text:
Moving pre-installed apps to SD-card (ROOTED)
i'm running a Moto E with android version 5.1 Lollipop, and since updating to this version of android I have had constantly so little space on the internal memory that I can't even update the pre-installed apps even though I have as good as as no other apps installed on the phone as well as zero images, videos, music or any other media files.
Therefore I've spent a few days trying to figure out how I could move the pre-installed apps to my SD-card.
So, I've rooted the phone, installed the program called Link2SD and I tried using that program to move the apps. Yet it gave me a warning:
"Failure
pkg: /data/app/com.google.android.apps.maps-1/base.apk Failure
[INSTALL_FAILED_INVALID_INSTALL_LOCATION]"
Then I found that it seems I also need to create a so-called "second partition" on my SD-card, but I've not yet managed to find a tutorial on the internet that worked for me.
Since then I've tried 6 or 7 other similar programs with no luck, in the process reading somewhere that it actually couldn't even be done on android versions 4.0 or later. Is this true? Could someone be a kind gentleman (or -woman) and guide me through this? That would make me very happy indeed.
EDIT:
In short, my two essential questions seem to be:
1. Is it possible to move pre-installed apps (Google apps mostly) to an SD-card on Moto E with 5.1 Lollipop.
2. And if so, how do I create a second partition on my SD-card for this purpose on Moto E with 5.1 Lollipop.
Thanks in advance
Simon

Well since you didn't deleted apps it means that they are on system partition. You can move it to SD card but longer way around. First you need root. Then (I don't know if other app can do this) install titanium backup (note you'll need pro version), than find that app in titanium backup on backup/restore list and in special features find option "convert to user app". After that you'll be able to uninstall app without any other software or move it to your sd card with link2sd or any other app you use for that.
About creating partition on your sd card, I didn't exactly done that but I'll post link here on how to..

I found a free program called "/system/app mover" instead that should be able to convert system apps to user apps too, according to this website.

When trying to convert a system app, it says: "Moving system apps is NOT recommended and will most definitely damage something on your system when doing so. On Android 5.0+, this feature is highly experimental and most system apps won't ever work again once moved!" Again something implies that moving system apps to SD-card is actually not do-able on my version of android.
I might try to convert an app that I'm never gonna use anyway and see what happens.

@wormple12 did you get that in titanium backup or that app you find? Try any of apps that isn't essential for Android you can try moving Google maps, drive, gmail, YouTube but don't move play store or play services. Also don't move apps which purpose you don't know.

Hi again.
Now, it seems, I have successfully used /System/App Mover to convert a lot of apps to user apps and then moved those apps to the SD-card with Link2SD.
Several issues appeared.
First a problem appeared where the phone started optimizing all apps on every single reboot, a process that takes 10-15 minutes to complete. I found a way to fix this with an app called Optimizing App Fixer.

Secondly there’s an even worse issue causing a lot of apps (it might be every single app that has been moved to the SD-card) to simply vanish in thin air! It is possible to go to Google Play and download the missing apps again. I can reboot and reboot and clear cache and reboot all I like and the issue perseveres. Then suddenly, on a reboot later the same day, all the missing apps return like they were never gone. Rebooting the phone again after this, once again makes the apps disappear without a trace.

So, it seems that the apps still exists on the SD-card, yet the phone has problems noticing those apps? Any ideas?

@wormple12 hmm, maybe the apps aren't designed to be moved to SD card this is just a guess. I had one app that was vanishing from adopted sd card I didn't know why but just that app was troublesome. Sorry I don't know how to help with that.

Okay, thanks anyway. I will look into the matter and if I wind up finding nothing useful on the subject, then I'll start a new topic, because this isn't exactly the same issue/question anymore.

If files of app are gone (but that is not the case as you said that they exist but phone didn't see them) then maybe sd card is dying, and have bad sectors.

authors: Једноруки Крстивоје


text:
Send video stream from android device
I'm new in android. I was planning to create a Video streaming mobile to mobile in the same wifi connnection but i don't know how to start. I've read about the RTP/RTSP/UDP for streaming video and some sources but I cant follow the process at all. Can someone explain to me how to send or broadcast a video playing in android device then send the data in a server? So that it can be access in like "rtsp//: something like that so that the other device can view it. Sorry for the small info

For most mundane purposes related to your question, there's a really good solution:
DroidCam (or DroidCamX, for PRO version)

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dev47apps.droidcam
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dev47apps.droidcamx&hl=en&gl=US
https://www.dev47apps.com/

I use the PRO version for unlimited streaming resolution. For about $3-4 bucks I have a software that streams the video from my Android phone from a camera of choice (front, back, back wide-angle), over the wire to the PC (works perfectly with Ubuntu Linux and Windows), or over WiFi connection to the LAN. As longs as you have a static local IP address assigned within your LAN, your camera stream is available through the port of choice.
Linux and Windows PC clients have options to control autofocus. Android-side software has options for optimizing stream bitrate and quality ("Limit FPS", "FPS Boost").
This is one of the very few paid apps I've had so far, I predominantly use it as a substitute for a web camera (a rather cheap one).

There are two things involved in this.
 1. Implementation of RTSP
 2. Converting android camera output into RTSP source.
I could not find any open implementation while I was searching for it almost 6 months back. Here is the one which worked for me with little tuning. But you have to clone the repo and work on it directly to get it working
https://github.com/mutaphore/RTSP-Client-Server

source: Stack Exchange

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

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sort: votes


text:
How to download files to sd card from ftp without rooting
Simple question, but I couldn t find the answer anywhere (all answers requires rooting on android marshmallow because ftp clients doesn t include the permission to write on the sdcard).
I have a huge file which is too large to be downloaded on internal storage. So it can only be downloaded on the sdcard directly.
It also seems no ternal apps have the permission to write to the sdcard so I cannot use command line tools directly.
As the file is huge, I also need to be able to pause and resume downloads.

Does this answer your question? How to move files to external SD card on a non-rooted Android?

@IrfanLatif the file is larger than internal memory in my case.

Yes. That's why you can directly download to external SD card in private directory (inside Android/data/ directory) of the downloading app. You can use any FTP client GUI app or CLI utility. If the app uses SAF APIs, writing to SD card in any directory is possible.

I use Folder Sync.
But it depends on your android version,    If you have 5.1 or above then the application developers must include Environment.getExternalStorage.....
EXAMPLE FILE USAGE
File file = new File(Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory(), "myfile.txt");

instead of the old hard coded way.
File file = new File("SDCard", "myfile.txt");

For more information about pause resume with FTP, i have included a link to a development question regarding pause resume on Android Clients
Folder Sync Free
Developing FTP Client with Pause Resume on Android
For terminal emulator, you should run
getprop vold.path.external_sd

then try running the external directory as returned
NOT
sdcard/download/txt.txt

RATHER
storage/sdcard0/download/txt.txt

It's usually just one directory / legacy directory isn't accessible anymore. so you need to get the actual path with some command...
getprop

getprop will return all current system properties, this includes storage paths and network status results

So I need to use root for your app. but I am waiting the android 7 feature for that.

You shouldn't ever need root access to access the SD Card unless the Application uses an old hard coded SD Card Path .... I know that you can do a folder pick, then click Show SD Card, Then select the folder on SD Card to save to... It shouldn't be called SD Card, but something like E4-534/download/path   instead of SDCard/download/path.... This doesn't need root access just the correct coding

It doesn’t seems to support download pausing and resuming. I’ve only part time Internet access.

Ok, how big is the file ? .. I'm not sure about pause resume capability on most FTP Servers because of low security with raw data being sent, username, password etc...

You can pause and resume anytime with wget or aria2 on ftp servers (the connection is closed and on reopening the download starts with an offset). It’s 30ɢb large but as an xml file, it’s size can eventually be reduced before downloading..

It might be a client issue with android applications... here's the link i read https://stackoverflow.com/questions/32536854/android-ftp-download-pause-resume

wget and aria2c are Linux commands that requires a terminal emulator on Android. I saw no terminal emulator allowing to write to sd card.

It'd actually be pretty simple to make according to the previous link, but it'd take me half a day !

Terminal commands can be run with process and input stream then you could pull the sdcard encrypted directory name E4-686/ and then run a string command stringing together the directory with command to be run via process, then capture the input stream and return it back to user !

what ??? ??? ???

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text:
Restore all data to another rooted device (LineageOS)
Is it possible to export all phone data (phone settings, installed apps, app data...) and import it to another device (different model) in one shot?
What I'm looking for is a way to "mirror" all data in a device to another device (e.g. when I buy a new phone, or when I have to repair my current phone and use a spare phone in the meantime), avoiding losing time restoring manually all phone settings, reinstalling every app from the Play Store, restoring app data with Titanium Backup, configuring all icons and widgets on my home launcher, and so on...
I'd like to switch on the new device and find it the same (except for hardware differences).
I'm thinking about PCs with Linux OS. If I take apart the main hard drive from a PC and put it in a new PC, most of the time it works flawlessly (and I find exactly everything I had before).
I always root my phones and install LineageOS.
So I'm thinking: I could

nandroid backup the /data partition from the first phone with TWRP
unroot the new phone and install the same LineageOS ROM in the /system partition (obviously not the same file, but the same nightly for this new device)
restoring the old /data partition to this new phone

Do you think it could work? Or are there limitations I don't know about?

On the first glance, I don't see why this won't work. Can you test it?

No, sadly I don't have a spare device to try right now. I'm wondering if the data partition contains only user app data, or even some device specific settings that could prevent boot on another different device.

You hit the nail right on the head. What I know is that, in case of a clean flash, the /data partition is populated by entirely new content. I'm now researching this topic further, so please be patient.

I had a thorough look at the content inside /data, and I'm of the opinion that this may be doable. There appear to be at least two important aspects that may be overlooked, though: if the old phone has mods installed on the /system partition, and these mods make use of /data (such as SuperSU), the same mods should be installed on the new device. Furthermore, /data contains info about Bluetooth, NFC and Wi-Fi technologies, plus about some of the device's sensors, so care should be exerted in buying a phone with possibly the same typology of technologies, otherwise /data will be…

… will be populated with some useless information. Next, the partition contains logs and such, which should be wiped manually when the migration has been performed. @Izzy, Master of Backup and Restore, what is your take on all of this?

Encrypted open source backup solution for Android is called SeedVault by Calyx Institute and has been included as a built-in backup solution from LineageOS 18.1.

To use it, navigate to Settings -> System -> Backup, and “Change backup provider” to Seedvault. You can then click “Seedvault Backup” to configure, schedule, and encrypt backups!
Backups created with Seedvault can be uploaded on your NextCloud instance, an external USB drive or kept on your local storage.

Source: GitHub - LineageOS/android_packages_apps_Seedvault
Video: Torsten Grote on Twitter: "Encrypted #FreeSoftware backup for Android is now called Seedvault and has reached beta quality. Check out the video I made about it! https://t.co/zzeBF0I47L" / Twitter

On older devices that did not encrypt their storage, I have successfully done that. Both devices were running the same version of CyanogenMod 11 at the time – on different hardware, but both systems were signed with the same key.
Using TWRP recovery I made a backup of the /data partition, extracted that from one device and copied it to the other via MTP (both while still in recovery). Migration was seamless, even the authentication token generated the same code on both devices.
Instead of using TWRP, any other way to copy the /data partition from one device to the other should work just as well.
Some app data may also be in internal shared storage (/sdcard), so you will need to copy that over as well.
Since /data holds all user apps and the private data of both user and system apps, your new device will feel just like the old one – I had all my apps, app settings and system settings on the new phone.
Caveats to this method, though:

Newer devices encrypt their /data partition, so you can no longer access it from recovery. You might be able to do this with the OS running, but there is a risk of copying files that may be in use, or of the OS interfering in some way.
I have no experience with moving data to a newer OS version. On a cold system, maybe you’re lucky and Android will think it’s just been upgraded from an older version, causing it to upgrade data as needed. This is more likely to work if you can copy the data to the new device in recovery mode, not with the OS running.
If the devices are running different OS distributions with different signatures, this might be an issue – I have no experience with that. Note that unofficial builds of LineageOS will have a different signature than official ones, and signatures will differ between unofficial builds by different authors (or even across builds by the same author if the author is not being careful). LineageOS has instructions on moving to a build with a different key, but I have not tried these.

All in all, if your new device is still in “virgin” state (i.e. no data on it yet), you can try various ways of copying data from the old device. As long as the old device remains usable, you can always wipe the new device and start over.

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


text:
How to prevent the Facebook app (Android) to auto refresh/update the newsfeed?
I have a lot of news(paper) articles in my Facebook news feed and so I often open up the linked article to read it in the browser.
After that I want to go back to the Facebook app to read the comments on this post which linked to the article, but at this moment is the app refreshing the news feed and the post disappears.
If I read the article fast enough, then I can go back to the post without a refresh.
I did not measure the time frame in which I have to go back, but it feels like a minute or so and it often takes much longer to read the articles.
Some time agao was there an option to adjust the refreshing time, but it looks as if this option is not available anymore.
How can I prevent the auto-refresh in general in the app (I actually know by my self when I want to do a refresh or not), or how can I adjust at least the refreshing time frame?

Close your Facebook app,
Go to your settings, under manage apps, select Facebook. Then clear cache.
Thereafter logout of your Facebook account, then log in again.
That has resolved the issue to an extent here.


text:
Find out which one of my installed app open spam links
I have a galaxy s7 edge. In the past few weeks I'm facing a problem, My device open some Telegram app channels and try to join me on these channels. I'm
android developer and based on my experience I know this happening because one app send spam links and try to advertise these channels. But the problem is I don't know how to detect this app.

Looks similar to this question: How to stop Chrome (on Android) from opening a certain website for joining to Telegram Channels?. You can both try and compare your apps to see which apps you have in common and maybe it's the same app the spams both of you ¯\(ツ)/¯

Possibly it's a background service of any app in your phone which is letting these spam ads in.
To find out the app, what you can do is install Shutapp and enable its service and try to stop apps one by one (these apps will be the apps running in background).
To see the list of running apps, click under the big circle. I use this app for the very same purpose and it also really works well in closing these apps.
Remember, closing apps will disable their notifications like closing WhatsApp will let to no notification of any new message at all until reopening of that app.Hope it helps you.

Thanks for your answer, I install Shutapp and it detects 120 app running in the background, I think it's not a good solution to stop all my apps background services. I need better solution.


text:
Does "Draw over other apps" permission allow the app the see the content of the background app?
For example, if I have the Messenger bubble open in the foreground and I am browsing through my photos in the background, can an app like Messenger see the photos in the background and record this data? Not only Messenger but other apps that have this permission?

The official developer docs do not mention any such possibility with Draw over other app (SYSTEM_ALERT_WINDOW) permission. Apps with that permission can only receive touch feedback, like other apps.
See:

TYPE_APPLICATION_OVERLAY
ACTION_MANAGE_OVERLAY_PERMISSION
SYSTEM_ALERT_WINDOW

However, any app with Accessibility Service enabled can read the content of the active window.

According to a Medium article by Jeffrey Yasskin,

Allowing an app to draw over other apps is incredibly dangerous: By seeing what you press, the app can easily steal passwords. It can present messages as if they’re from other apps or read those messages. You have to trust any overlay app at least as much as you trust any other app on your phone.
It’s great that Android makes overlays possible, but it’s also great that it makes it hard to do accidentally.

Perhaps it's a bit unclear what the quoted paragraphs are trying to convey, but to clarify: the overlay can read the content actively by intercepting touches (i.e. over the keyboard), but cannot read the background content passively.


text:
Genymotion how to hide back/home/menu button that shown after ALT button pressed
This button shown up after pressing ALT button, that automatically show virtual keyboard (but all I want to do is ALT+TAB). How to make them disappear?
Or how to disable calling virtual keyboard when pressing ALT?

you can find it on android setting
keyboard & input > Virtual keyboard > Android keyboard setting Advanced > Emoji for physical keyboard
disable it!

can not find this setting in android 9

Can also be Languages & input (august 2021)

Settings for Android 9:
settings > system > languages & input > virtual keyboard > Android keyboard settings (AOSP)  > Advanced > Emoji for physical keyboard (Disable it)


text:
Install apps to SD card in android 4.4.2
I made the sd card as the default install location in my phone settings but this didn't take effect, then i run adb commands to force the phone to have default install location as external using these 2 commands:

adb shell pm set-install-location 2
adb shell pm get-install-location

The output says 2[external] but i verified by installing new apps they get directly to insternal storage.
I was hoping to take advantage of this method to make possible apps can write in sd card bypassing android limitation. So do you know why this commands didn't affect the system ? is there  an equivalent command to do this ?
Thank you

Some apps, stated in their manifest files, cannot be installed to external storage (SD card). That setting will not affect those apps. You should try some other apps for verification.


text:
Is there any method of installing Xposed framework on non-rooted devices with stock recovery?
I am trying to figure out if there is  a method of installing Xposed framework on stock ROM without custom recovery (e.g CWM or TWRP). The conventional method that I am well familiar with is installing the framework via Xposed app on a rooted device.
I researched a bit and most workarounds were promising although not successful:
According to this source, the method involves setting the system partition writable then pushing the necessary files via adb commands however fails with Permission denied errors. I suspect bootloader issues (which seems to be locked) here but not very sure.
The other way, described here doesn't need custom recovery. This involves installing a third party application (FlashFire) to flashed unsigned .zip but unfortunately seems to require root (from description).
The last one involves using new systemless xposed framework but the problem is that it supports android 5+ versions.
So is there any convenient way of installing xposed framework on stock recovery without root?
Edit
Following important discussions raised in comments, I guess I have to explain why I want to bypass root-based installation procedure, it's because the device in use is not rooted, so I need to use a non root installation mrthod.
Contrary to the comments however, some users have used Xposed without root:

Xposed only needs root access when you install it, then everything
  else is completely transparent to the user because the framework acts
  as a separate conduit to the system -- it doesn't go through the usual
  SU channels

Also the device is running Android 4.3 stock

What is point when Xposed requirers root to work?

@ЈеднорукиКрстивоје are you sure it requires root to work?? Other sources confirmed otherwise?

Even systemless Xposed (A Magisk module) requires root to work, you must be rooted for Xposed to be installed and function. Also, you are referring to JellyBean, is that tag correct? I don't think "systemless" root or other "systemless" mods can be achieved without Marshmallow or higher.

Straight up, no. You have no entry point to either system or systemless approaches. The first XDA link you referred to worked for OP only because he had a rooted shell, which can exist on non-production builds without the device itself being truely rooted.

Wasn't interested in going back to answer my post, however its pretty funny how things that were deemed impossible 5 years ago are becoming possible as technology age, anyway there seems to be possibilities of achieving what I wanted 5 years ago.
There exists a plethora of Xposed solutions that can be utilized sans any hindrance. Depending on the given use cases, it is feasible to inject a particular application in order for it to load the xposed module and perform as desired (which aligns with my objectives).

LSPatch

Rootless implementation of LSPosed framework, integrating Xposed API
by inserting dex and so into the target APK. Supported Versions
Min: Android 9
Max: In theory, same with LSPosed

SPatch

VirtualXposed

et. cetera. The main point here is that it is quite possible to used rootless xposed method as long as the module doesn't need access to the system. Some modules are just specific to the applications that use them.

authors: Једноруки Крстивоје


text:
Stock rom installation using twrp?
I have a rooted Huawei G Play Mini. Boot loader is unlocked. Also, I have custom recovery (TWRP) installed. And, I need to upgrade my phone from lollipop to marshmallow. But, I do not have stock recovery back up. I can't find it anywhere. Tell me where to find it, or tell me how to how to install the official stock rom by using TWRP.

Before you do the upgrade, via TWRP, select backup> the select system, data (if you want yours apps), boot, and recovery. This will backup what is currently installed on your phone. Once this completes, go ahead and install the MM update for your phone. Do this within twrp as well to keep the custom recovery.

The thing is, TWRP doesn't acknowledge the update.app format of official updates.

You can use adb sideload in that case

Download the rom at http://download-c.huawei.com/download/downloadCenter?downloadId=79304
To install the rom follow instructions at https://huaweiflash.com/how-to-flash-huawei-stock-firmware-all-methods/


text:
Is this "Boost" / File Manager app a true system app or malware?
I installed this app after I received a notification on my lock screen informing me that a new system app was available for download. Seeing that the app was listed as an update to the "File Manager" app, I assumed it was safe and downloaded it. Now it's filling my lock screen with spammy looking notifications, prompting me to "boost" my phone to free disk space and memory.
The original File Manager app that shipped with my Android was very unobtrusive and was located in the Settings app on the phone. It never interfered with anything I was doing. It never sent me twice-daily notifications to 'clean my system', 'boost my phone' or 'free up RAM'. That is what makes me think this app is really malware posing as a true system app and tricking Android into installing it.
There is no way to uninstall it or disable it. The  original File Manager app appeared alongside this app for a while, but the original app was recently removed and no longer shows up. My phone is lagging and other apps are crashing or not performing well since I installed this app. Additionally, this "Boost" app that has installed itself on my home screen is full of ads. No true Android system app has ever contained ads that I have seen, so this is very fishy. Also, the fact that it cannot be disabled is also very suspect.
I am suspicious that it is affecting my phone in a negative way and I want it gone! I cannot imagine that Android would release a "system app" that was full of ads. PLEASE HELP!
The device affected is an Alcatel Fierce 4 5056N running Android 6.0.1.
Images available on Google Drive: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0Tg7BtjmCMqWXZZVXgwQy0xOXc/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0Tg7BtjmCMqX2dKbTBTaDMyblk/view?usp=sharing

I was able to easily uninstall it from my android phone.

This is a system app update from Alcatel. Recently they started updating some of their apps. I'm assuming you have an Idol 4 or 4S.
Although you can't uninstall or even fully disable this app, you can uninstall updates and stop automatic updates. Go to Settings - Apps - File manager. In the upper right-hand corner, push the three dots and click "Uninstall updates". Then go to Google Play - Your apps, click the file manager. Then in the right corner, click the three dots. Uncheck "Automatic updates". This will keep it from updating. You can do this with all of Alcatel apps.
I don't know why they thought having a purple octopus on the main screen a good idea but I and others have sent several emails regarding it and have been ignored.


text:
Using gamepad hardware controllers with games that don't explicitly support them?
War Robots, which is a very popular game, AFAIK has no support for gamepads. (Thus limiting interaction to the touch screen).
Yet in this forum thread one person reports some success with a gamepad. (Logitec F310)
Does this mean that War Robots must have support programmed in? Or not? It's been suggested a rooted device is necessary, but I don't see that being likely, since the gamepad is surely merely acting as a HID alternative to touching the screen?
The forum thread mentioned that the mapping of keys with the Logitec F310 is not ideal. Why is this not configurable? (Might it be configurable on others? Or is it hard-programmed somewhere?)
Why I ask: I want to buy a gamepad to play War Robots but at the moment I'd be buying blind without any idea if, or how well, it would work.

While the game wiki states that it doesn't support controllers directly on solution could be to use an android emulator and play your game from there, MEmu emulator has support for mouse and keyboard and you could play in your big screen from your sofa.


text:
How does Google test and check Android apps uploaded to Play Store?
I have found so many apps on the Google Play Store which are just useless. There are so many apps whose names are like "Useless App", "Nothing" and just rubbish, even in their app descriptions, it is written that this app does nothing, and those apps really do nothing. And the irony is that even these apps have hundreds of thousands of downloads.
How does Google test the apps uploaded?

How do you categorize something as useless?? What right does Google Play Store have to remove an app as useless?? If an app does not violate the norms of Play Store, it automatically goes live after security testing. Google doesn't have the right to decide which app is 'useless'; it's the developer's choice. If you don't like an app, you're free to rate it with low stars, and if you find it violating any rules, you may report it.

By useless, I mean when you install it, it only shows "Useless" on the screen and does nothing. Even its name and description is "Useless", which is provided by the developer by himself.

And if you want, you can search the term "Useless App" in the play store. Or I can also provide you some examples.

Good question. In all those years, I've found quite a bit of gibberish on the supposedly "safe" Play Store. Upvoted.

As per my personal experience, Google does not check each and every functionality of the app, it just does some routine validation check for publication. Whereas Apple's App Store does the opposite, Apple requires working login credentials for checking each and every screen at least.
Now, it is perfectly fine to publish an app in Play Store, which does nothing, i.e., useless till the time it is adhering to the Play Store's policy. Now if you found some apps which are violating the listed policy Play Store Policy, you can always report it to Google and most probably Google will unlist that app for sure.


text:
SELinux prevents my init.rc exec command to execute
I've added a exec command at the end of init.rc file.
on property:dev.bootcomplete=1
    exec u:r:shell:s0 shell shell -- /system/bin/am start -n com.example.package/com.example.package.MainActivity

This exec runs in u:r:shell:s0 SELinux context, from user shell and in group shell. But SELinux still believes in access denial:
[28.918751] init: Starting service 'exec 3 (/system/bin/am)'...
[28.920227] init: cannot execve('/system/bin/am'): Permission denied
[28.920356] type=1400 audit(22128374.236:11): avc: denied { entrypoint } for pid=3887 comm="init" path="/system/bin/am" dev="dm-0" ino=292 scontext=u:r:shell:s0 tcontext=u:object_r:system_file:s0 tclass=file permissive=0
[28.921791] init: Service 'exec 3 (/system/bin/am)' (pid 3887) exited with status 127

That's wonderful when I issue the very same following command in adb shell and it runs successfully, having SELinux enabled.
/system/bin/am start -n com.example.package/com.example.package.MainActivity

This is id of adb shell:
uid=2000(shell) gid=2000(shell) groups=2000(shell),1004(input),1007(log),1011(adb),1015(sdcard_rw),1028(sdcard_r),3001(net_bt_admin),3002(net_bt),3003(inet),3006(net_bw_stats) context=u:r:shell:s0

So, why does my exec command fail even though it has exactly the same identity of adb shell?

I finally managed to solve the problem. There are two problems:

You're not using the "exactly the same identity of adb shell". There are a couple of groups to which adb shell belongs but they're not mentioned in that exec command.
/system/bin/am on its own is not executable, it's a shell script and should be passed to /system/bin/sh to be executed.

So, here's the final and working init.rc statements:
on property:dev.bootcomplete=1
    exec u:r:shell:s0 shell shell input log adb sdcard_rw sdcard_r net_bt_admin net_bt inet net_bw_stats -- /system/bin/sh /system/bin/am start -n com.example.package/com.example.package.MainActivity

It's still valid for the latest Oreo (tested on Lineage 15.1). Great job!


text:
How to use Skype on Android 2.3.5
Can anyone explain me how to use Skype app on Android 2.3.5, because it is no longer available on Play Store for this Android version?
Thankful in advance

Get the APK of an older version somewhere else; but then again, the server side might have already ceased support for them.

Note that even though the app might be possible to be installed, there's no guarantee that the app will work properly. Skype might have changed their backend infrastructure and dropped support for older versions, or otherwise the issue of TLS/SSL compatibility on older Android versions.

As already mentioned in comments, get an older apk. Here's a link to one from Apk Mirror, a fairly reputable site for downloading apk's. To install the apk on your device:
First, enable Unknown sources.
Enabling unknown sources allows you install apps outside of the Google Play Store.
Before you start, you need to make sure you have allowed your device to install apps that are found outside of the Google Play Store.
To enable installation from these “Unknown sources,” as Google calls them, go into the system settings and scroll down to Security. Inside this menu, you’ll see the Unknown sources option. Check the box, press OK, and you’re good to go.
This is quoted from this site. Visit that site if you want more options for sideloading apk's. But if you downloaded the app from your computer, hook up your phone to your computer, and copy and paste the apk to your phone's files. Then unhook your phone, and find where you put the apk. Then select it, and it will bring up prompts to begin installing it. If you didn't get the apk i directed you too, and it's too new for your phone, it may say "Problem Parsing Package", which means you have downloaded an apk that's non compatible for your device.
 If you install the app and try running it, but it doesn't let you log in, make calls etc, unfortunately that means skype has discontinued its support for devices that old, as mentioned above in comments.


text:
Prevent a specific app from being updated on client side
I want to prevent a specific app from being updated by Play Store and Package Installer, preferably by refusing updates. Whenever I want to update it, I am supposed to be required to revoke the prevention manually, or the app cannot be updated. It should be a system tweak or a change somewhere in /data.
Things I've thought:

Tweak somewhere so the system reports the app to be infinitely new
Make the app "invincible" and cannot be modified

It doesn't matter if the app can be removed by regular means. Any thoughts?

Tried adding the i attribute on an app's APK location, to no avail. This sounds like something that would be accomplishable by Xposed.

@DeathMashSalesman See this question of mine. chattr +i definitely won't work.

Of course not. Sadly, no packages.xml mumbo-jumbo can help, either. Only Xposed.

An idea, but not sure how to do this or even if it's possible: change the versionCode inside the AndroidManifest.xml. Generally, lower version will be prevented to overwrite higher version with error "failed to downgrade" (see https://stackoverflow.com/q/24547924)

@AndrewT. Too bad my changes got reverted after a reboot.

Possible duplicate of How to get rid of update notifications for a given app in Google Play Store?

I just found that Titanium Backup has a "Detach from Play Store" option for apps (requires PRO version). After detaching, apps won't show up in Google Play and thus won't be updated unless you manually navigate to the page and tap "Update".

It seems as if you cannot turn off auto update for specific apps. But if the app updates independently of playstore, you can restrict background data for the app and it won't update as such


text:
How private are separate Android users?
My new job uses Workplace by Facebook, and Workplace Chat is their preferred messaging platform.
However, Facebook's apps asks for about every possible permission (see below), which is why I don't use them on my phone.
If I create a separate user on my Android phone, and install Workplace to this "work" account, preventing this user from making calls and sending SMS, will the Workplace app be able to "spy" (calls, microphone, networks, etc.) on my main account?

If I create a separate user on my Android phone, and install Workplace to this "work" account, preventing this user from making calls and sending SMS, will the Workplace app be able to "spy" (calls, microphone, networks, etc.) on my main account?

No.
App developers must handle supporting multiple users and are offered hooks through the UserManager API to do so.
The only way an app can interact across users is by specifying the signature level permissions
INTERACT_ACROSS_USERS (signature|system)
INTERACT_ACROSS_USERS_FULL (signature)

These permissions require that the app be signed with the same key as the system.
So, Workplace cannot access data across different users.


text:
How can I change MTP to PTP with a broken screen?
I have little to no access to my phone's screen. It is a Samsung Galaxy J3 Prime and I want to transfer my files on a computer but it wont show up my files. HOwever, I'm sure its because the usb settings are at MTP. I've heard of Smart Dock and something called an OP, what are those things? I've also heard of debugging, but not sure I understand it well enough to try to use it. So could I use any of these ways and how do they work?

One way to do this would be to get an OTG adapter and connect a USB mouse to your phone. You can then use the mouse to control your phone.


text:
Popup links inside apps
When I try to open links inside apps, eg Inbox AliExpress Whatsapp, instead of opening up them in chrome,  it pops up some windows without javascript, and I cannot use it, how can I disable it?

Can you show how it looks when WhatsApp is opened?

It looks the same as the picture, its not a pop up that I didnt want, its just the link I've wanted to open, but instead it opens up here, instead of chrome, it started happening after upgrading to nexus 5x

Try clearing the data of those apps.
Does this happen in every app? If so, then it might be a sign of malware infection.
If clearing app data doesn't help, try installing some antivirus software and do a full system scan.
Also, try switching off Internet or mobile data and opening whatsapp. If problem continues, it indicates a malware or virus. If it stops, it might be either a malware or adware. Try this:
Clear cache from settings. Turn off mobile data. Switch off phone and switch it on again. Keeping mobile data off, and open the app, or whatsapp specifically, and then all other such apps.
If pop up continues even after this, then it's a malware or virus problem. If it stops, but starts once you turn on mobile data, it's probably an adware.
In any case, a good antivirus like QuickHeal will get you rid of both of these.

Well it cant be a malware, it started opening links in these pop ups after upgrading to 7.0

Disable the app called Setup Wizard.
Settings > Apps > All Apps > Select 'Show system apps' in the menu > Find Setup Wizard, tap it and disable it. Done.


text:
Is "Delete this message" functionality ignored in mobile Gmail?
I have messages threaded in both my PC's Gmail and mobile Gmail on-board my Moto G Plus / Android 6.0. Three or four days later I used "Delete this message" menu item in my PC's Gmail:

Yet, my mobile Gmail seems to be ignoring this fact. Up until now (four days and hundreds of mail refreshes later) I can still see two messages in my mobile Gmail and one (second deleted) in PC's Gmail.
My Inbox was refreshed many, many times since then. Either automatically or manually by me. I've received 100+ new emails since then, deleted or moved to some folders most of them and did a lot of other changes to Inbox.
Every of these changes, made on PC's Gmail, was perfectly replicated in my mobile Gmail. Every other factor or situation clearly confirms that Inbox (and other folders) in both of my devices are in perfect sync... with the exception to this single message.
Is this some kind of weird bug and "Delete this message" functionality should work in mobile Gmail as well? Or is it ignored and only full-thread deletes are replicated (i.e. I don't see "Delete this message" in mobile Gmail)?

After deleting from PC using that option, did you delete it from Bin also?
I also found this to be not working, until you delete those from Bin as well.

100% clear shot! I would not believe in such stupidity if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. BTW: I can't delete a message that is already deleted to Bin folder. I had to empty entire Bin folder instead. But, still, final effect was exactly as you wrote.

Yes, I agree it's stupidity.


text:
My htc 826 Desire got stuck in bootloop
the thing is I didn't even try to root or change its recovery, the phone switched off on its own and when I connected the charger it turned on but never went past the HTC logo and keeps rebooting,I have tried a few methods that I found out from a few forums but it doesn't seem to work, why is it still not able to boot properly ?

Update your HTC device, or try to hard rest if nothing happen after trying all your methods. i would say first look to update your HTC Firmware. before updatin firmware make sure you have removed your SIM and SD Card to avoid data lost

when I try to perform a hard reset it stops real quick during the process and in red letters it shows unable to mount storage


text:
Why Key Test app shows KEYCODE_UNKNOWN when I press headset control button when the Generic.kl contains KEY 226 HEADSETHOOK?
My Phone runs Resurrection Remix 7.1(Redmi 3s). When I press headset control button, the key test app identifies the code as 226 but says KEYCODE_UNKNOWN. But the Generic.kl file contains the line KEY 226 HEADSETHOOK. Also I cannot play/pause the music using headset control button.

Headset is not necessarily mapped to Generic.kl (in fact, usually not - it should be in another .kl instead).


text:
Remove infinity wallpaper only from AOD
Just got my very first android today, being the S8 and am wondering how to remove any form of wallpaper from the AOD so its just black with the clock, but retain the wallpaper on the home screen.

Hi, by "AOD", did you mean "Always-On Display"?

Use an external wallpaper app like Google's wallpaper app. Set the home and lock screen with a wallpaper. Then set the Infinity wallpaper you want, only for the home screen.
This worked for me.


text:
Backup data with broken screen and empty system
Device details:

Samsung Galaxy S3 (i9300) with broken screen
No System (was running CM13.0 with GAPPS)
Currently flashed with TWRP 3.1 with Odin (was CWM)
/data | /dev/block/mmcblk0p12 | Size: 11622MB Used: 5540MB Free: 3440MB Backup Size: 5540MB

System details:

Windows 10
adb-1.0.39

I need to make a valid nandroid or adb backup for Titanium Backup Pro on my new device. What I've tried so far:

adb backup --twrp data (also with --compress option) to my laptop but it's currently unrestorable. #1011
adb backup without --twrp, results in 0KB file. Tried using adb-1.0.31 as described at question 83080 but didn't work (no password set)
backup with CM Recovery v6.0.4.6, but seems to fail on system (not sure). The backup folder only contains boot.img and recovery.img
adb uninstall package to create space/reduce backup size. /sbin/sh: pm: not found

Any other ways I can try without losing apps+data?

Restored system with what was running before by doing:

twrp wipe system (it was already empty, but for good measure)
twrp wipe cache
twrp install /sdcard/Download/cm-13.0-20160113-UNOFFICIAL-temasek-i9300-V2.9.zip
twrp install /sdcard/Download/open_gapps-arm-6.0-mini-20171004.zip
twrp install /sdcard/TWRP/SR4-SuperSU-v2.78-SYSTEMMODE.zip
twrp fixperms
twrp wipe cache
twrp wipe dalvik

Aftwards it got stuck in a bootloop. I had Android Studio open to watch the logcat and somehow managed to adb shell pm uninstall packages, just before the Fatal signal 11 (SIGSEGV) error, with the intention to fix the bootloop.
I uninstalled CM 13 themes first as they where appearing before the Fatal signal 11. It got to a point where it was unclear what was causing the bootloop and remembered I had activated a custom bootanimation with one of those themes. Deleted the /data/system/theme/bootanimation.zip, but did not help.
Tried adding debug.sf.nobootanimation=1 to the /system/build.prop, but did not help either.
Then I decided to uninstall packages I don't need backing up, as I was planning to try and create a backup again with CWM Recovery when enough space was available. To my surprise I was able to get out of the bootloop! Probably one or more apps were the cause of the bootloop after re-flashing the ROM.
I am now able to use Vysor to backup apps+data I need with Titanium Backup to transfer to my new device.
Alhamdulillah..
I hope this may be of use to someone else who may be experiencing a similar problem.
Options are:

Create nandroid or adb backup with TWRP or CWM Recovery, for Samsung Galaxy S2/S3/S4/S5 available here
Restore ROM without losing data

View device screen on Desktop (e.g. Vysor)
Create backup of apps (e.g. Titanium Backup)


text:
Is is possible to connect some services through Wi-Fi (without internet connection) while connected to 3G/4G?
I've read a lot of questions about using Wi-Fi and mobile data at the same time to make downloads faster.
This is NOT what I am looking for.
I need to connect my smartphone to a local Wi-Fi service network. It does not have internet connection, it has only my door bell server.
At the same time my smartphone will be connected to 4G using all other internet services.
A simple "route" to my server's IP would be enough. It looks to easy to be made in a desktop but I have no idea if it is possible to be done in an Android device.
Regards,
Ian Maciel.

For a starter, you could check related questions. Of special interest in this context: How do I connect to a wifi ap and 3g network simultaneously?

Not quite allowed.
In Android, the system is that, when you turn on WiFi, mobile data is switched off, or if you want and change the dual networks settings, then your phone can toggle between mobile data and WiFi when the signal strength of one us greater than the other. But that is done like this: if the WiFi strength is low, WiFi is switched off, and then mobile data is used. Once the strength is greater, it again switches WiFi on automatically, but switches mobile data off.
In short, you cannot use both simultaneously.
In the link that @lzzy mentioned, there is the mention of an app. I haven't used it, so cannot tell whether it works. However, it requires a rooted phone. You'll have to weigh the pros and cons of rooting the phone before you do so, in case you're not a developer.


text:
Phone shuts down at about 30% battery. When booted back up, it's at 1%
I'm having weird problems with my phone. I'll be using it normally, but at some point during my day, my phone is gonna shut down by itself. When I open it back up, the battery is at 1%, when not even 5 minutes before I had at least 30%. It even happenend when the battery was at 50%.
What could be my problem? Why does my battery seem to crash so quickly?

This is usually an indication of a defective or worn out battery. Can you update your question with your specific device make, model, and Android version?

Charge your device to a certain limit, say 60% or 50%. Then, switch off the device, and again switch it on. If you find the battery has drained, switch off your phone and remove the battery, and put it into another phone. Switch that phone on. Now:

If the new phone shows that the battery has near about the same charge, then the following can happen:

Your previous phone pin that connects the battery and the phone, is defective.
Your previous phone microchip is sensing wrong charge.
Your previous phone software has a problem.

In any of the above cases, take your phone to an authorised service centre and explain the problem.
The other phone shows that the battery has drained charge.
Recharge the battery in that new phone itself. Switch it off, and switch it on.

If new the phone still shows that the battery has degraded similarly, then your battery is faulty. Replace the battery.
If new the phone shows that the battery holds charge this time, it can  be undoubtedly said that your previous phone is faulty due to the reasons previously stated. Take your phone to a service centre.

Hope this helps you. Please let us know if the problem has been sorted out.


text:
Play store error #963
I have a Xiaomi redmi note 4, last week, I flash super su with TWRP, I change the sd mount to EXT4 because I have a problem, but is solved, and I wipe data. When I reboot the phone to system, all is OK, but I can't install any apk from play store, I get the error 903. I try to wipe data, wipe play store cache, uninstall the updates, reinstall play store, wipe data of google play services, etc... But nothing works. Right now im using Aptoide, please help, thanks you.

Welcome to Android Enthusiasts! For explanations on the 905, please consult our google-play-store tag-wiki, which already lists this. I've adjusted the title to only point to the 963 (which is also shown in your screenshot), as a question should only address one issue (be welcome to open another one for the 903 if needed).

When using the methods reported by @Izzy, none of them solved the issue on my Galaxy On7, rooted to work with Android Pie (9), LineageOS 16 flavour -- using an SD Card as adopted storage.
Here is what I did:

After enabling Developer Options, I checked the option "Force Allow apps on external"
Cleared the play store data;
Rebooted the device

Now all apps on playstore, which I had forcibly moved to the sd card with Titanium Backup, are able to be updated with no issues.
Hope this helps

The complete error message reads:

{App Name} could not be downloaded due to an error (963).

(just writing this for the benefit of those who cannot understand the language in your screenshot). According to this post on Google's product forum, there are multiple approaches to solve the underlying issue:

uninstall updates of the Google Play Store app
clearing cache and data of the Google Play Store app
unmount and remount the SD card
using the sd card as internal storage (see: adoptable-storage)
moving apps which are installed on the card to internal storage
remove the Google account from the device and then add it back

Detailed instructions for each of those methods can be found behind the link above.

I have found that if you move or delete a large file (or a few small ones) then you should be able to download and install the app. This has worked for me and works for all of the 900-1000 error codes. I have not encountered all of them so it might not work for some but it does work for this one.
To move correctly
Just move a file to a different storage to the instalation storage.
To move a file go into settings》Storage》Applications (or another catagory)》X》Storage
Then press change to successfully move a file
X=File of choice


text:
Clearing the notification about battery issues
My android doesn't understand why I carry my phone. It thinks that if Outlook and Skype are running all the time (so I can get push notifications) that it's a waste of my battery, and the thing to do is shut those down so that I can get more than 24 hour battery life. Thing is, with those shut down, carrying the phone is pointless.
Today it sprouted a notification on the Settings icon:

When I go in there, it wants to "fix" my "issues" by shutting down Outlook whenever I am not looking at it:

I don't consider this to be a drain. (It claims elsewhere Outlook is using 1% of my battery and that at this rate it will only last another 24 hours. That's fine by me.) I don't want this "fixed". I want Outlook and Skype to run all the time so I can get notified immediately if someone is trying to contact me. I want to clear that orange notification from my Settings tile. Yet none of this seems to be possible. Apparently the only option I have is to agree to have my phone turn off all the things I use it for, for my own good.
How can I get what I want?
This is a Samsung Galaxy S7 running Android 7.0.

Please update your question with your device make, model, and Android version... That information is necessary to formulate a concise answer.

@acejavelin done

If it's essential to you to have those apps running 24/7, why not excluding them from "battery optimization" (Doze mode)? If you don't know how to do that, please take a look at Is there a way to exclude an app from Doze?

May I ask whether you have any battery saving or cleaner app installed?

I do not. I have very little installed and nothing "meta" like that.

Based on the comment by Izzy above, I looked further under the Battery settings. There is nothing about Doze, but there is a section called Unmonitored Apps which apparently means "unrestricted" apps. I was able to add Outlook (but not Skype) to this list. The phone now says it will let them use all the power they want. Good.
Doing so has cleared the orange dot, which is great, and should also mean that I will get my push notifications. I guess. I don't really understand how Android works and seem to be constantly trying to stop it helping me.


text:
Galaxy A3 2016 bluetooth problem.Devices are visible but won't pair
I have a Samsung Galaxy A3 2016 Android Version 7.0 .
Pairing with other devices was working just fine until the last couple of months .
Lately my device can discover other devices , but pairing is not working with any device .
I tried to pair it with my laptop, beats and a LED bulb but it's not working .
Any ideas ?

It may not work but I just rebooted the phone then paired again and it worked !  Mike


text:
Downloading an HTML page
Is there a way for me to download an HTML page to a folder on my smartphone?
I usually make a copy in PDF format but sometimes it does not get very good.

@Izzy I migrated the question to this site: Question

Please note that crossposting is not welcome at SE sites, even if they would fit on multiple of them. I've adjusted your post at SR accordingly, so the questions are now slightly different (asking for an app there, and for some app independent onboard solution here). Good hunting!


text:
Getting notifications for new TV seasons even though notifications are turned off in Google Play
I get notifications for new TV seasons even thought I have turned the following notifications off in Google Play Movies & TV:

About TV Shows
About watchlist
About rewards

Here is what the notification looks like:

I would expect that deactivating "About TV Shows" would stop me from getting them, but they keep popping up. How to I exorcise them?
I am using an LG G6 with Android 7.0.


text:
Constant "<Untitled> Download unsuccessful." notifications
I'm constantly harassed by these "<Untitled> Download unsuccessful." notifications.

After taking the above screenshot, I cleared the entire notifications list. Within the next three minutes (usually even less), the list was already overflowing again.

I've learned to manage the symptom by navigating to the Download Manager application settings; hitting FORCE STOP, followed by CLEAR DATA, and CLEAR CACHE. Although the notifications slowly start showing up again. Just one at first, but gradually increasing in number with each occurance. Within a day or two, the numbers are usually back out of control.

I have no idea what it's supposedly attempting to download, or why. But whatever it is, it's not instigated by myself. I could just disable download notifications, but I'd rather identify the underlying problem and kill it directly. Needless to say, I'm not too keen on my devices automatically trying to download random mystery files from the internet. Any ideas? Thanks.
FYI: The device in question is a ZTE Blade L5 smartphone.

Possible way to find the culprit – please verify: From the app drawer, open the app "Downloads". It should list all downloads and, in a separate column, give the package name of the app having requested it.

@Izzy I checked. It just says No items. Which is weird. I've downloaded a few things; like .jpegs, .pdfs, etc. I doubt it's malware. It's been doing this since day one.

That's really strange. If you long press such a notification and then tap the ⓘ icon, what app does that link to? Side note: malware can also come preinstalled – though I agree that in this case this is unlikely (too obvious with those notifications).

@Izzy Download Manager.

That's strange – then the files should be listed in the place I've mentioned. If the downloader purges them from there, that sounds rather malicious (or at least suspect). But AFAIK only system apps can do that via the ACCESS_DOWNLOAD_MANAGER_ADVANCED permission.

I think I solved my issue with constant "download unsuccessful" notifications. In the Puffin browser I went to settings and the download icon then erased all. Haven't seen an instance for quite awhile.

I found out what it was with es file explorer. On home, where it says recent downloaded files it will say what files around how long ago.  Subtract those with the time current time and you've got your culprit. I hope this lasts. It was text now from panda helper

I have had this problem with the ZTE BLADE and found that if you go into Settings › Notifications › Downloads, then block the Downloads, it should stop the notifications after you clear them a couple of times. It worked for me.

"I could just disable download notifications, but I'd rather identify the underlying problem and kill it directly." Like the OP, I think hiding the fact that some malware on your phone trying to download files continually is not a good response to the situation.


text:
Is it possible to flash an app via custom recovery? If it is, will it become a system app?
I wanted to have an app as a system app without rooting it. I was wondering if it's possible to flash/install an app through custom recovery as we do with Gapps and other stuff.
So, I came up with an idea to flash it via recovery, but I don't know whether it will work or not. If not, is there any other way to make an app a system app without rooting?

Yes, it is definitely possible and has been done many times. The method to do so is explained in this article.
Briefly, the main steps from the provided link are following:

Download any similar zip template
Extract it; there will be 2 folders - META-INF & system
Make a folder with the name app inside the system folder
Paste your APK files in the app folder
Zip META-INF & system into a file
Flash it


text:
How to display calendar events on lockscreen in Oreo?
There are similar questions for previous Android releases.
Is it possible in Android 8 Oreo on a stock Nexus 5X to customise the lock screen to display upcoming calendar events? Google Pixel 2(XL) allows this.
(the image is of a home screen, but the question is specifically for the lock screen)

Calendar notify does a great job showing the agenda using persistent notifications.
If you'd like a more stock look, and if you are willing to root your phone and install the xposed framework (after it is released for oreo), then EventLock (disclosure: it's written by me) is what you are looking for.


text:
Downgrade and disable play store updates
I have a rooted OP3 on Android 7.1.1 with Play Store v. 8.2.38. I have tried uninstalling updates from apps manager(which reverts it to 7.9 the version I want to keep) but it updates Play store as soon as I open it afterwards. I can't keep my phone offline and I need app updates but not the play store itself. I want to keep Play Store at 7.9 or 8.0. How Do I go about doing that? All the related posts here are either outdated or not working

Freedom has a handy feature:

It works for me (OnePlus 5, 7.1.1 rooted)

I see what you did there! ;)

Why does people want to stay on older version of play store I get it for some apps but play store?

@ЈеднорукиКрстивоје Freedom, does not support Play Store 8+, and it's the primary reason why I stay at 7.9.

@PranjalJain I didn't quite understand you :(

@iBug Hey man, I tried this, but it doesn't stay at 7.9 for long, it reverts to 8 sooner or later, I think it's maybe because Freedom doesn't remain in background all the time?

Works for me with no faults. I have a OnePlus 5 with rooted stock 7.1.1 which is also extremely similar to yours, so is there anything wrong?

authors: Једноруки Крстивоје


text:
SOLVED: S7 Edge SM-G935S Soft-bricked: Unable to mount all partitions
The problem is solved, the solution is posted in the answer:
Problem

The device is unable to mount every partition, this includes:

/efs
/persdata
/system
/data
/cache
The credit goes to member greenman of sammobile forum.

The solution to this problem is as followed:
Following the guide here to flash the stock firmware and Repartition the device.
Here is a full write up of the Repartition process, taken straight from the Sammobile forum website by the member greenman. This is for in case of the website is not available.
"Here is how to install an S7 firmware

In the S7 firmware Samsung are now providing 5 files.

Phone preparation:
To avoid any issues with FRP (Factory Reset Protection) go to Settings > About device > build number > Tap 7 times to activate Developer options.
Now go to Developer options > OEM unlock

FRP LOCK and OEM LOCK are now both OFF.

1. Download and install Odin on your PC

    [Download Odin v3.11.1][http://dl.sammobile.com/Odin3-v3.11.1.zip]

2. Choose your FIRMWARE by putting in your phone Model version
https://www.sammobile.com/firmwares

3. Download and unzip your firmware (do not use WinRAR as it can give errors)

4. From your download put these files into Odin:

BL
AP
CP
CSC (not HOME_CSC)

5. Now look at the Odin Settings (for this select Options)

F.reset time
Auto reboot

6. Installing another country CSC or a network CSC will need the system partition size changing.
For this select Options and add this setting

Re-partition

NOTE:
1. You will get a WARNING from Odin.
You can ignore this.

2. If you are installing a multi csc firmware, and your existing CSC is in that firmware, then DO NOT select Re-partition.
You can check if your firmware is multi-csc by installing this app:
[https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.vndnguyen.phoneinfo&hl=en]

3. To receive OTA updates, after installing the firmware, put phone into Recovery Mode to wipe cache then wipe data/factory reset.

A video guide here
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SK3IMprKVQ]
In the video guide the csc is not being changed and so Re-partition is not selected

Hope that helps."

I would suggest including a writeup in your answer just in case the link goes dead. A simple copy and paste as a block quote should suffice.

You are right. I will update the answer promptly. Thank you for notifying me.


text:
how to completely factory reset my phone without messing it up?
So basically me, the stupid idiot, rooted my phone using Kingroot. Bad choice. Now I want to completely factory reset my phone. My friend suggested flashing it twice and then resetting it. How do I do it?
Phone:
Samsung Galaxy S3 mini
Model:
GT-I8190
Version:
4.1.2
Baseband version:
I8190XXAMG4
Kernel Version;:
3. 0. 31 - 1332988
se.infra@SEP-110 #2
SMP PREEMPT Sun Jul 28 14:54:47
KST 2013
Build number:
JZO54K.I8190XXAMG4

My friend suggested flashing it twice - It is useless. You only need to do this once.

Flashing what? You need to flash stock firmware and root will be gone and all data

authors: Једноруки Крстивоје


text:
Why is my security patch over a month old?
I have a Nexus 5X with Google Fi as the servcice provider. Settings > About Phone > System updates shows:
Your system is up to date
Android version: 7.1.2
Security patch level: August 5, 2017

Checking for updates finds nothing new.
I'm concerned that my phone still doesn't have the blueborne fix supposedly included in the September 2017 security patch. Is it normal to go this long without receiving a security update? Is there any way to force an update? Is there any guideline on when devices are updated? The only relevant article I've found is Check & update your Android version, but that just tells me how long my device is supported, and not how soon I can expect to receive patches.

Since Android Oreo's official debut, Nougat is no longer the "current" Android version, therefore Google doesn't officially patch it. On the other hand, Oreo for N5X has already undergone 3 iterations corresponding to Aug., Sept. and Oct. patches.
Oreo is supposed to come to your device in one of the phased rollouts, but if you're eager to get it, consider backing up data, unlocking bootloader (if you haven't already), then either manually flashing a factory image or flashing a custom ROM (FYI, LineageOS has ported over the Sept. patch even though its official release is still on Nougat).

I guess this is the answer, though it is disappointing to go so long without a securit update. You'd think they would keep delivering those to the old platform until they completely rolled out the new one.

Priorities... It's natural to expect us Nexus users to get left behind when Pixel is the new spotlight.


text:
android battery usage graph is like 1/x

Can some1 explain this? can i fix this problem with calibrating battery? basically it lasts almost as long as ever, but the percentages make it impossible for me to know how long do i have till it dies. it is now 10hrs on 1% battery...(samsung s6 nougat OS)

Calibrate the battery there is plenty of app for that on play store.

How to calibrate an Android device battery without root access
The old 'fully charge and discharge' approach stands as one of the simplest ways to 'recalibrate' your Android battery. But if your phone battery is causing you real problems, it's worth taking the risk.
Method 1

Turn it on again and let it turn itself off.
Plug your phone into a charger and, without turning it on, let it charge until the on-screen or LED indicator says 100 percent.
Unplug your charger.
Turn your phone on. It's likely that the battery indicator won't say 100 percent, so plug the charger back in (leave your phone on) and continue charging until it says 100 percent on-screen as well.
Unplug your phone and restart it. If it doesn't say 100 percent plug the charger back in until it says 100 percent on screen.
Repeat this cycle until it says 100 percent (or as close as you think it's going to get) when you start it up without being plugged in.
Now, let your battery discharge all the way down to 0 percent and let your phone turn off again.
Fully charge the battery one more time without interruption and you should have reset the Android system's battery percentage.

Remember that it is not recommended to perform this process all the time. Even when your battery is so dead your phone won't even turn on, your battery still has enough reserve charge to avoid system damage. But you don't want to poke the tiger with a stick. Perform this process once every three months at the most. If it is required more often than that you have bigger problems at hand.
Put plainly: fully discharging a battery is bad for it. Trying to overload a battery is also bad for it. The good news is that charging batteries automatically shut off when their safe limit is reached and there's always a little in reserve even if your phone won't start. But again: do this only when really necessary, because it does have a negative impact on battery life.
How to calibrate Android device battery with root access
Even though I'm not convinced that clearing the batterystats.bin file has any meaningful effect on how the Android system reports remaining battery charge, there are those who swear by this method.
So in the interests of fairness, we've included the process for you here (it is true that different manufacturers use the batterystats.bin file for different things). It's basically the same process as above but with the added step of a root-enabled app.
Method 2

Discharge your phone fully until it turns itself off.
Turn it on and let it turn off again.
Plug your phone into a charger and, without turning it on, let it charge until the on-screen or LED indicator says 100 percent.
Unplug your charger.
Turn your phone on. It's likely that the battery indicator won't say 100 percent, so plug the charger back in (leave your phone on) and continue charging until it says 100 percent on the screen as well.
Unplug your phone and restart it. If it doesn't say 100 percent, plug the charger back in until it says 100 percent on screen.
You want to repeat this cycle until it says 100 percent (or as close as you think it's going to get) when you start it up without being plugged in.
Now, install the Battery Calibration app and, before you launch it, make sure your battery is at 100 percent again, then restart.
Immediately launch the app and recalibrate your battery.
Once you've calibrated your battery, discharge it all the way down to 0 percent and let your phone turn off again.
Fully charge the battery one more time without interruption while it's switched off, and the Android system's battery percentage will be reset.

That's it. Have you tried any of these methods? Do you know an alternate way to fix battery problems? Let me know in the comments.

Source

authors: Једноруки Крстивоје


text:
Prevent call taking over screen during navigation
I want to prevent call taking over my screen during navigation (Google Maps or Waze).
During navigation I dial / receive calls by my car controls, also see everything there, so don't need to see call information on phone (however seeing it for a few seconds before automatically switching back to navigation would also be fine).
I've already tried looking for solutions, but all what I've found was just workarounds (switch to "do not disturb" ...)
I've a Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016) with Android 7.0

Thing is I know it can be done as a friend just has a little box with call coming in and it leaves a small box with the map in the corner. You would think that there would just be a simple button to swipe in settings but no, nothing. Come on google make life easy for people, please.

I've updated to android 8 and now I've it too. So maybe depends on the version..

Haven't tried much other then Macrodroid - PlayStore
Steps:-

Install app
Add new macro
In triggers search and select "Call Active" (also check any contact, any number, non contact, unknown caller)
In actions search and select "Press Back Button" (would need accessibility permission)

Note:- I am using Rooted(but this Particular macro shouldn't need Root) Moto G5+(Almost stock Android N 7.0 that Google provides) and samsung uses customised version so give it a try
It should work but still can't say anything without trying
Also Note:-
The time you want to use call screen you will have to disable the macro or you can also create a Toggler Macro (to toggle it on/off)
Do report back

Thanks! Definitely a good suggestion.  Unfortunately pressing back button requires accessibility which is not allowed by my company app.

You don't even want the screen to turn on when a call arrives , am i right ?    and what should happen when you make outgoing call?                         Should screen stay off ?

Screen is on, I'm using navigation. I want to keep seeing that instead of call screen. If it switches to call screen for a few seconds that's isn't an issue.

Would it be ok if you get minimal display for e.g., just call answer button nothing else?


text:
Saving contacts to SIM / view SIM contacts
I've just bought a new Android phone (Wileyfox Swift 2X) and updated to Android 7.1.2.
Up until now I have always saved my contacts to my SIM card, which saved me a great deal of trouble with past Android phones that had broken screens, as I only had to insert my SIM card in a new device and voila, all my contacts are there.
However, on Android 7.1.2, I am unable to view SIM contacts or save new contacts to the SIM card. My only option is a Gmail account (linked to the device) - which is not what I want. I am even unable to save new contacts to the device itself.
In the 'Contacts' app, the 'Contacts to display' menu item has 3 options:

WhatsApp
Google (....@gmail.com)
Customize (no SIM options here either)

I'm pretty sure that in all my Android phones up until now I had a 'device' and 'SIM' option.
In the 'Contacts' app, I do have the option to import/export:

Import from .vcf file
Import from SIM card
Export to SIM card
Export to .vcf file
Share all contacts

So for now, I imported my SIM contacts (to the GMail account), so I can use my device for now. However, I want to only store my contacts on the SIM card.

I've checked out some apps in the Google Play Store that read the SIM contacts and they work fine (although with ads) so this is not ideal.
Did they remove the SIM contacts option? Is there a way to enable it?
Thanks in advance!

This depends on the Contacts app, and every manufacturer can customize their built-in Contacts app. It might help to know the package of the Contacts app to confirm which Contacts app this is about. Otherwise, 3rd-party Contacts apps might be the alternative solution.

I cannot specifically tell with your device, as I've never used it, but I can surely tell on Samsung Galaxy Edge 7, which runs on Nougat.
There, this option available under More options in Contacts, as per this video.
It may have been possible that your manufacturer has developed the User Interface in such a way that this is not supported, but Nougat OS clearly supports it.

Indeed, it's a little different on Nougat. As I said in my question, the 'contacts to diplay' screen only shows Gmail and WhatsApp as options unfortunately. I will contact Wileyfox and ask them. Thanks.

Can't say anything specific to your device but in my Moto G5+ even i dont have any option of viewing or managing sim contacts but i did find a app that does soIt also have add/delete multiselect etc options
SIMcardToolManager


text:
psiphon connects successfully but blocked sites are still blocked
I've installed psiphon and I launched it in vpn mode and it connected successfully. However, the sites I know are blocked in my country were still blocked.
This didn't use to happen, psiphon used to work great but now it seems like the device isn't tunneled at all.
Android version : 6.0.1
Psiphon client version is 164
Again it connects successfully but the effects I expect aren't there.

What version of Android were you using before, also are you using Psiphon built-in browser?

@xavier_fakerat hmm probably 4.0 IceCream, no I'm using tunnel mode,anyway it works now !!! I don't know how but it works


text:
Is it possible to update android version in Motorola xoom tablet?
I have a tablet of Motorola (XOOM MZ604), it is rather old but for me looks and behaves like new, except of one big problem that I cannot install important applications on it because the android version of the android there doesn't support those applications (such as google docs). My question is if it possible at all to update the version of the android in this tablet, and if it is possible then how to do that?
By searching on this site I found the following 2 questions and answers (This question + this question) but they don't help me because the answers there are about chrome while my wish is to update the version of the android. Beside of that, I've searched a lot on google but not really found an answer to my question. I'll appreciate a lot a clear answer.

As I see latest version provided by manufacturer is 4.0.4 so dead end there, you can try searching for custom ROM for your device.

Thank you. After reading your comment I've looked for it on Google and I found myself complicated in this issue. I've entered a lot of forums but the links don't work and those who work contains viruses. If you know custom ROM for my device kindly let me know.

here maybe?

Unfortunately no. The links don't work or send me to ali express. I appreciate your help.

authors: Једноруки Крстивоје


text:
Can't pull from /system/bin
Ok so I'm trying to adb pull some files from /system/bin and adb states that file doesn't exist (yes it does exist) it's same thing with /system/xbin while pulling from /system/lib/ works just fine.
I dont have root, and permissions for all folders are 755.
Any solutions?

I am not entirely sure but I think you need root in order to do so

@DeepakGangwar Than why I can pull files from /system/lib/ ? it has same permissions like /bin/ and /xbin/ (755), also it states that file doesn't exist not that permission is denied.

authors: Једноруки Крстивоје


text:
how to keep internet connection active when in sleep mode android marshmallow'
I noticed app background service not working that, when I would use my device after it had been sleeping, wifi wouldn't be connected using marshmallow .

Go to Settings, then click on WiFi. A somewhat similar screen will be shown:

Click on More.

Select "Keep WiFi on during sleep". If any option comes after that, choose "Keep always on during sleep". That's it.
This only happens with WiFi. Mobile data is never switched off by default unless you specifically ask the phone to do so by changing settings to conserve data.

thanks for solution . but i want to Keep "WiFi on during sleep" programmatically permission


text:
Navigation bar becomes transparent in "recent apps" panel
My navigation bar becomes transparent in the recent apps panel, so it collides with the recent panel buttons at the bottom of the screen.
How to fix this?


text:
Is WebView localStorage stored in the app cache?
I am writing a hybrid app (Cordova 6.5, Angular 1.5, Ionic 1.3, HTML5) that will run on Android. This kind of app works in WebView.
My app has a few images bundled with the app and most of the data will be called via HTTP and some of it will be stored in localStorage for offline mode.
I have seen that it's possible to manually write images etc. into the app cache (https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/data/data-storage.html), but I am not doing this myself in my app.
I am wondering what kind of data does the Android OS store in the app cache by default. I hope this does not include the html5 localStorage.

The app cache helps the app run faster. Every time an app loads some data (like images and so on) it gets stored in the app cache. If the user opens the app again, this data is not reloaded. It is taken from the app cache instead. This makes the app faster. App cache though does not persist and is erased every time you restart your phone.
In the localStorage though, you store things that the app will need to remember even when the phone restarts. For example what is your progress in a game, some app parameters etc.
See more about app cache here.


text:
broken boatloader, moto x play
I have a new moto x
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Motorola-Moto-Z-Play-XT1635-03-64GB-FACTORY-UNLOCKED-5-5-3GB-RAM-Black-White-/202006426506?var=&hash=item2f0885738a:m:m4lAgEM6Gyne3vodvWp9W-w
I just purchased and trying to get rooted.
There appeared to be no lock on the device as indicated
 ROM
So I uploaded the TWRP image
# fastboot flash recovery twrp-3.0.2-0-addison-eng-modified.img
target reported max download size of 536870912 bytes
sending 'recovery' (14020 KB)...
OKAY [  0.055s]
writing 'recovery'...
(bootloader) Image not signed or corrupt
OKAY [  0.201s]
finished. total time: 0.256s

And then boy, was I surprised to find out that I should of uploaded a copy of the image to the sdcard "first", before I wiped it clean.
Now I can only get to the ROM image splash screen w/menu or the TWRP setup. TWRP ask for that image file locally.  There is no externally accessible standard sized sdcard slot on the device (onboard 64gb or 2 nano sim slots only)
Note: I have no nano sized sdcard to attempt
I tried to push the image up to the device
# adb get-devpath
usb:2-2

# adb push -p /home/Downloads/twrp-3.0.2-0-addison-eng.img  mtp://[usb:2-2]/
error: device '(null)' not found
# adb push -p /home/Downloads/twrp-3.0.2-0-addison-eng.img  mtp://[usb:002,038]/
error: device '(null)' not found

The file system appears to be in write protect, but I can write a test txt file to the sdcard via TWRP shell and vi.
note: in the TWRP shell, I can see SELinux is active
How do I push the proper image file via USB to my Moto X play 1635-3, or any other recovery method?
Update:
adb push -p /home/brads/Downloads/twrp-3.0.2-0-addison-eng.img  /sdcard/

got the image uploaded to the onboard sdcard.
Now my file system is not 'write only' as well. Since the push, I can use the GUI to transfer image files back and forth like cake.
The push must of unstuck something I guess.
Image failed to load when I tried to install to /boot partition from TWRP.
Trying suggestion from below now.

First, that version of TWRP is ancient, upgrade to twrp-3.1.1-1-addison.img from Alberto97 here. Be aware that in Android File Host, the newest file is not at the top normally, it is at the bottom of the page(s). Once you have the correct file, flash and/or boot from that.
After that, you have two options...
You can use ADB Sideload and "push" the ZIP image of your ROM directly to the device.

In TWRP go to Advanced - ADB Sideload
On your PC, enter "adb sideload customrom.zip" (replace with actual
filename)
Repeat for Gapps (if needed)
Reboot and enjoy

The second option is to go into TWRP Mounts, and mount Internal Storage, then make sure MTP mode is enabled, connect USB cable and you should be able to copy the files to the phone and flash like normal in your GUI.
The biggest issue you are having is your TWRP is old and does not support the latest bootloader.
For issues beyond that, I would recommend going to XDA's Moto Z Play forums and start a thread in the Q&A section for help specific to your device from people who are intimately familiar with it.

That's only old, but can't be too old not to be called ancient. All 3.0+ versions seem to be rather prevalent.

@iBug OK, maybe "ancient" is exaggerating a little but, but the one the poster is using the original version for that device, there have been 6 or 7 versions since then... I stand by my the content of my answer.

@acejavelin where do I get  customrom.zip?

@NIX that was merely an example, but you can find dozens of custom ROM's at XDA in the Moto Z Play forums I linked above, or go directly to the development section here: https://forum.xda-developers.com/moto-z-play/development and take your pick

@acejavelin I got Tipsy installed but it "sucked". It couldn't find my sim ports, the package manager was broke.  I was hoping for gravy with you recommending one.

@NIX Dirty Unicorns https://devs-base.com/viewtopic.php?t=405 or Resurrection Remix are my normal go to ROMs for all devices... Carbon, XenonHD, Pure Nexus, are all normally solid. I don't own an addison device, just helped with some issues with a few of the devs. As with all custom ROMs, try, try, and try again... eventually you will find one that suits your needs. .

@acejavelin if there was an option to award you two points, I would make it happen.


text:
What data is included in Auto Backup?
On my Android 7.0 phone, I see that I can set auto backups for the phone data.

(click image for larger variant)
For apps, it says that it will back up app data. I see that Android apps have both cache data and app data.
Android/data/com.myapp.app/cache
Android/data/com.myapp.app/files
Is cache included in the auto back up data?

Related: What info does Google backup? (details might have changed since then)

Backup will never contain cache data.
Cache data is CPU specific and instance specific. For the same app, different CPU may create different cache depending on what part of the app is running as a process. Moreover, even the same CPU running at different instances may have different app cache. If you open an app, keep it running in the background, but never open it in foreground, the cache created will be different from the one created if the app has been running in foreground. Moreover, once the app has been closed and its process has been killed, then cache space for that data is allowed to be overwritten by new incoming data. So, cache data is never constant.


text:
Keep Apps on SD card
So I'm using Android 7.0 (build nr. NRD90M.G935FXXU1DQH5) on a Samsung Galaxy 7 Edge.
Whenever I update an app that I've moved to SD card, I need to move it back to SD card after the update.
This is very annoying (and been for a while). Any way I can resolve this without downgrading or rooting the device? Because I could have sworn there was a time apps moved to the SD card STAYED there.
(Personally, I would have no issue with rooting the phone, but certain apps - like for example used by my bank to authorise e-banking transactions - won't work on rooted devices, so let's not.)

Let me tell you a bit about the Android system. When an app is updated, the developer may not merely add files to its directories, but may also delete/modify existing ones. Android system is such that, Google Play Services framework cannot update apps while they are on SD card. So, the apps are always updated by first moving them to device memory, and then modifying/adding/deleting apk files.
Unfortunately, there is no system to automatically move the apps to sd card after update. There may be apps claiming to do that, but I haven't tried any, so I cannot tell.
On all Android devices, be it 4.0-Kitkat, 5.0-Lollipop, 6.0-Marshmallow, 7.0-Nougat or 8.0-Oreo, this system is unavailable. After update, you have to manually move the app back to sd card. Nothing can be done about that.
Please note that all methods mentioned here are on unrooted phone. I don't know what can be done on a rooted one.

Well, then they should bring the Google Play Services framework up to speed, already. It's ridiculous, really, that having reached android 8.0, we have 400GB micro-SD cards but still  need to manually manage it. As an alternative / workaround, it seems trivial to add "and if it was on the SD card, try move it back to the SD card and inform the user if not possible" to the update procedure. I have no idea why they haven't done that a long time ago.

Well, it's google's outlook. Perhaps they don't want the modern man to be completely lazy, because nowadays everything can be done with a simple "OK,  Google". So, they want us to do at least some work.

I have the same behavior on my Samsung S7e - currently Android 8.0.0.
However, on my Tablet SM-T900 - currently Android 5.1.1, there is an interesting features in the "application manager", which helps: amongst the 5 sheets available there, one called "SD Card" allows listing all applications "authorized" to be moved thereto, irrespective of whether they actually have been or not. So, after an apps update session, the box associated with an app which was moved away is no longer ticked, easily and quickly showing the app (or at least part of it) is back to the internal memory.  I use this trick after each update session in order to quickly identify and transfer back to SD on both devices, as wished.  This also makes it easy to identify newly installed apps eligible for it...  This is of course not as good as if the apps would stay on SD after updates, but helps a lot as it makes it easy and quick to correct the problem. Hope such feature is or will be on later OS, such as on S10... my next mob.


text:
How to send a flag/data as an input to installed android app?
Is there a way to send a flag or a single number or character to my app running on a device using android developer console or by using any other way, without touching the mobile device ?
Example :
Say I have a mobile. I install my app-test.apk in the device by downloading it from google play or by transferring it to the sd card.
Now the app is running in my mobile.
What I want is to send a message/a flag/a number/a character or anything to the app so that the app identifies it and perform some action, some sort of a trigger for some condition. Like app shows a toast messages saying "I am running".  All this without touching the device.
If it is not possible how can I achieve this by just shaking the device or pressing the volume button with device in locked state or by minimal touching the device ?
Is this possible ?
Thanks !

Yes, this is exactly what ADB is for. Part of the Android SDK, it's designed for developers but useful for any user. After you turn on "USB Debugging" in the device's developer options, it can connect to the device via Wi-Fi or USB. Depending on the particular app you want to control, you might control it by:

sending an intent the app understands, using am start
copying a file to the device using adb push
sending fake keyboard or touch-screen inputs using adb input

Find out more about ADB on the official site or the tag on this site: adb.
Another option is to use an automation app such as tasker or automate. With these tools, you can visually create something like a "script" of actions: changing system settings, and sending intents to apps. Many apps integrate with these tools, offering special intents to control them and even a nice menu to choose them from. You can set this script to be triggered directly by a single touch on the screen, or indirectly by a change in some other state: e.g. when the phone sees a particular Wi-Fi network, when it's in a geofence, or when it connects to a Bluetooth device.


text:
Lost android phone, shows no active devices
Lost an android phone. This is what shows:

I tried getting the map at android.com/find
This is what is shows:

Help please.

Whenever you factory reset a phone, it is deactivated from the respective google account and anyone who doesn't want to return it, resets the phone.  Sorry to say but this is the possible case with your phone. I've lost 3 phones (+ 5-6 of my knowns) and literally these things never work. Because In India, people resets your phone the very same moment they get it.

As per Google account support,

Make sure your device can be found
After you sign in to a Google Account on an >Android device, Find My Device is on by default.
To use Find My Device, a lost Android device must be:

Turned on
Signed in to a Google Account
Connected to mobile data or Wi-Fi
Visible on Google Play
Location turned on
Find My Device turned on

Lost Android Wear devices must also be running Android Wear 2.0 and up.

Unfortunately, if any of these settings are turned off you might not be able to locate your device. Given that you do not have access to your device my best guess is one of these is not on.


text:
Will "Contacts" permission allow reading contacts list on SIM?
I denied "Contacts" perm of obvious reasons for an app. It won't work. I reached its developer and he said I am paranoid, that "Contacts" means just basic info about phone owner, like name and email, not contact list. But it says "Contacts", not "Basic owner info". Who is right? How to give app "Contacts" permission but hide contacts list from it?

What app are we talking about? The Contacts permission allows access to contacts, obviously. Finally, your phone sees all of the contacts, ergo something with that permission sees any contact the phone can see.

Who is right?

I think you are right because "Contacts" permission - quote:

Allows an application to read the user's contacts data.

You can write an abuse to Google about this application if you think they use "Contacts" permission unreasonably and Google may check that application more accurately.


text:
Translation of RIL_PreferredNetworkType terminology to human speak?
In Android's source code, I see
typedef enum {
    PREF_NET_TYPE_GSM_WCDMA                = 0, /* GSM/WCDMA (WCDMA preferred) */
    PREF_NET_TYPE_GSM_ONLY                 = 1, /* GSM only */
    PREF_NET_TYPE_WCDMA                    = 2, /* WCDMA  */
    PREF_NET_TYPE_GSM_WCDMA_AUTO           = 3, /* GSM/WCDMA (auto mode, according to PRL) */
    PREF_NET_TYPE_CDMA_EVDO_AUTO           = 4, /* CDMA and EvDo (auto mode, according to PRL) */
    PREF_NET_TYPE_CDMA_ONLY                = 5, /* CDMA only */
    PREF_NET_TYPE_EVDO_ONLY                = 6, /* EvDo only */
    PREF_NET_TYPE_GSM_WCDMA_CDMA_EVDO_AUTO = 7, /* GSM/WCDMA, CDMA, and EvDo (auto mode, according to PRL) */
    PREF_NET_TYPE_LTE_CDMA_EVDO            = 8, /* LTE, CDMA and EvDo */
    PREF_NET_TYPE_LTE_GSM_WCDMA            = 9, /* LTE, GSM/WCDMA */
    PREF_NET_TYPE_LTE_CMDA_EVDO_GSM_WCDMA  = 10, /* LTE, CDMA, EvDo, GSM/WCDMA */
    PREF_NET_TYPE_LTE_ONLY                 = 11, /* LTE only */
    PREF_NET_TYPE_LTE_WCDMA                = 12,  /* LTE/WCDMA */
    PREF_NET_TYPE_TD_SCDMA_ONLY            = 13, /* TD-SCDMA only */
    PREF_NET_TYPE_TD_SCDMA_WCDMA           = 14, /* TD-SCDMA and WCDMA */
    PREF_NET_TYPE_TD_SCDMA_LTE             = 15, /* TD-SCDMA and LTE */
    PREF_NET_TYPE_TD_SCDMA_GSM             = 16, /* TD-SCDMA and GSM */
    PREF_NET_TYPE_TD_SCDMA_GSM_LTE         = 17, /* TD-SCDMA,GSM and LTE */
    PREF_NET_TYPE_TD_SCDMA_GSM_WCDMA       = 18, /* TD-SCDMA, GSM/WCDMA */
    PREF_NET_TYPE_TD_SCDMA_WCDMA_LTE       = 19, /* TD-SCDMA, WCDMA and LTE */
    PREF_NET_TYPE_TD_SCDMA_GSM_WCDMA_LTE   = 20, /* TD-SCDMA, GSM/WCDMA and LTE */
    PREF_NET_TYPE_TD_SCDMA_GSM_WCDMA_CDMA_EVDO_AUTO  = 21, /* TD-SCDMA, GSM/WCDMA, CDMA and EvDo */
    PREF_NET_TYPE_TD_SCDMA_LTE_CDMA_EVDO_GSM_WCDMA   = 22  /* TD-SCDMA, LTE, CDMA, EvDo GSM/WCDMA */
} RIL_PreferredNetworkType;

The problem is, I don't know what the terminology maps to.
"LTE" is obviously just 4G LTE, but what are TD-SCDMA, WCDMA, and EvDo?
I'm assuming at least some of them must map to 2G (GPRS), 2G (EDGE), 3G, "3.9G" (HSPA+), but which is which? And which ones are actually CDMA (Sprint, Verizon, etc.) rather than GSM?
(I'm a little confused because it seems GSM LTE phones also have modes like WCDMA?)

I figured them out thanks to here and here.

GSM is 2G (on GSM networks)
WCDMA is 3G (HSPA)
CDMA is 2G (on CDMA networks)
EvDo is 3G (on CDMA networks)
TD-SCDMA is 3G (UMTS)
LTE is 4G (LTE)

This PDF (page 16) explains the evolution of the different technologies.
Warning: A lot of this terminology is conflated (e.g. "CDMA" can refer to both the channel access method as well as mobile phone standards, "3G" and "4G" can refer to lots of different things, etc.) so take these with a grain of salt.


text:
VPN-Always-on VPN disconnects WiFi on my tablet
I'm trying to connect to my work vpn with my Galaxy Tab S2. I can connect just fine with the same settings on my Samsung Note 5.
Using : L2TP/IPSec PSK.
When I put the same settings in for my tablet it says "Unsuccessful". But the drop down on the screen says "VPN is Connected" However there is no duration. Sent and Received show info was exchanged. Our network guy can also see this activity. This is with Always-on selected.
When Always-on is selected it cuts the wifi out and says "wifi is connected, but there is no internet"
Any help would be appreciated!!!

I bought a new laptop and it solved all my vpn problems. My laptop wasn't disconnecting properly. woops!


text:
Casting to TV with wifi network- no internet
I have a wifi network but will be turning off the internet source.
This is because I use the phone for all internet needs, apart from casting.
Therefore how can I cast to the TV which has the chromecast dongle set up on my wireless network ~ no internet.

Have you tried the app Localcast? I haven't tried it myself. (It is ad supported). https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.stefanpledl.localcast&hl=sv&referrer=utm_source%3Dgoogle%26utm_medium%3Dorganic%26utm_term%3Dchromecast+stream+directly&pcampaignid=APPU_1_1zLZWaiHDKqR6ATl7YuYAw


text:
How to extract SMS/MMS from Android to readable format?
Looking for a way to extract text messages, photos included, to a readable format like HTML, PDF, RTF, etc. Is there any free software that can achieve this?

I feel easy with SMS, but not with MMS.


text:
How can I remotely control my phone via android studio?
I need to remotely control my phone from computer.

My touch screen is not working
My display is broken I can't see anything
I have android studio and sdk's for my phone not sure which was needed but it was jellybean so downloaded all sdk's for that
Phone is pattern locked but I can unlock it(muscle memory)
Not sure if USB debugging is activated or not

Phone: Red Mi 2
OS: Ubuntu 14.04

I doubt that remote control can be achieved without confirmation, and since your touch doesn't work.. How do you mean you can unlock it when touch doesn't work?

I feel vibrations sometimes while pattern lock is wrong and sometimes it doesn't work.

I think you can use an external USB-C keyboard to interact with the device. It is plug-and-play for newer Android versions.

authors: Једноруки Крстивоје