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How can I prevent someone from tracking my Android phone? Otherwise, how can I fake the location?
I have a Samsung Galaxy. I have heard that I can turn off my data, GPS locator, or the phone itself but I would like to be able to keep my phone with me and on at all times and have normal functionality.
How can I prevent someone from tracking my device? Is there a way I can route the tracker to a specific location when I want so that I could just tell them I am at that location even when I'm not?
I am willing to root my device and install any kernel or ROM; whatever it takes.

How are they tracking your phone? Did they install anything?

If you believe that someone is tracking you with your Android, do this

Back up your favorite apps.
Factory reset the phone.
Encrypt your phone. (This way nobody else can access your phone)
For extra protection, you may add a PIN so that you can lock down them from accessing your settings.
If you are going a step further, you can lock down your phone in kiosk mode with the help of any custom launchers or anything like that.

Dan already pointed out that this is more a social problem. Talk with your parents, express how you feel about this. The feeling of being constantly monitored is sure not very pleasant.
That said, the only way to make it hard for someone to monitor the location with the help of your Android phone is by ensuring that you have a clean initial setup and a locked-down system in terms of screen lock and debugging disabled. This comes down to that if your phone was never compromised before and you prevent all unauthorized access to the phone, it's hard to install surveillance software.  It has nothing to do with root access or a custom ROM. In fact, having root access may be counterproductive, since you want a tamper-proof system.
If they use other means of tracking (e.g. GSM-based ones), which is unlikely for individuals, then there is nothing to prevent that.

Some mobile carriers offer services to track children/family/friends which will trace phone location through cell towers and notify of changes.
You'll have to put your SIM card into another phone and leave it at a friend's place to fake your location. You can also set up call forwarding to your new SIM if they decide to call and check.

To be sure you have no additional tracking software installed, you may use these 3 methods.
Method 1

Check logged Google accounts Settings -> Accounts: be sure to use only your account for all Google products/services (Play Store, Maps, Android Phone Manager - this one can track devices). To be 100% sure, only you are the administrator of your phone, set up a new Google account for yourself.

In Settings -> Security -> Device Administrators, check programs set as admins -> remove all if there are any. (If you find one PIN-protected, use Method 2 with hard/factory reset.)

Remove all additional apps that may be used for tracking  Settings -> Apps -> Downloaded - select and remove all, one by one (some might be PIN-protected, then go to Method 2).

In Settings -> Location Services, disable the Access my location option and turn off GPS.

Disable Mobile data transfer.

Set up and enable PIN and Password (Settings -> Security), and enable screen protection with a PIN number.

Method 2
Manually back up your data (music, pictures) and copy it with file explorer/manager onto an SD card. SMS can be backed up with SMS Backup + App, sync contacts with Google Account. (for security reasons, set yourself a new fresh one and use it to back up and restore your data.)
Then, go to Settings -> Backup and Reset, choose Factory Data Reset important - uncheck Automatic Restore checkbox. After a hard reset, choose your own new Google account for Google services (set up a new one).
Next, set up and enable Password (Settings -> Security), and enable screen protection with PIN.
Additional info
Apps that can track your phone

Google Device Manager
Kaspersky Mobile Security (This one is tricky and hard to erase. I use this one with my phone.)
Avast Mobile Security / Avast Anti-Theft (This one sends an email notification or SMS when the phone leaves the designated area. It also may be hard to remove. You will need a hard reset to get rid of these two). Anti-Theft hides itself as an update agent in apps.
Track My Phone
Phone Locator

...and many many more. Check them in Google Play (You may find one installed on your phone. If so, remove it.)
Method 3 (100% works)
Buy another cheap smartphone and a second SIM card. Install on this new phone, let's call it decoy, the software they have installed on your old phone for tracking you (you will find it in Settings -> Apps on your Galaxy), log them in, put it into that second phone your old SIM card, redirect all phone calls to you a new number which you will use with your factory erased / clean Galaxy with new accounts logged in. Leave the second (decoy) phone in a place you are supposed to be.
If you can't find the app which they are using to track you down or don't have passwords to log them on a second phone, use the reverse process: buy yourself another phone with a new number (can be prepaid) and redirect all calls onto the new one from your old SIM card and use the old phone as a decoy.

Right of privacy of a phone he doesn't pay for? Anyways, Tom, I believe you let yourself go through hard and sinuous paths of reasoning but missed the main question: "is there a way i can route the tracker to a specific location when i want so that i could just tell them i am at that location even when im not?". With all your explanation you can remove a tracking app, but you can't stop his parents to notice that his app has been uninstalled. Am I wrong?

There are two questions as I see it, first: how can i prevent my parents from tracking my device? And maybe if there is chance, 2nd "is there a way i can route the tracker to a specific location when i want so " 2. Right of privacy of a phone he doesn't pay for? So man do you think if his parents pay for his food, phone, clothes they do have right to treat him as (kind-of) their property, whithout rights like: dignity, autonomy, self-reliance, right to have privacy, small secrets? 3. Reply was written via phone - that's why it was not preformated.

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


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ProxyDroid says it connects, but won't access the internet
I'm trying to get my schools proxy to work through ProxyDroid on my Galaxy S3 4.1.1. I can use the proxy fine through the default settings application, but that only allows me to use my browser, no applications. With ProxyDroid I can't even get my proxy to work on the browser, much less any other app.
To use my dorm's WiFi (and ethernet) I am forced to log in through the proxy. I'm not sure what the problem could be. I've got the correct url (I also have a proxy.pac option, but it ProxyDroid woudln't read it) and correct authentication.
When I enable the proxy in ProxyDroid it says it connects fine, I just can't access the internet.
I am rooted.

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


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All apps moved onto the SD card have disappeared
On My phone LG E460, all the applications moved on SD card, have disappeared.
On play.google.com (and play store) these applications are marked as installed.
I don't know how to reactive these applications.
The app advanced SD card doesn't see them.

Did you swap SDCards? Or delete the hidden directory .android which is where the apps and data are stored?

Restarting the phone usually solve this problem for me. Alternatively remove your SD card and put it back...

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


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Latest version of Play app on Android 2.1
I've got a device (HTC Magic) with Android 2.1 (rooted, with CyanogenMod). It has Google Market app v2.23.6 - pretty old. I wonder, what's the latest version of Play that runs on Android 2.1?
In the past, this device once had trouble with updating the Market. I wonder if this is the same trouble all over again, or Market 2.23.6 is the latest I'm going to ever get?
EDIT: more about upgrading Market to Play here.
The app still calls itself Market, not Play. This might be relevant; probably Market->Play transition changes the package ID or something.

Have Froyo here running on Samsung Europa, latest version on this is, 4.1.6.
Perhaps you need to let the old Market run for a bit, then back out of it, it should auto-upgrade itself, provided you have a valid account and signed in.

That's Froyo, mine's Eclair, 2.1. Waiting for someone with 2.1...

Should not make a difference unless Google blocked updates to Market on the older eclair... give me a while and I'll reflash eclair and see what happens ..

I'm not so sure. I've reverted Market to the very original version (1.7 something), then forced an update; I've got 2.23.6 again. The linked XDA thread says you have to upgrade to Play via play.google.com somehow; I couldn't figure out how exactly.


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No contacts showing in list in messages
I have just purchased a Galaxy s4 mini and I can see all my contacts in the contacts list but when I want to send a message and add a recipient the contact list is empty. How can I fix this?

What do you see on the contacts list? Is there No results found, or just an empty box?

How are you adding a contact? Typing  text in the Enter recipient or clicking the contacts button to its right?

you may try any custom contacts/messaging app.
if you like you could try contacts +
, which can also be used for texting.


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Rooting Development Device
Is it wise to root my Android phone used for development? Can the device become somewhat unstable which will affect the debugging process when building apps for my phone?
I have a Galaxy Mega and I'd like to Root the device by using only the most essential utilities that I need (USB Mass Storage, SetCPU, CWM).
I am also wondering if I can apply the usual Samsung Rom Updates by Using CWM and keeping Root, without bricking my device.

if you apply the Samsung ROM updates - you will lose root and possible CWM.

Even the OTA updates? I thought I could download the OTA update, flash it via CWM and then if it cocks up, I can still load my previous nandroid backup?

Very likely there will be stock recovery in the OTA update, remember, applying the OTA could very well wipe and unroot the handset!

Is there a standard process of Rooting Samsung Phones, Applying Rom Updates and Re-rooting without messing up the phone, apps etc.?

Rooting your phone won't in itself make it unstable. It just gives you the opportunity to make it unstable later, by installing apps that interfere with normal system operations, or changing settings that aren't available to end users. If you trust yourself to use root access sensibly, then rooting won't interfere with your development.


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Samsung Grand duos not visible in Mac Finder but visible in DDMS
I have eclipse installed and can see my device DDMS tab. Debugging also works normal. But oddly, I dont see my device (both internal memory and sd card) in Finder. I am unable to transfer to-and-fro my Mac. My Android OS version is - 4.1.2 (Jellybeans)
Solutions already tried:
1) Rebooting both device and system multiple times.
2) Select/unselecting "USB Debugging" in developer options.
3) Connecting device as "Media Device(MTP)" and "Camera (PTP)"
4) Installing Kies and trying to access device from there. I get a perpetual "Connecting..." message.

5) Plugging/Unplugging device from Mac. I get the message "Try reconnecting or restarting your device."

The device is definitely getting detected by the system as its shown in DDMS. But what could be the possible cause of not letting me access the storage?
P.S.: Device works fine in Windows, both storage duly pops up in the "Computer" section.

permission problem? what group/id is DDMS under, maybe kies on mac os/x needs to be on the same group?

How and where do I check this?

Disabling 'debugging mode' did the trick for me.


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How do I open an .odt file?
I have received an .odt file and I wanted to know if it is possible to open it on my S3?  I need to be able to copy, paste, edit and view comments.
OS: 4.1.1
Galaxy S3

.odt stands for "OpenDocument Text", a format primarily used with OpenOffice and its derivates (StarOffice, LibreOffice, NeoOffice), but also supported (at least via filters) by other office suits, even Microsoft's. There are several viewers available for Android, but unfortunately no (free or cheap) editors – though the LibreOffice team is working on an Android version for over a year already.
You will find a list of Office suites for Android in my German Overview Office-Pakete und Text-Editoren (after all, for the list you don't need to know the language). I also marked those (partly) supporting OpenDocument formats, watch out for the keywords "OpenOffice", "LibreOffice", and "OpenDocument".
I have not tested them, but it seems there is one supporting reading and writing of OpenDocument formats: Office 2012: TextMaker Mobile (for texts), with separate apps for Calc and Presentation. Each of the apps is about USD 9, so they don't come cheap (compared to other Android apps). Coffice only supports reading those documents, but comes for free, same applies to OpenDocument Reader.

I've Documents to Go installed but it doesn't open .odt.

Going look at Office 2012.

No, D2G does not support OpenDocument; it can only handle MS stuff.

TextMaker allows you to open and edit .odt files and does a great job of it.  I paid $5.
.odt is the open document text format which is an open international standard, there are many other desktop programs that support this format that are not derived from OpenOffice such as Calligra Words, Abiword, Kingsoft Office etc.

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


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Offline Voice search on ICS?
I have an Samsung Galaxy Exhilarate, with 4.0.4 operating system. Is there a way to get offline voice search for Ice Cream Sandwhich or below?

Unfortunately, offline voice recognition is only available for devices running Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) and above - anything below that will not receive support. There is, however, another hidden requirement - your device must have a sufficient amount of RAM in order to be able to download the Offline Voice Recognition files from Google. My Incredible S is running 4.2.2 and with 572 MBs of RAM I do not see the option.
Should you receive an upgrade to 4.1+ (by root or other means), you may go to Language and Input in Settings and select Download offline speech recognition under Voice Search.


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USB Tethering Problem
I am using USB Tethering to use my phone as a modem. Whenever I activate USB Tethering, there will be two network present in my PC. One named Network X(X being a number which is incremented every time I connect. Currently it's 13.), another named unidentified network. On basic Network section, it would show multiple network and there is no access to internet.
To use internet, I have to disable Local Area Connection 9 and then enable it which removes the unidentified network. Now I can use internet. I have do it every time I want to use Tethering.
My Handset: Sony Xperia Tipo
Android OS: Ice Cream Sandwich
PC OS: Windows 7
What is the cause of this and how can I solve this problem?

How are you doing USB tethering? Using an app? (or the phone's default feature? -- I don't know where this is though)

I'm using the default one.


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Backup Possibility?
Although I am fairly technically proficient, I am very new to Android, having only very recently purchased my first Android device, the Galaxy S4 phone, T-Mobile USA version, latest stock ROM.
I should mention that I have no interest in backing up the PIM data, as I have a Microsoft Exchange account through work, and have all my contacts, calendar, etc. on Exchange, and could easily re-sync it if lost on the phone. Of course also that Exchange e-mail account, but also have other personal IMAP e-mail accounts, which could also be re-synced. However, important for me to back up device settings, app settings, etc., as that could take many hours to re-configure if lost.
There seem to be various backup apps available, although some only work if the device is rooted. I have used Helium, and also Samsung Kies.
I am wondering, however, if the following would work:
What if, with a file explorer, either on the phone or on the desktop (with phone connected via USB and all files showing on the desktop computer), with the file explorer set to show all files--hidden, system, etc., show extensions, etc., one just copied everything in the phone's internal memory to a folder on the memory card? (And of course one could then copy that folder to a PC as well.) Would that folder have all the settings, etc., in it? If the phone crashed and lost all its data, but the memory card was still good (or if not,m and one saved the folder to an external computer), could one then restore the system to how it was by copying all the files in that folder back to the phone's internal memory?
Of course, one could save space by compressing that folder into a .zip, .rar, .7z, or other compressed file.
However, I have no idea whether saving all the files in internal memory (with the file explorer set to show everything) to the memory card or PC would really save all settings, etc., to be able to restore it to the state when one did that if need be.
Does anyone here know if that would work?
Thanks in advance for your response.

That's what Titanium Backup does. However, it requires root, and also in line with your question, you need root to be able to backup everything as you described.

I don't know whether or not that would work, but you might want to check out this post: http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/28296/full-backup-of-non-rooted-devices

It's not as simple as "copying the files" (and that's also not exactly what Titanium Backup does). Several services keep their data in memory, once loaded, and write changes back when they quit (and thus would overwrite some of the files you "restored"). So no, it wouldn't work reliably to use a simple file-copy, even when rooted.

Operation system has different processes constantly being loaded in and out of memory and constantly changing states. It's complex than just the collection of files and folders. So, if you want to copy everything and restore everything just using file browser, it would be impossible. To save app data only, you can use titanium backup but you need root permissions.


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Can I restore an app I removed from list on my Droid Razr?
I just got a Motorola Droid Razr M. I've deleted some apps by accidentally tapping Remove From List rather than just swiping them off the screen. Is there a way to get these back?

You probably haven't actually deleted the app, as that would have to be done via the Play Store or Settings menu. Remove From List should only remove an app from the multi-tasking list, or at most close the background process.
Check the list of apps in your task launcher and you should still find it available.

If they are the apps came originally with your device (and are not available for download in the Play Store), you can back up your phone and go for a factory reset. Restore everything afterwards. This option would be fine since your device is still new.
If the apps are available for download at Google Play Store, simply go there and install them. This option will save some trouble for you.


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bricked generic chinese android tablet - AlldayMall adm-tp001
I have a generic chinese tablet running Android 4.1.1, stuck on boot. I can get into recovery mode and I did a factory reset. But it is still stuck. I am not sure what to do at this point. I can't find a factory image so I can push it using adb.
please help!
AllDayMall adm-tp001
EDIT
I narrowed it down I was able to get the build.prop from the device using adb. Now I am looking for the original build so I can push it back on the device
ro.serialno=
ro.bootmode=unknown
ro.baseband=unknown
ro.bootloader=unknown
ro.hardware=sun5i
ro.revision=41275
ro.factorytest=0
ro.secure=0
ro.allow.mock.location=1
ro.debuggable=1
persist.sys.usb.config=mass_storage,adb
ro.build.id=JRO03C
ro.build.display.id=nuclear_evb-eng 4.1.1 JRO03C 20130628 test-keys
ro.build.version.incremental=20130628
ro.build.version.sdk=16
ro.build.version.codename=REL
ro.build.version.release=4.1.1
ro.build.date=Fri Jun 28 17:10:22 CST 2013
ro.build.date.utc=1372410622
ro.build.type=eng
ro.build.user=android6
ro.build.host=Linux2
ro.build.tags=test-keys
ro.product.model=SoftwinerEvb
ro.product.brand=softwinners
ro.product.name=nuclear_evb
ro.product.device=nuclear-evb
ro.product.board=nuclear
ro.product.cpu.abi=armeabi-v7a
ro.product.cpu.abi2=armeabi
ro.product.manufacturer=unknown
ro.product.locale.language=en
ro.product.locale.region=US
ro.wifi.channels=
ro.board.platform=exDroid
ro.build.product=nuclear-evb
ro.build.description=nuclear_evb-eng 4.1.1 JRO03C 20130628 test-keys
ro.build.fingerprint=softwinners/nuclear_evb/nuclear-     evb:4.1.1/JRO03C/20130628:eng/test-keys
ro.build.characteristics=tablet
ro.com.android.dateformat=MM-dd-yyyy
ro.config.ringtone=Ring_Synth_04.ogg
ro.config.notification_sound=pixiedust.ogg
ro.carrier=unknown
ro.config.alarm_alert=Alarm_Classic.ogg
dalvik.vm.heapsize=48m
ro.kernel.android.checkjni=0
persist.sys.timezone=Europe/London
persist.sys.language=en
persist.sys.country=US
wifi.interface=wlan0
wifi.supplicant_scan_interval=15
debug.egl.hw=1
ro.opengles.version=131072
rild.libargs=-d/dev/ttyUSB2
rild.libpath=/system/lib/libsoftwinner-ril.so
keyguard.no_require_sim=true
persist.sys.strictmode.visual=0
persist.sys.strictmode.disable=1
persist.service.adb.enable=0
hwui.render_dirty_regions=false
ro.property.tabletUI=true
ro.property.copySystem=false
ro.udisk.lable=NUCLEAR
ro.product.firmware=v0.4rc3
eken.board.platform=exDroid
eken.hardware=sun5i
eken.hardware.screen.size=7
eken.hardware.screen.res=800x480
eken.build.version.release=4.1.1
eken.build.version.sdk=16
eken.product.model=A73
eken.product.device=nuclear-evb
eken.product.name=nuclear_evb
eken.product.manufacturer=eken
net.bt.name=Android
net.change=net.bt.name
dalvik.vm.stack-trace-file=/data/anr/traces.txt
init.svc.ueventd=running
init.svc.recovery=running
init.svc.adbd=running

It is not a brick see the linky for an explanation. Bootloop is down to corrupt /cache or an app residing in /data partition is messed, cure is to boot into recovery and wipe cache.

I did that many times, it did not solve the problem. I can only use ADB with it while it is in recovery mode. and I can't use shell either

Try this Rom i, my tablet is  nuclear_evb-eng4.1.1JRO03C 20130628 , Link:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/6jtialhe1r4th0g/8064-%E5%8F%8C309-PH_a13-4.1-auto-mxc622x-20130628.img
I hope it works for you. It worked with my tablet. ;)

Originally submitted by member 'Cyberrmate-123' (based in Kolkata) in XDA forum on 4th June 2013.
All I have done is correct spelling and “flesh out” the explanation.
This is NOT a “step by step for dummies” guide. It presumes you know about adb and where to find it. Similarly it presumes you are already familiar with a unpack/repack utility in your favourite OS (Windows or Linux).
But, if like me, you have reasonable skills and have spent an inordinate amount of time simply trying to recover from the situation where the Uberizer doesn't recover your backup AND you already took a 'dd'/'cat' backup of every damn 'nand' partition you could find........... then you may find the following useful.
Note for User2247823
U said u can adb. So stick a uSD card in and
adb shell
mount the uSD
Change to the mounted folder n
cat /dev/block/nanda >nanda.   (This is bootloader with script.bin,etc)
cat /dev/block/nandb >nandb.    (This is env for uboot, save fir completeness)
cat /dev/block/nandc >nandc.   (This is boot partition with kernel & init.sun?.rc files)
cat /dev/block/nandd >nandd.   (This is system with vendor specific driver modules)
cat /dev/block/nandg >nandg.   (This is recovery)
Unmount the sd card and clone those files. With them you'll be able to recreate an identical working copy of the stock rom that your supplier never gave you.
Davemusic.
Hi all, some allwinner device users find themselves having a clone /backup of their tablet but without the manufacturers stock ROM image (or can't find a download) in case a custom ROM fails.
Here is how to save yourself.
Download any clones stock ROM. ( There are some limitations here – common sense prevails – if you have an A10 tablet then it has to be an A10 ROM if you are on ICS – then it has to be an ICS ROM. MUST BE A LIVESUIT IMAGE (most are)
 SAVE ORIGINAL ROM **
Now install and setup adb and pull your whole tablets internals out.
By using commands like 'adb pull system system'. It will make a directory called system and pull your system partition into it.
Now for the bootloader and bootable kernel (and it's ramdisk) we use 'cat' to read nand partitions 'nandc' and 'nanda'.
Su -c "cat dev/block/nanda > sdcard/bootloader.img"
Su -c "cat dev/block/nandc > sdcard/boot.img".
*NOW WE CHANGE THE VANILLA ROM TO YOUR VERSION *
Now with any rom un/packing utility (i use image repacker xda forum) unpack the clone image.
Replace the boot and bootloader files inside the unpacked livesuit img and change extension to .fex (if your packing program has an 'iso' folder change there as well)
(Davemusic prefers to copy nandd to system.fex and nandg to recovery.fex plus the boot and bootloader as specified above)
Now repack and flash. If it works immediately then that's cool. Else use adb to push modules from your system folder to the rom your running. Also push the 'etc' folder to 'system/etc' and push the 'hw' folder in 'lib/hw' to 'system/lib/hw'. Now reboot. It will work.
(
Davemusic had problems with the following because the tool "repack-bootimage.pl" was incorrect. The line that does the mkbootimage should read
system ("mkbootimg --cmdline 'console=ttyS0, 115200 rw init=/init loglevel=5' --base 0x40000000 --kernel $ARGV[0] --ramdisk ramdisk-repack.cpio.gz -o $ARGV[2]");
       it's one long line....that wraps in this post.
But, after modding that command I was able to use it and create my livesuit image.
)
* NEXT IS ONLY IF YOU WANT TO CREATE YOUR OWN MODIFIED IMAGE *
Now for a permanent solution. Use sunxi tools in ubuntu or any linux to 1st make the system.fex of the clone ROM to a system.fex file using SIM2IMG.
Now mount it by using 'sudo mount -o loop system.img '
Now in linux you should type 'sudo nautilus' to open the gui file browser in superuser mode. (It makes changing files a bit easier).
Now from your backed up system folder, copy the contents of 'vendor/modules', 'lib/hw' and 'etc' to the mounted directory. (If this seems a little strange – remember that the target directory is /system. But, your backup is relative to that. IE the '/system' prefix disappears. So; '/system/etc' became simply 'etc' and '/system/lib/hw' became 'lib/hw')
Then use 'make_ext4fs' to make a sparse fex file like this;
'make_ext4fs -s -l 500M -a system system newsystem.fex' .
It will create newsystem.fex. Copy it back to your unpacked rom. Replace it. Pack. Flash.
Now you have “almost” got your stock rom running. (NOT identical yet because you havent changed the apps,do it if you want).
If you want you can make the ext4fs directly into your backed up system folder. (change the target path of 'newsystem.fex'in the make_ext4fs command to include your system backup folder)
Copy the new fex file back. Repack. flash. It will bring your true stock rom back. On some livesuit images it corrupts the the “disk fileystem” so the internal sd doesnt mount. (like in eken T01A's ROM)
If so - then do the following. Open adb shell. then list /dev/block/nand? The last nand partition is your sdcard.
There are either 9,10 or 11 nand partitions named nanda through nandi (or nandj or nandk)
Whichever is the last - format it by using the appropriate one of the following commands;
busybox mkfs.vat /dev/block/nandi void'
OR
busybox mkfs.vat /dev/block/nandj void'
OR
'busybox mkfs.vat /dev/block/nandk void'
Reboot.
Then you will be able to get it mounted.
Now u can hav peace of mind while flashing custom ROMs. Enjoy.
CAVEAT -
It MAY be that you have no entries at all for 'nand' in /dev/block. This can occur if you have the wrong version of the nand.ko module in the root directory.
Sorry but, fixing that issue is beyond the scope of this tutorial.

Open your rockchip tool click switch. After your computer recognize it install rockchip driver. Then recover it.


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Where is the permissions tab in Google play?
About 1 month ago Google change the layout on the Play store, at least on the web part. My question is simple. Is there any way to see what permissions an application have from a computer? You can see the permissions right before you install the app in the phone, but that isn't that effective.
Thanks in advance!

When you click Install to install the application (on the web or on the phone), you will notice a pop-up that says what permissions the app has and if you want to continue or not.
If the app is already installed, click on the Installed button and the permissions will appear.

Is there any way to do this without logging in?

I don't think so. May by use http://www.appbrain.com/ to see the permissions?

That's one thing I hated too about the latest changes. I completely switched to AppBrain for research (many advantages: spam filter, concerns for permissions shown, etc.), and they even offer a Playstore button for the install.


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How to change PPTP VPN client's port number?
I saw this post: Change PPTP control connection's TCP port number and I successfully did it on my PC.
But how do I change Android's PPTP VPN client's port number? My Android phone is rooted and I installed a terminal emulator so I can run Linux commands.
Which commands do I need to run?

use
serveripaddress:portnumber
example
111.200.123.55:1755
this way you are over ruling the default 1723 pptp port
but make sure the server is listening to the new port

Not working for me

It's not about your device.
You must connect to the same exact port the VPN server is connected to.


text:
Notifications enabled on app make the app run on background?
Let me start with an example, Delta's airline app called "FlyDelta" has an option in it settings to enable/disable "Get check-in reminders & status notifications". My question is, if I enable this "Get check-in reminders & status notifications" will the app from that point on run in the background at all times (even after restarting the phone or killing the app)?
I'm a bit confused on how notifications work. I know that Google has a very nice infrastructure to push notifications to an app, but does the app has to be running in order to consume the data? any help explaining this specific app behavior will be greatly appreciated.

See: http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/40990/how-push-notifications-work

Polling for updates
It depends on how the app is written. Most commonly, the app uses Android's AlarmManager to run itself at intervals (say, every hour) to check for updates. Some apps might do this to keep themselves in sync with server data regardless of whether notifications are turned on or off in the app, and may (or may not) have another setting to disable syncing completely. Other apps might only run this periodic check if notifications are turned on, and only sync when you start the app yourself.
However it controls that, you should expect that when the AlarmManager starts the app in the background, it runs for as it long as it takes to get any new data from the server, and then stops running when it's finished. It will then not run until the AlarmManager starts it again in another hour (or however long it's set to wait). There's (usually) no need for the app to be running in the background the whole time, though of course a badly written app may do this.
Cached background processes
Don't forget that Android keeps background processes in memory even when they've stopped running, unless/until another process needs to use that memory. If the app is 'stopped', it's not using any resources, not even if Android is keeping it in memory.
Google Cloud Messaging
Apps can use Google Cloud Messaging (GCM) to be 'pushed' updates from servers (i.e. from "the cloud"). Instead of being started at regular intervals to check for data, they're only started when new data are available. This means they use less power, because they're not being started unnecessarily; and less data, because they only talk to the server when they know it has new data.
As above, an app might use GCM to keep its data in sync with the server, even if notifications are turned off. It's an implementation detail of the app: it shouldn't affect its observable behaviour, just how much power and data it uses.
Android itself keeps an open connection to Google's servers. There's only one such connection on the whole phone, so installing a new app that uses GCM doesn't use any extra resources. When the Android system receives a GCM message for a particular app, it starts that app in the background to give it the message: the app doesn't need to have been running already.
The app then runs, and reads the message. The size of GCM messages is severely limited, so the app may still need to contact the server to find out more. For example, the GCM message might just say how many new emails there are, and the client then needs to check the server to download the new emails. For flight details, it may be that the message only has a gate number or an updated departure time, so the app might not need to contact the server for more details. As before, when the app has finished processing the update, and it has created a notification if necessary, it can stop itself: it doesn't need to keep running.

I think it might differ among apps. To figure out the app in question runs in background or not, just use system> apps> running services.
If it's push notification, it consumes data only when it receives data. Even if it runs in background it does not consume data.


text:
Does the Samsung tablet 3 SM-T211 have USB host mode OTG support?
Does the Samsung tablet 3 SM-T211 have USB host mode OTG support? If not, is there a way to enable / support it?

According to Samsung and this review (down near the end of the review), the 8" and 10" Galaxy tab 3s have OTG, but apparently the 7" does not. It might be possible to enable it by rooting and installing an app for it, but I don't know.

At least one of the USB devices would need support for host-mode USB - which is a hardware feature and therefore can't be upgraded via software - and the other needs to report as mass storage USB device.
Since your tablet has OTG (=host-mode USB) support it may be a simply compatibility issue. Bluetooth may be an option, but it's slow.


text:
Galaxy Pop Gt-S5570 Is Stuck At Samsung Logo After Installing Cynogenmod 10.1
I tried to install Cyanogenmod 10.1 on my galaxy pop gt-s5570 using clockwork recovery 4.0.0.5...
Installation of cynogenmod 10.1 (cm-10.1.0-RC5-GT-S5570-tass) and Gapps successfully completes but after reboot phone is stuck at samsung logo
I tried wipe Data/cache/dalvik cache but still the same problem.. please help me out..

How long did you wait during Samsung logo? Maybe it takes time..

I waited for 1hr..

A "release candidate" is not a stable release. You should report this error to the Cyanogenmod developers so that it can be investigated and fixed for the final release.

can You suggest any stable version which can work perfectly on my Phone.. Thank you for your valuable answer..

I suggest you use the most recent stable version for your device that's listed on the Cyanogenmod website. If there hasn't been a stable release for your device yet, and the release candidate doesn't work for you, you'll have to try a different ROM or re-flash the stock ROM.

Ok i will check for the stable rom if available.. or else flash a stock rom.. Thanks Once again...

You don't need to thank me, but if you're satisfied with the answer, accept it (with the green tick on the left) so other visitors know your question is answered.

Samnsung Galaxy Pop
http://galaxypophacker.blogspot.com/2013/01/ics-stable-cyanogenmod-101nightly-for.html
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2060605
I am using cm-10.1-20130126-EXPERIMENTAL-tass for 5-6 months
very stable


text:
What is the difference between USB On-The-Go (OTG) and USB Host Mode?
What is the difference between USB On-The-Go (OTG) and USB Host Mode?
They seem to be more or less the same. Are they?

In the context of Android devices, the terms are often used interchangeably.
Host mode
USB has two different kinds of endpoint (connected device), like a client-server interface. One device is the computer (or host), and it's in charge: it's the server. All the other devices (the peripherals) are the clients, and can only communicate with the server. Usually, a device can only act in one of those two rôles: it wouldn't make sense for (say) a keyboard to be the host. That's the way the protocol works, and the connectors are designed to make that easier for users: hosts have the rectangular A connector, and peripherals have either the square B connector or a mini- or micro- version.
Host mode is a name for when a device is acting as a host. Every USB connection has exactly one device in host mode. PCs always run in host mode. (You wouldn't usually call it that for a PC, because it's not really a "mode", it's always like that.)
USB-OTG
A phone is a bit different, though. Sometimes you want it to act as a peripheral: for example, so you can plug it into a PC, so the PC can access the phone's storage. Sometimes you want it to act as a host: for example, to connect a physical keyboard or mouse to it. This is why many Android devices now support USB host mode as well as USB peripheral mode: they can act in either rôle. But how can you make this work, when a host's USB socket is different from a peripheral's?
This is where USB-on-the-go (OTG) comes in. It adds an extra pin to the micro-USB socket. If you plug a normal A-to-B USB cable, the device acts in peripheral mode. If you connect a special USB-OTG cable, it has the pin connected at one end, and the device at that end acts in host mode.
This can be a little confusing if one cable has seemingly identical plugs at either end, which do different things. But cables with USB-OTG at both ends are uncommon: it's more common to use an adaptor, which has a host-mode USB-OTG plug at one end, and a rectangular USB-A socket on the other. You can plug a normal USB cable into this adaptor, and it will work normally.
Conclusion
The names refer to two different parts of the USB technology, but they're very similar. After all, if a device "supports USB-OTG," it must support acting in "host mode". The converse is often the case, but not always. Most Android devices that support host mode do so via USB-OTG, but there are a few counterexamples: the original Asus Eee Pad Transformer, for example, has USB-A sockets in its keyboard, allowing it to act in host mode without a USB-OTG cable. And of course PCs support host mode without USB-OTG.
So although the terms are usually used to mean the same thing in the Android world - can I plug a USB stick into my phone? - and for most devices it makes no difference which you're talking about, there is a distinction.

Don't forget the power.... OTG requires a y-split cable for those that require external power - perhaps for a device that requires stronger power...Also USB peripheral did come into presence until after Honeycomb which introduced it.

@t0mm13b Actually it's entirely possible to supply power to connected devices via USB-OTG, just as with normal USB. It's just that most phones won't supply enough power for high-current devices like hard disks: but that's to do with the specific device, regardless of whether USB-OTG or normal USB is used.

@t0mm13b I'm not sure what you mean by "USB peripheral did come into presence until after Honeycomb which introduced it." Android has always supported acting as a USB peripheral.

No, it required a custom kernel - and it was iffy support depending on the chipset, it was in Honeycomb API that the USB support came into being and became more popular in ICS upwards

@t0mm13b Peripheral means, for example, being a USB mass storage device that you can plug into a PC. I think you're confusing that with host support, which was added in Honeycomb.

@Dan Hulme: So what does it mean when USB Host is mentioned in the specifications of a device, but there is no USB OTG? for example in Galaxy Note II.

@Omne If you have another question, please ask it by clicking the Ask Question button.

@Dan Hulme: I don't think it is a different question, thanks anyway.


text:
Android play music cannot hear when opening for the first time
I am running Android 4.2-jelly-bean on cm10.1. When I start the play music, and play a song, it behaves as if the song is playing except there's no sound.
I have to exit the app, long press the home button, remove the play music from the list. Then only, I can hear the sound. Anybody else experiencing this problem? How to permanently fix this issue?

Have you tried disabling the Apollo player via Settings > Apps > All > Apollo > and disable the Apollo player? Restart phone, then see if that makes any difference?

Apollo is already disabled.


text:
how to disable unlock screen sound on galaxy S3
Lately my phone makes an annoying sound when unlocking the screen. I don't have "Screen unlock sound" checked in the setting. I googled and found few people complained about this issue but no solution has been found yet. I tried checking and unchecking the setting and restarting the phone many times but still no joy. A hard reset might help but i don't want to do that if not absolutely essential.
This is not me but just found on youtube and this guy seems to have exactly same issue.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3m2Dyv-jaY
Anyone here had same issue and found a solution?

One of the comments with 9 Likes in the video says: Settings > More settings > Under file/data transfer, turn off NFC

thks +1 from me for idea as for me the same settings were in Settings > More ( Wireless & networks ) > NFC for ressurection custom ROM i am using


text:
How to stop "Make your phone more social" prompts?
Alcatel One Touch 983, firmware version 2.3.7.
I am frequently interrupted with a black screen displaying this prompt:

Make your phone more social
Authorize the synchronizing which will make it easier for you to connect more with friends, share photos and links, and receive event reminders and notifications.
Allow Skip

At first I thought it was Facebook, but then found that it was continuing after I killed the Facebook app. Moreover, it seems to stop when I switch my phone off and on again, but I don't know what's triggering it to start doing it again. Once started, it will sometimes pop up at minutely intervals, whether I tap Allow or Skip.
I'm not sure what it's actually doing. In any case, what can I do to stop this frequent interruption? A way to stop it for good would be preferable, but failing that, I would welcome advice on how to stop it for the time being without having to shut my phone down and possibly lose something I'm in the middle of doing.

You may want to get an app that lets you see the list of running processes and services. Then find it and delete it. Also, have you tried clicking the allow button and seeing which app it takes you to?

Could it be Facebook Home? If I recall, that's a separate process from the Facebook app.

@AlEverett you are correct this error is of facebook home.
Stewart use apps that can quarantine the apps
for example

App Quarantine
Greenify

may this help

@Jeffrey What would an app do over and above the built-in "Manage apps" facility?

@Jeffrey Before, Allow didn't seem to be doing anything, but now whenever I try it, it opens up Facebook to an error page "The page you requested cannot be displayed at the moment. It may be temporarily unavailable, the link you clicked on may be broken our expired, our you may not have permission to view this page."

@Al I don't see an app "Facebook Home", but I see a few services listed under the fb app: MediaUploadService, BackgroundDetectionService, MqttPushService.

Since a few days I have Alcatel Pop C3 and also experienced this annoying notification keeping reappearing. I didn't want it to have access to my Facebook account details.
As a result of many attempts I've figured out that it comes from default launcher. After I've installed ADW Launcher – you probably can choose any other from Play Store – the notification never showed up again :)
I hope will turn out to be helpful for someone!


text:
HTC One / Beats Earbud Conflict
The Beats earbuds that came with my HTC One initially worked great: the inline control worked, sounded decent. Recently, the phone fails to recognize them however. When I plug in alternative earbuds the phone plays music through the alts. When I plug the Beats earbuds into  alternative audio sources, the earbuds themselves work fine.
There appears to be a conflict between the two together:

I have tried using the headphone controls apps to see if throwing an app in there dedicated to managing the earbud controls would be a workaround and this did not work.
When I plug the Beats earbuds in, music plays through the phone speaker but the earbuds make the noise they would due to being plugged into a sound source
I have tried this with the Beats Audio setting on and off, and it is not a separate volume settings issue as the phone plays music through itself instead of the earbuds
Essentially, the issue isn't even with the inline controls, it is with audio not coming out at all; having audio come out of them would suffice a win for me

What are my options and which are the best:

Get a new set of the same headphones; confirm if the issue is with this specific pair, and perhaps a short inline or other wear issue?
Is there some kind of Software solution?
Is the phone the problem even if other headphones work with it?

When you say, "the earbuds make the noise they would due to being plugged into a sound source," do you mean they make the kind of clicking noise the same way they usually would when you plug them in? Or have I misunderstood?

@DanHulme that's correct; they make the usual sound that's kind of a staticky click (for lack of a better way to explain) that any line makes when being plugged in

Problem
I have been recently using my beats tour with my HTC One. It was working fine and then it stopped working. First I thought either my phone had a problem or the earphones. I thought of claiming my warranty but, before that I did following tests:

Plugged different earphones in my HTC One from Apple, Samsung and HTC. All worked fine.
Plugged my Beats earphone with iPhone, iPod and my computer. It was working fine too.

Analysis
Then I compared the connector of Beats earphone with others. I noticed a potential design flaw with both Beats connector and HTC One:

Beats earphone connector radius is slightly smaller than normal earphone connectors.
HTC One internal connector was pushed in more when plugging and unplugging earphone.
(I don't exactly know words to explain this but, this usually happens with electronics when using cheap materials).

Solution
As I am sure both HTC and Beats won't be accepting these facts. I recommend you to buy a short extender. I connected my extender to my HTC One and Beats earphone and it worked like expected.

I am not sure if we lose quality when using a cheaper extender.

Can you give us a link to that extender? Looks like what I need now.


text:
nexus 10 remote
I just bought a movie for my nexus 10 on Google play, then I realized I could connect it to my television, the movie looks great but is there anyway I could play/pause the movie remotely? Maybe with my nexus 4?

the movie is on nexus 10. then the nexus 10 is connected to the tv via hdmi cable is that right?

That is right ..

Probably the easiest way to do this is not with another phone, which would need specialist software for each app you want to control, but with a Bluetooth gamepad such as a PS3 controller. Connect the gamepad to the Nexus 10 using Bluetooth, and then you can use the gamepad to control any app, including Google Play Movies.
"Any app" is a slight exaggeration: some apps might not entirely work properly just with D-pad controls, especially if they have custom controls. But most apps should just work fine, and some have special functionality to make them easier to use with gamepads (such as navigating between screens with the shoulder buttons).
The one thing you might have trouble with is adjusting the volume. Since that's controlled with physical keys, it's hard to get at through the GUI with the D-pad. But if your Nexus 10 is connected to your TV, you can change the volume of the TV with its remote instead.


text:
Heimdall errors, "ERROR: Failed to confirm end of file transfer sequence!"
Using Heimdall v1.4 RC1 to flash Clockworkmod Recovery on a Samsung S4, I get the following,
$ sudo heimdall flash --RECOVERY ./recovery.img --no-reboot
Heimdall v1.4 RC1

Copyright (c) 2010-2012, Benjamin Dobell, Glass Echidna
http://www.glassechidna.com.au/

This software is provided free of charge. Copying and redistribution is
encouraged.

If you appreciate this software and you would like to support future
development please consider donating:
http://www.glassechidna.com.au/donate/

Initialising connection...
Detecting device...
Claiming interface...
Attempt failed. Detaching driver...
Claiming interface again...
Setting up interface...

Checking if protocol is initialised...
Protocol is not initialised.

Initialising protocol...
Protocol initialisation successful.

Beginning session...
Session begun.

In certain situations this device may take up to 2 minutes to respond.
Please be patient!

Downloading device's PIT file...
PIT file download successful.

Uploading RECOVERY
100%
ERROR: Failed to confirm end of file transfer sequence!
ERROR: RECOVERY upload failed!

Ending session...
Releasing device interface...
Re-attaching kernel driver...

I've even tried two different builds of Clockworkmod,
-rw-rw-r-- 1 ecarroll ecarroll 6.8M Aug 11 23:23 clockworkmod_6.0.3.2_jfltespr.img
-rw-rw-r-- 1 ecarroll ecarroll 6.8M Aug 12 00:02 recovery-clockwork-6.0.3.2-jfltespr.img

$ md5sum *clock*
c95fac4d0e27fcb0c3355f209e62cd9c  clockworkmod_6.0.3.2_jfltespr.img
760cbf5a3b157ab23f49fcf40b46db2f  recovery-clockwork-6.0.3.2-jfltespr.img

This is a because of a bug in Heimdall v1.4 RC1 -- the version that shipped with Ubuntu 13.04. What you'll want to do is upgrade Heimdall to version 1.4 final, or the latest version..
That should do it. Run heimdall info | head -n1 to get your current version.

I'm still getting this in heimdall v1.4.1

I've been struggling with upgrading my Galaxy Tab P1000 from 2.2 Froyo to CyanogenMod 9 using the official documentation from CyanogenMod.
Heimdall always failed with the message ERROR: Failed to confirm end of file transfer sequence! (Final version 1.4 in Windows and Linux).
Unfortunately, Samsung Kies did not want to upgrade firmware to 2.3 Gingerbread. So I desperately tried Odin. And voila - I got 2.3.6 running.
Curious as I am, I tried again with heimdall. This time, heimdall succeeded with installing recovery. :D  Unfortunately, I got an error when installing any CM image /dev/block/stl11 and /dev/block/stl10 were unmountable. Something was still wrong.
Finally I found this reference, and it worked well. :)

Thanks for sharing, Torsten! But as a link bears the danger to "expire", could you please [edit] your answer and include an excerpt – so your answer stays useful even in that case?


text:
Is there a way to sort backups listed in Rom Manager?
One of the older versions of Rom Manager I used to use did this, but more recently my backups, as listed by Rom Manager, seem to be listed in whichever order they please. This is quite annoying when I keep a lot of backups and they are all named only by ROM, date, and time.
Is there a way to sort them alphabetically and/or by date?
I'm using a Motorola Droid X (shadow). I switch between MIUI (Feb. 2012, GB 2.3.7) and CM9 (July 2012, ICS 4.0.4). Using the latest Rom Manager from the Play store, which appears to be 5.5.2.8.
Thanks for any suggestions.
EDIT: Nevermind. Turns out the Rom Manager installation on CM9 wasn't actually up to date, and apparently my backups were not all named consistently. It seems that Rom Manager uses the format:
YYYY-MM-DD-HH.nn.ss
while CWM Recovery uses the format:
YYYY-MM-DD.HH.nn.ss
which is why they didn't seem to sort correctly. Updating and making the names consistent solved the issue.

If you found the answer for your question, please post is as an answer and accept it so that Tue others can use it as a help source in the future. :)

EDIT: Nevermind. Turns out the Rom Manager installation on CM9 wasn't actually up to date, and apparently my backups were not all named consistently. It seems that Rom Manager uses the format:
YYYY-MM-DD-HH.nn.ss
while CWM Recovery uses the format:
YYYY-MM-DD.HH.nn.ss
which is why they didn't seem to sort correctly. Updating and making the names consistent solved the issue.

authors: Дмитрий Барабанов


text:
Heimdall errors, "ERROR: Partition "recovery" does not exist in the specified PIT."
When I try to flash my S4 with Heimdal and put on clockworkmod, i get the follow,
$ sudo heimdall flash --recovery ./clockworkmod_6.0.3.2_jfltespr.img --no-reboot
Heimdall v1.4.0

Copyright (c) 2010-2013, Benjamin Dobell, Glass Echidna
http://www.glassechidna.com.au/

This software is provided free of charge. Copying and redistribution is
encouraged.

If you appreciate this software and you would like to support future
development please consider donating:
http://www.glassechidna.com.au/donate/

Initialising connection...
Detecting device...
Claiming interface...
Attempt failed. Detaching driver...
Claiming interface again...
Setting up interface...

Initialising protocol...
Protocol initialisation successful.

Beginning session...

Some devices may take up to 2 minutes to respond.
Please be patient!

Session begun.

Downloading device's PIT file...
PIT file download successful.

ERROR: Partition "recovery" does not exist in the specified PIT.
Ending session...
Releasing device interface...
Re-attaching kernel driver...

So why is it telling me,

ERROR: Partition "recovery" does not exist in the specified PIT.

possible duplicate of Heimdall errors, "Failed to confirm end of file transfer sequence!"

For me, the recovery partition was called Kernel2 on Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini

This is because the command you used to invoke heimdall was,
heimdall flash --recovery

And, heimdall is caps sensitive, try this instead.
heimdall flash --RECOVERY ./clockworkmod_6.0.3.2_jfltespr.img --no-reboot

If you get ERROR: Failed to receive handshake response. Result: -7 after an earlier attempt, reboot the device and try this heimdall --RECOVERY ... command again.

My partition was not called recovery but "SOS". You can check it by doing: heimdall print-pit --verbose from a terminal while the tab is in Download mode.
I flashed my p7510. Gist: https://gist.github.com/pskiden/6311605


text:
Frequently changing battery from mobile
Is is bad for a device to change battery frequently from mobile?
I have one extra battery when my first battery got dry I removed it from mobile and put the second charged battery. Is it bad for the device?
I am using Samsung galaxy s2

Because till now i am not confirmed its 100% correct for my question.once i will confirm i will accept your answer

Alright then. :)

It is okay to use another battery as a backup. But if you switch the batteries frequently, you may end up with damaging your phone. Even though the chance for this a very low, it is still a chance.
When you change the battery frequently, you have to turn on and off the device. When you do this, the inserted battery spends power to start and turn-off your phone which is more of an unnecessary power waste. As a side effect, your phone covers may be at the risk of loosening, as a result of frequent use.
Other than that, there is nothing wrong with the use of two batteries with your device.
Instead of changing them frequently, you can switch batteries after using it for a certain period. (e.g. a week) Your backup battery will always be with you holding a full charge for a week. See the battery tag for more info on battery usage tips.

Ok thanks for your response but is it affects the battery life i mean the durability of battery or device.

@rickky No. It does NOT affect the battery life.


text:
Change layout of software buttons on home screen
I have a China-branded tablet running Android 4.2. The tablet has the "new" Jellybean 4.2 home screen button layout where the software buttons are centered on the screen, rather than aligned left as in common desktop operating systems such as Windows and Linux (with the KDE or Gnome 2 desktop).
The problem is that the button layout in my tablet differs in a slight, but annoying way from the Android 4.2 default, which is to put the home button at center, surrounded by the back button at the left and the recent apps button at the right. Instead, my tablet has the home button displaced one position left of center, which is occupied by the recent apps button followed by the two volume buttons (down/up).
Is there a way to edit the layout/order of the software buttons of the Android home screen? My ideal would be this sequence: volume down, back, home, recent apps, volume up. (Such a layout would retain the volume buttons, while keeping the home button in the familiar center slot.)
I know that Cyanogenmod has a settings tab precisely for fixing this problem. However there's no Cyanogenmod port for my tablet, its main saving grace being that it comes "pre-rooted", which allows me in theory to mess with any system settings if only I knew how.

I don't think there's a setting for this, so you'd have to replace the System UI (which is a system app, effectively) with a new one that has the behaviour you want.

The comment above about replacing System UI is correct. However there's a hack that overlays Android's built-in navigation bar with a "customizable navbar-like panel". The real navbar is hidden but still exists.
If you're still interested in a hard fix you need to unpack, modify and repack SystemUI.apk. This can be done using the apktool utility, which unzips the apk in editable form. In the resulting file tree, look for and edit res/layout/system_bar.xml using a plain text editor. Add the keymap and icons for volume control:
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.policy.KeyButtonView android:id="@id/sub" android:layout_width="@dimen/navigation_key_width" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:src="@drawable/ic_sysbar_volume_down" systemui:keyCode="25" systemui:glowBackground="@drawable/ic_sysbar_highlight" />
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.policy.KeyButtonView android:id="@id/add" android:layout_width="@dimen/navigation_key_width" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:src="@drawable/ic_sysbar_volume_up" systemui:keyCode="24" systemui:glowBackground="@drawable/ic_sysbar_highlight" />

The exact placement of the code probably depends on the customization done by the ROM vendor. But a likely spot is to search and place it after the line that contains the text "android:src="@drawable/ic_sysbar_recent".
After inserting the references, you need to copy the icons themselves to the right folder:
res/drawable-mdpi/ic_sysbar_volume_down.png
res/drawable-mdpi/ic_sysbar_volume_up_land.png
res/drawable-mdpi/ic_sysbar_volume_down_land.png
res/drawable-mdpi/ic_sysbar_volume_up.png

The final step is to repack the edited system_bar.xml and new icons along with the rest of the unpacked SystemUI.apk.
I'm sure my instructions are incomplete. So remember to keep a good (and tested) backup and recovery tool at hand before attempting to install your hacked apk!

Whoops. Stupidly failed to read that you just want to rearrange the navbar icons not create new ones. In which case just rearrange the lines containing @drawable/ic_sysbar_back, @drawable/ic_sysbar_home, @drawable/ic_sysbar_recent, @drawable/ic_sysbar_volume_down, @drawable/ic_sysbar_volume_up and ignore the part about copying icons to the right folder.

Why don't you modify your answer, based on your comments? That would be better than posting it as a comment. :)

See this article
With USB debugging enabled and adb installed on a connected computer, run
adb shell settings put secure sysui_nav_bar "space,recent;home;back,space"

Note: On my device, with ADB from Windows, I had to run adb shell seperately and then run settings put secure sysui_nav_bar "space,recent;home;back,space" due to quoting issues.
The article gives details on adding custom buttons.
You might be able to read out the settings from your device with the desired configuration using
adb shell settings get secure sysui_nav_bar # Some devices gives "null"

Both devices need to run Android >= 4.2

(Volume buttons can be done with the custom buttons, the question in the title ask about layout changes, so I'm leaving additional buttons to the link)


text:
Google Play Store mobile payment
I'm haing a problem with google play store from few weeks, I can't purchase any app with carrier billing option.
it says "Your mobile payment service isn't available, try again later" any ideas how to fix this?
thanks

Carrier billing agreements are only set up on a few carriers in a few countries.
As of the end of 2013, that list is:

Country       Carriers
Australia     Telstra
Belgium       Mobistar
Germany       T-Mobile International, o2
France        SFR, Bouygues, Orange
Hong Kong     3
Ireland       3, O2
Italy         Wind Italy
Japan         Docomo, KDDI, Softbank
Korea         KT, SKT, LGU+
Netherlands   KPN
Norway        Telenor
Poland        Play
Russia        Beeline
Singapore     Singtel
Spain         Movistar
Sweden        3, Telenor SE
Switzerland   Swisscom
UK            T-Mobile International
US            AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon

(source)
If you're still having trouble, Google Play Support has some other troubleshooting steps you should try:
If you don’t see a carrier billing option under Payment options, here are some troubleshooting tips:

Make sure you’re connected to your carrier’s mobile data network (3G/4G), not Wi-Fi.
Direct carrier billing is only available on mobile devices using the  Google Play Store
Google Play Store app, not computers.
Your account with your carrier must be in good standing.
Check with your carrier to make sure:

You haven’t exceeded your carrier’s monthly spending limit.
Your device and service plan allow premium content purchases.
Your device can use direct carrier billing.

Made a suggested edit- T-Mobile is now part of EE, who do not allow use of carrier billing service. 3, however, do. (UK only - I don't know for other countries)

If the phone is working normally otherwise (that is, you can make calls and send/receive texts normally), then it's unlikely to be a problem you can fix yourself. You should contact your carrier or Google support.

i've tried to contact google and my operator no one has a solution for this. and i'm not the only one that having this problem also my friend has the same problem.

Basically this has to do with the tie up for billing between your carrier & google. Currently google may not have a tieup with your carrier to charge you directly on phone bill. Or if you were earlier use to but via your carrier than their is a fair chance that contract between google and you carrier is over or in some dispute due to which direct carrier billing integration has been removed.

the problem is no one says anything, i tried to contact google support they say to talk with the carrier and the when I called carrier customer service they don't know even what is the carrier billing. lol, at this point Im gonna recharge my debit card.

I went through this for a couple of weeks recently until I found help online.  I just needed to turn my wifi off and use my data to make the purchase.  As soon as I did that I was able to use the bill your cell provider option.

Linking on line source would add value to your solution

If you haven't set up a Google Wallet account, you’ll need to create one before making a purchase.
Open the Google Play Store Google Play Store app.
Select an app or digital content item.
Touch the price.
If you're purchasing an app, review and Accept permissions to continue.
Next to the price, touch the Down Down arrow.
Touch Payment options.
Touch Carrier billing Enable carrier billing.
Review and Save your account information.

The OP seems to be aware of this option. However, his question is specifically about carrier billing - a separate thing from Google Wallet.

Actually, according to Google Play Support a Google Wallet account is a pre-requisite.

@Krampus Oh wow, I was not aware of that.

It has nothing to do with Google wallet. I never had wallet and I've used this payment method at least 20 times over the last 2 months that i've had the phone, and now it's not available. I pay my bills so there's something else going on, especially if more than one person is having the same issue.


text:
Why do my photos look fantastic on my HTC One X, but not that good on a PC?
The photos I take with my HTC One X look excellent on the phone screen, but when I copy them to a PC or laptop and view them on a larger screen, they don't look nearly as good.
Is HTC employing a filter or enhancement to make the photos look better? Could I do the same to the photos after copying them to my laptop?

What does "not nearly as good" mean? Colors? Sharpness? Brightness? "not nearly as good" is a bit vague to give a sound answer on.

Generally when you see an image on a bigger screen, you seems to notice blemishes quite apparently. The pixel density of the phone is greater than your monitor and hence could be this feel.

First, HTC is not ...employing a filter or enhancement to make the photos look better....
Second,
This is the color settings of the screens. If you transfer a photo taken from a Sony device camera to a Samsung mobile device, you will see a huge difference. That difference is that you can't see the vividness and cleanliness (i.e. the beauty ) you saw in the photo of the Samsung phone.
Explanation: The mobile phones has a PPI or DPI more than 300 whereas the computer monitors have around 150 - 200. Since you are seeing the pictures in a lesser pixel density while you are viewing them in your PC, you may fell that they don't look nearly as good.
If you want the beauty you saw in your phone, use Photoshop or any other photo editing app to increase the colors a little and adjust brightness and/or contrast or curves. Our fellow SE members of Photography Stack Exchange will be glad to help you.

I'm sorry guys! No offence to Samsung owners!! O:)


text:
Remote activate android app
I have an OUYA with XBMC installed, and watch films using the remote app on my Android phone. To watch a film I have to use the Ouya controller to launch XBMC. How can I remotely start XBMC on my android device (the OUYA) so not needing the controller?

Have a look in the OUYA store for an app called AutoPilot, that allows you to specify an app that will run on boot.


text:
Uninstall from emulator doesn't work
I'm doing my first steps with Android. I'm using a Mac, and no Eclipse.
I've installed my first toy application with
adb install bin/*.apk
and verified that it existed in the emulator. Then I made some changes, reran the build, and tried to install again, which brought the error message
   pkg: /data/local/tmp/DefaultActivity-debug.apk

Failure [INSTALL_FAILED_ALREADY_EXISTS]
Fine, so I have to uninstall first. So I tried the following:
adb uninstall DefaultActivity
adb uninstall de.rf.DefaultActivity
adb uninstall DefaultActivity-debug
adb uninstall /data/local/tmp/DefaultActivity-debug.apk
adb uninstall de.rf
but all of them just brought the error message "Failure", with no further explanation.
It's not a really big problem, because I can simply restart the emulator and use "adb install ....", but I'm curious: How do I correctly use the "uninstall" command?
My activity looks like this:
package de.rf;
...
public class DefaultActivity extends Activity
{
  ...
}

You don't have to uninstall, when you install an app already installed, you have to use adb install -r. (for more help, juste type adb)
To uninstall an app, you have to use adb uninstall package-name (e.g. adb uninstall com.example.app).

Thanks a lot, this works. Strangely I have read through adb -help several times, but somehow always overlooked the (clearly visible) -r switch!!!

To uninstall the package using adb, you need to use the package name listed in the manifest, for example:
adb uninstall com.shadowburst.showr

You might also want to use the -k option to avoid deleting the app's data when uninstalling.
You can also uninstall apps from the Settings app: click Apps, find your app in the list, then click Uninstall. This works even if the app was installed via adb or directly from an APK file.
By the way, don't use de.rf as a package name, even if you own the internet domain rf.de. You want the package name to be something inside a domain you control, to ensure that it won't clash with another Java package you write (such as another app or a library).

Thank you for your suggestions and explanations! Right now I'm just playing around, and I will for sure follow your recommendation and use a more sensible package name when I'm starting to do real work.

BTW, clicking on "Settings" displays a message box saying "Unsupported Action". Could it be that this is because I'm using an Android SDK which is already a bit outdated (0.9beta)?

Probably. The early versions of the emulator were a bit rubbish.


text:
copy my exchange server settings password
The password field under "exchange server settings" is blocked out. I want to add my business email to another phone. Is there any way to reveal the password?
Thanks.

you don't know the password to your business email address? @_@

well, the one I regularly use doesn't work. Meh, I'll ask my boss, hopefully she knows.

I'm sorry if that came out rash, but hopefully there should be a way to reset that password through your Sys Admin (or better if your boss knows).

don't understand why it would block the password to begin with. most apps you can click a "show password" button.

Pretty sure it's there for security reasons, all the more since that is business email.

If you are talking about the stock Email app, there is no way to show the password. This is for your privacy and security. You don't want people to be able to see your password if you lost the phone, especially if don't use a PIN- or password-enabled lockscreen.
The best way to resolve this issue is to contact your company's IT Support, and request for a password change.


text:
take Nexus 7 from android 4.3 to 4.2.2
I have just purchased a Nexus 7 (2013) and it auto updated to android to 4.3 as I was setting up.
Unfortunately USB OTG now does not run.  I purchased the Nexus 7 for it's OTG feature.
I've done a factory reset but it still loads 4.3
Is there any way I can go back to 4.2.2 - which does support OTG on the Nexus 7

A factory reset will only reset "to factory settings", not "to factory software". That is, basically it simply wipes your /data and /cache partitions, but it doesn't touch /system. See also the factory-settings tag-wiki.

Did you try with 4.4.2 (KitKat+). I have had no issues with my Nexus 7 (2013). Can you provide more details of what you are actually trying to achieve? (not just use USB-OTG)

I don't think the Nexus 7 (2013) ever had Android 4.2. I was going to suggest flashing a factory image but the only one available is Android 4.3 which suggests it's not possible.
As the other answers have suggested you will probably need to root to get the USB OTG functionality you are after.

The Nexus-7 (2013) 'razor' was released with 4.3 (JSS15Q). There is no official 4.2 or earlier versions.

Wow, that factory image list can be handy also if someone wants to downgrade from Lollipop to KitKat! Thanks!

If you are reverting to 4.2 only for USB OTG feature, then I would suggest you not.
I am using a rooted Nexus 7 (2012) from v4.1 - v4.3 and could say from that experience that it has to be rooted for the OTG features to run. Since that's missing from your question I assume that you are not rooted when you had 4.3.
The apps Stickmount and USB OTG Helper needs root privilege to run successfully.

You don't need to root Android devices to use some OTG functionality, such as the ability to plug in a mouse or keyboard.

My apologies. I had a myopic view that USB OTG is about storage devices only.

You're going to have to revert by installing a custom recovery, and then flashing whichever ROM you require yourself.  It's not difficult but needs to be handled very carefully (ie getting the correct rom, and following all the steps exactly) to avoid damaging your device.  You may find it hard to claim repairs under warranty if you do this, depending on the laws where you live.


text:
How to restore memos on Samsung S2
I have used the memo app which came with Android (the one with the big "T" logo) successfully for years. Today it suddenly lost all my memos without warning. Is this a known bug? Is there some way to restore the memos? Where are they normally stored?
I haven't synced with Google for a while (it seems authentication changed after upgrading to 4.1.2), so that option is not available.
I haven't installed any new apps since upgrading to 4.1.2 (and the Memo app did work successfully for a while after upgrading). I have disabled some apps which I have never used (at least not directly):

ChatON
Clock (digital, funky and modern)
com.google.android.voicese... (I can't seem to display the rest of the name)
Dual Clock (analogue and digital)
Exchange Services
Face Unlock
Game Hub
Google Play Music
Group Cast
Kobo
PressReader
Readers Hub
SNS
Street View
Talk
TalkBack
Voice command
Yahoo! Finance
Yahoo! News
Zinio

Do you mean Samsung's app S Memo?

Did it crash, or did just disappear? Did you do anything before it got lost, like install an app?


text:
command line mtp android sync with pc
I'd like to be able to sync a directory on my android phone with a directory on my pc from the command line over a usb cable without installing anything on the phone.
This can be done using adb shell ls will give you a list of files on the phone, push will copy files from pc to phone, pull will copy files from phone to pc and rm (or rm -rf) will delete files (or dirs) from the phone.
However, adb push is slow (it takes me 5x to 10x as long to copy files to an android phone using adb as it takes to copy files to an iphone using itunes).
There are pc apps which will sync (e.g., pure sync or, for ebooks, calibre), but that's not command line. Calibre seems to include python source for an mtp driver, but it's overly complex (for me).
Is there anything better?
BTW, there are many similar questions on various stackexchange sites, but I haven't found any which answer this question.

Is there any reason why you prefer command-line over apps, given that you know adb push is slow?

I can run a command line program from another program, so I can incorporate it into something I write. Android apps all seem to work over wifi, which tends to be slower than a wired USB connection.


text:
New Android maps - how to show navigation without destination
Older version of Google Maps for android had a separate Navigation app, in it I could either set a destination for guided navigation or simple select "Display map" with would always show my GPS location as I travel (streets, turns etc.)
With recently updated map app, I can either see my static location on the map or choose destination for navigation.
How do I simple display dynamic navigation map that would display my current location as I drive?

Please see this question

@Sid, that didn't exactly answer my question. I didn't lose Navigation app. I lost ability see my current dynamic location without setting up the destination, I commented your other answer

As I mentioned in my comment, upon further research I found that "Follow me" feature or "Navigation without destination set" was removed from the latest release of Android map app.
Following someone else's advice I am switching (at least for now). to the Waze app

You just need to access "My Location" in Maps.
Click the "location" button  in the bottom right corner to have the map scroll to your location. (Obviously you need to have Location Services turned on.) The button will turn blue and there will be a glowing blue dot at your location.
Tap the button again and the view will change to "compass mode", a partial-3d view with 3-d building outlines and pointed in the direction you're facing. The button will change to a compass. Tap again to get back to the top-down view.

If you want something to keep track of where you travel, the recent overhaul to MyTracks looks pretty good.

I did try that and it does show my static location, but it doesn't show street movement same way Navigation does when direction is set. Old app used to do that. So am I correct in assuming this is no longer available?

@Yuriy: I guess I'm not clear on what you mean. When I'm looking at the map, if I'm in motion my position on the map changes.

@YuriyGalanter touch that icon three times and strat the trip. Are you telling about this Al Everett?

@Sid: No, I'm talking about Google Maps. MyTracks is a separate app.

@YuriyGalanter Ya ya. I know. the latter part of the comment was to Al Everett. :D You should be able to get your rynamic location with three and/or two touches to that target icon.

Thanks all for the responses. I just googled (no pan intended) a bit on my own (http://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/maps/kRm9Tfvmp2k) and found that the "follow me" navigation is indeed M.I.A. after the update. Guess I will have to downgrade to get this back.

To activate the Drive mode, do these steps:

Navigate to the home screen
Long tap on an empty spot
Choose "Add widget"
Select "Google Maps"
Select "Drive Mode"
Add it to the home screen

This answer seems to work for me. To use it, I leave it on the Set Destination screen but swipe down on the proposed locations list to minimize it. The screen stays on and the blue dot follows my location as I move.


text:
Problem connecting my Xperia L to wifi..it shows Saved ,secured with WPA2..what should i do?
I tried to connect to my TP-Link ADSL2+ Modem Router (TD-8951ND) with my Xperia L, it worked fine the first three days, but now when I try to connect it shows "Saved, secured with WPA2"
.
I tried almost everything but failed to connect.
I tried resetting, restarting, changing password/id, keeping security open, manually adding the network etc.
How can I solve this?

Try to connect another android device (I know it is hard, but you have to he sure where the problem is. Maybe a friend of yours can help). Does Ethernet work fine?

And are you sure you have good signal strength? I myself experienced this problem once or twice when I was a bit away from the router.

Even i was facing the same problem since day one. FYI but it is connecting to the other wifi network.
Finally it worked in this way..
i went to the router setting added Guest network and security none and do apply. once setting are updated turn off ur router for 1 min and switch on. restart your phone. Then try to connect to the Guest network.
Once you are able to connect then you can change the security settings by changing None to WPA in the security.
Hope this helps u .. :)


text:
Phone memory shows as nearly full in PC, but is not
ATT version of Galaxy S3
running cm-10.1.2-d2att.zip
http://download.cyanogenmod.org/?type=stable&device=d2att
I seem to be having a storage issue. I'm guessing it was while I was changing to a new a ROM. I wiped the device and did a fresh install, but used titanium to restore settings.
the 12 gig internal reports having less than 1 gig free, but I can only find ~3 gig of information. (see pic)

I'm not sure what CM10.1.2 points to: Could it be you switched from Android 4.1 to Android 4.2 with the latest update? If so, it might be the storage location has changed, IMHO from /sdcard to /storage/sdcard0 (I have no reference here, so I cannot check the exact locations). So on the Windows machine, it only shows /storage/sdcard0 now (as a Fuse "drive"), and you don't see the entire storage. Please check directly on the device.

@Izzy IIRC Google changed the layout of system under 4.2, /storage/sdcard0 to /storage/primary/legacy/ - possible driver update/refresh?

@t0mm13b That's what I was referring to. I saw the very same issue reported elsewhere (cannot remember the link), being caused by an update from one JB version to the next. During that process, data was duplicated from its original place to the new path (i.e. copied to the new and still left in the old place), which caused free storage to "drop", logically.

Try reflashing the Rom with full wipe again but don't restore anything with Titanium Backup.
similar problems usually happen when I used to restore data with Titanium Backup especially if the android upgrade from Rom to another is significant (e.g 4.1 to 4.2).
please try this and tell what happens :)
Edit: added my comment to the answer.

Thanks for the edit! Makes sense now to me: Could be connected to the "storage issue" mentioned in the comments on the question itself.

I actually wish he know the solution to this problem, because I'm going to flash 4.3 GE Rom on my HTC One and I don't know if I can restore some of the app data (like games)...

Maybe you contact Joël (the dev of Titanium) and ask for advice? He's usually quite responsive. If you get an answer that sheds more light, please don't forget to let us know :)

How about your internal SD and emulated SD card free space? Sometime your phone has duplicate files on emulated SD and internal SD. Sometime it may be an issue with the setting restore. When you're switching ROM (different android version), it's not recommended restore data using old ROM backup.

I'll try this out. Are you saying that when you do a fresh rom install you (re)configure all your apps?

Yes definitely, most of the ROM developer mention don't restore data using TB or any other backup apps.


text:
mounting nfs, cifs, etc on android 4.3
On my new Nexus 7 running android 4.3, /proc/filesystems claims to have support for cifs, nfs, and nfs4 built into the kernel.
Unfortunately, also on android 4.3, google has arrange things so that everyone has their own mountpoint namespace, so while I can, in fact, mount an nfs4 directory from my fedora 19 server in a rooted shell, I can't see that mountpoint anywhere outside that shell (which puts a crimp in the usefulness of the mount).
Is there any way to make a newly created mountpoint visible to all apps? (Other than modifying the kernel or something like that).
This android doc page has some cryptic info at the bottom about the namespace issue:
http://source.android.com/devices/tech/storage/index.html

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2107224
Android >= 4.2 breaks Dalvik-apps that mount file systems to be shared with other apps. The linked page has an explanation of the issue, and patches that can be applied to the kernel source (or the Dalvik source, if you prefer) to make a custom ROM that lets you do this.

Next time you answer a question with a link, could you please add a summary to explain how it relates to the question? People are unlikely to click the link without some reason.


text:
Package file is invalid when trying to load Facebook
When I try to load the Facebook app on my new Samsung Galaxy S3, I get an error of Package File is Invalid. I have been able to load other apps via Google Play store. Facebook seems to be the only one I'm having trouble with.

Hi, this has been fixed by Google already, as I updated in my Answer. Please upvote one of the answers and accept it so that this can be closed already. :)

This error has been noticed recently. The other day, I was trying to update the Samsung Push app, but it kept on failing. So, I just kept trying to update it, despite the frustrations. Eventually, it updated successfully.
Maybe it's just a Google Play issue.
Update 2013-08-13: From Al's comments, Google has officially recognized this issue, as is in fact listed in Google Support.

We’ve received reports that some users are getting "Package File
  Invalid" while trying to download or update apps.
We’re currently investigating a permanent solution, and there are no
  workarounds at this time.
We’ll continue to update this page with developments, so check back
  soon.

EDIT #1: Oops, looks like my UPDATE has been mentioned in bmdixon's answer already.
UPDATE 2013-08-15: As of this time, Google has already fixed the issue. Source.

See also: http://phandroid.com/2013/08/13/package-file-invalid-google-play-store/

@AlEverett Thanks! Added your comment to the answer.

This is a Play Store issue. It has been acknowledged by Google and they are looking at it. There is no fix or workaround at the moment.


text:
Chrome keyboard shortcuts, external Bluetooth keyboard, Samsung Galaxy Tab
There are a lot of Google hits in which people report that the usual desktop Chrome keyboard shortcuts (e.g., ctrl+t for a new tab) work fine on Android Chrome with an external Bluetooth keyboard.
However, none of the shortcuts seem to work in my system. I am using the following setup:

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1
Android 4.0
Chrome web browser
Microsoft Wedge Mobile Keyboard
Nothing strange configured or installed; I have recently reset the tablet

For example, these things work OK:

System-wide shortcuts (e.g. win+l for Calendar) work.
If I tap on the address bar in Chrome, I can use the keyboard to enter a URL.
I can also edit the address as usual when the address bar is active. Arrow keys work, ctrl+a works, ctrl+c / ctrl+v works, etc.

However, these things seem to do nothing:

Using any of the usual keyboard combinations in Chrome: ctrl+t, ctrl+n, ctrl+l, ctrl+w, etc.

This guy claims working keyboard shortcuts on Note 10.1 http://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/16pcqx/til_that_chrome_for_android_supports_the_same/

I tried to plug-in a USB keyboard via OTG. Ctrl+A, Ctrl+C, Cltrl+V works, but not Ctrl+T (and the others). I don't have a bluetooth keyboard. So, I can't try.

Installing External Keyboard Helper Pro seemed to fix the keyboard shortcuts in Chrome.
(I have no idea why it helps; this was completely unexpected. I was just installing it to get rid of the onscreen keyboard.)


text:
How can I select a calendar to get alerts when I have more than one?
Say I have 2 calendars. 1 for my personal stuff and 2 for my work related.
Is there a way that I could only choose to get alerts from one for time being. Later, add or switch calendars?
I am using Google Calendar.

You decide on an event by event basis whether you get reminders or not. It's really nothing to do with the calendar.

@AlEverett well... Mostly right in theory. But practically, it's still possible. See my anser to How to disable a specific calendars notification?

You could hide the other calendar. Then, you wouldn't get alerts from them. Is that a good alternative?


text:
Can I use an old phone as a bluetooth headset and dialer?
I'd like to use one of the new 7" tablets that will have cell service as a phone. I would like to leave it in my backpack and use something smaller to send and receive calls.
I think I should be able to recycle an old Android Phone for this purpose. I figured there is some kind of Bluetooth stack (Bluez?) that just needs to be configured the right way. The hardware should be all there. The best I could find thus far was this question and the links therein.
I saw some dedicated devices on Alibaba that do this; and I have seen people do this in China. But I haven't seen any such devices in the US. I could settle for a dedicated device, but recycling an old smartphone would be more useful.


text:
Orbot not starting on rooted Samsung Galaxy S4 (Verizon)
I have recently rooted my Samsung Galaxy S4 (Verizon) using the method found here.
I am trying to run Orbot(Tor) with the Tor Everything option enabled.
The application will not get past "Orbot is starting...". I am connected to WiFi and am on Verizon's service.
Unfortunately I had not tested this prior to rooting so I am not sure if the problems lies with running on an S4 or running on a rooted S4.
I have tried to uninstall and reinstall Orbot and have not had any luck.
I have tried to connect to 4G instead of WiFi, no change.
I have tried to turn off the Request Root Access, no change.
What is causing Orbot to not connect to the Tor Network?

I just installed Orbot awhile ago, and I got it working on my rooted Samsung Galaxy S4. You need to set the proxy for your APN.
Go to System Settings > More networks > Mobile networks > APN. Open your existing APN, and take note of the settings. You need to make a clone of this APN (so that you will still have the original APN, and have another APN that goes through TOR). Go back to the APNs page, and create a new APN, copying the settings from the other APN.
Then, set these:

Proxy: localhost
Port: 8118

After that, make sure you select the newly-created APN as your new APN. Your network will refresh in a bit. Open your browser and open check.torproject.org. If it was successful, you should see something like this:

WARNING: If you use the GMail app (or in my case, Kaiten configured with my GMail), it may detect unauthorized access, and you may be asked to reset your GMail password online.

The option to add a new APN is grayed out and I can't select it. Do you know why that would be?

@TronicZomB I have no idea. But can you edit the Proxy and Port though?

No... I'm trying to figure out why I can't add an APN.

@TronicZomB Let me rephrase my question: Can you change the Proxy and Port of your existing and current APN?

That's what I thought you were asking and no I can not change that. I can change the name of the APN, that's it.

@TronicZomB That's weird. Maybe your network provider locked down the APNs so you couldn't add or change them? I've no idea though. I also have an S4 that's locked for use with a specific network provider, but I can add APNs.

I'm on Verizon if that makes any difference. Thanks for your help!

@TronicZomB I'm from the Philippines. So, might be a different case.

@TronicZomB You're welcome, bro.

If you deny superuser access it works. At least on my VZW S4 it does.

But then it won't Tor Everything will it...?


text:
Google+ app does not launch live video hangout
Device: Nexus 4
Android: 4.3
When there is a live video hangout, the Google+ app makes a button available on the post called Watch Hangout On Air. However when I press it, YouTube launches the What to Watch screen, but the hangout video isn't in the list and nothing auto-plays.
The live Hangout is occurring. I can watch it on my laptop by using the same G+ post to launch it as I'm trying to use from my phone inside the app.
I've cleared the App Defaults for both the Google+ app and for YouTube. The Hangouts app has no defaults set yet.  My apps are all the latest versions.
I've used the back button in the YouTube app and have backed right out of it altogether, just to check that the live hangout video isn't hidden behind another screen activity.
Does anybody have any suggestions?

Not sure if this is it. From Google Support:

The YouTube app won't work with Hangouts On Air. So if you use
  Hangouts On Air, your viewers will only see the video call, not your
  playlist or the videos.

You were correct. The new YouTube 5 app released this week supports Hangouts On Air.

The YouTube 5 app released this week (Aug 20, 2013) supports Hangouts On Air. The previous version of the app apparently did not.


text:
Samsung Tab 3 drivers reinstallation
I bought a Samsung Galaxy Tab 3. Upon connecting to the PC, some of its drivers were not installed. I'm using the Tab for the first time. Developer mode/option is checked.
I want to run my apps on it, but it is not recognizing it. So, how do I re-install the drivers?

Did you try unmounting any storage? Settings > Storage > [Menu]: make sure all boxes are unticked.

Download and install the Samsung Android USB Driver for Windows.
(It's the zip file at the top of the page.)
Go to Settings > Security > Unknown Sources and check the box.
Turn on USB debugging in Developer Options.

Download Samsung Kies, and install it. It will install all the drivers you need, plus the Samsung Kies software, where you can do back-ups and other phone management tasks.

but not work'n ,i'm nt able to run my app through pc

What do you mean by run my app through PC?

I believe he means to push an apk from his PC via an IDE, etc

Please try the following:

Unmount any USB storage: Settings > Storage > [Menu] > USB Computer Connection: make sure all boxes are unticked.
Ensure that you have enabled USB debugging from Settings > Developer Options > USB debugging. After enabling it, you should see an ongoing notification that it is enabled when you connect it to your PC.
Ensure that you have the latest Samsung USB drivers for your device.


text:
How to use Android modem without using PC
I have rooted my mobile. I wanted to use modem of Android phone without connecting to PC. How to give AT commands without connecting to PC, because in http://atinout.sourceforge.net/, it is suggesting to use '/dev/ttyACM0' file which is not present in Android device.
I am not sure, but it seems ttyACM0 is related with USB, how to use same command in Android mobile, if I have rooted my mobile successfully.

Have you checked if kernel's Android USB gadget support does include ACM serial support, generic serial function driver and finally modem support in generic serial function driver?

@t0mm13b Can you please suggest how to check this? I am new to Linux world.

Did anybody ever "stepped by stepped" detailed how you could solve this issue ? ... I'm tryna do the same thing (or possibly embed it in my Java apk...)

Some devices would have the kernel compiled with ACM serial support (this is dependent on manufacturer/board/kernel) so that it could be used as a dial-up modem from a PC via USB cable, that is the functionality behind /dev/ttyACM n where n is a digit as allocated by the kernel.
To check for that, look in /proc/config.gz which is the kernel configuration file used, this is a gzipped file detailing the configuration of how the kernel was built, the ones you are looking for is, need to search for it:

CONFIG_USB_ANDROID_ACM=y
CONFIG_USB_F_SERIAL=y
CONFIG_MODEM_SUPPORT=y

again, its dependent, some elect to not include it, others will omit it
So basing my comment above, I think you're using the wrong device file name, the real modem device file is /dev/smd0 which is used in conjunction with /dev/socket/rild (See my answer on StackOverflow explaining about that).
/dev/smd0 sits in front of /dev/socket/rild, rild daemon reads from that device and relays it to /dev/socket/rild which is then handled by the android layer in both directions.
Try using either of the device filenames, with atinout program referenced on sourceforge, to see what outcome you will get.
Disclaimer: I am not responsible for messing up your telephony stuff if you carry it out as per on the sourceforge site, if it gets messed, reboot!

As I said in my answer to your first question:

Be warned that the device file you need to use is different for each model of phone, so you'll have to examine /dev on each device to find out which file to use.

If you can't find a report from someone else who has got it working on the same phone, you'll need to use a little trial and error to find the right device file.


text:
A specific app works fine with tablet owner account, but crashes for other users
I've played Modern War on the owner account on my Nexus 7. It opens and works fine. But when I go to another user account and try to open the app it goes halfway through the upload then Force Closes. I've done it with two more user accounts and the same thing happens. The only account where opens is the owner account. Does anybody know why this is happening? (I figured if it was separate space and storage it should be like having two phones.)

I've just run into this issue on my Nexus 7, too.  Any account other than the admin causes my app to crash.
What I've discovered so far is that with my app, there is a permissions issue when it tries to access the game database. I receive this:

java.io.FileNotFoundException... open failed: EACCESS (Permission denied).

That database is stored in the data/data/{package name} directory... So it looks like secondary users may not have rights to access the data/ directory.  I'll try to remember to let you know if I find a resolution or find anything else that is useful.

Is the game download and installed from a valid source or it's a cracked game. If you have installed it from a valid source try reinstalling it.

I've down loaded it from Google play' and other sources. I've restored tablet to start over and started by installing only on user and it still doesn't open. The user portion is my sons area and he likes the game but its no good when he can't play it also. Just not sure what else to do about it. Thought maybe it was in the settings but if users are granted all permission then they should have all the same programs to be able to run the game


text:
Will I get OTA updates from Vodaphone Australia by flashing stock I9300XXEMC2 ROM on Samsung Galaxy S3?
I have an Australian Samsung Galaxy S3 from Vodafone (GT-i9300T). I want to flash a non-branded ROM to it using Odin. I found a ROM on samfirmware.com called I9300XXEMC2. Will I be able to get OTA updates if I install this? It is a stock ROM, but I've read that it might have problems if the modem and CSC don't match up.
Here are the details of the rom:
GT-I9300 Galaxy S III
PDA: I9300XXEMC2
CSC: I9300XSAEMC2
MODEM: I9300XXEMC2
Added: 2013-03-28

Will I be able to get OTA updates if I install this?

CSC of XSA or VUA works for Australia. As long as it's stock ROM, you should be able to get OTA update. If it doesn't work, try to update via Kies on your PC.

I've read that it might have problems if the modem and CSC don't match
  up.

It's OK for modem and CSC to be different, but CSC must be correct if you want OTA updates.

Thanks for the reply. If I flash that rom will it update my CSC or do I have to do that seperately?

@Jai The ROM you mentioned has XSA CSC. That should be OK. No need to flash a separate CSC.