text:
How to disable Unknown Tracker Alerts for specific trackers?
Android warns you of unknown trackers following you without their owners.  EG Apple Airtags and Life360 Tiles. This can warn you if someone has planted a tracker on you or your property without your knowledge.
If you put an Airtag or a Tile in a family car, (a very cheap Lojack) with everyone's knowledge of course, then anyone who drives or rides in the car with an Android gets Unknown Tracker warnings constantly.   It seems you can turn off these warnings entirely but that's undesirable.  Can you turn them off for specific trackers, namely ones you are aware of and don't want to be warned about?

Moderators -- The "security" tag is probably not right.  I don't have the rep to create a tag but I suggest "Safety" or "unknown-trackers".

These trackers AFAIK run on Bluetooth. So, if you can identify that tracker using some app like this, you should be able to turn it off and preventing alert? //I haven't used a tracker so this is a guess

@beeshyams there are techniques to find and disable unknown trackers.  Mainly, remove the battery.  But that's not my objective.  A tracker is tied to exactly one phone.  If you have one in a car, other phones in the family generate stalker alerts.  My objective is to disable those alerts, but not for all trackers, only for known safe ones.


text:
WhatsApp's chat history restore failed, trying to restore from local backup also failed
On the 14th Aug morning, when I opened WhatsApp, it was saying to restore chat history:

Restore chat history
Something went wrong with your chat history. Don't worry, you can restore your chat history from backup. If you don't restore now, you won't be able to restore later.
SKIP RESTORE RESTORE

I clicked restore but after that, my WhatsApp was all new, only group names were there. Unfortunately, my Google backup was not on, so I checked for local backup files and copied them onto my laptop.
After reinstalling WhatsApp, I am unable to recover my data from these local files. After copying files to the exact folder, it gets detected, but now when it's restored up to 99 percent, it says sorry in the end and I get the WhatsApp all new with just group names.
How to recover from these files? Is any file missing?

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


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APK updates showing on Aurora (3rd-party store) before Play Store
I noticed this yesterday.
I went onto Play Store and had "10 app updates available".
I then went on to Aurora Store and there were "125 app updates available".
I checked the version number of a few apps online, and it did seem as though the updates were legitimate.
My questions:

Are the updates on Aurora Store legitimate?

And, if so, why are they not showing on Play Store?

I hadn't heard of this so I installed it today... Aurora showed I have 7 updates available, and the Play Store showed I had 12... Weird.

Aurora Store is same as Play Store

Aurora app source is Play Store. Aurora Store says

Overall, Aurora Store is an intriguing app, that completes two functions. First of all, it makes it easy to download virtually any APK offered on Google Play, and second, it enables you to manage the apps already on your device. All from an elegant, intuitive interface.

(Emphasis added)
This makes it clear that the source for Aurora is Play Store. Also the FAQ has this

Is it safe to use Aurora store?

Aurora Store is fully open-source and verified by F-Droid. If you're asking about the safety of the apps in the store, those are the exact same ones the Play Store would load and display. A lot of dangerous stuff seems to sneak past Google though, so as a rule of thumb, don't download anything which you're unsure about.

Why does Aurora show more updates than Play Store?

Play Store follows Release app updates with staged rollouts. This could be the reason why you see less apps available in your region, Staged rollouts are:

New and existing users are eligible to receive updates from staged rollouts and are chosen at random for each new release rollout.

Your app update will be available to the percentage of users in your staged rollout, but it may take time for the full group to receive the update.

Users won't be notified if they receive a version of your app in a staged rollout.

If you choose specific countries for your staged rollout, the upgrade will be limited to users with Google Play accounts in those locations.

Robert's answer gives additional reasons for staged rollouts
To summarize, you won't see all app updates available on Play Store
Aurora Store is legitimate
The updates in Aurora are legitimate Aurora store is open source hosted on Github and the latest update to readme says

The source code for Aurora Store is actively developed on GitLab. You can find the latest updates, contribute to development, and track the progress on the Aurora Store GitLab repository

Hence, there is no reason at all to doubt the authenticity of Aurora Store. As a side note the developer of Aurora store is also the developer of Warden which is a tool for privacy conscious users, since

Detects Trackers & Loggers across whole device

Allows to disable all trackers/logger

App developers usually don't publish app updates immediately to all users. Instead they publish new app versions only a small subset of users (may be 5-10%) that is increasing over time ("staged rollout").
This is a precautionary measure, because if something goes wrong e.g. an app always crashes on a certain device or on devices by a certain manufacturer then this can easily lead to a denial-of-service attack against the app support (e.g. a forum) when millions of customers trying to reach the app support.
The Aurora Store uses internally Google Play Store but using a different account. Therefore it can happen the Aurora Store account is in the group of accounts which get access to the app update earlier, therefore in this case the app update is visible earlier in Aurora Store.

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


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Continous mode on netstat
I tried to run netstat on Android (specifically LineageOS) and I saw that it has only these options:

-r      Routing table
-a      All sockets (not just connected)
-l      Listening server sockets
-t      TCP sockets
-u      UDP sockets
-w      Raw sockets
-x      Unix sockets
-e      Extended info
-n      Don't resolve names
-W      Wide display
-p      Show PID/program name of sockets

On Ubuntu, there is also -c, for continous mode, which prints netstat every second. Is there a way to do the same on Android?
I tried
watch -n 1 "netstat -autpn"

But this will just run netstat every second, losing information that comes in between those seconds. Is there another version of netstat I can use, or maybe a way to build my own version of netstat?
Thank you!


text:
Is there a way to transfer apps, watch faces, settings from Samsung Galaxy Watch4 to Watch6?
I just purchased the Samsung Galaxy Watch6.  Is there a way to transfer apps, faces, and settings over from Galaxy Watch4?

Finally took a punt at it.

Open Galaxy Wearable App
Click on hamburger menu at top left
Select Add new device
If you dont have a backup on the old watch, make one.  (I had automatic backups, but made another anyway)
Add the new watch, and along the way it asks if you want to restore the backup
It tells you what it is able to restore and then restores it.

So, it didnt restore apps and watch faces, "because they are not compatible due to different OS".  It just restored the settings.


text:
Find `MainActivity` for `com.google.android.dialer`
I have a Xiaomi POCO X5 5G, running MIUI Global 14.0.4.
There is a problem where (in the Global ROM) the Google Phone app (as a system app) seems to be killed, even with MIUI Battery Optimization disabled. There is no option for Autostart in settings.
If someone knows how to force enable Autostart for a system app (when the option is not present) please let me know, but for now, let's look at the Y of this X/Y problem.
I am trying to resolve this issue using Tasker. I have a profile that triggers on Display Off event. The task it should run is to start the phone app in the background. I have found the following command, which I've put in Run Shell:

am startservice -n com.google.android.dialer/.MainActivity
am startservice -n com.google.android.dialer/.main.impl.MainActivity
am startservice -n com.android.dialer/.MainActivity
am startservice -n com.android.dialer/.main.impl.MainActivity
am startservice -n com.android.dialer.Dialer_Application/.MainActivity

And many, many other attempts. I am running these commands in Termux as root to try to find one that works. I am looking at AndroidManifest.xml to see what all the possible activities are. I can't figure it out, I always see:
Starting service: Intent { cmp=com.google.android/.MainActivity }
Error: Not found: no services started.

I have even used an app to create a shortcut to start that activity, and then copied the settings from that app. Nothing seems to work.
How can I start the dialer in the background using Tasker?

See Andrew's comments
https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/226427/help-with-intents-macrodroid/226430#comment303719_226430

The commands seem about trying to start a Service instead of an Activity?

@AndrewT. I want to start whatever services or activities are necessary for the phone to receive calls while the screen is locked. I don't know much about Android development.


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Android fake "having a pin/password protected phone" (lock-screen)
I have a rooted android phone and want a specific app to believe that I have configured a device pin (or fingerprint) to lock the phone, basically the same as this guy:
Android “fake having a locked phone” - Galaxy SII
Caveat: no cyanogenmod. Is there a setting/app/way to achieve this without CM?

i dont want to revert magisk modifications, i want the app to beleive that an android screen lock is configured, even thou it aint

I think you miss my point: the app I want to use wants to force me to use a pin or screen lock pattern (for security) - even on a non-rooted phone. I want to trick the app into beleiving that I am using a screen-lock. this is not possible on a non-rooted phone. but I suspect it should be possible on a rooted phone.

Sorry the "locked" term in the title got me on the wrong path. If faking a lock screen protected is possible or not depends to my knowledge on the app. There are explicit checks where the app simply asks if lock screen pin/password has been configured and there are implicit checks where the app uses a feature which requires you to have a  pin/password configured. The first can be bypassed using an Xposed module (not sure if such an module exists), but the latter are difficult to bypass as it is required  for the function. Most users "bypass" the lock screen PIN by using the fingerprint reader.

thanks, https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/mod-xposed-lockscreen-disabler-smartlock.2587192/ looks very promising, I'll give that a try

Please only test such solutions if you willing to reset your user data. The linked solution is very old, at that time device encryption wasn't enforced. Nowadays all devices are encrypted by default and the PIN/password has to be entered at least once after reboot for being able to access your data. If a mod like this now removes the PIN entering then this may lead to inaccessible user data.


text:
Does "app lock" on the recents list keep an app alive?
I can't find a clear answer as to what "Lock app" on the recent apps list actually does, other than prevent apps from being killed or swiped away from the recent apps list.
Does it also prevent an app from being killed by Android? I.e. if I lock an app, will it be running indefinitely in the background, no matter what? Or could it still be killed by Android, just not by using "Clear all" on the recent apps list?

What device (model and manufacturer) and which Android version do you use? "Lock app" may be a manufacturer specific Android modification, therefore for answering your question it is important to know these details.

Don't kill my app has ways for various OEMs to prevent killing of apps//If locking apps would prevent Android from killing it, this method would have been mentioned there. Since it isn't mentioned, I take it that Android can kill locked apps


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How to replace the stock camera app on Android?
I installed a GSI ROM on my Lenovo Legion Y700 tablet. This software comes with a camera app that I don't like. It is called org.lineageos.aperture. I found a Gcam app that works fine on my tablet.
Is there any (even dangerous) way to replace the stock camera app with Gcam?
I do not know English, so I used a translator, I apologize if my text is not quite correct, I hope you will understand what I want.

Standard Androids allow installation of standard canera apps. The stock one stays ther but doesnt has to be used.  Cant you just install one?

Welcome to the Q&A site Android Enthusiasts Stack Exchange. Looks like you're using LineageOS? As far as I know, OpenGapps allows replacing the stock camera with Gcam. However, both LineageOS and OpenGapps recommended to flash the package before the first boot.

Apart from that, you'll need root access to manually modify system files & apps, which is more prone to error.

Do you really need to replace Aperture – or do you simply want to use a different camera app? You could just install another one, then disable Aperture in Settings › Apps. That way, no rooting and no danger to "break things". GCam might be a special case here as it requires (parts of) Google Services. That can be worked around using e.g. Gcam Services Provider from F-Droid or its advanced version with support for Google Photos, from my repo.


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How to edit/send a previously sent gmail message as a new one on Android?
Something well known to be unsupported on the official gmail.com website and official app.
The typical answer in that case, is go on Microsoft Windows to install an imap client like Thunderbird which has such feature. But how to do it if you have only access to an android devices?
I tried the beta version of k9 which is to be rebranded as Thunderbird for Android and it does support copying sent messages but not across mailboxes/imap account whereas Google doesn’t support copying emails to a the Drafts folder (you normally have to use a client which support send a message as new directly or put the message in the drafts folder of an other imap account which isn’t Google).

FairEmail supports it. You can download it from Github release page, or  on Play Store (available in some countries only). I've been using FairEmail ever since it was released and it has tons of amazing features (I am not affiliated with it, just promoting a great product).
Though the XDA thread is closed, development is ongoing with an update once a week on average. He is the one who's developed Net guard, XPrivacy and XPrivacyLua.
On top of every message there is a configurable set of actions. Tap the three dot menu (second on left) and follow the screenshots

Select edit as new

You can change the from(any mail client configured in FairEmail) /to mail ID, subject, header or text and send it.

You can read the Github (linked in first Para) for other features of the app.


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Rooting issue Xiaomi Mi 9t Pro
I recently got my hands on a Xiaomi Mi 9t Pro. I tried to root this device using twrp-3.7.0_9-0-raphael and Magisk 26.1 but it doesn't seem to work.
Phone Specs:

MIUI-version 12.5.1
Android version 11

1st method:

Put phone in fastboot and connect to computer.
use platform-tools to check and flash recovery twrp to phone and boot it.
Format the phone using TWRP
Reboot phone in recovery mode using TWRP
Drag and drop Magisk.zip and uninstall.zip (same file, different name) to phone from computer.
Flash the zip files using TWRP.
Reboot the phone and check if Magisk is installed.

This procedure doesn't seem to work for me.
I've also tried:

On phone, download latest magisk.apk from the official source.
Copy and change the magisk.apk to magisk.zip and uninstall.zip using FX file manager.
Reboot phone into TWRP.
Install the zip file using TWRP.
Reboot phone.

This procedure also does not seem to work because Magisk does not appear on phone.
I did manage to unlock the bootloader and install TWRP on my device.
Does someone know what I am doing wrong? Does anyone have suggestions? This is my first time rooting a Android phone.

Can you please add links where you have those tutorials from? Especially the first one looks outdated as nowadays you need the bootloader file of your phone which is then modified by Magisk app (you can simply install magisk apk in Android) and that modified bootloader is then flashed via fastboot. Afterwards Magisk app will get access to root. See original Magisk install tutorial: https://topjohnwu.github.io/Magisk/install.html

Hi Robert, thanks for the reaction. It's true the tutorials I used are quite old (2020) but these were the only ones I could find. Here's the link -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBLPRRBMjeg.
I will check if I can find the bootloader file and root my phone that way.
Kind Regards,
Sleek

You have TWRP but in case you have issues you can try How do you root a device with Magisk when it doesn't have a custom recovery

I managed to successfully root my device thanks to Robert's helpful comment. Unlike my previous attempts with outdated tutorials, following the official Magisk Guidelines made the rooting process incredibly smooth and straightforward.


text:
Chrome doesn't require permission to download files and install web apps?
Chrome for Android seems to require no permission to download files and install web apps. Disabling storage permission does not prevent the browser from downloading the EICAR test file, and disabling app downloads does not prevent the installation of the Android Developers web app.
In further detail, installing the Android Developers web app seems to trigger a download with Google Play Services, but does not show up in the list of installed applications in Google Play. When attempting to access its page in Google Play through notifications, apparently it doesn't exist and shows an error has occurred.
I'm not sure whether this is an intended feature or if my device has been compromised.

Are you referring to the Chrome feature to save a bookmark as app icon on the Android app launcher? If not please provide a link where "Android Developers web app" can be retrieved from.

https://developer.android.com/ will show an install button as a popup, and if install is clicked chrome will download the app using google play services and install it on the device, with the aforementioned concerns that I have had.

Interesting. This technique is called WebAPK and Chrome doesn't seem to need the usualy install app permission to install such an app. Note that the app is not downloaded but generated by Chrome locally. https://web.dev/webapks/

What you see is referred to as PWA(Progressive Web App). The technology/feature is essentially
to allow services provided by web sites to be launched and displayed as though they were individual apps. With the help from Chrome browser, web apps have their app icons displayed within home screen and may be uninstalled like Android apps.  In essence PWAs are web pages hosted by full screen browser tabs which is why most PWAs rely on network connection to be fully functional.
Reference
Examples of Web apps


text:
Unlocking moto g power bootloader
I have a moto g power (2021) Running Android 11 and I am searching For a way to unlock the boot loader. When I go to the Motorola website and Follow the steps to unlock it The website tells me that the phone is not eligible for unlocking. Is there a piece of custom software I could install to force unlock the bootloader? Or am I just missing something?
(PS. I am new to all of this so please correct me if I have done anything wrong)

Nope... if you can't unlock it using the Motorola Bootloader Unlock website, it can't be unlocked.

"Or am I just missing something?" while I don't know the progress for this specific model, I guess what you're missing is that not all Android devices can be unlocked, whether easily or at all...


text:
M4A audio files not recognized by Samsung Recorder app
I need to convert my M4A audio files to M4A but with a 3GP4 codec (it seems Samsung audio recording app only recognizes those with a 3GP4 codec).
How can I do that with ffmpeg or any other program?
I tried:
ffmpeg -i input.m4a -brand "3gp4" output.m4a

This did change the major brand to 3gp4, but the Samsung Recorder app still doesn't recognize the audio file.

Welcome to the Q&A site Android Enthusiasts Stack Exchange. Just for clarity, could you explain why you want the app to recognize the audio file, or what you're really trying to achieve? While the community might be able to find the solution for the current issue, I have a feeling that this might be an XY-problem where X is "make the audio file be recognized by Samsung Recorder (for...?)", and Y is "converting the audio file".

Thank you. I need the files to appear in Samsung Recorder, that's what I meant by "they are not recognized", i.e. they don't appear in the app.


text:
How to get Chrome (or any browser) to present a TLS client certificate?
I've set up a server that accepts HTTPS connections with a custom CA certificate. I've installed it on my Samsung Galaxy A50, and can now access the server without warnings in Chrome. Now, I'd like to limit access to clients authenticated with mTLS, where they submit client certificates.
So far, it works properly on desktop browsers, refusing a TLS connection when a client certificate isn't provided. I now need to access this on the Android phone.
I usually use Firefox on that phone, but Firefox does not support client certificates yet. Chrome does, however: when I access https://certauth.idrix.fr with the client certificate installed, the certificate choice popup does appear. It doesn't do that for my server, however: instead, it shows a ERR_BAD_SSL_CLIENT_AUTH_CERT (WEBSITE didn't accept your login certificate, or one may not have been provided. Try contacting the system admin.), and doesn't prompt me to pick the certificate.
From my testing, the problem doesn't seem to be specific to my server: the same happens with mTLS configs for Nginx, Apache HTTPd, and Traefik. However, the https://certauth.idrix.fr server is somehow special, because the mTLS works for it.
How do I get Chrome to do this prompt? If I can't, what other browsers support client certificates? (It seems that very few do.)

It turns out that when a TLS server asks for a certificate, it sends a list of certificate authorities that it will accept a certificate from. Desktop browsers either ignore that list, or resolve the available client certificates up to the root. However, on Android, the dropdown is filtered by this list of certificates accepted by the server. Crucially, the certificate being referenced (i.e. directly trusted) by the server must be included in the .p12 bundle on the Android.
In my case, I was managing my CA with step-cli. When that generated a certificate, in the output file, it only included the leaf certificate and the certificate of the intermediate CA, not the root CA. So, when bundled into a .p12 file to import into Android, the Android didn't know the root certificate, so it couldn't determine that the certificate it had available could work with the server.
Here are the possible solutions to this problem:

Have the server accept all certificates, and verify them later: On nginx, there is the option ssl_verify_client optional_no_ca. This sends a certificate requests, but establishes the connection even if it was not provided, and does not verify the certificate. Then, the application can be set up to get the certificate from a proxy header and verify it manually. This allows the user to pick any of the certificates it has on file, which is bad for UX as it allows the user to pick the wrong one.
Add the intermediate CA to the verification list on the server: by doing this, it adds the intermediate CA's signature to the list of CAs accepted by the server during the handshake, which will allow Android to present the certificate because the bundle contains the CA being referenced by the certificate request. However, this means that revoking the intermediate CA will have to be done by manually distrusting it on the server.
(Best option!) When creating a .p12 certificate bundle to import into Android, make sure that the .crt file contains the root CA's certificate. Then, the Android will again know that this certificate is actually desired by the server.


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What are "cx_core_ir_one_remote" and "ir_blaster_sniffing_supported" in Samsung TV/CX Core?
My Samsung TV/CX Core has these two options marked as true:
com.samsung/featureconfig/cx_core_ir_one_remote: true
com.samsung/featureconfig/ir_blaster_sniffing_supported: true

These options can be found by entering the hidden "Service menu", then select FMS -> FMS -> Factory App Menu -> Option -> Engineer Option -> CX CORE.
Can anyone tell me what they mean or what their purpose is?

Most likely both features are related to Samsung IR blaster like this https://www.samsung.com/levant/support/tv-audio-video/getting-connected-with-samsung-ir-blaster/


text:
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2-830L & 830LC & 830F > Firmwares
I have a Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2-830L and I installed a firmware from 830LC on that device.
It is working with no problem.
The difference between these two firmware types is :

The 'L' models don't support calling.  The 'LC' models support calling
(dialler app).
If there were an LC version, you could probably install the LC
firmware on your L model.  That would add calling, but void your
warranty.

I want to know can I install firmware from 830F on 830L device?
What are differences between YT2-830L and YT2-830LC and YT2-830F?

I want to know can i install a firmware from [830F][4] on [830L][2] device? NO, you can't  See Can I install a ROM made for a different device? //For differences between models, sites like GSM Arena, XDA are better alternatives

@beeshyams I know - But these models are the same. Means YT2-830L & YT2-830LC & YT2-830F.

If they are the same it's unlikely they will have different model numbers


text:
I Can't Boot to Device anymore after flashing wrong boot.img
Device Info : Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016) - SM-J710FN INS
I'm Not Able to Boot into System Anymore after flashing boot.img from Odin and cannot boot back to system anymore. is there any way to boot into recovery or download mode again?
I've tried Power + Volume Up + Home But it just shows me Samsung Logo and no longer proceeds. even when putting phone at charge it stucks at the charging icon and never shows percentage.


text:
How can I find the Mac Address or IP Address of Samsung Watch 6
It was easy to find the Watch 4 in the router->client list.  But I just cant spot the Watch 6.  It has Wifi and BLE enabled.
In Setup -> About Watch -> Status Information, the Wifi Mac Address option is grayed out.


text:
Apps in deep sleeping apps keep sending real-time notifications even closed from the Recent Apps tab
I added apps like Telegram in the deep sleeping apps option:
Battery and device care → Battery → Background usage limits → Deep sleeping apps

This option says that apps will NEVER run in the background.
But every time I get a new message on Telegram for example, I get notification in real time. I've tried restarting the device, I've tried to check if the app is open in recent apps but it's not, but nothing solves it.
What could be happening?
Galaxy S23
SM-S911B
One UI version: 5.1
Android version: 13

Telegram has a keep alive service in settings. Did you disable that?

Thanks @beeshyams. I opened Telegram's "All permissions" box and realized that indeed there is a permission called "prevent phone sleep mode". This permission is linked to this, correct?
Unfortunately, I tried to remove the permission but it won't let me remove it, but by disabling this option from your image, the app will no longer work in the background even with the permission to "prevent phone sleep mode"?

@beeshyams I've disabled both the Keep-Alive service and the Background connection option, but the notifications keep coming in real-time, so the app keeps running in the background.

Download permission manager X from F-Droid adbd turn off two app ops concerning running in background

Or from Play Store, give it adb permission if you don't have root. Read the help

If the incoming messages are not encrypted and not very large (in terms of bytes) then they can be directly displayed from Google Play Services which receives all push messages. Fore more details see an old Asher of me https://android.stackexchange.com/a/241282/2241

A broader explanation: Why do apps run in background? and How to stop background apps?. Disclosure: the links belong to me.

I noticed that when I put Telegram on the list of Deep sleeping apps, the notifications stop, but if I simply open the app and close it, then everything works again as if it was no longer on the list of Deep sleeping apps, even though it is and even appearing as the notifications in the standard Telegram are disabled from the permission including deactivating through the notifications bar.


text:
Is there a way to configure always-plugged-in android devices to partially change battery or NOT stay fully charged?
So I’ll apologize in advance as I’m an iPhone user for mobile and Linux for work/desktop - Android is mostly unfamiliar territory to me.  I’ve recently set up 3 or 4 android devices (a various combination of older tablets and phones from different manufacturers) as more or less “display boards”.  After one of them quit working and I took it apart to find a badly swollen battery pouch I realized that these devices spend 99.9% of their time plugged into USB power, and as such they’ve spent their entire lives at or near 100% charge, which we know is not great for these types of batteries.
Is there some way in the OS (or otherwise, I suppose) to configure these devices in “always plugged in mode” so that the batteries stay within a friendlier range for state-of-charge?  I don’t remember details but I think the recommendation is that Li-ion batteries be left at/near 50% if they’re not being cycled.
Neither my coding chops nor my motivation are sufficient to go poking around on my own in the android development world, but it seems like this might be a common enough use case that there might be a setting buried somewhere that would do this?

Welcome to Android Enthusiasts. We have existing Q&A for this topic: How to limit charging to a user defined limit?, Automatically limit (stop) battery charging at a given percentage, Don't charge the battery but use connected power to run the phone

As for "some way in the OS", please note that due to the vast customization of Android OS, it's not a standard feature. I know Samsung has one and Google Pixel has none, but I can't say for other manufacturers.

Having a root is must unless you use external charge limiters for solutions in first comment. I have been using ACC for years now

A simple solution would be to use a mechanical or electronic timer to switch off power to the devices for a set number of hours.  I am doing precisely this for my wall-mount Android tablet with home automation.


text:
I need to get deleted text messages from my android phone this is majorly important please help
I received threats in text messages SMS on my android phone and they have been deleted accidentally 4 weeks ago

Has the phone been in use for those 4 weeks? Did you receive other text messages in that time? If yes then the chance is next to 100% that those deleted messages have been overwritten. Even if you had shut down the phone directly after deleting the messages recovery would have been extremely problematic or even impossible. Asking you mobile network operator may be the better alternative. May be they have saved the transmitted messages.


text:
How to hide my IMEI number from remote requests
I have an Asus ZenFone 5, with Android 9. I wouls like to hide IMEI number from remote requests to know the number, and hide remote requests to know if a phone Cell is using Developer Mode activated. Or If have any software or configuraration that block any remote request to verify any phone configuration.
Thank you.

What remote requests are you talking about? When and how an IMEI is used is defined in the GSM standard.

Uber, I don't know how, is blocking driver's phones to log on app, based on IMEI code, If driver had activated developer mode on your phone.

Uber after August update has made housing rooting impossible by any known means AFAIK. Even for end users//There is an Edxposed module by IAmNotADeveloper on Github that hides the status of developer mode just as FYI

See this Post in thread ' [MODULE] Play Integrity Fix' https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/module-play-integrity-fix.4607985/post-88888957

It's always best to give your device details, Android version, the app with which you are having a problem, whether the device is rooted, Edxposed installed and if so what modules etc, instead of getting into a guessing game. It helps others to suggest a solution or else readers tend to skip


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Is there a way to get this version of Hackenbush on an Android device?
The game Hackenbush is a fun, two-player game from combinatorial game theory, an area of mathematics.
I am aware of this app; it scratches an itch. But I'm after more.
The following programme was written for Mac and Windows:
http://geometer.org/hackenbush/index.html
I wonder whether it could be adapted to an Android device.
Context:
I don't know where to start. I had some success here with a different mathematical software though. See here. I know next to nothing about programming outside the very niche software GAP, based on C.
I hope that's enough context.

Please help :)

Looks like that program is not open-sourced, so I'm afraid there's no way to adapt it from the source other than trying to reverse-engineer it (development question is off-topic here though). The alternative is Emulating a Windows environment and Can Android run .exe file? which doesn't look promising either (or it's outdated).

I'd accept an answer that details how to run Hackenbush in an emulated Windows environment, @AndrewT.


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Export SMS & MMS messages from Samsung S23
I want to get a readable backup of my messages. I want something that works like, e.g., Coolmuster but ideally for any OS (Ubuntu) and fast, doing only one thing, ideally copying all SMS and MMS as if it's a file system that I can read messages portable after transferring them. Samsung Switch created some unreadable SMEM files, where I could read the media files but not the text from the messages. So if there isn't one, I will buy the Coolmuster app. since it appears to connect and work, but I would prefer something like a "raw" readable data format, e.g., like Eml for email messages.

This creates an xml backup that can be read on computer (see app description) //No idea about Ubuntu

Thanks. I found this https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jerryzigo.smsbackup&hl=en_US as well


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Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 running Lineage OS not rebooting properly after `adb reboot` unless USB disconnect
I am currently facing an issue with my Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 tablet running Lineage OS. Whenever I attempt to reboot the device using the adb reboot command through adb, it enters a strange hanging state - the screen turns off, and it becomes unresponsive to any further commands. It remains in this state until I physically unplug the USB cable, at which point the tablet restarts and functions normally again. Interestingly, during this state, the adb daemon fails to recognize the device, but lsusb still detects its presence. I have attempted to restart the USB port/device using usbreset,
sudo usbreset 18d1:4ee7

but within the dmesg log, I get attempts with several errors saying usb 1-1: device descriptor read/64, error -71 followed by finally with usb usb1-port1: attempt power cycle (full error output here). The terminal output is
Resetting Galaxy Tab 2 ... failed [No such device]

And the computer (in my case, a Raspberry Pi Zero W) does not recognize the Android device anymore until I disconnect the USB. I have tried restarting the RPi but still no luck, since I assume a complete "power cycle" would trigger it since it only operates after disconnection or reset of the 5V connection in the USB.
One hacky solution I have contemplating was creating a switch with the GPIO pins as a variant from this post, but I am still optimistic for a software-only solution before I start throwing hardware into the mix.
Here are some additional details that might be useful:
Tablet model: Samsung Galaxy Tab 2

adb shell getprop ro.build.version.release: 7.1.2
adb shell getprop ro.build.version.sdk: 25
adb shell getprop ro.build.flavor: lineage_espressowifi-userdebug
adb shell getprop ro.build.description:
espresso10wifixx-user 4.2.2 JDQ39 P5110XXDML1 release-keys

$adb --version
Android Debug Bridge version 1.0.41
Version 28.0.2-debian
Installed as /usr/lib/android-sdk/platform-tools/adb

Any suggestions are appreciated!

Well, I own multiple Samsung devices, but Samsung uses a custom boot process. It uses more like a custom uboot image than a standard Android boot process. Second, you will need a Samsung driver. From what I saw, you are using a Linux machine and Debian-based.
But I can see that you are using an Android 7 image. That device was shipped with an Android 4 system that could boot Lineage OS 10.

Hi, I tried editing this post based on my understanding since I can't understand the meaning of "y" used here (Is it a French pronoun?). If I accidentally changed the meaning, feel free to [edit] and improve it, thanks.


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How can I eyeball a URL before clicking, on Brave on Android?
On a desktop, I always hover and look at a link before clicking it.
Is there a way I can get Brave on Android to show me the link contents first?

What have you tried and what isn't working? Have you tried just long-pressing the link? It should show you the full link, plus give you options like Open in a new tab, private tab, copy link, share, etc...

That works on IOS as well.

@acejavelin.  that works

To inspect a link in most mobile browsers, as well as perform additional functions like copying or sharing the link, opening it in a new tab or a private window, copying the link text, and other functions common in desktop versions of browsers by right-clicking the link, you would long-press the link and that will bring up a menu as well as show the full link address in the pop-up.


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Running ARM64 Android on ARM64
I have a Linux ARM64 computer (not phone). How can I use this to run an ARM64 Android phone image?
Android Studio does not work on ARM64 computers. Android Studio with emulator works on x86. I do not want to use ARM64 to emulate x86 to run the x86 Android image since it is unusably slow.

Waydroid is one of the options.

@IrfanLatif do you have more detailed steps to run/install it? Following the steps, I am stuck on the last one: Waiting for waydroid container service... Failed to load binder driver modprobe: FATAL: Module binder_linux not found in directory /lib/modules/5.15.0 Binder node "binder" for waydroid not found. Is patching the kernel with binder module safe?


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My Xiaomi Mi 10T gets a black/shut off screen at minimum brightness. Is it possible to increment the minimum brightness level?
My Xiaomi Mi 10T gets total black screen when setting brighness to minimum - IE: impossible to see anything even in a corner of a dark room - as can be seen in this video:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AS8QhZV3vyCTMKLL92hW_4H4jXdzbNMg/view?usp=sharing
Is it possible to increment the minimum brightness level?
I checked other old answers regarding this issue and seems they don't apply to this one:
I accidentally slid the brightness to minimum and I couldn't use the phone again! Just had to wipe all my data to recover from this state.
Checking the slider carefully now, it seems it goes "shut down" at about 5%, and that's very dangerous.
Any help is appreciated!

Isn't the minimum same as 0 or total darkness? Don't slide it that far.

Sorry if I didn't make myself clear, but sliding a brightness control to minimum should not "turn off" the screen. I want to fix this behavior

Sounds like a glitch in system software. I'd suggest that you report the problem to MI customer care in the meantime.

Could you [edit] and list the other Q&A on the question body?

That said, this reminds me of the same issue when I was using an old Nexus 5 on LineageOS 14. Turns out it's just the display, but the touchscreen still works, thus I could swipe the brightness slider from the quick settings panel with trial-and-error (luckily). I didn't find the solution to fix it permanently before it went totally broken though.

The minimum brightness is a common problem. Some users say it is too high, for others it is too low. In most cases it is simply the question how much light you have in your environment. Check your screen in a totally dark environment and I would assume you will see that the screen is not totally dark. Modern devices have an "extra dark" mode that is disabled by default and prevents users from accidentally set the screen brightness to value that appears as "off" in an indoor daylight environment.

Maybe use an like this https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nu.lower.brightness// You can't overcome ROM glitch easily


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How to power off (not reboot) Samsung S10+?
I appear to have bricked my S10+ by incorrectly flashing what I thought was stock firmware using heimdall and am now stuck in a boot-loop (that may be the wrong term).
The screen shows:
only official released binaries are allowed to be flashed (SYSTEM)

...

An error has occurred while updating the device software
...

If I hold volume-down + power long enough the screen goes black but then the phone immediately appears to reboot right back into the same screen.
I am hoping that I may be able to boot into download mode (volume-down + bixby + power ?) or recovery (volume-up + bixby + power ?) and try to salvage the situation.
But step one on all the guides I've found is to turn the power off, and I can't work out how to do that.

To turn the power off, you may try holding the power button for  30 seconds or more

@beeshyams even holding it for several minutes does nothing (and volume-down + power just reboots every 7 sec). However, I have discovered that volume-down + bixby and then plugging in usb may be getting me into download mode - adb can't see it but heimdall can flash files (although all the ones I've tried lead to the same error message)

still no idea how to power off other than making the battery go flat but have fixed the phone with odin in virtualbox

Sorry for that. I am clueless too

@beeshyams no worries. I don't need the information any more but if anyone finally answers, it may be useful to somebody in the future

The only way I found to get out of this is by getting into download mode by holding volume up+down and connect the phone to a PC using a USB cable then unplug the USB and let the phone in download mode to power off itself after 30 minutes (it will be like idle).

Thanks. I fixed my problem so not able to test this method. Hopefully it will help someone else.


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Can I use a US SIM card on my xiaomi Note 8?
I am trying to use my Verizon SIM card as well as a SIM card from airvoice wireless on my xiaomi Note 8. It says that it's reading the cards but I don't know how to enable them if I can..
Please help?!

Try and see.
To control the sims

Settings
Connections
Sim Manager

You can enbale / disable them here.


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New Device: Support Duration from Switch-on
Having purchased a new Galaxy Tab s8 just recently, the question of would the 2027 software update curfew still hold, or will the clock for support start ticking once it is turned on, connected to the internet (and optionally registered)?
Experience with the older Galaxy Tab A S10.1 (2016) purchased in 2017 was positive, a generous 5 years, with the last update in early 2022. Because it had only occasional usage, functionality is not impaired in any way, and looks as if it could see out a couple more years at the very least.
Given that four years is the current figure for lifetime support, would switching on the new device then take it on to September 2027?

When you switched it on is immaterial, the clock started when the device appeared in the market. If you purchase a device towards the end of it's support period, updates stop when the support period is over. Samsung Security Updates clearly says

And select devices launched in 2019 or later will be supported with firmware security updates for a minimum of four (4) years following their global launch...

(Emphasis added)
From a quick search your device was released in February 22. Your support period started from that date. In other words you have about two & half years of support left.

General Information that may be of use
See Check this new tracker to see if your phone will get the next Android update and the Android Update Tracker.

Thanks, not easy to locate this info from the product page - serviceable lifetime of product is important.

@LaurieStearn Perhaps worth noting that the updates that the manufacturers provide are common to everyone (usually based on device model), not personalized (e.g. based on switched-on date). Thus there will be no updates to everyone since the manufacturers also stop creating new updates after that device model reaches the end of life.


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Google Wallet not installing
I am running Android 12 on a Realme 8 5G phone.
When trying to install Google Wallet from the Google play store, I get the following screenshots:

In the end, after the third screen below I land on the second screen below again, and get stuck in a loop.
The application won't finish installing.
Can someone please explain to me what is going wrong?
Thanks.

What is the "Google Play (clone)" app?


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Can't add work account, "Checking info" crashes imediatly
My problem is pretty much the same as this one, except that the solutions didn't work for me.
How to fix crashes on "Checking info" screen when trying to add a Google account?
I'm trying to add a new work account, and after entering credentials and the authentication app ping, the "Checking info" page appears and immediately closes. The account is added, but it is not set up properly.
If I go to manage the account, it displays a message saying that something went wrong during sign-in and asks me to try again. When I click on it, the same thing happens (it opens "Checking info" and crashes immediately).
I have tried clearing the cache of everything and uninstalling updates, but nothing works.
ps: During initial setup google was supposed to ask if I wanted to set up a Workspace account, this does not show up.
Specs:
Galaxy s20 FE 5g
Android 12
Original Room not rooted
Google play version 23.33.16

You forgot to add more details about the used device: manufacturer? phone model name? installed Android version? is the installed ROM genuine, (rooted?) or a custom ROM? what is the version of the installed Google Play Services?


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How to identify which app is creating user credentials in the security settings?
I was going through my Android device settings and found "rsa key" stored in user credentials. There, it says the "rsa key" is for VPN and apps. But I don't use any VPN.
How to identify which app is creating user credentials in the security settings?

Sorry but how should we know if a certificate (with private key) that you don't describe or even present us the name is used or required by your apps which we again don't know anything about.

I don't have any private certificate installed. I have checked there are only system certificates


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Stuck in a bootloop after unexpected shutdown
Is there any solution for corrupted /data/system/packages files (packages.xml, packages.list) after a unexpected shutdown, without the need of formatting the entire data partition?
My phone ran out of battery, and after that, it got stuck in a bootloop. Searching online, I found this post by the user sbrm1 (Marshmallow not bootlooping, but not starting) with the same issue, and a possible solution posted by the user DvdGiessen. However, as reported in the comments, the solution posted by him no longer works on newer versions of Android (confirmed by me). Instead of generating new UIDs for the apps, the system is deleting all of them.
If anyone has any solution or suggestion for the problem and can assist me in resolving it, please leave a message.


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Is there any posibity way to check whether the source code of an app from the store version?s
I'm an accessibility auditor. I've been working on auditing web pages following the WCAG standard for years, but now I need to audit a mobile app.
Most of the criteria are quite similar to audit, but for some of them, like "4.1.1 Parsing," I'm encountering real struggles. I need to check that the app does not contain any errors and does not use any deprecated functions. However, I only have access to the store version, not the source code.
Is there any way to check that?
Thank you very much in advance.

By "store" you mean the Google Play Store? I suspect if even 1% apps on Play Store are open-source. Check https://f-droid.org for a handful of open-source apps.

Thanks for answering, and yes, a mean Google Play Store, but the app is not open-source.  Maybe there is some tool such https://validator.w3.org/ where to check it

Some sort of reverse engineering is possible https://github.com/AmrAshraf/AndroShield but the app itself might be actively trying to avoid that analysis, in which case it would be impossible to assert the app behaviour.

"does not contain any errors" - what type of errors are you talking about? Verifying that a certain program or app is free of errors is impossible (-> theoretical computer science). Also for Android apps are running on different Android versions from different manufacturer. Code that works on one device may not work on a different device. The same for deprecated functions (why does an accessibility check contain a deprecated functions check)?

Welcome to Android Enthusiasts. I don't know the details of your task, but based on my experience with app audits, the auditor works together with the developer to provide the necessary data, including screenshots of source code.

Thank you Martheen, I'll look it up.

Robert, sorry for not being clear enough. In a web-only application, I'd check that W3C standards are met, you know ... tags are properly closed, not repeated IDs... The regulations to be followed are based on recommendations originally created for websites, but they are now also being demanded for apps (without having adapted those recommendations beforehand). Therefore, it's not entirely clear what "errors" should be reviewed, but essentially, it means ensuring that the app is structurally well-formed.

Thanks, Andrew T. I wish I could work with the developers; it would simplify my life, but this time it's not the case


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Google Family Link - new Apps are set to always allowed
If my Child installs a new App from Google PlayStore, the newly installed app is automatically set to Always allowed.
Is there a way to set new installed apps to Blocked or set to none of the options?


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How to permanently disable the annoying "RCS chats" popup in Messages app
I have a Pixel 3. I try to avoid using SMS and instead use Signal whenever possible. When I do use SMS (the Messages app), I don't want "RCS chats" to be enabled. But nearly every time I open the Messages app, I'm prompted with a popup where the "Agree" button is very prominent.

I do not want to agree to use RCS chats. I want my choice (when I click "Use Messages without RCS chats") to be permanent.
How can I fix this?

There is a two year old Google community question about this, which Google as usual chose not to respond to, and just locked up the question.
On my Pixel 6a, I had enabled RCS previously. After seeing this question, I disabled RCS and opened messages app many times over two days. I did not get the enable RCS popup again
Enabling RCS by tapping agree and then from settings disabling RCS is a hack that worked for me. I am not sure if this behavior is OS version dependent or the logic behind this ( I guess it's some kind of promo popup to encourage RCS usage).
This may or not work for OP but making it into an answer that may help somebody.

Thank you. I will accept this answer preemptively and will try it out next time that popup happens. I know I could go switch the setting right now, but I'm curious to come back and check the date of this comment when it happens and see how long the interval was.

You are welcome. Also if it doesn't work please feel free to comment and unaccept as well!


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Banking apps disabled in Android SDK emulator
Does the Android SDK emulator run apps with FLAG_SECURE used from Android 12? I have been trying to run different banking apps, which work but crash when I get to the login screen which is flagged with the recent security options.

Usually banking apps are limited to physical device, emulated devices are not accepted as they have a higher chance of being insecure as they run on an unknown host system which can in general access anything within the emulator.  But that has nothing to to with FLAG_SECURE. This flag only disables screen shots for an activity.


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Can I copy the stock firmware from my Oppo A31 (CPH2015) from the phone to a laptop?
I am trying to root an Oppo A31 (CPH2015) but I require the stock firmware of the phone to be available on a laptop such that I can extract from it the boot.img file and then flash it with Magisk.
I am wondering whether there is a way to copy the exact firmware of the phone to a laptop.

Welcome to the Q&A site Android Enthusiasts Stack Exchange. There's an existing Q&A that explains the procedure to root an Android device thoroughly, including extracting the firmware. Hope that helps!


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SSH to localhost on android
I am trying to get ssh working on my android phone. I am currently able to ssh out, from my phone to another device. But I am struggling to be able to ssh in. To test things, I am just working on my the phone and trying to establish an ssh connection with localhost.
Working in termux, I ran the command
ssh localhost -p 8022
Then I am given the prompt
u0_a316@localhost's password:
I'm struggling a bit to understand this. I know that u0_a316 should be a user on my phone, but I don't quite know how users on the android oprating system work. I tried entering the lock screen password I have for myself, as well as no password. But neither of these work. Could someone help explain whats going on here, or point me to some (hopefully not too dense) documentation on this?
this question is cross posted from stackoverflow, following a recommendation in the comments

Android uses user accounts to separate each app in it's own sandbox. Therefore every installed app gets it's own user account.

gotcha, so I should be able to set a password just for this app? @Robert

https://wiki.termux.com/wiki/Remote_Access#SSH

No you can't change the password, all user accounts are managed by Android and they are not designed to be used for user authentication.

You simply need to set a password for your Termux session. You will not be asked for it at any time when you start Termux, so it is safe to do. Just type:
passwd <enter>

and type in a password. You will be asked to repeat it to confirm.
So when you ssh to your phone from another device/machine, this will be the password required. The command to type on the other machine will be:
ssh u0_a316@<your_phone's_IP> -p 8022


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Is it possible to upgrade One UI Core 5.1 to One UI 5.1 on unsupported devices?
I have a Samsung Galaxy M12 device with One UI Core 5.1, but I want to use some features that are not available in One UI Core. Is there any way I can upgrade to the full version of One UI, and what problems might this potentially cause?

One UI Core is part of the system firmware and can not be upgraded without a firmware upgrade. Therefore your question is the same as How to upgrade my Android device to latest Android version


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How to manage Android Chrome new tab shortcuts?
I'm using Chrome on my Android tablet. The new tab page contains 8 shortcuts (pretty much as in Chrome for Windows). In Windows however, I can configure the shortcuts: one of the 10 positions is reserved for "Add shortcut" action, so if I would like to replace a shortcut, I would add a new link and delete the old one. Additionally, I could rearrange the existing icons using a mouse. I cannot figure out how to configure these shortcuts in Android.
The first 8 shortcuts were added automatically using the first sites visited. I would say that Chrome eventually (very rarely) replaces shortcuts based on its internal algorithm, but recently I decided to remove several shortcuts and replace them with specific links. Here is the problem: while I deleted undesired links, I cannot select what would be used instead. What is even worse: instead of direct links to other sites Chrome uses links to google.com with recent (and not very recent) search queries. I'm deleting these links, but Chrome adds more junk with links to other Google queries. The algorithm is unusually stupid, as it prefers queries that I made once to the sites I'm visiting on an everyday basis.
The context menu offers only "Open in new tab in group", "Open in incognito tab", " Download link", and "Remove" options. How can I configure the links on the new tab page?
Update: the answer here calls these thumbnails "Most Visited", but as I clearly show in my question, the links Chrome uses to replace the deleted thumbnails are definitely not "most visited", but visited only once. What's wrong with my Chrome?

Related/possible duplicate: Add specific website to Chrome's New Tab Page.

@AndrewT. in that answer the thumbnails are called "Most Visited". In my question I'm showing that the links Chrome adds are definitely not "most visited" but visited only once. I would like to figure out what's wrong with my Chrome.

I should have been clearer. The duplicate from that question (and also a more updated answer) shows how to manage the sites by modifying Chrome's app data directly, but it needs root access. That said, the current behavior is the same as I observe: it will store the most visited and recently visited sites, so there's really "nothing wrong" with your Chrome, except that it might come as an unexpected behavior implemented by Google.

The "most visited" and "recently visited" strategy doesn't explain my observation: I've tried to visit some sites several times (and these visits are recent), but Chrome ignores my behavior and adds crap.

Yeah, it seems the algorithm is more complex than I thought. I haven't explored it, though the same feature is also on Chromium (open source, the source for Chrome), so anyone can try exploring it. On the other hand, looks like the behavior is also buggy in Chromium itself: Brave - Searches appearing in top sites, Brave - New Tab page injecting searches into "Top pages" widget, but I'm afraid this is getting off-topic.

Your main concern has been raised in Google community four years ago but with no answers and the question is locked Chrome-On-Android: Possible To Manually Add Shortcuts On New-Tab Page?
As mentioned in the comments, it is possible to add shortcuts on a rooted device. Also the algorithm is not transparent and apparently buggy, so that's the way it is implemented and nothing wrong with your Chrome.
However, a part answer relating to search queries:

What is even worse: instead of direct links to other sites Chrome uses links to google.com with recent (and not very recent) search queries. I'm deleting these links, but Chrome adds more junk with links to other Google queries

To avoid search queries showing up in home page use this flag (copy-paste)
chrome://flags/#organic-repeatable-queries
You will get options like this:

Choose disabled and you won't have search queries showing up as home page shortcuts (On the contrary, if you want them, choose other options available).
Source: This answer from Google support.
Since flags are often modified/disappear with various Chrome versions, this is tested on Chrome 116.0.5845.163 (latest on Play Store for me).


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App flickers and won't start on Pixel Fold foldable screen
On my new Pixel Fold, the Mixcloud app won't start and just flickers (in a way that could induce an epileptic fit in a person with epilepsy) when I try to open it on the foldable screen. It works fine on the outside screen, which is a more normal phone size.
What can I do?

Rotating the screen fixed the problem.
However, the app still has the same problem if I try to use it in Split Screen mode. So I guess I can't use it in Split Screen mode.


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Manually backup and restore individual Bluestacks instances?
I am looking to see if anyone has successfully figured out a way to manually backup and restore Bluestacks instances.  I am not asking about Bluestacks backup and restore capability as this does not do individual instances - it's all or nothing - individual instances are not currently supported.
However, regardless of supportability, I have a need to migrate some instances across computers.  There are a few configuration items that would have to be addressed:

port number conflict potential
bluestacks.conf changes
potential change in directory at target

I was wondering if anyone has attempted to execute this effort and whether you've been successful.  Am I missing anything else that could be dependent?
Many thanks!

Welcome to Android Enthusiasts Stack Exchange. There's a similar Q&A: Backup Bluestacks, does it help?

It does not help but thank you.  As mentioned, I want to cherry pick the instances to move to and from PCs.  BS method is only all or none approach.


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Connect Samsung tablet to ethernet and also to PC/laptop?
I have a Samsung Galaxy Tab Active Pro (SM-T545) tablet. I'd like to connect it to the ethernet using an adapter having an RJ45 port. I would also like to connect the tablet to my laptop (in this case MacBook Air) so that I can access the logs.
I tried using the Type-C Hub (from UGREEN) that has an RJ45 port and the tablet connected to the ethernet successfully. However, when I try to connect my laptop using a Type-C to Type-C cable and later Type-A (from hub) to Type-C (to laptop), nothing happens on the tablet and laptop.
Is there any way I can connect the tablet to ethernet for the internet and also to my laptop to get the logs?
Note: The wireless option is not possible as the connection is very unstable.

To talk to the Ethernet adapter, the Android device has to switch its USB chip to host mode (USB OTG). The Android device becomes the USB master managing the USB bus, and the Ethernet adapter will work as a USB slave (usually USB Ethernet adapters can only work as a USB slave).
The USB chip in the PC is always acting in USB host mode (as USB master).
If you are connecting two USB chips both in host mode, it will not work, as in USB, there can be only one host (master) and multiple clients (slaves).
The only way I see to get a wired network connection and connect the Android device to your PC at the same time would be to use reverse tethering via adb.

I managed a workaround by getting a new access point. The connection from it is very stable and I connected the tablet wirelessly to the AP and through wire to my laptop. It solves the issue. Thanks for the advice.


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How does TalkBack works with a braille display?
I am new to Android development. I have a doubt with regard to the Android TalkBack feature and how it is used with a braille display. In my project, I'm trying to use this TalkBack feature to print/display the text on the screen to a braille reading device (for example: Orbit Reader 20).
I don't know how the Android TalkBack feature scans for nearby braille displays/reading devices. I know it sends some packets to and from the braille display/reading device, but I don't know what exactly they are.
Any help would be appreciated, including documentation/resources! Thanks!

Welcome to the Q&A site Android Enthusiasts Stack Exchange. Please note that app development is off-topic since Android Enthusiasts focuses on end-users and power users (who are not necessarily developers) solving their issues. Thus, while this community might explain the technicality of Android OS to your queries, coding solutions are out of the scope of this community. For programming questions, you might want to try our sister site [so]. Also, we discourage link-only Q&A but instead encourage self-contained answers. Thanks for your understanding.

As you are new, on the sister site StackOverflow it is up to the post author to do research on the topic. I would look at any hardware braille reader manufacturer's website looking for either a developer SDK, a press release announcements, or a list of supported applications (perhaps some are open-source) to lead you to an answer or provide direction for further research. Good luck.


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How to disable LSPosed, eventually any notification that cannot be disabled using settings?
I have rooted herolte phone, Lineage OS 19.1, Android 12, and I would like to ask, how can I force disable any notification that cannot be disabled by default in settings.
Especially the LSPosed one which is really annoying, but I cannot create the shortcut (because I use an UI which does not support shortcuts) which is essential to be able to disable the notification in the app.
Consequently, my question is, how could I disable any notification or at least the LSPosed one?
Thanks for answer.


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Recover data from Asus Zenfone 4 in special case
My Asus Zenfone 4 (ZE554KL) started to be slow and sometimes it crashed and restarted, and then it went back to normal. It stayed that way for months. Last week, the bar containing the buttons to access the apps disappeared, and the only thing I could access was the top bar, scrolling down, but I couldn't access anything except the Settings. In the Settings, none of the changes I made worked, and it always ended up crashing and restarting.
At a certain point, I decided to try starting in safe mode, so I pressed the shortcut and it worked. It started normally, but a few moments later it simply restarted, and right after the Asus logo screen, it fell straight to TWRP, on a screen asking for a password to decrypt and mount. I tried every possible password I've ever used on my phone but none worked.
I tried to cancel and go to File Explorer, and there I got a surprise: Internal storage was listed as 0 MB. I tried to connect my cell phone via USB cable to the PC, entering fastboot mode and only the SD card appeared (where I didn't save anything).
To recap the problems are as follows:

My Android does not start, it goes straight to TWRP asking for a password to decrypt and mount the data.

When I click cancel and try to access files through TWRP's file explorer, my phone's internal storage is listed as 0 MB.

When trying to enter fastboot mode through TWRP and connect the phone to the PC, only the SD card appears, where I never saved anything.

I need to save my WhatsApp data that is not saved in the cloud or locally, being just the application data and being all the most important work in my life, WhatsApp remains connected via WhatsApp Web, and I can only access recent messages, and I know that soon it will disconnect because my cell phone does not start Android anymore.

I saved important things on my WhatsApp, and as my cell phone's storage was always full, I never made a local backup, nor on the Google account because I didn't have any account with enough free memory (I had a lot of things saved, they exceeded 15GB). My WhatsApp is still connected through WhatsApp Web but I don't know for how long, and I can only access the most recent messages because the oldest ones can only be accessed through the cell phone.

Based on what you describe the flash memory of your phone could be defect. As your phone is about 6 years old flash memory problems are reasonable.

Yes... something solution?

Sorry but that is difficult to answer. For example it is not clear if your device uses hardware encryption or not thus if it would be possible to decrypt the data only with your password/PIN. If that would be the case you could try to make an image of the user data partition and try to decrypt the data on a Linux PC.

As I mentioned, when plugging in the usb cable, the internal storage does not appear, and TWRP does not appear either, but I believe it is due to the encryption, I believe it is the default encryption of android, I already tried to type my pin but it did not work. My pin has zeros and it was numerical, I saw in other forums that there is a problem with typing zero in twrp, but I didn't understand the reason.
Is there a way to make a nandroid or internal storage backup image? Or at least manage to copy WhatsApp folders to restore conversations on a fresh android installation?

Have you tried TWRP support, they may have suggestions.

Where i find they?


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Update Google Play Services on Moto 360 with Chromebook (V1)
I have a Motorola Moto 360 running Android Wear. I want to install Facer. I need to turn on ADB over WiFi or at least install a new Google Play Services, but I am using a Chromebook.
It only shows Debug over Bluetooth. I tried random IP addresses, I even used Fing to figure it out, but it doesn't show up.
How to update Play Services on Moto 360?

Sorry but all your sentences don't seem to have a relation to each other. Thus I really don't understand what you are asking for, Please rewrite your question and describe what you are trying to do and what is the problem.

@Robert I tried salvaging it based on the same question cross-posted on Stack Overflow. The title there gave additional context.

I still dont understand it :-)

Assuming you can enable WiFI on your Moto 360 watch: https://en-us.support.motorola.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/107038 (and realize that there are at least 2 version of the Moto 360, I'm assuming you are using the newer one) and follow: https://developer.android.com/training/wearables/get-started/debugging#wifi-debugging if you aren't able to connect via your Chromebook, it may be your Chromebook, https://chromeos.dev/en/android-environment/deploying-apps As written details are missing of what you've tried.

Its moto 360 Version 1

If your device is truly this version: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moto_360_(1st_generation), from what I remember that first generation of devices required a pairing app on the phone to install faces/apps. This may be your problem: https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/moto-360-wont-update-4-4w-2.3205417/ But knowing what version of Android Wear OS it is running would be helpful.

the android wear version is 6.1.1


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Why do my wifi networks vanish until I turn airplane mode off and on?
Over the last few weeks, my Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G (Android version 13) seems to lose all wifi networks. Going to Wifi settings shows no networks connected or listed at all.
Every other device in the room can see my networks and others. There are no errors reported, and it's not hanging forever. I get a busy indicator for a few seconds, and then it turns off as if the wifi check just didn't return anything.
If I turn on airplane mode, wait a few seconds, and then turn it off again, it can suddenly see all the networks and connects successfully. Then sometime later (I don't know how long but hours, not days), I notice that the phone is using 5G again. If I go back to the Wifi settings, no networks are listed. This happens a few times a day.
I've tried restarting it a number of times and making sure the OS is updated. My wife and son each have an identical S20 and they are not seeing this.
Is this a known problem? Is there a remedy short of a factory reset?

Toggling airplane mode resets the wifi and that's the reason you can see the networks. I have no idea what is causing that but to rule out a misbehaving app check if it happens in the "safe mode" too and update the question with your findings

For details on toggling airplane mode and how it helps

I think there are a few things to try.

Click on the gear of the connected wifi and flick the auto connect switch to on.

There could be an app doing it. Look at the permissions of your apps and remove location permission  to drill down to the culprit.

There could be a hardware fault.


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Unbricking Vivo Y97 after flashing wrong recovery.img
It all started when I flashed the wrong recovery.img on my device. I have two Vivo Y97s with the exact model, version, and specs. I didn't realize that I need to port TWRP first on my recovery.img before I can flash it using fastboot. After I flashed the wrong recovery.img, my device suddenly wouldn't turn on, couldn't boot up, and couldn't even enter recovery mode. BTW, they are both bootloader unlocked and the other one is already rooted.
Let's say A is the bricked phone and B is working fine. Can I use the backup ROM of B and restore it to A? I'm not gonna use stock ROM.

SOLVED!
After flashing the ROM of B into A, the phone is unbricked now and it's working perfectly fine.
I've flashed the system.img (this contains the library of Android system) and also vendor.img (this contains the drivers of all the hardware for the device, like GPU, camera, touchscreen, microphone, audio, and sensors that the apps use).
Then I reformat the recovery.img partition inside the bricked phone since it was the reason why it was bricked.
I've also reformated the userdata.img (as the name says, it has all the user data like contacts, installed apps, screenlock, photos, videos, and other files) which basically the same as reset factory in settings


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Notifications are removed regularly and energy saving mode activated spontaneously
I have a Samsung Galaxy A51 phone, 2 or 3 years old. Since some time, out of nothing (like just after using the phone for some time, when getting out of screen lock), I see notifications (like WhatsApp, mail, etc.) icons on the main page.
However, before I have the chance to look at them/click them, the phone gets into energy (battery) savings mode spontaneously and all notifications are gone (when disabling energy savings mode manually). So, I have to find in all applications what 'news' there is.

Is there a solution to get rid of this spontaneous saving mode activations? (without disabling it when I want to do it manually to save battery power) ?

You should be able to turn off Adaptive Battery Saving if you go to Device Care, tap the three-dot button, and then tap Automation. So now your phone won't turn on the Battery Saver by itself.
Sample Images Attached

Thanks, although the screenshot looked slightly different on my phone, I found similar options which I switched off (since about 4 hours), and didn't get the annoying screen saver problems again.


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Is there Android for ARM (Windows) laptops?
I'm thinking of buying an ARM laptop as a second laptop for programming and hacking experiments.
Ideally I would set it up to multiboot Windows, Linux, and Android.
I've seen several articles and videos on the internet for setting up x86 Android on an x86 laptop, but can't find anything on ARM laptops.
I'm guessing it would come down to things like device drivers and maybe UEFI?
Is it possible for a normal person to install Android natively on an ARM laptop intended for Windows/Linux? (And preferably dualboot/multiboot?)
(I'm aware some highly skilled hacker types can probably do it using AOSP. I'm also aware I could just use a VM or emulator. For this question I'm only exploring the options of installing natively on the hardware.)

Do realize that this question is off-topic: Can I ask questions regarding hardware suggestions?. It may help to read: Bootloader/BIOS, flashing ROM and correlated risks. Why Android devices are more brickable than PCs?. Do realize that if you have a Android phone you may want to look at Termux for a Linux-like env.  Or look to the RaspberryPi community for Linux on ARM.

@MorrisonChang I'm not asking which hardware to buy? I'm asking if this is possible. Can you point to which sentence breaks the topic rule so I can change it? I'm not looking to run Linux, that's easy. I'm looking to run Android as the/a natively installed OS on any ARM laptop - if it's currently possible.

Your question leads to simple "no not for mortals" answer. A slightly better one would be "Why can't Android be on xxx ARM laptop" but until https://source.android.com declares official support for ARM's SystemReady program the issues in my second link apply esp. getting drivers from silicon vendors for any third-party OS porters, related: Are there any booting standards for ARM-based computers?.

@MorrisonChang: If the answer is "not for mortals" then I'm happy with that and would accept it as an answer. Before asking I had no idea if it was for mortals but hard to Google or not for mortals. That's an entirely different thing to a hardware suggestion and I assume it's still on-topic.

I'm willing to admit a mis-read on the off-topic link rational. I'm not sure if this question isn't parital answered by the second link, which can be fleshed out by finding out how ARM laptops support Windows/Linux (which is not strictly Android).

Your difficulty with this is that boot arrangements for ARM-based computers are not currently standardised, and device drivers are specific to particular operating systems.
ARM Windows laptops are all based on Qualcomm SoCs at present, and Microsoft control the ecosystem far more than they do for x86 hardware. They seem to boot using a system devised by Microsoft and Qualcomm, which is quite different from Android booting, or Windows x86 booting. The device drivers you'd need for Android are different from the ones that come with Windows, even though they would drive the same hardware. You can run Linux on them via WSL2; Microsoft don't support booting standalone Linux.
Booting Android on them would require writing or modifying a boot loader and device drivers. It's a substantial reverse-engineering project, not something for ordinary users.
You could have run Android apps on them via Windows Subsystem for Android when this answer was first written. However, Microsoft have now abandoned that product.

Yes I think it's technically possible but not currently practically possible. Perhaps some company will bring out a dual-booting Android/Windows tablet at some point and after that a dual-booting laptop would be possible. But it's unlikely unless the demand appears.


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Android source code for extracting entries from an APK during installation process
I am trying to understand the exact details of how Android extracts the entries from an APK during the installation process. First some background info:

The installation may occur either through Play Store or directly using for example adb using a command like adb install example.apk. Should be noted that depending on how it is installed the process might be slightly different - I am interested in both cases
The .apk is basically a zip file and an extraction should occur. Following the zip format specification the extraction should account for the compression method being used by each entry. I located this method which I am not sure if it is related with the installation process but I can see it takes into account the two available compression methods (STORE, DEFLATE).

I have tried in Android 11(emulator x86), to install an APK (through adb) which does not have a compression method of either STORE or DEFLATE for the AndroidManifest.xml and it installs successfully.
What is the responsible code for handling compression methods outside of the ones expected?

The only difference between PlayStore and adb install is that nowadays PlayStore delivers apps as split APK files (multiple APK files per app), where as adb install expects a monolithic APK file.

… for which there is adb install_multiple if I'm not mistaken ;) And while I'm not sure about the PlayStore app, installation is usually handled by pm install (which adb install hands over to IIRC).

This site may be helpful if you don't know it yet https://dzone.com/articles/depth-android-package-manager If you want to know it for sure how the installation takes place you could try tofind it out on a rooted device: hook certain classes in the installd process using frida-trace. Then you will see if the glass is used the way you think.

Android app installation process is not very straightforward like APK is opened, files are extracted, and placed in the relevant directories. In fact, scores of components are involved in the app installation process under the hood; framework services in the Java layer, in the native layer, IPC calls and so on.
Also there are many variable factors which decide how the app will be installed. APK file is opened multiple times during this whole process, possibly in different ways, at different stages.
That said, now to address your question, here I quote two instances from the source code: when the APK file is copied to /data/app/<pkg>/base.apk, and when the native libraries are extracted (if applicable). The Java code in both places (from the PackageManagerService) calls the the native code (from libziparchive). And here both compression methods you have mentioned are being checked during the ZIP / APK extraction process. Similar approach is used when extracting other files like classes (DEX code), assets and XML resources.

The different ZIP algorithms used for accessing APK entries were the cause of the Janus  vulnerability (CVE-2017-13156) as different algorithms had a different view on the APK which allowed to modify the APK without invalidating the APK signature. That was the reason Google developen APK signature v2 format (which signs the whole ZIP file content).

Thank you for the two instances mentioned, but I am looking specifically for when the AndroidManifest.xml is being extracted. I also noticed that the behavior is different if it is Android 8 than Android 11.


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How to add extension Allow CORS in Android Tab Chrome browser
I need to open a website in mobile chrome browser. Its not opening there is CORS issue. I fixed that issue in Laptop added a extension Allow CORS in Chrome browser. When I tried in mobile there is no option to add extension.
How can I fix this issue in Samsung Tab is there any workaround ?

Chrome for Android doesn't support extensions. You have to use other browsers.

@AndrewT. - Kiwi Browser solved my issue.


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In-app update out of the Play Store?
I have a local Android application,  a custom scanner application, that is used in a cabinet factory production environment.
This application is not published on the Play Store. It is installed using a link to the apk on our local network. We do install apps and app updates one by one. We already have around 100 scanners. So, it's a pain updating all those one by one.
The question is: Can an in-app update be implemented in this way? I mean, without using the Play Store? Like writing in-app update code in the main activity but pointing to the link to the apk on our local network instead of the Play Store.
In other words, putting the new apk on the local server and using the link for the in-app update code, instead of uploading the app to the Play Store?
I've been looking for information for a few days unsuccessfully.
NOTE: I'm trying to do this out of the Play Store because the scanners in the production environment do not have internet access for security and safety purposes. They only have access to the local network via Wi-Fi.

An app can update itself (see e.g. f-droid store), but to actually install the app update Android shows a user consent page where you have to select the "Install" button. Only system apps can install apps without user consent.

MDM solutions are also an alternative, as they may also provide a built-in store to push app updates to multiple devices directly.

@Robert, do you have any tutorial that I can follow, I'm completely new on this. So I'm kind of lost. I checked documentation, but not sure if I need to create kind of a local f-droid store or something like that. Because remember that the devices have no access to internet. Also, each device needs to have f-droid app installed on it?
Thanks in advanced!

@AndrewT. Which MDM do you recommend, please let me know.
Thanks in advanced!

You only need to download the APK file and then trigger installation for the APK file. There are a lot of examples on https://Stackoverflow.com. How you organize the apps on server side is up to you.


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Bluetooth transmitter function working on an Android device
I have a Bluetooth transmitter and receiver, and would like to get the transmitter function working on an Android device, with the idea being an audio input into the transmitter end gets output on the device end wirelessly.
The manual of that device shows that the TX works under something called SBC and aptX.
Is there a way to have an android device be considered as SBC, aptX, or its variants?

SBC and aptX are just names of audio codecs. SBC is the standard Bluetooth audio codec supported by all Android devices and aptX is a proprietary codec with better quepality supported by some Android devices. Your main problem is that usually Android only sends Bluetooth Audio. Not sure if an app can receive Bluetooth Audio traffic.


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How to play a video indefinitely on loop on Amazon Fire TV Stick?
I have an Amazon Fire TV Stick and a video file. I want to play on loop for a several hours. I have attached the USB to the Firestick using an OTG dongle. I have the Kodi app to play the video on a loop using a playlist set to repeat all.
But I want to make sure, while it's playing, it won't turn off on its own due to some timeout or sleep setting even if it plays for like 6 hours straight.
Does anyone know if it would happen and what settings to change to prevent this?


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Automate inserting 2FA code when screen is locked
I use a service for which I'm forced to use two-factor authentication whenever I log in. It's pretty inconvenient and unnecessary, so I would like to automate accepting the authentication request when it arrives on my phone.
The service uses an Android app that sends a notification when an authentication request arrives. When I then open the app, I need to insert a 4-digit PIN code which accepts the request.
I tried using an automation app (MacroDroid) to open the 2FA app whenever it sends a notification and simulates the four clicks. However, this only works when the phone is unlocked, and as far as I understand, I will run into this problem with any automation app.
The goal is to accept any authentication request without having to interact with my phone. Is there a way to insert the code without unlocking my screen? Would I have to root it? Or do I just have to keep my phone permanently unlocked?

As far as I know, this is not possible. I would go an alternate route. Install an android emulator on a pc, install the 2FA automation there, and just keep that running. Do note that bypassing 2FA is very insecure and is definitely not recommended. I would complain about it and see if you either can get extempted from the service side, or that they allow some kind of caching, such that you only have to accept it every x days.

Installing a 2FA on a desktop doesn’t require an Android emulator provided its not Okta Verify, since that particular 2FA, is special

I have automated this by using WinAuth. Once the QR auth is fed, it supports using a shortcut key to enter Auth PIN on any text field. Very handy and I am able to login at 2FA sites/applications in a jiffy with this

Hi Arvind, its too succinct for mosr people. Prrhaps you could edit it and expand it.

Looks like this is a Windows app, not an Android app. Did you mean to supplement the suggestion in the comment thread on the question regarding "using an Android emulator on a PC"? Otherwise, could you [edit] and expand on how to achieve this with an Android device?


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How to disable creation of multiple users option completely?
I'm looking to disable the option for creating more than one user on my Pixel 6a phone (running Calyx OS).
The standard way to do it seems to be this. However, this requires TWRP which is not available for Pixel 6a. Alternately, The BuildProp editor app that they recommend is no longer available on the Play Store.
Is there a way around these limitations?

On recent systems editing a file like /system/build.prop on main/system partition doesn't work anymore. Using magisk and modules it is possible to let the system load different properties. See e.g. https://github.com/Magisk-Modules-Repo/MagiskHidePropsConf

You can try this module Disables the multiple users feature in Android.  I never needed to so haven't used it

@beeshyams this link doesn't have a readme so I'm not sure what it does. I don't have the technical know how to parse a script that deals with android backend

I just tried it , it works on stock ROM . From settings tapping Add user or profile or add guest does not act. Nothing happens unlike before when you could create a user. It works on stock . With your ROM, only you can confirm

I just tried this, after I boot into recovery mode and try the command adb pull /system/build.prop as per the instructions, I get an error adb: error: failed to get feature set: no devices/emulators found. So I guess the adb is not detected?

Recovery mode is quite different from TWRP mode which is like a scaled down OS. Method meant for TWRP mode will not work for recovery mode//Also read the first comment made by @Robert //Lastly, I told you the Magisk module works on your model. Trying that on your ROM is the easiest way IMO //It's good to experiment but you should know the difference between TWRP and stock recovery

thanks for that advice. I will try this out. I'm just a bit vary of doing something I don't understand

Unless you tag me @myname_here, I will not be notified


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Can I run an Android emulator (with GUI) on a headless Linux server?
I have a hosted server that runs the Ubuntu server, and I was wondering if there was a way to run Android applications and get access to the Android GUI remotely, such as with a remote desktop. Also, is there a way to set up this without installing a complete GUI on the remote server to preserve resources?

Have not used but aware of: AOSP- Cuttlefish Virtual Android Devices

It's commercial, but Canonical's AnBox Cloud should be able to do what you need. It runs Android in containers and is intended for streaming Android games, but that is not its only use.
I looked at it for on-premises software testing, because I had test data that I wasn't willing to put on a cloud platform, and Canonical reckoned that could be done.


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Frp bypass for voyager 3
I have RCA voyager 3. My wife and I are the original owners but after factory reset it won't let us login to the owner account tried to hold and press password to find assist button, there isn't one that shows up. Can anyone give advice.


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Repeat calendar reminders until dismissed
I want appointment reminders from Google Calendar appointments, hopefully allowing different sounds for different calendars, but for sure playing the sound whenever the Google Calendar reminder is set for, and until dismissed.  But my phone isn't glued to me, nor am I to it.  I might or might not have it with me outside.  I don't hear it in the shower.  I don't rush back to it to see if I missed something.  One little ding doesn't do it for me.
My Galaxy S5 worked for me.  I had CalenGoo set to repeat reminders every 5 minutes.
My Pixel 3 XL doesn't.  CalenGoo is set up just the same, but Android 12 only occasionally plays the sound.  Might play it hours late, or not at all, even with the battery saver turned off.  One issue apparently is if I haven't opened an app for N days, the notifications just stop.  It's an issue for me for both CalenGoo and WhatsApp.  I usually use the computer, not the phone.  But even if I remember to poke the app and keep the battery saver off, the reminders still usually just don't.
I tried 'Repeat Reminder Plus', but it presumes as soon as I open the app, it's done.
Maybe CalenGoo hasn't been updated as needed for Android 12, and if I try a slew more calendar or repeat reminder apps, I might find one that works?


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Adding tasks to Microsoft To Do using voice only - goes to Keep instead
I recently moved from Google Tasks to Microsoft ToDo and it's very good, which should not be a surprise considering it's Wunderlist underneath.
Using Android Auto in the car, I want to be able to add to my Microsoft To Do Tasks list using voice only. Microsoft Support says to use voice commands with Microsoft To Do on Android, tap the microphone icon in the Google search bar, say "Ok Google, add a note...", and select Microsoft To Do as your default app.
That does not work for me though when I just say "Ok Google, add a note...", without taping first, a note gets added to Google Keep. I can't see anywhere to change the default so it's added to the Tasks list in Microsoft To Do.
Has anyone been able to get it working?

You may need to say "Ok Google, create a note on Microsoft ToDo", based on: https://developer.android.com/reference/app-actions/built-in-intents/productivity/create-digital-document#example-queries

As mentioned by Morrison Chang, based on my experiment with WhatsApp with the help of Google Assistant Help, mentioning the app name directly might affect the result.

I tried that but it still went to Keep:see voice commands and keep

I found an old techcommunity post that gave me a close solution for Samsung only which works for me though it would be nice to have a nonproprietary solution and not to need an intermediary app.

Requires a Samsung phone. Enable Bixby, Samsung's virtual assistant, by searching for the Bixby app and clicking enable. In the Settings -> Language and voice style, you can choose one of 2 voices.
Enable the hidden reminder app on your Samsung phone by opening the Samsung calendar, selecting the menu, and tapping reminder, You will be taken to the reminder app and an app shortcut will be added to your app screen.
Open the Samsung reminder app -> Settings & tap Sync with Microsoft To Do, sign in with your Microsoft account, and accept the permission request.
You now see the synced Tasks under Microsoft To Do
You can now say "Hey Bixby add a reminder to walk the dog"
Go into the reminder and see "Walk the dog" as a new Task. It will have a red dot after it, which disappears when it has synced. The To Do then shows in your To Do task list.

Initially when I did the last step earlier the note appeared in To Do under a new list called Reminder. I am unsure how this changed to go into Tasks but it's working now.


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A universal way of changing the PIN code on a mobile SIM card
Is there a universal way to change the PIN code on a SIM card for a mobile/cell phone?
Will it work on both my phone's two SIM cards, SIM1 and SIM2?

Is there a universal way to change the pin code on a SIM-card for a mobile/cell phone?

Enter * * 04 * oldPIN * newPIN * newPIN # in the usual way that you dial a phone number (i.e. through the "Phone" app if it's on Android). This is defined by ETSI GSM 02.30.

Will it work on both my phone's two SIM-cards, SIM1 and SIM2?

Dual-SIM phones were outside the scope of the standard, so it depends on the way each manufacturer implements its SIM selection UI.


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Is there a way to stagger notificaton sounds?
Sometimes people send you messages line per line, sometimes there's bunch of emails or photos forwarded or maybe just couple of email in a row. There's no need for me to hear each of the 15 beeps in a minute individually and I would love to able to stagger notification sounds to limit them to say 1 beep per 5 minutes.
I couldn't find any options on Google or get any useful sugestions from ChatGPT.
Is there a way to do this?
I don't mind hacky options and my phone has root access.
Thank you for sharing any thoughts on this

Welcome to Android Enthusiasts. There's a related Q&A for a similar issue: Delay notifications, let us know if the answer helps or not, thanks.

I think its a duplicate

Thanks for bringing this similar question up. From what I've gathered main suggestion there is to use Light Flow Pro, which has been abandoned for awhile and only works on much older versions of Android.


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Sporadically not receiving texts sent to me from iMessage users-- how do you deal?
As most here are probably aware, there are issues communicating between iMessage and Android MMS/SMS apps. For me, I will send a message to an iMessage user and they may or may not receive it with no error message. Sometimes it's the other way around. I have tried to deregister my number from iMessage (my number is not registered with them apparently) and I've made sure I have sufficient data and/or wifi and watched it happen (or not happen) in real time. I've heard of AirMessage but chances of someone with an Android phone having a spare Apple pc to leave powered on all day seems quite slim. To this day I can't get my American peers to install WhatsApp without major pushback. As someone who does not participate in major social media platforms (for my mental health), this has resulted in many missed opportunities time and time again.
So I have a 2 part question:

What exactly is the technical explanation for this phenomenon?
In late 2023, what is the state of the art "solution" for this ongoing frustrating problem? Has anyone out there "fixed" inter-platform messaging for themselves?

As Apple refuses to implement RCS and iMessage is proprietary and iOS only the only way to receive messages from iMessage is via SMS and may be MMS. For SMS I don't see any point where you could do something that has an effect on the reception of messages. For MMS make sure your phone is correctly configured.

In my opinion the reason for this problem is that users are too lazy and only follow the most simplest way. For Apple this is iMessage and for Android WhatsApp. Both messengers are IMHO bad for multiple reasons like privacy. Secure alternatives like Signal exist....