updates - Clearing Dalvik Cache without root?

I recently tried updating my Motorola Atrix 4g. It downloaded, and then it booted down to try to update. However, instead of updating, it ends up booting to a screen that just says

Failed to boot 2
Starting RSD mode

If I take out the battery, I boot up the phone for about 60 seconds before it starts shutting down again.

The phone is rooted, and it seems like it starts shutting down as soon as Android starts giving out root privileges.

Looking through different forums online, it seems as though the best solution to stop the phone from trying to update (without erasing all my data by resetting the phone to factory settings) is to clear the Dalvik cache.

The problem I am having is that so far, it seems that in order to clear the cache, I need root, but as soon as my phone has been on long enough to give out root, it restarts, and I can't do anything with it. To make the problem worse, I seem to be unable to boot into recovery...

Is there any way to clear the Dalvik Cache (really, really fast, and) without root (or recovery)?

4.1 jelly bean - Sending single SMS message to multiple contacts causes MMS

I'm experiencing an annoying (and costly) problem on my HTC Desire X. (Android 4.1.1) Every time I send a single message to multiple contacts at the same time, the message will be sent as MMS rather than SMS, even though it is a normal text message (not too many words).

I am using Facebook's messenger app to send 'normal' messages as well, but I don't think it has anything to do with it.

EDIT: okay, so after some testing I noticed it has to do with Facebook messenger's app. I went over all settings but can't seem to find anything that disables MMS for group messaging?

screen - Can I manually rotate my phone while auto-rotation is disabled?

Android has a nifty feature to disable auto-rotation... Is there some sort of gesture or key combination to rotate your screen? (Say I am in a browser and want to rotate). The idea is to be on auto-rotate = off (mostly desired) and manually change the orientation when needed without exiting the application (preferably).

Answer

I use Quick Settings and there's an option to toggle auto-rotate. I have it so the shortcut to Quick Settings lives in my Notification bar so to toggle it requires a swipe, two taps and the back button to toggle it and get back to the app I was in.

If you wanted to reduce this down to tap home, toggle, tap return if you use QuickDesk which lets you put widgets on it's popup launcher.

I'm sure you could probably set it up as a sortcut in Gesture Launcher but I never had any luck with that app. All it does is force close for me.

Edit: Sorry, misread you question. I don't know of any app that does that and I looked around but came up empty. Personally, that would actually be the ideal behavior of the screen orientation and while I'd have no idea how to make it, it can't be that hard. I'd recommend asking around at the XDA forum. Hopefully someone there may know or maybe one of the devs there will make an app to do it.

4.4 kitkat - How to share contact via sms on Android 4.4.2?

I'm using Moto G with stock android running 4.4.2. I would like to share contact detail via SMS. I don't want to use 3rd party app for this basic functionality. Was this functionality available with previous versions?

Answer

Kitkat has only 3 defaults for this:

1. Bluetooth


2. Email



3. Gmail

Other options can be added with 3rd Party software, e.g. ES File Exploere adds "Share over LAN".

As per the Google products page this is a know issue.

I too am annoyed that this issue is happening with the Nexus 5.I can only hope that they will have an update that will resolve this issue.I work in the transportation industry in which I often have to send forward a contact phone number to another driver and at this point is very cumbersome not to be able to quickly Share a recent calls number with another driver.I've been checking the Play Store to see if there is an App dialer that will resolve this issue for me.

From this Android Central thread it confirms that this feature is missing and the solution is to copy and paste, or install 3rd party app.

Without installing a 3rd party application, there is nothing you can do for now.

navigation - What can I do when my GPS doesn't work (or if my tablet doesn't have GPS)?

The problem: I want to use an (offline|online) navigation app but:

• I have an Asus Transformer Prime with very bad GPS reception


• I have a tablet without GPS (e.g., a Nook Color)


• My phone has a very low GPS signal
  (Samsung is infamous here, Galaxy S, Nexus S, Gio and so on all have users complaining about it)


• My phone often loses track of GPS satellites

My device has Bluetooth however.

What can I do to get a working and precise GPS signal?

Answer

I have several bluetooth-GPS adapters that I use with all of my devices when I need a superb signal because a specialiced receiver is almost always superior to a smartphone's internal GPS (due to integration constraints).

It's very handy for my Nook Color tablet that has no GPS but bluetooth (Asus Transformer Prime users also have this kind of problem).

usb - Android ADB Shell Recovery Mounting

*Question: I need assistance mounting an Android phone's internal data using the Android ADB Shell while the unit is connected via USB and in recovery mode. How do I form a proper mount command? See below for more detailed information.

*FYI: I have experience developing with the Android SDK using Java/XML. I have found little documentation for the Android ADB Shell for my purpose.

I have a Samsung GT-i9000 Android phone with a smashed screen. Screen is black, and unresponsive to touch. The phone does not have USB debugging enabled or USB auto mount enabled. I cannot simply plug the phone via USB to access the desired files (photos, and other internal data). I unfortunately cannot confirm the OS version. The phone has no SD Card, all the desired data is on the internal board. The phone is not rooted.

*What I've tried: Doing some research I have booted the phone into recovery mode using the three button method (VolUP + Home + Power) and managed to access the device using the "adb devices" command on my Win 7 machine. It displays as "recovery". This is the only way I have been able to make the computer recognize the device via USB. I've tried Kies, and androidscreencast with no success.

I have been able to use the "pull" command to access all the Android system files from the phone. I presume this is because recovery mode only mounts the required system files for updates/repairs and doesn't bother with the internal data. Using the mount command I can see what I consider to be the paths to the files I am looking for:

$ mount

mount
rootfs / rootfs rw 0 0
tmpfs /dev tmpfs rw,relatime,mode=755 0 0
devpts /dev/pts devpts rw,relatime,mode=600 0 0
proc /proc proc rw,relatime 0 0
sysfs /sys sysfs rw,relatime 0 0
none /acct cgroup rw,relatime,cpuacct 0 0
nodev /tmp tmpfs rw,relatime 0 0
/dev/block/stl6 /mnt/.lfs j4fs rw,relatime 0 0
tmpfs /mnt/asec tmpfs rw,relatime,mode=755,gid=1000 0 0

none /dev/cpuctl cgroup rw,relatime,cpu 0 0
/dev/block/stl9 /system rfs rw,relatime,vfat,llw,check=no,gid/uid/rwx,iocharset=
utf8 0 0
/dev/block/stl3 /efs rfs rw,nosuid,nodev,relatime,vfat,llw,check=no,gid/uid/rwx,
iocharset=utf8 0 0
/dev/block/stl11 /cache rfs rw,relatime,vfat,llw,check=no,gid/uid/rwx,iocharset=
utf8 0 0

All my efforts to mount fail, usually with a usage suggestion:

$ mount rootfs / /mnt/ rw 0 0

mount rootfs / /mnt/ rw 0 0
Usage: mount [-r] [-w] [-o options] [-t type] device directory

2.2 froyo - How can I turn off the "allow automatic updating" for an app?

Once I've checked off the box to "allow automatic updating" for an app in the market, is there any way to undo this without uninstalling and reinstalling the app?

Moto Droid running 2.2

UPDATE: Apparently I am losing it. Originally it happened with PDAnet. I accidentally clicked the checkbox and as soon as I did the option disappeared. I tried restarting the market, restarting the phone but the option never reappeared. I uninstalled it and reinstalled it and I had the box back, unchecked. I was afraid to test it out on other apps until the answers below confirmed that either it was an isolated bug or I was crazy. Needless to say I have the option to uncheck it now.

Answer

On the HTC Incredible I just searched for the particular app in the market, selected it and unchecked "allow automatic updating" from there. Hopefully it works that way on your phone (and others).

Losing network connections when using GPS

I'm having the same kind of problem as described in these threads, using a rooted HTC One S with Dark Jelly S rom:

Thread on XDA-Developers
Thead on CyanogenMod Forum

When activating GPS while using either WiFi or 3G, after a couple of seconds I'm losing GPS fix and mobile data connection. WiFi stays active. I also get a notifaction "Restricted access changed".

I only have 1 APN in my settings, this happens on both the CM10 rom and Dark Jelly S rom.

Further information:

VLE PVT SHIP S-ON RL

HBOOT-1.09.0000
RADIO-0.16.314018.17_2
OpenDSP-v25.1.0.32.0405
eMMC-boot
Apr 2 2012,21:08:24

How can I solve this?

downgrade - Downgrading from Lollipop 64-bit to Kitkat 32-bit hard-bricked Micromax Yureka device?

Update:

I didn't receive any answer here. Look's like my question didn't had enough research to deserve an answer. Here are some updates:

1. I posted the same question on OnePlus forums (I hang around) and received results here.


2. I looked for terms downgrade on Yureka Forums and out of 159 threads, didn't find any satisfactory result. I found only one argument worthy enough to be mentioned in step 3.


3. A OnePlus forums user mentioned that the 64-bit bootloader could be incompatible with 32-bit Kitkat in the event of downgrading, thereby, resulting a hard-brick. A Yureka forums user mentioned similar thing here.


4. As per this guide on XDA by a known member of OnePlus forums, and this info of all the partitions in a device here, I can conclude that a fastboot type ROM can flash any bootloader and similar partitions required at first stage of booting.


5. I read about bootloader and the name of the involved partitions from here and here.

A flashable ROM zip through recovery can hard-brick which is understandable here. However, if a fastboot type 32-bit Kitkat ROM is flashed on Yureka device running 64-bit Lollipop, should it be bricking it?

Note: This question is not meant to be open-ended, inviting discussion/opinion or chatty in nature. My question is only to know : Is there really a technical reason behind the warning or not?

---

Previously:

There is a post on Yu forums by a Community Manger here which says in warning the following:

Once device is updated with Lollipop (64-bit), downgrading to Kitkat (32-bit) is not supported and may hard-brick the device!

The users on the forum seems to follow the same warning whenever someones creates a thread regarding downgrade to Kitkat. The same warning can be seen on this website too.

However, nowhere it seems anyone cared to mention the reason for such hardbrick. May I know why 64-bit to 32-bit is a nightmare for this phone, or for that matter, any phone? Could it be just a gimmick to keep users at latest OS?

task management - How to exit from an application which doesn’t exit on press back button?

I am using Maverick application for GPS navigation. In previous versions the back button caused to quit the application. (Which is also correct behavior according to question: What is the right way to close apps in Android?)
Currently I have Maverick 1.94 Lite. When I press the back button, Maverick only hides to background. (The same as if I pressed home button). I don't see anywhere in menu an option to exit.
I wish to avoid task killers, or switching of my phone in order to quit Maverick.

How do I exit from Maverick?

My phone is SK17i aka Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini pro.

Answer

If you go to Settings -> Apps and scroll to Maverick and select it there should be a 'Force stop' button. It's not really 'exiting' as such but it will definitely force the app to totally close down and stop running in the background.

When will my device get the Android 4.2 update (Jelly Bean)?

Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean) was officially announced on October 29, 2012.

(You can review the high level changes in Jelly Bean at the official Android Developer's site.)

Of course, not all devices will get this update right away and others won't get it at all. Each manufacturer and carrier often choose to add their custom modifications which tend to delay the official release.

When will each device get Android 4.2, either officially or unofficially, if ever?

See also:

Answer

This community wiki will list all of the known and rumored dates for devices. If you have an update make sure to follow the format that's been established, and the following guidelines:

1. Keep phones in alphabetical order listing the manufacturer and model


2. Specify if the date is confirmed or rumored and link to the source



3. If there is an unofficial release, link to the site where it can be downloaded

HTC

Samsung

Sony

Asus

• Nexus 7: Released - November 13, 2012


• Transformer Infinity - April 3, 2013 (confirmed)


• Transformer Pad TF300: Released - March 3, 2013 (source)

Motorola

Samsung

• Galaxy Note 8.0
  
  


• Galaxy Tab 2 7.0: 2013-08-13 UK (confirmed)


• Galaxy Tab 2 10.1: 2013-09-23 (confirmed)

Sony

GoogleTV

• 
  

  LG Google TV: 2013-10-14 (source)

  
  


• 
  

  All ARM-based models - 2013-05-16 (source, source2)

  
  


• All 1st gen Intel-based models (e.g. Logitech Revue) - Never

4.4 kitkat - How to remove a Virus that installs an unlimited amount of APPs causing the smartphone to stop once an internet connection has been established?

Once the smartphone (android 4.4.2, kazam tornado 350) has been booted, is connected to WIFI and an unlimited number of APPs is installed causing the phone to stop, i.e. swipe is stopped, another home screen is installed.

Symptoms

1. A number of unwanted apps is installed once the phone has been reset to factory defaults


2. Unlimited amount of unwanted apps is installed once wifi is installed


3. Phone battery is consumed quickly


4. Home screen cannot be entered


5. Popups that ask to install (fake) security updates appear

Attempts

1. The unwanted APPs remained installed on the smartphone once the phone was reset to factory defaults



2. The installation of the APPs persisted even after encryption and subsequently resetting to factory defaults


3. Resetted the phone to factory defaults, disabled wifi, disabled malicious apps, rebooted and enabled wifi installed an unlimited number of APPs again


4. Tried to install a Virusscanner, but everytime the connection to internet is established various malicious apps are installed immediately


5. The issue persists as well once the SD card was removed


6. The internal phone storage cannot be removed. In an attempt to remove it the screen was busted :'(

Discussion

1. The APPs that are installed do not appear in the downloaded APPs section


2. After resetting to factory defaults, there seems to be malicious APPs recognized as default APPs, e.g. com.andriod instead of com.android

Question

How to remove this Virus?

Answer

As I already mentioned in the comments, here are the primary points you need to be careful about:

1. 
   

   Whenever you install an app from the Play Store, you should pay attention to things like permissions, ratings, reviews by existing users, etc. before installing it on your device. One malicious install, and your phone could become compromised. It doesn't matter then, whether you are rooted or not.

   
   


2. 
   
   

   When you install an app, it asks you a bunch of questions like what all things it needs access to (like SDCARD, telephony resources, system tools, etc.). Even without root access, a malicious app can do lots of damage to your phone, if you permit them these resources.

   
   


3. 
   

   As the existing answer suggests, rooting is your only option if the malware has landed itself in the system area. But if you go along that route, proceed with care and caution, as there is a risk of bricking if incorrectly done.

   
   


4. 
   

   For future reference, make a mental note to double check at least two things before installing an app: 1) The permissions it needs are sane and safe. 2) There are at least 500 million installs already with at least a 3.5+ rating. You can make rare exceptions for popular apps like WhatsApp/Skype, but this is generally what you should do. You may or may not be able to recover this phone, but life goes on and these things will go a long way to ensure that such a situation will never arise.

   
   

How can I sync the bookmarks in the web browser?

I want to open the bookmarks I saved in my PC to be seen from my cellphone's browser. So I need them synced. How can I do that, say with Nexus One?

applications - Android does not download any files from untrusted CA certificate site

I work on a site that serves mobile phones and shares some file. When I publish my site in http everything works great.

But when I activate SSL and publish my site via HTTPS with my own certificate, Android doesn't download any file from my site.

I create my own SSL CA certificate via openSSL in my local PC and not purchasing from standard seller like GoDaddy.

How do I install my CA certificate to Android?

Do I have to purchase SSL from a standard seller to solve this issue?

My android version is 4.4.4.

Answer

You can install a CA certificate very easily through Settings.

Just go to Security->Install from SD and choose your certificate.
It will be installed to your device's certificate store/secured storage and should be used automatically by all applications that rely on that certificate store (which should be like every app that connects to the internet using SSL).

You can also look what certificates are currently installed in trusted certificates where they are split into User and System certificates.

updates - Will I lose any apps / data if I upgrade my phone's OS?

I'm planning to upgrade my Galaxy S2's OS from android 2.3 to 4.0. This is an official upgrade from Samsung.

It sounds like it's an easy process. Just download the Kies program from Samsung and follow the instructions. But as I've never done it before on an android, would I still have all my apps and data? Or will I have to redownload them all again?

Is there a chance that something could go wrong?

Gingerbread ROM for Nook Color?

Does anyone know a good place to get a Gingerbread mod for Nook Color?

notifications - Is there anything similar to APNS on Android?

Is there anything similar to APNS (Apple Push Notification Service) on Android?

(APNS uses a single TCP connection between an iOS device and an Apple-controlled server, which issues push notifications for all the installed apps on a given device, thus preventing the need for the individual apps to each maintain their own network connections for the push notifications.)

If Android doesn't have anything similar to APNS, doesn't this mean that an equivalent set of apps would always require more standby power on Android than on iOS?

How do I disable the google voice typing/voice search 'ding' sound?

Whenever I open google voice typing, it plays a rising ding sound, then a falling ding sound when it stops.

This is very annoying to me. I have a rooted stock S5 on Lollipop. I searched for the sound file but couldn't locate it, it may be wrapped up in the apk file.

Is there a way to stop this irritating sound? If I install the Xposed Framework, will that help?

Edit: Someone has suggested turning the media volume down to zero. This will work, but is not appropriate for me, as I am using the language learning app duolingo while I am using voice typing. So I need the app to send out audio via the media channel, simultaneously with using voice typing. Coming at it from another angle, I have asked if there is an alternative application which meets my requirements.

edit

Using app settings 1.15, you can mute voice typing by muting the Google app in Marshmallow (and maybe above). However, voice typing now mutes other audio ( regardless of its configuration on app settings) so I asked a question about it here

How do I stop voice typing from muting/pausing other playing media?

Answer

I have a solution that may be useful ,if not for the OP I hope it will be useful as a reference for shutting the volume of a particular application OFF.

This method will mute all sounds coming from Google App but will not affect the other apps. It works on 4.1 up to Lollipop, but the questioner found that the App Settings Xposed module doesn't work on Marshmallow.

Requirements :

Method :

• 
  

  make sure app settings is activated in xposed installer under "modules" reboot after activating for the first time.

  
  
  


• 
  

  now open App settings and type Google in the search field.

  
  


• 
  

  You will see in the list the Google App click on it.

  
  


• 
  

  on the Activity Bar you will see a toggle button toggle it ON.

  
  



• 
  

  A view with lots of settings will show up ,look at the bottom of the screen just above the permission button there is a check box that say "Mute audio" check it.

  
  


• 
  

  now click on the save button in the right side of the activity bar and confirm the pop-up message.

  
  


• 
  

  Now open the voice typing and enjoy the full silence :)

  
  

(!) For Samsung devices under Lollipop Follow carefully the thread you must have a deodexed Rom.

rooting Samsung captivate with the new gingerbread release

I just got a message from my cell provider that the official Gingerbread release is out for the Samsung Captivate. I recently rooted my phone so I could install non market apps. Will I have to un root to upgrade, and after I have is there a tool that will let me re root? All the Google searches I did brought up old results.

sync - Which photos get automatically backed up to G+

When using the G+ Auto Backup feature, do only my camera photos get backed up? What about downloaded photos, those that I create, or the ones that I transfer from PC to my phone via USB?

The support page and the Photos app seem to be unclear about this.

Answer

From what I have read, the only photos that are backed up are those in the folder named "DCIM/Camera", which should include photos from your camera. If you move other photos there (e.g. downloaded, etc.), they should be backed up.

security - How can I change SELinux from Enforcing to Permissive on Samsung Galaxy Note 3?

My device is Samsung Galaxy Note 3 SM-N9005.

This phone comes with SELinux set to Enforcing by default.

I have been trying to change this to permissive but to no avail.

I built the kernel from source code following Samsung instructions, and added a line to init.rc file in the ramdisk: "setenforce 0" and this worked, however WiFi broke and I am not clued up on kernel development.

I have tried, as root, running "setenforce 0" in terminal and via adb. There is no error, however it stays Enforcing.

I am running out of options have looked through the init files in the Samsung source code and cannot find anywhere where Samsung set SELinux to be Enforcing.

Any help will be vastly appreciated!

6.0 marshmallow - Data recovery from encrypted phone based on glitches in the encryption?

To make a long story short I needed to root my phone and didn't notice the warning that unlocking the bootloader erased all contents of the memory.

I contacted a data recovery company and told them that the memory was encrypted and the phone used Android 6. In response I was told that there was a chance, albeit small, that they could recover some data. However, they were unsuccessful and in their report they blamed the encryption.

This made me pretty upset since the encryption was the first thing I mentioned in my contact with them. When I called and complained about this I got the very "interesting" answer: sometimes there is a glitch when enabling encryption leaving some of the storage unencrypted and we might be able to recover that.

Is this really true??? It sounds completely absurd that something like that could happen frequent enough so they could base their business model on it. In my ears it sounds like a bad excuse for charging me money for something that could "never" work.

samsung galaxy nexus - Why is my phone slow?

My phone has lately been really slow. When I turn on the screen, particularly if it has been off for a while, the phone is really sluggish. For example, it might take 30 seconds to respond to my input. Or if someone calls, it might not respond to my answer gesture until after the caller has already given up and hung up.

If I leave the screen on for several minutes (up to five), the phone will eventually start to respond more normally.

The CPU information in the developer options shows that the processor is pegged during all this slowness, and the process system_server is consuming almost all of that CPU capacity with other processes fighting for a little CPU time.

Also, this CPU activity is killing my battery. I'm only getting half the battery life I should be getting.

I recently lost root in an OTA upgrade; in re-rooting I had to do a wipe of the phone. Once I restored everything, the problem came back.

My phone is a Galaxy Nexus running Jelly Bean (4.1.2). I also experienced a similar issue with my previous phone, a Nexus One running MIUI and "ICS". I attributed that phone's slowness to its age, but now I think there must be something else going on.

What could be wrong, or how could I go about tracking down the problem?

• My current phone is running 4.1.2. The problem became much worse after the update. My previous phone was the one I said was running "ICS". I put that in quotes because it was a custom ROM that claimed to be 4.0 but which I suspect was actually Gingerbread+.


• My RAM typically runs at about 85%. But, I doubt this is too useful since Android automatically kills apps when it needs more RAM and the Linux kernel is designed to keep RAM mostly full so as not to waste it.


• Currently, Google Maps is using the most battery, followed by Tasker. I'm quite sure that this isn't typical, however. I can't imagine why Google Maps would be so high, as I don't use it often. Anyway, I turned off the location permissions, so hopefully that'll cure Google Maps. And Tasker doesn't usually consume so much, but when the CPU is pegged it seems to have a harder time operating than most apps. (By the way, I have no location-based profiles in Tasker.)


• Upon rebooting my phone, it's OK until the screen goes off for a period of time. Then, the problems resume. They're so severe that it's often faster to reboot than to try to use the phone without rebooting.


• Auto-rotate seems to have no effect. I regularly toggle it in the normal course of using my phone, and haven't noticed any difference either way.


• Apps would appear to be the culprit since I've experienced the same issue on two different phones and since doing a factory reset. However:
  
  
  
  • The process that's consuming the CPU isn't an app but system_server, which is a core part of Android.
  
  
  
  • I have a lot of apps, so disabling them one by one would be a time-consuming process.
  
  
  
  


• I tried re-nicing system_server, but I didn't se any effect.

Answer

This looks like it could be an issue with certain background services malfunctioning. Try observing the background services and disable some of them to see if you might hit the culprit. To do it in a way that is less hit and miss, there are several battery app in the market or you can use ICS native battery monitor to see if there are anything that are consuming more battery than it really should.

4.4 kitkat - Setting Default applications through ADB

I have an android device (Android 4.4) with two launchers. One comes with the device and the other one is home made. I have the following questions regarding this scenario:

1. How can I set the default launcher via ADB? (same as selecting one and pressing Always)


2. How can I clear the default launcher selection via ADB? (same as entering to Default Applications and clearing Defaults)

Please do not submit answers or comments that do not consider the use of ADB. I'm not interested in any of those.

Also, I already know about disabling one of the launchers via ADB (pm disable app_package_name) and then re-enabling it, but this is not the same as setting the default launcher or setting the preferred activity. You can see the difference in the next image:

google play store - How can I turn off the “allow automatic updating” for **all** apps?

Recently Google started to check the “allow automatic updating” for their apps without being asked, which I hate. I have to deactivate it for each app separately.

But more importantly this pushed Google Books onto my phone, which I don´t need and wastes precious 4 MB internal memory.

And here comes the nasty twist: Google book is not actually available for my System (for whatever reason). So I can´t get the applications market page to un-check the “allow automatic updating”.

This leaves me wondering: is there a way to deactivate the “allow automatic updating” for all applications?

Answer

There bitter truth is there is none option to switch all automatic updated off in one go.

I solved my particular problem by rooting the phone. Since no exploit is known for 2.3.4 I had to unlock the phone. This in turn meant that both Amazon MP3 and Google Books stopped updating themselves.

Which is one way to solve the problem. Still I removed the files using the following Script:

#!/opt/local/bin/zsh

setopt No_Err_Exit

adb -d uninstall com.amazon.mp3
adb -d uninstall com.google.android.apps.books

setopt Err_Exit

adb -d pull /system/app/com.amazon.mp3.apk Originals/com.amazon.mp3.apk

adb -d pull /system/app/BooksPhone.apk     Originals/BooksPhone.apk
adb -d pull /system/app/BooksPhone.odex    Originals/BooksPhone.odex

adb -d shell <<-EOF
    su
    mount -o remount,rw /dev/block/mtdblock3 /system

    busybox rm -v /system/app/com.amazon.mp3.apk
    busybox rm -v /system/app/BooksPhone.apk
    busybox rm -v /system/app/BooksPhone.odex


    mount -o remount,ro /dev/block/mtdblock3 /system

    busybox rm -v    /data/dalvik-cache/system@app@com.amazon.mp3.apk@classes.dex
    busybox rm -v -r /data/data/com.amazon.mp3
    busybox rm -v -r /data/data/com.google.android.apps.books

    exit
    exit
EOF


# vim: set nowrap tabstop=4 shiftwidth=4 softtabstop=4 noexpandtab :
# vim: -d set textwidth=0 filetype=zsh foldmethod=marker nospell :

Warning: This is script from the “If you can't understand it you should not be using it” category.

samsung galaxy s - Update from app store stuck on "downloading.."

There are three apps that needs an update on my device, I've got an always-on 3G connection and it's working (I can use whatever app I need), but when trying to download the update from the app store the progress bar reach the end (100% downloaded, should have saved it entirely) but it won't install the new update and the page on the store keeps telling "Downloading..".

I tried clearing the store cache/data several times but didn't work, I tried clearing the app's cache too (the one that needs to be updated) but it wasn't useful.

How can I solve? I didn't do anything to my un-rooted semi-new phone (Galaxy S plus with gingerbread)

Answer

I solved this by reinstalling the store update (i.e. switching it back to the basic market app and let it update again)

What determines if a phone will accept a microphone in the audio jack - hardware or software?

I have two Android phones: a Nexus S and a T-mobile G2. I just bought a new set of headphones that have a built-in microphone. The Nexus S seems to recognize audio input but the T-mobile G2 does not. Is it a hardware limitation or because I am running Android 2.3.6 on my G2 and Icecream Sandwich on my Nexus S?

Stop WhatsApp from being used on lost phone

I lost my Android phone, but my WhatsApp is still on. How I can stop someone who is using it?

I don't have the SIM with me. The people who found it is using my WhatsApp account. When they went online, I tried to talk but they did no reply.

stock android - Random apps keep installing on the phone

Here is a screenshot of these apps. I never downloaded them:

^{Screenshot (click image for larger variant)}

Many times these have been deleted by me but they are download as well as installed by themselves again and again. What should I do? Also, these apps I never installed all at once rather one by one.

nexus 5 - Removing the default guest user account on Android Lollipop

How to remove the default Guest User on Android Lollipop in Nexus 5?

In the user settings, I am presented with option to add the guest user. However I am unable to remove the default guest user already present. I am able to remove the added guest users but not the default guest user. The phone is not rooted yet.

4.1 jelly bean - What is system partition? How its size is fixed? Can it be resized?

I have rooted LG P500 (Optimus One) running stock 2.3.3. I recently updated to unofficial CM10 (Android 4.1) and observed few serious issues.

I observed that Google's My Location service was not working. Many apps like My tracks, Endomondo etc which were compatible with other phones with 4.1 were said incompatible. All microphone related apps were not working.

After several hours of breaking my head, I understood that my /system partition was absolutely full. It had only 4kb of free space out of 190MB total capacity. With my investigation I found that few files were not copied to the /system partition during the ROM installation and Gapps installation. Many troubles are the result of such missing files.

My questions:

1. /system partition: it is 190MB in total size. Who or how it was fixed as 190MB?


2. Can the size of partition be increased? I tried a tool but did not help. After all the process completed without any errors, I still see no change in the size. Are there any other ways to do it?


3. Hephappy, a ROM developer had commented in XDA page as "No space: P500 has 190MB for system partition." and hence he withdraws the plan of developing JB ROM for P500. Is it then a hardware limitation?

After all these issues, I switched back to my stock 2.3.3 and I still see my /system partition as 190MB but with lot of free space. Does this mean that 190MB is sort of hardware size/limitation?

If it is so, then this would be one of the serious factors that are to be considered while buying the phone as the hardware in other means can accommodate the needs of JB except the /system partition size, which is a real shame.

---

Update: Few screenshots carrying frequently asked info taken in CM10 ROM:

Free internal storage = 47Mb:

/system partition size = 190Mb.
Ext2 partition on SD card created to create symbol link for few apps that cant be moved to SD card:

Answer

This will not change the partition size of /system, but uses another approach: Limit the data placed on that partition. So here's what I did before flashing CM7.2 on my Milestone²:

1. download the file to flash. This is usually a .zip file (otherwise, the following won't work)


2. open the .zip with your favorite archive manager (alternatively: unpack to an empty folder)


3. look inside the /system/app folder of the .zip and remove apps you can live without (make sure not to remove any app that's really needed by the system, like e.g. the launcher). This could e.g. be the Calculator, LiveWallpapers, GooglePlus etc. Copy those .apk files to a separate folder outside the .zip


4. if unpacked to an empty folder, now zip it up again

As you removed a lot/couple of apps from /system, flashing will require less space there, and no essential parts should be missing any longer. Now if you still want to use e.g. GooglePlus, you can install it via the Playstore (which should place it below /data, so no prob) or, if not found there, use the copy created in step 3 to install it manually (for this, make sure install from other sources is enabled in your settings).

If in doubt whether a file is really needed by the system itself, better leave it (or at least ask first). But I'm pretty sure you will find enough "easy removables", so you won't need to touch those. Before flashing, you could unpack the .zip to an empty folder and check the size of /system (best: make a "before" and an "after" check). It should occupy less than 190MB (better give it some additional safety margin, say "less than 180MB") for your action to complete successfully.

notifications - How do I set Android’s Clock app to vibrate for timers?

When I set my Android to All Notifications Vibrate mode and set a timer with the Clock app, the only notification I get is an on-screen display of the time counting negative past zero. There is no vibration, so I can’t tell that the timer expired when the phone is in my pocket (especially when using headphones with my computer). I can’t figure out how to ask the Clock app to vibrate the device when a timer expires. How do I enable vibrations for this notification? If this is a bug, how do I report it most effectively?

Normal notifications such as toasts will generate a vibration so that I can tell there is a notification when the phone is in my pocket. The normal alarm function of the Clock app will vibrate the device just fine.

I’m using Clock-4.2.1 (2383161) on Android-5.1.1+OxygenOS-2.1.2 on a OnePlus2.

htc one m8 - Globally disable vibration?

Is there a way to disable vibration on HTC One M8 regardless of individual application settings?

I can't conceive of a situation in which I would ever want my phone to vibrate so I'd just assume kill it at the source, if possible. If no soft solution exists I may need to resort to ripping the motor out.

To any hardware engineers out there - build a phone without vibration and I'd buy it in an instant.

Answer

Though a rooted device is needed, and in the case of HTC phones, probably also s-off. Just download VibraFix, which will allow you to completely turn off vibration. It will also allow you to pass through calls and texts, if that is needed.

uninstallation - How can I delete AVG Antivirus on my Xperia Z1?

I have installed AVG Antivirus Free Edition, but when I go to setting to delete it I can't do it, neither the data, only I can delete the cache.

If I go to google play and to AVG Free edition there are 2 options: open and disable. If I select disable appear "This aplications is a administrator of dispositives and you need desactivate it to unistall".

I downloaded 3º app to unistall, but can't unistall it

How can I delete it? Is a non-root device.

Thanks

Answer

You need to go into Settings > Security > Device administrators and uncheck the box next to the AVG app. You will then be able to uninstall the application normally.

applications - List all activities of an app

I have an Android phone which is not rooted.

Is there any way I can obtain/export a list of all installed packages with their available activities?

ADWLauncher has an activity picker in its custom shortcut feature. It lists things like:

Calculator
  Calculator(.Calculator)
Camera
  Camera(.Camera)
  Camcorder(.VideoCamera)

  Camera(.Camera_dual)
  Camera(.VideoCamera_dual) ...

I have apps which generate a list of installed packages, but how can I get something like this showing all the activities?

google play store - Why can't I download apps from the Android Marketplace?

I just bought an HTC Desire S and cannot download apps from the Android Marketplace. I tried to download Skype and it stalled saying "Starting To Download" - nothing happened. Then I tried downloading another app and then it said that app will be soon downloaded, but nothing happened.

Answer

I think i found the problem. I turned option off that lets use 3rd party apps internet connection as was recommended on one blog on power plan optimization on Android.

wi fi - wifi is getting turned off and mobile data is getting turned on automatically

I am facing a weird scenario in my android phone since 2-3 days.

My wi-fi is automatically getting turned off and my mobile data pack is getting turned on.

It has been cost effective 2-3 days.

I have followed different questions on Android forum and stackexchange it self.

I am listing out the suggestions, i have already tried:-

1. Disable battery saver app (I dont have any battery saver app installed)



2. Did restrict background data for each and every app installed on my phone (As many blogs were suggesting the same)

Still am facing this issue.

Model-Micromax A310 Android Version - 4.4.2

applications - Apps download but do not install

I'm using a two-week old HTC Sensation. A number of times now, I've tried to download apps (this is happening on multiple apps, not just one) and although they download, they never install. I can see the download happening and getting to 100% in the status dropdown, but it never continues on to install. I don't get any error messages; it just never goes any further.

This happens regardless of whether I download the app from the Market on the phone, market.android.com on my computer, or the Amazon app market.

Android version 2.3.3.

Any ideas?

usb connection mode - How can I troubleshoot MTP on my Galaxy Nexus

My Galaxy Nexus 4.2.2 won't show up as a MTP device anymore. It looks like the phone is the problem, I want to debug the problem from that end.

Like many before me, I tried everything, and then some :

• Using Ubuntu 13.04 or Windows 7, on 3 computers


• Cleaning the USB port on the phone


• Using the original cables


• Reboot with or without the cable, with or without the SIM card


• Removing the battery all night (after shutting down the phone) to clear everything from memory


• Uninstalling Google Play Music (I only use MTP to sync music)

I also have a second phone that shows up as a MTP device and syncs just fine. It is also a Galaxy Nexus running 4.2.2. Neither of them are rooted. So I think the phone must be the problem.

How can I troubleshoot or debug MTP problems on the phone ?

4.0 ice cream sandwich - Did ICS stop supporting clicking a number in text to dial?

I used to be able to click a number inside text (email or web page) to dial it. After upgrading to ics this feature seems to have been removed. Is that so? Any way to get it back?

UPDATE: it seems to work with US phone numbers, but not ones that are used in my country (Israel). Can it be that my carrier forgot to update the pattern for recognizing numbers as phone numbers?

How can I override the Device Administrator security policy so that I can disable the lock screen?

On Android 2.2 Froyo, I added my Corporate Exchange Email account to the phone, however, the security policy set by the "Device Administrator" requires that I enter a 4-digit PIN at the lock screen and a maximum 10 seconds idle.

How can I hack my Android, through root access or otherwise, such that I do not need to follow this security policy. I am very annoyed at having to enter the PIN every time I want to use the phone, because I open/close it so often through out the day?

Answer

If you buy the TouchDown app (30 day free trial available), the lock code will not be on the phone, but on the app. That's ever so much better.

How to access intenal storage or internal memory of Android while conecting to PC?

I am connecting my Android device to PC, but its not show my internal storage.

Is there a method to access the internal storage of Android while connecting the android device to PC.

settings - I accidently deleted LG home on my LG p500 phone

I did a system reset after having deleted LG home on my LG android phone p500. I thought the system app would be restored, but the fact is now. I don't have a "desktop". I cant get to anywhere now on my phone, it is just one big black screen. Anyway that I could fix it? Thanks a million.

tasker - How can I disable notification for a specific gmail account during certain hours?

My work and personal emails are attached to my phone. I'd like to avoid getting any notifications of work emails after hours.

If this can be done with Tasker, I can't figure out how. I can disable notifications in the gmail settings manually, but not sure how to affect this setting with Tasker.

• I still want to receive notifications to my personal email


• I still want to receive notifications in general


• I still want my work email to sync (so I can check if I need you)

Answer

Toggling the syncing of Gmail for the account is the best option. Turning of Gmail sync on a Google account in Android does not prevent you from fetching mail for that account via a method such as "pull to refresh" when you are viewing that account in the Gmail app.

I use Synker to integrate with Tasker, though I know there are other apps that expose Tasker control of specific sync settings on an account by account basis.

The basic outline I have is as follows:

• A profile named "Work" whose conditions are a combination of a time, 9am-5pm, and a Date, Mon-Fri. It has the same entry and exit task.


• A task named "Work" that has two items: one to set the sync options of my work Google account to have Gmail sync on that is conditional on if %PACTIVE ~ *Work*, one to set the sync options of my work Google account to /not/ sync Gmail if %PACTIVE !~ *Work*

If I want to read work email when sync is not on for that account, I just open Gmail, switch to that account, and swipe down ("pull to refresh"), fetching the messages from the server.

how to open a .hbk files which contains the sms backup from htc one s

I can't open the backup of sms because after sending it on my mail I discovered it's a hbk file. How can you open this type of file?

I need to print them! thanks

5.0 lollipop - How do I manage users on my HTC One with Android 5?

I have HTC One (M7) with Android 5.0.2 (the unlocked ROM 7.17.1540.7 from HTC website). I want to set up several user accounts.

I've found two documented ways to do it:

• 
  

  The one concerns Nexus and consists of opening the settings and “ under 'Device,' touch[ing] Users.” There is no “Device” group, the only groups I have are “Wireless & networks”, “Personal” and “Phone”. There is no “Users” in any of those three groups.

  
  


• 
  

  The other one (also here) seems to apply to any Android 5 device, and asserts the following:

  
  
  

  
  

  Pull down your notification shade, and you'll see your user icon

  
  

  
  

  There is no user icon there. At the very top, there is the name of the operator. Below, I can see the time and date at the very left, and a settings icon at the right. If I expand quick settings panel, at the left of settings icon a new icon appears, allowing to go to “Edit Quick Settings.”

  
  

In settings, there is “Accounts & sync” element, but it looks like it handles online accounts used by different applications, making it possible, for example, to associate my Google account with the device. This is how “Add an account” looks like:

What am I doing wrong? How can I create users?

Answer

This might not be a solution¹ for your device and situation, but explaining the issue and possible help others working around it:

When it was "invented" with 4.2-jelly-bean, the multi-user feature was intended for tablets only. One of the reasons behind that was e.g. what to do with incoming calls and SMSs: to what user should those belong? Does the (one-and-only) SIM belong to the primary user? So what shall we do when (one of) the secondary user(s) is currently logged-in and working?

"It is not at all clear how it should work on a phone, specifically with respect to SMS and phone calls," writes Dan Morrill, Google Engineer and a regular on the popular /r/Android subreddit

^{Source: AndroidPolice}

With 5.0-lollipop this seems to have slightly changed, as you've pointed out in a comment on your question:

Even a smartphone […] now offers multiple user accounts.

[…] When Google released Android 4.2 it included multiple user accounts for tablets; however, smartphone users were left in the cold. This has now changed.

^{Source: CNet}

And the official pages even state, without explicitly restricting that to any manufacturer:

You can create up to 4 users on a phone and 8 users on a tablet.

Still, not all manufacturers decided to "jump that train". Some simply "patched out" the corresponding menu entries from the settings app (in which case you can use e.g. Activity Launcher to reveal and use it), others removed that functionality altogether (seemingly the case with your device). In the latter case, there's nothing you can do without rooting your device.¹

---

^{1: solutions in your case require the device to be rooted; then follow up Arielle's answer}

airpush - Is this red star icon malware? How to get rid of it?

Every now and then a red star icon appears on my brother's notification bar, as shown below. The message related to this notification is some advert like "Turbo Boost Your Battery". He has been installing software from doubtful places, so my guess it is some sort of malware he accidentally installed.

I'm not very familiar with Android, but my guess was to identify the process responsible for the notification. So I checked the process list, but nothing out of the ordinary was shown. I tried force-closing all processes (some returned although all of them originated from HTC or his carrier), but nothing made the star disappear. How can the malware be detected and removed?

Notification icon:

Notification message:

Answer

Definitely looks like a case of AirPush. This is a particularly invasive form of in-app advertising that uses the notification bar, even if the app utilizing it is not actively running. Technicaly it's not malware but adware, although the way it manifests itself certainly blurs the line between the two. The only way to stop these ads from appearing in your notification bar is to uninstall the application that came bundled with AirPush.

There are several apps on the Market that can help you detect which app uses the AirPush, so that you can uninstall them.

[Edit]
Apparently AirPush gave in to the public outcry and are now providing ways to opt out of their invasive ads: http://www.airpush.com/optout You can either download their "opt-out" app, or manually enter your device's unique IMEI/ESN/MEID on their site. Personally, I'd still uninstall the bundled app, since both opt-out methods would most likely use bandwidth for connecting to AirPush servers to authenticate against their databases.

backup - Transfer WhatsApp chat from iPhone to Android

I recently moved from iPhone to Android, now I want to transfer all my WhatsApp chats to my new Android phone from iPhone, but the problem is WhatsApp doesn't have any feature to transfer chats between different platforms, so I was looking for third-party apps which can make this possible, but no luck till now, please share your thoughts and experiences.

Answer

You can use a third party app to take the data and migrate it. You can use the following apps:

1. Backuptrans



2. WazzapMigrator


3. Dr. Fone

Alternatively, you can email yourself the backup file from the WhatsApp and import it on the new phone:

On your iPhone, launch the WhatsApp App and then go to "Settings > Chat Settings" on the interface.   Select the WhatsApp chat messages you want to transfer from iPhone to Android and swipe the pane to left. Then you need to tap on "More" button and choose "Export Chat". After that, you would be asked Whether to attach media or not.   Choose the e-mail to export and type in your email address as the way you do to send an e-mail, and then please press "Send".

charging - Can a faulty Micro-USB cable cause damage to your device?

Hardware damage caused by USB Type-C cables by drawing too much power has been widely reported:

Is Micro-USB affected?

Can other apps play music from my Google Music library?

I have uploaded my song collection to Google Play Music, and use my phone to listen to them.

Now, if I copy the original music files directly to my phone storage, I can then use any app I want to play them. But what about music synced via Google Play Music?

If I download the songs to my phone in offline mode, can any other app be used to play the same collection (just like with the files), or are they only accessible by Google Play Music app?

Google Nexus S USB Drivers for Windows 7 64Bit

Anyone knows how to get the Google Nexus S to be recognized by the Windows OS. The only option I could find was to download the Android SDK and then use the driver from there, but unfortunately, it is a very big download and I wish to find a faster way to connect and check the files and folders on my Nexus S

Answer

The USB Driver for Windows is available for download as an optional SDK component. You need the driver only if you are developing on Windows and want to connect an Android-powered device (ADP, Nexus One, or Nexus S) to your development environment over USB.

Are you going to develop android app or just want to browse the internal memory?

http://developer.android.com/sdk/win-usb.html

5.0 lollipop - Disabled MTP, cannot access setting to enable

I have an AOSP rom of android 5.0. I unchecked the MTP checkbox in the settings, all options turned grey, a few seconds later the activity closed and now I cannot open it again to enable MTP. I've tried restarts and unplugging cable.

The setting under storage > [menu] -> USB computer connection does nothing when I click it.

How can I reenable MTP (or any usb transfer option really)?

uninstallation - How do I remove an app installed if the buttons in "Manage Applications" are locked and can't be pressed?

I didn't download the application from Google Play and got the apk from a website and installed it on my tablet. But the app wasn't the one I needed and it was just making offers for me to get other apps.

Now I want to uninstall it but in "Manage Applications " all the buttons there are locked and can't be pressed, including the uninstall and move to SD card.

What do I do to get rid of it? It's taking up space on my internal memory.

Last seen time for Whatsapp contact not showing anymore

Is there any reason - other than being blocked - that I wouldn't be able to see a WhatsApp contact's "last seen" time any more?

Unable to connect Galaxy S3 to PC via USB

I've had my Galaxy S3 for a few months now, and have always been able to connect to my PC via USB. A few days ago, it suddenly stopped working. I've found many other Android.SE threads, but none have been able to answer my question.

Symptoms: when I plug the phone in via USB, the phone beeps, I get a lightning bolt on my battery, but that's it. There are no USB options in the pull-down status bar, and the PC does not recognize that a device has been plugged in. Click screenshot for full size.

PC System: Windows 7 x64 with the latest drivers and Kies software from Samsung.

Phone info:

• Samsung SGH-i747


• Android version 4.0.4


• Baseband version I747UCLG1



• Kernel Version 3.0.8-704434-user


• Build number IMM76D.I747UCALG1

What I've tried:

• My wife has an identical Galaxy S3--I plugged her S3 into the same cable, and it was recognized immediately. So I know the PC and cable are both working correctly.


• Uninstalled and reinstalled the drivers several times anyway -- alone AND with the Kies software.


• Every USB port on the box


• Factory data reset--both from the setup menu, and the diagnostic bootup menu


• USB debugging mode, both on and off.



• Changing the UART and USB settings in the *#7284# PhoneUtil. After my last factory reset, it's set to PDA/MTP+ADB.

Anything else I should try? Is there a way to determine if the USB plug on the phone is bad?

Edit: screenshot from my wife's phone, using the same computer, same cable:

Answer

Update: Try cleanup and reinstall of drivers as mentioned here. Seems to have worked for others.

This seems to be a known issue, and many have had success by using a different cable, connecting to a USB 3 port etc, but clearly, those won't work in your case.

Not sure what your usual usage is, but for file transfers, you can use Airdroid, which connects through wifi.

5.0 lollipop - Nexus 7 2013 error upgrading to 5.0.2 OTA

I updated to 5.0.1 via OTA sometime ago, and it worked fine. Now I got a notification that 5.0.2 is ready but when Android shuts down to install update it returns error (with no other message. My Nexus 7 is rooted but has the stock recovery.

Is there an easy fix that doesn't require factory reset or installing recovery?

shell - is there a way to run *.sh file by just touching it in a file manager?

I mean like it is when user opens an image file a pane opens where user can select app for given type. But when I'm clicking on *.sh file the first option that shows up is to open as text/audio/video/image and when I'm choosing to open it as text there is no terminal app in the list. I've installed Xposed framework but this app only allows to remove some of the apps from the list but I cannot find an option to add a terminal to *.sh file as allowed app.

What I mean is it to be like on desktop operating systems where a console shows up and prints and executes all the commands in file.

Now what I do is:
1. open *.sh file in text editor.
2. select all the code
3. copy to clipboard
4. open terminal app
5. paste code into terminal

6. don't forget to press enter to execute last line of the text that was pasted

2.2 froyo - Why am I getting a "Low on Space" warning and having other weird problems?

Yesterday I got a warning that the "phone storage space is low." Because of that I can't receive SMS messages. I tried to uninstall applications - the system shows me that the application is being uninstalled but after restart I see the application again (i.e. I tried to remove Adobe AIR - 16 MB). Also when I try to delete threads of messages, it doesn't delete theme. The weirdest thing is that after I "free" space and I check the internal storage in the system phone storage setting, I see that the available space in the internal phone storage is lower than before...

Moreover I can't install any application that can help me: cache cleaner or something else.

Does someone know how to overcome this problem?

Samsung Galaxy 7" (GT-P6210) USB debugging is not detecting in Linux?

I am using ubuntu Linux 10.04 Pc in that my Samsung Galaxy 7" (GT-P6210) homeycomb 3.2 is not detecting for development its showing in eclipse as

DeviceMonitor] Failed to start monitoring ???????????? in console

and in device tab its showing ?????????????.

Except this 7' GT-P6210 Samsung tablet all other Samsung devices are showing fine.

When I switch off the tablet and connected to the USB its showing the number and online as status. List of devices attached 4641199B0F8488AE device

why? whats the problem any solution.

NOTE: I already Added 51-android.rules

Samsung 04E8 

and also I enabled the USB debugging mode.

Its working fine in Mac.

I found that only its not detecting in updated ADT r16, except all other ADT version device is detecting very fine.

any idea?

proximity sensor - Is there a device that will keep me from losing my Android phone?

Recently I lost my phone and have had to order a replacement. It seems that there should be some sort of device I could use that would sound an alarm when I separate more than, say three meters from my phone. Does anyone know of such a device?

I tried searching for a proximity sensor but got only irrelevant stuff about the sensor that detects when the phone is being held up to the ear. It seems that "proximity sensor" is the wrong search term.

Answer

There's no easy way to control the mentioned scenario, since you may get away from your phone, leaving behind the device used to alert you.

I've been playing around with an APP, that basically runs a task when a certain action occurs within your phone.

The test I performed, was having my phone playing a really loud sound if my phone gets disconnected from the bluetooth earpiece. It works, I go away from my phone and as soon as the bluetooth gets out of range, the phone starts to play the music. I hear the music and remind myself that my phone was left behind.

Of course that if you use Dragon V2 Bluetooth Headset, it will only get out of range after 100 meters, which is roughly 10 times more distance than a regular Bluetooth earpiece. :)

Tasker

Tasker by Crafty Apps available from Google Play Store (4,49€)

From their website you have a free 14-day trial download.

settings - Improve Nexus 4 Vibration Intensity

This is basically the same question as posed here: Increase vibrate strength

I thought there might be a different answer for the Nexus 4, however, seeing as how it's a different manufacturer and the OS has changed slightly.

I came from using a Nexus S which had a really good vibrate. With the Nexus 4, however, even with nothing else in my pocket sometimes I can't feel it. I'm used to being able to get a slight buzz or something if I set my phone down on my desk but with the Nexus 4, the best I can hope for is a slight buzz if it's on a hard surface. Touching papers or something else? Better hope you were looking at the phone, otherwise you're going to miss incoming calls.

For other Nexus 4 owners, is this a noticeable issue with your phone? Maybe mine is slightly defective. If not, is there any way to boost the intensity or strength of the vibration through settings?

I've seen that the Galaxy phones have a vibration setting that can be adjusted but I can't seem to find something similar on the Nexus 4.

htc droid incredible - If I root my Android phone, will I lose all of my data?

As the question title implies, if I root my Droid Incredible (or any Android phone), will I lose all of my data? I'm not interested in installing a custom ROM right now so will rooting cause me to lose my data? Also, which tool should I use to root the phone?

Edit #1: Based on a suggestion, I rooted my Incredible using Unrevoked, and I didn't lose any information.

Answer

Short answer: no

Long answer:

Rooting -- if successful -- doesn't change any of your data, it just gives you root access.

Now, if you reflash your phone's ROM -- something you can only do with root access -- then, yeah, you might lose stuff. A lot of people automatically associate rooting with switching ROMs, since rooting is required. But you can root, and then do nothing, if you want.

I'm so lazy, I rooted and installed a screenshot app; but it was so worth it. [Okay, not lazy -- I just don't have the need nor desire for much else, at the moment. But if I want to, I can.]

Caveat: anything done really, really wrong can screw things up. See: Are there any risks to rooting a device?

How do I change incorrect album art on the default Music Player of the Samsung Galaxy S III?

One of my albums has a completely unrelated album art associated with it. I cannot find the album details and hope to get the album art that way because it's an independent album. The album art I'm trying to use is actually a scan of the album itself. I have tried:

• Renaming the album and album folder, deleting the previous folder from my phone, and ending my music player's process.


• Deleting the album's folder from the phone, and moving the folder somewhere else.


• Changed the album art to different images that are slightly different images with Windows Media Player, then uploading AlbumArt.jpg, Folder.jpg, etc. into the album's directory.

I've probably tried a few more, but I can't remember at the moment. It's very annoying having to look at this low-quality, unrelated album art whenever I start playing my music.

Answer

Though my other answer might still work, it spams the Music directory with album art which is then picked up by the Gallery and obfuscates actual user content.

Instead of my previous answer, I would suggest just using Mp3tag and embedding album art in each MP3 manually. Using either the AlbumArt.jpg or the Folder.jpg created by Windows is not as good because they are both usually 200x200, which will be pixelated when viewed in the Music Player on the phone.

Does a carrier know I am tethering via Wifi Hotspot?

I am using my phone's built in Wifi Hotspot to share wifi with my laptop and my other devices. I am using android 2.3 (Gingerbread), and the phone I have is the HTC Desire Z.

Questions

Is it possible for a carrier to detect that I am using "Wifi Hotspot" and sharing my mobile data connection with other devices?

Furthermore, is Wifi Hotspot a feature that most android devices have? and is it a feature that can be disabled by the carrier (on a phone-by-phone basis)?

Answer

It is not detectable, but using tethering on Android with an second device leaves a lot of traces:

• User-Agent Headers within HTTP that come from non-mobile browser


• Increased Traffic consumption


• Connection to services that are not available on Android/Smartphone devices (e.g. World of Warcraft)

and many more I can't think of atm.

But I have never heard of a carrier that goes for a trial, even if it's a violation of services from most carrier contracts. IMHO Mobile carriers have other problems at the moment, like overall increased mobile data traffic because of the smartphone boom. These is currently handled by soft limits of data traffic, that when reached only allow traffic over 2G connections. Or, to answer your second question, if you buy a smartphone from some carriers, the build in tethering function is locked and not usable.

wi fi - How to turn-off WiFi when there's no Internet available on the connection?

I have a wifi hotspot that is always on but sometimes internet isn't available within the connection; in such a situations, the phone is connected as expected to the wifi hotspot but because there's no internet, apps can't check for updates(messages) so I wont be notified of incoming messages from IM apps unless I manually turn off wifi and use mobile data for internet connectivity(2g or 3g for example)

Is there any way to automatically check for internet availability (by pinging a website maybe) and if there's no internet available within the connected wifi network, turn the wifi off? (so that the phone can use mobile data for internet connectivity)

Answer

tasker should be capable of that. It can execute HTTP_GET commands, and it can also deal with data connections; but for the latter, depending on the Android version you're running on your device, you might need root access to toggle data connection.

Tasker uses (combinations of) "conditions" (also called "context") to trigger "tasks" – which both together is called a "profile". So you would need a profile for that. Let's go step-by-step:

Your condition will be a time-based one, as you want to check connectivity periodically. Chose wisely here: checking too often might become a battery-drain – checking to rarely makes the whole thing useless. Play starting with 1 minute, and maybe go down to 30s if that's not enough.

The task then is a conditional one, which could be described as "switch off WiFi if I cannot reach the internet". So let's put that together:

• Condition:
  
  
  
  • Time.
    In the fields, define the time frame this should be active in, and the "repeat" interval.
  
  
  • WiFi connected.
    I recommend adding that to safe some juice: If you're already on mobile data with WiFi turned off, there's no need to turn WiFi off – right? Alternatively, you could also use %WIFI ~ on – but that could give you a headache when you just switch it on and, failing to retrieve the URL, Tasker switches it off before it connects ;)
  
  
  
  
  


• Task:
  
  
  
  • HTTP Get
  
  
  • WiFi (off) IF %HTTPR ~ -1
  
  
  
  

%HTTPR is a Tasker variable where the response code is stored into. According to the Tasker UserGuide, A response code of -1 indicates a problem making the request. This problem should be a timeout or "network unreachable" error (as a "not found" should be a "404" code), but you might need to play with this.

The above doesn't cover an "automatic return", so you had to enable WiFi manually (though that could be automated by a second "profile", periodically checking if things changed).

instant messaging - How can I turn off Facebook IM permanently?

Since I got a new google phone (G2) the facebook app has been running constantly. I turn it off and it still is running for some reason. Not a problem except that it always looks like I'm screwing around on Facebook and people send me IMs like "go to bed" or "hello? you aren't replying" etc. I don't like that people can just IM me any time they want and that my phone says I'm available on Facebook when I'm asleep or at work or whatever the case may be. (it looks like I'm unproductive)

There doesn't seem to be a way to turn off Facebook IM from my mobile device. Does anyone have any suggestions

Answer

The newest version of the Facebook app does not include chat. You can uninstall or disable the Facebook Messenger application to keep IM from running.

---

In the older official Facebook for Android app, you can shut off chat via the following:

1. Start up Facebook


2. Make sure you're in the main menu (press Back if it shows the news feed)


3. Click "Chat"


4. Press the Menu button and hit "Go Offline"

adb - Android 6: connect as camera per default

When I connect an Android 6 phone with my pc via USB, it always connects as "USB for charging". I have to set it to "connect as camera" (PTP) manually (for ADB to work) every time.

Can I set a default option somewhere and haven't found it yet?

Answer

While there may be a hack around somewhere (I don't have Android M yet), Google, in the changelog of Android 6.0 has noted:

Device connections through the USB port are now set to charge-only mode by default. To access the device and its content over a USB connection, users must explicitly grant permission for such interactions.

Well, the answer is no for now, officially, that is.

security - deactivate PIN-request after airplane mode

When switching on the phone, one is by default asked to enter the SIM-PIN -- which is a good security measure, to prevent "strangers" from causing you costs. Now the same applies when returning from airplane mode: one has to enter the SIM-PIN again. Which renders certain energy-savers useless: if an app e.g. enters airplane mode on signal loss (see: What is Cell standby and how can I keep it from eating my battery?), it would be unable to return to normal operation without user interaction.

I'm looking for a way to selectively disable this: Have the PIN request active when powering up the device -- but not being asked for the SIM-PIN when returning from airplane mode.

Please do not confuse this with "keyguard": I'm not asking about the screen lock (PIN/pattern/password). Here I know my way around, as there is an API for apps to use (so I can e.g. temporarily turn this off with Tasker).

I know this works with Samsung devices -- but I preferably want a device independent solution which works for all manufacturers.

Answer

DISCLAIMER

1. This needs root. No way around that one.


2. Your device must be running Android 4.1+


3. This workaround may be too advanced for some users. Only try to apply it when you know what you're doing.


4. I'm not to be held responsible if something goes awry or Ragnarök starts during the process. You're doing this on your own risk. Proceed with caution.


5. I'm not the author of or otherwise affiliated with any of the mods mentioned. I merely found this and I'm sharing it for your benefit.

WORKAROUND

I found a workaround for the problem that's working beautifully on a Samsung Galaxy S2 with Cyanogenmod 10.2 and Dorimanx Kernel 9.41 installed. The necessary steps are as follows:

1. 
   
   

   Make sure your device is rooted.

   
   


2. 
   

   Download and install Xposed Framework Installer.

   
   


3. 
   

   When Xposed asks for root anywhere in the near future, grant it.

   
   


4. 
   

   Open the app and click on Framework -Tab.

   
   
   


5. 
   

   Click Install/Update.

   
   


6. 
   

   Reboot.

   
   


7. 
   

   Download and install Jelly Bean 4.x Airplane Mode Helper.

   
   



8. 
   

   Open Xposed Framework Installer-App again and select Modules.

   
   


9. 
   

   Tick (set active) Jelly Bean 4.x Airplane Mode Helper.

   
   


10. 
    

    Reboot.

    
    


11. 
    
    

    Open Jelly Bean 4.x Airplane Mode Helper.

    
    


12. 
    

    Tick (set active) Enabled.

    
    


13. 
    

    Reboot.

    
    

That's it! Airplane Mode should work again as in previous Android versions and does not ask for SIM-PIN any longer when being turned off. It still does at startup, though, thus keeping your SIM-Card somewhat safe. I set up an automated battery saving procedure with Llama Location Profiles similar to the one described here (Thx a bunch, Izzy) and it's working flawlessly.

Good luck, folks!

hardware - How can I tell if my installed Android version, not CPU, is a 64 bit or 32 bit one?

As long as a 64 bit CPU is supposed to execute 32 bit programs, it is sometimes hard to know which one do I have installed on my device.

There are programs that require this knowledge, like the Xposed Framework installer.

What could be considered the proper method, whether be it ADB, command-line or software?

I used to do on desktop Linux:

 sudo uname -a

Maybe there is some equivalent for Android?

Further data:

• 
  

  Some programs that should inform about this are not clear enoguh for me. This is a example of some AIDA64 report. Even when it shows 32 bit, is this info about the operating system? I would say it is just about the hardware:

  
  

  _{(Click image to enlarge; my AIDA64 is in Spanish)}

  
  

  

  
  

Question extended to this other

Answer

uname -m will display the architecture of the running kernel. This is different than whatever your hardware may be capable of running.

Unfortunately, you have to know which architectures are 32-bit and which are 64-bit. But you can easily find this out.

For example, my m7 displays arm7l. A quick search confirms that this is a 32-bit architecture, meaning that my running kernel was compiled as a 32-bit executable.

Viewing web pages offline

I have a lot of saved web pages that I want to view whenever I want without the page connecting to the web site (I can do this on WM). How do I do this on Android? Every time I click on the HTML file it says "no connection".

twrp - Moto X rooting - ROM doesn't boot, but have Safestrap

I'm in a curious position. I don't have a working ROM on my Moto X, but I can boot into Safestrap, and from there fastboot. If I could get a ROM onto the device I could flash it with Safestrap, but I can't find a way of doing that.

The 'adb sideload' feature of Safestrap/TWRP runs, but the only safestrap-able ROM I have is 4.4.2, and my device lacks the kernel. I tried sideloading the stock 4.2.2, but that simply fails without installing, once loaded on the device.

Fastboot will recognize the device, but trying to flash anything, or do 'fastboot boot', gives 'permission denied' or 'command restricted'.

I can execute commands on the device from Safestrap, so in theory I have a working if crippled Linux OS running. I just can't seem to get files on it. Any help?

security - What is Direct Boot or File Encryption in Android N

The title says it all

What is it and how does it help users?

While this is a self answered question, additional inputs especially from hands on experience are welcome

Answer

TL;DR In previous Android versions you risked missing notifications, text messages etc, in case your phone rebooted or restarted for some reason when you didn't notice. Reason being, you had to boot in with your password or PIN for the device and apps in it to communicate notifications. In Nougat, this is overcome by allowing the device to boot (without any security risk) without entering PIN or password and access limited functionality such as notifications. You would however need to sign with your PIN or password for complete access of your device

Source

• 
  

  To overcome such problems, in Android Nougat, Google decided to add a new type of system encryption that it calls “File Encryption" This is comprised of two different types of data:

  
  

  Credential encrypted data: This data is protected and is only accessible once the device has been fully unlocked via PIN, pattern, or password. In practice, this acts similarly to full-disk encryption in terms of user experience.

  
  

  Device encrypted data: This is what’s new in Nougat. It makes certain non-personal data available to the operating system before the user inputs their unlock info. This includes generic system files needed to get the OS up and running in a usable state, allowing Nougat to boot up to the lock screen without any user interaction.

  
  



• 
  

  With this, developers can also push certain files into this encrypted space, allowing things like alarms, phone calls, and notifications to come through before the device has been fully unlocked. That means no accidentally sleeping in because your phone crashed and rebooted in the middle of the night.

  
  

When apps are allowed to run in this “device encrypted” state, they can push data to credential encrypted storage, but they can’t read it—it’s a one-way street.

• Android’s file-based encryption is also known by a much simpler name: “Direct Boot”. This name, which doesn’t really exist in Android’s menus but was used at Google I/O with the announcement of Nougat.

Related How does Nougat encryption work technically?

Additional Reading: All The New Security Improvements In Android N