This is required for any OS user to verify (step 3. in Windows section, and Useful fastboot commands) here for smoother further experience.

Also, when you'll try adb related commands, a confirmation on your device will be shown to accept the ADB connection initiated from your system. Allow it and check the box to remember it for future,

Note #3: - I'm instructing this as an Ubuntu Linux user, although rooting from Windows is fairly simple.

Once you have everything setup and backed up, you need to open a Command Prompt with elevated privileges and enter into the ADB installation directory.
Mostly the command will be like cd folder_location\ where folder_location is the location of the ADB installation folder.
If this is overwhelming at first, you may refer to this guide (see instruction 0. Installing proper fastboot and adb drivers).
About Linux users, I'm assuming they are aware of basic know-how of playing with their favorite terminal application. Google is your friend, always remember.

Note #4: Keep your phone adequately charged, possibly above 70% before venturing into anything unknown to you such as rooting or flashing. Also, this guide  summarizes many points of this answer.

Part #1: Unlock the Bootloader of OPO
While this is not important to continue, you may look them out of curiosity:

What is a Bootloader?
Why it is locked?
What happens when the Bootloader is unlocked on a device?

Instructions:

Plug OPO into system using USB cable and enable the USB debugging.
Gain Administrative in Windows or Superuser in Linux privileges in your CMD/Terminal. For Windows, enter into the ADB directory as well.
Type adb devices to confirm that your device is connected. If you can't see your device somehow, consider querying Google.
Enter  adb reboot bootloader to put into Fastboot mode.
Enter fastboot devices to confirm fastboot mode is getting detecting by system. In case if you can't see any device serial no. or something similar, then query the same into Google for troubleshooting.
Enter fastboot oem unlock -  this will unlock the Bootloader of OPO and as a default mechanism, will wipe your device.
Enter fastboot reboot to reboot your device. If this doesn't reboot the device or stay stuck at Fastboot screen, you can power-off and power-on by pressing down power key consecutively with few seconds gap.

Congrats! your device is now unlocked for innumerable modifications.

Part #2 : Install and boot into a Custom Recovery via Recovery Mode
You may check them out of curiosity:

What is a Recovery and a Custom Recovery?
What is Recovery Mode and what does it do?
What are Clockworkmod (CWM), TWRP and Philz Touch?

Instructions:
While I personally prefer Philz Touch Recovery (being elegant), I've instructed for the most popular one, the TWRP recovery. Instructions for Philz Touch Recovery and CWM are also similar. Apart from these three, I'm unaware of any other recovery for OPO.
(The instructions in this section are divided into two parts: 2.1 and 2.2)
2.1:

Download any recovery viz. TWRP Official (preferred), Philz Touch, CWM, or TWRP Unofficial. Some folks prefer fork of Official TWRP called TWRP Unofficial. You may Google them to suit your needs.
Rename1 the downloaded .img file into recovery.img. For Windows users, place this file into your ADB folder. For Linux users, either cd into the selected Download folder, or know the file path of downloaded file.
Go to Settings -> Developer Options and uncheck Enable Cyanogen Recovery.
Repeat steps 1-5 from Part #1 to enter into Fastboot mode with surety.
Enter fastboot flash recovery recovery.img. Linux users who didn't cd into the selected download folder should replace recovery.img with file path of .img. This command will flash your downloaded Recovery into the Recovery partition of OPO, and as obvious, Stock Recovery can't be booted into.
Repeat step 7 of Part #1.

Congrats! You've successfully replaced Stock Recovery with Custom Recovery.
OR,
Some folks claimed that OPO can be booted into live Recovery without replacing the Stock Recovery which ensured them OTA updates survives. I could not achieve success but they did. Follow 2.2 to boot into a live Recovery.
2.2:

Repeat steps 1-4 of 2.1.
Enter fastboot boot recovery.img. Linux users who didn't cd into the selected download folder should replace recovery.img with file path of .img. This Fastboot command will boot into the downloaded Recovery without touching any installed Recovery. It may take few seconds-minute to boot into this Recovery.

If you can see the Recovery with options like Install Zip, Advanced, etc, and TWRP or the name of your downloaded Recovery mentioned somewhere, then you've booted into your downloaded Recovery. Congrats! Otherwise, you may troubleshoot using Google or go with 2.1 straightly.

Part #3: Flash SuperSu zip and install SuperSu app to enable root access
You would be aware of rooting if you've come here for it. But in any case, you may look at some nicely written answers about Rooting, what rooting would enable you to do, or this short but useful guide at Lifehacker.
You can find many superuser clients that intercepts root access by apps in your device and interactively asks you to take action. Popular ones for OPO are SuperSu app by Chainfire and Superuser by Koush. I'll use the former one here.
Note that most of these Superuser apps requires their own binaries to be flashed into the system to work with their apks.
Instructions:

Download SuperSu zip file from here. The name might be similar to  UPDATE-SuperSU-vX.YZ.zip.
Put this .zip file into the root directory (Home folder) of your Internal SD card. You can do so by firing up your favorite File Manager.

Users who used 2.1:

Easy way : Go to Settings -> Developer options and enable Advanced Reboot. Hold Power button, tap Reboot option and choose Recovery. Your device will now boot into the Recovery.
Typical way: Repeat steps 1-3 of Part #1 and then enter adb reboot recovery to boot into Recovery.

Users who used 2.2:

Repeat all the steps of 2.2 to boot into live Recovery.

Tap Install Zip. Select .zip file you downloaded and choose Yes to install the file. It will show some text as output and will eventually complete. This step will flash SuperSu app compatible binaries into your Android OS. If any unexpected error shows up, query the same into Google Search.
You may now Reboot you device.
(Update: not needed anymore) Go to Play Store and install SuperSu app.
Launch the app. If it shows a popup, choose Continue and you'll be presented with two options where you've to choose TWRP/CWM. It would cause a reboot. If you're not asked for anything by that app, then everything went fine and you're ready to use SuperSU as a superuser manager.
You may now launch this app to tweak some settings suitable to your needs. Also, check whether it has been successfully installed and working or not by using any app that requests root access, such as  these apps.

You've now successfully rooted your OnePlus One device. There are many  methods which claims to be one-click, completely automated, etc. However, I can't possibly cover all of them and wouldn't, to keep the focus at only one method. :) Anyway, some notable mentions are:

Bacon Root Toolkit
OnePlus One Toolbox
See Methods/Apps in this answer to see what popular rooting methods exist for other Android devices; some might work on OPO as well.
You can look for a solution more easily on OnePlus Forums, since it's the common shared source of information for many OnePlus One users including me.

Objective Completed.

1 Per the information received from Rob W here, it is necessary to rename the downloaded recovery to recovery.img, else the fastboot command may execute but wouldn't take effect.

"While not necessary, rename the downloaded .img file into recovery.img". This step is necessary. Without renaming, fastboot boot trwp.img did not have any apparent effect, even though fastboot reported a successful execution. Only after renaming to recovery.img, using fastboot boot recovery.img caused the phone to into the desired recovery image.

This is a comprehensive answer! Thanks!! By the way, I was able to boot into a live TWRP recovery. :-)


text:
How to remount /data to external partition on sdcard
I am trying to mount default partition from sdcard to /data (replace default).
My situation:
Android 4.4.2
Colorovo Citytonre vision
End Goal: I want more space for apps because all storage is used by default apps after update.
root@colorovo_citytone_vision:/ # blkid

/dev/block/mmcblk0p27: UUID="57f8f4bc-abf4-655f-bf67-946fc0f9f25b" TYPE="ext4"
/dev/block/mmcblk0p28: UUID="57f8f4bc-abf4-655f-bf67-946fc0f9f25b" TYPE="ext4"
/dev/block/mmcblk0p31: UUID="57f8f4bc-abf4-655f-bf67-946fc0f9f25b" TYPE="ext4"
/dev/block/mmcblk0p32: UUID="4019-1410" TYPE="vfat"
/dev/block/mmcblk1p1: UUID="d646a19a-670f-491d-9170-67c8d22fb4c7" TYPE="ext4"
/dev/block/mmcblk1p2: UUID="54AE-2B3D" TYPE="vfat"

root@colorovo_citytone_vision:/ # cat fstab.java

/dev/block/platform/sdhci.1/by-name/system              /system             ext4      ro                                                   wait
/dev/block/platform/sdhci.1/by-name/cache               /cache              ext4      noatime,nosuid,nodev,nomblk_io_submit,errors=panic   wait
/dev/block/platform/sdhci.1/by-name/userdata            /data               ext4      rw,nosuid,nodev,noatime,errors=panic,user_xattr,barrier=1,data=ordered,noauto_da_alloc wait,encryptable=footer
/devices/platform/sdhci.1/mmc_host/mmc0/mmc0:0001/block/mmcblk0 auto        vfat      defaults                                             noemulatedsd,nonremovable,voldmanaged=sdcard0:auto
/devices/platform/sdhci.0/mmc_host/mmc2                 auto                vfat      defaults                                             voldmanaged=sdcard1:auto
/devices/platform/3f120000.usb-otg/usb1                 auto                vfat      defaults                                             voldmanaged=usbdisk0:auto
/dev/block/zram0                                        none                swap      defaults                                             zramsize=201326592

What I've tried:
Edit fstab.java in data line
/dev/block/platform/sdhci.1/by-name/userdata            /data               ext4      rw,nosuid,nodev,noatime,errors=panic,user_xattr,barrier=1,data=ordered,noauto_da_alloc wait,encryptable=footer

To:
/dev/block/mmcblk1p1            /data               ext4      rw,nosuid,nodev,noatime,errors=panic,user_xattr,barrier=1,data=ordered,noauto_da_alloc wait,encryptable=footer

Then I mounted
mount -o remount -t yaffs2 /data

And nothing happened, when I reboot phone fstab.java is still as before changes.
I remount / as rw and i know that fstab.java is changed.

It's not as easy as just changing a mount point, if it was people would do this all the time, which they don't. Even apps that do something similar have to use symbolic links in the original mount point. Unfortunately I cannot assist you, but I will watch with interest if someone can.

anyone know how do this ?


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Sony Xperia stuck in boot loop due to no free space
My partner has a Sony Xperia Z3 compact that has been complaining of low space (~16 MB free) for weeks before now finally refusing to boot and it has become stuck in a boot loop. I have tried a number of key combinations to try and get it into recovery mode but none have worked and I have read that Sony Xperias do not have this enabled. The phone is not rooted.
Is there anything I can do to get either free up some space to try and get it to boot or to get the data off the device or should I consult a specialist data recovery company?
Many thanks

Very often you need to hold power and volume key up or down simultaneously and for a long time like half a minute

@beeshyams Yes I've read that these buttons need to be pressed when the led flashes blue, but it never turns on at all before going into a boot loop

I would suggest you keep trying to push the buttons for long because in a boot loop situation, you will not always see those prescribed indicators that show up normally // This may not guarantee work but it did for me twice (two different devices in boot loop). No harm trying

Try to see if it will connect to ADB.. It is doubtful but worth a try. If adb devices detects the device then fastboot should be able to bring it out  of it. Otherwise lets just hope it inherited Android's legendarily short battery life.


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How can I set a ringtone for a group of contacts with a certain label?
I want to set the ringtone for each contact with a particular label on my Pixel 2 (Android 11). Labels are a thing that contacts can have in the default android contacts app (from Google). There seems to be a lot of answers out there about doing this, but only when the contacts app has something specifically named "groups". There is nothing called "groups" in the default Google contacts app, but I think that labels are basically the same thing as "groups".

Similar approach to this //In the trigger, use groups. I am not aware of any way to do it within Android

I haven't tried using groups but it should work as Labels are groups; contacts app help says You can group contacts together using labels


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'No Internet Connection' on Certain Apps
I'm running Android 11; in some apps, such as Chrome, I see 'No Internet Connection' at the top, but everything is fine; I can browse.

Similarly, on Spotify, I get 'No Internet Connection' and am unable to use it, but other items such as Album Cover and other information are loaded.

I'm having similar issues with other apps, such as Google Keep, which won't sync properly.
I've tried reinstalling, restarting, clearing data and cache, resetting network settings.
Is there any way I can,say, view the logs and figure out the problem ?

Maybe clearing cache of apps will help? //Also, switch off mobile /Wifi data, put device in aeroplane mode fire a few seconds and switch off aeroplane mode and try. This resets wifi connection

@beeshyams Tried it. Doesn't help

Assuming that you're on mobile data, go to settings and locate APN (access point names) settings;  then set apn protocol and apn roaming protocol to ipv4 only from ipv4/ipv6 mode and then save it.

Still the same.


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No recent apps screen after disabling the launcher
My phone came with a launcher I didn't really like very much. So I installed Nova Launcher and disabled the in-built launcher. Now the recent apps screen won't come up. I looked up and most of the suggestions were to install a custom rom, I can't install a custom rom because there is not custom recovery as well as custom rom for my phone. To get the recent apps screen should I enable the launcher or is there any other alternative?
Device model: Tecno Spark 7
Android Version: Android 11
In-built launcher: HiOS

I just remembered, I have another phone running custom rom(Havoc OS) and it came with two launchers - Pixel Launcher and Shady Launcher and on switching between the two, the recent apps screens changed. So, I'm guessing it probably is part of the launcher(maybe?).

You need to enable the stock launcher. There is no other way. I had read somewhere that since Android 9 recent view functionality was being provided by a launcher app. Nova launcher doesn't implement a recent view functionality and since you disabled stock launcher too you are left with none. Keep the stock launcher enabled but use Nova or whatever launcher you need as "default". This is what I had to do in my OnePlus 6 (Android 10).

I read this and yes recent view functionality can be provided by a third-party launcher but it requires root.


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ODIN : Binary size is too large
Device Name : gt5note10lte/SM-P555/Samsung Galaxy Tab A
TWRP Source : https://github.com/minimal-manifest-twrp/platform_manifest_twrp_omni
Android version : 10
I am trying to build TWRP for my device. The stock ROM is running on Android 7.1.1.
When I am trying to flash the recovery.img file using ODIN, the error "ODIN: Binary size is too large : recovery" is displayed in Download mode. Anyone faced this issue ?
From the description, I understand that the recovery partition is small. What is the best way to move forward ? Any help is much appreciated.

Why? TWRP already exists for the device here.

the version that is available for my device is 3.0.2.1 (I think it is based on android 7 too) and I am trying to upgrade my device to Android 10. So, trying to move to latest version too.

TWRP version isn't strongly tied to Android version. The 10 branch is for devices shipping with Android 10+, AFAIK. That said, 3.0.x is a lil old in terms of features, so try the 9 branch.

Thank you very much for the clarification, I had that doubt too. I have also tried the twrp-7.1 from this link which generates the same error too. https://github.com/EngMoPro/platform_manifest_twrp_omni

Does this answer your question? Unable to mount storage on twrp-3.5.2_9-0


text:
No arrow keys on Swype keyboard after updating to 4.4.2
I updated and am now running 4.4.2, and was surprised by the update:

The arrow keys I had now don't exist. I need them.
Also, when it gets a word wrong, I cannot back-delete characters, it just deletes the entire word.

Is there any way out of this?

The arrow keys I had now don't exist.

It's probably because the update also updated the keyboard app which no longer now has arrow keys implemented. There is a way though, you can always use third-party keyboard apps from Play Store. Many do have arrow keys: Hacker's Keyboard is an example, and SwiftKey is another example.

Also, when it gets a word wrong, I cannot back-delete characters, it
  just deletes the entire word.

This is because of autocorrect. You can disable it in keyboard settings by going to Settings -> Language and Input and check your keyboard's settings.

I got excited then... for a while.
Am reluctant to add more apps - but will give them a try.  I am appalled that good features are just thrown away though.  I can't believe it.
I tried turning auto-correct off.  It still wont delete individual letters.  This is going to be a nightmare.  Maybe one of the alternate keyboards will work properly.  I'll try them...

You can delete individual letters by pressing Space once and then backspaceing


text:
Home screen is blank, lock screen working
I have a Samsung GT-P1000 (about 5 years back from Samsung shop). Upgraded to Gingerbread about 1 year ago. Two weeks back I rooted with last known config as -

Firmware 2.3.3
Baseband P1000DDJP4
Kernel 2.6.35.7 root@SE-S605 #4
Gingerbread DDJPA

Two days back, I installed AppManager[aka Uninstall Manager] from EasyAppStudio and this app "took over" the home screen and does not exit the app (but kind of swipes right and displays blank screen). Though I was able to use all other apps through this app. I wanted the main home screen so I uninstalled this app. Again same thing but this time I had no access to regular apps. Though I could use soft and hard buttons shortcuts to pull up apps I knew.
Then I hit hard-boot, it is now back to the original look-and-feel but the home screen problem remains. And the only thing I can do now is to use long press on home to bring Task Manager or pull down the status bar. (Locked screen still works and I can unlock the "blank" home screen.
After a hard reset, all shortcuts and old apps were not available. So I emailed myself with a link to Play Store. Got email notification on the status bar, and accessed email and accessed Google Play Store. Got my apps back but home screen is STILL blank. No wallpaper, no icons, no screen swaps, nothing.
Yes, I can download and run anything I want to. But my home screen is blank. Here are some images for a better understanding of the situation.

Lock screen

Opening Lock

Blank home screen. Note - the top status bar and lower buttons are functional,

Long press on the home button to bring the task manager

Running apps (any app as long as I can access it by the status bar or task manager).

Just to ask, can you try some third party launcher? And also, you can simply install apps through pc. Open play.google.com and sign in with same account as your phone. Go to app you want to install and install it. It will be automatically downloaded to phone.

I had the same problem and after trying many things, I just installed a 3rd-party launcher such as Nova Launcher and suddenly it seemed to work.
I knew it was a launcher issue since everything else was working fine.
I think if you just try and update your Launcher from Play Store or just install a new launcher, everything will be back to normal.


text:
Chrome crash/close immediately on Android 4.0.4, Android x86
Chrome version 42.0.2311 running on Android 4.0.4 on Asus Eee PC 701 x86. Browser crashes and closes immediately.
I have already uninstalled/reinstalled it. Cleared the data, force stop, reboot. Everything I can think of.
I've also done the obligatory google search. Can't see anything, which leads me to believe I'm just stuck with the stock browser.
Is there any way to troubleshoot/fix it?

The chrome crashing you are facing is the bug in app itself. You can wait for updates, eventually it will be fixed. But unfortunately, we cant do much when it comes to a single app having problems in android. The number of android devices and their types is vast, it is entirely normal that an app wont be compatible with some version due to whatever reason.
Meantime, you can try the following alternatives so you aren't stuck with stock (referenced from xda).

Chrome Beta: As the name suggests, this is another version of chrome with additional features. This was released by google as a testing for new features before they implement them to final chrome. The UI and speed is very much in par with original chrome. So along with a high chance of having to test additional features that have not yet been implemented in chrome, it is entirely possible that this will work. Head over to play store to install it.
Dolphin: Dolphin has a very traditional interface, including a desktop format with tabs at the top by default. Having them at the top of the screen is great for navigation, as you can quickly access an extra tab – and not just quick switch, as in non-tabulated browsers – without the need for a full tab overview. The side effect of this is the its a memory hogger, both RAM and space. So if you are not that conscious about ram, head over to play store to install it. Since otherwise its a great browser with built-in flash support as well. Play Store link.
Next: Unlike other apps from GO which are ver ram intensive, next is quite minimal, and it resembles older Chrome versions in a way. Its got clean aesthetics and the animations of the UI are rather good, among the nicest in this list. The best part of the UI is that its got a very small search bar, and that you can hide the notification bar. The UI and performance are quite good too. Play Store link.
Firefox: Firefox has an interesting UI. It is very rounded and adds a gradient to your now-grey notification bar, which makes it rather aesthetically pleasing. It’s got a similar menu to chrome, that slides out displaying options in rows. Then you’ve got a tab switcher at the top which lowers the interface to reveal your tabs. This is one of best browsers in java performance as well as quite decent with speeds as well. Play Store link.
Javelin: It is one of the few browsers that have adopted Material Design, and it did a good job at that. The default color palette is a little wild at first, but it is aesthetic enough to grow on you, especially given that it changes your status bar accordingly… something Chrome is still missing. It is great in performance, both in hardware as well as speeds. Play Store link.
Opera: It features gradients that look a little dated on our more flat interfaces of today, but it is still to-the-point and simple to have charm. The top sees a tab switcher, which is conveniently spawned at the bottom for easy thumb reach. So without saying, it has quite a convenient UI. Besides UI, its very performance friendly compared to chrome and similar. Play Store link.

Any of these browsers is fairly good in speeds and performance and with UIs not too awkward to someone adjusted to chrome. So in meantime you can try one of these. Personally, I prefer chrome beta. On side note, you can also search the internet for some older version of chrome as well. Hope this helps.

I got version 39 to install, but still crashes. Everything from 39 to 44 said it required above 4.0. Looks like I'm stuck with no chrome until the update.

did you try chrome beta?

Chrome beta not compatible with android 4.0.4. It's too old.

But I'm installed on x86.  So in waiting for the smart guys to do a later port for my machine.  Highly unlikely bc it's such and old device.


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WhatsApp and Messenger not working on Auxus BEAST running Lollipop
I just bought iBerry Auxus BEAST smartphone and I'm facing lots of issues with Lollipop. Apps like WhatsApp, Facebook is not working fine & it crashes rapidly. I could install the apps without any issues, but I cannot use them. Is there any solution to fix this issue?

--Support Info--
 Debug info: +919847081948
 Description: 2.12.5
 Version: 2.12.5
 Exp: 2016-04-22 22:26:45.000+0530
 LC: US
 LG: en
 Context: settings/about
 Carrier: IDEA
 Manufacturer: AUXUS
 Model: AUXUS_BEAST
 OS: 5.0
 Socket Conn: UP
 Radio MCC-MNC: 404-19
 SIM MCC-MNC: 404-19
 CCode: 91 9847081948
 Target: release
 Distribution: play
 Product: AUXUS
 Device: c211_jbl_a128_5m_hd_auxus
 Build: c211_jbl_a128_5m_hd_auxus_20150410
 Kernel: 3.10.61 #6 SMP PREEMPT Thu Apr 16 16:10:15 CST 2015
 Connection: M.O.B.I.L.E. (H.S.P.A.)
 Device ISO8601: 2015-04-26 12:08:23.698+0530
 Phone Type: G.S.M.
 Network Type: H.S.P.A.
 Diagnostic Codes: FE-VC

Go to Settings > About AUXUS > Wireless Update and then click "Check for Updates". You will see a new update there, install the update. It will take 5-10 minutes depending on your WiFi speed or network connection. Once you successfully install the update, your issue will be resolved.
In case you are getting an error message while installing the above update like "Your system was damaged. Wireless update is disabled.", then better reinstall the firmware manually and it will fix the complete issue.
To reinstall the firmware manually, download the firmware on your PC from iBerry's website. The instructions are given inside the ZIP file in the Instructions.pdf file. Follow the instructions to manually install the firmware. Once you manually install the firmware, your issue will be fixed.

authors: Игорь Гайчук


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Installed app got replaced with the Andy Android icon and doesn't start
Backstory: I went to pick up my phone to play Clash of Clans. The icon was the Android. When I tapped on it, it said, "app not installed". I went to the app menu and it disappeared.
What causes this issue?
Other info: I took out the SD card, could this have contributed?

You tagged this "internal-storage" was your SD card setup as Adopted (Internal Storage) in Android Marshmallow (6.0+)?

Related: Cannot open my app it keeps saying app not installed

Yes, the most likely cause here is that you removed the SD card and the app was installed there. Some apps can install themselves, or a portion of themselves, to the SD card even if it is external storage.
When an application is removed incorrectly, such as removing an SD card that the application is installed on, what you are experiencing is a typical behavior... The icon on the home screen is replaced with Andy, the app is removed from the app drawer or replaced with "Andy", and when attempting to start it the exact message you stated is displayed.
After manually deleting the icons,I would recommend clearing your cache then reinstalling the app without the SD card installed (if you wish to continue to have the app).


text:
Android - Application Manager - Disable multiple apps at once?
Let me first say I am not an Android person and new to this. I am needing to disable applications on 300+ devices. I have a list that they want disabled, now I've been just manually going in and swiping each one to disable them, but this is very time consuming. There has to be an easier way.  I was thinking with profile I could make and download it off the internet on each one or each device is encrypted with Mobile Iron, is there something to push to the device's to do this this.  My searching has shown nothing useful.
Thanks,
Tablets are LG VK815
Android version 5.0.2

You can hook the tablets one-by-one up to a computer with ADB drivers installed and USB debugging turned on in the tablets' settings, and run a .bat file with the list of stuff to disable which will look like this:
adb shell pm disable com.trash.application
adb shell pm disable com.more.bloatware
[...]

It's that easy! Root may be required depending on device.
Here's an example on XDA: Bloatware disable in .bat file

Aaron this is helpful, how do I know what the "com.mspot.android.music.mspotradiosprint" part is.  These are business devices and only are used for one app, everything else is to be disabled. Example Music, Hangouts, Google+ and a lot other native apps. I don't want to root these devices.

Type pm list packages in adb and it will spit out all of the packages, ready for you to maneuver your way through. Make sure not to disable anything system related, just the apps you know aren't necessary.

If your device won't let you disable some of the apps, I would highly recommend rooting it. In fact, there is one-click-root available for VK815, here: XDA You'll be plugging in all the tablets to your computer anyway. Rooting is really easy, trust me. You will have a lot more control over your tablets, like hiding the Settings app, turning off quick settings in notification bar (so people don't steal your tablets after turning on airplane mode etc.)

These are devices with Mobile Iron on them and are used for nurses. I cant root them, the MDM wont allow that.
I've not got the ADB  way to work, but I would still have to go into each device and put it to dev mode. Thats steps almost as equal of me setting up each device myself manually.

Each device is brand new, so I have to take it out of the box, turn it on, go through the LG setup menus (just skip, skip, skip etc), manually set wifi, and disable 22 native applications, as these devices are strictly to be used for patient data charting, no youtube, play store, games etc.
Right now I've got about 75 done of 300, it was a slow day today. Wish me luck :)

Good luck! If only people knew that rooting does not breach security, it adds to it... Unrooted, any app could really have a root method built in to it (Towelroot, Framaroot) to gain root access without the security layer of SuperSU blocking the access after rooting manually. I guess it technically violates the DMCA.

If the devices are rooted then you can try ROM Toolbox Lite app.
Otherwise, I think you are out of luck since disabling applications is a feature which requires root access unless done through Settings app.
Note: Most Android builds don't consist of many pre-installed system applications. If the application is not a system application it can only be uninstalled or frozen, not disabled.


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Play store on AVD
Is it possible to install the play store and download apps on an AVD (Android Virtual Device, aka Emulator)? I can't seem to find an image or anything documents on it.

You can use Genymotion emulator, it allows you to install applications from Google Play.
Check this answer for more solutions.


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Cross-device consistent symlink for internal storage
There are many paths to internal storage:
/sdcard
/storage/sdcard0
/storage/emulated/0
/storage/emulated/legacy
/mnt/sdcard
/data/media/0
Several questions:

Which ones are most consistent (present) across devices?
Which ones are most likely to have Read+Write permissions? Do the symlinks alter this behavior?
Which one is the true storage location, where the rest of the symlinks point to? Does this also vary across devices?

Is there a final objective of yours that would be completed by knowing a consistent cross-device symlink among thousands of devices?

To answer all of that, one needs to know all (or at least most) of the devices available. So all I can give is an "educated guess".
Permissions should not be altered by symlinks. And yes, what's there varies across devices, Android versions and even ROMs used.
Find the "real one" using df or mount at the command prompt (either via a terminal app, or using adb shell). Starting with around Android 4.2, a few of your listed locations should be pretty much standard:

/storage/emulated/0
/storage/emulated/legacy

The others, as I wrote, may vary between devices, Android versions and ROMs.
Concerning read/write permissions: All of them have. Question is just: for whom? The average app, or root? This changed a lot between Android versions, especially since Kitkat, and again might be handled differently by device, Android version, and ROM. Before Kitkat, an app just needed the WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE permission. With Kitkat, on most ROMs it was restricted to its own directory in Android/data/, and with Lollipop that changed again.
For a reference, please also see Confused by the many locations of the virtual /sdcard/.

Can you provide a reference for Kitkat being locked down to /data/x?

Maybe related: http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/data/data-storage.html

LOL Tons of references if you just do a search on "Kitkat sdcard". That gave a pretty loud cry back then. For an example: Android KitKat Blocks Some Access to Micro SD Cards, KitKat will make your SD Card completely useless.

I'm planning to change my question so it doesn't duplicate "Confused [..] virtual /sdcard/", I'm also working up an answer based on many test devices from Samsung, LG, Nexus, Acer, etc. I still have to get my hands on some of them yet via a friend of mine.

@AaronGillion: maybe you can initiate a wiki thereafter?!

Not sure. Can you refer me to a help page on what it does/how to initiate one/how it works? The list is getting very long, I will post the overall results below but I'm planning to make a page on my website with each device. Not sure if wiki will help here..?


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Stopping downloads
I have an LG G4 phone that doesn't have Download Manager enabled.
It started downloading something on its own, even though Play Store is set for "do not auto-update apps". How can I stop this download?

Can you post a screenshot of the notification pulldown? Is it downloading new apps to the phone, or updating existing ones?


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How to flash a rom on an entirely blacked out phone (s5 mini G800H)
Three or four months ago, whenever I tried to connect to Play Store or my gmail account etc. my phone returned a network related error message, which happened after I made a factory reset. Some games encountered errors too.
I tried to flash a rom from sd card, but it did not install even though it said that installation was successful. Odin doesn't recognize my phone, and there is no root, so rom installer won't work because I can't install custom recovery without root (correct me if I'm wrong).
In this desperate situation of mine is there at least something I can do (except buying a new phone)?

Custom Recovery can be installed without root.
If you have Samsung Kies running while the phone is connected to PC, chances are high that it interferes with Odin. Disable Kies
Try the following method that makes use of adb commands through a commmad prompt from PC instead of using Odin.

Download TWRP recovery for S5 Mini from here -> TWRP Recovery
Make sure USB drivers are installed.
Download 15 sec ADB installer
Rename the downloaded img file to "recovery.img" and move this to the ADB folder that was downloaded earlier. Make sure you have ADB.exe, fastboot.exe and the recovery.img in the same directory
Enable developer options and USB Debugging in your device
Connect the device to PC. Make sure device is detected. If not re-install the correct USB drivers.
Once device is detected, open a command prompt and change location to the ADB directory. Issue the command "adb devices". This should give your device ID as the output.

Executive the following commands carefully:
"adb reboot bootloader" - the device will reboot in fastboot mode
Once device shows up fast boot screen, type " fastboot devices " and make sure device ID is listed
Type "fastboot flash recovery recovery.img" . this installs the TWRP image into the device. If successful you will see an Okay message in command prompt.
Issue command "fastboot reboot" and wait for device to reboot normally. Once this is done you can try the key combination to boot into recovery. If everything went well you should be greeted with the TWRP recovery instead of the stock Android recovery.
Once this is done. You can root your phone/install the ROM.zip file using the TWRP Recovery
Hope this helps.


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Recover pending text messages deleted before sent
Last night I got a number from a girl, I tried to send her a message, but it hung on "message sending".
I decided to delete the message without saving the number to my phone, and the whole thread disappeared. Now I want the number back.
I have tried to access it from my carrier but they don't have it on there because the message wasn't sent in the first place.
Any ideas on how to recover it? I am using a Motorola Atrix 4G.

See: Is there a way to recover a deleted SMS? / Recover deleted content from userdata partition?

It is extremely unlikely that you can recover the text message itself, but you can try following something like this.
If you haven't rebooted your phone, you could also try running this from your PC while your phone is connected:
adb shell "logcat | grep handleSmsReceived"

The output will look like:
D/Mms/Txn ( 9092): handleSmsReceived messageUri: content://sms/789, address: +15551234567, body: this is a text message

If you don't have ADB installed, you can get it from the Android SDK Tools.

If the device is rooted, there's still the chance to get the deleted entries from the SQLite database (as long as there was no VACUUM run), see my answer.

There's a chance to recover deleted SMS if your device is rooted – but you'll have to act fast (before deleted entries are purged out):

Get the messages database (/data/data/com.android.providers.telephony/databases/mmssms.* files) from your device
Make multiple copies of that (so in case something goes wrong, you can start fresh)
Try one of the available tools to recover deleted rows from SQLite databases
Analyse what you've got

For item #3, here are a few options:

Python Parser to Recover Deleted SQLite Database Data (page includes howto and download); seems to be the same as SQLite-Deleted-Records-Parser, but the latter (Github) has an example that seems to deal with exactly our smsmms.db
Undark (the example on that page even is about recovering deleted SMS – though the database used there doesn't seem to come from an Android device)
Recovering deleted records from an SQLite database (very technical forensics article – think of it as a fallback in case the other methods fail)
Find more with a Google search for "sqlite recover deleted rows"

For item #4 I can recommend SQLiteman (documentation here), which I'm using myself every now and then. Hasn't been updated for a while, but it's simple and easy to work with.


text:
Which Apps can be deleted from an Android?
Are there any pre-loaded apps that can be deleted without affecting the operation of the phone, or of other apps? The purpose is for ease of use, and to save space.
Hi, thank you. I have a Wiko 2 phone, an Android version 9, U307AS with 16 GB for data. I have 64 apps.  76% of memory is already used. There are apps I never use, and apps where I have two for the same purpose. I rather have just the ones I need and use including some new ones. Please let me know if you need more information.  Thank you.

Depends entirely on the phone and Android version you are using. Until you tell us both we cannot provide you a precise advice. In addition, see if this helps: I have less than 40 apps (including system apps); What else can I remove?

Additionally the manufacturer (and it's modifications made to Android) plus the device hardware have an impact on the pre-installed apps Especially hardware (Qualcom, Mediatek, ..) related apps are usually those you should never disable, otherwise the device may end up in a boot-loop.


text:
Home wifi connection is very inconsistent and also my 5G as well. What is going on?
My phone tends to lose connection to the internet when I'm connected to my home wifi. Throughout the day, I will be watching youtube videos only to run into buffering as I lose connection. Then maybe a couple minutes later, it returns, or sometimes I manually disconnect my connection to my wifi and reconnect to fix the issue immediately.
I don't understand why it is doing this. I know the wifi itself isn't losing connection to the internet because my Xbox and PC are both connected to the same wifi and I haven't experienced lost of connection at all when I'm browsing the internet on my PC or playing online games on my Xbox.
Another thing is, my 5g connection isn't working as I would like it either at my home. At work, I don't even connect to the company wifi at all. I use my 5G mobile data to all day as I have unlimited data and it works perfectly at work as well as whenever I'm out and about. I'll watch Netflix, Youtube, etc and won't experience any lost of connection.
But when I'm home, I wouldn't be as mad about experiencing these wifi issues if my 5G unlimited mobile data also worked but it doesn't work as well neither. Usually I'll be using wifi, lose connection when my youtube video stops, turn off the wifi to switch over to 5G, still don't get connection to internet so I manually reconnect to my wifi and I get internet again, or I do get internet with my 5G only to lose connection maybe a couple minutes later.
Is there some signal interfering with my phone to both the wifi and the 5G network? I have two Xboxes both connected wirelessly to the wifi and they both work flawlessly. The smart TV as well.

I have the Galaxy S21 Ultra by the way but the previous phone I had, my Galaxy S9+ also experienced these same spotty internet connections as well at home.

UPDATE

Some Info on my WIFI

SpeedTest

Provider = ATT U-verse
5GHz Wifi Signal Strength = -50dBm
Router Model = BGW210
Ping = 57ms
Download = 30.27 Mbps
Upload = 12.08 Mbps

Wifi-Client Connection Statistics of Some Devices

MAC Address: (Galaxy S21 Ultra) |  Authentication State: Connected | IP Address: xx | Access Point: 5GHzxx | Transmit Packets: 100203 | Receive Packets: 41983 | Transmit Bytes: 106343914 | Receive Bytes: 7400949 | Trans Errors: 0 | Signal Strength: -69dBm | Disassoc Count: 1197 | Death Count: 2

MAC Address: (Galaxy S9+) |  Authentication State: Connected | IP Address: xx | Access Point: 5GHzxx | Transmit Packets: 282677 | Receive Packets: 93193 | Transmit Bytes: 386678945 | Receive Bytes: 14062960 | Trans Errors: 0 | Signal Strength: -61dBm | Disassoc Count: 1 | Death Count: 0

MAC Address: (Xbox1X) |  Authentication State: Connected | IP Address: xx | Access Point: 5GHzxx | Transmit Packets: 149483 | Receive Packets: 70467 | Transmit Bytes: 203467990 | Receive Bytes: 10668784 | Trans Errors: 0 | Signal Strength: -62dBm | Disassoc Count: 10 | Death Count: 4

Where do you live and which Wifi channels (2.4/5GHz) do you use Wifi? How many other Wifis are around you?

I live in South Florida near Miami. There's a 2.4 GHz and 5GHz connection to my wifi meaning each have their own SSIDs and passwords but both are inconsistent in terms of connection with my phone with the 2.4GHz probably being more inconsistent. My tv, pc, and xbox all use the 5GHz connection. This is an ATT Home Wifi system by the way. There are 5 Wifi connections showing in my area inluding my wifi.

Also, i'm looking at my wifi signal right now on my phone and its giving me one bar?? I'm literally the next room over where our wifi router is and I just walked in that room and it is still one bar. When I switch to my 5G, my bar is still one bar as well.


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How to connect a Galaxy Tab 4 to projector with VGA or HDMI?
I have a Galaxy Tab 4 10.1 (SM-T531) that I want to connect to a projector. So far as I have checked, there is no working MHL adapter for it.
Could someone please tell me another way to connect it either with HDMI or VGA wirelessly?

I use Amazon Fire TV and the Amazon Fire Stick with my Galaxy Tab 4 7.0 and Galaxy S3. The Microsoft Wireless Display Adapter is supposed to work with Android devices as well. All of these options connect to an HDMI port.
The Fire Stick is by far the most cost effective route and is very easy to use. Here is how to use display mirroring on the Fire TV and Stick (from Amazon's website):

To quickly start display mirroring, on your Amazon Fire TV remote
  press and hold the Home button and select Mirroring. Then connect your
  compatible device. Swipe down from the top of the screen to open Quick
  Settings, and then tap Settings. Tap Display & Sounds, and then tap
  Display Mirroring.

Will it also work with a projector?

The Amazon Fire Stick plugs directly into a HDMI port while the Amazon Fire TV uses a separate HDMI cable. As long as your projector has an HDMI input it should work perfectly.


text:
USB debugging option greyed out in Samsung Galaxy J5 runing Android 5.1.1
As per the rule with a new Android, I have tapped build number 7 times for enabling Developer option. However, USB debugging is shown as greyed out and I cannot start it. Samsung Galaxy J5 comes with latest Android 5.1.1. I have also updated the software to latest version.
Can anyone suggest me what to do?
Here is a screenshot:
(Click image to enlarge)

OK, here is I got the solution! there wasn't any bug or error in Android. It is because I have installed Samsung My Knox in my phone. Knox give an extra protection to device and also for some security reasons, Knox disabled USB debugging.
according to Samsung My Knox :

If you are using My KNOX, you cannot enable USB debugging mode while the container is installed.

I have uninstalled Knox and now  USB debugging is working properly!
There is another application named Samsung Knox Express which give you option for enabling USB debugging, but only System Administrator can install this application.

This worked for my Samsung Alpha: Enter *#0808# in your phone's dialer. A new screen will pop up. There, select "MTP+ADB" option and tap OK.
(Click image to enlarge)

are you using MY Knox @user2685557 ? because it is not working in Samsung Galaxy J5 with MY Knox installed.

Yes Knox is installed in my device. After connecting the device to USB, dial *#0808# and see again if its (MTP+ADB) only. If not then select it and press OK. In my device whenever USB is unplugged, it resets to (MTP) option.

It's not working in my phone. After selecting MTP-ADB it's saying Ok but when I run app in Android Studio, my phone doesn't appear.

Try revoking the usb debugging authorisations. Then turn off developer options and restart your phone. Once your phone has turned on, enable developer options and then see if you are able to enable USB debugging

No.... I'm still unable to do that... :/


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Wifi and Data switching on automatically in my HTC Desire 820 device
This morning I got a notification on my HTC Desire 820 running Android 4.4.4, about update of 1.22 version for network. I thought it was normal and I updated it.
From then my device is turning on both Wi-Fi and Data automatically. Many times I tried to switch it off but it again turns on.

What did the notification look like? I'm afraid you've just installed a Trojan (malware). With some luck (if that malware didn't manage to obtain elevated privileges and install itself as system app), a factory-reset might cure that. Its permanent switching on of network functionality suggests it's "phoning home", very likely transmitting personal data.

The notif seems official and it gone in good way however I reset my phone now and it solved the issue I thought of doing this without reset but fear of malware made me to do so, anyway thanks for the input @Izzy

They all "look official", that's special styling setup on malware-ridden sites. As the reset solved it for you, I will make this an answer with some more details – please "accept" it then (ticking the check-mark next to it) to signal others this is a working solution.

Related: WiFi and data connection switches on automatically although I repeatedly turn off the two features

Even if such notifications look "official", they rarely are. They are specifically styled in a way to make them appear such, to betray people thinking that and tempt them to install the "stuff" behind. But one is more likely to install some malware that way, often a Trojan – like in your case: Its permanent switching on of network functionality suggests it's "phoning home", very likely transmitting personal data. A Google image search on "android malware installation popup" gives you some examples:

browser popups wanting you to install an "update" (click images for larger variants
These candidates are easy to tell: you will never be informed on a system upgrade via browser popup, and there is no such thing like an update for your battery module coming this way (apart from which: the second screenshot proves its "fake-ness" by being a bad translation with grammar mistakes – another indicator to check for). A little protection can be gained from disabling "unknown sources" in your Android settings: that should keep installations from other than "official sources" (Playstore, your vendor) out. So if something claims to be an official update, but on installation you get told to enable "unknown sources" – be sure to cancel, as that's a fake and will almost for sure install malware.
But not all candidates are as easy to tell. Some even manage to place themselves as notifications in your notification area. A few rules on those:

official updates never come as "browser popups" on visiting some site. They are usually shipped as ota-update, or are to be installed via your device manufacturer's special tool (e.g. Samsung Kies)
if something tells you it has detected a "virus" – forget it, there is no virus for Android.
if unsure on its genuity: long-press the notification and check which app caused it. If it's an app that didn't come pre-installed: get rid of that app ASAP, it might do other evil things.
if you still cannot tell: ask in a forum where your device is dealt with, ask the manufacturer: is there an update deployed currently?

If you're already sitting in the mess (having that fake installed), the safest way out is a factory-reset. You never can be sure where on your device the malware has spread. Hopefully it didn't manage to exploit some security hole and install itself as system app; if it did, the only thing to cure your device is a fresh firmware install.

Actually it is not an browser popup.

I just tried to cover the whole thing, @dh47 – see the notification part, which might be what you've experienced.

Ok anyway I have a backup and I restored from my backup now the issue was solved from now on I will be extra careful :) thanks for detailed answer

Glad I was able to help! And be careful as well with what you restore from your backup :)

No problem with that there was no backup for yesterday :)


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App drawer doesn't allow scrolling by letter on Android M Dev Preview 3
I just flashed the newest Dev Preview of Marshmallow, but I found the App Drawer looks different than most screenshots.
Mine:

Screenshots:

Is there a setting I need to set?

You're comparing the older Dev Preview 1 to the newer Dev Preview app drawer.
From an article on AndroidPit,

App drawer has been fixed
While we commend Google on trying a new, vertical-scrolling app drawer, the alphabetical dividers on the left and negative space at the end of some sections was a bad idea. The new Android M removes these and is faster to navigate because you have more app icons on screen. It still scrolls vertically though.

The old app drawer (left) and the new Android M developer preview 2 app drawer (right). / © ANDROIDPIT

AFAIK, there's no official way to revert back to the older version, unless you are OK with flashing Dev Preview 1 (and stuck with it).
Alternatively (though I haven't tried it, so do it at your own risk), based on another article on AndroidPit, try to replace Google App with older version, specifically the Android M Preview 1.

Install the new APK app for Android Marshmallow
Once you've installed Google Now Launcher (OP: already installed by default on Nexus), you need to download the Google App APK file. To do this:

Make sure your device is set to accept downloads from unknown sources. To enable this, go to Settings > Security then tick the Unknown sources box.
Next, download the Google App APK file to your device, which you can get directly by clicking here. Open the APK once you've downloaded it, then follow the instructions to install Google App.

Note: you probably need to uninstall Google App's update first. Also, by installing from unknown source, Google App can't receive automatic update from Play Store anymore.

That's a good answer, thank you! I didn't know you could scroll by letter in the new one, that's what I need!


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App as Lock Screen? -OR- Allow app to run when device is locked?
I've got an old android device running CM11 (KitKat) that I'm using mainly as an alarm clock.
I'd like to be able to run only the clock app (Gentle Alarm) .... and then if I want to use any other apps like email or whatever, I'd have to unlock the device.
A lock screen widget doesn't quite cut it, as I'd like the full functionality of the alarm clock app (or actually, any app I select, for that matter) available, but as soon as I click the home or back button, I'd be taken to my lock screen.
I could see this feature being useful for lots of reasons... say if I had a tablet as a remote control for the TV/stereo that guests could use, yet i didn't want them running other games or apps.
Is this possible?
I'd be willing to consider other ROMs if that's what it takes.

Which device is it? Can it be upgraded to any Lollipop version, because Lollipop can screen pin an app i.e. you would only be able to use a particular app nothing else? Otherwise, see if ProtectedApps helps. Run it on all the apps except AlarmClock and whenever other apps would be activated a lockscreen would show up, be it custom or native. // You can also use any "app locker" app from Play Store. // You can also use an [tag:automation] app to lock the screen whenever any app other than clock gets active on screen.

This particular device is a Samsung Galaxy S III, which should support CM 12.1 (Lollipop) per this info. I am not familiar with the "pin an app" feature so I will look into it- may be exactly what I need. ProtectedApps is an option too, but it needs an additional framework and some config and a donation. I'm of the mind that simpler is better, so will hope the pinned app solution does the trick!

Donation is optional (it is only meant to support development of the app). Here is Play Store link for free version: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.defim.apk.protectedapps and all it needs is a framework which can be installed just like any app. Download the APK here: http://repo.xposed.info/module/de.robv.android.xposed.installer

Ah, the pinning of the app was exactly what I was looking for. If you'll post your response I'll mark it as the answer. Thanks for the help!

Kiosk mode at your service
What you need is a solution that can put your app in kiosk-mode. There are many apps in Play Store that can do this job for you. Simply search kiosk in Play Store. I believe that some of the apps providing child protection would more or less fit your need too. In that case, Izzy's list on app-locker should help.
Anyhow, I tested four apps that should help you  without requiring flashing any ROM:
clyd Kiosk Standalone Lockdown
It is free/paid app. Free version restricts you to a maximum of two apps. Once the app is closed you'd be shown an interface with selected apps' icons and that is all. You can only launch those apps and nothing more. You cannot access Status bar either. You'd easily know how to exit this once you start using it.
MobiLock Kiosk Lockdown
It is a free/paid app. Free version does the job for us. I didn't test it beyond two apps so I do not know its restrictions, if any. Its usage and behavior is similar to aforesaid app. It's also easy to exit.
SureLock Kiosk Lockdown
It is a free app with in-app purchases. Free version should suffice your needs. It explicitly has Single-application mode and Multiple-application mode. The latter behaves in a manner similar to aforesaid apps and the app can be exit very easily. However, Single-application mode isn't very elegant. The traditional way of launching password prompt didn't work and hence, I had to force-close the app using adb.
Make sure you test this app in Single-application mode only when you've adb setup in PC and usb-debugging enabled and authorized in the device.
KioWare for Android Kiosk App
It is a free/paid app. I believe free version should be enough. Although I saw the documentation, I couldn't figure out why the app always expects that I want to visit a website and hence expect a browser. I couldn't make it work in Multi-application mode at all. Single-application mode worked but I didn't see a way to exit. Again, adb came for rescue.
Make sure you test this app only when you've adb setup in PC and usb-debugging enabled and authorized in the device.
It is very much possible that I didn't understand the usage of or couldn't satisfactorily use this app. Feel free to let me know in comments its correct usage.

Screen pin the app
If you can switch to, or are, already running a Lollipop ROM then you can use screen pinning. On Pin and unpin screens, Google has noted

You can use screen pinning to keep an app's screen in view until you unpin it. For example, you could pin a game so that you don't accidentally exit the game while you're playing. Then, when you're done with the app, you can unpin the screen to get back to the rest of your apps.

Read through the link to know how to pin or unpin an app or go to Settings → Security → Screen Pinning and read the instructions for its usage.
Know that you can easily unpin an app, more easily because Android directs you to unpin it using a toast, should you press a navigational key.
A simpler solution, only for rooted Android devices, is to block such toasts from showing up. Through jan's answer here I found EnhancedToast1 and UnToaster2 app very useful (individually) to block particular toasts. Since they are Xposed modules, you would need Xposed Framework appropriate4 for your Android version.

Lockscreen on-demand
On a rooted Android, you can try ProtectedApps3 app. Use ProtectedApps to protect your launcher app. Now whenever you would press the Home key or go back to a previous app (it must be protected too) you would see default or your custom lock screen. The app would show you its know-how at first run.

Ever-ready Tasker
You want to get your hands more dirty on a rooted Android, use Tasker, AutoInput and optionally, Xposed Additions.
Run Tasker in application context and choose your Alarm or alternative app(s) as trigger. Configure Xposed Additions to disable Home button globally or use AutoInput in a Tasker's task to do that. You can also use AutoInput to disable Back button specifically when you're at main activity of your app.
Follow my answer at Is there any way to disable/enable the back button? to know relevant usage of AutoInput and Xposed Additions, if required.

A tablet with Kitkat
If you happen to have a tablet with Android KitKat, this answer by user77535 may prove to be helpful. (I don't have a tablet so I can't verify it.)
It says, inside Settings → Users, you can create a Restricted profile which would more or less be an app locker to you. The profile however enables system apps and Settings app can't be restricted. It further adds that Xposed module Restrict Me can take care of Settings app here.

1: XDA: EnhancedToast
2: XDA: UnToaster
3: XDA: ProtectedApps
4: Xposed Framework: Android 4.x, Android 5.x and 6.x

Simply outstanding response, thanks for the excellent above-and-beyond  info, Firelord!


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Search for files using Droid Explorer
I have a Samsung Galaxy S4 rooted. Is it possible to search for files using Droid Explorer and Windows 7? If it is possible, how can I do it?

Currently, no. You cannot search from within droid explorer for files. This is something that I eventually want to do, but have not yet had the time to do so. (I am the developer of droid explorer).