text:
Marshmallow not bootlooping, but not starting
What Happened:
A few days back I left my phone (MediaTek chipset) to charge overnight. What I did not notice was that the charger was loose and the charge was at around 2%. The next morning, I woke up to find my phone's battery drained completely.
When I tried to start it (after charging), it was taking a bit too much time, and the phone was heating up. However, the boot didn't complete nor did the phone reboot (like a bootloop).
What I Did:
I went to the recovery, took backups, cleared the /data partition, and got the phone to start. However, I require the application data (more than the phone) and just formatting the partition didn't seem to take me closer to my goal and hence I restored the backups.
I then cleared the data of several programs which might have caused the problem:
rm -rf com.android.captiveportallogin com.android.carrierconfig com.android.cellbroadcastreceiver com.android.certinstaller com.android.defcontainer com.android.development com.android.documentsui com.android.externalstorage com.android.frameworks.telresources com.android.keychain com.android.managedprovisioning com.android.mms.service com.android.noisefield com.android.pacprocessor com.android.printspooler com.android.proxyhandler com.android.server.telecom com.android.statementservice com.android.stk com.android.vpndialogs com.android.webview com.gametion.ludo com.google.android.configupdater com.grarak.kerneladiutor com.jrummy.app.managerfree com.lexa.fakegps com.makeinfo.androididchanger com.one24.deviceid com.ores.hash com.phoneinfo.changer com.resurrection.otacom.sanctuaire.netswisstool com.unique.mobilefaker com.zimperium.zanti cyanogenmod.platform de.robv.android.xposed.installer it.evilsocket.dsploit net.fidanov.landroid org.cyanogenmod.livelockscreen.service org.cyanogenmod.providers.datausage
rm -rf org.cyanogenmod.snap org.cyanogenmod.theme.chooser org.cyanogenmod.themes.provider org.cyanogenmod.wallpapers.photophase org.cyanogenmod.weather.provider org.omnirom.omniswitch tursky.jan.settings
rm -rf com.android.settings com.android.systemui

Didn't help...
So I accessed logcat and extracted some of the possibly juicy bits (in random order):
page record for 0xb6e4301c was not found
AndroidRuntime:        at com.android.server.pm.PackageManagerService.main(PackageManagerService.java:1873)
ServiceManager: service 'batterystats' died
01-01 07:33:29.583  8300  8300 D AndroidRuntime: Shutting down VM
01-01 07:33:29.584  8300  8300 E AndroidRuntime: *** FATAL EXCEPTION IN SYSTEM PROCESS: main
01-01 07:37:16.064 15437 15437 E AndroidRuntime: Error reporting crash
01-01 07:37:16.064 15437 15437 E AndroidRuntime: java.lang.NullPointerException: Attempt to invoke interface method 'void android.app.IActivityManager.handleApplicationCrash(android.os.IBinder, android.app.ApplicationErrorReport$CrashInfo)' on a null object reference
01-01 07:37:16.064 15437 15437 I Process : Sending signal. PID: 15437 SIG: 9
01-01 07:37:16.088   189   189 I ServiceManager: service 'batterystats' died
01-01 07:37:16.088   189   189 I ServiceManager: service 'appops' died
01-01 07:37:16.088   189   189 I ServiceManager: service 'power' died
01-01 07:37:16.088   189   189 I ServiceManager: service 'display' died
01-01 07:37:16.093   217   217 E installd: eof
01-01 07:37:16.093   217   217 E installd: failed to read size
01-01 07:37:16.093   217   217 I installd: closing connection
01-01 07:37:16.404 12127 12127 I Zygote  : Process 12239 exited cleanly (13)
01-01 07:37:16.405 12127 12127 E Zygote  : Exit zygote because system server (15437) has terminated
01-01 07:37:16.446   189   189 I ServiceManager: service 'user.xposed.app' died
01-01 07:37:16.453   189   189 I ServiceManager: service 'media.audio_flinger' died
01-01 07:37:16.453   189   189 I ServiceManager: service 'media.player' died
01-01 07:37:16.453   189   189 I ServiceManager: service 'media.resource_manager' died
01-01 07:37:35.780 17500 17500 E cutils-trace: Error opening trace file: No such file or directory (2)
01-01 07:32:20.048  3896  3896 E AndroidRuntime: Error reporting WTF
01-01 07:32:20.048  3896  3896 E AndroidRuntime: java.lang.NullPointerException: Attempt to invoke interface method 'boolean android.app.IActivityManager.handleApplicationWtf(android.os.IBinder, java.lang.String, boolean, android.app.ApplicationErrorReport$CrashInfo)' on a null object reference
01-01 07:32:20.048  3896  3896 E AndroidRuntime:        at com.android.internal.os.RuntimeInit.wtf(RuntimeInit.java:353)
01-01 07:32:20.048  3896  3896 E AndroidRuntime:        at android.util.Log$1.onTerribleFailure(Log.java:104)
01-01 07:32:20.048  3896  3896 E AndroidRuntime:        at android.util.Log.wtf(Log.java:297)
01-01 07:32:20.048  3896  3896 E AndroidRuntime:        at android.util.Slog.wtf(Slog.java:82)
01-01 07:32:41.126  5786  5786 E AndroidRuntime: android.util.Log$TerribleFailure: No start tag found in package manager settings
01-01 07:32:41.161  5786  5786 W PackageManager: Library not found: /system/framework/org.apache.http.legacy.jar
01-01 07:32:41.247  5786  5786 E System  : ******************************************
01-01 07:32:41.249  5786  5786 E System  : ************ Failure starting system services
01-01 07:32:41.249  5786  5786 E System  : java.lang.NullPointerException: Attempt to read from field 'java.lang.String com.android.server.pm.Settings$VersionInfo.fingerprint' on a null object reference

Then I got an idea and did rm -rf /data/data and mkdir /data/data. Didn't help but showed that the problem was not due to app data but something else in the data partition.
Soon, I noticed a repeating pattern in logcat, indicating my phone was stuck in a loop (not bootloop) and not a blocking call to a process or thread.
The looping logcat:
01-01 07:32:53.191  6368  6368 E System  : ******************************************
01-01 07:32:53.191  6368  6368 E System  : ************ Failure starting system services
01-01 07:32:53.191  6368  6368 E System  : java.lang.NullPointerException: Attempt to read from field 'java.lang.String com.android.server.pm.Settings$VersionInfo.fingerprint' on a null object reference
01-01 07:32:53.191  6368  6368 E System  :      at com.android.server.pm.PackageManagerService.<init>(PackageManagerService.java:2170)
01-01 07:32:53.191  6368  6368 E System  :      at com.android.server.pm.PackageManagerService.main(PackageManagerService.java:1873)
01-01 07:32:53.191  6368  6368 E System  :      at com.android.server.SystemServer.startBootstrapServices(SystemServer.java:387)
01-01 07:32:53.191  6368  6368 E System  :      at de.robv.android.xposed.XposedBridge.invokeOriginalMethodNative(Native Method)
01-01 07:32:53.191  6368  6368 E System  :      at de.robv.android.xposed.XposedBridge.handleHookedMethod(XposedBridge.java:334)
01-01 07:32:53.191  6368  6368 E System  :      at com.android.server.SystemServer.startBootstrapServices(<Xposed>)
01-01 07:32:53.191  6368  6368 E System  :      at com.android.server.SystemServer.run(SystemServer.java:289)
01-01 07:32:53.191  6368  6368 E System  :      at com.android.server.SystemServer.main(SystemServer.java:176)
01-01 07:32:53.191  6368  6368 E System  :      at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method)
01-01 07:32:53.191  6368  6368 E System  :      at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:726)
01-01 07:32:53.191  6368  6368 E System  :      at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:616)
01-01 07:32:53.191  6368  6368 E System  :      at de.robv.android.xposed.XposedBridge.main(XposedBridge.java:102)
01-01 07:32:53.192  6368  6368 E AndroidRuntime: *** FATAL EXCEPTION IN SYSTEM PROCESS: main
01-01 07:32:53.192  6368  6368 E AndroidRuntime: java.lang.NullPointerException: Attempt to read from field 'java.lang.String com.android.server.pm.Settings$VersionInfo.fingerprint' on a null object reference
01-01 07:32:53.192  6368  6368 E AndroidRuntime:        at com.android.server.pm.PackageManagerService.<init>(PackageManagerService.java:2170)
01-01 07:32:53.192  6368  6368 E AndroidRuntime:        at com.android.server.pm.PackageManagerService.main(PackageManagerService.java:1873)
01-01 07:32:53.192  6368  6368 E AndroidRuntime:        at com.android.server.SystemServer.startBootstrapServices(SystemServer.java:387)
01-01 07:32:53.192  6368  6368 E AndroidRuntime:        at de.robv.android.xposed.XposedBridge.invokeOriginalMethodNative(Native Method)
01-01 07:32:53.192  6368  6368 E AndroidRuntime:        at de.robv.android.xposed.XposedBridge.handleHookedMethod(XposedBridge.java:334)
01-01 07:32:53.192  6368  6368 E AndroidRuntime:        at com.android.server.SystemServer.startBootstrapServices(<Xposed>)
01-01 07:32:53.192  6368  6368 E AndroidRuntime:        at com.android.server.SystemServer.run(SystemServer.java:289)
01-01 07:32:53.192  6368  6368 E AndroidRuntime:        at com.android.server.SystemServer.main(SystemServer.java:176)
01-01 07:32:53.192  6368  6368 E AndroidRuntime:        at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method)
01-01 07:32:53.192  6368  6368 E AndroidRuntime:        at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:726)
01-01 07:32:53.192  6368  6368 E AndroidRuntime:        at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:616)
01-01 07:32:53.192  6368  6368 E AndroidRuntime:        at de.robv.android.xposed.XposedBridge.main(XposedBridge.java:102)
01-01 07:32:53.193  6368  6368 E AndroidRuntime: Error reporting crash
01-01 07:32:53.193  6368  6368 E AndroidRuntime: java.lang.NullPointerException: Attempt to invoke interface method 'void android.app.IActivityManager.handleApplicationCrash(android.os.IBinder, android.app.ApplicationErrorReport$CrashInfo)' on a null object reference
01-01 07:32:53.193  6368  6368 E AndroidRuntime:        at com.android.internal.os.RuntimeInit$UncaughtHandler.uncaughtException(RuntimeInit.java:95)
01-01 07:32:53.193  6368  6368 E AndroidRuntime:        at java.lang.ThreadGroup.uncaughtException(ThreadGroup.java:693)
01-01 07:32:53.193  6368  6368 E AndroidRuntime:        at java.lang.ThreadGroup.uncaughtException(ThreadGroup.java:690)
01-01 07:32:53.411  6438  6438 F libc    : page record for 0xb6d8301c was not found (block_size=16)
01-01 07:32:57.925  6682  6682 F libc    : page record for 0xb6e5b01c was not found (block_size=16)
01-01 07:33:03.304  6930  6930 F libc    : page record for 0xb6de901c was not found (block_size=16)
01-01 07:33:05.758  7050  7050 I InstallerConnection: connecting...
01-01 07:33:05.772  7050  7050 I InstallerConnection: disconnecting...
01-01 07:33:05.790  7050  7050 I SystemServer: Entered the Android system server!
01-01 07:33:05.896  7050  7050 I SystemServiceManager: Starting com.android.server.pm.Installer
01-01 07:33:05.897  7050  7050 I Installer: Waiting for installd to be ready.
01-01 07:33:05.897  7050  7050 I InstallerConnection: connecting...
01-01 07:33:05.897  7050  7050 I SystemServiceManager: Starting com.android.server.am.ActivityManagerService$Lifecycle
01-01 07:33:05.908  7050  7050 I XXXXXX  : choosing minFree values for 32 Bit
01-01 07:33:05.908  7050  7050 I XXXXXX  : choosing minFree values for 32 Bit
01-01 07:33:05.908  7050  7050 I XXXXXX  : choosing minFree values for 32 Bit
01-01 07:33:05.908  7050  7050 I XXXXXX  : choosing minFree values for 32 Bit
01-01 07:33:05.908  7050  7050 I XXXXXX  : choosing minFree values for 32 Bit
01-01 07:33:05.908  7050  7050 I XXXXXX  : choosing minFree values for 32 Bit
01-01 07:33:06.027  7050  7050 I ActivityManager: Memory class: 96
01-01 07:33:06.101  7050  7050 D BatteryStatsImpl: Reading daily items from /data/system/batterystats-daily.xml
01-01 07:33:06.254  7050  7050 W ProcessCpuTracker: Skipping unknown process pid 7075
01-01 07:33:06.265  7050  7050 I IntentFirewall: Read new rules (A:0 B:0 S:0)
01-01 07:33:06.279  7050  7050 D AppOps  : AppOpsService published
01-01 07:33:06.279  7050  7050 I SystemServiceManager: Starting com.android.server.power.PowerManagerService
01-01 07:33:06.287  7050  7050 I SystemServiceManager: Starting com.android.server.lights.LightsService
01-01 07:33:06.290  7050  7050 I SystemServiceManager: Starting com.android.server.display.DisplayManagerService
01-01 07:33:06.293  7050  7050 I SystemServiceManager: Starting phase 100
01-01 07:33:06.301  7050  7094 I DisplayManagerService: Display device added: DisplayDeviceInfo{"Built-in Screen": uniqueId="local:0", 720 x 1280, modeId 1, defaultModeId 1, supportedModes [{id=1, width=720, height=1280, fps=55.9}], colorTransformId 1, defaultColorTransformId 1, supportedColorTransforms [{id=1, colorTransform=0}], density 320, 294.967 x 295.563 dpi, appVsyncOff 0, presDeadline 18889087, touch INTERNAL, rotation 0, type BUILT_IN, state UNKNOWN, FLAG_DEFAULT_DISPLAY, FLAG_ROTATES_WITH_CONTENT, FLAG_SECURE, FLAG_SUPPORTS_PROTECTED_BUFFERS}
01-01 07:33:06.304  7050  7050 I SystemServer: Package Manager
01-01 07:33:06.309  7050  7094 I DisplayManagerService: Display device changed state: "Built-in Screen", ON
01-01 07:33:08.137  7201  7201 F libc    : page record for 0xb6e5701c was not found (block_size=16)
01-01 07:33:13.103  7467  7467 F libc    : page record for 0xb6de801c was not found (block_size=16)
01-01 07:33:17.544  7700  7700 I InstallerConnection: connecting...
01-01 07:33:17.552  7700  7700 I InstallerConnection: disconnecting...
01-01 07:33:17.579  7700  7700 I SystemServer: Entered the Android system server!
01-01 07:33:17.750  7700  7700 I SystemServiceManager: Starting com.android.server.pm.Installer
01-01 07:33:17.750  7700  7700 I Installer: Waiting for installd to be ready.
01-01 07:33:17.750  7700  7700 I InstallerConnection: connecting...
01-01 07:33:17.751  7700  7700 I SystemServiceManager: Starting com.android.server.am.ActivityManagerService$Lifecycle
01-01 07:33:17.760  7700  7700 I XXXXXX  : choosing minFree values for 32 Bit
01-01 07:33:17.760  7700  7700 I XXXXXX  : choosing minFree values for 32 Bit
01-01 07:33:17.760  7700  7700 I XXXXXX  : choosing minFree values for 32 Bit
01-01 07:33:17.760  7700  7700 I XXXXXX  : choosing minFree values for 32 Bit
01-01 07:33:17.760  7700  7700 I XXXXXX  : choosing minFree values for 32 Bit
01-01 07:33:17.760  7700  7700 I XXXXXX  : choosing minFree values for 32 Bit
01-01 07:33:17.836  7700  7700 I ActivityManager: Memory class: 96
01-01 07:33:17.914  7700  7700 D BatteryStatsImpl: Reading daily items from /data/system/batterystats-daily.xml
01-01 07:33:18.187  7700  7700 W ProcessCpuTracker: Skipping unknown process pid 7732
01-01 07:33:18.196  7700  7700 I IntentFirewall: Read new rules (A:0 B:0 S:0)
01-01 07:33:18.333  7700  7700 D AppOps  : AppOpsService published
01-01 07:33:18.334  7700  7700 I SystemServiceManager: Starting com.android.server.power.PowerManagerService
01-01 07:33:18.353  7700  7700 I SystemServiceManager: Starting com.android.server.lights.LightsService
01-01 07:33:18.356  7700  7700 I SystemServiceManager: Starting com.android.server.display.DisplayManagerService
01-01 07:33:18.370  7700  7761 I DisplayManagerService: Display device added: DisplayDeviceInfo{"Built-in Screen": uniqueId="local:0", 720 x 1280, modeId 1, defaultModeId 1, supportedModes [{id=1, width=720, height=1280, fps=55.9}], colorTransformId 1, defaultColorTransformId 1, supportedColorTransforms [{id=1, colorTransform=0}], density 320, 294.967 x 295.563 dpi, appVsyncOff 0, presDeadline 18889087, touch INTERNAL, rotation 0, type BUILT_IN, state UNKNOWN, FLAG_DEFAULT_DISPLAY, FLAG_ROTATES_WITH_CONTENT, FLAG_SECURE, FLAG_SUPPORTS_PROTECTED_BUFFERS}
01-01 07:33:18.373  7700  7700 I SystemServiceManager: Starting phase 100
01-01 07:33:18.374  7700  7761 I DisplayManagerService: Display device changed state: "Built-in Screen", ON
01-01 07:33:18.375  7700  7700 I SystemServer: Package Manager
01-01 07:33:18.496  7700  7700 D SELinuxMMAC: Using policy file /system/etc/security/mac_permissions.xml
01-01 07:33:18.504  7700  7700 W PackageManager: No start tag found in package manager settings
01-01 07:33:18.507  7700  7700 E PackageManager: No start tag found in package manager settings
01-01 07:33:18.509  7700  7700 E AndroidRuntime: Error reporting WTF
01-01 07:33:18.509  7700  7700 E AndroidRuntime: java.lang.NullPointerException: Attempt to invoke interface method 'boolean android.app.IActivityManager.handleApplicationWtf(android.os.IBinder, java.lang.String, boolean, android.app.ApplicationErrorReport$CrashInfo)' on a null object reference
01-01 07:33:18.509  7700  7700 E AndroidRuntime:        at com.android.internal.os.RuntimeInit.wtf(RuntimeInit.java:353)
01-01 07:33:18.509  7700  7700 E AndroidRuntime:        at android.util.Log$1.onTerribleFailure(Log.java:104)
01-01 07:33:18.509  7700  7700 E AndroidRuntime:        at android.util.Log.wtf(Log.java:297)
01-01 07:33:18.509  7700  7700 E AndroidRuntime:        at android.util.Slog.wtf(Slog.java:82)
01-01 07:33:18.509  7700  7700 E AndroidRuntime:        at com.android.server.pm.Settings.readLPw(Settings.java:2829)
01-01 07:33:18.509  7700  7700 E AndroidRuntime:        at com.android.server.pm.PackageManagerService.<init>(PackageManagerService.java:2030)
01-01 07:33:18.509  7700  7700 E AndroidRuntime:        at com.android.server.pm.PackageManagerService.main(PackageManagerService.java:1873)
01-01 07:33:18.509  7700  7700 E AndroidRuntime:        at com.android.server.SystemServer.startBootstrapServices(SystemServer.java:387)
01-01 07:33:18.509  7700  7700 E AndroidRuntime:        at de.robv.android.xposed.XposedBridge.invokeOriginalMethodNative(Native Method)
01-01 07:33:18.509  7700  7700 E AndroidRuntime:        at de.robv.android.xposed.XposedBridge.handleHookedMethod(XposedBridge.java:334)
01-01 07:33:18.509  7700  7700 E AndroidRuntime:        at com.android.server.SystemServer.startBootstrapServices(<Xposed>)
01-01 07:33:18.509  7700  7700 E AndroidRuntime:        at com.android.server.SystemServer.run(SystemServer.java:289)
01-01 07:33:18.509  7700  7700 E AndroidRuntime:        at com.android.server.SystemServer.main(SystemServer.java:176)
01-01 07:33:18.509  7700  7700 E AndroidRuntime:        at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method)
01-01 07:33:18.509  7700  7700 E AndroidRuntime:        at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:726)
01-01 07:33:18.509  7700  7700 E AndroidRuntime:        at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:616)
01-01 07:33:18.509  7700  7700 E AndroidRuntime:        at de.robv.android.xposed.XposedBridge.main(XposedBridge.java:102)
01-01 07:33:18.509  7700  7700 E AndroidRuntime: Original WTF:
01-01 07:33:18.509  7700  7700 E AndroidRuntime: android.util.Log$TerribleFailure: No start tag found in package manager settings
01-01 07:33:18.509  7700  7700 E AndroidRuntime:        at android.util.Log.wtf(Log.java:291)
01-01 07:33:18.509  7700  7700 E AndroidRuntime:        at android.util.Slog.wtf(Slog.java:82)
01-01 07:33:18.509  7700  7700 E AndroidRuntime:        at com.android.server.pm.Settings.readLPw(Settings.java:2829)
01-01 07:33:18.509  7700  7700 E AndroidRuntime:        at com.android.server.pm.PackageManagerService.<init>(PackageManagerService.java:2030)
01-01 07:33:18.509  7700  7700 E AndroidRuntime:        at com.android.server.pm.PackageManagerService.main(PackageManagerService.java:1873)
01-01 07:33:18.509  7700  7700 E AndroidRuntime:        at com.android.server.SystemServer.startBootstrapServices(SystemServer.java:387)
01-01 07:33:18.509  7700  7700 E AndroidRuntime:        at de.robv.android.xposed.XposedBridge.invokeOriginalMethodNative(Native Method)
01-01 07:33:18.509  7700  7700 E AndroidRuntime:        at de.robv.android.xposed.XposedBridge.handleHookedMethod(XposedBridge.java:334)
01-01 07:33:18.509  7700  7700 E AndroidRuntime:        at com.android.server.SystemServer.startBootstrapServices(<Xposed>)
01-01 07:33:18.509  7700  7700 E AndroidRuntime:        at com.android.server.SystemServer.run(SystemServer.java:289)
01-01 07:33:18.509  7700  7700 E AndroidRuntime:        at com.android.server.SystemServer.main(SystemServer.java:176)
01-01 07:33:18.509  7700  7700 E AndroidRuntime:        at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method)
01-01 07:33:18.509  7700  7700 E AndroidRuntime:        at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:726)
01-01 07:33:18.509  7700  7700 E AndroidRuntime:        at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:616)
01-01 07:33:18.509  7700  7700 E AndroidRuntime:        at de.robv.android.xposed.XposedBridge.main(XposedBridge.java:102)
01-01 07:33:18.527  7700  7700 W PackageManager: Library not found: /system/framework/org.apache.http.legacy.jar
01-01 07:33:18.580  7700  7700 E System  : ******************************************
01-01 07:33:18.581  7700  7700 E System  : ************ Failure starting system services

Note that the first and last 2 lines are the same, indicating a loop.
/data/system # rm -rf * helps start the phone, so the problem is there. But running the command results in a partial loss of the application data (so I restored the backups of the faulty /data partition).

Both referenced Xposed - try disabling it temporarily by mashing the volume buttons when first booting up. Also, try just flashing your original ROM again on top of the existing installation - sounds stupid but actually worked for me in a similar situation.

Done, not helping...

And I'll try the ROM thing tonight.

I just came across this problem myself on my Nexus 5 running Android 6 and after tinkering with it for a few days, I was able to resolve it without wiping all my data, so I wanted to share what I did in case anyone else ever comes across a similar issue and is up for the challenge of debugging the issue instead of wiping the phone.
My problems all seemed to have the same root cause: empty XML files. I had played around with disabling fsync in my kernel to try out the performance difference, and this probably caused some data loss.
Observation: /data/system/packages.xml, /data/system/packages.list, and /data/system/job/jobs.xml were empty.
Below are the steps I executed. Be aware, this is the result of experimentation and you shouldn't blindly execute these commands without understanding them first. ;)

Back up the entire /data partition.
Delete the /data/system directory and reboot to regenerate it.
Copy the /data/system directory somewhere (in my case: /sdcard/system-good).
Restore the backup of the /data partition, restoring erased app data.
Delete the JobStore file: rm /data/system/job/jobs.xml
Copy the regenerated files:
cat /sdcard/system-good/packages.list > /data/system/packages.list
cat /sdcard/system-good/packages.xml > /data/system/packages.xml

Fix package UID's based on the error logs:
grep "has changed from uid" /sdcard/system-good/uiderrors.txt | while read -r LINE; do sed -i "s/\(^$(echo "$LINE" | awk '{ printf "%s\\) %d/\\1 %d", $6, $13, $11 }')/" /data/system/packages.list ; done
grep "has changed from uid" /sdcard/system-good/uiderrors.txt | while read -r LINE; do sed -i "s/\(^    <package name=\"$(echo "$LINE" | awk '{ printf "%s\" .\\+ userId=\"\\)%d\">/\\1%d\">", $6, $13, $11 }')/" /data/system/packages.xml ; done

Wiped cache and dalvik for good measure.
Rebooted and my Android including all my apps were revived!

For me, this turned into a bit of a side project, and I learned a bit more about Android internals. :) Not all my steps may be relevant to resolve your scenario.
The empty jobs.xml caused a NullPointerException in the JobStore: java.lang.RuntimeException: Failed to create service com.android.server.job.JobSchedulerService: service constructor threw an exception.
It has already been fixed upstream, but that fix is not yet included in Android 6. Just deleting /data/system/job/jobs.xml skips the entire code section with the bug, resolving the issue.
The empty package manager files should regenerate upon deletion, however that unfortunately resulted in another bootloop for me, for which I was unable to collect logs to further assess the problem. So I recovered the system by deleting the entire /data/system, then made a copy of it and restored my backup of /data, and then diff'ed the old and the new version of /data/system to figure out what could be causing the crash.
In my case, the major difference was that the UID's for all my apps had changed in the regenerated package.xml and package.list files, causing the package manager to delete all data for those apps upon checking package contents during boot. I resolved this by copying the regenerated versions and changing them to match the old UID's, using the logfile which recorded all mismatched UID's. Not pretty, and in hindsight it might have been better to just read the UID's from the /data/data directories or look into how Android does this regeneration in the first place and tweak that, but this worked as well.

Thanks for posting your solution., Unclean shutdowns will cause the /data/system/packges files to reset to empty files,   If android would have keep backup or journal for those files it would be great.

Unfortunately this does not work anymore, as android deletes the apps instead of logging the uid-diffs to uiderrors.txt

As a complement to DvdGiessen's answer, you can perform a backup of the three files (jobs.xml, packages.xml and packages.list) with the following shell script:
#!/system/bin/sh
dir=/data/system

watch -n60 "cat $dir/packages.list > $dir/packages.list.bak" > /dev/null &
watch -n60 "cat $dir/packages.xml > $dir/packages.xml.bak" > /dev/null &
watch -n60 "cat $dir/job/jobs.xml > $dir/jobs.xml.bak" > /dev/null &

echo "Now periodically performing backup of packages' (APKs') databases..."

watch will, periodically, for each 60 seconds, make a backup of the three files. Save the shell script to /system/xbin directory, apply chmod 0755 and chown root.shell to it and manually run it.
Do note, however, it is not recommended to add the shell script to init.d, since that could write a broken backup of the three files.
Make a note of the permissions, owner, and group of the original files to, later, apply to the restored backups.
ls -l data/system/job/jobs.*
-rw------- 1 system system 1401 2021-04-06 11:42 data/system/job/jobs.xml

ls -l data/system/packages.*
-rw-r----- 1 system package_info  10289 2021-04-06 11:42 data/system/packages.list
-rw-rw---- 1 system system       477016 2021-04-06 11:42 data/system/packages.xml


text:
Android Wear on Samsung Galaxy Gear Live
I want to get a Samsung Galaxy Gear Live,and want to use it on its own gsm network,is this possible? Also,does this watch support data through  wifi connection?

Gear Live doesn't even have a SIM slot, so how would you expect GSM?
It does have limited WiFi capabilities which are enabled in an earlier update to Android Wear.

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


text:
Typing hebrew in a text editor
I can't seem to find a text editor which behaves correctly in regards to bi-directional text. I type a lot in hebrew, with some english mixed in. In most of the apps I've tried (google docs, and mobisoft office suite), it doesn't render the spacing correctly and therefore you can't read the text as you're typing.
I started using VerbTeX, which has a simple text editor that works surprisingly well in this regard, but it gets slow and can't save to my external SD card.
If anyone knows a way that I can get my text files to display properly while I type them, it would be very helpful.

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


text:
TWRP can not find my backup ROM files
I am trying to flash my backup ROM – but when I click "Restore" in TWRP, it doesn't find my files. What am I doing wrong?

Screenshots (click images for larger variants)

Backups from TWRP are kept in the TWRP - BACKUPS folder, so I have to ask, is anything in the BACKUPS folder?

No. I MOVED the backups out of TWRP and ONTO my pc THEN MOVED the files BACK onto the TWRP sdcard. Thats when It wont recognize the rom.

TWRP has a file manager by default in Advanced section... I'd suggest that you do a backup as is, and then use the file manager to move the Backup in exactly the same place that TWRP just made  !
Make backup 1
Move backup 2 to backup 1
Restore backup 2

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


text:
Adding an external Wi-Fi antenna to Android phone
Looking to use external Wi-Fi stick with Android phone to allow use of external Wi-Fi antenna.  Prefer not to access connector under cover because it requires modification of phone.  Drivers exist for Windows allowing this to be done, but cannot find driver for Android.


text:
GET_ACCOUNTS Permission, Email Privacy
Any app with the GET_ACCOUNTS permission, may retrieve all registered accounts and email addresses stored in Account Manager. I understand this imposes serious privacy and security issues, as a phone compromised with a potentially malicious app, could have ALL of their email addresses collected, and sent to unintended parties.
To tackle this issue, I know one could be prudent in choosing the apps I install, and use a 3rd party email app that does not use the Android account manager to store account/email credentials. However, there do not seem to be many of such email apps available to choose from. Most of them use the Android account manager, including of course the stock email app.
My question is, what are the best ways to tackle this issue? Since the choices one have is extremely limited.

You can deny permissions requested by apps when using Android 6+ in Settings --> Apps (or Apps & notifications) --> Your_app --> Permissions.
However if you are "forced" into accepting the permissions that may infringe on your privacy, it is better if you have a rooted phone or tablet to install apps that can feed them with fake data. Thus, reducing their ability to access your private information.

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


text:
Where Can I Find The Bootanimation.zip For A ROM On GitHub
I'm looking for a bootanimation.zip from the latest Dirty Unicorns ROM.
However, I don't want to download the ROM, TWRP backup, wipe, install, extract bootanimation.zip, wipe, TWRP restore just to get it.
I was hoping to download it directly from GitHub. However, the ROM source code is split into loads of repos and I don't know where to look.
Where in the source tree and in which repo is the bootanimation.zip typically stored?

The bootanimation.zip will not be present in the Android Source Code or the kernel source code..
It's gets included from the vendor blobs while building the system.img ..
So, you'll have to check the corresponding ROM's vendor repository..
For CyanogenMod, it's here: https://github.com/CyanogenMod/android_vendor_cyanogen/tree/master/prebuilt
For Dirty Unicorns, it's here: https://github.com/DirtyUnicorns/android_vendor_du/tree/m/prebuilt/common/media
For Paranoid Android, it's here: https://github.com/AOSPA/android_vendor_pa/tree/nougat/prebuilt/bootanimation
For Pac ROM: https://github.com/PAC-ROM/android_vendor_pac/tree/pac-6.0/prebuilt/common/media
(These links are subject to change, please edit if there's any change or to add any other ROM's link)


text:
Significant latency with touch/stylus tracking when using notetaking/sketch apps?
I am using a Adonit Jot Pro stylus for sketching and hand writing notes. On my Nexus 5X and even more so on my iPad Air (2013 or 2014), the responsiveness to the stylus is acceptable and/or great.
On my Android tablet (Project Tango Yellowstone dev kit, specs below) the lag is so significant that when trying to sign my name at normal speed in cursive, the last few characters look like a low amplitude sine wave. It's as if the stylus contact gets so far ahead that whatever interpolation code used to draw is sampling at a very low rate or the contact gets so far to the right of the current 'drawing position' that it just flattens out the letters.
Comparing the Nexus 5X with the tablet via Google Keep hand written notes, the phone is much more responsive. On the iPad Air, the responsiveness is excellent.
So what determines this latency and is there a way to address it?
Specs
Screen: 7.02" 1920x1200 HD IPS (323 dpi)
Processor: NVIDIA Tegra K1 with 192 CUDA cores
Mem: 4 GB RAM
Storage: 128 GB


text:
How do I deactivate my Google account on my father's phone
I logged into my Google account with my father's mobile. Now all my contacts have synced with his contact list. How do I deactivate my account on his phone?

Welcome to Android Enthusiasts! Quick hint for a new member: We've got tags for specific topics, and those often have a tag-wiki associated, containing first-aid and hints. In your case, it's the google-account tag-wiki which would guide you into the right direction, namely: Remove my Google account on other people's device. Does that fit your needs?

You can also revoke all your account access remotely. For that log in to your google account and go to account settings. This is the link for online review your activity on devices.

Please go to below path:
If you have multiple accounts:
Settings >> Accounts >> Click on Google >> Select account to deactivate >> Select overflow dropdown & click on Remove account.
If you have 1 account:
Settings >> Accounts >> Click on Google >> Select overflow dropdown & click on Remove account.

Click image for larger version


text:
Clear massive system data file on LG G3
I have somehow run out of space on my LG G3. Under storage under Misc I see have a 6.34GB System Data file.
I tried dialling *#9900# as suggested here in order to delete the dumpstate/logcat but when I dial *#9900# it tells me it's an invalid MMI code. http://androidforums.com/threads/low-on-space-system-data-huge.278837/
Note that my phone is not rooted. I can get to the hidden diagnostic menu using the international code shown here, i.e. 3845#*855#, however I can't see any menu items that look like they might clear that system file.
Any ideas?

This doesn't work on my LG G4 either, and it looks like it's a feature that's available only on certain manufacturers (maybe only Samsung?) rather than all Androids:
How to delete dumpstate/logcat on Moto E
Clearing logcat on HTC one X
As you probably know from reading around, you cannot delete these files using a normal app unless you have root access. The only way to do it is with the OS (which I guess always has root access).
I went to Settings > Storage & USB > Internal Storage and tried clearing cached data, but this didn't seem to do the trick.  (In particular, it didn't effect the size of the mysterious "system data" block that the app DiskUsage identifies and which apparently includes these logcat files.) Settings > Smart cleaning also didn't give access to anything that large.
Wasn't able to solve this.

I never did figure it out I'm afraid. And that phone is long dead now so i guess i never will. Sorry i can't help :(


text:
Undoing "Use network as is" for wifi connection on secured network
First of all, I am not a device expert at all! So I'll do my best to describe what's going on but I don't know all the fancy words and labels to these things... Sorry.
Recently I was having trouble with the wifi connection to my Galaxy J3 device. The network at the place I work requires a staff sign-in to get through the local network to the internet. Usually, right when I connect to the wifi, my phone prompts me that "This network requires sign-in" or some such thing, and directs me to the portal page. I guess this is called a Captive Portal?
I was trying to make this process quicker and as a result I pressed the "Use network as is" option in the wifi settings just to see what happened. Apparently that messed something up big time cause now I can't access the sign-in page no matter what I do or what I reset. In addition, my phone no longer brings up the sign-in page, and when I use a browser to try to force that portal page to come up (this usually works), it just times out. It seems to me the phone is now thinking that the wifi network has direct access to the internet so it won't go to the portal. And I can't find anything to undo what I did.
Here's what I've tried:

Forgetting network then reconnecting to it
Using Virgin Mobile's "Reset Network Settings" directions doing ##72786# on the keypad. That did absolutely nothing I could see. Didn't even remove remembered networks
Restarted phone
Tried adding the network manually
I don't know how to do this "root" stuff, but I tried to access the file under data/wifi/misc to delete it but I can't find it using the File Explorer (even with hidden files shown). This was from directions I found at How to reset Wi-Fi settings?

Anyway, I'm sure that's confusing but is there anyone who could help me with this?
Thanks!
Sterling


text:
"Cannot Move App Not Enough Storage Space" Error Message
I have a Huawei Y635 phone running Android version 4.4.4 with 1GB of RAM and 8GB phone storage. I bought an 8GB SD card to transfer some apps as the phone memory is nearly full. The SD card has 7.19GB of free space but when I try to move apps I get the error message stating there is not enough space. I have made the SD card the default storage location. The app I was trying to move was only 92.09MB. I have read some of the other posts but can't seem to get answer to this specific query. Any help greatly appreciated.

I think this is the first time you have added a SD card ?.
Open Settings - Storage and check if you can see the the storage space details. If not ,you must Mount your SD card by a button there, after that you can move files or apps to SD card without error.
Another issue could be that your SD card was not recognised (always showing 0Mb) because android or user settings are wrong. Hopefully this helped you


text:
Usb Debbuging is not working
I have Samsung Galaxy J1 4G, Android 4.4.4 KitKat and Windows 7. Previously I have installed Intel App Preview, disabled and then enabled USB debugging and it works. Then, I uninstall and reinstall Intel App Preview and USB debugging is not working.

I experienced a similar problem, I solved by remove and install samsung drivers from my computer.
In order to see if it is a 'driver problem' try to connect your phone in debug mode to another pc, better if it is running linux.


text:
Storage space running out and I have tried EVERYTHING
I have a cheapo Wayteq xTab-700qci tablet. It just gave me the dreaded

Storage space running out. Some system functions may not work.

message. I tried every solution that I could find but none of them works. These are the parameters:
Internal storage: 1 GB

Available: 68 MB
Apps: 863 MB

Google Play Services: 478 MB
Google App: 46 MB after deleting data but it automatically grows back to 69 MB
Adobe Acrobat, Google Drive, Firefox, FolderSync and iRealPro are the only other apps I have installed besides system apps. All of them take up under 40MB on internal storage because I've moved each to the internal 5.6 GB SD card where it was possible.

I've cleared data and cache for all apps.
The 'System functions may not work' part is true. App updates usually fail because of insufficient space and I'm now getting used to getting 'Google Play Services has stopped' and 'android.process.acore has stopped working' messages right after startup.
What should I do? Is rooting the only solution? Is Android such crap that only by hacking its bowels can I make it usable?

Disable system apps you don't use. If there were updates for the app the space is freed by disabling the app.

A temporary solution is to uninstall Google Play Services. It will be reinstalled (at least it was, for me) when you open the Play Store, but in my case it was only 170 MB after reinstallation, so I reclaimed a lot of space.


text:
Plasma Mobile in MultiROM Manager on Nexus 5
I tried to install Plasma Mobile on Nexus 5. It is very important to me to start testing it in MultiROM Manager first (with some other mobile operating systems).
I followed this tutorial.
In section:

Finally install the Plasma Phone

on:

It will take while to download. After download is over, it will reboot to recovery, in recovery it will make real installation process, so drink a coffee meanwhile.. ;-)

I got error:

cheching file device-687a931c47e1...d6b63d42054.tar.xz..FAILED

I checked "dev" (version 8), but I got same error on: "dev-proposed" (version 1).
I have:

OS version (official Nexus 5 latest update - 6 IX 2016):

Andorid 6.01

Kernel:

3.4.0-g4ad03fa-dirtytasadar@tyene #1Tue Feb 9 21:30:30 CET 2016

Compilation number:

M0B31E

In MultiROM (patched - like in tutorial) I have installed:

MultiROM v33

Recovery 2016-02-10 (0)"

Kernel: Stock 6.0 and 6.1

How can I solve this error message?

Edited to correct your MultiROM tutorial link. Better off directing these to MultiROM or Plasma XDA-Developers threads (if any). Also, thanks for interesting mention of Plasma Mobile - gotta go look it up.

@AndyYan: "gotta go look it up" Did you checked it? Any tips? I will create a topic at xda-developers and reference this question to it.

I actually mean figuring out what Plasma is... sorry for leaving you anticipating :(


text:
How can I see a list of running apps with root privileges
I'm running CyanogenMod and recently the # sign showed up in my status bar. Now I wonder which program / app is causing this / is using root access. Is there a way to show a list of running apps which use root privileges?

ps | grep root. The process names (last column) might include the package name (as a path) of the app from which you can find which app it is. (It also displays other kernel dameon process, ignore them). Force stop those apps one by one & see if the '#' symbol goes goes away..

Actually you can see the processes running as root with CM12.1's root. When you see that icon, opening the quick access notification bar will also have a super user icon, which when pressed, will tell you which app and package is using it.

Hmm I'm running CM12.1 but when I open the quick access bar the super user icon disappears.

I did, but killing the processes (xprivacy) did not help as the either got not stoped or restarted immediately. But thanks for the answer anyway. It increases my belief that xprivacy is causing this sign.


text:
Android system update over lte
I need some help regarding updating my Nexus 6p to Android nougat over lte connection. My lte connection is excellent with unlimited data plan, but Google seems to be tying my hands by forcing me to go for a WiFi network, which obviously I don't have an access to at present. Is there any way to force the update over my lte connection. Thanks

You could download the OTA zip file from Google, then flash it using ADB commands which are in the Android SDK, so you'd need a computer as well:  Official Google OTA link
Taken from the above link:
To apply an OTA update image:

Download the appropriate update image for your device.
Verify the checksum of the image: the OTA mechanism has a built-in validation feature, however verifying would save you some time in case the file was incomplete. The last portion of the filename is the first 8 digits of its SHA-256 checksum; the full SHA-256 checksum is also shown next to the download link.
With the device powered on and USB debugging enabled, execute:

adb reboot recovery

The device is now in recovery mode and an Android logo with red exclamation mark should appear on screen.

Hold Power button and press Volume Up once, and a menu will be shown. Select the option of

Apply update from ADB

Run the following command:

adb sideload (ota file.zip)

where (ota file.zip) is replaced with the file you have downloaded and verified.
Once the update finishes, you should reboot the phone by choosing:

Reboot the system now


text:
Android 7, Firefox OS and Tizen in MultiROM Manager on Nexus 5
Here is my question about problem with Plasma Mobile. As you can see I have updated Nexus 5 and prepared MultiROM setup without problem.
Until now I found and do:

Android 6.01 (Internal - updated in Android settings)
Firefox OS v0.4 (20140603) installed from this thread
Salfish OS installed from this wiki
[IN PROGRESS] Plasma Mobile install (problem in separate question)

I see in Salfish settings that there are no updates.
I know that Google will not reloase Android 7 for Nexus 5.
I know that Firefox OS had last update in last year (2.6.0)
With all this in mind I have the following questions:

Is it possible to install Andorid 7 as an external ROM in MultiROM OS (from zip file)?
Is there any updates for Firefox OS image for Nexus 5 (zip file)?Note: I have a problem with Firefox OS. I can't load any web page and Firefox Marketplace, but I think it's because of not updated certificates list.
Is there any Tizen image (zip file) for Nexus 5?Note: Of course I searched before asking, but found only install tutorial for Nexus 7.

Can you link to (newer) images (zip files for MultiROM) and/or tutorials with them?
Update:
I do some search (XDA-Developers forums):

I think Tizen work only Samsung devices, but I'm not sure if build it is possible on other phones.
I found FirefoxOS from June 2016 and have too old certyficates problem. I can access sites with http protocol without problem (unless them allows to https). In new wersion (pre-release 2.6.0) I don't have Firefox Marketplace (no icon in launcher - maybe it's hidden somewhere ...) and can't change language in settings (empty list).
I found Android 7, but it's problematic with MultiROM setup.

Android 7 won't get a official rom from google u need to get a ported version or instal Cyanogenmod. FireOS is discontinued by mozilla. and tizel is samsung only. You can try Pac-Man rom.


text:
Is Nougat 'Emergency Info' synched?
I was reading on some new Nougat features just now, and it mentioned a new feature, that lets you make emergency information (blood type, allergies, emergency contacts, etc) available on the lock screen.
Got me wondering though, will that information sync on your Google account? If you enter that info on one Nougat (and later, theoretically) device, will it also be entered on other Nougat devices on the same account? Or will you have to enter it on each new phone/device going forward?


text:
How can I remove viruses?
My dad's phone got infected with a virus. The virus will auto enable the WIFI despite after disabling it for a few seconds. Factory restore doesn't work too, the virus came back. I have installed antivirus such as kaspersky, norton, and dr web. They are all unable remove the virus, it re-install itself after removal. It's running on android 4.4.
Here is the screen shot of what dr web's report

It keeps downloading back these applications

Can anyone please advice me on what to do?

Looks like mobile is infected with Ghost Push.
Solution for Rooted phones:
1 - You can use apps like StubbornTorjanKiller.
2 - You can also remove malware manually as you know the names of infected application.

First Download Terminal Emulator And run following commands.
su
rm /system/app/weQR.apk
rm /system/app/browser_1.6.2.1sign.apk (write name of app exactlly as your screenshot)
repeat rm with path of infected 5 apps shown in above screenshot.

You do know that rm -rf /system/priv-app/ will remove the entire tree starting from that directory, including possibly legit and vital apps, do you?

I have never encountered with directory priv-app in /system/..so thought it was created by malware..but after a quick search came to know that it is legit directory..Thanks for pointing that..

Like above ...
If the file is persistent or un-deletable
 (usually the associated binary files under system > bin)
You need to use a Chattr first ..

busybox chattr -ia /system/bin/viralFile

and then

rm /system/bin/viralFile

This is helpful for force removing virus or non-deletable files,  like most people on here that have used KingRoot or similar programs, it's a last option for hard to remove files !

+1: the answer, despite being only a complement for the previous, addresses the topic of file attributes, which is often overlooked. Nicely done.

Okay this will be tricky. It looks like the virus somehow gained superuser privilages and made those apps become system apps. System apps cannot be removed because well, they are now system apps! BUT, if you have root access, you can manually remove the viruses. With ROOT/Superuser access, you can use root apps on the play store to possible remove those viruses.
If you phone is NOT ROOTED however, I recommend you use "Malwarebytes". It is avalible on the play store and has been know to remove more viruses than those other virus removing apps that claim to be the best.


text:
How to you become a ROOT Shell user?
So I am rooted and used a root checker to give me some good information about my device. I noticed when it gave me info about my root it told me that I was a "non-root" shell user.
So what does this mean? Can I possibly make it to where I AM a root shell user? I am a very curious person. ANY information would be greatly appreciated!

Is this a stock ROM or a custom ROM?
In the stock ROM you would edit the build.prop and change the entry for ro.secure=1 to ro.secure=0 and reboot.
In most custom ROMs, and some stock ROMs, there is an entry in Developer Options called "Root access" and by default it is set to Apps only, you should be able to  change it to Apps and ADB.
There is also an app called adb Insecure by Chainfire (the author of SuperSU) which can allow adb shell su access.
BTW, this information is easily accessible via Google, and the previous question here at Why can't I get root access from shell?

@RyanNoles Great... Please accept and upvote my answer if you found it useful, that is how Stack Exchange works.

I wish I could but I don't have 15 reputation yet.

@RyanNoles You are the question asker, you should be able to accept the answer (the check mark) even if you can't upvote it.

Aww got it lol. THANKS!  I AM A ROOT SHELL USER! LOL


text:
What does the /data/system folder store and its significance?
I know that /data partition contains user-generated data (/data/app - user apps, /data/data - app data, etc).
But what is the /data/system folder used for, and does it have any significance in the boot procedure (e.g. - boot scripts, etc)?
A sub-folder-wise explanation would be preferred.

Boot scripts generally reside on /system/init.d/. /data/system/ typically stores system configuration files used by hardware or controllers, things that apps do not have access to. Driver configuration is also stored in /data/misc/.

In addition to what @GiantTree said, /data/system/ also holds the list of all the installed packages (as a XML file), the AppOps settings, details of the components of the eventual themes which have been enabled, info about which activities from which apps have been disabled, classified in a per-user fashion (user 0 representing the device owner), the different keyboard layouts (e.g. QWERTY and AZERTY)... that directory is a gold mine.

Oh, yes... there are also the pattern, PIN and password lock files, there.

data/system folder contains system configuration files critical to maintaining device's state. Access to the directory is restricted by the system apps only, so if the device is not rooted the folder content can't be seen.
Below is the list of files residing in the directory with a brief description. Note that the list is not completely full and also may vary depending on the OS version.

appops.xml - a configuration file used by the AppOps service which controls application permissions;
called_pre_boots.dat - a file used by ActivityManager to hold pre-boot broadcast receivers;
batterystats.bin - a binary used by the BatteryStats service to keeps power statistics of application installed;
gesture.key - lockscreen pattern;
inputmethod/ - a directory used to store IME configuration. Contains subtypes.xml with IME locales, keyboard layout sets etc;
locksettings.db - a SQLite database containing the lock screen settings;
netpolicy.xml - a configuration file used by the NetworkPolicyManagerService;
netstats/ - a directory used to hold NetworkStatsService statistics;
packages.list - a file used by the PackageManager service containing the list of all packages (apks) installed in the system (same as executing pm list packages within shell);
packages.xml - a file used by the PackageManager service to hold metadata of all installed packages, like UIDs, requested permissions etc;
profiles.xml - a configuration file to keep metadata of device profiles including sound mode, airplane mode, vibration etc.;
password.key - password hash;
usagestats/ - a directory used to store files for the UsageStats service. Contains usage-history.xml that holds info on all apps and its components with the last time a user used them;
users/ - a directory used for multi-user support. Contains userlist.xml which keeps info on all users in the system (0 - is a device owner/primary user); e.g. a sub-directory users/0/ holds info on the user account (accounts.db), widgets (appwidgets.xml), wallpaper (wallpaper_info.xml) etc.

Thanks for the answer onik. Is there a resource that you know of with similar detail for other parts of the file system?

@Andr0id, Android Internals::A Confectioner's Cookbook


text:
What 're opened TCP port android need to be connected on?
We've an android TV connected on a restricted WIFI network. Its IP adress is fixed. My problem only the web browser is working well. All other application can not go on the web or synchronize.
We got this netstat:
 u0_a67@android:/ $ netstat
Proto Recv-Q Send-Q Local Address          Foreign Address        State
tcp6       0      0 ::ffff:10.212.127.251:38388 :::*
LISTEN
tcp6       0      1 ::ffff:10.212.127.251:39643 ::ffff:157.169.25.15:80
CLOSE_WAIT
tcp6       0      1 ::ffff:10.212.127.251:34495 ::ffff:157.169.25.15:80
CLOSE_WAIT
tcp6       0      1 ::ffff:10.212.127.251:46563 ::ffff:157.169.25.15:80
CLOSE_WAIT
tcp6       0      1 ::ffff:10.212.127.251:46332 ::ffff:157.169.25.15:80
CLOSE_WAIT
tcp6       0      0 ::ffff:10.212.127.251:53406 ::ffff:14.17.41.151:443
ESTABLISHED
tcp6       0      1 ::ffff:10.212.127.251:57860 ::ffff:103.7.30.158:80
CLOSE_WAIT
tcp6       0      1 ::ffff:10.212.127.251:39039 ::ffff:157.169.25.15:80
CLOSE_WAIT
tcp6       0      1 ::ffff:10.212.127.251:36796 ::ffff:157.169.25.15:80
CLOSE_WAIT
tcp6       0      1 ::ffff:10.212.127.251:53894 ::ffff:157.169.25.15:80
CLOSE_WAIT
tcp6       0      1 ::ffff:10.212.127.251:53360 ::ffff:157.169.25.15:80
CLOSE_WAIT
tcp6       0      1 ::ffff:10.212.127.251:34809 ::ffff:157.169.25.15:80
CLOSE_WAIT
tcp6       0      1 ::ffff:10.212.127.251:50549 ::ffff:157.169.25.15:80
CLOSE_WAIT
tcp6       0      1 ::ffff:10.212.127.251:38316 ::ffff:157.169.25.15:80
CLOSE_WAIT
tcp6       0      1 ::ffff:10.212.127.251:43701 ::ffff:157.169.25.15:80
CLOSE_WAIT
tcp6       0      0 ::ffff:10.212.127.251:38207 ::ffff:216.58.198.14:80
ESTABLISHED
udp6       0      0 :::56331               :::*                   CLOSE
udp6       0      0 :::56456               :::*                   CLOSE
udp6       0    688 :::1900                :::*                   CLOSE
udp6       0      0 :::1900                :::*                   CLOSE
udp6       0      0 :::51117               :::*                   CLOSE
u0_a67@android:/ $

Regarding on the web information, we opened the TCP port 5228 in OUTPUT mode and we opened the  TCP port 38388 in INPUT mode as it's in listen status in the netstat.
That doesn't solve the problem.
Any idea about the list of TCP port need to be opened on the network for android working?
Thanks for help.

Android TV will stream the RTP (video stream) on a random port that varies all the time... you need to allow the internal Android TV device to use UPnP or to initiate traffic on any port and allow at least Restricted Cone NAT to occur or it will not function.

Thanks Where could I find any documentation about that ??

I don't have any documentation to that regard, and could not find any... it was a trial and error learning experience.

I solved my problem configuring the closest time than universal time,  manually.  Google play connected itself well. After I configured  the ntp server in the network.


text:
Using WhatsApp on emulator, how to scan the QR for WhatsApp web?
I am using WhatsApp on a laptop with BlueStacks (Android emulator), and I cannot scan the QR code. I don't have any Android phones.
How can I link my WhatsApp profile with WhatsApp web?

You can easily do it via downloading LDPlayer. It has a built-in feature which gives you a small screen to drag to where the QR code is on the screen
To avail of the feature, just click the link device on the emulator WhatsApp and choose the "capture screen" option, not the "camera" option on the right. It will simply give you a screen to drag to anywhere on the screen where the QR code is.

You have to have a camera. Try with an external webcam installed on the PC.
Or hope some root programmer shell guide. Keep on googling.

How to scan QR code in the same PC using WhatsApp and BlueStacks:

Open WhatsApp web from where to scan the QR code in half window
Also, open BlueStack in half window
Click on WhatsApp web from BlueStacks' WhatsApp
Take a mirror and wait until the scan is completed

Enjoy if you have no smartphone but you have a laptop.

First, open WhatsApp on BlueStacks and ensure it is minimized so that it doesn't occupy the entire screen. Next, open WhatsApp Web on Chrome, which will display the QR code. Again, minimize the Chrome window to make both BlueStacks and Chrome visible simultaneously on the screen. Now, using a mirror, position it in such a way that it reflects the QR code from the Chrome window onto the WhatsApp window within BlueStacks. Focus on the reflected QR code within BlueStacks, and it should scan successfully.


text:
Kali Linux And Android
I like to root and tinker around with old Android devices, be it smartphones and tablets. I want to use root access to install Kali Linux, but I want to know what features this version of Kali Linux has to offer. I'm not expecting much, but the file size is pretty big, so it should be something.
wasn't sure if this can be posted here or on the Unix site.

Kali is very popular and has pretty much any hacking tool u need. https://www.parrotsec.org is also a Security based linux distro there site has lists of everything they include.

So is the mobile version of Kali just as good as the proper version? As in terms of tools.

There is no Kali version of linux. There are tools for android that do similar to kail. but id  say Kali on desktop is still king


text:
Connecting my phone on my pc via usb only show the driver folder
I want to add files to my SD card but when I connect my phone via USB to my computer, it will add those 3 (E: F: and G:):

On E: i got:

And when I try to access F: And G:, it says that I need to insert a disk in it.
I tried the following change:
-Activate USB debug
-Change to use USB for charge only then to MTP again
So how can i access the files on my SD card?
More information:
Phone: Alcatel Idol 3
Android version: 6.0.1
Windows 7 & 8
A 8gb SD card is inserted in my phone
Thanks for your help.

Have you tried installation of the USB drivers for your device first, then plug in the phone to your computer?

Solution found by @RMarkwald in the comments
I copied the file from the Driver folder and executed the install64.exe . I repluged my phone and I have now access to the sd card.

Glad to hear you are working!


text:
Galaxy S6 Active always asking to sign in to WIFI
I have an S6 active running 6.0.1 that just started prompting me to sign into my work WIFI after the update from 6.0 to 6.0.1. I have used this phone for over a year on the same network and the password is saved. When I click on the notification from the home screen it automatically signs me in to WIFI until the notification pops up again asking the same thing. None of our tech guys have been any help. I've changed to another network with the same exact results (home and work). Anyone have a clue how to get this to quit and stay signed in? It's driving me nuts!

Could you check and note the IP address assigned to your phone before and after the Sign in notification comes on? Settings>about phone>status I believe this would be caused by your router both work and home assigning a different ip address frequently to your phone. I'd like to confirm this.

There are two different IP addresses being assigned between home and work and has been that way since I got the phone. It's just odd that it started doing this shortly within a week after my last android update from AT&T.


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Is editing build.prop enough to change model name?
I am trying to change the model name on my Android device by editing build.prop.
Code:
ro.product.model=Nexus S
My code:
ro.product.model=Nexus One
Settings still shows Nexus S.
Edit: I edited the fields @GokulNC suggested, but screen still shows Nexus S.
can someone help?
Thanks in advance.

Also try changing ro.product.name , ro.build.product and ro.product.device and reboot to see changes.. Make sure to backup your original build.prop before doing this..

@GokulNC I tried that, didn't work.

As it turned out, I was using a homemade device and was not editing as root.
I also had to completely shut the device down, then turn it on.


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Photos sync - where did the files recover to?
I decided to try out Google's "Photos" sync, which can be enabled under account settings. After the sync finished, I did a factory reset on the device and let it restore the photos. It apparently did - they are viewable through the Google "Photos" app.
However, I can't find the files anywhere. Originally they were split into two files: DCIM/Camera and DCIM/Test. Now, DCIM is empty and, when viewing the entire set of thumbnails, it tells me there are no "Collections".
I most certainly expected it to restore the photos in the same structure as they were originally. Not only are the two subdirectories gone, I can't even find the png files. What am I not understanding?
I did this on a Moto G, running Android 6.0

From the photos app, you can't recover onto your device. You can only view them , the restore option is a misnomer as it does not really restore to your device:
From Google help, where a similar question is answered. This thread is recent and makes it clear that there is no way one can directly restore photos using the app. Options are:

Use the Google Drive app to select and download the photos. Using a file manager, copy the photos in downloads to the directory you wish to (see Nicholas post of 11 Jun)
From the Photos app, select and download ( of course, you will need to move them using a file manager - Krissy post of Jan 01)
Use a PC to download from drive and move into desired folders or use third party apps that can facilitate downloading from the photos app

Thanks, and yes I'm aware of this technique. I've been doing it for years. Are you saying, then, there is no automatic backup and restore of photos unless you use google+ or dropbox, etc.?

Yes. Unfortunately, there is none as you can see in the linked Google forum post, the last entry being of September. Apps may help you bridge those gap as mentioned there.  In summary, when Google didn't offer a way, I am afraid there is nothing else. It is a shame that you can't directly restore

Thanks. I think I'm starting to believe this. Seems rather lame that Google provided a half-implemented solution: the photos do get uploaded and you can view them through "Photos" afterward but you can't get them back on your phone. And they have the gall to call it "backup" rather than "upload".


text:
malware adding to Google Contacts
I found a contact that I don't recognize. Is there a way for an Android phone malware to add to my Google Contacts?
I generally only run Skype and YouTube on the phone. Occasionally I use the default browser.

An app must have permission to access your contacts in order to modify them. When you install an app, prior to Android 6, you have to agree to the permissions it requests in order to install. Android 6 and later you have to agree to permissions when you run the app. An app doesn't visibly have to do anything with your contacts to modify them; as long as it is running, it can work with whatever it has permission to access.
So, you might check the permissions for various apps you use and see if they have been granted access to contacts. You can do this through Settings > Apps > (each app).
Also, you might consider the browsers you use. If a browser has access to contacts, it might be possible (I don't know for sure) for javascript or some browser extension to write to contacts.
One more thing to be wary of: if you have installed a custom keyboard, it can be a source of compromising your system. For example, an untrustworthy keyboard could capture account names passwords and send them to some hidden third party.


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Unable to change country. Tried everything
I had made some purchases on my daughter's US credit card initially when in US. So my location was tagged as US. Recently when I tried to download one Indian app from India, it was showing not available in your country.
So I removed my daughter's credit card, added my Indian card and also made a purchase on my card.
Still Google Play is not changing my country.
Pl help.

what app are you trying to install??

Reliance jio ----- my jio

Also Citibank in

The settings you have to change are at Google Wallet. Sign in with your account, go to Settings, and change "Home address" to your new address.
You might also have to change your phone number, and your default "Billing and delivery address" in the second tab.
So, there are TWO places where you have to update your address, and the settings do not usually take effect immediately.
From Google Groups :
You can update your home address whenever you want, including changing to a different country. If you're representing a company, enter your business address.

Sign into your Google Payments account at payments.google.com and click the Settings icon in the top corner. See screenshot:
Click Edit next to the "Home Address" listed and update the address (please note this is different from the "Address Book" which holds shipping addresses).
Open the Play Store and navigate to any item available for download.
Click to begin a download until you reach the "Accept and buy" screen (no need to complete the purchase)
Close the Play Store and clear data for the Google Play Store application (Settings > Apps > Google Play Store > Clear Data) or clear your browser cache
Re-open the Play Store. You should now see the Play Store that matches your default payment method’s billing country.

Note that if you don't immediately see the Play Store that matches your default payment method's billing country, it may take a few hours for this to take effect.
If you haven't yet added a payment method to your account for the first time, add a card directly from the Play Store with a billing address that matches your intended country location. Then, follow steps 3 through 6 to show your intended country's Play Store.
Some things to note...
For legal reasons, you'll need to sign new Terms of Service if you change your home country.
1. If your Google Play balance is higher than these amounts, you won't be able to change your home country. If it's under those amounts and you change to a country with a different currency, you won't be able to see or use your remaining balance until you switch back to a country where that currency is used.
2. If you have a Payments Balance higher than USD $10, or a Checkout Merchant account, you won't be able to change your country.


text:
Rooted device: "This device, OS, or software is not compatible with Pokémon GO"
Just when I was about to reach level 23, Pokemon Go stopped working with this message:

This device, OS, or software is not compatible with Pokémon GO

I am using CyanogenMod 13.0-20160817-NIGHTLY-hammerhead (Android 6.0.1) on a Nexus 5, and can't live without root.
QUESTION: Is there a way to make it work again?

Screenshot (click image for larger variant)

Since the 0.37 update on android, Root users have been forced out of the game. Niantic claim this to cut down on hacking (but a better option would be to not open if allow.mock.location is 1)
Source 1 - A report that talks about the new updates limits.
Either way, you do still have an option: Using Magisk, You can play Pokemon Go again with root. It is the exact same method as Allowing Android Pay with root, but I'll Link it here, for simplicity

There are methods called root cloaking. This is the process of hiding root from specific apps. I'd recommend checking out these posts for more information:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/xposed/modules/mod-rootcloak-completely-hide-root-t2574647
http://repo.xposed.info/module/com.devadvance.rootcloak2

Yes, 1) Download the superuser app
2) go to devlopper option and enable root for apps
3) go to superuser and go to settings and click clean root from phone and then niantic cant see it on your phone anymore

Thanks! Does it still allow me to use root in other applications though?

No. It removes it flat.

As my question says, I "can't live without root". I guess this solution would mean disabling and enabling root everytime I want to use the app.

Important! For anyone that had previously rooted their phone and can't access pokemon go even after unrooting: You need to FLASH BOOT.IMG from your rom.
That is only what helped me because that way you are deleting every trace of root, and pokemon go is looking for everything root related to defend from hackers.


text:
No Android 7 upgrade for Nexus 6P?
My tablet (Nexus 9) downloaded and installed the android nougat over the air about a month back. But not my phone (Nexus 6p). It just upgraded to another version of Android 6 yesterday. Is it expected or something wrong?

I did some research and basically you need to
give it a few days, if that doesn't help try flashing it.
Here's a guide https://www.gottabemobile.com/2016/09/09/how-to-install-android-7-0-nougat-right-now/

+1, but a warning to OP: you will need an unlocked bootloader. If you haven't, unlocking it will wipe all your data. Using the flash-all.sh script also wipes your data. If you're not sure about diving into this then just wait for the staged rollout to come to you.

Thanks. I am not that eager to flash or mess with complicated stuffs like bootloading or jailbreaking. I can wait, but the question was merely out of curiosity. I thought if Nexus 9 gets the upgrade, then a 6P should get it sooner.

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


text:
Control Android TV box via Android phones/tablets
I have a T95m Android TV box which is fantastic. I am trying to find out if there are apps I can use on another Android device and have that device act as a remote (keyboard, mouse, and touch functions).
I plan on installing this app on Samsung Galaxy S5, S6, S7, Acer A500, and hopefully a new Android tablet in the coming days.

Android TV Remote Control
by Google Inc can be downloaded for free from Google Play Store. It lets you control your Android TV by directional pads, touch pad, virtual keyboard as well as your device's microphone.
Other than that I only know of manufacturer specific apps like Sony's Video & TV Sideview for example. But I'm not sure any of those would work with your t95m TV box.

Hi, note that the app is now not available on the Play Store anymore (you may still be able to see the entry on the Play Store if you have installed it before).


text:
Can I use an external USB Adapter with Airmon on Android?
I have an Android phone and it doesn't support monitor mode internally. I have an external Alfa AWUS036H and I ordered a cable for it to plug into my phone. My question is, what app should I use to put the external adaptor into monitor mode? I am rooted, but I refuse to install a ROM or a kernel. Thanks!

Short answer is maybe.  You could grab an adapter (they are roughly $5) that would allow you to plug in to the charge port (almost always micro USB) to a standard USB port (AKA USB A):
Like this page of options
Then you could try plugging it in.  Android has been adding Ethernet as well as Mass Storage drivers to try and accommodate devices over the USB bus.
I did a little searching and it appears your adapter has been used by other Android users (probably for exactly the same air capture purpose good 'ol aircrack and/or wireshark).
Here's a video even, enjoy
VIDEO NOTE: Newer devices will most likely not need the extra power cable this guy talks about newer devices are putting more power over the port just for things like USB hard drives, and devices.


text:
Android X86 6.0 boot stuck on Boot Logo in VMWare
Today I downloaded the ISO file for the latest Android X86 (64-bit)version - the stable build for Android 6.0 AKA Marhmallow - from https://osdn.jp/projects/android-x86/downloads/65890/android-x86_64-6.0-r1. I have installed this on a virtual machine with 2 processor cores, 4 GB RAM and 20 GB Storage which I think is more than sufficient for this specific OS.
Earlier I was having this problem where the system would boot into CLI and not GUI hence I googled a bit and followed the instructions from http://techanji.blogspot.in/2013/04/android-wont-boot-into-gui-only-command.html which worked perfectly fine and now I have proper Android boot logo but I kept my system to boot for 15 minutes without any progress which makes me think this has stuck at boot!
A bit about setup:

I did not choose GPT for partioning
I have made one primary partition of 20 GB and made it boot partition
I have formatted my partition with ext4 file system
I installed GRUB but not EFI GRUB

Hopefully, these details are enough and you guys can help me with this.
PS: For those members who are in a hurry to mark a question as duplicate by just reading the question, I would like to kindly bring it to your notice that I have read and tried ALL the solutions to similar questions and none of them has worked so far, hence posting  this question

At first I had the same issue. But I changed the Display settings and now it works.

Go to the VM settings's
Go to Display settings
Check the Accelerate 3D graphics
Set the graphics memory to 1GB (if possible)
Start your VM!


text:
How can I remove the lock icon from Android lockscreen?
Here is an image for reference. I want to remove the three arrows that are pointing upwards. I have no problem with rooting my device. I just don't know where to find these thumbnails and delete them. Can anyone help me to locate them?Will their deletion pose any issues?

The app is native keyguard.apk and the image files are under system/priv-app/keyguard.apk/res/drawable/ic_blinkscr_midbright.png
I have download root explorer but it does not show any option to delete the file. It just shows open and extract option. I have no idea how to delete it.

What's you device, Android version, and is this the native lockscreen (doesn't look like so - I've never seen a native lock that doesn't even show your wallpaper and battery status) or a lock app from a third party?

@AndyYan I did some research on my own. I am adding additional details. :)

As you've already found the resource file to the arrow inside the APK, all you need to do now is to replace it with a transparent one. Root or custom recovery is required, and custom recovery is personally recommended, because there is a slight possibility that this will throw you into a bootloop, so having a backup in recovery prior to mods would be handy.
Sometimes simply extracting the APK, replacing it and repackaging it could work (this has been the case for me for simple framework mods). If custom recovery is available, trying this is fast and won't hurt.
The safer way is to decompile the package while keeping its signature. Virtuous Ten Studio is a friendly way to get your hands on this without getting lost in the command lines of APKTool - the site also has simple tutorials.
After modification and repackaging, overwrite the original one and set correct permissions (usually rw-r--r-- (0644)). Reboot for changes to take effect.
And at last - do not simply delete the file, or whenever the file is used, the app will error out, possibly leaving you with endless Force Close dialogs.

Thanks @AndyYan. I copy keygaurd.apk and paste it in my SD card's root directory but when I connect the device to a PC, I don't see any keyguard.apk that I can copy and edit.

@NeenaVivek That's another problem on its own... Try moving the file around on the SD card (into other dirs); also try uploading the file somewhere from the phone and pull it from your PC. There's another way (adb pull) but since I don't know whether you have ADB right now I'll just skip it.

I have moved it to a few directories but it doesn't show up anywhere.  There is no option to share it via shareit etc. either. The sharing option is disabled. I will try something else though. :)

@NeenaVivek compress/zip it, it helps for me.


text:
TalkBack, how to figure out what the non-text-reading sounds mean
I am trying to use TalkBack without looking at the screen, but even when I look I am not good with sounds because they distract me and I cannot figure out what they mean.
So, is there a resource, somewhere, which tells me, as a TalkBack help location, what the various sounds mean, so a blind person can know what they are and how to move their fingers I the touchscreen?
Furthermore, oes a keyboard like Swype reissue its own TalkBack sounds, or do these sounds come from TalkBack itself?
I either case, how do I go about, possibly blindly, figuring out what the various sounds mean?
Thanks..


text:
Manually instaling apk
Long story short: I don't have google services, and I accidentally deleted the backup. I can't install any apk no more via package installer. When I click "install" it just says "Application not installed." I tried everything in my settings.
Is there any way to install apk without package installer? Maybe manually extracting apk file and copying it to some folder somewhere and then making shortcut in launcher?
I have android 4.4.

Are you rooted? If you have root, you can use a ROOT browser and put the google services app manually in the /system/app folder then reboot. It SHOULD work.
And when you say google services, do you mean "Google Play Services"?

Of course I have root, I would not be able to destroy the phone like this otherwise. I think I'm a perfect example of why they don't give root permissions to everyone. :D Do I have to extract it before putting it there? I mean Google Play, and Google settings too.

So it is "Google play services" right?

Yes, and I was trying to install it again. You mean to put google Play services apk file in system/app folder? I'm trying it now.

Yes. AND MAKE SURE it is the LATEST version  of Google Play services. Google is REAL strict about keeping Google Play Services up to date. Let me know if this worked.

Now I have error "unfortunately google play services has stopped." But you provided me solution for installing so I marked this one as solution, what do you think about installing any other app by moving it to system folder?

Go to settings and clear the cache and data for Google play services. Then reboot and see what it does.

@Andrej It is discouraged to place any app into /system/app/, and it's advisable to place them in /system/priv-app/, instead. Do you have a Terminal emulator?

@DeathMaskSalesman I don't have it.

Why don't you reinstall play services and then install the other apps as because manually moving required files to their location would be plain headache. Better you take backup of your data and flash stock ROM again to fix everthing.

That's the exact thing I'm about to do.


text:
Does Galaxy Xcover 3 Value Edition support Mifare Classic NFC tags?
The Samsung Galaxy Xcover 3 is one of the few devices that still support Mifare Classic NFC tags. It was released in 2015. Now Samsung have released an updated version, the "Value Edition" in 2016.
Does anyone know whether this new version still supports Mifare Classic NFC tags?


text:
Is there any way to unlock my phone from a mobile network carrier so I can use a different sim?
I've got a BQ Aquaris M5. BQ don't have a telephone number I can ring or much of a support base, so I wasn't able to find help there.
I bought the phone sim free and put a giffgaff sim in it. Apparently giffgaff don't usually lock the phone to the parent O2 network, but this can happen as a bug on some iPhone models - I think the same thing has happened to my BQ Aquaris M5.
Recently I bought a replacement three sim on a contract - I tried putting this sim in the phone but it just says "emergency calls only". I rang three to get technical support with this but they weren't able to do anything at their end, and suggested to me that my phone might be locked to some other network.
I'm wondering if it is possible to "hack" (loose use of this expression) the android system in some way to unlock my phone from a particular network? Alternatively, perhaps this data isn't stored on my phone but is stored remotely, and therefore this isn't possible?
Either way it would be useful to know.
I have tried searching around google, but so far I can only find info on PAC / PUK codes, which I don't think is what I am looking for?
I have found my IMEI code - not sure if that is useful?

If you purchased your device as unlocked, it shouldn't be possible for a SIM to lock a device. I would remove any SIM, do a factory default, insert the Three SIM and reboot, then check the APN information. If it still fails, try swapping SIMs from a friend and see if your SIM works in another device and that SIM works in yours.

@acejavelin What data will a factory default/reset wipe and how do I do one?

Everything... All applications, user data, pictures, music, downloads, etc, it will be returned to "out of box" condition. It is in Settings - Backup & Reset in most devices, but could be under the Security section as well. I am not familiar with that specific device so as a precaution I would manually remove all Google accounts prior to a reset to prevent possible FRP issues.

I can't believe it but I managed to resolve the problem.
Just a quick list of details to help future google searches:
I had a BQ Aquaris M5. Bought it sim-free, but then added a giffgaff sim.
Later I changed to a three sim, removed giffgaff sim and inserted three sim, but three network was not recognised. (Emergency call only.)
Resolved problems by going to System Settings -> Data Usage (or show more) -> Cellular Networks (might be hidden in top right corner) -> Set Preferred Network type to 2G/3G/4G AUTO, also go to Access Point Names, click Reset in right hand top corner menu, then go to Network Operators and check network operator is correct. Possibly restart your phone.
Happy to report mine is now working!


text:
What does "moving" mean in Google Location History?
While reviewing my phone location on https://maps.google.com/locationhistory, I see some locations where I know the information is right. There are other times though that Google Maps says my phone was "Moving" but doesn't say where it started, where it finished, or offer an explanation. Furthermore, I don't recall going anywhere at those times.
What is wrong? What does "Moving" mean to Google (does it mean moving a few feet, does it mean changing WiFi networks, does it mean connecting to a different cell tower)?

I would guess that it means that it couldn't get a GPS lock, but the accelerometer indicated motion.  I don't actually know though.

Thanks for the input. I guess what makes me uncertain is if I am at a known location for at least 15 minutes why would be accelerometer kick in and say that my phone is moving?

if a location is modified in any way, it will say moving. I.e. if you change location name or time, any modifications made means moving. Try it!


text:
Spotify cache on 5109MB on internal SD, 4464MB on external SD
Spotify takes up about 10GB data on my phone. Half of this is used on the internal SD card, which is becoming a problem. I've had this problem before, have removed Spotify entirely, after which it started to use the external card. Since a while it has apparantly changed its mind, and now prefers the internal storage.
I don't mind that Spotify uses the internal storage for settings or for temporary cache, if that is necessary. I don't mind if that takes up 1GB, but I don't want this. Now I have to download 10GB music, which is a waste of time. Plus I lose the local settings, which albums I want to have locally.
When I look at the app specs in the Android settings menu, I see it reports 9.42 GB on the external card, and 1.48MB on the internal one. That seems like a bug?!
Why does this happen and how can I force Spotify to use the external storage exclusively?

Spotify is known to save extensive amounts of cache on all operating systems, saves money as music isn't downloaded from their servers on recurrent plays.

I ended up deleting Spotify completely. I reinstalled it, and now have downloaded 3GB of data.
I usually download several playlists and albums to avoid downloading them repeatedly. I don't know why I ended up with two caches on internal and external SD, and I don't even know if both of them were used or if this is a bug.
Now the internal cache is empty or very small, and external is 3GB. This is still less than either of the old caches, but that's because Spotify forgets which albums I downloaded before, and the current set is not exactly the same.


text:
How to disable browsing history in Android Firefox (Fennec)?
Unlike in the desktop Firefox, there's no setting in Firefox for Android options to disable saving browsing history.

Go to about:config.
Create a new boolean value (+ icon) called places.history.enabled and set to false.

source
note: the answer only applies to the eventually deprecated Firefox Fennec, not Fenix which is currently in the beta phase.

I wish I could do the same on the stable version on Firefox on Android.


text:
Google Keyboard number row
I noticed in Google Keyboard that a dedicated number row appears when entering into a password field, but not when entering into any other field.

Click image for larger version
I have done some research and found guides that claim to do this, but instead they show to create a custom input style with a PC keyboard layout. While this results in permanently adding the number row at the top, it also changes the rest of the keyboard, which I would like to avoid.

Click image for larger version
I would like this row to be there for any field, not just password fields, without changing the rest of the keyboard. Is this possible?

Go to settings, Security and then check Unknown sources. You have to remove any previous versions of Google keyboard so go to Settings, Application Manager and go over to Google Keyboard. If you are using a Nexus device then you will need root privileges. Download the modified Google keyboard from here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2657791 After installation click open to enter settings or open the app from the app drawer. Configure the keyboard then set it as your default in settings.
Link:
http://www.techaudible.org/how-to-add-dedicated-numbers-row-to-native-google-keyboard/

Thanks for your answer! It seems that the specific app you linked to is  a pretty old version of the Google keyboard and development on it has seized. The thread links to a new project that is under active development: http://forum.xda-developers.com/android/apps-games/lollipop-keyboard-phones-root-t2910268

Glad that I could help. I hope that the new app works for you.


text:
Something wrong using TalkBack with stock Contacts app
I am trying to scroll up and down the stock Contacts app, which I am doing by trying to place two fingers simultaneously on the screen and dragging up and down. When I do this properly I can hear the keys of a piano being pressed, and the screen scrolls.
I have to repeat this multiple times by lifting the two fingers and placing then back up the exec and scrolling down our down the exec and scrolling up.
Unfortunately sometimes, perhaps due to one finger landing on the screen a slightly different time than the other, I get one of the following two dialog boxes (and not the scrolling I was after):

Click image for larger version
Not what I wanted. What am I doing wrong and how do I fix it?


text:
ZTE Z820 Can't bypass Google Account after Factory Reset
ZTE Z820 Phone purchased in U.S. during 3 month stay. I've factory reset to unluck and for use in Ireland, but now can't bypass the Google Account. Stuck in the loop for user name and password. I have the correct account and password details, but won't recognize the password. It is the correct password, I've confirmed it.
I've viewed and tried various methods online, but none are z820 specific.
Can anyone help. Please?

Check if your 2 way authentication is ON for your google account.
If it is ON, you need to generate a password for your new android device. You can find this option in your account setting -> security.
Use new generated password for login, it should work....

thanks sir but the 2 way is not on. fyi i'm getting to browse via the open source search method and was able to see that two way is off. i attempted to turn on and create new password via the zte z820 phone device but via the open source method of access javascript not enabled.


text:
Samsung j5 won't connect to wifi
My Samsung won't connect to wifi anywhere. A few days ago a message came up saying something about third parties, monitoring and being able to access app data. Ever since no internet with wifi or data. Everything else seems to be working well.
Appreciate any help, thanks.


text:
Explosion proneness of my Samsung Galaxy Note 7 device
It's all over the news currently about the Samsung smartphone devices being a fire hazard, exploding, and there being a pertinent recall of such devices which have already caused property damage and has also physically burned people in some cases.
As per Samsung Will Replace or Refund 1 Million Galaxy Note 7 Phones in the U.S. post. . .

Samsung Electronics formally recalled 1 million Galaxy Note 7
  smartphones sold in the United States, replacing or refunding the
  flagship phones, whose susceptibility to catching fire.
Earlier this month, Samsung said it would recall all Note 7
  smartphones equipped with batteries it found to be fire-prone.
source

Questions

How do I check if my device is affected by this issue?
How do I check the eligibility of my device for the recall/defect?
What else do I need to know or consider?

Galaxy Note7 Safety Recall
Samsung Galaxy Note7 Battery Safety Recall and Exchange Program
Samsung has announced a voluntary recall and exchange program on
  certain Galaxy Note7 devices in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer
  Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The affected devices were sold in
  the U.S. before September 15, 2016. Since the affected devices can
  overheat and pose a safety risk, if you own a Galaxy Note7, it is
  extremely important to stop using your device, power it down and
  immediately exchange it using our U.S. Note7 Exchange Program.
Through the U.S. Note7 Exchange Program, you can:

Exchange your current Galaxy Note7 device with a new Galaxy Note7 as
  approved by the CPSC available no later than September 21, 2016; or
Exchange your current Galaxy Note7 for a Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge
  and replacement of any Note7 specific accessories with a refund of
  the price difference between devices; or
Contact your point of purchase to obtain a refund.

Customers who exchange a Note7 device will also receive a $25 gift
  card, in-store credit, in-store accessory credit or bill credit from
  select carrier retail outlets.
Note: The battery cell issue applies only to the Galaxy Note7 sold in
  the U.S. before September 15, 2016.
Eligibility
Please follow the steps below to determine if your Note7 must be
  replaced through this program. This program only applies to the Note7.
  You can also use Samsung+ which will automatically check your device.
How do I check my device?
Go to the Eligibility
  section and. . .

The IMEI or Serial number will be used to indicate if your device
  should be exchanged.
Find your IMEI or Serial number by going to "Apps > Settings > About
  Phone or General Management > Status > IMEI information or Serial
  number" or check the back of your phone.
Enter your IMEI (Serial # for devices without IMEI) number without
  any spaces below:

and then press the Check option there.
Exchange
Galaxy Note7 owners can contact the carrier or retail outlet where
  they purchased their device. If you bought your Note7 from
  Samsung.com, you should contact us at 1-844-365-6197 and we can help
  you. If you have any questions or concerns, contact us directly at
  1-844-365-6197.

Carrier/Retailer: ATT

Website: http://www.att.com/esupport/
Contact: 1-800-331-0500

Carrier/Retailer: Best Buy

Website: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/clp/
Contact: 1-888-237-7289

Carrier/Retailer: Sprint

Website: http://newsroom.sprint.com/news-releases/
Contact: 1-888-211-4727

Carrier/Retailer: T-Mobile

Website: https://explore.t-mobile.com/samsung-galaxy-note7-recall
Contact: 1-844-275-9309

Carrier/Retailer: U.S. Cellular

Website: http://www.uscellular.com/about/
Contact: 1-888-944-9400

Carrier/Retailer: Verizon

Website: http://www.verizonwireless.com/smartphones/
Contact: 1-800-922-0204

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it okay for me to continue using my Note7?
Your safety is our highest priority. Since affected Note7 batteries
  can overheat and pose a safety risk, if you own a Galaxy Note7, it is
  extremely important to stop using your device, power it down
  immediately and participate in the U.S. Note7 Exchange Program.

What is the problem with the Note7 phone?
We have identified an issue with certain Note7 battery cells. Your
  safety is our highest priority. Since affected Note7 batteries can
  overheat and pose a safety risk, if you own a Galaxy Note7, it is
  extremely important to stop using your device, power it down
  immediately and participate in the U.S. Note7 Exchange Program.

If I want to participate in the U.S. Note7 Exchange Program, what do I do?
To participate in the U.S. Note7 Product Exchange Program, you should
  contact your carrier or retail outlet. If you purchased your Note7 on
  Samsung.com, you should contact us directly at 1-844-365-6197.

Are there any other Samsung phones impacted?
No. This issue is only related to the Note7.

When can I buy a new Note7?
Our first priority will be to provide exchange program participants
  with a new Note7 as approved by the CPSC. New Note7s will be available
  at your carrier and retail outlets no later than September 21, 2016.

source

Note: all Note 7s now pose a risk to safety, as of October.


text:
Android phone won't boot up after rooting
I did rooting for the first time on my device
MICROMAX UNITE 3
model: Q372
I installed SuperSU and granted the permission to it to become superuser and thing is I haven't done any data recovery using CWM or TWRP .Next thing I did is rebooted my phone and I got this black screen of death .
So what did I do is pressed the volume up+ power button to go into recovery mode and it shows that no command with a dead logo. Then I pressed powerbutton + menu button(down)  and got this

I wiped cached partition ,nothing happened still black screen.
there is no recovery of TWRP / CWM .
no update from adb.
I am stuck with black screen , what should I do?

Which SuperSU did you flash and what is your Android version?

android v5.0 and the SuperSU me @beeshyams

Sorry, I am not familiar with that method to suggest

@beeshyams It's all solved. The thing is that some permissions were overwritten .I  just have  to flash a new stock ROM with SP flash tool and that's all the bootloop was gone and the permissions were restored.

You can write that up in details as an answer. It's encouraged to provide your own solutions


text:
how to remove the android device in gmail account
one guy is connecting to my gmail account. if I remove the device from gmail account also he again connecting. I don't know how he is connecting again ,I changed my gmail password and 2 step verification is on .. but still he is using my account. kindly help me .
he is using Samsung galxy note 11

First of all Log in to google in a PC, open gmail and at the bottom you can see Last account activity.
Click details shown next to it > and click sign out of all other sessions.
==========================================================================
Now, if he has added your account in to his device, follow these steps.

Go to google account security in a browser (PC).
Sign in with your google account
Under device activity and notifications click Review devices shown inside a card named recently used devices
Remove access to the particular device.

==========================================================================

Now, (most important) change your password and do not share it with anyone.