text:
Clear or reset my lock screen password/PIN
I have a similar problem as the one described in this question, but that question doesn't solve my problem. Summarized here:
I recently installed CyanogenMod 10 on my Galaxy Nexus. I enabled encryption. The first time I rebooted the phone, I was able to get past the lock screen with no trouble. I tried to change the screen lock PIN, but the settings app wouldn't accept my PIN.
Later, the screen locked due to the timeout being reached, and I wasn't able to unlock it. My password kept being rejected, and the "Forgot password" button that I read should come up never appeared. I rebooted my phone, and though I can easily decrypt it, I can't unlock it.
This answer suggested going through adb to fiddle with an SQLite database. However, I can't seem to access /data on my phone. I get the following error when I try to do an ls:
opendir failed, Permission denied

I tried to use su, but again, I got a Permission denied error. The phone is most definitely rooted, as I regularly use several root-only apps.
I really don't want to have to wipe the phone. Is there any other way to unlock this phone?
Edit
After posting this question, I came across this answer. I was able to get my phone unlocked by exploiting the phone hole mentioned (involving calling the phone and mashing the keys repeatedly--though instead of hitting the non-existent home key I swiped up Google Now). I deleted the password using the SQL mentioned in the answer I cited earlier. However, upon rebooting the phone, I'm back in an non-unlockable state.
In other words, I can exploit a hole to unlock my phone, but I can't reset the PIN, and I have to make sure to turn my screen on before 30 minutes elapses and avoid rebooting, or I'm toast.

I got it fixed. Here are the steps I took:

Use the exploit here entitled "Phone: Use a hole to disable your lock". For me, it didn't work exactly as documented, though. I had to mash the password keys for a long time (calling my phone was unnecessary), then swipe up Google Now, mash the password a few more times, and hit Enter. With that, Google Now pops up and the phone is unlocked. I didn't test to find out how much of this is necessary and how much isn't.
Fire up a terminal app on the phone. I can't get root access from adb. Type su to become root. It should go without saying that this method will not work unless the phone has been rooted.
Enter the following commands to clear the password (source). Each line represents a command to type, one at a time.
sqlite3 /data/data/com.android.providers.settings/databases/settings.db
delete from secure where name='lockscreen.password_type';
delete from secure where name='lockscreen.password_salt';
.exit

Tip: These commands will be easier to type if you use Hacker's Keyboard and type with the phone in landscape orientation.
Reboot the phone.
The screen will still be locked and non-unlockable. So, repeat step 1 to unlock it.
Go to the security screen and hit Screen lock. You will be asked to confirm your PIN. The new password is null. That means that instead of entering a password, just hit Next with a blank password.
Now, you're in, so go ahead and change your PIN to whatever you want.

Here is how a Samsung GT-S5300 (Android 2.3 Gingerbread) was unlocked, which according to the user would not recognise its screen lock PIN anymore.
No data was lost during the process. The device was not rooted, nor did it had anything fancy installed. An internet connection -WiFi or G2/3/4- is required though.

Unplug the charger from your device.
Install the free version of Screen Lock Bypass Reset. Ignore any warnings about purchasing the Pro version.
Once installed, a bypass can be activated by plugging in the charger.
The black Screen Lock Bypass Reset screen appears. Hit the return key ⏎ on your device to show the temporarily unlocked device desktop.
This offers a window of opportunity to approve the Lock & Erase application which can be sent from any other device connected via the internet to the Google Android Device Manager website.
After approval, it may take anything up to half an hour for the phone to become visible on the Google Android Device Manager website.
Once visible on the website, click on Lock to enter a new PIN.
The device can now be unlocked with the new PIN.

NOTE: This app is incompatible with my phone. It looks like it only works on Android versions up to 4.0. At any rate, the description in the Play Store is insufficient for understanding which devices it might be incompatible with. It appears that your phone is running Gingerbread, so it's rather ancient.

@ScottSeverance Once logged in to the Google Play Store, a line under the application title will tell whether the app is compatible with one's phone and network. If not, consider purchasing the Pro version of the unlock app.

The pro version is incompatible, as well. Likely this is for the same reason: The app only works with ancient Android versions, and possibly can't be made to work with modern versions.

Gin Gordon's answer is good enough to fix most of the problem related to password unlocking. However, if the issue still exists, I suggested to have a look at Android Lock Screen Removal(paid), a small tool developed by Wondershare. It will use the downloaded recovery image to remove the lock screen password.

Here's how I cleared the screen lock password on my phone running CyanogenMod 11:

Boot into TeamWin (or other adb-enabled) recovery,
Connect the USB cable on the computer, then perform:

sudo -i
adb -d shell
mount /data
cd /data/system
rm gesture.key
rm password.key

reboot

if you know your samsung account, u can unlock your device without loosing any data or anything! I had the same problem.
1) Sing in with your samsung account :
findmymobile.samsung.com/mindex.jsp
2) you will see 'unlock my screen' among the options . Then click it.
It really works well
Good lucks :)

This doesn't work since the question mentions installing CyanogenMod, which removes all Samsung's preinstalled software and customizations. If the user was on a stock ROM this could help.

Plus, there's no Samsung account on a stock ROM, either, because there's no Samsung ROM. This is a Nexus device


text:
“Insufficient storage available”. Ok, but where?
When I upgrade an Android application from Google Play, it gets downloaded, then the upgrade stops with the message “Error: Insufficient storage available.”
Yet none of the partitions seem to be nearly full. The app is about 10MB, and I have about 100MB free on /data. Here's the output of df (omitting /mnt/asec):
Filesystem             Size   Used   Free   Blksize
/dev                   171M    32K   171M   4096
/mnt/asec              171M     0K   171M   4096
/mnt/obb               171M     0K   171M   4096
/cache                 469M     2M   466M   4096
/efs                     6M     3M     3M   4096
/system                503M   329M   174M   4096
/data                 1007M   895M   112M   4096
/storage/sdcard0        13G     4G     8G   4096

This is happening on a rooted stock 4.1.2 image from Google.
I've read other questions on this site, such as Why can't I install apps when I have enough storage?, insufficient storage error while updating installed apps [duplicate], and others, but they all concern situations with only about 10–20MB free, whereas I have a 100MB safety margin. Unlike Something is secretly eating up my Acer Iconia A500 internal memory and I need help finding it and What can I do to manage my phone's internal storage?, I'm not trying to figure out which files are filling up a partition, I'm trying to figure out which partition is filled up.
So how can I figure out which partition this “insufficient storage” message is about?

What kind of device do you have? On my old HTC Incredible it was the /data/data directory that gave me headaches.

@Mr.Buster Nexus S. /data/data is on the same filesystem as /data.

Indeed. On my old phone, though, that was were apps were stored on the device (versus the external SD card). When that directory filled up I got the same mysterious "insufficient storage" messages and tons of random force closes even though all other partitions had room to spare. I thought my issue was limited to HTC, so it might not be the cause of the trouble you've got, but it's worth a look.

Related: “Insufficient Storage Available” even there is lot of free space in device memory (though it ought to be moved here).

Same problem here. I have 3.3 GB of free storage on my phone. Here's something I've noticed: I can't update an 8.63 MB app like Evernote Skitch, but I can update a 48.23 MB app like the Clash-of-Clans game. WUT?

“Insufficient storage available” This thread will help you
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/16818049/insufficient-storage-available-even-there-is-lot-of-free-space-in-device-memor

This is an ancient question. On modern Android devices, I think the Google Play Store insists that you must have at least 500 MB free in the partition which holds user-installed apps (which I think is probably /data). Consider upgrading to a newer Android device with more free space.

A common problem on android devices is that android will keep and safe all applications which are in your system directory (system apps/apps installed from the factory). This is exactly the same problem I had with my Sony Xperia arc s.
I've fixed this by rooting my phone and install "system cleaner root" (note: only rooted devices can use this app and you'll probably lose your warranty when you root your phone) and run that application. It will search for saved update files on your phone which are system apps, and then delete these old update files.
The problem should be fixed. As long as you run "system cleaner root" once in a while.

If this didn't work. Did you also tried to scan the phone for viruses? I use bitdefender anti virus to scan my device so now and then.

For the record. My phone got fixed that way and had enough free space as well.

Also for the record: /system/apps (where the pre-installed apps are located) is mounted read-only. The "insufficient storage" error is not related to that, but rather to /data. That's also where SystemCleaner and similar apps "clean up". For details and further hints, our insufficient-memory tag-wiki is a good starter :)

I have also had the same Problem. Personaly I solved the Issue by booting in the Recovery Mode on my Samsung Phone and clearing the Cache partition.
Also, thigs could work is using some cleaning Apps, which would release some memory which was being used by application to Cache the Data. You might also want to uninstall some application with are not being used personal (pre installed applications, like S Calender on Samsung Touch WIz.)
Would advice regular cleaning of the cache partition to prolong the Phone Usage.Using Galaxy S2 for about 3 Years now.

I had the same problem and used this solution on my HTC One running CM11. Another, simpler way: uninstall the app that won't update then search your file manager app for files and folders related to the app and delete them.

I've had the same issue. What solved my problem was clearing application cache through Application Manager for Chrome and others. I fail to see the connection, but it worked for me.

Well, clearing cache frees up some storage (where the cache had been). So the connection should be clear :)

I already had roughly 2 gigs internal storage free, and it was only some apps that wouldn't update. Also now I have 1GB left and this hasn't bothered me for months.

You could check with a terminal emulator (or via adb shell) with the mount command, but on many (if not most) devices /cache is a separate partition – while "internal storage" usually points to /data. I just wonder since the "insufficient memory" error normally is related to the latter; I've never heard it in connection with /cache.

use this method to remove dump files and get rid of this error. I found this useful.
From your phone dialler, dial *#9900#
You will see sysDump screen on your device.
Tap on Delete dumpstate/logcat and it will show you dump result. Click okay and exit.
Source : http://www.theandroidportal.com/fix-insufficient-storage-android/

This is a method to clean up some files that are accounted for. My question is about a case where there is free storage space yet application upgrades don't work.

According to the original article, "this only works on SAMSUNG phones."

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


text:
Why does the Android OS use so much battery power?
Most of the time, I have enough power for my Samsung Galaxy SIII to operate for the whole day; at the end of the day my battery charge is about 35%. However, today, the battery died prematurely. I noticed the battery usage screen, and it says that 28% of the battery is used by the Android OS. How could this have happened?
EDIT: My question has been marked as a duplicate, but the target does not have any solution, so those answers do not fully address my question. Though I agree in the fact that this question is the same as the target.

Whether or not something is a duplicate is not generally decided by the answers provided, but by the content of the questions themselves, so your last statement seems rather confusing. If you agree that the questions are the same but find the answers lacking, consider adding a bounty.

Check betterbatterystats free XDA version Or paid on Google play

What you're looking for is wakelocks. That will explain what is pegging your processor/antenna.

@eldarerathis Not really. The intent of closing a question as a duplicate is to make sure that there is a canonical answer to the same question. Thus, when closing as a dupe, the main intent is to see if there is an answer at the linked question, not so much if the questions are identical. This is official advice from the SE team; that's why they removed the ability for non-mods to close questions as dupes when the target is considered unanswered.

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


text:
Any suggestion on how to recover deleted sms?
Yesterday I just picked my phone from my pocket and it was prompting me to delete all my messages, and I accidentally tapped the confirm button and lost all my messages.
I don't have any backup and my phone is not rooted. Is possible to recover it?

If you use the search box on top of this page, and enter recover deleted sms, it turns up some helpful questions which do have answers. Have you checked e.g. with Is there a way to recover a deleted SMS? / HTC Desire crashed, deleted all SMS/MMS. Can I recover? / Recover deleted content from userdata partition?

Yes, but all those questions have answers about having backup or rooted phones.

For good reasons: There's no other way.

Thanks!
So, my question is not a total duplicate, and the answer is 'No'.

Depending on the phone you might still root it by the way. What model do you own?

@ce4 It's a S3 Mini. Do you think I can root it and still recover the messages?

The S3 mini can be rooted afterwards, yep. You might have luck to root without loosing data and then possibly have even more luck to recover it using the techniques in the other answers linked here.

Most Samsung phones have unlocked bootloaders. It'll void your warranty though and alter your firmware. So it's not for the faint of heart, you'd flash the recovery from this Rom thread (don't do a full install and no wipe!) and boot into CWM to grab a flash dump.


text:
Tethering Not working
if I enable Tethering (wifi/usb):

my phone and the pc can share files on the local net ( phone - pc )
but the Internet connection is not shared at all

How can I debug/fix this issue ?

After enabling Tethering follow the steps below:

On the Android phone, press Home, press Menu, and touch Settings to open the  Settings application.
Touch Wireless & networks > Tethering & portable hotspot.
Check USB tethering.

Hey reply me if still have a problem  with usb tethering.

I will check and let you know.
Is it possible that there are some limitation on my data connection to avoid Tethering ?

If I got you: I should fist enable Wifi tethering and then enable usb tethering ? is it some workaround for a known issue ? I mean I know how to enable tethering ...

Okay , so still u have issue with it or it's resolved?

no lucky here: same issue


text:
Connecting files with calendar events
I'm using Google calendar for all kinds of events. For some events I necessarily create files which can be anything from notes to presentations and so on.
Now the question is whether I can connect these files with their respective events? Usually I have to check my calendar and whatever app I use for notes etc. But sometimes I find it hard to remember if I have already created notes for a particular event because they are not connected.
I assume that Google's calendar app doesn't support my idea but maybe you know a better solution or a different app that will do for me.
Thank you.


text:
Internal Storage doesn't get mounted
I'm using PA3+ JB 4.1.2 on my HTC Vivid. Everything was working fine until Gmail app gets an update. After update, phone went into a bootloop. To recover, I went into TWRP and restored factory default, cleared cache and dalvik cache et cetra. Bootloop issue resolved but now when I'm trying to open Gallery/Camera app, it's giving me No external Storage Available error. In setting, when I try to mount internal SD card; nothing happens. I tried to mount card from TWRP but still, nothing is happening.
Should I flash ROM completely? Or is there any workaround to resolve this issue?
EDIT
I'm getting Unable to mount /emmc (Invalid Argument) error quite often in TWRP.

Sounds like it might be your ROM. You could start by clearing the cache and dalvik. If it were me, I'd back up my sms and mms and do a full flash. I doubt a factory reset alone will help. I had an issue with permissions when my phone was connected to USB with certain ROMS, sometimes accessing with my PC, sometimes through recovery. I have to believe it's ROM related since the current version of PAC-man I'm using has been much more cooperative. I doubt it's driver related, but that'd be the safest starting point if you have sensitive data on your phone.


text:
Turn On Both Wifi and Wifi Hotspot
Currently I am using HTC Desire A8181. Currently it is connected to some wifi for Internet. I need to use this device as a Wifi Hotspot to connect Multiple devices. Need Some one help to use Both Wifi and Wifi hotspot.

See: Android as WiFi bridge with AP / Can I use the HTC Desire HD Wifi Hotspot feature to share a wireless network instead of mobi…

The device would need to have two separate radios to be able to do this.

Radio one for the wifi client
Radio two for the wifi accesspoint

As phones cannot be upgraded with additional wifi cards, this is not possible.
(Technically it would be possible if the device had a USB-OTG capable USB port, but yours doesn't have this, and secondly the standard firmwares don't support such a setup either)


text:
Does Xperia S support HDR?
As the title says, does anyone know if Xperia S supports the HDR feature?

HDR stands for High Dynamic Range. It usually refers to the method of capturing images having “greater dynamic range between the lightest and darkest areas of an image than current standard digital imaging methods or photographic methods” (Wikipedia).

Is it capable of taking pictures? Can it capture more than one photo? HDR is rather a software solution. I don't know any reason why a recent device should not be able to handle it – except for having no camera, that is.

Yes, Xperia S has a 12 MP camera. So how do I enable HDR, if it is supported?

You don't enable it on the device. It's the camera app that needs to support it. AFAIK the stock camera shipping with Android 4.2+ does so, plenty more are available on Google Play. // I'll sum up a little answer for you to make it easier.

My phone is on Android 4.1.2, however. So I assume it is not supported, currently.

HDR has not to be enabled on the device. It is a software feature, combining multiple photos (see: Bracketing) into one. So you will need a camera app supporting this.
AFAIK the stock camera shipping with Android 4.2+ does so, plenty more are available on Google Play (not necessarily requiring Android 4.2+, most will run on your device). See e.g. Camera HDR Studio or HDR Camera for apps explicitly dedicated to this feature, or Camera FV-5 for an all-round-camera having this feature "amongst others". More to find out there.
A helpful article to read on the topic: How to use HDR on your Android device.

Hi, this answer seems to suggest, that HDR is implemented by the OS driver itself, and can't be enabled just by the Camera app.

Then how do you explain the thousands of users successfully making HDR photos with the other apps on devices running Android < 4.2? I guess the answer you linked is a little misunderstood: The stock camera shipping with 4.2 uses a HDR implementation on OS level. That doesn't mean all others have to do so. HDR is nothing else but shooting multiple images, and "edit" them. So it can be done on app-level. Just try out the apps I've linked, and see for yourself ;)


text:
Is there any (major) difference between the Galaxy Note 3 on different US carriers?
I am currently a loyal Verizon customer, and have been pretty much forever.
My current phone is a Galaxy Nexus, and my previous phone was a Droid, and the carrier has been fairly hands-off with these "stock" Android models.
I'm currently out of contract, so I have the ability to freely/easily switch carriers if need be.
I really like Verizon's coverage, but might be willing to jump ship for various reasons.
(Carrier decision is really a separate question)
I'm currently interested in the Galaxy Note 3. However, I'm concerned about what modifications Verizon may have made to their version of this model.
The main reason for my concern is this list of differences about the previous model, the Note 2: http://engadget.com/2012/12/07/dnp-samsung-galaxy-note-ii-verizon-review/
What especially concerns me is things that were removed and hardware differences, such as the Verizon model of the Note 2 missing the wireless charging contacts, but on principle I am also concerned about firmware and software differences (other than the necessary CDMA chip, of course, and I can live with additional Verizon branding and bloatware).
I have asked this question in a variety of forums, including asking Verizon and Samsung directly, but haven't gotten a straight answer. I'm hoping that "no news is good news" and I would really like to dive in and take this model. But if there are any differences, I'd like to know them.
I just want to make sure I am getting the features as-advertised by Samsung.
Thanks!

I guess you need to just keep reading reviews. This one, for instance, says that the only difference between the Verizon version and other versions is the chip for the network and, of course, the carrier-branded apps.

THANK YOU! This is exactly the sort of review I was looking for to confirm. I'd give you a "best answer" if I could.

Self-answering update from OP:
I have now owned a Verizon Galaxy Note 3 for about 6 months and there are no significant differences between this and another carrier's model.
It even has an official upgrade path to KitKat at this point (although not yet OTA at the time I posted this answer).
http://xkcd.com/979/

...and as of today, KitKat is going OTA.

I found good info on the hardware specs here:
http://www.phonearena.com/phones/Samsung-Galaxy-Note-3_id7984
I'd compare that to any stats verizon releases.
Word on the street is it will be both CDMA and GSM, so I wouldn't be surprised if there are no differences.
My reading:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2469047

I'm really hoping for something as in-depth an analysis as the engadget article about the II. Since there hasn't been anything on the web about it in 5 days -- an eternity in internet-negative-comment time -- I'm currently assuming they didn't change as much this time around.

As underscorenorm mentions, it is your responsibility to ensure that the specs published by Verizon either match those posted by Samsung, or that the differences are acceptable to you. However, if the Note 3 is advertised with a particular feature and you purchase a Note 3 then it is reasonable for you to expect that feature.
Therefore, I would highly recommend that you contact Verizon in writing with your question and your concern. Doing this will let them know that their spending money to modify the device is actually costing them potential customers. A few letters like that might convince the company to keep their hands off the device.
Posting as an answer, not a comment, due to recommending a different course of action than does underscorenorm.

OP here. While I never set a "best answer" back in October because I felt Al E's comment was better than underscorenorm's answer, I have owned my Note 3 for several months now and there are no significant carrier differences. Sorry I never followed up, but my concerns were assuaged.

Great, thanks for mentioning it. I suggest that you answer your own question with that information included and accept it. The purpose of "best answer" is to inform those who come after us of the best answer. The reward to the answerer is just gravy.


text:
How can I get the history list of times I started using an application?
I want all the timestamps of every time that an app has started running.
I tried searching in the Play Store but I didn't find one. I downloaded an app called AppUsage which shows the Last Launched timestamp but I want all the timestamps

The Android system stores statistics on this, which on most devices can be accessed via a hidden menu:

Open your dialer
Type *#*#4636#*#*
A menu will open. The 3rd entry should read "Usage stats" (or something similar). Tap this.

You should see a list of your apps, which tells for each app how often it was started, and how long it ran. Using the drop-down box on top, the list can be sorted by usage time, usage count, or app name.
Remark: AFAIK this list will be reset when you restart your device.

Edit: In case your device provides no dialer (thanks @ce4 for pointing out my lapsus), it will require some searching to find the appropriate menu, but it's doable. Some launchers (e.g. Apex Launcher) provide the possibility to create shortcuts to "activities" (rawly: screens provided by apps). Long-tap a free space on your homescreen, then select "shortcuts", then "activities". Now scroll through the quite long list to find it. On my LG Optimus 4X the activity is called "Test" and has a "Gear" icon (same as the "Settings" app has in this menu), so that's the first place to look for: scroll to "Settings", open the drop-down, look for "Test".

Doesn't work on my 4.3 GNex and neither on any tablet (no dialer). Found an app though, see my answer :-)

In those cases, you could try something like Apex launcher to check for the matching activity, and create a shortcut for it on your homescreen (long-tap "homescreen", select "shortcuts", then "activities"). I'm pretty sure I saw that as well on my survey a couple of months ago.

There's LaunchStats which should work as is on versions up to (including) Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. This app scans the system logs for all app starts since the device was booted and extracts the data you want.
However starting with 4.1 Jelly Bean the necessary READ_LOGS permission has been restricted to system apps due to security concerns. It is still possible, but you need to grant that manually via the developer console on your PC (adb is part of the Android SDK):
 adb shell pm grant de.goddchen.android.launchstats android.permission.READ_LOGS

See more background on how to grant this permission here. You also need to enable adb debugging on your phone in the developer options.


text:
Different album art for songs in the same album
The MediaStore provider on Android is really screwed up.
On Android it isn't possible to define different cover art for songs in the same Album. Especially for compilations and "Various Artists" Albums. This is annoying!
PlayerPro was able to use ID3 Cover-Art instead of the MediaStore cover art, but this doesn't work since it has been updated.
Same goes for most music players for android, as they always use the MediaStore Class on Android to get the cover, and not their own implementation to get the ID3 embedded cover art.
To work around this issue, I can tag the Album-Artist tag on all files with the same Album tag:
Artist      Title       Album   AlbumArtist CoverTag    Displayed Cover
Daft Punk   Get lucky   Singles Daft Punk   get lucky   get lucky
Deftones    Bored       Singles Deftones    bored       get lucky
Avicii      Levels      Singles Avicii      levels      levels
Avicii      Wake me up  Singles Avicii      wake me up  wake me up

This work around will correctly display different covers for each of those songs, all in the "Singles" album, BUT not for the two different songs by Avicii. It's because the Mediastore Class will allow different covers for different "AlbumArtists" on a single Album. Since the AlbumArtist tag for both Avicii songs are the same, it will only use one of the covers for all Avicii songs in the same album "Singles".
Solutions not preferred:

Weird tag changes
separate folders on the phone

Any solution for PlayerPro, on Android itself, or my system of tagging? Or is there a different player which can handle embedded cover art correctly?

What is Weird tag changes?

Sounds like this was bound to happen if you use the same album name for them all, and rely on the artist name to be unique. Why not put the single name in your album field, after that's what would be there if you had bought each song as a single rather than buying a compilation?

There are albums that have the same name. I use "Singles" for all songs in my collection that are released as a single. Another example is "The very best of" by Prince and by 5 other artists in my collection. They all use Prince's cover now. Which isn't preferred.


text:
Is there no option to turn off cell broadcasting messages in HTC Desire 500?
I got the recently launched HTC Desire 500 (Android  4.1.2, Sense 5).
Since then I am continuously getting cell broadcasting messages (4 every 2 minutes). And shockingly, there is no option to turn off the cell broadcast neither in message settings nor in Call settings.
When I compared my HTC Desire X with Desire 500, I saw the option is there in Desire X but not in Desire 500. The call center people are helpless. The Customer care center people are saying its a defect in the phone's software, so we cant repair it.
So by the time the software update comes, does anyone here has any solution. It is really irritating and its sad that HTC doesn't have the solution to such a trivial issue which is actually a headache.

Have you checked the other 7 questions tagged cell-broadcast? Maybe any of those solutions apply to your case as well?

As I learn from Vodofone's support page, I understand that this is an issue in the ROM. Either you may have to check whether any software updates are available, or to demote to a lower version or try a custom ROM to solve this issue.

I purchased this phone, and you are right. Cell broadcasting messages has become the biggest headache for me. I tried to talk to HTC customer care twice. They do not have any working solution. They suggested me to inset the SIM into another mobile and switch off cell broadcasting, but that didn't work for me. I am planning to take HTC to consumer court. It's not a joke. It's a bug in their device of which we are suffering. I travel a lot with my job. Within 90 kms of distance, I generally receive 160 messages. I also can't use Maps because of this bug. It's really annoying.

One of my colleauges has Desire 500 for month and finally found a solution to disable Cell Broadcast, but unfortunately I do not know how. I can only confirm that it was possible!

Maybe you could ask him and include those details?

I am not sure whether this works as I believe broadcast settings are not stored in SIM. I searched and stumbled on this HTC support page where the solution is said as:

I resolve problem. It is very simple. Just put your sim card in old or
  some other phone and turn off cell broadcast info option. Then return
  your sim in new phone. On my HTC Desire 500 there is no option for
  cell broadcast. After this procedure I do not recives messages.

Then, another search result says with better detail (you may have to search for Cell Broadcast. Though this not deals with your phone (with HTC Desire T327W), I guess this seems to be a common issue with few HTC phones. As per that page:

26-Sep-2013 - My earlier review talks about Cell Broadcast messages
  problem faced by me while using HTC Desire XDS. After a lot of
  followup with HTC, I have got the steps using which the Cell Broadcast
  messages have got disabled in my Desire XDS. The steps taken by me
  were as follows for each of the two SIM cards:
  a) Find an old phone which has an option to enable/disable Broadcast Channels and Messages
  (in my case its a Samsung D500).
b) Insert the first SIM in that old
  phone and go to the settings menu for Broadcast messages.
c) At first
  the Channels and Messages usually appear as disabled. I changed the
  setting for both Channels and Messages to Enabled in the old phone.
d) Switch-off the old phone and Switch-on
e) Go to the settings menu
  for Broadcast messages. Change the settings for both Channels and
  Messages to Disabled.
f) Switch-off the old phone and Switch-on
g) Switch-off the old phone and remove SIM card
h) Do the same steps (a-g) for the second SIM
i) Insert the SIM cards back in HTC Desire
  XDS
Now I do not get any Broadcast Messages, its such a relief. I hope HTC
  provides a better and elegant solution via a software update in the
  upgrade to Android 4.3.


text:
run custom ROM files on Emulator
I want to run ROM files of different phone models on Android emulator in my Windows PC.
Do you know how can i do so? I know how to run standard android emulators for INTEL and ARM however i want to run production ROM files.

If you're willing to compile your own ROMs, you can definitely build them for the emulator. ROMs are device-specific, and the emulator is just like another device. If you include the drivers/setup code with the ROM, it will boot on the device.

You can't do that. As you already know, ROMs are built for the specific hardware they run on. They have drivers and settings that only work on that hardware. The emulator only emulates a particular hardware configuration, and requires its own drivers for the emulated hardware.
To run a ROM file for a phone you'd need to change the emulator to emulate the specific hardware of that phone. This is next to impossible without the support of the device manufacturer, and would need to be repeated for each device. Alternatively, if you had the source of the ROM, you could change it to have the drivers and configuration for the emulator, but then it wouldn't be the production ROM any more.

I want to do this to test apps in platform near to real production status. However, having sources, changing source code to run on emulator would be so tricky?

I don't know. Making ROMs for the emulator is outside my experience, and making custom ROMs is off-topic for this site like other development questions, because we're targeted at Android users.


text:
Is it possible to receive files on memory card during wifi direct transfer ? Is it possible to change wifi direct send/receive settings ?
Is it possible to receive files on memory card during wifi direct transfer ? Is it possible to change wifi direct send/receive settings ?
Case is like I need a file from another android phone to my android phone but device storage memory is low against size of file but have sufficient of space in memory card, but when the transfer starts a file is copied only to the device.
EDIT : Device is not rooted

If your device is rooted, DirectoryBind might be a possible solution (letting a directory from your SDCard appear to be an internal one).

Sorry but device are not rooted, updated question accordingly thax for your help.

Can anyone tell what is this "bumped to homepage" by community?

ES File Explorer used to be by choice for Android phones rooted or not, until the development was lagging and not current.
FX FileExplorer is to me, the best file manager out there. Has everything ES has and more but is also maintained often, updated and secure.  I don't 100% remember why I stopped using the former, but I do recall WebDav, FTP, was not great amongst other things. Read "A Short Story of A Fallen King" and the comments. You will read similar sentiments among other users.
Forgot to mention: FX protects your privacy:

No advertisements
No tracking of user activity: FX does not ever "phone home"
Built by NextApp, Inc., a US corporation founded in 2002; all proprietary code was developed in-house.

I use ES File Explorer to transfer huge files (in GBs) between my rooted phone and unrooted Nexus 7 tablet.
When doing a Wi-Fi based transfer (i.e. using send option), ES File Explorer asks for destination in the target device and I can choose where ever I want (in the context of the question, I can choose a path leading to a folder in my external card).

File send using share or send in ES File Explorer ? My both device are not connected in same wifi network.

Try FX Explorer. You will not regret it.

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


text:
Android driver resets DNS on my Win7 host
Few days ago I plugged my android (HTC1) phone to my Win7 machine which never had any network issues.
When I connected, I also made th following change:

Mobile Hotspot & tethering->USB network Setting->Internet pass through

Even when the phone is disconnected, from time to time, something (new) resets the DNS setting to my phone's IP address.  I reset with ipconfig /renew and it is fine for a while, but eventually flips back.

Update:
Ran wireshark on PC and it looks like the phone is sending DHCP ACKs and announcing itself as the router & DNS server etc.
This can't be a feature, How am I supposed to stop it?

Did you run the wireshark capture when the phone was connected via USB?

@onik, no the phone was no longer connected via USB.

Workaround: I am pretty sure got fixed after I enabled and disabled "Mobile Hotspot"
So while I am answering my own question, I will accept any answer that describes how to disable this faulty behavior


text:
Asus Nexus 7 Tethering and Wifi HotSpot not available
Using my ASUS Google Nexus 7, I was trying to make it as Portable Wifi Hotspot. But when I opened my settings --> Wireless&Networks there is option for Tethering and Portable Hotspot. I tried this link. Its an app in Play store to enable Wifi Hotspot. Can someone help me to make this work?
SPECIFICATIONS:
Model Number - Nexus 7
 Android Version - 4.2.2
 Build Number - JDQ39

You probably don't have the version that includes a GSM modem.
I guess you want to set up an ad-hoc local wifi network?
The non-GSM variants don't offer tethering options because there's obviously no point in tethering when the device lacks the functionality for a GSM mobile data connection. Alas, some rarer use cases like set up a local wifi accesspoint without internet access or USB-tethering the wifi connection are also not possible then. Only rooted devices or 3rd party firmwares like CyanogenMod offers this.


text:
Moto X has 5 models with different LTE bands. Does it matter which one I get?
I want to purchase an LTE phone for use with T-Mobile.  According to Wikipedia model XT1053 is what I need... however it uses LTE bands that many of the other phones don't use.

What is an LTE band?
If I purchase model XT1055 and use it on TMobile will I only use LTE band 4, and the other ones are unused?
Is there an impact on battery life if using a phone that has a different LTE band then expected by the network?
Is it correct to say that these LTE bands are hard coded into the phone and can't be changed?

LTE bands are the bands of radio spectrum that the cellular networks run on.  There are 44 defined bands and different carriers in different areas use different bands to provide service.  Wikipedia has a fairly extensive list of who uses what bands.
Yes, T-Mobile operates on band 4 (aka AWS), so any other band capability on the device would go unused.
If you don't have the same band available on the phone as on the network, you won't be able to use the network period.  It would be like trying to pick up an AM radio station on an FM-only radio.
Yes.  Band availability is determined by the hardware radio set the phone was built with.

An "LTE band", or any other type of "band" that you read about with relation to a phone, is referring to the radio frequencies that the phone picks up. Each cellular provider builds their network on a specific set of radio frequencies which are divided up into chunks that are assigned band numbers. So, using your T-Mobile example, band 4 is specifically comprised of two frequency ranges:

Upload bandwidth uses radio frequencies between 1710 and 1755 MHz
Download bandwidth uses frequencies between 2110 and 2155 MHz

A phone's spec sheet effectively lists the frequencies that its antennas (and cellular radio) are designed to support. You cannot change the antenna's supported bands because this is not something that is set in software - the supported bands listed in a spec sheet are, generally, a statement about the phone's hardware support for different networks*. Therefore, your phone must support the carrier's LTE network bands in order for you to have LTE coverage. Otherwise the LTE radio will be unusable.
Cellular antennas these days are pretty much always multi-band pieces of hardware (that is, one antenna picks up several bands). The difference between powering a 5 band radio and a 2 band one is probably measurable with very precise instrumentation, but it's certainly not going to be an amount that would be perceptible when actually using the device. Further, having support for additional bands is generally considered a net benefit because you have the ability to use the phone on multiple carriers (assuming a SIM unlocked device).
Per your specific example of the XT1053 vs the XT1055: you could use the either on T-Mobile USA's LTE network, because both support band 4 LTE, which is what T-Mobile is using. However, the XT1055 will not work on T-Mobile's current HSPA+ network because it lacks support for the UMTS 1700 band. In places where LTE is too weak or not available, you would drop all the way back to EDGE (2G) speeds, whereas the XT1053 would be able pick up HSPA+42 speeds (if available).

*There are some exceptions to this rule, where a device may actually use a radio chipset/antenna combination that provides hardware support for a band that is effectively "locked out" by the software layer. One example of this is the Nexus 4, which does not list LTE support in its specs but does, in fact, have an LTE band 4 chip installed that can be enabled on older baseband versions. However, you could not force the N4 to work on, say, LTE band 17.

Some phones can have extra bands enabled via software. For example, the AT&T Galaxy S4 doesn't support the 1700 band, but QPST can enable it (since the underlying hardware actually has the capability). While this phone may not have that option, it isn't always accurate to say that a phone cannot have extra bands enabled. http://galaxys4root.com/galaxy-s4-tutorials/how-to-enable-t-mobile-hspa-aws-bands-on-att-galaxy-s4-sgh-i337sgh-i337m/

@StephenSchrauger: I would argue that's splitting hairs a bit, though. You couldn't force it to support some other arbitrary band without disassembling the phone and finding a way to attach a new antenna. The point I was intending to make is that you cannot change the hardware's supported bands via software means. Perhaps this wasn't clear enough. Incidentally, I would wager the number of phones with software band lockouts like that are pretty small (though perhaps increasing; the N4 has an LTE band 4 chip that is software-disabled by the baseband as well).


text:
Managing Multiple accounts for apps
My wife and I just bought new android phones for the first time, and are new to the google play store, and I am wondering the best way to manage app store purchases.
Occasionally I'd like to have an app that she has purchased and vice-verse.
Currently we both to manage our own google ids on each devices and make separate purchases on each id.
In the event I wanted both devices to have the same purchased app, is it advisable to switch the google account in google play store, install the app in question, and then log back in with the primary google account? Will this mess with anything important? Will updates still work, etc?

Note that Google Play Terms of Service prohibits sharing of accounts by multiple person (it allows sharing between multiple devices owned by the same person).
With that said, the Play Store does support multiple accounts, however multiple accounts means that you will also share Gmail, Calendar, etc, which means you probably will have to create a third account specifically created for sharing.

That won't help, at least in most cases not. Purchased apps are bound to the account they are purchased with, and an online license check is applied on them. So as soon as you "switch back", and the app checks it's license, it will de-activate itself (or at least refuse to work).
It might work however as long as the account is still present on the device, though it's not the primary. So you could both have each other's account configured on your devices in addition to your own. But then you also need to take care what you synchronize etc. I'm not sure if that would be worth it, considered that most apps are free, and the payed ones usually come for cheap.
Edit: as posted at the same time, I just saw Lie's answer. To avoid syncing each other's data, if you really want to go for it, the "third account" might in fact be the best option.


text:
root cannot list files in /data
1|shell@maguro:/ # ls -l /system/xbin/
-rwxr-xr-x root     shell       59816 2013-07-11 02:12 dexdump
-rwsr-sr-x root     root        67008 2013-10-08 17:24 su
shell@maguro:/ # ls /data
opendir failed, Permission denied

The permissions on su are correct right? I get the hash prompt, but I can't list the files in /data (or do anything that requires superuser permissions). I don't have Superuser.apk installed, I don't want to install it because of that grant/deny access dialogue that pops up if you wipe the device. What does Superuser.apk do that I can't do when I unpack the *.img files?

Perhaps you should install a file manager. I recommend CyanogenMod's. Also, SuperUser is the bridge between the su file and the application. AFAIK, you cannot create that connection yourself.

if SuperUser can, so can I. I just need to know how. File manager won't help me, I need adb shell root access for more than browsing files.

Perhaps we can help if you tell us what you want to do instead of giving us pieces at a time :)

I need full root permissions to adb shell to run the android shell commands, add/remove/read files, and turn services on/off pragmatically for testing purposes. And although I know how to automate the UI, I need to do all of this without the UI in order to reduce the time that is required to initialize the device for testing. And I need to maintain ADB and root access after a factory reset.

You would need to root your device to do what you want, which requires root access. I'm going to add this info to my answer.

What version of Android are you using? Since 4.3 just having /system/xbin/su with suid root permissions is not enough, because there is additional protection using the capability bounding set (and maybe SELinux), which prevents the traditional way of su operation (you get the uid 0, but no privileges). You need to have a recent enough su and start su --daemon & during boot to get full root permissions (the latter is usually done by placing the command to start the daemon into /system/etc/install-recovery.sh).

@SergeyVlasov how can I verify I have the appropriate su binary?

Enter su first.

> su
  > ls /data

Make sure your device is rooted.

I do, and I get the hash prompt (#) but that's about the only thing that changes, I have regular user privileges, not super user privileges.

For some operations, adb must be running as root as well.
You can easily restart the adb daemon with root permission by running adb root.
Then you can enter adb shell again, switch to root with su and navigate wherever you'd like.
Worked for me when I had exactly the same problem.
(Samsung Galaxy Nexus, Custom AOSP-based KitKat 4.4.4)
Small addition for others:
Certain superuser apps have an option in configuration to allow root access to either apps, adb or both. The default is not necessarily to allow adb root access.

The first point is true for ADB operations (such as adb push or adb pull), but not for shell operations AFAIK. Might be device/implementation specific, but I never had this issue: su && ls /data via adb shell worked on my devices even with the ADB daemon running in "normal mode".


text:
Messed up "Google play services". How to reinstall them?
I accidentally deleted my phone's Google Play Services app. So now, when I try to download apps on the Play Store, it says "No devices installed", and every time I try to install Google Play Services, it wont allow me to.
Can you help me? I've tried just about everything, and it still won't allow me to download anything. How would I get Google Play Services back working again?

Can you give us more information? Which phone do you have? Which version of Android do you have? How did you delete Play Services?

If you are rooted with custom recovery installed, flash new Google-apps package from OpenGapps which would reinstall the entire Google apps with framework and Play Services.

You could just search for an .apk for the Google Play Services on Google Search.  And, install it as usual.


text:
downgrade from Android 4.xx to 2.xx
can we down grade Android from 4.x to 2.x?? if I bought Android 4 device and need to downgrad it to Android 2.xx, can I do that ?
the devices are HTC with these modules:
•HTC devices especially the Incredible
•HTC Wildfire running CyanogenMod
•HTC Desire
•HTC Wildfire running CyanogenMod 6.1.0
but when I buy them they will have Android 4.X

Why is Android 2.x a requirement?

It depends on the device, and what you mean by "2.xx". Do you want A: stock Android? B: a ROM? C: a manufacturer-skinned stock image?
I'm going to assume that the answer do the question above is D: Any of the above. I'm also going to assume that by "2.xx", you mean 2.3. There are a few general requirements that will need to be fulfilled for it to be practical, and remember that this depends on the device and software; do your research before buying (assuming you haven't bought already).
The requirements:
1: The device was launched with Android 2.3 or earlier.
2: The device has an unlocked, unencrypted (or unlockable) bootloader.
3: (Pseudo-requirement) The device had, at the time that Android 2.3 was still important, an active development community.
If you meet the requirements:
You will have to do some google searching for various solutions. If you want...
A stock device image (not stock/"pure" Android) then you can find instructions generally by searching "unroot [device name]" on Google and XDA Developers.
A ROM: Go to XDA Developers or the popular dev community site for the device (Google is your friend) and search for CyanogenMod 7, or any other 2.3 ROM.
Stock Android: Good luck. I don't think you'll be able to find any flashable images with stock Android 2.3 for non-nexus devices.

well I don't know what are differences between them,
but need for having android 2.3 on these devices, also I need to root it

CyanogenMod comes rooted. You want either 6 or 7. XDA is your friend.

then it is seems to be as same procedure to install any Rom on device ?

The procedure for installing each ROM can be different. Quite often, you can simply flash it using a custom recovery and it "just works". Sometimes (for older/obscure devices) you might have to do something else.


text:
What applications can I disable on my Samsung Galaxy S4?
I have just bought a Samsung Galaxy S4 and discovered that it comes with a large number of programs that I know I will never use (Amazon MP3, all Samsung Apps, TripAdvisor etc.). I have found that they can be disabled by going to Settings > More > Application Manager, selecting a specific application and choosing Disable. The problem is that I don't know which applications can be safely disabled.
Can someone provide a definitive list of all the applications installed on a new Galaxy S4 along with whether they are required or not?

I can provide the list and maybe turn this into a wiki if anyone is interested?

Anything with a "Disable" button should be safe to disable. Crucial system apps won't be listed in the app manager or, if they are, won't allow you to disable them. You'll never get a "definitive" list of the apps you can shut off. At best, you might be able to get a good list of the apps you should leave alone.

You can check out DjeMBeY's pre-rooted S4 thread in XDA. The author has debloated (i.e. removed unecessary apps) the stock S4 ROM. There is a download link that contains all the APKs that he has removed; search for Removed Apps. It is safe to assume that these apps are safe to be deleted.
Better yet, why don't you just flash his custom ROM? That seems easier. :)


text:
Why does Sound Recorder in Cyanogenmod need network permission?
It doesn't seem to be able to share sound recordings. Why does it need that permission? Cyanogenmod 10.1 although I've seen it in other versions.

I guess that's better asked at the CyanogenMod Forum. The developers should be able to tell.

There's no malicous intent you can safely use it.
This App has been part of the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) since at least Android 1.5 Cupcake and Cyanogenmod only adapted it.
Here's CM's source code which shows it was only copied from the original AOSP code:
https://github.com/CyanogenMod/android_packages_apps_SoundRecorder/blame/cm-10.2/AndroidManifest.xml
Here's the initial AOSP version from 2007 which already has the same permission grant:
https://android.googlesource.com/platform/packages/apps/SoundRecorder/+/e2118f54af4c5215bd988979769e383292b9c9cb/AndroidManifest.xml
Now one may ask why it has this grant in AOSP already: I don't know why, it's seemingly not needed.

Even if:

This is an old thread,
You explain the app is generally reliable (and open source), ...
It seems "obscure" the request for such permission.
Related: https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/242690/why-would-app-x-need-permission-y ?


text:
SMS for small screen - workarounds or replacement app
The default SMS app's text size on my current phone is far too big for my tiny screen, and it wastes further screen real estate with a suggestion bar, which isn't much good if you can't see what you're replying to or half of what you're typing. Also, it inserts the name of the addressee and their phone number at the top of the screen unless you're actually scrolling.
Currently, I spend more time trying to see what's written than I do typing.
Could anyone offer any advice, or alternatively, is there an Eclair-compatible SMS app which

Allows the user to specify text size, or uses small text to begin with
Provides a good view of what you're writing and/or reading.

Any suggestions for smaller-but-still-usable keypads would also be appreciated.
I already know that the keypad can be temporarily hidden whilst composing a message, but it's useful to be able to see a little of both messages whilst
actually typing.
This is really bugging me.
Thanks :-)

Haven't you tried HandCent, Go SMS pro or SMSdroid? There's a huge list of 3rd party SMS apps available on the market.

@ce4 Thanks for the suggestions. I had tried several other SMS apps before asking the question. Unfortunately SMS Droid and Go SMS Pro hide everything whilst a message is being composed (SMS Droid covers up the message with adverts), and Handcent has smaller text but then doesn't use the full width of the screen, and thus isn't much better for either the previous message or the one being written. They also all require a LOT of permissions and are quite bloated. However, thanks for suggesting Go SMS Pro as I can now at least see what I'm writing. :-)

SMSdroid is an ad supported open source SMS app, but an adless version of SMSdroid is available on F-Droid.org that has been stripped of the ad "feature". You can also use F-Droid's market app to install the ad-less SMSdroid. SMSdroid can be tweaked to have a non-bloated view, also. Alas, the many permissions are needed for the functionality of SMS apps (plus "internet" to load ads, if the app is ad supported).


text:
Are there any benchmarking apps that measure how smooth scrolling is on a certain device?
The one thing I think that IOS (and Windows 8 as well) still has over Android even after all these years is smoothness in scrolling. After a while you don't really notice the difference until you start using an iphone side by side and realize just how smooth it should be.
Jelly bean made things better and recently I bought the new Nexus 7 and 4.3 seems to have improved things even more. Aside from just "feeling" it is smoother, are there any benchmarking apps to verify this?

Most of the difference you see is likely the result of an addition to Jelly Bean (initially in 4.1 and tweaked a bit in 4.2 and 4.3) called Project Butter.  It basically consisted of vsyncing all graphics, using triple buffering, synchronizing touch response with the vsync, and working to predict and prepare for your next action.  Those seem like small things, but they make a considerable difference.
You can see a slow-motion side-by-side comparison here.  Both devices are Galaxy Nexuses, one with ICS and the other with JB 4.1.  The difference is rather striking, especially with the quick contacts demonstration at 0:45.
As such, the new smoothness isn't going to depend so much on the hardware but on how much the device manufacture has tinkered with things, such as with HTC and Samsung using their own Sense and Touchwiz UIs rather than Google's stock one, and thus benefiting less from Butter.

so is there a benchmark to compare?

Beyond existing tests of raw graphics power, no.  It's all software trickery.


text:
Where is the factory reset button on Android 4.0.3?
I would like to do a factory reset of my Android phone. All guides on the internet I read show a factory reset button under the Privacy tab in Settings. However I don't have this button.
Where is it hidden?
I have Android 4.0.3 on an HTC one phone.

Check ALL the settings.

I did this already.

Did you try googling for "factory reset htc one" then following the instructions on the very first link which turned up?

The actual setting is:

Settings
Storage
Towards the bottom is the factory reset option

It's easy.

Go to Settings, and then tap Backup & reset.
Tap Reset phone.
If you also want to delete media and other data on HTC One, select Erase all data.
Tap OK.

You can check HTC website also

The Backup & reset button is not there.

Then do it like this:  1. TURN OFF THE PHONE.
Press and hold the VOLUME DOWN button, and then press and hold the POWER button.
Wait for the screen with the three Android images to appear, and then release the POWER and VOLUME DOWN buttons.
Press VOLUME DOWN to select FACTORY RESET, and then press the POWER button.

Settings>Accounts>Backup and reset>Factory Data Reset

It's in settings/storage at the bottom.


text:
Fail to connect to ADB Wifi when device goes to idle state?
I am connecting to my Android phone with ADB WiFi (no USB plugged in). However, whenever my device goes to sleep, I am losing connection and unable to reconnect.
In what I am trying to do, I need to have the screen off. And this is why I am using wake lock to keep CPU awake while device is idling. However, even with wake lock and wifi lock, I am still having the same problem.
Does anyone know how can I connect to ADB over wifi in this situation? or connect while screen is off?

My only other option would be to physically disconnect the screen.

have you looked through the other questions we've got on here about people who are having problems keeping the wifi on when the screen turns off? Eg How do I keep my wi-fi on in sleep mode, or My Samsung Galaxy Ace disconnects from Wi-Fi when sleeping even after setting the Wi-Fi sleep policy and the linked questions from those. It may also be that this is a problem with the OS version or drivers on your device, so editing your question to include your device and OS version would be helpful.


text:
Are all apps on Google Play compatible with the Samsung Galaxy S4?
I wanted to know whether the Samsung Galaxy S4 will run every app from the play store or not? I had done a lot of googling but failed to find an answer.

In general, NO.
Some apps:

run on specific devices only (i.e. not compatible with S4)
run on specific Android versions
available only in specific countries
available only on specific carriers
requires root access. (i.e. if phone is not rooted, it won't work)

You forgot to mention "are not available on specific carriers."

Or "are only available on specific carriers".

@Chahk an Al Thanks for that. Added into answer. :)

No there are not all compatible. When you watching an application on Google play ( from your device ) if you cannot find the button for installing that app, that means that your device is not supported by that application. Also if you visit that application page on Google play desktop site, and your device is listed in your account than a message will appear in browser that says that specific application is not compatible with your device.

I would say 80% app is compatible. And other 20% are for other specific devices. Specific android version and  specific screen size

What are you basing that on?  I've not seen any breakdowns like that of app/device compatibility, anywhere.

I'm with @Logos here. If you're going to give numbers, please cite your sources.


text:
What does the "@" symbol in the Running Applications/Services mean?
What does the "@" symbol in front of the time given in the right column of Running Applications/Services mean?
See screenshot below.
Phone: Samsung Galaxy S4 (GT-I9505)
OS: 4.2.2

Screenshot (click image for larger variant)

What phone and Android version is this on?

Samsung Galaxy S4 (GT-I9505), 4.2.2

We have the same phone and Android version, but I haven't seen those symbols on my phone. Hmmm.

All my Nexus 4.3 devices don't show this either. Seems like it's Sammy specific (maybe even for some sub models only)

My 4.2 Nexus 10 gives an = sign on Google Services, but no @ signs.

I've looked in the source for this settings page in AOSP, but can't find anything relevant.

It means that the process has been running longer than 99 hours, 99 minutes, and 99 seconds. It's a formatting bug.
The second hour digit, after reaching '9', will simply continue with the next characted from the ascii alphabet:
0123456789:;<=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ[\]^_`abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz{|}~

Where in this case ':' means 10, ';' means 11, '<' means 12, etc.
For example, '<5:12:34' means 125:12:34 and '?5:12:34' means 155:12:34.
It's fixed in Android 4.3
The Related bug report is here: http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=41401

I don't have a Samsung Galaxy S4 but based on the information provided it seems like this is the time frame since the services has been active (i.e. Service "com.sec.phone" started about 1:46:26 ago).
I can see that this is the case because a few other services have the same start time, at which point you either turn your phone ON (and Android initiated those services automatically).


text:
Whatsapp offline status
I friend of mine says that whenver I am talking to someone over phone, my whatsapp status shows offline i.e. neither it shows me online (since I am not using whatsapp at that moment and talking to someone on phone) nor the "LAST SEEN" status is available. And he can even tell me the exact duration of time I spent talking to that person.
Is this possible??
Is this a feature of whatsapp??
because as far as i know, no such case exists and if I try to view the status of a person who is currently talking to someone over the phone then obviously the "LAST SEEN" status for that person is available.
Is the friend of mine using some software or app??

What's your carrier? Some mobile phone technologies turn off data when using voice. WhatsApp wouldn't be able to contact the home server to update your status during your call.

See also: Is there a way to search for a number in Google without interrupting the call?, orWhy does Android disable HSDPA/EDGE communication while calling? about losing data connections whilst making a call.

Your data connection is probably being lost during the phone call. Thus, whatsapp gets disconnected.
CDMA networks (Verizon, Sprint, and others that do not use a SIM card) do not work with data and voice at the same time when on 3G. Voice takes over, so anything using data is disconnected. Verizon is working towards this feature, called svdo (Simultaneous Voice and ev-DO data), and according to that page has one device that uses it, the HTC Thunderbolt. Similarly, Sprint also has the HTC Evo 4G LTE that can use it. Almost all other devices, though, do not support this.
However, LTE (4G) does allow for voice and data simultaneously, so certain devices that are LTE capable and are connected to LTE can maintain data connections during a phone call.
In the end, if you have service through a network without SIM cards, and you aren't connected to WIFI or LTE, then you will lose data connections when you make or receive a phone call.


text:
Disable Android USB Auto-Detect
I have an android 4.2 embedded system.
When I connect a USB cool-disk to my device's USB port, it recognizes the cool-disk and works just fine.
But then the LED light on my connected cool-disk keeps flashing and I've learned to believe that the reason is that the USB Auto-Detection has not stopped on the USB port.
Do you know any android process that I can kill, in order to stop auto-detection on the USB port?
Any other idea to fix that flashing LED is much appreciated.

It's rather doubtful that what you suspect is actually the case.  Does the USB drive behave differently when connected to a typical desktop system?

@ChrisStratton: yes, normally it doesn't keep flashing.


text:
UserStyles for XML activities?
All my android phones so far have been Samsung's, with AMOLED screens.
One of the benefits of AMOLED is that black saves battery life.
So many apps though (including many big ones, even from Google) don't include a dark theme.
So you wind up with a lot of white, sucking down your battery.
This got me to wondering, seeing as the Android UI is built on XML with something essentially like CSS, is there any way to override the styles in apps?
I'm thinking something along the lines of the Stylish add-on for Firefox, which allows you to specify user stylesheets that can override all sites, or specific sites.
I am rooted, and was thinking maybe something on that Xposed Framework?
(I've never used any Xposed modules). Or any way really.
Thanks in advance.

Try Holo Themer which is an xposed module that will force all Holo apps (that is, apps which are consistent to the 3.0+ UI as opposed to the pre-Honeycomb UI) to be either dark or light.
If, after you install xposed, your phone won't boot, boot into recovery and flash the disabler attached to the thread.

Yeah, was excited when I saw that module published on XDA a week or two ago, but it doesn't seem to be effective with many apps. Google apps such as gmail and such seem to crash, and other apps, the developer has explicitly coded various elements to be certain styles, so that even though the activities are re-themed, a lot of the elements on them aren't, leading to a hodge-podge appearance. LOVED the idea, but it didn't really seem to work for me. :(

If you're willing to flash a custom ROM, you'll definitely want to check out SlimROM which lets you make the whole ROM (including the gapps) dark rather than light.


text:
S Galaxy mini 2 rebooting every 12 seconds... I'd like at least to save some data!
A pair of months ago I bought my first smartphone, so I am quite the noob. Suddently last week it decided to restart every 12-13 seconds (literally), as long as I don't remove the battery, and I can't find a solution on the internet. Of course I could give it to the support, but they warned me that by this way I'll lose all my data, while I'd like to save at least some. On the internet I found a couple of people with my same problem and no answer (if we exclude the "I left it in its frenzy the whole night, when I woke it was resolved", which in my case mysteriously didn't work) can you help me?
DETAILS - Samsung Galaxy mini 2 GT-S6500, no SD
THE INCIDENT - I was playing a game when it freezed (no answer from any button short of the 8 seconds forced shut down), as it had already happened, so I pressed the "off" button and started waiting, since it usually worked; I fell asleep, and when I woke up the screen was on and black. When I restarted it manually it started the evil madness. I had not installed any new app, or so I remember.
FAILED TREATMENTS
- Can't enter recovery mode by holding Volume up (+), Volume down (-) and Home button and then power on the phone. Nor does any combination of Volume, Power and Home work in any way...

It's particularly strange that you can't get into Recovery or Download mode. I did some googling and found: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbLcij05jH8 . So it's really a thing. The description of that youtube link suggests that it was a hardware failure, that the owner's father repaired with a soldering iron. That's pretty intense! If you can't get into recovery mode, can't boot normally, and can't connect to USB... I think you might be out of luck. Anyone else have ideas?

Uh, this hardcore solution looks way out of my possibilities... plus I'd prefer not to risk damaging the hardware since I would lose free support...
I was wondering... isn't there any program capable of making my pc read the smartphone memory even if it is off, so that I can at least save my data?
Anyway, thanks, at least I have some idea of the source of the problem!

Like I said before: If you can't get into recovery mode, can't boot normally, and can't connect to USB... I don't think so. Somebody else might have better news for you, though!

Have you tried a USB jig? That will get you into download mode. Maybe then you can flash a better recovery If it's still rebooting in recovery/download, you probably have a serious hardware issue and data recovery is going to be unlikely.


text:
How to factory reset LG optimus L3 E405 from pc
I hav flashed a CWM recovery on my phone....
it shows this CWM recovery menu repeatedly,without booting into the system...
please tell me to factory reset it through pc as the factory reset option in the phone isnt wrking....

Does you PC detect it via adb devices or fastboot devices?

Follow this steps, it will bring you phone back to life
http://www.hackmyandroid.com/how-unbrick-optimus-android-phone/1980

Answers that are nothing but a link somewhere else really aren't good answers. At the very least, what happens when that link stops working?


text:
How to enable experimental reverse port forwarding in chrome?

Commonly you have a web server running on your local development
  machine, and you want to connect to that site from your device. If the
  mobile device and the development machine are on the same network,
  this is straightforward. But this may be difficult in some cases, like
  on a restricted corporate network.

This is what I ran into at work.I have been trying to get my web application that runs on my my localhost to be accessible on my mobile device.

Desktop OS: Mac OS X 10.6.8
Desktop Chrome: Version 30.0.1599.69
Mobile OS: Android 4.3 (Nexus4)
Mobile Chrome: Version 30.0.1599.82

I found an article about chrome experimental features that was explaining you how to enable reverse port forwarding in chrome. I have been following the article until it said to tick the checkbox for "Enable reverse port forwarding" in "developer tools > settings > experiments". I found the tick list but could not find that option. Does anyone know how I can enable this reverse port forwarding?

When you say "localhost", do you mean the device's localhost (itself) or do you just mean you're running a webserver on your desktop? Or am I missing something?

In this case I mean localhost on the desktop.

Are you unable to configure the server software and any applicable firewalls? If configured properly, you should be able to view the page without anything special, assuming the phone and desktop are on the same LAN. If there's some special reason you ned reverse port forwarding, it would probably help to give added details about your special case.

Read the question again and noticed something I missed before: You kinda already answered my question (Sorry!). Just to confirm: Is this a case where (like in the article you linked) you're on a restricted network that makes the normal method impractical?

I'm looking at my Chrome (Arch Linux) and it doesn't have "Enable reverse port forwarding". However, it does have "Enable port forwarding" in exactly the same position (between "toolbar customization" and "console as overlay"). Perhaps it got renamed? Did you see/try that option?

Figured it out. Yes @dotVezz it was just a rename.

Seems that what I was looking for was right in front of me. The option "Reverse port forwarding" from the article was renamed to "port forwarding" .


text:
SuperSU vs Root
I have seen two methods, which claim that they root an Android device, that I don't know the difference of.
Method 1 is as easy as installing the SuperSU from Google Play.
Method 2 is going downloading some files, going to recovery mode by pushing some complex buttons simultaneously, and much more difficult stuff. (e.g. here)
What is the difference? Does Rooting in both methods mean the same thing? If yes, why should anyone bother himself trying the second method?
Regards

Just installing SuperSU don't give you root - it's only tool for controlling access to root account on rooted device.
From app's description:

SuperSU requires a rooted device !!!

When coming from Linux/Unix, you may be confused because su == root, and that is also true on Android, but with a small addition:
A 'rooted' android device has a setuid root 'su' binary to allow a process to get root, but the version typically used on android doesn't allow just any process to use it to get root. It uses an android intent to communicate with an app (superuser/supersu) to determine if the caller is allowed to get root. The app then decides if it's allowed, typically with a popup on the screen of the android device.
More details here: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/13138867/how-does-android-superuser-app-detect-that-an-app-requests-root


text:
Any way to auto close Chrome when closing the last tab?
I have been using the stock Android browser for several years and I am trying to make the switch over to Chrome.  The one major annoyance I have with Chrome is that the browser doesn't automatically close when I close the last tab like it does in the stock Android browser.  This may not seem like a big deal, but I tend to use a lot of apps that open web pages.  With the stock Android browser, closing the last web page will auto close the browser and return me back to the app I was using.  With Chrome, I have to manually close the browser or manually switch back to the app I was using.
Does anyone know how to make Chrome automatically close down when I close the last tab?  If not, is there another good browser that works this way?

For Dolphin browser, use the phone MENU button and chose EXIT
For Firefox, install the Quit Now add-on and use the new QUIT button in the menu.
For any other TAB browser, close all TABs prior to push BACK in order to exit.
For any persistently running browser, use the task manager to kill it.

I've never been a fan of Chrome. It lacks too many features compared to other browsers.
Anyway, most browsers support tabs and have an x symbol on the tab. Normally, the browsers remain open even if close all tabs. There is always 1 tab that remains open, and it won't close even if you click the x symbol. You'd have to click the back button to close the browser.
Among the browsers I use - about 4 of them - Maxthon behaves differently. It doesn't exactly do what you want, but if you click on the x symbol, it acts as a back button. So if there's only 1 tab open and you press it twice, it will exit the browser.

At least in Chrome 39, it works out of the box. Just click the x close button on the tab and then browser quit.


text:
Does my cell phone alarm run off the battery or does it need cell service
Will the alarm in my phone go off when programmed if I am in a poor cell reception area?

Unless you're using some alternative clock app that relies on mobile data or your phone's clock gets wildly out of sync, yes. The alarm is stored locally and uses your phone's clock. Of course, it will not work if the device is off.

Yes, it will.
The default alarm is built into Android and uses the alarmManager to schedule when to sound the alarm.
It will always go off, unless the device is powered off or in silent mode (however some ROM's have separate volume controls for alarms and other volumes).

That's correct. To my experience, most devices separate alarms from the other volumes (including custom roms as well as stock roms), so unless you explicitly define otherwise, alarms should even fire in "silent mode". An exception might be if the device offers to have "silent hours" (aka "do not disturb"), in which case I'm not sure.


text:
How to turn on USB mass storage with JellyBean
I have a Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0.
I have files on an external SD card but I cannot mount the tab as a usb drive from my computer  - I cannot find a way to turn on USB Mass Storage.
How do I do this in JellyBean?

Do you have root?

No root access.

How can I use my Galaxy Nexus as an external USB storage drive? would probably be applicable in a general sense. It's a different device, but MTP is going to work the same way on anything that's using it.

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

Starting in 4.0 (actually 3.0, but few devices used that), most Android devices use the MTP (Media Transfer Protocol) class rather than the Mass Storage class.  This was done for various reasons, including the annoyances attendant to having to unmount the SD card from the Android device to access it from the PC.
Samsung has embraced this new way rather fervently and doesn't allow mass storage at all under normal circumstances (If you have root, you can force it on some devices.  Not sure if it works for a Tab 2).
MTP mostly "just works" on Windows since XP and on Mac, though getting it working on Linux can require a bit of effort if you don't use GNOME.  The Arch Linux wiki has a useful article on the ways and means of accessing MTP devices on Linux.

So you are saying in essence I am SOL?

As far as accessing things via UMS, yes.

Why would they take an obvious and great feature away - I know you don't have the answer, just venting!

"Great" is a matter of perspective. The unmounting inherent to UMS causes annoyance in Android.  For example, it renders any moved-to-SD apps broken until you disconnect from the computer. This can be irritating if you're transferring 10 gigs of stuff and get a text message you're interested in. MTP leaves the Android device in control of everything and allows both the Android and the PC to access the same volume at the same time, which can be useful and prevents munging from two fundamentally different OSes messing with the same filesystem (especially a fragile one like FAT32) back and forth.

It's a pity, but it seems that this answer is also correct for my Samsung Galaxy Tab GT-P7500 with Android 3.1: even switching USB Debugging doesn't make the USB connection mode options available.


text:
Add multiple Gmail accounts in Gmail app
Is there a way to do this?
I currently have Android 4.1.2 on an S3, and while I can do this on the e-mail app, I much prefer to use the Gmail app for its interface.
I know that this was possible in earlier versions.
Is this still possible, and if so how?

There's nothing special you need to do within Gmail. (In fact, there's nothing you can do in Gmail.)
Simply add the Google account(s) to your device under Settings > Accounts > Add account. (It will then appear there listed under "Google Account".)
After that make sure you're syncing Gmail plus whatever other Google services you want (or not).


text:
Full text search File Explorer
I want a full text search File manager for my Nexus 7. Lifehacker writes about ES but after trying it out, it doesn't do full text search http://lifehacker.com/5825578/the-best-file-management-app-for-android
What would be your choice? I have mostly .txt and .pdf files (also some .tex but that would classify as plain text I guess).
I have tried Searcher but I'm not satisfied.

Please note that recommendations like Is there an app for X are off-topic here (see the FAQ for details). You might wish to consult Where can I ask questions that aren't Android Enthusiast questions? to find a fitting place for your question.

While an app is being requested, I think there's a fairly clear problem to be solved. I think this question is okay. @user1603548: You might want to have a look at How do I ask a question that may require recommending a product?

@Poldie: Very often the solution to a problem is an app. That's okay. What we have trouble with (although not in this case, I don't think) is people who've decided on their solution (an app) and ask about that ("What's the best app to do X?") instead of the problem they're trying to solve. That tends to lead to short answers with no real information and people simply offering their favorite app.


text:
How to hard reboot the Nexus 7 (2013) when touchscreen is dysfunctional?
I am using the Nexus 7 (2013) with the latest standard firmware from Google and today I encountered a weird problem.
When I turn the device on, the display lights up and all. I can also put it to sleep again. However, the touch screen does not work. Tilting the device also causes the automatic change from portrait to landscape mode and vice versa.
Holding down the power button brings up the "shutdown menu", but since the touchscreen isn't working, I cannot tell it to shut down. For the moment I am left to discharge the battery (it's also not sleeping automatically anymore, so it's faster) until it shuts down by itself gracefully or dies.
Any way of doing a hardware reset?
Connecting via USB doesn't help, because I have USB debugging disabled by default.

With my Nexus 4, I can hold down the Power button for like 20 seconds and it forces the device to power off. Does this work for the N7?

@dotVezz: I had thought I tried that, but perhaps 20s is longer than one thinks ;) ... I'll try it again once it's charged again and report back.

Done! I kept some of the implications from my comment ("I'm not sure") since I personally don't own a Nexus 7 and can't speak with 100% authority on it. Good luck fixing the device!

I'm not 100% sure about the Nexus 7, but with my Nexus 4, you can hold the Power button for a very long time (Something like 20 seconds) and it will hard-shutdown. This should help facilitate a hard reset and let you get into Fastboot or Recovery mode if you need to.


text:
Voicemail Notification Stuck
I'm on T-Mobile, running Android 4.1.2 on Samsung Galaxy S2.
I have had this voicemail notification stuck on my home screen for the past two days. I can't swipe it off the notification screen (can't dismiss it), and when I check my voicemails it says I have none, so I'm unsure why it's still there.
I've tried multiple times reaching my voicemail inbox, to see if that would correct it... and I've reset my phone a couple times as well and still no luck.
Anyone else having this issue, or have any idea how to get rid of it (aside from completely resetting the phone, or calling T-Mobile and having them reset it)?

Screenshot (click image for larger variant)

This would seem to be the same issue: Voicemail indicator won't go away

One of my old numbers got perma-stuck like this do to an error on the carrier's end.  The phone would check for VMs and get told there was 1 even though there wasn't.

Long-press on the notification and you should get a little "app info" box.  Hit that, then hit "force stop".  If the app info box doesn't appear, go into Settings -> Application Manager -> All, find the Phone app, and force stop it.  That should send the notification packing.
If it comes back, the problem is T-Mobile sending out erroneous "You have voicemail" announcements and you'll have to talk to them about it.

Try leaving yourself voicemail, then listening to it, then deleting it.  (Sounds like something I had to do a few years ago)

I've had a stuck voicemail notification for a few weeks, and restarting the phone did nothing. I confirm that this solution still works (Samsung Galaxy Note10+, Android 10, SFR operator in France).

It went away after I restarted the phone.


text:
Android - Exchange encryption - SD card 'damaged'
Mrs has a HTC One S, asked me to set up her work email on exchange.  No problem.  Got to the device admin-security policy part; a little bit surprised by requesting encryption & pin lock but what the heck hit OK.  Never used it before, never expected problems.
Upon further reading it looks like this process is supposed to take an hour, after hitting OK it went straight to the mailbox and failed to sync.  Rechecked pass & server settings, no go so removed account, administrator, cleared saved credentials and rebooted.

First surprise, PIN lock is still enabled.
Second surprise, "SD Card is damaged."

Did some research, my understanding security policies cannot be removed while SD card is encrypted.  Storage shows phone storage as encrypted and SD as not mounted.  Tried a few tricks like re-adding account and then then attempting to remove encryption without success.  VPN settings are nill.
This is not removable storage, so left with options in phone.
At a loss so here I am at 'phone a friend' if anybody has any idea.  Would really like to recover media from SD if at all possible.
Cheers.


text:
AnySoftKeyboard ignored after update
I've recently updated my HTC One X to version 4.2.2 of Android and version 5.0 of HTC Sense. Since then, my phone no longer uses AnySoftKeyboard. Even thought the AnySoftKeyboard option is set to on in the Language & keyboard setting, the default keyboard still opens instead of the AnySoft one.
I've tried uninstalling AnySoftKeyboard and reinstalling it, and restarting my Phone, but it still doesn't work. I've also tried following this tutorial, but I can't get the Input Method dialog to open(the tutorial is old, but I didn't find a newer one).
What can I do?

When you have any keyboard open to enter text into an app, you should see a keyboard icon among the notifications. Click this to open the input method chooser, then select AnySoftKeyboard from the list.
The checkboxes in the Language & keyboard settings only control which keyboards appear in this list.


text:
Flashing Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 (Verizon branded)
We are attempting to flash a Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 (Verizon branded) with a cutom ROM.  We get to the following screen:

Followed by

First, where is it looking to download?
Second, why is it hanging?
Stuck and looking for some guidance here.
Edit
I found this post that points to a locked bootloader:
Root and Unlock Bootloader on Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 (Verizon)
Edit 2
Following the aforementioned post:
I get this error on the Odin console..
<ID:0/006> Added!!
<OSM> Enter CS for MD5..
<OSM> Check MD5.. Do not unplug the cable..
<OSM> Please wait..
<OSM> CF-Auto-Root-espressorf-espressorfxx-gtp3100.tar.md5 is valid.
<OSM> Checking MD5 finished Sucessfully..
<OSM> Leave CS..
<ID:0/006> Odin v.3 engine (ID:6)..
<ID:0/006> File analysis..
<ID:0/006> SetupConnection..
<ID:0/006> Initialzation..
<ID:0/006> Get PIT for mapping..
<ID:0/006> Firmware update start..
<ID:0/006> recovery.img
<ID:0/006> NAND Write Start!!
<ID:0/006> FAIL! (Auth)
<OSM> All threads completed. (succeed 0 / failed 1)

What steps/guide (if any) are you attempting to follow? What are you expecting to happen when you go past the warning? It's not "hanging", it's waiting for you to flash your ROM. Related: Whats ODIN mode in Galaxy Tab 2?

@eldarerathis I am trying to enumerate the device with adb fastboot so that I can upload the ROM I have compiled, but the device is not showing up.  I am not following any guides because I have not found one for the GT2 7.0

I don't think the Tab 2 has fastboot support. You'll probably have to install the ROM via either a custom recovery or Odin/Heimdall. A generic "how to root" guide can probably help you get a recovery installed. Might start by looking into that: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1900055

Thanks for the link. :^) I will check it out.  It's been a long day and will pick this up in the morning.

You are trying to root/flash a custom ROM to a Verizon GT2 but I see GT2 3100 in the code. You are not using the correct ODIN files. I'm no expert but I know the Verizon Tab is different from the WiFi Tab. Luckily you didn't lock it up.

Yes.  We actually figured that out, but I have not updated this post to reflect that.

Galaxy Tab 2 is not bootloader-locked. You can directly flash the images. Just write the partition name and drag the file in command-line using Heimdall.

authors: Василий Чернев


text:
Google Now reminders ... view/edit/create on desktop?
Is there any way to access my Google Now reminders from the desktop via browser?

There's supposedly something in the Developer channel of Google Chrome, but nothing officially announced yet. But this isn't an Android question.

For what it's worth, you might be able to go to chrome://flags/#enable-google-now to turn it on. Whether it works or not is unclear.


text:
How to open PDF from Notification bar and fix "Cannot open file" error?
I have searched and searched for a solution to this problem, please help.  I am using a Samsung Galaxy S4 with Android 4.2.2 along with the Chrome browser.
Steps to replicate:

Navigate to: http://www.buzzbuzzbingo.com/Holidays/Halloween_Images/
Click "Download and Print" to start download of PDF file.
Notice notification that says "Starting downloading..."
Open notification bar and see that the download has completed.
Click the downloaded PDF file and receive "Cannot open file" error message and the notification bar closes.

Long clicking the downloaded PDF does not offer options for choosing which app to open the file.  I have installed Adobe Reader and using that to navigate to the downloaded file will open the file just fine.  Same with Polaris Office.  I would like to be able to open the PDF from the notification bar.  Alternatively if I could view the PDF directly in Chrome, that would be acceptable.

It's a combination of a PDF and a browser issue.  Some PDFs work fine while others do not across different browsers.
Downloading the PDF you mentioned, here are the results using different browsers:

Chrome: Cannot open PDF from notification
Boat Browser: Cannot open PDF from notification
Dolphin: Can open PDF from notification

Downloading a different PDF from another site, here are the results using different browsers:

Chrome: Can open PDF from notification
Boat Browser: Can open PDF from notification
Dolphin: Can open PDF from notification

UPDATE 2013-10-11: According to Scott's findings, this is a PDF issue. The Content-Type header of the problematic PDF is application/x-download, while the working PDF is application/pdf.
If you control the server which is serving these PDFs, you can switch the Content-Type header to allow it to open in all browsers.  PHP example:
In PHP this was previously broken when sending:
 header('Content-Type: application/x-download');

Switch this to this header to work:
 header('Content-Type: application/pdf');

I can say that the PDF is created using a PHP library called FPDF.  Thank you for this info, I'll have to compare the file headers next.  Which site did you compare it to?

@Scott Downloaded the PDF in http://www.pinoyfitness.com/2013/10/pinoy-fitness-magazine-3-michele-gumabao

Looks like a PDF issue.  The difference is that the Content-Type header is application/x-download on the PDF download that causes the error and application/pdf on the PDF download that works.

@Scott Added your comment to the answer. :)

Strictly speaking, that's a server issue, not a PDF issue. The file itself is fine, the server is just reporting its type wrong. It seems that Dolphin isn't saving the reported file type when it downloads the file.


text:
LG G2 - Debugging mode not enabled
I'm attempting to run an app on the LG G2 (Verizon) using Eclipse on a Mac. The phone, however, is not recognized by the computer. I enabled debugging but it doesn't appear when I do adb devices. Additionally, I never receive the debugging notification when I put the phone in debugging mode. I think it's the phone since I've ran other devices on the mac with no problems.
Any suggestions on why the debugging mode is not being enabled?

Have you installed drivers for your phone?

It's a mac; drivers are not needed. I placed the connection to internet when connected to USB. For some reason, only that USB settings enables debug mode

Having the same problem. Tried multiple cables, including the one that came with the phone and that works for charging in fast mode.

Could this be the same problem as http://android.stackexchange.com/q/53554/12442 ?

I found the solution: Assuming you have debugging mode enabled, you have to change the USB settings to Internet Connection: Modem or ethernet. Keeping it on Charge Phone, Media Sync, or Camera does not enable debugging.

Actually you need to run in tethering only once per computer - in order to get the prompt for allowing the connection from the computer. After you give permanent rights of access you can develop in charging mode too.

Only way I got USB debugging to work was to select Send images (PTP).  Charge tablet and Media sync(MPT) did not work.

I follow @ono answer and also found the solution. I had to follow three steps: 1) In settings/general/about phone/common/software info, click 7 times in build number; 2) In general/developer options, turn on usb debugging; 3) In network/tethering&networks, turn on usb tethering.

I had this same problem in an LG Leon. You have to pick "PTP" as  @user129894 said, nothing else worked!

The user44860 answer is almost correct. Goto Settings, About Phone, Software Information:
Click Build Number 7 times. You should see a message saying that now you're a developer.
So, you can go back and enabe USB Debugging in the Development Settings.
Maybe you've to detach the usb cable, enable the debug and re-plug the usb cable.

on the G2 goto Settings: About Phone: Software Information: Click Build Number 5 times. Go back and choose Development Settings Enable USB Debugging

Try another usb2 cable. I had the same issues with the S2 after a while it gives me Unknown Device, even if before was known. Try another cable and see if is being recognized. As well it has to be on MTP ( media device ) and not PTP (camera).
Also you could try another thing: while your phone is connected disable debugging mode and enable it back. Also could try restarting your adb.

disable / enable debugging mode helps me.  Otherwise the 'USB debugging' mode was disabled all the time.


text:
LG P500 unplugged during update, now it wont go past telus screen!
I was updating my LG P500 2.2.1. While it was updating, my phone was in emergency mode and it got unplugged. Now when I turn it on it goes to the android screen, then gets stuck on the telus screen! I called lg and they told me to do a factory reset by holding the home, power and volume down keys. This did NOT work, it still will not go past the telus screen.. PLZ tell me there is a way to make it work again..

Turned off press. Pressing the home+power+volDown keys for a long time. Wait until a menu appears. Did the list of menu appear?

no it just had the android guy and a box, showing the factory reset

@geffchange even after i did the reset it still wont go past the telus screen

How long does it stay at the telus screen?

Not sure you have fixed this or not.
If you are still out of luck, try root the phone via below tutorial:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1832485

Welcome to the site! It's great to have you here, but answers that are essentially just a link are discouraged. It would be great if you [edit]ed your question and fleshed it out so that it stands on its own without the link.

As @dotVezz wrote, link-only answers are discouraged: in case the link dies, they become useless. Please, at least include an extract of the essential information from behind it, and keep the link for reference. Thanks a lot!


text:
Is it possible to get notifications for specific email senders?
I just want push notifications when my boss sends me email.

This will probably depend on the email app you're using and possibly your email provider.

You could try the solutions mentioned in this answer. Otherwise we're need more details on what kind of email and phone setup you have.