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Google calendar force closing after OTA update (SM-G930A)
I have a G930A, un-rooted, running AT&T's version of Oreo (8.0.0). I received an OTA update over the weekend and cannot use Google Calendar since--app force stops.
I also cannot do a calendar insertion from Tasker.
I have, of course reinstalled, cleared system cache, twiddled permissions, even factory reset, but am getting nowhere. Wife's phone has same update, but calendar is working fine.
Baseband G930AUCS8CRK1
Build R16NW.G930AUCS8CRK1
Security patch level November 1, 2018
Any thoughts?

Uou could could try but first Sync your calendars by going into Settings/Accounts/Google/menu in upper right corner and tap sync now. Also, just to ensure all basses are covered. Go down to calendar once it finishes synching untick calendar and then re-tick calendar. Also back up calendars data if wanted. This will erase all calendar data but once it re-sync it should come back. Go to Settings/Apps/upper right hand corner menu click show system app. Go down and find Calendar, Calendar Storage and Google Calendar Syncronization apps. In this order Clear cache, Force stop, Clear data.

Thank you, Bo, for the reply! Sadly, this did not do the trick. I did notice, while looking at your response, that I do not have a "calendar" entry among the sync options--is just not there. I wonder if there's a way to force the OTA update to re-download and install.

That is odd, calendar is the first option on all my devices under account -> google -> calendar sync.would think it would be a must syncing ability along e-mail. I wonder if that's part of the problem. I will look around the world wide web.

Going through the Google calendar support forum. It appears that if there is no syncing options and accounts then there is am issue. The fix all that seemed to be mainly suggested is settings > Accounts > Select Google > Tap Menu  at the top right corner > Click Remove account.

Restart your device.

Add your Gmail account back: Go to your Phone settings > Accounts > Select Google > Tap Menu pat the top right corner > Click Add account. (Follow the prompts to add your Google account back to your phone)

Thanks, Bo! I tried re-adding the account after removing and rebooting, but still have no option for calendar sync. It's as if something was munged in the update. I'll also continue to look. Please feel free to hit me with any other thoughts--I appreciate them!

I am able to access the calendar using Outlook. Any thoughts are welcome.

Ended-up flashing the old firmware (links on xda) and redoing the OTA upgrade. Worked fine this time, which makes me think the first OTA file was munged. Doesn't AT&The have any error-checking built-in to their upgrade script?!


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Decryp sd card on samsung s9
I've encrypted my sd csrd on my old phone. This has since broken and wont turn on. I upgraded to a samsung s9 and put my sd card in. It wont let me decrypt the sd cre through any password or pin an tells me to decrypt it on my old phone first before being able to use it on my new phone. Help please

Unfortunately, the encryption is tied to the phone as well as the password.
Have you tried connecting the device to a computer to see if it will come up enough to let you transfer files or is it hard bricked?

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


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Access same instance of app from two devices while on the go
Me and my friend both need to access the same instance of an app at the same time.  We can not just both install the app, as we both need access to the exact same instance, account, etc. We may be at different locations, yet we still want to access the app. Both of us occasionally switch off our phones, and the other one of us may need access to the app while the other person has their phone off.
We both have Android phones. We also have a cheap third Android device that we do not use.
So:
Device 1: My device
Device 2: Friend's device
Device 3: Cheap device not currently in use.
What I am thinking about doing is installing the app on Device 3, and then leaving it at home, with the app always running, connected to WiFi and power. I guess we could then use some remote access software to access the app wherever we are.
My priorities are that accessing the app should be as simple as possible. I do not want to go login screens, authorisations, etc. every time I access it. Ideally, it should just be an icon on the home screen to click on, and preferably I should just get straight into the app. If that is not possible, then at least it should be as quick as possible with the minimum amount of steps required for access.
We do not require remote control, only remote viewing. However, remote control would also be nice.
We can use root, Xposed Framework, Magisk modules and whatever may be needed.

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


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Using Android phone, how to control someone's Android phone remotely for assistance?
My relative has an Android phone and I have it too. We both are thousands of miles away. She is a new smartphone user, and it is hard for her to learn the skills to use it. She needs help to turn off the music, for example. She called me but I could not help her with instructions. She is alone so I suggested YouTube, etc. I want to teach her how to use the apps.
Is there a way to remotely operate her phone from mine? I want to help her with issues and try to make her independent as far as possible.

Did you try TeamViewer?

You should try what @Irfan Latif has suggested. You will be able to connect to your relative's phone and control it from distance.

Related: Fully control Android phone from another Android phone over the Internet, Controlling Android device from Android phone

Comment Instructions (Irfan Latif)
Software Link (Team Viewer - Android)
TeamViewer
Guide for Remote Controlling
Guiding Tech - How to Control Android Remotely Using TeamViewer


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Why is Firefox for Android shown as "offered by" Google Commerce Ltd?
If you look at the page for Firefox for Android on Google Play, and it 'Read more' then scroll all the way down, you will see the following. The question is simple, why is it shows an offered by Google and not Mozilla?

I don't think it's necessarily a glitch. Legally, the offering source depends on your country. For example, in the UK,

Content on Google Play is offered by Google Commerce Limited, located at Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland. Such Content may originate from another source (such as an app developer, book publisher, movie studio, or music label) (the “Provider” of the Content).

However, in the US:

Content may be offered by Google or made available by third-parties not affiliated with Google. Google is not responsible for and does not endorse any Content made available through Google Play that originates from a source other than Google.

I guess this is just to comply with legal requirements in certain jurisdictions.

This looks correct. FWIW, here's the link to Firefox on Play Store, geolocked to the UK and geolocked to the US.


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How to open a file located in a non-sdcard directory in Tasker?
How can one open a file located in a subfolder of the rootfolder, using tasker, in LineageOS 14.1?
My attempts so far have been to:

Create a new task in tasker.
Check if tasker has root permission with variable named "root available": %ROOT. This returns yes. Therefore, I assume Tasker has root permission.
create the action: "open file"
This only allows the accessing the /storage/ of either the internal or external drive.
Therefore, I manually entered the path to the file located in the rootfolder I am trying to access as: /data/misc/wifi/wpa_supplicant.conf and ran the task, but it returns the error: file not found.

So I tried /data/misc/wifi/wpa_supplicant.conf and ran the task, but it returns the same error.
I tried to open the file with fdroid's app: editor, without opening a file explorer to open the file. But I am unable to pass the file location as an argument to the app editor when I create a task to do it.

I do not not anything about tasker but I do know about shell commands. If that is what tasker is using the problem is you just need to cd into the directory example:  cd /data/misc/wifi/ to add another command && or ;should do the trick example :  cd /data/misc/wifi/ && your command or cd /data/misc/wifi/; your command depending on how you the commmand to follow through.

@BoLawson if it's a shell command, one simply has to prefix it with ! to tell Tasker to perfrom it with root powers AFAIR (could be that meanwhile there's a check-box for that). However, I don't know if there's an equivalent for opening a file.

Good point @Izzy, also to open the file the nano command should do the trick looking like !nano /data/misc/wifi/wpa_supplicant.conf if it comes back with the unknown file/directory error then cd into the directory. On first comment put ! in front of the cd.

@BoLawson I've missed the editor part. Indeed I'm not sure if a non-root editor app (OP wanted to use a specific one) could work. nano or vi should do fine.

@BoLawson thank you for the suggestion, at first instant I indeed tried checking if I could execute the command from Termux on android and used cd /data/misc/wifi/ to browse to the directory, verified the file existance using ls. But then got stuck on how to open the file from Termux. https://wiki.termux.com/wiki/Sharing_Data suggested termux-open wpa_supplicant.conf but I was unable to use or install termux-open from Termux. I did not try nano yet, as I will not be able to access Termux/terminal in ordinary use. I will look into that, thank you!

I don't think Editor app would work even with a right argument. I tried to load a non-sdcard file in it within itself and it simply failed to load.

The inbuilt Open File action doesn't seem to work for non-/storage file paths because it is hardcoded (I presumed from its error logs) to only load a file located under /storage/emulated/0. Even if you mention the absolute location using file://, it would still append /storage/emulated/0 to the file path and throw an error.
Because Open File action simply sends an intent, we can do that manually ourselves. The Send Intent action is pretty good for this, except it also fails with non-/sdcard file paths. Tasker implements FileProvider (a way to securely share files with other apps). The action could work but Tasker's manifest file provisions for not exporting the file provider, which means other apps cannot make use of it. Since Tasker converts even absolute file path (with file://) into a file provider URI, there is no way out for us to load a non-/sdcard file using that action too,  except to ask Tasker's developer to fix this, or the user themselves tweaks the manifest file.
The solution, however, is available using command-line. Use the action:
Code → Run Shell:

Command:
am start -a android.intent.action.VIEW -d "file://FILE_PATH" -t "text/plain" -f 0x13000000 -n android/com.android.internal.app.ResolverActivity

file:// is intended as is. In your case, the file path should be file:///data/misc/wifi/wpa_supplicant.conf.
text/plain can be replaced with text/* too if you don't know your file's mime-type.
(You can know about am here.) I don't know what that flag (0x13000000) does in particular.
tick Use Root

Running the task would now give you the bottom sheet with all the apps which can load a file with mime-type text/plain. However, when testing  this, only QuickEdit app was able to load that file successfully, so I recommend using it unless you get this working with an another editor.

Nice, I installed tasker to test it out and it works +1 good stuff

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Thank you very much for the elaborate explanation. I can confirm the described steps with command am start -a android.intent.action.VIEW -d "file://file:///data/misc/wifi/wpa_supplicant.conf" -t "text/plain" -f 0x13000000 -n android/com.android.internal.app.ResolverActivity work in Tasker V5.2.bf1. Indeed the only text editor I could get it to work, currently is QuickEdit as you mentioned.


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Chrome redirects to Messenger on Samsung mobile
I have been getting redirect notices on my Samsung Google Chrome browser with a link to Messenger, e.g. here is the last link: https://www.google.com/url?q=chrome-native://recent-tabs/&usg=AFQjCNGr_fE_CEo3dlMRGaW3TnfE3S3U6Q.
I once installed Messenger, but I have never used it nor do I even have a Facebook account. But now it makes it appear like I am using Play Store secretly, using Messenger, and my spouse believes I am secretly using Messenger.
How can I stop the redirection?

Please tell some more things. That every when you click chrome browser it directly redirect you to messenger or while browsing other things in between browsing you see redirection to another link ? And try any other browser like 'Samsung Internet' and see if the problem still there.

Try any of these steps:

Clear Cache, Cookies, and Data of Chrome.
Also Clear the downloaded data if there are any infected files.
Check any previously installed apps causing troubles, if any, try uninstalling them.
Scan using any good antivirus app or a built-in one.

I was having the same issue when I use Facebook on the browser and it redirects me to open Messenger even if I don't want to, but I finally got the solution:

If you're having Messenger already downloaded, then uninstall it.  And reinstall it again.
Log in to your Messenger after the download but don't allow the permissions to access your contacts or media.
Keep it aside and go to your mobile settings.
Go to app manager
Click on Messenger.
It will show some options like permissions, notifications, open by default, etc.
Click on open by default.
It will give two options or more: click on open supported links in an app.
Click on disallow option.

But make sure that the Messenger you have is recently downloaded.

Quoting OP: "I once installed messenger but I have never used it nor do I even have a Facebook account." So step 2 would fail.

Step 2 is irrelevant anyway.  This should work.


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How to change volume balance for headphones?
I am using a Moto Z2 Play, unrooted. One ear is louder than the other and i have discovered thaf it isnt the earbuds. How can I change the volume balance on my earbuds?

Without root, this isn't possible. If you choose to root, you can find lots of apps.

BTW, in older Android versions, Audio Balance was there in Accessibility Settings. Now, they have removed it. Only Mono option remains for the people who are deaf in one ear.

You may have a 4 pin jack ( Left Speaker Positive, Right Speaker Positive, Ground, Microphone Positive )
If your headphones are three pin, you may have a misaligned connection with one of the speakers...
Here's an example of what i mean by 4 pin .

You can see the problem with the 3 Pin headphones fitting here...
So you can either buy an adapter, make an adapter etc...
If you are sure your PINs are aligning properly, you can rule this out and then continue..
In my experience developing music players for background applications, you can not set the volume without using a value for both the left speak and right speaker, For this reason, most developers use a single float value and apply it as both volumes... The developer would need to make a music player that allows independent volume setting, or a set volume difference on a per-app basis.

Ok. Thanks, man. This super annoying and ill try and get a different pair of earbuds.

Not sure about Moto Z2, but on Samsung devices, there is an Accessibility settings regarding this. Uou can check it on Settings > Accessibility > Sound Balance > and adjust the sound balance to your needs.


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Android 4.2 - how execute shell command on system boot?
How do I do that? I have root access and the it's a custom build of AOSP project.

You need to make it a shell script file, one command per line,  place it under /system/etc/init.d and fix the permissions for init.d folder and shell script should be named 99NAME ..
Init.d is used for applying network tweaks on boot... You can use it to run other shell script files also.


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What are some location services that can be flashed with an Android Pie based ROM?
I want some alternative to Google Location service, and I want to use Google Play Store. Any leads are welcome

MicroG should do what you want. As quoted from the website, "A free-as-in-freedom re-implementation of Google’s proprietary Android user space apps and libraries," including a unified network location provider. Simple download and install APK.


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Change default clock app in Samsung Galaxy Note 9
My previous phone was Nexus 5 and I changed to a Samsung Galaxy Note 9. I'm trying to customize most of the things that I used to be the same as Note 5.
What I liked from Nexus 5 it was notifications for upcoming alarm clock which is missing in Note 9.
I tried to install Google Clock and it works as on a Nexus 5. What I am not able to solve is how to set Google Clock the default app in Note 9. I have noticed that I can't uninstall or even disable the Clock app which comes with Note 9.
I want do do this because I want that Google Assistant to use Google Clock to set alarms and not the default Clock.

Enable developer options and ADB on your phone, and get platform-tools for your OS. Then run:
adb shell
pm list packages | grep [whatever the app name is]
pm hide [name of package]

Alternatively pm uninstall -k --user 0 [name of package] to remove it completely.
More detailed explanation here: https://www.xda-developers.com/uninstall-carrier-oem-bloatware-without-root-access/

Does this ensure that new installed clock will work as expected?

@Endri can't see why not. Just open the app info for the clock app and set the 'open as default' options.

Now 'Set as default' is grayed out. I can't click it. Will it be enabled if I follow above steps?


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How to connect a hard drive (with NTFS) to Android phone?
I have a Samsung device and I want to connect an external hard drive to it with OTG but the problem is the hard drive isn't readable om my phone. I searched the internet for a solution and I found a tutorial that says I have to convert the filesystem of the hard drive from NTFS to FAT but the problem is there is no tutorial for converting NTFS to FAT (not FAT32) because FAT32 isn't readable on my Android device either.
So can you please help me to make my external hard drive readable on my Android device?

Why do you believe your device doesn't support FAT32? I ask because FAT32 is quite old and widely supported at this point.

This will show you how to convert NTFS to FAT32

Most of the newer Android devices (and even some older) support NTFS, FAT(32/16), exFAT and vFAT. You can check by 'cat /proc/filesystems' or the *_FS= entries from your kernel source. I have been using Western Digital 512 GB USB hard drive with NTFS on my Android phone.

Please [edit] to mention device and Android version

Your device doesn’t recognize your hard drive because your hard drive need a electronic power to work not because of your hard drive format.
The only way to use hard drive in your android device is using hard drive with less down 512GB capacity, or using hard drive with separate power wire and data wire.

Can you add a citation about the 512GB capacity and if the limit is for all Android versions or only some.

not true. I perfectly read 4Tb external drive via OTG connection without any external power, and my phone was released in 2018, just when you wrote this answer

Android recently got support for NTFS
Ok, for all my HDD partition work, i use a Windows PC and a free program called AOMI Partition Assistant Standard
Using Part'Assist' is very straight forward and has heaps more control over the ordinary formatting support of Windows.
You can convert, clone, format, move, repair & resize drives & partitions.
How to format using the software.

Install & Open Part'Assist'

Place your HDD into your PC usb port

Select the HDD in Part'Assist'

Select your desired action

Reformatting will be the quicker option, however it'll erase everything.
I personally use exFAT on my HDDs, however i believe it should support FAT or ( VFAT is what terminal emulator throws out )
Android will power your HDD if it is self powered, and doesn't take Two Usb Cables ( 5volt + 5volt = 10v )  .. Androids that support OTG ( On The Go ) provide 5v power to the micro usb port and this is enough to run a very large 5volt portable HDD ( 2 TB Etc... )
You may need an extra power supply if your device doesn't handle OTG properly ( some tablets and older devices ) and requires an adapter to supply the 5 volt power ( can be built by soldering the ground wire to the micro usb sleeve on the jack to provide 5v power on some models ).
Once formatted as vfat ( FAT ) you shoul be able to get it to work just fine.
I'd just like to mention that i think it's amazing how far this hack has come... In the beginning, Android never supported usb devices using the micro usb, some hacker decided to give it a go years back and found out that all it needed was power to run a usb memory stick, mouse or keyboard... or any device with a driver that could be built....
After the hack became a part of many custom ROMs like Cyanogen Mod ( CM ), Manufacturer's and someone at Android HQ noticed !! it soon became known as OTG ( On The Go ) - This hack now has hardware support to supply 5volt power because someone else looked at the micro usb cable diagrams and said hey, let's just ground the shell on the usb and we'll have a 5vlt supply from the battery ... Genius...

I think Android supports NTFS. It's a part of AOSP now. Check vold source. Also, /system/bin contains fsck, mkfs and mount binaries for NTFS. For r/w access on NTFS, fuseblk device is used because it's not directly supported by Linux kernel so far.

Your answer is a bit unclear about powering the USB device. I'm sure that most smartphones will not provide more than standard 500 mA to OTG devices, which is NOT sufficient for many older 2.5" HDD to start up, it won't work with 3.5" HDD (maybe it works with USB-SSD). Maybe you edit your answer that the HDD should be self-powered. Alternatively a self-powered OTG-HUB can do the trick also.


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Install Bash on Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime+
How to install Bash on Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime+? How to get root permission and install Bash? Thank in advance !

Bash can be used without root. Termux provides bash or you can use a static binary. I have built one for my personal use. Rooting is a device specific process, mostly preceded by unlocking bootloader.

Have a look around at some similar questions, just to understand how Android works and to get to know how it's  changed a bit from Linux... Bash i believe on Android is Shell or /system/bin/sh ... http://stackoverflow.com/questions/8094562/ddg#8095453

@Zillinium Android's default shell i.e. /system/bin/sh is MirBSD Korn Shell (mksh), not Bash.

Oh ok... i just looked through the link above and realised the closest alternative is sh .. also rooting Samsung's is annoying .. are you familiar with Knox ?

Samsung Knox - Better write it correctly https://www.samsungknox.com/en

If you understand the consequences of tripping Samsung's Knox security flag...
Then please following the rooting guide https://rootsamsung.com/root-samsung-galaxy-grand-prime-plus-sm-g532f
And then use the closest alternative...
BusyBox - Android App
Alternatives are to run a Linux distribution on your  Android and then run a BASH shell through that.
Linux Apps For Android
Webpage Image for quicker reference of guide @ https://rootsamsung.com/root-samsung-galaxy-grand-prime-plus-sm-g532f


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Please help! Bootloop. Can't get into recovery
My wife, unfamiliar with rooting, agreed to update my rooted Moto C Plus when it requested an update. Needless to say, that didn't turn out well. It started booting to TWRP.
I tried finding a solution online. That led me to Troubleshooting: TWRP Boot Loop after OTA update in MOTO G4 (XT1621 Athene) where it gives the following method as a solution:
TWRP Method:
1 Go into TWRP -> Go to Advanced -> Go to Terminal: Enter

2 Please make a backup first of these files in SD card: `cp
/dev/block/platform/soc.0/7824900.sdhci/by-name/mota /sdcard/mota2
cp /dev/zero of=/dev/block/platform/soc.0/7824900.sdhci/by-name/misc
/sdcard/misc2`

3 Type this exactly: `dd if=/dev/zero
of=/dev/block/platform/soc.0/7824900.sdhci/by-name/mota HIT ENTER dd
if=/dev/zero of=/dev/block/platform/soc.0/7824900.sdhci/by-name/misc`
HIT ENTER

4 Restart the phone.

On my phone, there is no soc.0 in the platform folder, instead there is mtk-msdc.0. I tried searching online for a similar solution with the folder mtk-msdc.0, but I couldn't find any,except for https://jagadgetaholic.blogspot.com/2017/06/vernee-thor-e-twrp.html.
Desperate (not knowing which file to go with), I tried dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/block/platform/mtk-msdc.0/11230000.msdc0/by-name/boot. That executed something. But later, when i restarted the phone, it stopped booting to TWRP. Instead, it is now just showing me this logo (Moto) screen (the one that shows first when you turn on the phone, before the TWRP) for about 30 secs or so, and then the phone restarts back to the same screen...restart... screen...and so on. Basically a bootloop, I believe it's called.
What do i do now? The fix i was looking for is one where i don't lose my files. Everything is on the internal memory. No SD card. I want to be able to get my phone to start working again without losing my files. If I could get it to start working again with everything just the way it was before this problem, i would be super grateful.
Please help!
Phone: Moto C Plus (xt1723) 2GB Ram 16 GB Internal memory
OS: Android 7
Flashing tool: MediaTek SP Flash tool v5.1644.00

We will need much more information to give good recommendations here. Please [edit] your question and include at least: Android version it is running, whether it is official TWRP? Also check and update the tags you've used to match your issue.

You just erased your boot image,

I think you should stick with the proper terminology. When reading from /dev/zero it simply yields an infinite amount of (ASCII) zero bytes (after all it's a character device). /dev/null when used to write to is much closer to what one could describe as a black hole. But those are two different devices with different semantics.
  ( 0xC0000022L - comment)

dev/zero is 'an infinite amount of zero bytes' in Android, DD is used for copying.  Here's what you ran in English:
Copy ( IF ) Input File = Zero Bytes ( OF ) Output File = Boot File
You effectively flashed your boot with a series of zeros ( Erased ).
So now that's gone, you'll need to flash it back with Fastboot..
If your device has a locked bootloader, you'll need to flash it back via SP Flash Tool.
I am working on a solution using SP Flash Tool and the stock 7.0 boot image,

Ok before anything, do a complete backup of all regions using SP Flash Tool
MTK Backup & Restore video guide

Download a stock boot.img

You may need a full firmware to extract the boot.img
Here's the firmware i found, may be wrong moto c plus firmware on rootmygalaxy.net

Download these repair files MT6737M Files
Open SP Flash Tool version 5.16 or newer
Extract the files to a folder (Folder1) on your PC
Extract your boot.img from the firmware and place it in your folder (Folder1)
Now you'll have four files

MT6737M_Android_scatter.txt
Preloader_xx.bin
recovery.img ( twrp )
boot.img ( stock )

Open the Scatter file in SP Flash Tool

It should automatically locate the files if no names have been changed

Unselect Preloader

You are only flashing boot & recovery

Select DOWNLOAD as the method of Flash

NEVER SELECT FIRMWARE UPGRADE ETC..

Turn Off The Device

Make sure Quick Boot is not keeping your device switched on

Place the USB end into your PC
Hit start in SP Flash Tool
Plug the other end of the USB into your device
Wait for Flash OK

P.S Please follow the backup guide to make sure if anything gets overwritten by an incorrect scatter file, we can restore it.
Tips :
 Each connection is a called a Handshake with the preloader, you can only use one handshake per action in SP Flash Tool, so you'll need to disconnect the usb and reconnect it to make another preloader handshake for any following action.
Do not move your device while it's flashing, try to keep the usb cable as still as possible.

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Are lower-end phones just as moddable as flagships?
After a long time in the waiting, I finally have an excuse to upgrade from an iPhone (5s) to an Android. As a tech enthusiast and general superuser, the freedom to do what I want as far as customisability and general tinkering with the software is almost entirely the reason I've gone off iPhones and am looking for an Android. I'm bored of playing in the garden and it's time to climb the wall.
However, I'm also on a low income, which means I'm still very much limited by budget (less than £200, let's say, although the lower the better), and as someone who knows very little about the Android mobile market, I'm wondering how realistic it will be for me to satisfy both desires in a single phone.
I'm not asking for product recommendations per se, just wondering in general terms, based on the state of the market, what the situation is. Are most phones of this range just as malleable software-wise as flagships, or are they not? If they are, which ones in particular should I avoid?

Also see meta Is it on topic to ask for help choosing a suitable Android device?

Go for vendors that allow unlocking bootloader and provide kernel sources. Without that you'll have very little "tinkering". Also, Qualcomm SoCs get more attention from developer community which is very essential to "climb the wall". You will have more custom kernels and ROMs and you will be able to have "unofficial updates" for longer period of time. Apart from all that, the latest the better, in most cases whether it's software or hardware. Everything else can be beautifully compared on gsmarena :)

You should avoid some Flagship device's...
Samsung's use a security feature called Knox, that'll make thing's harder.   Some newer androids 5.1+ will have extra security to stop system modifications...
In my opinion you are better off looking for a device that's running below Android 5.1 and uses an MTK Cpu, this is because most of the new security features to stop modifications hadn't been implemented yet.
Theirs practically no difference in the actual Android system when comparing manufacturers, if its using Android 4.4 it's the same on a more expensive device running 4.4, however their is differences when it comes to each device, some ( Samsung's use Knox ) to lock things down even more...
You should definitely be open to device suggestions because some devices are simply better for modifications.

Main Price Difference Causes

OGS - (One Glass Solutions) Screen Thickness
IPS - Viewing Angle Of Screen
CPU Capabilities - Speed & Support for games
RAM - Obvious price impact
OTG - On The Go Support - Usb Device's
Dual Camera - (Tri Camera) - Face, Back, (Focus Assist)
Back & Front Camera MP - Size of photos
Finger Print Support - Security
GPS
Gyroscope
Mobile network radio band support
Full HD - 4K Screen Definition ( Retina Display )
Full screen width ( Edge to Edge )
Other non essential enhancements....

If you don't mind about support or inclusion of any thing above and some other's, the price doesn't really matter.

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text:
Why is not all traffic captured from my device when routing through proxy?
I have followed the guide here: Configure Fiddler for Android / Google Nexus 7 in order to redirect outgoing traffic from my Android device to go through Fiddler acting as a proxy on my desktop machine on my local network.
While using the browser on my Android device I can see requests logged in Fiddler for the websites I am visiting, which verifies that I have set up the proxy correctly.
However, when using certain apps I can see no requests being logged, even though information in the app is being actively updated over the network.
I have ensured that mobile data is turned off.
The following question is related: Android apps not working with HTTP proxy
 but in their case the apps are not able to connect to the internet and are showing errors. In my case the app I am using is able to retrieve information over the network with no problems, but I cannot see the requests being made in Fiddler.
I want to be able to analyze the requests sent between an app on my phone which controls a wireless thermostat connected to my LAN via wifi.

Hi and welcome to Android.SE! It suggests that the configuration to make the Android device use Fiddler failed. Does it not?

@0xC0000022L - well not entirely because some types of traffic were captured and some not. My question is why?

@Karl then you need to qualify your statement In my case the app I am using is able to retrieve information over the network with no problems, but I cannot see the requests being made in Fiddler. Because network is a superset of HTTP and the latter would typically be the only type of traffic Fiddler concerns itself with due to the way it's being configured.

I recently answered in detail to question: How to set Wi-Fi HTTPS proxy, not HTTP, via adb shell?, trying to clear some confusions many of us (including me) have regarding how proxy works.
DOES YOUR APP GENERATE HTTP TRAFFIC?
Proxy usually means http proxy, but not all traffic generated by every app is http - a Layer 7 protocol in OSI model. Email clients, for instance, use IMAP/POP3/SMTP (L6/7) protocols which won't work with http GET method, instead require http CONNECT proxies. Latter can only forward TCP traffic, for UDP at least SOCKS5 proxy is needed which operates at L5. DNS and mostly games and VoIP apps generate UDP traffic, so they won't work with http proxies at all. ping utility - for instance - uses ICMP (at L3) which can't be encapsulated in TCP or UDP, so it won't work with SOCKS too and requires VPN.
See more details in Why proxy set on Android does not work when used as hotspot?
DOES HTTP PROXY WORK WITH EVERY APP?
Proxy is not meant to be set system-wide, or in other words you cannot force all apps to use the same proxy you have configured in Settings. Instead apps are supposed to make proxied http connections if they want to. Operating systems provide proxy-aware libraries (for http connections) as part of the SDKs so the developers don't have to take care of proxy related stuff separately. Such Android apps honor proxy settings set system-wide (but may still fall back to no-proxy mode if proxy fails for some reason).
Other OSes also use similar approaches to provide system-wide proxy settings through some GUI settings menu or using environment variables on CLI. Browsers and some other apps like email clients usually have their own settings as well to set proxy. However if the app/program is not proxy-aware, it won't honor any of the proxy settings at all. That's why when setting Wi-Fi proxy it warns:

"The HTTP proxy is used by the browser but may not be used by the other apps."

Same holds true for proxy set through PAC file or in APNs (Mobile Data) or global proxy (meant for managed devices).
Coming to your questions...

While using the browser on my Android device I can see requests logged in Fiddler
  ...
  However, when using certain apps I can see no requests being logged

The guide linked in the question suggests configuring Android WiFi settings to use proxy. As explained above, the browser would be proxy-aware, the "certain apps" aren't.

I want to be able to analyze the requests sent between an app on my phone which controls a wireless thermostat connected to my LAN via WiFi.

Make sure your concerned app is generating http traffic to be captured while sniffing on proxy. Otherwise use something at lower level - e.g. SOCKS proxy or VPN - for other protocols.
Make sure the app regards Android's global proxy settings when making http connections. In case of https the app should be using CONNECT method in place of GET.
If the app is not proxy-aware, you need to enforce proxy on phone and (in case of https) do forced / transparent SSL/TLS interception on proxy.
Enforcing proxy is possible by different methods e.g. by using SOCKS tunnel instead, and/or redirecting traffic towards a proxy server using some Layer 2/3 approach like VPN (tun2socks/tun2http) app or iptables (DNAT). Xposed modules like Inspeckage can also enforce per-app proxy by hooking into APIs.
Another approach is to use a local host (preferably Linux PC) as default gateway and set up proxy there to intercept traffic from any host on local network. In this way no proxy configuration is required on phone. It's also possible to setup packet analyzer tool like Wireshark in place of proxy on local network for traffic interception.

DOES YOUR APP USE SECURE HTTP (HTTPS)?

If the purpose of proxy is DPI, logging, anti-virus scanning, content blocking, filtering or adaptation, you need to do SSL bumping / MITM on proxy server.
MITM requires adding proxy's root SSL certificate to device's credential store (or the app should be able to ignore invalid certificate errors). But since Android 7, user-added CAs (as suggested in the linked guide) are no more trusted to establish secure connections. So you need to add the root certificate to /system/etc/security/cacerts (requires rooted phone). "But app developers can choose to let their apps work with manually added CA certificates." (1)
If the app is using its own trusted credential store instead of that provided by OS, you need to add proxy's root CA to the list of CAs maintained by the app (if that's possible at all).
If the app is using SSL pinning (as the Twitter app does), it won't trust any intermediate authority except its own self-signed root CA. You may try to disable SSL Pinning by taking control of related APIs. Xposed module SSLUnpinning can disable SSL pinning for JSSE, OkHttp and Apache http client libraries. But if the app uses some other libraries/APIs, you are again out of luck.


text:
Audio file opened by itself?
This morning I woke up to the alarm on my phone, as I snoozed it I noticed that the Total Commander player had a notification open, with an audio file open but on hold.
When I tapped on play I got the Total Commander warning about Stagefright and asking me to confirm I really wanted to play the file, to which I answered no.
In the process I unfortunately also involuntarily closed TC before I could fully see what the file being played was, but I noticed it was from a fsck.k9 folder (so like an attachment I guess).
However I haven't received any audio files in attachment in the last few days and data, wifi and bluetooth were all off during the night.
I have done a scan with Bitdefender which hasn't evidenced any malware. I haven't installed any suspicious apps recently.
Any ideas of what could have happened?
Edit: Android 5.0.2 on a Moto E
Edit2: I do use K-9 for email (hence my reference to audio attachments)

Please [edit] to mention Android version and device details

Do you use k9 mail? (com.fsck.k9.mail: https://github.com/k9mail/k-9/blob/master/README.md)

Welcome to Android Enthusiasts! It seems that you have lost access to your account. To regain access or to merge your multiple accounts, please follow the link here.


text:
Samsung Galaxy Note 3 : Tried to install TWRP, can't boot into recovery mode now
I followed the instructions for the Odin install method here and and installed the twrp-3.2.3-0-ha3g.img.tar using Odin (Reboot in Odin was unticked).
Everything went fine, but when I had to launch recovery mode by holding down Volume Up + Home, and the Power button (which is the combination to boot to recovery mode) it just booted to Download mode (which is accessed by holding down the Volume Down key instead of the Volume Up)
The TWRP site says:

Note many devices will replace your custom recovery automatically during first boot. To prevent this, use Google to find the proper key combo to enter recovery.

But I haven't been able to find anything that would indicate the key combination to have changed.
Of note is the fact that the normal Download Mode boot has the Warning screen where you have to press Volume Up to continue and says:
ODIN MODE
PRODUCT NAME: SM-N9005
CURRENT BINARY: Custom
SYSTEM STATUS: Custom
REACTIVATION LOCK: OFF
KNOX WARRANTY VOID: 0x1 (4)
QUALCOMM SECUREBOOT: ENABLE (CSB)
RP SWREV: S2, T2, R2, A3, P3
SECURE DOWNLOAD : ENABLE
UDC START

and then just the "Downloading... Do not turn off target !!"
Though when I use the Recovery Mode Boot it skips the Warning screen and it adds this line on top of all the previous lines:
Could not do normal boot.

It can still boot to the normal Android
I'm using a Samsung Galaxy Note 3, Model Number: SM-N905, Android Version 5.0

can you boot to android?

@esQmo_ Yes booting to the normal Android still works

then,using adb, boot to recovery

https://link.medium.com/8jpdHDjezS read my article about easy way to boot into recovery if that helped you plz let me know

@TheColorman Did u manage to solve it?

I had the same problem like you before. But I figured out the solution. We both downloaded and flashed the wrong TWRP version for Note 3 N9005: ha3g.img.tar. The correct one is hlte.img.tar which you can download on this link: https://dl.twrp.me/hlte/
I hope it helps you :)

Thanks! Using hlte instead of ha3g helped me!


text:
How to restore screen to normal size?
A friend asked me to help fix her phone. She left it with her kid and they put it on safe mode.
I restarted it and it went into a smaller screen display like this.

(Tap to enlarge)
Without trying a factory reset anyone know how to resolve this?

Welcome to Android Enthusiasts! We will need much more information to give good recommendations here. Please [edit] your question and include at least: The device you're using, Android version it is running. Also check and update the tags you've used to match your issue.

See if there is a setting to change the display size under Settings > Display. Otherwise, you would have to use [tag:adb] I think to fix this. adb shell wm overscan reset should be able to fix this.

My phone also has this feature. It is called one-handed operation. Go to Settings → Advanced Features. There you will find this option. Alternatively, you can search in settings.

I'm not sure if this will work for your specific device but an old LG G4 (VS986) I used to have had an option in "Developer Options" to set a custom resolution (DPI to be specific).
I highly doubt your friend's kid was able to change this, especially if developer options was never unlocked.


text:
Why does Google Messages (SMS/MMS) app lose phone number?
I've been using Google Messages since it released a year or two ago on the same phone.
Suddenly, three days ago the app popped up a message and said, "Your phone number isn't available in the settings for this app.  Do you want to add it?"
I added the number (see snapshots below for how to get to settings in Google Messages).
App Forgets Phone Number
However, (even though I've added the number) each time I turn my phone off (for example, at the end of each day) the data seems to be lost because when I turn my phone on again and Google Messages app starts again then the number shows as UNKNOWN again.
Doesn't Know Who I Am
When the app starts and doesn't have the phone number filled out, it sends the messages I send to myself also.
Is this setting a new feature?
What are some reasons this might be occurring?
Getting To The Settings In Google Messages

Select Advanced...

Phone Number UNKNOWN
You can see (at the bottom) the phone number is unknown.

MMS Messages Are Affected
This affects my MMS messages (specifically when I'm in a group message).
The thing that happens is that the phone doesn't know my number so when I send a message to the group it believes there is another receiver and that receiver has my phone number so I receive my own message.
Phone Settings
My phone settings have not changed and when I look under the main phone settings I can see that my phone number is correct.  Also, if I type in the phone number then the group messages work fine but I have to remember to do that every day.

What do you mean with "cycled" - may be a reboot? If it is a reboot do you properly shut down your device via menu or is it an abnormal reboot (running out of battery, device crash, forced reboot)? Please edit your question and add this information.

@Robert  Thanks, I updated that part to make it more clear.

Try the following process:

Uninstall the app.
restart the phone.
obtain the app from Google Play
Install the app again

Update
Today, after turning my phone on (after uninstalling and installing Messages yesterday), Google Messages asked me for my phone number.

I'm assuming this is because I re-installed the app yesterday.
However, it did not show this message yesterday after restarting.
I remember seeing this message long ago when the problem started and I believe that time I chose Don't Ask Again.  This time I'm leaving that option unselected to see if it helps solve the problem.
I added my number and clicked OK and it seemed to save the number to the app the same way as when I manually add it.  Let's see if retains the data now??
Update 2
I turned my phone off and allowed it to restart.
I get the following message but only when I start Google Messages and then click a Group Message (MMS).  I will see this little warning at the bottom of the group.  It shows up as :

Messages needs your phone number - FIX

If you click the FIX message then it proceeds to the other screen where you can enter your number.  If you don't click that message in about 3 seconds it disappears.
If I add the phone number and say don't ask again then it saves my number while the phone is on but doesn't save the data permanently.
If I add the phone number and allow it to ask again then it saves my number while the phone is on but still doesn't save the number permanently.

UPDATE 3
Device Displays Phone Number
My phone number shows up perfectly fine on my device under:
Settings => About phone => Status => My phone number

So, I figured I should test the Android API call and see if that works on my phone.
Retrieve Phone Number Via Android API
I added some code to retrieve my phone's number using the Android API.
I added the code to another program I had previously created and added the command to the menu and ran the code and it successfully retrieved my phone number.
If I Can Write That Code, Google Messages Devs Should Be Able To Also
I've blotted out my phone number but you can see the first two digits and that the app is able to retrieve the phone number so Google Messages should be able to do that automatically too.
Here's the basic code I used to do that:
// 1. use TelephonyManager API
TelephonyManager tMgr = (TelephonyManager) getSystemService(Context.TELEPHONY_SERVICE);

// 2. insure that the app has the correct permissions to allow it to read phone number
if (ActivityCompat.checkSelfPermission(this, Manifest.permission.READ_SMS) != PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED && ActivityCompat.checkSelfPermission(this, Manifest.permission.READ_PHONE_NUMBERS) != PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED && ActivityCompat.checkSelfPermission(this, Manifest.permission.READ_PHONE_STATE) != PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED) {
    // 3. handle perms failure here.
}
// 4. get the phone number
String mPhoneNumber = tMgr.getLine1Number();
// 5. display the phone number in the main text control (outText)
outText.setText(mPhoneNumber);

Update 4
I added a few more API calls to get more information about my phone:

I figured maybe this only occurs on GSM devices or something (versus CDMA)??
I wanted to show that the SIM card is in a good state.
I was curious about the MMS agent that is being used.
NOTE: The "Device Software Version" is actually the telephony driver and not the Android API level.  This phone is running Nougat API level 25.
Here are the extra calls I made to the API (they're all TelephonyManager calls):
tMgr.getMmsUserAgent()
tMgr.getDeviceSoftwareVersion()
tMgr.getPhoneType() // GSM, CDMA, SIP or NONE
tMgr.getSimState() // numerous states (see docs*)

*docs

Doesn't solve the problem.

I don't understand. Why post a self-answer which you know doesn't work?

@Firelord I've researched this a bit and this is the way the SE (StackExchange) sites work.  You can ask questions you know the answer to and then answer them yourself.  In this case, I figure this way someone can see possible solutions and know what has been tried.  This helps eliminate answers so maybe others can provide another idea about other possible solutions.


text:
Is there a way to completely disable all Bixby functionality without rooting the S9+?
I would like to get rid of Bixby altogether and preferably reassign the Bixby hardware button to a different function.
Is that at all possible and if so: how?

I don't know if its the same as the s9+. Try swiping to the left-most home screen on your Galaxy S9. You should then see the bixby home options thing. Just select the settings cog. There should be a disable option within.

This article has a useful guide to disabling bixby.

Disable Bixby Voice
Go to Bixby home. Click the three vertical dots then settings. Uncheck Bixby Voice
Disable Bixby Button
Go to Bixby home. Click the cog. Uncheck Bixby Key
Remove Bixby from Home screen
From home screen, hold down on empty space. Swipe right until you see Bixby home screen. Uncheck Bixby Home.

This other article covers remapping Bixby button. You will have to keep the button enabled. Skip step two in the previous article.
This one is longer, but basically you download an app that will remap the key to what ever action that can be done.
EDIT
As of Android Pie (9.0), this guide is no longer accurate to disable Bixby. The Bixby button can still be remapped using bxActions(free) or Tasker beta(paid)(thanks beeshyams) and Bixby Home can be removed from the home screen. However, disabling Bixby completely will most likely require removing via ADB or possibly using Package Disabler Pro+(Paid app).

I went with bxActions (Pro, i.e. paid) to reward the author. Also hooked up the phone to my Linux Mint and issued the adb commands to execute a few shell scripts included in bxActions (they also provide a canned solution for Windows), so that the effect is more permanent. Without those it didn't work reliably. Ever since, it works perfectly for me.

Yes this can done. I recently updated guide to remove Bixby using adb.
Assuming you've adb installed on your machine, you can run following command to get packages related to Bixby.
adb shell pm list packages | findstr "bixby"
or
adb shell pm list packages | grep "bixby"

Next step is to uninstall those packages for the current user (that is you). An example for one of the packages:
adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.samsung.android.bixby.agent

Do this for all packages and you will have everything related to Bixby removed from your device. I just verified with my S10 Plus device and it works fine.
One caveat is: The application is being uninstalled for the current user (--user 0) – not system wide. Root access it needed to do system wide un-installation. This could also mean that whenever you’ll upgrade or factory reset your device, the bloatware would kick in again. Also button remapping might also not be possible.
If this sounds very technical to you, you may want to read the guide for step by step instructions.

Of course something like findstr is rather system-dependent, but thanks for taking the time to write an answer.


text:
How to take panorama of sky with Google Pixel 3?
I'm trying to take a panoramic photo of the sunset, but the only option I see to do this is called "Photo Sphere".  When I select this it wants me to start at the dot, which appears to be level with the horizon.  But if I do this it will greatly detract from the panorama because everything I want to see is in the sky and there is an ugly setting underneath it.
How can I take a panorama without having to start in some arbitrary location that Google wants me to?
Update: I just noticed there is a "panorama" tab off to the left of the default camera, but it only shoots in one direction and doesn't let me add additional up/down space if there isn't enough in portrait mode.


text:
Is it possible to have temporary root access on Termux or any other terminal without rooting your Android phone?
I would like to know whether it is possible to be able to have temporary root access to an Android phone using a Termux or any other terminal, in the same way that Ubuntu does, without rooting your phone.

For an app to have root access, you need to root phone. But adb daemon can be started as root on userdebug and engineering builds by disabling secure adb. This way you will be able to have root access through adb. You can also use adb shell from within your phone or through PC. For more details on rooting, see Android Rooting section here: https://forum.xda-developers.com/android/general/info-boot-process-android-vs-linux-t3785254 Ask if any further details needed. I can post that as answer. Inform bootloader unlockability, custom recovery availability & value of "ro.build.type" property.

Ubuntu for PC is permanently rooted. It comes with root user as well as with the mechanism to allow a process to gain superuser privilege when requested so and authenticated by the user (that which you considered temporary root). Android devices, on the other hand, do not provide the mechanism to gain superuser access. That mechanism, often involves installing a su binary coupled with some daemons and hacks, provides the user a way to gain elevated privileges and manage that privilege on a per app basis.
Even if you root a device, it is not like every app or process gets to have superuser access on its own. It is the user, through a superuser manager app such  as SuperSU and Magisk, who manages whether to permit temporary or permanent access to superuser privilege.

Rooting phones is usually done using root exploit scripts which day by day Google releases patches. Most of the rooting tools and scripts focus on getting permanent root, but temporary root is also achievable.
However, the question you have asked is to gain root access through an Android Application like Termux, which simulates a Terminal Emulator, which is not possible yet. But you can gain temporary root access nowadays if your device is at most Android 7.1.1 (Nougat) using Dirty Cow exploit, but you will need a PC. However, it will be temporary root access.

Try the Shizuku app on the Play Store... follow the guide to set it up (only 3 steps) and you are good to go :-)

Hii,  Thanks for sharing this info. I found Shizuku highly useful. I was able to use it together with Termux as I required. Not only that, but I was also able to use it with aShell which enabled me to directly pass ADB commands without connecting my phone to a PC.


text:
How to root Honor 9 lite?
I have bought a new Huawei honor 9 lite and I want to root it.

Model No: LLD-L21
Android version: 8.0.0
Software build version: 8.0.0.123 (C185)

How can I do it?

To root your device you first need to unlock your bootloader, and Huawei no longer provides bootloader unlock codes. There are several possible options, but all of them are paid, ranging from €3 to $55 depending on your choice.
I'm not affiliated with or responsible for any of the services mentioned below.
Read unlock code from phone:
(Keep in mind that these methods are not guaranteed to work in Android 8.0.0 or newer, but if it doesn't work you can ask for a refund)
DC-Unlocker €3: You can buy 3 credits (one credit=one euro) from their website https://www.dc-unlocker.com, download the software for your PC and get the unlock code by connecting your phone to your PC. You can follow the tutorial in their website for a complete step-by-step.
HCU-Client €3: This is associated with DC-Unlocker but supports some newer devices, so it is generally recommended over DC-Unlocker. The website is https://hcu-client.com and you can follow the same steps above.
Order unlock code by IMEI:
(This method works for any version, but is more expensive)
Global Unlocking Solutions $20-$22: The website is https://global-unlocking-solutions.miiduu.com/bootloader-unlock-codes-choose-model-below .The website looks sketchy but plenty of XDA users have had success with them. The ordering process is straightforward.
FunkyHuawei $55: The website is https://www.unlockhuawei.com .The advantages of FunkyHuawei are: If it doesn't work you can ask for a refund, and they just have a very reliable track record.
You can just Google how to install ADB and Fastboot. There are plenty of guides. Also install Hisuite (for drivers) too.
After you order the code unlock the bootloader with fastboot oem unlock ******** (replace with the code, also that will WIPE ALL YOUR DATA)
Download TWRP from https://forum.xda-developers.com/9-lite/how-to/honor-9-lite-twrp-3-2-1-0-available-t3771358, rename it to twrp.img and to flash it use "fastboot flash recovery_ramdisk twrp.img".
Google "magisk xda download" and download the Magisk ZIP from the XDA thread. Boot into TWRP (You can Google how to do that in Huawei devices) and go to Install, and choose the ZIP you downloaded, and confirm, and you have rooted your Honor 9 Lite.
So that is there to it. A lot of work and some money is needed, but there are no other choice for now.


text:
Swipe down to search in the Google launcher?
My phone runs a Pixel Experience ROM which has a stock Google Launcher that I like a lot. I do not wish to change launcher.
I used to have a Huawei device, and it had a feature that you could swipe down on the home screen and it would search the enitre phone for apps, contacts, etc. I believe iOS has a similar feature.
Is there any way I can get this same feature on the Pixel Experience ROM, without switching launcher?
I have root, Xposed, Magisk, etc. My Android version is 8.1

I haven't used Google Launcher but give Sesame a shot. It is very versatile and works like Google to search contents on my phone. It has additional integration features with Nova launcher over and above

You can't get that feature on Pixel Experience until the developers make for it. But you can still find apps on the Google Play Store which have similar search utilities as you said without changing the default launcher.


text:
How can there be two separate Android System under "Running services"?
My Verizon LG V20 (Android 8.0) appears to be running two Android Systems at the same time, but, I'm pretty sure that isn't possible.
Am I wrong on this or am I seeing things?  Also, the timing between the two appears off by about 4 seconds. Just seems pretty odd to me.

what is inside those processes? are they also the same or what?

It also instantly sent a bug report as soon as i took those screen shots.

android system app running means some background services run by any system app. Example: blue tooth, wifi etc. Here on screen shot, you can see that first one uses, telephone and  second used for system log purposes. Try to remove phone app from memory(RAM)/running services and check after that. The process  "Android System" running will get destroyed automatically.

Technically, there is only one Android System running in your device. The other one is deceptively named by Verizon.
If you check the process name, it starts with com.vzw.*. That package name convention can also be found in this app from Verizon.
I'm speculating this based on the process name that it gathers data (can't say what and why) and sends it to Verizon.
If you're concerned about that process or the corresponding package, you can disable it using adb.
adb shell pm disable-user com.vzw.qualitydatalog

Note that this may destabilize your system with factory reset left as the only fix, so proceed at your own risk and with backups already taken and stored outside the phone.

Would down voters care to explain why?

@beeshyams I was about to comment the same. I'm thinking my speculation might be the reason, but I clearly mentioned "speculating" instead of mixing it in my answer.


text:
How to use a music player notification's play button state as an event for Tasker
Is it possible to read the state of the "play" button inside a music app's notification and use it as an event to activate/deactivate a Tasker profiles?
I need to run certain commands when playback starts or stops in a music app. I think Tasker can use notifications from specific apps as events for activating its profiles, or even look for specific text in the notifications. But can it respond to the media buttons in the music player's notification, or in the music app itself? I cannot use the %atmusicplaying variable from Autotools plugin or similar approaches to check if music is playing, because I use the device to stream the music over DLNA and for some reason the device doesn't return the music state as "playing" in this case (see another question and its answer's comments).

I don't have a DLNA server or I would have tried this first before suggesting, but you can try looking into [tag:logcat] or adb shell dumpsys activity to find out if an intent is sent when the play/pause media button is pressed in the notification for your app. If yes, you can configure Tasker to intercept that intent and run a task. Alternatively, AutoInput might be configured to detect taps for the notification and run a task. See if any of this works.

Thanks, will try the command and see if I can figure out what might be related to pressing play/pause. Hope to find a more accurate way to intercept the play/pause action than taps on the notification, because the button might be pushed inside the app, or the notification might be tapped only to bring the app to foreground without changing the playing state. Also, I am not playing music from a DLNA server, I am streaming to a DLNA device (a streamer, which receives the signal over DLNA and outputs analog sound), if that changes anything.

Well, this is not too easy.. Because in the output of adb shell dumpsys activity there are no timestamps, so I can't just search by the time I pressed the play/pause button. But I found some repeating patterns, like this one: #47: BroadcastRecord{303c389 u0 com.n7mobile.upnpplayer.RECEIVE_POSITION_CHANGE}act=com.n7mobile.upnpplayer.RECEIVE_POSITION_CHANGE flg=0x10 (has extras)

You can refer to this documentation to know how best to use logcat. For the timestamp, do adb logcat -v long,descriptive.

I think I see what Tasker should capture. The logcat returns the states of streaming, e.g. n7.UpnpAVTransport: state PLAYING, 12-03 18:55:08.207 +0000  9692  9692 D n7.UpnpAVTransport: state STOPPED' or n7.ServiceUpnp#api: current state: -1, n7.ServiceUpnp#api: current state: 1`. Reading these values should do the job to enable/disable profiles. Now just have to figure out how to monitor and read them with Tasker, if it's possible.


text:
How to change user account with Tasker?
Is there way to change user account with tasker?

Do you mean to switch "user accounts"? Which Android version are you using?

Yes. I updated question to be more specyfic.

It is still not clear what exactly to you want tasker to do: Do you want it to run tasks as a different user, or do you want a task which, when executed, changes the currently active user?

You need root access for this answer to work.
Setup this action in a task:
Code → Run Shell →
Command: am switch-user USER_ID,
tick Use Root
To know the USER_ID of a user account, see my answer here.


text:
Is there a way to find history of websites which was opened through app browser?
I tried to find the websites I opened through apps like Twitter, Instagram; but I wasn't able to find them again. Is there a way to search for history of websites which was opened through app browser than using chrome or opera when opening them

If we talking about Chrome Webview (which apps use to load web pages), it is highly unlikely, unless you search each app's data directory. See https://stackoverflow.com/q/21372155/4720957


text:
Does LineageOS provide "Zip Signature Verification"
TWRP provides an option on boot for "Zip signature verification". Is that option part of Android ROM packaging and would LineageOS support it? For me, that option does
Checking for Digest file...
Skipping Digest check: no Digest file found
verifying zip signature...
Zip signature verification failed!
Error installing zip file '/data/lineageos_updates/lineage-nightly-n1awifi-signed.zip'
Updating partition details...
...done

I ask this because this ROM was download with the OTA update from LineageOS, and when it failed I download a new ROM from the website and it also failed.

No! LineageOS does not Zip Signature Verify, instead the LineageOS download site provides SHA256 codes which the user or the downloading app can use to verify their downloads (using a tool like sha256sum).

You can click on the sha256 link above and change the ?sha256 in the url to ?sha1sum for example make this
https://mirrorbits.lineageos.org/full/guacamole/20191212/lineage-16.0-20191212-nightly-guacamole-signed.zip?sha256
Look like this,
https://mirrorbits.lineageos.org/full/guacamole/20191212/lineage-16.0-20191212-nightly-guacamole-signed.zip?sha1

You can verify build authenticity by checking the signature,
keytool -J-Duser.language=en -printcert -jarfile lineage-build-signed.zip


text:
Can't start DroidExplorer because an asset is missing
When I open DroidExplorer I get this error:

What can I do to fix this?

add a png file in that location and try again.

name your png file '[DEFAULT].png'

you need to create Droidexplorer in ProgramData, and then create assets in DroidExplorer ( all folders )
and then it works
i had the same issue just right now

I found the default.png file here
 ProgramData\DroidExplorer.0.9.0.4.x64.Setup\DroidExplorer.0.9.0.4.x64.exe\2.msi\contents.cab\

As Eric Dezert's answer mentions, create folder C:\ProgramData\DroidExplorer
(note "DroidExplorer" is all one word there, unlike the Program installation folder, which is two words "Droid Explorer" - (same in Windows Registry - multiple entries under 'DroidExplorer' AND 'Droid Explorer'.)
Just copy the entire "Assets" folder from C:\Program Files\Droid Explorer to C:\ProgramData\DroidExplorer (it only contains a few small image files, including the "[DEFAULT].png)


text:
How to screen robocalls by forcing caller to press a certain key combination? (audio CAPTCHA)
I am trying to stop all those junk calls I am getting, I have tried quite a few apps like Hiya, TrueCaller etc; unfortunately, phone numbers are easy to spoof and those apps can't screen all that spam
Allowing calls from my contact list only is not an option for now
Question - is there a way which will answer the call, ask caller to press a certain keys (playing message like "Press 4-5-6 to be connected) and disconnect the call if caller failed to do so? (audio CAPTCHA)
I have Android 7.1.1

Asking for apps is off topic here, so edited to avoid closure on these grounds. If you are keen on "app solution only " see - - - - > Please note that recommendations like Is there an app for X are off-topic here (see What topics can I ask about here? for details). For where your question might fit better, you might want to look into Where can I ask questions that aren't Android Enthusiast questions? and Where to ask for app recommendations?.

Steve: Did you ever find a solution? I had the exact same idea as you did.

unfortunately, no solution yet ....

I am looking for the same thing.  I remember in the early 1990s someone told me they had a service where callers would hear a recording and have to punch in a certain code in order to ring through.  Otherwise, at best they could only leave a voice mail.  And for this person, they would never even hear the phone ring if the caller didn't know the secret code.  That would be awesome.  @SteveV - Any luck yet on finding anything like this?

A great CAPTCHA would be to tell the caller they have to type in the last four digits of the phone number from which they are calling.  If they can't match their own caller ID then they can't get through!


text:
How to fix "Preflash validation failed" when flashing stock image from Fastboot?
I recently soft bricked my Motorola G5s plus (sanders), and tried reinstalling the OS from here, but I failed with errors including Permission denied (while wiping partitions), preflash validation failed (on system and oem, including the latest version of Oreo, I'm running 7.1.1).
I have managed to root my phone using Magisk Manager and install TWRP. I created a program to read flashfile.xml.

While installing SANDERS_RETAIL_7.1.1_NPS26.116-45_cid50_subsidy-DEFAULT_regulatory-DEFAULT_CFC.xml.zip I get these errors:
Executing:  fastboot getvar max-sparse-size
max-sparse-size: 268435456
finished. total time: 0.000s

Executing:  fastboot oem fb_mode_set
...
OKAY [  0.001s]
finished. total time: 0.001s

Executing:  fastboot flash partition gpt.bin
target reported max download size of 534773760 bytes
sending 'partition' (45 KB)...
OKAY [  0.002s]
writing 'partition'...
(bootloader) Validating 'gpt.default.xml'
(bootloader) Security version downgrade
(bootloader) Image primary_gpt failed validation
(bootloader) Preflash validation failed
(bootloader) Cancelling 'gpt.default.xml'
FAILED (remote failure)
finished. total time: 0.057s

Executing:  fastboot flash bootloader bootloader.img
target reported max download size of 534773760 bytes
sending 'bootloader' (5115 KB)...
OKAY [  0.138s]
writing 'bootloader'...
(bootloader) Validating 'bootloader.default.xml'
(bootloader) Committing 'bootloader.default.xml'
(bootloader) - flashing 'emmc_appsboot.mbn' to 'aboot'
(bootloader) - flashing 'rpm.mbn' to 'rpm'
(bootloader) - flashing 'tz.mbn' to 'tz'
(bootloader) - flashing 'devcfg.mbn' to 'devcfg'
(bootloader) - flashing 'cmnlib.mbn' to 'cmnlib'
(bootloader) - flashing 'cmnlib64.mbn' to 'cmnlib64'
(bootloader) - flashing 'keymaster.mbn' to 'keymaster'
(bootloader) - flashing 'prov.mbn' to 'prov'
(bootloader) - flashing 'sbl1.mbn' to 'sbl1'
OKAY [  0.533s]
finished. total time: 0.671s

Executing:  fastboot flash modem NON-HLOS.bin
target reported max download size of 534773760 bytes
sending 'modem' (71925 KB)...
OKAY [  1.860s]
writing 'modem'...
OKAY [  1.093s]
finished. total time: 2.953s

Executing:  fastboot flash fsg fsg.mbn
target reported max download size of 534773760 bytes
sending 'fsg' (3024 KB)...
OKAY [  0.079s]
writing 'fsg'...
OKAY [  0.115s]
finished. total time: 0.194s

Executing:  fastboot erase modemst1
erasing 'modemst1'...
OKAY [  0.032s]
finished. total time: 0.032s

Executing:  fastboot erase modemst2
erasing 'modemst2'...
OKAY [  0.030s]
finished. total time: 0.030s

Executing:  fastboot flash dsp adspso.bin
target reported max download size of 534773760 bytes
sending 'dsp' (16384 KB)...
OKAY [  0.422s]
writing 'dsp'...
OKAY [  0.288s]
finished. total time: 0.710s

Executing:  fastboot flash logo logo.bin
target reported max download size of 534773760 bytes
sending 'logo' (2192 KB)...
OKAY [  0.055s]
writing 'logo'...
OKAY [  0.108s]
finished. total time: 0.163s

Executing:  fastboot flash boot boot.img
target reported max download size of 534773760 bytes
sending 'boot' (16384 KB)...
OKAY [  0.463s]
writing 'boot'...
(bootloader) Image signed with key bad key
OKAY [  0.370s]
finished. total time: 0.833s

Executing:  fastboot flash recovery recovery.img
target reported max download size of 534773760 bytes
sending 'recovery' (20580 KB)...
OKAY [  0.565s]
writing 'recovery'...
(bootloader) Image signed with key bad key
OKAY [  0.476s]
finished. total time: 1.041s

Executing:  fastboot flash system system.img_sparsechunk.0
target reported max download size of 534773760 bytes
sending 'system' (256355 KB)...
OKAY [  6.733s]
writing 'system'...
(bootloader) Preflash validation failed
FAILED (remote failure)
finished. total time: 6.745s

Executing:  fastboot flash system system.img_sparsechunk.1
target reported max download size of 534773760 bytes
sending 'system' (262115 KB)...
OKAY [  6.921s]
writing 'system'...
OKAY [  3.460s]
finished. total time: 10.381s

Executing:  fastboot flash system system.img_sparsechunk.2
target reported max download size of 534773760 bytes
sending 'system' (259034 KB)...
OKAY [  6.770s]
writing 'system'...
OKAY [  3.539s]
finished. total time: 10.309s

Executing:  fastboot flash system system.img_sparsechunk.3
target reported max download size of 534773760 bytes
sending 'system' (262013 KB)...
OKAY [  6.564s]
writing 'system'...
OKAY [  3.574s]
finished. total time: 10.139s

Executing:  fastboot flash system system.img_sparsechunk.4
target reported max download size of 534773760 bytes
sending 'system' (262142 KB)...
OKAY [  6.464s]
writing 'system'...
OKAY [  3.440s]
finished. total time: 9.905s

Executing:  fastboot flash system system.img_sparsechunk.5
target reported max download size of 534773760 bytes
sending 'system' (262140 KB)...
OKAY [  6.498s]
writing 'system'...
OKAY [  3.322s]
finished. total time: 9.820s

Executing:  fastboot flash system system.img_sparsechunk.6
target reported max download size of 534773760 bytes
sending 'system' (259637 KB)...
OKAY [  6.692s]
writing 'system'...
OKAY [  3.315s]
finished. total time: 10.007s

Executing:  fastboot flash system system.img_sparsechunk.7
target reported max download size of 534773760 bytes
sending 'system' (240915 KB)...
OKAY [  6.158s]
writing 'system'...
OKAY [  3.688s]
finished. total time: 9.846s

Executing:  fastboot flash system system.img_sparsechunk.8
target reported max download size of 534773760 bytes
sending 'system' (262142 KB)...
OKAY [  6.482s]
writing 'system'...
OKAY [  3.692s]
finished. total time: 10.174s

Executing:  fastboot flash system system.img_sparsechunk.9
target reported max download size of 534773760 bytes
sending 'system' (233189 KB)...
OKAY [  6.014s]
writing 'system'...
(bootloader) Invalid sparse image data
(bootloader) Failed to flash sparse image
FAILED (remote failure)
finished. total time: 6.563s

Executing:  fastboot flash system system.img_sparsechunk.10
target reported max download size of 534773760 bytes
sending 'system' (65436 KB)...
OKAY [  1.614s]
writing 'system'...
(bootloader) Invalid sparse image data
(bootloader) Failed to flash sparse image
FAILED (remote failure)
finished. total time: 1.615s

Executing:  fastboot flash oem oem.img
target reported max download size of 534773760 bytes
sending 'oem' (145482 KB)...
OKAY [  3.656s]
writing 'oem'...
(bootloader) Preflash validation failed
FAILED (remote failure)
finished. total time: 3.658s

Executing:  fastboot erase cache
erasing 'cache'...
OKAY [  0.011s]
finished. total time: 0.012s

Executing:  fastboot erase userdata
erasing 'userdata'...
OKAY [  0.182s]
finished. total time: 0.182s

Executing:  fastboot erase DDR
erasing 'DDR'...
OKAY [  0.002s]
finished. total time: 0.002s

Executing:  fastboot oem fb_mode_clear
...
OKAY [  0.001s]
finished. total time: 0.002s

How do I fix these errors? I have tried many OS's and my phone will just bootloop in different forms, such as booting back into fastboot, erase loop, and hanging on the 'This device has been unlocked' screen.

Update:
When I do fastboot getvar all I get this output:
(bootloader) version: 0.5
(bootloader) version-bootloader: moto-msm8953-C2.12
(bootloader) product: sanders
(bootloader) board: sanders
(bootloader) secure: yes
(bootloader) hwrev: P4
(bootloader) radio: 1
(bootloader) storage-type: emmc
(bootloader) emmc: 32GB SAMSUNG RX1BMB RV=08 PV=07 FV=0000000000000007
(bootloader) ram: 3GB SAMSUNG LP3 DIE=6Gb M5=01 M6=05 M7=00 M8=7B
(bootloader) cpu: MSM8953
(bootloader) serialno: ZY3226ZJG4
(bootloader) cid: 0x0032
(bootloader) channelid: 0x51
(bootloader) uid: DAEA774100000000000000000000
(bootloader) securestate: flashing_unlocked
(bootloader) iswarrantyvoid: yes
(bootloader) max-download-size: 534773760
(bootloader) reason: Volume down key pressed
(bootloader) imei: 355654081635257
(bootloader) meid:
(bootloader) date: 09-16-2017
(bootloader) sku: XT1805
(bootloader) carrier_sku:
(bootloader) battid:
(bootloader) iccid:
(bootloader) cust_md5:
(bootloader) max-sparse-size: 268435456
(bootloader) current-time: "Fri Jan  2 19:36:32 UTC 1970"
(bootloader) ro.build.fingerprint[0]: samsung/sanders_n/starlte_n:7.1.1/
(bootloader) ro.build.fingerprint[1]: NPSS26.116-61-2/7:user/release-key
(bootloader) ro.build.fingerprint[2]: s
(bootloader) poweroffalarm: 0
(bootloader) ro.build.version.full[0]: Blur_Version.26.271.7.sanders.ret
(bootloader) ro.build.version.full[1]: ail.en.US
(bootloader) ro.build.version.qcom: LA.UM.5.6.r1-03800-89xx.0
(bootloader) version-baseband: M8953_27.36.07.41R SANDERS_EMEADSDS_CUST
(bootloader) kernel.version[0]: Linux version 3.18.31-perf-gaf9c281 (hud
(bootloader) kernel.version[1]: soncm@ilclbld87) (gcc version 4.9 201501
(bootloader) kernel.version[2]: 23 (prerelease) (GCC) ) #1 SMP PREEMPT T
(bootloader) kernel.version[3]: hu Jan 11 10:56:22 CST 2018
(bootloader) sbl1.git: git=MBM-NG-VC2.12-0-g698fb2f
(bootloader) rpm.git: git=MBM-NG-VC2.11-0-g92e5e21-dirty
(bootloader) tz.git: git=MBM-NG-VC2.11-1-g9a0b157
(bootloader) devcfg.git: git=MBM-NG-VC2.11-1-g9a0b157
(bootloader) keymaster.git: git=MBM-NG-VC2.11-1-g9a0b157
(bootloader) cmnlib.git: git=MBM-NG-VC2.11-1-g9a0b157
(bootloader) cmnlib64.git: git=MBM-NG-VC2.11-1-g9a0b157
(bootloader) prov.git: git=MBM-NG-VC2.11-1-g9a0b157
(bootloader) aboot.git: git=MBM-NG-VC2.12-0-g07ff23c
(bootloader) frp-state: no protection (144)
(bootloader) ro.carrier: retapac
(bootloader) current-slot:
(bootloader) slot-suffixes: _a
(bootloader) slot-count: 1
(bootloader) slot-successful:_a: INVALID
(bootloader) slot-successful:_b: INVALID
(bootloader) slot-bootable:_a: INVALID
(bootloader) slot-bootable:_b: INVALID
(bootloader) slot-retry-count:_a: unknown
(bootloader) slot-retry-count:_b: unknown
all: listed above
finished. total time: 0.007s

Update 2:
When I flash the contents of system, img_sparsechunk.0 errors out in Preflash validation error, and says Image is too large in the bootloader logs.


text:
are whatsapp chats stored in my phone or PC?
I need to print my chats with my fiance for her visa but its taking FOREVER to scroll up to the very beginning. is there somewhere whatsapp stores the chats in eithr thre PC or phone that i can just print it?

Whatsapp chats are stored on your phone, which can backed up to Google Drive if you enable it. To print conversation you can email the chat conversation.
To export a copy of the history of an individual chat or group, use the Export chat feature:
Open the chat for the individual or group.

Tap the Menu Button.
Tap More.
Tap Export chat.
Choose whether to Include Media or not.

An email will be composed with your chat history attached as a .txt document.


text:
Can Android detect of bad sectors on external SD Cards when reformating?
Title:   Can Android perform surface analysis (Detection of bad sectors) on external SD Cards?
Reasons for asking:
 1. At one point, I found tons of old pictures and videos in the 'LostDir' folder.
 2. My tablet and Windows 8 computer ocatilny fail to recognize the card for extended amounts of time.  Often, however, and letting it sit for 1-4 months or less and plugging it in and then taking it out several time repeatedly it will start to work.
 3. A couple of times, my tablet claimed the card was corrupted.
 4. A friend's windows 7 computer was able to access shortly after both my Windows 8 computer and tablet couldn't read it.
Question
I would like to know if Android can do any of the following:

When reformatting an SD Card, can it detect bad sectors?
If it finds a bad sector, can it map around it, so that it does not affect the card.  What if I reformatted it with separate software or a different OS?
Also, are there any other ways to ensure the integrity of my Sd card?

System Information
OS:   Android 4.2.2
Model:  Samsung Galaxy tab 2  (Wifi)  GtP3113
Age:   About 6 years
SD Card age:  Between 4 and about 6 years.


text:
Moto G5 plus, not vibrating on incoming calls
I have Moto G5 Plus, with Android Version 8.1.0. This issue is related to vibration feature. My phone has stopped vibrating when I receive incoming calls. The phone vibrates properly when there is a SMS message. I have also checked the settings under Settings -> Sounds. The option "Also vibrate for calls" is turned on already. I have also restarted the phone several times, but the problem remains the same. Could anyone help me understand why the Vibration is not working for incoming calls when the vibration is working for SMS. I justed edited to mention that the key press is also not working. Vibration is also working when I shake the phone to switch on the torch light.
(DND not enabled)
Edit
I have observed one more behaviour. There are two ways, incoming calls are shown. Sometimes I see a box at the top with accept and decline square buttons. In this case I do not hear vibration. Sometimes, I see a full screen with a circle button at the bottom which I have to drag up to receive the call. In this case, I hear vibration just once at the beginning and then no vibration. So I am really confused as why does box appears sometimes and why circle button at the top and why vibration does not happen in the first case.


text:
How many mmcblk devices is normal?
Why so many mmcblk devices?
/dev/block/mmcblk0
/dev/block/mmcblk0boot0
/dev/block/mmcblk0boot1
/dev/block/mmcblk0p1
/dev/block/mmcblk0p10
/dev/block/mmcblk0p11
/dev/block/mmcblk0p12
/dev/block/mmcblk0p13
/dev/block/mmcblk0p14
/dev/block/mmcblk0p15
/dev/block/mmcblk0p16
/dev/block/mmcblk0p17
/dev/block/mmcblk0p18
/dev/block/mmcblk0p19
/dev/block/mmcblk0p2
/dev/block/mmcblk0p20
/dev/block/mmcblk0p21
/dev/block/mmcblk0p3
/dev/block/mmcblk0p4
/dev/block/mmcblk0p5
/dev/block/mmcblk0p6
/dev/block/mmcblk0p7
/dev/block/mmcblk0p8
/dev/block/mmcblk0p9
/dev/block/mmcblk0rpmb

What is the normal amount of mmcblk devices? I'm having problems booting and I'm wondering if this kind of formatting is normal or not?
When I boot up under TWRP, and adb in. After I run mount -a, I get
/dev/block/mmcblk0p19 on /cache type ext4 (rw,seclabel,relatime,data=ordered)
/dev/block/mmcblk0p21 on /data type ext4 (rw,seclabel,relatime,data=ordered)
/dev/block/mmcblk0p20 on /system type ext4 (rw,seclabel,relatime)
/dev/block/mmcblk0p16 on /preload type ext4 (rw,seclabel,relatime,data=ordered)

That only explains four of them though.

There is nothing abnormal in this case. They is only one device in the first preformatted text, which is /dev/block/mmcblk0 (just like /dev/sda in Linux distros). The rest are the partitions within that device (akin to /dev/sda1, /dev/sda2 and so on).
There is no normal limit, not that I came across, for how many partitions a device can have. It depends upon how developers want to design and provide a functionality. E.g. earlier, there used to be one system and boot partition. But recent Android versions started a new normal of setting up additional boot and system partitions for fail-safe measures.
Also, mount command only shows the partition which are mounted under /. Some partitions are never needed to be mounted, such as ones concerning bootloader, so you won't see them in mount's output.

Great answer, I'll keep digging.

@EvanCarroll thanks! I think you would find this Q&A helpful. See https://android.stackexchange.com/q/92565/96277

+1. My device mia1 reports 64!


text:
wi-fi + bluetooth + usb failed for no reason (no system update) on xiaomi redmi note 4
Some time ago I suddenly noted that wi-fi switch does not turn on wi-fi and I could not start wi-fi hotspot on xiaomi redmi note 4. I did not do any system update before that happened.
As I've read on that problem on internet reset do not help, and neither it helped me later on. (installing some pdanet app did not help either).
In addition to wi-fi, also bluetooth starts (icon shows it's on, not like wi-fi always off), but does not find any devices.
I wanted to debug from PC, but neither Windows nor Linux see the phone connected as device, only charging worked. I was surprised to find out that OTG works, that points to software root cause IMHO.
The phone has non-removable battery, I cannot easily try what I've read as second advice (for samsung with wifi issue) - take out battery.
What could be the issue and what else do you advice me to try apart from selling for spare parts?

This seems like a technical issue. There could be these possible reasons:

It can happen if you manually change radio settings of the device (but will auto reset to default when you boot the device).
It can happen if you are running your device with an outdated version of custom UI that is not installing OTA updates.

OTA Definition:

OTA Updates - Android devices gets OTA updates via developer provided directly to your phone under name 'software update' or 'system update' or in some devices directly through app named 'Updater'.

Solution is:

Try factory reset to your device.
Factory resetting to your device makes the device completely clean and settings will revert to the manufacturer default settings.
Try manually updating the ROM.
OTA update is an automatic process for keeping your mobile up-to-date while manually updating a ROM takes time and a little knowledge of android devices.

Benefit is - By manual updating you can get a custom ROM installed faster than others who are waiting for official OTA update that takes time.
Caution -Manual update can be a risky process for your device. Please search it well before trying manual process.

I mentioned in question that reset did not help. Maybe will try that update later.

Please read 2nd point as well. It has your answer.

Perhaps software could be the root cause as you suspect, in which case try to put your device into safe mode and see if the wi-fi and bluetooth are working as they should.
You can put your device into safe mode as follows:

First power off the device, then turn it on again.
When the Mi symbol appears while booting, start tapping continuously on the fingerprint sensor until the phone completely
  boots  and then finally you will be in safe mode

If you do not see a change, then I'd suggest you reset Network settings:
Settings → More → Network settings reset

If all that fails then I'd recommend re-installing the firmware, choose the right one here

How safe mode should look like? I don't see difference and for youtube video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGI2MkFKo5M) there are many comments that it is not working (I have MUI 9 too). As for reset, first, I don't see that option in 'more' on my phone, second, doesn't full phone reset should have done network reset?

@AlexeiMartianov safe mode is supposed to look like this https://i.stack.imgur.com/qxP1q.jpg. As for your 2nd question I would say maybe or maybe not, I remember factory rest didn't solve one problem I was facing on my other Huawei tablet and I had to reinstall firmware (that's why I don't fully rely on factory reset), I propose network reset, perhaps it may address such issues first, if you don't see it, then first turn off MIUI optimisation (under developer settings)

Settings reset did not appear after turning optimization off.  (I guess xiaomi changed some in MUI since your advice was working)


text:
App killed from task manager is called foreground state or background state
If I close app from task manager by doing-- Press home-button for a long time -> see all running apps -> swipe my app aside -> All app killed.
Now those apps I have removed from task manager is in background or foreground?
If app open in task manager is called background?
Thank you.

Apps foreground/background process depends on memory management of your device.
Let's say in your task manager you're running 8 apps and out of 8 you're currently using 3 apps via continuous switching among these 3 apps then your device will see your usage and it could trigger rest 5 apps to run in background for a while but if you don't use those 5 apps for much time then those apps could be triggered to sleep to save power and CPU consumption until you open them again.

Thank you for your answer. Can you please tell me the names of all 3 states like app Open, open in task manager & totally closed.


text:
How to stop Workplace app's notification sound in Alarm & Calls only (DND) mode?
Although I've set "Do not disturb/Priority only/Alarm & Call", Workplace app still "ting ting" everytime someone chat with me.
How can I make my Sony Xperia XA1 Plus (Android 8) to a "profile" that everything should be silenced except Alarm and Call?

Check in the settings of that app. Disable from there. Some apps override e global settings. This may be the case

the app has no setting to "disable notification" :(

@beeshyams but it really shame on android when some app could replace global setting :(

I have heard Facebook does that but can't confirm since I don't use it. Yes, it is undesirable


text:
What is this icon with a messaging icon enclosed by a SIM card's icon in status bar?
Can anyone tell me what the chat icon on the status bar is and how I can access it. This showed itself after a recent security update. I'm not sure if it's a message that I have not opened yet. I have checked all my messages and found none. Also, received messages are usually on the left side of the status bar.

The symbol looks like a SIM card and the icon inside like a message. Just guessing here, but there's a chance this refers to a network message (such as those used to configure your mobile carrier and so on ... in some networks you can also subscribe to additional messages, so this could be one of those).

It's a SIM icon.
To change it, go to Settings → Connections →SIM card manager → choose SIM1/SIM2 icon.

(Tap to enlarge)


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How to access Local PC drives in Bluestacks
I have installed BS 4 on my windows 10 laptop.
Now i have installed ES File Explorer on it through Google Play Store.
After that when i am trying to access my local drives i am unable to access it or you can say unable to find path of local drives.

Secondly, i observe my windows icon has QUESTION MARK why it is like that.
Thanks
Adeel Imtiaz

This may help How to transfer files between BlueStacks and Windows PC?

You can easily share files between BlueStacks and Windows using shared folders. Just place your file inside it and you can access it from both Windows and BlueStacks.
Let's understand it:
The default shared folder in Windows is located in C:\ ProgramData\ BlueStacks\ UserData\ SharedFolder  (assuming C:\ is your Windows installation drive). In BlueStacks, the same folder is located in (Root)/ sdcard/ bstfolder/ BstSharedFolder.

BstsharedFolder is bluestacks shared folder with your pc contents and vice versa.
You have to put files into the above folder to make accessible from pc as well as from bluestacks itself.

Additionally, the default Windows Library folders are accessible from BlueStacks. They are located in /sdcard/bstfolder/ as Pictures, Documents, etc.
A file manager app is required to navigate folders inside BlueStacks. In this answer, i'm  using OI File Manager. To share a file, follow the steps below:

1.Download and install OI File Manager in BlueStacks.
2.On Windows, navigate to BlueStacks Shared Folder [C:\ ProgramData\ BlueStacks\ UserData\ SharedFolder] and place the files you want to use in BlueStacks (like photos, videos, downloaded APK files, etc.). You can also use the Windows Library Folders for this purpose.
3.In BlueStacks, launch OI File Manager and navigate to BlueStacks shared folder [(Root)/ sdcard/ bstfolder/ BstSharedFolder]. If you have placed files in your Windows Library, locate the respective folder from bstfolder directory in BlueStacks.

Similarly if you want to access BlueStacks files from your computer, copy the particular file to BstSharedFolder using OI File Manager and the same file will be available in Windows SharedFolder location.
Note: This article is originally written by David. Source


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Get N on screen when trying to access developer options
Cannot access Developer Options on Asus Zenphone 3 (Android 7.1.1):

Settings
About
Tap 6 times on Android Version

All I get is an 'N' on the screen:

The tag wiki of the tag used by you has the answer. It always helps to read that and questions on that tag

You are hitting the wrong area to get developers options. Within setting/about phone/software/build number you need to hit Build number 7 times to enable the developers options. Hitting Android Version multiple times enables a google cookie for the android version.

This screen shows your current android version status and further tapping on it will enable Android Easter egg. The N means you're using Android Nougat (7.1) on your device.
to enable developer options, go to settings->about phone, tap on build number multiple times (about 7 times), on completes it shows a message that you have enabled developer options.

Features:

At the top of the Developer options screen, you can toggle the options on and off.
Next option is USB debugging. This allows Android Studio and other SDK tools to recognize your device when connected via USB, so you can use the debugger and other tools.
Also contains several options to set audio, networking, display, media, monitoring, apps tweaks for your device.

N.B : please be careful on this option 'OEM unlocking' in developer options. If got enabled unexpectedly, your device will continue in boot loop. This option is often used to root device.
Source


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How to know why is my Nook unable to boot into ClockWorkMod?
I have a Nook Simple Touch that is already rooted. I've used the Clockworkmod file that I downloaded from the XDA-developers website here.
These are the steps I followed:

I connected my device to my laptop with the micro-usb cable.
I had access to my SD card.
I opened the terminal window and entered this command.
sudo dd if=2gb_clockwork-rc2.img  of=/dev/sdc

I rebooted into bootloader mode and it did not recognize clockworkmod.
I used adb commands to try to boot into the SD card. I was able to connect to my device but I was not able to get clockwork to load.
I used these commands.

adb reboot-bootloader
adb reboot-recovery
adb reboot recovery
adb reboot bootloader|recovery

After more than five failed attempts I have preceded to this question.
Is this all because I was using the micro-usb cable to burn the .img file to the SD card instead of using a SD card writer?
If so how do I get it to boot into clockwork if the method of burning the image is the problem without getting an SD card reader.

Yeah, the DD command to the SD card was probably a mistake. For Android using DD method usually is like example only:

Place recovery.img in the root of your /sdcard folder and rename it to cwm.img.

Run the following commands via ADB Shell or a terminal emulator app:
 su dd if=/sdcard/cwm.img of=/dev/block/platform/omap/omap_hsmmc.1/by-name/recovery

However, according to this guide, it will brick your device if you do it this way because the recovery is on the /boot partition. So not a good thing to try.
This guide was poorly written lacking detailed explanation. As far as the adb reboots stuff it looks like the developer could not get a handle on reboots so it's a bug.
The 2GB image can be used for installing ROMs and making backups. A 2GB image can be flashed on any sized SD card.
This is what I think you are trying to do. Example of using 2GB image SD card method:

Extract the cwm.img (if you can't open the file, use 7zip) and burn to SD card using win32diskimager (free) or winimage (shareware).
For Linux, use Etcher. These apps will need to be "run as administrator". Some internal laptop/desktop readers will not work, so to do this, you may need an external USB reader if you run into problems.

Once the card is done, copy any ROMs, or ZIPs you want to flash over to the card (simple copy and paste job).

Turn your Nook off, insert the card and boot the nook. It should come up with CWM.

If you want to also replace the stock recovery with this developers CWM (personally I would not looks sketchy and cwm has been out of development for a very long time). It's a little unclear but from what I remember it goes like this. If an issue on this last part arise I will revise. I do not think one will though.

Copy this developers install_cwm_recovery_xx.zip from the downloads to the SD card (just a simple copy and paste job).
2.Now, boot into CWM by placing your newly made SD card in the device and turning it on.
Go to and select the option Use the install zip from sdcard to install it (it just replaces uRecRam and URecImg in the /boot partition. You can also do this manually if you want).

Now you should have CWM permanently on the device if you so choose.

Thank you for this answer. I was able to burn the image. I plan on installing CWM instead of using stock recovery on a rooted device is a bad idea from experience. It'll unroot it!! I need to re-install the su binaries!


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Delete older device contact backups on Google
Google has a feature to restore contacts that can be accessed from Settings - Google - Set up & restore - Restore contacts. This screen shows "Google Contacts" and "Device backup".

I want to delete older device backups.
I can't seem to find out online anywhere that is specific to this issue.

I haven't experimented with this, but maybe Back up & sync device contacts is related.

Follow these steps:

Go to Google Contacts.
Sign in the account where you want to delete old contacts.
Choose contact(s) by 'check mark sign' before contacts name.
Click 'more' from above drop down menu, there you'll get delete option.

It's done.
In case you have two different Google accounts added to device and one is having your old contacts then you can disable syncing of contacts of that particular account without deleting contacts.
Go to Settings and search for 'Google account' in search tab, or alternatively, open Settings → Cloud and accounts/accounts → click Google
There you will see list of all connected Google accounts. Now, simply click the account you want to disable auto syncing of any particular option, such as contacts.

Doesn't remove them

I know your question is 3 years old now but I had more or less the same problem of not knowing where they were.The backups are stored in Google Drive under storage (see this for how to get at them) and once you delete them there than your contacts backup is deleted too. I hope this helps.