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When you're looking at your google activity and it says viewed next to it, does that mean you actually viewed that topic in your cards?
When you're looking at your google activity in your iPhone. Next to some of my cards it says viewed but I didn't actually view that topic. So what does that mean?

Welcome to Android Enthusiasts Stack Exchange. Since the question mentioned "iPhone", this doesn't look like a question about Android, and thus it's migrated to our sister site for Apple products, [apple.se].


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Can I enable some kind of "precision pen mode" on my android tablets?
The Background
I want to annotate PDFs on my tablet, which I tried several apps for. All of them had the same problem: my fingers are too big to write smallish characters on the screen.
Telling this to a friend, she gave me a pen of hers (so unfortunately I don't know the brand), it is an active one (needs to be switched on) and works well when drawing longer lines. However, the problem with drawing small letters or digits remained, they mostly wouldn't show up, or only some of the strokes.
To debug this, I installed an app called "mobile screen and display tools" which can detect display touches and displays a crosshair where it detects a touch. This revealed some very annoying behaviour:

Touching the screen with the pen, then moving the pen in a small circle (5 pixels?) around the original touch point will not update the touch position.
Touching the screen, moving the pen by a cm or two, then doing the same circular motion will update the touch position.

So it seems to me that the display is perfectly able to detect single pixel movements, but it decides to ignore them directly after a touch. It won't ignore them after a decisive pen move.
Which explains the problem I had with drawing smallish letters/digits: larger strokes will be recognized - small ones won't. I assume this is a "usability feature" on android so people using their finger (inadvertantly wiggling the finger a bit) won't trigger a "move" when they want to trigger a "touch".
This happens on a new BlackView Tab 10 Pro tablet (Android 11), an older Lenovo Yoga Yt-X703L tablet (Android 7.1.1) and a Huawei P20 phone with EMUI 12, so it doesn't seem to be related to the hardware, vendor, or android version.
The question
Is there a way to tell android devices "I'm using a pen; if I move it after touching the display, even by just one pixel, treat that as a move and not as an accidential finger wriggle"?

I would assume that your main problem is that all your devices don't have pen support (or the pen is the wrong for the device like for the Yoga=, instead your pen simulates a finger, but the logic for fingers and pens is different. Fingers can dither a bit so it is usually a good idea to suppress minor movements to not accidentally start a drag-and-drop operation. I would try to get the original pen that is designed for the Lenovo Yoga and try if it works better.

Possibly related/dupe: Why won't a fine-tip stylus work on my phones/tablet?

@AndrewT. This does not seem to be that kind of problem; both tablets and the phone pick up the stylus very well at the first touch, and after the stylus has been moved more than 10 pixels. It's just the first few pixels after touching that seem to get ignored.

@GuntramBlohm, did you end up finding a solution? I have the same problem and it's quite annoying that the touchscreen/Android is able to detect fine movement but ignores them. I can see why this behavior is desirable for fingers, but an option to disable it for active pens seems such an obvious feature....

@Steven I didn't, I ended up buying a different tablet with explicit stylus support.

@GuntramBlohm, thanks!

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


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Audio from Edge started to stutter when Edge runs in background
I have been listening to music through a web application in Edge for over a year. A few days ago, sporadically the sound has become stuttery. I noticed that this is happening when Edge is explicitly going into background mode. When I show the recent apps, there is a link named "1 active in background".

When I tap the link, an option appears to stop Edge.

As soon as I open Edge normally, the stutter disappears, so the sound turns normal.
How can I stop the stuttering? Or is there a possibility to tell Edge not to go in background mode?
This happens on Samsung Galaxy S21, Android 13, Edge 108.0 . Sound output was any time over bluetooth.

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


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Can I restore backup in WhatsApp from first Gmail account when currently my data is being backup in the other?
All my data was backed up in my Google account, then I login WhatsApp in my other mobile and backed up next data in other second gmail account. Is there any way way to restore data from first account too?

Normally WhatsApp makes local backups too. I assume when you say other mobile you are using WhatsApp on a second phone, so on the first phone you might be able to open WhatsApp and go to settings, backup and tap make a backup now. It should make a local backup to your internal storage or sdcard if you have one under a folder named WhatsApp. The backups are encrypted so you can't just modify them. The key is stored in the app data. There is information on how to merge WhatsApp databases on XDA forums but it requires root.


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How to know which app is crashing/throwing exceptions in the background?
I'm asking this question as an end user. All of the sudden every x hours an exception is shown on my phone for a brief moment. Something along the lines of could not get x coordinate bla bla. So I guess 1 of my apps needs location permissions but doesn't have them (anymore). I'd like to get rid of the exceptions. However they also show on the home screen, so it's probably a background app. How do I identify which one?

an exception is shown on my phone for a brief moment -- are you seeing a toast, a notification, or a dialog? See if this app is able to log them. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.evanhe.nhfree

Most apps print exceptions on logcat. For seeing these messages you need to enable Developer options and Android Debug Bridge. Then you can connect your phone via USB to a PC with adb/Andrpid SDK installed and see all messages by executing  adb logcat.

@Firelord a pill shaped toast at the bottom

That is a toast. The convenient method to see historical toasts is that app I mentioned earlier. Non-convenient but more insightful method is adb logcat.


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Is there any app cloner that 100% works on android 12?

I used app cloner when my OS was android 11 and it worked very well, now mine is 12 and I have installed all possible apps that I could think of to just clone an app. It's a very simple task, but I'm really disappointed none of them works well without crashing.
The only one that "almost" works is the app in the picture above, app cloner. When I said "almost", that means the app can be opened, but when I touch/tap a certain button in the app, it force closed and there's an error notification from the app cloner. The reason I like this app, because it could allow the user to install two or more (if it's premium) apps with the different version of the very same app which, AFAIK there's no app other than this that could do so.
I don't need a virtual space or any app cloners that just duplicate the main app I want to duplicate, what I want is an app cloner (just like app cloner that I'm talking about) that is able to duplicate "an apk" file i.e. the apk file that hasn't been installed and the most important part is the apk file might have different version from the original app that has been installed.
Is there any app such like that to do this? Or even is there a way, a very simple way to clone app with different version on android 12 without crashing? I read somewhere that this OS version android 12 has clone profile or whatever, I'm not sure what that is, and I couldn't find the article, if in case it has something to do with the cloning app, I would also hope you mention that in your answer.
Thanks in advance!
P.s. I might just install this app in my virtual android emulator if there's no solution for this, but I hope you could give good news that it's still possible to clone an app with different version in this OS.


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Increase brightness level without using backlight
I'm looking for a way to increase "software" level of brightness in Android without changing the "hardware" level, just like as if I was applying a brightness filter to an image file in Photoshop.
I've tried some apps like Screen Filter, but they seem to only decrease brightness below 0%.
Desired effect shown below, doesn't have to be super high quality.

I understand that it's not going to look exactly like in the picture, it is only there for demonstration purposes.

Changing brithnes and other display related parameters can not be influenced by apps. The brightness decreasing apps you have mentioned just us a trick by showing a permanent overlay over everything and that overlay has alpha transparency set to reduce brightness of the background that is shining through. Touches are also going through that overlay. This technique only allows to reduce brightness but not the opposite.

@Robert Thanks for the explanation, it all makes sense now. I wonder if it's possible to use the same trick but with white semi-transparent overlay, but that's probably a topic for another unrelated question.


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Android without wallpaper - is it possible?
I've just got new S22 phone and wanted to customize it. I wanted to have just a black screen as background, but I could not find any way to do it. On s22 one needs to choose some wallpaper- there is no option None.
Then I checked my old phone and a new tablet - same there ...
Then I checked all the questions here filtered by "android wallpaper" - and found nothing ...
this is crazy?!
Am I missing something or is it really not possible to have "wallpaper : None" on Android? (just simple black screen background.)
(I know I could use black colored image as wallpaper, but is it such a "hack" the only solution?)

For reference on my Pixel 2 Android 10, selecting home screen background/Wallpaper brings up a bunch of photo/image options along with 'Solid Color'. I have it set to Black.

Just like OS and built-in apps, predefined wallpapers are also one of the things that can be customized by the vendor, so it depends whether they provide a solid black image or not.


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Lenovo P11 Plus - Only admin can log-in into table at first after restart
I got a P11 Plus (Android 11) for my son, and I am having troubles with a behaviour that is extremely frustrating.

When setting up the tablet, I first set myself as the owner/admin (i.e., the first account to be set-up in the table was mine).
Then I proceeded to set my kid's account (child under 13). I got kids space working, family link, etc.

What I noticed is that if the tablet is restarted, only my account can unlock the tablet.

My kid's account (or any other account besides my own, the admin) is greyed out and cannot be selected at this point.
If I unlock the tablet, then other users will be able to log-in with their accounts.
This renders the tablet usless to my family unless I am around after a tablet reboot!

Now, had I made my son the first user in the tablet, he would have been the admin. The result is a ridiculous situation in which he would be able to log-in a temporary guest account and bypass all restrictions, EVEN IF I BLOCKED HIM FROM CREATING ACCOUNTS. Indeed he wouldn't be able to create accounts, but he would be able to mess around with the guest access all the same.
Anyway, I'd say it is perfectly reasonable to expect that a parent would be the first account (admin) of a tablet, before it is handed over to a child.
So how can I allow my kid to log-in into the tablet after a reboot?
Thanks.

As far as I know it is a built-in requirement of Android that after a reboot always the first/admin user has to log in. AFAIK this is because otherwise the necessary encryption keys are not available. https://android.stackexchange.com/q/245732/2241 The only work-around I see is to let your child learn that the tablet should not be shut-down or rebooted. Instead set it to Flight-Mode to save battery.

@Robert Thanks. Maybe there is a work around in which I don't have a lock on my account, but there is a locked "shell" that restricts access to everything, including system settings?


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Force discard Chrome tabs?
It seems there is a performance issue that Chrome on Android consistently exhibits with tabs that share two characteristics:

They share the same origin.
They make heavy use of Javascript to load content dynamically.

An example is having multiple tabs displaying different pages under reddit.com.
When Chrome visits a lot of these tabs, it appears that Chrome will not discard data loaded from most of the tabs as long as one tab from the same origin remains open. After going through a dozen tabs or so, this results in very high memory use, as well as old tabs still being loaded when they are switched back to.
Interestingly, an OEM tool on my device still shows Chrome in this case as using only a relatively low amount of memory, around 300MB. However, the same tool also shows available memory as extremely low, with no user applications other than Chrome using significant amounts, and ending the Chrome process or closing all the offending tabs in Chrome immediately produces a major improvement in UI responsiveness along with a very large increase in available memory. Perhaps it is some system-level web rendering process that is holding data from common origins in memory. But Chrome is clearly still choosing to retain those pages.
The expected behaviour, which is what happens when you have lots of JS-heavy tabs from different origins, or lots of tabs from the same origin that don't make heavy use of JS, is for Chrome to silently discard unused tabs from memory while still keeping them open and reloading them if they are displayed again.
This is quite frustrating as I believe I can see quite clearly what is happening, and the fix should be so easy, but there simply aren't any UI controls exposed for it, so it can still lock my phone up for tens of minutes at a time. Additionally, I've made a habit of doing most of my web browsing in Incognito Mode, so when Chrome freezes and then has to be closed, I can lose pages that I still wanted to read.
Is there a way that Chrome can be forced to discard open tabs? Not close, only discard, as I may still want to go back to them.


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disable keyguard, statusbar and navigation bar on AOSP Android 11 system
How do we disable the Keyguard to appear on the device after the boot up on Android 11 onwards.
Also how should I remove the Status bar and navigation bar to appear from the device always.
I do not want to add any Full screen flags through my applications. I want the screen to be in kiosk mode always.
Are there any flags or properties in AOSP Frameworks or device make-file which we can override to achieve this.

You can hide navbar and status bar by setting the height of these dimens to 0dp.

status_bar_height_portrait
navigation_bar_height
navigation_bar_height_landscape
navigation_bar_width

For disabling the keyguard by default, you can set the following bool in Settings Provider to true

def_lockscreen_disabled

Hello. How to set these dimensions that you mentioned above? I'm asking the procedure that is to be followed.

You have to edit these in frameworks_base overlays or define your own TARGET_PRODUCT_OVERLAYS.


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Is there any way to have audio output through one Bluetooth device and input through another
I have an Android phone and Sony WF-1000XM4 noise cancelling earbuds.
These work great when listening to music or making calls over Discord. However, I'm often in high noise environments where the mic pickup does not work and I have to use a different boom mic.
However, if I am using the earbuds to provide audio output, I can't use the bluetooth mic for input. And vice versa, I can tell my phone to use the mic but then no sound comes out of the earbuds.
I can connect both devices to my phone simultaneously, is there any way to tell Android to use one Bluetooth device for output and another for input at the same time?

It seems your hitting a software issue in that Android' Bluetooth profiles are preventing you from doing what you want.  Whilst it's possible for some devices to share a profile like a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard on the HID profile, it isn't possible with audio devices generally unless you have a specific device that has been designed to do things that way such as some of Samsung Galaxy devices that allow dual audio devices in the Bluetooth settings.  This is the rub in that in each audio profile you seem to be able to have one active device at a time, meaning you have have 1 not both.

@Archerbob - Is there any reason for this limitation? I can't think of one. And is it a hard OS limitation or is it possible within current Android specs with a custom app?


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How to ensure a device will allow me to OEM unlock it, so that I can install a custom ROM to it when I have the IMEI?
I'm about to buy an Android phone from someone in my area. He already told me the IMEI. How can I ensure that I can unlock the bootloader ("OEM Unlock") prior buying the phone?
I've heard that I might have to wait 7 days until I can unlock the OEM, so I need to know the phone will be unlocked eventually, to avoid wasting my money. I have no use for the phone if the bootloader stays locked.

Only a handful of phones can be bootloader unlocked these days... What specific model of phone? The IMEI really doesn't tell you anything in this case.

@acejavelin Pixel 6a. I've seen it locked with grayed out OEM unlock option right after purchase, but I think it has just a 7 day lock. I'm not sure.

Kind of related: Bootloader wont unlock on Google Pixel 2 (G011A) where the answer mentioned refurbished Google Pixel 2 are intentionally bootloader locked. So, in the end, I guess there's no way to ensure until you get the device and try to unlock it.

if it is Samsung or Google phone, don't buy it

The 6a had a bug when launched that OEM unlock was grayed out. The OTA update fixed it, or the Android 13 update. Mine was grayed out as well, but as soon as I got the first OTA it was fine.

@acejavelin we tested the June 2022 update without success. That's all the phone wanted to receive.

This wouldn't by chance be a Verizon model? In the Verizon model the bootloader is never unlockable. What is the model of the device is Settings - About Phone - Android Version, what is the full build number?

@acejavelin It was a device from a warehouse in Germany, no carrier was involved. I'm aware of the critical lock nature of Verizon devices, shouldn't be the case here, however the device we had was locked and thus promptly returned. Later, I figured out that there might be just a 7 day lock, as some people on XDA asked about the 7 day OEM lock period and how to circumvent it. There are tricks you can pull off (like disabling NTP sync, changing the date to 8 days into the future and rebooting), but I'm not aware Google addressed such bypasses in recent history.

@acejavelin Maybe it's indeed the Android 13 update or the 7 day wait period that would fix it, but both solutions aren't appealing as of now. We will wait for used devices to ensure the OEM unlock is not grayed out before purchase.

@alecxs What else gives 5y+ software updates (incl. firmware updates) and the opportunity to install a privacy focused ROM such as GrapheneOS? Other good devices have 2-3y software updates. DivestOS would be a fine choice to bypass this with successful bootloader re-lock for good security, but that won't lengthen firmware update support time. Sustainability phones offer up to 5y as well (FairPhone, PinePhone), but the hardware is just bulky and weak. Ultimately, only bloated stock ROMs or GrapheneOS offer a verified bootloader, afaik. I rather choose the latter if I pick a new phone.

(to me) it's pointless if bootloader isn't unlockable - which was the question here


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Android device for birds
I would like to know if there exist any Android devices for birds. I've seen my little bird born from his or her egg in an incubator approach my companion's touch screen to peck on it after she showed him or her how to eat food by pointing in a pecking motion with the finger on the food, after which the bird ate.
Alas, my Android device did not respond to the bird's beak, pecking on the touch phone's screen.
I wonder whether there are any screens designed for beaks.
And, what would be possible, for a bird's interacting system, on an Android device?
Anyone know?
Thanks.
Note: This post asks about the possibility of bird to smartphone interfaces, as I know of none, and I'm not sure of Who would know. I was not sure if this was more appropriate on Android stack exchange or in biology stack exchange or in hardware recommendations stack exchange, or even on software engineering stack exchange. Or even obmn user experience (UX) stack exchange.
Please, if not appropriate here, migrate my post as appropriate.

Mobile device touch screens have been made with resistive or capacitive technology.
Resistive required pressure to indicate location so normally used a pen/stylus. Capacitive uses the fact that the skin conducts and by interacting alters the screen's electric field marking position.
Birds tapping on a screen with a beak made of keratin isn't what the device was tuned for. The interaction by the bird is similar to a person with long fingernails using the tip on the screen. Personally I'm not even sure if pecking can activate a resistive screen as the pressure isn't similar to handwriting/human interaction and a certain amount of threshold is required to avoid false positive. However you can still get resistive screen Android devices which are targeted for industrial/construction environments.
Other than a resistive screen, my guess is that any interaction with birds and a screen would required a speciality device like a infrared grid or other similar setup which could detect the intrusion but to my knowledge is usually for large TV-ish screen sizes, i.e. digital chalkboards and kiosk signage.


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Disabling automatic Android updates on an unrooted Samsung S22?
Is there any way to disable automatic Android updates (for the OS, not apps) on an unrooted Samsung S22 running Android 13?
I bought it through T-Mobile, and it's really driving me insane. The phone's overall performance is fine, but T-Mobile (not Samsung, the updates are explicitly T-Mobile-branded) forces Microsoft-eske automatic OS updates on me several times a week, which disables the phone for hours until I manually unlock it and it "finishes installing updates".
I tried some obvious solutions suggested on various blogs, like disabling Settings->Software update->Auto download over Wi-fi, but these options are either removed (thanks T-Mobile) or have no effect.
I use this phone for work as well as my personal alarm and for meeting notifications. Due to these updates, I've overslept when my alarms and meeting reminders don't start. I refuse to accept that a $900 phone has to be less capable than a $5 alarm clock.

I would assume that the main problem is that it reboots and you have to enter the lockscreen PIN the first time so that the encrypted user data files can be decrypted. So when you enter the PIN and then see the "finishes installing updates" message this means your phone has just rebooted. I don't know how Samsung handles updated but on Google phones this reboot is scheduled to the next night. So checking the phone before going to sleep would be enough.


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Are there any device that allow updating Android OS out of the box?
Can you get a phone where you can update the system without the need to root your phone?
I've never done this myself (rooting) and for my new phone, I want to have something that will use Google Play Store and that I will be able to update the system myself. My current phone is more than 5 years old (Xiomi Redmi 4x) and it looks like Xiomi put a time bomb to slow the phone down (sometimes there is even a delay when you tap the input box to open the virtual keyboard). It suddenly slowed down when about 5 years passed. I'm not 100% sure if they did but I would not be surprised.
And another question: can you update the OS on every phone?
Can you suggest something that will allow me to use Google Play and have up to date system?

stock android ROM for sure will tell you once update is available. rooting will break OTA updates

@alecxs but I'm asking when a new version of Android came out. Like I Have Android 7 and I want to update to Android 8. I can do that with any Linux distro without the need to reinstall the system, I use an automated update to the new version. I would like to have the same on Android.

Android is not released, it is launched. every phone model receive updates from manufacturer especially compiled for this model. that's the main difference between OS distros and firmware updates for embedded devices. it's up to OEMs decision how long they support old phone models. typically end of life is after 2 years

@alecxs so there is no Android version that can have updates (I mean upgrade to the next version) and you need to throw a phone away because the manufacturer doesn't support it after 2 years? This is such a waste. No wonder there are more Gmail installs than people on the planet.

as I said phones receive upgrades to next Android version on vendors decision. Samsung or OnePlus maintain old devices up to 5 years. some OEMs (such as Xiaomi) allow bootloader unlocking and provide kernel source code, what makes you free to compile more recent AOSP your own

Your "time bomb" that slows down the phone is simply the fact that the apps are getting bigger over time and require more RAM - more than your phone provides so apps have to be frequently stopped and restarted which takes significant time. Another good vendor for long term software and hardware support is Fair Phone.

Related/possible dupe: Why are there not generic phone OS installers?


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How to fix Fishdom loading in Nox Player (app management)?
I get a Fishdom not responding error (from the very first time) every time when loading. According to the internet, the solution is to clear the App's cache and activate Force Stop on Android system but I can't find an equivalent on Nox Player. Neither can I find out how uninstall to try reinstalling it. How do I fix Fishdom on Nox Player?

Fishdom is a game

Apps can be uninstalled in any Android version I know by opening Android settings (the gear icon) -> Applications -> app list -> select an entry and get the app info page where you can delete app data or uninstall it.

The process of uninstalling an app on any Android device is nearly the same.

Open Settings.
Tap on Apps.
Select See all apps.
Find the app you want to remove and select it.
Tap Uninstall.
Click OK.

Reinstall the game from the Play store, if it still doesn't open, you can download the BlueStacks emulator instead.

Its Android Emulator. BlueStacks is total broken.

Nox Player is also an android emulator, btw BlueStacks was the smoothest emulator I've used.


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How to root Redmi Note 11?
I want to root my device Redmi Note 11. I tried looking up online but could not find any thorough and updated guide. I don't want to brick my phone by following them.
Please, can anyone guide me through the process of rooting my device?
If it is possible, steps to pass the SafetyNet too.
Device specs:

Thank you.

kindly read the * manual https://github.com/topjohnwu/Magisk

You are right! rooting is a bit complex process; without any technical knowledge or being a novice user, one should follow the step-by-step guide to get a successful ending. Reading the below comprehensive guide on rooting Xiaomi redmi note 11 might help you in this regard. How To Root Xiaomi Redmi Note 11? step-by-step guide

@MilesMorales glad you solved your question. kindly write up self-answer to your question and mark as solution.

Does this answer your question? Update to Magisk 24.1. Support for XPosed modules / Changes

Thank you everyone. I managed to root my device successfully.

I asked the same question on XDA forums. And after unlocking the bootloader I followed this thread. https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/how-to-root-redmi-note-11.4539979/


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I want to block system apps from using wifi network
When i go to security >>data restrict use>> and i do search for any system app , i can not find it. Is there any solution because the manufacture prevents me from blocking them, like as user apps on android

Since manufacturers do customize their Android OS including their Settings menu, could you [edit] and mention the device model and Android version?

Share some information about your device and OS. If possible, what apps you are trying to block.

Have you tried using TrackerControl? It is an open source app that sets up a VPN server and blocks trackers. Once you install it and enable VPN, Go to Settings > Advanced options > Manage system apps and enable the toggle. Then all System apps will show up on the dashboard. Tap the icon of any app to revoke internet access. Tap the name of the app to configure more complicated settings for an individual app.
Github: https://github.com/TrackerControl/tracker-control-android/releases/latest/download/TrackerControl-githubRelease-latest.apk
F-Droid: https://f-droid.org/app/net.kollnig.missioncontrol.fdroid
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.kollnig.missioncontrol.play

Yes, but i need permanently method (even by root), i tried to stop or remove permissions( com.android.permission.INTERNET ) from Androidmanifest files but i get problems such as disappearing the apps after remove that permission also when i tried remove the permission for settings.apk the rom was unable to reboot again, but recently i am testing all method on virtual machine


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Connections towards specific inbound ports on cell phones
Imagine a cell phone connected to internet via 3G/4G/5G, but not via wifi (and a router). Wifi is either temporarily disabled on the cell phone, or not available at that area.
Can that cell phone run (for instance) an FTP server that listens on port 2121? Is that something that usual telephony networks allow you to do, on your cell phone, or is that very rare?
I would like to access files on the cell phone with an FTP client located on any other device in the world. I know that, when the cell phone is not connected to a router via wifi, its IP is (usually) dynamic, and changes every time the phone/communication is restarted. Let's assume that that would not be a problem for me. I would just manually find out what is the IP dynamically assigned to the cell phone, and I would "type" that IP into the FTP client.
I have tried all that, with no luck. It looks like telephony networks don't allow TCP/IP connections "towards" specific inbound ports on a cell phone. Internet providers via fiber optic/ADSL/cable do allow those connections (I can, of course, set up an FTP server on my desktop PC behind a router), but it looks like telephony networks don't allow that. Is that right? If so, is there a solution to that? Are telephony networks that allow that common?

How to connect to Android through SSH over 3G/4G public IP?


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How to backup a rooted Samsung into a csc file
Essentially, I have a Samsung Tab A7 that I rooted with Magisk, and it got damaged due to me dropping it, however, I have warranty and they will fix it for me. I was wondering if there is a way to save all the data into a single file, the csc one used when flashing the firmware, so that I can flash it to the new device after unlocking the bootloader and easily keep all data and root, without having to go through the hassle of rooting reinstalling and restoring data.
Also, I do not have a custom ROM, only magisk.

Since ~ Android 8 all user data is encrypted bound to the device. Thus creating backups on partition level is useless as the encryption is bound to the hardware. If your device is rooted creating an unencrypted data backup should be possible. But restoring data without root is impossible. Also apps that use AndroidKeystore are also bound to the hardware and can not be backup.

Ah, ok then. What would be an easy way to backup my apps data? because FlashFire apparently doesn't work on newer version of Magisk, and TitaniumBackup seems to not work as well, so what could I use to easily transfer my app data, installed apks, and other data?

Sorry I don't need backup on rooted devices so I can not answer you this, I only know what does not work.


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Is there any way to test the ability to access websites on different network connections without turning network connections on and off?
Is there any way to test the ability to access websites on different network connections without turning network connections on and off?
For example.. Suppose you have a smartphone with 2 mobile sim cards and one WiFi.  So, three network connections.
Accessing a website in chrome doesn't work.
I want to know for each network connection, whether it can access a website.
I don't want to turn off any network connections in my diagnosis to find out.
I want to be able to diagnose by specifying particular network connections to try for accessing a website.
Is there a way to do that?

You should specify if the device is rooted or not.

@MorrisonChang It's an OPPO A9  not rooted, i'm not sure how one would root it. If it is possible to root it then I might. I'd be interested for a solution on phones that are rooted and on phones that are not. I think both would be useful to people


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Stolen phone. Secure and erase
So my galaxy S20plus was stolen,  though my Google account,  I did the secure and erase notification.  As only this or the ring option showed.  Anyhow,  now when I check my Google find my device site,  it's still the same,  and shows me that since I lost the phone it wasn't online,  does that mean my data are safe? I'm worried for my bank apps and so.  Does it not being online since then guarantee me that he didn't manage to crack me security code? As I had the pin thing to lock the screen.  Thanks

You don't need to go online for extracting data from a phone. The better question is how is the phone protected, is a PIN/password/pattern set and how complex is it.

4 digit pin might be possible to guess (bruteforcing) but the attacker only has 140 attempts. if your pin is not 1234 no worry your data is secure

I hope you notified your bank and changed all your passwords


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Using Android TV v10 with external keyboard - Logitech Touch K400 Plus
I'm really puzzled over the fact that my logitech keyboard mentioned above can switch between English and my native language using simple alt key stroke when using this keyboard directly with Samsung's Tizen OS system.
However, when using my streamer with Android TV OS - a more modern OS, things get worse and I see no option to switch between languages.
I tried using many key combinations among them shift+space ctrl+space win_key + space alt
and simply nothing works.
On the language definitions setup of my streamer I get my native language set and in Gboard keyboard settings: English and my native language.
None of these setup helps to switch between languages, I'm stuck with the interface language of my system(native) and can write in Englush just when holding shift + some letter or using CAPS LOCK, only then I get English but in Capital letters!
Please let me know if this is problem of my streamer\android TV or keyboard itself?
Is there a way to fix it?

So your question is how to change the keyboard layout of your USB keyboard (even if it is a wireless keyboard it uses an own USB dongle and is thus form Android side identical to an USB keyboard). Have you checked the answers here on the site about changing the keyboard layout of an USB keyboard like https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/209005/polish-layout-for-physical-usb-keyboard-in-oreo

@robert: unfortunetely answer there no relevant


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AirPods on Galaxy S21 don't always connect even though they show connected
Usually taking an AirPod out of the case and putting it in my ear works fine - it connects to Bluetooth as per the indicator up top and audio works, but other times it shows as connected per the indicator but audio does not go to it.
I can fix it by turning off Bluetooth and then back on and choosing to connect to the AirPods, or sometimes by putting it back in the case and taking it back out.
Any thoughts on how to address the issue?

Unfortunately Bluetooth isn't always reliable so you might want to "forget" the device on your phone and then pair it again to see if that resolves the issue.
You might also be able to see what is going on by enabling Bluetooth Debugging on your phone. After doing that and reproducing the issue you should have some logs that will either tell you the issue or give you more information to add to this question.

It turns out that the AirPods Pro 2 fixed the issue.
Perhaps it was a defect in the first model that didn't play nicely with Android.


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Use Macintosh layout for external physical keyboard?
I'd like to connect a German Macintosh keyboard to my Android device. It uses swapped signals for °/^ and </> as well as different positions for [, ], {, } and @. It also has a bunch of special characters, but I don't consider those of high priority.
I tested More Physical Keyboard Layouts, but it doesn't feature Macintosh layouts (yet). I also saw the External Keyboard Helper Pro that allows to define a custom layout, but it requires a Google Account to buy it from the Play Store, but I need a solution that works with AOSP.
(Free apps on the Play Store are fine, because I can download those anonymously using the Aurora Store.)

If remapping some keys is enough for you take a look at ExKeyMo. Disclaimer: I'm the developer. It can build an app with your custom layout built-in.
UPDATE:
ExKeyMo has two modes Simple one to remap keys and Complex one to enter custom Key Character Map file. Also there is ExKeyMo's Docs page.
UPDATE:
ExKeyMo web app is not available on Heroku anymore. You'll have to run it locally. See the project's page on GitHub.

It's not a bad take, but it won't work. For instance, the @ sign is on L instead of Q using the alt/opt modifier, but I cannot swap L with Q for obvious reasons. Your solution only supports single stroke remaps, I'd need to map from shortcuts to alternative shortcuts involving multiple keys.

@MartinBraun ExKeyMo has complex remapping. Just enter content of your custom Key Character Map file in the ExKeyMo's form and click Download to get an app with your layout built-in. Don't forget to check ExKeyMo's docs. I will edit my answer to provide more info.


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Android 13 - What happens to photos in OneDrive/Google Photos that were backed up once you delete a photo from your storage?
I'm on android 13 with the Samsung a32 5g.
If I delete a photo on my phone that was synced to OneDrive or Google Photos backup and sync again, will that photo automatically get deleted after 30 days, or will the backup stay indefinitely?
I know deleting files on PC and resyncing removes them from OneDrive, so I'm wondering if the same goes for mobile and what happens for Google Photos.

OneDrive is not Google Photos... The two behave very differently. I can't speak to OneDrive (don't use it at all) but Google Photos is essentially a photo archiving service, if you delete a picture from your phone, it will continue to be in the GP archive, UNLESS you delete it with Google Photo, and in which case it specifically tells you "Delete from your account and all devices linked to it", or something to that effect... If you factory reset your phone, or delete the files with a file manager from the camera's photo directory for example, the files will still exist in GP.

I don't know about OneDrive, but for Google Photos, if the photos are deleted from outside the Photos app, then they will stay indefinitely (as mentioned in my previous answer, only files on the device that are deleted after 30 60 days). If it's from the Photos app, then there are 2 types of deletions: "Delete" (the trash can icon, delete from both device and backup), and "Delete from device" (the crossed phone icon, delete only from the device, backup stays indefinitely)

@AndrewT. Thank you, so for sure Google Drive photos stay after being deleted on just the phone device, but as for OneDrive I'm not sure but could function the same way.


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How to delete the personal profile in the Samsung Contacts app?
Is it possible to delete the personal profile that is created in the Galaxy Contacts app? The personal profile section appears directly at the top above the contacts list, under "My profile".
After creating the profile it doesn't seem possible to delete it (I can only edit it - but I want it removed).
I am using One UI 5.0 (Android 13) and the Contacts app version is 14.0.05.8
The profile isn't linked to any Samsung account. The Samsung Contacts app personal profile seems to be stored locally on the phone. I tried clearing the Contacts app data & cache but this didn't remove the personal profile unfortunately.


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Android 13 ethernet tethering forward all ports
i want to forward the mobile Internet on my rooted Pixel 7 to my router. My router forwards ports 80/443 to a client in my local network to host some web services. I want to be able to forward the ports from my phone to the local client:
Internet --5G (rmnet1)--> Pixel 7 --Ethernet (eth0)--> Router --> Client:443
I have no GCNat in front of the Pixel 7. In fact i can forward non priviliged ports with the Fwd: port forwarder app and its working as expected
Ideally all ports would be forwarded to the router as i also want to use Wireguard. I would also be happy if the phone is only working as a dumb modem, bridging the two interfaces.
I already tried the answers here and here, but requests always timed out.

As stated in the question I have no GCNAT. I have a public ipv4 which I can call. I can even forward non privileged ports via the fwd app.


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How do I automatically disable cellular data when at home?
I do not get service at my house.
The only way I can use my phone is over wifi.
If cell service is turned on, but has no bars, I don't receive text messages properly, they take forever if they come at all. When i turn off the cell data, I get the text messages.
How do I automatically turn off the cell data when im at home, and turn it on when i leave the house?

What phone are you using?  Some phones have this built-in.  Or you can download apps to do it.

i have a TCL 20s. can it be done without rooting?

I am using an app called MyProfiles, but I can't find it on Play Store.
However,  aProfiles will do the job for you.  It is also under development currently, others appear to have stagnated.

You can set up profiles (with what's on or off, sound levels, etc)
Then set up rules to switch profiles automatically (when Bluetooth/wifi turn on or off)
It also supports location-based profiles.

I am not associated with it in any way.

FYI, the "switching mobile data" action requires root access.


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How do I enable continuous scrolling in the Nook app?
Is there a way to enable continuous scrolling on the Nook app for Android? The Kindle app allowed me to read by scrolling vertically, but I can't find a similar option in the Nook app.

I don't use the Nook app so I don't know, but if there is no option to scroll vertically, then it needs the developer of the app to implement that feature first.


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Disable Whatsapp group notifications except from one person in that group
I want to turn off all sorts of group notifications from a specific group in Whatsapp, except if a specific person in that group sends a message there. Is there any way to do so?

AFAIK, it's impossible to do that, at least not from WhatsApp directly since it only provides a custom notification for the whole group, or mutes the notification for all messages, but no in-between/more sophisticated notification customization.

I don't think that's possible.


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How to access all partitions of a USB drive OR how to choose which partition is displayed in file manager?
I'm on a OnePlus 8T on Android 13, and I've recently purchased a fingerprint encrypted USB. The way the USB works, is it has a Public and a Secure partition. When you insert the USB, only the Public partition is visible, and then when you scan your fingerprint, the Secure partition becomes available.
The problem is, Android seems to only ever show 1 partition of a USB in the file manager, which in my case is always the Public partition, but I want to be able to access the Secure partition on my phone.
I believe the way I can go about this would be to either make the phone show all partitions of the USB, rather than just 1, or somehow make it so that the 1 partition being shown is the Secure one rather than the Public one.
I have no idea how I would go about doing this, can anyone help (or know anything else I could try)? Thanks!

Are you aware that you can not use a fingerprint to encrypt data? The only think you can do with a fingerprint is to check it and allow/disallow access. But the actual data remains unencrypted. If i is encrypted then the encryption key is also saved in the USB stick. Unless the stick contains a secure element the encryption key can be extracted without big problems. If the stick was cheaper than ~500 USD then most likely it will be not very secure. I would not store any data you want to keep private on it and rely on the "encryption".

lol the fingerprint itself is not the encryption key, it just allows you to unencrypt the 256 bit AES encrypted data using the firmware key. The security of the USB is not relevant to the question.

(stock) Android always mounts only first partition

Yeah, so is there any way to change that / make the "first partition" the Secure one?

How to use multiple partitions on external SD card?


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extract data from phone with oem unlocked and usb debugging enabled password?
My huawei mate 20 lite phone was stolen in afu state, there is a pin code on the screen, but usb debugging is on and I removed the oem lock, in this case, can my data on the phone be accessed?

depends on lock screen is easy to guess. without pin code, no data can decrypted. guesswork: no (not sure about that bug though) https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/249450/how-recover-photos-from-a-locked-android-smartphone?noredirect=1#comment335751_249450 usually first thing thief does is power off and factory reset (to avoid beeing tracked)

i think this was done by someone i know to access my data, because oem lock is unlocked and usb debugging is active in safe mode, is there no chance to install root file or delete pin directory with command?

deleting locksettings.db (even in afu state) will destroy encryption, that's no option. of course - if you disabled encryption then all it needs is boot into TWRP recovery and do anything with your data

https://security.stackexchange.com/q/196230

https://android.stackexchange.com/q/143878

@alecxs what do you mean if I disabled encryption? I did not its alredy have a pin code but just oem unlocked and usb debugging enabled

@alecxs If it is reset to factory settings, the data will be lost. Even if it does, it can only access my encrypted data. Am I missing something

no. you are right. it was only a question about encryption state of device before theft. if you are sure it was encrypted - no worry about offline attacks

@alecxs So, if OEM unlocking and usb debugging are turned on, is it possible to switch to safe mode and remove my password or make a copy of my data with the help of command line or sd card with rom loaded without data loss? I read that it is possible to bypass the screen pin code with the sim card trick, is it possible to access my data?

@Firelord Could you help me about this problem bro pls?

remote erase your device https://www.google.com/android/devicemanager


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How to customise Android or LineageOS build and add own drivers
I am trying to build kinda car computer for my own use. As hardware I am using a Raspberry Pi CM4.
There is an awesome build by KonstaKANG of LineageOS for Raspberry Pi and it generally is working ok.
There is also an Automotive version of Android (haven't tried it yet) and an other similar more or less successful approaches.
My problem is that I'd like to use an LTE modem (Sierra Wireless MC7700 miniPCI with an USB adapter) and none of those distros do support it by default.
Am I correct in my assumption that USB at Android isn't working the way it does work on Linux/MacOS/Windows and each device needs to be explicitly supported by the particular Android build.
If so, how can I add own driver and do I need to add it to my custom build or can I compile those drivers for a running instance?
Any help would be appreciated.
Regards,
Radek

Related: Bootloader/BIOS, flashing ROM and correlated risks. Why Android devices are more brickable than PCs? Creating a driver is non-trivial. If you are still curious about details, you should be aware of the Android Open Source site, along with sections of documentation like Architecture

Thanks @MorrisonChang. Will check it first. Just to be clear: is my assumption correct that Android do not cary such drivers by default?

All the Android versions you use are custom ROMs, so what drivers are included or not is unknown to us. Note that if you want to use the LTE modem with the default Android cellular system there is besides the driver also the radio interface layer which has to be adapted. IMHO if you are using an Raspberry I wouldn't use a non-official Android version, instead use Raspbian OS. The long term support of Raspbian OS is   extraordinary good, so no need to use Android.

Honestly more research is required since the Sierra Wireless site does seem to have a Android RIL page, limited to Android 10, however documentation is behind a login and whatever Sierra's license requires.

Raspbian OS is not an option because I need to have Waze installed and it forces Android. The license isn't a big issue because it is definitely for my personal use. Thanks for all answers so far. I was also considering to use pure Android. Need to configure some machine for it because my Mac has not enough RAM

Please note that ROM development is off-topic, though I feel some questions on the body are not necessarily development questions but may still need small rewritings so that they can apply more to end-users rather than developers.


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Can't boot with OSS kernel
When booting with self-compiled kernel, this error appears in console-ramoops:
[   36.154875]  (6)[5679:idmap2]WARNING: CPU: 6 PID: 5679 at fs/buffer.c:1154 __ext4_handle_dirty_super+0x50/0x1a8
[   36.154878]  (6)[5679:idmap2]Modules linked in: wlan_drv_gen4m ffffff85abf31000           (null) 2428928 0 (O) wmt_chrdev_wifi ffffff85a91b6000           (null) 32768 0 (O) gps_drv ffffff85a918e000           (null) 126976 0 (O) fmradio_drv ffffff85a9131000           (null) 299008 0 (O) bt_drv ffffff85a911e000           (null) 49152 0 (O) wmt_drv ffffff85a8f8c000           (null) 1376256 0 (O) fpsgo ffffff85a8ec0000           (null) 815104 0 (PO)
[   36.154894] -(6)[5679:idmap2]CPU: 6 PID: 5679 Comm: idmap2 Tainted: P S      W  O    4.14.186-perf-g7df73a1af183 #1

The full error file is at https://pastebin.com/LKUK9yvx
And the kernel itself is at https://github.com/camellian-devs/kernel_xiaomi_camellia


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Rooted Pixel 6 CPU DVFS control without userspace governor
So I recently rooted my Pixel 6 (Android 13) using Magisk and tried to control the CPU frequency, but it did not have userspace CPU governor. I tried to set scaling_setspeed in /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu0/cpufreq/ with no luck. Also tried setting scaling_max_freq and scaling_min_freq using the maximum frequency and scaling_governor as performance mode, but when workloads start, the frequency would drop. Is there a way to set and fix the frequency without installing userspace CPU governor?
It was to my understanding that performance mode would keep the CPU at max frequency, but even then, that was not the case.

Are you aware that your CPU has three different core types, each with an own max frequency (2x2.80 GHz Cortex-X1, 2x2.25 GHz Cortex-A76, 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55). Not sure how the cpu governor handles environments with different CPU cores.

Yeah, it's to my understanding that each core cluster can run it's own CPU governor. For example, I have the A55 clusters as performance, A76 as powersave, and X1 as sched_pixel


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How to install my own CA (Certificate Authority) root on Samsung S22?
S22 with Android12 here. I am trying to install a root CA so that I could access my internal websites using HTTPS. I seem to be having unexpected trouble doing that.
So far trying to do it by going: Settings/Biometrics.../Other.../Install from device storage/CA Certificate/Install Anyway

First off, when I copy certificate to internal storage, it is not visible to said installer until I reboot the phone. Annoying, but oh well, I only do it once
Once this installer sees the cert, it will not import it. "Private key required to install certificate" toast will pop-up after that.
Exactly same happens when I try to click on certificate in 'Files' app and choose "Certificate installer"

I tried to use following formats:

cer
pem (basically cer file renamed to pem)
p12 or pfx (same file, rename) - it asks me for password but unable to decrypt
pem/cer containing not only a CA root, but also a device certificate signed by said CA root and it does have private key

Phone not rooted
One thing I never tried and will not try is to export CA certificate with private key (phone has no business knowing CA's private key).
Any ideas?

P12/PFX files can be encrypted using different algorithms. I would assume that Android only supports the old 3DES encryption which was the standard since a about a year in Java. If you try to open a P12 file encrypted with AES and the software only supports 3DES then no matter which password you enter it will always fail.

Solved: certificate installation worked using "Install from device storage" when I placed cert into "Downloads"


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Pixel 3a XL Requires SIM Card Removed/Reinserted to Power On
My wife has a Pixel 3a XL, and in the last 2 weeks it has shut down unexpectedly 3 times, refusing to power back on. The battery is charged, and connecting it to any charger makes no difference. Holding the power button for 30 seconds fails also.
The only thing that has fixed it all 3 times is by removing the SIM card and reinserting it. Then pressing the power button, the phone would magically boot up like there was never an issue.
The 2nd time this happened, which was just two days ago, I tried powering it back on with the SIM card removed before reinserting it, yet it would still NOT power on. But as soon as I put the SIM back into the phone, pressed the power button, it powered back on.
I'm thinking the issue is with the SIM card, but then after this test, shouldn't the phone have powered on with the SIM card removed, if it was the SIM card?
This is very confusing to me. Does anyone have any thoughts or suggestions?


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Cast Android screen to PC monitor
I want to cast my android screen to pc monitor that doesn't have HDMI,only DVI and VGA.Is it possible to do this by using this
adapter and miracast device with HDMI?

The adapter should not be a problem as HDMI (the old versions) and DVI are identical on protocol level. But before buying a Miracast adapter I would make sure your phone really has this option. An easier way may be to use scrcpy over ADB/USB and a connected PC.

I already have a Miracast adapter and also my phone has the option to cast,what i don't have is the HDMI - DVI adapter.I already cast my Android to TV.

The adaptor should work fine

I hope it will.

It doesn't work


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How to turn back to the old one-handed mode?
I have Xiaomi 11 note Pro 5g , and yesterday it was updated from android 11 to android 12.
I was surprised that the One-Handed mode feature was updated as well but the new update is so annoying and can't be helpful for anything, its totally useless.
I just get half screen and I cannot scroll up nor down, it does not resize the screen width which is annoying as well.
Can I get back to the old version of the feature without downgrade the android version ?


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Sony TV XBR-49X705D (Android TV) connect bluetooth headphones
I want to connect Bluetooth headphones to a TV Sony XBR-49X705D.
The TV has Bluetooth, and I was able to join a keyboard, but when I tried to connect the headphones, it didn't work. Is there a way to make this work? Can I buy a USB adapter to improve this Android TV's Bluetooth capabilities?


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Forwarding bluetooth remote input through a phone to a PC
I have a bluetooth remote which I can pair with my android phone.
I know it's not really possible to turn a phone into a bluetooth dongle, but is there any way I can forward the input the phone receives from the remote to a PC (e.g. remote's cursor keys) via an app or maybe by using adb?


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Some tablets respond to pings, others don't
There are dozens of tablets on my table that are all connected to the same 5GHz Wi-Fi network. All IP addresses were given by DHCP in subnet 192.168.34.0/24. I want to find the ip addresses of all of them so that I connect to them and use adb wirelessly. After unlocking all devices and making sure they had enough battery, I tried sudo nmap -sn 192.168.34.1-254. While it found a majority of the tablets, some were missing. Then I tried a broadcast ping with ping 192.168.34.255 -b but got zero responses. However I can manually pick up a tablet, go to its settings find its ip and ping it manually and they always respond. For instance 192.168.34.123 was not found by nmap but ping 192.168.34.123 always works.
Why do some tablets not respond to nmap pings but do respond to manual pings? How can I ensure that all tablets are reachable by nmap? Are there other commands or tools that are more suitable for the job?

Similar question on Unix.SE: nmap is unable to find all android tablets connected to network

Android devices can temporarily disconnect Wifi for saving power when they are in idle state and the screen is off. In such situations of course they won't respond to pings.

Is it possible that something in your network stack is restricting broadcasts?


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How to detect cpu architecture and deliver correct apk?
There are a variety of CPU architectures that android systems use such as arm64-v8a, armeabi-v7a, armeabi, x86_64 and x86. Is there a way for adb or any other tool to detect the architecture of a connected device? I have many devices connected to a PC running adb and I would like to create a script so that adb can deliver the correct package.
For example, I have packages app_arm64-v8a.apk, app_armeabi-v7a.apk and app_armeabi.apk on my desktop that correspond to their respective architectures as well as tens of android devices that are connected to an adb server on desktop. How can I iterate the output of adb devices so that the script figures out the architecture of each android device and automatically install the right apk to each device?

See: How to find ARM processor version on android device?

An answer on How to tell what architecture an APK is intended for? also briefly touched the ADB/shell command to detect the CPU/ABI list.

Does this answer your question? How to tell what architecture an APK is intended for?


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Getting google/google play to work on an android 4.04 tablet
Currently, the tablet seems to be in a chicken and egg situation:
Can't login to google (presumably) because of outdated software (we get a "invalid login" message, but the credentials are valid -- we tested on a computer), can't update the software because of lacking login to google.
So I ask: what should be installed to fix this? Perhaps a new version of google play, or that google services package? Would it be prudent to download those APKs from somewhere else instead of the google store?
I also presume that the most recent versions would not run. So what would be the latest versions that would accept to run on 4.04?

Plain Android 4.0 does not support TLS1.2 which is required for PlayStore access. Google has developed a workaround with a custom TLS library but I don't know how it is deployed. The only way I see is to install an updated version of Google Play Services and Google PlayStore. As updates have to have the same signature you can not install a manipulated or otherwise non-genuine app as update so matching APK files from third party websites are not a big risk (if the downloaded app is really an update).

According to this news, Google Play services dropped support for Android 4.0.x ICS in December 2018 with v14.7.99 as the last version. There's v14.8.49 on APK Mirror that still supports Android 4.0+, you might want to try it. However, the TLS 1.2 issue is more concerning since it has only been supported since Android 4.4.


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Disabling fingerprint sensor on Oukitel WP6
I want to completely disable the fingerprint sensor on my Oukitel WP6, rooted, running CAOS (modified Android). That means not just unlocking phone with fingerprint, but completely killing that sensor. Reason being is that many apps use that sensor as a button to perform some action, and it is very difficult not to touch that button accidentally.
I've been reviewing this post as reference to disable the fpc driver, but for some reason, I can't get access to /sys (permission denied), even though my phone is rooted, and I tried several different terminal apps, giving them full permissions (trying on Termux right now). Also, the instruction there for making this change permanent is very complicated, a bit beyond my capability.
I also tried hardware solution - taping that sensor. It still works unfortunately. I disassembled the phone, but I don't see any obvious point where to unsolder it's connections.
Any suggestions?

The sensor is not a button.  When a virtual button is placed in the same location, a tap activates the button whereas a long press activates the sensor.  it isn't really an issue. On normal phones, you can disable biometry sensors/  Cant you do that here ?

@RohitGupta - I can't seem to disable it. I already disabled fingerprint as unlock mechanism in the settings, but there is no setting to disable that sensor entirely.

Then you have weird-rooted software.  This functionality exists on normal phones.  Try messaging the author of your replacement OS.

@RohitGupta But as far as I've searched, even on regular Android OS, there is no way to disable the sensor in the settings. It can be disabled for biometrics, but not as a button. And like I wrote, I want to disable it entirely, make phone unaware of it regardless of the context.

Well, I am dreaming then.  On my Samsung Note 20, it is not a button.  It is shaded in and responds only if biometrics is enabled.

@RohitGupta And if you disable it there, it doesn't do anything when you are in other apps, like browser, Waze? No action is performed when you tap or hold your finger on that sensor in these apps?

That is correct.

@RohitGupta I see... Well, my OS is no longer developed, so there is nothing I can do there. Going to need a different solution. I do need to use this specific OS.


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How can I get notified when a device connects to my Wi-Fi hotspot on Google Pixel 6?
I wonder how I can get notified when a device connects to my Wi-Fi hotspot on Google Pixel 6. I use Android 12.

You need a manual solution like this or this which is not possible without root.

Unfortunately, stock Android doesn't provide such info unlike non-Google OEM skins of Android.

Which non-Google OEM skins provide this info than?


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How to ensure android device is always connected to wifi regardless of its state?
Is there any developer setting option or adb command that forces android devices to always maintain their wifi connection even if the device is idle or locked? Sometimes my devices don't respond to connection requests and that has been a headache.

Is Wi-Fi -> Advanced -> Keep Wi-Fi on during sleep enabled, already?


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Spyware installed on phone, need to backup data before giving it to police
A friend of mine installed a spyware on my phone about three years ago, and made the access to that spyware public and i didn't know about it untill recently. I was always confused as to how people know so much about my life and what I say about them to other people. A lot of damage has been caused not just socially but financially as well because the access of the spyware fell into the hands of a scammer who has withdrawn a huge amount of money from my bank account. Now, I want to file a case. Both against that scammer and bastard friend of mine. So, i have been advised to give the phone to the police but because that friend is from a influential family i am under the fear that if I give my phone directly to the police without having a proper backup then they will not find anything because he will get it deleted. So, i want to take a full back-up of the phone. Everything from files to music to apps to system apps so that I can file a case. How can I do that? I need each and every file. So that the police can recover the spyware and then follow up the ip address of the culprits. I need full backup because even if he by influence convinces cyber police department to delete the spyware and say there was nothing in my i would have something to show. Assuming he had not installed the spyware with auto delete feature.


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How to delete data from an uninstalled app?
My Android 8.0 phone is showing the 32 GB is full. I have deleted videos and stuff but I wonder if apps that I uninstalled have not deleted their data.
How to find out?

For apps you have installed you should have some sort of app manager to view the app info --> storage, which you should probably clear data/cache before uninstalling.  Supposedly you could re-install an app and clear the data.
Alternatively install an app to help you clean up junk like "SD MAID" and use its CorpseFinder to find orphaned files, you get a list so you can go through and choose which files you want or not want and bin them I believe.
I've personally used ES File Explorer, which is better, but apparently it only seems to be available from 3rd party websites now as Google has removed it from the play store for "click fraud".


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Hide an app on an AVD
I want to perform exploratory testing on an app my team is developing, and for this, I'd like to be able to manually hide and unhide apps on an AVD. Is there a way I can do this?
I observe that with adb shell, pm hide $PACKAGE is available, but I don't appear to have permission. The terminal shows me the output:

java.lang.SecurityException: Neither user 2000 nor current process has android.permission.MANAGE_USERS.

Is there a workaround on an AVD? I'm on Android 11. Can I start adb shell with the necessary permissions?
(I really don't want to have to write an app, make it the device manager, and run it to hide other apps.)

What does pm disable-user $PACKAGE does?

That gives the output Package cs.rcherz new state: disabled-user. After having done so, though, pm hide cs.rcherz still gives the error message about android.permission.MANAGE_USERS which is printed above.

One you have already disabled an app, why do you want to continue with hide?

@Firelord I want apps hidden because I'm doing exploratory testing for our MDM app. In particular, I want to verify its behaviours with respect to hidden apps. Being able to hide the apps with a simple execution from the shell would facilitate this exploration.


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How to change number of QuickPanel rows?
I have Samsung Galaxy A52 with Android 12. When I swipe down at home screen QuickPanel shows up with one row of icons. If I swipe again entire QuickPanel shows up.
I would like to increase the number of rows visible after first swipe. I searched Settings but I didn't find anything relevant.
Is it possible to add more rows? If yes, how?

Old article, but does this not work? https://www.xda-developers.com/customize-size-quick-settings-button-layout-samsung-galaxy/

I only know how to increase the number of columns (which would also let you fit more on one screen). If that's an option, watch out for GravityBox – a module for the Xposed framework that can do that and more.

@Firelord, the overall description looks like it for QuickPanel fully open (after second swipe). However I cannot even connect with adb, I have unauthorized device so far.


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How to know if an app doesn't work because my phone doesn't support or it's just the app's fault?
When the internal storage (not the SD Card) in my phone is almost full, sometimes it makes some apps failed to be installed, but they will be able to be installed after I free up some space.
I installed three different apps today and they are from different developers, but they have the very similar behaviour when they're crashed. So, I concluded that my phone might have been broken or something. The apps can be normally accessed, but they will crash and force closed, the errors can't also be reported, I'm not sure.  I don't know whether my phone doesn't support the apps or it's just the apps that don't function well. I bought the phone 7 months ago, and I think it's unlikely that it's broken already.
How to know if it has something to do with the storage or some settings I don't understand perhaps? The app version, minimun SDK, minimum or maximum android requirements or whatever.

You would want to look at bugreport (you have to create it first) or in the output of logcat. Both are not meant to be understood by end users though.

"... it makes some apps failed to be installed ..." and "... when they're crashed ..." are two different problems. Do they fail to install or crash after installation? For the former issue do adb install to get the exact error. For the latter do adb logcat when the app crashes.

I'd assume this is about the Stack Exchange app that you mentioned in your next question. Yes, I checked the log using logcat and found that the combination of the library used in the app and the OS version made this crash.

@AndrewT. This question is 2 days ago before updating my phone. The app that I'm talking about is different. I was installing languages learning apps but they're not too important I think. Whilst my next question i.e. today's question is about the app version of Stack Exchange and I'm a bit sentimental, so I wish someone would tell me if there's anything I could do to run the app perfectly.


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What's the difference between preloader_raw.img, preloader_ufs.img and preloader_emmc.img?
I have a Xiaomi Redmi 9 phone, and in case of this device I use a custom ROM - crDroid. From time to time, I update the phone's firmware by downloading a corresponding firmware package from xiaomifirmwareupdater.com.
When you look inside the firmware package, you can see the following content:
Path = fw_lancelot_miui_LANCELOTEEAGlobal_V12.5.4.0.RJCEUXM_67a1671939_11.0.zip
Type = zip
Physical Size = 40808894

   Date      Time    Attr         Size   Compressed  Name
------------------- ----- ------------ ------------  ------------------------
2022-02-28 13:40:44 D....            0            0  META-INF
2022-02-28 13:40:40 .....       280488       171992  preloader_raw.img
2022-02-28 13:40:40 .....       282536       172052  preloader_ufs.img
2022-02-28 13:40:42 .....            1            3  type.txt
2022-02-28 13:40:40 .....          859          364  scatter.txt
2022-02-28 13:40:40 .....       282536       172052  preloader_emmc.img
2022-02-28 13:40:40 .....     59329408     35869684  md1img.img
2022-02-28 13:40:42 .....      2505440      2166963  tee.img
2022-02-28 13:40:42 .....        37984         7454  spmfw.img
2022-02-28 13:40:40 .....       352816       144110  scp.img
2022-02-28 13:40:42 .....       505616       483321  sspm.img
2022-02-28 13:40:24 .....      1302976       522804  lk.img
2022-02-28 13:40:22 D....            0            0  META-INF/com
2022-02-28 13:40:44 .....         1634         1144  META-INF/CERT.RSA
2022-02-28 13:40:42 .....         2217          999  META-INF/MANIFEST.MF
2022-02-28 13:40:42 .....         2270         1091  META-INF/CERT.SF
2022-02-28 13:40:42 D....            0            0  META-INF/com/android
2022-02-28 13:40:22 D....            0            0  META-INF/com/google
2022-02-28 13:40:24 D....            0            0  META-INF/com/google/android
2022-02-28 13:40:24 .....      2340536      1090127  META-INF/com/google/android/update-binary
2022-02-28 13:40:44 .....         3559          863  META-INF/com/google/android/updater-script
2022-02-28 13:40:22 .....          316          220  META-INF/com/android/metadata
2022-02-28 13:40:42 .....         1594         1077  META-INF/com/android/otacert
------------------- ----- ------------ ------------  ------------------------
2022-02-28 13:40:44           67232786     40806320  18 files, 5 folders

So I have the following questions:

Will the preloader be touched in any way when I flash this zip via TWRP/SHRP recovery?
What's the difference between preloader_raw.img , preloader_ufs.img and preloader_emmc.img ?
In the fastboot ROMs there's preloader_lancelot.bin which (according to the scatter.txt file) goes to:

  partition_index: SYS0
  partition_name: preloader
  file_name: preloader_lancelot.bin
  is_download: true
  type: SV5_BL_BIN
  linear_start_addr: 0x0
  physical_start_addr: 0x0
  partition_size: 0x80000
  region: EMMC_BOOT1_BOOT2
  storage: HW_STORAGE_EMMC
  boundary_check: true
  is_reserved: false
  operation_type: BOOTLOADERS
  is_upgradable: true
  empty_boot_needed: false
  combo_partsize_check: false
  reserve: 0x00

Is this preloader_lancelot.bin file related anyhow to preloader_raw.img, preloader_ufs.img or preloader_emmc.img ?

compare checksum for files. read META-INF/com/google/android/updater-script

It looks like it depends on get_storage_type() -- I have no idea what that would be. But if true, then preloader_ufs.img is flashed to /dev/block/mmcblk0boot1 and if false then preloader_emmc.img is flashed instead.

https://fossbytes.com/what-is-ufs-storage

It's not about the difference between the two, but how do I know which one is used?

with get_storage_type() probably ;) or check partitions https://android.stackexchange.com/q/240767


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List of apps on Google Play ever installed by me on any Android phone
I am running Android 12 on a Realme 8 5G Android smartphone.
I am wondering about the Google Play app that came preinstalled.
There used to be a place on my older phone in this app where I could see all apps I ever installed from Google Play, including paid apps and free apps.
However, now I just see a list of installed apps there and must remember to remember what apps I used to use on my older phone (which broke while this one was being used by another user, an now I'm the user of this phone and my username appears in the Google Play app).
Thank you for your feedback and help.

The recent Google Play App don't seem to be able to show the complete list of apps, but the Google Play web site still does:
Visit https://play.google.com/apps to get a list of all your apps had have or had installed.
The link above is intentionally not clickable for the reason that if you click it in a web browser on Android you will be redirected to the start activity the Google Play Store App (which does not show the app list.
Instead you have to manually enter play.google.com/apps into the address bar e.g. of Chrome for Android. In my test when manually entered I was not redirected to Play Store App.

My experience is that if you've installed many items via the Google Play Store, you need to keep clicking/scrolling to show them, perhaps hundreds of times.  Does this match your experience?

@RockPaperLz-MaskitorCasket Indeed it requires a little effort to get the full list of apps as the list is loaded incrementally and some times even require clicking a button. For citizens of the EU may be the full GDPR data export is an easier way as it also should include the full list of apps you have or had installed (not checked how complicated it is to find the list in the data export): https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/3024190?hl=en


text:
How can I get totally anonymous from an app on android & bluestack
I am using an app on android
I have confirmed that :

if I clear the app data or even reinstall the app from google play, the app does have a specific behaviour
if I install the app on a completely new device (I'm actually using bluestack android emulator), the app does have a different behaviour

=> hence, what is the data specific to an android install an app can access? how can I change this data without reinstalling the entire os?

Are you using the same Google account on both?

Could you mention the app and clarify the behavior difference? There are many factors that may affect app behaviors, ranging from device model, Android version, screen resolution, locale, RAM size, etc.

I am using the same account. I want to keep the app private but it offers a different feature set. the image I use from bluestack is the same, so the difference should be a version number generated during install of the OS and not a hardware detail.
Hence my question: can we know every external information an app can access?


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Some app, whose mobile access is restricted, suddenly starts using data after switching mobile carrier
My problem is some apps I specifically disallow data access started to use mobile data after I switched mobile company. I didn't change any settings. It never happened with two previous carriers with the same phone.
I don’t know if my smartphone is malfunctioning, a malware is installed, or something else?
Here is what happened:

I use prepaid mobile plan with minimum data, so I always disable mobile data for most apps (set individually in the App section in the Settings). It worked fine for years.

On Nov 24th, I switched a mobile company (from Lucky mobile (Bell) to Chatr wireless (Rogers), both Canadian carriers) and swapped SIM cards. It took about 24 hours before I could use data.

While I still didn't know if the data was available, I used Google Map and Google Chrome, both are set to wifi only. They worked but I thought I was in a wifi hotspot that is everywhere in a city. Then I played a game I specifically disallow BOTH wifi and mobile data (so that I can play it locally without seeing any ad).  At the end of the game I saw an ad, it was the time I realized my data was finally available and the data was consumed. But why, the app is prohibited to use any data including wifi and mobile data.

I checked the Settings. The settings remain the same but the Google map and Chrome along with the game app consumed data. I restarted the phone but it didn’t make a difference.

I was afraid that my phone was hacked, so I installed Norton 360 and scanned a malware but nothing was detected.
I installed NetGuard so that I can control data access easily. For now I disable mobile data of the phone all together and manually enable it when I use data then disable it when I finish. It works for now but I am still puzzled.
Current situation:
When I open an app with restricted data, for most apps, I get this message: “** was restricted from using your cellular network. Remove the restriction?” which is normal and supposed to be like that.
However, there is an app, specifically Google Chrome, accesses mobile data without showing the message. Strangely Google Map and the game app that used data on the first day, now show the above message.
I understand that small data is still transmitted while mobile data is disallowed, but this is not the case.
My phone is 3-years old Huawei Nova 3, Android version 9, and I don’t have any problem with the phone except for a shorter battery life.
My biggest fear is that my phone is compromised as it happens when I swapped SIM cards. If my phone is just too old and malfunctioning, I can get a new phone. Any help will be appreciated. Thanks.

Possibly related/dupe (but not answered yet): "3rd party apps designed to use mobile data" even when connected to WiFi

Thank you for your reply. I am aware that some apps transmit small piece of data background but I don't feel like it is the case.... Google Chrome is set to wifi only, so if I try to open it without wifi, it's supposed to show the message "Google Chrome was restricted from using your cellular network. Remove the restriction?", however. it automatically connects to the mobile network without asking me anything.


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"cannot add library libvulkan.so" when trying to start emulator
This is my first time attempting anything Android. I have installed Android Studio 2021.3.1 Patch 1 on Ubuntu 22.04 and created an Empty Compose Activity as a test.
The Device Manager looks like this

But when I try to run it I get
The emulator process for AVD Pixel_XL_API_33 has terminated

idea.log contains
INFO -      Emulator: Pixel XL API 33 - [...]android-sdk/emulator/emulator -netdelay none -netspeed full -avd Pixel_XL_API_33 -qt-hide-window -grpc-use-token -idle-grpc-timeout 300
INFO -      Emulator: Pixel XL API 33 - Android emulator version 31.3.13.0 (build_id 9189900) (CL:N/A)
INFO -      Emulator: Pixel XL API 33 - emulator: INFO: Found systemPath [...]/android-sdk/system-images/android-33/google_apis/x86_64/
WARN -      Emulator: Pixel XL API 33 - Failed to process .ini file ~/.android/avd/Pixel_XL_API_33.avd/quickbootChoice.ini for reading.
WARN -      Emulator: Pixel XL API 33 - cannot add library [...]/android-sdk/emulator/qemu/linux-x86_64/lib64/vulkan/libvulkan.so: failed
INFO -      Emulator: Pixel XL API 33 - WARNING: lavapipe is not a conformant vulkan implementation, testing use only.
INFO -      Emulator: Pixel XL API 33 - Process finished with exit code 139 (interrupted by signal 11: SIGSEGV)
ERROR -      Emulator: Pixel XL API 33 - Emulator terminated with exit code 139

This happens with Android 5.0 and 8.1 projects.
As per this question I have tried sudo ubuntu-drivers autoinstall which gives
"/usr/bin/ubuntu-drivers", line 187, in command_install
    UbuntuDrivers.detect.nvidia_desktop_pre_installation_hook(to_install)
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/UbuntuDrivers/detect.py", line 839, in nvidia_desktop_pre_installation_hook
    with_nvidia_kms = version >= 470
UnboundLocalError: local variable 'version' referenced before assignment

and mesa-vulkan-drivers are already installed.
How do I fix this error and run a basic project out-of-the-box in an emulator on Linux?

I don't really have a solution, but a workaround: I had the same problem on openSUSE Leap 15.4 and could solve it by choosing "Software - GLES 2.0" for "Emulated Performance" when creating an emulated device.
It seems, the problem with libvulkan.so only occurs when using "Hardware - GLES 2.0" or "Automatic" which in my case seems to also choose the Hardware setting.
So as I said, I don't know how to fix the problem with hardware rendering, but for me the software rendering is good enough, though probably slightly slower.

If mesa-vulkan-drivers is already installed (sudo apt install mesa-vulkan-drivers)

try to update your NVIDIA driver: sudo ubuntu-drivers autoinstall
then reboot your system

If the ubuntu-driver command fails with this error:
UnboundLocalError: local variable 'version' referenced before assignment

You can try the fix from here but in my case it selected a driver which did not recognize my display anymore (wrong resolution), so I selected the latest proprietary driver myself:

Open "Additional Drivers" in the Ubuntu Launcher
Select the latest proprietary driver listed here
Apply (this takes a while) and reboot your system

Tested on Ubuntu 22.04


text:
How do I access my Android if the screen and digitizer are broken?
I have a Motorola. The OEM unlock is on and so is USB debugging. How would I access this device if I am unable to use the touch screen or see what's going on?  I am new to developing and have no idea where to start?  The phone belongs to me and  I just need to access the apps and photos, downloads, etc.  Anyone have any tips? I would greatly appreciate and thanks in advance.

What do you mean by "OEM unlock is on and so is USB debugging"? Is USB debugging via ADB possible? Have you connected the phone via USB and checked if e.g. adb shell works? Does "OEM unlock is on" means bootloader unlocking is possible or not?

If ADB works: Control Android with broken screen from PC


text:
How do I fix bluetooth audio not working for only some apps
I have a pair of Sony bluetooth headphones and they work perfectly with my phone (Moto G30) for Spotify and YouTube, however audio does not play through them for some other apps (BaconReader and Polytopia to name two).
When I have one of these apps open and I turn the volume up, the audio pop up shows the master value turning up but the app in question's audio slider is still stuck at the bottom. If I manually try to slide it up it just jumps back to the bottom.
This doesn't happen with my wired earphones and I do not have another Bluetooth headset to test on.
I have "forgotten" the headphones and repaired them to no avail. Restarting my phone doesn't help. Killing the apps and starting them again doesn't help.
Anything else I can try?

Double-check the app permissions...

Try switching to SBC codec

@keshlam nothing wrong with app permissions I'm afraid.

@karthiknair I gotta be honest I don't know what that is.

@TeddyTedTed go to Bluetooth settings on your phone. Locate your headset that is connected and you must see a settings clog icon for that headset, tap on it. Within the options enlisted in that menu you just tapped, you must see a toggle called AAC/aptx/HD audio. Turn that off


text:
How to restrict content inappropriate for children on the Android Kindle app?
Google play books, and Amazon devices like the Kindle, have parental controls that allow parents to stop their children from downloading explicit sexual/violent books and comics.
But the Android Kindle App does not seem to have any. (Despite being a far more popular way for children to read books than either of the above).
Does anyone have a solution for this?
(I googled a lot but only got useless info: instructions for how to do it on Kindle Fire or other Kindle hardware; a family feature on Amazon https://parents.amazon.com.au/ to which you can add neither your kids Android devices nor their accounts; etc).

From what I can tell the feature you desire is Amazon Household which would require separate accounts, however it doesn't appear to be available in Australia (from what I can gather).

Thanks. It looks like this has some parental control features, yes. But I get "Your account is ineligible to add a teen". No explanation, but as you say, it looks like it's region locked. Once again a major tech company fails to understand the basics of the internet and restricts critical features to USA only for absolutely no reason at all. :(


text:
Battery low triggering by ringtones and voice in Android phones
Is it technically feasible to have this feature of Battery low triggering by ringtones and voice to the end user say when battery has reached level of 10% or 5% in android os phone devices?
This feature if feasible is also applicable to ios apple phone devices.

I have not sees such a feature implemented in the Android OS itself, may be there is a manufacturer which has modified Android in such a way. The only alternative would be to use an app that monitors battery state and plays the sound if a certain level is reached. However because of battery optimizations such an app may not work reliable, as the monitoring code is only executed infrequently and if the battery usage is high automatisch shutdown because of low battery may come first before the notification had a chance to trigger and play the sound.

Related: Macrodroid: I want a repeating alert when battery is less than/over than x%. I think there's another similar question answered with a 3rd-party app, but I couldn't find it now.

Thanks Robert and Andrew. Can we call this feature as a battery low level alarm trigger in android os and apple ios phones? There could be technical challenges but this can be achieved?


text:
Can I change the source code of a basic Android application?
I already know how to build applications using Android Studio.
I would like to know if there is a way to access and modify the source code of an Android application. For instance, can I add some features in the Calculator modifying its source code ?

Is this question better suited for Stack Overflow ?

Last time I checked, Android standard apps that are part of AOSP usually don't use Android Studio for building, instead they are built by the scripts that also build the operating system. Thus getting and building them is not that simple.


text:
Check 32 and 64 bit support individually on Termux
With Google Pixel 7 lineup ditching 32 bit support, I think it is now necessary to check for 32 and 64 bit support individually.
From what I interpret, the Google Pixel 7 series will not be able to run 32 bit (ARM) executables. It breaks my script which downloads a 32 bit executable.
If phone supports 32 bit, download the 32 bit executable. Otherwise, download the 64 bit one.
I know it is strange to download a 32 bit executable on a 64 bit device supporting 32 bit. But please, ignore it.
I think we can use getprop but I don't know how.
Anyway, please help.

Does anyone have a Google Pixel 7? Please run lscpu and help me see CPU op modes line.


text:
How can I view which app has the permission to turn on and off the location services in Android?
How can I view which app has the permission to turn on and off the location in Android? I use a Samsung Galaxy S9 phone with Android 10.

All apps with android.permission.WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS can turn on / off the location.

@IrfanLatif thanks! How can I see which app have android.permission.WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS?

You can use any app that shows the complete list of permissions of installed apps.

As an answer to your comment, you can use PermissionManagerX. If your device isn't rooted, you can grant elevated privileges using ADB (instructions in app help). But elevated privileges are not required if you only want to see the list of permissions.
Search for android.permission.WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS permission to get the list of apps:

To view also the system and framework apps, disable exclusion filters in drawer -> Exclusion Filters.

try settings > privacy > manage permissions > location>
you should be displayed a list of the apps
Always allowed >
Allowed during the use>
Not allowed>
I suggest you tick the three horizontal dots on up right side of the screen to display the system processes also
and if if you don't know wtf that specific service is just make a search on google, that will keep you entertained for a while, it does for me hahah!

This answers "which apps have the permission to use the location services", not "which apps have the permission to turn on and off the location services".


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How to find HTTP requests in apk source code
I've extracted an apk(react native) with dex2jar and jar to java through jd-qui and also with apktool, and I can view the source code but there is no clue where are the HTTP requests in the source code.
When I intercept the apk traffic I can see all the requests to graphql endoint but I cannot see in the source code, where they are triggered or stored.
I searched the extracted source code with some keywords such as grahpql endpoint name, and the server address but still no result.
And the code seems not obfuscated to me, just some parts are like;
@Metadata(d1 = {"\000\026\n\002\030\002\n\002\020\000\n\000\n\002\020\002\n\000\n\002\030\002\n\000\bf\030\0002\0020\001J\020\020\002\032\0020\0032\006\020\004\032\0020\005H&\006\006"}, d2 = {"Lcom/shopify/arrive/E2EModule;", "", "launch", "", "intent", "Landroid/content/Intent;", "app_release"}, k = 1, mv = {1, 7, 1}, xi = 48)
public interface E2EModule {
  void launch(Intent paramIntent);
}

Is there any way to reach where these requests are triggered or stored on the source code?
This is the apk name, com.shopify.arrive

As far as I know React native does not create DEX code, so most likely you won't find what you are searching by decompiling the DEX code no matter what tool you use.

Hi @Robert thanks for the reply, when I decompile the dex files they crated react native libraries in it, that's why I assume, it may not be react native too, but any idea to find http requests in source code?

Cross-posted to ReverseEngineering.SE: https://reverseengineering.stackexchange.com/q/31278/16786

If you can run the APK I would start with a dynamic analysis, e.g. use a man-in-the-middle proxy or simply use a DNS server where you can see all requests, then you get a list of servers. That ilist s a good starting point to search for the names in the APK, binary search or in decompiled code. Otherwise without knowing anything it will take you ages or pure luck to find where the request is created you are searching.

There are many ways you can try
First option is to Reverse engineer code into dex and decompile using any tool like fernflower or CFR. Then apply regex extract script to pull all the http links. Reference of code
Second option is to use pre-build tool like MobSF Automated tool which is used to extract http urls
Another possibility is that the developer of app has hide the urls/link in the splitted way or has encrypted it, in that case you can do dynamic analysis to fetch the urls along with the file from which url is being called.
Another possibility is that developer has hidden it in the binary usually written in C using JNI Java Native Interfaces. You can use tool like IDA  or Ghidra to disassemble code to have sneak into it.Here is tool
There are some other ways too which can be explored if these doesn't work.


text:
Is Amazon's Fire OS more or less secure than the latest Android OS?
I picked up a tablet from Amazon in a recent sale. I noticed the device (Fire HD 10 2021) is running Fire OS 7. (7.3.2.6 as of now) which is based on Android 9.0 (Pie). I have heard the tablets stay on the base version they have been shipped with to deliver a stable performance during the expected lifespan of the device. Sounds okay, however, I wonder if the most current version of Fire OS for a given device is as secure as the latest (supported) version of vanilla Android considering the version gap and vendor's update practice. The biggest security factor is probably still the user behavior but the platform and the eco system plays a role too.
I tried to look into some related security questions to come to a conclusion but could not find good information, e.g. Are fixed Android exploits that affect older versions (back) ported to Fire OS?
Is the average number of open vulnerabilities similar or higher? I am at risk if I am using Fire OS on an older device or should I consider rooting it and replacing the OS after 2-3 years? Can someone shed some light on this matter?

Perhaps related: Are security patches only applied to the latest Android version?. On there, I explained how the security patch is applied.


text:
View PC notifications on phone
I know that this has been asked before here, but I don't have sufficient reputation to post a comment here and ask if there is an update applying to Windows 10/11. I am looking a solution for the exact same question: How to view Windows notifications on my Android phone? May be there was no unified method of showing notifications on Windows at the time linked question has been asked, but as Windows 10/11 are designed with tablet mode in mind, there is a chance that Microsoft has made such a unification. I have searched Google Play for an app, found only one requiring an open browser window, which isn't what I'm looking for. Anyone having a solution for this?

Hello. As you are aware your question is a duplicate of the linked question. In a situation where you find a question which matches your problem but the answers there do not seem relevant or helpful to you, than a good approach in such a situation is to offer a bounty on that question. To offer a bounty, you would need to gain reputation points so that you can spend them for offering the bounty. Our [help] center can get you started with that. Good luck. :)


text:
How to clear bluetooth cache when it is disabled?
I'm trying to follow online guides like this or this to clear the bluetooth storage on my Pixel 5a.

Settings > Apps > All > Triple Dots > Show System > Bluetooth
Storage & Cache
I want to tap "Clear cache" but the button is disabled:

How can I clear the Bluetooth settings?

The reason I'm trying this is I'm having problems with pairing my Pixel Buds, but only from my phone. I can successfully pair them from my macbook, and can set them up from another Pixel. But on my phone during Set Up it runs for a while, then fails with the error message:

Couldn't connect
Try manually pairing to the device by going to Settings

And the Pixel Buds have been renamed to "Carl's Pixel Buds" but they're not connected. Trying to connect by tapping on the entry in bluetooth, nothing happens.

I don't know why this option is disabled. The closest option I can find is

Settings > System > Reset options
Reset Wi-fi, mobile & Bluetooth

This is a big hammer! Thanks to @acejavelin for more context:

It is probably worth stating that this does a LOT more than just reset Bluetooth settings... All saved WiFi passwords, any custom APN settings, Hotspot settings, VPN settings, Data Saver settings, etc... will all be returned to factory defaults. Clearing data on Bluetooth is only clearing the driver cache, not the actual settings, this they would be automatically regenerated with no effect.

This didn't change the kB for either User data or Cache, but it did remove my existing paired devices.

After doing this reset then rebooting my phone, my Pixel Buds successfully paired!

It is probably worth stating that this does a LOT more than just reset Bluetooth settings... All saved WiFi passwords, any custom APN settings, Hotspot settings, VPN settings, Data Saver settings, etc... will all be returned to factory defaults. Clearing data on Bluetooth is only clearing the driver cache, not the actual settings, this they would be automatically regenerated with no effect.

This does nothing to clear the blutooth cache is there a way to do it via adb maybe?