text:
Game Crashes During Play
After playing Family Guy for several years, it suddenly began to crash while playing. The app is saved to my SD card and there appears to be plenty of space left on the card as well as on the device.
What might be causing the crashes and how can I stop them?

Why?
SD cards are usually slower than internal storage. Never put games in the SD card.
Another reason could be that there were big updates to the game and slowly could have made the game crash at times.
The Fix?
Take the game out of the SD card. Only use SD cards for photos & videos, light apps, and music.

according to your description, I think the main reason is that the game is placed in the SD card, causing the card to slow down or even crash. The local storage and SD card reading speed are inconsistent, and using a high-speed and high-quality SD card will reduce this problem.
Besides, there may be several reasons:

Your Android phone has too much cache, and when the phone is too cached, the app will run slower and crash.
There are too many running programs in the background of your Android phone. The closed app just exits the desktop and is still running in the background.
The game is not compatible with the system. Too high or too low.
Missing data package. Crash is also caused by the lack of data packets when running the game. This can happen if the packet .obb file is deleted by mistake.
Like most game of Gamaloft, if you lost .obb file, it will crash.

If you don't plan to change a mobile phone, you need to clean your phone often:

Navigate to Settings on your phone. Setting>>Apps>>Choose the app you don’t like>> uninstall or force stop.
Navigate to Settings on your phone. Setting>>Storage>>Cached Data.
Use Agile File Manager to free up your storage. It can simply delete cached files, along with miscellaneous files that are larger than 10 MB. The Boost option can closes apps you’re not using that are still running in the background.
The last thing to say is that for Android phones, restarting the phone can solve more than half of the problems. When your device has been running for a long time, and if it is a low-end phone. Rebooting the phone will erase all blocked apps and fix freezes and crashes on apps on Android devices.


text:
Infinite time lapse using with cloud storge
I was looking for a solution that would send my backup directly to cloud so that my phone memory would not fill up.
I am trying to make a very long time lapse (many frames over long period of time).
I was trying to use tasker to setup a loop job to take pictures and after some time (presumably after they are backed up to google photos) delete the file. Yet deleting the file resulted in photo being deleted from google photos too...
Any suggestions? Maybe I have not tried all Andorid time lapse apps or maybe some premium version of one has this kind of feature?

Since you are already Using Tasker, you can upload your photos to Dropbox (either set auto-upload in the Dropbox app or use the FolderSync plug-in). When a photo is uploaded to Dropbox, then deleted from the device, it remains in Dropbox.

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


text:
How the updates of some apps in the Play Store start from ~50%?
For example, when I updated Whatsapp today, the download started from 13.1MB and the app size was 23.4MB. I had disabled all auto updates. I have also noticed this in some other app updates.

Google Play provides delta updates, which allow you to only download the data needed to patch your existing files to the latest version.  This is done at a binary level, so you will typically need to download more data than has changed, but still less than the entire app.

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


text:
Moto E , Tried 55 times on Pattern lock screen
I changed my pattern recently. Tried it 55 times and hasn't showed "Forgotten Password' option. HELPP Moto E

Why the downvotes looks a genuine question to me ?

See Where has the forgotten password button gone?

How can I fix it?
You must factory reset the phone. There will be no pattern.
What's a factory reset?
It wipes all of your data (including your password)


text:
K9Mail doesn't replicate Hotmail / Outlook.com folder structure
I have switched from the Gmail app to K9Mail yesterday because I needed multi-folder sync. However, I'm having trouble replicating the folder contents from my Hotmail account in K9Mail, a problem I didn't have with Gmail.
The folders not correctly replicated in K9Mail are the "special" folders Drafts, Deleted, Sent, and Junk.
I have found settings to set the special folders in the app, but they always appear to be empty. If I move an e-mail to "Drafts" in K9Mail, it does in fact create a new folder on the server, which happens to have the same name as the Hotmail draft folder.
On the other hand, if I put something in the Hotmail drafts folder, I cannot seem to access it at all in K9Mail.
Is this a shortcoming I have to live with, or am I missing something here?

Are you using IMAP?

@Alex.S Yes, I do.


text:
Android USB port suddenly functional
I did system update on my android device and after some days, i discovered my phone which used to fully charge under two hours could only charge around 10% in an hour. I couldn't connect via the USB to the computer anymore.
So today after i made up my mind i was going to take it to a repairer, everything suddenly returned to normal. I don't know how i can explain that. Should i still take it there or keep using it ?

I would continue using it.

Could of just been a setting that went unnoticed
Could of been a glitch in the actual wire (maybe the connectors on eac end or the wire itself)

There's a number of things it may of been but if it's working fine now, I'd recommend just using it.  "If it ain't broke don't fix it".


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Forwarding all mail in Gmail using using android app.
My father, nearly 80, has forgotten his gmail password and cannot recover it. However, it is saved on his android phone so he can access it on his phone, but not on a laptop he wishes to set up. I suggested he create a new gmail account and autoforward all mail from his current gmail (via his android phone) to his new gmail account.
How can he do this from his android gmail app? I can't find a universal forwarding option for mail to the account.

Unfortunately, there is no option like this in the gmail app. You would have to log in on the website to change it, maybe the login is saved in the chrome app, so you can set up the automated forwarding there.
You can even set up another e-mail in the accounts settings of your google account, where you could recover the mails. Just go to accounts.google.com on the phone and there you can set up a lot.
But only, if the password is saved.
The only solution if the password is not saved would be:

forward every existing mail to the new mail account
create an automated answer for the old account with the new mailadress inside
keep the old account still in gmail in case of any important mails
transfer the accounts, which are linked to the old mail adress to the new by entering a new mailadress in the respective accounts (i.e. banking, news, amazon and so on)

You can now use gmail multi email forward to do this

Hi! Can you provide instructions on how to do this? We prefer detailed answers. In need of assistance on answering, please visit our [help]. Thanks!

I failed to find if this is a native feature of Gmail for Android (I didn't see such thing), or even on Web. Looks like this needs a Chrome extension (which is not supported on Chrome for Android)?

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


text:
How can I save bug reports from my Android device to my local storage using ES or any other app?
When I take a bug report (e.g. through the power menu, after this option has been enabled in Settings), a notification appears and after tapping this, I get a number of options to complete the action. I can send the bug report using Gmail, save it to Dropbox, etc. All of these work fine. However what I would really like to do is to save it to my local storage. I tried to use "ES Save To" for this, part of ES File Explorer. But when I tried to do it, I got an error "This operation is not supported".
I figure that if it's possible to save bug reports into the cloud, it must be technically possible to save them to local storage. Does anyone know why "ES Save To" does not work for this, and could recommend how to achieve this goal?
I'm using Android 5.0 and I'm just saving to something on the normal internal storage, not external SD card or anything like that.


text:
I created a new Google account. How can I migrate my android device to use this new account?
I just made a new Google account, and I wish to migrate my android device to use this new account for Google Play et al. I've spent about an hour researching this so far, and the only answer I've found thus far is to factory reset my device.
This is not a viable solution, as I have thousands of apps, contacts, and other personal data that would take far too long to recover, and doing so would be inefficient. Surely the folks at Google have developed a smart way to go about this.
There must be some kind of way to simply "log out" and "log in".
How might I do this?

The truth is that I need to access google services (namely: Play) to deal with a friend's rooted (smh) android device. I was going to use my own account, but then I realized that I've never actually logged out on my own phone. So I looked around, and realized: I have absolutely no idea how to "swap" accounts. I would like to fix this device for them, but I obviously can't give a device with my account on it to someone else. That's a pretty huge security risk. I also realize that this situation could come up in the future for myself, hence the generalized scenario.

You can have multiple Android devices signed in to your Google account. And you can also easily remove your account from your friends phone from Settings -> Accounts & Sync, where you can also tell it not to synchronize your sensitive data with his phone.

@AaronGillion Thanks for the tip! Might you want to add it as an answer?

Sure, well, maybe I didn't want to (haha), but after finding some useful illustrations I decided to make an answer out of it. Hope it helps!

You can have multiple Android devices signed in to your Google account, as observed in Play Store's Device Manager:

You can also easily remove your account from your friends phone from Settings -> Accounts & Sync, where you can also instruct the phone not to synchronize your sensitive data with his phone (ex. sync Family Calendar but not App Data or Contacts!)
In this screenshot, the "Remove" button is on the top-right after you hit your menu key.

Hope this clears up your concerns!


text:
WiFi won't stay on after factory reset
I have PendoPad 7" tablet (PNDP5M7BLK) on Android 5.0.2. My wife reset it using factory reset, and the WiFi won't stay on so I can't connect to internet.
Any ideas?

Did you try resetting it again? I would try resetting 3 more times before moving on to this XDA thread... if that doesn't work, buy a new tablet!

Actually, I think I fixed it. I did another factory reset, and tried wi-fi, wouldn't work, tried reboot, didn't work. But I then turned off then turned on, and worked. Thanks for replying!


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How can I seamlessly make my phone a network drive?
Back when I had an LG G2, it had this awesome feature called Wireless Storage. If you're not familiar with it, it essentially allowed you to tap a button to instantly turn your internal storage into a drive on your local network. You could then go into Windows Explorer, type in the local IP and password Wireless Storage provided, and be able to browse your phone exactly as if it was connected over MTP/USB or Bluetooth (but in my experience, I found it to be far faster and more reliable).
Now that I have a Galaxy Note 5, is there any way to recreate that same wireless storage feature, or at least come close to how seamlessly it worked?

There are several apps in the Play Store that can do this. One I've had some luck with is Samba Server.  To see other options, search the store with keywords like file server. Some functionality will require a rooted device, so YMMV.
Each of these have their pros and cons. I recommend trying a few to see which fit your specific situation best. Hopefully one of the free ones will work best for you!

As for other examples of thos "several apps", be welcome to check the Server listings on my site ;)

You use WiFi File Transfer. It has good reviews (50,000 of them), it's free, and works in hotspot mode!

Here's a full list of its features:

• Upload or download multiple files at once
• Upload entire folder structures (Google Chrome only)
• Delete, rename, copy, zip or unzip files using the built-in file
  manager interface
• Password authentication (optional)
• Shortcuts to photo, video and music directories
• Runs as a background service
• View photos directly in your web browser (integrated thumbnail
  gallery)
• Autostart service when connected to home network (optional)
• Provides access to external SD cards and USB storage devices
• Works while the device is in hotspot mode

Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.smarterdroid.wififiletransfer
Affiliation: None


text:
App updates from different sources
I'd like to know why F-Droid shows updates before Google Play Store. Typically these are apps like Hacker's Keyboard and NetGuard Firewall, etc. Wouldn't the developers of such apps submit changes at the same time to both?
F-Droid also tells me that the signing key is different as well. Is it a common practice to create new signing keys upon updating an app?
(Yes, I'm concerned about 3rd-parties using dirty tricks to gain access to my devices.)

I'd like to know why F-Droid shows updates before Google Play Store. Wouldn't the developers of such apps submit changes at the same time to both?

It's common for app developers to upload their updates to many markets at the same time; certainly they want as many users as possible to use their latest update. The only difference is how quick their updates are up on each store. Since F-Droid update workflow is considerably simpler than Play Store (automatic build from source, and no further server validation), big chance the apps will be up on there first.
While I have never used F-Droid, market apps in general can check updates for already-installed apps by getting and comparing their package names and versions, even though if it's installed from different source. (That's already possible by comparing 3rd-party apps manager: show app's package name and version from its manifest).

F-Droid also tells me that the signing key is different as well. Is it a common practice to create new signing keys upon updating an app?

From this statement, I assume you installed the apps originally from Play Store, then F-Droid notified you about the update.
First, I think there's a little misunderstanding: it's uncommon to create new signing keys upon updating an app, because it prevents users to update it!
The more reasonable practice is, that the developers use different keys for each store, but still (and must) use the same key when updating their apps to particular store. This might be used to prevent cross-market to interfere the update (e.g. security issue, different flavor, etc).
The other reason (which is this case) is, F-Droid forces their apps to be signed by them:

Packages built by F-Droid are signed by F-Droid, so all apps in the official F-Droid repo are signed by F-Droid keys. F-Droid will generate a new key for each app that is included. All of the different APKs built from different versions of an app will be signed by the same app key. But do note: if an app is also distributed in an APK signed by the developer, like in the Google Play Store, then the F-Droid APK will have a different signature.
(Emphasis mine)

Which is one of the reasons some devs are using their own F-Droid repositories users can add to their client (see e.g. Inofficial (and incomplete) list of F-Droid repositories). In those, apps are usually signed by the same keys used for Play Store.

Thank you for your detailed answer. The f-droid repositories list I didn't know about and should prove helpful in thefuture. Cheers!


text:
Plug android USB to PC, get malicious file?
Hello :) so i have been googling about it but no info on my specific question.
About the safety of transfering files to/from PC. Where there's a possibility of android get malicious file unknowingly from PC. Where you cant fully sure if the PC is free from malicious file.
I read that some ways to prevent that is. Turn off usb debugging.
Is there still a way of the android to get affected?
Also is there more way to be safer?
Thank you for whoever responded :)

You can use Antivirus software on your Android device.

Android Devices cannot be affected in any way when you connect it to a computer (atleast when connected in MTP mode)..
There might be a possibility that you'll get affected, that too only when USB Debugging (ADB mode) is ON, because there might be a chance that there's a virus in your computer that can install a payload virus application directly (without your knowledge) via the ADB mode to your device.
That app might be a type of virus that periodically displays advertisements, or can be installed as a payloaded (modded) update to an existing application (like a Browser or even Banking app) (with same package name) in your device that can track every info you provide to the app (even the user credentials you provide, like username and password). Or in the worst case, it can be a exploit app that can install itself or its other apps as system app, making it impossible to uninstall (unless you root your device).
So switch OFF ADB mode when not used or when you're not working in a trustable computer.
When your device is connected in USB Mass Storage Mode (which is removed since KitKat), there's a chance that a virus in your computer might place crafted virus files in the removable disk (popular viruses like autorun.inf, New Folder .exe, Shortcut virus, etc.), but that won't affect your Android device in any way. Only when you connect the device to another computer (in UMS mode), there's a chance that the computer might get affected.
Other than these, I don't think there's anything harmful when connected to computer, AFAIK.


text:
Can I get Stagefright from a friend?
So let's say my friend is infected with the Stagefright bug, if he sends me a video/sound will I get the virus too? Also, can voice messages on whatsapp be infected?

No, Stagefright doesn't work like that. It's not like computer virus/worm which can spread to other device, but it's an OS vulnerability.
It depends only if your device has been patched or not (e.g. OS update/security update). If it has, then you can be pretty sure that such MMS won't affect your device (for particular Stagefright attack vector. AFAIK, there are multiple, not only one).
For further reading, see Stagefright security issue: what can a regular user do to mitigate the issue without a patch?

Well, to be clear, if OP's devices is vulnerable to StageFright, then the fact that his friend was infected via the StageFright vulnerability vastly increase the chances of also being infected by it. So, as you pointed out, the answer hinges on whether or not OP's phone is vulnerable, but that's different from the implication I read from the first sentence.


text:
Making mediaserver immediately scan a file created through ADB
The mediaserver in my stock and rooted Android 6.0.1 (running in Nexus 6) doesn't detect new files created or moved to into /sdcard using adb. It doesn't detect until I do a soft/full reboot which I find unacceptable to perform.
I'm able to manually run mediaserver using command-line to begin file scanning again# and I want this to be done automatically and immediately whenever a new file is created under /sdcard. At the moment, I have Tasker run the mediaserver whenever USB cable is unplugged.*
The obvious choice here seems to be an automation app of which I tried Tasker and Automate, and both amazingly failed to detect new files, particularly under /sdcard/Music, when created through adb. However, if an app created files in any directory under /sdcard those two apps immediately detected the changes. I also tried pushing files to /storage/emulated/0/ instead of /sdcard/ and made corresponding changes in those two apps' triggers.That step didn't benefit me.
It is to be noted that I observed this problem in stock Android 5.1.1 and a CM13 snapshot build as well.
So, how do I achieve the goal?
Update
I'm aware of the possibility of creating an alias in the OS running in my PC which would execute a script providing a way to push the file as well as run the mediaserver. However, it is something I would like to avoid as much as possible.
* I was using it but later switched to a script executed from PC using an alias. However, I do not want to depend upon any of the two methods. My fingers are comfortable with typing adb push instead of adb_push or some other but single word.
Update 2

I do not intend to restrict myself to a particular directory, such as Download and neither pushing files into the latter actually works.
I would like to stress that I'm not asking for how to run mediaserver. That I already know. All I'm looking for is: Whenever I do adb push FILE /sdcard/FILE the mediaserver should automatically and immediately kick in and scans the file. Regardless of any perceivable performance issue, I want it to kick in every single time.

Update 3
Okay, I may be using an incorrect term. Perhaps mediaserver and media scanner are terms for two different things in Android. In the case of confusion, please stick with
"media scanner" for both the current revision and the bounty note.
Update 4
# Courtesy of androidyue for this helpful resource, any of the following command in preformatted text is what I can use in my device to make media scanner scan the file.

# FILE_PATH refers to the location of pushed file in Android. E.g. /sdcard/Music/lolcat.mp3

am broadcast -a android.intent.action.BOOT_COMPLETED -n com.android.providers.media/.MediaScannerReceiver
am broadcast -a android.intent.action.MEDIA_SCANNER_SCAN_FILE -d file://FILE_PATH   # guaranteed to work. See https://goo.gl/lH0CLT for proof.
am broadcast -a android.intent.action.MEDIA_MOUNTED -d file://FILE_PATH

Update 5
Per the suggestion from Manubhargav, I tried Sarkie's MTPFix available here. It didn't work, both in stock Android 6.0.1 and CM13. I saw the following entry when I enabled the service for that app.
04-07 09:38:14.771  3383  3383 I MTPService: Watching /storage/emulated/0

I later pushed a sound file into /storage/emulated/0/ and nothing showed up in my music player. Logcat also didn't display anything useful either.
By the way, this app uses FileObserver, so I'm not surprised if it couldn't detect files created using adb, since it is the same issue with the automation apps I tried.

Note: Please post an answer only when you've tested it yourself. Thank you!

I found this, it's beyond my scope of knowledge (the answers point back to some MediaScannerConnection tool in developer tools) but it might help... http://stackoverflow.com/questions/15147536/how-to-trigger-mediascan-on-nexus-7

Note to readers: please don't suggest me to compile adb. That I'm not going to do even if you provide details for it.

Sarkie's MTP fix(APK to be installed on device) helps mediaserver scan the files copied under MTP. It scans recursively External Storage Directory and then adding to Media Scanner once a file has been created.  It might help with ADB too, worth a try.

Okay, it seems the answer is trivial. My fingers don't have to lose the comfort of typing adb push, yet I would be able to cause media scanner scan my pushed file, automatically and immediately. Here's my script tweaked to my needs:
(Note: root access is not required in Android)

#!/bin/bash

function push_file () {
    target="${@: -1}";
    file_path="${@: -2:1}";
    [[ "$prog_bar" == "-p" ]] && adb "$@" || $call_adb push -p "$file_path" "$target";
}

function broadcast () {
    file_name="$(basename "$file_path")";
    [[ `echo "${target: -1}"` != "/" ]] && unset file_name;
    [[ `echo "${target:0:1}"` != "/"  ]] && target="/${target}";
    $call_adb shell 'am broadcast -a android.intent.action.MEDIA_SCANNER_SCAN_FILE -d '"\"file://$target$file_name\""'' > /dev/null;
}

if [[ "$1" == "-s" ]]; then
    if [[ "$3" == "push" ]]; then
        prog_bar="$4";
        call_adb="adb -s $2";
        push_file "$@" && broadcast;
    else
        adb "$@";
    fi
elif [[ "$1" == "push" ]]; then
        prog_bar="$2";
        call_adb="adb";
        push_file "$@" && broadcast;
else
    adb "$@";
fi

I then setup an alias named adb in .bashrc like this:
alias adb='bash FILE'  # FILE refers the file path of the said script

This was possible thanks to the very helpful article: Handling positional parameters at Bash Hackers Wiki.
Note: the script  more or less requires a *nix based OS in PC with version 4.x of Bash installed and support for .bashrc. If you intend to use the script, you're encouraged to edit it to suit your working style.

I'm not sure how the media scanner works exactly,
I think that the media scanner constantly updates the Download folder inside internal storage...
if something doesn't show up inside another folder, i copy it to the download folder and it triggers media scanner...
Try using Download folder inside Internal Storage as the absolute path

Nope. Doesn't work. BTW, did you yourself try this approach using ADB?

adb shell am broadcast android.intent.action.MEDIA_MOUNTED               .........From http://stackoverflow.com/a/19435985/6116090

I think you misunderstand my question. I've virtually no problem in running the mediaserver manually. My question is about doing things automatically without any intervention from me. It means, as soon as I do adb push FILE /sdcard/DIR/ mediaserver should kick in and scan the file.

Have you tried making a batch file to automate the script.. Windows is commandlist.bat and Linux is commandlist.sh

Yes. I'm currently using a simple script and I don't want to depend upon it. I've even addressed this in my question. Please check the content below Update in my question.


text:
Smartwatch compatibility
One can get a "cheap smartwatch" (most likely running Nucleos) for EUR 30 or less, a Pebble watch (usually running PebbleOS) for EUR 100 or less, or a watch running android-wear starting at a little more than EUR 100. Having decided to check with the first variant, I've seen its use from the point of view of an Android user is quite limited: it makes a lot of noise if it gets too far from the Android device (to prevent you from losing it), and it can show some (not all) notifications. Squinting at the latter, I notice it requires a huge companion app plus the Google services to work with an Android device1. I'm not at all sure about the Pebble, running an OS based on the FreeRTOS kernel.

So my question, purely from the point-of-view of an Android user: What are the pros/cons and compatibility issues of those systems?

Please leave aside device specific things like water-proofness, Svarovski stones on the corners, or "valuable brandings": I'm not asking for a shopping advice on a specific model here. Also please keep out "personal preferences" (those which fall into the category of "primarily opinion-based") as core element (side-marks are of course OK), but rather stick to facts. What I'm looking for is general/canonical information about compatibility and basic features concerning their interplay/interaction with "my Android device" (you could phrase it "how they improve my Android user-experience").
(Using my Google-Fu on "Pebble versus Wear" etc. mostly brought up specific device comparisons only, like "LG G Watch versus Pebble round" – which is not what I'm after. I don't want a device comparison – I want some background on the underlying systems and their "co-operation" with Android)

PS: With a first answer being available, I'm also specifically interested to know which of the systems works without Google Services being installed – or whether there exist dependencies other than their "controlling app". Backing by "official/authoritative sources" would be very welcome in this context.

1: My devices are running without GApps, and the microG replacement does not yet support Wear

Depends on app support.
Basically, watches like some of Samsung's watches (running Tizen) may only support their firmware, because there's compatibility baked into the system, proprietary apps and such.
When it's Android, it'd be best to go for Android wear devices, as Android Wear is basically Android modified for usage on wearable devices. Even when you're not using GApps, you're still using the AOSP ecosystem that Google has developed, and Android Wear is linked with AOSP. Since there's underlying integration with the promise of OS updates as long as Android exists, Wear is recommended.

Android Wear - Developed by Google Inc., an official adaptation of the pre-existing Android ecosystem for wearable devices.
Pros :

Developed by the same company that owns and contributes to Android,
therefore underlying compatibility and the promise of future updates.
More apps, due to the Google Play app store.
Deeper linkage with the Android ecosystem.

Cons :

Requires the usage of proprietary applications that aren't open sourced.
Alternatives don't (as of now) offer comparatively equal services as the proprietary apps.1

Pebble OS - Developed by Pebble Inc. for sole usage in their products
Pros :

Not limited to a single phone ecosystem
Doesn't require GApps to function properly.2

Cons :

Requires the usage of Pebble proprietary apps.3
No underlying compatibility baked into Android, therefore less capability and integration at a lesser level.
Lesser apps as compared to Android Wear.

Nucleus RTOS - Developed by Mentor Graphics.
Pros :

Supports various target CPU architectures.
Uses the FAT file system.
Doesn't require GApps to function properly.

Cons :

Closed source (source released only to customers)
No underlying compatibility baked into Android
No generalized app store for usage of various applications4
Limited in interaction with Android devices5

Android for watches - Unofficial modifications of Android for usage on smartphones6
Pros :

Access to the entire Google Play app store.
Gives most (if not all) features of Android on a smartphone.
Doesn't require GApps functionality

Cons :

No guaranteed updates.
Modifications aren't open source.
Less or no support/warranty from OEMs.

1: Wear support is baked into Google Play Services, and additionally requires the Android Wear app. With microG there's an open-source alternative to Play Services (see Android without Google: microG), but Wear support is not yet implemented as of 4/2016. It's in-the-works, though, so it might become available in the second half of 2016. Which would mean that currently "Android Wear" smartwatches are not an option for those preferring "Google-free systems" (without GApps). (note by Izzy)
2: According to Pebble support, their proprietary app relies on functionality of GApps. Quoting: *"Yes, the Pebble does use Google services." Nevertheless, I'm successfully using a Pebble Time Steel without GApps, having the FOSS replacement microG installed. (note by Izzy)
3: The pebble app is only available via Google Play Store. But even if you can side-load it from another source, in order to initialize and use your Pebble you are forced to create a Pebble account – via which, according to their TOS, again a lot of data are collected about your usage etc. No opt-out. (Quoting Pebble service: You will need to make a Pebble account using an email address. After you make the account, you can opt-out of sending analytics/diagnostics. ) This will be a show-stopper for the privacy aware, which for exactly that reason maybe even got rid of the GApps on their devices.  (note by Izzy)
As pointed out by Pebble service, you can alternatively use the open-source Gadgetbridge. Using that, you won't need a Pebble account, no data is sent to Pebble – but also no support for it by Pebble itself: *Please note, that if you go this route, we do not have support for it. I successfully initialized my Pebble Time Steel with Gadgetbridge, and also was able to upgrade the firmware and install a watchface. (note by Izzy)*
4: Most of the Nucleus watches don't even support installing apps. They come with a set of pre-installed apps and watch faces, which you rarely can modify. (note by Izzy)
5: Often only support a subset of notifications, e.g. missing to show those coming in via GCM. Some allow to control the Android devices camera – but usually that's all to expect. (note by Izzy)
6: Unofficial modifications are not licensed or recommended by Google, and such watches are now slowly deprecating in favor of Android Wear.

I've added a few facts to your answer. Looks like you'll even collect the bounty tomorrow :) Still, we miss at least 2 or 3 systems here: Nucleos (watches usually cost EUR 50 or less), Android watches (not "Wear" but pure Android), and maybe the Apple watch. Any ambitions to add those, for the bounty's sake? Getting close to a "canonical answer" then ;)

Will add them now. Thanks for the heads up. :D

Please ping me when done (for comment cleanup). Btw: I've just contacted Pebble for that account issue (footnote #2). Will update when I've got feedback.

Got answer from Pebble. Integrated the facts. Still need to find out whether that alternative open-source app relies on Google Services.

Having received my Pebble Time Steel yesterday, I successfully activated it using Gadgetbridge – updating the Firmware and installing a watchface. So it works without GApps, at least when microG is installed. Updated the answer accordingly.


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Manage lists of apps
Is there such a functionality or app that enables you to manage lists of apps in Play Store?
I want to have lists of apps stored somewhere on the cloud and install an entire list at once. Such a functionality will be useful when you buy a new phone and install all your favorite apps without having to remember them or browse Play Store.

I really don't understand why my question got downvoted ... If you're doing something like this, a comment will be nice too.

Just connect your Google-Account with the PlayStore and allows it to save all your installs. Now if your sign into your account on the new phone you get a lost of all apps you installed ehile you are logged in into this account. Sure you still had to install every app again, but you dont have to search again ;)

That's not gonna do it. This it the list of all apps you installed over time on all your devices, including tablets. There are apps that you don't want to install on your phone or maybe you just tested once. I know you can remove apps from that list, but it's too much of a hassle. I wanted something more convenient.


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Resizing /System Partition on Galaxy S2
I am trying to resize my /system partition on my Galaxy S2 and as soon as I partition /system using various sizes I lose all of the mobile data connectivity & IEMI number is invalid (missing)
However, returning back to stock partition and re-flashing stock ROM returns the IEMI number and mobile data connectivity is fixed.
I need to change my /system partition to 6GB but I can't find any way to stop this partition "bug". I tried hundreds of ways to fix this but none of them worked.
For the mean time I'm just running stock with root (King Root) & I have installed TWRP via the TWRP App.

When re-partitioning the internal storage, you are wiping out the /efs directory that contains device-specific information, including phone's IMEI, wireless MAC address, etc.  This information is encrypted, so you will need to take extra steps to back up this folder, and restore it after partitioning.
You can do this manually by following the steps for backup:

On your computer (assuming Windows PC) open Command window and issue the following commands:

su - accept the prompt on the phone to allow root privileges.
busybox tar zcvf /sdcard/efsbackup.tar.gz /efs - this compresses the contents of the /efs directory and copies the file to your internal SD Card, preserving the Linux file permissions, OR
cat /dev/block/mmcblk0p1 > /sdcard/efsdevblock-mmcblk0p1.img - this copies the entire partition as an image to your internal SD Card. This is probably a safer method.

Copy the file(s) created above (efsbackup.tar.gz and/or efsdevblock-mmcblk0p1.img) from your internal SD Card to your computer.

To restore you would need to do the reverse:

Copy either efsbackup.tar.gz or efsdevblock-mmcblk0p1.img from your PC to /sdcard (the internal SD Card) of your Galaxy S2.
On your PC open Command prompt and issue commands to restore the contents of /efs folder:

su - gain root privileges.
busybox tar zxvf /sdcard/efsbackup.tar.gz -C / - restores only the /efs folder, OR
cat /sdcard/efsdevblock-mmcblk0p1.img > /dev/block/mmcblk0p1 - restores the entire partition containing the folder.

Alternatively, dev community members came up with apps (that you must either side-load or run from your PC) that will automate this process for you.
Keep in mind that while this works on many Samsung devices, other manufacturers store device-specific information in other locations of internal memory, so the instructions will be different, and apps may not work.

REPIT from https://github.com/Lanchon/REPIT aims to preserve exiting data.


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Nova Launcher: Lost the App Drawer Icon
I've installed Nova Launcher on an old phone (1st Gen MotoX). I'm trying to child-proof it by disabling most of the default apps and clearing the home screens with nothing that a child shouldn't be getting into. After updating some Nova Settings, going back to home screen rendered the App Drawer icon missing (the one in the middle of the dock at the bottom of the screen).
Interested in a fix and how to prevent this from happening in the future.

Try this: https://www.reddit.com/r/GalaxyS6/comments/3wh8mt/i_accidentally_deleted_my_app_drawer_icon_on_my/cxwagb9

I'd love to know why this was downvoted. If finding a reddit comment was the expected way to resolve my question, then apologies for my asking.

I didn't downvote, but generally is a response is found by quickly Googling I can understand why

Easy to fix. Just hard-press on the desktop until the query for Wallpapers, Widgets, Settings shows up. Select Widgets, and select (what on my list is #1) - Nova Action. Once placed, it turns into a menu with "App drawer" as the first choice, along with about 30 others. Once you have it selected, move it to your desired spot, either on the desktop, or in the dock, or whereever.

Perfect... I was scouring the settings thinking if have to uninstall and reinstall the app. Any idea why that happened? What to avoid in the future?

I think I was trying to make the dock scroll, so I was looking at infinite scroll, with sweep left, and right.

I found out why this happened... From Nova Settings > Dock > Dock Icons, I had switched it to be set to 1.  The way Nova operates, is the App Drawer icon by default is in the Number 3 position  If you have the Dock Icon number set to 2 or 1, the App Drawer Icon will not appear


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Disable autocorrect from specific application
I'm using my device to do code with Jside and I absolutely need to disable autocorrection. Is there a way to specify application that shall not use autocorrection ?
(Since I'm using swiftkey a lot I need it for texting etc..)

You could probably do this with root and Tasker (detect which app has come into the foreground and turn auto-correct on/off accordingly), but no there is no built-in way to do this.

@MatthewRead This is perfect exactly what I needed Thank you ! If you post you answer bellow I will gladly accept it as the answer

There is no built-in way to do this, but you could probably do it with Tasker and root.  You can create a trigger on application foreground/background to turn auto-correct on or off depending on which app it was.  I am not sure of the specifics since I haven't used Tasker but hopefully you can figure it out.  This Reddit comment is for a similar task (switching keyboards) and might be a good place to start.
AutomateIt might be able to do this as well.


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Voice Unlock Problems on Android Lollipop(Lenovo A6000)
Recently,I had heard about the voice unlocking mechanism in Android,which lets us unlock our lock-screen using our voice.
As shown in the first screenshot, I have enabled all options:

Screenshots: Options enabled / Annoying Box / Homescreen afterwards (click images for larger variants)
Now,I lock my phone. I switch on the screen,and then say "OK Google".
But then this is what annoys me. I want the home screen to pop up as soon as I have said the command,but instead what comes up is what the second screenshot shows.
And then my home screen appears, after the "Listening..." Box, as shown in the third screenshot above.
I do NOT want the Google "Listening..." dialog to pop up.I only want the home screen to pop up as soon as I have said the command.
I HAVE done a lot of searching... but to no avail.
Can anyone solve this?
PS: My phone is a Lenovo A6000 with CyanogenMod 12.1.

Does disabling the first option affect the others?

Yes.When I disable the first option,the others are automatically disabled, can't enable them.Weird huh?


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How to store reminders from Google Now offline?
I find it very convenient to set reminders using voice "OK Google" with Google Now. However, I cannot seem to get it to work when I do not have an internet connection.
Is there a way I can set reminders with voice that will also work when offline?

You can do it on the calendar. Press the plus button, the reminders option will come up. It has slightly fewer options to it but is still a useful reminder.

Go to the time on your phone and then go to alarms and set it up.

Could you describe the process more fully please? Your answer could be helpful if you make it clearer what steps to follow.

Well, it seems this sets a generic alarm on the phone. Whether it can be called as reminder or not, it's questionable.

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


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Marshmallow Heads-up Notifications Gone?
My Galaxy S6 edge recently updated to Android 6.0.1.
Before, when I would get a message from Whatsapp, it would show the message at the top of my screen (Lollipop called it Heads-up notification). Now, only the icon shows up at the top of the screen and I have to pull down the screen in order to see who its from.
It's really irritating! Please help me get that feature back or advise me how to return to Lollipop. Many thanks.

The update never removed Heads Up notifications. You just have to select which apps have the permission to display them.
Go into Settings -> Sound & notification -> App notifications to pull up a list of apps.
Once you select Whatsapp in your case, there will be an "Allow Peeking" checkbox, as so:

(source: staticworld.net)
Just tick that back on, and you'll get those notifications.

If WhatsApp doesn't respect those settings, there is an alternative:

You can download a Fully Customizable Heads-up for WhatsApp from Play Store, which works with the latest WhatsApp update.

Hope this helps!

HI, i have done that but still only the icon comes up at the top and doesnt display the name ect with it!

@Suzie added an alternative! Hope it works!

I can't find this for the messages app on my GS6.


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Unable to activate USB debugging after upgrading to Android 5.1.1
After upgrading my Huawei phone (which is rooted) to Android 5.1.1 (CM 12.1) the 'USB debugging' option is greyed out with message:

'Device is in charging mode, USB debugging is disabled'.

The message is present even when the cable is not connected.
I have already tried following solutions (but the USB debugging is still greyed out):

Restarting the phone
  Disabling developer mode and enabling again
  Disabling developer mode, restarting the phone and enabling it again
  Removing the cable and trying all above solutions

i have seen this in case- not connected to right usb port, cable has got some problem, usb driver not installed properly. charging mode, touch for other options are not present ?

Checked with port changed & with cable change. Drivers was installed yesterday and it was working fine until I upgraded to Android 5.1.1

Will it be helpful if you change one usb charger?

What do you mean by USB charger?

Removing 'persist.system.usb.config' file from data/property/ folder and restarting the device solved the issue for me.
After restart, the device shows the option to enable 'USB debugging'.

Root access is required to remove that file.

Finally a solution that works! Thanks so much! (On my device the file was called "persist.sys.usb.config".)

Just ran into this problem once again and couldn't remember what I did to solve it last time, so I started googling and it took me quite a while to get here. So I'm gonna say it worked like a charm on my HTC One M8 – hopefully Google will pick up the device name and make finding this thread easier next time, instead of pointing exclusively to advice regarding a Samsung-specific bug.

Just a tip, that file is automatically generated by the system prop files, that's why it is in the property folder, The correct way to fix this issue would be to lacate the prop and remove it... Usually that property line is in Build.prop  ... So... Remove the line from Build.prop or change the value from 1 to 0 ... Open the property file and read it as a text file, The value of the property is inside that file.

+1 It works....

Open settings and go to storage
Press menu and go to USB Storage Mode
Change to USB or MTP (NOT Charge only)
Disable and re enable Development options with the 7 clicks on Build Number

Screenshots (click images for larger variants)

Already tried that. Selecting 'USB Computer Connection' displaying message 'USB is now disconnected' (even when it's not connected to a cable)

@Alam same happened to me. Plugging the usb cable to a computer before following these steps solved it for me.

Plug out your USB cable and go to the developer options of your device. There you can activate USB debugging and then you can plug your cable back in.
It isn't enough to only activate developer options.

I have already tried that without any success.


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why does my whatsapp sometimes show me as having been online when I didnt log on at any stage
My whatsapp often shows me as having been online as seen by the "last seen" status, when I have not been on line. Could it possibly be related to my phone Samsung A3, showing me my whatsapp messages as a preview when i receive messages, with the option to close or open message?

No. It is not related to phone problem.
When your WhatsApp in foreground then it will shows as online to others.
When it is in background (After removing from recent tabs), it will shows last seen to others.
Sometimes if your WhatsApp in recent tabs then it will shows online to others.


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Deleted pictures keep coming up
I am trying to import my pictures from my Samsung Note 4 to my laptop. But I have a problem with the whatsapp images folder. The pictures showing on my mobile screen are not the same shown on my pc once connected. Some deleted pictures or repeated ones are taking the place of others by having the same name. And they are imported instead of the ones I didnt delete.
I don t know if I made myself enough clear. But am gonna lose my pictures if I don t find a solution.
Thank you.

In what way are you importing? Kies?

Try using u file manager on your phone to sort the pictures into one folder, then copy that folder, if the issue remains the same..
Try compression (zip/rar/7zip/tar) and Extract on PC


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Photos received from SHAREit are not displayed in gallery
Photos and videos received from SHAREit is not downloaded to gallery and I cannot view it in gallery.Why is this happening?

Check if those files are physically present on the device using file explorer. Delete files prefixed with dot in that folder  if present.

Community bump prevention: this question was closed because the question seems to have been abandoned (OP hasn't visited the site for more than 5 years, and no answers have been upvoted). If anyone can evaluate the existing answers, feel free to vote accordingly and reopen the question (or mod-flag the question requesting for reopening). For anyone else having the same issue, please post a new question and refer to this question as additional context.

(Click image to enlarge)

Just Cut(or Copy) the Files from Shareit Folder and Paste it to your SDcard/Phone Memory.

Shareit  latest version have some changes are occurred  , one of the change is it hides downloaded files, so we can't see downloaded files in internal , external storage or gallery etc.... , you can see downloaded files  using shareit app only, it is one of the way user can use permanently app


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Battery settings seem to be missing in Cyanogenmod 13
I use Cyanogenmod 13 on my Oneplus One. When I try to access my battery settings to view the usage graph, the settings app crashes with
[CRASH] com.android.settings threw android.content.res.Resources$NotFoundException

Since I don't find many results for this on the web, I assume I'm alone with that problem. How can I further debug and ideally fix this? Is there any possibility to re-upload the missing resource through ADB?

I encountered the same problem. Turned out it was caused by the theme I was currently using.
You can try resetting to the default Hexo theme from the Themes app.

Fascinating, thanks for pointing out that unlikely connection! Changing back to the stock theme solved the issue. Now I'll have to try and find out where the problem actually originated, and write a bug report.

You may have to reinstall cm13.. ohh and verify the check-sum or download another copy, not necessarily wiping data, the exception indicates that the app is missing something(or that thing is corrupt) you may also try fixing permissions if your recovery allows that


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STRUCK AT BOOT ANIMATION AFTER CHANGING IT MANUALLY
Guys i need urjent help as i my device got stuck in the boot animation after i chenged it manually. my device (BSNL PENTA WS704DX) is rooted. Now even after wiping data or formatting data an hard resetting i again find the same boot animation and the stucked mobile.. guyus please help me out.... how can  i remove that boot animation as i dont have any custom recovery installed in my device. :) waiting fr your answers.. :) :)

You may want to ensure that the boot animation file at /system/media is called boot.zip, and is owned by root (user 0, group 0), with rw-r--r-- (644) permissions.

Use ADB (Android Debug Bridge)
search for and install universal adb driver
or your devices adb driver !
Once installed,
Wait for the bootloop and run this command in adb via command terminal (cmd)
adb devices

Does your device show up on pc ?
if it does show up, type
adb kill-server

adb root

adb shell

su

busybox rm /system/<you're location>

rm will remove the file specified, in this case it's the boot animation file ... Once removed, your device will boot with a stock android logo or a blank screen !

actually using adb is good but little difficult for beginers.. but you really gave a good idea.. thanks mate

adb root wouldn't work on a production build of a kernel and given that you're already suggesting 'su', it is not needed.

Look into restoring the stock ROM. This site appears to have it: http://firmwarefile.com/bsnl-penta-ws704dx they recommend using SP Flash Tool so it's Mediatek device, you may just be able to update the 'LOGO' Parition in order to fix it, but if that don't work then completely restore the stock rom.


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Why a system app disappears unless updated?
I happened on lollipop 5.1.1 and to one or two app at a time, for some reason the said app just won't show app in application list(and i can't use it)... ahh i can still see it in system/app or system/priv-app
When i attempt to reinstall the package manager behaves like am updating it and i can now use it(surprisingly my data and settings are all there as if i was just updating).
But again if integrate update into system using link2sd or manually move the app files from data/app to system/app or system/priv-app and fix permissions, the app disappears again...
Please help, i really find it pointless to have an anti-thief app on data/ (everybody knows how to reset an android nowadays)..
I had an issue first with "google play services" on Sony C3 (didn't mind that then and decided i wont be integrating its updates to system) and now "avast anti-thief" on Samsung note 10.1, the devices have the same version of busybox installed and are both on stock android 5.1.1.

So the app disappears and doesn't run? Is the ownership set?

Rebooting after integrating should work.

Ni i have tried ut

Yes @Aoron Gillion the ownership matches other applications in there

Manually moving the app's files isn't a way to make an app into a system app.


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Does "ifconfig wlan0 dhcp status" work for Android?
I cannot get any response from an Android device (Android 4.2) to command "ifconfig wlan0 dhcp status"
Command "ifconfig wlan0" returns the following:
wlan0: ip 192.168.0.14 mask 255.255.254.0 flags [up broadcast running multicast]

Does Android support "dhcp status"?  If not, how can I find out through a command whether DHCP is enabled?

[How] can I find out through a command whether DHCP is enabled?

Provided that adb is setup in PC, execute:
adb shell dumpsys wifi

In the output locate the string Configured networks. Following that would be the info on all the saved Wi-Fi networks in your device. For each network, inter alia you would see a line with the string IP assignment. Based on your configuration for that netowrk, it would either show STATIC or DHCP.
Note that you must have root access if you intend to run dumpsys wifi on a device through a command-line app since ordinary apps are usually not privileged to access a dump of WifiService.
Here's the relevant screenshot captured for Android 4.2.1:

The findings are valid for stock Android 6.0.1 as well.
Aforesaid information however doesn't query whether the router itself is capable of running a DHCP server.

Thanks a lot for the response. It is strange that I get a totally different response on my Android 4.2 device.  It is not remotely close to yours.  It starts with: WatchdogStatus: State: android.net.wifi.WifiWatchdogStateMachine$WatchdogDisabledState@425a2e30mWifiInfo: [null].  It has 30+ rec lines such as  rec[0]: time=04-02 05:54:34.939 state=DefaultState orgState=DriverUnloadedState what=69632(0x11000)

I don't know the reason. Is that all you get to see as output? I double checked again on Android 4.2.1 and 6.0.1 and results do not deviate from my answer. Which Android device are you using?

It is a product using a custom ROM.  I will check with regular Android device and report back later today.  Thank you for all the effort.

I tried it on my Moto G 2015 on Lollipop 6.0 and got an error... EDIT: Nevermind, I missed the part about root and I am not rooted at the moment.

It works.  Thank you.  Is there an equivalent way for Ethernet?  I have tried dumpsys ethernet and dumpsys eth0, and neither works.

Sorry, but neither of my devices has support for Ethernet, so that was all the help I could offer.

The Android version of ifconfig is very limited compared to it's full-blown Linux version. And most commands I tried like dhcpstatus do not work.

Thank you for your prompt response.  Is there an alternative to check the DHCP status?

I haven't found a command line alternative, only apps. Sorry.

@Hong you can always "move your acceptance" to another answer, if a better one comes up :) And you can also check other posts with ifconfig and DHCP, which might provide additional details.

@Izzy Thank you for the reminder. I thought people are less likely to try to answer a question that has an accepted answer.  Let me wait for a few more hours.


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error sending message to whatsapp
I am member of a whatsapp group. My name is present in the group member's list. Nobody has removed me. But when I send any message I get the error not a member of this group cannot send any message. Friends also confirm that message has not arrived. Strangely though I can read new posts in the group but cannot see the group icon. I have no clue about how this can happen.

Try clearing the data for the app (you'll lose your messages) and then log in again.

Thanks but do I have to clear the data for google drive backup too or just local data?

@rancho We usually don't provide bugfixes for apps. Only the app developers can do that!

Inform the admin of the group to remove you and add again.
This will works.
And then you will able to send and receive messages.


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How to remove gunpowder virus?
I have recently been having problems on my device which includes random apps appearing on my phone and some chinese app that somehow was "pre-installed". As i scoured the internet for answers, i  learnt that my phone had contacted a virus called gunpowder virus that attacks from Nintendo emulators. Can factory reset resolve my problem?

As long as the infected app wasn't able to gain root and/or infect the /system partition, a factory reset will fix it.
However, if it was ... it would require re-flashing the ROM.

Or gaining root, so OP could manually delete the app on /system without having to mess up things too much.

If your device doesn't have the virus and you still want to remove the pre-built chinese apps, You can use a program called MTK Droid Tools..
It was designed for mtk handsets but the Chinese software removal tool only uses adb and root access to remove chinese ime etc...


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How does changing IP and mask by ifconfig work?
I am sorry for this rudimentary question, but I cannot find a good answer.
Here is the effort to change IP and mask:
# ifconfig eth0
eth0: ip 192.168.0.133 mask 0.0.0.0 flags [up broadcast running multicast]
# ifconfig eth0 192.168.0.144 netmask 255.255.255.0
# ifconfig eth0
eth0: ip 192.168.0.144 mask 255.255.255.0 flags [up broadcast running multicast]

Everything appears to work based on the responses to the commands.  However, when I check the IP and mask on the Android device (Settings > WIRELESS & NETWORK > MORE... > Ethernet > Advanced Configuration), nothing changes.  After rebooting the device, "ifconfig eth0" returns the old values 192.168.0.133 and 0.0.0.0.
DHCP is disabled.
Could anyone shed some light on this?

"After rebooting the device" is the key here. To permanently apply changes, you'd have to integrate that into the boot process (change the default values which otherwise will override yours). Depending on the ROM this might require modifying the boot image – or just the build.prop (e.g. the value of net.rmnet0.local-ip if rmnet0 is your WiFi). I'm not 100% sure as I've not tried it yet.

@Izzy The strange thing is that I can change those parameters via the UI of Android(i.e. Settings > WIRELESS & NETWORK > MORE... > Ethernet > Advanced Configuration), and the change will stay after rebooting.   I thought ifconfig would do exactly what the UI does.  I was wrong apparently.

I'd expect the UI to store changes in a config – so it's like what I wrote before: on the next boot, that config would be used. If it's for a specific WiFi, it should go to /system/etc/wifi/wpa_supplicant.conf in the details for that network AFAIK. Not sure for "default" settings not bound to a specific WiFi.

@Izzy It looks like that the changes are stored in directory /etc for Ethernet, but I cannot see the contents of the directory with File Explorer.  "chmod 777 /etc" failed.

/etc is a symlink to /system/etc, and /system is mounted read-only – so simply chmod 0777 /etc won't do anything here ;)

@Izzy Thank you for the tip.  I was looking at the directory because I read this post: http://superuser.com/questions/564797/change-ip-address-permanently-with-ifconfig-in-debian  I did not see any Ethernet settings in your mentioned file.

Of course not. Let me quote myself with emphasis set: If it's for a specific WiFi, it should go to /system/etc/wifi/wpa_supplicant.conf (WPA stands for Wi-Fi Protected Access, so this is for per-AP-config). Moreover I simply expected it to go there if it's for a specific WiFi. I've not verified it, sorry. I'm pretty sure it is stored somewhere from the UI (and that's the place the UI stores AP data); it might well be other IP settings go to some settings database.


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minimuize ring volume at certain times of day
I have an android phone, a kid, and some friends who call just after the kid goes to bed. My friends will call, at 7pm, my phone will ring, and the ring will wake up my kid. Is there an app that can minimize my ringer volume based on time of day? I want my phone to ring, but I don't want to have to remember to turn the volume down every day.

Have you checked whether your device supports profiles for that? Some devices/ROMs do. If not, check our automation tag – or take a look at my list of automation apps.

@j0h: Please edit your question

Sound & notification > Do not disturb. You can set specific time intervals


text:
How do I simulate menu button on Android 6?
I'm using Samsung Galaxy S7. Long-pressing the recent button does not simulate menu button but activates split screen mode. Long-pressing the back button doesn't work either; it simply closes the app. I'm using an old app that requires the menu button. Any solution to this without rooting the phone?

If an app is old enough to expect a menu button, the system should display one automatically: three vertical dots to the right of the recents button. Or does Samsung disable that?

@Wyzard, not sure if Samsung disabled that but it doesn't appear anywhere, at least for Samsung S7.

As per this post, go to Settings → Accessibility → Dexterity and Interaction → turn on the Assistant Menu.  This will add a floating button to the screen that you can press to reveal a menu containing the old Menu button.
Samsung also says "In certain applications, you can touch and hold the Recent Apps button to view the Menu options."  This is probably limited to newer apps as well which is why it didn't work for you.

Thank you, this works great. Really wish there was a better way though, having to enable/disable that assistant pop-up just for 1 app that needs it is a bit troublesome.

I was able to get the long press of the back button on my Galaxy S7 to open the menu on a really old app by forcing the keyboard to open first.  My app "eWallet GO!" has a Search field that I was able to click in to open the keyboard. After the keyboard (Swype in my case) opened, I held down on the back button and the app's menu opened.  Previously, the whole app had closed when I tried holding down the back button.
Hope this helps.

For the Galaxy S6 (and Galaxy S7 too), you don't need to open a keyboard. Touch and keep touched the back button for at least 2 seconds and the menu appears.
This also works on a brand new Samsung Galaxy J7 running Android 7 (November 2017).


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Galaxy Stylo encrpted forgot password
I encrypted my device then I changed the password. The encryption password changed too, but I can't remember to what, I thought I changed the password back to what it was. I tried default_password twice and it didn't work. I have 15 guesses left.
I encrypted my Galaxy Stylo phone using Google's encryption option.
Later, I changed my password, then I turned my phone off. I can't remember the password. I'm at the encryption screen with 15 more tries before I'm locked out. I have no idea what to do
I booted in safemode, but that still puts me at the decryption screen

There's no way around it. I would recommend finding a same/very similar phone, going through the process of encrypting it, it may jog your memory.

Sorry the encryption is there for one reason and that is to not let access to the phone's settings and data without a decryption key or password. If it was just the lockscreen passcode, you could've simply factory reset your phone through recovery.

If it were just a lock-screen protection, one might even be able to just remove it by other means, see our locked-out tag-wiki.


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swapping of data between sim card
My Micromax A350 has problem of swapping data. I have data pack in SIM2 when I am using continuously data then it automatically swap to SIM1 and it will start browsing using SIM1 because of that problem many times my balance is deducted.
I am suffering with this problem since I have formate my phone.
Thank You

specify more details like do you use 2g or 3g when this happens.

Actually i am using 2g data in SIM2 then it automatically swap to SIM1 which is working on 3g

You will find WCDMA AND GSM in your sim settings.
WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiplexing Access) and GSM are two technologies that are used in mobile telecommunications. The difference between these two is that GSM is a 2G technology and WCDMA is a part of the newer 3G group of technologies.
switch sim 1 to GSM only
and  sim 2 to wcdma and gsm  auto connect .
If these don't then another suitable combination would definitely work. (You will have to give them a try)
If none of the above work, reset your phone again.


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How to add a folder in a secondary tab?
I'm using Nova Launcher Prime v4.2.2 on my stock and rooted Android 6.0.1. I intend to create folders in secondary tabs under app drawer. Whenever I create a folder entry through Nova Settings → App & widget drawers → Drawer groups → Folders, the folder gets created only in the primary tab*.  Changing the order of tabs under Tabs setting and then creating a new folder doesn't work. The folder always ends up in primary tab.
In the app drawer, attempting to drag the folder minimizes the app drawer and throws user back to home screen with option to place the folder there, just like how an app shortcut is placed.
I noticed an entry for my folder in the table drawer_groups of database launcher.db located at /data/data/com.teslacoilsw.launcher/databases/. Force stopping the launcher, switching the default launcher and making few changes in that table for that folder didn't help either.
So, how do I add a folder into a non-primary tab under app drawer?

* By primary tab I mean the only tab which offers the option to hide apps.

Looking for this too, haven't had any luck yet. :(

Edit the folder from within the app drawer as if you were editing an app.  (Long press the folder and drag it to the "Edit" option at the top).
From there you can check/uncheck which tab(s) you wish for it to appear in.

I've been trying to figure this out for quite a while. Thank you very much.


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How to prevent notification showing up when an event in my calendar is occurring?
When I have an event (mostly meeting) happening, I only touch my phone when I need to do something that serves that event like taking a photo or a note. If someone messages me in Facebook or email, I want to temporarily turn off those notifications until my job is done. I don't want to block the apps or turn off wifi because sometime I need open those apps to get the information I need. I am aware of a lot of blocking notification apps, but all of them are based on a fixed schedule, not automatically and flexibly turning notifications off based on my calendar.
So, in short:

Automatically turning notifications off when an event starts
Automatically turning notifications on when an event ends
Calendar is updated on a regular basis (I use Google Calendar)
Only direct call is allowed

My phone is S4 Mini, with CyanogenMod 4.

I don't know of any on-board configuration for that – but there are several apps available claiming to solve your issue. I've not tried any of them, but you might wish to take a look at my corresponding lists (check the "filter" and "settings" sections on the linked page).

Their is a notification program in android already if you are on Android 4.4+
4.4+ ... Hold on the notification and go to app info, Then deselect show notifications
5.0+... Hold on the notification and select hide notifications from this app or notifications like this !
Then manually turn the apps back on again !
The notification manager is in different sections of the settings for each device.. Some it is under display and others it's under privacy (sms reasons)

I know how this works. However, I don't want to hide them at all. I just want to automatically turn them off when I have an event in my calendar


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Dual Sim but one outgoing number
I have a dual sim phone and am starting to do a bit of extra free lancing work on top of my regular job.
I have my own personal SIM which I have a contract that gives me unlimited calls. What I would like to do is get another SIM as a work number to give to clients. To keep this SIM active I just want to pay the minimum amount (I think it is 10 Euro every 6 months or something like that) so that clients phone my work SIM and not have my personal number.
With having unlimited calls on my personal SIM I'd like to phone my clients back using my personal SIM as it costs me nothing extra but make it look like I'm phoning from my work SIM.
Is it possible to do this? Is there an app that can control this?
I could always just phone my clients using my personal SIM and withhold my number so my number doesn't show but that's not really what I'm after.
Does anyone know is this possible?
Thank you

No, that is not possible, partially.
What you are searching is something like caller ID spoofing, which I don't recommend using, or even researching.

If you have "free calls" from your landline as well, can add numbers to that, and have a phone box supporting it (these conditions would match in my case), you could configure a call-through at the phone box and use a call-prefixer app on your Android phone to route your calls that way. They then would turn up for the called person as initiated by that "additional number" assigned to your landline and configured there for call-through.

For this I recommend using Skype Out. you can authorize skype to give your actual cell number as caller id when making a Skype Out call. I do this when travelling overseas, my outgoing calls say they are my US number. I let incoming calls just go to voice mail of my real cell phone number so I don't have to pay international fees, and immediately call people back using skype out. My clients never have to know I'm out of the country.

Using a redirection service, you can do this,
Remember that changing a number may be ILLEGAL depending on the area you live in.
In most scenarios it's only calling someone from an unauthorized number,
 So it's good to find someone that actually owns the number they are trying to identify as...
If you are Actually the authorised and registered owner of the work phone,
 I gather that you have permission to identify yourself as this number, And anyone researching the number will still lead back to you, it should be fine ( i say fine as in Not Identity Theft )
If you enable unknown souces you can install the app in the link THINGS TO KNOW FIRST !
1 • ONLY USE IF YOU HAVE AUTHORIZATION TO SPOOF/USE/MASK THE WORK NUMBER FROM THE OWNER OF THE MOBILE NUMBER !
2• DO NOT TRY TO SPOOF/USE/MASK THE NUMBER YOU ARE CALLING FROM ! THIS COULD CAUSE A NETWORK LOOP AND MAY CAUSE UNWANTED TECHNICAL CHARGES ON YOUR PHONE PLAN/CREDIT OR AT THE NETWORK PROVIDERS EXPENSE !
3• DO NOT USE THIS IN ANY WAY THAT CAN BE FOUND OFFENSIVE AND OR DESTRUCTIVE TOWARDS ANY PERSON, BUSINESS OR INDUSTRY, (" BY DESTRUCTIVE I AM HYPOTHETICALLY SAYING THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE BEEN FIRED AND YOU ARE TRYING TO WRECK YOUR OLD WORK PLACES/'S CHANCE/'S OF SUCCES/'S")
4• YOU UNDERSTAND THAT THIS APP IS FREE TO USE ANYTIME, BUT IT DOES COST A NORMAL OVERSEAS CALL FEE, THIS IS BECAUSE YOUR CALL WILL BE SENT TO A CALL CENTER IN ANOTHER COUNTRY AND REDIRECTED WITH A NEW CALLER ID AND/OR OPTIONAL FUNNY VOICE, THIS COSTS A USUAL OVERSEAS PHONE CALL AMOUNT.. CHECK YOUR PLAN DETAILS FIRST
5•IT CHARGES INTERNATIONAL FEESON MY PHONE IT'S A INTERNATIONAL CALL FEE

STILL WANT TO PROCEED ? ... CLICK ON ME FOR APK FILE


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Google Photo to WhatsApp sharing only works once
When I share a photo from Google Photo to WhatsApp for the first time since starting the app, I can select a WhatsApp user who receives the photo as intended. However when I want to share additional pictures in the same manner, I only receive the overlay"Sharing to WhatsApp" but instead of sharing the picture, WhatsApp just enters the chat of that user. I can fix this by closing and starting the WhatsApp app each time I share a photo but that is tedious, is there any way to fix this?
I use Google Photos 1.17.0.118258643 and WhatsApp 2.12.556 on Android 5.1.1 Oxygen 2.2.0-X on a OnePlus X Smartphone.


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How can I run Google's apps without Google play services?
Most of the Google apps (nearly all) require Google play services to run, like YouTube.I never liked Google play services and play store but I've to keep them because I can't run gmail and YouTube without it.
Is there any way to run those apps.
 without Google play services.
P.S.- Device is rooted,xposed  enabled, runs on CM12.1

I'm not entirely sure for all those GApps (I've banned them all), but take a look at microG, which is an open-source replacement to that. It's reported to work with Play Store, so it might work with other GApps as well.

@Izzy Seems wonderful.. Gonna try .. Thanks Buddy

It is – I'm running it on multiple devices :) Don't forget to come back and let us know whether it worked out with Gmail/YT (you know, you can always answer your own question ;)

Theirs a WebView Application that Sandboxes all of googles sites into one application called Gapps Browser
but this use the website versions...
Have you tried just saving bookmarks to the websites
I know xposed made a module to disable the google services warning, but it wrecked snap chat on my device !
MODULE LINK ADDED
 MODULE LINK http://dl-xda.xposed.info/modules/xeed.xposed.dngmod_v1_d32fa3.apk
 INFO LINK http://repo.xposed.info/module/xeed.xposed.dngmod

Well I don't use snapchat so you can tell me that module's name

this app will run without google services

Thanks for the module link sir but it doesn't work with 5.0+

And no YouTube and gmail support

Try and get in contact with the development team, it could just be a simple rebuild

Google apps usually require Google Play Services and Framework. If the Google apps have a web interface, then use that in a web browser.
Usually, the web interface detects that you are on Android and ask you to load the app. If your browser supports spoofing, that is if you pretend to be using IE/Firefox for desktop, then the redirection will not happen.
So, use a browser that supports useragent spoofing.


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How to sync 2 folders using NFC between two Android devices running slightly different Android OS versions
I have a Sony Xperia Z3 running lollipop and another jiayu s3 running Android 4.4. Both of them have NFC. I want to  sync a folder in internal storage from one phone with another using Android NFC feature. NFC enabled in both devices. So when I use ES File Explorer in the source device I do not see any option that lets me invoke NFC sharing. I may be able to share using  Bluetooth or LAN. So how is NFC invoke can it be invoked Nativity or you need 3rd party applications.
It need not be nfc... I'm trying to figure out the most efficient way to sync two directories on Android devices without the need to be on a network. thank you

I don't think you really want to use NFC for the syncing itself (that's pretty slow even compared to Bluetooth). Maybe you rather want to use it to initiate the sync process? Usually, initiating an "NFC action" is done by holding two devices with NFC enabled back-to-back, then tap the screen of the "sender" to confirm the action (e.g. sharing a picture that's displayed on the screen at that moment). It's AFAIK the foreground app which has to decide on the action, though – so I'm not sure how e.g. ES would react.

Yes I could get picture sharing to work that way but when I touch the butts and use ES file explorer I hear a noise and there nothing happening on both phones then onwards. I wonder how we can synch 2 folders the fastest without having to connect to wi-fi . How about using one phone as OTA USB for another ?

I've never heard of syncing directories between Android devices initiated via NFC, sorry. While waiting for answers, maybe some results of this Google search have some clues?

It need not be nfc... I'm trying to figure out the most efficient way to sync two directories on Android devices without the need to be on a network. thank you

Without any network that won't work, as they cannot connect to each other. With Bluetooth that will be slow as hell. So your best option would be WiFi Direct or using one device as Hotspot. Then you could use an automation tool like tasker on the other device with a rule like "when you see this hotspot, connect and sync". FolderSync would support Tasker in this, but you'd need some kine of file server on the hotspot device for that. Just a raw idea.


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Android in "CLI" mode
I only want the "CLI" interface on my android device. I search online for a clean Andoid version that has no GUI but I had no luck finding any. Is there a way I can uninstall or remove GUI from my android device?
Thank you,

You won't get very far with CLI only, since you need a GUI to run the software keyboard :)

Also, unless you're rooted and install busybox, Android includes very few commands by default.

Consider building/compiling your own from source...not only will you have saved space on your system partition, but also a 'clearer' head about your custom  ROM, even get to include custom commands.

@AndroidDev I totally forgot about the keyboard. Thanx for pointing it out. Thanx for your answer.

@VisqoDaGrammar That sounds more logical. Appreciate your answer.


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Insert inlined images on Gmail app
I tried using the attached image option and thought I would be able to drag the image into place but this didn't work.
Is it possible to do insert inlined images directly on Gmail?

Workaround:

Open Google Docs
Open a new Word document
Select "Insert image" and insert the image of your choice
Once done, it is now in clipboard form, copy that
Switch to Gmail and paste the image

It looks like this adds a full-size copy of the image which is unfortunate.

Also, it seems it's limited to one image only. Cannot paste any other pic past the first one. Nice hack though

Nice hack! @wp78de if you want to reduce the size, try making a screenshot of the original image, and cropping the screenshot, then insert the screenshot in Google Docs. They are usually smaller than original (albeit lower quality). But if that's not good enough, you'll need a photo resizer app to adjust the original image's dimensions and file size.

@Ozh I could insert a second image. Try again. Also if you're having problems copy-pasting only the image (like, it's showing up blank), add some text near the image in Google Docs, and copy-paste both the image and text together. Then just delete the extra text in Gmail. (As with any hack, this needs some getting used to.)

To send a photo on Gmail using the Android app:

Save the photo that you want to send to a local folder on your phone.

While composing a message or reply, tap the attachment paperclip icon () at the top of the Gmail app and select "Attach file" from the menu that appears.

Select the photo that you want to send from a local folder on your phone. This photo is sent inline. If you selected a photo from anywhere else except for a local folder on your phone it would be sent as an attachment instead of inline.

When I do this, the image is sent as an attachment, not inline. You mention "by default"... is there an option to change this behavior somewhere?

@JasonC If you select the Attach file option and select a file from a local folder on your phone it is sent inline by default. If you select the Attach file option and select a file from anywhere else it is sent as an attachment by default.

^ this doesn't work for me ... still attaches rather than inline after trying with multiple different folders on local drive on Pixel 3 Android OS 12. Notice I cant put text below the image and it has a box with image size etc listed in interface, indicating it is indeed an attachment

@watsonic I'm still running Android 11 on my phone. I'll re-edit after I upgrade it to Android 12.

This method does not work for me. Oneplus 7 Pro, Android 11.


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My adoptable storage is full. How can I move the data to a bigger MicroSD card?
I've got a Moto G 2014 LTE running CM13. When I found out about the whole 'adopt SD card as internal storage' thing, I was quite excited, as the actual internal storage on this phone is tiny. I set up a 16gb micro SD, the biggest I had at the time, and have been using it with minimal problems.
Fast-forward to this day, and I now have a 64gb micro SD that I want to use instead of the 16gb one. However, I'm at a loss as to the best way to copy the data over onto the new one, or if it's even possible. The ideas I've got so far include:

Titanium Backup all [system] apps, factory reset, format new SD and then restore (should work, but a massive pain)
NANDroid the SD card onto a USB OTG stick, then restore to the new one (pretty sure this is a bad idea and won't work, but...)
Copy all the stuff onto my computer via my phone through a file manager of some sort (I have a linux/linux/windows triple boot, so file format isn't a problem), format the new SD into phone, and copy back (can't be that simple, can it? Hidden/inaccessible files?)
Copy the files onto USB OTG with a root file explorer app, reformat the SD as portable, format the new one as adopted, and then copy them back (could work, except for the point below)
Format the 64gb SD card as internal through an OTG card reader with the command adb shell sm set-force-adoptable true, use a root browser to copy all the data over from the old SD, format the old SD as external and remove it, and take the new SD and put it in the SD card slot (seems overly complicated, and also suffers the below pitfall)

The other thing that worries me is mount points: will the apps with externally-stored data know to look at the new SD card for it? Will I have to remount it in a specific location with the shell each boot (or use an init.d script perhaps)? I suppose that it can always be accessed through /sdcard or /storage/emulated/0, but I'm not 100% sure what goes on behind the scenes.
I've got recent NANDroid backups, so if anyone can eliminate the options that definitely won't work (or say which one[s] probably will), I can try them and report back in case someone stumbles across this question in the future.
EDIT: So, my phone further bit the dust and got to the point where it got into a pretty major bootloop. Ended up having to flash a whole new ROM. As such, I probably won't be able to test the full image/decryption/etc. method that I was originally planning. However, I will write up what I've discovered so far in case anyone wants to take up this particular method in the future:

Image the old SD with dd as follows: sudo dd if=/dev/mmcblk0 of=~/SDCardBackup.img, where /dev/mmcblk0 is the location of the sd card as obtainable through lsblk
Restore the image you just made to the NEW sd card : sudo dd bs=4M if=~/SDCardBackup.img of=/dev/mmcblk0 (you may have to unmount it first)
From here on in, I was following this (thanks @beeshyams!) tutorial, which explains the next steps way better than I ever could have done. The plan was to decrypt the storage and resize the main partition with gparted. I had no idea whether it would work or not, but I felt it was worth a try. However, when I came to run the actual decryption command using the key I'd extracted, I got an error (which I believe was my shoddy linux skills more than anything).

As I say, I have no idea if the above method would work or not even if everything did go to plan. Also, feel free to correct any of my commands above if I mis-typed them (I'm on Windows currently, so this is all from memory.) If this info helps anyone, then good. But until then, @faidherbard's comment should work fine.
Thanks,
Jackdafish

Key thing you are missing is that it is, encrypted, which means not possible as far as I know. See [tag:adoptable-storage] for more info (edited your tag list to include this). There is a possible way, theoretically, you can try to get over the encryption problem

@beeshyams Thanks, I'll take a look and report back if I have any luck. Is the encryption key retrievable/findable with root access? I seem to remember something of the sort...

One Possible (?) way to recover encryption key is linked in the comment.

@beeshyams OK, I'll take a proper look when I get back. If you move the files off the phone while it's on though (i.e. file explorer app > USB OTG, or plugged-in-phone > desktop file explorer), don't they get unencrypted? Otherwise they'd be unreadable on the next machine.

Going via our adopted-storage tag-wiki, you'll find How does the “Format as internal storage” feature work in Android 6.0+?. At the end of my answer to it you'll find details on what @beeshyams just hinted at :)

Thanks for all the info guys! I think I'll grab that encryption key and try getting the lot off the SD card, formatting the new one, grabbing that encryption key and copying all the data back. See how it goes. I've got all my backups in order, so if that doesn't work I'll do a factory reset. If it does, I'll write up a step-by-step answer in a few days time in case anyone else comes across this post. Cheers :)

Even if it doesn't work out, updating your findings may add value to others similarly placed. All the best

Quick update: still working on it when I have the chance. Basically, I've imaged the old SD onto the new SD, and have a command to unencrypted it (which I can't remember off the top of my head). The command, however, is failing. I believe the failure is a problem with my copy of the tools involved though, instead of a broken command, which is good. I'll try getting it sorted ASAP

Having a similar issue, I read through the comments to your question and ended up doing the following based on a hint suggested by Barleyman:

Go to Settings > Storage & USB › Internal Storage, click on "Migrate data" to move your data back to internal

In case you do not have enough space left on internal to move everything back (which was my case), here are some additionnal steps:

Connect the phone to a PC via USB and back-up the contents of the old "adopted" SD Card
Manually delete enough data from the old SD Card to be able to do the move: typically pictures and videos that you can easily restore afterwards
Click on "Migrate data" in  Settings > Storage & USB › Internal Storage
Check that the old "adopted" SD Card is now empty (or even format it back to "Portable") then eject it
Insert the new SD Card and set it up as "Internal storage" and agree to move the data to it
Eventually reconnect the phone to the PC via USB to restore manually deleted data

Reference: Answer to "How does the "Format as internal storage" feature work in Android 6.0+?":

You can reverse the process by opening "internal storage" from storage settings and there's "migrate data" that will copy everything back to internal nvram.

Hey, makes perfect sense.

After step 3 I had to go through all the apps listed as stored on the SD card and move them to the internal memory until there were no more apps stored on the SD card. Then after step 5 do the opposite to whatever apps you want to store on the SD card. Otherwise, it worked like a charm.

I keep getting "not enough storage" even though my SD card only has 4 GB and my internal has 40 GB free


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Are OEM USB drivers needed for developing Android apps on Windows 10?
On Linux, to develop an Android app there are no USB drivers needed. Regardless of whether android device comes from most popular or totally unknown hardware make, it just works.
On Windows in turn, one has to install OEM USB drivers to run app on particular device which can be painful if the device is not one of the most popular hardware brand that provides its own USB drivers.
Just reading an official Android documentation on OEM drivers and can't see any instructions on how to install USB drivers for Windows 10.
So, are OEM USB drivers needed for developing apps on Windows 10?
Or maybe, wishful thinking, Windows 10 does take similar approach as Linux does?

No, the ADB drivers included with the Android SDK are universal.
On Windows 7, I was able to use the Google driver to interface with
1) Three different models of the Kindle Fire
2) Nexus 5,7
3) ZTE Speed
4) LG Optimus F3
5) HP Touchpad
6) Galaxy S4
7) Asus Memo Pad 8
8) Galaxy S3
9) Generic unbranded tablet

Surely Google USB driver may work with a number of devices but it's definitely not universal. I have a bunch of Android devices right on my desk that do not work with Google USB driver.

Just because Windows says, "We couldn't find driver software for your device" even though you pointed it to the correct driver; doesn't mean it isn't the right driver. I had a heck of a time forcing Windows to install the driver, but after I did it worked fine.

Interesting conversation.  I guess I've just had good luck.  @matcheek 's response makes me wonder if I'm just getting lucky when I test with major vendors like Samsung devices.

I just wonder how the explanation of "on Windows 7" addresses the OPs question of "Windows 10"? I see no indicator here claiming it was kept that way (which I'd assume) or not (which still is possible). Especially with the drivers of the AndroidSDK not being "universal" (we had quite a few complaints on exactly that here in the past), could you please [edit] your answer and detail on that? Also note OP says there are no instructions on how to install those USB drivers on Windows 10 – another detail possibly missing here.

@Izzy Windows kicks and screams that the Google driver isn't compatible, but if you modify the .inf file you can get it to work.

So maybe you could [edit] your answer again and outline that (what has to be modified and in what way)?


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Tasker - Play video using MX Player while another is currently playing
I have an Android mini-pc connected to a television through a HDMI cable. I use Tasker to automatically start playing an mp4 video using MX Player when the device boots. MX Player then continues to play all the videos from the same folder in a random order and on a loop.
(the task contains one action - Open File - under File I have the path to the mp4 file )
The problem is I then have Tasker set to play another mp4 video (from another directory) using MX Player one hour after the device has booted but MX Player ignores this and continues to play the current video.
(the second task is the same as the first- it contains one action - Open File - under File I have the path to the mp4 file )
The reason why I need to use MX Player (instead of BS Player, VLC etc.) is because it has more options than the other players like the option to play all the videos in the same folder in shuffle and on a loop, resize the video so it fills the screen, play each video from the beginning and hide the video controls from the screen.
I have also tried using the Tasker action Send Intent

Action: android.intent.action.VIEW
Data: path to mp4 file
Package: com.mxtech.videoplayer.ad
Target: Activity

But this produced the same results - As MX Player was playing a video this task would run telling it to play a video and MX Player would ignore it and continue to play its current video.
Is there any way of getting Tasker to play a video using MX Player while MX Player is currently playing another video?

I could imagine MX Player understands the second command as "add to the playlist". So maybe you could check for alternative approaches like first clearing the (current) playlist, or completely stopping MX Player before sending it the command to play the other file?

@Firelord Yeah the answer worked great, thanks!

I cannot give my assurance for the mini-PC you've got, but the following works well on my Nexus 6 running stock Android 6.0.1 with MX Player v1.8.3.
Alright, so discard whatever actions you've setup and follow this simple one:
Code → Run Shell →

Command:
am start -n com.mxtech.videoplayer.ad/.ActivityScreen -d "file://FILE" --user ID --activity-clear-task

where,

FILE refers to the location of your media file in Android. E.g. /sdcard/Movies/lolcat.mkv, /storage/emulated/0/Prime_time/after_dark.mkv and so on.
ID refers to the ID of the user account currently active. For primary user, it is always 0.
--activity-clear-task is a flag which makes sure no multiple instances of the same activity are spawned.

Example command:
am start -n com.mxtech.videoplayer.ad/.ActivityScreen -d "file:///sdcard/Movies/The egg of the King.mp4" --user 0 --activity-clear-task

If MX Player is the default video player in your Android, for fun, you can replace -n com.mxtech.videoplayer.ad/.ActivityScreen with -a android.intent.action.VIEW in the said command.
tick Continue Task After Error

You can now setup a wait timer or anything that you intend to do after the execution of that action. In order to fire a new video, just copy everything from aforesaid action except of FILE which needs to be replaced with new file location.
In case Tasker doesn't work out, try with Automate. It has a neat block named App Start which is specifically meant to launch an activity of an app.
(Click image to enlarge it)

It worked! I've been trying to get this to work for a long time. Thanks!

Recently figured out that you can also set what position in the video you want to start playing at using --ei position (which is in milliseconds, so 60000 starts the video at 1 minute in ...) code is am start -n com.mxtech.videoplayer.ad/.ActivityScreen -d "file:///sdcard/Movies/mymovie.mp4" --ei position 60000 --user 0 --activity-clear-task there are more options at the MX Player API page link

For mx player pro the actual link a bit different: am start -n com.mxtech.videoplayer.pro/.ActivityScreen -d "file:///sdcard/Other/buffers_listed_and_hidden.ogv" --ei position 120000 --user 0 --activity-clear-task


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How to restore a Google Play adb backup to use it with another version of the app (downloaded with another app store)?
I have an adb backup I created when the app was installed via Google Play. Now I want to uninstall this app and switch to the FDroid version of this app.
However restoring the "Google Play version" of the backup does not restore it to the FDroid version. What do I have to do to make the (original) Google Play adb backup work with the same app downloaded via FDroid?

Are the qualified package names identical?  Are you rooted?

@Matthew Read 1) I have no idea. The app is FreeOTP. 2) Yes.


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Android 6 (cyanogenmod 13) external sd card write access
I always used "Samba server" application on all my android devices for uploading files, it worked great with CM12, but in CM13 even with root access Samba server can't write to external SD card, neither can "SSH server" application. As i there was some changes in android 6, but is there any way to grant write access to external SD card for some applications? I tried different samba servers, they all see external SD card and can read from there, but they just can't write.
I have the same problem with Cyanogenmod 13 on two different devices, i tried to format external SD card in ext3, ext4, fat32, exfat - no difference at all. There are a lot of "SD card fix" applications in play store, but they all, as I can see for android 5, and just doesn't work for android 6.
So, is it a SELinux issue? Should I add somehow user an app runs from into media_rw group? How can I do this? There is id output after ssh connection:
uid=10138(u0_a138) gid=10138(u0_a138) groups=10138(u0_a138),3002(net_bt),3003(inet),9997(everybody),50138(all_a138) context=u:r:untrusted_app:s0:c512,c768
It can read but can't write on external sd card, any ideas? Thanks.

How to save files to external SD card on a non-rooted Android?

As I found out for now, there is no way to give such permission, except running whole application as root, and that ins't easy (or even possible?) without modifying application code, anyway, running apps with uid=0 is a bad idea anyway. The problem is, that in android 6 WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE permission should be asked on runtime by an application, and if the application isn't Android 6-aware, there is basically nothing we can do. I hope that developers will adapt their application for new Android 6 reality soon.


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Powering on Mikona Android tablet with a broken power button
I have a Mikona Android tablet and the power button has broken quite literally snapped inwards and it has turned fully off. I have opened it up and looked at the circuit and the area around the power button.
How do I turn it on?

Try plugging in the device with no battery and then put the battery back in while it is running.
Also, try plugging in the charger to load the battery bar and then hold all buttons aside from power, it might cause a forced reset and restart into the system like a normal restart.
If none of the above works, try ADB. Use ADB and run the command
adb reboot

If you can't pick up a device with
adb devices

Then you'll need to hope they included a V-COM boot before boot.img.
To access V-COM You'll need the driver for your device and a flashing program like SP Flash Tool.

To check for V-COM compatibility, you'll need to open Device Manager as the Administrator on your PC,
Pull out the battery if removable (if not removable, read below) and plug in the device
Look carefully for unknown device or V-COM device
If you hear the computer go beep at all, it's registered a V-COM device

If you don't have a removable battery:
If you don't have a removable battery, then V-COM will only connect for a few seconds and then disconnect when the screen comes on.


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Is there a way to remove the account icon on Android M?
I have completely removed the Guest account by following this method:
Is there a way to remove the Guest account?
I've disabled & removed the guest, then added the two build.prop fw.* entries but I can't even find settings.db and the adb shell settings global guest_user_enabled 0 cmd has no effect.
I still see the guest account icon when I pull down the top bar and click the blue user thing pulls up a blank name card.
Is there a way to completely remove this icon?

Sounds like you actually have disabled the Guest account if that icon is now functioning purely as a contact shortcut, so I've rephrased the question.