text:
Flashing Lenovo Vibe K5 to Stock ROM
Lenovo Vibe K5 is up and running in CM 13. But, I need to flash stock ROM on it. Now, I have tried to flash with TWRP, but that didn't worked for stock firmwares. I have seen multiple tutorials, in that, they are using QPST and flashing it easily. While I am having problem, because my device shows as non Qualcomm device. It shows as RELINK HS-USB QDLoader instead of Qualcomm HS-USB QDLoader. I have installed the Qualcomm drivers correctly.

Finally i have done it. So i am sharing with all of you, you should turn off your internet while doing all these steps , because when you press and hold vol up + down button and insert usb cable, it automatically downloads Relink driver because of running internet in the background and even if you uninstall and reinstall those drivers it wouldn't work unless you format it .


text:
Why do APKs never seem to be available directly from the developers, but only through third-parties?
I'm playing with my first Android device.
First thing I discovered is that Google Play isn't installed. If I search for an APK for Google Play Store, the results are from third parties such as apkmirror.com rather than from Google itself.
This seems to be the norm. When I discovered how many permissions Google Play wants for itself, I declined and experimented with looking for APK files individually.
Same story, APKs seem to be available through myriad third-party websites, none of which I trust not to repackage an apk with malicious code.
This device is just for experimentation, so I've been installing things anyway just to see what happens. I'm amazed that there seems to be no indication whatsoever that app developers are publishing cryptographic signatures or SHA hashes or offering any sort of authoritative statement that an apk is authentic.
Generally speaking, if I google apk site:foo.com I get no results, or only a link to get the app through a store.
Why don't developers release the raw APK files or any means to verify the APKs available through third-parties?

I think this is because an APK file basically is just a renamed zip file of the app. Publishing the APK thus would mean in a way making your app open source.

@invalid_id: You are totally wrong: Publishing an APK is not equivalent to open source. It is simply allowing it everyone to download fro free.

@Robert I know it's not equivalent, that's why I said "in a way". As one of the answers below states, the code can be reverse-engineered. So it's not actually open-source, but more "accessable-source".

@invalid_id: For reverse engineering you can use any other source for an APK e.g. a PlayStore enabled device. Therefore publishing it on a website or not does not make any difference.

@Robert I didn't know the PlayStore also provides the APK.

If you'd install apps from the developers website directly, you had to trust each of the developers personally that their apps do not contain any malware etc. That's why there are "app markets" (see our alternative-markets tag-wiki for details). Choosing wisely, the user then just needs to trust that market to do the necessary checks. Most of them have such checks in place:

Google Play Store has e.g. its "bouncer"
F-Droid compiles the apps from the resp. sources, which it checks beforehand
Aptoide uses several sources to validate packages (e.g. VirusTotal, comparing signatures, and more).

Besides (and the last item implicitly mentions this), developers provide means to check the validity of their .apk files: they sign them with their certificates. Only the dev has the "private key", and validity can be checked using the "public key" – or simply the key's finger-print. Which is what e.g. Aptoide includes in its "malware check": It compares if the finger-print matches with what .apk files of the same dev from other sources (mainly Google Play Store) shows.
As your device doesn't ship with Playstore (and I fully agree its permission hunger is excessive), I would recommend you using F-Droid. Their repository isn't nearly as big as Googles, but the security measures are good. And you can use additional repositories with their app to cover a larger pool. I definitely and strongly discourage using .apk files you found "somewhere in the wild" unless you know exactly what you do (i.e. either you can trust the source, or know how to check the .apk for yourself to establish trust).

The answer "why" is very simple: Developers are humans and humans are lazy. Or from a business side it is the maximum "outcome" (app is available from a high-available site and the download capacity is very high) with a minimum of invest.
Google Play Store does a god job for 99.999% of all Android users.
Publishing it on a separate webpage costs additional effort. You need a nicely designed web-page and you have to keep everything in sync.
Google hosts the file for you, Google provides and automatic update system and furthermore you can sell your app for money.
BTW: If you know what you are doing it is not impossible to download apps from Google Play Store without having Google Play Services installed. There are a some scripts (Python and others) available for downloading APKs from Play Store.

The separately available APK can be redistributed over multiple devices and also reverse-engineered. While most of the developers would not care about re-distribution of they apps that are free anyway, they do not want you just to change the icon and then re-upload app to the Play Store as your own.
Open source apps that allow you to distribute the modified version are most often part of the F-Droid project. You can download the APKs there no problem.
Also, developers usually do think that anybody would be interested in installing they APKs directly. You need to tweak device settings to allow this.

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


text:
USB not recharging anymore
I have a Samsung Tablet 10 and so far it recharged when connected to my computers usb plug.
Suddenly i am not able to connect my device anymore.
With a recharger cable I am able to charge the device.
Any thoughts ot help ?

There are 4 wires in a USB. 2 Data-wires and the other 2 for charging. If you can charge but can't transfer the data or USB is not recognized, this means data wires are now broken.

If you can still transfer data between the phone and the computer via the cable, the computer might have an issue with powering the USB port. Maybe you somehow exceeded a current limit.
If you can no longer transfer data, and you can using a different cable, then your cable is broken. I think this is the most likely case.

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


text:
/sbin/sh: pm: not found
I was trying to install apk files from adb. I used the command adb install <app-name>.apk command. But it returned

/sbin/sh: pm: not found

But if I login to the shell with adb shell and do which pm, it returns
/system/bin/pm

But still I can't install apk using pm. If I do pm install /sdcard/app-name.apk It returns same /sbin/sh: pm: not found error.
whoami returns strange things.
whoami: unknown uid 0

But If I become root and install using pm it works just fine! What could be the problem and How do I solve it?
I'm using a custom ROM (WolfRom v2) on Xperia Sola Phone (2012).
Output of ls -l /system/bin/pm. With root and non-root both returns this result.
# ls -l /system/bin/pm
-rwxr-xr-x root     root          191 2008-08-01 18:00 pm

Running adb shell "/system/bin/pm install /sdcard/app-name.apk" returns same error

/sbin/sh: /system/bin/pm: not found

I also checked the sh's permissions. ls -la /system/bin/sh returns this
lrwxrwxrwx root     root              2016-12-06 12:00 sh -> mksh

Which looks a little unusual. Also ls -la /system/bin/mksh returns this
-rwxr-xr-x root     shell      153344 2008-08-01 18:00 mksh

I've also seen that running mksh instead of sh directly gives a root shell.

Looks strange. What custom ROM is it? Have you reported it already to the "ROM bakers" (i.e. at the place where the ROM came from, maybe the corresponding XDA thread)?

@Izzy No. I haven't reported to it and it seems the thread is too old now. You know this phone is old and thus the ROM also. It's WolfRom v2

Asking doesn't hurt. Some folks may still "watch" the thread – and if the problem lies in the ROM, you won't be the only one having experienced it. Worth trying, I'd say.

What does ls -l /system/bin/pm gives? Run it with root access.

What about running adb shell "/system/bin/pm install /sdcard/app-name.apk"? Does it work?

@Firelord I've updated the question.

@DeathMaskSalesman it returns same error. Check the update

@Izzy I'd do. But it seems its a trivial question..and weird one! Thanks for the suggestion

The question might look trivial, but finding the answer is not. And before you get me wrong: I'm not "sending you away", I just suggest "additional sources" ;)

@Izzy I got your tone. It really made me feel home in this SE. Thanks a lot :)

Thanks for the warm words – and yes, that's one of my goals (and besides it's something that made me feel home here when I started at SE years ago :) Fingers crossed, good luck!


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updating apps without play store
How can I update apps that I've installed via .apk file on a phone without Google Play Store?
I would not mind downloading the updated .apk files manually, but is there a way to get notified when an update is available for one of my installed apps?

Not sure if it works w/o GApps on the device, but might be worth a look: App Watcher - Updates notifier. For more alternatives, be welcome to check with my App Markets listings :)

@Izzy Some of the links from that page is very much useful as an answer. Please make one

There are several possibilities, depending on your sources:

use one of the alternative-markets1 as source (recommendation: F-Droid with its pre-configured main repo plus some of the additional repositories accessible with their app), and get information about available updates via the corresponding market's app
use an alternative "update checker" such as App Watcher - Updates notifier (you can find some more in my App Markets listing)
use an application on your PC to check for updates (see the same listing2 for candidates). For example, Raccoon is planning such a feature for its new version (not sure about its release, though – the author was quite busy with its "graduation" and just finished his university degree recently).

1: Also see the alternative-markets tag-wiki and follow its links
2: I won't list all the candidates here, as they might be subject to change. The linked lists however will be kept up-to-date.

Disclaimer: For those not aware, and in case I didn't make it obvious enough: those listings reside on my own website.

Using the APKPure app, it is possible to receive Play Store-like notifications about updates.
I frequently use this app instead of the Play Store. It also allows you to download previous versions.

I just have a question, although it might be marked as off topic.  I was wondering why a lot of people don't like the Play Store, or why many people want to disable it.  I use an alternative app store too, but I still use the Play Store to download the majority of my apps.

@Mario I think it is because some people do not want a Google Account.


text:
Add second trusted voice to Google Pixel
Is it possible to add a second "trusted voice" to my Google Pixel so that a second person can say "OK Google" to unlock my phone? I would like to do this so that my phone can act like a substitute for Google Home when I'm at home--in order to enable my partner to unlock through "OK Google", but still restrict it to our two voices only.
If it isn't possible to do through a single user, is it possible that setting up a second user will allow this? I'm not familiar with how switching between users works on Android yet.

Unfortunately, this is not possible with a single user. As you predicted, however, it is indeed possible to set up with a second user, as each user is set up almost like its own phone. Just add a new user, set it up, and then set up the voice as you would normally.
Good luck!

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


text:
How to close a port in my android device [i9515]?
When I used nmap to check the status of ports in my android device, I found out that port 514/tcp was open. I googled about the respective port and I found the following in the Wiki.
514 TCP     Remote Shell, used to execute non-interactive commands on a remote system (Remote Shell, rsh, remsh)

Is it safe to keep this port open?
If not, how can I close this port?
I ran the scan from a CentOS virtual machine in the same network.

I wonder which process was listening on port 514 on your device.


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Nexus 5x Crashed and can not enter Recovery
My nexus 5x Crashed and then constantly starting up to the "Google" splash screen. I wanted to execute the “Recovery mode” but unfortunately without the success.
I executed the following:
1. Press & hold Volume Down and Volume Up, and then press & hold Power simultaneously until the device turns on. I see the word Start with an arrow drawn around it.
2. Press Volume Down twice to designate Recovery mode.
3. Press Power to restart into Recovery mode

Unfortunately I see the "Google" splash screen each time I do it.
What can I do to recover my phone?
Can I access the data (photos) on the phone?
What does DEVICE STATE  - locked status on the start screen mean?

Unfortunately it's not a very common problem, so I assume neither Google not LG really bother fixing it (I have the same issue). The 7.1.1 upgrade caused some sort of hardware bug that couldn't be fixed.
The solution is to contact the seller of the phone. If you bought it from Google and it's still under warranty, you're in luck because you can get a full refund. Otherwise, just explain the situation to them and see what they can do.

Concerning your photos, well, your hope is that you had backups... You can try freezing your phone (literally). In my case it gave me about 5 minutes of uptime (it shuts down once gets warm), so if it's the case for you, you might have enough time to pull your photos and all the other info from it.

DEVICE STATE - locked means that you didn't unlock the bootloader. That, in turn, doesn't permit you to perform various operations with fastboot or adb. To unlock the bootloader you need to access the Developer Options in the settings when the device is powered up.

So I hope I shed some light on your issue. Hope you can have something done with it.
UPD: I called the Google Play support and after going through the problem they agreed to send me a new 5X. The entire solution took about 20 minutes. So I strongly encourage you to do it :)


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Google keyboard, no option to keep my word?
I took a leap from my Samsung Galaxy S4 to a Motorola Droid Turbo II with Android 6 installed. I love everything about this new phone and OS, EXCEPT...
On my S4, whenever I typed a word in that autocorrect wanted to change, it would show whatever I typed (my word) at the top left of the autocorrect bar, then it would show one or two options to the right.
Well, this new phone doesn't do that and it is frustrating!
I do NOT want to turn autocorrect off.
I do NOT want to turn "automatically insert autocorrect word when pressing space" off.
I simply want to see my word on the left, so that I can click it and tell autocorrect that this is the word I want to keep.
Why did this change?! How can I get this back!? I guess I use a lot of funny words or something but this is driving me up a wall.
Please help!

Download Google Keyboard.  Great keyboard, easy to set up. And for me at least it gives me the option to keep the word I have typed.  I believe this should solve your problem.

Thanks Mario, but I am already using the Google keyboard. I can't find any option in settings either...

I am sure you are talking about two different things that are:
• Autocorrect (it will automatically replaces your word when hitting space.)
• Predictive Text/Suggestions (it just shows you different word you can use including which words you use previously.)
You should Turn off 'Autocorrect' and let 'Predictive Text/Suggestions' turned on.


text:
Remove account without affecting the data
I have a phone with a Google account from an external provider (namely gazeta.pl). At one moment, due to policy reasons, the mail provider changed the platform from Google to proprietary system. So it's no longer a Google account.
I have all the contacts connected to this old account. The same situation with all the apps in the store. I can't log to it anymore via Google means. I have another regular gmail connected as well, I can install new apps, but cannot update anything (especially Google play services).
I need to have access to Play Store and update system. My best call is to remove the old account, but this will lead to losing all the contacts (SMS as well? I'm not sure). How to proceed without manually rewriting contacts? I would like to have them connected to my new gmail.

The way I see it, the only problem you have is losing your contacts if you sign out of your Google Account.
First of all, your contacts on your Google Account can be accessed on
Google Contacts, so signing out of your Google Account on your phone doesn't necessarily mean losing all of your contacts on that account.
Secondly, transferring contacts from one Gmail account to another is fairly easy, and you can find a step by step guide on how to do so Here

I think I did not make my point clear. The old account is no longer a google account, so it's not accessible in any standardized way.

@PiotrZierhoffer If that's the case, then I'm at a loss, because I don't know how they would convert a Google account to something else.  I'm not sure if that's even possible.  Are you sure that's what happened?

Yes. As far as I know Google stopped providing the infrastructure for other companies, that allow open registration of emails in their domains. So while you still can have a corporate Google account, you can no longer create a service named, let's say, mario.com, providing Google account for the public. And that was the case of gazeta.pl.


text:
Can I link a variable to File Opened Event in tasker?
I want to link a variable to the File Opened event in tasker.
But I can't...Is there any other way to check which file or folder is opened right now...but this event profile is only allowing me to review only one folder which I have selected.I want to assign a variable here...instead of a single folder name like Download

While this is a known limitation in Tasker there is a workaround which involves creating several events then combining them into a profile through a variable (Profiles Active)
Here is how to go about it:
Lets say you want a "File Opened Event" involving 3 seperate files,  in this case I named them A.csv ; B.csv; and C.scv

Screenshot (click image for larger variant)
Event A
Go to Profile >> Event >> File Opened >> Choose A.csv (Give the Profile a name e.g FOa)

Screenshot (click image for larger variant)
Task
As you know you can't create a profile without a linking task so here is a workaround:
When it asks for the task:
Go to New Task + >>Don't write anything in New task name ( so as to keep it anonymous)
A1 Task >> Wait >> 2 seconds (Note: This is a dummy task and it won't affect anything)

Screenshot (click image for larger variant)
Event B
Go to Profile >> Event >> File File Opened >> Choose B.csv (Give the Profile a name e.g FOb)
Task
When it asks for the task:
Go to New Task + >>Don't write anything in New task name ( so as to keep it anonymous)
A1 Task >> Wait >> 2 seconds
Event C
Go to Profile >> Event >> File File Opened >> Choose C.csv  (Give the Profile a name e.g FOc)
Task
When it asks for the task:
Go to New Task + >> Don't write anything in New task name ( so as to keep it anonymous)
A1 Task >> Wait >> 2 seconds
Now to create one profile which accesses all those 3 files as if its one Event proceed as follows...
Under Profiles tab: Select State >> Variables >> Variable Value >> %PACTIVE ~ FOa/FOb/*FOb (see screenshot below my aesteriks not showing with text formatting)
(Means profiles active suggesting the MAIN profile is active whenever ANY of the files is opened - much more flexible than what you had only 1 file.)

Screenshot (click image for larger variant)
Now you can then link this Profile to the real Task you wish to perform.
The consequence of this is that you have created a Profile with an Event which relates to 3 files not just one as before.
Hope it helps, even to other scenarios where multiple actions relating to on event cannot be performed.


text:
Android Device Manager not Ringing
The ring for 5 minutes function on Android Device Manager is a great tool that I have used multiple times to find my phone (which I happen to misplace quite often).
The thing is, it doesn't work.  Or rather, my phone will not ring even when given the cue from Android Device Manager to ring.  I have it set up on my phone, and am able to locate my phone just fine. However, when I click ring, my phone beeps once, and there is a notification that says "Android Device Manager" with the subheading "Ringing...", but my phone never actually rings.
Does anyone know why this happens, or better yet, how to fix this? Any help would be great.
I have a Samsung Galaxy S6, and yes, Android Device Manager is set as an administrator on my phone.
edit: Upon looking into the Phone Administrator settings in Security, I found that the permissions do not mention anything about ringing the phone (https://goo.gl/photos/gt1iE6piQTVfYvnHA).  Is this because that permission isn't at the administrator level, or do you think it is unavailable for some odd reason?
Update: So I managed to figure out that the only way it will ring is if my notifications volume is on.  However, I don't usually have that on, and it will not turn that volume on full or even on at all by itself.
I also disabled battery optimization for Device Manager, but unfortunately it does not seem to do anything.

It may be that Samsung has an internal battery saving mechanism which prevents the device manager from receiving the notification. Idk if you can disable it for some apps...

@timoschwarzer What exactly do you mean by it preventing device manager  from receiving the notification?

I assume that you have access to a phone because you know it doesn't ring. Maybe, just maybe this will help: settings>apps>android device manager and under permisssions see if some isn't granited. You can try clearing app cache and rebooting. Also try setting notifications on priority for ADM maybe do a trick.

@ЈеднорукиКрстивоје I already set notifications as priority and it doesn't work.  Also, I tried looking at the permissions before as well and all of the options are enabled. I also tried uninstalling and reinstalling the app, which unfortunately doesn't work either. Im honestly not sure if there is anything that I can do, but hopefully there is a fix

Well, maybe it's just temporarly. Try finding older version on google, and see what happens than

@ЈеднорукиКрстивоје Just tried it on a version from 2014, still have the same problem

Would you try with other apps rather than ADM?

@FiN I would, but I do prefer ADM, and I just want to know why this is happening more out of curiosity then anything.

@Mario I was looking about this problem on Google,it seems that you are not the only one... p.s. it seems that the Android OS is blocking the ringing

@FiN Unfortunately that knowledge doesn't bring me any comfort

what version of Android?

@MarkYisri 6.0.1

Try disabling battery optimization for Device Manager and other Google apps that may be involved in the ringing of that tone, make sure your device is not in DND/mute, and see if a competing service like Prey Anti-Lost works or not. Let me know how this goes.

@owlswipe Look at the update edit on my post please.I know I can use other services but I'd prefer using Device Manager and I'd like to know why also out of curiosity.

Mario, if you turn off your phone's ringer Device Manager just won't make noise (it's volume is determined by the ringer). It's supposed to turn your volume up all the way before ringing, but your phone might be preventing that. You can try making a recipe in MacroDroid/Tasker/Trigger to do the following: when I get the "ringing" notification, turn my ringer volume up, then wait a few minutes and lower it again. That should do the trick! Try this and let me know.

Posted a solution, tell me if it works!

This issue seems to be caused by Android Device Manager not being able to raise the ringer volume on your phone before ringing the alarm tone.
To solve this, you can create a MacroDroid macro that will automatically raise your ringer whenever an Android Device Manager notification appears on your phone, so that the alarm tone will actually ring. MacroDroid defines a set of trigger(s), action(s) and constraint(s) as a macro.

Download the MacroDroid app for free on your phone.
You will need to create the following macro:

Trigger:  Notification → Notification Received:
From: (hit show non-launchable apps) and select Google Play Services and Android Device Manager
Text Content: choose contains and type in "ringing" (or just some/all of the text from the notification that appears when you attempt to ring your phone; this might vary by phone).
Action: Volume Change
Hit the checkbox next to "ringer" and slide the ringer slider up to something high, then press OK. Then hit the checkbox next to "Notification" and slide the notification slider up to something high as well.
Constraints: none

Test out your Macro by attempting to ring your phone from Android Device Manager on your computer. If it works, you're done. If it doesn't, try the following:

Add an action to your macro to Set Priority Mode, set it to all.
Add an action to your macro to play a sound of your choice, that might work.
Ensure the Device Manager notification text matches that which you specified in your trigger.
Try changing the action to a ringer volume increase, a one-second wait, then a notification volume increase.

Important Note: If you want your ringer to quiet down again after Android Manager rings, you can add a wait before next action to your actions, then do a ringer volume change back down.
Hope this helps! Comment below if this doesn't work for you or if you have a question, I'll help you out if you need it.

When I try to install that macro it gives me an error... also I tried making my own and it works when I click test macro but nothing happens when I actually get the notification from Device Manager.

@Mario Have you enabled notification access for MacroDroid? Did you make any notification from Device Manager trigger the macro?

yes to both of those

@Mario Make your macro also send a notification as one of its actions, this will let you know when it runs. See if it runs at the right time.

It doesn't run at all, for some reason it's not realizing I'm getting a notification from Device Manager, because I don't get a notification at all from MacroDroid

@Mario Not sure what to say. Receiving any notification from Device Manager is the trigger, correct? And there are no constraints? If you made it right and it doesn't work, my only suggestion is to contact the developer.

@Mario Try disabling battery optimizations for MacroDroid.

I hate having to say this but I already did that and it still doesn't work.

Let us continue this discussion in chat.

authors: Једноруки Крстивоје


text:
Using slow dns a VPN Over DNS Tunnel android app
I'm looking for similar apps that i can use for free, setting dns and start the vpn to get unlimited internet without the silly 25mb of slowdns. thanks in advance for your help.

If looking for a free openVPN app, you can check this FeatVPN, and get the free openVPN bundles right here: VPNbook bundles.
These bundles have custom DNS therefore can bypass your ISP which may have been slow. Alternatively you can get DNS Overrider (if you are rooted)


text:
Moto G phone continuously shows dialogs saying "Unfortunately, SomeApp has stopped"
My Motorola G phone continuously shows crash dialogs of the app. Multiple dialogs appear on top of each other and if I press ok, the dialog reappears immediately. Due to these dialogs, I cannot use the phone. I am not even able to turn on developer options as the dialogs are not letting me do anything.
I tried to format the phone by pressing power and volume down option. But when I press recovery or factory option, the phone reboots with the above issues.
I also tried fastboot commands to erase data but I didn't get success in formatting the phone.
How can I fix this issue?

have you done any installations/updations?

@RahulGopi haven't done any updations/installations

which app is continuously closing?

@RahulGopi All the apps

Flashing the phone should solve the issue if it is not hardware related(damaged eMMC). The issue may occur when phone is infected by malwares.
This guide on XDA Developers may help you out.


text:
googleota directory on SD what is it? A duplication of DCIM folder, or else?
In my Android device I set the default location of file (photos, video, etc.) to be saved to SD memory card. Recently I had some problems with my phone/SD-card and did a backup of the SD files to my PC.
I noticed that there is a googleota directory that seems to be a duplicate of DCIM (I also noticed two "Camera" albums in Gallery as well). What's the purpose of the googleota directory on my SD card? Can I delete it safely?
EDIT:
I decided to delete the googleota folder from SD-card and now there's only one "Camera" album in Gallery (that's good as the second one was only a duplicate). Then, after little time, googleota folder has been created again in my SD-card... Anybody knows what that directory is intended for?

what Android device is this? And show a screenshot of the contents of your SD Card.

@Mark Yisri : Archos smartphone (not so new model). Too late for screenshots, I just deleted "googleota" folder : the duplicate "camera" album on Gallery is gone and everything else seems not having troubles. (Anyway "googleota" folder contained 4 folders that were .thumbnails, 100ANDRO, browser-images and Camera)

then delete the question, if no one can help you

@Mark Yisri I think there is still an unanswered point here: what's the purpose of "googleata" folder on Android? (And I think someone still can help too)

never seen it before


text:
unkown android icon
I saw this icon and I wanted to know what application it belongs to (it is in the gray area, not the top bar):

specify which icon? icons on status bar or the middle one?

If you mean the first one, its for the battery #D Honestly, Bob, you must be a bit more specific. Raw guess, you're asking for the second-to-last icon in the notification bar (the one with 4 dots)? Must be some BlackBerry app. Being on the right, it seems to be a system app. What's your device (probably some BB?) and Android version?

@Izzy or does he mean the one in the gray box with three curving lines?

We will never know unless Bob [edit]s and updates the question accordingly. Which is why I'll put it on hold now as "unclear".

The icon is the Swiftkey Keyboard logo.

@Izzy someone commented on what the icon is

@MarkYisri what which icon is? It's neither clear which icon Bob is asking for, nor which icon esComo refers to.

I am sorry I meant the swiftketly, which escosmo has qlanswered on.

@Izzy it can be reopened now

@esQmo You obviously guesses the right one. Mind to post an answer (with a reference, if you have one), and we clean up the comments here?

The icon with 6-curved lines is the logo of Swiftkey keyboard.


text:
Missing FM radio functionality in CyanogenMod on Samsung Galaxy S3 (i9300)
I installed CyanogenMod 13 on my i9300 and noticed there is no radio app any more.
How can I get the functionality back?

opinion-based question

Which parts are opinionated? I'll delete or change them.

the whole question, "Free FM radio app for samsung Galaxy S3 (i9300)?", is off-topic? ASking for recommendations

Please note that recommendations like Is there an app for X are off-topic here (see What topics can I ask about here? for details). For where your question might fit better, you might want to look into Where can I ask questions that aren't Android Enthusiast questions? and Where to ask for app recommendations?.

@Izzy I removed SW recommendation parts from the question.

@DavidBalažic that's "camouflaging" – as it's pretty clear you need an app for that (and you know it). Have you checked the pointers I gave with the links in my last comment?

@Izzy Of course I have. I also posted a SW recommendation question there. As for here, I stated the problem I have. What rule is it still violating? The "need for SW" is just your assumption. For example CM has a built-in compass. If someone would ask "how to find north" you might "judge" it to be a SW recommendation question when in fact it is not. Anyway, if you think my problem has nothing lost here, just delete it. I think it is stated very clearly, but if not, ask.

Ah, yes: your question at SR just popped up (and well fits). Let's leave it at that. I'm not the entire community – so if people vote to reopen your question here, so it shall be. I've explained my reasoning.


text:
"Verification failed" for OTA "April 2016 patches" on a Nexus 6P
I have a brand new Nexus 6P that gives me the following error when attempting to install the next OTA update.

Clicking the "Check for update" button doesn't help.
I've tried a factory reset but that didn't change the situation.
How can I come past this point?

try a different Internet connection

I've tried multiple but your suggestion made me try again. This time over a VPN in a different country. It worked! Thanks.

posted as answer now

You should try with a different Internet connection. That is often the problem.


text:
Cyanogen OS 14 for OnePlus One?
Will there a Cyanogen OS 14? And if so will it be available for the OnePlus One?

Why not ask at Cyanogen? They are much more likely able to tell you. We are not, and CM14 AFAIK isn't even released at all.

Ah. Okay. I hear ya

@Izzy Just a heads-up that CM14.1 has been out officially for a lil while. No Xposed to accompany though.

To OP: it usually takes months for Cyngn to add in and test their proprietary stuff before releasing, so just wait patiently.

Yeah. I know. Planning to to root soon. Now tell me how this is off topic? @Izzy


text:
Hangouts notifications not appearing until I open the app
My notifications for Google Hangouts are not showing until I open the app. How can I fix this?

What is your phone model and Android version? If it's Android 6.0+, probably it is caused by Doze

I have a Nexus 5X and I'm on 7.0.


text:
Unable to download apps
I have a zte phone. No space pops up when downloading apps; however,  have phone storage space of 411MB available and SD space of 1.82 GB available.  Can someone help me with this problem?

http://android.stackexchange.com/tags/insufficient-memory/info and http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/23010/insufficient-storage-when-trying-to-install-new-app

Upgrade to Android 6 or 7 and use sdcard as internal storage. Use cyanogenmod if zte won't accommodate.

If you try to download an app from Google Play App Directly, I would suggest to try an alternative approach - install the app through web open a browser either in PC - Google Play

Search for an app

Choose Device

Click install, and view your phone for the push notification (Turn on WIFI).

And better check in the Settings - Transfer some app in SD card.
The other step will be - download APK watch the video here

He doesn't have problem with installing itself, but with storage.

It's confusing then - the title should be related to storage not Unable to download apps.

it's not confusing you just should read a question

Sorry , I only answer what she put in the title. I know that she has a problem with the storage. As I understand, there is no pop up window to inform her that she has more space or not either in Phone / SD. Therefore I try to suggest to push notification the download through install in web and maybe it will pop up without entering Google Play,  also that is why I suggest to transfer some app in the SD.

Nope, she has problem because that popup shows

hhmm.. NO space pops up when downloading apps.  Ok,  whatever :/

authors: Једноруки Крстивоје


text:
Transfer free Play Store apps to another account
On my tablet I installed a few free apps from Play Store using my account and then created a new google account removing the old, but now every time I visit the Play Store although I see which apps are installed, under "My Apps" is empty. How can I transfer the applications to a new account?

Sorry, but you can't...  Remove and reinstall each app on the new account.

Re-install them. Google is not flexible in that way.


text:
Can't access storage and sd card of Moto G4 when connected with USB to computer and in MTP mode
I have a Motorola Moto G4, marshmallow 6.0.1. When I connect it to my computer via a USB cable, it charges, and the computer detects the device, but I cannot see the contents of it, namely of the sd card inside. I also changed the USB mode to File transfer (MTP).
I have contacted Motorola already and I tried everything they told me to do (USB debugging option, etc.), but to no avail. They said that there might be a problem with the computer, but I've used this computer already for this operation (but on other phones) before.
I have confirmed that it works on other computers, so I am also pushed to believe that it is the computer's fault. I also installed every driver from Motorola's website.
I deleted the cache already and performed every suggestion in a similar thread, still not working.
Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.

Try uninstalling the drivers then reinstall them again. Try the drivers from this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/general/rooting-roms/motorola-usb-drivers-rsd-lite-firmware-t3042687

A Moto G, yeah. "This is a well discussed and easy to fix bug", see SD card not showing files when connected to pc.

Possible duplicate of SD card not showing files when connected to pc

You might be on an outdated version of ANDROID> 6.0/ 6.1
If so, UPDATE your android and the problem should be fixed.


text:
Dismiss autocorrect suggestion without space+backspace+space
Sometimes when I'm typing a unique word or proper noun on my phone, Google recommends for it to be autocorrected (I can tell because the word itself is underlined, and out of the suggested replacement words, the middle one is in bold). If I hit space to proceed to the next word, the underlined word (which I don't want changed) is replaced by the bold recommended word. This can be undone by hitting backspace (which reverts the word to what I had originally typed) and then space again (at which point it doesn't attempt to autocorrect).
Is there anyway to keep my word, as originally typed, without having to hit space+backspace+space? On Gboard for my iPhone it will always have my word as currently spelled as a suggested word that I can just touch to maintain. Is there a way to enable this for my Android?

Install a different keyboard like hackerskeyboard.


text:
Fairphone Open stuck in “optimizing app” loop after OS update
After a routine system update from Fairphone Open 16.08.0 to Fairphone Open 16.10.0 (Fairphone's customized version of Lollipop 5.1, rooted edition), my Fairphone 2 did not reboot. After rebooting, it got stuck in a loop: the initial splash screen, then “optimizing app 1/106” through 106/106, then “LOADING” flashing for a while, then repeat. A hard reset (yank out the battery and back in) did not help.
How can I recover? There is TWRP on that phone, but it doesn't offer any option to restore the previous version that I can find.

After scouring the Fairphone forums, I found a solution that worked (among many that didn't). So thanks to https://forum.fairphone.com/t/stuck-optimizing-apps-after-updating-on-fp-open-os-16-07-1/21146. The important thing was to reinstall OpenGApps. In more detail:

Yank out the battery to break out of the boot loop, and put it back in.
Ensure that you have a copy of the OpenGApps package on the internal flash or on the SD card. Select Platform=ARM, Android=5.1, Variant=pico (other variants presumably work too). It doesn't necessarily have to be the latest version (it worked for me with a version that was a couple of months old that I still had on the internal flash).
Press and hold the Volume Up and Power buttons for a few seconds, to load the phone's recovery image (TWRP).
From TWRP, choose “Install”, then select the OpenGApps zip and install that.
TWRP prompts to clear the cache partition. I did that, I don't know if it's actually necessary.
Reboot.

freibadschwimmer's update guide suggests doing the same for Xposed Framework, if you have that installed. Other package managers such as F-Droid may also need to be reinstalled; it isn't clear to me whether that's actually necessary.
I recommend keeping zips of extra software such as OpenGApps on the internal flash all the time, in case another update causes the same problem.


text:
What Google Play Services can I safely disable?
I need working synchronization and Play Store working, that's all.
What Google Play Services can I safely disable, like AnalyticsService? Maybe there is some description of what certain services do?

2021 and I also would like an answer to it. There are clearly processes in the background that serve no purpose but to send google our information and spend our battery. We just need a concise description of the items so we can make a phone-particular decision

Here's a list of the services currently destroying my battery (and doing who knows what else !)
I hope someone can expand this list, and add a description, so we know if we can disable each item or not.

CollectionService
ExposureMatchingService
DeviceConnectionWatcherService
GcmService
PendingIntentCallbackService
ContextManagerService
AuthenticatorService
ReceiveSurfaceService
GmsCoreStatsService
CableAuthenticatorService
EmergencyPersistentService
LockScreenService
SchedulerService
GoogleLocationService
GoogleLocationManagerService
ClearcutDebugDumpService
LocationPersistenceService
EastworldService
DiscoveryService

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


text:
Disable system apps without closed-source tools?
After spending more than an hour searching through F-Droid for an app to disable system apps, I gave up. The only thing I was able to find was Disable Manager and that doesn't seem to be able to anything that I can't already do using Android's Settings ui.
I know there are quite a few tools on the Play Store that can disable system apps, but I couldn't find one that is open source.
So I was wondering if it would it be possible to force Android's Settings ui to enable the "Disable/Enable" button for system apps.
Or, if that's not possible, if there is an open source app that would allow me to do it.
My phone: OnePlus One; Running CyanogenMod 13 without gapps; Rooted
Using microG, F-Droid and Xposed...

Giving that you use microG, you seem at least a bit adept with technology, thus a valid approach would be to use the app Termux (available on F-Droid) and disable the interested packages via su, then pm disable <package_name>. Notice that you'll have to find out packages' names manually.

Hmm..  CyanogenMod has a terminal app built in, but I would really prefer a graphical user interface.

You could try the InstallerOpt XPosed module (open source, see Github). It even allows you to have the "Uninstall" button (long-press "Disable"), so it should do that as well. Not yet tried myself, though :)


text:
Sony xperia z2 how to factory reset
i have a sony xperia z2 d6503 running on android 6.0.1
and has two users. ive forgotten the pin for the owner account and using the guest account i created for my kids
now i want to factory reset but havent been successful. please help

You have to flash the phone. Sony devices do not support hard resetting. Download the ftf file and use Androxyl Flashtool to flash the phone.

@esQmo Where'd you get this? Sony phones do support hard resetting.

They don't. And you're fooling people with the buttons combo.

@esQmo They do. From personal experience.  Not sure whether I should upload a video then to show you.

I'd assume since you were willing to do a factory reset, that you're also willing to forego all the data currently possessed on your phone.
You could hard reset your device through the following method.
Procedure

Switch your phone off.
Wait at least 15 seconds before simultaneously pressing the volume down key + power button until the device vibrates.
Through use of you're volume up and down keys, highlight factory reset and hit the power button.

Ensure that you have enough battery charge to do this(recommended 40% and above; your battery shouldn't also drain fast). Failure to do so could result in soft bricking your phone rendering it useless.

This will reset your phone back to its original state.
Update
The following links provide methods used to hard reset the z2 that I have already outlined in my answer.
Hard reset z2 verizon
Hard Reset z2
As has been raised in the comments, that Sony devices do not support hard resetting. The above links provide those methods while I have indeed myself been able to reset sony xperia z4 and the c5. Attached is the method I used to hard reset those devices.

Did you, I mean, personally test this?

@esQmo Yes I did. On the xperia z4 also on c5. Don't understand why you'd downvote me without enquiring or confirming first.

Can you link a reference? Cause the only way to do a factory reset is by flashing the whole phone or simply the userdata partition.

@esQmo the Z4 and c5 have different procedures other than this since you wait for the device led to come on then tap either volume button severally.

Try adding a source by editing your answer.

@esQmo They've been added. I'd advise you to read on why recovery mode/ bootable dedicated partitions exists on android devices.


text:
Missing contacts after switching phones even with the same SIM card
I switch phones from a Samsung Galaxy II to Motorola Moto G and was able to use the same SIM card, but my contacts are gone.
How to recover them?

They are not gone, they're just left on the old device. Contacts are no longer stored on the SIM card by default for years already. If you've synchronized them (e.g. with Google), you should be able to synchronize them back with the same service on your new device.
Otherwise, you'll have to export them on your old device, transfer the export to your new device, and import it again:
On the old device:

open Contacts
hit the Menu button (the 3 "stapled dots" in the upper right corner), and chose Import/Export
select to export them to your storage (SD card)
copy the exported file (usually /sdcard/0001.vcf) to the SD card of your new device

On the new device

open Contacts
hit the Menu button (the 3 "stapled dots" in the upper right corner), and chose Import/Export
select to import from storage (SD card)
select the file

Now your contacts should be there again.

I assume the question you asking here is why your contacts didn't restore from your SIM card...
Most phones don't store contacts to SIM anymore... That is a practice in general from before smartphones. Today contacts are often stored with your online account such as Google account, Apple ID, or Microsoft account.
Many devices have a default location to store contacts, although most users your online account, some use a device only storage scheme, few actually store to the SIM card, and to my knowledge none do by default.
Try adding the same Google account used on your previous device to your new device... If that doesn't work, you will need to use the old device and export your contacts off so you can import them unto your new device or Google account.

Open contact app on your mobile. On top right corner if you see mobile symbol then your contact are stored on mobile not sim card.
On new mobile you can save contact on device or on google account.
You can export contact. Open contact app / setting / export. Then import to new mobile.
On old mobile you have option to save contact on sim card or phone memory.


text:
Self bricked with bootloader
I install a Flashify on my Huawei Ascend P7 to make my .img files run and I can install a Custom ROM, because always when I try to install it from ADB it shows
FAILED (remote: Command not allowed)

All files what I want to boot from ADB, shows this line. I add to boot a twrp.img file to get TWRP and install ar CustomROM
When I turn on my phone, blinks red, 2 times green and then again the same. Also Power + Vol Up or Down, doesnt work, even I cant run a update from SD Card, and HiSuite doesn't show my phone as connected...
Similar problem is in this post - http://forum.xda-developers.com/ascend-p7/help/unfortunately-boot-failed-information-t2908514
There's full CMD lines from my try to run recovery and boot
The system cannot find message text for message number 0x2350 in the message file for Application.

Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation.  All rights reserved.
Not enough storage is available to process this command.

C:\...\ADB Flash Tools>fastboot flash recovery recovery.img

target reported max download size of 536870912 bytes
sending 'recovery' (12510 KB)...
OKAY [  0.480s]
writing 'recovery'...
FAILED (remote: Command not allowed)
finished. total time: 0.481s

C:\...\ADB Flash Tools>fastboot boot BOOT.img
creating boot image...
creating boot image - 9660416 bytes
downloading 'boot.img'...
OKAY [  0.363s]
booting...
FAILED (remote: Command not allowed)
finished. total time: 0.365s

Only thing I can get into fastboot.
Whats the problem? And how I can get back my phone to work?

Commands not allowed shows when the bootloader is locked. Try fastboot oem get-bootinfo to get the lock status. This guide shows you how to unlock the bootloader.

yeah, it shows (bootloader)  locked OKAY [  0.002s]
i cant even turn on my phone, only i can get fastboot

Now go through the guide to unlock it then you'll be able to send any conmand.

i cant even turn on my phone, only i can get fastboot. also i cant get emui recovery

If so, try flashing your phone first. Firmware + instructions here: http://consumer.huawei.com/nz/support/products/downloads/ascend-p7-nz.htm

i tried to fastboot update update.zip and it shows error: update package has no android-info.txt or android-product.txt

This ain't a flashable zip. You have to install it by buttons combo (Volume up + Volume down + Power). Unzip the file and copy the dload folder in the root of a SD card.

I cant get into EMUI recovery or update. Only what I can get is fastboot mode

I don't tell you to access recovery! This can't be flashed through recovery neither!

Huawei mobile devices are flashed this way! The flash file you'd downloaded contains a folder named dload, in this folder there is a file named update.app. So, to flash the phone, simple unzip the zip and copy it contents into the root of an SD card, put that card into the phone then power the phone by holding Volume up + Volume don buttons at the same time. The process should begin.

these files are folders: cust, meta-inf, patch, system and update.app?

Wait don't unzip UPDATE.APP file!

maybe we  can chat somewhere? skype or some facebook!?

Unzip just the file you downloaded before, you'll get a folder named dload, copy that folder into an SD card, put the card in the phone. Power the phone holding down : Volume up button and Volume down button

Im already did that... all what I get is flashing red light

Maybe your battery is low

nop, I do that plugged on charger

Are you able to remove the battery ? This should reset the phone and you'll be able to flash.

nop, it cant be able :(


text:
su does not change prompt to #
I am trying to root a device.
I have pushed su , busybox to device,
but on doing "su", it seems that I have no root privilege:
shell@nemo:/ $ su
1|shell@nemo:/ $

1|shell@nemo:/ $ whoami
shell
shell@nemo:/ $

How can I understand what's wrong with su and how to fix it ?
EDIT:
I am actually trying to root LG W200 device, having real trouble with it.
EDIT2:
I've set 7777 permission (suid), but it still fails.
chmod 7777 su-arm

 shell@nemo:/ $ ls -al /system/xbin/su-arm
-rwsrwsrwt root     shell      467952 2016-11-20 12:01 su-arm
shell@nemo:/ $ su-arm
255|shell@nemo:/ $ id
uid=2000(shell) gid=2000(shell) groups=2000(shell),1004(input),1007(log),1011(adb),1015(sdcard_rw),1028(sdcard_r),3001(net_bt_admin),3002(net_bt),3003(inet),3006(net_bw_stats) context=u:r:shell:s0
shell@nemo:/ $whoami
shell

EDIT3: I've updated su binary and busybox binary, but each now fails differently:
shell@nemo:/ $ busybox su
su: unknown user root
1|shell@nemo:/ $ su
error: only position independent executables (PIE) are supported.
1|shell@nemo:/ $

Thanks,
Ranchu

It's quite clear from the "1|" beside shell@nemo that the command failed. It did not return 0 (success).

You have to unlock the bootloader first. Here is a page to help you do it:
https://developer.android.com/wear/preview/downloads.html
Here are step by step instructions:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/watch-urbane/development/everything-urbane-root-how-tos-files-t3243975
That page also contains the files you need to flash.
IF YOU ARE NEW TO THIS PLEASE READ THE POST ENTIRELY BEFORE TRYING TO FLASH OR INSTALL ANYTHING. I TAKE NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANYTHING YOU DO TO YOUR DEVICE.

Thanks. I work with this page for some days now. But everything there does not work on my device. trying to flash even boot.img or system.img fail to start. probably it does not fit my watch ? different bootloader (I wish I xda provided bootloader too to flash) ? I don't understand. I work with images for urbane from https://developer.android.com/wear/preview/downloads.html, but any binary update from this xda link, fails.

now I get "unknown user root" , I've edited the message. Also the link from xda did not help in my device. not sure why.


text:
Locked screen shows track name
Recently my Galaxy S7 started to show last track's name when the phone is locked. Even if the music player is turned off. How do I turn it off?
Edit
Looks like track information comes from any app: music player, Spotify, YouTube, chrome. Whichever app plays music/video last - it leaves a name on my lock screen.

Did you try clearing the music app data in the settings?

I have no idea how to do it

Settings > Applications > Applications Manager then find the music app, touch it then select Storage > Clear data

I have updated the question - probably it is system setting, not a setting of a single app

What about the launcher? Is this the default launcher?

Yes, everything is default.

Settings > Notifications > Don't Show
Blocks VLC, FBReader TTS, etc for Android 6, so probably similar on a Samsung ROM.


text:
Cannot click Evernote clipper from Google Chrome for Android
Why can't I click the Evernote clipper from Google Chrome?
Is there a way to do this?

I think my answer should work for you.

I'll try @Mark Yisri

Here's my recommendation to anyone who encounters a similar problem: if Chrome fails, another browser should work.
Try these browsers (you may even like them better):

Firefox (or Adblock Browser, which is Firefox with an adblocker)
Puffin Browser (Flash browser, allows you to play Adobe Flash content)
Opera Mini (or Mobile)
Dolphin Browser (thought this used to be called Dolphin Browser Mini)

Now if it still doesn't work, then you can try the Evernote for Android app and use these instructions to clip.
In general on Android, it is better to use an app if it exists, as the interface is designed for mobile use. Evernote's clipper is designed for desktop users, but the mobile app should have an interface for clipping in mobile browsers.

I have the Evernote for Android and it is ineffective

Opera and opera mini don't work

@kouty try this: https://blog.evernote.com/blog/2015/01/25/clip-web-content-evernote-using-android-ios-devices/

did it work to do that?

@kouty inserted now.


text:
How to update gt p1000 system 2.2 in 2016?
I got an old Gt P1000 Galaxy and I have been studying Android stuff first time in my life. I have watched youtube videos about updating 2.2 system to new ones but the thing is that nothing supports the machine anymore. I cannot root the thing or do any preparations that updating needs. Any ideas what should I do? I don't undestand why the previous owner didn't update even Gingerbread in it when it was still possible. Is there something I can do or the equipment ready for recycling bin?

Did you read this yet? http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2681282

As long as SamMobile and XDA-Developers still exist, you will not toss that thing into the recycling bin without a try.
Start from updating the thing to official Gingerbread firmware available for download from SM (download page also offers tools and a brief guide), then install custom recovery and flash whatever you want from there. If you don't mind the lag you could even install CM13 (Android 6.0.x) for some fun.


text:
Fastboot on Samsung devices
I was trying to do some fastboot commands on my Galaxy devices (Galaxy S4, 9515, 4Tab4), I start with fastboot devices and I am getting nothing (after adb reboot bootloader), is there any problem with samsung devices?

Simple... Samsung devices do not support fastboot, you use Odin or Heimdall to flash what you need.

I did try Odin to flash my Samsung device with the TWPR , and Odin crash after like 15 minutes, is there any thing we should do after using Odin ?

@medlamineSemassel ODIN is a software that runs on your PC not on your phone, once it flashes TWRP (should only take a few seconds), you don't need it anymore. Perhaps I am not understanding your problem, but this maybe a different issue than your original question. Be aware there are lots of tutorials and information on the internet regarding this device, it is very common. A good place to start would be here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s4

Finally It works for me this way :

Got the CF-Auto-Root-xxxx-xxxxx-gti9515.zip from : https://autoroot.chainfire.eu/
unzip CF-Auto-Root-xxxx-xxxxx-gti9515.zip
mv CF-Auto-Root-xxxx-xxxxx-gti9515.tar.md5 CF-Auto-Root-xxxx-xxxxx-gti9515.tar
tar xvf CF-Auto-Root-xxxx-xxxxx-gti9515.tar
Put the device on Download mode ( Vol Down + Home + Power then Vol Up)
sudo heimdall flash --RECOVERY recovery.img --CACHE cache.img.ext4
after testing you have root rights ( adb shell & su )
sudo heimdall flash --RECOVERY recovery.img ( TWRP )

Then you can go to recovery mode and use TWRP to install custom ROMs.

Thank you! Additionally - some devices like mine do not work well with Heimdall 1.4.1 and need latest 1.4.2 to work. I had to go according https://github.com/Benjamin-Dobell/Heimdall/issues/292 and compile it manually by https://github.com/Benjamin-Dobell/Heimdall/wiki/Build-instructions-(Linux)


text:
Downloading music tracks
I have tried to download (sync) music tracks from Win10 to Android & it seems to go OK but I cannot find it anywhere on my Phone (marshmallow).Where do I look please

Depends on how you "downloaded/sync'd" them. Could you please [edit] your question and add those details? Thanks!

find / -iname *.mp3
or esfileexplorer and the like have a show by type feature.


text:
What is the purpose of the SD card on an Asus ZenPad
I had this issue on the Dell Venue but was never resolved. On an ASUS ZenPad, what is the purpose of the SD card if it can't be accessed? So how does one play movies from the SD card?

4.4 had a change that made all but one folder per app on the sdcard read only, but you could disable that... you should be using 7.1 anyway... why can't you access it? Did you format it as internal storage? If so you are using it, just transparently.
Is this the correct model? https://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/P024_Info

Check that it is not formatted for a pc, which usually uses ntfs, whereas android can only read fat32 (also readable by windows, but has 4gb max file size :( and ext4. I also saw people in forums talking about the asus zenpad not supporting exfat, so make sure it's not formatted as that either. To reformat using windows: https://www.sdcard.org/downloads/formatter_4/index.html
hope that helps :)

Thanks very much for that, really. However, when I used that formatter it showed upon completion that it was still exfat. The only options available when formatting were quick or full and had nothing to do with chosing fat32 or anything else. Know of another formatter maybe?

Maybe try http://tokiwa.qee.jp/EN/Fat32Formatter/

Didn't make it easy to use and I never could get it to work, too much commercial stuff going on there and adding add ons that I didn't want. I tried using pre formatted cards, anything 32GB or smaller were formatted FAT32, which is good, but now I have issues with them not copying right somehow. They copy, they show filed and of course they are listed as each chapter of the movie instead of the whole movie but I could live with that if they didn't playback stills instead of action.


text:
my s3 lock screen is all black
My galaxy s3 lock screen is black. No time or shortcuts at the bottom. I went into the settings and couldn't find anything to change this. I deleted an app I thought was causing it..but nothing. I even tried to change the wallpaper and nothing happened. I also checked for  viruses but I have none. Someone please help me get my lock screen wallpaper back

I don't know what you mean by one

Re-install with kias or because samsung dropped support gor it, if you want a secure ROM use CM;
https://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/D2att_Info


text:
Why wont apk files download

I used to be able to install apk files on my phone before I factory reset it and now it does not work
I have a sony m5

In your settings there is an option to allow APKs from unknown locations. This is under Security for me, can't be sure where yours is but it will be there. A factory reset most likely returned it to the default off state.

I cant find it if you are talking about being able to download apk from the web i can do that i just cant install them onto my phone

Yes. By default, Android will not allow you to just install any APK that is not from the Play Store. You'll need to change that in the settings.

This guide explains it for you M5

Forgot the link! http://support.sonymobile.com/global-en/xperiam5/userguide/Downloading-applications-from-other-sources/


text:
Is it possible to manually patch Stagefright?
Is it possible to manually patch the Stagefright vulnerability?
It looks like the latest OTA update that patches Stagefright also blocks many common avenues for rooting. Obviously, root + vulnerabilty = really bad. Is there some utility or console method of replacing, updating or disabling the affected media modules? If not: Why must I be so dependent on the manufacturer?

Can you install a custom ROM? Better, can you compile one? If not then pretty much nope.

Yes but It's a lot easier to install CM for monthly security updates;
https://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/Main_Page


text:
Battery life difference for 5 GHz vs 2.4 GHz WiFi - which is better
Are there any difference for phone battery life when connected to 5 GHz access points vs connecting to the same at 2.4 GHz?

Not noticeably. Theoretically, 5GHz should use more power than 2.4GHz, but not significantly. What's more important are the usability aspects of 5GHz vs 2.4GHz.

@Patrick Negus: What are the usability aspects you mean? Coverage, hardware support by variety of devices, anything else?

2.4 GHz has better coverage as it has a lower frequency and thus can penetrate barriers more effectively; 5 GHz is faster within acceptable distances, however, due to its higher bandwidth; finally, there are many more 5GHz channels available (and fewer devices that utilize the 5 GHz band), and so snooping and overcrowding become less of an issue.

The coverage issue will have something to do with power usage.
When comparing 5 GHz battery drain vs. 2.4 GHz, a lot depends on the coverage you are in with respect to each frequency band.
5 GHz (for the same power) lacks the range of 2.4 GHz. Objects (depending on material) can obstruct 5 GHz more than 2.4 GHz (sometimes not depending on material).
So, if I get 3 bars of 2.4 GHz in the furthest away part of the house (the upstairs bedroom) but only 1 bar at 5 GHz, my phone will likely have more trouble keeping in touch with the access point and that translates to more packets exchanged, a slower throughput (and that means more on-time for your 5 GHz radio and the system generally), and this will burn more battery.
If you have good 5 GHz coverage and 2.4 GHz coverage in the same area, using 5 GHz is likely as good (if not a bit better) as it will pull faster, then wind down vs. the 2.4 GHz. When coverage starts getting worse for the 5 GHz, but not the 2.4 GHz, you may want to switch to 2.4 GHz for battery reasons.
Factors impacting your performance:

Distance from AP
Quality of your 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz antennas both in the phone and the AP (should be roughly similar but...)
Other nearby networks using the same 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz channels your devices want to use (channel contention and/or interference)
Other RFI (interference with the radio bands you care about - badly shielded microwaves or other energy emitters that might shed harmonics off into your APs radio bands)
What you are using your device for (the occasional short message or long many MB movie streaming) as this will emphasize or de-emphasize performance and coverage distances (two identical devices on different bands sitting mostly idle probably won't see notable battery differences, but two streaming hard most of the time may well see not only the difference in battery from streaming, but further degradation in charge based on if the 5 GHz is in poorer coverage)
Materials between your portable device and your AP

I'm likely missing a few other factors and how significant each one mentioned is depends a lot on the gear, the interference/contention in the area and the types of material, as well as the usage pattern for the device.
But generally - poorer coverage -> more battery use, so if 2.4 GHz is showing more bars than 5.0 GHz, shift to 2.4 GHz.

The coverage of 2.4 GHz is only better if you don't have a neighbors with interfering 2.4 GHz signals...

That's why I said there were factors including
"Other nearby networks using the same 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz channels your devices want to use (channel contention and/or interference)"
in the summary at the end of my original post.
Channel contention is much more likely than actual RFI (harmonics or other forms of interference not expected, unlike two sets of devices with overlapping coverage set to use the same radio channel from which you would expect channel contention as they try to share a resource (the radio channel)).
There are free tools to assess channel use by local networks.

Two aspects of user3055321's fairly complete answer are unclear to me: 1. Is there any difference in the amount of energy to generate a 5 GHz vs. 2.4 GHz signal? (And is that amount significant?) [Physics/radio] and 2.

Are the protocols similar in terms of packet sizes (impacts fades and other Tx failures) and retrransmit windows (also impacts retransmit overheads)? I suppose error correction tech can.also impact net overhead. This may already be boiled into performance in poor coverage if not explicitly called out.

The Wifi sending power depends on the country you are in, as the max sending power is very different: https://w.wol.ph/2015/08/28/maximum-wifi-transmission-power-country/


text:
Switch music apps depending on bluetooth connection (car/headphones)
To start, I have a 2016 Mazda CX-5 and a Galaxy S7. Google Music works best in my car because for whatever reason because I am able to view the "Root" menu and explore artists, songs, playlists, etc. When Poweramp is running, I get a message that says "unable to view the content of this device."
For my other bluetooth audio (headphones, soundbar, etc.), I prefer to use Poweramp over Google Music.
My question is: Is there an app that can recognize my bluetooth connection and default to a specific music player? i.e When I get into my car, my S7 connects and Google Music is auotmatically defaulted to. When I pair my S7 with my gym headphones, Poweramp is automatically defaulted to.
My purpose is that I would normally use iSyncr + Poweramp full time to manage my audio, but I HAVE to use Google Music in my car to be able to view that "Root" menu unless anyone has had success with another music app.

I found a fix.
The app Macrodroid allows the user to create very simple but effective logic in automating which app is opened depending on what Bluetooth device is connected.
Also, after trying a plethora of music apps (Poweramp, PlayerPro, RocketPlayer) I found that Samsung Music allows my car to display all folders appropriately. I also found that Samsung Music stores the music quite simply and has a great EQ to boost quality.
I still use iSyncr to send playlists to the /Music/ folder on my SD card. So in short a combination of:
iSyncr + Macrodroid + Samsung Music

allows me to seamlessly control where and how my music is played.


text:
sync contacts gets stuck midway
I have about 1700 contacts in my google account. When I try to sync on my android it gets to 938 and then stops.
The last sync date shows for about a month ago, and there's always a black sync icon next to it.
I tried removing and re-adding the account to no avail.
I even did a complete factory reset. No luck.
What gives?
Is there some error log somewhere where i might glean something?
Thanks a million
FWIW: There were a few days that showed 939 or 940 contacts, but most of the time it's 938.
UPDATE
I managed to find aLogcat for viewing logs. I tried to resync while the log was running. I'm pasting the log here, though I can't seem to find anything relevant.
===LOG START===
W/IInputConnectionWrapper(22844): showStatusIcon on inactive InputConnection
I/Timeline(22844): Timeline: Activity_idle id: android.os.BinderProxy@364c5b66 time:1222199
I/Timeline(22844): Timeline: Activity_idle id: android.os.BinderProxy@364c5b66 time:1235668
I/Timeline(22844): Timeline: Activity_idle id: android.os.BinderProxy@364c5b66 time:1267336
D/ViewRootImpl(22844): ViewPostImeInputStage ACTION_DOWN
V/BitmapFactory(22844): DecodeImagePath(decodeResourceStream3) : res/drawable-xxhdpi-v4/ic_media_play.png
D/ViewRootImpl(22844): ViewPostImeInputStage ACTION_DOWN
D/ViewRootImpl(22844): ViewPostImeInputStage ACTION_DOWN
D/ViewRootImpl(22844): ViewPostImeInputStage ACTION_DOWN
D/ViewRootImpl(22844): ViewPostImeInputStage ACTION_DOWN
V/BitmapFactory(22844): DecodeImagePath(decodeResourceStream3) : res/drawable-xxhdpi-v4/ic_menu_share.png
V/BitmapFactory(22844): DecodeImagePath(decodeResourceStream3) : res/drawable-xxhdpi-v4/ic_menu_save.png
V/BitmapFactory(22844): DecodeImagePath(decodeResourceStream3) : res/drawable-xxhdpi-v4/ic_menu_preferences.png
D/AbsListView(22844): Get MotionRecognitionManager
D/ViewRootImpl(22844): ViewPostImeInputStage ACTION_DOWN
I/Timeline(22844): Timeline: Activity_launch_request id:org.jtb.alogcat time:1298449
E/ViewRootImpl(22844): sendUserActionEvent() mView == null
V/BitmapFactory(22844): DecodeImagePath(decodeResourceStream3) : res/drawable-xxhdpi-v4/sym_def_app_icon.png
D/AbsListView(22844): Get MotionRecognitionManager
D/AbsListView(22844): Get MotionRecognitionManager
D/Activity(22844): performCreate Call secproduct feature valuefalse
D/Activity(22844): performCreate Call debug elastic valuetrue
I/Timeline(22844): Timeline: Activity_idle id: android.os.BinderProxy@35c53605 time:1298728
D/ViewRootImpl(22844): ViewPostImeInputStage ACTION_DOWN
D/AbsListView(22844): Get MotionRecognitionManager
W/InputEventReceiver(22844): Attempted to finish an input event but the input event receiver has already been disposed.
E/ViewRootImpl(22844): sendUserActionEvent() mView == null
D/ViewRootImpl(22844): ViewPostImeInputStage ACTION_DOWN
D/AbsListView(22844): Get MotionRecognitionManager
D/ViewRootImpl(22844): ViewPostImeInputStage ACTION_DOWN
W/InputEventReceiver(22844): Attempted to finish an input event but the input event receiver has already been disposed.
E/ViewRootImpl(22844): sendUserActionEvent() mView == null
D/ViewRootImpl(22844): ViewPostImeInputStage ACTION_DOWN
D/ViewRootImpl(22844): ViewPostImeInputStage ACTION_DOWN
I/Timeline(22844): Timeline: Activity_idle id: android.os.BinderProxy@364c5b66 time:1321370
D/ViewRootImpl(22844): ViewPostImeInputStage ACTION_DOWN
D/ViewRootImpl(22844): ViewPostImeInputStage ACTION_DOWN
D/ViewRootImpl(22844): ViewPostImeInputStage ACTION_DOWN
D/ViewRootImpl(22844): ViewPostImeInputStage ACTION_DOWN
D/AbsListView(22844): Get MotionRecognitionManager
V/BitmapFactory(22844): DecodeImagePath(decodeResourceStream3) : res/drawable-xxhdpi-v4/ic_media_previous.png
V/BitmapFactory(22844): DecodeImagePath(decodeResourceStream3) : res/drawable-xxhdpi-v4/ic_media_next.png
D/ViewRootImpl(22844): ViewPostImeInputStage ACTION_DOWN
W/InputEventReceiver(22844): Attempted to finish an input event but the input event receiver has already been disposed.
W/InputEventReceiver(22844): Attempted to finish an input event but the input event receiver has already been disposed.
E/ViewRootImpl(22844): sendUserActionEvent() mView == null
--------- beginning of system
W/ViewRootImpl(22844): Dropping event due to root view being removed: MotionEvent { action=ACTION_MOVE, id[0]=0, x[0]=543.0, y[0]=501.0, toolType[0]=TOOL_TYPE_FINGER, buttonState=0, metaState=0, flags=0x0, edgeFlags=0x0, pointerCount=1, historySize=0, eventTime=1336367, downTime=1336357, deviceId=9, source=0x1002 }
D/ViewRootImpl(22844): ViewPostImeInputStage ACTION_DOWN
D/AbsListView(22844): Get MotionRecognitionManager
D/ViewRootImpl(22844): ViewPostImeInputStage ACTION_DOWN
E/ViewRootImpl(22844): sendUserActionEvent() mView == null
I/Timeline(22844): Timeline: Activity_idle id: android.os.BinderProxy@364c5b66 time:1389772
D/ViewRootImpl(22844): ViewPostImeInputStage ACTION_DOWN
D/AbsListView(22844): Get MotionRecognitionManager
D/ViewRootImpl(22844): ViewPostImeInputStage ACTION_DOWN
W/InputEventReceiver(22844): Attempted to finish an input event but the input event receiver has already been disposed.
E/ViewRootImpl(22844): sendUserActionEvent() mView == null
D/ViewRootImpl(22844): ViewPostImeInputStage ACTION_DOWN
D/AbsListView(22844): Get MotionRecognitionManager
D/ViewRootImpl(22844): ViewPostImeInputStage ACTION_DOWN
W/InputEventReceiver(22844): Attempted to finish an input event but the input event receiver has already been disposed.
E/ViewRootImpl(22844): sendUserActionEvent() mView == null
D/ViewRootImpl(22844): ViewPostImeInputStage ACTION_DOWN
D/AbsListView(22844): Get MotionRecognitionManager
D/ViewRootImpl(22844): ViewPostImeInputStage ACTION_DOWN
I/Timeline(22844): Timeline: Activity_launch_request id:org.jtb.alogcat time:1403435
W/InputEventReceiver(22844): Attempted to finish an input event but the input event receiver has already been disposed.
E/ViewRootImpl(22844): sendUserActionEvent() mView == null
V/BitmapFactory(22844): DecodeImagePath(decodeResourceStream3) : res/drawable-xxhdpi-v4/sym_def_app_icon.png
D/AbsListView(22844): Get MotionRecognitionManager
D/AbsListView(22844): Get MotionRecognitionManager
D/Activity(22844): performCreate Call secproduct feature valuefalse
D/Activity(22844): performCreate Call debug elastic valuetrue
I/Timeline(22844): Timeline: Activity_idle id: android.os.BinderProxy@e740a46 time:1403642
D/ViewRootImpl(22844): ViewPostImeInputStage ACTION_DOWN
I/Timeline(22844): Timeline: Activity_idle id: android.os.BinderProxy@364c5b66 time:1406873

===LOG END===

After short google search I found something that suppose to help: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ru.ivary.ContactsSyncFix
try using it .
if not, then you could do something like this :
1. Go to Google Contacts and Extract ALL contacts in CSV
2. Delete the contacts (Note that Google contacts has a recovery tool in case one messes up!)
3. Import the contacts in Google Contacts from the CSV file

Thanks, but I have already downloaded that app, and it didn't help.
also the csv is not a good option, since my contacts are dynamic (they are managed through an external application) and i cannot do this day by day, I need the sync to work. Thanks!

in the end the solution was a combination of 2 steps:

i deleted all the contacts in the browser as suggested by @br0k3ngl255 , then i reran my sync function, and it was basically ok.
actually my sync function also had an issue, that a single contact had more then 1000 email addresses, which had kept the sync from running due to an over quota issue.

now that both these issues were resolved, everything is working ok
Thanks!


text:
how to clear phone number and user from about device status - galaxy S5
Getting my Sprint Galaxy S5 ready to sell.  I've tried factory reset.  Even went into android recovery menu and wiped cache and factory wipe reset.  Yet when I go into settings -> about device -> status:  I see my user names (something like myname@samsung.com) and my phone number!   How do I wipe this?  I think I found the answer once before online when I was selling another phone a few months ago, but can't remember what it was.  I think I had to type some special ## into the dial pad to get it to wipe.  I think the info is store on the sim card.  Please help.

I found the answer.  Dial ##72786#   This restores all phone setup information to the original factory settings.  It is NOT the same a factory reset.  It removes completely the old phone number and old user name from the phone.
I found the answer here, near the bottom of the page; post #13 on the page:
http://forums.androidcentral.com/sprint-galaxy-s-ii-epic-4g-touch/254641-how-do-i-remove-my-user-name-phone-etc-settings.html
Answering my own question to hopefully help someone else ;-)


text:
Black screen after flashing CAF ROM
On a Nexus 5 D820 with the latest Google stock images installed. Note: data formatted as ext4.
Steps taken:
1) flashed hammerheadcaf TWRP
2) wiped all data
3) flashed CM13 CAF zip
4) 2 errors, same: unknown command: [log]
Power off, and then attempted a boot. Nothing. Just a black screen. Do I need an older Nexus 5 Bootloader/Radio Image?
Edit: This may be screen-related. My N5 has had its screen replaced, and others seem to possibly have a similar issue.


text:
Package manager for android terminal
Just wanted to ask whether there was a package manager which could be installed on android terminal like homebrew cask, macports (macOS).
PS Just wanted to install small application like wget and curl.

Try Termux's apt install, or see if those binaries are available in any BusyBox app from Play Store.

No.
There are some projects to port Debian apt but they were unusably unstable last I tested.
2018 update
Termux is reliable and can install select packages (I use ssh/rsync), more packages are available in termux-ubuntu etc, but many won't work or require workarounds due to the unusual environment.

+1 for that. Good answer.


text:
Google Play Services have stopped message is popping up continuously on screen
Phone is MI4I , Google play services have stopped msg is popping up continuously on screen. None of the conventional methods are working I.e clearing Google play cache is disabled, restore to factory version or uninstall updates or clear data is disabled. Stopped and cleared cache of framework, still issue exists. Any other solution possible?
Can't access play store since it needs this. Thinking of downloading Google Play Services latest version from web and installing. Is it a good idea?

Have you already tried rebooting your phone or deleting some data/apps, because if you don't have much space the app will always crash also you could try to reset the play services to the factory version and try starting Google Play to automatically download the newest version that hopefully works.


text:
Decrypting Adopted Storage: What's wrong with this process?
Just want to say I've read just about everything I can find about this Marshmallow 6.0 adopted storage issue.. The most helpful of all of the different slight variations on the same answer was:
How to decrypt Adopted Storage?
I've followed it, but I'm having problems. So I'm here to ask some for some clarification. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
The current symptoms:

SD card not recognized by phone
when inserted into my mac (i'm using terminal in el capitan), it shows up in disk utility but it's not mounted (can't be opened)
on running diskutil list I can see the card as shown below:

/dev/disk2 (internal, physical):
   #:                       TYPE NAME                    SIZE       IDENTIFIER
   0:      GUID_partition_scheme                        *32.0 GB    disk2
   1: 19A710A2-B3CA-11E4-B026-10604B889DCF               16.8 MB    disk2s1
   2: 193D1EA4-B3CA-11E4-B075-10604B889DCF               32.0 GB    disk2s2

So, what I've done so far:

My phone was already rooted, so I was able to extract the encryption key.
I used the guide to convert it to hex, yielding 7342560bad2454835235517e6a0df2f0
So, with the sd card plugged in to my mac, I try to run the command:

dmsetup create crypt1 --table "0 'blockdev --getsize /dev/disk2' crypt
  aes-cbc-essiv:sha256 7342560bad2454835235517e6a0df2f0 0 /dev/disk2 0"

As you can see, I replaced the /dev/*** portion with my own finding, and the encryption key with my own... So far so good?
Now, this is where the confusion comes...
This is what I get when I execute the command

-bash: blockdev: command not found
-bash: dmsetup: command not found

Since it says to ignore any errors, I did so (although I feel like these errors are a bit different...), but upon executing the following command mount -t ext4 /dev/mapper/crypt1 /mnt/1/ I'm told: mount: realpath /mnt: No such file or directory
So obviously it didn't work, but I'm not exactly sure where it went wrong.
After a little research I discovered that maybe my path might be incorrect for terminal, so I tried executing export PATH=/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin:/usr/local/bin and then tried re-executing the decryption command, but it yielded the same results.

I've been scouring around looking for information, but I figured it might save me some strife to just write it up and see if anyone with more wisdom in this area help point me in the right direction.
Thanks in advance for your help!
(Oh, and just as a side note, I'm trying to get my phone back in working order, but I don't want to ruin any chances of being able to recover the data from the sd card. So the question is, now that I have the encryption key and the sd card out of the phone, is it safe to flash a new rom and start over? Or is there still other data on the phone that's important to keep around during this recovery process?)
EDIT:
I followed the user's comment below, I'm using ubuntu with virtual box, but when I run commands to find all attached devices, my card isn't showing up like it does in the Mac Terminal. Any ideas why that's the case?
EDIT 2:
Here is a picture of my terminal in Ubuntu trying out the command. Any clues as to the errors?

MacOS is not GNU/Linux it's APPLE/BSD so use Ubuntu in VirtualBox, or get ypur Phone to mount it and copy it from there.

AH! Okay, I was under the impression that all the commands were compatible because some of the ones I was using from the guide seemed to work... but this makes sense.
Now to figure out how to use the Linux terminal.
I haven't tried more than once, but so far I can't get Ubuntu to recognize that my card is inserted at all. It shows up in Mac's terminal as I posted above, but so far I can't get it to show up in Ubuntu... Maybe I'm using the wrong command? It's not technically mounted, so maybe there's another command to show all devices including those inserted but not mounted...?

@c.w. you need to explicitly attach it http://superuser.com/questions/373463/how-to-access-an-sd-card-from-a-virtual-machine


text:
S6 Edge stuck at Samsung logo
After a walk outside I came in to see that my S6 edge shows the logo and tries to start, but it doesn't. It is a blinking logo.
Any ideas how I can get it to start up normally again?

Was your phone connected to the charger?

What about hard reboot? pressing your power key for 5-10 sec.

Not connected to the charger at the time. hard reboot did not work(in the sense that it did not restart and it hasn't before by pressing the power key. tested it when I got the phone to know how to restart if something happens.)


text:
Does Titanium Backup backup the Signal private Key?
I am looking for a way to backup my private key for the Signal messenger application. Nothing has worked so far, and I am curious whether anyone can confirm or deny that Titanium backup will save and restore the private key of a Signal install.

I don't know about the Signal app and the private key you speak of but maybe that is stored in hardware. If your device supports that.

@miva2: Unlikely, since otherwise I would probably not have lost the private key twice after a reinstall. Secondly, I'd consider this a very insecure method of storing the private key, I don't think Signal would do that.

Signal 4.17.0 introduced encrypted backups. This is the preferred migration path. Also the Titanium Backup route does not work in current releases.

Previous Post
I just tried this and it worked flawlessly.
After restoring Signal on your new Phone you should re-activated your connection by unregistering and re-registering to the Signal servers. As of now you can do this in the Signal Settings > Advanced tab by toggleing Signal messages to de-activate then re-activate [1]. In this Process you will have to re-verify your phone number and you'll have to reconnect your Signal-Desktop clients afterwards.
You won't loose your Private key or your Signal-Desktop messages though.
[1] https://support.whispersystems.org/hc/en-us/articles/213190487-Why-is-there-a-delay-in-receiving-messages-

Just tried this, with Signal 3.30.4 and upgrading my phone from Android 5.0 to 7.1 - still works perfectly. I initially didn't un-register/re-register - but push notifications weren't working properly, so then I did. As @m-schulz-narres says I needed to re-connect the Signal Desktop clients I had but they did not lose their previous messages.
One thing to note is that group messages may get messed up by re-registering - you'll need a friend in the group to first accept your new safety number (you can directly message them), and then update the group (i.e. change the name or picture).

Even though I do trust the author of this answer without reservation, I can now confirm as well that this works indeed. Upgraded from Lollipop to Nougat, installed Signal and restored the data backup, and everything works.

Titanium Backup does backup the key, but there's something internal to Signal that realises that it's installed on a new phone and refuses to use the old key.
Set recurring backups inside Signal instead.
Be aware that when restoring:
Place the .backup file in the sdcard root directory. Putting it under sdcard/Signal/backups will have the file NOT be read, but no error message given, either.
The backup is only read correctly if the metadata is displayed in a confirmation step.  This took me hours to work out. >:|


text:
Installing an app I created solely for myself
I was wondering whether I could install an app I create to cater to my personal needs solely for myself? Like a private app!
(I know there are other applications to do this, but I want to learn something in the process)

Development questions are off-topic, and of course with a question this broad I bet no one can give a complete coverage. Still... "I was wondering whether I could install this solely for myself?" -> yes, through ADB sideloading - in fact it's what happens when you develop and test the app on your device.

Thank you for both the inputs! I shall remember to be more specific in my questions from next time.

At first I too thought it was too broad and a development question. But it's actually fine. Just needs an edit. I expect no malicious intent from the asker. Welcome to the site ArgusGallos! Be sure to check the FAQ so you can ask even better questions in the future! :)

So the question can be boiled down to

Can I install an app I created only on my own device?

Yes you can! If you create the app yourself you are not forced to share it on the Play Store. To actually install the app you will first have to accept apps from unknown sources in your settings. This can generally be found in the security section of the settings.
While the Play Store is the most popular app store on Android (I assume), it has nothing to do with android itself. You can find apps on alternative app stores or even on forum boards or in email attachments.
If you don't share your app in any way, you will be the only person with that app.
Of course, once someone gets access to the apk file it becomes trivial to install it on another device.

Note that you'll have to enable installing apps from unknown sources in the settings in order to install anything that is not on the Play Store.

Yup, I'll include that in my answer. Thanks for reminding me @Namnodorel !


text:
Are contact groups totally gone for Marshmallow?
I own a Sony XZ with Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow and I just upgraded from a 4.4 KitKat phone.
Under Google Contacts you can add each user to one or many groups and these groups were visible under KitKat.  I assumed that would stay the same, but it doesn't seem like it.
I read that since Lollipop this feature was no longer available.  Can anyone support or reject that fact?  Is there any way around it?  Does anyone know why Google removed such a useful feature and then only half (Android support) of it?

It was removed here https://android.googlesource.com/platform/packages/apps/Contacts/+/5f057fa8a0d1be9529024846c9e69b5764078d2c%5E%21/ but I couldn't find why

When I swipe in from the left in the current Google Contacts app, I see the same labels that I use in the web-based Google Contacts (the current preview version). Nexus 5, Android 6.0.1, https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.contacts Compare the second snapshot in the link that I posted - "Organize your contacts with labels" - you'll see what I mean.

@bers: Thx! But for whatever reason, it's incompatible with my device, says the Play Store. It can't be the OS Version, since I use 6.0.1 and Contacts requires 5.0 and up. Is it possible that Sony forces me to use their Contacts App?

It's rather that Google forbids you to use their Contacts app, I guess. I remember that incident for the Phone app, but it seems the Contacts app was involved, too: http://www.ubergizmo.com/2015/12/google-stock-android-phone-contacts-app/ The article says "Prior to this [as well as after this], the stock Android apps were only available on Google Nexus devices, Android One handsets, and Google Play Edition devices".


text:
how to reinstall os in samsung galaxy sII GT1900
How can i reinstall android 4.4 in Samsung galaxy s2 GT1900.
when i turn on on logo appear and off automatically.
I try odin but it cannot scan id com .

You need to connect the phone in flashing interface mode (Download mode). Volume down button + Power button.

https://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/I9100_Info

When you connect your device via USB, a windows popup should appear and telling you that it is installing some samsung drivers. In linux, you can use lsusb to check if you device is recognized.
If odin is not seeing you device, I think either your charger cable is damaged or you should use another USB port, I would suggest an USB2 port directly at the PC.


text:
Permanently remove stock from Google Feed
I'm using Google Feed (formerly known as the Google Now screen) and one of the cards I have is for stocks.
For some reason, some fund keeps getting added to the stocks card. ProShares UltraPro QQQ ETF (ticker: TQQQ) keeps appearing. I have neither added it, nor to my knowledge, ever searched for it. (At least, until just know, when I was looking for the full name.)
I've been in to the settings for the stocks card multiple times, each time to confirm that the stocks/funds I want are there (GOOG, FB, TWTR, DJIA, NASDAQ Composite) and TQQQ is not listed.
I have swiped away the listing on the stocks card I can't tell you how many times, and while it seems to stay away for the rest of the day, within a day or two it's back.
I don't want it. How can I make it go away forever?
Motorola Moto X (1st edition), Android 5.1.

Apparently I'm not the only one with this issue.
Lifehacker has an article about it.

Open the Google feed.
Swipe out the left-hand navigation panel.
Tap Customize.
Tap Stocks.
Add the symbol for the stock you want to block.
Tap the symbol you just added to your list.
When it asks if you’re interested in the stock, tap No.

It’s very confusing that you have to add a symbol to a list of stocks you do care about in order to block it, but for reasons that are unclear, Google doesn’t give you another option.

It is confusing. And dumb. But barring other options this is what I'll do.


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Install Nexus Android on Samsung S4
The Android OS that comes with the Samsung S4 has quite a few unwanted extras. The Android OS that comes with the Nexus 5 is quite slim and I prefer its interface.
Is it possible to replace the OS running on the Samsung S4 with the Nexus-flavoured android?

Yes; The Nexus Android is closer to AOSP which is a minimal OS all the other Android distributions are built on. You probably want CM though as it's the most popular pre built ROM for your device.
https://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/Jfltexx_Info
Also unlike the Samsung ROM, CM gets security updates every month and unlike Samsung will continue to for older devices like the S2, S3, etc.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/AOSP

Do note that, by default, CM comes with a different launcher (Trebuchet), making the UI slightly different from current Nexus devices. Get Google Now Launcher if you want a somewhat better emulation of the looks.

@Andy, yes but no one really wants that.


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How to make screen stay turned on while charging?
I have 2 devices: one with Android 4.2.1 (Emotion UI 1.6), one with Android 5.1.
Android 4 device has an option in "developers" settings to always keep screen turned on while charging. Android 5 device seems not have "developers" settings at all, and I couldn't find such an option to keep screen turned on while charging anywhere.
Could I somehow tell my Android 5.1 device not to turn off the screen after timeout, when charger is plugged?

This question is an antonym to question http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/8280/how-to-make-screen-stay-turned-off-when-plugging-charger

Antonio, have you already enabled developer settings on the Android-5 device? They started to hide them around 4.2/4.3.

@Izzy yahoo! it helps! would you please write compete "answer" to this question, so I could accept it?

Sure, done :) Enjoy!

This option is still there in developer settings. Those settings have just been hidden since around Android 4.2/4.3. Our developer-options tag-wiki shows you how to enable them:

Go to Settings → About
tap the Build number entry 7 times (hammering the item)
Go back to the Settings main page, Developer Settings should now be visible

In there you'll now find the option to "keep display on".


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Android File Transfer not working on Sierra
I have a Huawei Mate S with Android 6.
After updating my MacBook Pro 13" Retina to Sierra I noticed that Android File Transfer correctly opens up when I plug the phone into the USB, but the window remains empty, as if the device isn't containing any file.

I've tried everything, switched USB mode to MTP, activated developer options, but still no joy.
The USB cable is ok, it is the original Huawei provided with the phone. I'm figuring out some permission problems, but I can't go any further in this direction.
Does anyone have the same problem?

Does files appear when connected to windows or linux? If doesn't than you should clear data and cache for 'Media storage' and 'External storage' from app manager, than reboot and wait ~5 minutes for android to index files and than connect to computer. Yeah I see you have android MM so this probably should solve the problem

@Једноруки Крстивоје: Thanks for the suggestion, I'll try that right away.

authors: Једноруки Крстивоје


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How does copy from nearby device from Nexus 5x to Nexus 6p work?
I recently got my new Nexus 6p and used that procedure (copy from another nearby device) to copy data from my existing Nexus 5x to it:
http://phoneradar.com/how-to-transfer-data-to-a-new-android-phone-with-set-up-nearby-device-feature/
However, when I got to the point where I needed to compare the two codes, I accidentally clicked on Next, without comparing them. However, everything got synced on Nexus 6p in about 10 seconds, my desktop instantly looked exactly the same (with the applications starting to install).
It got me thinking - how does the procedure work? I couldn't find info on it.

Are Bluetooth/WiFi only needed for discovery, is any data transmitted over them?
Is data kept on Google servers so that when the phones approve they are nearby there is an unique ID (or shared keys) that allow copying of account data to this exact device (Nexus 6p) from the servers to it?
Is it possible that if the codes were different and I clicked Next and if there is a man in the middle - could he/she receive the account info and at the same time I see it intact on my new Nexus 6p?

In general, I would be grateful if somebody could explain the procedure.
Thanks.