text:
Why does Google Search suddenly need a lot more permissions?
I obviously have Google Search installed on my stock Nexus 4, however, a recent update for this app appears to require no less than 11 new permissions. Google does not appear to give any explanation for these new requirements. So, what is the reason for these new permissions?

Device & app history
Identity
Contacts/Calendar
Location
SMS
Phone
Photos/Media/Files
Camera/Microphone
Wi-Fi connection information
Device ID & call information
Other

Whenever I get a new update for an app, I glance over any new permissions and if they don't offer any explanation for why they now require these new permissions, I simply don't update the app. That is, after all, the reason why we are alerted to any new permissions - isn't it? Unfortunately, this means I have not yet updated this app. Should I?

Most of these permissions are used by Google Now and the new features they will be bringing out after Google I/O and the upcoming Android L Release.

I'm not sure about why they need a lot of these permissions, but I will explain the ones that I know about. Feel free to edit the answer to improve it. I have listed all the sub permissions as listed in the play store.
Device & app history

Retrieve running apps
This is for an upcoming feature where google search results will point/link directly to apps installed on your phone.
Read your Web bookmarks and history
This is for making Google Now suggestions based on your web habits. For example, I get updates about Fifa World Cup scores because I have searched for them on my phone before.

Identity

Find accounts on the device
Should be related to the feature mentioned in "Retrieve running apps"
It is also needed to log in with your Google account for the "commute sharing" feature, to access your web search history, and for app search, if you have any of these features turned on
Add or remove accounts
Read your own contact card

Contacts/Calendar

Read your contacts
Mainly for Google voice commands, such as calling a contact or sending them a message.
Modify your contacts
Read calendar events plus confidential information
For reminding you about upcoming events.
Add or modify calendar events and send email to guests without owners' knowledge

Location

Precise location (GPS and network-based)
Approximate location (network-based)
To provide location based suggestions, I get Google Now cards with places to eat nearby, weather reports, Photo spots nearby, etc

SMS

Receive text messages (SMS)
Send SMS messages
To send messages via voice commands
Edit your text messages (SMS or MMS)
Read your text messages (SMS or MMS)

Phone

Directly call phone numbers
Make calls via voice commands
Read call log

Photos/Media/Files

Test access to protected storage
Modify or delete the contents of your USB storage

Camera/Microphone

Take pictures and videos
Record audio

Wi-Fi connection information

View Wi-Fi connections
Might be used for guessing when you're at home/work or maybe related to this

Device ID & call information

Read phone status and identity

Other

Send Gmail
Permission to write Sound Search matches
Preload results
modify secure system settings
receive data from Internet
choose widgets
download files without notification
Read Google settings
disable or modify status bar
contacts data in Google accounts
view configured accounts
adjust your wallpaper size
prevent app switches
Modify Google settings
set an alarm
run at startup
control flashlight
view network connections
prevent device from sleeping
install shortcuts
use accounts on the device
change your audio settings
read Google service configuration
modify system settings
full network access
pair with Bluetooth devices
access Bluetooth settings
set wallpaper
send sticky broadcast
connect and disconnect from Wi-Fi
read sync settings
control vibration

"View Wi-Fi connections" isn't needed to get location info based on nearby Wi-Fi hotspots. This functionality is a part of Android itself, so apps just use the location permissions to get this information. However, it could use it as part of the "guessing when you're at home/work" functionality, but that's just speculation.

The accounts-related ones are because it needs to log in with your Google account for the "commute sharing" feature, to access your web search history, and for app search, if you have any of these features turned on.

Reading Gmail is so that if you book a flight with your Gmail address, it reads the flight details automatically so it can tell you when to check in and which gate to open, &c.

The Bluetooth ones are needed for the "use a Bluetooth headset for voice commands" option.

@dan Regarding "View Wi-Fi connections", wouldn't it be needed for the "To improve location accuracy and for other purposes, Google and other apps may scan for nearby networks, even when Wi-Fi is off"  feature in Android 4.3, to get the location when GPS, Data Connection and WiFi is turned off by the user

No, that's an Android feature, performed by the Fused Location Provider. It's not part of the Google Search app or any other user-visible app.

"Most of these permissions are used by Google Now" - I thought "Google Now" was a separate app? (Which I've been using for ... a long time already?)

@w3d The functionality of Google Search and Google Experience Launcher (formerly known as Google Now Launcher) have been merged into the Google Search app now.  GEL is basically just a shortcut to Search.

@JohnSPerayil Something striking is the flashlight permission! Could somebody elaborate? Why would this feature be added? Could this mean there is some way to control my flashlight with my voice?!

@reubenjohn I don't know, I tried a few keywords to see if Google Now can turning on the flashlight but no luck, maybe Google is bringing in a built in flashlight app in Android L :)

I saw an extension for Google now that allows custom voice commands including the flashlight, so maybe it's in there somewhere, hidden for now ! I'll link to our when I'm not on my phone! Here you go  http://www.androidauthority.com/commandr-google-now-401174/

@Chahk You got that wrong there. It used to be called Google Experience Launcher, and now it's Google Now Launcher.


text:
How to re-enable all screen lock types after uninstalling OpenVPN connect?
I installed OpenVPN Connect on my Samsung Galaxy S4. The app forced me to pick a screen lock, which I set to PIN.
However, I've cleared all application data regarding to OpenVPN Connect and also uninstalled the app, but I'm not able to select 'none' as screen lock type. Only pattern, PIN and password are available in settings as shown:

Is there a way to get all the selections available?

Pattern, PIN or Password screen lock is required, because there were still user certificates stored in the device.
Go to Settings -> Security and pick Clear credentials.

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


text:
What is the difference between "Network Unlock Code" and "SIM Unlock PIN"?
I bought an unlock code because my phone was asking for it (Enter PIN Code). I got the code and it does not work. It actually only allows me to enter 4 digits.
Now, these guys are telling me that the code is for the phone's "Network unlock" not the "SIM unlock", and if I don't remember the PIN, I will need the PUK code from my network provider, so I feel that I paid for something I don't need.
This is the first time I try to do this and I feel frustrated. I would really appreciate any help.

Welcome to Android Enthusiasts! This has nothing to do with Android, but rather with the way SIM cards work. You could ask your provider for assistance. And yes, you're correct: You've bought something you don't need. PINs and PUKs (there are two of each) usually come with your SIM card/contract.

Yes, I've made that connection, too. Please don't consider my comment a harsh "go away", it was not meant such. It's rather that our site covers a specific area as outlined in our [help/on-topic], and you certainly understand where it would lead to if we didn't keep to that :)

And glad to read 1) your issue solved, and 2) you didn't buy that unlock code in vain. Enjoy your new phone – and be welcome here anytime you've got yourself in "Android trouble" or have any other Android related questions :)

If your SIM card is PIN locked, the network unlock code is useless. The network unlock code allows a phone that is restricted to a single carrier to be unlocked for use in other carrier's networks.
The SIM PIN is a personal identification number that is used to unlock the SIM card in order to register it to the network. This means that the phone will not connect to the network before a SIM is unlocked. Usually (at least around here) a new SIM has a simple PIN, like 0000 or 1234, and the user can change this. However, the carrier doesn't know your PIN, so if you forget it it can't be reset from the carrier directly.
If you happen to forget your PIN, the only way to unlock the SIM is to enter a wrong PIN enough many times (3 or 5 usually), and after this the SIM asks for the PUK (Personal Unlock Key) code, which is sometimes referred to as PUK1.
The PUK code can be obtained from the carrier, after they verify you are the rightful owner of the SIM and contract. If the SIM is a prepaid, the PUK code is sometimes printed in the card holder. After you get the PUK, enter it into your phone and enter a new PIN. After this, you can unlock the SIM with the new PIN you specified.
Note: DO NOT try to guess the PUK code yourself, if you enter it wrong three times, the SIM will be permanently locked and you'll have to get a new SIM from your carrier.

As @onik has rightly said there's difference between a Sim lock and Network Lock.

SIM lock-In order to provide security to stolen Phones there's a SIM
lock in-built by the manufacturer. In the event the phone is stolen
the phone would ask a SIM lock(mostly the digit pin) to register/verify the user. Once the user Is registered the phone would function normally.
Network Lock-This is the manufacture built in feature to prevent any
subscriber to switch to Another Telecom operator other then the one
the manufacturer has contract with the Operator(Basically these
contract phones are cheaper then the Factory Unlock Phones).
So what you have done is that you have purchased the Network Lock only to unlock the phone to use with other Telecom operators but not to use the phone.

In order to use the phone you  need the SIM lock which would be available with your service provider.
In case you entered the SIM lock wrong 3 consecutive times then your phone wout get locked and would ask for a PUK code which will also be available by the operator but would require a lengthy process.
So I suggest you to contact your service provider regarding the SIM lock key and don't un-necessarily enter the Pin if you don't know to avoid the PUK code

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

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


text:
Understanding SMS APP permissions
On android KitKat i have run into the following permission:
SMS
Uses one or more of: SMS, MMS.
Chrages may apply.

How do i get a more fine-grained explination of this permission?
Does it mean that the app can send SMS messages or does it also mean it can read/edit messages i have recieve/have in my inbox?
Is there a way to see exactly what this permission means?
Or, and is there a comprehensive list of possible permissions somewhere? I tried googling but all i find are complaints about KitKat ruining peoples SD cards, and App Ops.

For the "comprehensive list", you might want to take a look at our permissions tag-wiki and on my Permissions List. The latter is most likely the most comprehensive resource for end-users you will find anywhere on the net, as I've combined all available resources I could find (not only on the net, but also on the phone, talking to devs etc.).

On the versions of the Play Store with the new "simplified" permissions dialog, you can still find a full list of permissions from the app's store page (the screen with the icon at the top, description, screenshots, &c.). Scroll down to the bottom of the page. Under "Additional Information" you'll see "Permissions" with a link "View details". Click this link to see a dialog with the list of individual permissions.
In particular, an SMS app might have permissions "edit your text messages", "receive text messages", "read your text messages", "send SMS messages", each one saying whether it applies to SMS, MMS, or both. They're pretty self-explanatory on the face of it, but there are some subtleties.
"Receive text messages" means the app will be notified (by Android) of a new message as soon as it arrives. This is normal for an SMS app, or for a few apps that use a special SMS to validate your phone number with some online service (such as Facebook).
In contrast, "read your text messages" lets an app get data from Android's database containing your message history. This means it can see messages sent from different apps, or messages you sent or received before you installed the new app. Any text message you can see in the stock SMS app, this app will also have access to. Again, this is normal in an SMS app.
"Edit your text messages" gives the app write access to that same database. For example, the app uses this to save messages or drafts to your message history. Again, this is completely normal for an SMS app. But it could also be used for an app that illicitly sends premium SMS messages to delete the records afterwards.
Like any permission, it comes down to trust. It's on you to decide if you trust the author of this app to only use these abilities the way you want: not just now, but in future versions of the app too until you you uninstall it.

Trouble here is, even that button in the playstore app just opens the browser for the web page. A huge step backwards, as even those who at least browsed through the full list will not follow up there anymore. +1 though, as that's not your fault :) Good explanation for the SMS permissions!

@Izzy Not here, it doesn't: it opens a native dialog within the Play Store app, in the same format as the old permissions list. Tested on Play Store version 4.8.20.

Thanks for the pointer! Maybe they've fixed that up, will try that out again. I've tried about a week ago, and the browser opened – so I cancelled the update. As long as it's not clear whether a diff is shown on update (new permissions, please – who remembers the "old ones", especially with apps like Webkey (125+ permissions)?), I only allow updates for apps/devs I trust personally.  :)


text:
How to add secondary patition on sd card to internal memory?
I have a Samsung Galaxy Y GT-S5360 which I have rooted. I have partitioned my 8GB class 10 SD card to have two partitions on it using AParted:

A 2GB FAT32 secondary partition.
The rest of the SD card into a primary partition.(FAT32)

The problem is, even after doing this and installing Link2SD and changing the install location to external, the apps are still being installed into the internal memory and I get a "low on internal memory" message every time I try installing new apps. When I check the Link2SD app list, many of the apps are showing that they have been already moved to the SD card and my secondary partition on the sd card is still pretty much empty.
What have I missed over here? (Sorry if this is a lame question. I'm new to rooting and stuff)

Note: Techicnally you probably couled use a FAT32 partition but I've had issues on several devices.
For Link2SD you need 2 partitions:
1) FAT32 this is your file storage, photos, media etc.
2) EXT3 (Or EXT2 or EXT4, but 3 has always worked for me) partition. This is the part this will be recognised as new 'internal memory'.
 There is a full tutorial on XDA here and the keypoints are:

Next, create an ext2/ext3/ext4 partition (I suggest ext2 cause it works on all roms and kernels). This is where your apps will go. I suggest a value of 512Mb would be big enough.

Personally I use 1024 Mb.

Open Link2sd. You will be prompted to choose between ext2, ext3, ext4 and FAT32. Select the one you used.
It will say mount script created. Reboot your phone now
Go to Link2sd > Settings > Check the autolink (to automatically move apps upon installation)
To check your memory, select “Storage Info”. This will show you the current state of your internal memory, FAT32, and Ext# partition.

I tried formatting the sd card again to make the above changes. But now, only 1.9GB of the 8GB is showing up in the format menu(exactly the same as the second partition I made on it). Please help.

Just undo all of it, make the SD Care ONE SINGLE partition, let's say FAT32, ALL of it. Then create your 2 partitions, one FAT32, and one EXT3. Or use a PC app to do the partitioning.

I tried doing that but now that partition is "unallocated". I'm searching for a way to get it back.

If you don't know how to partition things, then be very careful with your device, this could brick it. Allocate ALL of it to ONE SINGLE partition, then repartition it after.

Yeah. I got that figured out. But this still didn't work. I'm sorry. Now I have created 2 partitions a) FAT32 and b)EXT3. But still when I try to download something new it says "not enough space".

That's good so far, go through the xda link I provided, it will guide you step by step. You need to setup link2sd now again.

Finally after 3 reinstalls of Link2SD it worked. When I tried the second time Linked2SD crashed and showed up a blank screen. Thank you.

Oops.. Spoke too soon. The 'low on internal memory' notification came out again.

Use mini tool partition (windows )  or gparted(linux) to create another partition . The file system must be ext4 . Then when u insert it . You will be asked to format. Format the SDCard . Now open link2sd

Could you provide the link for the programs? How to use any of them to create "another" partition? Please see [answer].

Sorry for the inconvenience .  My mobile does not support the latest version. So i cannot format or  embed links in the answer. You can find the source in google. Thanks for your advice !


text:
How do I root Samsung Galaxy S4 GT-I9500 without loading a custom ROM?
I am changing the question because my original question is a duplicate of "Does rooting require a custom ROM? ".  The answer is apparently "Yes, in fact you need root to load a Custom ROM"
So then the obvious question, since searching for rooting my phone keeps on taking me to instructions for installing a custom ROM, is "How do I just root my phone without installing a custom ROM".
FWIW this is for a Samsung Galaxy S4 GT-I9500, which, surprisingly, is not listed on "How do I root my Android device?"

possible duplicate of Does rooting require a custom ROM?

What phone? Rooting does NOT require any custom ROM. You COULD install a pre-rooted ROM as a way of rooting but there is NO NECESSITY whatsoever to install a custom ROM. I have 3 phones here rooted running stock firmware just fine. Just google rooting your specific device, chances are there's loads of info out there on XDA and other sites, and see the answer to this question that was already posted on here

Also see this question which answers this And for some general reading on the terminology see this post for information. I would emphasise reading up on this from decent sources not the misinformed stuff you must have read! Keep reading, don't go and brick an expensive device, read and read and read again!

The question you linked says clearly "nothing about rooting requires a custom ROM" and is definitly a duplicate, you just misread it. Just go to XDA for the S4 there's LOADS of root methods there or even easier Google search "Root GT-i9500". Like this: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2663663 and http://androidxda.com/how-to-root-samsung-galaxy-s4-i9500 and this http://www.droidreport.com/how-root-samsungs-galaxy-s4-gt-i9500-running-android-43-jelly-bean-2254 and this http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2292615 There's LOADS of info there, no ROMs needed.

http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/56678/do-you-need-root-to-flash-a-custom-recovery You do not need root to flash a custom rom, but many custom roms come PRE rooted for you. You may need to root to enable the ability to flash ROMs however, but in theory NO you don't. Here's how to install CyanogenMod withOUT root: http://www.howtouncle.com/2013/11/how-to-install-cyanogenmod-rom-on.html My real concern is that if you don't read these things you will totally brick your device. http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/37877/why-is-root-access-required-for-a-custom-rom

You might want to try this search: http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/samsung-galaxy-s-4+rooting

You don't need a custom ROM to get root.
Geohot's towelroot works for all S4 variants except your I9500 which has a different chipset. So if your firmware is I9500XXUFNB3 or older, then try:
1) Go and Download the " philz_touch_6.12.8-i9500.tar.md5 " located on this website
http://goo.im/devs/philz_touch/CWM_Advanced_Edition/i9500
2) Download and extract Odin 1.85 to a folder, from:
http://www.datafilehost.com/d/138bbdea
or here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=581913
3) Put your phone in Download mode (turn off phone, then press power + home + volume down at the same time until it goes to download mode, then proceed according to the screen instructions)
- video: http://youtube.com/watch?v=5KMYhWs2fFI
4) Download Deknox Removal Script from here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2365214&d=1383345163
Put the zip to your phone memory
5) Now go to the Philz recovery you just installed (turn off device, press power+home+volume up button until it goes into philz recovery) and flash the deknox removal zip
6) After you flash the Knox removal script you are ready to go rooting your device:
-in Philz touch, go to Philz Options / Choose Re-root system / Choose Yes Apply (SuperSu)
-Wait until it finish, Reboot and install SuperSu from playstore
-Once installed, Open SuperSu app / It will ask you to update binaries click on Update as normal (NOT TWRP)
-Once binaries are installed reboot your device
-Root done.
Or find a guide on XDA to your exact version of your ROM, which you can find in settings > info about your device.

CF-Auto-Root has been working on GT-I9500 for a while now.


text:
packet sniffer to show sending app
I'm android developer and normally monitor packets by WiFi+Fiddler in my laptop in order to inspect developing app communication.
Curiously, my phone (LG G2 Jellybean, Codename LG-F320S) continuously access http://www.un.org site with no reason, but don't know which app sends it.
Several android packet sniffers show data packet itself, but do not give which app send the data. Is it possible to know the sender app?

Technically, this is well possible. You didn't name which sniffers you've already used (maybe my list Sniffer, Spoofer & Portscanner can give you alternatives). You might consider asking for a specific app at Software Recommendations. How to do this "programmatically" is rather off-topic here as being a development question. But let's see if any other end-user friendly solution turns up here.

@Izzy I mean, I'm finding the app to display which packet is from which app. I tried tPacketCapture and no luck. Of course I can understand why those kind of method cannot acheive my requirement.

I understood that (as that was the missing component if you could see the package content). I didn't play much with this, so I've got to pass on the answer; all I can give are pointers, which I did. Sorry I can't help any better.

@Izzy you're welcome, thanks for your comment.

An idea, though: Try e.g. OS Monitor. Keep it open on the network tab. Wait until the "un.org" (or its IP) turns up somewhere for "remote", and check what app did connect there. Of course, if it just does so once a day, it might not be the best way...


text:
How to transfer conversation to a new number?
I have a contact who has a new phone number, so I update the old number with the new. But now when I check my sms conversations, I have 2 conversations: the "old" number conversation, and the "new" number conversation.
Is there a way to fix this ?
I already tried to merge them and then delete the old one but the old one is still linked to that old phone number.
Thanks for your time

I think the solution is app dependant, so you should mention which phone and Android version you have if you're using the stock SMS app, or the name of the SMS app you're using.

Add both numbers to the same contact. Then it will display as one person. But as onik said it all depends on the app and so on.

I have a Sony Xperia U and I have the 4.04 android version, and I'm using the build-in SMS app.


text:
Can I create a stock recovery from Nandroid backup or from OTA? How?
I am looking for a stock recovery for my phone (HTC One M7, rooted, s-on,CID: HTC__102, Software number: 4.19.401.11). But I cannot find it. The reason I want this recovery is that I want to experiment if it is possible to keep my phone rooted but going back to Stock recovery so that I can get OTA updates.
I have a nandroid back up of my stock ROM (I created it in TWRP, so it is after flashing the TWRP recovery),  and also I have downloaded an OTA for my phone from forums.
Is it possible I can get an stock recovery image from OTA zip file or Nandroid backup?
Thanks.

If your phone is rooted, it means some parts of /system partition were modified. An OTA update will most likely fail to install, regardless if you have stock or custom recovery.

I flashed stock recovery. now the Update process starts, it reboots the phone, and a progress bar fills up. when the progress bar finishes it reboots the phone. but i guess flashing stock recovery was not done properly, so it cannot finalize the update process and when the phone finally starts the update has not taken place.

It's probably not the recovery that's preventing the OTA from properly installing, but the fact that your phone is rooted.  Can you try un-rooting it (do a search for instructions for your root method) and applying the OTA again?

ok Chahk, let me try that. Just a question: I am assuming that unrooting will earas all my data, right? is there a way I can backup my apps and data and restore it after unrooting?

Un-rooting itself will probably not erase your data, although that depends on the rooting method you used in the first place. As far as backing up apps and data, take a look at Android's built-in adb backup tool. It works on non-rooted devices as well, so you should be able to do a restore after installing OTA update.


text:
Which rights are needed to add widgets to the desktop?
I installed xprivacy on my rooted device and blocked all privileges to the "Google Search"-app. Now i cannot add any widgets any more.
Which rights do I have to allow and how could I find out such questions my self?

That's usually the INSTALL_SHORTCUT (resp. UNINSTALL_SHORTCUT) permission – which might be present multiple times, as it's declared by the resp. launcher. To find out yourself, just follow the links I've given :)
EDIT: As stated in their FAQ, Xprivacy is no "permission manager", but a "privacy manager", and thus only cares for privacy-related permissions. Installing shortcuts is one of those permissions it does not care for (explicitly stated), so this is rather an unintended side-effect to be dealt with an update (fix) from the Xprivacy dev(s).

I cannot find no such permission in xPrivacy. related: https://github.com/M66B/XPrivacy/issues/672

I don't know how Xprivacy names them (and in which "tree" they are), but those are the names of the permissions responsible for this (see #3 in the issue you've linked). The first comment even suggests it's not covered at all (uh? It's not a "permissions manager", but just a "privacy manager"?) – which somehow contradicts with what you report (this "uncovered" permission being revoked). As stated over there, this must be an unintended side-effect then – nothing we can help with here (but thanks for the link, though!)


text:
Android google play no connection error
About a month ago my application updates ate all of the memory of my phone (samsung galaxy young), so I decided to uninstall, or disable and downgrade applications. I did this to google play as well. Now I need to install an application so I need google play. I enabled it, but it writes a "no connection / retry" message.

I restarted the phone many times, it did not help.
I installed the google+ application, which can log in to my account successfully, so I think there is no problem with the credentials.
One of the applications wrote me, that I have to update google play, but clicking on that link lead to the same no connection message. It has currently the version 4.1.10 (I guess I purged all the updates when I disabled it).
I cleared the data and the cache of google play.
I checked the date & time settings, they are okay.
There is no Freedom application on the phone.
There is only 127.0.0.1 localhost in the hosts file, nothing else.
I did not travel, I live in the EU, and try to access to the service from home.
I installed the google play 4.8.20 from here, and google play services 4.4.48 from here but there is no change.

I read about how to fix this error, but nothing worked for me so far, and I am sure I won't factory reset my phone... Any suggestions?

You wouldn't happen to reside in People's Republic of China?

Nope, I live in Hungary.

Ok, I just asked because China has cut access to Google Play about a month ago; I have been unable to update any app since then :)

I feel your pain, this has happened to me. It's very frustrating. I tried clearing cache for apps, removing them using the application manager and a bunch of other unsuccessful attempts. The only thing that helped was a factory reset. Luckily I was able to backup my data prior to doing a full factory reset. I know you mentioned that it's something that you don't want to do. The only other option would be to root your device and flash your device with a new ROM - but doing this would essentially be a pseudo reset, so if this seems like a valid option, I would play it safe, backup and reset.
Also, you mentioned that you were able to read the host file? Do you see any specific URL's or IP addresses in the "hosts" file? If so, you want to clear anything that says Google play. Leave only the first two lines - which should be something like:
127.0.0.1    localhost
x.x.x.x:port*

Where x is variable and :port would be defined
I found a thread on XDA forums that might help - but it requires Root.
Tested FIX for Google Play Connection Error
Let me know if this helps.

Installing all applications again, clicking on updates for an hour, set the passwords, register the device again, etc... is a pain in the ass, so it can be only a last resort. Btw. I read that even factory reset did not help for somebody by this error. I'll wait for other answers, maybe... :S

I updated my answer for you. Hope that helps.

Nope, as I wrote, there is only localhost in the hosts file, nothing else.

Maybe there is no support for google play 4.x versions anymore, that's why it cannot update itself, but I think that is unlike by a worldwide service.

No, that can't be. There are millions of Android users and a large portion are still running Android Froyo, lol.

So there's only "localhost" nothing defined? Try defining your local host like I mentioned in my original answer.
127.0.0.1   localhost

Nope, I meant there is only 127.0.0.1 localhost in the file.

Yes, I read this forum, but it did not help...

I guess using a hammer is the only thing left :D

Hammer a.k.a factory reset.

I downloaded the application I wanted with http://apps.evozi.com/apk-downloader/ . Thanks for the help!

I was also struggling to get an old HTC Flyer tablet, running a Honey Comb ROM (LeeDroid v4.3.0), to connect to Google Play after a factory reset. I tried many many things, but this was what resolved the issue:

Downloaded and installed the latest version of both Google Play Services and Google Play Store available for Honey Comb, which as of today (Jan 27, 2016) was:

Google Play Services 8.4.89 which I downloaded from this link
Google Play Store 6.1.12 which I downloaded from this link

Then, I followed these steps to install them:

Force stopped the installed Google Play Store I had on my tablet (4.8.20), cleared cache, cleared data, etc.
Installed Google Play Services
Installed Google Play Store and DID NOT open it.
Reboot
After reboot, everything ran smoothly.

I hope this can help someone else, because it took me some time to overcome this error!


text:
Power button is not responsive when being hold on LG Optimus F3
I have an LG Optimus F3. Last night, I wanted to screenshot something, but holding the power button didn't do anything. I can press it and the screen would turn on/off, but there's no response when holding it.
I tried holding it for a good 1 minute, but it still isn't working.
How to fix this?

What do you mean by the power button will not hold ? Can you elaborate ?

You know how you hold the power button to see the option to Restart, Factory Reset, etc. When I hold the power button that doesn't show. It's like I'm not holding it. Do you kind of understand now?

Yeah, got it, could it be a hardware issue with the button ? Can you turn on your phone ? (Don't try it if you haven't already, since if it's a hardware issue you won't be able to turn it back on)

Yes I can turn the phone on & off.

I'm not sure what's wrong, can you dial 7594, I'm not sure it works on LG phones, it gives an option to change the power button behavior. Since extended discussions are not recommended in the comments session, I will do some research and get back to you as soon as I can

omg. I fixed ! I had to remove the batteries and put it back inside lol. but thanks for helping me out.

@Brenda Glad you found a solution! Please, answer your own question and then accept your own answer, so others can see it's solved. Thanks a lot!

This is a routine issue for me.
Removing the battery to force a reboot temporarily fixes the problem. I haven't found a permanent solution though.


text:
Red triangle with exclamation mark on boot, but reboots after second try. How to solve?
I tried to flash stock recovery to my HTC One M7 phone (rooted, HAD TWRP recovery, s-on).
After my attempt, now phone restarts, and is stuck on the black screen with red triangle and exclamation mark in it. By pressing and holding power button, I restarted the phone. It restarted normally, and booted just fine.
Now when I restart, the whole thing repeats. First it is stuck on the triangle screen then I restart it again and it boots up normally.
The triangle indicates missing recovery right, so how does it start after second attempt?
How can I fix it?

That's normal. The HTC stock recovery behaves like that. It is different from a custom recovery, you can't do anything with it. The stock recovery does only install the OTAs you receive officially. No need to worry about it.

I see. So that is normal then!


text:
How to prevent Motorola Cliq from factory reset upon startup?
I have a Cliq (MB200) which I successfully rooted. I would like to permanently disable the Motoblur application which always appears at startup. Until now I've been using the "#eebluroff" code to temporarily disable it, but this causes an automatic factory reset the next time the phone is rebooted. There must be some way to prevent this from happening... any ideas? Thanks!

Have you tried using an alternative Launcher app ?

I'm rather new to this, could you explain please?

Android Launchers are applications that are responsible for the User Interface of the Android Home Screen and the App Drawer. Most manufacturers customize this part of Android to differentiate their UI from other OEMs. motoblur is one such Launcher Application. You can download another Launcher from the Play Store and set it as the default launcher.

I suspect it wouldn't help, because the next time I reboot, it will automatically reset and delete the launcher! Might there be some kind of editable startup file that contains a switch that triggers the reset?

From what I understand you have this issue of resetting when you use the "#eebluroff" code, right ?

Correct. I am forced to use the code because otherwise the Motoblur software locks me out entirely. (Catch-22...)

Since extended discussions are not recommended in the comments session, I will do some research and get back to you as soon as I can.

Let us continue this discussion in chat.


text:
How do you SIM-unlock the SGH-I317 (AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note 2) on Jelly Bean 4.1.2?
I have looked all over the internet, and a lot of the download links and information has gone stale, or is incorrect. I wanted to standardize it here for other people.

Calling AT&T may get you an unlock code within 24 hours. You do not need to buy one, or follow this technical guide.
But if all else fails, you can unlock via a downgrade to 4.1.1. How to do this is below.
The most reputable source I found is here: XDA Developers AT&T Samsung SGH-I317,
a BIG thank you to: Odin Guide
and last steps are from After 4.1.1
Estimated time: 2 hours.
About SGH-I317
This is the code that identifies the AT&T USA version of the Samsung Note II. Every carrier has a different firmware, so you would need to use the firmware for your carrier.
About Unlocking
Unlocking is not the same as rooting. Unlocking let's you use your phone with other SIM cards. Rooting let's you have more control over the internal software system of the device.
About Samsung Odin
A 3rd party software used to change the firmware of Samsung phones.
About 4.1.2 Jelly Bean
This is the Android version of the phone. It is an older version, but onl version 4.1.1 has a free unlock menu.
About Kies
A similar to iTunes for iOS, a proprietary phone syncing tool.
About I317UCALJ2
This is your baseband version for the 4.1.1 on AT&T USA. A list of all the baseband versions of the modems are here: http://www.androidayos.com/samsung-galaxy-note-2-stock-firmware/
Requirements

Samsung Galaxy Note 2 USA AT&T Locked 4.1.2 Jelly Bean
Windows Computer

Downloads Needed

Exact version: Odin 3.07 (newer versions will not work): http://forum.xda-developers.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=1168421&d=1341114315 (may also need the Note 2 USB driver: https://mega.co.nz/#!yVJnlCAL!W2TKtTloGVWQtFD0AON1DG1pgPJCEqAVxonqlSPeqOg )
4.1.1 Original firmware, sometmies called J2 Modem for your phone: AT&T is here: http://d-h.st/wsW Full List here: http://www.androidayos.com/samsung-galaxy-note-2-stock-firmware/
Samsung Kies: http://www.samsung.com/ca/support/usefulsoftware/KIES/JSP
7-Zip: http://sourceforge.net/projects/sevenzip/

Steps to Unlock

Disclaimer: If your phone is not an SGH-I317 (see device settings) or if you don't follow the steps or your not careful, you may brick your phone. I take no responsibility, follow at your own risk:
Charge phone to full battery.
Backup important phone data.
Install Samsung Kies
Install Samsung USB driver.
Enable USB debugging from your phone’s settings. Go to Settings > Applications > Development, and tick the box that says ‘Enable USB Debugging’.
Ensure that KIES is closed and not running in the system tray! Kies will interrupt and doesn’t like Odin, it will block you from flashing.
Turn off phone completly. THEN while off: hold the Volume Down key, Home button and the Power ON/OFF button simultaneously until it says Downloading.. Do not turn off target!!”

Plug in USB cable from phone to computer.
Use Samsung Odin 3.07 (for SGH-I317) to downgrade the firmware to 4.1.1 I317UCALJ2
In Odin window – the ID:COM box will turn to blue color and indicates the COM port number and a word “Added” on a log box will prompt you that the device is already detected or recognized by Odin. Your COM port number might be different from mine. If you do not see a COM port number then there’s something missing or wrong

Wait for the word PASS!! ** takes about 7 minutes **
Troubleshooting: Phone should reboot. If it gets stuck at samsung logo ad-infinitum (give it at least 2 literal minutes, sometimes it needs to process for a bit), try to poweroff by holding power button. Worst case, remove battery. While off: Hold Volume Up, Power, and Home buttons and do:
1) Wipe data / factory
2) Wipe cache partition
Dial this into your phone
*#1234#
Verify you have 4.1.1 now (I317UCALJ2) Settings > About Device.
If this did not work, see this guide for troubleshooting:  http://www.androidayos.com/2013/04/07/unroot-and-restore-back-att-galaxy-note-2-sgh-i317-to-original-firmware-stock-rom/
Finally, Dial the following into your phone app.
*#197328640#
Select  [1] UMTS > [1] Debug Screen > [8] Phone Control > [6] Network Lock > Options [3]Perso SHA256 OFF >
After choosing this option, wait about 30 seconds.
Then go back one step by pressing the Menu button and then select Back.
This will take you to  [6] Network Lock options
Choose [4] NW Lock NV Data INITIALLIZ
Wait for a minute then reboot your phone.
Insert a SIM Card from a non-AT&T carrier


text:
Google Location history showing me in another continent? Did someone hack me?
I've just found out about Google Location history and it correctly displays all the places I've been to in Bolivia to-a-T. Really accurate.
What concerns me is that there is a dot in Singapore! I've never been anywhere near that country. Not even 2000 miles near.

My question is, if someone logged into my account from that country, would that dot load from there? Should I change my passwords ASAP?

No, it wouldn't.

From a security standpoint, it wouldn't hurt to change your passwords. I like LastPass - it keeps track of all my passwords and all I have to keep track of is ONE master key. It plugs in to your browser for quick access to sites.
Also, for added security on your Google account, turn on 2-factor (2-step) authentication. It should be under your account settings under security. Basically, it will ask you for your phone number (mobile) and you will get a text when you attempt to login to your Google account/services, this way if your password ever gets hacked, your account is still safe as long as you maintain control of your mobile phone. Hope this helps bud.
Here is the link to Google's 2 factor authentication landing page: Google 2-step authentication


text:
Why does stock android include a shutdown option, but no restart option?
I've always been baffled by this decision. Does anyone know why this is the case?
Most OEMs will add a restart option when you press and hold the screen lock button, but stock never includes one.


text:
How do I turn on battery percentage in Android Lollipop?
I haven't been able to find a menu option for this setting in Android Lollipop (previously known as Android-L).

This website has a good page on the information:
http://nexus7.wonderhowto.com/how-to/unlock-android-ls-hidden-battery-percentage-icon-status-bar-0155876/
But if you want a quick and dirty way to enable this, you can just use:
adb shell content insert --uri content://settings/system --bind name:s:status_bar_show_battery_percent --bind value:i:1

followed by
adb reboot

adb shell content insert --uri content://settings/system --bind name:s:status_bar_show_battery_percent --bind value:i:1
adb reboot

Screenshot of Battery percent for Kitkat (click image for larger variant)

its make thing to user to identify easily with pictures. its having here and settings on which screen would be important so added with the picture nothing more i did here! thanks for respose @Andrew T.

I apologize, I didn't mean the answer was bad. The image definitely helped, but readers might be confused since inputting the adb command won't show the image. Instead, I remember that the image is from this app. Friendly suggestion to add the link to the app on your answer, this way it becomes more useful :)

It's not a good habit to just post some code without explanation. Where to run that code? Not everyone is familiar with ADB. And even if one knows the name, would he be willing to install the entire SDK for that (though that's not strictly required, it's the first people think of)? What about running it in terminal instead (omitting the adb shell prefix)? This could be a great answer if you would make it such. So feel encouraged to [edit] your post and improve it :)


text:
Can I update my [rooted] phone using downloaded OTA zip file? how?
My phone (HTC One M7) is rooted, so I can't update it simply by accepting update option in the settings menu.
I downloaded a zip file from a forum for an OTA available for my phone.
Now how can I use this OTA zip file to update my phone? How can I do that?
My phone:
HTC One M7, rooted, bootloader unlocked, S-on.
thanks.

If you downloaded it, it's not an OTA update. OTA means it's downloaded and installed directly on the device. It's just an update.

this is the file I've got: http://www.htc1guru.com/2014/05/sense-6-5-11-401-10-ota-file/ I am assuming these guys some how GRABBED the ota and made a zip file out of it. still the question is how to install it?

These OTA files check for every part(file) of the update if a checksum still matches. If your rooting procedure touched some files on the system partition or you removed some preinstalled files this check will fail and the updating procedure will stop because of an assertion error.
As you already found out you need to restore your system partition to the expected state inside the OTA update(matching checksums) install the update via recovery and re-root as this procedure deletes all changes not included in the OTA update package from your system partition.

If you have already downloaded the zip file then you need to flash it via recovery mode using a custom recovery.
You usually get to this by holding power+ down on HTC devices.
Custom recoveries like TWRP can also reinstall root if it is lost during the update process.

ok, I already have TWRP recovery flashed. Should I reboot to the "fastboot" mode, connect phone to computer via USB and run the flashing command? what is the command, is it "fastboot flash OTA_file.zip" ? Could you please elaborate? I am newbie, I have been reading about these stuff for several days, but still did not figures it out :s

Stay in recovery mode. If you go to Advanced > ADB Sideload you can flash the update using the command adb sideload OTA_file.zip

adb sideload OTA_file.zip did not work. it says: error. No details. (and yes, adb is connected, I try adb services first and it returns the phone model). I am gonna try copying the OTA file in phone and try installing it via TWRP install menue.

Cool, let us know how you get on

1990clb, It started the update process, but did not go though.  In the middle process was canceled because of some PRELOAD apk files. I googled and appears this is an error with some models (even non rooted), or maybe it is just because my  phone was rooted! I dunno. I ended up flashing a stock rom, updating OTA, and then re-rooting.


text:
where is /data/preload folder on my [rooted] android phone?
I need to copy a file into this folder.
I cannot find this folder using the root explorer. Where is it?
I know it exists (or should exist) since system gives me an error message saying that file is missing in that folder.

You must have Root rights. It's in Root\Preload.

thanks @dfa for the reply. yes it is rooted. But, this is such an old post. I do not need it anymore. Just if you are curios, in the end I could not find a solution for this question.


text:
Reorganizing Android storage
My Android device (rk2928, Android 4.1.1) currently has NAND flash on sdcard and the SD card on external_sd. Moving an app to SD keeps it in flash but takes up more of it total, so I'd like to reallocate the NAND flash used for sdcard into internal memory and then have the SD card on sdcard. How can I do this? Or is there a very good reason why I should not do this?
Results of df:
Filesystem             Size   Used   Free   Blksize
/dev                  197.2M  36.0K  197.2M   4096
/mnt/asec             197.2M  0.0 K  197.2M   4096
/mnt/obb              197.2M  0.0 K  197.2M   4096
/system               511.6M  393.0M  118.6M   1024
/data                 1007.9M  840.3M  167.6M   4096
/cache                124.0M  16.1M  107.9M   4096
/mnt/external_sd      14.9G  10.2G  4.7 G   8192
/mnt/sdcard           1.7 G  1.0 G  658.5M   8192
/mnt/secure/asec      1.7 G  1.0 G  658.5M   8192
/mnt/asec/<apps follow> ...

Results of mount:
rootfs / rootfs ro,relatime 0 0
tmpfs /dev tmpfs rw,nosuid,relatime,mode=755 0 0
devpts /dev/pts devpts rw,relatime,mode=600 0 0
proc /proc proc rw,relatime 0 0
sysfs /sys sysfs rw,relatime 0 0
none /acct cgroup rw,relatime,cpuacct 0 0
tmpfs /mnt/asec tmpfs rw,relatime,mode=755,gid=1000 0 0
tmpfs /mnt/obb tmpfs rw,relatime,mode=755,gid=1000 0 0
none /dev/cpuctl cgroup rw,relatime,cpu 0 0
/dev/block/mtdblock8 /system ext4 ro,noatime,nodiratime,barrier=1,data=ordered,noauto_da_alloc 0 0
/dev/block/mtdblock6 /data ext4 rw,nosuid,nodev,noatime,nodiratime,barrier=1,data=ordered,noauto_da_alloc 0 0
/dev/block/mtdblock5 /cache ext4 rw,nosuid,nodev,noatime,nodiratime,barrier=1,data=ordered,noauto_da_alloc 0 0
/sys/kernel/debug /sys/kernel/debug debugfs rw,relatime 0 0
/dev/block/vold/179:0 /mnt/external_sd vfat rw,dirsync,nosuid,nodev,noexec,noatime,nodiratime,uid=1000,gid=1015,fmask=0002,dmask=0002,allow_utime=0020,codepage=cp437,iocharset=iso8859-1,shortname=mixed,utf8,errors=remount-ro 0 0
/dev/block/vold/31:9 /mnt/sdcard vfat rw,dirsync,nosuid,nodev,noexec,noatime,nodiratime,uid=1000,gid=1015,fmask=0002,dmask=0002,allow_utime=0020,codepage=cp437,iocharset=iso8859-1,shortname=mixed,utf8,errors=remount-ro 0 0
/dev/block/vold/31:9 /mnt/secure/asec vfat rw,dirsync,nosuid,nodev,noexec,noatime,nodiratime,uid=1000,gid=1015,fmask=0002,dmask=0002,allow_utime=0020,codepage=cp437,iocharset=iso8859-1,shortname=mixed,utf8,errors=remount-ro 0 0
tmpfs /mnt/sdcard/.android_secure tmpfs ro,relatime,size=0k,mode=000 0 0
/dev/block/dm-0 /mnt/asec/<apps follow> ...

What's your device? Are you rooted? You might find what you're looking for on XDA.

It is a rooted EM743. XDA has lots of information on other devices, but I couldn't find anything concrete on my specific device. I was hoping that generic information about modifying mtd partitions was available somewhere rather than me having to dig through half a dozen to several dozen documents to find what I wanted.


text:
Moto E - Auto switching off/on
I have a Moto E which is only a few days old. It keeps switching off and on all day, automatically and usually around 20 times each day. It supports up to 32GB memory card, and I'm using a 32 GB card (if this might causing problem).

The question is too general. Did you have the issue when you used the phone for the first time ? Did you install any applications just before the issue started ? Did you try a phone reset ?

Most likely the culprit is an app. Try safe mode. Press the Power button and when the menu pops up tap and hold on the Power off option and then tap OK. If you don’t experience any random reboots in safe mode then we can assume that one of the apps you’ve installed is responsible for the reboots.
Read more: 10 tricky Moto E problems and how to fix them | Digital Trends

Please disclose if you are affiliated with the linked article.

It's probably a problem with one of your SIM cards. Whenever your phone restarts, it is because there is no network for one of your SIMs. So it restarts which may get network.
If you are using 3g network, try changing it to 2g.

Whenever your phone restarts, it is because there is no network for one of your SIMs. I can think of many more reasons for a phone to restart.

I've never heard a phone restarting deliberately just to get the mobile network. That will be certainly annoying for end-users.


text:
Where is the .config hidden on Samsung Galaxy S4?

cat /proc/config.gz
  tmp-mksh: cat: /proc/config.gz: No such file or directory

Is there another place to find it?

Welcome to Android Enthusiasts! It's not quite clear what you're asking for here. Could you please [edit] your question and add some more details? What kind of .config file should that be, and what for do you need it?

Do not close this question. It has been answered, and seems like a valid question.

/proc/config.gz (and consequently .config), a file containing all needed flags for the Linux kernel building process, can only be found if the kernel maker / your device manufacturer explicitly enabled config.gz availability when the Linux kernel was being built.
So if it's not present in /proc, you'd have to either do a trial-and-error, get help from somebody else, or contact the manufacturer.

I can confirm this. It's not stored on the device at all. You need to find the right kernel build options elsewhere.

@Dan Hulme  The .config 'stock' is not available period. I found a custom ROM image and used that. The the blacklist feature on the partitions bricked my phone. Samsung/AT&T engineers got me.


text:
How do you extract the boot.img from a Samsung G4?
I don't imagine the ADB command is able to access that sector of the device but for the record, when I connect, I can see the device but
C:\Users\Brad2\Downloads\adbUnzip2Cdrive\adb>adb kill-server

C:\Users\Brad2\Downloads\adbUnzip2Cdrive\adb>adb devices
* daemon not running. starting it now on port 5037 *
* daemon started successfully *

List of devices attached

51cfe754        offline

I can connect to the device with Odin in download mode, but I do not see a 'pull' or extract feature on Odin, only push.
What is the trick to extracting the boot files from the device?
All drivers and SDKs are installed and using the current ADB.

Is your device on Android 4.2 or greater? Make sure you have ADB 1.0.31, (as much as possible) using the cable provided with your device, switch ports if necessary.

I am running 4.4.2 and Android Debug Bridge version 1.0.26

Getting the proper ADB version and also using Linux instead of Windows and screwing with the USB debug feature until a proper RSA key exchange finally occurred. The combination of the 3 corrected the issue.

Can you elaborate on this? I would like to use the same steps. Thanks! I can't even find what adb command I would run to get the boot.img from the phone.

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


text:
WIFI connection with question mark
My android phone connected with WiFi shows full signal. Whereas question mark appears on the signal mark and I'm unable to connect to the internet.
Can anyone give me a solution to reconnect my internet? So far I have not faced these problems.

I believe wifi with a question mark means that wifi is available and in range, but not connected.
Can other devices connect to this AP ? Try rebooting your AP. Also try deleting and reconfiguring the connection ?

I suspect this scenario is caused lack of internet connectivity with respect to the wi-fi access point.  In other words the device is properly connected to the Wi-Fi connection but the internet connectivity might be down due to one or a few cases.
This issue can be attributed to one or more issues:

DNS resolving problem with your Internet service provider (ISP) or router.

It could mean that the route to your DNS addresses/servers is inaccessible at the given moment, so the problem is with your service provider and not your phone.

Misconfigured DHCP/DNS settings

The normally results in the DNS server  not responding to connection attempts. In addition faulty DCHP settings may cause the device to having difficulties  getting IP Address assigned by the DCHP server.

Problems connecting to Google servers (captive portal server)

According to this post,

Android tries to reach a file named generate_204 on one of the
  Google servers and if there is no positive response, it means that
  there is no connection to the internet, and notification is generated

Also highlighted in the above discussion, the  detection url differs between different Android versions.

clients3.google.com/generate_204 check (kitkat)
connectivitycheck.gstatic.com/generate_204 (marshmallow)

Possible fixes:

Change DNS address of router/modem

Check DNS settings for both your router and your phone. Try to manually set DNS servers to Google's public DNS servers 8.8.8.8 and/or 8.8.4.4.

Rebooting device (with SIM card removed)

You can try rebooting the device a proceedure similar to "clean boot" on PCs by following the proceedure:

Toggle Airplane mode On/Off.
Power off your phone ➡ Remove your SIM card ➡ Turn on your phone ➡ Power off your phone ➡ Re-insert your SIM card➡ Boot your phone.

Bypassing wi-fi check during initialisation (new user creation).

One user was able to bypass this issue, creating a new user to bypass the connectivity check during initialisation. Here is their proceedure:

Reboot phone and wait until wi-fi is connected
Go to Settings and create a new user
Continue with user setup until you see "checking connection"
As soon as you see "checking connection", switch off your phone
Switch on your phone again
Toggle wi-fi, and the exclamation mark should disappear quickly
You may optionally remove the new user you just created

The following methods need root:

Changing captive portal server

Install a terminal app alternatively these  commands can also be run via the adb shell.
Open the terminal app and run su.
Run settings get global captive_portal_server. This will show the current captive portal server. A "null" reply is usually the default.
Run settings put global captive_portal_server YOUR_SERVER_ADDRESS. You can  add google.com as the captive portal server, i.e settings put global captive_portal_server google.com.
Run exit once to exit from su, then exit one more time to close the terminal.
Reboot the Android device. Will not work without a reboot.

Disabling captive portal

Since the culprit is a method isCaptivePortal() which access clients3.google.com/generate_204 to test if a connection is deemed
  "usable". The page, as its name suggest, is designed to always return
  a HTTP 204 status code. Based on this you have a couple options:

i. Kill isCaptivePortal() completely

with adb set, run adb shell su -c "settings put global captive_portal_detection_enabled 0"

Note:  The down side is that isCaptivePortal() is actually useful to detect for example when a WiFi network requires login. If the request to the 204 page gets redirected to a login page (not a 204), the system will understand and display the exclamation mark as intended.
ii. Change the target of isCaptivePortal()

another workaround is replacing the Google host with a host that is accessible within the specific region. This host should also be returning 204 every time /generate_204 is accessed.
i.e adb shell su -c "settings put global captive_portal_server {alternate_host} "

Other methods
Using hosts

You can edit hosts to block the captive portal detection url thus bypassing the sending of the requests to captive portal server.

References and acknowledgements

Mihai Neacsu (author):  How to fix Android Cellular data and Wi-Fi network connected and working but with exclamation points
Signal data exclamation mark!
How does WiFi in android detect if the device has to sign in or not?


text:
`adb pull /data` fails with "0 files pull 0 file skipped"
I have rooted my device HTC Evo Design 4G and I try to adb pull /data data and it says "0 files pull 0 file skipped"
I was able to pull /System/build.prop. How can I pull the root folder?

Did you run adb root first?

Yes, but adb root was not success. No permission. But I could adb shell su. It gives #.

Files and directories below /data/data are protected from the "average user", so you cannot simply "pull" them unless the ADB daemon is running in root mode. Other than the file you were referring to (/system/buildprop is at least readable by all apps), folders below /data/data are "invisible" (except for root), so they cannot even be read.
To be able to use adb pull on them, you need to make your ADB daemon run in root mode first. Depending on the device, a simple adb root command might do that – but most devices will refuse to do. In those cases, you can use chainfire's adbd insecure: Install this app on your device, start it there, and manually switch to "insecure" mode. Now the pull should succeed.
Remark: It's called "insecure" because running adbd as root gives everybody with a computer and an USB cable access to everything on your device. Just in case you wonder.

Thamk you! Apart from the chainfire adbd insecure, Can I set ro.secure flag in build property?
Can I use adb shell setprop ro.secure 0?

I haven't ever tried that, nor do I know exactly what that flag is for – so I cannot tell. (Btw: if you found the answer useful, you're welcome to "upvote" it (the SE way to say "thanks") – or "accept" it when it solved our issue ;)

adbd insecure work for me :)

If your phone's rooted, there are three ways to go around this. The first one is to use ADBD insecure.
The other one is to move it to another folder with root and then pull it from there:
$ adb shell

shell@android:/ $ su
root@android:/ # mkdir /sdcard/data
root@android:/ # cp /data/data/* /sdcard/data
root@android:/ # exit
shell@android:/ $ exit

$ adb pull /sdcard/data .
$ adb shell

shell@android:/ $ rm -r /sdcard/data/
shell@android:/ $ exit

I think you can build a script such as:
echo 'echo "mkdir /sdcard/data; cp $1/* /sdcard/data; exit" | su; exit' | adb shell
adb pull /sdcard/data .
echo 'rm -r /sdcard/data; exit' | adb shell

and save it somewhere.
Finally, the third option is chmod -R 1777 /data/data, but this is much more unsafe, so it's highly discouraged.

May I ask what $1/* refers to? Is it the /data/data directory?

Use -r for copy Recursive subdirectories and files
"cp -r /data/data /sdcard/data"

@Emen $1 would be the first argument provided to the script, in this case it would be referring to a directory. So if that script was in a file called extractdir.sh you could call it with ./extractdir.sh /path/to/target/dir.

Use single quote inside double quote, otherwise $1 will be interpreted as literal $1 instead of parameter value
echo "echo 'mkdir /sdcard/data; cp -r $1 /sdcard/data; exit' | su; exit" | adb shell

You cannot pull data folder directly since adb doesn't have file listing access to it. If you want to pull the /data folder you can do it via recovery ([Custom recovery, CWM/TWRP] run adb while device is in recovery mode, hopefully a custom recovery). Or as root, copy /data to another directory (sdcard) and pull it from there.

Thank you. But I was able to pull build.prop file in /System folder. adb shell su and then I can list files in root folder.
I read in a Google search setting ro.secure build property to 0 will help pull /data. Is this true?
If so is there a way to do it?

You can pull build.prop because /system has listing permission. You can change ro.secure=0 in your boot.img, but that is a really complex step. It would be easier to just install a custom recovery and do it from there.

Thank you very much! My primary purpose of the effort is implementing a forensic related application as a university final year project. I am really afraid, installing custom recovery will wipe out evidences from the device. Do you have any idea about the subject.

Adding to my previous comment - What is the use of adb shell setprop? Can't I use it in this case?

A forensic recovery program that relies on the phone being rooted and having debugging turned on doesn't sound very useful.

I have to agree with @DanHulme. You cannot have an app that relies on root and usb debugging enabled. Also what do you think will be wiped out by a custom recovery?

"A forensic recovery program that relies on the phone being rooted and having debugging turned on doesn't sound very useful." Can some one please explain this to me. I am totally a newbie who is still try to learn things

PART I: Getting all the files ready for an ADB PULL
This is what worked for me:

Make sure you're using the latest ADB version.

Start the ADB session: adb shell

Get SU rights once in the ADB session all you have to do it's type su like so: su. Then you'll notice that the $ becomes #.

The hash lets you know you're on SU mode.

Make a folder on the /sdcard of the device: mkdir /sdcard/data/

Head to the root of the file you want to copy.

For me, for example, I wanted to make a backup/copy of my apps and store it on my computer so: /data/app #

An example of what I get if I ls that folder:

root@m1:/data/app # ls
com.abtnprojects.ambatana-1
com.acr.rootfilemanager-1
com.amazon.kindle-1
com.android.chrome-1
com.android.mms-1
com.android.vending-2'

In order to copy recursively with the ADB cp command, use the option -R and since I wanted to copy everything in it, I used the wildcard *
like so: cp -R  */ /sdcard/data/

Once you press enter, if the file is fairly large it will obviously take a while to copy the files, so the cursor will idly blink for a bit, it will look like if not doing anything, BUT IT IS! it's copying the files, so don't panic! and don't stop the process!

If you want just open another ADB shell session and head to the folder
where you're transferring the files and do an ls check and you should see that the empty folder is now getting populated with the files. Once the transfer is done, you'll get your shell back.

Head to the sdcard/data and make sure everything was copied ls:

'root@m1:/sdcard/data # ls
com.abtnprojects.ambatana-1
com.acr.rootfilemanager-1
com.amazon.kindle-1
com.android.chrome-1
com.android.mms-1'**

PART II: The ADB PULL

By this point, if you haven't created a folder on the target machine, do so. I conveniently created a folder called apps

Now, let's do the elusive recursive ADB PULL of all the files at once:

Make sure that you are logged out of the ADB session, since we've been on SU mode, we'll need to exit twice:

root@m1:/sdcard/data # exit
shell@m1:/ $ exit

From a normal shell session, run the adb pull, you don't have to
use the -a option, I personally use it to keep the integrity of the
files as much as possible. Run the command: adb pull -a /sdcard/data/ apps/

You should see something like this:
[ 69%] /sdcard/data/com.google.android.gms-1/base.apk: 74%

Once it's done:
/sdcard/data/: 296 files pulled. 5.1 MB/s (1193942288 bytes in 221.352s)

And Voila!
Side Notes:

Don't know if matters but I use a Mac.
If while on the ADB session you can't get "su privileges" either:

1st: You probably need to give ADB root access
2nd: "super user" it's not installed correctly

Double-check your commands

Don't I need to be rooted for that?

Working on my Android 7.1 device. Steps to get it working:

Download the adbd insecure version by leroy at https://nofile.io/f/86605d8qsJs/adbd-Insecure-v2.00.apk
Install on your phone.
Run adb shell in your adb directory
Type su so u can get the "#"
Type setenforce 0
Enable insecure adbd. USB debugging turns off
Turn USB debugging on and off from developer options
Turn insecure adbd off and on again.

You can now adb pull into your PC.


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Clock frozen in the notification bar
Every once in a while, my Asus TF300T freezes for a bit and some apps crash. I notice that when this happens, the clock freezes in the status bar. For example the time in the notification bar will be 12:25 but the Clock app will show 12:28. This issue can easily be resolved simply be restating my device, but if I am the middle of working, I do not have time to wait 10-15 minutes for it to start back up again. Everything else functions as normal, such as buttons and notifications. My device is not rooted.
In this screenshot you can see the clock says the correct time and the frozen time in the upper right corner

How can I "unfreeze" the clock in the notification bar without restarting my device?

Do you have root? pkill com.android.systemui

@aureljared No unfortunately do not have root.


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"set_metadata_recursive: some changes failed" while updating Gapps-Kk-20140606-Signed.zip
Tonight I updated my Motorola Droid 4 from CM11-M2 to M7, and I thought I could update gapps too, but I'm getting this error:
set_metadata_recursive: some changes failed

Am I missing something?

It looks like this happens because my recovery (Safestrap 3.65) doesn't support "set_metadata". So, I tried Mentor's Gapps: no set_metadata core Gapps working with ART ("they are compatible with recoveries not supporting set_metadata") and they were flashed correctly. Based on this XDA post,

In these gapps there are only the AOSP Quick Search Box and Play Store
from wich you can install every other gapp and app.
In these gapps there are:

minimum core gapps
lib to solve the swype problem of the AOSP keyboard
Quick Search Box
Play Store

These gapps are working with ART and they are compatible with recoveries not supporting set_metadata.


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Couldnt open connection to Outlook server in Nexus 5
Using Nexus 5 running on 4.4.4 not able to connect. Password and username are correct(checked a 100 times), cleared the cache but still not able to connect to outlook server. I'm getting 3g data speed too.

What server? Email? Google accout? Play Store?

microsoft outlook.


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Google Dialer crashes when Contacts are disabled
I disabled the Google "10003 Contacts" App in the Apps preferences, and although I have installed CardDav for my contacts that I use via my owncloud, the Dialer crashes when I click on a Contact in the call-history
How Can I Block the default Google Contacts app without loosing the functionality in the dialer?

I installed xPrivacy on my rooted device and disallowed the App "10003 Contacts" all privileges but some:

Contacts->"contacts/contacts"
ContactsProvider2
android.intent.action.VIEW

that seems to be the only needed privileges


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*#9900# doesn't work in 2.3.3 any alternatives?
I have insufficient interval memory due to large system files. I have tried *#9900# but there is no option to delete the dump state or logcat files on 2.3.3.
What other methods can I use on a non rooted phone to achieve the same result?
Thanks.

Welcome to the Android Enthusiasts! I've just replaced your tag by the more fitting alternative (as the issue always relates to internal storage only, this one "obsoleted" the "internal-storage" tag). You might wish to see its tag-wiki, which contains a lot of hints and links to further information. Then come back here, and either answer your own question (if solved), or [edit] it to include what you've tried and where you're stuck. Thanks!


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sony xperia z1 whatsapp sound notification problem
Hi I have the following problem.
I get whatsapp notification on the top of my screen when receiving new whatsapp message but I dont want any sound with it.
I tried to look in whatsapp settings - notification tone - but it just lets me select different sounds for the pop up. No option to have no sound at all?
This is super frustrating as I get so many whatsapp messages and it keeps beeping every time unless I turn down the phone sound alltohether (which then also turns down the volume of incoming calls).
If anyone know how to solve this I would be greatful to hear...
Thank you

Update your Whatsapp Application from the Play Store.
I am using Version 2.11.277.
And in this version, I can turn off the notification sound by doing the following :
Whatsapp

Go to Settings
Select Notifications
Untick Conversation tones

Edit : In this version it is also possible to set the notification tone to None, this is also available under the Notifications Setting.

Its very simple
Under the phone settings you have different adjustable sound options.
You can reduce/mute the volume for notifications .Reducing/muting the notification sound will not have any effect on the Incoming calls.
To select the notification sound

From your Home screen, tap .
Find and tap Settings > Sound > Notification sound.
Select the sound to be played when notifications arrive.
Tap Done.


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how to survive a program from factory reset
I want to that a program / software like facebook/gmail/ or any game will survive after factory reset with its configuration as before reset means email id password automatically configured after reset. any suggestion please?

Preserving the application itself (APK) can be easily achieved (with root access) by dropping the .apk in /system/app, but the configurations are a bit trickier to keep.
Factory resets generally do a wipe of /data, which also contains all the configs/gamesaves/etc that all apps installed have, so you might have to use a seperate backup app (I recommend Titanium Backup) for that.

As aureljared already pointed out, a factory-rest wipes the /data permission, so you cannot simply "exclude" and app and its data from being "removed". However, you can backup it beforehand, and restore it afterwards.
Easiest way (not requiring root) is utilizing adb backup for this. It will require the ADB tools installed on your computer1, and usb-debugging turned on on your device, but that's it. Then you can either deal with it directly from your computer (with the device attached via USB), or use a tool like Helium - App Sync and Backup directly on your device (after initializing it via your computer, if your device is not rooted) to backup and restore all or selected apps.2

1 See Is there a minimal installation of ADB? and our adb tag-wiki
2 See my answer here and here for details


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Home button takes me to the Default Android Home on HTC Desire X
The home button on my HTC Desire X used to take me to the HTC sense home. But once I stopped HTC sense from settings-apps & from then on, it takes me to the default android Home (the one with the snow capped mountain etc). Even after I restarted HTC Sense, Re-started the phone & even Factory reset the phone, this behaviour still persists. How do I get back my original home button functionality.

Are you rooted or able to root? Enable USB debugging, download ADB and try running adb shell am start com.htc.launcher. If that doesn't work, pastebin the output of adb shell pm list packages -s here.

Try installing a new launcher app (it really doesn't matter if you want it or not, you'll only need it for a few seconds) from the Play Store. Once it's installed, press the home button and Android should prompt you to choose a home app. Choose the one you want, select "Always", and then you can uninstall the launcher app you just installed.

Didn't work. Even after installing the launcher, home button takes me to the default android home without any prompts.


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Galaxy S5 stock browser user agent
I have a problem with a site not detecting a stock S5 browser as mobile. I don't own a galaxy S5 so I asked the person who found this issue to send me the complete user agent string, this is what I got:
Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/28.0.1500.94 Safari/537.36
does the S5 browser really not identify itself as running on an android device? Might this be the result of some custom setting (which I'm told never happened)? How else can I identify the S5 browser as being a mobile device?

I have never seen an Android useragentstring with Linux x86_64 in it. That looks more like a desktop useragentstring to me.

Perhaps it was a concious choice? Maybe Samsung are trying to get a richer web experience for their users by not saying that it's a mobile device? Shouldn't sites be coding against screen size / viewport and browser functionality instead of OS anyway?

@indivisible sometimes content depends on device (ads, for example)

You can't trust any UA from Samsung. Just try pointing your Samsung TV's browser to one of those sites,and see what kind of garbage turns up. (Usually "Safari" related.)

It is normal to see "Safari" somewhere in the UAS

After some poking around it would appear that in this case the browser is not identifying itself as running on an Android device. I put the useragentstring you supplied into useragentstring.com and in the operating system details field it tells me;
Operating System:
Linux
running on a Intel CPU
running on a 64 bit processor

If I enter the useragentstring for the stock browser on my HTC One I get:
Operating System:
Android
version 4.4.2

and on Chrome mobile browser I also get:
Operating System:
Android
version 4.4.2

I would suggest asking the user of the device to clear data/cache and see if the problem persists. I can't imagine Samsung would have their browser setup like this by default.
EDIT: Also just found here that the useragentstring for the S4 should be something along the lines of;
Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; U; Android 4.2.2; nl-nl; GT-I9505 Build/JDQ39) AppleWebKit/534.30 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile Safari/534.30
which is nothing like what you posted. If anyone on AE with an S5 could post their useragentstring (can get it from here) that would be useful, unless you know anyone else with an S5 where you could check against.
EDIT2: FYI, the useragentstring for my stock browser on my HTC is;
Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; U; Android 4.4.2; en-gb; HTC_One Build/KOT49H) AppleWebKit/534.30 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile Safari/534.30
and for Chrome;
Mozilla/5.0 (Lunix; U; Android 4.4.2; HTC One Build/KOT49H) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/35.0.1916.141 Mobile Safari/537.36

Yes I have similar findings, no device I tried failed to identify itself as some verion of Android

I asked on a forum about the uas for the S5 and someone replied with the same as what you posted in your original Q. Bizarre

Ignore my last comment. The forum I posted in linked back to here. Real life redirect loop! Have you tried clearing app data/cache for the browser?

https://developer.chrome.com/multidevice/user-agent Some info on distinguishing between Android Chromium based WebWiew and Chrome for Android

I have just tried on my Galaxy S5 and I got following useragent
Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; Android 4.4.2; en-us; SAMSUNG-SM-G900A Build/KOT49H) AppleWebKit/537.36
(KHTML, like Gecko) Version/1.6 Chrome/28.0.1500.94 Mobile Safari/537.36

In order to target s5 native browser, which is on AT&T phones (and not s6), here is my javascript string:
var isAndroid = navigator.userAgent.toLowerCase().match(/samsung/) != null && navigator.userAgent.toLowerCase().match(/g900a/) != null;

there are actually 3 or so sub-models of the g900 (a, s, v, maybe more), also – Chrome and native browsers have nearly identical user-agent strings, so this doesn't hold up too well ... the only difference I found was the en-us string in the native S5 browser ... here is the new UA string I used:
var isAndroid = navigator.userAgent.toLowerCase().match(/samsung/) != null && navigator.userAgent.toLowerCase().match(/g900/) != null && navigator.userAgent.toLowerCase().match(/en-us/) != null;
if you can avoid having to use this approach, avoid it at all costs

I got

Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; Android 4.4.2; SM-G900F Build/KOT49H) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Chrome/30.0.0.0 Mobile Safari/537.36 ACHEETAHI/2100050050

using the CM browser v5.0.50
A cross-comparison might help you debug.


text:
How to install themes in Android 4.1.2
I have heard many applications from play store that install themes but didn't try them yet as i don't know its working .I want a new theme on My Samsung Galaxy trend Duos phone-GT-S7392 (Android 4.1.2).Do we have any themes that can be installed from Samsung ??

Themes for what? Android doesn't provide a way for end users to theme the whole device, but some apps are themeable (commonly launchers).

can you clearly explain what a launcher is and what do you mean by only some apps

I mean that it's possible for an app to be written so that you can add themes to it, but without rooting the device there's no way to make a theme that changes the appearance of all apps. A launcher is a home screen replacement app.

Samsung phones that are running TouchWiz (Samsung's fork of Android) do not support native themeing, as is the case with other manufacturers such as Sony and Acer. You can check if you're running TouchWiz by dialing *#0*# on your dialer - if a new screen appears, you are most definitely running TouchWiz.
To achieve support for the theme apps you see on the Play Store, you need to install or flash a custom Android ROM, such as CyanogenMod and ParanoidAndroid.


text:
I can't get feedback on my comment from the Google play store
So I commented on Smule Sing! App and I gave it two stars. Everything was normal until I got feedback on my comment from Smule. I got an email and I tried to click on the link but it wouldn't let me, the link didn't even stand out it just looked like regular text. I tried everything but I can't find the feed back, what should I do??

If you have a problem with an app and you'd like a response from the developer, the best thing to do is always to contact them directly. You can find contact details (usually a support email address) on the app's store page.
Reviews are the worst way to get help with a problem. The app developer isn't notified of all new reviews, so unless they have a tool that automatically checks for new reviews, they might not see your review for some time, especially for a popular app with lots of reviews. In addition, the length of the review and their response is very limited, so it's probably not possible to get/give enough information to help solve the problem.
On top of that, if you give a bad review saying that something doesn't work, and it turns out to be simple mistake, it makes you look like a fool, right where everyone can see. This is even more of a consideration now that Google Play displays your name next to the review, and uses your reviews to recommend apps to your friends.
If you do leave a review on an app and the developer responds, the reply shows up right next to your review on the app's store page. If you've had a notification but there's no reply there, it's possible that the developer wrote a reply but subsequently deleted it, perhaps because it no longer applies to the latest version of the app.


text:
Chromecast Beta Google I/O 2014
During Google I/O 2014, Google announced 'Android L' and a Chromecast update which will support 'Screen Mirroring'. This wasn't possible on earlier Android versions without rooting. The updates will be rolling out to users later this fall. However, they released an Android L Developer Preview for Nexus 5 and Nexus 7.
I own a Nexus 5 & Chromecast. I want to try this Screen Mirroring feature. I installed the Android L Developer Preview on my Nexus 5. Is there a beta release for Chromecast too? How can I start Screen Mirroring from my Nexus 5 (without rooting) to my Chromecast?

Screen mirroring to any Miracast device is already present in 4.4, so you don't need developer versions of anything. Find it in Settings → Display → Cast screen.

@DanHulme : I have been using Miracast for a while now. I wanted to mirror my phone's display using Chromecast, which I can, after the update starts rolling out for users. I wish to develop an app using this Chromecast feature. How can I start my development now?

Yesterday, Google released ChromeCast app v1.7, for selected devices running Android 4.4.1 and above. This enabled devices to use ScreenCast feature onto their ChromeCast.


text:
Can I update to the latest version of Android on a generic off-brand tablet?
My question is related to this community wiki. I found an affordable white-label Android tablet for €99 a few days ago and I'm considering buying it. Its specs seem fairly decent for its price range, especially given that I'd prefer a 10-inch tablet. Unfortunately it's a very generic brand (IT WORKS), so I don't think that I'll get any OS updates.
Is it possible to install the latest version of Android on an off-brand tablet? I'm fine with vanilla Android or a popular custom ROM like Cyanogenmod. I'm asking specifically about off-brands because there's a big chance that the modding community doesn't have a ready-made solution for that specific tablet. The device comes with Superuser already installed, so I'm assuming that it is pre-rooted. I'm not familiar with the ROM flashing process and I've never done it before.

I started writing an answer and then realised I was only reiterated what's already in the answer you linked. What exactly do you need that's not already mentioned in that question?

The question I linked to seems geared towards brand-name devices. Those resources probably won't be able to help me with a generic brand of tablet, so I need to know if there's a general procedure to install the latest version of Android on off-brand tablets.

There's no special procedure that works with unbranded tablets. As the question you've already found describes, if there's no official upgrade from the manufacturer, you need to look for a custom ROM based on a newer Android version. Where can I find stock or custom ROMs for my Android device? gives you some places to look.
There's only one feature peculiar to unbranded tablets and phones. Often, several apparently different unbranded tablets or phones will contain exactly the same hardware, because they're based on the same "reference design". In this case, it may be possible to use a ROM for another unbranded device with the same hardware. It's quite hard for an end-user to know whether this is the case: it's not enough that the tablets are all based on the same SoC, but if all the spec-sheet specs are exactly the same, it might work. Flashing a wrong ROM can have bad side-effects, potentially bricking the device, so I wouldn't recommend trying this carelessly, but it may be that you can find a post on a forum such as XDA developers from someone who has already found a ROM that works on your device.

Sounds like flashing unbranded devices is a risky endeavor. Thanks for explaining the procedure!


text:
Turning off cell broadcast in HTC Desire 816
I have been receiving about 50 flash SMS a day, with my service provider name, from the number 50. As I read here, it might be a issue with activating and deactivating cell broadcast on the phone. However, I could not find the path suggested for the deactivation (Setting - Call - Other Call Settings). The option does not exist on this path. Any help?
Mobile: HTC Desire 816
Android Version: 4.4.2 with Sense 6.0

Welcome to Android Enthusiasts! There are just 15 questions using the cell-broadcast tag, most of them asking how to turn it off, several for HTC devices. Have you checked them? With some luck, one of the variants works for you. If so, be welcome to answer your own question – otherwise, please [edit] it to indicate what you've tried and where you're stuck. Thanks!

Try this
Settings - Call - Slot 1 call settings - GSM call settings - Cell Broadcast

Its working fine... No Flash sms after unchecking cell broadcast. :-)

Open menu and select call
Open the call setting and select SIM 1 or 2 setting
Open GSM call setting
Uncheck cell broadcast options

Your problem is solved.

Remove your SIM and put it into any Nokia phone then go to Setting>Phone Setting>Cell info Display>Off.
Then put the SIM back in your HTC Desire 816.
I used Nokia X2-01 for this.

That's a pretty by assumption that the OP has access to a Nokia phone.

Is the problem related the settings of SIM card? - - Related: http://android.stackexchange.com/q/157567/9897


text:
Android installation age
Is there a way to discover when my Android OS was installed? In other word: what is the age of the SO running in my phone (since the last FW upgrade)?
I have root access and I prefer not installing any extra apps to this task (altough, if it is the only way, I may install one). I already have a Terminal Emulator App.
I looked into "Settings -> About phone" and there is a counter since the last reboot, which is not what I want.
I am running Android 4.0.4 on a Sony Xperia P.

I have no idea how to know the last Android OS installation date. But if you logged in to your Google account at that day, you can search the log in date. Browse there, verify your phone model and check authorization date. Hope it works!

That date most likely is "refreshed" whenever you factory-reset your device. We had this topic already here, see e.g. Date of ROM installation – which gets you closer to the real one :)

Oh. I didn't saw that topic in my search.
Anyway, that method didn't gave me accurate results.
ls -l /system/ show a file (omxloaders) dated back from 2012, but I am absolutely sure that the last time I flashed this firmware was around just a year ago.

@Thiha method gave a more consistent date. I still think there must be a way to find this info more precisely on the device itself.


text:
Re-Installing google play
I got my google play and google play services deleted from my rooted phone.I had moved all the apps on internal apps to my partitioned sd card,which got corrupted.Tried installing google play apk and services from other sites but they would not install.
Phone model:Galaxy Y S5630
Need your help.

Reflash gapps from recovery. This will install all the necessary google applications that have been deleted.
You can find all gapps on Goo.im, you just have to choose the ones relevant to your android version.


text:
Galaxy S3 running jellybean 4.3 - Custom Rom Concern
I have a galaxy s3 running jellybean 4.3 as mentioned above. Following recent news there will NOT be a further update to the KitKat 4.4 version
My plan is to root and flash with a custom ROM, however, a big part of the problem is that I have a Gear 2 Neo, which uses samsung apps and more importantly Gear Manager, will I still have access to this after I flash the custom ROM
Also will I be able to still get google play store on my device
Thanks

Recommendations don't fit this site very well because they're opinion-based, rather than having a correct answer we can all agree on. You'll get more helpful answers if you [edit] your question down to focus on the fact-based part about Gear Manager.

Hi Dan, I appreciate your comment and it is true, I normally use StackOverFlow for programming help and always get sound advice, that why I came onto here so that I'm not having anyone answer my question, is there a sort of discussion part of the website I could post this too which would be more appropriate?

No. If you're looking to have a general discussion, there are several web fora you could do that. See http://meta.android.stackexchange.com/q/371/12442

There are many options for custom ROMS, even for "older" phones such as the S3.
Personally I would recommend Paranoid Android ROM as it's very "Googley". I run it on my HTC One X and it's very good. You can get started with that by looking on the XDA community for that device.
Unfortunately, you will have to wipe your apps and data, but if you are rooted you can do a backup with something like Titanium Backup.
You may be able to get away with just installing the apk for Gear Manager, there are many people that have reported that this works on other devices.
Yes, you will still have access to the play store if you flash the correct gapps for your device.

Thanks for the reply, the first thing I was going to do after some research was Root my device, I've found a good download file and instructions for this.
I'll then do what you said and back-up my apps to an SD card and remove during the flash process.
With regards to Gear Manager, is that my only option?


text:
Fully Wipe Nexus Device
I have a Nexus 7 2013 WiFi-only (flo) device. I rooted it and just generally messed around with it. Now I want to put it back to complete stock everything (bootloader, recovery, ROM, etc) AND COMPLETELY WIPE THE DEVICE. When following the tutorial detailed here: Tutorial, an inspection with TWRP file manager (ON A NON-ROOTED DEVICE) shows that under '/', there is still a directory called 'SuperSU' (evidence that I rooted). It's clear that wiping the device in this way is not incredibly thorough. How can I put my Nexus back to COMPLETE, wiped stock (as though I had literally just opened the box from the factory)?
Many Thanks.

You can download and flash a factory image from here: https://developers.google.com/android/nexus/images#razorktu84p it also includes instructions at the top on how to do it. This will restore it completely to stock.

From Laurence "This is me (Laurence) on a different account - lost access to old one! Thanks for the very prompt response. Are you sure that flashing the above image returns the device to full stock (with no evidence as to what was on it before)? If so, I must have imagined the instance of 'SuperSU' under '/'... Strange :-/"

Yes flashing the above image returns to full stock. Just the way it would come out of a factory.


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Why synchronization doesn't work whereas I have 265 MB of free space
Snchronization doesn't work whereas I have 265 MB of free space:

Why?
I use Samsung Galaxy S3 with Android 4.1.2.

I haven't found any solution so far.

So I am still interested if someone has any idea.


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Advanced camera settings on Nexus 5
I have a nexus 5, with android 4.4.4. How can i change advanced camera settings? (iso, shutter speed etc...)

The stock camera app doesn't allow such manual adjustments, so you'll probably need a 3rd-party app such as DSLR Camera Pro $3, Shot Control $3 with a free demo or Camera FV-5 $5 with a free demo. This will let you manually adjust the shutter speed, aperture, ISO, etc like a DSLR.

I agree. I used both DSLR Camera Pro $3 and Camera FV-5 $5, and can recommend them.

you can adjust ISO by going to setting, then advance, and then enabling the manual option. In the camera screen you can click on the +/- icon. -2 is ISO 800 and 0 is ISO 100.
Cheers!

Which camera app do you refer to here?


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NOTE 10.1 (2012) HDMI not displaying correctly
I have an official HDMI adapter for my Note 10.1 and it displays the android desktop perfectly fine, there are side bars but I assume these are due to the resolution of my device not being 1080p. However any circular icons are perfectly circular on the tv so it looks absolutely fine. The issue is that as soon as I play video the aspect ratio is completely screwed! Some films display almost correctly but look a bit stretched vertically, there are never any verticle bars like there are on the device (obviously to display widescreen films) so on the tv the film is displayed full height but not full width..... To make it worse if I use a third party video player like BSPlayer the aspect ratios are even worse! The films are practically playing 4:3.
What is strange is that although on the desktop the output is an exact mirror of the display, when playing video it is a separate output (ie the display on the TV does not match what I see on the device. For instance the overlayed play, pause controls and progress bar never appear on the screen.....
What is going on?

Update
Found something else strange.... If I play a film through google play movies which I have bought from google play the aspect ratio is perfect! However if I play a personal film from my sd card through google play movies it is the same aspect issue as the other apps....
How can it play one film correctly and one completely screwed up? (are they purposefully crippling the video output for personal videos?)

"What is strange is that although on the desktop the output is an exact mirror of the display, when playing video it is a separate output (ie the display on the TV does not match what I see on the device." That's not strange, it's a deliberate feature. Apps can use the Presentation API to decide what to show on the external display.

So why does the bundled Samsung video player and Google play movies screw up the aspect ratio then?

Sounds like a bug. Without seeing your movie file it's hard to guess. It could be something like the movie file has the non-square-pixels field set and the player is not respecting it.

I have fiddled around and found that altering the decode mode from HW to SW or System player in BSPlayer fixes the issue! This also works for MXPlayer too.
This results in the correct video ratio although it is not full width on a 1080p tv (just like my desktop) it is at least not stretched. I still don't get why Google Play Movies can play its native videos full width on my tv.


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"Touch to download SoundCloud" notification
I have Samsung Galaxy S3, Android 4.3. Not rooted.
From time to time, I get notification: "Touch to download SoundCloud"

I did had Soundcloud installed application before, but I have uninstalled it and I am still getting this notification. When I tap it, nothing happens.
Does anyone know what this notification is or how can I identify which process is spawning notification?
Edit:
I have found that process that is raising this notification is Firefox. Every time I start Firefox on the phone I get this notification. The question is, how to stop this notification  from displaying when I start Firefox?

It's no use editing your question to ask a new question, as your question's already been answered. Best to ask a new question, then people will see it.

You can identify the app responsible by long-tapping the notification and clicking "App info" on the pop-up menu.