text:
I/O errors opening files in data partition
I'm trying to repair a Moto G (XT1008, unlocked) device.
When booting normally, the motorola splash finishes and the android desktop shows up for one second, then a bunch of pop ups show up informing that applications stopped working. Attempting to do anything (opening the menu, the configuration, any apps) trigger more messages and whatever I attempted to open just crashes.
I tried flashing a custom recovery to the device with fastboot:
fastboot flash recovery twrp-3.0.0-0-xt1

032.img
target reported max download size of 536870912 bytes
sending 'recovery' (9456 KB)...
OKAY [  0.328s]
writing 'recovery'...
OKAY [  0.188s]
finished. total time: 0.516s

Since everything seemed to have worked ok, I immediately tried to boot the recovery, but the stock one (with and android and the ! logo) came instead.
I was able, however, to boot the custom recovery directly with:
fastboot boot twrp-3.0.0-0-xt1032.img

downloading 'boot.img'...
OKAY [  0.344s]
booting...
OKAY [  0.297s]
finished. total time: 0.641s

In the console of TWRP, the following errors show up:
Error opening: '/data/data/com.motorola.motocare/databases/MotoCare.db' (I/O error)
Error opening: '/data/data/com.google.android.gm/shared_prefs' (I/O error)
(other 3 errors similar to this one)

According to most posts I could find, the data partition seems to be corrupted and the most likely solution was to repair or format it entirely, but so far, I have had no luck doing so.
I tried using fsck.f2fs via adb with the following outcome:
~ # ←[6nfsck.f2fs /dev/block/mmcblk0p36
fsck.f2fs /dev/block/mmcblk0p36
Info: sector size = 512
Info: total sectors = 27090688 (in 512 bytes)
Info: MKFS version
  ""
Info: FSCK version
  from "Linux version 3.4.42-g41a696f (hudsoncm@ilclbld31) (gcc version 4.8 (GCC
) ) #1 SMP PREEMPT Fri Jan 23 18:14:39 CST 2015"
    to "Linux version 3.4.42-gf2a818f-00578-g5e5969d (cpu@computer) (gcc version
 4.9.x-google 20140827 (prerelease) (GCC) ) #1 SMP PREEMPT Sun Feb 7 22:24:16 CE
T 2016"
[FIX] (fsck_chk_orphan_node: 926)  --> Discard orphan inodes: ino [0x17274]
[FIX] (fsck_chk_orphan_node: 926)  --> Discard orphan inodes: ino [0x8fdf]
[is_valid_ssa_node_blk: 141] nid                       [0x92e3]
[is_valid_ssa_node_blk: 142] target blk_addr           [0x2d4166]
[is_valid_ssa_node_blk: 145] summary blk_addr          [0x5c70]
[is_valid_ssa_node_blk: 148] seg no / offset           [0x1670 / 0x166]
[is_valid_ssa_node_blk: 150] summary_entry.nid         [0x0]
[is_valid_ssa_node_blk: 151] --> node block's nid      [0x92e3]
[ASSERT] (is_valid_ssa_node_blk: 152)  --> Invalid node seg summary

[ASSERT] (sanity_check_nid: 217)  --> summary node block is not valid. [0x92e3]
[FIX] (__chk_dentries: 779)  --> Unlink [0x92e3] - Cookies len[0x7], type[0x1]
[is_valid_ssa_node_blk: 141] nid                       [0x418]
[is_valid_ssa_node_blk: 142] target blk_addr           [0x2d4163]
[is_valid_ssa_node_blk: 145] summary blk_addr          [0x5c70]
[is_valid_ssa_node_blk: 148] seg no / offset           [0x1670 / 0x163]
[is_valid_ssa_node_blk: 150] summary_entry.nid         [0x0]
[is_valid_ssa_node_blk: 151] --> node block's nid      [0x418]
[ASSERT] (is_valid_ssa_node_blk: 152)  --> Invalid node seg summary

[ASSERT] (sanity_check_nid: 217)  --> summary node block is not valid. [0x418]
[FIX] (__chk_dentries: 779)  --> Unlink [0x418] - MotoCare.db len[0xb], type[0x1
]
[ASSERT] (sanity_check_nid: 242)  --> nid[0x458] blk_addr[0x33a9fe] footer.nid[0
x0]
[FIX] (__chk_dentries: 779)  --> Unlink [0x458] - shared_prefs len[0xc], type[0x
2]
[is_valid_ssa_node_blk: 141] nid                       [0x1205]
[is_valid_ssa_node_blk: 142] target blk_addr           [0x2d4165]
[is_valid_ssa_node_blk: 145] summary blk_addr          [0x5c70]
[is_valid_ssa_node_blk: 148] seg no / offset           [0x1670 / 0x165]
[is_valid_ssa_node_blk: 150] summary_entry.nid         [0x0]
[is_valid_ssa_node_blk: 151] --> node block's nid      [0x1205]
[ASSERT] (is_valid_ssa_node_blk: 152)  --> Invalid node seg summary

[ASSERT] (sanity_check_nid: 217)  --> summary node block is not valid. [0x1205]
[FIX] (__chk_dentries: 779)  --> Unlink [0x1205] - mailstore.someone@somewhere.com.db-wal len[0x28], type[0x1]
[is_valid_ssa_node_blk: 141] nid                       [0x1064]
[is_valid_ssa_node_blk: 142] target blk_addr           [0x2d4164]
[is_valid_ssa_node_blk: 145] summary blk_addr          [0x5c70]
[is_valid_ssa_node_blk: 148] seg no / offset           [0x1670 / 0x164]
[is_valid_ssa_node_blk: 150] summary_entry.nid         [0x0]
[is_valid_ssa_node_blk: 151] --> node block's nid      [0x1064]
[ASSERT] (is_valid_ssa_node_blk: 152)  --> Invalid node seg summary

[ASSERT] (sanity_check_nid: 217)  --> summary node block is not valid. [0x1064]
[FIX] (__chk_dentries: 779)  --> Unlink [0x1064] - prefs_db len[0x8], type[0x1]

NID[0x418] is unreachable
NID[0x458] is unreachable
NID[0x459] is unreachable
NID[0x1064] is unreachable
NID[0x1205] is unreachable
NID[0x17c4] is unreachable
NID[0x41b1] is unreachable
NID[0x499a] is unreachable
NID[0x768c] is unreachable
NID[0x82a2] is unreachable
NID[0x8aa2] is unreachable
NID[0x8b20] is unreachable
NID[0x8f84] is unreachable
NID[0x8fdf] is unreachable
NID[0x92e3] is unreachable
NID[0xab8b] is unreachable
NID[0xacd9] is unreachable
NID[0xb00d] is unreachable
NID[0xb29c] is unreachable
NID[0xb87a] is unreachable
NID[0xbe61] is unreachable
NID[0xbefa] is unreachable
NID[0xc3e7] is unreachable
NID[0xce67] is unreachable
NID[0xf38b] is unreachable
NID[0x16e81] is unreachable
NID[0x17274] is unreachable
NID[0x17275] is unreachable
NID[0x17277] is unreachable
NID[0x1cd65] is unreachable
NID[0x1df3f] is unreachable
NID[0x1eb9f] is unreachable
NID[0x1eedf] is unreachable
NID[0x1f5b8] is unreachable
NID[0x1ff02] is unreachable
[FSCK] Unreachable nat entries                        [Fail] [0x23]
[FSCK] SIT valid block bitmap checking                [Fail]
[FSCK] Hard link checking for regular file            [Ok..] [0x0]
[FSCK] valid_block_count matching with CP             [Fail] [0x15ca44]
[FSCK] valid_node_count matcing with CP (de lookup)   [Fail] [0x55e7]
[FSCK] valid_node_count matcing with CP (nat lookup)  [Ok..] [0x560a]
[FSCK] valid_inode_count matched with CP              [Fail] [0x5282]
[FSCK] free segment_count matched with CP             [Ok..] [0x651]
[FSCK] next block offset is free                      [Ok..]
[FSCK] fixing SIT types
[FSCK] other corrupted bugs                           [Fail]
[FIX] (nullify_nat_entry:1127)  --> Remove nid [0x1eb9f] in nat journal

        Error: Could not conduct fsync!!!

Done.

Judging by the 5 unlinks, it seems to be trying to repair the 5 previously mentioned files, but still have some failed checks at the end, and the fsync error.
Trying to format on the other hand, yields the following result:
mkfs.f2fs /dev/block/mmcblk0p36

        F2FS-tools: mkfs.f2fs Ver: 1.4.0 (2014-10-18) [modified by Motorola to r
eserve space]

Info: sector size = 512
Info: total sectors = 27090688 (in 512 bytes)
Info: zone aligned segment0 blkaddr: 512
Info: format version with
  "Linux version 3.4.42-gf2a818f-00578-g5e5969d (cpu@computer) (gcc version 4.9.
x-google 20140827 (prerelease) (GCC) ) #1 SMP PREEMPT Sun Feb 7 22:24:16 CET 201
6"
        Error: Could not conduct fsync!!!
Info: format successful

Despite the "format successful" message, after mounting back the partition, all of the data in the partition is intact, and the defective sectors remain.
I have also tried doing fastboot erase userdata and even pushing parted to the file system and using the rm tool to try to get rid of the partition, but still, the partition is untouched, and the same problem described on the top of the post persists.
Am I missing something on the formating? or could it be that the internal storage is physically broken beyond repair?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

It is odd that TWRP is even trying to open those files.

@Matthew Read: Since TWRP mounts /data on startup by default, I figure it might be doing an fsck on it's own. But that's just a conjecture, I'm not completely sure about it either.

Can you try with fastboot format userdata?

@Firelord: I just tried it and this message was prompted: "Formatting is not supported for filesystem with type 'raw'." Am I missing some parameter on the command, or could it be a hint of what's going on?

so far as your problem is concerned, I got the same problem in my redmi 2, where the rom got curropted while using snapchat, I tried to factory reset the phone but it couldn't delete some files in data partition, after trying many such things(which failed to work!), I installed latest version of TWRP recovery using fastboot method as you stated and then READ CAREFULLY went to WIPE>>ADVANCED WIPE AND TYPE YES, this will erase all your internal storage data(including /data partition!!) and then you are good to go with any rom of your choice.


text:
Turn ringer to loud from vibrate when a particular contact calls
What can I do to make my phone ringer switch from vibrate to loud when a particular contact calls?
I tried using Tasker and created a profile for a Phone state, when a contact calls > set ringer volume to max.
It works... like this: when my phone is vibrate, and I get a phone call from the contact, the ringer goes up to high... however the call is still is on vibrate. The new high ringer volume affects only subsequent calls (from any contact).
So it doesn't exactly work as you can see. What can I do?
I use Nexus 6p with Marshmallow.

Put your phone into priority interruption mode and star the contact for which you want the phone to ring. Then automatically your phone will ring with volume when that particular contact calls and it will vibrate for other calls

Can you tell us what is silent mode here? There is Total Silence/Alarms Only/Priority but no such thing as Silent in Marshmallow.

@Firelord I added "/silent" assuming that will be the same scenario, but I'm looking for a solution for when the phone is on vibrate. I'll edit the q-n

@ulmas Okay. Do you see a problem in the answer below? You've neither accepted it, nor mentioned any issue with it, yet it seems to me that the problem is unresolved. Can you explain the issue with that answer here or there so that other posters avoid it?

@Firelord I upvoted the comment that reflected my opinion about the asnwer :)

@BarathVutukuri Priority interruptions would disable any kind of notifications, which is why the question is about the vibrate scenario.

@ulmas priority interruption will allow starred contacts to be ringed without disablling the ringtone.

Try adding a Action -> Media -> Play Ringtone -> Type: Ringer to your Tasker profile, to explicitly play the default ringtone after you set full volume. You can also apply a custom ringtone if you want.
Tested on Galaxy S5.
Hope it works for you!

Yes, it works but how do you stop that ringtone then? I started my task, left the device untouched for an  hour and the device kept ringing the ringtone! Media Stop event didn't help either.

On KitKat and Lollipop the ringtone does not stop. Noted in the Tasker documentation: In some Android versions ringtones will endlessly loop due to an Android bug. For that we can use Media -> Music Play instead, followed by a Music Stop.

That issue appears to be present in stock Android 6.0.1 as well. Can you consider incorporating the info available in your comment into your answer? I'm sure I won't be alone here having that endless loop in Tasker.

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


text:
4.1.2 Factory Reset Fail -- mkdir /data/app fail. err is -1
So, I have a rooted (may have reverted by now, cannot be sure, will explain why below) 4.1.2 Android, Kruger&Matz LIVE 1.
Full story is this:
Went to bed at about 19 (really tired after working) phone okay. Woke up at 8 in the morning phone still okay. Woke up again at 14 phone had the "input your pin to unlock sim". I thought "huh, weird." I did that and ever since then it has been restarting every 2 to 3 minutes.
So I started looking into it. The first thing I came upon was some wifi channel bug. So I tested it, it was restarting itself only when connected to the internet. So I rebooted the rooter but the problem persisted. Changed the wifi at a friend, the phone was still restarting. Then I tried wiping the cache from the recovery menu. That didn't work either. So I looked into it even further, everything pointing towards a hard reset.
Backed up only contacts and sms; formatted the SD Card as well as the SD Card that acts as an "internal storage", went into recovery mode, wiped the cache again and when I tried "wiping/factory reset" it gave me this error:
-- Wiping data...
Formatting /data...
Formatting /cache...
Data wipe complete.
Performing factory reset...
-- mkdir /data/app fail. err is -1
So I thought it was because it was still rooted. So I restarted the phone and I noticed something really interesting. The data on the SD Card that acts as an "internal storage" had been restored.
After unrooting the phone I tried again with the same error.
I also tried hard formatting the "internal storage" from my PC but the data was restored even after that. That's why I don't think my phone has been unrooted.
Also even though it's called "internal storage" it isn't. It's just a built in 1GB SD Card, doesn't have any system files on it, just downloaded apps and save files that are installed here if there is no additional SD Card present. (that's why I'm so confused as to why it's restoring these files in particular)
Any help will be greatly appreciated!
P.S: Even in Safe Mode, while running better, just by going into Manage Apps, the phone restartes after a few minutes, so installing and uninstalling apps is a little tricky, especially because they magically reappear every time the phone restarts.

The factory reset isn't supposed to alter neither your internal SD (/storage/sdcard0), nor your external SD (/storage/sdcard1). Since you're rooted, did you check the /data partition?

Yeah, that's why I'm so confused. Everything in my phone reverts back to the state it was before going into recovery mode even after I format the sdcard0 from my PC, with apps and settings.
As for the /data partition... I don't know how to access it or what to look for. I have JDK and ADB installed for when I tried to hard reset it through cmd lines, and the phone is still rooted after unrooting it. But it reverts back to being rooted after the phone restarts because everything goes back to what it was :/.
Thanks for the reply :D.

To access the /data partition from ADB, you can start the daemon with adb start-server, and get an Android shell with adb shell. After doing so, your computer terminal will display an $, instead of the regular text. If you then issue ls, you'll see the content of your phone's rootfs, which is the / position. Then, by using cd /data, you'll be able to move to the /data partition. The useful commands are: cd folderName (to move to the specified folder), cd .. (to go up a level), ls (to display a folder's content). I suggest you to explore your /data/app.

I had the same problem. after sharing on the internet, they said it was because the IC EMMC damaged. so it must be replaced

Who is "they"? We're looking for answers backed up by evidence or expertise, not guesses and rumours.

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


text:
Locked out of my phone as the touchscreen isn't working
I have a LG Optimus G. Some parts of the touchscreen doesn't function.
I wish to retrieve the media content from my phone. Nothing more. So, hard reset is not an option.
I can't use a mouse over OTG as Optimus G, "doesn't support it".
What are my options?
USB debugging is on, but is on Charging mode. Hence, my predicament.

Do you have a custom recovery installed? If so you may be able to retrieve your files with adb.

@SuperThomasLab No, I do not.

Have you already checked with our locked-out tag-wiki for some first aid? If so, what have you tried? As your touch screen isn't working, our broken-screen tag-wiki might prove helpful as well.

How did connecting phone to PC via USB work out?

@SaileshSriram is your device connected to the Internet with a Google account?

@AaronGillion It isn't. Anyway I can turn on the internet being locked-out?

@SarpSTA No help. It's on "Charging Mode".

You say USB debugging is on. Is your phone is already "paired" with certain computers - that is, it it set to automatically allow USB debugging from certain computers? Usually the answer is yes for your personal computer(s).
Assuming this is the situation, you can easily ADB shell to tar/gz any folder(s) you want and "ADB pull" the tar/gz file to your computer.
Another option that you might want to explore is the Vysor application (currently for Chrome), that allows remote control via ADB.

Prior to Marshmallow, when the device was explicitly switched to charging mode in USB connection mode , USB debugging used to get disabled in the device. The option about USB debugging would show being enabled though.

Does Vysor connect with my phone automatically over USB?

It should, if USB debugging is enabled. If however USB debugging is disabled in charging mode as @Firelord suggests, then it wouldn't work.


text:
How to restore previous android id from titanium backup?
My line apps doesn't work because it counts on android id.
I want to restore my android id then. However, out of so many back up files in titanium back up, which one contains my old id?

Android ID can be found in the database settings.db of Settings Storage/Providers app. It is located under /data/data/com.android.providers.settings/databases.
There are multiple ways of restoring Android ID.
Through Titanium Backup
In Titanium Backup (TiBu), go to Menu → Manage Android ID → Restore Android ID from a backup. If one or multiple backups of Settings Storage/Providers app exists then TiBu would list the ID. You can then select the ID and begin restoration of it.
(Click image to enlarge)

However, if no such backup of that app exists, then you would get this dialog:

Using command-line
If you already know which ID has to be restored then you can do this:
Setup adb in PC and execute:

(The lines starting with echo are only for the purpose of explaining what I'm going to do in consecutive command. Avoid executing them.)
You can also edit settings.db using an SQLite database manager such as sqlite3, but why bother this much?

Interestingly, the hostname of your device would be nothing more than android-ANDROID_ID where ANDROID_ID is the Android ID. You can check it using:
adb shell getprop net.hostname

Note: the whole solution is tested on Android 4.2.1 and 6.0.1.

Forgot to mention that you must restart the device after changing the ID.

There's no "Manage Android ID" option in Titanium Backup menu

@QkiZ I don't know about the recent version. Back when I had posted this answer it was available.


text:
Change Android Smart TV Box settings from tablet to TV
I bought this Android based Smart TV Box from Amazon. It's complicated to navigate within the interface because the Android settings of the box are for tablet instead for TV.
That causes the problem that apps that are TV optimized (Netflix..) display the tablet interface instead of the TV one.
Is it possible to change the box settings to TV?
Details:

Android 5.1
Octa-Core 64bits CPU - Rockchip 3368 Octa-Core 64-Bit
ARM Coretex-A53 up to 1,5 GHz, 2G RAM.


text:
Install additional dictionaries to AOSP
I would like to install an additional dictionary to my Android keyboard (AOSP), is there any way to do so which would not imply installing another keyboard?


text:
what controls the outbound ring tone on LG Optimus F7 all i get is tones instead of ring tone
When i make a call all i here is a tone every few seconds just like its ringing but tones instead and the call goes thru. I can not find any setting that changes the out going ring tone.

The technical term for what you are describing is the ringback tone, and it is in general controlled by your carrier, or the far end carrier. It has nothing to do with your device.


text:
Unrooting an Android Phone, Help!
My device is SHV-E160K
I kept deleting xbin and bin several times. It keeps on restoring and cannot delete file though I've already |remove root permission on king user|
How can I delete it? I cannot play the game that doesn't required root.
I cannot factory reset too because my upper volume button is broken
Help Please!!

You don't need a volume button to Factory Reset, it's an option in Settings.  You can also get to Recovery via adb reboot recovery and not needing a button combo.  Factory reset also doesn't unroot, however, and deleting the bin folder is a good way to make your ROM unusable.

Are you rooted with SuperSU? If so, just go into the SuperSU app and select Full Unroot from settings. If that isn't the case, you could try Universal Unroot as well.
You can likely keep root and play your game as well, with Xposed Framework and a module like RootCloak or without Xposed you can try using RootCloak Plus but non-Xposed methods of hiding root sometimes have a lower success rate.


text:
Nexus 4 - Random reboot
I have a 3 years old LG Nexus-4, I have tried multicore cpu controller pro and some cardboard/VR apps (google cardboard, fulldive, etc..) recently & I have faced some rare random restart for 4-5 days. (that was not too much, its like 2 times restart a day)
Now I am facing a very wired issue. My phone runs fine on AC/charging status, but as soon as I go on battery (disconnect AC/charging) mobile just goes off or reboot and does not boot at all :(
Another weirdest thing is it works fine (on battery as well) on bootloader & recovery clockwork (6.0.4.7-mako.img) adb & fastboot command works & even touches works fine on TWRP 2.7 and battery status reports properly 100% to 1% (till it dies after full battery drain & it takes for 3-5 hours), so battery is not a real problem :|
The following things are already tired and result are mentioned respectively.

Uninstalled all the recently installed app and cleared all settings from mutlicore cpu controller pro

Updated OS to 3rd party marshmallow, Tried a 6.0 Android M for nexus 4 from xda forum.

Rolled back to factory image - Android 4.4 (occam-krt16s)

Updated OS from factory image - Android 4.4.4 (occam-ktu84p)

Tried TWRP 2.8, 3.0 as well

Tried debugging with adb :

C:\Program Files (x86)\Minimal ADB and Fastboot>adb bugreport
/sbin/sh: bugreport: not found
C:\Program Files (x86)\Minimal ADB and Fastboot>adb logcat -v time
/sbin/sh: exec: line 1: logcat: not found

Tried to boot to safe mode. works fine again only on AC/Charging. :(

Results: No change at all :(
It would be very grateful, if anyone could give some information how to find the root cause or a solution/fix for this.

did you reflash the kernel (boot.img) somewhere during that process?

If you have done a full factory flash (flash-all.xx) of LMY48T factory image, and this still occurs, that indicates a hardware failure. Since the only real replaceable hardware at a reasonable cost in this device (that would relate to this functionality) is the battery, I would start with replacing the battery. There could be a problem in the battery electronics that only presents itself to the OS when there is no charge coming in, and recovery doesn't care/recognize it. If the problem still occurs, it is likely a mainboard issue and the device should be replaced.

@ValentinKuhn: Yes, this happens during flash-all.bat run process.

in this case I'd do as @acejavelin suggested


text:
Galaxy S7 display settings for gaming
In Settings > Display and wallpaper, there is an option for Screen Mode with options for:

Adaptive Display
AMOLED cinema
AMOLED photo
Basic

I set mine to Basic but regardless of this setting, when I launch games, it appears to switch to Adaptive Display.  Is there a way to disable this?  I'm not a fan of over-saturated colors and would like the display to remain in Basic mode when in games and media applications.

I swear this was the first thing I tried but my 2nd attempt seemed to fix it.  Simply change the display option.  Save it.  Then change it back.
Settings > Display and wallpaper > Screen mode
A few things I also did while messing with it that might have had an impact:

turned Game Launcher app off an on
installed Google's Play Games app which seemed to force some other updates
rebooted the phone


text:
Transferring SMemo Notes
I am currently using SMemo on my Galaxy S3, I am about to get the Galaxy S7 Edge.  How would I transfer the notes from my SMemo app from my 3 to my 7?
(And I don't see a tag for the samsung-galaxy-s-7-edge so I could only tag the S3)

Is it the same app mentioned here: Get notes created using "Notes" default app and export them to PC?

@Firelord - that post seems to be about Notes, on my device the Galaxy S3 Notes and SMemo are two separate apps

Related, a bit: Anyone know where memos are stored on a Samsung Galaxy S6?


text:
Smart phone factory reset, but forgot google account -- bricked now?
Motorola Moto E LTE XT1528 (Verizon) running Android 5.1  I bought this phone in Aug, 2015.  I have the box, the receipts and a copy of the transaction from Best Buy via ebay. (EDIT: the boatloader for this model can't be unlocked)
I pulled my phone out of my pocket this morning and was greeted with a "Select Language" screen.  Somehow it had preformed a factory reset.
To my chagrin, it required my google account to use the phone.  I set this up long ago and I never use the google account. I couldn't remember anything but a few letters of the account.
I tried all the recovery options on https://www.google.com/accounts/recovery/ but nothing worked.
It seems that now my only choice is to buy a new phone. Does anyone know if anything can be done?
Edit: In regards to the moderators suggested solution: With 5.1 you can no longer wipe the data and return to factory settings with the bootloader.
Edit 2: Verizon, Best Buy, Google were unable to assist.  Motorola at first told me the "phone is now bricked" (their words).  After talking with Google again they conferenced in Motorola who agreed since it was still under warranty they would service it.  So I am sending it back to them.
As a curiosity I tried all of the suggested solutions in the answers that were suggested in the duplicate question.  Specifically for the XT1528 there is no menu options in the pull down that allows you to try to bypass the boot loader block.  In other words at 0:41 in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLZOI-9tYg4 that button does not exist in the upper right. I added a screen shot showing the option that is not available so you don't have to watch a video:

This is unfortunate because when I bought this product I had no idea how significant that spontaneously made up google account would become over time.  The phone just said to create one, there was never any implication to how important it would be because there was no "Kill Switch" feature at the time that depended on it.
I'm well versed in the android tools, so if someone has an idea, I would be willing to see if it works before I send it back.  So far nothing has.

Is the bootloader unlocked or a custom recovery in place or are you willing to unlock bootloader (would void warranty)?

The bootloader for the XT1528 can not be unlocked.

@Mathew Read That linked answer doesn't work for 5.1.  You can not delete/wipe during a factory reboot anymore without access to the google account.


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Why do these white artifacts appear on animated GIFs in Facebook Messenger?
Animated GIFs that I send and receive in Facebook Messenger have square white artifacts. This also appears on the GIF previews when I search for GIFs to send. It appears to be on certain pixels that don't change throughout the GIF, could it be something compression related?


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Captive Portal detection causing phones to disconnect from Wi-Fi in intranet environment
Hello Android Enthusiasts!
I am the manager of an Internet Cafe on a cruise ship, and we're being plagued by a persistent problem that I can't quite solve.
We have a wireless network throughout the ship which can be used to access the Internet, but also includes a local intranet through which guests can view the daily events schedule, check their account, and use a free internal messaging service.
The issue we are running into seems to be with Captive Portal detection, and from my observations it appears to be affecting only Samsung phones (might just be S4 and higher), and has been observed on every OS from 4.2.2 and up. What happens is that they connect to the wireless network, and are then told that sign-in is required. A captive portal window will pop up, which does bring up our home page. If they then connect to the Internet, no problem. But if they just want to use the intranet, or if it takes them too long to fill out the user registration form, they get told that the network has been disconnected and we have to start over again from "sign-in is required."
I've done quite a bit of searching online for answers, and one is that the user must select "use network as is" from the captive portal options, but I see this option on very few devices. Other options have involved rooting the phone and running some terminal commands, which is obviously not something I can ask the guests to do.
We posed the issue to our shoreside networking team, and they came back saying they had whitelisted the following URLs and that this should fix the problem:
clients3.google.com/
apple.com/library/test/
captive.apple.com
connectivitycheck.android.com
connectivitycheck.gstatic.com
connectivitycheck.android.com/generate_204
clients3.google.com/generate_204
android.clients.google.com
It did not, phones are still being disconnected after about a minute if no Internet connection is made.
Is there anything else we can try? We are ultimately looking for a fix that won't require our users to do anything special.

Sounds to me like you're going to have to remove the captive portal and let them connect freely if you don't want them to have to do anything.  Otherwise, the solutions here might be relevant: http://android.stackexchange.com/a/100659/1465

Hi Matthew, thanks for the response. I don't think we actually /have/ a captive portal. Or, at least, no captive portal window pops up on any other non-Samsung Android or Apple device. Perhaps I misused used the term, but I do not think we consciously have anything turned on to cause this behavior.

This is still a problem in 2020... I just bought a drone and my phone (Samsung s8) will not stay connected to it because the drone network does not feed internet or DNS requests the phone conciders the Wi-Fi as a non-internet connection and after about a minute or two the Wi-Fi disconnects. I've tried every other fix aside from rooting my phone which looks like is necessary in order to turn off the Samsung built-in captive portal detection........ https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/130265/stay-connected-to-specific-wifi-which-has-no-internet

We had a similar problem but I think it is not exactly the same problem.
We had an Galaxy S5 mini with Android 5.5.1 installed. We also have a "filter for websites" to deny access to some websites.
The problem here was that after starting the phone it connected and then disconnected immediately from network.
We found out that the network connectivity check is the problem. First tests show:

When there is unrestricted Internet access it works.
When there is no Internet access, network connection stays up. "No Internet connection" means we blocked all traffic on the firewall and all requests result in a timeout error.

When analysing more deeply and looking at the android source code we could identify the HTTP return code as problem. The device starts an HTTP request to connectivitycheck.android.com. This resulted in an HTTP 302 (moved temporarily) from our webfilter. Knowing this we did further tests:

webfilter redirects access to connectivitycheck.android.com via HTTP/302 and all other internet sites are directly allowed: Here network connection was shut down again.
deny access to connectivitycheck.android.com using firewall (therefore timeout for connectivity check) and all other internet sites are directly allowed: Here network connection stays up.

Therefore at the end we had two ways to fix the situation:

allowing access to connectivitycheck.android.com without webfilter (therefore no HTTP 302)
deny access to connectivitycheck.android.com on the firewall

But what about other Android versions? I did the same tests using a Galaxy S7 with Android 6.0.1. Here we never saw any problem. In Android 6 the connectivity check was slightly changed and is not suffering the above problem.

I've been plagued by this problem as well on one of my open source captive portal libraries.
It seems to be due to the fact that Samsung has decided to implement their own code that will not trigger the captive portal login as it should when a 302 redirect is sent (and wifi does not have internet).
It seems as though you need to serve the captive portal file with 200 when they try to access generate_204 endpoint, instead of just sending 302 redirect -- which works on every other device -- besides Samsung.
Samsung Captive Portal Detection
Thanks Samsung -- why can't you just follow normal captive portal standards!?
With this said though, i have had mixed results on different Samsung Sx devices... some don't even seem to query the /generate_204 when connecting to wifi

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


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Most complex locked phone ever, needs a genius to solve
Is there any hope. I feel I have exhausted all the options I have any knowledge of. I’ll explain the situation and methods i have tried.
I broke the screen on my galaxy s2 causing the touch screen to not respond and then eventually the screen to go black.
The phone got replaced and sat in a box until one days I felt the need to find out what I had left on the old phone, photos, information just out of pure curiosity.
I was able to turn the phone on and although I couldn't see anything I could hear texts coming through, the phone was buzzing etc. Anyway couldn’t see what was going on. So I borrowed my girlfriends galaxy s2 which she no longer uses and used the screen off that to use as the screen for mine via the ribbon cable. Watched a youtube video and it was all fine, booted up okay until I realised the phone was LOCKED! locked with a pin, of x amount of digits long.
I tried every possible combination I have every used, never used, I am never guessing the thing. I can’t remember if it is my usual 4 numbered pin or whether it is numbers that would spell a word.
Tried plugging into a computer but of course it wont pick it up until the correct password is entered.
The gmail unlock option, the phone has been out of use for over a year, possibly 2. It no longer shows up on account and I have no signal on the phone either. (I did put the sim back in, just realising now if i removed an aerial or something when fitting the new screen). I don’t have signal at all. there is no forgot password option.
Tried downloading kies to my mac and doing it via a usb but ran into the same problem as before.
downloaded software onto an sd card but I cannot get the device to boot into recovery mode, I think it may be because the volume buttons are not working. I am trying a method of battery out and charge the phone, heard someone say that this can force a htc into recovery mode so i thought it is at least worth a try.
I will not be defeated. I DO NOT WANT TO DO A FACTORY RESET. I will keep trying every possible option until I get a solution. Turn on the phone and find that nothing on there was worth the hassle.
I see a few ways out of this
1 bypass the lock screen via black magic and or disable it
2 somehow regain signal then use gmail account recovery, ( i don't know if a sim becomes redundant after a period of inactivity)]
3 somehow enable a pc/mac to pick it up
4 not sure about the usb otg method
Any help much appreciated

Do you know what Android version was installed? Android 4.x (Jelly Bean, Ice Cream Sandwich, or the old Android 2.x Gingerbread? Post a screenshot of your lockscreen and we can determine for you. Also tell us the exact model number of the phone, so we can determine if it's bootloader unlocked or not.

Have you tried rebooting to recovery via ADB?

I'm not sure what software it is but I'll send a photo of my lock screen. Iv tried booting it into recovery mode or safe mode but this isn't working, I think it's down to tho volume buttons not working due to being in pieces. Has anyone got experience of using a USB keyboard to boot into recovery mode? Iv flashed software to the sd card for bypassing the lock screen or deleting the password but obviously I can't get to that point yet.

@Gavin you need to @ me next time so I know you responded! According to the picture you have Gingerbread installed! Which is good news, 2.3 has gaping security holes. If you pop in a SIM card and call that phone number, or use emergency call, you should be able to get to the homescreen via some magic key combos. Look here for answers.

@AaronGillion, thanks for that!! The phone was on 02, but I took my number across to EE. So when I have put back in the old 02 sim related to that old number it did not connect me to a cellular network. Could this also be because the sim had not been used in so long? (Not sure whether they expire or not). I am assuming if I get an active 02 sim this will automatically connect then I can try the methods mention regarding calling the handset. Once again, many thanks. I'll be sure to let you know how I get on. Will be 2+ weeks till I get the chance

@AaronGillion, Are you able to tell from that photo why I wasn't receiving a signal? Was it due to - The sim being expired/unused or when splitting the phone have I disconnected the antenna?

Not sure. Your phone might be carrier locked so that you can't use prepaid Sim cards? Maybe you can find another method from that link I gave you? Izzy's answer covers all the methods of getting in to an unlocked phone.


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Something is opening Spam URL in my Browser, how do I find out what did this?
Sometimes, when using my phone, suddenly my browser (Google Chrome) opens up and tries to open a Spam URL. This will occur again and again, until I restart the phone.
It does not seem to be related with the app I am using at that specific moment, and it keeps happening even if I kill all running apps.
Now I wonder: Is there a way to find out what is making my browser open this URL? Is this logged somewhere, or can this be logged somehow?
Android Version is 5.0.1, device is a Samsung Galaxy S4.

Not sure if there is a simple way. Could you list the link for the apps which you were using whenever that spamm URL was suddenly launched into Chrome out of nowhere? My take is that instead of directly passing URL into Chrome, that fishy app would be using android.intent.action.VIEW and the system would launch the URL with whatever is set as default browser. Another thing to note here is that unless that app is running a background service or listens to a particular broadcast, it won't be able to do anything, let alone launch a URL unless it is in foreground. So, can you list those apps?

Can you also mention that URL?

Sorry, I know this question came first, but the linked duplicate has an answer proved useful (mine).

If you use android studio, you can connect your phone and enable usb debugging, then simply filter the LOGCAT for "http://" and find your culprit.
Here's a URL on DDMS:
http://developer.android.com/tools/debugging/ddms.html

Please provide a specific use case of your answer and show how the final result would look like. I've tried the approach with logcat. Doesn't seem to be helping out. I maybe doing something incorrectly so it would be nice if you sort things at your end.

Yeah, I'll make a quick app example tonight and filter with logcat...  I think your comment on the top question is correct too, it's likely using the common Intent.ACTION_VIEW


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Resize data partition
I have a Lenovo K30-W, and I installed a ROM designed for Lenovo A6000, which is virtually identical except for the smaller internal storage (16GB vs 8GB). I am happy with the ROM, but my partitions were resized, so now I have 8GB of unused space on internal storage. I am currently on Cyanogenmod 12.1 (Lollipop). As I understand, internal sdcard is no longer a separate partition, but merely a folder in data partition. Is there a way to increase data partition, without reinstalling (or alternatively, with reinstalling)?
I've seen similar questions, but the answers are mostly "don't do it, you'll screw things up". However, in this case I am sure I have unused space on the phone storage.

I'll briefly explain why "don't do it, you'll screw things up". See, each phone has a partition table (PIT), that states how the phone memory is to be subdivided: how many partitions, how much space per partition... Starting from the point that this file is hard to extract, if you edit it, reflash it, and you fail, you'll have an useless paperweight resembling a phone.

If it is used as a paperweight, then it is not useless. ;) Anyway, if I screw something up, I can always recover via fastboot, right? I bricked the phone several times before, but I was always able to load the recovery via fastboot and reflash the system.

Messing with partitions means that the phone doesn't recognize "recovery", "bootloader" and such.

It turns out this particular modification isn't so difficult or dangerous. Data is the last partition (30th in this case), so it it merely needs to be deleted and recreated with new size. Just be careful with the starting block. Print the existing partition table beforehand.

reboot into recovery
make backup of data partition
copy parted utility to phone using adb push
enter adb shell and execute following code
chmod a+x parted
./parted /dev/block/mmcblk0
unit b
rm 30
mkpart primary ext4 2617245696 15634251263
name 30 userdata
quit

restore data from recovery


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4.4.2 KitKat app name truncation
Since a month or two the app titles on my homescreen keep getting truncated even though there is more than enough space.
An example would be "Settings" which gets truncated to "S..."
Moving an app around the screen seems to refresh it, and after that it does show the full app name.
I've tried modifying font size, but that doesn't fix it.
The phone itself is up-to-date, and not rooted.
The same thing occurs in the menus and app drawer, but that's much less of an inconvenience.
Is there any way to turn off truncation of the app names (or if that's not possible, an app that takes over the home screen and doesn't truncate the names)?
My data:
Android 4.4.2
Acer E39 E700 Liquid

Time to switch launchers maybe?

A lot simpeler than I realised; looks like it's an Acer Home launcher issue (not updateable as a launcher). Just installed Nova Launcher, which seems to work nicely, and indeed that doesn't have any issues so far. Thanks!

So maybe time to post an answer with the solution and accept it? Any of you two (self-answering is completely fine here) could do that :)

Ha! Great. You'd be surprised how much people can't get used to a different launcher. Nova FTW!

Tip: in Nova Settings -> Desktop -> Icon and layout -> uncheck Single line to stop truncation of labels on home screen or tick it to start truncation.


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Apps are installed in my smart phone without my permission?
When wifi is on, Some strange applications are being installed automatically. I don't request them. They are downloaded without my permission.
I uninstalled (removed) the unwanted apps from my smart phone. After a while, I found new unwanted apps in my phone. They are slowing down my cell phone and making it stuck. They also reserve or use my SD card and the internal memory of my phone.
I tried to fix this issue by editing (adjusting) the settings of my mobile but nothing happens.
I downloaded two antivirus softwares, They are avast and AVG, but nothing happens.
What should I do to prevent these apps from being installed on my phone? Is there a good app that controls or manage the downloaded apps?
By the way, yesterday, I found that mobile data is on without my permission and the unwanted apps were being downloaded. This costed me a lot of money.
How can I get rid of all of these problems?
Here is the specifications of my mobile: http://bestmobs.com/tecno-p5/
Thank you very much,

Backup what's important and factory reset. Flash stock firmware. Is your device rooted, just curious?

Have you seen Apps install on their own (and similar questions)?

Appears to be this issue: How to remove a Virus that installs an unlimited amount of APPs causing the smartphone to stop once an internet connection has been established?

@AaronGillion I've made a factory reset but the issue still exists. My device is not rooted.

If you factory defaulted and still have apps installing on their own, they are probably being pushed from your Google Acct, which is the only way apps could be installing themselves on a clean phone. You should try not restoring apps and just install what is essential after a factory reset, if the problem persists then there is something in the system and it needs to be reflashed with the factory firmware image.

@lzzy AppCaster Is not on our home PC and I did Not you entered your Google credentials into another android phone. The answers of the question does not match my case.

@acejavelin Thank you very much, I will create another Google account.

May be This thread can help you.
Good Luck!


text:
MMS messages end up in a new conversation with my own phone number as a recipient
I recently got a Nexus 6P. One very strange and annoying behaviour is that whenever I receive an MMS from someone I have a conversation with the MMS message will be stored in a separate thread with the sender, myself and my phone number (three participants that is) as participants.
And if I answer the with an SMS in that new thread I receive another separate SMS from my own number (because I send the SMS in the group which then goes to the original sender and to my phone number).
So in short, does anyone know why when I receive an MMS that message is separated into a different conversation with me, the original sender and my phone number?

This seems to be related to the same issue I'm having with Google Messages app (https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/205036/why-does-google-messages-sms-mms-app-lose-phone-number/)


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Android Wear emulator: "No longer connected to network"
I've been using a Android Wear 1.4 (Android 6.0.1) emulator for some time, and the following notification has appeared out of the blue:

No longer connected to network, a factory reset is required.

An action with the same text appears next to it, but tapping on it has no effect.

Android Wear emulator is running the following versions:

Android Wear 1.4.0.2505969
Google Play services 8.4.89 (2428711-574)
Android OS 6.0.1

I've seen Reddit threads reporting the same problem: here, here, here and here.
What's causing this? If I wipe user data, can I expect this to return?

It appears that this behavior occurs when you attach a different host device to pair with the emulator, for instance when switching between connecting two phones to your computer with pairing enabled.
The Android Wear app itself then displays the status of the emulator as "Trying to connect…" and the connection is refused between the emulator and the new device. The problem goes away once you've attached the original device that you first used with pairing to the emulator, or wiping data on the emulator and pairing it with the new device.


text:
Removing permissions from apk
I'm trying to remove permissions* from certain bank app to prevent abuse.
I've managed to download apk file using emulator (AVD) and appextractor. I've used toolapk to extract the apk file and modified AndroidManifest.xml, repacked it and signed the file using jarsigner.
The installation on my phone fails with "App not installed.". The situation is the same on fresh emulator instance (no gapps). I tried to install unmodified version of the app on emulator with the same error.
How to get a more descriptive error message?
What am I missing?
My device is Galaxy Nexus running Cyanogen mod without gapps.
*contacts & call log reading, sdcard r/w, etc...

Install it using [tag:adb] and also use [tag:logcat] to get more descriptive information. What permissions are you trying to remove? Absence of permissions may cause instability for the app. See if the answers here provides a good alternative to whatever you're trying to achieve: Is it possible to install an app and exclude some of its requested permissions?

An Android emulator ran from the computer (aside from Bluestacks) is an environment that's not the ideal to test an app. I recommend you to push the modified packages directly to your Nexus. Regarding the "App not installed." error, I can confirm that it's not depending upon any permission. It's typically generated from an error/mistake in the phase of recompiling/signing the APK, provided that your AndroidManifest.xml is syntactically correct. For this, and instead of the standard ApkTool, I recommend you to search for Apk-Multi-Tool, a semiautomated script plus tools.

logcat sugestion was very helpfull. @Firelord: if You post it an an answer I'll be able to accept it.
It turns out that the app needs com.google.android.maps shared liblary. I'll have to make a placeholder.

@lynx: good to hear that. It is fine by me if you self-answer (not in the question but as a separate post on the same page using "Post Your Answer" button) your post. Please add in that answer whatever interesting or relevant info you found in the logcat, so that visitors in future would get to know what precisely to look for in the output.

It turns out that the installation fails because missing shared library.
Using aLogcat ROOT app from f-droid repo I was able to see following error:
E/PackageManager:( 1221): Package com.evil-bank requires unavilable shared library com.google.android.maps: failing!
One solution would be installing google maps app(or whole gapps package). I'm not going to test this one through.
Thanks to Firelord for pointing out using logcat.

If you use CyanogenMod, you don't need to remove Permissions from the APK. You can just go to Settings->Privacy->Manage App permissions after you installed the app and remove or add anything you want. Alternatively, which has even more control over the permissions (it can even be specific for which methods can be used) you can install the Xposed module XPrivacy (I have it installed and I use it a lot).

Are You absolutely sure that app will not be able to do anything malicious while being installed and before revoking the permissions?
I think that modifying apk is more proper solution.

Not any permission can be revoked via the Privacy Manager. And yes, in the time frame between installation and revocation, it has enough time to play with.

Maybe I gave the wrong path, I'm German so I'm not sure how it's named in the English version. But it should absolutely be there, except you use an old version of CyanogenMod. In this case, XPrivacy does a better job even on older OS versions, the installation process is just a little mire advanced.

And yes, it can't do anything as far as you don't start it, as explained here http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2227604/is-there-on-install-event-in-android - and the inbuild permission manager in CyanogenMod or XPrivacy are much more easy to use and don't require much time to configure perms.


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Google Now not Speaking or Executing Comand
My Google Now for some time ago stopped speaking and executing commands.
When I do a command like 'set timer for ten minutes from now' it only searches Google for the text. Same for 'play Jimi Hendrix on YouTube'.
This began to happen when I logged in to Google Now and accepted the new terms.
When I say 'what's the Weather' it shows, but don't speaks out loud. I think that the fact of this working has to be with the google search itself and not the Google Now app.
Language is correctly set for english, and "Speech output" is set to on.
I have seem many other people with this issue googling for this, but yet no real fix.
Android is version 4.2.2 and Google Now is version 5.9.33.16.arm.
EDIT: I have used Tasker + AutoVoice but don't believe this is the problem, because it begin right after I login to Google Now and accept the license; AutoVoice commands in Google Now are not working as well.

I would try disabling AutoVoice, as it can (and often will) mess with Google Now's functions. It has happened several times for me.

I've deleted it and even Tasker. I also think it messes up with Google Now.

Have you tried resetting and/or reinstalling Google Now?

Yes, even reflashed the same Android.

Did you try to clear data for the problematic apps and doing a re-login of google account into the phone?

When I uninstall updates and clear data it begin to work again, even accepting the terms on the old version of Google Now. When I update it stops working again.

I am the author of the OP. Reflashing another Android version (currently using Lollipop 5.1.1) "solved" the issue.

I noticed also that services running as Accessibility makes it even to stop recognizing Voice commands.

Had the same issue (several times).
Latest attempt to fix is to force stop the Google app, disable it. Then enable it again and check all settings.
It worked on my Oneplus 3T, running 7.0. :D


text:
Can I make Android require Fingerprint + PIN to unlock the screen?
I have a Galaxy S5 with a fingerprint reader. I'd like to be able to unlock my phone with a PIN or pattern unlock, but I also want to protect myself from shoulder-surfing.
Is there a way to require both a fingerprint and a PIN/pattern to unlock the phone? If the fingerprint fails to read correctly, then a much stronger password would be required to unlock.
This would let me scan my fingerprint and put in my PIN/pattern without worrying that someone might see my PIN and unlock my phone later. It also protects me more from governments that can require me to unlock my phone with my fingerprint, since a PIN would also be needed.
Is there an lockscreen app, XPosed module, or other method that can enable this two-factor-like authentication?
I have a rooted Galaxy S5 running Android 5.0.

How can I lock my phone with a swipe lockscreen along with a fingerprint/PIN? was left unanswered as well, so this one doesn't seem easy. Only use pattern lock instead of swipe screen and pattern lock has the opposite problem. What I could think of would be using the SIM PIN additionally (I know, not really fitting but close) – provided that could be configured to be "always required".

Galaxy S5 has that functionality by default. My fingerprint doesn't work sometimes so I just click "Alternative Password" and enter my pin. Not using stock ROM?

@AaronGillion I want my phone to require my valid fingerprint, and then after it accepts my fingerprint, require a PIN as well. That way, you must both scan a valid fingerprint and type in a valid PIN before it lets you unlock. And if my fingerprint is unable to validate, a simple PIN won't unlock the phone; it would use a very long backup password instead.

Using Xposed immediately stops any protection you think you have put on the device. You need to be rooted to used Xposed and therefore it's unlikely your phone will be encrypted. If it's not encrypted then all your data is accessible. If it is encrypted, it's likely Xposed can be removed via recovery and you are left unprotected/your fingerprint could be forced. Xposed and security are not compatible.

@Kryten2k35 You can have Xposed along with an encrypted device; that's how mine is set up. And even if Xposed can be removed via recovery, a reboot always requires the long password (a fingerprint doesn't work initially). Xposed and security can easily go hand-in-hand. However, like root, it all depends on the skill and abilities of the hands that hold it.

One solution is to use Tasker. Set up your phone to use a fingerprint as the standard unlock mechanism, with a strong password as the backup unlock (required if the fingerprint fails, or every time the phone reboots).
Next, create a Task named Screen Unlocked (or similar). In the Task, make it run the Display->Lock action. Set the Code to whatever pin you want. Check the Remember Till Off and Full Screen options, and make sure Allow Cancel is unchecked.
Next, create a Profile in Tasker for the Event of Display Off. When that profile is triggered, have it run the new Task you created. Add a second trigger to the same Profile to prevent this lock from happening if a call is in progress (using Invert). Otherwise, putting the phone to your head will turn off the display and cause the PIN lock (even though android knows it isn't actually locked and doesn't require tour fingerprint),and removing it from your head will show the PIN and block the call end and other buttons.
Finally, add a second Profile for the event Display Unlocked, and have it run the same Task. That way, if you do manually lock the phone while in a call with the power button (tripping the standard android fingerprint lock), it will properly show the PIN request on the screen again, without interfering with the end call buttons. Don't worry, having the lock show for display off and display unlocked will not, in fact, require you to type the pin twice.
With this setup, you unlock your phone with a fingerprint. When that is accepted, Tasker will prompt you for a PIN as well.
The reason you run this task on Screen Off instead of Screen Unlocked is that the Screen Unlocked creates a delay between unlocking the phone and showing the PIN request. By running the task on Screen Off, the PIN request is shown the instant you unlock with your fingerprint.
Note that this setup requires the PIN even if you use your backup password (if your fingerprint can't be read). However, I'm willing to live with that, since I rarely need to enter the master password anyway, and typing in a PIN afterwords is fine.
Protect Tasker
Since the PIN is stored in plaintext in Tasker, you should probably setup a PIN to open Tasker. Tasker has this built-in to its preferences, so you can require a PIN to view and modify any Tasker profiles and settings. Otherwise, if you leave your phone unlocked, anyone could find your PIN by viewing the Tasker config. In any case, don't use the same PIN for your screen unlock as you do for any other service like ATM cards or voicemail.

I tested this, and although it works as described, I found that I am able to revoke the "draw over other apps" permission by following the notification in the status bar, which completely deactivates the Tasker pin prompt.

Yes you can, you can install "APPLock" from the playstore (download the one with a "silver-coloured safe" icon). Then you can use PIN, Fingerprint and Pattern to unlock your phone or app

I use NOTE4 N910C. After upgrade to 6.0.1 such feature is avaliable by default. As I can see on http://www.sammobile.com, MM 6.0.1 is available for S5 so simply update Your phone via Odin

I have marshmallow 6.0 on my S5 now, and the functionality still isn't what I need. Sure, a reboot requires the long password, but I still can't require a fingerprint and a PIN simultaneously to unlock the phone during normal operation.


text:
How to re-run the "app optimization" process after upgrading to a higher version of Android?
After each OTA Android upgrade, I get a message saying "Optimizing app x of xxx" that takes a while. The last time I upgraded, the battery ran out during the optimization process (not during the upgrade itself, which I know it's dangerous). After rebooting the phone the "optimization" process didn't carry on.
So, how can I start that process by itself without upgrading anything? (my Android is already up to date).

Are you facing a problem in the device?

Well, not really, but since the "app optimization" was interrupted, I thought it would be a good idea to actually finish it.

A better question would be, does the "app optimization" actually optimize anything? Or does it just check app compatibility with the new OTA? Or does it clear cache on each app? Or does it generate new .odex files? Those would be good questions.

I believe any un-optimized apps will be optimized on their first run, if they haven't been already.

I don't know the innards of Android to ask all those questions, but then I'd ask, if it makes little difference as you seem to imply and the apps are "optimized" on first run anyway, why make the user wait such a long time (especially when several hundreds of apps are installed) for nothing after every upgrade?

@MatthewRead Eldarerathis once analyzed what that optimization does. Basically it re-creates the Dalvik (or now ART) cache for each app, dropping the old version and re-creating it with the updated engine (it "invokes the dexopt utility on all of the applications that need it."). So you should be right. If I had designed that process, I'd first drop the entire cache and then walk the apps – so that, if interrupted, the first start of the remaining ones would take care for the remains.

@OMA because at upgrade time, the user "expects" to wait – while not expecting each app to "start that slow" directly after the upgrade?

Go into the recovery (you need to boot the phone while pressing several buttons - you'll need to google which one is set for your device - an example would be Volume down + Home) and delete the "Dalvik cache". Then restart your phone. Now the optimizing process should start again.
But I personally recommend to not do that - it can't hurt, but if your phone works well you don't need this, because it's just like a Backup of your app installation files.


text:
Phone not booting after rooting attempt
I tried to root my phone Samsung Galaxy J1 (SM-J100H) with Odin3 software following some steps, but after that now it's not working, I turned on the phone and it vibrates one time and I see only the Samsung logo and nothing else. I tried too wipe all data and factory reset but it doesn't do anything. What can I do?

A factory reset won't undo rooting since it only clears the /data partition and not /system.
What you should do to get your device working is flash a stock ROM with Odin.  You can get one from sammobile.com.  As usual, you would put the .tar file from there into the AP/PDA field of Odin and flash it while the phone is connected in Download mode.

I get this error: Complete(Write) operation failed.  http://i.imgur.com/6QBQg04.jpg Please so much help me to solve this.  can you suggest me a version please? 1.85 is good?

@Dimas The versions are in the PDA column, things like J100HXXU0APB3 not 1.85.  Just filter by your country/carrier and then try the second-newest, or maybe the oldest, etc.  I don't have this phone so I don't know what versions are the best. Maybe try Romania?

@Dimas No problem, glad it's working!


text:
Does CyanogenMod Xperia Z3 Dual support LTE on any SIMs?
Wiki does not really say word about that: https://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/Z3dual_Info
Stock image does support it.
If it doesn't, then what is current progress in context of dual sim?

Always try to look at the specs directly from the manufacturer.  Sony says LTE is supported on some variants of the device.  CyanogenMod doesn't really have anything to do with it, since the radio code is not usually open-source and is not bundled with CM.
GSM Arena is another good place to get device specs.


text:
Is it possible to flash a boot.img kernel with TWRP?
I'm looking to flash a ROM's boot.img on another ROM with TWRP 3.0. Is it possible?
If it's relevant, both ROMs are CM-based running Android 5.1 Lollipop.

still works by 2021+

Boot into TWRP, select Install and follow the screenshots for the rest.
(Click image to enlarge)

It's not a problem for TWRP to which ROM your particular kernel belongs. The size should not be greater than the partition. That's all.
If the kernel is not good for the ROM, your device would not boot into the ROM or would cause some other instability, so proceed with caution.

To install kernel, what partition to select from boot, recovery, or splash?

@Rahul Boot partition.

@Firelord how do you make twrp look like that?

@answerSeeker I did not customize this TWRP (it is unofficial version for Nexus 6 compatible with MultiROM). But, you can look into Material themes and splash screens available for TWRP. There are lots of tutorials on YouTube.

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


text:
ODIN configuration file - elements' meanings
I started this question in order to have more light shed on a tool that's used by almost all the Samsung device owners that perform operations such as flashing: ODIN.
Since there's already a good answer that covers the meaning behind the most commonly used checkboxes, I would like to make everyone think about the ODIN configuration file, namely Odin3.ini. This file resides in the same position as the ODIN main executable, and it's mandatory in order to run the program itself. Its content (v.3.10.7) can be observed below:
[Option]
Title=odin
FactoryResetTime=1
OptionEnable=1
SLP=0
AuthorityKey=pw
RtnForSprint=1

[APOption]
RePartition=0
AutoReboot=1
FResetTime=1
FlashLock=0
TFlash=0
NandErase=0

[CPOption]
PhoneEFSClear=0
PhoneBootUpdate=0k

[UIOption]
LED=0

[ButtonOption]
Bootloader=1
PDA=1
Phone=1
CSC=1
UMS/PATCH=0
USERDATA=0

[D300Jig]
;[0] not use / COM [1~2] usable
D300COM=0
;[0] not use / [1] use
MicroCable=0

[PortArrange]
;SAMSUNG Mobile Modem port (for Download mode)
DPort0=
DPort1=
DPort2=
DPort3=
DPort4=
DPort5=
DPort6=
DPort7=
;SAMSUNG Android USB Modem port (for Samsung Kies)
SPort0=
SPort1=
SPort2=
SPort3=
SPort4=
SPort5=
SPort6=
SPort7=

As of recently, I performed some tests on the abovementioned values. You can see my findings in the answer below, which is freely editable by anyone.
Now comes the question part: was anyone able to ascertain the usage of those settings I was unable to/didn't test? For instance:

Usefulness of FactoryResetTime - it doesn't reset the flash counter, before you say that;
FTP connection output after editing SLP;
Eventual output of DeviceInfo;
Usage of AuthorityKey;
Usage of RtnForSprint (only v3.10.7);
Usage of the T Flash checkbox;
What's supposed to be chosen as UMS/PATCH file - I've never seen one.

And yes, I'm aware that this is a bit of work, it's broad, and that it's not strictly related to Android. However, I found nothing on the XDA community, and I feel that we've yet to discover the real power of this ODIN tool. Any answer about this topic has the potential to help Samsung users out there to better understand this piece of software.

UMS/PATCH might be for flashing a partial update rather than simply overwriting everything.  USERDATA is almost certainly /data.  I'm guessing most of the rest is really only useful on Samsung's intranet.

@MatthewRead As of now, I started disassembling Odin's code. The interesting thing, is that I found the "LOKE" component to be referenced in a string. I guess that it's for the purpose of output. Regarding the USERDATA, I experienced internal SD wiping anytime I flashed a stock ROM. Maybe that's made to prevent Odin from cleaning the /storage/sdcard0 (/data/media).

I think that I've found the IP of the server Odin connects to. It appears to be 165.213.149.206.

Found a new flag that can be manually added, in order to make Phone EFS Clear and Phone Bootloader Update selectable. It belongs to the [Options] label.

You might want to move all of that into an answer.  Possibly make it Community Wiki if you want others to be able to update it.

@MatthewRead I'll do it as soon as possible. Thanks for your advice.

As suggested by @MatthewRead, this answer will reflect the same fashion of the question - it will be editable by anyone who has something useful to say.
In regards to the original question, here are my latest findings:

For label [Options]:

Title: string. Used for changing the string displayed near "Odin"; freely customizable;
FactoryResetTime: unknown. I was able to change this value, but nothing happened;
OptionEnable: flag. When set to 0, it makes any setting greyed out;
PhoneEnable: flag. Usually not present in a fresh Odin3.ini, can be manually added. When set to 1, it makes Phone EFS Clear and Phone Bootloader Update selectable;
DeviceInfo: flag. Usually not present in a fresh Odin3.ini, can be manually added. When set to 1, it makes the DeviceInfo checkbox available. Ticking the checkbox doesn't produce any result;
SLP: flag. When set to 1, makes the program try a connection to 165.213.149.206 via FTP, in order to search for updates of the main executable. NOTE: I backtracked the IP, and it indeedly is a Korean server;
AuthorityKey: unknown. This seems like a string of some kind, and I think it's connected to the previous parameter, but I've no clues;
RtnForSprint: flag. Untested.

For label [APOption]:

From RePartition to NandErase: flags. Editing them modifies the default behaviour of the corresponding option (0 = unticked / 1 = ticked).

For label [CPOption]:

PhoneEFSClear: flag. Usually, the corresponding checkbox is greyed out. By changing the value to 1, it's possible to make it be checked, but still greyed out. Doing so will make the application prompt you to choose a firmware file, preventing you to start the flashing process only for, say, rebooting;
PhoneBootUpdate: apparently flag. The default value of 0k may seem odd, but this flag does the same thing as the previous one, on the Phone Bootloader Update checkbox.

For label [UIOption]:

LED: unknown. It may be anything: I changed this value, but nothing happened.

For label [ButtonOption]:

From Bootloader to UMS/PATCH: flags. Editing them enables or "greyes" out the corresponding checkbox (0 = disabled / 1 = enabled);
USERDATA: unknown, possibly flag. Since I didn't find any reference for this value in the program's code, I guess that this is a feature that will be developed in the future. For now, it does nothing.

For label [D300Jig]:

D300COM: integer. I changed this value, but nothing happened;
MicroCable: flag. I changed this value, but nothing happened.

For label [PortArrange]:

From DPort0 to SPort7: unknown. Untested.

Notes:

SLP: as previously mentioned, this flag triggers a FTP connection to a hard-coded IP address. I think that it may be useful in order to update Odin from a trusted source, but I've no proof. It would be useful if someone with an outdated Odin tests this;
D300Jig: I found a reference to this section in Odin's code, along with a string that's supposed to be displayed at output. Still, I wasn't able to make it work. Two Russian forums claim it to be a way to flash firmwares on old devices wo/ neither Loke nor the Recovery partition. More research is needed.

It may be unrelated to this topic, but previous versions of Odin (v3.7) did have a "Dump" option. There's no way to manually turn it on, and after a discussion with the author of Heimdall, Benjamin Dobell, I can confirm that it's Loke that signals the feature's availability to Odin. The later versions of the software lack the feature, since the latest bootloaders do not implement it either.

I just reverse engineered the Odin3 ini part (using IDA 66 + HexRaysDecompiler & Rohitab API Monitor 2.32).
So these are all available ini settings + it's default values:
; These ini settings applies to Odin3 v3.12 (Compiled 21. jan 2016)

[Option]
 ; [Avoid missing this or anything starting like 'Odin3. [Android + SLP]' ]
    Title                   =       [Android + SLP]
    FactoryResetTime        =       1   # [Default: 1 ] ???
    PacketSize              = 1048576   # [Default: 1048576 ] ???

    OptionEnable            =       1   # [Default: 1 ] 'Options' gets available
    PhoneEnable             =       1   # [Default: 0 ] 'Phone EFS Clear' & 'Phone Bootloader Update' gets available
    DeviceInfo              =       1   # [Default: 0 ] 'DeviceInfo' gets available
    RtnForSprint            =       1   # [Default: 0 ] 'RTN For Sprint' gets available

    ; Check for Update
    ;   ftp://odindown.user:nwodnido110110@165.213.149.206/pub/Tools/USB_Downloader/Odin_Downloader/
    ;   "OdinVersion.txt", "OdinNew.exe", "OdinLauncher.exe"
    ;SLP                    =       0   # Version 3.09 only! [Default: 0 ]
    ;ComPortWaitingTime     =       0   # Version 3.09 only! [Default: 1 ]
    ;AuthorityKey           =       pw

[ButtonOption]
    Bootloader  =   1   # [Default: 1 ]     'BL'  FileInput gets available
    PDA         =   1   # [Default: 1 ]     'AP'  FileInput gets available
    Phone       =   1   # [Default: 1 ]     'CP'  FileInput gets available
    CSC         =   1   # [Default: 1 ]     'CSC' FileInput gets available
    UMS/PATCH   =   1   # [Default: 1 ]     'UMS' FileInput gets available
    ;USERDATA   =   0

[APOption]
    RePartition     =   0   # [Default: 0 ] Sets checkbox default for 'Re-Partition'
    AutoReboot      =   0   # [Default: 1 ] Sets checkbox default for 'Auto Reboot'     Reboot after data upload
    FResetTime      =   0   # [Default: 1 ] Sets checkbox default for 'F. Reset Time'

    FlashLock       =   0   # [Default: 0 ] Sets checkbox default for 'Flash Lock'
    NandErase       =   0   # [Default: 0 ] Sets checkbox default for 'Nand Erase All'
    TFlash          =   0   # [Default: 0 ] Sets checkbox default for 'T Flash'

[CPOption]
    PhoneEFSClear   =   0   # [Default: 0 ] Sets checkbox default for 'Phone EFS Clear'
    PhoneBootUpdate =   0   # [Default: 0 ] Sets checkbox default for 'Phone Bootloader Update'

;[UIOption]
;   LED =   0 [Default: 0 ]  Version 3.09 only! Sets checkbox default for 'LED Control'

;Note:  checkboxes for 'RTN For Sprint' & 'DeviceInfo' is missing

[D300Jig]
    ;[0] not use *DefaultValue* / COM [1~2] usable
    D300COM     =   0

    ;[0] not use *DefaultValue* / [1] use (only applied if D300COM = 1)
    MicroCable  =   0

; [PortArrange]
    ; ;SAMSUNG Mobile Modem port (for Download mode)
    ; DPort0    =
    ; DPort1    =
    ; DPort2    =
    ; DPort3    =
    ; DPort4    =
    ; DPort5    =
    ; DPort6    =
    ; DPort7    =
    ; ;SAMSUNG Android USB Modem port (for Samsung Kies)
    ; SPort0    =
    ; SPort1    =
    ; SPort2    =
    ; SPort3    =
    ; SPort4    =
    ; SPort5    =
    ; SPort6    =
    ; SPort7    =

Odin3.ini Api monitor log:
"Option"        "Title"             "[Android + SLP]"
"Option"        "Title"             "Odin3. [Android + SLP]"
"Option"        "FactoryResetTime"  "1"
"Option"        "PacketSize"        "1048576"

"APOption"      "RePartition"       "0"
"APOption"      "AutoReboot"        "1"
"APOption"      "FResetTime"        "1"

"CPOption"      "PhoneEFSClear"     "0"
"CPOption"      "PhoneBootUpdate"   "0"

"APOption"      "FlashLock"         "0"
"APOption"      "NandErase"         "0"
"APOption"      "TFlash"            "0"

"ButtonOption"  "Bootloader"        "1"
"ButtonOption"  "PDA"               "1"
"ButtonOption"  "Phone"             "1"
"ButtonOption"  "CSC"               "1"
"ButtonOption"  "UMS/PATCH"         "1"

"Option"        "OptionEnable"      "1"
"Option"        "PhoneEnable"       "0"
"Option"        "DeviceInfo"        "0"
"Option"        "RtnForSprint"      "0"

I slowly try to find out more about the meaning of the options.
Some other good to know stuff:
Odin3 keyboard shortcuts
<ALT> + S           BL
<ALT> + P           AP
<ALT> + M           CP
<ALT> + C           CSC

<CTRL> + S      Start
<CTRL> + R      Reset
<CTRL> + E      Exit

How Odin3 detects if some device is connected?
    Check the names of the entries in
        HKLM\HARDWARE\DEVICEMAP\SERIALCOMM
    contains 'mdm'
    and if it's value starts with 'COM'
Sample
"\Device\ssudmdm0000"   "COM8"

Note: "Odin_Multi_Downloader_v4.44"(2011) is more picky and only finds
            "\Device\sscdmdm0..9"
"Odin3.09"(2013) finds
            "\Device\ssudmdm"
            "\Device\sscdmdm"
            "\Device\ssacmdm"
            "\Device\ssadmdm"
It's 'SAMSUNG Mobile USB Modem'(USB\VID_04E8&PID_685D&Modem)
that writes the entries to 'HKLM\HARDWARE\DEVICEMAP\SERIALCOMM'
    -> Enabling/Disabling this in the Windows device manager triggers the
    to log entries  "Removed!! / Added!!" in Odin3
But instead of the modem disable/enable 'SAMSUNG Mobile USB CDC Composite Device' for proper reinitialisation. Or get Nirsoft DevManView and do it by this cmd-script:
::Comment in incase Odin3 'hangs' on  "SetupConnection.."
::  ... and so keeps an open handle to "\\Device\ssudmdm0000"
::  ... that prevents/lock the device and dependencies from being removed
::taskkill /fi "IMAGENAME eq odin*"

DevManView /ShowLegacyDrivers  /use_wildcard /disable  "SAMSUNG Mobile USB *"
DevManView /ShowLegacyDrivers  /use_wildcard /enable   "SAMSUNG Mobile USB *"

then just create a link to the desktop and set in the link properties a hot key combo
like ALT+CTRL+Y to run it.
Well alternatively so can also do it the plug'n'play way, pull the USB plug and them plug it in again.

+1 for your interest in this topic, and for the useful info you uncovered.

My guess is that The D300JIG is meant to be used with Samsungs proprietary JTAG unit called the Samsung Anyway Jig. Its what their software engineers and service centers use to revive bricked phones and flash firmware.
Either that or it could be related to flashing and servicing their D300 series smart TV's
Also Authority Key=pw is probably for a password needed to access Samsung secure servers on the ip address you mentioned above

Do you have any research to backup your claims with?


text:
Phone stuck in bootloop due to HiFont
My phone has stuck in a bootloop when it rebooted after installing a font using HiFont. I have tried HiFont many times, it works well. It is for the first time it happened. The phone boots up and shows the whole animation but gets stuck on the last frame. Please suggest me a good solution.

Android version: 4.1.1 Jelly Bean
Mobile manufacturer: Micromax
Rooted
Model: Bolt A61

Hard reset and wipe cache partition are not working. Typing ls in adb shell inside the /system/font gives the following output

Of course they don't. The fonts are contained within the System partition. Only reinstalling the firmware will fix this issue.

@DeathMaskSalesman Don't discourage me. There could also be some solution using the ADB. Please help me.

If I recall correctly, the system fonts are comprised by the Roboto family. For this motive, I recommend you to obtain the content of the /system/fonts folder via ls, issued from adb, and to update your question with the output of ls. This way, we could start to know how HiFont works, and, thus, conceive a way to solve the issue. The hard way would be to download one firmware suited for your phone, move it to the SD card (or the internal SD via adb), and flash it via recovery.

@DeathMaskSalesman Sorry for the delay, but I update my answer. Please help me.

@Izzy Any clues to offer, aside from a firmware reflashing, guru?

@DeathMaskSalesman well, he has access to root shell, can't he just delete the most recent font?

@AaronGillion Hey man, will it solve the problem.

Yup. Do you remember what the name was?

@AaronGillion It may work, but I recall that these "font customizer" apps often replace the Roboto family with the font family chosen by the user, and then rename it to match the Roboto names. Such approach wouldn't work, if that's the case with HiFont.

@AaronGillion Do you think that it is due to any damaged font? If so, I had already copied the fonts from there, before the phone stuck in this hell - the Boot loop.

@DeathMaskSalesman I did it. Aaron Gillion helped me. It was not possible without your help. Thank you DeathMaskSalesman.

@Aman Glad to hear that you were able to solve the issue.

@DeathMaskSalesman Thank you. It was not possible without you. You were the only one who showed me the way in the dark.

@Aman Heh, it's Aaron, who put my theory into practice.

@DeathMaskSalesman Yes, that's right. But you were also somewhere involved in my success. No more arguments, just a big Thanks. You are great. Keep it up.

Since you have access to ADB with root, you can easily remove the font you installed using this command:
rm /system/fonts/xxxxx.TTF

If you don't have the slightest clue which fonts were yours, you can actually sort ls output by date modified, as so:
ls -tr

...which will show the most recent fonts at top, given the modified dates are correct.
If your most recent font is of the Roboto family, that means your customizer app replaced the default font! You'll have to write down the exact filename, remove it, and cp another font (eg. Arial) and rename it to the same filename. Of course, none of this will be needed if you have a device backup. Just copy the originals.
Hope this solves your problem!

I am about to try it.

How to copy the fonts from my computer(S:\fonts*.ttf) to the /system/fonts using adb.

adb push s:\RobotoLight.ttf then cp /sdcard/Roboto.ttf /system/fonts/Roboto.ttf

ADB push is not working. It is showing the help menu.

You have to exit the shell first, so there's no # or $ when you type. Or just open a new command prompt window. Try adding the destination /sdcard to the end of it.

Thanks. It worked. You are great. Thanks. Thanks. Thanks.


text:
Move all my Authenticator credentials to a new phone
I have enabled 2 factor authentication, using Google Authenticator, for 6 services: LastPass, Dropbox, Evernote, Wordpress, Tumblr and Google. How can I transfer them all to my new phone?
I followed the instructions here, but the result of that was only that my Google account authentication was moved to the new phone. So, now I can access one account using my new phone, and need my old one for the other 5.
Surely there is a way to do this in bulk? I don't really need to do something special with each service provider do I?
New phone is Motorola Moto G3, old is Moto G. Both working. Neither rooted.

Have you tried the solutions available here: How do I back up Google Authenticator?

Some look promising, but they all require rooting. Hmm.

And since rooting apparently wipes everything, I would have to: 1) Backup, 2) Root 3) Restore 4) Install Authenticator Plus 5) Import from Authenticator 6) Sync to new phone... bleh.

Rooting doesn't wipe anything, but unlocking your bootloader does.

What a mistake I made by using Google Authenticator on dozens of sites...

You should disable and re-enable two-factor authentication for each account. In the process of disabling you will be asked to enter the OTP from your old phone. As soon as you disable it you should enable it and add tokens to the Google Authenticator on your new phone.

The OP was looking for a way to move them all automatically, not manually for each service.


text:
Can I control where apps are installed?
I was hoping that when I set the SD card up in my phone (Moto G 2nd Generation running Marshmallow) as internal storage rather than portable, it would know to put apps there automatically instead of me having to manually tell the phone to move them there.
Is there a way I can do that? I was hoping with the changes in Marshmallow it would be an option, but I'm not seeing it.

I found this on Motorola's website:

Once the card has been formatted, you will be asked whether you want to migrate data currently on your device to the card. This step will move all media, pictures, and documents to the SD card.
By selecting where to migrate content, you also select the preferred storage location for all applications, databases and data.

If you decide to move that data to the card, the SD card will also become the preferred storage location for all applications content, data and database and media.
If you decide to skip this step, your device internal storage will remain the preferred storage for all content.

So if you chose the SD card at that prompt, you should be all set.  If not, one workaround would be to move everything off the SD card back to internal storage and then format the card — then repeat the process to make it adoptable storage, and select that option this time.
I should also add that Motorola's documentation seems to conflict with the official Google reference, so I'm not sure whether one is wrong or if Motorola has customized something.

Apps can be placed on adopted storage media only when the developer has indicated support through the android:installLocation attribute. New installs of supported apps are automatically placed on the storage device with the most free space, and users can move supported apps between storage devices in the Settings app.

Ah, I wonder if I did that step wrong when I set it up in the first place, and that's why things aren't moving like I think they should be.


text:
Add pictures to contacts (fast for many)
S4 I9505, Resurrection remix 5.6.5 Marshmallow 6.01
As the title is saying I want to add some pictures to contacts. I have nearly 550 contacts and for 400 I have local pictures, which I want to add.
(pictures are named as contacts)
I know the 2 ways (select contact and add photo/ select pictures, and set as contact photo), but for 400 pictures is taking too long..
Is there a faster way to do this? I was thinking for a drag and drop procedure...(on left column contacts, on right column pictures... ) if exists..
or through adb... or any other method which is faster than this
Thank you very much

I don't think there is such a batch procedure for adding contact pictures. If you are storing your contacts in your Google account, you may use contacts.google.com to add the pictures, which may be faster than doing it on your phone.

That's the point, cause I am storing my contacts locally...


text:
Can't add shortcuts to home page on galaxy s4
Yesterday I upgraded my Galaxy s4 from KitKat to lollipop and since then I can't have shortcuts on my home page. By that I mean every time I create one at first everything is good but then a little time passes and it magically disappears and I have to make a new one but then it disappears too... how can I create shortcuts without them going away?
Thank you!

Since the S4 is a pretty old device, I assume that you're using a custom ROM. Which one? Also, which launcher are you now using?

I've been using Nova Launcher and I like it a little better than the stock launcher https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.teslacoilsw.launcher&hl=en


text:
Blocked Android Multimedia system
I bought Android Multimedia system for my car:
Model: MGCOL1
Ver: 4.4.2
Ver: MPSS.TR.1.0-01780-M8626AAAAANAZM
Core Ver: 3.4.0 - fengxunyi@fly-server-24core #1
Build: msm8226-userdebug 4.4.2 KVT49L eng.fengxunyi.20150828.144551 test-keys
But is seems that the Android is blocked: no file explorer, no browser (but there is an app with WebView with Google), no Google Play Store and no Developer options for adb (I have tried to click on the Build Number and nothing happened).
How can I unblock it? I want to install some apps but I don't know how.

You can push apk files to this device trough Bluetooth. Pair it with your smartphone and choose except all file types in the car system bluetooth. Of course don't forget to Check Install from Unknown sources in the car system too.

It refuse to receive the file :(

it cannot be done because you can't setup the bluetooth. any other options?


text:
Very low to no volume after upgrade to 6.0 marshmellow
I recently upgraded to 6.0 and since then I have had very quiet volume on calls and even when listening to music.
I have everything turned up to maximum but still very quiet like it is on low.
Has anyone experienced or heard anything like this or know of some ways on how to fix this and make the volume louder?
I am also running a Droid Turbo 2.

Tried the Windows approach already (reboot the device)? Next steps which cannot hurt, but for crazy reasons sometimes help: Cleared cache from recovery? I had a comparable issue once, and strangely it got fixed by a simple reboot. Worth a try at least :)

Yea, I tried the windows thing. I'll have to look up how to clear cache from recovery. Not sure what that is or does.

Good call @Izzy

Ah, the usual trick when in doubt and finding no other solution :) Glad to read you've fixed it, enjoy! And thanks for self-answering (+1)

I have the same issue on my Samsung Note 4 - after update to 6.0.01 I hardly can hear people. Wiping change doesn't help.

@Shrike it might be a glitched or bad update. I spent a month debugging this issue and eventually called and asked for a free phone replacement. I've also since then keep telling my phone to not update.

I eventually fixed this issue with another phone replacement in the end. Apparently, it was either a glitched update or something. I opted for a free phone replacement and I've not had issues since.

Fixed it.
You do need to go in and delete the cache after an update. Everything sounds correct now.
Get into bootloader

Power off phone
Press and hold Vol down , press power button until you seebootloader
(3 happy androids on skateboards at bottom of page). Release vol
down.

Open Recovery

Select Recovery by using vol down, press Power to select.
Wait. This takes a while.
You will now see a screen with a picture of a phone with a red
exclamation mark on it. Press in power button, keep it pressed, and
press volume up button shortly (do not keep it pressed). Release
power button.
You will now see a menu with yellow text on-top of it.
Select Wipe Cache partition with vol down. Press Power to select.
Now it wipes the cache partition. Done!
It should now have marked Reboot system now. Press Power to select.
Phone will now reboot to normal mode.


text:
odin twrp install hangs galaxy s7 edge G935
I have a new Verizon S7 Edge.  I want to flash twrp using odin.
I am using

Windows 10
Odin 3.10.1
twrp-3.0.0-1-hero2lte.tar.md5

My phone settings are:

USB debugging on
OEM Unlock on
Android 6.0.1
Build number APB1
Phone model SM-G935V

When I run odin it hangs when flashing the image.  Here is the output:
<OSM> Enter CS for MD5..
<OSM> Check MD5.. Do not unplug the cable..
<OSM> Please wait..
<OSM> twrp-3.0.0-1-hero2lte.tar.md5 is valid.
<OSM> Checking MD5 finished Sucessfully..
<OSM> Leave CS..
<ID:0/003> Added!!
<ID:0/003> Odin v.3 engine (ID:3)..
<ID:0/003> File analysis..
<ID:0/003> SetupConnection..
<ID:0/003> Initialzation..
<ID:0/003> Get PIT for mapping..
<ID:0/003> Firmware update start..
<ID:0/003> SingleDownload.
<ID:0/003> recovery.img
<ID:0/003> NAND Write Start!!

After waiting for a few minutes I unplug the phone and odin dutifully complete with these three lines:
<ID:0/003> Complete(Write) operation failed.
<OSM> All threads completed. (succeed 0 / failed 1)
<ID:0/003> Removed!!

As far as I can tell, all of the other threads about this type of problem are not specific to my model phone.
In the past, I have used odin to flash twrp onto various phones including a Samsung Note 4 with no problems.
What am I missing?

Can you try the latest version of Odin (3.10.7) from here?  It seems to be the suggested version for Marshmallow.  Make sure you are using the "AP/PDA" tab for your recovery tar file.  Also, I don't see a 3.0.0-1 version of TWRP on their official site.

It's because your s7 edge from Verizon has locked bootloader and you cannot flash a customer recovery via Odin due to twrp not being an official samsung signed tar or md5 file and your phone rejects it.. also because your not rooted either and may never be unfortunately..  I'm in the same boat and recommend disabling verizon ota updates with package disabler pro apk to stay on the build apb1 to heighten your chances of possibly getting rooted because security patches are added to every update..

I second that.. I ditched Verizon for this very reason.


text:
Htc one m9 unable to find firmware files for update from Android 5 to 6
I bought a Htc one M9, and flashed Viperone m9 Marshmallow without first update the Stock rom to Marshmallow, and got stuck in bootloader.
Flashed Viper Lollipop, and the phone works again, but now i can't update, because i haven't got a clue which firmware files i should flash, i have found quite a lot of them, and i don't want to brick the darn thing, but i want my Marshmallow..
Could anyone throw me a bone here?
This is my info from the phone:
kernel: lk
product: htc_himauhl
version: 1.0
imei:
version-main: 1.32.401.15
boot-mode: download
version-bootloader: 1.0.0.0000
mid: 0PJA10000
cid: HTC__Y13
Any advice is appreciated.

Can you list the names and file extensions of the marshmallow firmware files please?

I figured it out with some help from the guys on Xda.  just had to og s:off and flash firmware 3.35.401.12, reinstall Viper, and voila :)

You need to check wich firmware version your rom needs. For latest viperonem9 it's 3.35.401.12.
Now you can go to the xda-developer page http://forum.xda-developers.com/one-m9/development/firmware-t3068243 to find the latest htc firmwares for the m9 with a detailed guide.
Be aware that the fullstock firmwares force a full wipe, so you will lose your data. To avoid that you can use the nowipe firmwares wich are linked on the same page.

Thank you,, that was exactly what i did,, got som help from the guys on Xda, and learned a bit in the process  :)


text:
AMOLED Pixel Behavior
Do AMOLED pixels automatically turn off when displaying a black part of an image? Or is a special app required for this?

This is actually independent of Android.

AMOLED displays use Active Matrix, which controls each pixel individually (allowing black pixels to be turned off completely). Since this is integrated into the design and build of the screen (and mostly what makes a screen AMOLED), the turning off of black pixels happens automatically.

How about whites? Are they made up of RGB or is there a specific white pixel?

@adelrahimi White is made up of RedGreenBlue or, depending on the device, RedGreenBlueGreen.


text:
How to show weather info on lock screen?
I updated my Galaxy S6 to Android 6.0.1  yesterday. I can't seem to get the weather info to show on my lock screen. I have a fingerprint lock screen. I did get Spotify to show on the lock screen.
I have tried:

Settings → Applications → Weather → Weather Notifications = On
Settings → Notifications → Advanced → Weather → Set As Priority = On
Settings → Notifications → Advanced → Weather → Previews in Pop-ups = On
Settings → Notifications → Advanced → Weather → Hide On Lock Screen = Off
Settings → Notifications → Advanced → Weather → Hide Content On Lock Screen = Off

I have read the posts:

Show messages on lock screen
Weather information not showing up on lock screen like before

Do you mean show weather app as a shortcut or show weather info on lock screen?

Weather info.  Example: "Kansas City 68* Sunny".  Something like that.

I found that in the Yahoo weather app, you can turn on a persistent notification. It will be showing up on your lockscreen.

Seems like that's the only answer so far.  Thanks!


text:
How to boot into bootloader?
I have enabled USB debugging as well as OEM unlocking developer option in my Infinix x510 which is running Android 5.1.1. I found that to reboot into fastboot mode, I have to turn off the phone, then hold down both Volume Up and Power button at the same time.
In my case, when I follow the said key combination, the Infinix logo comes up, goes away then reappears, keeps doing so until I let go of the keys. It then follows the standard booting procedure and boots into Android OS.
How can I get into fastboot mode? I want to get into fastboot mode, flash TWRP, then via TWRP install the latest Android OTA update manually.

What about adb reboot bootloader? And, why are you not trying to flash update file from stock recovery? You can simply sideload it, if required.

@Firelord Adb, fastboot none works. Side loading was the idea, but can't connect via any of those means

What happens when you execute adb reboot bootloader?

@Firelord Nothing. I don't expect adb reboot bootloader  to work when adb devices doesn't unless thats possible. The closest I've gotten at the moment is getting to fastboot mode upon restart. Tried unlocking bootloader, but didn't succeed although had OEM unlocking enabled under android debugging.

Then you need to troubleshoot why your device is not getting detected by ADB in PC. That's a separate thing to deal with. The command I told you would definitely work.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/hot-2/development/android-one-rom-recovery-twrp-root-sp-t3227682 My inablility to unlock bootloader is because a result of a known bug.

Since I'm on Ubuntu, this fixed my adb issues. Was using 1.0.31 instead of 1.0.32, yet didn't get any error message whatsoever. It was a protocol issue. Link: http://askubuntu.com/a/629243/101644