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Block an outgoing call to a specific number
I have a relative who keeps calling a premium-rate telephone number. I want to block the ability to call this specific number because it is able to rack up a very high bill in a matter of hours.
They also have a feature phone (dumbphone) where as far as I found out it is not possible to block a specific outgoing number, nor do the phone carriers in my country offer the ability to block the calling of premium numbers (or the calling of one specific number).

My first option is to buy a cheap smartphone and somehow block this one premium number there. It would be best if I could block the number directly in the phone settings (parental controls or something similar?) and lock the setting with a password.

The second best option would be to install an app that can again block a specific outgoing number and lock the setting behind a password. They would not be able to root the phone or do anything similarly technical to circumvent the limitation.

My third option is to take the phone away altogether, but it's used to stay in contact with other people, so this is a bad solution (albeit one I must reach for in case the other ones fail).

What solution would you recommend to block a specific outgoing phone number? Does some version of Android have parental controls with a block of outgoing calls? Or is there a good app for it?

At ATT I have blocked numbers in the past(not sure how easy it really is).  Doing it at the carrier level would probably be the easiest.

Unfortunately the phone carriers in my country do not offer the ability to block the calling of premium numbers (or the calling of one specific number). I have already asked them about it.

It's probably unlikely you'll find a way to block outgoing calls, however you could use an App Locker to lock the call application with a password, I think receiving calls would still be normal but opening the call app to dial a number would require a password

I would like the phone owner to be able to call others, just not this specific premium number.

Maybe some "old folks" launcher replacement could do the trick – i.e. one that only has the "important numbers" as "buttons" for direct calls. Then hide the real phone app, effectively limiting the owner to those numbers set up with the launcher. My site is currently down because of an hardware issue, but hopefully back in a few ours; you could then check with this list of apps if this approach is acceptable.

Don't have time for a full answer, but fdn is the setting you are looking for. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fixed_Dialing_Number

Izzy, aBochur, thank you for your suggestions. I would like to solve it as a blacklist (forbid specific numbers), not a whitelist (allow only specific numbers). Is there a solution for a number blacklist?

On Xiaomi phones running MIUI (their Android port) you can restrict calling to a list of fixed dialing numbers or to numbers with certain prefixes. Similar options may be available in other Android phones as well, be sure to check before you buy a phone.
In MIUI 9:

open the phone app
select menu ('hamburger' icon on bottom left)
select settings
scroll down and select 'Advanced settings'
select 'Fixed Dialing Numbers'

Otherwise, Android apps for parental control should provide that functionality.

I suppose FDN is a SIM feature, not phone-specific feature


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How to save images / videos from a Xiaomi Redmi 4X that keeps rebooting in every 30 seconds
My phone (Xiaomi Redmi 4X) is faulty since last week, it's restarting itself in every 30 seconds (this time starts when the home screen appears). This little time is not enough for copying everything to my PC because it disconnects before even the thumbnails are loaded.
It doesn't work with the MI PCSuite, it says "Connect your device". Not working in recovery mode neither in fastboot mode.
I downloaded the android sdk so I have fastboot and adb.
'fastboot devices' command lists my device (I guess it is), but
'adb devices' doesn't list it. (I guess it only works when the phone and USB Debugging are on)
Do you have ANY idea how to save my pictures and videos. They're invaluable to me. I don't care about the phone, but I don't want to lose my data.
Any help is appreciated!

Is it possible that the data you want is stored on your SD Card ? if not then your best option is to try and install a custom recovery on the device and then copy out the data with the custom recovery

I would focus on finding why the phone is restarting. Something is making the phone to restart and you need to find what it is and disable it . Seems easier than trying to save images in this situation.

@Zillinium it's restarting in every 30 seconds, there's no chance to install an application to it.

You don't need to install any application when installing a custom recovery... Mostly you can use Fastboot to install a recovery with the command fastboot flash recovery recovery.img This is before the bootloader and shouldn't require fully turning it on, therefore it won't restart until you boot the system

Oh, and where can I get this recovery.img file?

Whew, it was a tough round but under 5 hours I figured out and finally managed how to save images and videos in this situation.
First I had to make some kind of connection between the phone and my PC. The best option for this was the platform-tools in the Android SDK. Then went into the shell with:
C:\platform-tools> adb shell

Next thing was to find out the path of the Dcim folder and list files in that folder:
ls /storage/emulated/0/Dcim/

there is a folder in it called Camera. After I got all the filenames in that folder I managed to copy them with the adb pull command: I copied all the filenames into an excel document and prepared them with the full command which was:
adb pull /storage/emulated/0/Dcim/Camera/video1.mp4 C:\media\
adb pull /storage/emulated/0/Dcim/Camera/video2.mp4 C:\media\
adb pull /storage/emulated/0/Dcim/Camera/video3.mp4 C:\media\
...

It contained 450 files. That is impossible to copy within 30 seconds, so I had to divide them into chunks. First I divided them into videos and pictures and copied 50 pictures at once per 30 seconds session. With videos, I could copy only 5-8 at once.
And one last but an important thing: on the phone the USB Debugging must be enabled (under the Developer options) in order to make use of the adb tool. And all the above mentioned only work when the phone is on!

How did you enable USB Debugging without turning on the device ?

Yeah, it had to be turned on for that. 30 seconds is enough to navigate there and enable that.

Ok, that's really strange... It seemed like you couldn't turn your device on at all without it restarting, it's usually called a boot loop and doesn't go any further than looping at the boot screen.

It's another type of boot loop. The 30 seconds starts when I get to see the home screen.

I updated the post.

It may be repairable in the first 30 seconds, If you know exactly what caused the problem then it would be fairly easy to repair it.. I had a similar boot problem from disabling the google search application, I'm still not 100% sure why it allows disabling the app in settings but i was able to fix it by enabling it again.

Unfortunately I didn't know what caused this constant reboot thing. But I've already factory reset the phone.

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


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What is the location of the DCIM folder in the internal storage on a Xiaomi Redmi 4X?
I would like to make adb pull but I'm not able to locate this folder. I suppose it's in the /data folder but it says Permission denied. Somewhere I read if I try the full path it might work. Thank you.

Try 'storage/sdcard0/DCIM/'

@GadgetGuru adb shell ls storage/sdcard0/DCIM
ls: storage/sdcard0/DCIM: No such file or directory

It's /storage/emulated/0/Dcim/

This definitely shows photos from internal storage. I wonder why I see same files if I run adb shell ls /sdcard/DCIM/Camera in theory I should not see photos from internal storage.

should be storage/sdcard0/DCIM

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


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How does the Twitter app 'remember' user data even after clearing?
I'm trying to automate Twitter usage across multiple accounts, but handle login via restoring session cookies / user data.
Somehow, clearing cache/user data does nothing to log the current user out, and I've been trying to figure out all day where the persisting user data is stored.
As you would expect, pm clear com.twitter.android results in everything (except .../lib) in /data/data/com.twitter.android, and corresponding /data/user/0/com.twitter.android/  being wiped. I would have thought this would effectively reset the app back the its initial install state, but reopening the app just restores those directories to as they were before clearing and the account remains logged in... however I can't find any backed up data that its restoring from anywhere!
The following files are the only ones I could find with auth tokens that persist after clearing cache & data. But even clearing these does nothing.
/data/system/notification_log.db
/data/system_ce/0/accounts_ce.db

Anyone got any ideas? Working on Android Oreo 8.0 (26).
Many thanks.

Checked Android in your internal storage? Or other folders with names related to Twitter? Could be something there.

There is a directory http_responses under Android/data/com.twitter.android in internal storage. However this also gets wiped by pm clear com.twitter.android. Thanks for the suggestion though.

IMO it definitely has to be in the internal storage to be persistent, though the filename might not immediately ring your bells...


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Opening google hangouts or another voip based sms app from browser links
My work requires me to text a number of people with a preset text message(ETA for their deliveries). We have a sms: link for each customer which automatically opens the sms app and pre-fills the number and the text message.
Problem is that I have a data-only plan on my phone and use google voice for everything. GV (hangouts app) can be set to open the sms: links but currently it redirects to default sms app after showing an error message about hangouts no longer supporting sms. Even though it does support it for GV users!
So I am looking for a workaround or another app that can allow me to click a sms: link and send the message via GV or it's own sms service.
I've tried things like 2ndLine and Fongo but they can either not be set as default sms app or can't handle sms links.
EDIT: I've got control over how the sms links are created. So if changing the format of the link can solve this then that is an option as well.
Currently the links look like --
Send sms

Answering my own question, but still welcome other better/easier to implement solutions.
There is an app - xvoiceplus that can make third party apps use gv for sms. This should do the trick for me however it requires xposed framework which in turn requires the phone to be rooted.
Installation instructions here


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How do I prevent Twitter from Texting me notifications?
I've got twitter notifications disabled on my Android phone.
But I still keep getting text notification.

Found the answer, sharing for posterity.


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Messaging apps no longer work right after last update - Galaxy S8 Plus
I updated 2 days ago.  Samsung Galaxy S8+    REV1.0
Now I no longer receive message notifications on my lock screen
The field to set the individual SMS/Message tone has disappeared as well
and ALL messages have the SAME sounds now.
I have no longer the option to  "Add a field" in the message apps either
Notifications are all turned on!
I use the Android message app and the Verizon message app.

It is Samsung's Oreo update.  They removed the feature.  Complain to them. The more that complain the more chance the will fix it.


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LG G Pad F7.0 WIFI can't see 5.0GHz
I recently purchased a 2018 Pacifica Hybrid with the U-Connect Theater system. This system allows mirror casting with compatible Android Devices. Miracast is available on my LG G Pad, but it can't see the car's WIFI network.
After some trial and error I realized that the on-car WIFI only puts out a 5.0GHz signal, and not a 2.4GHz.
I have a LG G Pad F7.0 that according to the specs is 802.11 b/g/n, so I should be able to access the 5.0GHz frequency. I've done some tests with various WIFI apps and it seems my unit can only see the 2.4GHz frequency currently.
In searching online I found that there should be a setting for WIFI which allows you to manually select 2.4 or 5.0, but my unit doesn't have this option in the menu. I am wondering if that has something to do with with the version of Lollipop installed?
So I guess my question is two-fold: Is there a way to enable 5.0GHz visibility with the 5.0.1 version my LG G Pad is running?
If not, would I be able to change android versions to see this frequency? Any recommendations/guidance here would help if this is my best bet.
Specs:
LG G Pad F7.0
Android 5.0.1
Kernel Version 3.10.49
Build Number LRX21Y
Software Version LK430ZV7
Thanks for the help!

802.11 b/g/n - all those three modes are 2.4GHz only (802.11 n can theoretically also operate on 5GHz, however the number of devices that really support this seems to be very low).
Therefore your LG G Pad F7.0 does only support 2.4GHz Wifi. If the Wifi hotspot only operates on 5GHz you will never be able to use it by this device.
Only modes like 802.11a or 802.11ac indicate that 5GHz Wifi is supported.

I guess the lack of 802.11a means this is unfortunately the case.
802.11n can function on the 5.0GHz frequency, but I'm starting to think that it is only "optional" based on the manufacturer...?

For 5GHz you need a separate antenna. Therefore I assume that every device supporting 802.11n on 5GHz would also support 802.11a.


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MIUI newest version displays annoying message popups
Whenever someone writes me a message on hangouts or messenger, I get this popup:

Screenshot (click to enlarge)
How can I disable this? It's very annoying when I'm watching a movie

The simplest way would be to just turn off all notifications for the applications.
You need to swipe down your notification bar and then long press on each notification, it should open up a menu for disabling all notifications, if this doesn't work then you'll need to open up the applications individually and thoroughly go through the settings of each app, most likely you'll have an option to turn these type of notifications off.

For miui goto settings app>notifications & status bar>App notifications>YourAnnoyingAppName>Show notification(turn off the toggle).


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How to enable usb debugging on my broken touch screen android phone from windows 10 computer?
My android(Kitkat 4.4.2) phone's touch screen is broken, but phone is working fine.But usb debugging is disable. FIY, my sd card isn't working (I don't care about that) and my phone doesn't support OTG. All I need is to turn on the usb debugging. I tried to install some apk that is supposed to enable usb debugging from adb on phones recovery mode=> apply update from adb=> "adb sideload ".But it did not worked! Says (on phone) 'Installation aborted'
 Is there any simple command to enable usb debugging?
Or is there any other way?

Have you already checked with our broken-screen tag-wiki?

Yes! One of the topic in this fact is https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/12834/broken-screen-while-debug-mode-was-disabled-how-can-i-re-enable-adb -whic required sdk card. But as I told my can't read sd card.

No such thing as an "SDK card". In fact, the top-rated answer is on a Nexus 5, which doesn't have an SD card. SDK is the Software Development Kit which you probably have installed anyway if you use ADB. Please check that answer again. If you cannot find a CWM image for your device, TWRP is another option which should work the same.

Sorry! it should be sd card! Simply a mistake! I know what is sdk, by the way! Thanks very much.

I had a similar problem on one of my KitKat devices, The solution was to do a factory reset therefore changing USB Debugging back to enabled, i then had enough time to repair the device before it fully booted up and automatically disabled USB Debugging again, This may not be helpful because some devices disable USB Debugging on release and therefore can not be enabled with a factory reset.

@Zillinium this has another draw-back: factory-reset will delete all data. So if the idea behind it is to backup data, this approach won't work. If however the intention is just "second use", it's a different thing.


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Restore apps from backup on Google Drive
I have a backup of my old phone I can see in my Google Drive app on my new phone.
How do I backup/restore all the apps from this backup?
From searching, it looks like this should have been an option when first starting my phone but it wasn't.
Android version: 7.1.2
LineageOS version: 14.1

You must reinstall the application for Google Backups to Automatically restore the application data and settings.
This information can be found on the Automatic Restore setting under settings > backup & reset
Here's a picture from the setting page's corresponding item:

That is certainly one way (and to my knowledge was the only one before Google decided on moving backups to Drive). But given the backup files were available on-device (if one can download them manually), would there be a way to restore them manually – e.g. by means of adb shell or a (root) terminal? I cannot tell as I'm not using Google's backup.

I just tried this but none of the apps I downloaded restored their settings.

I have never used this feature myself so it's just a hypothetical answer, usually if your device has changed from say Android 4.4 to Android 5.0 then the backup data will be incompatible due to certain storage scheme changes, As far as i know, google backup is more for Google to look at than you to use....  After doing a small amount of research, it seems that it should have asked you when setting up the device, here's the information i found on the whole process https://m.androidcentral.com/how-restore-your-apps-and-settings-new-android-phone


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S5 & S7 that I have doesn't play nice with some iphones
About 10% of the time anyone with iPhone texting me results in notification that I have a mms message sent to me but it doesn't download/open. Sometimes it opens minutes/hours later, or not at all! I am using default Messaging. This is BS. 25 years into cell phone technology and iPhone hasn't decided to play nice with androids? I like Samsung and am more inclined to never buy an iPhone because they Could create text operating system that works flawlessly w/ Android, but choose not to.

What's your question?

It's because iPhone uses a different type of SMS, It can check if the SMS has been opened like an MMS Read Report, Android uses the normal SMS rules that don't have read reports, only delivery reports.
When the SMS is successfully received they're seeing that it's been successfully delivered, if you open the message, it'll say that it's been seen, like Facebook messenger in a way.
The OS's use completely different methods of SMS and probably will not become compatible anytime soon unless Android finds a method to handle the changes.


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Don't remove notification badges from applications when swiping the notification from the status bar. Oreo 8.0
On March 22, did the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+ update. (For me and my colleagues at least.)

Samsung Experience Version 9.0
Android Version 8.0

One of the biggest features in Oreo 8.0 is the Notification Channels.
"Android Oreo will make you love notifications again".
Now it's possible to modify the notification badges to show numbers or dots, which you prefer yourself. Also notification snoozing and notification channels are some good features added with this update.
One annoying feature is: when you swipe away the notification from the status bar, does the notification badge remove too. Sure thing that you can snooze the notification for a certain amount of time. But also this option does remove the notification badge from your app untill the snoozing time has passed.
TL;DR
Is it possible to swipe a notification from the status bar, without removing the badge like it was possible in previous android versions?

Got the same issue with my S8. I keep on top of my notifications, but rely on the app markers as a longer term reminder. So now I have to cycle through certain apps to make sure I haven't missed something (having previously swiped notifications away). I'm sure some people might find this behaviour useful, but why not have it configurable??

This is a big UX issue with very low attention to my surprise.


text:
Google play music account switch
I recently moved to Canada and updated my payment profile. How do I change my google music subscription from the old one to the new one WITHOUT losing the saved music, albums etc...
Your help would be greatly appreciated,
Thanks


text:
Does Roehsoft RAM Expander need to be running?
Does the Roehsoft RAM Expander app need to be running in the background after a swapfile is created or can I clear it from the background and still have increased RAM?

You should be able to close the application and possibly uninstall it afterwards, the swap file is based on making a portion of your SD Card a swap partition, like virtual memory on a PC, ReadyBoost USB or swap partitions for linux, the system will now use it as virtual ram and therefore shouldn't require the application anymore.
It's good to remember that when you increase your memory availability, this often requires an extremely quick storage device otherwise it'll just slow your device down if anything.
Think of the average RW speed of RAM, around 800mbs and then the RW speed of your SD card, around 30mbs at max, you'd be potentially forcing your system to use a 30mbs virtual ram over a 800mbs physical ram.. Let's say you had to calculate just one 800mb task, if the task got placed on the virtual ram before execution it would take around 27 seconds to collect the information for execution, however if it got placed on the physical ram it'd take just 1 second.
It is good for some things that don't require high speeds, like switching between multiple applications etc..
In my day's of trying to upgrade Android without buying a new device, i found that Pimp My Rom (PMR) was one of the best applications for speeding up my device. PMR requires the application to be installed but not running. Pimp My Rom version 1.0
It's still in the beta stage but it's free.
XDA Page for Pimp My Rom
Always make a backup before doing any system changes, especially using a beta stage app like this because some features might be device dependent, at not supported on others.
I found Entropy Generation, Build.prop performance tweaks and internet (build.prop) tweaks make a noticeable difference to performance of the entire device experience, if i get rid of the bloatware for more system memory, that sometimes increased the speed even more.


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Is there a different fastboot command for the Google Pixel and the oem-off-mode command?
I'm trying to set a Google Pixel to boot when the power is connected. I found discussion of using the fastboot oem-off-mode charge = 0 command, but when I reboot the device into the bootloader and try the command I get a fastboot: usage: unknown command oem-off-mode error.
Is this command no longer supported or did they rename the command?

I had a hyphen in the wrong spot. The proper command is fastboot oem off-mode-charge = 0

Try fastboot oem off-mode-charge 0 (without equal sign) instead.

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


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When I receive mms gifs, they're stuck on first frame
The gifs never play, it only shows the first frame of the gif.
I have a Huawei Sensa LTE that I purchased from Straight Talk.  After speaking with Straight Talk customer service, they have indicated that 'moving pictures' aren't supported on this device, but I refuse to believe this answer.
I have tried several different third party sms/mms apps, and I have tried a lot of suggestions that I found in Google searches. (Disable WiFi+, mess with data settings, try to change APN [phone won't let me, it's locked]).
If I rooted my phone, would I be able to change the APN settings, and could that fix the problem?  Would there be any merit to installing a custom rom or something?

Try a different texting app, like Textra or Android Messages? I've heard of similar issues with the built-in Huawei SMS app before.

Yeah, same problem


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Can you see the time and/or date a website was visited on the Samsung Browser?
Can you see the time and/or date a website was visited on the Samsung Browser?

Have you checked history of the browser to see if it displays date and /or time, i dont have samsung device so i checked chrome and found it atleast shows date so chances are that samsung browser should also have that much info in history

I did look but didn’t see. Just says “today”, then “last 7 days”, but if the browser is already on a page when you open it, it’s gonna show up under history for that day. I was really hoping for more specific details. Thank you!!

You definitely can view the history with details about date and time. In the latest version of Samsung Browser, go to Bookmarks tab and then you will see the history section there.
I'm pretty sure in all browsers you can do such a thing.

Thank you. I have looked and all I see is where it says “Today” then underneath that it says “Last 7 days”... so I’m not sure how to tell when the website was actually visited. If I open the browser and it’s on that page, it’s going to show up under “today”, but I don’t see a way to see the time or anything. Any ideas on where else I might be able to see that info? If I click the website it just takes me there.

My bad, you are right. I doesn't show the exact date or time. Try using other browsers, I think they provide more info. For example, in FireFox the history is classified based on month.

Thanks! Just needing the info for someone who’s already using Samsung Internet. Darn, was really hoping there was a way!!

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


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Internet fast when sharing via hotspot or tethering but slow on the device itself
Yes, I didn't get that backwards. And all I found is "slow tethering", even here this was never asked before. So, here I am!
Internet is slow on the device, but fast for other devices connected to it.
It doesn't look like the fault of some software I'm using (browser, openvpn)
Soooo how in the world? And how in the world do I fix it?
Model: Doogee T5. OS 6.0, Nothing is changed, no root.

What kind of tethering: USB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth? How have you observed this slowness: just that pages seem to load slower, or have you run a bandwidth test? TBH, it sounds most likely to be the fault of some software on the phone, such as an ad blocker app.

Any kind of tethering, and I don't have any network related software AFAIK

So, I have discovered the cause of this problem... the darn chinese brick is riddled with vendor's own poorly written system level adware. It constantly opens connections to it's servers which turns into a DoS attack on the device itself, akin to shooting your neighbor's house with a bazooka through your own door's keyhole. The device's own network gateway is differerent from the gateways for wifi and bluetooth hotspots, so those are unaffected.
Installing a firewall app solves the issue.

Chances are that internet is not slow but it might be that the servers of the apps or sites that you use on phone are not responding that quickly
To identify the problem use your phone's internet in pc by tethering and try downloading a file that you think is giving full or expected download speed, when done just remember the speed and copy link of this download to phone , now try to download this very same file from android from ADM and add new download by pasting that link and start download ( make sure you turn off tethering before this and all other apps that use internet are not running to get best speeds ) let the download run for few minutes to make sure it reaches stable speed and than compare both the pc speed and this android speed and do report back


text:
Persistent malware despite factory resets
I'd love your thoughts on this. Several months ago I mistakenly clicked a popup on a website, and since then have been getting intermittant popups says "your sim card is infected...etc" and it tries to direct me to the play store to install some sketchy "antivirus" app (which I have never downloaded).
The issue is, I've done multiple factory resets, but after a few days I get the popup again. I've tried 10 antivirus apps from the play store, google chrome's malware detector, but everything comes up clean. Most recently, I used TWRP to completely wipe all data from my phone (wiped Dalvik, system, storage, data, cache, everybox I could check), and before reinstalling Oreo 8.1 I wiped all my data being synced by Google. Still, a few days later, I get the popup, without visiting sketchy websites or downloading non-standard apps in the interim.
I figure there is either something that is being synced to my phone from my Google account (I use google Fi and it requires I use my google login), or there is some niche in my phone that is not getting wiped. The only other thing I can think of is that these are just regular popups, and not part of malware, but that seems unlikely since I didn't get them before I clicked the banner that one time.
Any suggestions on how to get rid of this thing? Thanks!

Did you try syncing another Google account to be sure that the problem doesn't come from  your account?

You can try identifying the app the next time it brings up that popup by checking the foreground activity using dumpsys:
adb shell dumpsys activity activities|grep mFocusedActivity
OR
If it's just a window without an activity use adb shell dumpsys window windows and search for apps whose windows have isReadyForDisplay()=true, this may help you be able to identify exactly what app is responsible for the popup so you can disable or remove it

Thanks for the input everyone. It wasn't an app. That's been the difficulty for people with this issue, is that it isn't some app. At least as far as I can tell.
I got my cellular provide to supply a new SIM card (which they did for free). And while I've cleared my google synced content and used TWRP to blank and reinstalled my OS several times before, I basically did it back to back to back...and probably again.
No problems since.


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How to upgrade an LG Stylus 2 to Android 7 / Nougat?
The phone I want to upgrade is the LG Stylus 2 with the model number LGK520K as it currently on android 6 and i want to upgrade it to android 7.
I'm after instructions that give me the steps required and the ability to download what I need for the upgrade.
From the LG versions and updates page it appears the software is available for phones in other regions but just not my region.

Koselas.com how to upgrade lg stylus 2 - Looks simple but the download link is very suspicious
apkmoded.com hot to upgrade lg stylus 2 - I'm not after a moded version
LGs opensource distribution - No idea how to use the source code

What region are you in?

@william my problem is I cannot find the distribution I can only find source code

@William the region is Australia

I have only upgraded/downgraded a Nexus before and it was much simpler.  If the OEM isn't wiring over the air I wouldn't know much.


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Google Play is installing ARM apps in my x86 device
I have an x86 Android tablet, i had no issue with it until i did a factory reset. After the reset, i noticed Chrome didn't want to launch at all (it crashed on startup).
I ran logcat and concluded the crash was related to libhoudini.so, which is the ARM support library for x86 devices. I extracted the APK from the device and realized it only had ARM native libraries in it. I did the same with other apps installed from the Play Store that i knew had native libraries and the result was the same, only ARM versions of the apps were getting installed. Again, this didn't happen before the factory reset.
I manually downloaded and installed an x86 version of Chrome and it ran just fine, but does anybody know why is Google Play only downloading ARM versions of the apps? and is there a way to fix it? Google Chrome wasn't the only app that gave me issues, other apps with ARM libraries usually crash as well (not at startup, but they do occasionally crash without reason)


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Import contacts with group
I'd like to import around 1000 contacts within a group into an android phone (OS 7.0). I have the vCard only. Is it somehow possible?
Hope this is the right place for that, thanks in advice.

Android can import vcards natively, what have you tried?

I had the same problem when importing contacts via vCard. I use "local" contacts (without google account).


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Can't store contacts on my Android phone
I was going through all of my installed applications on my phone a while ago, just to clear out what junk is in there I don't need. And like an idiot, I looked at my Contacts Storage (com.android.providers.contacts version 4.4.4-4c563b90c4) app and thought, "U know what, my contacts are already on my Contacts app, I don't need this." And so I cleared data and disabled the app.
I went to my Contacts app to see if everything was fine, and all my contacts were gone. Panicking, I went back to my Settings and enabled Contacts Storage back up again, and when I went back in to re-enter my contacts, an error message came up:
java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: Must specify both or neither of ACCOUNT_NAME and ACCOUNT_TYPE; URI: content:// com.android.contacts/raw_contacts, calling user: com.simplemobiletools.contacts, calling package:com.simplemobiletools.contacts
I don't know if a certain piece of software required to save my contacts was deleted along with my contacts. Does that mean I can't store contacts for good? I don't have a Google account saved on my phone.
I'm using an Amazon Fire Phone running CyanogenMod 11-201508100UNOFFICIAL-kodiak on Android 4.4.4

Unfortunately, you may simply need to reset the phone. It sounds extremely plausible that you did indeed delete some necessary configuration files or or other information.

Based on what you wrote above, 99% you cannot restore your contact. No google account literally reduce your chance to restore contact. I am sorry.
Next time, please backup your phone. The simplest backup IMO is a google account. Your contacts, app, calendar will sync to google account. You don't have to use your personal gmail for your phone. Just create another gmail for your Amazon fire phone. How to sync your personal email and Amazon file phone gmail is another question.
Please mark as answered, i am collecting points. thanks

Thanks for your remark. Now based on my error message, does this mean that I can't even save contacts anymore? Because that's what matters to me at the most.

The simplest thing is to do factory-reset. I will restore your phone like before, and surely you can save contacts again.


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How do I stop voice typing from muting/pausing other playing media?
I sometimes want voice typing to transcribe voice audio that is playing on my device. However, whenever voice typing is started, it stops all audio coming from my phone.
I have the xposed module app settings installed. This permits you to revoke individual permissions for an app. I tried revoking media_content_control and modify_audio_settings, but this didn't do anything.

As you know the voice typing feature works by listening to microphone of the device in use and any device where you use voice typing would behave same as if the device keeps playing the audio and also try to listen to microphone at the very same time, it may end up listening to the audio that the device itself is playing and would cause conflict between the user's voice or external voice and audio played by device
Generally this is the standard way voice typing work on any device not only android, i just tried this thing on windows Cortana and it reduced the speaker voice to very low level while the conversation was going on
In short i guess that wouldn't be possible without going too deep inside the system and modifying system files

You're totally right here: it's the standard for all kinds of voice input across platforms and devices, and not something one can usually change.


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How do I copy the subject of an email in Google Inbox on Android?
Does anyone know how to copy the subject line of an email in the Inbox app, other than forwarding the email to myself and then copying the text from the body of the forward?
When I press and hold on the subject of an opened email to try to copy the text, it closes the email and returns me to the folder.
Cheers,
Matt

If you click the button to reply to a message at the bottom right you’ll be able to copy the subject line as it’ll be plain text at the top of the reply.

Thanks Nano, effectively the same as what I meant when I said forwarding to self.
It's a shame, it would be nice to be able to just copy the text directly.


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No SMS/MMS Notification Sound Sporadically for only a Specific Contact?
Phone: HTC Desire 530s - MetroPCS Stock Rom - Android 6.0 - Rooted.
The Issue: No notification sound for a specific contact. Call notifications seem to come through from said contact, but SMS/MMS are problematic.
Issue has been present for months. In the last few minutes, the phone has received messages from said contact. The only notifications that did sound were when looking at the phone, but that in itself was also sporadic. Some texts made noise while looking at the phone, most still did not.
During this same up-time, without any reboots etc, I received a audible notification for numerous text messages from another contact, in any phone state (Looking at the SMS tread, looking at another application, phone screen off, etc.)
Listening to any other audio source, or notifications from anyone else sound fine. Music plays uninterrupted even if you tap on the phone etc, so the speakers seem to be OK.
Doesn't make sense that it's because the screen is off/"sleeping" as the d$%n thing makes every other notification for every other contact and/or type of notification.
Does anyone have any suggestions?
Thank you for your time.

Wild guess - 1. It's a SIM contact 2. It's not a Google contact but maybe through other social media apps 3. Try deleting the contact and adding it again

@beeshyams Thank you. I will make sure it's deleted from both SIM and Google, and see what happens. I swear I've tried un-linking and deleting it, but I'll try again, and check SIM. Thanks.


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How do I get return key back instead of emoji (Oreo)
I am trying to use messenger with the default Google keyboard on my stock Pixel1 using messenger. Somehow it got hosed and now instead of enter on the keyboard it shows an Emoji (in blue). If I hold down on the emoji I see the enter button but this isn't what I want. I want the enter button to be the default. I tried switching the keyboard to Dvorak and switching back. I have tried everything I can find.
How do I switch a stock Oreo device from having the emoji button to the enter button?

Hold down the comma button
Select GBoard
Select Preferences
Make sure Show Emoji Switch Key is on.

Although this solves this issue I am not 100% convinced this was how I got to this problem. Is there a gesture or something that caused this to switch?
source

I have the same problem but until I can solve it, if you press the shift key for a second or so, the return key temporarily replaces the emoji.

you have to go to Settings, disable Dedicated emoji key, then for the button Access of emoji key over Enter key, do never opt to replace the enter key with the emoji key, your aim will invariably get fulfilled


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What information is available to an application?
What information about the phone is available to an app without extra permissions?
E.g., if the app asks for permission to see my contacts, and I agree, it will see all my contacts (obviously).
However, what is available without asking?
MAC address?
MEID/IMEI?
IP address?
model/make?
available storage / number of user photos?
phone number?
provider?
what other apps are installed?
Ideally -- is there an app that would just show everything that is available to it?

You can get a lot of information from the system without any permissions, For example, i built an application a while ago and i learned a way to bypass some permissions like Internet Availability, Device Information Collection and others ... OK usually when your developing an application you'd ask for permissions to have access to the network for checking an active connection, however this can be bypassed by checking the information of system components that already has access..It possible to get device ID, Device Serial Number, Device Network Status, Device Capabilities, Device Partition Info

** continued ** default storage device, currently running services, encrypted storage name, device manufacturer, (device name,make and model) manufacturing dates, internet availability, sim card status and a whole bunch of other information that i couldn't possibly write.

For some examples, see my answer here.

Their is plenty of information available to your application without using any permissions whatsoever, it wouldn't be possible to write every single file that your application has access to in this answer but i can give you a rough idea.
Applications usually require some useless permissions like checking for network availability, this can be done in several way without using the permission, let's say that you had a simple WebView that accessed a website, Instead of using the permission to check for an active connection, we could just try to open the website and capture the errors, if the error show's that the page couldn't be loaded because of a DNS issue or a network not available message, then most likely your device isn't connected to the internet and you then have the network status without using the permission.
I made an application that collects partition information for building scatter files without using any root access by reading system configuration files and collecting the information MTK Scatter Builder You should get a good idea on what's available by using the crawl for information button inside the application.
As for your contacts, their is probably a way around using the permission.


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Will WhatsApp verification delete my contacts & messages?
I have a WhatsApp account in my old phone, but I have put my SIM card in my new phone. Now when I opened WhatsApp in my old phone its asking for verification. Will verification delete my contacts & messages?

I don't think verification will delete anything, usually it's just an SMS verification code that has to be entered into the app. 2FA ( Two Factor Authentication )

No, it will not delete any of your contacts & messages. It's an simple verification code not more than that.


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Attempted rooting asus zenfone deluxe 3 zs570kl. Stuck in TWRP
So here is what happened in this order:

I unlocked the phone with an bootloader unlocking tool.
I booted the phone into fastboot.
I flashed an image of TWRP and rebooted.
When the phone loaded TWRP, the screen display is upsidedown. Complete 180. The touch sensors are the correct direction, so nothing is lined up.
I tried to flash the Stock.img and it loaded back into TWRP.
I tried resetting the phone to factory default from TWRP and it loaded back into TWRP.
I tried clicking on lots of buttons, and probably broke something terribly, but because I panicked, I stopped keeping track of my steps.
ADB now says that my phone is running in "recovery" so I don't know if I still have options.

Do I need to find a different stock image? I didn't have time to make one before this all happened, so I would need a download. Do I have any options? I know that being in TWRP means that the phone isn't BRICKED, but I am just about knowledged out, so its bricked to me. :/ help?

You may need to use a USB OTG Cable and a mouse to navigate TWRP, same thing happened to me and i fixed it with a USB mouse and OTG Cable, using the mouse i was able to navigate TWRP and install my old recovery or a new TWRP back onto the device.

So maneuvering isn't the biggest issue. The issue is that I formatted my phone and have no idea if I have a recovery point to go back to. I just used fastboot flash recovery to a "Stock.img" file that I got with the rooting tools I found for my phone. I got it to load the recovery partition, but now its stuck in a boot loop... I have no idea what I am doing. ;-;

It sounds like the rooting tools weren't made for your exact model, and probably will cause an issue, You could always pull TWRP apart and rebuild it for your device. Flashing a correct image should fix the problem, try some alternatives online and you'll most likely find one that works... just don't do any reset of any kind, Factory reset is only designed to erase your data and cache partition, this won't effect your recovery or any other partition, it doesn't reinstall your system or anything like that on android.

haha. too late. I think it did a format of the whole phone...

What command did you use for that ?

I don't know. I really just got lost in the menu while upside down and then it said "Formatting... This cannot be undone."

Open the file manager in TWRP and look for any files in /system ... If you still have your system and boot then you'll just need to do a factory reset and everything should be fine, if you have erased your system then you'll need to reinstall your entire OS again.. here's the official Asus help page https://www.asus.com/us/Phone/ZenFone-3-Deluxe-ZS570KL/HelpDesk_BIOS/        .... If your device isn't a 2.15ghz CPU then click on show all downloads

That worked perfectly @Zillinium. I checked and there was nothing at all on the phone. I ended up finding the boot img and recover img and flashed both to my device, then booted into recovery mode. It did all the setup and it was just like a new phone again!

The only problem was the boot img was apparently not asus created. It had 4 extra system apps: Instagram, Facebook, Messenger, and "Facebook Manager" app. I couldn't keep them all not running at the same time and they were using a steady amount of my data even when the apps were all disabled. I managed to remove them all after successfully rooting my phone, and I haven't seen any unrecognized data usage since, but that was fun. A very fun time. Thanks to everyone for the help! Now I have a Kali Linux machine hosted from my phone and it has been running smoother and faster than it has in years!


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Migrate (nearly) everything from Android 7.0 to Android 6.0 on Lenovo Moto
tl;dr: I've migrated my system to other phone dozens of times in the past and everything always worked like a charm. But migration was always between Androids of the same same version.
Now, I've tried to do the same from Android 7.0 down to 6.0 and process failed -- only Google account was migrated. Is this due to system version differences? Is there any workaround?

I've been migrating my phones for years, using both options:

use Nearby app and Bluetooth to physically migrate data,
start clean, login to account and select a backup to be restored.

The second approach was used by me most of the times and worked always until now.
For every of such migrate, everything was migrated, including installed apps and their configuration, phone's and Google account's settings, files (media) etc. etc.
This time I wanted to migrate Lenovo Moto G (Android 7.1) down to Lenovo Moto E3 (Android 6.0) and this failed nearly completely, using both methods.
Nearly, because phone manage to migrate my Google account, i.e. I have access to my emails, etc.
But:

I don't have my manager, Nova (and all other self-installed apps), and must install it manually,
I have all the applications that were disabled on old phone and must disable them again,
I don't have my files so manual copy process between devices is needed,
All system settings are set to default not to "mine".

To summarize, entire phone looks, works and feels like it would be a factory-reset Android with just my account recreated. Since I had to provide my password (as I'd when not migrating anything and freshly-starting) then the good question could be, what was actually migrated?
I must admit that this is my first time, when I'm trying to migrate phone data and settings between two Androids with different version number. Both phones started with Android 6.0, Moto G was upgraded in the meantime to Android 7.1 while Moto E3 stayed without upgrade.
Is this some kind of bug (that I can try to workaround) or is it a normal behavior (that Android is unable to migrate anything except Google account between two system versions)?

Some applications have to be completely rebuilt for newer Android version, most don't however... It's probably a storage scheme change that's causing an issue, Example.. it's trying to migrate a file from a folder data/example that doesn't exist on android 6.0.. I used a backup a restore software called 3C Toolbox that had a fairly good backward compatibly for my migrations but it required root access to restore the data


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Can I resize my screen?
I have cracked my phone on the top-right corner, which makes me unable to see my notifications. It is such a big issue, I would really like to make my screen smaller, just so I can see them again.
Is there a way (preferable non-root, but if it has to be rooted it's ok) to resize my screen? If you grant WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS to an app you can do things like enable fullscreen in all apps, so is there maybe a way I can make an app that resizes my screen all the time?

You should have added information like you phone company and model and also screen size and android version. You can have a look at Resize screen for Dead touch zone

If your device have One-Handed Mode option, then you can use that. One handed mode reduces current display to specific size(say 4inch etc). If your device screen is of 5.5 in then using this mode you can easily pull down notifications (you said that your top-right corner is cracked).
In Mi devices, One hand mode is activated using navigation key combinations(swipe from home key to left or right). You need to activate it from settings before this.
In Moto devices, swipe from screen's center to left or right bottom corner.
In case if you don't have this option, try this rootless application from  XDA


text:
No storage space left
Long story short, on a R11Max* (?) device with MT6592 CPU running Android 5.1 and reported 8GB storage (though possible to use SD card), when trying to install additional apps than the ones than came at purchase, always shown dialog that there is no storage space left, yet there is plenty left, even when SD card is inserted and is selected prefered install location default write disk.
Though taking pictures or videos with the camera works, so storage is not full.
Of course, from a generic/unbranded device, expectations are much lower, for example there was no fire while charging, fingers crossed!
Any suggestions?

from Wish.com, was advertised as AllCall Rio Android 7.0, so yea...

Try to delete caches and junk files using third party cleaning apps. The one I use: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cleanmaster.mguard&hl=en

You can manually delete cache or app data using settings. Under Manage Apps, click any app and select clear data or cache. Warning: The apps data will be lost. So you will have to start a fresh.
Restart your phone, this will close all the apps running in the background.
If your using an instant messaging app. Delete sent images, videos, documents and audio's. Instant Messaging apps creates a duplicate of the media that you have sent. The send folder is located under the apps folder on your internal storage.
Delete your browser data

Well, someone over at
arstechnica.com/civis/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=1423733 and
arstechnica.com/civis/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=142619
did a (very) thorough invwestigation, and they found out that on this particular device, there is way less space than reported, so there is not much else that can be done


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It's possible to use Miracast with a Moto G5 Plus and Android H96 Pro TV box?
I'm trying to connect my Moto G5 Plus phone to my new H96 Pro+ tv box without success.
I connect both to the same network but can't transmit screen. It simply won't appear as a device in Miracast.
Is this a problem with Moto G5 that doesn't have this feature or there is any workaround ?

Can you try casting from within an app, like Netflix or Youtube?


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How can I create a rule in Microsoft Outlook for Android?
How can I create a rule in Microsoft Outlook for Android?
In the Microsoft Outlook web interface (OWA), I can do:

Creating and managing rules from the mobile apps is not currently supported. You can vote for this request on Outlook's UserVoice if you'd like to show your support for it.

It looks like that UserVoice site is no longer in use: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/uservoice-pages-430e1a78-e016-472a-a10f-dc2a3df3450a

You can use firefox and request desktop version of the website. This way you can use all desktop web features including rules and sweep.


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Day of the week missing from Nougat 7.0 notification drawer
I'm running Android 7.0 Nougat on a Wiko Sunny 2 Plus device. I often need to view the date quickly from the notification drawer. The problem is that I often need it to look for the current day of the week (because people will be giving you appointments in the near or moot so near future by specifying the day of the week and perhaps the number of weeks from this one, and you will immediately want to know how many days are left till that day, as you will need to quickly check your phone to give a quick response) without having to switch to the calendar app (which its more time consuming, as it requires you to unlock your phone with a password first of your phone is password protected, and then switch to the app, plus your phone may not have enough space for the calendar app). My question is, is it possible to configure this top of the notification drawer to also display the day of the week(Monday, Tuesday, etc.), perhaps from the settings? What about in future versions of Android?
Thanks.

in android oreo 8.0 pull down notification shows like this Fri, 30 Mar(today). Is that the one you required? Search for any update available. Or else use  clock widget on home screen that shows date and day of week.

can you post screenshot of the current notification drawer and what format you wish to have in it ?


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Bug in google play store?
Google Play store reports my apps sizes as "null" but AFAIK my app is working. It says "null" where app size should be listed. Is this a bug?

At my other app, it says "size undefined".

Where is it showing null in play store or inside your phone after installation ?

@HarshGundecha In play store. I added screenshot. This is the case for two of my apps. I didn't check the third.

The app link you have posted takes me to the app named "Trending Ads(unreleased)" with last update date 29-mar-2018, please verify the link

@HarshGundecha Yes. It is my app. Size null is reported at two of my apps, here too https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=dev.android.jamie

To me its showing 6.64 mb

@HarshGundecha maybe it is a feature that it shows different versions? I will look from another device.

My play store version is 8.9.24 and using moto g5+ on android 7.0 stock , hope that would help

@NiklasRosencrantz facing the same issue. any workaround?

@Radhey I'm checking different apps from different devices. Will update with my findings.

I have capitalize one thing , not our apps but too many apps having the same issue over play store(which are published in this last 2 days ). I have just uploaded new build yesterday.might be you too @NiklasRosencrantz

Maybe we need to be more specific about the client. With Google Play Store native Android app, I see the app size. With webbrowsers, I see null there. I've tried Firefox Focus (Blink) and Firefox (Gecko), both of them behave this way. It is obviously a bug.

Its a bug from PlayStore itself, many of the app shows null size.

You should probably report this to Google. We aren't really going to be able to help aside from saying "yes, it looks like a bug".


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Samsung tablet gt-p5100 Firmware Upgrade encountred an error
Nothing will make this message Go away This is after the device turned off half way though flashing.

Things i Have done.
Flashed With Odin 3.09 with Stock Fimware Downloaded From [sammobile.com][2]

Tried to use kies but the device is not shown and i have reinstalled the Drivers and rebooted.

Note: every other Version of Odin Fails to flash to the device.

Even after a Flash the Device will still Go back to Recovery Mode.
Odin 3.12 with flash error.

In what state was the device before you attempting to flash it? What error message do you get when flashing  fails? Usually thi happens when the flashing process did not complete and can be fixed simply by flashing, ideally with a repair firmware (aka 4 files firmware)

@esQmo_ Flashing dose not fail with Odin 3.09, When i got the device i could only get into download mode how ever i didn't wait long enough for the device to charge and it turned off half way though.

Weren't you able to get in the recovery?

@esQmo_ no, now i can only get into is emergency recovery.

@esQmo_ update answer with error message i get with odin3 3.12

See that... lets try flashing with repaire firmware. Another question: were the battery charging or did you get a static battery image with no charging animation?

@esQmo_ yes i saw a battery charging but not any more.

Try flashing the files I've suggested in my answer and let us know what

Unless it is a hardware faillure (damaged eMMC), flashing a full firmware (aka repair firmware or 4 files firmware) may solved the problem.
Download repair firmware from here then proceed as you did beforen but preferably try flashing with the latest version of Odin (v3.12.3 actually)
The zip password is: www.gem-flash.com
Remember this:

BOOTLOADER, APBOOT = BL
PDA = AP
MODEM = CP
MULTI-CSC, HOME_CSC = CSC

I used Odin3 V3.12 and got.

<ID:0/003> DO NOT TURN OFF TARGET!! <ID:0/003> Get PIT for mapping.. <ID:0/003>  <ID:0/003> There is no PIT partition. <OSM> All threads completed. (succeed 0 / failed 1)

Why is it even asking for a PIT file?! Did you check that option in Settings ? Do not check ''Re-Partition''

i didn't Check "Re-Partition" https://imgur.com/a/iEUbC

Oh I think I got it: the software checks for the PIT in the device and if it can't find it, throws the error. Now see if the forlder does contain a pit file then go to the PIT tab (next the Settings tab) and load that file then try flashing again.

i just flashed the MODEM and now it works :)


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How to Install an application that requires android 5.0+ on android 4.4.4
I have a phone running android 4.4 and the app requires android 5.0 or higher. I want to install this app on android 4.4. Do you have any way, help yourself. Thank you very much.

Have you tried to simply contact the app author and ask if it is really necessary to exclude pre-Lollipop devices?

Sometimes an app has the ability to run on an old device, but there is also something in an app's apk file, indicating the oldest version that can install this app. For example, maybe an app CAN be run on android 4.4 but the author of the app set the minimum supported version to android 5.0.
So it is possible to change it. Afterwards the app might be able to run on old devices, while it may also crash.
An android app downloaded from Google Play or somewhere else is an apk file, which is actually just a zip compressed package, containing multiple files, e.g. dalvik bytecode, pictures, text resources. To learn more about apk file's structure you can just google it. One of the files is AndroidManifest.xml, that was originally a xml file before the author "compile" and publish the app. You don't have to know what is xml but it was "human readable" before being published and become unreadable when the app finally reached you. The AndroidManifest.xml have a line looks like android:minSdkVersion="8" , sdk version 8 means Android version 2.3, sdk version 23 means Android 6.0, search for "android sdk versions" to get a full list. Now however, this line had already been converted to something unreadable. We need something else.
One of those things is apktool, it can "decompile" an xml or even the whole app back to what we can read and edit, then "compile" it back to apk. There're plenty of blogs about how to use apktool so I won't run into details. Using apktool you can decompile the apk, change the minSdkVersion to a very small number or just 1, compile the app back, then install.
Notice:
1. You have to "sign" the apk after compiling it back. Google for details.
2. You have to uninstall the previously installed version of the app before reinstall the modified one.
3. Do not publish a modified apk, it's illegal.
4. Don't expact too much from this method. The app may still crash.
5. Though I often do this but it's really complicated for non-programmers to do the modification so feel free to ask, and prepare to give up at any moment.

Not only publishing a modified app is illegal. Actually modifying an app is illegal, too.

there is no way to run to run apps with higher from your android version try old versions of the app and the last option is rooting and it have so so many risk of bricking your phone so using old versions is the best choice

Upgrade the android even I had android 4.3 jelly bean I installed an AOSP for my device. The AOSP was android 7.2.2 nougat.
Now I can enjoy all the app that were not compatible with Android 4.3.
I am answering from the same device, don't worry about getting your device bricked even my device got into bootloop 2 times while installing. I fixed it by flashing with my stock ROM.
Before installing any custom ROM or even before installing custom recovery get the stock ROM for you device as a safer side, if you need any help go to XDA forum and get help from top developers.
Hope that helps..
EDIT -
I have Xperia M (C1905) you can check the official stock ROM for this device the last revision given by Sony was Android's 4.3, But a developer from XDA forum ported AOSP for Xperia M.
Thanks to that guy, If you need some proof I can add some links to the AOSP rom page.

Here's a possible workaround that worked for me with the Google Home app:

The Google Play store recognized the smartphone running Android 4.4.4 and would not install the latest version which required Android 5+.
I found an archived version of the Google Home app on apkmirror and used it to install that supported version using the Adroid Debug Bridge (ADB) from the Android SDK (see: https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/google-inc/google-home/google-home-2-14-50-11-release/google-home-2-14-50-11-3-android-apk-download/download/ )

The basic ADB command is: adb install [PackageName].apk
This assumes you have your smartphone/tablet connected to your computer via a USB connection and the the smartphone/tablet has USB Debug mode enabled to allow a 'push' install from the computer to the device you want to install the app to.

If you're a rooted user, you can simply change your android version by editing the /system/build.prop , for this find the following line and edit the way you want:
ro.build.version.release=xx

where xx is the android version you want, after that restart your device.
If you're not rooted user you can modify the Androidmanifest.xml file of the apk and modify the minSdkVersion, there's alot of tools that do this.


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Can I unlock my phone with voice command?
I have a Samsung Galaxy Edge with Android 7.0. I want to rule my phone with my voice without touching it even if it's locked. I mean some basic functions, like unlocking the phone. So whenever I say my secret word my phone will unlock, or if I say "how many notifications" it will say "no new notifications" for example (without unlocking the phone). Is this possible or is there an app for this?

I think if you search about it you may find application to do this, but i don't recommend it. because application like that need to turn on mic and process voices coming from it whole the time which shortens battery life.

The unlocking can be done via Voice Access.  Refer to this answer, at worst you may need to apply screen grid to input touches by screen coordinate.  As for the custom commands, I would go about that using a PC to deliver ADB commands, but the caveat obviously being the hardware dependency.  Actually, I've made similar scripts in the past except for RainMeter (one-click unlock, etc.).


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Note 8: Whatsapp crashing after verification, while showing restoring backup
I got a Note 8 yesterday, and have been moving my data from my older Note 4. Everything worked after a struggle, but I've been working on this for hours with no luck.
Basically, I verify, then Whatsapp shows "Looking for backups" then crashes.
What I tried:

Uninstalled and resinstalled Whatsapp
Clear data and cache
Delete all older whatsapp data directories in the SD Card and External SD Card (except for the media directory, but I renamed the whole Whatsapp directory).
All orders of above combinations

I'd like to point out also that I have the latest available version of the smartphone's software.
What else can I try? Please advise.

Restart your phone? I don't have any good ideas for this one, but restarting is always a good idea..

@aBochur That helps only temporarily. Actually, a faster solution is to reconnect the WiFi.


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Can the Verizon Samsung Galaxy S9+ also run T-Mobile?
(This question does not apply to the unlocked version - it applies to the Verizon version specifically)
Is the Verizon Galaxy S9 Plus able to also run T-Mobile using its dual sim feature, or is that not possible?
The reason for being interested in the Verizon version rather than the unlocked version is for VoLTE and WiFi calling which I've read may not work on Verizon on an unlocked model.

Go with the unlocked model, simply because it's $90 cheaper and you'll be free to switch carriers at any time. Also (sorry to crush your hopes)—but the US models of the S9 and S9+ are not dual SIM. You'd need an international version (which really might not work well on T-Mobile and wouldn't work much at all on Verizon).

@owlswipe won't it prevent using WiFi and VoLTE calling on Verizon to go with the unlocked version though?

You’ll still have VoLTE but no WiFI Calling. And you’ll also “miss out” on all the Verizon bloatware.

@owlswipe Can you please add your comments as an answer so I can award you the bounty?  If it wants to automatically put it as a comment due to length, you can create two paragraphs to prevent I believe.

First off, you unfortunately can't get an S9/S9+ in the US that supports dual SIMs. Theoretically, you could import a European model to get that, but don't—compatibility with US carriers (especially CDMA ones like Verizon and Sprint) will be severely limited.
Second, I'd definitely recommend you purchase an unlocked S9/S9+ from Amazon or Samsung, rather than the Verizon model—not only will you save $90, but you'll also miss out on lots of annoying carrier bloatware, and have the option to switch between carriers like Verizon and T-Mobile anytime you like. It'll still have VoLTE on Verizon and T-Mobile (though not VoWiFi) so you won't be missing much in the way of carrier features either.
Also, T-Mobile is doing a pretty sweet BOGO deal right now—if you're interested in T-Mobile, then that would be a great way to go. Their model is equal in price to the unlocked model as an added benefit.
Hope that helps, and feel free to comment below with follow-ups!

+1 on the carrier bloatware. Seems that the SIM card installs it (this was an S8).


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Low fps on phone
I am currently playing critical ops on letv le 2 which has 3 gb ram and about 650 snapdragon . When i play game ( critical ops ) for few minutes i get about 60 fps  , which runs smoothly . But after some time frames drop from  40 - 20 fps ( most of the time  under 30 fps ) . Which i don't understand why it occurs . It was running smoothly till last 2nd update but after it , it suckssssss. My ram is almost halved free that is approx 1.5 gb . Please help me

Could be any new features that the developer might have added, or just your device getting too hot. Almost every consumer device has a built in thermal management system.


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How to make a backup from internal storage of my Galaxy S3 Neo while it stucks on Samsung logo screen?
My Galaxy S3 Neo has stopped working without any clear reason! I woke up and looked at my phone screen. It was showing the logo of Samsung. Then I turned it off by removing the battery. Since then I have been trying to turn it on but again it stuck on the logo screen. I tried first, "wipe cache partition" from recovery menu (by pressing power bottom+home+volume up) but it did not work. Second, I tried using another battery and it shows that the battery works well. Third, I start using the safe mode but it could be loaded. There I have two questions:

I do not want to miss my personal information, photos, apps, etc. which are in my internal storage. This is very important for me. Please help me:(
What should I do with the problem?

If you have tried enough booting and it won't boot than all feasible option you have are

look if only flashing system partition is possible and if it doesnt remove your data
or if it is possible to root without loss of data, if possible do so and install recovery and extract your data to PC and reflash the firmware

thank you for your answer. Can you suggest a link which includes more information about the solutions you offered, please?

Will try to find if i can and post back here else you will have to Google it


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If I factory reset my phone will that change the phone number?
Last time it did. will it? because I forgot.

I don't think that's possible considering such information is stored on the chip of the Subscriber Identity Module, and resetting involves just re-writing the relevant partitions on device storage and is not related to SIM, you could always remove the SIM card first prior to factory reset , but AFAIK it won't change your phone number

Is there any other way? cuz I want to receive sms from Facebook for free without using my already used phone number.

I have never used Facebook, but I think you don't get charged for SMS verifications/ OTP messages, but if you have registered for Facebook with that number wont it be easier to click the "forgot password" link to recover your account? (Note: As I said before I don't know how exactly it works with Facebook, I have never used it before)

Factory reset has nothing to do with your phone number of your sim and as stated by comment above you can always remove your sim before resetting and reinsert after that and it has nothing to do with facebook message as when you reinsert you will receive messages as you are receiving currently
TL;DR resetting won't affect sim number or facebook messages

no it do not change your sim card number but all the contacts on your phone will be lost


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Android Samsung SM-G530BT - Black screen after root
I've rooted my Samsung SM-G530BT running Odin3 v3.09. Everything went fine, I've checked and it was rooted as expected. But then I reboot my phone and know it loads the phone model logo but then it shows only a black screen. I've tried all methods to enter Recovery mode and nothing works. What do I have to do in order to restore my device? Is there any software that I can use in my PC to recover? Or even restore the intial settings? Thanks everyone

You can recover your device by flashing stock firmware.

First download stock firmware for your device from sammobile.com(or any other site) and then flash it using Odin the same way you flashed TWRP or whatever to obtain root.


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Can I use a 32:9 aspect ratio monitor on an android TV PC?
I have several TX92 TV PCs connected to TVs for streaming, and to monitors for use as thin client workstations with Windows. I recently upgraded, getting the same android box for each use. What I want to do with the one where I do my work, is buy and connect a 49 inch 32:9 aspect ratio monitor. I have several questions. Can I do it? Will the aspect ratio magically appear in the list of available aspect ratios in android settings? I use "Resolution Changer" (google play) to change resolution and DPI for phones, TV PCs, and the BlueStacks emulator for Windows. Can I make the monitor work using that? The TX92 comes rooted from the factory. A 32:9 aspect ratio will let me have two Windows sessions side by side, each 1920x1080, or I can do a Windows session and still have plenty of screen left for android applications. I use "Taskbar" (google play) for the launcher and to run windowed android apps.
Edit:
TX92 has android 7.1.2, 2 gig ram, 16 gig storage.
I don't know what communication exists through the HDMI port. Connecting different devices causes different resolutions to be available in android settings, 4k TV vs monitor. That's why I think the resolution may magically appear when the wide monitor is hooked up.
The TX92 manufacturer has a nice website but has not replied to many inquiries.

There are a number of questions here and it is difficult to tell what is being asked (beyond an answer of 'just try it and see if it works'). Note that it would help to identify the OS version if you are using physical Android TV boxes. Related developer documentation but describes system behavior: https://developer.android.com/guide/practices/screens-distribution.html#MaxAspectRatio

I updated above.

Yes, having two panels in android 7 will be nice. That's why I want such a wide monitor. May work perfect! The "taskbar" app used as a launcher exploits android windowing very well. It lets me reload another instance of the same app, if the app allows it, resize, use half screen, etc.


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How to make phone use all available ram
I have an Android phone that has 3gb of RAM available it uses nearly 1.4gb at boot up and max of 2gb on using chrome ,WhatsApp and Samsung Internet and when I switch to recent apps they restart  and that I hate because despite of having more than enough RAM my Android is unable to utilize it .Please help me in getting better ram management.

You don't have control over the amount of memory committed by the OS.
Android has a Low Memory Killer (LMK)that will go around killing processes that have a low score.
The score is determined by a variety of things but in general:

Process with Activity in forground
Process with a foreground service
Process with service
Process with Activity in background
Empty process (none of the above)

So the low memory killer starting with the lowest score and kill their process to reclaim memory.
Note: that this is the Android Low Memory Killer there is a Linux Out of Memory Killer also, the the LMK will hopefully means it doesn't come to that because either might kill something critical.
Anyways the settings for the LMK are setup when the firmware is built and not updatable by users.
Note that if you were able to use 100% memory that would be bad. Because it would cause Android to thrash any time a new process needed to be created so your performance would be really bad.
So it's safe to bet that you are current working at pretty close to peak performance. They do tune these things before shipping them.

You can't force android to use all the RAM you have, all you can do is keep frequently used apps open i.e., don't clear them from recents so they should stay in memory and should open fast than launching when they were closed


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How do I get the "Change keyboard" notification to go away for more than an hour?
I have Swiftkey installed.
I get a notification all the time about choosing my keyboard. I can get it to go away for a short time by selecting
Settings -> Language & Keyboard -> Current keyboard

Then selecting Swiftkey. But the notification comes back 30-60 mins later (I haven't timed it).
How do I get this to stop showing up? There are instructions on the Swiftkey site that are either outdated or don't apply to my phone: the settings don't look like that.
The relevant AE answer is 5 years old.
LG G5

As of now all i can see is there are only 2 possible solutions
1) keep only one keyboard as suggested in 5 year old question
2) or keep all keyboards but disable all except for the one that you use by going to setting->language & input->virtual keyboard->manage keyboards, here disable all except one that you use regularly
Tried and tested on stock nougat 7.0 on moto g5+

"virtual keyboard": my phone does not have this. I have "Keyboard & Input methods" and there is no "Manage keyboards" option in that group.

Try finding somewhere in language and input setting it should be there else you have only 1st above stated solution left


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Does orientation of a USB Type-C cable matter when quick charging?
Is it normal that quick charging only works when plugging the (original) USB Typ-C cable in orientation 1 into the phone and not in orientation 2? I mean it is symmetrical, I would have expected that both ways work. Is there a problem with my phone or is this the intended behaviour? I read that article about USB PD but it could not answer my question.

From: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB-C#USB_Power_Delivery

USB Power Delivery uses one of CC1, CC2 pins for power negotiation up to 20 V at 5 A (or whatever less the source can provide). It is transparent to any data transmission mode, and can therefore be used together with any of them.

Representation of USB-C Pinout:
GND     TX1+    TX1−    VBUS    CC1  D+ D−  SBU1    VBUS    RX2−    RX2+    GND
GND     RX1+    RX1−    VBUS    SBU2 D− D+  CC2     VBUS    TX2−    TX2+    GND

So I'm thinking that both the phone and the power brick that is providing power will only use one of the CC1/CC2 lines and if you twist the cable the negotiation line won't be able to connect.


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my phone is charging while connected to the laptop but not recognized
i was trying to connect my samsung galaxy tab 2 7.0 to my laptop but is not recognized. it was charging and i tried to look at the internet for the solution but nothing worked out. i tried debugging it and hitting the build number on my tab. i tried everything but nothing happened. i only have one laptop and one connector.
   i was trying to recover my deleted photos so im asking for your help. i'll appreciate everything you did.

It's a common problem. Either your cable is damaged or ports of your laptop are damaged. You can also see an Unkown device in USB Controllers category of Device Manager in your laptop (shortcut- Win+x - >m). Try changing the cable first

Do you have at least Samsung drivers installed?

If you actually "tried everything" then there's no way we can help you. But if you [edit] your question to say what you tried, maybe someone can suggest something you haven't tried yet.

If you are using windows try to open Device Manager then you may see it under "other devices" as MTP device for example

so double-click on it ==> Driver tab ==> update driver ==> you will see

try both, but in second option let your computer search in this location (C:\Windows\WinSXS)by typing it in the shown text field.
I hope this help you

Or you can simply download your samsung Usb setup from internet and simply install it in your computer. It seems like you have no software to handle your android device when connected to pc.


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How to disable whatsapp backing up images
My whatsapp backups are getting huge, and Yes I checked that the "Back up videos" option is unchecked.
One single backup is about 312 MB plus the fact that whastapp keeps 7 backups
That totals to 2.1GB of used up space.
I personally don't mind having backups of actual "text messages" but I don't want image backups, since most of my images are just memes,reposts, nothing important.
Things I have tried,
I deleted all my whatsapp images and runned a backup after, the backup was still the same size.
So is there a way to:

Make the backups smaller by preventing image backups.
Delete the images in the Whatsapp threads without clearing all chat.
Reduce 7 day backups to maybe 2 day backups without deleting manually everyday.

Any solution that addresses one of the above will be appreciated.
I am also open to solutions that involve mods, root-only, xposed-framework, etc

this app claims scheduled cleaning. Not tried by me

just tested and works for solving problem 2, hopefully there is a way to solve for 1 and 3

Whatsapp uses proprietary APIs and is difficult for developers to crack. Even with Xposed modules, you see them failing with subsequent editions. IMO, very unlikely that they will be solved but if 2 is solved and applied daily, then won't the backups be reduced in size? To that extent the solution may work


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Is it possible to block SMS without setting an app as the default SMS app?
Is it possible to have an SMS app that can block some kind of SMS (i.e. where text contains "XYZ" phrases), but I don't want it to be set as the default SMS app?
I've seen something like SMS Radar but don't know if that can do the task.

This isn't possible as of Android KitKat (4.4). Only the default SMS app is able to stop the broadcast of the SMS message to the other apps.
That said, since Android N, you should be able to use blocking to block SMS and Calls from a particular telephone number using Android N Call Blocking.
https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/how-to-block-a-number-in-android/
Note that some Carriers/OEMs may actually disable this blocking feature or make it harder to get to.
There is a Content Provider and API starting in Android N that would allow apps to programmatically block calls and texts, you need to either be the default SMS or phone app, a system app, or a carrier app. While becoming a default app is something the user would allow you to do, only carrier-approved apps could become carrier apps.
https://developer.android.com/reference/android/provider/BlockedNumberContract.html#AUTHORITY_URI

thanks. btw, i am not interested at all in the blocking sms or calls from number. I wanted programaticall way to block sms containing the specific string.

Updated with Android N Blocking API info. To block am SMS with a specific string content you'd have to be the default app. Because you would need to check the contents and make a decision as to wether or not to allow the SMS to propagate through the system.


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Looking for an app to notify when an elderly person is inactive
I am looking for an android app to install on the phone of an elderly person in my family so that when this person stops using the phone, say for one day, then I get notified somehow so that I check up on them and make sure they are ok. Does something like this already exist?
Thanks.

Someone migrate this to [softwarerecs.se]?

SeniorSafety on GooglePlay
This application has an inactivity option as well as fall notifications, gps tracking and other useful options for senior safety.

It is not free, though (inactivity alerts are only available upon subscription). Are there any free alternatives?


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Automatically accept bluetooth files
I am trying to automatically accept files from a computer to a tablet, so I don't have to press the "accept" or "reject" popup.


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vt-x is enableed, but isn't recognized
I want to use an Android emulator like Nox or Bluestacks to play the mobile PUBG on PC. I am aware that enable virtualization in BIOS makes performance much, much better. I have an HP Omen desktop (RX580 4gb, 7th gen i5, 12gb DDR4, 128GB SSD+1TB HDD). The BIOS looks like this. I went into the Security tab and enabled vt-x, saved, and restarted. However, vt-x isn't being recognized by anything. I have Windows 10 Home, so there is no Hyper-V to disable, nor do I have any antivirus software installed (other than Windows Defender). Do you have any tips as to what I can do so virtualization works? Thanks!
also, can anyone recommend an Android emulator without sponsored apps showing up? One where you just load the .apk and can map controls? Thanks again!

"isn't being recognized by anything" Would you like to be more specific? What have you tried?

I have tried Bluestacks and Nox.


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Dot (.) symbol automatically added when pressing the space key 2 or more times
I have seen many times when I type in WhatsApp and press the space key 2 or more times, a period symbol is automatically added. But after I press backspace once, pressing space many times won't add the symbol.
How to remove that automatically added period (.) symbol in WhatsApp and other applications?

My theory is that this seems like a function of auto-correct by the keyboard you are in. Auto correct could include punctuation rules. I have seen auto-correct to be superceded if an "edit" is initiated via backspacing and undos. Look into the active rules within "Language and Input" for your keyboard on the device.

That is not only on WhatsApp. It is everywhere when you double click space bar, a dot will occur. You need to configure it with your keyboard settings on Android, or simply reset your keyboard settings.

Thanks i found a option in preference-->Double space full stop when i switch to off that option my problem is solve


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How to adopt SD card as Internal Storage
I currently own a Samsung J3 emerge with Android version 6.0.1 (Marshmallow). However, I cannot format my AD card as Internal as I do not have that option. I cam only format it as portable. What must I do?

Welcome to Android Enthusiasts Stack Exchange. Have you checked out our adoptable-storage tag wiki, and the posts and articles linked to in it? It should cover most of your concerns here.

Well the device may have option of using SD CARD as internal storage if it is marshmallow  or up ,as it was a feature introduced in ANDROID 6.0

Usually it can be found by
Method 1
SETTINGS<

Method 2
If Sd card is not inserted then insert it and a notification will appear  in notification panel that you want to SETUP or EJECT
Select SET UP and it will present you option to format as internal storage
Select it and you will get it done
(if sd card was inserted beforehand only just eject it and reinsert to get that notification )

Method 3.               #root required #
Download an app Root Essential
Grant Root Access
Go to storage tab
Select Adoptable storage
Proceed with instructions
And Now SD card will be used as internal storage


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How to use tmux copy / paste in Termux?
I installed Termux and using the pkg system installed tmux.
However, the tmux that installs doesn't appear to support copying and pasting.  I can enter copy mode, but I can't select text and copy it to the clipboard using the spacebar and the enter key.  Is there any way to go about this?

This wasn't a problem for me. I was able to paste using Command + Shift + V in and outside tmux. I pasted my clipboard which was taken from other apps (eg Chrome) and also my macOS, via scrcpy.

Try having this line in your ~/.tmux.conf file:
set-window-option -g mode-keys vi

This enables a set of vi key bindings that seems to work fine. I used the Spacebar and Enter keys to copy that line from within a tmux session running in Termux and pasted it into this textbox in Chrome with Ctrl+v.

Yes that did work!  Nice work man.  I believe I used CTRL+B, started my cursor with the h, j, k, and L  keys pressed enter, and low and behold when I got to the address bar in Firefox I could paste it in!

Note, I may have used "+y as well....

Unfortunately, tmux can't access Android system clipboard, unlike real GNU/Linux distros. The copy mode is pretty much isolated in tmux, so you can only copy from and paste to within sessions.
To paste from clipboard, long-press (hold) anywhere on the terminal screen and tap "Paste" in the pop-up menu.
To copy to clipboard, long-press some text on the terminal screen. Drag the pins to select the text you want to copy and tap "Copy" in the pop-up menu.

I was only trying to access it within the session and copy it between panes and windows.  Maybe I wasn't clear about that above.

if that's all you want to do, you can use files and redirect outputs accordingly.

One unfortunate thing about this is that the Termux pop-up menu pins don't know anything about vertically split panes, understandably, so that requires workarounds if you're trying to copy anything spanning multiple lines.

Correction: I meant it's a problem for text in horizontally split panes. I always get those terms mixed up. For some reason I keep wanting to think it refers to the orientation of the separator between the panes rather than the layout of the panes in relation to one another.

@JacobWan tmux's pane splitting is a good feature, but I don't think it works well on a phone's small screen, so I only use windows but not panes on my phone. For tablets, I admit copying text from splitted screen is a problem.

This answer may be irrelevant to your needs, but I arrived at your post while trying to solve a problem. Unlike with the x windows system, you don't need anything but Termux to paste text. Use "share" on the selected text, share to Termux, then enter a filename as prompted, and tap open folder.

In vim, go into input mode by pressing i and then use CTRL+ALT+v to paste.
Note: you can use specific keyboard apps or an external keyboard to gain access to CTRL and ALT keys.

Hacker's keyboard: Google Play / F-Droid
AnysoftKeyboard: Google Play / F-Droid (description at F-Droid broke, so don't let that fool you)

Could you please include instructions on how to press crt-alt-V on a smartphone software keyboard?

With a physical keyboard I use the ctrl alt v. For virtual keyboard I use gboards(or Samsung keyboard if im using my tab) builtin keyboard clipboard manager and tap the text card for what I want to paste.


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I am confused about customizing ROMs
I'm trying to upgrade my Tivax MiTraveler tablet to run the latest version of Android. Unfortunately, the updater claims there are no updates available. Looking at this log file I obtained from backing up the device, it appears to be a generic hardware configuration:
ro.build.version.sdk=17
ro.build.version.codename=REL
ro.build.version.release=4.2.2
ro.build.user=inet_wupangpang
ro.build.host=supperFAE
ro.product.model=97D16W
ro.product.brand=softwinners
ro.product.name=wing_ibt
ro.product.device=wing-ibt
ro.product.board=wing
ro.product.cpu.abi=armeabi-v7a
ro.product.cpu.abi2=armeabi
ro.product.manufacturer=AWT
ro.product.locale.language=en
ro.product.locale.region=US
ro.board.platform=exDroid
ro.build.product=wing-ibt
ro.build.description=wing_ibt-eng 4.2.2 JDQ39 20130620 test-keys
ro.build.fingerprint=softwinners/wing_ibt/wing-ibt:4.2.2/JDQ39/20130620:eng/test-keys
ro.build.characteristics=tablet
ro.com.android.dateformat=MM-dd-yyyy
ro.build.display.id=A20_K9701_K9701L3B_1305282.20130620
persist.sys.timezone=Asia/Shanghai
ro.inet.LauncherTransparent=false
ro.product.firmware=1.3_20130614
net.bt.name=Android
net.change=net.bt.name

This appears to be a plain vanilla build configuration, but I am confused about how to go about updating the system. I couldn't find a specific firmware for my device, but I found several devices that use the exact same hardware and firmware.  Unfortunately, none of them support a higher version of Android.
I noticed the firmware has two layers: linux and Android.  The Android layer runs on top of Linux and appears to be a set of Java applications. Is it possible to replace just the Android components and reflash firmware?  If it Android uses a JVM, it should work, No? If it is compiled Java, it should work provided you use the same Allwinners target, No?

Welcome to Android Enthusiasts! May I suggest you start with reading our updating tag-wiki, and follow up some of its links? That would give you some background. Also helpful in your context: our rom tag-wiki.

Build.prop is not "a configuration to generate a build from" - in fact it's like the reverse, i.e. "a property list of a generated build". Building ROMs is so much more than you might think.

@AndyYan   I am not assuming anything about its complexity, which is why I am asking the question.

It's a bit more than just replacing the Android parts, You'd need kernel updates most of the time.

Cool.  I will attempt a build.  Allwinners has an open source project for various UNIX flavors. There are a few drivers that are proprietary, but with luck they may be unnecessary or might be binary compatible. We'll see.

this log from the system process is the properties of your device and you can change the version in the file build.prop in the /system directory loop the pics :


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AdBlock on Android causes many timeouts and connection problems
When I use the Android version of Adblock Plus 1.3 without root, everything seems to work fine. But now, I have a new phone that I'm not willing to root, and I like the idea of having AdBlock as a proxy to strip everything, but everything times out quite often. Sometimes it works, but others it just keeps timing out and creating all kinds of connection problems.
I updated recently to the latest dev version from here, but I still have the same problem.
I feel that this issue is happened because of power saving maybe? Some kind of deprioritization of AdBlock?
I have Galaxy Note 8.
Please advise.

Someone on Reddit suggested an awesome solution. The solution is a program called DNS66. It's available on the F-droid store for free. It creates a local VPN server that blocks all ads. I love it, and I'm using it.

Your question answers itself. The app you're using is run by a proxy server and it may slow down your webpage load time. I suggest you to block ad servers from hosts file and use the regular browser app as it's the fastest and most practical way of getting rid of ads.

I can't use root. I fixed the question. I found another solution anyway.


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How to disable Peek / Heads Up notifications globally in Android Oreo?
There are multiple ways to disable Peek/Heads Up notifications in previous versions of Android (e.g. these or these), but it seems that the changes introduced by Oreo (Android 8.X) prevents them all. Is it possible to disable Heads Up notifications globally, for all apps, in Oreo?
I mean without disabling all normal notifications, or other features, but just this one. Ideally with no root required, but root solutions are also ok.

It's possible to disable the heads-up notifications with adb, without root, using one of the two options below. Sadly, on some of the most recent LG or Samsung phones, this setting is saved only in RAM, hence it only works until the next reboot.
Preliminary steps (required for both options)
On your phone:

Disable "Disable alerts during game" feature (see this issue for details)
Under Android Settings/Developer Options, enable USB Debugging;
Under Android Settings/Developer Options/Select USB Configuration, enable PTP (Picture Transfer Protocol);
Plug your phone to your computer.

On your computer:

Install Android Debug Bridge (adb);
Install the Universal ADB Drivers;
Run adb devices;
Verify your phone is listed under List of devices attached

On your phone:

press OK on Allow USB Debugging?

Option 1
On your computer:

Run ./adb shell settings put global heads_up_notifications_enabled 0

Option 2
On your phone:

Install SystemUI Tuner
Follow the instructions and run the required adb commands
Edit Quick Settings:

Add the Heads-up Notifications Toggle to quick settings:

Tap on the toggle to disable the heads-up notifications:

As mentioned above, both options work only until the next reboot on some phones which save this settings in RAM, so option 2 is more convenient because it allows to easily re-disable the heads-up notifications after reboot using the quick settings toggle.
Android 9 and above
It is possible to disable them from:

Settings > Custom restrictions > Don't pop notifications on screen (source)

If that still doesn't work try disabling and enabling:

Apps & notifications > Special app access > Adaptive Notifications (source)

Samsung Galaxy S21
Unfortunately none of the options mentioned above work for this phone: if you know a way to disable them without root please add a comment to this answer or an answer to the original question.

the drivers has been moved to this location, your link doesn't work anymore, please update: https://adb.clockworkmod.com/

Android 9++ solution Failed, tested on Nokia 5.4 (Android 10)

A root option is available, using the "Nougat / Oreo Quick Settings" app. The app itself doesn't require root, but the Heads Up quick-setting does. It basically enables multiple new quick-setting tiles in the Quick Settings Menu. One of them is "Heads-Up" (in category System (secure)), which allows to enable or disable Heads Up notifications. It is pretty easy to use:

Open the app, search for "Heads-Up", tap on it and enable it.
Edit the Quick Settings  Menu, search for the new tile "Heads-Up", and drag it to the top panel.
The tile will currently show it's enabled (in white or, in my case, blue). If you cannot disable it, you should make sure the app is granted root permissions.
I needed to enable the Setting Run in aggressive mode in the app settings in order for it to work. It seems it depends on the phone to need that setting or otherwise.

Once it is disabled, Heads Up notifications will be globally disabled. And you can at any time enable them at will using that Quick Setting. This was tested in a rooted Oneplus 5T (OOS 5.0.4, on Android 8.0.0).