text:
Clearing all the app data on an Android tablet without using factory reset?
In Android, is there a way to clear all the app data at the same time without using the factory reset? I work at a library and we have Android Tablets for checkout for patrons to use and after the patron is done using the tablet we want to delete the username off any and all apps the patron may have used so that their username is not left on the app. I know the "Clear Data" button in Application Manager will clear the username but we would have to do this for every app and would rather do this in one instance rather then one at a time. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

In Settings > Storage, you can hold down on the Cached data category and delete the cached data of all apps at once. I'm not sure if this will clear the credentials, but it might be useful.

That could be done via ADB and a little scripting – though I'm currently not sure whether it might require root (surely you understand I do not want to try that on any of my working devices right now ;):

#!/system/bin/sh
for app in $(pm list packages); do
  pm clear ${app:8}
done

This snippet you could save into a file (e.g. clear_data.sh), or directly execute per copy-paste when connected to the device using adb shell.

Some explanation of what that does, as there was some trouble on the OP's end:

pm list packages gives a list with package names of all installed apps, one per line.
for app in $(pm list packages); do would loop over that list, and execute the "inner command" for each package separately
pm clear ${app:8} deletes the data from each package specified by $app, cutting of the first 8 chars (pm list prepends each app name by the string package:, which we need to cut off)

To verify at the command line, you can copy-paste the following one-liner:
adb shell 'for app in $(pm list packages); do echo pm clear ${app:8}; done'

(note: when run from a Windows command line, you'll have to use double quotes (thanks to Jesse for this hint!) – on Linux/Unix/Mac stay with the single quotes or the variables would be expanded "on the wrong end")
That's a "dry run", not doing anything but listing the commands above code block would execute directly. You could use the output from that to delete the data from each app manually, picking the ones you're interested in.1
To give an example command produced by this: pm clear com.facebook.katana would delete the data of the Facebook app.

1: This might prove to be an important part, as the loop would really clear data from all apps (including system apps) – which might not be exactly what you're after. You can automatically restrict that to e.g. user-apps by passing the parameter -3 (for "3rd party apps only") to the pm list command, i.e. pm list packages -3.

+1 that ${app:8} was a new thing to learn. Thanks for the explanation. @JesseTweed I think a clean-up of comments would be good. :)

@JesseTweed for debugging, ommit the :8 part to see the content of the $app variable completely. Also try running just the pm list packages part alone to see its output. The latter usually produces a bunch of lines in the format package:com.foobar.app – if that looks different in your case, that will be the issue. What do you get on the latter? Does the format match? If so, it might well be your device's shell doesn't understand the syntax of ${app:8}; then try $(echo $app | awk -F":" '{print $2}') instead.

Please first things first, Jesse: What does pm list packages produce on your device? (the first few lines only – entire output doesn't fit a comment anyway ;)

Hard to believe that that's the output from a simple pm list packages (which only lists package names, but prepends no commands). The output in your last comment is rather what the complete for app in $(pm list packages); do echo pm clear ${app:8}; done would produce: the output you wanted to have – the commands to "clear all app data without performing a factory reset". Though you might wish to check those statements before executing them, to not clear too many apps :)

As that works fine ans smoothly on Linux, and you write something about "cmd" – I assume you're using Windows. The last Windows I used was that one for "Playgroups" back then in the 90s, so I'm afraid I cannot help you much with "Batch scripting". Only thing I can think of is putting the ADB part into a file (e.g. pmclean.sh), and then use a double-step: adb push pmclean.sh /sdcard/pmclean.sh plus adb shell sh /sdcard/pmclean.sh (optionally followed by adb shell rm /sdcard/pmclean.sh to remove the script again).

Sorry, as I wrote: With Windows I'm out. You can try finding another place where you might be able to write to (did you really push it to /sdcard, and not somewhere else? With Kitkat and above I could imagine a "permission denied" – but a "read-only" rather lets me assume you tried to write somewhere else, e.g. / or /system).

I just found this out and figured I should share it here. If you take adb shell 'for app in $(pm list packages); do echo pm clear ${app:8}; done' and replace the single quotes with double quotes like this adb shell "for app in $(pm list packages); do echo pm clear ${app:8}; done" it will run in a windows batch file.

Thanks a lot, Jesse! I thought about suggesting that, but with double-quotes it doesn't work on Linux (well, at least not without further modifications – as the local shell would expand the $variables intended for the Droid ;) I'll integrate this with my answer – glory for that part goes to you, of course :)


text:
Custom CM theme crashes
I used ThemeDIY to create a CM12 theme which worked, but I set one of the colors to semi-transparent. I exported and installed it, and now many of the apps crash. The crash report says:
"java.lang.RuntimeException: Unable to start activity ComponentInfo{[app goes here]}: java.lang.RuntimeException: A TaskDescription's primary color should be opaque"
Now, both ThemeDIY and the CM12 theme chooser crash when I try to launch them, so I have no way of either editing the faulty theme or switching to the stock system theme.

Possibly helpful information:
Nexus 4, CM12.1, ThemeDIY v1.0

Simply uninstall your custom theme and reboot your device. This will reset the theme to the default, stock one.

Whenever I try to uninstall the theme, the Package installer crashes.

Do you have debug mode enabled? Try if you can connect to your shell using adb shell and uninstall your theme with pm uninstall <package name>. You need to find the package name, though.

It returns an error message: Failure [DELETE FAILED INTERNAL ERROR]

Try adb uninstall <package name>. If it fails, you need to uninstall manually ie. delete the apk and all folders; this requires root, though.

The theme uninstalled fine, and everything works now. Thanks!

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


text:
Is it possible to simulate touch without root?
Is there any way to simulate a touch (anywhere) on the screen without root?
If not, is there any other way I can perform a cardboard 'select' action without magnet support, or opening up my cardboard every time?
Background
I am trying to get cardboard apps to work to work with a 5.1 phone which doesn't support the magnet 'button'.
Most apps seem to use the button to select or advance, so without it working, it is difficult to use. I have found that a touch anywhere on the screen also works as a select, so what I'm doing at the moment is opening the back, touching the screen and then closing it up again, but obviously that quickly gets tedious.
What I have tried:

Using my ipega 9017 gamepad (in Gamepad, Keyboard and iCade modes) no mode maps any key to anything which performs a select action in cardboard (though some modes map the B button to back, which works to exit a cardboard app at least).
I have tried Tincore Keymapper, but that requires root in order to simulate touch, and I cannot root my device.
Looking on here, custom keymapping for games?, Can I use USB gamepad without any setup? and Mouse to touch? looked most promising, but none of them answer this question.

Sending touch events requires root/system permissions, so like any other cardboard you need to have an actual magnet for the screen to detect as an input. Using a mouse (Bluetooth or USB) may be worth looking into.

You can use an OTG cable and a mouse, provided that OTG is supported in your device.

Then tell me guys, how teamviewer does that? There is available version of teamviewer that allows to controll android device remotely just like it is done with the PC. So how TV simulates events ???

you can achieve this by using tasker and touchtask plugin without root. Tasker is a very powerful must have android app if you really like to automate your phone. It's a paid app but the money spent will be well worth it.

You can potentially simulate a touch with the command input tap x y (e.g. from a terminal emulator, or possibly with Tasker (can't remember if it can do shell commands, but I presume so)), or over ADB with adb shell input tap x y. See https://stackoverflow.com/a/20830258/2141741 (and if you want to connect the device to itself via ADB, https://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=48126 and associated comments are informative).
This solution doesn't require root (at least not doing it from a computer connected over ADB).

This has been the simplest way I've found. Putting the command in a loop waiting for a key press does the trick nicely: $ while true; do read; adb shell input tap 0 0; echo pressed; done. It has a lot of lag though.

I tried the what @user43185 proposed, but it won't work. But, as an alternative, I see that is possible to use the following.
input [text|keyevent]
input text <string>
input keyevent <event_code>
input motionevent <x> <y> <down|move|up>
input motionevent-batch <pointer-log>

For example, if I want a tap event, then I do:
adb shell input motionevent x y down
adb shell input motionevent x y up

Where x and y are the coordinates on the device.

UPDATE.
The reason why the other answer won't work, according to this answer, is because of the Android version at the device.

I guess it depends on the ADB version. In addition of those, I see tap, swipe, press and roll on ADB version 1.0.36.

I did a research, apparently it is because of the Android version that is on the device.

I made it on Android 6.0 with the app Automate. You can download the Automate Flow here. Every time you click the headset button it runs the shell command "input tap 200 200".

this only worked in the automate app for me (android 9) but automate has an "interact touch click" action now, which works globally. and then i had to change the trigger to "key pressed headset hook" because the other one only worked when the app had no audio running...

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


text:
defining functions in TWRP
In "normal" android you start up a Terminal emulator or do "adb shell" and then from there you can defining a function by:
function name
{
 #code
}
name #runs "name"

But by using adb shell over TWRP it says the command "function" cannot be found. the command "whereis function" and "which function" provides no outputs and leaves me baffled. Any idea how to define function in TWRP, preferably over adb shell

TWRP does not feature a complete bash. It comes with a very minimalistic shell, but you are able to call a bash shell through TWRP AFAIK.

When in recovery mount your /system using
adb shell mount /system
though twrp can be twitchy otherwise use in-twrp mount function to mount system and you should have full room to do what you need.
In recovery you have a functioning kernel, so after mounting your system you should have every thing at your disposal
adb shell mount /system
adb shell
~ # mount | grep system
/dev/block/platform/msm_sdcc.1/by-name/system on /system type ext4 (rw,seclabel,relatime,data=ordered)
~ # export PATH=/system/bin:/system/xbin:$PATH
~ # which busybox
/system/xbin/busybox
~ # which sh
/system/bin/sh


text:
Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 not getting 5.0.2 update
I am working on provisioning several (3) Samsung Galaxy Tab 4's Model SM-T530, and one of them is not getting the latest system updates.  It is stuck at Android 4.4.2, Kernel version 3.4.0-3235464.  I have tried manually running the Update now, verified I am online, all that fun stuff.
This is the WiFi Only version, so it is not dependent on the carrier releasing the update, and the other two that were purchased from the same vendor at the same time, updated just like they were supposed to, and are now at 5.0.2.
What can i do to troubleshoot this issue?  (Logs, check settings, etc)

Update will took some time to become available in every country.
If you check on Sammobile, 5.0.2 was released today (2015-07-16), and it is for United Kingdom. There no version for other countries.
You can flash UK version via Odin, but better wait some days for it to get released for other countries. After that you should be able to update it via OTA, without risks of bricking, flashing...

As it is WiFi only version, your tab doesn't depends on Country Code and it can work with any, it is just recommended to have version that is at least near you (like not installing Korean version, if you're from USA/EU (because of language, stock apps, QoL changes, compatibilty problems, etc)).
I just want to notice, as I already said this process is NOT recommended.
This involves flashing new ROM using Odin. This process can be risky, it can cause soft (even hard) brick. You should still have warranty, because package is signed by Samsung and it does not trigger binary counter but you never know.
It is best to wait even 1-2 weeks so it gets deployed in every region, but I think it will available in some days so it is not worth trying it...
Keep in mind if you want to continue, do backup! If something bad happens, you will have to do factory data reset, so you can be on safe side, if you need to format it

Process of installing new ROM:

Download new ROM for your device variant from Sammobile.
When you download, you will ususally get ZIP, that contains one .tar.md5 and one .dll. Ignore .dll and unpack only .tar.md5.
Download Samsung USB driver and install it.
Download Odin and unpack it.
Make sure you disable A/V before you start flashing, it can cause fail. Also you must kill all Samsung Kies processes before flashing or flash will fail.
Go to Settings -> About Phone -> Tap some times (as I recall it is 6-8 taps) on build number. It will enable developer options.
Go Back and find Developer options. Enable it if it isn't. Also you must enable USB debugging and authorize your PC (don't forget to remember choice!).
Reboot your device to Download mode (find on Google, how to do it for your tab), and plugin USB.
Open Odin. Now you will see some 'blue' colored box where it says COM something. It means that your device is connected.
Be sure that you ONLY HAVE CHECKED F. Reset Time and Auto-Reboot! Repartition MUST STAY UNCHECKED !
Click on PDA and select .tar.md5, you previously unpacked. Let it some time to check everything.
Start the process. DO NOT UNPLUG USB OR IT WILL BRICK DEVICE. If everything went well, your device will reboot into Android Lollipop 5.1 ready to use.

Also, Keep in mind - I or this site will not be held responsible if your device get brick after following this process. You should be on safe side but when you flashing and using Odin, you never know what can happen. In 99.9% of time it worked very well for me, but you never know. Good luck

The United States isn't even an option on that list.  I have other tab 4's that have received the updates without issue.

It can depend on country code of tablet. You can always install this app and check that information on tabs - Phone INFO Samsung. As I said, you can flash it with Odin, but it is not recommended for compatibility and etc. It is better to wait 2-3 days, if not I can update post with futher instructions

That explains it!  the two that updated are France, released on June 15th, the one that didn't has a Germany code, which has not yet been released.  Any idea if it is possible to manually download and install that?  the Sammobile site has the link, but it still has the France country code on it.

I added solution for reflashing ROM, you can read it and deceide do you want it.

Download the Samsung USB Drivers and install them on your PC.
With the drivers installed, you will be able to successfully connect your tablet to your PC. ODIN is the application that you will have to use in order to flash the updates files on your Galaxy Tab 4.
Make sure that you don’t have any antivirus app running nor the Samsung KIES program. Enable USB Debugging from Developer Options menu.
If you are installing the Android 5.0.2 XXU1BOD8 firmware over a custom ROM,
then you should know that you will be forced to apply an extra ‘factory reset’ step.
For more details you can visit Samsung India site.


text:
remote: Permission Denied Asus Zenfone 2
I recently (dumbly) removed my internal through TWRP on my Asus Zenfone 2 whilst trying to flash SuperZen from xda. So now I'm attempting to go back to stock, and I've tried doing a factory reset with the stock recovery, but with no luck. I'm currently trying to flash boot.img, recovery.img, droidboot.img and system.img via fastboot on Linux and Windows, but I get:
$ fastboot flash system system.img

target reported max download size of 536870912 bytes
erasing 'system'...
FAILED (remote: Permission denied)
finished. total time: 0.136s

for each one. This is when trying to flash using version WW_2.19.40.22. The interesting thing is, is that when I flash twrp.img or recovery.img(stock) it still gives me that same error, but when I boot into recovery, I have either TWRP or stock recovery, which shows that it did work. Sadly, this is not the case with system, so if I reboot into the system, it does not work properly and hangs on the "Powered by Android" splash screen.
EDIT:
just tried using fastboot update -w Zip_Name.zip and it gives me:
archive does not contain 'android-info.txt'
archive does not contain 'android-product.txt'
error: update package has no android-info.txt or android-product.txt

EDIT 2:
booted into TWRP and used "Install" to try and flash the .zip I put on the SD card, I got the logs copied to the SD, and here is the relevant section:
minzip: Missed a central dir sig (at 0)
E:Zip file is corrupt!
MtpServer::run fd: 13
E:request read returned -1, errno: 5, exiting MtpServer::run loop
Error flashing zip '/external_sd/UL-Z00A-JP-2.19.40.21-user.zip'
Updating partition details...
I:Data backup size is 0MB, free: 55424MB.
...done

Basically, it gave me E:Zip file is corrupt! and ended up with "Failed".

Comments are not for extended discussion; this conversation has been moved to chat.

To solve you problem execute the following :

Boot your Phone into TWRP Recovery.
Plug your phone to PC and make sure it is recognized by adb you can run adb devices command to check.
on you Phone TWRP go to wipe > advanced wipe  check data ,cache and system then swipe the swipe zone in the bottom
Now go back to the home of TWRP and navigate to Advanced >> ADB sideload swipe where it is written Swipe to Start Sideload
go to you PC and fire up a terminal or a cmd (depend on your operating system) and type this command adb sideload path/to/you_firmaware.zip
Your phone will start flashing the zip wait until it's done and then reboot your system.
the first boot may take awhile be patient.

Switched my SD card and I found out the root of the problem was the SD card reader, changed that and it no longer corrupted the zip. I'm back up and running now after flashing it through TWRP, but because this will most probably work to fix this issue as well, I will Accept your answer.

Glad to hear that ,I answered with adb sideload method when I saw the log showing file system errors ,adb sideload will work even with no SD card

I was having some issues with sideload when I tried it prior to flashing with TWRP, so it may not work and you might need an SD card regardless. I know I'm not getting a device that doesn't have an SD card slot!

I have an HTC one ( no sdcard ) and I use adb sideload normally

I have answered a similar question here:
Fastboot permission denied error in Asus Zenfone 2
Basically, you just need to remove all pin/pattern unlock on your phone first.


text:
CyanogenMod install failed on Samsung Galaxy S II, phone now shows boot screen and then a black screen
I was trying to install CyanogenMod on my un-rooted  Samsung Galaxy S II using this installer.

I installed the app on the phone and the PC;
downloaded the data for the program;
plugged the phone and it started downloading;

I followed the instructions thoroughly and the phone restarted and started installing the ROM. First, it showed the "Downloading" with the green Android then showed the blue CyanogenMod man for a long while, then the app on the PC said it failed and I should try to restart my PC or disable the antivirus (already did).
So I restarted my PC. Now it said "If you tried all these things, it's safe to restart the phone". So I turned off the phone and now when I try to turn it on it shows the splash "Samsung Galaxy" then shows a black screen (not off).
I tried booting in Download mode ("Vol. Down" + "Home" + "Power" button) but the result is the same as turning it on.
Resuming the install process fails every time.
How can I revert back to the stock Android or continue the installation?

System info (before the attempt):

Model number: GT-I9100P
OS : Android 2.3.6
Baseband version : I9100P
Kernel version 2.6.53.7-I9100PXXKL1-CL761356 root@DELL131 #2

Can it go to recovery mode and download mode??

@Jasser no, everything just shows a black screen

Note: Keep in mind, Samsung Galaxy S2 has infamous Superbrick bug. Every flash can result in permanent brick (only board changing or maybe JTAG unit can recover device). You can learn more about it here.
Note2 : Last resort to enter Download mode is to get USB JIG. There is plenty of this on Internet and it's very cheap. Also there is tutorials on Internet to make it yourself, if you can't get it shipped in your country.

You can try to:

return to stock ROM
install custom recovery, wipe data/cache/dalvik/system partition and reflash custom ROM

Steps for returning to stock ROM:

Download ODIN.

Download Stock ROM from Sammobile site.

You will probably get zip file with one dll and one tar.md5 file. You need to unpack only tar.md5 as it is the file you need to flash.

Put your device in download mode - Pull off battery, insert it again, push "Vol Down" + "Home" + "Power" button.
Now connect it into PC using USB cable (check if you have install Samsung USB driver, search on Google for it)

Only check auto-reboot and F. Reset time! Repartition must stay unchecked.

Put unpacked tar.md5 in PDA section (if you downloaded Odin v3.07, can be different on other versions).

Click Start. Do not unplug your phone or it will result in a brick.

Phone will reboot and if everything went OK it will finally boot.

Steps for recovery solution:

Download ODIN.
Search XDA-Developers for CWM flashable file (I will try to post it in a comment, I cant post links anymore - reputation) and download it.
Search for Recovery-flashable file of CM that you need - usually just zip file. You will need to put it on External SD-card and insert that SD-card in the phone.
Put mobile in download mode, make sure you have Samsung USB drivers, and that in ODIN you have only checked Auto-Reboot and F. Reset Time. (Also connect your phone into PC).
Put recovery tar.md5 in PDA section and click Start.
Now pull off battery, insert it again and press "Vol Up" + "Home" + "Power".
Wipe /data,/system,/dalvik,/cache.
Go to flash and select zip file that you downloaded from SD-card.
Flash it.
Reboot device, and check whether it works.

Note3 : Be aware that following anything involves flashing can result in permanent brick of the device. Maybe it is even smarter to take in to service so they can better fix it.
Also, I or others (including this website) shall not be held responsible for any damage that may be caused to your device by using the aforesaid instructions.

Hi! (forgot to do it before :), I edited your answer because the formatting was messed up. You may take a look at formatting-help such as 1. instead of 1) would give a numbered list automatically. Similarly, to highlight something or put stress, simply use (no overuse) Bold format rather than ALL CAPS.

@AndroidNotSoPowerUser - you may want to include the steps for wiping the device cache and data files after ODIN has done it's job in your steps for "Returning to Stock ROM". If he installed Cyanogenmod those are probably wiped anyways, but not clearing those caches may prevent the device from getting past the logo screen.

But op says everything is black..... even the download mode then how can he flash his phone

Well... I started writing this post before that comment was added/didn't see that he said what happens before edit so I didn't noticed this. Maybe OP can still get in recovery using USB JIG if he can get it. It is cheap if he can get it shipped/or even make it himself

Then edit your answer so as to include the info to use USB JIG.... and enter into download mode.

Why do you recommend Odin? Heimdall is a better alternative.

In Heimdall you have to take care about PIT files and partitions, in Odin you usually just have to put tar.md5 in PDA and Start the process. On the Internet, you usually find tar.md5 files, while to flash in Heimdall you need .img files and to know on what partition to flash (usually Kernel2). Second problem is flashing Stock ROM from Sammobile is not that easy with Heimdall. Also, almost 99% of tutorials on web are with Odin, so it is much easier to find more about process. Not all users here, have Android experience, so I think Odin is much better choice for new users/users with less exp

I tried to install the stock ROM and it worked. THANKS A MILLION!!! The stock version i installed was of 4.1.2.

You might want to check the Samsung web site. I found a tool called "Simple Download Tool" or there is also "Simple Upload Tool." As soon as I loaded the correct driver and my device was recognized, then a few clicks and the tool did all the work.

Can you provide a link to the page?


text:
Nexus 6 got soaked in sea water. felt it overheat
i guess the power was on when it got dunked in sea water. Saw a blinking red light by the top speaker. Had it opened after maybe 36 hours. Some corrosion was already present. Can i stil save it? Will be willing to try anything. Just had it for 3 months. TIA for any helpful comments.
Already tried rinsing it in tap water and dried in rice before it was opened. should I try this process again now that its opened? its been 8 days already since it was submerged.


text:
Understand why an app cannot be installed
I installed CM12.1 on my Samsung S3 mini and realised that there's no FM radio app. So I extracted it from the stock backup and tried to install it but the operation ended with a message "app not installed".
I would like to know why wasn't the app installed. Is it because the system lacks a driver? Is there some dependency requirement? This is the first step to diagnose the issue.

To answer that for this specific app (and not just give "possibilities why an app might fail to install"), we'll need some more details. Usually, a "logcat" is helpful here (see our logging tag-wiki if that word doesn't ring a bell). You probably can investigate that yourself, it usually points out the reasons pretty clear.

In Cyanogenmod ROMs there is no Radio app that comes with system.
When Stock Radio App was created there was no Android Lollipop, latest was JellyBean 4.1.2. Things and workflow in Lollipop was changed, so JellyBean Radio App is not compatible with Android 5.1.2.
Without code change and debug-able version, you can't make it work, because you can't see what is problem, and what to change. And you will not get it because it is closed source...
Best way to have radio app on your system is to install app called SpiritFM.
I know it worked on Novafusion CM 11 - 4.4.4, but I'm not sure for CM12.1, but you should give it try.


text:
Unistalled Updates on pre-installed app
So my Facebook wasn't working, and would only load for a while then crash when I tried to open it. I uninstalled the app updates, then tried to install them again but when the updates were installing, a screen text would appear saying "Error Code 505." The app was already on the phone, and I don't think I can uninstall in the app without rooting the phone, which is something I rather not do. Anything I can do to fix this?

Pointer for the error 505: How do I deal with unknown installation error code - 505 ? (hint: our google-play-store tag-wiki has a list of playstore errors)

Try installing FAcebook APK manually following this steps :

on your phone go to settings > security and check the unknown source check box
Download the latest (to the date of this answer) facebook apk from here
after the download is finish click on the apk in the list of Downloaded items or go to /sdcard/downloads with a file manager app like es file explorer and open the apk file.
the installation screen should appear showing the permissions asked by the app click on install at the botton of the screen.
wait for the installation to finish then click on open to open facebook app. (now you have the latest facebook app let's fix the playstore issue)
Now go to Settings > Applications > all ,search the play store app and click on it.
The info about the play store appear ,wait until the delete data button is click-able then click on it and confirm.
Now go back to your hame screen and launch the play store and wait for it to load you account then go to my applications tab you should see the facebook app there (if it's not try rebooting your phone).
You are all set facebook is to latest version and will be updated normally from play store.


text:
Unable to add restricted profile on Xperia Z2 tablet
I would like to add a restricted profile. I'm on an Xperia Z2 tablet (so not on a phone, where you can't use restricted profiles) running Android 5.0.2 and I'm the "Owner".
When I go to Settings > Users there is no option Add user or profile, only Add user. When I tap Add user no Restricted profile option is shown:

Also when I tap OK no options regarding restricted profiles are offered.
According to this support article by Sony on multiple users, it should be possible on the Z2.
I tried adding a PIN screen lock for the Owner account. That did change the information in the alert shown when adding a new user, but that didn't show the restricted profile option.

I turns out that LTE versions of the Xperia tablets (tablets with a SIM slot) are treated as if they are a phone, so the option is disabled:
https://talk.sonymobile.com/t5/Xperia-Z3-Tablet-Compact/missing-restricred-user-profiles-on-android-5-0-2/m-p/956279#M455
I opened an issue at Google:
https://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=180281


text:
Wet phone, charge symbols shows, but won't turn on
My Galaxy S6 got wet and I dried it out as much as possible. When I plug it in, the charge symbol shows up on the screen and it shows that it's fully 100% charged, but when I press the power button, it doesn't turn on.
What's the possible cause and how to remedy it?

Not going to beat around the bushes here - take it to a repair shop as soon as you can.
The problem with water damage is that it's impossible to diagnose the extent of the damage by just seeing what the average user can do (ie. turning it on and off). It needs to be opened up and inspected by someone who knows what they're doing so they can let you know if it's salvageable, if parts need to be replaced, or if it's a goner.
If the battery icon shows up on screen but doesn't turn on, that tells me that there could be some damage to the board. Best case scenario - it can be saved if the internals are dried out properly (it may need to be taken apart for this). Worst case - the main logic board has some irreparable damage to it from the water and it's either a hefty repair bill and loss of data, or you may want to look into replacement options.


text:
How to set Google dialer as the default dialer in Sony Xperia Z3+?
I hope you are well. I have recently switched from a Google Nexus 5 to a Sony Xperia Z3+. However, I'm slightly annoyed at all of the default apps that Sony bundle with it. I have already replaced the Xperia keyboard with the one from Google, and that was fairly easy. I am now trying to replace the default dialer with the awesome Google dialer that I am used to.
I managed to find online an APK for the Google dialer (all verified as genuine) and installed it to my phone. However, I cannot find the option to select it as the default dialer.
I went to Settings → Apps → All → Google Dialer.
The 'Launch by default' option is greyed out. Does anyone know how to get this working as I really love being able to search for a number by typing the name of a company and don't like the Sony dialer?

You may need to clear out the default for the Sony Dialer first.
Settings > Apps > All > [insert Sony dialer app here] > Clear Defaults

I find that dialing a number from your contacts may not prompt you for a new default, either. Instead, navigate to a website that has a properly formatted number like(###) ###-#### that you can tap on to have it open in a dialer - that should prompt you for a default selection.
After your default is selected, you can disable the old dialer so it doesn't show up in your app list.

Unfortunately I have tried all of this already. It appears that the Sony dialer cannot be disabled in any way nor can the Google dialer be enabled.

Frustrating - Sony phone app is clunky - and I hate the way it jumps into the "I'll call you back" nonsense - and then does not allow you to cancel that and pickup the call.
I installed Lollipop phone dialer - but as you note - no way to set it as the default.
However - in Settings / Apps / All - you can disable their Text app, and then Force Stop their Phone app. However - it still rings and opens. Go figure.  Looks like this will require an Android developer access hack to break open :-(

I was able to do it by going to Settings > Apps > then click the gear icon in upper right corner for the "Configure Apps" options.  Under "Advanced" choose "Default Apps" and change "Phone App" to the Google Dialer.  It was "Contacts" originally.  You might get prompted at the next time you tap a # to dial out, but just choose the Google Dialer and select "Always" at the prompts to make it the global default.
-- Note I'm on a Z5 using Android 6.0.1 so my menu structure might be a bit different.

First, make sure you have the latest version of the app that is compatible with your device.
You can get it via Google Play Store or via APKMirror.
You need ADB to install APKs.
Usually, when you want to set an app as default, you need to clear the previous defaults.
Settings /
Apps /
Phone /
Open by default /
Clear defaults
You can also
DISABLE +
FORCE STOP +
CLEAR DATA
the unwanted app to make it easier to change the default behaviour.
Then, normally, in
Settings /
Apps /
Configure apps /
Phone app,
you should be able to select your desired phone app.
If this doesn't work, then you need a custom Android.

Do you have z3, z3c, z3dual, scorpion or scorpion_windy?
Either way, you should get CyanogenMod and OpenGApps, then install them using ADB. This will allow you to do way more than just changing the default phone app.

I know this isn't the place for personal opinions, but here's mine : Refund that and get back your Nexus 5.


text:
Block SMS without number
In India, we often receive SMSs which do not actually have a number, but instead, have a name like 'VK-AMSWAN'. SMS blockers like Truecaller don't have any facility to recognise such senders and keep asking for a number to block.
When using third-party SMS apps like Chomp SMS, there is an option to show the contact number below the contact name. Guess what it shows for the spam?

VK-AMSWAN (name)
VKAMSWAN (where the number shows up for other contacts)

How do I block such senders? I cannot blanket block all unknown SMSs because even banking information comes from such named senders.
It seems SMS blocking isn't as well developed as call blocking is. Truecaller actually rejects spam calls without you ever knowing about them. No SMS blocker I've seen has this facility so far. All they do is receive the messages and hide them. If someone can locate a method to fully block spam SMS, please do tell. :)

Use DND(Do-Not-Disurb) services of your service provider instead. It will block unwnated sms messages.

I think there is no other way. Try activating DND (Do Not Disturb) from your mobile carrier

Already using it. Problem is, the national DND registry can only block those services which are already registered. What about those that aren't?

did u try clicking the call button ? I do notice they having a seven digit number

Don't see the call button anywhere. Even if it was, how would you call a number that isn't really a number?

Good companies respects the DND policy, but this is not for the bad guys. They still call an user with DND activated.

Since you told DND doesn't block these kinds of messages, you can use Textra SMS from the Play Store, select the message that you received, and select the "Blacklist" message option to stop receiving the SMS.
If you still want those messages to be received but not to get a notification, you can select the "Crossed Bell" icon at the top to not notify on receiving the message so that it is stored in your inbox for future use but will not be notified to you.
Using Textra, I found another feature to find out the number of those LM-*, TM-*, and VK-* series kind of SMS messages. Open Textra and swipe the message to the left to reveal the call feature. Double-tap the call button and it calls the number. So, now you've got the number, and this way you can block those numbers from receiving those text messages. I tried that and showed the numbers to me for every message in my inbox with XX-* SMS messages. ;)

I was looking for a more generic solution present in Android itself, but that seems to be the only way now. Sigh. MANI's answer says Truemessenger can use keywords to block, so I think that must be the most general solution available for now. Android should provide blocking features in the OS itself.

@Andy356 I see. Check my updated answer too. It might be helpful to reveal those unknown senders number incase for blocking. ;)

Did you know that in SMS spec the actual phone number is not mandatory and it is only informative, one could actually send SMS without any numbers revealed to receiver. Even while gateway only requires receiver number it is not required to forward it. And when it comes to sender gateway wont do anything with that. How do I know? As I've developed sw interfaces for those services...

Tried the 'calling through Textra' option. What it does is just convert the letters to numbers through some unknown operation. Checked it thoroughly. The number of digits are always equal to the number of letters.The numbers never exist. So tough luck for me. :(

@SampoSarrala That is the problem here. A lot (A HUGE MANY) services in India use this ability to send spam SMS to people, without them ever being able to contact back, or block, because blocking requires a number.

If you're using the Hangouts app, open the conversation that the sender has sent. Once in it, select the Menu button (3 vertical dots in the top right) and select "People & options". On this screen, you should see the option to "Block VK-AMSWAN" (or whatever the sender's name is).
This article has a more detailed description of these steps with screenshots.

Yes, using Hangouts. Already tried that, but it only mutes notifications from that sender. :( Similar to the Crossed Bell feature in Textra that Lucky's answer is talking about.

Fast forward to 2022, Google Hangouts is not available anymore and has been replaced with Google Chat and Google Meet, which AFAIK doesn't support SMS anymore. On the other hand, there's also Google Message which is mentioned in Flimm's answer.

You can block SMS messages from a specific sender like this using stock Android on a Google Pixel or similar phone, using the app Messages by Google. For example, if you receive a message from "VK-AMSWAN" (with no phone number), you can block all further SMS messages from "VK-AMSWAN". There isn't a way to block messages from all senders without a phone number all at once, though.
Other phone manufacturers have their own SMS app, and they might not provide this functionality.

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

authors: Кирилл Феленко


text:
Nexus 5 updated to 5.0.1 using OTA but is now stuck at boot animation for more than 10 minutes
Yesterday I've bought my first Nexus phone.
I've tried updating it to Android 5.0.1 through standard procedure (download -> update from Settings), but now it is booting (boot animation is playing) for 10 minutes already. Any idea what could that be and what should I do to the phone to get back to normal working Android?

On some phones it can take very long, even to half an hour, so  try to wait a little more.
If that does not help you should try to do a factory reset and wipe /cache & /dalvik partition (from Recovery, if you have access to it). Usually this procedure would solve the issue: stuck on boot animation/reboot loops.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't factory reset already be wiping /cache and /dalvik-cache?

I'm not totally sure. It usually depends on recovery, on mine device and recovery I know that I always had to manually format /dalvik, but not remember for /cache.


text:
Can I use an external WIFI adapter with my Android Head unit
I purchased the Pumpkin 2 Din Universal Car Head Unit (see product image below) and I want to know if I can use an external long range WIFI adapter via one of the USB/3g ports on the back? The device runs Android 4.4 and has built-in support for 3G and WIFI already. Device specs say "Can't support portable hard drive" – but that doesn't necessarily mean no OTG support I guess.

I can't seem to find a manual for the unit (the website doesn't properly link to the "Manual&Download" section from the header, and the "Support Center" link doesn't do anything at all), and since it doesn't mention anything about a WiFi antenna adapter, it's hard to say one way or another with any level of confidence.
That said, it may be possible.  It seems to contradict itself in a couple of places referring to a "WiFi/3G/Mic Cable" before later calling it a "3G/USB Cable+Mic Cable".  The "3G" actually requires an external modem to function, so I'm guessing it's just two USB ports.  It will probably accept a USB WiFi device, but it's questionable if the OS will support the hardware.  It does have a built-in WiFi modem, but I'm not aware of any USB antennae designed to connect to a separate device.
NOTE: IF YOU FOLLOW THE SUGGESTIONS BELOW, IT MAY A. VOID YOUR WARRANTY AND B. BRICK/RUIN YOUR DEVICE. PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK, I ACCEPT NO RESPONSIBILITY
If you were to open up the case, it may be possible to find a place to connect an antenna to that built-in adapter.  If that's the case, you can probably get an extension cable that would let you then place a long-range antenna somewhere more appropriate.  I know my Samsung Galaxy S4 has two little connectors for external antennas, but I don't think either is for WiFi.

As the device seems to support a WiFi hotspot, an alternative might be to use some other device as "bridge" – though that might be a little overkill ;)

authors: ابوسام الظفيري


text:
Google play infinite login loop
I recently changed my Google password, but now when I open Google Play and Gmail, it prompts me for my password and won't accept it. It works in the YouTube app only. I've tried rebooting, but this has been going on for about a week, so I don't think its a google server issue.
Device: NVidia Shield with Android 5.0.1

Just remove your Google account from accounts and add it again. I also had this problem, but removing&adding it again solved it instantly.
It will sync with Gmail, Contacts again, so you should have no problems

Now Play Services crashes every time I add the account

Try to delete Play Services cache. Go to Settings -> Apps -> Find Google Play Services app, click on it, find Delete data/clear cache. Reboot device and try again.

Thanks! I would upvote it but I don't have enough rep

ITS YOUR PHONE!  It's not a Google issue, as I'd suspected.  No amount of adding and replacing google accounts will work.  I've been battling this issue for a year and doing everything everyone/anyone suggests to no avail.  Except resetting phone to factory defaults... that was too scary so I didn't do that.  I recently had to replace my phone for a faulty internal (non-replaceable) battery, and HELLO the new phone allows me to sign in without any issues.  It's a miracle.  BTW, old phone is HTC One M9, and Verizon replacement phone is a Samsung Galaxy s7 (new is s9, don't care, it works). The problem is with your phone.

You go to apps and clear data and cache from Google apps in Google play / Google services and services framework and remove any accounts currently on Android. Then go to backup in settings and add account this backup rout re login to account without loop

None of the above worked for me. Removing the account is not always going to work if you've synced your device more than once due to such things as a re-flash or a re-build of the device. In my case it was a HTC One A9 phone. I recently had to reflash my phone and I stupidly added two accounts to my phone instead of leaving it as a single account, but I was able to use Google apps (gmail, drive, etc) using multiple accounts. Go figure.
So I did this:

Go to your device Settings
Don't go to Google option, but to Accounts and Sync
Click on an account
Click the three dots on the top-right
Delete or Remove the account. Do this for every account you may have there.
Re-boot the phone/device
Re-add your primary Google account that you want associated with the device for Google Play, Google Services, etc...
Make sure everything is ok. Now for the final steps
Go to Settings on your phone again
This time go to Google option -> Accounts
You may be asked to verify who you are again. Do that. I had to recover my security codes for cases when you loose your password
Now your Google account should show you the usual Google Account options - Home | Personal Info | Data & Personalisation etc etc

You should be ok from there. Just don't add another G account to the device. Only add them through the G apps.

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


text:
Micromax A110Q shows blank screen after waking up
I am using Micromax A110Q. It turns on perfectly and displays
 everything fine. But whenever I turn off the screen or it sleeps
 automatically, the next time I press the power button to do something
 screen doesn't display anything, although the button icons on the
 touch-pad lit up.The device was working fine before I made the following changes.
I rooted the device and installed CWM and uninstalled some of the default apps offered by Micromax. Then after installing a few things I made a backup using CWM and then again flashed my device with v2 of the stock ROM (I was learning the basics of flashing).
I then used CWM recovery to undo the changes i.e.I restored the backup which I made just before flashing. Now when my mobile boots it sometimes display:

Unfortunately, com.google.process.gapps have stopped working

but the problem persists even when the error doesn't occur.
How should I resolve the issue? And let me know  if you need other  details.

Welcome to Android Enthusiasts! Am I understanding correctly: you tried to restore that backup after flashing the stock ROM? Why that? If you really flashed the (unmodified) stock ROM, all the stuff should have been there again. One more thing: is the ROM you flashed identical with the one you had when performing that backup – or are those different versions?

I used version 2 to flash the device. Version 1 was on my handset before and used the same to backup and restore later.

I didn't understood the logic behind it but I followed the following steps out of instincts and now the cell phone is working fine.

Reflash the android with v2
Boot in recovery mode.
Go to recovery and backup
select advance restore from sd card
Select all images except boot
Start restore
After restoring reboot

The system works fine after this.
If anyone can explain the logic behind this kindly reply.


text:
BlueStacks physical keyboard keeps getting ticked ON
I like to have the "physical keyboard" disabled, in order to make appear the virtual keyboard which contains all the Android smileys. However, every time BlueStacks closes or goes to trail (when computer sleeps), the "physical keyboard" is set on ON again, disabling the virtual one.. quite annoying to change that otpion every time i need the smileys
Any idea how to solve this issue ?
Thanks !

Which version of bluestacks are you using?

The latest one right now, can't find a number or something, just "the latest one"

I tried the below steps and the onscreen keyboard was always displayed no matter I restart the Bluestack/it went to tray/even after system restart. Based on Bluestacks support page about How to enable/disable on screen keyboard?

On the home screen click on the All Apps on the top-right corner.
Click on 'Select IME' app.
To enable on-screen keyboard and, please click on 'Enable OnScreen Keyboard'.

The above steps only enables the on-screen keyboard everytime you click on an text field. This doesnot disable the typing throught physical keyboard though. You can use both the hardware and the virtual on-screen keyboard at the same time. If you still have the hardware keyboard enable after every restart, then re-install the bluestacks app.

Thanks but this doesn't seem to solve my problem. It's like it would set the "onscreen keyboard" option to "off" every time, like a default value. Isn't there a way to go change some boolean value somewhere in some config file ?

IDK, its completely working even after the PC restart for me @Paul. Maybe there's something wrong with your installation/data of bluestacks or something might have corrupted. Do a fresh installation of Bluestacks latest version and see if that helps.


text:
How to exit Toddler Lock without touchscreen
My touch screen broke while Toddler Lock was enabled. Is there a way to disable it without touching the four corners?
My device is rooted and developer options are enabled. So I can access it via "adb".

Simulate input events for touch screen via adb:
FOUR CORNERS:
adb shell input tap 10 100
adb shell input tap 510 100
adb shell input tap 510 950
adb shell input tap 10 950

OKAY:
adb shell input tap 350 900

Edit: Note: The coordinates of the taps depend on the screen size resolution. These coordinates work on a device with a resolution of 960 x 540 pixels.

Weren't those taps relative to the screen size of your device?


text:
ADB authorization prompt missing in Sony Xperia Z3 Compact (D5803)
I just bought a Sony Xperia Z3 Compact (D5803) and I'm trying to root it. I'm following this link for instructions, but I got stuck at the "Rooting with exploit" step as I can't authorize the connection.
I've already tried:

Restarting the ADB server
Rebooting the device
Rebooting my PC
Changing from MTP to MSC and back
Disabling and then enabling USB debugging
Disabling and then enabling 'Developer options'
Using various ADB drivers
Using different ADB binaries
Deleting my .Android folder
Deleting ADB copies in other tools' folders
Plugging the device in another port
Any combination of the above that I can think of

I can't find any other possible solution to this issue on Google. I'm hoping you guys will be able to enlighten me and finally be able to solve this.
PS: Something tells me that my PC is the problem here, as I was never able to do this with my old SGS3 either, but I ran out of ideas about what could be causing it anyway.

It might sound stupid, but you might consider seeing if your device is recognized by adb in other computer. If yes, you might proceed with reinstalling the os(windows/linux) on your PC. I once had problem with Xperia P, I had to reinstall windows.

This helped me, before step 13 "Enable USB debugging on the phone (Settings => About phone => Click 7 times on Android Build to unlock developer options)" make sure you have enabled MTP over USB on the phone. Sometimes it helps to revoke the approved debug devices as well.


text:
"insufficient storage" though nothing is installed
I can't download any apps onto my android tablet. I have put it back to factory settings and it has nothing saved on it at all and is still telling me I have insufficient storage. I can't even install the cache cleaner.

Welcome to Android Enthusiasts! I've just added the insufficient-memory tag to your question. Please follow up to its tag-wiki: as that's a quite frequent question here, we've compiled some first-aid there. Check if that helps you, then come back here to answer your own question if solved or edit it and let us know what you've tried and where you're stuck.

Hi and welcome! What make and model of tablet? How much storage space does it include? Have you "rooted" it?

This a common problem faced by rooted phone users.
If you have any app that links your files to Sd like link2sd, luckypatcher...
and your phone doesn't support it. You'll have to revert all this apps setting to get the memory back. The actual problem is that you are linking to a directory which doesn't actually exist.


text:
Tablet not connecting to any Wi-Fi at home but other devices does
My tablet isn't connecting to either of the Wi-Fi at home. The password is correct, and is working for other devices. I have the router of  Belkin, and ZyXEL. Hopefully, this was helpful information
For both Wi-Fi it says "scanning" and then "failed to obtain IP address".
How should I resolve the issue?

what are your rooter's configurations ? is it set to static ip or DHCP ? how many devices are using that wifi because in some rooters the number of available connection slots is limited to 8.

If you have an Static IP Address to connect a router, then you'll have to long press your wifi name and then advanced options then enter a IP Address manually.


text:
hostapd not working from adb shell
I have a LG G3 running 5.1.1 and I can successfully enable Portable Wi-Fi hotspot through the Settings menu.  I can see my portable Wi-Fi SSID on another Android device when enabled through the Settings menu.
Additionally, I can confirm that hostapd is running with an auto-generated config file.
root@d851:/ # ps | grep hostapd
wifi      6841  302   10892  1280  c026dd60 b6ed98b4 S /system/bin/hostapd
root@d851:/ # cat /proc/6841/cmdline
/system/bin/hostapd -e /data/misc/wifi/entropy.bin /data/misc/wifi/hostapd.conf

My problem arises when I attempt to run hostapd manually through adb shell using the exact same arguments as hostapd spawned through the Settings menu.  I am disabling Wi-Fi manually through the settings menu and issuing the following command.  It appears that hostapd initializes successfully but the Wi-Fi SSID is never seen by other devices.
root@d851:/ # /system/bin/hostapd -ddd -e /data/misc/wifi/entropy.bin /data/misc/wifi/hostapd.conf

The following was captured from logcat when the above command was issued.
D/hostapd ( 7885): Add randomness: count=1 entropy=0
D/hostapd ( 7885): random pool - hexdump(len=128): [REMOVED]
D/hostapd ( 7885): random_mix_pool - hexdump(len=8): [REMOVED]
D/hostapd ( 7885): random_mix_pool - hexdump(len=20): [REMOVED]
D/hostapd ( 7885): random pool - hexdump(len=128): [REMOVED]
D/hostapd ( 7885): random: Added entropy from /data/misc/wifi/entropy.bin (own_pool_ready=2)
D/hostapd ( 7885): random: Trying to read entropy from /dev/random
D/hostapd ( 7885): Get randomness: len=20 entropy=1
D/hostapd ( 7885): random from os_get_random - hexdump(len=20): [REMOVED]
D/hostapd ( 7885): random_mix_pool - hexdump(len=20): [REMOVED]
D/hostapd ( 7885): random from internal pool - hexdump(len=16): [REMOVED]
D/hostapd ( 7885): random_mix_pool - hexdump(len=20): [REMOVED]
D/hostapd ( 7885): random from internal pool - hexdump(len=16): [REMOVED]
D/hostapd ( 7885): mixed random - hexdump(len=20): [REMOVED]
D/hostapd ( 7885): random: Updated entropy file /data/misc/wifi/entropy.bin (own_pool_ready=2)
E/hostapd ( 7885): Configuration file: /data/misc/wifi/hostapd.conf
D/hostapd ( 7885): rfkill: initial event: idx=0 type=2 op=0 soft=1 hard=0
D/hostapd ( 7885): rfkill: initial event: idx=1 type=1 op=0 soft=0 hard=0
D/hostapd ( 7885): rfkill: initial event: idx=2 type=1 op=0 soft=0 hard=0
D/hostapd ( 7885): nl80211: Supported cipher 00-0f-ac:1
D/hostapd ( 7885): nl80211: Supported cipher 00-0f-ac:5
D/hostapd ( 7885): nl80211: Supported cipher 00-0f-ac:2
D/hostapd ( 7885): nl80211: Supported cipher 00-0f-ac:4
D/hostapd ( 7885): nl80211: Supported cipher 00-0f-ac:6
D/hostapd ( 7885): nl80211: Using driver-based off-channel TX
D/hostapd ( 7885): nl80211: TDLS supported
D/hostapd ( 7885): nl80211: Supported key managment offloads 0x0
D/hostapd ( 7885): nl80211: Supported key derivation offloads 0x0
D/hostapd ( 7885): nl80211: Use separate P2P group interface (driver advertised support)
D/hostapd ( 7885): nl80211: Enable multi-channel concurrent (driver advertised support)
D/hostapd ( 7885): nl80211: Disable use_monitor with device_ap_sme since no monitor mode support detected
D/hostapd ( 7885): nl80211: interface wlan0 in phy phy0
D/hostapd ( 7885): nl80211: Set mode ifindex 23 iftype 3 (AP)
D/hostapd ( 7885): nl80211: Setup AP(wlan0) - device_ap_sme=1 use_monitor=0
D/hostapd ( 7885): nl80211: Subscribe to mgmt frames with AP handle 0xb643e0a0 (device SME)
D/hostapd ( 7885): nl80211: Register frame type=0xd0 (WLAN_FC_STYPE_ACTION) nl_handle=0xb643e0a0 match=
D/hostapd ( 7885): nl80211: Enable Probe Request reporting nl_preq=0xb643e0d0
D/hostapd ( 7885): nl80211: Register frame type=0x40 (WLAN_FC_STYPE_PROBE_REQ) nl_handle=0xb643e0d0 match=
D/hostapd ( 7885): nl80211: Add own interface ifindex 23
D/hostapd ( 7885): nl80211: if_indices[16]: 23
D/hostapd ( 7885): Unknown/unsupported wowlan trigger 'any'
D/hostapd ( 7885): phy: phy0
D/hostapd ( 7885): BSS count 1, BSSID mask 00:00:00:00:00:00 (0 bits)
D/hostapd ( 7885): nl80211: Regulatory information - country=00
D/hostapd ( 7885): nl80211: 2402-2472 @ 40 MHz 20 mBm
D/hostapd ( 7885): nl80211: 2457-2482 @ 40 MHz 20 mBm (no IR)
D/hostapd ( 7885): nl80211: 2474-2494 @ 20 MHz 20 mBm (no OFDM) (no IR)
D/hostapd ( 7885): nl80211: 5170-5250 @ 80 MHz 20 mBm (no IR)
D/hostapd ( 7885): nl80211: 5735-5835 @ 80 MHz 20 mBm (no IR)
D/hostapd ( 7885): nl80211: 57240-63720 @ 2160 MHz 0 mBm
D/hostapd ( 7885): nl80211: Added 802.11b mode based on 802.11g information
D/hostapd ( 7885): Allowed channel: mode=1 chan=1 freq=2412 MHz max_tx_power=20 dBm
D/hostapd ( 7885): Allowed channel: mode=1 chan=2 freq=2417 MHz max_tx_power=20 dBm
D/hostapd ( 7885): Allowed channel: mode=1 chan=3 freq=2422 MHz max_tx_power=20 dBm
D/hostapd ( 7885): Allowed channel: mode=1 chan=4 freq=2427 MHz max_tx_power=20 dBm
D/hostapd ( 7885): Allowed channel: mode=1 chan=5 freq=2432 MHz max_tx_power=20 dBm
D/hostapd ( 7885): Allowed channel: mode=1 chan=6 freq=2437 MHz max_tx_power=20 dBm
D/hostapd ( 7885): Allowed channel: mode=1 chan=7 freq=2442 MHz max_tx_power=20 dBm
D/hostapd ( 7885): Allowed channel: mode=1 chan=8 freq=2447 MHz max_tx_power=20 dBm
D/hostapd ( 7885): Allowed channel: mode=1 chan=9 freq=2452 MHz max_tx_power=20 dBm
D/hostapd ( 7885): Allowed channel: mode=1 chan=10 freq=2457 MHz max_tx_power=20 dBm
D/hostapd ( 7885): Allowed channel: mode=1 chan=11 freq=2462 MHz max_tx_power=20 dBm
D/hostapd ( 7885): Allowed channel: mode=2 chan=36 freq=5180 MHz max_tx_power=20 dBm
D/hostapd ( 7885): Allowed channel: mode=2 chan=40 freq=5200 MHz max_tx_power=20 dBm
D/hostapd ( 7885): Allowed channel: mode=2 chan=44 freq=5220 MHz max_tx_power=20 dBm
D/hostapd ( 7885): Allowed channel: mode=2 chan=48 freq=5240 MHz max_tx_power=20 dBm
D/hostapd ( 7885): Allowed channel: mode=2 chan=144 freq=5720 MHz max_tx_power=0 dBm
D/hostapd ( 7885): Allowed channel: mode=2 chan=149 freq=5745 MHz max_tx_power=20 dBm
D/hostapd ( 7885): Allowed channel: mode=2 chan=153 freq=5765 MHz max_tx_power=20 dBm
D/hostapd ( 7885): Allowed channel: mode=2 chan=157 freq=5785 MHz max_tx_power=20 dBm
D/hostapd ( 7885): Allowed channel: mode=2 chan=161 freq=5805 MHz max_tx_power=20 dBm
D/hostapd ( 7885): Allowed channel: mode=2 chan=165 freq=5825 MHz max_tx_power=20 dBm
D/hostapd ( 7885): Allowed channel: mode=0 chan=1 freq=2412 MHz max_tx_power=20 dBm
D/hostapd ( 7885): Allowed channel: mode=0 chan=2 freq=2417 MHz max_tx_power=20 dBm
D/hostapd ( 7885): Allowed channel: mode=0 chan=3 freq=2422 MHz max_tx_power=20 dBm
D/hostapd ( 7885): Allowed channel: mode=0 chan=4 freq=2427 MHz max_tx_power=20 dBm
D/hostapd ( 7885): Allowed channel: mode=0 chan=5 freq=2432 MHz max_tx_power=20 dBm
D/hostapd ( 7885): Allowed channel: mode=0 chan=6 freq=2437 MHz max_tx_power=20 dBm
D/hostapd ( 7885): Allowed channel: mode=0 chan=7 freq=2442 MHz max_tx_power=20 dBm
D/hostapd ( 7885): Allowed channel: mode=0 chan=8 freq=2447 MHz max_tx_power=20 dBm
D/hostapd ( 7885): Allowed channel: mode=0 chan=9 freq=2452 MHz max_tx_power=20 dBm
D/hostapd ( 7885): Allowed channel: mode=0 chan=10 freq=2457 MHz max_tx_power=20 dBm
D/hostapd ( 7885): Allowed channel: mode=0 chan=11 freq=2462 MHz max_tx_power=20 dBm
D/hostapd ( 7885): Completing interface initialization
D/hostapd ( 7885): Mode: IEEE 802.11g  Channel: 6  Frequency: 2437 MHz
D/hostapd ( 7885): DFS 0 channels required radar detection
D/hostapd ( 7885): nl80211: Set freq 2437 (ht_enabled=1, vht_enabled=0, bandwidth=20 MHz, cf1=2437 MHz, cf2=0 MHz)
D/hostapd ( 7885): RATE[0] rate=10 flags=0x1
D/hostapd ( 7885): RATE[1] rate=20 flags=0x1
D/hostapd ( 7885): RATE[2] rate=55 flags=0x1
D/hostapd ( 7885): RATE[3] rate=110 flags=0x1
D/hostapd ( 7885): RATE[4] rate=60 flags=0x0
D/hostapd ( 7885): RATE[5] rate=90 flags=0x0
D/hostapd ( 7885): RATE[6] rate=120 flags=0x0
D/hostapd ( 7885): RATE[7] rate=180 flags=0x0
D/hostapd ( 7885): RATE[8] rate=240 flags=0x0
D/hostapd ( 7885): RATE[9] rate=360 flags=0x0
D/hostapd ( 7885): RATE[10] rate=480 flags=0x0
D/hostapd ( 7885): RATE[11] rate=540 flags=0x0
D/hostapd ( 7885): hostapd_setup_bss(hapd=0xb6456600 (wlan0), first=1)
D/hostapd ( 7885): wlan0: Flushing old station entries
D/hostapd ( 7885): nl80211: flush -> DEL_STATION wlan0 (all)
D/hostapd ( 7885): wlan0: Deauthenticate all stations
D/hostapd ( 7885): nl80211: sta_remove -> DEL_STATION wlan0 ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff --> 0 (Success)
D/hostapd ( 7885): wpa_driver_nl80211_set_key: ifindex=23 (wlan0) alg=0 addr=0x0 key_idx=0 set_tx=0 seq_len=0 key_len=0
D/hostapd ( 7885): wpa_driver_nl80211_set_key: ifindex=23 (wlan0) alg=0 addr=0x0 key_idx=1 set_tx=0 seq_len=0 key_len=0
D/hostapd ( 7885): wpa_driver_nl80211_set_key: ifindex=23 (wlan0) alg=0 addr=0x0 key_idx=2 set_tx=0 seq_len=0 key_len=0
D/hostapd ( 7885): wpa_driver_nl80211_set_key: ifindex=23 (wlan0) alg=0 addr=0x0 key_idx=3 set_tx=0 seq_len=0 key_len=0
E/hostapd ( 7885): Using interface wlan0 with hwaddr 00:90:4c:c5:12:38 and ssid "Redskins"
D/hostapd ( 7885): wpa_driver_set_ap_wps_p2p_ie: Entry
D/hostapd ( 7885): random: Got 20/20 bytes from /dev/random
D/hostapd ( 7885): Get randomness: len=20 entropy=0
D/hostapd ( 7885): random from os_get_random - hexdump(len=20): [REMOVED]
D/hostapd ( 7885): random_mix_pool - hexdump(len=20): [REMOVED]
D/hostapd ( 7885): random from internal pool - hexdump(len=16): [REMOVED]
D/hostapd ( 7885): random_mix_pool - hexdump(len=20): [REMOVED]
D/hostapd ( 7885): random from internal pool - hexdump(len=16): [REMOVED]
D/hostapd ( 7885): mixed random - hexdump(len=20): [REMOVED]
D/hostapd ( 7885): random: Updated entropy file /data/misc/wifi/entropy.bin (own_pool_ready=2)
D/hostapd ( 7885): Get randomness: len=32 entropy=0
D/hostapd ( 7885): random from os_get_random - hexdump(len=32): [REMOVED]
D/hostapd ( 7885): random_mix_pool - hexdump(len=20): [REMOVED]
D/hostapd ( 7885): random from internal pool - hexdump(len=16): [REMOVED]
D/hostapd ( 7885): random_mix_pool - hexdump(len=20): [REMOVED]
D/hostapd ( 7885): random from internal pool - hexdump(len=16): [REMOVED]
D/hostapd ( 7885): mixed random - hexdump(len=32): [REMOVED]
D/hostapd ( 7885): GMK - hexdump(len=32): [REMOVED]
D/hostapd ( 7885): Get randomness: len=32 entropy=0
D/hostapd ( 7885): random from os_get_random - hexdump(len=32): [REMOVED]
D/hostapd ( 7885): random_mix_pool - hexdump(len=20): [REMOVED]
D/hostapd ( 7885): random from internal pool - hexdump(len=16): [REMOVED]
D/hostapd ( 7885): random_mix_pool - hexdump(len=20): [REMOVED]
D/hostapd ( 7885): random from internal pool - hexdump(len=16): [REMOVED]
D/hostapd ( 7885): mixed random - hexdump(len=32): [REMOVED]
D/hostapd ( 7885): Key Counter - hexdump(len=32): [REMOVED]
D/hostapd ( 7885): WPA: Delay group state machine start until Beacon frames have been configured
D/hostapd ( 7885): nl80211: Set beacon (beacon_set=0)
D/hostapd ( 7885): nl80211: Beacon head - hexdump(len=59): 80 00 00 00 ff ff ff ff ff ff 00 90 4c c5 12 38 00 90 4c c5 12 38 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ...
D/hostapd ( 7885): nl80211: Beacon tail - hexdump(len=109): 2a 01 04 32 04 30 48 60 6c 30 14 01 00 00 0f ac 04 01 00 00 0f ac 04 01 00 00 0f ac 02 0c 00 2d ...
D/hostapd ( 7885): nl80211: ifindex=23
D/hostapd ( 7885): nl80211: beacon_int=100
D/hostapd ( 7885): nl80211: dtim_period=2
D/hostapd ( 7885): nl80211: ssid - hexdump(len=8): 52 65 64 73 6b 69 6e 73
D/hostapd ( 7885): nl80211: hidden SSID not in use
D/hostapd ( 7885): nl80211: privacy=1
D/hostapd ( 7885): nl80211: auth_algs=0x3
D/hostapd ( 7885): nl80211: wpa_version=0x2
D/hostapd ( 7885): nl80211: key_mgmt_suites=0x2
D/hostapd ( 7885): nl80211: pairwise_ciphers=0x18
D/hostapd ( 7885): nl80211: group_cipher=0x10
D/hostapd ( 7885): WPA: Start group state machine to set initial keys
D/hostapd ( 7885): WPA: group state machine entering state GTK_INIT (VLAN-ID 0)
D/hostapd ( 7885): Get randomness: len=16 entropy=0
D/hostapd ( 7885): random from os_get_random - hexdump(len=16): [REMOVED]
D/hostapd ( 7885): random_mix_pool - hexdump(len=20): [REMOVED]
D/hostapd ( 7885): random from internal pool - hexdump(len=16): [REMOVED]
D/hostapd ( 7885): mixed random - hexdump(len=16): [REMOVED]
D/hostapd ( 7885): GTK - hexdump(len=16): [REMOVED]
D/hostapd ( 7885): WPA: group state machine entering state SETKEYSDONE (VLAN-ID 0)
D/hostapd ( 7885): wpa_driver_nl80211_set_key: ifindex=23 (wlan0) alg=3 addr=0xb6f9988a key_idx=1 set_tx=1 seq_len=0 key_len=16
D/hostapd ( 7885): nl80211: KEY_DATA - hexdump(len=16): [REMOVED]
D/hostapd ( 7885):    broadcast key
D/hostapd ( 7885): nl80211: Set wlan0 operstate 0->1 (UP)
D/hostapd ( 7885): netlink: Operstate: ifindex=23 linkmode=-1 (no change), operstate=6 (IF_OPER_UP)
D/hostapd ( 7885): Failed to set TX queue parameters for queue 0.
D/hostapd ( 7885): Failed to set TX queue parameters for queue 1.
D/hostapd ( 7885): Failed to set TX queue parameters for queue 2.
D/hostapd ( 7885): Failed to set TX queue parameters for queue 3.
I/hostapd ( 7885): wlan0: interface state UNINITIALIZED->ENABLED
I/hostapd ( 7885): wlan0: AP-ENABLED
D/hostapd ( 7885): wlan0: Setup of interface done.
D/hostapd ( 7885): ctrl_iface not configured!
D/hostapd ( 7885): RTM_NEWLINK: ifi_index=23 ifname=wlan0 operstate=6 linkmode=0 ifi_family=0 ifi_flags=0x11043 ([UP][RUNNING][LOWER_UP])

Why does running hostapd with the exact same config file through adb shell not create Wi-Fi network visible by other devices?  SELinux is in permissive mode so I have ruled that out.  What am I possibly missing?  Is there some other piece of configuration that is necessary to actual enable the portable Wi-Fi hotspot from adb shell?
Any assistance is greatly appreciated.

also look at the wpa_supplicant process

How to create a wifi hotspot from the terminal?

There is actually another step before running the command line when executing the hostapd with conf file, which is to load the firmware. And this is exactly why there is this print:
D/hostapd ( 7885): ctrl_iface not configured!
The loaded firmware will probe an interface in /data/misc/wifi/hostapd and this is the Unix domain socket for which the hostapd client can communicate with the kernel.
Add some debug prints in SoftAPController.cpp and you'll see the whole picture.

So how does one load the firmware before running hostapd?

Firmware loading is vendor specific, it's handled by HAL. For Qualcomm devices: https://android.stackexchange.com/a/219548/218526


text:
Installing Ubuntu 14.04 on Sony XPERIA Model C5303
So, I read somewhere recently (I read it here) that you can install Linux (in my case, Ubuntu) onto an Android running phone by rooting the device and overriding the software. I'm going back and forth on whether this would be something I'd like to do, as I have a Sony XPERIA Model C5303 that is beginning to fade and will probably be replaced soon.
What I want to know before attempting this is two-fold:
1) Can I ever reinstall the phone software if I choose to do so?
2) Is there a way to avoid rooting the device and booting from an SD card? I have a 32gb micro-SD for my phone that should have no problem with it, but I can't imagine a way to select a different bootable volume without rooting.
Thanks for any help, and if anyone else has done this before, let me know how it went - I'm still debating whether or not to do it. Also, is it possible on my device?

You need to root it and to unlock bootloader to install any custom OS. You can omit the bootloader unlock part if you find OS which will support the locked one, but you will miss the potential custom kernel features, because it will need to use the stock one. To do the actual unlocking, refer to this guide by Sony: http://developer.sonymobile.com/unlockbootloader/unlock-yourboot-loader/. Beware, though, you'll probably cause bootloop when you unlock BL, so you'll need to flash ftf to boot into the device again (refer to 1)). Also, as far as I remember, you won't be able to download official software updates until you re-lock BL again.
Regarding Ubuntu, there doesn't seem to be an Ubuntu build available for Xperia SP, so you need to build it yourself. According to the Ubuntu site, that shouldn't be hard considering there is a working Cyanogenmod build, but it's not something I'd consider 'basic'. Because I think it falls out of scope for this community (correct me if I'm wrong), I won't go into details, but I'll leave this here if you'd like to know about the process: https://developer.ubuntu.com/en/start/ubuntu-for-devices/porting-new-device/. You can find many (if not all) needed sources by following links on XDA forums here. For example, CM12.1 sources (unofficial, could be slightly unstable) are here.
1) Yes, you can download flashtool and flash appropriate ftf file. This will erase all data on phone (SD card excluded) and leave you with factory version of OS with unlocked bootloader
2) Not as far as I know
P. S. Android is based on Linux, just like Ubuntu, it's just that factory versions have some limitations so regular users don't destroy their devices. If you'd just like to unlock 'full potential', you can grab a custom ROM from XDA and enable root. They usually have nice additions, including themes, tethering, terminal emulator and much more other customization options (depending on the selected ROM).

Would there be similar methods for other phones? I might attempt this on another phone.

Here are the devices that Ubuntu Touch supports: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Touch/Devices
On every Xperia device, the procedure will be quite similar, just search XDA forums for resources. On non-Xperia devices, I'm not sure, the steps will probably be roughly the same, but the procedure may differ (e.g. ftf files are unique to Sony, flashtool as well). Again, consult XDA for any device-specific help.


text:
Nexus 7 2012 is almost unusable after upgrading to the latest Lollipop. What should I do?
I have a Nexus 7 2012 wifi. With the latest version of Lollipop it has really become unusable, freezing for a minute or more, or even rebooting while loading a page in Chrome.
I did a system reset, but that did not change much past the few first minutes.
What is the recommended version to have again a usable tablet? Is anyone having a "runbook for dummies" to install Android 4.x (or CM or whatever works fine) ?
Most of the tutorials I found on the Internet are for geeks wishing to experiment. I just want a running system with minimal fuss/risk.

Found this thead that seems to recommend Android 4.4.4or CM11. I'd love to have some confirmations...

I second the 4.4.4 downgrade - it was the last version that had no horrible usability challenges with that old Tegra 4 processor, and it's one that I've personally downgraded to on my device.

What "versions" of Lollipop are you using? I use MultiROM and have  6 different ROMs installed. 2 are Lollipop, 5.0.2 and 5.1. Both run without incidence. Have you tried wiping cache and dalvik-cache from recovery? A better question would be : are you sure your installing the device correct ROM? (There are 2 different 2012's - WiFi only (grouper) and the 3g/WiFi (tilapia)). They will install to each other but will cause corruptions and compatibility issues. I mention this, because Lollipop works really nice on this device.

@HasH_BrowN I never "tweaked" it.  It got  its 5.1.1 OTA. For me this is a consumer device,  it should just work, without requiring me to spend time studying  what's under the hood. I did wipe the cache, but I have no clue what's the dalvik cache.

You would have to go into recovery and wipe the dalvik cache there. Most of the time after installing a ROM, even an OTA, the cache and dalvik cache need to be wiped otherwise the issues you been having arise. Do you have a custom recovery installed (CWM or TWRP)? Your accepted answer deals with a custom ROM, which needs a recovery to install.

I didn't install the SDK to have Wugfresh usable. The program is all inclusive with the exception of the ROM you want installed. It allows for unlocking the boot loader, installing a recovery, side loading apps, fastboot commands, adb commands, and flashing of ROMs; plus a lot more. The Nexus 7 happens to be the easiest device I've ever seen for rooting/ROM'ing. Just have some patience, you'll see.

You can use the highly functional nexus root toolkit to do pretty much anything you need to on your Nexus device.
Nexus Root Toolkit
It allows rooting, return to stock, recovery and everything else you would need to repair your nexus 7 2012 WiFi aka 'grouper' / 'nakasi'. You can flash custom  roms with it also.

Other tools include unlocking or locking the bootloader, adb tools, driver installs. .. you name it, it does it.

Works with all nexus devices released so far.

One of the most handy things about it is that it tells you what to do step by step...

Every nexus owner should have this as it's pretty much indispensable.

I have the same nexus 7 as you, and this tool has been so very useful.

After trying "lighter" solutions, I ended up re-flashing my Nexus to 4.4.4 with Wugfresh, and I must say that it worked flawlessly. Advice to others: plan for 2+ hours (the first time) and even rebooting your PC. Have some coffee and a good book available :-)

Also: I had the feeling that Nova launcher makes the tablet a bit more responsive

Yeah nova launcher is pretty good!  Glad you got it fixed :)

I  found out that now my 32GB Nexus is displaying 8GB memory. This is evoqued here: http://android.stackexchange.com/q/97169/67779

Ah I think I had that problem once too, bit of a pain. Solution on that link looks good. Be careful with the EFS partition with android. It's not a big problem with the nexus 7 2012 WiFi version, but for any Android device that uses a mobile connection, this partition contains the IMEI number for the device. Formatting this partition can make your device at worst unusable on a mobile network or at best it will have no valid IMEI number. If possible it is always a good idea to back this partition up before changing any file system.

The simplest solution is to do a factory reset. That worked for me.

Now the next problem is preventing the automatic system upgrades...

edited answer to add screenshots

The official Google Developers site has the full instructions and image repository on how to install a factory image for any Nexus device, including your "nakasi" Nexus 7 2012. I recommend 4.4.4, but you are free to go back as far as you want until you're comfortable with it's use.
Cyanogenmod also has a stable 10.2 version (Android 4.3) - you can download the image file here. You can re-use the instructions found on the Google Developers site to install this as well (just target your CM unzip location instead).
BE AWARE: This will wipe your device, and this is all done under your own volition. Flashing a device - regardless of source or instruction - always comes with risk of damaging or rendering the device useless. We are not responsible for it!

Try 'JimTDI's Guide - Tuning the Nexus 7 with Android 5 Lollipop for Maximum Performance!' here https://goo.gl/X0HwAu
The discussion for this post is here https://goo.gl/wqjv76

very usefull, this helped me understand a few things and helped making the machine more usable. I also installed Nova launcher, which made it faster (my feeling), without spending half a day doing risky things I don't master.

Old question, but this is my beloved Nexus 7 3g (2012), "tilapia". Please note that WiFi only version is named "grouper"
First step, install TWRP recovery; the official guides forgot to mention that you have to disable the fastboot lock too, command: fastboot oem unlock (and then select Yes on the confirmation screen, on tablet)
Nexus 2012 TWRP installation details here
Then I have installed on my Nexus the Android AOSP (vanilla 7.1.2. andorid) with tilapia/grouper support released by AndDiSa on XDA forums.
Main thread is here.
Now it works really fast, I can use the web browser, play and see movies with no hiccups.
I quote my "success story" form XDA forum:

I have successfully installed the
  aosp_tilapia-7.1.2-ota-eng-20181112.ds.zip on my Asus Nexus 3g 2012
  (tilapia), I also installed open_gapps-arm-7.1-pico and Magisk v17.3.
  I installed your Android release, by using TWRP-3.2.3-0-tilapia, over
  the Asus original fully updated Lollipop. In fact the most tricky part
  was installing TWRP
During installation the initial OS configuration failed, multiple
  times (I tried with reboots), just during the user account selection.
  Using the suggested SetupWizardFixCrDroidNexus7.zip fix, fixed the
  problem, and I was able to complete the device configuration.
Finally: My Nexus is back to life, is very responsive, browsing and
  playing movies are very fast... I have not tried all the functions
  (not tried camera yet).
With official Lollipop my Nexus was simply unusable, u-n-u-s-a-b-l-e,
  I used to think that my beloved Nexus was simply too old for the new
  applications. I think now that Asus(or Google, is a Nexus) released
  defective OS versions for manufacturer-planned-obsolescence

Interesting. I still have that tablet (unused). I might give your solution a try. Is it feasible for a non specialist ?

It depends, there are passages (TWRP installation) for sure where technical experience helps to not get stucked. i.e., you need fastboot and adb commands,  -> so you have to install Android-SDK -> to invoke its adb/fastboot commands perhaps you have to  invoke them from command prompt from the right path, I have no Windows OS but Linux, you must certainly try and try again, more times. And for sure you need 1)Patience 2)Method. I think that with no mistakes an expert guy needs about an hour to make the job done. But I cannot say exactly what the minimum level is.. I'm sorry.

Added my TWRP guide link, https://thegoodcodeinn.blogspot.com/2018/11/install-twrp-on-asus-nexus-7-3g-2012.html

I try: I think that an average programmer can make the job done.

What I did to improve performance on My Nexus 7 2012 (Nakasi) was to Unlock Bootloader then flashed TWRP v3.3.0, then flashed Lineage OS 14.1 (Android 7.1.2 Nougat) via TWRP,  Recommended GAPPS are "opengapps pico" (arm) and to root it I flashed Magisk v18 and now it took life. Performance improve like 90% now is pretty much usable. (it's April 16 2019) so belive me when I say it is usable and performance wise is awesome.

interesting, thanks. Could you eventually the necessary links ? Thx !

I recently got my Nexus 7 2012 usable and fast after 2 years resting in a drawer with rooted Lollipop using suggestions from this site (in Spanish) like disable all gestures at Language Input/Gboard and disable graphic animations in Developer mode.

Looks interesting, thx. I'll give it a try


text:
My screen lock is set to "PIN", and I can't change it to "Swipe". Why not?
I have tried to do the fix as suggested on here however my swipe option states it was disabled by administrator or something like that. Not sure how I even set a PIN in the first place. How do I change this?

Check if you have added VPN connections.
Usually VPN connection requires minimum Pattern/PIN/Password active, and while you have VPN connection created you can't disable it.
To check does you have it, and to delete it go to Settings -> More under Wireless & Networks-> VPN. Keep in mind, this can be different on other Android version, you can search Google for your device.
If there is present connection, after removing them you should be able to change Lock screen settings.

Go to settings-security and clear credentials.


text:
How do I migrate my home screen?
My old Moto G 1st generation fell and broke, and I've just bought a new Moto E (2nd generation). It looks like the Motorola Migration app copied all my data. Almost my apps are being reinstalled (I've tried to delete some unused ones before migrating, but are being installed anyway).
The only thing missing is my Home Screen, with my icons organization and widgets. Is there an easy way to do it? Or I must reorganize everything by hand?

Unfortunately no, there's no way to migrate this between devices unless you're using the Google Now Launcher on the old phone, and the new phone ships with it as its default. It's designed to migrate layout, but the stock launcher that Motorola uses doesn't have this functionality.

I don't know if there is an automated way.
So I take an screenshot of my old device and manually organize the new following pictures.


text:
Long term effects of charging Nexus 5 with an other device's charger (fast charging)
A roommate has bought a OnePlus One (OPO) phone. When I tried charging my Nexus 5 with the charger of  OPO I found that it charged my Nexus device amazingly fast. I'm talking 3-4 times faster charging than the normal charger does (and about 20-30 minutes to charge completely).
I was told this fast charger could result in negative long term effects on the battery. Is there any truth to it? And why would it happen?

It appears the default charger for the Nexus 5 is only .85 amps. Most newer chargers put out at least 2.0 amps. So that would charge a lot faster. In your 20-30 min charging session, is that from dead to full or what? But to be honest, as long as you are getting the same battery life out of the battery and the battery isn't getting super hot while charging, I wouldn't worry about it. Heat is the number one killer for batteries. I use my Note 4 charger for all my devices and I haven't notice any type of battery life degrading. That being said, OEM's would like you to use the default charger.

Yes that's from dead to full. It's insane. It doesn't get hot or anything so maybe it's ok

Point of comparison: The Nexus 6 has the second-best rated charge time in a phone on Anandtech, at 1.89 hours compared to Nexus 5's 2.54 hours. I have it plugged into a QC 2.0 charger right now. It's pulling only 1.75A. Nexus 5 can't pull 2A from a 2A charger. It's simply not possible. The best I've ever seen a Nexus 5 do, across a wide range of chargers, is 1.2A, and it certainly gets warm. As well, 2A wouldn't add up to 20-30 minutes. 30 minutes would require a 5.5A flow, which simply doesn't exist.

@TurboFool I don't know. Is there any way to check the flow while it's charging?

I edited my answer to reflect all my research. Any way you look at it, that speed is impossible. As for checking flow, I use an app called Battery Monitor Widget that's always been extremely helpful. It's saved my butt in figuring out what combinations of charger and cable allowed each of my phones to charge at their fastest. Highly recommended.

You can see my answer here for more details http://android.stackexchange.com/a/133785/131553

Also long term effects in general (not nexus specific) in my answer here http://android.stackexchange.com/a/133806/131553

Your phone isn't capable of charging any faster than it's built to charge. The Nexus 5 had very limited support for Quick Charge 1.0 due to its processor, although my understanding is that this functionality wasn't enabled for the 5. But the phones are designed to pull only as much power as they can safely pull. If it can't take it, it'll negotiate a lower rate with the charger.
That said... 20-30 minutes to charge completely doesn't sound possible. I'm not aware of a single phone that can do that. So something's a little bit odd there...
EDIT: Did some research and confirmed that this charge speed simply isn't possible. A few points:

The most current I've ever seen a Nexus 5 pull from any charger (and I've tried a very wide range) was 1.2A. And boy was that fleeting. At that rate, it would charge fully in 2.3 hours, according to this battery charge time calculator. That's actually a little less than Anandtech found in their comparison chart found in the OnePlus One review, listing its charge time at 2.54 hours. That's more realistic, because as I said, getting a full 1.2A for more than a moment or two was quite rare, and phones draw less current the closer they are to full.
According to that same review, the Nexus 6 is the second-fastest charging phone on the market (or was at that time), charging from 0% to 100% in 1.89 hours. Faster than the Nexus 5, but still a quarter of the speed you're saying you're getting on the Nexus 5. I just plugged my Nexus 6 into a QC2.0 charger, which I believe is still considered the fastest phone charging tech anyone's using, and right now it's pulling about 1.75A, which would be about 2.25 hours to fully charge. That said, it's nearly full, so that's when it slows down, which likely accounts for the difference between my figure and Anandtech's.
Using that same battery charge calculator, to fully charge the Nexus 5 at your WORST-case scenario of a full 30 minutes, would require 5.52A of power. 8.29A for 20 minutes. Even the iPad, which has a massively larger battery and needs much more power to charge at a reasonable rate, uses only a 2.1A.
The OnePlus One charger outputs only a maximum of 2A according to its own label. The best that charger could possibly do in an ideal world where it somehow can charge the Nexus 5 at full speed the ENTIRE time, is 1.38 hours.

Any way you slice it, it's not possible for a Nexus 5 to fully charge, with ANY charger, much less the OPO charger, in 20-30 minutes. If yours is informing you that it is, your Nexus 5 is faulty and displaying incorrect battery information. It's either displaying 100% when it's not full, or shutting itself off WAY before it's reached 0%. It's possible that this is an indication of the OPO charger somehow interacting badly with it, in which case I may rescind my initial advice that it can't hurt.

I timed it and found it charged 22 percent within 16 minutes, meaning a 1.375 percent for each minute, or around 72 minutes to charge completely. That's less than my estimated 20-30 minutes, but it's still faster than what you claim is the fastest possible

But as I mentioned, they charge at their fastest speed when the battery's low and slow as the battery fills. So that would still be pretty much in line. My figures were also based on the industry-standard expected 20% efficiency loss. If we go with a rare 10% efficiency loss, with it somehow maintaining that speed the ENTIRE time, we get 76 minutes, which is within the margin of error of your figure. Sounds like the charger is very efficient. Also keep in mind when the phone reports the battery's empty, it's usually not really empty. All-in-all, your new figures aren't impossible. 20-30 was.

Also, were you able to use that app to get actual figures on current?

authors: عثمان عيسي القدال


text:
Is 32GB a hard limit for SDHC, even if the FAT32 format card is >32GB?
FAT32 drives can be larger than 32GB.  If I format a 64GB SDXC card as FAT32, will all 64GB be recognized by SDHC devices that proclaim a 32GB limitation?  Is the 32GB limitation "hard coded" or is it arbitrary?  Does the real limit vary from device to device?

First of all not every formatting software allows you to format a 64GB drive as FAT32 (the reason is unknown), but accessing any drive larger than 32GB is no problem at all. If you really want to be sure that your drive is properly formatted, put it in your Android device and format it in Settings->Storage->Delete SD storage (or similar). Most of the time it formats your drive with the newer exFAT file system which allows drive sizes of up to 128 PiB and file sizes up to 16 EiB, as well as other advantages over old FAT file systems.


text:
Is multi encryption a good way to wipe all traces of personal data before selling the phone?
I am going to sell my phone.
It's a Samsung Galaxy S4 i9505 from Germany running Android 5.0.1 "Lollipop". What I have done so far is to encrypt, reset, run camera until memory was full to override empty memory with random data and then reset again. But I think I have forgot to disable "fast encryption" which encrypts only the used memory (I have manually deleted some files before ). I am not sure if I have disabled it or not.
Is it a good idea to perform the encryption again (with "full encryption"), or is multiple encryption a bad idea in case of security?

Well I think another encryption on encryped data is not a security risk, because then an attacker could encrypt some encrypet data again and this makes no sense that then he could get the data easier. But it also does not make it more secure. I think I will encrypt the phone again without "fast encryption" enabled and then sell it. Then the original data is encrypted, overridden by random data, and then again encrypted. And the possibility that my phone will be hacked by an attacker is very low. PS: The external SD card will not be sold. It is in my new phone.


text:
Avoid Security for Outlook app in Android for lock screen
I had a concern recently regarding my lock screen privileges.
I recently installed Microsoft Outlook App for Android and with the installation they asked me to encrypt my phone with either pin, pattern or password which was compulsory and without that the outlook can not be started in the phone. After creating a pattern and logging in my credentials, I went to the lock screen menu from settings and what I find out is that I cannot go back to the normal "NONE" option for my screen lock facility.
I have a dead-end showing as:

Disabled by Administrator, encryption policy, or credential storage.

I am really not a fan of cell phone security and am happy to keep it simple as it looks. Does anyone have a solution for this issue without uninstalling the application?

Why not choose a relatively simple (and relatively weak) password or PIN, such as "987654321"?

Possible duplicate of How can I override the Device Administrator security policy so that I can disable the lock screen?

Depending on your device and version of android you are running. You can goto Settings > Security > Device Administrators. Then uncheck the box for Microsoft Outlook App. That should allow you to go back to "none" for unlocking. Not sure how it would affect the app.

You will NOT be able to use the app any more!!


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Android System Programming
As android is based on a Linux core, is it possible to use POSIX System Programming tools, techniques and libraries to program and customize the environemnt like I would have done on my Ubuntu for example ?

Welcome to Android Enthusiasts! This site is for users of Android, which means that questions about development/programming are off-topic here (see the What topics can I ask about here?). Development questions are on-topic on our sister site Stack Overflow. You might also wish to consult Where can I ask questions that aren't Android Enthusiast questions? for a fitting place to your question.

Thank you very much and sorry, I am new to this section.

You're welcome. General hint: All SE sites have a /help/on-topic page. So if you're new to a site and want to post your first question, it's always a good idea to check that first :)

It appears that Android is "Mostly POSIX-compliant" and that it is available through the Android NDK. Which can be found here.
According to Wikipedia for what its worth. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/POSIX


text:
BRAND NEW HTC Desire 816 Headphone Jack Issue
So I just got my HTC Desire 816 in the mail today. It's been in my hand for like 5 hours haven't even put it in my pocket. It's been encased in plastic before I was holding it. So it can not be lint. I tried to fish out debris from the jack produced nothing. The only thing I changed was downloading lollipop and I had tried the headphones before I did the download so I'm stumped. It plays music amazingly well just not through my headphones. Any advice would be appreciated.


text:
How to cancel sent invitation on LinkedIn via Android app?
Is it possible to cancel a sent invitation on LinkedIn via the Android app? It can be done through the website.

To do so, consider the following steps:

Go to your LinkedIn Inbox and click “Sent” to see the invitations you have sent.
Find any invitation that has not yet been accepted and click on the subject line of the message.
Click “Withdraw”

Source


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Get the charging rate without external hardware (e.g. multimeter.)
Android.SE user intuited observes:

I've noticed that my S4 doesn't always charge at its maximum rate of charge, even when it seemingly should. For example, car DC adapters that claim to provide up to 2.0 amp current only provide 500mA.

They also seems to imply that there exists an app which reveals the rate at which a device is charging.
And TurboFool adds:

I used to think "USB is USB," and that's true for data, but not for power. Cable quality, and unknown factors, will change what you can pull off. I've had two [USB] cables of the same length produce as much as an 800mA difference from the same charger.

I own a Samsung Galaxy S Relay, which is an Android phone a few years old.  It's sort of similar to the Samsung Galaxy S III, but it also includes a slide-out physical keyboard.  I'm running Android 4.1.2.
How can I determine at what rate my phone is charging?  Preferably using only an app or a terminal emulator. I'd rather not have to use a multimeter.

I wrote a related answer here. It would need the Terminal but would help you out.

https://source.android.com/devices/tech/power/batterystats.html

You can try Ampere (I didn't test it), which should show you the current (dis)charge rate:

Quoted from a rating:

I appreciate that this app displays which of my available charging devices delivers the most milliamps. It's useful because I know which charger to swap out for maximum power. Also, it may indicate if a known charger may be under performing based on available specs.

Ampere and similar apps don't work on the Galaxy S Relay.  I've tried them.  Still, thank you for trying.

It's one of the first few apps that I bought from Google Play. Very good.

A terminal emulator? That sounds great!
cat /sys/class/power_supply/battery/current_now
cat /sys/class/power_supply/bms/current_now

You'll get an integer about how many micro-Ampere (μA) your battery is currently outputting/discharging. A negative value means charging.

I would recommend DashClock widget with the BatteryDash extension. BatteryDash is a reasonably simple battery info app with currently drawn amperes, delivery voltage and temperature data. DashClock provides that info through a Home Screen widget and a custom daydream.
Note that DashClock requires Android 4.2+, but BatteryDash doesn't.

I have a couple of apps to suggest:

Galaxy Charging Current is specifically oriented towards Samsung devices and it shows a compatibility list. Your phone is not compatible going by that list but I have seen it work on Note 1 and neo models of Samsung, which are not listed
3C Tool Box. This is a very versatile app and battery related monitoring is a tiny portion of what it can do. Relevant to your question is that it shows charging current while on charge (Also discharge current/ voltage while in use). Snapshot below of charging on my device