text:
Samsung Galaxy Note N7000 stuck on booting screen
My Samsung Galaxy Note N7000 on Android 4.1.2 seems to have somehow managed to brick itself. I was using it for WiFi tethering via USB to my laptop. All was good until I unplugged it. It started restarting itself but never fully starting, so I was guessing maybe the battery was messing up.
Anyways, I've come to the conclusion that it's bricked. It starts up, displays its model, and reboots before it even reaches the Samsung logo. The phone has its original firmware and has never been rooted or anything. It starts up but boot loops after displaying its model.
I tried accessing the recovery menu by pressing home + volume up + power but it doesn't work.  I also tried vol up + vol down + power but that doesn't work either.
I'm kind of losing hope because I'm pretty certain it's hard-bricked. Somehow the OS must have gotten corrupted. It charges normally and I can turn it on but it boot loops. I tried connecting it to my laptop today via USB and it's not connecting properly, the phone just charges and doesn't connect.
I really need to go on my phone because I have an important number on there.

Your device is soft-bricked, but thankfully you know which Android version was installed. (More details below)
But first things first, let's cover one easy fix that can be overlooked. This happened to me on my Note 2 recently, and I had forgot one of the smallest fixes. Power on your phone while holding volume-up and home to get into Recovery Mode, and highlight "Clear Dalvik Cache". Confirm and reboot. This happened to work for me when I had made no changes to the phone in months.
If that didn't work, here's our only chance at saving all data stored in the phone (being stock & unrooted). I also have gone down this path successfully, only difference being the website I downloaded from, and the fact that I yellow-triangled my stock Verizon bootloader (big whoops).
Since you know your Android version, you can use Odin to flash the exact same firmware to your phone, removing the need to explicitly wipe data. It's a 50/50 shot, some people say Odin wipes data, some say it doesn't, it worked for me.
Go to http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/database/GT-N7000/
And select the country of v4.1.2 you had from the list. This is a good 3 hour download, and you may have to download it multiple times before you get a perfect download (MD5 matching file).
You will then download Odin v3 from XDA onto your computer as well as the Samsung USB Drivers (Official link) and install each.
You'll then click on the PDA button in Odin and find your .tar file. If your download is a .zip you'll have to extract the zip. If you're below Windows 7, the zip extraction wizard will appear to have frozen for about 10 minutes. It takes much longer than usual with a single .tar file.
Make sure all the checked boxes are as so:

..And flash!
When finished, it may or may not boot right up! If not, go into stock recovery and "Clear Dalvik Cache" again. Now, your phone should be up and running. If you're lucky, all your data should still be there!
If you end up to be not so lucky, you should be able to recover your photos and other files from /sdcard through Dr. Fone, which is now on Play Store. It is the most popular data recovery, but the app requires a rooted device. Easy for you, because running 4.1.2 you should be able to use the Framaroot app to root it without even restarting. You can also use the desktop program, which also has good reviews.
Hope this helps!

Odin doesn't seem to detect my note. I tried connecting my other Samsung phone and it gets detected automatically. I have the drivers downloaded and installed,  odin 3.0.7 and when I load up the firmware it says that it loads successfully.

Try different computer with fresh drivers. If your phone doesn't get to download mode, you'll need a USB jig. Thankfully the old Samsung devices support the "jig".


text:
How do I disable Daylight Saving Time (DST)?
I have a Samsung Galaxy S6. This year, I'm doing an experiment wherein I do not participate in Daylight Saving Time (DST). However, my phone automatically adjusts itself for DST.
How do I disable this? Is there any way to stop my phone's clock from adding or removing an hour twice a year?

Android uses tzdata (IANA Time Zone Database) to store time zone rules, which the Daylight Saving Time (DST) information is also included. The rules tell when DST is observed in a given time zone. Thus, it is not possible to disable the DST if using a time zone that observes DST.
Therefore, to "disable" the DST, choose a time zone that doesn't observe DST and has the same offset as the current time zone (refer to Wikipedia's List of tz database time zones).
Example:

Brussels, Belgium (GMT+01:00) observes DST; while it's on DST, its offset will be GMT+02:00.
Brazzaville, Congo (GMT+01:00) doesn't observe DST.

Turning off the Automatic time zone option may also be needed to prevent it from being changed back to the network-provided time zone.

There's a possibility that the needed time offset doesn't have other time zones that don't/do observe DST. In this case, I'm not sure if there's a solution other than trying to create a new time zone data on tzdata and use it. It should be possible, but I haven't researched it.

So even when I turn off automatic time zone (and manually change from Eastern to Central) it will still change for daylight savings time?

@Supuhstar Central Time (CST/CDT) observe DST, so you can't use them. You must find another time zone that has offset GMT-06:00 and doesn't observe DST... which is Galapagos Islands, Ecuador (if it's available...)

@Supuhstar I updated my answer to add the link to list of tz database time zones. Try it by sorting the UTC offset and find the one with same UTC DST offset.

+1. Found this while trying to answer this bounty. Thanks. Is my suggestion on comments there valid? Can you please have a look?

@beeshyams hmm, I have read that question, and I'm actually still not sure about the fix. AFAIK, unlike this question, the OP still wants to have DST applied for daily purpose, but the issue is with GPS time itself (as you have found on Strava forum). I don't know if the issue is with how the OS handling the GPS time ignoring the DST, or the apps themselves, or even the GPS sources themselves (if possible, but who know)...

You make valid points. I thought if app plus device both can be set up to DST free zone, it would solve, though my suggestion thete is only for device. Thanks for your time :)

I have a Samsung Galaxy Note 4 with Android 5.0.1 and the timezone of Cairo was +3 GMT, which is wrong. When I use Automatic timezone and automatic date and time from the network, it results in two different times, one for the widget and the other for the main screen.
Finally, I found a utility which repair the timezone of my phone: TimeZone Fixer (ROOT). Just try, it may help you.

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


text:
How do I dial phone numbers with extensions with Google Now?
I am helping my visually impaired brother setting up his Samsung S7 with voice commands. Google Now works pretty well for dialing, it can both dial stored contacts and new numbers by dictating the phone number.
However, often when dialing public services, you need to make a multiple choice afterwards (ie. they use extensions).
Is that possible somehow with voice commands?

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


text:
Google Play Games still seems to require a Google+ account?
I try to login to Google Play Games (version 3.6.27), but it  still asks me for a Google Plus account. According to this answer: Google Play Games without Google Plus, no Google+ account should be required anymore.
Why is it asking for that account then? What further info now should I be knowing about the new gamer ID login, instead of a Google+ login?
(Click image to enlarge)

Quick question: are you currently logged in one of your Google (not G+) accounts?

Yes I am logged into my Google account for GMail, but I do not have a Google+ account for that Google account.

From a theoretical point of view, I think that the Play Games app demands you to have a G+ account, in order for Google to perform its "anonymous" data aggregations and analytics. Still, I've no proof.

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


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How to Decide where Camera Shots are Going?
I cannot find any option in Settings of different Camera applications etc Nexus default Camera and CyanogenMod Camera where the pictures are going.
I would like that new pictures go to the directory SD://BTsync/Camera.
I am using Android 6 and CyanogenMod 13.

How can you change the default locations of new pictures from Camera?

AFAIK... on most stock camera apps, you can't. There's always a solution with [tag:automation] apps though.

@AndrewT. Is there any application which does allow us to decide the location?

@AndrewT. Is there any phone which allows it? I got today Oneplus 3.

Andrew's answer in comment

AFAIK... on most stock camera apps, you can't. There's always a solution with automation apps though. – Andrew T. Mar 16 '16 at 9:54


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How to use multiple google accounts, but allow only one to locate my phone in device manager
I am using multiple google accounts, both private and company accounts.
I want to see all calendars in my Calendar app. Events in all calendars. Same with Gmail. I want to be logged in and be able to switch between all gmail accounts.
But I don't want my company account (To which I am not the only person to have access I think) to be able to store and backup my contacts, my chrome settings, and privately visited websites, and all private activity.
Right now logging to any of those accounts and going to android device manager, I can locate or wipe my phone. I want to allow it only on my main account.
How can I control that?
Android 5.0.2 MIUI 7.0

By going to the sync settings for each account (as shown in the image below), you can control what each account 'sees'. For the 'public' account, turn off all syncing besides Gmail and Calendar.
Unfortunately, this will not address Android Device Manager access. To do this, you must open the Google Settings app and navigate to Google > Security. Below Android Device Manager heading, you will be able to turn off it's features.
Source: Set up Android Device Manager
(Click image to enlarge)

I'm using Android 5.0.2 and MIUI 7.0. I have trouble locating Google Settings. Can't See Android Device Manager Section

Google Settings should be an app in the app drawer. If it is not there you might have to Reset the App Data for Play Store as mentioned here: http://forums.androidcentral.com/google-nexus-4/255881-google-settings-app.html#post2611390

Ok, I got it. But the problem remains. I am only able to entirely switch on or off the android device manager access. For all connected accounts at once. Cannot choose just one. Logging on my work email I can wipe my private phone.

Unfortunately, that is currently the only way to do this.


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cannot install twrp on android nexus 6p
so i want to root my phone by first installing a custom recovery (twrp) following instructions here.. but as soon as i run this command
fastboot flash recovery twrp.img

i get this:
target reported max download size of 494927872 bytes
sending 'recovery' (16904 KB)...
OKAY [  0.396s]
writing 'recovery'...
FAILED (remote: device is locked. Cannot flash images)
finished. total time: 0.416s

i turned on the phone and enabled OEM unlocking.. but i still get the above error.. ideas?

Have you actually unlocked your bootloader? You need to enable the setting within Android and also unlock it. Note unlocking the bootloader wipes the device so all user data will be lost.

Here is the coolest guide from Heisenberg for Nexus 6P. Follow it to get the things sorted out including bootloader unlocking, recovery flashing and rooting.


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Will wonder share data recovery root the s6 and void warranty?
Hello i lost my important image in s6 . I have not even touched to phone with a hope that i can recover my data.  After google i saw wondershare software . It says to enable usb debugging and many thing . The thing is that will it root my phone or not ? If it root it will damage my warranty causing more trouble. So any elders can share something ???
Thank you

Comments are not for extended discussion; this conversation has been moved to chat.

Enabling USB debugging in the settings menu on the phone is not the same as getting root on the device.  USB debugging should not void your warranty, will not give you root and should not trip the KNOX flag.

In the comments OP later revealed this: "But i was using software . I saw a message root failed due to internet connection" and also asked it in the body of the question as "will it root my phone or not ?". It appears that you've not addressed it.


text:
How do I locate Google Settings, or better Android Device Manager Settings on Android 5.0.2 MIUI 7.0?
I have trouble locating Google Settings.
Official help documentation advice doesn't apply. Maybe since I have MIUI 7.0? I'm looking for Android Device Manager Settings.
Google Support Info

Open of Google Search app, then type in Google Settings. Does the app show up?

Edit: This answer isn't related to the question actually. Please read the post by @sinchan for correct information and then mine for extended info.
Android Device Manager which comes builtin has no specific settings AFAIK. You just need to login using Google Account and manage all the devices under that account like Locating, Erasing, Locking, Ringing the devices remotely. For Android device manager to work properly keep the GPS and Mobile Data/WiFi turned on.
Additionally visit Google My Account > Device Activity for other options.

Android Device Manager does have a specific settings place. It's usually under Google Settings in the app. The user is asking for the location of the settings in Android.

Okay. I interpret your question in the two following ways:-

You want to change/edit/disable your specific phone's Android Device Manager settings. In this case, you should browse to Settings and under the Tab for Security, look for something like Device Administrators. Over there you'll see a checked/unchecked option named Android Device Manager.
Another possibility is that you want to edit the Settings of all devices associated with your Google account. In that case, simply download the Android Device Manager app from Google's Play Store. Here's the link to make it easier: Android Device Manager

Hope this helps!


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Help! Renamed /system/bin/sh to sh.old.bak, lost root, can't rename, no nandroid backup
I did something incredibly stupid today.   I renamed /system/bin/sh  to /system/bin/sh.old.bak on my rooted Huawei y536a1 running 4.4.3 KK.  I was going to install a app I thought might overwrite it and wanted a backup. I intended to copy it to another location in the path or link it, then rename in bin. In my haste,  I simply renamed it and couldn't install app w/o shell,  lost root,  thus eliminating any easy method I know of to fix.  I rooted with kingroot (not kingo)  because I currently do not have a computer.  I have no system backup,  foolish,  I know. I do have the original factory  .img file,  a pre-rooted .img file, (the only way to properly root and install a recovery) twrp recovery and a code to unlock the bootloader.   Since I didn't have a computer I used kingroot.  The phone is still functional.   Unfortunately I don't know what to do now. I have limited linux knowledge (obviously).  I am afraid to reboot,  not knowing what will happen. I can get access to a computer. The file needs to be renamed,  but I lost write access to the system. Is there anyway to use adb to rename or push another file on there,  or fix by rebooting into recovery?  I would prefer a solution the wouldn't wipe my phone, but I realize my options are quite limited. I don't even know if a factory reset or flashing either of the images will work. Any help/advice is greatly appreciated.

Boot into TWRP, mount system partition: use either its console to rename the file or use file browser of TWRP to go /system/bin, choose the file and rename it. You can also use Aroma File Manager there.

Sorry, I should have been more clear. I have the TWRP file,  but not installed,  because as far as i know, you had to root via ADB to install TWRP.

No, that is unnecessary complication you're thinking of. I see that your device supports flashing from fastboot. You can use fastboot to flash or directly boot into TWRP using your PC. No need for root. Once in TWRP, follow my first comment. // A caveat: if the bootloader is not already unlocked, you'll have to unlock it and that would cause a full data wipe (akin to full factory reset).

Since @Firelord said that your phone supports flashing from fastboot, I'll tell you how to write a small, flashable package to rename the sh.old.bak.

@Firelord, Thank you for the info.  I was afraid I would have to unlock the bootloader and wipe in the process.

I'll now guide you through the procedure of writing a custom flashable ZIP, for the purpose of renaming your sh.old.bak. To begin, create the following tree of folders:
/META-INF/com/google/android

Once you created them, move to the android folder, and create the following new files. Make sure that they don't have any extension at their end:

updater-script
update-binary

Leave the first one blank, and proceed by editing the update-binary as follows:
#!/sbin/sh
mount /system
mount -o remount,rw /system
mv /system/bin/sh.old.bak /system/bin/sh
umount /system

Save this content (in the update-binary), open your favourite zipping tool, and create a compressed archive out of the META-INF folder. Its content should be automatically included. Make sure that the archive type is set to ZIP, and select the lowest possible compression level.
Finally, flash this script to your device with:
fastboot update name_of_your_zip.zip

As guessable, the third parameter should be the name (and path) of the ZIP you created. In short, the ZIP should mount the /system partition in read-write mode, rename your sh.old.bak to sh, and unmount the /system partition.

Of course, my answer is to be followed in the case your bootloader is unlocked, as @Firelord pointed out.

Sorry I couldn't reply sooner and save you some time, but I didn't unlock the bootloader and I'm pretty sure it's still locked. I will certainly use your excellent looking script if it is. Unfortunately I think I'll have to unlock it and wipe my phone. On the plus side now I can root properly and take full backups. Thank you for your script and help. I will work on this tonight.  Firelord - Death Mask Salesman,  thank you both for your help,  I greatly appreciate it.  - JC

@user156418 If you don't feel like unlocking the bootloader right now, and you can root, your best choice is to find a root explorer (try the Root Browser app). Once provided with superuser privileges, it will allow you to navigate to /system/bin and rename your file.

I still have the original app that rooted my phone installed as it is also the superuser application (kingroot). I also have root browser and es explorer with root file manager.  I  am concerned that such an essential prg as "sh"  is that I run the risk of bricking my phone if I try to re-root. After I renamed "sh" I immediately lost root for the first time ever. I don't know enough about Android/linux to know if that would work or not. Any thoughts?

@user156418 Can you browse the /system partition, at the moment? If yes, then search for the su binary in the /system/xbin directory. If the file is present, then download Busybox from the Play Store, install it (and its binaries from the app). It'll work as a surrogate of the main sh, allowing you to restore the real one.

I found I have partial root. Already tried reinstalling busybox, no luck. My current bb does not show a "sh" applet. I will try some others,  as well as different root browsers. Thanks


text:
ADB pull fails to pull folder that exists
I have a folder I am trying to pull from my G3. Specifically system/etc/wifi/
When I pull that specific folder in adb it gives me an error
remote object 'system/etc/wifi' does not exist
But yet I can pull the entire etc and it copes all files and folders EXCEPT wifi.
The permission on the folder are rwxr-xr-x just like the rest of them.
Here is the output to prove that wifi is a folder and that I can pull from etc
C:\Users\Andrew\Desktop>adb shell
shell@g3:/ $ su
root@g3:/ # cd system/etc
root@g3:/system/etc # ls
More files/folders..
ppp
..
wifi
More files/folders..
root@g3:/system/etc # exit
shell@g3:/ $ exit

C:\Users\Andrew\Desktop>adb pull system/etc/ppp
pull: building file list...
pull: system/etc/ppp/ip-up-vpn -> ./ip-up-vpn
1 file pulled. 0 files skipped.
307 KB/s (5344 bytes in 0.016s)

C:\Users\Andrew\Desktop>adb pull system/etc/wifi
remote object 'system/etc/wifi' does not exist

Output of ls -l on system/etc/
drwxr-xr-x root     root              2016-03-13 18:32 wifi
I can pull ppp just fine, but not wifi
Edit
Trying to move the folder to sdcard then pulling it
adb shell su -c "cp -R /system/etc/wifi /sdcard
adb pull /sdcard/wifi
C:\Users\Andrew\Desktop>adb pull /system/etc/wifi
remote object '/system/etc/wifi' does not exist

C:\Users\Andrew\Desktop>adb shell su -c "cp -R /system/etc/wifi /sdcard
cp: /sdcard: File exists

C:\Users\Andrew\Desktop>adb pull sdcard/wifi
remote object 'sdcard/wifi' does not exist

Why is this? and how can I pull this folder off.  I have granted root permissions to adb.

When you try to pull etc alone, do you see any error when it attempts to download wifi directory?

@Firelord it skipped wifi, no mention of it at all

I'm going to boot into TWRP and then go into adb to see if the running wifi process is causing this

cp: /sdcard: File exists Now that's odd.  Seems like it is treating directories as files?  It succeeds on my device.  You're missing a trailing quote on that command, maybe try to double check, but it succeeds on my device even without it so :/

Sadly not, this is extremely strange.  Let us know how it works in TWRP.

You might need an extra driver for Recovery mode.  You could try this or Izzy's answer there if the G3 drivers don't include it.

Pulling the folder from TWRP recovery worked!

I want to post this answer for future reference in case anyone experiences this problem. I was unable to pull the folder system/etc/wifi/ using adb with root privileges until I booted into recovery.
I was using TWRP 3.0.0-0 and I was then able to access adb in TWRP and then pull the folder in question. I am unsure of why the folder was not pullable in the first place but pulling it from recovery works.
Commands successfully used in recovery
adb pull system/etc/wifi


text:
Where is the database to save android volumes
In android settings database, we can see below items:
  <setting id="96" name="volume_music_bt_sco_hs" value="15" package="android" />
  <setting id="4" name="volume_alarm" value="6" package="android" />
  <setting id="0" name="volume_music" value="11" package="android" />
  <setting id="3" name="volume_voice" value="4" package="android" />
  <setting id="78" name="volume_ring_bt_a2dp" value="1" package="android" />
  <setting id="1" name="volume_ring" value="5" package="android" />
  <setting id="93" name="volume_alarm_bt_sco_hs" value="7" package="android" />
  <setting id="38" name="volume_voice_bt_a2dp" value="6" package="android" />
  <setting id="6" name="volume_bluetooth_sco" value="7" package="android" />
  <setting id="34" name="volume_voice_earpiece" value="6" package="android" />
  <setting id="70" name="volume_alarm_speaker" value="6" package="android" />
  <setting id="148" name="volume_voice_headset" value="1" package="android" />
  <setting id="55" name="volume_music_bt_a2dp" value="15" package="android" />
  <setting id="71" name="volume_bluetooth_sco_earpiece" value="9" package="android" />
  <setting id="5" name="volume_notification" value="5" package="android" />
  <setting id="89" name="volume_voice_bt_sco_hs" value="1" package="android" />
  <setting id="132" name="volume_ring_speaker" value="7" package="android" />
  <setting id="146" name="volume_music_headset" value="5" package="android" />
  <setting id="2" name="volume_system" value="7" package="android" />
  <setting id="116" name="volume_bluetooth_sco_bt_sco_hs" value="15" package="android" />
  <setting id="42" name="volume_bluetooth_sco_bt_a2dp" value="9" package="android" />
  <setting id="65" name="volume_music_headphone" value="5" package="android" />
  <setting id="76" name="volume_bluetooth_sco_headset" value="9" package="android" />

But it's not the actual volume settings but default ones. so if I changed the volume settings in UI, which database will save such settings?

I suppose you're using Android Marshmallow and the output is from the file  settings_system.xml available under /data/system/users/0/. In that case, change the volume (try alarm), reload your file viewer/editor and then load the file. You will see the difference.

Thanks, I only checked "volume_music" just now, but it seems "volume_music" always not change, the volume adjust will change "volume_music_speaker" item! so what's "volume_music" for, why we need that key if didn't use it.

The file does reflect the changes. You need to observe it a bit more carefully.
My little research tells me that in Android 4.2.1, 4.4.2, 5.0.2 and 5.1.1, most of the changes performed in Settings app are saved in an SQLite database of Settings Storage/Providers app, located at /data/data/com.android.providers.settings/databases/settings.db.
Some of the settings can be found in the private data directory of Settings app, which is  /data/data/com.android.settings.
However, the preformatted text in your question appears to be been taken from settings_system.xml. The file is located under /data/system/users/0 (or an appropriate position in case of full disk encryption).
That file is available only in Android Marshmallow release and it does reflect the changes made through Volume button.
Example:

(Lines starting with echo are only for the purpose of explaining what I'm going to do with consecutive command. Avoid executing them. adbs stands for adb shell.)
I suppose the source code or official documentation for developers would provide a better idea on what other keys starting with volume_ are meant for.


text:
What does a round icon with a horizontal line in its middle show?
I'm using a nightly build of CM13. I recently noticed this round icon with a horizontal line in its middle. The icon is located in the right side of the notification bar.

What does that icon depict?

"Do Not Disturb" was turned on, you can swipe down the status bar and toggle it on/off.  Settings for it would be for a specific duration, Until you turn this off.  You can opt for Total silence, Alarms only, or Priority only.


text:
Samsung Galaxy S3 LTE Bricked and not charging (gray battery)
Some time ago i had problem with my Samsung S3 LTE, namely, after some time the phone started to flash screen, lose signal and finally crash. The problem lasted about 2 months but I belittled it and just got used to it.
 Unfortunately after all that time my phone could not boot after such crash.
 I went back home and tried to solve the problem as always - charge the phone, but this time the phone was not charging, it was only displaying grey battery with a thunder in it.
 I checked my battery and saw a bulge so i replaced the battery with a new one but the problem persists.
I tried odin but had the "can't open the serial(com) port" error.
If I try to turn the phone on, it gets stuck on the Samsung logo.

Another way of charging Samsung Galaxy S3 if it has broken micro usb charging port is to connect directly to the terminals inside the case. This will only work with a wall charger, and you'll need some electronics know-how to do it. This video shows how.


text:
How to set a really wide home screen that scrolls
How do I set a really wide home screen as the home screen that as you swipe from page to page the background scrolls with it.
I swear it used to do this or I'm imagining it did.
Samsung Galaxy S6, Android 5.1.1 that came with the phone.

Did you try the Nova launcher? It's a setting that depends upon your launcher.

I just checked, and Nova allows you to set a wallpaper that gets scrolled whenever you swipe through your home screen. It can disable the scrolling, enable it, make it scroll in a reversed fashion, and force it on devices that doesn't support the feature.

Which launcher are you using? The settings aren't the same for all, that's why I suggested editing.

I haven't changed anything since I got it. No rooting, no custom anything. I added my phone info.

OPTION A

Pinch to zoom out on home screen.
Tap on rectangle with PLUS sign. (Located furthest to right).
Add as many as need. (There is a limit of 10 - S6 Edge+).

OPTION B

Long press on blank area of home screen.
Follow steps 2 & 3 from Option A.

OPTION C

Access launcher settings.
Swipe left to access the home screen page.
Follow steps 2 & 3 from Option A.

I didn't include any references as every site confirmed the information above. The list would be too large.

Search keywords:
add home screens to Samsung Galaxy S6

This doesn't address the question. The request is about how to make a wide picture set as wallpaper scroll as you swipe through screens, but this answer talks about how to add more screens.

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


text:
Galaxy S5 (Cyanogenmod 13) Bootloop on Decryption
My Samsung Galaxy S5 has Cyanogenmod 13 installed on it; one of the recent nightlies, March 14th 2016 I think. I attempted to encrypt the device. It took a few minutes before rebooting. Now my phone asks me my password and, upon entering it, loads the Cyanogenmod pulsing face logo, where it stays. It has been half an hour so far. Is there anything I can do besides a factory reset in TWRP?

Yes, please switch to a stable version and report bugs to current developers of that ROM for your device.

Bit difficult for me to post a screenshot of Settings > About when the device won't boot. You'll note in OP I also state that I think the build is the March 14th nightly.

Can you please switch to a stable one and then try? We've a policy which would make us close your question because your question is about issues with nightly build of a software. Consider visually confirming us that your device suffers with the same issue even on a stable build and all would be fine with us. By the way, which particular S5 model is it? Its codename?

I wasn't aware of that policy, my bad. It's a KLTE, SM-G900F.


text:
OpenVPN DNS on non rooted device
I am trying to get OpenVPN working on my Android device using the official OpenVPN app from the app store.  I am running on a Verizon S6 running 5.1.1 and do not have root on the device.  I have generated all the keys and installed the OpenVPN profile on the device.  I successfully connect to the VPN as shown in both the server logs and the fact that I can access local webservers that are only present on the remote LAN such as a printer and the router.  However I am unable to browse to any internet site.  I tried to ping 8.8.8.8 from the device and it was successful. Any attempt to access a URL or even go directly to the google ip resolved by the server results in a DNS error.  What is the right way to configure the DNS so that I can browse the internet through my VPN.  I am able to use the VPN expected on an iPhone and a Macbook so all the necessary NAT rules and such are in place on the server.
Android Config File
client

dev tun

proto udp

remote $SERVER$ 1194

resolv-retry infinite

nobind

ca ca.crt
cert androidPhone.crt
key androidPhone.key

comp-lzo

verb 3

setprop net.dns1 8.8.8.8
setprop net.dns2 4.2.2.1

I tried it both with and without the setprop net.dns

Turns out my server config was missing the "push DNS ...." option.  My other devices worked because I had set a DNS server in the adapter settings that overrode the lack of a DNS server being pushed by the OpenVPN server.


text:
How to set the YouTube app to play 360p instead of 240p video?
In the YouTube app there are only options to play 144p or 240p. Is there any way to make it play 360p?
When I access YouTube from Chrome it plays 360p videos; the quality of the same video was way better when played from the browser.

After reinstalling the YouTube app, option for playing 360p is back.

The YouTube quality settings are determined by each video (although if you select a higher quality, it will default to that for the next time).  Hit the three-dot menu button:

Then the Quality cog button:

Then you can select the quality setting.

Other videos might have more options for the quality setting:

This completely depends on external factors like, for example, the size of the source video that was uploaded to YouTube.
You can also (from the 3-dot menu on the app Home) go to Settings → General to turn off the "Limit mobile data usage" option, which will allow videos to default to higher quality when you are not on Wi-Fi.


text:
samsung omnia usb debugging
can I turn on usb debugging so I can copy text messages from phone to pc? I don't know how to turn it on in the menus. Developer options isn't even listed. I can se build number but I am unable to click on it.

You are supposed to tap on the build number 7 times, and then go back in to the main settings page to find the "Developer Options" listed. However, this is an X-Y problem, @AaronGillion has answered with a solution to the base problem, so if it helps you, please accept it by clicking on the tick beside the answer.

Which particular Omnia is it? The codename?

If you simply want to make a backup of your text messages, check out SMS Backup & Restore or SMS Backup+ app in Play Store. Both of them have high reviews and don't require root.
Screenshots:
(Click an image to enlarge it)

Well, I understand this being a X-Y question and all, but should you completely avoid addressing the OP's question altogether?

Implying the USB debugging thing.

Multiple answers (different approaches) are encouraged here on SE, I actually wasn't sure about his USB debugging problem, so I decided to make the OP aware of the app approach that one might have not known about. I was hoping someone else better knew his model/phone to assist with the Settings panes.

You're now recommended not to invest your time in enabling USB debugging at all, if you intend to backup or restore SMS/MMS using it. It wouldn't reap anything useful in the end.
ADB (user 2000) doesn't have adequate privilege to directly read the database mmssms.db located under com.android.providers.telephony/databases - the same database which keeps records of your received and sent SMS and MMS. Neither does it have the permission android.permission.READ_SMS to read SMS.
(Click image to enlarge)

So, all you can do is use an app to do the job for you, such as what Aaron suggested or if your vendor provides a software to manage your phone from PC, then consider trying it. It may be having the option to backup SMS and MMS.

I tested the solution on Android 6.0.1 but the information is true for quite a lot of preceding Android versions.


text:
Making Tasker write into the external SD card
I'm using Tasker on Android Lollipop (5.1.1). I've come to know that applications now can write to external SD card in Android 5.1.1 update but with the use of an API, for which the user needs to grant permission to the application. I have successfully  done this with ES File explorer.
But, how do I give Tasker the permission to write to external SD Card?
(Click an image to enlarge it)

"Give" might be hard if the app doesn't request it. Sure you could do some pm grant … – but as you already pointed out, write-access to SD card with LP+ is covered by specific API calls, so an app must use those. If it doesn't, the dev must adjust. Not much a user can do about that (at least not without root).

Okay, I would have thought at least by now, since 36% of Android users are on lollipop that the developer of tasker would have implemented this by now @Izzy

I'd especially thought so of Tasker. Unfortunately, Tasker has no decent issue tracker (last time I've checked they still used Google Groups which I feel a horror tool for things like that), or I had recommended 1. checking open issues to support and, if none found, 2. open an issue on it. Hm, they still do use GGroups. See here: Tasker unable to write external SD card on Marshmallow ?

I have read that page numerous times, I haven't tried moving the files to the Android folder for tasker, that being becuse it would be only half the job done. And out of the numerous apps on the play store, I thought tasker might have been one of them that had supported the new all. And @Izzy Good luck in the election, I will vote for you

Thanks Matt! And sorry that I can't help further with this issue (first, I've no device running LP+ currently – and second, IMHO that's something that needs to be fixed by the dev).

Yea, thought that it a) The devs haven't implemented the solution yet, or b) that something was stuffing up on my end. Thanks for clarifying this for me. EDIT: Do you know where I can put a feature request for tasker?

Have a look at https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/tasker/zuY21R_bvyU
where Pent said:
Here's a nice link explaining the situation:
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/eyes-free/rspqjlmu_ss
As I understand it, if on lollipop or 'portable' mode on marshmallow are used, access is required via a special API. I've looked at this API (DocumentFile) and it's going to require rewriting huge chunks of code used for the file functions, plus some awkwardness with the user pre-accepting file operations
on external SD (and I don't know how long that preacceptance stays valid, potentially making it
useless for later automation)
Summary, I'm not going to be doing this in the near future, if more mainstream devices start to get SD I may reconsider.

Thanks for the info, I am gonna take a guess that you are the applications developer?? correct?? With the marshmallow update (which i currently can't get, stuck on lollipop) if the user where to select the SD card storage option as Internal instead of portable, this problem then shouldn't occur, correct?, due to the fact that the SD card is treated as internal memory. But with the Samsung galaxy S7 adopting SD cards again other manufacturers may follow suit, but not everyone is gonna want to use the SD card as internal memory, what I am trying to say is phone may start to get SD cards back....

so you may start to get this problem more and more often from user and it would be very helpful for users to be able to implement SD card operations again. But it is up to the developer to add support

First link above have the solution on Dustin answer. You should use any file manager to create a folder inside data like that
/storage/sdcard1/Android/data/net.dinglisch.android.taskerm/

And use Tasker to copy to that folder. You can move it elsewhere later.
A folder like

/storage/sdcard1/Android/data/net.dinglisch.android.taskerm/whatever
will also work. Tested on Android 5.1.1 RedMi Pro no root device.

Back when this question bwas asked, tasker didn't have the ability to write to SD card, now I believe it can, so my above question is now irrelevant. secondly manually moving files defeats the purpose of my question.


text:
Viber status not shown
Why suddenly no status is shown under my Viber contacts names? I did not deactivate the "show status" button, it is still on.

Try rebooting the phone. Also when internet connection is slow you need to open someones account or message multiple times to show their status. You can also try reinstalling the app.

authors: Једноруки Крстивоје


text:
Auto Proxy Settings
My Android device is a Samsung Galaxy S2 i9100 running Android 5.1.1 on CM12.1. I have an issue regarding WiFi and proxy settings.
When I try to connect to my school's WiFi, I am able to connect to the router (I can ping the router), but whenever I try to load a web page, nothing loads.
I can re-produce the problem on my iPod, but I can solve it by changing the proxy settings on it from Off to Auto. Is there any way I can make my Android device do the same thing? I have already tried Settings › WiFi (picking the AP's entry, long-tapping it, selecting to "edit", and configure "Proxy" in the Advanced Settings there), but I'm not sure what the URL is for the PAC file.
My device is rooted. Any suggestions are very appreciated, thank you!

ah okay, but iOS allows users to select Auto for the proxy settings. In Android there is no such option?

I've never needed a proxy with my Android device, so I cannot tell, sorry.


text:
Can I update from CM 12.1 to CM 13 using OTA, or do I need to follow instructions?
I've got a Nexus 9 running Cyanogenmod 12.1. Yesterday I read Cyanogenmod's announcement of version 13, which contains instructions on how to update to the new version. They write that I have to flash the image, Google Apps and vendor.img manually.
However, today I received an update notification on my device:

Can I just apply the OTA update? Or do I still need to follow the instructions (i.e. flash Google Apps and vendor.img)?

You can take a Nandroid backup and try the experiment yourself. If it doesn't work out well, you would know the answer.

By the way, unless you wipe the /system partition completely, the Gapps packages (downloaded from OpenGapps) usually don't get wiped out in the process of updating said partition.

The OTA-update will only update CM itself. You will still have to flash Google Apps and vendor.img manually. If you had Google Apps installed and only do an OTA-update, your Google Apps will most likely be incompatible with your system, causing your device to get stuck in a boot loop.
I don't have a Nexus 9, so I don't know if the old vendor.img is compatible with CM13, but I would recommend to update it as well, just to be sure.


text:
If I have to accept new terms, where I can read them up?
My favorite example for this is whatsapp.
Somewhat around May 2014 I got notified that terms had been changed and that I have to accept them and update whatsapp.
Since this was just some days after facebook bought whatsapp I tried to read these terms I had to accept.
But there was no link in the message or any info about where to read them up.
So I used the links in the playstore refering to the terms of use, which linked to:
https://www.whatsapp.com/legal/
The funny thing is, even today (March 17th, 2016) the bottom line still states:

Date Last Modified:
This Privacy Notice was last modified July 7th, 2012

So in the playstore of whats app it isn't even linking to a changed version. but since 1 billion people accepted the change of terms, I'm curious am I the only one of 1billion users who would like to know what he has accepted?
Or am I the only one who is just to stupid to find the changed version everyone else accepted?

A little update on my request to the support.
After sending the mail about 1 week ago, I got now an answer in which I get explained that the issues I'm experiencing are caused by my device since it isn't supported and I should consider switching to an supported device.
So it looks like they are ignoring my request about it totally...
even for an automated answer its rude to let me wait a week. any ideas where else to take the request?
They actually answered me that "the issues I'm experiencing" are due to my not supported device.

When I try to launch WhatsApp the first time after a complete uninstall of it, I see that it expects me to agree to the terms of service. When I open the terms of service, it launches my default browser and directs it to the URL https://www.whatsapp.com/legal/. So whether believe on it or not, that agreement is what the new users still agrees for and you would also have agreed for it.

So when they anounced in 2014 that they did change whatsapp terms of use, they just didn't?

Perhaps contact them and verify that they really didn't forget to update timestamp on that document? Really, it is possible that they forgot to update since I don't find that timestamp automatically included by system there.

@Firelord: I'll ask them and laugh the hell out of em if they really did and I'm the only one who noticed '^.^

@Zaibis I wouldn't be surprised you were the only one. Usually, the group of people using WA (or FB for that, or even Paypal) and the group of people reading TOS are pretty much distinct (almost no overlap). I'm in the latter group; one day I thought about using Paypal and gave up on it after an hour (!) of trying to read their TOS (when I was referred to document #5, already having open 4 documents and always being referred at about 5%). They don't want you reading that, or they'd present you a decent summary (which would be in the lines of: "we own you & your data, paragraph.").

For the case of Whatsapp, I can say today, that they simply made it not easy accessible to read up their terms of service. They had as stated in OP not updated the terms of service for more than 4 years while not making them publicly available. The linked side got updated once last year. But still Whatsapp expects you to accept their "recent changes in terms of service", leaving you without any clue where they are published.
Lets see if they will maintain it now or that source will be outdated soonish again.


text:
Upload multiple files on android using wildcard and command line
I designed my Android application so that it can load CSS files dynamically. I am not working on the design and I copy CSS files on my device every time I make a change.
Doing this in explorer is tedious. I would like a command line script that would copy all *.css files and upload them to /storage/extSdCard/. I tried this, using adb push:
D:\ ... \resources>adb push *.css /storage/extSdCard/
  cannot stat '*.css': No such file or directory

Even copying one file doesn't work:
D:\ ... \resources>adb push black_style.css /storage/extSdCard/black_style.css
  failed to copy 'black_style.css' to '/storage/extSdCard/black_style.css': Permission denied

In explorer, I simply navigate in Computer\GT-S7710\Card and paste the files. Why doesn't my command line work and how to fix it?

Can you first confirm that adb has the permission to write external SD card at all? Can you try doing a random file push with adb push ANY_FILE /sdcard/ and see if /sdcard/ lists the file later? If yes, tell us where does /sdcard/ points to? To external or to internal SD card.

extSdCard points to external sdCard, as would one expect. And no, I was not able to write any other files in the SD card either. But I have no problem copying them there using Windows Explorer. I thought maybe android might have support for command line copying that works, I was wrong obviously.

Windows Explorer does that because either you've your card mounted in USB Mass Storage mode (which I don't think so) or you're using MTP (which is altogether a different protocol and gives different privilege to user). Here is the answer: ADB push multiple files with the same extension. You now only have to figure out why adb can't write to ext SD card.

Trouble with adb push <source> <target> is that source and target must be of the same type. So if source is a file, target must be a file. adb push <file> <directory> will fail – but that's what your first command specifies. The second issue, as @Firelord already pointed out, are permissions. I bet your device runs Android 5+ (and thus restricts access to the SDCard). MTP gets that permission granted (wouldn't make sense otherwise), ADB it seems not (which sounds strange to me).

Just to add to @Izzy 's note on android 5+ restricting access. In the explorer on the phone, there is some sort of unlock SD card. It asked me to do so when trying to write to SD. I however use CM, so it might be a bit different. Only speculation, but can't file explorers like TotalCMD allow write, if they can remount?

@TheBro21 Mount is something different. Write protection for the SD card is not done by mounting it r/o, but by using file permissions (ownership/group) and (in simple terms) some "watchdog process". It's not a "direct write", but rather handing the stuff that should be written to a system process doing the job. So either ADB must use that API – or must have "ownership".

@Izzy Since ADB needs that ownership, then would adb root be enough to bypass write protection?

I cannot give references on this or say "sure", but considering what adb root usually does (shutting down the adbd on the device and restarting it with superuser privileges), that indeed should grant ADB "full power", yes. But to my knowledge, this does not work on stock ROMs, you will get some error message like "not on production builds".

@Izzy On CM it runs fine. On the stock ROM it is problematic, but eventually I somehow got superuser request messages "adb" from superSU, and it worked. So perhaps it works on some stock ROMs

CM is a different case of course. Great to hear about the superuser requests on stock, never heard that before! I've got it running on a stock ROM here as well (by replacing adbd and the boot image ;) – another possibility (on rooted devices) is using chainfire's "insecure adbd" (an app you start on the device to switch adbd into root mode). // Do you want to sum that all up in an answer, so we can cleanup the comments here?

While you act on "extSdCard", you're acting on a FUSE filesystem. This kind of filesystems act as a protection against unauthorized file access (and chmoding as well). Try to push the file to /mnt/media_rw or /mnt/media_rw/sdcard1, depending upon which Android version you have.


text:
Galaxy S5 G900V startup failure with inconsistent symptoms making troubleshooting difficult
My Samsung Galaxy S5 suddenly and quickly started deteriorating a few days ago. I did also install a software update from Verizon about a week ago, but what's odd is how the symptoms worsened gradually. (Why would software do that?)

It started with occasional, random power-offs. No worries, I just rebooted.

Later, some of those times I started seeing "SECURE FAIL: KERNEL" in red. 1 or 2 extra reboots, though, and I'd be good to go.

Yesterday, the phone shut off a few times, taking more reboots to get things going.

Now, sometimes the power button doesn't respond (not even the vibration). When it does, sometimes nothing shows up on the display. If a display shows, it might hang on the Samsung GALAXY S5 "Powered by Android" loading screen—but that's not as common.* More common is simply going to that "SECURE FAIL: KERNEL" screen. I've been rebooting for an hour now—probably 20+ times—with no success in getting a full boot.

* This screen actually says "Custom" as well, with an unlocked padlock icon. But I've never rooted a phone, nor done anything "custom." I read something about ART vs. Dalvik and that it's normal for this phone. Plus, that started showing up months ago, so I'm guessing it's unrelated.
Given the variety of symptoms—from the power button not responding to this "SECURE FAIL: KERNEL" message, and also the gradual degrading of successful reboot attempts, am I correct to conclude that this is more likely a hardware issue than software, e.g. the update to Lollipop, if that's what it was?
Some other notes that may contain clues for the more experienced:

I did manage to get into recovery mode once, and wiped the cache.
The other two attempts left me with a screen saying "SECURE FAIL: RECOVERY".
Sometimes the phone seems to start up by itself after 10+ minutes of not being touched, having a black display, and no indicator lights.
While plugged in and in the above state, I don't see the green battery charging animation. Maybe that means it's not really "off" but stuck in some software block or loop.
Once I did see the battery animation, and the battery was at 88%, so I think the battery's okay.
This is a S5 G900V that I purchased new from Verizon in October 2015.

I wish it would start up properly just once so I can get some data off the phone's memory.

An interesting development.
While typing this post, it got past "SECURE FAIL: KERNEL", but froze at the Samsung logo animation. Then, the display went black, while the blue indicator light stayed on. A few minutes later, the phone restarted itself, passed the Powered by Andoird screen as it usually does, and hit "SECURE FAIL: KERNEL." I rebooted again, and saw something I saw only once before, "SECURE FAIL: Modem."

At this point I've not only wiped the cache but also done a factory / data reset—same problem.

Can you still get into the download mode(Power+Volume Down while device is off)? If so, I would try to flash a stock firmware image onto your device. You can download the firmware at sammobile. Download the newest one and follow the instructions given on the download page. Your data won't be deleted but you'll get a fresh system image onto your device

I totally agree with all the symptoms you documented. It reads like I would have written it. It seems many of us are suffering from the same phone issue. Ultimately I ended up sending the phone to Samsung. They returned it unrepaired and stated the cost for repair would be unjustifiable.
Apparently, though, it can be repaired. I called Samsung, and, of course, talked to someone "who knows where". She did try and did say that an S7 root driver was installed into my S6. She said I could have done this while connected to my PC. Nope, the phone auto-downloads updates.
I don't understand why they cannot reflash the chip. I don't understand how I could be responsible for this and why I should have to purchase a new phone.
Personally, I think Samsung sent the update without safeguarding that an older model would not auto-download it. I think it's their fault and they are not taking responsibility. I didn't do this and now it's out of warranty, because of this unauthorised flash, irreparable due to cost. I'm screwed, we're screwed.

Agreed. I was forced to buy a new phone in the end as well, and it's utterly frustrating that we have no power to argue against them.


text:
Locked phone-google account info not working to unlock-can't use device manager
My Samsung Galaxy is locked due to me letting my grandbabies draw incorrect pattern too many times. Screen on phone says"to unlock, sign in with your Google account".  I have tried this.  Phone remains locked.
As far as I can remember I only have 1 google account.  I have tried to find out if I have any other Google accounts...as far as I can tell, I don't.
I tried to use device manager to unlock.  My phone is on, but I utilize battery save settings...no internet, 4G, location settings unless I specifically go in and turn them on.
I've tried a few thing found on-line... calling my phone from another phone and trying to get in to unlock while on the call, using "null" password, using some random number password.
I've gone to 2 Sprint stores and they want to do a factory reset where I lose everything on my phone.  I've been trying to avoid doing factory reset due to pictures, texts, vm, contacts saved on my phone.
It's been over a week that I have not been able to access vm, texts, or make calls.  I can receive calls.
HELP PLEASE!!!!!
Thanks
Firelord...I'm not sure what model...behind the battery there is a code:SPH-D700...is that the model?  The phone is about 6 years old.
Izzy...I did not find anything that worked on the wiki.  I did not try the app mentioned as I was not clear if it required my phone to have internet or wireless enabled prior to it being locked.  There were a couple posts that were a bit over my head regarding rooting and programming code.
Thanks

Which particular Galaxy model is it? We need to know its codename.

Welcome to Android Enthusiasts, Susan! Please start at our locked-out tag-wiki and especially follow up to Can not unlock my Android device as have no internet connection? for our collected wisdom :)

Also, regarding a factory reset. If you had your device synced with your Google Account, all pictures, contacts, emails, etc. will be backed up there. Voicemail is handled by your carrier, so resetting the device will not affect it.


text:
Why handset manufacturers releases new versions of android several months after Google?
I have a nexus device. Whenever new version of android is released, the phone gets it almost instantly. I want to know why other manufacturers doesn't update their software in the same timespan. For some manufacturers, this process can take several months.
Is there a technical challenge that prevents them to do this? or is just matter of not allocating enough resources to do this?
I know about the differences between different ROMs and manufacturers, UI layers and so on... I'm asking is if so difficult (and why), or if manufacturers just don't want to do it, to release the new ROMs earlier.
To give an example about what I'm saying: when I updated from Windows 7/8 to Windows 10 in several computers (MSI, Acer, Lenovo, and custom build), I just clicked the "update" button and all the computers updated fine, without drivers problems... Why android is not the same case? Every major release introduces several breaking changes that makes it difficult for manufacturers?

@beeshyams Why not post this as an answer?

See this answer on the question Is there a technical reason Android update story is so bad?

Another important technical reason: They can't just simply pick the image and roll it out. Hardware is different, so they need to intgrate specific drivers etc.pp. For details, also see: Is there an official Android “Google” ROM? / Why are there different versions of each firmware for different country? / Can I install a ROM made for a different device?

@beeshyams when you follow Enigma's request and write an answer, feel free to "copy" from my comment :)

@Izzy updated my question. I know that android is very fragmented with several differences between roms and manufacturers

It may help to go through this graphic:
Notice that the graphic has a blue 'Google Play Edition' path which was when non-Nexus manufacturer had devices with only stock Android. This blue line would be the closest approximation to a Nexus device and notice how it doesn't have as many blocking points as the orange 'Carrier Device'.
Comparing to PC
You have to realize that the PC Hardware layer is relatively standardized on a x64 architecture either from Intel or AMD.
Android has multiple CPU architectures to support (ARMv7,ARMv8,x86,x64,MIPS) manufactured by different vendors (Samsung, Qualcomm, NVidia, Rockchip, Intel, MIPS) and its in Step 5 that the various vendors have to see what will get support. Way more customization goes on here than a normal PC.

Originally from:
http://www.htc.com/us/go/htc-software-updates-process/

Yes. That is how such questions should be addressed. Not by pure speculation or mix up of opinions as technical facts but by hard facts which comes straight from sources officially hosted by vendors/OEMs or by Google.

Didn't realize that the image is duping the answer to: http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/65557/is-there-a-technical-reason-android-update-story-is-so-bad?rq=1 Go there for other canonical answer from Sony http://android.stackexchange.com/a/65746/3573

IMO , izzy, benjaminS have pointed you to several reasons as to why it is complicated. I am consolidating these inputs to answer technical reasons
Let's get business reasons out of way first. Nexus devices

are considered Google's flagship Android products (...) Nexus devices are often among the first Android devices to receive updates to the operating system.(linkage should be obvious)

Fragmentation is the key
Update process graphic pointed out by benjaminS, beautifully illustrates steps involved. Steps 4 and 5 are hardware related , which is heavily fragmented . This is a major challenge.
Let's start  by taking the example of Samsung, which launched Note 2 devices, in two variants,which are identical in all respects, except the chip set (Exynos , homegrown Samsung processor and Snapdragon). This led to different ROMs being developed , tested and ported and released at different dates (don't remember the specifics, was about 4 months as I recall-talking of international versions). This is with only critical hardware difference. Next, consider various other hardware elements-screen, camera, earphones to name a few others and fragmentation mushrooms. Add to that  low cost competition coming up with rebranded devices and the panorama of fragmentation grows huge. Hence,

OEMs have to customise ROMs from source code. Adding bloatware and customised UI takes more time

ROMs have to be different for different hardware, though they may be similar in other ways

ROMs have to be country /region specific even if the hardware is same

Carriers add their own value and time penalty

it should be pretty obvious now why rolling out is delayed and comparing this scenario with PCs didn't hold given the standardised architecture
Edit:  By the time I got down to preparing this answer, see that another answer had been posted, having an overlap

The thing is, other manufacturers have to update their skin and extra features they introduce with the product. Not everything would be compatible so they test it till everything is fixed! Moreover, there is this whole career thing, which is super complicated. Therefore, other's have to wait. While on the nexus devices, they are on Pure Stock Android with no customization. Thus, Google controls the updates and they get updates quite quickly.
EDIT:
The complications of the career is explained beautifully in a howtogeek article, you may want to check it out:
http://www.howtogeek.com/163958/why-do-carriers-delay-updates-for-android-but-not-iphone/

Why is super complicated? That's my question :)

@IAmJulianAcosta Did the new edit I did help you?

@IAmJulianAcosta It's complicated because manufacturers often make it complicated with lots of third-party alterations, customizations, and often a bunch of bloat. If they also just ported and released stock android, their job would be much easier and would primarily focus on hardware compatibility.


text:
After android update 6.0 on my sony xperia Z5 compact i can no longer get passed the lock screen
I go to put in my pin and then the screen goes blank. It then returns back to the lock screen. Sometimes it says system UI has stopped. I have restarted it many times, put into safe mode, turned it off from the off button beside the SIM...Can anyone tell me what to do please.

Can you consider [tag:factory-reset] here? It will wipe the data but so as remove that lock.

how to i factory reset a phone when i cant get into settings

Follow this: http://android.stackexchange.com/tags/factory-reset/info


text:
Phone is Black After Logging In
Late yesterday, my Nexus 6's battery died. When I charged it and turned it back on all seemed to be well. The start-up animation came on and I entered my "swipe code". The screen was black, but I didn't think anything of it until my alarm went off this morning. I was unable to turn it off because the screen was black and unresponsive. I held in the power button and the "Turn Off" Menu showed up so I restarted my phone. It did the same thing - starting animation, entered "swipe code" and then a black screen. I searched Google, and some people had success booting in "Safe Mode". That caused the same result with the exception of he words "Safe Mode" in the bottom left corner. I also tried booting without the SIM in and same result. I have called the phone and it does vibrate, but it is not responsive to answer. Is there some way to recover the phone without a factory reset? Just as an FYI, I am running the newest version of Android Marshmallow available for the Nexus 6 with the March Security patch.

Would it be possible to give us a screenshot?

Per the noise on the phone, I can take a screenshot, but I have no way of moving it to a place where I can upload it :(.

Sounds like a software bug. Try to pull the battery, and restart. If the battery is non-yankable, it'll have to discharge fully to kill all processes. Charge some, and restart, until the buggy situation becomes clear to you through experimentation, again. I usually expedite this by leaving it within reach of my neighbor's WiFi, where it exhausts itself trying to Connect...Connect...Connect. I say charge SOME, because if you charge fully, it'll require double patience to discharge again.

I'll try that... Hope it works! I don't have cell service here, so it should be somewhat easy to drain the battery.

@wbogacz You might want to post that as an answer, so that it can be accepted if it works.

@MichelfrancisBustillos - Done, along with my experience as an example.

@Padawan try clearing Dalvik Cache from Recovery Mode? That fixed a similar problem for me.

Sounds like a software bug.
No real solution here, but a plan of attack toward discovery of the culprit(s).
Try to pull the battery, and restart. If the battery is non-yankable, it'll have to discharge fully to kill all processes. I usually expedite this by leaving it within reach of my neighbor's WiFi, where it exhausts itself trying to Connect...Connect...Connect.
Charge some, and restart, until the buggy situation becomes clear to you through experimentation, again. I say charge SOME, because if you charge fully, it'll require double patience to discharge again.
Let us know what you find out.
For myself - I believe this occurred when the Amazon Kindle app was trying to download books that I sent to the device via computer. It MAY HAVE STILL BEEN DOING SO WHEN I LEFT THE WIFI AREA (pure supposition). The first time did not occur to me, but the second time it did it (for a trip), and I recalled it happenned roughly similar to the first occurence. From now on, I'm careful to gauge full downloads while the device is awake, and Close the app fully. Hasn't recurred in a few months.


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s pen: rotation sensitive?
I know, this is not 100% an android question. But maybe someone can help me. I'm trying to figure out, if the pen, that comes with the Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 Tablet is rotation sensitive.
And if not, is there a pen compatible to this device that is rotation sensitive?

Can you clarify what you mean?  Rotating a point or circle (like a pen tip) has no effect.

imagine in a drawing program you use a tool with a tip that is not a circle. rotating the pen would then change it's direction. I have the tablet here and I don't see this feature, but maybe it's just not implemented in the software, but the hardware is capable to do so. well, unlikely..

Makes sense.  Upon doing some research it looks like that device was launched after the Note 4, which included an S Pen that supported rotation.  I can't imagine that they would have removed that feature....

I read something like this as well. It's really hard to find out detailed specs about this..


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Clear spam folder from Gmail app
I have an LG-38 from Straight Talk. I have over 1000 spam messages in my Gmail account.
How can I erase all of my spam messages at one time?

I am on my Mobile LG 38 Android I can't find a button that will erase all Spam messages at one time

Would it not be easier deleting them all from the web interface instead? https://support.google.com/mail/answer/6602?hl=en I find that to be more quicker and simpler. If you have a PC nearby, simply log into your gmail account and follow steps in link above

I am on a MotoX Pure, but the Gmail application should be the same or at least very similar.

Open Gmail
Navigate to your Spam folder
Tap on the icon in the far upper-right corner that looks like three dots sitting on top one another
A dropdown will appear and the only option should be to "Empty Spam"


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how to back up an app's data manually?
I am able to backup my app's data from the root/data/data/you.package.name directory by just moving it to SD card manually. however, when i reverse the process,                                                                                AKA paste the data back to simulate a restore, the app just force closes, i have tried it with a bunch of apps and noticed the same reaction. Where am i wrong?

Permissions messed up I suppose. Don't copy into SD card directly but make a tar archive which preserves permission of source files (app's data). Restore data in such a manner that it restores the same permissions, restore SELinux context (in case SELinux is in enforcing mode). BTW, which Android device and version are you using?

Also, before restoring, make sure the app whose data you're trying to restore is completely stopped. Do so using command-line or Settings app. Also make sure you clear its data before restoring yours. Perhaps my answer can help here: Backup an app's complete data when phone is stuck in bootloop

permissions are only required for the system folders my dawg not user data my homie told me

Whatever your homie told you, @Firelord is right: /data/data uses an EXTFS file system allowing for granular permissions and ownership, while SDCard uses FAT which does not allow for that. By copying to SD you "disowned" the files. After having copied them back, they had the wrong ownership, so the app becomes unable to access (or even overwrite) them. Unable ro read/write its data, it crashes then (expectable behaviour). // See our backup tag-wiki for how to do backups. Helium or adb backup are there for this kind of job.

@Izzy I feel quite odd by correcting you, but any mountpoint listed under /storage is a FUSE, not a FAT.

@DeathMaskSalesman True it's FUSE, but AFAIK it acts like FAT (compatibility stuff). What file system is FUSE, please? :) It's not a physical file system on its own, but rather an implementation (FUSE stands for File System in User Space, which opposes the "System Space" aka "kernel space"). There're several file systems using FUSE: SSHFS, DAVFS and others have FUSE implementations. For details, see e.g. Wikipedia: it's a "virtual file system" providing a "bridge" to the actual kernel interfaces.

@Izzy Nice point. You're correct.

@DeathMaskSalesman Firelord just offered proof: sdcard program does the job of mounting FUSE and in config.jd is mentioned that the sdcard program is used by some devices to expose internal storage through FUSE.

As there's no more feedback, I'll sum up from the comments for those coming up with a similar issue:
Firelord correctly pointed out this most likely is an issue with file permissions. Internal storage uses a file system supporting granular file permissions1 – which are not supported by the file system used on SD cards2. So the copy of all the contents on your SD card has lost that information, and ownership got lost3. So copying this back to your internal storage, it still has the wrong ownership, so the app cannot access it properly. Not expecting this4, the app will of course misbehave: an exception will occur without being handled, so the app crashes (force-close).
For those who checked with the mount command and now argue you're wrong, SD card doesn't use FAT but FUSE! – True it's FUSE, but in this case it acts like FAT. What file system is FUSE, please? :) It's not a physical file system on its own, but rather a virtual one (FUSE stands for File System in User Space, which opposes the "System Space" aka "kernel space") providing a "bridge" to the actual kernel interfaces. There're several file systems using FUSE: SSHFS, DAVFS and others have FUSE implementations. Again it was Firelord bringing up some backing to my claim: sdcard program does the job of mounting FUSE and in config.jd is mentioned that the sdcard program is used by some devices to expose internal storage through FUSE.
Conclusion: You took a complete wrong approach to backup and restore here. If you really wanted to deal with that on the file system level, you should have used a tool like tar (which is available and usually pre-installed on Android devices) to archive the contents while preserving permissions (the resulting "tarball" can then be copied to SD card, and the contents still be extracted to their original location properly). OTOH, as our backup tag-wiki will tell you, this is exactly what adb backup or apps like Helium - App Sync and Backup and Titanium Backup are for.

1: on older Android versions this often was YAFFS, on newer it's Extfs
2: usually FAT
3: or rather "reset" to the defaults used for content stored on the SD card
4: a normal user cannot do such stuff, as /data/data/<package_name> is not accessible to anyone but its owner and root


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Best practice for backing up /data/media?
Currently, TWRP backups don't include /data/media, and this doesn't appear to be on the developers' radar at all (the issue for it over at GitHub is just a bunch of +1s with no official response). Now that we have SELinux to contend with, simply copying the files back and forth is apparently no longer an option, and there are a number of different ways to access /data/media throughout the filesystem, each with different effective owners and permissions.
In excruciating detail, how should I approach backing up and restoring /data/media so everything is restored exactly as it was and my apps don't have trouble with the resulting permissions?

Isn't /data/media just an alias for /storage/emulated/0? Permissions and ownership are always restored with Android .tar archives.

It's not possible to dd /data/media since it's recognized as a directory. I've not tried, but I think that you can dd /dev/block/platform/msm_sdcc.1/by-name/userdata, instead.

@DeathMaskSalesman dd is surely a bad idea. It's even worse than TWRP & CWM's default backup method, tar. In case you're very wealthy and bought a 128GB phone and you only stored a few files in it, dd will still backup the whole partition, block by block, resulting in an image of 128GB in size. Also another serious problem is that you can't dd directly onto your computer, so you have to find another 128GB storage on your phone (SD card?) to hold the inage temporarily.

@iBug Of course it's a bad idea. If it were good, I would've posted an answer. By the way, you can dd directly to the computer by means of adb shell, so that the final command becomes adb shell "dd if=partition" > out.img.

@DeathMaskSalesman It still will fail. Root is required to dd from /dev/block. As often occurs, adbd cannot run as root in production builds. I just tested it out. However you can still do it in recovery but what's the point in doing so?

@iBug Well, one could mount the resulting image as a loop device, for "future" use. In my case, I did it to recover deleted files.

@DeathMaskSalesman Even in your case for further use, tar is still a better choice than dd. Also there hasn't been a solution to the storage problem discussed for dd's output image. I vote for tar.

@iBug So do I. Let me upvote your answer, by the way.

So, as far as I understand, that feature was excluded from TWRP just because toxic minimalists and confused inexperienced users are unable to use TWRP properly, making us power users suffer once again?

According to the said GitHub comment by Dees-Troy, “[…] the average TWRP user can't even spell adb.” – Why do us power users have to suffer, just because some amateurs out there have no clue about how to use tools intended for power users?

@neverMind9 "power user" will simply add bind mount /sdcard -> /storage in twrp.fstab (or adb pull)

I recommend directly copying files from/to /sdcard.
The sdcard service will handle all the permissions and SELinux contexts for you.
The /storage/emulated/0, /mnt/shell/emulated/0 and /storage/emulated/legacy are all shadow reflexes of /data/media (typically /data/media/0). In the /init.rc file you can find out that the /system/bin/sdcard is a service that controls all of them, so you can just copy the files in /storage/emulated/0 with ease. All other directories like /sdcard and /storage/sdcard0 are symbolic links. They don't matter at all.

But what if I want an 1:1 image of that partition?

I just adb pull /data/media/. media to copy the files to my pc adb directory.  Then I do a TWRP backup everything to sdcard.  Restore from sdcard backup, reboot recovery, then adb push media/. /data/media.  Make certain to wipe sdcard from recovery, not formatted from pc.  Works for me!  Wrong format gives lots of error 255's.


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Android 6.0 update - System UI not working
I updated my Z5 to Marshmallow 6.0 yesterday. Worst mistake of my life.
It locked out my phone and wiped some SD photos (so I couldn't get past the keylock screen - on entering the correct code, it goes black momentarily, thinks about it, then returns to the lock screen on a never ending loop). Clicking any notifications fro the dropdown menu brings up the keylock screen again, and on inputting the correct keycode in, I get the error message 'unfortunately, system UI has stopped working' then it returns to the locked screen again.
I can receive calls, emails and texts...but I cannot access them, or send anything.
Worth noting that I already did a factory reset (and lost further photos from my sons 5th birthday), which fixed the problem last night...and this morning it return in the same manner as above.
About to do a further factory reset, but that's no way to live my life with a 3 month old phone....
Someone please help (And also any help on recovering my SD images would be welcomed!)
I have been to x2 O2 stores, with one Guru who couldn't' find a solution.
THANKS!
Maria

How did you factory reset the device? Did it successfully complete? If yes, then what is the current problem? I can't believe that the device would be asking for some credentials at lock screen even after a factory reset. Are you now seeing a screen where you are asked to enter your Google account credentials?

Just a small suggestion. Do a factory reset and disable lock screen temporarily. Means till time you get a proper solution/next OTA update. Also  do many wrong unlocks attempts purposely, then after 3rd attempt it should ask for your google credentials.That might solve any problems related to unlocking.

When this type of problem happens (I've seen it happen more than once where the unlock code stops working).  Go to Google's Android Management and change the code.  This has cured the problem twice for my clients.
There are a number of ways to get to Google's Device Manager.  One ways is:
http://play.google.com -> Click on the Gear icon at the top right corner of the screen -> Click on Android Device Manager -> Login -> Select your target phone (if you have multiple devices) -> click on Lock.  Follow the prompts to change/set your lock code.
So far this has worked to resolve the issue.  I'm not sure if something specifically has to be done to enable this feature, but since you are experiencing problems, you might consider testing the steps when you're not experiencing the immediate problem so that you can verify that it will be available the next time next time you need it.

You mentioned that your device is the Z5. I assume that your device is the one mentioned below:
Sony Xperia Z5
I did a quick search, and found that they are supposed to be releasing an update that fixes the issue:
Sony Forums and Tech Support
Now, in reference to the Photos. I am also assuming that the photos are saved on the phone's internal SD Card, and not a removable external card. If this is so, can you connect to the phone via USB/ADB? This could allow you to retrieve the photos, if it works. In order for ADB to work, you would need to have USB debugging enabled. In order for USB to work, you need the proper device drivers installed on your computer. When connecting the phone to the computer, you should be able to access the phone's internal SD Card (but not the system partition). That should allow you to copy the photos over.


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How to root Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+?
I've Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ (SM-G928i). I need to utilize Tor properly. I need root access. I do not have access to any sort of other computer.
How can I root this device without a PC?

Which Android version are you using? Have you tried anything so far which we should now avoid suggesting you?

It has lollipop 5.1.1,  Kernel architecture is aarch64.. no i have not tried as i have not had access to a pc since purchasing and will not for sometime

Even changing the os would be amazing but im assuming that requires root access


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Phone connected via bluetooth to car audio system: media audio works, calls don't
I have been successfully using my Motorola Moto G3, 2015, with Android Marshmallow 6.0, to connect the phone to the audio car (Toyota) system for months.
A few days ago, I received a whatsapp call (media audio) while the phone was connected via bluetooth to the car, and I successfully used the audio car system for the whatsapp call.
Since then, unfortunately, whenever I connect the phone via Bluetooth to the audio car system, only media audio (e.g. youtube videos, mp3, music, whatsapp calls, etc.) is transmitted, whereas calling another telephone I do not hear anything via car stereo.
The phone works because if I disconnect the Bluetooth, the call is active and I can use the phone to speak/hear.
I tried to remove the Bluetooth phone device and add it again, and to disable transmission of media audio via Bluetooth to the car system, but the problem does not disappear.
Any help?
Thanks!

This might help. When a Bluetooth device (in your case the car audio system) is connected to a phone, normally an option is available to select what ways to use the Bluetooth device, namely, receiving audio (playing music) or giving out audio (mic), or both. Are you sure you have both receiving and giving enabled?

I removed the phone/device again from the bluetooth car audio system and linked it again via bluetooth, after changing the phone bluetooth name.
It did not work.
I then turned off and on the phone.
Now it seems to be working, not sure how/why though!
UPDATE: it happened again, and only a complete power off and then power on of the phone solved the issue.

I was facing the same issue , i got a solution for the specific media not working on Bluetooth prob. Rename the device . unpair it . restart the phone . and connect again . hope it works . worked for me .

I was also facing same issue for a while until I found this:
Go to android settings
Search for "Bluetooth Scanning"
Turn off "Bluetooth Scanning" if enabled
Enable "Phone Call" option for the desired device under bluetooth devices (by tapping setting icon next to device name) i.e. your car, Bluetooth speakers etc.
Restart your phone if needed


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OnePlus X (OxygenOS): Screen auto-rotating in wrong direction
I have an unrooted OnePlus X phone with the stock recovery and stock OxygenOS 2.2.0-X operating system (based on Android 5.1.1) installed.
With auto-rotation enabled, whenever I turn the device into landscape mode, the screen rotates in the wrong direction. I.e. when I turn it clockwise the screen contents are rotated counterclockwise, and the other way round. This leads to the screen contents always being upside down in landscape mode.
Does anyone have an idea how I could go about fixing this problem? Is there a way to check whether this is a software or a sensor problem?

Update: In the GSensor section of the developer-type manual test menu accessible via *#808#, the phone reports an angle of 270 when I turn it 90° clockwise and it reports 90 when I turn it 90° counterclockwise. I assume it's supposed to be the other way round?

Update 2: After flashing TWRP recovery, rooting the device and installing a custom ROM, the problem persists. Is it fair to conclude that it's definitely a hardware issue now?

Sounds like a calibration issue. On the HTC One you can calibrate the accelerometer from the Settings menu.

Thanks. I found a hidden menu with auto calibration options. However, accelerometer calibration failed due to some meaningless error ("Test FAILED. Error: Sensor Specific error: 4"). I suspect that the angles reported by the accelerometer are wrong though, I updated the question accordingly.

Community bump prevention: this question was closed because the question seems to have been abandoned (OP hasn't visited the network for more than 5 years, and no answers have score above 0). If anyone can evaluate the existing answers, feel free to vote accordingly and reopen the question (or mod-flag the question requesting for reopening). For anyone else having the same issue, please post a new question and refer to this question as additional context.

I've had the same problem. It was fine again after restoring an old TWRP-backup of "Persist".
Don't know why. Just worked.
If you don't have a Backup of your Persist partition then I think that (re)installing a stock ROM could also be able to fix this. Even if not, it won't hurt to give it a shot.

Edit: I took a short look into /persist and found two interesting files inside it:
/persist/sensors/gyro_sensitity_cal - Containing GyroSens 1.000000 1.000000 1.000000
/persist/sensors/sensors_settings - Containing 1
I guess that explains why it fixed the error and maybe also just checking and correcting these files will do so.


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Installing CM 13 OTA causes so many app crashes that I can't do anything on my phone. Can I save my data?
I had cyanogenmod 12 on my Samsung S4 mini phone, and I upgraded OTA to cyanogenmod 13. After the update Google play services was crashing all the time. I tried downloading and installing GApps through the recovery mode but it only made it worse. Now the crash pop ups are so many that I can't do anything on the phone anymore. "Unfortunately Setup Wizard has stopped" is the one that shows up the most.
Is there any way to fix it without resetting everything? And if resetting is the only option, can I still save the data?
Thank you for any help!

Which particular build was it? To which particular build did you move to? Did you update your GApps? How? Did you do things in accordance with this post: http://www.cyanogenmod.org/blog/a-marshmallowy-cm?

I am not sure what build it was or is. The 12 was the stable one. The 13 was the one that was offered OTA. I did not follow what the post said - I saw there was an update and I naively clicked it. When it started to have problems I downloaded  OpenGApps ARM 6.0 nano.

With so many crashes, I don know how to look at the version of CM13. The pop ups come one after the other and I can't do anything on the phone. The version that was there before I unfortunately do not remember.

Try booting into recovery mode and enabling MTP, and then get your data from there.
What happened was that the Gapps were incompatible with your OS, since you were using Lollipop gapps on Marshmallow. Once you flashed Gapps, it was already too late, since they need to be flashed on first boot.
Once you have your data, factory reset and flash the packages in this order: CM -> Gapps -> Whatever else (SuperSU?). Make sure that they are flashed one after each other. Do NOT reboot until Gapps is flashed.

Thank you for the answer, @PoisonNinja! How do I enable MTP from recovery, and once I done, how do I get my data?

It is so frustrating! I am sure I must not have been the only person who clicked the bloody thing without paying attention! (or, in my case, I have to admit it was more without knowing what I am doing ...)

@Sininho, go to the main TWRP menu, tap on Mount. Make sure that Data is checked. Then, tap on Enable MTP. It should show up on your computer.


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Usb otg not detected
I checked my phone with USB otg checker and it shows that USB host support is detected. But when i plug in a otg cable it does not detect my flash drive. Any idea how to fix this.

Which device is it and which Android version are you using? It could be a problem with your OTG cable.

I am using gionee p3s and it has android 5.1 i have tried another otg cable before this new one and that did not work either

Have you tried with a powered hub. Some devices only provide host support with an external power supply.

Gadgets 360 review for P3S (see connectivity under detailed specifications) states OTG is not supported
Maybe the app you used returned a false positive

There appears to be conflicting evidence in the wild. For example, this website claims that the device comes with OTG support. There's even a special USB OTG cable on sale, only for this phone.

@Firelord: I know that it doesn't work, checked physically, as I was helping my brother choose a low cost phone .  To back this picked the first internet hit supporting that. After you pointed out, checked  OEM site, which doesn't talk of OTG at all, but highlights several features. IMO silence on this is not unintentional.  But the Cable on sale does raise a confusion, agreed

Even P3 , with a small cost difference didn't support as physically checked


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Which file type to use for these fonts, and how compatible each is for Android 4.1.2?
Just a few things...

This question might perhaps have a poor title, but I couldn't figure out how to word it better, so bear with me.
I originally asked where to ask this question on SE Meta, which directed me to here.
I know there are numerous apps out there that can find the appropriate files for me, but I have no interest in these things, so please don't suggest any of them.

Some Details
I have a specific list of 5 fonts that I would like to install, if possible, on my Android device:

EB Garamond
Liberation (font family)
Inconsolata
Roboto
Open Sans

According to the answers to this question, both TTF and OTF files are supported by Android, TTF always but OTF since about version 1.6. (The original links cited back this up.) So you sort of either have to have the knowledge of how compatible the font is before using it or you need to have the patience to fiddle around with it if anything crops up afterwards.
I have neither: I'm used to installing fonts on desktop OSs, not mobile ones, so I'm not sure which ones are compatible, and I usually prefer to know how software or files are going to affect my ability to do my stuff (aesthetically or functionally) before I use them.
The Question
All I need—nothing too complicated—is the following: for each font listed above, please tell me if only the TTF or OTF file, or both, or neither (hey, you never know), is compatible; which one—TTF or OTF—is most compatible (if applicable); and how compatible I can expect said file to be with my particular version of Android.

Specs

Make & Model: Samsung Galaxy Stratosphere II
Operating System: Android v4.1.2 JB


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How to revoke "SMS Services that cost you money" permission?
I have an Android 6, Samsung S6 smartphone and today I bought a tram ticket via SMS.  Before sending, a warning popped up asking if I wanted to grant the Messages app the permission "SMS Services that cost you money".  I assume this was because the SMS ("Premium SMS") is overcharged (by the price of the ticket), since the app never asked for this permission before sending a SMS.
I replied Yes, since it was a legitimate purchase, but I was in a hurry and involuntarily I ticked the option "remember my choice".
Now I would like that Android keeps asking me before sending Premium SMSs, since it's a security risk, but I couldn't find a setting to disable this option.  Is this possible?  Or the only way is to hard reset my phone and reconfigure it from scratch?  I can't believe Android doesn't offer this option.

Which messaging app is it? Does any relevant permission shows up in Settings -> Applications/Apps -> your messaging app -> Permissions?

It's the standard Messages app, and the only relevant permission is to send and receive SMS messages.

It appears that there used to be an option to revoke that permission which is not available anymore in Android M, once granted. Related discussion.

Thanks. I found the same exact page while looking for a solution. And here's a related question, but the accepted answer doesn't work: http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/125939/reset-the-request-permission-dialog-on-marshmallow

I wonder if this would be an accessible preference to other apps... if so, someone (I'm probably not good enough) could write an app to fix this... I think it would be a shared preference. Did anyone try clearing the cache?

You can choose another setting by going into Settings > Applications > Applications Manager > More (top right) > Show System Apps > Message Service (rather than Messages) >
Tap 'Send Premium SMS' > Select Ask, Never Allow or Always Allow.
On more recent versions of Android (Nougat V7) the setting is at Settings > Apps > Application Manager > More (top right) > Special Access > Use Premium SMS services (may be listed as Use Premium text message services) > Select Ask, Never Allow or Always Allow.

On which Android version and device did you test your answer upon? I'm asking in response to this comment of mine.

On my Android (6.0.1) it just says "No permissions".  There's no option "Send Premium Text Message".

I'm running 6.0.1 on the S7 Edge, but my bad the instructions were slightly incorrect. Once you click into the Message Service app the option will show there - http://i.imgbox.com/xfjn8zwk.png

Did this manage to resolve the issue dr01 and Firelord?

I run Android 6.0.1 on a S6 and there's no option "Send premium SMS", but I'm glad to see this issue was solved in a newer version. Granting +1 and marking this as best answer.

Update: Latest security patch added this option ("Send premium text message") on my S6 too.

Apply the same solution as given in the Accepted Answer to your default messaging app. For example, my default messaging app is Textra. One of these Permissions warnings came up, but was answered by a force other than myself, locking me out of being able to send answer messages to a mobile service I needed to use. I was able to go to the Settings shown above for the Textra App, and change the behavior back to something under my control.

On Android 13 the setting was in: Settings>Apps>Special app access>Premium SMS access.

Well, bad news: It appears to be another of these annoying, huge Android bugs for which there's no solution yet.
The only workaround is to use another app for sending SMS, or to hard reset the phone.
From the discussion linked in the comments:

(...) the particular drop-down setting - for premium sms - you could toggle through back in an app's permissions in previous Android versions starting from 4.2. The case would arise if when using an app that required to send an sms to a 5-digit number, the OS would present a 'You might get charged' warning popup, which would prompt you to Allow or Deny sending the sms. If you also checked the "Don't ask me again" option then this warning popup would not appear again next time.
A user could reset that checked option in Settings> Apps (or Application Manager), going to the permissions section of the specified app and uncheck the premium sms "lock"; With Marshmallow though, there does not seem to be a similar option back in app settings.
The permissions toggles only enable/disable the standard SMS sending and have no effect on a premium sms locked option when they are enabled, leading to a blocking scenario where if a user had selected the "Don't ask again" option initially, he/she will not be able to resend an sms from the particular app.
Even worse is the fact that uninstalling and re-installing the app does not reset that initial selection, rendering the sending of sms to 5-digit numbers impossible and beyond the user's control.

In the discussion you can read the comments of other users which have the opposite problem -- they replied "No" and ticked "Don't ask again", and now they are forbidden from sending Premium SMSs.

Happened the same thing with me. Solution: instal a 3rd party sms app, then make it the default message app. When I tried to send the premium sms it asked for permission again, and I allowed, now it works again in both apps, the 3rd party and the original one!

theres an option to fix it go to applications then select the message app scroll  down to the permission directly cost u money its clickable select ask.

Only option till now in marshmallow android 6 if you are not able to send sms to short code numbers like 12345 or 123 or 1900 or when you try to send them your network towers goes away is to reset all app permissions, by going to settings-apps-click on the 3 dots on the top right corner in the screen and select reset all app preferences. Now send a short code message and allow it.