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Managing passkeys with a less-than-trustworthy Android device
I have an old Android device that I sometimes use. Presumably it is full of critical security holes, but the value I get from using it is much less than the cost of a newer device, especially since said newer device will be in exactly the same situation a few years after I buy it.
I noticed today that this old device has an entry for an "Automatically created passkey" at https://g.co/passkeys
I think this means that Google is trusting this device to hold a cryptographic secret that would let more devices log into my Google account.
How do I communicate to Google that this device is untrustworthy, and revoke its stored passkey? (And also probably disable sign-in-via-notification on the device?) Can I clear the keys from the device somehow or will it just make more?
Is the only way to prevent Google from trusting the device to authenticate new sessions to sign the device out of my account completely?

"Is the only way to prevent Google from trusting the device to authenticate new sessions to sign the device out of my account completely?" based on the information on the linked Google page there, I'm afraid it is, similar to the push notification.


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How to notify Android that MicroSD is mounted?
I manually mount MicroSD like this:
nsenter -t 104 -m mount -t sdfat -o rw,gid=9997,noatime /dev/block/mmcblk0p4 /storage/extSD

As a result, file managers can work with it. But Android still thinks that it is not mounted. How can I notify it that the card is mounted?

only first primary partition is recognized by vold

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


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Backup specific WhatsApp Chat to Google Photos
Any way to backup specific WhatsApp Chat's media (a group's media) to Google Photos? I can only see WhatsApp Images folder in GPhotos. I can't see any other way to do this.
Any suggestions are welcomed.
I'm on Android 10 with root-access

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


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Change Folder permissions for apps (with root)
Is it possible to deny delete permissions in a folder or even internal storage for a specific app?
I'm on Android 10 with root-access


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Can anyone tell me what this statue bar icon is from?
Can anyone tell me what this status bar icon is for? Not the black message icon on the left, but the white text bubble on the right. It looks like either an alert triangle in the bottom corner but definitely looks different than the normal text notification.

If you expand the notification drawer, is there an app/message/notification associated with it?


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Trouble killing logcat process
On my rooted Android, I have a screenshot from Termux after running sudo htop. There is a logcat process running with PID 925. I want to stop this process.

So far, I've tried running su -c kill 925 which is the Process ID of the logcat process I'm trying to stop but have been unsuccessful.
How to stop this process?

I managed to stop the logcat service and kill the process by issuing the following command:
sudo setprop logd.logpersistd stop && sudo kill 925

Hello. How did you figure out about logd.logpersistd property? Knowing the answer is good. Knowing "the way" that lead to the answer is even better.

"How did you figure out about logd.logpersistd"      It's not supposed to be a secret but what I did was ask the question somewhere else.

Then you should have attributed the answer to whomever provided this answer to you elsewhere. This answer is written  as if you came up with the solution originally.


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Motorola Droid Bionic Custom ROM
How can I install a custom ROM on my Motorola Droid Bionic without the help of a computer? Should it be done by pressing the volume and power buttons to get to recovery the normal way, or should I have a specific recovery app? Obviously I need root. The page on the CyanogenMod site mentions both SafeStrap and TWRP, but I'm still unclear on what their roles are and if I even need both.


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Nokia T20 not being detected steadily by Windows VM after clean-erased it while trying to flash GSI
I have a Nokia T20 WiFi tablet (TA-1392) that I clean-erased while trying to install an Android 13 GSI. The device does register as two different devices 3 times, each worth a split second, in my Windows 10 VM's list of USB devices.
I have done some deeper research and I found this tool made officially by the CPU manufacturer of the tablet (Spreadtrum, now called UNISOC) and is universally compatible with all Spreadtrum/UNISOC chipsets. The only problem is that once I turn on my tablet, it is identifiable by my Windows 10 VM 3 times as 2 different identities, each lasting a couple of seconds, before disappearing again. I’m starting to wonder how I can keep it awake while using this tool to flash the GSI onto the tablet.
Is there a way to install the GSI while unlocking the bootloader at the same time?


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What do ACCESS_WIFI_STATE and ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE allow apps to see?
I'm finding very limited info on what the permissions ACCESS_WIFI_STATE and ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE allow apps to do or see
What do these permissions actually do, and what information if any do they give to apps e.g your provider or WIFI SSID (even with location services etc turned off)?

Have you seen the information posted on SO here?
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/9458772/whats-the-difference-between-access-network-state-access-network-state-and-wi#:~:text=ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE%20is%20needed%20for%20accessing,%2DFi%20connectivity%20in%20particular).

I have but I was concerned about it being outdated now, I also had a hard time understanding it so not sure if it answers my question

Welcome to the Q&A site Android Enthusiasts Stack Exchange. We have a canonical question about permissions on What do Android application permissions mean?. Let us know if it helps or not, thanks.


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WhatsApp location pin won't retrieve the pin actual location (street, number, etc)
I have a ZTE nubia Z40S Pro which has an Android 12 under its own OS, MyOS 12.
Since the first day, I had this problem with the WhatsApp pin location. The real-time location works fine, but when I try to share a location and place a pin, it won't retrieve the actual location of the street, city, etc. When sent, the receiver gets a Google Maps pin for the whole city and country.
The same happens with Telegram, which makes me think there's some kind of permission that is not enabled that allows Whatsapp to retrieve the pin information. If I mark an existing interest point on the map, it will send the location, but not the red location pin.
Also, if I go to Google Maps, mark a location pin, and then go to Share and choose WhatsApp, the location pin will be attached correctly.
I've already allowed all the location permissions to both WhatsApp and Google Maps. I've also uninstalled completely both apps and reinstalled them again, but remain the same.
Does anyone have an idea of which permissions should be allowed, and if there's any way I can enable all the permissions for this app, or what's going on? Am I the first person who experience this?


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Reduce the amount of space taken by media player in split view
I am using the Split View functionality of my Android tablet to read e-books while also listening to their audio-book versions. For this purpose, I need to have most of my screen given to the e-pub reader and only a narrow bar assigned to the media player. I have already tried the VLC media player and some other ones but they take up about one-fourth of the valuable space.
Any ideas on how I might reduce the amount of space taken by the audio player? Or are there any players you know with the desired functionality in Split View mode?

Welcome to Android Enthusiasts. For app recommendations, perhaps you might also be interested in our sister site, Software Recommendations Stack Exchange.

Thank you very much!

What about the easiest solution: let the media player run in background. Player controls should be accessible in the notification bar.


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How to downgrade Lenovo Tab M10 to Android 11
We have several Lenovo Tab 10/Android 11 at my office, running a home made application. Two of them upgraded to Android 12 and the application stopped working. At certain point it just quits without any message.
Is there a way to reflash to Android 11? IT guys can't find the reason of the induced bug and in the meanwhile we need all the tablets up and running. We disabled automatics updates.

If it is a home-made app you should have the source, so the common way would be to fix the problem and make it run on Android 12, instead of downgrading the OS. Check adb logcat for the error/stack trace and then post a question together with the problematic code on stackoverflow.com.

As @Robert suggests you shouldn't downgrade. The application you are talking about, can you be more specific? All the applications are crashing just or an application used for your office stuffs? If all are crashing you should try asking on https://forums.lenovo.com

It's a specific app developed by our IT team. It ran smoothly under Android 11, but after the update it just crashes. No message, no nothing. logcat does not show anything. It does not even includes the app. IT guys are looking for the problem but AFAI it happens the same when they run the app, crashes
It is a survey app developed with Delphi 10.4. When the camera is turned on, a few images are shown on screen and then the app just quits. According to IT guys, the app does nothing when the images are displaying. Just waiting for the user to click a button. Again: it ran fine until upgraded


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Is there any use on adding extra memory space on your android without rooting or anything fancy?
Say I want to add extra memory to my Android. Well, it turns out the only way to move apps to that extra space is to root first.
So if not for apps or anything, what should we use the extra space for?
Many Android phones have the ability to add extra space using a Micro SD card.
How to actually use that space?
Is there natural use of that extra space?
To be more frank.
What do people that buy those extra spaces usually use them for? I and my wife just let it empty most of the time because we don't know what to use it for.

But you can't store apps there

Google's documentation defines using a SD card on a Android device in two separate ways portable storage and internal storage (which is also known as adoptable storage):
From: https://support.google.com/android/answer/12153449?hl=en

When you set up an SD card on your Android device, you can choose between portable storage or internal storage.
When you format an SD card for portable storage:

You can save files, like photos and videos, on the SD card.

You can’t install apps on the SD card.

You can transfer the SD card between devices.

When you format an SD card for internal storage:

You can load files, like photos and videos, on the SD card.

You can install apps on the SD card.

You can’t transfer the SD card between devices.

The SD card can be used in addition to your device's storage.

In regions where data plans are expensive or mobile data is inconsistent, putting personal media (videos, music, photos) locally allows for device owners to use their content in an acceptable manner.
Certain apps like games may exceed the pre-built storage of a device so if the device supports adding a SD card, using a SD card to increase app storage may be desirable. This does come at the cost that the SD card is now bound to that device by a cryptographic key.
Switching a SD card between different storage types requires reformatting of the SD card
But wait why can't some apps be moved to adoptable storage?
From: https://source.android.com/docs/core/storage/adoptable

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

So for standard Android, developers need to enable the setting assuming the app is appropriate and not using certain features in the app. Social media apps generally use services to get/send content and so would not have the setting for installing on SD card. It can also be due to oversight by the app developer as the default is android:installLocation="internalOnly".
https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/manifest/manifest-element#install

I have heard that formating SD card as internal storage requires rooting. Any app for that?

@user4951 Updated answer based on your history. If you want to root your device see: How do I root my Android device?

Imagine storage space as an empty cardboard box.
You can if you want to:

Store things that you don't have space to put elsewhere.
Or you can have the box half-filled and keep some things somewhere out of the box.
Or you can throw (delete) some of the things that you don't need anymore and have an empty box.

Apart from that there is no meaning of "how can we actually use" an empty storage space.

You can use the space for.  These gives you more space in internal storage.

Storing files such as pictures or videos.  I keep all my music and videos on it.  Then I can just remove it when I change phones.

Storing some data from some apps. Note, this is not available for all apps. You can do this

in Settings
Apps
Select an App
Press Change and you can shift to SD Card.

You can store your photos to the SD card, from the camera automatically.

Open Camera App
Click on the Settings icon
Click on Storage Location / Settings
Select SD Card

None of my app can do that. I use poco 3c. I  know it's possible. But setting things up so some app can use the extra space requires debugging with USB and that's not something normal users can do

The SD card need to be formated as "internal" first and that's tricky.


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Update time zone rules on LineageOS 18.1
I have a Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite on which I have installed LineageOS 18.1. The time zone rules changed in my country this year.
I've tried a lot of things to fix it; like taking the tzdata and tz-version files from a different device and putting them in /system/usr/share/zoneinfo but nothing worked.
How can this be fixed?


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Use Voice Remote for Google TV with Android TV
I paired the Voice Remote for Google TV with an Android TV succesfully, and all functions work. Except for powering on the TV when it is off. This makes sense because I suspect that the Bluetooth chip is disabled when the TV is in standby.
Since the Voice Remote for Google TV is capable of sending infrared signals, this should be very easy to solve. But I can't figure out how.
Maybe I can pair the remote to somebody elses Google TV and setup the infrared function for the powerbutton? But I suspect that when pairing it back to the Android TV afterwards, it will also clear the infrared preference stored on the remote in the process.
Does anyone know a solution for this? Because there is no technical reason this cannot be done, it's just that Android TV doesnt provide the setup menu.

You lack clarity on what exactly you are doing. Is it that you have the Google Chromecast (the HDMI part) AND the remote? OR just the remote that you've paired through Bluetooth to the TV? The wake signals can only be sent through wifi or if the HDMI part of the Google Chromecast device is connected to the TV. The remote talks to that HDMI part which in turn turns on the TV.

No, I don't have a Chromecast. I have a TV with Googles Android TV OS (and ofcourse these have Chromecast build-in, so it would not make sense to connect an external HDMI dongle to it). I also have a Google Voice Remote (which have infra-red build-in). My only question is how to setup the infra-red on Android TV OS. Since that is very easy to do on Google TV OS, and as both OS'es are virtually the same under the hood, I expect there must be a way. There are also tricks to upgrade Android TV to Google TV, which will solve the problem. But as the TV is brand new I dont want to void the warranty.


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How can I view the data area that an app collects?
How can I view the data area of each app. My storage gets filled up, and I have to clear the app cache within each app thru settings-->app-->storage often. I'm curious that some apps I rarely use seem to have huge data sizes, and I'd like to see what info they are collecting. Is there any kind of software that would let me see the data area of each app? I'm using android 9. I'd prefer a way that doesn't need to root my device if possible.
Thanks in advance.

Not possible without root. Even with root there is no guarantee a user would be able to make sense of the collected data. It is all about context and the context is known only to app developers. // You could try taking backup of some apps (if it is permitted by those apps) using adb and investigate the backup. The backup file contains the app data.

@Firelord how do I backup with adb and view it that way? Also is there a way to do a full backup of my android, app and data areas, to my computers storage, so I will have an accessible backup in case I need to restore? Is it done thru adb also? Is root needed? I'm hesitant to root because I don't have a backup I'd need to restore from if the rooting goes bad... Thanks in advance

The question that you are asking me has been answered a lot many times here on this site and on sites on the net. Try a search query such as "how to take app backup using adb?" or "How to take full device backup using adb?". Your questions would be answered by any of those queries.

Sorry about that, and thank you for the quick reply!


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Can anyone tell me what this icon is for or from?
Can anyone tell me what this notification icon is from?

After unlocking the screen do you not see a notification with this icon? Have you thoroughly checked your apps list?

Welcome to the Q&A site Android Enthusiasts Stack Exchange. If the device is yours, then you should be able to unlock it and see which app from the notification panel following the mentioned question above. Otherwise, we don't and can't identify each app notification based on photos/screenshots anymore, especially if the device is not your own.

It is from any fitness or health apps on your phone. They are notifying you because of info in the app.


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How to stop an LG phone from asking for confirmation when I turn mobile data on/off?
How do I stop an LG phone from asking for confirmation when I turn mobile data on/off?
When I turn it on, it says "data charges may apply" and requires me to tap again for confirmation. When I turn it off, it asks "turn off mobile data?" and requires me to tap again.
Samsung phones don't ask, so tapping on the mobile data icon is more convenient and reliable.

To my experience LG phones ask a lot of unnecessary questions (e.g. if Air-Plane mode is active after start-up). Now then do no longer produce Android phones...

@Robert Can this be changed somehow? Surely that's somewhere in configuration/system files or something, but where?

@root these kind of [annoying] things are, per my observation, not made configurable by phone manufacturers. The best you can do is search thoroughly the Settings app for something that appears related to your problem. Next you can do is, setup adb and list out all the keys and values the Settings app uses internally. Find a key-value that appears related to your problem, take a note of it as a backup, try changing the value, and see if it helps. That's all you can really do at this point. I don't have an LG device so I cannot offer something more hands-on.

@Firelord I found keys that sound similar, like data_network_user_paypopup_response and show_warning_popup, but changing them (without a reboot) didn't help...


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Connect a microphone to a smart TV for karaoke purposes
I recently bought a Smart TV (Philips 65OLED707/12) and I was wondering if I could connect one (or preferably two) microphones to it, to sing Karaoke with my family and friends.
I want to be able to mix the sound from the microphones and the sound of the karaoke app so that all is outputted by the TV speakers.
Are there microphones, or specific microphone stands capable of doing that? What should I look for in their specs?
It is Android 11.

You can download any Karaoke apps from the Play Store on your Android TV. Few of the best ones are listed below:

Starmaker
Smule
Karaoke Anywhere
KaraFun (has remote control)

For the mic part, Android TVs support Bluetooth mic input. You can either use a Bluetooth-enabled remote with voice input support (Google Assistant) or a dedicated karaoke Bluetooth mic for the matter.
Since it is Android 11 you should be able to connect more than one multi-point Bluetooth device. I can see that your TV is pretty high-end and has Bluetooth 5.0 (specs) which indeed supports multipoint connections.*
Alternatively, you can buy a karaoke set that combines the two mic inputs before sending it to the TV, which makes things super smooth (recommended)
Video for reference
Few Bluetooth mics (Amazon,UK).. (shared links don't seem to work since I'm not from UK so I'm just adding the names)

MAONO Bluetooth Karaoke Microphone, MKP100 (Recommended)
ACESHOP Karaoke Wireless Microphone Portable Handheld
EKLEVOR Wireless Microphone, Karaoke Bluetooth Microphone

Thanks ! I found no bluetooth microphones (Except for these ugly handled-bluetooth-speaker-with-a-microphone), so I'll look at the video.

Ah. The first thing needed in the video is a dedicated sound bar. I feel I don't need one since the TV speaker feels okay to me, and it will be a high investment to buy a soundbar that matches the quality of the TV. Back to looking for bluetooth microphones, I think. If you have any brand name to suggest, I'll take it.

Suggesting products could be tricky because availability of it depends on where you live and also they can discontinue being sold so I shouldn't in fact. But anyway, from the specs website of Philips, I am guessing you live in UK. I'll add the links to the answer. Just a tip.. while searching for mics don't include "karaoke". I can totally agree they are pretty ugly

Thanks a lot, that really helped !


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How do SMS senders (Companies) have a profile picture in SMS in REALME Messages App?

I found nothing on the web regarding the same except this thread.
But from the thread, it seems like this is shown only when using Google Services which I apparently am not (And it's for common people too not just company SMS'. So most probably those are just locally set pics or Gmail's pics).
So how are these profile pictures coming from? I'm guessing it is the website's logo maybe. It has a data usage of 75KB in the last month. Are additional data conveyed when sending an SMS (like website, phone, address, etc) Can I set one of mine too?
I don't have much knowledge of this. Correct me if I'm wrong
Regards

I think this depends on the Messaging app used. Some have additional features like caller ID. They may also have their own sources for the image. You might want to try changing the Messaging app and see whether the same image is shown or not.

@AndrewT. Sorry for the late reply. I tried Google Messages and a couple more messaging apps. Turns out it was just a feature of Realme Messages App. This question makes no sense now. I should delete it

IMO, the question make sense. It is a reasonable question. A person could be curious about the issue you mentioned. Andrew's comment gives pointer to satisfy that curiosity. You can self-answer this question it or you can delete it if you still deem the question unhelpful.


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Displayed weather on lock screens
I am wondering how exactly do I get the weather to show up on my lock screen on my Nokia 400 5G

Welcome to the Q&A site Android Enthusiasts Stack Exchange. Could you clarify whether your phone is Nokia G400 or Nokia 400? Meanwhile, could you also mention the Android version, in case it matters?


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Skip the "Unlock sim" window when booting
I use Keepass2Android to store my password, credentials and other sensitive information. For me it makes sense to use use it to store the PIN of my SIM card as well, so that I don't have to remember it.
But when I reboot my phone (moto g73) I get the window with the unlock sim form and I would like to skip this step and look up the SIM on my keepass and then unlock the SIM. But it seems that this is not possible, at least I cannot find any setting related to that. The only thing that I can find is to disable the SIM locking entirely but I want my sim to be locked. I just want to unlock it after I looked up the SIM on keepass.
Is this even possible?

Sim pins are 4 digit numeric combination if I'm correct. Just set it to something you'd remember. Why complicate things?

Because for a while I had more than one SIM at a time and I don't want to remember the PINs every time I change my SIM. That's why I want to use keepass.


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Is it possible to reboot Android Automotive OS to fastboot/recovery using physical keyboard?
I have a media-system module occasionally locked in OTA mode. It does not respond on any buttons pressed or screens tapped - but it still works: adb port works (but there is no trusted connection so I cannot manually reboot it by console), and if someone has a call to my SIM, it goes well by handsfree system.
I have the possibility to plug in a physical keyboard. It worked when the system was fine.
Does automotive have any special commands or combinations for rebooting into recovery/fastboot/whatever? I need to unbrick it :(

Welcome to Android Enthusiasts. Could you [edit] and clarify whether it's running Android OS or Android Auto?


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sd card ejects after formating as internal via google files app
I am trying to increase the internal storage of my realme narzo 30a phone. but it doesnt support format as internal. so i enabled usb debugging and used sm set-force-adoptabe true via adb. Then i formatted it as internal storage from google files app. as soon as i press done, i get a popup saying sd card is ejected. I also tried mounting via adb usingsm mount private DISK;VOLUME
but i got an error saying its inaccessible...
If I dont press done after formatting using files, it doesnt seem to get ejected, but it is not shown in storge...
is there no way to use sd card as internal storage?
what is funny to me is that it works just fine on a moto e40 i tried it in... even the speeds were not bad.

How old is the used sd-card and have it been used before? Some sd-cards claim to have a higher capacity that they have flash memory inside. Such cards act totally weird if they reach the internal limit. If the card is new I would recommend to perform a flash capacity test using a PC before using it in Android.

@Robert It seems to have been a problem with realme devices, apparently workarounds don't work. my sd card was a 128gb samsung one and it's legit. i ended up having to reset my phone after installing TaiChi to move CoD's obb to the sd card lol... not worth it imo
do you know anything about xposed or TaiChi just crashing when packaging the app? my storage got eaten up every time and was not listed, hence had to reset my phone.


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MotoG 1st gen xt1032 unlocked not rooted phone stuck at startup logo screen
I have a moto g 1st gen unlocked xt1032 phone that's stuck on the startup logo screen. It's running kitkat 4.4.4
It won't go past that, just stays on.
I turned it on one day and it just started doing that. It's network unlocked but probably not rooted, and probably had adb debugging enabled. I really want it working as before if possible, but even if I can just access the data to get the contacts in there, it would be a great thing.
I don't want to factory reset it until I can restore it back to normal or get the contacts info.
(is this what's known as a bootloop issue?)
Thanks in advance


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How to secure an unlocked Bootloader after installing custom ROM?
To install a custom ROM, we obviously need an unlocked bootloader. But after installing a custom ROM, is there any way to password protect or secure the bootloader so that if the phone gets stolen or someone bad gets had on the phone for a while, they can't wipe all data from the phone?
I am not worried about data getting leaked as I use encryption. Moreover, password protecting the recovery doesn't help as fastboot can wipe the recovery in seconds.
Thanks for any help.

If your device supports user settable root of trust re-locking is an option, however you really have to be sure what you are doing as relocking the bootloader has a high chance to brick your device if something is not correct. read also https://android.stackexchange.com/q/238980/2241 and the comments.

@Robert yeah re-locking after installing custom ROM and recovery is risky. But, is there any way to password protect the bootloader?

nothing prevents factory reset


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Changing cluster size of SD card formatted as exFAT from 128KiB to some lower value?
I'm using an app that allows me to download data for offline usage. The app is setup to store the data on my 64GB SD card. This all works fine, however, when I downloaded a larger set of data, i.e. some 6GB of data, that data used up some 30GB of storage space, and filled the SD card. I was baffled in the first place, so I had a deeper look at the data.
It turned out that the data consisted of some 120'000 files of 40KB in size, some larger, some smaller. I next had a look at the SD card and found it was formatted as exFAT and to use 128KiB blocksize (FX tells me so, I guess this should read cluster size).
I'm thinking about reformatting the SD card to use a smaller cluster size, say 48KiB or 64KiB, which would be more suitable for this kind of data.
Can this be done? Any inhibitors?

What is the filesystem used on the SD card? Put it in a Windows PC, right click on the drive in Explorer and select Format... There you can set the Allocation Unit Size, the options available vary with filesystem type used, but with exFat 32KB to 64KB is common default for that size, but you can manually set it as low as 2KB. Note that the more you reduce the Allocation Unit Size the more R/W performance will suffer.

I have updated the Q and added the filesystem type (exFAT). Sorry, I missed to write that since FX app already told me.

I have changed the cluster size in the meantime. Copied everything from the SD card to my Windows machine, then used Windows' Explorer context menu "Format" to reformat the SD card.
A big part of the 200'000+ files I need to add are smaller than 32KiB, another large chunk is between 32KiB and 48KiB, so I chose 32KiB as cluster size. (48KiB would have been a better choice but this is not supported for cluster size)
Copied everything back to the SD card, and was able to store the full 6GiB set of those small files. They now occupy only some 10GiB compared to 30GiB not having been enough before reformatting.
I haven't seen any negative impact of this change so far, but is is only a day since.


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Prevent Spotify from starting when phone boots with AppOps
I have an LG G7 One (not rooted) and I've been having ongoing issues with Spotify moving my downloads from my SD card to internal storage every time my phone reboots. I've done lots of research into it and it seems like the source of the problem is that Spotify starts up when the phone reboots but before the SD card has been detected by my phone, so Spotify thinks to move all downloads to internal storage.
Some workarounds I've read about:

Moving Spotify to SD card through developer options - I can enable this option on developer options, but there's no option to actually move any of my apps to my sd card

Force phone to ask for PIN before phone boots up (to give time to detect SD card) - no option to do this on my phone

Prevent Spotify from starting at boot - the only way I've seen online that I can do this is the non-root solution mentioned here Disable autostart on boot and restrict background execution. I got to the step where AppOps is downloaded but I can't understand the steps from the link to deny the BOOT_COMPLETED permission.

I have a Mac and followed the steps here https://www.xda-developers.com/install-adb-windows-macos-linux/ to set up ADB. I tried typing in the command ~$ appops set com.spotify.music BOOT_COMPLETED deny but it says the command isn't recognized. Sorry for the beginner question, I'm probably making a very simple mistake (it's my first time using ADB)!
Thank you for reading and for your help! My internal storage is full even though all I have on it are essential apps and system files, while my SD card has tons of space - very frustrating :(

Welcome to the Q&A site Android Enthusiasts Stack Exchange. After setting up the ADB, did you call adb shell to enter the Android device's terminal shell?

Thank you! I did, but I get the error message "Error: Unknown operation string: BOOT_COMPLETED" when I try to run ./adb shell cmd appops set com.spotify.music BOOT_COMPLETED deny. I had asked my question on another forum as well and someone suggested that maybe BOOT_COMPLETED isn't an official permission on android if I'm not rooted. Do you know if that's true?


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Link to pictures on a NAS in local network
I am running a raspberry Pi as a virtual picture frame in my home, using photos that are located on a synology NAS on the same network. I would like to be able to generate a qr code with a link to the currently displaying picture (creating the qr code is not the issue).  I then want to be able to share the (full-res) picture from an android phone without having to install any apps, mounting shares etc. Is this possible? Do I need to run a web server on the NAS for this to work, or can I use an existing protocol / link format?
Currently people keep taking pictures of the picture frame itself, and these have started showing up on the rotation of pictures in the system... It is starting to get ridiculous and I want to provide an easy solution to sharing the pictures


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Can't open PDFs (and other files) from WhatsApp
I'm using a Xiaomi MI 9 SE phone (Android v11, MIUI Global v12.5.1). For quite a long time now, I've had the problem of not being able to open PDF files attached to WhatsApp messages I receive. When I double-click them, the app I choose either  shows nothing, or immediately quits (depends on the app).
I tried to check the app permissions, and there are no permissions - that I know off - that WhatsApp is missing. I also tried updating WhatsApp, which didn't help.
I do not have this problem with other messaging applications, e.g. Telegram. Also, the different viewers / handling apps are able to open PDFs from other sources.
What's the cause of this problem, and what can I do about it?
Note: My situation is not the same as in Cannot open PDF files received on WhatsApp directly, where the user was getting an error message about not having the appropriate app for the content type.

There's a similar question on Cannot open PDF files received on WhatsApp directly though I'm not sure if the only answer is correct or not.

@AndrewT.: The title is similar, but the question is not, see edit.

The answer eluded me for many months, and then somehow I stumbleds upon it in this reddit thread...
Just (re-)enable MIUI Optimizations.
To be honest, there's probably some kind of bug in MIUI in the no-optimizations situation, where it mis-handles handing off PDFs and other files from one application to another, so that's more of a workaround than a proper solution. But - it works. You'll notice that the dialog you get when you click a PDF file is different than before, and if you select an app (possibly via a '...' button) - it will actually open the PDF.


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How to disable "Your phone is getting warm" warning?
I'm using Lineage 20, Android 13 on a Pixel 4A and often when I'm using the hotspot feature while charging I get a notification with the message "Your  phone is getting warm".
It then disables stuff like the hotspot for some time until it decides my device is not warm anymore.
When touching the casing with my hand it doen't feel warmer than usual and even then I want to choose if my phone should die early from overheating so I'm looking for a way to disable this "feature".
Thanks for your assistance !

FYI, documentation from AOSP: https://source.android.com/docs/core/power/thermal-mitigation Just be aware that charging a battery and running the radio as a hotspot generates quite a bit of heat.

What charger do you use (what voltage and ampere does it provide)? An easy mitigation would be to use a charger with less power as this reduces the heat created by charging. Additionally I would build a stand where the phone can stand on its long border and additionally is in the air flow of a fan.

@Robert I'm using a 5V/3A charger on a Pixel 4A (i'll add it to main post sorry), the stand is a great idea but the body of the device doesn't feel hotter than usual at all, I doubt it'll fix the issue

@MorrisonChang Thanks for the AOSP documentation, I'm gonna look for a way to disable the mitigation of the emergency level in the ThermalManagerService

@Hollow Do realize that the warning is a safety feature to avoid damaging hardware.  Unless you are using a thermal camera and know that the device or a  certain component like the radio is throttling incorrectly, finding a way to reduce the temperature of the device during operation, like a cooler ice block or using active cooling case/attachment is something to consider.

It's normally the battery that starts getting warm.  The automatic cooling of it is a safety feature.  I have only ever had this when in a cradle in the car, charging the phone, while using a driving app, and with the sun shining on it.

If you have a cover, take it off.

A slower charger (as mentioned in the comment) would help.

If you are not traveling at that time, turn off the GPS.

Some Providers limit the length of the hotspot and automatically connect.

Hotspot Settings has options for Auto turn off and data limits.  Check these by doing a long press on the hotspot name followed by dropping down Advanced Settings.


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USB mouse keyboard and hub not working
When i connect my usb hub to my phone and try to use the mouse which is pluged in my usb hub it is not showing the arrow nor the keyboard is working.

Your device has to support USB OTG mode. Which phone do you use (manufacturer, model and Android version)? Also some keyboards or mice require more power than the phone USB port can provide. In this case try a different keyboard or mouse or a hub with own power supply. Do mouse or keyboard work without USB hub?


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How to replace and sync(on the fly) EFS partitions via Termux instead of Fastboot or Recovery?
I have backup of my EFS partitions in raw and also in .Img format.
So now i want to:

replace my current EFS partitions via Termux/Terminal emulator app.
replaced EFS should also sync with modem without any reboot.

I have successfully done above via Fastboot and Recovery but that i don't want to.
My Findings:
I found EFS and modem partitions are mounted as modemst1, modemst2, modem and fsg etc in /dev/block/ and /dev/block/by-name.
But replacing them via Termux won't make any difference to actual EFS partitions. Also after reboot these again gets re-created/replaced.
But if i replace all these partitons via Recovery/Fastboot then it make actual permanent changes to EFS partitions and sync with modem and also sustain reboot.

selinux permissive?

yes, selinux is permissive.


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Change DNS on Android - via Settings/Network&Internet/Advanced/Private DNS ... or via Settings/Wi-Fi/Modify network/Advanced options/IP Settings?
Device is on Android 9. NOT rooted.
I want to set the DNS to CIRA (or Cloudfare or whatever, not the point). Yes my wifi router is already set to proper DNS. If I am not at home I want the device to have set DNS.
Question 1:
Is how do I do I set DNS on Android for Wifi but also for Mobile connection?
I looked at a couple of sites recommend to modify the Wifi setting as the easiest method. I don't want to install 3rd party VPN loopback tool because I use extenral VPN so I don't know how that will work together.
This talks about 8 methods to set the DNS. Only handful would apply to me:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/guide-how-to-change-dns-in-android-device-8-methods.3273769/
However, this page talks about setting up yet another way.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-to-turn-on-private-dns-mode-on-android-and-why-you-should/
So I am a bit confused. It looks like the 2nd link is not setting the specific Wifi. Is it going to apply to LTE mobile connection? My device offers both ways to set up:
via Settings/Network&Internet/Advanced/Private DNS ...
or
via Settings/Wi-Fi/Modify network/Advanced options/IP Settings
So is this the best way to setup via the Private DNS?
Question 2:
What do I enter in the box "Private DNS", is both word domain and the IP address okay?
Question 3:
If I root my device, do the rooted methods work better?

Anyways disregard the questions. I found the answer. The new setting was introduced in Android 9.
https://www.xda-developers.com/block-ads-on-android/
[https://www.xda-developers.com/block-ads-on-android/][1]

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.


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Samsung alarm volume during phone calls
During calls, my Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has an extremely low alarm volume. This is a problem because I'm missing my alarms. I've used other third party apps such as Sleep, but to no avail. This didn't happen on my Pixel 6.


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How can I force the file-app association in Samsung Files?
On a One UI 5 / Android 13 tablet, I have some Krita files and despite having Krita installed, Samsung Files tells me I have no app to open this file type and I should search in the Play store.
Even going through all the hoops by uninstalling Krita and clicking on "Search" when this prompt appears, reinstalling it, does not help.
Also, "open with" does not show any app available.
How can I force a file-app association?
Btw. the association is in the APK's manifest:
        <intent-filter>
            <action android:name="android.intent.action.VIEW"/>
            <action android:name="android.intent.action.EDIT"/>
            <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT"/>
            <data android:scheme="file"/>
            <data android:scheme="content"/>
            <data android:mimeType="*/*"/>
            <data android:host="*" android:pathPattern=".*\\.kra.*"/>
            <data android:host="*" android:pathPattern=".*\\.krz.*"/>
        </intent-filter>
        <intent-filter>
            <action android:name="android.intent.action.VIEW"/>
            <action android:name="android.intent.action.EDIT"/>
            <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT"/>
            <data android:scheme="file"/>
            <data android:scheme="content"/>
            <data android:host="*" android:pathPattern=".*\\.kra.*"/>
            <data android:host="*" android:pathPattern=".*\\.krz.*"/>
        </intent-filter>

Related/possible dupe: How to associate a file extension with an app?, How to assign default app to unlisted file type. I'm not sure if it's possible with Samsung Files...

May be this Krita app is simply not designed to used this way or you simply use the wrong file extension. Developers have to register file extensions in their app. If they don't do this then how should the other apps know which app can be used to open which file type. Have you contacted the Krita developers and asked if this is a supported way?

@Robert I looked into the APK / AndroidManifest.xml and there you can see the file extension registered. Also, the file association works on another tablet.


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Does Google still have the ability to uninstall apps without user permission (in 2023)?
In the past, Google has admitted that they have the ability to uninstall apps without user permission Exercising Our Remote Application Removal Feature
This post is almost 13 years old, Android was at a completely different stage, Google Play was still called Android Market back then. There is no more information or documentation on the internet about this "feature" other than this blog post.
Does anyone have any information about Google's "Remote Application Removal" feature and the latest status in 2023? Are there any known instances where Google triggered this feature (beyond the two apps the blog post admitted)? Does this feature still exist on modern Android versions? If so, is it possible to disable it (on a rooted phone)?

Apps with permission REQUEST_DELETE_PACKAGES can request the user to uninstall an app. This permission can be denied to an app using its corresponding AppOp permission. But Play Store app has the signature level permission DELETE_PACKAGES which can not be denied. So even if you disable the Play Protect feature (which may uninstall the harmful apps), Play Store app still has the ability to uninstall apps.

@IrfanLatif: Here is an application that prevents Google Play Store from removing it: https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/trick-apps-android-rooted/

@Joshua Magisk prevents Google Play Store app from uninstalling apps. This is what you are saying?

@IrfanLatif: Magisk can make applications disappear from enumeration so that no other applications, including builtin applications can see they're present.

@Joshua Magisk can only hide root from installed apps. You need to use Zygisk / Xposed / LSPosed modules to hide apps from other apps.

Yes, the feature has been known as Google Play Protect since 2017.
As per Google Play Help - Use Google Play Protect to help keep your apps safe and your data private, one of its features is to remove harmful apps from the device:

Google Play Protect checks your apps and devices for harmful behavior.

[...]
It may deactivate or remove harmful apps from your device.
[...]

This is explained further in Google Play Protect - On-device protections:

PHA scanning services
Google Play Protect leverages cloud-based app-verification services to determine if apps are Potentially Harmful Applications (PHAs). Google Play Protect scans Android devices for evidence of PHAs.
Daily PHA scan
Google Play Protect's Verify Apps service scans devices once everyday. If a PHA is found, a notification asks the user to remove it. In cases where the PHA has no benefit to users, Google Play Protect can remove the PHA from affected devices and block future installs. [...]
[...]
Automatically disable PHAs
Some PHAs are more harmful than others and we treat them differently depending on the PHA classification. The most harmful PHAs are automatically removed from the device, while less severe PHAs are disabled. [...]
(Emphasis added)

One of the known occurrences is when the Handcent Next SMS app was flagged by Play Protect in 2022 and removed on some devices:

Handcent Next SMS just flagged by Play Protect -- what's going on?
Google Play Help - Next SMS is dangerous now?
Reddit - Handcent removed from my phone

To disable this feature:

How to turn Google Play Protect on or off
Important: Google Play Protect is on by default, but you can turn it off. For security, we recommend that you always keep Google Play Protect on.

Open the Google Play Store app.
At the top right, tap the profile icon.
Tap Play Protect > Settings.
Turn Scan apps with Play Protect on or off.

However, there were a few reports that disabling only Play Protect still didn't prevent the apps from being removed.

XDA Devs - How to stop Google from disabling already installed apps "for our protection"? suggesting ranging from:

Disabling Google apps that are using Device Administrator, e.g. Find my Device
Disabling Google Play services
Apply firewall to Play Store

Nvidia - Play Protect, APKs deleted suggesting:

Disabling Play Store

Additional reading: Verify Apps, the previous feature before being integrated to Play Protect, Business Insider - How To Protect Your Android Phone From Harmful Apps.

Note that Next SMS was running a library that, among other things, would send your clipboard contents to a remote server (basically it scraped anything it could from your phone and bypassed permissions as best it could).  When it was removed, Next SMS was brought back.

This needs a bit more followup. It's not clear whether this would even work against a sideloaded apk applied by platform tools on a rooted phone.

@Joshua On a rooted phone you can stop anything from happening if you put in some effort. There's no single definition of what a "rooted phone" means when it comes to how close you are to stock Android, so any answer from "everything will work as usual" to "there's nothing Google can do" is equally valid.

Why is it scanning my device instead of scanning the copy of the apps on the Play Store?

@Joshua sideloaded APK can also be scanned and flagged (related question: Google Play Protect shows warning when installing an APK), and even removed (the case on Nvidia forum). As for rooted devices, looks like Irfan Latif has commented about the possibility, though I can't confirm its effectiveness without further research.

@user253751 as mentioned, it also acts as a malware scanner (related question: What is the scope of Google Play Protect's scanning?), and not all installed apps are from the Play Store. However, Google does scan the copy of the apps on the Play Store.

Just noticed that Play Protect is available now as an app on my Pixel 6a

@user253751 Google could scan your device in the sense of checking whether you have any of the apps on the list of apps that they determined to be malicious. It could also scan apps installed from places other than the Play Store. It's also not really possible to catch all malicious apps by just scanning the code. Sometimes you catch those apps by looking at what the app actually does in practice. And after being installed, many apps downloads or reads things from external sources that cannot be verified (pretty much every ad-supported or online app does this).


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Is is possible to use an app pass the Downtime in Google Family Link?
EDIT: After contact with the Google Family Link support it was revealed that the below is an effect of misunderstanding. There is no bug at all. Kid has secretly gained access to my phone and has used Parental Access code on her own phone to rule down all the limitations until midnight.
Keeping for future reference. Feel free to close or delete , if you find it having no actual value for the community.
Yesterday (today?) I have caught my 14-years old daughter listening to Spotify at 00:30 AM. This is something that per my knowledge is impossible :)
We are using Google Family Link and even though both Spotify app and Google Chrome are set to be used without any limitations:

As the screenshot above shows, pass the Downtime using it should be impossible. And the Downtime is set at 11:30 PM, so an hour and a half before she was still using Spotify:

Please, help me understand what could or what has happened in here.

Did the fourteen years old girl truly brought down the greatest Google Family Link system?
Is this some kind of bug in Family Link and this situation should not happen in your opinion?
Or is there something else (maybe blatantly obvious) that I don't understand in this picture?

@beeshyams Thank you. Report sent to Google, linked issue upvoted. I don't quite get your question. What do you mean by 13? An hour (1 AM) or kid's age? You can use Google Family Link with kids any age and you can apply time restrictions to any hour.

EDIT: After contact with the Google Family Link support it was revealed that the below is an effect of misunderstanding. There is no bug at all. Kid has secretly gained access to my phone and has used Parental Access code on her own phone to rule down all the limitations until midnight.
Keeping for future reference. Feel free to close or delete , if you find it having no actual value for the community.
As per information provided by beeshyams in comments, this is most likely a bug.

Greetings! You have a fundamental bug in Family Link that denies usage of this system. Kids are able to use applications pass the Downtime:
https://support.google.com/mail/thread/209844350/family-link-my-child%E2%80%99s-daily-limit-and-downtime-gets-cancelled?hl=en
Is is possible to use an app pass the Downtime in Google Family Link?
Is this recorded in your internal bug system? Are works on this in progress. Otherwise we must switch to another solution ASAP because yours isn't working anymore.

This was already reported to Google Family Link support team (with the above text, hence the circular reference to the very same question).


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Lock Mouse Cursor
I'm using a USB Mouse ( OTG ) and I wanted to play some Counter Strike , But whenever the game starts the mouse cursor is still there and it wont lock and I can't shoot , Is there a fix to this or its a device issue? Thank you so much


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How to forbid/ block Android from connecting to a certain phone provider
I need a way to block my phone from connecting to AT&T since my service provider in Canada only has a roaming plan in the US that uses T-mobile's network. I can force my phone to lock onto T-mobile while I'm roaming in the US, but then I need to change this back to my Canadian provider when i cross back into Canada. I cross daily, so this is a royal PIA. It's a 50/50 chance which provider it decides to connect to when I cross into the US. Would be great if a developer could write a script that allows the user to exclude certain networks to be connected to in Automatic mode.

The SIM card you use is configured by your provider and usually it only connects to networks where the provider has a roaming contract with. Thus I would contact your provider and complain about that the SIM card chooses the wrong network.

Welcome to a Q&A site Android Enthusiasts Stack Exchange. There are existing questions related to your issue: Stop auto-selecting cellular network. Consider reading the answers there and let us know the result. Good luck!

Suggestions, both require two sims, one for each country.

Get two phones with individual sims and block roaming.
Get a dual sim phone and stop roaming.  Every time you cross the border, disable the other sim.


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how to remove moist on the camera in my phone?
I've managed to fall into the lake three times last week. Yes, I'm trying to learn to sail a Laser dinghy
The cameras on my Samsung S21 Ultra now contains small droplets, and cannot take proper photos.
How do I get the moist to go away?

I would put it in an air-tight sealed box with some silicia gel. If this is not available, rice is also working fine. Let it sit for a couple of days and check it. If the water is still there, look for a possible repair shop.

Rice doesn't work


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Android Auto not "bundled with OS" error when trying to connect to a vehicle
I installed Android Auto from the Play Store the same as everyone else. However, when I tried to connect Android Auto to my vehicle, it says

Android Auto encountered an error
Communication error 22 - Android Auto was not preinstalled on this device. Android Auto must be bundled with your operating system to work correctly. Please contact your phone manufacturer for assistance.

Also, Android Auto works fine on every other Android phone I connect to my car, just having trouble with this one.
Why does it give me this error? How can I circumvent this to use Android Auto?

Try installing https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.projection.gearhead

I have it installed already

It means that Android Auto needs to be installed as a system app to work correctly.
Some Google-certified ROMs may already bundle the Android Auto app as a system app, thus it will work out of the box. However, for phones that don't have Android Auto preinstalled, the choices are:

Install the app from Play Store, and then Convert installed app to system app (need root, specific guide on XDA Devs)
Additional info:

Package name: com.google.android.projection.gearhead
Location: /system/priv-app

Flash GApps package bundled with Android Auto (e.g. OpenGApps Pico package) (need custom recovery)

Caution: both approaches require an unlocked bootloader. If this is the first time, then the process will force the user to do a factory reset, thus potentially losing all the data on the phone if not already backed up.


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Doorbell AnyHome app does not work on Android SDK Emulator
I am not used to Android Studio/SDK but try to use it for the first time to emulate an app (Doorbell AnyHome) on my laptop.
I succeeded to:

create an AVD (Pixel 4 API 32 -a12L)
download the app from the Play Store
run the app and try to connect to the doorbell with sonic configuration. But, even if I heard "pairing received", the app keeps sending the sound trying to connect.

I only see these warning messages in the terminal and don't know if they are linked to my problem.
WARN - Emulator: Pixel 4 API 32 -a12L - Please update the emulator to one that supports the feature(s): Vulkan
WARN - Emulator: Pixel 4 API 32 -a12L - cannot add library .../Android/Sdk/emulator/qemu/linux-x86_64/lib64/vulkan/libvulkan.so: failed
WARN - Emulator: Pixel 4 API 32 -a12L - *** No gRPC protection active, consider launching with the -grpc-use-jwt flag.***

And my question is, any way to get more debug/trace messages to see the app running/blocking?

Welcome to Android Enthusiasts. Looks like the warning you got is a warning about the emulator itself, which doesn't seem to be related to the problem with the app. However, production apps tend to suppress debugging log messages, so depending on what issues and logs you want to check, it may be hard/impossible to achieve that. Meanwhile, we have a canonical question for viewing various logs on Android.

Thank for your answer, I'll review your link about logs.


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How to reactivate wallet quick setting tile?
I have been using my phone to make contactless payments for about 2 years now. I could always access my virtual cards through the quick settings menu. To be honest I don't remember exactly how I set it up initially, but I didn't have the Google Wallet App installed before this issue occured.
When I wanted to pay today, I realized that the Wallet tile is greyed out. A quick online search did not provide any information other than it may be regionally locked.
After that I installed the Google Wallet app and upon opening it both my virtual cards show up just fine. I just can't get the Quick setting tile to work. I've also tried clearing all Google services' caches to no avail.
My phone is a Nokia XR20 with Android 13 and Quickstep as Launcher (Android One)
How can I activate my quick setting tile again?

I don't use wallet but this may be a worth a try-hide the wallet tile by editing quick setting tiles, reboot and unhide// for some reason this helped me way back and I didn't investigate further// Alternatively, clear the data of wallet app and re-enter the card details

Both did not work, but thanks for those suggestions

It seems that the Payback App set itself as default payment provider despite not even being a payment method. After uninstalling the Payback app, the wallet was working again.


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How to connect input to phone's 3.5mm jack and transmit signal via Bluetooth other than PC (no USB, like a dongle)
The local gym has elliptical machines facing a row of TVs.  The machine has a panel with a 3.5mm jack and controls to select the TV audio source and volume through the jack.
I always have my phone and Bluetooth earbuds.  I would like to use my phone's 3.5mm jack to connect via wire to the machine for TV audio and transmit from the phone via Bluetooth to my wireless earbuds.
This would be in place of a dongle, as I don't want to carry extra gear around the gym if I don't have to (I can stuff or wrap a wire) as I can almost promise it would get forgotten and left behind (a wire would keep my phone "tethered" and not as easily overlooked).

I suppose it would need a special cable to attach the phone's microphone to the headphone output from the TV, and then an app to repeat the microphone sound to the wireless earbuds. Stereo sound would be missing since the phone has only one microphone port.

Although theoretically possible it's really not doable.


text:
How to access Styx Browser & DuckDuckGo sessions/tabs on my Android & transferring them to my Linux PC, possibly ADB method, is root needed?
I've tried every solution recommended. My smartphone is not rooted, it is an LG L355DL, LG K31 Rebel, Android version 10. I got many tabs on my browsers that I need to transfer & review. When I try to transfer each tab one by one using my phone, old social media sessions, Facebook links, etc, I open the tab, but they reset their URL to facebook.com/login, so I often lose where I was at completely when I try to click on them to share/transfer them to my PC or anywhere.
In other words, I have to open the tab again and refresh the URL, but in the process, the URL changes & sometimes resets itself to the domain, the common thing that happens when you're not re-logged into social media, etc. So I need a walk-through to access the session/tab files via ADB method, or something.
I do not have root access to my phone. I tried to do adb pull /data/data/com.styxbrowser.browser/app_chrome/Default/*, etc. I connected my PC to my phone via USB, but it doesn't work. Also, this forum post may help. Here are my terminal results/attempts: www.rentry.co/cyube.
Lastly, there is interestingly another very different approach to accessing these files, it worked for my Android Kiwi browser. I connected my Android to my PC via USB, opened my Kiwi browser on my Android, turned on ADB on my phone, then went to chrome://inspect/#devices in my browser on my PC. I could see all tabs & could back them all up. It works like a charm. However, it doesn't work with Styx or Duckduckgo. Not sure why.
-Thanks!

Also posted on Super User: https://superuser.com/q/1790095/356789

Welcome to Android Enthusiasts. Without root access, I'm afraid it will be difficult/impossible to achieve what you want.

Thank you for your advice Andrew.


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Samsung J5 stuck in boot-up/switch-off cycle
My Samsung J5, 2017 appears stuck and I'd like to learn whether there is an appropriate button-press sequence.  (EDIT #2)
EDIT Latest 28th June 2023
I bought and tried a new battery. Unfortunately when I tried a normal switch on it went straight into the same boot cycle.
I took the new battery out, left it couple of days and then put it back and tried just plugging in a usb cable from a pc and for the first time it briefly showed an empty grey battery symbol and then the screen went black. As this is a radically different response I'm hoping it is actually charging and that this might make a difference. I will post an update when there is news.
End of edit
History:
A couple of days ago I noticed the phone had powered off. I plugged in a charger and moments later pressed the power button. Sometimes that had worked in the past, sometimes it would sit with a flat battery graphic for twenty minutes before allowing itself to be booted up.  This time, instead of either of those outcomes it began the boot sequence, Samsung logo appeared and then the screen went off, then it buzzed and the cycle began again, repeating every 10 to 30 seconds.
I have tried:

unplugging it and waiting, then trying again (it mostly stops the cycling with the charger unplugged and I presume the battery is still flat)
unplugging it, pressing the power button (as I thought that would force a power off)
unplugging it, removing the battery, re-assembly (in this case the endless cycle didn't start again when I put the battery in and pressed the power button, I think it only started again when I plugged the charger back in)
a different charger
an older battery
None of these changed the basic pattern.

Then I looked up button press sequences, just guessing there might be something. What I've found is countless forums referring to things such as Recovery Mode, Safe mode, Download Mode, Boot loader, this and that etc though with very sketchy descriptions of what these are about or where to find out more.
I then tried:

plugging in after battery replaced, then immediately simultaneously pressing the power button, home button and volume-down button - then releasing the power button when the Samsung logo appeared on the first cycle. This resulted in the screen changing to the attached image #1 below (though it wasn't connected to a PC so I don't have any understanding of why it came up with the "Downloading" title):

as 6 but simultaneously pressing the up-volume and power button. This resulted in the attached image #2 below:

Other observations (EDIT #2)

I've noticed now that sometimes it can get into the boot/crash cycle without a charger plugged in. i.e. there is enough juice remaining to have another go at the end of each cycle. I haven't tried leaving it indefinitely like that as it doesn't feel like it is doing it any good.
I'm less confident now that I know which of those two sequences led to which screenshot - I'm wondering if it depends when in the boot/logoscreen/switch-off cycle that I start the button press sequence.

Provisional Conclusion (EDIT #1 still relevant at EDIT #2)
The very fact that both of these two button press sequences, items 6 and 7, got the phone out of its infinite loop means, to me, that there must be further mileage here, even if I don't know how to make use of these sequences yet.
At last, the question:
Amongst the various modes such as Recovery Mode, Safe mode, Download Mode etc,
a)  what might be the right mode for this problem?
b)  falling short of an answer for a) what might at least be a sensible first try - i.e. which sequence makes most sense?
c)  what do I do once I've actually got into whatever mode it is? (short of doing anything that will scrub data and photos from apps recorded however that is done [there is no separate SD card fitted])

Based on your description my first guess was a dead battery, but usually in such a case a connected charger should change the behavior. So may be in your case the battery is just empty but the phone doesn't manage to charge it and booting requires too much power so it crashes and restarts. Do you see a possibility to charge one of the batteries externally and then use it in your phone?

@Robert Thanks, I wouldn't exclude that if nothing else works though the battery wasn't in bad shape beforehand, i.e. it still had a fair bit of capacity, I didn't make a habit of running it completely flat but on the occasions that had previously happened it had subsequently started ok. I am assuming that it got into this mess by me pressing start too soon after plugging in the charger. I have edited the question to emphasize where I want to go with this.

On aged batteries the capacity is often not the problem. More problems is causing that the battery can no longer provide enough power in a short time, e.g. if the CPU is busy. In such cases the provided current is not enough and then the voltage drops and the system crashes.

@Robert fair point. What do you make of the fact that some button press sequences do result in it stepping out of that crash sequence?  Surely this means there is potential to use a Recovery/Safe/etc mode to exit the crash loop. I've noticed now that sometimes it can get into the boot/crash cycle without a charger plugged in. Does that not mean that there is enough juice remaining to have another go at the end of each cycle and that there is mileage in knowing how to apply the Recovery/Safe modes etc. I've updated the question with this new observation.


text:
Silence notifications from specific contact at certain times
(Pixel 7, Android 13) I currently use bedtime mode to put my phone into DND at night before I go to bed to silence all notifications and all that jazz. I know you can set specific contacts to be able to get through DND for important calls/etc.
I actually want to do the opposite. I want to be able to enable a DND mode for specific contacts at night so I don't receive messages/calls from them after a certain time.
Ex: I don't want to receive texts or calls from Billy after 9pm because he's a party animal and drunk texts me all night. Everyone else is fine and lets me sleep.
Is there anything in Android built in to do this? I'm open to using other apps too.

This post led me to what I was looking for.
MacroDroid seems to be what I need for this, and it has a lot of ways to go about it (monitoring SMS received, clearing notifications, or clearing notifications with specific text, etc.). I've already started looking into using it for things other than what I originally got it for too!
As suggested, the macro that worked for me in MacDroid was very simple:

Triggers

Notifications Received

Contains: [contact name] (Messages)

Actions

Clear Notifications

Any Content (Messages)

Constraints

Time of Day: [start time] - [end time]

Screenshot of the macro where the crossed-out pieces are the contact name(s).
It effectively silences notifications from those specific contacts during the provided window, I'll only see their messages if I go to the main messages inbox, even if it's in group chats!

Indeed, MacroDroid can be used for a lot of things // Best part is it's easy to learn. +1// See templates section of the app for more


text:
How to flip Facebook Live video while streaming?
When starting live video on Facebook from an Android phone, it's always mirrored. I want to flip it.
Looking at various tutorials, looks like they are all for Apple phones. For example:

YouTube video: How to reverse image Facebook live.

TechShift - How do you flip live on Facebook on Android?:

How do I flip the mirror on Facebook Live?
Underneath the filters, there’s a row of icons and one of them is what you’re looking for. In the bottom right corner, you’ll find a screwdriver and span icon. If you click on it, it will bring up the options for flipping the screen. The option you need is “Horizontal Flip” (The one on the left).

I cannot find this screwdriver and span icons.
Can you give me clear instructions on how to do this?


text:
What are the absolute minimum required Permissions I need to download from Play Store?
I have a tablet I bought for work, and as I don't really need most of the apps on it, I am shutting down and disabling all the Google/Android Services I don't need.
Seeing how I need to download some apps I need for work, I need to know the absolute minimum requirements in terms of Permissions (e.g., do they need access to Files and Media, and Contacts?) and Connectivity (would cutting access, e.g., to Contacts make a difference if I were connecting by Mobile Data or WiFi?) that I need to allow Google Play Store and Google Play Services, as well as any other apps/services that I need to allow at the time I am downloading apps to allow me to install them.
Another really important reason I am doing this, is for security, since thus far, almost every device I have used has been hit by some kind of infection, and I'm hoping that shutting down and disabling Services and Apps I'm not using will making it harder to infect my device.
If there is a general answer that applies to all Android versions, I would prefer that. Otherwise, I am looking for answers that apply to Android 10 and over.

Play Store has an irrevocable INSTALL_PACKAGE permission that allows it as a system app to install apps without other assistance.
Based on quick testing by disabling every possible permission on Play Store and Play Services from the app info, it is still possible to purchase, download, and install apps from Play Store.
Referring to the Open GApps Pico package for the absolute minimum GApps installation:

Google System Base (invisible?)
(Google) Android Shared Library: no permissions requested, cannot be disabled
Google Play Store: only requires Files and media
Google Calendar Sync: unrelated to Play Store
Dialer Framework: unrelated to Play Store
(Google) Package Installer: no permissions requested, cannot be disabled
Google Play Services: only requires Physical activity, though unrelated to Play Store, cannot be disabled
Google Text-to-Speech: unrelated to Play Store
Android Auto stub: unrelated to Play Store

Note that this only guarantees app purchase and installation. Apps that rely on Google Play Services might not work correctly without additional permissions allowed.

Additional reading:

Would disabling the package installer prevent updates?
Install apps silently, with granted INSTALL_PACKAGES permission

This is really helpful, but now I have to ask: if I am able to download and install apps with these permissions revoked, does that mean a malicious app or attacker might be able to do that too?

@user_dn34297 unlikely but possible. Play Store has an irrevocable INSTALL_PACKAGES permission that will only work as a system app. (Ref: Would disabling the package installer prevent updates?, Install apps silently, with granted INSTALL_PACKAGES permission)


text:
Can any other programs affect receiving WhatsApp messages when in use?
Curious as to why one gray tick happens when sending a WhatsApp message, as well as why calls are not being received.
Is it possible that another program conflicts with WhatsApp and the ability to receive text messages or telephone calls when using any other program? Or is it strictly an issue with data?
I ask because sometimes my messages and calls are not received over WhatsApp. My end will only register one grey tick, and I am told the phone never rang on their end sometimes when I call.
Just wondering if any other programs like Skype or Google Meet or like programs interfere with WhatsApp and cause the messages to be held in transit, leaving one gray tick, or calls not to go through.

One app can't influence another in this fashion. I have seen this on my phone on these conditions

Airplane mode is on
Mobile data is off
The phone has dicey or no connection to the mobile network.


text:
Is there a way to block the flexible update flow monits?
There are apps I don't want to update for some reason, like missing features, new unwanted features, or tons of video ads with newer versions. Often when I launch some apps, I get the monit asking me to update such an app. As I found out, it's so called "flexible update flow" that came with Android 5.0 (API v21).
Is there a way to block it without patching such an app? Like blocking some Google service/app drawing on top?

I dont know if this feature is available on 5.0. But it has been available for a while. You can disable updates per App.

Go to PlayStore
Select Manage Apps tab
Select the required App
Press on 3 dots on top right corner
Uncheck the box for Enable Auto Update

It may not stop the message from all apps.


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How to resolve cannot stat /data/dalvik-cache when installing ubuntu via termux
I am trying to follow the suggestions in the answer to this question (How can I get a ubuntu desktop on my Galaxy S8 Ultra?) in order to be able  to run vscode and ubuntu on my samsung galaxy s8+ tablet. I have installed ubuntu via termux and proot-distro but when I try and open an ubuntu shell it says:
apt update
apt upgrade
pkg install root-repo x11-repo
pkg install proot proot-distro
termux-setup-storage
proot-disto install ubuntu
proot-distro login ubuntu

and I get
stat: cannot stat '/data/misc/apexdata/com.android.art/dalvik-cache': No such file or directory

I have found this answer (https://groups.google.com/g/android-porting/c/4VrxsM1pLso) indicating that some directory write access has not been granted somewhere but I do not know how to even begin to deal with this issue. any advice would be appreciated! My model number is Galaxy Tab S8+ 5G SM-x806B.


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Google Sign-in Alert: Hide Android Model Name
I want to sign-in my Google account on my Android phone (not only Chrome). The rest is said in title.
When signing in with Android, Google emails me the sign-in alert: a new sign-in on [device name]. In contrary, on Windows, it's only a new sign-in on Windows. How to hide my exact phone model such that it shows a new sign-in on Android instead?
I'm rooted, so it may be easier to do so.

Those emails are generated on Google servers, they are part of your Google account which means they are totally unrelated of Android.

I know. Except, the device model name is from Android itself. If I can change that, then I've hidden my real model name.

I'm unsure if hardcoding it as "Android" is possible. While I don't know how Google names it, they may be using their own device list mapping for the Play Store.

So can i spoof as specific device? Like, for example, S22 Ultra?

By changing the product model on the build.prop file (need root access) perhaps (not confirmed, no devices to test). Maybe changing to an unlisted product model may achieve something else, though Android apps might not behave as expected if they depend on the value of the product model.


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Get the number of past/remaining events for a recurring event
Let's say I created a recurring event in my calendar, e.g. start begin of this year, end is end of this year, running every Monday evening at 18:00
Does anybody know a possibility to get information for the current day like

20 events had been finished
32 events are still remaining

Of course, it would work only with appointments having a start and an end date.
I found a lot of countdown apps, however they are counting the number of years/months/days/etc. till a specific event will happen. They don't count the number of remaining recurring events.


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Google passkey not working
I have the passkey enabled for my Google account and, so, for my Samsung device.
The problem is that if I try to log in through MS Edge, it displays the QR code, I scan the code (FIDO:/XXXXXXX) but on the device, all is blocked (in fact I can see that Google Play services is opened, but nothing happens).
Does anyone know if the problem is on my side or what?

You can try the following workaround that could possibly fix your concern:

Clear browser cache and cookies
Disable browser extensions
Update browser and Google Passkey app
Check the internet connection
Disable VPN or proxy
Use incognito mode
Reset Google Passkey

Welcome to Android Enthusiasts. While we appreciate everyone's contribution, looks like you're affiliated with the website. While it's okay to refer to an affiliated website, take note that explicit disclosure is required on the post itself. Please read How to not be a spammer. Thanks for your understanding.

That said, some of your points don't make sense, such as the "Google Passkey app" (there's no such app). Without additional references, this answer (particularly the original article) is suspected to be generated using AI, which can and does hallucinate.

As it’s currently written, your answer is unclear. Please [edit] to add additional details that will help others understand how this addresses the question asked. You can find more information on how to write good answers in the help center.

Its definitely ftom chatgpt.


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Texts in some cells arent displayed fully in Android google sheets app?
I have a Google Sheet with many cells that contain a lot of text.  Those cells have their formatting set to "wrap" and they display as expected in the Web Application (Chromium-based Whale Browser).  In other words, the row height automatically increases in order to allow the cell's contents to be fully displayed.
When displaying the same Sheet in the Android App, the cell height is no longer enough to fit the cell's content, and some of the content is hidden.
The screenshots below illustrate what I mean.  The example cell is selected in each.  This cell is representative of others in the same sheet.
The problem also occurs on my Galaxy Tab.  Is there something I can do to ensure the formatting remains the same in the Android app?
Web App: Cell Contents Fully Displayed   (Whale Browser, Win10)

Android App: Cell Contents Partially Hidden

I can't replicate your problem.  Please edit your question with a shared spreadsheet that exhibits the problem.  You can use the Blank Sheet Maker to create a shareable spreadsheet that doesn't expose your identity the forum.

Welcome to [webapps.se]. [tag:google] should not be used when using a more specific tag for a Google web app. Questions about Android App are off-topic here, you might try [android.se]. Use a supported web browser. While including a link to an external spreadsheet might be helpful, please remember that posts on this site should be self-contained. When adding sample data, set your language settings to English or your spreadsheet to use function names in English. Also include the relevant spreadsheet settings like the country setting.

In the event the data is only viewed in the Android app and never edited there, consider using File > Share > Publish to web instead of File > Share > Share with others to let others view the data.


text:
Script trigger works on Google Sheet but is not getting called on Android mobile app, including onEdit
I have created a simple function in google apps script which work seamless on Browser, but not working on Google sheets' Android App or iOS Tablet. After exploring, tried the onEdit(e) function too, but the function is not called at all on Mobile or iPad, while works fine on Browser.
Request inputs on how to make this happen. This is urgent towards completing my project, as this will be used at store outlets, with consultant/stylist using iPad / mobiles.
 function onEdit(e) {
  if(e.range.getSheet().getName()=='Profile_Card') {

    if(e.range.getA1Notation()=='A1' && e.value=="Select_Filters") {
      SpreadsheetApp.getUi().alert('Success! Moving to Select Filters.');
      SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet().getSheetByName("Select_Filters").activate();
      e.range.setValue("");
      //you less than 30 seconds to run a function here
    }
    if(e.range.getA1Notation()=='A1' && e.value=="Search_Client") {
      SpreadsheetApp.getUi().alert('You Clicked A2. You have less than 30 seconds to run a function here');
      e.range.setValue(" ");
    }
  }
  else{
    return;
  }
}


text:
Does Termux have media folder?
I am running a Java application using Termux. I need a media folder to store a folder named DSKEYS with pfx key file because the Java application needs that pfx file from media/DSKEYS/.
I could not find the media folder inside usr, so I created it myself and copied the DSKEYS folder with the pfx file into it. However, the pfx key cannot be found by the application.
Where is the media folder on Termux?

Also posted on Unix.SE with more context: https://unix.stackexchange.com/q/749632/90391

Welcome to Android Enthusiasts. There's probably some missing context on this question compared to your question on Unix.SE that the Java app is supposed to run on Linux OS, not Android OS. While I don't know how the app works (e.g. where the app looks for the exact path specifically), perhaps Where is the folder that Termux defaults to? might help. Good luck.

Recently I myself have come across this situation and can say with confidence that the question is perfectly valid. Termux is an Android terminal emulator and Linux environment application that works directly with no rooting or setup required. A minimal base system is installed automatically, additional packages are available using its package manager - pkg (https://wiki.termux.com/wiki/Main_Page).
You can install Java Runtime Environment with pkg:
pkg search openjdk

if you find a version of openjdk available, for example: presently openjdk-17 is available
install it using command:
pkg install openjdk-17

However, undoubtedly there are several important differences between Termux and a real Linux environment, one of which is certainly the directory structures. Termux does not follow Filesystem Hierarchy Standard unlike majority of Linux distributions. You cannot find directories like /bin, /etc, /usr, /tmp, /media and others at the usual locations. Thus, all programs must be patched and recompiled to meet requirements of the Termux environment otherwise they will not be able to find their configuration files or other data.
Luckily there is an alternative way to solve this problem in certain situations: if you need a classical Linux file system layout, you may try to use termux-chroot (command) from package 'proot':
For more info please refer to https://wiki.termux.com/wiki/Differences_from_Linux.
pkg install proot

after the installation, to obtain linux-like file system layout run command right inside Termux:
termux-chroot

After that you should be able to see standard linux paths like /tmp, /etc, /usr and others. If you still don't see /media folder, create it with commands:
cd /
mkdir media
cd media
mkdir DSKEYS

or:
cd /
mkdir -p media/DSKEYS

and place your .pfx files in here.
If everything is done right Java application should be able to see your files without problems.


text:
Help: LineageOS 20.0 stuck in boot animation
I have LineageOS on Google Pixel 4A.
Yesterday I restarted it, and it was stuck in the boot animation!
I tried upgrading my LOS 19.1 to LOS 20.0 using instructions here https://wiki.lineageos.org/devices/sunfish/upgrade But it looks the problem isn't solved, and the phone is still stuck in boot animation.
Can someone help me please? I'm currently without a phone and I don't want to lose my data..

I did not want to delete it because someone thankfully commented..

I am not familiar with LineageOS but to me it looks like flashing stock Pixel image (and losing data) is the only way now. You can subsequently switch to LineageOS //Choice is between having a functional device or losing data

Thank you, I managed to delete the file, but the phone is still stuck in boot animation! I updated the issue above..

I ended up formatting the phone completely..


text:
Is it possible to port an Android application to Android Wear?
How can I port a native Android application to Android Wear OS? I know that this is not really possible, especially in the case of complex Android applications. What could be the main drawbacks of the porting process?

Welcome to Android Enthusiasts. Please note that app development is off-topic since Android Enthusiasts focuses on end-users and power users (who are not necessarily developers) solving their issues. Thus, while this community might explain the technicality of Android OS to your queries, development process is generally out of the scope of this community. For programming questions, you might want to try our sister site [so] (if you have the original source code) or [reverseengineering.se] (if you don't have the original source code).

They are so different, it would not be easy to emulate the items missing on the watch such as the keyboard, size of the screen.  And there are watch versions of some android apps.  I tried some, but it was a pointless pain act.
You can however, mirror almost any widget from the phone home screen to the watch.  I have been using Wearable Widgets

Widgets you can wear: Put virtually any home screen widget from your Android™ phone onto your Wear OS watch.
Take a look at the home screen of your phone – you probably have a number of widgets that you refer to all the time. Now imagine how useful they would be if you could see them on your watch: weather, news, sports scores and much more, all at a glance without having to drag out your phone.
Wearable Widgets creates a bridge from your phone to your watch for the widgets you already use. Thousands of Android apps support a watch-sized display right now, under the guise of widgets. You don't need to wait for developers to support smartwatches; get your apps on your wrist now. Get Wearable Widgets.

I am not associated with it, in any fashion.


text:
Samsung Wallet PIN keyboard not working after replacing screen
I've replaced the screen of my Samsung Galaxy S20 FE and did a factory reset of it. Afterward, I cannot set up Samsung Wallet anymore because I simply cannot tap on the PIN keyboard. I would guess that it is some sort of encryption/certificate that the new screen is missing since it says "safe mode" above the keyboard.
Is there any workaround to this?
Note: I would really like to not have to use Google Wallet.

Some manufactures are known to include certificates in their replacement parts so the phone can detect changed parts and non-original part. If you use non-original parts then this has most likely an effect on the Knox state. Some apps rely on the Knox security state and refuse to work if the state is non-genuine.


text:
Blocking specific app notifications access is cleared after app update
This behavior is consistent both on real Pixel devices running the latest version of Android 13 and on emulated devices running Android 13 in Android Studio.

A specific app, let’s call the app “X”, is allowed notifications access.

After enabling the specific app notifications access, open “Settings”, open "Notifications", open "Device & app notifications", select and click the above “X” and in the “X” notifications access detailed settings click on "See all apps".

In "See all apps" window, clear the checkbox for a specific app, let’s call this specific app with cleared checkbox “Y”.

The system works as expected. That is, “X” isn’t able to access notifications sent from “Y”.

After the above steps let’s suppose the Play Store has an update for the “Y”.

The new version of the “Y” is installed.

After installing the new “Y” app version from the store, the user goes back to the “X” detailed notifications access settings and, clicking again on “See all apps”, the check box of the “Y” is now selected, that is the setting has been reverted to the original one forcing the user to clear again the checkbox for the “Y” in the “X” detailed notifications access settings.
This is true for all updated apps that have a cleared checkbox in the “X” notifications access detailed settings.
I don’t see how this can be the expected behavior. If this is the case, the “See all apps” settings in the notification listener detailed settings is useless.
Can you please help in clarifying how the settings in the “See all app” window can be retained when apps are updated?
Thanks a lot for any help.

For readers, I added a bug report here:
https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/288499758


text:
Can I enable USB debugging on Fig Flip II (Kosher OS)?
I have Fig Flip II running on Kosher OS (Android 11) on which Developer Options is blocked, so when I press the build number 7 times, nothing happens.
I can't install apps on the phone. When I try opening an APK file it says 'APK not allowed', but it does have a package installer - so I can't install a USB debugging app.
Is there a way for me to enable USB Debugging on this phone?

There are apps that can directly open developer options settings page. T his should work no matter if you have activated developer options or not.

@Robert Is it an app that I would have to install? Because my phone only comes with basic apps, and I can't install any more.

@Robert I added in why I can't install apps. The phone is the Fig Flip II, but nobody has heard of it - its a really small company.

Does your phone have Settings -> Security / Privacy ->Install from Unknown Sources?

Found this thread discussing about this phone and how it's heavily customized. This looks like a very locked OS like [tag:gabb] phones all over again...

@RohitGupta No, it doesn't.

If you are willing to tinker a bit, you may try to enter some sort of flash mode via holding either or both volume keys and the power button while the device is shut down. From there, you may try creating a custom recovery (not for typical end users) or use tools to extract out the userdata partition for adding apps and editing settings.

If there is a way to enable USB debugging, the manufacturer will see that as a bug. It seems that some Hasidic Jews see the Internet as a major danger to their culture, but feel that mobile telephony and GPS navigation are OK and useful.
There is thus a market for Kosher phones, which provide the acceptable features without the problematic ones. Other companies distributing those include Kosher Cell, Planet Cell, Safe Cell, and Kosher Mobile.
Most of these phones are normal Android or iOS devices with filtering software installed. Fig Kosher appears to do the job more thoroughly, with a customised version of Android, "KosherOS", which leaves out problematic features.
It appears that users of Kosher smartphones have problems with temptation, or fear that their teenage children will be tempted, so these phones are tightly locked down. Allowing USB debugging would run the risk of phone users being able to install apps, such as a web browser, via adb install, and preventing that is the whole point of Kosher OS.
Do Fig phones get security updates? The KosherOS on them seems to be based on Android 11, which left support in February 2024. There is a later KosherOS based on Android 13, but there's no mention of it on the Fig website.


text:
Android camera error in Samsung Galaxy J7
Got a Samsung Galaxy J7 and one day all of a sudden the back camera started throwing an error. When I try to open the camera, it displays a popup saying "Camera Error". How can I track this error? The phone is not rooted by the way. I've already factory reset the phone.

If you have performed a factory reset and the error stays, then most likely the error is caused by a hardware defect.

Brand new camera. :(

So the camera was replaced by a repair shop (you totally forgot to tell us this important little detail)? After being replaced was the camera working at least once?

Not even once..

If it never worked then the replacement camera may be defect, not matching the phone, or some other hardware failure is present. Why have you replaced the old camera, was it non-functional (with the same error) or just bad quality? When replacing parts a lot of thing can break (the flat wires, the connectors, or some of the connected chips, ...).

The old one was with the same error, but even before when it was working, the lens broke and there was water infiltration, so the camera image was kinda weird, after some time it started throwing that error. I've replaced the camera with one announced for the very phone model, it didn't work, I've reset the phone and here we are.

It's an hardware problem, clearly. And all the info you've provided in comments should be in the question itself.


text:
Cast on LineageOS 20
LineageOS 20, which is based on Android 13, has settings for some screen cast technology, even without having GApps installed. They settings can be found at Settings > Connected devices > Connection preferences > Cast. The UI simply refers to it as Cast, without giving any details on the technology involved or how to set it up.
As per my research, there are two technologies that Android has supported over the years:

Miracast, an open standard, introduced with Android 4.2–4.4 and gradually phased out starting with Android 6, ending with Android 9,
Google Cast, a proprietary protocol, which requires GApps on the device.

The UI simply tells me no nearby devices were found. I don’t see any controls to search for supported devices (in fact I don’t have any, because I don’t even know which technology they would need to support).
Does LineageOS 20 without GApps come with a complete stack for any screen cast technology? If so, which? If not, can this functionality be added? What would I need to install? If so, is there a way to achieve this without installing any proprietary add-ons?

Thanks for the link. The comment actually states that Miracast was supported up to LOS 16.0; LOS 17.1 only supports Chromecast on older devices (no idea what that means for new ones).

according to https://www.reddit.com/r/LineageOS/comments/qkys0j/comment/hj30lro/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button, Miracast was re-added in LOS 18.1. The poster is a LOS dev, who presumably knows what he’s talking about.

I got my hands on a device with Miracast support today, and here is my experience. Setup is not 100% self-explanatory.
AOSP had Miracast support up to Android 9, though some vendors started phasing it out earlier. LineageOS benefited from this until LOS 16.1. LOS 17.1 has no Miracast support, but it was backported starting with LOS 18.1 for select devices. As of LOS 20, it is still available. The following was tested on a Fairphone 4:

Prepare your display so it announces itself over the air.
On your device, go to Settings > Connected devices > Connection preferences > Cast.
Tap the three-button menu and enable wireless display.
You will see a bunch of options appearing; make sure Enable listen mode and Enable autonomous GO are on. (They reset themselves if you leave the screen.)
Available devices should now appear at the bottom of the list. Tap your device to connect to it.

Cast is not perfectly stable. The first time I connected to the external display, it would just give me garbage. After I disconnected, I was unable to reconnect; disabling and then re-enabling wireless display fixed this for me. The second connection attempt finally worked.
Be aware that wireless display is just as prone to radio reception/interference issues as WiFi itself. Especially videos may appear jerky, freeze briefly or show compression artifacts if bandwidth is impeded.
All in all, it works if there is no other option and/or you are mostly displaying still images. I wouldn’t recommend it for watching movies, though.


text:
Can't find /system partition in EDL mode
I have a OnePlus Nord N10 with Android 11. I want to create a physical image of the /system partition, mount it on my computer and browse it's filesystem. I've read that FBE only encrypts the "userdata" partition so this should be possible.
I have a locked bootloader therefore I use the EDL mode of the device to create a dump. I'm able to put my device into EDL mode and use edl to print the device's partition table. However I don't see a "system" partition that I could dump. Here is the command output: https://pastebin.com/raw/QUF6ZgEf
Where is the "system" partition with the Android system files?

If your device has a system partition I would expect it to be the second largest (largest is user data). Not sure why you want to dump system partition, extracting it from a downloaded firmware image is usually easier. BTW are you sure your phone has a system partition? The partition and folder layout has changed so modern device don't have a system partition anymore, but I don't know if Android 11 already uses the new layout.