text:
Package Name Info for Android Apps
Hi I would like to know if there exists a website where in once you enter the name of the android app gives you all the related info of that particular app. I am especially interested in the Package Name of the app.
I know about the site Droid Icon(Link) and also the app called Package Name viewer and have tried both out.
The App package name viewer works excellently but only returns the info of the apps installed on my device and not all. So for the information I need I have to install the app first. Which is a tedious job if we need to do it for 10 or more apps.
Droid Icon web site gives numerous package names which are at times not correct.
So I would like to know if there exists another source for my specific requirement.( i.e package names).

The problem is that the human-readable name of an app is different in different languages, and isn't necessarily unique, so there's no reliable way to find the particular app you're looking for. Have you considered just doing a search on Google Play?

That is exactly why Package Names are unique. Name of the app may vary but the package name of the app stays the same. Thats why my aim is to find the package names. Now say I have 10 apps on my android phone. I will get their package names instantly using the package name viewer app. but what if i want to know the package names of 50 or say 100 apps? then it doesnt make sense installing each and every app on my phone just to find that one detail(pkg name) I am looking for.

And if you read Dan's comment again: "human readable names" are not unique, while package names are. So you can easily lookup the package name to find out the human-readable name – but not vice-versa. Try e.g. "Quick Dial". There are hundreds of apps using that name. All you can do is searching Play or Appbrain and see what turns up. No unique way, as that's technical impossible.

Picking up my own example from above comment on the question: Simply use your Google-Fu. Here's mine:
intitle:"quick dial" site:play.google.com
Hits: 197. Now try that for 50 or 100 apps. For most of them, the result list will be shorter – if the devs thought of more unique names:
intitle:"secure backup" site:play.google.com
Hits: 3, Exact hits: 1 (easy to tell by the title). Hover the URL: com.sentinal.
[intitle:"stripsearch" site:play.google.com] Yuck. Got me. Need to improve my Google-Fu:
intitle:"stripsearch" site:play.google.com inurl:"store/apps": 1 hit. Exact. Correct.
Repeating #1 with the new foo: Much better, just 196 hits (oops).

I just notice I forgot the explanation:

intitle: What appears as <TITLE> in your browser window's title bar. With Google Play Store, this includes the App name – so this is where we put our search term
site: Restrict the search to a specific site. In our case, that's the Google Play Store – where most apps are listed. Same could be done with e.g. Aptoide (e.g. intitle:"quick dial" site:store.aptoide.com returns 3 hits) – but wouldn't work with F-Droid (the <TITLE> with them is always 'F-Droid', no matter what)
inurl: a string being part of the URL. I used this in my example to fix my search to apps – without that, results included Google Books, Google Music, and probably even more (everything sold via Google Play Store)

For readers: Google also offers an interface for advanced searching. Find it here. And then there are search operators to make the life (and search) easier. Did I mention Google Dorks?


text:
How to set up a host to IP mapping on unrooted Android?
I've a website running on my computer, and I want to test it from my Nexus 7 tablet. I.e. over the local WiFi LAN. If I type in the IP address it connects, but shows the wrong web site, because I'm using named virtual hosting.
So, what I want to do is be able to type mysite.local in to Chrome/Firefox on the Nexus, have them convert that to 10.1.2.3 (or whatever the local IP address is), then call the 10.1.2.3 server giving mysite.local as the Host to request.
My Question: Does an Android 4.x tablet have an /etc/hosts files, or equivalent, that I can edit? (Without having to root the tablet, or anything like that.)
On my Linux computers I do this by adding an entry in /etc/hosts:
10.1.2.3  mysite.local

(Or Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts on a Windows machine does the same.)
BTW, this is a semi-duplicate of Manually set a hostname for IP address (i.e. /etc/hosts equiv.?), but that question was for Android 2.2, where apparently it was not possible. (One of the alternative ideas suggested there was configure DNS at the local router, but as far as I can tell my router does not do DNS locally so does not have that option. I could set up my own DNS server to do this, but that feels like a Big Job Solution.)

That's rather a question for Server Fault or Super User. And you should setup those host names with your local server (which is presented by your DHCP server as DNS node).

@Izzy Thanks Izzy, but I know how to configure /etc/hosts on servers. What I don't know how to do is find/edit the equivalent on an Android 4.x tablet (or even if there is an equivalent without rooting it). (My DHCP server, i.e. the wifi router, appears to offer no options to add custom names: I do have the option to specify a custom DNS server but that is a muddy pool I didn't really want to put my hands in to.)

You got me wrong, Darren: I didn't suggest editing /etc/hosts, but configuring your "name server" (e.g. DNSMasq, or whatever you use). Your router might give you a place for that. /etc/hosts needs to be edited on each machine otherwise – and the corresponding file on Android can only be edited with "root powers" (I don't know its exact location out-of-my-head, but it's somewhere inside /data/system AFAIR). See: How to edit etc/hosts file

You cannot simply edit the hosts file on Android, as it resides on a read-only file system: /system/etc/hosts, see:

How to edit etc/hosts file
How to change the hosts file on android

Alternatives are:

use a DNS server like DNSMasq in your local network to take care for that "centrally"
use "root powers" to force-edit the system file as described above
install a "local DNS server" on your Android device to use that, e.g. DNS Server

hey Izzy, I tried to use DNS Server to handle this as I don't have root access to my phone; I added a simple rule that redirects the hostname to the ip in question.. but it doesn't work.. what am I doing wrong?

DNS Server is supposed to serve other devices in your network (as the description says, you additionally need to use port-forwarding for that). That always requires those devices (including your Android device) are configured to use it. I didn't use any such DNS server on my Android devices, so I didn't check what exactly needs to be done here; but most likely you need to adjust the DNS entries in your network settings (long-press the WiFi network's entry, chose "Advanced", and adjust the first DNS entry – leave the second as-is for a "backup").

@GeorgeKatsanos You might be interested in this: http://stackoverflow.com/a/14211550/1768141

As mentioned by lzzy, you can use DNSMasq server to achieve this. But Chrome uses own DNS resolving process and this method may not work.
To start the server use the following command:
sudo /usr/local/sbin/dnsmasq -d \
                             --no-hosts \
                             --no-resolv \
                             --conf-file=/dev/null \
                             --server=8.8.8.8 --server=8.8.4.4 \
                             --address=/example.com/192.168.0.101

sudo required to bind on port 53
-d start server on foreground
--no-hosts do not use local hosts file
--conf-file=/dev/null do not use any config file
--server=8.8.8.8 --server=8.8.4.4 addresses of upstream servers (Google DNS in this example)
--address=/example.com/192.168.0.101 hosts to override. You need to add your hosts at this line. You can also add multiple hosts there.

Then change DNS server on the device. This can be easily done using the DNS Changer app.
After these steps, the requests to these hosts should be sent to your addresses.

The simplest way to define a host to IP mapping is hosts file as mostly DNS resolvers honor that file. But as mentioned in other answers, it's not possible to edit /etc/hosts without rooting Android device. Accessing web server with IP address also won't work for you due to virtual hosting. Here are a few options you can go with on unrooted device:

Use a VPN app which intercepts DNS traffic and looks up a custom hosts file before making queries to configured upstream DNS server.
Run a DNS server; they can be configured to return a predefined IP address for a specific name. For instance if using dnsmasq, add address=/mysite.local/10.1.2.3 to “dnsmasq.conf”. Or on dnscrypt-proxy add mysite.local 10.1.2.3 to “cloaking-rules.txt”.
Configure phone to use a proxy or VPN and then add the entry 10.1.2.3 mysite.local to hosts file on proxy server or run a local DNS server on VPN server.
If bootloader is unlockable, edit hosts file from custom recovery.

For more details see: How to always resolve a domain name to a fixed IP without rooting?

RELATED:

How to ping a local network host by hostname?

You can't change the file on a read-only filesystem, but you can use bind option, to substitute file with located on rw fs. This should work only till the next reboot.
Example:
mount /sdcard/hosts /etc/hosts -o bind
bind file /sdcard/hosts  to /etc/hosts

While the answer is correct and follows the Magisk's systemless approach, the question is specifically about unrooted devices. You can't run mount without root privileges. Your answer is more suitable here: How to edit 'etc/hosts' file?

This is kind of covered by other answers, but I thought I'd just save the reader some time searching for a relevant app.
I used "Nebulo - DNS Changer DoH/DoT". It allows you to add some 'custom DNS rules' where you can specify the host and IP address for the host. This rule intercepts and is applied to all traffic from your android device.
(I am in no way affiliated nor do I endorse the app. Do your own research etc).
Set the IP to your server device's LAN IP address.
And on your server device (not specific to using the aforementioned app, but just in case you're looking for pointers on this side of things):
Open the firewall to relevant port(s) and IP address (the LAN IP of your android device). And add the host to your hosts file with IP 0.0.0.0 (not 127.0.0.1 or localhost or anything else).

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text:
Charging from different USB cable
I have USB cable meant for Sony Xperia, the USB cable can be detached. Will using this USB cable to charge other phones like Nexus cause any issue?. I am not using the entire charger, I am just using the USB cable to charge through PC. Will it cause any issue to the battery in long run?

A more generic variant: Why does my phone have erroneous input when connected to a non-OEM power source? Apart from that: No known issues concerning the battery itself.

No, this won't cause any issues. I am having the same case as yours (using Xperia L's USB cable with a Nexus 4) and haven't faced any issues with Nexus 4 or the Xperia.

No issue but make sure do not use charger which is not your phone's

What's the reason for that?

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text:
How to change the default alarm sound?
It seems to me that it is impossible to change the default alarm tone. Does anyone know if it's possible to do that?
I am using Sony Xperia Z2, if that matters.

Oddly enough, Android doesn't provide (as of the time of writing) a way to change the default alarm tone: if you navigate to Settings > Sound & notification, you can pick "Alarm volume", "Phone ringtone" and even "Default notification ringtone", but there's nothing about an "Default alarm ringtone".
The solution that worked for me came from this post. It requires using the ES File Explorer (install it if you don't have it yet, you can remove it afterwards). The steps below are to pick one of the existing alarm sounds as the default one, but can be used for any sound in your SD card. Here's what you do:

Using the ES File Explorer, navigate to /system/media/audio/alarms
Click on the file you want, and in the "Open with" prompt, select "ES Media Player"
Open the menu in the top right, and pick "Set ringtone" (the entry with a bell icon)
In the dialog that appears, pick "Set alarm"

After doing this, all applications that use alarms will use the chosen sound if they're configured to use the system default. The stock clock app will also use this.

I can't verify if this works at the moment because my phone is broken but it seems like a clever hack, thanks!

Unfortunately, ES File Explorer is suffering from feature bloat. Does any other app do this with less overhead?

It works perfecly. In my case, the directory is /system/media/audio/ringtones rather than /system/media/audio/alarms.

Just to add my 2 cents, usually you can change the default alarm sound in the alarm APP, so for me its the clock app that handles alarms, and clicking the three dot menu, sounds and select the default. This is also true for most/some apps, you can set custom sounds within their own settings.

This works great, but wow ES File Explorer is one bloated app. I couldn't uninstall that app fast enough.

I always used ES File Explorer but noticed that newer versions don't have set ringtone option. I found that the last versions with this feature are 4.1.9.x. Hopefully this helps someone.

I also used ES Explorer but recently, I am on Android 11 and it seems you can do this from the Settings:

Open Settings
Tap on Sounds
Tap on Advanced
Tap on Default alarm sound
Choose an alarm tone and confirm

You can do this with zedge. When you download a notification sound and choose the "set" option, it will give you a choice of setting it as the main ringtone, the default alarm, and two other options I can't remember right now.

Good option without having to mess around in the file directories

Once you move your song or ringtone into the file you have created and you click on it and file explorer if you push the three dots on the top right it'll say set ringtone push that and it'll give you the three options shown in the picture!

All fine explorers sunny have this option please mention and link the file explorer you used (if it is ES , it is already covered in the accepted answer and your answer didn't add or help)

It is hidden down the alarm options. You must slide up to see the rest of options configuration for each alarm.

Open the Alarm & clock application, then select the alarm that you want
to change.
Select Alarm sound and select an option, or select the music note button
to select from your music files.
Tap Done twice.

http://userguide.sonymobile.com/referrer.php?region=global-en&product=xperia-z2#!Alarm-clock.html

Thanks, but my question was whether you can change the default alarm. I may've not been clear on that one; what I meant is the alarm sound that new alarms will have set, not how to change the sound of specific alarms after you create them.

Open a file manager, choose the sound file you want, and move the file to the 'alarms' folder.
Once there it will show up in both sections of the clock app under," Alarm sound:" "Alarm Tone," and "Music," but you must select it! It will not self-add. Tap either one and scroll to it; tap on its name, (not on the right which is play only), tap Save.
To have a more or less permanent Clock/Alarm of this sound:  tap +(add), select the sound, and set the time/date for anything, >Save. Now simply use that alarm by resetting the time/date, instead of crafting a new one, and the alarm sound will follow at that setting.
From BeOhBe

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text:
Android 4.1.1 system is consuming 4GB of my memory?
I bought an Android 4.1.1 tablet, the ad said "comes with 8 GB". But when I go to the system configuration I get:
INTERNAL
1,18 GB total
Apps 0,90 GB
Available 161 MB
NAND FLASH
Total 4,55 GB
Free 4,17 GB
I ask the vendor where is the 8 GB, and they said: "the tablet comes with physical 8GB, but the Android System makes a partition for different purposes (Recovery, Loader, Apps, etc.) letting available for the user only 4 GB. The others partitions are not visible for the user. This is the same for all Android devices".
They are telling me the truth? or just are a bunch of liars and sold me an 4GB tablet ?
Android 4.1.1
Core 3.0.8+
Compilation P758.6.01.01.20
Brand: NOBLEX - Model: T7014AR
(official specification: RAM 1GB - Internal 8GB)
http://www.noblex.com.ar/tablets/T7014AR
Thanks a lot.

EDIT:
u0_a78@android:/ $ df
Filesystem             Size   Used   Free   Blksize
/dev                  443.2M  36.0K  443.2M   4096
/mnt/asec             443.2M  0.0 K  443.2M   4096
/mnt/obb              443.2M  0.0 K  443.2M   4096
/system               607.4M  440.2M  167.2M  1024
/data                 1.2 G   1.0 G  153.8M   4096
/cache                629.9M  16.5M  613.4M   4096
/mnt/external_sd      941.7M  16.0K  941.7M   16384
/mnt/sdcard           4.5 G   382.1M  4.2 G   8192
/mnt/secure/asec: Permission denied
/mnt/asec/com.robotinvader.fooding-1  36.5M  34.8M  1.7 M   4096
/mnt/asec/com.vkcode.SpaceTube-1  14.2M  12.6M  1.6 M   4096
1|u0_a78@android:/ $

The numbers you've shown indicate that the device has 4.5 GB of storage space for media (I'm assuming) and 1.2 GB for apps. That's 5.7 GB of total space for "user" needs, leaving 2.3 GB (roughly) for the system/recovery/etc. You also lose a bit of space due to filesystem overhead.

Possibly relevant: Is some of my internal memory missing?, Please explain the android partition structure to me?

Yes, you have an 8GB tablet.  How Android partitioning works is there is a NAND flash chip, and then it's basically split up into system storage (/system) and otherwise, and user accessible storage (/data) and possibly (in some cases), /sdcard (note that I'm talking about the emulated legacy SD Card, not your expansion slot.
So, when they say it's an 8GB tablet, they're correct.
EDIT:
Looking at your df output...  Blksize refers to the maximum length, in bytes, of a file storage block.  You don't have to worry about that column.  What we're focused on is all the other partitions.  Let's start at the top:
/dev contains device nodes.  Don't worry about the reported size - it has no effect on your storage.
/mnt/asec and /mnt/obb are each partitioned with 443.2MB.  With those two partitions (required by the system), you have 886.4MB, rounding up.
/system (where Android lives) is partitioned at 607.4MB, which will bring our total up to 1.5GB.
/data is where all user preferences and settings are stored.  When you do a factory reset, you are wiping the /data partition.  Adding in the 1.2GB from there, we have a total of 2.7GB.
/cache is also required by Android, and with a 629.9MB partition, we're at 3.3GB.
/mnt/external_sd is your external SD card.  Forget about that for now.
/mnt/sdcard is the internal SD card - a partition of user accessible storage in the internal memory.  It's set at 4.5GB - which is what your vendor is reporting.
Add all these partitions together, and we have a total of 7.8GB which is correct for an 8GB tablet.
Storage manufacturers report storage in decimal, meaning 1000MB = 1GB.  However, in binary, 1024MB = GB, so that's why you have a discrepancy.

Thanks pal. There is any app to let me know the real physical memory? All apps I tried get only 4GB!!

Hm.  Good question.  I personally don't know of any, sorry!

df on the terminal/command-line? Feel free to ask that as a separate question, as that's how this site works: one question per "page" :) But make sure to not ask "is there an app, but rather "Is there any way to...", as it otherwise might be considered off-topic (see our [help/on-topic]) ;)

AH!  YES!  df would do the trick!  Good idea Izzy.

Thanks @Izzy I just updated the original question with the df

@LordoftheOnionsRings - I am updating my answer now to help you analyze that data from df.

@IAmTheSquidward many thanks for that detailed explanation of the partitions. Great work, really help!

No problem at all!  Glad I could help!!

@LordoftheOnionsRings for the folder hierarchy, you might also wish to see: Android Folder Hierarchy and our file-system tag-wiki. And if you're looking for the "missing 0.2GB": df only reports partitions currently mounted, so it didn't tell you about /recovery. That one taking up 200MB sounds absolutely convincing to me :)

Yes, that is correct. I have a Nexus 4 16GB and only get around about 12GB for actual usage. Android system consists of lots of native applications, specifically speaking Google apps like Gmail, Maps, Drive etc. etc. I'm not sure if you can uninstall those, but if you can you'd gain some little storage. But Yes, out of 8GB usually user will get 4~5GB for storage which is a shame. Also I think now 8GB tablets are decreasing. Best workaround to is to check if your tablet supports USB OTG (USB On-the-go) mode, so you can extend your storage as required.

Much appreciate, mate. The same question to you: there is any app to let me know the real physical memory? All apps I tried get only 4GB!! Thanks again.

I use an app called Disk Usage. But unfortunately it needs root to show space from system partitions. There is another application called Storage Analyser which will show you total space on individual partitions which you can sum up manually to verify. Also note 16GB won't mean actual 16GB it'll be ~15GB or such.

Yeah the S4 has "16" but you get 9. Also when they say Gb they often don't mean 1024 Mb (and a Megabye should be 1024 Kb etc) they just use 1000. So 1 Kb = 1000 bytes, 1 Mb = 1000 Kb etc and it's a total scam IMHO.

This is normal. My LG G2 phone has 32 GB of storage, but only 24 GB was available, when I unboxed it.
The automobile industry could really learn from this.
Customer: "The car only goes 240 km/h, while you advertised it as capable of 320 km/h??"
BMW: "It is overhead. Live with it"


text:
Inputting Japanese characters?
I am not a Japanese speaker, but I know a few words, mostly Pokémon names... In fact, in many cases the Japanese name will pop up in my head before the English one.
But I want to be able to type アブソル instead of "Abusoru" because the Romaji makes it look silly.
However at present the only way I can do this on my phone is to find an online converter and copy the result from there. Hardly ideal. But I can't find Japanese input methods anywhere in the keyboard settings. Plenty of other writing systems like Greek, Arabic, and I think Chinese, but no Japanese. Am I simply overlooking an option, or is there something I need to do to get such support on my phone?

Please take a look at Google Japanese Input: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.inputmethod.japanese
Swype keyboard has Japanese language built in as well: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nuance.swype.dtc

I will show you the way/tip (steps by steps) how to config the keyboard for any language on Android OS phone (I'm using Android 9)

Open any text editor app or web-browser which you can call the keyboard. In my phone, I'm opening Chrome

Press and hold on Space-bar key to call Change Keyboard screen

If there's not the support keyboard for the language that you want, select option LANGUAGE SETTINGS to go to the screen with the list of keyboards are added

If you want to add more keyboard, select button ADD KEYBOARD  to go to the screen that allow you select more keyboard --> find out your desired language and proceed to adding

Open any text editor again, then Press and hold on Space-bar key to call Change Keyboard screen --> select your desired language, in my case I selected Japanese (if I typed "ka" it will displayed by "か")


text:
Nokia Glance-like lock screen clock on Android
Is there any way to get Nokia Glance like power-saver clock + notifications on android phones with AMOLED screens?
It's very useful feature IMHO and does not consume much battery on phones with AMOLED screens.
I am not asking for app. It can be anything from an app to a ROM that has the feature.
EDIT
For those who don't know what Nokia Glance is:
It is a feature that shows digital clock when Lumia devices (and Nokia N9 if anyone still remembers the phone) with AMOLED screens are on stand by mode. The best thing is that it is ALWAYS there and you don't have to touch the screen or press a button for it to show up. It uses very less battery because it lights up only the necessary pixels with rest of the pixels turned off, something that is possible with AMOLED screens.
Here is a picture showing the feature in work:

Since there aren't many Nokia users here, it might help if you [edit] your question to describe what this feature does.

Besides, it would be a much better fit for Software Recommendations, as "Is there an app for X" type questions are rather off-topic here (see our [help/on-topic]).

@Izzy: I am not asking for just an app. It can be anything ranging from an app to a ROM that has this feature. One could argue that it still is off-topic but I can't find a better place to ask this question. A similar question is unanswered on xda dev forums.

I understand. Still, strictly speaking both are not quite on-topic ;) OK, thanks to your update I can give you indicators. If I remember correctly, those features have been described with the Moto X. They require an Amoled display, or they'd drain your battery pretty fast (only with that display you can "turn on selected pixels only" while keeping the others inactive). There are apps emulating this on other devices I've read about; not having and Amoled, I "note them down" then...

The keyword is: "Active Display". Use that in a search (a better custimized Google Search here) turns up a whole lot of good candidates (oh, and a bunch of not-candidates, unfortunately). It might be useful ignoring the ones from Motorola itself, as they are probably intended for their device(s) (checking can't hurt, though). Just a few picks right from the first page:

Active Display & Battery Active Display are two examples of apps emulating Moto's Active Display on other devices
As I wrote, these are only the first two candidates picked up, and there are probably several more you might wish to check out for yourself. Good luck!

Dynamic Notifications is another good candidate.

I use Glance Plus. It does not consume much battery and has lots of options and very useful features like 'in pocket mode'. It lights up all pixels of the screen, but very dimly. I have used the app for a week, it appears to have made no difference to the amount of battery consumed

Click image for larger version

Please edit your answer to include more information, such as description, and screenshots. Your answer as it stands is not eligible to remain on this site.

Are you not affiliated to the linked app?

authors: Äbdö ÄL-HłäWänŷ


text:
google play uses wrong account for in-app purchases
Problem:
When trying to purchase in-app items, google play selects the wrong google account and do not allow the user to correct it.
Scenario:
I have two google accounts, one private and one business. The private account is the default in google play when buying and installing apps. Though when trying an in-app purchase, the business account is choosen and cannot be changed. In my case, this prohibits me in-app purchases.
Further notes:
Uninstalling/reinstalling app to be sure the correct account is used in google play has no affect.
Haven't tried removing the business account and see how it affects the in-app purchases as I'm reluctant to do so. (Other way around would have been better:)
Question:
Have you encountered this problem and found a way to resolve/work-around it?

The question asked here is indeed very similar to the one referred to as its duplicate, with one difference though; the app in this case is installed via google play direcly and not side loaded via APK. The referred to question does not contain a workable solution, with exception for removing all but the wished for account. From my investigation so far, this is a bug in google play's in-app purchase, or the in-app purchase in some apps (some apps are strangly enough directed to the correct account), one crude workaround is available as earler stated.

I tried to add this info as complementary info to the other case before posting question, though due to the 50 rep minimum for being allowed to comment, I was not allowed to do that. :)

I found that I had a similar problem. What I did was completely reset my device, and then only associate my business account with it. That way my Gmail App is only displaying business conversations only. This also has the benefit of not confusing Play Store. This isn't the best way to do this probably, but it works. If you need to check your personal account, just sign in through your browser. This also prevents prying eyes from looking through your gmail app and seeing something personal.


text:
File signature for .db file needed after failed restore
I have just performed a factory reset and restore using CWM on Android custom ROM 'Neatrom'.
The restore deosnt seem to have completed properly, as the apps are there but the app data seems to be missing.
As a result, I have lost my notes and tasks ('My phone Explorer NOtes' and 'My Phone explorer Tasks').  I am trying to recover deleted and lost files using Yodot Data Recovery for android.  The files are , I believe, 'notes.db' and /or 'notes.db-journal', but '.db' or '.db-journal', are not default file types in Yodot, and need to be entered as a 'new file type'.
It asks for:
1) the file signature of this file type, in Hex,
2) THe file size
3) THe file offset
4) A Description of the type
Could anyone let me know what these details would be?  I have tried with the information on .db and .db-journal files in the online file signature database, but 'db-journal' isnt a file type in the database.  'db' has various signatures.  Using them, the 'notes.db' file wasnt found when I performed the search.
Thanks!

The format of these files is described in SQLite's documentation.
The db file is the main database and starts with the string "SQLite format 3\000" (note that \000 is the zero byte or ASCII NUL).
The db-journal file is the journal for the database. You only need it if the database was open when you performed the factory reset (that is, if the app was running and in the middle of writing the database). It starts with the following bytes: 0xd9, 0xd5, 0x05, 0xf9, 0x20, 0xa1, 0x63, 0xd7.


text:
Check application install
I want to write a simple program (java) run on desktop to first check some application is already installed in the device and if not install it. For installation part I may be use to adb install command. How to check whether application is already install in the device.

To VTClers: Though being asked from a developers standpoint (and development questions are off-topic here), this question is of interest to power-users as well. Scenario: Check whether a certain app is installed on a device attached via ADB, without having to use graphical stuff.

Why do you need to check for app's existence before installing?  The -r switch to adb install command performs this check already and re-installs the app (keeping all the data) if it already exists.

Initially I do not need to re install same app if already installed. I will give a info message if install..

You can find your answer e.g. at Github, and details in the developers documentation:
adb shell 'pm list packages [options] <FILTER>'

Prints all packages, optionally only those whose package name contains the text in .
Options:
-f: See their associated file.
-d: Filter to only show disabled packages.
-e: Filter to only show enabled packages.
-s: Filter to only show system packages.
-3: Filter to only show third party packages.
-i: See the installer for the packages.
-u: Also include uninstalled packages.
--user <USER_ID>: The user space to query.

As you can see: Unless you specified the -u parameter, pm list will only show installed apps. Filter the output for the package you want to deal with. If the output is "empty", the package is not installed:
adb shell 'pm list packages' | grep -x 'com.foobar'

should output nothing if com.foobar is not installed.

Since you make a reference to both java and adb in your question it sounds as if you're familiar with both.
Just have your Java application as a wrapper to perform adb system commands.
Using the system commands to adb, you could use the same Java program (adb wrapper) to check for the installs and actually perform the installs.
You can replace the "pm list packages" with any of the adb commands do perform your intentions.
This is the java class you can use.  Of course your java application can search the return (response) string for the apps you want to verify.
import java.io.BufferedReader;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.io.InputStream;
import java.io.InputStreamReader;

public class checkandroid {

    static int exitstatus;

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        // TODO Auto-generated method stub

        String shellcommand = "/opt/android/android-studio/sdk/platform-tools/adb shell pm list packages";

        String response = runit(shellcommand);

        System.out.println(response);

    }
    static String runit(String inputstr) {
        String output = "";
        exitstatus = 0;

        Process p = null;

        // -----------------------------------------------

        try {

            p = Runtime.getRuntime().exec(inputstr);

            InputStream cmdStdOut = null;
            InputStream cmdStdErr = null;

            cmdStdOut = p.getInputStream();
            cmdStdErr = p.getErrorStream();

            String line = "";
            String line1 = "";
            BufferedReader stdOut = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(
                    cmdStdOut));
            BufferedReader stdErr = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(
                    cmdStdErr));
            while ((line = stdOut.readLine()) != null) {
                // logger.info(line);
                // System.out.println(line);
                output += line + "\n";
            }
            stdOut.close();
            System.out.print("Error Status: ");
            while ((line1 = stdErr.readLine()) != null) {
                // logger.info(line);
                System.out.println(line1);
                output += line1;
            }
            stdErr.close();

            try {
                p.waitFor();

            } catch (InterruptedException e) {
                // Auto-generated catch block
                e.printStackTrace();
            }
            exitstatus = p.exitValue();
            System.out.println(p.exitValue());
        } catch (IOException e) {
            // Auto-generated catch block
            e.printStackTrace();
        }

        // -----------------------------------------------

        return output;
    }

}

Thank you Izzy and L.D James I combined both and make success :)

@user3734225 You're very welcome! Consider contributing back to the community by marking it solved by clicking the check mark.  This will flag a good resource for the next person having a similar question.  Glad to be of service!


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Why does the screen flicker when connecting to a third party wall mounted USB charger
After going through this post(Why does my phone have erroneous input when connected to a non-OEM power source?) I am asking this question the above post does not solve my question up to the mark.
I was at a convenience store where I found a wall mounted charge station. The unit has several types of pins for various brands(Lg , Nokia, Blackberry etc.) When I connected the USB to my device the screen started to flicker and the device started vibrating for some reason for which I had to withdraw the USB Cable from the device.
Specs-
Operating system-Android 4.1.2
Manufacturer-Samsung
The unit was perfectly normal as beside there was another blackberry device getting its charge normally. Then why did my device show this behaviour

The accepted answer on the question you've named IMHO exactly explains that: slightly different PIN assignments for the optional "X" PIN. Some devices might expect it to be grounded (and are confused if it's not), others get confused if it's grounded.

@Izzy Samsung devices work fine with HTC (and all other major brands of) charger cables, speaking from experience. Also I'd be surprised if they weren't using a generic cable at a convenience store.


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Samsung galaxy s duos wifi not working
I am using Samsung Galaxy S DUOS GT-7562, I have rooted my phone few days ago using UnlockRoot software. Now from 3-4 days I am having problem with WiFi. Please check the attached images. I have tried so many things which was already there on different forums, but nothing works for me.
My phone's warranty expired on 10th of June and also I have rooted it. So, I will have to pay a huge amount to Service Center.
Any hints what I could do?
Is it a kind of bug or virus?
Edit
I have tried,
1) Hard Reset from boot menu
2) Unroot phone from same software, through which I have rooted the phone.. i.e UnlockRoot
3) As mentioned in XDA Developers Forum, tried installing different applications which solves such problems like WifiFixer
Still the problem is there, Wifi or Portable Wifi or Wifi-Direct are not starting. They are hanged in between On/Off state.

Screenshots (click images for larger variants)

Yepp, much clearer now (so I removed my previous comment – you might wish to do the same for yours). // Still open question/suggestion: Have you tried running adb logcat while enabling WiFi? That might give some clues (imagine e.g. no MAC being given – unlikely, but in that case no network connections could be activated).

Sir, Nothing getting displayed in LogCat as Wifi is not getting ON. It's in between On/Off state. Please check screenshot-1

That's not adb logcat. And yes, I see it's not getting on. But screenshot #4 shows an error, so logcat definitely will have details. How did you check logcat? Your spelling makes me assuming an app, which might not work correctly (depending on Android version and whether it has root or not, it might not be able to really see all entries – which is why I explicitely recommended using adb logcat. Sorry for not being clear about the background).


text:
Permanently set USB connection mode
My phones touchscreen has been gradually failing for a few months, so before it dies completely I rooted it and installed Webkey so I can control it via a browser. Of course that requires the wifi to be on, so what I want to do is plug the phone into my computer and turn on the wifi on from the adb shell (which I've done, and it works fine).
The thing is, adb doesn't see my phone unless I manually set the connection mode to MTP, and I won't be able to do that when the touchscreen goes completely unresponsive.
So, how would I set my phone to automatically use MTP when I connect it via USB?
It's an Alcatel OneTouch 993, running Android 4.0.4.

Why not just leave the Wi-Fi turned on?

To save on the battery.

What about other ways to trigger WiFi? I think e.g. of using Tasker to toggle WiFi. Possible toggles (selection): Camera-button, NFC, Bluetooth. Would that be acceptable? Apart from that: Can't the connection-mode be made permanent? Most devices support that ("always use X").

Thanks, problem solved! I used MacroDroid to turn on the wifi when I shake the phone, which is even easier than using adb :)


text:
Recent activities log
Is there an easy way to view a list of recent activities? The one I'm looking for doesn't seem to be showing up in the main recent apps view, and adb logcat is so noisy I'm having a hard time finding anything.

What kind of recent activities are you looking for?

Really just any activity that is appearing on screen.

For Lollipop do adb shell dumpsys activity recents. For some earlier Android version, run adb shell dumpsys activity activities.
Alternatively, you may run adb shell dumpsys activity | grep -i run as noted by loeschg here.
You would get a list of recent apps' package name, component (activity) name, flags among other things.
In Lollipop, if you've root access, you can browse to /data/system/recent_tasks/. You'll find some XML files with numeral names, such as 317.xml. Each of them consists of the same aforesaid details, but each XML file is created for an individual app.
You can also get some info from adb shell dumpsys usagestats.


text:
Introspy: trace file (introspy.db) is not created
I am trying to use Introspy tool in Android device, but the trace file (introspy.db) is not being created. Kindly any help if you have tried using this.

Is your device definitely rooted? And are you looking in the private directory of the app you're analysing, not the config app? And finally, what has your question to do with the emulator?

yes device is rooted , i am looking into app's file system only not into the intorspy app's directory..  for example com.example.test is my app, i am looking into /data/data/com.example.test folder...

Consider to post a new issue on their issue tracker to let the developers know about it. Probably, the error is not on user-side, but developer-side.

I know this was asked a long time ago but in case anyone else who searches needs an answer:
I also had this problem when running Introspy on a Galaxy S4 running KitKat (4.4.2).  I have ran Introspy with zero problems on a Nexus S running JellyBean (4.2.1).  Because of this I believe it is an Android SDK problem with newer versions.
If you look at the AndroidManifest file for Introspy-Android Core, the targetSdkVersion is 18, which denotes Jellybean.  I looked at logcat files and found that I was getting the error:
Permission Denial: get/set setting for user asks to run as user -2 but is calling from user 0; this requires android.permission.INTERACT_ACROSS_USERS_FULL

I simply added this permission to the Android Core AndroidManifest.xml file as well as the Android Config AndroidManifest.xml with the command:
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERACT_ACROSS_USERS_FULL"/>

I then just recompiled both binaries and it worked!  Hope this helps.

Good to know it works! Consider to create a pull request.


text:
Why are USB cables of two different OEM's different
The USB has various purposes for data transfer, movement of input and output signals for hardware like connecting an Android device to another Display screen (USB on the go), charging the device etc.(during a device charge the voltage drawn from the USB is same irrespective of the device or OEM then Why are two USB Cables different ?
A USB of one manufacturer may not be supporting another manufacturer. We get problems if we do connect them like
Why does the screen flicker when connecting to a third party wall mounted USB charger
or
Why does my phone have erroneous input when connected to a non-OEM power source?

Are you actually asking about the cables, or the chargers?

These days we get both clubbed into one single cable

The two questions you link to are to do with different chargers, not the cables. If two cables both adhere to the USB standard, they're interchangeable. You can tell if a cable adheres to the standard, as it will have the USB logo on one or both of the plugs. It's not allowed to display the logo if it doesn't meet the spec. There are two cases where you might have a "USB cable" that really isn't (and thus doesn't have the logo):-

I've seen cheap cables that don't have the D+ and D- lines wired correctly. They ought to be a twisted pair, as USB uses differential signalling to make it more resistant to noise. But the cheapest cables save money by having a single line that's only wired to the D+ pin. These cables will be unreliable and might not work with some devices.
Some devices use a USB port to charge but not to transfer data (i.e. they're not USB devices). Examples include Bluetooth headsets and game controllers. These devices sometimes come with a cable that looks like a USB cable but only has the power pins wired: the data pins aren't connected to anything. Such a cable can only be used for charging.

Apart from these exceptions, the cable itself makes no difference (as long as it's not physically damaged). What makes a difference is the charger: the thing you plug the cable into, that also plugs into the mains. For faster charging from mains power, manufacturers get around the limit on how much voltage and current USB is specified for by introducing their own extra modifications to USB.
These allow the manufacturer's charger to charge compatible devices faster. However, so that the charger still meets the USB standard, and won't fry a standard USB device, it can only supply the extra voltage or current if it detects that the device is compatible, using extra pins, or by having the pins wired together in a special way. Devices that don't have the manufacturer's modification will only charge using standard USB current, so will charge more slowly.
Because there's been such a need for high-powered charging, recent revisions of the USB standard have added more support for chargers and have increased the current limit, but the manufacturers still use their own extensions (to make sure chargers from the same manufacturer are interchangeable).

what about the latest in version i.e.  USB 3.0


text:
No auto-brightness option in LG L90 dual
My L90 has no auto-brightness option. Could anyone please suggest a way to fix the issue?

The L90 lacks an ambient light sensor, so there is no true auto brightness method.
XDA user gdjindal has a unique tutorial for adding a pseudo-automatic function on the Optimus L9 (it'll most likely work on your phone as well): link

Other option is to use my app. It is real auto brightness. "Auto Brightness by PP"

Tell us why we should use your app. Features, good reviews? I'm not just gonna follow a random link.

You can see on good rate (4.5-4.6), and positive review. Even though it has a few download count because I just put it into app store this year, but the range is going up. More feature please read in the app link, to prevent "too much promote app" rule. Thanks.

authors: ปรีดา ตั้งนภากร


text:
Will I get OTA updates after installing Android L Developer preview?
I installed Android L developer preview on my Nexus 5. Now I was wondering if I still would get over-the-air updates. If not is there a way of fixing this?

No.
For users who are using Android L Developer preview will need to reflash the phone and install the fresh build.

If you want to receive the official consumer OTA update in November and any other official updates, you will have to have a factory image on your Nexus device.

Official Source

For the developer preview versions, there will not be an over the air (OTA) update.

This is clearly mentioned in announcement at Android Developer Blog.
So, when the actual Lollipop comes out on November 3rd, Google will create factory images for Nexus Devices and upload to Factory Images for Nexus Devices. Fetch it and flash it again to enjoy Lollipop on your Nexus 5.

authors: Алексей Горин


text:
Tasker - Advance Settings - Export App Package Name?
I've deactivated beginner mode on tasker and noticed now when I try exporting a task as an application it requires a Package name, I've tried following their instructions and have been unsuccessful, I don't want to go back to beginner mode therefore it is not an option
Does anyone know what's needed in the Package name with examples of what would work?
Thanks

What are you putting in for the package name that it doesn't like? Beginner mode vs non-beginner mode shouldn't matter.
Package name has to have at least one . in it to be valid.  Usually you can just use your email backwards along with a unique name for the app.  Say your email is someone@gmail.com and you're trying to export an app you want to call myapp.  The package name could be com.gmail.someone.myapp.


text:
Tablet boot in recovery mode always
I have flashed TWRP Recovery and after getting in recovery mode my tablet only boot in recovery mode all time
I'm pressing powerkey only but tablet boots in recovery mode only help please :(
I have proscan plt4315-pl tablet and installed TWRP recovery from this tutorial
http://www.techknow.me/forum/index.php?topic=7389.0

More information is needed. What's the make and model number of your tablet? How did you install TWRP? Post link to instructions if you have it. Was the tablet stock, or was it already running custom ROM and recovery?

@Chahk:Updated my question and tablet running stock rom and recovery


text:
Reading Mifare Classic chips with Samsung Galaxy S4?
Searching the web far and wide has me almost out of hope in making Samsung's Galaxy S4 phone read the Mifare CLassic chip through NFC. But does anyone know of any form of work-around, or is this strictly a result of the NFC hardware in this phone?

Unfortunately, the NFC technology in mobile devices is ever-so-slightly different from RFID tech, making most cards unreadable.  I was trying for the longest time to read HID cards on my phone, but I could never make it work.
Some cards are readable, depending on the frequency in which they operate.  I can't remember off the top of my head what those are, however.  This app on Play will read all the cards that your NFC chip technologically is compatible with: NFC Tag Info
According to the developer, that app can read Mifare Classic cards.

No, the S4 can't read MIFARE Classic cards. The main problem is that NXP does not license the reader-side of its proprietary MIFARE Classic technology (specifically the use of the (broken) Crypto-1 algorithm) to other chip manufacturers. As a result, the Broadcom NFC controller inside the S4 does not support communication with such cards.
This alone would not be too difficult to circumvent. The Crypto-1 algorithm has been reverse-engineered and published, so it could easily be implemented in software within an Android app. However, the MIFARE Classic protocol does not fully comply to ISO/IEC 14443-3 (NFC-A) in that the authentication command uses a non-standard frame format. As a result, the communication facilities accessible on Android (the closest would be the NfcA tag technology, that requires adherence to ISO/IEC 14443-3 framing) can't be used to communicate with MIFARE Classic tags.

So the non-standard frame format is at a lower level than you can access via the Broadcom NFC hardware inside one of these devices?  Just wondering whether this is an API limitation or a hardware compatibility issue.  I'd be surprised if Broadcom didn't include a small workaround for so many popular non-standard cards to make their controllers more versatile.

Hard to tell without having access to the documentation of the NFC chip. It's at least an Android API limitation (NfcA will auto-append a CRC to each frame), but that limitation could just as well reach down to the NFC controller (if the NFC controller only implements the standards).

There is a MifareClassic API interface, so maybe the fact that that is not implemented for Broadcom chips means it is a hardware limitation then.

Not necessarily. If a chip officially supports MIFARE Classic it will be likely that its software library also implements the MifareClassic tag technology. However, I doubt that this will happen for any non-NXP hardware due to legal reasons (as I wrote above, NXP does not currently license the reader-side to any other manufacturer).

But this does not necessarily mean that the hardware itself is not capable of communicating with MIFARE Classic chips. While non-NXP chips won't have the MIFARE Classic reader-side directly in hardware/firmware, that capability could be implemented in software if (and only if) the chip provides adequate low-level interfaces that would permit this.

Not sure about the licensing side, but my Windows Phone (Lumia 1020) can read and write MiFare Classic 1K cards... and Microsoft (and Nokia) were never ones to go out of their way to make something work. Most disappointed that my Galaxy S4 doesn't support these tags. Useful info on tag compatibility (non-technical) here http://www.andytags.com/nfc-tags-compatibility-issues.html#.VoJn_BWLRaQ

@GregWoods Right all (most?) Lumia devices contain NFC controller hardware from NXP.

Does this mean Yubikey Neo won't work with S4?

@JohnyTex Yubikey Neo uses standard ISO/IEC 14443-4 (i.e. ISO-DEP) so it will work just fine. There is no MIFARE Classic involved in typically Yubikey usecases.


text:
install missing apps after installing rom?
I've installed a new ROM. In the previous times I've done this, Play reinstalled them once the phone booted. But this time it didn't (I've tried reinstalling the ROM a second time to make sure).
I have a backup of all these apps in Titanium, but I can't find a feature to install missing apps (just "restore" them, which apparently means just restoring settings & data for those already installed)
Is there anything I can do other than going to 'my apps' in Play and installing them one by one (I have many)?

Titanium should restore the APKs as well as the data.  But another method is to go into Settings>Backup/Restore (or similar), and there is an option for backing up and restoring data from Google Play.

none of these work

In that case, you'll probably have to restore one-by-one, manually.  I don't know why Titanium didn't back up APKs.


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Typing emoji in SMS limits number of characters to 70
I have HTC One X running Android 4.2.2. While typing SMSs if I put an emoji character then it sets the maximum number of characters to 70. Why?

Because when you use emojis, you force the use of UTF-16 encoding instead of the regular 7 bit ASCII encoding. 7 bit ASCII encoding allows 160 characters per SMS, but since UTF-16 encoding takes up about twice as much data per character, it only allows 70 characters per SMS.


text:
"USB Debugging" mode not visible, Samsung Galaxy Note II
resolved (see below)
The only options I see are "Media device (MTP)" and "Camera (PTP)", I can browse the phone files and download images from the camera directory, so the USB plug and cable are fine.
I tried following the steps on this page from Google.
I am only trying to access browser tabs (for inspect element on mobile device web development).  The only software installed so far is the Samsung driver from the Samsung site and any drivers installed when the phone is plugged into the USB port.

I have the "Developer options" enabled, and "USB debugging" is checked
When going through the list on the page I did not install Samsung drivers first, as it is out of order on the page, so I went back into Device Manager and removed the drivers that installed from first plug in of the phone thinking this was the problem
I then followed the steps again, installing Samsung driver first then plugging in my phone.
After all drivers installed I rebooted (as computer told me reboot required), plugged my phone in again, and USB debugging is still not an option.

Computer OS: Windows 7 (64 bit)
Phone: SCH-1605 (Samsung Galaxy Note II - Verizon)
Phone OS: Android 4.4.2
resolution
using this howtogeek link provided in the accepted answer I was able to install the Java JDK and Android SDK, which apparently is necessary to get it to work as expected and put my phone in debugging mode when plugged in

USB debugging isn't supposed to be an "option" in the same place as MTP and PTP. It's completely separate. Turning it on in the Developer options is all you need. Do you see the notification on the phone telling you USB debugging is connected?

Is this related question any help?

@Dan Hulme I do not see anywhere that it is connected for Debugging, and when searching for the device using the browser chrome://inspect/#devices the device is not found.
Also, the related question does not help resolve the issue (I have the Samsung driver installed, and my device is still not found).
In my Device Manager I do see "SAMSUNG Android Phone > SAMSUNG Android ADB Interface" which states it is working properly

As an FYI, if there is a software download that will make the process easier I do not mind installing third party apps, I am just trying to get my phone to connect to my PC as "USB Debugging"

Apologise for my ignorance as I dont have a Galaxy Note II but since you have the SAMSUNG Android ADB Interface I am presuming when you run command (and get this from google too)
adb.exe devices

Do you at least see a Serial Number??
I had a similar issue with my Nexus 5 and noticed I too have the same drivers however for my computer to connect to the device I had to make sure my device is:

NOT in a Locked State (meaning the phone is not on the lock screen)
Debugging is enabled (You already have)
And accept the adb connection physically on the phone (just do the adb connection and it'll prompt your device for privileges.)

EDITED - 01/08/2014

'adb.exe' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file.

adb.exe is actually part of the Google SDK package you'll need to install ... however you can get the adb.exe from places where you can root your phone...

For example this site down load Root nexus5 and it'll have the adb.exe within this package (do try):
http://downloadandroidfiles.org/download-rootnexus5-zip-2/
Now I am not going to re event the wheel in trouble shooting an android device as there are so SOO many tutorials out there...
Here is one I think you should follow and it shows exactly what I mean with the
{{{adb.exe devices}}} command and it explains exactly what each command does...
http://www.howtogeek.com/125769/how-to-install-and-use-abd-the-android-debug-bridge-utility/

Thank you for the help, the howtogeek link (installing the SDK) was what I needed, the google link I provided above did not statye it required the SDK but apparently it is necessary.  I have accepted your answer, and added what worked into my question because I cannot edit your answer

Im glad you got it to work now :) ... Take care

To get the usb debugging on a samsung note 2: go to "about device".  Under about device, scroll to build number.  It will not be highlighted.  Tap it repeatedly until you receive a message.  It will state that you will become a developer in three steps.  Keep tapping it until no more messages.  You will see developers options.  Click on developers options, scroll down to usb debugging.

The questioner already said in the question that he enabled the checkbox for USB debugging. The problem was that it wasn't working on the PC.


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Whatsapp: traveling with a pay-as-you-go SIM card
If I replace the SIM card in my Verizon Galaxy s4 with a pre-paid pay-as-you-go UK SIM card, then my phone will have a new UK number.
If I now want to use Whatsapp, do I have to migrate Whatsapp to the UK phone number and back again upon return?
Do I then have to tell my contacts what my UK phone number is?  (by email or voice phone call, I suppose).    Can I simply send them a Whatsapp text from the new number, and their Whatsapp will accept it?
What's commonly done when traveling?  Use Verizon's Global plan, and pay their rates?

Global plan is not worldwide. Just don't do Verizon overseas. Read this cautionary tale: http://shankman.com/on-how-i-prevented-verizon-from-charging-me-31-047-68

Yeah, well the UK is OK for Verizon.  But their $25/Megabyte data charge (after 100 MB allotment) is scary.  Throw in $1.29 per minute for voice... all for the low low price of $30 to set it up.  I don't want to be worried about charges.  I already have a Giffgaff SIM, 17.50 pounds sterling (about $25) for more communication than I could ever use in ten days.  The main concern is getting Whatsapp going without having to tell all my friends a new number.

Switch the SIM, answer no when whatsapp asks you to switch numbers.
REF: https://apple.stackexchange.com/a/122021
If you switch SIM AFTER installing WhatsApp, you are good to go with the old number. The servers "save" your activation phone number during that initial SMS.
I tested it on my own phone (it's a Gingerbread p1000n - All hail the venerable P1000) with a borrowed SIM card, the app just kept sending messages with my old phone number. WhatsApp did not ask to switch numbers. There is a "change number" setting.
If you reinstall the app while switching SIM, then you have to restart and get a new number.

About what is usually done when travelling, I can say from the World Cup visitors we received, several just bought a new temporary SIM card after arriving here in Brazil. The local phone companies even set up special and attractive prepaid plans for the football fans.
YMMV anyway, and you should check your home carrier overseas fees and the local fares. Usually you can get a better deal buying a trowaway SIM. Here in Brazil we even do it when traveling to another state.
If you want to keep your number and still enjoy the reduced local mobile internet fees, you can try and get any old android device that can do tethering (or buy a unlocked mobile hotspot), and then insert the other SIM into that device, then tether the internet to your main phone using the old phone as a mobile hotspot. Just turn off data and use wi-fi.

On Verizon's Global (not really global) plan, I urge you to read what Peter Shankman wrote of his personal experiences with that. My advice, is: DON'T. Or if you do, monitor closely your fees.

That's the answer I hoped I would get ... but now I'm wondering:  how does Whatsapp know how to find me if I have a new SIM and phone number?  Is it like Skype in the sense that you are logged in, and Whatsapp knows who and where you are?  I'm guessing (I certainly don't know!) that an SMS message uses the phone network to track you down via phone number, i.e., is tied directly to the phone number.  Am I making myself clear?  :)

Check the permissions for the APP: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.whatsapp  -- basically it can read the SIM and look up your own phone number. It uses the SMS to check if you are spoofing the phone number, but it always knows (and checks) every time you run it what is your phone number. And it uses almost all the nice permissions.

Your comment confuses me again.  If it reads the SIM and checks my phone number every time, and I have a new number (due to a PAYG SIM card), it won't associate me (represented by my old phone number) with my new temporary number (read from the SIM).

From what I've researched, WhatsApp asks if you want to switch numbers. Also I am not looking at the app source to see WHEN it checks your phone number. Just that it CAN do it because of its permissions.

Tested it here with my devices, I switched SIMs and sent message to a regular contact (one I already had a conversation going with). The receiver had the new message from the same phone number from before. YMMV


text:
Battery goes down from 100% to like 80-75% so fast
Why does my LG L90 battery goes down from 100% to like 80-75% so fast (about 30 mins) and then the battery lasts quite a while? Is it because the battery has been charged only a few times? Because I bought the phone week ago.

Have you recalibrated your battery recently?

No, i just charged the phone when the battery was about 15% and that's it.

I urge you to read this fine article: http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/battery_calibration and then calibrate your battery. If it continues, its a sign that your battery may need replacement. If its in warranty, take it to the manufacturer.

Have you rooted your phone and installed a custom recovery?

From the question comments, you have not calibrated your battery (in a long time or ever).
You need to do a proper calibration:

Do a full charge of the device's battery.
Use the device until it turns off on its own. Do a full discharge of the battery. One neat trick is to get some game that has wakelock (does not let the screen turns off) and leave it running with the device on a well-ventilated place.
After the device dies of low battery, wait for it to cool down and turn it on and use it a bit more. When it refuses to turn on at all, its fully discharged.
Plug it in and let it charge to max.

This will set the flags for FULL and EMPTY battery, and the meters should be accurate.
If the problem persists, your battery may be damaged. If the device's battery is still under warranty, take it to the service center.

Do note that you should not leave it in a fully discharged state for long, and in order to fully charge it, it is best that the device is left off during the charge.

Do you disconnect the charger immediately when the phone reaches 100%? If so Try an overnight charge and see if this behavior persists.
often times a fast charger may well reach a 4.2 volt peak in your battery but not complete the saturation charge phase before announcing 100% charge. in truth however if the saturation phase is not completed the battery is only charged to about 80% which would be bang on what you are seeing.
My L7 II does exactly the same if not charged overnight (or at least a few hours after the green light.
Do this before doing a possibly unnecessary full discharge witch is generally not very healthy for a lipo cell.
If you don't solve your problem thus, go ahead and do the calibration cycle as described by mindwin.


text:
Is it possible to modify the firmware used when the device is turned off?
On (at least) some Samsung devices there is some piece of software that runs when the device is turned off. It is the one that displays the battery state when charging, along with the red/green indicator light.
It is obviously tiny, native and device-specific. It is also probably (again, at least) somehow related to the initial bootloader that e.g. puts the system in recovery mode if needed.
But would it be possible to modify that piece of software to, for example, change the light colors or other functionality? I'm really asking just in theory; even if extremely hard and non-practical, I'm curious if it would be possible.
EDIT: Just clarifying here, but I mean the software that runs when the entire device is turned off, not just the screen. I have a Galaxy S3 LTE (GT-I9305, CyanogenMod 10.1, CWM recovery 6.0), and CyanogenMod actually allows me to change the light colors when just the screen is off.
Also, I don't necessarily want to change it by any means, I am just curious if it could be changed.
Here's what the software I mean looks like on my phone (sorry for the poor quality, obviously not taken with my phone :P):

Have your tried using Custom Roms... I believe AOPK and some others support light changes... Check it out :)
http://aokp.co/

I am running CM10.1 (you sadly don't have CM11 for GT-I9305 yet) and CWM recovery 6.x, but they at least don't modify it in any way.

Ahh... you might wanna state to the developers (of CM for example) for the feature your require. Not too sure if they find any value in changing the colour of the light while in sleep mode but it would not hurt to ask them).. I am still learning development myself so I cant give you a definitive answer at this stage other than try another ROM which does have a feature to change the light..BUT even saying that the change light feature within AOPK is only when the mobile phone is awake and receiving notifications.

I'm not sure it is related to the ROM. I do not mean the stuff going on when the screen is turned off, but when the entire device is turned off. I updated the question for clarity.

Also, I don't require a certain feature, but I'm curious if it was possible to change the software causing said light to appear.


text:
Is a device Unlock Code required when changing providers?
So... I just switched from AT&T to Cricket Wireless. They gave me a new SIM, and AT&T gave me an Unlock Code. I have an Android Samsung Galaxy Skyrocket S2.
I use Cricket Wireless.
I put in the new SIM, and was never prompted for a Code. I was able to get hooked up to the Cricket network and make calls just fine.
Am I good to go? Or will I be screwed if I don't get my Unlock Code entered?

This question has nothing to do with Android, actually, since SIM-locking is common for any cellphone.

You're good for now, but don't lose that unlock code!
Cricket is now owned by AT&T, and you can use either an unlocked GSM phone or a locked-to-AT&T or locked to Cricket GSM phone on Cricket. But if you should ever need to use that Galaxy S II Skyrocket SGH-i727 on (for example) T-Mobile, you'll need the unlock code!
To unlock a Samsung Galaxy phone, you just need to put a non-AT&T, non-Cricket SIM card in it, and then power-on the phone. It should prompt you for the unlock code. If you don't have a non-AT&T, non-Cricket SIM card, then just visit a T-Mobile store, and let them put one of theirs in it.
AT&T has unlocking instructions here:
http://www.att.com/media/att/2014/support/pdf/ATTMobilityDeviceUnlockCodeInstructions.pdf

Does the unlock code expire? Let's say I travel abroad with the phone after 3 years and need to temporarily use a local provider. Will the code work at that time?

You only need an unlock code if your phone was SIM-locked to start with. Not all phones are, and if you didn't get the phone from the carrier it definitely wasn't.

I did get the phone from the carrier.

Even then, it's not necessarily locked. If it were, it wouldn't be working at all, so don't worry about it.

If your phone is running fine, then don't worry about it.  It's possible that they unlocked your phone over-the-air... Sounds weird, but some companies do it with certain phones (for example, Sprint pushes out unlock codes over-the-air).
Did you buy your phone outright from the carrier (the full price), or did you sign a contract?

2 year contract with AT&T came, paid for the phone from them for a discount


text:
What's the name of the manufacturer of my really cheap Chinese tablet?
I recently got into high school. I've received a really cheap Chinese tablet as a gift. I can conclude this because it's Box just says "Android Tablet PC". No model name, No manufacturer name, NO NOTHING...!!
As the latest need of new generation and 21'st century, it is really dumb, 'cause it stuck with stock Android 4.1.1 ... It won't even upgrade to Android Jelly Bean(4.2.2).
As the new Android Kitkat (4.4.4) is in the market, I really want to upgrade to that android.
It specs(Personally-made)..
Supports Wi-Fi, GPS, but no Bluetooth.
Has 1 GB internal storage, NAND Flash of 5.32 GB and it even supports a SD card.
It's RAM is 1 GB
It's Model Number is AM818RC
It's Kernal Version is 3.0.8+
It's Build Number is rk30sdk-eng4.1.1 JRO03H 20121228.140006 release-keys...

It's not possible to guess the "name of the manufacturer", as they have not even provided that information on tablet itself.
If you want to use Android Kitkat on the tablet, you can TRY some custom ROMs such as CyanogenMod, with any available binary image for a tablet with almost all specifications same as your's, including processor, RAM, NAND etc.
And I'm not sure whether this will work or not. So make sure to have a complete backup.

I have an extra 8 GB SD card on which i can backup...By the way.. HOW TO DO BACKUP YOUR APPS + APPS CACHE (e.g = Your record of subway surfers....Your points in HILL CLIMB RACING...etc.)
could you also tell me how to download and use CYANOGENMOD.
I could also give you my email to send me a detailed process of downloading and using it to upgrade to android 4.4..Regards

CyanogenMod is a custom ROM.  You have to find the right version yourself: http://download.cyanogenmod.org/    And use Titanium Backup or MyBackup Root to backup data.  You have to be rooted.

According to a quick Google search based on the model number you provided, this might be Oracom Korea's AM 818 8" tablet.

As KeshavaGN has said CyanogenMod is a safe option(provided you have read the risks associated with it) to root your phone to Android 4.4.4(Kit-Kat) but a small note of precaution is that the kit-Kat OS occupies a min of 3 GB space so later you will not have enough storage on board.
(As given by your specs you  will have only 2 GB free of storage space for your own use to download other apps)

great then why didn't you include it in your question that you can expand up to 16 GB.

I wrote "it even supports a SD card"

Dear Atta "it even supports a SD card" doesn't specify how much GB space your device can support.If you end up having an SD Card more then its limitations then the device starts to lag a lot.So for best answers plz write the complete details of hardware/software.

Thanks 4 d Tip....
I have an extra 8 GB SD card on which i can backup...By the way.. HOW TO DO BACKUP YOUR APPS + APPS CACHE (e.g = Your record of subway surfers....Your points in HILL CLIMB RACING...etc.) could you also tell me how to download and use CYANOGENMOD. I could also give you my email to send me a detailed process of downloading and using it to upgrade to android 4.4..Regards

ANd 1 thing more... it has smthing "rock chip'in it.. i dunt know whether its a processor or a rom...


text:
What are the command line options of Genymotion's player
Can someone give me a list of the cli options of Genymotion's player command.  I see that I can get a  list of the devices via VituralBox's command:
$ VBoxManage list vms

Then I can start the desired device with:
$ ./player --vm-name "Samsung Galaxy S2 - 2.3.7 - API 10 - 480x800"

Now I'm looking for player command option to start the Genymotion from the last run state.  In other words have it resume where it was when the device was closed.
There's a chance the option might be in one of the possible cli arguments.  I've searched for a list, but so far my results are to how to start a VMS but not the full list of options that are available.
I also used -help and --help as a parameter, but it just gives and error.  Not the full usage options of the player command.
This is the list that I have compiled so far (found by running player without argument):
--vm-name
--quiet

It may be that those are the only options of the player command.  If it is I'd appreciate knowing so that I can stop searching.

When you use player inproperely it writes help info into the log file. Eg.
siciarek@siciarek ~ $ ~/bin/genymotion/player --help
Logging activities to file: /home/siciarek/.Genymobile/genymotion.log
siciarek@siciarek ~ $ tail -n 6 /home/siciarek/.Genymobile/genymotion.log
2018-01-18T18:28:13+01:00 [:8281] [debug] Usage: player
2018-01-18T18:28:13+01:00 [:8281] [debug]        --vm-name|-n <device name>
2018-01-18T18:28:13+01:00 [:8281] [debug]        [ --no-popup|-s ]
2018-01-18T18:28:13+01:00 [:8281] [debug]        [ --poweroff|-x  ||
2018-01-18T18:28:13+01:00 [:8281] [debug]          --startadb|-a  ||
2018-01-18T18:28:13+01:00 [:8281] [debug]          --stopadb|-z ]
siciarek@siciarek ~ $


text:
What files need to stay on the device for a clockworkmod?
I installed a clockworkmod months ago to an Alcatel OneTouch 995. On the SDCard there is still a clockworkmod folder. The directory structure looks like follows:
└── clockworkmod
    └── backup
        └── OT995_4.0.4-FR
            ├── boot.img
            ├── custpack.ext4.tar
            ├── nandroid.md5
            └── system.ext4.tar

I wonder if the folder needs to stay on the card. Can you please explain why or why not?

The clockworkmod folder contains data that CWM created, and more specifically the backup folder is where your device's backup files are stored. All of those files are what constitute a Nandroid backup of your device.
If you're looking to free up some space on your device you can delete the folder, but CWM will recreate only the folder every time you reboot; the backup files will not be recreated, and will only be generated when you use the Backup feature so be sure to copy these files to a computer (for backup purposes should you ever need to restore it).
I often create Nandroid backups, copy them to a computer or external storage, and then delete them from my device to save the memory for more useful things.

Are those files a backup of the currently running Android version or of the system which was installed before?

@JJD They are as recent as from when you last created the backup while in Recovery mode. CWM does not make backups automatically. I would look at the file metadata to know when they were created and that might indicate to you which ROM they correspond to. If you don't recall when you used the Backup feature, then chances are you did it as part of a tutorial or while experimenting with it. Either way, its always a good idea to have a backup (or several, at that). :)


text:
Magnify (zoom) part of image application
I'd like to edit an image to add a "magnifying glass" ring with a magnified region inside, like in the screenshot below. The standard Gallery editing tools can't do that, and I've tried a few other apps with the same result. Is there any way to add this effect (zoom certain part of image) using any kind of Android app?

use this
https://github.com/nomanr/android-image-magnifier
may u like this...................... ............. ............. .............

While this looks promising, it's a component for devs to use, not an app immediately ready for regular users.


text:
Listen to Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) packet
Can an Android application generate or listen to ARP packet without root privilege ?

Thank!

What is your goal?  Do you want to read packets?  In that case, use tcpdump with adb shell.

Yes. I want to read or generate ARP packets. Thanks for your advice :D

@IAmTheSquidward I need an android lib, which can do that job not adb shell


text:
Boot a bricked s3 i535 for photo recovery
I know I need an sdcard formatted a certain way with a factory image and it will go into a safe mode; question is, does anyone know where I can find instructions or can instruct me what file and how to do this?

Wait, what do you mean by "bricked`?  Soft bricked?  If you just want to recover photos and not completely restore the phone, there are simpler ways.

Technically a hard brick. No Odin. Just that usb flag in device manager.

What model of S3?


text:
My phone is sending messages to international number
My phone is automatically sending sms to number 6592324290 and i have been charged heavily by my service provider. I don't remember that i have installed any app which can send such sms. please advice so that at lest further sms can be stopped.

Check out the link above, posted by @filoxo.  Take a look at your permissions for apps that can send SMS.  Are you rooted?

Procedure is the same as described here and here. Just replace the permission to check for by SEND_SMS.


text:
Google now crashes on sony xperia m after update to JB 4.3
I have got Sony Xperia M (C1904) it was first with JB 4.1 update. I got very soon update to JB 4.2.2 and google now crash when keep long touch on home button. I got another update to JB 4.3 same problem continued but now after some usage of phone.
Anyone who know how to get rid of this?
I want Google Now launches after long touch of home button or swipe home button as it was working on JB 4.1

Uninstall all the updates to Google Search in the Google Play store.  Restart, and reinstall.


text:
last seen time stamp
I got a message at 16:05pm, then my contact went offline again, but the last seen was showing 15:25, how is it that it hasnt changed to 16:05 when the contact left whatsapp and still showed the earlier time of 15:25,
It is now working correctly when the contact sends me a text the last seen time updates every time correctly.
Please help,
confused gary

I'm guessing your contact is in a timezone that is one hour behind you.

Apart from that, it's not really an Android question – but rather something specific to WhatsApp in general. You might better ask in some WA support forum.

Yup, it's a question for the WhatsApp peeps...

Sorry but they live 30 minutes away from me

Ok, well, I would go over to the WhatsApp boards and ask them.  We can't really diagnose a problem with a third-party app like that - if you're 100% sure that your contact is not in another timezone or connected to a network that resides in another timezone, then it's a bug in the software that should be reported.

Many thanks for the answer, will try the whatsapp Forums.


text:
Unable to attach picture to text message
I can no longer attach a picture to my text messages. It used to work, now when I try to do it, it says I have to sign into Samsung Link first. What to do?
Android Version 4.4.2

Please elaborate. Which messaging app are you using? You tagged the question as "Galaxy S", if this is your device, please tell us which Android OS version it's running. Stock? Rooted? Custom ROM?  What exactly happens when you try to attach images?

We need a LOT more information.  Start off by answering every question @Chahk asked, along with the troubleshooting steps that you have tried.

s-3, default app that looks like an envelope

I also have an S3, also with the standard messaging app, just attached a Gallery image no problem, and sent. Never received a Samsung Link warning. Can you send a message without an image? Is your network connection good? Does it go through?

Here is a segment from the description of Samsung Link:* AllShare Play is now Samsung Link. Continue to log-in with your Samsung Account to access your pictures, videos, and documents previously stored on AllShare Play.
Access & Play Content across Smart Devices, Anytime Anywhere
Samsung Link enables users to access & play content saved on other devices over a wireless access point as well as over the internet.
This gives me the impression that the item you are sharing is an AllShare Item, possibly shared by you long ago, without your remembering it. It may even have been shared to you by a different AllShare user, and belongs to that account.
(This is Just a Guess) To attach it, it would make sense that you have to log in as the accountholder that owns it.

This sounds correct.  I'm thinking he's attaching a picture from Link storage.


text:
CyanogenMod installer completed, but still have stock ROM?！
I unlocked the bootloader of my Nexus 7 (1st gen/2012) using the Nexus Root Toolkit (on Windows 8.1u1), and then wanted to install CyanogenMod. The CyanogenMod installer (http://get.cm) completed, and I saw the CM robot on my tablet. Then ClockworkModRecovery (CMR) came up and warned "ROM may flash stock recovery on boot. Fix?". I chose fix, and the device rebooted. Then however I saw the standard Nexus boot animation, and it booted into the stock ROM.
I tried repeating the installation, and it seemed to succeed again, but I still only have the stock ROM. I do however now have CMR on my tablet.
What went wrong, and how do I get CM on my tablet? I think I could just copy the ROM to it and install it from CWR, but I like to understand what failed in case someting is wrong.

exact same thing happening to me on a galaxy nexus

did you find a solution ?


text:
Can hangouts send text-only MMS to certain contacts?
Most of my friends and family have iPhones that are capable of receiving MMS messages. I'd like to be able to type longer messages without having them be broken up into smaller SMS messages, because they often arrive out of order when going to a different carrier.
Is there a way to force Hangouts to send MMS messages when the text is too long for one message? Even better would be if I could have certain contacts set to always receive MMS no matter what.

To convert a long SMS into a MMS, Long press the attachment paperclip to add a subject line in the hangouts app


text:
Installing Android on the Flame device
I have the latest firefox os device --the flame-- the developer reference device. I was wondering if it is possible to install android on it.
Given that FirefoxOS is built on top of Android kernel and use the same drivers, albeit with different GUI and less buttons. Would that be possible?
This question is very specific to the flame device, so it's different from other posted questions about generic devices

There is no such thing like an "Android kernel" (Android is built on Linux, so it's a Linux kernel). And put into easy terms, Android is the GUI on top of the Linux kernel, so it's definitely not an Android device, sorry.

Android's Linux kernel has further architectural changes that are implemented by Google outside the typical Linux kernel development cycle, such as the inclusion of components like Binder, ashmem, pmem, logger, wakelocks, and different out-of-memory (OOM) handling. By saying Android kernel I am referring to all these addons on top of the Linux kernel that makes Android suitable to run on a mobile device. Otherwise I would just run debian on my phone! What I am trying to say is, unlike all these Windows and Symbian phones, FirefoxOS shares most components other than UI with Android.


text:
Moto G won't detect sim card
I recently bought a 8 GB Moto G Unlocked. When I try putting in the sim card into the phone the phone doesn't seem to detect the sim.
Any solution?

nachouy44 asks for clarification (but lacks the rep to post a comment himself): Could it be the SIM is broken? → you might verify that with a different device. Could also be an issue with the contacts not connecting correctly.

This model is a lemon. I bought one this past winter. After about 6 months it stopped recognizing SIM on daily basis. I sent it in for replacement. Replacement worked for about 8 days. I guess I'd be better of spending my money for a brand name phone.

Do you know which GSM version that your model is? Certain devices are only compatable with certain carriers. I know that the US-GM is compatable with only AT&T and T-Mobile bands, while the Iternational GM is compatible with AT&T(in America).


text:
Is it possible to transfer one app from my old phone to my new if my phone is not rooted?
I have recently purchased a Galaxy S5. I would like to root it, but so far, it seems that the "Towelroot" approach does not work on my model (purchased in Japan from Docomo), and other options are at this point too complicated for me.
So, my old phone, an S2, is rooted, but my new phone, an S5, is not.
Cut to today when I discovered that the calorie counter app I preffered, Calorific, is no longer available, and has been replaced with a feature bloated new version that ruins everything I liked about the previous version.
I still have that previous version on my old phone, so, if possible, I'd like to move that app over to my new phone.
Of course, I've looked on this forum for solutions, but other questions I've seen so far presume either that one's phone is rooted or that one is trying to completely recreate all settings from phone to another.
I would like at this point to just move one app. Is that possible?
My previous phone has Titanium Backup Pro, if that helps.

Do you want to just install the specific version of the application you have in your old phone? If so,
a) run an application like Titanium Backup on the rooted phone
b) backup the app
c) find the .apk in the backup folder
d) transfer the .apk to your new phone
e) run the .apk to install the application on the new phone. I believe some phones do not do it out-of-the-box and you might have to download some kind of app (search for "apk install") to do it. Try without an app first, though.
In case you also want your data to be transferred along with the app, I'm not sure whether TiBu can do this for non-rooted phones. Someone else will be better suited to answer.

Additional note: On my old phone, I had Titanium Backup routinely send backups to my Dropbox account. The apks are individually compressed into gzip format with the name of the app in the name of the compressed file. I viewed it on my desktop to extract it (Maybe there's a decompress app for the phone). Then, by extracting it into my Dropbox folder, I was able to download and install it from within my Dropbox app on my new phone. In other words, the process was actually very easy.

For CLI:

Download and install the Android SDK Package
Add a path to these two directories of the package install
([installedpath]/tools and [installedpath]/platform-tools for a full
SDK installation).
Now, with the Android plugged in via the usb, run this to get the
full list of installed apps:
$ adb shell 'pm list packages'

You now have a list the names of all your install apps.
Use the -f parameter to get the full pathname of a desired package
by specifying a search string found in the previous list:
$ adb shell 'pm list packages -f reader'

Now pull the full pathname of the package you want to get with:
## adb pull [filepathname] [destination path] ##
$ adb pull /data/app/com.ebooks.ebookreader-2.apk ~/mybackupdir

For GUI you can use the app Airdroid.
NOTE: 'pm' can be executed on the device, directly, with a Terminal Emulator, in order to locate the apk files. They can then be copied directly to the SD card, without computer intervention, nor the SDK. (note that 'cp' may not exist, so use e.g. 'cat file.apk > /mnt/extSDCard/file.apk')

I use App Backup & Restore.
It's fairly easy to use, you will get the required APK file on you SD Card and you can transfer it onto your new phone, where you can manually install the apk.

Open App Backup & Restore
Set Backup Path
Select your app and click Backup
Transfer apk file from Backup Path to your new phone
Make sure Unknown Sources Setting is turned on under Security
Settings
Select the apk file from file manager
Follow installation instructions

But older versions of apps might not work properly with new versions of Android, so keep that in mind.

When you want to send an installed application from one mobile phone to another you can install "Bluetooth file transfer" application on your old phone and then easily send any installed app file to other devices through bluetooth.


text:
App reporting privacy - is there any?
When you report an app (for violation) through Google Play, does the developer have access to (any parts of) your Google identity? Does the fact that you've reported this app show up in any of your public (or private) Google records? Does Google have an official policy on that?

When you say "report", do you mean reporting a bug (e.g. from the force-close dialog), or reporting a violation of the content policy from the Play Store app or website?

Reporting a violation. let me edit that post. :)

There's a pop up every time you submit a report for the privacy policy.
But regardless, pretty much every Google system and API is covered by the same privacy policy:  http://www.google.com/policies/privacy/


text:
Can I use wifi or Bluetooth to get the same kind of connection to my phone that I can with USB?
I have a new Samsung Galaxy S5 running Android 4.4.2, and I also have a laptop and desktop computer, both running Ubuntu 14.04. In order to access or transfer files from phone to computer, I can connect my Samsung by USB easily enough, but I thought I might be able to do something a little cooler using either wifi or Bluetooth.
My phone always connects to my home LAN whenever I'm at home, so if there was a way to make it appear on the network automatically every time it was in range, that would be sweet.
My laptop I'm often using at hotspots where I probably couldn't connect them via the LAN. So maybe for my laptop, some kind of Bluetooth connection would be best. I'm actually typing right now on my laptop, and I paired the phone and laptop together, so I can select to "Send files" from the laptop to the Android, but that's about as convenient as emailing it to myself. I really want to be able to open the Android internal SD drives like they were drives on a network.
This could be two questions, one about connecting my desktop by wifi and one about connecting my laptop by bluetooth, but I'm asking them together because it may be that maybe one approach works best for both scenarios. Or maybe I have it reversed and wifi would be better for the laptop and Bluetooth for the desktop.
In short, what is the best wireless way for me to make my Android phone always available to my computers so that I can transfer and access files to it? I'd ideally like to have the drives show up the same way they do as when connected by USB, so that I can do other things like syncing my music collection (with Banshee or Clementine) and possibly other tasks.

Probably you can create a Tasker profile to connect to the Wifi network automatically when you arrive at home (or the home Wifi network is in the range)
Another good thing you can achieve it using rSync backup is that, you can use rSync and use a Tasker job to periodically (or conditionally) upload/download data from/to your phone. You can refer to rSync's documentation for its configuration and other setup steps. You can configure it to only specify required one way transfer of files.

Tasker might be a viable option, but I'm actually also unclear on how I can get full file access over Wifi. My phone connects to the Wifi, but it doesn't appear as any kind of available drive on the LAN.

I use FileZilla on Ubuntu and FTP Server on Android. Much faster transfers than Bluetooth and you can browse the device.
FTP Server: F-Droid, Google Play

This sounds like a viable option for file transfer alone, but I realize that my question was not clear enough. I'd like to have the drives show up the same way they do as when connected by USB, so that I can do other things like syncing my music collection.


text:
Smartphone on usb rings on computer
I got a smartphone on android, and when it is attached trough USB to my computer (windows or linux), I'd like to have it ring or do notifications in the headphones of the computer.
Is there a way to do it ?

Using the Bluetooth you can very well get it. After the bluetooth connection is established, you can use the bluetooth menu to activate

playback of music from Phone on Computer,
Receive call on Computer which you have a option to take it on the hand phone if you want ( this is available on the android phone screen page when the call is in activation)
To exchange the files between the computer and phone
SMS the message from computer that goes via phone.

That sounds good, so what do you have to do to make this work?

Yeah, I've seen this happen on my laptop with an Atheros BT chip. After pairing the phone with the PC, the phone will show options for streaming audio to the PC in the Bluetooth menu. When connected, the PC will show a Windows Media Player-like interface for controlling playback.

No. As far as I know, this is not possible.
May be this can be done through custom application. But I think there is no app that does this, at least, for now.


text:
How do I set an image as my custom lock screen image without any widgets on Android 4.4.4?
I have made an image that I'd like to use as my lockscreen "wallpaper". Except, I don't want it to be a wallpaper, I want it to be the only thing I see on the lockscreen with no unlock button or widgets on top. I don't mind if the status bar is there or not and it would be great to put a clock and the weather on there, but it's not necessary.
I've tried a lot of lock screen replacements, but haven't found one which will remove all the periphery and just let me set the image as the lock screen without any widgets or a lock icon on top. Do you know of anything?
For reference, I'd love to be able to swipe to unlock the screen.


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Looking for a way to use voice commands create calendar entry in non-Google calendar
I'm looking for a way to create calendar entries in a non-Google calendar using voice commands. The built in voice command (using CM11 M8 / 4.4.4 with Google apps) only creates entries in my Google calendar and I do not see an option to change this behavior. I'm happy to use a different voice command app if that's what's necessary.
To clarify: I would like to create this calendar entry in a calendar hosted on a server accessed by caldav.

I think you need a calendar app that uses the same intent for creating Calendar apps.

While strictly speaking, app recommendations are off-topic here – let's tread it as "how can I do that". And as this is my second question today, it's time for the app which answers every second question here: tasker, optionally with the AutoVoice addon for more convenience and flexibility.
The Tasker UserGuide explains:

Calendar Insert:
  Insert an entry into the specified calendar.

(More details there)
With AutoVoice, you can have a widget/shortcut on your homescreen to activate it (or have Tasker do so via some other event, e.g. "shaking the device up-down twice"). Then speak your command, and Tasker would execute the Task assigned to what it recognizes. There are tutorials around also explaining how to make a "loop" for the "Sorry, I didn't understand – please repeat!" case ;)
Drawbacks: Both apps come with a fee if you want to really use them. Tasker has a 7-day-trial at their homepage, AutoVoice has a limited "free version" – so you at least have a chance to check first if it meets your requirements. Will take a few days getting used to Tasker – but once you did, you will wonder how you could do without ☺