text:
Format 64Gb SD without cardreader
I've installed CM11 on my Sprint Note II, and that thing suddenly won't recognize my external 64Gb SD (whereas stock ROM used to).
I've googled - seems I need to fix the partition. I've tried different options of partitioning and formating in Clockworkmod recovery, still can't see my card.
Some people suggested to fix it on computer and I don't have neither a cardreader nor a machine with Windows at my disposal. And yet even with those, I still have to know what type of partition it should be. Fat, exFat, ext3, ext4?
So, I'm wandering - is it possible to fix a partition table without taking the card out, maybe using adb shell with fdisk or parted or something else?
UPD:
I've tried repartitioning it with fdisk. First I needed to figure out card's block device id. You can do it either by running blkid command (and in my case my card didn't even show up in the list). Or instead pull the card out and plug it back, and immediately run dmesg | grep mmc1 after that. And that gave me this:
<6>[  555.585323] c0 mmc1: new high speed SDXC card at address e624
<6>[  555.587975] c0 mmcblk1: mmc1:e624 SU64G 59.4 GiB

And then I used fdisk /dev/block/mmcblk1, pressed p and that shows me this:
Command (m for help): p

Disk /dev/block/mmcblk1: 63.8 GB, 63864569856 bytes
4 heads, 16 sectors/track, 1948992 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 64 * 512 = 32768 bytes

Now based on this information I have to create partition(s), but I have no idea what kind or type. fdisk supports quite a big list. Can you guys advise what to do next?

It should be visible within "Disk Management" (diskmgmt.msc) in Windows. From there you can create, delete, modify and format partitions.

I guess you type faster than you read...

The question hadn't updated when I submitted that.

The title specifically indicated "how to do that without taking the card out i.e. using card reader" since the initial submit. Sorry, but your answer is neither relevant nor really helpful.

Yes, and you can do this with the card still in the phone. Similarly, you comment is neither relevant nor really helpful.

You know what? I just found a Windows PC, connected my phone, mount the USB in recovery mode, and as you said it found it in Disk Management. I was able to successfully format it into exFAT and now my phone sees it. I am very sorry for acting rude. Although it's your own fault as well. You should've elaborated that in your answer. I had no idea it would work via USB. I do apologise and thank you

No worries. Glad its sorted anyways. Note to self; more detail next time!

AFAIK the most common standard here is FAT32 (which usually ships as format of the only partition with new cards). So using that, you should be on the safe side.
On the other hand: If you have no plans using the card via a card reader on Windows machines, you could also try EXT3 or EXT4. Both should be supported by CM (and also most other ROMs), as with current ROMs EXTFS is used internally as well.
For details, you might wish to check our file-system tag-wiki, which also links to more information.

remember the card is 64Gb. There must be some sort of limitations. I remember long time ago I've tried using older version on CM and was in fact able to see the very same card, but if I'm not mistaken I couldn't see the entire volume. And now I can't even partition it right, so CM would mount it

Yes, there are limits. Many device specs say they support "up to 32 GB". I'm not sure this is a device limit, it could well be the implementation.


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Limit on sdcard size in huawei u8160
I have a 16gb sdcard which freezes in my huawei u8160 or vodafone smart after using it for sometime. It works fine in other phones so I am wondering if the phone just cant handle sdcards that big?

16 GB is not "that big". All devices released within the past 2 years (which includes your device) at least support cards up to 32 GB. But every now and then, some incompatibilities are reported: A certain device doesn't like cards from a certain brand (I never remember the combinations causing trouble). It might well be you've hit one of those.
If you have some other card available, try that. If you either wanted to buy a new one, check the brand you're currently using, and buy some other. Good idea is to e.g. buy a 32 GB at Amazon (or some other place known to accept returns), so if it doesn't work out (and also seems to be "incompatible"), you can return it.

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


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my tablet is not using my external SD card for storage
I have an 8 gig SD card I plugged into my tablet. When I go to settings and look at storage I can see I have a 7.2 gigs free on my external SD card. I downloaded a 700 meg file to /mnt/sdcard/Download but after doing this and checking storage I see  there is still 7.2 gigs free on my SD card.
I also have torrent programs which point to this same location on my SD card to save files. but none of these programs can actually download any files because they are reporting this location as only having 100 megs free, so I have concluded that my tablet is lying to me. Mnt/sdcard isn't actually my sdcard! this is infuriating how do I fix this?
This is an Azpen A727.
Android version: 4.2.2
I have rooted my tablet as well.
Edit: okay so I read that the actual location of the SD card is a folder called mnt/extsd. I rooted my tablet but when I try to use the folder as the download location for my programs it says I don't have access how can I grant the programs access?
I get error my app (a torrent) throws when trying to set the sdcard as the download location- the right location of the SD card. I can create folders extsd but can save any files there

Forgot I still had this thread open. It looks like I was suffering from a rather well known "feature" of Android 4.4 (I avoided it because running 4.2, but I guess it applying to this version as well).
After rooting I just had to go through this procedure to manually edit:

/system/etc/permissions/platform.xml

and reboot and now its working. Yay.

I also have the A727. :)
It appears that whoever designed the system should have been more careful with how he named stuff -- the internal hard drive is called "sdcard," as you mentioned in your question.

To use the SD card on your tablet, you need to hit the "SD card" button on the top of the screen (using the built-in file manager), as in the picture shown below. There you can see the folder labelled "extsd" = external SD card. (as opposed to the internal one?)

Then, when you open that folder, you can access the files on your SD card. Enjoy! :)

Ha that's ridiculous, but then what do you expect for a $20 tablet (if you also got yours at Microcenter :) ). I'll try this again when I get home

OK sorry I'm responding so late. My app says it doesn't have access (atorrent). I'll post the error message

Ah. I don't know....can you get to the files on the SD through the File Manager? If yes, the app is the problem; if not, then maybe your card has problems....

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Is there a way to configure custom keyboard layouts?
There are a lot of apps out on the market that you can install to have a customized Keyboard with different languages and functionality, but I didn't find a way to get my own custom Keyboard layout on my device.
Is it possible to get this running easily?
I would like to have the left half of the single handed Coffee++ Layout on my device:

One way to do this (although I can't say it will be too easy) is to create your own custom IME (input method editor).
While it may seem like a daunting task, and there is a good chance that it is, you aren't the only one who wants their own input method. So here is a pretty popular Stack OverFlow that could help you out: How to develop a soft keyboard


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Importing contacts from other phone to Moto G
I want to export my contacts from Micromax Q7 to Moto G. I have moved all the contacts to sim and then imported the contacts to Moto G from that sim. The problem is that each contact have more than one number but Moto G is showing only 1 number.
How can I get those other numbers linked with the contacts?

SIM cards only support one number for each contact, so you should be better off exporting the contacts on your Micromax device as Contacts.vcf (export to SD card / something like that) and opening the VCF on your Moto G to commence import.

move them in another way
for example you can sync your contacts with your gmail account
and when you add your gmail account to the moto g the contacts will be automatically trasfered
this is the best way
you can also try wondershare mobileTrans

I'd recommend using Motorola Migrate
The description says:

Move stuff from your old phone to your new Motorola smartphone.

I see nothing wrong to suggest apps but do mention the hyperlink such as this. Also mention the context (copy-paste of About section of App will do) for why this app suits the question exactly. A completely unknown reader won't be able to guess or might possibly find it always.

I helped to add some basic info from the Play Store, but you have to elaborate more how it's suitable for OP, and also explain how to use it.


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`fastboot devices` command returns a device with question marks
I am trying to root an Acer Iconia Tab A200 tablet using a script. I have adb working and fastboot works too, however, command fastboot devices returns question marks. E.g.:
List of devices attached
20819705215     device

$ fastboot devices
$ adb reboot-bootloader
$ fastboot devices
????????????    fastboot
$ _

Original screenshot of the terminal screen
I execute the command fastboot devices in the bootloader which is already unlocked. Using Ubuntu 14.04, udev settings are already set (the file with vendors IDs) according to the ID result of the command lsusb:
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTRS{idVendor}=="0502", ATTRS{idProduct}=="3201", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev", OWNER="ln"

What can I do to get the correct result? How can I make fastboot work well?

It can be a cable fault. Change the cable. In my Redmi 3 on a cable from an old Xperia P, I've had question marks. When I replaced the cable with a newer cable from Redmi Note 2 and voila - the correct number was displayed instead of the question marks.

Wow ! changing cables for me worked too. Cheers

Since you're on Linux, try sudo fastboot devices. I found that was needed with a later Linux than you have (RHEL7.9).

In my case, it was the phone, an unsupported/rogue Chinese firmware that had the option "fastboot" but was really just a nickname for a type of connection supported by their own software. Tried my setup (cable + PC) on different, 3, phones and it all worked except this one. Even the brand was murky with the only label on it being "k48".

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


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Installing pure android to Huawei Ascend P6
Is it possible to install pure (not manufacturer modified, without Emotion UI) Android version (4.2 to 4.4) to Huawei Ascend P6? If above is possible, is it possible to recover original Huawei Android version (with Emotion UI)?

You could try custom roms like Cyanogenmod or AOSP. I've checked Cyanogenmod site and there is no official build available for your device. However there are both unofficial Cyanogenmod and AOSP built for p6 on XDA-Developers Original Android Development. To install custom rom,

Unlock your p6 bootloader.
Install Custom Recovery like TWRP or ClockWorkMod [Look in above XDA-Developers Original Android Development forum link].
Nandroid Backup your Huawei ROM from custom recovery so you can restore it later when you want to.
Download custom ROM from XDA-Developers Original Android Development forum.


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Nexus 5, low space problems
I recently got nexus 5 16GB, but I have weird storage problem. The OS should take about ~3.5GB, so I should have 12.55GB left for apps and stuff. BUT:

Screenshot (click image to enlarge)
4.66GB + 2.95GB + ~0.5GB IS NOT 12.55, but ~8GB. Where is the remaining 4GB space?

via a terminal app (or adb shell), execute df -h. This shows you all partitions, the used, and the free space along. My guess is the remaining space goes to /system (reserved space for possible future updates), /recovery, /boot, and /cache.

Thumbnail cache
Check the .thumbnails directory in sdcard/DCIM (Digital Camera IMages)/  notice that it is a hidden directory and only visible with certain file managers with the option to view hidden files.
This directory stores a lot of thumbnail data especially in the form of two large binary files.
Play Music (if you are using it)
Play Music caches your songs so Settings > Clear Cache.
App Data left behind
Delete some app data cache left behind by uninstalled apps from sdcard/ and sdcard/Andorid/data. Even apps such as Chrome, Maps, YouTube leave a lot of cached files in sdcard/Andorid/data. Clean those apps cache from sdcard/Andorid/data.
Storage Space
Install DiskUsage and check your devices storage by detail.
DiskUsage provides a way to find files and directories on storage card which consume a lot of space.
After pinpointing down apps and files that consume a lot of storage with DiskUsage. Simply deleting those files and going into Settings > Apps selecting and cleaning those apps would prove sufficient.


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How can I have a different lock screen photo every time?
is it possible to always have the same lock screen photo and wallpaper, I want a different photo every time I open my phone. I got an app that can change my wallpaper but is it possible to make it change (or a different app) the lock screen also? My phone is a Samsung Galaxy S 5.

You could try a third party lock screen that uses the default wallpaper (this is androids default behaviour, but samsung have changed it), e.g. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.roymam.android.notificationswidget&hl=en_GB
(I think it uses default wallpaper)


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My Nexus 4 shutdown randomly?
I'm living in India. Last year I bought my Nexus 4 in the US.
For a couple of months now my device is getting quite hot, and shuts down randomly. I have done a factory reset 2 times, but no use of that: the shutdown continues.
This mostly happens when I'm on 3g, but not when I lock the device to 2g. The problem started about 5 months after purchase, so it didn't exist from the start.
Has anyone experienced this issue? Can anything be done to solve it?

I guess after the factory-reset you've re-installed all your apps? One of them could be responsible for described instability. If the "indicators" (e.g. "device getting hot") start immediately, you could try tracking that down by not installing all your apps at once, but split that into "halfes" (i.e. first install the first 50%, observe, if the problem does not re-appear install the next 25% and observe, and so on. If it starts with the first 50%, try again with the other 50% instead. If it doesn't happen with those, it's pretty likely one of the "other half" is the culprit.

Thanks Izzy, I have done this test already and conclude that the problem not belongs to the apps that i have installed. probably im using 2g data connectivity, when I switch to 3g the device gets so hot and after some moments it gets shutdown.

I was pretty sure something would turn up this way. So the problem even exists without any additional apps installed, directly after a factory-reset? In that (rare) case, that leaves just a hardware (or OS) issue. I'd say pay a visit to your dealer, your device should still be under warranty.

Just a different pointer: Did you flash something manually, or maybe have a device built/configured for a different country? Your mentioning of 3g causing the issue would match here.

Hello, Last week I updated my nexus4 from Google for Android 4.4.3, and from that moment itself, the shutdown bug partially reduced by getting shutdown 1 time for three days.

its an hardware issue because of network kernal...
When I replaced the board and now the phone works fine.

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


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App shows ads even after restricted background data
I restricted background data for my file manager app. But still when I open the app, I am getting ads at the bottom.
How is that even possible? How the app able to connect to mobile data?
Am I missing something?

I don't think the background data setting is working the way you believe it does. When you're using the app and it's in the foreground that setting has no effect (it's not background data), thus allowing it to serve ads. See How does "Restrict background data" work?

@eldarerathis thanks now I tested with the dolphin browser and it seem to connect internet with background data restricted. But I cant understand why I cant do the same with the google play? When I restrict for google play it asks for enabling it. But I am running google play as foreground app

That's actually something I've asked myself a couple of times: Why does Play require background data enabled when running in foreground? Definitely worth being asked as a separate question – though we already have several questions touching  the issue, I couldn't see it explicitly "nailed" on a quick view. // Ooops: See here for an explanation :)


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Page can't be loaded in S4 using http, but it does in https
I'm having special issues loading a website in my Galaxy S4, either Chrome and the default browser. In my case, when I try to access a website file using http, it throws an error 500, while accessing it using https, it works as expected. The weirdest thing is that when I try to access using another phone or a pc, it perfectly works. I've even tried using Firefox, but it still doesn't work.
Do you know where does this error can come from?

HTTP error 500 indicates a server problem. You should report the problem to the owner of the website so they can fix it. Some sites deliberately behave differently for different browsers and OSes, so that could be triggering the problem at the server.
There's one more possibility, if you're using mobile data (instead of Wi-Fi) to access the site. Most carriers use a transparent web proxy to compress data you access on the web (especially pictures), to use less bandwidth. Obviously this only works when you're using HTTP: for HTTPS, the carrier's proxy server doesn't know what the page contains. If you're seeing the same problem on several sites, it could be that the error is coming from the proxy server (or is otherwise caused by the proxy server), not the site you're trying to access. In this case, another phone on a different network wouldn't show the same problem. If you're using mobile data, and you suspect this problem, you can check whether it happens on Wi-Fi too.

Heh, the funny thing is that I am one of the administrators, that's why it looks so weird, because it works with everything else. I'll give it a try with the wifi thing, and I tell you later. Thank you!


text:
Resetting the (non-gmail) email application
I am using the non-gmail email application to connect to get email from my university, but the app seems to have a bug and sometimes (probably when there are connection issues) doesn't properly delete emails. These would be deleted from the server, but get stuck in the app. Every time after a refresh operation they reappear even if I delete them over and over again. They reappear even if their date is older than the defined relevant window (e.g. last month). How can I refresh the app to get rid of these zombie emails?

If you don't mind having to completely re-configure it, and start as if you'd just installed that app:

Go to Settings → Apps
Scroll to the app in question, tap it
Select to "Delete Cache" and "Delete Data"

Now you've completely "refreshed" it. With some luck, the app somehow offers to export its configuration; if so, do that first, and re-import the settings after above described "reset" to save you from manually reconfiguring it.

Clear data is disabled for this app... Possibly because it is part of the system. Cleaning just the cache didn't help.

You might have to force-stop the app (if that button is available) in order to clear data, as its "running service" might "lock access" to its data. Does that work?

Force-stop is greyed out as well...

That's strange. What kind of email app is that? Let me make a wild guess: something to do with Exchange or the like? Only explanation for force-stop and clear-data being grayed out I can come up with is an app registered as device-admin. Could that be the case?

This is the standard email app (called Email, the icon is white envelope with yellow letter inside), and indeed it is connecting to an exchange server.

Exchange server (or rather their admins) usually require device-admin privileges set up to "protect their property". I've never dealt with that stuff myself, but I guess you need to "unregister" that first – which might even trigger some "self-destruct" for that data (if not, after revoking those permissions you should be able to force-stop and clear-data). // Though as a last-resort a factory-reset would resolve your issue as well (including removal of the device admin), that would mean using a sledge-hammer to crack a nut.

I had exactly the same problem myself. The default android app for email took up a lot of storage space. When I tried to clear the Data from the app menu (Settings->Apps->Email) the "Clear Data" button was greyed out.
The process below will reset you connection to you email account, so make sure you know your password and settings so you can reconnect at the end.
I found that the Exchange Email server acquires some security settings, and this leads to the greyed-out option. What you need to override these settings is to go to Settings->Security, scroll to down and click on "Device administrators". You will find a list of programs with special security options, and one of them will be "Email". Uncheck the "Email" program. Once you do this your e-mail account will be reset and deleted and the space that the app takes will be cleared.
Gil

if you are using a cheaper phone, and this happens in outlook (Clear data is grey) go to settings-Search for security with the magnifying glass icon; then search for device admin aps click on device admin aps then un-check the outlook device policy..You can now clear the data..restart your phone, and start outlook again, you will need your password, but outlook recognizes your account.

It wants to be device admin in security. Unstick the device admin and use a separate app like OWA for exchange mail


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Always add youtube clips to watch later list
I prefer to watch my youtube clips later on my computer rather then on my phone.
Currently if I encounter an interesting clip I want to add to my youtube 'watch later' list I have to:
* Open the link in youtube app
* Wait until youtube app has loaded
* Make sure the media volume is muted
* Wait until first buffering is done
* Stop playback
* Add the clip to 'Watch Later' list through the submenu
* Go back to the app I was using before I clicked the link

Is there a way to do this faster? Ideally all links normally opened in the youtube app should instead be added to the watch later list. Extra points if it doesn't disturb the flow in the original app so I continue reading.

I guess the easiest way is using an app like Pocket (formerly known as "Read it Later"). Pocket accepts input from all kind of apps via the "share" menu; I e.g. use it with my RSS reader, Twitter apps, Browser, and more. So far for the "Android end": Even before the buffer starts filling, press "Share", select "Pocket", done.
Now for your PC, Pocket offers addon for several browsers. For me, that's Firefox, and it's addon works like a charm: I've got a small icon next to my URL bar, which opens a (paged) list of saved entries which even offers a search/filter function – so it's easy to pick the wanted entry (here: Youtube URL) and watch the movie.
The "share process" on your Android device works in the background (gives you status information via "toast messages"), so it doesn't disturb you in whatever you're doing. As a side effect (you might already have taken that from my above description) you can do the same with a lot of other stuff you want to "consume later" – as long as it provides an URL: Tweets, web pages, RSS feeds, probably also Podcasts and more. And if you decide to check some of the stuff while on the road, Pocket offers a reader for that as well (included with the app).


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Galaxy S3: I747UCUEMJB upgrade - baseband unknown
Last night I updated my Galaxy S3 from Cyanogenmod 9 to CM 11. One of the steps was to upgrade the bootloader. Everything went fine, and I'm now on CM 11-2014-06-02-d2lte.
The problem: can't connect to mobile network.
Settings > About Phone:
Model number: SAMSUNG-SGH-I747
Baseband version: Unknown

How can I fix this?

We do need more information. Which carrier, and exact model do you have?

Carrier = AT&T. Model Galaxy S3 SGH-I747


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Do OTA updates expire?
I recently re-activated an old phone with my carrier. (To give you an idea how old, it is running Android 2.3.3, whereas the latest available for this phone is 2.3.4) It doesn't have the latest OTA update, but when I try to check for new updates ("Settings":"About Phone":"System Updates") I get the message
"Checking for available update. Please wait..."

and a spinner which just spins and spins.  It never progresses past this point.  If I back out and try to check again it usually doesn't even get to the spinner, sometimes I have to tap it many times before the spinner will even come up - some taps appear to do nothing and some appear to flash the "Checking..." for a split second.
The phone has been rooted, but as far as I know that shouldn't affect an OTA update (although I understand the update will remove the rooting).  Is it possible that OTA updates are discontinued after a while?  This update is 2-3 years old.  Is there anything else I can do to troubleshoot what the problem is?
(I realize I could try wiping the device, in case there is something on the device that is preventing the update, but my concern is that if OTAs do expire then I would be stuck with an even older version on the device.)
Update: It looks like the BlurUpdater_VZW.apk (and odex) were missing.  However, the only copy I found appears to be from the 4.5.629 update and not the 4.5.608 that is on the phone, and it exhibits the same behavior.  If I run the 4.5.629 version on a device with 4.5.629, I get a message that no updates are available, so maybe this means that if I can find a 4.5.608 version of the BlurUpdater files, that will work?

As far as I know the OTA updates don't expire and should still be available to you. (sorry I couldn't be of more help)

@DanielStewart ok, thanks. i might just have to take a chance on wiping and hoping i can re-update.

If it comes to that you could always just install it manually given you can find the update online (or even a custom ROM)

Rooting a phone usually prevents OTA updates from installing, because the system partition has been altered. Sometimes the OTA update simply unroots the device, but it's different for different models.

Here is how I solved the problem. It turns out that the BlurUpdater files are specific to the version you are running, and I didn't have the correct version.  It was a bit of work to locate the correct version.
First, I downloaded the SBF file for 4.5.608.  I then used the sbf_flash utility using the -x option to extract the images in the SBF.  I then used the file -sL XX.img command to determine that the larger images were ext3 formatted filesystems.  Then I used mount -t ext3 -o loop XX.img tmp/ to mount each filesystem until I found the one containing the BlurUpdater_VZW.apk and BlurUpdater_VZW.odex file.  Then I installed both of these files in /system/app (as root).  After restarting my device and running the check for updates I was informed that an update was available, which I was then able to start installing.

authors: عبدالاله الشماحي


text:
Bricked phone due to cut-pasting of apk files
I accidentally cut all the .apk and .odex files from /system/apps/ and pasted onto the SD card instead of copying and pasting them. My phone is totally bricked. Stuck in a boot-loop and factory reset doesn't work (as I had assumed it wouldn't). I cannot connect ADB to it because Android OS never actually loads (hence the boot-loop). I know there's a way to fix this I just dont know how to do it yet. PLEASE HELP ME DO THIS! This is a learning experience for me (good and bad).
The phone in question is a Kyocera Hydro C5171 from Cricket. It has Android 4.0.4 ICS. It is rooted (that's how I was able to accomplish this horrible act of murder to my precious phone). I need to figure this out please and will do all the homework on the subject myself if only I could get pointed in the right direction! I just don't know where to begin. I believe that I have only one option (this is just an assumption, please don't judge me):
I have to flash the stock ROM onto the phone. If, indeed, that is the case I require a copy of the stock ROM first (I may not be searching for it right, but I can't seem to find it anywhere on the web. Any help on where I can find this is GREATLY appreciated!!).
Second, From what I've been reading Kyocera has locked the bootloader on this particular device and flashing the ROM is extremely difficult for seasoned veterans of this game (If this is true I will definitely need an instructor to properly guide me through the process).
Third, I have no effing idea how to even begin flashing ROMs, so, here also, I will require some form of instruction or at least be pointed to a URL that contains a decent guide to accomplish what I'm trying to do.

Updates (from the comments):

I've got neither custom recovery nor a Nandroid backup
I can boot into stock recovery (wipe cache, wipe data, or reboot, see this screenshot), but my device is not discovered in this mode by ADB (latest drivers installed on my PC)

I've not tried that, and different stock recoveries deal differently with that, but it's worth a try: Boot into recovery, then adb shell to the device, make yourself root (su), and see if you can access both places (SDCard and /system). If so, try mounting /system read-write, and then cp the packages back to /system/apps (e.g. cp /sdcard/folder/*.apk /system/apps if you moved them to /sdcard/folder before).

With the Kyocera Hydro C5171, unfortunately, that does not work. I manually installed the drivers for the phone also - you know, just in case you were going to ask me if I did that next. I believe I still have root, however I have no way to enable USB debugging. This is actually a pic of the particular Recovery installed...

Rather than launching into stock recovery, launch into download mode and reinstall your entire stock ROM. Find some tutorials on how to use Odin3 (flashing software) online.

I went to a Cricket retailer (not an official store) for an unrelated issue with my new phone and, interestingly enough, they can, and will, flash the stock ROM back onto my phone. So, problem solved and lesson learned!

authors: Jäyãñt Kørî Jéêt


text:
Add address from Google search or maps
On iOS, as  limited as it was, I  could do two things that I can't figure out how to do in Android  - htc one m8

When finding addresses in Google search or map, Google result page had an option to save a contact.   That seems missing in Android.   I can't figure out how to add an address from these results.
In ios, whenever I receive an address as plain text in email or sms or web page, I was able to long press and ios would give me option to add the info to a new or existing contact.  I have no way of doing this in Android.  I am forced to manually copy ever line to a contact.

Any suggestions to resolve this would be appreciated.

The user teresaw has posted years ago a possible solution in this forum :

I believe if you use Google Maps on an Android device, you can merge an address with an existing contact:
  1. Search for the address
  2. Select the address to open more details about that place
  3. Click on 'Add as a contact'
  4. This will prompt you to add this address as a new contact. HOWEVER, if you press on the Menu button (on Android devices), you will see an option to 'Join'.
  5. You can then select any existing contacts and add this new address. Just make sure to enter in the correct Name.
I am not pretty sure if this still works but back then it was really helpful for me.

Comment from Adam Felson (lacking rep to comment himself): add as a contact is no longer available since maps 7 / android > 4.2.2

Available again (Maps 9 / Android 6).


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Restrict background data not working on android 4.2.2
Since updating my Samsung tablet to Android 4.2.2 I can no longer see the option to restrict background data when I select data usage > app > view app settings. For most apps now the view app settings is now greyed out and cannot be selected. For those apps where it can be selected the restrict background data option has disappeared.
As I am on a limited data plan with big penalties when I go over my allocation I really need to restrict background data. Why has this option been removed and how can I overcome this problem?


text:
USB File Transfer difficult on Cy10.2 ATT GS2 Skyrocket
Okay so I have a Samsung Galaxy S2 Skyrocket (ATT) and I just upgraded the firmware from the the stock ICS to Cyanogenmod 10.2-20131214-SNAPSHOT-InstallerWPPQ50S-skyrocket.
When I try to transfer files via USB, it doesn't just connect the way it used to, it tries to do the MTP or PTP thing. So I've tried using both of these. PTP doesn't work at all, but I didn't really expect it to since it didn't seem like what I was looking for.
MTP I thought would work and it kinda does, but it's very buggy. For example I tried to transfer some music files over and it was terribly slow and it would periodically just stop working mid transfer. It was even worse when I tried to move some large pdf files over because sometimes it would crash before even finishing one (100 MB or so). I was wondering what might be causing this instability.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

This doesn't directly answer your question, but you could use an FTP app instead, an app which runs an FTP server on your phone that you then connect to over your local network using a client such as FileZilla on your desktop machine?
(This is how I transfer files to and from my own Android device, the USB is just too slow and unreliable)


text:
Can I send messages via Facebook App without installing Facebook Messenger?
When I want to send a chat message via Facebook App it forces me to install Facebook Messenger. Is there any way to pass it except chatting via Internet browser? Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich

No, unfortunately.
To chat, you need to install the facebook messenger application. You can send offline messages (facebook mail) with the facebook app.
Not really a solution: But without either the messenger app or the facebook app on my phone, I find that I tend to use my free time a lot better than constantly reading updates on my social networking applications. The important people in my life have my mobile number and can contact me in case of an emergency. Try it. You will appreciate the simple things in life more.

I have tried disabling my Facebook Messenger and sent a message via the Facebook app successfully. Turns out you don't really need the messenger to send messages. Its just there so that chat heads will be available when you send a message. And oh, it does not search for the messenger app.
Im on Android 4.2.2.

Yes, for now.
Facebook is rumored to be removing messaging capabilities from the main Facebook app in a ploy to get more users to download their Messenger app.
To send messages without Messenger, you can simply uninstall it and use the Facebook app. The middle tab (third from the right or left) is devoted to messaging.
Tested on my Galaxy S5 running KitKat.

Well, taken literally you've answered the "is there any" part as yes/no question. But I guess the OP was interested in a "how" – as what good does it do to know "it is possible" when you can't use it? ;) Maybe you could [edit] your post and include the "how-to" part as well? Thanks!


text:
Moving images from one album to another
I would like to move images from one album to another. When I select Move, my phone displays two albums only ("pictures" and "upload"). The problem is that I'd like to move a picture to "all downloads", which I cannot select.
Am I doing something wrong?

Is this the (G+) photos app or Gallery or some manufacturer specific gallery app?

Download and open Xplore File Manager. (This can be done with any file manager, but Xplore is easy to use.)
Navigate to the folder to which you want to move the pictures.
Swipe left, and you will see a list of folders on your right. Select the images you want to move by tapping the ticks on their sides.
Long-press on one of the files, and select Move from the menu that pops up. Then press okay.

First long click on the image you want, select options came and again long click on the image then drag and drop the image to any album you want.

when I select 'move' in settings, it only gives me two possible albums to select from, neither is the one I want to move the image to.  The other albums aren't visible.

You could try a file browser like androzip or es file manager and locate them in the folders move them that way (Camera photos are in DCIM others will be in downloads) usually a long press and move should do it


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Equivalent of CTRL + C (break) in android console
Recently I discovered, that via QPython console I can execute android (linux) commands. Ping works. Question is: how to interrupt it's output on smartphone? CTRL + C obviously isn't the answer.

Vol Down + C is functionally equivalent to Ctrl + C.

There may be a way to send the modifier keys through the terminal app, however I have never used that app so I can't say. On Terminal Emulator you can long press the screen and send the control key from the pop up menu.
Also you could install Hackers Keyboard which includes a full desktop keyboard including control and alt keys.

Most Term Emus use Vol Dn as Ctrl and use Vol Up as Fn. So in your case simply hold the Volume Down key and then press C on your keyboard (essestially, any IME works).

fn - isn't the fn key a modifier key found mainly on laptops that's used to access additional functions on keys like the function keys?

@BradHein Basically Fn is used to modify keys, any keys!!!


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How to root my Omnirom using Multirom?
I have Omnirom installed on my Nexus 4 inside Multirom. How should I root my Omnirom then? Problem is that the OS on which Multirom was setup always gets stuck in a bootloop for a reason not known to me. So I use other ROMs by getting them installed on my Multirom. How should I root my Omnirom then?

Omnirom is already rooted, if anything you might have to install SU.
as to the problem with your primary ROM on multirom, reflash the primary over the top of itself, then when complete install multirom again. As long as you didn't wipe data, your other ROMs should still be intact.....my primary ROM in multirom got glitchy, so I did what I recommended to you and its working perfect again


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unable to connect i9100 in cwm recovery mode
phone; i9100 maguro galaxy nexus. From CM, I got a message stating a new update was available: the CM11. I accepted. The update failed to install. Now on reboot the phone enters CWM Recovery mode. BUT IT WILL NOT CONNECT TO MY PC TO ENABLE ME TO TRANSFER ANY ZIP FILES to my phone, and so I cannot install any older CM10 versions. HOW TO CONNECT THE PHONE TO PC IN CWM RECOVERY MODE?

You could give adb a try, and use adb push </source/on/PC/file.zip> <target/on/Nexus/file.zip> to transfer the files.
I you don't have ADB installed on your machine yet, and don't want to install the full SDK, take a look at Is there a minimal installation of ADB? Also, for more information on ADB, there's always our adb tag-wiki as a good starting point.

Thanks for reply! Well, I can find the path and file on my PC. But the phone does not show as a mounted device, so have no idea what the location and path could be to the phone.  Interestingly, Heimdall will connect to the phone when the phone is in "download mode", but no path is given.  The trouble I am having with Heimdall is finding any valid tar.gz file that can be downloaded and flashed to the phone. I thought the easier approach was to somehow get a CMxxx.zip file onto the internal SD card and then unzip via the CWM recovery mode. But cannot push the file to card yet.

The device does not show "mounted" with ADB. You can see whether it is connected using adb devices. You can explore it via adb shell at the command line. For details on that, please see our adb tag-wiki and command-line tag-wiki – a complete excurse on command-line usage and ADB would be a bit out of scope here, but those wikis hold some first-aid and links to further information.

"adb devices" shows no devices connected.

"adb shell" returns "device not found".

Many thanks for your reply. I got my phone working.
Step 1: follow the adb configuration guide per the tag-wiki above.
Step 2: mount the data...
$ adb shell
~ # mount /data
~ # exit
Step 3: push the file to the right place!
adb push cm-10.2.0-maguro.zip /sdcard/0/
Step 4: on phone in recovery page, install zip from sdcard in the /0 directory

Glad to read you've managed to solve the issue! To indicate it's solved, mind to "accept" the answer by ticking the check-mark next to it? Only the OP (you) can do that :)


text:
Does Google Backup "phone home" even when disabled?
I was just giving viaProtect a try, and stumbled upon this:

viaProtect Screenshot showing "phone-home" activities (click image to enlarge)
As you can see in the highlighted area, SystemBackupService is contacting something in the US. Sure, that could be Google Cloud backup backing up my apps, settings, whatsnot. But the thing is: I've turned that off from the beginning (on account initialization, I've answered the question for "Do you want to backup..." with a clear "No"). So I'd not even expect the service running at all, not to speak of transferring data to any place.
Am I missing something here? I first thought the same service might be used to sync contacts/calendars as well. But then I saw the other entry "3 lines up": "Google-Kontakte synchronisieren" (Google contacts sync), so that's a separate service.
I don't like being spied upon without my consent. And I don't want my data going to the cloud without being able to control what exactly goes there (most stuff I don't want there at all). So what's wrong here? And how do I stop that (except by flashing a custom ROM with no GApps, or removing/freezing them all, I mean ;)?


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Screen goes off during call and does not come back in Micromax A89
I am using Micromax A89 with
ICS 4.0.4
512 MB RAM
Screen 4.0 Inch

I am facing this problem since beginning. But it was solved automatically. Now again it happens when I dial a call or receive a call my mobile's screen goes off and does not come back. I must have to use power button to end the call (I set "Power button end call" checkbox from settings).
I think it's a proximity sensor problem but not sure?
But when I restart my mobile then it works for 1 or 2 calls but after it again it creates this issue.
Any help would heartily be appreciated.

Did you try wiping the proximity sensor area?

@sameer, yes I tried that too but no luck.

What about wiping cache and delvik cache? There is post in xda about it

You can also try this app if you are root
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.incredicontrol.ProxSensorCalibrator

@sameer, I didn't have root my device. But what about wiping cache and delvik cache? Without rooting, how can I do that? And will it hurt my device?

Try a factory reset that will clear the cache

I faced the same problem but I found a simple and perfectly working solution:

Dial *#*#7769#*#* (Proximity sensor calibrator)
You will see 2 options Start and Exit
Click on Start.
Move your finger over the proximity sensor 3-4 times and try to change the value on screen.
If values are changing after 3-4 tries then your problem is solved.

Thanks to nighil g

If you want to learn whether or not it is caused by proximity sensor you can download this app and see if your proximity sensor is constantly sensing something that it shouldn't. If that is the case, I went through the very same problem and solved it. When I was searching the internet for a solution, someone simply suggested me to

Take a little pipe and blow into the speaker of the phone strongly a
  few times.

And it worked. I had to do it a few more times later on but it is solved permanently. Give it a try and I believe it'll work out.

The question is too general and there aren't enough details to suggest a solution, it seems more likely to be a hardware problem.
Get your phone checked from a Micromax Service Centre.
PS : If you use a screen guard, it might be partially blocking the proximity sensor.

Try this: turn off the phone, then press volume up + volume down and power buttons for a while. It will show 2 options, recovery mode and factory mode. Select factory mode and there you do all tests and all your problems will be solved.

What do I have to do with those shown options? I cannot reset my mobile because I did it so many times in past and every time it will empty my mobile. So what options are there?

You can try Xposed Installer app and can download proximity disabler to disable your proximity sensor.. :-)

Could you link this?


text:
Android default settings restore without losing data
I was wondering if it's possible to restore an android default settings without deleting any data or apps? It's because I buy android tablets then I install my app on it then I sell it back to a customer but I want it to go back when it came out of the box to ask for settings again once the customer turns on the device?

Restoring factory defaults without deleting any apps or data is a contradiction in terms, as that's exactly what the reset does (see: factory-reset).
Could it be you just want your app to survive, but don't care about everything else being reset? That could be done by making the app a system app (see: system-apps), which requires the device to be rooted (see: rooting, root) in the first place.
Apart from that, the answer is "No". As soon as your customer applies a factory-reset, your app will be removed as well.


text:
Is there a way to eliminate Google Play Books / Newsstand?
I've never used Books or Newsstand, and I'm continually running out of space. Is there a way to just delete these apps?
Android 4.1.2
Kernel 3.0.31-889555

What phone do you have, and what Android version are you using?

@DanHulme Sorry about that, added the info

If you go to Settings→Apps, select the "All" tab, scroll to the apps in question, and open their entry: Does it have a button to disable them? If not, it might be labeled "uninstall updates", and should be renamed "Disable" after you did that. With some luck, it's not grayed out then, here's the "push sequence": "Delete Cache", "Clear Data", "Disable". Done. If it is grayed out, all that's left is root and some "Bloatware remover", as indicated by Lucas' answer.

@Izzy Thanks, I did just that. I hope I didn't break anything in the process :-)

Glad to read! I've just made it a full-fledged answer with additional details you might want to "accept", as it solved your issue :)

Since Android 4.0, it is possible to "disable" apps without root. However, not all apps can be "disabled": some (pre-installed) system-apps are protected against this. Still, it's always worth a try if you don't want to root your device:

Go to Settings→Apps
Select the "All" tab
Scroll to the apps in question, and open their entry
Here you see either a button labeled "Disable", or one labeled "Uninstall Updates". If the latter is there, tap it: this will uninstall all the updates this app received during the time you already used the device. Now the "Disable" button should be visible in its place.

Is it "grayed out"?

Tap "Delete Cache", then "Clear Data". This will remove all cache files the app might have created, all its data, and its configuration.
Still "grayed out?" Then this app is "protected", you cannot "disable" it without root.

Otherwise: Tap it. This will disable/freeze the app.

These actions are reversible: You can always re-visit the apps entries here, and push the button again (it will be labeled "Enable" then).
If you could not deactivate an app this way, all that's left is root and some "Bloatware remover", as indicated by Lucas' answer. Apart from Titanium Backup, there are several other "root-apps" which can do that – though Titanium is a great choice, as it also provides the means to do full backups and more. If chosing this path, make sure to freeze apps first to check for side-effects: As with above steps, a "freeze" is revertible – a "remove" is not (at least not easily).
Also see our bloatware tag-wiki, which will give you / point you to more information.

Yes. Your device need have root. Search for make root on my device (put here the device model). After having done root on your device, download Titanium Backup and write backup your apps and after delete. Sorry for my english.

I'll give that a try


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Cannot connect to the real [website.com]
I just bought a Galaxy Tab 4 and I'm trying to set it up for development.
Being behind a proxy that needs authentification, I installed drony to provide my credentials. I'm now able to surf most http websites and few secure https websites.
On the other hand, I can't get most https sites and all the google services (Play, Maps, Youtube) to work.
I tried to use the google.com website to connect to my google account, and I got a page with the following error message :  "Something is currently interfering with your secure connection to [site].
Try to reload this page in a few minutes or after switching to a new network. If you have recently connected to a new Wi-Fi network, finish logging in before reloading.
If you were to visit [site] right now, you might share private information with an attacker. To protect your privacy, Chrome will not load the page until it can establish a secure connection to the real [site]. "
Can somebody help?

Sounds like something you might have to discuss with your network administrator. We can't help without a lot more details about this proxy server and why it's blocking most HTTPS sites.

I already checked with my network administrator, the problem is not with our proxy server

I finally got it to work!
google.com (and other websites) refuse requests from hosts that doesn't have the date properly set on their device.
At the first startup, I didn't bother setting the date on my tablet (on iOS it sets automatically).
After manually  setting the tablet's date and time, the error page is gone and I have access to all the google apps.
EDIT.
According to Izzy, it was Chrome itself that refused the connection, possibly because the certificate dates were not matching.

It's not "Google.com and other websites" refusing requests from, but your device refusing to connect TO: it cannot find a valid SSL certificate, as their validity dates are not matching your device date/time. So it assumes security is not granted, and refuses to connect to those "insecure sites".

I appreciate your explanation, let me mention that obvious for an Android professionnal is not obvious for any Android enthusiast. The error page was not helping and there were a lot of possible causes. I edited my answer to reflect Izzy's explaination

Sorry, no offense meant! I should take more care for my phrasing... For references, you might check these posts, by the way.


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Stream data via mtp
Android has removed support for UMS (USB Mass Storage) in favor of MTP (Media Transfer Protocol) for connecting to a computer.
MTP works similar in terms of copying and pasting files and folders to and from the Nexus device, but for example if there's a movie file, double clicking it on Windows requires it to be copied locally first instead of just starting my media player like a normal UMS storage would.
Any way to stream movies like this using MTP?

For more details on this issue, look here. Perhaps you can mount it as a network drive?

You can run an FTP/Web server on Android, and can stream movies on PC. See my answer or other answers there. This way your system won't download the whole file temporarily, which is a mess. I use the solution a lot.

VLC linux has a plugin for MTP streaming(libmtp_plugin). Sadly Windows version is lacking one - https://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=121275.


text:
What is a cached background process?
What is a cached background process and do they consume memory (RAM)?

When you leave an app that was running in the screen, it stops running, but Android keeps its process in memory. This means that next time you want that app in the foreground, or next time it runs a service in the background (e.g. to check for email), the app can run again without Android having to load it from storage again. This means it starts faster and uses less battery.
Apps that have been kept alive but not running in this way are called cached background processes. They still use some RAM, but Android will automatically remove them from RAM if it needs to free it up for running apps, so they don't affect the amount of RAM available to other apps.


text:
Control xvoice+ with Tasker?
Can it be done?
I want to enable it only when no cell radio (WiFi only)
Dev said state is controlled in "sharedpreferences"

Mind to give some more details? What's "xvoice+"? Is it an app? In user-space? Does it offer Tasker support?

After looking over at the XDA Developers Forums where the dev and others talk and problem solve for this module of Xposed Framework, your answer is there is no a way for tasker to enable and disabled the functionality of XVoice+.
I could describe for you an indirect way to achieve what you are looking for through simulating taps and swipes, if you're interested. If you are please post the phone you're using, Android Version, Tasker Version, Xposed Modules and Tasker Plugins you have installed.
If my answer solves your problem please don't forget to mark it ask the answer as I'm trying to build up rep as I'm new.


text:
Download youtube videos through cache
After watching a youtube video can I use the cache to download the video on my sd card? Something similar to it is in Windows where after watching a video, an application searches through the cache files to download the video. If yes, then how, or using which app (on Android)?

possible duplicate of Is there a way to cache YouTube videos after playing them?

Google doesn't seem to like that (most apps which supported that have been banned from GPlay). But you might wish to take a look at my list of Video-Downloaders (also lists some sources other than GPlay, exactly for that reason).

@DanHulme Caching is different from downloading (saving) an already loaded video, which is what the OP is attempting, as far as I understand.

@onik I understand what caching is, but I also see that people do not always use the term consistently. Both questions are about saving an already-watched video to the SD card so it can be watched again later.


text:
Will encryption encrypt my "internal sdcard" (personal data)?
First, a note. This question stems from the big confusion that are terms like internal storage, internal sdcard -- at least to me -- and the fact that factory reset, which claims to "erase all data from your phone's internal storage, including [...] music, photos", doesn't touch my personal data (data in the internal sdcard, like camera media and WhatsApp conversations) at all. I don't use removable SD cards, by the way.
When I say internal sdcard, I refer to /sdcard or /data/media/0, which are equivalent in my Samsung I9300 Galaxy SIII running CM11 nightly (KitKat).
Okay, the question: will encrypting actually encrypt the entire internal storage including internal sdcard and all the rest (entire root filesystem) or will it encrypt only the data which would be affected by a factory reset (which seems to me to be only the /data/data directory)?

As for your confusion on storage names, you might wish to take a look at our fine storage tag-wiki (many of our tag-wikis contain useful background information and even first-aid; unfortunately, the encryption tag is still missing such a wiki). I didn't yet use any device-encryption, but AFAIR you can define what shall be encrypted. Knowing what terms refer to which storage part will certainly help you with that – see the mentioned tag-wiki :)

Thanks, it was great! One confusion is, yesterday I found out my internal sdcard is in /data/media/0, so does it count as internal storage? (i.e it's in /data!)

Speaking about that kind of confusion: not only do different manufacturers tend to mount everything in different places, that even changes with (almost) each Android version. But no, just because it's mounted into /data doesn't "convert" it to "internal storage". Check symlinks. I bet /sdcard or /mnt/sdcard are pointing there.

Actually, I meant to say that /sdcard is a symlink to /data/media/0. Well, I guess my Android probably won't encrypt that then. If you write an answer along those lines, I'll gladly accept it!

Done. Please also pay attention to the last paragraph: with that FUSE approach, your "internal SDCard" might simply be part of "internal storage" (the mount-point seems to speak for this). I'm not sure of the consequences concerning encryption, but would assume it gets encrypted along this way.

Yes, mount via adb shell confirms that both mount points come from the same device. I'm as curious as you. Guess I'll try it out and report.

First I have to admit I'm not an expert on device encryption. I cannot speak out of first-hand experience, but at least can give some background information which definitely will prove helpful here.

So for one, there's the big confusion about storage naming. Our storage tag-wiki can be a big help on this. In your specific case it's the question what "internal storage" refers to, and how that differs from "internal SDCard" (which it does). So let's see how our internal-storage tag-wiki defines internal storage:

Internal storage generally refers to the storage space on your device that can be used for installing applications and their associated data.

I see our storage tag-wiki is even more precise/detailed:

device storage: usually referred to as "internal storage" or "phone storage". […] On your device, this will be used for apps and data, and usually is mounted at /data
internal SDCard: some devices offer a separate internal SDCard, where you can store your own data (such as documents, videos, music files, pictures, etc.).

So from this you can clearly see the difference. Without root, you're not able to (freely) store your personal data (as defined above) on device storage. But our apps have their own specific directories here where they can (and do) save their settings, data, and more.

Second confusion is caused by different manufacturers using different "mount points" and access-paths for storages. As you describe for your device, they might even mount the SDCard inside the /data partition. However, if the encryption setup offers you separate choices to encrypt internal storage and internal SDCard, this should not matter: If you can tell it to not encrypt a given partition, one should assume it follows this advice.

If, on the other hand, you don't get the option to not touch the internal SDCard, I'm not sure it will be left out. In that case, it might very much depend on your device (and system). When switching from UMS to MTP to provide access to your "internal SDCard" from your computer, for many of them there was a second change going along: to not "fragment" the internal storage space (i.e. "internal storage" running low while there's plenty of space available on "internal SD", or vice versa), they just use a single partition to hold both. The "internal SDCard" then is created as FUSE device, in simplified terms: pointing to a directory on internal storage. If that's true for your device, encryption of "internal storage" most likely will affect the "internal SDCard" as well. But as initially stated: I have no first-hand experience here, and thus gladly accept corrections in the comments.

I suspect "internal SDCard" was a poor choice of name from the very beginning, unless there was a real card locked inside the phone in a prior era. Am I right here?

Also, I don't get the part of your answer in bold. What do you mean with "it follows this advice"? The rest of the answer is just great, well done.

Several "names" are not ideal choices (which can be seen by the confusion they cause). "Internal SDCard" reflects that, when it first came up, it indeed was something like a "built-in SDCard", though an "emulated one": eMMC stands for "emulated MultiMediaCard". // "If it gives that option, one should assume the option does what it suggests". What sounds natural, is not always granted :)

Short answer: no, the emulated SDcard storage is not encrypted.
I believe I am in a similar situation as you. I have a HTC One S4 ("Ville") here which also lacks an SD card socket extension, so the phone is partitionned in a way to make it look to Android that there is an actual sdcard in there. It is mounted in /sdcard and there's a separate /data partition that holds the usual private data (contacts, sms, etc).
Following the Encrypt phone procedure from Cyanogenmod 12.1, only /data is encrypted but /sdcard is accessible without a password! That is, to say the least, a little disappointing. I am not sure it is absolutely inevitable: I suspect that the internal sdcard wasn't encrypted because it was formatted as FAT.
I was able to reformat the filesystem as EXT4 by mounting it on my laptop and re-formatting, at least. Unfortunately, vdc cryptfs enablecrypto inplace found that the phone was already encrypted and didn't attempt to encrypt the SD card. I am still at a loss as to how to encrypt that part of the phone and so have resolved to avoid storing too sensitive data on that partition.

What a shame you cannot redo with ext4!

Apparently, this depends on the specific device implementation.
/sdcard can get encrypted as well as can be left unencrypted while the entire devices gets encrypted with the Android's built-in "Encrypt device" function.
On some (older?) devices /sdcard and /data are two separate partitions which implies they can be wiped independently and encrypted (or not) independently. There /sdcard is most likely not enctypted when one does "Encrypt device".
By contrast, on another handset I have observed, /sdcard was a logical part of /data which implies it gets erased when doing "Factory reset" on the phone, and it very much likely gets encrypted when doing "Encrypt device".
For this particular phone, a quick experiment of filling up /data and watching available room on /sdcard shrinking synchronously (besides showing the same size in the first place) proved /sdcard and /data are the same block device, although different filesystem types.
As Android device encryption (up to Marshmallow release) uses dm-crypt, which works on the block level, I have concluded /sdcard and /data are both either encrypted or in-clear in this particular Android implementation at hand.

Great answer. This is a major source of confusion in Android! Many times I was frightened by warning saying a factory reset would erase my photos and documents, only to have them untouched afterwards. IMO, encrypting a filesystem is nary worthless when it leaves personal pictures and documents in the open!

I still find encrypting the /data filesystem useful, even if /sdcard goes unencrypted. Android apps have access to their private storage area which is in /data, as well as apps configuration goes in /data - and configuration files may contain passwords to external services.

What adds to the confusion is that all files under /sdcard are accessible to all apps, while the files in /data are private to each app. So even if /sdcard is encrypted, it is still not the best place to store sensitive data.


text:
execute permissions on fuse/fat filesystem
I've successfully cross-compiled Ruby for Android and everything goes ok in the emulator.
But while I'm testing these funny things on my device (Nexus4) I noticed that /sdcard (or /storage/emulated/0) is a fuse mount with no execution permissions.
How can I execute something on the SD card?
I saw that on Linux you can pass it as argument to the linker. In Android this does not work: /system/bin/linker wants a pointer to a special struct. I believe that I can write a small C program that creates that structure and run the linker to execute a readable program.
But what about shared libraries? Ruby load tens of shared libraries (every time you have a "require"), I bet that execute permissions are required for loading shared libraries.
Moving the executable to /data/data/my.app.name/files/ or any other place is not a solution, my binaries are very fat (statically linked) and users should be free to specify any location where storing them.

This rather seems to be a programming problem, not an Android problem.

@AlE. why? it's a programming problem if /sdcard has no execution permissions?
btw, i think that the solution is in the kernel, i have to find the way to get the list struct fuse from the kernel...

i found a workaround/hack to list them.
when you open a file on the mountpoint the fuse FS handler will open it too.
i used this information and i wrote a small C program that use proc to find source directories.
if you are interested the project is hosted on github.
regards, tux_mind.

authors: بكري الحاج بكري الحاج


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HTC Sensation XE, Mobile data OFF when GPS ON
When any app on my android device started to read GPS (with GPS icon ON at notification area), my mobile data connection is OFF right away and then ON again after about 10-20 seconds. It happens in every app and that's really annoys me.
I've tried to uncheck the "Google's Location Service" at "Location" settings menu, but it affects nothing.
Anyone has same problem with me? What's the solutions?

Related: Losing network connections when using GPS. No answers yet, though – but maybe it gives you some clue. Interesting parallel: It's also a HTC device there (One S), so there might be a "common cause".

I've found the solution !!! It's an old bug that some people are trailing since Android 1.6, and wich is always not actualy corrected !
The solution : you must have only one APN set in your mobile network configuration.

Thanks again @Izzy, I found the solution here source

So it must be something device (or manufacturer) specific, as I'm not affected (ir simply didn't notice?) on any device so far. Thanks for sharing the solution!


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full backup for deployment and reproduction
I am currently working on a project on a Geniatech ATV1220 Device running Android 4.2.2. I need some applications on this device with specific settings like Debian Kit with openssh, openvpn, nodejs and also a firefox browser with fullscreen addon as well as a terminal emulator with specific command line.
I have it all set up to work perfectly according to my needs on one box but now I want to achieve the exact same thing on other boxes (also Geniatech ATV1220s), without having to do the process of manually setting up each box individually, since I might have to do it to a lot of boxes.
What would be the best way to backup the whole filesystem including debian kit, all applications, all settings of those applications and all the stored data and then restore it on another device to basically make them 2 identical boxes?
I tried adb backup with the following command:
adb backup –all -apk -shared –f backup.ab

But that didn't seem to do the trick, as when I restored the backup on another device, debian kit for example wasn't running at all. I also have a way to sign images for that device, which I used to remove unnecessary apps and services, if that helps in any way.
Has anyone had to do something similar and knows the best way to do it?
Kind regards
egon

I've got no idea about that Debian kit, so please allow me one question: Are all required components registered as "apps" with the system, or is there something installed manually in the file system? Depending on that, I might have some ideas.

Debian kit is basically a basic linux debian running in parallel to android which then provides the services like nodejs, openssh, openvpn etc. So debiankit itself and those components are not registered as apps.

Thanks for clarification! In this case, what I had in mind doesn't completely work out. Unless... Is Debian kit installed on its own partition (so you could transfer it by simply "cloning" that)? Would it start then, or does it need some "specific boot loader"? I thought of Titanium Backup to create a flashable .zip for the Android apps part, and a partition clone for the Debian part. Could that work?

Debian kit is using its own loop disk file for the image which could be backed up but subdirectories and files (such as /lib or /etc/resolv.conf) are also added to the Android RAM-disk based file system with symlinks or bind-mounts. So it is not separated completely.

OK, so I've got no complete solution. Maybe the "flashable ZIP" for the Android stuff might be part of it; for the Debian side, someone else must "jump in" with ideas.

Alright, thank you for the input so far anyway! Will definitely try this out for the app part.

What I ended up doing was adding a packed debian image into an android image, which then gets included into the system on the first boot up by a setup application.


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Regaining root access after 4.4.3 update
I had rooted my device and hidden the SuperSU app using an app called Apphider which requires root access to function. I applied the Android 4.4.3 OTA update successfully. Now I cannot unhide SuperSU or update it in any way. Upon checking for root using root checker apps, it still showed that the device was rooted. In an attempt to fix the issue, I had removed the root files also(/system/xbin). Now I am unable to install the binaries also. So is there any way I can grant superuser access to the hider app exclusively and then reinstall SuperSU and the binaries?

You can flash SuperSU from recovery (CWM or TWRP) to reinstall the su binaries again. You should then either have SuperSU already installed, or you can install another SU app. Then install Apphider again, grant it root, and then unhide SuperSU if it's not already showing. I ran into something similar yesterday while applying the OTA to a rooted Nexus 5, and this fixed it.

Thanks. I reflashed twrp and installed SuperSU from it manually. That solved the problem

Glad it helped!


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Ubuntu connection woes, device not showing up in lsusb any more
I have a really weird issue in connecting my Samsung GS2 to my Ubuntu 14.04 system.
I found the ID via lsusb at first, and added a udev entry. Everything was perfect and I was happily ADBing away for a few minutes. Thereafter, I begun getting "Unable to mount samsung device" (or something similar) popups.
Since then, my GS2 doesn't even show up in lsusb. When I plug it in, the phone behaves as if it has just been connected to a wall charger; MTP doesn't work any more, while it used to fine. I've tried removing the udev config file, restarting phone and pc, and enabling/disabling debugging mode, but still there's nothing in lsusb. Everything works perfectly on my other windows machine.
What on earth is going on here?

The most likely cause of the symptoms you describe is that a pin is bent or broken in the USB connection. With the data pin broken but the power pin connected, the connection is exactly as if As it works on a different machine, that would narrow the problem down to the cable (if you are using different cables on each) or the USB port on your PC. Try a different cable and a different USB port.
As your phone works fine with a Windows PC, that rules out it being a problem with Android itself, so if changing the physical connection doesn't help, we probably can't help you any further here.


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how do I reset the default photo image size for sharing
how do I reset the default photo image size for sharing, it is set too large and I can't find where to reset to a smaller image since I said not to ask each time

Sharing via what? MMS?

Go to settings -> apps -> gallery -> clear data


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Problem with notification bar in rooted droid
I just now rooted my Galaxy Pocket S-5300. Now when I rebooted,my notification bar is vanished! I could not Find it anywhere. Besides when I try to open "About Phone" In settings it force closes. Please help me fast!

What steps did you take to root it? Likely that's the source of the problem.

I followed the steps from this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=rQYt19P_coE . Please help!

I would try reverting back to stock and redoing the rooting procedure.

My advice, backup /data/ and sdcard (not external), use OTA ROOT KEEPER, do a factory reset, and restore data and the root.
Instead of rk, try first Framaroot.

Ya,I unrooted it,will do the next step soon!


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Are home screen icons restored after reinstalling a Nexus device?
I reinstalled my Nexus 5 from scratch, erasing everything.
I had Google account sync on. After signing in, all my apps came back in a matter of minutes.
But home screen icons, widgets, folders did not come back, even after a couple of hours. Should I keep waiting for them? Is there any hope? My homescreen background appeared out of nowhere an hour later. Maybe that's a sign?
There is absolutely no progress of restore operation whatsoever unlike iOS devices, which show ghosted icons for apps to be restored. When is it over? When can I assume what's gone is gone?
I will stop waiting and start working on hours of drag'n'drop sweetness if it doesn't support restoring of home screen icons. It's ridiculous but not more than staring at an empty home screen and praying. Is there any place that I can debug this issue? Or re-trigger, force, whatever?

Are you using the stock home screen (Google Experience Launcher)?

@DanHulme yes it's the stock launcher

Assuming you are using the stock Google launcher...
In my experience, no, they are not restored automatically. Only the wallpaper is restored.
That being said, if you had made a backup using Titanium Backup or something similar this would be able to restore your home screen design. Just reinstall your apps first and then restore the backup.


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Kindle screen suddenly became very dim on LG tablet running 4.2.2 Can't increase brightness
How can I increase brightness of Kindle screen on my LG tablet running 4.2.2? Screen suddenly became very dim. Thanks.

Did you just upgrade the Kindle app? You can manage brightness at two levels - the device, and within the app. On the Device - click Settings>Display>Brightness. Maybe you have it on Auto Brightness? Turn that off and select brightness to taste. Option 2: Within the app - while reading a book, the font settings also controls brightness. Maybe you have the app on Auto Brightness? Turn that off and select brightness to taste.

Here's a much easier solution,  especially if the screen is so dim that you can't read any of the display options. Simply place TWO fingers on the screen and slide them up for brighter, down for dimmer. Simple!

If you are in the Kindle App, the App 'overwrites' the system brightness. You have to change the brightness within the Kindle app by tapping on the "Aa"-button in the action bar (the menu where you can set font size etc.). There is a slider where you can set the brightness while reading.


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Problems with wifi connection
I have a netgear router wnr2200 and sometimes, when I connect with my tablet android or my cellphone, there are some problems. Using chrome, sometimes the page can load and load, I have to reload it. Using YouTube or play store, sometime it keeps on loading I have to restart (also seen with Astro file manager and freely). so I assume it is because some requests aren't succeeded.here are my home channels (my WiFi network is colored)
i
I already tried channel8 and 1, no success. Any idea (channel 14 is not supported)

Is switching to the 5 GHz band an option? I just checked here, and have the entire band to me alone – while everybody else and his little sister is occupying all channels on 2.4 GHz :) Unfortunately, not all devices support it.

I've got the 5Ghz network for my self as well. And that's just great to have it like that

From http://www.netgear.com/home/products/networking/wifi-routers/wnr2200.aspx#tab-techspecs, it isn't possible :(


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Add contact to Exchange from Signature
searched around a bit and found one app (Contact Adder) that didn't work.  What I'm wanting to do is add contacts to Exchange from their signatures on my phone.  Anyone know of an app?  I use Mac for work and nothing will do it in Mail.app or Outlook for Mac, thought I'd try on my phone.


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How to make Gallery to NOT to search photos in some folders?
I have many photos in many folders, but most of them are for work. I don't want Android Gallery to show those pictures when I start the app. Gallery shows 1000+ folders, but only 2 of them are pictures that I want to see. How to make Gallery not to show/search other folders?
Thanks

Just rename the folders with dot in front. Eg: newfolder to .newfolder and restart the phone.

Place in every directory, you want to be excluded by the media scanner, an empty file named ".nomedia". Then restart your phone and the 'marked' directories should not be indexed any more.


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HTC ONE last update. Bootloader claims tampered
I have an HTC One bought unlocked (i.e. no simcard) with Android. I swear on my grandma's tomb that I've never tried to tamper it (I don't even know what that exactly is, I thought that made only in very closed phones such as iPhone). It was updated to the last version until a couple of days ago I got a notification to install the last update. After downloading and clicking in install it reboots the phone and I come to a bootloader which says
tampered
locked
security warning

some other data and gives me usual options for reset. I have read online that this happens when one 'tampers' the phone, which I haven't. There are solutions to 'untamper' it online, but I am afraid that attempting any of those solutions
As a side note: the phone was bought from HTC's US website less than a year ago, so it must still have the warranty running but I am not sure if I should contact them (I fear they say the warranty is invalid if the phone says tampered).
I believe all the apps were installed from the Google App Store. I installed F-Droid because a friend recommended it, but I never used it.
Any idea on how to get rid of this silly message, keep my phone under warranty and install the update?

To remove the "tampered" flag I think you need S-OFF (which would most likely void your warranty). When you say you updated I take it you mean a "System update" (as opposed to updating an app)? If it was a system update it sounds like it may have been the update which caused the "tampered" flag.
If you genuinely haven't been tampering then I would speak to HTC about it. They will know best how to sort it (without the chance of you voiding the warranty by trying it yourself).

Without fear take it to a service centre, as you've done nothing wrong.

Go to the HTC site and download the official ruu file for the HTC one and run it. There should be an explanation on htc's site or you could ask them to walk you through it. This will fix the security bootloader thing and update your phone.

It may be important to note that using the RUU will factory restore the phone and wipe any data stored on it (excluding the external SD card).
Also, although I have voted for this answer, I would still recommend that OP contact HTC on the off chance that they do offer to help (however, my experience with HTC support has not been great in the past)


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Rooted Nexus 7 v2: Using Tor and Adblock Plus
I'm having success using both Tor and Adblock Plus, although independently.  I'm trying to figure out how to get both to work on the device at the same time.
When successfully using Tor, I get ads yet adblock works when Tor is disabled.
Adblock Plus 1.2.1 build 318
Android build KTU84L
Orbot 13.0.7-BETA-1
My question is, have any of you been able to get the two to cooperate and if so, how?

Since both work by acting as proxy server, it's no surprise they'd interfere with each other. You might have better luck using a different ad-blocker that works by editing the hosts file (such as AdAway).

Yes they both use a proxy. Root rqd. Proxies on the wireless nic I believe. They don't interfere with each other. Abp uses port 2020 which I dont think you can configure. So configure tor to use localhost:2020 and if abp is running all good.
Sorry for bad english. Usibg android keyboa rd and no good on them.
Part axe.


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Huawei Ascend Y511 with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean lock screen Widgets
I cannot get the lock screen widgets to work no matter what I do. I do not have Corporate account added, just Google, Viber and Facebook. I searched the internet quite some times, but I couldn't find anything. I have the < / > icons next to the clock but when I try to slide it does not work.
The phone as said is Huawei Ascend Y511 (Bought 2 days ago, not rooted or anything) and the Android is 4.2 Jelly Bean.

Is there really no one that can help me?

Try changing it in Settings-Security-Shortcut settings. Try changing the icons to something different than they currently are.
If this doesn't work try a factory reset.
I have a y511 as well and I'm trying to get the unlock symbol to be at the right (3 o'clock position).


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What Changes Take Place When Installing A Custom Launcher eg Nova To A Rom?
If I install a custom launcher eg Nova on Stock Android 4.4.3, what inherently changes ?
Similarly if I were to then install a custom rom eg Paranoid Android, are the benefits gained from installing it then overshadowed or "lost" if I were to then install Nova launcher ?
To clarify wouldn't the experience of Stock Android with Nova and Paranoid Android with Nova be very similar if not identical ?

If you install a alternate launcher, the first thing you'll see is a difference in how the home screen, widgets, (maybe lockscreen if it has support for that), and the app drawer appears and works.
AFAIK that's the only changes you'll see from changing the launcher regardless of what ROM you use.
But one thing's for sure - depending on which ROM you get, the experience will change very little or a lot.

Each launcher has its own default appearance which will vary. Unless you tell the third party launcher to import you stock launcher settings and icons it will not have any customizations and you will need to set up the screens yourself.
The look and feel of each launcher will vary greatly. I use Nova Launcher on my S4 since I despise the stock Samsung Launcher. The screen transitions, default layout, and many other options are customizable with a 3rd party launcher that you don't get with stock. So, the experience can vary greatly depending on the settings you change in the chosen launcher. Nova has many settings I didn't bother to change but the ones I did change make a huge difference in the interface and experience from the Samsung TouchWiz Launcher.
You should not lose any benefits of a ROM by using a 3rd party launcher but you may not need the third party launcher depending on the ROM.
One feature of many 3rd party launchers is the ability to backup and restore your home screens. For this reason alone they are worth it. Particularly if you like to flash roms frequently. It can save a significant amount of time and agony if you don't have to reset all your home screens after each flash.


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samsung galaxy note pro 12.2 won't play videos in youtube app without stopping
I am on a 100mbps internet. When I start playing youtube video it shows that it buffered a lot of it quick, but it is impossible to watch/listen to videos at it stops once in 10 sec and then autoplays in a few sec. itself.
I tried some other app to play youtube videos and they play fine.
What's wrong with my youtube??

I have found a solution to fix that.
I went to system settings > motion control and there I had "video set to pause when looking away". After disabling that it is not auto pausing anymore.


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How can I access the emulated sdcard for another user on a rooted nexus 10
Is it possible to access other user's emulated sdcard storage on a rooted Nexus 10?
I have 3 users set up. If I log in as the primary user, I would expect to see /storage/emulated/10 (and 11) as well as 0 (and emulated), but I can't (even from a root shell created in ConnectBot).
If it is not possible, how does it work? Is a separate filesystem mounted, or what?

Yes, it is possible.
Need a File Manager w/Root
First, you need a file manager that has root access.  Personally I use ES File Explorer.  Within ES File Explorer, you will need to enable Root access (it's under the Tools part on the left menu).
All users will need to have signed in
All users must have had to signin at least once to create their partitions.  Else, you won't see them.
Browse
The exact location is:
/storage/emulated/*  # Android <= 4.4.3
/mnt/shell/emulated/*         # Android >= 4.4.4 (actually, it may be 4.4.3 too)

Where * is the userid.  I am not sure how to get the user ID, but on my tablets with 3 users it shows up as:
/mnt/shell/emulated/0  # owner account
/mnt/shell/emulated/10 # first user I created
/mnt/shell/emulated/11 # second user I created

From what I gather for userids, it goes in order that I created the users.  0 = the first original owner account.  Then each account goes up from there (10, 11, 12, etc).
NOTE: If your file manager does NOT have root permissions (meaning the app itself must request root access), then when you enter one of the directories above, they will be blank.  This is telling you that your file manager doesn't have root access - you need a file manager that knows how to request Root access.

I use ES File Explorer at present. I can set it to use root (and it asks for access, which I grant). If I have the root setting on, I see only 0 and legacy in /storage/emulated. If I turn OFF root access, I see 10 as well, but it is empty when I view it. Wierd!

Also tried Root Browser, Root File Explorer and Root File Manager. All were the same, except Root File Explorer claimed the phone was not rooted (even though SuperSU thinks it is, and I can access the root folder and do other root things fine).

When i dont have root, i only see 0 and emulated as well. it is only when i am rooted with es file explr root enabled that i see 10 and 11. Try rebooting after giving es file expr root. Also, i am using Android 4.4, though it worked with 4.3. All devices i have are pure google: Nexus 5, 7 and 10. If u are using some other brand (Asus, Samsung, etc), they significantly change Android to suit their needs. They may be fracking with data storage as well.

So I upgraded from 4.4.2 -> 4.4.4 on the kid's Nexus 7 FHD and now that path I had previously no longer works!  I found a new location using ES File Explorer: /data/user/10 (and /11, etc).  I'll update my answer as such.  Please remember to mark as ANSWER if it works.  :)

OK, scratch that.. It's /mnt/shell/emulated/* The one I commented on above is the "app data" location, which is interesting to access to play with.

Found it under `/mnt/shell/emulated/*' under Android 4.3...


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possibility of adding gtalk contacts to my whatsapp
Could I bring my gtalk contacts to link to my Whatsapp? (in other words Sync the two?)
I don't want to run two seperate apps and wondering if there was a possibility to add these together? I will only be using Whatsapp now so really really need to hopefully be able to bring those in gtalk to link to it... any advice please??

Nope. It's not possible. A key reason for this is (at least) that

GTalk identifies people with email address while
WhatsApp identifies people by their mobile number.

On top of this both of the systems are proprietary and I don't think neither Google nor WhatsApp would want their users to be pushed over to the other system.
The above said, if you have the mobile number(s) of your GTalk contacts then those will, of course, be added to WhatsApp automatically if they also use WhatsApp. But that's really just stating the obvious.


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ADB "screenrecord" not working when executed form device
I recently found out about the screenrecord feature of ADB on Android since API19.
If I try and execute this from Android Terminal Emulator on my device, I get the response from the device I would expect (identical to what I get on my CMD window when executing from Windows) but the file it creates does not work. The file is always ~3.3kb in size and VLC gives me the error:
VLC can't recognize the input's format:
The format of 'file:///C:/Users/Jonny%20Wright/Downloads/videoo.mp4' cannot be detected. Have a look at the log for details.
(I have not checked the VLC log as from what has been happening it seems it is a problem with the recording of the video by the device as when executing from Windows it works fine.)

You need to run screenrecord as root, type su to switch to root (your phone needs to be rooted obviously)


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SD card suddenly damaged
I'm using Xperia C. My SD card works perfectly fine but after I power down my phone and turn it back on, suddenly it says that my SD is damaged and I have to format it. I can't even mount it on my phone cuz when I do, it just unmount it again. This is not the first time it happen. Last time, it was with my first SD card and now, my second. What should I do?

Are both cards (old and new) from the same brand, and maybe even the same size? There are incompatibilities reported here and there, so you might want to try a different brand. You could check with some Xperia specialized forums to see what combinations others used successfully, and if maybe somebody else experienced the same trouble with your combination.

Both were 8GB Sandisk sd card. So now, i changed to Toshiba 8GB. It works fine now but let see how it goes. Thanks.

So my guess was right at this point (so far). Don't forget to report back when you think you can tell the difference; might prove helpful to other Xperia C users :)

I just had this problem less than an hour ago on my Acer Iconia a500. I've had it happen with multiple SD cards on different devices. This is how I overcome this problem everytime. The only way that this wont work is if the card is fried
To the problem of your "damaged SD card", what's most likely going is corruption of the file system. Something on the phone made an invalid entry.

Plug your SD card in the reader
Run Mini Tool Partition Wizard (MTPW)
Select Partition Wizard, other is Data Recovery
Pick the SD card in the list
Right click for drop down menu
Scroll down and click on Check File System
Let it finish, then exit MTPW
Unplug and re-plug SD card into reader
When "Do you want to scan and fix" pops up, check both
When finished, unplug from reader
Mount in your phone and enjoy.

I know it's a late answer,  but knowledge is power.


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Samsung Galaxy S4: Get files from broken & locked screen
I have a Samsung Galaxy S4. I broke the screen a few days back and it was locked at the time. The phone is working because it can charge and I can hear the alarm and incoming calls and messages but I can't see a thing because it is all black. I can't possibly unlock the phone because the touch is not working too. I need to retrieve my files from the phone. So when I connect my phone using a USB to my MAC, it shows me absolutely nothing except this error:
 If your device's screen is locked, disconnect its USB cable, unlock your screen, and then reconnect the USB cable.

Like I said, I cannot unlock the screen. I can't use Samsung's Find my Phone application because I never added a Samsung Account to it and so my device is not registered for remote data recovery.

When I connect my phone to my HP laptop via USB, it shows nothing, not even an error.
Is there any way I can unlock my phone remotely and retrieve my files?

I've just added the locked-out tag to your question. Please follow up to its tag-wiki, and especially to Can not unlock my Android device as have no internet connection? as for the unlock part. For the file retrieval, do the same for the data-recovery tag-wiki.

I believe the S4 supports USB On-The-Go. If you get yourself an OTG adapter, you can use it to plug in a USB mouse and unlock the screen that way. A mouse click/drag works just like a screen touch in Android.

Do you mean, I could connect the OTG adapter to my computer and see my screen on my laptop? Because like I said, my S4 screen is black and I cant see a thing.

No, he means you can plug a standard USB keyboard or mouse directly into your phone with an OTG adapter. Use the keyboard to type in the unlock code, or use the mouse to click and drag to unlock, then unplug the keyboard/mouse and plug the phone into the computer.

I used an OTG adapter and a keyboard. Plugged it in and then powered up. Typed in my code then plugged into laptop running Kies. Got all my contacts and messages and more


text:
Icon issues in Google Play Store 4.8.20
I'm running Android 4.2.1 and recently the Play Store app updated to version 4.8.20 and since then I'm facing icon issues within the store.

Click for larger version
As you can see, there's a weird black background for every app icon, this is the case for every page within play store, all the icons have this kind of background. I once tried un-installing Play Store updates and fell back to pre-installed version 4.1 of Play Store, which solved the icon issues (but left me with older version of Play Store). And obviously, the Play Store again updated itself to latest version and I again have same issue.
Note that there isn't any such problem on my different Android phone (which is running Android 4.2.2 but has same Play Store version, 4.8.20).
I've tried clearing Play Store cache, App Data, and as said earlier, uninstalling updates (which momentarily solves the problem), but nothing seems to solve the problem with this version of Play Store, only option I haven't tried is hard resetting my phone, which I want to avoid.
Is this a known bug with this version of Play Store? what are the options I have to fix this?

Try uninstall updates from google playstore at your phone settings.Clear data and open it.Uncheck box"keep me up to date"...I know this is an older version but u can wait for the next update..


text:
How to regenerate/create adbkey and adbkey.pub from the command line?
I'm starting to mess with Android SDK (on Ubuntu GNU/Linux), and am seeing stuff like running the tools/android and its GUI, adb or gradlew for the first time. So, I'm trying to set this up, and in reading stuff around, I see mention of ~/.android/adbkey and ~/.android/adbkey.pub. As far as I understand, these are the automatically generated debug keys - but I cannot tell: are these the same on every computer where the SDK gets installed, or are they different?
So I look into ~/.android, and they are indeed there; and I guess in a moment of madness, I decided to delete them (I guess to see what happens :)). Anyways, I soon regretted it, and I tried to look up online how to regenerate them. Unfortunately, I cannot find any explicit reference saying what command I should run, in order to get these file generated/recreated.
So that is my question - what tools should I run, to re-generate these keys?

EDIT: I tried re-running sdk/tools/android, it doesn't reconstruct the keys. Then I tried deleting the ~/.android folder:
rm -rf ~/.android
sdk/tools/android

... and after re-running sdk/tools/android, the ~/.android folder does get reconstructed, but not the adbkey* files.

Answer from comments (better formatted):
Ah, found it (via linux - Android Debug Bridge (adb) device - no permissions - Stack Overflow); what I did was:
$ sdk/platform-tools/adb start-server
* daemon not running. starting it now on port 5037 *
* daemon started successfully *
$ sdk/platform-tools/adb devices
List of devices attached

$ sdk/platform-tools/adb kill-server
$ ls ~/.android/
adbkey  adbkey.pub  androidwin.cfg  avd  cache  repositories.cfg  sites-settings.cf

Ah, found it (via linux - Android Debug Bridge (adb) device - no permissions - Stack Overflow); what I did was:
$ sdk/platform-tools/adb start-server
* daemon not running. starting it now on port 5037 *
* daemon started successfully *
$ sdk/platform-tools/adb devices
List of devices attached

$ sdk/platform-tools/adb kill-server
$ ls ~/.android/
adbkey  adbkey.pub  androidwin.cfg  avd  cache  repositories.cfg  sites-settings.cf

... Basically, one just has to rerun the adb server, possibly ask for devices list, and close the server; after that the adbkey file are rebuilt.
(shame one cannot answer own question before 8hrs expire; this comment would have looked better as an answer)

https://android.stackexchange.com/q/224078


text:
What package name should I use for a Cyanogenmod theme?
I want to make cm11 theme.
But one problem: package name.
How does it work? Dialer package has com.android.dialer, so my package could have name eu.mikroskeem.colormelt?

I don't know about CM themes in particular, but Android app package names are based on Java packages, which means they have to start with a web domain you own, in big-endian order. That is, if and only if you own the domain mikroskeem.eu, you can use any package name starting eu.mikroskeem.
There's no way to enforce this convention, but following it makes sure that package names are unique.

I have domain mikroskeem.eu, but I'm just curious if I don't own this domain name, then I can't use it?

Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying.