text:
Change icon shape and display [Android 11 Go edition]
Just bought a new Nokia C01 which runs Android 11 Go Edition. Settings > About phone > Android version has these details:

Android version = 11
Kernel version = 4.14.193+
Build number = 00WW_1_210

On the main run screen, the icon for a group of apps shows up to four icons from the apps internal to the group. The Chess group below is a good example...very messy!

The icon for a single app, like Iron Will, is perfect. On my previous phone, the group icon was taken from the 1st app in the group. This was a much cleaner design.
Is it possible to configure the group icon display on the home screen on my version of Android?
When I click-hold > Home settings on my version of Android, there are no options to modify the style or arrangement of icons on the home screen.

You can use a 3rd party launcher app, e.g. Nova Launcher allows to configure the icon shape, background and so on of app groups (at least on regular Android, not sure about Android Go).

The customization depends on the Home Screen/Launcher app. This behavior looks the same on Pixel Launcher (default launcher of Nexus and Pixel devices).


text:
How can I downgrade/compile Python in Termux?
I started using termux 1-2 weeks ago and I'm in love with it. Funnily, the first days in, everything worked fine and then a Python update hit, and I can no longer use my Python plugins in Neovim. It requres v3.9 or earlier.
I tried searching online and asking in Termux discord about how to downgrade Python to v3.9 or how to fix this but got nothing so far.
I would appreciate it if someone could tell me a solution or point me in a better direction about fixing the issue on my own.

Have you read this topic? https://stackoverflow.com/questions/54875168/how-to-install-specific-python-version-termux

Yes, I only have 3.10 in cache bcz I reinstalled termux from f-droid while I was unnaware of this issue. So my chache is gone.

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


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Are snapshots of apps stored somewhere?
Had an instance recently where a 'snapshot' of an app appeared in the recently used section of my phone months after it was last opened. Wondering how this could happen if the app hasn't been physically opened? Is the image stored somewhere?

By snapshot do you mean an app screenshot in the recent app list?

By snapshot if you mean the image of the app that you see in the recent apps list then yes, it is stored by Android, but it is not accessible by any third-party app. That said, an app can show up in recent apps list when a user mistakenly presses on the icon of an app and immediately presses the icon of the app they wanted to press originally.

Based on the timing and for additional context, I believe the OP previously posted a "question" on Where does Android store the snapshots used on the recent apps? with the text: "Follow up question, if the 'snapshots is no longer showing in the recently used app section does that mean the image has been deleted or can it be resurrected somehow?"

Please clarify your specific problem or provide additional details to highlight exactly what you need. As it's currently written, it's hard to tell exactly what you're asking.

@Firelord thanks for the reply.. for a bit of context - had a live stream camera connected to an app on my phone a while back. Recently and without being opened, this app recently appeared in the 'recent apps' with the last image streamed (wasn't there previously). Was wondering how this could happen without opening the app and with the camera not being online. Phone has always been glitchy and opened apps of its own accord.

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


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My Xiaomi Android smartphone suddenly doesn't see my WiFi's SSID in the WiFi connection list
I've had an internet outage and afterwards my Android 9 Xiaomi smartphone did not see my SSID at all in the system WiFi list and in the WiFi Analyzer app.
My phone only supports 2.4 GHz WiFi, whereas other devices use 5 GHz. 2.4GHz is on on the router.
The SSID Broadcast is on, I even tried setting the SSID on my phone that didn't work.
I tried setting the channel to 9 and 5 correspondly without any avail (as discussed here The SSID of my WiFi is not appearing in the list of neighbor networks ).
All my other devices have no issues.
Any help is very appreciated.

Is your phone picking up other SSOD's and is your router accessible on the 2.4g band by other devices?

not sure why this question was migrated. check beacon interval in residential gateway settings, default is 100 ms

@davidgo yes it's picking up other SSIDs and I don't know since the SSID is the same for 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz

@alecxs there's no such option but I already found the culprit, going to post an answer

@alecxs - Because questions about Android devices are out of scope at Super User

@Ramhound how is this question about android device? Where you got the info that wifi router runs android? Where is the Band Steering settings on android?

It's not the first time that @Mokubai migrated question just because there is the word Android mentioned somewhere

All you have to do is to disable Band Steering, since otherwise the router automatically detects devices on the 5 GHz range and automatically turns off the 2.4 GHz radio.
Case closed bangs hammer

Sounds to me that there is something wrong with your router because the SSID broadcast should always continue. You should really name the router manufacturer, model and firmware version to make it clear which device is affected by this bug.

@Robert I'd rather not share my router specifics due to security reasons. And you might be right, then again the feature promises to turn off the other radio completely so I'm not sure now

big secret (do not tell anyone) https://avm.de/produkte/fritzbox/fritzbox-7590 ;)


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Would the Amazon Fire OS count as Android?
I am wondering if the operating system on the Kindle Fire would count as an Android-based OS.

Android is 'open-source' in that Google releases code at every major version level. So long as whomever is doing the OS forking doesn't change APIs AND developers don't use any Google Mobile Services APIs, third-party apps should be able to run on both.

Amazon FireOS bases on Android Open Source Platform (AOSP). As it is published under an open source license everybody can fork it and build an own OS.
Note that there is one major difference between AOSP and "Google Android" (which is installed on nearly every Android phone you can buy): All Google services are missing. Starting with Google PlayStore and all Google apps this also affected invisible parts like Google Play Services (which are e.g. responsible for receiving push notifications for all installed apps).
According to Wikipedia relevant versions of FireOS are at the moment:

Fire OS 5 is based on Android 5.0 "Lollipop"
Fire OS 6 is based on Android 7.1.2 "Nougat"
Fire OS 7 is based on Android 9.0 "Pie"

The complete mapping list of FireOS versions and Android version can be found here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_OS#List_of_Fire_OS_versions


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Using ICSx5 with a local file
The page at https://icsx5.bitfire.at/ says:  ICSx⁵ is an Android app to subscribe to remote (“Webcal”) or local iCalendar files  (my emphasis). But I don't understand how to add a file from the local storage of my Android phone to icsx5.
The app asks for a URL.  The path to my file is:
/Interner Speicher/Documents/calendar.ics

So how do I translate this into a URL?  Guesses so far:
file://Interner Speicher/Documents/calendar.ics

gives a complaint about an illegal character (the white space).
file://Interner%20Speicher/Documents/calendar.ics
file://Documents/calendar.ics

each throw the error "URI has an authority component".
file:///Interner%20Speicher/Documents/calendar.ics
file:/Interner%20Speicher/Documents/calendar.ics
file:///Documents/calendar.ics
file:/Documents/calendar.ics

each throw the error "file not found".
What else could I reasonably try?
(I first tried posting this question in the icsx5-support forum at https://forums.bitfire.at/category/5/icsdroid but that website seems to be broken in my browser -- I can't select a category for my question, and of course I can't submit the question without selecting a category.  If anyone else could post there, that would be greatly appreciated.)

You make one big mistake: you use Windows for looking at the directories if your phone. The problem is that Windows accesses the phone via MTP protocol and MTP does not show you the real file system. Therefore any path you see via MTP is non-existent on the phone. Use an Android file manager app instead or from a PC ADB for seeing the real file path.

No, I don't even have Windows. I'm using the (Samsung?) "My Files" app that came with the phone.

Ok, but no matter the used app also uses the media database (that is also used by MTP) to display the files and thus does not display the real path. I assume your device is running Android 10+? Use a different file manager app that displays the real path or change the display setting of the used app to display real paths.

Ok, thanks! I believe I managed to figure out the true path with a separate app, as you suggested. Using one or three "/" I now get a "permission denied" error. Seems I can give the app permission to read "media files" only. Guess that's a different question ...


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Replace EMUI systemui with stock
My phone broke just a bit too early. I am currently waiting for a Fairphone 4, but the delivery time is quite long, so I am stuck with an old Honor 9 Lite which we had lying around.
But EMUI is really annoying, especially the systemui.
Is there a way to replace the systemui with the AOSP version of that? I have root (Magisk), but since I won't be using this phone for too long, I wouldn't want to flash a custom rom.

No way without flashing a custom ROM or  AOSP//You can tinker with some UI features but not make it look like  AOSP // That's true for any heavily modified ROM like yours or Samsung or any other

try another app drawer like nexus launcher

@alecxs Thanks, I already have another launcher (KISS launcher, it is amazing!) The biggest problem i have now is that the systemui (it's responsible e.g. for the notification area) is scaled super large. So I can see e.g. only 3 Notifications at once, and the text is so large, that I can't see more than a few words. Scaling it smaller using normal means doesn't change anything.

@beeshyams Thanks for the answer. I was fearing that...


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Disable fullscreen keyboard in landscape mode?
Do we have any solution for this, without rooting the phone?
I've seen videos from 6 years back when people are hunting for this.
Now in 2021, in the time of foldables, it's pretty awkward having a fullscreen keyboard on a 1768 x 2208 pixel screen (ok, more frankly, on a 2208 x 1768)
Please let me know if you are aware of anything.
I'm specifically searching the disabling option for Samsung Keyboard, if that matters, or making it more easy by any chance.
Thanks.

use bluetoooth keyboard

Blah. Or use Windows, right?

once bluetooth keyboard is added, there is notification menu where you select favorite keyboard (same if multiple keyboard apps installed). every time you want to hide keyboard, select the bluetooooth keyboard

@alecxs: you don't get my point. I don't want to hide the keyboard. I just don't want it to go to fullscreen. When I reply to a message on let's say WhatsUp: portrait mode is fine, but in landscape keyboard takes the whole screen, and I can't see who am I writing to.

try gboard one hand mode or use transparent keyboard theme https://i.stack.imgur.com/tB5kS.jpg

"I'm specifically searching the disabling option for Samsung Keyboard"

samsung keyboard app is "disabled" when another app is used. There are plenty much apps on google play. if your question is about feature request for samsung keyboard app, this is the wrong place for support

Does this answer your question? What is the point of fullscreen keyboard on Android?

Can you please try another keyboard and report back it's issue with keyboards like Samsung keyboard or with apps like WhatsApp? I don't use WhatsApp or other facebook apps

This is the issue with the apps. In other apps it works great (Gmail, youtube search, etc).

Then I doubt there is any disabling option for Samsung Keyboard

From app developer's viewpoint it's as easy as this: <EditText android:imeOptions="flagNoFullscreen">. With XPosed, it bans the keyboard's evaluation if the app is in fullscreen or not, and pretend that it's not.


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Remotely view and log out of Gmail accounts used to sign in on Android phones
I have a Gmail account that I have logged in to on multiple phones. I use it only to download things from the Play Store (don't even check email from the phones). I mostly access this account from a PC browser to view emails.
How can I check which phones I am currently logged in on from this account, and how do I remotely log out of them if necessary?
The "last account activity" link at the bottom of the Gmail PC browser interface seems to only show other browsers where I have logged in to view email. I would like to see a list of phones I am currently logged in to, the history of all phones I have logged into before if this is available, and log out of them individually as needed.

You can see all logged-on devices connected to your Google account on the "Google Your devices" web site:
https://myaccount.google.com/device-activity
For each Android device you can select in it's three-dots-menu to logout on this device.
Note that this totally disables the device for Play Store and Gmail on the selected device. This is by design as you can not logout one specific service like GMail but keep the account active for Play Store:
Logout from Gmail account without logging out Google Play Store account

https://myaccount.google.com/device-activity: this link is what I was looking for. How would I have found it in the gmail browser interface?

@user17915 Search in Google search for google device logout and you will find this page. Not sure how to reach this from within GMail. As the logout functionality belongs to the account and not to Gmail my assumption is that it will require a lot of clicks to get there.


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I'm getting about 40Mbps transfer rater over WiFi (from phone to Linux). Is it that slow because of the SDCard on the phone?
I have a WiFi connection which, in the settings, says:

Transmit link speed
866Mbps
Receive link speed
780Mbps

I've installed PowerFTP on my phone and transferred a large video file (about 40 min.) from my Android (Pixel 5a) phone to my Linux computer. My network is a 1Gbps all around (switch, NICs, WiFi router) except for the WiFi transmission itself (obviously).
The transfer rate shown by PowerFTP is around 5Mb/s (or ~40Mbps).
Why is that transfer rate so low? Is there something else limiting the speed along the way?

Update:
My Network looks more or less like this:
+-------+        +-------------+        +--------+        +------+
|       |        |             |        |        |        |      |
| Phone |<::::::>| WiFi Router |<------>| Switch |<------>|  PC  |
|       |  WiFi  |             |  LAN   |        |  LAN   |      |
+-------+        +-------------+        +--------+        +------+
~700mbps         ~700Mbps  1Gbps          1Gbps            1Gbps

The LAN has a switch and that connection is local (as in 192.168.x.x).
There are other devices on the WiFi (3 phones, a laptop--which was off when I tested the above).
Of course, I can see some WiFi devices from my neighbors... so I understand there can be interference there.

The higher Wifi connection speed values you have included are these values measured e.g by an app or web site or is this just the connection speed shows in WiFi settings? If it is the latter the shown value is a theoretical value that can never be reached. Also keep in mind that the air is a shared media used by multiple WiFi and other systems like Bluetooth baby phones, ...

@Robert That's the values found in the WiFi settings of that specific connection. I understand that there could be collisions (and thus some slowdown), but what I'm getting is about 20× less!

Is your Linux PC connected via WiFi or Ethernet? If it is WiFi then the data have to be transmitted twice through the air phone > router > PC. Also check how many other WiFi s around use the three channels of your WiFi. If you use a WiFi with more bandwidth try to narrow it to reduce collisions with other Wifis - sometimes a slower WiFi connection speed can result in a higher practical speed.

Additionally you shoud perform a real network test like iperf3, there should be also apps available that can do so. Run the iperf3 server on your PC and test from the phone.

Okay, I have iperf3 installed in Termux, I'll check with that and report. Otherwise I added some info about my network. The WiFi is on the LAN as far as my PC is concerned.

can you try another app please? https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.xnano.android.ftpserver,
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=dk.tacit.android.foldersync.lite,
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=lysesoft.andftp

I can remember of similar issue with LAN drive app. at least they mention in app description

that's limitation from PowerFTP. before buying ask support if pro version will increase speed (not sure about this)

Do you have proof of that? I can't find anything other than your answer which would confirm your statement. It's not that I don't believe you, but I would think that they would mention it somewhere if that was the case?

just my common sense of how things work - that's why you should ask support for confirmation

Please do some test. downvote to indicate PowerFTP is not the cause. Only upvote/accept to confirm PowerFTP has some speed limitation (in whatever kind). That's my sense of how community can create references if no other sources exist

Okay, I had the opportunity to test with AndFTP which you proposed above and it worked as expected! Much faster. So I guess PowerFTP is rate limiting you (at least the free version) even though their info doesn't say anything about that...


text:
Install/replace default android audio decoder - Play Hi-res audio
I want to be able to playback hi-res audio files on my device without being tied to a specific application. According to this spec page on GSMArena the device should be able to play 32-bit audio files. But it seems that this functionality was maybe added to OneUI as the same audio files (24-bit and 32-bit audio) playback with static or stuttering on any AOSP custom rom. Even playing back the audio on other phones, like Pixels, result in the same stuttering. Apps like VLC do support these files flawlessly however it doesn't have the same functionality like closed-sourced apps (example BlackPlayer EX). My question is there anyway to replace the default Android OS audio playback engine or somehow add functionality to support these kinds of files? Or is there any way to add functionality to down-mix the files to 16-bit during playback?
Device: Galaxy S10+ (Exynos)
OS: Evolution X 5.9.1
Root: Magisk

If your device is rooted, V4a can sample at higher rates apart from a ton of other audiophile modifications. I've had this module running from Android 8 onwards to 11

@beeshyams Yes, I'm rooted with Magisk. I have both Audio Modification Library and Viper4Android installed. Do you have any instructions or links into how to do that?

By default or goes to the higher setting. You can join the Telegram group if you need help https://t.me/ViPER4AndroidFX


text:
Which root method is safe and can be unrooted easily safely without aftermarks
Question Which root method is safe and can be unrooted easily safely without aftermarks
I want to root my mobile lyf water 7 and change modify  settings of PM set install location  and if it works then I will like to unroot and install
Moving installation location on non rooted Android 5 Lollipop device
I googled founded three methods

Twrp installing  and installing super user

Installing magisk which writes on Bot  partition and don't touches the system partition

Installing kingoroot or one root

Xda rooting batch file

https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/lyf-water-7-ly5504.3524381/
Which of the above rooting methods are safe to install what are pros nd cins of each methods and which  and can be unistalled easily and don't leave any after marks after unrooting
How to unroot with all four methods

Superuser

Magisk

Kingoroot or one touch root

Xda batch dile

How to manually root a phone?

Does this answer your question? Is the root file different if a custom rom is installed?

https://topjohnwu.github.io/Magisk/install.html#uninstallation

go with Magisk it is safe and maintained. Note for Android 4 Magisk v22 is required. Magisk v23 only support Android 5+

btw no need to unroot, you can set Automatic Response Deny and withdraw all root permissions, that has similar impact than unroot


text:
Correct name for (dynamic?) widgets
What is the correct name for these kind of widgets that reflect the current time, date, weather etc (introduced in Android 8, I think) ?
Screenshot from home screen of Pixel 4a,Android 11, using Nova Launcher 7, with icon theme set to system

Dynamic (as in title) makes sense functionally but it doesn't seem to be the technical name. I want to ask an app developer to implement this and describe it correctly.

Unless I'm missing something, those are actually app icons, not app widgets. Stack Overflow has a related question about this: Is there any way to dynamically change an app icon like Calendar app does?. Not sure if adaptive icons since Android 8.0 is related or not.

@AndrewT, Thanks. Didn't know both are different! Wonder how they are defined differently. Maybe you can explain?

I need some time to read more about it since this looks like a hack (need integration with the launcher app to update it) instead of a normal, standalone widget (can update freely, independent of the launcher app)

@AndrewT, if it helps, Android 11,Pixel 4a, Nova Launcher. I can see clock for example on home screen reflecting current time (as in question) as also in app drawer as mentioned in one of the answers there

Andrew seems to be correct. I just noticed they have titles too. They can be App Shortcuts. Are they default icons of the apps?

@AndrewT,  changed the icon theme and current information (time) is not shown

Well, then definitely they are not widgets. Widgets are to be added by the user, they don't appear as the only app icon.

Launchers which support App Widgets have a dedicated section listing all the available widgets from all the installed apps. User can select to add (or drag and drop) one of the widgets on the home screen. App drawer (which lists app icons of all the installed launch-able apps) and the widgets list screen are different sections. Widgets list is usually accessible by long pressing the empty area on home screen (or may be from the settings of the Launcher app; it's developer's choice). Related: https://support.google.com/android/answer/9450271.

And App Shortcuts are usually available by long pressing the app icon (or the app may create one dynamically depending on the user's actions within the app). So the App Icons, App Shortcuts, and App Widgets are three different things. And they have further categories too.

And as it seems, if they are the default icons of the apps, they must be just the (dynamic) app icons, neither app shortcuts, nor app widgets.


text:
Stop Chrome from automatically downloading files without a prompt on Android 11
I'm using Chrome for Android (93.0.4577.82) on Android 11. On Chrome on PC and Macs, it is possible to always prompt the user when the browser attempts to download a file. However, on Chrome for Android, it just automatically downloads files without prompting once I click on a link every time.
I've blocked auto-downloads in "Site Settings" and specified both the "Ask when to save files" and "Ask where to save files" options under Downloads.  However, the issue persists.
Any idea if I'm missing something? Can't seem to find a workable solution online yet.

A crude way could be to deny storage permissions to Chrome. It will be forced to ask and you can deny //I couldn't find any flags for it in the current version of Chrome

Just to clarify in case this is an XY-problem, is the problem really about automatically downloading PDF files without prompt? Just to make sure since if you expect the PDF to be opened directly in Chrome for Android, note that Chrome for Android doesn't have an in-built PDF reader, so it needs external PDF reader apps to open it (and also downloads the PDF files first).

Hey @andrew, I'm trying to prevent Chrome from auto-downloading PDFs. Even after changing the settings, the behaviour still persists in which Chrome just downloads PDFs and opens it on another app. Any idea why this might be the case? Tried beeshyams solution above by clearing cache and also storage for good measure, but still same behaviour. Interesting that you say Android doesn't have an inbuilt reader. I'm running stock Android, but it's able to open the PDF somehow? I haven't downloaded any 3rd party PDF apps

@AlbertKinterman thanks for the clarification. I mentioned "Chrome for Android" since it's not the same as Chrome for PC where users can view the PDF inside the browser. Though, Android also doesn't have an inbuilt PDF viewer, must be other pre-installed apps like Google Drive which does provide PDF viewer to other apps.

Ok sure thanks for the heads up, I think it's opening it via Drive. However, can I prevent Chrome on Android from auto downloading PDFs and other files tho? This works for Chrome on PC and Macs. Seems like a strange security flaw to prevent auto downloads on the internet.

Hey @Andrew T., any updates on this? I can't seem to prevent Chrome on Android from downloading files automatically. It just automatically downloads files once I click on a link everytime even though I've blocked automatic downloads and set it to ask everytime. Any idea what the issue might be? I'm running stock Android 11.

@AlbertKinterman sorry, I'm not sure I can help on this one. Also, since you mentioned "other files", I decided to update the question so that it's not only about PDF files anymore. Feel free to rollback if it's incorrect and/or [edit] the question to add more information.

Ok sure, thanks for the edit, not sure about all files but definitely experiencing this with PDFs. Are you experiencing the same thing? Updated to the latest version of Chrome (94.0.4606.61) and still seeing the same behavior.


text:
How to edit build.prop file in Android 11
I have a TCL 20e (6125A) with Android 11. I want to increase the torch brightness. As I read in another post, this can be done by adding these two lines in the file:
ro.media.capture.flashintensity=50
ro.media.capture.torchintensity=50

I look everywhere and can't root my device, and the two custom recoveries that I find don't work on my phone.
Is it possible to edit this file without custom recovery? Any other chance?

You don't need a custom recovery but you need a rooted device, because build.prop file is read-only by default and for writing it you need root.

Factory reset and install Magisk app 24.3
Patch your firmware’s boot and nulled vbmeta by Magisk app
Install TWRP app and wait for your TWRP images on XDA ...
Flash your device’s TWRP by any PC tools
Flash Magisk patched boot and vbmeta by TWRP
Flash your GSI, and you’ve been rooted (VNDK GSI ROM’s are rw, others are ro)
Patch your vbmeta and boot once more to root on GSI again
Edit sth you need to edit by root apps

Your answer could be improved with additional supporting information. Please [edit] to add further details, such as citations or documentation, so that others can confirm that your answer is correct. You can find more information on how to write good answers in the help center.


text:
Why does blocking of incomming connections via AFWall cut off the network connection?
There are couple of Android firewall apps in the wild, for instance AFWall. It manages iptables rules. Usually for client devices, admins set the default policy for the INPUT chain to block, but when I set that policy for the chain, the network connection breaks. What's the cause of such behavior? Shouldn't it just block incoming connection from the network to the phone? Is it secure to leave the accept policy for the INPUT chain, and hence to allow any device in the network to connect to the device unconditionally?

Blocking everything in INPUT chain? It doesn't make sense. At least allow connections with --state ESTABLISHED,RELATED to get reply back for outgoing connections.

Even if you only transmit data in outgoing direction using TCP, the TCP protocol requires to send status messages in both directions e.g. to acknowledge received packages or request packages that have been lost on in transmission. Therefore if you block all incoming traffic you also destroy the functionality of TCP. You could then ony use unreliable UDP protocol for sending data.

@IrfanLatif I didn't say to block everything, I said to set the default policy of the INPUT chain to block. You have rules, at least they should be added via AFWall, to allow apps to receive connections including the ESTABLISHED ones. So only the phone was able to initiate connections. But try to set the INPUT policy to block, and you won't be able to even send a ping to remote server from your phone, which is really weird,

And are you sure that the default rules created by Android framework are not blocking your connections: https://android.googlesource.com/platform/system/netd/+/refs/tags/android-11.0.0_r1/server/Controllers.cpp

@IrfanLatif, I don't know, that's why I'm asking. In AFWall, I allowed some example app to be able to connect to the WiFi -- this works well. In the AFWall settings, there's an option to set the default chains policy. When I set the default policy of INPUT to DROP, the example app is unable to connect to the internet. When I checked the rules in iptables, I can clearly see some packets are hitting the default INPUT chain policy (ACCEPT), and I wanted to prevent that. Every linux client I use has this policy set to DROP in INPUT (for security) and they work well.

I think I found it. Basically there's no filtering rules set in the INPUT. There's only bw_INPUT and fw_INPUT custom chains. The first one is for bandwidth control (limit LTE), and fw_INPUT is empty. No other rules in the INPUT. So when I set the default INPUT policy to DROP, it  blocks any connection. So it looks like the ESTABLISHED rule should be added. It's weird it's not there by default. What worries me even more, Android devices has no FW at all...

Being behind a NAT or CGNAT gateway is in itself a protection, though not of a firewall grade. Mobile phones aren't very likely to be accessible from internet: https://android.stackexchange.com/a/205807/218526, but on a local WiFi network they are exposed to local hosts.

I know, but it should not allow any incoming connection to the device.


text:
How to exclude a specific destination IP from VPN?
I want to route a specific IP address from hotspot (wlan0) to Mobile Data (rmnet_data1) interface on Android 11, bypassing VPN.
I use my phone as a hotspot and also with the help of an app called "VPN Hotspot" I share the VPN with my PC. I want to exclude a specific IP address from VPN. I have tried the route option in "OpenVPN for Android" client and it doesn't seem to work properly. I think it might because of "Always On" enabled.
Can I achieve this with ip route command?

Not clear what you are asking. Is your device a WiFi AP? In that case every packet that appears on WiFi interface (wlan0) is already routed to Mobile Data interface (rmnet_data). Here's how you can do it manually: https://android.stackexchange.com/a/217896/218526. Or if it's the opposite case i.e. route everything coming on Mobile Data to WiFi interface, here's the detailed explanation: https://android.stackexchange.com/a/218562/218526

@IrfanLatif I use my phone as a hotspot and also with the help of an app called VPN Hotspot I share the VPN with my PC but I want to exclude a specific IP address from VPN but routing from the OpenVPN client didn't work so I was thinking how I can just route it with ip route add command

Got it. Note that whenever you enable or disable a VPN on Android device, routing table is recreated. There can be a score of rules added to the routing table when VPN is enabled, since it does filtering based on UIDs and Socket Marks. So you need to share the whole routing table (rules and routes) here in order to get a practical suggestion.

@IrfanLatif Just edited the question and added the table but is that the right one?

ip -4 ru | grep -vE 'unreachable[ ]*$|local[ ]*$'; ip -4 r s t all | grep -vE '^unreachable |^local |^broadcast '

@IrfanLatif here is the output of that command https://gist.github.com/poqdavid/a1325693f46e2c4fa399dcb2c2cba972

ip ru add iif wlan0 lookup 9999 pri 9999; ip r add 1.2.3.4 dev rmnet_data1 table 9999. Replace 1.2.3.4 with your required destination IP. Not tested. You might need to change RPDB priority (so that your rule is the first) and table number. Check /data/misc/net/rt_tables for reserved table numbers which you should not use.

Note that this routes only outgoing packets. You need to add another rule in the same way for returned traffic. And also make sure that MASQUERADE (NAT) rules are properly added (using iptables).

@IrfanLatif Ok that command works actually without killing my entire connection I tested this with TeamSpeak and it's actually reporting my IP I personally never used ip or iptables command can you like add this whole thing as an answer with the rule for incoming packets and the iptables MASQUERADE (NAT) I would really appreciate it

Please share your iptables rules: cat /proc/net/ip_tables_names | xargs -I {} iptables -t '{}' -S

@IrfanLatif when i run that it gives me an error saying xargs: unknown option 'i' https://gist.github.com/poqdavid/a1325693f46e2c4fa399dcb2c2cba972#file-xargs-error

Poor toybox. cat /proc/net/ip_tables_names | while read t; do echo $t; iptables -t $t -S; done

@IrfanLatif XD ok here got it https://gist.github.com/poqdavid/a1325693f46e2c4fa399dcb2c2cba972#file-iptables

Note: The commands given below require a rooted device.

Whenever you enable or disable VPN on Android device, routing table is recreated by the Android framework. There can be a score of rules added to the routing table when VPN is enabled, since it does filtering based on UIDs and Socket Marks. So you need to manipulate the routing table depending on the existing rules.
ROUTING POLICY AND TABLES
From the info you provided, I'm quoting the relevant parts:
~# ip -4 rule
...
11000:  from all iif tun0 lookup local_network
...
17900:  from all iif wlan0 lookup tun0
18000:  from all iif wlan0 lookup rmnet_data1
...

~# ip -4 route show table all
...
192.168.18.0/24 dev wlan0 table local_network...
...
default via 21.62.249.109 dev rmnet_data1 table rmnet_data1...
21.62.249.104/29 dev rmnet_data1 table rmnet_data1...
...

~# iptables -t nat -S
...
-A POSTROUTING -j tetherctrl_nat_POSTROUTING
-A tetherctrl_nat_POSTROUTING -o tun0 -j MASQUERADE
-A tetherctrl_nat_POSTROUTING -o rmnet_data1 -j MASQUERADE
...

In simple words what the above rules state:

Everything coming at VPN interface (tun0) is routed to hotspot interface (wlan0) if the destination IP is within hotspot subnet (192.168.18.0/24) i.e. the packets don't belong to the apps running on device (open sockets).
Everything coming at hotspot interface is routed to VPN interface.
The packets which don't qualify to be routed through VPN (mainly the VPNed traffic itself, any excluded apps, or the local packets) are routed to Mobile Data interface (rmnet_data1).
21.62.249.109 is your IP assigned by the carrier and 21.62.249.104/29 is their gateway.
All packets going out through VPN and/or Mobile Data interfaces are MASQUERADEd i.e. their source IP address is changed from local IP to a routable IP address (21.62.249.109 in your case).

So this is the simplified flow we are interested in:
Hotspot -> Routing -> FORWARD -> SNAT -> Internet
Internet -> Conntrack -> Routing -> FORWARD -> Hotspot

SOLUTION
After understanding how it works, lets route it the way we want. Say a host on hotspot network is connecting to 1.2.3.4 through internet. But you don't want to send this specific traffic through VPN on Android device.

Define a rule in RPDB and a routing table to route the traffic coming at hotspot interface to Mobile Data interface, if it's destined for 1.2.3.4:
~# ip rule add iif wlan0 lookup 9000 pri 9999
~# ip route add 1.2.3.4 dev rmnet_data1 table 9000

I used RPDB priority 9999 and table 9000. You might need to change the priority (so that your rule is always on top) and table number. Check /data/misc/net/rt_tables for reserved table numbers which you should not use.

Define another rule to route the packets coming from 1.2.3.4 at Mobile Data interface to hotspot interface (if the destination IP is within hotspot subnet):
~# ip rule add from 1.2.3.4 iif rmnet_data1 lookup local_network pri 9999

Note that I used here an already existing routing table local_network. You can define your own too.

All outgoing packets through Mobile Data interface are already MASQUERADEd as explained above, so we don't need to add another iptables rule. If needed, you can also use SNAT target in place of MASQUERADE.

Make sure that IP forwarding is enabled and allowed in firewall. Usually it's not needed because Wi-Fi hotspot already sets this up for you:
~# echo 1 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_forward
~# iptables -I FORWARD -o rmnet_data1 -d 1.2.3.4 -j ACCEPT
~# iptables -I FORWARD -i rmnet_data1 -s 1.2.3.4 -j ACCEPT

To delete these rules use ip rule del, ip route del and iptables -D.

NOT WORKING?
If the above rules don't work, or you need to adapt the rules for a different situation, iptables -j LOG is a good friend for troubleshooting.
For reference read any Linux documentation or guides about IP routing and Netfilter. It's not specifically about Android.

RELATED:

When hotspot is enabled, every packet that appears on hotspot (Wi-Fi) interface is being routed to Mobile Data interface. Here's how to do it manually: How to create a wifi hotspot from the terminal?
In the opposite case i.e. when you want to route everything coming on Mobile Data interface to WiFi interface: How to assign Mobile Data's public IP to host connected on hotspot?

Awesome one small thing let's say if I want to add another IP I can just add it to the same table correct? and also I think the VPN Hotspot app does the MASQUERADING if I am not wrong

Yes. // Never used that app but masquerading and forwarding is required for the native hotspot feature of Android to work. Otherwise hosts connected to hotspot won't be able to connect to internet.


text:
Cloned Galaxy S20U? Will it function?
Bought what I thought was a Galaxy S20 Ultra, but not so. Will it work?
My SIM works as far as phone and text but the internet doesn't work. WiFi is on and it's all fine.

IMEI says Apple iPad 10 Pro
Zankyo Maxpad 10 is what my Google account identifies
Build number: H_X25_S20U_20200523
Custom build version: alps-mp-m0.mp1-V2.39_hy6580.weg.m_P96

Can I root this device?
Some device info and specs

The whole device is a fake, Android 10 was release in 2019, but the security patch level dates 2017. Also the navigation icons look like a much older Android version (something like Android 5/6). I would not use such a device at all. return it and claim your money back. If that is not possible learn from it as your money is gone and the device is crap.

@Robert if the API level doesn't lie, you may be right that it's Android 6.0. (Interestingly, the OP did tag this question with [tag:6.0-marshmallow]?)

It is MediaTek device, you should be able to dump boot.img off the device with SP Flash Tool and root with Magisk as usual

Will rooting be a benefit and how can I .. Been trying. No pc

Will rooting be a benefit and how can I .. Been trying. No pc

"internet doesn't work" is too broad. can be a problem with IMEI, mac address, DNS, APN settings, browser app, certificates, hosts file, etc. broken modem cannot fixed with root


text:
How to mount MTP like a drive in /dev?
I am trying to recover some files on my android device, but without success. So I would like to try tools like photorec, but they need a physically mounted device. Or rather, for the moment photorec makes me recover files only from /dev/sdx, so I need to mount the mtp device like this. For now I have tried this solution here: https://askubuntu.com/questions/446180/how-to-mount-smartphone-to-recover-files but jmtpfs gives me an error.
And and lastly this Android system partition image on pc or sdcard.
The problem is that in recent versions of android (I tried 10 and 11), in the block folder there is no stl6, but a lot of sdx partitions.

Cross-posted from Ubuntu.SE: https://askubuntu.com/q/1365727/331791

you cannot recover files from android device, I doubt photorec did recover anything

MTP exposes emulated storage, and that too as a file transfer protocol, not the storage itself. Recovering data requires access to raw userdata partition or the bare filesystem of the partition (mounted at /data): https://android.stackexchange.com/a/208114/218526. But on modern devices data recovery is extremely unlikely due to locked bootloader, encryption, and use of flash filesystem (f2fs).


text:
Missing WhatsApp Media Files
My WhatsApp on Android crashed without warning 2 days ago on 23 September.
When I restored WhatsApp from the Google Drive backup (I have always been regularly backing up my messages), none of the chat messages reappeared.
I deleted WhatsApp and reinstalled it. I chose the reinstallation of backup on Google Drive, but it was stuck at 24%. When I ignored it, WhatsApp eventually reinstalled a clean version of all my chat histories (i.e. all conversations were present but empty).
I deleted WhatsApp again and reinstall it. This time, when it was stuck at 24%, I forced stopped the app, and restarted it. This appeared to work, and I was able to view all my conversations with the messages.
(BTW, over the past years whenever my WhatsApp crashes inexplicably, I will always encounter the botched restoration, which I will resolve by force stopping WhatsApp when it was stuck and all the media files and messages will be restored, with 1-2 days' loss of messages.)
But now, I realised that ALL the media files (including photos, files, voice recording and videos) that I have accumulated over the years were not restored.
While the photos still show up in their thumbnails in the specific gallery folder, they are essentially now empty 0 B files. When I clicked on them, the systems says that the file is either missing or corrupt.
I accessed my file manager and saw a couple of msgstores files, with the earliest of which being on 23 Sept.
I deleted WhatsApp again to restore the local backup but that option was not available. In the end I had to restore the WhatsApp from the latest backup on Google Drive (while facing the same difficulty of it being stuck described above).
The media files are still missing. Now even the earlier msgstores files on my phone of 23 Sept are also missing. Only 1 msgstore file of 26 September is around.
Please help! I don’t have access to all the WhatsApp media files which are very very dear to me! I have been backing up my WhatsApp files regularly and the missing media files very regularly. There must be some backup residing in my phone somewhere.
Any suggestions will be very much appreciated! Thank you!

F2FS file system bug

Anything I can do to extract the earlier msgstore files (which are no longer viewable on the File Explorer but could still be in the system) so I can restore WA properly?

Redmi Note 8, Android 11, unrooted

nothing you can recover off device side, your only chance is restoring from cloud / google drive


text:
Is there any downside in indicating a wifi network as "unmetered"? (assume the wifi has no bandwidth restrictions or max data limit)
I use a wifi network that has no bandwidth restrictions or max data limit with I use the latest Venmo app on Android 10 with Samsung Galaxy S9. Android detected the wifi network as metered. Is there any downside if I indicate this wifi network as "unmetered" instead?

Android detected (mirror) the wifi network as metered:

No, there isn't any downside and you should set it to unmetered. You certainly wouldn't like OTA updates or large downloads to be throttled or stopped by setting it as metered.
When to use metered Wi-Fi

If your network has a data limit, you can set your Wi-Fi as metered. When your network is metered, you have more control over how much data your phone uses through downloads and other apps.


text:
Magisk to set orientation - Android Head Unit
On Android head units, the orientation typically defaults to landscape.  And has disabled auto-rotation, the screen will always remain in a landscape mode. This effectively means you can't use any software on Google Play Store or other places to change this default because auto-rotation is disabled. I need to change this feature to portrait for custom firmware I have placed on my head unit (using Android 10). I have installed Magisk.
In my attempts to work out how to do this, I have gathered some information, but I have not got enough experience or knowledge to know how to do this. I really need guidance.
I believe in order to do this correctly, this needs to be done at root, and place in one of these locations in Magisk
(1) /sbin/.magisk/.core/post-fs-data.d/
or
(2) /data/adb/service.d/
and the command syntax would look something like this (3)
adb shell settings put system accelerometer_rotation 0 # auto-rotation, 0 disable, 1 enable
adb shell settings put system user_rotation 0 # actual-rotation, clockwise, options 0[0°], 1[90°],2[180°],3[270°]

Source:- https://stackoverflow.com/questions/25864385/changing-android-device-orientation-with-adb
or (4)
content insert --uri content://settings/system --bind name:s:accelerometer_rotation --bind value:i:0
content insert --uri content://settings/system --bind name:s:user_rotation --bind value:i:0

or (5)
import android.provider.Settings;

// You can get ContentResolver from the Context
Settings.System.putInt(getContentResolver(), Settings.System.ACCELEROMETER_ROTATION, 0);
Settings.System.putInt(getContentResolver(), Settings.System.USER_ROTATION, 0);

or something else (Other source documents)
How to change Android default-natural orientation?
Thank you for any time you invest in this.


text:
How to recover data after unlocking bootloader
So guys I unlocked my bootloader and installed lineage os  1 month ago and before unlocking I forgot to create a backup and all data was erased so I saw a way to recover data in a rooted moto g here in some threads so can it be possible for my phone.my phone is  xaomi note 10 pro indian variant

Simple answer - no way


text:
Map human-readable permissions to actual permissions (android reference documentation)
How can I find out exactly what permissions qualify for a given "human readable" permission listed in a given app's App Info in the Android UI?
If I open a given App info for an app installed on my Android device, I see permissions listed like

take pictures and video
modify or delete the contens of your shared storage
access precise location only in the foreground
record audio
have full network access
prevent phone from sleeping
run foreground service
change your audio settings
etc

But these are fairly broad categories.
I would assume that there's one or many actual permissions requested by the app that would map into a given category above.
For example, here's a list of the possible actual permissions that would be requested by the app:

https://developer.android.com/reference/android/Manifest.permission

So my question is, for a given version of android, how do I figure out what are the set of permissions that could be requested by an app such that if any one of them was requested, then the given human-readable permission would appear for that app.
Or, equivalently, for a given "human-readable" permission, what is the set of possible permissions that could have been requested by the app that would make that "human-readable" permission appear for the app's permissions?
Is there a reference document anywhere that maps these actual android permissions into "human-readable" UI permissions?

I doubt such a document exists given that permissions are classified as normal, signature and dangerous.
See permission overview for more details. Note that these keep changing with Android versions. It depends on the app and Android version so such an extensive document is unlikely

Yes, I would expect a continuous, versioned reference document with versions that map exactly to a given release of Android.

It's not officially documented. You need to go through the AOSP source code to get the real picture.

link to the relevant section of the code?

There's no single relevant section. You'll have to match string resources with their corresponding manifest permissions. All defined and referenced in multiple places. Just start searching in the repo: https://github.com/aosp-mirror/platform_frameworks_base

And you won't ever find a complete reference, as not even can each manufacturer define their own (as e.g. Samsung does to quite an extent), but so can app developers. For starters, I can refer you to my (incomplete and unversioned) list which also holds some references to other sources.

apps can make-up permissions? That doesn't make sense.

It takes just a single line to define a new permission: https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/manifest/permission-element. But obviously the permissions defined in apps don't appear in the App Info section. What you see there is a subset of requested permissions, defined in AOSP code.

May help: https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/38388/what-do-android-application-permissions-mean


text:
How to get a complete list of actual app permissions for a given app (android)
Is there a way in the UI (eg without having to download/extract the .adb and open the app's AndroidManifest.xml file) to view the complete list of permissions that are requested by a given app?
Note I'm trying to get the actual list of permissions

https://developer.android.com/reference/android/Manifest.permission

I'm not asking for the over-simplified human-readable permissions:

Map human-readable permissions to actual permissions (android reference documentation)

How can I get a complete list of permissions for a given app?

I don't use play store. I'd prefer if this were do-able from Android itself, and not some closed-source app.

What about an open source app: https://github.com/mirfatif/PermissionManagerX? Disclosure: I'm the author of the app.

I am a happy user of the app by @IrfanLatif

"Permission Manager X can run only in primary user account / device owner profile" :(

That's a closed source feature: https://mirfatif.github.io/PermissionManagerX/help/help.html#faq22. adb shell dumpsys package is the easy way though, without requiring any third party app.

The application named App Manager available in F-Droid allows the user to see all permissions, regardless of whether the app is installed for the primary user or secondary users.

Next to the excellent app by @IrfanLatif there are several other apps to inspect apps, not only for permissions but also for other resources (Manifest, libraries / tracking modules and more). Apologies for shameless self-promotion – but we learned here that apps get unlisted, and my lists are kept updated ;)


text:
How to unlock view get app info "Move app to SD card" option locked missing in android 5.1.1
Question :-How to unlock view get app info "Move app to SD card" option locked missing in android 5.1.1?
I have two mobiles of same company with different model both having same os android 5.1.1  sharing below screenshot of about phone of both mobiles
Lyf  water  7 ls 5004 about phone

Lyf wind 6 ls 5009 about phone

But one of the mobile model  Lyf wind 6    ls-5009 (with 8gb internal memory) is showing "Move to SD card" option in setting apps but another mobile model Lyf water 7 ls 5504 (internal memory 16gb) one is missing locked not  showing option for same app "move to sd card" may be locked by OEM. Screenshot of same app settings for both mobile option pasted below.
Lyf wind 6 ls 5009 app info (move to sd card option available)

https://www.linkpicture.com/q/c0Gpg.jpg
Lyf water 7 ls 5504 app info (move to sd card missing)

https://www.linkpicture.com/q/z81Ra.png
** My queries**

How to unlock view or see the same option  "move to sd" in another model lyf water 7 of android 5.1.1 by modifying the settings through any adb shell fastboot or terminal with or without rooting the mobile.

I tried  app manager III  or app2sd or link2sd apps on unrooted and rooted mobile  to do the same but all fails to move the apps. All apps when move to sd option clicked they open  take me open same dialogue box window to original settings>app>appinfo option to move apps ( as shown in screenshot above) and there no option of move app to sd

Link2sd when app moved to move to sd it gave following error and link to sd is grayed out and disabled and not working (even on rooted phone)
Failure
pkg: /data/app/
com.gmail.heagoo.sdcardmovable-1/
base.apk Failure
[INSTALL FAILED INVALID_INSTALL LOC
ATION]

Storage screenshot of link2sd of lyf water 7
https://www.linkpicture.com/q/Screenshot_2021-09-26-11-36-04.png

I tried adb shell pm set-install-location 2  in rooted mobile it's changed succesfully but still apps installed through Google Play Store or apkpure  do not installs automatically to external sd card they still installing in internal storage not

I know all apps are not movable as their app mainfest don't allow I had tried to edit apk editor default prefered install location to external still same app without editing  the app is moving to sd card  in one mobile and no option of moving not showing option in another mobile with same android 5.1.1 same app same kernal version same.company but different models it means there is some setting lock or change how can we modify or unlock that option .

Any more setting I can alter to get the result of moving apps to sd card on my lyf water 7 ls 5504. Any adb shell command. I don't know if its locked in rom or hardware incompatibility  then  will 3rd party  custom rom available in xda may be android 6.03  or android 7.1.1 or android 8,9,10  will allow or have such option and work in the same mobile or not

If there is any hardware or rom uncompatibilty or lock by manufacturer or vendor I am worried if I install custom rom of android 6.0.3 marshemellow or android   7.1.1 then will they have such option or not  to move app to sd or to format as as internal  in both custom rom

Let us continue this discussion in chat.

Failure [INSTALL_FAILED_INVALID_INSTALL_LOCATION] indicates something is wrong with signature.
If app is moved to MicroSD Card primary partition, Android native app2sd - settings - app - storage - MOVE TO SD CARD - created encrypted container in .android_secure directory which is mounted to /mnt/secure/asec
The same MicroSD Card cannot used in another phone without reformatting, because app2sd get in conflict with existing .android_secure directory which cannot decrypted on other phones.
You are using same MicroSD Card that's why android app2sd (asec) works for only one of both devices.
Reformat or use another MicroSD Card to fix

https://android.stackexchange.com/a/221485

@alcexs bro thanks a lot bro I used a newly purchase newly partitioned  16gb and.newly formatted micro sd card with 16gb for testing... The error was coming previously due  to I formatted the second partitioned external micro sd card  in ext2 file system and when I converted back to ext4 the error stopped and the android app2sd native  "move app to sd" is working through  link2sd. But this native option by manufacturer vendor of device is locked disabled  disappeared from Original Modified Android OS 5.1.1  lolipop   settings>apps>app info. .

But after formatting micro external card 2nd partion to ext4  file system apps. Moved succesfully to micro sd card..But now when I move back moved apps to sd back to internal memory  "move to phone" option in link2sd it give same error again either the internal memory is not ext4 or  some mobile settings problem  some other setting modified locked by vendor manufacturer may bet.

No no, this must be coincidence. app2sd moveable not depend on 2nd partition, .android_secure directory is on 1st partition


text:
Making a picture identical to another one
Let me start with a goal:
There is an old picture of a person taken in a specific location.
I would like to take the same picture preserving the same view and the same position of the person on that picture.
My assumption is that it would be easier to do that when I can see the previous picture during the process of making a new one. Going further, it would be even better if the previous picture would be visible in the camera app itself in the background, so I can compare prev picture with the one I'm going to take in a runtime!
Is there any mobile camera app allowing to set a semi-transparent background picture to help to make such a picture?
Are there any other workarounds to archive this goal?

Something like Now and Then? I vaguely remember another app (having something with "history" in its name) but cannot find it anymore.


text:
How can I paste the clipboard content from the Chrome remote desktop desktop (CRD) client to the computer running the CRD server that I connected to?
I use the Chrome remote desktop
Android application.
How can I paste the clipboard content from the Android Chrome remote desktop client to the computer running the Chrome remote desktop server that I connected to?
When I press on CTRL + V using the Hacker's keyboard when connected to the host, it doesn't retrieve the Android clipboard. Also I didn't see any option in Chrome remote desktop to send the clipboard content.


text:
Can't leave beta test program for an app in the Play Store
A few months ago, I signed up to beta test the New Scientist app in the Google Play Store. Now, I would like to go back to using the production app. I went into Google Play Store and searched for the app, then under "you are a beta tester" I tapped on "leave". I then uninstalled the beta version.
The problem is, now when I search for New Scientist in the Google Play Store so that I can install the production version, it still only shows me the beta version, and it says "removing your account from the beta program." I can't reinstall the beta, and I can't install the production version, so I am stuck.

I have tried rebooting the device, and I thought about maybe deleting cache and storage for the app, but of course, the app is no longer on my phone, so I can't do that.
How can I go back to the production version?

Try clearing cache of Play Store app

If that doesn't fix, try uninstalling updates of Play Store and update Store

Could you check the app on the web version of the Play Store and see if there's any difference? Or check the beta tester again directly with this link? Also, might be caching on the server-side of the Play Store.

I have the same problem, I can't find any way of leaving the beta program for a specific app or of installing the production version.

BTW in my case it turned out that it was because I wasn't added directly to the beta program, but rather as part of a group.  I had to log in to the play console using the beta program administrator credentials (which fortunately I had access to) to remove myself from the group. Even then the play store claimed I was a beta tester, but it correctly downloaded the prod version.

Same problem with another application. Just go to   Settings → applications → Manage apps → Google Play Store → Storage → Clear data, and when it shows an option, choose only Cache.
Try to reach the app again.


text:
How to diagnose wi-fi on Android?
I'm an Android enthusiast, as most of you, and I installed Lineage OS on my Oneplus 6 two months ago. Everything works fine but not Wi-Fi that randomly disconnects from my router. In the end of the day the connection is unusable, disconnecting and recovering every 30 seconds. The Wi-Fi only stabilizes after a reboot.
I have already discarded router and internet connection issues because other devices (including other non-lineage Android devices) works perfectly while I am suffering.
I'm looking for a way to diagnose and solve this issue. What are your recommendations? I would appreciate every tip!
Thanks!
Environment information:

Oneplus 6 A6003 (enchilada)
Lineage 18.1 (Android 11 - 20210921-nightly-enchilada)
Router: Google Wi-Fi
Country: Brazil (not spanish, portuguese!)
other possible linked issues: bluetooth works fine with my headset, but has a similar issue on my car (only audio Android Auto on Ford media center)


text:
How does Android detect how fast the current Wi-Fi network is?
When going to Settings -> Connections -> Wi-Fi, Android displays the "network speed" of the current Wi-Fi network. I wonder how Android detects how fast the current Wi-Fi network is.

When I walk around, I see the speed changes:

I use Android 10 with Samsung Galaxy S9.

Does this help? https://kb.netgear.com/19668/Link-Rate-and-Transfer-Speed

@Firelord thank you this does help Good to know that this is called the link  rate, you are welcome to convert your comment into an answer

RSSI @Firelord if this helps in your answer

https://stackoverflow.com/q/15797920

Additional detail: Nexus 5 (Lineage OS 14.1, Android 7.1.2) uses "link speed" and Google Pixel 3a (Android 11) uses "transmit link speed".


text:
how to cancel/remove the audio filter when using google meet?
I'm using a Samsung M21 with android 11. The audio quality decreases when im in a call on google meet. I use a wired earphone. this also affects other media like YouTube. the media volume also decreases. this issue didn't exist with older android versions(like android 7).
I can use my laptop where's no such issue, but it would be great if I could just use my phone.

AFAIK, there is no such filter. More likely, it is a problem with your device

Have you tried other wired earphones? Otherwise, there might be an issue with the headphone jack or its internal hardware. If possible, try wireless earphones too.

I have tried another wired earphone and also a blutooth (wireless) headphone. The issue persists.


text:
Gmail app cache on Android
A while ago, I received an email with an image in the message body. It was attached via URL source. I have read that message on my Android device and saw the image there as well. When I go to the mail now, the image no longer loads - it has been taken down, the URL doesn't work anymore. I need to gain access to that image.
I imagine the Gmail app stores data (even temporarily) somewhere on the device, so I'm looking for a way to extract that image. Here's what I've found so far.
I'm browsing my phone internal memory via my laptop. I have show hidden files option enabled.
Android/data/com.google.android.gm/files is empty.
Android/data/com.google.android.gm/cache has several files like these:
1e4d24dc66d8c27bcfe49ac8c74d285d    2107KB
2b04c4c91cdd6f9507d3b40dca0fce31    10522KB
2fb23268fce84c1fb85382eb0d5fbc7e    10410KB
...

I'm pretty sure the answer lies somewhere in these files. Anyone know a way to extract data from them?

App data can't be accessed without root https://android.stackexchange.com/q/47924/131553

Does this answer your question? Where Android apps store data?

Also see this https://android.stackexchange.com/q/46926/131553

@beeshyams I've read through these threads and what I'm getting from them is that the data stored under /data/data isn't accessible from adb or a PC, without root. Ok, I get that. What about these files I do have access for? Is there a way to extract anything useful from them?

No idea what those files are or how to open them (cookies?)// 1. Cache is also stored in /data/data and hence requires root// 2. Connecting to PC through USB (MTP) doesn't expose underlying filesystem (ext4 or f2fs) of internal storage (/data partition) to PC// IMO your question is a dupe of [1]//  No root, no luck

Sorry for my confusion here. I linked Chrome related answers above but it's applicable to Gmail too

@beeshyams that's no problem, I get the idea. Though I would like to find out what these files on /Android/data are for and if they can be useful in any way.

You could ask a separate question on that linking this as background


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What is the easiest way to share photos in their original format?
My family in law has some wonderful pictures on their android phones. I'd like to use these in a printed photo album. Currently I only have the pictures at Whatsapp quality.
What would be the easiest way to exchange the original picture files?

This question could have many solutions. I personally prefer cloud services for a bunch of reasons (based on personal experience) :

Easy sharing, all you need to do is just share a link to the folder to where the photos are stored.

Content upload /download can be tuned with configurable permission rights. This is useful to prevent accidental deletions.

No loss in quality - original quality can be retained.

Depending upon your privacy concerns, you can go with suitable cloud services or even host your own cloud.

Some cloud services even offer cloud to cloud backup, so one need not be tied to the same cloud service. This also doubles up as cloud backup.

Easy download to PC where pictures can be edited, sorted, categorised published.

No need to download the entire library just to view. One can view them in cloud itself but the experience may be constrained (options to view such as slide shows may not be available - I haven't researched this).

Offers client services on Android, Windows and other operating systems besides web based services that can be accessed through any web browser.

Arguably cost effective.

These are some reasons that come immediately to my mind, since I am  heavily invested in similar activities, only difference being instead of photos, it is audio talks. I am no way related but the cloud service that meets our group needs best is Pcloud


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What exactly will clearing storage cached data do?
What will clearing the internal storage cached data clear? Worried I'm gonna lose something I need.
I've searched for the answer but the information I was able to find seem to be about cached data of Apps. I'd like to know about the storage (Setting > Storage > Cached data), not Apps (Settings > Apps > Chrome...).

You should edit the question to add the linked screenshot inside it. Because that "Cached data" doesn't seem to be the standard AOSP UI. May be it's sum of apps' cache. You can use du to take the sum of cache size. For reference see https://android.stackexchange.com/a/218507/218526 and https://android.stackexchange.com/a/216132/218526. What ROM is it?

@IrfanLatif It is a part of the standard UI, on older versions. I'm not sure when they took it out, but it was sometime between Marshmallow (which has it) and Pie (which doesn't).

@AdiInbar correct. It was removed in Android 8.1: https://android.googlesource.com/platform/packages/apps/Settings/+/c1d42a510a093488aa289acffd6416ab6dd365a3

It will clear the caches of all your apps. It's the same data you can clear by tapping the Clear cache button on the App info page for each app in Application Manager, except this clears the cache for all apps at once.
Cached data generally consists of the app's frequently or recently accessed data, information about the app's current state, and login credentials. Pretty much the only irreplaceable data that's ever stored in a cache is search history and records of recently accessed items (though many apps store this kind of info in app data rather than the cache, and the cache is never used for logs or records that users are expected to want to keep, such as call history in the phone app).

Worried I'm gonna lose something I need.

Unless it's important to you not to lose search/view histories on apps where the developer didn't think they would be important to keep, no, you won't lose anything you need because all the data in the cache is easily replaceable. Some apps might run a little slower temporarily as they re-access data that was previously cached (and presumably, put it back in their cache), start on the default screen rather than the most recent one you were using, prompt you for credentials instead of logging in automatically (just the first time), and things of a similar nature.
Now, the question is whether you actually have a reason to do this. The two main reasons I can think of is if you're out of storage space and need to clear some quickly without uninstalling apps or sifting through your files to see what you can delete, or if your phone has been having strange inexplicable quirks that you suspect might be caused by some misbehaving apps.


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App2sd link2sd how to show mount view 2nd micro sd card ext2 partition
Question :App2sd link2sd how to show   mount view 2nd  micro sd card ext2  partition
I had loaded  twrp recovery (fastboot boot twrprexovery.img) in bootloader mode and installed SU and rooted and then installed app2sd and link2sd apps.
I had partitioned my 64 gb memory card  30gb fat32  and remaining 32 gb. As ext2  and then  when I tries to view partitions in android 5.1.1 settings>storage it show only one fat 32 partition in sd. Card and not second sd card for ext2
As I want to install 2nd sd card and from recovery or adb pull take NANDROID image backup
Of second partition backup in cloud  and want to see pace and access file system so that I can recover if any thing goes wrong or memory card got corrupted
My queries:-

How can I view second partition   of external micro sd card partiton through file manager  or in setting> storage

Can I be mounted In boot.init through any aap

App2sd  auto created a mount  script to run through recovery to  mount the ext2 partition how to run it in twrp so I have to run through install

How to take NANDROID image backup of  system boot recovery internal (userdata partition) and external sdcard 1st and 2nd partitiion and save it in usb drive or cloud storage through adb pull or twrp. Or any other apps how can these files be secured in password or encrypted in cloud

As app2sd pro or link2sd plus card link apps and moves lib hex odb files  to which files which are randomly access should be not moved to sd card  and should be left in  internal memory.

types of files to moved app2sd link2sd

app2sd eroor mounting script screenshot

link2sd error mounting script

Already explained in my answer to your previous question: https://android.stackexchange.com/a/220042/218526

@irfan Latif bro questions are different I had asked to  a tool apk to view backup copy external sd card ext2 partition nandroid img file to clous or usb  and viewing it in setting>storage  and that question about parting sd card

Correct. But I didn't say the question is same. I said what you are asking is already explained there. Spend some time to read and understand things so that you don't have to repeatedly ask similar questions

@alecxs Bro I am using link2sd version 4.3.4  patched by  apkmos  tried to install link2sd plus also but it didn't showed  now link2sd is giving error for ceating mount script and app2sd pro when I created partition told me to load install script in boot.init but I didn't notes it  flashed back... The link2sd is not moving or linking apps whereas app2sd is linking app but on every reboot it gave error of  softboot and. Ask to recreate  boot script i will include error photos in question for ur guidence kindly view question as in chat no option to attach photo

make decision which app you want. uninstall others. read the howto and troubleshooting section. Follow the instructions (have you disabled namespace separation?). If linked apps not available during boot, reason is partition is mounted too late. post location and content of mount script.

@alecz bro I didnt added mount script manually yet  ..how to fine where is mount script.locatwd any adb shell terminal emulator command or option setiinh in app2sd or link2sd

@alecxs bro there is no /su/su.s folder as link2sd is not able to create mount script only app2sd crwtes a mount script successfully there is mount-script-recovery.sh in app2sd directory

@alecx see if this  it works https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/init-d-10-05-2012-super-app2sd-script-major-update-beta.1888986/

@alecxs bro see this link for app2sd if u ubdestand the solution https://www.reddit.com/r/androidroot/comments/de3n16/fix_required_soft_reboot_on_apps2sd/?utm_source=amp&utm_medium=&utm_content=comments_view_all

TWRP is not compatible with Link2SD, therefore one must manually mount MicroSD Card 2nd partition each time before TWRP backup/restore is started.
One can do this from - TWRP menu - Advanced - Terminal
mount /dev/block/mmcblk1p2 /data/sdext2

TWRP backup will include 2nd partition in data.ext4.win as regular directory sdext2 therefore it is important to double check /data/sdext2 is actually mounted before restoring process is started, otherwise TWRP will try to restore all files into phone storage /data instead (and probably run out of disk space)
If you prefer to create separate TWRP backup files for 2nd partition (instead of mixed userdata) this can be done from TWRP backup menu.
It requires modified TWRP recovery. Unpack twrp.img ramdisk with AIK and add new entry in /etc/twrp.fstab
/dev/block/mmcblk1p2  ext4  /sd  flags=display="MicroSD 2nd Partition";backup=1

This will show you separate entry in TWRP backup menu and create separate sd.ext4.win backup files

@alcex bro thanks a lot for great advice  support knowledge ....bro it may help me  to...take backup of external sd card second partition backup from twrp backup ... If  128gb micro sd card is placed and I create 3 parttion and dictate third ext4 partition  for twrp image backup storage so that when I need revoer I recover from t he third partirin within moments from twrp recovery.... Can we mount 3ed partition and save the twrp backup ext4 images on 3rd partirin to

TWRP backup can only saved to 1st partition (what's wrong with this?) But you might succeed with external HDD connected via USB-OTG (or cheat TWRP by mounting 3rd partition into /usbotg)

bro twrp backup is saved in first partition which is fat32 and it creates a ext4 named file in fat32 ..secondly the reason to theis partition is to permanently store there dedicate for it and recover whenever wherever it crashes...as in pc laptop there is a  button to recover windows hard disk image as when button pressed it recovers from windows shadow or small image restore from a.partition  disk image saved in ..within minutes... So I want that to keep  images in parttion and recover whereaver it goes wrong

can external HDD be connected through otg as its need voltage from usb ...I have laded usb from otg bit not tries external hdd.... There used to come external hdd casings can it  connect hdd to

external HDD requires OTG charge hub and external power supply https://i.stack.imgur.com/EYFZA.jpg

tar is the standard unix/linux tool to create backups and can be gzip compressed (.tar.gz tarball archive) it contains files and permissions. Same for TWRP backup, it uses it's own twrpTar and offers optional (gzip) compression in backup settings. "when button pressed it recovers" that's exactly what is TWRP designed for (restore button) there is one directory with date of backup containing all necessary files to restore (except for /sdcard which you can backup manually or by modifying fstab) - TWRP backup is fine, no partition image backup required

Nevertheless if you insist in partition images instead tarball archives (.win files) you can modify fstab and change file system type from ext4 -> emmc to force TWRP creating dd partition images (requires more disk space) and you can also add more partitions to TWRP backup menu by simply adding new lines in fstab https://android.stackexchange.com/q/194574

@alcex bro thanks for guidance and help  all link2sd worked successfuly and that to chainfire super user pro  thanks all modified and.mobile.working fine thanks alot beo

Don't thank me, thank the developer and buy plus version

bro sorry to trouble you more ...a small problem existing...link2sd linking apps and the remove link option is working great...but problem is some apps (eg Facebook whatsapp) crashes after linking and opening they opens and disaapears and remains opened without displaying .... I tried to remove link ..still fails..Then unistaller the app ..and through sd maid clean corpse or system rremains...then reinstalled them still they are crashing opening anddisappering


text:
what are effects of factory reset while in rooted condition of mobile
Question : what are effects of factory reset while in rooted condition of mobile
In my lyf water 7 mobile device having 16gb internal memory and 2 gb ram and 64gb external sd card
I had first factory rest my mobile with and formatted my external sd card with no user apps or data installed then I decided to root it and before that want to take a backup
I had loaded twrp recovery (fastboot boot twrprecovery.img) in bootloader mode and took NANDROID backup of system boot cache userdata through twrp backup menu and through adb pull tool all partitions backup of mmcblk0 and system boot recovery userdata and all in other partitions in devices.
Then In twrp menu install menu I installed superuser .apk after installing succesfully  I rebooted to android 5.1.1 rooted version
Through root checker i checked the rooting status ita good
Then I download link2sd plus modified  parched .apk file which installed successfully and to open it asked to grant root permission for 15 minutes and disappeared and I tried  to locate its icon in main menu or front wall but no success. I thought to uninstall but there is no mark in any settings>apps installed or running list
I tried to find in root folders but it's hidden or disappears name there to
I m wooried it's not any virus malware or spyware  apk file which asked executed or hidden .. I thought to factory reset to erase that hidden  apk file of link2sd
My queries:-

How to find and erase that hidden apk file aftermarks or settings

Should I format or factory reset the mobile as su was installed or I should first unroot or clear su before factory reset will it erase that malware hidden  aftermarks

If I don't not remove or unroot SU  and factory reset the mobile then will after factory reset I have to re root or install SU again or it will be rooted or unrooted automatically after factory reset format withing rooting

you can find and uninstall hidden apps from official Link2SD app

@alecx Installing Chainfire's SuperSU with TWRP.  http://download.chainfire.eu/supersu

How I rooted installed superuser through recovery https://www.howtogeek.com/115297/how-to-root-your-android-why-you-might-want-to/

Chainfire's SuperSU.zip resides in boot and userdata, re-rooting is required after userdata was formatted (aka factory reset) although device becomes not fully unrooted because modifications in boot survives

to remove any malware just restore (full) TWRP backup from menu

@alecxs bro thanks for commenting kindly copy ur coment to an answer so that I can accept the answer for question please

you can find and uninstall hidden apps from official Link2SD app

to remove any malware just restore (full) TWRP backup from menu

Chainfire's SuperSU.zip resides in boot and userdata, re-rooting is required after userdata was formatted (aka factory reset) although device becomes not fully unrooted because modifications in boot survive


text:
Make a phone call in one SIM and simultaneously browse with the other
I have a Samsung Galaxy S10e SM-G970F that I'd like to use for phone calls and simultaneously as an hotspot (WiFi tethering) to browse from my laptop.
The phone has 2 sim cards.
I'm unable to make a phone call in one sim and simultaneously browse with the other.
As soon as a phone call begins in SIM1, the data connection drops in SIM2.
I tried many different combinations settings of:

VoLTE calls SIM 1/2
Allow all SIMs to use data in calls
Dual SIM always on

I also tried switching "Calls" and "Mobile data" between the 2 SIMs.
So far no luck. Please, do you have any tips to achieve what I need?

I don't think that it is possible to have two data connections at the same time (one for VoLTE call the other for the hotspot). Have you tried to restrict the "call SIM" to 2G or 3G and disable data (assuming 2G and/or 3G is still available where you live)?

Good idea but no luck. I set SIM1 to 2G. SIM2 is used for data and right to its signal symbol I see the 4G+ symbol. As soon as I make a call with SIM1, the 4G+ symbol disappear.

GSM Arena says your phone has SIMs in DSDS mode
To achieve what you want you need a phone with SIMs in DSDA mode
See What is the difference between dual sim active and dual sim stand-by?
So, sorry, you won't be able to achieve what you want with your phone.

For reference:

From the standards for dual SIMs on GSM networks

Dual SIM Dual Standby (DSDS): both SIMs can be used for idle-mode network
connection, but when a radio connection is active the second connection is disabled.
As in the passive case, the SIMs in a DSDS device share a single transceiver.
Through time multiplexing two radio connections are maintained in idle mode. When in-call on one network it is no longer possible to maintain radio connection to the second network, hence that connection is unavailable for the duration of the call.
Registration to the second network is maintained

Dual SIM Dual Active (DSDA): both SIMs can be used in both idle and connected
modes. Each SIM has a dedicated transceiver, meaning that there are no
interdependencies on idle or connected mode operation at the modem level. Note
that in some DSDA devices the second transceiver may be 2G-only.

5G on DSDS phones is expected in Android 12 phones


text:
Is it possible to change USB Audio Interface input stereo to mono?
Is it possible to change USB Audio Interface input stereo to mono?
So we're streaming using a mixer to audio interface to phone via USB OTG.
The thing with the Audio Interface, and btw our Audio Interface is the Behringer UMC22, and the Interface treats its input 1 as the left channel and the input 2 as right channel. Now so when we stream, it only outputs on the left channel because that is where our mixer is plugged in (input 1).
Is there like an app or anything that I can do to let the recording input just like in PC to change from 2 channels (stereo) to 1 Channel (mono) only? Thank you

What about a hardware solution using an Y-cable so that you can plug in your mixer into both channels?

Oooh thank you. We just got our first audio interface so I didn't know the interface would do that. Hahaha I should have made our 10m TRS Cable stereo on one end and two mono on the other. Thank you for this solution.


text:
Consecutive photos are deleted
I have setup google photos as my gallery app on a Nokia 5.3.
Whenever I take consecutive photos, like for instance trying to photograph multiple pages of a book, or just taking multiple pictures in a row, only the first one will be saved. If I click on some of the subsequent ones in the little gallery preview in the camera app, they will show as "Processing" for a few seconds, and then just disappear, they're not on my phone (from what I can see at least) nor on the photos.google.com page.
I'm sure it's just some obvious setting I'm missing somewhere, but I can't seem to find anything anywhere.

I'm not sure Google Photos is relevant here. Since the little gallery preview in the camera app also has a problem, this really looks like an issue with the camera app and file writing (possibly corrupted data, I have experienced a similar issue with a solid-gray-image when using some 3rd-party camera apps).

I'm honestly not really sure what information is relevant. Googling around most information i could find was actually people that wanted similar functionaliy (deleting duplicate images) with most answers pointing to google photos as a solution. I've tried moving image storage to sd card in the camera app, without any change. So I wont rule out that it is a file writing issue, but even so, what is the issue and how would I fix it? I think the preview button uses the gallery app to open the image on clicking, btw.

default camera app has setting for change storage location to MicroSD Card. On the same settings I remember there was an initial note that consecutive photos still get saved to phone internal storage only (most likely because of speed limitation). maybe you can find pictures in /sdcard which is your Internal Storage. you can also try some disk digger app to find any existing files


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how to print on a remote printer
I need to print a file, from my android device, to a remote printer online on the university network. The printer has a static IP and a hostname visible on internet.
Tried: on the "settings" app chosen "service" then "print". Add printer, then try to add a printer via Ip and/or hostname. Does not work.

Do you know the model of the printer, the installed printer services on the Android device, and whether the printer is compatible with the printer services?

I would like to know a general procedure, we have a lot of printers at the university, hopefully I found one that is supported, but till now, when I put the IP I get the message "no printer found" which sounds different from "printer not supportet" or similar

I just went on "settings -> connected devices -> Print and I had a "default print service"


text:
How to unlock the bootloader of a bricked device if developers option is not enabled
I have a soft bricked Xiaomi Redmi 2, it's stuck in a boot loop. I can go into fastboot mode though, and the devices is recognized by fastboot. But when I run the commandfor unlocking the bootloader, I get following error:
fastboot oem unlock
FAILED (remote: Token verification failed, reboot the device)
finished. total time: 0.005s

and
fastboot flashing unlock
FAILED (remote: unknown command)
finished. total time: 0.002s

I think the reason is that the developer option and USB debugging was not enabled by default in the device. And since it's bricked and stuck in a boot-loop I can't enable it now. Is there any other way to unlock the bootloader (or revive the device in general)?

Are you sure the command is correct and should work for your device? Usually if the device is OEM locked fastboot shows a different error.

unbrick device with QPST in EDL mode first

https://xiaomifirmwareupdater.com/archive/miui/wt88047

https://androidmtk.com/use-qualcomm-flash-image-loader-qfil

https://androidmtk.com/use-xiaomi-mi-flash-tool

@Robert I accidentally pasted the same error twice, I've edited my question.

"How to unlock bootloader on Xiaomi devices?" - do a research


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WeChat app keeps auto-opening on phone unlock
Since this morning, whenever I open and unlock my phone, it buzzes quickly upon unlock and opens the Wechat app, even though I have force closed it and cleared the cache. I have also restarted my phone and tried turning off notifications. Neither has changed the issue.
I'm on a Samsung Galaxy S20, have not installed any new apps to my knowledge since this behavior started happening. Googling the issue, a lot of folks mentioned a virus through a blank app causing similar behavior, but I was unable to find it. I ran Kaspersky and it didn't detect a virus.
Is this an app setting, a Wechat issue or do I have a virus?

Just figured it out myself but if you have a wallet phone and a chip card, the NFC is what's triggering wechat to come up. Try turning off NFC and see if it helps.


text:
Deleting contacts from both the Google Account and Android device
I was trying to remove all the useless contacts from my Google Account, hoping that they will be permanently deleted. I disabled Sync option in my Smart phone prior to that.
But, the contacts keep getting synched to the Google Account. Is there any getaway ?

Disable data on your phone. 2. Use any contact cleaner app from Play Store /any other source and delete your contacts on phone 3. Export to vcf, cleanup unwanted contacts and import 4. Enable data and sync your phone 5. Revert with results :)

@beeshyams If I delete contacts from the contacts web page, will they be deleted from my phone?

They should ideally IMO but method above is preferred because your phone seems to be sync despite disabling// In step 2 above simply delete the contacts app data, stupid of me to suggest using an app :( // Sync shouldn't happen but you say you disabled it, yet it syncs - weird