text:
Can I make my home screen the center instead of the left?
I have the Nexus 5 from Google Play running stock Android 4.4.2. My home button takes me to the far left panel (the one next to Google Now). I added a panel to the left of it, but that changed my home button to taking me to that panel. Is there a way I can configure it to  go to the center panel? I'd really prefer not to have to install another launcher.

I've configured in some version of my Moto G. It is almost a stock Android. Its glass is now broken and I've just bought an Moto E, but can't a way to customize it. Both have Android 5.0.2, and in the Moto G the middle screen is the main one. I can't do the same in the new Moto E.

Currently, the default google launcher does not allow any customisation. In order to go to a particular screen, you need a custom launcher. There is no other way around it.

+1, it's totally un customisable really. I'm using Nova launcher and you can exactly emulate everyting from the GEL with the obvious exception of the Google Now integration. If you don't want that then you can set Icon size to 115%, get rid of the "Apps and Widets" headings on the App Drawer, set the notification bar to transparent, Icon Set to Kitkat and the font to Condensed and you will have exactly what you are used to (with the addition of many tweaks like gestures, transparancy settins, hide apps in drawer and so on).

I guess I'm going shopping for launchers. Thanks for the confirmation.

I'm a bit mad for messing with settings etc on these things. Spent my bus journey this morning getting the GEL to match Nova launcher! I need to get out more. If I can help with anything at all let me know, otherwise enjoy the fiddling! Just to mention there are many other launchers like Apex, GoLauncher etc etc, but for me Nova is the lightest and best (but that's entirely subjective). It's one of very few apps I happily paid money for the pro version! Try a few and see what you like, it's really just your preferences. I've gone for very 'stock' like lately, slower animations etc.

Yeah, performance is key. I value my phone staying responsive above all else.

To match GEL in NOVA: Icon Size: 115% App Drawer Transparancy: About 33%ish. Icon Set: KitKat. App Drawer: Remove the headers for 'Apps' and 'Widgets', setting called "Small Tabs". Font: Condensed. Animation speed: Google. Status Bar: Transparent. Scroll Indicator: The round dots. Persistent Search Bar: Turned on as GEL has it. App Drawer is 6x4 icons. Colour Theme: White. Folders: Light background. Dock Height: Large.  That should cover it mostly. It's not 100% the same but it's very damn close!

This works for my Samsung Galaxy Core LTE (SM-G386W), with the default Android 4.4.2:

Go to the home screens;
Press and hold on an empty spot to activate the settings;
The default home screen should have a house symbol on its top side,
and it should be highlighted with white margins;
The default home screen can be set by tapping on the top portion of
the desired slide, where the home symbol is.

For Samsung, it is very simple, pinch your screen.

touch your screen using your two fingers (spread)
slide both fingers so that they will touch each other
You should see all the pages and you can do the rearranging

Enjoy!!!

The original posting is about a Nexus device running stock Android. Your solution is helpful for Samsung devices using TouchWiz, however.

I use CLauncher almost specifically so I can set my Home screen.
It also themes up (default/popular) icons if you're in to that kind of thing.


text:
how to lock notification screen in Samsung duos
how to lock notification screen in Samsung duos to prevent access for quick toggles like Wi-Fi, GPS,Screen rotation, Screen brightness?

That simply is absurd. You will have to lock your screen(Device lockscreen) to prevent anyone from accessing your phone's system controls. You simply cannot or wouldn't want to lock the "notifications" while using your device.

Thanks for your reply. The reason raised this question is, kids gets access to notification after unlock, they will increase the brightness of the screen(unknowingly) which really has high resolution and it impacts their eyes while watching kids videos. Even though the parent care is there this can not be avoidable.

Unfortunately the only way around this would be to set a pin/pattern lock to your device.

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


text:
Mobile data won't turn on till reboot
I'm using a Samsung Vibrant (aka Samsung T959 Galaxy S) (Installed Jellybean). Sometimes when I keep mobile data off for a while, it doesn't turn on. I have to reboot it to make it work again.

It seems like a network problem and might not have anything to do with your phone. Try using data services by some other provider.
Also, try re-configuring the APN settings.

It might not be. I had a older device which will behave like this on Custom ROMs(JB) but not on stock ROM(GB). The problem was APNs would simply vanish. If OP is facing the same issue, then the ROM is to blame.

If you're using a custom ROM then it might be the ROM's fault. You have to install another ROM(preferably stable) and try your luck.

I am no longer using that device, switched to Nexus 5 :)

Looks like a problem with the ROM. Switched to Nexus 5 and now it works fine. Thanks

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


text:
Recover data off internal memory of a pin-locked phone?
How to retrieve data off of internal memory for LG Optimus (android 2.3.4), not rooted, locked via PIN password, and no forgot password showing up on PIN entry screen?  I'm more particularly interested in contact data then anything else.

A good point would be disabling the lock. There's e.g. an app you can install via the Playstore WebIF which does this. See: Can not unlock my Android device as have no internet connection?

Using adb, you can use adb pull to take any file you want from your phone, event if it is protected and locked (I tried on 4.1.2, don't know if it works on more up to date versions).
Only the /data folder needs root privileges to be read and it is where your contacts are stored. If you have root privileges, you can look at this answer to know where you can find them.
Note that you have to enable USB debugging before trying these steps.

Why is there no "Forgot PIN" or a Mail recovery option there? :(
See if this app is compatible and use it:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.thomascannon.screenlockbypass.pro
If you have your contacts synced on your Google account, they will automatically get restored.
This might help you get the data back:
http://www.vogella.com/tutorials/AndroidCommandLine/article.html#adb_copy

authors: Xäťëšt Smïlë


text:
How to block calls/SMS by contact name (might have multiple phone numbers)?
I'm using Moto X. I used to blacklist spammers directly into the downloaded app or the built-in Android blocker.
The problem is that every time that I reset my phone to factory settings, I have to add all numbers again, one by one.
So I created a contact on Google called "SPAM", and inserted all spam numbers into it.
Is there a way to simply block the contact called "SPAM", instead of adding dozens of numbers again?

This is academic, really, when using Google Voice. Unfortunately, GV is not universally available.

@AlE. yes. unfortunately, not available in my country yet.

Lots and Lots apps are available for the same. Just a Play needed.

@See-Sharp i know. i have tried at least 20 apps. its really hard to find one that can block by contact name, not by number.

Mr. Number added this feature to recent versions.
When you select a contact name to block, it adds all phone numbers related to that contact to the blacklist.

From within the stock Android environment, you can at least force contacts to the voicemail. It is not possible to block SMS directly, at least not without root (to my knowledge).
I have a Nexus 4, so your options might differ from what I have.
If you go in the People app, you'll be able to find your SPAM contact. In the top-right corner, you'll have the ⋮ button (or the menu button on the device). There will be an option "All calls to voicemail". If you check this, all numbers within that contact will be sent to your voicemail and won't vibrate/alert you.

does not apply for kitkat (4.4.4)

Have you tried using BlackList?

Blocking:

Block call/text/MMS messages for a blacklist (a list of numbers)
Block call/text/MMS messages for private numbers (no numbers, no caller id), numbers not in my contacts
Block call/text message for pre-/post-fix numbers
Exception list (don't block list) (PRO)
Text filters by plain text or regular expression, prefix-matches, postfix matches.

yes. does not block by contact name.

Have you tried Go SMS? It can block by text filters

SMS blocker smartly block blacklist/keywords and filter spam messages

it works for sms, but not for contact names.


text:
Bad LCD, Reset to Factory
I have a galaxy sII (i9200m) updated to the latest firmware and would like to do a factory reset. I have no idea how as the LCD is completely shot (solid black).
Hope you can help.
Thank you

You might wish to take a look at How do I factory reset/wipe Galaxy Note 2 with no screen?

Since you have no access to the UI, the option would be using the adb shell.
Note: the adb shell will Only work if USB debugging was Previously enabled!
Connect your device with the USB cable. (install drivers if needed)
Use a terminal (or cmd if in windows) Change to your adb location directory. Run the following to do a recovery wipe:
adb shell
> recovery --wipe_data


text:
Paragon app won't mount
I have a Galaxy Note 2014 edition. I rooted the device in order to use a NTFS partitioned external HD. I followed all the instructions, used the root checker and everything is fine. When I connect the external drive it is recognized by Paragon but when I click "mount" it just flashes back to the initial screen of the app.
Does anybody have a clue of what is possibly going wrong?
(I've tried other apps such as stickmount, ntfs mounter and none of them worked.
Thanks.

In paragon mount, try changing the mount point when you tap mount. Just make a new folder in the root of your storage space.


text:
Get rid of google market localization limitation to install an app
I'd like to test last HBO GO android application to see how they implemented chromecast, but I'm in Canada and my devices are registered to play store Canada so I'm not able to install it. I have been looking for the single .apk on the web but I'm not sure if I could trust those I found.
Does any body has an idea how I could get it or how to get rid of the localization limitations ?
Thanks

Have you seen our fine google-play-store tag-wiki, especially with the link to How can I circumvent regional restrictions in Google's Play Store?

Try this - http://apps.evozi.com/apk-downloader/#guide
This site allows you to copy the url fromm the official app from Google Play and download it without a hassle. Enjoy.


text:
Need custom recovery that supports Kit Kat for Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7"
I really want to flash CyanogenMod 11 on my tablet. I have the file in CM Updater, but I can't find a custom recovery that will support KitKat for my device.

You should be able to use the latest CWM or TWRP custom recovery with your device.
Source: Install Android 4.4 KitKat on Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 Using CM11 Custom Build
UPDATE #1: XDA has a thread for custom recoveries for the P3110. It says that only CWM supports KitKat for that tablet.

No there is no official recovery for my tablet the supports kit kat it says error status 7

@user51878 I'm not sure I understand you. You're supposed to flash a custom recovery (CWM / TWRP), not a stock (which I assume you meant by official) recovery. Go to the TWRP site, and download the recovery there for your phone, and flash it. I assume your phone is rooted; is it?

Yes my phone is rooted in on cm 10.1 and I have Cwm and access to Twrp. BUT the newest version on the custom recovery site is still outdated and won't support cm 11. So I need any recovery that will in order to flash kit kat cm 11

@user51878 See my UPDATE#1 in the answer


text:
How can I fix this Heimdall Control transfer failed (result -9) for flashing a recovery?
I am getting a "WARNING: Control transfer #1 failed. Result: -9" problem that looks like it might be causing a failure for heimdall to flash a recovery to my Samsung Galaxy S Duos GT-S7562 phone.
I am running Ubuntu 13.04 (raring ringtail) and Heimdall v1.4 RC1.
I have the phone unplugged and off.  Then I turn it on to "download mode" and then press the up key to accept the download mode option.  Then I plug it into the usb cable to the computer.  Then I run the heimdall detect program and find that the device is detected.  Then I run the following to install the custom recovery.
I obtained the "recovery.img" file from a "recovery.tar" file that I got from a root kit zip file.
Is there a way to get around this error?  What does "-9" mean as an error code?
~$ sudo heimdall flash --RECOVERY /tmp/recovery.img --verbose
\ Heimdall v1.4 RC1

Copyright (c) 2010-2012, Benjamin Dobell, Glass Echidna
http://www.glassechidna.com.au/

This software is provided free of charge. Copying and redistribution is encouraged.

If you appreciate this software and you would like to support future development please consider donating:
http://www.glassechidna.com.au/donate/

Initialising connection...
Detecting device...
      Manufacturer: "Sasmsung"
           Product: "MSM7x27"

            length: 18
      device class: 2
               S/N: 0
           VID:PID: 04E8:685D
         bcdDevice: 0100
   iMan:iProd:iSer: 1:2:0
          nb confs: 1

interface[0].altsetting[0]: num endpoints = 1
   Class.SubClass.Protocol: 02.02.01
       endpoint[0].address: 82
           max packet size: 0010
          polling interval: 09

interface[1].altsetting[0]: num endpoints = 2
   Class.SubClass.Protocol: 0A.00.00
       endpoint[0].address: 81
           max packet size: 0200
          polling interval: 00
       endpoint[1].address: 01
           max packet size: 0200
          polling interval: 00
Claiming interface...
Setting up interface...

Checking if protocol is initialised...
Protocol is not initialised.
Initialising protocol...
WARNING: Control transfer #1 failed. Result: -9
WARNING: Control transfer #2 failed. Result: -9
WARNING: Control transfer #3 failed. Result: -9
WARNING: Control transfer #4 failed. Result: -9
WARNING: Control transfer #5 failed. Result: -9
WARNING: Control transfer #6 failed. Result: -9
ERROR: Failed to send data: "ODIN"
Releasing device interface...

Update: I was able to print-pit after I changed the USB cable to go directly to my computer instead of through a hub at the same time I tried it from a bare terminal.

Second update (success):
One or more of the following ended up solving my problem (I tried all at once instead of trying each sequentially, sorry!):

Connect the usb cable directly to computer, not through a hub.
Use the Heimdall command line option " --RECOVERY" (instead of "--recovery").
Use the newer Heimdall 1.4 final.

Thanks to Evan Carroll for the info borrowed from other questions!


text:
High frequency noise from headphones when connected to cellphone
I am having a problem with my phone... when i connect headphones(any headphones) to the 3,5mm jack and play audio, there is a tiny high frequency noise in the background. However, this is only present when there is sound playing.. if i stop playing sound the high frequency noise stops after a few secconds... I am thinking that it must be the processor of the phone generating the noise, and the sound card is not filtering it out...
The cellphone is an LG Optimus 4X HD

Attempting to Force Stop MediaServer might help if the problem exists within videos too.


text:
Flash Galaxy S3 with Broken Screen and Debug Mode Not On
I have a completely broken screen/lcd/digitizer on my Samsung Galaxy S3. Debug mode was not on. The phone works as it will still vibrate when turned on and the LED / Menu / Back buttons light up during a boot. USB connector works as well. The phone was not previously rooted.
I had most important data on the sd card and I've already wrote off any other data on the phone as I've since moved on to a GN2. I would like to make use of the S3 (not necessarily as a phone but a server, security camera, etc.). I've read several posts here about my options and looked at numerous google articles, all seem to require debug mode being on; however, all also seem to assume the data/OS must remain as this is what the user is trying to recover.
Am I out of luck if debug mode was not enabled or can I flash through adb or fastboot via some obscure mechanism?
Thanks in advance for any help and/or suggestions.

Possibly useful hints here: Broken screen while debug mode was disabled. How can I re-enable adb?

@Izzy, thanks for the link. I did find this info prior to posting. fastboot would be great but as the link suggests (and I verified), samsung devices (or at least the s3 in my case) does not support fastboot. There may be a way with Download Mode; however, without a screen, I cannot see what is happening to get into it. The remainder of the suggestions require debug mode to be turned on.

Being not familiar with Samsung devices, I have to pass on this one. Just wanted to leave the pointer, to have something to start with.

The answer came thanks to @hnkotnis at xda-developers.com and his info (and experience) on how to get into "Download Mode" without seeing the screen.
My review of what I did to get Heimdall connected without root, debug mode, and a screen/lcd to see:
First, I am on linux (debian) so no Odin, I used Heimdall and Heimdall Frontend:
* disconnect USB
* pull battery
* let set for a minute
* Press HOME+Power+VolDown for 2 seconds beyond the vibrate (total of about 5 seconds)
* wait 3-4 seconds
* press the VolUp button
* plug usb in
* press "Detect" in Heimdall Frontend
You should get a "Device detected" in heimdall frontend. I also noticed a difference when connecting the usb cable with in "Download Mode" versus not in Download Mode.
Normal USB Connection
Jan 28 10:29:13 xia kernel: [1119572.140189] usb 5-8.3: new high-speed USB device number 31 using ehci-pci
Jan 28 10:29:13 xia kernel: [1119572.233321] usb 5-8.3: New USB device found, idVendor=04e8, idProduct=6865
Jan 28 10:29:13 xia kernel: [1119572.233332] usb 5-8.3: New USB device strings: Mfr=2, Product=3, SerialNumber=4
Jan 28 10:29:13 xia kernel: [1119572.233338] usb 5-8.3: Product: SAMSUNG_Android_SGH-T999
Jan 28 10:29:13 xia kernel: [1119572.233343] usb 5-8.3: Manufacturer: SAMSUNG
Jan 28 10:29:13 xia kernel: [1119572.233349] usb 5-8.3: SerialNumber: e70a909e

USB Connection when in "Download Mode"
Jan 28 10:30:18 xia kernel: [1119637.932207] usb 5-8.3: new high-speed USB device number 32 using ehci-pci
Jan 28 10:30:18 xia kernel: [1119638.024825] usb 5-8.3: New USB device found, idVendor=04e8, idProduct=685d
Jan 28 10:30:18 xia kernel: [1119638.024834] usb 5-8.3: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=0
Jan 28 10:30:18 xia kernel: [1119638.024840] usb 5-8.3: Product: MSM8960
Jan 28 10:30:18 xia kernel: [1119638.024845] usb 5-8.3: Manufacturer: Sasmsung
Jan 28 10:30:19 xia kernel: [1119638.113455] cdc_acm 5-8.3:1.0: This device cannot do calls on its own. It is not a modem.
Jan 28 10:30:19 xia kernel: [1119638.113598] cdc_acm 5-8.3:1.0: ttyACM0: USB ACM device
Jan 28 10:30:19 xia kernel: [1119638.114388] usbcore: registered new interface driver cdc_acm
Jan 28 10:30:19 xia kernel: [1119638.114391] cdc_acm: USB Abstract Control Model driver for USB modems and ISDN adapters

You can see the thread on the xda forum here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=49840347


text:
How to change mobile connections's DNS on Android KitKat?
I want to avoid censorship from my local mobile ISP (it blocks imgur, for example, for some unknown reason.

Screenshot (click image for larger variant)
I'm pretty certain that I can circumvent this by changing my DNS to Google DNS or OpenDNS, but I'm not really sure how to accomplish this on KitKat.
Info:
Device: Nexus 5
Android version: 4.4.2
Device status: rooted

How to configure DNS properly?

Ok, first of all full disclosure: I'm the author of an app which is now on the Google Play Store and which makes you able to change DNS for any mobile connection on Android 4.4. The app requires root, costs a couple of bucks and is called Override DNS.
I was told, on a now deleted answer, that is fair to link to my app as long as I expose it clearly.
The problem I found with this release of Android (4.4) is that, apparently for caching reasons, the system behaviour has been changed to redirect all DNS queries to a system daemon called netd (here's a link to a presentation related to Android networking before 4.4 which, however, covers part of these topics).
The getprop/setprop method does not work anymore. Those values, when changed, get simply ignored by the netd daemon.
It's necessary to communicate directly to the daemon via the /dev/socket/netd socket. In Android it's now present a tool called ndc which does exactly this job.
The syntax for the DNS related stuff is this:
# ndc resolver flushif <iface>
# ndc resolver flushdefaultif
# ndc resolver setifdns <iface> <domains> <dns1> <dns2>
# ndc resolver setdefaultif <iface>

The app automatically guesses the network device name and applies these commands each time a mobile network gets activated.

The correct syntax of setifdns is: ndc resolver setifdns <iface> <domains> <dns1> <dns2> ....
Example: ndc resolver setifdns eth0 "" 8.8.8.8 8.8.4.4

@Christiand'Heureuse you're right, I updated the answer, thank you.

I "solved" this problem by using an iptables rule to forward all port 53 connections to an intended DNS server; my experience on Android 4.4.2 with attempting to modify DNS settings while connected to 3G has been exactly as Leo described; ignorance of values in getprop |grep dns[0-9]\]: and dhcpd.conf.
iptables -t nat -A OUTPUT -p udp --dport 53 -j DNAT --to-destination 8.8.8.8:53

The reason is as described here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=44722857&postcount=6 All apps do DNS lookups through netd via a /dev/socket/dnsproxyd unix socket. This thread also describes why system properties are being ignored.
To undo this, do
iptables -t nat -L OUTPUT -n -v --line-numbers

, find the line number that corresponds to udp dpt:53 to:xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:53
and do
iptables -t nat -D OUTPUT *linenumber*

Thanks! also, summary of the reason: Google is playing arms race with ad blockers. they tried to disable the current means ad blockers worked, and ad blockers moved to another one, while all users (regardless of using ad blocker or not) will be forever annoyed by that google move.  ...I thought everyone knew fighting against ad blockers was a dumb move by now. silly google. (also, opensource app AFWALL is a convenient way to add this custom rule easily)

AfWall+ wiki about how to apply custom iptables rule like this

Sadly, it may be impossible to do as of right now, however, it is possible to try DNS Changer. This may work if you are rooted, but there are no guarantees.
A good DNS service to use would be Google's public DNS service. It tends to work out very well for these type of issues right here.
If none of this works, keep looking for answers. A good site for things like this is XDA Developers. They tend to have many answers on things for Android.

I'm on KitKat Cyanogenmod 11, meaning I'm rooted by default. Despite that I can only report failure:
1st method:
When I try the adb shell with
setprop net.rmnet0.dns1 208.67.222.222
setprop net.rmnet0.dns2 208.67.222.222
setprop net.rmnet1.dns1 208.67.222.222
setprop net.rmnet1.dns2 208.67.222.222
setprop net.rmnet2.dns1 208.67.222.222
setprop net.rmnet2.dns2 208.67.222.222
setprop net.dns1 208.67.222.222
setprop net.dns1 208.67.222.222

and then test to which IP hjfdkhfjkyuiwnwetbyebvtwgqwdi.tk resolve's...
I get an NXDOMAIN response, meaning it didn't came from the OpenDNS nameserver I've set (which would return an answer with an alternative IP, to serve you adds).
When doing
getprop | grep dns

I would only see what I've configured. However when switching from WiFi to mobile (3G or 4G/LTE) I see IP's that I recognize as being assigned to my mobile carrier. Apps like "DNSwitch" or "DNS Changer" can re-set those resolvers automaticly at network change. However what getprop reports me, is still not what's truly doing the resolving.
2nd method [a]:
Another way I tried, is modifieng /system/etc/dhcpcd/dhcpcd-hooks/20-dns.conf an set things fixed in there (but be aware network names and number of resolvers can differ). Without success.
2nd method [b]:
And in /system/etc/dhcpcd/dhcpcd.conf I removed the parameter to accept resolvers at DHCP negociation. No success either.
3th method:
So far the only thing that would work a little is using a "poor man VPN", using the app "SSH Tunnel", using SOCKS4, but using that I did not exactly got a good result.
Resume:
It seems like either DNS set elsewhere, or all are forwarded (hijacked) as soon the network is mobile.
So, how come? Is it another dirty way to provide carriers with a tool to demolish network neutrality?
In your case your question was because of that.
Do you have SSH to try if SSHTunnel is a alternative solution to get around your carriers censoring?

I have found a way to circumvent the block, but it's cumbersome and on a case-by-case basis. I'm rooted so I have access to the hosts file. Next, I looked for imgur's direct IP addresses, then I manually input those values to the hosts file. Problem solved for now.

I encountered the same problem today, and thanks to Transfusion. I tried to develop an app "DNS forwarder" to work it out. It does not change dns server on system, but forward dns queries to another server. This workaround works fine for me on Kitkat (Nexus 5/4.4.3 and Moto Razr/CM11). Hope it can help other as well.

This actually works, not sure why you got down voted

Currently I don't think there's any way to change your DNS on your mobile data. But if your phone is rooted you can use apps like Set DNS.

Sadly, that app doesn't seem to support Android 4.3 and above :(
Taken from the app's description: "PLEASE DON'T INSTALL ON ANDROID 4.3 FOR THE MOMENT, THERE ARE PROBLEMS WITH THE WAY DNS HANDLING HAS BEEN CHANGED IN THE KERNEL. I'VE PULLED IT FROM THE MARKET FOR 4.3 DEVICES."

Your question says you need it for Android KitKat  which is Android 4.4.* whereas Android 4.3 is Jellybean.

I already opened the app's page on play store on my device, and it says right at the very top: "Your device isn't compatible with this version."
So I'm sure the problem persists from version 4.3 to KitKat.

Recommending apps isn't really a part of this site according to the FAQ. I answered the question whether Android can do it natively. I recommend to search the Play Store yourself.

Hint: Visiting the apps page on AppBrain lists several alternatives (right-hand top 4). Note, however, that most solutions in that sector require root access.

authors: Дарья Кириленко


text:
Galaxy W bricked?
I tried to upgrade the android version of my Galaxy W but ended up bricking up my phone.

Recovery mode - not working
Download mode - working
USB - not working (PC doesn't recognise my phone)
Tried odin - doesn't detect the phone

Please help!!!

Sounds like a soft brick. Please mention the version you were upgrading from and the one to. Is this an official update which bricked your phone?

I'm not familiar with the Sammy devices; but as long as Download mode still works, isn't it that Odin/Heimdall can push things to flash? How to tweak the driver so Odin does find the device in that mode?

I tried to upgrade from 2.3.6 to official release of 4.2  from samsung kies


text:
Micromax A26 USB Debugging mode Not working
I am having a Micromax A26. I have enabled the debugging mode of my phone and when trying to root it doesn't show up. One of my friends is a android developer he tried to use my phone for development purpose and he is also not able to detect my phone on android emulator even if the debugging mode is on. Everything else is working. USB data transfer and stuff works. But even if it is enabled debugging mode it doesn't detect. Can some one help me find a solution for this?
Thanks in Advance.

Having tagged your question usb-drivers, are the corresponding drivers installed? What OS you're using?

I use windows 7.
And my friend used Ubuntu 10.3

I had installed all the drivers I have obtained from browsing the net for weeks and tried but still doesn't work. Just not sure whether it is the problem of the particular model phone.

For Win7, you might wish to take a look at Kosh's Universal ADB driver. Your friend on Linux should know how to add the device ID to have it show up (assume he already did that?).

I will refer this. Mean while i will check with my friend and get back. Thanks!

@Izzy  I asked my friend and he tried to add the device ID as u said in ubuntu and still not detecting. Must be some manufacturing defect of this phone :(
Let me try something else. Thanks for the support!

Tell your friend to try running adb as root. I've read a couple of times where this did the trick, for whatever reason. Did it turn up with lsusb at all? // Any success with Koush's driver on Win7? And does the device show in Windows' device manager?

I also had this problem, but I solved it for myself. I just needed to change my cable, and it worked again. Maybe you have a defective cable as well.

I have already tried with different data cable and its not working

Please change "ur" spelling and avoid things like leet-speak. Here are many non-native-English-speaking participants which already have a "hard time" without that.


text:
Can I recall a command to reset a lost phone?
Last night I lost my Nexus 7 coming back from a friend's house. Since it has a lot of confidential work email on one account I logged into the Android Device Manager and - when it didn't show up - set it to be reset as soon as it went online.
This morning the friend rang to say she had found the bag with the tablet in it. I had never even got it into the bike pannier I assumed it had fallen out of.
It is a wifi only model, so it still isn't connected to the net.
My question is, is there any way to recall the remote wipe command so that I dont have to reinstall everything once the wifi has turned on?

I'd make sure to take a good backup over USB, before turning wifi back on.

Right. This is possible, which is great. Log into the Android device manage for a second time, before connecting the lost device: set a password, click on the "wipe device" option, but then press cancel instead of choosing to wipe it. the earlier request is then cancelled and your recovered tablet can safely connect to the net. The new password will appear, apparently magically.

Can anyone confirm this?

I can only say that it worked for me. But remember it depended on the fact that I was able to recall the command before the tablet reconnected to the net. If it's connected to the net when you issue the command, I imagine that what's wiped is wiped. I am not going to test that theory.

Didn't work for me. There's no cancel button. What do you mean by "set a password".

I meant to set a password for the device through android device manager

I can confirm this works. I have Nexus 5, lost while travelling, found again. Important steps: in the android device manager on another device/machine 1. RESET PASSWORD, 2. "wipe device then cancel".

I can confirm it. I used Android Device Manager to issue an "erase" command to my Nexus 10 tablet that I had thought stolen. The next day I recovered the tablet from a place where there was no open wi-fi and it had been unable to connect. ADM's popup window states that if a device is offline it will be reset the next time it goes online.
I turned off the device's wi-fi to make sure it stayed offline and used my desktop to load ADM. The "erase" option was still available for the device because my device had been offline continuously. I again selected "erase" from the initial ADM screen but this time selected "cancel" from the subsequent pop-up window instead of confirming the erase. I repeated this process again for good measure.
With some trepidation, but out of options, I turned on the tablet's wi-fi, allowing it to connect. Android asked me to sign in and go through my two-step verification process. I did, and my Nexus 10 came alive and operated normally, having not been reset and with all programs and data intact.
Hopefully this will work for others. Like the previous poster, my success was certainly due to my device remaining offline and being unable to receive the initial "erase" command then going online only after apparently cancelling the erase with the process above.

This method worked for me, too.  I did remove the storage card, the SIM, and turn off my WiFi access point first, though, just in case.  After I powered it on, I backed up everything I could think of.  When I turned on the WiFi, it did not receive a wipe command.  I activated it with a new SIM (I had already replaced the phone), and all was well.

My solution was to remove the SIM card, turn off my WiFi network, turn on the device, and unset Google Find my Phone as Administrator. After that, Google is unable to perform a Factory Data Reset.

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


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My Gmail is signed in through the app on ex-boyfriend's phone
I had my email signed in on the Gmail app on my boyfriend's phone who is now on the other side of the country.  I've asked him a couple times to disconnect it but recently checked out Google Play and there's a bunch of new apps connected to my account. (I don't have a smart  phone.) Is there a way to disconnect it remotely without access to his phone?
Second, I've recently been flooded with spam mail, which is unusual for me.  Could this be because of that connection?

should activate 2-step authentication on your account, and ensure that the verification code is always sent to your phone via SMS. The gmail service should fail automatically on his phone then.

If you ever get stalking urges (or just want to be horrified at how much data smartphones "leak"), just have a look at your own location history...

@Basic What has stalking got to do with your own location history, unless you're stalking yourself?

@t0mm13b Well... If your google account is tied to someone else's phone (As per the OP's question) then it applies. That said, I'd hope most people realise I was being tongue-in-cheek.

Update:  There's one new application associated with my account.  My old email that I signed into on his phone once or twice (through a web browser, not the app) has had sign ins in ontario, bc and alberta.  I've changed the password on that multiple times as well.
his entire email account was just recently deleted.  I'm guessing it's more a breach of security on his phone.  Other than destroying his phone and setting up two step verification (I don't have a phone at the moment) I've done everything suggested. Guess I'll wait and see if my email has the same fate as his?

Go to:
https://accounts.google.com/b/0/EditPasswd
and change your password, then go to:
https://security.google.com/settings/security/permissions
and revoke access to everything.

Looking at the permissions site, you might be able to just revoke the permissions from your phone without needing to change your password. I'd advise doing both anyway just to be sure though.

@bmdixon I assume the password changing, is so that he can not just log back in again. Else it would render the second part useless.

Also it wouldn't be a bad idea to add two step verification to your account. Once you have that setup you can add and remove phones to your account.

In a comment to @geffchang's answer, she states she has already changed password and it didn't work, so she definitely has to removed the linked apps.

The second step is the key: apps use authentication and session tokens, not password, to authenticate. This include google apps (gmail, hangouts and of course play). You have to revoke the token, so the app cannot access your data and behave on your behalf anymore.

If Android Device Manager was enabled, and you HATE your ex, you can Lock and/or Erase that phone. Refer to the official guide for more details.

Lock. Lock your device with a new password.
Erase. Permanently delete all of your data.

Of course, as others suggested, changing your password is sufficient.

Yikes!  That would be some strong hate.
I changed my password the day we split (just changed it again now anyways).  The apps associated are obviously new and completely useless to me, Toronto transit apps where he moved, I stayed in BC.  Probably something simple I'm missing?  I've been away from computers/internet for over a year.  A lot has changed.

@jordan Just observe if you're still getting new apps. Then, come back here and keep us updated if changing the password wasn't enough.

This is not the kind of behaviour to advocate on SE. It's also likely illegal, depending on laws where you live, and could end up at the very least with a civil suit if not criminal charges. Do not do this.

@Bob: We are not to decide. It is an answer, and it is valid. If the guy is an a-hole enough to keep the account logged in even after getting asked several times not to do so... I think it's a well-deserved counter-step. But again, we are not to judge. If someone writes a fork-bomb on Stackoverflow, people won't ban him because it could be used for malicious things.

@Bob Nothing to see here, sir. Move along. Thank you. :-P

@Shiki I don't mind the answer (though it's not really necessary/correct for this question) - my problem is with the tone of the answer. There's some difference between "this is a fork-bomb" and "if you really hate this person and want revenge, you should set off a fork-bomb on his computer!". Don't bring emotions in where they are not needed.

@Bob I'm curious how this could be illegal.

@dspyz I think it could be considered hacking. After all, it's not her phone.

Well, in light of his non-cooperation, it might be necessary for you to take steps to remotely purge your gmail account from his phone.., in the course of doing so, it could accidentally happen that his phone gets locked or erased =)

@geffchang well, it's her account, and he knows he's using it with her account. It's in her full moral right to do so IMAO. No clue about if it's also legal by law, but (again IMAO) it should. He could switch to his own account if he wanted to avoid such a thing.

Elaborating this answer, technically she could also just lock the phone with a password, and ask him a ransom in order to unlock it. This is also legally and morally gray area at best. Just pointing it out, not suggesting to do it.

@jordan Changing password will not be sufficient. See my comment to Eerendil answer

Login to Gmail on a browser. At the end of the page, in the bottom right-hand corner, you have a small hyperlink to see the sessions where your account is being used called "Details".  Click that link, and then click on the "Sign Out" for all the sessions. Voila! All of your logged in sessions (except the current browser login) will be logged out.

This is the best way to solve the question in the title. The OP is unclear as to whether the boyfriend has the password and how he is buying apps with her account.

he doesn't have my password, I accidentally left my email signed in through gmails application when we split ways.
As far as I've seen, email sessions logged in through the application don't show up under your account activity.  I don't have access to a phone to verify that right now though.

I also recommend going to the account security activity :
https://security.google.com/settings/security/activity
It will show you when and where your account is used.
For example : if you boyfriend is loggued on some other device

Interesting tip! Might not help the asker though since it shows log in events, while the problem is knowing if the person stays logged in. But it's certainly worth a look.

I've never seen activity for gmail app sign ins, even when I was using his phone regularly.

Change your password. That will log out everywhere else and prevent people installing apps on your account.

You could just change your Google password? That way when his phone does the regular check, authentication will fail and the phone will effectively be cut off from your account.

Changing your password is not enough.  Many apps don't use your password after the first login.  When you have authenticated for the first time a special authorization token just for that application is stored in your Google account, and used by the phone.

We're talking about the Google password though, the main account of the device, iirc it does poll the Google servers to authenticate the password regularly..

@Le3ky Nope not even vaguely regularly. When I changed my google password, an old phone of mine kept working for over a year before its auth tokens expired and it finally got around to asking for a password.


text:
My custom ringtone plays with stuttering, what may be the problem?
After some time (may be it's related to the update to 4.4.x) my custom call ringtone (a .flac file) started to stutter permanently and always.
I can hear it even while choosing it in a system settings. But playing the file with another player works fine.
What can be the problem?

Model: Nexus 4
Version: 4.4.2

There is a bug in Android 4.4 which causes flac files to pop and stutter.
AndroidPolice has an article on it, there is a fix that has been committed (but not released) according to this bug report. It should be fixed in the next release (although when that'll be is anyone's guess)

Since the problem exists in Android's native flac codec, which is used
  by most of the music players available, finding an alternative app
  with its own custom implementation will easily solve the issue.


text:
"No Backup account is currently storing data"?
When I checked backup & restore options in my settings it shows "No Backup account is currently storing data"  , but I'm currently signed in to my Google account. Why it is disabled?

(Click on Image to See large preview)

Sorry this might sound silly but did you turn it on when you first logged on? It's usually on by default, but some ROMs have it disabled by default. It can also conflict as some ROMs appear as a new device on your account and it has, in the past for me, caused this to happen. Frankly (and this is not a popular opinion) I find CyanogenMod riddled with issues on any Samsung device.

I checked this by reinstalling my ROM and also selected backup to This account option. And while I'm searching lots of Nexus devices also reported same issue.

It is working for me on Nexus 4, Galaxy S4 and Galaxy S4 Google Edition. 2 of them are running 4.4.2 ROMs, none running stock. My first bet is CyanogenMod to be honest. I've tried it and used to love it, the Samsung builds are very, very patchy especially CM 11 which to me, isn't even a beta build yet. I'd try another ROM to confirm/refute this, and proceed from there.

The backup transport is the part of the system that takes backed-up data from the phone and sends it to some provider's backup storage. This is a manufacturer- and carrier- replaceable component, to allow (for example) Samsung to make their phones backup to Samsung storage with a Samsung account, instead of backing up to Google, while remaining compatible with apps that use the Android backup system.
Possibly the Cyanogenmod ROM you've installed simply doesn't have a backup transport.

Just want to add some more details.
I am using Galaxy Nexus with CM11 Snapshot M4 (latest available) and still have this issue. This issue was present from the first CM11 build which I have installed in this device.
Out of curiosity I have checked couple of Nexus devices and this is what I could find.

Nexus 4 - Upgraded to stock 4.4.2 - Doesn't have this issue
Nexus 5 - Stock 4.4.2 - Issue is present.

In accordance with Dan's answer above, Since the backup transport is a manufacturer/carrier customizable component, in CyanogenMod it may be a reason. In CM, at the time of device setup, it asks for an optional CyanogenMod account (which I didn't create) and they may be using this CM account for app data backup (not sure, yet to verify this).

Checked with Paranoid Android 4.1 beta 1 and there isn't any issue in it. It displays my gmail account as backup account.


text:
Checksum error after crash install Android
I wanted to upgrade my Android phone (Acer Liquid Ferrari) from 2.2 to 2.3 but it crashed => I can't turn on my phone,
When I do a clean boot (power + vol up + vol down) there are no problem but my phone doesn't reboot
When I want to go into Recovery (power + vol up + cam) there are an error on the checksum
Partition: checksum
 splash: chsum =00000000 OK
 boot:chcksum=8fa17e51 != 0021fde4 **fail**
 recovery:chsum =00000000 OK
 system:chsum =00000000 OK
=====
<<FAIL>>

So when I want to do adb devices I have error device not found. The driver is correctly installed on my computer
How can I launch the recovery mode ?
Thanks

You probably should give you device's make and model for more specific answers.

Acer Liquid Ferrari

And your computer is running what OS/version? Devices show up using different device IDs when booted into different "modes" (normal boot/recovery/...), so that might need additional configuration/drivers.

I use Windows OS (but I have also Ubuntu). What kind of driver is necessary in more ?

Or are there a Windows application which can help me to do this ?

I solved my problem by connecting my phone to usb and pressing Vol Up + Cam + Power for await my PC recognize the device.
After that, I use Acer Tools to flash my device with the bin of Android


text:
How to root Samsung galaxy chat B5330?
The title says it all. I have read this rooting tag info throughly and did all that was necessary to ensure this question is not duplicate.
There are some guides on the web, but they only make me go mad as each has some issue (broken links, poor comments, etc). So if anyone can give trustworthy answers, please do.

Note: The OS for galaxy chat has been updated a while ago. Now, it has jelly bean.

After checking all the generic methods,I've found only two methods that could possibly root galaxy chat.out of them ready to root has very bad rating

The second method is Bin4ry method.But there is no way one could understand if it's actually rooting or not(the app says,it will either show message on completion or show nothing). If anyone succeeds using bin4ry method.Do add the approx required time.

Correct – well done :) I've just linked to your question from our rooting index. Until someone can answer your question, you might wish to consult that index for "generic methods" which might apply.

Any luck since then?

I. Before You Begin:

Rooting voids the warranty of your device (until you unroot it).
Please charge your device to have at least 60% of battery life
download Root Package from http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1936878
Download and place the Root Package file onto your Desktop. Do NOT extract it.
Connect your device to your PC using the USB cable.
Copy the Root Package file over to the SD card of your device.
Once done, disconnect the device from your PC.
Turn OFF the device.
Reboot the device into Stock Recovery. To do so, press and hold the Volume DOWN+Home+Power buttons together.
Once inside the recovery, choose apply update from sdcard.
Select the Root Package(update.zip) you copied earlier to the device.
Be patient and let it root the device.
Once done, reboot the device.
You’re good to go!

Brilliant! You now have root access on your Galaxy Chat B5330 device

sorry  for late reply, but (1). The file is for android 4.0.4 but I have upgraded to 4.1.2 (2). Anyway it doesn't work.Please have a look at my two new posts on xda-devel and on AE .Thanks

If you're running an OS between 4.0 and 4.3,you can just use VROOT to do it.

Thanks for replying, can you provide more info?

Well, VROOT is a Chinese tool for rooting Android devices, i have tested on 4.0.x 4.1.x 4.2.x, you just install ADB drivers for your device and then run VROOT, it works automatically.


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Maximum number of alarm clocks
My HTC One (Android 4.3) told me that I can only have 10 alarm clocks at maximum and that I should delete one before adding a new one. Why, and is it possible to have more than ten?

Why: That's the number they decided on. Can you have more, possibly, there are paid alarms that claim to allow more than 10, but I can't vouch for any.

There are a ton of alarm clock apps in the Play Store.

Okay, if it is a constraint of the app than I could just switch to another. I thought that it possibly is a constraint of the android system cannot handling more alarms.

Oh don't worry, it's definitely not a constraint of the OS. That'd be paramount to Windows setting an arbitrary limit to the number of web bookmarks you can save in Firefox.

There's the alarm app, then there's HTC's modified version to further muddy things. I'd say try the Play Store as the others have said.

Get Timely Alarm Clock. I've never tried more than 10 alarms but I guess it should be worth a try. It's free after all & extremely sexy.
Also you should try adding calender events instead of alarms and change the sound to something loud.

It is owned by Google now, afaik it only does 10. I haven't used it in a while though so worth a test. The calendar idea is also a good one!

This app is amazing. I tested it and it accepts more than 10 alarms. Don't know how reliable it is, but I will see. thx for tips and hints

My bad! Good to know. I figured once Google got their hands on it the usual restrictions would apply!

I use Timely. I rather like it and even ponied up for the ability to sync alarms between my devices.

Is it possible to have more than ten (alarms)?

Maybe not with HTC clock, but yes it is possible.
As mentioned by dotVezz in the comment, "it's definitely not a constraint of the OS".
Android doesn't set any restrictions regarding how many alarms they can store/handle, even on per-app basis. A counter-example to OP's case: a stock clock on Nexus 4 (Android 5.0) can have 15+ alarms (I stopped adding after 15 alarms).
If you want to have more than 10 alarms, then you can just search it since "there are a ton of alarm clock apps in the Play Store." As already mentioned in other answer, Timely Alarm Clock supports more than 10 alarms.

Why (is it impossible to have more than ten alarms with HTC clock)?

I can't really answer this without speculating as this is a decision made by HTC. Some possibilities that I could think off:

Less alarms are easier to manage
Less alarms won't hit the OS performance.

But for the technical part, Android is open-source and anyone can customize it as they like, including adding the alarm restriction on the clock app.


text:
Bluetooth Remote Controll for Voice input on Nexus 5
I am using my Nexus 5 for 1.5 months now. Previously I used an iPhone 5. On the iPhone there was Siri and - when connected via Bluetooth to my car stereo - I could push a button on my Steering Wheel and start voice interaction with siri.
When I push the same button in Android 4.4.2 on my Nexus 5, it says "initialisieren", I think the english locale would be "initializing" and nothing happens.
It would be great to get at least some starting of calls working like "call my mom" or "call john doe" better would be also a working tts/stt (reading/dictation) of sms. Best would be if I also could change playlists (Play List Salsa/Play List Rock) or starting of the navigation (Navigate to Home)
is there any way to get those things working?

Screenshot (click image for original size)

I'm not sure about the "Steering Wheel" controls, but you might wish to take a look at tasker (being German, just follow the link to AndroidPIT from there :) and the AutoVoice plugin.

so out of the box there is no way to use that standard voice recognition?

I can't tell, as I've not much played with that. Let's see if someone else has fresh ideas.

I have tried tasker now. It is a really powerful thing. But I have the problem, that my phone speaks the variables instead of speaking its contents:
AutoVoice and Tasker: Speak recognized Variable says “percent varname”

You might wish to see the above linked tasker tag-wiki and follow up the link to my ressource collection. Though that post being German, it links to several English tutorials, including those around AutoVoice; I roughly remember there was at least one with using Variables to be spoken out.

Solved that specific problem. Tomorrow I try to get it working with the button on my car stereo system. But it's kinda hard to programm all that features with that little keyboard and screen. Usually I use 3 big screens for programming and a mechanical keyboard ^^

Glad for the solution (and thanks for answering your own question and sharing it, just upvoted ;) And yes, the question has been asked for years to have a desktop version of Tasker to write profiles and export them. Trouble is, that would need all the environment (addons, configurations) as well. One might be able doing that in an emulator... Good luck further, looking forward to your solution!

The trick with the autovoice for car mode didn't work. Now I can toggle the task, but cannot get it to work with the car microphone as it does during calls.

Have you tried contacting its author? He's very responsive, and AutoVoice are his "crown jewels". Tell him Izzy sent you with best regards :) If there's any solution, I'm pretty sure João will find it. // Oh, if he did it, please don't forget to let us know the solution :)

@Izzy I don't have an answer from the author of the software yet but I have another solution for the initial problem (See answer)

@Izzy how did you resize the image or have you done it offline?

Just click the [edit] link and see for yourself: imgur ships a smaller variant when you add a m to the basename (e.g. if abcde.jpg is the large image, abcdem.jpg gives a Medium sized (which I used), and abcdes.jpg would give a (too) small one). Then I made the medium variant a link to the large one, using the normal markup elements for that.

I found a solution to the initial problem. It seems that this is a common bug and in the software since at least Anroid 4.2. There is an Application in the Play Store that does nothing but reacting to the Bluetooth button and starting the voice recognition:
Voice Command
When I push the Button, I have to select what app to start, I chose "Voice Command" after that I am asked again and chose "Google Now" and then it starts directly in the Voice Recognition mode.
I don't know yet if it gets the commands over bluetooth or over the built in mic but it stops the music and starts the recognition.
This works at least with My phone (Nexus 5, 32GB Android 4.4.2 All settings to german and my Car Radio (JVC...))


text:
What is the setting in xprivacy to access the microphone?
I use xprivacy to set all permissions on my phone, but I accidently forbid the tuner app to access my microphone.
Which setting do I have to enable?

It may need to record audio:    or it may  need to just access the mic which is android.hardware.microphone

I found out via xPrivacy itself:
I run the tuner app and after I saw in the privacy settings for the app, that it tried to access
"Medien (Audio,Fotos,Videos)" -> "startRecording" (one minute ago)
I allowed that and now it works ;)


text:
Can an app make phone calls in the background
I saw a number of apps that require "Services that cost you money" permissions, my question is if I install such an app and that app will make a phone call, is that call visible to the user or the app can make the call in the background without the user knowing ?
I usually don't install apps that require extending permissions and I haven’t found anything googling, I prefer not to install it unless I'm sure I won't have a surprise when my phone bill comes.
Specifically I was invited to join a conference via GoToMeeting and their Android app is requesting the above permission.

I am an Android Application developer. I had a requirement to make phone verification. In that case we had to make a telephony call to our server. But we could't achieve that as Android system does not allow us to make a phone call without users interaction. The best we can do is populate the phone number in the default dialer app. In any case user has to press call button. So I would say No app can make a phone call without your permission.
But
We can send SMS in from background and it will cost you money. For this you will see something like this before installing app:

Let's say I'm trying to make a malicious app to dial out without you knowing. Why can't I set a layer over the dialer app and have a layer over the button to dial out, the user won't know they clicked a button in their dialler as opposed to my app at any point, and I can draw over other applications UI with my app so they won't see anything dialing but the call will be going. Is that not possible?

No RossC its not possible. When you touch any button in application we receive its even in out application. Now when we have the event we can forward that event to other button or any other control. But that control must be on the same screen (technically Activity). So the dialler app not the part of any malicious app so it not possible at all.

The permission CALL_PHONE is described as "Allows an application to initiate a phone call without going through the Dialer user interface for the user to confirm the call being placed." So I wonder: Is that description wrong – or did you miss it? Your screenshot doesn't show your app requested this. Protection level here is "dangerous", so any app can request it (as opposed to CALL_PRIVILEGED, which is reserved to system apps).


text:
Unlock Motorola Droid Razr Maxx (Verizon)
I have a Motorola Droid Razr Maxx on Verizon in the US. I want to take it to Straight Talk, a MVNO that uses Verizon's network. I bought the Straight Talk SIM card, but I get an error that the phone needs to be unlocked.
How can I unlock the phone to use it with another provider (same CDMA network type)?

In my country (France) a MVNO that uses the same network as the operator that sold you your phone does not need the phone to be unlocked...

Provided you bought the correct SIM card (StraightTalk provides its service using all 4 major US mobile networks - ATT, TMO, Verizon and Sprint)
from How to Convert Verizon Wireless Phones to Straight Talk:

Contact Verizon Wireless. Verify your account information and explain
  to the representative that you would like to unlock your phone for use
  with another service. Pay your outstanding balance due and the early
  termination fee, if applicable. Obtain an unlock code from the
  representative.

I tried that. I called Verizon and they explained they cannot support unlocking a phone, even though I'm willing to pay the ETF and such.

If this is the new Droid Maxx (2013 model,  MOTXT1080M), then it is already unlocked out of the box.   Just pop your Sim card in and it will work.   Just be aware that the data will be HSPA+ and not LTE.

It was purchased new in February 2012, so it's probably not the newest model. It's a Droid Razr Maxx.


text:
Google Account with limited permissions
I am trying to assess feasibility of an internal initiative at my company.
Management would like to:

Distribute Nexus 7/10s which can have primarily calendar and contacts synced by a single Gmail account
Disable ability to send email from this account, although not from employee's account

This is an effort to keep calendar and contacts in sync.
Is the second requirement possible?

Leaving this open, because it's an interesting problem.

I think you are making the problem complex. If the whole idea is to share same Calendar and Contacts then this can be achieved easily without creating another Email not sendable Gmail account. Use Google Apps and share Contacts and Calendar with the organization.

@roxan Agreed, this seems to be the best way. Thank you.

It isn't possible to limit an account to not send emails. The only solution I can think of is to sync the main account (the one for calendar and contacts) and a second account for email. In the gmail application, you have to set it to default to the second account when the application is open. In the calendar, you have to set the application to open the calendar of the main account.


text:
Sharing a directory tree problem from windows to android es explorer
There are several child folders in parent folder on windows 8.
Times ago I shared some child folders and accessed them from android es explorer without problems. Then I removed all child folders shares and instead shared their parent folder.
During the parent folder sharing the window appeared listing some of the previous child shares and asking "some of the folders were previously shared. you can replace their current settings with the same setting you just applied to the folder you shared".
If I click change settings after processing for a while it ends up with "folder can not be shared". Despite the message it is shared but access to those children is forbidden, they are not visible.

Where do you get that message: on your Windows machine, or in ES File Explorer?

windows while sharing

I re-clicked every child manually from explorer to stop sharing just to make sure. now just one child gets problem to be shared. I share parent and it fails to be shared

Just disconnect your tablet completely from WiFi while editing the shares (you probably cannot modify a share that is in use). If the problems still persist, here is the wrong place to ask, as that's rather a Windows issue then (check [SU] or Server Fault instead then – but make sure to read their help pages where it's best fitting, and don't cross-post on both ;)).

authors: Жекуня Ломовацкий


text:
How can I control wi-fi data use?
I'll be taking a vacation next summer, and on the cruise data use is sold per megabyte. If I JUST want to check e-mail on my android device, how the heck do I do that? How do I prevent all the other apps on my phone from accessing the wi-fi (cellular will be turned off, or I'll be using my wi-fi only tablet).
My objective is to limit network use to just the one or two apps that I really want to see results from. I can't seem to find anything in the settings that would allow me to do this.
Is there any way? I'm probably willing to root my tablet if necessary.
Devices available are the moment are a Droid 4 phone, and an Acer Iconia A200 tablet.

Go to settings, accounts and disable Sync. It will reduce your data consumption by a lot.
You still can check for emails manually though when sync is off. Remember this is the only way to get fresh mails then :)

If you go to "Settings>Data Usage>More>Restrict Networks' and select your WiFi network, I think that has the result you're after (I'm on Android 6.0.3)!
EDIT: to confirm, this probably has the equivalent of restricting background data, rather than enabling you to specify apps to have data access but might be a suitable solution.

I don't know in which Android version was this option first available, but I can confirm that it was already present in the Nexus 4 running Android 5.1.1

Your device must be rooted if you want to control per apps connection ability. You may use avast's firewall feature than.

Depending on how comfortable it should be, what Android version is in use, and whether root is available, there might be multiple approaches:

turn WiFi off completely, and just activate it for checking mail/initiating a sync, after which you disable it again. This should work on any device, regardless of the Android version.
Disabling background data unfortunately is restricted to mobile data only, but you could "trick" that with higher Android versions: I'm not sure when this was introduced (for sure after 4.0, as I can't find it on my phone), but it's possible to define certain WiFi networks as "mobile hotspot" (i.e. another mobile device is providing it), so it would be dealt with like a mobile connection – which means, the "restrict background data" setting should apply when connected to it. Then use the "restrict background data" feature to disable all "background traffic" (i.e. all transfers you did not explicitly trigger in the foreground app).
This way your web browser would still work if you load it, mail check should do when manually triggered from within your mail app, etc.
root access on the device gives you even more flexibility. You could use any firewall app to keep apps from using any data, etc.

The app "My Data Manager" will not prevent certain apps and processes from using your wifi, but it is a mighty tool to analyze your traffic.
If I was you, I'd first of all check what's using how much data at home in normal life and then try to find out how to allow or disallow certain apps the wifi access.


text:
What do I need in my emulator to run Chrome's apk?
Most answers here just mention to download the APK file and install it via adb. But after that i get a dialog about critical functionality missing.

What exactly are the requirements for running Chrome?
Update 1:
AWT answer found one of the requirements, I have to run Google API image instead of a AOSP one.
After that, I stop getting that message, and Chrome just plain open, show the interface, and then crash.
here it is using the latest (downloaded today) google image for API 19.
I/LibraryLoader( 1936): loaded: chromeview
D/dalvikvm( 1918): GC_FOR_ALLOC freed 49K, 3% free 4571K/4712K, paused 94ms, total 263ms
D/dalvikvm( 1918): GC_FOR_ALLOC freed 6K, 3% free 4999K/5144K, paused 62ms, total 99ms
D/dalvikvm( 1918): Added shared lib /data/app-lib/com.android.chrome-1/libchromeview.so 0xb1cfa3c8
I/LibraryLoader( 1918): loaded: chromeview
I/chromium( 1918): [INFO:chrome_library_loader_hooks.cc(156)] Chromium logging enabled: level = 0, default verbosity = 0
I/MemoryUsageMonitor( 1918): Max active tabs = 8
W/BrowserProcessMain( 1918): Excessive maxRendererProcesses value: 7
I/BrowserProcessMain( 1918): Initializing chromium process, renderers=3 hostIsChrome=true
I/chromium( 1918): [INFO:chrome_paths.cc(456)] Registering chrome_paths.cc as a path provider
I/chromium( 1918): [INFO:build_info.cc(96)] BuildInfo instance initialized with device=generic model=google_sdk brand=generic android_build_id=KK android_build_fp=generic/google_sdk/generic:4.4.2/KK/938007:eng/test-keys package_version_code=1025469 package_version_name=18.0.1025469
I/chromium( 1918): [INFO:breakpad_posix.cc(1038)] Dump path: /data/data/com.android.chrome/cache/Crash Reports
V/SyncSetupManager( 1918): Ignoring pref change because user is not signed in to Chrome
D/dalvikvm( 1918): GC_CONCURRENT freed 111K, 4% free 5540K/5732K, paused 20ms+6ms, total 293ms
E/chromium( 1918): [ERROR:user_style_sheet_watcher.cc(164)] Failed to setup watch for /data/data/com.android.chrome/app_chrome/Default/User StyleSheets/Custom.css
W/com.google.android.apps.chrome.NewTabPageUtil( 1918): Unable to determine NTP
section: chrome://newtab/
D/SandboxedProcessLauncher( 1918): Setting up connection to process: slot=0
D/SandboxedProcessLauncher( 1918): on connect callback, pid=1936 context=-1200784872
I/chromium( 1936): [INFO:chrome_library_loader_hooks.cc(156)] Chromium logging enabled: level = 0, default verbosity = 0
I/ActivityManager(  391): START u0 {flg=0x4000000 cmp=com.android.chrome/com.google.android.apps.chrome.firstrun.FirstRunExperienceActivityPhone} from pid 1918
I/chromium( 1936): [INFO:build_info.cc(96)] BuildInfo instance initialized with device=generic model=google_sdk brand=generic android_build_id=KK android_build_fp=generic/google_sdk/generic:4.4.2/KK/938007:eng/test-keys package_version_code=1025469 package_version_name=18.0.1025469
I/chromium( 1936): [INFO:sandboxed_process_service.cc(180)] Starting sandboxed process main entry point, cmdline=/system/bin/app_process --type=renderer --enable-fixed-layout --enable-threaded-compositing --ppapi-out-of-process --register-pepper-plugins --lang=en-US --enable-crash-reporter=,Android --disable-client-side-phishing-detection --enable-in-browser-thumbnailing --channel=1918.0.859634551
 --data-dir=/data/data/com.android.chrome/app_chrome --lang=en-US --cache-dir=/data/data/com.android.chrome/cache
D/SandboxedProcessLauncher( 1918): Setting up connection to process: slot=1
I/ActivityManager(  391): Start proc com.android.chrome:sandboxed_process1 for service com.android.chrome/org.chromium.content.browser.SandboxedProcessService1:
 pid=1960 uid=99003 gids={}
W/ActivityManager(  391): Activity pause timeout for ActivityRecord{b1edb218 u0com.android.chrome/com.google.android.apps.chrome.Main t6}
D/StrictMode( 1918): StrictMode policy violation; ~duration=122 ms: android.os.StrictMode$StrictModeDiskReadViolation: policy=2847 violation=2
D/StrictMode( 1918):    at android.os.StrictMode$AndroidBlockGuardPolicy.onReadFromDisk(StrictMode.java:1135)
D/StrictMode( 1918):    at android.database.sqlite.SQLiteConnection.applyBlockGuardPolicy(SQLiteConnection.java:1041)
D/StrictMode( 1918):    at android.database.sqlite.SQLiteConnection.executeForCursorWindow(SQLiteConnection.java:842)
D/StrictMode( 1918):    at android.database.sqlite.SQLiteSession.executeForCursorWindow(SQLiteSession.java:836)
D/StrictMode( 1918):    at android.database.sqlite.SQLiteQuery.fillWindow(SQLiteQuery.java:62)
D/StrictMode( 1918):    at android.database.sqlite.SQLiteCursor.fillWindow(SQLiteCursor.java:144)
D/StrictMode( 1918):    at android.database.sqlite.SQLiteCursor.getCount(SQLiteCursor.java:133)
D/StrictMode( 1918):    at android.database.CursorToBulkCursorAdaptor.getBulkCursorDescriptor(CursorToBulkCursorAdaptor.java:148)
D/StrictMode( 1918):    at android.content.ContentProviderNative.onTransact(ContentProviderNative.java:118)
D/StrictMode( 1918):    at android.os.Binder.execTransact(Binder.java:404)
D/StrictMode( 1918):    at dalvik.system.NativeStart.run(Native Method)
D/StrictMode( 1918): # via Binder call with stack:
D/StrictMode( 1918): android.os.StrictMode$LogStackTrace
D/StrictMode( 1918):    at android.os.StrictMode.readAndHandleBinderCallViolations(StrictMode.java:1705)
D/StrictMode( 1918):    at android.os.Parcel.readExceptionCode(Parcel.java:1447)

D/StrictMode( 1918):    at android.database.DatabaseUtils.readExceptionFromParcel(DatabaseUtils.java:134)
D/StrictMode( 1918):    at android.content.ContentProviderProxy.query(ContentProviderNative.java:413)
D/StrictMode( 1918):    at android.content.ContentResolver.query(ContentResolver.java:461)
D/StrictMode( 1918):    at android.content.ContentResolver.query(ContentResolver.java:404)
D/StrictMode( 1918):    at com.google.android.apps.chrome.GoogleLocationSettingsHelper.getUseLocationForServices(GoogleLocationSettingsHelper.java:115)
D/StrictMode( 1918):    at com.google.android.apps.chrome.GoogleLocationSettingsHelper.isGoogleLocationSettingsAvailable(GoogleLocationSettingsHelper.java:193)
D/StrictMode( 1918):    at com.google.android.apps.chrome.GoogleLocationSettingsHelper.onMainActivityResume(GoogleLocationSettingsHelper.java:161)
D/StrictMode( 1918):    at com.google.android.apps.chrome.Main$MainWithNative.onResume(Main.java:675)
D/StrictMode( 1918):    at com.google.android.apps.chrome.Main$MainWithNative.access$1500(Main.java:498)
D/StrictMode( 1918):    at com.google.android.apps.chrome.Main$InitializerContinuation.resumeNowAndProcessPendingItems(Main.java:485)
D/StrictMode( 1918):    at com.google.android.apps.chrome.Main$InitializerContinuation.onNativeLibraryLoaded(Main.java:406)
D/StrictMode( 1918):    at com.google.android.apps.chrome.Main$InitializerContinuation.access$200(Main.java:356)
D/StrictMode( 1918):    at com.google.android.apps.chrome.Main$InitializerContinuation$1.run(Main.java:366)
D/StrictMode( 1918):    at android.os.Handler.handleCallback(Handler.java:733)
D/StrictMode( 1918):    at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:95)
D/StrictMode( 1918):    at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:136)
D/StrictMode( 1918):    at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:5017)
D/StrictMode( 1918):    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invokeNative(Native Method)
D/StrictMode( 1918):    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:515)
D/StrictMode( 1918):    at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:779)
D/StrictMode( 1918):    at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:595)
D/StrictMode( 1918):    at dalvik.system.NativeStart.main(Native Method)
I/LibraryLoader( 1960): loading: chromeview
D/dalvikvm( 1960): Trying to load lib /data/app-lib/com.android.chrome-1/libchromeview.so 0xb1cefc80
W/linker  ( 1960): libchromeview.so has text relocations. This is wasting memory and is a security risk. Please fix.
D/dalvikvm( 1918): GC_FOR_ALLOC freed 337K, 7% free 5931K/6352K, paused 270ms, total 284ms
I/dalvikvm-heap( 1918): Grow heap (frag case) to 6.943MB for 1127536-byte allocation
D/dalvikvm( 1918): GC_FOR_ALLOC freed 2K, 6% free 7029K/7456K, paused 408ms, total 408ms
D/dalvikvm( 1960): Added shared lib /data/app-lib/com.android.chrome-1/libchromeview.so 0xb1cefc80
I/LibraryLoader( 1960): loaded: chromeview
I/chromium( 1960): [INFO:chrome_library_loader_hooks.cc(156)] Chromium logging enabled: level = 0, default verbosity = 0
D/dalvikvm( 1918): GC_CONCURRENT freed 8K, 6% free 7021K/7456K, paused 15ms+112ms, total 421ms

There is some random portion of adb catlog while chrome is crashing, before i get to this:

@Izzy are you a bot? even if yes, thanks for fixing my images! :) much appreciated.

Always welcome! Call me "number 5", as I'm alive :) Fixing those images was an easy task. You might wish to hit the [edit] button and take a look how it was done, might prove useful next time :)

The build as per the logcat indicates Chrome was built for KitKat aka Android 4.4.2...

@t0mm13b i was using the image for API19, which i think is 4.4.2

It's likely you're running an emulator that has not included some of the Google APIs that Chrome needs.  When you create an AVD, when you select a target and API level, you also select  either "Android APIs" or "Google APIs".  It's possible that Chrome needs an emulator that has the Google APIs included. (Maps, etc...)

Also...is your emulator running as ARM or Intel Atom x86?  I've noticed that some downloaded APKs won't run on the emulator in x86 mode.
I was able to get it working using an emulator with these settings.  It's not fast, but it works:

Pic or it didn't happen:

Hope that works for you.

It does not seem to be only that. I created a nexus4 device with Google api 19. It forced me to use Arm cpu, which is extremely slow... ok, i install the Chrome APK, and chrome starts without that message. But before it can show even the start page it closes and I get the dialog telling me that Chrome crashed. Something is still missing...

can you run chrome on your emulators? could you please paste the output of sdk/tools/android list here?

I will check right now if I can install and run the Chrome apk.  In the meantime, the output of android list is here: http://pastebin.com/G2WxrCRT

No, confirmed it will not run on my emulator, I get the same message you get - "missing critical functionality".  I'm curious now though, let me see if I can figure out why.

I created a new AVD with the settings (in my updated answer) and I got it to work.  Hopefully it works for you as well.

I think we are up to something. I was on windows so i can't create 1GB of ram. was using the max of 768Mb. And none run the emulator there. Just installed on my personal linux box, created an API19google avd, and it runs...

edit: testing now with chrome31 apk, now i can run even on the previous AVDs under windows without any error... but it never renders the page. and also does not drawn the interface on the tabs screen.

I have tried to do this several times and Google does not support APKs for their emulators. I heard others worked around this by installing the Chromium APKs, but even this doesn't really work well. Your best option is to use a physical device -- this will actually free up your PC resources as well.


text:
Remotely controlling Windows 8 apps
I am looking for a way to control my Windows 8 machine from my Android device.
I have seen there are some server/clients around, but I'm not sure if they fit my needs. To be clear: I am not looking to session into my RDP, I want to remote control some of my Windows  8 apps.

What kind of applications? Audio/video could be done by pairing with bluetooth if they support the remote control profiles.

Why not run a VNC server on your Windows 8 machine, then use a VNC client (available on any platform)...?

Unified remote has worked very well for me in the past.
Website
Android app

Have you tried  TeamViewer? You can use it to control all OS.

thnx. I will look into it!


text:
Sony Xperia Ray Superuser?
I have managed to unlock the bootloader and flash the phone with a custom ROM (3.0) I can now disable the many app's I don't want but I can't delete them...How do I go about getting access/permissions to do so?

Have you seen our fine bloatware tag-wiki? It's pointing to the required answers, amongst others ;)

If your device is rooted now you may use titanium backup. It has freeze feature beside uninstall system apps (freeze is similar with uninstall but it is reversable)

Thanks but it didn't work...told me my phone isn't rooted, yet the bootloader is open and I flashed a custom ROM onto it yesterday...

The custom ROM might have root access disabled by default (I know CyanogenMod offers that, for example). Have you checked its settings?

Do you have SuperSU installed on the device? When you open it what happens? You may need to install it, it is on Play Store but you can also flash the Zip. Google chainfire SuperSU and see what you need to do. You may be rooted, but not have Super User permission!


text:
Recover a deleted file from phone memory without USB Mass Storage class?
I just deleted a picture file from the internal phone memory. I actually deleted the entire Pictures folder. But the app said that 1 file was deleted. Not more than that? I take it this means that the phone camera is using the SD card to store pictures I take. It was stored in /storage/emulated/0 on Galaxy S4 plus.
I'm not sure what picture that was. Is there a way I can recover it? I noticed there's no USB Mass Storage option in Galaxy S4 Plus. Can I still use a recovery software such as PhotoRec or Recuva to restore it?
Update: I only have a long list of local disk volumes (partitions) when I start Recuva. There's no way to select my phone – which is connected as an MTP device (Microsoft protocol for media players) – or any of its partitiions. I have the same problem in PhotoRec. It is however detected by the computer and I can browse its contents in Windows Explorer.

I can see now that I'm not the only one (link 1 link 2) with this type of problem.

The instructions given by the articles I linked to above are really deep and invasive. Is there really no way to do data recovery directly on the internal memory of MTP (media player) or PTP (photo camera) devices (e.g. so called "smart" phones using MTP/PTP)? Can someone confirm this?

If this is true then it's really stupid to use these protocols on smartphones in first place. Mounting the smartphone as a USB mass storage device was so much faster, and I'm sure it could provide some level of data recovery. So now, if I want that on my brand new Galaxy S4 I have to root it??? Unbelievable!! Well, I'll just hope that the picture file I deleted was nothing of value to me. Thankfully only one file was deleted. I better get some backup solution, beyond the cloud backups I already have.

Best backup solution for photos/videos is probably to allow Google+ to automatically back them all up whenever you charge your phone and are connected to a Wifi network.

Stupid question, maybe – but have you checked the fine tag wiki of the data-recovery tag you used? Points you e.g. to Recover deleted content from userdata partition and How can I recover a deleted file on Android? :)

The general opinion seems to be that one should use an app called Undelete by Fahrbot from the Play store. However, this app has only limited use. It can only read FAT partitions, and it requires root permission to be of any use. I was looking for ways to recover files from the internal storage (presumably an Ext3 partition), either from within the phone with the help of an app (which usually requires root permission) or from a PC.

I have given up on this one. Hopefully there was nothing important in that folder, and if there was, I hope it was already backed up with Dropbox. (Now that I think of it, I think it said "1 folder" deleted. So there might have been more than 1 file in there.) But if you find a way to recover files from the internal phone memory, preferably with an app, please post a link. It might be helpful in the future.

same problem for me, and my Samsung Grand Neo does not have root permission so I can't find a way to recover my lost data. Hope someone will find a way.


text:
What is best and quickest way to fire up a Android 4.4 emulator or virtual box?
I'm looking to test a few apk's, but was wondering is there a quick android emulator I can fire up easily. A virtual box would also be nice, but i don't think thats widely supported.

You could try the Android SDK.

Try Genymotion.

How is that a comment, and "use the official emulator" (which is about the slowest piece of software I've ever used) is an answer?

@Poldie hence my comment above, android sdk's own is akin to waiting til the cows come home... :D

@t0mm13b I was referring to your comment (that's my +1) !
I've given up using the emulator, as it's so easy to use my phone/tablet, but my dev environment is in a VM, so that's a solution of sorts; it's (loads) quicker to bring up Linux Mint in a VM (which has Android Studio and the emulator permanently running) than to fire up the emulator on a bare-metal OS each time

Oh ok! Was a bit confused by your initial comment. Mind me asking, this is going Off-topic here, but why are you running Linux in a VM with an emulator running inside that? Genymotion is a modified form of virtualbox (VM in itself) running android... genuinely curious question as to your setup, unless its Windows based?

I only heard about Genymotion in the last few months; I'll give it a go if/when I next feel like using an emulator. I have Linux in a VM on a Windows box because until recently I've done more Windows-related development. I'm a relative newcomer to Linux and prefer it.   I seem to recall thinking installation of Genymotion was a bit of a faff, and looking at their FAQ now I can see why. Not sure about running VirtualBox inside VMWare Player.

I suppose I could run VirtualBox in the Windows base and see if I can somehow connect Android Studio in the Linux VM to it. Running/debugging wirelessly on my N10/S3 is working pretty well at the moment; not sure what an emulator would give me other than the ability to more easily test different resolutions.


text:
How can I monitor bandwidth capacity over time?
I know that I can use some applications such as Speedtest to check my current bandwidth capacity. However, I would like to monitor bandwidth capacity over time as I would like to assess the quality of the wifi connection around me throughout the day. Is there anyway to do so on Android?
I use Samsung Galaxy S3 with Android 4.1.2 and Nexus 7 with Android 4.4.2.

That's a pre-destined case for apps like OpenSignal, which are designed for mapping signals around you. Network Signal Info offers it as well. Both tools can be used to get a coverage map for WiFi and mobile signal, and also offer you to log signal strength.


text:
Grabbing a part of the screen as an image
I am reading a pdf file and I need to select a specific area in the file and paste it into my note in Papyrus. How to grab a specific area in a pdf file? Pdf reader iannotate does not allow me to do that. Is there a customizable screenshot command or some other app? This is w.r.t. Samsung Note 10.1.

Why do you need a customizable screenshot? Just take a normal screenshot and then crop it with the built-in photo editor.

That's double work for me and I have to do this for many images.

Check out Screenshot Ultimate.
What I would do is enable the Folder Listener trigger, and make sure the settings points to the correct screenshot folder. After this is enabled, I'd take a screenshot normally. Then, the app will ask me what to do with it. I'd click Edit, and Crop it.


text:
Trying to install KitKat on xperia Ray
My Phone is SonyErcisson Xperia Ray ST18i
I have Super Jelly Bean http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2135918 ROM installed, with kernel (from Status after I tried installing KK) 2.6.32.0-SuperFusioN-kk
I tried to install KitKat AORP http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2579054
I flashed boot.img from KitKat from zip,
When I tried to install KitKat ROM from recovery, I got this message:

this package is for "ST18i,ST18a,urushi" devices; this is a "haida"

The Urushi is the codename for the Xperia Ray ST18i and ST18a, the Haida is the code name for the Sony Xperia neo V – MT11i, MT11a. It makes no sense that it would display the wrong phone model at this stage. Was the boot image the correct one for the Ray? Have you changed anything else that could cause this mismatch? Have you tried re-downloading the ROM and boot and starting from scratch? This seems to be the installer script detecting a different model of phone and I dont' know where it gets that data. Anyone know?

The reason for the error is, you have downloaded the wrong package. The downloaded package is not compatible for ray.
To download the original package and detailed installation tutorial, read my article given below:
How To Install KitKat 4.4.2 On Sony Xperia Ray
Hope this helps.

Try to install Xperia Ray patch from
http://www.androidizer.com/update-sony-xperia-ray-to-jelly-bean-4-1-2-latest-rom-version-8-0/
after doing it, flash boot.img. i recomend this nightly Cyanogenmod 11 for xperia Ray:
http://legacyxperia.basketbuild.com/index.php?dir=main/urushi/cm-11.0/nightlies/


text:
Forcing an Android tablet to connect to a WiFi from PC
A while ago, I had a tablet (Coby Kyros MID9742), that got shelved when the screen quit (half of the area of the touchscreen won't recognize touches, split among 2 sections).
I am trying to repurpose the tablet for use as a video player via HDMI cable to projector, with my old phone (Galaxy S, no problems) as a remote. I have that part worked out, using a 3rd party app.
But the main problem is getting the tablet to connect to WiFi to use the remote software. The screen is broken in such a way that the center strip (top to bottom in portrait mode) cannot recognize touches, and I cannot put in the WiFi password that I need to. The tablet does not know the password for the WiFi.
Is there some way that I can force the tablet to connect to an encrypted WiFi using my PC, via USB cable? The tablet is rooted, but I have not flashed a custom ROM onto it.
Also, is there some way that I can force WiFi to turn on at startup, and automatically connect to specified network?
If there is any more information I need to add, please say so in the comments.

There is a way to connect your tablet with a router without entering the password. Nowadays, in almost all WiFi routers, there is an option called WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup). It can be seen in the routers, usually with a lock sign.
So, you can select the router from the list populated, and while prompting for the password, you can press the WPS key in the router. This will enable you to automatically set up the Wi-Fi without even entering the passwords.

You didn't write anything about the Android version running on your device. Assuming it is capable of acting as OTG host (if unsure, you can find out using some OTG Checker), you could try attaching some USB keyboard (and mouse) to it in order to control input. This would allow you to not only activate WiFi and chose the network, but also to enter the credentials when needed.

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


text:
Samsung note 3 keyboard shortcuts
Any keyboard shortcuts comparable to their windows counterparts on the note 3?  Ex. Copy and paste ctrl-c and ctrl-p.  Looking for a alternate way despite pressing and holding a field of text.
Any assistance appreciated.

There is keyboard app in the Google Play Store called Swype which has many handy shortcuts - such as copy, paste, select all, etc. The shortcuts involve swiping certain keys. When I use Swype I find these shortcuts to be incredibly efficient and helpful.

excellent exactly what I was looking for!


text:
how does battery calibration work?
There are several posts on how to calibrate android batteries but none describe its working.
How is it that the system can determine at what voltage the battery is considered to be charged (100% or say 4200mV) and what voltage is considered to be discharged (0% or 3400mV)?
"Android stops the battery from charging when reaching 100%" but if it is calibrated wrong, how come it wont stop charging at another voltage (say 4100mV) or even continue discharging at a voltage below its normal operation (say 3200mV)?
Expected answer:

The actual technical insight on how android determines the current battery level

Edit 1: I am stressing that my question has nothing to do with battery statistics and how much battery apps have used but solely on the procedure involved with determining the battery %
This is my first question please excuse any conventions I may have missed

I don't know if this answers your question but doesn't Android get battery voltage and level info from the kernel?

@aureljared it would if you could say that definitively along with a reference. And if so, it would be great if you could point me to the actual process of determining the battery percentage level from the actual hardware readings. Thanks in advance!

This is a very interesting question. For the nexus 5 (which I own), an algorithm for calibrating the battery readouts is given here: https://www.androidpit.com/how-to-calibrate-the-battery-on-your-android-device What mystifies me, though, is that this definitely seems like a hack of the OS/battery manager firmware code. Does anyone have specific references in the android code (or maybe a firmware snippet) that identifies why this works? (Ideally, the algorithm for how to determine when to trigger the "reset" of the battery statistics).

Looking through the android source code recently (I'm new to android building and am still getting used to what makes android tick), I came across a file somewhere that had all sorts of calibration statistics and figures.
All of the figures are set by the vendor of the device itself. From how many mAhs the battery holds, to what values different device features affect the battery (like WiFi scanning, screen brightness etc).
I would assume that it is these figures (from the vendor), that the kernel uses to help itself calculate battery level.
Also, batteries come with little chips in them these days, to provide overcharge protection etc. The chip quite possibly reports on it's health status to the device. But that is merely just a personal assumption based on the fact that I don't use a stock battery (I use a zero lemon in my i9300 which triples my life between charges), and my phone knows the difference (it doesn't drop the same percentage in a given time compared to stock).
I hope this helps!!

Very convincing and elegant! But just to confirm, technically you are saying that the OS combines its hardware reading of voltage with preset values set by the vendor (or read from the battery's chip) to determine the current battery percentage using some kind or formula? This definitely requires references or for starters where you found such a file!

It has no effect on battery life, but it just resets the battery consumption statistics, that is It notes battery changes between different activities...
But this is what google engineer  Diane Hackborn posted on his G+
"This file [batterystats.bin] is used to
maintain, across reboots, low-level data
about the kinds of operations the device
and your apps are doing between battery
changes. That is, it is solely used to
compute the blame for battery usage
shown in the "Battery Use" UI in settings.
That is, it has deeply significant things
like "app X held a wake lock for 2
minutes" and "the screen was on at 60%
brightness for 10 minutes."
It has no impact on the current battery
level shown to you. It has no impact on
your battery life."

Understood (I have read his post earlier) batterystats.bin is not responsible for determining the current battery % but what is and how does it work? -(clarification: my question has nothing to do with how the per app battery statistics are produced)

Battery calibration deletes this file, forcing android to get these statistics again.
Remember u will be asked to calibrate once reaches 100 percent, and u will be asked to drain it to 0%..
The statistics are collected from scratch..
In that way u will have proper battery indication (think updated apps may consume less battery)

I do not understand! If the stats are deleted, then how can i trust that if I charge it to 100% that it is actually the upper limit of my battery (since the stats are deleted, android is showing a false indication of my battery!) Moreover, you still haven't said where it is storing the new information! Just that batterystats.bin does not! I was expecting a detailed explanation of its working! Please be more technical!

"The BatteryManager
broadcasts all battery and charging
details in a sticky Intent that
includes the charging status."
Battery indication has nothing to do with the batterystats.bin, battery stats bin is used only for indicating the battery use...
Refer here http://developer.android.com/training/monitoring-device-state/battery-monitoring.html

I appreciate your research and I hate to be fussy but after reading the article I found that it is not related to battery calibration and doesn't exactly answer my question specifically it says "battery% = level / (float)scale" but how does an un calibrated device obtain the battery scale. However the article has proved to be very interesting and does answer few other questions. But nothing related to technical details behind battery calibration :(

Stored in the kernel. Compiled using known values for specific hardware. Flashed to ROM. Reads the current value. Percentifies it.

Brilliant @jay ! Makes a lot of sense. This was the answer I was expecting! However again it lacks backup references and has an overall ambiguity in its wording. Please edit, this is potentially the accepted answer thanks in advance

authors: Василь Різак


text:
Getting a Galaxy Note 3 N9006 to work like a normal phone
I'm an American living in Beijing. I had a Galaxy Note 1 for a bit, and loved it. I recently bought an unlocked Galaxy Note 3 N9006, which is a Chinese variant of the Note 3. Unfortunately, because of China's ongoing feud with Google, it doesn't have a Play Store, Gmail, or any of the other Google apps that made me love Android in the first place. The system is ostensibly in English, but there are lots of China-specific things about it: every app on the Samsung store is in Chinese, warnings and so forth also tend to be, and my only two options for searching are Baidu and Bing (both of which I hate).
What I want is for the phone to run like one that I would buy in America. I'm open to rooting it, or installing a different type of firmware, but I'm unfamiliar with what that stuff really means, or how to do it.
Is this possible? Or will I be stuck with a Chinese phone forever?

You can root your phone, install a custom ROM and gApps (i.e. play store, hangouts, etc). That shouldn't be a problem. Pop over to XDA for your device (and remember it has to be the EXACT model i.e. N9006) http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2495375

Hello! I rooted the phone and it seems to have worked fine, but I don't know what to do next. Where do I find the right custom ROM? Ideally what I would like is just normal, out-of-the-box android like the type I would find on an American phone. Is there somewhere I could download this?

Great I'm glad it worked. You just need the correct Gapps package, and you flash it through your new custom recovery... If you installed one. Check out XDA, and just do a search for 'gapps' for whatever version of android you are on. Alternatively XDA will have ROMS (if any) for the device! Sorry I can't provide more, having internet issues in the office.

Problem solved! I flashed CWM to the phone using Heimdall for Mac, then loaded a gapps file from a zip I had copied to the phone. Works like a charm. Thank you RossC for all your help.