text:
Play Store -- Relevance of color of Icon with initial in it
I recently had an issue in trying to download an app for a Canadian product from Google play. Despite being in Canada, on a Canadian WiFi system or Canadian SIM Card on a Canadian carrier the download was refused because "This item is not available in your Country". I created a new account but had the same results, I used my wifes phone on her account, same result! I then remembered an old account I had, logged in with that and it worked. The only difference I could see with the new account on Google Play was the circle with my initial in it in the box "Search for apps & games" was blue in colour, all the other logins the circle was orange. What is the meaning of the circles colour?

The circle color is to an account property. If you don't have set a profile image as far as I know the color is just chosen on device side. If you are really interested why the could not be downloaded please post the Google Play Store link.

As per Robert's comment, the color is unrelated, it's randomly generated by Google. Your old account might have a country set to Canada, and/or also a payment method acceptable in Canada. The latter is usually important to unlock country-restricted apps.

@AndrewT. That a payment method has influence of the possibility to download of a free app is something I can not confirm. I have downloader accounts that never had a payment option and I can switch them to any country. The only possibility where a country restriction may get rely on a certain payment method is if it is more  a carrier than a country restriction. Baz: regarding country restricted apps please check out this question: https://android.stackexchange.com/q/161863/2241

Thanks for the responses, all the accounts I use have been created in Canada, the payment methods are on Canadian Credit cards. As far as I can see all other information on the accounts is the same except for the language selection. One account has English (Canada), this one failed the download. The others had English(United States) one failed, the other was successful! The app in Play Store is Bluelink Hyundai Auto Canada Corp. or there is another link that leads to it at: https://www.hyundaicanada.com/en/mobile-and-audio/blue-link


text:
How do I get rid of volume limit on android
How do I get rid of volume limit on galaxy note 10 lite? I tried turning off volume limit and also by turning it on while keeping volume limit to max volume. But none helped. In both cases, I was not able to increase volume past 50%. And this is utterly irritating. Today I downloaded a youtube video on home WiFi so that I can watch it while travelling. But I wasn't able to listen to anything due to high ambient noise during traveling. With volume limit, I can still listen at home, as the noise isnt that much, but today, I realised that I simply cannot listen to anything while traveling due to high noise outside.
Here is the screen recorded video.
I am running Android 11 and One UI v 3.1.

Can you boot into safe mode and try raising the volume to max limit so as to rule out a third-party app interfering with your volume levels? Since when did this problem start appearing? Was your device (Android OS) recently updated?

Yes / no. In the safe mode volume limit does not work at all. We can increase the volume regardless whether the volume limit is OFF or ON with low volume limit. Here is the video trying out volume limit in the safe mode. So, yes / no: YES: we can increase the volume to MAX, but NO: volume limit doesn't seem to work at all.

This is buggy behavior from your system. In safe mode, volume limit should work when it is enabled by user and should not work only when it is disabled by user. Anyhow, Reboot into Android, and follow my answer here: https://android.stackexchange.com/a/214999/96277. Most likely a third party app is interfering with your volume levels. That said, you might want to explore Developer options to see if you have any related setting that might be causing this problem.

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


text:
t00j flashing unlock unknown command
I have been trying to unlock my devices(zefnone 5 t00j) bootloader, when i type fastboot oem unlock i get
FAILED (remote: 'unknown OEM command')
fastboot: error: Command failed
on the cmd, and when i type fastboot flashing unlock i do not get anything on the cmd, but i get "RESULT: FAIL(unkown command) on my phone.
please help.

Your device Asus Zenfone 5 A500CG (2014) seem to use an Intel CPU. Therefore it belongs to a very rare device category. Therefore everything you read about Android devices can be totally different on your device. fastboot oem commands are not standardized, every manufacturer can implement what they want. Therefore you need a tutorial exactly for your device, try e.g. https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/root-asus-zenfone-5-kitkat-4-4-2-100-work.2947092/

does not work im afraid, still thanks for the reply though

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


text:
My location get recognized by my SIM card
I noticed that the TikTok app locates me by my SIM card, how is this possible?
I didn't give it any Location/Call/Messages permission. Also, I used VPN but it still recognizes my location.
How can I edit the info on my SIM card? My device is rooted, I got access to everything.

@Robert the app is tiktok. But what i asked is not about app, i just want to see where the info of simcard saves

The SIM card does not have any information about it's location. By checking the cell towers and their position you can derive a position. Alternatively the SS7 system running on mobile network provider side may be able to locate you: https://berlin.ccc.de/~tobias/25c3-locating-mobile-phones.pdf


text:
Make SSL certificate trusted by Chrome for Android
I want Chrome to trust an SSL certificate. How do I add this certificate or its issuing authority to the system or browser so that Chrome will not generate an error upon trying to access the website that uses it?

A workaround I found is to use the default web browser:
https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/226765/ca-certificate-somehow-not-taken-by-browsers-on-android/255688#255688

Chrome is one of the few apps that trusts custom root CA certificates installed by the user.
First you need the custom root CA certificate. Usually it can be downloaded to your Android device. Place it e.g. in Downloads folder.
The following installation procedure is for Android 11 running a non-modified version of Google Android. On older phones or on phones that are running a heavily modified Android version (like used by Samsung and other manufacturer) the settings may be named different.
Therefore you can simply open Android Settings app and in the Security section select Encryption & credentials ->  Install a certificate -> CA certificate. Then select the downloaded certificate.
You can verify that the certificate has been installed in Encryption & credentials -> user credentials.
Note that the installed custom root CA certificate will be only used by Chrome. Other apps will not accept it as by default modern apps (targeting Android 6+) don't trust certificates installed by users.
2023-06:
Recent versions of Chrome for Android no longer accept custom root CA certificates because Chrome now checks certificates additionally using the Certificate Transparency system.

Is CT actually the reason Chrome doesn't accept custom CAs anymore?

@lxgr to may understanding yes, CA is the reason.

If I use Firefox instead of Chrome, it is not working either on Android 11 (Waydroid). We have to approve the exception manually so there is still a warning "Connection is not secure" when clicking on the lock logo and it will not work for some websites using HSTS preload like Facebook. Is there a workaround?

I just found out that there were is a secret way to make Firefox trust user CA certificates installed in Android: it is hidden in the secret debug menu.  If you activate this menu you can enable the option Use third party CA certificates.  Normally clearing the browser cache should delete HSTS cert pinning entries, but I don't know if Firefox has some built-in pinned certificates for popular domains that are not deleted by clearing browser cache.


text:
Default launcher on Android TV via ADB problem
After setting the new GoogleTV Launcher as default via ADB (using the command adb shell cmd package set-home-activity "com.google.android.apps.tv.launcherx") on my Android TV Box, checking the default launcher (always via ADB) using two different methods the shell returns a mismatching result as you can see below, and in practice the manufacturer's own launcher (timvision.launcher) always opens as default. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.
m393gena_tim:/ $ cmd package resolve-activity -c android.intent.category.HOME
priority=2 preferredOrder=0 match=0x108000 specificIndex=-1 isDefault=true
ActivityInfo:
  name=timvision.launcher.ui.HomeActivity
  packageName=timvision.launcher
  labelRes=0x7f110056 nonLocalizedLabel=null icon=0x7f0801e8 banner=0x7f0801e8
  enabled=true exported=true directBootAware=false
  taskAffinity=timvision.launcher targetActivity=null persistableMode=PERSIST_ROOT_ONLY
  launchMode=3 flags=0x300220 privateFlags=0x0 theme=0x0
  screenOrientation=0 configChanges=0x33 softInputMode=0x0
  lockTaskLaunchMode=LOCK_TASK_LAUNCH_MODE_DEFAULT
  resizeMode=RESIZE_MODE_UNRESIZEABLE
  ApplicationInfo:
    name=timvision.launcher.TimLauncher
    packageName=timvision.launcher
    labelRes=0x7f110056 nonLocalizedLabel=null icon=0x7f0e0000 banner=0x0
    className=timvision.launcher.TimLauncher
    processName=timvision.launcher
    taskAffinity=timvision.launcher
    uid=10028 flags=0x28d83ec5 privateFlags=0xc000918 theme=0x7f120013
    requiresSmallestWidthDp=0 compatibleWidthLimitDp=0 largestWidthLimitDp=0
    sourceDir=/data/app/timvision.launcher-_GWEhSuSRLHmn1MVNH9JyQ==/base.apk
    seinfo=default:privapp:targetSdkVersion=29
    seinfoUser=:complete
    dataDir=/data/user/0/timvision.launcher
    deviceProtectedDataDir=/data/user_de/0/timvision.launcher
    credentialProtectedDataDir=/data/user/0/timvision.launcher
    enabled=true minSdkVersion=26 targetSdkVersion=29 versionCode=1216031 targetSandboxVersion=1
    supportsRtl=true
    fullBackupContent=true
    HiddenApiEnforcementPolicy=2
    usesNonSdkApi=false
    allowsPlaybackCapture=true
m393gena_tim:/ $ cmd shortcut get-default-launcher
Launcher: ComponentInfo{com.google.android.apps.tv.launcherx/com.google.android.apps.tv.launcherx.home.HomeActivity}
Success
m393gena_tim:/ $

For me I had to run
db shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.tungsten.setupwraith

Wraith seems to hijack the home action.


text:
Keep Awake Not Actually Working
By enabling the Stay Awake toggle under Developer Options, which are enabled, my previous phone kept the display on when it was connected via USB. This no longer works on my current phone, which runs Android 11. Developer Options are enabled and the Stay Away toggle is on (Under it says: Screen will never sleep while charging) and my Screen Saver is also set to Off.
Despite these settings being enabled, the screen goes blank after a few minutes even when plugged in. There is another option, Always On Display which forces the screen to stay on at all times, even when not plugged-in, but that drains the battery very fast, so it is not practical.
Since I use the phone as one would an alarm-clock, I would like it to keep showing its lock-screen which shows the current time whenever it is connected via its USB-C port. Is there a workaround to restoring the expected behavior?

What make/model/OS version of various phones? 2) Is the USB plugged into a PC with adb running or directly to a wall outlet power supply?

Asus Zenfone 8 Flip - Android 11 - USB-C Charger Directly from 120V electric main.

It turns out another option influences this behavior in Android 11and that is the Default USB Configuration. After selecting a specific USB Configuration (any other than No Data Transfer), Stay Awake  behaves as it did in earlier Android releases.
@MorrisonChang provided a good hint in his comment because when plugged to a computer, Stay Awake did work as intended but not with a standalone charger, unless a Default USB Configuration is set.


text:
Wifi disabled but apps think I am using wifi
I am experience a really weird issue in my Android.
I disable wifi, i.e. completely disabled in settings menu, no wifi direct, no hotspot, nothing related to wifi. Also bluetooth disabled.
I use my LTE internet connection, it works normally.
However, I have at least two different and unrelated apps that claim I am using Wifi. And the issue is these two apps require for some reason some steps without wifi, i.e. with mobile data network.
Question: How can I fix this issue?
One could obviously think the apps are malfunctioning, but since two independent and unrelated apps are claiming both I am on a Wifi connection, might it be something not going smoothly in Android?
I tried to reinstall the apps, delete cache, add permissions, etc. No luck.
Phone is LG Velvet

Odd... I would ask what device, android version, etc... But it sounds like this is something with the apps themselves and a library or toolkit they use in common that has a bug. The other possibility here is your mobile data provider is giving an odd IP address that makes the app think it's on a WiFi connection.

Please edit your question and add details about your phone model and manufacturer. As it happens with two apps this may be a bug of the installed system of your device model.


text:
Where are the technical documents about android enterprise?
I'm looking for some solutions about managing a fleet of mobile devices, but I found that all the documents is about how to communicate with androidmanagement.googleapis.com.
But I want to know more about how to communicate with the device directly.
Basically my question:
Is it possible to self host a androidmanagement.googleapis.com service?


text:
Write a script to extract memos?
Is it possible to run a script on Android that would access the Samsung memo app, take each note in there, copy its content, send it somewhere (e.g. an email or just store in a text file) then delete the note?
Can something like that be done in Java/C++?
Is it necessary to write an android app for that?  Or is there a way to let a script written in Java, C++ or even Python run on my phone?
By the way, my device is a Samsung S6 and it is unrooted.

Does this answer your question? How can I export Samsung memos?


text:
Use high speed internet on hotspot
Today I discovered that my cellphone provider, with the excuse of "saving my high speed quota" throttles the speed of my internet connection whenever I use hotspot.
For work reasons, I need a high speed connection on the go. If that uses my GBs, that is fine, I am paying for that.
The disappointing part is that for my provider to know that I am using hotspot, the operative system (Android) has to reveal that information to them, otherwise the provider has no way to know whether the connections started in the phone or some other device under it.
Is there a way to avoid this differentiation of connections' origin, so I could use a high speed connection in the hotspot? In other words, to make it look that all connections are coming from the phone?

@alecxs yes it does. my question is duplicated.


text:
default home app / launcher reset after Android 11 update
I had Nova Launcher installed and set as default. Yesterday I updated to Android 11. After the update there's a bit of mixup: mostly when I go back to the home screen, it presents the Nova Launcher as expected, but sometimes it drops me into the preinstalled launcher I stopped using long ago in favor of Nova.
Pressing the home button again pops up the Nova Launcher.
Device: Nokia 5.3 (Android One)
How to properly fix this?

It looks like the upgrade messed up the default home app setting. Good news: it's really easy to fix:
Settings / Apps & Notifications / Advanced / Default apps / Home app
After the uprade, this screen showed two launchers (Nova Launcher and Quickstep), none of which is selected as default.
Select the Nova Launcher, and live happily ever after.
Also, it looks like Google Pixel users encountered this problem last year: https://support.google.com/pixelphone/thread/72544673/android-11-update-nova-launcher-bugs
UPDATE 2022-08: Another Android 11 system update messed up the default launcher setting again.
How I managed to fix it this time:

Uninstall Nova7
Restart phone
Select factory-shipped Android launcher (Quickstep) as default (Settings / Apps & Notifications / Advanced / Default apps / Home app).
Install Nova Launcher
Go directly to Settings / Apps & Notifications / Advanced / Default apps / Home app. Neither of the available options (Quickstep and Nova) so I selected Nova.


text:
How to infuse/push/modify/install busybox SU in twrprecovery.img for getting root privilages commands?
Question :How to infuse/push/modify/install busybox SU in twrprecovery.img for getting root privilages commands
I want to take backup restore flash  change some  PM Package management and SM storage Management settings of my android 5.1.1 /6.0 mobile phone  through adb shell commands or through twrp terminal without installing twrp or SU or rooting mobile device

Firstly  I want to take backup of  mobile system.img userdata.img through  adb pull command and then recover write back adb push

My concerns related to first :
a. As adb pull reads and copy data  but adb push writes on the device
b. Will adb push work without rooting mobile phone without root privilages.
c. If phone bricked or something gets wrong while rooting and phone is not rooted then will adb push work or not.
Steps of commands using for backup of device
    Adb devices
    adb reboot bootloader
    adb pull /dev/block/mmcblk0 mmcblk0.img
    Adb push mmcblk0.img /dev/block/mmcblk0 mmcblk0.img

Using PM package manager on unrooted mobile android 5.1.1 with following commands but error
Adb devices
adb reboot bootloader
adb shell pm set-install-location 2
adb shell pm get-install-location

Error of command

/sbin/sh: pm: not found

what I understood from above error means that  PM binary  command file  is not available in /sbin/sh/ folder as phone is not rooted  so what I think if I put these binary files or install busybox within twrprecovery.img before loading  and run  temporary pm command so that I don't have to root  the device and temporary set the changes in device.
If it's possible then kindly share the link for step by step procedure
for modifying twrprecovery.img before booting in pc computer windows as I am new novice to adb shell Linux commands

Thirdly As whenever I run  SM storage manager command adb shell  following command on unrooted android 6.0 mobile from it gives following errors
Adb devices
adb reboot bootloader
adb shell sm has-adoptable
adb shell sm set -force- adoptable true

It gives following errors

/sbin/sh: sm: not found

what I understood from above error means that  SM binary  command file  is not available in /sbin/sh/ folder as phone is not rooted  so what I think if I put these binary files or install busybox within twrprecovery.img before loading  and run  temporary pm command so that I don't have to root  the device and temporary set the changes in device.
If it's possible then kindly share the link for step by step procedure for modifying Twrprecovery.img before booting in pc windows as I am new novice to adb shell Linux commands

Now if boot in fastboot mode and run twrprexovery.img or cwgmod recovery.img with these commands and then in twrp or cgmod terminal windows can I run busybox or Super user or PM SM command
Adb devices
Adb boot bootloader
Fastboot boot twrprecovery.img

Secondly the whole ideas is that I want to virtually temporary use twrp terminal with busybox or Super user binary  to execute services packages like PM (package manager)  SM (storage manager) within from twrp recovery menu terminal (loaded in fastboot boot twrprecovery.img mode). Or adb sideload If it's possible technically feasable. If yes then can we modify  twrprexovery.img and infuse insert busybox in it before loading or after loading.

Thirdly  I don't want to install twrp or busybox or any super user binary  file inside mobile device and don't want to install anything inside mobile except the changes alteration of settings done after execution of SM PM commands. That is I want to execute PM SM from within twrprecovery.img

On the devices I know adb reboot bootloader boots into bootloader mode. Bootloader mode means fastboot mode. And if device is in fastboot mode only fastboot works, but not adb. See https://android.stackexchange.com/q/221634/2241

Sorry but yout question doesn't make much sense. There are some random pieces, not clear what you are trying to do. At least you need to understand the difference between normal Android OS vs. fastboot/bootloader mode vs. recovery mode. pm, sm and other similar commands are interfaces to access Android's services like Package Manager, Storage Manager etc. And Android OS is not running when you are in bootloader or recovery mode. So these services aren't running either.

Does this answer your question? How to make full stock ROM backup before rooting and recover from image if bricked while rooting?

@IrfanLatif bro thanks a lot for a comment after long time...yes what I want to do is run PM (package manager) SM (storage manager) in  bootloder mode without pushing in device just want to temporary run set values and exit. As PM (made for andorid 4.0 kitkat) binary is not available in android 5.1 after rooting  and  SM (available in android 6 marshmellow) so either pushing binary in device want to run virtually from twrp recovery image or busy box in twrp terminal window if possible

@alecxs bro thanks to answer again  just to clarify that questions I tried to modify twrpr recovery image as you answer there but was not suceedul just sarted a new thread to clarify and get more suggestions advice opinion from experts. If posible or not if yes then how any tricks to do it. As twrprexoveey image ia giving eroor of mount 0 may be encryption error. Want to try if  it works or not. Your answers was okay gr8  in that question but for novice it's little tricky I m still trying to get some simple links step by step

as already stated sm is not even a binary How to use an external sdcard as internal in Android Lolipop 5.1.1? therefore (as already stated too) one can't run sm/pm in recovery mode. furthermore no su required because twrp shell is already root. regarding ramdisk modifications there is step by step instructions (osm0sis AIK xda thread) what step you are struggling?

@alecxs bro okay thanx I had not seen AIK link for modifying I will see and study it and try thanks a lot. For sm there is a windows batch file made by someone for muiui mobile don't know if it will work or not see the detail link https://miui.blog/any-devices/sd-card-auto-formatting-tool-windows-linux/

that will format MicroSD as adoptable-storage which is only supported since android 6+

(1) fastboot and adb are completely independent boot modes with different protocol languages. if you messed up aboot you can't unbrick from fastboot. just don't touch it. adb is always available in twrp, there is no problem to restore backup (2) pm, sm depends not on rooting. pm always works in android, but set-install-location is only available android 6+ (3) seen this link before, that will just format MicroSD as adoptable-storage (no root required) which is only supported since android 6+ (you don't have it therefore of no use)

no. have a look into bootStrapServices and think about it. busybox is just supersede/predecessor to toybox (self-hosting core utils) which is default in android

a) adb pull requires root access. This can be achieved by running custom recovery like TWRP.
b) adb push works the same way like adb pull and requires root access (without rooting android).
c) adb daemon only works on booted kernel (android or recovery) therefore not on bricked devices.
Warning: Never write whole mmcblk0 because this contains bootloader and little kernel, therefore fastboot  will not work in case you bricked!
Backup every partition on it's own instead. you will get a full list of symlinks to all partitions from adb
adb shell ls -l /dev/block/bootdevice/by-name

commands for raw backup of device (encrypted)
adb reboot bootloader
fastboot boot twrp*.img
adb pull /dev/block/bootdevice/by-name/boot
adb pull /dev/block/bootdevice/by-name/system
adb pull /dev/block/bootdevice/by-name/modem
adb pull /dev/block/bootdevice/by-name/persist
adb pull /dev/block/bootdevice/by-name/userdata
...

Android service Package Manager pm requires java which is not available in recovery mode.
It might be possible to start java when /system is mounted and even possible to execute pm but still Package Manager will badly crash because of missing framework dependencies.
Someone could figure out all required services and may be able to start them in right order, but that ends up similar to fully booted android and is not worth the effort.

Android service Storage Manager sm is not available in recovery mode for the same reason.
Furthermore adoptable-storage isn't available on Android 5.1.1 regardless it is rooted or not.
It is pointless to copy files like sm.jar from other android version and there is no way to run it from recovery, not even temporary. Integrating adoptable-storage on android 5 will result in compiling custom ROM which requires lot of patience. Anyone who manages this most likely would become a skilled developer during this long troubleshooting period.

su sm pm and busybox are unrelated to each other. None of that tools will help to edit some storage settings in a way to overcome problem 2. + 3.
Furthermore /data is encrypted and storage settings can not edited -offline- until you decrypt userdata or disable encryption (which requires factory reset and modification of boot).

It is possible to temporary push desired binaries like busybox into RAM while in recovery mode, or permanently integrate it in recovery ramdisk by modification of twrp.img
Steps for adding busybox into recovery ramdisk

download twrp.img
download Android.Image.Kitchen.Win32.zip
download Busybox.Installer.zip
disable antivir heuristic and extract the zip files. make sure Android_Image_Kitchen \ android_win_tools \ sudo.exe is not in quarantine
place twrp.img in Android_Image_Kitchen directory
open cmd.exe, navigate to directory and execute unpackimg.bat
copy busybox-arm-selinux binary into Android_Image_Kitchen \ ramdisk \ sbin directory and rename it busybox
execute repackimg.bat

There is no need to root android for doing modifications in boot.img
you can even install custom init.rc script or init.d shell script without installing su or busybox
You can write custom mount script for MicroSD Card sdext2 partition. You can even do all the symlinks offline from twrp recovery adb shell commands.
But this is unusual and over-complicated when one could just install Link2SD as system app and automatized the whole symlink handling.
However, for more information about creating custom init.rc or init.d script refer to
How to run an executable on boot and keep it running?

bro great thanx a lotz just sleeppy just now it's midnight here I will try all in morning still great compiled efoorted answe.bro thanks a lot hope all works fine

bro as you said "adb fastboot daemon only works on booted kernel (android or recovery) therefore not on bricked devices." Then how we can recover use the images if it's bricked...how to get the mobile back if it's bricked

as u you say aboout PM SM command executables that java is needed yes when I tried 3 years before it gave java error but I have seen many articles  forums to use PM SM command without rooting in adb shell one I am sharing  http://www.baatkar.com/2015/12/how-to-install-apps-directly-into-your.html may be PM command was inbuilt in android 4 kitkat and lower versions but not in android 5.1 is there any option to way in android 5.1 or android 6 through any other ways or hacks or tricks or scripts...

SM storage manager can java  JDK installed on pc. some links batch file using   Adb shell sm partition disk:179:160 mixed 25
but works in MI xiomi  mobile unrooted android 5.1.1 or.android 6 https://miui.blog/any-devices/sd-card-auto-formatting-tool-windows-linux/. Another link which says it can be done in android 6 without rooting   https://stackoverflow.com/questions/38044532/how-to-turn-a-portable-sd-card-into-internal-storage-via-adb-command. And another link https://www.bettermobileapp.com/article/12200839/Tutorial%3A+How+to+enable+adoptable+storage+on+an+MIUI+phone+with+Android+6

Can SM PM run in modified old twrp recovery  version with busybox. Is there any other recovery image which have java and service enabled like.CWM TWRP like other recoveries https://maheshtechnicals.com/2020/07/21/best-custom-recovery-for-android/

Bro as busybox I thought will infuse PM SM SU or system commands to twrp or any image and will able to run java and programs as I readed that Busybox allows you or programs to perform actions on your phone using Linux (copied from Unix) commands. Android is basically a specialized Linux OS with a Java compatible (Dalvik) machine for running programs. Is there any other alternative of busy box which canbbe in built in twrp or CWM which make  the temporary run java  and other services to run  PM SM commands in recovery mode

@Androidquery again I don't know what you are trying to do. None of the links you provided mention anywhere that pm or sm commands can be run from TWRP. We've already tried to explain that these are not merely commands (like those provided by busybox or toybox or any other standalone multi-command binary). They are simple CLI tools to conveniently access Android's services which are running in Java stack. It's the whole operating system, not a small program that you can run in recovery. What's the point of recovery if the whole Android OS is running inside it. You've been misguided.

@IrfanLatif bro recovery means to recover the os and troubleshoot I can understand safe mode.or recovery mode can't run all services on boot baa those services may be giving problems  so it's made silent in safe mode or recovery mode but if there is no root previlages administrative rights to modify the setting the. How will admin troubleshoot modify settings in recovery and  as java dependies files or android services as  alecx bro replied can be individually run by mounting system. Is there any recovery or custom rom which is there which can enable or run services java to run SM PM


text:
Installing Charles proxy certificate on Samsung
I have a problem with Charles proxy certificate on Samsung phone. On Xiaomi everything works fine. But when I try to decrypt traffic on my Samsung device I can't do it - SSL handshake with client failed.
I downloaded it from chls.pro/ssl and added in Settings - Biometrics and security - Other security settings - Install from device storage. Not I can see it in User certificates and in View security certificates.
But still I can't decrypt HTTPS traffic. Maybe I'm missing something?
Update: everything works on Xiaomis with Android 6 & 11 and doesn't work on Samsungs with 8 & 11. So it's definitely not related to the OS version.

Duplicate of https://stackoverflow.com/questions/62730978/some-androids-apps-wont-connect-through-fiddler/62731432#62731432

You can also check the expiration date of the generated certificate for each web site (not of the root-ca certificate by Charles). It should not be longer than 13 months for recent versions of Chrome.


text:
Why is my android device rebooting after connected to bluetooth?
I have a Samsung Galaxy M11 wich after i connect it to bluetooth and trying to play audio on PC immediatelly restarts.This happens after i've made some software updates.First i updated the soft while being on Android 10,before this update it wasn't rebooting,and then i updated to Android 11 thinking it might fix the problem but it didn't.
Any ideas?

May be something went wrong upgrading the pairing between both devices. Have you tried to unpaid them and then reestablish the Bluetooth pairing? If that does not help the manufacturer may have introduced a bug with one of the updates. You can enable Android Debug Bridge and check adb logcat right before the device reboots. May be you see an error message that helps you to understand what is going wrong.

I've unpair them and right in the moment i tried to pair them the device rebooted.

Do i have to enable Usb debugging to use adb logcat?Because i don't want to.

I don't know why but it doesn't reboots anymore.I enabled the USB debugging and connected the phone via USB to PC and used adb logcat and it doesn't restarts anymore.I also cleared the cache partition.

It happened again...:(

Having USB debugging and adb enabled is in my opinion recommended on modern devices because this allows you in case you screen is damaged to still get access to large parts of your data on the phone so you can create a backup and move to new phone if you don't repair the old phone. As USB debugging is limited to those PCs you have authorized to access your phone there to my knowledge nothing negative in having adb enabled.

Yes,i know that it is better with USB debugging enabled,i already did that but i didn't wanted to do it because this phone i bought it on wednesday so..it was a new phone,idk.How can i post the logcat here?Because it is an ending log,i mean after i write adb -s "device id" logcat in terminal it starts an ending writing,i mean it's too long.

This is the logcat when the device restarted:

The phone doesn't reboots anymore after a factory reset.


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Error message: "no wi fi mac address"
I am trying to attach a smart power outlet on the smart phone app.  It updated the firmware and then tried to connect to wi-fi.  Nothing showed up in wi-fi and all I could do was add in a hidden network.  I tried adding in my network as a hidden network but it did not connect.  The only thing I have to go by is an error message indicating there is not a wi-fi mac address.
I am a newby, unlike the rest of you, so I am not sure what that means or how to fix it.  Is there anyone who has any ideas?  I really appreciate it, thanks.


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Google mobile data usage
In the last 2 months, my wife's data usage has ballooned for no clear reason, since her mobile habits and phone have not changed. In this billing cycle with a few days to go, the phone's mobile data usage utility shows what it states is "Google" used 3.12 gb out of a total of 4.06 gb. Everything else--Maps, Facebook, Spotify et al are distantly behind (nothing more than 0.24 gb). Background data usage is on and she will turn it off, following advice in other posts.

Is there any way of finding out what in Google is using all this mobile data?
Any recommendations on apps that can get more specific about what is using the data?

Thanks for any help.
David

Try disabling the Google Assistant.

Another possibility would be that the app named "Google" is just a malicious app which claims to be a Google app. Check the Android packageName of that app and you can check signature e.g. using an app like Apk Analyzer


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Trying to back up my phone data using ADB but having a lot of problems
I want to back up the data on my Samsung Galaxy 5 (particularly SMSs and Memo text documents). I'm trying to do it with Android Debug Bridge. I followed some online "help" pages but ran into all kinds of problems. I'm using Ubuntu, version: 20.04.2 LTS. Can somebody please walk me through this supposedly simple and straightforward process? I tried using another app, SmartSwitch, but couldn't get it to install on my PC.

https://android.stackexchange.com/q/231568 https://android.stackexchange.com/q/172765


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Device Unable to Boot, Error - mdtp image is corrupted
I am trying to install a custom on my Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite (first timer). However, I am facing a difficulty as my phone is showing me the error "Device Unable to Boot, Error - mdtp image is corrupted".
System I am using: Linux Mint 20.2
Things I did:

Downloaded TWRP and ROM file.
Unlocked the bootloader.
Booted into TWRP by running "fastboot boot twrp*.img" in the terminal when fast screen appears on my phone.
[I tried out this command "fastboot flash recovery twrp*.img" before running the above command, but failed and showed remote: partition table doesn't exist]

[So, it worked out well. However, I forgot to create backups]

Wiped "Dalvik/ART Cache", Data, System, Internal Storage.

Went to "install" and tried to flash the zip file of the ROM. However, it gave an error. [Probably, error 7, don't know what that mean]

Then, tried to reboot and carry out the same process from the step 3, it gave me the error and I am stuck.

Now, I cannot do anything. Can you please help me out.
Thank You.

after install error 7 'adb pull /tmp/recovery.log'

@alecxs, I have tried the above command, but, getting this error message: "adb: error: failed to get feature set: no devices/emulators found".

use official TWRP (have double checked adb will work)

Yes, I am using the official TWRP, but not working...

'adb kill-server' and re-plug cable until you can see it on 'adb devices'

if MicroSD Card is working you can copy recovery.log from GUI. please upload content pastebin.com

flash vbmeta (if your device has verified boot) and disable verified boot before flashing custom recovery by the following command.
fastboot --disable-verification flash vbmeta vbmeta.img
(ofc get vbmeta img for ur device yourself)
then flash recovery using the following command
fastboot flash recovery <recovery file name.img
then try flashing rom, if still fails, flash vendor partition in twrp before flashing rom

How does this fix error 7 in TWRP while flashing ROM "Updater process ended with ERROR: 7 Error installing zip file"?


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Full R/W Access to SD Card - Android 10
I want to use my SD card in such a way that I can take the card out and insert into a Windows PC and access files, but have my Camera and other apps freely write to SD card (so data isn't on phone!).
So far if I format as portable, nothing can write to SD card, but if I format as internal, I cant read outside of phone. I'm running AOSP based Android 10 w/ root. Any suggestions? I'd like to just allow full R/W access to all apps to SD card but not encrypt it basically.

Full write access to all apps is not possible. You have to grant permission to each app individually (app requests permission and you have to then select root of sd-card to grant permission to this folder and subfolders). Also write access is only possible via Android/Java API, not via direct file access.

@Robert feel free to write up an answer. I had a feeling, just some Apps aren't able to use it correctly, like the default LOS Camera App, but Open Camera does, just sucks I need to fight w/ each app. Its not internal storage for a reason! Let me grant global r/w! Damn google, U know what phone I have that does everything (even Miracast!)... My Galaxy S5...

Since Android 5 write access to the sd-card in portable mode needs to be granted individually for each app. Only apps on a rooted device that are able to use root permissions can bypass this restriction.
For granting write permission the app has to request them in code. Typically it is enough to trigger one write request, e.g. by letting the create a file or folder.
Then Android opens the file application and want's you to select a directory. This is the directory you are granting write permissions for the app, therefore you should select here the path where the sd-card is mounted to, e.g. /storage/A231-7ADF.   Usually the sd-card is also shown as quick link on the left side of the files app, so you don't have to know the exact path.
After selecting the sd-card path press the button that is usually something like "Select ..." or "OK". Then you will return to the app you have granted write permission to. To my experience the write request that has triggered the whole process will fail, but every request afterwards will work, if the write-grant-process was performed correctly.
For users doing this the first time it is usually very confusing and you might not be successful on first try. I think it took me several days and multiple attempts before I finally had understood the process and selected the correct folder.
Note that the write permission only works if the app uses the Java/Kotlin Android API to open the files. On file-system level access will be still read-only. This affects especially apps that include generic GNU/Linux native applications that are executed internally as they do not use Android API.

I found this post trying to find a way of using rsync without having to disassemble my phone. Apparently, it is absolutely not possible due to this "security feature". Alternatives are mentioned here: https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/23224/synchronize-a-folder-in-an-android-device-with-a-server-folder

I'm confused by this question.... exFAT format installed/mounted as SD doesn't require encryption, it does allows windows file transfer with or without the phone. Write/read access is granted by OS app specific. If you set the app to have access, then it will.
Developer options on Android 10 include a "Force allow apps on external Drive" option you could look into even if you don't root. It will make ALL apps eligible to be written directly to external storage, regardless of manifest values. Seems like that is your goal.


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How to root my tecno camonX CA7
How to root camon X (CA7) or application for root access. How can i get root access?
Whenever i try it root it, it keeps saying no root access

Welcome to Android Enthusiasts, Ekwegbalu! Just in case you wonder about the downvotes (not from me btw) – your question lacks several details. As the device is not exactly well-known, a link to its specs would help. And especially what you've tried to root it – as it makes no sense if you get the very same stuff as recommendations which you know that failed, unless you used those tools wrongly that is.

Dump boot.img with SP Flash Tool,
patch with Magisk,
Unlock bootloader,
flash vbmeta disabled, and
flash boot


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Is it safe to use a Temporary or Virtual Number for creating whatsapp account?
This article in link below mentions some web links and apps that can be used to generate temporary or virtual number, for creating whatsapp account
I want to know, whether this whole process is safe/secure or there any major apparent risks in this process?Such as collecting data from android phone(especially from confidential apps like banking apps) on which theses apps/links are opened for creating temporary or virtual phone number ?
https://mobiletrans.wondershare.com/whatsapp/how-to-use-whatsapp-without-phone-number.html

As far as I know who ever controls the phone number can take-over your WA account and get access to your active chats. Therefore I would say no it is not safe.

Since WhatsApp uses OTP authentication using your mobile number for login purposes , using one of those temporary number to create an account is not recommended if you want that account to be permanantly with you.


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How to add missing mobile hotspot quick setting toggle on MIUI second space?
Recently I noticed the second space in MIUI has been stripped of several handy settings and shortcuts, which is a back draw on an otherwise good feature.
I am looking for a way to add missing shortcuts on quick setting panel (without necessarily installing 3rd party application(s)). I already have a shortcut to the required setting i.e mobile hotspot, but I prefer a quick setting tile.
I want to achieve something similar to this: How to Restore the Mobile Data and Mobile Hotspot Quick Settings Toggles on Samsung Galaxy Devices but in this case for MIUI second space.
Note: settings get secure sysui_qs_tiles already has entry for hotspot tile, but it just doesn't appear in second space.
Automation solution is appreciated but should be toggle option on quick settings
The device is rooted, running on Android 9 miui.

I solved it using an app that enables Wi-Fi directly from the second space. I use "Mobile Hotspot".
However, surely the programming expert knows how to display the native tool in the second space just using an editor like Setedit. I would also like to know how..

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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Why uninstalling system apps through ADB cause problems like battery drain?
I have an Android 10 phone (realme) which came preinstalled with a lot of bloatwares. Few days ago I used adb to uninstall a lot of apps, like the default browser, file manager, facebook bloatwares, gallery etc. But now I am facing a noticeable battery drain. So now, I am thinking of factory resetting the device to get back those system apps. But this time after resetting, I am thinking of disabling those apps instead of uninstalling.

Will disabling them also affect the device the same way as uninstalling them do? I mean will I again face battery drain if I instead disable them?
And also, will disabling them free up the storage as uninstalling them do?
How can uninstalling system apps cause battery drain? Are those apps really helpful for the device so that they cause harm to the device when uninstalled?

May be you should name the apps and their package name you have uninstalled. Please edit your question and include this list, otherwise it is very difficult to guess why you encounter a battery drain. Additionally I would recommend to check adb logcat for errors occuring frequently.

Ok I will update my question soon.

I ran pm list packages -u and found that there are about 200 packages, I can't check all of them if they are uninstalled or not so I am going to reset device.


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Stop websites to redirect to their Play store apps
Some websites force to install their app and won't let me visit their websites in Google chrome on Android without redirecting to playdate
Play store. Only workaround is incognito mode because chrome won't "break out" of it.
Instant apps are disabled. "Default app" is disabled for the Play store.
This is an example:
https://castbox.fm/vb/409788348
Any way to disable it?
Thanks

Are you willing to change browser? This problem doesn't exist in Mozilla Firefox. Firefox offers a toggle "Open links in apps" in its settings.

Unfortunately because of Chrome / Google account sync ;-(

Just disable that fncking google play store

Hmmm, very good idea :D


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Could not do normal boot. Invalid kernel
I actually don't know what happened to my dad's phone but I cannot get pass the Samsung logo. It shows a text in red saying Could not do normal boot. INVALID KERNEL.
I downloaded a new firmware from Sammobile.com and tried to flash but I get fails. I could really use a help. Images uploaded.
this is what shows when I tried to flash a new firmware (SM-A105F_XSG_A105FDDS6BUB1_A105FOJM6BUB1_A105FDDS6BUB1_A105FDDS6BUB1.zip) on it using Odin.
  <OSM> Enter CS for MD5..
<OSM> Check MD5.. Do not unplug the cable..
<OSM> Please wait..
<OSM> Checking MD5 finished Sucessfully..
<OSM> Leave CS..
<ID:0/013> Added!!
<OSM> Enter CS for MD5..
<OSM> Check MD5.. Do not unplug the cable..
<OSM> Please wait..
<OSM> Checking MD5 finished Sucessfully..
<OSM> Leave CS..
<OSM> Enter CS for MD5..
<OSM> Check MD5.. Do not unplug the cable..
<OSM> Please wait..
<OSM> Checking MD5 finished Sucessfully..
<OSM> Leave CS..
<OSM> Enter CS for MD5..
<OSM> Check MD5.. Do not unplug the cable..
<OSM> Please wait..
<OSM> Checking MD5 finished Sucessfully..
<OSM> Leave CS..
<ID:0/013> Odin engine v(ID:3.1203)..
<ID:0/013> File analysis..
<ID:0/013> SetupConnection..
<ID:0/013> Can't open the serial(COM) port.
<OSM> All threads completed. (succeed 0 / failed 1)

try another cable or usb 2.0 hub

I'll get a get a new cable tomorrow and try again. Thanks @alecxs


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Is a nandroid backup possible with encrypted /data?
Years ago, I was able to make nandroids using CWM Recovery or TWRP. Is that possible on more modern versions of Android which encrypt /data by default?

Yes if your recovery supports decryption.

TWRP definitely supports full nandroid backup provided that user specific data for ALL users is decrypted (it asks for primay user's credentials during recovery boot).

Does this answer your question? Clean LineageOS 17.1 install and empty device - can't work out how to mount data partition in TWRP?


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Cannot find an installable/working stock Themes apk installer after accidentally uninstalling it
My device: Huawei Mate 10 Lite
ROM: RNE-L21C432B130.
Recovery: TWRP.
Rooted phone.
I accidentally uninstalled the Themes app (the theme setter, not the theme downloader).
The app was a Huawei's version and was installed as a system app.
I don't have a Huawei account and haven't tried pursuing the "update and get it from Huawei" way. I would prefer this as a last resort solution (IF that is a possible solution).
I have looked everywhere online for a working Theme app's apk installer but to no success. Most versions don't get installed. Some give errors when installed with TWRP, some get installed but crash on launch.
Is there a "universal" Themes app that works fine with most phones?
If no, how or where do I get and install the Huawei's Themes app on my phone?

If it is a system app you can only uninstall it with root permissions. Otherwise the app gets simply disabled. A disabled app can just be reenabled without having to install anything.

I uninstalled it with root permissions (using Link2SD), so it's surely uninstalled...


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How to prevent display to turn on when tapping:Pixel 4a
When I turn off the display of my Pixel 4A using the power button and tap the screen, the screen turns back on. It's locked and I have to slide the screen to unlock it. Still, from time to time the screen unlocks in my pocket because of this.
How can I prevent this? Is there a way I can configure the phone so that it only activates the screen when I press the power button?

Disable tap to check phone (Display →Lock Screen →Tap to check phone)


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Can adb backup media?
Some apps use media stored on the phone (audiobooks, movies, epub, ..) Can adb backup backup the media too?

Assuming those files you mention are stored in the shared storage that is also visible when the device is connected via USB to a PC, then yes adb can backup those files but by default it ignores them (by default option -noshared` is active).
Executing adb -shared will create the backup file backup.ab containing all the files that are stored within /sdcard respectively /storage/emulated/0 excluding the Android folder where app-specific files are located (tested on Android 9).
You can also just add the -shared option to an existing adb backup command.
BTW: You can still see the adb backup comand-line help with all available options which is no longer shown by recent adb versions by executing adb shell bu help:
 backup [-f FILE] [-apk|-noapk] [-obb|-noobb] [-shared|-noshared] [-all]
        [-system|-nosystem] [-keyvalue|-nokeyvalue] [PACKAGE...]
     write an archive of the device's data to FILE [default=backup.adb]
     package list optional if -all/-shared are supplied
     -apk/-noapk: do/don't back up .apk files (default -noapk)
     -obb/-noobb: do/don't back up .obb files (default -noobb)
     -shared|-noshared: do/don't back up shared storage (default -noshared)
     -all: back up all installed applications
     -system|-nosystem: include system apps in -all (default -system)
     -keyvalue|-nokeyvalue: include apps that perform key/value backups.
         (default -nokeyvalue)
 restore FILE             restore device contents from FILE


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impossible to update whatsapp due to Google Play Store error
I'm using Whatsapp on a Samsung GT-S7582 Android 4.2.2 machine :) (I know it's old but please stick with me), ... and I would really appreciate if you could help me making it work again. (Google Plays Store build 4.6.17)
Today Whatsapp, told me it's its last day and needs to update, so ... I let it update; but it didn't get very far. I'm displayed with the Google Play and an error within it "Error retrieving information from server. DF-DFERH-01" and the "Retry" button. (the wireless is opened)
What I had tried:

I knew I disabled some Google apps (like Voice search, Youtube, Hangouts, Play Books, Play Games, Play Music, Play Newsstand, Samsung Apps, Gmail, Google+, Photos, Drive) since I'm not using them, so I went to Apps > Settings > More > Application Manager, and in the 'All' tab I went and enabled them back. (now I only have these apps disabled: Weather widget, TalkBack, secWallpaperChooser, Samsung Cloud Data Relay, S Planner widget, Picasa Uploader, Photo screensavers, phase beam, music FX, market feedback agent, Hp print service plugin, face unlock, Epson Print Service, dual clock (digital), Dropbox, DropboxOOBE, ChatON, Bubles, Basic Daydreams, Backup) I restarted the phone, did the same thing but Google Play shows me the same error.

I'd tried to cleanup the cache; restarted the phone but this didn't work either;

I'd tried to uninstall the Google Play Store; restarted the phone but this didn't work either;

*** EDIT: I think this step only got things worst, i.e. I wasn't allowed to install a newer version of the Google App Store. So I installed the Google Play Store from this site: https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/google-inc/google-play-store/google-play-store-25-2-27-release/google-play-store-25-2-27-16-0-pr-371716608-android-apk-download/download/. Unfortunately, I get the same error when trying to update WhatsApp. ***

I'd tried the Ehsan Sajjad trick from stackoverflow; restarted the phone, but it didn't work;

The most irritating thing is that once this error is displayed in Google Play Store, you are automatically shown the menu, but in settings I don't have anything useful: at the first level I have Settings and Help, and at the second level within Settings, I have some checkboxes, clear search history and some about things, together with some user controls. None of them could/will fix the issue.
Is there a way to make the Whatsapp working again? I noticed there are other things I could do like:

resetting the Google Account (but I don't want to lose all my chats with my friends from Whatsapp). (performed this but it didn't help)
install Google play store apk from this site - is this site safe? https://apkpure.com/google-play-store/com.android.vending (see the Edit note from the above step 3)
resetting the phone to factory and really lose everything - which I would rather not want.

I don't know if this helps, but I don't have too many apps installed (one banking app, skype, M$ authenticator and one health app).
Thanks!
R

Have you tried to remove and re-add your Google account(s) on the device? Often DF-DFERH-01 means that something is wrong with the authentication information of your account stored on the phone and for re-authenticating you need to remove and re-add the account.

No. I didn't. Am I going to loose some data/chats by doing this removal/re-addon of my google account?

Normally everything Google account related is automatically synced to the cloud so you should not lose something.

Unfortunately, removing and adding back the google account doesn't help. I did multiple phone restarts after this.

Do you know what else I could do? Is the link safe (from the initial ticket, e.g. https://apkpure...)?

is there a way to encourage you to share a crumb of your wisdom and help me with this issue ... it's really awkward (to say the least) not having a functional Whatsapp for almost 2 days

I am sorry but I don't have any experience with such old Android devices and Google PlayStore problems.

@Robert do you know where I can download google play store as an apk (I will try to install it manually)? is this linke ok? https://apkpure.com/google-play-store/com.android.vending

is apkmirror a serious site (I'm a total newbie in mobile software and I don't want a virus or a backdoored/tracking stuff)? I think this is the last google play store which would work on my 4.2.2 phone: https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/google-inc/google-play-store/google-play-store-25-2-27-release/

ApkMirror allows uploads of APKs, but AFAIK they check the signature of the uploaded APKs if they have already an existing version of the same app. Also when you install an app that already exists on your phone (based on the packageName in the AndroidManifest.xml inside the APK) then installation is only possible if the installed APK and the to-be-installed APK are signed by the same entity. Therefore if the app is only an update you can't install a manipulated APK.

@Robert thank you:)

I'm not sure if this will work for you AND I'm NOT RESPONSIBLE of anything regarding you or/and your phone/whatsapp chats history/job/career/finances/anything else/etc... but:

I had installed the GooglePlayStore from here and then restarted my phone;
I had installed the latest Whatsapp version which works on my phone, from here and then restarted my phone;

For the moment, I can send and receive messages.
All the very best!
R

I believe I had installed the newer version on top of the older one

You don't ever need to uninstall Play Store nor Play Services.
Most of the time you can fix the Store errors by clearing all data from
Play Store + Play Services and restarting the phone, then wait a few long minutes and retry..
If that does not help, also restore to the factory version of both apps (by using
the DISABLE button, old Android versions force you to revert to the
factore preinstalled version). Then restart and let them gracefully update
normally to the last supported version.
All the bloatware you have disabled like Hangouts and other Stores are utterly useless, do not enable them back.

Never ever try manually installing/updating Play Store nor Play Services. This is something that will introduce more problems that it could solve, I learned this in my 15 years using Android. Resetting those apps, or in the worst case scenario, a phone factory reset, will eventually fix your Play Store.

how do you perform step 2? also, the 3rd step is unacceptable - I don't want to loose data; I will make backups if I'll be allowed by the old OS and move them on google drive, again, if I'm allowed by the old OS, but restoring the phone to factory settings is the last option I will ever consider

Step 2 means accessing the Settings > Apps dialog and in both apps use the CLEAR DATA button. You won't lose any personal data, it only clears the internal data used by them. Step 3 that restores the factory version of both apps also has nothing to do with your personal data nor affects other apps in any way. It means reverting those apps to their original version, then Play Services gracefully updates them in the background to latest compatible versions.

Reinstall Whatsapp. Reinstalling will always install latest version.

thank you @someuser! but I'll already wrote I had performed some sort of re-installation around August/September 2021. Now, I will have to do it again, in order to save some things and move them on my new phone

Not if its running Android 4. And will they lose data.

Welcome to Android Enthusiasts Stack Exchange. I think this answer needs clarification: "reinstalling will always install latest version"... that is supported by that Android version, due to the minimum version set in the APK. Also, the developer may deliberately take down older versions in the Play Store if they don't want to encourage using outdated versions (considering that WhatsApp also forces a minimum version server-side inside the app)


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App knows I'm using fake GPS
I am using an android app, i was using fake gps app to show my location wrong. But now the app understands that I am using fake location app.
I'm using nox player on the computer, the app has its own fake gps feature. That way he doesn't understand. What can I do so that the app doesn't recognize that I'm using a fake location?

Your IP address often will also tell the app where you are located e.g. in which town.

Mock location is for testing purpose, not to deceive apps. Any app can figure our if the provided location is fake using isFromMockProvider() method. You need to use an Android framework mod like XPrivacyLua to reaaly hide your location.

@robert The fake location city I entered is the same as my real city. The place I want to fake is a place 10 minutes away from me.

@Irfan Latif XPrivacyLua telefona kurulan bir uygulama sanırım. Root gerektiriyor mu? Teşekkürler şimdiden

@HarunUysal hi, this site has English-only policy. Please use English as the main communication language.


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In GBoard, how can I set multilingual input for English and Swiss German?
The majority of my phone useage happens in either English or Swiss German, and I switch between these languages frequently, even within the same conversation. In GBoard settings, I see the following multilingual options:

In the English keyboard settings: German
In the German keyboard settings: English
In the Swiss German keyboard settings: German

None of these allow me to have English+Swiss German multilingual support. Is there a way this can be achieved?

If you have installed multiple languages in GBoard you can switch between them by pressing and holding space. https://support.google.com/gboard/answer/7068494?co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid&hl=en

I’m aware of this, but it’s inconvenient to do repeatedly in the middle of a conversation. I code-switch a lot when chatting, language may change multiple times within a single message. Note that I have additional layouts installed — Japanese, Japanese Handwriting and IPA — rendering the button that cycles through layouts virtually useless as well. I would find it acceptable if I could set defaults for which layout to switch to when pressing that button, but I don’t think that’s possible either.

I have just now discovered that the language switch key actually switches back to the previous language you had set if you’ve typed something. Thus I can use that to switch back and forth regardless of other installed layouts. This may be good enough. Still, if there’s a way to just have multilingual setup that would be far nicer.


text:
Force map-like app to keep screen on
How can I force my phone (Motorola One / Android 10) to stay up and not turn off the screen (as it does after 2 minutes), if I have a map-like app in the foreground:

Strava,
Google Maps -- just watching map and my location.

So far I only figured out that when Google Maps are in actual navigation mode then screen never sleeps. But, when I just want to watch my location (in GM or Strava) then it turns itself off as usual.
Is there anything I can do (like some way to register app as "never sleeping" in system configuration?). Or is this per application and only developer can add needed feature?

Have you seen/tried: How do I disable screen timeout of Android?

@MorrisonChang As in question. I want to disable screen timeout only when using map-like apps and current location. No to for all apps. I am aware of that solution. Thank you.

On non-rooted devices, it is the app that needs to request that the screen stay on.
The screen is a major source of battery drain which means that mobile apps need to request from the Android framework a wake lock which informs the system that something important to the user is going on such as navigation, an on screen timer, or media playback. So yes developers have to specifically ask to keep the screen on.

This is entirely per application / developer:

Strava: ⊙ Record → ⚙ → Screen Display → ☑ Keep Screen On
Google Maps with navigation: screen doesn't goes black by default
Google Maps without navigation (just map and your location): not possible

When looking from Android system perspective, there is no such thing like "keep screen on" setting per single application. You can either disable screen timeout entirely (for every app) or you need to use whatever given application can offer you.


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Possible to have different passwords for device encryption and screen lock?
I'd like my device encryption password to be very long and complicated but a short screen lock password for convenience. Is this possible?

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.nick.cryptfs.passwdmanager

On old devices with Full Disc Encryption (FDE) this was possible for rooted devices. But on modern devices that use File Based Encryption (FBE) this is no longer possible nor necessary:
In the old times of FDE the use password was directly used to derive the cryptographic key that protected the encrypted user data partition.
On modern devices user authentication and encryption root-key management is executed in the Trusted Execution Engine (TEE) of your CPU. There the Android Gatekeeper code is running that checks the login/screen lock password and is e.g. able to apply anti-brute force measures like enforcing increasing wait times if multiple false passwords were entered. As long as the TEE is secure this makes the device more secure than a long password.
The detailed process of the key-derivation for file-based encryption, according to the AOSP documentations is:

File-based encryption keys, which are 512-bit keys, are stored
encrypted by another key (a 256-bit AES-GCM key) held in the TEE. To
use this TEE key, three requirements must be met:

The auth token
The stretched credential
The “secdiscardable hash”
The auth token is a cryptographically authenticated token generated by
Gatekeeper when a user successfully logs in. The TEE will refuse to
use the key unless the correct auth token is supplied. If the user has
no credential, then no auth token is used nor needed.

The stretched credential is the user credential after salting and
stretching with the scrypt algorithm. The credential is actually
hashed once in the lock settings service before being passed to vold
for passing to scrypt. This is cryptographically bound to the key in
the TEE with all the guarantees that apply to KM_TAG_APPLICATION_ID.
If the user has no credential, then no stretched credential is used
nor needed.
The secdiscardable hash is a 512-bit hash of a random 16 KB file
stored alongside other information used to reconstruct the key, such
as the seed. This file is securely deleted when the key is deleted, or
it is encrypted in a new way; this added protection ensures an
attacker must recover every bit of this securely deleted file to
recover the key. This is cryptographically bound to the key in the TEE
with all the guarantees that apply to KM_TAG_APPLICATION_ID.

"Nor necessary"? As I understand OP wants a longer encryption password in case the convenient short screen lock password is compromised by shoulder surfing. Why wouldn't this be necessary any more?

@AndreKR In case of possible shoulder surfing attacks the convenient way would be using the fingerprint reader. I wrote "not necessary" as for the original FDE a longer password was inevitable as the password was directly used to derive the encryption key from it. Therefore an attacker was able to break a short password by an brute-force-attack on the encrypted partition in less than a few days.


text:
Why 'ping localhost' command in Termux returns a normal response even though there is no local web server?
I just tried 'ping localhost'command in Termux and response was positive.
How this is possible since I don't have a local web server running.

Ping (ICMP traffic) is processed by the network stack of the OS like in any other OS.

... and not by a web (or any other) server. Related: https://android.stackexchange.com/a/215881/218526


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LineageOS Recovery command line interface?
Is there an adb shell command line interface for LineageOS recovery? Alternatively, which adb commands will work when booted into lineage recovery? I want to factory reset my device as part of an install script running on my desktop, and I can't find any documentation about which commands (if any) are supported. The only command I can find is a fastboot command; fastboot erase <partition>, however I would prefer to do it from recovery. My old device had TWRP recovery and that did have a command line interface which could be used from a shell running on the device.

is adb shell root?

@alecxs It can be yes!

you can always use core utils
find /dev/block -iname userdata
blkid /dev/block/bootdevice/by-name/userdata
mkf2fs /dev/block/bootdevice/by-name/userdata

mkf2fs is for f2fs
mke2fs is for ext4


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Is it proper to format /data and /cache before running the LineageOS copy_partitions_script?
I've recently flashed LineageOS to my OnePlus6T by following the official guide on the Lineage website, I'm now writing a script I can run on my desktop which will perform the same procedure on a second device. In the official guide the instruction is to flash the provided script, which copies the content of the active partition slot onto the inactive slot:

In some cases slot b can be unpopulated or contain much older firmware
than slot a, leading to various issues including a potential
hard-brick. We can ensure none of that will happen by copying the
contents of slot a to slot b. This step is NOT optional.

My question is: is it proper/safe/optimal to wipe the userdata and cache partitions before flashing the copy_partitions_script? I can't see any reason why it wouldn't be and doing so would enable me to reduce the amount of interaction (read selecting things on the device) that the script would require. The official guide lists the data wipe as the next step after flashing the script, but it doesn't explicitly state that it must come after. Any insight would be much appreciated.

There is only one userdata partition in Android devices, including those with A/B slots. So whether you flash it before or after copying the rest of the partitions is irrelevant to you. Also, I don't think your device has cache partition. A/B system updates don't need, and therefore, don't use cache partition, hence new devices since A/B slots was introduced started not being shipped with cache partition AFAIK. My OnePlus 6 doesn't have such partition either.

encryption depends on ROM/firmware version, formatting userdata is required to remove old encryption. usually flashable zips are stored on device. if userdata formatted before, files in /sdcard get lost. but for sideload doesn't matter


text:
How do I get back legacy non-adaptive icons?
I have a strong personal preference against adaptive icons. I hate how they make everything look the same and less distinctive. I know apps are required to have them, but most apps still also package a "legacy" icon that has a distinct shape. It seems like every launcher uses the adaptive icons if available though and the extent of their customization in regards to icons is choosing which shape you want every single app to be.
I also know some icon packs change the shapes of some apps, but I want the apps' styles, not the icon packs', and I want all icons with legacy icons to use them.
Is there any current way to have this option to not use adaptive icons? I'm on a Pixel, so fairly close to stock Android.

provide more info e.g. which android skin you're using ( stock android / One UI / Color OS etc )

Nova Launcher has an option to prefer legacy icons instead of adaptive ones. If it is installed on your device:

Open Nova launcher's settings, tap on Look & feel.
Tap Icon style.
On the Adaptive icons section, enable Prefer legacy icons.

This feature has been removed in Nova Launcher 7.0, and therefore isn't really a long-term option.

Nova actually has readded this thankfully, although now it's called "Android 7.1 icons".

As a backup alternative answer, I figured out how to easily create a icon pack of just your icons but non-adaptive.
Using this method requires that you to regenerate and install the pack every time you install a new app, but it will hopefully always would and will let you use any of the launchers supported by Icon Pack Studio. and then do the following steps periodically to create an icon pack that is just your icons but not adaptive:

Create a new "Adaptive icon" pack.
Go to "Background" and toggle off the shape.
Go to "Logo", then "Design, then change the "Type" to "Not adaptive" and change "Compositing" to "Overwrite".
Turn the size up to 100 to compensate for not having padding added all around it.
Hit "Preview", then "Apply", then "Overwrite", then "OK", install the resulting icon pack, and apply it.

Then voilà! Your icons should be back to their classic looks. This way also has the advantage of making even more icons non-adaptive than Nova Launcher's built-in option does, and it can be used in conjunction with it still.


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Fixing bind mount on android 11 (Lineage OS)
On the lineage OS 18.1 there is my internal data somewhere but the OS has problem to mount it on sdcard and emulated/0 and has no access to the files. I can see my files by ls /data/media/0 command in adb shell.
Is there anyway to fix it.

check /mnt/expand is mounted /storage/emulated maybe https://android.stackexchange.com/q/214233


text:
Decrypting a user private key cert in keystore
Would like to ask if it is possible to decrypt the user private key store found in android keystore.
I know that you need the masterkey to decrypt it. But is it possible to obtain the masterkey from a rooted android device?

the only known method is freeze RAM https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/f0711b733ba46efa9730a82c13e4ee7d66b39e37

The Android Keystore (in code named AndroidKeyStore) uses on recent Google Android Devices the hardware based security of the ARM CPUs named Trusted Execution Environment (TEE).
Therefore the private keys are protected in a way that allows Android apps to use them (e.g. decrypt something using that private key) but you can't extract those keys, as the hardware compartment the code is executed in, has no export function.
Therefore even on rooted devices you can not get export or "decrypt" private and also symmetric keys that are stored in the Android Keystore. This means that apps using that keystore are bound to the device and you can't fully backup app data of such apps as the Android Keystore protected keys will always be missing.


text:
How can one start transcription in Microsoft Teams for Android?
How can one start transcription in Microsoft Teams for Android?
I don't see the option:

I use MS Teams on Android 10 with Samsung Galaxy S9.
It's different from turning on captions. I do have the start transcription option in the Microsoft Teams clients for Windows and MacOS.

The feature is not yet available for mobile.

Current limitations
Live transcription is currently available:

For scheduled meetings.
When the spoken language is U.S. English.
On the installed desktop version of Teams.
For customers with the following licenses: Office 365 E1, Office 365 A1, Office 365/Microsoft 365 A3, Office 365/Microsoft 365 A5, Microsoft 365 F1, Office 365/Microsoft 365 F3, Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Microsoft 365 Business Standard, Microsoft 365 Business Premium SKUs.

The feature is not available:

In channel meetings or Meet now meetings.

In GCC, GCC-High, and DoD environments.

The only option currently available is to access the transcript, if made available, after the meeting has ended.
Source: View live transcription in a Teams meeting.


text:
How to access "hidden area" of SD Card in Android 11?
I have an unrooted Samsung A50 with Android 11 and have developer options activated.

I switch off my phone and remove the sdcard. Afterwards I mount the sdcard in my computer.
After mounting, I can see more than 360 files in the following path of the sdcard:
/Android/data/de.ard.audiothek/files/audio

Afterwards, I reinsert the sdcard in my phone and start it.
When I connect the computer with the phone, I cannot see any data below
/Android/data/
on the sdcard (everything else is visible).
If I use the most recent version of total commander on the phone and access the referring path
/storage/emulated/o/Android/data, there is a new link "-> Installed Apps".

as mentioned in https://www.ghisler.ch/board/viewtopic.php?t=72778 , I can just see one audio file there.

Is there anything I can do (apart from rooting) to access these 360 files when the sdcard is in the running smartphone?

Welcome Android Enthusiasts! Are 100% sure that /storage/emulated/o/Android/data is on your sd card and not the internal storage?

@ReddyLutonadio : I can only comment on what I can find in the referred link ( https://www.ghisler.ch/board/viewtopic.php?t=72778 ). According to it, /storage/emulated/o/Android/data is just an artificial link to the sdcard data.

as the link already explains there is a change in android 11 and there is nothing you can do. side note: sdcard is actually not your MicroSD Card


text:
I'm having trouble identifying the SD Card on OnePlus Nord 200 5G for partition and format
I recently got myself a OnePlus Nord 200 5G running Android 11 and I'm trying to format my SD card. The problem is that I can't identify the card in ADB shell. From the shell:
OnePlusN200TMO:/ $ sm list-disks
disk:179,0
OnePlusN200TMO:/ $ sm list-volumes all
emulated:179,2;0 unmounted null
private mounted null
private:179,2 mounted a0104c1c-c041-4496-9c7d-aa584d166a71
emulated;0 mounted null

So is the 179,0 the internal and 179,2 the SD? If so, and I want to format like half or 2/3 as internal and the remaining as external (256 GB SD) how would I do that? I'm being extra careful because I have seen posts that bricked the phone.

disk:179,0 is the disk MicroSD Card and private:179,2 is the partition MicroSD Card. you already adopted 100% and will lose apps and pictures on repartition (no root required) https://android.stackexchange.com/q/224372

I'm afraid you can't do that without root access

Thank you, that's one thing I needed to know.

no root required


text:
What decides if WiFi sharing will work or fail?
Android 11, Mobile hotspot, under advanced, has an option called "Wi-Fi sharing", where it says "Share your phone's Wi-Fi connection in addition to mobile data".
I've switched this on, set the phone to have WiFi on and mobile data off, and then switched mobile hotspot on. But it immediately comes up and says "The current Wi-Fi network can't be shared using Mobile Hotspot. Mobile data will be used instead."
If I click OK, I see I have WiFi still on, mobile data still off, and I'm surprised to find I can connect to this mobile hotspot, and reach the internet with it. (In fact this question is being sent over it...)
My question was going to be what kind of WiFi network will this work on, and that is still my main question, so I can guess when it might work in the wild (*). But I'm also quite curious why I got an error message telling me it won't work when it actually does. I am running a VPN on the phone - could that be what confused it?
*: Main use-case I can think of is when you pay for WiFi at a hotel but they limit to you to N devices; or free WiFi which involves a tedious signup process for each device.

Which ROM is it? Not a stock Android feature but this can be achieved: https://android.stackexchange.com/a/202335/218526. Android offers Wi-Fi Direct sharing though.

Upvote from 30,000' having just spent $25 for WiFi I can barely use . I'm finding it really hard to Google an answer to this one


text:
How to connect a monitor to a Galaxy Tab tablet?
I have a Galaxy Tab A (2018) and a Galaxy Tab S6 Lite tablets and I have to connect them to an external monitor with HDMI FullHD (1920 x 1080), how can I do that?
For example does it work with this adapter? - QGeeM USB C to HDMI Adapter 4K Cable, USB Type-C to HDMI Adapter
What kind of frequencies does it support? My monitor works best at 75 Hz, at 60 Hz it doesn't use all the screen space, it leaves a border of 1-2 cm unused screen space on the border.

HDMI with more than 60 Hz is pretty unusual. I don't think that this is possible on HDMI versions prior to 2.0. As the linked adapter only supports 4k at 30 Hz it can't be a HDMI 2.0 device, HDMi 1.4 would be my guess.

Few devices support USB video out (requires USB-C 3.0+, neither of your tabs have).

You may be able to do what you're looking for with Chromecast.
You'll only need one for each monitor/tv you're trying to use.
It's wireless, which may be a good thing, but it won't be perfect.  I think it won't be too good for fast paced games.


text:
Location of android browsers' (Chrome and Brave) open tabs
virtually all android browsers remember and load all my open tabs every time I open whatever browser I want to use.
Where is this file browsers use to reload all open tabs when restarting? Is there a way to access to it at all, even if it implies having to root my device?
Any way to export or create a list of open tabs in the form of links?
Device is huawei mediapad m5 lite
SO is EMUI 8.0.0. a equivalent to android oreo 8.0
Thanks

For accessing the app-rivate folders root is required. But as far as I know Huawei devices can not be rooted. Huawei has stopped the service that unlocks the bootloader and this is required for proper rooting of a device.

I added another duplicate link. It's about exporting Chrome tabs and some of the answers also state the location (yes, it needs root access): 1, 2, 3, 4 (though, most of them are a few years old and might be outdated)


text:
When I turn on tethering on my mobile, my phone stops having access to internet
I have recently changed carriers and never had this problem before. I havent changed anything yet but the new carrier claims I should be able to use both (1) pc connected over wifi to hotspot on my phone, 2)my phone as usual). But as soon as I enable 'wifi hotspot' on my Samsung Note 10, newest Android, all of a sudden I cant get email/notifications/data on my phone, until I disconnect. Then everything arrives.


text:
How can I connect to a specific access point in a group having the same SSID?
I'm on Android 10 and I have a WiFi network with multiple access points, each one with 2.4 and 5 GHz, everything with the same SSID to let the phones pick the best one.
However android has a too low threshold for switching network: sometimes the signal is poor because I'm still connected to the same AP even if I moved around, while a much stronger signal would be available.
With the app "WiFi connection manager" I can list all access points within a WiFi network but by clicking on one the connection fails. I think it's an issue with Android 10, since this was exactly the point of the app, together with automatic switching according to custom rules.
The only workaround I found is to manually disable and enable again the WiFi, which results in a connection to the strongest access point, which is nevertheless not the best one, since the 5 GHz network from each access point is often a bit weaker power-wise, but it would nevertheless grant much higher speed.
Is there a way to connect to a specific access point, which implies also specific frequency?
No root privileges available, android 10 stock.

Why not use different SSIDs?

@alecxs well roaming between different access points takes place automatically when the signal is poor, while changing network takes place when the previous one is lost, which means I get better "worst" signal this way. My point is to forcefully change AP before that threshold is reached, to improve further. See also https://superuser.com/questions/362366/does-it-make-sense-to-keep-different-ssids-for-2-4ghz-and-5ghz-wireless-networks

My main router Xiaomi AC2100 kicks devices out of 2.4 GHz if it thinks they would get better speed on 5 GHz, but I think that functionality is not in firmware and was lost when I installed OpenWRT. Also, the other AP used as repeaters don't have that functionality anyway, they are AC1200.

In general, I trust the OS's ability to switch access points more than the router's Roaming Assist feature. So try turning this off on the router.
Additionally, many routers have a Smart Connect feature. This switches a device from one band to another band. You could try turning that off too.
If it still doesn't work, then I guess it's Android's fault. A workaround is to create 2 separate SSIDs for 2.4 and 5 GHz. Then just use the 5 GHz SSID.
It's likely that the 2.4 SSID doesn't confer any benefits, even range (at target throughput), so just don't use it.


text:
Camera stream rotation on the platform level
In the Quectel SC600Y board, I have a camera sensor (OV4188) that is mounted 90°CCW in relation to the device's default screen orientation, therefore, the stream that is displayed is also rotated 90°CCW. On the registry level, the sensor allows only to flip and mirror the stream but it doesn't allow for rotations. I could solve this problem by rotating the preview on the android application level, however, this is quite a performance costly task that I would rather avoid.
Is there a configuration that would allow to rotate the stream on the android platform level? (I believe that it would be less performance costly than rotation on the android application level) Any tips and hints will be highly appreciated.

Not sure if this is on topic. A quick search shows some type of setting for camera rotation in Camera HAL: https://android.googlesource.com/platform/hardware/libhardware/+/master/include/hardware/camera3.h  but also realize that for app developers this is an existing problem: https://developer.android.com/training/camerax/orientation-rotation

Note that development-related issue is off-topic since Android Enthusiasts focuses on end-users or power-users (but not necessarily developers) solving their issues. This might be a borderline topic though, depending on the meaning of "configuration" on this question (we can only answer on the Android OS level, not the development board).


text:
MIUI: Turn off auto flash off feature with power button
My Device: POCO M2 Pro
Useless Feature: If flashlight is on and screen is turned off, then pressing the power button will turn off the flashlight first instead of waking the screen.
My Question: How to disable this feature? It is set like this by default and there are no settings to change it.
If my screen is off, I can't turn it on when my phone's flashlight is being used for some purpose where a temporary cut off from light source would be a problem.
Disabling MIUI optimisations and then doing something is not preferred. Double tap to wake screen gestures etc. are not solutions to my problem. What if I press the power button accidentally!
Thank you in advance. Any suggestions are welcome.


text:
How do I disable Real-Time Text (RTT) once enabled?
I have a OnePlus 8 5G UW from Verizon. At one point soon after I got the phone I was exploring features and I hit the RTT icon during a call. That turned on the on-screen keyboard so I could type rather than talk. I don't need that feature and now I cannot figure out how to turn it off. Many of my phone calls result in that RTT screen turning on and it doesn't turn off if I hold the phone to my ear, it makes it harder to get to other call features, and the disconnect button is located such that I hit it with my cheek and lose the call.
I've looked in the settings for Real-Time Text (RTT). It shows as "on" in the top level menu and the only options for changing it are:

RTT Operation Mode

Visible during calls [checked]
Always visible (Manual)
Always visible (Automatic)

Does not seem to matter which of those I pick, it will still show up for many calls. There is no "Off" option and if I select "Visible during calls" it does not uncheck the option. When I make a call I don't get the original screen with the easy access to call features, like the keypad and the RTT mode, so I can't try to toggle it off.
Any idea how to turn this off or disable it entirely?
[Update] I've switched it to manual mode. Now every single phone call it asks me if I want an RTT call or a voice call. I pick voice and I get the regular call screen. Annoying every time I make a phone call but it seems that you can't force this feature off once it's turned on.

https://ostoday.org/android/how-do-i-turn-off-rtt-on-android.html

@Robert, that didn't work. So far I have to live with this. Stupid phone.


text:
Blocked numbers' calls still come through
I am currently under assailance of incredibly pestidious telemarketers that call me at the top of every hour, to the point of having literally ripped out a tuft of hair from my head.

I block all the numbers, but they keep changing the numbers they come from.
However sometimes I still get calls from those blocked numbers, they ring the phone, and when I go to block them, I see it's already blocked, and that indeed that number had called me before!
There are so many numbers I have lost track and count, so I'm not sure if it's just 1 bugged number or a variety of them.
I have tried unblocking and blocking again, to no avail.


text:
Signing TWRP with OpenPGP doesn't work, private key needed?
I am trying to sign TWRP (Redmi Note 8 ginkgo) using GPG on Windows 10. I have imported the TWRP public key, however, when I select the file for signing, it does not show up in the drop-down menu in Kleopatra. From my research, this seems to be due to it being a public key and missing the private key part (correct me if this is wrong please).
I have no idea how to acquire such a key that would allow me to sign TWRP correctly. Could anyone please help me with this?
Additional info:
The bootloader is locked and I don't have TWRP installed. I want to use the command fastboot boot twrp.img, however, it doesn't work with a locked bootloader. I get the error FAILED (remote: Fastboot boot command is not available in locked device). I read somewhere that it might work if TWRP was signed without having to unlock the bootloader.
Thank you! :)

Thank you for the correction and the link. I will have to do more research to understand the information there, but I will give it a try.

For correctly signing TWRP you need the device signature private key that only the device manufacturer has.
Therefore it is impossible to sign TWRP for a bootloader locked device.
Furthermore Android images are not PGP signed, therefore a PGP signature would be of no use no matter which key you use.
More details about ROM image signatures can be found here: Verifying a (custom) ROM signature

Thank you for the answer! I will be sure to look at the link for more info.


text:
Checking if my second hand Android phone is safe: am I right?
First of all, I know that this question has been asked before, but I'd like to hear if the way I'm checking my "new" phone is safe. I know I'm probably overthinking things, but I just would like to know.
So, to get to the point: it's a second hand, but very recent OPPO (2021) running ColorOS 11.1 (which I was able to update to the latest July security patch).

I did a factory reset
I did a reset via Recovery mode
"OEM Unlock" is OFF
Root checker apps say it's NOT rooted
Safety Net status: passed
The phone is Play Protect certified
I'm able to install banking apps and activate Google Pay
The official ROM for this phone isn't available online (I contacted support), so I can't reflash it myself.

The last time I used Android was before 2016, when it still was possible to install tracking software that could survive a reset... and as it's my first second hand phone, I'm just overthinking things, but want to know.
So: with all the info above, is it possible that the previous owner flashed malicious software that could survive the resets I did? Or is it no longer possible on Android nowadays (considering the info above)?
Thanks a lot in advance!

You did everything you could do to verify the phone firmware is genuine. Unfortunately there is still a chance that the OS has been manipulated, but considering the age of the phone the chance is very low is this had happened using an exploit. But I am not sure how your device would behave it it had been bootloader unlocked, modified and then relocked.

Thanks for your input, @Robert!


text:
Why is there not a utility which builds lineage OS for different devices?
I've been using Ubuntu on different old computer hardware of mine, and it's wonderful how easy it is to install and how portable it is between different devices.
I have an 8-year old Samsung Android tablet which no longer receives updates, so using the internet on this device is a security risk. I assumed that I would be able to install a non-manufacturer specific version of Android on my tablet, and that this would be comparatively easy as installing Ubuntu on a computer.
So I had a look around and I found lineage OS, and I was surprised to see that it's very much device specific (and unfortunately for me there are no recent builds for my device). I did a little reading into why this is, and I've understood from this that there are two main reasons why it's not to possible to install a single version of lineage OS on many different devices, and that the builds must be device specific. My understanding is that firstly the machine language that processors use varies more across Android devices than it does in desktop and laptop CPUs, and secondly that SoC architectures do not come with a BIOS, which is necessary to inform the installer binary what hardware exists on the chip.
My question is about the second part of the problem to do with the BIOS; it seems to me that this is a straightforward problem to solve. I envisage a utility on my computer which recognises my Android device like how adb does. This utility could then get the hardware setup that exists on my device, either by directly interacting with the phone if this is possible, or by referencing the device's model number against some online database and downloading the information from there. The utility would then be set up to compile lineage OS based on the information that it now has about my device, and I can then copy over the device specific binary and install. That is, the compilation process is moved from a set of different developers who provide support for specific devices, down to a user friendly utility which builds a device specific OS.
So my question is, has this idea been considered? I'm pretty certain this utility doesn't already exist, so then I would also ask, what are the main reasons that would make this difficult to implement?
(and I guess I have a secondary question which is; have I correctly understood this problem? Perhaps I'm missing something in understanding why lineage OS builds are device specific. If this is the case, I would appreciate having this explained in more detail)

Please see: Can I install a ROM made for a different device? // Why is it that Android still can't be installed as regular OS? // Can I install any ROM for my Android device? In short: Android isn't "installed", but it's a device-specific "image" that gets flashed. So it's not possible to have a "universal installer".

@Izzy Yes I understand that, my question is 'why is there not linux utility that builds an android image for different devices?', I'm not asking the questions that have been asked in the links you posted. Please can you read my question again and consider unlocking it?

"there are two main reasons why it's not to possible..." - No. The main problem as I see it is proprietary drivers/implementations that aren't available/installable standalone, intentionally so. Work on these is non-trivial and can't be automated.

That said, a "universal" Android image already kinda exists for modern devices, enabled by Project Treble and in the form of GSIs.

@Joe Realize that building from source requires decent resources. Historically building for Android is a bespoke activity, see: Bootloader/BIOS, flashing ROM and correlated risks. Why Android devices are more brickable than PCs? also see How to boot Ubuntu persistent live USB on Android?. With Project Treble ports have become easier (not easy) but you'll still need a supported device (there are apps to check Treble support in Play Store).

@Joe ROM development is off-topic here. If you want a build bot, become a developer and DIY - this will answer all your questions. embedded devices are not personal computers, it makes no sense to compare android with some linux distro. If your question is about why (and not how) we can re-open

@alecxs, yes I assume that because this doesn't exist it must be difficult to do, and I'm interested in learning about what the difficulties are. I'm not making a request for someone to develop this software.

from linked question: "drivers are sometimes/often proprietary [...] difficulties due to those proprietary parts" (hope this explains)

@alecxs, thank you for your help. I have already found the comments on this post helpful. If my question is unlocked, those comments could be posted as answers, and I could comment on them (for example, not all drivers are proprietary, so would it be possible for a buildbot to exist in these case? Is there some other obstruction?). Would you be able to reopen my post now? I've also received an upvote.

I have asked mods but I don't have admin rights on this

https://www.reddit.com/r/LineageOS/comments/p6p1y4/where_are_proprietary_blobs


text:
How do I preview a PDF document link on Chrome Android like I do on the chrome on a computer?
Whenever we open a PDF document link on a computer browser, we have a preview and then we decide if we want to download. But, when using a smartphone browser, the file is downloaded automatically. How to have a PDF preview inside the android browser?

See the issue log to know why it's not possible Quote *"The Android Chrome Browser APP doesn't support plug-ins, so it doesn't have a Chrome PDF Viewer. There for a PDF file  can't natively be read without install a PDF APP on the Android Device.
You might try using the Google PDF viewer on the Android device."*
Unquote

Simple, if slightly facetious, answer - use a better browser.


text:
Will a wireless usb keyboard work with android smartphone
I have a samsung A10 android 10 smartphone. I intend to buy a On The Go USB adapter and plug in the Keyboard adapter that is usually connected to my laptop so i can use my wireless keyboard and mouse with my smartphone, will the android OS recognize and accept this operation, Thank You for your time and effort

It should. I once used a mouse with an android device and even that worked fine

You used an OTG cable and then plugged in the keyboard adapter?

Yes, I used the OTG connector cable.

Okay Thanks lemme execute then, lets hope it will work

As long as the USB wireless adapter does not require any special drives or tools on host side this should work (it just have to register as USB HID device). When it comes to wireless keyboards most people directly use a Bluetooth keyboard as all Android phones have built in Bluetooth.