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Apps in background are crashing
So, this happens to mostly every app, when they're in the background. Chrome tabs reload after reopening the app. Apps like Ingress look like they've just been started. Spotify even crashes, when it's in the background and I open Chrome.
So, before I reinstall the phone, what could be the issue? I've never installed any memory cleaning apps. I'm running stock 4.4.2 on a Moto G.
Chrome's crash log from ADB:
I/ActivityManager(  969): Start proc net.nurik.roman.dashclock for service net.nurik.roman.dashclock/com.google.android.apps.dashclock.DashClockService: pid=18611 uid=10126 gids={50126, 3003}
W/InputDispatcher(  969): channel '4303f310 com.android.chrome/com.google.android.apps.chrome.Main (server)' ~ Consumer closed input channel or an error occurred.  events=0x9
E/InputDispatcher(  969): channel '4303f310 com.android.chrome/com.google.android.apps.chrome.Main (server)' ~ Channel is unrecoverably broken and will be disposed!
I/ActivityManager(  969): Process com.android.chrome (pid 17867) has died.
I/WindowState(  969): WIN DEATH: Window{4303f310 u0 com.android.chrome/com.google.android.apps.chrome.Main}
W/InputDispatcher(  969): Attempted to unregister already unregistered input channel '4303f310 com.android.chrome/com.google.android.apps.chrome.Main (server)'
W/WindowManager(  969): Force-removing child win Window{42ea6618 u0 SurfaceView} from container Window{4303f310 u0 com.android.chrome/com.google.android.apps.chrome.Main}
E/JavaBinder(  969): !!! FAILED BINDER TRANSACTION !!!
W/WindowManager(  969): Failed looking up window
W/WindowManager(  969): java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: Requested window android.os.BinderProxy@42ea6440 does not exist
W/WindowManager(  969):     at com.android.server.wm.WindowManagerService.windowForClientLocked(WindowManagerService.java:7968)
W/WindowManager(  969):     at com.android.server.wm.WindowManagerService.windowForClientLocked(WindowManagerService.java:7959)
W/WindowManager(  969):     at com.android.server.wm.WindowState$DeathRecipient.binderDied(WindowState.java:1047)
W/WindowManager(  969):     at android.os.BinderProxy.sendDeathNotice(Binder.java:493)
W/WindowManager(  969):     at dalvik.system.NativeStart.run(Native Method)
I/WindowState(  969): WIN DEATH: null

Ingress' crash log
I/ActivityManager(  969): Process com.nianticproject.ingress (pid 17260) has died.
I/WindowState(  969): WIN DEATH: Window{430e7c68 u0 com.nianticproject.ingress/com.nianticproject.ingress.NemesisActivity}
W/WindowManager(  969): Force-removing child win Window{431d43f0 u0 SurfaceView} from container Window{430e7c68 u0 com.nianticproject.ingress/com.nianticproject.ingress.NemesisActivity}
W/WindowManager(  969): Failed looking up window
W/WindowManager(  969): java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: Requested window android.os.BinderProxy@423cb8b0 does not exist
W/WindowManager(  969):     at com.android.server.wm.WindowManagerService.windowForClientLocked(WindowManagerService.java:7968)
W/WindowManager(  969):     at com.android.server.wm.WindowManagerService.windowForClientLocked(WindowManagerService.java:7959)
W/WindowManager(  969):     at com.android.server.wm.WindowState$DeathRecipient.binderDied(WindowState.java:1047)
W/WindowManager(  969):     at android.os.BinderProxy.sendDeathNotice(Binder.java:493)
W/WindowManager(  969):     at dalvik.system.NativeStart.run(Native Method)
I/WindowState(  969): WIN DEATH: null

Alas, the "process x has died" message comes after the process dies, so whatever causes it is earlier than that, if it appears in the log at all. Everything after that is just fallout from the original problem.

I'll dig through it later.

I get this on MotoG 4.4.2 as well. It appears the MotoG has a very aggressive application culling in general. This link explains what the XDA group does about the problem.
In short, there is a 'minFree' system configuration file (sys/module/lowmemorykiller/minfree) which the OS uses to try and keep some minimum amount of memory free. Unfortunately, in stock MotoG 4.4.2 the setting is very aggressive and basically means only one application will be kept around (depending on memory footprint). In 4.4.4, this minimum amount is relaxed.
With rooting you can adjust the setting; or upgrade to 4.4.4. There's a helper app, MinFreeManager (requires root access), which can help adjust this settings file as well.

I already switched to a Moto G 2 with Lollipop and still experience the same issue from time to time...


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Not recieving messages from only one WhatsApp contact
When I first met the love of my life, he insisted that we use WhatsApp to communicate. He lives in Brasil and uses WhatsApp on his Windows Phone. I'm in the United States and use WhatsApp for Android on my Motorola Photon Q.
Over the past few months, our ability to communicate through this app has deteriorated. He says he receives my messages, and that he replies to them, but apparently I don't see them. This is frustrating, to say the least, and puts a lot of unneeded stress on both of us. I've worried myself sick over it.
He says that I'm the only one this happens to, and that communication with his Brazilian contacts works just fine. One of my friends in the Philippines just got WhatsApp for Android and I can communicate with him perfectly.
I'm really clueless. I've scoured the Internet for answers, but I can't seem to find any. I can send messages, and in the rare time that I do receive the messages from my boyfriend, it is late at night. I never receive any during the day. I've uninstalled and reinstalled the app countless times, and my WiFi connection at my house is perfect. But this seems to only be getting worse. He says he sends me several messages a day, but I only get some of the messages about every other day--usually every two days.
I'm not a tech by any means, but it seems like there might be something wrong with the different versions of WhatsApp. Android communicating with the Windows Phone. So if this is the case, then my question here is unneeded. I've contacted WhatsApp Inc. with my concerns and have yet to receive a reply.
This sucks, to say the least.
UPDATE: I have contacted one of my boyfriend's friends in Brasil. I can communicate with them perfectly. They said y boyfriend said there was an issue with his phone. But I'm not sure that's the case. I uninstalled WhatsApp and downloaded it through WhatsApp's website. I can now see when my boyfriend is online and when he types. But I do not receive the messages he sends.

Have you tried sending a message to someone else who lives in Brazil?

Why not try any one of the other 100s of the similar app? I know this is not the solution to your problem but why are you stressing over something irrevelant?

In order to understand if the problem is of your phone or of something else, ask your boyfriend if he sees a double-check or just one check (✓) near the messages he sent you, but you didn't receive.

If there are two checks, the message was delivered to your phone, but for some reasons it isn't shown up. Maybe because of a malicious application?
If there is just one check, the problem is on the side of whatsapp as messages are sent to their servers but not delivered to you.

I had a similar problem just two days ago. I could not receive messages from my husband's whatspp phone. The message had been sent by him, but it was not delivered to me. (i.e. it shows only one tick).
I then uninstalled whatspp from my phone and reinstalled it. Now it works again :-)
The problem with my whatspp was that, I have clean master installed in my phone. It recognized some important files of whatsapp as junk and removed it. So whatspp couldn't function properly until it was reinstalled.

Create a group with only you and the other contact in it, then chat there. I had the same problem and that was how I solved it.

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


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Connect to iOS iMessage Messages Chat
iMessage uses an internal messaging system (similar to WhatsApp) that is independent from SMS so you can chat from iOS to iOS without SMS and without having a SIM card inserted.
Is it possible to chat from your Android device with someone on an iPhone that only uses the iOS iMessage Chat client?

iMessage automatically uses SMS messages for contacts who don't have an iPhone, so the answer is yes: you chat with them by sending an SMS message.
Apart from using SMS, there's no way for non-Apple users to get messages into iMessage. The protocol is closed and Apple does not have clients for other platforms, nor an interface for other apps to communicate with it. They designed iMessage not as a chat system in itself, but as a way to quietly redirect iPhone-to-iPhone SMS messages to use their servers instead of the SMS network.

I don't understand what you mean. iMessage is already an SMS app. If you send an SMS to an iPhone user, it shows up in iMessage.

SMS have a lot of disadvantages: often you have to pay a few cent for each SMS and you cannot send them from devices without SIM card

If your friends want you to chat to them from a device that can't send SMS, they need to not use iMessage. Apple doesn't offer a way for chat systems to post messages into iMessage.

"Apple doesn't offer a way for chat systems to post messages into iMessage." - that's a pitty. So
Is there an iOS app then, that my friends could install so they get those messages integrated into their iMessage Messages then? Or at least as push notifications? Jabber XMPP chat client for iOS with push notifications

No, Apple doesn't offer a way for chat systems to post messages into iMessage. I'm not sure how I can make that any clearer. They could install the app for a real chat system, such as Skype or Google+ Hangouts, but it'll be completely separate from iMessage.

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


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Install CWM on Samsung Galaxy S2 (GT-9100M)
I already soft bricked my Samsung Galaxy S2 GT-9100M two times (the M is important, it's Virgin/Bell Canada's version) when trying to install clockworkmod recovery (CWM) on it.
First time I think I flashed "GT-I9100_JB_ClockworkMod-Recovery_6.0.2.9" file via "Odin3 v1.85" (have two tars sitting here, could have been the other one), found at some Youtube video. My phone was previously rooted via framaroot.
Second time I tried GalaxyS2Recovery.zip from this page.
Both of the times the phone could not go through a normal boot procedure, so I had to go into download mode and flash Samsung original image (which I got from sammobile.com).
The phone is now working fine.
If it helps, I was able to flash Jeboo kernel, as suggested in some other tutorial, but it may have been overwritten when installing the original firmware (not sure how Odin works to that level of detail). It did not seem to help flash any of the clockworkmod recoveries I tried.
Did I miss any steps? Is it simply not possible to flash CWM for Canadian version of this phone? Another thing - most of the CWM images are ZIP files, and Odin needs TARs. Is there a better flashing program that works with ZIPs? Or is it possible to convert ZIP -> TAR? I was getting ZIPs from https://www.clockworkmod.com/rommanager.
I also tried ROM manager APK, which is supposed to load CWM via easy to use interface. It prompts to confirm my phone model, when I pick i9100 it says "not supported", also tried "galaxys2" it attempted to install something but failed. Reboot worked after that, so at least it did not break anything.
Any help is appreciated.

I ended up flashing custom kernel from here (for "#1.8. Android Version 4.1.2, Jelly Bean."):

http://androidforums.com/galaxy-s2-international-all-things-root/482994-rooting-galaxy-s2-dummies-guide.html

Then I was able to attempt installation of CyanogenMod 11, snapshot M7, which did not work (but that's another story). Just leaving this note here if anyone comes from google search with the same problem.
The corner stone was that I expected my phone to enter recovery mode with [home] + [volume down] + [power] combo, i.e. that CWM recovery overrides download mode. In reality, these two modes are independent of each other. To enter recovery mode, use [home] + [volume up] + [power]. You do not need CWM to enter recovery mode, but the default feature set is limited, so yes, better get CWM.
Regarding CyanogenMod 11 installation, according to another question here on android.stackexchange, it requires CWM v6.0.4.5 to run. Problem is that officially CWM does not support my Samsung Galaxy S2 i9100M (and even the version I am supposed to download for a generic/international S2 off their website is like v5.8.x.x), so I would need to find a custom built CWM. CWM completely replaces the default recovery mode.
Tried latest Philz touch, but it did not work. Actually it did not work so badly, that I had to

flash original image from Samsung (sammobile.com).
go in recovery, clear data (factory reset), clear cache.
make sure the OS starts (goes into init/setup mode - after factory reset).
flash custom kernel Siyah-s2-v6.0b5.tar, do CWM restore, to bring phone back to shape.

For reference, in my attempt to install CyanogenMod 11 I soft bricked my phone 9-10 times already, with a total of 1 full working day spent on this campaign (8 hours).


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Add shortcuts to home button long press menu
Is there a way to add app launchers to the stock android's home button long press menu? I know you're able to do this in CM, but there must be some Xposed module, right?

Gravitybox lets you set navigation ring targets via the Xposed Framework.

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


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Issues getting screenshots in emulator. parts of screen missing
Hello I am wondering if anyone has ever experienced this problem.
I am trying to take screenshots of my app (or any app that I have tried) in the emulator.  When I take a screenshot quite frequently part of the screen is corrupt / missing,  like shown below, it can happen anywhere on the screen not just on the keyboard. If when using monitor to take the screenshot I can refresh and it make work and take a proper picture or another area of the screen may then get the problem blank area.

Example screenshot (click image for larger variant)
I am using android-sdk_r22.6.2-linux on Ubuntu Trusty 14.04.
My emulated device is Nexus 4, 4.4.2,  ARM cpu and any skin, no emulation options.
I have tried taking screenshots via monitor and adb but result in the same issue as seen in screenshot above.
Does anyone know how to fix this or am I going to have to take an ubuntu screenshot and crop to the android screen?

This may help:
1.Firstly start the emulator
2.Then go to the DDMS please select the emulator
3.Then left side we have button Screen Capture click this button
4.Screen Shot taken own App.

The questioner knows how to take a screenshot. The issue is that it doesn't work correctly.


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Any way to install Drivers for USB On the go?
How can I install a driver for Android for devices plugged through USB OTG? Is that possible?

USB HOST Mode requires Android 3.1 or above. So long as your device is running the correct OS you should have the required drivers to run USB Host Mode. However not all ROMs are equal.
You can find USB Host Mode driver apps in the Play store for some models that do not have the drivers built in.
HTC Incredible
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=751535
Nexus One
http://sven.killig.de/android/N1/2.2/usb_host/
Installing and using the USB Host Diagnostics app from the Play store will allow you to run diagnostics showing if the OS currently supports USB Host Mode and if your device has been detected.
Loading the USB Host Mode drivers allows your device to connect to a USB device in Host, however you still need the drivers for that device to be present. Many devices will function under generic drivers included in the OS, but not every device is compatible with generic drivers, nor has their specific drivers included as well. I would proceed by installing the correct driver for your dongle before proceeding. However, if you want to bridge these connections, this is not a function supported out of the box by Android. A good router would be a better choice. To enable bridging on Android you will need to be sure that your wifi module is linux supported, a working wpa_supplicant module from linux for that dongle, recompile drivers for the dongle, recompile a bridge utility from linux, and time. Would be easier to use two andoid devices, each on a different wifi network, connect them with bluetooth, and in android 3.0+ you can bridge the two wifi networks this way.

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


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Secure boot while still being able to keep up with nightlies
Following this great answer, I've secured the bootloader on my Nexus 7 deb by using fastboot oem lock and installing the original Google-provided recovery image.
However, I now have a dilemma. Here's my setup:

My device is encrypted with a very strong passphrase.
I'm running a CyanogenMod nightly, but I'm planning on sticking to more stable releases as they become available. (The nightly which I'm running is because it provides keyboard layouts as imported from AOSP that were previously unavailable)

Every so often, I'll get a crash and the device will reboot itself, there are weirdness with Bluetooth, etc. This I have accepted with running nightlies, I know what I'm getting myself into.
I just realized the terrifying truth: in order for me to fastboot oem unlock my device, a user data wipe is necessary. That really, really stinks.
Is there a way for me to do this without wiping my data? Moving forward, is there a way for me to both maintain security of my device and be able to flash new updates to my ROM?

authors: กิตติชัย ลอย


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Recover Data From Pattern-Locked Galaxy Nexus
A colleague's relative passed away and left behind a Galaxy Nexus phone. It is pattern-locked and we don't have the pattern nor his Google email account password (or access thereto). All my colleague wants off the phone are the photos. I have tried the following without success:

Use adb on both Windows and Ubuntu Linux to attach to the device connecting through USB.(USB debugging is definitely off.) -- always unable to attach the device (though on Linux lsusb is able to list the device)
Use apps Moborobo and Holo (Simple ADB Backup) -- neither can access the device
Attempted to use the emergency dialer hack (dial 0, use back button; does not work)
Booted into recovery mode, but there is no backup option (which seems ridiculous unless this is because of security)
Connected the phone to Windows, shows up as "Galaxy Nexus" drive, but is empty. "Import pictures" reports "no new photos"

Incidentally, the screen-saver shows these desired photos, but there seems to be no way to share them without unlocking the phone.
Any suggestions for how to get at the photos?

I've just added the locked-out tag to your question. Please follow up to the tag's wiki for some first aid.

Try taking it to the carrier and explain the situation. They often have ways of getting around passwords because people come in regularly having locked themselves out and because many carriers also refurbish and/or resell used devices, which inevitably means they will come across locked devices (of course in the latter scenario I imagine they just factory reset but no matter... They still have the former situation to contend with).


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Does factory resetting a rooted phone unroot it?
Does factory resetting a rooted phone unroot it? Does it vary by ROM - I'm on CyanogenMod 11 M7 Nexus 4, will it?


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How to send photos to Chromecast?
I have made a bunch of shiny photos with my Nexus 4 and now I want to watch them on my Chromecast. Trouble is that the standard photo application wants me to upload the photos to the cloud and then add them to an album.
Is there an easier way to watch my photo gallery on my Chromecast? A cloudfree solution that just shows all my photos on my device would work best.

There are a handful of different apps you could try, each with varying amounts of features. A few specific examples:

Allcast - Also supports other devices like Roku and Xbox. Casts pretty much any kind of media.
Dayframe - Intended mostly for casting pictures as a slideshow/digital frame.
PhotoCast - Can display photos in a few different styles, including one that plots the location of geotagged images on a map in the background.


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How to use Titanium Backup to keep stuff through factory reset?
I'm looking to factory reset my Nexus 4, which is currently running CyanogenMod 11 M7, because of an issue inside the ROM that requires a reset (Themes Provider crashing on every launch). I have Titanium Backup, and have created a backup. How do I now back up (or put onto a computer and then return to the phone) the backup and restore it once I've resetted? Or is there a better alternative to keep all my stuff through the reset?
Yes, I'm quite a noob at ROMs and rooting, before you say.

TiBu stores its backups in a folder on your SDCard (either the internal or the external, depends on what you have and how you've configured it). So you can simply copy that entire folder over to your PC before applying the factory-reset. Just check the root of your SDCard(s) for a folder named TitaniumBackup.
After the factory reset, the folder should still be there (unless your device is one of those including the card with the reset – hence the copy to PC, which in this case you now can simply copy back). Launch TiBu, and restore what you want to have restored.
One thing to keep in mind: I don't know what's causing your trouble, but restoring the entire backup completely might bring it back if the troublemaker was included there, so take care ;)


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Keep contacts local (not google account related already disabled) from other accounts on phone ie hotmail
I've had my nexus 5 for a while now and still haven't found a solution to the particular problem I am having, I want to keep all of my phone contacts local without syncing them to an account, now I've disabled Google Contacts Sync, which stops the phone syncing contacts to a google account, however when using any other account with the built in email application (either corporate, imap or POP3) it begins asking me to sync contacts with that account. It is frustrating to say the least, any insights that you guys might have would be really valued as another question showed me how to disable Google Contacts Sync!
Edit - if its any use I think it as attempting to sync with something related to exchange.

You can select what to sync for an account by going to Settings -> Accounts & Sync -> [your account]. You should have the Sync settings screen open, and from there you can deselect Contacts, and the syncing will stop. (Someone can elaborate on this as an answer, but since I don't have my Android device handy, this is more of a guideline comment than an accurate answer)

Thanks for your input, I've tried that as well, but even with contacts sync off, it still asks me everytime i try to make a new contact

MyLocalAccount adds an entirely local account to your account-list. Within the dialogue for creating a new contact, you can choose the contact to be created into that account.

@Frustrated: Did my hint help?


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Prevent Skype from vibrating/beeping the phone when I'm chatting on the computer
I have Skype on my Android phone, and I'm logged into the same account from both the phone and my PC, but it's annoying that when I'm chatting from my PC, the phone constantly vibrates and beeps with every message. I'm on my computer, not on my phone.
Is there a way to make Skype realize that if I'm typing from my computer, it means I'm sitting in front of it (or how else I'm typing there), so it doesn't make noises from the phone?

Unfortunately Skype for Android is still very flawed and has a lot of issues apart from the one you pointed out. Right now the only thing you can do is to go on settings and deactivate the notifications when you're using your PC, and reactivate them when you are away from it.
I always keep the vibration deactivated because either if I am using the PC or I am using the phone, that vibration is definitely too loud.

Okay! On your App, check the Notification Settings, check that "Multiple devices" is switched off".

I don't see that option. I have only "Block all" (very tempting); "Treat as priority"; and "Allow peeking".


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Unable to change tab in Google Chrome when swiping from side to side on the toolbar
I have Google Chrome v35.0.1916.141 installed on my HTC One X running Android 4.2.2 with HTC Sense 5. One of the previous updates introduced a nifty feature to change tabs by swiping from side to side on the toolbar. But now with the current version this is not working.
I cannot find any setting to turn this feature on/off. Has this feature been removed?
Update
I checked on HTC Desire 500 and it works there.

Can you swipe downwards to show all the tabs out of curiosity? I've noticed Chrome loads different on HTC devices. It has the 3 dot menu, but on a galaxy S4, no menu there. The functionaility is still present in the latest build here on S4 and Nexus anyway.

@RossC: Yes I can do that. I have updated my question with my new findings.

@RossC It wouldn't have the overflow menu on an S4, because that device has a physical menu button. That's how Android works.

@danhulme so does my HTC but that does have overflow, sense UI interfering?

@RossC Do other apps show overflow menus, or just Chrome? If other apps have it too, it sounds like a deliberate choice on HTC's part.

@DanHulme: Yes it seems a deliberate choice and I even raised a question reagrding this. But I think we would be digressing from the topic here if we discuss about overflow icon. Have you encountered this problem mentioned in my question on your phone?

No, it works perfectly on my Galaxy S3, same version of Chrome.

Works fine on Google Edition, not fine on HTC Sense UI, seems to be a HTC thing. It's a bit random what apps it effefts though. Weird.

Got fixed in version 36.0.1985.128!


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Compuer shows no sign of tablet connection (SGH-T779 Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 for T-Mobile)
How can I get my computer to recognize I have attached my tablet?  I have tried every trick online with no luck.
Couple notes:

No indication at all from computer that a tablet is plugged in (No yellow exclamation marks in device manager, no sound upon plugging in)
I have tried multiple cables ( I believe this may be a hardware issue), multiple usb ports
I have tried all sorts of driver install methods as well as usb debugging modes
The only indication I get is a red x on the tablet over the battery when plugged in.  The tablet charges fine when plugged into the wall charger.
My other galaxy tab 10.1 original communicates with the computer fine ( I have since reformatted the tablet and computer and have tried multiple computers)

Currently using:
- Thinkpad T61 with aging battery
- Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 (SGH-T779) T-mobile
- Windows 8 (Have tried with a fresh copy of Windows 7)
- Running Android 4.1.2
The only indication I have gotten from the pc that the tablet was plugged in was the mouse changing from an arrow to a thinking symbol for less than 1 second.  I feel as though I have tried everything and it is a broken port on the tablet.  It charges fine when the tablet is off.
Overall, I wish to root the tablet to put a custom rom on it.  I have tried rooting the tablet using various apk's w/out a PC but have had no luck (I will probably post another question about troubleshooting root process with no PC).
Thanks in advance

This might be a point to start: http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/6358/why-doesnt-my-samsung-galaxy-s-communicate-via-usb?rq=1   Have you installed the Samsung USB drivers for your device? Is there a version of Kies you can install? Root without a PC is very messy on samsung devices buit it is possible, I've posted an answer for the S3 that's a starter to getting into it.

Does the tablet think it's plugged into the PC? If it does, there'll be a notification that USB is connected, and possibly a second if USB debugging is enabled too.

There was no indication at all from the tablet or the computer that it was connected other than a red x on the tablet.  I used PC software that was supposed to be even better than microsoft device manager and identify devices but that had no luck.

This might sound crazy, and I do not recommend anyone try it, but...
I had tried cleaning the female charging port on the tablet with alcohol and q-tips and had no luck.  I decided to use the tip of a mechanical pencil (metal tip) to scrape the contacts to see if they had build up.  I put the metal tip in to scuff them up and (since the tablet was on), a huge spark shot out of the tablet and it immediately shut off.  I assumed I fried it, but it turned back on... ...and worked perfectly from that point on.  It was then recognized by my computer.
Obviously, this is somewhat crazy and I don't recommend people try this.  I had tried every method of connection from the far ends of the internet with no luck.  Somehow it worked normally after this point.  Could the spark/firework show have cleaned the contacts?  I know that some pins are for charging (which it would do fine) and other pins are for data.
My tablet is now working.


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"Battery Usage" page irrelevant
I have been doing battle with the battery vampires, apparently similar to a lot of people on here. I have a Samsung Droid Charge (SCH-i510), and service with Verizon.
I have noticed my battery life growing shorter and shorter.
As I've had the phone for at least a couple of years now, my very first step in the solution was a new battery. No difference. Even with a brand-new battery, my charge would last less than 24 hours. So, I began my research. Discovered all the settings to correct, and changed them, (wifi, GPS, 4G, etc.). Still, my phone charge would barely last from when I unplugged it in the morning until I plugged it in to charge overnight. I dove deeper into the phone settings. This weekend, I noticed that my phone battery lasted all weekend. ALL WEEKEND ON A SINGLE CHARGE.
As I live in a rural area,  my service is a bit spotty. This got me thinking. I started reading all the permissions that the apps on my phone call for, looking for one that would cause increased battery drainage while in urban areas (around more cell phones, towers and wifi hot spots.) I found one such ambiguous app: "Bluetooth Test". This app is a "default app" and is automatically granted permission to MODIFY BATTERY STATISTICS, (apparently to hide its tracks from the user,) as well as pretty much permission to do whatever it wants, right up to internet access. Apps granted such permissions pretty much makes the Battery Usage page irrelevant, as any app can reassign its battery usage to "Display". As of yet, I've found no mention of it on this site. Does anybody have any info on this app?

First, I doubt that app being your culprit. It was there from the beginning, got no updates, and obviously didn't cause any trouble "back then". I rather suspect some of the Google Services being behind it, which are usually hard to track as they not always show up in the stats. It might help to [edit] your question and include some screenshots of your battery stats (also tap on its graph and make a screenshot of that page). Things to try: temporarily disable all location services and reboot, watch the outcome for some days before re-enabling them.

The BluetoothTest app is part of the stock image on most Samsung devices. It's a system app, and as the name suggests, it's for testing the Bluetooth hardware. If you root the device, it's safe to remove/"freeze" this app. It shouldn't normally run or cause any problems at all, though some users have reported that in some cases it shows up in the battery usage list for their device. (Googling {Samsung BluetoothTest} gives you some forum posts, but no solid information.)
As for the permission to "modify the battery statistics", this label is wrong (see this old Android bug report), and is phrased differently in newer Android versions. The permission only allows the app to read the battery statistics. An app might use this to help you identify which apps use the most power, or to find and disable power-hungry apps on low battery.
There's no real need for BluetoothTest to use this permission, but as the app info screen explains, many system apps are bound together in a single process, because this is more (power and memory) efficient. As a result, all of the apps bound together in this way share the same permissions, which means the single process has more permissions than any one of the apps needs. This only applies to system (i.e. built-in) apps: apps you download and install are kept separate for security.

Thank you both for the replies. No, I don't think it's the culprit either. Being fairly tech-savvy, I already disable all location and 3/4G services until needed, as much as my locked phone will allow, as a standard practice. The fact that my battery lasts significantly longer when not near wifi hotspots and other phones really intrigues me. ANYTHING having capability to modify battery statistics on my phone tells me that my phone is specifically designed to misinform me. (I'm not sure I believe that it's just a translation error. "Modify", to any programmer, means the opposite of "read".)


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Is Qi / wireless charging safe? Heightened temperature not an issue? (Nexus 7)
A friend of mine told me, like it was a fact, that qi (wireless) charging is not safe and it damages battery because it heats it. I just bought one charger, but would like to avoid damaging my Nexus. Could not find out any information about it on the internet though, which makes me even more sceptical, that it just might be a rumour of some kind.
I am currently charging right now and it is getting kind of warm. The temperature according to a system monitor is just 32 degree Celsius. Seems normal to me.

I have information somewhere on this, as far as I remember (I'll try to dig it up tomorrow) wireless charging does generate more heat. Heat is the biggest enemy of a battery, so this will have an adverse effect, but the degree of this is not clear from what I have read. If it's losing 1 in 1000 charges it might not matter. Worth noting that the device will run hotter than 40 degrees with intense graphics, so there's a balance between a useful feature and never ever using your device in case it gets warm.

I am charging the device regularly and checked with a system monitoring app the temperatures, that I reached. It was never more than 33 degree Celsius, while charging or after charging, still laying on the charger.
This is to be considered a completely normal temperature. Just today I was out with the tablet  on the sun and I reached more than 40 degree Celsius, just because of the sun, so I wouldn't really consider charging with Qi an issue.

Used a fantasy wireless charger It heated the battery up so much it pushed the back of my Galaxy S6 and ruined it


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Magnetic compass correction
After updating to Android 4.4.3 the magnetic compass deviates by 90 degrees. This is more than a lttle bit and recalibrating did not help.
Q1: Is this a common problem?
Q2: Is there a fix or workaround?

Have you tried to re-calibrate the compass? See: How can I calibrate the compass on my phone? / How does compass calibration work? / How can I get my compass pointing the right direction? / Google Search on android compass calibration gives even video tutorials on this.

@Izzy Yes I tried to recalibrate that does not change it.

I have seen some other reports avlbout 90 degree compass deviations, and they were reported on android 4.4.3.
Now that was an extremely short lived version.
On 4.4.4 the problem vanished. So I am still convinced that this was a 4.4.3 problem.


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"Gmail has stopped" dialog
On my Samsung Galaxy S4 with Android 4.4.2, I get constantly a dialog saying "Gmail has stopped" (In french, actually : "Gmail s'est arrêté"). When I click OK, the message re-opens within less than a second.
I tried to restart my device, to no avail. I still get the message.
Anyone knows a solution?
Edit: just an update on how things started: I wanted to kill a bunch of tasks and ran Advanced Task Killer. I probably left Gmail selected and so killed it with the tasks I wanted to get rid of. And all hell broke lose...

I almost sure I killed Gmail with Advanced Task Killer before, and I never had such a problem. It seems Gmail is more fragile now than it was for some time. So be careful when you kill tasks...

Hmmm... An update for Gmail was waiting on Play. I installed it and everything works fine, now. Did I need the update to make it work properly (after an update on Google's servers, or after the last update of my system, for example), or was the update a convenient way to restart Gmail properly? I don't know.

It's possible that killing Gmail in the first place corrupted one of its data files, which prevented it starting subsequently. The update could have triggered it to check or update its data (e.g. to a newer format), resolving the problem. This is just speculation, though: only someone familiar with the internals of the app would be able to say for sure.

That's another (and more credible) possibility...


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Final Fantasy VI Timed out, crashes on start
I get the following errors when trying to start Final Fantasy VI on my Galaxy S5. Running stock rooted rom. I have cleared the cache, I have uninstalled/cleaned all traces from my phone, then installed again, I have flashed other roms. I have not tried on another device, as I do not have access to another S5. My Note 2 runs it without issue. Logcat for this package is located below. I have tested by disabling samsung smart face as you see it does have its onReceive in the middle (trying to eliminate variables.)
Thank you in advance!

If you've solved the problem, please post an answer so that other users can see. Don't edit solutions into the question.

You cannot answer your own question for 8 hours. I added the edit until that timeframe had passed.

I found a few things that helped. I was able to get it to work by flashing stock with oden, reflashing my rom, then downloading the game. I was able to reproduce the issue when I backed up FF VI via titanium backup then recovered it. This seemed to cause this issue until the system was cleared. I will do some more testing to see what in the system needed to be cleared before it would work.


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How do I convert ASEC files to APK?
Is there anyone that knows how I can convert ASEC files to APK?

According to this question/answer, the .asec files are actually dm-crypt containers which can be mounted, and contain the unencrypted .apk. The keys are stored in /data/misc/systemkeys/AppsOnSD.sks.
The mounting process depends on the tools available, but it can be as simple as running (on Linux) losetup /dev/loop0 /path/to/file && cryptSetup open --type luks -d /path/to/keyfile /dev/loop0 asecmount && mount -t ext4 /dev/mapper/asecmount /your/mountpoint to mount and umount /your/mountpoint && cryptsetup close asecmount && losetup -d /dev/loop0.
You can also access the contents of the .asec file from /mnt/asec/[app-id]/ if you have it already mounted on your device.


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Access phone from computer without passcode
I just shattered the screen of my Nexus 4 (sigh...) and am unable to use the touch screen. However getting it fixed costs more than just buying a new phone so I would like to access my data, transfer it on my PC and get a new phone.
There's just a problem: when I plug in the phone to my computer it requires me to unlock it and I can't because of the broken screen.
Does anyone know about software I can use to access it or any solution that will allow me to copy my data?

See: http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/54439/ways-of-unlocking-nexus-4-cracked-touch-screen

Exactly what is broken: can the screen still display, or register touches, or neither?

@DanHulme - the operating system seems to work fine and the screen is displayed perfectly (just cracked in a part). The problem is that half of the touch is not working (and there's not even a crack in the part not working)

You can try few links I am giving you here and if you are really worried much about all your data,then go to data recovery specialist and get data recovered.

http://computersaremylife.wordpress.com/2013/09/15/broken-android-touch-screen-cant-unlock-solution/
http://android-commander.en.lo4d.com/
http://www.fosshub.com/MyPhoneExplorer.html
https://code.google.com/p/androidscreencast/

Most of these required 'adb and USB connection' enabled.

Whilst this may theoretically answer the question, it would be preferable to include the essential parts of the answer here, and provide the link for reference. Otherwise, your answer becomes useless in case the links die. For further hints, please see: How do I write a good answer.


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"Flashing" custom recovery from running ROM
A possible solution to my other question related to this.
Having root access, what's there to prevent me from manually flashing a custom recovery from my running operating system? If my bootloader is locked, can I still do:
dd if=openrecovery-twrp-2.7.0-deb.img of=/dev/block/platform/msm_sdcc.1/by-name/recovery

If so, then I'd be able to flash a custom recovery from inside of a running Android operating system, bypassing a locked bootloader. I suppose if someone has root access to a running operating system, you're pretty much hosed anyway, but would this at least in theory work?
Can I use something similar to the above command to flash a recovery in a live, running Android device?

In response to my own question: yes, you can flash a custom recovery from a running OS. The recovery, since it isn't mounted, should be fine to write:
dd if=openrecovery-twrp-2.7.0-deb.img of=/dev/block/platform/msm_sdcc.1/by-name/recovery

You run the above at your own risk and I accept no responsibility for what you do with this.
Do note, however, that if you have a locked bootloader, it will prevent booting because it will see that the recovery's signature is bad.

A 'newer' and free (and in my opinion the best so far) root app is Flashify.
It can flash kernels and recoveries from your phone. Additionally it can download the images for you, too.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cgollner.flashify

Actually I have tried this on around 3-5 occassions(and it has always worked, for some reason).
What I did was I download recovery in img format (or if it was zip I manually extracted it to get the img file). Then renamed file from whatever name to recovery.img
Then I went to system/etc and deleted existing recovery.img and copied the new one downloaded above. Then set permissions to rw-r-r or 755.
This has quite greatly worked for me. Again, I am not taking any responsibility here. Feel free to backup and check ;)


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Changing default menu color for the Galaxy s5
I want to change the color of the menu(this greenish blue color) the color in the settings menu. I already rooted my device.  Anything will help. Thanks

You can try Wanam Xposed

I don't know of any way to change those parts of the UI without rooting and something like Wanam Xposed or a totally different ROM.


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Uninstalled system keyboard
I rooted my phone and uninstalled keyboard application without  backup.. Now i removed my root. I need keyboard. My phone is galaxy star pro. Android version 4.1.2. Help me.

Try:
1) You can install gapps for your model if available.
2) https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jlsoft.inputmethod.latin.jelly.free
3) http://google-keyboard.en.softonic.com/android

Assuming you've configured your device with a Google account, and have already used Google Play Store with it, the easiest way is to

visit Google Play Store via web browser from your PC
login with your account
select any keyboard app you like (e.g. the standard Google Keyboard)
trigger the installation from there.

Shortly thereafter you should see the installation starting on your device (provided it's connected to the internet, of course). Once that's finished, the keyboard should automatically be available.


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Change desktop icon of an app (.apk file)
I have an app that I like very much, I use it everyday, but I dislike its desktop icon.
How can I change the desktop icon of this app ? Should I do it directly by opening the .apk file (with which tool?) ?

You can try apk edit.

Launch apk edit.exe and load the apk file you need to change icon
The exe will display the app icon and name under General tab
You can change the icon and load the apk back to the phone

Note : This process will cause problem on update of the app.
When google play notifies the update, you can uninstall the app, install the app again and change the icon.

Doesn't this approach cause you problems with app updates?

@DanHulme Ya you are rite, it will create problem on update because of signature change.When update come uninstall and then change icon again. I updated the answer.

I tried this software, but where do I have to click in order to swap the icon ? https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/83031018/3.jpg
I don't see the icon replacement button ?
If I click on the underlined text "Icons", it automatically goes to Google Images, but doesn't allow to swap the icon.

Click on the icon image and make sure the icon is in png format. Click apply.

I retried, and it doesn't work. Probably because some "unhandled exception" happened while loading the .apk file : https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/83031018/4.jpg

Any idea for this @sameer ? Unhandled exception : "The value cannot be null", "Parameter : source"

Right click original APK your editing
Select Properties
Under Attributes section uncheck "Read-only" box
Click Advanced button to the right
Under File attributes make sure both boxs are checked
Under Compress or Encrypt attributes make sure both box are NOT checked
Click ok

Most third-party launchers (home screen apps) let you replace an app's icon with one of your choose, and they feature downloadable icon packs: often with co-ordinated icons for common apps, so you can have all your app icons matching, or just change one you don't like. The exact method depends on which launcher you choose, so check out that launcher's help, or post a new question with the launcher you're using.
If you're mainly interested in changing the icon of a shortcut (not the icon in the app drawer), then you don't need to go to the hassle of installing and setting up a new launcher. Some apps let you create a home screen shortcut using any picture or icon of your choice, and choose what app to launch from this icon. For example, my app Showr (free download from Google Play) is a home screen widget with this feature. You can use a fixed icon that you pick from your phone or download, or you can even have the picture update from the web at set intervals (e.g. create a shortcut to the Facebook app with the latest photo from your timeline).
If you choose to do it this way, the steps are as follows.

Install Showr from Google Play
Add the widget to your home screen: from the app drawer, go to the list of Widgets, find Showr (there might be several pages), and drag it to the right place on your screen.
Choose the image, icon, or photo you want from the Gallery or another app, or if you want to download an image or RSS feed, choose Web address and paste the address.
Now the widget's created, click on it and choose Settings from the menu.
In the Widget settings, change When you click the widget to Launch an app, and then click App to launch to choose which app.
Don't forget to rate/review Showr, to help other Android users find it.

You can change the size of the shortcut in the usual way, by long-tapping it and then dragging the handles that appear.

Thanks for your answer. Can you give the main steps in order to do it ? (I use Android 2.3.6).  I haven't found where I can change the icon of the shortcut.

I've updated my answer, but if you're only on 2.3.6, Showr isn't an option for you: it only supports Honeycomb (3.2) and newer. It'll severely restrict your choice of custom launchers too. That's why it's best to include Android version information in your question.

Thanks for the updated answer. Unfortunately, with Android 2.3.6, I won't be able to use it. Do you have any other idea in mind for 2.3.6  @DanHulme ?

I don't know of another app that does this: if I did, I wouldn't have bothered making one! I don't know which launchers still work with old Android versions, but I expect there's at least one if you search the Play Store. If you wait a while, someone more familiar with Gingerbread might be able to suggest one.


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How to find out which new permissions are required by an update?
When updating an app that requires new permissions, those new permissions used to be labelled with a green NEW tag. No more. Now I can only see the full list of permissions required. I'm still prompted to confirm the change, but I can't save time by only looking at the new ones.
Without manually keeping track of the old permissions and other impractical ideas, is there a workaround? A way to see what changed before I install the update?

As far as I know if it it has new permissions it advises there are now ones, and makes you accpet them before installing. I tried it on Play 4.8.20 and it did indeed bring up the message. What version of Play and Android are you using?

I believe there is an xposed module that gives more control over the play store updates.

@RossC no that's correct, I see the same. It asks me to confirm again, but it shows the full list of permissions, without showing which ones I confirmed the last time, requiring me to check them all again.

On the app details page, you can scroll to the bottom of the page. You will find a link under PERMISSIONS saying "View details". That will open a popup page that will display all the permission categories with expanded view and list all the permissions the app needs, including the new ones required with "NEW" tag.

And so you can! Brilliant. Just a note for future visitors: this is not available from the permissions prompt; you have to go and open the app's details page.


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Android device manager won't reset the password
So, here is the problem.
My girlfriend changed her numerical passcode on her Samsung Galaxy S2 and she forgot the password. She had installed Android device manager before on her device but I still cannot reset the password. After reading some advices and forums I realised that you need to PERMIT ANDROID DEVICE MANAGER TO START WORKING ON THE DEVICE ITSELF.
So, is there a way to confirm that permission remotely? Otherwise, Android device manager is useless for things like that.
Thank you, Regards

No, you can only activate Device Manager on the device itself. This is for security reasons. The idea is that you activate it before losing your phone or forgetting the password.
Normally you don't need Device Manager to deal with a forgotten screen lock pattern, PIN, or password. After entering it wrong several times (usually five), the lock screen should offer you the opportunity to log in with the primary Google account attached to the device, or to factory-reset it. That might not work if you have a device administrator installed, such as a corporate email account or VPN credentials.

Unlocking the phone with a Google account is not possible on Android 5.0 and later versions.


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Create shortcut to system apk that doesn't have a shortcut
So I have a MTK Android Phone, the gps of which sucks. Only App that can get a fix is ygps.apk in engineering mode. I have to keep it running background so other gps apps can get fix. Every time I want to launch this app I need to go to engineering mode, although my phone is rooted and I know where the YGPS.apk is.
Can I create a shortcut for this app so i can launch it with one click?

possible duplicate of How to create link to app that does not appear in the apps menu?

Several launchers can do that, e.g. Apex and Nova. You pretend to create a shortcut, select "Activities", browse for the app you normally use to enter engineering mode, and see what activities it provides. Should have one for that YGPS if you normally launch it from there.
There are other tools available specifically creating similar shortcuts (if you don't want to use one of those browsers), e.g. Activity Launcher should be worth a closer look then.
In either case, you get a complete list of all available apps – regardless of whether they are shown in your app drawer or are hidden from it. So even if that YGPS is a separate app, it should show up here with its activities. If its an activity of some other app, it should show up there.

I had exactly the same experience with YGPS.
QuickShortcut Maker is an app that allows you to create a shortcut to an application from the list of activities which are installed on your phone.
This works with YGPS and YGPS works when launched this way.

Tasker could do something for you, like start the ygps app before the 'real' one starts.

Tasker is a app with lots of functions. Please explain here how to achieve the goal.


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Saving a contact shared via text message
How do I save a contact that was shared with me in a text message?  I have the Droid Maxx, Android version 4.4.

You just have to long-press the number (underlined).

Thanks, but the message sent to me was a V card that just showed up as the blank square with the small gray square inside that contains a generic image of a person (what you see in the stock text msging program). Sorry I don't know the proper terms. When I long press on that square in the text I received, I get the option to Forward, Lock, View Details, or Delete. No option to save the contact. But based on your answer, I tried a short tap and that gave me the option to save the contact using Backup Assistant or Google contacts. It worked! Thanks for putting me on the right path!

:)  happy to be helpful


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what does SERIAL and proc permissions stand for?
Often in my rooted android device, since I have installed xprivacy manager, applications ask me for serial perm in category identification (hardware) (that very often, translation may be approximate), and sometimes /proc perm in same category as seen in the following screenshots.
what are these perms? Should I allow or deny them?

Screenshots (click images for larger variants)

Just guessing, hence no answer: Serial is most likely one of the device identifiers (IMSI/IMEI etc.). No idea concerning the /proc one, though. Have you checked in the app's settings inside the XPrivacy app itself, where all its permissions are listed? Maybe from the context it gets a little clearer there.

Since SERIAL is all-caps, it can refer to android.os.Build.SERIAL: A hardware serial number, if available. Alphanumeric only, case-insensitive.

@onik thank you, so should I allow it?

@Vinz243 If you trust the application, yes. Otherwise I'd try to think what the app could use it for, and decide based on that. Maybe try to use the app without allowing it first and see if it works.

@onik what does app would need it? I am sorry for being a noob.

@Vinz243 It could identify if the app is being installed on a new device, or use the serial for hashing/salting encrypted data, or use it as an identifying key for ad networks... there are many uses depending on the app, some useful, some not so much.

@onik thank you very much. It seemed to work w/o the perm so I'll keep it until it doesn't.

/proc/ is a filesystem that contains special files describing the current state of processes and the kernel.
/proc/mounts contains information on the current mountpoints. Mountpoints are similar drive letters in Windows.  Since there is only one file hierarchy in Linux, any file systems that aren't the operating system's FS (like an SD card, /proc , etc) need to be grafted onto this solitary tree.
Details on these graftpoints are accessible by reading /proc/mounts.  Part of the info that can be retrieved from this file is the current space utilization and capacity of each filesystem.
Because it's a file system usage utility, this app probably needs this info in order to tell you how much free space there is on the SD card and/or the main OS filesystem.
Serial permission allows the app to grab a unique identifier for for your phone.  I'm not sure specifically how this app intends to use it.

Thank you very much. What about serial? Should I allow it? And not only for diskusage, but also for 98% of y apps.

Edited the answer.  I'm not sure why this app needs it, but serial allows an app to get a unique identifier for your phone.  For internet enabled apps, should anything need to be stored on an external server, the serial number can be used as your "account name", and can be associated with your data.  As stated, though, its unclear how DiskUsage intends to use this.

fortunately when apps don't need network, I deny inet :)

Yeah.  What i usually do is email the developer.  S/he may have accidentally left the permission in from a testing phase, or (more likely) could be using a method or package that just requires this permission, giving him/her no choice but yo ask for it.  The only sure way to know is to ask.  BTW, if this answered ur question, don't forget to mark it as answered.


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How can I see my whatsapp notifications on my lock screen?
I am not getting pop up notifications when my screen is locked even though I chose the always show pop up option. How do I fix this

You can use the DashClock Widget and the DashClock WhatsApp Extension from Google Play and place the widget on your lock screen.
DashClock Widget: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.nurik.roman.dashclock
WhatsApp Extension: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.stallware.dashclock.whatsapp

+1 I heartily recommend Dash Clock, great widget and has replaced pretty much everything on my home and lock screen.


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Auto-sync killing battery all of a sudden on S3?
I have had my S3 for a good long while, ever since they were new with Verizon. Almost immediately, I bought an extended battery and all was good. In the last week or so, the battery has begun discharging rapidly. 50% in a couple of hours. I had extra batteries, so I switched out thinking I had a bad one. Same deal.
Looking around, I read that killing the cache should fix it. Nope. Then someone suggested turning off auto-sync. That did it. Battery drain want back to normal. Why? Why all of a sudden? Then, the Gmail app doesn’t want to manually sync… Annoying. I was hoping to avoid a factory reset, but would that be my next course of action? I’m wondering if the Gmail app is bad. Definitely going to dump that and re-install.
Any thoughts?

Is it just the gmail app? Or are other auto-sync apps also guilty of battery murder?

Settings → More → Battery will show you which app(s) use the most battery. Check there, and then update your question with what you found out.

It is not "Constantly" trying to update, and therefore it is not
  constantly using your battery.
Autosync only transmits when the other side has something to send. It
  doesn't constantly ask if there has been a change that needs to be
  synced.
This is accomplished by opening a socket to the server, then putting
  the radio to sleep. The socket stays open until server attempts to
  send something, or the socket times out. TCP/IP sockets typically time
  out anywhere from 12 to 18 minutes after they are opened.
Each time the radio listens for traffic (which in GSM land is every
  120 milliseconds) it will see that traffic is waiting if EITHER the
  socket timed out or the socket became readable (has data waiting). It
  would then power up the radio enough to read the data, or reestablish
  the timed out socket).
Your phone is doing that all the time, 24/7 365 whether you have
  autosync on or not. That's how cell phones work. It takes virtually
  zero power.
So if you sync your Gmail, Contacts, Calendars, Picasa, Documents,
  Books, Music, Reader, all of those things you sync with Google are
  handled by ONE socket. That one socket gets set readable when there
  has been any change in any of those services that needs syncing.
Add another socket for Dropbox, or skydrive, or any non-Google mail
  accounts.
(For non-google mail accounts ALWAYS choose IMAP accounts, never POP3.
  Pop3 has to wake up and check mail. Have your gmail account pull mail
  from pop3, and get that account off your phone. IMAP accounts use IMAP
  IDLED, which works on the open socket method described above, as does
  Microsoft Exchange).
The vast majority of these services go hours if not days between any
  changes, so there are very few times that data needs to actually be
  synced. Most of the time its just a socket refresh. And all of these
  tend to happen at one time, because Android tries to get them to all
  drop at the same time by starting them at the same time when you
  bounce from one tower to the next or switch from cellular to wifi.
But the key point to remember is that your phone is ALWAYS talking to
  the towers anyway, every 120ms, so these socket refreshes take almost
  zero extra power.

Source: icebike's answer on http://forums.androidcentral.com/htc-one-x/181151-autosync-battery-killer.html

Wow! That is a great answer. Thank you, you really helped me with understanding this functionality. But this being said, why do you think the dramatic battery drain slows (dramatically) with auto-sync turned off?

I hava a Samsung S5. Before I charged my phone once per 24 or 48 hours and since a few days suddently the battery lasted only 4 to 8 hours. After several test I discovered the cause was a few corrupt images. I deleted the corrupt images and the problem was solved. I used this app to find the corrupt images.


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Moto X rooting - ROM doesn't boot, but have Safestrap
I'm in a curious position. I don't have a working ROM on my Moto X, but I can boot into Safestrap, and from there fastboot. If I could get a ROM onto the device I could flash it with Safestrap, but I can't find a way of doing that.
The 'adb sideload' feature of Safestrap/TWRP runs, but the only safestrap-able ROM I have is 4.4.2, and my device lacks the kernel. I tried sideloading the stock 4.2.2, but that simply fails without installing, once loaded on the device.
Fastboot will recognize the device, but trying to flash anything, or do 'fastboot boot', gives 'permission denied' or 'command restricted'.
I can execute commands on the device from Safestrap, so in theory I have a working if crippled Linux OS running. I just can't seem to get files on it. Any help?

I am not familiar with safestrap, but I have used twrp to root my device. Do you have access to the install from zip option?

@Colin - yes, but I had no way of getting the zip on the device. Ultimately resolved, see my own answer.

From the OP:
OK, managed to solve this. Can't answer my own question for 8 hours, by which time I'll forget. If a mod can mark this as answered, please do
Fastboot will allow you to install signed images, apparently, so the trick is to use one of those.
Steps to resolve:

Downloaded a copy of the relevant ROM from here.
Unzipped. I couldn't just push using fastboot update because fastboot expects ROMs to contain certain informational files (android-info.txt and android-product.txt) which the above archive lacks.
Pushed each of the files using the following commands. mfastboot is the Motorola-specific fastboot, which I found here. That archive contains versions for Linux, Mac, and Windows, which is nice. (Darwin == Mac.) I'm fairly confident you can use that in place of fastboot everywhere below. Make sure you use the right carrier code and ROM! I have Verizon (vzw).

fastboot oem fb_mode_set
fastboot flash partition gpt.bin
fastboot flash motoboot motoboot.img
fastboot flash logo logo.bin
fastboot flash boot boot.img
fastboot flash recovery recovery.img
mfastboot flash system system.img
fastboot flash modem NON-HLOS.bin
fastboot erase modemst1
fastboot erase modemst2
fastboot flash fsg fsg.mbn
fastboot erase cache
fastboot erase userdata
fastboot erase customize
fastboot erase clogo
fastboot oem config carrier vzw
fastboot oem fb_mode_clear

Done! At this stage I rebooted and it was exactly as new.


text:
Android storage problem
With a phone of 1 GB internal memory, I am able to install apps for 700 MB only. More than that I get the insufficient memory alert.
Storage shows:

Total space 0.98

Available 71.49
Apps 601
Cache 1.88

Another phone of the same model is able to able to install apps for the entire 1GB.
Phone runs on Android version 4.2.x. Default write disk is external SD card.
Thanks in advance. Screenshots below:

Screenshots: My phone, other phone (click images for larger variants)

What's your question? And what phone do you have?

@DanHulme why am I able to install apps for 700 MB only and not one GB. It is a Micromax A116 HD.

In most android devices this insufficient storage issue is to do with Log files being dumped in the /data/log folder. The log files appear to be the logdump for the gsm radio, and can take up a lot of space over time (Gigabytes even).
Most phones without root have a workaround to delete the logs by dialing *#9900# from the phones dial pad. If your phone supports this then the moment you finish entering the 2nd hash, a menu will open up (point is: if it doesnt support nothing happens; pressing the call button wont help). In the menu that opens, select "delete dumpstate/logcat". That will free up all the space occupied by those logs.
Do let me know if any of you with a A116 is lucky to have this workaround. I have an A116 with the same problem, and am not able to find a solution.

The remaining storage is used for the Operating System(Android) itself.
 You can't free this space and put the operating system into the external card as it will not be possible to boot/switch on the phone.
The Micromax A116 comes with a 4 GB internal storage in which 1 GB is partitioned for Android apps including the operating system.
 The remaining storage is for user use and you can store data by opening the File Manager.
Source: I'm a Micromax A110 user and an app developer.

But my friend is using the same phone and his available space shows 1 go.

There are 2 possibilities: 1st that his phone might be rooted and he might have extended it. 2nd you might have seen the internal storage. Internal SD card. Internal sd card is different than internal storage. Please post a screenshot of settings>storage

His phone is not rooted. I want to post a screenshot but right now I am on the app. I will post the screenshot when I go online using a PC.

please take a look at the screenshots, you will understand the difference.

@soconfusing It also depends on the specific apps installed. Some apps have a greater chance of using and needing additional storage when being used; a reservation of space is needed to ensure proper performance.

"The remaining storage is used for the Operating System(Android) itself." – Nope. That resides in its own partition (/system), while "internal storage" rather refers to /data (basically), where apps are installed and store their data. In the screenshots, "My phone" reports ~55MB free on /data, which is pretty close to the safety margin (if /data runs out of space, the system freezes). This must be something different, numbers just don't match (used+free≠total) – which points to invincis being right, as logs are not accounted for here.


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Download maps offline with Google Maps v8
With the latest version of Google Maps (v8.1.0) I am trying to download offline maps from Spain, but I am having no success.
This was doable in previous version in a simple way, but I can not find a solution with the latest version.
Can someone lead me to the way to achieving this?

http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/91821/some-contact-pictures-wont-sync-with-facebook-contact-pictures-on-htc-one-x

Open the google-maps application.
Select an area you want to save the map for. Once the red pin appears you will have the street name at the bottom of the screen and the 'route' icon.
Swipe this white box upwards.
One of the options is Save map to use offline

It doesnt seem to work in Spain. How come?

It works fine for me here for areas in Spain, I just tried three cities with no issue. You have to hold your finger on the area you want, then click on the red pin that appears. There's a white box at the bottom that has the street name, drag that up and then the option is in there with Street View, Reviews, Pictures etc...

I get "Area unavailable". What cities have you succesfully downloaded? Are there country restrictions, depending on my carrier?

How bizarre, you're right. It worked on the border with Portugal for a few towns but most of Spain is unavailable... That's very odd. Apparently Google has obtained the map data for Spain from the Insituto Geográfico Nacional (IGN) and I am guessing that the licensing agreement prevents them from offering for offline use, like when the data was obtained from TeleAtlas.

That is weird because in previous versions I could download it... Anyway. The question itself is answered, even if it does not help me. Thank you :)

Thanks, I'm sorry there's not more on it, I'll check tomorrow and see if there's something more concrete or a workaround.

To download maps offline in Google Maps 7 & 8, adjust specific area of maps you wanna save offline on your screen and then type "ok maps" in the search box and press enter.


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Kindle fire stuck in "Parenting mode"
I unfortunately changed my Kindle settings to Parenting and know find it difficult to use. I can't get access to all my files and documents, videos, internet and many more.
I want to register for a new account but can't get access to my the main settings when I go to the MORE... it just open a page and says "manage child settings", "set daily goals" and others.
I can't use the device now. How can I get this fixed?

Somewhere you can disable it by entering the parental control password.  IIRC, it's in Manage Child Settings.

If you mean Kindle FreeTime, swipe down where the hotkeys are, then tap exit.


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Automatically connect to VPN when connecting to WiFi?
My university has an open WiFi that requires me to log into a specific VPN before I can access the internet.
Is there any built-in way or app that allows me to specify which VPN I want to start together with a certain WiFi connection? (Similar to Ubuntu's option to combine a WiFi with a VPN) Right now I have to start the VPN manually every time, and if I loose connectivity, the VPN will not automatically reconnect together with the network connection.
I am using cyanogenmod 10.2.0
EDIT:
To clarify, this is what the option looks like in Ubuntu's network manager:

I want to achieve a similar effect in Android/Cyanogenmod.

I'm not sure if this could help, but Avast secureline (http://www.avast.com/en-us/secureline-android) provides a VPN service and automatically connects when it detects an open wi-fi

I am not looking for a VPN provider. I have an existing VPN service I want to automatically connect to. So apps that only work for a specific VPN provider won't help me unfortunately.

I supposed that, but I wasn't sure. Sorry for the inaccurate answer.

This is on the to-do list for Tasker (source).

Feature of VPNroot does exactly do what you want:

auto connect/disconnect on a specific WiFi (only for Pro)

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.did.vpnroot&hl=en

Sounds awesome, but unfortunately I was unable to establish the VPN connection with this app even after trying out all possible settings I could think of. It works without problems with the built-in CM VPN tool, so I am not sure why this app does not work.

Which CM build do you use? Stable & official or some unofficial build?

Stable and official, on a Galaxy S3. The exact CM version number is in the question.

That's your problem -- you're running the "stable and official" version. You need Root for VPNroot to work. Go to Settings - About  and tap the build number until it enables Developer options, then go to the Developer menu and enable root for apps.

Looks like with privateinternetaccess VPN you can do it. You have to enter details given by the vpn provider into the smartphone settings so the app is not required:
Android-How to use " Allways-on VPN"
I guess other vpn providers can give you the connection setting to enter on your android device. If you use an app, I guess it's not that straightforward.
Enable VPN on airplane mode, before connecting

Do you know why when I tick "Always-On VPN" the button Connect get greyed out? Without this checkbox enabled it connects smoothly.

I was struggling too and today I finally found a solution (may be a bite late for you but may help others) that works for my stock rooted android device 4.4.2 :

Install E-Robot, a powerful tasker that have really great features
Then install Secure Settings, that will appear as a third party actions on E-Robot. There, you can choose Root Action and VPN, which should be supported.

You can now configure E-Robot to connect to a chosen VPN if an app from a defined group is launched/gains focus, and to disconnect otherwise!

Sorry, just realised I misread, but what I said is still a working solution for you : it's possible to define a global variable expression equivalent to  equals , and set as an event Wifi connected with condition your global variable, that'll launch VPN connection; and then do the same to disconnect it ;)


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Automatically switch to a saved wireless access point with the strongest signal
I have a wireless router (D-Link) in room A and a repeater (TP-Link WA750RE) in room B, both having the same SSID. Sometimes, when I go to room B and back into room A, my Nexus 5 (Android version 4.4.3) doesn't switch to the router although it has a stronger signal. It stays connected to the repeater instead.

The "Tplink" and "Dlink" are only aliases. Both actually have the same SSID.
When I switch the Wi-Fi off and on again, it connects to the router. which provides much better speed.
How can I force Android to always switch to the strongest signal? Is there a setting for it, or an app?

As far as I know, you can only ask it to avoid a poor connection in the advanced section of WiFi settings, but not necessarily force it to connect to the strongest.

Android 4.x will connect to the strongest available network when first connecting, but, by default, once connected, it will not change networks unless it loses its connection first. This is presumably because switching would involve disconnecting existing connections, and a second or three of no network.
Turning on "Avoid poor connections" in the Advanced Wi-Fi settings will make Android switch if the network reaches a low enough signal to trigger this feature, instead of waiting until it is gone completely.
One solution might be to set up a single SSID with two access points that support hand-off, rather than two entirely separate Wi-Fi networks - which is the way that this sort of scenario is handled in large commercial settings - but this depends on the hardware that you have.

Actually, both of these devices have indeed the same ssid. As I said in the OP, the tp-link is just a repeater.

Are you sure? I'm not a networking expert, but it looks from your screenshot as though there are two networks with two SSIDs (one called "TPLink" and the other called "Dlink"). Presumably the repeater is creating a second wireless network, and bridging between the two?

Actually those are the aliases I assigned in the WiFi manager app so that I can recognize the devices on the graphs. Sorry for confusion.

Most Android devices removed the auto-switch feature for APs having the same SSID because it is an Apple patent.

Can you give any support for that?

I have successfully used Wifi Roaming Fix to switch APs that have the same SSID (using repeaters), use
When the signal level drops below a set threshold, it automatically switches to the one with the strongest signal.

Might be this one: http://www.heleron.com/android-apps.html Developer is clear about what circumstances the app is intended to work in, and when not. By description it is a perfect fit for this question, though there is note about some phones not supported. Switching APs does not appear to be seamless, the network is turned off and back on to hop.

I use both apps: Wi-Fi Manager (which can give priority to 5Ghz network over 2.4Ghz) and Wifi Roaming Fix (which can choose best AP signal once roaming).
My main router is a dual-band A/N while the repeater is only N. The setup is:

A band: use different SSID from N band so "Wifi Manager" can give priority to it.
N band and its repeater: Same SSID and channel so "Wifi Roaming Fix" can do roaming one client moving around.

I test with the VoIP app and my mobile phone works smoothly all over the house without drop/reconnection.

SWIFI detects a weak Wi-Fi signal and automatically switches to a better network.

I use SWIFI too and it is a good app, but the problem with it is that it doesn't switch between APs that have the same SSID (aka repeaters).

I seem to be having a similar but opposite problem with Fios, Orbi with 2 satellites, and an LG V10 phone.  Orbi is set as an access point and everything has the same SSID.  As soon as the signal strength falls even a little below -65, the LG drops out for 2 to 3 seconds and then finds its own way back to the strongest signal, which is usually the closest satellite. BUT this is just enough time to lose a phone call I'm in the middle of.
The Android app "Home Wifi Alert" provides good detail regarding signal strengths and a great deal more information about my network.  Using this is how I was able to see exactly when/where the signal dropped and how totally sudden the drop is.  I have found that if I "train" myself to race through the place where it drops, I'm likely to lose a few words but often can avoid dropping the call.
Of course, this is less than an "ideal" solution :)
After carefully positioning the Orbi satellites using "Home Wifi Alert" as described above, I added SWIFI as recommended here. Since Orbi does allow for a Guest Network as well as the one SSID it creates, I added a Guest Network. Then SWIFI had two networks to switch between. With careful adjustment of SWIFI, I am now able to roam my house and SWIFI switches between the main Orbi SSID and the Guest SSID. Although I'm notified that a network has been disconnected, the other network has already been connected and I have not lost a call since.

Use WIFI Badger app instead of "Wifi Roaming Fix" for the same SSID with NetGear Orbi.  Seems okay so far, although it would disconnect and reconnect when reaching a set dB from the router or satellite.
I found "Wifi Roaming Fix" disconnected for a longer period of time.

I have 2 routers, one is D-Link DIR-816 dual-band and the other is D-Link DIR-803. The 816 is used as a repeater and is connected with my neighbor's router with whom I am getting internet and the 803 is connected with the 816 as an AP.
The solution I found is to match the security on both routers. The 816 has the option of automatic AES and TKIP, but I set it to manual AES. Both SSID names and passwords are same.
I tried the same thing with TPLink TL-WA801ND as an access point and I got the same result. Even the 816 is set to 802.11 b/g/n while the 803 is set to 802.11 b/g, but matching security works.
The settings page' screenshots are attached:

Click the image for a larger variant

On Samsung Galaxy phones with the Samsung app "Routines" installed:

Create a new routine consisting of only the condition "Wifi signal strength"
Once this condition is selected and appears on the box, tap on it and choose the signal strength
Adjust this level on the slider. It starts by suggesting 40%. For me, 50% worked best
Next, under Actions, choose the following actions, in sequence: "Turn Wifi off"; and then add "Turn Wifi on"
Test it on various conditions, and if it does not work, adjust the signal strength level on the slider described above

It worked flawlessly for me.

Where is this app sourced? I have a Galaxy phone and this app is not available on my phone, available through Google Play (the Routines app is really a task list manager), nor is it on the Galaxy Apps workspace that I can see. Is that AppName accurate?

@wbogacz Looks like this is limited to Samsung Galaxy S10 or newer and/or Android 8.0 or newer


text:
No sound whatsoever on phone (on calls, or while playing a video or mp3)
I have a DOOGEE DG500 running Android 4.2.2. Apart from automatic updates for installed applications, no other applications have been changed recently.
I switched my phone to the silent audio profile so that I could sleep. The next day I set the audio profile to general again, but no sound can be heard from the phone.
The phone has not been dropped or misused in any way.
I have tried turning the phone off, removing the battery for a few seconds and re-assembling everything together again but I had no luck.
How can I fix the sound?

Have you tried in earphone?

@sameer yes sound works over the earphones.

Then problem with the speaker I guess.

@sameer I am indeed afraid of that, but if that is indeed the case, the timing is SO improbable. So I am hoping some setting is wrong. or the minijack plug does not work properly.

it turns out some cold connection was the problem - not the speaker itself.
I had to open the mobile phone case and spend sometime figuring out which connection was cold.
Once I found it I re-soldered it. If you're not into electronic your best bet is a local repair store.


text:
App that uses default camera to save in a non-default location
I am looking for an application that does the above. Preferably, I could create application shortcuts for different save locations.
Also, a Dropbox option would be nice but not required since I could use DropSync.

I use FolderMount (needs root) as a workaround to this issue. I create a link of the folder where the camera images are stored to a different folder in the external SD card.

Today some apps store big files over the internal SD card (e.g. games,
  podcasts, offline RSS content, pictures, videos, offline navigation
  software). Typically users have a small internal sd card size (~16GB)
  while the external SD is a lot bigger (~32-64GB). Most of these apps
  users download from the Play Store save their application data in the
  internal sdcard by default and don't have an option to use the
  external SD card to store data so they starve your internal SD card
  memory. FolderMount is the solution to this issue. This app has the
  ability to link folders in your internal sdcard to folders in your
  external sdcard thereby populating the internal sdcard folders with
  content that really exists in the external card. This helps us free
  space and have multiple games/apps with big data stored simultaneously
  without the need to uninstall. For Nexus devices with no external
  sdcard, this application should help link folders to a usb flash drive
  for example.

Yep works great - I'm running Cyanogenmod 11


text:
How to switch from camera mode to media device?
Device: Samsung Galaxy S4
Android: 4.4.2 (KitKat)
I can't switch from camera mode to media device when plugging the phone to my computer. How do I do this?

These steps can be follow in android: kitkat version to switch from media Device to Camera or vice versa...

Connect your Device with the computer.
It will automatically detect the USB connection. There are two ways to redirect to settings of Media device/Camera. In case of no usb Connection detect please check the cable or driver for device.
From Notification . There is notification at notification  screen.
Connected as Camera/media Device . it will redirect to USB computer connection.
Or in another Settings--> Storage-->navigation right button -->USB computer connection > Media device (MTP)/ Camera PTP.

Hopes it will help you.

I don't have that option "USB computer connection"  it only says" Help & feedback"

Go to System settings > Storage > Upper right button: USB computer connection > Media device (MTP).

the usb tethering toggle remained grayed out when I connected the USB cable. So thanks very much for the tip!
On my Samsung 5,  I went to "storage" and then touched the 3 little dots on the upper right hand side of the screen.   That allowed me to open two choices of connection.  As a "media device" or for "camera purposes".  I selected "media device" and went back to the tethering screen.  The tethering toggle was no longer grayed out and I was able to use the tethering trick.


text:
Is there a way to replace the 4.4.2-style emoji graphics with the Google Hangouts versions?
I don't use emoji very often, but I did think the Google Hangouts-style emoticons were rather adorable. Following the 4.4.2 update, the graphics set used for emoji have been enabled in the stock keyboard, but in these rather unattractive cliche-looking versions which have also overridden the ones available in Hangouts. Is there any way I can get a Google Hangouts-style icon pack or something? All of the Google Play searches I've attempted returned mostly emoji keyboards which are NOT what I am looking for.

What phone are you on? Some manufacturers skin the Emoji, I'm looking at Samsung's at the moment and they're pretty dreadful. They change from the keyroard to what appears in the Hangout due to Touchwiz and its invasive uglyness!

@RossC An s3. So there's no way to change it?

Needs root access: You can change the AndroidEmoji.ttf font that can be found in /system/fonts/. XDA has a copy of different Emoji fonts you can use.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2618523 here are the attachments with the emoji from Google if you want to add to your answer

I haven't rooted my phone; is there another way to accomplish this? How do apps that add system fonts work without root access?

@AsianSquirrel No idea, but I think you wouldn't be able to replace the exact font (name) without root access. You might want to check if this works: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2479346 Please give feedback.

@geffchang The iFont app seemed like it would work if you wanted to change the system font and not necessarily the emoji font. However, a fee was required for use on non-rooted devices; I have no money, and therefore could not try it out. Interestingly enough, NotoColorEmoji.ttf was in the /system/fonts folder (along with the rest of the NotoSans, etc. font family),but I'm guessing SamsungEmoji.ttf is what is being used as the display font for emoji? There are several other fonts in the font folder, but none of them (incl. Noto) are available for selection in the  system Display options.


text:
Setup proxy authentication in Android 4.1.2
I tried to setup my Wifi proxy via Setting but can't find any authentication I can put anywhere.
Looking from this thread and another thread, looks like I need to root my phone. Can I setup my proxy with authentication without rooting my phone?

Finally got one app that works like charm! http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2276765

why not add an answer for this, with some details from the XDA link, and accept it as the official answer. You'll earn rep and you'll be helping others with this same issue! Glad you found a solution!


text:
How do you eject the samsung device when the device is currently being used for testing using the Android-ADT
I connected my Samsung Device(Android 4.1.2 ) for testing my app through the Android-ADT(Eclipse).

After closing the workspace when I tried to eject the device through
Eject I get a dialog box saying the phone is currently being used
please close any running software using the phone.
Thereby forcing me to unplug the device manually.
Any help appreciated.

From command prompt try adb kill-server  and then eject

@Sameer it wonderfully worked by terminating the server from command prompt

Okay I will make that as an answer

From command prompt you can enter the following command
adb kill-server

and then try ejecting.

The dialog you mention is nothing to do with USB debugging: it's because the device's storage is mounted (via MTP or USB mass storage), and some app has a file open from that storage. It could be that you have a file manager window looking at the device's storage, or that your music player software is automatically indexing files on it, or something else.
To avoid the dialog, you need to find and close whatever software on your desktop computer has files from the phone open. On Linux you can use the lsof tool to help; on Windows you just have to guess.


text:
Want to restrict my wifi modem though andriod phone
I have a WiFi modem and i want control it using Android phone.
If any system or phone wants to access the WiFi modem the corresponding machine IP address has to be entered in my phone and has to get approval.
Is such kind of app is available (or)any other work around  ???
Thanks in Advance .

It depends on router to router, like I have a Belkin router, in which I can set up MAC ADDRESS Filtering.
To set up this, open your router default page (might be 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.2.1). If it asks for password and username, first try leaving it blank, if this does not log you in, try putting admin in both user name and password, if this doesn't log you in, contact your ISP(internet service provider). Then go in the firewall settings and then find MAC Address Filtering. Then add the MAC address of the device you want to be allowed in the given fields. Only the devices whose MAC address has been entered, can connect with the router.
You can manage all this via your mobile.
If you post your router model number and company(located at the bottom of the router), I can tell you if your router supports Filtering or not.


text:
What exactly is a widget?
I found some conflicting definitions on the term. On http://developer.android.com/reference/android/view/View.html,
the author defined widgets as "View is the base class for widgets, which are used to create interactive UI components (buttons, text fields, etc.)", bascially used to create interactive UI components. However on on another StackOverFlow question https://stackoverflow.com/questions/11911249/what-exactly-defines-a-widget, an answer was "application that can be interacted with from the home screen". My question is that in terms of android, does the term widget refer to the tool used to create the ui components or the ui components themselves? Can anyone clarify this?

Please don't post the same question across multiple stack sites As per this post and Here's the duplicate

I'm not surprised you're confused: the term is indeed used for two different things, as you've found.
For developers, a widget means a View: a single GUI control inside an activity, which can show information or be manipulated by the user. Examples include Button, TextView, and SeekBar.
The app component that lives on the home screen (or lock screen) is properly called an appwidget. Stock Android ships with appwidgets for the calendar and email apps, amongst others.
However, terms are used differently in user-facing documentation and labels. Views don't need to be described to the user, so the term widget is used for appwidgets, presumably because it's shorter. But because it's in the user-facing documentation, and app authors have to label their appwidgets as widgets, they tend to use the term widget for both, when it's possible to tell from context which is meant.
It's common for the same thing to be described differently to users and developers; the only confusion in this case is that the users' word for one thing is the same as the developers' word for something different. It's almost always clear which one is meant, because the two components are used in different circumstances: if you need to be unambiguous, you can say "View" or "appwidget".


text:
Rooting a Nexus7 (2012) without installing a custom ROM
I have a Nexus7 Tablet (2012) with Android 4.4.2. I'd like to root it, so that I can use some Apps, that need superuser rights.
I just found tutorial that explain how to root this device using a Custom ROM. Is it possible to root without installing a Custom ROM? Why is it not possible to just install "su" on the Tablet as I did with my Phone?

Have you seen How do I root my Nexus 7? The description there does not use a custom ROM (just a custom recovery, which you will find useful if only for its extended features like Nandroid backup and additional wipes being available). As for why it's not possible by "installing su": Vicious circle. To install su, you need root.

Thank you for your answer. If I understand correctly, I have to wipe all data by this installation, isn't it? Have I a possibility to just root without wiping the device?

I have no Nexus device, so I cannot say for sure. But AFAIK the "oem unlock" part is only required if you plan to install custom ROMs – rooting itself should not require this (I've rooted my Milestone 2 and my Optimus 4X, and never did an "oem unlock" – but it might depend on device and rooting strategy).

Yes, you can root it without installing a custom ROM. The rooting instructions on this site just tell you to install a custom recovery, which can install su for you.

Thank you for your answer. Just a question: I see, that I need to install a flash, and this is what I don't want... Can I just apply the step 7?

Yesterday I tried with the HowTo (How do I root my Nexus 7?) and now I have a rooted Nexus 7!
Well, I discovered, the "oem unlock" is not necessary, since the device was already unlocked... :)
Thank you all for your help!
Greetings
Luca, with a rooted Nexus! :)


text:
Does software update in ICS allow to move apps to SD card?
I'm using Samsung Galaxy S Duos - ICS 4.0.4
Since ICS 4.0.4 doesnt have the feature of moving apps to sd card, does Software Update help me to do that?
If i update the software, can i move the apps to sd card then?
Thank you for the replies! Help will be appreciated..

Android 2.2 introduced app2sd, GB had it, and ICS had it. It's only really with 4.4.x Kitkat that google completely pulled SD card access. Perhaps your device doesn't have the functionality, but my old phones always did, way before Ice Cream Sandwich (and including ICS, and JellyBean)

@RossC several manufacturers decided to remove that functionality (at least from the GUI) with ICS. But you're correct: it was not removed from AOSP before they came up with that so-called "security idea" to completely disable "free write access" to the SDCard.

As Ross already stated in his comment, the inability to move apps to SDCard has nothing to do with Android ICS (though several manufacturers claim exactly that, it's simply not true: AOSP1 supports this since 2.2-froyo and at least up to 4.3-jelly-bean. Only with the "security change" of completely disabling free write access to SDCards with 4.4-kitkat, this feature became unavailable.
So whether an update to a higher version of Android brings back this feature to your device, depends on several factors:

if the update is provided by the manufacturer (stock-android), question is whether the manufacturer re-decided and left the option in – with the exception of Kitkat ROMs, where they are unlikely to do so.
if you're planning for a custom-rom, it's unlikely that will ship without this option. It might even have brought it back to Kitkat (the fix required to do so is not that hard to achieve) – but you might void the warranty of your device that way.

1 Android Open Source Project, i.e. the Android code basis ROMs are based on

@Viraj Mali This is the most required feature which even I wanted to have in my Galaxy trend Duos but I cannot change it as its functionality which has been removed by the manufacturer itself.

If the apps could be moved to SD card then the phone would perform
better because on some devices the on board storage space is limited
thereby making the phone slow after the installation of a number of
apps.
Due to some security concerns by  some of the Android developers the
functionality was removed.(i.e After installing an application from
play store you cannot move it to SD Card storage).
It would of no of use even after installing any third party apps
available in the play store you would still not find any move to SD
card option.
This might be weird although some phones have the support even today.
Finally even after reading this if you still want to move the apps
onto SD card then you would have to root the device thereby making
your warranty void. So please be sure about it

Thank you for your answer, I clearly understood that moving apps to sd card will not be possible without rooting it.