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How to permanently disable mobile data on a rooted Android device?
Hi guys I was hoping for some guidance on disabling my mobile data on my rooted Android. I've tried locating a file do delete with ES explorer, but I'm honestly unsure if there is such a separate file to disable the data and keep my call function on. Any help at all would be much appreciated. Thanks.

I would use your phone's test page to disable it... It's like disabling an adapter on a computer are its devices software it will still look like it's on but you can change your way you speak to your tower from like 5 seconds 10 seconds 30 seconds and disabled or immediate. I use phone dialer to pull up the test page *#*#4636#*#*


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Android box - soft bricked, but can boot Linux
Introduction
First of all I have quite old android box - Ferguson 3 TV. It's hardware based on platform very similar to MXQ/HD18Q with s805 processor. Stock rom based on Android 4.4 (not Android-TV). I was able to run LibreELEC Linux for this box in dual bot, or even from internal, so it is somehow compatible.
Now what happend...
I soft bricked it when trying to flash android custom rom from MXQ. The TWRP flashed just fine, and I flashed rom zip from this. After this procedure, neither system, not TWRP is not booting. After few tries I was able to flash LibrELEC to internal storage. I also booted Armbian (linux) from SD card. But recovery is still not bootable.
What I want to do
Is there any way to flash stock firmware from linux to unbrick the device? Or any other way? When I connect box to Windows PC, nothing happens, like Windows doesn't see it. So I think this booted linux is the only way I can modify the internal memory. I have stock firmware zip, from the Ferguson page. It is recovery zip, but contain inside boot.img and bootloader.img. The/system is just a folder. There are also /recovery folder which only contains some scripts to extract recovery from boot.
Any ideas how to save this box?

I tried Amylogic Burn Card Maker, but it doesn't boot. Linux does, but this utility doesn't.

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


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Is it possible to crack the password.key or any other .key file from /data/system/?
I am a newbie...
So this question came in my mind when I removed my screen lock using adb by deleting the .key file from the /data/system/ folder....
For removing we delete the .key file, but what if we copy the .key file to our local PC using adb command and then try to brute force the encryption of the .key file using hashcat (like what we do when cracking the .cap file to get the WiFi password). Also we can use a wordlist.
If we can do this then we can easily brute force PIN screen lock because it has the limited range of possible number combinations.
I don't know what kind of encryption method is used for encrypting the plain password/pin for android screen lock so please answer this.
So please let me know if this is possible....
Also I don't if this is discussed before....

Please take into account hardware-backed encryption which cannot be brute forced on or off the device (excluding some hacks).

That depends on the Android version. For older versions this was possible. But on modern device hardware-backed encryption + GateKeeper makes it hard to do so (I have to admit that I never tried it myself practically).

Ok So the device I am having is S10+ which has Android 10 not possible...

@TanmayB definitely not possible. Upcoming devices would save keys in Secure Element (supported since Pie) which is far more secure than the current TEE based hardware storage. So the brute forcing isn't going to work very often.

Ok Thank You for reacting so fast and letting me know about this @Irfan Latif really thankful to you Bro...

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


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Changes in data at Google Drive in WhatsApp backup
I have scheduled WhatsApp Auto-backup at Google Drive using WhatsApp.

Apart from this, I delete unwanted media files (image & video) from the WhatsApp Folder in Gallery.
Will backup file at Google Drive keep deleted media file or it will be deleted in next schedule?
And in case of Restore backup file, will I get all deleted media files?
Please check and clarify.
Thank you in advance.
Regards
FewL

afaik google drive backups are just snapshots and not merged but replaced


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galaxy note 4 sm910c PIT partition error
i  tried to flash the latest firmware, but after i press the start button,it says PIT partition error,so i installed a PIT partition for note 4 and then tried,still it says PIT  partition error.....can ypu help mewith it?


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Phone (Nexus Zenfone 5 !!MODEL ZE620KL!!) only boots into TWRP
So I unlocked my bootloader and flashed twrp, but my data was auto-encrypted so i had to perform a wipe from inside twrp. I did this and now everytime i start my phone it boots into twrp. I tried flashing a custom rom but i dont think my version of twrp has usb support since i couldnt tick the box.
So tbh im not sure if i accidentally deleted my stock version of android or if i just did something else wrong, and its very hard to find information about this since theres another phone by the exact same name (ASUS Zenfone 5) but the one I have has the model number (ZE620KL).
So yeah how do I make my phone boot into android instead of twrp everytime i turn it on.

Does the vol-up/down keys work correctly in TWRP?

they dont do anything, i dont think theyre supposed to do anything since theres a sound setting in the twrp settings

Originally a recovery ROMs were using the volume buttons for up/down navigation. That nowadays TWRP supports to use the touch screen is often a convenience function. Because if one of the volume buttons would be defect and permanently firing "I am pressed" the system may always boot into recovery even if the main OS is present. That would be one possible explanation for your problem.

you probably wiped wrong partition. fastboot boot boot.img will ignore volume keys (in case button stucks)

click on Show all and download proper version, try oldest first

ok but how do i download it only my device? adb via usb doesnt seem to be working

flash with QFIL (or what i would do: python sdat2img.py vendor.transfer.list vendor.new.dat and adb push vendor.img /dev/block/bootdevice/by-name/vendor and same for system.new.dat. adb is working in twrp. boot.img can be flashed from fastboot in download/bootloader mode directly too)

https://www.firmware27.com/2018/03/asus-zenfone-5-5z-firmware.html


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How to re-format or re-flash a TWRP install?
I was stuck in a bootloop earlier with Team Win, having just gotten an older phone.
Now I'm seeing a menu like:
*** Tampered ***
*** Unlocked ***
...
FASTBOOT
RECOVERY
FACTORY RESET
...

Selecting FACTORY RESET seems to get me to a stock-looking Android 4.4.3 with an HTC Sense version 6.0.
From the Android menu, selecting factory reset  gets me back to Team WIN scripts, and then back to Android well enough.  However, I previously stuck in a loop of Team WIN:

This phone came with Team WIN, which is fine.  My inclination is to format and re-install as it was installed by another.  What's the general procedure?  Is it any simpler as Team WIN is already installed?

It is easier to flash custom ROMs since TWRP is installed. If you want to flash stock ROM then of course you will lose TWRP but it's the preferred way if you want to be fully sure that own the process and what goes in the phone (in which case having TWRP doesn't help)

Since I didn't install TWRP myself, it makes me a bit leery.  It looks quite simple:  https://www.xda-developers.com/how-to-install-twrp/  is this changed by already having it on there?

It's upto you. You aren't comfortable so go ahead and start afresh. You may need to see how to uninstall TWRP

Also see how easy /difficult it is to flash stock ROM before deciding


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How to know which App architecture is installed on my device? 32bit and 64bit
I've researched a lot about this,
found how to know if the APK is 32bit or 64bit
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/30348216/how-to-find-if-apk-is-32-bit-or-64-bit
I tried going to the developer area in my phone => process manager and still couldn't see running apps' architecture.
tried installing a couple of task manger apps too, still no luck.
I think Google play automatically detects CPU architecture and installs the correct version
https://developer.android.com/google/play/publishing/multiple-apks
https://developer.android.com/distribute/best-practices/develop/64-bit#test-64-bit-hardware
and apparently since 2019 August, Google play requires all apps to have a 64-bit version.
https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2017/12/improving-app-security-and-performance.html
but when I go to Chrome => chrome://version, it shows 32-bit
so I'm looking for a universal way to find out whether the installed app on my phone is 32bit pr 64bit.
I'm using Android 9

You can look at the output of adb shell dumpsys package and check the primaryCpuAbi – or use e.g. my tool Adebar which creates a device documentation for you, listing the architecture for each app. Unfortunately, this seems not always to be set (for several apps it is just "null" – in which case Adebar cannot show it either).

Java apps are neither 32-bit nor 64-bit: https://android.stackexchange.com/a/208132/218526 Bitness matters only if app includes prebuilt native libraries inside .apk. In this case extract the .apk (in any unzip utility) and check the binaries or .so files using e.g. file command or hexdump etc.


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Issue after updating Facebook and Facebook gets update automatically
I have Realme Pro 2 (ColorOS 6 and Android 9). I updated Facebook from Play Store.
After update, the new version is Facebook 260
And the issue is:

Even I don’t this see option:

Then, I uninstalled and reinstalled Facebook and issue not resolved.
I downloaded previous version (250) and installed.
It’s okay and easy to use. Facebook 250 is working fine and I don’t want to update it. Auto-update is also OFF from Play Store. However, it gets updated automatically.
Pls let me know,
how to resolve issue with new version or how to stop it to get updates automatically?
Thank is advance.
Regards
FewL

Moreover, I did Settings & Privacy --> Settings --> Media and Contacts --> App Updates --> Auto-Update Facebook. Will that work so that Facebook will not get updated automatically till the time I do not update it manually?
And how to resolve issue after update?

If it has been updated, there's no way except to uninstall the app and manually reinstall an older version. Play Store always only installs the latest version.

As I explained, first I updated from Play Store. The updated version is 260. There is an issue with updated version. I uninstalled and downloaded previous version (250). The previous version is working fine. I disabled Auto-update from both Play Store and In-App (Settings & Privacy --> Settings --> Media and Contacts --> App Updates --> Auto-Update). However, Facebook is prompting to update the app.


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how to delete system apps from stock rom before flashing in windows
I want to remove apps from stock rom.
Tool that I used is "MTK extractor".
I unpacked system.img using MTK exractor tool, after unpacking I got "system " folder.
One youtube tutorial told me if I want to remove system apps, all I have to do is to delete apps from system/app folder.
I deleted browser.apk(built in browser), drive, google sheet, doc. And repacked the system folder.
I got system.img file again.
I flashed it using sp flash tool.
But now when I powered on my phone, it stuck on phone logo and its not powering on.
Please guide me how to remove system apps from stock rom, also I want to add some additional apps to stock rom like messenger. So how to add custom apps into stock rom

it's android 4 i guess? on new devices dm-verity prevents from booting (not the case for you) you can delete each app for it's own directly from twrp and always reboot to check if device is working or not. if offline modification is a requirement, mount system.img in linux


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Password protect adb
Looking for an option to password protect adb so I can enable it all the time and accept all connections.
In the event if I break my phone's screen and I need to pull my files out this would really be helpful.

adb supports RSA key authentication (if configured) which is far stronger than a password: https://android.stackexchange.com/a/219320/218526

You don't need to "acept all connections". Just make sure to backup the adb authentication keys from your PC once you have accepted them on device. Then nothing can go wrong if you ever need adb access.

... nothing except https://android.stackexchange.com/q/226666


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disabling sideloading APK'S via disabling the packageinstaller
i have a moto x4 running on lineage OS ver. 16 that i wanna disable installation of APK'S, so after searching online i found that deleting or disabling the packageinstaller (via debloater or adb pm commands) will disable the option of installing APK'S, the issue is that it seems that if the packageinstaller is disabled then the phone cannot boot (probably the system needs the packageinstaller) and it will tell me to make a data wipe and a factory reset, so my question is as follows is it possible to disable the packageinstaller that it should not allow installation of new apps but still be enabled so the phone can boot?, or is there another way of blocking the installation of new apps?
thanks in advance

Disabling packageinstaller app wouldn't help you at all. All it would do is make the user inaccessible the user interface they see when an app is sideloaded. Apps which have privileges to install an APK (such as Play Store or an OEM market app) can continue to use packagemanager service to install apps. Similarly, you can also install apps via command-line despite packageinstaller app disabled/removed.

thanks but both are not an issue as i don't have any play store as i use lineage OS with microG so no gapps are installed, and about command-line that is not an issue as the user is not an android tech etc. but my question is, is there a way to do what i asked to disable the installation of apps but the phone should still boot?

The PackageInstaller app is just a frontend - pm itself is the package manager. When you sideload an .apk, it's pm the one which does the job.

sorry gripoire can you explain better don't really know android so good

This question offers itself to a variety of approaches, because it seems that you are relying to an unknown extent on your user's lack of dev savvy.
A) Simplest: if your user is not an android tech, and you have no app store installed on the device, why assume that they know what an apk is and where to obtain one?
B) however, if you think that thats too simple , you can disable unknown sources and hide the setting from the user, (that should work on a reg phone, though not sure about lineage OS.)
adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.android.settings.<settingName> to disable a particular setting has been known to work on some devices, you can try it on the package manager as well, as it does not remove the apk from the phone just de-registers, though a factory reset will return the setting, and you'd have to look into preventing the user from performing factory resets.
there are many approaches that would offer a similiar level of protection.
C) Therefore, (if you think a non-dev user will figure that out,) it seems that parental control apps and/or app managers would be the most complete basic level protection.
D) you can get super deep and play around with the OS - possibly recompile the package manager app.
in summary: at the end of the day android requires pm in order to function properly. the packageinstaller app that comes preloaded with your firmware is only one of the many ways to install apks on your device because it is only a UI for a native android functionality which doesnt disappear when the package installer app is removed. to fully and irreversably disable this functionality in a way that only very experienced dev cannot circumvent is a very complicated job. However an app manager or parental control solution can usually offer near complete security from an average user.

thanks!!! so what is the factory reset setting name so i can disable it as well?

actually not sure for your device - but be advised, user can usually still launch factory reset from recovery or by secret code in the dialer, they can also force it by removing the battery during an sdcard encryption process or such. thats why i think parental control like livagent or similiar is best for you

how can i find the setting name for my device?

pull the apk from you device and dump the manifest probably - but it will only work if the setting you want is set up as a separate package. if you have root level access you can pull the apk, use 7zip or similiar to delete the activity xml - and replace the apk. this is a very "dirty" route but it may work


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How to sync times of two devices with Android NTP?
We have 2 android devices running same application that users see their GUI. Time synchronization is curicial for us. To make them have same time we have the settings as below.
Use these commands in boot and after every 5 minutes but it seems after 8 9 hours of uptime two android devices have different times with respect to their seconds. ex:
busybox watch -n 1 date
DEVICE 1: (Android 6 Marshmallow) 2020-03-10 09:16:33
DEVICE 2: (Android 6 Marshmallow) 2020-03-10 09:16:38

settings put global ntp_server pool.ntp.org
settings put global auto_time 0
settings put global auto_time 1

After that we also tried below commands but not worked
settings put global ntp_polling_interval 10
settings put global ntp_pollinginterval 10
settings put global ntppollinginterval 10

Any suggestions?

Are the devices rooted? AFAIK "fine adjusting" (i.e. to less than 30s) is only possible with rooted devices / system applications. Not sure if that still applies: Take e.g. a look at Atomic Clock, which doesn't mention root as requirement in its description.

so there isnt any methods to force ntp sync time in android, like in linux ntpdate?

https://github.com/wlach/ntpclient-android what about this?

When I last checked, correcting the system time in intervals smaller than 30s (like fixing it by 2.3s) was not possible without root powers. No idea if that changed meanwhile, as I saw some apps not mentioning root requirements (or if their authors just missed to point that out).

FWIW Atomic clock is just a clock (it doesn't sync) and ntpclient-android doesn't work on newer versions of Android


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How is it possible that I run android apps with the right user rights
I learned for every app I installed on my Android, a new user is created. And the data for this app is stored in /data/data/app folder with the only access permission to the user that is created for the app. Then how can I access the data when I run the app as me (another user) . I want to be able to replicate the same behavior when I install apps on my Linux machine.

Yes every app is a unique UID on Android. App is stored to /data/app, data is stored to /data/data. You can't do that exactly on Linux machine because there human users are isolated, not programs. So every human user gets a unique UID but all apps/programs run by that user have same UID (unless you explicitly run them with different UID). See some related details in this answer: https://android.stackexchange.com/a/213921/218526

Does this answer your question? Why are superuser permissions needed to acess /data partition?

Android is different to Linux, there is no account for you, only for each of your apps. And that you can't access the app-private data is part of the security concept. If you don't accept this you have to root your device.

If I read correctly, OP is asking is how to replicate the "one app, one user" scheme Android has, but on GNU/Linux. Kind of how programs like cups operate under a separate user and group. If that's the case, this question might be off-topic.


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Magisk how to hide completely Magisk Manager and Unhide Magisk
I configuring  mobile for my Mom, how do I hide Magisk Manager completely. I don't wanna see this app. All I need is to unhide it from ssh session or from adb.

From Magisk Manager settings you can change the app name to anything you like, it can even haveicons instead of letters and 2 the Package name is randomized 3.  If you want your mom to not even see this, use a launcher that let's you hide apps like Nova 4. I haven't checked with adb /ssh though

1 & 2 are more relevant if you are trying to hide Magisk from root detecting apps like banking etc. 3 is just to ensure your mom wouldn't see that. If you use launcher hiding as suggested, I am sure adb/ssh will have no problems (though I haven't tested)

Hide apps using Nova


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What android icon app is this? Please advise
not sure what this icon is but any help would be greatly appreciated.

This is the icon of Google Sheet file. It is visible in Google Drive for Google Sheet files. Google Sheet is an alternative to Microsoft Excel.

you are awesome! thanks so much!

@LoR4106 I'm glad it helped
Don't forget to mark it as correct answer ✔


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Switch from micro USB to USB c, buy adapters or new cables?
Firt of I'm not a 100% sure this is the right site to ask this on but here we go.
So I will have to buy a new phone in the near future. With this I'll most likely get one with USB c instead of now micro USB.
I have quite a few cables for recharging (1-3 at home, at work, and one for my powerbank) all of those are micro USB and still work fine, some of them are long cables so they weren't that cheap.
My question now is: is there any downside to buying adapters and sticking them on my already owned cables or should I have replace them? (clearly not all of them as I still have other stuff that charges with micro USB)

Personally I prefer cables without adapter. Especially when it comes to charging the adapter may reduce the maximum charging power (because it works like a resistor).
If you use an adapter I would strongly recommend to use an short adapter cable, not a small fixed adapter with a plug and a connector in a small case: The adapter without cable effectively extends the length of the plug and therefore also the force you apply onto the USB port on the phone's mainboard (because of the leverage effect). Hence using an adapter can decrease the lifetime of the USB-port.
Therefore I would replace the one or two most used cables for now. Others can still be used with adapter. In some months you know what you prefer and if it makes sense to buy more USB-C cables.


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Gallery app crashes at startup
Currently, I am facing a very weird problem with the default gallery app in my Android 7.0 OS. My device's model is Micromax Bharat 3 Q437. The crash is occurring randomly-- before a day it was working absolutely fine. I did no special task on my phone which can cause the problem. The package name of the app is com.android.gallery3d.
Here is the output of adb logcat *:E -e "gallery" command:
03-06 14:13:24.096 29467 29482 E AndroidRuntime: FATAL EXCEPTION: Thread-3
03-06 14:13:24.096 29467 29482 E AndroidRuntime: Process: com.android.gallery3d, PID: 29467
03-06 14:13:24.096 29467 29482 E AndroidRuntime: java.lang.NullPointerException: Attempt to invoke virtual method 'boolean java.lang.String.equals(java.lang.Object)' on a null object reference
03-06 14:13:24.096 29467 29482 E AndroidRuntime:    at com.mediatek.galleryfeature.gif.GifMember.isMatching(GifMember.java:30)
03-06 14:13:24.096 29467 29482 E AndroidRuntime:    at com.mediatek.galleryframework.base.MediaCenter.getMember(MediaCenter.java:109)
03-06 14:13:24.096 29467 29482 E AndroidRuntime:    at com.mediatek.galleryframework.base.MediaCenter.getItem(MediaCenter.java:27)
03-06 14:13:24.096 29467 29482 E AndroidRuntime:    at com.android.gallery3d.data.LocalImage.updateMediaData(LocalImage.java:592)
03-06 14:13:24.096 29467 29482 E AndroidRuntime:    at com.android.gallery3d.data.LocalImage.<init>(LocalImage.java:163)
03-06 14:13:24.096 29467 29482 E AndroidRuntime:    at com.android.gallery3d.data.LocalAlbum.loadOrUpdateItem(LocalAlbum.java:196)
03-06 14:13:24.096 29467 29482 E AndroidRuntime:    at com.android.gallery3d.data.LocalAlbum.getMediaItem(LocalAlbum.java:168)
03-06 14:13:24.096 29467 29482 E AndroidRuntime:    at com.android.gallery3d.data.LocalMergeAlbum$FetchCache.getItem(LocalMergeAlbum.java:285)
03-06 14:13:24.096 29467 29482 E AndroidRuntime:    at com.android.gallery3d.data.LocalMergeAlbum.getMediaItem(LocalMergeAlbum.java:168)
03-06 14:13:24.096 29467 29482 E AndroidRuntime:    at com.android.gallery3d.data.MediaSet.getCoverMediaItem(MediaSet.java:85)
03-06 14:13:24.096 29467 29482 E AndroidRuntime:    at com.android.gallery3d.data.LocalMergeAlbum.getCoverMediaItem(LocalMergeAlbum.java:334)
03-06 14:13:24.096 29467 29482 E AndroidRuntime:    at com.android.gallery3d.app.AlbumSetDataLoader$ReloadTask.run(AlbumSetDataLoader.java:449)

What can be the possible cause for this and how to get rid of this issue?

Did you check on Play store for updates to that app?

Since I bought the phone about 2 years ago, there are no updates to that app.

The app com.android.gallery3d is not available in Play Store. Based on the exception it seems like your device has a MediaTek CPU/GPU and the error happens in a Mediatek helper library. Therefore I see only two possibilities: Use a different gallery app or try to remove the GIF file that causes the problem. If you are not sure what GIF file causes the problem move them all to a different folder (do this on-device, don't use a PC for that! some devices have a bug that deletes the file if you move it via PC).

Yes, my device has MediaTek CPU

I could not find any GIF files in my phone's storage.


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How does Google Tasks open an email in the Gmail app?
There is another question that asks How to open gmail message links in Gmail Android app?.  I don't know how to how to answer the question, but I know of an app that can do this: Google Tasks.
These steps show how to open an email in the Gmail app from Google Tasks.

Open an email in Gmail
Select "Add to Tasks"
Open Google Tasks in Android
Locate the task that was created in step 2
Locate the button on that task with a picture of an envelope
Tap that button
Observe that the corresponding email is opened in the Gmail app

How does Google Tasks open an email in the Gmail app?  Is it possible to do this in custom app (as the linked question asks) or is Google achieving this behavior in Google Tasks using a private API?

It is a part of GSuite and therefore logical to assume internal integration with proprietary means. See for example integration of tasks and calendar without the tasks app being installed!


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How to embed an Android app's data together with the app into a new apk file?
I found this Windows program to embed an Android app's data into a new apk together with the app.
https://github.com/And42/SaveToGame/releases
But it seems it uses old smali, baksmali, apktool files.
I tried with new files but it didn't make a difference.
To change the language to English, just change the first menu option and select the language as English.
If someone can test the program and see if they can get it to work, please let me know.
I tried it with a couple of apps like Kodi, but after installing the modded apk, it seems just like a regular install and doesn't restore any data or user settings. Some other apps also can't be repacked probably because of old jar files, apktool it still uses.
To use it
1) You make a backup of your app with Titanium Backup
2) Load the apk with the first button in the program
3) Load the tar.gz app data backup made with Titanium backup with the second button in the program
4) The third button creates the modded app that includes the app data.
This would be great to use to install an app with it's data on non rooted Android devices.

When installing an app with data the better way is to use adb backup and adb restore. Modifying the APK is IMHO not a good idea.


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How can I get gmail notifications to start working on a Samsung Galaxy S10+?
Got a new samsung s10 plus phone and I dont see Gmail notifications. Notifications dont show up anywhere irrespective of being on wifi or phone data.
Things I have done so far :

Battery optimisation turned off for Gmail
Adaptive battery - cycled between all available modes.
Notifications turned on for Gmail (Settings -> Notifications)
All gmail app notifications turned on within the app (Gmail -> Settings -> Notifications)
"special access" > optimize battery usage > turn of the gmail app (which I believe is the battery optimisation option anyway)
S10 settings > Apps > GMail > Mobile Data and enabled "Allow background data usage" and "Allow app while data saver is on"

The phone has the latest software and is up to date. I have followed the discussions on the top 5 google results of "gmail notifications not working on S10 plus" and haven't been able to find a solution. I am hoping I can find some help here.

Did you try clearing data of the app? (Settings > apps > gmail > clear data)

@aBochur - That did it !!! Thank you

I had the same problem with my new s10, and the clear data didn't work.
I had to dig in the settings to find it out that when turning the power save mode, it disables the auto syncronization.
You can manually turn sync back in the setting menu when you swipe down from the top. and preserve the power save mode.
Such easy thing but it left me several days without notifications.
Hopefully helps, and saves someone else's time.


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SSH authentication failure from 4g network
I use JuiceSSH to connect to my server via my Android device. If the device is connected via Wi-Fi, all goes smoothly. But if I connect via 4g network, then I get Authentication failure error. Why? I couldn't find any solution so far. Any help is very welcome.

Run server in debugging mode (sshd -d) and see why authentication fails.

Where is "your server" located from a network perspective? It is in your network or is it just one server on the Internet?

@Robert It's on my home network, the router is forwarding correctly and I have static IP. As I said, if I join via Wifi, whatever wifi, it connects without problem. But via 4g network not.

For example, now I am on holiday, if my android device is connected to the hotel wifi, I can ssh into my server. From 4g no.

Which mobile network provider do you use? Because the only reason for this behavior I can imagine based on your description is that your mobile network provider is blocking/redirecting SSH traffic. I would try to use a non-standard ssh port for your server instead. See if this makes a difference. Also check the ssh server log (of capture the traffic via tshark) if you really had a connection to it.

@Robert Usually, I am on Tele2, from The Netherlands. Now on Italian Vodafone, same story. Thanks for the port suggestion, I will check it up.


text:
??My samsung s9 lost the OS when i did a factory reset??? HELP MEEE
CAN SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME WITH A WAY TO REINSTALL THE OS TO MY S9, MY PHONE USES A PROGRAMMED APP CALLED "TEAM WIN RECOVERY PROJECT" AND IT IS THE ONLY THJING THAT WORKS ON MY S9
PLEASE HELP ME
THANKS

maybe you just switched slots? who installed twrp? how exactly did you factory reset? just a hint questions with please help me are most likely ignored

TWRP is a custom recovery with many useful features, one of which is the ability to backup all partitions.  If you have a system backup you could just flash it via TWRP.  If by chance you don't you can search your specific carrier device on XDA and flash a custum rom.  Contrary to popular belief, flashing a customer rom doesn't necessarily mean rooting your device.
Another option is to download the official factory firmware from Sammobile and flash it  using a pc programe  called Odin.  You may also find official factory firmware avaliable for download from XDA links.   Smart switch is another option  you may consider looking into.  I should warn that some updates may lock your bootloader or prevent downgrade to lower OS's.
Whether you choose custom or factory always use an Md5 checker to confirm the validity of your download.


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Samsung J5 stuck in boot loop after factory reset

Phone was rooted and working fine
I did a factory reset

Now, it seems to just boot into the Samsung animating logo that does not go away...
I'm able to boot into the recovery mode and view the logs. which has logs of:
couldn't find any tzdata when looking for localtime
...
can't open /dev/tt0: No such file or directory
...
no adf devices

Any chance to salvage this?

flash the same stock boot.img. its in BL_J500xxxxxx.
extract from it or flash the whole BL_J500xxxxx.
for extraction use 7zip,
then right click on the boot.img > add to archive
make boot.tar
flash it in AP, using odin


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How can I use my Android Phones to remember more than 200 Paired Bluetooth devices?

My In house app communicates with Bluetooth device (In house) via an Android Phone;
I require a device (Android) to store pairing information for more than 200 devices (Bluetooth);
Currently, I am losing the pairing information in my devices (Android) after more than 100 devices are paired;

The paired device name is not lost, but it asks for re-pairing;
If I cancel the pairing request, the Bluetooth device un–pairs with Android (device);

I have conducted the same test with various Android devices and the same issue happens;
I have googled various forums and observed that there is practically no limit for Bluetooth devices to be paired;
I need your help to solve the issue so that my device can remember pairing information for more than 200 devices;
Currently used phones are Xiaomi Redmi 7 (Pie) and Samsung A7 (Oreo).

If you are getting the same result from various devices then the Bluetooth link key cache size and the Bluetooth device description cache size this is most likely an integral part of  Bluedroid stack. Changing those values would require to identify the relevant parts in the C source code, increase the values and compile it. If you manage to get exact the version used on your device you may be able to replace the Bluedroid stack with your self-compiled version. Otherwise you would have to build a complete custom ROM.


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How to avoid disabling internet and GPS?
My friend have installed an app to watch the location of the children, BUT this app is useless if the kid can disable 4G internet and GPS. How to avoid disabling internet and GPS? Or is there some app to help on this matter?

Has your friend considered using a kiosk app solution? Kiosk  solutions usually lock down the device leaving only those settings, quick settings and the apps the administrator (such as, a parent) wants the intended user to use.

You can try this kiosk app which specifically claims to prevent access to wifi etc. It's well rated with good reviews - that's the reason for suggesting it. I have not tried

If you have root access or adb on that device you could use an device automation tool like MacroDroid and make it re-enable the gps and 4g if it is turned off
Triggers would be gps disabled and mobile service status -> diabled
and Actions would be location mode -> high accuracy and mobile data -> on
If you also want to lock wifi then add trigger: wifi state changed -> disabled and action wifi configure -> turn on
In end enable password protection in the settings to prevent anyone to disable the macro


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update linked table in Google docs Android
If I link a table into a docs, then later change the linked table, I can click on update when I'm on the desktop.
If there a similar function on Android?

Not sure how that's related?

If I copy and paste a table from Google sheet into Google docs, it's a linked table. If I update the table in Google sheets, how can I update the linked table in Google docs?

Outside of posting a link to the table in Google Docs, I don't see a way

It's [not possible as per Google] (https://support.google.com/docs/thread/14031766?hl=en)


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How can I restore app data from file folder?
I'm using a Samsung Galaxy S6, not rooted.
I used adb backup before factory reset as well as copying all the files afterwards just in case. I am trying to restore my memos as well as data for a game and adb restore did nothing; I used android backup extractor to take a look inside the .tar and didn't see either folder. I tried copying them through file transfer but that didn't do anything. How can I make them readable by the system?

Some apps disallow backups via adb and to the cloud. In that case you won't find them in the backup file. Please post the exact PlayStore link to the use note app so we can check if it allows or disallows backup.

I can't find it in the Play Store, but looking into it with the app found at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=eu.sisik.apktools shows it disallows it.I do still have the folder in the storage directory, though, which the same tool identified as the source folder for the aforementioned memo app


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How to copy 2GB video from Samsung Galaxy Orbit running Android 9 to Windows 10?
I recorded a nearly 2GB video of my kid at an event. Now I'm unable to transfer it to Windows 10:

I can email pictures from my phone via gmail, but it won't do it with the large file.
When I connect the phone to the computer with a USB cable, I don't see the phone as a drive.
I tried the Microsoft's "Your Phone Companion", but they won't connect.
I found something about uploading the file to Google Drive, but several hours later it still says "preparing to upload file".

Apparently there's something called "MTP" which if enabled would allow a sort of managed file transfer. But all the steps I've seen for enabling it lead to dead ends on my Samsung Galaxy Orbit running Android 9.0; if it's there, maybe it requires different steps to enable it than I've seen.
Any suggestions??

@kicken Thanks, I tried another cable. But with both cables, I can see my Kindle paperwhite as a drive but cannot see this phone as a drive. Somewhere along the way I read that recent versions of Android (or was it recent Android devices?) don't allow being seen as a drive because people were doing stupid things and bricking their devices.

have you tried airdroid

Files successfully transferred with SD card. Thanks all!  :-)

Files successfully transferred with SD card.

It's good that you could buy as an answer it's of no use to anybody because it doesn't explain how. Please add that the answer and feel free to accept it


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Chrome shortcuts on long press
I added a shortcut to my home screen through Chrome by selecting the "Add to Home screen option", but unfortunately added a few that do not work (they come up with "page expired" when I tap the shortcut). I deleted those shortcuts, but now I noticed when I long press the Chrome icon on my home screen, those shortcuts all still show up in the app shortcuts list. Is there a way I can delete those? I cannot seem to find a way to manage those long press shortcuts.

Did not work - went to app settings > Storage > Clear cache, then rebooted. The shortcuts still show up.

Unfortunately that did not work either.

Thanks for the revert--I thought deleting cache of launcher +Chrome should do the trick. I don't know if deleting data off Chrome would help. Could give it a try

Yea, I'm hesitant to delete things from Chrome other than cache because I don't want to accidentally delete all my bookmarks and saved passwords...

Last try from my side - Download SD Maid (free version) run all the cleaning tasks it let's you, reboot and check

Didn't work either...thanks for the suggestions though!

Sorry...your problem is unique. Hope you get a solution soon


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How to control Android phone with laptop's mouse and keyboard without lag?
I tried software called "MyPhoneExplorer" that has mirroring function and using it via Wifi gives mouse input lag. Maybe it's possible to achieve this without lag, like using regular Bluetooth mouse connected to phone. Maybe somehow connect PC with phone via Bluetooth?

Remote control using Bluetooth was something Microsoft had included in the "Your Phone" Windows app. However the supported devices was very limited and in the end they dropped this technique it totally.

Why not connect the USB mouse and keyboard directly? Any reason for this? There's no single mirroring app that I know that doesn't have lag.

a bluetooth keyboard/mouse should of course connected to the phone directly. if you mean screencast and remote controll with pc keyboard/mouse, enable adb over wifi, use scrcpy or vysor


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How to make a screenshot using Termux
When I am using Termux may I send a command to create and save a smartphone screenshot in /sdcard/DCIM ?

Related for non-rooted device: How to take screenshot from terminal

adb should be executed in a computer terminal connected to phone, I'm asking a way to do that from smartphone using Termux .

Taking screenshot requires permission READ_FRAME_BUFFER. It has protection level signature|privileged, so cannot be granted to non-system apps (at least without root). // adb can be executed on phone without PC if you have root access (also sometimes without root access).

I can't see adb as an available command when I login in terminal using Termux. How can I execute adb from Termux ?

How to run adb and fastboot commands from Termux?


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SU binary exists, but not executeable (no error while executing from terminal, just empty)
My friend is having a little problem with his phone where he can't update or use banking software on it because of root even though he has never rooted it and root checkers gave me mixed results, some says its rooted and some says its not rooted. So after looking around i downloaded a terminal and ran "su", it ran without errors, but it didn't do anything and didn't output anything.
Now, im not fully sure if this is what is causing his phone to not be able to update, but it does seem odd to have the su file on the phone without it actually being rooted, my guess is that the phone was bought used and the previous owner was attempting to root the phone but failed and just gave up. So, now me and my friend are trying to find a way to get his phone "unrooted" even though its technically not rooted. What should we do?

I just asked him and apparently he bought it new, so either he got scammed or its normal to have the su binary already on the phone...
Also the phone is a Redmi Note 4 Mediatek

best is flash stock ROM, also you can check if bootloader is unlocked already, this would allow you to boot custom recovery from fastboot

how do i check the bootloader?

also, how do i flash the stock ROM? can i do it from the original recovery?

in settings - developer options - oem unlocking must enabled also there must be mi account registered. check fastboot oem device-info https://www.xda-developers.com/google-releases-separate-adb-and-fastboot-binary-downloads you can flash with XiaoMiFlash (if locked) or unlock with Mi Unlock Tool and flash from fastboot or twrp

my friend just checked and it is still locked...

But why would applications like the google play store detect root if the phone is not even unlocked?

xiaomi shipped with su or leftover of rooting apps. you can delete it from mtk-su shell

i was unable to delete it from mtk-su, read-only filesystem. do i have to remount it as r/w?

yes you must remount /system or /

but will modifying files in /system cause problems? like i heard people having bootloops after mounting partitions as rw  and doing modifications

also, its not my phone so i don't want to cause a bootloop/brick the phone

yes that is called dm-verity, be prepared for unbricking

there is a video for backup in the comments https://android.stackexchange.com/q/220584


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Command has different output when running in a shell or in script
I'm trying to run a script on the Nox emulator through adb. After connecting to Nox via adb with adb connect localhost:62001 and copying a script into a /data/scripts/script.sh folder, executing it gives me different outputs. The script contains the following:
#!/system/bin/sh
dd if="/data/scripts/screen.dump" bs=4 skip=540503 count=1 | hd

# Expected output: 00000000  08 04 1D FF

Now, here is the problem: I'm getting different results depending where/how I run the script. For it to work, I need to open the shell first with adb shell, and any of the following commands work from within it:

dd if="/data/scripts/screen.dump" bs=4 skip=540503 count=1 | hd
. ./data/scripts/script.sh

But I need to be able to run the commands from within a script without having to type them. All of these don't work:

adb shell sh ./data/scripts/script.sh
adb shell . ./data/scripts/script.sh
adb shell 'dd if="/data/scripts/screen.dump" bs=4 skip=540503 count=1 | hd'

The main error I'm getting is Usage: hd [-b base] [-c count] [-r delay] file (which is weird because I know it's correct), and occasionally also dd: stdout: Broken pipe. I've spent about 5 hours today trying only to solve this and I'm out of ideas... If anyone has one let me know!

adb shell cannot access directories in /data/ without root access. Are you running with root privileges? What's the ownership of /data/scripts? What's SELinux status?

@IrfanLatif I'm not sure if I'm answering your question correctly, but running ls -ld /data gave me back system.

What's the output of adb shell id, adb shell ls -l /data/scripts and adb shell getenforce? From where did you get hd binary? Did you try hexdump?

uid=0(root) gid=0(root) (I've shortened the output)
All of them are root
getenforce is Disabled
I have BusyBox installed under /xbin, and I just tested using hexdump instead of hd and it worked... Why though?

For anyone working with hd, take care that replacing it with hexdump won't return the same results as hd! Instead use hexdump -C, more about it here.


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How to get contacts from Titanium Backup on Windows PC - without restoring on a phone?
I made a backup of my phone using Titanium Backup, including the contacts.
How can i open this contacts backup on a Windows PC so I can see all contacts data?
I would like to restore them manually (or add the missing info to existing contacts).
I would like to avoid restoring this backup on a mobile phone.

A very similar question: How can I manually extract my contacts from a backup image of Android?

See https://thydzik.com/export-android-contacts-contacts2-db-to-vcard-vcf-on-windows/


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"Ready to connect when quality improves"
My Galaxy S10e shows near my home WiFi's name:
Ready to connect when quality improves

Even though the WiFi works very well (using it right now from laptop).
The phone has no cover, and no obstacle to the router which sits two meters away.
What could be the problem?

In my case, I had a manual proxy configured for this WiFi, and the proxy was not working correctly.
Removing the manual proxy configuration solved the problem.
To check if you have one, tap the WiFi, then tap "Advanced", then make sure "Proxy" is set to "None".


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How to remotely log into google account?
I lost my phone and the person who found it, logged out of my google account. Is there a way to make my devive log into google account? (so that i can use "find my phone" to find it.)

I am sorry but if the Google account has been removed from the phone it is now no longer related to you.
That is the reason you should protect your phone at least with a PIN code. Then your Google account can't be removed from the device that easily. Of course a factory reset can still be performed but then the "finder" of your device runs into the Factory reset Protection (FRP).

Thanks for your answer.


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Is there any command to launch directory of file manager in android phone using adb?
I want to open Download folder in my android phone using adb. I have example command for different terminal:start . /path/to/that/folder command for command-prompt and nautilus /path/to/that/folder for ubuntu terminal. Please help me to find the adb shell command..

See https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/45070/starting-an-activity-listed-under-settings-from-terminal-or-adb-shell . It is a good start.

It depends on what intents the apps installed on your device can handle. am start -a android.intent.action.OPEN_DOCUMENT -d /sdcard/Download -t '*/*' works with many file explorer apps.

@IrfanLatif , These command only open recent activity file. Please help to find the command for Redmi phones..


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Activate alarm, ringtone or audio using ADB?
I have misplaced a junker phone (LG G3 running Lineage).  However, it's still on, and ADB is accessible over TCP/IP.  (The phone doesn't have a SIM, so I can't call it.)
Is there a way to turn on the ringer or other audio from ADB?  I've tried a couple of remote-screen apps (adb-remote-control.jar and scrcpy) but although they appear to connect, and scrcpy even gets a screen image that looks correct, neither of them seem to send events correctly, so I can't control the phone.
I suspect there's a way to launch an app (Phone?  Alarm?) with a "Play Ringtone" intent, but I don't know how.

Suggestion of Google find my phone
worked: Google knows where your phone is, even if you don't.
From another user, you can also do it with ADB:
adb push t.mp3 /sdcard/
adb shell am start -a android.intent.action.VIEW -d file:///sdcard/t.mp3 -t audio/mp3

(Playing a video file the same way or starting youtube (adb shell am
  start -a android.intent.action.VIEW -d
  https://www.youtube.com/watch\?v\=oVQqmH4ufCQ)) will not produce any
  sound if the device is locked it seems like)

This pops up a player. Is it possible to play back a file without GUI?


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Recompile kernel: no errors but it doesn't work
I'm a beginner, and at the moment I'm trying just to repack original boot image. I've discovered that boot partition is on the "/dev/block/mmcblk0p7", so I pulled it with adb pull /dev/block/mmcblk0p7 original_boot.img
Then with tools from https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2319018 I've unpacked original boot and then recompiled it. But then my image don't boot. Flashing it with TWRP caused bootloop. Where am I wrong?

Kinda close to off topic but I do not think so. My reasoning is because it has to do with repacking a boot image and not the compilation of the kernel. Also, I found a possible duplicate with this https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/69954/how-to-unpack-and-edit-boot-img-for-rom-porting check the compression also. How arw you repacking the boot.img?

@BoLawson I don't think its a duplicate. First, I've unpack original_boot.img then used the command which  Boot.img tools provided when unpacked: mkbootimg --kernel zImage --ramdisk initramfs.cpio.gz --base 0x4dffff00 --cmdline 'bootopt=64S3,32N2,64N2' --board '1450664547' -o new_boot.img

Use AIK

@IrfanLatif same result


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Gmail Notifications on my Galaxy Note10
I've used Galaxy Note 10 for about 6 months and one of the major issues that I have experienced was related to my gmail notification. I’d go several hours without receiving any emails and just think to check the app and as soon as I open the app then I’d have like 20 emails just sitting there that I had never received a push notification. Do you know any easy fix for this?

Maybe Gmail is optimized (see battery optimization seems). If it is , disable

Navigate to Settings > Device Care > Battery > App power management > Apps that won't be put to sleep.  Add Gmail to this list to prevent it from being put to sleep for battery optimization. You could also disable this feature entirely by disabling "Put unused apps to sleep."


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restore data from internal storage of android phone
I am struggelling with the file recovery of an internal storage of an android phone.
I made a dd copy of the /dev/sda device which includes the system and userdata and some other partitions of the phone.
bla@bla:/media/Volume$ mmls sda.raw
GUID Partition Table (EFI)
Offset Sector: 0
Units are in 4096-byte sectors

      Slot      Start        End          Length       Description
000:  Meta      0000000000   0000000000   0000000001   Safety Table
001:  -------   0000000000   0000000005   0000000006   Unallocated
002:  Meta      0000000001   0000000001   0000000001   GPT Header
003:  Meta      0000000002   0000000002   0000000001   Partition Table
004:  000       0000000006   0000000015   0000000010   padding0
005:  001       0000000016   0000016399   0000016384   recovery
006:  002       0000016400   0000032783   0000016384   boot
007:  003       0000032784   0001011727   0000978944   system
008:  004       0001011728   0001026063   0000014336   apppreload
009:  005       0001026064   0001041423   0000015360   cota
010:  006       0001041424   0015447055   0014405632   userdata
011:  007       0015447056   0015450106   0000003051   reserve0
012:  -------   0015450107   0015450111   0000000005   Unallocated

I am able to mount some partitions:
bla@bla:/media/Volume$ sudo fsstat -b 4096 -o 32784 sda.raw
FILE SYSTEM INFORMATION
--------------------------------------------
File System Type: Ext4
Volume Name: system
Volume ID: 7019a2b4b48a33b92c4409cbe0a229c7

Last Written at: 2020-05-28 21:04:07 (CEST)
Last Checked at: 2019-07-22 16:11:16 (CEST)

Last Mounted at: 2020-05-28 20:55:42 (CEST)
Unmounted properly
Last mounted on: /system

Source OS: Linux
Dynamic Structure
Compat Features: Journal, Ext Attributes, Resize Inode, Dir Index
InCompat Features: Filetype, Extents, Flexible Block Groups,
Read Only Compat Features: Sparse Super, Large File, Huge File, Extra Inode Size

Journal ID: 00
Journal Inode: 8

METADATA INFORMATION ...

But not the userdata partition. Are there any tricks I missed so far?
TestDisk 7.0, Data Recovery Utility, April 2015
Christophe GRENIER <grenier@cgsecurity.org>
http://www.cgsecurity.org

Disk sda.raw - 63 GB / 58 GiB - CHS 7694 255 63
     Partition               Start        End    Size in sectors
>P MS Data                   262272    7971615    7709344 [system]
 P MS Data                  8093824    8208511     114688
 D MS Data                  8208512    8331391     122880
 D MS Data                  8331390  123576413  115245024

Outputs for userdata:
bla@bla:/media/Volume$ sudo fsstat -b 4096 -o 1041424 sda.raw
Cannot determine file system type

Thanks for any hints in advance!
Klaus

Android version? How file was deleted? May be userdata is encrypted? Why did you dump the whole flash storage and not only the userdata partition?

The most likely reason is the partition was encrypted. So without the encryption key (stored on-device) there's no chance to decrypt and thus no chance to mount. Read the answer on How does Marshmallow encryption work technically – and you will find the encryption key is stored in a way that makes retrieval close to impossible. If the device is still accessible, you might have a chance via TWRP custom recovery, if it still can decrypt userdata, to then tar the contents and investigate the tarball.

Android version is 9.+
The linked page dosen't tell me new things, I already read the articles but thx a lot!
I did a full backup, because the userdata partition alone didn't worked. - Maybe because of the encryption.
@Izzy I'll try it and let you know if I could restore something.

we recently discussed that it is impossible to recover a deleted file from FBE https://chat.stackexchange.com/transcript/108420


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How to force SELinux to permissive even when setenforce 0 is not working and kernel was 100% permissive when flashed?
I don't know what to do, I'm using Samsung Note 3 (Exynos) - N900 with custom Resurrection Remix 5.8.5 ROM (Android 7.1.2) with it's own permissive kernel and rooted with Magisk. Yesterday it turned to enforcing status, then SPenCommand stopped working. And when I tried to setenforce 0 in terminal, it gave me error: invalid argument. I don't want to flash phone again, backup takes a lot of time, as well as restoring, because I have very old PC and I flashed it on friend's laptop who is now 50 miles away and won't come just because of this (my computer still uses USB 1.1 interface - I know it's garbage but its working for 15 years stable. Any suggestions how to do it on phone itself, would be helpful. Please help me somebody :)

You can try this app https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2524485

My answers here and here explain why setenforce 0 may not work. The only reason I know is the extra security Samsung (and some other OEMs) uses in their kernel configuration. Check your kernel configuration to make sure.


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Connecting USB Type C Flash Drive to Samsung Galaxy S9
Just bought the Kingston 64 GB DataTraveler microDuo 3C flash drive. The drive has both USB Type C and USB 3.1 port.
I tried connecting the drive directly via USB Type C port but it did not list the external storage. However when using the Samsung OTG it did recognize the drive.
The drive with dual port seems point less if the phone doesn't recognize the drive without OTG. Is this limited to only Samsung phones? Are there ways to connect the drive directly without the OTG? I have seen couple of videos on YouTube which reviewed the drive by connecting to phones without OTG. Thanks.

It should work. May be the Samsung does not recognize the filesystem the stick is formatted with (may be it is ExFAT formatted)? Use a PC and try FAT32 format just to test if it works.

It's very much possible as [shown here](Kingston 64 GB DataTraveler microDuo 3C flash drive) so it's likely format issue as suggested by @Robert. Try to reverse the direction of USB adapter and see (though it shouldn't matter)

Thanks both. As @Robert mentioned, it needs to be formatted to FAT32 for Samsung to recoginze the drive.


text:
Is it possible to open new tabs/links next to current tab in Chrome?
In Chrome (or Chrome Canary), I'd like to be able to open new links/tabs next to the current tab I'm on. If this was on a PC, the equivalent would be tabs/links opened at the top of the tab tree/stack.
The best workaround I've found is selecting any piece of text on the current tab's page, then doing a "web search" from the popup context menu. This opens a tab next to the current tab, then I'll use this tab for what I was wanting to search. This doesn't work for opening links next to the current tab, however. And I'd prefer if this could be done without needing a workaround.


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What mitigation can I take for CVE-2020-0022 (aka BlueFrag)?
A vulnerability, CVE-2020-0022, was recently announced in some versions of Android. My phone, a Sony Xperia XA2, does not yet have an update available.
What should I do in the meantime?
The report suggests "Only enable Bluetooth if strictly necessary". Is it sufficient to disable by tapping the button on the "swipe-down" panel or does it require a deeper configuration change?

The report also suggests "Keep your device non-discoverable". Is it perhaps sufficient to leave discoverability switched off until an update is available? If leaving discoverability switched off was not sufficient mitigation, why would the report even mention it?

AFAIR "non-discoverable" just means that the device name ist not sent, but if there is Bluetooth traffic your device is visible to any scanner by it's MAC address. The MAC is everything you need if you want to send data to a device (or attack it).


text:
Is it possible to boot a Android smartphone without battery with charging wire on?
Problem
The title of this post seems a funny challenge. But frankly, there are a lot of worthy points involved in this question.
If a Android phone support rapid charging. If its battery is removed, but the charging USB line is connected. Then push the power button. Is it possible to launch it normally?
My experiment
I have a Huawei Honor 9, It is nice condition phone.
I open its back closure and lift the motherboard. Then the bottom of battery exposed. I use credit card to flip the battery against glue. After that, I detach the battery wire from the motherboard.
Then, I put motherboard back and put the back closure on. I connected the charging line.
After push the power button. The boot-flash logo appears. However, this state last for a long time (much longer than normal situation).
When it told me to input password. The thing goes wrong. It indicated that several service (Google service, Huawei Service and UI) is not properly launched. When I input my password. There is only a empty screen with only background wallpaper and a notification bar.
The notification bar show there are 2% of battery. No application is able to launch.
My confusion
Is this result from the protective mechanism of Android system? (Because when battery is beyond some percent, the system will automatically turn off).
How nowadays Android smartphone determine the remaining charge in battery?
As the charging voltage is higher than the voltage in full-charge.
Is it the normal condition that the system cannot launch correctly without battery? Or it is because I might broke some part of circuit when I disassembly this smartphone?

Very related: Using Android phone without battery. Also for battery level reading: How does the Android estimate the battery level without a current sensor?

The best way to answer your last question is to reconnect the battery and see if it works normal again.


text:
Phone overheats after powering on
I've seen this with plenty of smartphones,usually after 1-2 years of use.The phone overheats for a minute or 2 before cooling down,but it's performance doesn't differ from a non-overheating phone that has been powered on.
Is this simply due to the natural wear and tear which causes a CPU overload for the first few minutes,or it it because of the failing/malfunctioning of a particular component in the phone/(which would in turn, adversely affect its battery life)

Well the boot process requires a lot of CPU power and if you have a lot of apps installed that start automatically after boot then this requires additional CPU power. And if your device is a bit "overpowered" (a CPU that creates way more heat as the device can release to the environment) then it may get hot. My advice: Limit the number of apps installed that start after boot (have BOOT_COMPLETED permission).

@beeshyams As far as I know changing BOOT_COMPLETED requires app repackaging. For most users (and a lot of apps) this is out of scope. Or is there a simpler way on newer devices I don't know.

I see some non root apps that claim to do this (not tested). Type "disable startup apps" in Play Store

App repackaging isn't necessarily required to disable BOOT_COMPLETED broadcast receiver. But root is mostly required: https://android.stackexchange.com/a/209345/218526

This is far too broad for any specific answers. In general, yes, batteries lose capacity over time and will degrade which can cause an array of problems depending if they manage to fry anything or are sending too much/not enough electricity at the given time, and etc. Machines and the wires and metal bits are also victim to wear just from natural usage and can cause most of the same issues. Manufacturer errors and design flaws are also potential issues, along with buggy code in the OS itself.


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How can I disable the Complete account setup prompt in Google Play Store?
Every now and then when I want to install an app from the Play Store, Google has to remind me that I haven't finished setting up my account, at which point I can only press 'Continue', to be met with a payment option selection box:

Image taken from googleapis.com
I don't want to needlessly tie another account to my Google profile.
I know I can 'Skip' from that point onward, but it's uselessly annoying. Is there any way to disable this prompt (that is: to let Google know that whenever I want to buy something I'll find my way myself)?

The only way I know is to buy and redeem a gift code so that your account has some money on it. The lowest amount seems to be a 10 USD code e.g. bought via PayPal. Adding a credit card would also work of course. I am still looking into testing what happens if you add a credit card that expires some days later...

@Robert, good idea. And on that note, adding a bogus PayPal account might also work..

Is the sign always popping up or does it not appear again when u skip once?
Other, just make a paypal acc and link it without actually purchasing anything. If I recall correctly u dont even need a credit card


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Where does Android acquire the weather (temperature) that it displays on the main screen?
I am building an app that will need several weather parameters. If they are already available somewhere internally, I would like to access them. If not, please identify the web service(s) that Android is using, if possible.
Specifically I am seeking temperature, pressure, and relative humidity.
Thank you.

Weather apps are manufacturer specific. Hence your question can't be answered as it it unclear of which weather app you are talking about. In any way there are dozen of weather data provider. Usually those provider require a registration and some times you have to pay for the data. The only alternative are community based weather data provider such as wunderground.com or openweathermap.org.

Android (AOSP) doesn't show temperature, apps do. So it's up to the developers: https://stackoverflow.com/q/15425283/9165920

@Robert My Pixel 2XL displays the outdoor temperature on the factory locked screen as well as the main unlocked screen, so that is why I attribute that to the OS rather than an app.

@Kirk Pixel devices don't run Android (AOSP). Hence it has been added by Google specific for the device. Only Android One devices run a nearly plain Android. In any way you are usually not allowed to use the same API. If you want to know where it gets the data redirect the traffic through a decrypting HTTP(S) proxy and prepare your device to accept the proxy certificate.

Google (including Nexus and Pixel devices) uses Weather.com. It's the same as querying "weather" on Google search (there's "More on weather.com" on the bottom).


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How do you disable Ambient mode?
I disabled Google Assistant on my phone* but Google's Ambient mode kept showing up when my phone was on charge.
I didn't want Ambient mode (it wasted power and blocked me from accessing the lock screen); how do I make it go back to pre-Assistant behaviour?
Note: I have turned off Google Assistant; this had no effect.

Mi2S with Mokee kernel (Android 8.1.0)

I have successfully disabled Ambient mode.
... by turning on Google Assistant and then turning off all the options (including Ambient mode).
The Google Assistant options can be reached (on my phone at least) by traversing: Settings | Google | Account Services | Search, Assistant & Voice | Google Assistant | Assistant (tab) | Assistant Devices | {choose your device}.
I'd like to see Assistant off -> Ambient off, but for now it's a solution...


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Finding the microphone settings on Android One 10
My headset microphone has stopped working recently, and I would like to have a look in the microphone settings to fix the issue. However, I cannot find any setting related to the microphone volume, noise filters, etc. (such as described in point 1 here) in the settings app.
Where could I find the related settings? I cannot imagine that there are no microphone settings, but if this is the case, could there be an app that would give me more control?
I am using Android One 10 on a Nokia 6.2.

@beeshyams Thanks! From what I can see, however, the apps are made for testing, not for changing the global settings. For example, I may want to change the audio source from the headset to the built-in microphone, if I cannot fix the issue on time.

This app may help. Mic settings which you are looking for don't show up for me on Android 10, may have been dropped

@beeshyams This is an interesting app. However, searching vor "mic", "call" or "call" yielded no results.

Yes, like I said, nothing on my device but was wondering if it would help. Conclusion - that setting has been dropped


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Bypassing account verification on a Nook BNTV450
I recently bought a Nook BNTV450 from someone on Ebay, to replace a like model that I used for years until it was damaged in a fall.  I got stymied early in the setup by the message "This device was reset. To continue, sign in with a Google Account that was previously synced on this device."
I reported this to the seller, who simply apologized and offered a refund.  Probably I should just give up and buy a newer model Nook, but I really liked my old device, and this is also my third attempt at replacing it (don't ask) and I hate to admit total defeat.
First, I contacted two separate chat support people via the Barnes and Noble web site, who both told me to do a factory reset from the recovery menu.  That didn't work, of course.  Then I called and spoke to a real person, who just flatly told me it was impossible to use the device without the previous owner logging in.
Nearly all pages I've found when searching for the lock message have focused on phones, not Nooks, but one answer on this site got me reasonably far; I'm able to access the general Settings menu.  However, when I repeatedly click the "Android version" button on the "About tablet" menu, it doesn't activate the developer settings.  Instead, one of the following two images fills the screen:

All I can do at this point is click the back arrow to return to the "About tablet" menu.  Develop settings are not enabled.
Other pages suggest one should click repeatedly on other "About tablet" buttons to activate developer settings, such as the "Build number," but only the "Android version" button has any effect on my device.
Even if I were able to turn on developer settings, the Stack Exchange answer I linked to above says the next step is to attach the device to one's computer with a USB cable, but the Nook doesn't have a USB port.  Then one is supposed to run an adb command.  I've installed Android Studio for Linux, but it doesn't come with an adb command.
Is there any way to reset my Nook so I can use it, either by continuing the process described above, or any other way?

You realize the Nook was almost certainly stolen, right?

@JosephSible-ReinstateMonica No, I don't realize that.  Is that a much more likely scenario than the owner not realizing they needed to log out of their Google account before doing a factory reset?  If I had sold my old Nook, I wouldn't have thought to do that.

If that were the case, then couldn't you just send it back and have the seller unlock it and then send it back to you?

It's worth a try, I suppose.

The alternative would be the previous owner provided you with their Google credentials so you can setup the device. Not likely they'd do that, but they could change them before and after to be "safe" again themselves.


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Got serious problem with my J530F need quick help
i've got really hard problem with my j5 which is probably totally bricked. But. there is but, i can access recovery mode and connect it to the ADB, but still, aint that easy. While trying to flash new ROM, im getting up to 40 % and its shows "e:signature verification failed" after that it gets to 92% and stops. Total xfer: 2.00x on phone it shows as "E:failed to find /misc partition".
I've been trying literally everything.
Weird thing, cannot open adb shell, "error:closed" been trying killing server, starting server etc.
Most weird thing is J5 CANNOT ACCESS THE "DOWNLOAD MODE" which is the biggest problem in my case.
apart from that, i've got no TWRP or CMW installd, only stock recovery mode, whatever option im trying to get into, always gets same info "E:Failed to find /misc partition".
what else... I've been trying to make SD card as bootable device with android on it, if you've got any ideas about that, im happy to hear.
been trying several rooms, stock, lineage, other customs.
Tried several versions of adb..
sometimes adb shows info "deamon not started" which after i've got communicate that deamon started succesfully and transfered to port 500 something.
Please guys, help me with that. I've wasted about 60 over hours now  getting sick.


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Deleting files from "My Files" folder
If I delete files from the "My Files" folder on a Samsung Galaxy S8, are the files permanently deleted?? My phone's internal memory says it is low and that I need to delete files from my files folder.

"My files" is a built-in file manager and explorer. Any files deleted using that are permanently deleted
As pointed out in comments by Arctiic, it appears some files get restored even after deletion. I wasn't aware of this

Thank you beeshyams.

You are welcome to Android Enthusiasts. Since you are new and don't yet have the reputation to up vote, you can tick the green arrow next to the answer to indicate that you have "accepted" it. There is absolutely no compulsion to accept my answer.

See this to  better understand what it means to accept an answer

That's not necessarily true though, some files in secured directories will get restored on reboot even if deleted, and can't be easily removed persistently without root.

@Arctiic Restore is user triggered isn't it? It is not automatic. That's what I recollect. Please correct me if I am wrong

@beeshyams Apologies for the confusion, I wasn't referring to the restore function (ADB or settings toggle), but rather just the more ubiquitous usage of the term.  I don't actually know how the restoration is actioned, only that certain files, e.g. for my Samsung Note 8, /SD Card/Samsung/Music/Over_the_Horizon.mp3 will appear again on it's own after deleting it.  My guess is it's a symlink of some sort or the file is on some sort of system whitelist somewheie, thus it reappears regardless of user interventions.

@Arctiic Thanks. Included in solution. Feel free to improve. Thanks

@Arctiic the mentioned .mp3 file is Samsung's ringtone. It must be in /system/media or some other read-only filesystem, simply copied to external storage on reboot. Deleted files are never restored this way.


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Why are certain functions permissible while others are not (from a security standpoint)?
You would think there must be some sort of logical convention or decision-making that leads to what is or is not permissible, followed by sanity checks against each functions' interactions for homogeniety; however, it feels like this isn't the case.  Take for example: the end user is able to read incoming SMS (if so configured) but not able to send outbound replies when in lock screen.  However, when connected to Android Auto, by default receiving an inbound SMS will trigger an automatic preset outbound reply, regardless of the device's lockstate, and is permitted to read the inbound SMS via TTS regardless of the preview configuration.  Why is there an assumption that the outbound transmission is any more or less secure in one case as opposed to the other, etc?


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Moto e4+ fast charging issues
My moto e4 plus is 2yrs old.Suddenly at 75-80% it's charging rate drops then after a while suddenly it charging very fast after that stoppage.can anyone tell me reason !please


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Downgrade via stock revovery is it possible and how can I do it with no root or pc
Can I downgrade zte trek 2 hd k88 tablet with stock recovery update from sd card option? I'm trying to use kingroot but it won't root my Android 7.1.1 version. Help!

Does this answer your question? Can I install TWRP with stock recovery via apply update from sd card if I change the file to update. Zip? I'm on zte trek 2

Well I know you can upgrade via sdcard and stock recovery so I do tthi k my question was that stupid. You told me you didn't need root for sp flash tool but you definitely do need rooted phone to use it. Look I'm not able to access a PC because I'm in prison. Is it possible to do anything? This tablet had TWRP and I flashed SuperSU zip and had it rooted but I foolishly flashed an up date for the original os and it wiped out the whole system and TWRPwith it and reverted back to att  Android version7.1 I m not too smart but I did figure out howto root it with TWRP but now I'm screwed I guess.


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How do I find out when I will be able to change country in play store again?
I know I can only change once per year, I but I don't remember when I last changed it. I think it was close to a year ago, but I would like to be able to see what date the 1 year will expire so I can set a reminder then to go and change my country.
p.s. why is this once per year restriction in place? is it a legal thing or a commercial thing? Does not make sense to me.

Good question and I couldn't find an answer. Maybe Google intimated to you by mail after you changed. Did you check your profile using web browser - maybe it's mentioned there. Easiest thing would be from Play Store settings go to help and feedback and mail them. Regarding your PS-we can't answer that, we aren't Google

I would assume that the country change restriction exists to allow regional offers. If anybody could simply switch the country at any time to get a certain regional offer such offers would not make much sense anymore. Hence I would assume the reason if commercial. Of course this also simplifies the tax calculations per user (and enhances the chance that the taxes are collected for the correct country).


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Is it possible to automatically sync existing (and new) android contacts with office365?
Scenario: After meeting a new acquaintance, we exchange our contact details (phone number, email ..etc). These get saved using the default contact application on an android phone. Later, when logging into my office365 account via a desktop web-browser, the new contact is not present in the address book! Checking the phone shows that it has been saved on the device. The official Outlook app from Microsoft has been installed on the android phone and is capable of sending/receiving email.
Why did the contact not sync up? Is there anything that can be done to make the contact sync happen automatically?
Am open to the idea of switching to a different android email app to get things working, but would ideally prefer to keep using Outlook (or at least a non-Google contacts/calendar/email app!).
If it matters: I have administrative access over the phone as well as the office365 account in question.

In Outook settings -> your mail@office365.com, is "Sunc contacts" enabled?

@ReddyLutonadio yes, the option 'sync contacts' is enabled, but it does not appear to do anything. :(


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How to safely upgrade unlocked phone?
I have a Samsung Galaxy S8 from Virgin Mobile that was SIM unlocked and I'm now using Mint. I was prompted for an update by Samsung and it relocked my phone, I had to contact Virgin Mobile to unlock again, which took several days.
I'm now getting prompted for another update. How can I install without having my phone relocked? I also have this permanent Notification saying my phone can't connect to the Sprint OMADM network ("Configuration not completed"), any way to make that go away? Can I just install a new Android image?


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how to uninstall beta gcamera app downloaded from unknown installation source for samsung galaxy a50s (SM-A507FN)
I have a new phone. Samsung Galaxy A50s. Model number SM-A507FN
https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_a50s-9806.php
I downloaded Arnova's Beta 6: GCam_5beta6.200105.0445build-7.2.018.apk
for Android 9+ phones from https://www.celsoazevedo.com/files/android/google-camera/dev-suggested/
assuming it will work on my phone. However, the app has been crashing frequently and it does not work.
I have upgraded the software of the phone so it was upgraded to Android 10. Kernel 4.14.62-17887617.
This app was not installed from playstore so I don't know how to uninstall it now.
So please let me know how to uninstall this app.

Does it not appear in the list of installed apps either in settings or in the app drawer?

no it does not appear in settings, and play store.

Please see this answer. The package name of your Arnova is com. goggle. Android. GoogleCamera. But I am not sure if this approach will be safe. Just pointing out a possibility


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please explain the: >"adb shell sm partition disk:179,64 mixed 80" command
it is taken from I want to split one MicroSD card into two parts: part adoptable storage, and part normal storage. How can I do this?
what is 80 at the end? 80%?
I ran that on an Adoptable Storage card and it erased many installed programs :/ lesson learned
https://www.reddit.com/r/MotoG/comments/g7n3ye/fyi_do_you_want_to_expand_your_internal_storage/

"WARNING - DO THIS ON A fresh / formatted microSD - else this will erase your Adoptable Storage data, pictures, applications" according to linked question 5 GB ÷ 32 GB = 15% (+ 5% reserved) 80 means = adoptable-storage ~ 20% + external Storage ~ 80%


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Block app internet acces on Galaxy S7?
Is it possible to block an app from accessing internet (both wifi and data) on Galaxy S7 with Android 8?
Without using any external firewall app.
Thanks.

With root access, run iptables -I OUTPUT -j DROP.

Sorry, I don't have root access on the phone.

I notice -2 on my question. Can someone help me understand what I did wrong? I want to do better in the future. Thanks.

Because what you are asking is already discussed in many questions: https://android.stackexchange.com/search?q=block+internet+access

Got it. Sorry. Hopefully better next time. Thanks.

without root access, a good firewall seems to be the only option.
i think netGuard will be good for that.
but if it's possible, I would recommend update your android up to 9 - then, it will be simple for you to block your apps from accessing the internet.

If you have a relatively new smartphone with Android 9 Pie (or newer), open Settings and go to Wireless & networks.
In the Android settings for networks and Wi-Fi, tap on Data usage. Next, tap on Network access.
Now you see a list with all your installed apps and checkmarks for their access to Mobile data and Wi-Fi. To block an app from accessing the internet, uncheck both boxes next to its name. If you want to turn off the WiFi for certain apps, uncheck the Wi-Fi box for those apps, and leave Mobile data checked.
If you tap on System apps, you are going to find out that you can block access only to Mobile data for those apps, and not to Wi-Fi.
This is a restriction designed by Google that ensures your systems apps get connected to the internet, at least when you are connected to WiFi.
When you are done blocking apps from accessing the internet, close the Settings. When you use an Android app which has its internet access blocked, you see a notification like the one below. Do not tap Remove because you are going to remove this restriction.

Hi, I am assuming Galaxy S7 can't be upgraded to Android 9.0 in any way right?

Well...The S7 will not get Android 9 Pie from Samsung officially. :( If you want Pie, you need a custom unofficial ROM, but that's the beauty of Android.

Thanks for answering. I am assuming that will permanently and irrevocably disable Samsung Pay, right? Just want to clarify.


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Securely storing keyfiles with authentication and alike
I am using Keepass as my password manager. I am using a keyfile for securing access to my database. However when I want to do the same on my android phone I have to store the keyfile in my phone storage. This is of course bad since technically losing my phone means that someone who finds it can have access to the keyfile and the database. So they only need to guess my master password to get all my passwords.
I am looking for a way to securely store the keyfile. Secured with a password or a fingerprint. Optionally restricting access to the keepass app only. I can encrypt and decrypt the file manually before each unlocking of the database but it is cumbersome to traverse the file system each and every time.
When choosing a file to open from any app there is the option to choose which app to use. Is there any software out there which could show in this dialog as well? In the app I could choose the file I want which would be temporarily decrypted after authentication. The temporary file would then be passed to keepass and used.
Is there any app out there I could use for this sole purpose?

Keepass2Android allows to import the key file into app-private data directory. Without root the file is are there. Of course you can still use the key file from there hence the key generation iterations have to be high and I recommend to use the Argon algorithm.

I am actually using Keepass2Android but couldn't find the option to import the key once and for all. It needs to be there in the file system every time I am unlocking the database. What am I missing?

The key file on my system is of type  "local file" and is located inside `/data/data/keepass2android.keepass2android/...


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root and stored passwords concerns
I think I've read a lot about the good and bad of rooting devices, probably some outdated info also. I'm a bit confused.
I confess I'm a little root-o-phobic and I take a lot of precautions what I grant root access.
My only concern is about stored passwords (mostly Gmail app and stock email app).
I know that passwords are probably not in plain text but I'm little concern about it since root can remove one layer of security
Thanks

In my opinion root doesn't remove any layer of security (at least if you know what you are doing). It enables you to add as many layers of security as you want. There is a long list of processes which belong to AOSP and your device's OEM/vendor which are already running with root privileges. So your device is always rooted, it's just you - the owner of the device - who doesn't have root powers (mostly for your good). It's even possible to control root powers through Linux capabilities and SELinux; both very mature frameworks in Android. But you need some advanced skills to harness their powers

In that case, you'd better keep your passwords on plain paper in a heavy metal safe only – and never ever use a desktop OS to maintain/enter them. All desktop OSes known to me have "root access": it's called "root" with Linux/Unix, "Administrator" with Windows, and so on.
And like on all those: you should make sure what has access to "root powers" – and like on those you need to explicitly grant access. On Android, it's a core app often referred to as "SuperUser" managing that: as soon as a (new) app requests root access, you'll see a pop-up asking you whether you confirm (you can then chose yes/no and whether to always apply that decision when this app asks again).
Yes, like on all those, an application with "root powers" can (at least theoretically) access all your stored passwords, as any other data. That is why a properly coded application never stores your passwords in "plain text", but rather encrypts (or at least hashes) them.
Not rooting your device only takes that decision from you at the cost of not being able to "fully use your device". But yes, you should always be careful deciding what permissions you grant to an app – and in the first place, what apps you install.


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Symlink from /sdcard to /sdcard
I am trying to have Google Markup output its image somewhere other than its default location. I have used different ROMs and versions of those ROMs, and each combination I tried has Google Markup's output location change. Google Markup doesn't look like it has any settings to change its behavior, so I tried to adapt its output to my desired location. The default output on my current setup is at /storage/emulated/0/Android/media/com.google.android.markup/Markups/, but I would like to have it at /storage/emulated/0/Pictures/Screenshots/. I tried the following from Windows ADB:
RMX1921:/ $ su
RMX1921:/ # ln -s /storage/emulated/0/Android/media/com.google.android.markup/Markups /storage/emulated/0/Pictures/Screenshots/
ln: cannot create symbolic link from '/storage/emulated/0/Android/media/com.google.android.markup/Markup' to '/storage/emulated/0/Pictures/Screenshots//Markup': Operation not permitted
RMX1921:/ #

I'm using a Realme XT with DerpFest 10 build 2020-03-29 (Android 10r31) rooted with Magisk v20.4 if it matters. Is there any way I can automatically redirect Google Markup's output to a different location?
Additional things I would like to do:

Markup leaves the original file behind on this system (also one of the inconsistent behaviors of Markup on different ROMs). I would like to get the file name of the original file, and use it to rename the file Markup generates. The format is: Screenshot_YYYYMMDD-hh-mm-ss.png.
After moving the file, delete the original file, which is at /storage/emulated/0/Pictures/Screenshots/.

I'm thinking of a script that constantly runs in the background, doesn't have to be instant, maybe it triggers and checks and processes everything once every 5 seconds. But I feel like I might be overcomplicating a lot of things. Any ideas?
Thank you for your time.

/storage/emulated/0/Android/media/ is a standard location where apps can store data without having Storage permission: https://android.stackexchange.com/a/218507/218526. // Symlinks are not supported in emulated storage: https://android.stackexchange.com/a/218944/218526. // You can use some automation app to achieve what you want. Or with root access use bind mount, may be.

If you are looking for newly created file Android supports the inotify events where you can wait for certain file-system events. Therefore a scripted solution does not have to poll for file-changes. Using inotify-tols for Android you simply have to wait for the matching file-system event.

I am an idiot. I forgot about automation apps. I now have an excuse to learn how to use those. Thanks a lot! Probably saves me the headache of having to do it all manually xD


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Bootloop issue and can't go to recovery mode
I am using Asus Zenfone 3 ZE552KL, it got hang and then i tried to restart the phone but it get stucked in, Also I can't get in to recovery using standard method. Generally I keep USB debugging mode off that's why my device not listed in adb devices list but, i can go into CSC Fastboot mode.

Text in the image.
csc fastboot mode!!! long time press power button to restart
I tried below solutions

Used Asus Flash tool as per its help doc the process takes 10 to 15min but i wait around more than 2 hours it shows "Uploading OS Version"
I downloaded Firmware zip file from asus official site, but in zip file only boot.img is present other two requried files are missing recovery.img and fastboot.img

Kindly suggest me some workaround.

Hi @alecxs, Thanks for your answer. Just want to know from where I can get twrp-3.2.3-zenfone3-20180806.img file

got it, tried your method and getting this error Sending 'boot.img' (21090 KB)                      FAILED (Write to device failed (Unknown error))"

please try flashall_AFT.cmd it may work with locked bootloader (link see answer below)

@alecxs i tried flashall_AFT.cmd method, and got this error "FAILED (remote: failed to write partition)". I think need to set some permissions to write data, is it so?

then you are left with EDL mode

the device's USB debugging mode is off.

EDL mode is qualcomm Emergency DownLoad Mode and doesn't require adb usb-debugging, oem unlocking or fastboot. instead it requires deep flash cable and factory loader (firehose programmer)

The Asus Zenfone Flash Tool is no official Software, furthermore it looks like this tool is using fastboot (which usually works on previously unlocked bootloader only)

for fastboot.exe download platform-tools and open cmd.exe. navigate to platform-tools folder with cd now you can type
fastboot reboot

if bootloader is already unlocked, you can also wipe cache partition and see if this fixes your boot problem
fastboot format:ext4 cache

you can also boot into recovery from fastboot and then install firmware update.zip. this should even work from TWRP as long as you don't flash recovery.
do NOT allow modifications of system. just wipe cache partition. try to reboot into system from menu. if still not booting, install firmware update.zip
fastboot boot C:\platform-tools\twrp-3.2.3-zenfone3-20180806.img

for locked bootloader you can download Factory_Phone-userdebug.raw emmc image which contains GPT partition table and all partitions. (from linux it is possible to loop-mount this image with kpartx  and split into partitions, but this is out of scope)
WARNING: all data lost
this will flash the entire device, be aware this deletes all your personal data. make sure this is the right phone model.
download CSC_ZE552KL_13_13_1_36_M2_6_7_P7_userdebug.zip.
it seems no flash tool is needed, it is maybe working from fastboot directly.
connect usb cable in fastboot mode and just run flashall_AFT.cmd

Qualcomm Devices usually can be flashed from EDL mode with QPST.
found a site with some Qualcomm EDL Programmers maybe one of this works for your device
Qualcomm_Factory_Loader_MSM8953_Lenovo.mbn
Qualcomm_Factory_Loader_MSM8953_Xiaomi.mbn
Qualcomm_Factory_Loader_MSM8953_Xiaomi_2nd.mbn
for EDL mode install Qualcomm HS-USB QDLoader 9008 Driver
for EDL mode you need to find Test Point

The following is just an example to illustrate the process and not valid instructions
For further documentation refer to alephsecurity there you can learn how to flash devinfo which unlocks bootloader and gives availbilitiy to flash custom recovery TWRP
basically you need the following files (most of them are included in QPST)
fh_loader.exe
QSaharaServer.exe
prog_emmc_firehose_8953.mbn
rawprogram0.xml
patch0.xml

the xml file has instructions for flashing partition, for example TWRP (not the right size/offset)
<?xml version="1.0" ?>
<data>
 <program SECTOR_SIZE_IN_BYTES="512" file_sector_offset="0" filename="recovery.img" label="recovery" num_partition_sectors="131072" physical_partition_number="0" size_in_KB="65536.0" sparse="false" start_byte_hex="0x1c200000" start_sector="921600" />
</data>

QSaharaServer.exe is used to initialize firehose with on the already to COM port connected device in EDL mode
QSaharaServer.exe -p \\.\COM10 -s 13:prog_emmc_firehose_8953.mbn -b tmp\"

fh_loader.exe is responsible for flashing the instructions from xml file
fh_loader.exe --search_path=tmp --port=\\.\COM10 --sendxml=twrp.xml"

search for collections like romprovider.com, firmware27.com, leakite.com, github.com 1, 2, tuserhp.com, firmwarego.com

found prog_emmc_firehose_8953_ddr.mbn (chinese post)


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Help in Reverting Nokia X RM-980 to STOCK ROM
I have a NOKIA X RM-980 mobile phone and I desired to install a custom ROM on it. I had choose Lovi OS 2.0 Update 1 (Unofficial-LoviOS-2.0pa.zip) + (TWRP-3.0.0-0-normandy-X.img) .
After that I decided to install Google Play (GApps_Minimal_4.4.4_signed .zip).
Problems:

After setting up Google Play with my account, it didn't worked! and
many pre-installed apps became corrupt with an error message:
"unfortunately com.google.process.gapps has stopped" .
WiFi is automatically powers every time I restart or power-up the
phone.
Camera became not working with this error message: "unfortunately
the process com.google.process.media has stopped" .
I backed-up some personal files by Moving them from SD card as a
prepare step to install the stock ROM on this phone, but they are
still appearing when I connect the phone to my PC ! and in the same
time aren't exist at file manager on the phone ???
So, I decided to rollback to the original firmware - stock ROM - by
following two methods:

(5a) Nokia Care Suite.
(5b) Nokia X Flasher.
(5c) ADB and Fastboot.
All are not working, after restart, system is restored again and again with the same status !
During this post, I tried to do something to prove my theory. I've change the desktop background on the phone and after restart, it revert back to the default one. Phone became in "read only" or "system restore" mode. that's why the stok ROM wouldn't install.
No important personal data on this phone, I'm free to totally format it.
Stock ROM info:

Model : RM-980
Variant : 059T9F2
Revision : 1.2.4.1
Manufacture : Microsoft
Platform : Nokia X

Apart from that, let me share some issues that I found may it will help us to solve this problem.
To check the status of bootloader, I used this command:
fastboot oem device-info

Device tampered: false
Device unlocked: false

I used this command to unlock bootloader:
fastboot oem unlock

Device tampered: false
Device unlocked: true

Every time I reboot the device, it's resets automatically to locked state again.
Device tampered: false
Device unlocked: false

I think the main problem is that device is not writable. Any actions on this device was gone after every reboot.
I don't know how to troubleshoot this problem?
I really appreciate your supporting in this. I really need every help.


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Accessibility Voice Control to Read a Navigate a Webpage
I am using a Samsung Galaxy S10e and I would like to use my accessibility features to voice control my phone while driving. I would like to be able to navigate to a website and have the content read to me and use voice commands to give commands within the website like, "skip link" "Fill-out form" and "tap link." Does anyone know if this is possible with Android's built-in accessibility and if so how so I do it?
I am also willing to use an App if there are any out there that will allow me to voice control navigation and read content to me. Thank you so much for any help!

Android's built-in Accessibility really focuses on reading/speaking items on the screen and using gestures to move around.
For voice control, one possibility is Google's Voice Access app in the Play Store, and the intro tutorial does give a good example of the app's features, but there seems to be some problems with the form-filling (speech to text into a field) when I tried it just now. I also noticed that it uses small numbers for focus change which may not be desirable while driving.
Using an Accessibility app is pretty invasive from a permissions point of view so provided that you trust Google and can work around the current defects it is probably worth trying out.


text:
How to stop a website from referring to it's app/play store?
I'm trying to use Prime Video as a desktop website on Chrome (Galaxy S9+). The PrimeVideo app would not let me view any better than 720p, which is ridiculous. But the website always refers me back to the app or the play store's download page.
Is there a way around it, or any other way to view at least 1080p on my S9+?

You can open the website in incognito mode.
It will not redirect you to the Play Store

It would not make a difference by using incognito mode. Regardless, I'd have to log into my account even during incognito mode. Thanks for your response though.