text:
Nexus 4 won't upgrade to Lollipop
Bought a factory refurbished Nexus 4 today. It started with jellybean on the first boot, a few updates later it gets to 4.4.4. Now it tells me that my system is up to date. I have another Nexus 4 running Lollipop 5.0.1. I am on T-Mobile if that maters.

It's pushed out in waves and with 5.0.2 out now, you may not get it for another while. See https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/nexus/f1EOEtihDxI%5B1-25-false%5D for more information

@NiallC. I thought it rolled out by carrier/area so I thought if one Nexus 4 on my carrier in my area had it all of them did. I didn't even realize it was still rolling out. I've had Lollipop on my other nexus 4 for a couple months I believe.

Have to admit, I observed the Lollipop OTA is kinda... chaotic, for reasons Google only knows. I suggest you to wait around 1 month. Meanwhile, since it's possible that the update is controlled by the carrier, you might want to contact T-Mobile customer service regarding the OTA. (Sorry, we're not their customer service)

Not matter. But not a sw upgrade uploaded on nexus user center for nexus 4. All u can do that is wait for sw release

The 5.0 update was released, though. The factory images are right here. What is this "nexus user center" you're talking about?


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Can't backup anymore Facebook & WhatsApp with adb
I've always backed up my Facebook & WhatsApp data on Android with the following command:
adb backup -noapk com.facebook.katana

and
adb backup -noapk com.whatsapp

Now, it seem it can't backup it when I run it. The backup procedure starts, but no good backup.ab file is created.
Does someone noticed this ?
Maybe they changed in the Android manifest:
<application>
    ...
    android:allowBackup="true"
    ...
</application>

After some experiments, I also reproduced this "issue". The backup for both app returns same content (which I assume is empty, but haven't checked that). Seems they protect their data now...

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


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I can't put my email in when i try to sign in
Every time I try to sign in like when you restart your phone I go to the play store and I press existing I when I do my email and password it says I can't sign in. And its an ice cream sandwich.

Check your google account credentials on google.com when/if those are correct then go to settings - scroll down to user and backup section and select accounts - select google and redo your google account settings. After that turn syn on through the top drag down menu and everything should function correctly.

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


text:
process system not working
Phone is not starting at all. From the last few days it was showing LOW space notification as usual it does when the memory is low. But this time the phone is simply not responding. What will be the solution for the same. How can I enter into my phone to free up some memory space?
I have tried rebooting it several times.Also,  tried hard reset but hard reset screen is not showing up.
Phone Model -Micromax Canvas A116.

So, is the now accessible I mean is it switch one currently ?? If yes you can try clear some space by clearing the logcat file. To do that tap *#9900# over the dailer and select the option delete dumpstat/logcat file and see if this frees some of your space ! Also, if possible I would also advise you to install junk file cleaner apps to clear the junk files stored over your device as it will also help you in extracting free space out of your device !

Try connecting the device to your computer and cut and pasting all your pictures and vidoes to your computer.


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How do I read Hike messenger back up files?
I am trying to restore the backup of Hike messenger but have been unsuccessful, but for some reason it is not recognizing the old backup. Is there any way to open it or read it on the PC?


text:
Lost .vcf file while doing factory reset , can I recover it?
I performed a factory reset on my Lenovo A390. I forgot to keep backups of my contacts, and I lost a .vcf file and my contacts are gone. I have important official documents and contacts. How to get that .vcf file back?

Also relevant: How to Restore Deleted / Formatted Files on HD Micro SD Card

Sorry to say that but i think your contacts are lost forever...you can download an app that may scan your drive for deleted files and that may need an root on your phone and is not 100% guaranteed.
Very likely the space where your contacts were has been overwritten so is not possible to recover it.
Next time keep an backup on your external SD card they are not deleted in factory reset and/or your PC or gmail account.
That is true for photos documents and all your data is lost forever if you do not have an backup.
If you want to try an app google for something like "recover deleted contacts android" that should point you to an app capable of that if there is any.


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Bypass proxy not working on Nexus 5 running lollipop
In my wifi network I need to connect to the internet through a http proxy. I am able to connect to the internet through the proxy server but the problem lies when I want to access my local servers. To access the local servers I need to bypass the proxy. So while connecting to the wifi connection in the bypass proxy section I specified a list of local hostnames for which I need to bypass proxy server but still I am unable to access those local sites. Any solution? (without rooting my phone as it is still in warranty).
Thanks in Advance!


text:
How to view web video in media player instead of browser?
Playing media inside the browser is terrible. Until recently when I found a video I wanted to watch on a web page, I would send it to the app Downloader by Mirmay, because it would allow me to play it in whatever media player I like (MX, VLC, whatever). Following a recent update, Downloader now forces you to use its built-in, terrible media player.
How to get web video into a decent media player?

You can copy the link of the media file you want to stream, and then open VLC player app, go to More -> New stream below Streams heading, and paste the URL there. It should start streaming directly.

It depends upon your browser, if you can click on the video itself or click on the browser's menu to share, and on having an APP that will load your browser's 'share menu' (as part of it's install routine) with the open command.
I have a few video players on my phone but most don't automatically fixup the 'share menu', and I've not felt the need to dig around and add the feature manually.
Using the YouTube APP or the Firefox browser I can click to share and because I have installed TubeMate (to download or play) and BS Player (stream, or play downloaded video) I can share to them and watch the video that way.
Firefox is usually capable of playing the videos 'well enough' (my phone is a few years old) and TubeMate usually can download from anywhere (and is updated frequently). There was only a week when Vimeo made some changes that TubeMate was finicky, other than that everything has worked flawlessly for years.

In Firefox for Android Beta (maybe some other browsers too? - not sure):

Click the video link.
Browser will open it in its internal player.
Press the green Android icon on the right of the address bar (at the
top).
Voila, Android will ask you what app you want to open it with.

Just download it with your Downloader and then use a File Explorer and search for that file.
It should be anywhere inside either:

Your usual Movies folder (very unlikely, though) or `Downloads'  folder (also unlikely, but possible)
A unique, created folder by the app itself (many downloaders do that)
The "external data" folder (Android/data/<package name of the app>) on your internal storage
A configured folder (some Downloader apps allow user preferences).

First look inside the settings, then try to find it on your phone's storage.
After that, just tap it and Android will ask you which app you'd like to open it with.

Sure, that works, but it's not really the solution that I'm looking for. But thank you.

First, export those files from the APP itself (from your phone).
Then, plug your phone to your PC and you'll see a folder "downloadmanager" and click it. After that, you'll see files with no extension and the names would be in number. Click it, add the extension to mp4 (for videos) and mp3 (for music). And Voila! You can now view the files!

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


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Alcatel One Touch S'Pop remap power button
How can I remap the camera button to work as a power button?
I have a rooted Alcatel One Touch S'Pop.
I edited system/usr/keylayout/Generic.kl by copy-pasting POWER WAKE string from the power button to the camera button, turned off the phone and reinserted the battery. Nothing happened. The camera button still activates camera. Now I restored the old file.
In system/usr/keylayout folder, I have these files:

ACCDET.kl
AVRCP.kl
Generic.kl
hid-keyboard.kl
mhl-keyboard.kl
mtk-kpd.kl
qwerty.kl
Vendor_05ac_Product_0239.kl
Vendor_22b8_Product_093d.kl
Vendor_045e_Product_028e.kl
Vendor_046d_Product_c216.kl
Vendor_046d_Product_c294.kl
Vendor_046d_Product_c299.kl
Vendor_046d_Product_c532.kl
Vendor_054c_Product_0268.kl

Which one should I edit?
Thank you for your help and time.

Try with the file mtk-kpd.kl and change these values. First, make a backup of that file.
key 116 GRAVE
key 212 POWER      WAKE
Key 211 POWER      WAKE

What if the keys are wrong? How will I fix that?


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Wifi and data keeps turning on
i did a recent update off some apps a few days ago and ever since my wifi and data keeps turning on no matter  how many times i turn them off... Then on the other hand, sometimes it turns off and stays off for  while, only to turn again randomly. it's really annoying and killing my battery, plus the data usage is killing my wallet as well! i don't know what's causing it...
i'm using apex launcher and i thought it might be causing the problem (since it's recent update) but switching to my previous launcher (htc sense) didn't make a difference... i don't wanna go and delete my launcher since i've made quite some customizations and don't wanna do it all over again.
can somebody help me, please?

Assuming it's an app doing that (which is not unlikely), you'd first need to identify which app that might be. Uninstalling all of them would be a bit hard, so let's try a different approach – and narrow down the candidates.
To be able to change your device's network state, that app would need specific permissions. Which are CHANGE_WIFI_STATE for WiFi resp. CHANGE_NETWORK_STATE for your mobile data. So check your installed apps for those having that permission. You can do so by looking up each of them in the "my apps" section of Google Play – or you use a Permission Checker.
There's e.g. Permission Friendly Apps, being very permission-friendly itself (requiring not a single one). It presents you with a list of all your installed apps, and even marks them according to their "permission-friendlyness". Tapping the entry of an app reveals its permissions.

Permission Friendly Apps and aSpotCat inform about permissions your apps request (click images for larger variants)
Better suited for our purpose here is aSpotCat. As you can see in the screenshot, it lets you browse apps by permission – perfect to find your candidates.
Once you've narrowed down the list of installed apps to those having the necessary permissions, check that for apps you've recently installed or updated (i.e. just before the trouble started). Hopefully that leaves as few candidates as possible, best only one. Those you need to get rid of, at least temporarily, one by one – until your trouble ends. The last app disabled must be the one having caused the issue.
Before "kicking it" completely, check its settings. Maybe it was just a new feature introduced, and you can turn it off. If not: the app stores are full of alternatives, watch out for those. And take care of permissions before installing one of those ;)

I had a recent issue with this problem that keeps turning my wifi and data on by itself. Ive tried everything including that connection optimizer which doesnt exist in my phone because im from Germany then I just decided to install AVG updated it and run a quick scan, immediately after there were several risk and the first one was an app installed which was very fishy to me so i uninstalled it the rest i just change the setting. That solved the problem. Maybe because im always downloading apps from different sites outside google play that it could have brought some malware. Im glad ive installed AVG i was already planning to factory reset my Note 5.


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How to stop repeated requests to install an app?
I'm getting the same message or rather, a notification, several times daily, a request to install an app (Zero Launcher, specifically) and it doesn't seem to stop. It's starting to feel like harassment. What can I do to stop that kind of thing for good? Just deleting the notification does nothing as the next one is always lurking around the corner. Thanks!
(My device is samsung galaxy s3)

Just uninstall the app that causes this notification. Long-press it and tap on `Application details´. Then uninstall it. Most of those applications are just full blown up with ads and are simply useless.

Thank you for your help. Thought of that. I have no idea which app is causing this. Any suggestions on how to find out?

As I have written: Long-press the notification and tap on Application details or similar.

Ok, I'll try. That's not what I got from your post, thought I needed to first know which app was causing it, not that I could work with the notification alone. (I fiddled with the notification as I had the notion of removing the app that's causing it but it got me nowhere, probably didn't do what you just described, though, and will gladly try!) Thank you again!

Are you rooted? If so, there is another way without deleting/uninstalling anything. I'll post if you have root.

Didn't have to wait too long for the next notification, i did what GiantTree suggested and it did the trick, so phew. :) Thank you for you offer though, HasH_Brown.


text:
Recurring Notifications Problem
I have an HTC One M8 running Android KitKat 4.4.4, HTC Sense version 6.0. I've owned the phone since Dec. 30, 2014.
Not sure how, or why, but about 3 days after purchase, I started to have a problem with notifications, regardless of whether the phone was set to silent, sound, or vibrate. If I don't address a new notification the moment comes in, my phone proceeds to vibrate every 3 minutes until I can get to the notification (I teach all day, so I can't get to my phone). As you can imagine, this is quite frustrating.
I have gone through every setting on every app (installed or purchased) four times to ensure the vibration setting is shut off. I have done a factor reset, and put my backup on the phone. I do not have a purchased app giving me notification reminders. I have contacted HTC for device support, spent 4 hours with them, and they have suggested I send my phone in. Not a fan of that.
This seems really similar to a setting on iPhone which allows you to set when you want to be reminded of missed notifications. I just can't seem to find where to shut it off on this device.
TIA for any help/advice.

May have this figured out. In the Settings menu, under Accessibility, there is a setting for notification reminders. So far all seems to be working well.

go to setting > accessibility > notification reminder.

You should edit existing answers, not just create a new one. This is a Question and Answer site, not a forum.


text:
What is the star icon in notification bar on Lollipop?
Does anyone know what this icon means? The device is running Android 5.0 Lollipop.

From the placement on the notification bar, it is a system icon. Most systems are customized, so it will be necessary to know the device type and the Android OS on it, before knowing for certain what system component this could be reporting on. Please edit the question with these details.

This means that you only have priority notifications enabled. Pressing a volume button will allow you to select different notifications which show/make a sound.
There is a choice between no notifications, all notifications, and priority notifications, which can be changed by pressing a volume button. Going into Settings/Sound & notification allows you to set which notifications have priority, such as only showing SMS and missed calls.
More help can be found here: https://support.google.com/nexus/answer/6111294

In Samsung Galaxy S4, it is called "Interruptions" under "Sound and notifications" menu.


text:
Assigning a "default" wireless router
I have a Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 7.0, which I use with a Verizon wireless router.  Somewhere nearby there is also an "xfinitywifi" wireless access point which appears in the tablet's wireless setup page.
I've noticed that when I walk out of range of my own access point, my tablet attempts to automatically connect to this open hotspot.  Unfortunately, the "open" "xfinitywifi" hotspot actually requires some kind of Web login and the tablet stalls while attempting to connect to it.  When I walk back in range of my own router, the tablet often continues trying to connect to the xfinitywifi router and I have to re-select my own manually.
Is there any way to configure the WiFi settings so this does not occur?

Try to use WiFi Prioritizer. it aims to solve a simple problem by attempting to automatically reconnect to a higher priority wireless network when it comes in range while still being connected to a lower priority wireless network
hope it helps.

Thanks for the tip.  I also noticed that the other network had "saved" listed under it; I selected "forget network" and will see if that prevents it from trying.

@Bitrex Your Welcome:) I'm glad so.

@Bitrex that should already do it. Android usually connects automatically only to networks which you have "saved" – not to "any open one" that pops up.


text:
Is it possible to print from an Android device (Samsung Galaxy Tab 3) via mini-USB to USB adapter?
I know you can hook up your printer to the wireless router and connect and print from the Android device via HP ePrint software. But is there a way to simply connect a device directly to the printer via USB and start printing? If not, what is missing? Linux drivers? A general printing interface? (I don't know how any of this works, so I'm taking wild guesses.) Printer is an HP LaserJet 2840, by the way.

First of all, the device should have enabled the OTG in software and of course available as hardware. The other thing, that it misses is Drivers for sure. Maybe you could print out some photos from your phone, if there is an option to connect it as a PTP device directly to your printer, if your printer offers printing through PTP interface.

It depends, the linux kernel usually includes drivers.


text:
Why are some apps unmovable?
I recently just started downloading a lot of apps, and sometimes it will come up with saying insufficient storage available even though I've only used 4GB of a 32GB card. I'm not sure how it's not working.
So, I tried installing an app that puts apps straight to the SD card, but then it says some apps can't be moved because they are ROM only. It's taking up all the space of my 1GB internal storage, and I can't move them.
I really need help.

When making apps, there is a parameter that makes the card only installable in the internal memory, so you get the "move" option disabled.
You just can't move them.
You can root your phone or install a custom rom to free it from wasted space.

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


text:
How to root my Samsung Galaxy S5 (SM-G900A) (kernel version: July 22, 2014)?
I have a Samsung Galaxy S5 (SM-G900A). I am aware of towelroot, however it only works for "phones < jun 3 2014" for and my kernel version is dated July 22, 2014:

How to root it, if possible without tripping the KNOX counter?
Kingo doesn't seem to support Samsung Galaxy S5.

I think you should search on xda developers on the forum for your specific device but i don't think you can root it without flag knox and break the warranty i have an S4 with knox too and  i couldn't find an way to root without flagging the knox counter
http://autoroot.chainfire.eu/#odin << here you can find the autoroot for your device and will flag knox just download it and follow the  steps you can easily find on xda developers on how to use odin

Here's a working solution for rooted Lollipop on S5 from AT&T, that I found in XDA, and summarized:  http://android.stackexchange.com/a/170154/122842


text:
Samsung galaxy S4 Blacked out Screen need to retreive files
Anyone know how to get photos/files from a galaxy 4 that has a broken / blacked out screen - Ive tried every method possible ive read online and im getting no-were and ready to scream ...I cant seem to unlock the screen to allow a computer to extract files - Ive pluged the phone into multiple computers it wont read the phone...ive tried the Kies Program...the Samsung recovery system - can I plug the phone into something and see the screen separate from the phone?

Your phone can be turned on and off? Your pc recognize your phone by making any sound?
You don't say what caused your phone screen to break but anyway you can try to do an ADB recovery or an nand backup just google for if and you find many tutorials

I can hear it turn on and off ...I dropped the phone and the LCD broke Im not sure if a ADB recovery would work....does the technology exist to plug into the phone ...mirror the screen and get what I need

The ADB recovery will work since it does not require you to do anything on your screen just your device turned on...google for "adb recovery s4" for detailed steps

And yes you can easily mirror the screen of your phone to your tv using and hdmi cable but still need to use the touch of the phone to click and etc


text:
I'm still waiting for Lollipop OTA on my 2013 Nexus 7
It's now nearly mid January. Can anyone suggest or explain why my 2013 Nexus 7 has still not gotten upgraded to Lollipop? I know that it's possible to manually flash the OS, but I'd figured I'd just wait. But this seems like it's really too long at this point. My Nexus 5 phone for upgraded the day after the now OS was released, and is now already on v5.0.1. On my tablet though I go to check for updates and it tells me my system is up to date (it's not btw - it's still running Kit-Kat).
Google searches return numerous posts from Nov with people griping that they hadn't gotten the upgrade immediately, but I'm not finding anyone else still asking. Most posts I'm seeing say that the upgrades are staggered out over a few weeks or so, but we're well beyond that now.
Anyway, just thought I'd ask around. See if anyone knows anything, or is also still waiting. Thanks.

possible duplicate of When will my device get the Android 5.0 update (Lollipop)?

Not really a duplicate. While that other post helpfully confirms that my device was supposed to be updated in Nov, it doesn't offer any explanation as to why I'm still waiting two months later.

You should also look at What is Google's OTA phase deployment strategy?

Anyone care to share why this was given a -1?

I can't speak for why the people voted it down, but this is from the Help Center: Voting up a question or answer signals to the rest of the community that a post is interesting, well-researched, and useful, while voting down a post signals the opposite: that the post contains wrong information, is poorly researched, or fails to communicate information.

Ya - I'm familiar with the principles.  I don't believe the question contains wrong information or is poorly researched. Whatever ¯_(ツ)_/¯

https://productforums.google.com/forum/m/#!topic/nexus/IGjuSEI6H_8
According to this thread (if you can wade through the ranting and flame), it does appear that there are delays in the rollout. A post from just this morning is asking when to expect the upgrade for the N7 2013.
So I guess I'm still waiting.
UPDATE:
fwiw finally got the 5.0.2 update yesterday.  So good.  And in answer to my own question, it looks like Google was holding back the 5.0 OTA for my tablet.

Add your answer as an edit into your question, for readability. You can always edit your own question. :)

@HasH_BrowN "Delays in the rollout" is a reason for not getting the update, so this belongs as an answer.

Just flash it. The nexus is designed for the do it yourself type of geek. Or dump Android and flash a Linux distribution of your choice to it. Don't like it go back to Android. There are hundreds of easy to follow instructions on this process.

I appreciate the suggestions, but I'm not interested in putting some Linux distro on it, and I don't want to flash an OS that Google might be intentionally holding back for some reason. Maybe that's my implicit question, is it actually being held back for some reason?

Google having a valid reason to be lazy? To save money? At the end of the day you own device designed to be hackable. Hack it as the Google gods intended.


text:
Unable to locate SDK when starting Droid Explorer
When I launch Droid Explorer, I get an error message that states Unable to locate the Android SDK tools, please reinstall the application.

I installed the Android SDK tools from the SDK Download Page.

Note: I am the lead developer of Droid Explorer. I am posting this question as I get a lot of bug reports for this issue. I am trying out using Android Enthusiasts as somewhat of a support Q&A for Droid Explorer. I will monitor any question tagged with droidexplorer.

In Windows, the Android Studio installer installs Studio in the Program Files Folder, however, the sdk ends up here:  C:\Users[username]\AppData\Local\Android\sdk

@bgmCoder DroidExplorer does not look for Android Studio, it looks for the SDK. If it is and it is able to find the path to it (stored in the registry) it will use that path. If it cannot find the path, the user needs to select the sdk location.

I see that - but most people in Windows will install the Android Studio and not realize that the sdk gets installed somewhere else.

I don't get why the command line sdk is not accepted, i don't want to download 2 gb of useless stuff just for the benefit of seeing my phone via adb on explorer

@Magnetic_dud You don't need 2gb of all the SDK. But there is more than just the base SDK that is needed because there are tools that are used. These tools are not installed with the base SDK.

Droid Explorer, at its root, depends heavily on the Android SDK. It communicates with your devices via ADB.
When Droid Explorer launches, it does some system checks to make sure the tools that it needs are accessible. These mainly include adb and aapt. There are some other tools that it uses, but these are the main ones that it needs to communicate.
There are 2 types of errors that can happen with the SDK not found:

Registry Error
If you see the following error message:
Unable to locate the SDK Version in 'HKLM\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\DroidExplorer\InstallPath'. Try reinstalling the application.
When you first install Droid Explorer, it will ask you for the location of your Android SDK. This value is stored in the Registry.
32bit:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\DroidExplorer\InstallPath

64bit:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\DroidExplorer\InstallPath

Under this location, you will see a value called SdkPath. This needs to be the location of the root of your Android SDK.

Make sure Droid Explorer is closed.
Open Registry Editor

WIN+R
Type regedit
Press Enter

Navigate to the location explained above
Set the value of SdkPath to be the path to your sdk: My location is d:\android\android-sdk\.
Close the Registry Editor.
Launch Droid Explorer

If you still are getting a registry SDK error after following these instructions, Ask a Question and add the droidexplorer tag.

File System Error
If you see the following error message:
Unable to locate the SDK tools. Try reinstalling the application.
This error usually happens when you install the Android SDK, but do not run the SDK Manager and add the required packages to the SDK.
As a rule of thumb, you should follow Step 1, at a minimum, for what packages should be added to the SDK.
Source

1. Get the latest SDK tools
As a minimum when setting up the Android
  SDK, you should download the latest tools and Android platform:

Open the Tools directory and select:

Android SDK Tools Android SDK
Platform-tools
Android SDK Build-tools (highest version)

Open the first Android X.X folder (the latest version) and select:

SDK Platform
A system image for the emulator, such as  ARM EABI v7a System Image

Your SDK Manager should look something like this:

If you still are getting a file system SDK error after following these instructions, Ask a Question and add the droidexplorer tag.

Extra information about how Droid Explorer looks for these tools:
It will look in 3 places for each tool that it needs to use.

[SdkPath]/tools/
[SdkPath]/platform-tools/
[SdkPath]/build-tools/[latest-version]/

Older versions of Droid explorer looked in [SdkPath]/platforms/[latest-version]/tools/ but this path is no longer valid in the SDK.

In Windows, the Android Studio Setup Wizard installed the sdk to this directoy: C:\Users[username]\AppData\Local\Android\sdk  and this was acceptable to Droid Explorer.  But I had to run the Android Wizard first.

For me, DroidExplorer crashes every time I run it.  I have to reboot the computer before I can run it again.  The registry includes the sdkpath key and the correct value.  And the sdk manager includes the tools above.

@bgmCoder can you open an issue on http://de.codeplex.com and include the log information from C:\Users\[user]\AppData\Roaming\DroidExplorer\logs


text:
Root explorer does no work
I installed cm 12 on my nexus 4 and everything seems to work good. But even if I have root enabled and have given root rights to ES Explorer it is not able to mount the root explorer. I want to edit a system file but am not able to.
I have ClockworkMod recovery v6.0.4.7 installed.
Root does work for apps like greenify and lmt launcher but not for ES explorer or 920 texteditor. I tried to modify build.prop in /system/ but am not able to do to rights.
Is there another way I can edit build.prop?

Did you enable root explorer in settings of es explorer?

Never ever edit build.prop. It can result in major problems including boot loops, application crashes and even bricks.

Well, there is Build Prop Editor on Play Store, but the fact that the root isn't working on some apps is definitely strange. Have you confirmed if they are blocked on SuperUser app?

I edited build.prop to remove the navigationbar and use lmt launcher instead to free up screen real estate. This has not caused any problems so far and I have done this sense 4.1. It seems that when I updated to cm12 i need to reinstall apps otherwise some do not work properly. When I reinstalled ES explorer it works as normal.


text:
Cache more tabs to preserve the content when there's no internet connection in Firefox for Android
I've installed Firefox on my Android smartphone. I want to store many opened tabs, but Firefox stores a little number of tabs.
Looks like Firefox only stores a few tabs (about 5 of 25 total), so when I navigate to another tab, Firefox will use the internet connection to load it again. Thus, when there's no internet connection, I will get a connection error page instead. (btw, Opera Mini easily stores about 50 tabs opened)
I've tried to work with about:config settings like browser.cache.disk.capacity and browser.cache.check_doc_frequency but with no success.
I think the problem is with browser.cache.disk.capacity, but:

it's difficult to click too many times (current value is 30720, but I need 100000)
the browser sets browser.cache.disk.capacity back to the default value after some time

What do I need to do to avoid annoying reloads of the page?

According to a blog article by Geoff Brown, the developer of Firefox for Android, looks like you need to disable "smart sizing" feature in Firefox because it sets the cache size dynamically.
I'm now using version 37 and I still don't see any progress in functionality though.


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Photo and video recovery
I accidentally deleted an entire timeline of photos off of gallery. My phone was set to sync with my Gmail account and Facebook. Where do I find these synced photos and videos through my Gmail or Facebook? Some of the photos were really important for work.

Did you try in google plus ??

Sync propagates deletion as well, therefore if you deleted your photos on the source, they will most likely be deleted from synced locations as well.
You can still recover some pictures from your device provided some conditions are met: you did not use your phone extensively (i.e. you did not use the storage anyhow) after the deletion and your phone is already rooted or you have at least custom recovery. Via root shell or adb shell or custom recovery adb shell do a dd backup of data partition to a file on an external sdcard and then run photorec software on the file. Or, if your phone supports usb mass storage, do a dd backup of that mass storage block device - that's the same as data partition. If you do not have an external sdcard, you'd have to do the image via some netcat magic, which is too complicated to be described under this question - ask another one on this topic and I'd be more than happy to elaborate.
Details of this approach are model-specific (save for the usb mass storage option) therefore it wouldn't make much sense to describe it here in detail.


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Tablet and old Nexus don't appear in device manager
I have three devices, a nexus 5 that I use daily and a Nexus 7 and 4. The last time I used Android Device Manager I could see all three. Now I looked but I can only see the N5. The other two (N7 and N5) don't show up. Tried both on the app on the N5 and in Chrome on the PC.
I want to see when my N7 was last seen because it bricked a while back (probably within the warranty period) and I just sent it in for repairs (outside warranty period). If I have a screenshot I can prove it broke within the warranty.
Does anyone here know how I can get the N7 to show up in Device Manager again? Or any other trick how I can prove  when it last worked?
Thanks GJ

If anyone has a similar problem, I was able to see the last seen date for all my devices here:
https://play.google.com/settings


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HTC One M8 Screen Broke
Not sure if this goes here but I don't see any other section where it would go really. About a week ago, I found a HTC One M8 is a creek when I was hiking. I took it out and when I got home I placed it in rice for about 2 days. When I took it out, the battery worked fine because of the charging signal. I let it charge for about 8 hours and the signal is still there. The screen won't power up. Any tips on how to fix the screen without going inside the phone? Thanks.

The charging light means little - chances are it's completely non-functional except for the charging light itself.
However, you could check if it's booting and just the screen is dead by connecting it to a PC and observing whether the PC detects anything.  If just the screen is dead, the PC should still see it as an external storage device.  If the PC sees a USB device, you may be able to check further into its health by connecting via adb. However, keep in mind that these come in both Android and Windows Mobile varieties, and adb isn't going to work with Windows Mobile (there may be a logo on the back indicating which).
As far as fixing the screen if that's the only problem, there's no way to do it without opening the device and replacing the faulty component(s). Search YouTube and the like for teardown guides. However, given the device's exposure to the elements, there could be more faulty than can be replaced. Screen replacements are typically done for cracked digitizers, while your device may have fried graphics chips, etc., and changing the screen would be an expensive, time consuming, and fruitless endeavor.
Finally, although I don't know the circumstances of your find, I would point out that the device's IMEI (or equivalent) can be used by the carrier to return it to the rightful owner. If it's branded with a carrier's name, take it to the nearest store for that carrier and they can easily look up who owns it and get it back to them. Just sayin'.

I found it in Arizona and I live in Alabama so even if I could get it back to the owner they've probably already gotten a new phone. I'll do that though if I can get the phone running. Thanks for the tips.


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Framaroot is not a permanent root app
framaroot is not a permanent root method, what does it mean?
My phone is no longer receiving updates, so root won't cause problems I think

I haven't used Framaroot, but based on its FAQ on the same thread: "Because framaroot exploit security holes present in several devices which has been patched with update you have done, so exploits can't root your device anymore. Framaroot's exploits have a very short life to keep your device "less exposed" to others malicious application." If the device is updated and the exploit is fixed, I'd assume that the root will fail, and thus, not a permanent root.

This could possibly mean that your device is rooted until the next reboot ie. temporarily rooted.
Also you can try another app/method of rooting which might be permanent so oyu don't have to root again.


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Changing vibration intensity for system on Lollipop?
Currently the vibration intensity in my Lollipop ROM is too high, even for things like haptic feedback. This is a problem with most ROMs on my device (Xiaomi Mi3W), and was fixed in 4.4 with an alteration to framework-res.apk here, but I can find no information on what files were changed. The only this I can find is here on xda-developers forum, but this is for GB and neither the LP or KK framework-res have that xml file. I cannot replace the LP framework with the KK framework because I am guessing it will just cause bootloops/force closes.
Does anyone know of a system modification that be changed to lower system vibrations for everything? The modification can be in the source or compiled ROM.
Thanks

Settings> Sound & notification> Other sounds> Vibrator intensity.

Many manufacturers modify Android to add their own settings, meaning that settings on your specific phone may be different or missing altogether on another.  "Vanilla" Android 5.0 does not have a "Vibrator intensity" setting under the options you mentioned.  Please make sure to mention your specific phone make and model when giving such answers.

Motorola is reputed to use a relatively vanilla Android, and version 6.0.1 on the Moto G4 does not have any vibration intensity settings.  It has only Other sounds -> Vibrate on touch: on or off.   I only hope Nougat will allow more customization.


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Is it appropriate to heat the device using CPU when it's cold?
If I want the device to heat up for some reason (to warm my hands, to keep the display responsive below 0 centigrades, to avoid battery frost damage), is it appropriate to load all cores of CPU and let it heat up?
Can it damage the phone (or damage it more than the frost can)?

As long as you don't go full ham with your device's CPU load, everything should be fine in terms of damage/wear.

Remember that keeping your CPU active will grind your battery very quickly, but it might be worth, if you need your device's temperature to be above 0°C.

What does mean full ham? My method is starting N infinite loops in parallel, where N is number of logical cores.

Also half-depleted battery may be safer to freeze compared to 100% charged one.

With full ham I mean: Put the heaviest possible load on your CPU by computing some complex things that take long time in an infinite loop.


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How can I automate some processes on my phone
I'm trying to figure out how to automate some processes on my phone:

when it rings I want to say "answer" or "pick up" and then be able to go converse with the caller through speakerphone.
would be the inverse: I want to say "call John Doe" then I want the call to be placed in speakerphone

For when I am driving:

when a text is received I want to say "read text" and my phone to read me the text message.
I want to say: "type text message to jon doe" then I want to dictate a message and my phone to type it and when I say send – it sends on a note

Any ideas?

I'm not a big friend of it, but did you just describe Google Now? There are plenty of automation solutions around. Follow up to our automation tag-wiki, see my Tasker collection (pay attention to AutoVoice & Co), or try any of the personal assistants available.

Try using Utter + Google Now. It can add tons more voice commands to Google Now, which can be activated while your phone is off just by saying "Okay Google".
http://thenextweb.com/lifehacks/2014/05/17/mastering-voice-control-android-going-beyond-google-now/
You can also try a different app called Commandr for Google Now.

Thank you all....these solutions are all excellent..will try them and see which best fits my needs..you guys rock. Thank you.

Android has a lot of automation apps that support speech recognition. But to listen for voice commands from the lock screen, will require the Google Now app, since it's the only app that be configured always listen. Some app examples:

Automate - free, full/advanced automation
Tasker + AutoVoice - paid, full/advanced automation
utter! - free, voice/simple automation
Commander for Google Now - free, voice/simple automation


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Resizing the screen size
Bottom area of my phone is not responding to touches. I was wondering if there's anyway I can only use a part of my screen.
I haven't been able to find any good solutions, other than for floating virtual buttons.
The phone in question is a Nexus 4, can be rooted or flashed with a custom ROM if required. I feel comfortable with compiling a ROM if there's an easy modification that allows this.
Thanks.

Try this one, https://android.stackexchange.com/a/113782


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Importing WiFi settings from Microsoft account
I have a bunch of saved WiFi passwords on my Windows 8 laptop that automatically transfer from one PC to another when I log in using my Microsoft account. Does anyone know a way to transfer these saved passwords to my Android device (Samsung Galaxy S4)?  I've tried researching the issue to no avail.

If you are talking about a password manager like keepass, then you might be able to accomplish this. If so, what password manager are you using? if you mean they are transferred just because they are stored on your windows device, no, you won't be able to transfer them.

I don't know of any way to view all the saved passwords, but if you are currently connected to a network, you can search "View Network Connections" on your computer, then double click on the network you are connected to. Click wireless properties, and go to the security tab. If you check "Show characters", you can view the password for the network you are connected to.

Thank you but I am looking for an automatic solution, not a manual one.  I have done extensive research on the topic and have found nothing.

Sorry but I don't think that's going to work. I suggest keeping a list of important passwords on your phone, and secure the file with a password so no one can open it.


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How to see YouTube video title in landscape mode?
Scenario: Playing a mix playlist in car dock in landscape mode. Like current song and want to see name.
How do I do this?
Things I've tried:

Collapsing the video just shows the mini player in the corner with playlist in background, no video info.
Onscreen menus have no choices that show video info.
Tapping while playing also shows no video info.

Workarounds, sort of:

I can turn the device to portrait and info shows. Not convenient when in dock or while driving.
I can share the video with myself via email then scroll down and read the email body without sending it. Also inconvenient and stops the song since YouTube can't play in background. (And, philosophically, this is a goofy way to do this.)

How can I see the name of the video (song in my case) currently playing? I'm sure there is a simple way that I am just missing.
Android 4.4.2, and whatever the latest version of YouTube is at the time of this writing, with the new fancy red top bar.

Since YouTube v11.13.56 (April 14, 2016), tapping the screen while in landscape mode will show the video title (alongside other info).

The video title can now be seen in landscape mode

If you have another device with you, you can use Google Now's voice command to ask what song is playing. Be sure to enable the "always listening" option in the Google app's settings.
This might work on the same phone, but I believe when you launch the voice command, it will pause the YouTube video.

It does stop video on the same phone. If I had a second device I'd just tape it to my dashboard in portrait mode and play music on it instead, hehe. :)

Ah. When you get a new phone, you return your old one or keep it? Maybe you can use that once you do get a new one.

Maybe... But surely there must be a way to see the title of the video...

One good solution would be to purchase Play Music All Access, and you can play the video in the background. Your screen would turn off, but you can turn it on and they music is displayed on your lock screen.


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internal SD card not initialising
Micromax A121. couldn't access the internal SD card  whenever I try to open gallery, rebooted several times. I lost some of the files and data due to this .
Can anyone help to take the corrective meassure

the problems you are experiencing are related to your device software. I hope they release updates for you as this will fix the bug issues you are having.
For the time being I would suggest:
restarting your device, safely removing SD card and re inserting, pluging your phone to a computer and unpluging. Do this over a few cycles untill you can sync your SD card.
Another option would be to save your SD card files to your computer, then formatting the SD card with your phone. Afterwards proceed to moving your files back to your SD card. Although you will see results more with this method I would not recommend this unless as a last resort. Also be careful as this method can wipe your data.


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Nexus 5 Windows 8.1 Connection Issue
I have a Dell Inspiron 13 7000 running Windows 8.1 64bit.
Upon connecting my Nexus 5 running Android 5.0.1 via USB, the device seems to keep connecting and disconnecting repeatedly. I don't have the chance to go to the Device Manager to update the driver.
I have a similar problem under Ubuntu 14.
Any help is appreciated, thanks.

If the same thing happens on another operating system, the problem is not the driver. It sounds like a power issue or the connector is not seating well on one of the two ends. See if a different cable helps.

Thanks for the feedback.
I've tried swapping cables, tried different ports and computers.Ubuntu issue was experienced on a different PC.


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My songs I put on my Micro SD Card does not appear on Samsung Galaxy S5!
Here's what happened. Recently i bought myself a 128 gb Micro SD card. I added all of my music, which takes up 30 gb of the SD Card. When I open up music player i don't see all of the songs i put, only about a handful of them. I only see like 2 GB of the music. Please Help!

Use a file explorer (e.g ES file explorer ) and view the contents of your SD card and select and copy your music to the file path  on your internal storage at:
storage/emulated/0/Android/data/com.google.android.music
Then close and restart Google Play Music and go into the menu and select Refresh. Then your music should show up.
Note: The file path may be slightly different depending on the phone but you'll be looking for the subfolder com.google.android.music

Install another app that can search trough your phone for music.
Shuttle for example has option "Rescan library".
Music Player scans your songs the firs time you open it and you can search trough folders for your music later.

Did my answer helped you? @Jalan Pyles

A little, some songs appeared but not all of them

Try to give them an ID3 Tag and scan again.

Can you elaborate on your answer please. The how to and why it should work ?

I had a similar problem with a different phone (BLU Studio Energy), and it was related to the size of the microSD card.
If less than half of the microSD card was filled, the phone did not recognize it at all! It was a 64GB card, and once I passed 32GB all the music could be seen by the phone.
That may be a terrible bug unique to the BLU phone, though.

Your player only sees songs that are in the android internal media database.
Android has a buildin service that scan the filesystem for media file (photo, music, video) and transfer this info into the media database.
depending on your android version there can be different causes why the new songs are not in the media database (yet)

the media scanner has not been restarted yet. If you transfered the files via usb it may be helpfull to dismount the sd card and remount it. this will trigger the media scanner. after a while the songs should appear.
if you can see the songs with a device local filemanager then android and the media scanner can read the files, too.

Make sure that all your songs are in a folder without a .nomedia file and without a .nomedia file in its parent (direct parent, parent of direct parent...) directories.
(The .nomedia file is used to tell media apps not to scan any of the subdirectories of the folder where that file is located. This method is used by apps with video ads for example to prevent the video player from adding ads to its menus.)


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locked out of my phone
I have a galaxy s4 and I put a lock on it.  I don't know the pin code.  I tried using android device manager and it reset my lock code, but still says its the wrong password or pin.  I have reset it over 20 times.  It always says its the wrong password or pin.  I have switched it up to see if it matters.  The keyboard changes to fit my password or pin, so i know its updating and changing the password.  Is there any way at ALL to unlock it or fix android device manager with out factory resetting it?  Please.  I cant lose everything on my phone.

Hello Tyler the Android device manager works if you had previously set it up before hand, as well as Samsung's find my mobile.
When you use the device manager, are you able to see it on the map? Can you click ring to see if it responds? If so then you should be able to reset your lockscreen. After you reset the lockscreen password, the device should change its lockscreen from a pin to a black transparent bar to input your newly made password. Also make sure that the right device is selected when doing this.
If the lockscreen doesn't change try turning off the device for a few seconds then power on. Make sure the device has Internet connection as well. If none of the so solutions work, your only option would be to hard reset the device.


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How to restore expired WhatsApp chat history?
My phone's internal memory is full so I'm planning to reset my entire phone in order to update my whatsapp, however I want to keep my old conversations.
How do I retrieve my WhatsApp conversations after it has expired?

You can use Helium backup to backup all your chats, groups, etc. Moreover, this app can be used to backup all the applications on your phone.
You can store this backup on your PC, and when you reset your phone, you can upload the whole backup folder on your SD card and initiate a restore from Helium app.
If you are not rooted, you will need its desktop application to backup your phone. It's pretty simple and reliable. You can refer to Helium Wiki in case you get stuck.

Wow thank you. Thats brilliant. I will try that :)

Hi was wondering if you know how to increase my internal phone storage. The only apps I have in my phone are the compulsory ones that come with the phone, and WhatsApp & Tubemate. But I frequently get a message saying that its full.


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Can I download a file in Chrome into Dropbox so that it gets uploaded to Dropbox?
Is there a way to download a file in Chrome (on my Nexus 7) and then have it uploaded to a folder in Dropbox?  On a desktop PC, I'd just save it into the Dropbox folder and the app would upload it.
Either that, or given the URL to the file somehow get it into my Dropbox?

If you have downloaded a file and want to upload it to dropbox then you can do it inside "Dropbox" app by using "Upload here" option in menu.
or you can use any file manager which provides cloud facility such as "ES File Explorer".
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.estrongs.android.pop
or if you do not want to download it locally then there are some websites which directly upload files from url like "http://ctrlq.org/save/"


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MTK Logger, MTK Android Suite Daemon, and omacp
I've got an Acer E380 running Android 4.2. I suddenly seem to have a load of "apps" in the Settings > Apps > All list, such as:

MTK logger
MTK android suite Daemon
omacp, and others

These all have worryingly high amounts of permissions - all are allowed to send texts, call numbers, access, modify and create contacts, accounts, etc. I have no recollection of installing these, and it looks to me to be some form of virus (and a little research online seems to back this up).
I've run Kaspersky and AVG virus scans, yet they say my device is clean - so I'm now at all as to what to do? Is this a virus and if so, how do I remove it, as there seems to be no APK files that has caused it.
PS. I'm not afraid of a factory reset either!

Seems like system apps. Searching for "MTK Android Suite Daemon" brings to this app info, and searching the package brings a (branch?) source code of it. I won't disable/remove them without more info, but if you're okay with factory reset, try to disable them.

First off, your research is a little incomplete – as there doesn't exist any virus for Android. Second, the "MTK" prefix seems to stand for "MediaTeK" – and indeed, your device seems to be powered by a Mediatek MT6589 CPU. Which seems to suggest those are apps shipping with your device. Could you please go to Settings › Apps, select the "All" tab, and check for those apps? Open their entries, and see whether there's a button labeled "Disable" (i.e. app came pre-installed) or "Uninstall" (not pre-installed or system app).

Well I have a malware on my android which I introduced via rooting process with untrusted apk. Some of the files I suspect were introduced start with MTK (like MtkBt.apk, MTKAndroidSuiteDaemon.apk and MTKLogger.apk). Maybe someone is related to cracked Mobileuncle MTK Tools ?? I don't know...

From the Looks of it, those apps seem to be part of the "bloatware" that comes with most phones out of the box.
In android, apps cannot be installed unless you choose for them to be installed. Even third party apps always show up with a "would you like to install this?" followed by the application and its permission. Then you have a final choice to install or not, based on the permissions it requires.


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What is Android's sleep mode
Many developers speak of Android's sleep mode.
When exactly the device goes into sleep mode ?
What is st standby mode ?
How standby and sleep mode are different (or related)?
When the device goes to standby ?
What are the factors deciding whether standby or sleep mode ?
Is there any thing called deep sleep ? (or deep standby), If so, info on it please...
What services are shut down in sleep mode ?
What will happen to the shut services on device wakeup.
Consider I am downloading a file using ES Downloader, and gives the hide option.
Say it's a huge file like 100mb,
CASE 1 :
My device screen dims, then screen turns off, but not locked.
CASE 2 :
My device screen dims, then screen turns off, and it goes to locked state.

Typically, you should only ask one question. Now, that one question could be inclusive to include what it is, and when does it happen, for example. But you are unlikely to get an answer to this because in order to fully answer, the person would have answer 9 different questions.

A few to much questions for a single post, though they are mostly related. Let's roll up from the end:
Deep Sleep is a state where the CPU has "nothing to do at all". Depending on the tasks the device has to perform, CPU runs in different "speeds" (frequencies). Say you've got a 1 GHz CPU, that doesn't mean it permanently runs at 1 GHz (and eats your battery); it will only "fully power up to that" if there is demand for it. On average, it will run on much lower frequencies, down to ~50 MHz. If there's really nothing to do, the system will "send it to sleep", and set a timer to wake it up later. This state is called "deep sleep".
Your device goes to Standby only when you've turned the display off, never when the display is turned on. IMHO "Standby" and "Sleep mode" are synonyms. But switching off your display is not the only criterium for entering Standby. Depending on your device's settings and apps currently started/running, e.g. running downloads might continue, as well as other "ongoing calculations". The "locked state" usually has nothing to do with it: that's rather a "security measure" against "unwanted access".
What services are stopped when you switch off the screen is something no generic answer can be given to: this very much differs not only between devices and Android versions, but also depends on what apps you have installed and how they're programmed/configured.
As for your specific example: This again depends. Say you've switched off mobile data, and run your download on WiFi. Your "WiFi Standby Policy" is set to cut the connection when the screen is turned off. Results for your download should be obvious then :)

Note that this answer most likely is incomplete, as the topic is rather complex – and your number of questions don't make it easy to answer in a short manner.

Can you differentiate screen dimming ,screen goes to off but not locked and screen goes off with locked

Screem dimming has nothing to do with it, neither has locking (the latter I've already pointed out in my answer).


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Please help for whatsapp plus
I tried to install whatsapp plus on my Gionee M2 but it shows some error as it says something like; files existing with the same name, I rooted my mobile and tried to unistall the app with titanium backup also but still the problem is persisting, please help, I am really keen to use the apop. Thank you.

Welcome to Android Enthusiasts. Just a tip. If your question has statements like "it says something like", you are going to get very open ended and vague answers to your question. Look at the current answer you have here as an example. If you don't want to take the time to clearly explain your problem and get the correct information, why would anyone spend the time to research and format a detailed answer for you.

Delete the Whatsapp-related files on the SD card ?


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How to back up DSLR pictures with Android?
I'm going to be traveling soon and taking a DSLR camera and Galaxy S5 mobile phone. How could I transfer the pictures to my phone and then to a backup service such as DropBox or Google Drive? I anticipate taking more than 100 GB of pictures.

Wi-fi memory cards! That is, if your camera doesn't have Wi-fi capability itself.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye-Fi
A comparison between two brands:
http://www.dpreview.com/articles/4616822206/battle-of-the-wi-fi-cards-eye-fi-vs-transcend
It's pretty cool stuff. Quoting from dpreview:

Eye-Fi and Transcend wireless cards can both connect to a smartphone or tablet, providing the ability to wirelessly transfer images and videos to the device.


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insufficient storage space when running updates on S4 mini
my s4 mini keeps trying to run an update but everytime I allow it to, a message pops up saying that I dont have the 539mb (or something like that) in my internal memory or sd card. But I have deleted and moved a lot of things around and now have over 600mb in my internal and still over 6Gb on the sd card.
What do I do?

The same thing troubled me yesterday on my friends phone. Then I have cleared much more than needed, so I was able to proceed, but then got another error: "Can't read SD card" or something like that. Installations were set to install on internal memory so i don't know the reason of this error.

David, you might wish to check our insufficient-memory tag-wiki. Next to some basic explanations, it also contains some first-aid and links to related information. See if that helps, and then please [edit] your question to include what you've tried and where you're stuck – or answer your own question if you were able to solve your issue. Good luck!


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How to (cleanly) remove Gmail app from KitKat? I have fully moved over to Inbox
Hey I have a moto G (no SD card!) and so space is a premium.
I have 'removed all updates' and cleared data on Gmail but I would like that extra 40 MB back. Is it possible to remove Gmail completely?
Now I'm not so sure this was a good idea, as Inbox is a front-end for Gmail.
Inbox seems to be working fine...

You don't need the Gmail app to use Inbox, so no issue there. The answer below is correct that you can only uninstall it with root, but you could disable the app which afaik reduces the file size as it resorts to the factory app which is smaller.

Deleting the Gmail app wouldn't give you extra space, as it came pre-installed as system app. Those "system apps" live in a different partition (/system, which is why they are usually called "system apps"), which is mounted read-only – and not available to the user to be written.
However, Google Apps (including Gmail) are regularly updated via Google Play. Those updates are placed in user-space (inside /data), and thus consume space you could use otherwise. To claim back that space from system apps you don't need:

From the home screen, go to Settings › Apps
Select the "All" tab
Scroll to the app in question (here: Gmail), tap its entry
Now you see some details on that app, including some buttons you can press. Press:

Force Stop to "shut down" the app
Clear Cache to make it release its "temporary files"
Delete data to get rid of its configuration and stored user data (optional; if you think you might need this app later, skip this step)
Uninstall updates to get rid of the app-updates installed in user-space
Now that button gets renamed to Disable, hit it again (it should be renamed now a second time, and read Enable – so in case you need it at a later time, you can do so. Note it then would draw-in the latest updates again)

Now the app should no longer be visible in the app drawer, and also its shortcuts etc. on your home screen(s) should be gone. Storage claimed by the app's updates, caches, and (optionally) data is freed, and available to you to be used for other purposes.

Thanks for the helpful directions - I was presented with the option to 'Disable' the app right off the bat, is that recommended or is it best to click the force stop, clear cache and data, and uninstall updates buttons manually?

@kjones to be sure everything gets cleaned up, I'd use the longer way. Usually, with Google apps, there are already updates installed so it's rare you directly see the "Disable" button. Still, I've seen it often enough that just pressing "Disable" leaves corpses behind. And hey, it's 3 additional button pushes to be sure everything is gone as it should. TL;DR: My personal recommendation is to use all those steps, YMMV, and it's not "wrong" to try the straight way. If you do, check whether the app still consumes space (data/cache); if it does, you know what to do.

I don't believe it is possible to remove GMail from the system, unless you root the phone of course, then you're allowed to remove whatever you want.

They could just 'disable' Gmail on the device which will set it back to factory state (and disable it of course), without root it cannot be uninstalled is right.

In addition to @Izzy 's answer,
I did the same steps in my Samsung Galaxy S4, but what I have noted is that when there are updates available on Google Play, the disabled system apps get re-enabled again.
So disable "Automatic updates" in Google Play Settings.


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fastboot flash = FAILED (remote: invalid bootloader image)
After breaking CyanogenMod on my Nexus 5 I want to flash it with a factory image but all I get is:
fastboot flash bootloader bootloader-flounder-3.43.0.0114.img
sending 'bootloader' (2970 KB)...
OKAY [  0.270s]
writing 'bootloader'...
FAILED (remote: invalid bootloader image
)
finished. total time: 0.450s

The same happens when I do fastboot flash boot boot.img with FAILED (remote: image is not a boot image) etc.
What could be the problem?

It looks like you've got the wrong factory image. You're trying to flash the bootloader for flounder (which I believe is for the Nexus 9). You need to download a Nexus 5 factory image which should contain a bootloader called bootloader-hammerhead-hhz12d.img (or similar)

I now downloaded the hammerhead-lrx22c-factory-0f9eda1b instead of the volantisg-lrx22c-factory-a9668749 and it worked flawlessly.

authors: عبود القحطاني


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LG - Fastboot doesn't recognize my device
I'm trying to get flash a custom recovery on my LG p760, however when I type fastboot devices in the command prompt (while booted into fastboot mode) nothing shows up. adb devices works fine though. I have installed all necessary drivers as well.
I have read that sometimes it doesn't show up but it still works to flash etc. But In my case that's not true. If I try to flash something it just says <waiting for device> all the time and nothing appears on my phone screen.
This is really frustrating because I have searched for a fix everywhere without success.

@maxpesa I am on windows 8.

There are usually different drivers needed for fastboot vs. "standard" drivers. I don't know what drivers LG P760 uses though.

yes, windows 8 is famous for this, I had problems too the very first time, have you tried Jerry's solution?

As someone who literally just had to fix this issue for my LG V30, this is an issue with incorrect drivers being assigned to the fastboot device by windows. USB3 is not an issue.
What happens is the device is assigned Android ADB Interface driver when running normally. Then when the device switches into fastboot mode, windows does not correctly assign the Android Bootloader Interface driver to the fastboot device (no idea why).
Here are the steps to fix this issue, taken from this site. This assumes that your device is already being correctly recognized by adb. If not follow the directions there to install adb drivers and get your device connecting to adb first.

Get the latest windows drivers from Android Studio download
page
(usb_driver_r13-windows.zip at time of writing)
Extract the contents of the zipfile to a folder. Ex: C:\drivers\usb_driver_r13-windows\
Connect the device to your computer and use adb to reboot into fastboot: adb reboot bootloader
Verify fastboot does not detect the device by running: fastboot devices. If your devices is not listed, continue on, otherwise stop now.
Open device manager and look for your device under Other devices. Mine was listed as Android
Right click the device and select Update driver
Select Browse my computer for drivers
Select Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer
The next screen asks to select the device's type. Select Show All Devices and click next.
Click the Have Disk button.
Click Browse and select the android usb driver. C:\drivers\usb_driver_r13-windows\usb_driver\android_winusb.inf then press OK
When it asks you to select the device driver you want to install, select Android Bootloader Interface and click Next.
You will be prompted with a dialog box Update Driver Warning, this is expected as windows couldn't identify which driver to use for this device anyway. Click Yes to continue.
You should hear sounds of windows disconnecting and reconnecting the device. Verify the device is now recognized by running fastboot devices

I realize this is now almost 2 years after your post, but I found this as someone looking to fix the exact same issue and wanted to make sure a correct solution was available.

I had same problem and it was because of USB3 PORT. When I changed usb cable to USB2 port fast boot drivers get installed and the error gone.

USB3 causes problems with writing data. It causes no issues in detecting the device.

@DanishShakeel what if the software not detect/support/handle the USB3 port!

Fastboot does not usually have any issues with detecting devices on a USB3. The most probable cause is 'incompatible drivers'. Go to Win+R, type devmgmt.msc, and uninstall Fastboot drivers. Now, add legacy hardware and choose Google Fastboot.


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Turn down app volume in Lollipop while not in app?
In Lollipop the volume buttons seem to be context sensitive.  In some apps the volume buttons adjust ringer volume, while in others it adjusts app volume.  This usually works well, but I often want to turn app volume down before I open an app with sound to avoid disturbing those around me.
Is there a way to force the application volume down without being in a "app volume context" for lack of a better word?

Just a note. As mentioned in the answer, this is not unique to Lollipop. It's been like this since the first Android.

The only way I'm aware of to set media volume outside of an app is to go into the Settings. Specifically, Settings → Sound & notification should give you separate sliders for each of the available volume channels. You'll want to turn down the top one ("Media volume").
On some custom ROMs it may be possible to do this slightly differently. Older versions of CyanogenMod had an option to expand the volume slider overlay, so you could hit the volume button and then manually adjust the appropriate slider from the overlay without having to go into your settings. Other ROMs may include something similar, but I cannot state definitively any that do.
As an aside: I'm not sure that this is unique to Lollipop. I believe it's been like this for a while (as long as I can remember, anyway).


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Baby likes to play with the mobile screen while watching cartoons; how to disable touch?
Device: Sony Xperia Z Ultra
Whenever baby is watching cartoons he likes to pick up the phone and his touch then stops the video or if he slides, it changes the app. How can I disable touch screen while the video is playing so even if he is playing with the screen the video keeps on going and nothing happens?
P.S: He probably thinks I have to burst these guys too, just like he does on bubble burst type games. He is 8 months.

Many devices have this feature included. When the video starts you can push the power button, and if your device supports it the video will play while the touch is turned off. (this is only for supported devices.)
The use of third party apps is what most use. Untouch is a very popular one, and can be found in the play store. ( search for Untouch or touch block and it should come up.)
You can also search XDA forums for touch block, I believe it's for sony devices.
Edit: Supported devices that I'm aware of, that support the no touch when video playback. These are the Samsung Galaxy S, and the Samsung Galaxy S2. Although you cannot use the feature with YouTube, and possibly other apps.

For the sake of completeness, could you provide sample device for the mentioned feature?

Notouch is another app that disable touch. You can even lock it with a password of your choice. Search for Notouch in Google Playstore

You can use MX Player (adware or pro version), which has a "Kids lock" feature under
Settings > Player > Controls > Lock mode.
P.S. you should not give your phone to 8 months old.

Thanks for your answer but unfortunately its required for specially youtube, cant use any specific player. Was looking for a general solution. And oh i dont give him phone unsupervised. Its usually in my hands he just tries to grab it :) And when im not there he cant have it.


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Which filesystem does Android attach to the root directory?
I know that Android uses FAT32 for SD cards and mounts them via FUSE. But which FS is attached at /? Some kind of ext? ZFS?

There is no singularly defined "Android" filesystem, so this can vary between devices.  Any FS that the kernel can load drivers for is basically fair game.
By and large, you'll almost certainly find that ext4 is the most common filesystem on modern devices. Older devices may use older ext* versions as well, or other filesystems entirely. Since everything is built on Linux, ext4 a pretty sensible choice, with solid kernel support and a good track record. You can read a bit about why this decision was made in Ars Technica's article about the switch to ext4.
Some devices have also used Samsung's Flash-Friendly File System (f2fs). Notably, several of Motorola's devices, as well as the Nexus 9, use f2fs. The goal of f2fs was to create a file system that was designed specifically with the needs of flash-based storage mediums in mind, in an attempt to maximize performance on devices using NAND chips for their primary storage medium.
This does not mean that these are the only filesystems that Android is capable of running on, however, as I noted above. Given the kernel source and the know-how, it would certainly be possible to include drivers for other filesystems in a kernel image. Android x86 supports installation on NTFS and FAT32 filesystems, for example.

Old Samsung Android phones (early phones with Android 2.1, like the i9000) also used something called RFS, which was basically FAT with UNIX style permissions support.

RFS had a name among most users that had a device that used it... Really Freaking Slow.

But in recent devices like Amazon Fire HD 7, a SD card cannot be formatted to ext4.  Huawei Ascend  P7 allows NTFS in a SD card

@david.perez The question isn't about SD cards, it's about /.

@eldarerathis "Any FS that the kernel can load drivers for is basically fair game" Does his imply that the filesystem is independent of the kernel, at least for Linux?

@Abdul Sort of. Many (maybe all) of the filesystems that Linux supports are implemented as kernel modules, meaning they can be omitted from a build or loaded/unloaded at runtime. They're technically still a portion of the kernel's source code, but not a mandatory part of every build, which is why support can differ between devices a bit; it's dependent on the ROM's kernel actually having the relevant module for a filesystem built and available.

YAFFS (Yet Another Flash File System) was generally used as the default file system for Android versions up to 2.3: http://www.yaffs.net/google-android
ext4 has been used ever since because of multithreading support: https://ext4.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/Main_Page

YAFFS was only used up to version 2.3, ext4 has been used since because of multithreading support.

Ars Technica has an article about the switch away from yaffs to ext4, for anyone interested, which includes some discussion with Android engineers who explain the decision a bit.

I tried with formatting all partitions with f2fs then when I flashed a custom ROM, I could find, the / is formatted with ext4fs, when I checked the batch file which comes with ROM file is the culprit, it actually reformats the f2fs partition with ext4fs.


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Bluetooth Watch that can control the music playback of an android device?
I know shopping questions are kind of offtopic here, but for the life of me, I cannot find a bluetooth watch that can control the music playback of the phone.
I've seen watches that sync the music from the phone to the watch and all that, but I don't need that! I don't want music in my watch, I want to be able to leave my phone connected to some speakers, and control the music from the watch.
Most bluetooth earphones can control this, so it should be deadly easy to create an app that does this from the watch!

I'm pretty sure that all Android Wear watches can control a music player. I own a Moto 360, and whenever i launch GPM to play some music, a card appears on my watch to control it. This should be the case with any music player available on Android.


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Can i use my android device as a windows touch pad?
i want to use my android device as a touch pad for windows like ipad and other tablet device do for designing what should i do for this problem

There are plenty of ways to do this. Here is what I recommend:
Remote Mouse: It's an Android App/Windows Program that serves that exact purpose, and has a clean UI.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hungrybolo.remotemouseandroid&hl=en
You can also use a remote desktop app like Splashtop or Chrome Remote Desktop, these will let you actually display your computer screen on your Android device no matter where you are.


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Google Play Games: how long do XP and achievements last?
If a game that uses the Google Play Games service disappears, are the associated XP and achievements removed from the Google Play Games' player profiles?

If by disappering you mean deleted app from playstore, No an app can't be deleted once published in google play store(Ref.). The "Delete" button only works for unpublished version of your app. It shoud instead be unpublished and  wont be displayed in the PlayStore results but the old users will continue using the apps and receive updates. See here

When you unpublish an app, existing users can still use your app and
  receive app updates. Your app won’t be available for new users to find
  and download on Google Play.

And once an achievement is published it cannot be deleted (Ref.). But you can reset the players achievement's progress in the google play developer console or by using the Management API methods programatically only when the app is published.

Deleting an achievement
Once your achievement has been published, it cannot be deleted.
You can only delete an achievement in a pre-published state by
  clicking the button labeled Delete at the bottom of the form for that
  achievement.
Resetting an achievement
You can only reset player progress data for your draft achievements.
To reset achievements in the Google Play Developer Console, click the
  button labeled Reset achievement progress at the bottom of the form
  for that event. To reset achievement data programmatically, call the
  Management API Achievements methods... Read More

So that means the app won't be listed in the playstore results for new users but the game data will be stored for the users having installed the app before the app is unpublished.

The XP and achievements stay on your profile forever (unless you delete the game from your profile).


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Is there any trick to set ADBD to work on TCP/IP on a non-rooted device?
What I want is to control a device from remote:

turn display on/off,
launch a specified application (clock),
open a website.

On a rooted device, I've installed a SSHD app, then I logged in to the device:
su
setprop service.adb.tcp.port 5555
stop adbd
start adbd

Then I can launch adb on my computer, connect to the device and perform various adb commands.
Can I do this on a non-rooted device? I've found that setprop requires root access.
Or, is there any app, which have TCP/WWW interface to do such things? (I've installed an IP camera app, which have URL interface for turning the camera LED on/off, beside usual camera functions, e.g. make snapshot.)

Does this answer your question? ADB connect to a device via TCP/IP

You can try this command, it restarts adbd on the android device after setting the tcp/ip port to the value you want (5555/tcp is a default) :
$ adb tcpip 5555

Try adb shell command. It gives you super user permissions in the connected device.

But I can't adb until I have not set to tcp mode.

If I set adb to TCP/IP mode, will it revert to USB mode at next boot?

Please add some detail or steps to make this a complete answer.


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What file system for sdcard for KitKat
I have been searching the web and this website for information about the file systems supported by Android. I have not found anything though.
Since KitKat (Android 4.4), some changes have been applied regarding the access of the applications to the external SD cards. Many websites explain, pretty well, that this is due to Android offering read/write access control over the folders and FAT file system not offering this feature.
This is nice to know the cause but now I am interested in finding a solution. Not a workaround that involves an app or whatever, but I would like to know which file system I can format my sd card with and Android recognizes it. I vaguely read about EXT, but which version? Does Android work with EXT 3, 4?
By the way, I apologize if this has been asked, let me know the duplicate in that case.

Ext4 is supported in some versions (such as CM) but you want to use exFAT, since ext4 causes a permission hell.

This limitation is not due to the FAT filesystem : Since 4.4, Android only lets a special user group write on the card.
Your card could be in NTFS, or EXT or whatever more, you'll have the same problem.
The only way to bypass this limitation is to root your device, and install some 3rd party apps/patchs, or manuallay edit some files.

When you say "manually edit your files", does it involve that I can manually edit even a folder to give writing rights to some specific application? Do you have any idea how to do that (e.g. is a user group identified by a package name)?

No. What I want to mean is that to bypass the limitation you can (once you're rooted) :

apply some patch or 3rd party app which make some automatic modifications (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nextapp.sdfix here for example)
edit the system files manually (which will be the same result of the patch, but a little more tricky)

Android supports multiple file systems. Your problem is root access, as 4.4 has further restricted application access to SD memory. Root your phone and your problem is solved.


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File permission os SD card (FAT32)
Android uses FUSE for SD cards. Does FUSE support file permissions for SD card? If no - how do I install some apps on SD card? Cause there is no support for symlinks, execution permission etc.

Usual (FAT32) SD Cards do not support permissions, they allow everything because they are only mass storage and were never designed for such advanced things.
You can of course format your SD Card with a compatible file system (ext4 for instance) that supports permissions.
FUSE does not support file permissions because it just wraps around an incompatible file system. Changes are unsuccessful because there is nothing where you could save those permissions.
Apps on SD card are also not on your external SD Card (FAT32) bit on yourinternal one (ext*) which has support for permissions.


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Reinstall Gallery app on Samsung Galaxy S3
I accidently uninstalled the Gallery app that came with my Samsung Galaxy S3. I installed another gallery, but I cannot choose a photo for lock-screen.
Is it possible to reinstall the Gallery app? If it is, how do I do it?

What android version? And what rom?

Personally I would use the Google Photos app, but yes, you can re-download it.
Here is a list of downloads for the S3 stock apps for Jellybean:
http://www.the-area51.com/2013/01/samsung-galaxy-s3-jellybean-stock-apks.html
Download the gallery apk file on your phone, and open it. A promt will open, click install. Once it's finished, you can delete the file you downloaded, and open the app like you normally would.


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Samsung S3 I9300 no recovery no boot and odin fails to flash
I have Samsung S3 GT-I9300
It was working fine but suddenly, I turned it on and it is stuck on the Samsung LOGO forever. It doesn't go to recovery mode when pressing HOME+VOL UP+POWER.
But I can still go to Download mode. However, Odin fails to install CWM and TWRP or official recovery
I tried to install Bootloader_XXELLA_Odin.tar via odin but it failed and now I start getting this message:

Firmware upgrade encountered an issue. Please select recovery mode in keys and try again

I can still go to download mode, what I can try now? Please if you have an answer be specific, or if you suggest flashing a boot-loader I would appreciate providing a single link (not a page with bunch of links).
Update
Now the problem is worse, I tried again to install CWM via odin after I disabled antivirus (thinking it maybe the cause). But the install failed again, and the phone is completely dead! It shows NO sign of life. No light, nothing.

Drivers ok? Does Odin detect correctly the device?

yes it does detect it, but it always fail to install flash rom, or recovery.

Try another version of Odin (newer is best), or Heimdall (please note Heimdall doesn't accept .tar or .tar.md5 files, but raw .img/.bin/zImage files) which is a community made alternative.

I used the latest Odin version of Odin3.10.0 and Odin_3.7, but the same problem.
I don't know "Heimdall", can you please contribute more, what I should try to flash now, bootloader or recovery or rom?  and where to get the correct flash for I9300GSMH unlocked international

What were you actually doing with your Phone? Did you try to install custom ROM/Recovery/Kernel/Mod and so on?
I too have S3 GT-i9300 which is working fine after replacing my motherboard because I came across Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS) in S3.

If you are able to go to download mode then download the latest Stock version of S3 which is 4.3 JellyBean and flash it via latest odin.
Make sure USB Debugging is ON in your phone and your phone driver must be installed correctly.
You may use this link to download driver for Samsung Mobile.
Make sure before installing this software all the other previous/old driver are uninstalled.
I would recommend that you should try to ADB to see your phone has proper drivers installed. Just Google ADB and download it. (Put all the files in one folder named adb.)
Press +R to open Run. In it type cmd. Now Command Prompt should have started. (I assume that you put the folder adb in root of C: drive) Type the following commands.

cd <space> / - this will take you to root of C: drive
cd adb - this will take you in adb folder.
adb devices - this command will show all the devices currently attached to your system.
If you can't find any device then it means drivers are not properly installed.

Try it, hope this may help you.

You have to go to download mode by pressing power button, home button and volume down key at the same time.
When screen shows download mode, press up volume key and enter in this mode.
Now start odin and press PDA key and select TWRP.zip (which should be downloaded already from the net) and now start to flash it.
After pass message your phone will be restored to boot procedure, at this stage you can download any rom to your S3 i9300.

He specifically said in his question that he already did all this but it failed.

1) Press reboot, then download on phone on twrp app (downloaded from playstore) and flash the twrp zip file by going to ODIN on PC, clicking start on ODIN after selecting twrp-3.0.2-1-i9300.img in 2nd check box.
2) just copy android 7.1.2 and gapps files on device and run them rest the programs manage everything.
Working files for s3 i9300:
twrp-3.0.2-1-i9300.img
BeanStalk-7.1.2-20170616-i9300-SandroidTeam-Ih24n-Intan
open_gapps-arm-7.1-pico-20200523
DO NOT TRY ANY OTHER VERSION AS IT MIGHT FAIL - by gApps


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Nexus 7 2012 usb debugging not connecting (needed for Nethunter)
Bought a second-hand Nexus 7, the 32 GB 2012 3G model with Android 4.4.
I'm trying to install Kali Nethunter on it, but to do so I first need to unlock and root it. I followed the installation steps on nethunter.com.
Right now I'm trying the same things after a factory reset, but to no avail so far. I also tried several USB cables, but mainly the OEM one. I could copy my whole music library onto it through MTP connection without any problem.
I disabled MTP and PTP, enabled dev mode and USB debugging.
When I connect it I see "USB debugging enabled" in the notification area, but then it should show a pop-up asking me if it should pair the device with the PC, yet it shows no such thing.
I've tried this on Windows 8.1, XP and Ubuntu. All of them see the device. (I checked with the Device Manager and the lsusb command)
On Windows 8.1 I tried the solutions I found on other sites.
(Some I even tried on XP, but I'm not sure which ones. The results were the same.)

In the Device Mgr. installing it as a Generic USB Device (and a few similar options). It should be noted that there was supposed to be one option that Windows automatically finds compatible, but that option did not show up, it just listed all available options.
Installing Google's USB drivers. I pointed Windows to the driver folder, but it did not recognize it.
Connecting with MTP and then disabling it and reconnecting.

Ok, apparently a factory reset and using MTP fixed it.
I'm not sure why or how, but USB debugging only connected when MTP was on, so I had to leave it on for the majority of the installation.


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Disable default lockscreen notifications on Micromax Canvas A74
I'm using Micromax Canvas A74 running Android Jellybean. Recently I searched for a locksceen notification widget and found "NiLS Lockscreen Notifications".
But now the problem is, how can I disable the default "New Message" and "Missed call" notification on my lockscreen, which jumps and vibrates for sometime each time I unlock my phone? I have already unchecked the "Show notification" checkbox from the app info section, but it's still there.

Do you mean you want to disable the notification on the lockscreen widget, or the system notification bar? Also, could you mention your phone model? I didn't experience vibration when unlocking the phone with missed call...

Thanks for the reply,
My modal phone is Micromax Canvas A74 http://goo.gl/sxD371
I was not talking about the notification in the notification bar.i was talking about this.http://goo.gl/U63mFt Please see the screenshot. and the vibration i said, was about the icons vibration(or may be a jump).I'm sorry if i gave u some bad idea. :(

No problem, no need to apologize :) We're trying to help, but previously, there is not enough info (e.g. missed call notification on lock screen, which is apparently a featured on Micromax device).

But I have found Solution for this. I have a check box in Display - Lock Screen notification (a check box). It fixed my problem.


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Gallery is displaying my movie files from the Movies folder
I usually save movies in the Movies folder of my Galaxy S5 to view them in my VLC app.
Turns out that the movies also appear in the Gallery app. I would really rather have the Gallery app only display images captured by the camera, rather than my movie media files.
Is it possible to limit the Gallery app to simply search the DCIM folder rather than the Movies folder as well? I suspect not - but then, is it possible to isolate my movies so they can only be found by VLC and not Gallery?

Add a file called ".nomedia" to the Movies folder.
This excludes that folder from being scanned for media files.
In VLC you will have to navigate to the folder Movies to play the Videos.


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Google plus photo editor (downloading editing tools problem)
I am using a Micromax Canvas a74 which runs on Jelly Bean. I have Google Plus installed on my phone, which has another app named Photos that helps to sync our photos to Gogle's cloud storage.
My problem is when I clean my cache using Clean Master it clears the local cache on my phone, which makes download the online editing tools for the 'Photos app editor'. In other words, when I try to edit my photos using the Google+ editor, it will download some editing tools to my phone's cache, and when I clear my cache I have to wait for the app to download the tools again before I can edit a photo.
Is a way (or an app) to erase the cache using an ignore list, which can ignore system default apps?

I found a solution.
I recommend using UClean instead of another cache cleaning app. It has an ignore list for system apps, so I could add the Google+ Photos app to the ignore list and prevent the cache from getting cleared.
It also has a folder ignore list, where we can specify the folders to be omitted at the time of cache listing. So UClean fixed my problem.


text:
Google play vouchers and redeem codes
My friend lives in a different country but I want to send them a Google Play voucher or send the redeem code via Facebook.
Would the redeem code work if she lives in a different country and our currency differs?

I think you could tell your friend to use some VPN services to get access to US google play. By that way, your friend could easily redeem the code without any problem.


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'Cancel' will not cancel OK Google
This is a minor niggle, but I am sure that OK Google used to let me say 'cancel' to cancel it; now, it's doing a Google search for 'cancel'!  Is there a way I can get it to actually cancel instead?

"Thank You." Seems to work. It will stop listening, but also will pop up a list of Ok Google commands. Which is annoying and unneeded. Personally I just say"open (last app)" and resume my life.

Reference: "Saying 'Thank you'", on reddit


text:
Does using USB 2.0 or 3.0 cables affect charging speed with same adapter?
I have Samsung Galaxy Note 3. If I charge my phone using the same adapter but with different cables, does that affect the charging speed with the USB 2.0 cable or 3.0 cable, supposing the 2.0 cable is of best quality, so both cables are good themselves?

You are wrong by 'am supposing the 2.0 cable is of best quality', because USB 3.0 is faster

i am not wrong by supposing the 2.0 cable is of best quality because sometime 3d party cables comes in bad quality which affects the charging it self. so that sentence serves to eleminate that claim as i am talking in a theoratical approach

Ok, so USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 dont have any charging speed differences

USB 2.0 cables and USB 3.0 cables don't charge your device any faster because: USB 3.0 only increases the speed of copying files to your PC and back, but does not affect the charging speed

so it doesnt have any difference in capacity of charges carried?

No USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 cables are the exact same in charging speed (Unless one cable is copper wired and another is another metal, which would chang the power by around 0.00000000001 v.)

To check the amount of current (in mAh) received by the mobile, use app called - CurrentWidget.
Only High Quality Cables will give you high current from the adapter. For example, when your adapter has max output of 2A and using high quality USB 2.0, you will get around 1900mA which is almost equal to Battery Output. On the other hand, when the cable is bent (due to frequent usage), the current transferred via the cable is less.
Also, USB 2.0 and 3.0 cable does not result in fast charge. Rather, USB 2.0/3.0 port on PC provides high current output as well as data transfer rate. On PC, USB 3.0 gives you around 2000mAh current with good cable, whereas 2.0 gives approximately 500mAh.

It won't make any difference , if you are charging from a wall adapter (assuming both cables are fine as mentioned)
But, if you are using your laptop, things change.  USB 3.0 port compared to a USB 2.0 port, the former has a maximum rated capacity of 900mA, whereas latter has a rating of 500 mA (80 % faster). In this situation

USB cable 3 connected to laptop USB port 3.0 (your phone has USB 3 port ) will charge faster at 900 mA
USB cable 2 connected to laptop USB port 3.0 and your phone , which has USB 3 port will charge  at 500 mA (since USB 3.0 port  is backward compatible and can accept a USB 2 connection)
USB cable 2 or 3 connected to laptop USB port 2.0 and your phone , which has USB 3 port will charge  at 500 mA

Also see related question from SE superuser Will a mobile phone charge faster if plugged into a USB 3.0 port
Note: Samsung Galaxy Note 3 (OP's) phone, is the first phone to have USB 3.0 port, subsequently discontinued in later models of Note series


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How to know how long my smartphone is running
In Android Lollipop, I can only see the estimated time how long the device will be up.
But I want to know how long my device is already running - where can I find this information? (Can't (and dont want to) believe it was removed completely from Lollipop...)

Go to Settings > About Phone > Status and scroll to the end of the options. You'll see the up time.

This no longer works on the Pixel 3

Simply run the uptime command inside a terminal (eg. via adb or through Terminal Emulator).
You will get an output telling you how long the device is running for since the last boot.
Example output: up time: 02:57:16, idle time 10:21:25, sleep time 00:00:000

up time: as you may have expected, it's the time since boot.
idle time: I currently don't know much about where this time comes from/how it is generated; it seems to be the time it was idling in the past 12 hours.
sleep time: seems to be broken, 00:00:000 is the time I get even though the phone was  asleep most of the time.

Thx for this suggestion. Is it correct that it's not possible to see the uptime at the device itself? I mean you can read it from the graph, but thats not really comfortable.

@user2345998 See Pramod's answer. It's a little bit deep in the settings but there is a way.


text:
How does the device knows an app is installed before?
Some apps gives premium support for some limited time. If I uninstalled and installed it next time I couldn't get the same features. How does the application keeps a record of the device? And is it possible to prevent it?

Applications might use techniques, such as hidden files, benign modifications to other files ... some have even been known to write to hidden parts of your hard disk.
So basically when you install the program it probably writes a hidden file or entry in your phone to "mark" that phone and let it know that you've already done the trial period.  It also probably keeps track of your e-mail address that is linked to your google play account or itunes store account, maybe even keeps track of your phone's id(depending on how deep these programs go.)

It may also be possible that the app reads the device id and checks if it has a record of it in a database. Just so you know, how apps are able to identify your device even after a hard reset.

Yeah, that's what I was gearing towards on the last part of my final sentence, when I said it keeps track of your phone's id number.