text:
What is the minimum MicroSD speed necessary to extend the storage of an Android phone?
I want to extended the storage of my Android phone be switching it to a MicroSD memory, as Android Marshmallow allows.
What is the minimum speed I need to use to avoid impacting performance? I am considering a SanDisk Ultra, but I wonder whether an Extreme will be better?
Are there any other aspects I need to check on the card to ensure compatibility?

lollipop shouldn't be tagged unless the point is that it doesn't work with that version.

I read somewhere that Lollipop can use external SD as main storage but requires some non standard hacks.

It is called adoptable storage and it starts with 6.0 http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/137855/how-does-the-format-as-internal-storage-feature-work-in-android-6-0

If you discover where Lollipop can do that, please share. I would love to try it out

First lollipop don't have adoptable storage feature, but sd card can be used for storing app on version lower than 6.0 but you'll need root and app called link2sd

tl:dr;
Go in for SDXC UHS class 1 or A1 cards if you are looking to run apps from Ext SD

SD card speeds have two aspects that would impact your proposed use as adoptable-storage ( though your question wrongly assumed that adoptable-storage is available on Lollipop, while it is introduced only from Marshmallow )

Sequential speeds - which are applicable when one chunk of memory is being written or read, say like a large video or a heavy presentation file
Random IO speeds - which pertains as the name suggests which are random in nature, as is the case with accessing app or app data , as in the case of adoptable-storage

Till recently compatibility for your purpose was being viewed only with sequential speeds. Motorola recommends UHS class 1 :

Last year SD card association has come up with a new standard that specifically addresses random IO for application access and is called A1 App Performance

The SD Card Association to Classify IOPS Performance of Memory Cards via Logo

....In today's climate, usage patterns of SD cards by different people vary greatly. Some need to record and store UHD content, other need to run applications, which is why the former benefit from great sequential performance, whereas the latter need guaranteed sequential and random read/write performance

AFAIK, SD cards with this rating are not yet marketed
As additional information here is where the A1 cards stack up when you compare sequential and video speeds

Finally, coming to your question UHS 1 speeds (SDXC) are recommended ( since you haven't linked the cards under proposal, I am unable to specifically say which is better) or if you can wait for a while purchase A1 class which is better suited for adoptable-storage, in case you plan to upgrade
Also see this question for compatibility chart Should SD card be formatted before putting into new phone?

For using SD cars as internal storage bare minimum would be Class 10 SD card, but still that is 4-5 times slower (if I remeber corectly) than internal storage at least in my case I presume that on better and flagship phones would be even greater difference. I used some r/w benchmark app from store to test. Also there is UHS 1 and UHS 3 micro SD cards that are way faster than class 10 but I don't know how much they cost, and maybe your phone doesn't even support UHS SD cards, those SD cards would be better than class 10 as adopted.

authors: Једноруки Крстивоје


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Remove lock or enable usb debugging on non-rooted phone?
So my little sister locked herself out of her phone which was not rooted, had no recovery software (Cwm, Xrec, etc.) installed on it, and has usb debugging and auto-mount disabled. We don't know the google account associated with the phone. Basically all I have is the phone and a usb cable. Is there a way to get the user data out of it? Adb won't recognise the device btw. I do apologise if it's a stupid question. The phone automatically connected to the wifi, and I'm on Linux, if that helps.
Update: managed to get into recovery but adb only recognises the device in sideload mode.

check if this thread helps https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2487147

Thanks, I found a work around, I'm not sure this works on all android versions. I inserted a micro sd, went into recovery, backed up user data onto the card, put the card into my computer, extracted the .backup file as explained here http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/141805/how-to-extract-backup-files-created-by-android-stock-recovery, went into the accounts.db file, found the google account, recovered it with the associated phone number and unlocked the phone.

What phone and version of Android?  Potentially see http://android.stackexchange.com/q/127739/1465

source: Stack Exchange

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

sort: votes


text:
How can I root my Lava A97 Android 6.0 stock
I have tried all the rooting apps including desktops one but none of them able to root my device.
I also tried to go through adb but not able to get '#' access in order to move files into intended directory.

Nowadays there is a lot of rooting apps and mostly depend on user's choice and ease. You may try the following apps since they do have a higher success rate when rooting.

CF-Auto-Root
Kingroot (Try Kingroot for PC if the apk method fails)

After rooting its up to you to find the SU management of your choice because there seems to be controversy around this topic (many users have complained of privacy invasion from some of the rooting apps)

@Takshak, did these applications solve your case?

Nope, I had to install a custom recovery (CWM) then rooted it with the Chainfire. Anyway thanks.

all_licenses: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/


text:
ADB/fastboot stopped working in recovery mode
Something went wrong when I updated my Nexus 4 (Mako) with Paranoid Android 6 via TWRP 2.8.
I formated the phone in Recovery Mode but now I unable to connect to adb to transfer new OS image in the internal memory. So, I'm stuck with a phone without operating system.
The battery loads well when connected to my debian but I can't see anything related to the phone with lsusb.
I'm definetly not an expert with TWRP, but I noticed an error when I try to start adb sideload : E:Unable to mount /usb-otg.
I'm also considering to open the device but from informations I found there is no way to extract the internal memory to flash it from my debian.
How can I debug that ? Alternatively, what are my options to send a new image to my phone ?
UPDATE 1: When I enter in fastboot mode (the screen with the android picture) I see:

FASTBOOT MODE
  VARIANT - mako 8GB
  HW VERSION - rev 11
  BOOTLOADER VERSION - MAKOZ10o
  BASEBAND VERSION - M9615A-CEFWMAZM-2.0.1700.48
  CARRIER INFO - None
  SIGNING - production
  SECURE BOOT - enabled
  LOCK STATE - unlocked

In this mode I still have nothing on lsusb or fastboot devices -l.
UPDATE 2: Here is what I see in dmesg -w | grep usb when I connect the phone :

[3416.043914] usb 3-2: new full-speed USB device number 22 using xhci_hcd
  [3416.155984] usb 3-2: device descriptor read/64, error -71
  [3416.371985] usb 3-2: device descriptor read/64, error -71
  [3416.587946] usb 3-2: new full-speed USB device number 23 using hci_hcd
  [3416.700008] usb 3-2: device descriptor read/64, error -71
  [3416.915999] usb 3-2: device descriptor read/64, error -71
  [3417.131964] usb 3-2: new full-speed USB device number 24 using xhci_hcd
  [3417.132235] usb 3-2: Device not responding to setup address.
  [3417.336256] usb 3-2: Device not responding to setup address.
  [3417.539975] usb 3-2: device not accepting address 24, error -71
  [3417.651994] usb 3-2: new full-speed USB device number 25 using xhci_hcd
  [3417.652222] usb 3-2: Device not responding to setup address.
  [3417.856035] usb 3-2: Device not responding to setup address.
  [3418.060047] usb 3-2: device not accepting address 25, error -71
  [3418.060149] usb usb3-port2: unable to enumerate USB device

How's fastboot working?

fastboot devices -l gives me nothing.

Are you in fastboot mode? Don't restrict yourself inside TWRP.

I updated my comment with information relative to fastboot mode. I'm definetly new with android, but don't you think I should see something in lsusb whatever mode I use ?

I updated my question with details from dmesg. Apparently something is wrong on this side.

It turned out that the communication problem on the USB bus came from a "loose" connection of in the micro USB. I succeeded to reset a factory image just leaving the phone and the connector in a particular position to keep the contact.


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App to change equalizer based on time
Looking for an app (or other solution) to change equalizer settings based on time of day.
Specifically, I'd like to automatically lower bass (and possibly enhance voice) at nighttime so I don't disturb the neighbors.

Maybe a job for [tag:tasker] if you can find an equalizer app that can change settings via an intent.


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How do I disable Google voice command?
Since the new Google update, my beloved and must have to get through the eight hours at work head phones have turned into my worst nightmare. Voice pops up and decides it's a good time to turn the volume up full blast while I'm listening to music. I really don't want permanent hearing  Ioss. If I cough, it goes mute. I tried to disable through the settings and it won't stay. It also takes the liberty to change the ring from vibrate to silent. This is the worst update ever! Please help...my breaks at work really suck now. How can I turn this crap off?? I have a droid LG 10.

This ensures that the correct APP is opened and sets it to work only when the APP is running, instead of in the background.


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How to use SP Flash Tool to install a new Recovery?
My friend has a Chinese phone.
I want to install a new Recovery, and I have Lineage OS on my computer, SP Flash Tool, and a recovery image.
How do I use SP Flash Tool? What files do I have to put on the download tab? I have a scatter file. What do I have to do?
Information about the phone:

Board: MediaTek MT6589 A replic of Moto G 3rd generation

I want to install TWRP recovery, and then install Lineage OS 6.0.

Where i find the ROM files, like "preloader" "boot" etc etc...

Did you find the correct recovery for your device? If so, just load the file in Recovery slot (load first the scatter file)

For safety sake, please let us know where you got this LineageOS - I doubt there is one available for this replica, and the one for the authentic one can't be used on the replica either.

i already installed a recovery, and the ROM is not installed because i got an error, now the /system is formatted, and the phone is freezed on Android screen

From my notes when I first used it (which was the only time I did):¹

Download and unzip the package , Open SPFLASHTOOL EXE and Load the Scatter file (Click Scatter Loading)
Uncheck all the boxes
Go to / click RECOVERY box from list and load recovery image according to your device/choice (load image from the separate window -->open)
Now you can see RECOVERY box is checked and you can see the recovery image location (uncheck all other boxes)
Switch off your device
Connect your device and Click DOWNLOAD button on top (not the tab) , If it ask click "yes"
It is done and MTK flashTool will do the rest. If you have problem with flashing tool or drivers install MediaTek USB VCOM drivers.

Further readings:

How to setup SP_Flash_Tool_Linux
How to root MTK based mobile devices using a Linux PC?
How to use SP Flash Tool to fix MTK devices
How to Root Android and install recovery on any Mediatek device
How to use the flash tool
flash tool

¹ As the steps speak "Windows jargon" (e.g. "EXE"), I must have copied that from some other place.

i already installed the drivers, and the scatter file, and downloaded the recovery img. but always when i try to upload the recovery image, i get a error: Please check the load image file is correct or not? i click on Yes, and nothing happens

No idea. But AFAIR you don't "upload", but "download". It's a bit confusing first; the tool speaks from the point of view of the device – so if you want to flash the device, you download stuff to it. So have you been on the correct tab then? Maybe you cross-check with some of the tutorials I've linked?

@SampaioLeal You got the warning simply because it is not a correct recovery image for MT6589!

i wrong the word, i have placed the reovery image on the box, sorry i am a brazilian guy, and my english is so bad kkkk lol

The image size MUST be the same with the one on the scatter file. Open the scatter with a text editor and see how much space the recovery takes (in hex format) - besides, where did you get this scatter file?

huum, i will see, the scatter i found on google hehe, i think on XDA forum

@esQmo converting hexadecimal to decimal: 0x2d80000 = 47710208, i have to tranform this value in bits?

Ok, i use a TWRP Easy recovery install, but i get a new error: The ported recpvery image is too large, and can cause a overlapse. What i have to do? Can you guys help me?


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Mobile tethering [Internal implementation]
I use mobile tethering sometime from remote. Recently, I had some strange behaviour.
For my older connection when I used to get IPv4 from the operator, on tethering, all the connected devices had a local IP. However, the global IP remained same for the devices.
With my new network operator, I am given IPv6 and here is a twist. All the devices have a different global presence. Does this mean, with tethering on IPv6 connection, LAN concepts are removed?
If yes, how can we create LAN with IPv6 connection?
I no, why am I getting a different global presence inspite of tethering?
I am using OnePlus 3T.

That's just how IPv6 works. Every device gets a unique global address by design.


text:
Android wifi says "Connected, no internet" but internet works just fine
This is a strange thing that started happening with the wifi network at my work.  Android devices connected to the network say "Connected, no internet" however the internet works perfectly well.  This has happened to devices running android 6 and 7.  This is a small business in the US and theres no proxy or captive portal that is blocking any DNS.  Windows and Ubuntu laptops connect and say everything is fine, seems to be something Android specific.
Does anyone know how exactly Android determines weather a network has internet access?  This seems like the solution will end up in the router configuration, but knowing what could cause Android to behave this way would be helpful.  What steps could one take to troubleshoot this issue?

Would be helpful to know what devices you're using that give this issue. If the devices are all from one manufacturer and it works fine when you connect with a different manufacturer's device that would narrow things down. But if it happens to devices with multiple manufacturers I would guess something to do with your router configuration but this is a really odd issue.

I see this sometimes at work; I tend to ignore it. We use Umbrella Solutions to capture illicit web traffic.

Another point to narrow it down: Do all your Google services work fine? Have you e.g. tried to use Playstore, GMail etc? I'm not 100% sure, but AFAIR the detection uses some Google IP and sees if that can be reached.

Perhaps this seems likely to be a problem connecting to Google servers (captive portal server) not the browser configured captive portal login you seem to be refering to in your post.
(Sometime since Lollipop (5.1+)) When connected to networks (especially Wi-Fi networks), android system  checks if there is an active internet connection by perfoming checks on certain pre-defined URLs belonging to Google servers. If it fails, there'll be an exclamation mark on the Wi-Fi signal icon and a  “Connected, no internet” notification is shown (even though you can access other websites and the internet is up an running) so it may be a temporary problem with connectivity to that specific URL:

Android tries to reach a file named generate_204 on one of the Google
  servers and if there is no positive response, it means that there is
  no connection to the internet, and notification is generated also, the detection url differs between
  different Android versions.

clients3.google.com/generate_204 check (kitkat)
connectivitycheck.gstatic.com/generate_204 (marshmallow)

It seems that google has changed the captive portal
detection on recent  versions of android e.g oreo.
looks like google now checks for both a generate_204 on both
connectivitycheck.gstatic.com and a gen_204 on
www.google.com.
Again is a problem on its own esp in regions where access to google services is blocked. This answer however explains well how to bypass such and you make take a look at it.
A chunk of information has been extracted from this discussion.
Based on this you have some options to bypass this:

Changing captive portal server

Install a terminal app alternatively these  commands can also be run via the adb shell.
Open the terminal app and run su.
Run settings get global captive_portal_server. This will show the current captive portal server. A "null" reply is usually the default.
Run settings put global captive_portal_server YOUR_SERVER_ADDRESS. You can  add google.com as the captive portal server, i.e settings put global captive_portal_server google.com.
Run exit once to exit from su, then exit one more time to close the terminal.
Reboot the Android device. Will not work without a reboot.

Disabling captive portal

Since the culprit is a method isCaptivePortal() which access clients3.google.com/generate_204 to test if a connection is deemed
  "usable". The page, as its name suggest, is designed to always return
  a HTTP 204 status code. Based on this you have a couple options:

i. Kill isCaptivePortal() completely

with adb set, run adb shell su -c "settings put global captive_portal_detection_enabled 0" (Android 7.1+)
or using adb shell su -c "settings put global captive_portal_mode 0"

Note:  The down side is that isCaptivePortal() is actually useful to detect for example when a WiFi network requires login. If the request to the 204 page gets redirected to a login page (not a 204), the system will understand and display the exclamation mark as intended.
ii. Change the target of isCaptivePortal()

another workaround is replacing the Google host with a host that is accessible within the specific region. This host should also be returning 204 every time /generate_204 is accessed.
i.e adb shell su -c "settings put global captive_portal_server {alternate_host} "

Using hosts

You can edit hosts to block the captive portal detection url thus bypassing the sending of the requests to captive portal server.

Why Linux and Windows connect with no issues?
As you mentioned in your post that this seems to be Android specific, indeed the above discussion highlights that. The reason is that for those devices (Linux and Windows) the mechanism of connection is completely different.
These devices won't need to connect to Google servers to first detect if an internet is active.

Using the command adb shell su -c "settings put global captive_portal_mode 0" worked for me without a reboot (Android 8.1, MIUI 10). Just as a little side note for others.

Check time and date on your android device. In https era is very important to have date and time in sync with reality.
I had this issue today with my TV and it was a few years late. :)

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


text:
How do I enable the MTP functions on my Nexus 5?
When I plug my Nexus 5 phone into my Windows 7 desktop, I see the Nexus 5 device in the file Explorer, but no files. I am sure this is because I need to enable the feature from the phone side, but I can't find it in Settings.
In Device settings, I have "Storage and USB", but all it seems to contain is a way to see on the phone how much storage is used by each App. The three dots in the upper right corner only open up to allow me to look at Help.
Where is the setting I need to change?

Did you try pulling down the notification bar? ;)

If you are on Marshmallow, follow this answer and select MTP on step 2 and also select MTP from notification bar

There should be a notification in your notification drawer saying USB charging this device tap on it and select Transfer files.


text:
"Unable to restore from current backup" when restoring WhatsApp chat from Google Drive
I have changed my phone. I had backed up my WhatsApp data on Google Drive. Google Drive shows the chat has been backed up there.
On the new phone, I reinstalled WhatsApp with the same phone number and opted to restore data. It only restores media files but no chat messages. Restoring messages stops at 24% and shows error "Unable to restore from current backup".
How can I restore my chat?

Open Whatsapp. If you have the chat backup, it will display a message "Backup found. Do you want to restore?" If not, then Go to Settings->Chats->Chat Backup. You will find the Google Drive option. Click on it and you are good to go.
Make sure you got your email account linked to the phone.

OP said they already tried to restore and it stopped halfway through. BTW the same happened to me as well.

@AndreaLazzarotto Any solution found?

@Chanikya that comment was made 7 years ago. :) I don't remember what the issue was. Anyways, you can usually download the backup manually from Google Drive with some open source tools and then decrypt the database to see if the file is damaged.

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


text:
Force browser to use only mobile data regardless of WiFi is connected?
Is it possible to force any Android internet browser to use only mobile data regardless of whether WiFi is connected or not?
My situation: I have a tablet with Android 5.0.1 and mobile data enabled. I have also a little mobile printer - Canon Pixma IP110. I have to travel and print invoices for my customers anywhere. I am connecting to the printer's access point (the internet is not available of course) but I need to keep the web application open where I print the invoices from, that's why I need force my browser to use only mobile data and not use the printer's access point.

Simply NO
Because it is not a feature comes with the browser.
It is a general feature.
When the device is connected to Wi-Fi, the device automatically disconnect from mobile data even if the data is turned on


text:
Can I safely delete .facebook_cache folder if I don't have a Facebook app installed?
I have noticed that there is a folder named .facebook_cache in /storage/emulated/0/
I have never had the Facebook app or the Facebook Messenger app installed on the device and I don't intend to. At first I thought it must have been put there by the Facebook website, which was concerning, or been set up as default by the Android OS. After reading around I assume it was imported as a backup from the Google cloud from an earlier device which had the app installed.
Can anyone confirm the reason that it exists on this device and if it is okay to delete the folder without causing any issues?

It's fine. Go ahead and delete it.

Quoting from Mathew Read's answer here

Cache is temporary files. One example might be thumbnails for contacts in a social media app. These can be cleared without any major effect — the app can just download them again when it needs to — and if space is low the Android OS may remove cache files itself.

You don't even have the app installed , so it can do no harm
The reason for it being of likely the Google Backup, since you never installed the app
You can also use the SD maid app mentioned here, which I find very effective in removing corpses and cleaning system How to clean up related files from deleted apps?

I had this directory, too.
I discovered pictures in it (everything except the journal file) are created when a map thumbnail is opened in Whatsapp after giving it storage permissions.
You can safely delete this directory.

Welcome to Android Enthusiasts! When writing answers, it's best to give information just as it is without additional narrative. For example, it's generated by whatsapp when opening a map thumbnail and the app has storage permissions. You can safely delete it, as it's only a cache.

Hi @EthanZ,
the narrative was due to the apparently unrelated name. Most people do not know that Whatsapp is owned by Facebook and frankly I can't understand why this directory does not have a Whatsapp-related name.
Also, I know applications should save data in $storage/Android/data or $/data/data/application_id, (locations unreadable by other apps) not $storage/.name_of_developer (writable and readable by anything), so this can be easily mistaken for a virus by people not having facebook installed on their devices.

That's entirely fair.


text:
signal strength *send* by my phone
When I get a call, I often can hear the other side just fine, but they don't hear me. This happens so often that I wonder if the problem could be my phone's sending signal strength. (There are tons of apps showing the received signal strength, but this is not my point.)

Is there a way to measure or configure this?
Is this a possible explanation at all?

Edit: should have added that the call is often dropped some seconds after I become inaudible. I hear the other side crisp and clear complaining about me not audible and then it drops.
Further I discovered the Settings -> About Phone -> Status -> SUBS Status (my translations from German) where I see that the connection is difficult in these situations (UMTS at -95dbm to -103dbm).
The model I am envisaging is that the receive (from cell) and send channels (to cell) are slightly asymmetric, due to walls, buildings and other obstacles, such that the phone software underestimates the necessary sending power by a few percent.

AFAIK there is no way to measure or Comfigure send signal strength. If the problem is same irrespective of your location, work, home, anywhere, it is more likely an hardware Issue with the device

Also check out the problem is same if you use speaker phone. If it isn't it is likely mic issue

Yep, a hardware problem is what I am suspecting, so I hoped for some way to check what is actually going on. In fact it is not always a problem, only in certain locations, which is why I suspect the send signal strength is just, say, 20% to low, so that under good conditions everything is fine.

If the call is not dropped, that confirms there is enough sending signal strength.

Sending strength:  Modern digital cellphones are set to utilize the minimum power to maintain a connection.  So the fact that the connection isn't dropping completely tells you that you have sufficient RF signal strength to make and receive calls.
Talk Volume:  As for them telling you that your voice is not loud enough I would suspect the microphone itself.  Like maybe pocket lint got into it or it got poked with something.
If it is an older phone it is possible that some part has failed or is in the process of fading.
In order to properly diagnose this, I would want to know 1) Did this start suddenly, or has it been a gradual change?  2) Can you send texts?  (They require sending power to connect), and 3) How has the phone been treated?  Has it been dropped or anything like that?
With the little information you provided I would look closely at the phone itself.
And you can rest assured you are getting enough sending power.  Digital is not like old phones where it can connect but you have to yell because of bad amplifiers in the central office.  With digital, you can either connect or not, period.  If the circuitry canperform their internal handshakes that maintain the connection then you are fine.  If the error rate goes up, your phone will automatically raise its signal strength until the celll network is happy enough to maintain the connection.
That is enough diagnosis to determine your signal strength is sufficient.

"rest assured you are getting enough sending power" is exactly what I would like to verify :-) No, it did not start suddenly, its on and off, so  sometimes can send text, sometime it lingers until I move around when it then suddenly is send. The phone is fairly new and treated the best way I can think of. See edits too.

The device can't measure the power it sending, that is done on the receiving side or with a specialized meter (which costs dozens of times more than your phone). Your low volume issue is hardware (mic) or codec problem... Low Tx power would not change your volume, that would be an analog issue and all modern phones transmit and receive voice as 1's and 0's, if there wasn't enough power and digits were getting lost, the call would choppy/broken or drop, but the volume would not change.

@acejavelin is correct.  (+1)  As to the OP, please read my answer again - it describes the difference between signal strength and audio level, and especially how the phone adjusts as well as  it can.  If your call stays connected then that is your proof that you have enough strength.  If you find you have to move around to find a strong enough signal then it is usually a result of your proximity to a cell tower.  Your phone will not transmit anything at all unless it hears the "I'm here" message from a cell tower.


text:
Automatically encrypting everything image that enters into a specific folder
I would like to encrypt every image that goes into a specific folder with a public key, so that the image can't be opened from the phone and only be opened once I'm at my computer which has the private key.
Is there a way to do this?

Please rephrase your question to exclude explicit app recommendation.

@AndyYan Whether it explicitly uses the word "app" or not doesn't make any difference: it's all about whether it's asking for recommendations or whether there's a specific problem to solve. You have to look past the surface content to see what kind of answers would fit the question.

If you really want to secure the images the app that writes it directly needs to write them encrypted. Otherwise the unencrypted data will be present n flash and can be recovered. Overwriting does not work with flash storage because of wear leveling.

@Robert : My thread model doesn't have the adversary do a hardware attack on the flash.

Have you checked the PGP/GPG apps? Monitoring a directory is pretty simple on Android therefore even if one of those apps does not have the monitoring feature the author/community may be willing to add it.

@DanHulme There's a reason you're a mod and I'm far from one :)


text:
Startup apps not running at start up
I've recently purchased a Lenovo Vibe K5 mobile.  The phone runs Android 5.1 Lollipop with the Lenovo UI layered on top.
I have been facing a strange problem.  Apps that are set to start at startup simply don't start until I start them manually.  This includes messaging apps like Telegram etc. (only WhatsApp somehow seems to startup, but it then often hangs), battery monitors, QualityTime, Resilio Sync, Twilight, etc.
This has become more than an annoyance as the failure to start messaging apps means I never receive messages.  I've missed several important messages as a result.
I have checked in Bootup Manager and all these apps are listed as startup apps.  I have also switched off Lenovo's "Intelligent power settings" system (which seems to basically terminate apps if they are running in the background).
I have made no modifications to the stock ROM except rooting it.  I also experienced a weird problem with SMS not being received when I restored messages from a different phone from a backup.  I eventually deleted the message database and started from scratch; that seems to have fixed the problem.
Is there any way to fix this problem?  Where would I start? I am tempted to go the whole hog and replace the stock firmware with a custom ROM, but that is likely to bring its own problems in its wake.  Is that the only route forward?

This person claimed to have found a solution - http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/135870/lollipop-apps-not-autostarting - but I cannot locate the setting he's referring to, and that sounds like something from a custom UI rather than stock Android...

In my case it appears that the problem was that some of these apps had been set to "restrict to launch" (in Settings -> Apps -> [each app]).  I don't know what this setting is intended to do, or why it was turned on. Also this does not seem to be a complete solution, but it appears to have ensured that some of them are now starting at startup.
This setting appears to be unique to Lenovo phones, though I may be wrong about that.

Mine isn't a Lenovo, its an Alcatel, although I'd think since they both run Lollipop 5.1, any differences would be superficial.

Also, apparently that setting is part of Lollipop, not the Lenovo UI...I've seen that setting in my phone and actually changed which apps were restricted, but it didn't seem to do anything other than make the restricted apps unable to run in the background. I couldn't really tell if it couldn't tell if it affected which apps booted @ startup, but I'll pay closer attention...Thanks!!


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How to start the application optimization process without having to restart the device?
Hello everyone
I have a question, I had to install an application manually, moving its data, dex and apk to the corresponding directories in the / data, but for the moment the application did not appear installed, but when restarting the device, and on power up I showed a message saying : Updating the system, optimizing app, when finished everything perfect the installed application and everything, but now I have left with a doubt that is: How can I start the optimization of the application without having to reboot the device, with some command or something so.


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Does downloading too many games slow down a device?
I have over 15 games on my device. Some do occupy some memory; others not so much. I have enough leftover memory on the phone.
Is it true that this can slow down the device?

Problem is mainly not with storage occupation, but whether they're running in the background... Go check Running Apps and see if you can spot any of 'em.

@AndyYan No I can't spot any of them. So no problem then?

Not in my eyes. Still, other members might come up with different criterias - just wait for a proper answer.

When you download and install a game on your device, the data is stored within internal storage. When you run the game, it loads all the assets into RAM, which is Random Access Memory. Accessing RAM is much faster than accessing internal memory, which allows games to load scenes, animations, and other things faster. The game should know exactly where the assets are in RAM with an memory address. It can jump right to that point and pull the information down.
However, games are not the only thing that uses RAM. The operating system, system applications, and other installed apps are also using RAM. The more RAM that is used, the less there is for new operations to occupy temporarily. If RAM gets too full, then it could cause problems.
Leaving applications running in the background leaves RAM occupied. After a while, the memory should automatically be cleaned up, especially if you start new applications that require that space in RAM.
Another culprit that could be slowing things down is cache. Cache is used to store app information, web site data, and other information that the app will use to speed up load times. If too much cache is used, then it could be slowed. Games can use a lot of cache since they need to load images faster. Clearing the cache occasionally is typically a good thing.
TL;DR
Yes, running many games can cause a slow down on your device. RAM that does not get cleared and having too much cache are the main culprits. RAM should resolve itself over time, though closing the app completely is a good idea just to make sure. Clearing cache every so often is a good idea as well, especially if you run many of the games often.

+1. Another point is that most games would (I suppose) want internet access for various reasons. If a bunch of them are accessing internet while you are browsing there would be resource clashes and browsing may be slower --> impression / actually slowing down. I am guessing since I don't play games

Downloading too many Apps (not only games) might slow down your device.
It depends strongly on the apps you are dealing with.
The mechanisms for slowing down Android performance are various.
It may be due to background processes, low available memory, and perhaps communication issues.
The question is quite broad, and I will try to avoid repeating information, so I will point to appropriate sources.
You could check which apps are eating up your resources.
For instance, Trepn profiler is recommended here.
I have used it some time ago and I recall finding it quite useful, in particular for a slowed-down device.
Note that when identifying resource hog apps, it is likely not a good idea to use an app killer on them.
Related:
https://forums.androidcentral.com/samsung-galaxy-s3/246051-does-downloading-lot-apps-slow-down-your-phone.html
This old question and its answers might be useful:
My device is getting slow, apps start misbehaving/crashing. What can I do?

Yes. Believe it or not, the less free space you have in ROM, it can eventually affect the load speed for apps and their the files associated with them because it takes longer for the phone to find and access the info it needs, especially if you have less than 32 GB total storage. Not so much if you have a large memory (like an iPhone or Samsung Galaxy, both of which come  w/ up to 128 GB, depending on the model). It still will get slower the more memory is used, but the memory access time for a phone with that much storage is such that even if it takes 2-3 times as long, it would still be so fast you couldn't notice the difference.

So you mean to say the total free rom space on the device affects its speed? Each app is only a few MB. What if I download a video of a few GB? I haven't noticed much of a change even then.

Storing applications does not take up ROM space. ROM is used mainly for firmware instructions. When an application is downloaded and stored, it is put on the internal memory chip, which is usually an SSD type storage.

Yes it does..at one point of view....it basically EATS your RAM and this causes slowing down of other apps and your whole phone......it also causes superheating problems.....it also depends on your mobile set.I.e.its hardware and all.anyway.....the final answer is YES

This is nonsense.  Downloading apps doesn't permanently take RAM, they're not stored in RAM.

I didn't say it gets stored in RAM....i said that RAM is used very much when we use it...ROM gets decreased... And RAM gets decreased temporarily...

Of course RAM is used when the phone is used.  That's why it's there.  That's a meaningless statement that has nothing to do with the question.  Neither of these are going to "superheat" the phone (CPU/GPU use will and only if the phone does not properly regulate them).

Anything that increase the AVERAGE amount of RAM used will increase the CPU temperature to a point... The that's what causes any phone to heat up when there's no excessive battery drain...The screen will heat up the battery also, but it's because the screen itself is one of the main drains on the battery, but  has nothing to do with the CPU

In my case That is not correct because when you install certain games are applications at that time some of they contain  i mean they required low cpu and GPU power and some of them they don't even required that

Hello. I strongly suggest you consider reading our [answer] guide, then revise this answer accordingly.


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Change rendering mode of chrome
Aosp browser rendered text and pictures a lot differently then chrome.
It would white box what is rendered while the cpu and stuff catches up.  Chrome seems to freeze when CPU strapped.  Is there a way to fix this or revert to the old behavior at minimum?
Alternatively is there a way to install the original browser in android 6?
Not to mention this http://cdn.androidbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/sunspider_benchmark1.png

Chrome has seemed to get better with time.

I can't guarantee that you'll get a quick fix by trying this out. But I can tell you that it will change your browser for the better. You'll just have to try one option after another and or together because there's about 30 or 40 options you can enable but here you try . ( Chrome://Flags ) type that into your Chrome browser and start ticking off the flags that look like they may help .

There is no option for this under Chrome.


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Finding source of WiFi Connection Failures
A while ago I got a used S5. I rooted it and put CM 13.0 on it, and was very happy with it until it started to fail to connect to any WiFi, on the WiFi setup page stating "WiFi Connection Failure". This happened on any WiFi with this phone, while all other devices would connect just fine with these networks. My router at home (FritzBox) laconically remarks "WiFi device logged off" in its event log. At the same time, 4G worked just fine and I also could connect by Bluetooth-tethering through an old phone I had. Only the WiFi failed.
I was pretty sure it was a configuration problem, but I didn't find what was wrong and my attempts – from deleting and re-adding the connections until just wiping all of /data/misc/wifi as described here – didn't help.
So I decided to wipe the whole phone. Since saving all your settings and accounts to re-install on the same device is a bit error-prone (if you don't want to feed it all to google), I got myself a new (used) S5, transferred everything over, and all was good. I then wiped the old one and, just as I suspected, the reset phone connects to any WiFi just fine. :-/
However, a couple of days ago the new S5 started to exhibit the very same behavior. I can now again no longer log into WiFi networks. I have again tried the obvious (deleted the connections, wiped /data/misc/wifi) – but all to no avail. Since I do not want to go through the hassle of having two phones and transferring everything from one phone to the other every other month, I guess I will have to get to the bottom of this now. This is a Linux system, after all, so there must be some logs of what's happening somewhere. Unfortunately I'm not a Unix aficionado, so I do not know this stuff by heart. So here is my question:
Where do I look to find out what's happening? What do I look at? Where do I start?
Any pointers are most welcome.

OK, after lots of pulled hair and bitten nails, I think I have found a solution. Rather than closing this question it might be better if I share my findings on the off-chance that someone having this problem might find the solution through google.
First off, I installed aLogCat Root, and waded through lots of debug output. That got me

    "Wifi connection closed with errorCode 20"

and

    "Client connection lost with reason: 4"

Googling found lots of issues, most of which obviously did not apply here, while the rest less obviously didn't. None of the solutions helped me.
However, due to the many times I rebooted while trying all these fixes, at some point the nagging message after reboot making me aware that my Location services are disabled caught my eye and I thought I could give this a try. Well.
I enabled Location and WiFi works now.
I confirmed it by undoing all the other things I had tried, none of which broke WiFi. However, the very moment I disable Location, WiFi stops working.
To me this isn't obvious at all, and if someone can shed some light on this, I'd be happy to get educated.


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Verifying a backup which I used ADB via DroidExplorer
I have a non-rooted tablet which I did an ADB backup thru DroidExplorer.  The backup ended abruptly with no success/failure indication (which appears to be a feature of ADB).
I want to verify that the backup looks correct.  I tried using the "upack" on the file folder context menu (which I think was added by DroidExplorer?).  It asked for the password and then did nothing.
I guess there are lower level ways to unpack the file which I'll try next but my questions concerning DroidExplorer are:  Is the context menu "unpack" part of it?  Is it not working or is there a fix for it?  Also, I'd like to backup the external SD card as well...  looking at the backup file size, the backup is only doing the internal mem at most.  Is there a way to include the external SD thru DroidExplorer?  There was a choice for SD\card but I think that might only do the internal one?  And lastly, will ADB work correctly/completely on a non-rooted device?


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How to restore the backup?
i have a phone MT6589 and i formatted the /system and now, the android has dessapeared.
Now the phone is freezed on the boot screen, and i cant turn off the phone because the battery is sticked!
Before all this happens, i have made a backup on the recovery.

Wait a second. You formatted /system (where the OS resides), and no you wonder the device no longer boots? I hope you've created the backup I told you to ;) If you still can boot to recovery, you can restore the Nandroid you made from there (have you tried that?) – otherwise, you can restore from the partitions extracted via FlashTool.

I cant access the recovery because the buttons dont work, how to access recovery via PC? Adb, fastboot, SP Flash Tool?

We should chat...

No idea, I don't even know your device. You can use ADB to tell the device to boot into recovery, but for that the system must be running (which it does not). So you could probably use FlashTool to restore the /system partition – provided you backed it up before using FlashTool. Sorry but no, a chat with me won't help, I cannot give further advice.

i made a backup via recovery, not via flashtool

Well, you've been warned: remember I told you before to backup the entire device with FlashTool before starting to play with things? FlashTool even works if the MTK device is "dead" (no need to boot it into some special mode, just turn it off). What help is your Nandroid if you cannot boot into recovery? Afraid you'r out of luck then – apart from finding a matching ROM for the device and flashing it via FlashTool. Good luck!


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"Unfortunately, Google App has stopped". Locked out of my phone! Please help!
My phone started popping up with "Unfortunately, Google App has stopped." notification non stop. The keyboard wouldn't come up on my phone. I decided to restart my phone, which I guess was a bad idea because now I'm stuck on the lock screen. The keyboard won't come up, so I can't type in my password to get into the phone. I've tried restarting, taking the battery out, leaving it off for a while. Nothing has worked. I tried going into Safe Mode but the keyboard still won't come up. I also tried going into recovery mode and clearing the cache, that didn't help either. I would really like to avoid a factory reset. Help??

Do you have USB debugging enabled?

I have a possible solution. But I don't think it works most of the time.
When you are at the lock screen and your keyboard doesn't pop-up, connect the phone to the charger or your laptop/desktop. It resets the processes and your phone will come back to normal. Disconnect the cable if connected previously. After the lock-screen is opened, take a gap of 20 - 30 seconds and connect it and try opening it.
This is an old regulation for many android phones and worked a lot of times in my case with Sony Xperia SP C5302. Hope it works in your case also.

Didn't work for me :( My phone wakes up when I plug it in but the keyboard still won't pop up.

@sher -  Did you try connecting the mobile to a laptop / desktop. When it is done, the drivers section of the phone activates, and a few processes get started. In this case, by accepting "Install drivers", you can get your keyboard back. Try it up.

When I plug it into my laptop it says I need to unlock my phone, which I can't do. I'm not sure where to find the "install drivers" thing


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My apps keep crashing
I have an LG Spirit.
Sometimes my apps keep crashing for no apparent reason. This all started when I first downloaded Fire Emblem Heroes from the Google Play Store. Now some apps that used to run smoothly crash constantly. There are apps I can't even open now, even though I used them before with no problems.

It seems Fire Emblem Heroes might be consuming a lot of resources (RAM, CPU) in addition I suspect it has one or a few processes running in the background.
I'd suggest you completely disable Fire Emblem Heroes from auto starting, manage ram by hibernating the app after using it. You can put the app on the exclusion list of allowed app when screen is off, if your ROM supports that.
For instance I use Start up manager to prevent a named app from automatically running during start up, and Power manager to restrict background power intensive app from running (both built-in)
If your ROM doesn't include these features you may consider installing Greenify, and clearing cached data regularly


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How to use Tasker to close app on exit
I use my phone for private things such as social media and telephone banking. These apps that I won't want others to access if they had my phone and it was unlocked I have them blocked through App Lock.
However pressing the recent apps list (left touch button on Samsung s7) displays the list of apps and also gives a still image of what was happening in that app. I was advised Tasker can be used to resolve this by completely closing an app upon exit whether by pressing that event apps button or the back button or home button, so it no longer appears on recent apps list.
However Tasker is very complicated and I was hoping someone could share the wisdom of how this can be done.

After hours of researching I am pleased to inform you that I have found a way to clear the recent apps lists in Tasker
Prerequisites:

Autoinput plugin
Root

Open tasker and head to Task tab: You can name it Clear recent apps

A1: AutoInput Global Action [ Configuration:Action: Recent Apps Timeout (Seconds):20 ]
A2: Task Wait Value: 250 MS
A3: Code → Run shell → Command input tap 405.3 1198.5 and use root ( this is the x,y co-oordinates of the point on screen which will be simulated by a tap event - my device is 720x1280.
You can obtain  your x,y coordinates by enabling show pointer location/cursor position in developer options )
A4: AutoInput Global Action [ Configuration:Action: Home Timeout (Seconds):20 ]
A5: Flash [ Text:Apps cleared Long:Off ] (You may need this flash notification to know what took place)

Now for the profile;

Go to Profiles tab and choose Application (The list of "secure apps" )
Now for entry task just create Task Wait action and choose any waiting period e.g. 2 seconds
For the exit task choose the previously created task ( Clear recent apps)

Note: Try not to test this profile when Tasker is running in foreground/included in recent apps because it may crash or go into a loop. But once the profile is set it runs smoothly as required.
Credits:

how to create close recent app list
Tasker: clear recent apps command

Can't test it, but it sounds good.

Let us continue this discussion in chat.

Update:  The above workaround is confirmed to be fully functional


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Earphones stuck in call answer mode
So I've got this problem with my earphones where they're stuck in call answer mode. They have a button which when pressed should switch the music to the background when in call answer mode and back to normal when pressed again. Well now I have the problem where the only way to have them back to normal mode is to press and hold the button. I have no idea myself how to fix this.

I require small information.
What mobile do you use ?
You're saying your phone is stuck in call answer mode. That means even though you disconnect your earphones from your mobile and you play the songs, the music can't be heard unless you switch it to a speaker. Is that it ?

No you've gotten it wrong. The phone's audio is fine, the problem is in the earphones. The earphones have a button on them that you press when you want to answer a call so it switches all audio and music to the background. It's stuck in that mode and I need it back to normal.


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Backing up WhatsApp to two different Google Drive accounts
I have had my WhatsApp account backed up to my personal Google Drive account, taking up a total space of 841 MB. I now have access to a Drive account with more space, and I'd like to switch the backup to there.
I tried changing the settings on the phone to back up to the new account, but I only get 549 MB there.
Why would the two backups be so different? I'd like to delete the original one to free up space, but not if it means losing data.

WhatsApp stores the last 7 backups. You can see it by checking your File manager -> WhatsApp -> databases and there, you can see almost 7 files. The size of files varies from each day.
Since you changed your Google account, only the last backup file will be stored in G Drive and previous backups will not be uploaded there. So, after 7 days, you can see that the size in G Drive becoming 841 MB.

I've got a bit of experience in this and know exactly how it feels to lose chats. This method will consume a little data, but it's safe.

In WhatsApp, back up the chats again to save the latest ones (twice to be sure)
Open file manager copy the WhatsApp folder somewhere else (as a backup in case you messed anything up). Now you have 2 copies of the WhatsApp folder.
Go to Settings > Apps > WhatsApp > Storage > Clear data.
Log in to your WhatsApp account now (make sure it asks about the GDrive thing. accept it)
Restore the chats from the same (old) account. (This is because sometimes there is some syncing problem, the difference in size might be because of this)
After the backing up is done, go to Settings, change the Google account there and tap backup.


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Move app data (on /data/data) to SD card
I bought one of those budget phones that claimed to have 4GB of internal storage, but it looks like there is only 1.08GB. I don't know why it says that I only have 1.08GB if I already used 1.12GB for apps.

I removed all bloatware and moved all my APKs to the SD card, but I still don't have enough space for Google Docs, etc.
The main culprits are SpanishDict and Facebook, which take up 200MB of internal storage each (at /data/data/com.spanishdict.spanishdict and /data/data/com.facebook.katana)
Of course, I googled before asking and such, and I used this program called FolderMount. But it doesn't seem to work well with moving things outside of the SD card, defeating the whole purpose of it.
Does anyone know a way to actually move app data from the internal storage to the SD card?
Btw, I am using a Lanix X200.
TL;DR no space on the internal store because of app data on /data/data. Need to move it to an SD card.

First, when they say there is 4 GB storage, they count all partitions, so there is 4 GB on your phone.
To move data to an SD card, you will have to use an app called Link2SD (root required) or use an adoptable storage feature (Android 6+ only). In both cases, you don't move folders manually if you do that you will probably screw up something.
Also, if you really need a Facebook app, use the lite version, or access it via a browser. The normal version uses too much space and too many resources. Generally, I say this because I assume you don't have more than 768 MB of RAM, so use it wisely.
Check out the Link2SD's tag wiki

There are many apps for this purpose. Some of them are APPtoSD and Link2SD. Another possible way is that when you insert a new SD card into your phone, it automatically asks, and you should select "format and use as internal storage".


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Wipe Data on Locked Phone Stuck in Boot Loop without Recovery
I am returning a Project Fi Nexus-5X device that went into a boot loop but want to wipe all my data off it before shipping it back to Google Fi.
However:

the device is oem locked
any fastboot erase (fastboot erase userdata, fastboot -w, etc) says I cannot do so until the device is unlocked
fastboot flashing unlock states oem unlock is not allowed
I can't enter recovery mode - doing so from fastboot mode immediately restarts the device, back to the black "Google" screen - and into the boot loop again
I can temporarily enter Download Mode, but the device restarts after about 10 seconds

So I'm not sure of any way to wipe my data at this point.

Can I recommend baking your 5X to try to get it to temporarily turn back on?

Note: I have no idea if this is actually safe, and assume no responsibility at all!

@owlswipe Holy ____, that's actually a thing... Blows my mind


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Switching carrier firmware
Can you flash different carrier firmware on the exact same model phone
For example can I take a Straight Talk Galaxy S5 and Flash u.s. Cellular Galaxy S5 firmware to it and make it work
Reason why dropped my s 5 for u.s. cellular and broke screen I was at Walmart today and seen a brand new S5 for straight talk or some other Walmart carrier and it looks nice I thought it'd be nice to have my S5 back and have a brand new one at the same time

Different models use different baseband hardware and software tuned for the carrier's operation bands.
From what I found through search, a Straight Talk S5 (SM-S902L) is a Verizon S5 (SM-G900V) minus the bootloader lock, which supports LTE band 4/13. This is distinctly different from a US Cellular S5 (SM-G900R4) with LTE band 2/4/5/12/25.
Unless you've seen explicit examples that cross-flashing a baseband worked, don't even think about it.

What I can suggest is getting a new screen of your model somewhere and replace it. Likely cheaper than a new S5.

Ya I have/trying to start a lil repair shop for Android I'm not super super smart when it come to the os as a hole but I know enughf for basic repairs and rooting and I do all the research I can when it comes to a customer I haven't made my first dollar yet but I've done a lot for one friend I think the root count is up to like 15 devices for him lol I keep telling him to look on XDA and other sites but he said I do a good job lol I bought a housing kit and some other replacement parts for my style so I'm gonna try to build it from scratch with new parts it's gonna be fun experience and I have

A back up at I found in the road with no LCD or glass that it all else fails I'll just put the screen from current at in the back up and proceed from there  untill the pixel 2 comes out then I'll be a kid in a candy store

Good to know, but do mind that the antennas (embedded in the mid-frame, I think) of different models are also often carrier-specific (once again to take care of bands), so better get one of your exact model.

Crap lol well it's for the unlocked s5 so if what I've read some where is true  it should work  I'll look in to tho

@ Andy I just had I thought I have back up s5 so I could use it if I had to but I could also just use one that's in the phone now and not use the new one if antenna problems occur

Yeah well, only when you get bad reception with the new one, you should try the old one. I don't know how well the antennas are fixed to the frame but should be able to detach them separately without keep using your frame. Anyway, good luck with the repairs!

Thanks alot I appreciate it I'll post one last comment and let you know how it went

There are some instances where this can be done on hardware which is 'similar enough'.  I flashed the ROM for the T-Mobile Galaxy Note 2 onto my AT&T Galaxy Note 2, but I did not flash the baseband modem bits.
In this case the two models shared enough similarity that the image worked fine and got me what I wanted (wifi calling).  As mentioned above your mileage may vary and this can potentially brick your phone.  This is not an exercise to undertake lightly.

I really want a new one but refurbished isn't my style so I went on eBay bought a new housing  with everything glass bat cover mid frame and LCD holder (I don't know  exact name for the LCD thing ) and home button so I'll just rebuild it so it'll be almost new


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Can I do a factory reset without losing my pictures and apps?
Google Play won't let me download anything, search anything, or log in. It keeps giving me an error saying I have to log in. Everything but Google Play is working just fine. I want to reset my phone but most people are saying I should download an app to keep all my info save so I don't lose anything but that's the issue. I can't download anything. So it's kind of just a circle of hell and I don't know what to do. Should I just do a factory reset and hope for the best? I've gone into my settings and checked so that everything will supposedly be backed up but people are saying it's untrustworthy and when I go to do a factory reset it says it will delete everything including the data I've chosen to backup. Should I trust it?

Instead of using google play to download a backup app, directly download the APK. You can do it online with sites like apkpure.com. Carefully choose a backup application. I prefer the apps who do backup on the cloud.

Google Photos is a good app - it might already be on your phone anyways!

A factory-reset has exactly that purpose: to "undo" all changes the user did to the device, and bring it back to a state as if it just left the factory. Which means, all apps you've installed and all your apps' data will be removed. What might remain is what's stored on SD card (unless you're using adoptable-storage or your device's manufacturer decided to include it with the purge anyway.
As you're already having issues logging in to Google services, I'd not trust the "Google Cloud Backup" being anything like complete. And even if it were, you never can be sure it will restore, or restore completely: the user has no way to control that. So no way to trust this either.
You could do a backup using ADB (see e.g. Full Backup of non-rooted devices). But as the Playstore app is the only one having trouble (does Gmail work?), I'd rather focus on that. Check our google-play-store tag-wiki, where we've linked a bunch of troubleshooting questions – Getting “Authentication is required” when trying to access the Play Store seems to match your issue. Also note that sometimes this is just a temporary "hick-up" which solves itself within a few ours (or sometimes days).


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What is "Common data service" app in the preinstalled app list?
when I searched for installed app from setting>App then under ALL heading I found the "Commmon data service" app with unknown/suspicious icon.
is it a android pre-installed system app?
or something from unknown sources?
Device is: HTC Desire 620g, dual sim with Android version=kitkat 4.4.2, & Kernel version=3.4.67
pls help..

Since different phones come with different apps pre-installed, you'll need to [edit] your question to say what phone you have and whether you got it from a carrier.

Thank u Dan for the reply, I should have added the device details earlier, however let me know if this particular app is from Android system installation or from HTC. Thanks,

It seems to be a program that enables the device to access data from one app while using another. Like an internal search engine as it were... I'd leave well alone....

Yes I also think so but the main concern is whether this app is a part of Android system or OEM or installed separately from any unknown third party..., thanks,

You say "seems to be". What information is this based on?


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Custom OK google command
How do we make OK Google to accept custom commands?
Our requirement is simple, we want something like "Appname keyword" to get results and show on our app. Ok Google works with Search for Keyword on Appname, but its too hard since we have to be very fast to make it work, otherwise it searches on web.
I see here, "Note: We are not accepting requests for Custom Voice Actions. Stay tuned to Voice Actions - Google Developers and +GoogleDevelopers for product updates."
https://developers.google.com/voice-actions/custom-actions
Is there any workaround or other possible actions that I am unaware of?

Not a full answer since I'm not entirely sure how this works and this may not be what you want, but building Actions on Google allow the user to communicate with your action by saying something like "Let me talk to ". Then the user will communicate to your action and your action can do stuff. Once engaged in the action, your action can then display your app or something like that.

Here is the unofficial supposedly complete collection and customisations- see if you can tweak your needs some way

Go Go   brings up results for that app


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Installing Purchased App On New Device? [PlayStore ISSUE]
I have purchased the app ACR (Another Call Recorder) 1 year ago. Now trying to install it again on my 'new device' (formatted phone). However when I press the view button from the 'Order history' page or search it in the Play Store it displays a dollar value and wants me to repurchase the application.
How am I able to install it without repurchasing, from what I have read up I should be able to just install the app, as it was previously purchased.
As a side note some other apps which have purchased just display the Install button and do not require me to repurchase.

Are you using the same Google account you used with your original purchase?

@Izzy yes otherwise you wouldn't see it in the purchase history.

Good point, just wanted to make sure. Sorry, out of ideas then; it should be available for free, and the button labeled "install". If you hit it, does it ask for the purchase confirmation, or head straight for installation?

@Izzy just prompts to Accept (permissions/installation) and installs normally

A possibilty that the developer has changed the name of product in some way and thus registered it. Write to the developer quoting the earlier purchase details (would be mailed to registered email) and ask him to enable

@beeshyams I've contacted the developer few days ago regarding another question I had. I was told that I could only get the licence under the same account, as in it is not transferrable. Or I could just repurchase

I was able to solve the issue by doing the following.

Install the ACR Licence apk (which I got from my backup, or you could find the file online)
Open the Play Store page for the app (the button should be showing Uninstall)
Uninstall the application (from within Play Store)
Done

Now you should be presented with the Install button. Installation should work as normal (no re-purchase required).


text:
Get daily notifications, but invisible on Google Calendar
Ok,this is going to sound silly, but I want my calendar to notify/remind me everyday at the same time to take my vitamins, but I don't want to see "take prenatal vitamin" on every square on my calendar app because I use it for actual appointments, etc.
I downloaded aCalendar, but everything I add to that or Google calendar bounces to the other one like automatic syncing. I was hoping to add only the vitamin reminder to the aCalendar and just getting the notifications from it then continuing to utilize the Google Calendar as I have been doing.
Please help!

don't think there's a way to do this on Google calendar, I believe the way you suggested for yourself is probably the best way to go about it.

setting it as event is another alternative

@beeshyams I believe it still shows up on Google Calendar though

you can have an automation app send you a notifcation at fixed time (s) and keep your calendar clean


text:
Android 4 slows down over year without reason
I have LG-P760 with Android 4.0.4, not rooted.
I have about 500MB free space on phone and for last year I haven't really install much apps and so on. Despite that, my Android started to work slower, than slower and now it's ultra-slow.
I don't recall installing anything, using it extensively, mess with rooting or anything like that.
But even simple loading web browser or backing too home screen to see the pinned applications takes enormous amount of time now.
I've already tried clearing cache of applications and restarting phone several times during last month.
What may cause such behavior and how to get back to normal?
I know one year ago this phone with virtually the same set of applications and amount of stored pictures/music/etc. was capable of running very smoothly.
It looks almost as it was programmed to get slow after year ;)

No one else has said it yet, but you probably knew it was coming anyway. Back everything up and do a factory reset.

Factory reset won't help too much. The thing is that phone is run over by time, so the solution would be buying a new phone

@ЈеднорукиКрстивоје What do you understand under "run over by time"? It's piece of hardware, with processor, memory etc. and I wasn't using it extensively. I know friends who use their older phones more and don't have such problems after even few years. I would consider it unacceptable to "run over time" that way for PC/tablet/notebook or any other similar hardware and same should go for phones - after all it's not made out of bambus (at least I hope so).

I mean that is old device now since it have 4.0.4 android, everything older than kit-kat is normal to be laggy. What do you expect from dual core device from 2012?

From device from 2012 I expect approx. to works the same it was working in 2012 if the conditions are the same - it has the same messanging app, disc, processor and same things to do - no new apps installed. Comparing e.g. Windows and Android OS. I still have 20yo laptop with Windows XP now on it. And it works virtually the same way it was years ago. If there were none changes in software and hardware is ok, why should few years affect it that much? I consider it very low-quality solution either in case of harware or software - I will try factory reset to determine if it's OS fault or not.

@EthanZ Can you make answer out of your question? Unfortunatelly, factory reset was the only choice here and it did helped (mostly).

It's not going to work same as when you bought it because of simple reason that software is upgradeing and getting better (or worse) but it requires better technology and more resources all things are developing but your hardware stays the same that is why phones/pc's start to lag and such. In smartphones case 2012 is old. If your 20 yrs laptop works same as first day than either it was crap even than or you're lying because it's not possible even if you use laptop for just to turn it off and on.

@ЈеднорукиКрстивоје It would be true if I would update/upgrade any software. Software is virtually the same as it was year ago. And please stop making personal trips calling me liar just because what I wrote does not goes with your view on things. And yes, there's nothing strange with hardware/software working as they should for more then 5-10 years if you work with same set of apps - at least for good hardware/software. For me, if after not even 5 years hardware stays the same and software is the same and it makes hardware to lag on even simplest operations - software is poorly written.

You are wrong longest time that smarphones can be used normally is 4 years max only in flagship case in non-flagship that time is shorter

@ЈеднорукиКрстивоје I am not interested into arguing further with you on that topic. And if I would, I think I should suggest chat, not comment section. Just for note, the phone was produced in 2012 but I bought it from company about 2 years ago and it was boxed (not unwrapped or used earlier).

Whatever. Naah, arguing online is pointless, sorry for bad words, that was just my opinion and look on some things. Bye

Try a factory reset. After a while, things get gunked up with tons of unnecessary files that aren't always deleted and a lot of other stuff.
However, your phone will always slow down over time because apps become more demanding as technology progresses. There isn't much that can be done about this.

Unfortunately that was the case. I consider it a bit as low quality of software (Android), not to run stable and need to be reset after year or two. Thank you for suggesting the factory reset - after it everything works almost the same as it was year ago - there is an lag, but definitely not as ridiculous as before (waiting 20 seconds to see incomed sms). For other people facing same problem: remember to backup your data, images, smses and contacts before factory reset :)

authors: Једноруки Крстивоје


text:
Use Automation App to Detect if Keyboard is Active
I would like to have a trigger on an app like Macrodroid (or any other similar app) that listens to whether or not the Keyboard is active (Specifically, Google Keyboard).
Is there any way to do this?

Android does not provide an API to check whether the soft keyboard is visible or not. A soft keyboard may not even display anything. An unreliable hack often used is to check for changes in height of the Activity, where the visible soft keyboard will reduce it.
However it is possible to checking if an hardware keyboard is visible, Automate has a block for it.

You can use "UI element focused" in "UI actions" in AutoInput plugin.
It not exactly what you want but it's best alternative AFAIK


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Gboard settings keeps crashing
I am running Resurrection Remix, Nougat 7.1.1 on a Nexus 6p. I have Gboard "6.0.79.144029707-arm64-v8a" installed. I can open settings, but when I choose one of the settings categories, I get the message saying "Gboard has stopped", How do I fix this?

I have the same issue. The answers around the net prove thatmost  people just don't read the question: "Going to the settings crashes the app." -> "Go to settings and make sure blbalba". Come on... Then you get an advice to report the problem... By going to the settings. Well done Google, you've got a problem that will never be reported, because the reporting channel is part of the problem. Anyhoo. I'm on a OnePlus X using Lineage 14, I used OpenGApps to get GBoard. Then I tried to wipe the cache and the dalvik cache, no cigar so far. I'll be sure to help you if I find anything.

@Doodloo Same here. I am using Gapps from opengapps.org and I think that that might be the problem.

I was able to get rid of the problem by updating Gboard from scratch. I also updated my OS to LineageOS.

Once you have made sure that Gboard is your default keyboard for your device, please check if you're able to navigate to the app's preferences by going to your device's Settings > language & input > Gboard > Preferences. Here you can choose your keyboard preferences for Gboard.
If the app still crashes, I'd suggest you report this to the product developers directly by sending a feedback. To submit feedback, go to your device's Settings > Language and input > Virtual Keyboard > Select Gboard > Tap on the menu icon on the top right corner > Send Feedback.

The OP just mentioned that the bug occurs when trying to go to the preferences, preciselly.

I am using a Samsung J7 2016 phone, and the only solution that works is switching to the Samsung virtual keyboard. That works fine and I am not receiving any crashes with it. I also believe that I can find other "virtual keyboards" to download on Google Play Store, but have not tried it, since the Samsung one works just fine.


text:
Sign into wifi network notification not appearing (captive portal, nginx)
I'm using nginx to redirect all traffic to login.com (local server). And I want the sign into this wifi network message to appear. I searched for a long time and found out that android does a request to clients3.google.com/generate_204. If it redirects or returns something else than status code 204 is SHOULD display the login to wifi network message.
But with mine. It doesn't work. Here is my nginx config:
server {
        listen 80 default_server;
        listen [::]:80 default_server;

        location / {
                return 302 http://login.com;
        }
}

When I connect to my wifi network and go to a random website I get redirected to login.com. That works. If I go to a random-website.com/generate_204 it also gets redirected. And yes if I go to clients3.google.com/generate_204 it also gets redirected. But NO 'Sign into wifi network notification' appears.
I also tried not to redirect /generate_204 but instead use alias to display the login.com content but it didn't work.
From https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/chromiumos-design-docs/network-portal-detection

If for any reason the web page is not returned, or an HTTP response other than 204 is received, then shill marks the service as being in the portal state.

I tried this but it didn't work. (also tried to return code 500 etc.)
What am I doing wrong? It should work because I saw it before.

Via e.g. adb shell, try settings get global captive_portal_mode. If that's set to something else than 1, you've got your culprit. See: Captive Portal parameters


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YU Yureka stuck in bootloop
I have a Yu Yureka plus.i tried installing twrp and it got into bootloop.fastboot didnt detect my device and i gave to a repair center.after 5 days,they sent back my device saying it cant be repaired.i cant go to fastboot mode nor recovery mode.whatever combination of buttons i press,i goes to a screen which says Download Failed Images-abootihow can i get back to recovery now.i am blank.please guide.

What does the device manager shows when you connect the phone to the computer?

@esQmo the device manages identifies it as adb interface

adb interfaces ? what is the output of adb devices or fastboot devices

@esQmo ,Thank You for the concern, adb shows no devices while fastboot shows blank.actually fastboot shown in google images is very much different from the fastboot in my device(volume up+put usb in).there is no text of fastboot there,so that is why i mentioned the device is not going to fastboot.

You should use its full fastboot command
fastboot -i 0x1ebf devices

Or any other command with fastboot -i 0x1ebf.
This will definitely work in Yureka.


text:
Issues with SD Card "Reinsert SD Card" for Internal Storage (Adoptable Storage) Android 6.0 (Marshmallow)
I have HTC One M8 GPE with Andorid 6.0 Marshmallow installed.
I used my Transcend Micro SD Card as Internal Storage / Adoptable Storage.
At morning I got the message "Transcend SD Card Missing. Reinsert This Device".
I took the card out, inserted it for many times.
Turned OFF and ON the device, etc...
Yet it seems the device won't recognize the SD Card.
If I go into Recovery Mode (I have TeamWin 3.0.01 version) in the Storage Options I can see "Transcend SD Card - Adopted Storage".
So it seems the connector, electricity wise, is working.
Now, few questions:

How can I check the SD Card is working without jeopardizing the data in it?
Is there a way to extract the data from the SD Card (A lot of personal data I'd like to extract)? Maybe some way to do so from the recovery menu or FastBoot mode?

All I care about now is to extract the data from my Phone.
Any assistance will be appreciated.
Thank You.

I guess it's either sd card dead or sd card slot faulty. However there is way to decrypt adopted sd card but if you factory reset device and wipe key you are screwed here is how to decrypt
Btw try to put other sd card in your phone and see if phone is recognize it.

When I insert it in another Android device the device recognizes it yet says it can't access it. I guess since it is encrypted. As I wrote it seems that the recovery sees the card. Though doesn't seem I can see data since it is encrypted. Could it be that the issue is some corrupted writing and can be fixed within the Android device?

Yeah that's normal. Adopted sd card can't be used with other devices. In your case I think that android just went crazy and formating sd card would fix problem (probably). In my answer you have a link to guide how to access data on adopted sd card you'll need just linux PC, it's safest way.

OK, It seems I can easily copy data and all seems to be fine. Is there a way to fix things? How do I merge things back to the way they were?

Did you copied everything you had/need from that sd card? If yes you can try formating sd card and put it back to phone to see if it works. Did you tried other sd card with your phone, try it just know what is happening.

Hi, Yes. I copied all I needed. Won't formatting it destroy all data? I meant since it seems to be working maybe just something small is corrupted and can be fixed with something like CHKDSK or something. I'm not looking into just reuse the card as storage. I want to get the whole phone t its previous state. I will try another SD Card, yet won't that make the phone forget the current one?

I may have more info useful. When I run lsblk on the terminal I see 2 Volumes (Is that the correct term?). The first is sdc -> sdc1 which is only 16MB and the other sdc->sdc2 which is 59GB and contains all data. I tried creating a decrypted map for the sdc and succeeded. Yet when I try to mount is I get wrong fs type, bad option, bad superblock on /dev/mapper/crypt2`, missing codepage or helper program or other error. Maybe this superblock is what needed to be fixed?

Yes it will destroy all data, but since you backed up it doesn't matter, right?

Hi, Not entirely correct. I recovered all RAW data (Videos, Images, Documents, etc..). But some data is saved in applications internally and unless I will make it work as it used to I won't be able to recover those. Did you see my note on SuperBlocks error for sdc1? Thank You.

Press enter to send is killing me. I don't know if chkdsk will work since it's encrypted. Be carefull with those "health check" software it maybe rewrite whole sd card. Yeah about this with 16mb and 58gb partitions, it's ok, I remember mounting my adopted sd card and it was like that, if I remember right this partition of 16mb are like on NTFS format some part of memory is reserved for I can't remember what. So you don't need to read sdc1.

Well, I have nothing to lose. If there is a Linux command to try fixing the Volume I'd be happy to try. You thing that even if I can't mount sdc1 it doesn't mean there is an issue with that or something.

Right. Sdc1 doesn't contain actual data, I can't remember what is it for, but if I need to guess I would say it contain part of encryption key so card work only with your phone/key or adresses to all sector or something like that. I think phone went crazy because recovery doesn't have problems with sd card, and only way to fix that is acidentally or with factory reset. Try when you can to put other sd card in phone it shouldn't "forget" previous card.

So you suggest to try Factory Reset? I can give it a try. Is that basically Wipe Data in the Recovery? Thank You.

Yes, wipe data, cache. But after factory reset you will probably need to format sd card, because factory reset should wipe encryption key, however you will not be able to use app data from adopted card. I don't know why you bother with that when you pulled your data from card

Because I could only recover Static Data. Data related to applications is lost unless I get the SD Card to work as it was. Moreover, even static data on the device itself is currently un accessible (Tried even using ES Explorer).

Card failure rates increase significantly when used as adopted storage... It's seen in lots of devices. My guess is the card is failing.
Retrieving it is iffy at best, if the card is not defective, you are rooted, are familiar with Linux, and can follow this process which involves retrieving the encryption key and mounting the system in Linux (or making an image of it and mounting that), there is a chance of retrieving the data.
If the filesystem or card is damaged, the chances of data retrieval, even by a professional data recovery company, are as close to zero as you can get.

Could it happen from other reason but a failing card? Is there a way to check the card without damaging the data on Windows system? Anyway to do something like CHKDSK on Windows to the card from the recovery menu?

When I run lsblk on the terminal I see 2 Volumes (Is that the correct term?). The first is sdc -> sdc1 which is only 16MB and the other sdc->sdc2 which is 59GB and contains all data. Using the Decrypted map for sdc2 I recovered all media files. Out of curuiosity I triend working on the sdc1. Yet when I try to mount it I get the following message: "wrong fs type, bad option, bad superblock on /dev/mapper/crypt2`, missing codepage or helper program or other error". Maybe this superblock is what needed to be fixed? What can I do to fix it?

@Royi If you have retrieved the data from the data from the card successfully, then delete the partitions on the card with fdisk/gparted and insert into the phone and reformat it or format it as a single fat32 partition in the computer and reinsert into the phone. I would not reuse the card as adopted storage, it cannot be trusted at this point. You could attempt to use it as portable storage or in another device where the storage is not critical.

Is there a way to just tell the Camera save Videos and Photos on External SD? If that can be done all is good. Thank You.

@Royi That depends entirely on your camera app and it's permissions... You may need to give it permissions.
How to - Provide WRITE PERMISSION on sd card for apps on Android Marshmallow:

Backup File - packages.xml in /data/system folder
Open File - in QuickEdit app
Search - for app name
Paste -  in/after  tag
Save - by pressing back twice and confirming Yes(Grant Root permission if asks)
Reboot

I post a workaround with no data loss, no root needed, no wiping the phone : https://forums.lenovo.com/t5/MOTO-G-3rd-Gen/SD-Card-Missing-Please-Reinsert/m-p/3751841#M9407
2 steps :

Plug the unrecognised SD card to the phone (Moto 3G) through an
external SD Card reader and female to male Micro USB. The phone
will first recognise a new usb drive and start the process to mount
the drive. It will fail and the drive should disappear from the phone memory settings.
Then unplug the SD card reader and simply put the SD
card into its internal slot. The phone should immediatly recognise it as
the "lost" SD card. Everything gets back to normal.

authors: Једноруки Крстивоје


text:
How AirWatch MDM works?
Taking a look at the AirWatch's whitepapers, it seems like the product can enforce the restriction of some features such as WiFi.
Is there any information on how this restriction works? Does the Android installation need to be rooted?

Android has a concept called "device administrators" to allow for this kind of control. A device administrator is a special app given extra permissions that normal apps don't have, such as controlling what other apps are allowed to be installed, enforcing security policies, and remote-wiping the device.
You can learn more about how this works under-the-hood on the Android Developers website.
This feature is built into the Android permission model, so it doesn't need the phone to be rooted.

In the Android developers website I do not see any wifi option? Is there any other documentation about this?


text:
Find a list of all apps that launch at boot time
I am using Android 5.1.1 (EDIT: 6.0.1 now) in a Samsung J7.
I want to get a list of apps that launch at boot time1.
What are the alternative clear ways of identifying such list? (preferably native from Android)
I could not find anything native. I did find other options/posts, but I am not sure how certain were the posters about the methods, with contradicting info, so I explicitly ask:

This answer gives Android Assistant as an option.
I installed it, and checked Monitoring -> Startup Manager
It shows two tabs (User, System) with lists of apps2.
The two lists total 41+83=124 apps.
AirDroid, AlarmReceiver (I could not identify this app) and Maps.Me are in the first list, e.g.
There is no mention to any permission.
This would do the job.
This answer suggests checking the list of apps that have RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED permission, among the list of 138 permissions.
This would list apps that are able to launch at startup (although not necessarily doing so?).
Permission Explorer shows 151 apps with this permission.
aSpotCat shows 68 apps with this permission.
App Permission Watcher shows 48 apps that can “run at startup” without specifically quoting the name of the permission; for instance, this does not list Skype, which shows up in the other two. This might be checking User apps, but then 48<>41, and AirDroid or Maps.Me are not in here.
Permission Friendly Apps also shows 48 apps that can run at startup3; it does not list Skype.

So at this point, I do not know which is a sure way, and what is each app checking...

1 At this point, I do not mean to modify the startup list, but only check it.
2 Moreover, there is a checkbox for each app to Select ítems to kill on startup.
3 I did not check if these are all the same as App Permission Watcher.

You could use ADB to list the active receivers. That's not just the apps having the BOOT_COMPLETED permission granted, but those having established a listener to the event by the same name. Something along the lines of adb shell "dumpsys package" | grep enabledComponents (just an example, not a script that would exactly do the job you're after; that would need to be a bit more sophisticated :)

On Android 7+, you can do:
~$ pm query-receivers --components -a android.intent.action.BOOT_COMPLETED

Or:
~$ dumpsys package resolvers receiver | awk '/android.intent.action.BOOT_COMPLETED/{p=1;next}/:/{p=0}p {print $2}'

Related: Disable autostart on boot

Self promoting my app WhatsRunning. Please check Auto-Starting Apps, Alarms and Scheduled Jobs.
Related: Prevent Android apps from starting on device boot

Open memory in your settings then select App started on boot

There is no such option in my stock Android Marshmallow (Nexus 6). Please mention your device name and Android version.

OnePlus One.  Android N 7.1.1 Linage OS


text:
Not able to download apps from the Play Store while roaming
I am using a Mi4i. I can't download apps from the Play Store when the SIM is in roaming. How can I do this?

If you are on Androud Nougat, this is a known issue.  Otherwise: Are you able to use a browser normally while roaming?

This is one of the problem in Android Nougat and wasn't solved in the subsequent updates.
This problem leaves you with, only way of downloading the app is to download it's apk file from other sources through your browser while you are on mobile data otherwise apps are getting downloaded when you connect your phone through wifi.
To follow updates on this you can go here https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/nexus/21wGieItCik


text:
Accessibility Services missing
I am using a Huawei tablet with Android 4.3 jellybean OS (EMUI), and for some reason I do not see any accessibility SERVICES (only SYSTEM is there) see below:

Screenshot (click image for larger variant)

Typically under Settings → Accessibility there is SERVICES such as
  Talkback, or other applications with accessibility SERVICES etc).

Currently I utilise a workaround which uses Secure settings plugin together with Tasker to  switch accessibility SERVICES, but still the accessibility SERVICES won't appear under Accessibility in Settings, making it difficult for me to know whether the accessibility service for a certain app will be functional at a given time.
This short term fix works but is not very effective since I won't be sure if the required accessibility SERVICE will be turned on/off at the required moment or not.
Is there a way to make Accessibility SERVICES appear in Settings? I am comfortable any kind of system files modifications as long as it fixes the issue.
(Additional info: I have tried flashing different stock ROMs provided at manufacturer's website but it seems they all have the same problem)
I can't seem to find compatible custom ROMs that are free from this "bug" also the latest android version on the tablet is 4.3, nothing newer than this.

This is the question that initially brought me to Stack Exchange :)

Google for hidden settings on Play Store. One of them may work for you :)

I think it was this app I used (not sure) https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.szalkowski.activitylauncher

@beeshyams I tried the app you mentioned (and other related ones more than 5 different apps) but they don't seem to solve  the issue. Thanks for trying to help

Fine. let the suggestions be retained, so that someone else may not suggest the same. Once you are done, please flag them for deletion

In case you don't get what you are hoping for, you can try this workaround. The table secure in Settings storage database contains the key enabled_accessibility_services. Its value shows the apps (components) which have the accessibility service enabled. You can parse that key in Tasker and have a Scene (Tasker) let you see them formatted.

@beeshyams Since the question hasn't received an answer yet I decided to post the workaround I have been using, in case it helps other users. But I am still open to any suggestions.

@Firelord Thanks, currently I had been using secure settings as  a workaround, and if you can add to or improve it feel free to write separate answer which I will happily award the bounty –

@Firelord how do I create a scene to show these enabled accessibility with Tasker? I haven't played a bit with scenes, a little help will be appreciated.

@xavier_fakerat I'm currently short on time, else, I would have posted a working and detailed answer. May I suggest you try the sub-reddit of Tasker. The community there would definitely provide pointers.

Not sure about Android 4.3 but in certain devices such as Huawei, accessibility options might be under 'advanced' or 'more' as a submenu. Are you sure that accessibility doesn't exist as a submenu in another area?

@papakias No I checked everywhere and I couldn't find it

Since the bounty expired (went unawarded) and this question hasn't received an answer yet, I just decided to explain the short term workaround as it may help users facing a similar problem.

Why I needed this feature:

In order to use my productivity apps such as AutoInput, Greenify etc
To be able to monitor which applications whose accessibility settings are enabled at a given moment.
To be able to switch on or off from native interface with ease.

The pre requisites for this workaround include:

Secure settings plugin (in app add-ons)
Tasker ( 7 day free trial with option to purchase)
adb see Minimal ADB setup  and instructions

Workthrough;

First we need to grant Secure settings  these permissions:

    adb shell pm grant com.intangibleobject.securesettings.plugin android.permission.WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS
    adb shell pm grant com.intangibleobject.securesettings.plugin android.permission.CHANGE_CONFIGURATION

Now we need to open Tasker to create a task for toggling the accessibility service of a certain application.
Go to Task tab and select "New Task + "
You can name this Task anything (e.g Enable AccServ).
Click "+" to add new Action
Code → Plugin → Secure Settings ,[Configuration: {System+ Actions → (select target App to enable(or disable) accessibility service e.g Autoinput:service.ServiceAccesibility}] Tap on "Save"
Tap back to exit from this task
Repeat the proceedure to disable (or enable) accessibility service of the target app (or create a new one).
Exit all the way back to home screen, and long press home screen to activate widgets, swipe and create a shortcut widget which activates (or deactivate the accessibility service of target app).
You should be good to go.

Cons

The major back backdraw is that you are not able to monitor (in real time) the state of the accessibility service of a certain application, you have to rely on switch the toggles back and forth).
It is also generally difficult to control
While this a better workaround than nothing, it is usually time consuming to set up the tasker profiles to handle this.
It clutters the home screen with too many widgets
Relatively battery consuming than using built-in feature in UI.
It requires some paid apps mentioned above

Nevertheless this is a fully functional workaround, which I hope can help users with similar problem


text:
How to root a ZTE N817
I am looking for an easy, free, and safe way to root my ZTE N817 without ruining my phone are there any programs or apps that I can use

PC version of iroot v 1.8.8. might help check out link below
https://forum.xda-developers.com/general/help/zte-n817-root-t3443935


text:
Why does the pattern lock exist?
I don't understand why many newer phones use the pattern lock by default as opposed to a more traditional pin. All I see is downsides:

I find it slightly more tricky to keep dragging throughout the whole motion as opposed to tapping the numbers, especially when using one hand.
I found myself far more tempted to use poor patterns (like L shape or M or 4...) than I ever did to pick a poor pin (like 1234 or my birth year)
The shape you drag out on the dots is much more easily visible to somebody standing next to you than tapping out a pin is, mostly because it draws the actual polygon on the screen as you do it and its relatively huge. It can be turned off but I've yet to see anybody do it.
When I look at the fingerprints on my phone screen, where I dragged the pattern is quite clearly distinguishable, probably because the gesture is way larger than any other touch motion I do on the screen.
I find it more difficult to remember longer patterns than equal length pin's. This probably depends on the person but I think the fact that I've been remembering various series of numbers for decades also plays a role.

So overall it just seems like a bad idea. Why are they so popular as of late? Some advantage that I'm missing?

I am no longer able to use the pattern lock since I've enabled fingerprint recognition.  However, when I did use pattern lock I always used all nine dots and I disabled all haptic and visual (line drawing) feedback.
I could draw my shape in a fairly fluid motion and the latter movements wiped across the earlier, so judging from the fingerprint smear wouldn't necessarily be obvious as to the shape I drew.  Additionally, I'd cross back at the end over areas I've already touched.  Without the haptic feedback, someone might have a difficult time knowing which dots were drawn over the first time and which were done to throw them off.
My best protection, however, was to take a quick glance to see if anyone was looking before trying to unlock my phone.  If someone is clearly watching you and is interested in breaking in to your phone then you're going to have a hard time maintaining complete security regardless of your lock method.