text:
How can a complete web page be saved and viewed on an Android device?
There are situations when I require to save a "complete" web page for offline reading. I can easily do that on Windows by saving the web page, but not on Android.
I am using Chrome on Android and I don't see a "Save" option. Instead, I see "Save link" which, I believe, saves "only" the "pure HTML" version of a site of which the link leads to.
I have tried this, but when I view it in the HTML Viewer, a lot of necessary CSS formatting and all the images were lost, which made the information misleading and incomplete respectively. I thought I downloaded the complete page and the fault was that of the HTML Viewer for not rendering everything, but I was wrong, as the desktop Chrome also displayed the "only HTML" version when I transferred those pages to my laptop through Bluetooth.
So, my question is: How can I download "a complete" web page on my Android smartphone? It's OK if I can't view it on my smartphone, but everything should be in place when I view it on my laptop after transferring it. It is also OK if it is saved as a PDF file.
P.S. I'm asking this as I use the internet very often on my smartphone because my laptop is not connected to the internet. Also, I want to transfer it to my laptop because I don't want to view those "important" pages on a small screen, it's inconvenient.

For me, Chrome's "Save Link" actually works rather well. Especially for blog entries with many comments, where the formating in the PDF is not mobile-friendly.

Nowdays chrome can save pages - just tap the download icon, and then it shows up in "Saved pages".

Duplicate: Viewing web pages offline

In Chrome for Android, you can save the opened web page as a PDF. To do that, you have to install the Google Cloud Print application to do this.
Once you have installed it, first open a desired web page in Chrome.

Then, click on the menu icon and select on Print option. There, you can select the Save as PDF option.

Select the location and click on the save button. This should save a PDF of the current web page which you can read by using any PDF viewer that came with your smartphone.

@Switch Okay this works only if you have the Google Cloud Print application. Edited this answer to say that.

Or if you have the Adobe Acrobat app.

@Sri Harsha Chilakapati thanx =) i had to use a diferent method though. But da trick was to install Cloud Print. Thanks again =)

PDFs have page breaks in the middle of images though :(

You can save as PDF on Firefox too. Just go to Menu -> Page -> Save as PDF

Or maybe : Offline Browser - Google Play
Download the Web Pages for Offline Viewing

If you want to keep a web page for later on Android, you need Offline
  Browser. To use it, just open it up and tap the plus sign to add a new
  page to your library

How to Save Web Pages for Offline Access Later - Android

On Android's stock browser, you have the option "Save for offline viewing" available from the menu. I'm using it on a daily basis.

The stock browser varies from phone to phone.  Which one do you mean?

Try using UC Browser. It has an add-on to download web pages as PDF. The add-on can be installed from Web to PDF add on for UC Browser.

Looks like the addon for UC Browser has been pulled off from Play Store, thus it might only be accessible for those who have installed it before.

UC Browser:
Apart from the "Save to PDF" addon, there's another UC Browser Addon which is Save Page. It allows you to save a webpage as a complete HTML or a text file. Save as HTML for saving with images in the desired directory of your choice and transfer the saved .mht file to your computer for viewing later. The default directory is the UCDownloads folder.

Screenshot - Click to enlarge
Opera Browser:
Opera allows saving offline pages but is not viewable on the desktop. Use this if you just want to view the page on your smartphone when you are not connected to the internet.
In Opera Mobile and Opera Mini browsers, open any page and press the + sign at the top left corner of the address bar, select the "Save for offline" option, and it will display "Page saved" toast message notification. To open the saved page, go to the Speed dial page and select the Saved pages speed dial icon to open the list of saved pages.

Looks like the "Save Page" addon for UC Browser has been pulled off from Play Store, thus it might only be accessible for those who have installed it before.

Following the comments of heiner and Jonas:
Chrome for Android has a "Download" button (pictured below) where you can save a page for offline viewing and access via the Three-dot menu -> Downloads. This works amazingly well on mobile.
If you want to view it on a desktop/laptop, you can find that file in your downloads (storage/emulated/0/Download/page_name) and send it to your computer. I sent this example via "Nearby share" and it was viewable on my laptop after appending .html to the filename.
This preserved all images and worked well at first, but the page seems to timeout somehow and corrupt the page. Looking into a better solution in that case.

Chrome for Android
Desktop Chromium (Edge)

Using Kiwi Browser (and hopefully with any other Chromium based browser having Extensions support) and the extension named SingleFile you can download any page into a self-contained HTML file. You can then open the file in Chrome, or Kiwi Browser, or whichever app in your phone supports that file type.
Instructions:

Install Kiwi Browser
Go to SingleFile's extension page
Tap on "Add to Chrome" and wait for the installation to complete
Tap on three-dots vertical line right next to where you see number of opened tabs in the address bar
Tap on "Extensions" option
Locate SingleFile extension on the page and click on "Details"
Scroll down and click on "Extension options"
In the dialog scroll down to "Auto-save" and uncheck any option you see checked already.

Now, you are ready to save a page. Load whatever page you want to save. When the loading has completed tap on that same three dots line → at the bottom find SingleFile named entry and tap on it.
When you do that nothing significant in terms of UI changes would happen. SingleFile would begin its phases of preparing and saving the file. It would show a small overlay at the bottom-left that would show its phases like the one in the image.

Once the processing is done the file would be automatically saved and you should see a notification for the downloaded file. Try to open the file in Chrome or Kiwi Browser. It should work.
Tested on Kiwi Browser v116 running on Android 11 of OnePlus 6.

For offline web view, use Save as Web Archive. To access web page sources and for editing, Save For Offline by JonasCz is good.

This doesn't save images on https://www.summitpost.org/rock-formations-of-indian-cove/782591 :/

HTTrack Website Copier mentioned in this answer could be helpful as the bounty specifically calls for

I would like to save a complete webpage for offline reading, similarly as in desktop, so that it creates the page.html and page_files/ directory where are especially images

(Emphasis supplied)
This app hasn't been updated for 6 years but surprisingly works on Android 13. It is from the stable of web site copier by the same name for web.
The major pro I found is that it is browser independent (tested on Chrome, Firefox, Brave). The major con is that if the site has several links it may take a long time and some of them may not work off-line. Also all sites do not permit copying - this site doesn't:). For reasons see FAQ. But the rich menu of options (screen shot below)  may help overcome some of the limitations.

For this site copied using the app (screen shot at end of answer)

Path for images /storage/emulated/0/HTTrack/Websites/Aa/static.theprint.in/wp-content/uploads. Here's a screenshot of images directory

Path for htmlfiles /storage/emulated/0/HTTrack/Websites/Aafor the site with project name Aa and category "try" using this app.

You can see the copied site on the app by tapping "browse sites" on the left bottom.
I copied the HTTrack folder to PC and can view the websites as it was possible on the web version.

Additional Information

A fragment of html file

<head>
    <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
    <meta name="description" content="HTTrack is an easy-to-use website mirror utility. It allows you to download a World Wide website from the Internet to a local directory,building recursively all structures, getting html, images, and other files from the server to your computer. Links are rebuiltrelatively so that you can freely browse to the local site (works with any browser). You can mirror several sites together so that you can jump from one toanother. You can, also, update an existing mirror site, or resume an interrupted download. The robot is fully configurable, with an integrated help" />
    <meta name="keywords" content="httrack, HTTRACK, HTTrack, winhttrack, WINHTTRACK, WinHTTrack, offline browser, web mirror utility, aspirateur web, surf offline, web capture, www mirror utility, browse offline, local  site builder, website mirroring, aspirateur www, internet grabber, capture de site web, internet tool, hors connexion, unix, dos, windows 95, windows 98, solaris, ibm580, AIX 4.0, HTS, HTGet, web aspirator, web aspirateur, libre, GPL, GNU, free software" />
    <title>Local index - HTTrack Website Copier</title>
  <!-- Mirror and index made by HTTrack Website Copier/3.49-2 [XR&CO'2014] -->
    <style type="text/css">
    <!--

body {
    margin: 0;  padding: 0;  margin-bottom: 15px;  margin-top: 8px;
    background: #77b;
}
body, td {
    font: 14px "Trebuchet MS", Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;
    }

#subTitle {
    background: #000;  color: #fff;  padding: 4px;  font-weight: bold;
    }

#siteNavigation a, #siteNavigation .current {
    font-weight: bold;  color: #448;
    }
#siteNavigation a:link    { text-decoration: none; }
#siteNavigation a:visited { text-decoration: none; }

#siteNavigation .current { background-color: #ccd; }

#siteNavigation a:hover   { text-decoration: none;  background-color: #fff;  color: #000; }
#siteNavigation a:active  { text-decoration: none;  background-color: #ccc; }

a:link    { text-decoration: underline;  color: #00f; }
a:visited { text-decoration: underline;  color: #000; }
a:hover   { text-decoration: underline;  color: #c00; }
a:active  { text-dec

css files are at /storage/emulated/0/HTTrack/Websites/Brave/fonts.googleapis.com. A segment below

  font-family: 'Open Sans';
  font-style: normal;
  font-weight: 400;
  font-stretch: normal;
  font-display: swap;
  src: url(https://fonts.gstatic.com/s/opensans/v35/memSYaGs126MiZpBA-UvWbX2vVnXBbObj2OVZyOOSr4dVJWUgsjZ0B4gaVc.ttf) format('truetype');
}
@font-face {
  font-family: 'Open Sans';
  font-style: normal;
  font-weight: 600;
  font-stretch: normal;
  font-display: swap;
  src: url(https://fonts.gstatic.com/s/opensans/v35/memSYaGs126MiZpBA-UvWbX2vVnXBbObj2OVZyOOSr4dVJWUgsgH1x4gaVc.ttf) format('truetype');
}

Screen shot of site copied

Screenshot as displayed on the app (I realized much later that it was taking a long time to copy and with more errors because Adguard was blocking. After disabling Adguard it was much faster with lesser errors)

The third screenshot shows a link that couldn't be copied, hence can't be opened off-line but can be browsed online. This could probably be fixed by configuring the options, which I didn't try since I lack understanding.


text:
Merging WhatsApp chat histories from different devices but same account
Is it possible to merge WhatsApp chat histories on 2 Android devices (but 1 account)?
If so, how?

There is a comprehensive and somewhat involved procedure on quora. I'll update this answer once I've tried it.

Admission: This doesn't fully answer your question, but it may help others struggling like I was with chat-history transfer. I couldn't better place my tip elsewhere (like here) because I don't have the reputation yet to allow me to do so.
Today I finally (read, much hair pulled over last few days) moved from my old Samsung S4 to a Note Edge (Note 4) with the same phone number. The directions WhatsApp gives for transferring history is incomplete or out-of-date it seems. In my case the last crucial step was to RENAME the msgstore.db.crypt8 file to msgstore.db.crypt. Bingo! This time when installing and activating WhatsApp the missing "Restore" question came up, and all went fine. HTH
Credit: crucial tip discovered in another response here at Stack Exchange.

The most realistic approach I've found is this:

decrypt the WhatsApp backup file with the WhatCrypt app
merge two sql databases.
encrypt it

Although the approach looks promising, WhatCrypt 2.4 failed for me. (This is the most recent version for October 2019 - no updates since October 2016. It's still available via the Wayback machine.). I get "Different key file for this database". But maybe I'm simply doing something wrong.

I tried this few times first time I tried it long ago I got successful merge 2 msgstore.db i.e. unencrypted  files but it gave me malformed database error and attempted to restore from backup to /data / data / com.whatsapp / second time I tried it WhatsApp versions were different. one was latest version and when I tried to run update, 2 update records I got constraint violation error  if you had any luck let me know what workeds for you

source: Stack Exchange

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

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

sort: votes


text:
Push notifications for Google Hangouts unreliable on WiFi
I just got a Moto E and am attempting to use Hangouts as both my chat client and my SMS client. This works well except for the fact that it is unreliable about receiving push notifications. The notifications for Twitter, Zoho, Slack generally work fine.
I am running Android 5.0.2. I have not rooted the phone though it is unlocked.
I made sure I had every possible setting I could find turned on.

In Settings -> Sound & Notification -> App notifications -> Hangouts I have its notifications set to priority.
I have Messages turned on as an allowed interruption in Settings -> Sound & Notification -> Interruptions.
In Settings -> Apps -> Hangouts I have "Show Notifications" checked.
In Hangouts -> Settings -> SMS I have SMS enabled. I also have Auto retrive MMS checked, though not Roaming auto-retrieve because that seemed unnecessary.
In my account settings in Hangouts, I have hangout notifications turned on.
In Settings -> Account -> Google Account -> Sync I have everything checked except "Google Play Movies & TV" though I do not see one specifically for Hangouts (could that be a problem?). Also, when I do a "Sync Now", that does not seem to sync Hangouts.

Most recently, I installed Push Notification Fixer (PNF No-Root) and set the WiFi heartbeat to 1 minute. After a reboot I did receive one notification but I am not yet confident that it is working consistently.
My WiFi during work hours is coming through Connectify on my laptop. Sometimes my phone randomly disconnects by I reconnect it as soon as I see it.
I have seen people trying everything under the sun for this but before I just start randomly trying something I would like to have some reasonable confidence that it may be effective. Anyone know what might be causing this?

I had to change my router settings to enable IPv6 in order to get push notifications to work again. Some networks without IPv6 have been unreliable.

I've found even without IPv6, replacing the router is a factor for this. My home network wouldn't receive any push notifications to my Android devices. I eventually traced it to the fact that my router couldn't handle torrent traffic AND Google's push services at the same time. I replaced the router, which definitely supported IPv6, and boom, I was set.

It looks like GCM Push Notifications don't work with IPv6. I disabled IPv6 entirely in my router and now everything is fine. Though IPv6 was enabled for the past two years and I didn't have any kind of issue. Let's hope a Play Services update fixes it.
here is where i got the answer : Push Notifications not working over WiFi on Google Devices
On rooted devices, you can install this app to fix the problem :  https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.lennartschoch.disableipv6

I've had a Galaxy Note 3 for some time. Used to work great, but I haven't gotten a push notification from Hangouts since the Lollipop update. I removed my account, added it again, and checked all my settings. No luck.
Looks like it may be a known issue with the Lollipop update, only on wi-fi. Here's what I found elsewhere on the web: http://www.reddit.com/r/LGG3/comments/32l4xj/verizon_is_aware_of_the_wifi_notification_bug_in/
Try to see if you still get notifications when using mobile data.

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


text:
Nexus 7 stuck at Google logo, and system recovery, and OEM locked
Short version:

Normal startup: Stuck at Google screen.
Unlock bootloader: Stuck at the selection.
Recovery mode: Stuck at Google screen.

Long version
My Nexus 7 (2013) had always been fine, and I liked stock Android very much, thus saw no need to unlock the bootloader. When the 5.1 OTA came, I updated my N7 and it started crashing and restarting on its own. One day, it restarted again and got stuck at the Google screen.
Of course, the first thing I did was to get the Nexus Root Toolkit, and tried flashing stock ROM. Of course, it didn't work since it was OEM locked. When I tried to unlock the bootloader, I was prompted with the screen asking if I want to unlock and wipe all data. I selected unlock and pressed the power button. Then it froze (I left it for 8 hours, plugged it into a power outlet).
The next logical thing to do was to start recovery mode in the fastboot to do a factory reset, except it simply switched to the Google screen and was stuck there.
I've read many articles, but it's always one of the three issues I have. They often refer to using a method that involves an area where it's affected by the other problems.
How to recover from this situation?

This sounds like a common bug that has been reported on recently by Android Police. To summarize:

Affected units stop booting at the "Google" logo screen.   Attempts to
  unlock the device through fastboot fail at the "erasing userdata..."
  step, leaving the devices locked.  Some users report successfully
  flashing factory images on unlocked devices, but this still doesn't
  fix the problem.  There are mixed reports about starting up in
  Recovery, with some users complaining that the Nexus 7 freezes, and
  others being able to get in to perform some maintenance.

There are no know solutions at this time. Sorry to bring bad news. I hope I'm not right.

Thank you, at least now I know I'm not the only one with this problem, and that some of the solutions I've been trying aren't going to work afterall.

Yeah, it sucks. You might try contacting Nexus support, just to see if they'll do anything. Not sure they will depending on when you got the N7.

Searching through Google, I found this thread: Android Central Forums - Nexus 7 stuck on Google logo screen on boot up.
Someone there suggested knocking the backside of Nexus 7.
I did that and it worked, Google boot animation appeared. My Nexus 7 (2013) is ok for now.

I've read on several websites that say knocking on the sides or the back seemed to solve the problem for some users. It raised a bit of hope in me, but I've not had any luck so far. Could you maybe specify the following:

Where on the tablet did you knock it?
When during the startup did you knock it?
How long did you have to wait?
Every bit of information helps, thank you!

Tapping on the back of my Asus Nexus tablet fixed allowed me to leave the logo screen and boot properly as well.  I would like to understand why that worked!

I had the same problem as well, and was stuck at the Google logo whatever I tried.
I was able to unlock the bootloader and install custom recovery (TWRP), and a custom ROM using the "Nexus Root Toolkit" and fastboot. But I was still stuck at the Google logo. But then I found this post and gave the tablet a few knocks on the back and sides, and suddenly it started booting into the custom ROM I installed!
EDIT: My touch was also unresponsive. But now even that works :)

It can be a battery problem if your stuck at Google logo. I couldnt get my Nexus7 2012 to boot up and it was stuck. Replaced the battery and it started charging.

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


text:
Search for files using Droid Explorer
I have a Samsung Galaxy S4 rooted. Is it possible to search for files using Droid Explorer and Windows 7? If it is possible, how can I do it?

Currently, no. You cannot search from within droid explorer for files. This is something that I eventually want to do, but have not yet had the time to do so. (I am the developer of droid explorer).


text:
Android Wear says it needs to update Google Play Services but nothing happens
I've installed Android Wear on my Lollipop device and when it launches it says it needs a new version of Google Play Services. But when I click on the Update Google Play Services button nothing happens.
I tried searching for Google Play Services on the play store but it doesn't appear in the search results (but it does appear in the results if I search on a laptop browser, but it doesn't if searching directly on the phone).
How can I update the damn thing to get Android Wear to work??

It should just do it behind the scenes.  Is it repeatedly prompting you?

I ran into the same issue recently when using transit app. This is how i updated Google Play Service. On your Android Wear go to settings -> About -> Versions -> Google Play services. When you press on Google Play service it will check for update and install it.

Procedure is correct but when it deems to work and not work seems spotty at best.

Here's the Play Store entry for Google Play Services in case you're looking for it.

Go to Play Store > Settings on your lollipop device.
Click Build Version.
Do you see a dialog telling you if Play Store is up to date?
Does it now update itself if necessary?

authors: ธนาทิตย์ เสอุดม


text:
Media Files Don't Show Up!
My Android 4.4.2 can't find media files like music, videos and pictures.
If I try to open them through apps they are not visible, but they are visible in file manager.

When something like this happens to me the first thing I do is stay clam (just a tip if you're stressed it makes things harder). Now just try doing a reboot. To do a reboot you need to hold down the power button until it asks if you want to shut the devicd off tap "Yes" or "Power Off". If that doesn't work try contacting the android developers.

Reboot resolves the issue, could be, but is there a reason how does it resolves the issue? Please be specific.

didn't worked,even i did factory reset :(


text:
Deactivate Viber account on different device
As I lost the access code that Viber sent to me, I cannot sign in my Viber account. I signed in on another device. Now, I want to deactivate the account, so that the device holder cannot get my messages and conversations.

Refer to Viber's official guide on how to Deactivate your Viber account (Mobile):

Open Viber
Enter the More Options menu
Select Settings
Select Privacy
Select Deactivate Account

Deactivation can only take place within the application. If you have
  uninstalled Viber and would like to deactivate your account, you will
  need to re-install Viber in order to do so.


text:
I cannot see folders on my sd card
I was trying to transfer some music into my phone so as usual I connected it with my USB, however, out of the 48 folders I have I could only see 14... I already tried to check the "hidden" folders but I'm still not able to see those folders. Help please? BTW, I have a LG G3 phone, in case anyone wants to know.

Connect as Mass Storage mode instead of MTP mode.

@MANI As per this page and some others on web, this device comes preloaded with Kitkat which doesn't provide USB Mass Storage Mode. //Mary: If it helps, you may consider  this app called MTP Alternative which can enable you to see all the folders that you are able to see in Android itself. Otherwise, you may look at any method described in my answer here http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/91900/is-there-a-viable-alternative-to-mtp-for-file-transfer/106323#106323


text:
why there is exclamation mark on wi fi. I am facing problem after upgrading to lollipop 5.0
I have a Micromax AQ4501 mobile phone. I am getting an exclamation mark over the Wi-Fi icon. And I am unable to connect to Wi-Fi thereafter.
I have been facing this problem since a few days after I upgraded my phone to Lollipop 5.0. I tried many things like:

switching off and then on,
replacing SIM from slot 1 to slot 2,
switching mobile data and Wi-Fi connection on and then off

but all in vain.
I called the Google call center but they were also unable to help me.
I am able to use internet through mobile internet, but unable to use Wi-Fi with this phone. My Wi-Fi is working fine on other gadgets like my laptop.
How can I resolve this problem?

When you upgraded, was it OTA stock or custom ROM? Have you contacted Micromax (or phone support)? If custom ROM, have you contacted the ROM developer?

Usually when there is an exclamation mark !, it is signifying that WiFi isn't fully connected. Meaning try open your browser, see if you have to login or sign in in order to finish connecting.

in lollipop , '!' is shown usually when wifi is connected but unable to access internet for reasons like Sign-in into ISP webpage,etc .
i suggest u to turn off wifi router power supply and turn it on after 10 seconds,
this solved same problem for me

It shows this ! even when I can access internet easily on my lollipop.

tried to connect different network ?

Same issue on others too. ROM is fine. Wifi works fine. It is this mark that looks odd, very odd.

does the mark appears at the time of connection or later after connected?

It does so at both times. Also, the mark is there on mobile data too which is working fine as well.

mark on mobile signal means wifi is off and mobile data is also off

Let us continue this discussion in chat.

When I'm faced with this problem, I usually just edit the Wi-Fi network settings, by pressing the network name, and choosing "edit" (or "configure"). I then switch to" Static IP" instead of DHCP, and then manually input all the WiFi settings. This fixes the problem for me.

Did so long time ago, still the same issue. I left secondary DNS entry though, but it already defaults to 8.8.4.4.

Try to forget all previous networks and then connect again to the current one.
Hope this works.

What's the logic behind this? Not to mention, the issue persist in my device.

Yes, could you edit your question and explain a bit more.


text:
Discrepancy between sizes of apps listed in Play Store vs. actual installed app size
The Play Store lists the size of all apps available in their store.  When a user downloads and installs apps, the actual sizes reported by Android are often larger than the sizes listed by the Play Store.
Of importance, this discrepancy occurs before applications are even run for the first time.
What is the reason for the discrepancy?

Apk and zip files are essentially the same, compressed. Before the system can use the file it needs to decompressed. So the file is one size when downloaded and another size when installed.
Also note sometimes when apk's are installed, after being opened some data may need to be downloaded. So file size file will increase again.
Differences in size are noticeable when comparing between Android markets, one shows one size and play store shows completely different size.

Thank you so much.  Silly Google... it's obviously important to know how big the app will be once installed... too bad Google omits this information from their Google Play Store.

You mentioned "sometimes when apk's are installed, some data may need to be downloaded".  Is this correct?  Can apps download data just by being installed (and not opened)?

I meant after opening, my answer has been edited to reflect that. But no an app shouldn't be able to download data before opening it the first time. Now first time can also mean after a reboot, so some data can be downloaded then if internet connection is present or as soon as one is available.

Thanks!  I assume in your comment above that you meant "But no app SHOULD be able to download data before opening it the first time" instead of "But no app SHOULDN'T be able..."?

@RockPaperLizard  Lol. I was in a rush, but yes that's what I meant "...no app SHOULD be..."

No problem.  Thanks.  BTW, you answer inspired me to compose a related question: http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/107258/can-an-app-run-code-if-you-dont-open-it

Glad I got you thinking! :) I'll check out that question.

The Google play store, and other app stores, only list the main application (APK) size, not the total app size, which includes the OBB (Opaque Binary Blob) expansion files. OBBs are the extra files that an app downloads to run. There should be no difference in file size before the extra files are downloaded.
From the Play Store Developers section:

The maximum supported size for a single APK is 50MB. If you need to store additional assets (images, for example), you can upload expansion files.
If your app needs more than 50MB of memory, you can use expansion files to store additional APK assets. You can store two expansion files per application. Each expansion file can be up to 2GB in size.
Expansion files are hosted at no additional cost. When possible, Google Play will download expansion files when apps are installed or updated. In some cases, your app will need to download its expansion files.
When you use expansion files, one file is the main file and the other is an optional patch file. Optional patch files are usually used for small updates to the main file.

OBB files use the same compression as APK files do, which is a standard zip compression. APK and OBB files are kept compressed in the file system, and files inside are decompressed into memory as needed, on the fly. So no, the compressed size, which is the space occupied on the device by the APK, is not different from what the Play Store should list.
Finally, the Play store allows multiple APKs per app listing. This is because some bigger apps (mainly games) need to target different resources (graphics engine, display size/resolution, etc.) and they cannot fit that inside of a single APK (due to the size limitation). If you look at the same Play Store page on different device types, you will likely see a different app size listed.

This brings valuable new information to the answers here. Can you expand on your answer at all?

@rockpaperlizard spock what else is there to expand on?

+1 for being the first person to get it. :-)  Some more detail about what is actually downloading the OBB files (the app or the Play Store?), why you refer to them as "expansion files", and whether general compression (as mentioned in the other answers) is an additional factor.

@RockPaperLizard done.

Thanks! I've made a few edits just to clarify, please correct my edits if I made any mistakes.  Based on the great info you provided, I created this question: http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/108931/how-often-does-android-have-to-decompress-an-apps-apk-and-obb-files

The Google Play Store no longer lists sizes when you're logged in with an account that has multiple devices attached.
The maximum size for an APK has gone up to 100MB since 28 September 2015 (ref: Android Developers Official Blog)
Because of the decompression and different versions and devices, the install size of an app depends on the device - "Varies with device". Only for some apps, you can see how big they are by visiting the play store without logging in.

I'd love to know if there are any indicators to say 'approximately' how big an app is (<5, 10, 10-50, <50, 50-100 etc). Thanks @Andrew for the edit (:

Because Play Store shows download size, and download file (probably apk) is compressed. When you install app, apk is decompressed and larger.


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The easiest way to root a Moto G (XT1032) Android v. 5.0.2
I have just rooted a samsung Lite 3 tablet...and it was simple. Really simple. Used Odin to install CWM, then installed a superuser app from a zip file. Really straightforward.
So I decided to look into how to root and get super user access to my Moto G. That's when I realized that rooting a moto G and getting super user access will be a pain.
Does anyone have a straightforward description with the apps/zips necessary to root and gain super user access to a moto G XT1032?
Cheers

Related: Root a Moto G running 4.4.4 KitKat

Steps :

Install custom recovery TWRP(Download link)

Install SuperSU from recovery

also, take a look at this :
[GUIDE] Root XT1032/XT1033 Moto G Running Android Lollipop
just do it with above link instruction.

But the SuperSU cant be installed without a custom ROM, right? So, I will need to install CWM to onlock the bootloader (if I am not wrong). But it seems to be pretty difficult to install CWM on moto Gs. Odin only works with samsung phones, right?

There is two SuperSu - (apk file - Zip file) and you need to zip file for install on custom recovery.yes, you need custom recovery.Odin for samsung, yes.use below link for install custom recovery - you need to ADB & Fastboot tools  for install if your bootloader is unlocked : Custom Recovery for Moto G Running Lollipop another questions in ASK Question .this link show you , how you can install the custom recovery.TWRP - Philz touch or other something...

@Elysium Zip flashing is the prerogative of custom recovery. Custom ROM (not CWM) doesn't do anything in it. SuperSU zip can be flashed easily on any ROM using a custom recovery (TWRP here).


text:
Can I dual-boot CyanogenMod 12 on 1st gen moto Gs?
I have just found the CyanogenMod 12 and if I am not wrong it is modified android OS that has root access by default.
Can I just install it along with the system I have already and be asked what system I wanna boot like on a computer?

1990clb's suggested app also allows to boot from USB storage  too, just like on a computer :-)

According to the Cyanogenmod site:

CyanogenMod is an enhanced open source firmware distribution for smartphones and tablet computers based on the Android mobile operating system. It offers features and options not found in the official firmware distributed by vendors of these devices.
CM is an alternative operating system intended to replace the one pre-installed on your smart phones and tablets. If you've got an older device that isn't getting updates anymore, or if your device seems unusually slow, or maybe you're sick of spyware, adware, and other unwanted garbage on your phone that you can't remove... Maybe your device is missing features or has been otherwise artificially limited in functionality. Perhaps you just could use a boost in performance... Or maybe you'd like to be more confident that your operating system has included some of the latest bug fixes...
If so, CM might be for you.

Essentially you are correct that it is a modified Android OS, with root access by default.
To install it alongside your current OS you would need to use a tool like Multirom which may not be officially supported for your device and can often be dangerous.
The Multirom thread even states:

It is dangerous. This whole thing is basically one giant hack - none of these systems are made with multibooting in mind. It is messing with boot sector and data partition. It is no longer messing with data partition or boot sector, but it is possible that something goes wrong and you will have to flash factory images again. Make backups. Always.

Thanks for another reply. I am slightly confused: can Cyanogenmod (or paranoid Android) installed simply using my PC or something? Or will I need a custom ROM like Clockworkmod?
I am not even sure I can easily install CWM, since Moto G doesnt seem to have PC apps like Odin. So, I am lost indeed. :)

Clockworkmod is a custom recovery, not a custom ROM. You will have to follow the steps here to get Cyanogenmod ROM on your device http://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/Install_CM_for_falcon


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Android Photos App Clear Data
I've cleared Data on the Photos app and photos are no longer showing. Any Ideas how to fix this?

Have you signed in to Google+?

I don't sync my photos to Google+

Okay then just uninstall the app or the updates and install it again...

didn't work.. all the files are there, i can see them through file explorer.. dunno what's wrong


text:
Install loop Android 4.4.2 Galaxy Core II
Yesterday I recieved an update for my Samsung Galaxy Core II(SM-G355HN). I downloaded the update and tried to install it. At about 94% I received an error code [6] in cache/fota/update.zip. I tried to do a hard reset, but I can't get into recovery mode. When the installation fails, my phone will reboot twice, once with just the screen that says Samsung Galaxy Core II, powered by Android. The second time it shows that as well, but then tries to install the update again, then it fails and reboots again. My phone is in a loop since last night.
I wonder whether someone knows how to fix this, because I can't use my phone.

Already fixed it. I downloaded an Android 4.4 ROM for my phone(SM-G355HN) and flashed it with Odin while my phone was is download mode.


text:
Gmail labels or folders
Does anyone know how to create a new label using an Android Tab s.
I have tried all the Internet pages with no success.
Kind regards
Paul

You have to log into you Gmail account on a PC (or via Chrome/Browser etc) and create the label from there.
You can't create labels using the Gmail app unfortunately.

To Add a label to your gmail in other email accounts you own
Open chrome
Invoke gmail
This will bring you to mobile browser
Tap three dots in corner
Select go incognito
Invoke gmail again
Sign in
Clock 3 straight lines (top left)
Scroll down and select desktop
Add label as you would on computer


text:
Unable to Install more Apps in Micromax Unite 2
I have Micromax Unite 2, in which 1GB RAM, 1GB Phone Storage, 8 GB Internal SD Card.
I have just installed few apps like whatsapp, facebook, skype and Microsoft Lync. After installed these apps, phone storage full around 90%, there's left 100MB space and no more app able to install hence i bought 16GB External SD card and set it default storage in Setting but after this, i am still getting same issue.
I have tried to move app but there's just skype able to move in Ext SD Card.
I just want to know that if phone storage has been full then app should install in internal or external card but that's not happening....
so please tell me anyone that it's Micromax Unite 2 drawback or it's just issue in my phone.

Neither.  A lot of Android apps simply don't support being moved to the internal or external SD card.
If you are rooted, you could use an so like Titanium Backup to forcibly move some of them, although some may not work if you do this.


text:
How do I temporarily edit a webpage in Chrome?
I want to temporarily edit the webpage displayed in Chrome on my phone, something similar to Chrome desktop's Inspect element feature. I understand this is temporary, but I want to do some tests.
I don't see that option in the application itself, do I need an extension, another app, or is it impossible?

Chrome web store (extensions) isn't available on Chrome for Android, and I haven't encountered any extension on the web too.

Running the following snippet in the URL bar works in both Chrome for desktop and  Android:
javascript:document.body.contentEditable='true'; document.designMode='on'; void 0

One important note: after copying & pasting the code into the address bar, Chrome automatically strips the javascript: part of it out. You must add that back in or it won't work!
It's to prevent malicious code being run by dumb users who think they'll win an iPad or get +1,000 Facebook friends if they copy some dodgy JS into the address bar.
It has the affect that the whole page becomes editable.
You could then do Print > Save as PDF if you needed to save the edited webpage.

I'm a professional web developer so this definitely has its uses for me. Needless to say, I am not liable if you do something underhanded with this, e.g. falsifying a company's 'thanks, your order is confirmed ' page to defraud products from them with a faked screenshot/print out.
I originally got the code from Stack Overflow, where there are 28 such questions.

It works! At least you can edit the page text and delete objects from the page.

I'm not sure how you got it to work, when I copy it to the adress bar it does a search for those terms in Chrome (both desktop and mobile versions).

Yes, you're right, I missed the stripping part since the URL was too long.

Where is this so called "print" located, and how do I review the real website with my edits in place?

@Tom In the [...] menu of Chrome

You may want to look at this official guide: Remote Debugging on Android with Chrome. It involves connecting your phone to a PC, and debugging the page using Chrome DevTools.

That is very interesting, but my hopes were to have an option using only the phone. If all else fails I'll try your method.
Thanks.

To stop editing the page, you can use this:
javascript:document.body.contentEditable = 'false'; document.designMode='off'; void 0

First add "view-source:" before "http://"
Then type this in the address bar
javascript:document.body.contentEditable='true'; document.designMode='on'; void 0

user218255 This works great. Thank you. But how to go back, after edditing the code?
To see the changes. Stefan


text:
Block app internet access through app ops hidden menu
I'm on lollipop and want to deny some apps to use the INTERNET permission.
How do I block them? In the hidden app ops menu there is no INTERNET permission.
Do I need another app for that?

You might want to use Net Blocker:

This app is used to prevent apps from accessing the Internet, either
  Wi-Fi or mobile data (GPRS/3G/4G).

authors: วุ่นวาย ว.แว


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Eye-Fi card: Where does it store data on Android?
I'm developing an app that works in conjunction with an Eye-Fi card (Pro X2 - which I understand will work faster over a wi-fi connection to Android) Question is, Android has so many memory locactions, (internal: private to app and not user readable, "external" storage which can be the fixed internal storage or SD card)
So I'm seeking the help of Eye-Fi users to discover WHERE the device stores its data, and also if a folder is selectable by user.
For example, if I create a folder on the internal fixed memory, would an Eye-Fi user be able to set up the device to send data to that folder? Or does Eye-Fi set it's own folder that the user cannot change, and if so, where is it?
Alas, I can't test it myself at present as I have an OLD camera that uses an XD card!! (Eye-Fi being SDHC)

According to this article you must be able to select the local location as well as remote service (which is default setting):

Settings of the Eye-Fi card such as wireless network access, selecting
  upload location on local computer and configuring photo sharing sites
  is done through software called the Eye-Fi Center which is available
  for both Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. Recently mobile access (in
  beta) has been added via a browser.


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Log adb commands
I am trying do do some stuff the Android Device Monitor does on command line in a script. As far as I found out you cannot use the monitor from command line without GUI. My approach is to capture (adb) commands the monitor sends to the emulator and then use these commands directly. I already tried logcat without results (tried with adb push -> nothing logged). I also tried wireshark (usb sniffing) but that didn't work either. (too much information, maybe I did something wrong)
If anyone is interested: I am trying to do method profiling and save the trace file for further analysis. Btw. does anybody know why they say traceview and dmtracedump is deprecated?

Adb remote commands are done using a noninteractive shell. so normal logging isn't done. There should be some way of getting noninteractive shells to log, but a quick mobile Google search didn't show anything.

If You work on Linux machine, here is a way:
$ which adb
/usr/bin/adb
$ sudo mv /bin/adb /bin/adb2
$ sudo sh -c "echo 'echo $* > /tmp/log_adb_cmd.txt\n/bin/adb2 $*' > /bin/adb"
$ sudo chmod +x /bin/adb
$ cat /bin/adb
echo $* > /tmp/log_adb_cmd.txt
/bin/adb2 $*

Run Android Device Monitor...and don't forget to reverse operation:
$ sudo mv /bin/adb2 /bin/adb

That's a really cool approach. But it seems like method tracing is not done over adb but it's actually the answer to my question.

authors: Дмитро Степанюк


text:
Recover CM system with bad Google Apps update
I recently updated Google Apps on my device. Now, when I start my phone, I get repeatedly inundated with "Unfortunately, {{app}} has stopped." with Keep, Gmail, Wallet, etc. filling in the blanks. The dialogs stack up, and whenever I manage to dismiss all of them, they pop up again about a half-second later, making it impossible to do anything. I've enabled ADB on the phone, but it isn't listed when I run adb devices.
I think I could probably wipe the phone/factory reset, but I have data I'd like to pull off first. Is there anything else I could try?
CM 12.1

Which device? If CM 12.1 is the custom ROM you installed, you might be having a custom recovery. Why not take a backup from there and transfer it to PC. If the CM 12.1 is the official ROM of the device, then you can take backup from official recovery but I'm not sure whether you can extract it or not since restoring it completely would reproduce the issue again in future.

Is the old gapps.zip still on the sdcard?

What OS are you running adb on?


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Texts going to email
I have a news Samsung S6, and when someone who is in my contact list texts me, it not only comes to my phone but goes to my email inbox. How can I stop this?

What email app are you using?

Just the app that came on the phone. Even when someone phones me, there number also appears on my email.


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I can't move any apps or downloads to my SD card
After having my phone, a zte, I put a 16 GB SD card in it and had the option of save to SD card. I have downloaded a bunch of apps and music and not realizing until now, that none of it has saved to my SD card. All of it is in the phone. And my phone shows that its reading the SD card and it has nothing stored on it. So I went and tried to move apps and such to the card only to find out that there isn't an option for any of my apps to move to the SD card. I don't know if I have explained very well, I can give more info if needed. But this is perplexing as I've never had this happened before, or I'm doing something wrong and not realising it.

Are you saving to sdcard0 or to extSdCard? First one is internal storage and second one is SD card.

I only have two options of saving to phone... Or SD card. I took screenshots to help but as of now, I don't know how/if I can post them.

If you have both internal and external SD card, App2SD only uses the former (called "primary", as it's always there and not removable). No way to change that without root access. As for downloads, photos, etc, check with the corresponding apps: at least camera apps usually have an option to let you chose the storage location.

One can move files from phone to sdcard by a powerful file manager like total commander. total commander can be downloaded from google play store.

Can you link it in the post here?


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Flashing up from 5.0 to 5.1 with CM12 nightlies?
I have LG G3 VS985 which runs the nightly CM12 5.0 ROM. I want to upgrade from 5.0 to 5.1, but last time I tried just flashing the new zip certain apps I had on the phone were not compatible, such as Google Services, which caused my phone to soft brick every time I booted up.
Long story short, I'm sick of the bugs on the 5.0 nightly.
I'm wondering how to get the latest nightly without deleting all of my data and apps, if at all possible. I'm using TWRP.
I considered flashing a new GApps version specific to Android 5.1. Would that work?

So, I just went through this. I have the LG G3 D851. Not realizing that it went from CM12.0 to CM12.1. You WILL need to get the latest GAPPS. I did not, and ended up hosing my data causing me to have to wipe and start fresh.
I am now running CM12.1 with GApps for 5.1 and starting the process of logging back in to everything and recover all of my 2-factor authentication. Hopefully this helps you, so you do not have to go through the same.


text:
Can't add Google Apps account with SSO using ADFS
SSO - Single Sign-on
ADFS - Active Directory Federation Services

My school requires Active Directory authentication, where after logging in through Google you are redirected to an Active Directory login prompt. In KitKat this redirect happened naturally when I went to add a Google account.
On Lollipop, for some reason Google decided to redo the process where it doesn't give me the chance to sign in to AD and just redirects to the page you get when you mistype your AD credentials.
I have tried logging in to AD in Firefox and Chrome incognito prior to adding the account and nothing. I even tried disabling Chrome in settings to see if it would default to Firefox but it seems the Google account setup process has a built-in browser.
Is there some file I can modify or copy to manually add the account, or is there a way to inject authentication into the Google account setup process?


text:
Can an app run code if you don't open it?
Can an app run code if you don't open it?
As part of this question, the topic of an app downloading data without ever being explicitly opened by the user was mentioned briefly.
It got me thinking: is it trivial for an app to run code without ever being opened by the user?
Obviously, an app could just be set to launch on boot, causing it to run on the next power cycle.  But even easier, couldn't an app just have a receiver for a very common function (such as turning the screen on), thus running itself without the user being aware?
Is it even possible for an app to act as a receiver to an alarm timer so that it automatically gets run every minute?
Many people run App Ops right after installing an app to limit exposure.  But it seems like it would be almost trivial for an app to run code immediately after being installed.
Is this correct, or are there safeguards to prevent this?

Yes, services run automatically.

There are a lot of ways to answer your question(s), but there are variables. Being rooted and SU is installed, what system and user components did you GRANT full access to? Do you download and install apps from reliable sources? Do you read the permissions being allowed to an app? Do you use Ease of Accessibility apps?.......as far as AppOps, I don't use that. My tool of choice is My Android Tools. You've got options to turn on/off services, activities, broadcast receiver, content provider and other items.

@HasH_BrowN I'm thinking more along the lines of what is technically possible, regardless of user behavior.

what's App Ops, please make it generic as it may disappear some day

Take a look at Broadcast Actions (scroll down to Standard Broadcast Actions).
All intents that are declared as a Broadcast Action can be received by an app that declared a receiver in its manifest.
There are some broadcasts that require explicit registering in the system (Annotated with You can not receive this through components declared in manifests, only by explicitly registering for it with Context.registerReceiver().).
The most important ones for apps that run code after installing are:

ACTION_USER_PRESENT: Sent when the user is present after device wakes up (e.g when the keyguard is gone).
ACTION_SCREEN_ON: Broadcast Action: Sent when the device wakes up and becomes interactive.
ACTION_SCREEN_OFF: Broadcast Action: Sent when the device goes to sleep and becomes non-interactive.
ACTION_MY_PACKAGE_REPLACED: A new version of your application has been installed over an existing one. This is only sent to the application that was replaced. It does not contain any additional data; to receive it, just use an intent filter for this action.
ACTION_HEADSET_PLUG: Wired Headset plugged in or unplugged. Same as ACTION_HEADSET_PLUG, to be consulted for value and documentation.
ACTION_DATE_CHANGED: The date has changed.

(Source: http://developer.android.com/reference/android/content/Intent.html)

Is it even possible for an app to act as a receiver to an alarm timer so that it automatically gets run every minute?

Yes it is possible using the ACTION_TIME_TICK Broadcast Action. It has to be registered using Context.registerReceiver() but after that the registered service is called every minute.

Many people run App Ops right after installing an app to limit exposure. But it seems like it would be almost trivial for an app to run code immediately after being installed.
Is this correct, or are there safeguards to prevent this?

Your assumption is quite correct. Theoretically any app could declare a Broadcast Receiver to receive one of the above mentioned Broadcast Actions and start executing some code. This is even more crucial when updating an app because of the ACTION_MY_PACKAGE_REPLACED broadcast to execute code right after the update is completed. That's the reason many people use AppOps to prevent apps from running if one of the more often sent broadcasts are sent.

Good answer, but what about the other parts of the OP's question? As well as you tackled the Broadcast side of it, the answer remains incomplete. No disrespect intended.


text:
Can I store a CWM backup on the PC and copy it to the phone when needed?
I was wondering if I could just simply copy the backup file and when needed copy back to the phone....because it takes up almost 3 G space. Weird that it is that big.
By the way....I cant even locate the backupfile. Where is the default folder for it?

Can I store a CWM backup on the PC and copy it to the phone when
  needed?

Yes, you can.

CWM backups are stored in /data/media/clockworkmod/backups

And for TWRP :

you can choose the files/backup-files for saved and stored in Sdcard or Extsdcard
  during backup process.

Stored in -> sdcard -> TWRP -> Backups

or: Extsdcard -> TWRP -> Backups
and then, you can copy this backup when needed into the phone and then,
Restore it from related recovery.

hey LinX64. I cant find /data/media/clockworkmod/backups when I connect the phone to my PC (I use linux mint). There is actually no trace of CWM and the back up was successful and the space is occupied by it when I check the storage on the phone.

and how about in : sdcard/extsdcard -> Clockworkmod -> backup ? still not exist? update the recovery or change it with twrp.maybe it fixed in next or latest version.But, twrp worked fine.

the thing is that it doesnt have an SD card....it is a Moto G with only external memory. I am kinda new to it and I am not sure I wanna learn how to use twrp. I'd like to leave the phone as it is now...dont wanna mess with it anymore.

I have also just installed CWM backup manager and it says there are no backup on my phone. This simply doesnt make any sense. I made a sucessfull backup with CWM last night and it also occupies the space of its size.

@Elysium learning TWRP? There isn't such thing. It is very easy anyway. If you wanna stick to CWM though, /data partion is somewhere a non-root user can not reach. You'll need to root your phone and install a file explorer like ES or FX.

I used to have the same question as you mentioned: (/data/media/clockworkmod/backups cannot be found), now here is how I solved it.
In addition to LinX64's answer, in order to access that folder, it requires root privilege.
After rooted, with the help of File explorer, I copied the files to download folder, then pull them out to PC.

Check /mnt/shell/emulated/clockworkmod/backup.


text:
my phone, Galaxy S4, was hacked. and now I think it's affected my app permissions by adding files to them?
My partner and I had our phones hacked recently. He was able to prevent any real damage from happening. But he reset his just in case. I wanted to go through my phone first, to see what had been affected. I noticed that most of my apps looked like they had been changed. There were a lot of things added to the list of permissions that the app and all related apps were granted. It just didn't seem like they were legit. I tried resetting app preferences and I dogs a factory reset and the apps are still like that. I don't know how to change it, or if I even need to. https://www.dropbox.com/sc/fnvxs9qwp2upwxo/AAAuhCphY2CMqC0EMVIJibX_a

Could someone with Dropbox access integrate that screenshot (I assume it is one) properly, please? Some people (e.g. me) cannot see it due to firewalling ;)

Granting other apps permissions does absolutely nothing unless those apps are designed to take advantage of those permissions.  It is unlikely that stock Android and Samsung apps are maliciously cooperating with this malware.
There is also nothing abnormal about the permissions in that screenshot.

That group of permissions wasn't there before tho, which is why I thought they might be malicious. And  basically every app on my phone has those permissions. Along with the permissions that were originally granted. So between the originals and the add-ons, most of the apps in my phone have access to evvveryyythiiiiing. Because somehow, all of these apps are related. There's a huge list at the top of permissions that names every app with those permissions. That list wasn't there before.

Is it possible for someone with access to my phone and accounts, etc, to be able to add those permissions?

Possibly.  But again they can't do anything, adding permissions to an app doesn't rewrite the app to use those permissions.

@MatthewRead taking into consideration the .apks might have been replaced by "hacked variants", those apps might well take advantage of "additional permissions". Though I've never heard of such an hacking attack, that doesn't mean it's impossible – though I agree highly unlikely. Safest way is factory-reset and "clean install" of apps needed – even safer re-flashing the ROM first.


text:
Lollipop unpin screen
To unpin a screen on my Nexus 4, it asks me to touch and hold the 'Overview' key, but on my wife's one, it asks me to touch and hold both the 'Back' and the 'Overview' buttons.
Can someone point me out how can I change the screen unpin key combination?
Edit: both phones are running Android version 5.1, build number LMY47O.


text:
Tasker: remove security lock when smartwatch is connected
So I just downloaded Tasker because it would be nice to remove the security code when I'm close to my phone (when my smartwatch is connected).
I have no experience with it so I thought you guys could help me :)
Anybody knows how to do this?

Which android version are you running on your device? Lollipop has trusted device feature which can unlock the phone.

This is a partial answer because sadly, the bluetooth in my devices doesn't connect to each other automatically.
Once you're done with the device trigger (Profile) you have to create a task. Following can be one of the tasks to reach the objective in question:
Go to TASKS → Enter a name → + → Code →Run Shell. Under Command field, type:
input keyevent 26; input text pin/password; input keyevent 66

Note that as per this manual, 224(in place of 26) should work to awake the device but it worked out only on my Lollipop based ROM and not on Kitkat and JellyBean. Keyevent 26 and 66 are to toggle the wake/sleep state of device and simulate Enter respectively.
As I already mentioned in my comment, there shouldn't be a need for Tasker to do this in Lollipop, since the latter has a Smart Lock feature that will automatically unlock the device one the trusted device(Smartwatch here) is connected to bluetooth of your phone.


text:
Localisation in-app on Android, issue
I will try to be brief :
There is this app, a game (World of Warriors) that DO NOT ASK FOR PERMISSION TO TRACK LOCALISATION. In this same app, there is this offer, Tapjoy (in the app, not through the Tapjoy app), that asks you to check an ad, download an app, complete a survey etc, in exchange of some of the game currency. However, the offers change in function of where you are. French dont have the same as Italians that dont have the same as Americans etc ...
I tried to change my language, my localisation, the degree of localisation (only GPS, only network, both), using a fake gps provider, a VPN (Tunnelbear, Hola and a tons of others), but it doesnt change anything at all.
Do you have any idea of how this is working ? Again, the app does not ask for gps localisation !

Because greetings and taglines are superfluous, SE doesn't want them in posts.

This is a simple IP location lookup.
There are some services that offer so called IP2Country lookup that gives you the country of an IP address. For instance http://www.iplocation.net/ combines multiple services and presents you all results of their respective databases.
All of them will at least share the same country (probably the one you are currently in) and mostly your rough region.

Hello GiantTree, and first of all thank you for your answer.
If i understand well, any app can know where i am and share this information without asking for permission ?
Is there any way to fake this IP on Android ?

You can use a VPN or Elite/Anonymous proxy to hide your IP, but apart from that your location is kind of public. Google offers such a service as well, but using the native methods require the permission ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION.

But as i said, i already used some VPN and it doesnt change rat ! That's why i was so surprised ... I still don't understand then.

Some VPNs don't tunnel all connections through themselves, but only the connections to specific hosts. Those are common in corporate VPN setups. Also it may be possible to get your public IP through Android.

Is there any solution then ? I'm willing to do anything to resolve this issue.


text:
Can't connect tablet to VPN
I have two android devices, my phone and my tablet. In the country I live in some websites are blocked, which make some applications useless since they depend on internet connection. I tried in my phone downloading Kepard and the application works just fine, I can access any website. The problem is when I download the same application in my tablet (again, is android). And it doesn't work, I try many other VPN applications, Hotspot Shield, Hideman, hideninja, etc. and none of them worked.
I tried another Tablet (Android), installed Kepard and... It worked!. And I reached the conclusion that my tablet is the problem, and I would like to solve it, but don't know how.
Thanks.

Which version of Android is your device running on? Older versions don't have proper VPN support.

The phone (It works): 2.3
The Tablet (Doesn't work): 4.2.2
Thanks.

I had the same problem using psiphon and hotspot shield VPN, after rooting my device I tried using psiphin and it worked.

It would help if you technically explain how rooting the device made psiphin worked.

It used to say " socks stopped


text:
unwanted text message when unable to answer a call
When I am unable to answer the phone, sometimes it will tell the person I am busy or at the movies.  How do I stop this from happening?

Open your Phone/Dialer app and go into its Settings.  Look for "Quick Reply" or similar and you should be able to disable it or remove the entries.


text:
What do the two different colors mean in the Data Usage graph?
The Google Dialer app consumed all my data in the background for reasons unbeknownst to me on my Nexus 5. I restarted my phone in safe mode. When I went to check the app data usage again (just to make sure I wasn't crazy), I saw the following:

Notice the two different colors: one a light green, the other a dark green. Why are there two different colors, and what do the colors mean?
The data usage graphs for other apps also have these different colors, so it's not just this graph that's showing like this. I assume there must be some meaning to the shading.

The dark green is the data used by the specific app you are viewing (in this case, the Dialer). The light green is total data usage within the period, by all apps.
The idea is that it allows you to visualize how much data a given app has used relative to your total usage.


text:
How can you do a factory reset?
I have a ZTE grand x max+. It seem like I can never get out of ftm mode. On this phone. So can someone help me?

You can find the option to factory reset most Android Devices in the
  settings menu. Simply navigate to your device's settings, scroll down
  until you see 'Backup and Reset', and then hit 'Factory Data
  Reset'. Please remember that this will wipe everything on your
  device (unless given the option when you click it to wipe the user's
  data or not).
Good luck fixing your problem!

EDIT: My mistake. I was too quick to answer. After researching FTM mode, I have found that you should be able to factory reset your phone from the Recovery Menu as you don't have access to Android itself. To get to the recovery menu, take the following steps:

Turn off your device.
Press and hold both the Volume Up button and Power button at the same time.
Let go once a menu appears. There should be an option visible saying Factory Reset.
Navigate to the Factory Reset button with the Volume Keys, and use the Power Key to select this.
Confirm Factory Reset, and the process will begin.
Your phone is now Factory Reset! Click the Power Button to 'Reboot Device Now'.

I cant do that cause it is stuck on ftm mode

I have modified my answer. Sorry for misunderstanding your question.

All it did was make the phone blank and won't turn on for a while.

And i am still stuck on ftm mode

This thread may help you. http://forum.xda-developers.com/nexus-4/help/stuck-ftm-mode-t2094720

It did not work.


text:
How to avoid system update for Samsung Galaxy Note 4?
My Galaxy Note 4 automatically downloaded the new system update and reminds way too often to install it. I don't want to. How could I avoid it without rooting the phone since I do not want to lose my warranty? Or am I absolutely forced to update?
My hypothesis was that maybe, if I do the factory data reset, it will delete the system update install-file (which should be located in the cache folder, I think).
And after that, if I get rid of the file (by factory data reset or otherwise), is there any way I could block my phone from downloading it again?
Thank you!

In the Settings -> Apps -> All Apps, do you have an entry with system update or similar. If you have it, see if it has the option to disable it. Some ROMs have this option to disable System Update without being rooted. Don't know about Samsung though.

There are many ways to disable OTA's, all depending on your particular device and AOS version etc. However, most ways require you to be root. Then the most easy way is to use the package managers built-in block function, which blocks packages. Use it like: pm block <package name>. E.g. pm block com.sec.android.fotaclient, would block the FotaClient.apk. Often there are various scripts available, that runs through a list of these packages, specific to your device. Or you can also use great apps like App Quarantine, Titanium Backup or by using some Windows tool like Debloater. You can also edit the file extension of the OTA certificate to prevent installs. (Sorry, forgot the exact path and file name.)


text:
after a routine reboot, Google Play Services disappeared on stock 5.0.2 Moto E 2015
Been loving my 2nd-gen Moto E for the last month or 2. Rebooted it last night and when it came back Google Play Services was missing, i.e., no longer listed under Apps, no way to clear cache for it, no way to open Hangouts, Play Store, Gmail, Contacts, etc. Google account no longer listed under accounts, and can't add a new one.
For the record, I've only installed things from the Google Play Store and almost exclusively use Google apps (plus a few other big name things: Pandora, Vine, Dictionary.com, LastPass, Out of Milk, VLC, Power Toggles, Smart Launcher Pro).
Nothing changed between the last couple reboots. (Rant: This is the kind of bull that makes me hesitate to recommend Android phones to my non-techie Apple-prone friends and family.) I know I could do a factory reset, but given I've done nothing unusual, that's going to destroy my confidence in this phone.
Anyone seen anything similar? Where can I start?
EDIT: I just went ahead and did a factory reset. All was well for a couple weeks or so. Then one day this happened: Gmail, Inbox, Messaging, Messenger work until try to open conversation -- crash

I have a similar problem on a Zest T1 (random Chinese phone) installing them from apk brings them back (allowing uninstall upgrade) but the disappear on the next reboot...

I have the same problem on Zest T1, did you ever get it fixed @GertvandenBerg ?

@Frank: The "recent" Zest firmware has a Zest Apps (or something like that) app which, until the Play store have been selected, seems to freeze the Play store app


text:
Is it possible to read SMS with broken touch and disabled usb debug?
I've just broken my touch screen, but there is an extremely important text message in my device. USB debug is disabled, and I can't enable it because touch is broken. :\
Is it possible to reach that SMS somehow? Could it be reachable via Google services somehow? The device is functional and is connected to internet.

You might wish to check: How do I backup data (SMS/contacts) from a device with a broken screen?

If your device has a USB OTG port (My Xperia Z1 Compact and Nexus 7 do, and I believe most recent devices do) you may be in luck - get a USB OTG adapter (mine was from a pound shop - if your in the uk try Poundland) and a USB mouse - plug them in to your phone and you can then control it.
Its a bit of a faff at first but better than nothing.

And I always seems to forget that mouse and keyboard can easily be connected in Android like with any other Linux system. :-)

Yupp. And if the device has an HDMI port, a matching cable and TV might solve the issue with "visibility" – if the device is lacking that as well :)


text:
Help with phone upgrade
Hi my question is how to upgrade to jelly bean? I have a Samsung Galaxy 2. I am use to Jelly bean that what my tablet is,so I am 1st time user of this phone I purchased. I was trying in google store to get my game on my phone and it said it was not compatible.So went in setting saw software update but when I tried to it said no firm ware. It is a second hand phone so I don't know what to do. I thought maybe if I could upgrade to jelly bean it all problems. Idk if I could find a site that has a free upgrade download. If you know a site I can do this please let me know. I don't have a USB cable just a home charger, do I need one? Ty in advance, Wendy

Check if http://www.cyanogenmod.org could interest you.

Sammobile.com has alot of downloadable firmwares to flash via recovery

What you need to do is root your phone and flash a custom ROM. I'll try to give you a pretty detailed answer to your question. The S2 is pretty old so I'm sure you're not concerned about voiding any warranties, correct? If it is under some carrier (Sprint, ATT, etc.) waranty, then you're pretty much out of luck unless you don't care about voiding it. There are ways to un-flash smartphones, but I would't recommend it. Anyway, onto flashing....
Rooting and flashing a new rom is a technical task so if you're not up to it you could probably find a friend (or someone on Craigslist, etc.) to root it and flash a custom rom for you. It will definitely take a few hours since it's your first time doing it, and it can be a real pain if you run into a problem. I rarely have, but you never know. You can always come back to the forum and post the problem or ask on the YouTube channels recommended below.
If you decide to procede, I take no responsibility if you break your phone. First do a YouTube (or Google) search for "Flash CyanogenMod 11 4.4.4 (Insert Carrier Name Here) Galaxy S2". You should be able to look through a few pages and find a (well written) tutorial that will guide you through rooting your S2 and flashing a custom rom.
Tip: Verify that you're able to download all of the necessary files before you even plug your S2 into your PC and start to root it (and yes, you will need a USB cable). Most of the headaches I've encountered had to do with getting half way through the install process only to come across a dead download link, and then not being able to easily find the exact same file I needed somewhere else. Also, some of the roms have some bugs. Most of them don't but it is something to be aware of if something like your GPS doesn't work. Once your phone's rooted you'll be able to just reboot it, boot into recovery mode, and flash another rom (without having to completely re-root your phone). You may have to do another search for how to re-boot into recovery mode for your specific cell phone carrier. You should be able to simply turn off the phone and then when you turn it back on, keep holding the power button down instead of letting it go in addition to the volume down button. Then just repeat the steps from the tutorial page (definitely bookmark the tutorial, in case you ever need to refer back to it) to flash a different rom.
I really hope this post helps you understand the tech lingo a little bit better and that you're able to get your S2 rooted easily. I didn't know anything about rooting a few years before I rooted my first phone, and I learned nearly everything needed within the first day! If you set aside a day or two to root your phone, flash a custom rom, and explore all of the settings of the new rom you'll be glad you did. It sucks if you're out and about and need to change a setting but have no idea where it is because all of your settings menus changed.
If you have any issues or questions, please post back here and I'll help as much as possible. I've rooted many phones and flashed a couple dozen roms so I do have a bit of experience with the process. I was actually going to do a short tutorial myself but StackExchange shut me down and said I could only use two links in my post because I didn't have enough reputation points :(.
Good luck and I hope everything goes smoothly for you!

This one is big to read. Anyway, IMHO, OP asked for a upgrade which should be solved out by providing steps. That said, what you mentioned here isn't steps to upgrade but to prepare for them (with exception of some). I don't think that would even count as a partial answer, let alone a complete answer. The gist should be as a comment in the question. But that's just my opinion.

Like I said, I couldn't make a tutorial with all  of the steps because stackandroid limited my download links and there are many links that are required to root and flash a phone. It is as complete of answer as she's going to find, and a lot more complete than the simple one line comments that she already had. I also did provide the steps, just not in a 1, 2, 3 format. And yes, it's a long post but if I was in her shoes I would rather have four paragraphs that explained everything I needed in detail than a sentence that didn't!


text:
Restore Whatsapp chat and data
I recently flashed my Xperia Z2, before flashing I took a backup of the Internal Memory of the phone, having an impression that the whatsapp data would be automatically restored. But after the flashing process completed and I installed Whatsapp again, I see no previous messages or data.
Does anyone have any idea on this.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

"I took a backup of the Internal Memory of the phone" – How? And if you did restore that backup, how comes you had to install WhatsApp again? Apps are also installed in "internal memory". But in my experience, backups usually don't restore themselves automatically without being told :)

Check the app you used to backup your internal memory. There should be a restore button in there that will restore the folders back to their original locations. You may have accidently backed up your apps instead of your settings/folders. If you did, then your data is sadly permanently gone. There may also be a setting in the app that lets you choose internal or external storage. I don't use Whatsapp so I don't know if there is, but if you do see the option under the settings, you may just need to switch it from one location to another so it can see the folder you backed up. If you could provide a little more data on how you performed the backup (what app you used, etc.) it would help in troubleshooting the issue further.


text:
App not installed for this user
I see App in my Apps section of settings which says App not installed for this user. It's completely greyed out and I cannot uninstall it. When I install the same from play store it says incompatible version is already installed.
I just want to remove this App from my device.

Doesn't get uninstalled from adb either

C:\Users\athakur>adb uninstall com.osfg.rintonesetter.main
  Failure [DELETE_FAILED_INTERNAL_ERROR]

and

C:\Users\athakur>adb shell pm uninstall -k com.osfg.rintonesetter.main
  Failure [DELETE_FAILED_INTERNAL_ERROR]

Any suggestion is appreciated.

Have you tried "Reset app preferences" in the same section? You can tap on the three dots shown right beside search icon.

in that App Info (though grey out), click the three vertical dots and use Uninstall for All Users.

This definitely worked for me, when I saw exactly the greyed-out uninstall button described above.

You might be able to uninstall the app,but by doing so the related data will be left over.Here is what you need to do:

Go to setting -> apps ->
Select the greyed out app (that's the app info section)
scroll down to App details at the end and click/tap on it
this will take you to the play store(the the particular app).
Click on install
after the installing is finished you would be able to use the app or if you         still want to uninstall it,the go to setting -> apps -> Select the greyed out app-> click/tap on storage ->click/tap clear data and the uninstall the app.

Note if you do not follow the above steps you would'nt be able to "clear data" of the app.
thank you


text:
Unable to send and receive calls in Galaxy Grand 2 after kitkat update
Last week I updated my grand 2 to Kitkat 4.4.2 and now I am not able to send or receive any calls from my device when I dial any number it gives me the message "not registered on network", I have searched many solutions on internet but they are not helping me because after making 1 or 2 calls may device again stops making calls. If any one knows how to resolve this issue kindly help me, I am frustrated because of this issue as I am not able to do the basic tasks from my device.

A factory reset would solve the problem. Just remember to make a backup of important data.

I have already done the factory reset but it was of no use to me as it worked for some days and after that I am again not able to make or receive calls.

when you say you "updated your phone" I'm not sure exactly what you're referring to. If you got an OTA (over-the-air) update from the settings menu in your phone (direct update from your mobile carrier), then you'll need to call the customer support for your carrier. They can usually reset your network settings remotely or walk you through troubleshooting the issue. If you updated it by rooting your phone and flashing a custom rom (you'll know if you did because it's a complex process that takes at least an hour) then you should try to flash a different rom. I've personally had problems with several roms not being able to place calls. Hope this helps!

Yes i did got the OTA update, plus i tried inserting another sim in my device , but it is also not working in my device.

Since it was an OTA update, definitely call your service provider and they'll troubleshoot the issue. There's really not much else you can try on the device besides that. You could try to go into the about page in your settings and run all of the other updates if you need your device working right now. On the same page that you did the OTA update, try to 'Update PRL' and 'Update Profile', then reset your phone. If that doesn't resolve the issue, your service provider customer support is your best bet.


text:
no incoming messages shown on my mail box
My phone shows no incoming messages on my mail box icon.
the mailbox icon on my home screen, doesn't show incoming messages ( in the red circle)
please help.

Is it used to show bubbles before? Not all applications support notification bubbles...

You don't indicate a specific version or email type (Gmail has a distinct solution), so I will recommend this article from Abhinaya Prabhu at Gadgets To Use.
Enabling Unread email Count Display


text:
Using a custom Lock Screen does not unlock the SIM (PIN)
When using Hi Locker as my lock screen, my Android Lollipop device does not prompt me for my SIM PIN upon boot -- and leaves the SIM card locked (therefore providing no service).
Details:
I'm running a rooted stock Android Lollipop 5.0.2 on an Xperia Z1 compact (firmware build number 14.5.A.0.242).
I replaced the system lock screen with Hi Locker, i.e. Settings -> Security -> Screen lock is set to None and Hi Locker is enabled with "password" (it's also a PIN, but to avoid confusion with the SIM PIN, let's refer to this as password).
The device is not encrypted.
When I reboot the device, no mobile service is available and the notification bar shows "SIM card is locked. -- Emergency calls only."
I am not prompted for the SIM PIN at any point during or after boot, even after unlocking (and relocking) the device with the Hi Locker password.
To double check, I have done and found out the following:

I can get the SIM PIN upon boot as long as Hi Locker is disabled.
If Hi Locker was enabled during boot, I can get to the SIM PIN prompt in the following way (without rebooting):

disable Hi Locker
enable system Screen Lock (with security, 'Swipe' alone does not work)
lock device
upon next unlock, SIM PIN is required

Note: I have searched both on Google and here, but have found no reports of similar issues. So either this is a weird problem, or most people don't use PIN locks, or my search terms were too far off the mark.
Question:
I would like to keep my SIM PIN enabled for the added security.
Is there any way to make sure the PIN is prompted and the SIM unlocked upon boot, even when using a custom lock screen?

Same problem here with Exodus on OPO. Note that the same problem insists with other lockscreen apps. (I tried Hi Locker and CM Locker.)

The system lock screen needs to be enabled in order for you to be prompted with the SIM pin. Unfortunately, 3rd party lock screens won't work with this feature unless the system lock screen is also enabled. One workaround would be to find (or write) an app that uses the 'disable your screen lock' permission constantly to ensure that the system lockscreen never appears but remains enabled in Settings, thus allowing you to use the SIM lock.


text:
Simplify, clarify backup for a former iPhone user
Former iPhone user, 5 months with Droid (Samsung Galaxy S 5, AT&T). I'd like clarity about backing up. The process is no longer centralized, so (sorry) either is my question.
How do I safekeep my apps, app data, settings, email accounts, wifi settings, tweaks, wallpapers...music, photos, contacts safe in case "something" happens. I think I'd like the simplest most comprehensive options for now.
I have my eye on Titanium eventually. Of course that means rooting, and before I'd do that I'd...need...to...back up my data.

You may take a look at Full Backup of non-rooted devices. The answers feature a backup using ADB (Android Debugging Bridge) to create backups as easy as possible.

The link that GiantTree mentioned also has an app called Helium mentioned in an answer, if you prefer the GUI more than the command line.


text:
What should I store on my external SD card?
I have a 64G SD card to install (my first). I'd like to get a good chunk of my music collection there. What type of content make sense (efficiency) to move...or what things should I NOT move?

As long as it's a good quality, fast card (class 4, 6, or 10), you can store everything on it from your apps to music, pictures, and video files, and even record HD video and take high MP pictures directly on to it. You should notice a significant increase in read/write speeds depending on the class of the card.

Thanks SeanPercy42. Telling me what "can" be stored is somewhat helpful, but my question is, what "should" be stored? In real life, I keep large stuff in the garage, food in the kitchen, toiletries in the washroom, etc. What makes most (or least) sense on the card?
Another way to ask is, what would take the most burden off the original storage, if it were to be moved to external?

On digital storage like MicroSD cards, Solid State drives, and smartphone internal storage (digital as well), there is no 'taking burden' off of them. You could have your internal storage 98% full and it would still perform just as well as it would if it was 2% full. The only reason people store files on MicroSD cards is to save space on the internal storage because many apps can't be moved to external storage and you want to keep the space free for them. You should move everything you possibility can to external storage, especially huge files. You don't want to move widgets though.

Hey Sylar, I was unable to edit my last comment but I wanted to clarify one thing. I said it doesn't matter if the storage is 98% full, but it does (to Android). For some reason Android starts bugging you about low disk space around 80%, so just try to keep your internal storage below 70% at all times and you'll be fine. Also, if you decide to move any of your apps to your MicroSD, be sure not to move widgets. They need to stay on internal storage to function properly. I just store my data files on mine (pics, vids, docs, offline maps, and music) maybe a big game or two.

Thanks. I don't use too many widgets but I'll keep that in mind.  Is there a way to know  which apps can/cannot be moved?

Yep, download [AppMgr III] (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.a0soft.gphone.app2sd&hl=pt_BR). It's got a nice, user-friendly, theme-able interface that shows the apps you can move on the far left screen, apps currently on your external SD on the middle screen, and apps that are 'phone only' on the right screen. There are other apps like it if you don't like that one for any reason. Just look under the similar apps section on the same page as that app. Good luck!


text:
Tethering: I can search, but no search links work
House move, ISP screwed again, so I'm trying to tether from my Android 4.2.2 phone. This is UK, using t-mobile pay-as-you-go sim, with a 2GB data package. They appear to be tethering-friendly (EE own T-Mobile)
I can check email (secure POP, port 995), but not send (secure SMTP, port 465).
I can do searches on google, yahoo, duckduck, but in all three cases trying to follow a search result just sits there forever. All three of those sites does the annoying redirect thing, instead of linking directly to the target site, so the browser URL is still their site when it is not working - it does not get as far as the target site. The sites I tried directly also do not seem to work, e.g. I could not connect to stackoverflow. (I'm on free wifi at a coffee shop, currently.)
Outgoing ssh (on a non-standard port) worked fine.
An rdesktop connection failed (port 3389, I believe).
This has all been from Linux. I tried both Firefox and Chrome.
I'm a bit stumped where the problem might be: on my machine, at the android phone, or with the network.

UPDATE: As the fact I can write this shows, tethering is now working for StackOverflow (and related sites like this one), and also rdesktop is working. And clicking on google search results. (But not outgoing SMTP, that still fails.) Weird. Could it be bad DNS settings, er, or something, being cached??
UPDATE #2: Three days since I posted this question, and tethering continues to just work. I had just one period of no connectivity, but I was in a better troubleshooting position then, as I had two devices connected, both of which were affected. So I rebooted the Android phone, and it then worked when I tried again.

I guess. you connect to google by ssl - so your provider cannot read your http agent string... Can you use a socks proxy over your ssh?

Thanks for the hint @davidbaumann. Is a socks proxy something I install on linux, or on the android handset, or is it a service I need to sign up for, and connect to first (like an http proxy I might use to pretend to be in a different country)?

I think, this has already been explained once on the internet...

Animal, vegetable or mineral? If you, or someone, can give me a hint, or a URL, I can do further research on what I need to install and/or signup for.

Open your webbrowser. Go to www.google.com. Enter "socks proxy over ssh". Pick one of 1 Mio results.

Sorry, if someone could answer less cryptically than David, i.e. answer the question I have in my second comment here, I'd really appreciate it. :-)

2nd link is exactly what you want: http://wiki.vpslink.com/Instant_SOCKS_Proxy_over_SSH#Linux

Thanks @davidbaumann, I think I get the idea now: because SSH works, tunnel from my linux machine, through the android handset, to some server I have access to, and use that as the proxy? Tethering is magically working currently, so if/when it stops again, I will give that a go, and then self-answer if it works  (and if no-one has already answered by that point).

Great. Waiting for you result!


text:
Do I need to format my external SD Card?
I have a Samsung Galaxy S 5 and will be adding a Class 10, 64 Gig micro SDXC UHS-1 Card. I've seen people refer to formatting an SD card. How do I know if that's necessary in my case?
*Edit: I should have said it's a brand new, unused card.

*Edit: I should have said it's a brand new, unused card.

Not to remain in any doubt, its the best practice to get your card formatted from within your android device.  In setting... storage settings you are going to find the options to do so.

It is not necessary to format your SD card, sometimes the SD card may not be formatted correctly or may have some virus on it, so it is generally advised to format it and then use it. If there is some important data on it or if your are feeling lazy, just put the card in and see if it works or not. If it does not then you need a format; if it does then there is no need to format.
Hope this helps!

Its generally l good idea to so format your card once it begins to get above 3/4 full or around once every 3 months if you use it frequently (every day). Over time your card collects small fragments of erased images. The accumulative effect of fragment build up begins to reduce memory and slows performance. This also makes the card more likely to become infected by harmful viruses that can cause corruptions and loss of important files. (In which case you'll need to format the card anyways just to rid the SD card of the virus).
  Lastly, and I mean no disrespect but you can never harm your SD card with a simple format. That's nonsense. Its actually quite the opposite. Formatting is recommended and often even encouraged. Don't listen to anyone who says otherwise.


text:
How do I configure the keyboard and mouse in BlueStacks?
What's the best way to edit the keymap and mouse controls for BlueStacks in any particular android application?
For example, right now I've recently picked up Future Fight and I'd like to bind 1 and 2 to the special attacks that I currently have to click with the mouse on icons in the lower right-hand corner.
You can currently in BlueStacks .9 hit Control+Alt+I to open a Keyboard Input Mapper Tool.  The sample file it generates for the current application has examples of how to bind keys to virtually tilting the device in various directions, but I'd really like to bind particular mouse clicks to the keyboard.
And of course (in many other games) find a way to bind the mouse roller to zoom in and out.

Here's related answer of mine on how to configure bluestacks for mapping control to the keyboard?.

The newest (mid May 2015) update of Bluestacks adds a graphical interface for editing keystrokes for the current application.  It's a HUGE improvement for those who don't have the aptitude or time for programming.

You can do so currently in BlueStacks .9. Hit Control+Alt+I to open "Keyboard Input Mapper Tool".  The sample file it generates for the current application has examples of how to bind keys to virtually tilt the device in various directions.

I see the duplicate content taken from the question. Is this supposed to be the correct answer? If so, then please remove "the answer" on the question. If not, then could you explain why did you post this as an answer?


text:
Will Android kill a Service if I uncheck "Show notification" option on Settings?
I was just wondering: will Android kill a Service (that uses persistent notification to keep itself alive) if I uncheck "Show notifications" on app settings?
I am running Lollipop 5.1.

We need more information. What is the app that is persistent? Is it system or user app? Is it the notification service or other? Answers will be incomplete without those details.

Note: This question is related to this changes on JellyBean 4.3 for running background service & persistent notification

@HasH_BrowN it is a user app. This question is not app-specific, but if you want exemples : AcDisplay (Active mode enabled), GravityScreen. I didn't understand, what to you mean by "notification service or other ?". It is a notification (in the status bar) that " keeps the service alive".

Disabling notification would not terminate the life cycle of apps, nor would apps use persistent notification to keep themselves alive. Normally background operations would be done in the background, and notification provides a means to display the result back to the user via the main UI thread. Notification in this context refers to elements such as toasts (pop-up messages) and any icon the app might display in the status bar. In any case, the operation would have finished regardless of whether or not notification must be shown.

Si if I have a service that use a persistent notification, Android won't kill it. Thanks for your answer.

I'm not 100% certain, but I'm about 99%. If the app was made to run in the background disabling notifications shouldn't affect anything else. It should only prevent the app from pushing notifications.


text:
Volume bar blocking parts of the screen shot
For Android 4.0+, an easy way to take a screenshot is to hold down the power button + volume down at the same time.
However, using this method, I often get the volume bar showing and blocking parts of my screenshot. Is there a trick to making this work without screenshotting the volume bar? I've tried many different techniques.

If you are familiar with the android development tools, you can connect it to a PC and use
adb shell screencap -p /your/path/screenshot.png
to take a screenshot and store it on the device. If needed, it can be transmitted to your PC using
adb pull /source/path/on/device/screenshot.png /target/path/on/PC/screenshot.png.
But if you want to keep it simple, the best way is to first press the volume-down butten and immediately afterwards also press power. Keep both pressed until the screenshot is taken. It requires a few tries, but if you manage to find the right timing, your screenshots will be perfect from that time on ;-)


text:
How to restore whatsapp media?
My friend have sent me an image on Whatsapp, I downloaded the photo and later accidently deleted the photo on

/storage/sdcard0/Whatsapp/Media/Whatsapp Images

Now when I click on the image on Whatsapp it shows

'Sorry, this media file doesn't exist on your SD card.'

How can I get back those Images?

It's not possible to get it back through WhatsApp, since they don't store images on their servers anymore after you've downloaded them once.
You can try and use your Photos app and then through the menu look at your Trash; deleted pictures should still be there for 30 days if I'm not mistaken.
Another option might be to check a photo backup service if you set one up (most suggest to automatically set it up on first access of the app, so could he set up without you remembering it). Are you syncing your pictures with Google+ or Dropbox perhaps? There the picture might still be accessible. If you don't have any of these set up yet, it might be a good idea to do so to avoid this situation in the future (please take privacy and battery concerns into consideration).
If all of the above fail, your last bet would be to remove the SD card from your phone and put it in a laptop/desktop (you will probably need an adapter for that). From there you should run some recovery software on the card.
Deleted items on the SD card are actually not deleted, but merely 'forgotten about' until something new is written over them. That means this method will have a much higher success rate if the deletion was recent.
If you need to resort to this solution, please search this forum with a query like "recover images on SD card" for much more thorough answers than I can give you here.


text:
facing irritating add pop-ups
I am using micromax Yureca handset and installed Android 4.4.
I don't want to reset my device, so can someone please tell me what is this all and what is smartApp, ads coming on behalf of it, but can't find it as a installed app ?

Yureca -> Yureka, add -> ad. Please [edit].

On a quick note, YuForums is a community dedicated for anything related to Yureka device . You can always post your issue there (besides here) and if you haven't done so, since having all Yureka users there provides better chances to deal with  the issue. About the ads, you can look for solutions here on this website by using Search option. Here is a useful guide for advanced searching. You can also Google "how to block ads on unrooted device"?

About the smartApp, you said you can't find it as an installed app. So, do you see it inside the ads  or you have an icon in the launcher?