text:
How do you manage bookmark folders on Firefox?
My Firefox bookmarks are synced to my phone, but I am unable to add, remove, and rename the bookmark folders.
How do I modify these folders (including moving bookmarks to/from folders) without using my PC?
Android version: 4.1.1
Firefox version: 26.0.1

The short answer is, you can't. Unfortunately.
The Firefox for mobile (Android) is rather limited in its bookmarks capabilities. I stumbled upon your question as I was trying to find out if the tagging of bookmarks is nowadays possible. .. It isn't.
See Mozilla Support for information on using FF for Android bookmarks: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/use-bookmarks-firefox-android

authors: Евгения Мигус-Краснокутська


text:
How do I fully charge my emulator battery?
It bothers me to see half charged battery.
Anyone knows how I can fully charge it?

It's the little things that count ;¬)

You can open a telnet connection to the AVD:
telnet localhost 5554

then once connected:
power capacity 100

or
power status full

Source: Android Developers: Using the Emulator

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


text:
Native USB tethering of wifi (not mobile data)
I would like to know if later versions of Android natively support USB tethering of the phone's wifi connections. If so, after which version?
I know that there are custom ROMs that allow you to use the phone's wifi connections via USB tethering. I'm asking if this functionality comes out of the box for all manufacturer ROMs as well.

as a footnote: I'm interested in buying a new phone to make use of my carrier's mobile-only wifi hotspots (FreeWifi_secure) on my laptop. Directly connecting to these wifi hotspots from my laptop is practically impossible due to the eap-sim authentication they require.

[This is probably not the complete answer you're looking for, I can't comment though]
I'm running a Nexus 4 with 4.4.2 and it supports tethering of the wifi connection out of the box. I think it was already able to do that when I got it , meaning this should work at least with >= 4.2.

I'm looking for a way to do this as well. I am not interested in tethering to my cellular data, but to WiFi only. I'm on a Nexus 5x running Lollipop.

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


text:
Do I need a custom recovery to install CyanogenMod?
I want to install CyanogenMod on my Galaxy S4. Do I need to install a custom recovery first in order to do it?

Yes, you do need to install a custom recovery in order to install Cyanogenmod.

In order to install most any ROM, you need to install custom recovery first. I assume by asking this question, you may also be wondering why. Flashing a new ROM or recovery happens before Android is running. Basically, when you're rooting your device you're getting root permission, which is full access to your Android OS. Truly administrative privilages, and only you can limit/extend your own rules. This is much like Linux, Ubuntu and any other Linux-based operating system, though when we talk about Android it's a different story. [Sort of, but in a similar respect. Android is Linux.]
Why you need custom recovery: The main advantage of creating a custom recovery is to provide a way to reset an Android device when it may be impossible to boot into it. In addition, it is an environment separate from Android that allows diagnostic updates, and the ability to perform factory resets.
You can use Odin to root your device, it's easiest in my opinion.

Or even easier, if you use windows, you can just use cyanogenmod's installer, which does everything for you.

Good call, Compro01

Odin worked for me on the second try, total rooting process took about 3 minutes, recovery flashed in about 5 seconds, and first boot of new ROM took about 5 minutes all in all! Definitely recommend it too. I used cyanogenmod's installer and it is very good, I just prefer using the recovery out of habit partially. It's so improtant to BACKUP and then backup again just in case, save backup onto PC, the flash new ROM. It fosters good habits in me anyway!


text:
Not able to access the service menu on my Galaxy S3
I have a Samsung Galaxy S3 from US Cellular and I'm trying to use it on a different carrier. I added the new SIM Card and I tried all the possible options to access the service menu and it always says "Mobile network not available". My phone model is SCH-R530U. Thanks.

Is your Samsung Galaxy S3 from US Cellular locked for US Cellular only? If YES, you won't be able to use a SIM card from a different carrier with it. You'll have to unlock the phone first so that it allows SIM cards from other networks.


text:
Where is reboot and shutdown power menu functionality in Hyperdrive custom ROM?
I just upgraded to Hyperdrive custom ROM RLS12 and now the long press power button is reassigned to control mute/vibrate/sound.
Where do I locate the normal power menu functionality that used to be on the power button held down to choose reboot, shutdown, etc.?

Please comment on the downvote so that I can improve future questions.

Looking through the Hyperdrive ROM page for Note 3 at XDA, power menu toggle can be adjusted by the following steps.

Open the application Hyperdrive Tweaks included in the ROM.
In the app goto General Mods > Extended Power Menu
Select the options you want for power menu toggles viz (Shut Down /
Restart / Recovery etc).

However, I cannot find out where to disable the Volume settings control from the power button, my assumption would be under Audio Mods of Hyperdrive Tweaks.
Reading further down in the thread, few have mentioned that enabling the power toggle in the Hyperdrive Tweaks app should override the current volume control toggle behaviour by power button (long press).


text:
How does android wifi hotspot work when other wifi is available?
Say I have my phone (nexus 4) setup as a wireless hotspot for my tablet to use while outside... Obviously this will make use of my mobile data plan. But when I get near a wifi signal that I regularly use, such as at home, will my phone continue to use my mobile data, or will it use wifi instead, and repeat the wifi signal? That is, do I have to remember to disable the hotspot every time I don't need it? And on that note, how can I make my nexus 7 prefer wifi other than my phone hotspot when available?

When your phone is in hotspot mode, it will only use your mobile data.  You'll need to remember to switch the hotspot off when you have wifi available.
You might be able to script the shutting down of the hotspot with Tasker or Locale, but I'm not sure if the "WiFi near" function would work when in hotspot mode (a good topic for its own question).
Your Nexus 7 will tend to connect to the strongest signal available, and then stay connected to that network until it loses the connection.    When you turn off the hotspot on your Nexus 4, the tablet should auto-connect to an available Wifi network.


text:
How do I transfer files from my Android smartphone to my Windows laptop?
How do I transfer files from my android smartphone to windows laptop?
NOTE: Bluetooth is working fine on both the devices and is in ON mode.

try AirDroid https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sand.airdroid

There are a lot of different ways to get files to/from computer to Android device. Here I would like to share three methods frequently used:
1. Transfer Files Using USB Cable.
2. Wireless Transfer Using Cloud Storage.
3. Transfer Files via WiFi or Mobile Networks.
The following is the detailed intro of these three ways.
Transfer Files Using USB Cable
The most direct and simplest way to transfer a file from your PC to android phone is using the USB cable. Most of the phones we bought equip with a compatible cable, so there’s no need for you to buy one. Just connect your PC and your Android using the cable, and you will see there’s a message on the phone screen asking what do you want to do.
Choose the option that allows using the phone as a storage device, and you’re good to go. Transferring file is as simple as copying the file from your PC to a USB drive.
Note: The exact format of the message varies, depending on the manufacturer or your telecom carrier of your android phone, but different roads lead to the same destination.
Wireless Transfer Using Cloud Storage
Cloud storage is famous for online collaboration and easily sharing data across multiple devices, like file servers, desktops and mobile devices. So using cloud storage to transfer files is also a convenient way. Most of the big players, such as Dropbox, Google Drive and SkyDrive, provide free spaces to users, which is big enough to transfer your commonly used files.
All you have to do is to register a free account. And install the PC client and app for your android phone. Each app designates a hard drive folder, and anything saved on your PC will be automatically synced to the cloud and other devices.
Transfer Files via WiFi or Mobile Networks
Some people may think connecting Android device to PC with the USB cable is annoying, or using the Cloud Services is not reliable enough, here I will introduce you another method, using WiFi. Most people have WiFi networks at their workplace or home, so it’s really convenient.
There are lots of apps allow you to use the WiFi to transfer files. Let’s take one of them-WiFi File Transfer -for an example. All you have to do is type a specific URL into the web browser of your computer, you can see your device’s internal memory and SD card, from where you can download any files to your computer, or upload files to your phone.
Contrast of the Three Ways
The limit of WiFi File Transfer and Cloud Storage is the size of the file, the free version of these apps limit the file size. You can transfer the music, pictures, movies, word document, etc by above two ways. For files with large size, you can use the USB cable directly.
6 Ways (via Network) are here

Is there an app which i can install on my android smartphone and use the bluetooth to transfer the pictures from the smartphone to my laptop ?

I do not have an internet connection on my smartphone, but i do have an internet connection on my laptop.

I think you can send files from mobile to PC(which have a bluetooth antenna) without using any apps. Just do it as how you done with phone-to-phone.

+1. Thanks. Does using bluetooth on both phone and computer turn the phone into some server (web, ftp, ... server)?

If you are using Windows, USB should be your best bet. But several distros of Linux doesn't support MTP protocol (ICS and above) and hence, you can't mount your Android to those computers. There are a number of methods which you can use for wireless file transfers. My favorites:

Install Airdroid- This is a very simple app which converts your device into a lightweight web-server. After installation, connect your PC to your Android over WiFi hotspot or existing infrastructure WiFi network. Airdroid will give you a web address. Just type it in your PC web browser and you would get a nice file management interface for your phone.
Use any FTP server for android (like remote file management tool of ES File Explorer)- The connectivity method is the same as mentioned above. Here you can use FTP for file transfer over USB (Tethering mode) or WiFi (Hotspot mode). This is very handy if you're using Ubuntu (due to FTP client integration in Nautilus). In Ubuntu, press Ctrl + L and type the ftp://:/ in file path. You should get full SD card mounted as network drive.

I've been using the second method since past few months. Since android WiFi access point always gives the same IP, I've managed to put everything in a bash script to facilitate one click mount.
BASH Script:
#!/bin/sh
nautilus ftp://<device_ip>:<port_no>/

Don't forget to grant 'execute' permission to your shell script!
sudo chmod 777 <path_to_your_script>

Why 777? You can just chmod +x. 777 is bad practice.

+1. Thanks. Does using bluetooth on both phone and computer turn the phone into some server (web, ftp, ... server)?

Also I followed your second method, but it seems that I can't move a directory of my phone from my computer. What do I miss?

@Tim: Some FTP servers don't support recursive file operations. That's why you might be getting this issue. Are you able to copy and paste single file (from server to client)?

@Tim: Bluetooth file transfer is also based on client-server model. It uses a specialized object exchange technology, called OBEX, which facilitates file transfer over asynchronous radio link.

(1) I can copy and paste single files, but I can't move a directory. (2) Is OBEX an alternative to ftp or http?
(3) when turning the phone into a http server, we can't change the files in the phone, right? When turning the phone into a ftp server, we can change the files in the phone, but only subject to the constraint in (1)? How can we have full access permission to the files and directories in the phone?

OBEX is an object push technology and is a part of Bluetooth protocol stack. This however also depends on the type of Bluetooth profile supported by end user devices. OBEX is not supported in my Android device. So I rely on HTTP and FTP servers. It is possible to modify server side files over HTTP (the server may also use some PHP scripts to do so). Airdroid is an example. There are a lot of free FTP servers which support directory operations. I've been using my own FTP server which I wrote a few months back. You can use FTP tool of ES File Explorer to get full device access. It worked for me.

when you connect your android phone to the windows pc you will get notification in notification in notification panel of android .  Tap on it and choose mobile device (MTP) to browse  the  contents of your phone both internal and external memory will be shown .
the below link will give you a short description about it :
http://blog.armazine.com/2012/how-to-change-from-mtp-to-mass-storage-mode-in-android-xperia-ray/

Email yourself the files. It is often the easiest solution.

Easiest? Perhaps. Most time-consuming and inconvenient? Almost always.

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


text:
Where did my 16gb of memory go?
I am not educated on Android enough to figure this out on my own. My problem began New Year's Eve with error messages saying device memory was full. My Galaxy S2 Skyrocket began to lag and wouldn't allow me to access photos or contacts. It would freeze. I'd remove the battery when it would get stuck restarting. I looked in "Storage" and found that the device's memory is only 1.97gb. Then I noticed that there was 11.26gb going to USB storage. Where did my memory go? I was told by a tech friend that I may have a "hidden partition." I appreciated a very basic, non-technical explanation on how to fix this. Thanks.

I had a similar issue where I could not figure out what was taking up my phone's storage.
I used an app called DiskUsage to visualise the issue and find the folder causing the problem.

I use DiskUsage too whenever I want to know what files / folders are taking all the space, great little app.

The device only has 2gb. I know the 7 third-party apps and a few songs are using that 2gb. I can't even use the rest of the memory it's supposed to have. It's like I've been blocked from it or it was taken away.

Did DiskUsage only reveal that you had 2GB available?

Here's what I got: Storage Card- 30424MiB, Free Space- 28961MiB; Storage/sdcard0- 11525MiB, Free Space- 10410MiB.

App Storage is: Data- 2017MiB, Free Space- 980MiB, System Data- 69.8MiB

When I was developing two years ago I altered the GPS settings on the device and they started outputting .txt files to the SD card. This made no sense to me and after looking into it if an application installed has this issue it will persist until the application is removed. I can not remember the folder location.
I want to say /sdcard/gps/* but here is a reference if this was the issue: SD Card fills up with GPS/*.txt files

I talked to Samsung. I ended up doing a factory data reset. Problem still persists. It's like I've been blocked from that remaining 14gb or it was taken away.

Maybe you could try changing to the install location to USB storage. It's already detecting it as USB storage, so maybe this would work.
By the way, have you got a memory card inserted?

Yeah. I'm putting all my pictures/videos on it.

authors: Сэдрагчаа Рэнчинпагма

authors: บุปผาชน ฅนเสรีภาพ


text:
BlueStacks: Is there a keyboard shortcut for the menu button?
Instead of hitting the menu button with the mouse, is there any keyboard shortcut?

It's the "Menu" key on your keyboard usually located right next to the right "Ctrl" key. (It's the key that opens the right-click menu on windows)

Thanks but I'm using a Mac and that key doesn't work.

I think Dmod meant "alt" not "ctrl", though I do not believe he knows what he's talking about as that doesn't work either.


text:
Change native Android SIP dialing settings
My SIP Trunk (hooio) has a specific dialing plan:
[Country Code][Phone Number incl. Area Code]

However, all mobile carriers have a different dialing plan:
[Local Phone Number]   OR
+[Country Code][Phone Number incl Area Code]

The main difference here is the 'plus' character.
All my phonebook entries are geared to work with the +[country][number] plan. But when I dial these using the native SIP client, I get errors - since the trunk does not like the plus (should this not be a standard?).
I'd really like to keep using this trunk, and they apparently can't or won't change their dialing plan. The only alternative is to have duplicate phonebooks for mobile vs internet calls - and I don't like my provider enough to waste time on this :(
Is there any way to configure rules for dialing with the native client, like removing the plus before dialing?

I suppose "Prefixer" (written by "253°Below") or another app "PreFixer" can make the job of cutting the "+" symbols from the numbers' beginnings. However you will need to switch the Prefixer off to make the regular GSM calls. Else you can let the Prefixer do a smarter job by cutting pluses only from the numbers which look like "+123....." transforming them into "123.....".
Also there is an application which automatically transforms all the local(short) numbers in the address book into one standard by adding country codes and area codes. Its name is "Contacts Clean-up". It might do a portion of the required job, too.

This answer would be a lot more useful if you would link to the apps you're recommending.

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


text:
Wiping dalvik cache - Dalvik cache of uninstalled apps
I just came across the folder dalvik-cache having size of about 750MB.
I searched for dalvik cache on google, and came to know that it is builded during boot up, and wiping this will make the next boot slower.
So whether wiping dalvik cache is not at all useful?
My doubt is that whether Dalvik cache has some files related to only the uninstalled apps?
If so, how we can find that files?
Or Dalvik cache components get deleted when we uninstall an app?
EDIT: My phone is rooted.

If you are rooted there is an option in Titanium Backup Pro to remove anything from the Dalvik Cache not linked to an app. This orphan data suggests that data may remain in the cache after the app is no longer using it or even uninstalled.

Ok.. @RossC .. Please add this as answer (with some more details on this unused/junk dalvik cache, and how to wipe this using Titanium backup) Thanks... EDIT: Yes, my phone is rooted.

There's also nothing wrong with periodically wiping your device's Dalvik cache using a custom recover like TWRP. It might take a little bit longer to start up some apps, but that would be almost unnoticeable on most modern devices.

Thanks @RossC and @filoxo for your comments.
Adding these as answer:

If you are rooted there is an option in Titanium Backup Pro to remove
  anything from the Dalvik Cache not linked to an app. This orphan data
  suggests that data may remain in the cache after the app is no longer
  using it or even uninstalled.
There's also nothing wrong with periodically wiping your device's
  Dalvik cache using a custom recover like TWRP. It might take a little
  bit longer to start up some apps, but that would be almost
  unnoticeable on most modern devices.


text:
Differences in battery information and phones printed labels
I just run across this today:
The value for battery current capacity printed on the battery of some Samsung Android devices are different than the numbers printed on the label on the phone (underneath the battery).
I tested 4 models (Galaxy S3, Galaxy S4, Galaxy Note II and Galaxy Pocket); The only consistent one was S3 (Phone label was 2100mA and battery was 2100mAh)
On S4, battery is 2600mAh, but the printed label is like this:

RATED : 3.8 V ... 1300 mA

What's the difference between these two numbers and why on some phones these two values are not equal? Thanks in advance

I don't know that this is answerable here. First of all, it's not really an Android question; you just happen to be looking at Android devices. Second, the only people who know why an advertised battery capacity is different than the actual are the ones who put it together. Maybe they got a new supplier. Maybe they can't get the old batteries anymore and can't change their copy. Maybe they just haven't gotten around to updating things. Maybe they are using old labels. Your guess is as good as mine.

Thanks for your answer. The problem is that the capacity printed on the battery is correct (as per manufacturer's claim, and information available in sites such as GSMArena, but the label prined on the back of phone is sometimes correct and sometimes incorrect)
Maybe that number has a different meaning (especially that it's not in "mAh", it's in "mA")

Ask Samsung - they make the device.

mA is not the same as mAh. The former is a current rating, and the latter is the capacity of the battery. 1000 mAh means the battery can supply a current of 1000 mA (at its rated voltage) for 1 hour, or equivalently, a current of 500 mA for 2 hours, etc. It tells you how much energy the battery can hold.
The number in mA printed on the phone tells you how much current the phone can draw. It's like a safety rating, though I suspect the numbers are somewhat made-up for phones: it would be very unusual for the phone to actually draw that much current, and most of the time the amount drawn will be much less.
There's no reason for those two numbers to be the same.

So, the number printed on the phone (in mA) is the maximum current draw. Right?

@Mehdi Yes, but it's the rated maximum. The phone might not ever actually draw that much: like how you might have a 5A kettle connected to a 13A mains plug.


text:
Identifying whether display is broken or the motherboard
I assume it is possible to damage the motherboard / chips inside a phone if it falls on the ground. So my questions is, is it possible to confirm what has been damaged during the fall?
I don't want to end up buying a replacement display and then found out the problem is somewhere else.
The phone is JiaYu G3T (a Chinese brand), fell on a ground. I completely disassembled the the phone but I didn't find any damage anywhere, everything looks like new.
Pic 1. This should be black with a green logo, left part of the screen is darker than right

Pic 2. Again, half of the screen is darker, color problems at the bottom OR sometimes the same as the startup screen - grayscale-kind-of-inverted-colors display

You can use ADB to test phone functionality. ADB tool can be obtained from Android SDK. There are a number of test commands which you can use to test your phone. Steps are as follows:

cd to your ADB directory.
Connect your phone to PC via USB.
type the following command:
'adb devices' (without quotes)

You should see your android listed in the CLI. You can also enter device shell:
'adb shell' (without quotes)

List SD card contents:
'ls -l' (regular unix file navigation commands)

If you can access your device shell, it's most likely that your motherboard is working fine. There are several commands to check as well:
Sending user touch events to Android:
adb shell input keyevent <event_code>
1 -->  "KEYCODE_MENU"
2 -->  "KEYCODE_SOFT_RIGHT"
3 -->  "KEYCODE_HOME"
4 -->  "KEYCODE_BACK"
5 -->  "KEYCODE_CALL"
6 -->  "KEYCODE_ENDCALL"
7 -->  "KEYCODE_0"
8 -->  "KEYCODE_1"
9 -->  "KEYCODE_2"
10 -->  "KEYCODE_3"
11 -->  "KEYCODE_4" ..... etc

I don't see what any of the tests you recommend has to do with the display backlight failing and display corruption.


text:
No menu entry for mobile network mode after installing CyanogenMod
My phone doesn't get a mobile signal anymore after installing CyanogenMod 10.1.3-i9100 on my Samsung Galaxy S 2. The IMEI is the same as printed in the battery compartment, Wi-Fi is working fine, and it finds mobile network operators, but even after setting it to "Choose automatically" it doesn't connect. When I try to phone someone, it says "Mobile network not available."
According to a CyanogenMod FAQ there should be an option Settings → Wireless & Networks → More → Mobile Networks → Network Mode, but there is no such option.
In "Wireless & networks" I see the following:

Aeroplane mode
VPN
Tethering & portable hotspot
Mobile networks
Mobile broadcasts

In "Mobile networks" I see the following:

Data enabled (checked)
Data roaming (unchecked)
National data roaming (checked)
Access Point Names
Use only 2G networks (unchecked)
Network operators

According to the Android Testing Menu (*#*#4636#*#* → Phone information)
 the network type changes between "HSDPA" and "GPRS". I'm not sure if the "Set preferred network type" setting is the same thing as the "network mode", but changing it from the original "WCDMA preferred" to "LTE/GSM/CDMA auto (PRL)" doesn't seem to help (tried restarting radio afterwards as well).

When you go to settings what Network options are there? WiFi etc?

What do you mean by "mobile signal"? Are you talking about mobile data (in this case, you should check the "Access Point Names" menu, and probably will have to add an appropriate APN), or does it include the "phone signal" as well?

Have you flashed the correct baseband on your device? The baseband from one version of Android may not work with others and you may lose wifi or 3g or whatever.

@RossC Could you please be a bit more specific? I used the latest stable version of CyanogenMod for my specific device.

The baseband is the 'modem' for your device. You usually flash it via Odin in the 'phone' section. The modem may not be fully compatible with your device and this is why you have the issue. I had to flash a new modem on S4 once I flashed a 4.3 Jellybean ROM on the device. Try #1234# or the appropriate code for your device and it should show your current Firmware and Baseband. Here is the modems for your device: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1455188

*#1234# is mentioned, but it (and many other codes) just results in a "Mobile network not available" message.

Flash the correct Modem for your fimware/country and try it again. It takes about 30 seconds so you'll know quickly.

@RossC I'll try to figure out how to do that. Does "my" country mean the country I bought the phone in, the country I live in, the country I installed CMod in, or the country I will be using the phone the most in?

The country you are using your phone in, it's related to the network mainly. I just use the modem ending in the same as my firmware base, eg XXXXXXXXML6 is the firmware, so ML6 modem installed.

let us continue this discussion in chat


text:
Is it possible to Install cyanogenmod on Galaxy S2
I have galaxy S2 which I bought two years and still is in its Prime Condition with no scratches or smudges at all. So Im planning to install New Version of Android OS on it.
I like cyanogenmod So I want to install this on my phone. I have never flashed ROM on it. It still got the same Stock version of Gingerbread 2.3.3
And yes my phone is root-ed
Mobile info
Model No = GT-I9100
Android Version = 2.3.3
Kernel Version = 2.6.35.7-I9100JPKH1
Build No = Gingerbread JPKH1

Can someone please tell me what are the pre-requisites to install cyanogenmod
Thanks

Have you checked with the CyanogenMod Wiki? It has a dedicated area for the I9100. Depending on which version you want to install, you can check everything there. As this is subject to change with new versions, I won't re-type all the details here :)

Yes - you can install Cyanogenmod for the i9100 S2.
Get the CyanogenMod (nightly if you feel adventurous or stick with the stable since you're new at this) from http://download.cyanogenmod.org/?device=i9100
Also, you'll need to flash the appropriate gApps package from http://goo.im/gapps
I highly recommend you read through the major posts of this thread on XDA
Also, learn how to use CWM or TWRP recovery - Youtube has a number of videos. See how its done, before attempting to do it yourself, and of course - please back up your data to the cloud or to your PC / laptop / external SD card before attempting this and if possible, perform a NANDROID backup so you can revert back to how things were should the unexpected occur and you need to recover.

Thanks I will check it in this weekend. But first I have to buy some dumb phone as a backup I mean if I lose my Precious S2. I must have a backup. I will update you about progress. I'm a noob in this flashing thing

Maybe recommend a stable release not a nightly for beginners....

Which one do you recommed @p1xel ????

Try the stable first. Then if you want to try new features and test the cutting-edge versions, use the nightlies.


text:
HTC One (m7ul) not found by ADB + formatted filesystem = bricked?
So, I'm really hoping that I haven't bricked my phone and that someone can help me figure out how to fix this.
I can't remember exactly the steps I took to mess it up so spectacularly, but they included trying to flash to the M2 snapshot of CyanogenMod 11 from a ViperOne ROM, relocking the bootloader, attempting to restore to a stock RUU (and failing because I accidentally downloaded an unsigned version), reUNlocking the bootloader, and formatting via TWRP.
Fastboot appears to recognise that the phone is plugged in (it reads FASTBOOT USB on the bootloader screen), and Windows 8 sees the device in Device Manager. However, when I attempt to do anything with ADB it returns error: device not found, so I can't use rebootRUU or push files to the /sdcard/ directory, and I have no ROMs to flash.
The bootloader screen reads:
*** TAMPERED ***
*** RELOCKED ***
*** Security Warning ***
M7_UL PVT SHIP S-ON RH
HBOOT-1.54.0000
RADIO-4A.17.3250.14
OpenDSP-v31.120.274.0617
OS-2.24.841.1
eMMC-boot 2048MB
Jun 21 2013,23:03:15.0

FASTBOOT USB

It also appears that I am able to use FastBoot to lock and unlock the bootloader using the unlock bin file I created earlier today, yet fastboot devices returns nothing and fastboot reboot returns < waiting for devices >.
Is there anything I can do short of using a USB-OTG cable to sideload a custom ROM?
I would be inconceivably grateful for any help which gets me closer to getting my phone working again. Thanks in advance!

EDIT 1: So, after rebooting a couple of times, *** Security Warning *** is no longer there and fastboot devices now returns my serial number. However, adb devices still returns nothing. Any idea what's going on?

Can you boot into your recovery? There should be a 'mount USB' option (or similar depending on the recovery)? Unlock the bootloader, mount the usb, copy the ROM over and flash...

As soon as you can, I recommend taking your second edit and using it to answer your question! Your experience matches my own - Windows (Even Windows 7) can be really finnicky with ADB and Fastboot. I've just defaulted to using Linux and OSX for all my Android-related stuff.

@dotVezz - thanks for the heads up - I've added my answer below.

Woah! I'm not entirely sure what happened, but it suddenly started working again - I now have CM 11 up and running.
Here are some notes on what I was doing which will hopefully be helpful for someone else who has the same problems I did:

First off, I was running Windows 8 in a Parallels VM. I don't know if either Windows 8 or the VM was the culprit, but either way, it was silly and probably didn't help things. Getting ADB and FastBoot up and running in OS X seemed to make a difference.
Also, there is a chance that there were some problems with directory partitioning/formatting - it suddenly started working after I wiped the system a few times with TWRP (Wipe > Format Data) and rebooted. Obviously you'll lose everything, but better to lose a few files and get your phone back!

Other info that I found that wasn't relevant to me but might make a difference:

Apparently USB 3 can cause issues - try different USB ports, particularly USB 2 over USB 3.
Windows 8 may not play nice - try Windows 7 or XP (or Linux!)


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What the differences between cSIPSimple and Android's SIP stack?
What are the differences between Android's SIP stack and CSIPSimple's? One thing that I know of is that Android lacks STUN support.
I've used both but the call quality is far, far better on cSIPSimple and I'm curious as to why?

I understand I am commenting on the last post. But for future references :-
What I believe is, that CSIPSimple uses, audio codes, which are better than one provided in normal SIP Stack.


text:
Restore home-screen auto-rotation after wallpaper change
On a pretty new Galaxy S2+, the home screen used to rotate when the device was rotated. After switching the wallpaper of home screen (and perhaps lock screen as well), using the Photo app shipped with the device, the screen no longer rotates. Not even after restoring the original wallpaper, and not after rebooting the device.
To set the wallpaper, I use the corresponding entry in the Settings. I then get a choice of target, whether I want to affect home screen, lock screen or both. When I choose both, I get a choice of Gallery, Live Wallpapers and Backgrounds. When I choose home screen only, then I get the same three but Photos as well. So that's the reason I believe I might have set both. All the item names were translated by me, the actual English versions might be called slightly differently.
How can I restore the factory default of an automatically rotating home screen, without completely resetting the device to factory defaults?

Does the homescreen auto rotate by default on the s2? It doesn't on the S3 or 4. Are you using a 3rd party launcher? Is it the stock Firmware that came with the device?

@RossC: It did auto-rotate when I got the device, with stock firmware and no 3rd party launcher. And it's the S2+, not the S2, in case that makes a difference.

Sorry typo on my part. The docs say it doesn't support this. Did you update the device to a newer android version by any chance? Touchwiz doesn't have homescren rotation that I can find on S3 or S4 here. Strange. Can you try this app and see if it helps at all? https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nl.fameit.rotate

@RossC: Sorry for not replying any sooner. I did no android update. Could it be your testing S3 and S4 might have had homescreen rotation up to the first wallpaper change? Installing Ultimate Rotation COntrol doesn't feel good. For once it's only a demo, secondly it looks like it might have to place hooks all over the system to provide its features, and lastly I only want to restore behavior that used to be there, so I shouldn't need an app for that, except perhaps to edit some config. Where are these docs you mentioned?

Hmm that's odd, sorry when I said doc I had a manual for the S3 somewhere in the office that had no mention but didn't explicitly say that it wasn't an option either. I have no idea, I've never seen homescreen rotation on a stock Touchwiz ROM myself (not to say it isn't there of course). I'll keep digging for now I guess. Would you consider a 3rd party launcher?


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Touchless Control 3.15.0.1 Cannot uninstall
My Motorola Ultra with Android version 4.2.2 contains 3.15.0.1 Touchless Control. I have uninstalled the software both from Google Play and App Settings. However, the device still says "Update", instead of "install".
How can I successfully uninstall the Touchless Control?
Note: The reason why I would like to uninstall it would pertain to the reason for installing the most updated version.

Does it say "Uninstall" or "Disable"? If the latter, then it is a system app which cannot be removed (by normal means). You need to disable it if you want it gone. However, you don't need to remove it to install a newer version. Just run the update.

It says "Uninstall". I uninstalled it and ran the update. However, Touchless Control still possess 3.15.01 version.

Then I am unclear exactly what it is you're trying to do or what the problem is.

I changed my current build, and it seems to have solved the problem.

@FranzNoel Can you post your last comment (and specify what build, etc) as an answer, and mark it as an answer later? Thanks.

I have same problem unable to remove Touchless Chat. Please follow this method and you are able to remove this software from your phone.
http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/how-to/google-android/how-remove-virus-from-android-phone-or-tablet-image-gunpoder-3605390/
After step 1, go to step 3 and in security Device administrator you will see Touchless software, uncheck it and then uninstall option give you to uninstall.

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


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Text to speech erratic after android 4.3 update
I use the app AnkiDroid on my HTC One to learn Italian. It has a text to speech option which, when enabled, reads the text on the flashcards aloud. However, after updating to Android 4.3, this function has become extremely erratic - only 1 of every 20/30 cards is read out (it worked perfectly before the update).
I have also recently bought a Google nexus 7, running Android 4.4.2, and it also has the same issue. Does anybody have any ideas about why this is happening and if possible how I could resolve this?

This might be an issue for the app developers to address. Have you considered reporting it on the AnkiDroid Issues Page?

I did report it there but the developers suggested to ask here as it may be something to do with the android update. I have now found a tts engine that is working more reliably, though not perfectly, but I'm pleased. Thanks for your help!

I released AnkiDroid 2.0.3 yesterday, it fixes the TTS bug described at https://code.google.com/p/ankidroid/issues/detail?id=1892
Does 2.0.3 fix the problem you described in your question?
Before 2.0.3 the TTS part of AnkiDroid had not changed in a long time, so it must be that TTS changed in Android 4.3.
If anybody has some info about what changed in Android 4.3's TTS it would be extremely appreciated.

The update may well have helped because I have just downloaded Svox Classic and tts seems to work reasonably reliably now. It does miss out the odd word - probably 1 in 8 but I'm really pleased the function is working on the whole once again! Does anyone have any experience with Acapela's compatibility with Ankidroid? Would love some feedback before I buy! I was using Ivona before (which I really like and also happens to be free!) however that, as well as Google's own tts engine, still has major problems for me. Maybe it's an issue to raise with Ivona now. Thanks a lot for your help!


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how can I get Instagram photos to save to my SD card?
I have Instagram and I like saving the pictures that I take, but they're taking up tons of space in my internal storage. I have a nice big SD card for storage, and have my phone set up to save all the regular pictures I take with the camera to the SD card, but I can't figure out how to get the Instagram pictures to save there as well.  Anybody have any luck with this?

Have you tried moving the app itself to the SD card? Maybe it's not the photos, but the internal cache that's taking up all your storage.
Anyway, according to Instagram Help:

The Android app may take up more internal memory than other apps on your device because we cache photos, which makes the Instagram experience faster for you and conserves bandwidth (which means you don't have to re-download photos over your carrier's network). Note that as of v1.0.3, you can install the app on your device's SD card.
On Android, you can find out how much space Instagram takes up on your device by following these steps:

Exit Instagram
Open the Settings application on your device > Applications > Manage applications > Instagram
Total Storage is listed on the Instagram screen.

If you choose Clear data, your download cache will be cleared. Clear cache will reset memory for the app.

There is not, otherwise, a way to tell Instagram to store your photos directly to your SD card.

I believe he / she didn't mean the cached one. it's the cropped-square picture instagram save after you crop the image in the instagram.

If you go into Storage --> Navigate to Instagram -----> click on "Change" next to "stored in" and you can switch where instagram stores data, I switched mine from internal to SD card, on my galaxy s5.

That must be a Samsung setting. No such setting exists on my Pixel.


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How to enter safe mode on an HTC Desire w/CyanogenMod stuck in boot loop?
I have an HTC Desire with CyanogenMod 7 installed. After ignoring the low storage warning for a couple of months, it finally crashed and since then is stuck in the dreaded boot loop. I am able to enter a shell using adb shell, and I freed some space (~30M) in the internal memory but to no avail.
After reading about how people solved this problem, a promising way seems to be to enter “safe mode“, then find out which app might cause the boot process to fail and remove it.
I found instructions for the HTC Desire to enter safe mode (turn it on, then keep menu button pressed), but this only let me enter the CyanogenMod recovery menu. My explanation for this is that this behavior is a difference from the stock firmware which most similar question apply to.
I did read the boot loop tag wiki, I naturally want to keep my personal data and settings, and factory-resetting the phone is not a desired option.

Check the logs using "adb logcat" first and try to track down the problematic app or system component. You can also make a nandroid backup first and then delete the culprit's app data ( cf. http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/47924/where-android-apps-store-data )

@ce4: sorry for not answering - I checked the logs, but that isn't very expressive. There are no hints about which app is causing the problem. The idea was to use a running system, find out which app I installed last and then delete it. I'm not sure about the nandroid hint, though. I don't have nandroid installed, so there's no way of making a backup.

Hmm, it might also be /data file system being full and stuck (the htc desire uses the older jffs2 dedicated flash file system). Can you enter the CWM recovery and try do delete some unnecessary data from /data/ (like from a game or so)? It's a bit complicated though (you need some shell/bash skills and the adb android debug bridge tool: "adb shell" and then after you've mounted the /data partition, try to remove some stuff (using the commandline). Else you can fix it by just factory resetting/wiping your HTC Desire if you don't mind losing the app data.

Because I came to this thread from a search, I'd like to share what I found elsewhere:
After powering on the phone, once a logo pops up, press and hold both volume buttons for a very long time.
On my Pixel 6 Pro, I must've held them for about 20 seconds through the initial google logo and then on the progress bar logo, and then the phone vibrated, I let go, it continued to boot for another 10 seconds or so, and ended up in safe mode.  Maybe holding on for longer is necessary if your phone doesn't give you some type of feedback like that.


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What is the mobile provisioning website supposed to do?
When I go to Settings → More... → Mobile plan it gives me a message "{mobile operator} has no known provisioning website".
Digging into Android source code for WirelessSettings.java I found how URL gets populated (it was later moved to IConnectionManager but I guess it have similar implementation):
private String getProvisioningUrl() {
    String url = getActivity().getResources()
            .getString(com.android.internal.R.string.mobile_provisioning_url);
    log("getProvisioningUrl: mobile_provisioning_url=" + url);

    // populate the iccid, imei and phone number in the provisioning url.
    if (!TextUtils.isEmpty(url)) {
        String phoneNumber = mTm.getLine1Number();
        if (TextUtils.isEmpty(phoneNumber)) {
            phoneNumber = "0000000000";
        }
        url = String.format(url,
                mTm.getSimSerialNumber() /* ICCID */,
                mTm.getDeviceId() /* IMEI */,
                phoneNumber /* Phone number */);
    }

    return url;
}

So potentially it can create an URL like:
https:\\operator\provisioning.aspx?ICCID=8991101200003204510&IMEI=49015420323751&number=008801552341588
My question is, what such a provisioning site supposed let me do?
Is information passed to URL is sufficiently secure for a network operator to identify a customer so it can skip authentication?

To my understanding this functionality is to configure your current provider services such as offers, cheaper international calls, flatrates...
But I suppose you'd always have to login first. Just the those 3 things don't seem to be secure enough to just login with them.

Some providers have a special website which is only reachable via the mobile network's data connection. On that page I don't need any login or userdata, as it already knows from which mobile number I'm connecting.


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How to install Yii framework in an android device?
I am studying Yii framework in my android phone. I have an application called AndroPHP. It has a LightHttpd, MySql and PHP.
I can run CodeIgniter, Wordpress and Smarty in my phone but I don't have an idea how can I install a Yii framework. I searched in the Internet I can't find any correct solution.
I tried to install it using the yiic webapp in my android terminal emulator. And my error is
sh: yiic: not found
I have a YII framework extracted in sdcard/www/YII/
And I used the yiic in the framework folder.
To access the yiic I have this path:
root@android:/storage/sdcard0/www/YII/framework#
And to use the yiic I have this
yiic webapp sdcard0/www/bid
where bid is my folder under www
Any idea how can I install this framework? Or any android application that has a tutorial in installing Yii. Ok that's all thanks.

You can't execute anything from the SD card.  Are you rooted?

PHP mySQL Server app is available for android device.
Install it and then download and generate your Yii project by using cmd, then copy that project to your android device WAMP root directory. For better development, install it on your pc.
Before running the command in the cmd, install php and make sure to set the php path in your system environmental variables.

What app is "Wamp Server"? I couldn't find anything called that exactly, and a google search returned a paid app called Bit Web Server. Please post a link to the app you suggest.

the name is not exactly same, free apps are available like Server for PHP, Ulti Server, KSWEB you may try any one of these


text:
How to get "Non-Root" access on Emulators ?
I am running adb on emulators and by default, the emulators give root access.
When I execute 'adb shell', I get root access to the emulator(virtual device).
For some reason, I want to have non-root access to emulators. What shall I do ?
Any help would be appreciated.
*Configurations
Ubuntu 13.10, 32-bit.
Eclipse 4.2 with ADT bundle.
Genymotion Emulator(To be specific, I was using Android 4.3 here).

You could try su shell to become the "shell user". That's the one adb shell normally uses on devices. But I'm not sure if it is available on the emulator, so please let us know if it works. If the shell user is not available, you could check ls -l /data/data to pick the user of some app to try with.

@Izzy - 'su shell' does not work with emulators.
I am working on this issue and hopefully very near to solution. Will definitely let you know as it is done.

On the SDK emulators and virtual machines like Genymotion, adbd starts up as root and provides a root shell. Short of modifying the source code to do otherwise and rebuilding your VM images, I think you will have to use the su approach suggested above. su shell does indeed work on both SDK emulators as well as the Genymotion VMs. Specifically:
ubuntu$ adb shell
android# id
uid=0(root) gid=0(root) context=u:r:shell:s0
android# su shell
android$ uid=2000(shell) gid=2000(shell) context=u:r:su:s0

Note that the initial shell is running as uid 0 and after su shell is running as uid 2000. In fact, you can su to any Linux uid (Android userId+appId) configured on your emulator/VM.  For example, after doing adb shell from Ubuntu:
android# su u0_a16
android$ id
uid=10016(u0_a16) gid=10016(u0_a16) context=u:r:su:s0
android$

On my emulator, uid 0010016 is the calendar app for user 0 (owner, userId 00). Remember that after you su, you only have the privileges of the new uid, and this may not include permissions to run Linux commands or view certain directories.
Finally, if you just need to do one or two operations as the non-root user, you can string the whole thing together as one command in Ubuntu. Something like:
ubuntu$ adb shell su u0_a16 id
uid=10016(u0_a16) gid=10016(u0_a16) context=u:r:su:s0

or
ubuntu$ adb shell su radio cat /data/data/com.android.phone/shared_prefs/*.xml\; su radio id
<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8' standalone='yes' ?>
<map>
    <boolean name="_has_set_default_values" value="true" />
</map>
uid=1001(radio) gid=1001(radio) context=u:r:su:s0

Above tested on SDK x86 emulator running 4.4.2 and Genymotion VM running 4.4.2.


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I can't take screenshots on Galaxy S3 mini
I've had the Galaxy S3 Mini for about two weeks and I can't take screenshots anymore. I hold down the home and power button but it just takes me to the task manager window. I also can't seem to be able to turn off or reset my phone.

I would recommend trying the other way to make a screenshot on the SGS3. Simply swipe with your palm from left to right over the screen. If that does not work, ensure that the gesture is enabled in your device's settings menu.

It's been a while since I stopped using S3 Mini but wasn't long-pressing the home button calling the task manager anyway? If you what you mean by saying that "you can't reboot or turn off your phone" is that power button is unresponsive, then it means it is broken. You can root your phone and use apps to change the button configuration for screenshotting.

Have you gone into Settings and turned Motion Settings on? In addition, you have to be precise. Press and hold the home button and power button at the same exact time and hold it for a couple of seconds. About two seconds when holding but press them at the same time.
Also, depending on your Android version: Volume Down and Power Button simultaneously should work [press and hold]


text:
LG G2 Lock Screen Size
I have an LG G2, and I feel a little dumb asking this, but I have seen a G2 with the regular pattern lock screen with the dots (3×3) spanning the whole screen, but mine is much smaller (still a 3×3 but much less space between the dots), and I can't, for the life of me find a way to change this setting. And I dont think he had an app or anything. His phone was a day old, and he hadnt really used it because it didnt work correctly, so we were replacing the phone he had with a new one. Any tips??

What dots are you talking about? It is possible the other person had installed a 3rd party lock screen, or a custom ROM or a different version of Android even.

Haha. I guess I should have said the pattern lock, and it just seemed to me (after thoroughly judging him too harshly) that he wouldnt have the slightest clue how to. It was identical to the default screen lock on the phone only more space between the dots.

You have to go to lock screen settings and uncheck "Hidden pattern-show pattern dots when tapping on the screen". This will bring back the largee dots.
This is different from "make pattern visible" which is at tthe bottom of the lock screen options page.


text:
Why is my Wi-Fi connection saying "no account found" when I try to connect via wireless networks?
I have enabled Wi-Fi.  I try connecting to various networks, and during the IP address obtaining process, the notification will popup from the Wi-Fi app saying:
"No account for ___________ network. Try again."
It does this with many different Wi-Fi apps, including the stock app (the one that comes default), other apps, etc. It also does this with any network, within range, yes, and still the same problem arises. I checked all system written logs and there's no errors, or anything that could explain this issue.
There's nothing wrong, I believe, with the hardware on my phone, nor the software(for the most part).
However, this has been suddenly happening with any wireless network. What could be causing this?

Voting to close as off-topic, because questions about Android devices do not belong on Super User. See the [help/on-topic] for details. This question will be migrated to [android.se] shortly; please do not cross-post, as this will happen automatically once enough close votes have been cast on this question. To ensure you retain control of the question, please create an account at [android.se] and associate it with your Super User account.

Also a duplicate of http://goo.gl/5UGEDT from an hour earlier. Wherever this ends up, could be an android OS or even carrier software update


text:
Is it possible to watch Youtube videos on the Youtube App while multitasking
I currently have Kit Kat 4.4. Is is possible to play a Youtube video in the background or while multitasking like checking email,  use other apps or surf the web on Android? As of right now, I have to have keep the Youtube app open and can't get the video to play in the background while I do other stuff on my phone.

Official answer: no. The youtube app was changed about 2 years ago to ensure once it wasn't focused on, it would stop, including locking the screen. In actuality: http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/how-to/google-android/3447673/how-play-youtube-videos-in-background-on-android/ This may work and there are other work arounds. Supposedly they will improve the feature in Youtube itself according to this article from October: http://venturebeat.com/2013/10/23/youtubes-android-app-to-finally-let-you-play-music-in-the-background/

This is possible due to some features on custom ROMs (like Paranoid Android's Halo) and multitasking on some TouchWiz devices; of course, this requires you to completely modify your device. Alternatively, Floating Apps allows you to have an instance of an app (ie. YouTube, Vimeo, Video Player) floating above other windows and does not require root.

Use multi task option of your phone. Your screen will be split into 2 parts, you can watch Youtube and do other stuff. You can also change the formation of the screen so 90% of the screen is browser/email etc en 10% of screen will be youtube for listening music.
I am pretty sure Android Kitkat can do that – I am doing it right now.

Two things: First, please don't use txtspeak (write full words) – many of our users are non-native English speakers and already have a hard time without slang. Second: The feature you describe IMHO is not available on all devices, but rather vendor specific – so you should at least mention the device you're using ;)


text:
Acer DA241HL - system reset from bootloader
The Acer DA241HL is a 24" Smart Display which has Android installed but also had HDMI input so you can use it as a second screen for a laptop or similar too.
Anyway, I've been able to reboot into the bootloader using adb with the Acer DA241HL connected.
However, it doesn't show up on fastboot devices nor adb devices and only stays on the boot options screen for about 5 seconds before it seems to turn off completely.
At the top, it explains that pressing  or  allows you to move up/down in the list of options (bootload, restart, shutdown, reboot ? something like that), and then pressing the power button to select the option... however this is not a tablet or a phone, it's a "Smart Display" and the Volume Up/Down options don't do anything but turn the volume up and down for the screen (it's like it's not sending those buttons directly to Android, but only to the screens built-in speakers).
Pressing the power button when on the bootloader doesn't seem to do anything either, I've had to press the power button multiple times before the machine reboots back into Android otherwise it continuously boots into the bootloader and then shuts off after a 5 seconds.
Does anyone know how I can fully system reset (as in roll back all the firmware updates I performed) this device?
I've tried pressing and holding Volume Up with the Power button to boot into the bootloader 'manually' instead of using adb but it didn't seem to work...

No "reset" will ever roll back any system updates applied. For that, you would have to re-flash the original ROM. For the device to show up with adb devices or fastboot devices, you must have your computer configured accordingly (Windows needs special drivers, Linux/Mac might be happy with just some configuration settings – see e.g. our adb tag-wiki).

Ah OK, so I'll need the original firmware... I have quite a few Acer DA241HL that I didn't update, is there a way to copy the ROM/firmware on those and then push to the one I updated? I've been able to use adb just fine and fastboot has worked for other devices, just haven't been able to get the DA241HL to show up for fastboot...

If they are all the same devices, it should be possible to "dump" the partitions of one device and "flash" them to the others, essentially "cloning" the entire system. But that requires root. You could use either a custom recovery and Nandroid (check our nandroid tag-wiki for details), or utilize dd for it. I never did that myself, and partition names are quite device specific, so I cannot give detailed help on that.

OK thanks, well hopefully I'm able to find out how to change the options in the bootloader so I can get to the fastboot option otherwise I can't really do anything with these devices :(

I've summed up (and detailed) items in a separate answer, to make the facts easier to catch. Good luck, and let us know how it worked out!

Summing up from the comments:

No "reset" will ever roll back any system updates applied. For that, you would have to re-flash the original ROM.
For the device to show up with adb devices or fastboot devices, you must have your computer configured accordingly. If your computer runs Windows, you will need a special driver (Koush's Universal ADB driver might help you out here, in case you cannot find a specific driver for your devices). If it's Linux, you might wish to consult my answer here, for a Mac it might be similar. Further helpful hints can be found via our adb tag-wiki.
As you have multiple identic devices, some updated and some not, you should be able to utilize dd (see also this wikipedia article for a starter) to clone all partitions of one device and apply that to others. As partition structures are quite device specific, I cannot give you accurate details here; a little research might be helpful especially on sites like XDA Developers. A custom recovery can be used for this as well: check out our nandroid tag and its tag-wiki for details on that.


text:
I want to install Viber and WhatsApp on Android emulator
I want to install Viber and WhatsApp on Android emulator. Kindly help me out.

Can you try the advice here: http://shahzadimam.wordpress.com/2012/05/15/instal-whatsapp-in-android-emulator/ and see if that works. I've never managed it myself as I 've never been able to verify the account.

So what is stopping you? Where's the problem? Maybe you [edit] your question and add some more details?

If you got that .apk file downloaded in your system, you can easily install that by the following steps.

First of all copy the .apk file to the android sdk --> 'platform-tools' directory
To start the emulator use type the following command on your terminal
cd /path_to_android_sdk/platform-tools    // press enter
then type the following to start the emulator
emulator -avd <emulator_name>  // press enter

<emulator_name> is the name that you have given when you first created that emulator. If you don't know that name, go to eclipse and click window-->Avd and Sdk manager. On that window you can see the AVD name.
After that wait for a couple of minutes so that the emulator starts. After that, unlock the emulator:

Open another tab in terminal or open another terminal and type the following commands
cd /path_to_android_sdk/platform-tools; ls //press enter
Now you should see your application name.
adb install <name_of_the_apk> // press enter
./adb install <name_of_the_apk> // for MAC machine

After that you can see a success message.

Eventually press on the menu launcher button on the emulator where you can see your application installed. Click on the icon to launch that application.

That's a great explanation of how to install APK files in the Android emulator using ADB, but the OP doesn't have an APK file to install.

Ok. We can direct him to download apk files from third party sites(both apps are free, nothing illegal)

@DanHulme also he didn't mention about that.

You can get .apk files to your PC.
Create a simple html page with a link to your .apk
download

Use web browser in Emulator to access and download the file and install from SDCard of Emulator.

This step is completely unnecessary. If you have access to the APK files, you can put them in the emulator's SD card image directly. But that's not useful unless you have the APK file to start with.

Since WhatsApp is installed you have to activate it, but they blocked activation via SMS for  emulator-based installation, so use «Call me» activation option.
They call you and type the given number, that should enable WhatsApp to use on AVD-emulator.

Easy way
1) Download the apk file from http://www.whatsapp.com/android/current/WhatsApp.apk
2) Drag the apk file on Android Emulator and Follow the Steps


text:
How to change lockscreen display time on Samsung Galaxy S4 Plus?
When I press the power button the screen is immediately turned off and locked. When I press the power button again the screen is turned on and the lockscreen is displayed. However, it is only displayed for about 5 seconds before the screen goes off again. I have to start interacting with it straight away to prevent the screen from turning off. I don't always want to unlock the screen, sometimes I just like to press the power button to have the screen turn on so I can work my way in the dark, as a flash light replacement. But that doesn't work if I have to keep pressing the power button on and off all the time.
Is it possible to change this time? I would like to have it set to at least 30 seconds, or have it stay on all the time until I press the power button again. Is this possible?
I'm not sure it's possible to have the screen stay on until you press the power button, but my old HTC had a longer display time when the lockscreen is shown.
I'm on Galaxy S4 Plus (GT-I9506) with Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean). It's stock ROM and everything, brand new.
I tried to google this and it appears that the only time setting you can change for the lockscreen is the time it takes for the lockscreen to actually activate. Below is a screenshot of the "Lock screen" page on an Galaxy S3 with Jelly Bean.

(image source: Android Central)
There was this "Secured lock time" option. It said "the screen will be locked after 30 minutes of inactivity." This is on the Galaxy S3. Mine is a little bit different. Below is a screenshot of the lock screen page on mine.

This however does not change the display time of the actual screenlock... screen (sorry). It only defines when the screenlock will become active.

This is not a big issue for me. I'm just curious to know if it's possible to change this, if they have thought about it when they designed the thing. Displaying the lockscreen for only 5 seconds is a bit too short a time window, don't you think? Unless of course you're a gunslinger who's very fast on the trigger. If there's no way of changing this, if it's permanent then they should have used a longer time window. (Well of course, it's not carved in stone, but I mean without having to root it, flash it, format it and what not, just to change this.)

A time window of maybe 20 seconds would have been much more generous. In only 5 seconds I can't even change hand, and these big phones need to be handled with two hands. At the time I'm ready to enter my pattern or PIN code the screen is off.

You guys, it's so dumb. I've spent so long trying to figure it out for my step dad. Turns out, the lock screen will stay on for as long as it's pointed at your face. As soon as it doesn't recognize that a face is in front of it, it turns off. Spent so long being so confused.

Hi, @Erin, and welcome to Android.SE!  Thank you for your comment.  We hope you'll like the place and decide to stay.  What make and model of phone is your stepdad using?  Is it a Samsung Galaxy S4 Plus (GT-I9506), the same as the original asker is using, or is it a different phone?


text:
How to remove a system file using adb shell?
I have an android system file in  /mnt/extsd/.And I wanted to delete that file.
root@android:/mnt/extsd # ls -l
d---rwxr-x system   media_rw          1980-01-01 00:00 clockworkmod
root@android:/mnt/extsd #  rm -r  clockworkmod/
Aborted

So, I remounted the system in write mode and tried the same with no luck.
root@Tron:/home/aswin# adb kill-server
root@Tron:/home/aswin# adb remount
* daemon not running. starting it now on port 5037 *
* daemon started successfully *
remount succeeded
root@Tron:/home/aswin# adb shell rm -r /mnt/extsd/clockworkmod/
Aborted

I tried to set a 755 permission by issuing these commands , but they wont work.
root@android:/mnt/extsd #  ls -l
d---rwxr-x system   media_rw          1980-01-01 00:00 clockworkmod
root@android:/mnt/extsd # chmod 755 clockworkmod/
root@android:/mnt/extsd # ls -l
d---rwxr-x system   media_rw          1980-01-01 00:00 clockworkmod
root@android:/ #  chown root /mnt/extsd/
Unable to chmod /mnt/extsd/: Operation not permitted

How can I fix this ?

Have you checked whether /mnt/extsd is writable (ls -l /mnt |grep extsd)? If it is not, you can neither chmod nor rm its direct contents.


text:
Changing default video player in Google Chrome for Android
tl;dr
When you open any video, default HTML5 player is used.
What I want is to make Google Chrome to use custom video player whenever it wants to playback a video
Longer story
My real goal is to stream video content from Android to AppleTV via AirPlay. I found a nice app called streambels which is capable of doing that.
The only problem is when I am trying to watch video on Google Chrome, I can't stream it so if I could change the default video player would allow me to pass the video to broadcasting app. And life would be so great :)

Use Dolphin Browser.  I think what you are asking is impossible for now on Chrome.

Have you used this app and made certain that this will solve OP's question? If not, then please post a brief description of this app to show why OP should use it for the relevant purpose.

I use the BUBBLEUPNP application.
Once I click on the link, Chrome asks me what to do; Chrome or upnp app. I choose the upnp app. Once the UpnpApp is open it asks me what video player to use.


text:
How to avoid WhatsApp locking up my contacts
If there is a contact who has WhatsApp, the contact was locked from name changes and also create weird changes such as removing any white spaces in the name (even between first name and last name).  I like to keep the Whatsapp association but do not want to have WhatsApp taking over the contact changes.
What is the solution?

Go to Settings > Accounts > Whatsapp > My Whatsapp Account
Remove the account
Make any necessary contact changes
Open up Whatsapp
At this point, Whatsapp should re-associate your contacts with the existing users.


text:
AbsListView on Samsung Galaxy's logcat running Android 4.3 JellyBean
I've been having an issue on my Galaxy S4 following the 4.3 update whereby it will occasionally reboot the phone then go into a reboot loop. If connected to a charge the loop will stop and the battery will be fine (e.g. at 80%).
Now one thing I've noticed in trying to diagnose this via logcat is that the following message:
13:37:54.600 AbsListView unregisterIRListener() is called

occurs about 26 times a second. Is this normal behavior? If not how can I find and eliminate the cause?

I observer similar problems with my S4 (after 4.3 update, random crashes and then boot loops). I am not expert in Android internals, but the "AbsListView" seems like some image resolution issue: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/16445635/galaxy-s4-and-maybe-all-hd-phones-out-of-memory-error-inflating-layout My guess is it has nothing to do with it. Still your question is valid!

For others wondering - my problems disappeared after servicing the phone in official Samsung repair shop. So maybe the 4.3 upgrade was just a coincidence. The report from repair indicated battery being replaced and software upgrade (but I don't believe the last one, as exact the same build version is reported in Settings).

From this question on SO, it seems an issue affecting some of Samsung devices, and looks like a debug log. Nothing serious.

try to replace in the adapeter:
view = context.LayoutInflater.Inflate(Android.Resource.Layout.SimpleSpinnerItem, null);

with
view = context.LayoutInflater.Inflate(Android.Resource.Layout.SimpleSpinnerItem, parent, false);

Ref#: this link

Sorry Chris but I no longer own the phone this query was about. Also I wouldn't have known how to implement your answer in any case.

No problem .. I post this answer maybe it will be helpful for the new users too. Thanks for your comment :)

Sorry, but this site is not about Android programming. Your answer will be helpful for Android programmer, but for end-user, they cannot do anything to solve this issue.


text:
Screen occasionally won't come on
I have what I believe to be a software problem with My Galaxy Nexus running 4.2.2. Occasionally the phone will turn it's display off, or I will manually trigger this with the lock button. Minutes, maybe hours later when I want to use the phone it refuses to respond to the power button. The screen will never come on with it. However, it will come on if a call comes through. Texts still vibrate the phone and flash the indicator. Holding the power to force the power off does not work, it requires removing the battery. Then it works like normal. Any ideas?

I have seen the same issue on mine. I'm afraid it's endemic to the phone. It may be related to the CPU being at 100% usage. Sometimes connecting or disconnecting the charger will kick the screen on. Removing and replacing the battery always works. But I don't think there's a real, reliable solution for us.


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How to view entire messages in the notification drawer?
I've received some security notifications, but I can't seem to figure out how to view the entire thing. See the huge image below:

They do not scroll, I cannot pinch-zoom or drag them to reveal more information, and when I tap one it disappears. Is there a log of these somewhere? I can use ADB if I have to, but surely there's a way...

Have you tried pinch-zooming them open?

Ah, no I haven't but I'm not aware that any notifications use that. Regardless, I will try it the next time they show up.

Another option that works for many notifications is to drag them downward to expand. Email, SMS, and other notifications support this - no idea if these will though.

@Nick For example Gmail, K-9 Mail and Spotify use pinchable notifications to show more details about received messages and playing tracks.

@onik, Yes I just got a new gmail and tried it. Will keep that in mind the next time it shows up.

@onik, a notification came up again; I tried pinching/dragging down without results. Looks like I need to look into any logs.

Just pull down the notification(not the notification bar, the specific notification you want to expand) with two fingers to expand(if and only if,the notification supports expanding).
if you cant expand it with two fingers swiping down, then just turn on the auto rotation and navigate to somewhere (which can be rotated, in my case I use to go to settings) and then slide down your notification bar. It should be visible by now.
:)

Oh wow, thank you! I never realised I could pull down on the actual notification. This tip changed my life :heard:


text:
Installing GApps on an old bargain tablet (Impression i10a)
I recently was given a free tablet that is turning out to be more trouble than it is worth. I've been trying for weeks to get some form of GApps installed. I've read through the only resource I've found on the device and had little success. I'm currently the last poster on this thread.

I have a i10a which came preloaded with ICS 4.0.3. I used Root_with_Restore_by_Bin4ry_v32 to get full root (it came sorta rooted). I'm having trouble finding a gapps package that works right.
I've used:
  gapps-hdpi-20100817-Impression_10 from the second post
  and
  gapps-ics-20120429
  both of which would crash at the setup wizard endlessly.
I finally got through to the launcher after using gapps-ics-20120224 which was the closest number to what the build number was
  (i10a 0.1.05 eng.root.20120223.R&G)
But any gapps I try crash almost instantly. I don't really know what other packages to try at this point...

Is it possible that there is just no version of GApps that would install properly on this device or is it just a matter of going through every one? Is there some strategy to finding the correct package beyond "it must be 4.0 compatible"?

It's entirely possible that no version will work. You're trying to run software on hardware it wasn't designed for, by a manufacturer who wouldn't shell out for Google to support it.

I've done this on a cheap tablet before, really all there is to it, is to get clockworkmod installed on the device, then flash cyanogenmod's gapps onto it.....unfortunately I did a little bit of digging, and wasn't able to come up with much as far as getting clockworkmod installed onto that particular device....there was one point in time where you could just flash the market/play store apk directly onto the device, however these days it requires the full blown framework to run correctly, so you can't just flash the apk separate, but rather you need to flash the whole zip file in recovery.

What is the difference between installing the apks and flashing the gapps packages?

Not entirely sure to be quite honest, but I know on my tablet, i tried flashing the apps separately, and it wouldn't take until i flashed the zip file in recovery directly.

Thanks for the response. I did read that if you install the APKs that you have to do them in a certain order and possibly reboot in between them, so maybe flashing them all at once avoids all that. Regardless, I'm looking into building my own CWM, but considering that someone much smarter than I in that thread gave up on the pursuit, I'm not expecting much success.

http://goo-inside.me/gapps/gapps-ics-20120317-signed.zip  you can try and pull apart that zip and install the files in the correct order...being that they are basically an untampered, plain version of gapps built specifically for ics....that's probably your best bet.  Let me know if you can get it up and working via the install order that was given.


text:
OS X utility to create stock images
Before I spoil my new HTC One.
I needed a little help with the following

Create a backup of the recovery
Create a backup of the system
Create a backup of anything that maybe required to bring the device to factory defaults

I am not interested in backing up SMS, Call Logs, and any user data.
The phone is not rooted. It has literally been taken out of the box and I walked thru the setup wizard to turn on USB debugging.

adb backup might be a good starting point. But for a complete backup to restore to its original state, it would be preferable to have a Nandroid backup available. Unfortunately, that requires at least a rooted device (to clone the partitions with dd), even better with a custom recovery (to use the Nandroid utility). Obviously, after rooting it's no longer factory-state – and after installing a custom recovery, the stock recovery is gone...

@Izzy You seem knowledgable about this. Can you please tell me "step by step" where I can get the stock recovery image for the HTC One M7 (T-Mobile). I searched the Internet and found http://android-revolution-hd.blogspot.com/p/android-revolution-hd-mirror-site-var.html but I don't want to screw up my device.

Unfortunately I can't; my list of devices and time to experiment is limited. But you might wish to take a look at Where can I find stock or custom ROMs for my Android device? With some luck, your source is listed there. Also, XDA is a good starting point for such things (if you don't get a answer here in time).

XDA is great but people take forever to respond. I've posted there in Dec and have not received any update to my thread!!!


text:
Accelerometer on Moto G is bad from factory?
I got a Motorola Moto G a few weeks ago and unfortunately it came with what I suspect is a failing accelerometer. I say that because when I open any level (bubble) application it reads random numbers in a wide range, even after the app calibration and on a flat surface (no sensor calibration on the phone settings).
Let me show you the video to make it easier to understand: http://youtu.be/FD35Uk4HmXo
I tried four different applications and all of them show the same symptoms- the bubble moving randomly in almost one full degree. When I talked to Motorola technicians they blamed the application(s), so they recommended me to return the phone and get a new one. To my surprise the new device (the one shown in the video) does the same exact thing!
Now I wonder, do I have bad luck and got two defective Moto G? Or they messed up and put a bad sensor in the devices? Or I am doing something wrong!?
Does anyone have this issue with their own Moto G? Thanks :-)

From what I can see in the video, the fluctuations are within about 1° in the first app, and 0.5° in the second. That's not exactly "random numbers in a wide range".
Accuracy within 1° is acceptable for most intended use cases: Mobile games, screen orientation, gestures, etc. It's quite possible that Motorola decided to use a cheaper sensor since the phone itself is intended to be a very low-cost device.
I wouldn't say that it's defective. Possibly subpar, but not defective.

I never thought about it that way- Motorola using sensors of bad quality regardless the price has never crossed my mind. Unfortunately, like I also explained technical support, this is a tool I use very frequently at work and I can't afford this sensor to be this variable (not even in the half degree application). Now, I really believe in that word you used: subpar! Thanks for your answer, dotVezz!!!!

If the answer helped you, feel free to mark it as accepted and upvote it if you haven't already =)

Cool, in another stack exchange site I had to wait for like 24 hours before accepting an answer. Thanks!!!


text:
Synchronizing cookies between Windows Chrome and Android Chrome?
Is there an app/hack which automatically synchronizes cookies between Windows Chrome and Android Chrome? That way there would be no need to login to websites twice.
History/saved passwords are already shared so perhaps someone went one step further.

Apparently Google Browser Sync is supposed to do this. Does anyone else use Chrome on all their devices and have cookies synced?

Doesn't work for me. History/saved passwords/bookmarks are synced though.

As of 2017 Chrome doesn't support automatic synchronization of cookies between mobile and desktop versions, except for Google's own apps. I'm not sure why it's not mentioned anywhere, but it simply doesn't work.
Perhaps future versions of Android/Chrome will solve the issue.


text:
Why isn't there a Cyanogenmod stable ROM for my device?
Why don't the developers develop a stable ROM for my device? They have stable ROMs for similarly-named devices from the same manufacturer, even ones that came out after my phone. If the devices are similar, and there's already a stable ROM for one, why is it so hard to make a stable ROM for mine too?

Not regarding to the question, but try Focal, will solve you  camera problem.

Two devices with similar names, like the Sony Xperia Z and the Sony Xperia Z1, don't necessarily have the same kind of hardware. Sometimes there are even devices sold under one model name, such as the Samsung Galaxy SII, where the variants available in different countries have completely different systems-on-ship (SoCs) and other different hardware.
Devices with different hardware need different drivers &c. and a lot of system integration work that can't be shared between the two. Testing an unstable release to find the problems with it is very time-intensive, and of course can only be done on the exact hardware being targeted.
Since Cyanogenmod is made by enthusiast developers, rather than by people who are paid to do it, support depends on having an interested community of people with the system integration knowledge needed, and enough such people having that particular phone to run and test the ROM images.
It may be that there's not much more work required to support your device, but the people who might be able to do that don't happen to have one. Or it may be that none of the porters who have your device have enough free time right now to dedicate to testing and fixing ROMs. Lots of volunteer projects like this are stopped when members have children or start new jobs.
Even if you don't have the necessary knowledge, there are other ways you can help get your device supported. You might be able to help by contributing some money to support the developers, devices so that more enthusiasts can spend time working on it, or by testing and reporting bugs to make the process faster. If you ask the Cyanogenmod community how you can get involved and what would help, I'm sure they'd respond positively to that.


text:
How to display the correct contact name when dialing?
I tap on Phone and start typing the first letter of the contact name on the keypad. For a contact named "Home" that would be 466 (H, O, M). The contact "Home" is suggested. I tap on it once, the phone number populates the screen, and then I tap the big green dial button. Simple! Or so I thought... Now the phone displays the funny picture I have of Adam sticking out his tongue, and it says "Dialing". It also later shows up in the Log as if I have called "Adam".
How on Earth is Adam the person I'm calling? I specifically chose to call a contact named "Home". It makes me think I have dialed a wrong number, so I usually hang up and re-dial, only to see Adam sticking out his tongue, again! I want it to display the correct contact name. The correct contact name is "Home". Obviously! What can I do about this (if anything)?
About device...
Model number
GT-I9506

Android version
4.2.2

Baseband version
I9506XXUAMHD

Kernel version
3.4.0-1677708
dpi@DELL217 #1
Fri Sep 13 20:52:59 KST 2013

Build number
JDQ39.I9506XXUAMI3

Update...
I spoke to a Samsung rep today and he told me to make a backup with Kies software and reset the phone. I have restored the contacts back to the phone from the backup file. The problem remains. However... I have made some new discoveries that might shed some light on the problem. Namely, this only affects contacts that were synced to the phone from a PIM software, which in my case is Microsoft Outlook 2010. It does not affect contacts created right in the phone.
Replicating the problem...
To replicate the problem, do the following.

Start Outlook 2010 and go to Contacts.
Click on Home and then New Contact. Give it the name "Home" and set
the "Home" phone number to something like 0011223344.
Click on "Save & Close". Note! Make sure you don't have a contact
with this name already, neither in the phone nor in Outlook.
Now repeat these steps to create a second contact in Outlook. Name
it "Adam Sandler" and set the "Home" number to 0011223344 (the same
as above) and the "Mobile" to 9988776655.
Now connect the phone to the computer.
Start Samsung Kies and go to Sync tab.
Check "Sync contacts with" and select Outlook from the list. You can
select either "All contacts" or "Selected Contacts folder" and then
select which contacts folder to sync with. Note! If you select the
second option you need to make sure you check the contacts folder
you saved the previously created contacts to in Outlook.
Click the Sync button when ready. When done, disconnect the phone.
Open the Phone app on the phone, dial in HOME, tap the contact name
that comes up and then tap the green dial button and watch what
happens. Expected behavior is that it should dial 0011223344 but
display "Adam Sandler" on the screen, instead of "Home".

This is probably a bug of some sort... Because if you delete these contacts on the phone, and in Outlook, and start all over again, this time creating the same two contacts inside the phone, then there is no issue with dialing. If you dial HOME it will actually say "Home" right on the display. Regardless of how many other contacts you got in your phone book that share the same phone number. Hurray! I'm not sure where to go from here though...

My experience shows that when you dial a or select a contact specifically, the the default Android dialer scans the list of contacts alphabetically until it finds a number match. Rather than this being a Samsung bug, it's a universal Android feature (Which HTC may have removed). It may not show the correct contact on your screen in all cases, but it avoids collisions that would cause logic errors (and make your dialer crash). You're always free to remove conflicting numbers (For example, if Adam's secondary number is also "Home", what reason is there to keep it under Adam's secondary numbers?)

@dotVezz Interesting... so this "feature" might be a much deeper rooted Android problem, and not directly OEM specific. Yes, that might work. But why would they not be allowed to co-exist? It has always worked fine for me, on all kinds of phones. It worked on pre-smartphone Ericsson, old Nokia, Nokia with Symbian, HTC Legend, Desire, Desire X. Is there perhaps an app that can solve this? So I can have normal dialing like on HTC? Without rooting it?

I'm not sure what you mean by "Why are they not allowed to co-exist?". They are allowed to co-exist. The alphabetized-sort thing is a decision that was likely made to make phones work better (Alternate methods would naturally take more resources, be more work. Good programmers don't over-engineer simple problems.) If you feel it's a high priority problem, I might posting a feature request. But really, is it that much of an issue?

Of course, you're also free to try any of the huge selection of dialer replacements.

Can you mention what device and OS version you're using? The dialer app is one of those that OEMs just love to monkey with. You may be seeing something that people with other devices/OS versions might not be seeing.

I spoke with a Samsung rep today. He told me to make a backup with the Kies software and then reset the phone. Been there, done that. After restoring the backup back to the phone the dialer continued to behave strangely. So the problem remains. But I have made some new discoveries that might shed some light on the problem. I will post an update.


text:
HTC One Deactivate Autocorrection
Is it possible to deactivate the autocorrection feature of the HTC One (Android 4.3) without losing the 'swype' feature of the keyboard?
I could only figure out how to deactivate the 'swype'-, wordprediction and autocorrection feature all together.
What I would like is to deactivate just the behaviour that unknown or uncommon words get corrected.

Go into your Settings/Language & Input.  Under "Keyboard & Input Methods" hit the settings icon next to your keyboard.  Scroll down to "Text Correction" hit "Auto Correction" and select "Off". That should do the trick.


text:
Calendar alerts stopped working after upgrading my Galaxy S3 to 4.3
I recently upgraded my Samsung Galaxy S3 to Android 4.3. Now my calendar alerts don't pop up anymore.
Any ideas on how to get my calendar alerts working again?


text:
How can I hear micromusic.net on Android?
If I start micromusic.net in chrome or Firefox on my nexus, I can't hear the music.
How can I make this work?

Use an alternative browser like FlashFox. Its selling point is the fact that it plays flash.
Source: Installed FlashFox, opened a random channel on micromusic.net, there were sounds!

I'm assuming you mean www.micromusic.net?
It seems that the site uses Flash to play the music, which is not supported on Android at all. You'd have to get the developers of the site to provide other options for listening to the stream.

So isn't there a plugin then for flash or another browser I could use that works on www.micromusic.net?


text:
Devices on adb are fluctuating
I have Ubuntu running on a Mac Mini with adb 1.0.31. I am trying to attach 3 devices directly and four devices via a powered hub. Every time devices attached start to fluctuate on adb after some time. For example I would see all the devices attached initially but within a few minutes last 2-3 devices will come and go on adb every now and then. Eventually more will behave same way.
I checked on dmesg and found this:
[ 1001.384481] xhci_hcd 0000:00:14.0: Not enough host resources, active endpoint contexts = 60
[ 1001.384495] hub 3-4.4:1.0: couldn't allocate port 4 usb_device

I have tried Fedora on Mac mini as well and I am seeing the same issue. I have tried on 4 different Mac Minis as well.

try USB2.0 hub connected to the USB2.0 host port instead

I've had the same problem when trying to use ADB on lots of devices on one hub. ADB uses a lot of the available USB bandwidth, so when many devices are on one hub, they can't all get the bandwidth they need. There are several suggestions you might try:-

Use ADB over the network instead of USB. If you don't know how to enable this on the device, there are a few apps to help you. Once it's enabled on the device, use adb connect ip.ip.ip.ip:port from the development machine.
Make sure the cables are plugged into a USB 2.0 port, not USB 1.1. USB 3.0 is even better if the development machine supports it. The different versions of USB are all compatible, but later versions have much more bandwidth.
Try a better hub. Cheap hubs are designed for plugging a USB storage device alongside a keyboard and mouse, and don't cope well with high bandwidth use. A professional-level USB hub will do a much better job - but it still might not be enough to connect all your ADB devices at once.

I have found adb via wifi a bit slow as compared to usb. Also the hub is of really good quality. It has 1.5 A out per usb socket and should not really be an issue.


text:
In a Google account (sync), what is the difference between Contacts and People details?
For a Google account, you are allowed to sync Contacts and People details. What is the difference between these two?

The best explanation I could find online:

People Details is a new sync service related to the recent release of
  Google Play Games. It was pushed to most (if not all) android devices
  recently. Its purpose is to tie you together across all Google Play
  services (the separate services available from the Google Play
  screen). The idea is to maintain a uniform and unique "identity" for
  you in all related Google Games so that data from one can potentially
  be used to "enhance" the user experience in another

The contact sync is for the usual contacts that a user saves directly on your phone.

Contacts is for syncing contacts with Google contacts. The information is the one specified by Android contacts (email, phone number, etc)
People details is for syncing information with Google play and Google+, such as the Google+ profile picture, fit, Play game profiles, etc. The information is Google-specific.


text:
Will upgrade to Android 4.3 with Samsung Knox make my s3 impossible to root?
So my Galaxy s3 has finally offered to upgrade to 4.3.
I've heard Android 4.3 contains Samsung Knox which I have heard is a security feature that will make it impossible or at least really risky / difficult to root.
Is this true? Will I still be able to root my phone after I upgrade to Knox?
If I plan to root my phone after my warranty expires, should I not take this upgrade?

Depending on what version of S3 you have (there are 13 just looking at the wikipedia article), there could be different safeguards in place to prevent tamporing
Having KNOX installed is one thing, upgrading to 4.3 is another as some of the updates that Samsung has put in prevent certain types of expolots to get the bootloader unlocked and ability to boot a unapproved rom
A coworker of mine upgraded his phone to 4.3 and serious issues with KNOX not letting him boot. He had to downgrade all the way back to 4.1 and then upgrade back up to get a working phone. Needless to say, all of his data is lost.
If you are planning on rooting, do it now, upgrade to a rooted Rom with TouchWiz (like Carbon), or go full 1337 and get a CynogenMod rom and run Kit Kat
Rooting your phone kills the warranty, but there are ways to revert back to stock. Depending on the insurance you have on the phone, they'll take in a broken rooted phone. However, if some phone component breaks, and you have no way to get it back stock, you are sort of SOL.
There is a huge market for used phones, and if you have yours rooted, you give a bit of added value to the phone. Swappa is probably the best place to go out and sell your phone.

TL;DR: Root now, install a rom you like, get KitKat if need be, sell on swappa.
Source: Rootin' since 2009. Owner of multiple Samsung phones.

If you already have a Knox bootloader you can root and install Knox Free ROMs happily. I've done it on S3 and S4 (i9505), but the Knox flag is set to 0x1 and currently this cannot be undone. Once the ROM is knox free there is no implication other than warranty. And even in that case Samsung have said in some cases that Knox flag isn't relevant to the warranty that rooting is. It's a grey area right now. There are root methods for Note 3 that don't trip knox but ANY custom kernel/bootloader/ROM will then trip it immediately. (Also I got knox in 4.2.2 in a patch, so check if you have it already)

Sorry to double comment, my point was that if you don't have knox I'd root first as Zlatty said above, if you already have it maybe read a bit on Knox before you root, factoring in your attitude to risk and what you want from the device.

Anyone know if downgrading phones with KNOX pre-installed lets you circumvent it?  https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/65939/remove-knox-from-a-pre-installed-samsung-galaxy-note-ii