text:
My Gmail account has many emails. If I add another Gmail account to my phone, can I make the new Gmail primary and still use my apps
I have an (old) Android phone (HTC Incredible ADR6300) which I have configured with 1 Gmail account. I have downloaded a bunch of apps from Google Play. Most of the apps are Free, but I have a few dollars worth of purchased apps.
Over time, that Gmail account now has many emails (over 2 Gigs). This seems to be a problem for the phone as it won't finish syncing emails with Gmail anymore (appears to hang), and it probably uses lots of phone memory and time trying.
I know I can associate another Gmail email address with my phone, but I'm not sure if that will work in my situation.
I'd like to use the new Gmail address for emails (as the "Primary" email address for the phone), but still access the apps I have, which are associated with my old Gmail address.
I guess there are a few ways I can do this, but I'm not sure which (if any) will work:

I can add another email address to the phone under:
Menu -> Settings -> Accounts and sync -> Add account
but I don't know if it will allow for me to choose this new account as the "Primary" email address for the phone, for syncing emails, etc.
If it does allow that, will Google Play be able to figure out (or will I be able to tell GP) which Gmail account to use to authenticate the apps I already have?
Similar to #1, on the phone under:
Menu -> Settings -> Accounts and sync -> Manage accounts -> [old-Gmail]
I see an option: "Remove account"
I could (perhaps in some specific order) add a new Gmail account, then remove the old account, then add back the old Gmail account. (Will this make the new Gmail account "Primary" ?)
Again, I don't know if this will work, but if it does, it should solve the email sync issue, but I might still have the issue with Google Play and my existing downloaded apps.
I could back up the phone (as much as possible), and do a factory reset (I will probably do this at some point anyway), and configure the new Gmail account as the "Primary" email address for the phone. I should then be able to sync Gmail, etc. And, I could add the old Gmail account under:
Menu -> Settings -> Accounts and sync -> Add account
This would probably be the best option, but I might still have the issue with Google Play and my existing downloaded apps.
I could just start over. Reset the phone, configure the new Gmail address, re-download (and some re-purchase) my apps, and forget about using the old email address on the phone. This will work for sure, and it might be the only  way, but not the best way if other options will work.

So, will the easier options #1 or #2 work, or perhaps the more involved option #3? Or am I stuck with the least desirable option #4? (Perhaps some other option I'm not considering?)

If you add an additional Google account, Android will ask you which account to use when there is ambiguity. From the main screen of most Google apps (including Play Store), you can tap the upper left corner of the app, and from the slideout menu touch your email address (which will be at the top of the slideout menu), and then choose another address associated with the fun to use the app as that account.

The first answer is one way to do it, just make sure in settings under sync, that you remove the check box for gmail and any other services you aren't going to use from that account. Another way which I haven't tested myself as far as retaining apps but should work is to log into your gmail account from a browser and go to settings and there is an option to set up alias gmail accounts under your main account.


text:
reverse tethering : share laptop internet connection thru bluetooth
im rooted, nexus 5
I work in the middle of the bush, no cell coverage.  NO ROUTERS ALLOWED.
I would like to share my laptop's wired internet connection.  Either create a *hidden wifi hotspot that no one will be able to detect* or share my laptops internet thru Bluetooth
could someone pleaaaase help :)

Download and install Toshiba Bluetooth stack (don't forget to reboot)
Right click Toshiba Bluetooth icon in the system tray and choose "Option"
Turn on "PAN" service and "DHCP" option.
Open terminal (Press Win+R, then entering cmd). Go to the Toshiba installation folder (similar to this):
cd "c:\Program Files (x86)\Toshiba\Bluetooth Toshiba Stack"
And rerun the PAN service by entering:
TosBtPSS.exe /END
TosBtPSS.exe /NAP

Then you can share the internet by using ICS, Bridge Network or 3rd party NAT in Windows such as NAT32.
I also wrote a Bluetooth reverse tethering tutorial.

Why the downvote ?

Requirements:

Rooted Android device with "USB tethering" capability.
Windows PC with a working Internet connection.
USB cable to connect your Android to your PC.
Terminal Emulator on your Android. If you don't want to type
commands on your touchscreen with Terminal Emulator, you can use
your PC keyboard to enter commands with adb shell. adb is a part
of Android SDK which is available for download from Google. To use
adb, you need to enable "USB debugging" on your Android.
Optional, BusyBox on your Android.

Step 1:

Connect your Android to PC by USB cable and enable USB tethering
Windows will automatically search Windows Update and install driver
for you. You can skip Windows Update search and install manually an
already included driver from Microsoft.
In Install Driver window, click Browse My Computer, then Let me
pick..., select Network Adapters, uncheck Show Compatible
Hardware, look at Microsoft Corporation at the left column
Choose Remote NDIS Compatible Device from the right column. You can
also install or update a driver from Device Manager in Windows.

Step 2:

Open Network Connections in Control Panel. Right click on an
Internet connection that you have.
select Properties. In tab Sharing (or Advanced for Windows XP),
click Allow other network users to connect through..., then select
the USB connection in dropdown list below. Click OK.
Windows will automatically setup your USB network connection and
assign to it an IP address, default for Windows 7: 192.168.137.1,
default for Windows XP: 192.168.0.1.
You can see your Internet connection is now "Shared" and your USB
connection is now Unidentified network. Your PC setup is now done!

Step 3:
Open Terminal Emulator on your Android. Type:
su

netcfg rndis0 dhcp

(The name for usb interface inside Android may vary. It is usually rndis0 or usb0. Type busybox ifconfigto identify the name.
When automatical dhcp method does not work.
Type:
 ifconfig rndis0 192.168.137.2 (192.168.0.2 for Windows XP) netmask 255.255.255.0

 route add default gw 192.168.137.1 (192.168.0.1 for Windows XP) dev rndis0

If route fails, try:
busybox route add default gw 192.168.137.1 (192.168.0.1 for Windows XP) dev rndis0 dev rndis0

Some applications (download in Google Play, GMail, Facebook...) don't recognize Internet connection. You can try this way
Enable temporarily 3G connection on your Android and type
ifconfig rmnet0 0.0.0.0

(The name for 3G interface inside Android may vary: ppp0, rmnet0... Type busybox ifconfig to identify name)
Source: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2287494

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


text:
HTC One is not charging
I have HTC One since few months. It worked fine, this is great device in my opinion.
Today my battery ran out of energy. I plug in the charger, and there is no reaction over 30 minutes. It has happening for the first time.
Any solution?

Is the indicator light on? (Small orange light under the earpiece honeycomb). If so, it's charging quietly.

Main board replaced.

You have to go to the store where you bought it so they can have it checked. Maybe the battery must not be totally drained. Have them checked your phone since it still has warranty if you just bought it few months ago.

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


text:
App for recording lectures
I am a mathematics graduate student looking for ways to improve my note taking. I have been experimenting with recording lectures with my Galaxy S5 (using Coji, which is a great app), but I am now on the market for something a bit more specific.
I want to be able to start the recording at the beginning of lecture, and take pictures of the board throughout class without stopping the recording. Some of the mathematics being taught is pretty hairy, and it takes some time staring at pictures of the board and at your notebook to get it. I would also like to be able to split the hour and a half long recorded file into smaller segments afterwards, say segments going over this or that proof. An app that puts this all into individual sessions (like Coji) would be a plus as well.
Does anyone have any familiarity with an app that has this functionality? I haven't had much luck finding something that hits all the key points.


text:
How can I do a screen recording on the S3?
I need to record my screen as I'm using a specific app to show the issues showing up that a developer is  unable to replicate.  How can I achieve this? Is screen recording even possible on Android?
OS: 4.1

Most screen recording applications require rooting your phone, unfortunately.
You can try EASY screen recorder NO ROOT (paid version here): it is the most well-rated screen recording application that does not need root I am aware of.
A few other applications:

First of all, download and install Android Studio with ADB (or ADB standalone). Open command line application in your system, and enter:
adb devices

If it shows your device connected to computer, then you are good to go. If not, turn on Developer options in your Android device and allow Debugging over USB. Reconnect device. If it's shown with previous command then type:
adb shell screenrecord /sdcard/movie.mp4

where /sdcard/ is the place where the movie will be saved in your phone.

I haven't done a screen recording in a phone, only in a computer. But if your unit is already rooted, you can try to download "SCR Screen Recorder" from the Appstore. It will work on rooted devices only.
Good luck!

I'm not rooted.

I just searched for another one(and hope this would help),
try https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bugunsoft.displayrecorder
, I guess it's a paid App, I can't find the free version. :)

According to this site, you can capture your phone's screen at high frame rates into a high-quality MPEG4 video. The application is not free unfortunately, but there is a demo version for free that I reccomend you to try.
Hope this helps.

authors: امیرمهدی بهروزی


text:
Update Cyanogenmod to latest Snapshot
I am running Cyanogenmod on my Samsung Galaxy Nexus.
by the beginning of March 2014, Cyanogenmod released V11 Snapshot M4.
As far as I know, I am still running Snapshot M3, which I freshly installed in February.
When will 11 M4 arrive on my phone? Will it be available over-the-air?
There was one small OTA update in late February, was that already M4?
If I take a look at System -> Setting -> About Phone, there are various version and build numbers, but there is no number showing any Snapshot number...
Thanks in advance,
Sascha.

Thanks for the reminder. Indeed, the correct answer is, that installer build is quite a bit behind the manual installation. But also thanks to your answer - it was helpful too!

Thanks for your answer.
If looking into "About phone", "Build Date" is "Tue Feb 25 14:46:23 PST 2014" and Build Number "cm_maguro-userdebug 4.4.2 KOT49H InstallerXNPQ09P release-keys"
According to build date, I guess that's still M3, right?
Last weekend I tried to manually update, by downloading the ZIP file for Maguro from http://download.cyanogenmod.org, but that ended up in a corrupted phone:

phone app was missing, I wasn't able to receive calls
home button didn't work (flashed when pressed, but nothing happened)
quick settings button in notification bar without effect
and many issues more....

I now re-installed Cynogenmod by again running the installer. Build number and date are stated at the top of this post.
I suggest that installer version is quite a bit slower in its release cycles, right?

I suggest that you would comment on an existing answer (in this case: my answer) rather than posting a new answer. And as I said, your current build is written in the entry called "CyanogenMod-Version", not "Build-Number" or "Build Date". Other than that, your could have avoided issues after manually flashing the M4-Build by just doing a full wipe before you flash that M4-build (explanation: http://www.cyanogenmod.org/blog/cm-11-m4-post-release-items). And finally, if your problem is solved you should accept an answer in order to close this thread.

I too have a Samsung Galaxy Nexus and I upgraded from CM11 M3 to M4 manually just one week ago.
But I looked it up on my phone and there is an OTA-Update to the M4 build.
Other than that, you can find your current CM11-build under Settings -> About phone and there it says in the entry named CyanogenMod-Version. It should end with your device's code-name (depending on your specific Galaxy Nexus it can be either "toro", "toroplus" or "maguro"; in my case "maguro").
And that update in late february cannot have been the M4-build, because that's just too far in the past. The M4-build was anounced officially by the team of CyanogenMod on march 7th.
I hope I could help you.
PS: If you still do not get the OTA-update, I would recommend you to flash it manually.


text:
ADB not recognizing Moto G
I've recently acquired a Motorola Moto G, and I plan to use it for development.
I downloaded ADT, updated the SDK tools and the KitKat platform, but Eclipse still doesn't recognise my device. I'm using 4.4.2 and the respective SDKs. USB debugging is enabled, and tried connecting with and without media sharing enabled.
Any idea of how to fix it?

Solved the problem by installing Motorola Device Manager and re-plugging the phone.
I felt so silly after finding that link.

For Development you need adb and adb driver.
You can download adb driver from http://adbdriver.com/
You can download adb from 15 seconds ADB Installer v1.4.3 | xda-developers.com


text:
Problems with syncing emails on Galaxy SIII
I recently did a software update to 4.3 and now my email account loads emails in as unread and I go in to mark them as read but within 5 minutes they change to unread and I get new noticiations.  Can someone please tell me how to fix this problem.

I think software update has reverted all your settings, follow the steps :

If you are using gmail app ,  then you should go to settings and check the concerned setting and also go to phone settings and under Accounts click Google and sync now.
If you are using stock email app follow the above procedure but im accounts select email and sync. Also check the email app settings.

Reply if problems persist.

Thanks, have made sure that the Sync settings show sync now but this has not sorted the problem.  I still get emails coming up as not read all the time.


text:
unable to restore contacts after changing ROM
I have changed the ROM on my samsung galaxy Note 2 , i have installed the cyanohgen mod. i need to restore the contacts from my old sansung kies .sbp file backup onto the new CM rom

Open the .spb file in Kies
Select all your contacts and click save as.
In the file name field type whatever you want with en extension .vcf
Copy the newly made file to your sd card
Import from the contacts app

authors: Саня Коржавов


text:
Is there a technical reason Android update story is so bad?
Is there a technical reason why Android phones general lag a lot behind the stable released version of Android?
This applies to both new phones, for example a recent trip to the phone shop everything was 4.0 to 4.2.1, KitKat could not be seen. And also old phones, my girlfriend's iPhone 4 had an OTA update to the latest OS, this is a July 2010 phone, whilst a July 2010 Android is basically a paperweight.
Presumably Android itself doesn't concern itself with the actual hardware, and thus talks to the OS via abstractions? I guess then the handset maker just provides the drivers for the specific hardware, thus I can't see the issue with pushing OTA updates if the ABI remains stable (my phone doesn't grow new hardware features).

Any way we have http://forum.xda-developers.com/?__utma=248941774.885253082.1394986357.1394986357.1394986357.1&__utmb=248941774.1.10.1394986357&__utmc=248941774&__utmx=-&__utmz=248941774.1394986357.1.1.utmcsr=google|utmccn=(organic)|utmcmd=organic|utmctr=(not%20provided)&__utmv=-&__utmk=34129058

Hardware drivers are internal to the kernel and the ABI is not internally stable.  There is no strict correspondence between Android version and kernel version, either; manufacturers may or may not include kernel upgrades with userland upgrades.  If they do, there is no binary compatibility with your existing drivers.  The bulk of the burden on the manufacturer will still have to do with adapting to the new userspace, however -- I don't see how the nature of the ABI is particularly significant at all here.

Your last paragraph suggests to me that you have a misapprehension about just how much Android does behind the scenes. Abstractions and interfaces have to keep changing to support new hardware features, as well as better software representations. Perhaps you might ask a follow-up question about it.

Except that the iphone that got updated now runs like a dog and forces you to upgrade hardware anyway whereas the Android phone runs as well as it ever did and simply does not include new features.

See this image released by HTC. It describes the update process in a very detailed form:

Image resized (click to see the full size)

While the image is certainly helpful for those who can open the image, see it, and then understand it, I'm afraid it's less helpful for the rest. Anyone feels free to [edit] and transcribe/explain the image in textual format!

Android phones have at least 2 fingers in the pot that iPhones do not: the hardware maker and the network carrier. The hardware makers often consider their drivers trade secrets, and therefore must learn the new versions code and then adapt their drivers. Manufacturers also often provide custom "skins" that must be updated for the new version, and sometimes wholly redesigned.
Any changes must then be approved by the carriers. They often addon their own features, which must be updated/redesigned and tested. Then they must run networks tests for each phone to ensure it won't crash the network. While these tests must go on for iPhones also, they are probably done before the new version is released, as Apple can produce all the phones running the new version at once for testing, before the code is released to even developers.

This is a 2-part question. Part 1 asks why Android phones do not get the newest update right away, and has been answered adequately by the other answers. Part 2 asks why older phones often never get the newest update, and has not been answered yet.
As LeBeau says, there are other corporate stakeholders besides Google. Google only creates the new versions, and, besides the phones it directly creates, like the Nexus line, it does not get much say over whether and when the others put them into the phones. Also like LeBeau says, all these other stakeholders have to learn the new version before they can implement it. This is why the phones get new versions later, and why certain phones, like the Nexuses, get the versions before anyone else, because Google has already learned the new version.
As for part 2, the hardware makers want us to keep buying new phones every couple months, right? Otherwise, how will they keep all that dough rolling in if we keep using our old phones? They'd be in the same position the computer companies are in: with storage and RAM enough for any purpose, why buy any new hardware? The answer is to stop updating old phones, so if we want the newest features, we have to get a new one. Google probably doesn't do this as much, as it is already selling you Android, so why does it need to sell you phones, but it probably does it a little bit. The network carriers, for their part, probably help with their draconian rules like preventing rooting (or else you void your warranty). This is why, as you say, "a July 2010 android is basically a paperweight".
As for your comment about improvements being "mainly userland", I don't know how all that works, but I'm sure it's not that simple. The upgrades may be in software, but not all software talks to the user. Plus, the hardware makers put "skins" on our phones, so we do not see the inner workings, and it's likely that when they finally upgrade to the newest version, they put some new stuff in themselves, so that an HTC One phone at Android 4.2 is different from a Samsung Galaxy SIV phone at Android 4.2. Probably either HTC or Samsung throws some new features out to put in 4.3, and you do not even notice they did it. Then, when let's say the HTC One does not upgrade to 4.3, but the HTC Two does (I'm making this up), you are forced to get HTC Two to get (some of) the new features of 4.3, as well as some features of 4.2 you didn't get with HTC One. I am not certain this happens, but it is normal business procedure, so I would not be surprised.

I think there are a number of reasons why updates are so slow for android devices:

The time it takes a manufacturer to apply their customisations to the new version and ensure everything works OK can be quite long. This has improved over the last year or so as Google give them an Android PDK, or the Platform Development Kit which should allow them to work on their customisations several months in advance of the public even hearing about the next version of Android.
The time it takes for networks to test the update and apply their customisations.
There is little incentive for manufacturers to apply the update  (especially on 1+ year old devices) as they are trying to sell their newest devices to customers.
Most customers don't know or care what version of Android is on their device so why would the manufacturer spend time and money updating the device to the latest version.

You can also look at this article which goes into a bit more detail, including why Apple is able to release updates 'so much quicker' (essentially because they control both the hardware and software).

In addition to the incredibly long HTC infographic in Mpeti's answer, other manufacturers have come out and said why their updates lag behind official Google releases, and why they don't release updates for older models:
Sony Mobile: Ice Cream Sandwich – from source code release to software upgrade, selected excerpts and headers below:

However, before we can roll out those software upgrades, there are a lot of activities to first of all get Ice Cream Sandwich to work and become stable on all Sony Ericsson phones. We call this the Bring up phase.
Secondly, and perhaps most important, we must certify and approve the new software release with all the different technologies, networks, and hardware that a modern smartphone should work with. We call this the Certification and approval phase.

The Bring up phase: Getting Ice Cream Sandwich to work on our phones
Integrating Android patches
Getting the software stable and adding localisation
The Certification and approval phase: Making sure the software and hardware is compliant
Additional approvals might be needed
Many operators also want to customise the software according to their requirements

When all of this is done, we are ready to roll out the software release variants as software upgrades to operators and consumers around the world.

Motorola used to have a good blog entry on this, but seem to have deleted all their older blog content in the last few months. However the Wayback machine has an archived copy of it: Archive.org: Motorola Update on Ice Cream Sandwich, selected text and headings below:

Once source code is released from Google, it doesn’t automatically update to your device.
Each new version of Android launches with one device partner, in what is called the “Google Experience Device” or GED, the showcase device for a new Android release.  The GED partner for each launch works with Google during the development of the OS so that the device and new Android version are ready for a coordinated simultaneous launch.
Once that GED device ships, the rest of the Android community gains access to the Android source code as its made public shortly after – a critical milestone for device manufacturers and component suppliers, enabling us to start work on integrating the new release into our existing products.

Merge and adapt the new release for different device hardware architecture(s) and carrier customizations
Stabilize and ‘bake’ the result to drive out bugs
Submit the upgrade to the carriers for certification
Perform a Customer pre-release
Release the upgrade

We are planning on upgrading as many of our phones as possible.  The ability to offer the upgrade depends on a number of factors including the hardware/device capabilities, the underlying chipset software support, the ICS support and then the ability to support the Motorola value add software.

Also, PC Mag Why It Will Take So Long to Upgrade Phones to 'Ice Cream Sandwich'

When Google releases a new version of Android, the build is then processed by the manufacturer. This takes several months for them to assure the update can take advantage of the phone's features, and so they can install any additional features they want.
The process is then repeated for the carrier, which again takes several months.

Hmm.. That's the reality of the situation I guess, but if the improvements are mainly "user-land" then they keep the hardware ABI on major versions shouldnt this process be more streamlined. At this rate, blogs etc.. we should really compare iOS 7.1 to Android 6.2

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


text:
Galaxy s2 4.4 totaly stock rom?
I am looking for 4.4.x rom for my galaxy s2. I have installed beanstalk 4.4.2 rom, but what I don't like about it is that it is very "custom". I am looking for rom, similar to super nexus - absolutely stock google android experience. Can anyone recommend something? Thanks!

Did you take a look at CyanogenMod? It is not absolutely stock Google Android experience but absolutely stock AOSP (Android Open Source Project) experience. It means that all Google proprietary additions are not included (for legal reasons), but you can install them easily using a package called gApps. In the end you have something very close to a Nexus experience plus very little additions that are all useful.

Great tip. However, it is only in snapshot M4 stage, so it is very buggy.

actually, I've been using CyanogenMod on an SGS 2 for almost 4 months now and it's really stable.

I think I know what you should opt for , you should go for AOSP based ROMs ;
here's a list :
1.CyanogenMod (minimal but necessary cutomization)
2.Paranoid Android (same as Cyanogenmod very less cutomization)
3.OmniRom ( basically same )
4.PAC (mixture of Paranoid android , Cyanogenmod and AOKP) ( a bit more of cutomization)
You should first checkout the official websites of these ROMs , or you can head to XDA forums and find official and unofficial build of these or even more ROMs , but according to your preference look for "[AOSP]" in threads .
Link : http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s2#romList


text:
Is it possible for the stock Downloads app to detect externally added/modified/deleted files?
Assume I add (or delete, rename) a file, with a file explorer, to the download folder where the stock Android Downloads app is looking. Is there some way to have the Downloads app refresh and notice the new file, or is the app unable to detect changes to the download folder?

Stock download app is unable to detect changes to download folder. It will keep only a list that it is given for download.


text:
Is K-9 Mail susceptible to MITM attacks?
I am using K-9 Mail on Android and have set the SSL option to 'SSL (strict)'.
My understanding is that with this option K-9 definitely requires a valid SSL certificate which is issued by a trusted CA, i.e. no self-signed certificates.
What I am wondering about is whether K-9 actually evaluates the CN field in the certificate, i.e. whether it only accepts a certificate as valid and trusted if the CN and the mail server's DNS name match. This is IMO a fundamental requirement in order to not fall for MITM attacks. If K-9 did not match those, in the worst case K-9 would accept any (wildcard) certificate presented on the condition that is has been signed by a trusted CA.
Has anyone tested/confirmed/verified that this is not the case?

It uses the Android in-built SSL socket factory to create the connection. So yes, it's just as authenticated as accessing a secure webpage on the phone's browser.


text:
Galaxy S won't boot, stuck in recovery mode
My galaxy S was working good until about a month ago when it froze and needed to reboot.  Now when it boots, a screen showing a mobile phone and a computer and an exclamation mark in the middle is appearing.  How can I resolve this?

If your phone is stuck in recovery mode, you can try these steps to force it to boot to Android:

Remove the battery, wait a couple of minutes, then put the battery back in.
Turn on phone and see if it still boots into recovery mode.
If it does still boot into recovery mode, hold down "Volume Up" button and then press the Power button.
The recovery menu should appear; using the Volume buttons to move the cursor, select "Reboot system" and press the power button to select it.
If it still boots to Recovery, go into the Recovery menu again and select "Factory Reset/Wipe Data".  Your phone should be reset back to factory defaults and boot properly.

If none of this works, most likely it is a hardware issue and you'll need to get the phone itself looked at by a technician.


text:
Firmware upgrade gone wrong
I have a Samsung Galaxy S2 (SPH-D710) and was trying to do a firmware upgrade through Kies and the upgrade encountered an error (I think the usb cable came loose and lost connection). After that, when I tried booting the phone a screen appears with a yellow triangle with an exclamation point in the middle, a phone to the left of it and computer to the right with the message "Firmware upgrade encountered an issue. Please select recovery mode in Kies & try again".  I tried doing the emergency firmware recovery in Kies but that seemed to freeze at 64%. I wasn't sure how long it was supposed to take so I let it sit there. Eventually the battery level went low enough that the recovery failed and now the battery is too low to boot into download/recovery mode. When I plug the phone in to try to charge the battery the "Firmware upgrade encountered an issue. Please select recovery mode in Kies & try again" screen flashes and it doesn't seem like the battery is charging. Is my phone completely screwed? Is there anything I can do at home to fix this or will I have to take it somewhere?
Thanks

Yes,  turn off the phone and try to charge from a wall charger,  and when battery is full,  try to do firmware recovery,  this time use a good usb cable, and ensure a good Internet connection.
Keep battery level above 80% or keep it full.
And if all fails go to service center.
Vote up if I helped ;)

I've tried plugging in to a wall charger after turning the phone off, but it just flashes the firmware upgrade issue screen and doesn't seem to charge the phone. So I'm currently stuck in the position that the phone won't charge and I can't get into download/recovery mode.

If u have someone with same device,  try charging your battery some way and follow the recovery steps. :)

I ended up borrowing a battery to finish the emergency firmware recovery in Kies. The second attempt proved successful in the firmware upgrade, however, still had network connection problems. I took it into a Sprint service center and they tried doing software updates to the phone. Tech had to do the software updates several times. Found that after each update attempt, phone would work, but connectivity issues would come back after inserting the SD card. He deemed the SD card to be corrupt. Phone is now working fine on the latest firmware with a new SD card installed. I am not sure what exactly is on the old SD card that would have corrupt it.
Thanks for the suggestions.

If you still have the original usb cable then use it because it probably is modified by Samsung.
Consider upgrading to latest Android (currently 4.4.2) it is well worth it you wont brick it, I did it with my first Smartphone 3 years ago (I still use it) just when I got it and I've done all I wanted to do like install root Rom kernel audio engine etc removed bloatware and lots more :)


text:
Can I get Google Now reminders to be sent via email or popup on desktop gmail as well?
My primary workflow revolves around my desktop, and my Gmail.
Is there a wait to get Google Now to interpret "Remind me to do laundry in 2 hours", as "Don't just blip on my phone where I may not be paying attention, but also popup on my calendar and email me"?

P.S I usually would send myself an email to 2hours@followupthen.com if I'm on a desktop and I want to remind myself something.

I'm not familiar with Google Now, because I don't use it.
But if it's getting the data from the Calendar, then it's possible to create an email notification.

You can also set this via Google Calendar web app.


text:
Why doesn't Cyanogenmod show the update for CM11-M4 in the Cyanogen Updater?
On my phone when I do a CM update, no matter what I chose to show the update for M4 isn't available? What's going on?

CM11-M4 didn't ship for the jf or d2 phones (Galaxy S4 and S3). They were not ready. It'll be back for -M5. All of the jftle- builds were concentrated into one Unified Device build.

Note: Unified device
Soon after the release of CM 11 M3, all Qualcomm-based variants of this device were merged into a single build: jflte. The device information pages for the individual variants still exist so that you can reference any device-specific unlock instructions, download recoveries, or would like to build, for example, CM 10.2: jflteatt, jfltecan, jfltecri, jfltecsp, jfltespr, jfltetmo, jflteusc, jfltevzw, jfltexx.

This new build, simply jftle has no M4 available on the website either, it's not just the updater.
And, just for comprehensiveness the jftlespr (the Sprint Deprecated variant) also doesn't have the M4 build.
Here is what was said in irc.freenode.net/#cyanogenmod,
< [R]> jf and d2 weren't ready for m4
< [R]> so they didnt get it
< EvanCarroll> [R]: Thanks for the update!
< EvanCarroll> [R]: is there a post about that, and will they get -M4 later, will they get -M5 or will they be supported in CM11?
< [R]> of course they dont get it
< [R]> of course there will be m5
< [R]> i said it wans't ready for m4
< [R]> i dindt say cm is dropping it


text:
Phone using GPS while the screen is off
Recently I noticed that when I press the home or power button to turn my screen on, I notice that the GPS indicator is on for a split second.
What is happening here? Is there something trying to use the GPS only when the phone is idle? It sounds fishy to me.
Phone: Samsung galaxy s3 mini. Standard rom.

What is running?
On today's Android phones, Google Play Services samples and records your location occasionally, even if you have "location sharing" (what used to be called Latitude) turned off, in order to support a number of use cases:-

It allows apps on the device to define regions in space, and notifies an app if you go into (or out of) a particular region. This way, only Google Play Services needs to be running and checking location, rather than every location-based app on the phone keeping track of your location separately and using power unnecessarily.
It looks at which Wi-Fi hotspots are visible, and sends them periodically to Google, to support the feature of finding "coarse" (less accurate) location without turning on GPS.
It looks at your speed to determine whether you're stationary, walking running, cycling, or driving. Google Now uses this information to show you a "you've walked five miles this week" card, if you turn that on, and the statistics are also made available to other apps, again so that they don't all have to burn battery by tracking location individually.
It samples where you spend time in office hours and the evening so that Google Now can work out where your home and work are, and when you commute. This lets it offer you relevant traffic and weather information, and it tells it when you're travelling away from home to suggest places to visit &c.

Why only when the screen comes on?
This is to do with the way Android power management works. Usually, when the screen is off, your phone is asleep. Apps can't run in this mode: it only does the minimum necessary to keep the device connected to the phone network. Some devices can save power by even turning off the main CPU of the phone, switching to a smaller, more efficient (but slower) CPU while they're asleep.
In this mode, Android tries quite hard to avoid waking up, because each wake-up costs a lot of power. Most apps that run periodically have their run delayed, and all run at once, so as to wake up only once instead of many times. This includes the location sampling discussed above.
When you turn your screen on, the phone has to wake up, so at that point any periodic background tasks that were held back will run straight away. Google Play Services isn't trying to use the GPS only when the phone is idle: it just runs for that split second when the phone wakes up.

Thank for this information. One little thing however, on turning the screen on, the gps symbol is on for a fraction of a second, and turns immediately off. It's like an app (or the system) was searching for my position while on sleep and turned off, sort of, to avoid me discovering that the GPS was being used when I turned my screen on. The app might have stopped using the gps a fraction of a second too late so I do get a very short glimpse of the icon in the notification bar.

I know the behaviour: I've seen it myself. As I say, the run starts when you press the button (before the screen is even on), and it takes a fraction of a second to run.

Usually this is related to weather apps that refresh and update location when the screen is turned on. It could be any number of other apps, but most commonly it is weather apps trying to locate you to give you an accurate update for where you are at.
Check any weather apps to see if any are set to use your location.

The standard weather app is set to Not know my location.

Also do you use Facebook? Or do you have location reporting & history enabled in the Google Settings app? Both of those could access your GPS at any time.

No the Facebook app is not installed. Google Settings app? What's that?

It is actually an app called Google Settings. It is a front end for the settings related to Google Play Services that @Dan Hulme mentioned in his answer. Inside you will find various settings including location settings.

Location settings is disabled in Google settings.

G+? Any social apps at all installed? Do you have Android Device Manager enabled? It could be reporting its position as well. Those are usually the most common location users. Are you rooted? If so, you could capture the system log just after it happens and it may indicate what app is requesting the GPS.


text:
Mod for Jelly Bean Nav bar on Kit Kat Tablet?
I have a Nexus 7 (2013), it is running kit kat, and I am really loving how everything I have set up in this ROM (Beanstalk 4.4.2). There is one thing I really miss and can't seem to find any information on, I would love to have the old Jelly Bean Navigation Bar/Soft Keys on the left combined with the status/notification bar on the bottom right again while in landscape.
I really don't understand why this feature was removed in Kit Kat. And have searched all over the place trying to find some type of relevant information on it. But its a hard thing to search for as there is no term that is associated with this UI layout. So far the only relevant info I have found is apparently Paranoid Android offered this feature in the settings of there Nexus 7 2012 ROM for Kit Kat.
I'd really like to stick with the ROM I have now if possible. Isn't there a mod or some xposed module or something that can offer this functionality?

For continuity across all Android device sizes, from phones to tablets, the Android team completely removed the old tablet layout from 4.4 going forward. It is no longer there so it isn't something that can just be switched on.
It would have to be built back into the ROM, so you may ask your ROM developer or look to see if a ROM has already done this.

Yeah exactly. Its very unfortunate that is gone as of 4.4. I'm sure I would of found it by now considering I tinker with things so much. I was just curious if there is a mod already made for this functionality.  If one were to implement this into a ROM what is it exactly that gives this layout? Is it just the Android UI framework itself? Like what is it someone should look for in the jelly bean source if one would want to include it in a custom kit kat build?

That I cannot answer. It may just be a part of android_frameworks_base but it likely includes many other parts. You would probably have better luck on the coding side by asking at Stack Overflow, as they are geared more to development.


text:
How do I read a vCard?
so someone tells me i need to call a few people.  they send me a vCard called contacts.vcf.  i import it.  i open my phone app and start to dial, but wait...i don't know their names.
How do i look up a recent vCard on my phone?  How do i know who's contact i've been sent?  when i navigate to a .vcf file, i can't open it.  all i can do is import it.  polaris office won't import/open it.  is there an android txt editor i can use to peruse a vCard?
yours truly,
Confused by vCards
Note 3, kit kat

Have you tried opening the vCard using the default Contacts app?

I think winrar or 7zip will be able to show you the insides of a vcard file. just try it.

You should be able to open a vCard file in any basic editor. Navigate using a file manager to open up the vcard in a text editor. It should display the contents.

Use a text editor to open the VCF file. It should look like this:

BEGIN:VCARD
VERSION:2.1
FN:****FIRST NAME******
N:******NAME*******;;;;
TEL;VOICE;PREF:********NUMBER********
END:VCARD

Replace all stars with the data's name that I provided between them.
You may use ES File Explorer to open VCF file as text.

I think this app, Contacts VCF should do what you want. Shows the list of contacts inside a .vcf file.

The application allows you to open files with the extension of import
  contacts .vcf (vCard) as a phone book to add and edit the contacts,
  make calls. It can be used as an alternative to contacts Android. Get
  a copy of all the contacts from the device easily. Print out your
  contacts using the export to .txt or web page Was added inspector for
  the files .vcf

Depending on the version of Android phone you have, there's another way to open the .vcf file. Press and hold down the message.  A message options will appear.  Forward the message to someone who has an update Andriod phone. In my case I forward the message to my daughter. I have her hand me down phone Galaxy S and she has the Galaxy 5 (five).

So what should she do with the forwarded message? You seem to have given half of the instructions.

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


text:
"Loading video..." seems to take forever on Android
For some reason, whenever I try to stream a video on my Galaxy S3 (running the latest stable Cyanogenmod 10) it takes up to 1 minute before it eventually starts playing. The exact same video on my iPad will load instantly on the exact same connection.
Does anyone please know why this is? I usually play videos through the default app, 'Gallery' I think it is, but I have tried other players too (ie MX Player and Hubi) and get the same problem.
Thanks!

Their could be a number of possible problems such as the format of the video; either the phones hardware or Cyanogenmod 10 may not support the format in which the video is in. I believe the video format is most likely the case because as you describe:

The exact same video on my iPad will load usually instantly on the exact same connection.

and

I usually play videos through the default app, 'Gallery' I think it is, but I have tried other players too (ie MX Player and Hubi) and get the same problem.

So check the video format of the videos in which you view. In this link, they describe the possible video formats that the Galaxy S3 can play. If the video is not in the correct format, I suggest trying to convert the video files localy on your PC.
Also another solution may be to re-image the phone to possibly earlier version of Cyanogenmod could possibly work.
Hope this helps.

Thank you, it happens across many different sites though in what I believe are different formats. The video does play eventually (sorry I didn't make that clear in the original post) it just takes ages to start.

@Nick That is quite alright, just be sure to edit the original post.


text:
Black screen ASUS Transformer TF301, what can I do to recover?
My Transformer TF301 is stuck at a black screen, well sort of a backlit black screen.
I have tried Volume Down-Power (for 10, 20, and 30 seconds) no joy.  VolumeUp-Power, no joy.
Finally found something thin enough (staple in the end) to push the hardware reset button.
No joy.
Holding power is not shutting it off either.
My son (six years old) is the only real user, and I cannot imagine he installed/rooted it. I see no visual sign that he damaged it.  It is in a case as well, which should mitigate any physical damage he might cause.
If I hold power button it goes black, but any other press and you get a backlit black screen.  Nothing seems to budge it.
What are my options to recover?

Is there any visible damage to the tablet (from a drop or liquid spill, for example?)

None.  Looks perfect.  Do not think he dropped it.  It is in a case, and he watches in carpeted rooms.

Are you able to boot it in Recovery mode by holding Vol Down and Power buttons together for 10-15 seconds?

@Chahk As I addressed in the question itself, no.

Try doing the Vol Down+Power combination again, and then while it's in that state connect it to a PC via USB cable.  Does the PC recognize an external device (and try to download drivers?)  Basically trying to see if only the screen is somehow damaged.

@Chahk Since it never gets into ANY state with Vol Down + power, nothing else happens when it is connected.  I get an icon for the Transformer. but no file system to browse.

let us continue this discussion in chat

In the end, I took it to a computer store that fixes screens and was informed a soldered wire had come loose, was re-soldered and it continues to work fine to this day.  Was only $30 to fix!


text:
Go to recovery mode on device without volume key
Is there a universal way to enter recovery mode on an Android device with only one turn on/off button?
I have a tablet (Navon Raptor 7) like this and I can't figure it out. An other problem is that although it can boot and get to the launcher, basically I can't start any application or get to the settings (it says 'xy application stopped' etc.) so I can't even activate debug mode and use adb to achieve this. That's why I want to do a hard reset from recovery...

Welcome to  Android Enthusiasts! The question-and-answer format of this site works best if you put each question in a separate question post. Please [edit] your post down to one question, and create new posts to ask any further questions. You'll get better answers that way. To the first question: No, key-combos differ between devices (see also our recovery-mode tag-wiki).

My only question is what's in the title. The other stuff is just for prevent answers like 'go to the settings...'. So maybe I should disassemble and see if there is an inner switch or something?

You might try a Google-Search on "Navon Raptor 7" hard-reset. There are even some youtube tuts listed. Most of the results are Hungarian, though. I was hoping for a link to hard-reset.com (they always list along how to enter recovery mode for that), but unfortunately there seems to be none...

I speak Hungarian but there seems to be absolutely nothing about reseting it with hard keys. I found out that this device is in close relationship with the Icoo D70 Pro II, which has slightly bigger community but still no hits for reseting.

According to this video, the "Navon raptor 7"" tablet is supposed to have the hardware volume buttons.  Are you saying that yours doesn't have them?

Yes, there are different variants and mine doesn't have them.

Does the device have any soft-keys? That is, "physical" buttons that are touch-only, instead of a depressable, moving button? If it does have soft-buttons, it may be able to register those from a cold boot and use a combo of one of those plus the power button to get into recovery mode.

Or possibly, it may have a feature similar to the Nook Simple Touch. If the NST detects it has been reboot 6 or more times without successfully booting to the desktop, it automatically initiates a full hardware reset, which returns it to the factory ROM image (and clears all data).

All of it's buttons are virtual, part of the screen and only appears when booted. It does fully boot up btw, it's just useless since I can't start any app and I have to constatntly press OK on the middle of the screen because processes contantly stop in the background. Maybe it's a virus, I have no idea.

try pushing on/off key many times during reboot

You can use apps like Quick Boot or Rebooter or some root apps have this feature to go to recovery mode.. Use them

Yes, I found them in Google but every one of them starts like 'enable debug mode on the phone...' or not?

They just need root access

Thats bad enough because I have the original not rooted ROM on this tablet :C . Oh and I cant run any apps on the tablet, it's a total mess.

Without root access I think only way is hard key combos.

Yeah that is my conclusion too but how to do that with only 1 key?

Using only one key will do only the specified action. No use with that AFAIK

@CompanyCodeMonkey In almost every case, you can root the original ROM (commonly called 'stock ROM'). The stock ROM comes unrooted when you buy the phone. But you can root it (without flashing any custom ROM such as Cyanogenmod), and rooted stock allows a lot more customization (through Xposed for example). You can also flash a custom ROM without rooting your stock ROM (it doesn't matter as long as you don't need to root for some other step in the process). Custom ROMs are usually already rooted since they are geared towards power users, and their features usually require root access.

You can use the following command from an adb prompt to enter into your devices recovery mode without using a physical button during restart.
1) Start adb prompt on your PC / MAC / Linux
2) Make sure adb is running adb start-server
2) Make sure the device is present when you run: adb devices
3) Now run adb reboot bootloader and your device will restart into recovery mode

actually that will restart into fastboot mode


text:
Force Android to stop asking me if I want to terminate my own app
I've got a simple logger app that I wrote for my Android phone.  The problem is, periodically (seems like it happens every few days) when I turn on my phone I am confronted with a modal dialog box telling me that my app has consume X amount of CPU already, and do I want to kill it?  The thing is, this generally happens some time AFTER I have stopped logging and it is just sitting there doing nothing, and moreover, this is when it is on AC power, so I don't see how battery consumption is even a concern.  In any case, it is getting annoying having to constantly tell it to not kill the app.  It is more concerning to think that this might still happen if I ever enable "stealth" mode on my app to track it if it is stolen, as this would alert a perpetrator and give them a chance to disable my app.
Is there some way to disable this behavior?  If so, how?

This sounds like there's a bug in your app causing it to run continuously instead of stopping when it has finished. I'm afraid we can't help you with such a problem, as this isn't a programming site.

@DanHulme I have verified that is not the case to any meaningful extent; the total reported CPU usage of my app is under 2 minutes, all of this before I turned off logging.

Try running your logic in another thread or in async task's doInBackground


text:
Queue a Google Play app to download later on wifi to save mobile data?
Is there a method to queue a new app for installation from Google Play, so that it downloads later when the phone connects to WiFi? The point being to save mobile data.

Is this for a new app installation, or for an existing app to update?

You can add them you wish list

@Alexander the great: that will just add an app to the list, but will not install it.

@Chahk this would be for a new app installation

I was just writing up a similar question. Perhaps this is a feature that should be requested? Also, I have Tasker and was wondering if this would be possible using it.

For an update to an existing app, you just have to enable that in Google play's settings. For a newly installed app, I don't think it is possible. You can block the  background data for Google play, but that's just a workaround and it has limitations like you won't be able to make in-app purchases when you are on mobile network.

authors: Александр иванов


text:
I deleted folder in / and I want to make the folder exist again. Does it start with Capital letter (SEE picture)
`I deleted the folder symlinking to /storage/sdcard0 and I want to restore the symlink but I'm not sure if I should make new folder starting with s or S
there should be folder named ?dcard does it start with S or s?

AFAIK, everything in root should start with a lowercase letter.  It helps to avoid things like rm -rf / oops, I hit enter instead of shift!

@Compro01 what do you mean by oops, I hit enter instead of shift!

Say you have a folder named "Rubbish" in your root.  You want to delete it and everything in it (It's rubbish, after all), so you type rm -rf /Rubbish, but when you type shift+r for the capital, you accidentally hit the enter key, instead of the shift key which is right below it.  And now rm is cheerfully running through your system deleting everything it can reach (probably starting with much of /bin) before you are able to hit crtl+c and stop it.

@Compro01 Im not sure I understand properly:so it will delete all files named rubbish in whole device or every file on whole device if I type in rubbish which doesnt exist but Rubbish does?

No, what I'm meaning is that because you accidentally hit enter instead of shift when you were trying to type the capital letter, is that you executed the command rm -rf /, which deletes everything.

It should be /sdcard, with a lower-case s.

I made a folder called /sdcard and wanted to ln -s /sdcard /storage/sdcard0 but I got ln not found or something like that.So I mount -o bind /sdcard /storage/sdcard0 which made me unable to access the sdcard in anyway on my phone. I was scared the sdcard got wiped because it was empty except it had a Root Explorer folder for a reason unknown to Me.
Being scared of wiped data I unplugged the cable and rebooted hoping it was a temporary error caused by the mount -o bind command.Fortunately it was and I also found out that the /sdcard has been restored properly automatically on boot (the restore wasnt cused by any command it is just how Android is made)


text:
How do I remove gapps from CyanogenMod
I installed CyanogenMod 11 on my HTC One with CyanogenMod Installer. So I got also the google Apps (gapps) on my device. But I need a CM11 without gapps.
I did then the following without success:

copy cm-11-20140308-SNAPSHOT-M4-m7.zip to /sdcard/
boot to recovery mode -> recovery -> ClockworkMod Recovery v6.0.4.6:
"wipe data/factory reset"
"install zip" choosing the zip-file
"reboot system now"
So I got a new CM11 but with gapps still installed.
What should I do in addition to "wipe data/factory reset" to get rid of this apps?

Formatting the system partition before re-installing would probably do it. I think CM is automatically backing up and restoring Gapps, the idea being that it makes updates easier for people who use Gapps. Since they get installed to the system partition, the factory reset won't delete them.

The solution for my my problem was:

Wipe data/factory reset AND
Clear cache and Dalvik cache AND
Format system partition

This can be done using ClockworkMod using various menus.

Set as solution. Maybe you want to add the software you used for these steps.

There is no additional software involved, other than booting into Recovery.

I also had to install CM again after these steps, but maybe because I said "No" to rooting the phone again on a reboot, and perhaps CM does that anyway (yes this is not the most intellectual comment)

Seems like you can remove it without a reinstall

adb shell
su
mount -o rw,remount /system
rm -R /system/addon.d

Source here : How to fix wrong Google apps

This only remove the gapp autoload scripts. Then reboot and you can uninstall them.

Doesn't it say that after you did this you had to reboot and flash ROM again? Not sure if that doesn't count as a reinstall...

@atrioom it skips wiping or formatting the system partition, so you're not quite starting from scratch

I know this is an old thread but it shows up pretty high on Google and is the only relevant one to my own quest when I was trying to remove Gapps/Google Apps from my phone, so I figured I'd add my two cents.
The above answers did not work for me. What I did was the following:
(WARNING: this may brick some devices!)

Forcibly flash a bogus image using a low level flash tool (e.g Androxyde FlashTool) into the phone's system ROM, e.g 10mb worth zeroes should do the trick to overwrite the file allocation table.
Install recovery if it has been removed by the above operation. You can do this by holding the phone specific button combo to put it in flash mode (e.g power and volume-down), and then flashing the boot.img file that's included in most rom files using the flash tool you used in the previous step.
Boot into recovery, and install your rom of choice.

This will create a completely clean system ROM with only the applications included in the ROM itself.
If you decide that you want Google apps later after all, just search for 'GApps android' or go to http://opengapps.org .

Wipe your cache partition and wipe your dalvik cache and reinstall.

I'm guessing this is missing the step "Format system partition" and that's why it got the downvote.


text:
How to check for updates of sideloaded apps
And if possible also check if there is a beta/orevennewer version of the app.
I often flash new rom or restore and I have to use a backup application to restore apps and other things(The best I know about is Titanium Backup Pro, support the dev!) and most of the apps never appear in playstore's my apps list (even after using Titanium's market doctor feature) but when I search for the app play store shows I have the app installed and even that the app needs an update!
There are some Third Party markets but they often dont have the latest version and may possibly be infected with malware
So how to check for updates?

Are all these sideloaded apps backedup via TB Pro?

Mostly from Titanium's backup, or from Recovery by using Titanium's restore from recovery option.The exception is when there is a newer version I haven't backed up then I downlaod it from the play store IF I have the option at the time.If not (google play store  doesnt download on reverse tethering) then I use something like Aptoide


text:
Truly hands-free voice recording over bluetooth
I know that there are lots of "voice recorder" apps out there.  Some of them will let you record using your bluetooth headset instead of the built-in mic.   However, all the ones I have looked at say things like "tap the button to start recording".  This defeats the purpose of what I am trying to do, which is to record thoughts I have while I am out and about walking, biking, driving, etc. when I can reach up and hit a button on my bluetooth phone, but I am not able to stop, pull my phone out of wherever I have it stashed, take off my gloves so I can touch the screen, power up the device, enter my lock code, jump to the record app if needed, and tap to start recording.  By the time I have done that I have lost my train of thought, and wasted a lot of time.
Voice activated recording is probably not going to work, because, even though my headset has some degree of wind cancellation, there is a lot of ambient noise from time to time.
I can use voice commands, which is still a bit of a pain but at least keeps me mostly hands free, that is, I can tap the button on my headset, say "activate" and my headset will connect to the phone and bring up voice commands.  However, I am not sure what I would do next.  The commands offered are things like "Go To << Shortcut >>", and "Check << Item >>" - these are the only two that seems remotely related to what I am trying to do.  I assume that maybe if I said something like "Go To Voice Recorder" it might open up the voice recorder, but I couldn't get it to work and am not sure what it expects for << Shortcut >>.  Even then, assuming that part would work, I would need to have some way of telling the app to start recording, for instance, if the shortcut was not just the app but a full-blown intent.  I am not sure how I would set that up.  There is also the question of how to stop it, but hopefully hitting the headset button again would work as that already as a similar function while on a phone call.
Am I on the right track here?  Is there some kind of app that will help me out here?  One thing I don't understand is, does the app have to explicitly support bluetooth audio for this to work?  I would think the OS (Android) would abstract away the input source, yet some apps explicitly claim Bluetooth support (even going so far as to only support it in the for-pay version) while others don't say anything about it.

The Google Now option for Note to Self might work for you... It doesn't do a voice memo, but it will let you leave notes to yourself.

Just an update, this does work, and happily, Google actually records the audio and makes it accessible even if it fails to transcribe it.  But... the main issue seems to be my BT hardware, it takes around 13 seconds from when I tap my headset until I navigate past all the voice recognition to a state where it is actually starting to record! (compare to actual tape recorders of the past where it would start recording the instant you hit the button...)

@Michael Hi, just a quick check whether this answer actually helps the original issue, regardless of the BT response delay. If so, consider voting on the answers appropriately, thanks! :)

Also related: Google Assistant Help - Create or edit notes on your phone

Are you aware of the AutoVoice plug in that works with Tasker?  Both are paid app (free version available with reduced functions and time based deadline) and offer great features; the only downside is that it involves a learning curve to effectively use them.


text:
want to remove Samsung Apps
I don't need poor Samsung apps such as SamsungApps, Chat-On, Blurb, S-Translate anymore. Can i simply uninstall them and make an exclusion in my Updates so as not to get them back again?

Please see: How can I uninstall applications that are locked by phone vendor? / How can I deal with unwanted system applications without rooting?

You can remove them, you just need to root your device and then download titanium backup and you will be able to clean them out completely!
1) How to root your phone? Depends on your device!
2) Stop updates? Go to apps, find samsung apps and there you have an option to specify when to update them! Choose none and you are good to go.

Correct. Alternatively, swap your Samsung phone for a Google Play Edition S4 (or similar), which comes with no manufacturer bloat.

You cannot remove those apps normally.
What you can do is - disable them, at least you won't be getting annoying notifications.
Open Application Manager -> All -> ChatON and click on Disable
If you really want to purge them. You have to root your device.


text:
Repartitioning Internal Memory of Android Device
How can I repartition my device such that the storage for device internal usage (i.e application storage or internal memory) can be increased in lieu of decreasing the User available memory.
Currently, I have:

Internal memory = 740 MB
User Available Space = 2.0 GB

How can I repartition to move some Phone Storage/User Available Space to Internal Memory?
I have an External SD card for Media Storage. So, I don't require 2 GB in the phone storage.

That's not possible. But you might wish to see: What can I do to manage my phone's internal storage? and our insufficient-memory tag-wiki.

@TSDCR Would it be possible to mention your phone model and manufacturer in this question as well. This will allow us to clearly answer your question in detail.

You may also take a look at this question in order to solve your issue -> http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/24164/repartitioning-htc-sensation-4gb-internal-memory-for-data

I solved this problem the best way was to do the following:

Root the phone (do it t your own risk!!!! - I sure did and works fine).
Install any memory management application (RAM Management app - refer XDA forum).

3.It will ask you to allocate some of your internal memory as SWAP space.

When done you will have the SWAP act as a backup RAM in case the internal RAM is full.

That did work for me and phone is working faster since then (only small lags while playing HD games)..
Note ; done this before 5 Months sorry for the late update

It's a bad idea to use internal storage as swap.  Use an SD card instead.  If/when the storage wears out from swapping, it's the difference between a new $15 SD card and a new $500 phone.

You can repartition the internal memory. In essence it can be done, but what many others have answered is basically correct. Not only is it quite difficult and risky to perform it, it also requires specialized skills which the average user may not have. There is one solution to the problem though.
The easiest way to do this is to look for a custom ROM for your phone. Many custom ROM providers recognize the issue already and have a fix for it in some way or the other.
Your phone model can provide more information if you like.

If I understood your question correctly, the answer is: You can't. The internal memory is built into the phone and can not be altered, hence why many phones come with SD card expansion option. Those that do not will either have high internal memory from the get-go, or are simply not meant to function beyond basic phone functions (such as call and SMS).
If it is simply a question of optimizing the use of your internal memory, I answered a thread that was roughly about that here: Gmail won't sync, apps don't update: "Device doesn't have enough storage space"

if both the memory are partitions of the same device then is it possible to reformat and extend the internal memory.


text:
Password protected video
I want to protect my instructional video with a password. There is a use case.
When a user wants to play an encrypted file (update: file located on user's android device), the encrypted file will pop up a dialog box to request the user to enter a Playback Password. This dialog box will display the machine ID of the user's android device. The user can send his/her own machine ID to you, and you can create a Playback Password based on the user's machine ID. After that the user can use this Playback Password to play your file on his/her device. Since the Playback Password is created based on the user's machine ID, the user will not be able to share the Playback Password with other users. Since the Playback Password is bond to the user's device, the user will not be able to re-distribute your files.
Is there some software that helps me to obtain this purpose?

I seem to have secured the streaming video from the web site well enough, but a lot of the members want video files on their devices because they don't want to have to deal with wi-fi to play the video while they conduct the class. (update: I'm not good in English. I meant file need to be located on user's android device. No streaming)

There is no doubt someone can just shoot the video from the screen, but I want to slow down the proliferation of my video.

The video is hosted on a website right? Did you make this website? This doesn't look like an Android problem, but rather a development problem with regards to security.

Actually, I need video on users' android devices, because users don't want to have to deal with wi-fi to play the video while they conduct the class.

It sounds like you want to implement your own DRM (digital rights/restrictions management) solution.  It sounds like this is way above the purpose of this site, as it's really Android independent.  Good luck trying to re-invent the flat tire though :)

There is a tool for Windows. I'd like to have the same for android devices

You would need to encrypt the video with a key that is the function of the machine ID, assuming this is hard to fake to your app (which it probably isn't). Note that sometimes implementing your own DRM makes it MORE likely your info will be leaked, as it becomes an attractive challenge to break and once it's broken spreading the content as far and wide as the Internet allows is often the next goal.

What about an app like Android Video Protector? It is advertised as being exactly what you're looking for:

How to protect video files on Android Platform?
Android Video Protector Solution contains two software, there are Android Video Protector and PPVM Video Player. Android Video Protector is a video encryption software running on Microsoft Windows Operating System, it uses a password to encrypt the video you hope to protect, and supports 4 types encryption modes:

Device Binding, One Device, One Password
Non Device Binding, All Device, One Device ID, One Password
Non Device Binding, All Device, One Password
Encrypt video only

How to playback the encryption video on Android Platform?
Because the video is encrypted, the general video player can't playback this video, PPVM Video Player is the player running on
Android Platform and supports playback the encryption video. it
firstly check the playback password, which can be generate using
Android Video Protector, after complete the password authentication,
it will playback the encryption video.

I have no idea if these programs are reputable or if they work. The Android app is a direct download from their website (not the Google Play store) - proceed with caution at your own risk.

Encrypting a video, this sounds fascinating. I would like to share an approach that I think can be used here:

Get the byte-array of the video in your test project.
Copy this(byte-array) into your target-project as a variable
Now your target-project has the video, in form of a byte-array.
To add password, convert the password-string to a byte array.
Now to save the password in the video, add step-4 byte array to the top of step-3 byte array.
Now your video is encrypted! Any other player trying to play this file will throw an error. However we are not concerned with the file thing. Actually we have no video file, we just have a static variable that was created in step-3 and modified in step-5
To play this byte-array variable, first we will need to extract the password from it.
We always use a buffer to read such type of files. A buffer is basically a byte array of any required size. Let we want to choose a buffer[128]. This makes our step-5 varible look like a set of 128-sized byte arrays, like:[0100101011010....],[01010100010110..],[001010101010110....].....
So the first buffer created while reading step-5 variable. Contains the password!. but where?.its some thing like :[XXXXXX]+[010101011.....128] where [XXXXXX] is the password we set in step-5 and the other part is actually the part of the video. We now have to filter our password from this buffer, not an easy task!
So we will go for another approach here! We will make our password (Step-5) take the entire size of the buffer(here 128). Which means, the first 128 positions of the step 5 variable will entirely be used to recognize the password! So now the first buffer will look like:[XXXXXXXXXXXXX....XXX] (only password)
To do this, the step-5 will convert the password string into byte array and if it is less than buffer size(128 here), the it will append dummy values to it so that its size becomes equal to 128.
In step-11 we have created an encrypted password!
So finally, when the video is to be played, we will get step-5 variable that was modified as per step-11.
Ask for the user password.
Convert this password to a byte-arr and append values to it to make it 128 in size(similar to what we did in step 11)
Now we will compare the first buffer-sized(128) part of step-13 variable, compare it to step-15 input-Password-byte array.
If they do not match, show a dialog box with the appropriate message.
Or if it matches, remove the first buffer sized part. Rest contains the video that is to be played.

Wow!
Cheers!

I think this algorithm is cool,
Please provide me your thoughts.
Anyone...

You should have provided some sort of pseudo code....

You can create an encrypted zip file of that video and set it to automatically unzip and play the video upon entering the correct password. Zip4j is an open-source Java library that supports encrypting/decrypting zip files, since default Android Java libraries don't have it.
This is more of a workaround because it will not directly encrypt the video, but create an encrypted folder from which the video may be extracted.

Password protected videos can be recorded on Android with
Secure Video Recorder

Welcome to Android Enthusiasts! Please confirm what relationship (if any) you have with this app: it's OK to recommend your own app on this site, provided you're honest about it.

We are the developers.


text:
Can app access the text in my default memo app?
I use Samsung Galaxy S2 and store some personal data in the default memo. I have updated the phone to the latest version. Can any app just access the data in my memo?

Nope. No other 3rd party app will be able to access your data in the memo. Applications on your phone are sandboxed meaning they can't access other apps data.
Check this:
> The Android Application Sandbox, which isolates your app data and code
> execution from other apps.

Thanks a lot! I want to give you 1 point but don't have 15 reputation yet. By the way, can it be possible that the words in the memo just stores in some public database in my phone then other apps can access the data through that way?

^^ I don't think so.


text:
Copy contacts from Samsung device to other brand
I have bought a brand new Gionee E6. First thing I need to do is copy contacts from my Samsung Galaxy phone to Gionee E6. I have backed up my contacts as .spb file using Kies. But when I try to import this contacts to Gmail/to my phone, it says "File format is not supported".
I have tried the following in Kies:

Open .spb file and save it as .cvs/.vcf. The "Save As..." option just does not work
Tried to import the .spb file to Google Contacts, doesn't work either.

What should I do?

Using proprietary vendor-software such as Kies for backups usually jails you into that eco-system. If your Galaxy is still available, up, and running, rather use the following steps to transfer your contacts:

open the Contacts app
hit the menu button
select "Import/Export"
chose to export your contacts to SDCard (will store in .vcf format)

Now you've got a decent backup which should restore on any Android device (at the same place in Contacts), and even most other systems, as VCF is a standard format (VCard).
Alternatively, you can also sync all your contacts with your Google account from your old phone. They should automatically sync to all your other Android devices using the same account then.

In Kies, open the .spb file, select all the contacts then save as .vcf. Then send to your phone via Bluetooth.

From Windows, open Start menu, type .vcf, but don't hit Enter key
Let it find the file, right click any .vcf file, then select "Open file location"
Copy the file, attach the USB to the phone, paste to internal storage on phone (I made a folder called /vcf)
Download app called Import Contacts (old), then import from single .vcf card
Download DW Contacts (paid app) to display and call.

If you still have your Samsung phone than install SYNCit application by Lenovo Group.

Create an account and sync your  contacts, SMS and other data.
Install the same app on your new mobile and sync it again.

Hassle free way to do it.


text:
Nexus 5 not getting net data even though its having hspa+ range
I tried rebooting my phone, reset to default on APN , safe mode but nothing seems to work.I still dont get internet on my phone.I'm from India and connection  is docomo.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Go to

Settings > More > Mobile Networks > "Use only 2G Networks"

Make sure the above option is unchecked and you've correctly activated a proper 3G plan. Also, don't forget to configure the APN for using the internet.

Im using 3g for the past three months since i bought the phone.And its in LTE mode.


text:
Making use of the 2nd Partition on SD card (Link2SD)?
I don't know if I am just being stupid here or if I have infact gone wrong somewhere.
Basically. I followed the usual steps for using an SD card as App storage.
Connected 2GB Micro SD via a Card Reader, Used MiniPartition Tool to split off a 512MB section. Both Primary with the 512Mb Being set as Ext2 and the first Partition remaining as FAT32 for media usage.
Put the card back into phone and added Link2SD followed by the Select partition type Ext2 and rebooted etc etc.
Whole thing appears to have been done successfully as I can now move Apps to SD card. Obviously I still have the issue of a small % of data being on the internal but thats not an issue atm.
SO my issue I guess is this:
Why is that each time I add an App to the SD. Say for example the Facebook app at around 25MB.. Why does it deduct that space from my first Partition (the FAT32 Media part) and not the second partition (the 512MB ext2 partition) which was specifically created for this purpose?
I have the Samsung Galaxy Ace GT S5830 Running on Android Version 2.3.5.
Edit:
This is how my storage info looks:

Added a picture of the storage page. The space taken on the SD card is all app files :L the 2nd part is completely untouched and it shouldnt be. as far as I know.

You need to use Link2SD to actually move the app to the second partition. If you simply use the built-in Android way of moving it to the SD card, then you aren't taking advantage of Link2SD at all.
In Link2SD, you can select apps and move them to the second partition. You can even set it up so that any new apps installed will automatically be moved over. Any current apps that were moved to the SD card using the native Android method must be moved manually to the Ext2 partition using the Link2SD app (though I think you can select multiple apps and move all of them at once).

I didnt use the native settings to transfer the apps to the SD, I did it via the Link2SD yet they are still taking up media storage space as apposed to the Ext2 partition :/
Any idea why?

You dont have to move the apps to sd card.  Just select your apps in link2sd and then from menu select create link option.  It will link your apps to sd card (ext2 partition) and not fat32.

And that should achieve the so called 'tricking the system' into thinking its got more internal memory than it actually has?
And if so.. won't I still get Internal Memory low messages frequently?

No you will not get internal memory low error

First of all, you need to upgrade from Link2SD to Link2SD Plus so that you can move everything, including the data.
Move the app to phone memory, then create link, then check everything, then press ok. Then, the whole app, including the lib files, data etc. is moved on to the 2nd partition.


text:
Kobo Glo Running Android
I recently bought a Kobo Glo, and while carelessly googling around, stumbled into this:
http://www.engadget.com/2013/11/04/kobo-glo-android-hack/
1) Has any of the fellow SE-Android-lings attempted / succeded installing android on the Kobo Glo?
2) How can I backup the Original Firmware of the device?

Answering question #2 only, since I don't own the reader.
According to this post on the source thread, the original firmware can remain intact if you simply use a different microSD Card to load Android on:

You can dual-boot by having two separate MicroSDcards, one for each
  system, and swap them. You will have to open the back of your glo each
  time though.
See the first 10 photos at http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2462848&postcount=2

Oh boy, this is awesome. Does it means the Kobo Glo is expansible to 64GB (since it has an external SD slot too)? it would be insane.  Also, I will wait a couple more days @chahk to see if someone answers #1, if not i will accept yours.

@Mindwin that depends if the card reader inside the tablet supports SDXC technology required by most 64GB cards. If you scroll down and view the other pictures on that link I posted, you'll see that they managed to upgrade to 32GB.

I was thinking of 32GB on the inner slot and another 32GB on the outside slot. XD


text:
Google Keep doesn't do spell check
All of my apps except for Google Keep doesn't do spell check. And there's also no option in Settings to enable or disable spelling. Any help please.

authors: العمدة العمدة


text:
How to check where an app is sending data over internet on Android?
How to check where an app is sending data and making requests over the internet on Android?
Is this possible with ADB or something else?
I want to monitor an app for data it is sending over the internet.

You can use tPacketCapture to route your traffic through a local VPN.
The app will then write a log which you can open with WireShark on your desktop and analyze data flow.
It won't allow you to see which app sent which packet, but this is as good as it gets without root. Although there is a Pro version available which allows you to filter out applications.

That sounds good. I'll try that.

Hey Oliver, this method works great... for HTTP traffic. Is there any way to sniff HTTPS traffic? Maybe just the sent data?

How to obtain this log from a non-rooted device??

No-Root firewall does the same. The advantage is that it is all displayed in a GUI-interface. To function, it creates a VPN(disadvantage of this is that you can't use your own VPN at the same time of course). Then it lists the apps that want's to access a certain IP address over a certain port, and you can decide if you want to allow or disallow in the ip or range over WIFI or mobile.
This works great for dedicated apps, but for some system apps this is tricky, because they are displayed bundeld. Also there are requests for certain IP address of '...cloudfront..' servers. These servers are hosting servers that change continously and you will never know who is behind it and what data is send to it.
And example of a bundled app from android that I have is:
"Android System, Atci_service, com.mediatek, com.mediatek.batterywarning, com.mediatek.voiceextension, Common Data Service, FloatWindow, FotaProvider, Fused Location, Input Devices, Key Chain, MiraVision, MMITest, Mobile anti-theft, MTK Thermal Manager, Permission Control, Phone, Schedule power on & off, Settings Storage, Setting, SmartcardService, UpgradeSys, Voice Unlock"

because of this answer my account is banned from adding other answers to stackoverflow?... Why?

Done with Stack. Your system of rating members does not help contributors, but even supports getting more leechers.


text:
Typing accented letters from physical keyboard
I use a SGH-i927 Captivate Glide (4.0.4 AT&T stock rom, rooted) which has a physical US-keyboard. I frequently type in my native language which uses letters with umlauts. I know the trick that keeping e.g. 'a' pressed for a moment brings up a popup that has different variations of 'a'. However, I find that very clumsy since it breaks my typing flow. I always use the same umlauted 'a' from the popup, so the other 8 variations of 'a' are useless.
What I'm now looking for is some kind of a shortcut to 'ä'. Ideal would be the same kind of behavior that can be seen with the top row of a virtual keyboard and its embedded numbers.
How can I make 'a' turn into 'ä' after keeping the key pressed for ~0.5 seconds?

I don't believe there is a way to do this with stock keyboard.  Try a 3rd-party keyboard app that supports language packs and transliteration for hardware keyboards.
I've personally used AnySoftKeyboard with a plugin for my native language, which worked great on my old G1's slide-out keyboard. Try to see if a layout pack for your language is available.


text:
How to change IP pool for WiFi tethering on Nexus 5
I would like to know how to change IP pool of Wi-Fi spot mode on on Nexus 5. Could you tell me about it?
I just want control this pool if it's possible.

Why do you need to do this? Is there a larger problem that you're trying to solve?

It's not big issue. But, I just want to control my IP address pool.

Are you talking about your local WiFi network? If so, look into your router's DHCP settings.

No, Sorry I added it and It's on Nexus 5 for Wi-Fi spot mode to provide IP to such PC and other node.


text:
Signature locked out on GS III running 4.1.2
3/19/2014 This morning, I recreated my MS Exchange account on my phone (GS III running 4.1.2) while troubleshooting e-mails that it didn't detect last night. Now, I learned that I can't change the Signature content; I can only disable this setting. What happened? I'm aware ever since the last time--a few months ago--that I performed this operation, there have been updates to all other apps on my phone, but none directly related to this case. Again, what happened? If this can't be resolved, then I'll just disable the Signature setting.
Approximately 10-11 minutes ago, I triggered a software update check.  It detected one (size is 556.58 MB) and is in download progress.  Why wasn't this update pushed?  Does the carrier, T-Mobile in my case, have a say in this?
Once the SW update is completely installed, I'll post back with an update on the Signature issue.

You seem to have multiple questions in your post. This site does best when a question post is limited to a single question.

Well, upon completion of the SW update, my phone now has 4.3 (the high end of Jellybean).  And the Signature's functionality has been fully restored; I was able to edit it AND save the changes.  So far, I'm impressed with how the settings were reorganized and the aesthetics of the icons.
Anyway, I'm curious to know how long ago T-Mobile made this update available to GS III owners because I recall on my prior phone with them, I got a notification in the notification bar when there was an update available for Froyo.


text:
Can not send or receive a group text on my Android phone anymore
I have the LG Optimus F7, until last week everything was fine. Now no matter the SMS app I use (and I've tried with about 4 different ones now including the stock app on the phone) I can not send or receive a group text. I was using Chomp and had been for months and it was fine, on Saturday it tells me it can not download because of my APN settings. No matter what I did, or changed it told me the same thing. I uninstalled and tried different apps, I don't get that message anymore, just that system is unavailable and will send when it can. But it never does.
How do I fix this? There are 4 of us that text as a group very often.

You need to fix your Access Point Names (APN) under settings.  For me, it's Wireless and Networks > Mobile networks > Access Point Names


text:
Separate user accounts on one Android device
I just bought a Samsung Note 2. My mom uses it when we are in India, but I use it when we are in the U.S. Is there a way to have two separate accounts so that our apps don't get mixed up? I'd like to have a completely separate set of app pages and saved data (eg. so I can have a different WhatsApp account on the same device than my mom).

What version of Android?

possible duplicate of Support for Multiple Users on same device

There are a few options available, but the effective ones I came up with will require root access. And the second option may require an unlocked bootloader (I'm not sure if the Note 2 can unlock its bootloader or not).
Even if you have the most recent version of Android, Google has not enabled multiple users for phones; they figure people share tablets, but have their own phone. And there are some issues that come with multiple users on a phone.
Specific app profiles (root required)
There are apps such as Titanium Backup that let you create profiles for apps, and it works on any version of Android. You select the apps that you want to be multi-user. Then you add a widget to your homescreen that lets you choose which user you want to switch to. Titanium Backup will then back up the data for the current user and restore the backup data for the user you select.
If you're worried about one user getting text messages, you'll either have to insert a different SIM for each user (and thus change the phone to a new number), or set up each person with a Google Voice number. Then, have the Google Voice app be set up with multiple profiles.
Full Nandroid backup/restore - most effective (root required)
If you root it and install a custom recovery, such as ClockWorkMod (cwm) or TWRP, it would be a very simple process. Just do a full backup of the phone, then do a factory reset. Give the phone to your Mom, and she can set it up like her own phone.
Once she gives the phone back to you, do a full nandroid backup again in the recovery, then recover your own image. This will clear all her data (except anything stored on the SD card, such as images and other files) and restore your own. After you boot up the phone, it will be like she never touched it.

Yes. In Android Lollipop it is possible to have multiple separate user accounts with separate apps and app data. So your apps and its data won't be mixed up. If you don't want to switch or couldn't update to Lollipop then you can use apps such as tasker or Nandroid backups as Stephen suggested.
Read more on Multiple User Accounts in Lollipop.

authors: عالم المعلوميات


text:
SGS2 mobile connectivity/GPS intermittent problems after DIY repair
Looks like my SGS2 started to have mobile connectivity/GPS problems, possibly as a result of DIY repair (I manually replaced LCD+digitizer after an LCD damage):

GSM signal level frequently drops to nearly zero
mobile data speed drops to (nearly) zero
GPS works only rarely; can't fix most of the time

How can I debug the problem? Which connectors etc to check most carefully which can directly affect the problem? What else to try?
Official firmware auto-updated to 4.1.2. GT-I9100. GSM, non-locked, international version.

Ive also disassembled completely my S2 a few times also because of its LCD (it was black sometimes I could see a few pixel flashing in random colors or if i was lucky the whole screen was covered in horizontal blue stripes after repeatedly being covered with a tint of a different colour)
You need to make sure the antenna is properly inserted make sure it is as straight and tucked in as possible (Push it under with something (be careful not to scratch the PCB) and maybe look at some picture how it should be.)
Look for any damages to anything.
Also it might be a good idea to clean the contact (I heard isopropyl alcohol is good and the purer it is the better but I'm not sure if it is good for phones)
Consider flashing a rom with the latest android (now is 4.4.2) and a better kernel should help.Don't bother about warranty you can always go back to stock even if the LCD dies again.


text:
Battery of Nexus 7 started draining
I've had my Nexus 7 2013 for a few months. A few weeks ago, for some reason the battery started draining - it was empty after one day or so.
I the reinstalled whole tablet, and after that everything went back to normal, but after maybe 10 days I again faced the same problem with the battery. How can I find what causing this problem, and how to solve it?

And what does the battery usage tool show is using your battery?

Does your Nexus 7 have LTE capability?

Yes, it's with LTE capability

Try seeing if a particular wakelock is preventing your phone from going into deep sleep, which can cause battery drain.
If you have rooted your device/can root your device:
You can use Wakelock Detector Free to diagnose wakelock problems. You can download it from the play store. Also make sure you have enabled system processes to be shown.
Once you are on the main screen, make sure CPU wakelock is selected (there is a chip on the top right part). If the bar on the top is mostly green, you don't have wakelock problems. If it is mostly red, you probably do. If so, select the first item on the list below. The first wakelock on that item is the culprit.
Now that you have identified the wakelock and the process responsible for the drain, google them to find out how to solve your issue.
If you have not rooted your device/can't root your device:
Try posting some screenshots of your battery statistics. Furthermore, use those battery statistics to help yourself identify the problem. Google "X app uses a lot of battery", where X is the app on the top of the list in battery statistics.


text:
GPS stopped working after root
After rooting my Sony Xperia P, the GPS stopped working. Even Google Maps can't find my current location now. I found this problem when started working on Location API.
Is it a common issue and is it resolvable? I tried searching on XDA too, but couldn't find anything about this.

What root apps have you installed, or what other root changes have you made?

I have used this guide to root my phone - http://xperiahtcrootingrom.com/root-sony-xperia-p-ics-jellybean/

Right, and after you rooted it, what did you use root for?

ohk, it happened just after rooting it. I've although installed just ES file Explorer with root permission. I do not use this device often so didn't even install any other app after root.

Ok the GPS started working again. I let the phone drain out of battery, then put a charger and let the sony logo show till the charge gets around 80% (Just left it for 20-30 minutes on charge). Then I removed the charger and hard reset the device(hold power and volume up key for few seconds). The device will shutdown and then restart it normally. Google will ask if you'd want to permit google to collect anonymous location data. Press allow and check GPS by opening Google maps app, it's working :-)
PS: Dunno what worked here(probably the hard reset step), but I put all the steps just in case.


text:
Is less than 2 hours of battery life normal for Galaxy S2 with
Screen darker than | 5 times darker than normally possible thanks to Screen Filter app,
removed more than 70 system apps (I have less than 40 now) with the rest except absolutely essential being frozen,
WiFi GPS and all the rest turned off,sound muted, CPU and GPU undervolted and underclocked,(flashed 4.4.2 ROM and Dorimanx 10.43v98.4 Kernel which noticeably boosted battery life, especially after tweaking with the settings) disabled error reporting and everything else battery using I could think of while playing any game?
I doubled the battery life thanks to all the changes I made (read above) because the battery lasted barely an hour, often less.The issue was ever since I got the phone and I thought it was caused by the Samsung bloatware and Android 2.3.4.Being very UNsatisfied with the battery I bought a new one and it doesn't help except that I have double the battery life again (4 hours max) which is still very bad for Me.
The screen gets hot but the battery is even hotter and the area around the SoC (CPU, GPU etc) gets the hottest, I believe
So is this normal? What else can I do apart from the improvements I wrote above to improve the situation?

To be honest, it sounds like a hardware fault in the phone, especially since you say it's been happening since you bought the phone. If the phone were still new, I'd say you should take it back to the shop, but by flashing a new ROM you've voided the warranty.
To answer your question: no, it's not normal for that phone. I've known a few Galaxy S2 owners, and you should get as much life out of it as any other smartphone: a couple of days between charges if you don't use it heavily.

How much of heavy use?Also exactly what might be this hardware issue?

Even if you're playing games all day, you should expect more than 4 hours. By "hardware fault" I mean a manufacturing defect that could be shorting the battery.

Can you explain more please? I hope I will be able to solve it once I know how to