text:
How do I determine which app is syncing?
I frequently see the syncing icon in my notification bar, but every once in a while it gets stuck there, perpetually syncing something.  I have tons of apps that do background syncs.  How can I see which app is performing a sync at any given time?
Edit:
The duplicate question linked below suggested OS Monitor however I have tried that app and it doesn't tell me which app is syncing.  Under the Connections Tab it lists System, Android System, Lookout and OSMonitor.  I tested it by syncing a number of apps (google apps like Reader and non-google apps like Evernote and Got To Do and it didn't show them.  I thought it might be an issue with those connections completing in the time it took me to switch back to OS Monitor but then I tried streaming some audio and it didn't seem to recognize that connection even though it was actively streaming.
On a more general note, I have found that "Monitor" apps are not very effective because they usually only monitor the present time which is indicitive of how your phone is running with the Monitor app open, not how it was acting prior to.  For example, when trying to identify performance bottlenecks, when I open the monitor app it identifies itself as the highest resource hog.

Possible Duplicate:
How can I know which apps are currently connecting to the Internet?

Perhaps the answer to this question may help - http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/3493/how-can-i-know-which-apps-are-currently-connecting-to-the-internet

Thanks but that does not help.  I have already tried OS Monitor and it does not tell me which app is syncing and furthermore it doesn't accurately tell me which apps are using network data.

Accounts and Sync will show you what account is syncing. and if you go in to that, it will show you what "service" in the app is syncing.

When you go in to accounts and sync. It is going to show which account is currently syncing. Then from there, you can go in to the account and you will see what type of sync is happening.
It will show, for example, that "Reader" is syncing. So Google Reader is the App that is syncing. Or it will Show "Gmail" is syncing.
Those would be the apps that are syncing. I don't think just any app can trigger a sync for some other app. Like Reader shouldn't be able to trigger a sync for Picasa Images. But really, even if they can trigger other apps to sync, it is still the original app that is performing the sync. Only the twitter app is going to sync "twitter data and contacts", and only the Gmail app is going to sync your Gmail.

This is no longer true in Gingerbread on the Droid X.  It did work in Froyo on the Droid X.

Mine still shows what services are syncing when I go in there on Gingerbread.


text:
What methods can I use to block adult content?
I'm looking for something along the lines of K-9 for my phone.  Does such a thing exist?
My goal: to have all adult content blocked.
I would like to know if this is possible and if it is, how to do it.

Shopping recommendations are offtopic, but if you specifically outline your needs we can provide objective answers about apps that address them.

@matt : better?

Yes, but "adult content" is subjective ... you may get better answers if you specify what types, or if you specify that the app should allow you to control what types or allow/block certain sites, etc.

If you have a rooted phone, you can always edit your hosts file to block known adult sites.
Trying to block all sites is an exercise in futility, unless you opt for a slight reversal of logic and use white-listing wherein only allowed websites are allowed to be connected to and all others are blocked. As of now, I'm not aware of any app on Android that offers this functionality.
There are other avenues for adult content - the Android Market is one of them and blocking that seems counter-productive for a smartphone.
Also take a look @ DroidWall - an app that only allows certain apps to access the Net.
*UPDATE:*Trend Micro's paid app Mobile Security seems to have parental controls, although I can't vouch for the app's efficacy. The user reviews don't paint a very comforting picture but a 30 day trial is available so you can test the app out yourself.

One note, the Android Market now has ratings settings to control what app you see.  The user would just have to have someone else set a PIN, or set one and forget it.  But it does block out things non-adult, i.e. Google+ app is considered High Maturity.

It doesn't block content, but X3Watch monitors what websites you visit.  If you use that in conjunction with DroidWall as suggested by Sparx, or use an App Protector to block/limit other apps, that may help.
Update: Covenant Eyes now has an app now available in the Market.  As with X3Watch, it doesn't block sites (though it may in the future) but reports what websites you visit.    It is officially a beta version, but seems to work well.  The app itself is free, but usage requires a Covenant Eyes account - which also covers usage of any programs on the PC or Mac.

It may be worth contacting your carrier. I know vodafone UK, for example, offers some sort of parental control. Though this wouldn't monitor access over wifi.

T mobile has some sort of optional content filter also. I know that it only works when you are browsing over 3g/4g/edge, not wifi. I don't know how well it works though, as the only experience I had with it was it being turned on in error and me having to call to get it turned back off.

AT&T has this as well, but I don't remember how to do it.

K9 Webprotection is out for Android.
Seems like it does not work for some devices, though, as it's based on Firefox.
This can always be combined it with an app locker to block the default Chrome browser.

source: Stack Exchange

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5/

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sort: votes


text:
How to search for files and folders?
I'm looking for the Dropbox folder on my Phone and I can't find it with my file manager. If I only had access to the find command it would be easier.

what file manager are you currently using?

which phone? does it have external SD- my DropBox app is downloading stuff to /external_sd/dropbox - I cannot remember if I set that as a option anywhere?

For what it's worth, mine is located at /sdcard/dropbox

@Daniel OI File Manager

@Al I couldn't find only because Dropbox don't create the folder on login. It creates after you download a file.

Having the same issue. Tried astro and the stock file manager. Folder used to be there or at least some apps let me download to dropbox. I can open dropbox and view files there so not sure what the deal is.

Seems to have moved recently from 'sdcard/dropbox' to '/sdcard/Android/data/com.dropbox.android/files/scratch'. Much easier to find...

It should be noted that the Dropbox app doesn't actually sync the files to your phone, it just presents you with a list. Whenever you select a file in the Dropbox app, then it downloads it to your phone. On my Incredible, the dropbox folder is just in the root of the SD card.

Astro File Manager also has a good search function, and has a lot of handy functions connected to file management.

Root Explorer has an excellent search function.

On Ice Cream Sandwich the folder is at
/sdcard/Android/data/com.dropbox.android/files/scratch

I have an idea. Go to your box on your droid. Hit the menu tab. Then you will see "upload here" which is the way to upload a file from the sd card to the dropbox! Which works great for me not having internet to send from my laptop to droid as well as attaching files to inbox messages.

Could you please [edit] your answer to explain how it will help the OP? It seems like he wanted to find the location where files are saved to his device.

all_licenses: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5/


text:
"Converting to multimedia message" when forwarding large SMS
When I receive a large SMS and when I select "Forward" from options, it shows "Converting to multimedia message" and I'm getting charged more. Furthermore, if the person on receiving end doesn't have a multimedia phone he is not able to receive it.
I have un-rooted Samsung Galaxy 3 I5801
I don't want to convert it to Multimedia message.

This was fixed in Froyo. Anything over 3*160 (480 characters) will convert to an MMS prior to Froyo.
You do have a couple options.

Use a 3rd Party Messaging App, like Handcent, for example.
See if you are able to install this "Hack"
Root your phone and flash a Froyo Rom
Wait for a Froyo update from Samsung

Edit: Some additional information
Anything over 160 characters, technically, is no longer an SMS. The stock Messaging app, and others too, allow for "longer" messages but it is just splitting up the messages in to 160 characters. In Eclair (Android 2.1) a message will be converted to an MMS after it exceeds 480 characters. At that point, the default Messaging app will no longer split up the messages, instead it just sends it as one MMS. If you are using a 3rd party messaging application and find that you are still being charged the MMS rate, it may be that your carrier is grouping messages that come through "at the same time".

Thanks very much for the answer. I don't trust that hack. I'm waiting for upgrade from Samsung. I've installed Handcent, and I still had the problem. Currently uninstalled it. Is there any option in Handcent that I've to change?

That is what I am stating, using a 3rd party messaging app, like handcent, will prevent the "Converting to Multimedia Message" bug that was in android prior to froyo.

No, but I had also tried to send it through Handcent when I had it installed and it didn't showed me that message, but when I sent it, I got charged for MMS. And the reciever didn't recieved it as her phone was not supporting it.

I've flashed to Froyo. Very happy with it.

Use Handcent and change the default settings:

Settings -> Send message
settings
Auto-convert to MMS - Uncheck this
Split 160 - Set this to one of the Split options (I recommend Split by word & add counter but you may prefer a different one - I don't fully understand the differences between them all).

Rather than using Handcent, which is quite bulky, slow and doesn't really add any new features to the stock SMS application provided by Android, I recommend BigSMS.
It's a free application that provides you with a simple, yet powerful interface that allows you to send unlimited length SMS. It doesn't claim to be big or clever, it is simply a solution to this problem which the developer also appears to have encountered.
I've been using it for a couple of days and it seems to do exactly what it says. Running perfect on Xperia Arc S running 2.3

i like bigsms but it doesnt seem to save the messages anywhere. or am i missing something?!

not sure. I just downloaded BigSMS off android and it appears to save all my sent sms in my sent box as used by Android. I don't really know. It's a great app though. It solves the problem it says its going to solve without including any frilly crap.

BigSMS doesn't exist anymore? Tried Android Messages, but this also automatically converts to MMS.

As of 2019, Samsung and Google Messaging apps convert SMS into MMS if the SMS is greater than 10 fragments.  But Play Store has an open-source app called QKSMS by Moez Bhatti, which I have tested will still send as SMS even at hundreds of fragments.
But then you must check the limit of your network, and the limit of the receiving phone.  For example, in my tests I could send a 127-fragment SMS over Vodafone UK's network but 128 failed, and an old Samsung Galaxy S2 phone (using its default messaging app) could receive a 120-fragment message but consistently failed with a 121-fragment message (the message is never shown).  When the receiving phone was on the UK's "EE" network, I had trouble making it receive texts longer than 17 fragments, and when the sending phone was on the "O2" network I had trouble sending SMS longer than 2 fragments.

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text:
How to delete a single (SSL root) certificate?
There is only a way to purge the whole certificate store (for SSL root certificates like those used for 802.1x).
Is there an app, setting or (as a last resort) command line to remove a single certificate?
(Android 2.2)

Related question: where are certificates stored in the Android OS?

possible duplicate of How can I remove trusted CAs on Android?

To be honest I had never removed a cert before but I've added my own and it looks like it's the same process.
It's basically:

use Linux (or a vm of Linux)
install bouncycastle (java SSL library)
download the cacerts.bks files from the device
use keytool -delete command to remove the cert from cacerts.bks
verify that it worked with keytool
push the cacerts.bks file back up to the device

Bouncy Castle: http://www.bouncycastle.org/latest_releases.html
Detailed instructions on how to use keytool: http://wiki.cacert.org/ImportRootCert#Android_Phones
In ubuntu it's a little easier to download through apt just so you can get the PATH stuff right. "apt-cache search bouncycastle" should help.

Since you're on 2.2, root your device, then use CACertMan:
Market Link Source Code
You can choose to delete certificates one-by-one, and back up your configuration for use later.


text:
How can I force my Nexus One to upgrade to the official Gingerbread without waiting for the formal OTA update?
The OTA update for Gingerbread is being pushed out. But I'm in India and there's a good chance I'll be among the last people to get it. Is there a way to get that official update right now?

There is only one way. Keep checking xda developers forum for update.zip link. Once you get it download and update manually. This is the only way to get gingerbread update on your phone. Else it will take few weeks (as per google definition few weeks is 3+ months).

I agree, XDA will have it ASAP.

This is what I would do if syntheticbrain's suggestion doesn't work.

And here it is http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=11566707

Thanks, that was really simple! Next question is, how does one get information on when Google releases a signed OTA file for manual update? Do you need to be a registered Android developer for that?

It's generally just the good people at xda who 'release' the file for manual update. I don't think google, or device manufactures, ever really officially release them.

A comment on the checkin procedure: you need to enter *#*#2432546#*#* without pressing dial. (The numbes are equivalent to checkin, I just think this is clearer.)
More specifically, the general consensus seems to be that the phone polls for available updates periodically (to the OS and apps). This procedure forces it to poll, but if the OS update has not been made available to you it won't do anything.

If you put the code in between backticks `` Markdown won't read the asterisks as the code for Italics.

There was a suggestion on xda which said that one should put the phone on airplane mode, switch on wifi and then repeat the process. This way you have a better chance of getting the OTA coming your way. But seems that the checkin process only works if your model/ carrier is anyways scheduled for an OTA update.

Try Settings -> About phone -> System updates
If that isn't available, or doesn't work, try typing *#*#checkin#*#* into the dialer. As a disclaimer, I haven't myself tried the second method, but have read it is meant to work.

I tried this on my Nexus S and got an invalid code error - still might be valid for Nexus One though. You said you "read" about this code working. Can you site the source please? I'd like to read it also.

http://jeftek.com/622/how-to-force-checking-for-updates-on-android-devices/ It does actually mention it should be done with the stock dialer, which I hadn't noticed. Though the Nexus S is using stock, isn't it?

You can install it manually, I followed these instructions.

Download the update and rename the file update.zip
Connect your Nexus One to your PC/Mac and copy that file to your microSD card.
Power down your Nexus One. Then press ‘power’ and hold the trackball.
1 . You’ll see a screen appear with three Android robots and you’ll see some code. Using the volume buttons, select ‘Bootloader’ and then press ‘Power’ to select.
On the next screen, select ‘Recovery’.
The Nexus One will reboot. You’ll see a triangle with and Android robot and an exclamation point.
Press the volume up button and the power button at the same time.
Using the trackball, select “Apply sdcard: update.zip”.

I then rebooted and now I have 2.3.

What's involved in manually updating my Nexus One?


text:
Why doesn't my Samsung Galaxy S communicate via USB?
I discovered today that I cannot connect my PC with Samsung GT-I9000 any more: when I plug in the microUSB cable, nothing happens other than that the phone starts to charge. Earlier I got to see Connect to Kies or something like that.
Things I've tried so far:
-Switcing USB debugging on and off
-Removing battery
-Trying different cable
-Trying reimaging PC to a known good state (where I previously would have found new hardware)
-Trying different computer
-Factory data reset
-Formatting internal SD card
-Entering download mode with mUSB jig (my phone has download and recovery modes disabled otherwise) and reconnecting mUSB cable. Then I saw the "USB Device Not Recognized. One of the USB devices attached to this computer has malfunctioned..." error on Windows (XP).
Is there anything else I could try before sending it to the long journey of Warrantyland?
UPDATE:
I tried an app z4root which rooted the phone without the need of usb cable, then I could use Rom Manager to force the phone into Recovery Mode (remember my phone had the 3-button combo disabled). There I deleted-erased-formated everything I could and when I got back to normal mode and tried connecting again, Windows found new hardware and Kies recognized the phone. Just to be sure, I pulled the cable from computer, waited for 2 secs and then reconnected but, alas, nothing happenend again. I reimaged the PC and redid the z4root+Rom Manager+Recovery Mode wipe thing but nothing. Then I tried to reinsert microusb plug into phone under an angle and witnessed a successful connection. Kies offered updating firmare. I did not breathe on the phone and carefully clicked mouse to accept in hope that if this was a software error, new update would fix it. The update went fine but after the phone rebooted and I could confirm the firmware version from About, I still could not connect.
Then I used USB jig which I purchased from eBay to force the phone into download mode and tried to connect it with a PC once again. The PC froze at once (even the mouse cursor did not move). I tried pressing every conceiveable keyboard combination from Enter to Ctrl+Alt+Del and then disconnected the USB cable. As soon as I did that, everything started moving again on the screen. I could reproduce this behaviour for 5 times. On the sixth time, however, Windows found new hardware and started installing drivers but soon after that a balloon popped up saying "USB Device Not Recognized. One of the USB devices attached to this computer has malfunctioned [...]". Then I rebooted the phone and came back to the issue later.
I forced the download mode once again and plugged the USB cable in. Nothing happened. No frozing, no error.
Even though I have tried to wiggle the microusb plug in from every possible angle, it does not seem to have any effect. It just works when it wants to work. Charging works always, though.

Possible duplicate: http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/5548/samsung-gt-i9000-stopped-detecting-usb-connectivity-not-a-driver-problem

Looks like it, yes.

When I think back of my saga, it possible that I got the connection only when I completely reimaged PC or reformatted phone (I cannot tell which is important because I did them both at the same time). And only once on both occasions.

I have what appears to be the exact same problem and cannot update to 2.2 because Kies (old versions and new) on five different computers will not recognize my phone.  I don't think it is the usb plug or wire as charging always works, and the computer knows something plugs in, and I have tried three wires.  I have tried all the theoretical fixes (usb debugging on and off), unmount sd card, etc) and nothing helps. Least helpful is Samsung help line.

@user3245, weird but I had a deja-vu that I already answered this posting. Anyway, I think that my phone's microusb port is corroded or short circuited (or both). I seem to get the proper connection on very rare occasions, like now. I'm going to take it to service on 19th.

@user3245 I just received my phone from service. They detected liquid damage within the port and did a chemical wash of it and said that all warranty is lost now. I was left with malfunctioning phone and €25 less money. Anyone know what to do next?

wow, I basically have the same problem. Just bought a Samsung Fascinate, it charges but windows says it has Malfunctioned and does not recognize it. In ubuntu's sylog, it says something liek "read error at -64 bytes, cannot enumerate usb device" etc etc. Called samsung, have a few weeks warranty left. They said I must have OEM Samsung cable so I ordered one on amazon, am waiting for it in the mail, when it comesI will call them and they will do 'troubleshooting steps' and if they dont work with OEM cord, then I will send it in for repair. I hope they can't fix it and give me a brand new phone!

@Matt While I don't remember the details any more, I remember that I downloaded zroot apk to SD and got the phone rooted without the PC. Then I installed a custom ROM and after that I haven't had any problems with it's USB connectivity.

The custom ROM may or may not have played a role. Reading my own comments here I recall that my phone gradually started to work more often. But after switching to custom ROM (Darky ROM, but I now use CM7) I never had any problems. So it may help.

@Henno, thanks. Well they claimed to have shipped it on Tues. so hopefully it will be in the mail around noon today. I will try it, if it works, then that's great, my problems are solved.  However I do not think it will work, I believe the data pins are corroded or have some gunk or something on them. I'd try cleaning it but I don't want samsung to say that I messed with it and voided my warranty so if it doesn't work I'm gonna send it in and hope they can't figure out what's wrong and just send me a brand new phone ;)

I had a similar problem. It was caused by moisture getting into the terminals while using phone in the rain. One solution is to get terminals cleaned or replaced.

Yes, I think that this was my case too. I even sent it to warranty where they did a chemical wash but that did not change anything (besides losing the warranty). However it gradually started to connect more and more often and now it shows the dark Kies connect screen every time I connect mUSB cable. Now only my Windows installation is screwed (removing too much drivers with nLite but that's another story).

I have followed the Exact steps from Link :

Samsung mobile MTP Device cannot be installed
StackOverflow tutorial

Here are steps :  (for Windows specific instructions):

Ensure phone is not connected to PC.
Uninstall KIES from PC. Reboot your PC and Reinstall KIES after that. Just for great measure... open KIES, go to Tools | Troubleshoot connection error. Follow instructions and wait for it to finish the troubleshooting procedure.
Reboot your phone (or turn off and then on your phone again). Do not connect it to your PC just yet.
Once rebooted, go to your phone's dialer, type *#7284# - A configuration window will appear. In that window's USB section, if it's default to PDA, tap MODEM, then back to PDA, (if it is MODEM in the beginning, change it to PDA) then press the back key to exit. Most importantly, it must set as PDA when you exit.
Turn off USB debugging in your phone.
(Optional) Set your phone's screen timeout to a lengthy time. (minimum 1-2 minutes - recommended 5mins to 30mins) its found in Settings | Display. You can change this back later on.
Connect the phone to your PC with USB cable and let windows load your drivers... and wait for the drivers to get reinstalled.
Once reinstalled, disconnect the phone off USB. Switch USB debugging back on in your phone settings, and reconnect the phone back - you'll see windows load another set of drivers for your phone. Wait until it is completed. (This step is a precautionative measure to ensure your phone is identified with all the necessary drivers)
Once complete, unplug your phone, and turn off USB debugging... This is to ensure MTP will initialize. Also, press the phone's home key until your homescreen is displayed. Only after doing all that, reconnect your phone back to PC.
Test and see if MTP works using Windows Explorer. You'll see your phone's USB storage and SDCard contents if it does.

Hope it will help you..

I'd try uninstalling all your drivers/software for the phone, rebooting, reinstalling the official drivers from samsung.com/uk, and trying again.  You could also just install the drivers on another computer that has never had the phone connected, to ensure it starts in a clean state.  If that doesn't work, I would guess a trip to Warrantyland is required.

I had similar problems with mine - plugin on USB, it would charge but do nothing else. It wouldn't even recognise the phone was attached to install drivers.
After some internet searching, I was ready to give up... but I tried on a different USB port... and more importantly, used an old usb cable from my old phone. Suddenly all sprang into life! So my suggestion is to try a different cable, I think cheap cables are not all made equally.
Charging worked with either cable, butif the PC knows something is plugged in and istalls the drivers then this is not likely to be your problem, unless you have a dodgy connection in there somewhere.

I will give here a solution which I found when I had a similar problem (note: this answer was already given in this question). It really took me some time to find this solution, and to be honest, I seem to be the only one with this problem/solution, but maybe it helps other:
-- my answer to a similar question on this site --
I had a similar problem when I still had my PALM synchronization software installed. For some reason or another, it used COMM port 4 for it's communication ( don't know why but it did ), and that conflicted ( probably behind the scenes ) with the communication with my Galaxy S.
Once I uninstalled the PALM synchronization software, the connection went fine.
So please check if on your pc some sort of other communication device is installed.

Nope, I had the problem even on freshly installed Windows. Funny thing is that it seemed to work on the very-very first attempt after a fresh install of Windows. But subsequent connections failed.

I tried everything too. But after a while, I had to install a fresh version of Windows 7 and to my surprise, Samsung Galaxy S connected with USB.

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


text:
USB Mass Storage Not Working
I have spent a few hours trying to figure out why my USB mass storage function is not working with my laptop. Here's what I've done:

Installed Android 2.3.2 (Pete's GPA12)
Uninstalled, cleaned, and reinstalled drivers from Motorola.
Reinstalled Java JDK
Rebooted

After through all this, it still doesn't work.
Motorola Droid

Windows 7 x64

Related: Why can't I see Android storage as a partition on PC?

OK, I found out what's wrong. I had USB Debugging enabled at the same time so I had to turn that off and now it works.
Menu > Settings > Applications > Development > USB Debugging


text:
HTC Desire and GPS - how does it work?
I'm curious as to how the GPS works on the phone? In particular, what impacts does putting the phone in my pocket/bag have on the GPS signal?
Reason I ask is, I've recently installed the CardioTrainer app on my HTC Desire to record my workouts and I've realised that sometimes the GPS tracking "jumps" a lot - ie. CardioTrainer will record several partial segments during a jog, mainly because I seem to lose GPS signal every now and then.
I've noticed that this generally happens when I put the phone in my pocket or bag, and happens much less if I'm holding the phone while jogging/walking. Though many times it also works well even though the phone is in my pocket or bag.
Note: In general when I use GPS, I have clear view of the sky (though of course, if the phone is in my bag, it technically can't 'see' the sky)

As long as the material of your clothes or bag contains no metallic element that could block the GPS signal then your phone should be able to receive a GPS signal fine while in your bag or pocket.
I use the HTC Desire almost daily to record GPS tracks, and generally keep it in my jacket pocket and have noticed no problems with the GPS positioning. Those problems I do have are related to travelling through built up areas or in buildings.
You should remember that GPS can be less accurate in dense urban areas as the receiver may be able to see some sky, but that patch of sky may not contain enough GPS satellites for a direct fix. The signal may also be affected by weather, particularly humidity.
Have you tried any other applications, as it could perhaps be the app that is causing the poor performance you're seeing.
For recording running I can particularly recommend Runkeeper, I've been using it for six months now and it works really well, plus has some really good online features. For general GPS recording the My Tracks app is also pretty good. I would suggest trying a couple of different apps and comparing the results. If they are all showing gaps or jumps in the GPS track then it may well be something to do with the way you are using your phone (or the area you are in).


text:
How can I retrieve home screen icons after I delete them?
I accidentally put all my wifi/gprs/etc icons in the trash can. How can I retrieve them? I'm using Android 2.1.

I assume you are talking about removing icons from one of the home screens on your phone? If you long press on the home screen, or press Menu -> Add to Home you can select from various options to re-add items to the home screen. I suspect the icons you are talking about would be under Widget.
A little more information about your phone would help people to identify exactly which widgets you are talking about, and where to find them on your phone. For example, if your phone is an HTC and is running the default OS you can find all sorts of widgets for wi-fi, gprs, gps etc in Menu -> Add to Home -> Widget -> Settings, or the 'Power Control' widget can also control many of these functions.


text:
How to get hardware specs of Android device?
How can I find information on the hardware of my Android device like processor architecture, RAM, etc?

Run "Menu → DevTools → Terminal Emulator".
Enter the folowing commands:
cat /proc/cpuinfo
cat /proc/meminfo
free
cat /proc/version

If there are no dev tools one can install a terminal Emulator Form the play store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jackpal.androidterm

My favorite is the AIDA64 app.

I've been purchasing Android boxes (>10 makes/models in last 6 months) and testing/vetting them for friends. Heard the expression, "Mutton dressed like lamb"? It describes many of what's crossed my bench. The screenshot is of an AIDA64 scan done on an "M8S" box advertised as featuring an Amlogic S812 CPU. This app was one of only 2 describing the CPU/SoC to that degree of detail ("AMLogic Meson8 8726-M8" - the quote is QED).

This is a nice UI, but adb shell getprop gives the same results

Settings -> About Phone should tell you most of what you want to know. Failing that, it will at least tell you a model name which you can then search google for more info.
My 'About Phone' lists Model, CPU info (i.e. what CPU) and Memory info among other things. But I am running CM7 with Gingerbread.

This section on my device (Chinese aPad) only mentions memory size, firmware, kernel version and build number. Model number is also mentioned, but it only says generic.

@oxwivi No one has any way of knowing what you already know or don't know. You already know about Settings > About phone so you think it's an obvious place to look. A user who isn't familiar with that option might find what they're looking for there. We can build a better community if we assume the best of other users!

Check the manufacturer's website or hit up a gadget database like GDGT.

CPU-Z is available for Android in Google Play Store. You can see your hardware information in it.

I got free 'Droid Hardware Info'. Under 'System' tab, it tells the Processor info, utilization of each cores and more.

This one actually gave full info about CPU and chipset.

Go for http://www.gsmarena.com/. It contains specs of almost everyphone

Install Droid Examiner from F-Droid.  Gives lots of details, though not pretty.  FOSS is good.


text:
How can I prevent android apps from reformatting my SD card?
I have a 32GB micro SD card, and some of the apps I use state that they have permsisions to modify sd card memory. I have a lot of personal files on my card, and the other day, some app, I don't know which one, had practically wiped out over 15gs of files from my card!
How can I block apps from wiping out my sd card? I don't see what possible good can come out of an app that can wipe out all my personal files. I backed up my pics when a guy at work told me an app had re-formatted his SD card. Sure enough, the same thing happened to me. I was able to back up my files BEFORE it happened, but how can I prevent this from happening again?

I was curious if you had a chance to discover which app did this?

I've never heard of an app that formats the sdcard. The permission to modify the sdcard is so the application can "read/write" data to the sdcard.
If you have an app that formats your sdcard, I would report the issue to the developer, plus to the Android Market.

SD cards are almost always formatted as FAT, which means that the OS cannot set filesystem permissions.  In other words, you cannot protect individual files.  And you can only protect the SD card as a whole by not installing apps that access it.
I recommend frequent backups and testing out new apps thoroughly, possibly by using another SD card with unimportant or backed-up data on it.

There is an rsync in the market, which I use to backup my sdcard to my home server routinely (via its Tasker integration). From there, its a simple matter of adding it to the existing backup system.
rsync itself can also be configured to keep backups.
finally, if you have a rooted phone, I suppose you could format your sdcard as ext4, or partition it to also have an ext4 partition. Then you'd be able to use file permissions. Of course, you'd need ext4 drivers to use USB disk mode, so pretty much you'd have to use Linux.


text:
How to properly format a MicroSD Card for FroYo?
The MicroSD card that came with my phone shows up as simply 'FAT' in Windows XP. This 2GB card works well in my HTC Wildfire running FroYo.
I bought a new 16GB MicroSD which is formatted as 'FAT32' but this does not work well in my phone although Windows picks it up fine.
The formatting option under settings on my phone just hangs. ('Do you want to force close this application?')
I had formatted the 16GB card in Windows before I found the SDFormatter utility. Using the SDFormatter utility now does not make a difference.
I have read that the actual filesystem for Android is YAFFS but I cannot find a utility for Windows that will format it as such.
What can I do to get a YAFFS filesystem (or plain 'FAT') on this card?
n.b. As a side note, my phone was faulty. It now works fine with FAT32

In Settings -> SD card and phone storage there is an option to format the sdcard. You first have to unmount the sdcard before you can format it.

Correct. Always use the device's internal formatting functionality to perform a format. This holds true for other electronic devices like digital cameras / mp3 players etc. as well.

Yeah unfortunately, this hangs when I try it - It asks me if I want to force quit - I chose 'Wait' in-case it is just taking a long time with the the larger card size, but it does not seem to end (5 minutes)

Sounds more like a problem with the actual sdcard then. If you think that is not that case, then I would still format with the built in option. every card I ever bought came formatted as FAT32 and android picked it up just fine.

You could try booting into recovery. There may be an option to format from there, but I'm fairly certain it would only be a feature of custom recoveries... Worth trying though!
With the wildfire I think you hold down power and the volume button, which takes you into hboot. From there you can scroll (with the volume buttons) to recovery. That will take you to the recovery screen, where a series of options should be available.


text:
Create flash-friendly file system on microSD card (not FAT32)
Yesterday I noticed that I destroyed my just a couple of months old 32GB large microSD card. I wasn't even able to create a new file system on it or change the partition table, so it became completely unusable.
To prevent this from happening again, I want to use a different, more flash-friendly filesystem on my new microSD card. I am using an unrooted Nexus One with Android 2.3.3 on it. I know that it is quite possible to use different file systems with custom ROMs on rooted phones, but I want to use the official, unrooted version of Android.
So my question is:
Is it possible to use other file systems than FAT on a microSD card with unrooted Android? Which file system would you use then to save the flash memory from corrupting?
I am also interested in things you do to save your microSD card life.

Corruption cannot cause the card to be un-formattable.  You had a hardware problem, not a software problem.  Buy a card from Kingston or another manufacturer who make quality stuff.

MicroSD cards already have wear leveling at the hardware level - placing software wear leveling on top of that won't help much. Just get a higher quality microSD next time.


text:
Default folder location for images when saved as 'wallpaper'
What is the default folder location for images when saved as 'wallpaper' from an internet site using FROYO or Android 2.2?

The default download location is /sdcard/download, I don't know if it's different for wallpaper.  The current image used as wallpaper is stored in /data/data/com.android.settings/files/wallpaper.


text:
"Update unsuccessful" on all apps running on SD card
I know this problem has been reported before, but man, I am really, really getting tired of it. I have not been able to update any app running from the SD card on my HTC Evo since I got it nearly 6 months ago. I just went through all of my apps and documented which ones are on SD storage and phone storage. I was then able to go through my list of updates and select just those that are on phone storage and then all succeeded (11 apps). I then went through some of the ones on SD storage and they all failed (tried 7, but I probably have 10-15 more).
I have tried many of the "fixes" I've seen online like clearing the cache on the Market app. There is not enough internal space for all my apps. I refuse to accept some of the "fixes" as true fixes like deleting the app and reinstalling it or moving the app to the phone storage, updating, and then moving back. Those are not acceptable fixes in my book. This is a major black eye on the Android OS to me. When people ask me if Android is as good as iOS, this problem is front and center in my mind when I tell them that its good, but I'd rather have an iPhone (but, I'd rather have this than my old Blackberry). I get my phone through work, so rooting is not an option. Has anybody else had any success resolving this issue? I'm using the SD card that came with the phone but has anybody had luck with a different brand?

I have, on occasion, had a truculent app that wouldn't update properly. Deleting the app and re-installing worked just fine. (It didn't appear to be related to apps on the SD card, though.) Honestly, uninstalling/reinstalling shouldn't take much more time and effort than just doing the update.

You're not trying to update apps on the SD card while you have the phone connected to the USB cable, are you? I could see where that would cause a problem.

I have tried both plugged and unplugged. When plugged, I always make sure the phone is in "Charge only" mode. I don't think you should be forced to uninstall the app to upgrade. You lose whatever customizations you have set up in the app when you do that. At workaround at best, not a fix.

@Al Everett - The problem with uninstalling, it will remove any settings associated with the application as well. @Nik Majdan, if you move the app back to phone storage, will it update then?

@RyanConrad: Not necessarily. I've had apps that didn't remove setting values.

@Ryan. Yes. I moved my DiskUsage app to Phone storage and it updated then I moved it back. Again, merely a workaround. I have about 30 apps that need updating and doing this for all of them would be incredibly time intensive.

Having the same problem with my LG Optimus (T-Mobile). Just noticed it over the past few days. Running Android 2.2. Says my sd card had 2.31gb of memory available, phone memory has 69.7 mb. I've tried taking the sd card out, battery out, plugged, unplugged, etc. Had to uninstall & reinstall. Angry Birds Seasons won't install at all from the market or Amazon app store.

Also seeing this on the HTC Incredible... would love to see a solution rather than moving apps to the phone for each update.

How many internal space do you have (check on Settings > SD card & phone storage settings > Internal phone storage > Available Space)? Make sure to leave at least 15-20 MB of internal space (probably larger if you have a large number of large apps) so you can safely update apps. If you have little internal memory left, then updates will fail and "Update All" will fail en masse. The solution is to update the apps one by one, or to clear up some space in the internal memory.
I never had problems with updating apps installed in SD card except when my phone's internal memory reaches about 5-10 MB.

I currently have 29MB free, but I've had more and it still failed.

This answer sounds reasonable, but does not solve the issue for me.

I asked a similar question a few months ago.  Unmounting the SD card and updating seemed to resolve the problem in the short term, but I also get the error every so often when attempting to install updates.  I'm not sure what actually causes the problem to occur, but in the meantime I am installing apps onto my SD card and when I get an installation/update unsuccessful, I move it to internal storage.  Most of my apps reside just fine on my SD card, so it hasn't been a big deal.
I do sympathize with how annoying it is, though.  Best of luck finding a more long-term answer.

I read your question before I posted mine. I thought it was a bit different since you were performing an initial installation. Since unmounting your SD card fixed it, I guess the app was trying to install on SD card by default. I didn't know apps did this. We've identified a couple workarounds on this issue but I am hoping to get a more permanent solution. I need to find someone running Gingerbread or Honeycomb and see if they have this issue. Is it safe to assume that not everyone has this problem? Are there people with apps on SD card that can update without issue?

@Nik I'd also be curious to find out if it is for some reason related to the Evo (though I'm not sure why it would be).

@Nik: I've had the occasional truculent update but nothing like what you're seeing. I have every app possible on the SD card. Then I have an original Motorola Droid, so I don't know if perhaps some of HTC's customizations are at the root of your issues.

The documentation I started yesterday on my issue: http://bit.ly/he3pnc. I'm going to log every attempt at upgrading so I have something to show our phone guy here at work. Maybe my specific phone is the problem.

@Nik After reading @user3144's answer, I realized it's probably useful to mention I'm running FreshEvo-3.5.0.1.  That may be useful to someone

I had the same issue for awhile running Bugless Beast ROM on my Droid and I couldn't get rid of it and finally gave up. Then one day I moved to CyanogenMod 6 (wiped, etc) and the problem stopped.
Wish I could give an easy answer, but, for me, it didn't go away until a wiped everything and started over with a new ROM.


text:
Where is the options button in Rockplayer?
How do I open the options for the Rockplayer app? I need to get to the subtitle encoding menu so that my srt is supported (currently it looks like Chinese) but I can't find it. I see only the play/pause buttons, the screen resize button and the video info button. Can you help me?

Try pressing your phone's Menu button.  That should bring up everything else you can do/look at/etc. that is not on-screen.


text:
How do I turn off spoken notifications?
Can't figure out how to change the settings on my Samsung Galaxy S phone to actually have a ringtone when receiving a call.
When receiving a call a voice says "call from 123-456-7890" or "call from Fred". I know how to set the ringtone which has been set..but I don't know how to take the voice off.
So how do I turn off these spoken notifications and get back the ringtone I've set?

sounds like you have some 3rd party application that "announces" the calls.

Also see if there's something in the Accessibility Settings that's rendering this functionality.

On my Droid 2 it's under Settings > Call Settings > Caller ID Readout...then you can set Ring Only, Caller ID then Ring, or Caller ID Repeat.  I realize you have a different phone, but I hope this helps.

I don't have Caller ID Readout on my Droid (2.2.1).    Would love to have that option when using a headset.

All I get is the number on my earpiece.  But my wife, also using a Droid 2, gets the Caller ID.  The only difference I can find is that she got an LG earpiece and I got a Jawbone.

For Galaxy S2 go to Settings -> Language and Input -> Text-to-speech output and turn off Driving Mode. This should turn off both call and messaging readout.

This is in the same place on a Galaxy S with Gingerbread

This finally told me where this setting was, seems to be in different places in different phones!

In Epic 4G (imagine same for other Galaxy S handsets):
Settings -> Text-To-Speech -> Speak incoming CallerID

For Galaxy S2, in Settings, Voice input and output, Text-to-speech settings, turn off Driving mode, this should turn off both call and messaging readout.
Actually, you have to go into the driving mode settings and disable the option for incoming call read out.  I disabled all of the read out messages for new email etc.  I don't want my phone talking to me ever! Turning off driving mode did not work on my new Galaxy s2.

Go into Settings->Accessibility and uncheck "Talk back".

Okay, I had the same problem.
Go into Settings, then click Voice input and output Next, click Text-to-speech settings, from there you should see something called Driving Mode. If its got a tick next to it, you've found your problem. Untick driving mode and the voice will stop reading out the number.
I accidentally clicked that button a while back, and have spent the past week trying to work out how to put it back.

This applies to the AT&T SGS2 (SGHi777). My problem started when I ran the "Voice Command" app. I started the driving mode, but even after I turned it off, it would still read the CID in my ear. After reading all the answers here and trying everything, I still had the problem. I finally tried -Settings->Voice input and output->Text-to-speech settings->Check "Always use my settings". Finally I have peace. Thank you everyone who helped steer me in the right direction.


text:
Does the Android web browser support x509 certificate user authentication?
I'm attempting to determine if the built-in Android web browser supports user authentication using x509 certificates. Assuming I have my web server configured correctly, and I have added the user certificate to Android, will the browser support this kind of authentication?
I haven't tested this yet but I'm attempting to create a zero login mobile application for work.
Your help and feedback is greatly appreciated.
Matt

I can't tell you for sure, but the Android OS supports x509 so I would assume the browser does as well.


text:
Is there a bug in the management of icon movement?
I have been using my Nexus one, Android Version 2.2.2, build number FRG83G, since December.
I had no problem moving icons on the screen for two months.
Lately, I think after the latest update asking to restart the android (several weeks ago), I noticed that I was not able to move the icons and widgets any more, that they would either refuse to move, disappear or be moved to some random folder on another screen (hence seemingly disappearing), and that even when there was a single icon on an otherwise empty page.
At first I thought it was a general bug which would be corrected by a following update, but it has been some time now, and googling for such bug did not yield any result, so that it seems that I am the only one suffering from such a problem. Any idea what could cause it?

What's your current build number?

build number FRG83G.  (Sorry if first line was not clear: those are the information of the current version on the phone, not those with which I received it, which are irrelevant)

it seems this bug is fixed in 2.3.3 OTA.
to upgrade manually check http://www.androidpolice.com/2011/02/24/google-releases-android-2-3-3-update-zip-for-nexus-one-and-nexus-s/

I would try installing a custom launcher, like ADW Launcher, Launcher Pro or Go Launcher, and see if the problem persists.

I have had this problem myself; here's a couple of reports: 1 2
If this seems to be your problem, please star the issue(s) in Google Code to vote for this being investigated.


text:
Update to Froyo -=> reboot loop on Sanyo Zio
I have a Sanyo Zio.  It was happily rooted and working until last night when the OTA update to FroYo arrived.
Now, it boots, gets to the desktop, and freezes.
It looks like it's still running, as I can follow the log with adb (something I just learned about).  The log continues to accumulate entries if, for example, I touch the screen.
Otherwise, it is just completely paralyzed and unresponsive.  It has the wrong date and time (currently 11:12PM on November 10) and doesn't connect to its network.  It does, however, show the charging icon if I plug it in.  It is alive in there somewhere.
What do I do?

Do a factory reset (here are instructions).
Grab the update from here (dead link) and re-flash it.  You may need to put it in the /sdcard folder and name it update.zip, or use Fastboot through adb (you need to install the Android SDK on your PC).

When I try to do a factory reset, it goes to fastboot.

You'll see in the second post in that thread that you can factory reset from within fastboot.

OK, now I need that update.zip fie, but the location seems to have expired.  Are they all the same or do I need the one specifically for the Zio?

Shoot.  Yes, you do need one specifically for the Zio.  I can't find one at the moment but a good place to look is in the General or Android Dev sub-forums for the Zio on XDA: http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=1060

If you are OK with restoring your phone to factory settings, then I would try that.  Note that you WILL lose all internal data on the phone.  Your apps, contacts, mail, calendar, etc. will sync back from the cloud.  Everything on your SD card will be fine.  But any application data and settings stored on the internal memory will be lost.
See here for more information on how to reset your Sanyo Zio


text:
How to change DHCP config?
I am trying to access an ims core from the ims client in my Android device, however I need to modify the dhcp client to add the ip of the core as one of the DNS. In case of a Linux OS the following would do the job::
cd /etc/dhcp3/ ; vi dhclient.conf ; /* add the line:: prepend domain-name-servers 152.xx.xx.xx(ip of ims core) / sudo dhclient ; / to restart*/

Now the issue is how do I achieve the same in my Android?

Which Android device do you have? Version? Rooted / Unrooted?

I am having Motorola A855

If you want to set a DNS server for one/some access points, you can use Wifi Static.

This doesn't really address your DHCP question (not sure what sysprop that would be), but it will fix your DNS issues. You can make an ASE script for it if you don't want to have to do it every time your DNS is changed by the provider.
Also, depending on how your DNS server is setup you may want to change the INT at the end of line one to "2" or "3" and add some other DNS servers for the rest of the internet (openDNS, google DNS, etc).
Open an adb shell or Terminal Emulator and type:
setprop ro.kernel.android.ndns 1
setprop net.eth0.dns1 152.xxx.xxx.xxx

Alternatively, just throw the server(s) you want to resolve into /system/etc/hosts, like you would in a normal linux system.

note that not all devices have net.eth0.dns1, some use net.dns1 or net.gprs0.dns1, check this with getprop.

On my device I got
/etc/dhcpd/dhclient.conf

To get a new IP from DHCP you can run
dhcpcd -k wlan0
dhcpcd -n wlan0

/system/bin/sh: cat: /etc/dhcpd/dhclient.conf: No such file or directory


text:
List of apps ever downloaded
I bought myself a new Android phone since my last one died (overheated). So I've lost all the applications.
Is there some kind of download history to find what you've downloaded via your Google Account or something? I'm aware of something similar in Market > My Apps,  but that contains only what you have on the current device.

I ran across this by accident, but it is exactly what I was after! Hope it helps others.
https://market.android.com/account and the Orders tab
Update - this is now https://play.google.com/apps

That is a nice find. it appears, at least to me, that it only shows what is currently installed. it doesn't show apps that are not installed, not free ones any how.

I regularly wipe my phones (generally because I'm putting on a new ROM) and Google keeps a backup of my current phone state which includes installed applications. When I boot into the new install it downloads them all again. If that hasn't happend (which it evidently hasn't) then I think that the information has gone and you'll have to do it from your own memory.

If this is exactly what you're looking for, don't forget to accept it.

As for today, in Play Store - My Apps, there is an ALL tab that shows us every downloaded application

No, There is not any such facilities yet.


text:
What is hard reset and what is factory reset?
It is mentioned at XDA Developers that one should do Factory reset or hard reset. I'm a bit confused about what is hard reset?
Factory reset I suppose is using the option in settings to reset phone to the factory state i.e. when it was unboxed.

A hard reset is traditionally when you kill all power to the device and then boot it up from that state.  Normally you remove the battery, then put it back in and boot up.  You're right about factory reset — it erases all your settings and data, leaving the OS.  Unfortunately, some people use "hard reset" when they really mean "factory reset".

Thanks very much for the short & sweet answer. So that means, it doesn't stop using battery when I switch off my phone? And what extra boot steps it has to take for hard reset than simple reboot?

Most Android phones actually do shut off entirely when powered down.  Powering down and then back up should be sufficient.  I would suspect a reboot would be fine as well -- a "soft" restart is usually when you close an application and restart it, rather than restart the entire device.  For example, you could "soft reboot" old versions of Windows by exiting to DOS and then starting up Windows again.

I think "hard reset" has become synonymous with "factory reset", as far as phone tech support is concerned anyway. A "hard reboot" would be where you yank the battery and then restart the phone, while a "soft reboot" would be selecting restart from the power options menu.

"You're right about factory reset -- it erases all your settings and data, leaving the OS."
Does that mean that Factory Reset is exactly the same  thing as wiping /data and /cache?  I would have thought from the name that it resets your phone back to its "factory" state by reformatting all internal memory and flashing each partition from an image on a real embedded ROM in your phone, but that appears not to be the case.
I guess if such a thing existed, it would be easy to restore a "bricked" phone. Manufacturers must be under a lot of cost pressure.  ;)

@lsiden It doesn't format and flash, sadly. A locked bootloader might do that if you modify /system, but a standard factory reset only hits /data and /cache as you say.


text:
Recovery from fastboot
I have a Sanyo Zio that is completely non-functional but for being able to get into fastboot.
Two questions:
1) I gather that the answer to this problem generally is to install a boot.img from fastboot.  Is this correct?
2) Is there a place where such boot images are archived?  Search as I may, I can't find such a site.

I don't know anything about this phone, but this thread on xda has dump of the stock ROM. I am not sure if it includes the boot.img or not. The dump seems to be android 1.6, the original thread is here and is HUGE.
There is also a 2.2 thread here and it does look like the Zio has its own section on XDA as well. In the Development section, i found this thread. It has the boot.img, but someone posted saying they were unable to use them. I would suggest sending a PM to the person that pulled the boot.img off the device in that thread.
I hope this helps you in some way... I know what it's like to brick a phone, good luck.


text:
wifi-connection-weak signal
My provider has a data cap if 5gb. I have a Samsung Acclaim. Before I went with my current provider I had a smart phone and the provider had no data cap and I downloaded videos, pics, ringtones and streaming videos limitlessly. I am now struggling to stay under the 5gb limit every month. I've heard that wifi doesn't count against the 5gb cap but whenever I try and use it I never get a signal that lasts for very long and it's usually a very poor signal. Any advice, tips or help would be greatly appreciated.

Wifi connections work by talking to a local wireless access point so, basically, you need to be within reach of one.  Public access points can be found in pubs, coffee shops and the like. You may also have one at home.

I don't know what version of Android you're using, but here's what you can try - go to SETTINGS > Wireless & Networking > Wi-Fi Settings. In this screen, press the MENU button and then ADVANCED. Click WiFi Sleep Policy and set it to NEVER.
This helps in retaining the WiFi connection.
If you have a weak WiFi signal to begin with, then the best tip is to move your device closer to the WiFi access point to increase signal strength.


text:
Can I add my own notification ring tones from MP3 files?

Possible Duplicate:
How do I set a custom MP3 as a ringtone for other notifications?

I've been easily able to add call ringtones but is there a way to add notification ringtones from an MP3?

Go to SETTINGS > SOUND & DISPLAY > NOTIFICATION RINGTONE and choose your ringtone from there.
Note that if you have Handcent SMS, there is a Handcent SELECT MUSIC option that will allow you to select non-system Music / MP3 as the sound.
If you don't use Handcent, there are other ringtone pickers like Tone Picker or the excellent Ringdroid.


text:
How can I specify a default contact for merged contacts?
I have some contacts on my phone that appear in all or some of:

my phone
my google contacts
skype
facebook

Thankfully, Android allows me to link that contacts, so that I have only one entry in my phonebook with access to all the different sources.  However, the names aren't always identical.  For instance:

in some cases the name is in English, in others in Hebrew
some have the full name, others only the first name

Is there any way to select which of these is the default display name?

possible duplicate of Choose contact name manually?

Edit the contact you want to be the default.
Then press the menu button and join the additional contacts.
This will keep the display name as the original contact you were editing.

If contacts are already merged, open the contact, press menu/More button, and choose Mark as default. This will open a picklist of the linked contacts. The one you pick will set the contact's display name.

I don't see that on my phone?  Is this true for stock android or only for some variants?

Which version did you use? Tested it with Samsung stock 4.1.2. Possible it is Samsung only?

I am using stock on a Nexus.


text:
SD card partitioning? why? how?
I am going to install cm7 and it seems to me that is 'good' to partition my SD card.
I did some reading but I am not sure if ext partition will become accessible as mass storage when an Android phone is connected to the computer.
I still want to transfer files from / to my SD card via computer. How can I backup files if they are on an ext partition?
How big ext partition is good if my sd card is 16GB?

HTC Desire on Android 2.1

Ext won't visible, without any add-ons, in Windows.  With Linux there's no problem.

I'm on a rooted Samsung Spica running the stock Samsung 2.1 Eclair version.
Since my internal memory was limited to around 160 MB, I was hunting around for a simple enough solution and preferably freeware. I have an 8 GB card and IMO, allotting 1 GB would be more than adequate for all the games / apps that I'd want to keep for posterity but couldn't afford to occupy space within the limited internal memory that I had.
Enter Link2SD - it's freeware and works with Android 1.6 and above.
You will also need a partitioning tool - I used the excellent freeware Easeus Partition Manager (EPM) to ensure no data was erased during the repartitioning / resizing.

First, download and install EPM.
Pop your storage card into your card reader.
Start EPM
Your card should be visible amongst the other drives/partitions in your PC.
Select the partition on your card - it should cover the entire length by default. Right-click & choose RESIZE/MOVE and then REDUCE the Partition Size (this is what shows in Windows) until the Unallocated Space size is of a suitable size. (The Unallocated space will be allocated as the partition on which your apps will be stored.) Click OK.

An aside - even though Link2SD supports the usage of the second partition (in which your apps will reside) created in the FAT / FAT32 format, Windows only recognizes the first PRIMARY partition which is why this newly created partition won't show within Windows inspite of it being FAT / FAT32. We shall be using either ext2 / ext3 or ext4 as the file system in any case.
Onward...

Right-click this new Unallocated Space and choose CREATE. Click YES on the warning that describes what I've said above.
Now, in the Partition Label, type in a label like "AndroidApps" or whatever suits you.
This is CRITICAL - the CREATE AS should be PRIMARY
Choose File System as EXT3 and click OK.
Click APPLY in the main window's TOP LEFT corner (big blue check mark icon). EPM will carry out the operations. Congrats! You've just re-partitioned your card and without any data loss too. (Hopefully!)

Assuming you've installed Link2SD in your phone and the SD card has been re-inserted.
11. Reboot your phone.

Start Link2SD and it should detect your partition.
A list of apps is now displayed. Click the app you want to move to the card and then click CREATE LINK.

That's it.

excelent step by step how to. Till now I thought I was going to loose all my data on my SD card when partitioning. So I do not have to :-)

not sure if my comp at home can read SD cards. Can I partition SD card while the card is inside the phone?

Indeed, you can. I did it. I had USB debugging active and I also had the required Samsung drivers installed. Note that sometimes, if only USB Mass Storage Mode is being used, the device (and the card) won't show up in EPM.

Note that by SD Card, I mean your MicroSD card or whatever other storage media your device uses. Most often, you can purchase a dirt-cheap external multi-card reader.

I have an in build card reader in my notebook that cannot read MicroSD cards without an adapter. I was wondering if I can do the partition without taking my MicroSD card out of my mobile. ... well I bought the adapter ;-)

To a Windows user "mass storage" means the FAT32 bit remainder of the SD card after partitioning. The ext partition won't be visible to Windows normally.
The ext partition will be used by some some the "store my apps on the SD card" implementations. Some use FAT32, some use ext2/ext3/ext4. For the latter it is an extension of your internal storage (with some caveats)
Personally, I don't use a partition: I have the custom Oxygen (good for CM7 too I think) HBOOT from alphrev.nl. Of course, this may not be everyone's cup of tea so you can partition it using ROM Manager or one of the custom recoveries (AnomRa, ClockWorkMod etc). Or use a linux live cd to partition it manually rather than from your phone


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Does it make any sense to use a firmware with HTC Sense or is better to go for plain 2.3 firmware?
I do have HTC Desire HD and I rooted it but I'm not sure how valuable is the HTC Sense package and if it makes "sense" (funny) to use a 2.2 firmware with HTC Sense or just to go for the plain Android 2.3 firmware.

This is a fairly subjective question. Asking for advice is generally frowned upon on Stack Exchange sites; we want questions where there could be a single answer. However, I think information on the Pros and Cons of HTC Sense with Froyo vs. stock Gingerbread would be useful to many people.

This is pretty much just a matter of preference, to be honest. I don't think you'll really "lose" any functionality on a Desire by going to an AOSP based ROM, either 2.3 or otherwise. You should gain built-in USB and wifi tethering, though, since those are a standard part of Android 2.2+. The real deciding factor will just be if you prefer the Sense UI or another launcher (ADW, LauncherPro, Zeam, etc). You will lose any HTC widgets since they depend on Sense, but there are widgets in the Market which actually mimic the style and functionality of the HTC ones for just that reason. You also lose HTC's proprietary apps, since they generally use the Sense framework in various ways.
Threads pop up on XDA from time to time where people argue over whether Sense is better than other launchers but it almost inevitably just amounts to each group saying "I think X better than Y because I like the way it looks".

I do not "value" too much the skinning and I'm more interested about features, like ones added by 2.3. Still there is one functionality that I would like to be able to use: HTC said that you get free GPS routing with off-line maps on HTC Desire HD. I am going to be able to use this even if I go for AOSP ROM?

@Sorin: There are several questions here regarding offline maps and navigation, but I don't personally know what HTC's navigation application does. I don't think I even used it on my EVO since it had Google Maps anyway, the latest version of which does (to an extent) support offline usage via cached maps. I don't know of any way to use the HTC app on an AOSP ROM, though.

I switched to the CyanoModGen and I'm really happy with what.

I have to disagree with eldarerathis.  I've never used Sense, but the number of problems people have with it indicate to me that it is inferior on a reliability level.  While vanilla Android is not perfect either, I would certainly trust it more.

This is also "true" with MotoBLUR and Samsung TouchWiz. The great part of what android is, is open, allowing these companies to customize their product to be more "their own". with that said, from personal experience, "Stock" android is more stable then these modifications of android. While they may have additional features, or enhancements, some of them don't always work that well. They are becoming more stable as time goes on and they fix the issues, but they are very slow to roll them out to the devices. I would take AOSP android over any other manufacture modifications any day.

I've definitely heard bad things about MotoBLUR as well, but I think most of the "TouchWiz issues" are really unrelated "Samsung issues".  I've never had a problem with TW on a custom ROM, but lots of issues I had with stock ROMs initially appeared to be TW-related.

My answer focuses a bit more on the Sense vs No-Sense (see the bottom part for links about 2.3 vs 2.2).
I currently have a Sense based ROM on my EVO and CyanogenMod on my old Hero.  Now there are differences in the devices so that must be taken into account but here is what I have found.
On my Hero, I had a Sense based ROM for a long time and liked it (I kinda prefer Sense).  When I tried AOSP ROMs they tended to be faster and give me better battery-life but from time to time would cause my Hero to reboot.  When I got tired of this I went back to a Sense based ROM it was slow but never reboot on me.  Eventually I got tired of the slowness and went back to CyanogenMod for the Hero.  The other thing I liked about CyanogenMod was the Photos app that would grab photos from Picasa's Web Albums.  I didn't like that the Sense widgets and Sense apps (like the clock widget and app with all the integrated functionality) were gone and the keyboard was the stock one (personally I prefer the HTC keyboard).  Now as eldarerathis already mentioned you can find similar replacements for the widgets and apps but in my attempts nothing I found was perfect - you may find that different.
On my EVO I have only tried a Sense ROM.  I have excellent battery-life, all the sense functionality and with the ROM I'm using (Fresh 3.5) there is an app added that will allow you to add the Google apps (clock, photos, etc.) or the AOSP lock screen.  I have the wireless and USB tether that eldarerathis mentioned as well and as he already mentioned the merits of Google Maps.
I can't say that I have tried any ROM's for the Desire either Sense or AOSP but here is a link to the CyanogenMod Forum for the Desire if you wanted to see what other people are experiencing with that ROM.
Here are some links that explain some differences between 2.3 and 2.2 breaking them down my feature sets:
http://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-android-2-2-froyo-and-android-2-3-gingerbread/
http://www.bizzntech.com/2011/02/20/android-gingerbread-2-3-vs-froyo-2-2


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How to boot into the bootloader when you have ClockworkMod?
I want to upgrade the radio and I'm not sure how to boot into bootloader.
When I try to power the phone using VolumeDown+Power, I do get into the ClockworkMod Recovery, but it seems that this is not what I was looking for because on PC the command fastboot flash radio radio.img is still < waiting for device >.
In case it matters, this is a permarooted + hroot + ClockworkMod, HTC Desire HD.

Make sure your phone is powering off completely before you try to boot into the bootloader. For a DHD you might need to go into Settings > Applications and uncheck the "FastBoot" option in order for it to power down completely (source).
If #1 doesn't help, try turning your phone off, then pulling the battery. After you've pulled the battery and waited a few seconds, hold the volume down button and put the battery back in the phone. Then continue to hold volume down while you power up the phone and it should land on the bootloader.
If #1 and #2 don't work (or you're lazy, since I think this is the easiest way), plug your phone into a computer that has adb on it. Make sure USB debugging is enabled, then simply enter adb reboot bootloader from an adb terminal. This will (unsurprisingly) reboot your phone into the bootloader.

#3 worked and it was by far the easiest method.

Not with Galaxy xCover GT-S5690 Gingerbread XXLA6 ... adb reboot bootloader boot "normal". Also #2 boot normal. Volume down & power up boot into recover which is not bootloader "mode". Gobbling thing.

This question is about an HTC Desire HD and not a Samsung.


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constantly consuming high CPU
i want to use software to monitor my network, the monitor process is consuming 20% CPU times, is it any impact to my device except battery life?
If a program constantly consume high CPU, will it create a lot of heat and ruin the device ?

Constant battery use will generate more heat over a short period of time, yes.  Ordinarily, this will not damage the device.  However, heat can greatly impact the longevity of your battery.  I would suggest shutting off the monitor when you don't need it; if you really need to constantly monitor the network, the task is probably better suited to a PC.

The 20% CPU consumption is probably because you are on a weaker CPU, eg, 528 Mhz processors , in this case, the CPU consumption is normal anyway and as a matter of fact, 20% is not a high number in this case at all.
In case you want to limit your CPU usage at all times, you can root your device, install a CPU scaling program , and under clock the device. Or you can set the CPU governor to "powersave" in addition to under clocking the CPU frequency if you want to sacrifice the performance for a longer battery life.


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Low disk space notification, but heaps of space free
A few days ago I put two large files (about 300MB all up) on the phone storage. I got a low space notification.
I connected the phone via USB to a Windows XP machine and deleted the files, but I still had the notification.
I have emptied trash. I have also connected via linux and done a find -printf '%b %p' to find the biggest files and the two that I originally put on are definitely gone.
I deleted even more cached files and now windows explorer reports 720MB (about 60%) free.
I am still getting the low space notification even after a reboot of the phone. How can I get rid of the notification?
HTC Desire running Android 2.2 with Sense. Thanks for any help rendered!!

Check your phone's internal storage, via Menu > Settings > SD & phone storage, and then look under Internal Phone Storage. If that's looking low, then you can try uninstalling some apps, or, since you're on 2.2, moving those that support it to your SD card (as that does seem to have plenty of space).

Worked a treat, thank you! I didn't know the distinction between phone and sd ram.

I still had very limited space after moving all my apps (those that were possible to move) to the SD, any other solutions?

@Asaf - not really, other than uninstalling some apps you don't use or can live without.  You can clear data and caches for an app, but that's not really a solution as the app will likely just recreate everything whilst in use.

Isn't it a bit odd? I have about 10 apps, and I'm seeing iPhone users with 50 apps and no problems.. seems that a market share have been bluntly ignored here

@Asaf - what phone do you have? Some phones do sadly have quite inadequate internal storage. I have a Desire HD, which seems to have more than enough space for me.

Yeah I just read the specs, sadly I have Desire, which has about 1gb less.. currently have 14mb free and maybe 20 apps I installed myself.. ridiculous

@Asaf - This question might help a bit? http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/5519/htc-desire-low-on-internal-storage-im-clueless

On HTC Phones, I found one big space stealer is the "Facebook for HTC Sense" app. It can easily take up 20+ mb of data. It is worth checking it out and clearing data (not cache)


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Receive VoIP call via Google Voice => IPKall => Sip2Sip => Android?
I'm trying to setup VoIP calling to/from my Android phone.
I'm currently working on the incoming call part of the equation. To try to isolate the various parts, I started with the "IPKall => Sip2Sip" part of the equation, and confirmed that calling the IPKall phone number results in a recorded incoming call on Sip2Sip.
I then added "Sip2Sip" as a SIP provider on my Android phone, and found that dialing the IPKall number results in the Android phone ringing.
However, and this is where I need help, even though it is ringing, when I go to answer the call, I am unable to pick up the call. Any ideas on how to fix this?
Version of Android is 2.3 Gingerbread.

You can use sipdroid, released under GNU GPL v3, also available from Google Play Store and save yourself a lot of trouble.

sipdroid is a free SIP/VoIP client for Android.

As for a SIP provider, Sipgate for example gives good results for both outgoing and incoming calls.
From version 2.0

For Google™ Voice users, Sipdroid can now create a new, free PBXes account that is automatically linked to an existing Google™ Voice account. The new feature requires Android 2.0, or above, and Google's app connected to your Voice account.

Download the current version Sipdroid-2.7.apk available since May 21, 2012.
SHA1 Checksum:   a261e14ba592c8a86e8d0f07374108c6d768e1d4

As of the time of this comment, sipgate seems to be closing its doors completely on Oct. 31, 2013

You can also use Grove IP or Talkatone.
Why
Because it transparently uses your Google Voice account. You don't have to bother with any SIP provider or configuring any other setting. Just give it your Google voice user name and password(Two factor authentication recommended) and you're good to go.
Grove IP comes with lite and paid version. Paid version is $.499 atm.
Talkatone comes with free and subscription based model.
However both worlds flawlessly on free version with ad support.


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Other than the external LED indicator, how can I be notified that my phone is done charging?
I'm wondering if there is a setting that I am missing that allows an Android phone to produce an audio notification (or even vibrate) once charging is complete. As is stands, whenever charging is complete the external LED on most phones (such as the HTC Droid Incredible) changes from orange to green. The use-case is when the phone is charging across the room or in another location that's out of sight.

Someone had the opposite problem with their Galaxy S: http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/2918/how-to-disable-battery-full-notification-sound

I believe my phone vibrates when it's done charging, but I've never seen a setting for it.  I'm certain you could set up a profile with Locale to notify when charging is done.

Or Tasker. I'm going to have to pony up for one of those. They're the answer to so many questions here.

Slightly on topic... I hated the Notification and Alert Dialog that TouchWiz does when the phone finished charging. It even wakes the phone, which is not good if you have "stay awake" on...

If you use Tasker automation app you can implement an alert using it - Battery Full Alert.
Free alternative is the app called AutomateIt. It also has a battery level trigger based on which you can produce a notification/sound, etc.

There is an app called Battery Charged Notifier that will just notify you when your battery is fully charged. It is free, but there is a "paid key" that adds some additional features, like setting your own notification sound.

Sorry for the late response and the -1. This app has very bad reviews. Going to keep searching.


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avoid both screen lock and pattern lock
When the screen times out, a screen lock activates that needs to be swiped down. After 5 minutes, a phone lock pattern is activated. Now when I turn on the display I need to both swipe down and enter the unlock pattern.
Is there an option to not need to do both? Optimally, I want the first 5 minutes to require a swipe down and after 5 minutes to require the pattern
I'm using htc desire hd, android 2.2, unrooted (is there a fix when rooted?)

Under Settings -> Location and security there is an option for "Lock screen after" where you can choose how long before the pattern is required.  With this setting changed you can turn the phone off and back on and only have to swipe down.
Under Settings -> Display there is an option for "Screen timeout" that should change the amount of time before the phone goes to sleep.
As far as I know the swipe down is not optional.

In 2.3.2, when using lock pattern, I do not find any setting for a "lock screen after" timeout... :-(


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what is the difference between Dolphin Browser HD and Mini versions?
I look at the official Dolphin Browser page, but I can't seem to find any differences, besides:

Dolphin Browser Mini – Fast & Simple
Dolphin Browser HD – Powerful & Elegant

In what sense is HD powerful or elegant?
In what sense is Mini simple?
What am I missing out on if I use Mini instead of HD?

I've used Dolphin HD for some time now, but every time I try to compare its features with Dolphin Mini I get frustrated, there is no clear documentation everywhere.
That said, Dolphin Mini is a version of the browser that is optimized for velocity and reduced resources use, so I came to the conclusion that Dolphin HD is the right path to go if you have a terminal with decent resources (700Mhz o more powerfull processor, 512Mb of RAM or More, 800x400 resolution, etc....) while the Mini version is here to that ones that do not have this kind of terminals or that prefer a more faster browser even at the cost of missing some features.
So with the two versions being free I choose Dolphin HD if the terminal is powerfull enough to allow you to maintain 3 or more tabs open an user flash.

Is there a possible correlation with Opera and Opera Mini?  Opera Mini is smaller and does most of its rendering on Opera's servers before sending a compressed, small-sized web page to your phone.  It is better for slower phones and for those with a limited data connection.  I don't know about Dolphin, but could it be the same kind of difference?

Opera Mini and Opera Mobile may have differences, since pre-webkit Opera uses its own rendering engine, Presto. They're not required to use the exact same code for both. However, Dolphin HD and Dolphin Mini use the provided version of Webkit that Android comes with. Rendering should be the same, although other characteristics of the browser may differ (how many tabs can be open, dolphin gestures, etc).

I was using Dolphin HD for a while, but a lack of room on my internal storage forced me to swap to Dolphin Mini as it has a much smaller install size. I only use the browser for light browsing to a few regular sites, but I haven't found anything that I can't do in Dolphin Mini. In my experience you might not miss out on anything if you use Mini instead of HD.

Google Docs is a noteworthy difference.
In short it seems that certain, small add-ons are hard-coded into the mini-version.
The goal is to keep it simple and small - but it lacks the full add-on-featurabilty of Dolphin.
This difference makes mini less flexible, but smaller.


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how to change the lock screen clock style?
I know we have "LockBot" and "WidgetLock" to change the style of the lock screen. But they are not free and it seems they do not allow me to change the clock styles either. I do want to change the lock screen style, only the clock style on the lock screen. Do we have apps like this?
P.S. my Android phone is HTC G1, with CM6 mod; and I expect the clock on my lock screen looks like this.

Please do not use URL shorteners.

If you have a rooted phone which I assume you do since you're on CM6, see this post detailing how to change the font of the clock on the lock screen.
Basically you need to replace Clocktopia.ttf in the /system/fonts folder with your desired TTF font (remember to rename new font as Clocktopia.ttf) and reset permissions to be similar to the old file.
If you're willing to use WidgetLocker, there's the freeware Make Your Clock Widget Beta - that will, as the name suggests, allow a user to customise and create a clock widget as per your taste. You can then use this custom created widget in conjunction with WidgetLocker.

that post only teach me how to change the clock font, not the style. i want my clock style change to something like this: http://goo.gl/9HNJO

You can create a flip-style widget and then use WidgetLocker. I don't know of a freeware solution to do the same.

@davidshen84: please do not use URL shorteners on this site


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Resetting Android Phone from CyanogenMod to Original
When I bought my (pre-owned) Nexus One, it came with CyanogenMod.
I would like to change it back to Google's official 2.2 (or 2.3) Android.
What does this entail and how do I go about doing this in the safest possible way (e.g. with bricking it or any other side-effects)?

You'll need to download official firmware.  You can find it by searching "nexus one stock 2.x rom", and XDA might be better than Google.  I'd also look up how to use the Android SDK to flash it, probably using flashboot through ADB.  I have a Galaxy S which uses another tool, so I can't help with more detail without looking that up myself ;)

@AndroidEve: Please don't use URL-shorteners on this site.

thank you. Initial search brings this http://forum.androidcentral.com/google-nexus-one-rooting-roms-hacks/12180-reverting-back-original-rom-ota-updates.html  but I am not sure how authoritative it is. If you happen to have recommended URLs, that would be super. +1. :)

XDA is usually the best. Here's the "every ROM under the sun" thread, including stock ROMs: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=744605.  I assume you want the newest, FRF91.

Here is an official site from Google that has various images -- I don't know about you, but I feel more comfortable downloading from here than from some side I don't know or trust: https://developers.google.com/android/nexus/images


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How do RAM and processor speed affect overall performance on Android?
Since Android can be installed on wide range of devices, I'm wondering how important RAM and the CPU speed are to the performance of a device.  There are always tradeoffs when something is increased and another one decreased!
Is more RAM or a faster processor better for general browsing and less mulititasking?  What if I'm interested in gaming or doing lots of things at once?  Will more RAM make up for a slower processor or vice-versa?

BTW: Remember that the CPU clock is not the same as the CPU speed. More helpful metrics that CPU clock are Mflops, avrage milions instructions per second (MIPS) etc. Difference between Mflops and MIPS can be seen at some optimizations (e.g. JIT optimizations), because some processors have special instructions that allows you to compute mote at once. However, they aren't applied in native code unless the app has been compiled with support of these instructions.

In the context of Android, more RAM means Android can keep more sleeping program in the RAM so they will be ready to be quickly resumed when you return back to the apps. More RAM means Android is going to spend less of its time killing and reloading apps from the internal memory/sd card, and instead spend more time doing actual work you care about. This means that more RAM usually give you better/faster task-switching. Also, more RAM means your homescreen is less likely to be killed; and you won't experience that 10-second-wait-that-feels-like-forever. Having more RAM also allows you to run complex apps that naturally requires a lot of memory, e.g. photo/video editor, complex games, etc.
A higher CPU is able to calculate things much faster, while this might look tempting at first, it is notable that most programs -- except for games and synthetic benchmark and possibly flash-heavy webpages -- are I/O-bound and not CPU-bound; in other word, most programs are waiting for network transmission, flash storage reads, DMA reads, touch event processing, etc to finish, instead of waiting for some calculations. In CPU-bound application, increasing CPU speed can mean less latency between touching the screen and the screen updating to reflect the touch event. However, up to a certain point, there will be no longer any noticeable benefit of adding even more CPU; beyond a certain point, the input turnaround will be much faster than our own brain's turnaround time (approx. 100-200ms) and we will not be able to perceive the benefit of adding even faster CPU. Also, note that input-to-output turnaround time depends on a large number of other factors, e.g. the latency of the cables, speed of the bus, etc. Second, having some extra CPU time to spare also means that Android can assign those spare CPU cycles to background processes, so background processes can run better.
Summary
More RAM:

better task-switching
can run more complicated apps or open larger/more complex files

More CPU:

faster turnaround between input and response (less lag) on CPU-bound apps
better background processing

In short, both are equally important; your own personal usage pattern will determine which is more valuable for you. If you generally stays in a single program and is sensitive to input-to-output latency then having faster CPU will be more valuable for you; if you constantly task switch between many different apps or if you need to run complex memory-hungry apps to open complex large files, then having extra RAM is going to be more valuable to you.

Nice work Lie... best answer thus far.

Well this is very subjective, because it depends what you're doing.
First of all, true multitasking (having multiple apps run) requires a faster CPU, so that all the processes can run at a decent speed.  You are right that for all these apps to remain in memory, you need more RAM.
I have 512 MB RAM, and my processes only start getting killed if I run something that uses a ton like Angry Birds.  On the other hand I have a 1 GHz processor and I never notice slowdowns regardless of what I'm doing (apart from Angry Birds bogging itself down during long plays).
If you're doing email, Twitter, Facebook, web, etc. then you probably want more RAM.  If you want to play games then you need a decent amount of RAM, but the processor and graphics chip is going to be more important.  In general.
Another important consideration is I/O speed.  If you have a Samsung phone that uses RFS, install an EXT4 lagfix — you'll notice a huge improvement.  If you're recording HD video you may want a faster SD card (we have questions about that), and so on.
Storage size is largely unrelated to performance, but you'll want to consider that as well.  Many users kick themselves after installing a few apps and finding that they've run out of space.  I highly recommend a device like my Vibrant, which has an excessive 2 GB internal (system+data) storage (and 14 GB internal SD, plus the external SD card).

I edited my question to make it less subjective.

Most of the time we are not truly "multitasking".  We may have several apps running but the apps running in the background are usually not actively doing anything so the major issue is keeping them open which takes memory.  If they are actively running, for example listening to streaming media and browsing the internet or playing a game then I'd say processor speed is more important (within the normal hardware standards, obviously having a fast processor is meaningless if you have 1kb of RAM).

Matt, I was going to write something similar. However, I think that background tasks aren't usually CPU intensive. They can use some I/O and they can be I/O intensive in some cases (e.g. downloading files, copying files), but is seems unlikely that they will be CPU intensive. So, as mentioned in another post, CPU is probably more important for intensive single-taksing (e.g. games) and RAM is more important for intensive task switching.

Well, music players are an exception: they can be CPU intensive and they are likely to run in the background.

@v6ak: an I/O intensive background applications can potentially disturb the I/O of the foreground and in poorly written apps (e.g. apps that do I/O in the UI thread), this can also be a cause of poor responsiveness or lagginess, I don't know if Android prioritizes foreground I/O, though I believe it does.

@Lie Ryan: I agree, but this is not much related to RAM vs. CPU question. Well, it is. It means that neither RAM nor CPU is allways the bottleneck.

In a phone most of the programs you will use are thinks like email, IM, web browser,…
This kind of apps does not need a powerful CPU, but given the fact that you will be using an Android Phone you will be running multiple applications at the same time which needs some extra CPU time, but more importantly, needs enough RAM memory to accommodate all the applications.
So, more than one or the other, the important thing in and Android phone balance. With a 2Ghz CPU and 512MB of RAM you will be wasting CPU power because the phone will not have enough memory to accommodate sufficient applications to consume that amount of CPU cycles. The same occurs with a 500Mhz CPU and 2Gb or RAM, the processor will not have enough cycles to execute enough applications to consume that amount of RAM.
So BALANCE is the thing to consider. A CPU at 1Ghz with 512 to 1Gb of RAM is a great combination. The same goes for a 600Mhz with 256Mb to 512Mb (a little underpowered for recent versions of Andorid), or for a new two cores 1Ghz CPU with 712Mb or more of RAM.
Given this considerations my recommendation will be to search for a phone with a 1Ghz or more CPU and 1Gb or more of RAM, this phone will be powerful enough to run all the applications you will need in the next 2 years that is the maximum period of time you will be using the phone giving the evolution rate of the mobile technology.

... at the cost of your first-born child; in certain areas of the world, at least.

@Lie Ryan, true, but sadly this is the price of having the last gadget.

It's actually the memory bandwidth that is most limiting. Secondly, a good balance in specs, including RAM size, processor speed and parallelism.


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Regular maintenance to keep the phone running quickly and smoothly
I've noticed that over time my phone has slowed down and feels laggy and less responsive in general.
In the same way you'd get your car serviced every year, what can you run to keep your phone running nicely?
I've got One Click Lag Fix installed and to give an example, the messaging app seemed very slow to load so I deleted all the threads in there but it's still slow regardless.

I assume you have an SGS then?  I suggest the Voodoo lagfix for a massive lag decrease.  It requires a custom kernel (and ideally a custom ROM like Nero v5), but the SGS's are easily reverted to stock for warranty purposes.

Here is some performance tips:

Have plenty of extra space in the internal memory. The phone uses the internal memory to store apks and caches, if you have very little internal memory, it might make it difficult for the phone to find contiguous area large enough to store and load the cache. While flash-based storage are not as badly affected by fragmentation as disk-based storage, there will still be a major performance hit if the apks or cache file is fragmented into 1000 pieces.
You should not need to clear caches. The caches are needed for the best performance of the phone. If you clear caches, and you have performance improvement, that's just because you've made an extra space and that makes it easier for new programs to create and load their caches. While you might be happy with this, it is only a temporary fix until the program rebuilds the cache and it becomes sluggish again. Best way to resolve this situation is to keep an amount of empty space (about 10-30% of the internal memory, the optimal figure depends on the size of your internal memory), do not install too many programs and uninstall programs you do not use; this way you prevent program you do not use to build caches you do not use. Prefer small programs, which generally produces smaller caches.
Avoid App2SD for applications you frequently use, unless you have Class 6 or higher SD card. Put only big applications that you do not use frequently on SD card (e.g. games); homescreen, keyboard, and widgets should be in the internal memory for best performance (Android prevents you from installing them on SD card, but it is not impossible to force move them to SD).
Avoid program that have background services and avoid home screen widgets. While there are valid reasons for programs to spawn background service (e.g. Music Player, IM, etc) and while some home screen widgets are very useful; they can degrade performance if you have too many of them. Background service and Home screen widgets will eat up RAMs that the OS cannot reclaim as easily as sleeping applications. Android usually will reclaim memory from unused applications first, but only in very dire circumstances that it kills background services and home screen. This is not an outright ban on background services and home screen widgets; just to be a bit conservative in the use of widgets since no OS in the world can smoothly run more programs than it was designed to handle.

Keep on top of your apps: deleting the ones you don't use and the ones that are poorly coded resource hogs.
Clear individual apps caches in Settings > Applications > Manage Applications by choosing clear cache.
Reboot your device periodically (I have no evidence to back up that this improves performance but it seems to work for me)

(this answer is a community wiki so feel free to add or amend)

Yep, that's about all you can really do.

Don't clear cache unless you're experiencing cache errors or is doing a major updates (e.g. flashing a new ROM, etc); caches are there to speed up operations, if you clear them out, you're just going to slow down the program down until it rebuilds the cache again. Clearing cache is a just temporary fix.