text:
Photos and videos vanished from "second space" on Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro
I have (for 2 years) the "second space" in use (Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro, MIUI 12.5.8.0 RJZEUXM, updated about 1 year ago), and it works wonderfully - two separate phones in one. But because I couldn't use the SD card in the second space and so lack of memory, I finally mounted the card as shared memory the week before last. Yay! Much more memory! But, a few days ago, the system deleted all pictures and videos in the second space that I had made since then (kayak tour). But only in the second space; the ones in the "first phone" are all there.
I hadn't changed anything before, no reboot either (except after the incident, but I didn't do anything). Various undelete apps found nothing; the memory card can't be it. Took a media scan also, but nope.
So:

How could this happen on the part of MIUI and
How can I (maybe, hopefully) get my pictures and videos back in second space?

Xiaomi has sent out a mail to its users advising them on the closure of the cloud service for gallery items:

Dear Xiaomi Cloud user,
We're in the process of terminating cloud sync services for Gallery
items. To avoid losing any of your data, we recommend following the
instructions below to transfer or download your Gallery items as soon
as possible.

Transfer items stored in the cloud to Google Photos

First, make sure that your Gallery app is updated to the latest
version (3.4.9.8). In the app, tap the dialog on the Start page or the
notice at the top of the screen to start the transfer process, then
follow the instructions. You can back up all your photos and videos to
Google Photos.

Download items stored in the cloud to your device

In your browser, visit i.mi.com, then tap the Gallery icon or select
the dropdown menu next to your profile photo. Follow the instructions
on the screen to download your items.
Please note that you can only choose one of the above options.
As of July 31, 2023, we will cease to offer transfer and download
services for Gallery items, and any remaining Gallery items stored in
Xiaomi Cloud will be permanently cleared. For more information on the
specific service termination timeline in your region, visit:
https://i.mi.com/announcement/stop_service?_locale=en_US


text:
Huawei P30 Pro locked out with "Android System: User Data Locked" error
Just checking if anyone faced an issue with "Android System: User Data Locked" on Huawei P30 Pro.
My Huawei P30 Pro got locked after a middle-of-the-night auto-update. I keyed in the usual password the next morning but the login failed. I tried all different passwords and it still doesn't work. To make matters worse and for whatever reasons, the phone went into airplane mode after a few restarts of the phone.
I cannot afford a factory reset as it contains all her work and personal stuff. We went to Huawei Service Centre and they are unable to help as well.
Any way to force kick the phone out of airplane mode?

Welcome to a Q&A site Android Enthusiasts Stack Exchange. There are a few suggestions on a big Google's Android Help thread, ranging from inputting the Google Account's password, restarting, shutting down and waiting for a few hours, and lastly inputting the last password set up on an app. Unfortunately, I'm not sure if airplane mode can be toggled from the notification drawer while locked or not.

Also posted on XDA Forums, just in case it's answered there: https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/user-data-locked.4601705/

You have probably tried this, but have not indicated it in your question.

Clear Cache Partition  from Guide on how to wipe cache partition of Huawei P30 or P30 Pro:

First of all, turn off the phone using the “Power button”.
Now press and hold the power button and volume up button.
Keep on pressing the buttons till you see “Huawei” written on the screen.
Now, you will be in recovery mode. You will see a number of options.
Use the volume button to navigate to “Wipe Cache Partition” and use the power button to make the selection.
Wait for the phone to format the cache partition. Once it is done you will see it on the screen. Do not reset while the cache partition is being cleared. Otherwise, it can brick your phone.
Once you are done with clearing cache partition of Huawei P30. Use the volume button to navigate to the “Reboot System Now” option. Use the Power button to make the selection.

Safe Mode From [HOW TO ENTER SAFE MODE ON HUAWEI P30 PRO](HOW TO ENTER SAFE MODE ON HUAWEI P30 PRO)

Turn off the device.
Press and hold Power button.
Tap Restart.
When the device is restarting, press the Volume Down and Power buttons simultaneously.
When the device logo appears, release the Power button and continue to press the Volume Down.
If you see Safe Mode in the lower-left corner after the device restart, Safe Mode is on, otherwise you need to repeat the process.

If you can get into safe mode then one of your apps is the problem.  You can try deleting them, starting with ones that don't have of your data.

Sorry, can I go into safe mode thru the EMUI menu?

I can go into safe mode but I can't login. Still prompt me for the password.

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


text:
Micro SD Card not detected anymore on Redmi note 11 pro, not accessible from computer
I've installed a micro SD card on my phone, as an extension of the internal storage, but it's not detected anymore on my phone...
With some tools on the computer I found out that the micro SD card is divided into 2 partitions, android meta and android expand. I guess it's partitions for android extension storage.
How can I make it work again? Is there something to fix this? I need to recover files on it, and it is super boring to use weird software...

If you have formatted the SD-card as internal storage the data is encrypted, so recovery software is not an option.

so what's the option?

If your device is not rooted the only way is to read the sd-card inside your phone. If that doesn't work I don't see a way to access the data anymore.

So do you think i should root my phone?

For rooting your phone you need to unlock the bootloader which will erase all user data including the encryption keys. If you do that you can be 100% sure the SD-card data is gone.

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


text:
"Sign in to Google Assistant to make it yours" - but I don't want to!
I don't use a Google Account on my phone; nor do I use Google Assistant. However, for the past few... weeks, I guess, my phone keeps getting into a screen which tells me I must log into a Google Account to use Google Assistant. I think it happens mainly/only when I turn on the monitor after it's been off due to idling.
Can I get rid of that notification somehow? Or maybe my phone not try whatever it is it's trying?
Note: Xiaomi MI 9 SE phone (Android v11, MIUI Global 12.5)

You can disable the "Google" app which hosts Assistant and that should completely disable all it's related functionality.
If, for whatever reason, you want to still keep using that app, you can try to set "Default Digital assistant" app to "None". It should be under Apps section in Android settings.

How can I disable it?


text:
Have more standard apps in "Limit apps and home screen"
I like Samsung's power saving option "Limit apps and home screen", but 4 apps is just not enough. As a result, some apps shut off when you close which I would like to keep running.
Can you add more than 4 apps to the set of apps that are allowed to run in the background somehow?

I don't think you can.  Even in developer options, the maximum is 4.


text:
How to find the RAM type in command prompt in Android?
I am trying to find out what the memory type of my Android phone is, i.e. if the device is LP4 or LP5 type.
On Windows PC, there is wmic command to get this system information. However, I can't find the equivalent for Android.
Is there any way from the command line that we can find out if the device is LP4 or LP5? Like accessing the shell and finding out the memory type.

At Windows PC's wmic is there to get this system information no wmic stopped working for detecting DDR for more than a decade and you need other methods to do that

On my Pixel 4a the app Device Info HW shows LPDDR4x.


text:
Power up Bluetooth speaker with voice command (Megaboom 3)
I am trying to make a Google Assistant Routine:

Power on Bluetooth.
Wait for two seconds.
Use the app BOOM Switch to power up two paired Megaboom 3.
Set media volume to 30%.
Start a Spotify playlist.

The 3rd step is my problem.
The app "Boom Switch" is not in Google Home Assistant shortcuts. The app itself can create widgets/shortcuts to the home screen which can activate 1 speaker at a time with a click/tab.

Starters

Voice command: "Hey Google, let's party"

Actions

"Activate Bluetooth"
Delay: 2 seconds
[Open Boom Switch speaker_one] <- [need correct phrasing set up]
Delay: 2 seconds
[Open Boom Switch speaker_two] <- [need correct phrasing set up]
"Set media volume to 30%"
"Open Spotify playlist"

I hope you can solve this.

Have you tried using task apps such as IFTTT or Automate


text:
Why should I update the bootloader when flashing custom ROM?
I have a Realme GT Neo2. The developer behind the custom ROMs says it's required to flash some firmware Firmware_EU_F.04_RM-Warning.zip. Inside the archive, there's an abl.img file which I believe is going to replace or update the bootloader.
Why even touch the bootloader? Imagine flashing a corrupted archive and ending up with a bricked, unrestorable phone.
A list of files inside the archive:
├── META-INF
│   └── com
│       ├── android
│       │   ├── metadata
│       │   ├── ota_md5.csv
│       │   └── otacert
│       └── google
│           └── android
│               ├── removable_images.txt
│               ├── update-binary
│               └── updater-script
├── firmware-update
│   ├── BTFM.img
│   ├── DRIVER.img
│   ├── abl.img
│   ├── aop.img
│   ├── cdt_engineering.img
│   ├── cmnlib.img
│   ├── cmnlib64.img
│   ├── devcfg.img
│   ├── dpAP.img
│   ├── dspso.img
│   ├── dtbo.img
│   ├── hyp.img
│   ├── imagefv_ddr4.img
│   ├── imagefv_ddr5.img
│   ├── keymaster64.img
│   ├── modem.img
│   ├── oppo_sec.img
│   ├── qupv3fw.img
│   ├── splash.img
│   ├── static_nvbk.img
│   ├── tz.img
│   ├── vbmeta.img
│   ├── vbmeta_system.img
│   ├── vbmeta_vendor.img
│   ├── xbl_config_ddr4.img
│   ├── xbl_config_ddr5.img
│   ├── xbl_ddr4.img
│   └── xbl_ddr5.img
└── system

For firmware images provided by Google for their phones it is not uncommon to include updated bootloader images, but for a custom ROM it is indeed unusual. May be the new bootloader disables a feature like dm-verity?

there is also version binding to android. downgrade protection sometimes forces update of older insecure binaries


text:
My phone puts me into wrong position inside buildings
I have a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3, updated to the latest possible Android 13, OneUI 5.1. Usually, whenever I'm inside a building, my phone (Google Maps) shows me a blue icon instead of a gray one at a completely different location.
I tried restarting the phone. I checked, and there is no mock location app.
What shall I do? It bothers me a lot.

GPS and similar technologies do not work inside buildings, thus the phone tries to use different indicators for your location like strength of cellular signals, WiFi access points or Bluetooth location tokens. Sometimes these location technologies use an outdated database or wrong because of other reasons.

I know. How can I clean these databases on Android to prevent these kinds of mislocations?

Get a bunch of different people with real devices and active GPS to collect all of the WiFi / Bluetooth / Cell Towers near your location to improve the accuracy of the the location provider database. You may want to try run Google Maps in foreground as you enter/leave the building. At some point Google's data will be updated. Find & improve your location’s accuracy

@MorrisonChang As far as I know running Google Maps or not has no impact as the location collecting and sending to Google is done by the location services background service. Go into Android Settings -> Location -> Location Services. Make sure "Google Location Accuracy" is enabled and also "Wifi Scanning" and "Bluetooth Scanning".

@Robert More to speed up the process of data collection as for an individual user's location timeline is not updated when Maps isn't foreground and the Google Fit app gets a system notification about background processes. My experience/answer in a somewhat related question

I haven't tried it, but probably using another location service like Mozilla Location Service might help.

GPS signals don't penetrate solid objects well. So other methods can be employed to add to it, such as Wifi and Mobile tower.  Even if the GPS could be accurate, it does not support height.  So different elevations are just going to produce an incorrect result.
Apps for malls and airports tend to use more precise wifi based locations and methods such as beacons.  Many of the advertising boards have cameras (you can see them, if you look closely).  These follow you around.

GPS signals are carried through waves at a frequency that does not move easily through solid objects. A GPS device relies on a series of satellites in order to determine where it is physically located. The signals sent from these satellites do not penetrate all kinds of barriers with ease. When you use a GPS inside a building, a wide variety of physical barriers and potential interference sources make it difficult for the device to pinpoint your location accurately.

From Why Doesn't GPS Work Inside a Building?
I am not associated with this site, it was the first one in my search, to corroborate my statement.

I know GPS is not supposed to work inside buildings. My question is aiming for more on how can I solve the mislocations caused by "secondary" positioning technologies (like wifi database, etc).

Unfortunately there's not that much you can do - since you don't have GPS signal, your phone falls back to locating via WiFi. The WiFi equipment in the problematic building(s) was probably moved lately and has wrong location recorded in Google databases.
You can try reporting an issue in Google Maps - tap on blue dot and report a problem. But that also won't work immediately, you'll need to wait for the Google database to update over time.


text:
Where Are the WhatsApp Backup Database Files?
I'm trying to get a backup of my WhatsApp messages and copy it to my PC, so that I can view my message archive outside WhatsApp on my PC using a 3rd party app - maybe WhatsApp Viewer. However, after backing up my chat history, I'm having a lot of trouble finding the backup files so I can copy them to my PC. The phone is a Google Pixel 6a running Android 13 and WhatsApp 2.23.12.78.
Inside WhatsApp, I've created a Chat Backup. The Chat backup screen claims it's saved it to Google Drive and also created a local copy on my phone's internal storage:
So I first looked on Google Drive. Using a Chrome on my PC, I navigated to Manage Apps - only to find that WhatsApp shows as a greyed out triangle and offers me no option to do anything except disconnect. I can't figure out how to access the files and transfer them to my PC.
So instead, I looked on my phone. I used the phone Files app to show hidden folders (just in case the files are hidden), then connected the phone to my PC via USB and browsed round, but couldn't find anything. The WhatsApp folder contains only Media. Screenshot below. Even the WhatsApp documents folder contains only a .jpg image.
So I'm kinda stuck. Does anyone know how/where I can access the chat backup files?
Images attached: Screenshots of WhatsApp chat backup screen; Google Drive, and WhatsApp folder on phone, viewed on PC

Welcome to Android Enthusiasts Stack Exchange. We have existing Q&A for this query, please have a look!


text:
"INSTALL_FAILED_ABORTED: User rejected permissions" when installing apk from storage on Android 12

Edit: I notice this error when installing split apks using custom app installer from storage. But now I found this error also occurs when installing normal .apk file (I didn't notice this because I am using Android's default package installer). However .apk could be installed successfully(at least it seems like).

There is a .xapk file in apkpure and here is the corresponding app on play store.
I can install it using play store. But other approaches of installing this app failes(SAI_v4.5 and other installers), and about 20MB(the size of the .xapk file) is lost after installation failure.
I got the error

INSTALL_FAILED_ABORTED: User rejected permissions

when installing split APKs (.xapk) on my Oppo Reno4 SE 5G running Android 12.
Device spec from "About device"
# example commands to install split apks
pm install-create
pm install-write 18911812 base.apk /data/local/tmp/base.apk
pm install-write 18911812 split_1.apk /data/local/tmp/split_1.apk
pm install-write 18911812 split_1.apk /data/local/tmp/split_1.apk
pm install-commit

I tried to install it using ADB, and although pm install-commit returns with a Success message, the app is not fully installed. When using ADB, "Verify app over USB" is turned off.
How to solve this?

Welcome to Android Enthusiasts Stack Exchange. According to this thread (Chinese), try disabling "Verify apps over USB" from the Developer options. There's also a mention of enabling permission to install apps, though I'm not sure about ADB. Otherwise, could you mention the device model? There's a mention of MIUI putting the restriction on the newer Package Installer app.


text:
Incorrect name on WhatsApp
When someone saves my coordinates using WhatsApp, They see a wrong name which is being reflected as Default ( Probably an old short name of mine), how do I correct this issue. I use an Android Phone ( Pixel 6)

Does this answer your question? WhatsApp contact has wrong name associated with it in contacts (but correct name within WhatsApp itself) - How to fix?

As far as I know, on Whatsapp, the name comes from their contact list.  If they add you for the first time, then it defaults to whatever you have called yourself.  The photo however comes from your account.

To change the name, the recipient has to do it in their contact list.

If it's a Group Name, and if you are an admin, then you can change the group name.

If they have not changed the name, then it is possible that it will change if you change it.

Start WhatsApp
Press the three dot menu
Press Settings
Press your photo
Press on the pen icon next to your name


text:
Change Chrome Tab View/Layout
I have a problem with changing Chrome Tab View/Layout.
Before I had this tab view:

Now I have this tab view:

I don't know how and why it is changed. Perhaps, due to Chrome auto-update?
How to get back?
What I've already tried so far:

Chrome -> Settings -> Accessibility -> Uncheck "Simplified view for open tabs", but my Chrome does not have Simplified view for open tabs:

chrome://flags -> Tab Grid Layout, but my Chrome does not have Tab Grid Layout:

Very confused. Need help.

"but my Chrome does not have 'Simplified view for open tabs'" it's only available if other accessibility services are enabled, though it's not the culprit for the design change.

Meanwhile, the change looks like related to the recent redesign of using Material You, though I was unable to see the difference even after toggling the flag.

@AndrewT. After I enabled "Switch Access" the "Simplified view for open tabs" appeared. However, enabling the "Simplified view for open tabs" does not change the tab view/layout. Furthermore, accessing https://www.androidpolice.com/ leads to This page isn’t working right, www.androidpolice.com didn’t send any data., ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE.


text:
Can't restore /data (non-gsi)
Redmi 7A (Pine). Some LineageOS ROM was working for years, but I decided to update Magisk via the app, that was a big mistake...
The system failed to boot so I backed up only /data without /data/media via TWRP. Flashed LineageOS 17.1, and it loads fine, flashing again but restoring /data backup. It fails to load, only a loading logo for several minutes and it goes to recovery'
Tried LineageOS 18.1 (https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/rom-arm64-unofficial-lineageos-18-1-for-redmi-7a-pine.4267861/), the same. Hope somebody will help me restore my data :\ Backup is called 2023-07-05--12-45-26_RQ3A210605005_test-keys and has structure of four archives and some info: data.ext4.win000, win001, win002, win003, and sha2 for each archive, data.info and recovery.log

I outplayed the problem. TWRP makes a backup of the "Nandroid" type, using Titanium Backup Pro (used v8.3.1.2) restored the application with data, copied the TWRP folder (in which BACKUPS) to internal storage (example /sdcard/TWRP/BACKUPS/...) , because it does not see the SD card (written in additional F.A.Q. - https://4pda.to/forum/index.php?showtopic=152562&st=28820#entry57719632):

"Question: I can not restore data from a nandroid backup. Writes
backup not found. What should I do?      Answer: On some firmwares
with Android 6 and higher, this behavior is available, or in TWRP the
path to the backup has been changed, which Titnium cannot see. The
solution is here В® Titanium Backup (Post vasilyevaa # 69824786) Or
use third-party utilities to work with nandroid backups."

If after restoring the application + data the application does not start, then use SD Maid Pro (used v5.5.10 b50510) to completely delete the application, install the latest version or the same version, but from the full APK and restore only the data, it helped me. Do not delete the backup in any case (it will always come in handy) and do not unpack (the chmod and chown attributes and some other attributes will disappear in Windows)


text:
Google Assistant is unable to accept voice input unless summoned via "OK Google," and even then only the first first action
I have a very strange issue that I haven't found anything else on. Most resources only cover enabling voice match, and issues with it not working specifically.
My issue is related, yet also very different.
See, if I open Google Assistant manually, either by selecting the Assistant app, or swiping from my bottom corner, it sits there waiting for voice input, but seems unable to detect anything that I'm saying. However, if I summon Assistant by using Voice Match by saying "Ok Google" or some variation thereof, it can detect and accept input as normal, but only for that specific interaction. If something requires multiple steps, for example, the "what song is this" command, it will detect the first instruction after being summoned by voice match, but then proceed to fail to detect any subsequent input.
I have an Asus ROG Phone 6 running Android 12. Issue persists across multiple restarts, and even uninstalls and reinstalls of Assistant. I've also tried deleting and recreating the voice profile to no avail.


text:
SSL certificate fails only on Chromium browsers in Android
A client of ours has a website that works on most browsers. However, when trying to open it in Chrome (114), Edge (114) or Samsung Internet (21) on Android, there is an error message saying

Your connection is not private ERR:ERR_CERT_AUTHORITY_INVALID.

We tried several phones with Android 12 and 13, but the results are all the same.
Also:

Firefox on Android works
Chrome and Safari on iPad and iPhone work
Chrome, Edge and Firefox on Windows desktop work

Because it works in almost all browsers, I think it's safe to assume there is nothing wrong with the certificate, and the problem lies with Chromium.
My question is, how can I further investigate this issue?
(I realize this question may not necessarily be about Android, but I'm not sure where else to post it)

In my experience, recent versions of Chrome for Android now require certificates that are issued by a root CA which participates in the certificate transparency program.
This program records all issued certificates by a CA in a public log (you can see this log in real-time e.g. on certstream.calidog.io, scroll down on this page and click the OPEN THE FIREHOSE button). Therefore, if a CA is (or becomes) malicious and issues a certificate for www.google.com but the CA has no relation to Google, this will be recorded in the certificate transparency list and Google would see this malpractice. In the end, the CA would be banned from the trusted root CA lists in common browsers and OS.

Interesting. Is there a quick way to check if a certain (root) certificate is in that program? I noticed that our client has a cert from a different root CA on another subdomain, and that one does work everywhere

@Berend Looking e.g. at the certificate of www.google.com using KeyStore Explorer I can see a certificate extension with the OID 1.3.6.1.4.1.11129.2.4.2 "Certificate Transparency SCTs". I don't know the spec, but I would assume that every certificate issued by a certificate transparency aware CA contains such an extension.

I don't see that particular extension, so maybe Chromium has other requirements as well. At least I have a clearer picture now, so thanks. I'll investigate further.


text:
How to Disable Drag n Drop on Samsung (not Google) Calendar
Too many times I am trying to add a new event on Samsung Calendar, and somehow I select onto an existing event and suddenly this previous event enters into drag mode.  If I do not recall where the event was, I am lost because there is no way to cancel this drag mode, the previous event will end up wherever I release my finger to drop it and there is no way that I can tell to undo the moving of the event.
How do I turn off drag and drop capability on Samsung Calendar?  Or, is there a way to undo these accidental moves of existing events?

If you don't find a way to disable or cancel the drag&drop you could switch to a different calendar app (Google or whatever). Calendars apps on Android are usually just fron-end apps to the Android calendar back-end. So you all apps show the same data.


text:
Whatsapp backup recovery
I am trying to get an old backup from one phone to another the problem is the phone from which am trying to get the back up from got stolen I still have access to all my accounts like Google Drive so I can see I have a back up on that other phone but I can't access it because I don't have the phone to get the verification code when am trying to log into WhatsApp so is there any solution to my problem i urgently need to check my messages and I cannot access that other backup onto my new phone.

Welcome to a Q&A site Android Enthusiasts Stack Exchange. Since you only have a backup on Google Drive, please take a look at the duplicate to retrieve the backup file directly. Good luck!


text:
Is there a way to automatically share Google Photos of someone in real time?
I take a lot of pictures of one person and this person always wants me to share them. Google Photos is really good at identifying these pictures and so I was wondering if there was a way that Google Photos could share these photos with them "in real time" i.e. some way that when I took a new photo of this person they would automatically be able to see it.

The closest thing this can be achieved is by creating an auto-updating shared album.

Create a shared album
[steps omitted, see below]
Important:

You can share directly to anyone with a Google Account if they're in your contacts or by search using their email address or phone number. For everyone else, you can create a link to share.
When you share a link to your album, anyone with the link can view the photos and add to the album. Learn how sharing controls give your photos more privacy.
If you share an album that automatically adds photos of face groups, anyone with access to the album can view photos as they're added.

There are multiple ways to set up:

Choose:

From the Search tab, select the person, then tap Share as album.
From the Sharing tab, tap Create shared album, choose Select people & pets, select the person, tap Confirm in the top-right corner.

Input the album title
Tap Share in the top-right corner, then tap OK on the confirmation dialog
Choose:

Select the Google Account of the one you want to share, then tap Send
Select an app, confirm Create link, then proceed to share the link from the app.


text:
Why does Firefox app connect to Facebook sites very often according to TrackerControl?
I noticed for a while using the app TrackerControl that Firefox connects to Facebook sites very often while I surf the web, for example a simple search on Google, or a search on Startpage.com which sites don't have anything in their pages linked to facebook sites.
I have set TC to block trackers in Firefox by default.
Trying to find out when this occurs
I thinked that this happens in general until now. In fact before writing this question I did some tests and I noticed one probable behaviour causing connections every time, that is if I search a string through a Firefox's search engine in search bar. This happens both with predefined engine (google) and with custom one (startpage). This tests was done when I've just opened Firefox in private browsing so that there wasn't other working tabs (and there was no loaded facebook tabs opened in normal browsing tabs).
Here is TrackerControl after a Startpage search (from bar) where Facebook domains result blocked 5 seconds ago:

Here after a Google search (from bar) where Facebook's domains result also blocked 5 seconds ago:
Note:  probably (as I remember) instagram's domains are there because I visited it once and it wasn't blocked yet. The relevants domains here maybe are:
scontent-fco2-1.xx.fbcdn.net ,
scontent.xx.fbcdn.net and
static.xx.fbcdn.net
 The domains contacted are probably all that appear in the screen under Facebook (see 2nd update).
But I noticed just sometimes that connections happen also if I only interact with firefox's bar and digit something.  Than if I just use a page like this and I don't touch search bar, connections to facebook seems to not occurs since TC indicates that some minutes passed after the last connection. But now after about 30 minutes another connection was made even if I didn't touch search bar.
Who is the actor
This behaviour is strange and it seems probably is acted by Firefox itself, but it should not. I've never heard or read that Firefox communicates  with Facebook and there is no reason, but only with Google for scanning URLs and downloads. Also after searching there are no results.
I don't have strange extensions. Moreover I have the ext. μBlock and Noscript that should block facebook together because I explicitly set the first to block Meta's websites in general and the second to block other non website's scripts by default. So those connections in TC should have never occured I suppose except if they are made by Firefox, at which level every extension can't operate. Read 1st update.
The problem occured for months, but I postponed this question until now. This means that I noticed this also with older versions of Firefox before the present since more or less one year ago.
Note: TrackerControl app says explicitly that it doesn't support blocking trackers in browsers yet, but I understood I could use it anyway.
My complete "configuration":

Firefox from Play Store, version 114.2.0 (for successive versions see bottom)

Extensions: uBlock Origin, NoScript, Decentraleyes, Google search fixer, and other non relevant here but installed noramally from Firefox
I have search suggestions disabled so no contact should there be while texting in bar. Moreover I have studies disabled and just "technical data and usage" enabled.

TrackerControl app installed from F-Droid, version 2023.01.31-fdroid
Android version 8.0.0 (I don't think is relevant)

I'm not an expert of TrackerControl. I hope that someone know what is the reason because is not a good thing.
Does Firefox do this in its code or is just an error of TrackerControl (I don't think)? If it's a tracker seems too invasive. Has someone experienced this or can reproduce this?
Thanks in advance.

Updates:

As asked in comments, disabling all extensions and restarting Firefox (also rebooting Android) doesn't eliminate the problem, connection persists after a search on the bar.
I tried app NoRoot Firewall in place of TC (both are VPN based); it gived connections to facebook (and also to instagram) in log right after a search. But Firefox connections was all allowed in rules of NoRoot Firewall. After I re-enabled TC (disabled NoRoot F.), which blocked facebook, those connections was more sporadic or absent for some time. But after one day of use (always with TC block activated) the problem returned as before, so the browser tries to connect at least after every search in bar.
I want to note that those facebook domains which I look often are marked "Essential" by TC. There are some other Facebook domains under "Social networks" which seems also to be tried to connect to after a search.
All this happens on that Firefox I have installed; if I install a new one all this things don't happen like other users reported.

Versions:
I've checked if connections to facebook continue in newer versions and I noticed that them happened after every search in these ones: 115.2.1, 116.0.0(this not sure if typed correct), 116.2.0, 116.3.0, 117.0.0, 117.1.0, 118.1.2, 119.1.1, 120.1.0 (current)
Just in version 118.1.1 I noticed very rare connections also after days, but they occurred.

Based on the package name visible in your screenshot you don't use Mozilla Firefox, but instead use Mozilla Fenix.

@Robert TC before showed just Firefox, but then this because I've not waited refreshing the list, in fact now shows me Firefox again. The application is Firefox. I've installed from play store the normal version. As I know Fenix is the new codename for Firefox from few years, when its code was renewed. Before was Fennec. Another application shows me the name org.mozilla.firefox.

Could be an error from tracker control (I never used that). I opened a search of Firefox and checked adguard logs and I don't see what you mentioned in your question

Just in case, have you tried disabling all extensions and tried it again?

@AndrewT. I've just tried disabling all ext.,  closing and restarting Firefox. After searching on startpage, I go to trackercontrol and again "Facebook 4 seconds ago".

@beeshyams basing on your comment I tried disabling TrackerControl and activating NoRoot Firewall (a VPN based firewall) and tried some searches from browser bar. I had everything allowed for Firefox so I looked on the log and found another facebook related link (also instagram) right after search. Than I reactivated just TC and the searching from bar didn't trigger facebook's connections like before but they was rare or absent. After a day of use of Firefox while TC was activated, situation returned like before.

I've checked tabs in normal browsing one by one closing some eventual facebook related site (but those tabs which are inactive should not work in background maybe). But even after this the problem remains.

@bonzo With any update, you may want to update which versions of software you did testing on. I would be curious to know if Firefox Focus has a similar issue as your testing configuration as it is aimed at being a more privacy based browser.

Please try testing on a fresh installation of Fennix or Firefox with no browser tabs open.  Then open a single tab for https://www.example.com - This will be a much more useful and conclusive test.

@MorrisonChang Hi I'll add that, I taked note. I've tested (at least checked) in all this versions and in all there was those connections;  versions 115.2.1, 116.0, 116.2.0, 116.3.0, 117.0.0, 117.1.0, 118.1.2, 119.1.1
120.1.0 (current) connected at every search, just 118.1.1 connected to facebook a few times during days. I don't know why. After that version, returned the same. I tested a little Firefox Focus, thanks for suggestion, and TrackerControl shows no connections to facebook, just some Firefox related and google (content-autofill).

@EndAnti-SemiticHate If I can have the possibility I'll do it.

@EndAnti-SemiticHate I've tried on another smartphone a new Firefox and with Tracker Control I saw there was no more connections to Facebook at all. Every search from bar even after days were as they should be. Also adding custom engines. This makes me think that something(fb?) inserted that behaviour in the Firefox app, after his installation, like a spyware integrated that persists with updates. Maybe Firefox could change something that will make this things impossible, I suppose.


text:
Disable default SMS app on OnePlus
I'm trying to debranch my phone from OnePlus and Google as much as possible. In the last few days, I removed some packages and replaced them with FOSS & trusted companies' apps.
I'm stuck though... I cannot find the default SMS packages and I don't know how to fix or make the new apps default apps. I mean, lock them in the system as the OEM/provider does.
All I can find now from OnePlus are:
~: adb shell pm list packages | grep sms
package:com.simplemobiletools.smsmessenger
package:con.android.smspush
~: adb shell pm list packages | grep oneplus
package:com.oneplus.calculator
package:com.oneplus.opscout
package:com.oneplus.opshelf
package:com.oneplus.account
package:com.oneplus.wallpaper
package:com.oneplus.wallpaperresources
package:com.oneplus.brickmode
package:com.oneplus.deskclock
package:com.oneplus.setupwizard
package:com.oneplus.camera.service
package:com.oneplus.push
package:com.oneplus.faceunlock
package:com.oplus.framework.rro.oneplus
package:com.oneplus.canvasresources
package:com.oneplus.opwlb
package:android.autoinstalls.config.oneplus
package:net.oneplus.launcher

Screenshot of terminal output

have you considered to simply install LineageOS (if your device model is supported): https://download.lineageos.org/devices Manually removing packages is very time consuming and has the risk of making your phone non-bootable so that you have to perform a factory reset and start over again.

OnePlus has its own messaging app with package name com.oneplus.mms. However, looking at a YouTube tutorial video for newer phones (e.g. OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite) looks like it's using Google Messages which is com.google.android.apps.messaging.


text:
There aren't executable/binaries inside the folder lib/x86 of Magisk-v26.1.apk file
I'm trying to enable KVM for SM-A600G (Samsung Galaxy A6 with exynos7870). I'm following the tutorial by raspiduino:
At point 7:

Step 7: Download latest Magisk apk and change the .apk extension to .zip. Extract zip and look into lib here you can find the binary tools for your architecture. On PC you extract lib/x86/libmagiskboot.so

Even on the GitHub issue that I've opened:

Magisk has some native static linked binary for x86 packed inside their apk. Download the magisk's apk, unzip it, look inside lib/ and you will find some x86 binary. There will be libmagiskboot.so. Just run it like a normal Linux executable (./libmagiskboot.so)

Ok, I've got the Magisk apk from here. I've renamed it to zip, and when I looked inside the archive, I've seen that inside the folder lib/x86 and lib/x86_64 there aren't executable binaries. Why?
The tutorial on point 8 suggests running magiskboot, but I don't have this executable on my disk:

Step 8: You need to extract the stock boot.img from stock rom. You can get stock rom from samfw.com or from my release page :). Then use magiskboot unpack boot.img, replace stock kernel with our compiled Image in arch/arm64/boot/Image and repack boot.img using magiskboot repack boot.img new-boot.img

Where I can get it?

"I've seen that inside the folder lib/x86 and lib/x86_64 there aren't executable binaries. Why?" I just extracted your link and libmagiskboot.so executable is there for all four supported architectures.

I never ran a *.so file. Usually the *.so flles are libraries. So,the so extension is false or what ? Probably it will work even if I run it just like ./libmagiskboot ?

File extenaion doesn't make a difference. You shouls check the file signature. libmagiskboot.so is an executable, not a shared library. lib*.so naming convention is a limitation of the APK packaging.

Ha! didn't know this. I always used v21.4 because of this


text:
Why do I have multiple Google Play Services and Google Play Service caches running on my device, and how do I get rid of them?
I have a Samsung Galaxy A54 5G (SM-A546U) that has been severely compromised. I have sometimes 3 or 4 Google Play Services and 3 to 4 Google Play Service system caches running at any given time.
How do I get rid of the extras?
Things I've tried:

Clearing the data and cache in the Settings app
Stopping the app
Uninstall and reinstall the app
Factory reset the device

More times than I can count, and in less than 1 minute, there are still multiple Google Play Services and Google Play Service system caches running, and the multiples are not a part of the Samsung Secure Folder.
Any suggestions would be highly appreciated. I can send screenshots and any other evidence to help.

If you are unlucky and Google services crash this can repeat multiple times. That can but doesn't have to be an indicator for a compromised system. By performing a factory reset you uninstall all installed updates also for Google services and this can be one of your problems. You can try to manually install a newer version of those services that crash.

The device is most definitely compromised, this is the 6 th device that has had the exact same problem.in the last 3 years...But i have Uninstalled the google Play Service and tried to install a newer version of it ,but it won't allow any other versions of it to be installed ( even more recent versions as well as the same version) ,There is also 2 versions of google play store running as well ..About to give up on android and go to apple

Welcome to a Q&A site Android Enthusiasts Stack Exchange. Before we conclude that the device is compromised instead of a possible misunderstanding of how the Android system works (or bug), perhaps a screenshot might help clarify the issue. Feel free to [edit] the question to add the screenshot. If you can't upload the screenshot there, post the link to the comment and someone else may edit and incorporated to the question.

Possibly related: Multiple numbered copies of com.google.android.gms inside /data/app using up all the space on a device


text:
Operate pixel 3a XL without a battery
I’m wondering if anyone out there who owns a Pixel 3a XL has ever tried to operate it without the battery.
I'm asking specifically about this model of phone, and am not looking for general guidance like "it depends on the phone".
I own a Pixel 3a XL and the battery has started to fail and has expanded as many lithium ion batteries will when they reach their end of life.
I’m using it in an always on situation (which perhaps hastened the battery failure), and I don’t really need a battery as it will always have an external power supply when in use.
Will it work if I remove the battery? Or is there any modification that I can do to get it to work in Android or via the hardware rather than installing a brand new battery?
I wanted to ask the community before attempting battery removal, since as described in this ifixit guide: https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Google+Pixel+3a+XL+Battery+Replacement/124631 it is quite involved.
TIA.

You could try it and tell us.  Some devices will work, others will not.

Welcome to Android Enthusiasts. We have an existing Q&A about the same issue, please take a look. Based on my experience with Google Nexus 5, it won't power on without the battery even if it's plugged in, so you may highly possibly need to follow the workaround hacks.

@RohitGupta unfortunately it requires many steps to disassemble the phone and remove the battery. I was hoping to not spend the time doing so if someone already knows it won't work.

Hi @AndrewT. I can appreciate that for those models listed, it doesn't work. So the odds are perhaps against it working for a Pixel 3a XL. But I want to know about this exact phone before I try and do a teardown to remove the battery if I can.


text:
Running Android apps on Windows 11 in extended mode directly from the phone via USB cable connection
I was thinking it would be nice if you could attach a USB cable between an Android system and a PC, and view the whole Android operating system on top of the PC.
You can open, then, apps, ... on the PC, but they run with an extended mode which was developed as part of the app, and downloaded with the app, with due payment, (on the Google play store).
The app, then, has a running mode for the phone, and a running mode on the PC, but lives on the phone (in a single place, with a single download).
Add a bonus, when you're done on the PC (with the advantages of extended screen and keyboard), you can save your data (it saves, automatically, with a scheduled daemon that writes stuff to Android over the USB cable (without saving it to the phone), ...) so you can then just disconnect the phone from the PC when you're done, and take your data with you.
When will this be implemented?
Where is this functionality available?
Will it be added as extra support in future versions of Android (with Windows, for example, support running the Android system as a host over USB, or, at least, making the Android apps available to click on, from the Windows OS desktop taken from the Android home screens, just like when you could view Unix on Windows with X Server XDMCP sessions, there was a Windows program that used to do just that on Windows 98, I forget the name, it was something beginning with X referring to the XFree86 project, it worked like XDM or GSM (the gnome version), but with Windows as the host system for Unix apps).
I have heard that Windows 11, runs Android apps natively (but, I think the functionality I am asking for, where you could download an app from the Google play store and run it directly via a USB cable connection on the PC in "extended mode", would be nice).
Thanks.

Samsung already has it's DEX mode which provides a full desktop without any PC, you just need to connect the phone to a monitor or TV. For full remote control of a phone via USB from Windows/Linux/MacOS use scrcpy.


text:
Audio not transferring from USB in Oppo A53
I have Oppo A53. The 3.5mm jack did not work properly so I bought a USB type C to 3.5mm converter, but this is also not working with my phone which is running on Android 12.
Does anyone know how to solve this problem?

Do you have sound without having something plugged in into the headphone jack and the usb-c socket?

Note that not all devices and/or converter dongles play nice.  Here's an excerpt from an article by CableMatters.com to this regard:

...The biggest problem with USB-C audio is its lack of standardization, which is ironic considering USB-C’s purpose is to standardize USB connection types. The problem lies not with the USB-C specification, but with the companies that design smartphones, dongles, and headphones. Here’s why this can be such a confusing mess: (Note that the remainder of this article will only reference USB-C headphones. Keep in mind that the same principles apply to USB-C dongles as well.)
Some smartphones send audio data through an onboard DAC (usually embedded in the phone’s processor) before sending it out through the USB-C port. If this is the case, almost any pair of USB-C headphones will work. If the audio stream is converted to an analog signal before it goes through the USB-C port, then connected headphones do not need their own DAC. These are known as “passive” headphones.
However, some devices send audio data through the USB-C port as a digital signal. As such, connected headphones will need their own onboard DAC and amp to convert the audio stream from a digital format to an analog format. USB-C headphones with an onboard DAC/amp combination are known as “active” headphones...

Also note, there may be configuration-side factors to consider, e.g., the Disable USB audio routing setting in developer options (formerly known as allow USB audio pass-through, if I remember correctly).  This may vary depending on your specific make, model, and Android version.


text:
Android 13 takes half an hour to connect to mobile network
I have a fairphone 4, and when I restart it, it takes about half an hour or more to get network connection.
Even if I set the phone to manually pick a network operator, the phone is unable to connect.
Once the network is connected, the phone works perfectly fine, including 5G internet.
Wifi and bluetooth work fine. I can connect as soon as the phone get's restarted.
How can I troubleshoot this?

Assuming you have a good network -check performance in safe mode. If it works fine, it means some installed app is causing it. If the problem persists , it could be a network or phone hardware issue. Try with a SIM of a different provider


text:
Stop background from stretching while using overscan on Android 10
I have a broken touchscreen zone that i want to disable. So i used Overscan to shift my screen on the right by 10px. However in Apps such as Youtube the main content is shown on the correct size however the background stretches to the whole screen so a distracting bar of content is shown on that 10px.

The touch screen is on its last legs.  You are just delaying the inevitable by a few months.  Why not replace the screen and/or the phone.

I don't have the money right now. Just a few months more time would be really helpful.


text:
Kernel flashing needs data wipe. Why?
Pixel 6a running stock Android 13
There are very few custom kernels available for this device. I found a couple of kernels that I would like to try but here comes the caveat -it needs a factory-reset.
This was surprising as on my Pixel 4a (also on Android 13), there was no such restriction.
Developers didn't bother to give any reason, so I thought of asking here.
What is the reason for this?
PS: Kernels here Dark kernel, Azure Telegram

Is it because dm-verity is not disabled using fastboot flash --disable-verity vbmeta vbmeta.img ?


text:
No audio on Facebook, YouTube Android app when on 4G
My Pixel 5 audio is working while on WiFi at home.
When I'm not on WiFi and using 4G, any video on Facebook or YouTube has no audio.
On Facebook I can turn the audio off and on for each video, doing so makes no difference.
I can't see volume controls anywhere in the YouTube app, either on each video, or in the app settings.
In Android Settings > Audio, all audio levels are high.
Why would audio not work on any Facebook or YouTube videos while on 4G?
The problem has followed me to a new Pixel 6a too.

This makes no sense whatsoever.

Can you be more detailed as to how you are checking 4G vs WiFi, i.e. different locations, perhaps using 4G in a vehicle with a paired but incompatible bluetooth audio system. Also can you play and hear audio from the Chrome browser/other apps while on 4G in different locations.

Just saw your answer now @MorrisonChang, after discovering the car's Bluetooth system was involved

@ChanganAuto - I posted the solution

I think I found the cause of the problem.
Both phones were paired via Bluetooth to the car's sound system whenever I was in the car.
The car will only play audio from the phone when the car's sound system is specifically set to do so (-vs- playing FM or AM radio).
So the solution is to either:

unpair the phone from the car
or switch the car's audio system to play via Bluetooth.


text:
Nmap scan result "5353/udp open|filtered zeroconf". Can my device be hacked?
I scanned my Android phone connected to the WiFi router from within the LAN, using nmap. It returned the following result.
PORT     STATE         SERVICE

5353/udp open|filtered zeroconf

Does this mean if a hacker can somehow get into my router or LAN then they can exploit this port to get into my Android phone?
Nmap command used: sudo nmap -sSU -F 192.168.1.2

Also on Super User: https://superuser.com/q/1795064/356789

5353/udp port is used by MDNS. Many apps and the Android operating system itself uses this protocol for service and device discovery on local network. See more details in this answer. MDNS is not very much vulnerable to attacks. See this. Also "a hacker can somehow get into my router" is not very probable.

As I understand it, SU doesn't deal with mobile questions.


text:
Samsung Galaxy Tab 7A stuck in reboot
My Samsung Galaxy Tab 7A is stuck in reboot mode and the hard reset won't work; it doesn't reboot to the boot menu and the power button and the volume down buttons turn it off, but it just cycles back on. And as soon as I use my password to get in, it says the tablet is starting and then freezes and then reboots.


text:
Ineffective setting: Wi-Fi non-persistent MAC randomization
Sometimes I want to use a certain hotspot providing free 1-hour Wi-Fi multiple times, but the provider remembers the MAC address of my smartphone.
I enabled the developer setting "Wi-Fi non-persistent MAC randomization" and enabled the advanced connection option "Use randomized MAC". However, no matter how many times I click "Forget" on the connection next time the phone assigns the same MAC address.
So currently I can only connect two times: with the "randomized" address and then switch to the physical address.
The phone is Pixel 3 XL, Android 12

It seens that the MAC address is assigned each time you activate Wifi. So turn off wifi  and then turn it on again.
More discussion here


text:
Can't view private files
Once I move a few photos to private (by using the built-in OS feature of performing the drag-down gesture in the built-in File Manager and accessing the private files), and I try opening them in the listing, I am just prompted again for a password and then nothing happens. I was expecting the gallery to open up the photo but that doesn't happen. The only way out is to remove them out of the private listing, which defeats the purpose of having private files. Also, it keeps prompting me for a password every time I tap on a single file which is not something I'd want.
Phone: Xiaomi 12 Pro
OS: Xiaomi Mi UI 14


text:
"Open Camera" app removed resolution of 176x144 in newer devices, how do I restore it?
The Open Camera open-source app uses the Camera2 API for listing the available photo resolutions. On older devices such as Samsung Galaxy S8 and S9, users had low resolutions such as 176x144, but on S20 and S22, that resolution isn't available.

How do I restore it?

It might help to know why you need it, in case there are other solutions.

i need low resolutions to incorporate photos of medical conditions with small resolutions in my medical conditions atlas , since its an atlas of diseases with thousands of photos and including photos of higher resolution would result in a file which is extremely large


text:
How to export everything from WhatsApp?
I have a lot of files, photos and chats on WhatsApp. Today, I learned that although WhatsApp backs these up regularly, it's not actually possible for me to export my own data. The only thing I found is to click individually on single messages, and either copy the text, or click downlod photo/video, on the phone. I also tried WhatsApp Web, but it doesn't actually sync my chat history after a few weeks. I tried exporting individual chats with media included, but the messages and media are not actually included in the export, apart from a few messages. I also saw that forwarded meesages are not even displayed in my device gallery, or folders on my phone. Since I have thousands of important photos and chats in WhatsApp, how can I save my data to an external harddrive?

Related/possible duplicate: How to export a large WhatsApp chat with media exactly as it appears on my phone?, How to export/convert WhatsApp chat to PDF/Excel/HTML?


text:
How to quickly draw something and send as image directly from the keyboard?
The usual keyboard lets handwrite something, but it digitizes the handwrite before sending it. On the other hand, many apps allow direct sending of an image or gif.
How can I quickly prevent digitizing and send the handwritten text or drawn image like an image file?

Also on SoftwareRecs.SE: https://softwarerecs.stackexchange.com/q/87452/520

Could you clarify  what is it your looking for .  When you say digitize what do u mean ? - convert to text ? . No keyboard apps do not do what google lens does.  If you mean to send an image or handwritten notes  all u do is capture a sreenshot of that  image. Gboard will store that image in its clipboard ( enable clipboard )

@user1874594 I believe OP wants the latter, similar to the handwriting feature on the (now defunct) MSN Messenger

@user1874594 as per andrew comment.

These are  ways you can get done what I think you want done. Its possible  to share your handwrtitten screenshot as an image. But that is limited by the app  your sharing it with rather than gboard ( e.g. some messenger or whatsapp )and its permissiveness to allow pasting images besides text. Other alternatives to gboard   IMHO do not allow  handwriting input e.g. swiftkey though they  may offer a clipboard feature
-- Turn Gboard into a handwriting pad area. Under settings- thee is a handwriting option per language if its available. Most languages  have it available.  When you use the handwriting input feature on Gboard, your handwritten text is converted into typed text in real-time. As you write, Gboard recognizes ( or may mistake  depending on how good your writing was ) the characters you’re writing and converts them into typed text, which is then entered into the text field of the app you’re using. This means that you can use handwriting input with any app that allows text input, just like you would use the regular keyboard. Gboard does not convert your handwriting into an image.
To do this take a screenshot and it will be stored into the clipboard ( see following  pt below )  and share the screen shot ( provided that app allows image sharing  )
-- Use a keyboard app that allows Image sharing. Gboard has this feature. To use it turn on the clipboard toggle ( have the latest version btw )  - take a screenshot ( Gboard automatically stores  any  image you put in clipboard memory ) and then head to the  app that you want to share it with  ( e.g. Whatsapp or gmail ) . As long as it :

permits the  text input space ( aka lets a keyboard open )
allows you to "drop" an image.
You can get this done and that image is in your clipboard for a hr or so. After that it gets deleted . To make it permanent pin the clipboard and it will be there forever and you can share it as many times as needed.

-- Use the app that generated the  image / scribble. E.g. in Google Keep   - you can scribble stuff and use the system share dialogue of that app to share it with  other apps like WhatsApp. Here is a small  guide
These are the fundamental  approaches to get done what you want

That is not what question asked for.

Thanks, I hope these not be useful for someone else.  What I do currently is save the handwriting as an image and share the image. it's quicker than taking a screenshot and cropping the handwriting.

using gboard u cant save handwriting as image unless its screenshot-  when  you use handwriting i/p from gboard it will  convert into text always an  & afaik does does give any save as image option. If you use a specific app that has its own add on to keyboard features then that would perhaps permit it which is what I said -  how to send that handwriting depends on the app interacting with keyboard rather than the keyboard itself - so closest you can come to blanketing a rule is  a screenshot which gboard will save automatically


text:
"Wipe cache partition" is not in the recovery mode
I am using a Motorola Edge 20 Pro running Android 13. I ran into a problem and online search told me that wiping the cache partition via the recovery mode might solve it.
When I go into the recovery mode of my phone it lists the possible actions, but wipe cache partition is not one of them. According to the websites I found, it should be. Any idea why the option is not available or how I can do this?
Apparently, Samsung phones only list this option in the menu if the phone is plugged in (link). This did not work for me, the option also does not show when I open the recovery mode while the phone is being charged.

A lot of Android web pages you find are auto-generated using a fixed template and then for a large set of device types the same page will be generated just with a different model name. Some times the shown content really matches the device behavior but more often it doe snot match.

Maybe you should tell us what the problem is that you are trying to fix.

Welcome to Android Enthusiasts. I'm afraid this might be an XY-problem, and without knowing which websites you used as the reference, it might be difficult to clarify (because as Robert says, some tech webpages are auto-generated regardless of the fact, and manufacturers do often customize their Android). On the other hand, I think wiping the cache partition is possible if using custom recovery like TWRP, but this needs unlocking the bootloader first which will wipe all data.

Related regarding the Samsung link: How to wipe the cache partition of a Samsung Tablet?, which shows the menu but doesn't work out-of-the-box.

Many recent devices do not have recovery and cache partitions: https://source.android.com/docs/core/ota/ab/ab_implement#partitions


text:
Can't change Google Calendar Exchange/Office 365 sync frequency
I often get alarms for non-existing events from Calendar because it didn't receive the updates from the Zimbra server (using the  Exchange/Office 365 protocol). For instance, I had an event in my Zimbra calendar schedule at 0 minutes ago. And 150 minutes ago I received an e-mail with attached .ics that postponed this event by 6 hours. Nevertheless, I got the notification from my smartphone. When I manually hit "Refresh" the event indeed moved 6 hours forward.
In the Gmail app there's a setting to sync with the Zimbra server every 30 minute and it was supposed to sync this very event at least 90 minutes ago, but it didn't. Is there a way to solve this issue?
At the same time, the native Google Account events are always updated instantly when the phone is online and it's always online.
I have Pixel 3 XL with Android 12.


text:
2018 Honor 10 Lite/HRY-AL00, DOESN'T CHARGE USB data works fine, ADB works fine
Not sure how the brand of the phone really helps, but from what I gathered:

Phone doesn't have a fast charge protocol. Very basic micro-B USB. Supports any 5V-1A USB charger. 3400mAh battery. The OS version is Android 10.
A while ago no cable would charge the Phone. I took it to a repair shop, and they replaced the charging port. I bought a new cable (specced for 2A), and found no issue for a while. This didn't last long.
Currently no cable will charge it normally anymore.
May have physical damage, as I have to twist the Phone-side plug hard for the Phone to respond.
If the phone is connected to a USB wall plug, the Phone still says it is charging, which normally has never occurred. Indicated battery percentage does not go up.
If the Phone is connected to a PC over USB, with USB debug mode turned on, PC side adb shell dumpsys battery returns a growing "charge counter" (uAh) but decreasing "level" (percentage). SOMETIMES the percentage may go up, but it's not guaranteed. The USB session is generally stable.
I have no USB multimeter yet, so no other info can be inferred from any charge session.

How should I troubleshoot this issue? Is the charging IC in the Phone somehow faulty?

Sounds like a broken soldering point on the connection between USB socket and mainboard of the phone. If only one connection soldering point of +5V or GNC is broken data may work as before but charging does not. The USB socket is very vulnerable to force when the plug is inserted, therefore I recommend to handle the phone with extreme care for people who want to keep their phone in a working state.

Since you mention that you have to twist the connector at the phone, it almost certainly means that either the connector is damaged or the electrical connection to the pcb is damaged (broken solder or connector wire).
Take it back to the same repair shop (under warranty), perhaps they did not solder the new port properly.


text:
Is adb pull of same command (same data) will overwrote, appended, or skipped?
I tried adb pull foo/folder baz/folder twice. But during pulling (first attempt), I interrupt (cancel it with ctrl+c) the process, then I tried the same command again (second attempt), it continues pulling but I have no idea will it overwrite, appending (duplicate), or skipping the existing data?

I would assume that on file level it overwrites and on folder level it simply adds new/not yet existing files. For working with folders you may have a look onto https://github.com/jb2170/better-adb-sync which is a fork of Google's adb-sync project.

@Robert how to copy the folder without overwrite and appended? What command and option shall I do with better-adb-sync I expect it skips existing data.


text:
General Mobile 21 Plus (Android 12) is automatically restricting some apps battery usage without my permission
I'm using General Mobile 21 Plus on Android 12. Sometimes I notice that some apps are not sending me notifications or the notifications are delayed.
So, I go to Settings -> Battery -> Battery Manager and I find Android had restricted the battery usage of some apps, so I go and uncheck the restriction on those apps and now the apps should use battery without restriction. The notifications are now coming as expected.
After a while, I find that Android had again re-restricted some apps without even asking me.
How can I prevent that annoying behavior and prevent Android from making these choices without my permission?

Battery saving is the part that is modified by most device manufacturer, so depending on the device manufacturer and model the battery saving feature may have only very little in common with what Google had developed for Android. Therefore asking such a question without naming manufacturer and device model will not get you any useful answer.

I updated the post adding my phone brand

Don't kill my app! is usually our go-to reference, though looks like this device is not yet explored.

Battery Manager automatically limits the battery for apps that you don't use often. Under the hood RUN_ANY_IN_BACKGROUND permission is denied for such apps. In AOSP there is an option to disable "Manage apps automatically". Your vendor might have removed / hidden this setting. Here is a detailed guide on how to stop / allow background execution of apps.


text:
How to boot an android TV box from a usb drive containing armbian image
So I have adb access to my android TV box, the device is rooted.
I want to install armbian onto emmc.
Both official and community tutorial tells me to flash the armbian img onto a usb drive and boot the TV with it.
Is there any way to boot the device from the usb drive?
PS: is fastboot reboot the command I am looking for? If so, what pramaters should go afterwards?

Bootloader that support booting from USB-Stick or SD-card are very rare in Android eco system. Most likely your device boots from internal flash memory and at a certain point recognizes the USB stick and then checks it for update files.


text:
How to restore notification number badges on app icons on Samsung devices?
My Samsung Galaxy S22 stopped showing a number in the upper-left corner of the messages app when a new text message has arrived. I think these numbers have been called badges.
Is there a way to restore the number notification? Have they been eliminated for another method of notifications?

Found path to restore icon badge numbers:  Settings > Notifications > Advanced > App icon badges > On


text:
Spotify turns into "Google Assistant" and crashes
This is a weird one - I'm running Magisk rooted Lineage on a Pixel 4a
When I reboot, Spotify is renamed to Google Assistant and I get a popup saying "Google Assistant keeps stopping", and Spotify (Google Assistant with the Spotify logo) won't launch.
Clearing cache and storage doesn't fix it, I have to uninstall and reinstall, and then it'll work perfectly until I reboot.
Just today it stopped renaming but it still gets bricked, so I did some more investigating:

I un-rooted and the problem stopped happening, then re-rooted and it started again.
I turned everything off in the Superuser tab of Magisk, and removed all my modules (Except SafetyNet Fix) but it still happens
The problem started around when I installed ReVanced so I've completely removed everything related (Youtube ReVanced, Youtube, Revanced Manager, and related modules) but no luck
If I let Spotify get bricked then un-root ("Restore Images" from Magisk, not "Complete Uninstall"), Spotify works fine. So it seems like something is interfering with it, rather than modifying the installation

Which safety net are you using? Don't use Kdragons but Displax's// I don't think that it's the source of your problem and you haven't mentioned in your question if you are using magisk deny list, which is a sub-optimal root hiding solution. Use Denylist Unmount module. Remember to configure Spotify in Magisk but do not enforce deny list for the said module to work

Thank you, yes I've got Displax's USF. I haven't had any problem with the stock denylist but I'll check out the Unmount module if I need it later

I suspect (maybe wrong) that root detection by Spotify is causing this. To rule this out try the suggested module or Shamiko

I did a "Complete Uninstall" from Magisk, then re-rooted and it's fixed the issue even after reinstalling everything I had. Maybe it was a virus of some kind ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
If you have any other theories or have a similar experience let me know


text:
Disable app start on dock connection
I use chinese usb hub with my device. it also could serve as microsd reader, I don't need this functionality but everytime I connect device - I got message asking me to choose which app (file managers) to use. Is it possible to somehow disable this behaviour?
Android 13 (of samsung variety). Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 3


text:
Cannot update Android version on my Oukitel RT3 after unrooting it
It's been a while since I've rooted my Oukitel RT3. After seeing that an update was available, I unrooted it so I could install it without any problem. The only problem is that it says this:

Couldn't update
Installation problem
V07_20230215 to V10_20230711
Update size: 43.91 MB

Original screenshot
I think it's because I swapped the Magisk patched boot image with the system one, but the version of the ROM on the Oukitel website was outdated. So, my device shows that the ROM version is V07_20230215 (the actual ROM with the boot image needed, but can't find it on the internet) but on the website, the latest available is V05_20221117 (which is the one I took the boot image from), and the one I have to update to is V10_20230711.
Maybe I followed the wrong steps to unroot it, can anyone help?

If you had unrooted it via Magisk by uninstalling it, Magisk would have restored the corresponding stock image.. Just saying because you didn't say how you unrooted

To unroot it i simply swapped the magisk patched one with the stock one, the problem is that the one magisk used is an old one because to install it i had to find the boot image of the current ROM but I couldn't find the newer one because the website of the phone manufacturer had the older ones, not the newer so the patched boot image has the older one, so I don't have the boot image of the actual ROM. I can't find the V07_20230215 boot image

My RT3 is box stock and it will not update android 12 as well. The RT3 seems a bit clunky to use on the whole. They (Oukitel) need to sort this.


text:
Run a root script using Magisk mount space
There are many questions on this site about running a root script but none using Magisk mount space.
I have a Pixel 6a and came across this post (65)  in a thread dedicated to improve the speaker output. The developer posted a Magisk module which works fine but the post linked appears to be an improvement since one can vary the output on the fly. That's the reason I want to try that but I don't understand a thing about Magisk mount space and how to use that to run boot scripts.
I tried using Magisk Manager and Fox Manager but was unsuccessful as I expected it to be since it's not a Magisk module. On extracting the zip file, you get a shell script and a template having mixer configurations.
While I asked the poster on how to go about it and am yet to get a reply I believe I can get better answers here.
So, how do I run it? Please be detailed in your answer as I am
not at all conversant with this.
Unsuccessful attempts:

Set mount name space mode to "Global" in Magisk settings.

Imported the script in three kernel managers, rebooted, no output.

Repeated step above with su - mm in the first line of script. No luck

Imported zip file contents to Termux downloads, made them executable and ran ~/downloads $ su -mm && Audio_Mixer_Changer.sh no output


text:
FakeGPS apps on android are not affecting on other apps
I downloaded some fakeGPS app. enabled mock location (developer options) but some app won't take the fake location. For example tiner.
The above solutions did not work for me because I was testing on an Android device with the latest Google Play Services version.
I'm using a linux laptop, so I cannot use all kinds of apps for PC and Mac which you then connect to your android device with a usb cable.
I've also tried using VPN + fakeGPS to the same location - but that didn't work as well.
Is there other solution for debian user + android user (pixel 7, latest android version)?

This question has been cross posted also to https://softwarerecs.stackexchange.com/q/87587/26881

You may want to read: How does an app know, if GPS is faked? and How fake gps works?. Also be aware of How to spoof NMEA sentences on physical Android 8.1 phone for apps like WeChat?

@MorrisonChang, there was no remedy. What can I do?

There may be no solution which fits your requirements for running on a mobile device. Theoretically a virtual space app with a VPN could fake out the NMEA strings/Location data but I'm not aware of a working example. Such a thing would get complicated quickly as apps can check for user movement/location change activity and how does a real location gets translated to a fake lat/long by the virtual space app. Realize that 'faking location' is under the same premise as a bot farm so both Google and app publishers will apply checks.

@MorrisonChang thanks, but solutions exist for PC an Mac. Just not for Debian. https://drfone.wondershare.com/virtual-location-changer.html

Products that have a income means they will keep up the cat-and-mouse game with location centric apps like Pokemon Go. As to how successful, I would check reddit group: https://www.reddit.com/r/PokemonGoSpoofing/ . Other apps may get benefits if detection is done by Google Service or apply similar methods on their own backend like Niantic.

@MorrisonChang Do you think you can help me find a debian solution as well? Maybe free trail ?


text:
How to configure a smartphone as a Wi-Fi range extender (repeater)?
My Wi-Fi router's signal is too weak to reach my room (around a corner).  I have an Android smartphone.
What steps would I follow to configure it as a Wi-Fi repeater?

Phones can not be used a Wifi repeater in original (stock, unrooted, jailed) state. An rooted Android device may be able to do so using the underlaying Linux system and configuring it by hand. Not sure about iPhone.


text:
Disable Querying LAN Address when on Mobile
We have a local server with a domain name and DNS, all only accessible on a LAN or via VPN. We use this to maintain a few services synced up.
Is there a way to disable phones from trying to access those addresses when not connected to the local SSID or VPN? They wouldn't be able to connect anyways, and it would help to avoid it constantly trying to resolve the address.
We've considered a hosts file approach, but that would just block those addresses entirely.

The mobiles can only connect to Wi-Fi (unless plugged in somehow).  If this DNS is not visible on Wi-Fi, there isnt a problem.
If it is, then you can use a different subnet for this DNS.  For example

Wifi on 192.168.2.x
Local on 192.168.1.x


text:
Sharing APK of app I made myself to my other phone tells me "App not installed as package appears to be invalid"
I use my old phone (Redmi 6 running Android 9, MIUI 11, armv7 architecture) for teaching myself mobile programming and my new phone (Redmi 10C running Android 13, MIUI 14, aarch64 architecture) as my daily. I don't like putting my daily use phone into developer mode, and in fact Xiaomi makes it very painful to do so.
I heard that you can copy APKs from device to device so tried sharing an app I'm coding myself from my dev phone to my main phone, using Bluetooth.
When I try to install the APK I get the error App not installed as package appears to be invalid:

Now I know APK files are ZIP archives so I checked it is a ZIP archive and it doesn't look like the file was truncated or corrupted in any way.
I went further and copied it back to my dev phone and it did install there without complaint so that to means it's not "invalid" in the usual sense.
Is this just a misleading error? Is this the standard error message that covers every APK installation problem and not just whether the APK is valid? Does it mean my two phones have different CPU architectures? Does it mean the APK is not signed? Is it some other kind of security issue? Is there a way to get more detailed information about why it failed to install?
I tried installing f-droid from an APK and that went smoothly, so it's not all APKs.
I looked into my APKs and none of them have a lib directory and hence no architecture-specific native code. So that rules out armv7 vs aarch64 being the problem.
My APKs have no CERT.SF files in them, which I think means that are not signed. This is my best guess.

adb install or logcat should tell more information about why it failed.

@AndrewT. I don't know enough yet but I'm assuming that would involve using the new phone in developer mode probably connected to my laptop?

I just tried logcat using a terminal emulator Termux on Android 12, and it seems it only outputs logs related to the Termux process, so... yeah, I'm afraid you need to do this from a PC, or I did something wrong. Maybe wait for other inputs...

I don't like putting my daily use phone into developer mode. Since Android 4.4 there is no negative impact enabling development mode as only PCs you have accepted on the phone can use it. Furthermore if your screen breaks, development mode and adb can be your life saver as you can use the phone without working screen.

@Robert: I seem to recall it being something specific to Xiaomi phones last time I tried it a few years ago, like rendering the notification bar in an ugly way in developer mode then resetting lots of settings when I turned developer mode off.

It's worse than I remembered. To enable Install via USB you need a Xiaomi account and you also need a SIM card. This is probably some PRC government requirement.

See also this unresolved thread on StackOverflow: android studio error building app not installed as package appears to be invalid

I'm still wondering if this is caused by Android 14 blocking old apps, but I don't know how you built the app (though I'm not sure either why you wanted to target the app before Android 6.0) or whether the error reflects this behavior.

I think I just kept settings at standard with the latest Android Studio but did specify it had to work on Android 9 and up to be compatible with my old phone. But I did just notice I made a mistake. My new phone is actually on Android 13 and MIUI 14 since an update in the last month or so. I'll fix that in my question.

"which I think means that are not signed" now that you mentioned it... did you run the app from Android Studio directly instead of building and signing the APK? I just remembered that Android blocks installation of unsigned APKs.

@AndrewT. Yes I ran it directly from Android Studio on the emulator and on my old device. I'm too much of a noob at Android Studio and Android dev generally to know much about signing. It seems that CERT.SF is only used for v1 signing and v2, v3, and v3.1 add a special section to the APK/ZIP binary file format. I don't quite grok the documentation on the signing for v4.

Based on my experience, it's quite straightforward following the documentation: create a new keystore from Android Studio (since this is just for personal use, no need to put real info), then use it for building and signing the APK (not App Bundle); I believe you can choose the simplest signature version because it's only to satisfy the installation.

@AndrewT. I'll try it as soon as you can. If it works you can write an answer and I'll accept it.

I think this turned out to be that I was copying the APK that Android Studio put on my old phone as part of building/testing and you can't just copy those onto another phone. I was not able to verify this 100% though.


text:
Android 9 keeps shutting my browser tabs on Other User when I just switch to other apps
I use Kiwi Browser, tried Lemur Browser but they all do it, it's so frustrating cause not only that it refreshes tabs but it shuts them off completely and just when I come back to it it leaves a blank tab open, nothing from my old stuff.
This is on my Other User, where I also don't have Recent Apps shown so I can't just open the browser where I left off.

Your problem could be unrelated to user switching - it could be a RAM problem: your system may be too old and has too little RAM to keep two instances of a large web browser alive.


text:
Ultrawide monitor support (2560x1080) on AndroidTV 13.0?
I have a chinese AndroidTV box, with Android 13. Resolution in the settings are standard - 1920x1080, 4K etc. No ultrawide.
I have tried changing through adb wm size, but it chooses the closest supported resolution - 4K.
Is there a method to achieve that with some custom rom I don't know about? Or some other method?
Thanks

AndroidTV seems to expect a fixed ratio of 16:9: https://developer.android.com/design/ui/tv/guides/styles/layouts#highlights

And I'd be willing to stretch the activities, if it would give me full resolution and unstretched video.


text:
Disconnect/reconnect mobile data automatically/renew IP every N minutes?
When I disconnect/connect mobile data, I get a new IP. I would like to automate that process, i.e., set up some kind of schedule that disconnects, wait 5 minutes, connects, wait 8 minutes, disconnects, wait 5 minutes etc. Can this be done?

Yes, with automation. See the questions Under that tag


text:
Duplicating a contact in the Samsung contacts app
How can I duplicate a contact in the phone memory of a Samsung Android 11 smartphone without entering the same information again ? This is helpful for example when adding a person in the same organization as an already existing person in this organization.
ChatGPT told me to use the duplicate option in the options menu when editing the contact but there is no options menu in edit mode and the options menu outside edit mode does not contain a duplicate option.
Samsung Contacts app is version 12.7.05.5.

The only way I know is to email it yourself -

Open Contacts
Find Contact
Open the desired Contact
Select Share
Select VCF
Select Email
Email it to yourself
Open Email
Click on attachment
Agree to View the .vcf file
Select Contacts to view it
Select Import
Select the Account to import it into (Use google account/phone/sim)depending on where you have your contacts assigned to.
Press Import

At least in my Samsung Contacts app version, one needs to edit and save the existing contact before importing it again in order to prevent from importing into the already existing contact which would prevent from duplicating it.

Inspired by @RohitGupta's answer, I've found an easier solution without involving eMail:

Open the desired contact
Select Share
Select VCF
Select any text editor to share with (I've used "Simple generic text editor" from F-Droid)
Save as *.vcf in a shareable phone memory location (maybe Downloads folder)
Edit and save the existing contact in the Contacts app (needed to prevent from importing into the already existing contact which would prevent from duplicating it)
Select the just saved *.vcf file using any file manager
Select Contacts to view it
Select Import
Select Phone Memory, press OK.

Note, you are allowed to tick your own answer after 24hrs. plus oned it.

@RohitGupta, yes, but this isn't really a good solution, so I decided to leave it unticked in the hope for a better solution in the future.


text:
Recover Notifications on Android 10
Is there a way to recover a dismissed notification from an App? Using a 3rd party App usually requires future history since the notification was dismissed before the installation.
Possibly in a cache or history setting but Android 10 doesn't have Notification History in Settings.

The last part of the answer should help


text:
Android spyware detection
I installed an APK which my friend sent through a link through instagram and as soon as I donwloaded and installed it, it disappeared into the background
And she told me to unlock my oem before installing the apk
This happened around late 2018 on a Redmi 4x satoni(I know I could buy a new phone but I want a solution)
I have the following deductions about it

it survives a factory reset
it cannot see or work when a VPN is on
it has a keylogger and can see my entire media(vids,photos,music etc)
it can read browser data

I only remember it has love in its name I think it has three words in its name it would be helpful if it possible to know what its name and how it works(if possible a link) (I did research before but could not find anything similar to this)
I have used almost all avs but no hits
I also got hit with sim swap which overcomes 2fa
(I think it's got stuck in the bootloader and I need to flash the bootloader separately please guide me as I've already flashed the phone and I can't tell for sure about it because I think it's a rootkit imo)
Thanks.

If malware survives a factory reset then the only good chance to get rid of it is re-installing a full firmware image (if such a firmware image is available for the device).

Try running kaspersky app. It will do manual scans in free mode. And add the result to your question.

Like I said all av apps come clean

Is it necessary to unlock the bootloader? Because my tech guy did it without it

It is almost impossible for something like this to survive a factory reset unless your device is rooted when the application is installed... What evidence do you have that spyware exists on the phone? I am not saying you are wrong, but the situation you describe is extremely rare, like being struck by lightning while being bitten by a shark rare.

@acejavelin any other theories?

Theories for what exactly? You have provided no reasoning or evidence for your assumptions...

@acejavelin Oh  my bad
My media has gotten leaked on the internet as my friends showed me and my all my accounts logged me out and the password got changed
I even tried flashing the phone without unlocking the bootloader(gave it to a phone repair) but it somehow still survives
And to top it of i have made a Google account on the phone and made sure no backup is restored from factory reset and logged in with that and  it says a Linux computer has access to it while im only here with my Android so it's definitely compromised and I didn't share any account details with anyone

I am unfamiliar with this specific device, but if you have had it reflashed and then created a new account that exists no where else and you have no other accounts on the device or software on the device, I would suspect something more nefarious here, like a compromised WiFi network doing man in the middle attack or something. A device flashed with the stock ROM and no root access is almost impossible to be compromise directly and the stock ROM flash would (should?) eliminate anything in the device itself.

At this point if you truly believe the device is compromised... physically destroy it and get a new device may be the only answer since you have tried all the "normal" things to eliminate this issue.

@acejavelin But that's not possible unless it's Pegasus or some nation wide malware and I don't think the case unless there's a github source to make your own one
Because the malware was know when I installed it but how can it not be removed? Any such Android malware that you know? What could I have done that installs an apk to make it this bad remotely?
Thanks anyway.

If you are reflashing the device with stock firmware and it persists, then it has to be coming from the ROM image you are using, meaning the manufacturer is injecting it into the image as those are (usually) digitally signed, although I am not familiar with this specific device. Otherwise it is almost impossible to be the issue you think it is, and no, I have never heard of persistent malware at this level... it's not impossible but you are more likely to be struck by lightning while being bitten by a shark for this to occur.


text:
Hide VoLTE icon on Samsung
I used to be able to turn off VoLTE, but since a recent update, if I select 5G, VoLTE can't be disabled anymore (it is grayed out). I don't mind it being on, I just want to hide the icon.

If I select 4G I can disable it. That's what's working for me now. But then I can't use 5G connectivity.

Sorry, just found a way. Get Good Lock from Galaxy Store, and then get QuickStar. It have an option to hide the icon.


text:
How can I update the timezone database on an Android 10 phone?
TL;DR: is it possible to manually force an update of the time-zone database on a reasonably modern Android phone?
I have a Samsung Galaxy S9+, running Android 10, and one of the things that lives on my home screen is a dual clock showing the time in Mexico City. (The widget comes from Digital Clock Widget, the developers of which have informed me that they pull the time-zone information for a specific location from the local Android device's database.)
Since last April, the time on the Mexico City clock displays incorrectly. As of this year, Mexico no longer uses DST, but my device's database seems not to have received an update with the news.
Is it possible to force an update of this database to pull the updated DST rules? Is it possible to do so without requiring root access? (I'm aware of Time Zone Updater and other apps that do require root, but that would break other apps.) If it's possible, how can I do it?
(This related question asks how to do the same, but on Android 4.2, and I understand that the timezone handling is radically changed from those days.)

According to the documentation you should receive an updated Time Zone Data module  from Google: https://source.android.com/docs/core/permissions/timezone-rules?hl=en#timezone-apex Not sure how often this happens and how to manually trigger it.

You can check your system via adb which apex modules are installed: adb shell pm list packages --apex-only.

Samsung S9+ was launched in 2018 and no longer gets security updates: https://www.androidauthority.com/samsung-galaxy-s9-end-of-software-support-3149055/ On launch the S9+ had Android 8 so probably continued to use the older APK based TZ update which was completely under OEM control. Sadly I expect only by rooting your device can the TZ data be updated, see: https://stackoverflow.com/q/76068054/295004


text:
How to disable, delete, or block MMI Group?
I noticed an MMI program in my files. It will not allow me to delete, block, or disable.
How do I disable, delete or block MMI Group?

Files where? Please show a screenshot of the location.

Leave it alone, is the advice on other forums.

That's a Samsung specific system app. You can't remove or disable it from the UI. Please consult Samsung for more information about it.

From google.support.

This is a pre-installed app, idk why someone said the customer support said it didn't, there is a company called MMI group and I think the app is some kind of test or something but it is pretty sketchy but malwarebytes is fine with it

From Another post on this site


text:
On an Android device, can I plug a wired microphone and output to bluetooth speakers at the same time
It seems like if my Android phone is connected to a bluetooth speaker and then I plug in a wired microphone through the headphone jack, the bluetooth speaker stops working.
Is there any way to maintain a bluetooth speaker output and yet have functionality from a wired microphone?
I tried a pass-through app called "Mic To Speaker". That works with the phone's on-board microphone in that I can talk into it and the bluetooth speaker will output my voice.
However, as soon as I plug in a wired microphone, the bluetooth speaker output stops.

However, as soon as I plug in a wired microphone, the bluetooth speaker output stops.

Try changing the output audio path - After connecting to both Bluetooth speaker and wired microphone, locate an UI called Media output then switch it to your Bluetooth speaker. I've attached screenshots I took from an Android 14 device which might look different from yours depending on version of Android.

I tried doing that and while it technically works, it was unable to maintain an output from two connections at the same time.


text:
Move Whatsapp media folder to SD card without rooting?
Hello Android experts,
The internal storage of a Xiaomi Redmi 7A (Android 9) is running low, so I wish to free up space by moving Whatsapp media storage to the SD card.
I moved the folder manually, but the big issue with that, that the data is going to be simply redownloaded again and the whole exercise would be futile. So ideally I need to set the media storage to SD card. But I am also open to other solutions to this problem.
The phone belongs to a child, that is why I wouldn't like to root it.

Some apps are written to be able to use SdCard for storage,  Whatsapp is not one of them.
You can see this in Settings>Apps>Whatsapp>Storage  Apps that can work with SdCard have a change button here.
But in Whatsapp you can goto 3dotmenu>Settings>Storage and Data>Manage Storage and then select a chat group and delete selected items from it.

Teach your child to do that.  They can't keep everything forever. And they can't have unlimited storage.

Or upgrade the phone.

Is there at least an option in whatsapp to download files (images &videos) manually to a selected location (ie on the SD) card? I could teach the child to do that and then delete the message.


text:
Lenovo TB-9707F Y700 How can I remount /Vendor as read write
My device is rooted but as of yet I don't have TWRP recovery.
I'm trying to change a file in the /vendor/etc folder. I'm getting an error that it is a read only system.
How can I  mount it as read write? If not how can I change a file in there?
I found that the /vendor folder is a mountpoint for /dev/block/dm-3. I tried to mount this device at /mnt/ven but I'm getting the error Device or resource busy. This is what I'm trying mount -t ext4 /dev/block/dm-3 /mnt/ven.
What can I do to be able to change a file under /vendor.
I would be willing to try to change this file by mounting an image of /vendor but after coping the dm-3 device with dd if=/dev/block/dm-3 of=/data/data/com.termux/files/home/vendor.img I can't get it to mount. I have tried the following:
   1.
TB-9707F:/ # mount -v -t ext4 /data/data/com.termux/files/home/vendor.img  /mnt/ven
try '/data/data/com.termux/files/home/vendor.img' type 'ext4' on '/mnt/ven'
try '/dev/block/loop0' type 'ext4' on '/mnt/ven'
mount: '/dev/block/loop0'->'/mnt/ven': Invalid argument

   2.
TB-9707F:/ # losetup -f /data/data/com.termux/files/home/vendor.img
TB-9707F:/ # losetup -a
/dev/block/loop0: [64518]:20323 (/data/data/com.termux/files/home/vendor.img)
TB-9707F:/ # mount -v -o loop /dev/block/loop0 /mnt/ven
try '/dev/block/loop0' type 'ext3' on '/mnt/ven'
try '/dev/block/loop0' type 'ext2' on '/mnt/ven'
try '/dev/block/loop0' type 'ext4' on '/mnt/ven'
try '/dev/block/loop0' type 'vfat' on '/mnt/ven'
try '/dev/block/loop0' type 'msdos' on '/mnt/ven'
try '/dev/block/loop0' type 'exfat' on '/mnt/ven'
mount: '/dev/block/loop0'->'/mnt/ven': I/O error

I'm not sure what the argument should be in example 1, or what the I/O Error is in example 2.
From reading about on Google I got the impression that the dm devices aren't regular block devices. I haven't been able to figure out what they nor how to mount them.

Maybe a dumb suggestion- On my Pixel6a I can access vendor partition with a root explorer

I have tried with root but keep on getting the error that it's a read only system. If root explorer would be free I would try it but since I don't have much confidence that it could do more than other root options I don't want to pay.

Mix explorer on XDA is free

Link https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/app-2-2-mixplorer-v6-x-released-fully-featured-file-manager.1523691/&ved=2ahUKEwj86qyTxb6AAxVMpVYBHY4xDe0QFnoECBkQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3q6OF3cSVPXxL6dQ2WzH3b

@beeshyams I tried MixExplorer and got an error message couldn't save file. This is a read only system without remounting as read write I don't think any app will be able to make it work.


text:
How do I install split apk in Bluestacks 5?
I shared my Minecraft (Android) installation files using ShareIt to my PC. It sent 4 split apks and 1 base apk. How do I make it install in my Bluestacks 5?

Have you tried How to install xapk, apks, or multiple-apks via adb? ?