cyanogenmod - How to Play Pokémon Go in High Accuracy GPS -mode with Oneplus 2 of CM13?

It is possible to play Pokémon Go in GPS only mode in Oneplus 2 of CM13 as described in the thread Can you play Pokémon Go on Oneplus 2 with CM13? However, the application does not work in the high accuracy mode with the device. I would like to understand which technology Wifi/Bluetooth/... is disturbing the game and GPS, in order to understand how to play the game in the high accuracy mode. I have not seen the same problem with Samsung Galaxy Phones of CM13. Fig. 1 Output in High Accuracy Mode

Test configurations tested in High Accuracy Mode

1. Fresh installation of the OS - no difference


2. Clean memory before starting Pokemon or not - no difference


3. Bluetooth on and off - no difference



4. Power saving mode on and off - no difference


5. Google Wear installed but no devices connected to the application; tested also as uninstalled - no difference


6. All internet gadgets (Pebble, Xiaomi Mi Band 2) disconnected from the phone - no difference


7. Using own local wifi network or not - no difference


8. ...

System: CM13
Phone: Oneplus 2
Pokémon Go: 0.33.0

Answer

This is Pokemon's server side problem. You cannot do anything here but wait that the company improves. Now, the situation is better.

4.0 ice cream sandwich - How to install Android apps without having Google Play?

If you have Google Play application installed is very easy to find and install an application. But some devices seem not to have Google Play application installed. Maybe you can use Google Play in browser to search for those applications.

Is there a way you can find and download the .apk files if you know the application name without rooting and installing Google Play application?

Answer

What you're referring to here is called sideloading - this is a term used when loading an app on to a device without using the/a market store.

It is possible to get APK files for apps, but there're generally good reasons why most developers don't make these publicly available - some developers will make these available thought, it depends on the individual.

I would email the developer in question and ask if you could have an APK version of the app. I wouldn't imagine that they would have any issues with this if your request is legitimate and above board.

How can I share my current GPS location from google maps?

I'm at a screen such as this and I'd like to share the exact GPS location of the blue marker (not just the approximate address). The only way I've found is to get directions to somewhere, share the link to clipboard, paste it somewhere, copy out the starting coordinates, paste them back into maps and then share that. Is there a better way?

Answer

Here's what I can do on the current Play Store version of Google maps. (9.22.1)

From your screenshot, it appears that your GPS position is not accurate. In "location settings", choose "high accuracy". Get out where there's no concrete roof above your phone.

Let GPS get a good fix on your position.

Zoom in on the screen. Press and hold on the "blue dot" for a menu to appear with details of the location.

Then click the "share" button.

Choose "copy to clipboard", if that's what you want. Else choose an app to share your location info.

samsung galaxy s - Can only access 2.2GB of internal storage from Windows

Anyone have any thoughts about this:

It seems to me that when the phone's internal storage is mounted using the Mass Storage mode, Windows only sees the first 2.2GB of space. If I try to format it using Windows, I only get an option to create a 2.2GB FAT32 partition. If I format using the Captivate's formatting tool, it creates a 13.03GB partition. Now the fun part:

The Captivate seems to be able to read/write from the whole 13GB partition fine. However, Windows seems to be only to access the first 2GB of that 13GB partition. While I can see all the files listed, trying to read from file that were created after the first 2GB returns an error, and trying to copy additional files from windows to the internal storage once the 2GB limit is reached results in an error.

Using Kies, I was able to copy files from the internal storage that were stored past the 2GB barrier.

Anyone have any thoughts about this?

browser - How to disable redirects from Google Search results to Android apps (different issue from 2014)?

This is no duplicate of the same titled questions from 2014: The list of recent "answers" of disgruntled users shows that this is a new problem that seems to have surfaced just recently. As the "answer" by @Greeble formulates it:

When I searched Google for the webpage you're reading right now, and clicked on it, it took me to the Google Play store and asked me to download the stackexchange app. A different search result to a problem forum resulted in me being directed to download the Tapatalk app. Interestingly, clicking "open in new tab" prevents this annoying behavior.

I have the same problem with the Dolphin browser, but it is more than just Wikipedia.

For me it is a Firefox latest version, while a stone-age Chrome browser does not have this problem.

My hunch is that it is actually Google's search results itself that are instrumented to link to their Play Store. Of course this cannot be checked on a desktop. I tried checking the page source with a Firefox extension, but this was all just javascript gibberish, hard to make sense of.

Is there any way to see the HTML on an Android similar to the developer functionality we have in desktop browsers?

Is there a way to get rid of this nonsense again?

Answer

It is suspected that this issue is related to Google's roll-out of the ability to install apps directly from search results. The install links are supposed to be clearly marked, but that was not happening here. At the moment, I believe this is fixed because Google results are showing separate Install links and I am not being redirected to any apps otherwise.

If it's still happening for you, there are a few half-solutions I've seen suggested:

• Use a desktop view/user agent when searching Google (I.e., Menu → "Request desktop site" in Chrome)


• Long press on the search result you want and open it in a new tab


• Try a different browser and make sure you have the latest version.


• Use a different search engine.

How do I retrieve timestamps from my Firefox download history?

I'm looking for a way to retrieve timestamps of my download history at the full precision that they are stored at, preferably to at least second precision.

Unfortunately though, without obtaining root permission over my phone, I don't have access to my own user data at /data/, so I'm trying to figure out a way to do this through Firefox using JavaScript.

Situation: I made the big mistake of moving pictures and videos from the internal storage of my phone to a microSD card using Android's stock tool to do so (‘Settings’ → ‘Storage’ → ‘Transfer data to SD card’). Unfortunately, this bumped the timestamps of all of the files, and also messed around with directories other than DCIM/ (images and videos were also moved from the Download/, image/, Pictures/, and video/ directories). In hindsight it seems silly that I used such a tool (I'd normally use Ghost Commander), but it appeared as a notification when running low on internal storage space and it just looked so easy. I've since been trying to piece back together the timestamps of the various images and videos.

I have restored the timestamps of photos and recorded videos in DCIM/100ANDRO/ based on timestamps in their embedded metadata (see this Unix & Linux Q/A), and I've figured out how to restore the timestamps of all of the images and videos in the image/, Pictures/, and video/ directories, but I'm still stuck with how to restore the images in Download/.

The embedded metadata of these files isn't going to help me to restore their timestamps, because I want to restore them back to when I obtained the file (i.e. downloaded it), so I need to get access to my Firefox data and obtain the download timestamps. Once I have the timestamps, I'll then be able to touch the files to approximately the correct timestamp that they had before Android lost them.

I'm using mobile Firefox 27.0 on Android 4.3.

security - How to switch screen unlock from Pattern to Slide

On my Nexus 7 2013 Wi-Fi with Android 5.0.1 Lollipop I used the Slide setting for the lock screen. To experiment with a VPN, I switched to pattern lock.

After deleting the VPN entry I had created, I tried to switch back to Slide. However, the Slide and None options are grayed out and unusable under Settings -> Security -> Screen lock. Only the Pattern, PIN, and Password options are available.

How can I switch from Pattern to Slide?

Answer

Try this:

1. Open your Settings.


2. Scroll down and select Security.


3. Clear Credentials.


4. Check the Screen Lock setting to see if the low-security options are now enabled.

If that doesn't work, you can revert your lockscreen security to Slide.

1. Set your lockscreen security to Pattern from Settings>Security>Screen Lock.


2. Click the power button on your phone to lock it.


3. Click the power button again, but don't unlock your phone. There should be a button labelled Forgot Password. Note: On some devices, you may need to incorrectly enter the password/pattern several times until that option appears.



4. Enter your Google account credentials.


5. Your lock settings should now be Slide. Note: With this method, the option for Slide security will still by disabled, but you should still have it as the lockscreen security on your phone.

settings - Is it posible to change the locale of my device?

In my Android phone when I go to Settings -> Language and Keyboard Settings -> Select Language I see "Locale" as the title on the top row and see that only few languages are listed. I suspect its because of this "Locale" setting.

Where I can change it so that all supported languages will be listed? Under Settings -> Language & Keyboard I don't see a "Locale" option.

Answer

The keyboard settings shows all supported languages no matter the locale of the device, so if a language is not listed than it's not supported. A good alternative is AnysoftKeyboard; you can download language packs for it.

How to save files to external SD card on a non-rooted Android?

I'm using the Terminal Emulator app on a non-rooted Android 5.0.2 phone.

When moving files from a folder of the external SD card to another with:

mv /storage/extSdCard/DCIM/Camera/* /storage/extSdCard/phone/

I get:

mv: rename /storage/extSdCard/DCIM/Camera/20170519_161315.jpg to 
     /storage/extSdCard/phone/20170519_161315.jpg: Permission denied

Is there a solution for this (without rooting the phone)?

---

Note: ls -la in /storage/extSdCard gives:

drwxrwx--x root     sdcard_r          2016-08-10 02:18 Android
drwxrwx--- root     sdcard_r          2016-11-20 09:45 DCIM
...
drwxrwx--- root     sdcard_r          2017-05-19 15:46 phone

battery - Does constant charging harm my Android cellphone?

I usually disconnect my cellphone from the charger some time after it's fully charged because I'm afraid the battery could lose capacity over time if I don't. However, I believe modern electronics should be able to handle this kind of scenario and automatically stop charging the battery once it's full. Does this apply to modern Android phones? Or do I need to continue disconnecting it all the time?

How to turn off notifications for individual apps?

On my iphone, there is a "notifications" setting section, which basically just allows me to choose which apps has the power to notify me.

I was wondering if there's anything similar that is available on the Samsung Galaxy s2?

Basically, we have a new app called Scramble For Friends. And it keeps notifying us every time someone has finished their turn so that I can play. We play random people so this could be in the middle of the night or in a meeting etc.

It just vibrates but still - it's annoying and we want to turn it off. We also don't want to turn off other notifications like Email, Facebook etc. - we just want to turn off the notifications for Scramble For Friends.

I've been looking around in the Settings but there doesn't seem to be a universal page which deals just with notifications.

Answer

Update: It is posible to disable notifications of individual apps on system level in Jelly Bean (4.1).

Under each application info screen there is now a checkbox for "show notifications" (assuming the app sends notifications). Uncheck that and no more notifications from that app.

You can get to the screen by going to Settings | Apps | {application} or, more conveniently, long-pressing the notification itself and then tapping "App Info".

More details in this article.

---

Notifications are handled on a per-app basis.

The only way to turn them off is inside that particular application's settings.
This menu - unlike on iOS - can he accessed from inside the application. It's usually an option that comes up after pressing your menu button, or if your phone doesn't have one than it's hidden behind the overflow menu ie. The three dots.

In the case of scramble with friends there's a settings icon on the main screen. There's an option to set the polling interval. The default is 5 minutes.

privacy - Support for Multiple Users on same device

Is there such a thing as a "current user" on Android and a way to switch it?

I'm interested in getting a Motorola Xoom and would like to share it with my wife when at home. For my Windows laptop we us fast-user switching so that we can keep our own tabs and logins. I'm not specifically interested in the privacy aspects of user-switching, so if the OS doesn't support separate users, is there a concept of profile switching?

Answer

This is available for phones starting in Android 5.0 (Lollipop):
http://www.android.com/versions/lollipop-5-0/

And for tablets starting in Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean):
http://developer.android.com/about/versions/jelly-bean.html#42-multiuser

As Tatjana Heuser mentioned, it's also available as hidden functionality in Android 4.1, but not accessible through the regular user interface.

How to change DHCP config?

I am trying to access an ims core from the ims client in my Android device, however I need to modify the dhcp client to add the ip of the core as one of the DNS. In case of a Linux OS the following would do the job::

cd /etc/dhcp3/ ; vi dhclient.conf ; /* add the line:: prepend domain-name-servers 152.xx.xx.xx(ip of ims core) / sudo dhclient ; / to restart*/

Now the issue is how do I achieve the same in my Android?

samsung galaxy s 2 - How to fix a force close loop on Android with phone access?

I have a problem with my Samsung Galaxy S2 (GT-I9100) running Android 2.3.5 stock version.

I'm normal user who used the phone for basic function like making phone calls and using the Google, Facebook apps with some installed apps from the play store.

Today, 2 hours ago logsprovider initiated out of nowhere an endless loop of "force close" alerts, between them most of the running apps were closed too (including some weird z7... app).

Because of the interval (about half a second) between alerts I can goto settings -> apps -> and "clear data" in the logsprovider config.

This stops the "force close" alerts loop until the next restart of the phone. in this state I basically don't have access to the phone features and all the home screens are empty, including the phone's apps menu.

I can run any app by adding it to the home screen and then executing it, if the app has system operation like the play store that require it to install something, the app will crash and no new programs will install.

I can also connect the phone to a computer and get access to all the files (I think it's just those on storage), I might try to get an apk of an antivirus there and try to install it - hope it doesn't crash

These are desperate times... thats why I'm contacting the experts:

1. Can I fix this, this might have been caused by an app, what to do?


2. If the only solution is factory reset how do I backup the data, apps, or contact lists?

rooting - What is KingoRoot error code 0x15F6D5?

I'm currently rooting a Samsung J1 Ace in Android 5.1.1 using KingoRoot in order to give Link2SD root access and move the apps, music, and other data files from its internal storage to a SD card. The internal hard drive has 8 GB and is almost full to the point where it can't update apps.

I've downloaded KingoRoot through the mobile browser as an APK file and enabled USB debugging. After a few minutes, it reports that the rooting process has failed and reports ERROR CODE: 0x15F6D5. I searched through forums and have found nothing on this error code.

What is it and how do I avoid it?

Answer

I don't think this phone model on this Android version can be rooted using any one-click method, especially those using apps! Those apps/softwares seem to since from android 5 (Lollipop).

You can still try the desktop version which I doubt will succeed.

Only Chainfire's rooting method can work. Works on every Samsung devices I had to root. The method consists of flashing a modified recovery by entering the device in Download mode.

Also, I'll recommend you heading to XDA Developers for extra details.

Follow the instructions form this site. Or this detailed rooting process from XDA Developers. Alternative solution from Tsar3000 site.

Find all rooting files for many Samsung devices from the developer's site.

How is an "average use" defined in terms of battery life

It is common to see better battery performance being touted as a selling point, when phones are announced and when they but the market. And the claim typically goes like "lasts xx hours on average use" or variations of "average" but conveying the same meaning. Implied, of course, is reduced frequency of battery charging and longer battery life.This is encountered in phone reviews also.

What I am trying to find out from an academic perspective:

a) Is there something defined as "average" use

b) Is there an accepted standard which profiles, say an "average or typical user" or "heavy user"

Both questions are interrelated and what perplexes me, is the freedom of misuse by companies to make claims that in no way can be verified. Logically, there should be standardized way but googling did not yield any result.

Only reference which I could find when researching screen power was Analysis of Power Consumption in a Smartphone. Section 5.4 of the paper talks of user profiles, but it seems to be hypothetical, not being backed by any reference.

"There is no profiling of usage", is also an answer if it is backed by authority or standard.

I am aware that this question may not really belong here (not sure where else to ask), but being a end user concern, trust it will be permitted and more importantly answered

Answer

Findings on the battery-life claims made by manufacturers

Note that this answer can't cover every manufacturer and/or device. Information about this topic is not well documented and I had luck to find the following links and sites. If you encounter new Information then please edit this answer or leave a comment with the source of your new found information.

---

After searching for reasonable information it came to my mind that the new Sony M4 Aqua is advertised with 2 days of battery life.

To back up their claims they add the following lines at the end of the site:

**Battery life has been measured against Sony Mobile Communications AB’s smartphone usage profile, defined in September 2014 to represent the typical smartphone user’s active condition, including but not limited to a range of usage scenarios (calling, texting, web browsing, social networking, game playing, music listening, picture taking, picture browsing, online video watching, video recording and playback).

If you're following a few links you'll find yourself on the battery information page. At the bottom of the page you'll find exactly the statements that raised your question.

Based on multiple battery performance tests conducted between July and September 2014 in a laboratory under active use conditions reflective of the Typical Smartphone User by Sony Mobile Communications AB. Get the full story on our test results page.

So let's look at the mentioned "results page". Here we'll find some more information about the company which measures the battery-life.

Some interesting statements in my opinion are:

• based on results from tests conducted by Strategy Analytics, an independent global company specialising in market analysis


• verified at the time of testing


• we cannot guarantee that all claims are still valid as you read this

In my opinion this sounds like "We hired a professional company to measure our devices battery-life but don't take our words as a warranty." This is speculative though. Atleast we know that Strategy Analytics is testing the battery-life for sony devices. When we head over to their website and search a little bit we can find that they do test other devices aswell.

They've also did a big technical benchmark test and a test on Smartphone Battery Performance.

where the battery performance of flagship smartphones from Apple, HTC, Huawei, LG, Google, Nokia/Microsoft, Samsung, and Sony was benchmarked, SA found that the smartphones with the largest battery capacities did not provide the longest battery life – i.e. bigger did not mean better.

Additionally we can find some testing criterias from review magazines and blogs like CNET or PCMag.

So I'm still trying to answer your question

a) Is there something defined as "average" use

Probably - but it depends and differs on who is testing the product and what criteria they are setting. I have not found a single guideline which focusses on WHICH aspects should be respected when doing a battery test.

b) Is there an accepted standard which profiles, say an "average or typical user" or "heavy user"

Generally I would say this also depends on the tester and the product they are testing. It came to my mind that different screen sizes are suitable for different usages also. On a big screen it is more enjoyable to watch a video or a movie than on a small screen - you'll probably play more demanding games on a bigger screen and so on. Take the Samsung Galaxy Beam as an example. How would you compare an average use on this device (using the beamer for 2 hours a day) to a Galaxy S6 e.g. (using the display for 2 hours a day). I think you can catch my drift. It's hard to compare because they are built for a different audience with a completly different use case. Sony e.g. says this for their devices:

Typical Smartphone User usage profile involved using the device for approximately 5 hours in a 24-hour period, for a range of typical usage scenarios (calling, texting, web, social networking, games, camera, music and video).

---

Please note that I'm not affiliated with the company or the websites I've linked to. I am sharing my reasearch on this field from a neutral perspective.

google play store - How to change the account for Android Market?

I use two Google accounts and add them to . Let's say acc1 and acc2. When I try to buy an app in the Market, it chooses acc1's Checkout account, and I don't see an option to change to acc2. Can I use acc2 to pay this? And I still want acc1 as the main account for other purposes. (i.e. Talk, Mail, contacts)

Possibly related question: How Do I Know Which Google Account is Used for the Market?

Answer

As of mid-2011 the Android Market supports multiple accounts.

To add another account... Press menu button – select settings – Accounts and Sync – tap on “Add account” and add your another gmail account. To activate or use another gmail account in the market, open the new market app (v 3.0.26) and select “Accounts”. A list will pop-up showing all your gmail accounts that you’ve added in “Accounts and Sync”. Select the one of your choice and you’re good to go.

From http://www.theandroidsoul.com/multiple-accounts-sign-in-logins-supported-in-the-latest-android-market-v3-0-26/

rom flashing - How to flash and root OnePlus 3T on Linux?

I Recently bought a OnePlus 3T and want to flash and root it.

Most resource focus on OnePlus3 and on Windows.

How do I do that on Linux?

Answer

Gather the steps in a gist.

---

Update

• 2017-jan-05:
  
  

Requirements

Disclaimer: I've already done those kind of install on different phones and I'm familiar with the steps. So be sure to read the resources to get an understanding of what happens.

• [ ] battery are >60% ;


• [ ] know what you are doing?


• [ ] remember that version used worked for me.

Screenshots are not mine, thanks to their author.

Flashing Recovery to TWRP

Flashing require to do a factory reset. Backup your data.

Prepare Phone

1. enable Developer Options
   
   
   
   1. in Settings -> About Phone -> Build Number (at the bottom)
   
   
   
   2. by tap on it for 5-7 times to enable Developer Options
   
   
   
   


2. enable USB Debugging
   
   
   
   1. in Settings -> Developer Options -> USB Debugging.
   
   
   
   


3. 
   

   enable OEM Unlocking (in the same list).

   
   
   

   developer-options http://cdn3.freeandroidroot.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Enable-OEM-Unlock-USB-Debugging.jpg

   
   


4. 
   

   Install adb and fastboot tooling:

   
   

   sudo apt-get install android-tools-adb android-tools-fastboot
   



5. 
   

   Reboot to bootloader either with adb reboot bootloader or through power button ;

   
   


6. 
   
   

   Unlock the bootloader:

   
   

   sudo fastboot oem unlock
   



7. 
   

   Flash the recovery with TWRP:

   
   

   sudo fastboot flash recovery twrp-3.0.3-0-oneplus3t.img
   



8. 
   

   Reboot to recovery to wipe cache ;

   
   



9. Reboot to recovery to mount the device ;


10. Download SuperSU and no-verity-opt-encrypt-5.0.zip
    
    


11. Copy to your smartphone Internal Storage directory (using nautilus or nemo¹) ;


12. install both of them with TWRP ;


13. reboot and enjoy!

Root

The rooting procedure given here is not a data-loss process but it won’t hurt to have a backup of your smartphone’s personal data.

source

Resources

Footnote

• ¹: I didn't manage to access my smartphone storage with Dolphin ;


• ²: SR1-SuperSU-v2.79-SR1-20161221223537 didn't work for me.

How does Nougat encryption work technically?

I found the explanation for Android M, how does it work now in Android N? Bonus question: is it right to say that the encryption in N is weaker than the one in M? Because the OS can now be started up without pin/pass, so maybe this could bring some advantages to an attacker?

How to change calendar settings to month view?

My calendar is stuck on viewing the agenda when I open it. I would like to view the month page when I open it. How can I configure it to work like this?

wi fi - Can I use my phone as an audio device via Wifi?

Is there any way to stream all audio from my (Windows) PC to my phone via Wifi, so that my phone acts like a sound card? I basically want to use my phone with my headphones as wireless headphones.

It looks like Remote Audio does this, but it is only for Linux.

Answer

I have experimented with streaming audio from PC to Android over Bluetooth. Recent versions of BlueZ are able to sink an A2DP stream, but the build I have on my phone (Droid running Sapphire 2.0.2) is outdated and won't do it. You may have better luck.

If that won't work, Android's media player may be able to receive one of the streaming protocols that VLC supports. Another poster may know more about this.

How can I calibrate the compass on my phone?

Google Maps sometimes asks me to calibrate my compass. Last time it did so, I was in a rush and didn't bother to, and now the compass does seem a bit off. I tried to find a "calibrate compass" setting in Maps, but I couldn't find it.

How can I calibrate the compass on my phone?

Answer

There is now an official Google answer to this problem:

Open the Google Maps app and then follow these directions:

1. Tilt your phone forward and back


2. Move it side to side


3. And then tilt left and right

You may need to repeat the steps until your compass is calibrated.

settings - Disable notifications while watching videos or listening to music

Is it possible to disable WhatsApp Status bar notifications while watching YouTube videos on a Android device or while playing music on Android device?

I don't want to disable WhatsApp notifications in any other conditions, but only when I am watching videos or while listening to music/song.

I know it is possible to disable notifications of an app (like WhatsApp), but that will block it for all the time. This I don't want to happen. I would like to continue to receive WhatsApp notifications but not while watching videos or while listening to music/song.

My Device: Micromax Canvas 4
Android OS: 4.2

Is this possible?

Answer

When you are watching youtube, temporary put your phone on silent.

However you can also use this app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pierceholdings.dontpause&hl=en

How to disable or remove Gmail account from my Android

I don't want to receive email on my Android device, so how do I remove my Gmail account from it?

I realize that I need to have my Gmail account associated to the device, and that I would need to reset the phone to factory settings in order to remove this main account..

So do I have any options?

How do I move my AnkiDroid data to external SD card?

My phone is Samsung Galaxy J7. Internal Memory is full and I want to move this large pp to SD. How can I do so?

installation - What does error 923 when downloading apps from Google Play Store mean?

I've seen this error a few times just now, it seems to only occur when I install an app through the Google Play web interface. Haven't seen it when installing apps directly from my mobile device. Device is quite new and has more than enough free disk space.
Couldn't find anything on here yet about this specific error. After a retry it downloads without any problems, so while it is far from blocking, I do hope to get some insight on what is happening here.
StackExchange only lists error 923 as an AndroidRuntime(923) error, but I don't see how that can be the cause here.
Screenshot attached with error in Dutch.

^{Error - 'Game' could not be downloaded due to an error. (923)}

Answer

It seems error 923 is related to the whole process of downloading, cache, storage, installation, etc. People get it most often in Google Play, but sometimes also outside of that. Most suggestions how to fix this come down to:

• Settings > Apps > Running > stop all (Google related) running services


• Settings > Apps > All > Google Play Store > Clear data and Clear cache


• Reboot phone, all should be fine now

Found quite some useful answers on the internet outside of StackExchange (it exists!), so answered my own question already. Suggestions/additions always welcomed. ;)

samsung galaxy s 5 - Connect my lollipop device via USB in mass storage mode

I have Samsung S5 dual sim variant which runs on android v5.0 stock based custom rom, and having some trouble with MTP mode such as very slow copying speed and can't play media directy (I have to copy each file to my local storage and then play them) is there any way I can connec it in mass storage mode so that it acts like a flash drive?

Answer

Connecting your phone via UMS (USB Mass Storage) won't be possible. It's been removed from Android, so the only way would be for you to fork the Android source and program it in again. I assume that's not what you want to do. There were a few reasons for this, but mostly because UMS is prone to crash third-party apps and also files cannot be dual accessed from apps and the computer simultaneously. MTP isn't really bad per-se, but unfortunately the support in Windows is lacking. A colleague of mine uses MTP with Ubuntu and is very happy with it.

Here are some suggestions about what you could do though:

• If you really want to transfer files via USB, you could do that with adb pull and adb push. You could make a little script that runs as soon as you connect your phone and synchronizes a specific folder.


• You could, and this is the most comfortable way, install a samba server on your phone. That way you would be able to mount parts of your phone's storage on your computer, as soon as it is connected to your WiFi. The bandwidth would probably also be enough to directly play music files, maybe even videos (depending mostly on the number of antennas your phone has). For that solution, please have a look at these two apps SambaDroid, Samba Server as well as this question regarding root access Using SMB server without root access.


• Another option would be running an SSH server. You can then also mount remotely with SSHFS on Linux and OSX. For Windows I recommend SFTP Net Drive, which is free for a single connection and personal use. Advantages over SMB would be that file transfers are encrypted and that it's more suitable to also be used over WAN. Also it already comes with file integrity checks. Disadvantages would be that over high latency connections (WAN), speeds might drop significantly due to physical limitations from the bandwidth delay product.



• Last but not least, there is the option, if you're on Linux, to use adbfs. It is using FUSE to mount your adb connected phone. So it will appear just like any other mount. This is probably the closest you can get to what was UMS.

6.0 marshmallow - How do I simulate menu button on Android 6?

I'm using Samsung Galaxy S7. Long-pressing the recent button does not simulate menu button but activates split screen mode. Long-pressing the back button doesn't work either; it simply closes the app. I'm using an old app that requires the menu button. Any solution to this without rooting the phone?

Answer

As per this post, go to Settings → Accessibility → Dexterity and Interaction → turn on the Assistant Menu. This will add a floating button to the screen that you can press to reveal a menu containing the old Menu button.

Samsung also says "In certain applications, you can touch and hold the Recent Apps button to view the Menu options." This is probably limited to newer apps as well which is why it didn't work for you.

resource monitoring - How to monitor the amount of data traffic?

I would like to monitor how much data-traffic I use. How?

Answer

This is now built into Android in Ice Cream Sandwich. You can view usage per application, set limits and restrict background data.

Some more information: http://androidadvices.com/set-mobile-data-limit-usage-ice-cream-sandwich-devices/

NetCounter monitors mobile and wifi traffic.

touchscreen - Resize screen for Dead touch zone

I have Star N7189 (5.5") with the lower zone of touch screen dead

The menu and back buttons don't work,but the physical home button works.

I tried to press hard on the edges of the screen, I tried to apply a twist from the short sides as if it were nothing but a wet towel. I did the hard reset but it did not work.

Sometimes pressing dead area, the phone takes it as menu button

As well as replacing the screen what other methods can I try? Is there any app, launcher or trick to resize the screen usable only to the working area?

P.S. a few hours after leaving it in airplane mode suddenly the touch had this problem but I do not remember if I inadvertently placed something heavy in that area of ​​the cell.

media player - Can't play currently recorded mp4 videos on my android phone

I have a gopro camera which records MP4 videos. My android phone was always capable of playing these files; but recently I have recorded two videos and my phone just says I do not support this type of file for playing! What's wrong? What may be happened to my phone or camera or recorded files?

charging - Why does my phone have erroneous input when connected to a non-OEM power source?

My phone (Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX) seems to have problems accepting touch input when connected to a non-OEM power source. When connected to my computer via USB, it accepts input fine, as it does when connected to an Xbox 360 through USB. When connected to the wall USB charger it shipped with, it also accepts input fine, but when connected to a third-party wall USB charger, the touch input goes crazy and starts selecting objects all over the screen where I'm not pressing. The charger did not do this with my previous Android phone.

Is this because there is some data connection it is looking for through USB so that it acts weirdly if not using an OEM charger or actually connected to a data-using device?

Answer

Though Alex's answer has its point; but as the OP confirmed the second adapter in question is a HTC charger, I hold it more likely that a special "PIN usage" is the cause. As I explained in my comments to the question:

PinOuts describes how the PINs of the USB connector are used in general.

^{screenshot from PinOuts.ru}

Note the "x" PIN which, according to the description, may be connected to GND.

Now to my observation: As I was annoyed by the very same problem, I decided to dig a little deeper. I tried 3 different cables with the HTC power unit versus two other power units (one Motorola, one generic) on my Motorola Milestone 2. In short, all cables behaved exactly the same: connected to the HTC power supply, they caused the very same behaviour described in the question, i.e. unpredictable reactions to the touchscreen. Connected to any of the other power sources, there was no such effect. So the cause very clearly was the HTC power supply.

If EMI were involved, as Alex suggests, the same strange behaviour should appear here daily, as that HTC power supply is connected to a power source (and such must emmit those electro-magnetic disturbance), and my devices are often positioned not much more than 20cm from it. A connected cable might bundle that, true -- but I still hold my theory for more likely. And as one can find by looking at this XDA thread, HTC chargers do obviously use a different PIN layout -- which adds its weight to my arguments.

Besides: Other devices connected to the HTC charger (I tried with two tablets, none of them a HTC) did not show the effect. So with the EMI argument, the resumé would not be "HTC builds lousy adapters", but "Motorola builds lousy displays" ;)

How to get contact from stolen Android phone?

I already read Recover contacts and images from stolen phone. And that answer did not work for me. I have explained it on the question.

My android phone was stolen. I need to get all contact of my phone. I had enable sync in that phone.

When I visit https://contacts.google.com/, it has only a very few contacts (seems like below 10% and all them has an email too). How can I get all contacts?

sms - Can you send texts from iMessage to someone who has Android and uses Handcent?

Can you send texts from iMessage to someone who has Android and uses Handcent? And if yes does the iPhone user need to have Handcent?

How to restore Line messages from titanium backup?

It seems that Line (a messaging app like WhatsApp) is one that I cannot easily restore app data (messages) through titanium backup.

There is a whole thread on XDA, highlighting one post that had 13 thanks:

1. Restore Line with Titanium Backup (app+data) (DON'T OPEN THE LINE APP YET!)

2. Log into a root shell and delete the previous settings:

sqlite3 /data/data/jp.naver.line.android/databases/naver_line
delete from setting;
.quit

It looks quite difficult and I am not even sure it's correct.

Can anyone confirm before I try?

Also what is a root shell? Is that some form of app?

Answer

Log into a root shell

It's a mix up of multiple things. It simply means, login into a shell and then switch to root user or alternatively, directly login as the root user. For Android, you can login from a remote shell using adb shell command. It automatically logins as user 2000. Alternatively, use a terminal emulator app and it would automatically login using its own UID. In both the cases, don't bother about the term "log in".

Switch to root user using su.

sqlite3 /data/data/jp.naver.line.android/databases/naver_line

sqlite3 is a command-line tool to interface with SQLite databases. Stock Android doesn't come with it.

That command does nothing more than attaching the database naver_line located under /data/data/jp.naver.line.android/databases/ to sqlite3 so that latter can do its work on it.

delete from setting;

I don't have that app or its backup but the command indicates that there is a table named setting in the said database. That command would delete all the data available in that table.

.quit

It would disconnect the database and exit from the sqlite3 tool.

---

I don't know whether those commands would achieve anything or not, so take this solution as a partial answer only.

tethering - How to set a tethered Wi-Fi connection (tethered to another phone via Android personal hotspot) as "metered" connection

I have a number of apps set to "Download on Wi-Fi Only" on Android. But the moment I tether, the phone considers itself on Wi-Fi, even if the upstream device is a metered 3G/LTE connection.

Under Windows 10, I can declare a given Wi-Fi connection to be "Metered", and thus save data usage. Is there an equivalent on Android? Setting the tethered phone to "Data saver" is a partial solution only.

Answer

There is a rather hidden feature, that will let you achieve this:

This option is found under Settings > Data usage (Wireless and Networks).

• Tap on the three dots in the top right corner, and press "Mobile Hotspots." (In android 4.3) In later versions of android the similar option is "Network restrictions" > Metered connections

Next you'll see a list of saved wireless networks, and you can check the ones which are mobile hotspots.

Edit

I have included the screenshots for Android 7, since interface and options are different from Android 4.3 above:

Such that the options are found under Settings > Data usage (Wi-Fi) > Network restrictions > Metered connections

In this way Android applies the same data restrictions as it does with "Data connections" so no data hogging.

Other devices like Huawei have this setting hidden but can be also enable using adb:

After setting up adb, follow this proceedure to set a metered wi-fi network.

• 
  

  In a command prompt or terminal, execute the following command: adb shell

  
  


• 
  

  Type the following command into the command prompt or terminal to get a list of all saved WiFi networks: cmd netpolicy list wifi-networks

  
  


• 
  

  You’ll be given a list of saved WiFi networks with a true/false boolean value. True = metered & False = non-metered.

  
  


• 
  
  

  So from here, you can enter the following command in a command prompt or terminal to change the setting: cmd netpolicy set metered-network Wireless true (In this case the SSID is “Wireless”)

  
  


• 
  

  You can always revert the setting to false if you want to switch it back to a non-metered network.

  
  

Hope this helps

sms - How to transfer text messages from iPhone to Android with iOS 5?

I'm trying to switch from an iPhone 3GS to a Galaxy SII and got multiple questions. This one concerns migrating the text messages (SMS). I've found quite some articles, basically they fall into two categories:

1. Getting the text message SQLite database from the Itunes backup and exporting stuff manually to CSV files.


2. Importing the SQLite database directly with tools.

Most pages link to this article

Problem: Apparently, this only works in IOS < 5.0 or Itunes < 10, don't know. With newer backups, the SQLite database can not be opened anymore, the Android tools mentioned do not work anymore.

So I'm looking for any other suggestions on how to correctly migrate the text messages to Android.

Note: I'm aware that maybe this is more a iPhone question than Android. Nevertheless, I hope to find someone here who faced the same problems. This is exactly the reason why I'm migrating in the first place.

boot loop - Bootloop after System Restore

My device just got into bootloop after restoring a backup of the system partition.

This bootloop is just a soft bootloop. I mean, I could get into the Operating System, but it keeps playing the Boot Animation.

wi fi - Device stuck on "obtaining IP address", then sets network to "disabled"

I've just arrived at some place which offers wireless internet. When I try to connect my computer, it sends me to some specific URL in which I need to accept some terms of use, and then the Internet works fine. When I try to connect to that network with my Android, however, it's stuck on the "obtaining IP address" stage of the connection for long minutes.

After a few tries, it just gives up and moves that SSID to a "disabled" status - which I haven't seen until now - in which it is remembered but it doesn't attempt to connect to it.

I can't navigate to any special address on the device's browser because it outright refuses to connect to the network.

How can I solve this issue?

Answer

The issue is not with your device but with the wireless provider. That is the typical behavior when connecting to a defective hotspot, either over capacity or just a tad too far for a reliable connection...

Sadly there is nothing you can do about it. It happens a lot to BT hotspots in the UK, in London most of them are overloaded during working hours.

4.2 jelly bean - Automatic power on at preset time

Is there a way or app that allows to program a schedule for automatic power on/off on the phone for android 4.x?

I know that in the settings there is a similar option, however it allows to define only ONE schedule for power on and ONE for power off, while I'd be looking for more flexibility.

Edit:

I'm using an HTC desire 310 with android 4.2, and my use case would be like turn the phone off at 11pm when going to sleep, and then having it automatically turn on at 6.50am, so the alarm set at 7am can regularly wake me up.

applications - If I uninstall an app do I lose the data?

I want to install Angry Birds from the Amazon App Store but all I get is errors. My guess is it's because I already have it installed. I'm afraid to uninstall just in case I lose the data. Any ideas?

Answer

Apps store user data in different ways:

1. 
   

   Some store the data on the SD car in a public folder and as long as you don't manually delete the folder after you uninstall the app, it will still be there when you reinstall.

   
   


2. 
   

   Other apps store data this way but have their configuration data in the secured portion of the internal memory and that data is lost when you uninstall (example: podcast app that stores the podcasts, and they subscription data on the SD card but the login, password and settings data internally. You'll still have your podcasts and subscriptions but you'll have to re-enter the other data).

   
   


3. 
   
   

   Some apps store all their data in the protected memory so you'll lose everything when you uninstall unless you use some kind of backup utility.

   
   

Angry birds stores data in the protected portion of the internal memory and all is lost when you uninstall. There are apps that specifically backup Angry Birds data and other apps that backup apps. There are so many there's no point in mentioning them here but just search the market for "Angry Birds Backup" or "App backup".

Titanium Backup is the best in my opinion but you need to be rooted to use it, while others you do not.

Can I share my Android's VPN connection over a Hotspot?

I recently purchased a Chromebook which doesn't support my companies PPTP VPN. As a workaround, would it be possible to connect to the VPN on my Android (4.4) and share that connection over a hotspot? If so, how?

samsung galaxy s - Video calling options

I don't see full support for video calling in my Samsung galaxy S.

1. I am not able to set a direct shortcut for video calling.


2. Not able to disable self image when video calling so that able to see full screen image of the caller.


3. No option to video call directly from logs. Need to go to the contact screen every time.

Is there any app that has better support for video calling?

Edit:

I am looking for more features in the video calling facility provided by sim provider (Airtel). I am not interested in video calling via internet like google talk/skype as I don't have internet connectivity all the time.

With the Google Voice app, is it possible to send an SMS to multiple people?

I know from the web interface, you can send messages to up to 10 people. However, I haven't figured out how to send an SMS message to multiple people using the Google Voice Android app. Is it possible? If it is, how?

Answer

In the current version you can do this easily — just type in another name/number after the first as you would in the web interface. A comma appears automatically when you click on a suggestion, and all that good stuff.

recovery mode - Self bricked with bootloader

I install a Flashify on my Huawei Ascend P7 to make my .img files run and I can install a Custom ROM, because always when I try to install it from ADB it shows

FAILED (remote: Command not allowed)

All files what I want to boot from ADB, shows this line. I add to boot a twrp.img file to get TWRP and install ar CustomROM

When I turn on my phone, blinks red, 2 times green and then again the same. Also Power + Vol Up or Down, doesnt work, even I cant run a update from SD Card, and HiSuite doesn't show my phone as connected... Similar problem is in this post - http://forum.xda-developers.com/ascend-p7/help/unfortunately-boot-failed-information-t2908514

There's full CMD lines from my try to run recovery and boot

The system cannot find message text for message number 0x2350 in the message file for Application.

Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation.  All rights reserved.
Not enough storage is available to process this command.

C:\...\ADB Flash Tools>fastboot flash recovery recovery.img

target reported max download size of 536870912 bytes

sending 'recovery' (12510 KB)...
OKAY [  0.480s]
writing 'recovery'...
FAILED (remote: Command not allowed)
finished. total time: 0.481s

C:\...\ADB Flash Tools>fastboot boot BOOT.img
creating boot image...
creating boot image - 9660416 bytes
downloading 'boot.img'...

OKAY [  0.363s]
booting...
FAILED (remote: Command not allowed)
finished. total time: 0.365s

Only thing I can get into fastboot.

Whats the problem? And how I can get back my phone to work?

Lollipop hide quick settings on Lock screen

I'm sure this would have been asked before. But I couldn't find out yet.

I recently updated to Lollipop in my Sony Xperia Z phone. The notification bar and pull down settings are great.

But on lock screen, I don't want to turn on/off any WiFi, Bluetooth or any settings. Simply pull down settings should not be allowed on lock screen. How can I do that? Is there any option?

I have pattern lock already.

webview - Can deleting stock web browser cause problems?

I want to disable or delete stock web browser because I don't use it. Can it cause problems? For example, if its used as embedded rendering engine in other apps (like IE is used in Windows apps), they'll fail to load web pages.

Answer

Applications use a Webview to display web content. But it's not dependent on the standard browser.apk rather the browser uses the same webview as all other apps.

If your apps are well behaved than no it doesn't cause any problems. If they aren't than instead of calling a general INTENT to launch a web browser they could call the built-in browser.
One example of an that does this is Google+. If you set it to open its links as default, but it fails to load one than it starts the default browser.

2.3 gingerbread - "mount" on 2.3.4 is Behaving Oddly

I'm on Nexus S, 2.3.4, stock and rooted. BusyBox is v1.18.4 (2011-03-20 15:16:04 CDT). When I try to remount ANYTHING it just

$ mount -o remount,rw /system
Usage: mount [-r] [-w] [-o options] [-t type] device directory

Any ideas how to fix that? Is it a BusyBox issue?

Answer

You are not specifying the device to mount, only the directory so it is telling you that you are missing one of the required parameters.

I believe that the busybox mount will let you get away with not supplying the device, if it can figure out the device to mount, but the "stock" mount requires that you supply both the directory and the device.

you would have to do the following:

# mount -o remount,rw /dev/block/mtdblock4 /system

or you could try the busybox mount

# busybox mount -o remount,rw /system

but you should always supply the device to mount, so there is no confusion or issue with mounting the wrong device.

usb - Is it possible for a device to consume more power than it is wall-charging?

I have a 2012 Nexus 7 running KitKat. I have a hunch that it is not charging properly. Specifically, if the system is on and the device is plugged into the USB wall-charger, the battery indicator says "Charging" but there is a slow decrease in charge over time. I have few apps actually running, some checks over Wi-Fi every 5 mins or so (email, feeds), and the device is unused most of the time. It charges to full if switched off and left plugged in.

I obviously need to investigate this more closely, check screen and app power consumption, etc, but before I go on a wild goose chase... is it actually possible for a device to consume more power than it receives via wall-charging?

Answer

Yes, it's definitely possible. Most USB chargers are fairly limited in their output and devices like tablets are not really designed to be used while charging, unlike laptops. You'd think it would be OK to simply sit and remain on while charging and unused, but perhaps the Nexus 7 does not have very good power management. You might want to look at having sync pause while the device's screen is off.

If you want to crunch the numbers and verify what's happening, take a look at my answer here about the PS Vita. If you get the specs/numbers for the Nexus 7 and its charger you could do a similar analysis to see whether the power use is exceeding the charger's output.

Android Tablet - Download PDF and open it on browser

Device - Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 / Android 4.0.3

I have tested Samgsung Galaxy Tab for document download such as PDF from web site with many browsers. Most of them just download it to somewhere in the device and I have to go to notification window(Right and bottom) and click it again to open it. Some browsers ask me to save and ask me again to open it.

Is there browser or a way that opens it when I download it? iPad works that way. iPad opens the file right away when I download a document.

Answer

Have you tried pdf.js extension for Firefox mobile ?

It's a bit slow and unstable for now, but it should work as expected.

4.3 jelly bean - Other apps to manage permissions?

I used to use - and loved - LBE Privacy Guard which allowed you to revoke specific permissions from specific apps.

Ever since AT&T finally pushed out Jelly Bean for the S3 though, it no longer works, and puts my phone into a endless reboot loop.

Searching in the market, I couldn't find any other app that does this (though the are plenty that just let you SEE the permissions of all your apps).

Anyone know of another app that does the same thing as LBE?

Answer

LBE works on JellyBean -- just not the version you install from the Playstore. The boot-loop problem is a known issue (so nobody can understand why the developer did not even place a note on the app's playstore page).

On XDA you can find multiple threads discussing this issue, and at least one of them also holds modified versions of LBE to download. Take e.g. a look at:

Alternatives to LBE would include:

linux - Given that every application runs as a separate user, what happens when you want to add a new user account?

According to this, every application in Android runs as a separate kernel-level user, with a unique user ID and group ID.

So, what happens under the hood when you add a new user (e.g. to your shared tablet)?

Answer

The Linux user IDs that Android uses to isolate apps from each other are completely unrelated to user profiles on Android 4.2 tablets.

In Android, each app gets its own directory for saving data. The Linux user ID system is used to make sure apps can't read each others' data. But all these data directories are inside one directory on the filesystem, /data/user/0. Let's say the first user is called Abulurd, and he installs the app Showr. It might be given user ID 1004, and the directory /data/user/0/com.shadowburst.showr.

Now, let's say you create a new user profile for Beatrice. She gets a fresh directory, /data/user/1, which starts off empty. When she logs into the device, and installs Showr, it doesn't download the app again (because the Android app installer knows the APK file is already on the device), but it does create a new user ID 1007 (for example), and a new directory /data/user/1/com.shadowburst.showr.

Android uses Linux filesystem permissions, and the different Linux user IDs, not only to make sure that Abulurd's Showr can't read the data of Abulurd's other apps, but also that Abulurd's Showr can't read the data of Beatrice's Showr. The two instances of Showr run in different processes, with different user IDs.

If you're familiar with Linux terminology, making a new user profile is similar to using chroot on the device to get an isolated part of the filesystem to run apps in.

What I've described is the usual process, but just as apps can be written to share a data directory with other apps by the same developer (signed with the same key), Android gives apps the opportunity to say they work with multiple users. This way, an app can be written to have one process for all the user profiles, to let them share data or perform some special function. The lock screen has to work this way, for instance, because all user profiles share one lock screen app, which has to read all users' lock-screen settings.

linux - Nexus 7 doesn't have sdcard folder when connected to PC

I've just bought a Nexus 7. When I plugged it into my laptop, it shows the media folder, I'd like to access the sdcard folder just like the other devices. How to transfer files?

I think "adb push" is not a good choice.

Answer

Nexus 7 doesn't support UMS (USB Mass Storage) out of box. But, it supports file transfer by MTP (Media Transfer Protocol). MTP allows you to push and pull any type of files from sdcard, but it doesn't allow you to edit files directly on sdcard (like you do with UMS mode).

From your screenshot, it looks like your Nexus 7 is connected with PTP (Photo Transfer Protocol), also known as Camera Mode. Switch to MTP mode and do whatever you want. Also make sure your PC OS supports MTP.

2.3 gingerbread - The RAM total of the apps "Running" never equals the "Used Ram" shown below on the scale

I realised after a few days of observation, that the total of the RAM usage of indivisual apps shown in the running process is quite lower than that shown below it on the scale

And as "Cached Background Process" are calculated separately, they are not added in this "RAM Used" part of the scale.

Then what is using it? Coz the OS has its own space. Then what from the userspace is taking it up but not showing up?

Gingerbread 2.3.6

Like when I am writing this, the Total of indivisual values displayed is around 45-50mb while the scale below shows 95mb used!! How? \

Edit

Screen cast -

http://youtu.be/fzkQlZ8CdkU

How to disable a specific calendars notification?

How can I disable the notifications for a specific calendar only?

Example: I have the calendar of my girlfriend synced to my phone to know the times she is at home, working, etc. Now I get all the notifications about the events from her calendar. I want to get notifications for my calendar only, but not for hers.

Maybe this is important too:
I am using a Davical server and sync my calendars over caldav sync.

Answer

You could use e.g. Calendar Event Reminder, and disable notifications in the default/stock calendar. With CER, you can setup reminders for each calendar separately, and even deactivate alerts for calendars you don't want to be alerted for (in your case, the "work" calendar).

The added plus is you will never miss an alert anymore, as you can configure CER to annoy you until you shut the alert of manually. I've bought the app when it was still payed, and it never let me down.

Unfortunately, I don't know of any way to do that with the native calendar -- but at least this is a free solution, though it takes an extra app :)

calibration - How can I calibrate the tilting sensor on Android

I have an Android mobile which seems to be of Samsung, or at least a clone thereof. I got it for my wife as a present, so I don't really know which one. Under the battery pack it says "Model: 19502"

when I look through the menus there are absolutely no identifications as to which it is and the settings only allow rather high level stuff, like setting background images, and similar, but nothing system relevant.

When I play games I noticed that the tilt is not correct, so I installed "App Sensor Box" which allows me to test the sensors. It shows a board with a ball on it, and I can see that the ball rolls off when I keep it balanced. Unfortunately this app doesn't allow me to calibrate it, so I wanted to know if such an app exists, or what I can do to calibrate it, because there are not setting to trigger this. The apps I found on Play Store all seem to just read, but don't change it.

Answer

It's a tough one to answer, as I'm not sure what version of Android you are running, and you have stated it may be a clone.

Method 1:

Open "Settings"

Find "Motion" and tap on it

Scroll down the menu and tap on "Sensitivity Setting"

Open "Gyroscope calibration"

Place device on a level surface and tap Calibrate

Method 2:

Download 'G-Sensor' from the Samsung Apps store pre-installed on your device. Here is a weblink.

Method 3:

Download Bubble Level from the Google Play store, this has a calibration option also.

device firmware - Samsung S Galaxy II (i9100): possible with stock Google Android OS?

I'm in the market for a new Smartphone. Except for iPhone's, I'm new in the field and probably have some misconceptions.

My first choice was the Google Nexus S, but I was offered a great deal on the Samsung S Galaxy II (i9100). The only issue is that I read that it came with an "enhanced" version of Android. Being familiar with PC's, I know that these enhancements are almost always bloatware: I always do a clean install of Windows to get rid of it.

My question is fairly simple: is this possible to use the stock Google Android OS on the Samsung S Galaxy II (i9100)? That was the killer feature of the Nexus S for me: coming directly from Google, easily upgradable. Would that be possible and if yes, how?

Thank you for enlightening me.

Answer

It is very unlikely that Samsung will ever release an unmodified Android firmware for the Galaxy S II. They've never released one for their Galaxy S family of phones without their TouchWiz "enhancements".

Historically the only Android devices that have run the stock OS have been the very early phones released by each manufacturer (before they'd written their own customizations) and the Google Nexus series of phones. If you stray away from that you are going to get modified firmwares, interfaces and apps.

One of the big downsides to using a phone that has extensive manufacturer customizations is that this means that they will generally be a lot slower in pushing out updated versions of the Android OS to you. Phones with manufacturer customized OS's are normally updated months after the Nexus devices, if ever. This is because the manufacturers have to do lots of work and testing to re-integrate all of their changes and customizations back into the OS every time the base OS changes. Factor in the fact that phone companies often drag their feet in certifying the updated OS's on their networks and you have a huge set of delays before the updates reach your phone.

The big upsides to a customized OS is that the manufacturer will often add a lot of features that aren't available to stock OS phones, eg Samsung's TouchWiz offered built-in wireless tethering well before it was added to the stock OS in Froyo, both HTC Sense and Samsung TouchWiz add remote phone tracking and wiping features to the phones (in most geographic regions), their media players can generally play more formats, and the interfaces often look "nicer".

Your main option for "clean" firmwares running the stock OS for non-Nexus phones is to use unofficial custom ROMs. Many of these use the stock Android interface and apps, with only minimal changes to either. See these questions for more on custom ROMs: What is the difference between: Rooting, Jailbreak, ROM, Mod, etc, and What is the meaning of “flashing a custom ROM”?

Also see this previous question: Android phones without custom UIs

UPDATE: Since this answer was written one things has changed. In mid-2013 Google started offering "Google Play Edition" phones for sale on the Play Store in certain regions in addition to their own Nexus line of devices. These "Google Play Edition" phones tend to be some of the more popular, higher-end GSM phones and are offered with the plain Android OS with Google Apps, and without any manufacturer or carrier modifications, just like Nexus phones. So far these phones have been getting OS updates much faster than their manufacturer modified brethren.

So far the phones available on there in "Pure Google" versions include the Samsung Galaxy S4, HTC One, LG G Pad 8.3, Sony Z Ultra, and Motorola Moto G.

As these are generally the exact same hardware as their manufacturer branded siblings there are often fairly simple ways to apply these "clean" OSs to branded phones (but do check that you really do have the same hardware, some of these phones have variations with the same name, but different hardware in them, eg they may be available in GSM, CDMA, LTE versions with totally different radio hardware and SoC CPUs).

sd card - How can I can open local files in the default Android browser?

I want to open local files that are on my sdcard in the Android browser. How can I accomplish this?

Answer

In order to view local files on the sdcard with the default Android browser just enter file://sdcard/ and then the path to the file you want to view. For example if you have an xml file named "person" in a folder named "xmlfiles" it would look like file://sdcard/xmlfiles/person.xml in your address bar. You can create bookmarks for the file you are viewing but if you try to make a shortcut to that bookmark or use a bookmark widget (at least the HTC one) these will not work and may give an error "The linked program is no longer installed on your phone". The bookmarks will work if opened from within the browser.

So far I have verified that the browswer can open/render these files: xml, html files(htm), and image files

It cannot open pdfs.

According to this comment it works for Android 2.1 and above

Android Phone SD Card Problem

My Samsung Galaxy Admire phone is saying that an SD card isn't found when the SD card is inside the phone: it shows "Please insert SD Card".

What could be wrong?

Motorola Milestone Android - Bluetooth Issue - Paired but not connected

im using a Motorola Milestone. I have tried to connect to various bluetooth devices (laptops/other android phone) with this phone but none of them work. I can pair them But after pairing it says "Paired but not connected" I have tried all normal steps: Soft reset, Hard reset etc and the phone is running the latest OS 2.2.1

Intrestingly, If I download the application "Bluetooth File transfer" by medieval software - I can succesfully pair and connect via this application to my macbook and send files. However, for my purpose I need to use the bluetooth SPP profile off the phone (Which it claims to support).

So the question here is, Is it a software/hardware issue?

-Seems to me like a software issue, because It doesnt connect with my macbook with the official bluetooth settings menu, but works through a third party application?

any fixes? - I called motorola, but no luck as Im not in the states.

Mohit

rooting - How to root HP Pro Slate 12 tablet?

Is there any working rooting method for HP Pro Slate 12 tablet (Android 5.1.1)?

I tried Kingo Root (both Windows and Android versions), Kingroot, Ding Dong root and none of them worked.

update 31-10-2015:

Still no solution. I'm still looking for an easy method of rooting this device. The suggested solutions were rather too complicated or contained fake links to virus apks. I need a step-by-step tutorial especially for ROOTING (not for something else, such as modifying booting or removing system files). A simple working rooting apk would be the best.

Answer

Even if there isn't a working root method for Android 5.1.1 devices yet, I found a working solution! The app is called Helium. (https://www.clockworkmod.com/carbon) There is a free version of the program too. It has an Android and a Windows version too. You need to use both of them together. With this app combo you can backup any android apks (with all the settings and their data, not just the apk itself!) even on unrooted devices! Data can backed up to sdcard or cloud too. I have two lollipop devices, both of them unrooted and this program combo works on both of them! So I don't even want to root them anymore. I just wanted to root them to back up my settings and program data.

remote control - Can I remotely launch an app on my android phone?

I have an HTC One S but I don't know where it is. I remotely installed 'Find My Phone' on it via Google Play Store. Now I want to remotely launch it. How can I do that?

Answer

Although there is not a general solution for remotely launching apps, here is a solution that applies to your situation:

First, install AndroidLost from the online Google Play Store.

• this is the app you can use to control/wipe/access info about your lost device, yadayada

Give it a little time to install to your device, then install AndroidLost Jumpstart from the online Google Play Store as well

This app will wake up the registration process on the androidlost app when ever a phone call is made, an SMS received, battery is low, a package is added, removed or changed.

So you have to install an arbitrary app from the Play Store as well to activate the service, but you can then go to androidlost.com to access functions to control your lost device! Including ringing an alarm ;)

EDIT 2015-01-29: Jumpstart won't help on a device with Android newer than 2.x, as in the description you can read: "Please note that google has changed the android API so this app only works on android version < 3." So not possible with a phone with 4.x to register AndroidLost later, without the physical possess of the phone.

8.1 oreo - How is the list of apps allowed to install another apps populated?

On Android 8.1,

If I go to "Settings" > "Apps & Notifications" > "Advanced" > "Special App Access" > "Install unknown apps", what determines which app are in this list ?

On my phone, I see : Chrome, Drive, Files, GMail, Messanger, WhatsApp.

Yet I have a lot more apps installed and running.

Answer

It lists apps that have the permission to install other apps. The permission is found on the apps' manifest. For example, a file manager can install an apk, same case with a browser or Whatsapp if a contact sends an apk to you.

They are labelled Unknown apps because the apps are not installed via Google Play Store, thus not trusted by Google (that does not mean that there is something wrong with the file).

From @Andrew T's comment, the permission is REQUEST_INSTALL_PACKAGES that:

Allows an application to request installing packages. Apps targeting APIs greater than 25 must hold this permission in order to use Intent.ACTION_INSTALL_PACKAGE.

Note: API 25 is for Android 8.

crashes - Camera doesn't work on Nexus 5 running Android L

The camera on the Nexus 5 has stopped working. Coming from a reboot, I can open the camera app, see the camera is working, but as soon as I click to take a picture (or video), the app crashes (tried native and Play Store camera apps), which I then have to force close, then when I reopen the camera I get the error "Can't connect to camera". The only way I've found fix that is to do a reboot, then the whole thing starts again.

This is the same if I use the front or back camera.

Does anyone know if there's a fix for this, or if Google are aware of it at least?

Answer

Go to Settings » Developer options, and deselect "Use NuPlayer". Reboot the phone, and your camera should work again.

contacts - How can I connect to a number with a conference-call code via Google Voice?

I have a phone number for a conference-call service. Under ordinary use, I call the number, and when the automated system answers, I enter a 10-digit code for the conference I wish to join, and then press #. I have the number assigned to a contact like this: 800-555-1234,1234567890#.

When I call that contact without Google Voice enabled (either "do not use Google Voice to make any calls" or "ask every time I make a call" and then answer no), it connects fine, but when I enable GV for outgoing calls, a dialog box appears saying "Google Voice could not connect," and it gives me options of retrying with GV or to call without GV. Retrying fails in the same manner, and the latter choice allows the call to connect, but it waits for me to enter the conference code myself. It's as though GV isn't providing the conference code.

As a workaround, I can use Voice Plus; I have it set to use GV for all contacts except for those in the "No Google Voice" group, which includes the conference contact. I'd prefer not to have to do that, though, because I'd like my conference calls to show up in my GV call history, and I'd also like as few exceptions as possible to my dialing rules.

How can I get my phone to call the number through Google Voice and enter the conference code automatically?

Answer

Evidently, the Google Voice app doesn't support conference codes or other extensions. (At least not yet.)

To call an extended number through the Google Voice service, dial as though the GV app weren't installed, or as if you were calling from something other than a smartphone:

1. Dial your own Google Voice phone number.


2. If voicemail access isn't enabled for the number you're calling from, press * to access the GV menu.


3. Enter your PIN, if required.


4. Press 2 (to tell the GV service you wish to place a call).


5. Enter the conference phone number, and press #. GV will connect you.


6. Proceed as normal for calling the desired number (i.e., enter the extension, the conference-room number, the passcode, etc.).

So, the contact is programmed with a number like this: 612-555-4321,[PIN,]2,800-555-1234#,,1234567890#. (As I understand it, this is a limited application of the process Flex Dialer uses.)

If you have the GV app installed, then use another app like Voice Plus or Voice Choice to exclude this contact from GV. (This is a consolation to what was originally asked for, which requested fewer exceptions to the phone's GV dialing rules. Shouldn't be a big problem, though.)

If you have your GV number associated with a contact for yourself or your voice mail, then that's the contact that will appear in your phone's call history. However, the "real" contact will show in your Google Voice call history.