text:
Does my galaxy s have a front facing camera or is it the just the light censor?
it doesn't have a self shot option.
i got it from uscellular
model number is SCH-I500

Related question that was asked previously: http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/1805/my-samsung-galaxy-s-front-facing-camera-doesnt-work-in-camera-app-gtalk-or-sky?rq=1

According to gsmarena.com, your device (Samsung Fascinate SCH-I500) does not have either a secondary camera (front camera):

Camera
Primary    5 MP, 2592 x 1944 pixels, autofocus, LED flash
Secondary    No

It is most likely a proximity sensor (which can double as a light sensor):

Features
Sensors    Accelerometer, proximity, compass


text:
Why does Samsung GS4 pattern lock sometimes change to side-by-side layout?
I have the SGS4 SGH-M919, Android 4.2.2,  WickedV8 ROM.
Normally my lock screen looks like this:

Once in a while, my lock screen unexpectedly changes to this side-by-side arrangement:

I have not done anything to cause this change, and I am unable to find a way to change it back to normal other than rebooting the phone.
The "pencil" icon does not cause anything to move.  If I try long enough, a message will appear that says something like "your security settings prevent changes to the lock screen".  I can still unlock the phone, but the small pattern is less convenient.
I do not find anything in Settings that would control the layout of the lock screen.
Can anyone explain why this changes and how I could prevent it or change it back to normal without a reboot?

That seems like it is a bug in the custom ROM you are using. Many custom ROMs (or Xposed modules) that add a rotate lock screen function may have that bug. If it is disabled, and the bug occurs, there only ways to reverse it are to either restart com.android.systemui or to enable auto-rotation of the lock screen and then turn the phone into landscape mode, then back to portrait (it may take several attempts; it may not fix itself at all for both methods).
Alternatively, if you do not have that option, you can install Xposed Installer and either the module Wanam Xposed for TouchWiz or Gravitybox JB / KK for AOSP. To change lockscreen rotation settings.
Personally, I recommend adding a shortcut to your homescreen to kill systemui. You can do this by installing an app like ROM Toolbox Lite. Create a homescreen shortcut from ROM Toolbox (or whichever script app you installed) and make it a script. In the script, issue the command pkill com.android.systemui. Make sure that you have root privileges and to (if necessary) tell the app to run it with root.
BUG: There is an existing bug where, if YouTube is running in the background, may inadvertently cause lockscreen rotation. This can be solved by killing the background process YouTube.

In the ROM controls, I do not find anything like "rotate lock screen."  Where would I look for that setting? I assume I should set it to "Enabled" to avoid the bug? I do not have Xposed.

If you can't find the setting under WICKED Rom Control > Tweaks > Lockscreen, see my updated answer. Also, there is an update to your ROM (WICKED v10) which might fix the bug.

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


text:
Nexus 7 - 2013 - missed 5.0 rollout?
My nexus 7 was showing "update available" but after thinking "You know if it's crap I don't want to deal with it now" (and reading later that there were some problems) I left it, 2 weeks later (a week ago) it came back, and I ignored it.
Now I want to start using Material Design, but the update has gone, have I missed my window? I doubt it but Google's update policy...
Anyway, can I "force" an update?

Try rebooting and possibly wait for it re-update.

If you reeeaaally don't want to wait, you could always flash the factory image yourself. It only requires the fastboot tool (which is part of the Android SDK or as a minimal package) on a computer and a USB connection. Detailed instructions are on the images site.

possible duplicate: Ignored 5.0 OTA update on nexus 4 now can't get it back

You can direct download the latest factory image here for your device. As far as I know, you need to note several things before force push the update:

Power off your device.
Enter to recovery mode (Power + Volume up and down buttons simultaneously for a few seconds).
Locate the zipped file and extract it to update the version. (May take a while)
Reboot

A bit of warning: Doing this will erase your all of your data and apps. Be sure to backup your data before doing this.
I hope this helps you.

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


text:
Is rooting possible on an already encrypted device
My device is already encrypted. It is not rooted.
Note 2 GT-N7100.
I made an attempt to root it earlier a few months back and it tripped the KNOX counter and void the warranty. But it didn't root the device. The SuperSu would crash and it won't allow to apply the update from the play store.
Now I am AGAIN trying to root it and install TWRP recovery, using ODIN 3.9. It just restarts and when I try to boot into the bootloader to check its the same Samsung recovery, no TWRP.
P.S: ODIN shows the "PASS" successfully and has all the indications that the TWRP has been installed.

In short: Yes, you can root an encrypted device, because "encryption" only encrypts /data and not /system.
Are you sure you are using the correct settings in ODIN for your device and following all directions completely on whichever tutorial you are following? Please cross-reference your tutorial with the XDA Guide (highly recommended that you follow this guide; I can post the instructions here for permanent refernce upon request).

Yes I did use the correct settings, but somehow it didn't work. Next thing I did was to try CFautoroot, and it worked!! Don't know how but it did. I guess there must be an issue in the image.

Maybe it was just a corruption in one of your downloads. I'm glad you could get it resolved!

I could successfully root my Moto G3 (2015) encrypted device using the latest twrp version.
I used version 3.0.2.r01. Tried first with 2.8.7-r5 and it didn't work.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/2015-moto-g/orig-development/twrp-twrp-moto-g-2015-t3170537


text:
How do I transfer contacts from one phone to the other without a SIM card?
I have no sim card and a new Android phone. How can I transfer my contacts from one phone to the other without a SIM card?

if your previous phone has a Bluetooth feature then you can transfer all your contacts through Bluetooth.

No 3rd party utilities or cloud services needed for that. On the "old device":

open your contacts app
enter its menu
select Export/Import
select to export to SD card

Now you should find a file named 0001.vcf on the SD card (internal or external, depends on what the device has). Copy that to the new device, e.g. via Bluetooth, WiFi Hotspot. then, on the new device:

open your contacts app
enter its menu
select Export/Import
select to import from SD card
chose the file you've just copied here

Done. All your contacts including their contact pictures (if you had set such) should be available on your new device now.

There are a few options for your case.

One option is to sync with Google cloud contacts. In most smartphones, there is a native function to set a contact as a Google contact. Note: Depending on your phone, you may have to manually make all your contacts sync with Google individually. Some older phones may not support this functionality at all.
If you don't want to sync with Google, you can use a third-party app like Address Book & Contacts Sync to (ironically) sync your address book and contacts.
Depending on your phone, you may be able to sync your contacts with a PC and transfer them, but this functionality varies from device to device.

Some networks do not use SIM cards.

Right, I was tired when I typed that :p. Gonna edit that out.

You can use the Mobogenie Software for importing and exporting contacts,sms and any stuff
on your phone. You can also get backup of your data on your computer.


text:
Physical Device does not show up in Android Device Chooser
I posted this in stack overflow, but I figured it would be more relevant here.
When I open the DDMS, it shows the device there.

However, when I try to run my program, Eclipse opens the Android Device chooser.
The Android Device Chooser has nothing under it.

I'm running it on a mac.  I've tried installing the drivers for the phone.  I've enabled downloading from unknown sources and downloading from USB.
Adb confirms that it is there too.
The emulator runs fine.
Don't know if this will help or not, but on the phone, there are two notifications.  "Connected as a media device" and "USB debugging connected" That should be normal?
The minimum API level is set to 8, so I don't think it's an API level problem.
I've searched everywhere and I can't figure out the reason.

It seems to be a layout bug.
Drag one of the column headers in the device chooser where the device should be and change the column width and it magically appears!

You can also double click the device's row even when it's hidden, so you don't have to resize the column each time.
Source: stackoverflow:

on my android studio does not work

Try disabling "Connected as a media device" (unmounting storage). On your device, you should be able to select the notification and then select an option like "Charge only" to disable the mount. You may have to go to Apps > Settings > Storage > Menu (button) > USB computer connection to change the setting.

on my android studio does not work

Have you enabled developer options in your mobile?
If yes, then navigate to Settings > Developer Options(turn it on) >and select(or check depending on your phone) USB debugging this should work

on my android studio does not work


text:
Samsung GT-S7392 is locked because of attempting password too many times. Please help me out
Samsung GT-S7392 is locked because of successive password attempts; and I could not access or log into the google account as well. The question is: Can I l get unlock through theses using my google account where I'm not the first user of the device. It also asks me for the back up pin. What actually is it and how do I solve 'unlock' this? Please help me.

Well, you can try unlocking your device with the Google Account if that account is what the device is using ! Other than that there isn't any option !

On a side note: This is very suspicious.
Anyway, regarding this question:

The question is: Can I l get unlock through theses using my google account where I'm not the first user of the device.

You can only unlock the device using one of the Google accounts associated with the phone. If you don't know the password or any of the phone's account credentials, then you're out of luck.
For the next question:

It also asks me for the back up pin. What actually is it and how do I solve 'unlock' this?

There is no universal backup PIN. You can only unlock the phone with the  PIN/password that was set or the credentials of an associated Google account.
Alternatively, you wipe the /data directory on the device to perform a factory reset, which will also reset the password.
Warning: Performing a factory reset will delete all user data.

You can restore the phone. Find and download the firmware for the phone. Go checkout www.xdadevelopers.com or google the phones firmware. You'll need to download Odin. You will also need to download the bootloader and the modem besides the firmware. If you want to do this. Let me know. Ill give you step by step directions.
DOING THIS METHOD WILL DELETE EVERYTHING FROM THE PHONE, FRESH START.

Welcome to Android Enthusiasts.  This is a question-and-answer site, as opposed to a forum.  We encourage answers that are complete, so if you can include step-by-step directions, it would be most helpful.


text:
How to differentiate between two LINE friends with the same name?
Most users of the LINE messaging app have nicknames and profile pictures showing cats or characters.
Also, people switch names and pictures often, and profiles contain almost no info.
As a consequence, it can be very difficult to remember who is who:

Is there any way to differentiate between the two?
The long-press menu does not reveal any labelling/metadata option.
In the UI there is no visible ID or anything similar.

A solution is to rename your contacts:

Run the app
Select a contact
Select their name in the panel that appears
Click the pen icon as seen in the screenshot below
Edit their name to add for instance "(colleague)" or "(from the gym)"


text:
Nexus 5 > Lollipop upgrade notification lost
I have an LG Nexus 5 and I am running Android 4.4.4 on it.
I've been seeing a notification telling me there's an upgrade for my Android OS for several weeks now (Lollipop upgrade), but I've been waiting till I properly back up my phone before starting the upgrade.
When I was finally ready to run the upgrade yesterday, the notification was gone. I went to Settings > About phone > System updates, clicked on "Check for update" only to find it saying "Your system is up to date".
The "Last checked for update at" message was changed to the current time.
Rebooting the phone and trying again did not help either.
Is there anyway I can get that Lollipop update back?

Well, I would say they may have rolled the update back because of he bugs present over it ! I have been hearing that there are a number of bugs over Android Lollipop. Which I guess is the reason why the update dis-appeared. Maybe you should wait a bit more while ! And I would say that as you are running KitKat, it's way more good than Lollipop better would be not to because I have seen that people running Lollipop, wants their devices to roll back over to the KitKat.

As Peter wrote, 5.0 had many issues. AFAIK they (preparing to) rollout 5.0.1 already. So you might have been lucky to skip 5.0 – and just have to wait for the "next round".

authors: Александр Иванов


text:
How does this behaviour get marked in the Play Store?
It's my understanding that when somebody has an app in the Play Store, they can monitor the number of installs and uninstalls of their app.
A few days a go I flashed my phone from the L preview to the official L release, and it re-installed some of my apps, but not all of them, and I wondered how this is marked in the Play Store.
My thoughts on what could happens is, my phone periodically checks what's installed, it will notice the app has gone, and mark it down as uninstalled, or...
It only marks it as uninstalled when I manually uninstall an app, so it's still marked as being installed even though it isn't.
Does anybody know how it's handled?


text:
Unable to upload file to mediafire 2.70
I am trying to upload a .Rar file to mediafire version 2.70 from my Acer liquid z120d dualsim. I use the share with mediafire feature and it gives the popup that the file is placed in the "Upload" folder. But it's not, infact the upload folder isn't displayed within the apps folder browser.
Where is it then? Is it even uploaded? and most of all: how do I find my file?

Accordingly your file should be placed in the 'uploads' folder. But it is'nt happening.
Try to check following solutions.
Clear the app data and cache from app info in settings, and log in to the account and try again.
If it isn't working, What is the size of the file that you are uploading? If its to large, try to upload in modules. According to my experience large files are uploaded but it takes time and meanwhile it doesn't even show you the progress for very large files. So if its in gb or some 500 - 700 mb try to upload in modules.
If still it doesn't work try to upload a simple image file using the same procedure that you used before just to counter-check. If this small image is uploaded then the problem persists in the app in the form of a bug which do not uploads a large file.


text:
Will the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook receive updates past 4.4.2?
I can't find official information from either Barnes and Noble or Samsung one way or the other. It doesn't look like it uses TouchWiz like other Samsung devices, so it would likely be more effort to develop and test for future Android versions. I think that if it is going to receive updates, it's at a really good price point for a tablet, with the Barnes and Noble sales and promotions happening now. If not, I'm not sure if it's worth the cheaper price to be stuck on 4.4.2 forever - it seems like that will be behind the times rather quickly. Are my fears of that well-founded?

Sadly the only answer is "I don't know." I have spoken to Samsung reps before and their official line is that "Samsung do not comment on future Android updates. While this may not be the answer you were hoping for, it is the only one at present." If they won't tell us then anything else is speculation, even if SamMobile or others have leaked videos, sometimes those never progress past beta.

related: When will my device get the Android 4.4 update (KitKat)? & When will my device get the Android 5.0 update (Lollipop)?


text:
How to root a Lenovo A526 mobile
I tried to root a Lenovo A526 mobile using "Kingo" and "root genius". But they are unable to root this device.

I haven't used it but I used kingroot to root my tablet some 3 months earlier after which I removed it because I thought it would be dangerous. But It rooted...
So You Answer Should Be:-
I don't know but KingRoot roots easily and on mobile or tablet without pc

I'm even using A526 but in the latest version of root genius you will be able to root your phone.

Could you explain the process?

… and include where to find that genie?

http://androidxda.com/download-root-genius

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


text:
How can I access a shared Drive directory?
I have a shared link to a Google Drive directory,  and I would like to browse it without having to open my browser, accesing the link, click a document and select to open it in Drive app. It is possible for the Drive app to do this and how?


text:
Do I still need to install GAPPS if I want to use the new Cyanogenmod Android 5.0 rom?
I was just about to flash the latest the build for Cyanogenmod, but then I remembered from past phones where I flashed new ROMs, that I needed to install the latest Google Apps file. However, when I went to see if I can download the latest I see that there is not a full build for it (unless I read it wrong).
Do I need still need to install GAPPS if I want to use the new Cyanogenmod Android 5.0 ROM?
Since the build is not complete for GAPPS should I wait?
GAPPS forum on XDA

You don't need to install Gapps to use Cyanogenmod, you can install it and use it without them.
If your real question is "do I need to install Gapps if I want to comfortable install all my favorite apps from the playstore?" then the answer is probably yes.

So ideally I do need GAPPS. Because if not then I have no apps.

If you want to install them the confortable way, yes.

Great thank you for the clarification. Looks like I'll be waiting.

You don't need to wait - there are several 5.0 GApps builds out there and the ones you linked to will work to get you Play Store and Play Services. The other GApps builds have other Google apps (Gmail, Hangouts, G+, etc) which you don't need and can usually install from the play store...

To cut a long story short, GAPPS basically provides you with the sync between your device and google services, which otherwise wont be readily available on custom rom running devices.


text:
android-x86 installation modes
I recently installed android-x86 in my PC. During the installation, I came across the following pic.

I don't know about the VESA mode and the Debug mode. Also, I've seen terms like HDPI and LDPI in android boot menus. Can anyone make me understand about the different installation modes available for android ?

Breakdown of menu

Live CD (no installation at all): everything will run in memory, with access to the hard drive.

Live CD VESA: allows you to do things like setting graphics modes and displaying images without needing to know the hardware details for every graphics chipset.

Live CD DEBUG: basically a developer mode, also for troubleshooting.

Install Android to hard disk: installs to hard drive, to be accessed like a regular PC.

For more information about VESA see Wikipedia: Video Electronics Standards Association.
Also check out VESA Graphic Modes - a guide.


text:
Undesired download of Baidu Browser
new Android user with the world's most low end tablet, Azpen A727.  I'm enjoying learning about Android and have killed off most of the bloatware...but twice now "Baidu Browser" has been downloaded without my request.  I'm using the bloatware security app Lookout now.  Is there a way to find out what is requesting these downloads, stop it, or block it?  I'm open to using a different security app.
Many thanks in advance.

Is your device rooted? Though "killed off most of the bloatware" suggests as much, I'd better make sure before posting "the wrong answer" :)

Not yet, but I plan to.  So far I've just deleted and/or disabled unwanted apps.

OK, as you plan to: Would an answer requiring root be acceptable?

OK – see below. There would be much more to say on that app, but that'd be too much here :)

I'm using LBE Security Manager for a while now (as the "lite version", LBE Privacy Guard, is no longer continued and soesn't work with Android 4.1 and above). I first felt it a bit, umm, over-loaded – but it runs decently (no battery drain or performance issues), and after disabling half of its features I don't need, I'm pretty satisfied with it.
While my primary taget was its privacy protection (revoking app permissions), LBE-SM ships with a load of other features. One of them watches over app installs, and places a note in your notification area when one happened. You then can follow that (tap the notification), and blacklist the app. LBE-SM then blocks all future installations of it.
There are a bunch of additional features, many of them primarily targeted at the Chinese market (cloud anti-virus, call blocker, etc), a basic firewall (block internet-access per app and interface, i.e. separately for WiFi and mobile data), plus more.
It's a closed-source app of Chinese origin, which might sound suspect at first. But there's a huge follow-ship at XDA (and Xposed, and elsewhere), so it can't be that bad ;) Unfortunately, the app version available at Google Play is Chinese only (you won't be able to understand a thing if you're not used to Chinese). But there are ways, like localized English, Vietnamese, German, and other language's versions at XDA - or the LBE Xposed Module to be used with the playstore version, to get a usable installation. I'm using the linked English variant from XDA for a while, and already found it updated a couple of times.

Thanks for the LBE link, just downloaded from XDA. Was looking for English variant, but I didn't want to use the Xposed module.

Both have their pros and cons. Using Xposed, you could use the Playstore version and automatically update it from Play. Using the XDA version, you'll have to keep care not to update from Play. Besides, I'd recommend to de-activate the software update check in LBE – can get pretty annoying getting update infos for all your apps in Chinese ;)

Sounds like what I'm looking for.  Thanks for your time.

Always glad to help :)


text:
Possible to change SIM card PUK on Android device?
On my Samsung Galaxy SIII, one can go to Settings -> More -> Security -> SIM card lock -> Set up SIM card lock -> Change SIM PIN to change the default PIN that came with the SIM card. But what about the PUK (the 8-digit number that comes with the SIM card to unlock the card after 3 failed 4-digit PIN number attempts)? Can the PUK also be changed from within the Android GUI, or is it a fixed number stored on the SIM card which cannot be changed?
Thanks.

The PUC (PUK) is a SIM-specific code assigned by the service provider.
  - Personal Unblocking Code (Wikipedia)

That means you cannot change it with help of your android device.

If you want to crack it you must watch this video

Video is about 'Rooting The Sim' by  Karsten Nohl at BlackHat 2013.

In this video Nohl showed vulnerability that almost every sim have  which was manufactured before 2013(Also Some cards after that whoes providers have not fixed this security hole)
Procedure
-Send binary sms with OTA command to card requesting response
-Crack DES signing key that sign Java virus and sent through binary sms
-Leverage gaps in Java VM memory separation to access arbitrary sim card data
Results
-Card may response with DES signed error message
-Card install and execute signed Java applet
-Malicious applet extract ki,banking applet etc. and send ti attacker via sms
Once an attacker cracks the key, he can commit premium SMS fraud, circumvent caller-ID checks, manipulate voice-mails, redirect incoming calls and text messages, abuse USSD payments, track and phish users, install malware on their devices, or perform any other browser-based attack. With data access enabled, Nohl claims an attacker can clone SIM cards, decrypt 2G, 3G, and 4G traffic, clone NFC takers and future SIM applications, and alter the operating system to prevent future patching.
Nohl also claims to have been able to break out of the SIMs Java sandbox and get access to this personal unblocking key

I guess it's a read-only piece of information on the SIM card.

PUC stands for Personal Unlock Code, whereas PUK stands for Personal Unlock Key. Both terms refer to the same thing.

Yes. They both are synonymous. If you want to change it you have to contact your service provider and ask for PUK. If you can prove that you are owner of sim they can give you the PUK.

Thank you @{Ash-Ishh..} (not sure how to encode your Twitter handle) for your information. I was wondering whether the PUK is stored on a read-only area of the SIM or whether, upon providing due credentials, the service provider can also change the PUK, or whether it can only be retrieved. Thanks.

Excellent talk! I was impressed by the fact that network operators can communicate with SIM cards (in mobile phones that are powered on) without the smartphone user being able to even turn such communication on or off. Perhaps Android phones should come with this option. Was also impressed to find out that the SIM card has a built-in sandboxed Java environment running on one of several custom OSs built into the card by SIM card manufacturers. Hearing about all those vulnerabilities, which allow malicious users to break into SIM cards (but not the Android OS), was also interesting.

What I didn't understand about the talk is, how does a hacker send data to a SIM card. Wouldn't the hacker have to use a base-station, such as those installed across cities by network operators, to send data to cell phones to try to hack into them? Anyways, really interesting talk!

In this talk (@22:40) he mentioned that binary sms can also be sent through some phones (he used specific reprogrammed motorola device)

Yeah, I've seen that, the Motorola device he had must be something wonderful for hackers to have to experiment with. Anyways, I thought putting the device in Airplane Mode would cut off all communication to the device, including binary SMS messages sent by the network operator, but what the speaker in the talk said is true, this is not the case. I guess I will be turning my phone completely off while in airplanes from now on. Thanks.

As a minor update, I would like to add that upon logging in to the network operator's website with my phone number and password I was also able to view my PUK on such website.

I realize this is an older thread, but to provide useful into to others reading the page now I thought I'd still reply.
This doesn't always work with every phone, but if it doesn't work it wouldn't cause any harm. It also requires that you know what the current PUK number is. This can often be found on the credit card size card that your SIM card came attached to (if you still have it) or it can usually be obtained from your wireless provider fairly easily so long as you can verify that it is your account.
All you have to do is dial this code into your phone replacing "old PUK" with the PUK provided by your wireless provider, and "new PUK" with any 8-digit code of your choosing. Note you don't use any spaces when you enter the code.
** 05 * old PUK * new PUK * new PUK #

I believe this answer is misleading. It should be "new PIN" rather than "new PUK". Hence that dial code is used for changing PIN instead of changing PUK.

You should write new pin new pin, there is no way to change puk code. Your topic explains how to make blocked pin code active.

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


text:
Disabling/Changing PIN on Android device: where are the disabled flag and new PINs stored (SIM or internal storage)?
On my Samsung Galaxy SIII, one can go to Settings -> More -> Security -> SIM card lock -> Set up SIM card lock -> Lock SIM card` which displays a check box which can be used to configure the phone to either (a) require the user to enter the SIM PIN when the device finishes booting up to access all of the device's features, or (b) to access the device without ever having to enter the SIM PIN, not even after the device has been booted.

I would like to ask, where is the information about requiring or not requiring the PIN stored? Is it stored on the SIM card or on Android internal storage? In the first case, inserting the SIM in a new phone would preserve the setting, and in the second case it would not. Can anyone please confirm?

When the user is not required to enter the PIN, the PIN on the SIM card is not deleted and the user is in fact require to enter such PIN both when enabling or disabling this feature. Hence I would also like to ask:

If the user changes the PIN. Is (1) the old PIN on the SIM card overwritten with the new PIN, or, (2) does the SIM card preserve the old PIN and store the new pin in some other location on the SIM card, or, (3) is the new PIN stored on internal storage leaving the SIM card unaffected? I'm not sure how I would go about checking this, but I would be interested in knowing the answer.

Thanks.

Just to #1: My guess is it's stored on the SIM – since when I've disabled it, and then put the SIM into another (factory-reset) device, I was not asked for a PIN again. Just experience, not knowledge – hence a comment, not an answer :)

Interesting. That means the information is stored on the SIM card. I don't have another phone with me at the moment. I wonder, if you don't mind, if the PIN is changed and the SIM card is placed in another phone, I bet you need to enter the new PIN on the new phone as well, so the new PIN is also stored on the SIM. What I don't know is whether the new PIN overwrites the old PIN, or whether after changing the PIN the factory-default and previous PINs are still known to the SIM card or not. Thanks.

It's a SIM pin, Android has nothing to do with it. A factory-reset won't restore your "old" pin, and switching the SIM to another device will require you to enter the new pin there. So strictly speaking, this is not even an Android question ;)

I've tried this. When the PIN is disabled, the old PIN remains on the SIM card, and needs to be re-entered to re-enable SIM PIN lock. There are also screen lock features provided by Android, but these are separate and have nothing to do with the SIM card: information configured with screen PIN lock and other screen lock features are stored on the device's internal storage.


text:
Unknown tablet without Android
A friend of mine offered me a tablet that he doesn't know the brand, he tried to install some version of Cyanogenmod with ClockworkMod.
Now the tablet just bootloops and I can only access Clockwork with recovery mode.
Factory reset or what-so-ever doesn't help now. I only have 2 options:

Find out the brand with only Clockwork and get a custom ROM for it
Install a general Android version (if that exists)

Can somebody help me with this?

Youn won't probaly find help step by step here if that is what you mean. I also find it very problematic you got an unidentified device and simply install a random Cyanogenmod build without thinking twice.

@xangua OP didn't flash CM, his friend did. Read it again. BTW, step by step help is what alot of answers on Stack Exchange provide. Try to encourage, not discourage.

The reason it is bootlooping is probably because cyanogenmod was installed and it isn't for that device.
There should be serial/model number on the back of the device. This is a requirement (AFAIK) by the FCC.

The certification mark is a stand-alone logo (as shown above) for the part 18 class of devices while, for the part 15 class, along with the logo, the label should display other data viz, the trade name of the product, the model number, and information whether the device was tested after assembling, or assembled from tested components.

You should be able to use that to figure out what device it is. Then you can see if you can find a version of android for it from that.


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Retrieving lost SIM PIN and PUK
If the SIM and PUK are stored on the SIM card, then why can't an Android application read this information and display it to the user?

For the same reason it doesn't display passwords?

Well, are passwords used to unlock the phone also stored on the SIM card? I'm not sure. In any case, if the phone is rooted, I can't see why all this information couldn't be accessed.

I can. It might be encrypted or hashed. Just take a look at system passwords on Linux: /etc/passwd doesn't have them anymore, and /etc/shadow just stores hashes – so not even root can read them. That's how security is supposed to work: root might be able to change a password, but should not be able to read (compromise without the user's knowledge).

A PUK, being 8-digit long, could be stored as a hash, but a rainbow-table attack could recover the original PUK if some timing mechanism to introduce a delay is not built into the SIM. And as far as the PIN goes, I doubt it would make sense to hash such a short number consisting of only 4 digits. Besides, I've not seen any programs on the google play store which can crack the PIN and PUK, or even read the corresponding hashes on the SIM if they existed. So, why don't these programs exist, if these options are possible, or, why aren't they possible? Thanks.


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Is 4.0+ Disk Encryption compatible with Custom Recovery/KitKat ROMs?
There is a prior question that answers this for Android 3.0 but some stuff I have read elsewhere has said that installing TWRP will not work with encryption in more recent versions of Android, so I wanted to double check and see if anyone here knows for sure.
I plan to unlock the bootloader on my device (Droid Razr HD xt926, there's an exploit and I'm rooted, frozen at 4.1.2 with the proper system version to do this) in order to flash a custom ROM (probably CM11 to start) and breathe some new life into this tiny computer.
I understand most of the concepts involved in this process as far as using adb and fastboot to flash the custom recovery/ROMs onto my device and have found a tool on another site to flash the KitKat firmware directly in order to use 4.4-based ROMS. However, I have not gone ahead because I want to make sure first that I will be able to encrypt my data again, since I know that the unlocked bootloader is kind of a security hazard.
In my understanding (verified by the link above in reference to Honeycomb devices), it should not be an issue so long as the external SD card is not encrypted so that software can be pushed and installed by the custom recovery, because this isn't true FDE and only a partition with your data is encrypted, not the entire disk. Has this changed?
I do not expect to be faced with a very sophisticated attacker, so I am not that worried about someone taking advantage of the unlocked bootloader in order to dump everything and bruteforce my PIN. It's more that I just live in a place where mugging and phone theft is not uncommon and I don't want a "regular" thief to have easy access to my messages and accounts and such.
So: Will the 4.4 disk encryption scheme work with a custom recovery? With all custom recoveries? And do I need to seek out particular ROMs that have fde available, or is it a standard part of Android that remains regardless of other developer tweaks and theming?

As to my experience, TWRP 3.0.2.4+ works fine with Android 6+ disk encryption. TWRP prompts for disk encryption password when booted into recovery.

TWRP 3.0.2.0 and older do not work in this issue.


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Determining/stopping random phantom notifications during calls
I recently switch carriers and got a used Galaxy S4 to replace the one I would no longer be using.  The phone was already cleaned up but I did a factory reset on it myself to be sure.  The problem I have is that one or more times during a call the phone vibrates and/or beeps as though it has a notification for me.  When I check the notifications (during or after the call) there are none.
This happens almost every call, and within about the first 1-2 minutes of the call, but it is not at a consistent time.  I am not getting these phantom notifications any other time, just when on a call.  I'm not a very heavy caller, so I don't know when this started, but it has been doing it for more than a month at least.
It will happen even immediately after rebooting the phone and occurs whether using the handset or the wired headset (don't recall if I've tried it with BT).  I have disabled all in-call alerts in the settings (including roaming, data, and connection alerts) and every notification option I can find within apps (excepting the ones I need) but to no avail.
Is there any way to disable this, or at least to determine what is causing the false notifications?
Additional info:

Carrier: Sprint
Phone Model: SPH-L720
Android Version: 4.4.2
Rooted: YES
ROM: Stock from carrier (Samsung Touchwiz)

Never did figure out what was causing it.  I finally did a full reset of the phone and the phantom notifications went away.  I think I have everything set back up as it used to be and they have not returned, so it appears to have just been a unique situation last time.

On some Samsungs, they have a feature called Minute Minder. It will notify you around every minute of your phone call (it is usually 5-10 seconds before the actually minute mark). For people who don't have unlimited minutes, this allows them to easily know how many minutes have passed.
For the original Galaxy S, the setting is located under
Settings -> Call Settings -> All Calls -> Call Status Tones -> Minute Minder
I think with the Galaxy S 4 it's been moved to
Settings -> My Device -> Call -> Call Alerts -> Minute Minder
I'm not positive if this is the cause, but it sounds probable.

This was my first thought as well.  Unfortunately, all the notifications in the Call Settings section are disabled, including this one, yet the problem persists.  It is not happening at 1 minute intervals, either.

Have you tried a factory reset again with a call directly afterward? This could help determine whether it's something you installed or changed that is causing it or if it is stock/based on your carrier (I have a hard time believing it's the carrier itself somehow pushing these).

I haven't yet.  Was hoping someone knew how to identify hidden notifications without having to reset my phone.  Wouldn't surprise me, though, if it was caused by some of the bloatware the carrier forces on here (even after a reset).


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IP Address of desktop computer USB tethered to phone

For my Internet connection I use a Motorola Electrify Android phone USB tethered to my desktop computer Windows XP. My service provider is US Cellular.

I would like to know the IP address of my desktop computer so that some friends in the outside world can connect to it, like for FTP and TelNet and Remote Desktop Sharing. My phone shows an IP address (it's currently 10.244.3.92, and I realize that this will change with every power-up.)
I've been told that this is the IP address I should use, but I have not been able to make any connection to my desktop computer from outside.

That might be due to a firewall, or due to the fact that your computer doesn't run any services to connect to. To find the computer's IP address, you can use ipconfig (on a Windows computer) or ifconfig (Linux/Unix and probably also Mac). Or, from the tethered device, use the traceroute command (pass it e.g. www.google.com as parameter): the first "hop" should be your computer.

Private IP addresses are not accessible from internet: https://android.stackexchange.com/a/205807/218526. If your phone has a public IP (which is not most of the times), you need to do port forwarding on phone: https://android.stackexchange.com/a/220931/218526

The easiest way to see the public IP of a device is by a Google search. If that IP still doesn't let you connect from an outside source, check the following:

Make sure your firewall isn't blocking the connection. You can temporarily disable it to troubleshoot this.
Make sure your computer has services/ports/servers open that you can connect to.


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android.process.acore stopped - CM10 on Galaxy S3
I'm getting the error "android.process.acore has stopped" constantly, which makes my phone impossible to use. I have cm-10.2.0 on a galaxy S3. I have already tried factory reset and re-flashing the ROM several times. Any more ideas or is my phone now a brick?

If it were a brick, you could not flash it. Are you sure the ROM you've flashed was intended for your S3? Maybe you try a different ROM (of course one for the S3)?

"brick" metaphorically. I cannot use the phone for anything. I'm pretty sure it was the right ROM, I copied it twice with adb push and flashed it twice.

Maybe your download was broken. I'd try with a different one. Besides: though you've mentioned factory-reset (which should have done that), have you wiped /data and /cache prior to flashing? Also worth a try.

yeah i've wiped everything I could. I'll try with a new file and let you know how it goes.

Tried downloading a new image of CM10, which I am able to flash but it does not solve the problem. I also tried to flash CM11, which fails with error "status 7".

Maybe you take a look at these questions (and their answers) then – hopefully they shed some light.

thanks but I've already done extensive reasearch online. These links just tell me to do a factory reset.

OK, then I'm out, sorry. Hopefully someone else might have another idea...

Is it possible that google restores faulty contacts each time you did a factory reset? deactivate google sync for contacts and delete data for contacts and contact storage. This will delete all your contacts so make a backup!
(sorry I meant to write this in the comments section... now I don't know how to delete this.)


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How to root a samsung galaxy S3 lite(Samsung S6790)
How do I root a Samsung Galaxy S3 Lite(Samsung S6790).
I have tried using towelroot v3 which returns
This phone is currently unsupported

and framaroot which also returns
Your device seems not vulnerable to exploit included in Framaroot

This led me to try using KingoRoot which ran for like 15mins and restarted my device. After I reconnected my device, on the menu it still had the option root which confirmed that the phone had not been rooted

Are you sure that KingoRoot did not root your device? It is reported as working for the Samsung Galaxy S3 Lite. Please verify with a Root Checker if you have root.
Another known method for that device is DF ROOT (direct download). This app may be in Portuguese, so if it is, here are the instructions in English:

Open DF-ROOT.
Go to "Fazer Root."
Choose "Root."
Now go to "Batal" and close the application.
Open SuperSU, it will ask to update the binary SU, select "Continuar."
Select the "Normal" option and then "OK."

Both were reported working in this XDA thread.

Download iRoot to your PC, supports alot of devices. Make sure you have the latest Samsung USb drivers for mobile devices. Enable USB debugging on target device, high quality usb cable.Connect device to PC, run iRoot, wait for iRoot todetact your device and finally click Root, wait for a couple os seconds and device is rooted!


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How remove prompt messages on nexus 4 root?
Is it possible to make warning messages not appear? Example, when I try to turn off 'Cellular data' in data usage, I get the stupid question "turn off..?"
Is it possible to force the phone to do as you tell it without it playing smart asking you before executing?

You can toggle cellular data from quick settings.

Swipe downwards twice to bring up the toggles.
Tap on the mobile network icon, which will open up another screen
which shows the total data usage.
Then switch on/off the cellular data from this screen.

When you use this navigation, it won't throw a confirmation dialog.


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Multiboot with windows
I would like to multiboot my SM-T210 with Windows 8.1 and Android.
I have a windows 8.1 ISO file,A rooted SM-T210.
I do not want to remove android from my tablet because of all my game progress and i do not want to restart my progress in games.

No, currently, it is not possible. On smartphone software, the operating system is tied into the device's BIOS and configuration. You can only run Android/UNIX OS's that were built for that mobile device.
See @RyanConrad's comment for more info:

… Normal Windows will not run on ARM which is the type of CPU this device has. And even if hypothetically you got it to run, Windows would likely not have drivers for the hardware like camera, touchscreen, and other chipsets. Not to mention the device as 1GB of RAM, and Windows doesn't run very well with that little RAM.

Alternatively, you can install an app like Complete Linux Installer or Debian noroot to install an emulated desktop Linux.

It goes beyond this. Normal windows will not run on ARM which is the type of CPU this device has. And even if hypothetically you got it to run, windows would likely not have drivers for the hardware like camera, touchscreen, and other chipsets. Not to mention the device as 1GB of RAM, and windows doesn't run very well with that little RAM.

Thanks, I was using "BIOS" as a general term for configuration, but you're right. I added your comment to the answer.


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Why doesn’t my Nexus 7 Wifi (2013) auto-update to Lollipop?
I just got a new Nexus 7 Wifi (2013). Immediately after first boot, notifications for system updates started appearing. (One for 4.4.3 and another one for 4.4.4.) I’m currently at 4.4.4 but the System Update section of Settings is displaying that the system is up to date.
Why doesn’t the Lollipop update register, and is there anything I can to to make it show up?

Possibly Google halted and skipped 5.0 due to buggy update in prefer of 5.0.1. As 5.0.1 was released 3 weeks ago, I'd say to wait for few more days. Otherwise, just manually flash the factory image.

Well, like @AndrewT. said you can wait a bit more while for the update to show up as still the update is on roll out and a number of regions haven't got the update seeded for their device !

authors: Бауржан Раимбеков


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Are images received in Line messaging app saved without download?
Does LINE app automatically save the received images or only the ones we click save.
If It saves without saving than where can I find these?

Well, it's saved in device temporary storage folder, I mean it will show up for sometime but eventually when the conversation gets old they are likely to overwritten by something else, or if you use cleaner apps it going to clean those images out eventually and tapping the save button would take it to the device permanent storage ! :)


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I'm having trouble getting into safe mode trouble on galaxy ace
I can't get into safe mode on my galaxy ace SM-S765C. I tried holding down power and menu buttons but it doesn't work.

Well, what you can try is firstly make sure that you have switched your device completely off, next step would be turning the phone back on, pressing power button+and also hold the menu button, now continue holding the menu button until you see the Home Screen ! This will boot you onto the safe mode ! :)


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WiFi not getting ON and Off
I have a Samsung S Duos GT-S7562. Its warranty is over. I am seeing that its WiFi is not working now. Whenever I try to switch it ON, it toggles between ON and OFF. I have tried a factory reset and that doesn't helped me. Request your suggestions.
My current version is Android 4.0.4

Well, usually Wi-Fi problems can be solved by performing a factory reset! But here as you have already tried doing that means now there's nothing left other than either heading over to the nearest support to solve your problem or you can try your luck by flashing the stock ROM again over to your device. PS: I am not if flashing the ROM thing is going to work or not consider it as a second opinion my first opinion will always be heading over to the nearest support to fix this one up ! See if that helps...

It could be hardware problem

I cannot comment because I do not have 50 reputation hence I am updating this as an answer.
Me too had this problem and I tried all possible troubleshooting steps with the help of almost every forum I knew to no avail. This is what I tried:

Installed 4-5 wifi fixer apps from play store - Did not help.
If you have a cwm or twrp recovery installed, try doing factory reset from recovery - I tried it on my mmx canvas hd a116 with 4.1.2 JB but did not work
I installed a custom rom. The device was working fine but no improvement in WiFi
Went to mmx service station, they asked INR 60 for checking problem and said it was a motherboard fault and would cost more than INR 4500

Finally I went to a local cell phone repair guy and got the WiFi & bluetooth IC replaced for INR 400. Now everything is working fine.


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Change default app for mp3 in Firefox
A little while ago I clicked a link in Firefox that led to an mp3. My thumb slipped and I tapped "always open with",  ES Music Player when what I really wanted was to just save it. Now every mp3 link spawns ES Music Player, and that's not what I want.
How do I reset Firefox so that it asks me again for these kinds of links?
I've already done to "2 finger Top Swipe: Settings: Apps: Firefox: Launch by default: Clear".
ES Music Player isn't in the settings app list at all, so I couldn't clear that.
ES File Explorer, which is the parent app for the music player shows "No defaults set" in Android settings. Internally it has it's own "Settings: Cleanup settings: Clear defaults", but that had no apparent effect either.

My "wonder list" has a section Manage Default Apps. Maybe one of those is able to find ES Music Player to revoke its default? I'd give Default App Manager a try, as its screenshots indicate it doesn't only work on a "per app" base, but also "per category" – and thus you might be able to locate "MP3 playing" there. Not tested myself, hence no answer (yet).

This is the setting of Firefox on Android and not android itself
Follow these steps:

Open Firefox and in address bar type "about:config"
Search For "browser.download.preferred.audio/mpeg" (just "mpeg" does the same)
Press on the reset button
From now on, if you download any mp3 file in Firefox, it asks for available apps capable of playing the file. You can again choose once or set it as default.

+1 utter madness that there's no way to access this list in settings and you have to use. about:config

I'm unsure about Lollipop (as a KitKat user), but I'm guessing you've already checked every tab in the Apps menu? Otherwise, does ES File Explorer (or ES Music Player) have a settings menu that would allow you to change the way it opens files?
If not, I'd recommend uninstalling ES File Explorer and then reinstalling it.

I've looked everywhere for setting inside ES File Explorer for this, but no go. Coming from desktop world, I expected this to be a Firefox setting, like it is there. Beginning to sound like I need to ask the ES developer instead.

Well, the simple way to do that is by heading over to the setting>application manager>tap over the firefox (clear its defaults stored) also search for "ES Music Player" over application manager tap over it (Clear the app defaults). Now you try what you are doing previously this time it will ask for the application to select opening the file !

As posted, I already tried that.

Swipe over the left to All in the Application manager and look out for ES Music player, its should be their !


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Regarding the "Error Downloading: insufficient space" error in the Google Play store
I've spent a long, long time searching for a viable, long-term fix for this problem; though I'm beginning to believe that Google Play (or Google Play Services) is to blame. I recently factory reset my phone running KitKat 4.4.2, which has both 16GB of Internal Storage (not an internal SD Card) and a 16GB external microSD card. Even with over 12GB of space remaining (after the factory reset, I was free to download apps from the store with no errors for a while, though it was visibly running a different version), it gives me this error. This is 12GB of Internal Storage, I have over 7GB more on the SD card.
I'm currently at a loss about this. I've attempted to rollback both the Store and the Services apps, and it only clears me to download apps for 5-10 minutes (if that) before giving me the same old error. “Error while downloading There is insufficient space on the device”.
Update: While writing this question up, yet again I attempted to download three apps. The first proceeded through the process without any issue (keep in mind that I had not changed anything since the last time an error was encountered - I simply unlocked the phone and clicked install on the already-open Play Store page for Facebook Messenger), while the second and third spat out the same old error.
I have attempted to clear my cache/move it to another partition, clear the data on both the Store and Services apps as well as the caches, and several other things. APK files never fail to install when attempting to install from an external source. This issue is also not local to this phone alone, my previous model did the exact same thing without the allowance for one download that I just experienced.
Edit regarding "duplicate question": Whether this is a duplicate question or not, I have found no valid solution for this, regardless of how many threads I have looked at and how many different methods I have tried. I've purchased a new cellphone to try and bypass this error ffs. It is not my home internet, as I have attempted to update apps and download new apps from both my mobile internet connection and from several (more than five) different internet sources; inclusive of a USB-tethered internet connection shared from both my computer and a friend's computer. I would like to state that this question is different in the light that I have tried and exhausted every method I have come across, without a single ounce of lasting success.
To put it bluntly, I think that Google needs to get off their asses and fix the problems that so many people are so blatantly reporting.

Using the insufficient-memory tag, have you checked its tag-wiki? Using our search-box reveals a bunch of related questions already, e.g. Google Play: Error downloading app - insufficient space and Out Of Space error, both describing the very same issue.

I have done so, and none of the solutions I've encountered are either effective for longer than a few minutes, if they work at all. I spent a good few hours checking as many of the related duplicate questions as I could.

I fixed my problem by uninstalling Google Play's updates. After that, all the apps will start to update.

"I'm currently at a loss about this. I've attempted to rollback both the Store and the Services apps, and it only clears me to download apps for 5-10 minutes (if that) before giving me the same old error." In most cases, this will not work at all, also the rollback is only effective once - it seems to be a random amount of time before either Services or the Store auto-update themselves again.

authors: مهدی سلیمانی


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Completely muting notifications while leaving the ringtone on vibration
I have an LG G2. I'd like to completely mute notifications, while leaving the ringtone on vibration.
I know I can set different volumes to notifications and ringtone, but the lowest the notifications go independently is vibration, so if I want to silence them completely I have to silence the ringtone, too.
I also know that most apps have an option to enable or disable vibration on notifications, but I'd like a temporary, system-wide, easy to change option.
¿Is there a way to do this?

I have been using an app called Power Toggles, which has a widget for changing various sound settings. This widget can be placed on your home screen. You may want to try it out.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.painless.pc&hl=en

I tried it but it didn't solve my problem. I can put both notifications and ringtone in vibration or mute, but not just notifications.


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Galaxy Grand i9082 how to remove stability update package file
Hii everyone yesterday night i flashed stock JellyBean 4.2.2 ROM using odin tool and i kept WiFi on whole night for restoring apps but unexpectedly 198.59 MB stability update package as downloaded (Which is the root cause for all the hang issues in device ) and it is showing popup for every 3 hours to install the package. please tell me whether there is any possibility to remove the stability update file from device before installing

I was able to fix up the issue by clearing Software Update data. Go to Settings --> More --> Application Manager --> All Applications --> Software Update --> clear data
and then i turned off software update


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Are those dead pixels? "Dead Pixel Detect and Fix" apk did not work with them
I have a new LG L9 for about 2-3 days now (but it came to me without foil on the screen).
Today I've noticed that about 1-3 pixels near the middle of the screen are quite black. And they do not react to color changes like other pixels of the screens - whenever they should be black, red, white - they just stay the same color (they are easy to spot on white background and hard to detect on any other color).
When I change the viewing angle, they disappear gradually. So they react to angle a lot. When I have my phone in front of my eyes, I see them good. But when I look from the very low angle (screen is in the corner of my eyes, I look from far left/right side) - they are not visible on the screen.
Is that typical for dead pixels? Or they are not dead pixels at all?
Is it possible to fix them?
It's hard to make s photo of them, because my camera makes a bit too blured photos (so those pixels are not as visible as in real life) - those are the same, viewed from different angles:

I've downloaded and run the Dead Pixel Detect and Fix application, but it didn't fix them.
I use Android 4.

What's that "Dead Pixel Detect and Fix" thing? How could a piece of software possibly detect and fix a hardware failure?

@JanDvorak - from other questions and from Google I've found that many people suggest to use that apk. It's quite popular on Google Play - about 3.000 downloads and quite good score. I guess it's for some software-dependent pixel bugs only, anyway.

Games, toys, pranks etc. can also have high downloads and reasonable (at first sight) ratings. Things as a flashlight (turns your screen white), cracked screen (not really), fingerprint scanners (with footnotes), night vision goggles (actually just a really crappy green effect that reduces the worse-than-eyes camera sensitivity even further), heart rate monitors (place a finger on your wrist, then tap on the screen, and we'll measure the frequency), mind readers (maybe they can read voice expressions better than some people can, but probably not) ... can be quite popular.

Ok, I also thought that this apk has a limited usage, but can we focus on the main part of the question? You can just ignore I've used it (it was a fast & costless step, so I thought "why not give it a try?").

Changing a pixel rapidly between black and white (or subpixels between fully on and off, what this app does) may get it unstuck. It does not detect dead pixels itself, just sets the whole screen to the same color so you can detect it.

Dead pixel is a class of manufacturing defects on screens which causes a pixel or sub pixel to remain permanently on or permanently off. The actual cause of dead or stuck pixel varies, and while some may fix itself over time, but many are permanent. Basically, as long as the pixel are stuck on a color that it shouldn't be, it can be considered a dead pixel. So yes, you have a dead pixel.
Depending on the device, the number and type of dead pixel, the manufacturer, and the seller you buy the item from, dead pixel may be covered under warranty. Check your warranty information on how to get a warranty and also ask the store you buy your device from, and you might be able to get a replacement. If this is a brand new device, some stores may replace even when the warranty doesn't require them to (under store policy, not manufacturer's).

authors: Сергей Коротчик


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Why Everything has exchanged places on my android Interface?
Well, I don't know how but today suddenly my first (and new) android phone (Moto E) got "sick" and everything on both the sides of the interface switched places. It is like reflection about vertical axis.
I mean everything looks fine except that,...

operations for which I previously used my Right-Hand, Right-Thumb, etc., I now have to use my Left-Hand, Left-Thumb etc.
Things that were displayed Left aligned previously, are now being displayed Right-aligned. Text Alignment changed.
The swipe that worked rightward previously is now changed to Leftward. Swapped direction of swipe.
the signs that were previously on Top-Right (battery, time etc.), now have swapped their positions with signs on top-left (notifications and stuff).
Memory status that increased rightward, is increasing leftward.

And I am also seeing occasional glitches in the graphics here and there. One of such is that only half of the context menu appear within ES file browser, when mobile is held horizontally. It seems that it is because its shape is not getting updated while the interface turns 90 degrees.
Is it due to some virus? I recently allowed app form unknown resources to install adobe flash (that didn't work, btw). I also have changed my runtime from Dalvik to ART.
Please tell me how to fix this...Thnk you!
Edit: I changed from Dalvik to ART 4 days ago and till today morning, everything was fabulous. Today I updated chrome and installed pocketbook app. And out of nowhere doom struck my humble mobile. Also "Mirroring" is indeed there but only of the relative position of elements.

Do you mean mirrored? Could you add a screenshot and link it here? Probably "Force RtL" is set unknowingly/accidentally.

Mightbe due to the fact that you changed your runtime. I am using kitkat (4.4.1), and last time i changed my runtime, i had unexpected errors and had to factory reset the device to solve it

@Wall-e you might want to take a look at this page as it appears you have managed to create 2 accounts.

Thanks guys...I guess before enabling the developer option, I should have gained more experience in "development" first. :)


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Kitkat internal memory issue
I am using HTC Desire 816 handset which contains 8 gb of internal memory.
In that 8gb i can use only 3.9gb for storing app related files and other stuffs,remaining space occupied by OS.
Currently i am facing memory not available issue while downloading through internet or installing new apps.
so i checked the space available in internal memory using ESS file explorer and
found 400mb space free and 3.5gb space used.
But i dont have that much files in my internal memory.
So i selected all the files in the "emulated" folder ("0" & "Legacy") and checked the properties which shows total
size is 1.8gb.
Here my confusion is both the files are of size 1.8gb.But i select both the fiels and check the whole space it is showing 1.8gb only.
So where is the remaining space,which file occupying that space,can i delete that files.
please help me.

In your case, 0 and legacy both refer to the same location. If you want to save space, delete the contents of one of these


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OTA Update Query
I recently flashed android 5.0 to my Samsung Galaxy S5, it was a polish build for the SM-G900F which successfully installed
Today I heard that an updated version was available for again people in Poland via OTA, I decided to check if it would work for me as I live in the UK
It turned out that I could in fact get the update, I was wondering how this is possible as the OTA updates have not been released for UK

You are running a Polish version, you will get notification for the Polish update. The device doesn't know/care where you are in the world physically. However, it may well not install as you might have a custom recovery stopping the OTA from installing.

Hi @RossC the update installed successfully, everything on the phone is official. Thanks for clearing that up though. One thought though, when a version is available for my region will I get a notification and be able to install it?

I doubt it to be honest. It's usually an update to your current firmware, and your current setup is a Polish ROM. Not to say you couldn't download the zip for the UK one from SamMobile and flash it in Odin, or just restore to stock ROM and update!

OTA updates can vary, and in my experience be a little unpredictable. However, since you have a Polish ROM, your geographical region is irrelevant to the Samsung firmware and you will receive an update notification. As per  your comment, since you are all stock then you can download and install the update.
If you want your official UK firmware there are 2 options really:

Wait until the UK gets an update, download it from SamMobile and flash it via Odin. As per your current setup if the UK ROM gets an update you can install it as normal.
Revert back to your most up to date stock ROM, and download the UK OTA when it is available. You will receive a notification as usual.

If you have a custom recovery you will need to revert to stock. It is the same as the second bullet point above: download the stock firmware and flash via Odin (PC) or Heimdall (Mac / *NIX).


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Conference Call on local network connection in android
I have implemented peer to peer call using csipsimple where I am able to call any device which is connected to local network. It works fine for me. Now i want to make a conference call where more than one user can participate. Is it possible to make a conference call in local network using csipsimple? Or is there any other way? Please give me some advice. Thank you.

You don't want a VOIP type application for this, you want a gamer voice-chat application like Mumble . It's a very similar concept but designed to be used on LANs and for end users to run their own servers without requiring any internet access.
Mumble in particular is very easy to install on Windows, Android.


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Can I purchase app use Direct Carrier Billing method that its SIM card in other phone?
Currently there is only 1 mobile operator that its balance can be directly deducted if I purchase app in Play Store.
Unfortunately, my Android phone doesn't use that supported mobile operator and I use that mobile operator in non-Android phone.
Can I purchase app from Play Store using Direct Carrier Billing method that charge that mobile operator in my other device? I can't see the option when purchasing app in Play Store, although I have put that supported mobile operator phone number in my Google Wallet.


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kernel panic message during installing android-x86 in virtualbox
I was trying to install android-x86 inside my virtualbox last evening. But I wasn't able to make it right. I'm getting a 'kernel panic' message. How do I overcome it? The following is a snapshot of what I got out of my installation attempt.


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LG G3 proximity sensor half working
The past couple of days my proximity sensor has been playing up and after using CPU-Z to check if it's working I can see that when looking at my phone at a normal distance it shows 5cm, and if I wave my hand at any distance (within reason) it instantly jumps to 0cm.
The problem though is that it does not then return to 5cm for about 30 seconds to a minute which makes it very difficult to use the phone. I can't end a phone call until this resets itself. Additionally, I can't unlock my phone until this resets either. I don't know why this occurs, but if I wake the phone the screen shuts off after about one second making it impossible to unlock it until the sensor resets.
So it seems as if the sensor is faulty - or there's something else going on. Any ideas? I've not had any major drops, a few very minor but nothing that would cause any scratches or other damage.
p.s. I do have a screen protector, however removing this makes no difference, and I've had this on for weeks and not had a problem until now.

Take a look at this video LG G4 Proximity Sensor Calibration (No Root,No App needed) - YouTube.
Go into the secret menu of the phone and do as explained in the video. It worked for me. Good luck.


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Android Lollipop Google Now Launcher is not fully transparent
As seen in the screenshot, Google Now Launcher status bar is not fully transparent. It has shadows in my phone. (Moto G XT1032, Lollipop 5.0.1)

But the official screenshots does not have that shadow.

(source: android.com)
Is it just me? How to remove that?

Your wallpaper probably has a gradient at each edge. Pick a different one. See how it looks then.

@eldarerathis : I've tried different wallpapers. Event the same wallpaper used in the official screenshot. No luck.

It's always been slightly tinted for me in Lollipop on a few devices, supposedly to prevent burn in, and to highlight the bar and when items slide under it as part of material design they are designed to be darker looking, so a slight gradient would support that. I wouldn't believe anything pre-rendered that I see in advertising. You just have to look up Watchdogs the game or similar to see what companies do. That wallpaper does have a gradient too which makes it clearer.

@RossC: FWIW, it's fully transparent on my N5. Could be some kind of vendor- or ROM-specific config, though, I suppose. I know there's a config flag that disables the transparency completely, but I'm not sure about one that would add a gradient. Either that or it's the launcher, maybe.

@eldarerathis I can't believe I didn't factor the launcher in, I'm using Nova here on Lollipop and it is indeed completely transparent.

I'd suspect it's because you're using Google Now Launcher, not stock launcher. The symptom is really similar to this answer. Could you try uninstall the launcher/change to stock launcher? AFAIK, Google Now Launcher for Lollipop adds a gradient (for unknown reason), while Lollipop stock launcher depends on the vendor (N4 has black bar, N5 is fully transparent).


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ADB is not fully backup my device
I am backing up my device. When I restore it in another device, I see that some settings is not restored. For instance, Google accounts, security settings etc. How can I fix that?
UPDATE:
I used
./adb backup -apk -shared -all -f backup_test.ab

for backup.

How did you backup your device? What did you backup? We'll need more information in order to help you...

I updated the question, please check.

Because ADB doesn't backup anything other than apps. Google accounts  are stored with the rest of the web accounts in the device. It is a database file insider your user directory, ultimately, not part of any app.
As for security settings, the settings are scattered amongst android, SettingsProvider app and some files under /data/system. Those two apps do not participate in backup and restore infrastructure of the device, so that explains why they weren't restored.
If you want to check, try taking backup of those packages individually. You would fail everytime, irrespective of device
.


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moving SD card in and out without messing up apps in it
I always leave my SD card inside my phone, but yesterday I had to use it in a Galaxy Mini 2 to install a custom ROM.
As I put it in my own phone, all apps which where installed in the SD card where missing ("App isn't installed") fortunately my data was not corrupted, but I move my SD often and I'd like to avoid this kind of problems. How can I do that?
Also, I'd like to notice that the custom CWM was buggy (in fact the samsung was bricked), but I don't believe that's the cause.
thank you in advance!
PS: I'm sure this is a copy of an older question, but I can't find anything similar

As you neither write what devices were involved, nor how you proceeded to "move the card", I can give just some generic information – though I think you're already aware of those facts:
Never simply "pick the card out" of the device (be it the phone, tablet, or computer). First you need to tell the system to close all files it might have opened from there: for performance reasons, they are always "cached", and only written back in intervals – so a file might be only partially written when you simply drag out the card. Preparation for a "clean remove" is done in different ways, depending on where the card is connected to:

On Windows, it's usually called "safely remove", and found in the systray.
On Linux, most graphical file managers offer an "eject" button.
On Android, you find a corresponding setting in Settings › Storage to remove the card.
On all systems, it's safe to remove the card when the OS is "shut down" and the device switched off :)

Edit:
When the problem remains despite of always sticking to above rules, the cause might be a different one. More than once I've read about specific combinations of device brand and card brand didn't play well together, and switching to a different card brand solved the issue. So in that case I'd recommend trying a different card. Several shops permit you to return it if it doesn't work out, so this would give you an option to try without to much (financial) risk.

So, even if my phone is off, cache persists and I should "safe remove" it (by turning it on)?

No, as I wrote: "On all systems, it's safe to remove the card when the OS is "shut down" and the device switched off". While shutting down, data is "flushed" (the caches are written) and the card safely unmounted.

Then there's no way to avoid that problem? I picked it out while it was shut down... I own an Huawei ascend g610, but I experience that with all my devices

I wouldn't say there's no way to minimize the risk. But when you always only picked it when the devices were shut down, the cause must be something else. Have you tried a different card (other brand)? Some combinations of card and device don't play well together (not that I've experienced this myself, but I've heard more than once that switching to a different brand made similar trouble disappear).

you already know that apps are installed on SD Cards so it's normal not to work when SD card is removed because app files will be missing.
you can avoid this by installing your apps on internal memory


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Sprint Zone turning wifi on by itself?
lately I have had an issue with the Wifi enabling itself so I ran adb logcat to trace the issue. Apparently ItsOnService has been enabling it and that service I discovered is a part of Sprint Zone. I have dug through the Sprint Zone options and can't seem to figure out how to disable this. Any advice?


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How do I forward incoming calls over VOIP to another client?
Is there any way I can take an incoming call and use an app or a system feature to turn my Android phone into a forwarding client so that I can then forward this via VOIP to any other client in the world?
What I'd like to do is very similar to OS X's continuity feature, but instead of requiring the phone to be on the same Wi-Fi network, I'd like it to be able to be anywhere in the world. Imagine if you could buy a phone, a local SIM card (that could be topped up via the internet), and leave the phone plugged in all the time and connected to Wi-Fi so that it can forward any incoming calls over VOIP to any other VOIP client in the world. What I'm trying to build is a dedicated DID (direct inward dialing) number but using my current local number in whatever country I am.
Is this possible? The closest thing I've seen is Google Voice or Skype's incoming numbers or even regular DID numbers, but they're not offered for all locations, so that's why I'd like to build this solution if possible.

Android phone is technically handicapped to do this. There is no google API to playback an audio stream instead of the mic recording. You would have to rewrite the android's telephony stack to achieve this. And this will be dependent on the hardware and so cannot be a generic solution for all android phones. You cannot find a answering machine android app with recorded voice playback for the same reason.
You can buy a raspberry pi, a USB data dongle with voice calling and supported by chan_dongle project, install RasPBX (based on the open source PBX Asterisk) and redirect GSM calls via VOIP and vice versa. This is pretty easy to setup and cheaper than an android phone.
https://web.archive.org/web/20180306230858/http://blog.carrier-connect.com/raspberry-gsm-gateway/
http://www.raspberry-asterisk.org/documentation/

Links to blogs, other sites, are fine when citing as a source, but you should provide the steps that are on that site here. If that post no longer exists, the answer is no longer relevant.

The documentation is detailed and have added the official site documentation.

Thanks @JVS! Do you know if this solution is similar to having an http://www.obihai.com on either end connected to a mobile phone via the OBiBT?

I'm not familiar with obihai, it seems to do something similar with a range of products.
The blog I shared shows GSM -> VOIP -> GSM. If you have reliable data connectivity in your mobile, you could directly accept calls on your mobile with a VOIP client.

First link seems not to work anymore.

Updated link to archived version


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Asus Memo Pad HD7 WiFi button is stuck at 'turning on WiFi...'
My Asus MemoPad HD7 (ME173X) is unable to connect to WiFi. When I go to the WiFi settings, the on/off switch is in the off position. Moving it to on causes 'turning on WiFi...' to come up, but nothing more happens.
Under Advanced settings, neither a MAC nor IP address is available.
It's the same error as encountered in this thread, except on a completely different piece of hardware. It's running Android 4.2.2 if that's any help.

Boot to the safe mode they try to turn on wifi.

By just getting back to date from 10-12-2015 to 07-12-2015, in my case to be precise, everything is back to normal, and here I am sharing my facts to help all those who are facing this ridiculous problem.
P.S. had been searching throughout the net for the solution and found some interesting details, would love to share for others (if they can be of any help).
Factory formatting/soft or hard resetting won't work, so as the phone rebooting will also be not effective. Setting back the clock (manually) worked like a charm for me (my mobile Lenovo Vibe X, carrier Vodafone). This problem arose, in my case, when I updated certain apps 5 or 6 OTA on Google Play Store (mainly Google inbuilt ones).

For other users who suffer the same problem as I came to read through their posts: when they updated their handsets (for any updates, irrespective of any app), their WiFi settings got disturbed causing the WiFi to lock while initialising, not allowing the user to switch On or OFF, just displaying the screen Wi-Fi turning on/Scanning/Starting/Searching/etc.
A common solution suggested by many (which even I was going to try ~ if above hadn't work) was to solve it by deleting /data/misc/wifi/wpa_supplicant.conf. It will reset all your saved networks. Have your phone rooted and delete the file through a root explorer or you can remove it via ADB (adb shell rm -r /data/misc/wifi/wpa_supplicant.conf. I'm not sure). You may backup it before, then open it with a text reader to see your saved passwords.
On many forums, this was the common solution accepted as the only chance to get rid of the problem.

Unmounted the SIM card and SD card then tried, and it worked for me.

How are they related to Wi-Fi and what led you to do that?


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How to close all background apps at once in Android 5.0 (lollipop)?
I noticed that I can press the square button on the bottom right to show all background apps, and then swipe from left to right with my finger to stop them manually.
But sometimes, I find that I have twenty or more apps in the background, so I want to stop them all at once.
I did a simple search on Google, but didn't find an answer.
Is it possible to do that?

This bothers me to no end because of the UX issue - with 20+ apps to scroll through, it is very difficult to find the one you want.  I don't care if memory management is efficient - having 20+ apps (made worse by each chrome tab showing up) makes navigating awful.

am kill-all command  can do it, though it requires root access.

As far as I know : no you can't.
TL;DR :
Closing all background apps is a bad practice. You should close apps that you don't use often or apps you specifically want to close for X reason. IMO, the only good reason to close all recent apps is that you feel like there are too many of them and you can't find an app any more because of the mess it creates.
--
The recent apps feature in Lollipop appears to behave differently from previous versions. First of all, as you noticed, the button to clear all recent apps is gone. Moreover, the recent apps persist through reboot (read on Android Police : The Recent Apps List Now Persists Through Reboot).
Now, you still can clear them by swiping all the cards, which I agree is tedious. But as the top comment on the AP post I quoted above explains :

Clearing out all of the apps in recents just puts more work on CPU and
  thus your battery because you're essentially having to start from
  scratch the next time you load it. If something stays in your recents
  list and is in RAM, it loads instantly with virtually no battery or
  processing penalty minus refreshing the content via the network
  connection.

Basically, all the Android users (including me a while ago) who frequently clear their recent apps, use task killers, etc. are using their Android device the wrong way.
You can read more about Why you shouldn't use a task killer on Android (a post by cybervibin on XDA), which is roughly the same as killing the apps yourself. In short, unused RAM is useless RAM. If a large amount of RAM is required by an app, the system will stop recent apps by itself to provide the newly launched app the needed resources. No need to stop them yourself, it's the OS's job.
I also recommend the read of this question on Android Enthusiasts about What happens when you swipe an app out of the recent apps list.
--
To conclude, to this day and as far as I know, you can't clear your recent apps all at once on Android Lollipop 5.0. But you shouldn't have to do that anyway, which is surely why Google's teams removed the button.

I don't know if this is a CyanogenMod 12 only option, but I have a little button to clear them all.

@RyanConrad it's CM option only. At least I can confirm that there is no option on stock Android Lollipop. Probably you could expand that as alternative answer? :)

@MathieuMaree Are there other optimisations that I'm not aware of in Lollipop? I understand that Windows Metro apps will tombstone (freeze when not focused, and only with permission, run in the background); however, Android has no such permission system. It seems that apps in Android are able to run in the background, taking up CPU cycles. Closing the background app (recents) stops these programs from using CPU (GPS, etc.), hence helps with battery life. In the long run it seems that closing recents can be better for battery life than having to restart apps. Can you comment?

I'm looking for this ability, not for the purpose of clearing memory, but because the recent apps/overview is pretty useless when it has over 10 cards in it (I currently have ~40), and I can only actually view about 3.5 cards at a time.

Also, it makes me uneasy to share the device because it has weeks of history snapshots. It shows emails, google searches, etc from weeks ago.

I agree with @wisbucky, having more than 50 tabs open at a time makes that feature useless. Also, if it is really bad for system resources, why is CM always offering a clear all button? Do they have different views about how Android works? Anyway, recent apps should be different from app in the RAM. Recent apps should show a shortcut to let say the latest 10 apps you opened, regardless they are still cached or not. How apps are managed in memory by Android should be left to Android only, not the user.

Your comments are, for the most part, correct, but devle into opinion and straight up dogma.  I think you could keep the judgementalism to yourself and understand that there are certain use cases that do merit a "close all" function.  An out-of-control application CAN eat system resources to the extent that it affects the responsiveness of the entire device.  And now, to find said application within the cluttered recent app list is an utter pain.  I don't give a good gosh dern if android is going to have to reload an app i launched 2 days ago.  I want to click once to solve the problem.

@barneco Hmm, I don't see where I've been "judgementalist" in my answer, but since you look offended : I apologize.

For the desperate (and rooted...) lads here, Chainfire released an app, Recently, that gives you more control on the recent apps overview. Among other things, it adds a 'Clear All'  button and allows you to limit the number of entries shown.

I'm aware of the way android manages background apps,  but anecdotally I find I run out of memory when lots of background apps are open,  especially games and on my old v1 nexus 7, now running lollipop.  Closing them always seems to help.  Is this actually true?  I didn't want to ask a new question as it would basically be the same as this one.

I'm not sure if this has recently changed or if it's something you have just not considered but as Matthew Read suggested it is very much possible by switching the card view to grid view.

It seems that this CyanogenMod 12 only option, as Andrew T. states he does not have this option in stock Android Lollipop, but I have a little button to clear them all.
(Click image to enlarge)

It also works with Lollipop 5.0.2 on HTC One M7 with Sense 6

By double-tapping Home button
Tap the 3 dots on upper right corner
Go to Settings and change from Card View to Grid View

When you double tap the Home button again you will now see an 'X' button to close all recent apps that are open.

With some chance, a Xposed module that adds the clear all button might be available in the near future.

Maybe once Xposed is somewhat stable and works on more than ARMv7+ but I would not suggest Xposed to anyone on Android 5, really, at this one

Yeah, it's still a work in progress in my opinion. Did you have issues with it? It seems to work mostly fine on my device, although a lot of modules are still incompatible.

Not with Xposed itself. But my device is an ARMv7, Not all devices are. The modules not being compatible is a big issue. And it's not just your opinion, it is a work in progress. The developer even said it is in ALPHA at the moment.

This answer was suggested as an anonymous edit:

In the task manager settings, change the view from "cards" to "grid". The close all button remains at the top, as it used to.

The simple solution!


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Recovery Menu on Fake Note3 China version
My colleague owns Faked Galaxy Note 3 from China with all the gifts - bloatware from Chinese market etc.  There is no root on the phone (I tried to check it with supersu/rom manager/uninstall) and the only option to get the root - probably to understand this "recovery" menu on Chinese:

UPD
I've found that first line is related to factory:

I've found that first 3 options are related to test -

any idea will be highly appreciated.

Having the same problem with mine.  According to google this was the translation I was able to get from the menu choices.

自动测试

Automatic test

手动测试

Manual testing

单项测试

single test

测试报告

test report

调试测试项

debug test items

清除e MMC

clear e MMC

版本信

version of the letter (?) - gives bb chip, ms board, IMEI, barcode, etc

重启手机

reboot the phone

If you find out how to enter download mode or root this device please share.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/lenovo-a3000/general/lenovo-3000-factory-mode-chinese-list-t2655858 - this thread gives the above info and also gives the sub-menu details. On my Acer E380 I used volume-down to get to the "reboot" option shown above and then pressed the power button to activate and as expected it rebooted the phone. Entering this mode was via power+volume-down for ~12s.


text:
Is it possible to upgrade/replace built-in "contacts" aplication?
I was wondering if it is possible to build "Contacts" from ASOP/Google sources, and then replace original -single application- provided by phone manufacturer? This concerns device without root.
I assume there are three cases here:

Heavily modified software like for example Samsung's phones
Phones with modified software but heavily based on ASOP (my case)
Phones with pure ASOP sources (not sure, Nexus'es?)

I wanted to ask if it is correct that in case:

it is nearly impossible without manufacturer signing key. One can install additional application to manage contacts but most likely cannot remove manufacturer's replacement.
it is nearly impossible as well (same case as above) - despite application source being available, it cannot be "upgraded"/"replaced" due to fact that it is not signed by manufacturer's key
Only case where this might be possible ?

Why take the complicated way? Simply install an alternative contacts app (see Contact Managers and Dialers for a list of possible candidates), and then disable the original one (if possible – it might be locked) or even completely remove it (requires root).

@Izzy, one of many reasons would be that this is purely open source application - with no advertisements, and known code. Or for example - to save space. I know it might seem complicated but it's a matter of one's priorities and preferences.

I'd say that's as with launchers: push your alternative app to /system/apps, check whether it works, then remove the original. Even when done with the AOSP one you prefer, that rules out "cases #1 & #2" (signature won't matter), and thus should work ;)

authors: Александр Боровенский


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Mobile WiFi Encryptio
I'm trying to retrieve saved wifi passwords on my Note 3 mobile phone (rooted) but the file has the passwords encrypted. Anyway to decrypt it and stop my phone from encrypting it.
The encryption is not hex like below
4e0b011c8c40445fdafced88ab703ab5
Is it MD5?