applications - Is removing an app any different from disabling an app?

One of the main advantage of rooting is removing bloatware [I guess]. Is removing unwanted brand-based or operator-based app any different from disabling it from All Application in Settings? I don't find any improvement in memory too since these apps were pre-loaded in OS and you can't use those space any way.

Answer

As it has already been said: the main difference is that disabling an app simply marks it unavailable (which can easily be reverted), while removing physically removes the app and all connected data from the device.

What was still left open is: What do you gain from removing an app, that you didn't get by disabling it – so it would be worth the risk of not being easily reverted?

• Space: You're probably talking about system apps here. Those are usually installed on the /system partition, which is mounted read-only, and cannot be used by "normal (user) applications". So removing the app itself doesn't give you space to "simply install other apps". But still:
  
  
  
  • Almost all apps have data, which is stored in /data/data/¹. While pressing "clear cache" and "delete data" from Settings→Apps resets those, it doesn't completely delete everything. Removing the app does. So you gain at least some space here.
  
  
  • All apps are being "optimized", which results in Dalvik/ART cache data residing on the user partition (inside /data/dalvik-cache). If you delete an app, this cache is removed – if you disable it, it remains (see the comment of Death Mask Salesman below).
  
  
  
  
  


• Performance & battery: If you disable an app, it becomes invisible to the user – but the files are still there. Also, the package manager still knows it exists. Plus the app's "intents" are still available: if another apps directly calls them, the disabled app still responds to the call. It also seems to listen to some broadcasts it previously had registered listeners on (example: my LG Optimus 4X has those bloated LG stuff I've disabled. Nevertheless, after each boot I receive prompts from their "remote service" app to approve).
  That means, a disabled app can still be running in background, if called from some other place – and consume battery plus CPU, even bandwidth and other resources. A removed app obviously can't.

---

¹ Some apps also store (usually "huger chunks" of) data on SDCard, but almost all apps have at least their central data below /data/data.

Samsung S3 wont sync

I recently bought a Samsung Galaxy S3 but it takes forever to connect with my laptop and i am unsure why this is.

Can anyone help with this?

applications - Should apps take up any internal storage when installed to SD?

I'm running very low on interal phone memory storage - I'm down to 5 MB of the 180 MB available. I understand that not all apps can be installed into SD card, and those will instead use up my internal storage. Luckily, those are rare.

However, I recently installed an app that is listed as being installed on the SD card, not internal storage. Even so, after installing it I'm now getting the "low on space" warning. The app takes up 16 MB, and I seem to remember I had a bit over 20 MB internal storage space before... So judging from the space, it looks like it's still taking up space on internal storage.

So my question: Should an app that's installed onto SD card take up any internal storage?

What could be causing this? Does the market store the installation files somewhere in internal cache or something as weird? Why on earth do I need to worry about apps consuming space, when I have gigabytes of free space for them on my SD card?

My device is GT-S5570 running 2.2.1.

Answer

An app consists of dex files, apk files, data files and libraries. When you install apps in SD card, not all of the parts of the apps are kept in SD card. Some of them remains in internal Storage.

However if you have a rooted phone, you can use program like link2sd to move all the pieces of app to SD card.

EDIT:

You can use program like app2sd to easily see what program can be moved to SD card. You can manually move shown apps or ignore some of them.

If you go to Settings -> Applications -> Manage Applications, the size shown there is the size its taking in the internal storage. This is just my guess based on the calculations performed by noting the free space on internal storage, moving some apps to SD card and subtracting only the reduced space of the apps.

I'm sorry I didn't mention you need second partition for link2sd to work. But if you had given hint in your question that you were willing to root, I'd have talked in more depth about it. Also your main question was whether apps moved to SD card should take internal storage or not. It wasn't about link2sd, the term just came while answering. Anyways, beside second partition you are recommended class 6 SD card. I've written a blog post about using link2sd here, you might find it useful.

4.0 ice cream sandwich - Tethering Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 (GT-P3110) via Nokia E71

I have a data plan on my Nokia E71 phone, and I would like to share it for my brand new Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 (GT-P3110) which has no 3G. Bluetooth would be fine as would creating a WiFi hotspot, however so far I haven't gotten any method to do the trick. Even wired by USB would be fine, if it just worked.

• 
  

  On the Nokia E71 I have JoikuSpot installed, but stock Android ICS does not work with the ad hoc network that it creates. I rooted the tab and tried installing different versions of wpa_supplicant that I could find, but none of them really worked on this tab.

  
  


• 
  

  I have paired the devices using Bluetooth, which appears to work fine – however, I don't know how exactly I could get connected to the internet. I believe there is something obvious that I've missed here. If I need some app (in either end), please tell me which app. (I guess it basically does not work because Nokia does no PAN while Android is ignorant of DUN, but I might be very wrong.)

  
  


• 
  

  I don't have any cables that I could use to connect the devices by USB or similar, but if a working solution exists, I would be happy to buy some. (I've already used many many hours for this.)

  
  

EDIT: I no longer have the Nokia phone, nor the Samsung Tab, so I cannot really test the suggestions posted here. As far as I am concerned, this question can be closed. (While I do understand that any answers might be helpful for other people, I still cannot test whether they work or not. Therefore, it also does not make a lot of sense to accept any answer, does it?)

htc wildfire - Is some of my internal memory missing?

I have an HTC Wildfire (the original, not the S version). It is supposed to have 512MB of memory. When I check my free space in the app manager I noticed I have around 185MB. Why is this?

I am using CyanogenMod which is around 80MB, if this wasn't accounted for there is still a lot of space missing. Why is my phone reporting so little?

Answer

ok. here is the thing. The space is there, the problem is that it is not accesible for applications.

Android systems have several partitions as explained here. Doing an df on my device I get:

Filesystem              Size      Used      Available Use%    Mounted on
tmpfs                   156.5M     32.0K   156.4M     0%    /dev
tmpfs                   156.5M         0   156.5M     0%    /mnt/asec

tmpfs                   156.5M         0   156.5M     0%    /mnt/obb
/dev/block/mtdblock3    250.0M    119.0M   131.0M     48%   /system
/dev/block/mtdblock5    175.1M    157.2M   18.0M      90%   /data
/dev/block/mtdblock4    40.0M      1.3M    38.7M      3%    /cache
/dev/block/vold/179:1   3.7G      2.8G     952.5M     75%   /mnt/sdcard

the space I see in the app manager is the same allocated for /data, the rest of the space is used for the cache and the android system (in the /system and /cache partitions).

A solution would be to find out how to resize the partitions in the internal memory of the phone (there is a procedure here). Another solution (which seems easier) is to put they regularly used apps in the /system partition along with the default applications so that all memory is used (root is needed)

6.0 marshmallow - Mounting .img from internal storage as USB Mass Storage

I am trying to mount an .img file from my internal storage as Usb Mass Storage.

There is an Android App named DriveDroid which does exactly what I wanted. I tested with this app and the app successfully mounted an .img file as USB Mass Storage.

But I am unable replicate the same manually.

Anybody having any information on how to mount .img as UMS ?

Phone Details:

  Model : Moto G 2013
  Device Name : falcon
  Rooted : YES
  OS : CyanogenMod 13.0

Thanks.

Answer

Here are the Terminal commands:

su
echo /sdcard/your_image.img > /sys/class/android_usb/f_mass_storage/lun/file
echo 1 > /sys/class/android_usb/f_mass_storage/lun/cdrom

setprop sys.usb.config mass_storage

(The location of LUN may vary for some devices, you can manually check/search for it even using File Explorer..)

If above commands fail, you might want to disable SE Linux by setenforce 0 command to set it to Permissive, and try again..

applications - How can I find app name by UID?

In "battery history" I have found that the app with UID 10058 is using a lot of battery.

How can I find the name of the app with UID equal to 10058?

Answer

Android assigns each application a UID (User ID) at install time; unlike PID (Process ID) which is transient and keeps changing all the time, UID stays constant as long as the application is not reinstalled. The UID should be unique to each application, except when the application explicitly requests to share a userid with another application (there are security restrictions around this, the two applications must be signed with the same private key, i.e. comes from the same developer).

These applications claims to show UID of applications:

EDIT:

Try looking at /data/system/packages.xml (you need root to view this file), each installed application should have an entry there. Say, I have Adobe Reader installed in my phone:

My phone have assigned userId="10034" to Adobe Reader.

For applications that have requested to share user id with another application, say Handcent:

then the attribute you're looking for is sharedUserId="10064"

Are there any Android browsers that support loading a Java Applet in-browser?

Locked. This question and its answers are locked because the question is off-topic but has historical significance. It is not currently accepting new answers or interactions.

We have a client who are switching away from Windows Mobile (and IE Mobile) to Android based devices.

We have some specific software that we deploy to their WM workforce by an ActiveX applet that loads in IE Mobile, but obviously Android will have no support for ActiveX. So we will need to re-do our application to an Android-specific platform, and Java is the obvious choice for this.

Are there any Android browsers that support loading a Java Applet in-browser, in much the same way an ActiveX applet loads in IE (i.e. it fully integrates into the browsing experience).

cyanogenmod - How to display touch points on screen

My Galaxy Note with stock ROM had an option via Settings > Developer > Show touch points (or something like that). Now, I updated to CyanogenMod, based on Android 4.3 but I can't find an option similar to that anywhere.

My screen was damaged once. Since then, I needed to see the detected touch points on screen at all times, so I can see when the touchscreen gets stuck.

Is there an option (or even an app) for that? I Googled around and looked at the Play Store, but only found multi-touch tester apps. I need something that shows the touch points at all times and in all apps.

Answer

Looking a bit further I discovered that I have to click 7 times on Build number on phone details to enable the Developer settings.

audio - how to have two applications play sound simultaneously?

I want the music to keep playing in the background while I practice Spanish on this DuoLingo app. The music player stops while the duolingo is trying to play sound as of now. Is this possbile?

Answer

As for my device, whenever I play duolingo and music at same time then the audio fades slightly with CM 12 built-in player

Now if you are OK with any third party application. Here is it what you need to do.

1. Install Poweramp Music Player .


2. Go to its settings.


3. Then click on audio.


4. Select Audio Focus.


5. 
   

   Uncheck Short Audio Focus Change.

   
   

   _{(Click image to enlarge)}

   
   

   

   
   

external sd - How to decide which MicroSD card to buy for your Android device

You have an Android device running Android 5.0 "Marshmallow" or better, and it's running low on storage space.

Some modern Android devices don't have a slot for a MicroSD flash memory card. But yours does; it's hidden underneath the (removable) back cover.

You want to buy a MicroSD card; how can you decide which one to buy?

Answer

This answer assumes that your phone is running Android 5.0 "Lollipop" or higher, and that your phone lets you move apps to a MicroSD card. (Most ancient Android 4.x phones, and even some modern Android phones, lack support for moving apps to MicroSD cards.)

---

It's quite possible that you'll eventually decide to store apps on your MicroSD card. Therefore, I recommend that you choose a MicroSD card which is good enough for fast app performance.

Lots of product-review websites offer recommendations. The Wirecutter's recommendation article is a fine choice; it looks like they've been periodically updating it for the past few years.

I'm reluctant to offer a specific recommendation here, because I may not return here to update this answer every few years.

Before storing apps on a MicroSD card: Consider buying a card large enough so that you'll never need to upgrade your current phone to a larger card. This is because, once you've installed apps on a MicroSD card, it may be difficult or impossible to upgrade your phone to use a bigger card.

MicroSD cards store your data on a tiny flash-memory chip. Unfortunately, the profit margins on MicroSD cards can be razor-thin. To cut costs, manufacturers use low-grade flash-memory chips which may be far less reliable than the flash memory built into your phone. See, for example, this source.

MicroSD cards can fail irreparably, without prior warning.

If it only holds photos, music, and videos, a MicroSD card will probably last for years. If you store apps on the card, though, this puts more stress on the card, and it may fail significantly sooner.

If you plan to store any irreplaceable data on your MicroSD card, make regular backups. If the backups are encrypted, keep extra copies of the encryption key in two different places.

High-endurance MicroSD cards

You can buy special "high-endurance" MicroSD cards. These may be more reliable, but are often slower. (Source.) I therefore assume it's probably unwise to store frequently-used apps on "high-endurance" cards.

Counterfeit cards can fail, permanently, within an hour or two of purchase. The Wirecutter offers some good advice on avoiding counterfeit cards. One good option is to shop in-person at a trustworthy local store.

Detecting counterfeit cards

There are lots of tools which can tell you whether or not a card is counterfeit. Some such tools are very slow. The fastest tool is ChipGenius (for Windows). If its reported card capacity matches the advertised card capacity, then the card is genuine. Another reasonably-fast tool is FakeFlashTest (for Windows). These tools are freeware. (Source.)

Dealing with counterfeit cards

If you bought a counterfeit card, you may or may not be able to get your money back. But it's worth trying.

• First, you can ask the retailer for a refund.

If that fails, you can try any of the following:

• If you bought the card from an online marketplace, contact the website operator.


• If you paid using a credit card, contact your credit-card issuer.


• Contact your local Better Business Bureau, if there is one.


• Contact your local small-claims court, if there is one. You don't need a lawyer.


• Contact another local court.


• Contact your government.

Speed matters. If you wait too long, it may be too late to try to get your money back.

How do I update Android on my device?

This Community Wiki question is designed to be the "canonical question" for questions asking how to upgrade one's device to a new Android version.

I want to get a newer version of the OS for my Android device. How can I do that?

See also: Where can I find stock or custom ROMs for my Android device?

Answer

This is a Community Wiki post. If you see a way to improve it, please go right ahead and edit it.

There are multiple factors that go into the answer in your particular case.

1. Is there an official update from the carrier/manufacturer? Then use the official method.


2. Is there no official update, but has someone created a ROM that you could install on your rooted device? Then you need to look for how to update unofficially.



3. If you have a little programming knowledge, and you know about Linux device drivers, you could try to make a custom ROM for the device. Start with an existing ROM project such as Cyanogenmod and port it to your hardware. This will take a lot of effort, there's a risk of bricking your phone, and it might not even be possible for your device (because of lack of drivers). If you still think it's worth a try, ask the developers of the ROM you're starting with where to start. (Note that questions about writing custom ROMs are off-topic on this site.)


4. If there is neither an official update nor a custom ROM, and you don't have the knowledge or free time to port one yourself, then your only other option is to buy a new device.

Official

First, check to see that there is an official update for your device.

For most devices, you simply go to Settings | About phone | System updates. If the update is ready for your particular device, it will tell you so. If you're lucky, you won't even need to go that far, as there will be a notification telling you that an update is ready.

Note that it takes time for carriers and manufacturers to add their customizations to the OS. Just because a new version has been announced doesn't mean it's immediately available for your device. Even when a particular OS update is announced for your device, it is almost always a phased rollout, meaning that it could be days or weeks from the official release for it to be available for you. (Very often the update file is made available for savvy users to update manually.)

Some device manufacturers/carriers have slightly, or grossly, different ways of distributing updates. Samsung, for instance, is notorious for requiring users to use their Kies software.

Unofficial

If there is no official update for your device, you either need to wait for one (if one will be made) or install a custom ROM. There is a vibrant mod community that works very hard to make new OS updates available for old devices and devices where the manufacturer/carrier is very slow to do their customizations.

Rooting and flashing ROMs to your device is too large a topic to be covered in this post. Please refer to these other questions for that:

https - How do I install a user certificate?

I have my own Root certificate that signs user certificates.

I have a site that will only allow you on with a user certificate which is signed by the root ca.

I have managed to get this site working in Ios and Windows, but just can't get it working from Android (4.2.2)

I have tried many different methods of importing the certificate including converting between formats - I get as far as it being recognised and "installing", but, it never actually seems to get installed or be visible anywhere (checked under trusted credentials > user).

I have read here and the only solutions seem to involve downloading/modifying files and reuploading then restarting - or to have modified firmware/similar.... I really want a supported way of doing this and don't really want to consider a hack as I need a scalable solution.

How to open text files with DropBox on Android?

I have the DropBox app on my Samsung Galaxy S 2.

It seemed to me that before, when I clicked on a text file, it would open a text editor. I think Dropbox had its own internal editor.

Now, however, when I open any plain text file, I get a message that says:

Can't open textFileName

Please download an app that can open this file.

I tried downloading numerous text editors from the market, but none of them linked with Dropbox.

How do I get text editing ability in Dropbox on Android?

Answer

In Dropbox 2.0.1 (and in pre-2.0 versions, IIRC), you can tap on a text file and it can offer to open it in "DB Text Editor" which comes with the app (or some other editor which has been assigned to open files with .txt extension). Note that this won't work on just about any other file -- Dropbox does not recognize mime types, but rather uses the extension to pick a program to open a file with, even if the file in question contains text.

This also works with other file types -- for example, I am able to open my password database from KeepassDroid (extension .kbdx).

lock screens - Can not unlock my Android device as have no internet connection?

I have an Android device which is running Android 4.0.3 (or something like that).

My little brother decided to try and guess my lock screen pattern the other day, and ended up locking me out.

I have since been unable to log back in to the tablet using my Google Account details. I provided the correct login details, however it says they are incorrect. Could this be connected to the fact I have no internet connection?

I have no internet connection as the device is WiFi only, and the WiFi is currently turned off. I cannot turn it on, as I am locked out.

How can I log back into my tablet without wiping the user data?

Answer

There are several ways even in this stage. I'll try to sum up as many of them as I remember/find. Also, I don't keep it restricted to a single device -- but try to cover as many as possible, so it will be helpful to as many readers as possible. As you kept the device-tag from your question, all of them should find it :)

All devices: if your credentials are not accepted, though they are correct

Sometimes this part seems to be buggy, so this page lists a few work-arounds. Amongst others, these include:

1. try entering null as password. (together with your google username; according to this page it should be the literal term null)


2. try entering your username without @gmail.com


3. Combine 1 and 2


4. Try the normal recover password routine from GMail.com and start over from 1.

All devices: Bypass screenlock using a special app

UPDATE: The app mentioned in this solution is no longer available. Instead, Reset Screen Lock should do the same.

According to TheUnlockr, the problem should be very easy to resolve:

1. Go to the web version of Google Play.


2. Login with the Google account associated with your Android device.


3. Install Screen Lock Bypass (unfortunately a paid app now).


4. Reboot your device.

Another source mentioning this is UltraTechy.Com, which contains a few more explanations. According to that, the app will circumvent the "too many attempts" block, so you can directly access your device again (to e.g. make a complete backup before resetting it). As soon as this app is uninstalled, the "too many attempts" will be in effect again immediately. Hence, they add a few more steps:

5. Go to Settings → Accounts & Sync


6. Under Manage Accounts, remove all accounts except your Google account. (this should enable your Google username and password)


7. Go to Settings → Applications → Manage Applications. Find Screen Lock Bypass and uninstall the app. (this will trigger the “too many pattern attempts” screen immediately)


8. Use your original Google username and password to finally unlock your phone properly


9. Enter your new security pattern twice to finish

All devices: Unlock via web

If you still know your pattern (and it only was your little brother who played with your device), and have your Google Account login/password ready, UltraTechy.Com offers another approach:

1. Using your computer, log into your Google account


2. Go to this link directly – https://accounts.google.com/IssuedAuthSubTokens OR click your e-mail on the top right corner, select Account settings, then hit “Visit the previous version of the Google accounts screen” towards the bottom, click “Authorizing applications & sites” under your Personal Settings → Security.


3. Under “Connected Sites, Apps & Services” – “Revoke Access” of your Google Account with Android. You will see the screen showing “You have successfully revoked access to Full Account Access”
   [Alternate for step 3 - If you have already signed up for 2-Step Authorization previously and are able to generate a new application-specific password at the bottom, go ahead and generate a new password and use that password to unlock your device]


4. Enter Gmail login and password on your device. It will now accept your login details and will show a pattern screen. Enter the “correct” pattern and you can see the home screen.

All devices: Disable Pattern Lock via ADB

According to this source, there's a way to disable the pattern lock via ADB. A few requirements for this, though:

• Your device probably must be rooted
  ^{(not mentioned there, but the database we need to update is owned by system/system, and nobody else has read or even write access to it. Also removing files from /data/system is unlikely to be permitted without)}


• USB Debugging must be enabled on the device (rooted users: alternatively you can boot into recovery, where USB Debugging is not required -- but you might need to manually mount the /data partition)


• the Android SDK must be installed on your computer


• device must be plugged-in and connected via USB


• you need a command line on the computer

On the command line, enter the following:

> adb -d shell
# sqlite3 data/data/com.android.providers.settings/databases/settings.db

sqlite> update system set value=0 where name='lock_pattern_autolock';
sqlite> .exit
# exit

^{(According to a comment from Kay, on Android 2.3.7 the SQL-Statement should read update secure set value=0 where name='lock_pattern_autolock'; -- at least with CM7 on a HTC Desire)}

Now disconnect and power off your phone, and turn it back on and the pattern lock should be gone.

According to Geeknizer, there are a few additional useful steps to follow: After the reboot, use your ADB shell again and...

adb shell rm /data/system/gesture.key

Then reboot again. When device reboots, you will still see a pattern lock screen. But here’s the catch: just try any random pattern and it may unlock then remove the pattern from settings.

Hint: if the Settings app crashes when you try to set a new pattern, remove all .key and locksettings.db* files from /data/system (see "More" below).

---

Some additional notes from this comment by krlmlr:

1. Mounting /data will be necessary. This can be done using mount /data via adb -d shell


2. If the sqlite binary is not available on the device, you can use adb pull to copy the database file to your computer, edit it there (e.g. using SQLiteMan, and finally use adb push to replace it on the device


3. On his Android 2.x device, the SQL command had to be update secure set value=0 where name='lockscreen.lockedoutpermanently';

---

All devices: Similar thing without ADB

For those not having USB Debug activated on their device, there might be a work-around using a flashable zip, as described here. This procedure requires the zip file (to be found at the linked page), an editor, busybox and root on the device, plus the device needs to be rooted. Extensive procedure -- too long to be included here. And as it is no help without the zip either, you have to follow the link for this one.

Phones: Use a hole to disable your lock

If it is a phone -- i.e. if you can give it a voice call -- you might be able to use a "security hole", as described here:

Call yourself from another phone, answer, hang-up, directly after hanging up start pressing your buttons like a madman for <30-60 seconds ending with your home button (might take a while to get the timing right). Go into settings and disable pattern-lock.

However, I guess that might leave you without protection afterwards, as you need to verify with the old method before being able to reset it to a new. But still, I didn't try: it might as well be it ignores the "failed attempts" at this place.

Phones: Use a hole to create a new account

For phones there's a bad work-around according to this post:

1. call the device from another phone (or have a friend calling it)


2. answer the call, do not hang up


3. use the back key (not the home key) over and over. This should eventually bring you to your home screen


4. go to Settings → Google Accounts and add a new Google account. Sign in with this new account


5. after it accepts the new account credentials, and logs you in, hang up the phone, and go back to the lock screen.

Now, use the new Google Account's data to bypass the lock screen (via the "forgot" button).

Samsung users with Windows PC

There's a One-Click-Solution to be found at GSMHosting.com which claims to be able to solve the issue. According to the many thanks the poster received, it seems to work. You can download the Windows executable there, connect your phone to your computer, and click...

Forensics

Oh yeah. Those guys who work for courts, police, secret services, corporate security... They've got ways as well. Example needed? ViaForensic's viaExtract can even decode pattern locks! So don't think you're unbreakable. Though: this is only mentioned here for completeness -- I don't think you easily get your hands on that :)

More

There might be more alternatives to that. If I happen to stumble upon them, I hope I remember to update my answer again ;) … And here we go:

crashes - New LG G3 randomly crash

I have bought a new LG G3 (D855, 16GB Flash, 2GB RAM), and rooted and flashed CM12.1 on it.

The phone works great (somewhat), but sometimes the screen turns itself off and the phone gets stuck in this state. Holding the power button neither turns the phone on nor off, and I have to remove and reinsert the battery to turn it on.

It has happened 7 times since Sunday.

I thought it might be due to overheating (a hunch), but could not find anything to confirm this.

How can I solve this problem?

4.2 jelly bean - How do I install an app with system-rights on a non-rooted smartphone?

I would like to install logcat as system-app on a non-rooted phone.

Is that possible (using adb without root-access)?

Answer

No. A system app has to be either installed by root or signed with the same key that signed the ROM image.

applications - If I flash my ROM or wipe my device after buying an app, will I have to buy it again?

This question already has an answer here:

Closed 8 years ago.

Possible Duplicate:
How many times an Android Market's application can be installed?

If I buy an app and after a few days I decide to wipe out the data on my phone and install a new ROM, will I have to buy that app again or can I download it for free since I had already bought it earlier? Can someone please confirm?

cyanogenmod - Is NTFS file system supported on Huawei u8160?

I have a Huawei u8160 running Cyanogenmod 7.2 .

I have a 500GB portable hard drive which is file system is NTFS , I connected the hard drive using OTG the phone didn't recognize it at all.

So I was wondering if my Android system supports NTFS?

and if it doesn't how can I make it supported?

---

EDIT:

I've formatted a flash drive to NTFS ,the phone detected it but it couldn't mount it,how can I mount NTFS file system on my phone?

Answer

I haven't seen any Android system supporting NTFS out-of-the-box. Could be some CustomROMs do, or there are some "root mods". So without root, it might get hard (though there might be some UserSpace mods as well, technically spoken).

If your device is rooted, you could take a look at NTFS Mounter, which might or might not support your Huawai (take care to have a backup at hand anyway until you can be sure everything works as expected).

Moreover, there was an article at XDA-Developers in June on Full NTFS Read/Write Support for Android you might want to read: According to the OP, he compiled a generic NTFS-3G driver for Android that should work on all ARM devices with a fuse.ko module. As it involves a kernel module to be loaded, it again requires root. And also again: It might or might not work on your device, take care for backups.

A third source is Paragon's NTFS & HFS+ for Android (also available at Google Play). Paragon is quite well-known with disk utilities on Windows, so I'd trust them to get the NTFS part right. But as you might have guessed: This tool requires root as well, plus the above mentioned fuse module.

If you need more details, try the Google Search for "android ntfs" where I got above results from, all on page 1 ;)

geolocation - Alternative to Google Latitude?

Like the title says, is there an easy way to share my location in real-time with friends without letting Google know where I am?

Answer

Glympse seems like a good alternative. Just pick who you want to share with, and for how long, and they can follow you on their phones or computers (and they don't need Glympse installed).

How can I change the default browser?

I need to change the default browser in my Android device to Opera. Is there any way to do that?

game controllers - Can I use USB gamepad without any setup?

I connected USB gamepad to my tablet.

I noticed that software like Tincore KeyMapper requires root access to connect to this gamepad. This type of software recognizes all buttons, but asks me to map these buttons to screen areas.

1. Can I use a gamepad without mapping buttons to screen?


2. Do games support this mode?



3. Do I need to download some piece of software that will ask root access for these games?

rooting - How do I root Micromax Canvas 2 A110?

I want to root Micromax Canvas 2 A110 having Android ICS 4.0.4. How do I root it?

Answer

The following instructions are from androidforums.com site.

The summary of the rooting procedure (just copied and pasted - credit goes to sagarwep the poster of the procedure) is as below:

1. Enable USB debugging on your device. To do that, go to Settings > Development > USB debugging.



2. Connect your device to any PC/laptop. The drivers will be installed automatically.


3. Download Bin4ry for Root A110 By sagarwep.7z and unzip.


4. Run RunMe.bat from the extracted location.


5. 


6. A command prompt with weird green letters will pop-up on your screen. Follow the onscreen instructions carefully. To start off, you willl need to type in a "1" and press enter. [Note: If you ever want to Unroot your Micromax A110, follow the above steps till you reach this one and then, instead of typing "1", type "x" and hit enter. Follow the instructions that appear on the command prompt after that.]


7. Your device will reboot during the process after which Bin4ry will copy some files to your device.


8. With RootChecker you can verify whether the phone is rooted or not.

applications - how to fake my personal information

I downloaded a game from Google Play. In the permission page, I noticed that it asks for my personal information.

Allow this application to: 
Your personal information read sensitive log data.

Why in the world a game needs my personal information to run? so I decided not to install it. However, I really want to play this game. My question is this, is there any way to fake my personal information so developer of the game can not be able to reach my info?

My Android version   : 4.0.2

Model number         : GT-N7000
Baseband version     : N7000XXLB2

Answer

^{Summing up from the comments on the question itself, so it doesn't "get lost":}

As ce4 pointed out: The READ_LOGS permission requested by the app grants it access to the system logs, which might include sensitive information logged by other apps (also system apps). However note, that this specific problem has been adressed by Google with Jelly Bean onwards (apps can only read their very own logs, and not everything in the log since then). So the READ_LOGS permission on Android 4.1+ is safe. You can install the app without fear on Jelly Bean devices (but not ICS and below).

PDroid

If one has CyanogenMod (or a compatible ROM) installed, there's the option to use PDroid in one of its incarnations. Visit the XDA-Developers for information on...

• The OpenPDroid AutoPatcher, working on Linux, MacOSX, and meanwhile also Windows. With this tool you can patch a ROM image so it will contain the PDroid functionality.


• The OpenPDroid project. This thread gives you detailed information on what OpenPDroid is, what it does, what features it includes, and more.



• PDroid 2.0, which now also offers support for stock ROMs. Tons of screenshots there, for sure an interesting read!

Still, PDroid is nothing for Android newbies to install -- it's not like just picking an .apk and go. All PDroid incarnations require you to patch an existing ROM image file, which you then must flash to your device. So no easy-go.

LBE

LBE Privacy Guard, on the other hand, can just be installed straight from the playstore if you run Android 4.0 or below. There are issues with JellyBean like e.g. boot-loops, so do not install the playstore version on JellyBean devices! At least not if it was not updated May 2013 or later. You have been warned!

For JellyBean users, again XDA is a good source: some busy members took care to translate the Chinese LBE安全大师 (LBE Security Master) to different languages. The thread can be found here, and this version does not boot-loop JellyBean.

XPrivacy

XPrivacy is pretty new in this area (I just discovered it recently, after I wrote this answer -- so I felt the need to update it). As with the other mentioned solutions, it requires a rooted device. In order to install the app, you also need a Custom Recovery such as e.g. clockworkmod or twrp. XPrivacy is based on the Xposed-Framework, so you will need that as well. Requiring Android 4.1 or higher, this seems a nice option for those having used LBE Privacy Guard before, and don't want to use the overloaded LBE Security Master on JellyBean.

From its behavior it's comparable to LBE: on a per-app basis, permissions can be set separately. In most cases, if you "revoke" a permission, "fake data" will be served instead -- with two exceptions, where this seems not to be possible (internet and external storage). More details can be found on the project page.

CyanogenMod, Paranoid Android, & Co. with Privacy Guard

CM 10.1 nightlies and onwards of CyanogenMod as well as Paranoid Android already ship with a Privacy Guard, which lets you define what apps should be placed into "incognito mode". While that's better than nothing, it's just an on/off switch: either the app is put into "incognito", or it is not. No selective withdrawal of permissions here.

Android 4.3+ App-Ops

With Android 4.3, Google finally introduced a kind of "permission manager". In 4.3, it's still hidden, but can easily be made available: App-Ops allow you a fine grained control over your privacy, almost similar to what PDroid, LBE, and XPrivacy provide. But just almost: not all permissions can be revoked here (e.g. network/internet access cannot).

sim unlocking - Using non-Verizon SIM on Motorola XT912 Verizon phone

I am living in India and my uncle gave me a brand new Motorola DROID RAZR XT912 Verizon phone, but I have inserted a non-Verizon SIM and there is no signal and I got the following error message: "This SIM card is from unknown source".

I have enabled the GSM band with the help of this thread, but I couldn't get rid of the error message. I read in some forums that uninstalling the Verizon app may fix this issue. Is there any method to remove Verizon app?

battery life - Nexus 7 charges very slowly, even with 2 amp chargers

I'm facing a rather painful issue with the battery life/charging issue with my Nexus 7 (4.2.2)

• When idle and plugged into my 2A charger with the stock USB cable, it charges VERY slowly. I'd say under 10% per hour.


• With just light usage over the course of an afternoon/evening, the charge got dropped to 50% (after charging it overnight and more).

I'm sure that something is wrong because no tablet should be performing that way (comparing to my other tablet, an iPad)

Update: I plugged my iPad1, iPhone5 and Nexus 7 into the same port on my Macbook Pro Retina. I've added a (mashed up) screenshot of all the 3 cases below and it's clear that the Nexus 7 never even demands anything above 500mA on a 2A port despite using the stock cable (and another microUSB cable). I'm now guessing this is a Nexus 7 firmware/software issue. Any fixes? That extra operating current should be 1600mA so it totals to 2.1A (="2A" ports).

Full resolution screenshot

Details:

• Android v4.2.2 (stock image)


• Settings => Battery
  
  
  
  
  • Screen (77%)
  
  
  • Android OS (6%)
  
  
  • Tablet idle (6%)
  
  
  • WiFi (5%)
  
  
  • Maps (4%) (Maps isn't even running ... weird!)
  
  
  • Android System (2%)
  
  
  
  

I mostly use Chrome, Currents and Play Magazines so it's just light reading. I'm surprised those apps don't show up on the battery energy audit list (which is great compared to iOS BTW).

Question: What can I do to charge this device faster and use less battery? My expectations are anchored by my other tablet (an iPad) which charges a lot faster (2A charger again) and uses about 20% each day for casual reading vs 50% each day on the Nexus 7.

Answer

Not necessarily an answer but I ended up using the stock charger that came with the Nexus 7 itself. I leave it plugged overnight. None of my other "2A" chargers can charge it quickly nor can my computers. This sucks because now I have only a single rapid charging station, next to my bed (vs my office, my living room etc). Standard protocol or not for charging, this kills my user experience compared to how my iPad just works without a headache.

For battery consumption issues, I disabled auto-update in Google Play as well as disabled auto-update in Google Currents and Google Magazine. Seems they were downloading a lot of data in the background killing my battery life.

Anyways, now that I tinkered with it the overall experience is much better.

Android browser redirecting malware sites

I was redirected to appsliu, onclickads and some other sites which were reffered as malware when I was surfing the internet using android browserd on my Xperia Z1. I tried clearing data along with cache in flight mode and also formatting my phone. This happened on my brother's phone chrome too. Any suggestion to clear out this problem? I heard that it is something related to super cookies and how can I remove it from my phone? Your replies are highly appreciated. ☺

Answer

Its not the problem inside your phone or your software. Its something that webscripts are responsible for. Many webpages create automatic redirecting ad popups.

There are two ways to deal with this->

1) To use AdBlock Plus or similar like MANI said. Though on personal note, I haven't really been able to get any such AdBlocking apps to work properly on Android. But again, that could be just me doing something wrong perhaps.

2) Change your DNS. You can use alternative Domain Name Server such as Open DNS or Google DNS or any other alternative you prefer. This works by changing your lookup for an ad-server which points to your local machine, hence basically preventing them to do anything to your PC. Additionally, many DNS servers are configured to block access to domains or hostnames which are responsible for such ads.

By the way, here's Google DNS and Open DNS in case you want to use:

Google DNS    
DNS 1 – 8.8.8.8
DNS 2 – 8.8.4.4


OpenDNS    
DNS 1 – 208.67.222.222
DNS 2 – 208.67.220.220

Also, you do not need to worry about malware. Malware wont affect your android device unless you manually install a malware infected app :)

samsung galaxy s 3 - SD card unexpectedly removed

I have a galaxy S3 with a 32gb class10 sd card.

Unfortunately I experience the SD card unexpectedly removed - Preparing SD card phenomenon all the time. The card works ok as long as it is being used: I watch videos, mp3 etc, even on pc.

I tried formatting a couple of times and I also checked on other S3 phone which presented the same problem. I checked a 16 GB class 10 card on my phone which worked ok!

I read somewhere that this is a JB problem and that I should wait for 4.2 (I'm on 4.1.1 now)

Another solution explained that I should root my phone and do this:

Edit files in the folder /sys/devices/virtual/bd i/179: 0/read_ahead_kb by pressing and holding the read_ahead_kb then choose open in text editor.

Note: Other phones don't have 179:0.. but is ok 179:8 Replace the numbers in it from the default (128KB) to 1024 / 2048 / 4096 (according to taste max = 4096) and then save and exit.

What are your thoughts? is it JB or the Card?

I should also mention that the removing/rescanning my card is killing my battery very fast.

Answer

Sounds like an SD card problem to me. I've experienced similar problems a few times over the course of the years -- a card that has worked ok for some time has started to get "ejected" by itself. Changing the SD card has always solved the problem. .. Hmm. Except once but that phone turned out to be a very problematic case in a number of ways.

So, try out changing the SD card, I would suggest.

music player - How to make an app behave the same way with screen off, as with screen on?

Maybe the question should be - "how to keep the CPU awake with screen off", but I'm not sure yet, here's why:

I'm trying to use my android device as a DLNA player, that streams music to a DLNA renderer. The problem is that the playback keeps stopping with the screen off, using apps like n7player and doubleTwist music player. Logically, these apps should keep the CPU awake when the music is playing, but if they don't, I have tried the following to keep the CPU awake:

• Disabling battery optimizations on these apps;


• an Automate script without the "keep screen on" option;


• This command - echo mylockname >/sys/power/wake_lock;

But these solutions didn't solve my problem, the playback keeps stopping after awhile, when the screen turns off. If the screen is kept on, by using the caffeine function for example, there are no issues, but I would like to keep the screen off to save some battery and maybe prolong the life of the device.

So if the solutions I have mentioned really keep the CPU awake, maybe there is something else that these players need to keep the playback going.

Update: Screen backlight off app - this seems like the most promising approach and maybe works on some devices as expected, but not on mine (Samsung SM-T585 tablet). It should turn off the screen backlight and it does so by setting the brightness level to 0. Maybe some devices completely turn off the backlight in this case, but my tablet keeps emmiting very low light. So if anyone knows a way to completely turn off the backlight - please let me know.

charging - Galaxy Tab is not being charged through USB Cable

Currently i am using Samsung Galaxy Tab, model is GT-P1000, to test my application, so i usually attach it with PC through USB cable and it is attached for a whole day though it is showing low battery at the end of day. but it should charge the battery same as the other phone when we attach it with USB.

Does anybody know, what may be the problem why my samsung galaxy tab is not being charged through USB cable?

Answer

Tablets have larger batteries than phones and may be unable to sufficiently charge from the half amp limit of a USB port, especially while they are fully on (screen on and full speed processor clock).

Some will barely charge if the screen is off but come with high current 5v "usb-like" wall chargers, others use a higher voltage charger on a custom connector - typically something round. Sometimes the "usb-like" ones are actually special cables with extra pins that tell the tablet that a special high-current charger is being used.

Check your user manual, or try the supplied charger.

Where on the file system are SMS messages stored?

Where in the file system are SMS messages stored?

I'm using ES File Explorer to browse around but can't seem to find this - is it on the phone or the SD, and where?

I have an HTC Wildfire but I would imagine it doesn't vary hugely from vendor to vendor (although I am an iOS developer who knows little about Android).

Answer

See here: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/4809874/how-to-access-the-sms-storage-on-android

The gist is that SMS/MMS are residing in databases on the phone and the answer to the question contains the link to this tutorial.

The location of the database might vary from phone to phone, but you can look it up with this command via adb (you need to be root to find it because it's in the protected storage area):

find / -name "*mmssms*"

On my device (Samsung Galaxy S) these databases turned up:

./dbdata/databases/com.android.providers.telephony/mmssms.db
./data/data/com.jb.gosms/databases/gommssms.db

The first one being the native db and the second one is by the sms app I'm using.

Can an app call a phone without me knowing?

The reason I ask is because I have gotten various calls from seemingly random numbers saying that I had called them. When I check my call log, there is no outgoing call to their number.

This has happened multiple times, but not very often, maybe once every two weeks. I am normally very careful with the apps that I download and have avg downloaded and scanning periodically. Could it be that someone else can use the same number to call?

Answer

An app with the appropriate permissions can not only initiate calls without you knowing, but also remove all evidence from your call logs:

• CALL_PHONE: Allows an application to initiate a phone call without going through the Dialer user interface for the user to confirm the call being placed.


• WRITE_CALL_LOG: Allows an application to write (but not read) the user's contacts data.

^{(Source: Manifest Permissions).}

If your provider supports a full call listing on your bill: that's a place no app can touch, so there you would find evidence.

Though it is technically possible somebody else could fake your number, that's rather unlikely. To do this, one would need some privileges a normal phone connector doesn't offer; so this person must either sit at a provider's site directly, or at some (usually bigger) company with the appropriate privileges granted.

---

To help you isolating the possible culprit, there are several tools available. I'd suggest to take a look at something like Permission Explorer:

^{Permission Explorer (Source: Google Play; click images to enlarge)}

As you can see, this app allows browsing by category, and nicely lists up all installed apps with a given permission. You can most likely skip system apps here, then see what's left and re-check playstore comments on suspicious apps. I also recommend checking on AppBrain, as they often point out malicious apps: Use their search page and see if the result for your app is "minimized", which already is one indicator. Also a good idea: try AppBrain Ad Detector, which does the same for apps on your device:

^{AppBrain Ad Detector (Source: Google Play; click images to enlarge)}

Additional benefit of this app: it automatically alerts you when you install an app with suspicious permissions ("Live Detection Mode" triggers on app install).

Youtube videos open in browser by default

When I'm browsing the net using the Internet app (the default browser), youtube links open up in the browser and not in the youtube app. I don't get to choose any option like before. In Applications Manager > Internet there are no defaults set. I tried clearing cache & data for Internet & Youtube app but I still have this problem. Same thing with Facebook youtube links, they open in the browser, no option to have it opened in youtube...it's driving me crazy

I'm using a Samsung Galaxy S3 with Jelly Bean.

Turns out this problem is also on the HTC EVO (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1688866), something to do with an Apple lawsuit. If I remember correctly, I didn't have this problem when I had Ice Cream Sandwich on.

Also, if I long press a YT link in the browser, no option shows up to open it in the app? What gives?

2.3 gingerbread - Suggest an app for reading PDF and CHM

I have seen apps that read CHM or PDF but not both. I need an app that reads PDF as well as CHM quickly and smoothly. I tried OliveOffice but there are issues with landscape mode. Is there any other ?

Answer

Moon+ Reader reads chm's and almost anything

google location history - Why does my Android phone think it was in Japan?

This question already has answers here:

Closed 5 years ago.

According to Google location history, I was in Tokyo in February. It could be that I had so much saké I'm forgetting something important, but as far as I know I've never been to Japan.

Other questions on inaccurate location history seem mostly related to minor inaccuracies because of phone connecting to nearby WiFi points.

But what technical issue could cause the location to be off by ~6000 miles?

Will constantly having Bluetooth on drain my battery too fast?

I'm thinking about making an app which will require Bluetooth to be available at all times. However, if this reduces battery charge life significantly, then that's kind of a show stopper. Can anyone give me a general idea about how much drain constant Bluetooth use will put on the battery?

Droid Explorer file manager not showing files

I am using Droid Explorer (WinXP 32bit) to access my 2013 Moto X - XT1053 (Anroid 4.4.4). But the main file explorer doesn't seem to be working. "/" is shown, but nothing else. My device is bootloader unlocked and rooted. Seems like adb commands are not getting through. I have the SDK installed as well as the official Motorola usb drivers.

Answer

For Droid Explorer to work correctly, you have to meet the following criteria:

• Rooted device (which you said you have)


• ADB USB Drivers (if on Windows)


• USB Debugging Enabled


• Busybox installed (I think this is where your problem is). You do not have to use the version of busybox that I linked to, but it is one that is updated frequently, and easy to install.

The console plugin, in 0.8.8.11 is very buggy and fails with a lot of devices. I have been working on an update that will be released soon (0.9.0.0) that will make the console more stable and work with any device, as long as the device meets the requirements for Droid Explorer.

4.1 jelly bean - Flashed my phone without rooting and now it doesn't work

I have an international Samsung Galaxy SIII i.e. GT-I9300.

Few days after the official upgrade to v4.1, it started freezing. So I removed the battery and inserted again and it did not boot and was stuck at the boot logo. It doesn't start with the recovery mode either but it does start in download mode.

So I flashed it with odin to leaked Galaxy SIII v4.1.2 build.

Now it shows 'custom binary count to one'. But when I boot it, it still doesn't start. (same issue; it gets stuck in the boot logo).

I'd also like to mention that the phone was not rooted prior to flashing.

I don't care about data now, I just need my phone back.

Play Store icons are no longer transparent

The past few days I have noticed that the Play Store icons have a black background. I've even done a Factory Reset. I am facing the problem with every icon in the play store. Is there any way to get rid of it?

root access - Adding cards to Android Pay on rooted device

As the new Android Pay app is now rolling out, I wanted to go ahead and get it set up on my device. Now, as many are finding out, rooted devices will receive the message "Android Pay cannot be used - Google is unable to verify that your device or software running on it is Android compatible".

Now, one fix that I have found is to temporarily disable Root in SuperSU where the message "Superuser is disabled and hidden" appears. After doing this, adding cards is supposed to give no errors.

Unfortunately, I can still not seem to add any cards. Is there any other way I can get google to recognize my device?

Sony Xperia Z3 (D6616)

Build #: 23.1.C.0.385

SuperSU Version 2.49

screen - Android “fake having a locked phone” - Galaxy SII

I have a work-mandatory email-app on my phone that won't work unless it detects that you have a passcode locked phone.

I have a rooted Galaxy S2 Android phone (Cyanogenmod 10) and am wondering if there are any apps or ways of tricking my phone into thinking it has a 4 digit pin code when it doesn't.

Thanks!

samsung galaxy s 2 - Backup apps on SGS 2 with broken display?

the display of my Samsung Galaxy S2 got broken and I need to backup my apps. Is that possible without the phone's screen? There are no backup apps on the phone and it's not rooted. I don't know the exact OS version. Bought it 24 months ago.

After the crash I was able to connect the phone to Kies via USB and made a backup. Then I gave the phone to the repair shop of the accident insurance. But afterwards I read about that Kies won't backup your apps and as I still have one Bitcoin on the phone and also would like to restore other apps, I now think about getting it back from the repair shop, because if they repair it, all data will be gone.

So is there any way to get my apps back?

Thanks!!!

terminal - How to automate command line when specific application is launched?

So basically I want to run a few line of code each time a specific application is launched and closed.

Is there application which could do that ? (Busybox ?)

I actually have to print it my self in a terminal emulator and it's a bit harsh :/

Answer

Using Terminal Emulator and Macrodroid, an automation app

Create a macro in which the Trigger is launch application of your choice and action is Launch Shortcut where you choose Term Shortcut and key in the commands in the arguments . See Firelord's answer here for additional details Home screen icon for terminal program?

"Encryption Failed" on my Samsung Note 2 & it asks me to reset device. Is there a way to back up my data

I have Samsung Galaxy Note 2 from AT&T. At the reboot it displays "Encryption failed", and would ask me to reset device.

I cannot access my phone. I have very important data on this phone. I want to save my data, I am not bothered about the device, all I want is to save my data and after that even if the phone doesnt work I will get a new phone but I want my data as in pictures and contacts. Is there any way to recover them?

How to load kernel module with Magisk root but without custom kernel?

I am having a really hard time finding anything about this on Google which is not from 2011. I have a Samsung Galaxy S10+. I have rooted it with Magisk without TWRP, i.e. no custom recovery or custom kernel. I want OTA updates without having to delete everything on my phone just to update, that is why I use Magisk without TWRP.

What I need is drivers for my WiFi adapter TP-Link TL-WN7220. I know that to be able to install a driver into the kernel, that means a custom kernel and then you would not be able to have OTA updates which defeats the above purpose.

My question is, is there a way to load a driver, even if it is temporary like loading a kernel module on Linux? On Linux this does not require a reboot, can this be done similarly on Android, so I will keep my stock kernel but still be able to run the WiFi adapter?

nexus 7 - How to migrate applications to other user account without downloading the applications again?

I created a new user in Nexus 7 but it doesn't have any applications already installed in primary user. I don't want to move/share any app data like scores/progress. I want the apps/games to appear as newly installed in new user. The reason for this is to create a guest user so that I can safely give my tablet to friends/kids who just want to play games.

boot - Device Can't Power Down

I have an Android device which had a custom os..It was for educational purposes and I could not even open another app on it. After the end of the subscription period I thought of using the device. I tried opening it's recovery mode but instead opened some factory or diagnostic mode which was in Chinese. By mistake I pressed the power key to select an option ending with "emmc" and now It boots but shows a black screen with navigation buttons and time...Any keys pressed make no effect and I am unable to shut it down. When I press the power key for a few seconds it reboots but shows the same screen. I just want to shut it down somehow. Please Help!!

Edit: I found a way to shut my phone down. I connect it to my pc and then press the power button for 10 seconds then the screen goes off and the charging percentage shows up after a couple of seconds, I pull the usb cable out and the screen disappears and voila ! My phone is switched off.

Thanks for all your response.

How to make Skype always active, reliably receiving and notifying about calls in the background

There's a long-running issue with Skype for Android where, in recent versions (since 2014 I believe), it very often ignores incoming calls and doesn't notify about messages when it is running in the background. There are many long (and often angry) threads about this on Skype's forums, for example: No incoming call and chat notification on Android KitKat (12 pages), Skype never rings on Android phone (9 pages), skype not running in background anymore? (4 pages), and many others.

From these threads I've extracted some clues:

• It used to be possible to fix this issue by downgrading to before version 4, but older versions now no longer connect, so this appears to be no longer an option.


• There is some mystery about why this happens, but there are claims that it's something to do with Skype's status changing to some kind of "inactive" status when it goes into the background after a period of inactivity (some sources say 15 minutes, some 5 minutes, some immediately on the Skype app window not being open), which, recently (but not in the past) results in Skype centrally not connect calls or messages to this user when this status is present.



• If this is the case, it happens even when the optional Skype notification tray status icon shows the status as being "active" - some comments suggest this icon doesn't update when Skype becomes inactive in the background


• There's a separate issue where Skype doesn't notify on a phone if you're active on a computer, but plenty of people report this problem even when they've confirmed they're only logged in on Android.


• There's a post from 2014 which suggests that background calls work if "Answer calls automatically" is ticked in Skype settings - but I don't like the idea of people calling me and instantly hearing the sound of the inside of my pocket (maybe I've misunderstood what answer calls automatically means?), and I imagine I still wouldn't know they've called unless I'm in a silent room


• A few users mention that turning on "sync group chat in the background" in notifications fixes notifications for calls and messages too (example) but this didn't work for me


• A minority of posters claim to not have this issue, suggesting there might be something to do with general Android settings that influences whether Skype becomes unreachable when it goes into the background.


• There's mention of 3rd party apps that fix this problem by keeping Skype active, thus preventing the status change. However I couldn't find any such examples that wasn't followed by a comment later suggesting it no longer works (and I can't find any examples now I look for it).

I've discussed this with Skype customer support, who were unable to help beyond establishing that it's nothing to do with my Skype app settings (notifications are on) or being logged in on another device. My main hope, therefore, is for some kind of 3rd party solution like the apps referred to above for keeping Skype active, or some general Android setting.

---

Non-rooted, Android 5.1.1, Skype 6.8.0.590, Sony Z3 compact. I'd prefer not to root but this issue is very important to me and if that's the only option I'd accept an answer that involves rooting the phone.

I'd prefer not to install a custom mod, but I'd consider it if that can somehow reliably fix this problem and give me reliable notifications and incoming calls any time I'm online and someone calls or messages me by Skype.

htc evo - GPS calibration?

I am using the sportstracklive app on my EVO to track my fitness activities. One issues is that elevation profiles are incorrect. For example, a riverfront section of a recent bike ride was recorded on the elevation profile as 101 feet below sea level.

Is there a way to calibrate the gps so that I get more accurate results?

Also, I'm pretty sure that the app itself is not at fault. I've experimented with a couple of other fitness tracking apps that are producing similar results; so that's why I'm thinking that the issue is with the gps.

Here're a couple of screen grabs of the route. The one with the red shading is correct and was generated by ridewithgps. The one with blue shading is generated by sportstracklive on the EVO gps (blue shaded area is elevation profile). A profile from my Garmin looks like the correct (red) one.

ng

Answer

Your GPS is nothing more than a precise clock, passively receiving signals. There is, unfortunately, nothing to calibrate. Source

If you'd like, consider going to the problem locations with an app such as "GPS Test" to view the internals of your phone's GPS to try and understand the problem, although there isn't much you can do about it.

samsung - How to get data off a completely dead Android phone?

Phone worked perfectly. Then one day completely dead, nothing at all. It may have been that "one day" was after some time of laying around, cannot recall.

Model: Android AT&T Samsung Galaxy S3 (SGH-i747 SKU S9255)

Already tried;

• Charging phone: no visual output at all, no leds


• Removing battery while charging: no visual output at all, no leds


• Removing SIM and SD card: no visual output at all, no leds


• Attempt to turn on: no visual output at all, no leds

I need to get our family photo's off this phone (stored on internal memory). I care less about the hardware/phone itself.

Thank you for any help you can offer!

Answer

It seems like a hardware issue (not directly related to storage), better try to get fixed. Unless the device boots at least to some bootloader stage (like fastboot or odin or edl) you can't access its memory. Or if the data is extremely important, contact some professional data recovery service which usually do one of the two:

• Access eMMC directly using some low level protocol like JTAG. Special equipment - usually called some kind of box e.g EasyJtag - is used to make communication with eMMC.


• 
  

  Or using a chip-off method i.e. by removing eMMC chip from board.

  
  

  Most devices built in the last few years use eMMC flash devices as their persistent storage. Usually eMMC and RAM are bundled in a single package; eMCP. So a compatible eMMC/eMCP reader can be used to recover data by connecting it to PC. A range of such readers/sockets is available on online stores from a number of chinese manufacturers - e.g. Allsocket and KZT - to match with different sizes and shapes of BGA packages.

  
  

Please note that there are other factors as well which may define the destiny of data recovery through JTAG or a chip-off method. Data recovery is very less probable or impossible if:

• eMMC is dead i.e. it has reached the limit of E/P cycles it was designed for.


• You were using encryption (FDE/FBE) on your device. Starting with Android 5.0 encryption is hardware-backed. Quoted from here:
  

  
  

  By default, the decryption key is stored in the hardware-backed storage
  ...
  bear in mind that extracting the decryption key via chip-off or any other low-level method is not possible, so if you do a chip-off you won’t get the decryption key and won’t be able to decrypt the data.

  
  

  
  

RELATED:

rom flashing - OTA Update on a rooted Nexus5 with Custom Recovery and Kernel

A few months back, I rooted my Nexus 5 using Towelroot, installed TWRP and ElementX Kernel. Now as the Android Lollipop update is around the corner, I don't think I'll be able to install OTA update because of rooted phone and custom recovery. In some forums, I even read that it might mess up my phone.

So now, I want to know what is the safest way to get the official Android Lollipop update, I don't mind losing root, custom kernel and all that, I even searched going all stock, but that seems like a cumbersome solution with many risks. One easy way I was thinking of is downloading the Android Lollipop System image (tgz file) when Google uploads it and flashing that into my phone using TWRP.

However, I don't know how and can't find anything about how to flash a tgz file. Can I do it by placing it in the memory, booting into recovery/install/AndroildL.tgz. Will that do it? If yes, then what changes will it make> will my custom kernel and root be gone or not? Thank you

Answer

I think your best bet is to unroot your device and restore it to stock. This means stock ROM, recovery and kernel, and you will be unrooted. This is often referred to as "flashing a factory image", sometimes incorrectly. But that's what we're going to do!

Note: This process will wipe your phone completely. Backup your storage before you continue. I am also not responsible if anything goes wrong. Ensure you verify this is the correct device and code name (hammerhead) before you proceed.

From this excellent XDA thread:

For this process, you will need to:

Install adb and fastboot drivers. To do this, use this simple program

For MAC users *Note: MAC users will have to write ./ before every command in this thread. For example : ./fastboot flash recovery recovery.img

Linux users should know their stuff

Download the latest factory images from here

Extract the archive you downloaded (Use WinRAR). It should look like this:

Unlock your bootloader (In case you haven't already) Link here

Flashing the factory images

• 
  

  Power off your phone.

  
  


• 
  

  Boot it in fastboot by pressing and holding Power Button + Volume Down at the same time.

  
  


• 
  

  Connect your phone to your PC through your USB cable.

  
  


• 
  
  

  Execute the flash-all.bat script (for Windows) or flash-all.sh(for MAC and LINUX) in the folder where you extracted the factory images. !! For MAC: You'll have to edit the flash-all.sh, and add "./" before every fastboot command.

  
  


• 
  

  Wait for everything to flash.

  
  


• 
  

  After everything finished, select "Recovery" using the volume buttons.

  
  


• 
  

  When a small dead Android appears, press Power Button + Volume UP.

  
  
  


• 
  

  Select "Wipe data/factory data reset"

  
  


• 
  

  Reboot. Your phone should be stock.

  
  

Note: The XDA Thread has further detail on re-locking the device and resetting the tamper flag should you need to claim warranty. It's a bit outside the scope of this answer, but it might be of use!

Note 2: Some Nexus devices will show as having 16 Gb after this on the 32 Gb model. The below is a fix via cmd:

fastboot erase boot
fastboot erase cache
fastboot erase recovery
fastboot erase system
fastboot erase userdata

fastboot flash bootloader C:/image-hammerhead-krt16m/bootloader.img
fastboot reboot-bootloader
fastboot flash radio C:/image-hammerhead-krt16m/radio.img
fastboot reboot-bootloader

fastboot flash system C:/image-hammerhead-krt16m/system.img
fastboot flash userdata C:/image-hammerhead-krt16m/userdata.img 
(Note: this command will wipe your device (including /sdcard), EVEN if your bootloader is already unlocked.)

fastboot flash boot C:/image-hammerhead-krt16m/boot.img
fastboot flash recovery C:/image-hammerhead-krt16m/recovery.img

rooting - How to root Samsung S6 using Linux?

All the guides that I can find online refer to the Windows-only "Odin" software. I also found an open-source alternative "Heimdall" but the Samsung S6 is not supported (and apparently it's not compatible with the .tar.gz file format).

I have installed WinXP on a VirtualBox virtual machine, and then I installed the Samsung USB drivers and the Windows Odin software. I then made sure to route all Samsung USB devices to this virtual machine, but still neither Windows nor Odin sees the phone - neither in its normal operating mode nor in its "Odin" download mode.

Chainfire's CF-Autoroot also uses Odin, which means I'm still stuck at the above problem. I also tried running Odin in Linux (using wine) but again it couldn't see the phone, and I didn't expect it to work anyway).

I have not been able to find a description of how to root the S6 (or any Samsung) directly in Linux, or via virtual machine. Is that simply not possible? Do I really need to install my old WinXP license on a physical computer?

Answer

There is a cross-platform version of Odin called JOdin. It can run in a web browser, or locally after downloading the JAR file. Either one requires Oracle Java 8 to be installed first.

Web version: https://builds.casual-dev.com/jodin3/
Offline version: https://builds.casual-dev.com/index.php?dir=JOdin3%2F '

The offline version is started with $ java -jar /path/to/JAR/JOdin3CASUAL-r1035-dist.jar.

Both versions work well - but now I run into the next problem which is that the PIT file can't be obtained.