text:
Since the worsening in Android, many apps do not work more; is there a workaround (Android 12 on Galaxy 10+)?
The various apps show a preparing window saying, like, Permissions are to be granted in the next window (examples), do grant permissions by ...
[See my first screenshot].
Then the app switches to Android. Then there appears a window of a file manager. It has no name, no information where it comes from. I suppose that is what is often called "Android's internal file picker". This file manager is offered in many different cases but is not usable, it has two failures:

The one is that the listed files are not shown with their full names. Thus I cannot discriminate between the files. And their timestamp is needed with full time, but it is missing.
[See my second screenshot].

The other failure is that the needed permissions for the storage device cannot be given.

[See my third screenshot as an example of the plugged-in SD card].
A popup window is placed just over the lines of the SD card data. Saying:

This folder cannot be used, create a new folder.

What does this crazy advice mean?
I am about to continue my work with the SD card, but I should choose another storage device.

I cannot include pctures, have never done before. In /storage/emulated/0 -> pictures -> screenshots are .jpg. I can select on and choose "copy to clipboard" in filemanager X-plore. But in your form I can click the picture icon. Then a window ooens with a light blue button. If I click  in this button, nothing happens. Regards.

In your question you mention screenshots but these are missing. You should be able to select a screenshot file by clicking on Browse in the Stackexchange image helper available in the toolbar of the question editor. https://meta.stackexchange.com/q/75491/169461


text:
Remotely power on Android for finding the device
Can an Android be powered on remotely? My intent is to find my phone if it's turned off.

Related/duplicate from older Q&A: Is there way to remotely turn on your Android phone?

Android itself does not provide any functionality to automatically boot itself (except from a simple reboot directly after shutdown).
Some manufacturer modify Android to provide scheduled power on, but the scheduled power-on times have to be configured in the device before power down.
But a remotely initiated boot is impossible, because how would you tell Android to boot? Wifi is powered off, Bluetooth is off, only on some phone USB is active even when powered off (e.g. MTK SoC based devices).

It might be possible in the (near) future, but as you stated it is not possible currently. https://www.androidauthority.com/pixel-find-my-device-powered-off-3365389/

@ReddyLutonadio Yes, that would solve the problem, but not answer the question as the question is about power on the phone remotely.

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


text:
How can I check that files match a list of MD5 checksums on Android?
I downloaded a large number of files via magnet:?xt=urn:btih:5f96d43576e3d386c9ba65b883210a393b68210e&tr=https%3A%2F%2Facademictorrents.com%2Fannounce.php&tr=udp%3A%2F%2Ftracker.coppersurfer.tk%3A6969&tr=udp%3A%2F%2Ftracker.opentrackr.org%3A1337%2Fannounce (Apache 2.0 license) and LibreTorrent (GPL-3.0 license).
A file lists MD5 checksums:
ea5774684fe8af0c8dbc73f0587b3ed3  ./tensor00251_000
5e5ac7153ade3bc0258ea8909b411aef  ./tensor00084_000
6358c62cef61d79c24fd223b21798b49  ./tensor00093_000
13f15b98afecc281d84801acf347e220  ./tensor00442_000
392f867c92b96f8c8c7214190f853f2c  ./tensor00277_000
6f5a97ddc80c8d5207d4d165d53121c6  ./tensor00072_000
d6b4317b176fcd0054a70a3a8675daf5  ./tensor00609_000
fceacb314134d5d0218df727954a8596  ./tensor00119_000

This list is chopped but it contains 770 lines (i.e., 770 MD5 checksums), so I'd like to batch check them. I know how to compute a MD5 checksum on a single file, but I don't know how to check all these files at once.
How can I check that the downloaded files match these MD5 checksums on Android?
I use a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra running Android 13.

Write a script in Termux assuming that Termux can access the checksum list file and the files themselves. Just be aware of Android 12+ issues: https://github.com/termux/termux-app

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


text:
Can't add more contact to my Telegram
I can't add more contacts to my Telegram account. They said "[Name] is not on Telegram yet, would you like to invite them to join?" but the contact indeed already exists on Telegram.
So I just want to know if there are any solutions and suggestions that I could do to deal with this.

Possible exact duplicate: Why can't I add contacts on my Telegram?


text:
Continued access to paid-for app that has been deleted from Play Store?
I paid for an app from the Google Play Store some years ago. I have been using it successfully up to yesterday.
Today, I tried to use it and it complained I wasn't licensed and redirected me to the Play Store app. However, that just gives an error "Something went wrong", or "Try again". The Play Store app still lists the app as being installed. All my other paid-for apps appear unaffected.
After some testing, I worked out that the app seems to have been deleted from the Store. I have emailed the author and am waiting for a response.
If I don't get a response, are there options to recover the use of the app?

May be the app uses a remote server and that server was shut down? AFAIK the Google Play Store license verification that happens inside the app itself should still work. Can you name the app?

@Robert I heard back from the author. google deleted the app because some paperwork wasn't completed to their satisfaction. the author is trying to get it reinstated

Possible duplicate for the general case: Is it possible to recover purchased apps removed from Google Play?

@AndrewT. thanks, yes,  I wondered about that before I posted but I discounted it because the upvoted answer states: "If an app is removed from the Play Store, it will continue to be authenticated on your device as long as it is installed" which is not my experience here

For this particular app, a partial temporary workaround has been to disable networking (wifi / mobile data) so that the app cannot contact the license server.
Functions that require network access don't work but existing local data can be retrieved and exported.


text:
Application named Athena, green, circular, filled, black. Malware?
I was looking for software to sync my Oppo A15s and PC. So I got to a software named My Phone Explorer. Both my phone and PC are working smoothly and efficiently. There is no problem in syncing, but one fine day, I was just checking the file section of My Phone Explorer, in which I found a subsection named Applications.
In this application section, I found the list of all applications which are system applications as well as which I have installed from Play Store or by side loading. Now, the problem starts in this list: there are a few applications named "Athena", "green", "circular", "filled", and a few more; which I do not remember that I have installed. When I try to delete them, there is a failure notice.
My Phone Explorer can export these as .APK. When I googled them, mostly they were talking about Windows desktop malware. So, can anybody enlighten me on what these are, and if they are malware, how to remove them?

As you are talking about system apps, would you mind telling us what Android phone you use (system apps are device specific) and what Android version it runs? Also a screenshot showing the apps you mention would be good.

Otherwise, consider finding the package names and stating them here. App names are far from unique in Android.

Nevermind, I found a list of ColorOS 7 pre-packaged apps on XDA Forums which includes these apps.

GAINING MORE KNOWLEDGE IS SIMPLE ANSWER.
When I checked on andriod debugg bridge with
adb shell
and then
pm list packages
with following output

Now checking the list I come to know that Athena,green,circular,filled,black are system packages. Thanks to Andrew.T & Robert.


text:
Cannot install APK on Android 14 because of compatibility issues
I have an old APK (the app is internal and subject to an NDA) that can be installed and functions properly on Android 13. It continues to work if I install it on Android 13 and then upgrade the phone to Android 14, indicating that the app is indeed compatible with Android 14.
However, when I attempt to install it directly on Android 14, I receive a message stating, "This app was built for an older version of Android and doesn't include the latest privacy protections" (first image).
After selecting "Install anyway," I encounter an error message: "App not installed as the app isn't compatible with your phone" (second image).
Disabling Play Protect does not resolve the issue.
The option to install from unknown sources is enabled.
And I've already tried to set target SDK version to 33 and 34 - does not help.
I have no sources of it, but can extract APK and edit files (i.e., manifest) using APK Editor.
What can I change in APK so app can be installed?

Possible duplicate question of https://android.stackexchange.com/q/256364/2241. You can try to install the app from a connected PC using adb from Android SDK as shown here: https://android.stackexchange.com/a/256366/2241


text:
How can I prevent YouTube shorts from looping by default?
I use YouTube app on Android. How can I prevent YouTube short videos from looping by default?

Not sure if it's possible at all with the official YouTube app. The behavior is the same with the web version.

You cannot do anything about this currently, but I did send feedback (bottom left of the menu) expressing how dumb this is and that they should have an option not to loop... and also that this option should be default, because why oh why would we want to keep looping?
So I suggest anyone reading this send the same feedback... maybe they will eventually listen.


text:
How can I update my TV that is running android OS 4.2.1
I have a TV from the brand "Haam". It's supposed to be smart, but recently I couldn't use any app. Nothing works on it. I can only watch regular channels from satellite. I want to update the TV software, but the only way to update it is by using USB. The following figure shows the system details:

This is my first time to update a TV. I don't have the experience on this. Please, I need your help and advice in this regard. Thanks in advance.

there is nothing you can do. ask community for custom ROM or source code

Android OS 4.2 is over 10 years old and your TV is unlikely to be running that version of software. So the version number does not help. Sadly your TV is probably running a custom version of Android and only the manufacturer can update the OS.

@MorrisonChang Actually, I think it's very likely their TV is running Android 4.2.1, as per the photograph.

Is the TV connected to the internet via WiFi, an Ethernet cable, or other means?

How long have you had this TV? Was it discounted when you bought it? A bit of searching reveals that Haam TVs seem to be available in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states. Do you know if they are available elsewhere under other brand names?

@EndAnti-SemiticHate I have updated the images, yes it's connected via wifi

@JohnDallman  I bought it maybe 7 or 8 years ago. Maybe yes for the discount since we bought several devices from that store. Yes it's available in Saudi Arabia. I am not sure if it's available in other Countries.

@F505 Okay I stand corrected, your TV set is probably running Android 4.2. All I can suggest is to check if you are able side-load Android apps onto the TV, but that only works if the app is self-contained. A number of online services (video/social media) use backends/servers which have discontinued support for older Android OS versions due to maintenance cost. As the screen is still usable, the easiest solution would be use a TV stick to get the apps/services you want.

Thanks for posting the additional screenshots. Although I think we might be able to eventually get your smart TV updated with somewhat newer software, I think that you will wind up being happier with Morrison's excellent suggestion of using a TV stick.  Roku, Apple, Amazon, and Google make the most popular ones, and there are many others as well.

The possible routes to updating this TV are:

If the manufacturer has produced a later version of Android for it, install that.
If someone independent has produced a "custom ROM" for it, based on a later version of Android, you could install that, if you trust them. The best place to find out about that would be xda-developers.com.

In either case, if your TV is available under other brand names in other countries, Android for the differently-branded models might work, but there are two things to check:

Is that Android available in Arabic?
Is the differently-branded model identical, except for the branding?

Point 2 is really important, because there are no "generic" versions of Android available to install.
Why can't I get generic Android? I can get generic Windows for a PC!
PCs are all descended from the original IBM PC, first released in the early 1980s. They all have a lot in common in the design of their hardware. Android devices have a lot less in common: they mostly use ARM processors and lithium-ion batteries. But almost everything else can and does vary.
To let the same Android operating system run on widely differing hardware, there's a layer of software called "device drivers" that operate the hardware. All operating systems have something like that, but the details vary.
Windows comes with a large library of device drivers, enough to let it start up on almost any PC-compatible computer, and then download the correct drivers if necessary. But Windows takes up a lot more storage than Android, and has the advantage of all of its hardware being generally similar. Windows also requires care and maintenance; Android has to do without that, because it's intended to be usable to anyone, including people without any computer skills.
Also, many of the device drivers for Android hardware are proprietary to the SoC or device manufacturers, who don't want to let anyone else see their source code. They make and sell hardware: Android is a necessary overhead for them, so that the hardware is useful. Microsoft, in contrast, are mostly a software company.
All this means:

Only the manufacturer of your TV can easily produce an updated Android for it.
Anyone else who want to do that needs to find or write source code for device drivers for it. Those are needed to operate the screen, the USB ports, the TV receiver and decoder, and all the other electronics in the TV.
They may be able to find open-source device drivers for some of the electronics, but they'll likely need to write some drivers themselves.
Writing device drivers usually involves "reverse engineering" the relevant parts of the electronics: figuring out how software can operate them by trial and error. This is quite time-consuming.

Ask on XDA-developers, but prepare to be disappointed. There are millions of Android-based devices out there stuck on old versions of Android. Their manufacturers would rather sell you a new device than spend money on producing updated software, which few people will install.


text:
Is there a CSV, XML or JSON resource for Android permissions with description, API level and protection level?
I am trying to easily parse Android permissions for an application but https://developer.android.com/reference/kotlin/android/Manifest.permission makes it hard to do so. I want to check the description, API level it was introduced in (and if deprecated), and the associated protection level.
Instead, I did my own: https://gist.github.com/HackJJ/4d06eaea2c13faa87edab88e3dd43201
However I'm not comfortable with the script I needed to write on account of the Android page being using malformed HTML in dozens of places.
Could Android or Google create something like a CSV, JSON, or XML source that developers and penetration testers can easily put into their workflow? Does such a thing already exist and my Google-fu is not strong enough?


text:
Samsung SM-T320 battery issue reboot loop
I own a Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4 Wifi (SM-T320), with LineageOS 20 (Android 13).
I always had a weird behaviour with this tablet. When the tablet battery value is between 25% to 29%, the screen flicker, and it shuts down, Then, it reboots loop.
If I plug in my charger, the battery value is equal to the value before it reboots loop. If if do nothing, it reboots loop until it stops, and the battery value is lower than 5%.
The weird thing is that when I reboot to TWRP, the battery value is equal to the value before the reboot loop process, and if I let the tablet with TWRP open, it stays in power for more than a hour, with the screen brightness to max. So the battery health is not the issue here.
I tried the calibration process (recharge to 100%, drain the battery, go to TWRP and delete batterystats.bin, than reboot), but the issue is still here.
How can I fix that?

The battery health can still be a problem (and considering that your device is 10 years old a very likely): while the capacity of your battery is still not bad the maximum power (ampere) it can deliver in a short time when it is below 30% seems to be the problem. If screen + CPU and whatever draw to much power the voltage breaks in. In the beginning the voltage breaks only affect the screen, later also the CPU which crashes. A reboot requires a lot of power in a short time, this causes again a voltage drop and the CPU fails which you see by the reboot loop.

I forget to mention, I changed the stock battery from Samsung with another similar battery, and both of them had the same issues. Then it stops to reboot loop, and I plug in my charger, the battery screen (before loading) shows that the battery has more than 20% energy. And in TWRP, the device stays in power for more than a hour. When the battery value reaches 0%, it stays in power until the value is blank, and then for a couple of minutes, it shuts down completely.


text:
WhatsApp voice call bug: not able to be heard when app is in the background
I have a Pixel 7 and am fully up to date with any software updates and WhatsApp version. Recently, I have been having an issue with WhatsApp audio/voice calls. During the call, if I try going to the home or lock screen or even opening another app for some reason if I talk, the other end isn't able to hear me. For the other line to hear me speaking on the phone, I need WhatsApp to be opened and for me to be on the WhatsApp screen. Once I leave the app or my phone goes to lock screen, I can still hear them perfectly fine, just I seemingly lose the ability to talk for them to hear me.
I have no idea what the issue is, I've tried clearing the cache and restarting my phone, this problem has already been for a month or two.
Does anyone have any suggestions/ideas?


text:
Bootloop after lpunpack super image and repack with lpmake
I have a Poco X6 Pro phone, I wanted to edit the device partitions to remove some bloatware apk.
I backed up the super.img partition with dd in termux. If I flash the super.img with fastboot flash super super.img it works perfectly, so the partition is ok.
I wanted to extract the internal partitions, mount them and edit them, but whatever I do, it seems I corrupt the super.img and flashing it makes the device go in bootloop.
So I tried to do NO MODIFICATIONS at all, simply convert the sparsed super.img to unsparsed with simg2img tool. This worked well.
Then I extracted the super_unsparsed.img with lpunpack tool, returning me the raw .img files, here is the list with the block size:
mi_ext_b.img 656302080
odm_b.img 645382144
odm_dlkm_b.img 31739904
product_b.img 3548254208
super_unsparsed.img 9663676416
system_b.img 1080905728
system_dlkm_b.img 43270144
system_ext_b.img 942575616
vendor_b.img 2614239232
vendor_dlkm_b.img 80011264

And now I try to repack using lpmake command, without touching the partitions:
lpmake --metadata-size 65536 \
--super-name super --metadata-slots 2 --virtual-ab \
--device super:9663676416 \
--group xiaomi_dynamic_partitions_a:9663676416 \
--partition=mi_ext_a:none:656302080:xiaomi_dynamic_partitions_a \
--partition=odm_a:none:645382144:xiaomi_dynamic_partitions_a \
--partition=odm_dlkm_a:none:31739904:xiaomi_dynamic_partitions_a \
--partition=product_a:none:3548254208:xiaomi_dynamic_partitions_a \
--partition=system_a:none:1080905728:xiaomi_dynamic_partitions_a \
--partition=system_dlkm_a:none:43270144:xiaomi_dynamic_partitions_a \
--partition=system_ext_a:none:942575616:xiaomi_dynamic_partitions_a \
--partition=vendor_a:none:2614239232:xiaomi_dynamic_partitions_a \
--partition=vendor_dlkm_a:none:80011264:xiaomi_dynamic_partitions_a \
--image=mi_ext_a=mi_ext_b.img \
--image=odm_a=odm_b.img \
--image=odm_dlkm_a=odm_dlkm_b.img \
--image=product_a=product_b.img \
--image=system_a=system_b.img \
--image=system_dlkm_a=system_dlkm_b.img \
--image=system_ext_a=system_ext_b.img \
--image=vendor_a=vendor_b.img \
--image=vendor_dlkm_a=vendor_dlkm_b.img \
--sparse \
--output ./super.new.img

Here is the output of the command:
lpmake I 03-27 20:48:45   475   475 builder.cpp:1093] [liblp]Partition mi_ext_a will resize from 0 bytes to 656302080 bytes
lpmake I 03-27 20:48:45   475   475 builder.cpp:1093] [liblp]Partition odm_a will resize from 0 bytes to 645382144 bytes
lpmake I 03-27 20:48:45   475   475 builder.cpp:1093] [liblp]Partition odm_dlkm_a will resize from 0 bytes to 31739904 bytes
lpmake I 03-27 20:48:45   475   475 builder.cpp:1093] [liblp]Partition product_a will resize from 0 bytes to 3548254208 bytes
lpmake I 03-27 20:48:45   475   475 builder.cpp:1093] [liblp]Partition system_a will resize from 0 bytes to 1080905728 bytes
lpmake I 03-27 20:48:45   475   475 builder.cpp:1093] [liblp]Partition system_dlkm_a will resize from 0 bytes to 43270144 bytes
lpmake I 03-27 20:48:45   475   475 builder.cpp:1093] [liblp]Partition system_ext_a will resize from 0 bytes to 942575616 bytes
lpmake I 03-27 20:48:45   475   475 builder.cpp:1093] [liblp]Partition vendor_a will resize from 0 bytes to 2614239232 bytes
lpmake I 03-27 20:48:45   475   475 builder.cpp:1093] [liblp]Partition vendor_dlkm_a will resize from 0 bytes to 80011264 bytes
Invalid sparse file format at header magic
Invalid sparse file format at header magic
Invalid sparse file format at header magic
Invalid sparse file format at header magic
Invalid sparse file format at header magic
Invalid sparse file format at header magic
Invalid sparse file format at header magic
Invalid sparse file format at header magic
Invalid sparse file format at header magic

In the end, I flash the super.new.img with fastboot flash super super.new.img
But results in bootloop. (Also, fastboot set_active a or b does not change the result)


text:
Google SERP showing indian rupees instead of Pakistan rupees even i have set up everything correctly
I am having this problem from a long time on my website even i have tried everything that i can do. Whenever we open the site it shows pakistani rupees amount listed on products but in the google serp analysis it shows indian rupees that might be bad seo factor. If any one have solution to this problem please guide me.

Welcome to Android Enthusiasts. Sorry, this question is about Google product, not related to Android, thus it's off-topic.


text:
Location and content of telephony.db
Can I use SQLite to find the telephony database, telephony.db? What tables are stored in this database?
Tried researching in library books, but can't find the list.

Telephony content provider is an API to the telephony database. While possibly not completely representing the tables and columns, some of the public tables and columns are explained there.

The file telephony.db is located in the path /data/user_de/0/com.android.providers.telephony/databases/telephony.db.
Note that this path requires a root permissions (thus a rooted device).
Once you have downloaded the database you can view the content and the database structures (tables, columns, ...) by any SQLite database viewer.
On a rooted device you can access telephony.db via file explorer app with root support, or via adb shell+ su. adb pull will not work unless you are running an insecure adb versions which allows adb root.
On older Android devices (Android 11 and older) you should be able to get telephony.db via adb backup com.android.providers.telephony and then extract the created backup.ab using Android Backup Extractor, a Java based command-line tool.


text:
Having issue every time I open android studio. Getting error: Gradle 'MyExpenses2' project refresh failed. What should I do?

Every time i open android studio i get the following error:
Gradle 'MyExpenses2' project refresh failed
Error:A problem occurred configuring project ':app'.
I am not able to proceed with my project. What should I do?
I tried many different solutions like invalidating cache, installing different sdk tools and updating sdk tools but nothing works.

I dont even know why i am getting this error.

I believe this belongs on Stack Overflow, rather than Android Enthusiasts.


text:
Can't flash stock ROM - cache - partition table issue
So I tried to flash LineageOS on a Redmi 8, and while doing this I had an issue. It fails to mount cache (Skipping mounting /dev/block/bootdevice/by-name/cache) then a few other errors related to cache not being there and then failed to set up expected mounts for install, aborting. So, adb shell ls dev/block/bootdevice/by-name/ - there is no cache img there.
Alright, I'll flash back to stock. Downloading stock, I run flash_all.sh and then...
product: olive
Erasing 'boot'                                     OKAY [  0.009s]
Finished. Total time: 0.012s
Sending 'modem' (131072 KB)                        OKAY [  4.488s]
Writing 'modem'                                    OKAY [  0.779s]
Finished. Total time: 5.276s
Sending 'sbl1' (399 KB)                            OKAY [  0.016s]
Writing 'sbl1'                                     OKAY [  0.007s]
Finished. Total time: 0.032s
Sending 'sbl1bak' (399 KB)                         OKAY [  0.016s]
Writing 'sbl1bak'                                  OKAY [  0.006s]
Finished. Total time: 0.031s
Sending 'rpm' (165 KB)                             OKAY [  0.009s]
Writing 'rpm'                                      OKAY [  0.006s]
Finished. Total time: 0.024s
Sending 'rpmbak' (165 KB)                          OKAY [  0.009s]
Writing 'rpmbak'                                   OKAY [  0.006s]
Finished. Total time: 0.023s
Sending 'tz' (1491 KB)                             OKAY [  0.048s]
Writing 'tz'                                       OKAY [  0.010s]
Finished. Total time: 0.070s
Sending 'tzbak' (1491 KB)                          OKAY [  0.050s]
Writing 'tzbak'                                    OKAY [  0.010s]
Finished. Total time: 0.069s
Sending 'devcfg' (37 KB)                           OKAY [  0.005s]
Writing 'devcfg'                                   OKAY [  0.003s]
Finished. Total time: 0.017s
Sending 'devcfgbak' (37 KB)                        OKAY [  0.005s]
Writing 'devcfgbak'                                OKAY [  0.003s]
Finished. Total time: 0.017s
Sending 'dsp' (16384 KB)                           OKAY [  0.539s]
Writing 'dsp'                                      OKAY [  0.090s]
Finished. Total time: 0.638s
Sending 'dspbak' (16384 KB)                        OKAY [  0.518s]
Writing 'dspbak'                                   OKAY [  0.070s]
Finished. Total time: 0.597s
Sending 'sec' (0 KB)                               OKAY [  0.004s]
Writing 'sec'                                      OKAY [  0.003s]
Finished. Total time: 0.016s
Sending 'splash' (1239 KB)                         OKAY [  0.042s]
Writing 'splash'                                   OKAY [  0.009s]
Finished. Total time: 0.060s
Sending 'aboot' (761 KB)                           OKAY [  0.027s]
Writing 'aboot'                                    OKAY [  0.008s]
Finished. Total time: 0.044s
Sending 'abootbak' (761 KB)                        OKAY [  0.027s]
Writing 'abootbak'                                 OKAY [  0.008s]
Finished. Total time: 0.044s
Sending 'boot' (65536 KB)                          OKAY [  2.321s]
Writing 'boot'                                     OKAY [  0.315s]
Finished. Total time: 2.645s
Sending 'dtbo' (8192 KB)                           OKAY [  0.279s]
Writing 'dtbo'                                     OKAY [  0.037s]
Finished. Total time: 0.325s
Sending 'dtbobak' (8192 KB)                        OKAY [  0.260s]
Writing 'dtbobak'                                  OKAY [  0.037s]
Finished. Total time: 0.307s
Sending 'vbmeta' (4 KB)                            OKAY [  0.004s]
Writing 'vbmeta'                                   OKAY [  0.003s]
Finished. Total time: 0.016s
Sending 'vbmetabak' (4 KB)                         OKAY [  0.004s]
Writing 'vbmetabak'                                OKAY [  0.003s]
Finished. Total time: 0.016s
Sending 'recovery' (65536 KB)                      OKAY [  2.296s]
Writing 'recovery'                                 OKAY [  0.346s]
Finished. Total time: 2.651s
Sending sparse 'system' 1/8 (515428 KB)            OKAY [ 18.027s]
Writing 'system'                                   OKAY [  2.492s]
Sending sparse 'system' 2/8 (513944 KB)            OKAY [ 18.034s]
Writing 'system'                                   OKAY [  2.515s]
Sending sparse 'system' 3/8 (515076 KB)            OKAY [ 18.151s]
Writing 'system'                                   OKAY [  2.488s]
Sending sparse 'system' 4/8 (516208 KB)            OKAY [ 18.258s]
Writing 'system'                                   OKAY [  2.524s]
Sending sparse 'system' 5/8 (516208 KB)            OKAY [ 18.171s]
Writing 'system'                                   OKAY [  2.496s]
Sending sparse 'system' 6/8 (516208 KB)            OKAY [ 18.144s]
Writing 'system'                                   OKAY [  2.462s]
Sending sparse 'system' 7/8 (513944 KB)            OKAY [ 18.154s]
Writing 'system'                                   OKAY [  2.421s]
Sending sparse 'system' 8/8 (288476 KB)            OKAY [ 10.188s]
Writing 'system'                                   OKAY [  1.366s]
Finished. Total time: 155.914s
Sending sparse 'vendor' 1/3 (517164 KB)            OKAY [ 17.979s]
Writing 'vendor'                                   OKAY [  2.432s]
Sending sparse 'vendor' 2/3 (515456 KB)            OKAY [ 18.127s]
Writing 'vendor'                                   OKAY [  2.427s]
Sending sparse 'vendor' 3/3 (197240 KB)            OKAY [  6.927s]
Writing 'vendor'                                   OKAY [  0.927s]
Finished. Total time: 48.827s
Warning: skip copying cache image avb footer due to sparse image.
Sending 'cache' (152 KB)                           OKAY [  0.008s]
Writing 'cache'                                    FAILED (remote: 'partition table doesn't exist')
fastboot: error: Command failed
Flash cache error

Again the cache fails. No partition? Huh?
If it can help give pointers...

I'd be very thankful for any help!


text:
Linux or Unix(LF) data reading
Listen, I found my s/o being shady. I’m talking I’ve found out hotel visit type shady stuff. I have embedded myself in everything they own email,phone,and other ways. I have found even more stuff but everytime I get actual 100% stone cold proof. It disappears. Poof. Android phones and Linux is why I have stumbled upon. I can’t access it. However, I have accessed marker files and its data to read. How do I turn this data into a readable form? Also how do I find root files on an android? Broken down as you would say to a newbie please.

Sorry but I don't understand what you are asking for. Please edit your question and make it clear what your situation is and what you are asking for.


text:
Is it possible to delete messages off a Samsung Galaxy remotely?
Can a Messages be wiped remotely off someone's Samsung phone?
My friend has been working at this place for a few years and recently had a pretty serious problem with his manager. He's continuing to work there, but the situation has gotten uncomfortable for him at work and thinks that he'll be fired as result. The friend at least figured if he got fired he'd have the messages to make a claim against his company if they fire him unfairly, until the other day when he discovered that his entire onversation history with his manager had been wiped off his phone.
His phone is a Samsung Galaxy A22 5G.
This friend of mine is not at all tech savvy (can't even figure out how to send screenshots to me (I know)) and I'm interstate, so I can't access the phone to help them. This manager it seems is more switched on than most, as they've already changed a bunch of access privelages on the computers at work. My friend insists that noone would have had access to their phone since they lost the messages, and is sure they've been deleted remotely. We figured out that the email account associated with the phone is the work email. To make things even worse, this friend is from a small town, and is unsure if people at the phone shop will know the manager or not, making taking it into someone risky.
I created a Samsung Cloud account to see if the message data could be edited or synced through a computer, but Messages was not listed as one of the apps. I don't have a Samsung to play around on so it's hard for me to help him, and I'm conscious that if I get him to play around with stuff it might do more harm than good. I need to be able to provide very clear instructions with pictures preferrably.
I'm sorry I can't post more information or the things that I've tried but it is hard for me to figure out what's happened remotely. If you need any extra information about the phone, let me know what you need and I can try communicate that to my friend. My main goal at this stage is to figure out if it's even possible to delete the messages in that way, and then to figure out how we'll get the messages back.
Thanks heaps in advance.


text:
Obscure Mio Tablet Stuck when Booting to Bootloader
In my journey to turn my extremely weak and unsupported Mio Tablet 10 into a Linux machine, I've come across a hurdle when trying to boot into bootloader mode from either ADB or the recovery menu on the tablet.
When booting to Fastboot, the tablet just freezes on the OEM splash screen (Mio's Logo) and doesn't move on from there. It can boot normally and works as expected, so I don't believe there is anything corrupted (I've also barely touched this tablet since getting it, so I don't expect anything to be broken yet).
Any ideas on how I can troubleshoot it? (adb logcat doesn't pick anything up, and just says it is waiting for a device). The tablet is running Android 6.
P.S if anyone has a way to root the tablet without using bootloader, it'll also be much appreciated.


text:
Google Sheets cell value as a widget
I would like to have some value from a cell in a google spreadsheets that is displayed on my android phone, a little bit like a KPI that I can track.
So I thought that there must be a way to add this as a widget. Only thing I found that seemed to be working was "Meta Widget" but the app is not on the play store anymore (ref:
Show a piece of a Google Spreadsheet document on Andriod main screen).
Any ideas on how to achieve this currently?
Thanks!

This Q&A page has an answer close to what you mentioned:
First, you can set up your Google Sheet to be "published," which essentially makes it a web page, so the caveat here is that you'll only want to add things to this page that you're okay with being publicly visible. The workaround here is to create a new sheet, link only the relevant information, then publish this new sheet.
After that, the suggestion on the forum was Meta Widget as you suggested, but another (more recent) suggestion may be something like Widgetify, which I found in this Computerworld article.


text:
Gallery: how to see Whatsapp image in chat?
In my Gallery  I see an image; by its name I guess it is from WhatsApp.  How do I know from which chat it was? I would not like to spend my day opening each and every  chat for years and scrolling, praying to stumble upon that particular image.  I think in the case of an image originated  from  Skype, there is a menu item in Gallery  like "See image in chat",  which  opens the chat in question in one click, but not for WhatsApp?

That sounds like a feature specific to Skype that may not exist within WhatsApp. This feature could also be dependent on your phone/device's make/model/Android version, all of which would be helpful information for those looking for a solution!

I checked on my Samsung Galaxy M12, Android 13 using the Samsung Gallery app and Google Photos app. As far as I can see, there's no such menu found in the apps for Skype images.

Related: How to identify the WhatsApp sender of a media while playing it from the gallery? (not directly answering the question because AFAIK, WhatsApp images don't contain any metadata related to chat)


text:
Sending message chats to the bottom of the list and is archive the only option?
I was reading this about archiving chat and it says:

You won’t get notifications for archived chats unless you’re mentioned
or replied to.

Does that mean that if I have a chat with an individual and the last message to them was from me, if I archive it, when the person sends a new message it will considered a reply and I will get a notification?
What I was trying to do is "push" some chats to the bottom of the list and archive seems the only option to do such "housekeeping". I want to make sure I don't lose a reply/message too.

(This answer was based on WhatsApp 2.24.6.77 and testing between 2 WhatsApp accounts on different devices)

What I was trying to do is "push" some chats to the bottom of the list and archive seems the only option to do such "housekeeping".

Correct. As of this version, archiving is the only way to hide chats from the main chat lists without deleting them.

Does that mean that if I have a chat with an individual and the last message to them was from me, if I archive it, when the person sends a new message it will considered a reply and I will get a notification?

Archived individual chats won't give any notifications, either if the sender sends a message normally or replies to a specific message by the receiver (by swiping a message horizontally).
The quoted remark about getting notifications when being mentioned (using @username) or replied to only applies in a group chat.
To still get notified when new messages come in archived chats, turn off the "Keep chats archived" option in Chat settings, but there is no way to apply it per chat. All archived chats are affected, and new messages will unarchive them.


text:
How to force install fastboot drivers in Windows 10?
I've found several articles and questions and pages walking you through manually installing fastboot drivers.  That's not working.  Not even when I disable driver verification.  Windows just refuses to use the drivers.  I've even tried right clicking on the inf file and clicking INSTALL.  It says it works, but fastboot can't see anything, and device manager gives the yellow exclamation mark, meaning it's not using the drivers.
How can I force install the Fastboot drivers from Google?
I'm using Windows 10.

Drivers on Windows that are assigned to the wrong driver or have a missing driver (yellow exclamation mark in device manager) are installed by opening the device manager, selecting the device in the device tree you want to change the driver, open the properties window and then assign a new driver. In this process you can select the inf file.


text:
My Google Play store says refunded for a refund request I put in five days ago and I've still not gotten my money
I requested for a refund on a rubbish games five days ago. My history say refunded but I still haven't received the money, is this normal?

This is more a question of Google Play's payment practices,; really only tangentially Android-related.


text:
X not showing my contacts even after enabling Sync contacts option
That's about it. The feature is found in Privacy and safety -> Discoverability and contacts from X settings. Sync contacts is on but no contacts are shown. I appreciate help.

Probably a stupid question, but has the Contacts permission been allowed from the Android Settings?

@AndrewT. Yes, it's been allowed.

Try navigating to chrome://sync-internals and tapping get updates?

@Arctiic Thanks. I get a "Trigger GetUpdates" button there but nothing happens when I tap it.

Btw, I mostly use an X app that I installed on my phone, not through Chrome.


text:
How do I fix issues im having with WhatsApp camera, video calling and now the camera in general?
My Son has a Samsung A04 and has recently out the blue getting a whatsapp error that states: Whatsapp was unable to start the camera. if you continue to experience issues with the camera, please restart your device.
Cool so i did just that.. Restart.. try video call again, same issue.
Next uninstall Whatsapp, restart phone, reinstall whatsapp, do the setup again, try to video call, and it worked. directly after the test video call he tries to video call his mom and same error came up again.
now after trying to search for a fix another system error came up the reads: com.sec.Android.app.camerasaver keeps stopping.
I have cleared the cache of both camera and whatsapp apps, and whatsapp has all the permissions it possibly can get.
But now when im trying to open the camera app that comes with the phone it also says: couldnt open camera, Try Again
Please Help!!!!

What about other apps do they can work with the cameras? BTW you can easily make screenshots using the Android built in screenshot function. No need to make photos of the screen.

I am aware of taking screenshot thank you, it was just easier at that moment to take pictures lol. Don't have any other apps installed that uses the camera. But that the main camera app doesn't want to work I think is the main concern

Every Android device comes wit pre-installed camera app which can make photos and videos.

Bro I know.... and it's not working like I said above... and I'm not finding fix for it

First thing to try is to reset the phone (after assuring everything that needs to be kept is backed up), not reinstall Whatsapp which error message is anything but a symptom.

You said you checked permissions?  What about the camera access quick tile toggle state?  Have you tried running QC/engineering mode to test the camera?


text:
Phone booted with an old wallpaper and logged out all my accounts
So my one plus 9 died to zero and I had to put it on charge. It started bootlooping so pressed the power and volume down to power it off through recovery settings.
When it charged It turned on with any old wallpaper that I have already deleted from my phone, all my accounts were logged out and many permissions revoked. All data is intact tho.
What did I do? And will factory resetting prevent from turning on with said old wallpaper?

Is it possible that you once had app online backup to GDrive enabled? May be some data got lost and Android recovered the data by restoreing the all data that was still saved in GDrive.

Factory reset isn't going to help.


text:
S10e bricked, cannot get into recovery
I tried to change the logo that shows at boot, but it seems that I messed up and now my S10e is stuck on bootloop. The logo does not show at all and it reboots every 3 seconds (you can tell by the startup vibration). I cannot get into recovery mode nor download mode no matter how I tried (since the boot logo is normaly shown before entering one of these mode). The phone was running LineageOS 20, with Lineage Recovery installed and was rooted with Magisk 27.
Is there anything I can do or it's the end ?
Thanks for your responses

In the end, when the phone ran out of battery, the bootloop stopped by itself. Then I was able to enter download mode by using Volume-, Bixby then pluging the cable (I was wrong, the logo is skipped when entering download mode) to flash the stock firmware with Odin, which repared the boot logo. Now the phone is working again.


text:
Open listening port while vpn turned on and hotspot tethering turned on
Phone root status: False
Here is my ifconfig output in termux:
~ $ ifconfig
Warning: cannot open /proc/net/dev (Permission denied). Limited output.
lo: flags=73<UP,LOOPBACK,RUNNING>  mtu 65536
        inet 127.0.0.1  netmask 255.0.0.0
        unspec 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00  txqueuelen 1000  (UNSPEC)

rmnet_data0: flags=65<UP,RUNNING>  mtu 1500
        inet 10.239.133.81  netmask 255.255.255.252
        unspec 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00  txqueuelen 1000  (UNSPEC)

tun0: flags=81<UP,POINTOPOINT,RUNNING>  mtu 1500
        inet 26.26.26.1  netmask 255.255.255.252  destination 26.26.26.1
        unspec 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00  txqueuelen 500  (UNSPEC)

wlan1: flags=4163<UP,BROADCAST,RUNNING,MULTICAST>  mtu 1500
        inet 192.168.43.1  netmask 255.255.255.0  broadcast 192.168.43.255
        unspec 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00  txqueuelen 3000  (UNSPEC)

As you see there is interface named tun0.
I tried open listening port such as web server that binded to tethering interface in my android.
python3 -m http.server --bind 192.168.43.1 --port 8000

In laptop that connected to android which has IP 192.168.43.150, I tried to access the web through browser http://192.168.43.1:8000. It didn't successfully returning response.
But if I turned off VPN which remove tun0. It successfully returning response in my laptop browser. What happened?

Nevermind, the issue was in VPN app, I was using v2rayNG. There are settings about routing rules. Where I need to setup rules from global proxy to bypass lan and then proxy.


text:
Android not fetching latest OS update
I have a Nokia G42 5G with Android 13.
A week ago, a notification popped up, asking me to download the latest update (and also that that update was a week behind). Since the size was 2.67 GB, I decided to close the notification at the time; I would install it later. A quick search afterwards revealed that it was an upgrade to Android 14.
When I went to download it later (from Settings → System → System update, then Check for update), it keeps showing “Your system is up to date”. This is how it has been since.
Now, I know that that is not the case because

there was that notification,
someone I know uses this very device (model) and they have already upgraded (means, it has been released in our location/market), and
one could check from Nokia’s Website that that update has been released.

My question is: how can I get that update?
I have installed Google Play system updates and what not. I have also cleared the ‘System cache’ app (don’t know what this app does) from Settings → Memory. I have tried using both WiFi and 5G data while the device was charged to full.

What else can I do? May be allow unrestricted data access to some app? May be clear some cache to force fetch that update? I won’t flash a custom ROM but I am willing to reboot to safe mode or connect to a computer to clear some hidden cache or run some code.
Technically, it seems to be possible to postpone updates; the system will fetch them later. Is it possible to reset that waiting period instead of waiting it out? (If that has been the case; my device is my own, not managed.)

On a related note: I recently had a run-in while installing the 2024-02 Cumulative Update for Windows 11 Version 23H2 for x64-based Systems (KB5034765) update on Windows 11. It downloaded, started installing, computer restarted, it installed all the way to 100%, and then rolled back with a “Something didn't go as planned” message. This happened quite a few times. I tried all kinds of solutions from all around. At the end, it turned out that all I had to do was rename/remove the C:\$WinREAgent folder. And it worked in a snap!
So, I know that software work in mysterious ways!

Ho often have you pressend the "Check for Update" button? To my experience in most cases the button does not trigger a check but shows the last result. Therefore press it a dozen times to be sure it has really performed an online check for system updates. Alternatively Nokia may have recalled the update because too many severe errors. Third possibility is that the update has not been released to all users. Releasing updates only to a certain percent of users is common practice to not getting overwhelmed by support requests in case something goes wrong.

I have been restarting and pressing ‘Check for update’ several times a day since last week! If they have recalled the update, there would be news around. I don’t think that has been the case. Let’s see.

At least in NZ, the updates are rolled out to groups of users at a time, presumably to avoid a bandwidth crunch.

Repower your phone, if you haven't already.
Wait at least a few weeks and then contact your provider, if you still havent seen it.

Yeah, the last option would be to wait!

I deliberately put in the Windows bit, as anecdotal "evidence": that sometimes there are work-arounds. :-) Let's see if someone comes up with something like that.

If you have notification logs enabled, you might be able to select the original notification for the update again. The option to select previous notifications was only added in more recent versions of Android.

I'm curious whether this may work, or if it does work, on which device models or Android versions. Selecting a notification on Pixel 3a, Android 12 only opens the Android notification settings, not opening its intent.

I'm not sure if the option existed before Android 13. It may also depend on the type of notification and how old it is. I've had varying success, but I know it does work more reliably than the old method of adding a setting widget.


text:
How to bring back Wallet's prompting?
I used to use Google Pay to store my boarding passes and it had a fantastic feature: prompting me to open the boarding pass when I was close to the flight, or the airport (not sure which but it worked great).
I was moved to Wallet which is still fine, except that it stopped prompting me.
Is there a way to bring back this killer feature, or has it been abandoned?
I am in France if that matters.


text:
I have a Blu M8L 2022 with no sound. Sound is all the way up, but no sound
No sound on my M8L 2022.  Everything is turned up full blast.  Still nothing.

Reset to factory defaults and try again. If the problem persists return it.


text:
DivestOS Mobile recovery image gives error on Heimdall
my model is Samsung Note 3 SM-N9005 (https://wiki.lineageos.org/devices/hlte/), the first time I used Heimdall I could succesfully flash the recovery image from https://divestos.org/pages/devices (https://divestos.org/mirror.php?base=LineageOS&f=hlte/divested-18.1-20240208-dos-hlte-recovery.img), now in download mode is current binary: custom and system status: custom , but when I go into recovery mode I get the standard one without install.
So I thought that the recovery partition got overwritten by the subsequent boots and I tried to flash it again to then immediately boot from recovery, but Heimdall keeps giving me ERROR: libusb error -7 whilst receiving bulk transfer, even if I can download PIT with no problems.
I've tried this on Windows 10, 8.1 and 7 with the same result.
Also I have tried Odin on Windows 8.1 and Windows 7, in both device get added in Odin in Download Mode, but it crashes when trying to flash recovery img.
Please give me some help,
Thanks


text:
How do you extract an .ab file to .tar?
For 2 days, I've desperately been trying to recover a very important, accidentally deleted text conversation from Message+. Let me say, I know NOTHING about tech! After trying questionable softwares that could not assist without rooting (and I felt doubtful they be helpful even if I had rooted), it seemed like the best option was to try to find the deleted files by downloading ADB and doing a backup. After a lot of frustration, I was finally successful in creating a backup.ab file. The phone did require be to encrypt it. But the issue that has plagued me today is unpacking that to a .tar file. After tons more research, I have installed Android Backup Extractor and java. While I have found a couple people ask similar questions on the web, my error message appears to be different. I was praying for some help in translating it and figuring out what to do next. Here is what I typed along with the error message. BTW, my phone is a Galaxy S10+ running on Android Version 12. And the backup file has over 40,000 kb.
C:\Program Files\Java\jdk-21\bin>java -jar abe.jar unpack backup.ab [password]

This backup is encrypted, please provide the password
Password:

Calculated MK checksum (use UTF-8: true): 37BDEBD1C840E3B9C82E9EE3D221758E8358AC92DF1C2FD274BBDC525066311D
Exception in thread "main" java.lang.RuntimeException: java.io.FileNotFoundException: [password] (Access is denied)
        at org.nick.abe.AndroidBackup.extractAsTar(AndroidBackup.java:233)
        at org.nick.abe.Main.main(Main.java:40)
Caused by: java.io.FileNotFoundException: [password] (Access is denied)
        at java.base/java.io.FileOutputStream.open0(Native Method)
        at java.base/java.io.FileOutputStream.open(FileOutputStream.java:289)
        at java.base/java.io.FileOutputStream.<init>(FileOutputStream.java:230)
        at java.base/java.io.FileOutputStream.<init>(FileOutputStream.java:118)
        at org.nick.abe.AndroidBackup.getOutputStream(AndroidBackup.java:314)
        at org.nick.abe.AndroidBackup.extractAsTar(AndroidBackup.java:199)
        ... 1 more

Update 1
After fixing the missing tar file argument problem the error message changed:
C:\Program Files\Java\jdk-21\bin>java -jar abe.jar unpack backup.ab backup.tar [belle]

Exception in thread "main" java.lang.RuntimeException: javax.crypto.BadPaddingException: Given final block not properly padded. Such issues can arise if a bad key is used during decryption.
        at org.nick.abe.AndroidBackup.extractAsTar(AndroidBackup.java:233)
        at org.nick.abe.Main.main(Main.java:40)
Caused by: javax.crypto.BadPaddingException: Given final block not properly padded. Such issues can arise if a bad key is used during decryption.
        at java.base/com.sun.crypto.provider.CipherCore.unpad(CipherCore.java:861)
        at java.base/com.sun.crypto.provider.CipherCore.fillOutputBuffer(CipherCore.java:941)
        at java.base/com.sun.crypto.provider.CipherCore.doFinal(CipherCore.java:734)
        at java.base/com.sun.crypto.provider.AESCipher.engineDoFinal(AESCipher.java:446)
        at java.base/javax.crypto.Cipher.doFinal(Cipher.java:2244)
        at org.nick.abe.AndroidBackup.extractAsTar(AndroidBackup.java:131)
        ... 1 more

Thank you so much for any help!
Update 2
I also just tried using android tools processor instead.
C:\Program Files\Java\jdk-21\bin>java -jar abp.jar unpack backup.ab backup.tar
Backup encrypted, enter password (will NOT be displayed):
Password:

No error message was produced, so I thought it might have worked. Yet no .tar file in sight!

Crypt errors usually mean that the password was wrong. After update 2 of your question you use abp.jar - what is it? Also make sure there is no fixed backup password set in developer options. Otherwise the backup password may work different than you expect, see e.g. last comment of https://android.stackexchange.com/a/255843/2241

abp.jar was the file included in android backup processor. It doesn't give error messages, but doesn't seem to do anything. I did check, and no password had been set, so it should have been using the password I entered when prompting. However, I tried creating a permanent backup password through developer tools and redid the whole process, yet got the same results (same error with abe.jar, same nothingness with abp.jar).

GOT IT! I ran the command prompt as an administrator and it worked. I then had to run 7-zip as admin to extract. Needed another java program to convert into readable text. Sadly, the deleted texts ARE NOT there.

You have a little error in your command, the output tar file-name is missing.
If you look at the unpack syntax in the abe README.md you find this:
abe unpack  <backup.ab> <backup.tar> [password]

As you have not provided a backup.tar file name abe uses the password you supplied and wants to write the output tar file untm that file. It seems that you password is of high quality with special characters the Windows file-system does not support or a similar effect that leads to the access denied error.
A second problem is that you execute everything in C:\Program Files\Java\jdk-21\bin. Directories below C:\Program Files are usually only writable for users with Administrator permissions. Therefore I would strongly recommend not to place user data files like Android .ab backup file there.

Please make sure the .ab files has a size of 1KB or more. If not the ab files is empty. Also it would be better not to execute your command in Program Files subdirectory where only admins have write permissions.

Oh, and to your advice about the subdirectory...the only way I could get it to recognize java existed was to copy abe.jar and backup.ab files into the java bin folder. I'm sure there's a better way, but again, I have no tech knowledge/skills.


text:
Installing .apk to Android 5 Device (Zebra TC70) from web browser (2024)
If possible, I would like to avoid using the Android Playstore and point the we browser to the External SD card for installation.
I tried call the following URL in the Chrome browser:
file:///sdcard/

Source: https://android.stackexchange.com/a/8386/203524
The browser returns the internal sd-memory and not the SD card.  The target .apk file is in the root of the SD card.
I've also tried:
file:///external_sd/yourApp.apk

file:///sdcard/external_sd/yourApp.apk

source: https://android.stackexchange.com/a/8356/203524
Is it possible to a install the .apk from the SD card through the web browser?
Update:
I uploaded the .apk to Google Drive, downloaded, but when I click the file, "Can't open file is returned".

This will vary widely depending on the make, model, perhaps even between builds.  However, in my experience, aside from allowing install from unknown sources permission to the OEM browser, you may also need to enable "debug mode" to allow local read/write access from the browser (I've seen some browsers that take this in the form of a line of .js directly inputted through the omnibox).  It might make better sense to use a file manager (such as, e.g., X-plore)

That file:///sdcard/ points to the internal storage is a historic relic. In Android 2.x /sd-card was referring to the sd-card, but the smartphone bot plenty of flash storage and a physical sd-card wasn't necessary anymore. Note that both linked questions are pretty old. At the time of writing Android 4 ICS was brand new. A lot has changed since that time.

Looks like there are 2 subtle different questions: the title (install APK from a web browser) and the question (install APK on the external SD card from a web browser). If it's the former, have you tried putting the APK on the internal storage and opening it from the browser? If it's the latter, then maybe try the locations from the answers on this question?

@AndrewT. Thanks for the helpful link.  I would prefer to learn how to directly install from the SD card.  I uploaded the .apk to Google Drive, downloaded, but when I click the file, "Can't open file is returned".


text:
Can someone with a OnePlus 8T +5G (TMO) with working NFC tap-to-pay verify a setting for me?
EDITED:
I am attempting to troubleshoot my phone, which hasn't had Tap-to-Pay work since day 1, out of box brand new.  I suspect this is not a hardware problem (and have text results to somewhat affirm my hunch):

Long story short, I have some reason to believe there is a configuration issue.  I am using SetEdit to sift through my settings databases, and one key value that struck me as being odd was the available_terminal_list key within global table (mine shows HCEeSE1).

I'm simply hoping to compare it against someone else's to either rule out or confirm I'm on the right track.  Thanks!
EDIT 2:
To clarify, I'm aware that two ubiquitous forms of NFC communication form factors consist of HCE and eSE (host card emulation and embedded secure element); however, the value as shown doesn't appear to be correct, and I wasn't able to find anyone else's settings dump with an exact match for that key value pairing online.


text:
Microsoft Exchange emails not syncing with gmail app
I have a Moto g8 with Android 10. I use default gmail app to read my phone's gmail account as well as my two work emails (both MS Exchange/Outlook). I do not use the Outlook app for the latter.
I have all accounts on manual sync, by choice: they sync only when I open the app and push emails (swipe down). This works fine with the gmail account. However, since some time ago (maybe 6 months or more), the two MS accounts do not sync. I need to go to Settings -> MS_account_name -> Incoming settings -> Next, and then I get the emails. This lasts for a few hours. Then I need to repeat. It seems like MS authentication for Gmail app is temporary. I have all phone apps updated.
I've scrolled through lots of posts and webs but most advice is trivial (example) and not relevant. Can't find a reply to this specific problem. Any ideas?
Update: Has this anything to do with the removal of basic auth?  I tried deleting and reinstalling app, as suggested here, but no effect so far.

As you have already set-up everything from scratch a bug in Gmail app could be the cause. To understand what is going wrong it may be helpful to check adb logcat messages when you try to sync and it fails. That requires to enable developer options on your phone and enable adb in it. On PC side you need an adb driver and at least the minimal adb package as I assume you don't have Android SDK installed.

@Robert Mmm, can I not dump the log as a file in the phone in a simpler way?

No. Apps don't have access to logs of other apps. adb logcat is the only way to get this kind of info on a non-rooted device. In general my recommendation is to have a working adb environment and a device that has granted adb permissions. Once you screen breaks adb is the only real option to get at least some your data form the phone (unless you sync everything to the cloud).


text:
Remove list of running apps from the lockscreen
When I pull down the notification shade twice when the phone is locked, I have an entry at the bottom of the shade showing "X apps are active". When I tap the entry, not only can I see a list of running apps without unlocking the phone, but I also have buttons to stop them.
How can I disable the list when the phone is locked?

From the linked article:
The button on the bottom of the shade:

The active apps list:

I can only see the apps that have active notifications in that list on my lock screen. Have you restricted notifications on lock screen or do you allow them all?

Just in case it's relevant, could you mention the device model?

@Robert I have them restricted, but it's not about the notifications but about the list of active apps, as described here. Did you pull down the shade twice?

@AndrewT. I think the list is present on all phones with Android 13 and 14.

Pulling down twice does not change anything because I start at the upper screen border, this way you directly get the full page: screenshot https://postimg.cc/xJs7YYn6 And the two active apps are just my "permanent" notifications because of VPN and battery monitor. Other active apps do not appear there. Tested with  a Samsung tablet on Android 14 and a Pixel phone on Android 13, both with a PIN protected lock screen.

I have a Samsung Galaxy M12 running on Android 13. While the "active apps in background" is shown on the Recents Screen, I don't see it on the lock screen or on the quick setting drawer. Granted, manufacturers do like customizing their Android... So, I'd assume your device is Pixel 6 or newer, as per the article?

@AndrewT. Pixel 8 and on my phone it looks exactly like in the linked article, butI can access it from the lockscreen, while the article claims one needs to unlock the phone first. Maybe that was changed in Android 14?


text:
Disable automatic "zoom on input focus" in mobile browsers
Although a software developer, I'm asking this as an end user. Some mobile browsers automatically zoom in when a text input element is focused; I think this happens when the font size is < 16px. Is there some way (as an end user of the site, not a developer of it) to disable this? And if not, why not? If the fonts/inputs are too small and I need to zoom in to see/interact with them, I'd rather do the zooming manually since I usually don't need it.
I understand that this is a valid accessibility feature to make forms easier to use when site developers don't design their sites for mobile, but it shouldn't be forced on all users. As someone who uses reduced motion on all their devices, unexpected zoom/pan/scale/etc effects are extremely annoying.
Fortunately, I have a workaround, but it shouldn't be necessary. I use Kiwi (a Chromium fork) on Android. My workaround is to use a custom TamperMonkey script to fix the offending sites by adding the CSS rule body { touch-action: none; }. This prevents the auto-zoom, but also disables all pinch zooming- not ideal, but good enough for my use case. I also tried using the <meta/> tag techniques here, but they don't seem to be supported anymore. This is especially necessary on a tablet. Although it's technically a mobile device, my tablet screen is as big as a laptop's, and zooming is completely unnecessary.

I cannot assist but I can observe that what you suggest does not occur on iPhone Edge or Safari IOS 17


text:
Does Google get a list of APK packages installed outside of Google Play?
I use Gmail on my Android 11 phone, not only for email but also for some other services of Google such as Maps). Due to privacy concerns, I've been thinking about installing some applications (such as Bitcoin wallets or encrypted messengers) that are offered by the Google Play Store directly from an APK package (I mean without any other store such as F-Droid, hoping that no information of the fact that such package is installed is sent to Google).
Is such information sent anyway? If it is, what other information is sent to Google about those applications (usage?)?

As we already had questions about Google Play Store updating app installed by other stores you can assume that Google knows all the apps installed on your device.

If you have a Google account on your device, Google likely knows EVERYTHING you do on your device. And yes, they can see what other apps you have installed.

Try installing an application through other means apart from the Play Store. If the app matches the version in the Play Store, the Play Store will recognize it as installed (you can then even update over the existing app using the Play Store). Even if you go to the store on a seperate device, it will recognize it as installed on the first device.
If you don't trust the Play Store, then you should try to remove it entirely.


text:
External USB touch screen recognizing touch events but only responding to edge swipes
I have an LG G8X I'm trying to get working with an external USB IR touch frame and it's been driving me bonkers for weeks... I feel like I'm so close to figuring it out, yet so far at the same time.
If I turn on "Show touches" and "Show touch data" in developer options and proceed to use the IR touch frame, it shows all touch events as expected and multitouch works fine. The problem is that my taps and swipes don't actually do anything -- I can't click, I can't scroll, nothing works EXCEPT if a do a swipe gesture from the edge of the IR frame. This means that I can perform a "back" or "home/recent apps" gesture just fine...
I've tested the IR touch frame with my S23 Ultra and it works perfectly fine. I've tested a different external touchscreen monitor on the G8X which also worked as expected.
I've run "adb shell getevent -l" and the events seem to be registering fine:
add device 8: /dev/input/event7
  name:     "Touch p303 Keyboard"
could not get driver version for /dev/input/mouse0, Not a typewriter
add device 9: /dev/input/event8
  name:     "Touch p303"
/dev/input/event8: EV_ABS       ABS_MT_TRACKING_ID   00000000
/dev/input/event8: EV_ABS       ABS_MT_POSITION_X    00004690
/dev/input/event8: EV_ABS       ABS_MT_POSITION_Y    00005cc8
/dev/input/event8: EV_ABS       ABS_MT_TOUCH_MAJOR   00000090
/dev/input/event8: EV_ABS       ABS_MT_TOUCH_MINOR   00000090
/dev/input/event8: EV_KEY       BTN_TOUCH            DOWN
/dev/input/event8: EV_ABS       ABS_X                00004690
/dev/input/event8: EV_ABS       ABS_Y                00005cc8
/dev/input/event8: EV_SYN       SYN_REPORT           00000000
/dev/input/event8: EV_ABS       ABS_MT_POSITION_X    00004748
/dev/input/event8: EV_ABS       ABS_MT_POSITION_Y    00005ba8
/dev/input/event8: EV_ABS       ABS_X                00004748
/dev/input/event8: EV_ABS       ABS_Y                00005ba8

I've created an *.idc file per this documentation, but have had difficulty finding what properties I can even change. My config is as follows:
touch.deviceType = touchScreen
touch.orientationAware = 1
touch.gestureMode = spots

I've confirmed the .idc file is being used, but as expected, this didn't change the behaviour. The strange thing is if I change the touch.deviceType to 'pointer' it works exactly as I would expect -- it turns into a large trackpad with a mouse cursor displayed on screen and I can actually 'click' on items...
I've also checked out dmesg and adb shell dumpsys input, comparing the different touch screens and different phones, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary (with my limited knowledge anyway...).
Any hints on what might be the issue or further steps I can take to troubleshoot would be much appreciated!


text:
Trouble resetting phone and removing Family Link
Introduction:
Resetting an Android phone can be very tricky when Family Link is active, as I discovered when attempting to perform a factory data reset on my son's phone. Despite uninstalling the Family Link app, a persistent "Action Not Allowed" message prevented the reset, citing lingering parental controls.
The Problem:
The device displayed an "Action Not Allowed" error when trying to execute a factory data reset, indicating that Family Link parental controls were still in effect. Clicking "Learn more" reiterated that an administrator had the power to monitor and manage apps.
Initial Attempts:

Reinstalling Family Link: Attempting to regain control over the settings by reinstalling and configuring the Family Link app on a
parent device.
Removing Supervision via Family Link: Trying to remove the son's account from the Family Link supervision directly on the parent's
device.
Checking for Additional Google Accounts: Ensuring no other Google accounts on the device had administrative control linked to Family
Link.

Despite these efforts, the reset was still blocked.

Hi Borgon, this site works differently. Its questio and answers. Please remove the solution and add it as an answer.

Welcome to the site, Borgon. This looks like a good potential for self Q&A, though the solution should go to the Answer box :). Otherwise, could it possibly that there was a question that you found but couldn't post an answer there? Please let me know, thanks!

Thanks Rohit, I've split it up

The Breakthrough: A crucial step involved checking the "Device admin apps" setting on the phone, which indicated that Family Link parental controls were still active. The "Deactivate" option was greyed out, preventing the removal of administrative rights through the device settings.
The Solution: The resolution came when I removed the Google account associated with Family Link from the device. By navigating to "Settings" > "Accounts and backup" > "Accounts" and removing the account, the administrative control was lifted, allowing a factory data reset.


text:
App send texts that cost money
I accidentally allowed Text permissions on an app and in the same second I was hit with three texts in my spam folder.
I went to texts and there I saw that my phone sent some code and than sent yes to some number and it said that it will cost me weekly.
What should I do?

Remove the permission! If it's an app that you don't need, uninstall it.

I deleted it, but ut subscribed and i deleted sms number. Is there any way of finding that number

Dispute the next "weekly charge" with your bank or credit card company


text:
/sdcard/WhatsApp vs /sdcard/Android/media/com.whatsapp/WhatsApp
Every time I have to backup my phone I end up with the same question, which one should I keep?
Is it a symlink? Can I delete one? Do I have duplicate files on my phone?

New WhatsApp versions no more use /sdcard/WhatsApp directory. They are 2 different directories, neither symlink, nor duplicate.

/sdcard/Whatsapp is the old, pre-Android 11 location where WhatsApp stored its data in the past. It's not used anymore.
/sdcard/Android/media/com.whatsapp/WhatsApp/ is the new, post-Android 11 location where WhatsApp stores its data.

They are not symlinked, nor duplicates.
The location was changed because Android 11 enforces scoped storage. This means that apps cannot access arbitrary files on internal storage anymore, but only on their app-specific directory (/sdcard/Android/.../[package.name]) or public shared directory (/sdcard/Pictures, /sdcard/Download, etc.)

Related Q&A:

WhatsApp didn't restore local backup, where can I find them?
WhatsApp doesn't prompt to restore from local storage


text:
Running VLC from the shell in Android and also passing in a subtitles file?
I know how to launch a video in VLC from the shell under Android as follows:
am start -n org.videolan.vlc/org.videolan.vlc.gui.video.VideoPlayerActivity -a android.intent.action.VIEW -d file:////storage/emulated/0/VideoToPlay.mp4

However, I also have a SubStation Alpha subtitles file which goes along with this video, which in this example could be called subtitles.ssa.
Is there any way using the "am start" command (or any other Android shell command, for that matter) where I can tell VLC to launch the VideoToPlay.mp4 video also with the subtitles.ssa subtitles?
This is do-able in Linux by adding a --sub-file /path/to/subtitles.ssa argument to the shell command line which would launch a video via VLC, and I'm wondering if there's some way to do this in the shell in Android, as well.
Thank you in advance.

Looking at the source code of PlayerActivity only the video file name is extracted and used: https://github.com/videolan/vlc-android/blob/b843e7cb307384643f2f83b4e7988723c4d97714/application/vlc-android/src/org/videolan/vlc/gui/video/VideoPlayerActivity.kt#L645

I thought of a way to get an Android script to accomplish this:
(1) create an empty "work" directory;
(2) copy the VideoToPlay.mp4 file into that work directory;
(3) copy the *.ssa file into the same directory under the name "VideoToPlay.ssa";
(4) run the "am start" command I posted above, pointing to the VideoToPlay.mp4
This works because as long as there is an .ssa file in the same directory as the video and with the same base name as the video, VLC will apply the subtitles in that .ssa file to the specified video.
Here is my script to accomplish this:
#!/system/bin/sh

workdir=/sdcard/vidwork
amstart=( /system/bin/am start -n org.videolan.vlc/org.videolan.vlc.gui.video.VideoPlayerActivity -a android.intent.action.VIEW -d )
amstop=( /system/bin/am force-stop org.videolan.vlc )

# If VLC is running, kill it.
"${amstop[@]}" 1>/dev/null 2>&1

[[ $# -lt 1 ]] && {
  echo "
usage: ${0##*/} video-to-play [ subtitle-file ]
"
  exit 1
}

videopath="${1}"
shift

[[ -r "${videopath}" ]] ||  {
  echo "
Video doesn't exist: ${videopath}
"
  exit 1
}

videoname="${videopath##*/}"

case "${videoname}" in
*.mp4|*.mkv)
  ;;
*)
  echo "
Video must be mp4 or mkv
"
  exit 1
  ;;
esac

videobasename="$( echo "${videoname}" | /system/bin/sed -e 's/\.mp4$//i' -e 's/\.mkv$//i' )"

/system/bin/rm -rf "${workdir}" 1>/dev/null 2>&1
/system/bin/mkdir -p "${workdir}" 1>/dev/null 2>&1

[[ $# -gt 0 ]] && {
  subpath="${1}"
  shift
  [[ -r ${subpath} ]] || {
    echo "
Subtitle file doesn't exist: ${subpath}
"
    exit 1
  }
  /bin/cp "${subpath}" "${workdir}/${videobasename}.ssa"
}

/bin/cp "${videopath}" "${workdir}"

cmd=( "${amstart[@]}" "file:///${workdir}/${videoname}" )

{
  "${cmd[@]}"
} 1>/dev/null 2>&1

exit 0

PS: This script needs to run as root in order for the /system/bin/am force-stop ... command to function properly.
Therefore, assuming this script is stored as /sdcard/runvid.sh, it needs to be run on a rooted device as follows ...
/system/bin/su -c /sdcard/runvid.sh path-to-video-file [ path-to-subtitle-file ]


text:
Action camera stops recording on 18 minutes
I am using Denver ACK-8062W action camera to record while I'm driving my motorcycle and it always stops on 18 minutes, I tried using "loop video" feature where the camera starts a new clip after 5 minutes, but the camera records 3 5 minute video clips and stops on the 4th clip's 3rd minute.
It doesn't appear to be a file size limitation, because the 5 minute clips are bigger in size then the 3 minute.
It doesn't appear to be a storage limitation, as I had 20 GB of free storage before the recording began.
It doesn't appear to be a battery limitation, as I had full battery after the recording had finished.
the format file is FAT32 and the camera doesn't overheat. Can anyone help?

Not sure if this is an Android problem. Are you using the camera with an app? Have you been able to run the action camera for long periods not connected to any app without issue? At a guess, might be a overheating problem.

Possible overheating problem of the camera or the micro SD card which is getting too slow when heated up to write the data in real-time. Redo the test in a cool environment and see if the max duration changes.


text:
Set up remote camera monitoring on Android OS without user input
Bringing my question over from stack exchange as it was suggested I ask here instead.
I'm developing a personal project app (NOT for Play Store) to run on an old pixel phone I have. Here are my requirements

On boot, I want to automatically launch my app
The app should open a live camera feed and collect images at some interval
The app should stay alive indefinitely until a user explicitly kills it
All this needs to happen with NO user input

Nice to haves, but NOT required

The app should be able to function without the screen on

Now, I've successfully rooted my device to remove as many hurdles as I can. I got my app to launch on BOOT_COMPLETED, etc. But I'm hitting walls with the camera. I know the camera is not allowed to run in a background service. I was considering trying to force my app to be a system app, but I'm not sure if that let's me use the camera in this way either. The other option is to run the app in the foreground, but that requires a user to explicitly allow it to run continuously or else the OS kills it. But this will potentially trigger and run when I'm away, so I won't be there to hit play.
This is all like "spying app 101" stuff so that's probably why Android has put up so many roadblocks. But this isn't for other people. I have complete control of my device and will use it on my own property. I can do whatever custom ROMs people suggest, but I've not worked on any Android OS system code before so I'm hoping not to do that. However, if that's the only way, please let me know if you have any suggestions on where to start.
What is best way to achieve my high level goals here? Literally any architecture or strategy to do this is fine so long as it meets my requirements above.

Have you checked if the phone is supported by one if the common Linux distro? Your requirements do not really match with Android. A working Linux distro if available would simplify everything.

What an awesome tip! I did look into some alternative mobile OS's, but most seemed to be based on Android OS (which is itself based on linux, no?) Do you have specific distros in mind?

I noticed our regular user suggested to repost this here. Just to clarify the scope to avoid wrong expectation, this site focuses on power users and end-users POV, who are not necessarily developers. So, while the community might explain the technicalities about Android OS (including the system restriction imposed by Android, etc.), specific coding-related solution is considered off-topic and might be better to be continued on SO. Thanks for your understanding.

Ah, sorry about the confusion. Any and all insights are appreciated if anybody has them. Otherwise, no worries. Thank you

I know that Ubuntu and Debian provide images for Pixel devices, you can check if there are images for your device. Technically Android bases on Linux, however some libraries and a lot of other parts of the system architecture are different so directly running Linux programs can be quite challenging.

Really appreciate your help @Robert. However, I haven't been able to find any widely supported / up to date Ubuntu or Debian distros for mobile. The most promising I across were PostmartketOS and Ubunutu Touch, but neither support devices newer than 5+ years old. There's also this reddit thread talking about lack of solid mobile linux options (https://www.reddit.com/r/linux/comments/175ghbp/porting_mobile_linux_distributions_to_pixel/)
However, I could be missing something obvious, so please let me know if you're aware of anything :)


text:
Phone not always receiving instant messages on time
I have a persistent issue with my Pixel 7a Android 14 phone, that messages sent through WhatsApp don't always get received on my phone until a while (30+ minutes). Sometimes they don't get received at all until I grab my phone, in which case they all get received at once, and in some cases they aren't received until I actually open the WhatsApp app and there I will see them all rattling in.
I suspected Doze Mode to be the culprit, but the issue persists even after disabling battery optimizations for the app. I have also tried using other applications such as Skype, Instagram, which experience the same problem. I have also completely deactivated Do not Disturb and it does not solve the issue either. Reinstalling WhatsApp has also not solved the issue.
The issue is not with the sending phone - they communicate just fine with other people on WhatsApp during these problems.
What is happening? How do I make my messages received and notify me when they should?

GooglePlayServices is the app responsible for receiving push messages and distributing them to the app they belong to. But this service should be excluded from battery saving by default. That messages are not received in real-time is normal if the device is locked, but 30 minutes seems to be a little bit too much.


text:
How can I create the launcher icons via console?
I want to automate the branding of a white-label Android app. One thing that requires manual work is taking a 512x512 px PNG image and creating the launcher icons:
├── ic_launcher-playstore.png
└── icons
    ├── mipmap-hdpi
    │   ├── ic_launcher_foreground.png
    │   ├── ic_launcher.png
    │   └── ic_launcher_round.png
    ├── mipmap-mdpi
    │   ├── ic_launcher_foreground.png
    │   ├── ic_launcher.png
    │   └── ic_launcher_round.png
    ├── mipmap-xhdpi
    │   ├── ic_launcher_foreground.png
    │   ├── ic_launcher.png
    │   └── ic_launcher_round.png
    ├── mipmap-xxhdpi
    │   ├── ic_launcher_foreground.png
    │   ├── ic_launcher.png
    │   └── ic_launcher_round.png
    └── mipmap-xxxhdpi
        ├── ic_launcher_foreground.png
        ├── ic_launcher.png
        └── ic_launcher_round.png

I currently do that via Image Asset Studio, but it's monotonic work that seems easy to automate.
Is there a way to generate those images automatically?
What I thought about

Using convert (imagemagick): I'm uncertain how to apply the rounding though.
A Python package: I haven't found anything on pypi
Running Image Asset Studio via command line: seems not to be possible

That you can not run asset-studio jar file from command-line doesn't mean you can not use it. You just need to develop a small program that uses this library. The source code can be found in AOSP or you just decompile the version you have.

I was hoping that I'm not the first one facing this issue and thus that a finished solution already exists. Also, adjusting the imagemagick-approach seems WAY easier than decompiling Android Studio just for that function (plus the source code is here)

Yes, other way may be simpler, but you are wrong on one thing: asset-studio is not part of AS (at least not the JAR file mentioned in the linked SO question). It is part of Android SDK tools. Not sure why it is there (by which command it is required?) and if the GUI of Android Studio of that name bases on the same sources.


text:
When an android runs out of battery does it keep open the tabs that were being used?
It must be a stupid question but it’s important. Thank you!

Isn't this something mere experimentation could ascertain? Try it out, self-answer, then accept the answer for the reputation.

Which tabs do you mean ?  The browser?  If so, which Browser?

Welcome to the site. I'm afraid this question is unclear about the "open tabs being used". While we might strongly assume that you're referring to browser tabs, there may be other apps/features that use tabs. A little more clarification by [edit]ing would help, thanks!

Keeping tabs opened is a feature of the app/browser, not of Android.

I presume you mean web pages in the browser?
If the device closed down properly when it ran low on power, it should have made a record of which pages it had open, and the browser should reload them when the device has been charged and you re-launch the browser. However, there are significant caveats to that:

The exact behaviour can depend on which browser you were using.
Anything you set up on web pages, but didn't submit to the web server, is likely to have been lost.
If you were logged into a web page, the server might have logged you out, or done other things, while you were inactive.
If the device didn't close down properly when it ran out of power, it's hard to guess what would happen.

So the answer to the question you asked is "It depends." A lot more detail, starting with the device model, Android version and browser name, may let us be more specific.


text:
Compatibility between Android 8.1 Oreo recovery.img and 9.0 Pie
I got Infinix x650 Android 8.1 Oreo recovery.img extracted with this command
$ abootimg -x recovery.img
#produced bootimg.cfg, zImage and ramdisk

I also downloaded twrp.img built for Infinix x650B running the same arch but running 9.1 Pie and bootimg.cfg with different offsets on extraction.
So I built a new TWRP named x650_twrp.img from x650 bootimg.cfg, x650 zImage and x650B ramdisk.
Will it work well on x650?


text:
Whatsapp: Scheduled sync to NAS storage of photos. How to include Group Media?
I have a regular sync on my phone to backup photos to my NAS storage over wifi. It runs automatically overnight and I never have to remember to do it.
I include in the sync:
internal storage/Android/media/com.whatsapp/Whatsapp/Media/WhatsApp Images
But this folder does not contain all shared photos, only photos sent directly to me, and Group Media is missing.
What is the path for Group Media?  It's clearly on my phone somewhere as I can view the images offline. Any guidance appreciated.

I checked my /WhatsApp Images folder and it contains photos from WhatsApp groups. Are the images shown on the gallery apps?

Other photos are encrypted.  They are not available directly in the file system. All you can do is to rely on the automatic backup.  You can only access the images that you sent or the ones sent to you directly.

I checked my /WhatsApp Images folder and it contains photos from WhatsApp groups and not encrypted. Could you clarify by "encrypted"? Is it a feature that can be enabled?


text:
Disable magnifier globally when selecting text in Android 12
Is there a way to disable the magnifier feature globally for all apps in Android 12? I found it annoying.

I've looked for a setting for this, but to no avail.
If it can't be done globally, maybe it's possible for, at least, Firefox for Android (or its fork)?


text:
Huawei P9 Lite stuck on Vodafone Logo
I found my Huawei P9 Lite (VNS-L210) and I wanted to see if it still has photos of my baby brother in it, but I can't. It's stuck on the Vodafone logo. In eRecovery mode, when I try to connect it to any WiFi, it says "Getting package info failed".
I really want my photos back. Please help me.
I am not a phone enthusiast so if you can make it simple so I can understand (if you can't, it's fine, I'll just google it)


text:
Gboard (and Google Translate): outputting translation in different destination scripts
I am using Gboard to translate text from English to other languages. Some languages can be written in more than one script.
I was wondering whether it would be possible to select Bosnian in Cyrillic rather than Latin script as my translation output, or pinyin instead of hanzi as the output text for Chinese.
The same goes for other languages that can have more than one destination translation output script.
Is this possible with Gboard (and, in general, also with Google Translate)? How can I achieve this behavior?


text:
Audio interrupted randomly (by other apps?)
How can I prevent my audio playback from being interrupted?  Whatever is going on with other apps seems to very often stop my listening and I have to go and press play again.
Most specifically, I start audio playback, and then engage the Angry Birds Dream Blast or any of several games, or other apps. The audio gets interrupted and I have to stop everything and resume playback. I downloaded Permission Manager X, by Irfan Latif, but I can't see how it can help.

Possible duplicate: How can I prevent an app from interrupting audio playback of some other app?


text:
How to make termux-clipboard-set/get in chroot?
termux-clipboard-set and termux-clipboard-get are accessible on termux and proot. But they are not available on chroot. Probably because some library is missing.
Any way to make it work? Or what library do I need to copy over?


text:
Unusual entry in Google web & app activity
On my google web & app activity I noticed an unusual entry. Should I be concerned? It says:
Used: qualcomm.qti.services.secureui.com
Any ideas?

Sorry but your question is quite short. Please extend it and add details about your phone (model and Android version). Also a screenshot of the "unusual entry" would be good.


text:
how to bold text in whatsapp chat
Is there a way to apply bold formatting to text within WhatsApp chats on Android devices? I'm curious if such functionality is available for emphasizing text. If it's possible, it could enhance communication and expression within the app.

You can bold your text by putting an asterisk before and after your text as described here:

Bold
To bold your message, place an asterisk on both sides of the text:
*text*

For italic, you put an underscore before and after the text. It's basically using markdown.
Depending on the keyboard you use, you can alson select the text, then select Bold (you might have to select the 3-dot, then select Bold).


text:
Can I change battery meter display to (actualReading/85)*100?
Can I change my battery meter to display the value (actualReading/85)*100 instead of actualReading? so when it's at 85% it displays 100%, and when it's at 50% it displays as 58%, when it's 10% it displays as 11% and so on?
My phone (a Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra) has a optional battery protect mode which stops charging at 85%, which supposedly extends the battery life, and I'm testing it out, but it's annoying to see 85% when that's "the new 100%",
it would reduce my cognitive load if I could change the display % to the formula (actualReading/85)*100,
Is that possible?
Phone is rooted, if that helps. It's also stuck on Android 13 (cannot upgrade it to android 14 without wiping it, due to rooting, AFAIK)


text:
Low mic gain on bluetooth headset with new Android
I have been using Sennheiser HD350 headset since 2 years now. I have taken many many calls with this headset on various OS including Android, MacOS and Windows. Never had any issues. However, I recently changed my Android phone and the new phone supports Bluetooth v5.3.
Now when I take calls from this headset via this andorid phone, the receiver can hear me but complains of very low volume (low mic gain). The same headset performs well with other android and windows devices.
This is what I have tried so far:-

Updated the headset to latest version
Did a factory reset which removes all pairings
Re-paired with new phone
Reached out to Sennheiser customer care

Note: My brother also got the same headset with me and he is also facing same issue when taking calls from Windows laptop.
Please suggest.


text:
LG g5 infrared red problems
I have a LG g5 and my IR isn't working, no matter what app I use. This is my second LG g5, am I doing something wrong.. suggestions welcomed.

The LG G5 has NO IR capabilities. Why do you think it has IR?


text:
"Can't provide internet" on network with internet
I own a Motorola Edge 20 Fusion running Android 12.
Sometimes when I connect to my home network, my phone says "Connected to device. Can't provide internet." and will disconnect after a few seconds. There is no prompt about staying connected to the network that normally appears.
Generally, the internet connection does work in the brief moments where it is connected, but obviously fails whenever it disconnects, meaning that the internet is not actually usable.
My home network does have internet, and I have not run into this issue on any other device, Android or not. My home network consists of an OpnSense router, with a number of OpenWRT-based access points.
So far I have tried:

Rebooting my phone - generally does not help
Rebooting my APs - sometimes this helps. I'm not convinced this actually fixes the issue, rather than being a coincidence though - other devices have no issues connecting to my network even when my phone does.
Checking that http://google.com/generate_204 and http://gstatic.com/generate_204 are available on my network as per this post - they are

I'm not sure how or where to look now with fixing this. I'd appreciate any help.


text:
Error when running dnsmasq executable on Android
I am trying to build dnsmasq DNS filter on Android (LineageOS). This is what I am doing:
I download the code from here:
https://thekelleys.org.uk/dnsmasq/
I downloaded the Android NDK. Then I export the necessary variables:
export NDK_PROJECT_PATH=/home/myuser/Library/Projects/dnsmasq-Android/android-ndk-r26b/
export ANDROID_NDK=/home/myuser/Library/Engineering/manuals/Android/dnsmasq/android-ndk-r26b/
export PATH=$ANDROID_NDK/toolchains/llvm/prebuilt/linux-x86_64/bin:$PATH

Now I am ready to compile. So I run:
../android-ndk-r26b/prebuilt/linux-x86_64/bin/make clean
../android-ndk-r26b/prebuilt/linux-x86_64/bin/make ARCH=arm64-v8a

Now it compiles fine. So I copy the executable to the phone:
adb push dnsmasq /data/local/tmp/dnsmasq
adb shell 'chmod +x /data/local/tmp/dnsmasq'
adb shell '/data/local/tmp/dnsmasq --version'

When I run the last command, I get the error:
/system/bin/sh: /data/local/tmp/dnsmasq: not executable: 64-bit ELF file
What is going wrong? I tried replacing the make architecture with 'arm64', 'arm64,v7a' but did not make a difference..

Before uploading the binary to the phone you can test the binary using file and/or readelf command regarding which platform /CPU architecture the executable is targeting.

Thank you. file dnsmasq gives this: dnsmasq: ELF 64-bit LSB pie executable, x86-64, version 1 (SYSV), dynamically linked, interpreter /lib64/ld-linux-x86-64.so.2, BuildID[sha1]=2957f2a589e1b2e1d7ab9c97a89c9121a6bcd5f4, for GNU/Linux 4.4.0, not stripped I have no experience with Android so I can't tell what's wrong about it..

As you can see you have built a 64bit version but not for arm but for x86. I am not a compiler expert but according to this site the first path after prebuilt is the target tag thus it is no surprise you compiled the binary for x86_64 and not for arm64-v8a.

Thanks. I'm sorry but I still can't find the solution for this particular problem.. I found these instructions: https://developer.android.com/ndk/guides/other_build_systems#non-autoconf_make_projects But none helped..


text:
Asking for pin entry on Samsung Watch 6
I have a Samsung Watch 6 connected to Samsung Note 20.  For some days now, if I swipe the watch face, it shows a numeric keypad on the watch and asks for a pin.  Bezel movement is ignored.
It is obviously some setting that I have played with.  But searching for "lock", "unlock" and "pin" in the Wear App -> Watch Settings does not reveal anything useful.
From memory, the only recent changes I have made is to enable Google Pay and loaded a visa card.  But I can not find any settings for wearables on Google Pay.

It turned out to be Samsung Wallet.  I had tried to get Samsung Wallet working on my new phone and kept getting errors This card is not supported.  I didn't really want to use Google Pay, but I had to set it up instead.
Samsung Wallet was still enabled for NFC payment.  Which is why it was securing the watch.  I just had to disable payments.


text:
Updater process ended with ERROR: 1 on Mi A2 (jasmine_sprout)
I want to install Ubuntu Touch on my phone and one of the steps is to install a specific build of Android 9 on the phone. When I try to do this I get this error in OrangeFox Recovery:
Flashing A/B zip to inactive slot: A
Updater process ended with ERROR: 1
To flash additional zips, please reboot recovery to switch to the updated slot.
Error installing ZIP file '/jasmine_sprout_stock_android9.zip'

In TWRP everything happens without errors, but when the phone reboots it goes into recovery or constantly reboots.
I have successfully installed Ubuntu Touch on this phone before without any problems, this is the first time this has happened to me.
Things I've already tried:

Downloading the firmware again
Erasing all partitions
Changing the file system to ext4 for /system and /data
Reinstalling OrangeFox Recovery
Installing the latest stock firmware via Fastboot

Here is a link to the installation guide: https://devices.ubuntu-touch.io/device/jasmine-sprout/release/xenial
Here is a link to the Android 9 build itself: https://github.com/ubports-xiaomi-sdm660/artifacts/releases/download/v0.1/jasmine_sprout_stock_android9.zip