text:
Using HTC Duo cameras to calculate distance
Since my One M8s has two cameras, it should be possible to calculate how far away any object in view is. I can't see any way to do this within HTC's built-in apps, but I know they released an API for using the Duo camera capture and processing. So has someone already made an app that uses this? I don't want an app that calculates based on the person holding it and pointing towards the ground, because I want to measure to objects above me.

have you tried any of the measuring apps on play, They might have a dual camera support..
Most of them calculate your height and the distance it takes to reach the ground using the gyroscope
but i haven't heard of one for dual cameras.. It means you would have to manually configure the distance between cameras on every individual device .. It would be a nice app to see in development but it'd be a very small customer base to make an application around, considering the device compatibility wouldn't be very extensive !

Since HTC released an API, the distance between the cameras is a given. Besides, HTC have only made two phones with Duo cameras: the One M8 and the One M8s, which have the same body and thus the same distance between the cameras. Yes, on any other Duo camera phone (like whichever Oppo phone it is) the distance would have to be known, but I was hoping for a One M8-only app.

My only advice is to head over to the htc development site, Sign up and start the development yourself ! http://htcdev.com


text:
Annoying MMS problem
I am having an annoying problem on my Galaxy Note 3. For whatever reason, MMS will not send/receive on my WiFi network, but as soon as I turn off WiFi and connect to my carrier's network (T-Mobile) it works. It used to work on WiFi just fine, and we did not make any changes to our network when this started. I have had this phone for about a year and 3 months (it is preowned). Any suggestions? I have rooted this phone (Kingo), but the problems started before I rooted.

MMS service is a carrier service and is sent over a cellular network (see: wikipedia page) so you need to be connected to your carrier and it does not work solely on WiFi.
It is quite normal that you cannot send it over WiFi but as soon as you connect to your carrier's network, it works.
I suspect that in your previous experience, you may have been connected to both your WiFi and your carrier, used WiFi for Internet connection and used MMS over your carrier without being aware. If you later started turning off your carrier connection when you are connected to WiFi, this issue may have surfaced.

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


text:
Googly Play Store won't open. I'm unable to get stated with my MM installation, please help
I have a OnePlus One. I installed CM 13 nightly, the relevant Slim GApps Nano, and Xposed v80 last evening. Ever since the setup screen, the pop-up saying "Unfortunately, Google Play Services has stopped working." has been harassing me. It goes away before I press the OK button.
Here are the things I've tried:-
- Clear Dalvik/Cache again
- Couldn't clear App Data because it's a fresh installation containing the latest versions.
- Manually installed Play Store and Services using APKs from APK Mirror.
- Restarted my device countless times.
Here is the crash log/bug report:
java.lang.RuntimeException: Unable to create application com.google.android.finsky.FinskyApp: java.lang.NullPointerException: Attempt to invoke virtual method 'void android.app.AppOpsManager.checkPackage(int, java.lang.String)' on a null object reference
    at android.app.ActivityThread.handleBindApplication(ActivityThread.java:4754)
    at de.robv.android.xposed.XposedBridge.invokeOriginalMethodNative(Native Method)
    at de.robv.android.xposed.XposedBridge.handleHookedMethod(XposedBridge.java:681)
    at android.app.ActivityThread.handleBindApplication(<Xposed>)
    at android.app.ActivityThread.-wrap1(ActivityThread.java)
    at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:1424)
    at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:102)
    at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:148)
    at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:5461)
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method)
    at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:726)
    at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:616)
    at de.robv.android.xposed.XposedBridge.main(XposedBridge.java:117)
Caused by: java.lang.NullPointerException: Attempt to invoke virtual method 'void android.app.AppOpsManager.checkPackage(int, java.lang.String)' on a null object reference
    at android.os.Parcel.readException(Parcel.java:1626)
    at android.os.Parcel.readException(Parcel.java:1573)
    at android.content.pm.IPackageInstaller$Stub$Proxy.getMySessions(IPackageInstaller.java:385)
    at android.content.pm.PackageInstaller.getMySessions(PackageInstaller.java:415)
    at com.google.android.finsky.installer.v.<init>(SourceFile:77)
    at com.google.android.finsky.FinskyApp.onCreate(SourceFile:18023)
    at android.app.Instrumentation.callApplicationOnCreate(Instrumentation.java:1014)
    at android.app.ActivityThread.handleBindApplication(ActivityThread.java:4751)
    ... 12 more

I have absolutely no idea what else I can do, except wait for Cyanogen OS 13. Please guide me towards a quick, and efficient solution. Thanks in advance! :D

What SDK version of Xposed did you install?

Did you flash Gapps for marshmallow?
The problem you r facing typically is encountered if you flash non compatible version of Gapps to the OS that is installed.

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


text:
How does one enforce a secure lockscreen on Android mail clients?
Okay, the situation.  We have a Dovecot+Postfix based mail server with the SOGo groupware providing calendaring and contacts.
All three provide TLS-based services to the public Internet.  A few of us have been able to configure our devices to support accessing our emails and calendars from our phones.  Most of us are running some version of Android.  My phone is Android 4.1 (yes, ZTE live in the stone age, but that's another topic), others are v5.0 or above.  There are a few iOS devices also.
We would like to enforce (from the server end) that the user has a secure lockscreen so that if their phone goes AWOL, they don't give away the keys to the kingdom.
I've seen lots about how some Microsoft Exchange sites somehow enforce this, and lots of people asking how to defeat it.  Also lots on other services like Android Pay that enforce this.
I'm asking the opposite question, how does it enforce this from the server?  What do I need to tell Dovecot/Postfix in order for this to be requested by the client device when the user configures their device's mail client with our IMAP/SMTP server settings?
Note: A couple have suggested I install applications on the device.  I already know how to manually set up a secure lockscreen using a pin-code, password or pattern, however the user is then free to turn that back off again.  Clearly Microsoft Exchange is able to transmit something in that initial handshake between Android email client and server that tells the phone that it must use a secure lockscreen.  I wish to replicate that same hand-shake using the Dovecot/Postfix/SOGo mail stack.
If I have to install anything on the device, then that is the wrong solution.

https://support.google.com/a/users/answer/2364439?hl=en and https://static.googleusercontent.com/media/www.google.com/en//help/hc/images/android/MicrosoftExchangePoliciesinAndroid.pdf may be useful to you

Hi @MatthewRead, That seems to suggest it's an Exchange-only feature, correct?

Seems the answer is, "it can't be enforced", despite the non-answer that user157947 gave. (Seriously, did you actually read the question?  You certainly didn't read or respond to my follow-up queries.)
The closest one might come to this is to use custom CA certificates for signing the TLS key used by IMAP, as installing the requisite CA certificate (for server verification) in the phone more or less enforces the key lock.  Another option is to issue client certificates for each device to be connected via IMAP: this too enforces a secure screen lock.
Microsoft Exchange is able to enforce it by means of proprietary extensions in the protocols used it seems, it is not done over IMAP/SMTP.


text:
Unlock phone to toggle wifi?
I have a galaxy s6 with Verizon on marshmallow, and every time I try to toggle wifi from the lock screen I am forced to unlock the phone. This isn't really a hassle, more of a minor inconvenience, but it doesn't make sense that Samsung would design the lock screen like that. I know the iPhone has excellent security, and it doesn't require the phone to be unlocked to toggle wifi, so this isn't a security measure. This also happened in lollipop. Thanks in advance for any ideas.

What Android version is that? On my tablet mit Android 5.1 I can swipe the lockscreen from the very top and get a menu to toggle various values, including wifi, bluetooth, orientation, brightness.

Actually, I would think that having to unlock the phone to change any setting especially disable connectivity is a security issue. What if your phone was connected to WiFi as a security camera? Someone could disable the WiFi and there goes your camera.

This is just the way Samsung chose to implement it... The quick toggle panel on most stock Android or near-stock devices is accessible without unlocking the device, although anything other than a toggle, such as selecting a different WiFi network, requires unlocking.
You would need to flash a custom ROM in order to get the desired result due to Samsung's customizations being so non-standard.

Try this!
Go to Settings>Lock Screen and Security>Secure lock settings and
Disable Lock network and security
Hope this helps! :)

Secure lock settings is the way as earlier mentioned.
I would rather everything except Torch is locked.  Sound can be turned off/on when phone is locked, and on some phones bluetooth as well.
Another thing I would like is (if phone went missing) to locate the phone WITHOUT the Notification "Device Located" popping up.  I rather who has it, doesn't know I'm on too them.

Download Next Lock Screen app and you can do that stuff without unlocking

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


text:
Samsung I9300 Galaxy S 3 CPU default clock speed info Changed after installing Boeffla-Kernel
Original Clock Speed: Quad-core 1.4 GHz Cortex-A9
Samsung I9300 Galaxy S III - Full phone specifications
But after installed Boeffla-Kernel it changed to Quad-core 1.6 GHz Cortex-A9

Looked up the cpu specifications and it says the Clock Rate is 1400 - 1600 MHz from this site notebookcheck.net
Is the CPU meant to be operating at 1.6Ghz. I don't want to over clock the CPU.

Looks like CPU Z gives the highest possible rated speed (first line), just cross checked with my phone (where max is 1.7 Ghz but CPUs are restricted to 1400 2. Boeffla AFAIK doesn't change CPU speed on its own unless you configured 3. If you after not into gaming, you could reduce clock speed to 1400 if you wish bit it won't make noticeable difference


text:
My android stuck with page in Chinese
My device is a HTC desire 816 dual sim, and now the Android system is stuck on a form with Chinese language. Even after I performed a factory-reset it is still stuck with the same screen.
So what does it need to get back to normal factory setting?

Screenshots (click images for larger variants)


text:
Unable to update system app
I have been trying to update the system apps on my android phone, where in I get an error mentioning that the application which I'm downloading can't be installed. (Error code :- 104)
When I searched this problem on the internet, most solutions say "You have to root your cell phone and then try to update/install the respective application on your phone."
As I don't want to root my phone, is there any better solution to solve this problem instead of rooting my phone ?
And when I tried to install updated .apk file externally it shows error

On the 104 error, Google support suggests to follow the I can't download from or load the Google Play Store troubleshooting guide link (switch off the device, wait a few minutes, switch it on and try again). Could you please verify whether it works for you?

No I am not getting it, As you are saying i tried all the step's which is given by play store and still I am not able to update applications

Click on settings > backup and reset > factory reset then say yes to clean your phone.
If you try to factory reset your phone, this will do your phone automatically update your phone with initial version of your applications.
Then try to update your respective built-in application from play store, it will solve your solution.

The OP wants to update stock apps via Play Store.

If you factory-reset your device, that doesn't "automatically update your phone with initial version of your applications" but simply remove all updates, configurations, etc. – see our factory-reset tag-wiki for details. As a side-effect it will also clear the cache of Google Play Store, which might solve this issue (or not); but that's like killing a fly with atomics if you don't even know where the fly sits.

Removing all updates, configurations, etc also means the same which is nothing but it brings back to initial version.

Open App Info of Google Play, clear cache and/or data and try updating the app again, should help in resolving that error.
If it doesn't help, and you require the update urgently, try downloading an APK file of that particular app, enable "Unknown sources" in Settings > Security, and open the downloaded APK using PackageInstaller. A good source to find the APK file of the app is APKMirror.

I updated the question and added an image of showing error when I tried to install updated .apk file

@VijayGupta basically that means you already have the updated app.

No I checked application version that was an older verson, whose update is showing in play store

Actually you need to take a build of apk and sign with google with the system/laptop from which you take a base apk uploaded in google play store.
Because conflict in signature(SHA) key of system will lead to this error while updating the application.
you can get system SHA key using below terminal command
keytool -list -v -keystore ~/.android/debug.keystore -alias androiddebugkey -storepass android -keypass android


text:
Blocking Adult Content
I want to know how can I restrict access to adult content on my android phone
What. Are the apps available in play store and is there any other permanent way to restrict such content on my phone. So that no one can ever ever get access to this kind of content on my phone.

There won't be any perfect solution (except for keeping the device offline). The closest you might get to that is a network filter (Firewall) in whitelist mode (i.e. only allowing for IPs/networks you explicitly whitelist), but that can be tedious to setup (and most likely requires the device to be rooted).

My device is rooted. Please tell me how can I do this

I've never played with that, so I cannot tell you which Firewall app is capable of that and how to configure it, sorry. For child protection, there are several Content-Filter (Internet) you could try – but they are usually restricted to the(ir) web browser. There are Internet Firewalls apps, but I don't know which one lets you have a per IP white/blacklist.

An easy solution would be changing the DNS server used by your device, by using a DNS server that doesn't resolve porn website hostnames.
You might need a rooted device to change the DNS.
An universal method to change the DNS is by using an app like SetDNS or  OverrideDNS.
Other methods for changing DNS is available here:
(GUIDE) How to Change DNS in Android Device (7 methods)
A few DNS servers that don't resolve porn websites are:

OpenDNS:
208.67.222.123
208.67.220.123
Norton:
199.85.126.20
199.85.127.20

More here:
Source - 5 DNS Services to Block Porn Sites without Installing Software

you have to call your network and get it blocked, i know for 3 you can do it over the three app.

That would only work when you're using 3G, not for Wi-Fi.

you can tell your internet provider to block it too. my home internet is blocked for porno.


text:
Is it dangerous to change or remove company-brand boot logo?
There are two types of boot animation:

Company-brand logo
ROM-based

I was able to change ROM-based animation by rooting the phone and using a custom ROM.
However, I'm a bit confused about how to change or remove the brand logo animation. Is it safe to do that? Will it increase the speed of the booting process?

Depends on device. I know it's very easy on the HTC One M7 as the bootloader image is stored in its very own partition. I love the space/planet earth one off some XDA thread, they all come in flashable zips.

I've Xiaomi Mi4i with Cyanogenmod 13.0 (6.0.1) @AaronGillion

I have a very different take on this matter than @sbrm1. Note a few things first and then decide whether doing this is worth it:

The boot logo is a actually a raw binary image, constrained by size, not format.
The format of the bootloader splash screen, as it is known, varies for even models of the same device (case in point, Exynos and Qualcomm Samsung Galaxy models).
On Qualcomm devices, the bootloader splash logo is typically stored on a partition called splash or logo, to change which you need to flash as similarly named .mbn or .bin file (not .img)
If you don't choose a logo with a format and size specific to your device, it may result in unforeseen circumstances (read, what will appear to be a Hard Brick, the device not booting up at all). Why? The bootloader is dumb and will try to load whatever is on the splash partition as long as it fits in there (i.e., has a specific size). It might not even be a picture at all. The bootloader may choose to 'panic', i.e., show some error message and reboot, keep trying to reload the splash, or continue booting the OS. You can hope for the last, but you never know unless someone has documented the specific behaviour for your device or you learn it the hard way. You may or may not lose your charging screen, however.
Do you still want to do this? I don't know of a guide specific to your device, let that put you off a bit. If there is indeed an acceptable splash file for your device, just fastboot flash the image file (note, image as in disk image, not photograph) to whichever of the above 2 mentioned splash partitions which exists on your device. This can be done on some HTC, LG and Nexus devices with Qualcomm or Tegra chipsets.
A last FYI, the manufacturer may choose to integrate the logo into the bootloader (aboot). I know Xiaomi does this for some devices (Redmi 1s and Redmi 2 - personal experience), it's probably true in your case too. Then you will need a custom bootloader, with the splash screen packed into the bootloader flashable image file (image as above).

Still there? I can't help you beyond discouraging you, so...

@sbrm1 You, in simple terms, just were very careful or got very lucky. Not something we can or should assume is true for the OP. Also, in doing something inherently risky like this, you should always disclose what may possibly happen even if you yourself have never experienced it.

@sbrm1, Please let me know of these apps you talk about. I would think that these apps do barely more than changing the boot animation, not the boot logo.

I checked and found that my answer is applicable only for other devices with the same chipset (or in the case of Mediatek, any other Mediatek SoC)... I'm updating my answer.

@sbrm1 please quote sources where you found this information.

Yes it is possible to change the company logo. If you have ever flashed a custom ROM which changes it and still have the update.zip file lying around, sometimes (after extraction) you will find a logo.bin (its a raw Binary file) file in the root directory. This file contains the Brand Logo as well as the charging animation and the image to be displayed in fastboot mode. However on your phone (and most other phones) there is no logo.bin file but just a partition named LOGO where a complete dump of the logo.bin file is saved.
There are update.zips just for changing your phone branding, however only files for the correct resolution and chipset will display correctly. (Yes, you can indeed use such files made for other phones with the same SoC with the same resolution)

I strongly disagree with the steps you have suggested to enable changing the bootloader logo. The chipsets in the Mi4i and the OPO are vastly different (64-bit vs. 32-bit architecture and bootloaders to say the least), and this may hard-brick the OP's phone. Bottom line is: Bootloader logo has got nothing to do with resolution. It depends on bootloader, binary format and image size. Also, our policy is to reproduce critical linked content in case the link ever goes down.

Also, RAW binary and raw binary are 2 different things in the world of digital images. The 1st is related to unprocessed photos and the other is what you probably intend. -1 for ill-advised recommendations.

@TamoghnaChowdhury fixed the raw part.

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


text:
Android M: Application does not require any special access?
I have a question with Runtime Permission Model on Android M. My app requires Location and External Storage permission.
The above permissions are supposed to be requested from the user as required i.e. just before the code which required these permissions.
Now, when the app is installed, I get a screen that says "[App] does not require any special access".

Is it the correct behavior?

Yes, because your permissions are requested during code execution of a certain app feature. Right?

@AaronGillion Yes , maybe you're right . Do you have any idea what does special access mean here ? Will it be the case when I ask permissions upfront before letting user use the app ?

http://developer.android.com/training/permissions/index.html
Your app is asking for permission which may hurt/affect the user, but also it does not mean that your user will not be able to execute your app if he/she does not allow permission and also if you code it properly. And it is also the reason why it is not listed while installing the app, you will need explicitly handle that stuff.


text:
Addon.d bash script for removing apks after nightly reflash on Android 5.1 CM12.1 not working
I'm trying to have a bash script in /system/addon.d/ that removes unwanted apks from a nightly Android 5.1 (CM12.1) install for my Galaxy Nexus phone. Each new nightly reflash will reinstall some system apps so that is why I want a script to reverse this action so I do not have to do it manually.
There are some backup scripts that run fine (SU, GApps) but my own script does not work. It can be found below.
I placed the script in /system/addon.d/ with permissions -rwxr-xr-x (same permissions set as other scripts in addon.d). When flashing I do not see the echo and the apps are not removed.
I have tried google and researched other scripts but I cannot figure out what I am doing wrong here. Help is appreciated!
#!/sbin/sh
#
# /system/addon.d/80-autoclean.sh
#

. /tmp/backuptool.functions

list_files() {
cat <<EOF
AudioFX
BackupRestoreConfirmation
BasicDreams
Browser
CMAccount
CMBugReport
Calendar
CyanogenSetupWizard
DeskClock
Eleven
Email
Exchange2
Galaxy4
HTMLViewer
HoloSpiralWallpaper
LatinIME
LiveWallpapers
LiveWallpapersPicker
LockClock
NoiseField
PhaseBeam
PhotoPhase
PhotoTable
Tag
Terminal
ThemeChooser
ThemesProvider
UserDictionaryProvider
VisualizationWallpapers
VpnDialogs
EOF
}

case "$1" in
  backup)
    # Stub
  ;;
  restore)
    # Stub
  ;;
  pre-backup)
    # Stub
  ;;
  post-backup)
    # Stub
  ;;
  pre-restore)
    # Stub
  ;;
  post-restore)
    list_files | while read FILE; do
        rm -rf /system/app/$FILE.apk
        rm -rf /system/priv-app/$FILE.apk
        rm -rf /system/app/$FILE
        rm -rf /system/priv-app/$FILE
        echo "Removed $FILE"
    done
  ;;
esac

You could use this tool to create a flashable zip that removes those APKs. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2633379

This is all made with trial and error and some script copying, I have only vague knowledge of bash and absolutely no idea what I'm risking. All is done with backups and careful reflashes.
#!/sbin/sh
#
# /system/addon.d/77-MyApps.sh
#
# During a dirty flash, this script will backup files and apps at /system/*
# /system is formatted and reinstalled, then the files are restored.
#

. /tmp/backuptool.functions

list_files() {
cat <<EOF
app/ActionLauncher/base.apk
app/Dropbox/lib/arm/libblasV8.so
app/Dropbox/lib/arm/libDummyArchIndicator.so
app/Dropbox/lib/arm/librsjni.so
app/Dropbox/lib/arm/libRSSupport.so
app/Dropbox/base.apk
app/Eventbrite/base.apk
app/Flud/lib/arm/libclient.so
app/Flud/base.apk
app/GCalendar/base.apk
app/GMail/base.apk
app/GoogleCamera/lib/arm/libgcam.so
app/GoogleCamera/lib/arm/libgcam_swig_jni.so
app/GoogleCamera/lib/arm/libjni_pegutil.so
app/GoogleCamera/lib/arm/libjni_tinyplanet.so
app/GoogleCamera/lib/arm/libjpeg.so
app/GoogleCamera/lib/arm/liblightcycle.so
app/GoogleCamera/lib/arm/libnativehelper_compat_libc++.so
app/GoogleCamera/lib/arm/librefocus.so
app/GoogleCamera/lib/arm/librs.layered_filter_fast_f32.so
app/GoogleCamera/lib/arm/librsjni.so
app/GoogleCamera/lib/arm/libRSSupport.so
app/GoogleCamera/base.apk
app/GPlus/lib/arm/libcrashreporter.so
app/GPlus/lib/arm/libcronet.so
app/GPlus/lib/arm/libframesequence.so
app/GPlus/lib/arm/libphotoeditor_native.so
app/GPlus/lib/arm/libwebp_android.so
app/GPlus/base.apk
app/GPSStatus/base.apk
app/Greenify/base.apk
app/HereMaps/lib/arm/libCertResourcesPkg.so
app/HereMaps/lib/arm/libcrypto_here.so
app/HereMaps/lib/arm/libdatabase_sqlcipher.so
app/HereMaps/lib/arm/gnustl_shared.so
app/HereMaps/lib/arm/libLohitIndicFontPkg.so
app/HereMaps/lib/arm/libMapsEngineResourcePkg.so
app/HereMaps/lib/arm/libMAPSJNI.so
app/HereMaps/lib/arm/libNanumGothicFontPkg.so
app/HereMaps/lib/arm/libNuanceVocalizer.so
app/HereMaps/lib/arm/libposclient.so
app/HereMaps/lib/arm/libPureArabicFontPkg.so
app/HereMaps/lib/arm/libPureChineseFontPkg.so
app/HereMaps/lib/arm/libPureIndicSouthFontPkg.so
app/HereMaps/lib/arm/libPureThaiFontPkg.so
app/HereMaps/lib/arm/libSdkResourcePkg.so
app/HereMaps/lib/arm/libsqlcipher_android.so
app/HereMaps/lib/arm/libssl_here.so
app/HereMaps/lib/arm/libstlport_shared.so
app/HereMaps/base.apk
app/Keep/lib/arm/libsketchology_native.so
app/Keep/base.apk
app/KernelAdiutor/base.apk
app/Orbot/lib/arm/libtun2socks.so
app/Orbot/base.apk
app/Photos/lib/arm/libcrashreporterer.so
app/Photos/lib/arm/libfilterframework_jni.so
app/Photos/lib/arm/libcronet.so
app/Photos/lib/arm/libnative.so
app/Photos/lib/arm/framesequence.so
app/Photos/lib/arm/moviemaker-jni.so
app/Photos/base.apk
app/PlayGames/lib/arm/libgames_rtmp_jni.so
app/PlayGames/base.apk
app/PlayMusic/base.apk
app/Shuttle/base.apk
app/Polycon/base.apk
app/SEftp/base.apk
app/SolidExplorer/lib/arm/lib7z.so
app/SolidExplorer/lib/arm/libgif.so
app/SolidExplorer/base.apk
app/Webview/lib/arm/libwebviewchromium.so
app/Webview/base.apk
app/XDALabs/lib/arm/librealm-jni.so
app/XDALabs/base.apk
app/Xposed/base.apk
app/Youtube/lib/arm/libambisonic_audio_renderer.so
app/Youtube/lib/arm/libcronet.so
app/Youtube/lib/arm/libfilterframework_jni.so
app/Youtube/lib/arm/libluajit.so
app/Youtube/lib/arm/libm2ts_player.so
app/Youtube/lib/arm/libmoxie.so
app/Youtube/lib/arm/libmoxieclient.so
app/Youtube/lib/arm/librsjni.so
app/Youtube/lib/arm/libRSSupport.so
app/Youtube/lib/arm/libvpx.so
app/Youtube/lib/arm/libvpxJNI.so
app/Youtube/lib/arm/libvrtoolkit.so
app/Youtube/lib/arm/libwebp_android.so
app/Youtube/base.apk
EOF
}

case "$1" in
  backup)
    list_files | while read FILE DUMMY; do
      backup_file $S/$FILE
    done
  ;;
  restore)
    list_files | while read FILE REPLACEMENT; do
      R=""
      [ -n "$REPLACEMENT" ] && R="$S/$REPLACEMENT"
      [ -f "$C/$S/$FILE" ] && restore_file $S/$FILE $R
    done
rm -rf /system/app/Chromium
rm -rf /system/app/Email
rm -rf /system/app/Calendar
rm -rf /system/app/webview
  ;;
  pre-backup)
    # Stub
  ;;
  post-backup)
    # Stub
  ;;
  pre-restore)
    # Stub
  ;;
  post-restore)
    # Stub
  ;;
esac

I have cobbled up this script to back up mine (after plenty of reflashing and restoring) and remove some AOSP alternatives. It seems you must write the code that is to be run after flashing over there (webview is from older AOSP, while Webview is a more streamlined mess). The template is taken from XDA with respect to grinder777. If this works, give yourself a bar of chocolate and send him (her?) a thank. If it doesn't, I have no idea what will, besides what @Android Dev said, but that's not permanent.
EDIT: As YouKnowNothingJohn said, you need at least one backup command. That command could be anything, even a dummy file (at least in >4.4). Thanks Mr. Snow.

Thank you, I did pretty much the same but I put my remove commands in cm-50.sh because it seems like it will not run the bash file without at least one backup command.


text:
Google app shouts whenever I get a call
I don't know what setting I have done but every time I get a call, my google app starts shouting "Call from.." how to stop this.

i am mobile technician at Samsung, we do get lots of phones with these problem and it is a simple solution to it. please try tapping 3 to 4 times on home button, that disables the voice command.


text:
Unable to pass through setup wizard
I had deleted the Google keyboard app and was using a third party keyboard app on my Motorola Nexus 6. Just now, I hard reset my phone and come to know that there is no default keyboard installed; making me unable to pass through the setup wizard. I am running Android 5.1.1 and because of factory reset protection, it's a must to pass through setup wizard, can't skip anything. Please help me fix this, thanks in advance.

Is your nexus 6 rooted?

I have installed kingroot on nexus 6 and deleted default keyboard app forever..but after dat through kingroot i have uprooted my phone again..so now don't have idea if it is rooted or not.. Phone is stucked on setup wizard only

Related: No keyboard after factory reset. Can't install keyboard on phone with bluetooth, google play, sd card, etc

Unlock bootloader (if not done already), flash TWRP, download Google Keyboard's APK from somewhere and through TWRP, push it under /system/app/. Reboot to Android OS and the app would auto install during the reboot.

Because you are currently in an unknown state, the "best" option here is to reflash the factory images manually. Google provides factory images and instruction on their Factory Images for Nexus Devices page, and you could also upgrade to 6.0.1 if you wanted to.
Going through this procedure will return your Nexus device to it's factory condition, except with the version of software you chose to install.

Thanks for your advice i will try this option and let u know about results... Thank you


text:
Ransome Virus - Device Administrator deactivation impossible
I am inside of the device administrator settings of my andorid phone while being in safe mode.
While I was able to delete one part of the ransome virus which was called "adult video", the second "adult video" stuck on my phone. Can't delete it.
I figured out that I need to deactivate the administrator rights from the device administration settings.
Whenever I try to deactive the app within the device administration settings in safe mode, the app pops up and prevents me wiht a full screen thing
The phone is not rooted. What can I do? Several anti virus programs failed also

Clear the data of that app.
And try to remove that app from device administrator.
If it fail's then backup all important data and restore the device.
This will uninstall that app.


text:
HTC Desire 500 - how to root
I am completely new to this.
But I need to root my HTC Desire 500 to get rid of some virus that my phone caught unfortunately.
I have been googling etc. but I am not sure whether the information and tools there are up 2 date.
Is there ONE link/resource with an actual and updated to-do step by step process to root my phone? Or can someone possibly describe the steps I need to make without breaking my phone or something?

Welcome to the Android Enthusiasts! While waiting for an answer specific to your device, be welcome to check with our rooting index (where I've just linked your question to) and our rooting tag-wiki. The former also lists some more-or-less generic methods, from which one might apply in your case. Also, please [edit] your question and include which Android version your device is currently running.

Normally a wipe will get rid of any unvanted program (but will wipe all you settings and data).


text:
How to root cyanogen OS? (On Wileyfox swift)
I would like to know how to root Cyanogen OS on WileyFox Swift

Simply by flashing SuperSU.1 There's a thread at XDA explaining the steps:

download SuperSu
save it to your external sdcard
enable developer options (settings - about - click mutliple times on the build number)
enable OEM unlock in the developer options settings on the device
reboot Wileyfox Swift into fastboot mode: with the device powered down, hold the Volume Up and connect USB
to unlock the boot loader (WARNING!!! This wipes your user data!!!), type from your computer:
fastboot oem unlock
fastboot -i 0x2970 oem unlock-go
fastboot oem unlock-go

download latest recovery image from Cyanogen
to boot the custom recovery, on your computer type
fastboot boot <name_of_recovery>.img

install supersu update zip from recovery menu (choose zip from extenal SD)
reboot and enjoy root access

Note that steps 6 and 8 require the matching drivers being installed on your computer if you run Windows.
Updating a rooted Swift
Also note that "incremental updates" are no longer working with the device rooted. Please see how to update rooted fox at XDA for alternatives. Each of those updates will probably break root, so you'll have to repeat the above procedure after each update to regain root access.
Alternatively, you can also switch from CyanogenOS to CyanogenMod, which includes root access.

1: Note that's not the latest version – but the one reported working at the time of that post. The always latest version is available here.

Comments are not for extended discussion; this conversation has been moved to chat.

Izzy's answer is great.  A couple of additions - I hit an issue where my device would not Boot past the TWRP Recovery tool.  If you hit the same roadblocks make sure:

Use TWRP version 3.2.0.4 or newer.  The previous version I used did not work.  You can choose your Custom Recovery tool.  I used TWRP instead of CWM.
I followed these instructions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaK5OxUeDKM.  Key points: Wipe data first, via TWRP. Use Advanced Wipe and select Cache, Dalvik/Art Cache, System and Data
You can use adb sideload from TWRP (select the Advanced button). Make sure you install the rooted ROM and the gapps zip files before you reboot.

If it helps, I was running the non-rooted Cyanogen O/S.  You download the rooted version from: https://download.cyanogenmod.org/?device=crackling. I found the newest version of TWRP on xda-forums.  Then I used adb sideload to get the new version of TWRP onto my device.


text:
How to enable/disable DHCP of eth0
ifconfig eth0 dhcp start or ifconfig eth0 dhcp drop does not seem to work for Android.  Is there a way to enable/disable DHCP for eth0 via shell commands?

Do you've  the tool named netcfg?

@Firelord command netcfg works.  How can I use it to enable/disable DHCP?

Try with netcfg eth0 dhcp. See http://headlessandroid.blogspot.in/2012/06/networking-on-headless-android-system.html. Don't know how to disable DHCP.

@Firelord I have just tried that.  It did not return anything.

How to make Ethernet work on Android over OTG?

ifconfig eth0.15 dhcp drop
ifconfig: bad address 'dhcp'

try this code in android 5.1
ifconfig eth0 up
dhcpcd eth0

OR (static)
ifconfig eth0 192.168.70.65 netmask 255.255.255.0 up

and now
ndc network create 100
ndc network interface add 100 eth0
ndc network route add 100 eth0 192.168.70.0/24 (gateway)
ndc network route add 100 eth0 0.0.0.0/0 192.168.2.40 192.168.2.50
ndc resolver setnetdns 100 localdomain 192.168.2.40 192.168.2.50 (dns1 dns2)
ndc network default set 100

dhcpcd eth0.15
dhcpcd[4415]: version 5.5.6 starting
setprop: applet not found
setprop: applet not found
dhcpcd[4415]: eth0.15: carrier lost
setprop: applet not found
dhcpcd[4415]: eth0.15: carrier acquired
setprop: applet not found
dhcpcd[4415]: eth0.15: sending IPv6 Router Solicitation
dhcpcd[4415]: eth0.15: sendmsg: Cannot assign requested address
dhcpcd[4415]: eth0.15: rebinding lease of 192.168.88.2
dhcpcd[4415]: eth0.15: sending IPv6 Router Solicitation
dhcpcd[4415]: eth0.15: broadcasting for a lease
dhcpcd[4415]: eth0.15: sending IPv6 Router Solicitation

try this way (My Android device worked)
DHCP IP
ifconfig eth0 dhcp

OR
setprop dhcp.eth0

OR
dhcpcd -k eth0
dhcpcd -n eth0

OR
netcfg eth0 dhcp

OR
getprop dhcp.eth0

and
Static IP
ifconfig eth0 192.168.70.145 netmask 255.255.255.0 up
route add default gw 192.168.70.254 dev eth0

or
su -c ifconfig eth0 192.168.70.145 netmask 255.255.255.0 up
route add default gw 192.168.70.254 dev eth0

Enable Ethernet
ifconfig eth0 up

Disable Ethernet
ifconfig eth0 down

and check wlan0 static or dynamic?
my device when wlan0 is static force once set eth0 static and after set static change to dynamic
check the device ip:
ip addr

********** try this android 5.1 ****************** eth0 dhcp
ifconfig eth0 down
ifconfig eth0 up
dhcpcd -k eth0
dhcpcd -n eth0
netcfg eth0 dhcp


text:
Every Sensor Stopped Working
Recently I have discovered that literally all sensors on my Note 4 suddenly stopped working. This include the proximity sensor as well as the gyroscope sensor and GPS, etc.:

Screenshot (click to enlarge)
How can I fix it? Why is it happening? I haven't tried performing a factory reset because I don't want to do that unless it's necessary. Now the screen won't turn off during a call, and the GPS doesn't work in Google maps. I can't even shoot videos in landscape.
This phone is not rooted. Running on Android 5.0.1.

I'd definitely try the factory reset.

@MatthewRead I would do it if it is a last resort, but is there anything else I can try to fix it now?

I don't think so. Back up important data and go for the reset.

the power related to sensors is different from main power in note 4.In this case your sensor power is acting up which is common in note 4.You have to refer it to samsung repair center.
thank you
VRM

Which will tell you to see if a factory-reset solves the issue before taking in the device, as was already suggested in the comments. Do you have any backing that this is an hardware issue?

turn your phone off, take battery out, hold power button for 20 seconds, let all the power run out, put the battery in, turn your phone on, and see if it works. if it doesnt work. dont waste time and flash stock firmware on it. good luck!


text:
How to replace a microSD card formatted as internal storage?
I've got a Motorola Moto G 2 with Android 6 Marshmallow and an old microSD 8Go formatted as internal storage. Today, I would like to replace it with a new one, bigger and faster one.
BUT, I would like to save all the content (especially some app content, etc.)
Usually (with non formatted as internal storage cards) I switch off the phone, remove the SD card and copy it's whole content. But this time, the phone has to be running and thus, some folders (especially "Android") cannot be copied.
Will I lose come content ? Can I make a copy of this folder ?

You have to "unadopt" the SD card by switching it to portable storage, then insert the new card and adopt it. Not clean or easy, especially if you don't have enough space on your internal memory to copy everything from the old card to temporarily.

@acejavelin wouldn't that destroy the contents? Apart from which: the very same thing has just been asked yesterday: How can I move data from an adopted SD card to a new SD card? (PS, Crypto: Also see our adoptable-storage tag-wiki. As one of the cons, it lists: no "simple upgrade" to another (bigger, healthier, faster) SD card.)

@Izzy It all depends on the amount of space on internal storage, the process tries to move it there if there is enough space, but generally there isn't. There isn't really a clean way to do this, since once an SD card is adopted another one cannot be until it is "unadopted", so using the mount in Linux trick (http://nelenkov.blogspot.com/2015/06/decrypting-android-m-adopted-storage.html) is tough. Personally, I think this is just another hole in the mess that is "adopted storage"

Thanks, @acejavelin! So basically you don't lose data if the amount on the adopted card fits on the "real internal storage" – in which case you'd probably not adopted it in the first place? So e.g. backing up enough apps+data (e.g. via adb backup) and removing that, so the remains fit, one could safely "unadopt" the card without data loss, adopt a new one, and restore the backups?

Honestly... You best and cleanest bet is to backup everything you can, unadopt the storage, factory reset (yeah, I know, it sucks), insert the new card and adopt it and set it as the default for everything, then reinstall/restore data. It is the cleanest, you can try skipping the factory reset part, but I always say to be prepared to do so whenever making a major change, if problems arise, do it.


text:
Galaxy S6 Battery Drop
I have a Samsung Galaxy S6, Stock ROM, running Android 5.1.1.
Last night, as I was browsing on my phone before I fell asleep, my battery dropped from 19% to 15% in an instant, engaging power save mode. It was concerning that the battery dropped like that, but I didn't think much of it. When I woke up this morning, I was using it again, starting at 9%. It then dropped instantly to 5%, engaging the Ultra power save.
I have never had my battery drop like this. I purchased the phone in November of 2015.
Attached are two screenshots, one from the Battery menu, and another from GSAM Battery Monitor.

Upon looking further at the stock settings graph, it seems to be dropping at other times too. Is this a sign of a failing battery? Should I bring the device in to my carrier for service?
Thank you!

Sudden percentage drop of the kind you mentioned (apart from other drops which could be wake lock related ) is a reason for concern. Your battery can't or shouldn't fail in 6 months even if you a real heavy user. Since you are covered by warranty, best to get it checked and seek replacement

I don't have wake lock information, as my device is not rooted. The battery did drop again, without my noticing, last night. I suspect that the Tumblr application may be responsible, so I am testing a full charge without running the application.

Ideally test out in safe mode-installed apps are not acTive in that mode


text:
Install all of google servies alcatel one touch fierce xl
I rooted my phone but after a while I realized google play store wasnt there. So I deleted the root app and did a factory reset but it didnt come back. So then I tried getting apks but when ever I tried to download something the app would just crash and when ever Im just using my phone a message would appear saying google play store has crashed. Is there anyway to restore my phone back to its former glory? Any answers please be explained in depth I dont understand some technical lingo

Once a system app is deleted, you can't get it back. You'll have to find a gapps package to flash to your phone or flash stock firmware to get the apk.

root shouldn't delete the play store !
Did you do anything else ?
was it a dirty root zip
( maybe ported from a new gapps installer as a base ?)
gapps is all i can tink of that would delete your store because it cleans up your old installation first, It sounds like someone made their own root.zip and used the script from gapps, thinking it'd just install root files into the system and not wipe anything...


text:
Completely and entirely and absolutely disable multi-window on Android
I have Galaxy Note 4, and this feature (multi-window) is really driving me crazy. I keep disabling it, and it keeps enabling itself after some time. I have Android Lollipop 5.1.1 and before 5.1.0, and both had the same problem.
How can I turn this feature off and never see it ever again?

@beeshyams it comes back... That's the problem.

@beeshyams No :( it still comes back!

@beeshyams knowing that a solution doesn't work is still important.


text:
How can I manage data use based on different periods of the day?
I have a monthly pre-paid data plan with this detail:

1.2GB from 00am to 12pm (24 hours)
11GB between 0-9am (9 hours)

Is there a data manager app or other method that can monitor data usage with those hours parameters? I tried several apps but they're all using 24 hours parameter.

App recommendations are off-topic here, so I broadened the question slightly -- I'm sure you would be open to a method to do this within Settings if it exists, for example.  (Answerers might still suggest an app, but we want to help them focus on explaining how to do it rather than providing just a link with no detail.)


text:
Android phone constantly loses Wi-Fi connection
My Android phone loses the Wi-Fi connection when I'm at home in the very short time after it is connected, usually around the first 30 seconds.
Sometimes it works fine, but not often.
When it isn't working, the Wi-Fi icon remains present.
But I can't for instance browse to the IP of router 192.168.0.1.
The same phone is working properly with my work Wi-Fi. Other devices don't have problem with the home WiFi.
I'm a little lost and don't know how I can find the reason an fix it.

I don't think the Android phone is the issue, it's his router. So the question is actually on topic.

How far are you from the router when it loses connection? Some android phones have weak wifi receivers and that could be causing the loss. See if it also loses the connection right next to the router. If it doesn't then the problem is that your router transmits a weak signal, and your phone has a weak receiver, and the two together result in what you are seeing. If it still keeps losing the connection next to the router, but has no problem with all other wifi, then time to replace your router.

No it doesn't depend on the distance. And it shows always good signal. And it remains to show it also after it breaks the connection,

Try removing any booster apps.

I have this same issue with different devices on different routers, even when just a few feet away from it, really not sure why that is. It's been happening a lot on M

I can't say that I completely understand how but the issue was solverd after I changed the DNS settings of my phone (for my home WiFi).
I set it to Google default DNS 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4.
And since that never this problem again.
Why the phone was loosing the whole connection is still unclear to me (though it remains now pure theoretical question)

Depending on the version of android you are running you can try going to System settings> WiFi> Advanced> Tap "Keep Wi-Fi on during sleep" and select "Always"

Try rebooting your router

I have this issue already several weeks.
And rebooting router was the first I did (many times).
It helps. But just same as turn off and on the Wifi of the device.
Just for a while.

He said that it works fine with his work Wi-Fi. If this were the problem then it wouldn't work on any Wi-Fi.

It sounds like you have a bad router, or possibly too many devices connected. Many routers can't handle that many devices connected at once via Wi-Fi.

I solved changing the modem setting. The last versions of Android has problems with the WiFi channel 1 and 13, so the better way is to setting the transmission channel NO automatic, but fixed to an intermediate channel like 5, 7, etc... Since I've done this change the connection works great.

This answer does not convey any useful information about why one channel should be used over another.

I don't even know what it's trying to say.


text:
Rooting my phone
I have a HTC one e8 dual SIM,nearly 2 year old.as the warranty is finished and the phone has became old I wanted to root my device(in real I want to get marshmallow rom for my device,it is available in other countries but not in mine that's why).And am new to rooting and flashing Rom so can someone help me out to install Rom and root my device?is there any marshmallow rom for my device?
Any reply would be helpful.

You have it easy, since the M8 has an unlockable bootloader.
What you'll want to do is:
1) Unlock your bootloader
2) Download and flash the TWRP build for your device.
3) Boot into recovery (TWRP)
4) Download the supersu zip onto your phone from http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1538053
5) Flash it, and you're rooted.
If you help need doing the above: http://htc-one.wonderhowto.com/how-to/unlock-bootloader-root-your-htc-one-m8-0154444/
As for a Marshmallow ROM, stop at step 2 above. Then grab the latest (as of Apr. 4, 2016) build of Cyanogen Mod for the M8 from here.
How to install it:
1) Copy that ROM onto your phone
2) Boot into recovery (TWRP)
3) Select Wipe > Factory Reset (A "dirty flash" isn't recommended)
4) Then, on the main TWRP screen, select Install, and point it to the ROM file you copied to your device.
5) Swipe to flash
6) Welcome to the world of ROMing & rooting!

I think u misunderstood m8sd with HTC one m8(m8sd is the dual SIM model of HTC one e8)so can u tell how to do rooting and flashing rom(marshmallow) in HTC one e8 dual SIM?plzzz reply


text:
What is the difference between Samsung 4 files(Repairing firmware) and Single firmware file for flashing?
I was flashing a Samsung device with a single file (tar.md5 format) and i saw some people are working with 4 files(Repairing firmware) to fixing the most and actually, Any problems with those 4 files and i've heard that they says, it should fix any(Software) problems after flashing it on the device but i couldn't actually figured out ;
What is the exactly difference between these two which the 4 files containts four files such as ;

Bootloader file
CODE file,
Modem file
and  CSC file

And the single one has the Modem file and the others which we'd introduce it in PDA section?
Or, which one should be the best option for updating a device?
Also, i've seen an application which it could convert the Single firmware to four files and that was more interesting about the question too!

You flashed and MD5 sum? Better fix that. Also, decompress your tar file, and I think you'll find those 4 files.

I did that also, and there were about 8 files but i can't figured out what is the difference between that single one and the four?

The single file which you can flash (I presume you are using Odin) contains all the files required for your  firmware upgrade- which you place in PDA option of Odin
If you  want to upgrade the firmware selectively, you would use one of the four files mentioned:

Bootloader file- not normally done for stock, mostly used for compatibility issues in version upgrade in flashing custom ROM. Example : MJ5 bootloader for flashing Note 4 ROM on Note 2
Code File is typically the ROM
Modem File is the radio component of ROM- you may want to replace a ROM meant for use in a different region and change the modem to get better performance by flashing modem file of your region. List of modems for your device can be searched on XDA forums. Example- Note 2 modems
CSC (variously referred to as Country/Carrier/Consumer Specific Code) File is the file you would want to use to change if you bought the phone in a different region and want to use it in your region (Samsung ROMs incorporate region specific features ) . Example

What is the exactly difference between these two?

I had overlooked this main question and realised I never probed this aspect. Googling leads me to the conclusion that the key difference is is it Odin ready (to be flashed as a single file or not?. While Odin and Kies are both Samsung proprietary, formats required for using them differ. using a Kies format and adapting to Odin requires extraction of files required.

Samsung firmware upgrade comes as a single file having the necessary files required for upgrade (Odin ready)
Samsung firmware is available on many sites, Sammobile is considered to be the most reliable out there. This site  and other sites sometimes host upgrades/beta/test mode in Field Upgrade Serviceable (FUS) files which are not standard Odin flash ready files. But they can be flashed using Kies. Reason cited here for not being able to use directly on Odin is header file corruption. These need to be downloaded using apps like FUS downloader and then split into required files to be upgraded using Odin.You put these CSC, modem,bootloader files in the corresponding sections of Odin

Linked site(s) explain (Warning: Don't use PIT file which is available on splitting till you understand what it is for)

To summarise, key difference lies in packaging of firmware (Odin Vs Kies), others being type of firmware (beta/ test/ tested/ leaked) and possible end use (complete or selective upgrade)

which one should be the best option for updating a device?

It depends on what you want to do-there is no specific answer, as for instance of flashing a modem only explained above. Or if your source upgrade file is Odin ready or not a explained above
If you are using Linux the method varies (not tried by me) and you can pretty much use either methods as outlined here
Samsung has a pretty confusing (till you get hang of it) of breaking down these components and labelling them. You can read here and here for starters.
And if you want to get deep into sources, see my answer Samsung firmware modifying

The main difference is that the single file doesn't Factory Reset the phone after flashing, but the 4 file firmware does factory reset and remove absolutely everything and make it like an out of the box phone.
The 4 files are called Binary Firmware which contains all the files in certain order:

Bootloader contains all the boot files
AP contains all the system and recovery files.
Modem/CP contains phone network and wifi software.
CSC contains PIT file and cache removing IMG which puts all the files in order and repairs any damage firmware has before.

Thats why they are called repair files.

Why would flashing the files separately trigger a wipe of /data?

because the repair filen (4 files) has pit file and param.bin which wipes everything, and i mean everything! obviously knox count doesnt get changed because thats hardware.

Ah, yes repartitioning would make sense.

+1 Good point. Maybe you can elaborate your answer by adding "how to flash"

Use odin, Many tutorials are available online for that

Some things were not explained. A 4 File is not exactly binary firmware in a sense (even though it's all binary) given that they are used to repair the device. Currently the PDA section when using Odin3 is AP. In the 4 file you will notice a CSC file and a HOME CSC file. If you are flashing there is a difference between the two. The CSC file returns your application data to factory whereas the HOME CSC file saves your appication data. Either one goes only in the CSC section, do not use both at the same time.
The Combination files are binary repair files that fix the binary codes of the device. It is only placed in the AP section of Odin3 when flashing.

so with Odin it's possible to flash combination firmware on locked bootloader without losing data? can you elaborate?


text:
Uninstall via adb without root
I own an Asus Zenfone Go Z00VD running Android 5.1.  It came preinstalled with TrendMicro Dr. Safety, which I absolutely have no use for and do not want running at all.  This app starts itself periodically, and there is no option to uninstall nor disable it.  I'm not sure that it's a system app but I assume it is.
I've done some research and found the following options:

Root the phone and uninstall the app.  This is the most obvious solution, but this is a last resort.
Remove the app via adb without root.  Not sure if this is even possible, I've seen some claims that it is, and more claims that it is not.
Install an app manager to kill Dr. Safety processes as soon as they start.  From the answers on this Stack this seems like a bad idea.

This question is about option 2.  Is it possible?  Is it safe (little chance of bricking the phone and won't open security holes)?  If the answer to either is "no" are there other non-rooting options to disable the app?
I found instructions here:
http://hexgears.blogspot.com/2015/06/android-remove-system-apps-without-root.html
but I'm doubtful that they'll even work, let alone work safely.

Since it is Android Lollipop, you can setup adb in PC and execute this command:
adb shell pm hide PACKAGE

PACKAGE → package name of an app. To know the package name of an app, follow the answers to the question: View app's full package name?
If I'm correct, this app is exactly what came with your device and which you aim to get rid of. Although you should verify the package name through your own means, I find the package name as com.trendmicro.freetmms.gmobi from the linked URL, so your command would be:
adb shell pm hide com.trendmicro.freetmms.gmobi
adb reboot     # reboot the device

Note: Execute the command at your own risk. I cannot guarantee that it would not soft-brick the device but it would make sure the app do not run again until your unhide the package. To unhide the package, replace hide by unhide in the aforesaid command.
If something goes wrong, such as the Android ends up in a boot-loop  or with recurrent crash messages, then you should either unhide the package (provided that you can) or do a factory reset which means you should backup your data before hiding the package.
As for the instructions in the link, ignore them. The author doesn't know what they wrote. Let me simplify few things there. First, the device is rooted and the title is deceptive. They are using a kernel which is not stock. A stock kernel (production build) should never allow adb deamon to be restarted with root permissions but they were able to do so using adb root. If a kernel allows this, then it is considered an insecure kernel and unfit for consumer ready devices.
Also, the steps there about removing the system apps are risky. Huge risk. Only a re-flash of stock ROM or a backup of system partition would be able to fix the device.

Oh, I forgot to mention that you should not think of uninstalling a system app without root. It's just not possible! Related: Wondering if i can debloat some google apps from unrooted lg phone for my father?


text:
Is it possible to remove app using connection to computer?
Question
Is it possible to connect android device to pc and make system alternations via that connection?
Why
I'm thinking of possibilities of doing that to remove malware that crawled too deep in device.
For example, I've been recently asked to remove screen blocker that has added itself to administrators. In safe mode, after I removed that admin, banner appeared. While I was able to solve that with one additional safe reboot, the youtuber I've followed claimed that in newer versions of the malware you'd have to go for factory wipe.
In linux you can do anything to system files as long as you've booted in the other instance.
So in case I'll be asked to deal with such problems in future, I've been wondering whether computer could be used as such more authoritative agent for android.
As those are likely to be not my devices so rooting might be undesirable, no backups be present and factory wipe might be too problematic.

You will need to dig into the depth of ADB for that, including the pm (Package Manager) tool and probably others. A thorough answer covering all aspects would probably fill at least a chapter of a book, and go a bit beyond what this site holds.

Yes, you can do that with help of ADB (Android debug bridge). More detailed instructions can be obtained from the above mentioned site.
To use adb with a device connected over USB, you must enable USB debugging in the device system settings, under Developer options.
On Android 4.2 and higher, the Developer options screen is hidden by default. To make it visible, go to Settings > About phone and tap Build number seven times.
Return to the previous screen to find Developer options at the bottom.
On some devices, the Developer options screen might be located or named differently. If connected, you'll see the device name listed as a "device."
Connecting to a device via USB
You will need to connect your device to your PC via USB and open adb through a command prompt. From here simply type adb devices to retrieve currently connected devices.
Connecting to a device over Wi-Fi
adb usually communicates with the device over USB, but you can also use adb over Wi-Fi after some initial setup over USB, as described below:

Connect your Android device and adb host computer to a common Wi-Fi network accessible to both, you might need to configure your firewall to properly support adb.
Connect to the device by its IP address.
adb connect device_ip_address  e.g adb connect 127.0.0.1

Confirm that your host computer is connected to the target device:
From command prompt type:
adb devices
You will see a list of attached devices
You’re all setnow.
There are a couple of commands that can be used to uninstall apps via adb command:

adb remove (full app filename, no extension)  eg adb remove com.developer.appname

or adb shell rm /data/app/(full app filename with apk extension)
to find the file name, use adb shell ls /data/app/

adb uninstall <package_name> e.g adb uninstall com.developer.appname

If you want to keep the app’s data and cache directory, then use this command: adb uninstall -K packagename.apk. e.g.
adb uninstall -K  com.developer.appname

Another variant is used: adb shell pm uninstall com.developer.appname

Acknowledgements:

Can I uninstall an app via adb
Android Debug Bridge
How to Install/Uninstall Applications using Android ADB
Android Studio : How to uninstall APK (or execute adb command) automatically before Run or Debug?


text:
Rooting or downgrading ? which is first?
I just bought a Samsung A3 SM-A300FU (The 2015 version) running on Android 5.0.2
To be able to run SnoopSnitch, I'm supposed to

Downgrade to Android 4.4.4
Root the phone.

My question is : Which I'm supposed to do first ? Rooting or downgrading ? And why :)
Thanks

Both are independent, provided you are rolling back to stock. More important is to see if your device has 4.4.4 stock firmware. This guide may help. If your device doesn't have stock 4.4.4 you will need to search for a custom ROM. To do that you have to root first

I'm new to this "Rooting-Downgrading" stuff, but while reading this article on XDA, it appeared to me that they are not that separated.

That is a separate case. OP there rooted his 4.4.4 version and then tried to upgrade. To put it simply, stock downgrade doesn't require root but a) stock firmware lower version for your device needs to be available b) availability does not mean, it will work smoothly, google gives you failed cases for your specific device. This is the scenario if you don't want to stock . If you are willing to switch to custom ROM you have to root first (warranty voided) to be able to flash custom ROM.

Research well and fully understand the risks- IMO, it is better to look for an alternative app that works without downgrade. Downgrade with samsung phones is prone to be messy


text:
Mount external USB drive as read-only, without root
If I wish to visit someone and bring with me my phone, chromecast or miracast, and an external USB drive, to show pictures and home videos, I want to do that without risking clobbering up my external drive every time I do this. This happened to me last time, and I'm scared to do this again, because it took me days to restore that 4TB drive.
So, mounting the external drive as read only would be a solution. No more "fat" repairs on a PC after using it on an Android.
Is it possible to run a terminal and issue a "remount ro" command of sorts? Or perhaps there is an app for this? I haven't found one that does this.
My phone is not rooted and the only known root hack for my ECOO E04 is "kingroot" which apparently puts in place some unorthodox bits which you can't remove, so I haven't gone there.
I would love to ditch vfat in favor of ext4 though...


text:
How to mount an external USB drive on a Sony Z3?
I have a Sony Z3 which is supposed to support OTG and therefore it should be possible to use an external flash drive. However I can't find the "Detect USB drive" quick setting which is supposed to enable the flash drive once it's connected in the USB port.
Is there any setting I need to toggle in order to mount the USB drive?
I'm using stock Android 5.1.1.

Turns out some versions of the Sony Z3 don't support OTG drives. Therefore no software/hardware change can allow you to use external USB devices.
Upgrading to Android 6.0 didn't help either, so I've abandoned the idea.


text:
Is it possible to use external hard drives with USB OTG?
On some sources I have read that it is impossible to use external hard drives over USB OTG.
Is it really impossible?
Isn't there some kind of workaround?
Update: Apparently ES file explorer can see the disk but can't open it. I heard there are such issues with NTFS hard drives on Android.

Obviously it is possible, if your device supports it.

@Izzy You see the issue is I am not just tryin to connect any USB device, I am trying to connect an external hard drive. Those things require a lot of power. I have even tried connecting it, but so far no luck. The issue is usually that a phone can't give it enough power. But apparently if I connect the USB hub to a power source it should be enough. I have also tried that and still no luck.

I have never tried that. Just the linked question popped up earlier today and showed someone obviously uses this, so it's possible. So I thought I leave you a hint. Cannot say more on it – but I admit, you have your point with the power source (where a second USB connected to a power bank might be a way).

Absolutely possible, I do this almost every day. You need to have an otg dongle (not just a cable) that permits adding an external power source. I use a dongle I bought on amazon for £12 and normal usb battery pack. Then I can load films onto my phone from a 2tb WD passport.
Without the additional power source you are not able to read the drive as your phone (or tablet) can't output enough current to properly operate the HDD.

Actually,  my N7 2013 can power certain 2.5" drives, but you can guess what happens to my battery :)

Yeah, but it seems my phone can't read ntfs. And although I am a Linux user, I don't want to reformat my drive to ext4 because of compatibility with Windows PC's. I am trying to install ntfs support on my phone ATM.

I read in several places that using hard drives with USB OTG was possible with Samsung Galaxy phones because Samsung reads NTFS-formatted drives. (I have an A9 Pro.)
But while I could use flash drives and micro-SD cards up to 200GB, I could not get NTFS-formatted external hard drive to work, with or without powered hubs.
Until...I prepared a WD Passport 2T drive, yes 2 terabyte.
How did I do it? I reformatted using exFAT. That's it. Then no powered hub, no lag, no overheating. No problems at all.


text:
How to import an existing mmssms.db to an Android Virtual Device?
I've downgraded from Cyanogenmod 13 (Android 6.0.1) to Android stock 5.1.1, and kept my previous mmssms.db file, but it is incompatible with older Android versions. I would like to import this database in an Android Virtual Device running Android 6.0, back it up using SMS Save & Restore, then restore the .xml file produced by that app on my device.
However, when I copy my old com.android.providers.telephony directory in the /data/data/ directory of the AVD, neither the Messenger app, nor SMS Backup & Restore see any message. The directory and its contents are owned by the radio user, belong to the radio group, and have chmod set to 771.
How can I check what is preventing the system from accessing my database?
Or how else can I retrieve my sms ?

It's possible that CM 13's mmssms.db is not fully compatible with stock 6.0.1.  Do you absolutely need to import the messages into 5.1.1, or will accessing them on a PC be sufficient?

I absolutely need to merge the two databases, not just access the old one on a PC.
Edit: based on your suggestion that CM 13's mmssms.db in not compatible with Android 6.0.1 stock, I will try installing CM 13 on the AVD.

Any luck with CM13 on the AVD?

Google's emulator is really slow and hangs when I use adb to reboot to recovery/bootloader. Maybe it will work better with a virtual device having an Intel Atom processor; I will try that later today.

I've finally managed to restore the contents of my previous database on my current device and I will explain how.
The idea was to copy the backup of /data/data/com.android.providers.telephony from my previous installation, to an Android Virtual Device, back it up there using SMS Backup & Restore in XML format, then restore that XML backup on my device. SMS Backup & Restore merged the messages from the backup with the current device's messages so I didn't have to merge the two databases by hand.
In my question, the AVD running 6.0.0 wouldn't read the contents of my database because it was created on CM 13 which is based on Android 6.0.1. But Google doesn't seem to provide an emulator image based on Android 6.0.1, so I still used an AVD running 6.0.0. For performance reasons I've configured it to emulate an Intel Atom (x86) CPU and installed Intel HAXM driver on my PC (I've followed this answer to do that).
The mmssms.db database holds properties about itself, especially version numbers, so I've edited them to make Android believe that it dealt with a database of a version it could deal with. I've opened mmssms.db in SQLite Expert, clicked on the "Database" tab, and in the property list, found the following lines:

schema_version
user_version

I've downgraded these to 44 and 60, respectively.
Then I transferred my backup of /data/data/com.android.providers.telephony to the AVD using adb push, after making sure that location was already empty there. Using adb shell I've set the owner and group of everything in this directory and its subdirectories to radio, and in the database subdirectory the chmod value to 660.
I've rebooted the device.
I've installed SMS Backup & Restore on the AVD through ADB. (The .apk of that app can be found on an existing device in /data/app on a device where it is already installed. I didn't bother installing Google Play Services on the emulator to get it from the Play Store, but you can do that.)
I've backed up the messages and copied the resulting .xml over to my real device, where I've used SMS Backup & Restore to restore it. Voilà.

I had to do an extra step compared to @Cutter answer to get it working with LineageOS 14.1 (original mmssms.db came from Android 5.1).
Change the user_version from 64 to 68:
sqlite3 mmssms.db
PRAGMA user_version;
PRAGMA user_version = 68;
.q

In recovery mode (adb reboot recovery):
adb push mmssms.db /data/user_de/0/com.android.providers.telephony/databases/
adb shell chown radio:radio /data/user_de/0/com.android.providers.telephony/databases/mmssms.db
adb shell chmod 660 /data/user_de/0/com.android.providers.telephony/databases/mmssms.db
adb shell chcon u:object_r:radio_data_file:s0 /data/user_de/0/com.android.providers.telephony/databases/mmssms.db
adb shell ls -alZ /data/user_de/0/com.android.providers.telephony/databases/mmssms.db

The important thing was to additionally change the file SELinux security context with chcon.
And after rebooting the old SMS messages were finally recognized!

jansohn's solution works for me.
I pulled the mmssms.db file from a previous NANDROID backup of my phone and was able to restore all the old SMS messages from it by doing those commands in an adb shell.
It didn't work until I used:
adb shell chcon u:object_r:radio_data_file:s0 /data/user_de/0/com.android.providers.telephony/databases/mmssms.db


text:
Broken S4 screen
I broke my S4 screen while celebrating  my team scoring! I looked up the local phone shops but they are too expensive. Anyone know what I should do? Maybe buy a screen off eBay? I have been told S4's are a nightmare to fix yourself, is that true?

Is your whole screen assembly not working or did the screen glass just fracture?
https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Samsung+Galaxy+S4+Display+Assembly+Replacement/16540
A quick google search. Replacing the whole assembly is indeed some work.
If just the glass is broken you may remove the broken glass with a heating and replace it with a new one with a relatively low price to it.
I've never performed either of it, but both procedures do look risky. There are some good YouTube videos about the glass replacement. But as always you could render your phone unusable.

It still works I am replying to you using it. It's just the glass it has a lot of cracks in it. I fixed my old iPhone myself but I have heard s4's are on an other level 9f difficulty. I am going to give it a go. No way am I paying £85 to fix it. That's the same price I bought the phone for!

@PaulLaing I fixed an S4 screen, however I replaced the entire display assemble (LCD included). It wasn't very difficult.

@PaulLaing You can get an OEM LCD+Digitizer on Ebay for $68: http://www.ebay.com/itm/OEM-Samsung-Galaxy-S4-IV-i9500-LCD-Display-Touch-Digitizer-Screen-Assembly-Black-/201258885398?hash=item2edbf6e116:g:hWkAAOSw42JWDbi8


text:
Contacts sync stuck updating on Moto E 2G
My mom's Moto E (2nd Generation) has the following problem: after an OS OTA update (to v 5.1 security fix 2016-03-16), the contacts refuse to sync. The sync rolling icon is constantly showing, there are no contacts available, and the battery drains like crazy. She tried several restarts, and also left it alone for almost a day - no dice; the app is currently still "updating contacts".
I logged into her Google account using a browser - all looks well, and all the contacts are there. My dad has the exact same phone and OS, and no issues with his contacts - so I'm clueless as to how to continue or who to contact.
Things I've tried (remotely with her :( ):

Turn contacts sync off and on under accounts
Remove the entire Google account and add it again  -everything syncs but contacts
Erase the cache of the contacts app

Any ideas how to proceed? Is this an OS, app, or Google account issue?

Well, I had to reset the phone to its factory state, and reinstall all from scratch. I've seen this question asked on several forums, with no satisfactory answer.
If you come across one in the future, ping me, and I'll reopen the question. Until then, just restore your phone. Tons of work for (what I'm sure is) a very simple sync bug :(.


text:
How to read/interpret Bluetooth HCI snoop log?
... to continue troubleshooting to my previous question: bluetooth - Nexus 6p - kernel wakelock - bluesleep - Android Enthusiasts Stack Exchange, I Enable Bluetooth HCI snoop log via (Settings -> Developer options) and now I have btsnoop_hci.log.
I'm able to open it with Wireshark · Go Deep., but I am confused what exactly am I looking at and/or look for? How does one determine that?


text:
Samsung galaxy s4 - how do i find out what my phone is locked to?
I have recently purchased a Samsung galaxy s4 off of eBay but when it arrived it did not have any indication of what network it belonged to, every time I have gone on websites and typed in the coding to get the iem number it just says it  does not belong to any network at the moment
where do i find out what network my phone belongs to?
thank you

I assume that you've tried it with your SIM and confirmed that it is carrier-locked?  Try going to Settings -> About and add the specific model number and build number to this post.

try a Samsung Galaxy S4 code:

*#7465625#  View Phone Lock Status
*7465625*638*# Configure Network Lock MCC/MNC
*7465625*782*# Configure Network Lock NSP
#7465625*638*# Insert Network Lock Keycode

Have fun!


text:
How safe is it to upgrade apps using Aptoide?
I know that there are issues with using Aptoide to install apps on Android. There's a pretty good discussion about this in this other question. If only regarding legal issues, Aptoide is definitely a gray area as some apps are not legally distributed there, clearly bypassing fees setup on the Google Play Store or breaking licensing terms. Furthermore, there are concerns that malware can be injected in apps shipped on Aptoide, although they make efforts to scan apps for such problems.
I wonder, however, if upgrading apps has the same issues as installing fresh new apps. Say I have an old APK from an app I paid from on the Google Play Store, then lost access to my store credentials (lost the phone!) but I still have the APK of the application lying around. So I installed that old version of the app and want to upgrade, but without buying the app again.
I understand (but may be mistaken) that Android has some sort of TOFU security model for apps: if you have installed an app, there is a public key that signed the APK and Android will not allow updates to the app if that key changes. Therefore, if I update an app using Aptoide, that signature will be checked and I can actually be (cryptographically) sure that the app update actually comes from the original author and hasn't been tampered with by Aptoide or the repository manager.
Is that a fair assumption?

You're correct. When someone develops an app, said app passes through a phase of signing. The signature consists of a RSA certificate amongst its parts, so it's univocal (hence the fact that, if you unpack an app, alter it, sign it with another signature and install it, the Play Store won't show any updates for said app).
Just as the Play Store, even Aptoide, by default, shows an app as updatable only if the signature of the APK in their repository corresponds to the signature of your installed app. This behaviour can be modified by unchecking the appropriate checkbox in Aptoide's settings.
Lastly, since altering an app and repacking it with the original signature has limited probabilities of success (tried that myself, but to no avail), updating your apps via Aptoide is generally safe, providing that you leave the abovementioned checkbox selected.


text:
Redeeming Google Play Gift Card to Change Country
I wanted to change the country of my Google Play from Philippines to US. Which you can find in a similar post here.

I've tried changing my "Home address" in the settings section of my Google Wallet
Tried removing my Google account on my smartphone and putting it back
Uninstall updates and cleared the data of my smartphone's Google Play
I also tried using VPN

And still, none of it works.
I can't fill the "Payment Method" because I don't have a US Visa or US Credit Card.
Will it work if I load a USD Google Gift Card? Will it change the apps to be displayed on my Google Play? I wanted to ask here first before I buy myself a USD Google Play Gift Card to make sure.
I wanted to do this because there are apps that I wanted to download which are only available in the US.
EDIT: I just loaded $10 (USD) to my Google Wallet account. Cleared the data of my Google Play. But the applications I wanted to download are still not available. Looks like the only solution is to fake your location and use a VPN (which did not work for me, instead, my phone becomes vulnerable to a malware which drains the battery of my phone when it is on idle).

A gift card should work.

@AaronGillion I just loaded $10 to my Google Wallet. But the apps I wanted are still not available.

What to do if Google says "Couldn't redeem this code. This code can only be used in LocationB", and I am currently in LocationB?


text:
Play Music through Microsoft Groove using Google Now?
I recently switched over from Windows Phone to Android. Since I'm still mostly in the Windows ecosystem, I have a subscription to (and thousands of songs in) Microsoft Groove. On my old Windows Phone I was used to telling Cortana to play a playlist while I was driving, which was great. Is it possible to make Google Now do the same? (Perhaps by making Groove the default music player, if that is possible?)
Solutions involving Google Play Music are not what I'm looking for, since I have an ongoing subscription to and large library in Groove.
Device is a Nexus 6P running Android 6.0. Thanks for any advice!

Why not download Cortana for Android? It may be able to send direct commands to Groove, if Groove doesn't respond to generic Media Play system-wide events sent to the default app.

However, I do believe you can get this to work with Google Now as well. If you can't find a way to set Groove as the default app, uninstall all other music apps (stock music app will be most difficult to remove) and Groove should receive all system-wide events.

@AaronGillion I disabled Google Play Music through the application manager, but now Google Now just searches Google if I tell it to play music (as expected). Groove doesn't appear to let me set defaults - I'll blame Microsoft for that one. As for Cortana - I would love to, but unfortunately it's not available in my region (Canada).


text:
How do I remove the "plus" icon in folders on Samsung Galaxy S6?
I'm on a Samsung Galaxy S6 and recently updated to Android 6. Now in every folder on my home screen, I have this "plus" icon

which is meant to select apps to add to the folder instead of having to drag them in one by one.
How can I remove this? I haven't changed the UI from default.

This is the new default functionality of Samsung firmware on Android 6.0, a.k.a Marshmallow.
If this really bothers you, you can always download one of the 3rd-party launcher replacement apps and set it as default.

Can you be more specific? I don't know what flashing is but I'm pretty sure I haven't touched the stock firmware. What is a go launcher?

if you havent touch the stock firmware, forget what i said about flashing the phone. Go launcher is an user interface for your phone, you can download it from playstore. for example:samsung has touchwiz which moslty everyone hates, so they use launchers, try it, it may help :)

It's still got the plus icon.

Rename the folder to "Google" and the plus will disappear. Then you can rename the folder to whatever you like and it won't come back.
Update: turns out this doesn't work anymore after you restart the device.

If you've realised your answer is wrong, you can delete it yourself. Then other visitors will be able to see this question still lacks an answer.


text:
I broke my mobile, help me
I rooted my android KitKat recently and most of bloatware permanently. Today my phone was causing some problems. It showed Service exchange error, play store won't open, accounts won't sync, since i deleted my phone app as well and realised exDialer was just to improve UI of stock dialer and not a complete standalone dialer. I was angry and angry people can't think much. I removed my root access and factory reseted my mobile.
Now I realise my swiftkeyboard is also gone and can't type wifi password and I don't have a mobile data plan.
How can I fix my phone?

You may have to flash stock fimrware on it. which phone is it, I will put latest firmware for you so you can flash it.

http://www.modifyandroid.com/stock-roms/qmobile/how-to-flash-stock-rom-for-qmobile-noir-a290/


text:
Enabling root access for an app (TeamViewer) on Android Marshmallow 6[Moto G]
I am attempting to use Teamviewer(control my Android phone from a Windows PC)
Using the host Teamviewer App I can currently see the screen but not control it, some of the reviews say it requires root access enabling fo the app.
How can I enable root access for a certain app?
Does the Motorola Moto G come with any root restrictions (one of the reviews says Motorola has a root issue)?

is your device rooted at all? 2) if the app doesn't ask for root access, you cannot "enable root access" for it.


text:
How can I get shell access on my almost dead phone
My phone broke, so I have been messing with it and from the errors I can see, it looks like all the system folders are missing. /system /data etc.
I saw a YT video where the guy used ADB shell to gain access then just ran some cd commands to create the missing directories (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-LZvVLEC5o)
adb shell isn't working for me. Currently, I have 'Philz Touch 5' running and I have a working Odin connection.
How can I restore an empty file system?
thanks!

By flashing a ROM. /system and /data are not just directories you've got to create, but entire mount points. If there's no /system, you can no longer boot the device as it has no operating system (/recovery is a separate system). So use Odin to flash a ROM.

if you can go in recovery mode, you can also go in download mode.
if you use odin, i guess you have a samsung device.
Normally push togheter power button, home button, volume - button
turn any samsung mobile in donwload mode.
downlaod an official ROM from http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/
and flash it with odin.


text:
Why do charging rates differ for similar spec USB power adaptors?
I've been experimenting with using USB power adaptors other than the one supplied with the Android tablet and I'm struggling to understand why adaptors of a similar spec to the original are charging at much lower rates.
Could anyone help shed some light on what's going on?
Tablet: Acer Iconia B1-750
Measurement App: Ampere charging meter app from Braintree https://goo.gl/SQNiQb
Adapter           |              |
Manufacturer      | Output Spec  | Charging Rate
================================================
Liteon              5.2V  1.35A   250mA        (original adaptor)
Delta Electronics   5.35V 2A      30mA
NewLink             5.0V  2.1A    20mA
NewLink             5.0V  1A      20mA

All measurements were taken using the same USB lead
The adaptors were all plugged (successively) into the same wall
socket.
The rate readings were taken after a minute or so of plugging in to allow the
charging rate to settle.
All the readings were taken within a few minutes, with the tablet battery level at about 50%
Each adaptor was unplugged and replugged a few times to check for consistency of readings.
All adaptors are single port

So, can anyone help me understand why the first three, similarly spec'd chargers aren't charging at the same rate?

User manual of your device does not offer any clue, but Acer community forums highlight the feature of original charger to do fast charging by delivering more current, which probably the other chargers don't have
From Acer Iconia won't charge, see reply of Acebillsey

The charger that came with should have been a 5.35V 2A charger with internal settings that tell the tablet that it's a fast charger. When it's plugged in the tablet goes into fast charge mode and will charge even if you are using it. A standard USB port or USB charger will provide 0.5A and the tablet will only do the slow charge mode.

Again from Iconia One 7 (B1-750) not charging, same person says

There are two styles of chargers. The stock one provides more juice than is allowed by the USB spec and they get around that by putting a special load between the data pins, so the tablet can see that the high power charger is installed and go into full charging mode. When that load isn't there the tablet will not draw more than spec (500mA) and typically the charge is just maintained

This fits in with your readings and probably is the reason, since there is no cause otherwise. Googling didn't help in getting fast charge details in original charger or OEM charging circuit to confirm this
Edit: Overview of USB Charging gives a high level view of modifications needed to force a charger to charge at higher rate

Great info - thanks. Looking more into 'fast charging', I found this  apcmag.com/android-usb-charging-secrets.htm. It looks the trick will be to make sure the D+/D- signature of the high power (i.e. > 0.5A) charger is the same as the one expected by the tablet. I'll look into if there's a way of finding out the signatures of the chargers and tablet.

I suspect it is CDP implementation detailed here, going by special load between data pins, as mentioned in second quote. Some Samsung charges employ similar method

This search has several methods for making chargers faster. I would recommend m-instructable as a good resource (first on list). Component sourcing may be an issue unless you are into it or know someone who can help. I had built a different circuit from their instructions and found them to be precise

you may like to update your findings , to help others too


text:
Is it safe to delete .thumbdata3 file?
I have this file inside DCIM on internal memory. It takes up a lot of space and I'm getting short of it. So I checked what is taking that much space and found out this file alone takes space upto a GB. So can I remove it and will my mobile malfunction if it is removed?

You can delete that file safety, but it will be recreated soon. I have not tried to prevent its recreation, but the method described in this article might work... Let us know if it does!


text:
1.5 GB in space used for system without installing any apps after using super su-me
Hello everyone I used to have kingroot installed on my device and for some reason I thought it will be better to have super su so I downloaded super su-me and as promised it did remove king root and installed super su but after that I found the available storage for my device going from 1.2 GB to 18mb and I found that space was used in system as I found that the space used for system files increased from 3.3 to 5 GB so what happened and how I can undo this and. Any solution will be appreciated
Things I have tried:
1-Factory reset(it removed super su and king root so I installed king root again and space of system remain bigger)

Did you completely wipe everything with TWRP yet?
Also, what type of phone do you have?
I suggest XDA for all of your questions, sounds like you may not have discovered it yet, since you are using Kingo Root.


text:
Can't seem to SSH from Android
I'm trying to access a remote server using SSH on my phone but it dosent seem to work no matter the method/app I try.
I've tried various SSH apps in the play store and recently tried Termux's CLI (which seems great may I add), it successfully got the openssh packages for it, but I still can't seem to access my server from my device using the generic ssh username@domain/ip:port.
I can confirm SSH works fine from desktop using Putty on the same LAN as my phone. I can ping the server from my phone too using both the server's IP and domain.
Termux throws an error when I attempt to connect, something to the effect of Cannot resolve hostname even when using the IP address? Though, like I already said, pinging it works fine. The port is definitely open on the server as well since well, I can connect from my desktop perfectly fine.
I'm running Android 6.0.1 (latest build), my device is rooted and Busybox is also fully installed.
Any help getting my phone connected would be much appreciated!

OpenSSH doesn't use user@host:port notation. If you need to specify a port, you do it with -p port.


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Why Google play services not included in Doze mode
I'm using Nexus 5 and 6P, Android 6 having a feature called "Battery optimization mode" or Doze mode (in short). It is allowing apps not to run, if they aren't used to avoid battery consumption.
Google play services consumes more battery, RAM and CPU. But it is not included in Doze mode.
I've sent multiple feedback from my devices about this issue, but Google is not hearing at all.
Anyone please help me clarify, Why Google play services not included in Doze mode?

Google Play services is excluded because Google wants it so. It has to remained excluded from Doze or any power saving mode because apps depending upon Google Cloud Messaging (GCM) may fail to serve the user appropriately, hence, ruining the user's experience with Android big time. A GCM Android Client requires Play Store and Play services installed in Android device.
Anyhow, here's the brief reason: in the file /system/etc/sysconfig/google.xml, other than the usage policy of the file it is noted:

<!-- These are configurations that must exist on all GMS devices. -->
<config>
    <!-- These are the standard packages that are white-listed to always have internet
         access while in power save mode, even if they aren't in the foreground. -->

    <!-- GmsCore must always have network access for GCM and other things. -->
    <allow-in-power-save package="com.google.android.gms" />

    <!-- Play Store likewise must have network access to support other applications. -->
    <allow-in-power-save-except-idle package="com.android.vending" />

where,

com.google.android.gms : package name of Google Play services
com.android.vending: package name of Google Play Store

I cannot precisely speak of what counts as other things. My educated guess is the APIs made available through Play Services. Refer to Table 1. here to see the list of those APIs.
Note: it is beyond the scope of this answer or the question itself why Google decided to keep Play Services and Store always excluded from power saving features of Android instead of finding and implementing a hybrid path.

Excellent explanation. Thanks. If google don't want to add it doze, least they can do for users will be, try to optimize the battery consumed by Play services. is n't it?

Yes, that is true but until Google does that, perhaps my question could help you out: How to make Google Play services and other default white-listed system apps Doze?

This is one reason, there may be more
Google Play Services has location API. And your Android Device Manager (ADM) which you use to track your stolen or misplaced device uses location API. Let's say you forgot your phone leaving for home and on reaching home want to locate your phone by logging into ADM
You can do that successfully only if your ADM (using location API) is not affected by doze, which is the case as cited here Does Doze interfere with Android Device Manager?. If doze affected Play Services, then you won't be able to track your phone at all

Thanks. Planning to disable ADM for a day, to confirm any change in battery life.

More than ADM, auto back of apps/ games/data by Google Play would consume more battery. Suggest disable that and see

Turning off ADM has improved battery life by extra one hour. SOT 4hrs 15mins with full use of WiFi and Clash of clans for an hour, battery dipped from 100% to 10%.

Thanks for sharing that useful information :) all the best

Google Play Services is in charge of Google Cloud Messaging (GCM). GCM is the mechanism by which applications can request to exit doze mode, upon receiving high priority messages from GCM. In other words, Google Play Services is partly in control of doze mode, so it cannot be dozed.


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Can't download from Play Store on Wi-Fi
I have a BLU Vivo Air (non LTE) with 4.4.2 installed, and it has developed an issue where it will not download app updates over WiFi.  The download from the Play Store starts, but immediately goes to "download paused," and won't restart.
When I have tried looking for a solution, most people have an issue with not being able to download over mobile network, not WiFi.
I have tried clearing the cache on download manager and the play store and I have tried a factory reset.  Neither one solved the problem.

Try doing a fresh restall on your router. Might be an error where your modem and router are fighting over some DNS problems.

The router is setup to use Google DNS, and other Android  devices in the house work fine with it.  Logcat does show that the reason it is pausing is network not detected.