text:
adb shell get text from clipboard

After I copy text in emulator I want to get this text in adb shell
I found a reference:
// API < 11
static final int TRANSACTION_getClipboardText 1
static final int TRANSACTION_hasClipboardText 3
static final int TRANSACTION_setClipboardText 2
// API >= 11
static final int TRANSACTION_setPrimaryClip = 1
static final int TRANSACTION_getPrimaryClip = 2
static final int TRANSACTION_getPrimaryClipDescription = 3
static final int TRANSACTION_hasPrimaryClip = 4
static final int TRANSACTION_addPrimaryClipChangedListener = 5
static final int TRANSACTION_removePrimaryClipChangedListener = 6
static final int TRANSACTION_hasClipboardText = 7

And I did service call clipboard 1
root@iX101T1:/ # service call clipboard 1
service call clipboard 1
Result: Parcel(
  0x00000000: fffffffc 00000069 00740041 00650074 '....i...A.t.t.e.'
  0x00000010: 0070006d 00200074 006f0074 00690020 'm.p.t. .t.o. .i.'
  0x00000020: 0076006e 006b006f 00200065 00690076 'n.v.o.k.e. .v.i.'
  0x00000030: 00740072 00610075 0020006c 0065006d 'r.t.u.a.l. .m.e.'
  0x00000040: 00680074 0064006f 00270020 006e0069 't.h.o.d. .'.i.n.'
  0x00000050: 00200074 006e0061 00720064 0069006f 't. .a.n.d.r.o.i.'
  0x00000060: 002e0064 006f0063 0074006e 006e0065 'd...c.o.n.t.e.n.'
  0x00000070: 002e0074 006c0043 00700069 00610044 't...C.l.i.p.D.a.'
  0x00000080: 00610074 0067002e 00740065 00740049 't.a...g.e.t.I.t.'
  0x00000090: 006d0065 006f0043 006e0075 00280074 'e.m.C.o.u.n.t.(.'
  0x000000a0: 00270029 006f0020 0020006e 00200061 ').'. .o.n. .a. .'
  0x000000b0: 0075006e 006c006c 006f0020 006a0062 'n.u.l.l. .o.b.j.'
  0x000000c0: 00630065 00200074 00650072 00650066 'e.c.t. .r.e.f.e.'
  0x000000d0: 00650072 0063006e 00000065          'r.e.n.c.e...    ')

I tried other indexes from 1-7 the clipboard not changed. I read this question from StackIverflow
but installing additional .apk is not a solution for me

This answer from StackOverflow should be hepful. It requires to use of the input command and keyevent.
adb shell input keyevent 279

For older Android versions until 9, you can read the clipboard with the command line using an app like https://github.com/PRosenb/AdbClipboard.
You don't need to use the Python script, you can directly install Adb Clipboard from Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ch.pete.adbclipboard.
Then you can use this command to read the clipboard with or without adb (command taken from the Python script):
am broadcast -n ch.pete.adbclipboard/.ReadReceiver

Adb Clipboard app is not available in Play Store for Android 13 devices.


text:
Nexus 5 stuck on "flying color dots lollipop" screen after Hard Factory Reset
I just did a wipe data/factory reset on my Nexus 5. I followed this YouTube tutorial.
I'm stuck on the boot screen, which was my problem in the first place, and it's been on the boot screen for 25 minutes.
Should I wait or do something else?

If you have been waiting an excessive amount of time for your phone to boot (eg. leaving it overnight to boot) but it is still at the boot animation, you may be in bootloop. This is when the phone fails to boot due to some errors in the /system partition. As a preliminary measurement, you should perform a factory reset (or wipe /data) to see if that helps. If  that does not help, you should reinstall the /system partition.

First, you have to format your /system directory; you will need a custom recovery to do this. I recommend TWRP (Nexus 5), but regardless of which recovery you choose, you should download the latest version.
Power off your Nexus 5, then press and hold Vol-, Vol+ and Power simultaneously. Don’t release the buttons until Fastboot Mode menu appears. Excessive force is not necessary and may break your buttons.
Now, you will have to use the adb and fastboot tools. Open a terminal/cmd in your adb/fastboot folder on your PC. If you have the Android SDK, they are usually located in /path-to-sdk/sdk/platform-tools/. Alternatively, you can install the Minimal ADB and Fastboot tool for Windows (or sudo apt-get install android-tools-adb android-tools-fastboot for Linux).
Now plug in your phone to your PC. Making sure that your phone is in fastboot mode , type into terminal/cmd: fastboot devices to make sure that your phone is properly connected (it should return a serial code to you). This next command will perform a factory reset on your phone, so be wary that this will wipe all user data from the phone: fastboot oem unlock. After you have issued that command, type fastboot reboot. You will be presented with a screen containing an android logo and a progress bar (this may take up to ten minutes to complete). After that, your phone will try to boot up again. Just power it off after the android logo and progress bar are no longer on your screen.
Now we will use that recovery.img file we downloaded earlier. Reboot your phone into fastboot mode with Vol-, Vol+, and power, as in step 2. Make sure it is connected with fastboot devices. In the same terminal/cmd, type fastboot flash recovery /downloads/recovery.img, replacing /downloads/recovery.img with the full path to your downloaded recovery.
After that is done, on the phone, use the volume buttons to scroll onto "Restart Bootloader" and hit power to select it. After the bootloader reloads, use the volume buttons to scroll onto "Recovery Mode" and power to select it. You should then be greeted with your newly installed custom recovery.
These are instructions for TWRP: Once your recovery is running, tap Wipe > Advanced Wipe and tick only system, data, cache, and dalvik cache. Now swipe to Wipe. This will wipe all system and user data from the device; data on external sd cards will be preserved if you only selected those 4 partitions.
Now, you will download a fresh system image. If you want to stick with a stock ROM, here is one from XDA (This version is rooted). There are many custom ROMs available on the XDA thread. Download the ROM image.
Now, back in TWRP, make sure you are on the home screen (there should be a home button on the bottom) and go to Advanced > ADB Sideload then swipe to activate the mode. Type adb devices to make sure your device is properly connected, then type adb sideload /downloads/ROM.zip, replacing /downloads/ROM.zip with the full path to the ROM (.zip file) you just downloaded. This may take up to ten minutes to complete.
After that is done, just reboot! From the TWRP home screen, go to Reboot > System and it should boot correctly. Keep in mind that the first boot may take up to an hour to complete, so keep it connected to a power source!

What happens when in Step 4, I never see the progress bar? It just shows the android logo animation indefinitely.

Have the same problem as @JPL, don't see any progress bar in step 4, if I try to flash TWRP without reboot after oem unlock it seems to succeed but fails to load (After recovery loading screen phone eventually resets to go into bootloop again)

Posting this not so much for the asker, since it was asked ten hours ago, but for others who find this question:
Lollipop's first boot can take a long time. On my Nexus 4, after the OTA update from 4.4.4, it took about half an hour. At least 10 minutes of this was spent in the "flying colours" boot screen. I'd make sure it has power, and leave it for at least 30-60 minutes before getting too worried.

Waited for 2h and still stuck so not sure it will work at all.

I decided to keep waiting after I read this post. It eventually got to the welcome screen. Probably only took about 15min, but it seemed like an eternity.

Took me a good 20 mins.. but it finally got there.. phew.

This should definitely be the first line of offense before trying the more complicated answer involving  TWRP

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


text:
How do I sync S Planner in Galaxy S5 with Galaxy Note 10.1?
I am trying to sync the data from S Planner in my Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 to my new Galaxy S5. Sync Settings (Settings > Accounts > Sync) on both devices show that I have ticked all the boxes relating to my Samsung and Google accounts. Are there any additional steps I have to take in order to sync the data in the S Planner app?

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


text:
Text to speech on Android
I went to the Play store to search for a text to speech app. To my surprise, it said I already had one: Google Text To Speech, and that it was probably already on. Sure enough, in settings, there it was. But not a word - zero - about how to use it, or point it to any arbitrary text, and have it start reading.
I found this post which lauded what this app can do - but using it, controlling it? No joy. Then I read in this article about Read Aloud, a Chrome extension. Apparently, Google TTS, despite the name, is NOT used to read text?! I guess it doesn't matter if there is no way to control it. So I got Read Aloud, after checking that it works on mobile and not just desktop.
Supposedly, you can control it from an icon. But after clicking the button, did I see an icon? No, of course not. People, what am I missing here? I just want to use my phone to read arbitrary text. How do I make that happen? Thank.

Just to clarify, Google TTS is just a TTS engine. It can be used by any apps (including accessibility service) that need TTS service, but the engine itself won't run without those apps. On the other hand, there are other TTS engines than Google's one which can be used as an alternative choice, but still... they need necessary apps to run.

Go to Settings -> Accessibility. Make sure that "Select to Speak" is enabled. Then, an icon will appear in the screen.
If you don't have "Select to Speak", download and install Android Accessibility Suite. "Select to Speak" will then be listed among the accessibility services.
To read a text aloud, press the icon, select the part of text you want to read. You will then hear it. You can change the speech rate and pitch by going to Settings -> Accessibility -> Text-to-speech output

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


text:
OK Google Voice Match not working
On my Samsung Galaxy S8, my phone no longer responds when I say "OK Google"
The voice match settings don't work, I found device-specific settings and can attempt to set voice match up there, but when it does voice training and I say "OK Google" it does not proceed.
EDIT:
I didn't have S Voice installed. Bixby is a stock app and I don't think I enabled it on this (or any of my) phone(s). I worked before regardless. I'll double check anyway. I uninstalled Alexa and Cortana. Updated Google App and all permissions were enabled. I toggled the Microphone option off and back on. Google Assistant app said no permissions required. Still the same result unfortunately.

I'm having exact same experience, seems to have started following recent Google app update. I'm also on an S8. Any luck?

If you have a Bixby or S Voice installed and would prefer to use Google's voice assistant instead, your best bet might be to disable Bixby or S Voice on your device entirely. And if you’ve downloaded Alexa, Cortana, or any other voice assistant on your phone, either disable or delete it.
Also, make sure the Google app is updated to the latest version. Also make sure to grant all permissions for the Google app by going to Settings > Apps > Google app > Permissions (the path may differ from model to model)

I didn't have S Voice installed. Bixby is a stock app and I don't think I enabled it on this (or any of my) phone(s). I worked before regardless. I'll double check anyway. I uninstalled Alexa and Cortana. Updated Google App and all permissions were enabled. I toggled the Microphone option off and back on. Google Assistant app said no permissions required. Still the same result unfortunately.

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


text:
Both Sims are not detected after update Lenovo A390 with the latest ROW firmware
I have format my Lenovo A390 and update to latest ROW firmware version A390_ROW_S316_130730.
Everything work fine but sim cards not detected. At down of the lock screen shows Invalid IMEI. In the status bar sim also not showing.

Model number     :- Lenovo A390_Row
Android version  :- 4.0.4
Baseband version :- A390_MB_PCB_V1.0
Build number     :- A390_ROW_S316_130730

IMEI are Unknown
Wifi also work fine. What should I do now. Please help

Head over to the dialer and type *#06# over it and see if it shows the IMEI number, if it shows the IMEI number then things are okay but if there's nothing showing over their means the problem is with the IMEI and the device needs to feed IMEI onto !

IMEI doesn't show with  *#06#. Both are Invalid. :/

Well, I have Google thinks out, and have spotted a post over GSM Hosting you can have a look over the post ! And see if that helps you out with the problem you are experiencing !

I have solved the problem myself. Reason of the problem was Invalid IMEI number. What I did is set the valied IMEI for Sim.
Steps to Change IMEI Number of Your Android

Write the following in your dialler – *#7465625# or *#*#3646633#*#*.
(*#*#3646633#*#* this work for me)
Click to Call pad or connectivity options. Find out CDS information
and tap on it. Check out for Radio information. If
you have dual SIM, there will be two options for you, select the one which you want to go with.
Now to change IMEI number follow
AT +EGMR=1,7,”IMEI_1”

Replace IMEI_1 with your IMIE. For example : AT+EGMR=1,7,”8600XXXXXXXXXXXX"

And click to send.

Changing IMEI number is illegal but it may help you to get your phone back. Make sure to use  "YOUR" phone IMIE number (15 digit code ) written in the backside of the phone (mostly Under the battery)
EDIT
For Sim 2 need this insert “AT +EGMR=1,10,"IMEI_2”

Only one sim working. Other sim shows Invalid IMEI

For Phone 2 need this insert “AT +EGMR=1,10,"IMEI_2”


text:
How to append text with paste?
In android many times I just want to paste in text after the current text. But Android won't offer the paste context unless I select text. This means I have to overwrite text I want or insert a garbage word that will get pasted over. How do I just append the text in the clipboard to the current text?
For example if I long press after the entered text android selects the last set of chars and i have tonpaste over it.

On Android, to paste text, all you have to do, is long press anywhere after the last words that are displayed at the moment. This will bring up a few options, and one of them will be paste press on that, and the text will appear where you want it to.
In the screenshot below, if you want to paste something after the word here all you have to do, is long press where the red circle is (or anywhere along the line). This can get tricky in a situation where you want to paste between words.

I added a pictures that shows what happens when I long press in the box after the entered text.

@jerermy that's real strange. It doesn't happen by me. Are you actually long pressing far away from the question mark?

See https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/207777/how-to-paste-text-between-existing-words?rq=1


text:
how to get xperia m by default notification tone
I've galaxy grand neo. I like a notification tone of xperia m. So how I will get the tone?
Already I've tried so much to download the notification from web but I didn't get.


text:
Full disk encryption affects remote wipe ability?
Android's FDE affects remote wipe effectiveness, say, with Android Device Manager?
What I mean is this:
If one does not have system encryption enabled, to safely wipe all your data would require overwriting all your data. One would think that having full disk encryption enabled would allow wiping by just erasing the encryption keys. Is this so?

There is no link between FDE and remote wipe. The effectiveness of remote wipe is as good with FDE as it is without it. All that remote wipe depends on is that the phone is switched on and able to access some form of network.

Do you have any link for this?

I think you still would be able to remotely wipe it as encryption only as the name says "encrypts" the data. That means that after provided a password the file will unlock itself for read, but this doesn't affect deletion :)


text:
Set Home button to reject calls
I had an android where i could reject calls with the home button. Default behavior in lock mode with unanswered call.
With my new phone that doesnt work anymore.
I can see the option to set Answering calls with the home button.
But  I want the opposite action.
When the phone is in the pocket and i need to immediately reject a call when i forget to put the device in do not disturb mode, the only button that solves that issue is the home button.
Is it possible to have the home button set to reject calls ?
SAMSUNG S7   (NOT rooted)
EDIT: I tried using tasker, but there is no Home button event condition.

This could be possible using an automation app like tasker (not tested, so just a comment with this hint): Condition = incoming call + home-button tapped, action = hangup.

sounds like a good idea,  except i cant find the Tasker hardware event HOME button

Ouch, yes: that's probably not there as it's no "hardware" button but a soft-button – didn't think of that. But is "swiping left" to reject the call so much more difficult?

I was hoping to do so in the dark so to speak, without removing phone from pocket.

Ah. If it weren't for "in the pocket", an alternative would be an app like Air Call-Accept where you simply accept/reject calls with a hand motion over the proximity sensor. I don't know about other options currently, sorry.


text:
Android 5: Bluetooth pairing dialog has no passkey form
I use several Bluetooth devices with my phone. Today I tried to pair a new one and was shown this dialog:
Bluetooth pairing request

Device
NWP-F110

Type the pairing code then press Return or Enter

Cancel                                      Pair

No keyboard pops up. If I tap around inside the dialog, nothing happens. If I hit Cancel the pairing fails. If I hit Pair the device is registered in my Bluetooth system settings, but the app that works with it is unable to access it. According to the manufacturer, a passcode is necessary and apparently Android thinks so too, but I'm unable to enter it.
If I continue nonetheless and try to setup the device, the app searches endlessly. I'm never asked for the pairing code again until I manually forget the device in the system settings, yet no device is able to work with it.
Googling only shows me how to add the device as a trusted device, I'm unable to find any similar problems for Android 5 (although it might be because the OS is so new). Any tips?
I've confirmed that this is specific to my Nexus 5 running Android 5 - my Samsung S3 pairs with the device almost instantly and without trouble.

Prior to "obsoleting the hardware keys" (or on devices still having them), long-pressing the "menu" button often brings it up in such cases. I don't have a Nexus to check, but maybe there's something similar you could try? Some "overflow menu button" visible, perhaps?

Sadly, no - it's shown in a full-screen app, where the status bar and menu are offscreen. Holding the dialog and swiping down from the top bring them back, but there's no way of calling up a keyboard or menu from there.

That's really sad – and I'm out of ideas then. Wish you luck, hopefully some other Nexus-5 user has a solution for you.

Same problem over here: Nexus 5, Jabra Rox Wireless headphones


text:
How can I change the default due date for emails I flag for follow-up?
I have a Samsung Galaxy S5 running Lollipop.  In the stock "Email" app, I have the ability to flag messages for follow-up but for some reason when I press the flag icon, it sets the due date for the follow-up to "next week".
I want to change the default date for follow-up to "today".  Microsoft Outlook lets me define a new default date but I don't see a similar configurable option in Android.  Is this possible?  If so, how can I change this?

@John I ended up switching mail apps. I bought one called "nine". While it's expensive (10 bucks), it's worth every penny and offers full customizability on the followup toggle.  There's a free trial for it. Give it a whirl


text:
Error: "read only file system" on rmdir
I have problems with my Google Play so I tried to solve them from this blog,

You gonna need Android Terminal Simulator or equivalent terminal app. This will also require your Android rooted.
Type su (root permission request will be showed, you need to approve it).
Type cd /
Type umount /cache
Type mount -o rw,remount -t rootfs rootfs / (to set the folder access to rw – read write)
Type rmdir /cache (delete cache folder)
I personally using root explorer to do point 5-6
Type mkdir /sdcard/cache
Type ln -s /sdcard/cache /cache (to link cache folder to /sdcard/cache – which should have bigger partition size)

I have a problem with no. 6. I get an error that says 'read only file system'. The dir /cache is not read only.
How can I solve this problem and delete the folder? Or can I link the /cache folder without delete it?
edit
When I do step 5 so in step 6 it says device or resorce is busy. So according to comments in the blog post I rebooted my phone so maybe step 5 "canceled". How can I forcely do step 6  even if it busy?

Could you mention your phone model and Android version? Also, is your device rooted?

I have lenovo s8 android 4.4.2 kernel 3.4.67 special version lenovo20140914

You cannot simply delete the /cache dir. That's the mount point for the cache partition, residing on a read-only file system. If in step 6 you get the "read only" error, obviously step 5 failed. And no: you cannot "overwrite" a file or directory with a link.


text:
Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10 discharging even when connected
My Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10 (SM-T520) will discharge when connected. While the battery icon shows that it's charging, the tablet will still discharge, albeit more slowly than when not connected. This happens even under "low" use. For example, I'll have the screen brightness set to ~15% and just be browsing websites (simple forum posts trying to resolve this issue). The tablet is connected using the stock Samsung wall charger and cable that came with it, and I'll still lose a percentage point every few minutes.
Things I've tried:

Different chargers
Different cables
Different battery (yes, this happens with a brand new battery installed by a Samsung representative)

I took it to a certified Samsung repair point to have it checked out and they ended up changing the battery. Presumably, they ran some sort of test to decide it was the battery's fault so, for the moment, I am assuming there is no other hardware problem.
I am using CyanogenMod 11 (11-20150105-NIGHTLY-picassowifi). Reading up on the problem, I found forum posts (for example, here) that suggest that some apps and/or widgets could cause this type of behavior.
Sadly, they don't mention which ones and I'd really like to avoid uninstalling everything just to try. Another suggestion was to reset to the default ROM but ditto, I see that as a last resort unless someone can confirm that that will solve the issue. This didn't used to happen when the tablet was newer (I've had it since mid-December 2014, so less than a year) and using the same ROM, which would suggest that it might indeed be the fault of some app or another.
The full list of installed apps as reported by adb shell 'pm list packages -f':
/data/app/adarshurs.android.vlcmobileremote-1.apk=adarshurs.android.vlcmobileremote
/data/app/au.com.pickup.pmm-1.apk=au.com.pickup.pmm
/data/app/bbc.mobile.news.ww-1.apk=bbc.mobile.news.ww
/data/app/berserker.android.apps.sshdroid-2.apk=berserker.android.apps.sshdroid
/data/app/ccc71.bmw-1.apk=ccc71.bmw
/data/app/ch.bitspin.timely-2.apk=ch.bitspin.timely
/data/app/com.abmantis.galaxychargingcurrent.free-1.apk=com.abmantis.galaxychargingcurrent.free
/data/app/com.accuweather.android-2.apk=com.accuweather.android
/data/app/com.ADnet-1.apk=com.ADnet
/data/app/com.adobe.flashplayer-1.apk=com.adobe.flashplayer
/data/app/com.amazon.kindle-1.apk=com.amazon.kindle
/data/app/com.anddoes.launcher-2.apk=com.anddoes.launcher
/data/app/com.anddoes.launcher.pro-1.apk=com.anddoes.launcher.pro
/data/app/com.anddoes.notifier-1.apk=com.anddoes.notifier
/data/app/com.android.vending-2.apk=com.android.vending
/data/app/com.apex.minimal-1.apk=com.apex.minimal
/data/app/com.AppDVision.Simata-1.apk=com.AppDVision.Simata
/data/app/com.appiator.defaultappmanager-1.apk=com.appiator.defaultappmanager
/data/app/com.avast.android.mobilesecurity-1.apk=com.avast.android.mobilesecurity
/data/app/com.bammsoft.scorekeeper-1.apk=com.bammsoft.scorekeeper
/data/app/com.bravolang.dictionary.greek-2.apk=com.bravolang.dictionary.greek
/data/app/com.bubblesoft.android.bubbleupnp-2.apk=com.bubblesoft.android.bubbleupnp
/data/app/com.ccpcreations.android.appdialer-1.apk=com.ccpcreations.android.appdialer
/data/app/com.chessrepertoire.garlami-1.apk=com.chessrepertoire.garlami
/data/app/com.cloudmosa.puffinFree-2.apk=com.cloudmosa.puffinFree
/data/app/com.devexpert.weather-1.apk=com.devexpert.weather
/data/app/com.dropbox.android-2.apk=com.dropbox.android
/data/app/com.elpais.elpais-1.apk=com.elpais.elpais
/data/app/com.epicdevskofasoft.colonize-1.apk=com.epicdevskofasoft.colonize
/data/app/com.estrongs.android.pop-1.apk=com.estrongs.android.pop
/data/app/com.farproc.wifi.analyzer-1.apk=com.farproc.wifi.analyzer
/data/app/com.Fraom.Gel-2.apk=com.Fraom.Gel
/data/app/com.gekkosteam.holotorch-1.apk=com.gekkosteam.holotorch
/data/app/com.gombosdev.ampere-1.apk=com.gombosdev.ampere
/data/app/com.google.android.apps.books-1.apk=com.google.android.apps.books
/data/app/com.google.android.apps.docs.editors.docs-1.apk=com.google.android.apps.docs.editors.docs
/data/app/com.google.android.apps.genie.geniewidget-1.apk=com.google.android.apps.genie.geniewidget
/data/app/com.google.android.apps.magazines-1.apk=com.google.android.apps.magazines
/data/app/com.google.android.apps.maps-1.apk=com.google.android.apps.maps
/data/app/com.google.android.apps.plus-1.apk=com.google.android.apps.plus
/data/app/com.google.android.calendar-2.apk=com.google.android.calendar
/data/app/com.google.android.gm-1.apk=com.google.android.gm
/data/app/com.google.android.gms-1.apk=com.google.android.gms
/data/app/com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox-2.apk=com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox
/data/app/com.google.android.marvin.talkback-1.apk=com.google.android.marvin.talkback
/data/app/com.google.android.music-1.apk=com.google.android.music
/data/app/com.google.android.play.games-1.apk=com.google.android.play.games
/data/app/com.google.android.talk-2.apk=com.google.android.talk
/data/app/com.google.android.tts-2.apk=com.google.android.tts
/data/app/com.google.android.videos-1.apk=com.google.android.videos
/data/app/com.google.android.youtube-1.apk=com.google.android.youtube
/data/app/com.google.earth-2.apk=com.google.earth
/data/app/com.grooky.reader-1.apk=com.grooky.reader
/data/app/com.guardian-1.apk=com.guardian
/data/app/com.handmark.expressweather-2.apk=com.handmark.expressweather
/data/app/com.hobbyistsoftware.android.vlcremote_usfree-1.apk=com.hobbyistsoftware.android.vlcremote_usfree
/data/app/com.hungrybolo.remotemouseandroid-2.apk=com.hungrybolo.remotemouseandroid
/data/app/com.imdb.mobile-2.apk=com.imdb.mobile
/data/app/com.josegd.monthcalwidget-2.apk=com.josegd.monthcalwidget
/data/app/com.jrtstudio.AnotherMusicPlayer-2.apk=com.jrtstudio.AnotherMusicPlayer
/data/app/com.keramidas.TitaniumBackup-1.apk=com.keramidas.TitaniumBackup
/data/app/com.kineticgamestudios.airtunes.android-2.apk=com.kineticgamestudios.airtunes.android
/data/app/com.levelup.touiteur-2.apk=com.levelup.touiteur
/data/app/com.mediocre.smashhit-2.apk=com.mediocre.smashhit
/data/app/com.merriamwebster-2.apk=com.merriamwebster
/data/app/com.MeteoGr-1.apk=com.MeteoGr
/data/app/com.microsoft.office.word-1.apk=com.microsoft.office.word
/data/app/com.mobilityflow.tvp-1.apk=com.mobilityflow.tvp
/data/app/com.mobisystems.msdict.embedded.wireless.oxford.dictionaryofenglish-1.apk=com.mobisystems.msdict.embedded.wireless.oxford.dictionaryofenglish
/data/app/com.mxtech.videoplayer.ad-1.apk=com.mxtech.videoplayer.ad
/data/app/com.n7mobile.nplayer-2.apk=com.n7mobile.nplayer
/data/app/com.nerdyoctopus.gamedots-2.apk=com.nerdyoctopus.gamedots
/data/app/com.nexonm.dominations.adk-1.apk=com.nexonm.dominations.adk
/data/app/com.oasisfeng.greenify-2.apk=com.oasisfeng.greenify
/data/app/com.o_taiji.digitimer7-1.apk=com.o_taiji.digitimer7
/data/app/com.oup.gab.odquicksearch-1.apk=com.oup.gab.odquicksearch
/data/app/com.overlook.android.fing-1.apk=com.overlook.android.fing
/data/app/com.quizdom-2.apk=com.quizdom
/data/app/com.ray.puntada.icons.free-1.apk=com.ray.puntada.icons.free
/data/app/com.ray.shadow.free-2.apk=com.ray.shadow.free
/data/app/com.rdr.widgets.core-1.apk=com.rdr.widgets.core
/data/app/com.roymam.android.notificationswidget-2.apk=com.roymam.android.notificationswidget
/data/app/com.sedevelop.dict.esgreekfl.free-1.apk=com.sedevelop.dict.esgreekfl.free
/data/app/com.SimpleMoonPhaseWidget-1.apk=com.SimpleMoonPhaseWidget
/data/app/com.skype.raider-2.apk=com.skype.raider
/data/app/com.socialnmobile.dictapps.notepad.color.note-2.apk=com.socialnmobile.dictapps.notepad.color.note
/data/app/com.softwarebakery.drivedroid-1.apk=com.softwarebakery.drivedroid
/data/app/com.sonelli.juicessh-1.apk=com.sonelli.juicessh
/data/app/com.spotify.music-1.apk=com.spotify.music
/data/app/com.stackexchange.marvin-2.apk=com.stackexchange.marvin
/data/app/com.supercell.clashofclans-2.apk=com.supercell.clashofclans
/data/app/com.symbolic.pitchlab-2.apk=com.symbolic.pitchlab
/data/app/com.teslacoilsw.launcher-2.apk=com.teslacoilsw.launcher
/data/app/com.thecvsi.endgame-1.apk=com.thecvsi.endgame
/data/app/com.thecvsi.tactictrainer-1.apk=com.thecvsi.tactictrainer
/data/app/com.tommedley.chatsey-1.apk=com.tommedley.chatsey
/data/app/com.touchfoo.swordigo-1.apk=com.touchfoo.swordigo
/data/app/com.touchtype.swiftkey-1.apk=com.touchtype.swiftkey
/data/app/com.uc.browser.hd-1.apk=com.uc.browser.hd
/data/app/com.utorrent.client-2.apk=com.utorrent.client
/data/app/com.viber.voip-1.apk=com.viber.voip
/data/app/com.wentam.divider-2.apk=com.wentam.divider
/data/app/com.wisteria.stone.dog-2.apk=com.wisteria.stone.dog
/data/app/com.yahoo.mobile.client.android.weather-2.apk=com.yahoo.mobile.client.android.weather
/data/app/de.hinterhofapps.sliderwidget-1.apk=de.hinterhofapps.sliderwidget
/data/app/de.kroegerama.android4batpercent-1.apk=de.kroegerama.android4batpercent
/data/app/de.robv.android.xposed.installer-1.apk=de.robv.android.xposed.installer
/data/app/es.grupoplaneta.diccionario.RAE-1.apk=es.grupoplaneta.diccionario.RAE
/data/app/flipboard.app-1.apk=flipboard.app
/data/app/ginlemon.flowerpro-2.apk=ginlemon.flowerpro
/data/app/gr.androiddev.taxibeat-2.apk=gr.androiddev.taxibeat
/data/app/gr.cosmical.android.AthensBook-2.apk=gr.cosmical.android.AthensBook
/data/app/gr.digitalblast.drivesafe-2.apk=gr.digitalblast.drivesafe
/data/app/gr.exodus.naftemporiki-1.apk=gr.exodus.naftemporiki
/data/app/jackpal.androidterm-1.apk=jackpal.androidterm
/data/app/jwtc.android.chess-1.apk=jwtc.android.chess
/data/app/net.intrinsicdroid.wikitab-1.apk=net.intrinsicdroid.wikitab
/data/app/net.nurik.roman.dashclock-2.apk=net.nurik.roman.dashclock
/data/app/org.cwf.tvxs-1.apk=org.cwf.tvxs
/data/app/org.ips.ests.chessopener-1.apk=org.ips.ests.chessopener
/data/app/org.pocketworkstation.pckeyboard-1.apk=org.pocketworkstation.pckeyboard
/data/app/org.telegram.messenger-2.apk=org.telegram.messenger
/data/app/org.videolan.vlc.betav7neon-1.apk=org.videolan.vlc.betav7neon
/data/app/org.wikipedia-1.apk=org.wikipedia
/data/app/org.wikipedia.beta-1.apk=org.wikipedia.beta
/data/app/org.wiktionary-1.apk=org.wiktionary
/data/app/org.zooper.zwfree-2.apk=org.zooper.zwfree
/data/app/org.zwanoo.android.speedtest-2.apk=org.zwanoo.android.speedtest
/data/app/pl.org.zielinscy.freeciv-1.apk=pl.org.zielinscy.freeciv
/data/app/se.maginteractive.rumble-2.apk=se.maginteractive.rumble
/data/app/stericson.busybox-1.apk=stericson.busybox
/data/app/tv.airwire-1.apk=tv.airwire
/data/app/uk.co.aifactory.backgammonfree-2.apk=uk.co.aifactory.backgammonfree
/data/app/uk.co.aifactory.chessfree-2.apk=uk.co.aifactory.chessfree
/system/app/Apollo.apk=com.andrew.apollo
/system/app/BasicDreams.apk=com.android.dreams.basic
/system/app/Bluetooth.apk=com.android.bluetooth
/system/app/BluetoothExt.apk=org.codeaurora.bluetooth
/system/app/Browser.apk=com.android.browser
/system/app/Calculator.apk=com.android.calculator2
/system/app/Calendar.apk=com.android.calendar
/system/app/Camera2.apk=com.android.camera2
/system/app/CertInstaller.apk=com.android.certinstaller
/system/app/CMBugReport.apk=org.cyanogenmod.bugreport
/system/app/CMFileManager.apk=com.cyanogenmod.filemanager
/system/app/CMHome.apk=org.cyanogenmod.launcher.home
/system/app/CMWallpapers.apk=com.cyanogenmod.wallpapers
/system/app/DeskClock.apk=com.android.deskclock
/system/app/Development.apk=com.android.development
/system/app/DocumentsUI.apk=com.android.documentsui
/system/app/DownloadProviderUi.apk=com.android.providers.downloads.ui
/system/app/DSPManager.apk=com.bel.android.dspmanager
/system/app/Email.apk=com.android.email
/system/app/Exchange2.apk=com.android.exchange
/system/app/FaceLock.apk=com.android.facelock
/system/app/Galaxy4.apk=com.android.galaxy4
/system/app/Gallery2.apk=com.android.gallery3d
/system/app/GoogleCalendarSyncAdapter.apk=com.google.android.syncadapters.calendar
/system/app/GoogleContactsSyncAdapter.apk=com.google.android.syncadapters.contacts
/system/app/GoogleEars.apk=com.google.android.ears
/system/app/HoloSpiralWallpaper.apk=com.android.wallpaper.holospiral
/system/app/HTMLViewer.apk=com.android.htmlviewer
/system/app/KeyChain.apk=com.android.keychain
/system/app/LatinIME.apk=com.android.inputmethod.latin
/system/app/LiveWallpapers.apk=com.android.wallpaper
/system/app/LiveWallpapersPicker.apk=com.android.wallpaper.livepicker
/system/app/LockClock.apk=com.cyanogenmod.lockclock
/system/app/MagicSmokeWallpapers.apk=com.android.magicsmoke
/system/app/MediaUploader.apk=com.google.android.apps.uploader
/system/app/NoiseField.apk=com.android.noisefield
/system/app/PackageInstaller.apk=com.android.packageinstaller
/system/app/PacProcessor.apk=com.android.pacprocessor
/system/app/PhaseBeam.apk=com.android.phasebeam
/system/app/PhotoPhase.apk=org.cyanogenmod.wallpapers.photophase
/system/app/PhotoTable.apk=com.android.dreams.phototable
/system/app/PicoTts.apk=com.svox.pico
/system/app/PrintSpooler.apk=com.android.printspooler
/system/app/SoundRecorder.apk=com.android.soundrecorder
/system/app/Street.apk=com.google.android.street
/system/app/TelephonyProvider.apk=com.android.providers.telephony
/system/app/Torch.apk=net.cactii.flash2
/system/app/UserDictionaryProvider.apk=com.android.providers.userdictionary
/system/app/VideoEditor.apk=com.android.videoeditor
/system/app/VisualizationWallpapers.apk=com.android.musicvis
/system/app/VoicePlus.apk=org.cyanogenmod.voiceplus
/system/app/WAPPushManager.apk=com.android.smspush
/system/framework/framework-res.apk=android
/system/priv-app/AARSCService.apk=eu.airaudio.aarscservice
/system/priv-app/BackupRestoreConfirmation.apk=com.android.backupconfirm
/system/priv-app/CalendarProvider.apk=com.android.providers.calendar
/system/priv-app/CMAccount.apk=com.cyanogenmod.account
/system/priv-app/CMUpdater.apk=com.cyanogenmod.updater
/system/priv-app/ConfigUpdater.apk=com.google.android.configupdater
/system/priv-app/Contacts.apk=com.android.contacts
/system/priv-app/ContactsProvider.apk=com.android.providers.contacts
/system/priv-app/DefaultContainerService.apk=com.android.defcontainer
/system/priv-app/DownloadProvider.apk=com.android.providers.downloads
/system/priv-app/ExternalStorageProvider.apk=com.android.externalstorage
/system/priv-app/FusedLocation.apk=com.android.location.fused
/system/priv-app/GoogleBackupTransport.apk=com.google.android.backuptransport
/system/priv-app/GoogleFeedback.apk=com.google.android.feedback
/system/priv-app/GoogleLoginService.apk=com.google.android.gsf.login
/system/priv-app/GoogleOneTimeInitializer.apk=com.google.android.onetimeinitializer
/system/priv-app/GooglePartnerSetup.apk=com.google.android.partnersetup
/system/priv-app/GoogleServicesFramework.apk=com.google.android.gsf
/system/priv-app/InputDevices.apk=com.android.inputdevices
/system/priv-app/Keyguard.apk=com.android.keyguard
/system/priv-app/MediaProvider.apk=com.android.providers.media
/system/priv-app/OneTimeInitializer.apk=com.android.onetimeinitializer
/system/priv-app/ProxyHandler.apk=com.android.proxyhandler
/system/priv-app/RSCService.apk=com.kineticgamestudios.airtunes.android.rsc
/system/priv-app/Settings.apk=com.android.settings
/system/priv-app/SettingsProvider.apk=com.android.providers.settings
/system/priv-app/SetupWizard.apk=com.google.android.setupwizard
/system/priv-app/SharedStorageBackup.apk=com.android.sharedstoragebackup
/system/priv-app/Shell.apk=com.android.shell
/system/priv-app/SystemUI.apk=com.android.systemui
/system/priv-app/TeleService.apk=com.android.phone
/system/priv-app/ThemeChooser.apk=org.cyanogenmod.theme.chooser
/system/priv-app/ThemesProvider.apk=org.cyanogenmod.themes.provider
/system/priv-app/Trebuchet.apk=com.cyanogenmod.trebuchet
/system/priv-app/VpnDialogs.apk=com.android.vpndialogs
/system/priv-app/WallpaperCropper.apk=com.android.wallpapercropper

So, any suggestions?

Is this particular version of CyanogenMod known to have such problems?
Is it worth upgrading to 12 or a more recent version of 11?
Are any apps known to cause such issues?
Is there anything else I've missed that I could try?

This is typical for using a device while on a weak charger.  What is the amperage of the chargers you've tried?

@MatthewRead one of them is the original Samsung charger (TA10EWE): 5.3V, 2.0A. I tried measuring its strength with Ampere, but it reports wildly fluctuating values. At the moment, they range from 0 mA to ~1 A and usually hover around 7-800 mA. I have no idea how reliable those values are. I'll update the question tomorrow with the details of the other two chargers.

Ampere IMO reports what kernel reports  to the system. I wrote an  answer about that for How can profile (log the charging and discharging current for some time period) my battery? (see other answer there too). As for pin-pointing the  apps, you may have some success using BetterBatteryStats (you'll have to configure it to record stats when plugged in as well). Also, if you've the time and will, adb shell dumpsys batterystats may help you out.

@MatthewRead it turns out that the strength of the charger is irrelevant, the tablet needs its charger and another with the same capabilities won't cut it.

@Firelord thanks, I found that Battery Monitor Widget gave the best results. Sadly, appears that the tablet will only charge on its own charger & cable. See my answer.

It turns out I have (had) two separate issues:

I had a bum battery. No combination of cable/charger would charge it correctly. I had the battery replaced and noticed that it was still not charging correctly and so posted the question. I should have done more research. This is what I had observed when using the stock charger as mentioned in the question.
Samsung devices (mine at least) seem to detect when they're being charged by a non-Samsung charger and won't pull as much charge as they can.

The main issue here was 2 since 1 was solved by the new battery. I haven't found an official source for this but the following are very suggestive:

This YouTube video shows a Galaxy Tab Pro 10 tablet refusing to charge at full rate when using anything but its own charger (including chargers that can provide enough amperage). The video demonstrates this by using a hardware amperometer.
This Android.SE answer states that:

I believe some Samsungs look for a certain voltage on one or two of
  the pins of the connector, and will not work with other chargers, but
  I'm only guessing. What I have found with, for example, my Galaxy Tab
  3, is that there are some chargers that will not register no matter
  what cable I use (including "charge-only" cables like from
  Mediabridge), and other chargers that will not charge it at the full
  rate unless I use a charge-only cable.

This XDA Developers forum post gives a HowTo for converting a normal charger to something Samsung devices can charge from. It involves soldering two pins together on the charger's board and explains that:

The theory behind it is with samsung galaxy phones and "official chargers":
  if the middle 2 data pins on the usb, while getting 5v to the outer 2 pins it tells the phone that it is an official samsung charger and enables full speed charging.
without the middle 2 pins connected (with or without data flow) will not charge at full speed. even if you supply 800mA it will only charge around 350mA

This CNET Forums post states:

It does NOT mean this is what Samsung did but remember that the USB STANDARD only allows 0.5 Amperes on the STANDARD charger. To do more he had to adhere to some USB handshake that is custom, proprietary and more to tell the device there is more than 0.5 Amperes available and to draw more than allowed.

Finally, my own tests with Battery Monitor Widget and similar apps have confirmed that only the stock charger with the stock cable will charge correctly. Correctly here means that when connected, the applet reports "Charging". Anything else (including the stock charger with a different cable, one that is quite capable of charging an iPad) will report varying degrees and speeds of "Discharging".
In conclusion, it seems like this particular device will only charge correctly using the stock charger and its cable. No other chargers will work, irrespective of the output the charger is capable of providing. The tablet itself will not pull the full charge if it detects it's not being charged with the stock charger.


text:
What will I lose if I install Cyanogenmod?
I plan to install CyanogenMod on my Samsung Galaxy Express 2 (Sm-G3815). I have made a backup using Titanium Backup, by choosing the "Backup all user apps + system data" option.
I am not clear on what exactly will be done to my phone, what will be deleted and what left alone. Presumably, the backup I made will allow me to restore installed applications. Assuming that the ROM works as expected (and yes, I am aware that it might not) and everything goes well, will I also be able to restore

my contacts?
existing conversations from chat apps like WhatsApp, Telegram and Viber?
phone call logs?
photos?
sms messages?

Will anything still be there when I reboot into the new ROM or will I have to restore everything (except the data on the external card) from backup?
I have quite a few of my apps on the external SD card (moved there by choosing the "Move to SD card" button on the application manager). As far as I can tell, this move means that some of their data is in the external card and some on the internal storage (as reported by the application manager). Will this cause any issues when I try to restore from backup?

I realize these are multiple questions but they are all facets of the same main issue. Since this is my first post on this SE site, please let me know if the question is too broad.

Hi terdon, I saw the other question of yours and after reading the current one, I'm wondering how are you planning to flash CyanogenMod (CM) at all? You probably would get a recovery flashable ZIP for CM and I don't think Samsung's stock recovery would allow flashing anything non-Samsung.

@Firelord it does, I did and it worked :). I'm thinking of posting a self-answered Q explaining how but the main points were i) getting the CyanogenMod for my device from here and installing CWM using heimdall as described here. I've also previously installed CM on my Samsung tablet with no issues whatsoever.

The phone memory will be wiped by the Cyanogen install. Everything will be erased.
If you have a separate SD card, that should not be altered, so if you apps store data there, you may still have it after you reinstall each app on CM, or you may be able to manually copy over the old data and thus restore it.
Contacts and call logs are synced to your Google account so unless you disabled that, once you install CM and put in your account info, they should be restored.
WhatsApp, Telegram, and Viber history: Depending on the app, this may be stored in phone memory, the SD card or your account with the app's vendor. I believe for the three you mention, all keep your data tied to your account in their own server, so you should be able to recover it once you install the app on CM and put in your account.
Photos will be saved if they were on the SD card.
SMS's will likely be lost.
When I flash ROMs, I eliminate the ambiguity by just manually backing up whatever is important, and wiping the phone clean. Much simpler, and does not rely on trusting some backup app developer to get everything right.

So basically stock apps will be lost forever if not available in Google playstore, the phone is erased but SD card content is safe, correct?

authors: Владимир Тимошенков


text:
Revert to stock Android email app?
I've long used the stock Android email app to remotely access my work Exchange email account.
With the latest update of the Gmail app, the Gmail app has taken over this email account, and launching the stock Android email app results in forwarding to the Gmail app.
I'd like to resume using the stock Android email app for this email account.  How can I do that?
Thanks much.

Unfortunately, the only workaround for that would be to uninstall the most recent Gmail app and consider finding the previous update to it (ex, if it was 4.1.3, search Google for 4.1.2.)

Thank you for your suggestion.
Removing the current version of Gmail had the useful effect of taking my Exchange account out of Gmail's account list, but the stock email app still points into Gmail!
Further, I can find no way to uninstall then reinstall the stock email app:  it's not in the list of installed apps that can be managed within Settings, and the only control in its Play Store entry is "Open," not "Install" or "Uninstall."
Any further thoughts?

Try installing the older 3.x instead of the 3.0.x (3 and x being hypothetical numbers of course).

Thanks again.  I ended up not having the patience, and installing a 3d party email app to handle my Exchange account (nine).

Well, I have had a good experience with K9 mail (in case you're looking for a good third-party app to handle your mail needs).


text:
At what point in recovery mode should ADB be available?
I am using stock Android on a Nexus 5X, and I have a phone that is generally in a bootloader loop (unless the phone is frozen cold — weirdest bug I've ever seen).  I can now consistently get into recovery mode, and am hoping to pull some data off of it with ADB.
The catch is, I can't seem to get my computer to recognize the phone through ADB so that I can issue an adb pull command.  It's not a question of bad drivers, etc.  If I choose "Apply update from ADB", the device lists under adb devices, but I cannot issue any command except sideload which is not what I want.  (this question is different from the many "similar questions" that SE recommends as they deal with a driver issue, etc, where ADB never shows up.
I have a Nexus 5 that functions fully and likewise on it, I can't seem to figure out when I should be able to issue ADB commands other than sideload.
Is this is a question of using stock recovery?  Or is there another way to kickstart ADB that allows commands other than sideload.

Stock recovery - only when using sideload. Custom recovery - all the time. Conclusion: flash a custom recovery if possible.

@AndyYan Ugh, why would stock make that limitation?  I don't think I can flash a custom recovery because the bootloader is locked (I thought I had unlocked it but apparently not).  Well, guess I need to just hope I can fully complete the boot sequence the next time I pull it out of the freezer.  Feel free to add your comment as an answer and I'll accept it.

You might be able to fastboot boot a custom recovery without flashing.

@MatthewRead I tried that, but (at least with TWRP) it bails with FAILED (remote: not supported in locked device).

ADB in stock recovery means anyone can tamper with and transfer your data even when you have a locked bootloader - definitely not the security level you want.

@AndyYan I think most people would be okay with that — just say "Hey, flashing this could allow access to your data.  Just to make sure you're really you and not an evil nefarious person, please input the primary user's screen unlock code / password.  You have 5 tries before user data is wiped," and then maybe users very concerned about their data could block that style recovery.


text:
Nexus 5X data recovery with bad recovery partition
I have a Nexus 5X, fully updated to 7.1.1, that I used today to take pictures at a site for my research.  The Photos app is set to backup when on WiFi.
Of course, however, the phone decided to randomly crash on the way home (let me tell you, navigating in a foreign country without GPS all of a sudden... not the most fun thing in the world) and subsequently will only go to the fastboot screen.
When I choose Recovery Mode, nothing happens (but the volume up/down keys no longer have any affect).  In effect, the device is frozen, still showing the fastboot screen, but not actually in fastboot mood since  on booting to the fastboot screen, my device is visible using the fastboot devices on my computer (I develop apps so the developer options have already been enabled).  However, after choosing Recovery Mode, the device is no longer visible under either fastboot devices or under adb devices.
Clearly, there is a problem with the recovery partition.
Is there any way I can dump the hard drive so I can later recover data (I have all the passwords / screen lock codes, if that's necessary to access the data)?  Or can I replace the recovery mode partition with a fresh copy?  Most guides seem to indicate that this would delete all of my user data.
Is there anything that can be done to salvage the data?  While any other day losing a single day's worth of pictures wouldn't be a huge loss, there is no way I can go back to take the pictures again for months, and then requires me having to explain to people of all levels of bureaucracy why I need to be given access again =/

Sure, you can flash a recovery image at the bootloader using fastboot and not lose anything.

Get the factory recovery image from the factory image .zip files from here.  Inside of the factory image zip file(s), there will be a file called recovery.img, which is the stock recovery image.  You'll need that.  Make sure you get the correct factory image that your device is currently running.
Boot the phone to the bootloader, connect phone to your computer.
Erase the current recovery by using fastboot:  fastboot erase recovery
Flash the recovery.img file using fastboot:  fastboot flash recovery recovery.img

Now you've flashed a fresh recovery image to your device.  You can do this without losing any data, and if you use a custom recovery like TWRP, these instructions apply as well.  I do this all the time when I reload the stock software on my Nexus 6.
For adb in recovery not recognizing your device, you have installed the drivers (Windows) which are in the Android SDK located at C:\wherever your sdk is located\extras\google\usb_driver\?  Device Manager may show a triangle with a ? mark on the device when connected in recovery mode, this should help with that.

Will doing 3 and 4 require erasing user data or does using factory image files prevent the need to unlock the bootloader?  (I'm on a slow connection so it will be a while before I can test with the factory image files)

No, it does not require erasing userdata.  You would only lose data if you flash ALL of the factory images, since this is just flashing the recovery.img file, the only thing erased is recovery (and then it is reflashed in Step 4).

Is your bootloader unlocked?

no, it's not. [Min15char]

I don't believe flashing a new recovery will wipe your data partition. I would refer to user7610s answer as this seems like a similar issue except that you would like to access the /sdcard to recover your pictures. Best of luck! Edit: This is assuming you already have an unlocked bootloader as you seem to know what fastboot mode is.


text:
How to install a mobile-only Android app on an Android tablet?
How to install a mobile-only Android app on an Android tablet? By "mobile-only", I meant the app has only released a mobile version and no tablet version. For example, DoorDash is one such app.

In case of the DoorDash app I would say the developers are simply too stupid to understand that in the Android eco system there are still tablets without cellular.
From my perspective the only functionality of this app which requires a mobile is the function to make phone calls from within the app (Android CALL_PHONE permission). I am not familiar with DoorDash but I would assume that is is not a fundamental problem if you just want to order something.
If Google Play Store refuses app installation then you can still use one of the free APK sources like https://ApkMirror.com or https://ApkPure.com (as long as you trust those sites).
Both provide the DoorDash app and it can be installed on a non-cellular tablet without problem.

https://apkpure.com/de/doordash-food-delivery/com.dd.doordash
https://www.apkmirror.com/?post_type=app_release&searchtype=apk&s=com.dd.doordash

Thanks, glad to see the answer is this simple. I'll try to get in touch with some DoorDash developers to get this $1M easy bug fixed...

You can try finding an APK for the app online. If it's not on the Play Store, it probably won't work with your device. Normally, apps are available for both  phone and tablet, whether or not it's made for mobile. Correct me if I am wrong.


text:
Charging issues for Samsung Galaxy S2
Just wanted to see if anyone knows what is going on with my Samsung Galaxy S2.
The problem is that when I fully charge the phone normally at night I have sometimes turned the phone off after it is charged but then in the morning it is close to completely drained.
Does anyone know what is going on with it?

Welcome to Android Enthusiasts, Caitlyn! Please check: our battery-life tag-wiki for general hints, especially follow up to How can I monitor the device battery consumption? / How can I tell what is really draining my battery? / How can I prevent the battery in my Nexus S from draining overnight? (that last one sounds familiar, right? ;)

I am using Samsung galaxy S2 and was facing the same issue. And, If you are using Internet package to your phone and not logged off from any of the social network apps and also gtalk, facebook, gmail, e-mail etc the battery will be low even after you have completely charged your phone. And, of course if your phone is almost 3 year old you will face such problems.
I would suggest you to kindly disable the data network mode when not in use and this will increase the battery life.... :-)
I know this is not the permanent solution, but you can avoid your phone turned off when not in use.


text:
Stuck on Boot Animation
Recently I installed MIUI v5 rom on my smartphone.
When I rebooted my smartphone it got stuck on the MI Boot Animation Logo.
What is the problem?
Please Help me.

Can you still boot to recovery or safe-mode? Have you wiped your phone prior to flashing (assuming you've had a different ROM in use before)?

Did you wipe dalvik-cache and cache after flashing MIUI? And again after GApps?

Note that the first boot after flashing a new ROM can take some time.  For anyone reading this, make sure to wait at least 10 minutes before jumping to the conclusion that you've soft-bricked your device.

This is what happened to me and after 8 hours it was still stuck playing the boot animation.  I went into recovery and it told me it couldn't mount /cache so I wiped the cache partition, then it booted and asked for a password and complained it couldn't decrypt my data so I did a factory reset (which wipes the user partition), and after that I left it at the boot animation again and after five minutes it finished booting.  This was with the stock ROM.

It is stucked in boot-loop and maybe soft bricked. Its not bricked but can be soft bricked. I had also suffered this problem two times. Dont fear it will not damage any of your hardware function. It only happens if
1. The ROM you flashed doesn't matched with your phone.
2. Gapps has not been installed correctly.
You can solve this problem. Try turning off your phone and after turning on immedietly press the volume up and power button simultaneously. It could be different because different companies have different methods of booting into recovery. If you succeed in it then go ahead and if you fail then try other button combinations. After booting into recovery, navigate to wipe data section by using the volume keys. Then clear your cache partition. After doing this, get your default ROM from any website. I am sure that one or more websites will surely contain  it. AFTER DOWNLOADING IT INSTALL THE ROM. Then clear the dalvik cache and cache. Now, just reboot. Your problem will be solved.If any problem, please comment.

You forgot to mention to clear dalvik-cache and cache AFTER flashing ROM and GApps package.

The OP said "it got stuck on the MI Boot Animation Logo" - I thought a boot loop was when it kept booting, in which case the screen would repeatedly go black and then back to the boot logo, not just stay stuck on the boot logo, right?

This means you are stuck in a bootloop which means that your phone can't boot. It can be caused by the wrong installation of the rom. You can try to do a factory reset from recovery. If it doesn't fix you should try to install the stock rom. If you need more help please ask.

How can I fix this 'Bootloop' or 'Boot Animation' problem? I know how to install the stock rom and after this problem i successfully  installed the stock rom.


text:
Embedded YouTube videos have sound but no video
Whenever I come across a page with an embedded YouTube video and press play then the sound will be heard but the video will be blank (a black screen).
The controls work just fine - it's just that I don't have any video.
If I attempt to rotate the phone to landscape, then the video will briefly show just before the screen is rotated and then go back to being black again. Sound will continue to play just fine. If I attempt to rotate the phone back to portrait then the same thing happens again.
This problem occurs in Chrome, but also in any apps where the browser has been embedded (eg. Feedly and Facebook).
My phone is a Samsung Galaxy S3 (i9300) running CM11-20141115-SNAPSHOT-M12-i9300.
Is there any way I can resolve this?

I had the very same issue with my RSS reader on the Optimus 4X (running a stock Android 4.0.4). Always thought it was the app, as it worked with different other RSS apps – until I found out it worked with the very same app on my secondary device (Moto Milestone 2 running CM10 / Android 4.1). So I second Dan's assumption: a bug in the ROM / Android version is a pretty likely cause.

Same problem over here (i9300, CM11 - I had the problem with various versions, previous M builds as well as the latest nightly). I do have video in full screen mode. Tried that?

I found these related bug reports :
https://jira.cyanogenmod.org/browse/CYAN-5012
https://jira.cyanogenmod.org/browse/CYAN-5271
https://jira.cyanogenmod.org/browse/CYAN-5952
https://jira.cyanogenmod.org/browse/NIGHTLIES-480

Have you updated Android System WebView?  https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.webview


text:
How to change encryption password - Android 5.0
My encryption password is too simple and was wondering how I could change it without having to reset the whole phone?
I know there is an app for Android 4, but what would be the procedure on an Android 5 device?
Device: Nexus 5
OS: Android 5.0

There currently is no such app that does this on Android 5.0 so you should back up your data and wipe the phone and start again with a new password.

Not true, if you have a shell it always has been possible to change the password with vdc cryptfs changepw ..., see Sicco's answer and the link from Nikolas Elenkov: https://github.com/nelenkov/cryptfs-password-manager

Your encryption password is the same as the pattern/PIN/password you use to lock your screen. So simply go to Settings > Security > Screen lock and change it. Note that when you do this Android will ask you whether to also enter the pattern/PIN/password when you start the device in order to make your encrypted device's data unreadable without it.
In Android versions before Lollipop, it was good practice to change your encryption PIN/password to be different from your unlock PIN/password and make it longer/stronger as the encryption key was fully based on this PIN/password. So if you kept it short and easy (which most people do in order to quickly unlock the phone) your device could be brute-forced seconds/minutes (by making an image of your device and circumventing the 5x wrong password time-outs).
Since Android 5.0, the encryption key is only partly based on your pattern/PIN/password, the other part is based on a Trusted Execution Environment’s (TEE) key stored on your device in a separate hardware component (at least for high-end devices, including the Nexus 5 AFAIK), making the previous brute-force method impossible. Still, only using a 4-digit PIN can be brute-forced within a minimum of 17 hours (including the 30 second timeout after 5 incorrect tries)! Using a 6-digit PIN will take nearly 70 days. On the other hand, a 5 character password (using only the characters from the alphabet) will take 825 days minimum :).
So this info will tell you whether your current 'too simple' password is indeed too simple. If this is the case then change it as described above.
Sources:

Kaspersky Lab blog: Android 5.0 Data Better Protected with New Crypto System
Android Explorations (Nikolay Elenkov): Changing Android's disk encryption password (does not include info about Android 5.0)
Android Explorations (Nikolay Elenkov): Revisiting Android disk encryption (includes Android 5.0)
Android encryption @ android.com

Here's the app, now works with Lollipop as well: https://github.com/nelenkov/cryptfs-password-manager


text:
Any way to get root without a custom recovery? (Unlocked bootloader)
I have a phone with an unlocked bootloader (Motorola Moto Maxx XT1225) but there's no custom recovery available for it yet.
Is there any way to get root/flash super su without a custom recovery?
Or any way to modify stock recovery to be able to flash unsigned zips?
edit: device is on 4.4.4, it's the "international" version of Droid Turbo, just released device.
edit2: this is not droid maxx. It's moto maxx, Released 2014 November: http://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=5604&idPhone2=6779


text:
Why are there so many duplicates on my phone after using Link2SD
I have noticed that the internal storage of my tablet is filling up even though I have tried to link as many of the apps as possible to the SD card using Link2sd. I did a quick search for duplicates using Search Duplicate File(Super). What I found was that 1117 files where duplicated in both the /mnt/internal_sd/ and /mnt/external_sd directories. Any idea why this has happened, and how I can free up this space?
I have searched both paths and none of them are symbolic links to the other. These are actual duplicates of the files.

I also did a listing using adb shell of both the /mnt/internal_sd/... and /mnt/external_sd/... paths and they both show up as no symlink. So as I understand the data must be duplicated. Unless someone can prove me wrong. A screenshot of Link2sd properties of the app is below this.
shell@rk312x:/data $ ls -alF /mnt/external_sd/Link2SD/bind/data/bbc.iplayer.android/files/b05zrbt6/                         <
-rwxrwx--- system   sdcard_rw 42955904 2016-01-17 11:38 bUnknown-90d1525f-3702-46eb-b1d7-a400a1b82884_b05zrbt4_1446672608107.ismv
-rwxrwx--- system   sdcard_rw    13348 2016-01-17 11:38 bUnknown-a46b887b-4a7a-4c8b-9e56-b0075cc3771a_b05zrbt4_1452896225597.xml
-rwxrwx--- system   sdcard_rw     1798 2016-01-17 11:38 details.xml
-rwxrwx--- system   sdcard_rw    37475 2016-01-17 11:38 p02tcd2c.jpg

shell@rk312x:/data $ ls -alF /mnt/external_sd/Link2SD/bind/data/bbc.iplayer.android/files/                                  <
drwxrwx--- system   sdcard_rw          2016-01-17 11:38 b05zrbt6
...
...

shell@rk312x:/data $ ls -alF /mnt/external_sd/Link2SD/bind/data/bbc.iplayer.android/                               <
drwxrwx--- system   sdcard_rw          2016-01-30 19:09 files

shell@rk312x:/data $ ls -alF /mnt/external_sd/Link2SD/bind/data/                                             <
...
drwxrwx--- system   sdcard_rw          2015-12-14 23:00 bbc.iplayer.android
...
...

shell@rk312x:/data $ ls -alF /mnt/external_sd/Link2SD/bind/
drwxrwx--- system   sdcard_rw          2016-01-30 12:09 data
...

shell@rk312x:/data $ ls -alF /mnt/external_sd/Link2SD/
drwxrwx--- system   sdcard_rw          2015-12-25 11:34 bind
...

shell@rk312x:/data $ ls -alF /mnt/external_sd/
...
...
drwxrwx--- system   sdcard_rw          2015-12-22 22:26 Link2SD
...

shell@rk312x:/data $ ls -alF /mnt/
...
drwxrwx--- system   sdcard_rw          2016-01-30 11:17 external_sd
drwxrwx--- system   sdcard_rw          2016-01-30 11:17 internal_sd
...
...

shell@rk312x:/data $ ls -alF /mnt/internal_sd/Android/data/bbc.iplayer.android/files/b05zrbt6/                         <
-rwxrwx--- system   sdcard_rw 42955904 2016-01-17 11:38 bUnknown-90d1525f-3702-46eb-b1d7-a400a1b82884_b05zrbt4_1446672608107.ismv
-rwxrwx--- system   sdcard_rw    13348 2016-01-17 11:38 bUnknown-a46b887b-4a7a-4c8b-9e56-b0075cc3771a_b05zrbt4_1452896225597.xml
-rwxrwx--- system   sdcard_rw     1798 2016-01-17 11:38 details.xml
-rwxrwx--- system   sdcard_rw    37475 2016-01-17 11:38 p02tcd2c.jpg

shell@rk312x:/data $ ls -alF /mnt/internal_sd/Android/data/bbc.iplayer.android/files/                                  <
drwxrwx--- system   sdcard_rw          2016-01-17 11:38 b05zrbt6
...

shell@rk312x:/data $ ls -alF /mnt/internal_sd/Android/data/bbc.iplayer.android/                               <
drwxrwx--- system   sdcard_rw          2016-01-30 19:09 files

shell@rk312x:/data $ ls -alF /mnt/internal_sd/Android/data/                                             <
...
drwxrwx--- system   sdcard_rw          2015-12-14 23:00 bbc.iplayer.android
...
...

shell@rk312x:/data $ ls -alF /mnt/internal_sd/Android/
drwxrwx--- system   sdcard_rw          2016-01-30 12:10 data
...

shell@rk312x:/data $ ls -alF /mnt/internal_sd/
...
...
drwxrwx--- system   sdcard_rw          2015-11-24 18:10 Android
...
...

Link2sd iplayer link properties. 720MB is supposed to be linked to external_sd but shows up as duplicated in the listing above:

This app may make new apk files like backup from apps or something like this , you can use another link to sd apps that arnot make new apk files.

What's the point of having an app that duplicates data that is supposed to save space? Find it hard to believe.

LINK2SD makes symbolic links, one file would just be a pointer to the real one. If you go to a terminal prompt and cd to that directory and do a "ls -alF" command, you will see one of these files is a zero size link, the other the actual file. This is how LINK2SD works.

I amended the question to include a listing as you said. I see no zero size link anywhere on the path. I used and example path for which I know there is supposed to be data on the internal and external sd partitions.


text:
Location of Whatsapp Web sessions
From a few sources (see below for examples), I learned about the possibility of locating the computers connected via Whatsapp Web and/or desktop apps, by simply tapping the relevant item in the list of connected computers (available from ... > Whatsapp Web); supposedly, doing so should automatically show you the computer's location on Google Maps.
However, that does not seem to work on my phone; whenever I try, I am just asked whether I want to disconnect from that computer. Moreover, all those pages I found seem to be more than one year old.
Do you know whether such a feature exists, and

if so, how to use it (i.e., why doesn't it work on my phone)?
if not, did it exist once and why was it discontinued?

Here are some sources (admittedly not very authoritative ones, and I could not find much better, but I cannot see the point in inventing and spreading such a lie):

a Youtube video
a tech webpage in Italian

Can you post links as to where you found that such a thing exists?

The thing is, I cannot find any good sources (and that's part of the reason why I'm asking here). Anyway, I added a couple of examples at the end of the question. The video looks genuine…

Searching all over, i couldn't find anything on this either. Very possible the video is fake. Wouldn't be the first fake video on YouTube. Also possible that WhatsApp tried this in a beta version but didn't implement it. I guess let's see if anyone has an answer. Up-Voting as a good question.


text:
Data Drops when tethering
I'm trying to tether my computer to my phone through USB.  I have full bars, but the LTE symbol next to it will disappear for about ten seconds, and then reappear for a few seconds only to disappear again.  I don't have this problem when I'm not tethering.
This is very frustrating because I have to watch my phone to find out when I have a connection, and then I only have the connection for a few seconds.
Is this behaviour supposed to happen, and is there any way to fix it?

It could be that your ISP has different APN configs for normal data usage, and the other specifically for tethering plan. As such I'd recommend fistly to check the APNs and see if there have the DHCP setting enabled, sometimes the  device is not getting the IP address assigned automatically hence drops in connection whilst trying to connect.
If its the case of the APN for tethering then also check the related setting and also be sure you have an active tethering plan.You could also use adb to prevent the device from revealing the tethering status i.e modifying settings get global tether_dun_required code. See more here in a related post.


text:
Google Maps strange green texture when zooming in
On my tablet Lenovo 10" Android 4.2.2 my Google Maps looks really annoying, when I zoom in it has this green texture covering the map. Anyone knows why this happens and how to get rid of it? Google Maps is up to date.

T
EDIT : It is also awfully slow and it takes seconds to respond to touch and zoom.
EDIT 2 : Its only the app, in the Browser (Chrome) it works well.
EDIT 3 : Got it back to normal, by uninstalling updates, deactivate Maps and restart the device. Still would like to know why this happened.

Not sure, but I suspect the issue with hardware graphic acceleration. Did this happen suddenly, or since long time ago? Also, I observed that you were using satellite mode, did this happen when you turn off the satellite mode? I found a similar issue on Google Maps official support forum, but it's unclear if it's the same or not. If you want, consider to post an update to that thread, or create a new thread with sufficient info on their forum.

Thank you ,its been that way since over a year as far as I can recall. Satellite mode on\off does not change anything. Im sure it has worked before, just dont know when it started turning green, havent been using it that much. I'll give the forum a shot.

The question is also going here : https://productforums.google.com/forum/m/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer#!msg/maps/u7wwTeGttMg/s74fagzgo9cJ

@AHoneyBustard: did you try the suggested solution to uninstall updates and reinstall Google Map?

Uninstalling updates, deactivating Maps and restarting the device worked.

You're the OP so consider editing your question to ask that "green part" rather than posting it here. In fact, because no other answer is good, you can overhaul your question and add the content you've mentioned here.

Made  it thanks, cant delete my answer though


text:
How can i undo "Remove bluetooth device" from kitkat?
Before i was able to connect my moto X with my PC windows 7 64bits via generic bluetooth dongle. But i removed the pairing from my moto x and now its undetectable by the PC. Every time i turn on bluetooth on the PC and on the phone , then a turn on bluetooth on the phone and make sure its visible for all devices, its not detecting the pc and vice versa.
So, how can i undo the unpairing and make my phone and pc connect again ?
EDIT: I tryied to remove the registry key ( HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\BTHPORT\Parameters\Keys ) from windows registry but no luck.

Looks like your issue is more on the PC side. If you don't get an answer here, you may want to try asking over on SuperUser.

Make sure your both PC and PHONE are close to each other and the both Bluetooth are turned on and visible for all devices on both then go to your phone and search for devices and see if your PC will appear then try to pair then again.
There is no such a thing as 'undo pairing" you just need to pair them again.
Try that it should work usually if not check if there is any problem with your bluetooth on your pc in device manager.

Sure, they are in close enough. But when i said "undo unpairing" i meant "undo forget device"

Still the same you just need to pair them again probably one of your devices is not visible for all ? Try going to a photo and share it via bluetooth see if your pc will appear

Maybe i messed up my MS bluetooth stack when i removed the registry keys, and now how to undo this ? Is there a way to reinstall/ restore the windows bluetooth stack back?

Yes go to windows update and check for updates if you let it search for drives or google for your hardware + driver

thank you, my problem is not solved yet but im going to try this !

authors: Đồ Thờ Đồng Đại Bái


text:
How to find out where is the baseband/radio located in MTK6582
I have A Micromax A120 Handset(India)
http://www.gsmarena.com/micromax_a120_canvas_2_colors-6363.php
I want to upgrade the baseband of this phone , but before that i want to backup the current one , as i have some issues related to network on which the only option to test is to upgrade the baseband before replacing the network board.
I have gone through the internet , every where it is written in some part of adb shell you can get "by-name" to recognize which memory block it uses , but unfortunately there is no option to get it in my phone. I am giving below "cat /proc/dumchar_info" details

shell@A120:/ $ cat /proc/dumchar_info

Part_Name Size    StartAddr   Type    MapTo

preloader    0x0000000001400000   0x0000000000000000   2   /dev/misc-sd
mbr          0x0000000000080000   0x0000000000000000   2   /dev/block/mmcblk0
ebr1         0x0000000000080000   0x0000000000080000   2   /dev/block/mmcblk0p1
pro_info     0x0000000000300000   0x0000000000100000   2   /dev/block/mmcblk0
nvram        0x0000000000500000   0x0000000000400000   2   /dev/block/mmcblk0
protect_f    0x0000000000a00000   0x0000000000900000   2   /dev/block/mmcblk0p2
protect_s    0x0000000000a00000   0x0000000001300000   2   /dev/block/mmcblk0p3
seccfg       0x0000000000020000   0x0000000001d00000   2   /dev/block/mmcblk0
uboot        0x0000000000060000   0x0000000001d20000   2   /dev/block/mmcblk0
bootimg      0x0000000000600000   0x0000000001d80000   2   /dev/block/mmcblk0
recovery     0x0000000000600000   0x0000000002380000   2   /dev/block/mmcblk0
sec_ro       0x0000000000600000   0x0000000002980000   2   /dev/block/mmcblk0p4
misc         0x0000000000080000   0x0000000002f80000   2   /dev/block/mmcblk0
logo         0x0000000000300000   0x0000000003000000   2   /dev/block/mmcblk0
ebr2         0x0000000000080000   0x0000000003300000   2   /dev/block/mmcblk0
expdb        0x0000000000a00000   0x0000000003380000   2   /dev/block/mmcblk0
android      0x0000000032000000   0x0000000003d80000   2   /dev/block/mmcblk0p5
cache        0x0000000007e00000   0x0000000035d80000   2   /dev/block/mmcblk0p6
usrdata      0x0000000040000000   0x000000003db80000   2   /dev/block/mmcblk0p7
fat          0x0000000067180000   0x000000007db80000   2   /dev/block/mmcblk0p8
bmtpool      0x0000000001500000   0x00000000febf00a8   2   /dev/block/mmcblk0

Part_Name:Partition name you should open;
  Size:size of partition
  StartAddr:Start Address of partition;
  Type:Type of partition(MTD=1,EMMC=2)
  MapTo:actual device you operate

  can anybody help me to find out in which block the actual radio/baseband is written?

My current Baseband Version is
"MOLY.WR8.W1315.MD.WG.MP.V11.p2, 2014/02/11 18:13"
I am also looking for the latest version of this , one of my friend has my same handset but he has the latest version in it, i want to copy it
"MOLY.WR8.W1315.MD.WG.MP.V34, 2014/02/11 18:13"
Hope somebody could help me

Try this app, Disk Info. It will give you all the info you need for placement of partitions. I have used it for awhile and it is just what is needed. If you have root, there are more features available. You can see temp partitions and offline ones, as well as all mounted and unmounted partitions. Good hunting.

Thank You Hash_Brown , with it could recognize my everything else except the baseband . But it helped me a lot i guess now i can analyse by eleminating the known ones in that


text:
my moto g, 2nd generation (XT1068) got stuck in a boot loop, not going past the motorola logo. How to solve this problem?
My motorola device keeps restarting with a specific interval and off again after showing the motorola logo screen.I have tried to reset my device but the device is much unresponsive.Used this article for instructions . The instructions are not clear in this article.

what changed that when it rebooted it started in this bootloop?

@RyanConrad While i was transfering a file to my device though usb, the transfer got stuck and when i tried to access my device, it was unresponsive. So i started pressing the power button a couple of times, and then is see the device was rebooting, but only upto the motorola logo (+ android logo)screen with a vibrate (which usually happens while booting). Then off, then again the logo screen, this goes on, till now, but the interval between the restarts have increased.

were you able to boot in to the Recovery? This is where you need to go to do a factory reset.

@RyanConrad No. When i select recovery option the normal logo screen appears like when trying to boot normally, the only option which works on flashboot menu is bar code, others when selected have the same behaviour! The automatic restart loop has now stopped but still can't boot up the device.


text:
Fastboot Commands Via Update.zip To Unlock Pattern Lock on Asus Transformer FT201
I purchased an Asus Transformer Prime TF201 a couple years ago.  I added a pattern lock on this tablet so our kids would not use it all the time.  One of them decied to try the pattern too many times.  Now, it is stuck at the Too Many Pattern Attempts screen.  This has happened before and I was able to reset it by using my Google Account (wifi was on).  However, this time, I had to charge the device first before turning it on and discovered that it was in lock mode again!  I tried to get past the lock screen using Google credentials, but no go.
I am assuming the wifi turns off when the battery is drained.  And because wifi is off, it cannot authenticate using my Google Account.  I know my Google credentials and I also know the pattern, but I cannot use them!  I have pics and videos of our children that I do not want to loose.
I have been doing research for a few days now and it seems that if USB debugging was enabled, I could just run some adb commands (using the adb executable) and reset it to the point where I could try the pattern again.  But USB debugging is NOT enabled!
I am not sure this device is rooted??  I know that when I was using it, I was able to see all the directories (using the AndSMB app, but not sure if i was able to write to all dirs). It is a stock device with no mods.  It was upgraded to 4.1.1 (it was an update supplied from Asus).
Some good news: I am able to start the device in fastboot mode and it is detectable using the fastboot command tool (via Windows or Linux) while connected to supplied usb cable.
There is a tool called Android Script Creator (by Octanium) that can create an update zip file from custom commands.  I was able to create a zip file named Update.zip with the following commands..
ui_print("attempting to start wifi..");
run_program("svc", "wifi", "enable");
ui_print("done");

Questions

Am I on the right track?
Will the script I wrote work?
How do I run this update file I created?
Does the Update.zip file need to be flashed (or copied - what's the difference?) to an external SD card?
Can I use the fastboot tool to place this zip file on the internal memory and have it run?

Additional Info.. i found some links that may help.. but not sure what to do..
This link points to an article that describes how to use an update zip file, but it says to flash the CWM.  Is the CWM necessary to run an Update.zip file?
http://www.morethantechnical.com/2013/01/29/a-creative-way-to-bypass-pattern-lock-on-android/
This page seems to have the recovery files (and it has Transformer Prime), but what do i do with the recovery file?  It is an *.IMG file!
https://www.clockworkmod.com/rommanager

Some things: an update.zip has to be flaashed via recovery or fastboot. A recovery is usually a .img or .tar(.md5) file. They are complete file system images of the recovery as its a normal partition that need to be overwritten. As for the script: Try it. It shouldn't harm your device from what I understand.


text:
My play store suddenly change to another location and I cannot get it back
My play store used to be the US version and just a few days back it changed to Hong Kong version. Now I cannot figure out why and how it changed and I want to get it back to US version.
The only thing I can recall is that I used a proxy of HK those days. But now no matter how I set the proxy, my tablet, phone and the web page always give me the HK version.
I have read the posts about activating the play store of another country after relocate and I tried the methods, until now none of them works.
My account has two credit cards added, one's address is in US and the other is in Canada. Two of my apps that are only available in North America are not shown in neither [INSTALLED] nor in [ALL APPS] now.
The webpage version would show the US version as long as I logout my account, otherwise the HK version. The visible paid apps are all in HKD currency, which is rather disturbing!
Someone, please help me!
===UPDATE ON FEB 27, 2015===
The play store still shows HK version, however if I view games that are distributed to non-NA region (like EA's pvz_row, or r3_row) in the web page, it shows "The app is not supported in your device's country). Yet if I download a na version, the in-app-purchase currency shows HKD prices. I am confused, maybe I will have to contact Google play support team.

Well, log onto the Google account which you are using over your device, head over to the google account settings and tap over the "language" and change language variant to "US" or the one you want !

Thank you for the point, but the language setting is already like that.

now that's weird ! I think I ran out of options over here maybe you should wait a little while and see if anyone over our community can help you in guiding with the same !

Clearing app data and cache of Google Play Store worked for me.

Try clearing your data of Google play Store and your Chrome browser and then put your phone's location on. Then go into chrome and accept the "chrome would like to use your location" (or something along those lines) and sign into your Google account. This fixed my problem.


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Why are my replies to a group text appearing multiple times?
It used to be that when I would reply to a group text, my reply would only show up once. Now all of the sudden when I reply, my reply shows up multiple times. If 5 people are on this group text, my reply shows 5 times. I can't figure out how to stop doing that.


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Automate Always-On VPN with Tasker
I have a VPN server at home which works great with the built in VPN client from Android 5.1. I can also use my VPN server with the Always-On option, so no problems there.
I want Tasker to toggle the Always-On VPN option so that i can disable it when i'm connected to my home wifi network. Is this possible? I have a Nexus 5 with stock rom, no root.
Side-question: How to disable the Always-On notification message?

VPN control isn't yet supported by Tasker, it's part of a todo list as mentioned in this answer.

With all due respect, that answer is from 2011. So after 5 years we can conclude that VPN will not be supported by Tasker.

I'm going by what I see on the developer's page,  it isn't for anyone else to guess at his intentions.


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WiFi network in range, but could not be connected!
In my mobile phone (CyanogenMod 11-M12, Galaxy SIII I9300), in WiFi section my WiFi SSID is shown and under its name is Save, secured with WPA/WPA2. WiFi is ON. If I press SSID, a pop-up ask me to Cancel, Forget or Connect. and if I press Connect no connection is established!
I was connecting to this SSID without any problem before this. It seems that this problem occurred after installing "Google Apps" or after changing some privacy setting in Privacy Guard section. But I did not remember changing any system application's privacy settings, I just limited Google Apps privacy access.
Update 1:
I tried Factory Reset from recovery mode. It solved the problem, but after few hours of working with the device, the problem repeated. After that, Factory Reset did not solved the problem. I tried reinstalling CM from zip file. I installed CM11 zip file and did wipe (Cache, System, Internal Storage) partitions from recovery, but the problem persists. In the second try, I did wipe (Cache, System, Data, Internal Storage) partition and installed CM zip file after that. This solved the problem. But I am not sure if the problem will occur again or not?
Update 2:
The problem occurred after a while again, it seems that the problem occurs after installing some Google Apps!

@ChtiSuisse Nothing at all!

I Tried entering wrong password for the SSID, but ot does not changes any thing. It seems that the device does try to connect to WiFi network, so it does differ if I enter correct password or wrong one!

Where you get the selection "Cancel/Forget/Connect", try "Forget". Then wait until the entry is updated, and this time chose "Connect". You should be asked for the credentials again, provide them. Does this enable you to establish a connection? If not: Any message this time? What about signal strength?

@Izzy I tried "Forget" and creating new connection (system finds my SSID again and asks me for password). But it seems that it does not even try to connect to my SSID. Because if I enter wrong password there will be no difference!

OK, that asks for deeper investigation. Could you check the Android system logs for some pointers?

I tried Factory Reset. It solved the problem, but after few hours of working with the device, the problem repeated. This time Factory Reset did not solved the problem. I tried reinstalling CM from zip file. I installed CM11 zip file and did wipe (Cache, System, Internal Storage) partitions from recovery, but the problem persists. In the second try, I did wipe (Cache, System, Data, Internal Storage) partition and installed CM zip file after that. This solved the problem. But I am not sure if the problem will occur again or not?


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Temporarily disable notifications
I need a way to temporarily disable all notifications with ONE CLICK ONLY, for example via widget or EQS.
I don't care if it is for all apps or just whatsapp, as long as it prevents vibration and especially the notification light.
Is there any way to do this?
On Rooted Android 4.4.2, HTC Desire 816 dual sim

There is in Android lollipop.

What kind of phone?  What OS?  Rooted or not?  A little more information would surely help!

Their is an app over the Google PlayStore with the name Notification off which you can use to turn all the notifications down at a single tap but it's going to need rooted permission to work correct. So, you can try using that and if that's something which isn't possible then you can always use the Silent mode over your device !

Updated info.
Notification off seems like the right thing, but it isn't really one click. you need to go into the app each time and click more than once, both to enable it or to disable it

Answered at http://softwarerecs.stackexchange.com/questions/32229/temporarily-disable-popups-on-android-facebook-snapchat-line-etc (with one-click widget)


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Some apps change the sound profile when showing notifications
Some apps such as WhatsApp and Gmail cause my sound profile to change from Vibrate to Normal automatically without asking me when I get a notification from them. This only happens when notification sounds are enabled in the app, but they really should be respecting the system settings instead of changing them! Also, they should not be enabling my ringer!
I want notification sounds to work if I changed the sound profile to Normal, and only vibration in the Vibrate profile.
Of those two apps, only WhatsApp has permission to change audio settings.
HTC Desire 816 dual sim, Android 6


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How can automatically upload pictures and videos taken to google drive?
I'm having trouble automatically uploading the picture and video taken with my camera to google drive, I followed the steps on this site: https://support.google.com/plus/answer/1647509#folderab

But I don't have the Auto Backup option, I have my gmail account to sync google drive but still no luck, I have a S5 Mini with 4.4.2 android version, if anyone has a step by step or a solution to my problem please give it to me...thanks!!

After a lot of search it can't be done with google drive, the photos taken will be uploaded to google+, so if google+ is deactivated (like I have it) the photos won't upload :(


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Getting Android error message "App not installed"
I'm having trouble installing some APKs on my ASUS tablet.  To avoid confusion with other posts, and to help clarify the specific problem, let me eliminate some things right away.
I do have the Security setting to accept apps from "Unknown sources".  I can install many APKs without a problem; I have hundreds on the tablet.  I do not have a rooted device, and have never made any system-level changes to my software.  And the very same apps that fail on my tablet will install on my Galaxy S4 phone, as well as a different (older) tablet.
It would appear that there is something "intervening" during the install process.  When I tap on the APK file (which I have tried from both the internal, as well as external, storage), it begins as normal:  I see the Installer come up, I am presented with the Privacy and Device Access parameters, and I tap on "Install".  Within a second or two, I get a pop-up saying "App not installed", and the only option is "Done".
The APKs that fail do not come from a single source.  Some have come from my Amazon Android library; some have come from well-known Android game sites (e.g., the Humble Bundle site).  I am not able to nail down which will, and which won't, install (the list would be too long).  However, whenever there is one that will not install on the ASUS tablet, it will NEVER install.  (I.e., the error is reproducible.)
And to avoid a few other rabbit trails, I am not re-installing any of these apps; they are all new, with no naming conflicts with existing apps.  Some of the apps are installed by sideloading (i.e., copying the APK to the device and clicking on it); the Amazon apps that fail have used the standard Amazon Install process (i.e., the Amazon app on my tablet).  I use Lookout to scan my apps, and there are no problems.  And all of my devices are running Android 4 -- they range from 4.1 to 4.4.4.  All are kept as up-to-date as possible.
Can someone give me an idea of what is happening, what causes the "App not installed" message, and why all of my other devices will install the same app?
Thanks.

Without root access, that's not that easy to track down. Do you have ADB available from your computer? What OS are you using there? Though you've already ruled that out ("they are all new"), to me it sounds there's an "old installation" in the way and might need to be cleaned up.

Does your ASUS tablet have an Intel processor? Were the apps that failed to install designed for ARM devices? If you do have an Intel processor, maybe something's wrong with ARM translator on your tablet? Skim this article maybe

Also, does this help?

Please unmount your SD card and attempt the reinstall.
On newer versions of Android, some SD card permissions weirdness started and unmounting on these newer versions seems to fix the install issue on all of my devices.

It is possible that the app is not compatible with your device. Some possible conflicts may involve DPI, RAM, or Android version prerequisites. If your system specifications do not meet the requirements of the manifest of that app, you may not be able to install it at all.


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What does the /data/system folder store and its significance?
I know that /data partition contains user-generated data (/data/app - user apps, /data/data - app data, etc).
But what is the /data/system folder used for, and does it have any significance in the boot procedure (e.g. - boot scripts, etc)?
A sub-folder-wise explanation would be preferred.

Boot scripts generally reside on /system/init.d/. /data/system/ typically stores system configuration files used by hardware or controllers, things that apps do not have access to. Driver configuration is also stored in /data/misc/.

In addition to what @GiantTree said, /data/system/ also holds the list of all the installed packages (as a XML file), the AppOps settings, details of the components of the eventual themes which have been enabled, info about which activities from which apps have been disabled, classified in a per-user fashion (user 0 representing the device owner), the different keyboard layouts (e.g. QWERTY and AZERTY)... that directory is a gold mine.

Oh, yes... there are also the pattern, PIN and password lock files, there.

data/system folder contains system configuration files critical to maintaining device's state. Access to the directory is restricted by the system apps only, so if the device is not rooted the folder content can't be seen.
Below is the list of files residing in the directory with a brief description. Note that the list is not completely full and also may vary depending on the OS version.

appops.xml - a configuration file used by the AppOps service which controls application permissions;
called_pre_boots.dat - a file used by ActivityManager to hold pre-boot broadcast receivers;
batterystats.bin - a binary used by the BatteryStats service to keeps power statistics of application installed;
gesture.key - lockscreen pattern;
inputmethod/ - a directory used to store IME configuration. Contains subtypes.xml with IME locales, keyboard layout sets etc;
locksettings.db - a SQLite database containing the lock screen settings;
netpolicy.xml - a configuration file used by the NetworkPolicyManagerService;
netstats/ - a directory used to hold NetworkStatsService statistics;
packages.list - a file used by the PackageManager service containing the list of all packages (apks) installed in the system (same as executing pm list packages within shell);
packages.xml - a file used by the PackageManager service to hold metadata of all installed packages, like UIDs, requested permissions etc;
profiles.xml - a configuration file to keep metadata of device profiles including sound mode, airplane mode, vibration etc.;
password.key - password hash;
usagestats/ - a directory used to store files for the UsageStats service. Contains usage-history.xml that holds info on all apps and its components with the last time a user used them;
users/ - a directory used for multi-user support. Contains userlist.xml which keeps info on all users in the system (0 - is a device owner/primary user); e.g. a sub-directory users/0/ holds info on the user account (accounts.db), widgets (appwidgets.xml), wallpaper (wallpaper_info.xml) etc.

Thanks for the answer onik. Is there a resource that you know of with similar detail for other parts of the file system?

@Andr0id, Android Internals::A Confectioner's Cookbook