text:
Insufficient memory to download apps from playstore?
I have rooted my device. I am not sure if this is connected or not, but I cannot download apps from the play store: I get a message stating that there is insufficient memory. I have 5.6 GB available on device and 32gb available on the SD Card.
My device is a Galaxy Note 2.

We get this question frequently here, so please check: Why am I getting a “Low on Space” warning and having other weird problems?, HTC Desire low on internal storage, How can I deal with “Low on Space” messages on my HTC Incredible?, “Cannot download, not enough space” when “Phone Storage” clearly lists enough space

Btw: It's the internal storage (phone storage, nod sdcard) causing this issue. Here you need at least 25 MB free space.


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Jelly Bean resource Usage
I have a phone with 512MB of ram. The company has launched the Jelly Bean update for the phone. Currently my phone is running Android ICS 4.0.4 which has alot of lag and frameloss issues, So I am thinking to update to JB. However I am concerned about the memory usage of JB.
So my question is:
Whether JB uses more ram than ICS?

Jelly Bean uses pretty much the same amount of RAM. There's not much of a difference.
Performance-wise, Jelly Bean is much better. It will even make phones with 512MB RAM feel smooth, with some lag still, cause you know.... 512MB RAM, but it should feel much better than ICS.

Jellybean will use the same amount of RAM like ICS. But one thing, Jellybean using "BUTTER PROJECT", a project from google that beats lag..
So basically, the update from ICS to Jellybean will give much faster and smooth experience..

512 MB RAM is too little for gingerbread, let alone ICS. And you're thinking of jelly bean. Jelly bean is meant for phones with around 2 GB RAM.  Ofcourse Jelly bean uses a whole lot RAM than ICS.  You should downgrade to gingerbread or possibly froyo so that phone works well without any lag and freezeups.  Even if you downgrade to gingerbread, you should not install more apps from google play because 512 is just enough to run gingerbread without more apps. BTW, why did you buy a 512MB RAM only phone? Should have purchased at least 1 GB RAM phone. Android is becoming a heavy resource consuming system and 1 GB is minimum the way applications are being launched. Its becoming more and more bloated by the day

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


text:
How to mod android rom so none can ever install an app in it?
I already know how to modify an android ROM by modifying files, remove and add it into ROM. But I don't have knowledge to building/compiling a ROM.
I want to lock the OS so none can ever install new app to it. Well at least for they that not have a knowledge to flash the ROM with other OS.
Is there a way to prevent user from install any application to the ROM?
like removing the market app or the package installer, pros n cons?

Why would you want to do that?

the boss want it that way :)

Your idea of removing the store and package installer should work.
To do so, delete the following apks (and any .odex files of the same name) from /system/app, either in your ROM image or after obtaining root.

DefaultContainerService.apk - used for app installs by both the Play store and Packageinstaller.
PackageInstaller.apk - This is used to install non-market apps.
Vending.apk - This is the Play store.
Phonesky.apk - This is the Play store on JB and some ICS builds.

With those gone (and the phone unrooted), it should be impossible to install anything.
Note : I have not tested this.  Making a backup before doing this would be advisable.

Removing just the PackageInstaller should do. Tried it myself, even play store apps wont install.

I think the easier way would be with a modded stock ROM. Starting with a full stock ROM, I would do the following:

Root the ROM.
Install a custom kernel with init.d support.
Remove unwanted google apps.
Set /data to read only. You can do this with a init.d script that remounts the folder: mount -o remount,ro /data
Remove root.

The only problem is that the user wouldn't be able to save no data. Another aproach might be to change the permisions of /data/app folders (app-private and so) to 644 (755 for directories) and change ownership to root. That way the user won't be able to write to the apps folder, but it would be able to save information in the /data folder (and subfolders).
If you don't need any google apps, you can use CyanogenMod or other Custom ROM that doesn't have anything from Google apps installed.

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


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Wifi Not Connecting - Cyanogenmod 10 TF101
I just installed Cyanogenmod 10 on my Transformer TF101 and every time I try to connect to my home network, it says 'Connecting...' then it goes to 'Saved, secured with WPA' without the internet connection.

Any debug log (logcat or router log)? Otherwise it's hard to guess, with the crystal ball broken...

If you have MAC blacklist on your AP, check if the MAC has changed when you've installed CM10. Also check your WPA passphrase.

I had the same problem after flashing it with CM 10 Nightly, but after debugging on settings, I found a fix. I don't know if it's a bug or what, but what I did was:

'forget' my network
Connect to it again (make sure your security key is entered correctly)
If still says, "saved, secured with WPA", don't hesitate, you're still not done
On your Wi-Fi window, press your menu button
Choose "Advanced"
There should be a "Wi-Fi frequency band" choice, make sure it's on "auto"
Still not working? Underneath the "Wi-Fi frequency band", there should be "Wi-Fi region code".
I don't know if yours has a choice selected, but mine didn't. I chose "United States" and voila, when I went back, it showed "connected" and my Wi-Fi sign finally showed on my status bar

The "Wifi region code" part solved my problem. Thanks!


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Why is "Samsung Push Service" using so much of my battery?
Looking at the battery usage summary on my Galaxy Ace Plus (GT-S7500), I found that "Samsung Push Service" (v1.0.4) has used 29% of my battery. I'm having problems with the battery not lasting very long (about 1 day mostly on standby), so anything that extends the time a charge lasts will be valuable.
What does the "Samsung Push Service" do? Should I uninstall it (I never chose to install it, so it must have been on the phone to start with), or is there another way to reduce it's battery usage?
Edit: When drilling down into the Samsung Push Service from battery usage, I see that is keeping my phone permanently awake. This doesn't seem sensible!

You won't be able to uninstall it as it's most likely a system app. You could try going to settings->apps->manage apps if you can find and disable it. This way you a) get rid of its running service, and b) can re-enable it anytime if needed (e.g. if you find out some other apps depend on it, and the system starts behaving strangely).

I couldn't stop it (or do anything at all) from Settings -> Applications -> Manage Applications -> All -> Samsung Push Service.
I opened "Samsung Apps" and it prompted me to upgrade. After that had completed, I went to Settings -> About Phone -> Battery Usage -> Samsung Push Service and chose Force Stop, as it still seemed to be running heavily.
Upon powering the phone off and on, the App started up again, but no longer keeps the phone awake. I see it's now running version 1.1.4, which may have fixed the problem?

I accidentally downloaded the Push Service and, as I haven't a clue what it is for, I followed the instructions in this forum and it seems to have uninstalled. Possibly, I'm mistaken but it is worth a try.


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Disable or uninstall side bar on android
I'm wondering if it is possible to disable or uninstall this bar that I show on this image. I'm sorry i don't know what it is named that is why I included the image (click to enlarge). I'm using Android version 4.1.

Here specified how to disable this Multi window feature in Samsung 4.1 Jellybean's feature.
You can disable it by clicking Multi-window Icon on Notification bar.

Answer with only a link isn't considered helpful.

Thats why I added the second line. :)
It's the method to disable Multi window.

Sorry didn't realize. Cheers.

No problms. cheers :)


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Rooting of Samsung Galaxy S2 didnt work - LPB kernel
My phone is a Samsung Galaxy S2, purchased in Singapore. The OS is Android 4.0.3. I wanted to root it, and followed the method specified in this xdadevelopers post.
My kernel is *LPB* (I dont remember the whole thing, and that post says only these 3 letters are relevant anyway).
I tried to follow the instructions and flash both the LPB kernels suggested in that post, but in both cases, while booting, my device shows the Samsung screen with the  yellow triangle and then immediately switches off.
I am still able to go to download mode.

I solved this by following the feedback from this phandroid post
I used the next higher kernel that is LPD and it worked! .LPH kernel as suggested by another answerer, did NOT work.
The original solution :

Hi, I had the same problem which stumped me as well. I found the answer on a different thread; just use the kernel that is the 'next one up', which in this case is LPD. Works perfectly.

Adding it here just in case someone else comes looking.


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Without Root, why can I pull a specific apk using adb, but not everything in /data/app. Android 4+?
Using: Droid Bionic 4.04 without Root.
I can use the adb to pull a specific apk file to my PC, for example,
     adb pull /data/app/com.google.android.gm-1.apk C:\my-hacks

which pull gmail's apk file. But when I try to copy the entire /data/app directory with
     adb pull /data/app C:\myhacks

the command line reads
pull: building file list...
0 files pulled. 0 files skipped.
I don't understand why I have permission to pull specific files from /data/ but not everything.

It's a "permission and privacy" thing. While the .apk does not have any privacy concerns involved (and thus can give read permission to everyone), the data do, and thus the directory is only readable by owner, group, and root (not by "other", which is what you would need -- "other" has only eXecute permissions).
ls -l / | grep data
drwxrwx--x   25 system   system  4096 Jan 28 17:51 data

Which means: Specifying the file directly, you can pull it (as it has the required file permissions, and the directory permits you to cd into due to the set eXecute bit). Specifying the directory instead fails, as this would require to change (cd) into the directory (which works) and build a list of files contained -- which is impossible due to the missing read permission on the directory entry itself.

Izzy's answer is good and well explained. Building on that, if you are root, you can open root explorer, navigate to /data/ and change the permissions on the app folder.
Simply long press the app, tap Permissions, and next to other, check the appropriate box(es).


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Xperia Neo V not able to load OS
My Sony Xperia Neo V mobile cannot load the desktop screen, menus and all. The mobile gets started and shows the "SONY" and "XPERIA" splash screens. After that, again the phone gets restarted and displays the splash screens again.
Can anyone please tell me if there is any problem occuring in the OS or in the hardware? Before it happens I kept my phone in my pocket which is in slightly wet.
SPECS:

Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo V (MT11i)
Build number / version - Android 4.1.B.0.587
OS - ICS

Did you install anything new recently?

Yesterday I installed a game. but that didn't make any changes in my device, Izzy.

Before that installation everything worked fine? In that case I wouldn't be too sure that it didn't make any changes. Though it's unlikely to have affected boot at that stage, being a game.

A boot-loop can have different reasons. Though in most cases this happens after flashing a new ROM, other things might affect it as well: e.g. some system related apps which have services or the like started quite early. But those special cases usually rather result in a force-close-loop than in a boot-loop.
Things you can try:
Safe mode
See whether you can boot your device into safe mode (according to an XDA post, this should be achieved by keeping Vol- and Power pressed simultaneously until the phone is booted up, and shows the string "safe mode" in the lower left corner). If that works, it is one of the apps you lately installed which causes this problem. Go and remove the app (via Settings→Apps→Manage Apps), reboot, and you should be fine. In case you get problems leaving safe mode: Power down, take out the battery for 30s, insert it again, power up.
Recovery mode
If safe mode is not reachable either, you can try booting to recovery mode (should be Vol++Vol-+Power). In the menu appearing there, select to "Wipe Cache". Reboot.
If the problem still persists, and you have no custom recovery, all that's left to you to try is a factory reset. This will wipe all your data and the apps you've installed. You can do so from the very same recovery menu by chosing "Wipe data" or "Factory reset" (it is labeled either the one or the other).
In case you have a custom recovery, you can try first to only "Wipe Dalvik Cache".


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How to find the lost mobile when no tracker app is installed?
3 weeks ago, I lost my Samsung Galaxy Ace Dduos 6082.
I don't have any tracker applications or any "if lost" applications installed. I'm looking for some tracker. I have IMEI number and Gmail installed in that.
Is there any way to find my lost Samsung Galaxy Ace S6082?

Have you heard of plan b ?

Plan B is your last resort to find your missing phone. This is the
  first and only 'find my phone' app that you download AFTER you've
  already lost your phone. Having Lookout on your phone is the best way
  to protect your phone and find it fast, but use Plan B if you have
  already lost your phone and didn't have Lookout installed.

=================
NOTE: Plan B only works with 2.0 - 2.3 versions of Android
=================

And so is AndroidLost as long as you are sure that the lost phone still uses your GMail account.


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How to access internal memory of HTC Wildfire Buzz with out starting phone
I have HTC Wildfire Buzz it is very sad to say that i deleted some system files in Internal memory and my htc wildfire can not start  it will restart continue,  but before deleting i have copied all system file in external memory(Memory Card) so please help me how to paste all files in internal memory system folder without starting phone

I doubt you could do that manually. Why not just install the OS again?

How to install the OS again please help...

I'd suggest you take your phone to your local HTC dealer, worst case take the phone to some one good with Android phones and ask that person to do it for you. By the sound of it you'll mix up everything and might brick the phone.

hey good news i stall cyanogenmod successfully,but i cant see googleplay and google apps how its back?


text:
Are apps backed up/restored with Titanium Backup just as "good" as through Google?
Is the backup/restore process of Titanium Backup just as good and functional as Google's native processes? In other words, will an app backed up and restored by Titanium Backup run and be just as functional, efficient, and "good" as an app restored through Google (e.g., Play Store)?
I'm in the process of Titanium Backup'ing my old Nexus 7 16GB and prepping to restore it on a new Nexus 7 32GB. I'm worried, however, that between the Nexii, they're running vastly different operating systems and even Android versions. I cringe, thinking of the audacity of trying something like that on a PC -- merely copying a complex program's directory from "Program Files" on a Windows 2000 machine and then pasting it into a Windows 8 machine, expecting it to start raining down peaches of error-free bliss.
I'm trying to come up with a "regimen" for myself between ROMs and devices -- a plan of repeatable steps to make the transplanting of apps and data across devices seamless and quick. But currently, my OCD softly whispers in my ear "Those backed up apps aren't good enough. They will always be less than what they were. Only an official reinstall through the Google Play Store will be sufficient. You're worthless." Etc.
(NOTE: Additional questions below come from my brainstorming process in determining the best way to phrase this issue succinctly. These questions are closely tied to this question's subject, and knowing them may prove useful in helping one to understand the core of my ill-knowledge, and perhaps tailor an appropriate or more effective "vector" of information to the answer. However, these questions are supplementary and entirely optional information, merely supporting the core issue of misunderstanding, and do not require answering to officially answer this topic's question.)
Is there any harm in backing up and restoring apps (app and data) across devices, operating systems, and versions, and doing so with a 3rd party app like Titanium Backup? And would this depend on the "gap" of difference between the two devices/OS's/Android versions? How "personalized" are Android apps to the devices they're installed on, and are their "inferior" ways for an app to be restored (leading to subsequent inferior operation, post-restore)? Is there a "limit" to the difference of device/model/OS/Android that can be tolerated in backing up and restoring an app from one device to another?

That's comparing apples with peaches, as Googles backup service needs to be explicitly supported by the apps it should backup -- which is not a pre-condition for TB. TB has much more functions, and does backup a lot more.

In short: Yes. Titanium Backup aims to just do that. In most circumstances this works as advertised with some limitations, e.g. system apps when you move their backups between devices or between different android versions (after you applied an firmware upgrade).

would you elaborate? should I restore system apps?


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I have low internal Storage, But i have no apps on my phone?
My phone is an Android Evo, and it keeps telling me I have low storage. I have removed everything - facebook, email, messages, text messages, and pictures, but it's still low.

Please hover your mouse over the internal-storage tag and click on the "info" link in that box. Update your question when you've tried the solutions provided there.

Go to Settings > Storage.
This should list available space and the size of used space for apps, pictures, videos, music, downloads, etc.
You can use this as a guide to go through your storage and find files you can clean up.
Once you have figured out what is taking up a lot of space, then you can ask how to clear up a particular item.

Try clearing out the cache files.

This is pretty vague. Can you explain how to go about doing this?

Caches are pretty small. So clearing it useless. Also apps will always rebuild cache once its cleared


text:
How to stop Android asking for permission before permitting access to USB device
I have an application running on a rooted no-name Android tablet running ICS 4.0.3 that controls a USB device via the USB host mode interface.  The android.hardware.usb.host.xml file is present in /system/etc/permissions and everything works wonderfully.  Except...
When I run the app for the first time following a reboot and then plug in the USB device I get a popup window saying "Allow the app APPNAME to access the USB device?  [] Use by default for this USB device.  Cancel  OK" and I have to tap OK before it can start using the device.
I need to turn off the user confirmation so that the app can use the device straight away.  How do I do this?  I've seem some suggestions about using a keypress generator to simulate the user tapping the button on the screen but I'd prefer to avoid that sort of approach and set things up so that the confirmation request simply doesn't happen.
I probably can't get the supplier to do a custom kernel build for me, but I should be able to get the firmware signing key from them so I can sign my app as a system app, if that will help.
One associated problem: ticking the "Use by default for this USB device" box doesn't appear to help - if I unplug and replug the device then I get the confirmation prompt again.  I have noticed in this situation that the device number in /dev/bus/usb/001/ changes each time I unplug and replug (001, 002, 003 etc) which perhaps explains this particular problemette.

What happens if you deploy the app into /system/app? You can try this with and without system signing. I write this as a comment because (a) I haven't tried it, and (b) I don't know whether this deployment model is available to you.

This question and answer is basically a duplicate of
https://stackoverflow.com/a/15151075/588476
See the above link for an example program and more in depth discussion.
As far as I know, there are two ways to get the USB permission box popup:

Request permission explicitly from your application using UsbManager.requestPermission(...)
Register an intent-filter on your accessory and let the system ask for permission  when the device is attached

In the case of 1 I have found that the checkbox on the popup to remember the permission has no effect.
For me, I removed all code related to permissions from my software and simply put the intent-filter in my manifest. When the USB device is plugged in, if it hasn't already been granted permission then the USB permission box will popup. If the user clicks OK without checking the remember box, then the box will popup again the next time the device is connected. However if the user checks the box and presses OK then the box should never display again (unless the software is uninstalled and then reinstalled).
I'm not sure if there is a bug somewhere related to your device showing up as /dev/bus/usb/001 and then 002 etc - let me know if you are using the intent-filter, as without that the remember checkbox will do nothing.
I do not know of any way that you can avoid the permission popup altogether. I suspect there is no way to do it without digging into the android code like you said.

Are you sure?  I'm still seeing the permission request when the device is unplugged and reconnected.  This behaviour is consistent with the documentation in http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/connectivity/usb/host.html.  The "Using an intent filter" section says "If users accept, your application automatically has permission to access the device until the device is disconnected"

I can only vouch for the Nexus 7, Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note, on those devices I only have to accept the permission once (the Android device is running in host mode) - provided I enable the checkbox to remember the decision. What device/version of android are you using, I get the feeling it is a custom/OEM device?

It's an OEM 7-inch tablet based on the WonderMedia WM8850-mid SOM running their flavour of Android 4.0.3.

Intent-filters are working only for the current boot session. Yes I plug a usb device to my phone and it grants permission automatically

Further to my comment, I had a look into the underlying Android code.
I have a possible answer, but with no less than four major caveats and obstacles:

I haven't tried it, because I don't have any suitable USB devices to hand.
You need a new permission
The permission requires that you are a system app
The code requires access to something not in the public API

Forget about this if deploying ordinary after-market apps!
The first prerequisite is that you have the MANAGE_USB permission. That is described here.
However in turn the prerequisites for that are that you sign with the system key, and you install your app into /system/app.
Anyway, if you're OK with that, here's some code:
   IBinder b = ServiceManager.getService(USB_SERVICE);
   IUsbManager service = IUsbManager.Stub.asInterface(b);
   service.grantDevicePermission(mDevice, uid);

mDevice is the device from before.
uid is your own app's UID and you can look that up. An example of how to do that is the first answer here.
All good? No. ServiceManager is android.os.ServiceManager and thus isn't a public API. That, in this example, is your way to getting your hands on the IUsbManager service (there may be other routes). Now, getting around that is beyond the scope of my answer; in the old days you could use reflection, but I don't know if you still can.
After all of those shenanigans, it looks like you don't need to request permission any more, and if you do, it will return immediately with no dialog.

without signed i forge this instruction?


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Difference between GINGERBREAD.DDLJ1 and GINGERBREAD.DDMA3 build number on Samsung Galaxy Y Duos?
I am using Samsung Galaxy Y Duos phone. Today, my phone showed the notification for software update. So, I clicked on it and installed the updates. The update was more than 12 MB in size.
Before update, my phone was showing GINGERBREAD.DDLJ1 build number. Now, it is GINGERBREAD.DDMA3.
I Googled for it, but did not get any information about it. Is this build number given by Samsung or Google? How will I know what this update changed, or what new features it added to my phone? How will I know what performance impacts it has on my phone?
Normally whenever we update the app, it shows changelog about changes or new features to be added to that app. But, they are not providing any kind of changelog after the OS update.

Give it a little bit more time... If that version is new, it's possible there are no changelogs (update info) for the OS yet.

Did the Android subversion change? Ex. 2.3.4 to 2.3.5

@ZnewmaN: no it is still 2.3.6

DDLJ1 and Builds starting from DD are the roms basically made for Indian based samsung models. These are official update pushed by Samsung called OTA updates. For more info on samsung's builds you ca refer http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/1/

Check your internal memory. It will not be increased but the apps will take less load on internal memory. And there will be better stability.

Please don't use ALL CAPS

I didn't feel any difference in performance of my phone.


text:
Google location history shows me driving 700 miles when I only drive for 30 miles
I'm not exactly sure when it happened. Originally my location history was accurate. About a month ago my location history map looked close to being correct but the mileage was ridiculous!
For example, I drive about 30 miles one way to work. Most of the time lately the mileage shows me driving about 700 miles! It looks like it might be making multiple trips but I can't tell because I can't expand the history map.
I have a Nexus 4 with a straight talk SIM using AT&T.
Any ideas what could cause this strange behaviour -- or even better, how to fix it?

What was same issue another user had and the entry was labeled too vague and closed that referring to?

@t0mm13b I guess Eric refers to this one: inaccurate location history

Has there been any change in the way you use your phone's location services? Obviously disabling use of GPS will throw off location history, but remember that apps like Tasker or Locale can be set to disable and re-enable location services based on context.

See also: Google Maps Location History is showing an incorrect location

Not sure if this really qualifies as an answer, but since I don't have enough points to comment and I do want to contribute what I've discovered about this problem, it'll have to do...
I've had a very similar sounding problem for the last 2 weeks or so with no obvious trigger in terms of app or firmware updates. My location history has gone crazy with some days getting reported travel distances of 10 - 20 thousand miles in spite of me just going to work and back (60 miles each way).
What is happening is that while I am at work, or travelling (or anywhere away from home), location points are being recorded for where I actually am, then for a point very close to my home location, then back where I am again, then back at home, etc. The system seems to be seeing me travelling home and back roughly once per minute, and all those journeys quickly add up!
So far I have tried switching off wifi/cell location services, but that gives you basically no location history and Google Now is largely disabled, so that's no help.

Turning wifi/cell location services back on and then turning wifi off when away from home does help - it gets rid of the 'home and back' in one minute journeys, but the location history is less accurate when away from home. I am using an app called 'Llama' to do this automatically at the moment.
My conclusion from this is that for some reason wifi location reporting is giving a bogus result of 'near home' constantly throughout the day. The only sensible reason I can think of for this would be if I was carrying around another device acting as a wifi access point and that Google location services had learned to location of that wifi point as being at my home. However, I'm not actually carrying around such a device.
Next steps I am considering trying :

wipe the data associated with the maps app on the device
wipe the data associated with the wifi app on the device
do a factory reset on the device and restore

As suggested by GAThrawn below, the most likely cause of this problem is having a second Android device set to report location in addition to your primary device. You take your phone with you, but your tablet sits at home. Both report their location once per minute, or thereabouts, and your location history goes crazy.
The solution in my case was simply to turn off location reporting in the Google maps settings on the secondary device.
I also have a Nexus 4, on T-mobile UK

A partial answer is better than no answer.

How many Android devices do you have using your Google account? I was getting the same thing with location bouncing to and from work at one point, until I realised that Location History was being recorded by my phone (which was with me at work) and also my tablet (which rarely leaves my home). Once I disabled location reporting on the tablet things started looking much more realistic.

GAThrawn, I think you are absolutely correct - I have a tablet at home that I'd recently installed CyanogenMod on and I had turned on location reporting on it. My experiment with no wifi simply coincided with the battery on the tablet running flat, therefore the phone location was the only one again. I will edit my answer to remove the misleading bits and point to your comment. Thanks!

I had the same issue. I have a second device at home which was intermittently causing my location to jump back to home multiple times a day.
Disabling reporting on the device seems to have fixed the issue.


text:
Is there a RAM test for Android devices?
I need to fix a friend's phone this evening that has suddenly produced loads of android.process.media and com.google.process.gapps errors.  I am going to reinstall the OS as it's an older ROM but it got me wondering: there is memtest for x86 based devices that will test the RAM of a PC, is there a similar app that can be loaded in place of an OS on Android that will do the same thing?

Not that I know of, for starters MemTest x86 is specifically orientated obviously to x86 architecture. None such thing exists for ARMv6 or ARMv7 architecture! The reason you're getting force closes there - has nothing to do with RAM chips, rather, a app that was installed somewhat crashed the dalvikvm's cache which produces the neglible effect, or possibly modified a framework portion to add extra icons and whatnots and re-flashed it back in or pushed it into the handset...

I loaded a fresh ROM to the device and have not had a recurrence of the issue.  I still feel this question has merit in that it might someday be answered -- I know of no hardware diagnostics, be it for ARMv6, ARMv7, or any other potential architecture.  It would be useful.

In all fairness, the controls and regulations involved in producing RAM chips is quite high and there would be no room for errors that would be tolerated either (think of equivalent Intel's pre-fabrication factory...) Devices like smartphones with their RAM chips tightly integrated, are not going to fail. SO I think your question is not a real question and not constructive either. As you have found out, a simple wipe/flash of the ROM cured the hiccup and has zero to do with RAM chips!!!

Sorry tm, but obviously you know only little about integrated circuits. Of course the memory of a handheld device can fail. It is in this respect no different than any other memory. The reason why there are no testing utilities are not clear to me either. I guess that most people would not bother to check but just claim their guarantee. Also, these tools run typically at boot time, so the phone must be put in recovery mode - also not very attractive when you can just exchange the device.

Unfortunately there isn't any tool like memtest86 for ARM architecture. Related: How to disable bad RAM addresses and fix bad storage blocks?.

This tests RAM, storage and well many other device features: Phone Check (and Test)

Apps can't test hardware resources without root access. All they can do is either rely on system provided APIs to get AMAP information about hardware, or perform a stress test within the limitations enforced by OS. So they can't estimate performance correctly.

Like to point out that Apps most definitely can test hardware without root access. Bad memory can be traced via stress tests even within OS limitations, although not pinpointed but to know if its bad or not its quite useful.

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


text:
How can I automatically set up Android as USB storage only when connected to my PC?
How can I set up Android to automatically act as USB storage only when connected to my computer (or other "known" devices), without asking additional questions?
I want to have those questions on other computers (charging by default).
I understand the questions are for the security reasons, but I trust my machine,
so I don't need to answer any questions each time.
The device is rooted, cyanogenmod 7, Tasker and Locale installed.


text:
how to capture any .apk download
We are seeking a reliable method to get the .apk file for any arbitrary application that may currently exist on Google Play store. ("legit" reasons may be e.g. to later restore to application v8 even if only application v11 is available to public).
I am not aware of any utility that can do this, so one approach might be to capture all packets which cross your wireless network to your Android device, like when the user installs an app from Play store. So we want to see if it's possible to capture all .apk files downloaded to the Android device upon user install from Play.

which wireless capture utility should you use (e.g. pcap?), and should it be run from your Android or some other machine?
how do you reassemble a .apk file from a sequence of frames?
Is there any encryption of data that would prevent the capture of the .apk file?
Is there an easier way to get an .apk? Tried the emulator but it doesn't work for all apps. adb backup gives a compressed .ab file, but we want the .apk itself in extracted form, and not buried in some .ab compressed file.

Related: Can I build an APK from an installed app and its data?

Related: How to access Android APKs without rooting

Related: Get installed apps as APK within Android?

Related: How can I download an APK file from the Play Store?

As for your "legit" reason: Where can find older versions of Apps?

Why so difficult? Simply install AppMonster Pro Backup Restore (yes, the Pro version -- the free doesn't do this automatically), and on each install/update the corresponding .apk file is automatically backed up to your SDCard. You can configure the app to keep all .apk files, or only the latest N (number freely configurable), even pinning of a "stable version" to always keep is possible.

AppMonster only takes care for the .apk files (not for app data). As a side effect, it even shows you if an app contains an ad module, and you can have it notify you if an just installed app can be moved to SDCard via App2SD.

+1 although the answer at http://android.stackexchange.com/a/27783/23748 worked for me (free).

If you are satisfied with doing so manually, you can of course also take the free version of AppMonster. I understood you wanted to do so automatically on each install/update. Nevermind: Now you've got a choice :)

Have you searched previous questions? I think that both How to take backup of all installed APKs from Phone to PC and How to access Android APKs without rooting answer this question by providing utilities to extract/backup the APK files for installed apps. Do none of those suggestions suit your goal?
IMHO trying to sniff and reassemble packets is much too complicated - I recommend continued investigation into on-device utilities.


text:
Creating a .dd image of a Galaxy S3 without rooting the phone
I'm working for my university's CS Department, and we've got a Digital Forensics project which requires us to create a one-to-one .dd image of a T-Mobile Galaxy S3 (Jellybean 4.1), so that we can recover some deleted data. I've done some Googling, and called Samsung, but I haven't been able to find any way to create an uncompressed image without rooting, and we can't root the phone without dealing with some legal ramifications.
Does anyone know of a program that can get the image without rooting?

It's impossible to obtain block level access to a block device without root, since all of those files grant the write permission only to root. At least I have never seen it any other way and I doubt that the S3 is an exception here.
It's not because it's technically impossible, the default permissions simply forbid it. A this is done for a pretty good reason: It would be a major security issue if this was possible: The normal user could get a dump of all the filesystem data.

Damn. I'll keep the question open for a bit, just in case anyone has a work-around. Thanks for the response!

np, but I doubt that you will hear any other answer because of the reasons I added with my edit.

If there will be another response, it can only point to a security hole -- which hopefully then is subject for a really fast fix. For more details, you might want to take a look into Andrew Hoog's book Android Forensics and mobile security, published at Elsevier (German version by Franzis) and available e.g. on Amazon. As a forensics specialist (and chief investigator), he also had to deal with the issue you described. (Disclosure: I translated this book from English to German for Franzis)

Try Concepts like JTAG ...
As far as i know, It is the only method to take a complete image of a non-rooted Device.
Correct me if i'm wrong


text:
MicroSD card performance during boot
I have a Nook HD+ and a Nook HD.
When I ran CyanogenMod off of a MicroSD card, the Class I (43MB/s) doesn't even boot!  I spent $30 on a 32GB one.
The Class 10 (10MB/s) 16GB booted, but ran poorly
The Class 4 (4MB/s) 16GB ran perfectly.
A co-worker said that there were problems with newer classes and the phones / tablets.
My question is: Why is this so? Is there a fix for this? What are the recommendations for good-performing MicroSD cards?
My co-worker said Sandisk Class 4 were the best, of which I have one more to play with.

Class 1 is the lowest speed on a SD card, don't know where you get its 43MB/s. I suggest you check SDTools app on Play Store to see the actual SD card speed.

I said Class I, not class 1... oh snap... No I didn't.  I meant Class I.

The issue with most class10 sdcards for most devices is it's higher clock speed
A normal microsd (class6-below) operates only @ 0-25MHz compared to
A class10 microsd (UHS-I-UHS-II) operates @ 0-100MHz (up to 208MHz for UHS104)
This messes up with the controller on the card reader of your Nook and mistimes the writing and reading on the card making its performance appear worse. Some class10 sdcards adapt to slow controllers but I think most class10's are design for the newer.
I still have my xperia play and I use sandisk's 32GB UHS-I class10 card. The card's performance was terrible until I got across a hack to the TI card reader controller I found on xda forums. I flashed the custom driver which fixes the timing issue on newer card and now I can get up to 12MB write/ 25MB read, no write drops, and makes a it a great swap partition.
Try to find a custom driver hack for your nook, but you will be taking big risks because you will be modifying a very low-level part of your device.


text:
Can I use my PC as an audio device for my Android phone?
I know it is possible to play music from my Android using the PC as the output device. This takes place over the local Wi-Fi network. However, the solutions given here don't work for me, since they are limited to playing music files, and one isn't even available in my country.
Is there a way for me to connect the Android and the PC, such that all sound the device generates from any application uses the PC as the output device?
I do not have Bluetooth on my PC, though I'm aware that if I did, I could probably use that.
I have Jelly Bean 4.1.2 on a rooted Droid RAZR MAXX, so solutions requiring root are OK. Though I would rather not replace the firmware if I can avoid it. It's also OK if the solution involves the USB cable.

Did you go throgh this

@vini The PC is not a USB accessory. How would that help?

The playstore helds a lot of streaming apps which work bi-directional. One I can remember is BubbleUPnP. Tough that doesn't exactly make your Android device an "external speaker" (I don't know about any help on that feature), it does not limit it to music files.

I gave up and bought a Bluetooth dongle for my PC, but I'm still interested in any other possibilities not requiring Bluetooth.

A good app for this is BubbleUPnP for DLNA/Chromecast
Unlike other media server apps, it supports a lot of devices:

Chromecast, Chromecast Audio, Nexus Player, Nvidia Shield, and other Google
Cast devices
DLNA TVs and music receivers from popular TV and HiFi brands
Xbox 360 and One, Playstation 3 and 4(**)
Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick
local Android playback

It possess both media servering and rendering functionalies so your audio will be pushed to the playback DLNA device e.g TV and can do vice versa.
Unfortunately you'll need root to enable Audio Cast, and the popular Xposed Framework tool BubbleUPnP (Audio Cast)  as well. You don't need to download an extra module - the Xposed module for Audio Cast is included in the standard BubbleUPnP app.
Credits

BubbleUPnP


text:
Answer phone calls directly from computer (Linux)
When I'm on my work computer, I'd like to connect my phone via USB and have the possibility to answer calls or initiate calls directly from my computer, using a microphone handset directly connected to the computer, not the phone.
I Googled assuming something like this already existed, but I didn't find that specific use (I found GtalkSMS, EasySMS, AirDroid, but most of them are for SMS/MMS only).
How can this be done?
It would be great if this would be directly connected to Google+ (like initiating a Hangout that would automatically use my phone, or a GTalk call that would use my connected phone instead of a "web" phone number).

Related: Can I forward/reply calls/sms to PC?, Answer my phone on my Tablet?

I read the two other links, but apparently, it does the opposite : receive call to Google Chat via a "Google Voice number". I want to receive call on my computer when someone dials my personal mobile number

Using bluetooth HFP it possible in Windows 7 PC's but don't know whether it will work in Linux. so if you have a windows pc you can try to connect you phone and try in advance phone operations window you can call using a PC

Related questions  A, B

The only Linux application I know that could achieve this is 'HFP for Linux'. It works by implementing the Bluetooth HFP 1.5 Hands-Free Profile (PDF file), which basically makes your PC a remote control/headset for your Android phone.

this sounds cool. but how do i install this software?

There is a Java application which you can use to connect your Android device with your Linux/Windows installation. It needs ADB.
As part of your question, without a USB, you can use ADB's tcpip function so you won't need a USB cable all the time. Just connect it once, enable tcpip, and then connect over a wireless connection.
It won't forward your incoming calls, but you can use your Android screen. I have written a tutorial on its usage as well.
Once connected with ADB, you can dial a number from the phone like this:
adb shell am start -a android.intent.action.CALL -d tel:+12345678

this works but you can only call and then you have to go to your phone ....

As far as I've seen, there's no solution aside from ADB and custom coding to perform call forwarding over USB that can be trusted; Bluetooth self-induced MitM, I don't consider it very secure for client calls. Side note here, "Bad USB" (AKA Rubber Ducky or HID) attacks are too easy to deploy if your device is infected with the latest generation of cross-platform malware; if one cares about their workplace security, phones shouldn't be plugged into the corporate network or computers. So, I'll suggest what I know to have worked for providing similar features you've requested.
The trick I've used in the past doesn't require the phone to be connected to a PC to answer calls but should still work as desired; look up Google Voice number to forward calls to your cell or PC; an additional benefit of using Google Voice is that groups of contacts or individual contacts can have their own custom voice mail greetings setup.

This is what one of Apple's "Continuity" features, "Handoff", does... yes? But Handoff's only good between Mac and iPhone, so I have used Google Voice to dial and answer calls to my Android phone on my Mac.
You can connect your phone to Google Voice or port your number to Google Voice and then you can use Hangouts to answer and make calls. (If you have Sprint, like I do, this works great! Just use your number as a Google Voice number and it's totally synced; unlike fully porting your number over, everything stays the same with your Sprint service except now you use Google Voice VM but it's better and more convenient anyhow and nothing changes from the phone-side).
Also, have you tried AirDroid (AirMirror)? I use AirDroid for controlling my phone from the computer (Mac App or Website > computer and phone must be hooked to the same network); I also have it set up as security and to find the location, in case my phone is lost or stolen. And I use Pushbullet's Chrome extension for texting [because it is easier and I discovered it first;)].
AirDroid(AirMirror) is almost like Handoff except I don't know if it accepts incoming calls, but you can make outgoing. Check out: http://gadgets.ndtv.com/apps/features/how-to-make-calls-send-and-receive-sms-from-your-computer-using-an-android-phone-654766
There are a couple company's that I read about that are said to offer this exact solution but I don't have personal experience (except
"Vysor", I have used as an Android mirroring app for presentations):

Remote Phone call- https://www.justremotephone.com/
*Mobizen- mobizen.com
Vysor

*Seems like a great platform.
But ultimately, it seems like these are simply mirroring apps. Which actually could be just fine; the mirroring route is not as clean and fluid as Google Voice has been for me because of the necessary setup, every. single. time. But it could be an easy hack or workaround for this problem.  You just activate the mirroring system when you sit down for work on your computer, then plug your headset into your phone, and then you can use the app's screen mirroring your phone to answer or dial calls, etc.
Either way, there are so many apps and stuff out there, I'm sure there are other options but in my experience, Google Voice has been the best at doing what you asked, and it's simple and seamless > once you set it up, you can forget about it!

apple's "handoff" only works about 50% of the time. i have tried with iphone 6+ 6s+, and macbook pro's from 2012 all the way to 2016 - same story every time.  so that's a terrible comparison IMHO

I use Mightytext as it allows you to dial phone calls and send SMS messages from the browser. I have used it on Windows & Linux with an android phone. No need for a USB connection either.

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


text:
Any way to synchronize calendar app across Android and iOS?
Me and my partner have been searching for ages for a calendar application that will sync across both Android and iOS devices (as she has an iPhone). We would love to be able to see each others calendars but can't find an app anywhere which will let us do this effectively?
Anybody know of any?

You mean you like to sync your and your partners calender events?

@vini yeah that's exactly what I mean

Ok - I've found a nice article which solves it...
http://www.itguyfixit.com/2010/09/how-to-sync-google-shared-calendars.html

@Rich would you mind to answer your own question with an excerpt of the mentioned article, including the link and your own comments -- and then later (in 2+ days, when that option appears) accept this answer? That makes it easier for other "searchers" to recognize your question as having a solution. Moreover, it preserves the content in case the linked page disappears. Thank you!

This isn't really an Android problem, per se.
My wife and I have been effectively sharing our calendars for a few years. I use Android, she uses an iPhone.
The secret sauce is to use Google Calendar.

We each have our own Google Accounts, and have shared (read-access) with each other.
We also have created shared calendars for both of our kids, Household events (e.g., when is the trash picked up), Local events we might want to attend, and the schedule for their schools

Getting the calendar(s) into Android is academic (and I just use the standard Calendar app). She simply needed to connect her calendar app. (She is having a problem where sometimes events she creates on her device don't show up, but that's an iPhone issue.)


text:
Cell Broadcast option in HTC Raider ICS
I updated my phone to Ice cream sandwich last week. I cant find any option to turn off cell broadcast messages. I have tried everything, looking in call settings, message settings everywhere. I get these annoying messages one after the other!
Can anybody please solve this out? and yes, avoid repeatation that go in call settings or message settings. Its not there!!

You can find this option under Settings > Call > Cell broadcast. Where you can enable or disable receipt of cell broadcast messages.

I already mentioned, its not there.

@MAezazA.Mirza - As per HTC Raider guideline - PDF, The option is available there.

yea.. thats the confusion that I cant find tis option on my phone. May be its because of upgrade, I guess.


text:
Get the default contact phone number
When we dial a selected contact, the first phone number is always picked (unless another number has a default flag set in DB). How can someone get that first phone number? How are those numbers ordered?

You can define the default number yourself:

open the "contacts" / "people" app
tap the contact to view it
long-tap (i.e. tap-and-hold) the number you want to make the default, a pop-up will open
select "make default"

May also say "Make Primary". depends on Andriod version.


text:
How do I get the Music Player to display all ID3 tags
Music players like DoubleTwist are based on iTunes which supports very few ID3 tags. The ones supported are adequate for pop music but hopeless for classical music or even jazz. For example, in random play you may well want to keep whole compositions together, like a Beethoven Symphony with 4 movements and therefore four tracks. Again, compendium albums often have multiple composers so tagging (and displaying) the composer for each track is useful.
The Musichi software suite lets me tag my classical albums appropriately and has a player for the PC which takes advantage of the tagging. But there is no support for Android at this point in time.
Anyone know of a way I can do this?

Welcome to the Android Enthusiasts! Please note that your question is off topic (Is there an app for X?) according to our [FAQ].

I've tweaked the question to be more about a problem to solve.


text:
Auto boot when charger connected (for HTC Magic)
I want to let Android OS to boot automatically when the charger connected (for HTC Magic) without pressing power button
I found this guide:

Complete boot when charging
If your phone only gets one of those ugly battery symbols when a charger is connected to a powered off phone this is because the init process is interrupted by /system/bin/chargemon. That file is a binary ARM program, I replaced it with a simple script containing only a single line:
echo skipping chargemon
The file was created and installed with the following steps:
echo "echo skipping chargemon" > chargemon.script

adb pull /system/bin/chargemon chargemon.backup

adb push chargemon.script  /sqlite_stmt_journals

adb shell

$ cd /sqlite_stmt_journals
$ su
# mount -o remount,rw /dev/block/mtdblock0 /system
# cat chargemon.script > /system/bin/chargemon
# chmod 755 /system/bin/chargemon
# reboot -p

When the command su is given above, it might have to be acknowledged in a dialog on the phone screen.
The final command reboot -p shuts down the phone. As the USB cable is still connected it will power on again, and if everything has gone fine the phone will complete its boot process without halting with any battery symbol.

But I can't find "chargemon" in System/bin

Did you find any solution prior to this?

Does this answer your question? Automatically power on Android when the charger is connected

I got it working - auto boot when charger is plugged in - on my HTC Desire 200. There is no playlpm/lpm/idot/chargemon on these HTC devices. Fortunately there is something similar, /system/bin/zchgd.
This is a service that takes care for the charging animation. On this specific device, the charging animation is played even though the phone is powered on (on the lockscreen), it is also played when the phone is powered off while it's on a charger. (BTW: the images for the animation can be found at /system/media/zchrgd.)
As I found out, the zchgd service is started differently when the phone is powered off or on. I just grep through the init scripts, in my case /init.gtou.rc:
service zchgd_offmode /system/bin/zchgd -pseudooffmode
    user root
    group root graphics
    disabled

service zchgd_onmode /system/bin/zchgd -onmode
    user root
    group root graphics

on property:dev.zcharge=true
    start zchgd_onmode

on property:dev.zcharge=false
    stop zchgd_onmode

So, I created a fake zchgd service, a simple sh script that replaces the original service.
Steps:
adb shell
su
mount -o rw,remount,rw /system
cd /system/bin
ls -l zchgd*
mv zchgd zchgd_original
touch zchgd
vi zchgd # <- insert content
chmod 0755 zchgd
chown root.shell zchgd
ls -l zchgd*

Content of my fake service:
#!/system/bin/sh

log -p v -t "zchgdwrapper"  "Starting fake zchgd service; args='$@'"

if [ "$#" -eq 1 ]; then
    case $1 in
    -pseudooffmode)
        log -p v -t "zchgdwrapper"  "PseudoOffMode service"
        while true; do
           sleep 60
           enabled=$(cat /sys/class/power_supply/battery/charging_enabled)
           log -p v -t "zchgdwrapper"  "Checking battery charging enabled; enabled='$enabled'"
           if [ "$enabled" -gt 0 ]; then
               log -p v -t "zchgdwrapper"  "Going to magic-reboot"
               su -c "echo 1 > /proc/sys/kernel/sysrq"
               su -c "echo b > /proc/sysrq-trigger"
               ret=$?
               log -p v -t "zchgdwrapper"  "Magic-reboot issued ret='$ret'"
               sleep 120
               exit 0
           fi
        done
    ;;
    -onmode)
        log -p v -t "zchgdwrapper"  "OnMode service"
        while true; do
          log -p v -t "zchgdwrapper"  "Sleeping beauty"
          sleep 3600
        done
    ;;
    esac
fi

log -p v -t "zchgdwrapper"  "Not gonna happen - starting the original service"
/system/bin/zchgd_original $@
exit $?

When the service is stared with -pseudooffmode argument, then it checks the battery status periodically
(every minute in my case). If the phone is being charged or the battery is full then it will automatically
restart the phone. I could not use /system/bin/reboot, I got permission errors, even though I had them... So I restart it with a hack, that two echo lines.
The -onmode is there only because, I don't want to see the charging animation even if my phone is powered on.
You can debug the script with adb logcat -s zchgdwrapper. I hope this was helpful!
IMPORTANT
For this to work, you MUST enable Settings/Power/Fast boot option. It won't work if it is disabled, I think without the fast boot option another firmware is booted, but not sure about that.
Also I have this config in SuperSU#, I don't think it is necessary but, here it is:

Default Acces < Grant
Enable su during boot
Trust system user

Further info: https://github.com/tomicooler/htcdesire200autoboot


text:
Email notifications for google calendar events
I am trying to create a calendar event with email notification using my HTC desire, but I can't figure how to do it. I tried both the built-in calendar app as well as mobile Google calendar website. How can I make it work?

For the Google Calendar website, desktop version (the following doesn't apply to mobile version of the website, so you must request desktop version of the page from your mobile browser):
Edit or create your calendar event, under event color selection you'll see Reminders, by default you'll have an email sent 10 minutes before the event start time.

The following is for the Google Calendar app:
Open your calendar event, go to Reminders, then tap the triangle selector under Notification, you'll see there is an Email option too.
If there is no reminder set, tap Add reminder first, or edit your event (the pencil icon).

This looks really nice. Unfortunately it seems to be incompatible with my device :(

@Grzenio I added description for Google calendar website to my answer.

Cheers. It is a real shame they didn't add this to the mobile version. Appointments without notification are equivalent to no appointment.

I just added a new Schedule to my Google Calendar, it offered me a feature to notify me by email when the event occurs, and i have got the email also.
look a bit below there is a option offering these feature.

On the google calendar mobile web page you mean?

Correct on the bottom there is a option "reminder" that can be set to alert you by email.

I just checked the mobile calendar page, and the last item I see is Add a person to this meeting. Otherwise, there is only What, When, Where, Description and Created By. I can't see any reminder :(


text:
Any way to sync Bookmarks between Android and Blackberry?
Is there any way to sync my Bookmarks between my BlackBerry Torch and My Samsung Tablet?

Answer copied from Drake in Can I sync Firefox bookmarks with Android?

Xmarks Premium allows to synchronize all bookmarks between
  different PCs (supports Chrome, Firefox and more) and different mobile
  phones/tablet (Android, iPhone, Blackberry) for 12$/year.

Edit #1: If you're looking for a FREE alternative, you can try Dolphin browser (it's available for both Android and Blackberry). Dolphin lets you sync bookmarks.

This is an option, thanks but are there any free alternatives arround too?

@r4d1um See my Edit #1

Dolphin is only available for "BlackBerry Playbook" so i need to choose option 1.

I just found an other alternative, use firefox on PC and Android and BerrySync on my BlackBerry (FREE). But i will try your solution aswell.


text:
Is there a way to automatically turn off wifi?
I have an LG P990, and I recently upgraded it to ICS. Since that, the charging is much slower and energy consumption is much faster. I could live with it, I charged it at work and at home too.
Yesterday however it went from 85% to empty in one night. 49% of the energy consumption is Wifi according to Battery usage.
I want to know how to periodically turns WiFi on, and after a few minutes off. Every program I was able to find did the first part, but when it found a known network, left it on indefinitely.
In the settings I have "Keep wifi on during sleep" set on "Never", but it does not help.

András, please note I slightly adjusted your question to avoid it being closed as off topic (Is there an app for X?, see our [FAQ]). I also added an answer with some useful points you might want to check out before you put an additional app to use :)

Before doing so, I'd consider two more things:
Finding the real cause
High WiFi usage is not caused by WiFi itself (standby), but most likely by another app constantly requesting it to "stay awake". So first check How to deal with (orphaned) WakeLocks? -- which also deals with this.
Checking your WiFi standby policy
In Settings→Wireless & Networks→WiFi, when pressing the menu button, an item named "Advanced" appears. Tap that to go into the advanced settings and check the Wifi Standby Policy. There are 3 options available:

Always: WiFi stays awake even when the display is turned off. Useful if you're streaming music.
Only when connected: Only when a power source is connected (i.e. the device is charging) -- as in that case the "battery consumption" usually is not an issue.
Never: WiFi goes to standby as soon as the display is turned off.

WiFi managing tools
If this requirement still is present after thoroughly checking above two points, there are multiple options available in this section -- enough to fill at least a small book. First, there are tools like e.g. JuiceDefender or GreenPower, dealing not only with WiFi and mobile networks, but covering a lot more energy saving stuff. Other interesting tools might include WifiBatt and many others -- just check the related apps on their playstore pages, or use Mapsaurus to find similar apps.

I have tried JuiceDefender earlier today, wifi settings can not be changed in the free version, or it has the most confusing UI I have ever seen.

As I said in the opening post, Never is set in Wifi Standby Policy. Thanks for the other tip about WakeLocks

You're welcome. I added the other part although for completeness, so if other "searchers" check they see this is an important part to check. As for JuiceDefender: I tried it long time ago, and yes: configuration can be a bit confusing. They have a feature comparision on their homepage (end of the page), just in case you want to check. That page also gives an overview of what you can do with it and how.

I would not recommend GreenPower. After setting it up the wifi ate much less, but GreenPower itself became the second largest consumer of electrons. Only a slight improvement overall.

That might be device specific. Did you contact the developer? Any logs (logcat) captured and sent along?

I just installed this application called Silence. It turns on and off settings based on a schedule.
That is EXACTLY what you asked for but like the others I suspect your issue is a run-away app using too much WiFi

Some of the Norton apps may work, something like the Norton Task Manager. They have useful functions inside their apps.
Or, just search for "wifi disabler" in Google Play.

You could try Sentry. It also has a paid version.

Tired of accidentally leaving your WiFi running all day and wearing
  down your device's battery? Tired of being home for hours and
  forgetting to turn on your WiFi? Sentry can help!
Sentry is a fully automated WiFi manager that only requires a simple
  configuration to start. It packs many features into a simple-to-use
  application so you don't have to waste any time on setup.
Sentry operates by cycling your WiFi. If it gets a connection or was
  already turned-on and connected, it remains on, otherwise, it turns
  the WiFi off to save battery.
Even if Sentry is activated you can still manually connect to WiFi or
  turn your WiFi without interrupting.
Sentry can be configured to run in any or all of three ways.
First, Sentry can be configured to run on a polling interval, e.g. 30
  minutes, and check the WiFi status periodically.
Second, Sentry can set to check WiFi status every time the screen is
  unlocked.**
Last, Sentry can be set to run every time the phone boots up. Used in
  conjunction with the other two functions, this can either be used to
  make sure Sentry is always running or to simply check for WiFi every
  time the phone reboots.
Does Sentry running in the background use up my battery life? Nope!
  Not one bit! Sentry is actually only ever truly running when it's
  cycling the WiFi, which depending on the timeout you set, shouldn't be
  for much more than a minute, so no, it shouldn't negatively affect
  your battery life.

"Sentry operates by cycling your WiFi. If it gets a connection or was already turned-on and connected, it remains on, otherwise, it turns the WiFi off to save battery." This is exactly what I said I do not want.

One of the biggest battery saving things you could do is to disable WiFi only when the screen is locked such as the device being in your pocket. I'm sure there are many ways of going about this, but this is the easiest and most reliable method that I know of.
With this you should be able to save a lot of battery!
If you just follow the instructions I've provided below, you should have satisfying results in just a few minutes!

Download Tasker from the Play Store.
Open Tasker and click the + button. Now click Event → Display → Display Off.
Click the gear (back button) in the top left corner. A pop up menu will appear. Select New Task and name it Display Off.
Tap + → Net → WiFi and make sure the box that says Set is set to Off.
Click the gear (back) twice so that you end up on the Profiles screen.
Now click + again, then Event → Display → Display On.
Tap the gear (back) and then select New Task. Name it something along the lines of Display On.
Click + → Net → WiFi and change Set to On. Now exit back to the Profiles tab. You should now have both Display Off and Display On.
In the Profiles tab to the right of your conditions, there are On/ Off toggles. Turn both of these to Off and then back to On.
Simply exit out of Tasker and you're done!

Good luck and I hope this helps you!


text:
Does the Nexus 4 battery drain faster if it has no SIM card inserted?
Does the Nexus 4 battery drain faster if it has no SIM card inserted?

LOL The other way round is more likely. My HTC Wildfire lasts about a week without a SIM inserted. With SIM (but mobile data disabled) up to 4-5 days. Drops below 2 days with mobile data then...

No idea about Nexus 4 try it and see.  I have seen an old Xperia X8 that used considerably more battery with the sim removed which was the opposite of what I expected.


text:
How to use an external USB keyboard with a Galaxy S II or a Huawei Y201 Pro
The background:
I recently learned about OTG USB cables that can be used to connect peripherals to Android devices. I had this idea of using an android device with a usb barcode reader connected (which basically acts like a keyboard) and an in-house developed app, for stock management in a warehouse.
The first step was to buy the OTG cable. The second was to start testing peripherals connected our existing Android devices.
The problem:
When I connect any USB device to a Huawei Y201 Pro (4.0), there is no feedback from the device. No error, no response from the input, nothing.
When I connect mouse to a Galaxy S II, it recognizes the usb cable, then a cursor appears on screen and all works great. However, when I connect a keyboard (I tried around 5 so far), a notification says that the cable was connected but right after that it says that no devices are connected.
My question:
Is there something I'm missing to make this work?
If not, some secondary follow up questions: What are the things I should look for in making this idea work? Is this connectivity more dependent on the Android device? OS version? Peripheral?

Try plugging a powered USB hub in and then plug the keyboard into that. It may be that the phone does not supply enough power to the keyboard.

Maybe your mobile doesn't support OTG. It may also need to be connected via a powered USB hub in order to provide enough power.

You can try to make your (perhaps incompatible) keyboard work using Externel Keyboard Helper.
If this works here is the fully functional Pro version.
I bought this app to completely reconfigure the keyboard layout of my bluetooth keyboard and to get an automatic dialog on keyboard connection to adjust the input method and the app is imho pretty useful once you get it how to deal with the configuration interface. ;-)
Maybe it works for you as well and detects the input from your keyboard.
You can just give it a try as its free anyway.


text:
Completely reset my Desire HD
I have been trying for some time the ICS Rom from the Team Blackout, but Im not very happy to it. I would like to go back to how my phone was when i bought it. I'd like to make a TOTAL reset. That means:

No media saved
No accounts saved
No settings saved
No apps saved
Original Android 2.3 back

Basically, as it was when I unboxed it. Is this possible? If anyone could give me some instructions, I'd be very thankful. I'm not much of an expert in working with Android systems (A friend helped me "root it") and Im not sure how to proceed.
Thanks

Did you make a backup of your phone before flashing the ROM?

Not that I know of. Does it mean its impossible to go back now?

From what I can tell from research you should be able to download the RUU from here and run it. This requires a Windows computer as it is a .exe file.
Download the file to your computer, plug your phone in to your computer and run the file. It should return your phone to the latest factory shipped OS and remove root.

I dont know what RUU is, but I will do it. When I connect it, what mode should I chose? "Charge only"?

No what ever enables your computer to see it.

"Mount drive" then, i guess

What carrier is your phone on?

My carrier is O2, in Germany. Im about to do it. Should I not?

No that should be fine, it's the file for the World Wide Edition, which should cover that. I don't see an O2 specific file. If it is the wrong file it should do nothing.

Its telling me its not finding no connection to an Android phone, even though I can see it under "my Pc". Do I need some other setting?

Try installing HTC Sync 3.0 from HTC's website. It could be a driver issue.

let us continue this discussion in chat

I keep getting error 155 :(

That's one of the most easy tasks, and is called Factory Reset. Depending on your Android version, you find the suitable item at different places in the device's Settings menu:

Android 4.0 has it in Backup and Reset (at the end of that screen, watch out for "personal data")
Android 2.3 placed it in Privacy (with a fence-symbol; again at the end of that page)

There are also ways to achieve this without going via the settings menu, booting into Recovery Mode. hard-reset.com mentions the appropriate procedures for most devices.

Ive already tried that, but only resets the Custom Rom. It doesnt bring me back to Android 2.3 that I had in the beginning

No, that's not possible that way: If you flashed a custom ROM (or any ROM, for that case), the original "ROM" gets overwritten. No way to restore that, except if you made a (Nandroid) backup before. Only other thing you can do then is to obtain the stock ROM (see: Where can I find stock or custom ROMs for my Android device?) and re-flash it.


text:
what could cause a sudden drop in battery life?
According to my battery graph the phone went from 85% to 0 in an instant. I wanted to add a screenshot, but I do not have enough reputation. The last time I checked it was nearly full, and 7 hours later in the morning it was empty. At home I charged it until it showed 29 percent, but by the time  I got to the office, it was 32.
How can this be? How can I prevent it in the future?
LG P990, Android 4.0

You can provide the link to the screenshot. A user with higher rep then can integrate it with your question, if (s)he finds it useful.

It could be a misbehaving app keeping the device awake; I have that about once a month with my Motorola Milestone 2. Did not figure out how to prevent it, but a reboot always solved it.
A proposal how to "catch" it, however: There's an app called DrainGuard available on the playstore. It watches your battery consumption, and gives an alert as soon as it detects a "sudden drop". This helps to notice the "power drain" before the "5% alert" makes a noise and switches your phone off -- so you can either start investigating while the process is ongoing (some time left before "full drain"), or simply trigger an immediate reboot to "kick the bad guy out" when in a hurry.

The actual capacity of a battery decreases as the battery ages through an irreversible fading process. This capacity loss occurs both with active use, correlated with charging cycles, and with inactivity through self-discharge.  The device may even come with substandard batteries. However, the amount of loss is linear with time  and accelerates with increasing temperature. Smartphones do not typically employ sophisticated techniques for estimating the usable capacity with the basic solution basing on simple charge cycle estimation and then using an offline calibrated lookup table to find the state of charge or battery level given the charge cycle.
SOC estimation in modern smartphones cannot capture the usable capacity of the battery, and thus have unreliable SOC estimation. This inaccuracy manifests as sudden jumps in the battery level, and can result in unexpected shutdown of  the device.

A bad battery could cause this.

Care to expand on that?

sure, I have personal experience seeing a battery show up as good (50%+ left) and then minutes later be drained. I am not an expert on technically what causes this (bad cells maybe?), but I do know when this happened to me, the solution was a new battery.


text:
Where can I find the "hack4legend" or "Legend Downgrading Tools"?
In my quest to Root my HTC Legend, I have run into many problems. Now I am stuck with the fact the I seem to have to downgrade my phone to a previous version of android before I can root it.
I have come across two guides:

The unlocker
xda-developers.

The first tells me to download "Legend Downgrading Tools" and the other tells me to download "hack4legendv5.zip". The links in the guides are not working (or are sending me to some malicious looking download site). I can't seem to find them when googling for them either.
If there is another way to downgrade or root my phone, I'm also open to that (If an answer gives me another way, I'll change the title of the question to match).
The z4root app suggested here doesn't seem to work for me.

Have you tried Revolutionary or OneClickRoot?

@t0mm13b No I have not. I have however found another guide with another link to a bit less dubious looking download site. I was able to download hack4legend there.

I don't know about OneClickRoot but Revolutionary doesn't support HTC Legend. Neither does the Unrevoked tool. But I see you have found a link for the tool you were looking for. Good luck!

I have finally found a working link for hack4legend: http://www.mediafire.com/?w32aen59riz8qnn
It came from yet another guide: http://technologic101.wordpress.com/2012/05/31/tutorial-how-to-downgrade-htc-legend-from-android-v2-2-to-v2-1-100-working-with-hboot-1-01/


text:
Samsung Note 1 - cut or copy in any app causes it to hang and crash
I hope someone can help rather than the normal suggestion of rebuild.
I have Samsung Note 1 with Android 4.0.4. This is the most up to date version available (UK - O2 network)
Cut or copy hangs the application. This is the same across all apps.
Any suggestions as its almost impossible to use without it as I use it as my main business tool.

I assume you've turned the thing off and back on. Have you tried a Force Stop on "Android system" or "Android keyboard"? Maybe "System UI"?

Have you tried a factory reset yet?

There is a clipboard-related Samsung firmware bug which is known at least since July 2012 and happens on multiple Samsung devices with Android 4.0.x (ICS). It is reported to be fixed in Jelly Bean updates, but they may not be available for all devices which have this problem. Other solutions discussed in the bug comments, such as removing everything from the /data/clipboard directory, require a rooted phone.
The bug is also not present in custom ROMs which are not based on Samsung TouchWiz (such as CyanogenMod).

The Samsung Note stores everything from the clipboard. I would imagine that months of old clipboard items may cause a problem eventually. You might try to double-tap a text field, select Clipboard and delete old clipboard entries from there.

Good idea. I would think it would scroll out (delete old cut and pastes). However worth a check. How do I "long press and select clipboard. Does not seem to be available on Icecream. Any manual way of checking out the clip board. Please?

@MindBody I made an error: in a text field you double tap (not long tap as my post says) to bring up the option for clipboard. Samsung phones specifically extend the clipboard functionality to include a history where you can select older items. I don't think this is available in non-Samsung phones out of the box.


text:
Symbols become boxes after reset
I recently factory resetted my HTC Explorer, but all the special characters have become squares ([] for unrecognized symbols).
Even the HTC Sense Calculator widget's decimal button has changed and the arrow on StackExchange site when browsing on the device is showing the same squares.
I have tried:

factory reset three times
reboot,
battery pull,
SIM removal and microSD card removal.

Please help!


text:
bootloop without power button
I have a Nexus S which sadly has a broken power button. This means I cannot do anything in recovery mode. Recently, after downgrading from a Cyanogenmod 10.1 nightly to and experimental build, it got stuck in a boot-loop.
I am trying to install ClockworkMod Touch, I think this would probably be the fastest (and most permanent) option. I have an .img file, but also a flashable .zip file for ClockWorkMod Touch.
The problem is, I am unable to either flash the .zip, or install the .img, because my PC doesn't detect a device in fast-boot mode.
Does anyone know how to install the zip using ADB, with commands that are available through either regular boot or recovery mode?
I could also try and send keystrokes for the power button through ADB but this wouldn't work in recovery.
Thanks for the help in advance!
Update: The phone wont go into Fastboot-usb mode, I dont know why. (I am not using the original USB cable)
Update 2: I managed to fix the bootloop by reinstalling the ROM using
    adb shell
    recovery --update_package=/sdcard/cmupdater/cm-10.1-20130121-EXPERIMENTAL-crespo-M1.zip

Still would like to know how to install CWM touch.

Can you please tell me how were you able to push the ROM without getting into fastboot? I'm stuck in the same situation and I'm getting a device not found error when i try the adb shell command.

Check this out. It's a step-by-step guide on how to load a rom with fastboot. Maybe it helps.
Also, additional info can be found on xda forums.

Thanks for your response, but the problem is my PC doesn't detect my phone while in fastboot mode, so i can't send any commands.

Take a look at Universal naked driver. Might help. Please read the thread before doing anything.

The universal naked driver is just a repacked adb drivers, which is pointless because it got stuck in a boot-loop which is defeating your answer!


text:
Galaxy S3 graphics issue, how to resolve?
My Galaxy S3 has developed a graphics fault (see image) and I don't know the cause or the cure.  It has not been exposed to humidity or any thing magnetic and to the best of my knowledge it has not been dropped.  Im not sure whether its a hardware or an Android OS issue.
The fault is a purplish blemish that seems to be getting darker and bigger with time.  Has any body got any idea of the cause but more importantly the cure (if any).  Many Thanks

It must be hardware issue.

What was the cause of the problem anyway?
What caused the damage?
I have the same problem.

Your phone officially needs a trip back to a Samsung Service center
That is in No Way caused by any android glitch, as the issue is progressive (getting darker, bigger in time). It might be caused by some shock that made the lcd inside crack and bleed.

Yes,  I sent it back to see whats what


text:
Configure Android to save pictures/video to SDCard
Just installed a 32gb SD card in my Samsung S2.  Is there a way to configure ICS to save all pictures/videos to the SD card instead of internal memory?

Have you looked in the settings for your Camera app?

that's it - I overlooked the obvious.  I can either delete this, or if you'll add this as the answer I'll select & give some karma.

You should be able to do this from the settings of the Camera app, rather than the system settings.

At least in most cases. I was looking for that in many device's camera apps (stock and 3rd party) where it was missing, unfortunately...

@Izzy That's true.  In those cases you might be able to get away with a symlink or something.

Why didn't I get that idea myself? Thanks for the hint!


text:
Lock yourself out of your phone for a certain amount of time
I check my phone (Android) more than I study. Is there any program or way to lock yourself out of your phone for a certain amount of time until you complete a goal? At the same time it should allow phone calls to come through.

Hand it to a roommate?  Or trade phones with a study partner?
Reminds me of the old "how do I stop myself from using my credit cards" scenario:
http://moneyning.com/credit-cards/freeze-your-credit-cards-to-ice-your-spending/

There a couple of apps that allow this in each their way:

App blocker - Let's you set up daily intervals between 1 to 3 hours where your phone is blocked from usage. I believe you can set it up to allow calls.
Stay Focused - Which let's you block individual apps, either on set intervals during the day or by allowing a total usage time per day for apps.

Hope these covers your question.


text:
No Google Play Store in Craig 4.0.3 Android tablet
I have a Craig 4.0.3 Android tablet.
Can it download apps from the Google Play Store? My tablet does not seem to have the Google Play app.  Is there a way to download the Google Play Store app?
I have already signed up with a Gmail account, which was one of the prerequisites to access the Google Play Store.
Please let me know. I keep getting an error that I cannot download apps, because I don't have the Google Play Store app.  Thank you very much.

The latest version of Google Play Store is 3.10.10.
AndroidPolice has hosted an APK which you can download and install.

Keep in mind: When there was no Playstore App previously installed, it's not that easy as simply download the .apk and install it. AFAIK Playstore must be a system app in order to be able to fully function. So it requires root to move the .apk to /system/apps. Once it's there, updates can be installed normally (that's what your AndroidPolice link is intended for).


text:
How to recover Samsung Galaxy Fit using software that works on Ubuntu?
I tried to install the new Jelly Bean on my Samsung Galaxy Fit, but it got stuck during installation with an error on /tmp/slideloadpackage.zip. Now, my original Android OS lost.
How can I recover my phone using software that works on Ubuntu (12.4)?
I am able to access "download mode". I need to transfer the update file (BENI_v1.0.ops) to the device.

You can do so using the right software and the correct steps. Sorry if this answer doesn't help you -- but it's as precise and detailed as your question. If you need more details, so do we: What exactly happened, where did you get stuck, can you still boot into recovery or at least download mode... Please include at least those basics.

Yes, I able to access downloading mode and boot mode.
I am looking for right ubuntu based software so I can transfer files(like BENI_v1.0.ops) to devices.
I have copied new android jally bean os in sdcard.
but when i am going to install it, it error: /tmp/slideloadpackage.zip

I am getting error: /tmp/slideloadpackage.zip may be due to root access permission, but how to resolve it. !!

Though that's at least some additional information (hint: you can edit your question to include more details -- I will do so now with those details you've just provided), it's still not enough. Where did you get that update from? Is it really compatible with your device? What instructions have you been following? Keep in mind that things obvious to you (as you did those steps) are most likely hidden to us, as we didn't sit next to you.


text:
Is there any way to use Viber on a tablet without a gsm module?
The tablet has a wifi, a microphone and a speaker. It would be ideal to make calls with, but Viber states it is incompatible. Is there any way around this?

Does the playstore state this -- or the app when/after being installed?

It just can't be done. Similarly WhatsApp too doesn't work on non GSM devices.

Yes.
Install Viber on tablet.
Once it asks for phone number give any cell phone number where you can receive the confirmation code from Viber service.
Try to activate the account.
Once you receive the activation code on the cell.. put the same activation code on the tablet and you are good to receive calls on the same device. Make sure you don't activate this Viber cellphone number on any other device.

I tried that, but google play said it was incompatible


text:
Add more functions to the home button circle shortcut
When you swipe up from the home button in Jelly Bean you get a cute
semicircle with a Google Now shortcut on top. This circle shape
makes it perfect for adding other shortcuts.
For instance, you could have the Gmail icon on the left side of the
circle and the Chrome icon on the right side.
Is there any way to get this functionality (different launcher, some
rooted app, different ROM)?

What phone do you want to MOD?

It's a nexus4. System version 4.2.2.

You can get this functionality with these launchers:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sudomakemeanapp.sudoquicklaunch
http://www.droid-life.com/2013/01/23/lmt-launcher-brings-pie-goodness-without-the-custom-rom/


text:
Battery life indicator has failed
A week or two ago my battery life indicator for my Motorolla Atrix 4G has ceased to working properly.  The indicator indicates the battery drains ridiculous fast and it's inaccurate.  I'll fully charge it and after unplugging it for an hour or so, the indicator is down to 1%.  It remains at 1%, though, for up to a day.
Taking steps to avoid draining my battery is a separate discussion that doesn't have to do with this topic.  I specifically need to know what I should do about an inaccurate battery life indicator.  Is there a way to reset the indicator?  Should I contact Motorolla or is this a software issue?
Thanks in advance!
Edit: The first thing I tried was replacing the battery with a new one.  This did nothing to resolve the problem.

Maybe the battery is knackered, a replacement battery is needed?

Well, that exactly sounds like the reason given for battery calibration -- controversial as that topic might be... I know the following should not be done too frequently, but have you tried to let the battery drain once until the device switches off, and then (in one run!) re-charge it to 100% without disconnecting the charging cable?

Not sure how I failed to include this, but replacing the battery with a new one was the first thing I tried.  No difference.
And I'm sure I've tried that, Izzy.  I usually fully charge my battery.  Another phenomenon that started before this inaccurately fast draining indicator issue was that when I would "fully" charge the battery, the indicator would never read 100%.  It would always be 90-something.

To decide whether it is a soft- or hardware issue, you might try a factory reset (this will also be the first thing Motorola service will ask you to do). Keep in mind, however, that this will wipe away all your data and all the apps you've installed, so make a good backup first.

I'll try a factory reset and update this thread after I do.  Thanks for your continued input.

I did a factory reset and the fast draining indicator seems to still be an issue.  Seems like my only option now is to reach out to Motorolla.

Did you install some program right before it happened?
Did you open a program, made changes, saved, and this happened?
Are you using a custom kernel or ROM?
If it's a new program, try to uninstall it first and check the results. If you didn't install anything BUT used a program before the battery meter broke, then try clearing the data and cache of that program to set it to defaults.
If the above did not work then you might need to report the kernel to it's respective developer or try to flash another kernel/ROM (if using a custom kernel/ROM), and if not. A factory reset might fix your problem like what Izzy said. I recommend using Titanium Backup to backup your files because its easy to restore afterwards.
If it still did not help and you get a fast battery drain, then it is most likely a hardware problem, eg. power IC might be shorted

To reset the battery stats you just need to go to Recovery and Wipe battery stats. Its best if you do this with your battery fully charged. Its wise to leave the phone an extra 10-20 minutes when wiping stats to ensure the battery is fully charged.

That is a myth! It has been debunked by a Google developer, see this

As t0mm13b said (+1; developer mentioned is Dianne Hackborne). battstats.bin only holds data about how much battery which app has been "eating". Still, calibration of the battery itself is a different issue...


text:
SD Card Multiple partitions USB access
I want to split my SD cart in 2 partitions: one for android, and one containing a bootable OS used from computers through USB or by inserting in card readers. I can't access the second partition from USB!
Specs:

Phone: motorola defy+
System: CynogenMod 10 (android 4.1.2)
SD Card layout:

Primary FAT32, 1Gb, intended for android only (apps data)
Primary EXT4, 15Gb, invisible from android intended for computers (bootable linux system)

Current status:

Everything works with a laptop SD card reader: I can mount and browse both FAT32 and EXT4 partiations. I can boot from the SD card and boot to the linux I installed on the ext partition.
From the phone: android can mount and access the FAT32 partition, the ext4 partition is invisible just like I want.
Problem from USB: When accessing the card in the phone from a computer through USB (android is configured as USB mass storage device), I can only access the FAT32 partition.

My question:
Android seems to be exposing only the first partition as a block device through USB. Therefore I can't access the second partition, or even see it with partitioning tools. Obviously, booting from it also doesn't work.
Can I make Android to expose the full SD card as a block device through USB, so that all partitions are visible from a computer and I can boot on it.
Any help or pointers appreciated, thanks!

Your guess is correct: only the first partition is exposed via UMS. This fact is used e.g. by some advanced App2SD+ stuff (and e.g. Link2SD) so "moved apps" and their widgets are not broken when USB is connected. I'm afraid the answer to your question will be a simple "No".

You can try to use the MBRFAT hack — the first sector which looks both like a FAT boot sector and a MBR partition table.  Such images can be created by the makebootfat utility.
I did not try to do this actually, but in theory you should do the following:

Create a files directory which should contain files to be placed into the FAT32 filesystem image (it could just be empty).
Locate the following files:

mbrfat.bin — should be contained in the makebootfat package;
ldlinux.sys and ldlinux.bss — come from the Syslinux 3.x package (use a 3.x version, I'm not sure that makebootfat is compatible with more recent versions).

Create a file for the FAT32 filesystem image with the desired size of the FAT32 part:
dd if=/dev/zero of=fat.img bs=1M count=1024

Create the FAT32 filesystem image with MBRFAT:
makebootfat -o fat.img -m mbrfat.bin -b ldlinux.bss  -c ldlinux.sys -F -Y -v files/

(Note that placing ldlinux.sys in the files/ directory does not work — it must be copied with the -c option.)
Put your card in the phone and attach it to your computes as UMS (it you work with a card reader, it would be hard for you to mount nested partitions).
Write the created image to the whole disk device exposed by your phone:
dd if=fat.img of=/dev/sdX bs=1M

Create your additional partitions on the same device that you have written the image to. If you want to place the bootloader on the EXT4 partition instead of using SYSLINUX on the FAT32 partition, mark your EXT4 partition active and remove the active flag from the FAT32 partition.
Make a backup copy of the MBR+FAT sector:
dd if=/dev/sdX of=mbr_fat_backup.bin bs=512 count=1

Install Linux on the EXT4 partition, being very careful to avoid installing the bootloader to the MBR of the disk. Some installers do not support installing the bootloader into the partition boot sectors; in this case either skip the bootloader installation and install it manually later, or (if skipping is also not possible) restore the MBR+FAT sector from the backup after installation, then install the bootloader into the partition boot sector. Or you may configure SYSLINUX on the FAT32 partition as your bootloader (for this you will need to copy the kernel and initramfs image to the FAT32 partition).

This configuration would work as follows:

Android will see the outer partition contents just as a FAT32 partition, although with the number of sectors in the filesystem smaller than the partition size. The Linux kernel on the Android device will not try to parse the nested partition table, therefore the nested EXT4 partition will not be accessible from there.
When Android exposes the partition contents as an USB mass storage device, the OS on the host computer will parse the sector 0 of the exposed device as an MBR partition table, and will see multiple partitions there. For the FAT32 partition it will use another sector as the boot sector containing the FAT32 BPB; this copy of BPB will contain a smaller value in the “number of reserved sectors” field, so that the FAT and data clusters will end up in the same physical sectors as when using the BPB in sector 0 of the outer partition.

The problem with this config is that accessing the EXT4 partition when using the card in a card reader will not be possible, unless you use utilities like kpartx to expose nested partitions. Booting when using a card reader could work if you create another partition on the card directly and install some bootloader there (with a separate copy of kernel and initramfs images); note that this partition will not be accessible when using the phone.
In addition, mbrfat.bin is somewhat buggy, and some computers fail to boot when using it.

You may only be able to do it via it's Recovery by using the Mount USB Storage function. It is present in all custom recoveries. The plausible reason that you cannot access the EXT4 partition in android is because it might be mounted and used by Cyanogenmod. You might be able to forcefully unmount the EXT4 in the Recovery on the Mount menu and unchecking the corresponding mount, if the kernel supports it.

It's no mounted, I think @Izzy is right. I can't even access the partition table through USB. Only the first partition is exposed.


text:
Mac's Android File Explorer and SSH are not in sync
I transfered some photos using the Android File Explorer application for Macs.
However, I accidentally put them in the Music/ folder and Android File Explorer doesn't allow me to move files. So I decide to SSH into my Nexus 4 and move the photos into the Pictures/ folder via the mv command. This went great - everything was moved successfully according to ls.
Unfortunately, when I go to Gallery, it doesn't detect the photos. Worse yet, every time I start up Android File Explorer, it isn't updated with the new location of the photos, they still show up in the Music/ folder.
I'm running Jellybean 4.2.2 on a Nexus 4, connected to a Macbook Pro via Android File Explorer.
Any ideas?

Try rebooting, works for me.

I ended up just using an app that runs the MediaIndexer.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.addz.mediascanner&hl=en
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.clypher.mediascanner
Rebooting works as well, thanks user133312!