text:
How to change android primary google account
During the "in-app purchase" I am unable to switch the Google account I would like to use for "in-app purchase". Currently, in order to change the primary Google account on Android operating system, we have the following ways:

Remove other Google accounts, leave only one Google account.
Perform factory reset on our devices.

If we perform factory reset, we will lose all data that we have not backed up or unable to do backup. And, we have to re-install the applications that we need to use.

If we choose to remove other Google accounts from our systems and leave only one Google account, if there are applications installed from Google Play Store by using the Google account that we want to remove from our systems, then we will not be able to remove the account from the system unless we remove those applications. However, sometimes we may forget which account we used to install an application from Google Play Store.
My question is that is there any other way to switch between the accounts?

Have you checked for existing answers to this question? Switch between accounts in Android 4.2 / How to change the account for Android Market? / Multiple Google Accounts and the Market / How do I change a Google account for Android mobile (Xperia 10)?. The last one mentions Erazzer Free for this (root required).

I believe I had a similar problem.
I just bought the Moto X on Verizon.  I linked 3 Google accounts to this phone (including my wife's to sync our calendars.)
The phone chose my wife's account as the primary so when I sent text messages they would be sent from my wife's Google account.
SOLUTION:
I went into the Google+ account app, logged out of her account and then the phone asked me which one to log into.
Problem solved to change my primary account without factory reset.

Here is a good description, on how to do this. To cite the main facts:
If your phone is NOT rooted

If your device isn’t rooted, the only thing you can do is perform a hard reset on the device. You can normally do this under Settings > Privacy > Factory data reset. Doing this will wipe all data and settings from the device.
Unfortunately, if you really need to change the main Google account, this is the only option unless you gain root access.

If your phone is rooted

Navigate to the /data/system directory.
Tap and hold the accounts.db file, then select Rename.
Rename the file to accounts.db.old to make a backup of the file.
Restart your Android device.
Once the device restarts, open an app that requires a Google account such as Market, Gmail or GTalk. You will be prompted to create a new account or login using an existing account. That’s all there is to it.

Perfect if you got a rooted device

In my case i have to delete (or rename) the folder /data/system/users anyway is a wonderful answer

I used the following procedure:

Uninstall the app
Go to Play Store and switch to the account you want to use to pay from
Using Google Play web version (you may need to login first), find the app and install again
Make your in-app purchase

Source: Change Gmail account to make in-app purchase?

+1, just great solution if you install custom app without app store


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Is it possible to prevent the screen turning off when pressing the power button?
I run an app on my handset which really needs the screen to remain on for it to function properly. The app already seems to attempt to keep the screen on as the screen timeout seems to be disabled when the app is running, but I can still turn the screen off by tapping the power button.
I do my best not to press the power button, but sometimes I do it by accident.
My question is, is there any way of stopping the power button from turning the screen off? Perhaps there is something the original app developer can do to disable this?
This is on an unrooted device. I'm on Android 4.1.1 , HTC Sense 4+ stock rom

The app can't disable the power button. That would be a security nightmare.

@DanHulme How about just requiring power button presses to be long-presses to be registered (or requiring confirmation, such as this app does with volume buttons:  https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hourdb.volumelocker&hl=en )

That app doesn't intercept the calls, it just undoes them later. You could have an app that turns the screen back on after you turn it off, but I think that would just be annoying rather than helpful.

I'm tempted to quip that you should just put a tape the power button.

You can prevent lock button from turning off you screen by altering your settings.

Go to your settings
Select Security
Deselect the check box Power button instantly locks

Hmm, I don't have that option. I'm on Android 4.1.1 , HTC Sense 4+ stock rom

I'm running stock 4.2.2 on a Galaxy Nexus, and I don't have that option either. Is it a custom ROM setting?

@TimScarborough I'm running stock 4.2.2 on a GSM Galaxy Nexus as well, but I do have that option. See the screenshot I've edited into Sid's answer.

The option only appears if Screen lock is not set to None. The screen turns off regardless of this setting: it only controls whether the lock screen activates when the power button is pressed, or only after the timeout.

@DanHulme sorry misread your comment and missed the "not"

On 5.0.1, this option is unavailable if the screen lock is set to none or swipe.

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


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Dropped calls and people not hearing me
Samsung S3 dropping calls and people not hearing me on made or received calls. Happened after latest upgrade.

Are you sure that it's not a carrier problem?

Closely related: People can't hear me on my Samsung Galaxy S3

Duplicate (with no answer): When I send or receive a call, the person on the other side can't hear me

You might have abandoned this question, but could you remember which update? "latest update" doesn't really help at this exact time.

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


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Cyanogenmod: How to prevent the "Add to blacklist" popup when the End call button is long-pressed?
I'm using CyanogenMod-7.2.0-passion on my Nexus One, and there's a feature in CM7 that's bothering me. During a call, if the large red-colored "End call" button is long-pressed, it gives a popup asking "Add to blacklist". I do not want this feature, but it gets unintentionally activated by my cheek (which manages to press the "Yes" button of the popup too!) when I'm on calls. I've missed several calls from friends and relatives due to this.
So, is there a way to disable this feature? I've googled a lot, but there are only posts about how to remove people from blacklist after they get added there, nothing about how to prevent this whole mess. I don't want to be checking the blacklist every day to make sure someone new hasn't gotten added that day, so I hope there's some setting somewhere to disable this function.

While it doesn't answer your question: I do not understand how your cheek should be able to do that. Usually, the proximity sensor should have deactivated the screen before your cheek is close enough for that. Is there something wrong with your proximity sensor -- or does the N1 not feature any such?

N1 does (theoretically) have the feature, but it frequently seems to fail in its sensing, and I often have calls 'Mute'd unintentionally too (though in that case I at least immediately get some indication from the other person that they're not hearing me, so it's not this big a problem). I try to lock the screen before speaking, but sometimes I forget and sometimes the caller is in a hurry, so it doesn't solve the problem for me.

Thanks for the additional details! No, I didn't expect my comment to solve your issue; I just was curious. Well, a flaky sensor explains a lot. But I have no idea how to disable the blacklist, sorry. Have to leave that part for somebody else.

Just a thought: You might want to take a look at Smart Screen Off. According to a post on XDA, this seems to offer an option to calibrate your proximity sensor. With the underlying problem solved, your issue should be gone :)

Hi @Izzy, thank you very much for the suggestion. While the "Smart Screen Off" app had too many false positives and didn't work for me, it led me to find a "Proximity Sensor Finder" app, with which I've been able to find the proximity sensor's location on my phone. It's in the top left corner apparently, and I used to hold the phone such that that part remained exposed, which must be the reason for all this hoopla. Now on I'm going to try and "hold it right" - if the iPhone guys can do it, why can't I? ;)

LOL Well, most important thing is the issue seems to have solved. If that's so, you're very welcome to answer your own question, explaining some details, and finally accept your own answer. You might not be the only one with an issue like that :)


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auto move `/data/log` files to sdcard? or link it?
is there some way to automatically move /data/log files to sdcard? may be some application or shell script that we can run with a click of a button with super user mode on rooted device? or may be some application I cant find?
or may be that folder could be linked directly to sdcard? how safe is that?
reason: free up internal space (yes, I already have link2sd and almost everything is already at sdcard, less critical apps; the focus is /data/log)
device model: samsung galaxy Y
android: 2.3.6

Have you tried symlinking it? I.e. create a directory on your sdcard, move existing files over, delete /data/log and symlink the sdcard directory over (e.g. ln -s /mnt/sdcard/logs /data/log)?

I wonder if there may have side effects, like in case I remove my sdcard, if I still will be able to make calls and run my critical apps? will the /data/log symlink be replaced by a real local folder automatically?

Well, you use Link2SD as you wrote. Same issue there, I'd say. Apart from that: I guess in the worst case you will lack some logs, and the "logging app" might crash when trying to log. I don't think the symlink will automatically be replaced by a directory, though it's not impossible.

If your device is rooted, you can try creating symbolic link from the folder to SD Card (this is essentially what Link2SD does to apps, with prettier interface) using the Terminal Emulator.
Helpful Commands (disclaimer: untested, use at your own risk, make sure you understand exactly what the commands does before running them)

Get root su
Copy the folder to sdcard cp -r /data/log/ /path/to/new/folder
remove the original folder rm -r /data/log/
Create symbolic link use ln -s /path/to/new/folder /data/log
Reboot and test. Until you reboot, old processes may still own a handle to the old files even though it had been removed from the filesystem.

Note though, /data/log generally should not use too much space, so moving this folder likely won't save too much space. If you have an unusually large log directory, you might want to investigate that instead of moving the log directory.

my /data/log has 30MB, but my internal memory has 170MB, so that is a lot! I know what these commands do, but I wonder if there may have side effects, like in case I remove my sdcard, if I still will be able to make calls and run my critical apps? will the /data/log symlink be replaced by a real local folder automatically?

I don't know for sure about the contents of /data/log but I would recommend that when you start relocating any system partitions to the SD card that you resolve not to eject it with the phone on.

@AquariusPower: If you remove your SD card, some programs may still run for some time and be able to write to their own IO buffer but they will most likely crash if they tried to flush to disk. As far as I know, there is no way to swap file handles that are already opened by a process to a different file (doing such thing would be like pulling a rug under your feet), so you may need to restart processes that have open files in the directory. But as Mr. Buster said, if you want to move this directory to SD card, you really should commit to not ejecting the SD card while the phone is on.

@Mr.Buster I just thought, as I remember, writing to an umounted path will write on the local media (of that path), but as soon you mount it, the writing will happen on the mounted media; so I think, if we mount a loopback file from sdcard at /data/log apps will append to logs even when the sdcard is removed? I mean, even if logs get messed, at least apps will not crash?


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How do I install an app with system-rights on a non-rooted smartphone?
I would like to install logcat as system-app on a non-rooted phone.
Is that possible (using adb without root-access)?

No. A system app has to be either installed by root or signed with the same key that signed the ROM image.

So adb install will not work in that case?

adb install just installs an app in the usual way. It doesn't make an app a system app.


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I deleted Google Settings App
I deleted the Google Settings App on my Xperia and now I can't use Play Store anymore. The reason I did this in the first place is that I was trying to update my whatsapp but insufficient storage error kept occurring so I thought I would delete those applications I don't use. Now that I know I shouldn't have deleted this one in particular, how can I get things back to the they they were?
Thanks

Flash the Gapps. Now i dont know what you device is so i can help with the tutorials and links so. Please put the device so that i can help you further.

Restore the backup you certainly made before? (rhetorical hint/reminder to create one next time :)

 Google app is supposed to be built into system/app I wonder how you managed to uninstall it, unless you have root access.  Anyways! What you can do is Download the stock firmware image for your device from the vendor's site and flash it in your device! All the things will be reverted back to default and normal !!
 I don't know which Xperia you're using with Android ICS so I won't be able to provide you with links and tuts. Good Luck!!


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Is there such a thing as touchscreen calibration
I have bought a generic touchscreen replacement (not the actual screen where pixels are drawn, but rather the touch sensor where touches are captured) for my Defy/MB525, and replaced it myself.
It doesn't work, it seems to register many random touches in a few seconds (while the charger is disconnected, and no screen protection films are present). I know I probably either did something wrong or got a malfunctioning touchscreen, but maybe I'm missing something?
Do I need to perform some calibration? If so, how can I proceed? My phone is asking for a locking code and I can't enter it as it is.

Depends on driver for touch sensor used in conjunction with touch screen used.Usually a small flat file detailing the calibration is stored in /system/etc, it all really depends. :)

As you asked for a calibration tool: The Playstore seems to have some suitable candidates, e.g. Touch sensitivity calibration. But while this might be helpful, the permissions look quite suspect: The only job of the app is screen calibration, but it requests permissions such as accessing your contacts, call phone numbers, read and send SMS/MMS, and more -- according to a screenshot on the apps page at Google Play. Funnily, the permissions tab says differently: No permissions required... So I'd give it a try, and abort installation in case those permissions really turn up.

What do you mean by " in case those permissions really turn up"? If I install an app from Play, I'm granting the permissions on installing it, and therefore, the app won't explicitly request the permissions because it already has it... Right?

On installation, you will be presented with a list of permissions the app requests. If it says there "this app requires no permissions", everything is very fine. If it lists permissions requested, check them carefully for those I've mentioned above, as they are not related to the purpose. When in doubt, check comments, ask the dev to explain. I don't know neither app nor dev, so I cannot say "just go ahead" while keeping a good conscience :)

Its not the malfunctioning in the screen but when you disconnected your screen, phones default values/drivers got messed up and are unable to find the new or the old screen driver you connect.
visit XDA forum thread you can fine more info on that.
BTW is it happening when you connect charger?

Are you having any screen guards in the new screen ? Because low cost screen guards also can cause this. I had the similar issue in my Nexus 7 after applying the new screen guard.
Also other possibilities are like user2541963 mentioned , if you are having a charger that is overcharging the phone , while charging the phone wont respond.

What's a screen guard? Those films that will protect from dust, grease, etc? I don't have any. And the issue happens when there's no charger.

If you have the touchscreen gestures in the Accessibility part of your Settings on, you might be experiencing this problem. Disable touchscreen gestures, and I think it should work out fine. Enable them after you don't require them.
P.S.: I had the same problem while playing with Piano Tiles.
Thanks,
S Sandeep

A touch of screen calibrators should work out very well (eg: SGS touchscreen booster.)

I once had similar sounding behaviour when I replaced the screen on my HTC phone. It turned out that I had damaged the very delicate ribbon cable that linked the touch screen to the motherboard.

And how did you know that you had damaged the ribbon cable?

@jackbravo: By replacing it and fixing the problem.


text:
Instagram keeps sending me text messages
I turned off all my push notifications, and I still keep getting text from Instagram, e.g. when someone liked my photos or left a message. But I also keep receiving txt messages from Instagram telling me about things like whats new on instagram, or for me to check out a someone i have no interest is doing.
I still have my Instagram and like the service just want Instagram to stop txting my in the middle of the night with things I don't want to be informed with.
How can I stop them from texting me all night long?

What kind of messages are you getting? Is it when somebody likes your photo?

This looks suspiciously similar to http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/48803/instagram-notifications

I had been receiving Txt messages when someone liked my photos or left a message. But I also keep receiving txt messages from Instagram telling me about things like whats new on instagram, or for me to check out a someone i have no interest is doing. I still have my Instagram and like the service just want Instagram to stop txting my in the middle of the night with things I don't want to be informed with.

Is it really SMS ? Or is it notifications ? Notifications can often be disabled in the application settings. If it is text message, then it can be disabled in your Instagram account settings (but I have never heard of such an option for Instagram).

You should have edited that into your question, which would automatically have nominated it to be re-opened. As the reason for putting it on hold no longer stands, chances are good it will be opened again. Just as a hint for a possible "next time" -- I just did that for you on this question.

If you're following Instagram on Twitter, either unfollow them, or "turn off" text notifications on Twitter

I had this same issue. Turning off all notifications in Instagram didn't help - this is actually a twitter notification from following instagram on twitter.

Open Instagram... Then go to "Edit Your Profile" and then delete your mobile number from your profile... Hope it helps..

Just text "stop"  to the number sending you those annoying  messages.  worked for me!

Comment from user60710 (who lacks the rep to do so): texting "stop" was the answer. This was a twitter notification from following instagram. Shutting off notifications in twitter didn't work but replying stop did the job! Thank you! Even my teenage kids couldn't help!


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Hide contacts from Contacts, but still have them appear when the contact calls
There are some contacts I almost never dial, and never wanna dial, but I still don't want them to show up as unknown when they call me. Otherwise I could just put them in a group and hide them.
Would it be possible to just hide them but let call manager or whatever handles the incoming call still display their detail? (or is that too much having my cake and eating it too?)

Here is the way I used to do it (make sure all of your contacts are backed up to Google):

Delete all non google contacts.
Add contacts to phone that you don't want to appear.
Delete the contacts from Google that you just added to your phone.
In you contact book:

Menu Button > Contacts to Display > Google Only

Now your contact book will only show your Google contacts, but your phone contacts will show up if the person calls you. This is a little inconvienent if you like to use both your google and phone contacts for different things.
NOTE: this process can be reversed to get the opposite effect (store main contacts on phone, store contacts of people you don't want to see on Google).

I'm testing and it seems just hiding the contacts from "Contacts to Display" setting works too. I hid everything so Contacts appeared blank but calls and messages are assigned names according to "hidden" contacts. Awesome.


text:
Taking raw photos using Android devices
I have a Samsung Galaxy S4. Is there a way in Android or an app that can take raw photos? I.e. have the raw camera data to process in a program like Photoshop. I am using Android 4.2.2.

Related: RAW camera and Lollipop

NO, there is no public API that allows developers to create camera apps that takes raw photos. Based on what I've read in dpreview.com, implementation would have to be at driver level, and specific to each device.
Also, raw files taken by camera phones would also look nasty.

Thanks for the information. Quite an education and a disappointment. While majority of phone would look nasty there are some newer models like the Nokia EOS (I know, not an android phone) and the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom that take nice photos.

@Lynda Yes, I think think some Nokia phones support raw format (DNG).

@geffchang Not yet, but they will. Check here: http://www.engadget.com/2013/10/22/nokia-bringing-raw-imaging-lumia-1520-and-1020/

Look at my answer

Now it's possible to take raw photos on some Lollipop devices, like Nexus 6 and 5, among others.
Why is this possible? Because Lollipop includes a lot of new APIs to work with the camera (Camera APIs v2), so any developer today can use them and take the most of the device camera.
Nowadays, Camera FV-5 is the best app to do this (although it is compatible with older versions of Android, raw format only works on Lollipop devices). You can try it or buy it.
Note: Raw capture only works on paid version.
This is another useful link!


text:
Move App to SD in Jelly Bean
There is no option in Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8, Android version 4.2.2 as "Move to SD Card" in Application Manager.

The other way of doing this is more simpler, the blog which was where I learnt this from.
adb shell pm getInstallLocation, the value returned is 0 is default.

0 is Auto, will by default Android OS will install it as it sees best.
1 is Internal, apps will get installed to the internal filesystem.
2 is External, apps will get installed to the external filesystem, by way of SD Card.

Now, to change that to external location
adb shell pm setInstallLocation 2, the changes will persist across reboots and any apps will get installed to the SDCard by default.
Beware: I am unaware if this will work in the newer later versions of Jellybean. As the latest I have is CM 10.1 Android 4.2 so the mileage may vary.
Amendment:
As per @Izzy's comment below, the newer Jellybean version and probably will remain for later Android versions from that point onwards the commands used above are, adb shell pm get-install-location and adb shell pm set-install-location respectively in place of the older commands as highlighted above. Reference found here

Comment from Canoe (posted as answer and thus being removed): Be aware of a syntax change. On newer Android versions it's rather pm get-install-location and pm set-install-location. Reference (by Izzy): developer.android.com

@Izzy - cheers for the heads up, will fix it up! :)

Try AppMgrIII, its free, as there is no default option available.

This did not resolve http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/61108/how-do-i-get-a-samsung-galaxy-tab-3-kids-to-preference-the-sd-card

You have to root your device:
http://www.idroidspace.com/root-samsung-galaxy-mega-5-8-and-install-cwm-touch-recovery/
Then install the app in the sd memory and then (finally) you can unroot your device so to don't lose the warranty or the O.S. update


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Get offline maps in new Google Maps
Google Maps was updated last night (9-July-2013 v7.0.0). While there's a lot they added, one thing they removed was the ability to cache maps offline.
I relied on that functionality in poor-coverage areas. Is there anything I can do?

There's also this: How to use GPS/Maps without an Internet connection?

Update: Apparently there was enough of a hue and cry about it that they've added a button, although "ok maps" will still work.
Not the same as the old offline maps, but better than nothing I suppose.

Having come under fire for (mostly) removing the option to save offline maps in its new Android app, Google has pushed a new update that makes it easier for users to save local areas to their device. In a post on Google+, the company notes that its "engineering team has been working around the clock" to add a "Make this map area available offline" card inside the app, mimicking the functionality of the 'OK maps" command.

(source: The Verge)

At least I'm not the only one who regrets the removal of this feature.

The other problem with the redesign is that Google (mostly) removed the option to save offline maps — a feature that was only a year old to begin with. Power users still have a way to cache maps locally, however. Daniel Graf, director for Google Maps, tells us that the company's engineers were just as unhappy with the loss of the feature as we were, so they built an Easter egg. When you type in "OK maps" (or "okay maps") into the search box, it will save a cached version of the visible map area locally. It's not as convenient or manageable as proper offline maps, but at least it's an option — assuming you remember it's there.

(source: The Verge)

Noooo I've been using that all the time for last few months (eg). Luckily my phone hasn't pulled down the update yet.

Open Google Maps and search for the area you want to cache (or just zoom in on it).

Tap the search bar.
Type "Okay Maps" (some people report success with just "OK Maps") in the search bar.
Tap the search icon

You'll be dropped back at the maps view, and you'll see a notification that the area was copied to your clipboard or otherwise cached. Now, even offline you'll still be able to zoom down to the same level you were at on that map area.

The best free offline (Google) maps is (rmaps). First, you will need to download Mobile Atlas Creator version 1.8, which allows you to download Google Maps of anywhere and any size, on your PC. unlimited.
NOTE: Select map source (Google Maps). Zoom level (17 is good for cities). Atlas settings (format: RMaps SQLite). Then create it. Then, insall (rmaps) on phone. Copy-paste the saved maps to phone memory > rmaps > maps. Then, open rmaps > settings > user defined maps > select the maps. It works great. I have all Europe (Google Maps) saved on my phone.
Enjoy!

Not interested in installing extra stuff to do this.

...but might be helpful to someone else.

You might want to take a look at little helpers like e.g. MapsOn Free: Offline Map:

Offline GPS travel maps. Cache maps to SD card and use them when traveling without network coverage.

This one fills GMaps' map cache (at least it did before it was renamed; the current screenshots confuse me a little concerning whether that was changed, but it's certainly worth a try with the free version; if that works out, you can still decide whether to "go pro").


text:
How to change Android's primary Google account
During the "in-app purchase" I am unable to switch the Google account I would like to use for "in-app purchase".
Currently, in order to change the primary Google account on Android operating system, we have the following ways:

Perform factory reset on our devices.
Remove other Google accounts, leave only one Google account.

If we perform factory reset, we will lose all data that we have not backed up or unable to do backup. And, we have to re-install the applications that we need to use.
If we choose to remove other Google accounts from our systems and leave only one Google account, if there are applications installed from Google Play Store by using the Google account that we want to remove from our systems, then we will not be able to remove the account from the system unless we remove those applications. However, sometimes we may forgot which account we used to install an application from Google Play Store.
My question is that is there any other way to switch between the accounts?

http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/4955/how-to-change-the-account-for-android-market/4995#4995


text:
Android phone as hotspot and using wireless connection
Is it possible to make an Android phone a hotspot and make it use wireless connection?
Is there any programmatical control over DHCP?

You mean like this? Can we use an Android phone as a Wi-Fi repeater?

@Dino Velić If the question has an answer that works for you, just upvote the answer in that question. Then, we will flag this question as a duplicate. Let us know if that answer helped you.

@geffchang Dino needs a little more rep to be able to upvote unfortunately...


text:
How can I get an old version of YouTube application for Samsung Galaxy Tab 2?
How can I get an old version of the YouTube application for Samsung Galaxy Tab 2? The new update is slow and poor display.

you can try appzapk.com youtube old version

If the YouTube app came with the phone (ie is a system app), you can uninstall all updates to it. Go to the application settings page for YouTube to find the button to uninstall updates. This will roll back the app to the version that existed when the phone/rom was brand new.
On the other hand, if it isn't a system app, you'll have to go online to find an old version. And you will have to first uninstall the current version, which will remove any preferences or settings you have set.
There is no way in the current Play Store to choose the version of an app you want. The Play Store decides what version you get (usually the most recent, or the most recent available for your device/OS), and you decide if you want to install the update or not.


text:
How to associate a specific link with an app?
I'm trying to use imo messenger to access my facebook chat. I remember I've been able to do it in the past but now I can't do it anymore.
In the past, I loged on facebook through imo and then the facebook app opened, and then I could access facebook chat through Imo.
Now when I log in imo, it opens the browser with a unusual kind of link - A kind of token. How can I open this token with the facebook app? I've read some stuff about how to associate files, but I've found nothing about these token links.

It's entirely up to the app what links to handle. If the Facebook app isn't written to handle the "unusual kind of link" you describe, you can't make it handle it.

But what's the source of this information? It is so because you've never seen it happen or do you have some official reference that says so?

@GustavoBandeira Any Android developer could tell you the same thing.

Well, that's not entirely true... https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&ei=qD4PVdTAEob_8QWGuYDQBA&url=http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1609573/intercepting-links-from-the-browser-to-open-my-android-app&ved=0CCIQFjAB&usg=AFQjCNEddguEsP9-HkLGt5QRKuc6I5VSjg

@Madivad I don't understand the relevance of your link. It's explaining how the app author can open the link in their own app. As I said, this is something the app can do, but not something you can do yourself.


text:
Android lost, Gmail password changed. Can Gmail still be viewed?
I lost my Android phone today so I changed my Gmail account password.
Will whomever that finds it be able to view my offline Gmail (cached) content, even though I changed my account password?
I'm concerned because I'm not usually asked for the password and whenever I'm offline I can see the offline cached content.

Did you have a screenlock set on your device, such as a pin or pattern? That, at least, would hinder the user from immediate access.

the pin of the sim if you mean that

No, the SIM pin only is asked on power-on (or when returning from airplane mode). But didn't the account page @Google have the possibility to revoke access from specified apps/devices? If you had not already changed your password, I had recommended checking the lost-phone tag-wiki and push one of the special apps to it. That would have given you the possibility to even remotely wipe the phone. Not sure if that still works with a changed password.

A quick bit of experimentation shows that they will be able to view your cached Gmail, but will not be able to download new mail.

thank you very much for your answers. unfortunately with the Android Lost application that I tried to install yesterday the phone does not appear to register yet, probably because it is switched off.


text:
Is there a Ghostery equivalent for Firefox on Android?
I use Firefox on a smartphone with limited RAM, where Ghostery would be most useful (removing useless content). Plus I don't like being tracked anyways.
So is there an equivalent to Ghostery that supports the Android version of Firefox?

Well, there's something which should come in very close according to this page. I take it is the Ghostery addon for Firefox on Android. Then there's Ghostery for Opera, according to XDA. But no exact hits to my knowledge, sorry.

@Izzy : unfortunately firefox says it's not compatible. I tried with both stock firefox and firefox beta.

I was already afraid so. It looks suspiciously as if simply all available addons are listed in the "Android branch", whether they work on Android or not :(

Ghostery for Firefox has been reworked to enable it to work with Firefox for Android. Click the link, install and enjoy not broadcasting everything you do to everybody.

Ghostery for Firefox has not been officially released yet, you have to wait a bit until its out.

Please provide an official source for the software.

Always provide some sort of proof that you are related to the software. Even better, provide a link to the official homepage of ghostery where an interested user can download the preview version (after accepted the usual disclaimer)

Sid, Flow, Evidon is owner of Ghostery, therefore my response qualifies as official since I did include my email address there.


text:
QR code printer/reader?
I run a small business repairing computers.  Sometimes I have very similar looking computers, and shenanigans ensue if the customer labels fall off or the serial numbers I record become detached from the computer in the course of repair.
Is there an app I can use to print a qr code of plain text information about a computer/client/problem?  I believe my current printer is equipped with bluetooth, but I wouldn't be appalled if I needed to purchase a specialized printer (zebra, or whatever).

Ideally the app would also read said qr codes, but a separate reader is also not the end of the world as long as it is a common and compatible qr form.

Technically speaking, your question is off-topic (see our help-center: Can you suggest an app that does X?). Basically, any QR Code generator should be able to create such a code, and there are printing apps as well. So it should work creating the image, and "share" it with some printer app. Take a look at QR Droid for a good example QR reader/creator.

If the customer labels / serial numbers can become detached, how do you ensure that your printed QR codes do not also become detached?

Check out an app in the Play store called 'Barcode Generator / Reader'.
And here's a link on how to use it: LINK

Here is a simple example of generating and printing QR code from your android phone directly.
https://github.com/msayanece/PrintQR
Hope this helps.

Since this isn't a programming site, a link to some source code with no APK file isn't going to help out our visitors a lot.


text:
How to change System Language in Android?
I bought the HTC One from China. I have rooted it succesfully and removed all bloatwares in chinese language.
It has english language but it says "English (China)"
How can I install any other english like english(India) or english (UK)
The problem is still when someone calls me its shows some chinese charcter . Even in call logs it shows the same.
I installed the Morelocale2 but when I change ot to English India. it says NA.
But can be done? Please help. I searched on internet too but didnt find any solution for this.

Having used the 'languages' tag: did you check its most frequented questions? There you can find e.g.: Is it posible to change the locale of my device? (which might be helpful for your last question). To get rid of that Chinese remains altogether, you might need to flash a different ROM.

Thanks @Izzy. This clears that I will never able to remove that characters :(

Why? No custom ROMs for that device?

Nope . There are but I dont know how to ? This HTC model only available in China . so all roms are available on Chinese Forums. Very difficult :(.

Not having that device, I never checked. But you might want to check with Where can I find stock or custom ROMs for my Android device?

Thanks @Izzy. I am posting a new question reagrding ROM installation. Here is the link http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/48961/how-do-i-install-the-custom-rom-with-boot-img-inside


text:
AFWall+ is not blocking apps
I've used AFWall+ to block Weather Services Pro from using my data plan, but My Data Manager app still shows it in the top 3 of data plan use.  Is there some background process using data that isn't being blocked?  Is there some other way to block it from using mobile data but still work on Wi-Fi?
HTC Vision/G2 with CM7.2.0 Android 2.3.7
Update: I found an FAQ:

How do I know if my phone supports iptables?
Issue the following command in ADB shell or in Terminal Emulator:
iptables -L -t nat

$ su
# iptables -L -t nat
Chain PREROUTING (policy ACCEPT)
target     prot opt source               destination

Chain OUTPUT (policy ACCEPT)
target     prot opt source               destination

Chain POSTROUTING (policy ACCEPT)
target     prot opt source               destination

Is that correct?
Also this might be the issue, though I don't know how to prove it or troubleshoot it:

AFWall+ does not work under CM 7.x, how can i fix this?
CM 7.x uses old version of iptables which has conflict with AFWall+ built-in iptables. As a workaround you can try to update your iptables to the latest version. But it should work without it. Contact developer/raise an issue on github.

Also, I enabled the "Fix Startup Data Leak" option, and after a reboot, nothing could access the internet at all; it could connect to Wi-Fi but the icon was white indicating no internet connection.  Then I went into AFWall and pressed Apply, and stuff started to work.  Now I can block Browser and when I try to load things in the browser it says "Web page not available" as expected.  So maybe it's working now?
Also firewall log is no longer empty:
AppID : 10080
Application Name: Weather Services PRO
Total Packets Blocked: 348
107.23.165.43(40)
74.125.29.95(16)
54.236.89.222(40)
173.194.74.95(4)
54.236.118.224(40)
195.210.29.5(40)
54.236.161.75(40)
157.249.32.164(48)
54.236.175.13(40)
54.236.179.252(40)

---------
AppID : 10167
Application Name: Facebook
Total Packets Blocked: 26
69.171.235.80(6)
173.252.103.16(2)
69.171.242.30(18)

---------

So I think that fixed it.  Weather app says "request timed out" and Facebook says "Network Error", but Gmail etc still work.  :D  If it works over the next few days I'll move this into an answer.

Have you checked if it accessed your data plan recently? If it was a "heavy eater", the top-3 placing could still be because of older, pre-blocking actions. Also, doesn't AFWall+ offer a logging function? Have you checked there for entries whether access was blocked?

@Izzy: Yeah, it still shows up on daily listings as one of the highest users.  Don't know about logging function, I'll look into it.

According to its playstore description, AFWall+ includes a Rules/Logs Viewer. From its screenshots, it looks like you should be able to access it via the "menu" ("|") as Firewall Logs.

@Izzy: Yes I see it but it was not enabled so the log is empty.  I'll see what it says in the future.

Please don't forget to come back then and let us know :)

@Izzy: Uhhh....  "Log is empty", even after downloading stuff in several apps.  AFWall+ says it's enabled, and has these apps blocked.

That's strange. As I don't use the app myself, I'm out of ideas -- but I'd say contact the dev and ask for advice (you could send a link to this question along for reference).

@Izzy: I contacted them first and didn't get a response, but thanks for being helpful about an app you don't even use :)

Sorry to hear that! Hopefully we have some AFWall+ users around who might shed some light. I try my best to help, but have some limits sometimes :) One last hint: try utilizing logcat (see e.g. How can I view and examine the Android log? for details) to see what's going on.

Perhaps post an issue there with AFWall on Github? It does not seem to work well with GB 2.3.7 - am trying to incorporate this into my ROM and its failing with weirdness.... just saying...

Actually....  after each reboot the internet is broken again, and I have to go into AFWall and press Apply to get it to work.  That's repeatable enough that I will file a bug.


text:
Enable SMS count on galaxy s3 lock screen?
When I first got my galaxy the at the lock screen I could see an icon with a count of unread text messages on the right side of the screen, but now it has disappeared and I did not see any settings for it in the lock screen menu under settings.  Is there a solution to this or was this the result of an update?

Hey man you can use this.
Notification LockScreen Widget (available for free in the Google Play store).
It gives following features.

View all dismissible notifications including missed calls, SMS, Facebook notifications, Gmail, etc.
Launch the app directly from the notifications list.
Combine multiple similar notifications into one notification with
counter.
Allow full original notification content as it appears on
notifications bar.

I will be downloading that and giving it a shot, thanks!


text:
My new Android device not showing up in Google Play
I had a Intex iBuddy Connect (Tablet) linked with my Google account.
Later on I purchased an new Android device (a XOLO Q700). I logged into Google Play from my device and I am able install apps to the new device.
But when I log in to Google Play from my laptop and hit install the list does not show my new device. Only my old device is listed in the list of devices.
What would be the issue in linking my device with my account?

Related: One device does not show on Google Play / Google Play says “You don't have any devices”

It may take sometime to your device to show up on the list... Do you already have downloaded an application ?

Be patient, it can take a while for your device to show on there

what is a while? a while is very relative

One of my devices is not showing in play.google.com for two months

over a year and still nothing

I had a similar issue (new device can install from Google Play, but from the website it wasn't being shown as a device under my Settings).
What I had to do was to go into Settings/Apps/Google Play on the device and then clear the data. Once that is done, when you next launch Play, it will ask you to accept the terms and conditions. Then I just downloaded an app (any app will do) on the device. This seems to alert the web settings that there's another device.
I then checked my settings on the Play website and the device was now listed (no delay, it was there straight away). Note that I never logged out of the Browser, or cleared any browser caches etc. Effectively the step are:

Clear the Google Play app cache on the Android device.
Start Play and accept T&Cs
Download any app from inside the Play app.

Hopefully this will work for others too.

This method works!

This is a bit unclear because there are several entries named Google Play in the app list. What worked for me is: Cleared the Google Play Store app completely (force stop, clear cache, clear data) and then go on to steps 2 and 3.

Have you tried singing out on both pc and device google (ever stuff) accounts then history / catch erase

Un sync old device from the gmail address via your google dashboard settings
then on device delete and re associate new device by add account on sign
even though the device is new AND listed as compatible you may need to go to 'market' to download 'google PLAY' app. yes i no sounds silly but true story..
go into device settings -- to applications and sync ---into device accounts / add account---ensure weather or not the data background is on
if it is green or  enabled  try this
back out to network n wifi  and go to AIRPLANE MODE enable then disable
Remember upon completion -- to ENABLE SYNC or turn on sync Across Platforms .............
the only reference to the suggestions above is personal experience ... first 1 should work tho
Good luck ;-)


text:
Will rooting or flashing relock my unlocked Android device?
I bought an Haier w718 online from China. It is unlocked but they didn't put Google Play on it. If I root it or flash it will that relock the phone?

No, since it is factory unlocked, nothing will ever relock your phone.

Technically, it seems to be possible an update really does re-lock the boot loader, as it currently seems to happen to Galaxy S4 users on AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon. But it's unlikely to happen with custom ROMs.

Yes, but the Galaxy S4 is not sold unlocked. Here it is a smartphone that comes pre-unlocked (like many chinese devices)

Back in the days of the ZTE Blade there was a ROM that [sim] unlocked the handset, flashing another rom would remove that unlock, but like @Shywim says if it is factory unlocked it is unlikely that flashing another ROM will lock it and like @Izzy says it is also unlikely to happen in a custom rom


text:
Is it possible to see numbers I typed in previous call?
Here's the thing, someone called me today and during the call I pressed a few numbers, then the call ended before I could save them somewhere. Is it possible to find them somewhere?

Yes you can do it by using this Number Saver App.
App description is as follows:

Save a number while you're in a phone call, and dial it right after.
Access during call from notification bar, or from app icon
To pull notification bar in the call screen, press HOME first (Android limitation)
The app has two modes for number or note:

Save it to the clipboard (which later you can 'paste' it wherever you like)
Save it in the internal app memory
On both you can later access the last saved number or note and create a contact, dial or SMS.

But this works only for calls after you installed the apps, not for past calls ?

Yes. You just dialed those number, but never saved to clipboard/anything. So it got cleared.


text:
Google Play deducted extra Rupee 50 after first-time Play Store purchase of an App/Game. Why is that?
Today I bought Temple Run: Oz from Google Play. When I filled all the credentials in to pay rupee 53.18 for this application then it automatically deducted rupee 50.00 from my credit card and after submitting it again deducted rupee 53.18 from the credit card. But the original price of this game is rupee 53.18, why did the extra rupee 50.00 deduction happen?
How can I get this money back?
Is buying an application on Google Play not secure?

Buying from Google Play is 'secure' in the sense that the transaction is encrypted, no one should be able to find out your details. It's also 'secure' in the sense Google are a trusted company, they're not trying to deliberately rip you off.

Don't worry Vinit, one of the standard way for payment gateways (including Google Checkout and PayPal, PaisaPay etc) to validate your account is by deducting a small amount (typically 1 USD or  an approximate equivalent 50 INR) and returning it in next few days.
Please wait for few days and while doing so, please observe for any reversal of 50 INR. If you see a credit to your payment account then all fall in order.

Confirmed. I've heard this a couple of times already. Usually you should have your money back within between 7 and 30 days (it also depends on the credit card company's processing). Never heard of a case where it was not refunded.

paypal deduct 1$ but still not got my money back ,

With my experience PayPal, I have seen the reversal for my account. Probably it might take some time. I also stumbled on this Q&A which concurs with my view.


text:
Complete incremental phone sync
I have two samsung galaxy s2 models and I want them to sync with each other completely, either over wifi or usb. I usually only use one at a time. Is it possible or is there an app already for that?

What is it you want to sync? What problem are you trying to solve?

also: are your devices rooted?

I want to sync all the settings and app data for each phone. basically i want mirror images of my phones. no my phones are not rooted.


text:
How do I install the custom ROM with boot.img inside?
I have found a custom ROM in Chinese forums for mY HTC ONE SU (t528w) model.
The ROM is zipped and the folders look like below image

I have no idea to install this ROM. Could anybody please guide me to install this. I dont know how and where to place the boot.img. I have successfully unlocked my bootloader and mobile is rooted too.
Thanks

You don't want to open it and look at it.  You may want to flash the entire zip file using the appropriate PC software for your device, or possibly from your device's Recovery.  I am not familiar with HTC devices unfortunately so I can't give you specifics.

Please check the place where you downloaded the ROM from, it usually contains installation instructions. In most cases, these ROMs use the update.zip mechanism of the recovery mode, as Matthew mentioned. You might need a custom recovery (see clockworkmod and twrp and their tag-wikis, clockworkmod resp. twrp, for examples).
The process then usually is as follows:

copy the .zip to your SDCard
boot into recovery-mode
select to "apply update from SDCard"
navigate to and select your .zip
let it flash
go back to the main menu and select to "reboot device"


text:
Motorola RAZR D3 move application to memory SD
I'm trying to move the apps that I have installed in the internal memory of the smartphone but I can't because the programs that I'm using say:

The device does not have a real primary external storage, or the primary external storage is emulated.
Moving app to SD function cannot be supported by this device

I'm using AppMgr II and App2SD and both says some similar.
How can I move the apps?

The very same issue is described with What should I do now to move apps to SD in my Samsung Galaxy S Duos (ICS)? You might want to try the solutions offered there -- and please report back if they can be applied to your device as well, and whether they solved your issue. Thanks!

I reply to the answer, it's seem that (for now) the only solution it's to roor the device and the install some app like "GL to SD"

Root the device (in this case the razr d3)
Install the application (a game i.e.) in the memory SD.
Unroot the device (to have the last update of the S.O., i don't have find how to unroot an razr d3)

I don't have test this solution but maybe in a few weeks i will try it :)
Links:
http://youtu.be/3WZBb4W0-ds how to root D1 and D3 device.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JA8TKNWTEk how to use GL to SD (root)
Well, basicly the problem is that we will avoid the warranty of the mobile.

Enrique, could you please include an abstract with your answer? If those links die, it would become "useless" otherwise. Thanks a lot!


text:
WCDMA only option in Jelly bean devices
Earlier versions of Android did have this "WCDMA only" option for connecting to cellular network. However with Jelly bean there's none.
Its really frustrating especially when the Android OS keeps on connecting to 2G where in the same spot 3G is very much available.
Is there a way to force WCDMA only with Jelly Bean, I've tried *#*#4636#*#* but nothing happened.
Update:
I'm using Android 4.1.1

I have the option on my phone... Sony Xperia SP 4.1.2

It might help to specify which device, ROM, and Android-Version (there are multiple Jelly-Bean-versions from 4.1 to 4.3) you are using.


text:
I think that I may have been a victim of a malicious mms
I have a Sidekick 4g running Android 2.2.1.
I just received a multimedia message from an acquaintance who I happened to have in my contact list. I clicked on the notification which sent me to something that looked like a twitter login screen and then it went away and went to my home screen. I immediately turned my phone on airplane mode (in case my phone was just turned into a spam machine) and went to my messages to look at the message again, but it was gone which gives me even more fear that my phone is infected with something.
Is there a known vulnerability in android that can infect my phone without any action on my part other than viewing a message? If so, how can I eradicate it?
Edit
I do have unknown sources turned on.  I downloaded a permissions-checker app and have nothing unusual requesting to send mms, but is only beneficial if it is not a 0-day. I checked my t-mobile account and it said that I have only sent one sms this month.
TL;DR
Received mms, think my phone is now infected w/ trojan.

Are you sure it isn't some kind of Push ad ? (airpush, ...)

It was from a contact in my contact list, so I doubt it. Where would one go to see previous push ads?

Perhaps the MMS contained a linky, did you tap on the linky, then backed out, and it auto-wiped the MMS... Have you spoken to your acquaintence and asked about if they have sent you the MMS?

Very unlikely. Do you have "Unknown sources" turned on?

To eliminate all doubt, send over the logcat and paste it into your question.

I had the same issue with somebody on my contact list sending me an MMS that ended up auto-extracting spyware on my phone. Long story short he was able to hear all of my calls, see all of my texts, basically was able to remotely control my phone. I would suggest a factory reset of your phone and turning your MMS auto-retrieval options to off (as it is on by default). Then change all of your passwords to your accounts that you've been using on your phone. It's a hassle but when this happened to me, I got a new phone and somehow the same symptoms carried over until I changed all of my passwords. Even now I still feel that my new phone is compromised as sometimes it will get hot for no reason or drain a lot of battery for no reason. However, it's much better than before where I would notice videos and pictures being taken remotely and once I was trying to take a selfie with a friend and my phone literally turned off by itself without a warning. I've added AV software but that didn't seem to help much. At this point use your common sense, and don't install anything from a shady third-party source. Hope this helps.


text:
How to disable system apps, or controll which apps launch automatically?
I've been having this problem where the Navigation app launches every 10 or so seconds.
I've heard this is because some pins are short-circuited.
I've tried to install 2 apps that should make this problem go away, but so far nothing worked.
I'm left with trying to control the lifecycle of these apps. They are system apps however, and I can't uninstall them.
Is there any possibility for me to hack my Android a little bit and disable the threads that control these apps?
I'm talking about a HTC Desire HD, 2.3.5. Android version

How can I stop applications and services from running?

How can I deal with unwanted system applications without rooting?

If you have a hardware issue I don't see how an app or setting is going to help you with that.

Does the navigation app have any advanced preferences? It's possible there's an option in there to not open up, even if it 'detects' that you have docked.

@StephenSchrauger no advanced options that i am aware of

Aside from rooting (temporarily or permanently), you can't disable the system apps prior to Android 4. Your particular case may have a ray of hope, though.
Alternate app responding to Intent
If the navigation app is responding to an Intent, you could try to find a different app that responds to the same Intent. You'd get a pop-up to choose which app to open when the pins short and the Phone thinks it has been docked.
Alternate app that can do nothing
Ideally, you could find an app that responded to that Intent and did nothing as a result. Then set that as the default handler.
Task killer
Another possible option is to use a task killer (a rare good usage of such an app). There should be some that have the option of killing an app as soon as it starts; if not, the free app Llama can do that, as can other automation apps like Tasker.
Rooting
If none of the above work, you may want to root your phone. This will let you uninstall (or simply freeze) the navigation app so that it doesn't open up.
Fix/replace hardware
The last resort, and probably most useful, is, of course, fixing/replacing the hardware.


text:
Music playback stops randomly
I have bought the Xperia ZQ (Xperia ZL's alias in Brazil) C6503. I am experiencing a very annoying problem: from time to time the audio playback in any audio app just stops. If I hit play again it will resume normally but I still need to tap the play button which can be a pain specially while driving. I can't remember when this started but I think it is from the first time I tried to play any audio on it.
I think it is an issue with 'Audio Focus' since the playback pauses and will resume gently from where it stopped if I hit the play (or unpause) button.
I used adb logcat to register the events logged by the OS while listening to music. When it happened I checked the log and found these lines (which I think represent the moment it stopped playing):
D/PowerManagerService( 581): acquireWakeLock flags=0x1 tag=NetworkStats
D/ConnectivityService( 581): Actual State: DefaultConnectivityState, Current State:DefaultConnectivityState.processMessage what=113
D/ConnectivityService( 581): Actual State: DefaultConnectivityState, Current State: DefaultConnectivityState.processMessage what=113
D/PowerManagerService( 581): releaseWakeLock flags=0x1 tag=NetworkStats
D/PowerManagerService( 581): releaseWakeLock flags=0x1 tag=AlarmManager
I/AudioService( 581): Remote Control registerMediaButtonIntent() for PendingIntent{441a9fa0: PendingIntentRecord{441adea8 deezer.android.app broadcastIntent}}
I/AudioService( 581): Remote Control registerMediaButtonIntent() for PendingIntent{42519fe8: PendingIntentRecord{441adea8 deezer.android.app broadcastIntent}}
I/AudioService( 581): AudioFocus requestAudioFocus() from android.media.AudioManager@426dc7a0gu@42659da8
D/@ AudioController(17666): AUDIOFOCUS_LOSS
D/@ AudioController(17666): Pause requested.
D/PowerManagerService( 581): releaseWakeLock flags=0x20000001 tag=android.media.MediaPlayer
I/AudioService( 581): AudioFocus abandonAudioFocus() from android.media.AudioManager@42944af0com.n7p.atj@425206b0
I/AudioService( 581): AudioFocus abandonAudioFocus(): removing entry for android.media.AudioManager@42944af0com.n7p.atj@425206b0
D/PebbleWatch(17666): Sent com.getpebble.action.NOW_PLAYING for Ambitions from Dead End Kings

I was using n7 player (which I guess is com.n7p.atj@425206b0 in the log) when the playback was interrupted. I think that I/AudioService( 581): AudioFocus requestAudioFocus() from android.media.AudioManager@426dc7a0gu@42659da8 did interrupt the n7 player.
I'll try to get more events like this using other apps. Anyone have any clue on how to solve this? I thought I would find some lousy app requesting audio focus randomly but what I got here is AudioManager messing my playback... (assuming I did interpret this correctly).
Thanks in advance for any help.
Some information about my system:
Android: 4.1.2
Phone model: C6503
baseband model: 9x15A-ACEFWMAZQ-30110017-11
Kernel: 3.4.0-g298631f-02021-gc1b7814
Version: 10.1.A.1.434

This is probably not going to be super helpful, but when I had this issue I realized that it was because I was accidentally pressing the button on my earphone cable that stops playback.  I have no idea if there were any similar messages logged.  Anyway that might help someone if they're experiencing a similar issue as a result of PEBKAC.


text:
Nexus 4 download issue
I own a nexus 4 and since then i am unable to download anything via 2g/3g.
I am able to download content only through wi-fi.
The same applies for PlayStore. I have even tried in safe mode.
I have tried to clear data of Download Manager and even Playstore but in vain
Please help.

What kind of content are you trying to download? Is it only through Google Play, or something else as well?

Any app from playstore and also general content like images,songs etc...The same can be accomplished via wi-fi.

This might be obvious, but did you pay your phone bill?

lol...I have paid..:D

I finally solved the issue. It was related to my APN. My Access Point allowed only browsing. I changed it to another access point, and it worked!


text:
What do apps designed for small screens look like on tablets?
Do they get scaled or do they just occupy part of the screen? I mean apps that were designed for 4-5" phones running on 8-10" tablets.
UPDATE: Let me give some details to better explain my question. Given the application developer has provided one layout only (for small devices) and the app is being run on a large display. Scaling may will look terrible (especially if the scale factor is in range 2-3), because it was not designed for this, so maybe a better solution is to show a smaller version of the app in the middle of the screen. Then it will look as designed, except that it will make poor usage of the available space. However, scaling it a little bit should be fine (scale factor in range 0.8-1.5), so that the app occupies entire screen. The question is what Android is doing? Does it scale the app even if it's scaled by a large factor (over 2) or will it stop at some factor and simply place smaller version of the app in the middle of the screen?

It depends on how the app was designed.  Android provides means to allow an app to choose from multiple layouts automatically depending on screen size and density, so if the designer cared to, they could provide completely different app appearances for phones and tablets to suit their app to the screen size.
Further information on the tools the developers may have used can be found here.
If they didn't do any of that, then the Screen Compatibility Mode kicks in and its behaviour depends on the version.  In version 3.1 and earlier, if the screen is larger than the app is intended for, it will occupy only part of the screen.  In 3.2 and later, it will expand to fill the screen.

please see an update to the question

It totally depends on how the developer has coded it. This can be fine if it's coded reasonably or it can be horrible if the coding is bad. Android makes it pretty easy to design for both and the new development environment they're releasing makes things even easier for developers so hopefully in future all applications should deal with phones and tablets gracefully.
An example of a badly coded app is ViewWebSource where the text blows up massively:

Screenshot (click image to enlarge)

please see an update to the question


text:
How to change the call location identifier language?
I have changed everything in my rooted HTC One SU (t528w) mobile to remove chinese characters. There is no chinese display in my mobile except one thing. When I call to anyone or gets call it shows the number location identification in Chinese.
I asked my Chinese friend to tell me what is it. He says its caller location display like India, Shanghai
How can I change this chinese in English? I am on Android 4.1.1
Thanks

Are you in China? This information might be provided by the network operator over the network, in which case it would always be Chinese.

@MichaelHampton Yes I am in China. Oh that means if I come back to India. I will get that information in english ?

@MichaelHampton I checked with the Android phone bought from India. when someone calls on that its shows location in English but in my cell its shows in Chinese. So this proves that network provider is not providing the loction. Please help me to fix this. Anyother way to fix this

It's very likely some pre-installed app. I've never seen this extended CallerID stuff on any Android device by default (it usually shows either the number, or the name if found in your contacts). Check your Settings->Apps to see if there's some Chinese CallerID app, freeze (disable) it. If you want that feature badly, just pick one of the many alternatives available on Google Play.

@Izzy This the only thing left to get change to English from my Handset. This feature is with everyhandset now. All my friends has this feature . Whenever I call them they get my call location . This was not in Android version lower than 4 I think.

@Izzy I can see one serice running in app "CallLocationProvider" This can be the service which shows up the location .Does you have the same?

@Izzy when I checked the system/app folder I see callerLocation.apk and CallerLocation.odex
How can I repleace them with engllish . Do you have the english version of this

@Izzy my Galaxy Nexus & Nexus 4 (both stock) display the origin of the caller's number whenever they aren't already in my Contacts.

@AndrewLott Do you have callerLocation.apk in system/app

You could try to disable this app (if it turns up in Settings->Apps and you can disable it there) or, if rooted, just freeze it with e.g. TitaniumBackup or some other bloatware-remover. Then simply use any CallerID app from playstore if you want that feature back. And no, I have this on none of my phones (at least I didn't notice); maybe that was added with JellyBean?


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Different contacts on multiple phones with the same google account?
I own two lines (different carriers), and one of them is currently on my Galaxy S4. I am thinking of purchasing another (open) android device to place the other SIM on. Since I have purchased apps from the Play Store, I wish to install them on the new android device as well.
Obviously, I have different contacts on each phones and I want to keep it that way. Will it be possible to have different sets of contacts under one google account?

To my knowledge, there are at least two ways to achieve this:

use a different Google Account
the most obvious variant. But probably not working for you, as you cannot transfer your payed apps to it
make use of contact groups
create appropriate groups using GMail's web interface, splitting your contacts in your preferred way. Then on each device, select to only show the corresponding group. (see also How do I sync only “My Contacts” from Google on Samsung Galaxy S? and the questions in its "Linked" section). Though in this case all contacts are synced to both devices, you can chose to only show the preferred group on each.


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Different terms in build.prop file?
Can someone please explain in detail about different properties in build.prop file present in Android OS? Location of file: /system/build.prop

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


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How to ban a incoming number on Android 2.3
How could I ban a incoming number?
What is the sequence of menu actions I should follow to get an appropriate menu if any and where to find help documentation on Android user interfaces? I have searched in the
net but I'd unable to find any.
I have android 2.3 operating system on my ARM qualcomm 7225a application processor.

Use app called Call Blocker to block incoming calls from a number.

Help you to ban/block calls from specific contacts.
white list or Black list specific numbers

Check this user guide for Ginger Bread to know about Android User Interfaces(While search for User Interfaces Google will give details about Programming UI in android applications)..
Or if you don't want to use 3rd party apps

Black List Feature
The Black list feature allows you to choose phone numbers that you don’t want to receive calls from and block them. When the black listed phone numbers tries to reach you, they will always get a busy tone.
Here’s how you can block calls on Android.
Follow these steps to blacklist phone numbers:
1.From the home screen, tap ‘Menu’.
2.Select ‘Settings’.
3.Then select ‘Call Settings’ to reach ‘Black List’.
4.Tap on ‘Black List’ option to ‘Add Phone Number’. Type the phone number        manually or insert from the contact list.
5.Click ‘ok’ and you are done.
6.You can also blacklist the phone number by selecting the contact and tapping the menu of the contact to select ‘Add to Black List’. Or else, when the number that you want to block calls you, follow the same method. You can easily remove the blocked numbers from the blacklist by going back to the list and unchecking the contact.

NOTE: This depends on ROM you are using.

I could not find the black list feature at all. here's no menu called 'Black List' in call settings.


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Can installing a modem help with the GPS of Samsung Captivate?
Like most Samsung Captivate users, I find the GPS hardware in my phone to be unsatisfactory. I have the impression that the actual GPS signal is pretty much useless and the phone (Samsung Captivate) gets location via wifi signals only.
I heard that you can flash modems to improve the GPS. They are often posted on xda-developers without much information for newbies, like here. Since I've never done it before, I thought I would ask for some information. Can I just choose a modem and install it on top of the custom ROM that I'm using? Or do I have to get a ROM that has the correct modem inside?
This is the rom that I'm currently using which works fine for my device.

I think you are misled about what modems are (by a wide margin). If I am correct, modems are hardware component and cannot be installed as you describe. Moreover, modems and GPS are two different unrelated hardware components. By the way, did you use any spell checker or translator to compose this query? ;)

Well, you obviously have not seen the usage of the word "modem" in the context that I am talking about. Please take a look here to see that the hardware component is not the only meaning that the word is being used in this context.
I'm curious, why did you ask about spell checkers or translators?

Some thing new for me to learn! I am not a native English speaker. I assumed that the word modem was a replacement suggested by a spell checker or translator software. Being a non native English speaker I had fell into many such pitfalls. No other intention other than this. :)


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tablet is not changing from landscape to portrait and vice versa
I want to test my application with  landscape to portrait but my tablet work only with landscabe and I don't know why ?

In certain tablets like my Nexus 7, the orientation can be locked. Check under Settings to see whether any such setting is preventing your tablet to change orientation (landscape <--> portrait). If other screens like the settings screen work and the app under test does not work, then it means that the app developer have constrained the orientation.

I made a reset of device and now the problem has been solved

@forsubhi If the problem is solved, add an answer to your question and accept it, so that other visitors know that you've solved the problem.

@Narayanan That looks more like an answer than a comment.

I made a reset of the device and now the problem has been solved.

In certain tablets like my Nexus 7, the orientation can be locked as seen from one of Google search result:

Check under Settings to see whether any such setting is preventing your tablet to change orientation (landscape <--> portrait). This can also be achieved quickly with a drop down from top left corner of the display. If other screens like the settings screen work and the app under test does not work, then it means that the app developer have constrained the orientation.
-- Added as an answer as Dan Hulme suggested.


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Do Apps restart after phone restart once "Force Stop" is enabled for them?
Building the question on this What does the “Force stop” button mean? , If I restart the phone , do these Background Apps get started even when ForceStop is enabled?

Force stop is a one-off action, not a thing you enable or disable. Force-stopping an app doesn't prevent it restarting any time it would normally start: when you launch it from the apps menu, or through a share action, or automatically via an alarm, broadcast, or on start-up.
The question you link to talks about whether the button is clickable (enabled) or greyed-out (disabled). That's to say, it's about under what circumstances the Force stop button is available for you to click. Force-stopping an app just stops it once, when you click the button. The only long-term effect it has is that force-stopping an app might (in rare cases) corrupt its settings files, making it behave unpredictably in future.


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Boot Animation Will Not Loop
Samsung Fascinate running CyanogenMod 10.1-20130723-Nightly.
I made a custom boot animation that works, but it plays once and does not loop. The desc.txt file has the proper formatting to loop, folder structure and zip method. I have the bootanimation.zip in two locations on the device memory: /system/media and /data/local
I have matched the permissions to the other files on both locations, however that still hasn't fixed it. Why is not looping like it's supposed to? When I restore the CyanogenMod animation it plays just fine.
UPDATE: Downloading boot animations from the XDA Forum worked just fine. I tried three. Mine are still refusing to work.

I was able to figure this out after troubleshooting.
I partitioned out my HDD and installed Ubuntu 13.04. Once completed I installed Android Tools via terminal sudo apt-get install android-tools-adb
I recreated the entire boot animation using Gimp and 7Zip and pushed it back to the device adb push /system/media/bootanimation.zip. It worked. For what ever reason creating it in Windows was not working.

Create an animation script (text) file as desc.txt with the following content:
240 320 24
p 1 0 part0

Explanation:

In first line 240 320 24, 240 320 is the device's resolution and 24 is the frames per second. Higher the number, faster the animation.
In second line p 1 0 part0, p is a code to tell it to look at new commands, 1 is the number of times the boot animation will play (0 means infinite), 0 is a code to tell it to pause. 0 means no pause, 10 means pause for 10 seconds - repeating or moving on to next line.
part0 is the foler in which your animation images are contained.

Could you please check whether fourth parameter is 0? If not set it to 0 for infinite loop.

I have no part 1. I just have a simple animation that loops and needs to be repeated.
This is what my txt file looks like:
480 480 24
p 0 0 part0

try to give looping count to 5 or 6 instead of 0. Please let me know the result

Didn't display at all. I did both power off and reboot.

I created a part zero and one. Part zero fades in and part 1 is supposed to loop. It doesn't. Part zero fades and stops. No animation.


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How to solve a softkey error?
I was on CM9 Alpha 14 for few months, suddenly my phone's softkeys stopped working and then the touchscreen stopped responding. On factory reset the device worked smoother than ever before, with everything working in proper condition for few hours. I installed stock rom xxkpe first and then now I'm on DDMF1, have rooted it. For a while it also worked fine, now touch screen is working extremely well, but softkeys(back and Option/menu) keys are not responding. Checked with key debug in recovery mode. It does not respond. Other stuffs are working fine.
Is it the touchpad? I feel like software error as it worked for a while after installing ROM. Any solutions?

Did you do a full wipe before installing DDMF1 ? If not, then there is your problem. You must always do a full wipe when you switch roms ! (Exceptions are when you switch a Cyanogenmod-based rom to another Cyanogenmod-based rom)

Yes. I did. And the issue occurred when I was using cyanogenmod.


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Wi-Fi connected but there is no internet access
I have a Samsung Galaxy S Advance (Android upgraded to 4.1.2 Jelly Bean) which I got only one month before. Wi-Fi was initially working great, but now it doesn't have any internet connection even if Wi-Fi gets connected.
The Wi-Fi gets connected to my laptop, my PC and my father's Android mobile phone, but not on my device. What might be the reason?

If you go to Settings→WiFi, is your AP listed as "connected" – or does it show something different, like trying to obtain IP address? The settings of your AP might have gotten messed up. If that's the case, long-tap the AP entry in that list, chose "remove". Switch WiFi off and on again, let it scan for available networks, and try re-adding yours. If there are any errors displayed, please [edit] your question and include the details.

You can try changing your wifi network settings from DHCP to Static and a little tweaking of DNS server addresses should work. refer this link for complete solution.
Under advance settings Change IP Settings from DHCP to Static
IP Address : Most probably your Gateway address will be 192.168.1.1 change your IP Address my changing last digit in this address use any value preferably between 2 to 20.
Change DNS1 to 8.8.8.8
Change DNS2 to 8.8.4.4

Welcome to the 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 (please [edit] your question and do so). Otherwise your question ceases to be helpful in case the link dies.

I don't know why, but DHCP wouldn't work. After factory resetting the phone and the router, my phone was the only device that wouldn't connect to the internet.
I checked the IP address and gateway and it had values that made no sense. So I changed the binding method from DHCP to static and now I can access the internet again :)

Go to wifi settings. click on the access point, remove the password, and input the password again.
If still doesn't work then follow the steps:

Go to your dialer and type *#*#4636#*#* (*#*#info#*#*)
click on wifi-info > wifi-api
then disconnect > disableNetwork -> enableNetwork

and you are good to go

soory please i didnt got you can u tell me again stepwise cause i have removed the password and put the password again but its still not working.... please tell me each and every step please

go to your dialer pad and then follow the steps written above

My father's Galaxy S Advance suddenly lost it's WiFi connectivity one day. I tried the code *#*#4636#*#* and tried to update the WiFi connection by disabling and enabling it, but that didn't work for me.
Then I came across this blog post which worked:

Turn off WiFi
Turn on the static IP option (you can find this in "Advanced Settings")
Turn on WiFi
Turn off the static IP option - make sure to tap the screen to get the "save" option for this.
Your device should establish a connection

My tablet does this too, it shows perfect WiFi connection but apps don't connect. I read in another forum that the date/time gets reset somehow, nobody can figure out how or why and Samsung is oblivious, but...
Go in and set your date/time to the correct one and voila, it connects! It will reset again eventually and you'll have to go in and do it again but it works.
I was shocked to see when I read that, that the setting was in fact at January 2012, but I did it and it worked. I also read about seeing the severity from the WPA to A..something, (AEP?) I'm not really familiar with security settings, and I couldn't find where to do it, but many people said that it corrected the problem for them. Lastly, the KIES has also worked for some, I guess turning it on with WiFi makes it connect. I have only tried the date/time setting, but they may all be connected somehow.

I had had the same problem with my GS2. I tried all the steps defined here and in other blogs... but it didn't work with my problem.
Then,
I connected my phone to another router, then reconnected it to my own router... it worked perfectly.

I also experienced same problem with my Samsung Advance for couple of days.
I rebooted my phone, reset the factory settings, removed the battery/SIM, turned ON/OFF the static IP option, but it did not work.
Last thing I did was: I clicked the KIES AIR, and clicked WI-FI. After a few moments, I got a signal to our company Wi-Fi. Try this option, and hope it will work out.

Go into your WiFi list and forget all of your remembered networks, then reconfigure them.

Why all, if only one has problems? 2) Reconfigure them would require to have them all in reach.

I had a similar problem, after a lot of struggle finally found out the issue was with the security type, changed the router`s security type from wpa2 to wep128 bits, and it worked fine :)

Wep is unsafe. It can easily be broken in a few minutes, and generally shouldn't be used anymore. It has about the same security as hiding the SSID, or using MAC address restrictions.

try to update your cellphone date and time... ^_^

While this indeed might be the culprit, would you mind to [edit] your answer, elaborate a little, and let the OP know why?

Have you tried your Wi-Fi on any other device? It could be possible that it is connecting as a remote hard drive.

Excuse me, but I've never heard that Android devices pretend to be a "WiFi harddrive". The WiFi AP obviously works for at least 3 other devices (as the OP describes in the question). The only point left is to try the Galaxy S on a different AP, correct. But that has nothing to do with "remote harddrives".

sometimes you can have a router hooked up as a remote data server, with wireless conectivity, but no inernet

While that might be, how then would you explain the other mentioned devices being able to connect without issues?

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


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Photos and chat histories on whatsapp
I was using whatsapp on my iphone, then I deleted the application without deactivating the account or something, now if I put the SIM card on another mobile and install the Whatsapp application on it, the chat histories and photos shared before will appear on the other phone too ?

Simply the answer would be NO.
According to Whatsapp FAQ, Your WhatsApp chat history is not stored on their servers
But, There are certain things you can do to save your chat history.

Make back-ups of your WhatsApp conversations
If your WhatsApp conversations are important to you, it's a good idea to make backups of them so you don't lose them if there's a problem with the app. To do this, go to the Settings menu, choose 'Chat preferences' then click on the Chat history backup option.

Chat preferences (click image for larger variant)
Email the conversationsYou can send an entire conversation history from WhatsApp via email. In Android, click on the Menu option in a conversation (it's on the bottom-right of the screen), go to 'More' and select 'Email Conversation', before entering the address of the recipient. WhatsApp will create an email with the whole text conversation, including any pictures, voice or video clips.

Additionally, SMS Backup+ recently added WhatsApp backup to a Gmail folder as an option.


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Seesmic Twitter image upload problem
So I started using Seesmic application to post on FaceBook and Twitter, but I have problem when uploading images in Twitter statuses.
If I use yfrog.com as service for uploading images in the settings, it uploads ok and adds the link. No problem.
But I don't like using yfrog because official twitter doesn't show the image normally if it isn't uploaded on official Twitter servers...
So I want to use the option Twitter or Twitpic for the image upload, but when I try to sent tweet with image using this settings it fails with this error:
"Cannot update status
The service provider cannot be reached. Please retry later."
So I try to Retry later.. but still won't work.
Anyone with same problem or solution? I tried Googling, but nothing helpful. Or is there any small app for twitter + facebook with official twitter image uploading that you would recommend?


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how to install gapps on xperia ray with previously installed cyanogenmod 10
I have installed cm 10 on xperia ray, but unfortunately forgot to install Google apps. Can anyone explain how can i install Google apps now?
Thanks

Use goo.im to select the appropriate GApps for your CM10 and install it via CWM. Just noticed the answer below, highlight the linky by mouse hovering and it will take you there.... ahem :P

You can install Google Apps any time you want. You can download a gapps package from here (pick the one corresponding to your CyanogenMod version). Then flash it like you did for CM10 (no need to wipe anything).

just download a gapps package from here? How?

From here ->  from a forum like XDA

Maybe "there" is better...

maybe... Maybe here with a specific link would be even better :)

Yepp. And make sure to pick the right ones, as they depend on the Android version used.


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Samsung Galaxy s3 still vibrating when getting notification, even though I'm on silent mode
I have Samsung Galaxy S3 GT-I9300.
When I put it on silent mode, when I get a notification from Facebook, Facebook Messenger and GMail, or any other notification, it's still vibrating. This is very annoying when I'm in the classroom, for example.
Is there any option to completely disable vibration on silent mode?

In settings -> Sound, don't you have an options like "Vibrate" or "Silent Mode" ?

@Shywim I can totally turn off vibration, but I want to disable only in silent mode ..

i did both stips and they work perfectly really thank you so much you were helpful

This is for Galaxy Nexus, but if you long press the power button, it should create a prompt that allows you to switch between Silent Mode, Vibrate Mode, and Sound Mode.

Yes, the S3 has similar options on its power-button dialog.

You can't put the device in silent mode using the volume hard keys. Presumably the designers thought it was more commonplace to set the device to vibrate only.
To make the S III completely silent, pull down the notification panel, tap the Sound shortcut at the top to switch it to Vibrate, then tap it again to switch it to Mute. (A third tap sets it back to *Sound.)
If you've removed that shortcut from the notification panel, you can add it again. Open the Settings app, click Display, then Notification panel. There you can long-tap to pick up Sound from the Available buttons list, and drop it in Notification panel.

This is exuactly the issue: I'm on mute mode (as you said to do), but it's still vibrate.

I just turned off the vibration intensity for notifications.
See:

Settings > Sounds > Vibration Intensity > Notification

worked for me ;)


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Set Chrome to use desktop version of website
How can you get Chrome to always use the desktop version of websites?  I am on a Jelly Bean tablet and I can't see any reason to use the mobile versions at all.

From the menu? The checkbox that says 'Request desktop site'.

Are you asking about SO or your own website?

@MorrisonChang I think you should add that as an answer, instead of a comment. :)

You could try adding a chrome-command-line file which causes chrome to load sites in desktop mode by default. The only way to stop this however, is to remove the file.
See here
Or you could install the Chrome UA Switcher app although this requires root access so may not be suitable if you're not rooted.


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Android 4.1 with Bluetooth keyboard
Do I need to install an application to use a Bluetooth keyboard with an Android 4.1.2 phone?
I am using a Droid Bionic and with an Anker K1280C keyboard ( an Apple keyboard clone). I can pair the phone with the keyboard, but the Bluetooth keyboard does not show up in the input method selection list.
I have tried a few applications which do expose a keyboard in the input methods list and connect to the Bluetooth keyboard (BlueKeyboard JP and Blue Input). They allow most of the keys to work, but the key map is not completely correct.
I am under the impression that Android 4.0 should not need an special applications to use a keyboard. Is this correct?

Normally, Android shouldn't need a separate app for that, you're quite correct with that. And normally, it doesn't. But sometimes a little trouble may arise with specific combinations, like e.g. keyboards having a weird layout.
As you write you've got the keyboard basically working, just the layout is screwed: I recommend you taking a look at External Keyboard Helper, which lets you adjust a lot of things to your needs, amongst others the keyboard layout. Though I never used it myself, I already recommended it with a similar question -- and no, I'm in no way affiliated with this app :)

Thanks Izzy. I tried External Keyboard Helper, but it only works if the keyboard is already working, so it is not quite what I need. However you have  confirmed that it should work, which answers my question.

Too me that looks like it's a fault on the keyboard's side (incorrect handling of Bluetooth commands or the like). I'd contact the vendor/manufacturer, maybe they can provide a kind of "firmware upgrade" or replace the keyboard with a different model.

Good point. I will give that try.

Found a possible solution from Android Central questions give it a shot.
Specifically, this post says to do the following:

When pairing the keyboard with your device, it will prompt you to
  enter a pin and say "try 0000 or 1234." You need to:
Step 1) enter "0000" on your android device (tablet or phone
  keyboard) Step 2) hit "okay" Step 3) type "0000" and hit enter
  on your BLUETOOTH keyboard

Josh wrote he can pair the device, and even use it somehow (except for the keyboard layout being a little screwed), so pairing shouldn't be the issue IMHO (that question on Android Central is I can't pair a Bluetooth Keyboard...).

Thanks Tirath, Izzy is correct though. I can pair the keyboard, I just cannot select it as an input method, so I cannot use it.


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How do I clear the settings of a built in app in Cyanogenmod 9 (ICS)?
I just updated my phone (Galaxy S2) to the latest stable version of Cyanogen, and I can't set any alarms in the default clock app.  When I try to go to the screen to set the alarms, the app just crashes.  Past experience tells me the solution is the clear the app data/cache, but the problem is that the app doesn't show up in the apps list in the settings.
How am I supposed to clear these settings?

The UI is a little different than before, and instead of the tabs all fitting on the screen, you have to scroll to the left or right to see some of them instead.  The "All" tab in the apps menu is off to the right of the screen.  Simply pull the tabs left, and the "All" tab will be shown.  From there, it's the same as always for clearing app data.


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Toggling USB mass storage on (or off) via adb commands
Background: I have a USB stick Android device (e.g. RikoMagic) which I mostly run in "headless" mode. Among other things, I've already figured out how to shut it down via a combination of adb and the internal "am" command:
adb shell am start -n android/com.android.server.ShutdownActivity

I'm now trying to figure out how to turn USB mass storage support on and off. I've got as far as having the USB storage activity window pop up via the following command:
adb shell am start -n com.android.systemui/.usb.UsbStorageActivity

Unfortunately I haven't been able to figure out how to send the equivalent "intent" to actually "unmount" or "unshare" the shared volume (or "mount" or "share" it for that matter). The following command does nothing:
adb shell am start -n com.android.systemui/.usb.UsbStorageActivity -a android.intent.action.MEDIA_UNSHARED file:///mnt/sdcard

What am I doing wrong? What's the magic incantation to mount/unmount the internal storage of an Android device?
Note 1: I know there's the obvious Linux "mount"/"umount" command. However, simply mounting or unmounting the volume won't trigger system functions vital to, for example, restarting or stopping apps that have been moved to the SD card. A "umount" will probably fail anyway when an app in the SD card is still active.
Note 2: Apparently there's a "setprop" command that can enable/disable USB mass storage support UNTIL the next reboot. Again, this all or nothing approach isn't what I'm looking for but the ability to toggle USB mass storage on and off during a single session, as can be done by the touch interface.
adb shell setprop sys.usb.config mass_storage

A very well researched question, wish I could upvote it twice! Thanks for your efforts and sharing those helpful and already working commands! Exemplary :) Crossing fingers someone can come up with the missing piece, as that would be useful indeed!

possible duplicate of Trigger "mount as disk drive" (aka "USB Mass Storage" mode) from PC

Alas, the UsbStorageActivity doesn't use an intent to enable and disable USB mass storage, so there's no way to achieve this using am. It instead calls the functions StorageManager.enableUsbMassStorage and `StorageManager.disableUsbMassStorage to do its work. As these functions are hidden in the framework, it's not possible to write an app to do this, either. As far as I know, there's no existing command to do this.
It might be possible to write an app that offers a command-line interface and uses the bound system service MountService to call its setUsbMassStorageEnabled function, but that would be way off-topic for this site.

But what exactly happens when I tap on the "Turn on USB storage" button? Why isn't it possible to achieve the effect of this button press even when you go to the extreme of writing a whole new app? Wouldn't a more intelligent variant of the "monkey" utility do the trick?

I've explained that in my answer: it calls the functions I mentioned, which in turn call into a system service, and the system service does all the work. For more detail you'll have to read the source. You can't even use monkey to click the button, as the code has an explicit check for that, to stop tests accidentally unmounting storage.

You could try the service CLI tool which can call system service methods.

I tried the "StorageManager.enableUsbMassStorage" and the "StorageManager.disableUsbMassStorage" to enable and disable the mass storage and its works.

Thanks.

That methods are private method. So, If you want to use them, You shoud do it by reflection.
To get that Storage Manager, you might use  getSystemService(java.lang.String) method that included in the activities:
 StorageManager storage = (StorageManager)getApplicationContext().getSystemService(STORAGE_SERVICE);
 Method method = storage.getClass().getDeclaredMethod("enableUsbMassStorage");
 method.setAccessible(true);
 Object r = method.invoke(storage);

And to disble mass storage:
StorageManager storage = (StorageManager) getApplicationContext().getSystemService(STORAGE_SERVICE);
Method method = storage.getClass().getDeclaredMethod("disbleUsbMassStorage");
method.setAccessible(true);
Object r = method.invoke(storage);

Amir Brand- I have tried to use this method but i am not able to disable my usb storage. Is it working with you ? if yes ,can you please help me out .thanks

Hi Khanna
Sure. No problem. Please send me mail to netmir2002@gmail.com with the problem and I will try to find the solution.