text:
Configure Android to allow third-part application to handle SMS (text) messages?
I have a Huawei P8 Lite running stock software (Android 5.0 and EMUI 3.1), and use a third-party application (MyPhoneExplorer, a.k.a. MPE) to handle SMS messages from my Windows computer.
Although I never had that issue with an older Android phone running Cyanogenmod, the new phone often prompts me with the following dialog to allow MPE to handle text messages:

Is there a way to tell Android to allow that application once and for all, and stop bothering me?
Thank you.

That looks like a problem with the ROM.  Is MPE installed to the phone storage or to the internal/external SD card?

In the phone storage.


text:
Missed calls log not showing in Lenovo A7000
My mobile is Lenovo A7000 with Android lolipop
Recently I the missed call logs not showing, sometimes for one or the other number it shows, it might be stored contact or new but the log is not happening, I also cleared the logs and cleared cache memory of call logs, but not fixed.
I tried updating firmware too but no use.
Please suggest me, thanks.

Today I was checking my phone for call log but didn't find anything, but after while I open securezone from statusbar on home screen all call logs are visible. So turn on secure zone.

Considering that you have not mentioned your device and this "securezone" feature is not a core Android feature but is device-specific, I'm flagging this post for deletion as it may confuse other people who need a legitimate solution.

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


text:
SSHelper: SD card Permission denied
I am unable to write to my sdcard using SSHelper:
u0_a264@MSM8974:/storage/sdcard1 $ df /storage/sdcard1
Filesystem               Size     Used     Free   Blksize
/storage/sdcard1       119.1G   625.3M   118.4G   32768

u0_a264@MSM8974:/storage/sdcard1 $ mkdir Test

mkdir failed for Test, Permission denied

In the "internal" sdcard there is no problem:
u0_a264@MSM8974:/data/data/com.arachnoid.sshelper/home $ mkdir Test
u0_a264@MSM8974:/data/data/com.arachnoid.sshelper/home $ rmdir Test

Android 5.1.1 App info Permissions shows:

modify or delete the content of your sdcard. read the contents of your SD card

What is missing to be able to scp files on my micro SD card using SSHelper ?

On an android 4.2.2 it works fine on both /data and /storage/sdcard1

It is crazy how difficult is to use permissions on vfat, which wasn't design for that.
I don't understand, why Android does not use ext2 instead.

how are you going to take pictures on your digital camera and then put the card in your android device?  digital cameras don't support ext2...

Take a look at the various ways to get around this issue as explained in the official docs.
Here're some excerpt:

One solution, not at all easy, is to take the external storage device out of the Android device, write to it elsewhere, and put it back. This is a great pain, and works only if you have access to the device and are a bit of a techie.
There's a more difficult solution that grants permanent write access in place, which I will explain here. But be warned — this is not a normal activity for end users, and without being careful you could brick your device.

The latter solution requires root access and modifying /system/etc/permissions/platform.xml to include <group gid="media_rw" /> permission in the relevant sections as shown below:
<permission name="android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" >
    <group gid="sdcard_r" />
    <group gid="media_rw" />
</permission>

<permission name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" >
    <group gid="sdcard_r" />
    <group gid="sdcard_rw" />
    <group gid="media_rw"/>
</permission>

<permission name="android.permission.ACCESS_ALL_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" >
    <group gid="sdcard_r" />
    <group gid="sdcard_rw" />
    <group gid="sdcard_all" />
    <group gid="media_rw" />
</permission>

Also note that your changes to the above file will most likely be lost when you do an OTA (Over-The-Air) update.

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


text:
Phone number listed about this phone
I found a phone that still has the sim card in it but it has been reset to factory settings.  Is there any way to find the phone number associated with that phone (I am sure the owner has a new phone and has had the number changed from the lost phone to the new phone) so I can call it and let the owner know I found their old phone?

Possible duplicate of Get Phone Number on Android

Settings > about phone > status > sim status

Consider this: Get Phone Number on Android


text:
Spoof WiFi settings as 'On' but use Cellular Data (for specific apps or in total)
Alternatively, can android force an app to use Cellular data?
The app in question: Amazon Video [Version 3.0.57.30110 "Prime Video for Android Software"]
**Device in use:**Samsung Galaxy Note 4 - Android Version: 5.0.1 Build LRX22C.N910TUVU1COG2 (USA TMobile Completely Stock, No Root etc)
Issue: AV doesn't allow 'download for offline viewing' of media larger than 50mb in size. The app wants to see the device is connected to a WiFi network to allow downloads.
Why this is an issue: When travelling, I use my unlimited network to download media for offline use when leaving network coverage areas (wilderness, trains/planes etc) - with an unlimited cellular plan, I don't care about what size file I'm downloading; Amazon is undoubtedly attempting to help users from inadvertently maxing out their data plans and blaming Amazon in the process (yes, those users exist)...
Interestingly, a cellular hotspot will allow download - as the app see's the device as being on a WiFi Network.
Restating the Question:
Is there a way to either, force the app into using cellular data, or, spoof the phone's wifi state as 'on' but use cellular data anyway?
Research:
Reading other threads, this problem is unique in the sense that wifi is not an option to use - assume i only have cellular data; how can i use apps that request wifi for their functions?

In order to simulate a wifi connection on 3g/4g (assuming you are rooted), you additionally need Xposed framework installed and install Hack connectivity service tool.
You then choose wifi and activate traces
See below:

This module forces the Connectivity manager  to return Wi-Fi networking info as active.
An alternative tool (if Hack connectivity service module is not working) is Fake Wi-Fi Connection module try v1.9 (beta) for lollipop+. Sometimes some applications won't work when no Wi-Fi is detected so it simulates  an active Wi-Fi connection in order for apps to get internet. It uses the same concept as the above tool.
Edit:
Another suggested option is to decompile the apk file and make

network connectivity check always return true.

Hope this helps


text:
Why some apps can't access internet using wi-fi?
I've been trying to update several antiviruses, they can't find server. Duck Duck Go app can't access internet too. Google Play and Chrome works fine. I'm using wi-fi shared by my laptop, in properties: WAP & WPA2 Personal, mode -infrasturcture.

Are there any proxy settings to access your WiFi? (proxy settings might be provided by your network provider). Most of the apps can't access the proxy settings provided by the android. For resolving that you can use ProxyDroid app (but it needs root-access).

Is there an antivirus that works ok with these settings ?

@RS No, all/most of the antivirus apps can't access the system's proxy settings. You need root access for that. So rooting your device is the only option.

@Vamsi, if all/most, then the answer is "probably". I had no proxy settings. What should I type in there ?

@RS Please check your internet settings. You are able to access internet in your laptop right? So go to internet options in your laptop (open control panel->internet options->connections->lan settings). What do you mean by  wifi shared by your laptop? Did you create a hotspot in your laptop?

@Vamsi, my laptop has internet connection via cable, I share it with my android by Wi-Fi, I'm using Ubuntu (I did like this http://ubuntuhandbook.org/index.php/2014/06/share-internet-with-android-ubuntu-1404/)

@RS As I mentioned earlier, check your connection settings for the proxy configuration. If there are no proxy configurations, then I'm not sure whether I can  help you.
Do you need to enter any credentials to access the internet?

There are no proxy configs. I entered only WAP & WAP2 at Wi-Fi

Try using avast it is a freeware. Check whether it is connecting to internet or not.

I've been tryed avast, avg, northon, bitdefender, trustgo, avria.

Avast is confusing, after updating it tells that you have the latest version, it seems it cares about antivirus version but not antivirus database.

just for the reference, connect from different mobile to your hotspot.

I do not have such an opportunity.

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


text:
Authorize adb in recovery mode
I need to authorize adb in recovery mode on my Galaxy S3 I9300 (international edition) in order to make a backup of my files.
The problem is that I cannot boot the cyanogenmod which is install on the phone and I don't know why.
Currently I have ClockworkMod Recovery 6.0.4.3 and when I try adb pull /sdcard/DCIM I get the following message:
error: device unauthorized. Please check the confirmation dialog on your device.
Please help me, I have a lot of valuable information on my phone which I need to recover.

In order to pull the files with ADB from my phone I flashed the latest TWRP recovery with ODIN (3.0.7, not the latest), then by default you have an authorized ADB devise in recovery, so I just entered
adb pull /sdcard/*
and waited for the files to transfer.


text:
Flashed wrong recovery on a QTAB with no bootloader or fastboot. What can I do?
Hey guys I was just tinkering, and it was stupid of me not to take a backup of any kind. Anyway, QTAB doesn't have a bootloader or fastboot menu. When I try adb reboot bootloader or fastboot, it goes to back to recovery. Now the problem with recovery is I cant use it. Home button makes selection go up and power key does nothing.. and cwm is not touch supported.
I have the stock system.img but no stock recovery. I could try another twrp recovery. But that's what i want to know how to do it.
I've googled and tried various stuff. no luck

Without knowing the exact device model you have I can only tell you to go to the website and download the appropriate firmware. Get the right file depending on your model number and read the instructions for flashing the stock firmware. This will give you a complete stock tablet back (system.img / recovery.img / boot.img etc).
The instructions seem pretty straight forward even though the procedure is a little bit weird...anyway:
Software needed: PhoenixSuit

Step 1 :Open PhoenixSuit application
Step 2: Choose firmware tab
Step 3: Select the image file from your computer
Step 4:Unplug the qtab + Click upgrade
You  will see this message : "Upgrade Firmware to Device?" Press Yes
Then you will see this message "No Device attached!" - Press Ok
And press ok for the third message also

Now long press your power button for atleast 10 seconds
Press one hardware key except the power button and do not release
Connect the device to the computer
Click power key for about 10 times
Release all keys and the device will upgrade

If it didn't work, repeat these 5 steps
  Instructions taken from here.

thanks for responding. I've tried what u r suggesting, but since the tab starts up in recovery only, its not showing in phoenixsuit. says no device connected. I'll keep trying incase it works.
btw, do u know how to get input keyevent to work in adb?
i tried adb shell input keyevent 26   but it says input not found


text:
Insufficient Storage Space?
I just bought an SD card with 8GB of memory (My old one had 2GB) and it's still saying I can't download or update any apps, and that there is insufficient storage space. I have an LGMS659 and I am very frustrated. Please help?

See the reason and possible solution in the questions tagged with [tag:insufficient-memory]. Also, give us the output (screenshots) of Diskinfo and DiskUsage. You may have to delete an app or an app's data  to get some space for the said apps' installation.

Loren, this is most likely due to your internal storage being full. By default, applications may be installing to your local storage. The easiest solution here will be to uninstall any unimportant applications and then install AppMgrIII or a similar application. This will then allow you to migrate larger applications to your SD card.
From memory (this may not be accurate) all applications that are not system installed applications can be moved to the SD card.
If you feel I have answered this please mark it so. If there is anything I have missed, or something wrong, let me know.


text:
Getting around the lock screen and cannot reboot to do Hard reset
I purchased a ZTE Z970 MetroPCS phone from ebay sold as "For parts - Broken". The battery was drained completely when I received the phone. When I charged it for a bit and tried the Power + Volume Up key, it kept rebooting upon reaching the first Android logo. There's nothing I could do. I tried all key combinations and it just keeps rebooting.
Magically, after charging again for the second time, the phone boots up. But the seller put in one of those pattern based lock screens. I emailed the seller via ebay but the seller doesn't know the unlock pattern himself.
I connected it to the computer to see if I can access ADB but no dice. Now the phone is up at the lock screen and I do not want to restart it and attempt to go to recovery as I'm afraid that it won't boot up again. What can I do to either get around the lock screen or somehow reset the phone some other way?

You're going to have to restart it and go to recovery. The whole point of a lock screen is to keep people out who don't have the piece of information needed to get past it.


text:
Can an app keep onto its root access permissions after the phone is turned off?
My question is plain and simple. Can an app keep onto its root access permissions after the phone is turned off? Is there a way an app with root access can keep this permission and start running with this permission without asking for it again once the device is turned back on?
For all I know, it can not, but it can be set to "grant root access whenever it demands" by superuser app.
The reason I ask this question is: I talked to the support service of the spy apps such as mSpy or FlexiSpy (apps that fetch your every single info but requires root access) which accept their app would not survive a factory reset but insist that their app would keep working properly after a reboot.

Apps like SuperSU will remember your decision regarding root access to an app and will give that reply each time the app asks, unless you specify otherwise in the settings.
Make sure your app starts after the device boots.
If your application needs root permissions during boot (not after the device has booted) you'll need to enable "su during boot" (SuperSU)

Yes but that would make the app listed in SuperSU which is against the basic mentality of being a spy app. IS there a way that this app can grant root access without needing SuperSU again?

@Androgba ah. I misunderstood. I don't think so unless the app itself can do that (like Helium backup) Even then, it needs permission at every reboot.

Agreed. Just looked into it further and those guys who claim that their app will work with root access even after a reboot actually want you to set SuperSU to be invisible and set notifications of it off. Thanks for the answer!


text:
Storage and Deleting Apps. How. What is Syncing and is it necessary?
I have a Sony Xperia and i can't delete apps or move then to my sd card cz I keep getting warnings about my internal storage. Some apps on my phone are not even using memory but they are still listed in apps. Driving me crazy. How do i delete empty and unwanted apps and how do i store apps and other daya to my sd card. Iv lost all my photos and videos from factory resetting and not backing up my data. Also id it necessary to sync everything. What does syncing do. PLEASE HELP. Gill in Dublin Ireland

Which Sony Xperia model do you own?

I have a Sony Xperia and i can't delete apps or move then to my sd
  card cz I keep getting warnings about my internal storage.

Can you show me the message? About moving app to SD card, if the device is running 4.4 then there are chances the OS won't allow you to install apps on external SD card. I'm not using any Xperia model so I'm skeptical. A device model could help.

How do i delete empty and unwanted apps and how do i store apps and
  other daya to my sd card.

Did you mean apps or folders? I suggest uninstall apps from Settings -> Apps and select from the Downloaded list there. If you meant the folders then you can delete them using the Files application.

Iv lost all my photos and videos from factory resetting and not backing up my data.

Always pull out things first before factory resetting. And be warned that synchronizing may not back up all your data. Video, images and apps maybe left out unless you use some other specific apps for that.

Also id it necessary to sync everything. What does syncing do.

Normally the sync will be managed through accounts. You can go to Settings -> Accounts section and select one of the accounts here. Tap on it and see the checked options. Checked means synced, unchecked means not synced. Simple as that.


text:
Can you flash any android device with "fastbood flash" command (of the adb)?
If an android device is rooted, and you have an image for it. Can you flash it with the "fastboot flash" command of the adb?
If not, why?
If yes, then what are all the "odin" tools for?
Thank you.

No. Certain manufacturers decide for whatever reason that they don't want to ship their products with support for 'fastboot'. It's really down to what the device manufacturer decides to do. To find out why, you'd have to find an engineer from the company in question and ask them why they decided to write their own protocol instead of using fastboot.
Most devices are fastboot compatible, while other manufacturers implement their own, proprietary interfaces. The primary example of this in today's world is Samsung, which uses their own, custom protocol to communicate with their devices - which requires a tool like Odin or Heimdall to work.

What about custom recoveries? Can those be flashed to any device with fastboot???

I'm not sure what you're asking. You can't use fastboot to flash a custom recovery to a device - you need to use Odin/Heimdall for Samsung, etc. Nor can you flash any recovery to a device using fastboot - to use a recovery on a device it must be purpose-built for the device (e.g. You can only flash Nexus 5 recoveries on a Nexus 5, trying to install a Nexus 5 recovery on a Nexus 6 might brick your Nexus 6)


text:
remove google account from android device
if i sync a google account account to my android mobile, all my gmail, contacts will be synced with the google account and i can view my mobile contacts, photos from a web browser in pc by signing in my google account right. now my question is simple. if i remove my google account from my android mobile, will i still be able to view the already synced contacts and photos from a web browser in pc through internet?

Yes.
If you have synced the account properly then you will be able to access all your content from browser even though you remove the account from android device.

My understanding of this process is not technically correct. For a full explanation of how this process works read: How Google Sync Works and Google Sync.
I will give my understanding of the matter and hope it
Lets say you have Contact_A on your Phone. When you configure a G-Mail account on your phone to sync your contacts Google grab Contact_A from your local device (phone) and then syncs with your Google account. Once this is done, this contact is then associated with your google account and is added to their database. This is controlled by Google and when you login to their service you're accessing your account through their product.
By syncing (and completing) this on your phone, Google will then store a copy of all the contacts on their server and will allow you to access this via a browser. You can successfully unlink your phone.
Obviously this method does not allow you to keep your phone and cloud sync unless you re-add. The best option here for you (I assume) would be to simply disable the "sync contacts" field on your phone.
If you believe anything here is wrong please feel free to correct me - I'm here to learn too.
If a sufficient answer please mark it so.

Yes, you will still be able to view any of that synced data that you can view from a different device.


text:
Custom sound notification on Google Calendar events
I have many calendars on Google Calendar:

Hospital appointment (blue)
Birthday calendar (yellow)
Payday calendar
My career's calendar

They are separated by the colours to make it easy for identification, but I would like to separate the notification sound to go with the colours. Some more urgent like an alarm, some less aggravating but still just a buzz or something.
It's confusing that they all use the same tone, and although via some apps I can differentiate these between text, voicemail, and Facebook, etc, it's not quite ideal. I have been looking through all calendar apps I can find for this thing.

Setting up distinct alarms for separate calendars within the Google Calendar app--or for separate events on any of those calendars--is not a feature provided in the Google Calendar app. If you wish to have that function and to continue using the Google Calendar app, you'll need a third-party add-in such as Calendar Event Reminder. (CER)  That one costs a couple of bucks but there may be other options, perhaps even "free" apps.

it seems silly that a simple feature like this isn't part of the Google calendar app... or even just the ability to turn off notification sounds on a per calendar basis!

The third-party app Business Calendar 2 includes the functionality you seek.
Specifically, it allows the user to specify different notification sounds for different calendars, or no notification sounds for specific calendars.
I'm sure Business Calendar 2 has this functionality, but you may be more interested in aCalendar, as it likely also has this functionality, but donates some of their revenue to a non-profit charitable organization.

The feature you are looking for in the Google Calendar is already present.
You can find the instructions to do that at google support here

This does not answer the question, it is just a link.  Second, by following the link you will see that it apparently is not possible to have more than one notification sound like the asker wants!

Indeed, the information presented in the link directly contradicts the assertion that this answer makes.


text:
How does WiFi in android detect if the device has to sign in or not?
When the device tries to connect to an access point or router, it has to sign in on the captive portal page with the message saying

"Sign in to Wi-Fi network".

How does the access point/router identify that a sign in is required for the device and what is the process behind it?

The detection url differs between different Android versions.
For Marshmallow, it uses connectivitycheck.gstatic.com/generate_204, check the code here AndroidXRef - Marshmallow 6.0.0_r1
For Kitkat, it uses clients3.google.com/generate_204
check the code AndroidXRef - KitKat 4.4.4_r1

I didn't want to hijack the answer by editing it, so I'll just leave a comment. It took me a while to realize that the detection URL triggers the notification if it cannot be reached. In addition, I needed my access point to respond to this request with some kind of content - in my case I returned a 200 code as well as the index page of my web server when /generate_204 is requested. Without content in the response, regardless of the return code, I would get a "Wi-Fi has no Internet access" notification.

@ubomb Seems odd, since http://connectivitycheck.gstatic.com/generate_204 actually returns a 204 with no content, and obviously works. Maybe you just left out the Content-Length: 0 header.

This technology is called "Captive portal". There are several implementations. As I know, Android tries to reach a file named generate_204 on one of the Google servers and if it is not possible, a notification in generated.
Further reading on Wikipedia: Captive_portal

Actually i know about captive portal. But i know the specific URL for check it. I want to know How it is work. Not what it is.

What do you mean - "how it is work"? Android sends a request, and if there is no positive response, it means that there is no connection to the internet, and notification is generated. That's how it works.

Which is the specific URL on which android request. I have mention in question.

In your previous comment you said that you know the specific URL. I think it's https://www.gstatic.com/generate_204

The URL seems to be http://clients3.google.com/generate_204 . Information taken from this site for chromium which is probably the same for android. https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/chromiumos-design-docs/network-portal-detection

@Alex.S: I am not sure if it's relevant to ask this here, but I couldn't find a suitable place. Question is:  As you said 'There are several implementations' of captive portal. Some returns a redirect URL with a HTTP status code as 200/3XX/511 and some returns HTML page as such. These are known to me, but I wanted to know if you did find any link describing the types/methods of captive portal implementation. Are you aware of any test suites to verify if the captive portal detection covers all types of portals.

A captive portal is generally implemented by directing all traffic to a valid HTTP response (200). This HTTP response is what appears in the captive portal.
This can be done with tools like iptables or dnsmasq.


text:
Missing VPN Icon
My device is Asus Memopad 7 (ME176CX)
Since upgrading to Lollipop I no longer get a key icon on the bar when my VPN is connected.
I'm not sure if this is a Lollipop thing or a ZenUI thing?
Can I get the icon back? I like to see the visual confirmation that the VPN is active.

Which VPN service are you using?

Cactus VPN, PPTP

I have same issue on my Memopad 8 (Me581CL).
GS4 works fine. I conclude it is a ZenUI issue. br,
gautier


text:
Android automatically corrects my volume
I have a bit annoying problem. My Android 4.2 Jelly Bean automatically corrects volume down every few minutes. It is rather annoying than a problem.
I tried to find and switch off this functionality, but i was not successful.
Can somebody help me where i can find it and switch it off?
Tablet is not rooted.
This occure when I listen Google Play, when I am not listening to music, when i have switched on or off Google Play.
It happenes about every 10 minutes or something like that.
It happens when plugged headphones via connector or without it. Bluetooth not tested.
Thanks.

Is it happening if you connect a headset or connect via bluetooth devices etc? Or when the phone is idle and Do you use different music player than Google's Play Music app. Please add when exactly and how frequently does it occur. And also mention your phone model and whether is it rooted?

Seems like a specific issue with Play Music (no solution yet)

Updated status: After turning this android device back to stock setting and  installing Google Play again this bug didn't show off yet again.

Possible reasons to why the problem occurs;
Power saving feature (both inherent or acquired from third-party applications.
Some users suggest that this can be attributed to a power saving feature in the ROM.

As soon as it hits 30% battery and that activates, it changes all my volume settings. Volume settings auto-adjust themselves?

This suspected feature is also thought to be provided by applications such as AVG optimisation feature etc
Incompatibility issues with headphones with in-built mic
It was observed that when doing an action that generates sound (i.e driving, running etc), the mic input in the head phones, this extra sound is somewhere compensated by a reduction in device volume.
Another possible theory to explain this scenario was described by one user:

When using headphones that does not have built-in controls the phone misinterprets small variations in voltage as commands to adjust volume. These variations are likely caused by phone’s own power saving, peaks in audio being played etc. Such small variations in voltage via the grounding pin are being interpreted by the phone as “volume down commands”. `

Bugs in Android versions
This problem has been noted by many users as a major bug in lollipop and I think earlier versions could have been vitims too. Not only is the Galaxy S4 model affected by this bug, infact other device models e.g LG, Galaxy S3 etc running  lollipop version seems to be affected as well.

Possible fixes

Using Volume locking applications
Various applications such as  Volume Lock & Mute were shown to be a working solution:

An alternative application Volume Control-Volume Lock has been shown to do the job

Replacing headphones

Following this evidence:

I found the problem finally. I found that if I use headphones that have a mic built in, it was the cause of the problem. Luckily my headphones came with a lead that could be unplugged from the headphones so I bought a new jack lead with no inbuilt mic and ii fixed the problem.

Another user was affirmative with this workaround:

Long story short, try not to use headphones with an inbuilt mic/volume control esp. while exercising (I find this is often the time this occurs).

Observing the device in Safe Mode

Try booting your device in Safe Mode. If the problem stops, there is definitely a third-party app triggering it.
However, if the problem is still there, it might be the Android software itself triggering the issue or a hardware-related fault. Simply delete the app that you suspect has compatibility issues with your music player.

Performing a Factory Reset

When the above solutions do not work, go to Recovery Mode and select Factory Reset. This will totally restore your phone to its factory settings. It will completely wipe all your stored files though, so remember to backup your data prior to this. You also wipe the cache partition in Recovery Mode if even Factory Reset fails.

Upgrading OS version

If the problem is due to an OS version update, wait for another OTA update that contains a fix from your unit’s carrier or manufacturer. When there are no updates or updates fail to fix the issue, you can root and flash your phone, then, install a custom ROM that will remove the issue. This is very risky though, so do your research about the process first or seek help from a technician.
Other workarounds
Another workaround is using automation. You can try using Tasker ($2.99 but available as a trial version for 7 fays)
Basically here, you want to set the media volume at constant level preferably when playing music or other media:

We need to create a Profile that can be linked to a certain Task say (Volume lock) when the conditions are met (variable is set to media volume, music app is opened)

Here is a workaround using Tasker:
Task
Go to the Task tab

Select "New Task + "
You can name this Task KeepSameVol or anything.
Click "+" to add new Action
Audio >> Media Volume  [Level :10 (or any value) Dislay (optional just a pop up alert)
Tap back to exit from this task
Press back all the way to exit (Your task is saved)

Profile (or Trigger)
Create a Profile which allows setting of predeterminded media volume level:

Goto Profiles Tab and click the "+"
Event >> Variable set >> %VOLM
Long press the "+" to add another option
State >> Variable value >> %VOLM != 10 (media volume isn't equal to 10)
Long press the "+" to add another option
Application >> Select your Music/Media applications
Tap back to exit from this window

Link the Task to the profile
Explanation: When an media application is opened,acheck is made if the volume is set to a defined level (i.e 10 in this case), if not
equal to ths value then a Taskis processed to adjust the volume to that level and make sure its constant
Hope this helps
References

Volume decreases when playing audio with headphones
Samsung Galaxy S3 Volume going crazy
Why does ringer volume keep going down?
Samsung Galaxy S4 Music Volume Goes Down on Its Own
Possible to lock volume to certain level, so volume buttons don't do anything?
S7 Edge, Volume lock?

Revised earlier solution , optimizing it and reducing it to a single macro - keep it simple (instead of two). This works fine - shouldn't take you more than 20 minutes to set up for test (even if you haven't ever used this app )

My solution is towards providing a simple , tested fix to the problem using automation
I prefer using MacroDroid , since it is free (upto 5 macros) and easy to learn.  Install the app , grant it permissions requested and you are good to go.
Logic

User decides a predetermined volume level that is comfortable

Launches Google Play music and keeps it in foreground

Play music - Every 3 seconds the macro forces the volume level to the predetermined volume level , thus ensuring fading of music or tuning out doesn't happen. 3 seconds is  arbitrarily chosen with the assumption that volume changes in 3 seconds will not be detected by ear - decrease it as you wish , if volume changes are jarring. I tested down to 800 milli seconds

To stop this volume adjustment (exit condition ), either switch the app to background or minimize it. Macro stops working

Testing Done
Since I don't have this problem with Google Play Music on my Moto X Play, I tested by by pressing Vol up and Vol down keys ( to simulate changes in volume ) but the player volume remained at predetermined level. I have tested it extensively , since my earlier solution

You need a single Macro for this - it looks to be a  tad lengthy process  only because all the steps have been described in detail ( 20 minute promise holds )
Your macro would look like this

(Triggers / Actions / Constraints are added by +   on the right side of each panel )
Macro : Lossless Music ( named by me - name it whatever )
This macro does fixing the predetermined level, polling every 3 seconds and ensuring that volume stays there
Triggers :
Triggers : Application Launched / Closed → Application Launched → OK → Select Google Play Music and OK
( When Google Play Music is launched , actions  below happen )
Actions:

Repeat Actions ( second item on drop down when you press the plus sign on action panel )→ While condition repeat → Conditions + → Application Running → Running in Foreground →OK → Google Play Music and OK

This creates a while / do loop wherein we want something to be done when Google Play Music is in foreground. You see now a WHILE / DO - End Loop created . Tap the End Loop and you will get a pop up Add action above. Tap that and add actions below

Volume Change → select Media / Music and set slider to say 75 % tap OK (this is the predetermined level and can be varied as you like )

Wait before next action → set it to 3 seconds ( or less as you want )

Constraints : Leave blank
Save and you are done !

Improvements possible

If you are the kind that prefers to play Google Play Music in background and wish to modify the macro , it's simple - replace foreground with background in above macro

If you want to have this behavior whether Play Music is in foreground OR background, it is also possible but you would need two macros for it - I have configured them and will add if you want

For anyone interested in the macro to work in both background and foreground see solution here

One possibility (Tested with OnePlus 5): The Equalizer.
Turn off the equalizer in System Settings, or at least the "Limiter".
To balance music volumes and reduce sudden bursts, the equalizer automatically raises volume on quieter parts of a music and turns down volume at bursts. This causes troubles frequently so I don't like it.
P.S. Someone told me to turn off equalizer in GPM but I can't find such a setting so I'm not adding it here.
References:

AndroidCentral – Google play music volume issues
Galaxy S4 Forums – Google Music volume increases and decreases on its own


text:
Connecting With pc via USB
I use Symphony w71.Though it would connect with PC but after root I find no option to connect with PC.It charge but not connect with computer.My phone debug option is on also enabling Root permission.What should I do now??

What kind of PC are you using? Does it have drivers installed?

By no option, do you mean the connection is not visible on your pc? And have you tried mtp connection?

Your device is already connected and detected if it's charging. Please edit and clarify that what you're asking is access to storage of Android from PC.

Once you connect your phone to your PC, unlock your phone and follow these steps
Pull down the Status/Notification bar. You must be able to see the type of connection. Press on it.
You must be able to see several options like Media device(MTP),  Camera(PTP), Charge only and Mass storage(UMS).
For your requirements, I suggest you choose the MTP connection. The UMS would just mount your SD card as an external device and ignore the internal storage.
You must be able to view your phone being connected to your PC by now and I would suggest you keep your screen unlocked till you disconnect your phone from the PC

Maybe you should only use an other usb-cable. Many cables have the middle two pins (which are for the data) in a position were it does not connect to pc, but the both pins left and right(which are for the power) are connected. So your device is loading but your pc says there is no mobile phone connected. Sorry but in my opinion many manufacturer do this with purpose :/

Hope this helps you :)

Welcome to Android enthusiasts. OP is facing the issue after rooting the phone. This does not answer the question


text:
Pull down notifications from the center of the screen in Android 5.1 on Sony Xperia
On my previous phone (sorry, I didn't set it up myself, so I can't give any more details than "some kind of Android") I was able to pull down the notifications by swiping down from the center of the screen (or anywhere really).
On my new Sony Xperia running Android 5.1, the same can only be accomplished by swiping down from the very top of the screen, which is quite a stretch to make.
Is there a way to change this? I couldn't find anything in the settings.

Could you clarify more? In that previous phone, were you able to pull down notification drawer from the center of the screen if only you were on home screen or from any app? You're asking for gesture support. Android natively doesn't have any settings for such gestures. Your OEM of previous phone possibly added that feature in that phone. Which particular Xperia device are you using? // Custom launchers can easily provide gesture but they work only on home screen mostly. If you want a global gesture, you may need root access.

If you are using the stock launcher, chances are there aren't settings for that.  I know that with a custom launcher like Nova Launcher, there are gestures that you can set up to do what you are looking for.
Nova Launcher on Google Play
Nova Launcher Prime on Google Play

just for further information: you need the paid version of nova launcher to access the real gesture settings.


text:
How to figure out what fonts are supported on android?
My mother tongue is called Manipuri and we have a script called Meetei/Meitei Mayek.
I am trying to create a input keyboard for the script. Up till Android 5, the OS doesn't seem to support the script. However, on Android M, when I visit a site with the script, it displays properly (at least on Chrome for Android). I thought perhaps the OS now supports the script.
I then tried to create a keyboard mapped to the unicode for the characters but it ended up displaying boxes.
How can I figure out whether the script is natively supported on the OS?
[Updated: Figured out the script is supported because I can see proper characters now. I had chosen the wrong emulator and that was the reason why I saw the boxes. However I think this must not be the optimal way to check support]

Can you use Bengali keyboard for your tongue?

We use to use Bengali script in the past but the original script is becoming more popular in the recent past.

There is already a keyboard for your language in play store. Have you tried this Meetei Mayek Keyboard plugin

Yes I've tried this. I want to take advantage of the native support. This app must've bundled the font with the app.

@ptamzz in case you wonder about my edit of the title: "script" is a bit ambiguous here and might be confused with "development issues".

This may either be an issue of 1. the encoding not supporting these characters or 2. the font not having actual representations stored for these characters. It doesn't suffice to have proper Unicode with the script in it, because Unicode does not store the picture of the characters, but only says what byte sequence should result in.


text:
How to transfer ClockworkMod backup to PC?
I'm trying to transfer files on my Moto G x1032 (recognized by ADB) from /data/media/0/clockworkmod/backup(confirmed location) to my PC, but adb pull gives me remote object /'location' does not exist.
I can't copy the backup to storage with any file manager I've tried, and hence can't see the files on my computer.
This seems relevant but /PB doesn't help.

What's the full adb command you're entering? Perhaps it just needs a small adjustment.

adb pull /sdcard/PB/data/media/0/clockworkmod/backup /C:\Users\ArtyNinja\Documents\Backup/1970-01-01.10.07.09_LXB22.46-28.1/

The leading / in front of the local directory is not right. Your local path should be something like C:\Users\ArtyNinja\Documents\Backup\1970-01-01.10.07.09_LXB22.46-28.1\ Windows doesn't use the / character in path separators.

Try:
adb pull /sdcard/0/clockworkmod/backup C:\Users\ArtyNinja\Documents\Backup\1970-01-01.10.07.09_LXB22.46-28.1\

or
adb pull /sdcard/clockworkmod/backup C:\Users\ArtyNinja\Documents\Backup\1970-01-01.10.07.09_LXB22.46-28.1\

`Nope. The X1032 doesn't have external storage by the way.

External SD would be something like /external_SD.
Try your original command, but put a space after backup and C:, and make sure all of your /'s are pointing the same way, so try:
adb pull /sdcard/PB/data/media/0/clockworkmod/backup/ C:\Users\ArtyNinja\Documents\Backup\1970-01-01.10.07.09_LXB22.46-28.1\

Tried adb pull /data/media/0/clockworkmod/backup /C: /Users/ArtyNinja/Documents/Backup/1970-01-01.10.07.09_LXB22.46-28.1/, but still doesn't exist.

@RMarkwald adb pull expects two arguments, so your answer looks incomplete (rather like a comment) :) Furthermore, both arguments must be of the same type (i.e. either both a file, or both a directory). For me it always worked with the /sdcard/* path on the Android end.

@Izzy You are correct, I edited my original answer providing the full command.  /sdcard/* has always worked for me as well.

Thanks! I've done a bit formatting. But the first command looks wrong: shouldn't that start with adb pull /storage/sdcard0 or adb pull /data/media/0/?

@ErljaJkdf. There's a space too much in your last comment, and a slash too much. Should read adb pull /data/media/0/clockworkmod/backup C:/Users/ArtyNinja/Documents/Backup/1970-01-01.10.07.09_LXB22.46-28.1. Could you please include the full and exact error message?

I've tried the edited command RMarkwald gave, and your command Izzy. The first returned remote object '/sdcard/PB/data/media/0/clockworkmod/backup/' does not exist, and your's returned remote object '/data/media/0/clockworkmod/backup' does not exist.

Since you mention “C:\”, I'll assume you're on Windows OS. I know 2 possible solutions for your trouble:
.
1) The easy and safe Ubuntu mode:

Download an Ubuntu ISO from HERE, burn the file on DVD/USB using the instructions you'll find at the bottom of above link and shutdown completely your computer. After a couple of seconds boot it using the LiveCD Mode where you don't need to install anything in order your Android device can be detected (and HDD's, Wifi, etc) after you connect it using your USB cable. Just ensure your computer is able to boot from DVD/USB device before your internal HDD (see your manual or BBS BIOS Post if a message such as “Pres F9 key to select boot device” appears).

Copy the Backup folder from your Android device to your Internal HDD (or external USB drive if you want). Reboot after you've finished the process, remove the Ubuntu DVD/USB and Voilà; you're again on your Windows OS with your Backup folder safe on your HDD. Keep safe this DVD; maybe one day you could need it in order to recover your info stored on your HDD's if your computer wont work caused by any kind of viruses or other software problems.

2) The Pro and NO needing Computer Aroma mode:

Download AromaFM.zip from HERE (despite the name, is a File Manager, not a Radio app). Put the apk into the root of your ExtSD card memory (if any).
Boot your device from CWM recovery (I use PhilzTouch, but I'm sure works also on CWM).
Navigate to “Install zip from SD card” and select the AromaFM Zip file.
After the AromaFM loads, you'll see a File Manager. Then copy your Backup folder to your external SD Card. If you previously connect a USB Pendrive or Card reader adapter to your USB port, then you can copy your info to any external media, since the AromaFM support the OTG method from the USB Debug.
After you finished the whole process, exit the app and turn off your device. Disconnect the Pendrive/Card reader adapter (if any) and turn ON your device. Now you have a Backup in another location than the original ones. Later you can to dump this data on a computer if desired.

.
Possible troubles using Aroma:

You don't have a ExtSD card (or your device doesn't have a physical reader).
Any of the Backup files have colon in the name (such as “Backup2015-10-10_12:00:00”).

The solution it's quite simple; use the Ubuntu method since GNU/Linux (Ubuntu) works perfectly managing files from Windows or another Linux distro (Android in fact is a Linux distro). Using the Ubuntu method you can not only copy the colon files on NTFS partition, but also can rename if its needed (you can't rename it from Windows. Even you can't move or open a file from Windows if in his name have a colon or exclamation; just an example).

Your Filesystem is FAT32.
If any of the backup files is higher than 4GB, then you're out of luck.

The only solution is format your SDcard/HDD partition (backup all important data before this, otherwise you'll lose all your stuff!) to NTFS format. Forget this message if you're using Vista or higher, since the Filesystem is NTFS. If you're on XP, then you could be using a deprecated Filesystem such as FAT32. If the trouble comes from your SDcard or external HDD, then format it to NTFS or make a partition and format it with NTFS filesystem. Again, you can do this using Gparted; a partition tool that comes by default on Ubuntu LiveCD you can download using the first method. Nevermind, sorry for sparing my comment, but  I can't send it in only one comment; the text editor said "It looks as spam". Anyway, hope that it help you!
Regards,
Benny.


text:
ADB version of these terminal emulator instructions?
I have the "Insufficient storage" bug on my Moto G X1032. This answer fixes it with the terminal emulator app, which i can't install.  They recommend performing the following commands in adb if that's the case. These commands aren't working, so i assume ADB uses different equivalents. Hopefully you can translate:
"After browsing around, I found out that the cache folder (that I assume used by the market) is using small partition (around 20mb in my case). So to solve this we need to change it to bigger partition.
You gonna need Android Terminal Simulator or equivalent terminal app. This will also require your Android rooted."

su                                    // Root permission request will be shown: you need to approve it.
cd /
umount /cache
mount -o rw,remount -t rootfs rootfs  // To set the folder access to rw – read and write
rmdir /cache                          // Delete cache folder. I'm personally using root explorer to do point 5-6.
mkdir /sdcard/cache
ln -s /sdcard/cache /cache            // To link cache folder to /sdcard/cache – which should have bigger partition size

(Text next to // indicates a comment above. Text before // is the command to be used.)

You can use all these commands, if you run adb shell before you enter them.

rmdir /cache returns device or resource busy.

Hmmm, I never had such an issue. Probably some process is accessing the folder constantly. Remember that /cache is a link to a device and not a regular folder.

I stopped every process i could, but still nothing.

I've also turned off all background processes in developer options.

Well, it's Android itself. If you can boot into recovery, you can easily select wipe cache  and simply wipe the cache like that, without those commands. Also: Are you sure you ran umount /cache successfully? Otherwise it's no wonder why the device is still in use.

Huh. Now i'm getting failed: Invalid argument in response toumount /cache.

You probably cannot do that with the device "fully booted up". Try booting into recovery mode and see if the device is detected by ADB then (not all recoveries do support it).

You can NOT remove /cache, it is a partition mounted at /cache. You can try manually flushing cache by running     rm -fr /cache/*

rm -fr /cache/* is accepted, but ln -s /sdcard/cache /cache returns ln: /cache/cache: Read-only file system. Maybe it's because my X1032 has no external SD card?


text:
Does "fastboot flash recovery <recovery-file.img>" command work with any android device?
The command is used to flash a recovery. Do you have to use odin like tools to flash it or you can just use adb?
Thank you

This is no duplicate. You just don't understand

Andykl, Please explain to @keepclam or to all of us why it is not a duplicate. Your question is of low-quality as well. Add your search and research to show that you did put efforts to find answer. See [ask].

This question is about flashing a recovery which has nothing to do with flashing  a system, which is what another question is about. One requires unlocked bootloader, another does not. So one can depend on fastboot protocol, while another not.

Please explain what is low quality question? Theses are weird terms that the portal is using. My question does include everything needed to understand it, but no, i have to include redundant info.

I recommend  you read more about what fastboot mode does. Fastboot is not discriminatory. If you can flash system partition using it, then you can flash any other partition too, including recovery.

First, to clear the confusion, fastboot and adb are two different modes/states. Now to answer your question, it depends whether your phone supports the fastboot protocol (all Android phones support adb, this is not the case for fastboot).
If it so happens that your smartphone is fastboot capable, then the fastboot flash recovery file.img command will work.


text:
Samsung S6 Edge Screen
I have a Galaxy s6 Edge and the screen functionas, however the touch screen facility no longer works. I am trying to clear the data prior to sending it off as it holds financial data.
I have tried the manual reset using the up/down and ... options but that just reboots the phone.
Is there anyway I can access the phone using my PC to either force a factory reset or wipe?
Cheers,
Tim

Is usb-debugging enabled on your device?

You can access your S6 edge remotely on your computer by using SideSync.
However, your phone will need WiFi to be turned ON or to be plugged into the computer using a USB cable to allow the connection. Hope this helps.


text:
Why is 'no connection' error appearing while accessing Google Play store?
I have this common, annoying problem while trying to access Google Play Store from my phone. It just shows 'no connection', and won't load, even though the internet access is surely working. The suspected cause is a synchronization error of my Google account, likely due to incorrect time settings (it's reported while running WhatsApp for example). Here's what I've done so far:

Set the time automatically
Manually set the time, without using the network
Clearing cache of Google Play store application
Reinstalling Google Play store manually using .apk
Logging out and back in with my Google account
Rooting the phone and using ClockSync app to set the time
Doing a factory reset of my device
Making sure Freedom application is not installed

I'm slowly running out of ideas...if anyone has the smallest hint, I'll be really grateful.


text:
Sd card and its directory
My phone (a refurbished Kyocera Hydro Icon running non-rooted Android 4.3) shows storage info of a sd card in picture 1. What's the path of its mounting point?
The size matching in picture 1 and 2 suggests its directory is /storage/sdcard0.
But ES File Explorer shows the content of /storage/sdcard0 isn't empty after I unmount the sd card. Picture 3 and 4 are before and after I unmount the sd card.
I can't find the sd card in the back of the phone. See picture 5. Where is it? (Update: I found the 2GB sd card, it is a little black thing, a little vague to see in the picture 5)
Thanks.

Storage as shown in Settings (left) and ES file manager

sdcard0 with both cards mounted (left, note the internalSD folder) and with the external card removed

There's an SD card inserted. Click the image for a larger variant if you don't believe
I've checked with mount and df while both cards are mounted, and with the external card umounted:

output of mount with the external mounted (left) and unmounted (click images for larger variants)

output of df with the external mounted (left) and unmounted (click images for larger variants)

SD card on newer Android phones, when referring to /storage/sdcard0, is meant in the sense of internal storage usable as an SD card. You should not attempt to unmount it, because it automatically gets remounted, because it's needed by many apps as their secondary storage to store large amounts of data (/data/data/ is the primary but smaller one).

Checking your pics again: that device seems to have a weird mounting set up, which I've never seen before on an Android device. /storage/sdcard0 indeed is your internal SD. But as soon as the external card is mounted, some kind of "overlay file system" seems to be initialized, blending it in with the internal card as if it were a single device. You can see that by the fact that, when unmounting, some entries from pic#3 disappear (pic#4; of course the files from the external card) while some remain (those on the internal card).
To find out where the external card is mounted physically, you can use the mount or df command at a terminal prompt: no root required for that, a simple terminal app will do or, alternatively, access via adb shell (see: adb and its tag-wiki).

Edit: After having collected df output with and without the external card mounted, the situation looks a bit more confusing. Here's what's happening in your case:

the internal SD card gets mounted to /storage/sdcard0, as it should be.
when the external card is inserted,

the internal one gets unmounted
the external card gets mounted to /storage/sdcard0
the internal card gets mounted to /storage/sdcard0/internalSD

when the external card is unmounted, things reverse again

So /storage/sdcard0 never shows "empty", but the content "changes". Relevant parts of df output to confirm this:

# df run with the external card mounted:
/storage/sdcard0              1.9G …
/storage/sdcard0/internalSD   1023.7M …
# df run after unmounting the external card:
/storage/sdcard0              1023.7M …

Check with the sizes to confirm. Another proof is the mount output:

# mount with both cards mounted:
/dev/block/vold/179:65 /storage/sdcard0 vfat
/dev/block/vold/179:30 /storage/sdcard0/internalSD vfat
# after unmounting the external card:
/dev/block/vold/179:30 /storage/sdcard0 vfat

Here you clearly see the device (first column) mounted to /storage/sdcard0 changes (which explains why I wanted the mount output in the first place). So no UnionFS: the output also clearly shows both cards using VFAT. Changing contents in the /storage/sdcard0 directory are easily explained by the SD cards being "interchanged".

Thanks. Where Is the internal sd card? How to remove it?

Fixed into your device, and not without destroying it (SoC).

Internal storage: /data. SD cards are using vold (see output of mount). Useful reading: Android Folder Hierarchy, our storage tag-wiki.

Sorry, copy in my phone is bad. The picture in my last commend should be http://i.stack.imgur.com/02mtp.png. What Is "phone"? Is it the same as the internal sd card? So my last comment should be "(1) Is the internal sd card "internal storage", or "phone" in http://i.stack.imgur.com/02mtp.png, or something else? The first has similar name, but unmatching space. The second has similar space. (2) Do the outputs of mount and df show "internal storage", and "phone" as partitions and file systems? "

Did you follow the links? If so: "device storage" (sometimes called "internal storage"). If not: Now is the time :) And again: This is no chat, and also not a forum. We've got a chat room for things like this, you've got the required rep to join. I'll stop responding here now, as this kind of discussion violates our rules, sorry.

/storage/sdcard0 is usually an "emulated SD card", in other words, your internal storage. Newer phones always have that "internal storage" which can't be physically removed from the phone, and serves as its "SD card", in a way that it stores apps and user data.

While I agree, the second screenshot clearly shows separate entries for sdcard0 and internalSD – which are neither duplicate (different sizes reported). What device has 2 internal/emulated cards?

thanks. (1) I found there is indeed a 2GB external SD card, probably too vague to see in the last picture. (2) The matching in size in picture 1 and 2 implies /storage/sdcard0 is the mounting point of the external SD card or its symbolic link . (3) My question is when I unmount the external SD card, /storage/sdcard0 isn't empty. See picture 3 and 4 for before and after I unmount the external sd card.

When running console under TWRP, external microSD card is: /system/sdcard1  works fine, but I just couldn't get to it through ADB. I'm using MIUI 8.5.3.0.  Finally found it:
I suspect the name will vary, so do ls in /storage
it should show up something like
2ABC-1XYZ   <<< this is it
emulated
self

You probably have been mistaken - it should never be under /system. It's a user-accessible directory after all. That "2ABC-1XYZ" stuff is the volume serial number of that storage and will be completely different across different storage, or the same storage after formatting.

@AndyYan not exactly sure what you mean, I'm logged in in TWRP console right now, and I can create folders (for example) on microSD card via cd /system/sdcard1

SD card is user accessible; /system is not (unless you're rooted). Therefore, SD card shouldn't be mounted inside /system, else it would be inaccessible through that route for the majority of unrooted users. This got me curious though... Can you still see and manipulate /system/sdcard1 after you boot into the OS? It might be a mount point unique to TWRP.

I'm rooted. I have full access to microSD via /system/sdcard1 but only through TWRP console. Once booted into OS that path is gone. So through OS I access it using that volume serial. I couldn't find any other (more normal) way.

I assumed so. Starting Android 6.x the volume serial is the only reliable entry left in the OS. /system/sdcard1 is likely created by your device's TWRP to make things easier. I emphasized that part because I've never seen that entry point there on any device I've owned, despite I load them all with TWRP and custom ROMs. Probably the maintainer of your device's TWRP likes this way... Can you tell me what your device is, so I could take a look at it later (for curiosity only)?

Ah, I see, thanks for the info! I was going to search more thoroughly for a "normal way" to access microSD from OS, so this will have to do then. My device is Redmi 3S+ running MIUI. Features/Price of it is very nice, but unlocking bootloader was a bit not so straightforward.

It was such a pain that the SD mount point is often different across android devices that I wrote this awk one-liner (works on my 3 android devices) :
adb shell mount | awk '/emulated|sdcard0/{next}/(Removable|storage)\//{if($2=="on")print$3;else print$2}'


text:
How do I install DropBear SSH on Android?
I would like to install DropBear SSH on my 64 bit Android 5.1 device, but it seems that all the installation tutorials and how-tos have disappeared or contain links to broken files/downloads.
Could someone please explain the proper way to accomplish this?
FURTHER DETAILS:

This question comes from this other: an attempt to install some SSH Server on a modern (September 2015 at least) Android device that has (nearly) failed with many tested apps. Command line installation of Dropbear is a different approach to the problem.

Note to potential close-voters: OP isn't asking for an app, but wants installation help. Sopalajo comes here on my suggestion, the "is there an app for X" part was/is already dealt with at SR. OP knows about where to find it – the question asked here is how to make it fly.

I hope it is all right now, @Izzy. The link is added, I have no trustworthy sources for the Dropbear code, and all I have tried are apps, not command-line methods.

The link is there (to SR), where I've left a link to the busybox.net binaries download page (so you don't need to fiddle with an installer additionally). Doing that manually, you'd need to create all those symlinks to the main binary (at least those you want). What's available it tells you when calling it without any parameters. You should place the binary in /system/xbin, and create the symlinks in the same place. I just cannot tell you further for the "how to get sshd running" part.

@Izzy, do those versions of BusyBox include the Dropbear binaries?

I don't know, haven't tried them all. The x86_64 version has not (oops: none has, sorry). What's your architecture? x86_64, mips64, …? One more pointer: Some useful 64-bit (aarch64) binaries: busybox, dropbear (XDA)

@Izzy: I feature a amd64-v8a. The Android version is too 64 bits, or so I believe. I don't think that aarch64 binaries could work, but I am not deeply experienced on Android. I was thinking there was some sort of legacy-compatibility on modern CPUs; some sort of WoW (Windows on Windows) for running 32 bit programs on 64 bit Windows systems.

The bad part, @Izzy, is: maybe as for today (September 2015) the new 64 bit cores are too recent and will have compatibility issues with not-too-recent apps and low-level programs like OpenSSH and Dropbear.

I agree with the "early birds" case. This doesn't render your question here unanswerable though: As indicated, I could guide you through the installation part (be it busybox or a separate dropbox binary which I think is the case with that XDA post), which is quite easy – but I've never used that kind of (command-line) SSHD on Android, so I cannot guide you with that; someone else certainly can (someone must have done this already). This isn't arch dependent, so as soon as the binaries are available (SR-part of your Q), you're ready to go then.

First as a side-note for other readers: We're not talking about "an app" here (those have already been tried and didn't work on that architecture), but about a command-line binary. DropBear sometimes is part of Busybox, or it comes as separate binary.

Now for the installation part. Binaries you install yourself best go to /system/xbin, which is in the $PATH but usually "initially empty" (Android's own stuff is in /system/bin and /system/sbin), so we run a very low risk of "collisions". So either adb shell or terminal to your device and make sure you're root. I further assume you've already transferred the dropbear/busybox binary to your SD card.

mount -o remount,rw /system        # make sure we can write to system
cp /sdcard/busybox /system/xbin    # copy the binaries to /system/xbin
cp /sdcard/dropbear /system/xbin
cd /system/xbin                    # switch to our target directory
chmod 755 busybox dropbear         # make sure we've set the correct permissions
busybox --install /system/xbin     # advice busybox to create all its symlinks here

Installation part done (skip the dropbear parts here if your dropbear comes with busybox – and vice versa, skip the busybox part if not needed.
Now, we need to make dropbear fly. I've never tried this myself, so I refer to an external script at Github for that. In short (and in case that link dies), again assuming the required files are already copied to your SD card:

# Creating a home-dir for DropBear
mkdir /data/dropbear
chmod 755 /data/dropbear
mkdir /data/dropbear/.ssh
chmod 700 /data/dropbear/.ssh
# Copy over our files
mv /sdcard/authorized_keys /data/dropbear/.ssh/
chown root: /data/dropbear/.ssh/authorized_keys
chmod 600 /data/dropbear/.ssh/authorized_keys
# Generate a hostkey, so we can use DropBear
dropbearkey -t rsa -f /data/dropbear/dropbear_rsa_host_key
dropbearkey -t dss -f /data/dropbear/dropbear_dss_host_key

An additional part if you want DropBear to auto-start at boot:

cat << EOF >> /etc/init.local.rc

# start Dropbear (ssh server) service on boot
service sshd /system/xbin/dropbear -s
   user  root
   group root
   oneshot

EOF

Note that this assumes your device supports init.d scripts. First check for the availability of that file to make sure.
Finally, don't forget to make /system read-only again. Either reboot at this point (so you also can check that DropBear starts as intended), or at least execute
mount -o remount,ro /system

for now, postponing the reboot. To start the service manually, it should be possible executing that block via some shell script (so you could e.g. have a tasker task for starting and another one for stopping the daemon, and even make shortcuts to those tasks on your homescreen for manual control). Again, I have not tested this part, so it's "pure theory".
Good luck with DropBear and BusyBox!

So I understand that, after the installation procedure, the command line to start the SSH service should be /system/xbin/dropbear -s ? And I presume it could be run as root (via su) or normal user, of course.

I've tried this and it works. There's no ready dropbear binary (at least I haven't found one) so you have to config and make a source like this one: https://github.com/ubiquiti/dropbear-android (changing the version to a newer one doesn't seem to work so keep it at 2018.76 or you'll have to edit the patch)

Install Termux (Google Play, F-Droid, Fossdroid)
apt update
apt ugpgrade
apt install dropbear

I personally chose OpenSSH toover Dropbear
apt install openssh

To run the server
sshd

Unless your device is rooted you won't be able to run sshd as root. Note that running as non-root implies that ports below 1024 cannot be bound to. In Termux any packages have been configured to have compatible default values - the ftpd, httpd, and sshd servers default to 8021, 8080 and 8022, respectively.
If you want to run sshd as root try this script:
https://gist.github.com/cycojesus/57409ffed9066ce7f4d4
At that point you will be able to bind sshd to port 22.

Link to GitHub is dead.

What would be and how can you set in this case the username and password to log in, SFTP, SCP... etc?

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


text:
What it takes to update nightly CM12.1 in TWRP?
I want to install the latest cm12.1 nightly update, but I am worried about doing something wrong.
The .zip file is already downloaded. My recovery mode is TWRP and I would like to know if I need to wipe, clear, or do something like that in TWRP options.
Thanks!

Did you check Cyanogenmod Forum and Wiki first?

Yes, but nothing was specific enough. Thank you!

If you're already using a Cyanogenmod Build from the same developer then you can just go ahead and install the update without wiping anything.
If you're using a stock (based) rom on your device and you want to install cyanogenmod for the first time then you should wipe /system, /data/, /cache, /dalvik cache. This will be a clean install, so all your data may get lost.
As always adviced: Make a backup (in TWRP) first so you're on the safe side. If something goes wrong you don't have to worry and just restore your backup without any hassle. Furthermore you can save your existing application + app data with Titanium Backup from the Playstore and restore them when the installation has finished :)

Do we manually flash latest nightly over old without wiping anything? thats it?

@Dr.Andro flashing without wiping anything should work as most custom roms flash and wipe the needed partiotions by themselfes. You can flash it manually or use an OTA application if your custom rom developer provides one - but I recommend to make a backup just in case


text:
space storage running out - "used space" using a lot of storage
Today my phone (galaxy s4 i9505) got some type of space storage problem, i removed a lot off apps and clear all the cache, first when the problem didn't start, i had 1,5GB space available, but now it stay between 5.5MB~0.0KB.
i tried to restart my cellphone, didn't work
So, i go into storage and my "used space" is using between 6,73GB to 8,72GB, a large part of this space is in using by "contact storage" - 2,93GB
i don't know what can i do, and i can't take pictures on my screen phone to show the problem because of this little amount of storage space
(sorry for bad english)

There are a few things that can be done here. I'll try to be as concise as possible here to help:
Option 1. If your phone supports SD cards, I would recommend you attach your phone to a PC, clone your current SD and then duplicate it onto the new SD. This isn't really ideal as from your question it looks like you're not actually using the space.
Option 2. It may be beneficial to un-install several applications that are not frequently used and delete a few files. Once you have some spare room you can install applications like: Easy Uninstaller to remove applications and their leftovers, All In One Toolbox to help uninstall applications, delete temporary files and perform general maintenence of your phone and Well File Manager.
By applying the use of one of these you can uninstall redundant applications, clear temporary files and redundant files from applications. One a side note, there is an option in Settings to keep application data- you may wish to review this and see if it helps.
Option 3. Perform a backup of your phone, factory restore it and batch reinstall all applications. This can be achieved with the use of a tool called Super Backup Pro for Messages and Contacts. All applications can be recovered via the play store.
It would however be curious to see what files are being stored in the directory reporting the large use of space. Unlikely, but it may also be beneficial to perform a scan of your phone to ensure there is no malicious applications causing this odd occurrence.
If this answer is sufficient mark it so. If you feel as though I have not answered this correctly please provide more informaton.

Since 'Contact Storage' is taking up 2.93GB, remove photographs that are associated with contacts.  You likely have thousands of contacts with photographs assigned to each one.
The only other reasonable possibility is that your contacts storage is corrupt.  If the above does not work, backup all your contacts, go into Settings and clear your contacts storage, and then restore your contacts.


text:
How to recover or reset "current backup password"
Yesterday there a bunch of app updates, I didn't pay much attention to which ones, there were perhaps 8 or 10. Since then my phone has shutoff and/or rebooted unexpectedly at least 8 times. 4 times it's gone through a full "optimizing apps" cycle, which take 30+ minutes. Two of those optimizing apps cycles resulted in a premature shutdown.
Today there was an Android System Update, 16.1mb, which I applied. Thankfully it seems things are more stable now, with only two shutdowns, but that's not enough of course.
I decided this is enough of a kick for me to finally do a full reset and root the device. I'm trying to do a Full Backup of non-rooted devices but am stuck. The phone asks for "current backup password" but I don't know what that is. I don't remember setting one, but I may have. I did do an adb backup about a year ago.

I tried the on-boot de-crypt password, but that's not it or at least nothing happens on the PC side after entering it and then tapping the "back up my data" button.
How do I reset the backup password?
Phone is Nexus 5, 16gb.

Here's a much better exposition of this problem: http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/83080/adb-backup-creates-0-byte-file-prompts-for-current-backup-password-even-though, however I'm leaving this Q open for responses because there's no answer over there for that year old thread and in my experience offering bounties for old Q's doesn't amount to much (and I don't have enough to try anyway).

off-topic but related: it seems there are a great many people experiencing the reboot pain which brought me here: http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/110991/nexus-5-reboot-loop

My little research here indicates that the current backup password is saved in the file /data/backup/pwhash (no plain-text). In some earlier Android versions removing that file followed by a reboot resulted in paving a way for setting up  new password since current password would default to blank then. But in Lollipop, you've to remove the file pwversion (in the same directory) as well.
Because the location is under /data/ you'd get "permission denied" message if you attempt to browse into /data/backup, be it from a file manager or from command-line, unless root access is provided.
The only way (as it seems to me) to reset the password without root access is the factory reset.

According to ES File Explorer /data folder is empty . I tried creating a /data/backup folder and got an "operation failed" error. Attempt to create "new folder" in same location got a differently worded operation failed message. So I surmise the folder is there but hidden because no root access.  (I was hoping perhaps if I could read the file I'd somehow glean enough info to uncover the password. Faintest of faintest hopes, I know!)

Does Nexus 5's stock recovery gives access to ADB shell? You may try your luck from there.

I decided the work of attempting to get in through ADB shell and any consequent actions is greater than the pain of losing and recreating whatever data and preferences are not saved in the "backup to cloud" set. So, I'm resetting the device to ground zero.

I just wanted to check in here and report what worked for me, i just had the same problem.  (Im running LineageOS on a Fairphone 3, but I think this should be pretty transferable for android in general, lmk).  After seeing Firelord's answer (props, this is a great lead), I enabled developer options, debugging over usb and root debugging and connected my phone to my laptop w a usb data cable (confirm that you have a cable for data and not just power, this is important).
Install adb on your laptop.  You can then connect to your phone and reset your backup password with the following cli commands (you shouldnt need a rooted phone to do any of this):

adb root

adb shell

This will open up a shell session on your phone from your laptop, then:

rm /data/backup/pw*

Then reset your phone.  Your "desktop full backup" password should now be blank, and you can set up a new one.  Since youve already come this far, consider connecting w adb again and running 'adb backup' to download a backup to your laptop for future use - I personally find this to be a safer and more convienent option than juggling sd cards or ftp or whatever.

Keep the "Current password" box blank and apply your new password.


text:
How to update Gapps in Cyanogenmod?
I am running cyanogenmod 12.1 with Gapps outdated version. So, I want to replace the actual version to the newest. I already downloaded de correct one. I would like to know the installation procedure using TWRP Recovery.

Take Nandroid backup first and then flash the GAPPS file.

Does TWRP backup count?

The backup you make using your custom recovery is called Nandroid backup. Nand is the flash type storage  and a custom recovery simply take an image of the partition as backup.

Right! So, should I install the newest version over the oldest, without removing anything?

Yes. Just remember to backup first.


text:
Error -504 on appliation installation
Yes. I've read all other questions regarding this problem.
Like this one:
Error 504 when downloading apps from Play Store?
It's the same problem as this one but with more background information and an other app:
How to fix installation error -504?
The details:
My device is an Ulefone Be Touch 2 running Android 5.0.
My connection is perfect. To be sure I tried different networks, among them are 3G, 4G and wifi on ADSL, VDSL, cable and fiber. I've also used Tor and 3 different VPN providers in 3 countries on 2 continents. Let's say I ruled the network out.

A single app does not install: OpenKeychain.
Currently I have 126 apps installed.
It does not install via desktop browser > play store > install
button.
I have enough free space (40GB). The app is 7MB.
Re-adding Google account and clearing caches did not work.
Even a complete device wipe and re-install didn't work.
Downloaded the apk and tried manual installation, same error.

I also own a Nexus 7 (2013 wifi) and the app installs fine on that device.

put the device in airplane mode for ~60 seconds, then reboot, turn off airplane mode, download again. OR TRY 2) turn off data/wifi for ~90 seconds, then turn back on, download again. ///you can also sideload the app. ///If the choices (1 or 2) help let me know and I'll post as an answer. ///Did you force stop apps before clearing data??

The more I read about it and reread what you wrote, I'm thinking you have an issue with your ROM.

I think this is a bug in Lollipop, I found this on another app forum:

I’m getting the Error Code -504 (INSTALL_FAILED_UID_CHANGED) when installing App from Google Play
Try to erase the “/data/data/appnamespace” directory on your device and try again. This is a “bug” Android 5.0 Lollipop developer preview which was fixed in the final release version.

That (plus a reboot, remove + reinstall of the app and remove + replace of my google account) fixed this issue for me.
It definitely isn't a connectivity issue, and it's nothing to do with a 504 HTTP error.

I'm not sure that the namespace directory is for this app. I've tried to remove com.android.keychain and that didn't change anything.

@Thijs I think they can change directories so it may be somewhere else

This is what worked for me:
1) Clear data/cache for for the following apps:

Google Play Store
Google Play Services
Download Manager
Google Services Framework
Google app
Chrome

2) Restart the device
3) Change time and date, then back to the actual time and date.
Source: https://www.asus.com/zentalk/thread-50875-5-1.html


text:
Mirroring content from Android device to Television without Chromecast
Besides buying the Google Chromecast HDMI stick, is there a way to mirror the content from an Android KitKat device to a "dumb" (i.e. not "smart") HDMI Television?
Solutions using Roku, Amazon Fire Stick, Blu-Ray players, or other devices are welcome.
The simpler, the better.

If you have a TV with Miracast, you can cast your phone to the TV without any 3rd party hardware.

@TheOnlyAnil Thanks, but it's a "dumb" TV and not a "smart" TV.

I personally use Amazon Fire TV and the Amazon Fire Stick and it works fine. The Microsoft Wireless Display Adapter is supposed to work with Android devices as well.
How to use display mirroring on the Fire TV and Stick (from Amazon's website):

To quickly start display mirroring, on your Amazon Fire TV remote
  press and hold the Home button and select Mirroring. Then connect your
  compatible device. Swipe down from the top of the screen to open Quick
  Settings, and then tap Settings. Tap Display & Sounds, and then tap
  Display Mirroring.

How does it work with Fire TV?  How do you initiate the mirroring from the other Android device?  Does it not work with the Fire Stick, or have you just not tried it?  Thanks!

From Amazon's website: "Mirror your tablet or phone on your HDTV
Share whatever is on your screen—including movies, TV shows, music, and photos—from your compatible tablet or phone with everyone in your living room using display mirroring. What you see on your Fire OS or Android device is exactly what you’ll see on your big screen. Includes support for devices from Motorola, LG, and Google without any additional apps or software." Same description for both the Fire TV and Stick, but only the Fire TV supports Mirracast for Windows. Android [should] work with both Fire TV and Stick.

I've only used it on my Fire TV so far (I do have both Fire TV and Stick but haven't had a need to cast to the Fire Stick yet) and it isn't the most straightforward procedure (although not too difficult). Here is the tip, again, from Amazon's website: "To quickly start display mirroring, on your Amazon Fire TV remote press and hold the Home button and select Mirroring. Then connect your compatible device. Swipe down from the top of the screen to open Quick Settings, and then tap Settings. Tap Display & Sounds, and then tap Display Mirroring."

Thanks for the info.  So how does it actually work?  Is there an app you run on the other device to transmit the data to the Fire TV/Stick?

According to Amazon, most Android 4.2 and higher devices support Miracast. Check your device's specs to make sure.

@RockPaperLizard - I'll try this on the Fire Stick when I get home tonight and report back. I know the Stick is much less expensive than the TV box, so it would be the ideal unit if it does work.

@RockPaperLizard - I just tested screen mirroring with the Amazon Fire Stick and my Galaxy S3- it worked perfectly.

Thank you so much for all the details, testing, and research!

Just a warning about the Amazon Fire Stick:  My second one has stopped working after a year, and Amazon does not provide any warranty whatsoever for devices over a year old.


text:
Wifi - "Error" , MAC Address is also unavailable
Just recently I Had to flash my boot partition back to it's Original, after a custom Kernel I was using had a few bugs. Upon flashing my original boot partition I used my phone as normal, but just yesterday I went to turn my wifi on, and then I get an "Error". I Think its is caused by my MAC Address because for some unknown reason to me, my MAC Address is unavailable. I Think the unavailble mac address is the cause of the problem. How would I fix this error so that I am able to use my wifi again.

My Phone is an LG Optimus L3 (e400f), running stock gingerbread (2.3.6)


text:
Does Android continue to run after phone is switched off?
I was wondering about this: it seems that when you set an alarm, even if you switch off your smartphone, on reaching that time the alarm manages to ring.
Is the Android framework still running and hence the Alarm Service is able to detect change in time, or other reason?

There was a question here asking if it is an expected behavior, it has two answers saying not much more as simple yes.
I am going to answer this question as a question of why is it so, whether Android is running, and how it works if not.
The answer is: no, Android is not running nowhere, nor is Linux underneath him. Wake up on alarm is a hardware feature which was around a long time and was actually very common a time ago. The feature involves hardware. And because of the associated costs, I think, manufacturers started to implement it less and less. There is quite a lot of expensive phones today, which don't have it.
The alarm clock while power off feature has nothing to do with Android or whatever OS is on the phone. Any device today is never quite completely off. There are always few chips powered. No conspiracy here, those chips in question are well documented power chips, without any special spying powers if that is in question. We can say a phone, or other device, is on if it's processor is on. That can be woken-up by various events, only one of which is the power button. If you plug a charger to a powered off phone, it will power on, determine what's happened, then it shows a battery charging graphics. There is usually separate boot for each such event. One of such could be a signal from an alarm clock. You have phones which shows such alarms while they boot to special alarm clock mode, and then you have phones which will go through normal boot to show alarm in its alarm App.
But it's not just to send the wake signal. Phones offer multiple alarms, you have timezones, silent modes, and there need to be a way to store the alarm value from an alarm app when you set an alarm time into the clock chip. I don't think it's all such a big deal, especially when a basic clock is usually there somewhere anyway, but it's cheaper without it.

I am still in confusion here, if android isn't running and the feature is hardware related then why does it sound the same alarm that was set in android OS, how does it know where to find the sound played when alarm goes off without android running?

It either boots up the full Android, or some special alarm mode which takes less time to start. Either way, the alarm app then reads the configuration you set and acts accordingly. So when the alarm sounds, either android or a special alarm mode are running.

In particular, one of the things that is (and must, if you think about it!) always be running, even if the phone is powered off, is the clock. It then becomes fairly trivial to attach a small microcontroller to the clock (actually, it would simply come as part of the clock chip) which can be programmed with a time and a date and send a wake-up signal to some sort of I/O or power management microcontroller, which will then power up the rest of the system.

you set alarm for 9AM,
from 1AM until 8.59AM both you and the Android are sleeping.
At 8.59AM the hardware clock will wake Android up,
9.00AM Android will wake you up.
The phone is running in some form at the alarm time only, or just immediately before it. But not the whole night.

authors: Саша Разовий


text:
How to choose where to install an app either to sd card or device?
I have a samsung galaxy tab 4, i have already changed the download location to sd card, but i want to download an app and it says it can't be downloaded on the sd card, that it must be on the device. how can i revert it to download on the device, without taking the sd card out? Help its annoying to take out the otter box cover out, everytime.

See the answer from Paulmz. Alternatively you can also download (I know...contradicts your question) and migrate applications to and from your Phone. Just a comment. :)

You can  unmount the SD card from the settings. To do this: Go to Settings -> Storage -> Unmount SD card.
Removing the card  physically is not needed.
You can later remount the SD card whenever you need it back by using the settings again, still without actually removing and inserting the SD card.

In the same settings menu where you changed the download location to sd card set the download location to device.

There isnt a dowload location. Thats why im asking this question. what i did the first time was copy paste the download file in the root menu to the sd card. then all new downloads go to sd card. i have looked everywhere for that option, because my galaxy note has them, so does the s4. But the galaxy tab 4 im having trouble with doesnt seem to have that option. I have checked storage options, task manager, dowloads, everywhere and cant seem to find it. Can i upload images to show u my menus

I have also tried the unmounting sd card. And it still wont download

What i actually want to download is a game, and i cant download it to the sd card because it says it cant be downloaded there. Thats why i wanna download it to the device, and it still wont download. And i know its not the size its only 34mb because i got curious and i downloaded another one 87mb and did fine

You probably have just changed the preferred install location (I'm not aware of a setting that enforces a location for app install). So IMHO you don't need worry, simply install that app.
Background:
Developers must declare their app's preferred install location in the Manifest of the app. There they basically have 3 choices: internal storage, external storage, let-the-OS-decide. On the OS side, again there's a corresponding setting: internal, external, default (usually internal). You altered the latter to "external" I assume.
Now what happens when you've set the OS side to "external"? Depends on what the Manifest of the app-to-be-installed says: if it says "let-the-OS-decide", things are clear: the app goes there (in your case, the external storage AKA SD card). Everything else overrides the OS-side setting: If an app offers services/widgets, it must go to internal storage, hence the developer will declare such – and the OS will obey.
So: No need to change anything. If the app must be installed to internal storage, the dev should have taken care for that in the app's Manifest. If you're still running into trouble, see my answer here on how to change the default.

Some apps need to be installed on non-unmountable device-memory because they depend on an app-s service that must run continuously without beeing stopped if sd is unmounted/ejected.
The developper of the app can declare that the app must be installed on device memory.
You can try to install the app in device-s memory and later move it to sd-card via settings/app/move to sd.
If the developper does not want the app to be installed on sd this option is not available.
You can also try to use the android app app2sd for this.


text:
Why does Nexus 5 HCE respond to FELICA select?
I have an NFC reader constantly polling for tags present. I also have a Nexus 5 with a HostApduService activated. When repeatedly tapping the Nexus 5 on the reader, the reader reports a FELICA (JIS: X6319-4) tag found in 9 out of 10 cases. About 1 in 10 it reports an ISO14443-3A device.
The latter is the expected behavior and the one described for Android HCE. I cannot find mention of this FELICA support anywhere. A OnePlus One only shows up as ISO14443-3A, for example.
Why does a Nexus 5 HCE show up as FELICA? And is there a way to disable this behavior?
[EDIT]: I have two Nexus 5 phones here, acting differently. This one acts like FELICA: Android 5.1, Build LMY47I. The other does not: Android 5.1.1, Build LMY48M

Besides HCE mode, an Android device typically also operates in NFC peer-to-peer mode. Passive peer-to-peer mode (ISO/IEC 18092) is based on the anti-collision and activation protocols from ISO/IEC 14443 (for 106 kbps) and from JIS X 6319-4 (for 212 kbps and 424 kbps). Hence, devices in peer-to-peer mode may be detected as JIS X 6319-4 cards as well as ISO/IEC 14443-3 cards by contactless smartcard readers.
How likely it is to (accidentally) detect an Android phone as "FeliCa" or to (properly) detect it as ISO/IEC 14443 depends on the implementation of the NFC polling/listening loop that the phone uses to cycle between the different active and passive NFC (and NFC-compatible) protocols.


text:
How to root Samsung Galaxy S5 for AT&T with Lollipop
I have Samsung Galaxy S5 for AT&T with Android 5.0 Lollipop upgraded.
Is there any way to root this phone?
PS.
How do I root my Android device?
This question is different.
I heard that rooting Lollipop is different from rooting previous Android version.

Here's an XDA instructions to root Samsung S5 G900A (AT&T):
https://forum.xda-developers.com/att-galaxy-s5/general/guide-merry-christmas-heres-t3516196
That's the only solution I found working!
1) Save these to the Samsung SD card:

SuperSU APK
Towelroot APK
Flashfire APK
pre-rooted OF3 firmware

2) Now on your Desktop PC, download this firmware:
COMBINATION_ATT_FA44_G900AUCU4AOF1_ATT4AOF1.zip
3) Install the "COMBINATION" firmware using Samsung Odin (you'll have to boot your device by pressing Volume Down + Home + Power ON)
This will wipe ALL data on the device! Backup your stuff before proceeding.
4) After this new firmware installed and loaded, open Android file manager, go to the SD card, and install those APKs: Flashfire, SuperSU, and TowelRoot.
5) Connect to the internet (Wifi), and then go into "Settings > Date and Time" and tick the "Automatic date and time" box. This is mandatory for TowelRoot to work.
6) Run TowelRoot app -> "make it ra1n". Now you'll have the root binaries installed.
7) Run SuperSU app -> "new user" -> update SU binaries -> reboot.
8) Run FlashFire app -> grant it root access -> flash ZIP -> choose the OF3 firmware from SD -> set options to Mount /system read/write -> Hit "flash".
You're done! Enjoy Samsung S5 with Lollipop unlocked!

Root Samsung Galaxy S5
Although the given link is for the build xxu1b0a7, it worked for my mobile with build xxu1b0c3. So you can give it a try.
But I recommend you to not root your mobile, as the samsung will be releasing the 5.1.1 update and it will be of minimal bloatware.


text:
Swap first and last name in contacts
As I could not see SIM card contacts in my contacts app, I just imported all contacts (well over a hundred items) from my SIM card to Google account.
On my SIM, my contacts were stored as Last- First-name (for sorting). And all this was imported, but Google assumes it's in First- Lastname format.
I need some way to fix this, as this issue messes sorting contacts - some are by first, some by last name. I don't want to go and fix all of those by hand, as it is well over a hundred contacts.
I am using Cyanogen based on Lollipop 5.1 (OnePlus One)

I have never found a way to overcome this, and all my manual changes are generally undone by Google sometime forward, anyway. Google must find my sensible format of LastName.Firstname concatenation to be an abomination, and undoes the changes to terrorize me.

Open Outlook CSV file.  Cut the Title Column (column D), and paste before the First Name Column (column A).  Save as CSV.
This should result in contacts importing to Google correctly.

Note: Please take a backup of all your Google contacts using the old Google contacts website either as a Google .csv file or .vcf format before trying this and use an app like Super Backup : SMS & Contacts for exporting your phone contacts just in case.
As I've already mentioned in my comments you can try this,

First take a backup of all your google contacts(Export as ->Google
  .csv). Then download the Outlook .csv export and replace the First
  name column with the Last name fields and vice versa using Microsoft
  Excel. Import the .csv again to your Google account and check if
  the sorting is they way you wanted. (Last-First-name).

Alternatively you can also try this google forum post (if the above doesn't work),

Go to contacts
Select All
Export to a Google csv format file
BACKUP that file !!!!!! <- This is the most important step of the process!
Open the csv file you have just created using Excel (maybe there are other tools - that's what I used)
Create a new sheet (call it temp)
Copy the first column from sheet "Contacts" to sheet "temp" (Column Name: "Name")
In the "temp" sheet, select the only column (name) and go to Data->Text to Colums->Delimited->Next->space->next->finish
At this point the names and family names should appear in different columns
Check that there are no people w/ more than 2 names.
    If so, you will need to decide where to put the 3rd string so you stay w/ 2 columns only.
In Cell C1, write down "Name"
In Cell C2, write down the following:   =CONCATENATE(B2," ", A2)
Copy this field to all cells in Column C
     Now Column C should be filled with all names in the form of "Family Given".
Copy column C in sheet "temp" and paste it with Edit->Paste Special->Paste->Values to Column A in sheet "contacts".
Delete "temp" sheet
Save the file w/ a new name (newContacts)
Back to Gmail, delete all the contacts (not before you are sure you've saved that first file!!!!!)
Import the new CSV file.

The OP of the above message said it worked for him very well.

Haha Lucky, this was exactly my thought. Good old CSV can fix this!


text:
Work around on an unrooted LG 4
Had a rooted phone for years til and LG update bricked my last phone. Now I had to upgrade to an LG 4 ( Sprint is my carrier BTW) Problem is... I can't find the setting to enable USB debugging, nor, does it appear, that I can unlock the UICC. I like the phone so this isn't really a problem, but, I hate having the bloatware. (ie I would rather access facebook via the browser than keep this data-eater on my phone. Does anyone know how to work around this block so that I can remove the unwanted bloatware without rooting the phone?
Thanks in advance.

Is your Facebook app a system app? You can't uninstall the System app without root access. What is your Android version?

Hi! Please note that this is not a forum but a Q&A site, so you need not to add any indication that an answer is found or this is a question or similar things. I've rolled back to original question for the moment.

I thought about posting this as an edit, but I feel an answer will better suit the community. Here is what I found.
To unlock the developer options on an LG4 Go into settings... about phone..Software info. Finally, tap "Build Number" 7 times. Now back out to the main menu and there will be a choice for Developer Options. From here you can enable USB debugging and enjoy all of the other tools available. Rooting the phone from this point is easy.