text:
Google Play services for Instant Apps downloads/installs itself without authorization, downloads/updates other components, how to disable?
Background
"Google Play services for Instant Apps" has installed itself onto my device without my permission. It broke functionality of my firewall (AFWall and couple of other apps). And it is updating itself and other apps/components without permission.  When I uninstall this component, it downloads itself again and installs right back. (That is, most likely it is "Google Play services" that's actually doing this in the background)
There are no confirmations and no notifications of anything downloading, updating, or installing. The way I discovered it was by noticing that some functionality of my apps was changed/broken. So I used an app ("System Info for Android") and it shows that in fact this "Google Play services for Instant Apps" was installed a day ago.
My question is: how do I completely disable unauthorized updates of an Android device, yet preserving the following functionality:

Contacts Sync
Google Play Store
Google Maps App

In these screenshots, you can see that all settings responsible for automatic updates are switched off. Therefore this download and installation is clearly unauthorized and should not be happening. The screenshot of Instant Apps setting shows up after the thing is already installed. Leaving just the global setting from Google Play Store.

Settings › Apps // Settings › Google › Instant Apps (turned OFF!) // Play Store Settings (Auto Update turned OFF!)
It has all started after I followed a misleading suggestion, you can see in this screenshot, to update "Google Play services":

click image for larger variant

Update 1:
What I've discovered so far is that something (most likely "Google Play Services") is requesting the download + install. The way it's doing it is placing the request with Google Download Manager. Unclear what triggers it, but if watching device closely an icon from Download Manager does show up in notification indicating download percentage. However, upon completion, it instantly disappears. Still, there is nothing indicating installation.
What I've tried so far:

Install the following as user-level instead of system-level apps that they are originally: Google Account, GP Store, and Service Framework  (com.google.android.gms; com.android.vending; com.google.android.gsf) This didn't work. The download is still requested and subsequently, installed.
Seems any way of blocking installation will make it download again and again (until your data is used up). So most likely best approach would be to prevent the downloading in the first place. I wasn't able to install Download Manager as a user app, which seems the part that needs to be controlled.
Blocking Download Manager and/or Play Store via firewall is possible, but that breaks down the only trustworthy way of downloading apps.

Update 2:
Downgrading to the previous version of GP Services (v11.3.02) worked for a few days, but today GP services for Instant Apps was downloaded and installed. So, doesn't matter which version you use. Most likely Google will update all phones this way regardless.
Update 3:
So now Google is updating itself on regular basis pretty much whenever it feels like it. If I'm streaming a movie, crippling my speed, using up my internet bandwidth for which I pay money per MB. In this image you can see 3 Google apps were updated without permission.

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

Update: In recent android versions you can do it from Settings -> Google -> Instant Apps -> OFF.

Original answer follows below:

In the best case scenario this should be enough to block Instant Apps from auto-updating.
Run on device via a terminal (connectbot, juicessh, etc).
pm hide com.google.android.instantapps.supervisor

Or, if running via adb on a pc while connected via cable (or wifi adb), then use:
adb shell pm hide com.google.android.instantapps.supervisor

Unlike pm disable pm hide also works on non-rooted devices. So far, I didn't see any more Instant Apps notifications appearing.
If the above does not work for you then another approach would be modifying the SELinux context of the file/folder (e.g. with chcon).

To revert the pm hide command above use:
pm unhide com.google.android.instantapps.supervisor

Well, that would target that particular app, but I'd like to block all unauthorized updates or installation of new apps. Also, this sort of "system-level" installation and download happens hidden from user. The way it works is, it checks version and if it needs to be upgraded it downloads a file behind the scenes. Once the download is complete it attempts to do install and if installation fails it will try again at another time. The temp files are periodically deleted, so if it can't find it... it'll download it again. If you monitor temp folder you can catch it doing this over and over...

@Emil: isn't com.google.android.instantapps.supervisor the app that is doing the monitoring you mention? Or is it some specific service from google play services? If it is the second then I guess the recipe is not complete. I've also denied the package permission to run in the background and start at boot.

I couldn't pinpoint exactly what does the monitoring. On Android there's a system of setting up listeners and there are couple of apps that claim to adjust those but they proved to be ineffective. I couldn't find a way to access/control this "queue" directly or to intercept it somehow. Basically everything Google considers as core, can go around the settings for ordinary apps

As the name suggests, it's part of the Google services apps. PlayStore uses it to run apps without installing them (new service). It is possible to disable but not remove (as far as I know it will just keep installing it self as being part of the core services).
To disable, go to Settings › Google › Instant Apps and switch the toggle switch (Reference).
I believe this will be a system app on newer devices as they come out, for the rest of us with older devices they will just force install on compatible devices.
Edit: Due to the fact the question was amended after I answered. This answer applies to none rooted devices. With a rooted device it could be possible but I can't think of a solution that's easy or permanent.

Let us continue this discussion in chat.

@Emil I've just cleaned up all comments except the link to your chat (where the comments are still available). Further, I cannot agree with you that this is not an answer: in your question you wrote "there seems to be no easy way to permanently disable" and "My question is: how do I disable this functionality entirely" – which is what Josue presents in this post: "To disable go to Settings, Google, Instant Apps and switch the toggle switch." If you have done so and it didn't work, please state that.

@izzy thanks, my concern was/is pretty much that the Answer is a duplicate of the (portion) of Question. I just don't see the point of sending readers to a different page: "To disable, go to Settings › Google › Instant Apps and switch the toggle switch (Reference)"  When it's right there in the question with a screen shot even. It deters from the question because people think that it is already answered.

@Emil Ah, looks like I didn't identify that screenshot. To make that clear to others, I've edited your post (hope my adjustment is OK with you?) // Josue: In this context I fully agree with Emil, this is not answering the question but repeating part of it with your own words. Looks to me that despite of those steps performed, that "app" still auto-updates and, even when disabled, breaks functionalities in other apps (which part you didn't even address). So despite of your post having been upvoted (no idea who did that), I suggest you remove it.

@Izzy his original question was if it was possible to completely disable without root. My answer is no. "It is possible to disable but not remove (as far as I know it will just keep installing it self as being part of the core services)." I go on explaining why. I affirmed that it is indeed not possible to remove because it's part of play services.  So I do believe I did answer his question. I added some references for anyone  else that might need it.
He later amended his question to add the possibility of root which I amended my answer that I couldn't think of a easy/permanent to do it.

Anyway I'm done trying to explain this. He asked a question, I basically said no, explained why and gave information for anyone else that might find themselves in similar situations. Question was changed, I edited to express that my answer applied to original question. If I misunderstand how rules work here delete my answer and let me know how I can do better.

@JosueRivera leave that be if you are satisfied you are not at wrong. If the answer is wrong folks can downvote it and move on.

It auto-updates even when set to off.  I shut it off over a month ago and it auto-updated again today.

About: [Root Only] This solution involves blocking write access to the temp (cache) folder where Google downloads its system apps such as Google Play Services, Google Play services for Instant Apps, etc. It's simpler than it looks, because I'm explaining everything, it looks like a lot. Afterwards, installing new apps essentially becomes 3 steps and the process is similar to installing programs on a PC.

Background: Under my system the folders work as follows:
1) /data/data/com.android.providers.downloads/cache
 * This is the folder where Google system updates (as well as New system apps) are installed.
 * Unfortunately, this folder is also used for downloading normal new apps. So you can't just block it permanently. You have to be able to block/unblock it when downloading new apps.
2) /mnt/sdcard/Android/data/com.android.vending/files
 * This folder is used to update normal (non Google-system apps). So no need to block this, or do anything special when it comes to updating your normal apps like Facebook, games etc.

Solution: The cache folder above is kept locked during normal operation. When you want to install a new app, overall process is as follows (although mostly automated): (1) unlock cache folder (2) lock app folders, in case it sneaks through while it's unblocked and installs it. (3) Download your new app from the store (4) Copy downloaded program from installation folder to another place, and rename it from default name (download.apk) (5) Clear and lock cache folder (6) unlock the apps folders (7) Click on the apk file to install it.
Obviously you don't want to type this at the terminal every time so these are automated steps. They involve using two additional apps as well as having BusyBox installed (to be able to use chattr command by the scripts)

Locking unlocking is achieved by an app called Gscript. You can use any other app that achieves execution of scripts. There's a version in google store, but it crashes for me and other people. There's a stable fork available here: https://bitbucket.org/Equidamoid/gscript (Thanks to author's post here: https://stackoverflow.com/a/20328927/7609435)
Just paste these two scripts there. (Both need SU)
A) Execute before download - Lock apps / Unlock cache
chattr +i /data/data/*
chattr +i /data/data
chattr +i /data/app/*
chattr +i /data/app
chattr -i /data/data/com.android.providers.downloads/cache
B) Execute after download is complete and after you copied the file - clear and lock cache / unlock apps

rm /data/data/com.android.providers.downloads/cache/*
chattr +i /data/data/com.android.providers.downloads/cache
chattr -i /data/data/*
chattr -i /data/data
chattr -i /data/app/*
chattr -i /data/app
You will know the app is downloaded when the Play Store says "download failed". It'll say that because it couldn't install the apk, but it was actually successful downloading and it is sitting inside the cache folder. Before running script (B) above, you have to move the file from cache folder elsewhere. You can do it using any app of course, but I like to use Total Commander, because it can have two panes and it supports bookmarks (I added cache to it). So move it and rename the file from default name to something else and then run the (B) script above. Also note, when copying the APK it should have an icon of the app. If it has the default icon it's probably corrupt download due to other unrelated reasons, so you can try downloading again.
Now the cache folder is cleared and locked and apps folders are unlocked. (you can double check that cache folder is empty just to be 100% sure but I doubt this is necessary) You can now install the APK you downloaded.

Note1: If you click on a new download and it says "pending" just (force) close Google Play and restart it, it should start downloading automatically.
Note2: I have tested this with only Android: 6.0.1 / MIUI: 8.5.3.0 so this solution might not be universal. Check to see if you have the cache folder and if the download of the Google Play Services is being uploaded there (once upload is finished it stays there for a while).
WARNING: It's fine to keep cache folder locked up, but if you happen to restart your phone while those data folders are locked, your phone will not boot. And you'll need to go manually and change it from TWRP shell.
P.S. I understand this solution is not for everyone, but if your primary concern is stability and to keep data-usage under control, this works... for now. Hopefully someone will come up with a better answer than this.

Disclaimer: Now that your phone is no longer automatically updated, if there is a vulnerability with previous Google system you could be exposed. However, personally, I consider a vulnerability when something can be installed without explicit permission.


text:
Installation of R packages in Termux app
I having trouble installing  'curl'  , a R package in Termux app. Without that, I can not install the much acclaimed tidyverse package in R. Whenever I tried to install 'curl', it spits out configuration error with  libcurl not found but I checked both curl and libcurl is installed from the terminal. I also tried the suggestion that came along the error message by setting directories in R CMD command but it did not work. Can anyone help?

I fixed by first installing libcurl-dev from the command line, before running R:
$ pkg install libcurl-dev

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


text:
How to unbrick my Samsung Tab 1 (7 inch) from T mobile brought it from S. KOREA
I had plan to upgrade my samsung Tab 1 (7 inch) to Lollipop. I got the fair enough idea to upgrate it from youtube videos. I was able to go to recovery mode by pressing up+power. I was able to go to download mode by pressing (down+power) button.
I got the information that I can upgrade it from SD card & choose to install from SD card from recovery mode. I assume it was successful if I could have tried that.
But before trying direct update to lollipop, I tried to download with odin 1.7. (My mistake)
I tried with modem, kernel & pit file. After doing that I was not able to come to download mode itself. It looks like I hard brick my phone.

Old Samsung devices (Galaxy S1 to S3 generations) where near impossible to brick unless you had the emmc bug or somehow flashed missmatched set of bootloaders. The best way to attempt to recover the device is grab a firmware package from samsfirmware or similar. Force device in to download mode with either key combinations or with a jig then proceed to flash stock firmware using ODIN.

I am not able to detect the device in Odin after flashing the wrong version of bootloader.

Hmm you might need to get a different version of drivers then. Or maybe try using Linux and Heimdall (linux is much less fussy about usb drivers).
To be clear device is able to go in to download mode correct?

No Device is not going in download mode itself.

Use the jig I mentioned.

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


text:
Google Pinyin Input (IME) keeps asking for Google account permission
Google Pinyin Input is an input method (IME) for Chinese.
It keeps asking me for Google account permission.
I deny it all the time, but it always comes back and asks again when I reboot (which is quite often). The IME works perfectly without that permission.
Question: How to deny the permission once for all?

I have a Nexus 5 with Android 7.1.2 / LineageOS 14.1-20170718.
It always pops up one request for each of the Google accounts I have configured in the Gmail app. I never use pinyin in Gmail.

I had this problem. I'd half installed Pinyin so continual prompting for a login account.
Go to Google play store and search for Google Pinyin Input. When that appeared there was an option to uninstall it (because it had already been installed).

So, what is the procedure to solve the problem? Uninstall and then install again? (I still want to use it) Thanks!

Uninstalling helped. I don't know how it had been installed to my device (I only installed Turkish lately), but I don't need it so removing was the best option. @NicolasRaoul I guess the app requires that access for something (probably to propose personalized word suggestions - I dunno) - so likely there's no way to just disable the permissions request forever.

I don't see why you would need it installed unless you can read Chinese.

Thanks!  This happened to me too.  It is very confusing to continually get these permission requests.  I did not install it and it has been a problem since getting the phone.

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


text:
Facebook Messenger shows notification while open
Whenever I have Facebook Messenger open, I continue to get notifications for chats that I am presently viewing. That is, I will be reading a chat, and as a new message comes in, I get a peek notification for it even though the chat is already open. Is this normal behavior, or is there some way to fix this without having to hack something out on Tasker?
I don't use chat heads, and the only settings I have on for notifications are Notification Previews and Light (LED).
On Android 7.1.1, though I had this problem on 6 on my previous phone as well.

Are you referring to peek notifications? I never used Facebook though, but I suspect you're referring to those

Yes, peek notifications, thank you. Forgot what they were called.

Yes this is normal behavior AFAIK.  iOS does have more options for notifications then Android does.  You could disable notifications all  together for messenger and use tesla unread(costs $5) with nova launcher prime to just display the number only.  Not ideal.


text:
Can you charge a Qualcomm Quick Charge device without a supported charger?
I have a laptop with a 20V 2.25A charger and a phone that supports QC 3.0. In theory, 3.0 has support for up to 20V, but I am not sure if I can use the laptop charger with the phone given that the charger is not necessarily QC approved. Both devices are USB C.
Phone
Charger

Quick charging is not just about Voltage or current in isolation. It is about varying both to deliver the right amount of power ( = product of voltage and current ) as required. Read more here Fast Charging by Qualcomm 3.0- impact on battery?
Besides, the device detects if the charger is quick charge or not. If it is not, then it acts as of it is connected to a normal charger, which is rated 5V, 2A , far lower than the one you want to try
To answer your question - NO, not advised


text:
How can i open a file with non compatible software?
In windows we can try to open a pdf with an pdf with VLC or such type of operation. In short "open with" option works more freely in windows than in android. Sometimes because of this even, we can not open some files that we know can be opened with available apps. Is there a way to achive this in android?

Can you give an example to clarify ?

Try installing Total Commander file manager for Android (from Google Play store) - it's free and has no ads.
Navigate to the given directory, long press on the file, and select the option Send to */*, then select the application you wish to open the file with.
That's the method I used to send a .epub to Google Play Books.


text:
How to set the google maps app foremost while driving
I have been using google maps for a while now as my driving guidance/maps app. It does have one slight inconvenient, while you are driving you'll get all notifications to still crop up space on your screen, and for some apps they might even get in the way of your maps.
Is there a way to keep google maps, or any other maps app for that matter, foremost on my screen?
If I set the phone in driving mode, can I stop other apps from getting screen space/time all at once or is it in a per app basis?

You may need to use an app / Automation to disable notifications from appearing. Macrodroid -Trigger : app Launched > maps Action > clear notification > all or select apps. This should work. Not tested

Use Android Auto.
This will reduce the accessing time for Maps or Any other application required while driving. Also During driving and using android auto, you'll have a better experience of Map as the notifications from other apps won't bother you as they do on running the Maps app directly.
Reason for this is to minimize the interruption of other apps while driving.
Android auto is designed with keeping these points in mind and to make driving safer.

For me (Android 6 on a Sony phone), "screen pinning" does this, with no need for third party apps.
The option for me is in "Settings", "Security", "Screen pinning", which you set to "on". You pin an app by swiping up on it from the overview list, then clicking the "pin" icon which will appear. To unpin a pinned app, press and hold the "back" and "overview" buttons at the same time.

The simple thing you can do is to snooze all your notifications before you start driving. This way you will not receive any notifications while you are using the Maps app and there will not be any interruptions and you can access all your notifications once your travel is over. Alternately, you can download offline maps in Google and switch off your internet completely. This way you will not only receive any notifications, but your battery will also be saved if you are travelling for a long time.


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Can't disable password on Android 6.0 (EMUI 4.0)
I had to go somewhere and due to my paranoia, I decided to lock my Huawei P8 Lite. Since that day I can't disable the password beacuse I always get this note Disabled by administrator, encryption policy, or credential storage
The only Device administrator is Google's Find my phone, which I deactivated and is not the problem (so I switched it back), I cleared all credentials from Security, I really don't know what else to do.

I removed my SD, I have no VPNs..

OK here is the trick, first you did right by clearing credentials, next reboot your device (important), then again clear the credentials, the options should now be visible

@xavier_fakerat nope, ain't working

See: https://forums.androidcentral.com/huawei-p8/593567-how-do-i-disable-screen-lock-my-p8.html

Thanks to xavier_fakerat's comment that mentioned Android Central Forum. You need to do this:

Set up a pattern password with a backup PIN
Double-tap the power button to activate the lock screen
Do wrong patterns 5 times (at least 4 dots touched to be counted as an attempt), then wait for the cooldown
Select backup PIN, enter your PIN and you could select "none"

The accepted answer did not work for my Android 5.1 version. This is what worked:

Go to Settings → tap Security → clear all credentials.
Go back to Screen lock. The option NONE will be available. You can then remove the screen lock.

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


text:
Why SManager can't wake network from sleep?
Here's the situation: I'm using SManager to run a very simple shell script on a regular schedule; all it does is run a ffmpeg command line to save an audio stream from a URL. If I run the script manually, it works great. If I schedule it for, say, 15 minutes ahead, then put the device to sleep, it works great. But if it's been sleeping for hours, like overnight, the script runs but ffmpeg reports that it can't access the network. Only difference that I can see is how long the device has been asleep, but I haven't done enough tests yet to figure out how long it has to be asleep before the network becomes unwakeable.

I've configured my scripts in SManager to get a wakelock and to run as root.
Wifi is set to never sleep.
I've tried deleting the wifi network and reconnecting.
Added sleep 30 at the top of my script in order to give SManager plenty of time for its wakelock to wake up the network.
Added ip link set wlan0 up to top of script to wake up the network.
Tried to install Kernel Audiutor to see if has any useful mods, but for some reason it fails to start on my device.
Tried a Wifi-keepalive app.
I have no "battery saver" apps of any kind installed.

Device is a rooted 5th generation Amazon Fire tablet with Lollipop Nexus ROM (which predates Doze, so that's not the issue).
Does this make sense to anyone; ideas about how to solve it?


text:
Can Gear VR on Galaxy S8 be used for Daydream apps
I have an S8, but not yet bought any VR accessory; and I know that Samsung recently added Daydream VR support to the phone. From what I've read, Daydream case is far simpler with most of the sensors in the phone; while Gear VR has sensors in the headset itself.
So it appears to me that other than the controllers, Gear VR headset in hardware terms should cover everything the Daydream headset does. If I buy the 2017 Gear VR (for the controller), will I also be able to view Daydream VR titles, and how will the different controller affect the compatibility?

The Galaxy S8 is listed in the official Daydream-ready phones page, so you can definitely use a Daydream headset with your device.
This comparative article points out that both headsets give access to separated stores, with different applications, noting that Gear VR provides overall better hardware and immersion, while Daydream might have a stronger "software" approach.
Now some users managed to get Daydream applications working on their Gear VR, providing you have a Daydream controller - or a second phone to act as one, and follow the (seemingly lengthy) steps of this tutorial:
https://www.reddit.com/r/GearVR/comments/5dxd8f/how_to_get_daydream_apps_running_on_galaxy_s7/
It seems that you however cannot use the Gear VR controller with a Daydream application.
If you are more inclined to spending money in place of your valuable time, maybe buying the two headsets could give you access to the best of both worlds, and avoid you the headaches inherent to getting unofficial use of the products to work for you.


text:
How to open locked Samsung Galaxy S5?
Can anybody help me how to open locked Samsung Galaxy? I do not know, I had a fingerprint showing up and the alternative password. I had a keyboard showing numbers and alphabets. But now, it's totally different. it shows only numbers the problem is my password has alphabets?

You can crack your screen password with this app of Dr. Fone. Visit this Link and download the app that matches with your Device Model. You don't need to root your device or enable USB Debugging, neither any custom ROM. Just download the app of your device's model and connect it to PC then do whatever you want. Also you don't need to backup as it won't wipe your data.


text:
Open unlinked URL in corresponding app
How to open a link in an app if it's not available as a link but as a text, and it can't be opened in the app itself? Is there e.g. some app that can get link pasted from a clipboard and open it?
Example: I have a link to a YouTube video on a web page as a text and want to open it in YouTube app.

Please provide an example of that

@beeshyams you have a link to youtube video on a web page as text and want to open it in app

See this https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.derkydapps.copyurl

@beeshyams that's not what i need

I am not sure but try the app mentioned here https://android.stackexchange.com/q/179572/131553

Any regular web browser including the default ROM one should be able to do this natively, provided you have said app set as default for that type of link. Unless I misunderstand what you mean.
Just copy the link text from wherever and paste it in the address bar of a (new) tab. If a default application has been set for this type of link it should redirect it there automatically.

+1, unless we both misunderstood the question.

All http links are opened in the browser itself.

Just tested here in my phone and opening a YouTube link pasted in the browser address bar successfully opened it in the corresponding YouTube app, so if this doesn't happen in your case either the app is not set as default, or there is something else interfering with your ROM, app, or settings

Well, I have Silk Browser. I cannot even find the settings for associations for it.

Settings are at system level, not in the browser preferences

@DuarteFarrajotaRamos associations are under Settings - All Applications - %appname%, right? But Silk Browser is not listed there.

@SmitJohnth select the corresponding app you want the link to be opened in; e.g. in this case: YouTube, not the browser. Then select Open by default. Check the value of Open supported links and change it if necessary.

@AndrewT. any screenshots?


text:
BlueStacks Apps
so I have been playing on Bluestacks for a little over a year now and I had to update it; but when I did I encountered a bug or something; just I just kept getting the load screen I reported it a few times. ( I could still go to settings but that was it )
Eventually I backed everything up (all my data and apps) and uninstalled it, then reinstalled but when I reinstalled it auto went to Bluestacks v3.
I really don't mind using whatever Bluestacks they bring out BUT I can not find out how to "restore" my backup onto the new Bluestacks
how do I get my apps and data from those apps back; I have looked this up multiple places but most seem to be directed at the older verisons of Bluestacks
please help! I bought (yes paid real money) for some of these apps
over 400$ worth (over time) ;v;

Starting with an assumption that you have backed up the data via copying BlueStacks and BlueStacksSetup folder from C:/ProgramData.

Some steps you have to follow:

Enable Hidden files in Windows 7/8/8.1/10, see here.
Uninstall any BlueStacks version if installed without deleting the
data or copy the backed up data in any other drive/folder.
After Installation, go to C:/ProgramData and Copy those backed up
folders "BlueStacks and BlueStacksSetup"
Then install BlueStacks (Any version you want) and it will
load/restore all your data/apps.

Note that "C" here is your windows drive.

Restoring Backup made using Bluestack itself

 1. Copy UserData folder to C:/ProgramData/BlueStacks and overwrite existing.
 2. Restart BlueStacks
Done.
Note - If there's no BlueStacks folder in ProgramData, create one.

I used the built in BlueStacks Backup

Can you share a screenshot to show what type of files are there & in what format?

http://sta.sh/0127h5ejskh0

the files in Android are vdi

Userdata has all my apps stuff

I don't know much about Game Manger it has a lot of various types of files

Editing the anwser.


text:
Lock Screen With Ads on Samsung Galaxy S5 mini
i've got lock screen, I do not know how I got into the phone, and I do not even know how to fix it, is it a virus? please answer, phone isn't rooted

Quickest and the most painful way would be to do a factory reset. Sure, you can try different malware removal options, but that would probably take a lot longer than to just re-setup your phone. Connect your phone to your PC, take you important files that you need, scan them with anti-malware, factory reset your phone, add files back in and check whats up.
In theory, if you really want to avoid resetting, you can try the following. Disconnect your phone from the internet if possible, if not, just turn off your router for a little bit, restart your phone, see if the screen-lock is there. See if you can access running processes, most screen-locks are pretty dumb and will still allow you to get to plenty of functions.


text:
How to get root access for Android Emulator running Android 7.0?
I am trying to get root access to the Android Emulator running Android 7.0. I found a nice description at the end of this thread:
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/5095234/how-to-get-root-access-on-android-emulator
However it doesn't work.
adb root does not give me root access.
The following  adb remount returns:
Not running as root. Try "adb root" first.
Help is appreciated!
Thank you!

The issue is because you are using an adb server version not matching the emulator version (client). In other words the adb version on your system is different from the adb version on the android sdk platform-tools.
So try this:

Navigate to the platform tools folder (%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Android\Android-sdk\Platform tools\)
Open command-prompt (or teminal) by right click + shift
Disconnect any USB cables and close other instances of emulator devices.
Now try adb devices and make sure it lists the emulator device and is not blank.

Note: If this fails first run adb kill-server

Now run adb root command
Root your virtual device as per instructions

You can install Genymotion emulator and install Marshmallow or N, then you can have root access in default.

I know but Genymotion is not free.

I also tried Nox which is rooted by default. It works very well for a while on the computer on which it has to run (runs under Windows XP and that ca not be changed) but unfortunately it freezes after a while (~ 1 to 2 hrs).

Genymotion is free for personal use but I don't know about the nox.


text:
Stop Google Play app from translating
Related:

Is there a way to turn off translation in Google Play
Any way to stop ridiculous translations in Google PlayStore?

I have an exactly the same goal as the above questions, but my situation is a bit different from above.

I don't want to change my system language (Chinese)
Changing Language Settings for my Google account doesn't work. It does not affect the user interface of Play Store app on my phone.
Tried App Settings, but it doesn't work at all. Maybe Xposed for N is too new.

I'm using a OnePlus 5 with stock ROM (very similar to AOSP).


text:
Google Play Store downloads won't start
I ran a speed test and I'm getting a full 4Mb/s. However, when trying to download an app, it's stuck on the indeterminate progress"Downloading" bar. 20 mins later it gives me an error saying it couldn't be installed. It's not just one app, it's EVERYTHING I try to download.

Under settings > apps > show System apps > you will find download manager > storage > clear data and cache , reboot and try again. May fix

Just tried, didn't work

Did you reboot?

Yes, I did reboot

Hmm.. clearing data /cache of Google play store and framework?

Are you using a package disabler of some sort? Make sure you are not freezing components used by Playstore i.e download manager, google play services etc. Also try removing and re adding Google account. Another good fix is unistaling Playstore updates

You could try the following steps to troubleshoot the issue:

Ensure components used by Playstore are not disabled

Check if download manager, Google play services or Google services framework is not disabled or frozen by package disabler apps.
Freezing/ or disabling such can result in failed downloads.
Re-enable them as necessary

Removing and re-adding Google account

Sometimes perfoming this this step acts as a way of "refreshing" Google Apps including Playstore and may fix failed downloads.

Uninstalling Playstore updates.

You can try removing Playstore updates and then update to latest version which can solve the issue, as a certain version can have bugs. Do this:

Reinstall Play Store updates

Open your device's main Settings app.
Touch Apps or Application manager (depending on your device, this may be different).
Touch Google Play Store > Uninstall updates .
When prompted to change the Play Store app back to the factory version, touch OK.
Open the Google Play Store app Google Play .
Go back to your device's home screen. As long as you have a strong Internet connection (Wi-Fi or mobile data), your Play Store app will
  update to the latest version within a few minutes.

Clearing Playstore data

You can restore Google Playstore to default by clearing its data, which can hopefully solve the issue of failed downloadsn

Clear cache and data

Open your device's main Settings app.
Touch Apps or Application manager (depending on your device, this may be different).
Touch Google Play Store > Clear cache > Clear data .

Source: Google Playstore Help - Play Store won't load or download apps


text:
3 android devices possibly hacked and data compromised. Is it possible for devices to be hacked whilst offline?
In a museum we have 3 android tablets, 1 Samsung tablet and 2 commercial tablets. The tablets don't have internet connection, wifi is disabled, bluetooth is disabled. the tablets auto boot when power gets on, and autostart a fullscreen application to play video's.
A few weeks ago one of the tablets was missing his video files (stored on the external SD card). A few weeks later, one tablet was missing files again and the other tablet has the default videoplayer of android to play video files. After putting back the files everything worked again.
But this weekend, 3 android devices were not working. One commercial tablet is missing the video files on the sd card and .fuse_hidden file was on the external sd card, the samsung tablet is also missing video and photo files, and the other commercial tablet is giving the message Unfortunately, the process com.android.system.ui has stopped.
When I click ok the screen goes black and comes back with the same message. In the back of this message I see a unlockscreen, clock and text connect your charger. So so strange. After clicking multiple times ok, the message disappears but I don't have access to the tablet, because I don't know the unlock pattern, because I did not make that. On the external sd card no files are missing but a extra folder is there with the name .android_secure.
Are the tablets hacked? Is this possible offline? I am really frustrating about this, because I don't know what is going on. I hope someone knows.
Thanks in advance!

Strange! Were these tablets accessible to the public? I get an impression someone initiated rampant deletion of important files or at least tried hiding some files in vault

yeah really strange.. The tablets are build in a case. so they can only touch the screen. All buttons are hidden in the case. To open this they had to use screwdrivers and time. And the tablets were not visualy damaged, neither the case.. the application that is running is fullscreen and without statusbar. I personally have to plug in a usb mouse to exit application (after I removed the case)

Why is everyone so paranoid about getting hacked? I guess just tablets went nuts because of all time being on? Also if files were stored on same card every time file went missing than probably SD cards at dying. Perform factory reset and replace SD cards and you will be good to go.

tablets only run from 09:00 am till 17:00 pm...
and are tablets lock themself with a security lock pattern? I guess not. I am not paranoid, I just can not figure out why and how.

authors: Једноруки Крстивоје


text:
Is "V10f-FEB-17-2017" update on LG K8 an upgrade to Android Nougat?
I have LG K8 on Android 6.0 Marshmallow. I went to GSMarena to check the specs and I noticed that it says that LG K8 is upgradable to 7.0 Nougat. I went to check for an update on my phone and there is an update available. It is 383.84MB large with version "V10f-FEB-17-2017".

I am not sure if this is the Nougat update because it only says Bug Fixes and Improvements and nothing else. I would install it, but I'm very short on space and don't want to waste 400MB for a bug fix update.
Can someone tell me if this is a Nougat update?

What is exact model of your phone? Is it something like k350xxx? Only T-Mobile verzion and MetroPCS variants of k8 got nougat, if we are talking about 2016. model

System updates do not occupy the space for user applications or data. These are updates in /system partition of your phone and the space utilised by downloading this update is released after update. For more see https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/173903/does-a-new-software-update-take-up-more-space-or-replace-the-space-of-the-old-v

Nope, it's just bug fixes. I'm waiting for Nougat myself, and it should take about 1GB of your space.

authors: Једноруки Крстивоје


text:
Wrong phone number for contacts are shown and called
I have a problem with the app 'Contacts' on my Android 7.1 Nougat (Wilefox Swift 2x). In this app both phone numbers from my google account and from whatsapp are synchronized.

Sometimes the app shows the wrong phone number for a contact. When I call this contact, the person the number belongs to is called instead (always another existing contact). At that time I'm not able to see the correct phone number for the contact. When I try to edit the contact, the phone number is not shown or correct.
In other situations an incorrect number (number of another contact) is added to a contact. In this case both the correct and the wrong numbers are shown, only the correct number is visible when I try to edit the contact.
In both cases it says the number is a whatsapp contact. These numbers shouldn't be linked however. I've never done so and I'm not allowed to unlink this.

Recently I removed all contacts and added them manually again. Everytime when adding a new number manually, there was automatically a duplicate added in the contact list from Google Contacts. And again I saw a couple of persons with a number that don't belong to them.
Does anybody know how I can stop this from happening? This is very annoying.
Thanks in advance!
Update: The issue may be caused by a second whatsapp I'm running on this dual sim (in parallel space). Does anyone have more information on how to solve this without removing the second whatsapp?

Go to Contacts>Settings>Contacts and then mark "Only contacts with phones".

Unfortunately this doesn't solve the problem. I already only show contacts that have a phone number. In some cases the correct number is not visible anymore or the incorrect number is added next to the correct number.

This issue is because of WhatsApp. After their latest update (4th Dec) these problems have surged.
Easiest solution is to backup whatsapp and uninstall it. Then reinstall > restore your old chats.

Maybe this is true.  But I did have to clean them up.  I used an App called Contact Optimizer.


text:
Latin American Moto G2 locked in Europe?
I bought an unlocked Moto G2 (2014) in Chile last year, model XT1063. It was new but on display in a store, no connection to any service providers, no contract, no sim lock.
I use CyanogenMod 13, it runs fine.
However, now I am trying to use it in Europe and it won't work with my German SIM card. It says "SIM card is Perso locked" and requires my "SIM network unlock pin".
My Chilean service provider confirmed that the phone is completely unlocked (so SIM unlocking via web services does not apply).
According to willmyphonework.net, the phone should work in Europe.
Any ideas what I could try to make it work?
Thanks!

Screenshots (click images for larger variants)
The network unlock PIN is NOT the normal PIN protection of the SIM card; I use the SIM card in another phone, it works perfectly well.
edit: desperately, I wipe the phone and installed current LineageOS 14.1, but to no avail. The "Perso locked" message now simply reads "SIM card is locked".

Have you tried a different SIM (in a shop, they should be able to give you some to try)? May be a fault with the SIM card itself. Never heard a card being "Perso" locked (what shall that be? Can you attach a screenshot of that message?)

Try 1234 or 0000 which are usually default SIM unlock keys

@Izzy: edited my post. The SIM works fine in another phone. Tried a friend's SIM in my phone, didn't work either.

@beeshyams: it's not asking for the "normal" SIM unlock code.

How did you make sure that it was unlocked when purchased? I'm thinking that the dealer fooled you in some way... The fact that this is a demo device only makes it more likely.

@AndyYan: In Chile, I have been able to use different SIM cards from different providers. Also my current provider confirmed (they say), using my IMEI, that the phone is unlocked. Seems to be the case in Chile, but not abroad.


text:
Possibility of installing two versions of Google Play Store
Few days ago I tried to install two version of Google Play Store simultaneously. I used APKTool in order to change package name (it's a standard procedure for this purpose). I aligned and signed new apk and I managed to install it. But modyfied Google Play Store gets stopped (standard error, Google Play Store has been stopped) when I'm trying to execute Store. My question is how to have two Google Play Stores installed simultaneously? Of course if it's possible at all.

It's for educational purposes. I tried this with other apps and it's worked so I want to try with "something harder". As far as I know it's not illegal because I don't distribute modified app.

Okay. Personally I also through that Google won't let me cheating it's own app.


text:
Can't login in 2 accounts in Instagram using Android Emulators (Returning Blank Dialog)
I have two phones S7 and S8 (Android Genymotion Emulators) that I want to use with the same Instagram account.
On the first phone, I'm able to log in with my username and password. However, when I tried using the same username and password on the second device, it won't let me log in. It's returning a blank dialog with a dismiss button at the bottom of the dialog.

WHAT I TRIED SO FAR:
I tried the same scenario using Android Studio Emulators instead of Genymotion, but it did not work.
I tried with different devices with Genymotion, (Nexus 5X and S7), but it did not work.

What's the app you're trying to use on the phones: the official Instagram app, or some third-party app? It may be that this is just a bug in the app, and the only solution is to report it to the developer.

It's the official Instagram app.


text:
Orbot transparent proxy requires enabling manually
My phone is HTC One M8 on Marshmallow stock ROM, rooted with Magisk.
I've installed Orbot and noticed it doesn't work in transparent proxying mode when proxying all apps. It requires manual proxy settings in Wi-Fi or mobile network.
If I proxy only selected apps, it works.
I suspect it's due to DNS requests being blocked by iptables rules set by Orbot. They're trying to be sent directly, not respecting Orbot's proxy.
How can I verify it and possibly fix it?

I suspect the issue is due to ip tables enforced by Orbot (it tends to use IP tables bundled with the application and not default ip tables)
You can try the following workaround;

Go to Settings menu, check use default iptables and uncheck (or leave unchecked) the option to allowed it for tethering i.e Tor tethering. If the tethering option is off and the use default iptables option is on, it should work.
Make sure to enable Request Root Access, Transparent Proxying and Tor Everything.

Tor's transparent proxy runs on port 9040 by default and forces apps
  to proxy through it, so you can tell whether or not it is working by
  using Orbot's restrictive hosts policy to allow/deny traffic and see
  how the app behaves.

You also use Orbot's VPN service to bypass filters and firewalls and see if you do "transparent proxy" for all apps:

It doesn't work at all with default iptables. Check.torproject.org says I'm not using Tor.

Ok the issue, is because the default ip tables that come with ROM need to be updated. You can find some tutorials on how tp update default ip tables binaries, it should work

I was suggesting you to update the iptables


text:
Is there a phone number I can use to test sending a text message that fails each time?
I am wondering whether I could test my application by sending a text message to a phone number that will always fail.
My idea is to see that my application behaves as expected when the sending of a text message fails. So I was hoping that some phone number could be considered invalid by the SMS system and using that number get a failed reply from the sendTextMessage function.
That way I can relay that error to the user. Having such a bad phone number would be cleaner than having a hack in the application since the hack could end up being a bug.

I tried my fix line... and it gets accepted as if it were able to text that number?!

I thought the same thing... not even a form of reply telling me that the number is not accessible. So even less an error at the time I call the sendTextMessage() function!

While this queation is interesting, it is posed from the point of view of a developer. For an end-user, what could possibly be the benefits of such question?

@DeathMaskSalesman A user could also want to turn off the messaging processes to verify an application is not going to do something unwanted... then turn the normal processing back on.

I've tried this and it's working.
This is related to changing the Message centre number.
Here's what you have to do:

Go to default Messaging app on your phone.
Open settings (generally, the  3-dots button).
Click on SIM 1 or SIM 2 SMS Center.

In Lollipop, Settings > Text Message (SMS) > SMS Service Center >
Your SIM.
In nougat, Settings > Advanced > SIM 1/SIM 2 SMS Center.

First take a screenshot or note the default number entered and then
change it to any incomplete random number.
Save it by clicking the Tick on Top-right corner and now text
message to any number will fail. Use your numbers to check whether
message is sending or not.

Whenever you want to send text message, just change the number to default.

I'm on Android Marshmallow and I do not see anything where I can change the SIM. I have a More » Settings » More Settings » Text Messages » Manage SIM Card Message, but that shows nothing. That's pretty much the only reference to the SIM acronym.

Try Messaging > Additional Settings > Short Message Service Center (SMSC) > Your SIM. These steps are from MIUI, Marshmallow. Or could you share what phone do you have?

I have a Galaxy j7, I don't see an SMSC entry.

Here you can see what to do and how to do with images -
https://www.helpforsmartphone.com/public/en/samsung/galaxy-j7-(2016)/android-6-0/guides/26/Set-up-SMS-Samsung-Galaxy-J7-2016-

Messaging > More > Settings > More Settings > Text Messages > Message Center

Ah... interesting. I see the option, it's grayed out on my phone. Message Center has a long number but since it's grayed out, I cannot change it...

Try Reset to default in Messaging > Settings or Setting the no. in Message Center in the hidden menu accessed by ##4636##.

[ROOT NEEDED] A solution you can try https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=782253


text:
Why is RAM usage different when viewing running services and cached processes
After experiencing several out-of-memory restarts, I decided to check which applications were consuming my phone's resources.
Going to Settings > Developer Options > Running Services, I found that by switching between Running Services and Cached Processes, the RAM usage is totally different as can be seen in the pictures below

RAM used by running services

RAM used by cached processes

What is the cause of this disparity in the values and which of them should I use to check for memory-hogging apps?

Because the dark bar, light bar and white bar stand for totally different things.

In Picture 1, the dark bar means "RAM used by the operating system", the light bar means "RAM used by user apps" and the white bar means "RAM available for use" (not actually "free").
In Picture 2, the dark bar means "RAM occupied by processed", the light bar means "RAM used for caching apps (for faster startup)" (can be freed for use) and the white bar means "totally unused RAM / free RAM".
That's why the size of "Free" in picture 1 roughly equals the size of both "Cached" and "Free" in picture 2.

Beat me to it :) You may wish to add that, confirming your analysis, "system + apps" from the first screenshot rawly matches "used" in the second, plus "free" from the first minus "cached" from the second calculates to "free" in the latter – which means "free" in the first screenshots includes "cached" from the second.

Now that you mention it, I'm rather surprised I didn't notice it earlier. Thank you for pointing it out. Unfortunately though my lack of observation has already earned me a down vote. :-(

@Izzy Last paragraph :) No edits.

Oops. But what about "System" + "Apps" summing up to "Used"? #D


text:
From which applications do these "S" symbol and balloon like notifications respectively belong to?

Please help me with the (S) looking icon and the hot air balloon icon.  What apps are they. Thanks

Do you not see corresponding notifications when you pull down from the status bar?

No. I need someone to figure it out. I've tried for days

Ok I got one symbol for you, its qihoo 360 mobile security (s) shaped icon

The S shaped icon is Qihoo 360 Mobile Security application.
Here is the source to confirm : Qihoo 360 Security - Antivirus Boost (for Android)
The grey bubble like or hot air balloon  notification is not very clear, but while I couldn't deduce from which app it comes from, I suspect its from a live wallpaper of some sort. Check related settings to confirm.

Thank you. Please let me know about the hot air balloon one if you can. Thanks

Sure @Rob, will do


text:
control charging for Samsung Galaxy S3 that is in charger 24/7
I have Samsung Galaxy S3 in the charger 24/7, so it's not good for battery. How can I set charging so that the phone spends battery to say 30% before charging it to full?

Welcome to Android Enthusiasts! Please note that recommendations like Is there an app for X are off-topic here (see What topics can I ask about here? for details). For where your question might fit better, you might want to look into Where can I ask questions that aren't Android Enthusiast questions? and Where to ask for app recommendations?. I've rephrased your post slightly so it is on-topic and still meets your intention.

See https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/167260/automatically-limit-stop-battery-charging-at-a-given-percentage for the same problem on a different phone

@DanHulme: thanks. The problem posed by OP is slightly different- one he wants a cut off at lower level of discharging (instead of charging) and two Samsung peculiarities, which you are well aware of. Posted an answer that may help OP

If your device is not rooted, it's not possible
If it's rooted, it's possible but you have to get your hands dirty, since ways below target to cut off battery charging at upper limit and not while discharging to a lower limit , as you want

[APP][ROOT][4.4+]Battery Charge Limit v1.0.1  available free at XDA works for your device as can be seen from linked user post. You can download the app from here. Fortunately, this is open source so you can tinker with it
Have a look at this for trying other ways of achieving your goal Automatically limit (stop) battery charging at a given percentage . Here again, the actions of discontinue charging can be configured to lower limit


text:
Why encrypt the device?
Android 5 offers two encryption features:

Encrypt the device (phone)
Encrypt the external micro SD card

I understand the benefit of 2.: if someone takes my micro SD out and wants to use it on another phone/computer, he won't be able to see my personal files.
But I don't see the the benefit of 1. over a simple password screen lock: nobody can take the internal memory of my phone out of the phone itself. So what is the advantage of 1. over a simple screen lock with password + SIM code lock?
In which precise situation would a thief be defeated by an encrypted device whereas he wouldn't be with a standard screen lock with password?
(I'm not speaking about external micro SD for which I already understand the benefit of encryption)
To be more precise: is there a way for a thief of a phone with password screen lock but no device encryption to access the phone's internal data (let's say he doesn't know the password / cannot crack it).

As far as I'm aware, if you plug the phone into a computer, then you can read at least parts of the internal memory. You don't even need the screen to work, nevermind have the lock-code. (It is possible that I'm wrong; maybe someone can verify?)

"nobody can take the internal memory of my phone out of the phone itself" - I think you're underestimating people's ability to take things out of other things.

@SamT Vary between models. Some happily provide MTP even when locked, other require unlock before providing MTP.

@Martheen Thanks for the clarification. Still, it does show that with some models the screen lock gives no protection to this!

How the FBI could use acid and lasers to access data stored on seized iPhone, How hard is it to read flash memory off a chip?

over a simple password screen lock: nobody can take the internal memory of my phone out of the phone itself. So what is the advantage of 1. over a simple screen lock with password + SIM code lock?

Understand that encryption is used to protect the data from unauthorized access (device misplaced or lost or alike situations). If you are sure that the device would not fall into wrong hands ever, you don't need the encryption.
As for the quoted text: some devices have their bootloader unlocked; some others don't even have this concept (such as MTK devices) in which case a custom recovery (a bare-bone OS) can be loaded into the Android device which would grant complete unrestricted access to your data  if it was not encrypted.
Alternatively, if a PC has access to your device through ADB (think of Android versions prior to JB) than your data is available to that as well.
Some might even go as far as taking out the emmc or the type of storage in your SoC and use it somewhere else. What would your screen lock do if Android is not booted into? Nothing!

In which precise situation would a thief be defeated by an encrypted device whereas he wouldn't be with a standard screen lock with password?

A custom recovery now cannot gives access to your data since it remains encrypted. The thief however can brute force the encrypted partition. Depending upon the power of the machine(s) they've got they may be able to find the key to decrypt the data.

Encryption is a deterrent. If I were to get a hold of a device than I wouldn't be able to brute force it much since I only got an ageing laptop which cannot afford to brute force. Not every cracker possesses NSA like capability to brute force, so encryption does deter them to get hold of your data for some time. That is all to say.

Thanks. To be more specific, I added this to the question: is there a way for a thief of a phone with password screen lock but no device encryption to access the phone's internal data (let's say he doesn't know the password / cannot crack it).

Even NSA can't effectively brute-force a modern encryption. Remember the case where FBI asked Apple to unlock a gunner's iPhone 5C last year?

@Basj - yes, very easily. They can exactly "take the internal memory of my phone out of the phone itself" and read it directly, or as this answer says, load their own OS onto the phone and read your data via that.

@Firelord: But the NSA does have NSA-like capability :-)

@jamesqf: The NSA has NSA-like capability. Not energy-of-a-million-galaxies-compressed-into-a-cubic-cm godlike capability. There is no brute-forcing of crypto. Period. Crypto that gets broken is crypto that was misused, not that was brute forced.

@R.. Of course anyone can try to brute force cryptography, it's just a matter of time & luck. I read an article from 5 years ago that they were aiming (and spending) to read older 128-bit encrypted messages "soon" with current 256-bit encryption as a goal. By now I don't know what they're up to

@Xen2050 That article hints at the idea that might be their goal but it currently provably technologically out of reach due to power requirements. Brute forcing a 128 bit key would cost in terms of energy (many multiples of but hard to count how many) 5 years worth of the worlds current power output. To be more specific just running a minimal energy counter (we don't know how to build one) from 0 to 2^128 would take 5 years worth of the worlds energy production. If they are breaking or intending to break 128 bit AES it's not through brute force.

@DRF You want Amount of simple operations that is safely out of reach for all humanity? on [security.se]. Note that the question and both currently highly voted answers are from 2011.

@iBug Remember how they backed off that after a while, having found some other way of getting access to the data?

@R..: Cryptography is not my field, so I have no certain knowledge as to what the exact capabilities of the NSA are.  But that wasn't my point.  I don't really care if my smart phone memory gets read by Joe Hacker living in his mom's basement; I do care about the government being able to read it.  (In principle: In the real world I don't have a smart phone, and if they really care about my text messages arranging horse-riding trips and such, they're welcome.)

"If you are sure that the device would not fall into wrong hands ever..." then you are mistaken.

@Dancrumb that may be so, but you should at least attempt to convince that why I'm mistaken? I've made my case in the answer. You are yet to do it anywhere here.

@Firelord. I wasn't saying that you were mistaken. I was saying that anyone who is sure that their device would not fall into the wrong hands ever is mistaken. Anyone who needs convincing of that fact has clearly never read a newspaper or... you know... existed in the real world.

sure, nobody can break "modern encryption". but they can attack your low-entropy numeric passcode that forms the basis of the cryptographic keys. 128-bit keyspace may be too large to realistically bruteforce, but i would guess most people's mobile passcode is a few dozen bits at most.
And key-stretching algorithms are limited by low-power processors and small batteries in mobile devices. Recall that the iPhone's brute-force resistance is not based on cryptography, but by embedding the key storage and unlock delay mechanisms deep within the main SoC where they're tricky to get at.

nobody can take the internal memory of my phone out of the phone itself

While taking out your phone's internal storage out is harder than the SD card, it's definitely not impossible. Rework stations used to extract chips from circuit boards may be expensive, but not outrageously so (around $1000), and can be rented in many electronic repair shops for tens of $ an hour.

If you have a bunch of stolen phones you've decided to destroy in hopes to get sensitive data (older models you won't be selling anyway), it will cost you a couple of bucks per phone to get the flash chip out.
Reading the flash IC is even easier. Check out this flash reader, which can be bought for under $300 (and about 10 times cheaper on e-bay or aliexpress):

BGA versions of such flash readers are available as well. One of the side-effects of flash memory becoming so inexpensive and omnipresent is a very high level of standardization, to the point where chips from different manufacturers not only have the same physical size and pinout, but also support the same command set.

Thanks for this interesting answer. However I think that if A="Electronic engineer able to use these machines" B="Thief of phones", P(A | B) = 0,000001.

@Basj they don't need to be the same person. Similarly the details of stolen credit cards are sold to those with the kit to clone them.

@Basj Those machines are not that hard to use, I've seen printers which are trickier to set up and operate right. Besides, many repair shops will just take the PCBs you give them and a small sum of money and will give the desoldered chips back to you. Using a flash reader is similar to ripping a CD and extracting files from the ISO image.

Ok I didn't know that. For example, what does a Samsung galaxy internal memory look like? won't it be a 1 mm^2 chip?

@Basj, I found this picture from an iPhone 7 teardown that shows the 128GB Flash (highlighted in red). Definitely a lot bigger than you are imagining. Toshiba's site has it at 12mm x 20mm.

If you have a pile of phones and you're just looking for things (i.e. not some terrorists' phone who has a nuclear bomb somewhere so you can't afford to mess up), a $20 heat gun and a pair of tweezers is all you need to pull off some flash chips.

@NickT Or some middle ground: cheap hot air stations like these work pretty well too: https://www.sparkfun.com/products/10706

@Basj If a 128GB flash could fit in a 1 mm² chip, we would be seeing 20TB micro SD cards on sale. The biggest one I've seen so far is merely a 256GB one.

You are right that there is no advantage of encryption if your device screen lock password can be cracked or guessed by an intruder. The moment he / she does that , there is no security offered by device  encryption - Physical possession is ownership and you are compromised
Reason behind this is that Android didn't separately use a password for Disk encryption and lock screen. Lock screen is a part of encryption process. This is a security concern that seems to be overlooked in favour of making life easy for an average user
From Android Security Internals: An In-Depth Guide to Android's Security :

Android doesn’t have a dedicated setting to manage the encryption pass-
  word after the device is encrypted, and changing the screen lock password or
  PIN will also silently change the device encryption password. This is most
  probably a usability-driven decision: most users would be confused by having
  to remember and enter two different passwords at different times and would
  probably quickly forget the less frequently used, and possibly more complex,
  disk encryption password. While this design is good for usability, it effectively
  forces users to use a simple disk encryption password, because they have to
  enter it each time they unlock the device, usually dozens of times a day. No
  one wants to enter a complex password that many times, and thus most users
  opt for a simple numeric PIN (unless a device policy requires otherwise)

If you want to keep the encryption password separate from the lock screen password you can use this app cryptfs password developed by the same person whose text has been quoted above
Edit
In response to the edit in question, you are reasonably secure if a thief cannot crack or guess your password. But I understand that there are methods available for a sophisticated thief who is technically advanced to compromise your data security (some have been hinted by Firelord's answer )

Thanks. To be more precise: is there a way for a thief of a phone with password screen lock but no device encryption to access my phone internal data? (let's say he doesn't know the password).

If he doesn't know the device lockscreen password, you are secure as long as he is unable to guess our crack it. BUT, there are other sophisticated methods I believe to enter into your device , which are more for a sophisticated thief who has the technical skills and resources and knows that there is valuable information inside the device which he wants to get at. Some of these have been covered by Firelord in his answer.My answer is for an average user Vs average intruder and the OS you specified in question//

If you really have vital information, smartphone is not a good place to store - that could be asked in a separate question as there are other means to protect such information to a greater degree

over a simple password screen lock: nobody can take the internal memory of my phone out of the phone itself...

They don't need to. There's literally YouTube videos about how to do this. Any average person with dedication could do this. Any thief that's made it their life work will thank you for not encrypting your phone, because it'll reduce their effort to mere "minutes" instead of "hours".
We're not living in the Stone Age. This is the age of prolific technology everywhere. If you're not using full drive encryption on your phone, laptop, etc, then your data is very easily accessible. Yes, there is a minor performance penalty for encrypting your phone, and some minor inconvenience, but using encryption is a major inconvenience to those that might gain access to your phone for a short period of time, like an hour or even overnight.
While some critical information is encrypted (typically passwords, PINs, and the like), most of your data is opaque, and can be used to commit all sorts of Bad Things™ with that data. By using full device encryption and a secure password, you avoid being a casual victim.
No security is absolutely perfect, but using a PIN instead of encryption is only protecting the "front door" of your system. Many phones can be accessed through back doors, such as SSH servers, safe mode kernels, and more. Many devices simply do not get security "right." Full device encryption helps bridge that gap in security.
There are still some risky, but theoretically successful attacks you can do against encryption, but those are still outside the reach of casual thieves. Phones without encryption, however, can be broken in by anyone that actually bothers to get a hold of your phone with the intent to get your data. Phones with encryption are usually only good for one thing: reselling on the black market. In many cases, your data is far more valuable than the device itself.

Why encrypt the device?
The main and ultimate reason is for the safety of your personal data. Even if it's not immortal, it can protect you against most "garage workshop" level of intrusion.
First, Physical possession is ownership is wrong. What's the intention for a lock screen (with password prompt)? Yes, it's to prevent unauthorized normal access to a device (originally computer). However, as the age goes, people have learnt to bypass the lock screen by booting into another separate operating system and then they'll gain access to everything. The intrusion technology has evolved by a lot ever since. Does the computer refuse to boot into an alternative system? No problem. Take the drive and grab another computer.
That's the origin of data encryption. When a simple password, there's hardly any difficulty to bypass the protection. If any datum is encrypted, it won't be accessible without the correct key. With a good encryption algorithm, brute-force attack is confidently impratical. No one wants to crack some data for tens of years. It has helped a lot with data security.
Encryption is intended as an add-on protection. In other words, it's not a poka-yoke (aka foolproof). If someone keeps on telling others his lockscreen password, or he hasn't set a LS PW at all, the encryption can do... pretty nothing. When you meet an extremely malicious guy, he can steal your phone and pick off the storage chip, ano use another device to extract data. In that case nothing is effective except physical encryption.
The downsides are

primarily, performance degradation
encryption key gets messed up (rare case but...)

Why not encryption? Don't you store very private photos that you don't want to leak?

Personally, I don't. Firelord made it right.

If you are sure that the device would never fall into wrong hands, you don't need the encryption.

Add-on protection? Doesn't sound correct.

Well actually... Although it might seem like your data is safe without encryption and with a screen password, the reality is that it's vulnerable to root based exploits.
The device is compromised in the sense that it is accessible via adb or a USB exploit.
With full device encryption, the data is completely impossible to get to as the screen lock is required at start up.
What this means basically, is that if you have FDE your data is inaccessible without the password while without it, your data is accessible to a smart hacker.

No password/lock/pincode implemented without encryption can protect your data when attacker has physical access to device. Because there is always (yes always) a way to alter these locks. But when there is encryption, altering doesn't work because data remains scrambled until password is found. (Or cipher cracked, but this is very very unlikely to happen when cipher is strong)

Thanks. Can you give an example of way to alter these locks? (say, for an average thief, who doesn't have FBI techniques nor PhD in microelectronics ;))

Soft resetting, for example. Works on Samsung Galaxy S2, S3, S4, S5, Note2, and Note3.

How does this work?

You can google it. Explaining every detail about resetting smartphone would be too broad for this question, I think.

I also see others answers contain examples for this too.


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Wifi Direct not working on LG-G4
I can turn on Wifi Direct on my LG G4, and I can connect to another phone. There is even a Wifi Direct icon on the notification bar. However, if I try to share something, I can not see it in the sharing options.
Also, if I try to share the other way around, the G4 never receives the file, not even a confirmation popup comes up.
The other device is a Samsung S7.

Are you using a firewall ? Sometimes they prevent

I use no firewall

It seems that manufacturers are now making  Wi-Fi direct to be compatible with same brands only.
Quoting a support chat concerning this issue, it was indeed the case, according to Samsung support:

Wi-Fi direct only works between same manufacture phones. I am afraid
  it does not work with LG or any other brand.

One thing to note:

Wi-Fi direct is a protocol, but you still have to have an app to use
  it. Samsung has S Beam and LG has SmartShare as well, but S beam only
  works with Samsung devices and SmartShare only works LG devices.

This is by design, and not LG G4 device specifically, you may still manage to connect but won't send any files like you noted, perhaps old smartphones still support cross brands functionality.
A proposed workaround is using 3rd party applications like Superbeam from playstore.
Reference

File sharing between phones


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exFat on GT-9082
Is it possible to use a sdcard with the exFat on the Galaxy Grand Duos GT-I9082 ? Is it possible without a custom ROM ?
I am running Jellybean 4.2.2 on the stock ROM. I can upgrade to kikat on a non-stock ROM.

Yes, if you upgrade to KitKat ( that's the minimum Android version that supports exfat as explained here Since which Android version is exFat supported? )
Your phone supports SDXC as listed here ( presumably on KitKat or higher )
SDXC is backward compatible to exfat as mentioned here so it should support, unless there is something I am missing
You can also use this app exfat checker to verify if your current configuration supports exfat

@+1 for exfat checker.


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The device is temporarily restricted
I try to install an app from Android Studio on Xiaomi Mi Max via USB.
The debug mode is on, but when I try to switch the 'Install over USB' enabled, I get 'The device is temporarily restricted' message.
Core version is 3.10.84, Android version is 7.0, MIUI version is 8 Global 7.7.20.

A detailed blog: http://sforsuresh.in/xiaomi-mi-note-4-install-via-usb-device-temporarily-restricted/

Finally, I got a workaround - the Wi-Fi has to be turned off and then the installation over USB works as expected.

Thank you!! I really do not understand why that is needed, security feature?

Welcome, yes, it looks like some SELinux restriction.

First I had to create the annoying MI account, then it demanded I insert a SIM to allow install over USB, now this... Unbelievably ill-conceived phone.


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You device does not support VoIP call recording
I own a stock OnePlus 3 device which is on android 7.1.1. I've not changed anything in the device! Everything is stock. I recently install an app called CUBE Acr to record viber and messenger calls. But when I install the application it says

Sorry but your device does not support VoIP apps call recording ( Skype, Whatspp, Etc ). This feature will be disabled. You can still record phone calls.

How can I turn on this feature from the device itself? is there anyting I should do to device settings in order to get that feature working?

I don't think you can change it by settings. If you see the list of compatible devices listed in the app description, you will find that your device does not figure . Only one plus one from your OEM is compatible
Also if you read app reviews, on other devices which are not compatible, developer says it's due to hardware or firmware incompatibility

Is there any other application which would be available to my device? to record VoIP calls.

@beeshyams is there any latest list of supported devices? It works on Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 but it isn't listed.

@vasik988 I am sorry, I am not aware. But I do recall reading some blog that said legal issues are the main hurdle not technical or compatibility. And a lot of Chinese devices aren't exactly famous for being sticklers for rules

@beeshyams do you mean, it's illegal to record VoIP? (Didn't really understand the sentence).

@vasik988 I don't recall the details but it is the bigger issue of recording calls and violation of privacy. VIOP is a small portion of recording


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Weird Octopus icon, Joy Launcher on Alcatel
this weird thing happened today, an octopus icon appeared on screen. Alcatel. It's annoying. Linked to Joy Launcher, which can't be disabled.
Any idea how I can turn it off?
Not the same as other question about Joy Launcher

Possible duplicate of How to uninstall or replace Joy Launcher?

@beeshyams Don't jump to a conclusion too fast.

Somebody mentioned that the icon looks like this. I presume this to be an overlay so I suggest you try Andrew T's answer if you're on Android Marshmallow.

I went into Settings → Apps → Joy Launcher, and then pressed a little cog in the top right which resets Joy Launcher back to its default (original) state. But it also resets your home page back to default.

Happened to me too and I couldn't get rid of it. When I went in to the settings I didn't see/have the cog that was mentioned above so there was no way to change any of the settings. I tried to force stop it but it would immediately start back up.
What I did to get rid of it was to install a different launcher. There are several Ad free ones including: Cheetah, Arrow, and Nova.
That got rid of it. The Octopus was really annoying and there should have been some warning before they did that.

You may want to be careful about recommending Cheetah apps based on a new report out about Cheetah, and Google Play actions against them. See this: https://www.xda-developers.com/google-bans-600-apps-play-store/.

I too was the victim of the rotten Joy Launcher. I think I have now stopped it and now we have a happy Alcatel cell phone.
 I did a lot of things, but basically - sorry do not have the cell to hand.
 I uninstalled Joy Launcher (from version 7.0 to version 5??) and clicked on Force Stop. Then I uninstalled Updates (from version 7.0 to version 5??) and clicked on Force Stop.
 Within Play Store, I selected 'do not install when connected to Wireless' and 'manual install'.
 There is one last 'manual install' option which I think is within settings.
 The octopus is gone and Joy Launcher doesn't bug me anymore. Yippee!

try these steps :

Go to Setting-> Apps
Tap on Joy Launcher
inside joy launcher, select uninstall updates then, select storage and clear data,it will work 100%

Yeah Alcatel really screwed up a lot of the factory apps. IDK who the dev is now but they need to fire him or her. To return joy launcher to the factory version (which is called onetouch) go to settings, apps, and scroll down to Joy launcher. Go ahead and click it then in the upper right hand corner there are three dots. Push the dots (menu) and uncheck the box to uninstall updates. That will bring it back to the way you bought it. Make sure you disable the automatic updates for Joy Launcher aka Onetouch. Hope this helps you.

Factory reset disable auto updates was my solution, not the best but was so freaked out that it had to be done.

Apps > Settings > Launcher and it allowed me to uninstall updates back to factory version. That got rid of it and all the other nonsense that showed up on my Alcatel yesterday.

I disabled my Wi-Fi first just to be safe, then uninstalled the "updates" (the three dots in the top right), thus restoring the app to factory settings.

I believe this is a better fit to David's answer as a comment. Your answer adds nothing new or of value other than that you disabled Wi-Fi first but didn't mention why it was best to be done so?


text:
Android O : Unable to deactivated snoozed notification
In Android O (Beta OPP4.170623.014), I snoozed an application for one hour for testing purposes.
I have been searching through the System Settings and online as well, and found no way to undo the snooze for the specific notification.
Is it just not supported in the latest beta version of Android O? I do most certainly hope that un-snoozing will be a possibility going forward.

I don't have  device running O  but this says there is a drop down to do that

In which section do you see that, @beeshyams? I know that it is possible to undo the action briefly after snoozing.

If you tap the clock you’ll automatically snooze for 15 minutes but you can open the drop-down menu to snooze for 30 or 60 minutes instead or to disable snooze

Key word: beta.

@SiXandSeven8ths I am well aware of that, hence my last sentence in my question

Any update on this? There's an Android P now...


text:
Is it possible to dual-boot Android with LineageOS?
I am going to get a new Android device (Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 with 4G/LTE with latest Android) and I am thinking about the possibility of dual-booting with LineageOS (CyanogenMod fork)? Is it possible? I own a microSD card if that is a necessity.

Sure, but Android doesn't provide built-in support for dual boot. You got to make sure that somebody out in the wild created a hack for your device which can boot Lineage OS or other custom ROMs as well. E.g. MultiROM is the most popular hack out there to do multi-OS boot. It supports many high-end devices such as the likes of Google, Samsung, OnePlus and so on. It would be best if you tell us exactly which device you are  going to buy.

@Firelord, Thank you for your comment. It will be Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 with 4G/LTE.

Most if not all tablets don't get popular enough for devs to do a MultiROM port. Also, MultiROM has requirements for the kernel of ROMs you want to boot, which the stock kernel likely won't satisfy (without modification).


text:
Clearing Saved Logins
I have a Nexus 5x that is proving quite troublesome (overheating/rebooting) and needs to be sent back to supplier/manufacturer. Before I send it I would like to removed saved logins and passwords. These are for the Gmail account linked to the phone and a number of professional websites - there are confidentiality issues. Can this be done or would I be best just changing the passwords from another system?

I would like to mention that Google offers a way to users to revoke access from apps/browsers where your Google ID is signed in. Visit https://myaccount.google.com/device-activity

You can do a simple factory data reset. That's a good enough bet.
Additionally, even if you don't reset it manually, it'll likely be reset by the repair shop.

Does the reset remov e the data? I cannot access the device from  either a Windows or Linux laptop as I did with my previous Android (Samsung Galaxy)


text:
How can you make calls with Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 with 4G/LTE?
I am looking for a way to make calls from an Android tablet, namely Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 which has 4G/LTE support and thus has a SIM card slot. Do you know any ways of making calling from the Android tablet which are either official or not?
I am open for rooting, installing custom ROMs and using external equipment like headphones.

Are you trying to call using cellular only and not data?  The device is on a data only plan even though it has a SIM card.
I suggest using Skype or Google Voice to call landlines, or Google Duo to call other Android users.  Both of these options will route your call over data.

From what I read, it can receive phone calls. So, I assume there's a Phone app?
Source: http://www.androidauthority.com/samsung-galaxy-tab-s3-review-757782/

If I'm not misunderstanding the sentence, looks like it's referring to the "old SideSync app, which essentially virtualizes the phone in all of its glory on the tablet" but has a prerequisite of being "[o]wners of Samsung’s Galaxy smartphones." (looks like remote-controlling/syncing phone-to-tablet)


text:
Backup to Google Drive - Disabled by your admin. Why does my device show is? It's preventing me from restoring my backed up apps.

I'm trying to restore my apps that are backed up to Drive. I  keep getting this (screenshot) and cannot change so I can restore my apps. I even did a factory reset and was not offered the option to restore my apps. I don't have any idea what was done to make it return this now about the admin. It's my personal phone and nobody else uses it. I don't have a school or business account either which is where the help tells you to go and change admin.
Any help please there to resolve this. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Thx much. Appreciate the feedback.

Posted an answer. It seems to be false alarm. As you can see from others on the thread, they are able to backup. You can try backing up. And share your experience as a comment to help future visitors with the same problem.

From Google Product forums , this has been widely reported by Nougat users and is a false alarm
Reply from Google help yesterday (08 Aug)

We just received a feedback from the Android team. The error that you are encountering is actually being displayed by accident for some Android Nougat users. It has no effect on your data being backed up or not. The status of backup being on or off is correctly captured in the first 'Backup & Reset' screen, and can be controlled by the user. For now, you can safely ignore the error message until a fix is rolled out by the Android team which should be around September 21, 2017.

(Emphasis Supplied)
Other users have reported that they have been able to restore despite the warning

False alarm or no, I believe this is a bug.  I've looked at a lot of forums and lots of people are chiming in on this issue.  I checked my Google Drive / Backups section (where these backups should get stored) and there hasn't been an update from this phone yet.  I've used my work / personal accounts as well, same issue...

Gave an answer but it says the answer already exists yet answers said it's a false alarm. Problem is it's not false for every user as some show there are no backups and someone else reset their device but couldn't restore because it said there are no backups. It is a false alarm for some but not all. So users need to double check that a backup actually exists.

I've also checked the Google Drive / Backups, not a false alarm, no backups geting created.  How can it be a false alarm if the entire Google Accounts section doesn't show which apps you can backup?


text:
What does 'Always On Display' button does in Android on Samsung Galaxy S7?
What does 'Always On Display' button does in Android on Samsung Galaxy S7?
Please don't say it makes display be always on, because it doesn't.

Seriously man, did you even search?

Quoted from CNET:

According to Samsung, the average smartphone owner checks his or her device nearly 150 times a day: A quick press of the power button to view the time here, and double tap on the screen to view notifications there, apparently adds up fast.
Samsung's solution for this obsessive checking and waking our smartphones is through a feature it calls Always-On Display.
As the name implies, Samsung's latest Galaxy devices are equipped with the fancy new feature.
After locking your device, the screen will remain dimly lit. The default setting is to display the current time, with the information moving around on the screen every few seconds. Alerts for missed calls and text messages are also placed on the screen.

...and additionally from TechRadar:

Where before you'd have to wake the phone to see the time or check your notifications, now the screen permanently displays a clock, calendar or pattern.


text:
How can Instagram cause wakelocks when disabled?
Can somebody explain me the logic behind how Instagram can still be the top app in my wakelook detector app even when it is disabled with Package disabler??:O

I assume there's some other app calling to it – which is still possible even when disabled (intents can be addressed directly; the app then acts like a "library" and offers the addressed functionality). I'd try checking with logcat whether there's an indicator on who calls it, see our logging tag-wiki.

Alright nice! I looked into the "logcat" thing and found a way to do it just using ADB. Basically: ADB shell: logcat.
Now... The logcat outputs a ****load of text, is there any good ways or tools to filter it? Kind of to spot wakelocks and such?
I guess ctrl+f would be good, but anything better?

On Linux, I just pipe things to grep (eg. adb logcat -v time | grep -i instagram). Be welcome to check with my list of ADB helpers to run on your PC. If you're on Windows, DroidExplorer might be a good choice. Also note the specific logcat helpers there.

I would imagine what describe for linux, would almost be the same as ctrl+f in a word document on windows for me :)
And thanks for the link, but I really do no know much about coding, and many of the tools looks quite complicated :O


text:
Ringtone set from a file reverts to default after reboot
When I set a ringtone from a file ("More ringtones"), after reboot it reverts to the default ringtone on the pre-set list. How to fix this?
When I choose a ringtone from the pre-set list, it does stay (does not revert to the default one).
The file I select is in Phone storage/Ringtones.
I tried Zedge to set a downloaded ringtone, same effect: after reboot, it resets to the default one. As a workaround, maybe there is an app that would check the ringtone after reboot and set its own one if it has reverted to the default?
Android 5.1 kernel 3.10.65, model Polariod P5025A, not rooted.
The phone has other issues, such as after reboot some downloaded apps (not always, but Opera almost always) disappear from the desktop, so that I have to bring their icons to the desktop again. The downloaded apps are on SD card (probably that's why), but my old phone (Android 4.4 on Samsung, a great deal better than 5.1) did not have any of these problems.

Is the new phone Samsung as well?

@WrichikBasu The ringtone I set is some .mp3 file which I found somewhere in Internet. (Motivation: this high-pitch beep-beep sound is loud to be well heard from another room and is clearly identified as a sound of a device. All the pre-set ringtones on this phone are songs or melodies, of low volume -- some are, say, noise of wind and bird's songs (!!), which are completely lost in a noisy environment with music from the street and other natural sounds.)

@WrichikBasu Ah sorry I misread the question. No, the new phone is Polaroid.

You  could have bought Samsung, as Samsung doesn't have these problems. Moreover, almost all Samsung devices on 5.0 android have been upgraded to 6.0 by official software update.

Apps such as Tasker can definitely set the ringtone after device boot.

Profile: Event → System → Device Boot
Task: Audio → Default Ringtone:

Type: Ringer
Sound: tap lens icon → choose File Manger app -> select your sound file.

File Manager app should be such app which allow a sound file to be selected as a ringtone. I'm aware of Solid File Explorer and ES File Explorer providing such feature.
If you don't get the option to use the File Manager app, then clear the defaults of Media Server from Settings → Apps → All apps (or three dots line → Show system) → Media Server → Open by default → Clear defaults.

Tasker did the trick. No need to install the intrusive ES File Explorer, I could directly set the ringtone using the built-in interface with the action "set ringtone", not "choose File Manager".


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Cannot access adb shell on emulated x86 phone
Trying to get access to a phone on Android emulator via adb. Error message returned:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Android\android-sdk\platform-tools>adb shell error: device unauthorized.
This adb server's $ADB_VENDOR_KEYS is not set
Try 'adb kill-server' if that seems wrong.
Otherwise check for a confirmation dialog on your device.

C:\Program Files (x86)\Android\android-sdk\platform-tools>

I have deleted the adbkey and adbkey.pub files from the .android folder as suggested in some question/answers for physical phones without success. Also disabling and re-enabling USB debugging on the phone.
Phone details:
Device - Nexus 7 (7.02", 1200 x 1920: xhdpi)
Target - Android 8.0.0 - API Level 26
CPU/ABI- Google Play Intel Atom (x86)
Any ideas on how to get adb access? Thanks.

Same problem here. I tried to use different system image  - Google APIs instead of Google Play, but it does not even boot due to https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/66114788 .

I had a similar issue with an x86 emulator sdk 24

Settings -> About emulated device -> click on "Build number" several times (as you do on a real device)
go to Settings -> Developer options -> turn on "USB debugging"

you should be getting a dialog to enable debugging access from the pc
and attempt running again via Android Studio


text:
Always Show Navigation Bar Nougat / Disable Immersive Mode
On some apps, the navigation bar and status bar are automatically hidden, and you have to swipe up to see them. Is there a way to force the navigation bar to always be visible on Android Nougat, like on top of the app or next to it?
Edit: In other words, is there a way to disable the immersive mode on Android apps?

Do you want to disable the immersive mode of apps? Is the status bar also hidden in those apps?

@LalitSinghFauzdar Yes, that's what I meant to say, I want to disable the immersive mode. And yes, the status bar is also hidden in those apps with the navigation bar.

To force immersive mode and to force non-immersive mode, you must be rooted with Xposed framework installed in it. To do the same use app Immersive forcer. This is a xposed module and will work only if used with Xposed framework.
Remember you are not forced to root and by Rooting your phone can be risky and dangerous for your device.
Also, Rooting voids your warranty.
MAIN THING is there is no xposed framework (official) for nougat till now and installing unofficial version if available can brick (soft/hard) your phone.

This is not working. Only to force immersive mode is possible with this module, but not to unforce it.


text:
Can't Connect To Network After Mac Address Spoof
I know this has been asked before but no real answer has been given. I would spoof my mac address using either busybox manually or via apps and afterwards I would not be able to connect to wifi networks. I think the problem may be with ip problems and not the mac address. If I set up a static ip I can connect to the network but it would act as if I wasn't connected and no internet would be given. I connected to the network with my default mac and got internet access and found out the ip info and stuff and so I tried to spoof my mac address again and then set the static ip as that one and it would connect but yet again would get no internet. This makes no sense to me as it works fine on my computer.

MAC address filtering on the router?

No, there is no mac address filtering on the router. I just don't get why I can spoof my mac address on my computer and it works fine but not on my phone.

Try matching the details of that desktop and your phone. You can see the details in desktop by typing ipconfig /all in cmd and using Ping tools in android. Here's the link of that app - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ua.com.streamsoft.pingtools .

Also what tool do you use to change mac like mac address spoofer or Device id changer.

I've done it manually with busybox using ifconfig commands and I've tried literally every app in the app store for it.

Also, I've done that. I've used the same dns, same default gateway, same everything except static ip obviously.

I've used MAC adderess ghost for the very same purpose and it works really well. Also, what do you use to confirm a changed MAC address. Here's the link of the app - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=diewland.changemac&hl=en

I use the command busybox ifconfig to see that it was changed, and every time it was in fact, changed. I'll take a look at that app.

You can use Fing or ping tools to see the detailed list of network connection. I did MAC spoofing thousand times but never faced such an issue.

I have also used Fing to look at it and everything seemed fine but still faced the same problem. Others have been facing the same problem but no clear answer has been found.

I used the Mac Address Ghost app and I thought it had worked as it connected and I had internet but It didn't actually change the mac address at all

Why don't you try this guide on XDA. - https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2286440

Guide did not work. Still am having the same problem. I assure you I am doing everything correct

I can't help with this any further as this is the thing one cannot solve just by texting. But still, if there's something you want to know, you can message/tag me.

It seems that when it tries to connect to a network it is not actually using the spoofed mac address even though if I look using busybox ifconfig wlan0 which shows that it was changed but on my computer using adb logcat command shows otherwise. I have found the file that contains the mac address but it shows the mac address in hex and list it 4 different times as Intf0MacAddress, Intf1Maccaddress, and so on... If I could find out how to edit this I imagine I could change it, correct?