text:
Does the MTK preloader reside in the same flash as system or data?
I was just curious as I don't understand the MTK preloader that much. Considering if a wrong one is flashed, then you are left with unrecoverable brick (correct me if I'm wrong). So, it seemed odd to me that it would be kept in the same flash as other partitions like system, data, cache, etc.
I have tried checking some partitions directly from the phone which seem to indicate that it might be sharing the same flash memory as other partitions, but the scatter files that I have seem to indicate otherwise. I also did some search on XDA Developers, but it left me even more confused.
Any help will be appreciated.

The eMMC has what's called "hardware partitions" or regions that the full flash memory pool is divided into by the memory controller.
These regions operate at a lower level than the usual logical/software partitions we're used to, like the ones that might be listed in a GUID partition table. So when you read from something like /dev/mmcblk0, you're already being limited to the user region, and won't see the preloader.
What other regions are there? New specs mandate different regions, but on my device there are four: user, rpmb, boot1, and boot2.
The preloader is in boot1 and/or boot2 region. Your system may have it as /dev/mmcblk0boot0 and /dev/mmcblk0boot1.
My boot1 looks like:
│00000000 43 4F 4D 42 4F 5F 42 4F 4F 54 00 00 01 00 00 00 │◆│COMBO_BOOT......│
│00000010 00 10 00 00 FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF │▒│................│

Mediatek headers start at 0x1000:
│00001000 4D 4D 4D 01 38 00 00 00 46 49 4C 45 5F 49 4E 46 │▒│MMM.8...FILE_INF│
│00001010 4F 00 00 00 01 00 00 00 01 00 0C 05 10 0F 20 00 │▒│O............. .│

And the actual preloader code is just below:
│000010F0 00 00 00 00 05 00 00 EA 80 21 10 00 88 DF 10 00 │▒│.........!......│
│00001100 00 00 27 00 A8 65 27 00 00 00 20 00 F0 1D 25 00 │▒│..'..e'... ...%.│
│00001110 C4 61 9F E5 00 40 86 E5 00 00 A0 E3 00 10 A0 E3 │▒│.a...@..........│
│00001120 00 20 A0 E3 00 30 A0 E3 00 40 A0 E3 00 50 A0 E3 │▒│. ...0...@...P..│

The boot ROM ("brom") is separate from the preloader and does not exist in writeable flash, but in read-only memory. Its main job is to read the boot0 region from eMMC to RAM, authorize it, and transfer control to it.

It's present in the Boot ROM, not a directly visible partition in the eMMC.
Source: MediaTek details: SoC startup
The Boot ROM will be embedded inside the processor chip in generic chipsets. (read more) (no idea about MTK)
Further Technical details on working of Preloader: MediaTek details: Partitions and Preloader

The links have been helpful, but they all seem to point out that Boot ROM memory is read-only, if that's the case how comes it is possible to flash a preloader, am i missing something?

Yes, it's confusing.. As far as I have understood, it's not listed as a partition in the partition table, But I nowhere see if it's present in the flash itself or a separate memory.. These things are propriety to MTK and they won't reveal it, unless someone reverse engineers and finds it out..

Thanks, let me check some chinese forums perhaps I might get something

@GokulNC OR rips an MTK phone apart.

Preloader is most certainly a partition visible in a smart device's partition index/filesystem. This partition is present on virtually every Lenovo device manufactured today. It is not embedded in the processor chip, but rather is located within the eMMC SD internal storage. So to answer your original question, yes, the MTK preloader is in
 the same eMMC flashable storage card as /system, /boot, /data, etc.

I don't think that is the case because I tried dumping /dev/block/mmcblk0 (which is the device containing the various partitions in my device) starting from the first memory block using dd, I then examined it using a hexeditor searching for any presence of preloader signature but there wasn't any, I have an untested hypothesis that perhaps the emmc is abstracted into memory regions and only certain regions are visible in normal mode but I am still not sure 100%

Preloader is present in eMMC.
/dev/block/mmcblk0 is located in eMMC as linear address.mmcblk0 starts with mbr, not including preloader. You can easily check by putting this mmcblk0 in eMMC raw tool and by clicking Load partition structure button.
But preloader is located as logical address.

Yes, it is stored on the same storage as the rest of the partitions, except in its own partition. Think of it like three partitions or regions:

Boot0: holds your preloader
Boot1: from my personal experience, usually holds nothing
EMMC: is like an extended partition (a partition that holds more partitions) and holds your system, data, cache, etc.

You can use SP Flash Tool to check this yourself by making a readback of the different regions and inspecting them with a hex editor.

I think this confirms my assumptions, I found about this a while ago but was reluctant to post it as an answer because I wasn't completely sure. I don't know about the naming used in your phone but all phones I have examined have three regions EMMC_BOOT_1 for preloader, EMMC_BOOT_2 (contains null bytes) and EMMC_USER which is used as mmcblk0 holding other phone partitions

You can buy special dongles or flash boxes such as Infinity CM2 and read the firmware. This way, you will be able to dump the firmware in factory format and do some debugging.
Usually, the preloader file is located in boot0 or recently in Boot1.


text:
Edit password.key then unlock phone
I just did a strange thing.I went to data/system, there was password.key file.It was consisted of almost two lines of text included more numeric and few alphabets.I just edited it and add "32" at the end of second line using ES file explorer.Then I locked my phone,now i am unable to unlock it. How can I unlock my android phone without factory reset?

Do you have a custom recovery installed?

ROM Manager app says your phone is not listed for custom Rom

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


text:
Camera App disappeared
My camera app on my Android phone has disappeared.
It all started yesterday.
Everything had been working fine until then, but all of the sudden, my camera app didn't respond anymore (Can't connect to camera was the message I was getting).
I got the same message when starting apps that used the camera (e.g. Snapchat).
I went to Settings->Apps, and forced-quit every single app and stopped every process; still, nothing.
At that point, I decided to hard reset my phone, and now, there is no camera app at all.
I have tried looking for it in the disabled apps directory in Settings->Apps, and still, it is nowhere to find...
I am really frustrated, as I can't use my camera at this point in my mobile phone (neither rear- nor front-camera)...
Is there anything I could do to solve this issue?
SPECS:

Phone: BQ Aquaris E4.5
Android: Version 5.0

Have you tried a factory reset?

Tap on Home icon > Apps and widgets > Settings > Apps > All tab > Scroll down and tap on Camera option > Enable button.

I have the same issue. What is the home icon?  I cant find apps a widgets either.. with ios, you just slide up from the bottom to get the camera.  Nothing like this on android?

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

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


text:
I can't find my stock rom?
Please help I need to flash stock rom on my dead samsung device but I can't find it, I attempted to remove the case but I don't know where sould I find it.
Here are some the phone info
Model found on settings : N5200
Rom : 4.2.2 Jelly Bean
Processor in board: MediaTek ARM MT6572A
Found this unknown numbers and letters
Rated 5V = 2A
FCC ID: A3LGTP1000
Dual Core2 Tablet: N5200
V710-1-V710_bin_V04
SN:8145051101607  14E08025
SAMSUNG ----- 410
KMN5X000ZM B209
T V710-1-2G
Thats All ! Thanks

There is no GT-N5200 or SM-N5200 produced by Samsung, and Samsung never produced MediaTek-based devices. Add the fact that the FCC ID is that of P1000 (Galaxy Tab 1st-gen), and it's obvious that your device is a fake copycat, and a poor example at that. Don't expect to find anything for it.

Oh so how did they got the ROM for that?

They made it themselves in-house.


text:
I can get Internet Access, Though I cannot Use Instant Messagings (LINE, Zalo, Viber)
I have a problem regarding the internet connection to my android applications, e.g. Instagram, LINE, Viber, etc.
I use Android x-86 version 5.1 (Lollipop) on Vm-ware.
Actually, I have internet connectivity, I can access internet via web browser. Though I cannot use my android application that I mentioned above.
How to solve that problem. Please help me out. Thanks in advance.


text:
My (other) Moto G3 won't update to the latest Android version
I have two Moto G3 phones (XT1541), the older one is on Android 6.0.1 and the newer(!) one is still on Android 6.0. Why is it not updating to 6.0.1 ?
The phones are international versions and the only difference I can think of is that the older phone is a 8 GB variant and the newer is a 16 GB variant...but the size of internal memory shouldn't matter, right?

It seems that the updates to some units are just VERY late:
https://forums.lenovo.com/t5/MOTO-G-3rd-Gen/Moto-G3-not-updating-from-Android-6-0-to-Android-6-0-1/td-p/3386562
I think that these were my last Motorolas now that even Samsung is better with updates.


text:
SIM card undetected after adb reboot recovery
My SIM and SD cards are not detected by the phone (One Plus X) after I did this command : adb reboot recovery and then escape it with a hard reboot (pressing volume UP and lock button)
I tried to restore the phone to factory parameters, but it did not work.
Is there something I did wrong at this point ?
Now I've found a topic similar to mine : SIM Card not detected after failed recovery flash but it's seems solve by using an undocumented file.
I've tried to root my phone, but could this process solve my case ? How to unroot the One Plus X

My sim was the source of the problem. I changed it and my problem was solved.


text:
One Plus 1 - Logs out and immediately back in WiFi randomly
The phone from my girlfriend is a OnePlus 1. About 4 to 5 times every hour, it disconnects and reconnect back to the Wifi. Sometimes the disconnect time lasts 3 minutes, sometimes 10 seconds, but it happens continuously. I have tried to find out why, but I could not find any answer.
What could I do to stop this behaviour?

I used to get these errors till a few weeks back myself,especially on a friend's wifi hotspot, and strangely enough,same problem was on friends' oneplus 2 and 3, and not even a stutter on other friend's nexus6p/iphone6/moto turbo.
Flashing a new rom helped a lot,currently running Mahdi rom, works pretty great and wifi stutters have reduced significantly(still,not zero, although barely once or twice per hour compared to the old 5-6 times back on stock), so if that's a possibility,go for it!
PS Worked on oneplus 2 and 3 as well, Custom Roms in, wifi disconnections out!


text:
Can't select widget
I have an android 5.1.1 tablet. There is a narrow, tall widget appearing at the top left, and just says "Problem loading widget". Whenever I hold it for several seconds, it just acts like I am holding an empty space. I can't select it. How can I get rid of it?

What tablet?  When did this start happening?

App related to the widget might be uninstalled. Try clearing the data and cache of the home screen launcher currently in use.


text:
Restore IMEI on Android One through Macbook
I recently flashed my Android One device & installed a custom ROM on it. I've lost my IMEI number during the process. How can I restore it permanently so that the IMEIs don't get erased on next factory reset?
I'm on Macbook Pro.
PS: Would also like to know for windows on a secondary note.

You should flash a stock ROM.  It's pretty much impossible to say what any arbitrary custom ROM might be doing incorrectly.

Would the IMEIs be restored if I did that?

No guarantees, but they should be.  I had the same issue on one of my devices and it was fixed by flashing the stock ROM.

Could you please point me to the procedure on how to accomplish that?

You should do whatever you did to flash the custom ROM, but just use a stock one.  I am not familiar with this particular device or where to get ROMs for it, but you can refer to http://android.stackexchange.com/q/17152/1465


text:
I can get Internet Connection, However I cannot download APK File (Kitkat and Lollipop)
I have problem related on internet connection in Android x-86 version 5.1 (Lollipop) and version 4.4 (Kitkat). I run that android emulators on VM-ware.
I use android-x86-4.4-r5.iso for Kitkat and android-x86-5.1-rc.iso for Lollipop.
I have internet connectivity and I can use web browser for both android emulators, but I cannot download the APK files.
The status of the APK files at Download Folder always show Queued status and I waited for so long but there was no any APK file at that folder (Download folder), or there is no any response.
Please help me out.
Thanks in advance.

How are you downloading them?  Are you using a Bridged or NAT connection in VMware?  (Also, please do not repeatedly ask the same question.  Add all details about your connectivity issues to one post.)

I use bridged connection for both Kitkat and Lollipop. How do I fix my problem in order to can download APK files? In another Android x-86 Lollipop OS, i can use the internet connectivity but I cannot use my instant messaging, e.g. LINE, Viber, etc and I cannot download the APK files too. Previously, I tried to download some APK files but it cannot work (stuck during downloading process), then I have clicked force stop at Download Manager and Download (Settings --> Apps --> All) but when i try to download another android application again, there is no any notification at Folder Download.


text:
battery draining when developing
I am connected via an USB port and have the screen constantly on, with the lowest brightness settings - by using the Lux app, that lowers that below the allowed level, making the screen barely visible.
Nevertheless, the phone is discharging fast.
Nexus 5 stock rom, rooted.
Only one process running in the foreground (an official play store app) which I am trying to automate via adb.
This didn't happen with a chinese MTK tablet, which stayed 100% charged all the time.
What can I do to work around this issue?
Thanks.

How about underclocking cpu speed. since the device is rooted. or you can check other services that may not be usefull but running background.
if you have busybox or something installed. maybe you can look for processes and their consumption of cpu.


text:
Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 10" (YT3-X50) factory image, OTA update or backup needed
I was playing around with some modifications to my rooted Yoga Tab 3, and I messed up - the tablet wouldn't boot anymore, even after a factory reset. I could still boot into recovery, so I was not too worried until I realized that I can't just download a factory image or an OTA update for my tablet in order to restore everything.
In desperation, I tried flashing the update image for YT3_850F, which was available online. This made the tablet boot again (I can hear the sound and I can see it through ADB), but without anything being displayed on the screen, which is strange, since both tablets seem to share the same graphics card (Qualcomm Adreno 304).
I think my only remaining option is to locate a factory image, or an OTA update for my tablet and flash it in recovery. Does anyone know where I can get an image for YT3-X50?
Or maybe someone with a rooted tablet could do me and the rest of the Internet a huge favour and make a backup image of their tablet available?
Are there any other recovery options that I am missing?

Since I'm a Chinese, I could browse Chinese sites (including Lenovo's own) and grab what I can get. Here's something I dug up with a wee bit of search.

Factory images (page in Chinese). Available for both F (WiFi) and M (cellular) variants. Click any link with "链接跳转" before them to go to the download landing page, then click what's behind "下载地址" for the actual download site (Baidu Cloud). It does seem to require Baidu Cloud client to be installed, so if you can't download it yourself, give me a heads-up and I'll see if I can host it on my own AFH. The extraction password (if there's any) is "ask.lenovomobile.com".
Flashing tutorial (page in Chinese). Requires an SD card with >4GB free space, and a >50% charged battery. Rename the extracted firmware package (something like YT3-X50F_USR_S000015_1509171725_Q1241_PRC_CN_otafull_factory_update.zip) to * factory_update.zip (as the page says, "*" stands for any amount of characters - I don't know what that means exactly so I'll just leave the translation here). Insert the card into the device when it's powered off, then hold POWER and VOL+ for ~3 secs until it vibrates and boots. The devices should automatically do a factory reset and update from the zip, then reboot subsequently.
Also refer to this starter thread for general info.

Thanks so much, Andy! This looks like the right firmware. I am having trouble downloading it though, since it requires registration and a client, which will take even more work to set up on Linux. If it's not too much trouble for you, could you grab the WiFi firmware and post it somewhere I can easily download it from? Much appreciated.

Done - AndroidFileHost.

Thanks again! My tablet is now restored from that image.

For anyone who needs the firmware for the M variant... AndroidFileHost (in RAR format, extraction password above)


text:
What is that icon that looks like a ships wheel with a line through it and how do I remove ir?
I've tried every thing to remove this.Help!

that would be the location icon. By the looks of it, your location service / gps has been turned off. This means when you use maps applications, it won't be so accurate. You may preserve a little energy by turning off location service. Please go to the main "settings" on your phone and you can find the location option there.

Likely "GPS off".
The icon is believed to be (intentionally) enabled by some carriers. It likely involves rooting and modifying the framework (or using an Xposed module, e.g. Sense Toolbox) to get rid of it.

Press and hold this notification, this will show you which application is resposible for that icon.
If it is third-party application you can uninstall or force stop it and if it is system app reply with screenshot.

This icon is on the right side instead of the left, which means it corresponds to a status instead of a notification.


text:
How can I create a backup ROM compatible with ADB sideload?
Can someone explain how to backup a rooted Android device into a ZIP file that would be compatible with adb sideload? Is it possible without having a custom recovery installed?
Is there a specific name for a ROM in that format? Is the format documented somewhere? Are there tools that package ROMs into that format?

Adb backup? Why no adb backup?  You can then just adb restore.

@DanBrown: I didn't realize that 'adb backup' can backup the /system partition... Can it really do that?

Don't know for sure, actually. Try adb Pull, and then adb push it back if you can't adb backup /system. You really should be using a custom recovery though. Why not?

Shoot, I forgot: You can use the app ZIPme by Jrummy.

@DanBrown: Yeah, doing this from recovery would be ideal, but not an option for me. I've got a locked bootloader and no hack for this device yet (YT3-X50), so no way to actually install a custom recovery. I know that apps like FlashFire can create images of all partitions (including system) w/o recovery, but the missing piece is how to create a sideload-compatible jar, once I have the partition images.

@DanBrown: It's a long story (short version - I messed up :)), but my goal is to take a rooted YT3-X50, lift its ROM, and then use it to resurrect a bricked YT3-X50, which still accepts sideloads, but is otherwise toast, b/c I ruined the /system partition on it.

Use the ZIPme app, or any of its similar. Should help ye

Also, for the resurrection bit, do the devices manufacturer(s) have a PC tool-perhaps with a recovery option?

Did you solve the issue? maybe this could help. I don't know if it's sideload compatible though.


text:
LG G5 - Fingerprint Scanner gone
I have an issue with the LG G5. I bought it like 3 weeks ago and used it very carefully. Now just while using the fingerprint scanner went away. it said restart the phone. After restart even the option is gone.
The same issue is reported here as well but no solution:
http://forums.androidcentral.com/lg-g5/683019-fingerprint-options-missing.html
Can anyone help me please?
Thanks

I have checked all forums for a way to fix my lg G5 fingerprint option that just dissapeared, i came across something, if you go into settings>general>lock screen>choose "none" exit and reset your phone once it starts up go back to settings>lock screen> and miraculously you should be able to activate your fingerprint option again

No miracle for me :-(. Still doesn't work.

When selecting none it warns saying finger print data will be deleted and will be insecure. Proceeded with that. After restarting I am able to set finger print again. Thanks.

So here is how solved it:
I returned the product and got my money back! This issue is for real as a lot of ppl have reported it
The power button will soon stop working btw as its actually the whole fingerprint+power button that is low quality!
It only costs like 10 bucks on ebay but LG couldnt get a quality one!!

Turn your phone off. Hold down the volume button then hold down the power button along with it until a bar code appears on your screen. Restart your phone and the fingerprint option should be back. Do it twice if it didn't work tge first time.

Tried this three or four times; didn't work for me.


text:
How does "GMSActivator.apk" work?
Android distributions for PC don't come with Google apps installed out of the box because they would need a Google licencing for that. Using those apps requires, according to some sources, a GMSActivator.apk app file or other means of installing Google apps, which are relatively easy to do. My question is how is it possible that it's so easy to bypass Google restrictions and install their apps? I was planning to try Android on my PC but now I'm a little suspicious about that...

They don't enforce that restriction by law (on end users) or by mechanisms in Android, AFAIK. Android is open after all.


text:
Note 7 WiFi keeps turning itself off
I really hope someone can help me, this is becoming infuriating. My Samsung Galaxy Note 7 keeps turning wifi off all on it's own. I have searched until blue in the face trying several things I've seen suggested on various forums. Nothing works. I wasn't able to track down another case of this happening on the Note 7, although I'd seen other phones from samsung as well as other manufacturers, but none of the fixes I came across worked for me.
I don't know what's triggering it, I've tried to watch it closely and see what the problem may be but can't seem to pinpoint it. Power Save mode is off, I set a static IP for it, turned off the smart switch feature which swaps between wifi and mobile network to "make sure you have the best signal", nothing works!!
Looking forward to any suggestions or fixes anyone may know of! Thank you in advance!

First of all: return your device, it is at risk of exploding. See this page.
About the WiFi, Samsung has declared that it will turn off radios on Note 7s to prevent people from using them. See the post on this blog: https://9to5google.com/2016/12/07/samsung-note-7-radio-disable/.


text:
How to mask USB OTG as SD card
I have a unique requirement wrt Youtube, MicroSD Card and USB OTG.
What I am trying to do:
I want to make use of Youtube offline feature where you can store a supported video offline (to view without any internet connection at a later date and time) in phone internal storage or attached MicroSD card.
The problem
The MicroSD slot in my phone is unavailable (because I am using the same for Dual SIM)
The non working solution
I do have an OTG connector where I can add a MicroSD card to my phone, however the same is being detected as USB storage by the Android and hence by Youtube, and I am unable to store offline videos.
Help required
I would like to know any app, hack, patch, custom ROM that will help me to use OTG as internal storage or mask the same as MicroSD card?
Thank you all in advance for reading or replying to my question.
PS: I have "Redmi Note 3" as my phone running Android  5.1.1 and MIUI 8.0.5.0

I found a rather easy solution here, but it requires Android Marshmallow 6.0:
(My Device is a rooted Nexus 7 2012 with latest ASOP 7.1.2 installed, the OTG Device is a USB-Card-Reader with a Micro-SD-Card).
I'm note sure if you need root for these commands.
Connect your OTG-Device, then run the command in a Terminal-Emulator (like this one) directly on your device:
sm set-force-adoptable true

or use ADB from your pc (you'll need to install the Android Debug Bridge ADB first, see here):
adb shell sm set-force-adoptable true

After that, you should see a Notification, which ask if you want to use the storage "normally" or as adoptable storage (which would format the Usb-device). I chose the first one (without formatting), then the my OTG-Device was available like a Micro-SD-Card on my SGS5.
The OTG-Device will then automatically be mounted under /storage/0000-ffff (hex-code of your device).
Now i can choose my "new" SD-Card for Netflix Downloads. I assume Youtube offline downloads are supported now, too.
There is a Notification to "discard" your device, with that I even can disconnect the OTG-Device and/or restart my android, the next time I reconnected my OTG-Device I was able to use the Netflix Downloads again, without repeating the commands (sometimes I had to force-close Netflix first)!
With my OTG-Adaptor (Inateck OTG Hub & SD Card Reader HB3001G) I even can use OTG and charge at the same time (connect the power source to the OTG Reader first, then to your Android Device, for some reason that dosen't work all thetime)!

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


text:
Can't find other options in the "Ok Google" detection settings page
I have already re-installed the google app, factory reset my phone, but I still can't find more options fron the 'Ok Google detection' page.
This is what I see:

Click image for larger version
My Phone: Sony Xperia C3 Dual
Android version: 5.1.1 (lollipop)

What the other opiton would be?

@Alex.S "from any screen" second is "Personal result"

What are you trying to achieve?

@DanHulme that i can use okay google any where even an application is open

Not all phones support hotword detection being on all the time (i.e. "OK Google" from any screen). The phone needs a lower-power co-processor, to avoid running down the battery by keeping the processor running at full power all the time just processing sounds. It's up to the system integrator (the people who compile Android for the phone) to set whether this option is enabled or not. From other users' reports on Google Product Forums, it looks like the Xperia C3 doesn't support this, and Sony removed it in the update to Lollipop.
Most likely you could get this working with a custom ROM, but the cost would be that it would run down your battery - which is presumably why Sony removed the functionality in the first place.

Thanks for answering now i know why i cant get those options

Glide, if this answer is fine, award it the bounty!  As much as Dan needs it ;)

Please update your default System language as English(US). It must work as Ok Google now supports only that. Go through this link "OK Google from any screen missing!"

sorry for late response i already did that but same there is no other option apear

You could flash OpenGApps nano over stock ROM, but it made Play services force close.
So, I tried flashing deodexed stock ROM and flashed OpenGApps over it, it worked.
which means it doesn't require a custom ROM.
Since you have Xperia C3 DUAL you should flash this patch after deodex ROM.
To install a custom recovery without having to format your phone you can root using KingRoot and install my modified XZLockedDualRecovery and you can then flash SuperSU through recovery.
Using KingRoot and XZLDR installers requires enabling USB Debugging from developer options.
Sorry can't post more than two links.
For further instructions message me on fb.com/megaahmadf

Kingroot,
XZLDR look at guide.txt for instructions.
SuperSU for Xperia C3


text:
Clash of Kings on One Plus 2 with OxgenOS 3.1.0 not responding error
I have installed clash of kings game on my new android device which is one plus 2 and I just updated the OxgenOS to 3.1.0 and Clash of Kings stopped working,it always shows not responding error before upgrade it was working fine.
If anyone have faced same issue please help me. I have tried by reinstalling and clearing data but nothing worked.


text:
How can I forward a section of a WhatsApp conversation?
Suppose I had this conversation with someone on WhatsApp, consisting of several messages going back-and-forth. Now, I would like to forward that exchange to someone else...

on WhatsApp
via a plain-textu representation (which still makes it clear who says what, and isn't just a concatenation of the text)
via some reasonable structural represntation, doesn't matter exavtly which (e.g. XML, HTML, markdown, RDF, email-like quoting etc.)

Which of these options is feasible, and how?
PS - I use a Doogee X5 phone with Android 5.1, in case it matters.

Take Screenshots !!!
Works for everything !

That's not such a bad idea... but the WhatsApp interface doesn't seem to offer to let me do that. So, how do I take screenshots in WhatsApp?

Standard way: Hold Power+Volume Down

@GokulNC: That doesn't work for me, at least not with my Doogee X5.

Try Screenshot Easy app..

Simply copy multiple  chats and paste to the third person . You will have time and sender information as shown below in the screenshot

In response to comment asking how to copy, simply long press the chat (S) and copy highlighted chat using the icon pointed. Next, to paste, in another chat, long press and you get the paste option

What do you mean by "copy multiple chats"? How do I do that?

Explained that in answer

Haven't seen your response? Wondering if you had issues?


text:
Downlading works fine on wifi but not on data
I am trying to download a season on my mobilw with android app. As soon as it connects to my office wifi it starts downlading but its not downloading on my mobile data. When downlaod was initiated it was downloading perfectly fine. My mobile data is much faster than my WiFi so i want mobile data downloading. Please help, from my end i have checked all the settings

Is background data ON?

Please mention through which app you are trying to download.
one possible reason it is not downloading on mobile data is most apps don't download content on mobile data by default, you have to go to the app settings and check if there is any option saying download only on wifi, if that's the case then just enable downloading on mobile data from there.


text:
Countdown timer going off late
I've had a problem with the default clock app, specifically the countdown timer portion (also has alarm clock and regular timer in it). Sometimes it goes off late by several minutes when setting it for intervals under 1 hour. What could be causing this problem? I don't have any other apps which could affect time to my knowledge. Android version is 4.4.2, phone model is HTC 626G+.

Do you put this timer into the background by using other apps? I'm not sure Android gives the clock app any superceding precedence when shifted to the background. It'll receive (or not) priority to keep it alive or active. It may sleep, as is the habit of background processes. It would surprise me only if any alarms went off early.

I have a habit of swiping off any active apps so there's nothing in there, and the alarm, timer and everything else still works. So no, there aren't any other apps, and as I've said, I don't think I have any time related apps installed that could interfere. And the alarms have never went off early.


text:
Can I flash a ROM of another Android version?
I'm currently having Android Lollipop and wanting to flash a Android 6.0 ROM. Would that brick my phone?

Regarding your first question.
In order to flash a rom with higher Android version you need to

make sure the rom is for your device
flash new bootloader
flash new radio

Note: i recommend upgrading Android version with the OTA update from your OEM (Samsung, HTC, ... etc) because you cannot mess up. And then flashing the rom.
Then follow the usual steps for flashing any rom which are

make sure rom can be flashed on your device
wipe (optionally not including internal storage)
flash rom
flash gapps if not included in rom
reboot

And if you want Root

find a SuperSU version that your ROM supports
reboot to recovery
flash SuperSU zip
reboot

IMPORTANT : after flashing twrp may ask you to root your device Select NO
Note: you know that a rom can be flashed on your device only if your device's codename is in the name of the zip file. For example : paranoidandroid6.0.1_hammerhead.zip
 Here hammerhead is the device codename , specifically nexus 5.
Make sure to research before doing anything.

What is a bootloader, radio. Why should I flash it, and how? Thanks :)

@Yayy bootloader explained : http://www.androidcentral.com/what-is-android-bootloader , radio explained  : http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/70/what-is-radio-firmware, you flash them like a regular zip , every device comes with one installed , when upgrading software ,bootloader and radio may need to upgrade too. That's why i recommend to upgrade with the OTA from you OEM, it is much easier

What if there is no OTA for my device yet? :o

@Yayy than you either get the radio and bootloader from the team that make the rom or you don't get it at all

@Yayy Sometimes you don't need to flash them at all. For example: i have a Nexus 5 with Android 6.0 , in order to flash 7.0 rom i don't need to flash bootloader and radio. Now i don't really know if this is device specific or if they are included in the rom. Once again research beforehand and ask on xda forums


text:
How to remove bloatware in non-rooted android smartphone?
Is therr anyway to remove the system app via adb or else ?
I am not talking about disabling application!?


text:
Strange image orientation with all camera apps
I've just noticed that on my Wileyfox Swift there's something strange going on with image orientation:

taking a landscape image, everything is fine: the resulting JPG is in landscape, and Exif has Orientation:0 – as one would expect.
taking a portrait image however also has Orientation:0, and the resulting JPG is in portrait – while on all my other devices, the JPG would remain landscape but have e.g. Orientation:6 (rotate 270°) in its Exif.

I've tried with multiple camera apps, including the integrated one. Two other camera apps I use on other devices as well, where they work as expected.
What might go on here, and how to fix it up? I need it the "standard way" for post processing scripts etc. Though the results "look the same" in image viewers, the technical details/differences are relevant in my case, so I wish the Wileyfox to adhere to the standards :)

You've just made me google what the hell a Wileyfox Swift is. It looks good :) In seriousness, @Izzy (pinging just in case) This appears to be happening quite ofteh with different devices and cameras, like this one: https://github.com/commonsguy/cwac-cam2/issues/241

I don't see why it's a problem. The orientation EXIF field just tells you whether the actual geometry of the picture disagrees with the order of the pixels in the file. The phone isn't breaking any standard.

@DanHulme It might not be a problem for you – but it is for me. This is the first (and only) device dealing with it that way. All my post-processing relies on the fact that fotos are always stored landscape, and orientation is stored in the file's Exif data. So I want to know if there's a way to fix that. It might well be it's not breaking a standard (as there might be no standard explicitly defined) – but all other devices I know of (including cameras) dealing with it via Exif makes this an exception. And I don't want that exception :)

@DanBrown the issue you've linked is somehow different (talking about emulator and the preview shown wrong – I don't see any relation to Exif there). But thanks for the pointer: as the owner explicitly mentions the Swift, I may ping him for context.

I'm afraid you don't have any chance to make the image be in landscape mode when taken, if you don't have the source code of your ROM. But you can surely post-process it by yourself.
Termux provides some helpful (and famous) utilities like jhead and imagemagick. It's possible to write shell scripts that rotate portrait images into landscape and add a "Rotation" in the EXIF to "rotate" it back.

I didn't ask about post-processing (of course I could check width & heights and then rotate + add exif rotation) – as commented on the question, I do some post-processing already, but I don't want an extra step for those basic stuff. So I want to know how to have the correct Exif info in there to start with, instead of having the photo "hard rotated" and correct that afterwards.

@Izzy If you have the source of the ROM you can surely tewak somewhere in /system/libso the library provides the desired function.

As it's CyanogenOS, source should be available. But me not being a dev, I wouldn't know where to start even. I was hoping there might be some "hidden setting" one could tweak somewhere, either via some dialog or using setprop and friends. Nevertheless, thinking twice your proposal becomes intriguing: I could do the rotation in the after-after processing (after color correction and other editing) where I fix some other Exif-based stuff anyway – whenever the photo is stored as portrait, rotate it by 90° and update Exif accordingly. Not my first choice, but good enough. Will check, tnx.

OK, adjusted my workflow accordingly by rotating portrait images (identified by "height > width") after editing and updating Exif rotation accordingly (have a script adjusting the timestamps running then anyway, so there it went). Should work out (will see with the next batch), so I'm accepting the answer for now (thanks! Most obvious things come to mind last :). Though I'd still like to know how to fix the original issue (instead of having to work around it).


text:
Mount f2fs sdcard on boot
I have a 128 GB microsd and I do not want FAT32 on it. I have MIUI 8 (Android 5.1.1) with 3.10.49 kernel, TWRP 3 and root. For some reason mount doesn't work at all, it always produces error Invalid argument. I tried replacing it with one from BusyBox but it didn't help. Some forum guys told me that I should add the card to fstab (which AFAIK is located inside boot.img), and edit the config of vold (which is located I have no idea where). Also this. All I understood from there is that there is some storage_list.xml and I should edit it. Again, searching through forums led me to this path framework-res.apk\res\xml\storage_list.xml.
But still! I have no idea where this framework-res.apk is located and how do I unpack-repack it.
All info that I'm desperately trying to extract from google is outdated or related purely to cyanogen >_< Please give some instructions

Also, I don't really care if it will be f2fs, I just heard that 3.10.* kernels already do support f2fs, but if that's a spoof I'm ok with ext4 or even exFAT


text:
How to flash a rom to a phone under bootloop
I have tried to flash the custom ROM CM 13 to my Lenovo A6000 plus as described in the xda thread. My phone was running on Lollipop and was rooted.  I had twrp in my phone. So I simply copied  [ED300-CM13.0-UNOFFICIAL-wt86518.zip] and [open_gapps-arm-6.0-micro-,,,,,.zip] to my external sd card and tried to flash them using twrp. Installation of ED300-CM13.0-UNOFFICIAL-wt86518.zip was seemed succes but open_gapps-arm-6.0-micro-,,,,,.zip showed an error as zip file corrupted.
I assumed the installation of later was only to include the necessary Google apps. So I thought not to install them assuming that they weren't necessary. I simply reboot the phone. Now my phone is in an infinite bootloop. It just shows the Lenovo logo, stays for 2-3 minutes and again go back to boot.
I tried to enter into twrp but didn't succeed. I can access the bootloader. So I put the phone to bootloader and connected to my laptop. But when I type adb devices it doesn't detect the device.
Did I really brick my device? Is there a way to get back? I just want to flash any compatible ROM so that the phone stays up. Please don't tell me to get back to xda :(

I've read the thread you linked and inspected the TWRP package inside. It looks like flashing for this device is incredibly simple, similar to a Nexus - it just flashes and boots a recovery image from fastboot. Lenovo even included a handy command to reboot straight to recovery from fastboot, which not even Nexus devices have.
Since you've flashed TWRP successfully in the past, I assume proper drivers have been installed, and you still have the whole folder on your PC. So right now what you're gonna do is boot your phone to fastboot, connect it to PC, open a command prompt window on PC then execute...
fastboot oem reboot-recovery

...which should take you to recovery.
If an error pops up then you might need to manually point to the fastboot location (drag the fastboot.exe in tools/ to the command prompt window), so it becomes something like...
C:\TWRP\tools\fastboot.exe oem reboot-recovery

(your path will vary).

I managed to get into recovery by pressing vol UP + vol DOWN + Power and flashed another ROM which works fine now. Somehow the CM 13 didn't work for me.
Anyway, I tried your method also, which works and I am accepting it as the answer. :)


text:
Move only a specific group of pictures from Android Gallery to PC
We have an android phone with hundreds of pictures taken from a recent vacation. Because we want to keep those but don't needed them everyday, I'd like to move those images to a desktop computer and leave the phone only with pictures not from the trip.
So the situation is, we have hundreds of pictures spread around multiple albums (pictures taken with the camera plus others received from other people during trip through Whatsapp and other IMs) in Gallery that needs to be transfered to a PC.
I'd like to avoid using share via bluetooth as it's painfully slow and transfer often failed, and be as manufacturer-agnostic as possible. I have searched for solutions, but they were more about backing up the whole thing instead of a part, and we have too many images to manually check.
Ideally there should be a way to select the images across multiple directories that were created between certain dates in an android device and move them to a location in particular. What are my options from here? Shell commands on ADB?

More information is needed such as what type of computer are you using..
Sounds like the easiest way to do this is simply plug your phone in via usb to access the phone's storage and then find the camera and other apps' photo storage folders. From there you should be able to sort by date just like in a normal folder.
You don't need to use the shell. you may need to install google's usb driver though..


text:
Pushed apps into device from google play web browser, install failed. How to find out what apps failed?
Yesterday I browsed into the play store from my pc, and selected several apps to be installed onto my tablet.
The tablet attempted to install the apps later, but several of them failed. I have cleared the notifications, now I don't remember what apps were not installed.
How can I retrieve this list of failed install attempts? I don't know what apps I tried to install (or I would just re-install them).
Device is a Samsung G-note 2014ed, running on 5.1.1

Ummmmmmm...... Logcat? I doubt it though, since you rebooted. Try installing them again, and nab a screenshot

If I knew what apps were in that batch, I would just reinstall them. @DanBrown

Then You can't AFAIK.

@DanBrown I was hoping google play would keep a list or log somewhere.

If you have only never installed them before, you could find them in the all section of my apps

Your android version is lower version or, you must download the apps on your playstore tablet not on browser CMIIW

Play Store already filters compatible devices when trying to install an app from the web store. Thus, trying to install an app that requires higher Android version is impossible in the first place.


text:
Something is blocking ads and I don't know what it is
I am not complaining, it's awesome, but strange. I have a rooted Samsung a5, sm a500h, android 6.1.
Few weeks ago I installed adaway, and removed it because it couldn't block youtube ads.
And now the vast majority of apps don't display ads anymore, with the exception of musixmatch and youtube. I browse webpages using chrome, i see no ads on any website, including forbes.com and it let me in without complaining about an ad blocker, on tumblr, the ad space says "couldn't connect  to server x"
I did clean my device multiple times, using the likes of clean master, I did restart it multiple times. Is it possible that adaway did all that?

I'm happy but a bit sad, I like to help fellow dev earn some money, I just hate youtube ads thats all coz they waste my time, it's like i have to watch 2 videos instead of 1

Lynob, sounds like the host file didn't reset. It's fixable, don't worry. I'll write it as an answer

Please see this new article 2017/02/10 10 most useless apps and games for Android. Most prominent, but specifically named in the list: Clean Master (along with quote-Booster apps, Anti-Virus apps, and Task Killers-unquote)

@wbogacz thanks for the article, good read, I removed clean master shortly after asking this question for the reasons mentioned in that article, it became huge, it became junk, rather than junk cleaner

Somebody gone borked up their hosts file
Luckily, it's an easy fix. Your going to need root, and a root file manager (Like ES file explorer)
In your file explorer, go to /system/etc, and look for a file called 'hosts'. Open it, and remove EVERYTHING except the top line to disable the AD blocking. If you want to, of course
But why?
AdAway and similar apps use root auth to write to the hosts file the locations of ads. This then blocks them due to what said file does (it's a blacklist, essentially)


text:
Share WIFI from PC over USB
All the questions with similar titles are the inverse of what I want. I would like to connect my tablet (that is "blocked" on the Wifi) to my Windows 10 computer over a USB cable and have the computer "share" the Wifi. Is this possible?
EX: My tablet is blocked from the internet (home policy) but you can get Wifi by asking and staying in the main rooms, I want to have my tablet access the internet by having the computer "share" the internet with the tablet. I don't know if this is possible and if it is would like to know how.
I have a Nexus 7 2013 32GB Wifi on 6.0

I am trying to understand this: Your tablet doesn't have wifi you want to connect it to your computer via USB cable? Yes this is possible- normally when you attach your android device to PC it automatically installs MTP driver to enable you to browse the device folders. Secondly what programs which require admin rights are you trying to run ( I assume on your PC?) Do you wish to do file transfers of some sort between the 2 devices?

I thought I could comment on this before writing an answer to get clarity. You wish to share the internet from your computer over wifi because your tablet is blocked to access that particular wifi? . Short answer yes it is possible to share your wifi to give your tablet internet access, in this case there is no need for usb  **unless your pc doesn't have a wireless card in which case you need to perform what is called reverse tethering

@xavier_fakerat yes pretty much, I think you understand, the nexus is blocked on the wifi (it can connect but the router will not let it access the internet)

Different ways of sharing interet connection from Windows to other devices
Nowadays there is a lot of ways to share internet connection to other devices and each method has its pros and cons.
Here is a breakdown of methods:

Using Windows 10 Mobile Hotspot Feature:

Newer editions of windows 10 (after 1607 anniversary update) have a built in mobile hotspot feature which allows internet sharing to other devices
pros

easy to use as its built-in
no extra tools needed
internet is shared over Wi-Fi (no need for cables)

cons

some network types are not recognised e.g 3g dongles.

Using 3rd party tools
Nifty tools such as mhotspot,  or Connectify provide the ability to share internet to other devices by making use of Microsoft Virtual Wi-Fi Adapters

pros

provide many additional tools to monitor and customising  created networks
improved encryption
internet shared over Wi-Fi

cons

some of these are commercial softwares and  are relatively expensive

3a. USB Reverse tethering
Reverse tetherng is a relatively newer method of sharing internet especially from devices that do not have a wireless adapter.
 It uses the USB cable to share internet from the computer to the target device and oftern requires 3rd party tools and drivers as well as system modification of target devices.

Reverse Tethering (root)
Requires the target devices to be rooted prior to connection and a USB server application or server to be installed on android. For better coverage this method often requires another Xposed module Hack connectivity service to increase internet coverage to most apps if not all.

Reverse tethering (no root)
Similar to root based method but requires extra programs to be installed on windows

Specific requirements of reverse tethering no root:

Java runtime environment (JRE)
PC server application
Android server application

pros
 - can provide faster connections usually with low latency
 - reverse tethering (no root) works on windows, linux and mac
cons

requires usb cable
installs additional apps on PC and phone
connections can be difficult to establish
some of these workarounds only work for some apps and not every app is guaranteed to have internet access, but from my experience browser, Gmail, google play were working just fine

Update
3b. Using  adb to reverse tether
Using bash script
alias t='r && sz $tether && r && sz $n'
tether='am start -n com.android.settings/com.android.settings.TetherSettings && input keyevent 66 && input keyevent 66'
n='netcfg rndis0 dhcp'
alias sz='ad shell'
alias de='ad devices -l'
alias r='ad kill-server && ad start-server'
alias ad='adb'
alias pu='adb push'

Special thanks to user42276 for this script
Pros

One good thing about scripting is that it eliminates the need for third party apps which may bloat the device/PC

Cons

Pretty much similar to method 3a above

Using Windows ICS

Another way is to just use ICS in Windows with no third party software involved:
Requirements:

Terminal Emulator on your Android
Alternatively using adb shell commands (to use adb, you need to enable "USB debugging" on your Android).
Optional, BusyBox on your Android.

Instructions

Connect your Android to PC by USB cable and enable "USB tethering". You are still allowed to enable this option even when your 3g/wifi on your Android is off.
Windows will automatically search Windows Update and install driver for you.
Open "Network Connections" in Control Panel. Right click on an Internet connection that you have i.e WiFi connection (other connections like LAN also work), so right click on WLAN connection with Internet, and select "Properties".

In tab "Sharing" click "Allow other network users to connect through...", then select the USB connection in dropdown list below.

Click OK. Windows will automatically setup your USB network connection and assign to it an IP address (usually 192.168.xxx.xxx or similar; for Win 7 and later its 192.168.137.1)
Your Internet connection is now "Shared" and your USB connection is now "Unidentified network".

Type the following command in Terminal Emulator:
netcfg rndis0 dhcp
The name for usb interface inside Android may vary. It is usually rndis0 or usb0. Type busybox ifconfig to identify the name.
It can happen that automatic dhcp method does not work. In this case we have to do it manually:
Type these following commands in Terminal Emulator:
ifconfig rndis0 192.168.137.2 netmask 255.255.2 route add default gw 192.168.137.1 dev rndis0

If route fails, try:
busybox route add default gw 192.168.137.1 dev
Some applications (download in Google Play, Gmail, Facebook...) don't recognize the internet connection. You can try this way:

Enable temporarily 3G connection on your Android
Type: ifconfig rmnet0 0.0.0.0
The name for 3G interface inside Android may vary: ppp0, rmnet0... (Type busybox ifconfig to identify the name).

This will make applications see your Internet connection via USB as 3G/4G
Well its up to user to know which method suites them best. Hope it helps

Will possibly accept and give bounty once i try one and it works

Thank you please let me know if the method you chose works, I will be glad to assist further

@xaiver_fakerat yeah i chose the first one and it worked. I will give the bounty tomorrow (I can't award it for another 20 hours)

No problem  @Down Christopher, I  am glad I was able to assist you that's what matters to me


text:
Alarm is intermittently not sounding since Marshmallow update
I have a Samsung Note 4.  Since the upgrade to Marshmallow 6.0.1 the built in Clock app's alarms do not sound consistently in the morning.
This only ever happens in the morning (wake up alarm) making it hard to debug.  The phone is plugged in, set to vibrate only, and the Do Not Disturb setting allows Alarms and calls/texts from my favorite contacts.
I get a notification that the alarm was silenced after 1 minute, but there's no way I slept through a minute of it sounding.  I cannot reproduce during the day however.
[The alarms in the "Sleep as Android" app work just fine under the same conditions.  I have been backing up my Clock alarms with Sleep as Android alarms.]

@bees Can you describe in how to check if "Doze is optimised" or how to clear the cache for a particular app?

For Doze , see this. For clearing app data and cache Settings -> Apps -> Show system (three vertical dots) -> Clock -> Storage -> Clear data and Clear Cache


text:
One of my phone's last location is in different continent
today, on my Google Account, I saw that one of the last locations of my phone is from the USA when I live in Europe? Is it right?

If you haven't been to the US recently and haven't used a VPN connection on your phone, this is not right. The first thing I would do in this case is to change your Google password.
Maybe go through the Google security checkup, some good advice on there: https://security.google.com


text:
Does the Pixel C Now Support HDMI-over-USB-C?
When the Pixel C was released, we were told that it does not support HDMI-out over its USB-C port, but that it might be enabled later.
However, on Google's own store, they offer a USB-C to HDMI adapter, and the page indicates that you can "enjoy it" with the Pixel C.
So... does anyone know if the Pixel C got the update to support HDMI-out or not?

I assume you've seen this thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/55ul1p/google_pixel_has_usb_30/ In that reddit thread is a link to https://plus.google.com/+BensonLeung/posts/Zpvk13X1jpj which seems to state that you need USB HDMI (or DisplayPort) Alternate Mode. All I can find is references to Chromebook Pixel 2 having USB Alternate Mode but no other devices. Leaning toward store error for Pixel C support.

@MorrisonChang: "I assume you've seen this thread" -- nope, that didn't come up in searches. Thanks! The Benson discussion seems to be about the Pixel phones, not the Pixel C (leastways, the Pixel C is not mentioned).

It doesn't; none of the Pixel devices support - it's a Google  Store goof up

I was helping a friend on the purchase decision of Pixel XL and lack of USB C - HDMI was a major drawback. Just to confirm we contacted Google support and they confirmed it doesn't support HDMI
Seeing your question, I contacted them again, since there are plenty of references to lack of support and only Google Store confirming it supports, which is an oddity. They verbally confirmed that it is a  Store site issue and followed up on mail, confirming that they are working on fixing the error. Screenshot below

You may also wish to confirm by calling them up from the contact us on the store web site

I know this is a bit old now but just stumbled upon this thread. I have tried the USB-C to displayport cable with my pixel C (after seeing "Enjoy it with Pixel C" on the google store) and it doesn't work.


text:
Screen Overlay Detected, Permission problem
I keep getting this dialog that says "Screen Overlay detected" that basically tells me to turn of the screen overlay in order to proceed with the change in the permission settings of the apps. I have gone to settings and turned off all of the screen overlays but I keep getting this problem.
I would really love it if anyone could help me by telling me what to do so I can be able to make changes in the permission of my apps! Please Help!
Thank you.

I also had this problem and it turned out that this was caused by Messenger's Chat Head. Maybe you have it opened?

In my case, this happens because of my blue screen filter app. Simply pause any such app and then give the permissions.


text:
Possibility of Hard brick with unlocking boot-loader and installing Custom ROM
My android device CPU is MT6592 (8xARM Cortex –A7@1664 MHz) with instruction set 32-bit ARMv7. Board and product is ht1_107a_iball_mjk. Apart from this, Codename is REL, Internal Memory is 16GB and RAM is 2GB.
I did root and un-root my device multiple times.
I see connected device through adb devices command. After adb reboot bootloader and fastboot oem unlock, I confirmed on android device by pressing Volume Up key but there is no change on device screen and computer screen even after 30 min. I changed USB cable and USB port. However, there is no change.
Therefore, I am not able to unlock its boot-loader.
After adb reboot bootloader and fastboot flash recovery twrp.img, I found No TWRP or other Custom Recovery images are compatible for my device.
Therefore, I am not able to install Custom ROM as well.
I tried all above procedures multiple times and with multiple ways. However, at the end I am with Stock ROM (Android 4.4.4). And only two processes I can do successfully; rooting and un-rooting.
In such scenario, may my device be hard bricked, if I continue above processes multiple times forcefully?

Are you sure the bootloader is locked? Have you tried installing TWRP with Flashify well rooted or just booting TWRP with fastboot boot twrp.img?

As per my knowledge, boot-loader is locked. However, let me know, how to check it? I tried "fastboot flash recovery twrp.img" multiple times and for all TWRP (2.8.6, 2.8.7, 3.0.0, 3.0.1 & 3.0.2), it says, not supported. Also I tried CWM, it says same thing. As no TWRP and no CWM supported, I didn’t try Flashify. Currently my device is rooted so please guide me for using Flashify. If Custom Recovey/ TWRP can be flashed successfully, how to flash CyanogenMod 13 (as I don’t find compatible CyanogenMod 13 for my device.)?

When you start the bootloader, it typically states on the screen if the bootloader is locked or unlocked. As far as flashing recovery, make sure you have the correct recovery image, they are VERY device specific, you need one that is intended for your EXACT device. Flashify is simple, you install the app from Play Store and run it, tell it to install a local TWRP image and give it root permissions and it's done. What is the make and model of your device? The motherboard matches iBall Slide Brace-X1 tablet and their is no custom recovery (or ROM) that I could find for that.

As I said before, not every device support utilizing all fastboot commands - just being able to boot into fastboot doesn't mean you can unlock it. I don't know why you keep posting about this despite the obvious lack of resources for your phone - it's not like we at Android.SE would make some out of magic.

First of all your phone isn't Hard Bricked.. Hard Brick is something in which you can't go into OS or even in recovery or fastboot. Thats called Hard Bricked Phone.. As from your question, it's just a device specific problem..
Before going into answer, you need to know feww things,
1) Root/Unroot: Rooting and Unrooting are OS specific. Which means you can root or unroot any phone with supported android version.
2) Bootloader: However unlike root/unroot, Bootloader is Device Specific. If you think your bootloader is locked, then you need to find a way to unlock based on your manufacturer or device model.
2-1) Check If Bootloader is Unlocked :

Open ADB Terminal
Type "adb reboot bootloader"
After it reboots
Type "fastboot oem get-bootinfo"
If it says your bootloader is unlocked you can proceed
To reboot back type "fastboot reboot"

if the info retrieved says your bootloader is locked, then you need to find tools and files to unlock your device specific bootloader.. either your manufacturer released it or any other developer released it.. if you cant find anything.. then im sorry, you can unlock..!
3) Custom Recovery and ROM - as like bootloader, custom recovery and custom rom is depend on your device specific.. you cant flash other devices custom recovery or rom.. you may end up hard bricking your device for real if you did.. so beware..! may be the device's recovery you want flash may have the same chipset, but that doesnt mean it will work on you too..! cause a custom recovery or custom rom doesnt just based on chipset, it also based the device specific configuration and system files..! so beware..!

It really more unfortunate for me there is no release from my device manufacturer related to boot-loader, Custom Recovery, Custom ROM or anything related to this. Also I do not find any helpful developer release for my device. As I do not get helpful tools, release, Custom Recovery and Official Custom ROM for my device, however I am ready to try for unlocking boot-loader, flashing Custom Recovery and Custom ROM multiple times but while doing all these procedures sometimes I get scared of any faults in terms of hardware.

To unlock boot-loader, I know only one way i.e. “adb reboot bootloader” and “fastboot oem unlock”. And whenever I used this way, I confirm on device screen by pressing Volume Up key but there is no change on device screen and computer screen even after 30 min. I changed USB cable and USB port. However, there is no change.


text:
Digitizer turns off when palm is on screen: want to stop this
I'm working on an algorithm for palm rejection for an Android writing app. The idea is to find features of palm touches versus stylus touches that will allow me to reject the palm touches and keep the stylus touches (without having to use a special stylus) in my app. Unfortunately, my phone won't detect any touches at all when my palm is on the screen. I Googled around about this quite a bit and played with my phone's settings to no avail.
Is this just a hardware thing, or is there some software solution or setting I can change?
My phone: a Galaxy S5. I have also tried this on a number of Samsung tablets.

Subject might be off-topic for this site but have you looked at Samsung's Pen SDK: http://developer.samsung.com/s-pen-sdk/samples/20-samples-in-S-Pen-SDK-2-2-5

I can't use the s pen. Must be a plain stylus.


text:
Android Backup manager - restore from Nougat to Marshmallow
Earlier Device: LG Nexus 5X.
My Device: OnePlus 3
Earlier, I was able to use Tap&Go or just import all the data by signing into my Google Acc.
However, with my device, when I used Tap&Go or Google account sign-in (tried few hard resets), I was not able to choose my earlier device
get data from. Only my old Galaxy Nexus was shown.
This resulted in phone not being setup, apps not being automatically installed or have the data restored...
I had to install apps manually however my data was not restored.
As it always worked well, I guess the issue might be with my earlier device running a newer version of android than my device (Nougat vs Marshmallow).   Or that some services are missing?
Anyone got into the same situation and can help?
I have tried restoring using adb bmgr, but it resulted in device not visible as well. Nexus 5x sees all 3 devices while OP3 sees just the 2.
shell@OnePlus3:/ $ bmgr list sets

33dbec2b8d69e175 : ONEPLUS A3003

3bcd9da5b052e84e : Galaxy Nexus

bullhead:/ $ bmgr list sets

34d36f59351444be : PiTRiS - Nexus 5x

33dbec2b8d69e175 : ONEPLUS A3003

3bcd9da5b052e84e : Galaxy Nexus

Any chance this is an issue with nougat, that it can't restore to Marshmallow? Or any other way how to force restore from 5X?
Thanks

I agree with your guess. You can't restore a backup of an app to an older version of the app, and of course all the system apps (including the package manager) are an older version in Marshmallow.

This is not the issue, I'd understand that. Issue is, that Nougat device is not visible at all in Marshmallow. And I have a lot of apps, that are same version on M as on N. Guess it's more of a system issue, that backup format is incompatible and therefore not showing up.

Tried backing up the app I need using "adb backup", but in this particular case, it ended up with really small backup, which is uselss (no data). Found at, it's really similar to backing up for example temple run - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1986927 - data is stored somewhere where adb backup cannot reach. In ext storage in android/data, there are just cache files. Seems lost, I'll have to wait for A7 update for OP3 and then restore needed app from cloud.

For reference: One way is to use Titanium Backup app on older phone and then just restore the app's data on newer phone after transferring the backup data. The same thing could be accomplished using adb from your home computer, but you'd have to backup each app's data separately.
see this thread for more:
How to backup an Android device?


text:
How does Nougat encryption work technically?
I found the explanation for Android M, how does it work now in Android N?
Bonus question: is it right to say that the encryption in N is weaker than the one in M? Because the OS can now be started up without pin/pass, so maybe this could bring some advantages to an attacker?

You security concern is a possible vulnerability indeed, but the insecurity in this case is not the OS' fault, its of those apps which store critical data in Device-Encrypted Storage, which is the one accessible on device boot without unlock. If they store they data on Credential-Encrypted Storage, that data is not accessible without the device being unlocked.

This  doesn't address how encryption is done in Nougat but addresses your concern

Because the OS can now be started up without pin/pass, so maybe this could bring some advantages to an attacker?

The boot process is actually strengthened by strictly enforcing verified boot
As explained in Google is making it harder to root Android 7.0 Nougat,

Google wants to make its OS safer and to do that it has come up with features like verified boot to make sure that everything is working as it should be, and that no one — not even the intended user — can do something to change that and expose themselves to unnecessary risks.

What happens if your device fails the test on booting?

If your device fails the tests   — Google gives a corrupt boot image and verified partition as examples — it may not boot at all. But if it does boot, it will do so in a “limited capacity” and only with your consent.

Downsides of this

Difficulty in rooting, which would be overcome in time by developers or if OEMs don't implement this feature in their devices
Data corruption

Google says that by using verified boot the impact of data corruption increases, and therefore reliability is reduced. However, there is an error correction feature that will help recover from data loss, which should also minimize the chances of it impacting users. Google notes that there is an overhead of 0.8 percent with regards to space but no performance toll, unless, of course, there is data corruption detected.

(Emphasis supplied)
See for details on Strictly Enforced Verified Boot with Error Correction
tl:dr; : Theoretically, this ensures that your OS system is intact on booting by not booting or booting with reduced functionality if the system is corrupted / modified by malware or attackers - which increases your protection.

There is still the possibility to also password protect the booting in Android N, so activating this would result in more security, right? otherwise why would be the option be there?

That may be an additional layer of security for user comfort. As it stands, it looks like safeguards have already been built into OS. I am not on Nougat to to comment further

As  explained here,  by normal direct booting you are giving limited functionality, and by password protected booting, you are gaining access to complete access of device contents


text:
I accidentally deleted protected google chrome app. Now it is nowhere in phone. Please help me to get it back
I have a protected folder in my Lenovo zuk z1 phone, where Google chrome browser was there. I pressed the cross button beside it accidentally. Now I could not find it anywhere to replace it back. My phone doesn't have app drawer facility. Please help.

Why do you need to replace the file or folder back?
Download Chrome from Play Store


text:
How can I debug degrading performance for my Shamu device?
I've had my Nexus 6 since it first came out and will be replacing it with the new Pixel anyway but I want to get to the bottom of this.
In the last 6+ months the phone got increasingly slow and unresponsive at times. Especially when using the camera but not only then. Battery life remained constant so I don't think there's something using all the CPU. Another symptom was that when having the Android 7 beta installed and being in low signal areas, it would restart randomly but that could've been just the beta part of Android 7.
I've noticed that factory resetting the phone or installing a new version of Android (such as Android 7) improve performance for a while after which it degrades again.
I've tried connecting the phone to adb but haven't noticed anything suspect in the logs. But then again I'm not an Android developer so I'm not sure what should I be looking for.
So my question was: is there any tool or procedure by which I can monitor the device and identify the cause of the issue?

Have noticed the slow-down after installing a particular app?  Could be some app that is misbehaving and causing high CPU and memory usage.  For Camera slowness, do you have lots of photos and videos on the internal storage?  Try backing them up somewhere (to your PC or cloud storage like Google Photos) and then deleting them off the phone.

Haven't noticed it being related to a particular app. I've tried pruning unnecessary apps as well.
I was more interested in methods of debugging and finding out the precise cause.

If there were a simple procedure to debug problems like this, they would be fixed before the software shipped!

I never said it would be easy, I just need more info on app usage, system resources, etc in order to pinpoint the problem. Not being familiar with the Android ecosystem I was asking for help in this regard.


text:
Titanium Backup stuck during backup
On my phone, a OnePlus 3 running Marshmallow, I have Titanium Backup configured to run automatic backups twice a week. When it runs, it gets stuck. The notification displays "Skipping   96% - Wi-Fi access points." This notification sticks around until I force quit Titanium Backup or reboot the phone, and I presume that the backup never completes.
Google searches have revealed nothing that appears relevant. Any ideas what's wrong?

In SuperSU settings, toggle ( disable if enabled and vice versa) mount namespace separation, Reboot and see if it helps

I disabled that a while back to stop Titanium Backup from having problems restoring. That problem is gone now, but this one remains.

I can't think of anything else but a) reinstalling Titanium b) clearing WiFi days and cache since the problem appears to be localised there c) doing a reset to clear the data which is  causing problem in backing up.  You are right, Google or app help didn't have pointers

You need to create a filter to exclude the 2 WiFi Access Points.
In Titanium Backup, Goto Menu > Filters (under General) > Create Label (At the bottom right) > Add/Remove elements > Select all and then Uncheck the 2 WiFi Access Points at the bottom of list and Save (check mark at top right)
Click Load/Save filter to save it as a filter
In scheduled backups, edit and select the Filter name and save

Thanks for the suggestion. Follow-up question, though, as I've never used fillets in Titanium Backup: Do I have to remember to edit the filter every time I install a new app, or will it remember to include everything except what I specifically excluded? In other words, is it a blacklist or a whitelist?

@ScottSeverance you will have to update the filter afaik, since you are adding elements from a pre-defined list..so its sort of a whitelist in other words

The modified backup ran again with Wi-Fi excluded, and the problem still happened as before.

Does it show the Label/Filter name below the scheduled backup?

Had the same problem (on CM13 after an upgrade from CM12), exactly as you wrote.
When I first ran TB, I refused it the right to turn Wi-Fi on/off (in Privacy Guard). When I granted TB this right again, backup of the Wi-Fi access point data worked fine.

Just had this issue... Opening the shade menu (or the notification drawer, or the pull-down settings page, or some other name...) and disabling WiFi forced Titanium Backup to re-ask about permission to disable/enable WiFi. Granting it seems to of permanently solved the issue.


text:
recover a number from call history
I called a number about a month ago but never saved it, now when I tried to look it up I couldn't find it
My phone is showing the calls of the past 2 weeks only
Is there anyway to recover that number on my 5.1 android phone ( I never deleted the number from the call history ) preferably without having to root the phone

Look at the cell bill call log info and see if it is listed there?  Not sure if all carriers list all outgoing/incoming calls, maybe this is an option for you.

unfortunatly it's not an option

i think your problem could be solved very easily if your phone is rooted. Try GT Call Recovery app
if your phone isn't, try this apps (try some luck, it worked on my HTC phone but kept crashing on my Sony Phone but i think still worth a try)
call history manager
or
Call history
play store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jp.main.itinfo.tan.callhistory&hl=en
apk file if you can't access Play Store: http://choilieng.com/apk-on-pc/jp.main.itinfo.tan.callhistory.apk
hope it help.


text:
How to lock bootloader with stock os in moto e2?
I have asked my to install custom rom. He unloacked the bootloader and installed custom rom.
After installed, my speakers and calling features are not worked.
I thought the problem is with custom rom. So I have thought to install the stock os again.
But I don't know how to install.
Can anyone please help me how to install the stock os and lock the bootloader again?

Just reinstalling the stock rom will not give you a locked bootloader. You will need to factory restart the phone by either going into the settings on the phone, or connecting it to a computer and using a utility there to factory reset.

The part about bootloader is correct; however, factory reset will not remove the custom ROM. OP, you should just flash another custom ROM that's verified compatible with your specific variant (Moto E2 has multiple variants with minor differences).

Thanks. Can you please suggest any stable custom rom?


text:
How to bypass "enter SIM PIN" screen on Android Marshmallow?
The phone can't be accessed before PIN code is entered, the only alternative method is to remove the SIM card entirely. I haven't found a key combination that works on this version of Android.
Enter SIM PIN screen on Android 6.0.1:

same question for PUK request. How to use phone with Wifi only while waiting for the PUK/PIN.

Why not enter the PIN to access the phone.  Well, I don't think you can bypass that.  If its your SIM, I would advise you contact your service provider and they would help.

Not an answer. I asked for a bypass, I don't know the PIN code.


text:
Does verifying the apk signature fingerprint guarantees it has no malware?
I want to check if an apk file is really from a specific developer and that the whole apk has no malware in it.
I unzipped the apk and in the sub-folder META/INF I used the following command in Ubuntu:
keytool -printcert -file RELEASE_.DSA

If I use this technique with a "clean.apk" and a "suspicious.apk" file from the same developer and the MD5 / SHA1 are the same ... does this mean that the "suspicious.apk" really is "clean" ?
Does this work like GnuPG verifying a file? Or is this not reliable to check for integrity / authencity of an apk file?

I don't understand this concept of "clean" software; unless you've built it yourself, every software is suspect.

http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/9312/how-can-i-verify-the-authenticity-of-an-apk-file-i-downloaded/9328


text:
Audio through Bluetooth headset only work with calls
I have paired the Klip Xtreme UltraVox Bluetooth headset to my BLU phone. When I made a call, the audio is working fine. But if I use YouTube or a video on the phone, it comes through the speaker.
How to route the audio through the Bluetooth headset?

Go into the Settings app on your phone and choose Bluetooth. You'll see a list of paired devices. (Alternatively, from the quick settings panel, tap the Bluetooth label, not the icon, and then click More settings. They both get you to the same screen.)
From that screen, find your headset in the list of paired devices, and click the gear icon next to it. A dialog comes up where you can edit the name of the headset, and below that it says Use for. In that list, turn on Media audio, and click OK.

I don't have  Media audio option


text:
Proxyserver as Home button
I am using Nexus 5 and recently did factory reset. Now I have Proxyserver as Home button in Android settings along with Google launcher and because of that I am able to see annoying Google ads on screen. Have any solution?

That should be a malware or something related. Try disabling it in Apps or root your phone and uninstall it. Hope it helps.


text:
Notification Bar and Home button not working
I have moto G3 in it the home button, notification bar and recent button is not working. Tried to do factory reset but that option is also not working. tried to switch off the phone remove sim card and SD card, but still no luck.
Please advice !

Did you disable SystemUI?

Please follow the troubleshooting steps

Ensure the device is powered off, and unplugged
Press and hold the Volume Down button and Power button (located on the right edge of the device) for approximately 3 seconds then release.
From the "Boot Mode Selection Menu" screen, select Recovery.

Note: Use the Volume Down button to scroll through the menu options and the Volume Up button to select.

From the "No Command" screen (Android figure lying on his back), press and hold the Power button then press and release the Volume Up button to display the menu options.
Select "wipe data/factory reset".

Note: Use the Volume buttons to highlight and the Power button to select.

Select Yes -- delete all user data.

Note: Allow several seconds for the factory data reset process to complete.

Select reboot system now.

Note: Allow several minutes for the reboot process to complete.


text:
Cannot hard reset
I have a Mobicel Matrix. After some time using it the screen does not respond to touch. After i click on power it lights up and asks me to draw my pattern, but nothing happens as i draw it, then it goes back to sleep.
I tried a hard factory reset but i'm stuck at clicking the  Options/Menu touch button [=] as it does nothing.
Please Help.

Try removing the battery aside for a while, reinsert it and try again. If that doesn't work, it's probably an issue with the touch screen.

If your usb debug is activated you can use ADB commandes to rest you phone ( adb reboot-bootloader )


text:
IME: How to enter katakana rather than hiragana with Swype keyboard
I am using the Swype Japanese keyboard for Android. With the Japanese language selected, how do I tell my keyboard to enter katakana instead of hiragana?
Thanks.


text:
Help Identifying Statusbar Icon
Is anybody able to tell me what this supernova looking icon in between the bluetooth and wifi icon is?

Check this question: What does this notification icon mean? Samsung s7

Solved. Thanks guys! Link: http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/158520/what-does-this-notification-icon-mean-samsung-s7

Go to Settings -> Notification center -> Status bar icons
there the all icons for your status bar will appear. Find what it is.


text:
Google Keyboard settings occasionally reset to defaults
From time to time, Google Keyboard settings are reset to default with no apparent reason. It is frustrating and time consuming to set those settings again and again. Especially if you use device for multilingual communication.

I'm using Samsung Secure Folder (Knox) for some apps like mobile banking, and each time I opened Secure Folder and returned back to other non-secure-folder apps, the settings of Google Keyboard were reset. In my case selection of languages was reset to default system language, while I needed to use several different keyboards for different languages.
The solution to this was to add Google Keyboard to Secure Folder and setup the keyboard twice, on both the "normal app" list" and in the "secure folder".
To add Google Keyboard to Secure Folder:

Open Secure Folder
Click on "Add"
Find and check Google Keyboard on the list
Click add
Open Google Keyboard inside Secure Folder and setup the keyboard
Exit Secure Folder
Find Google Keyboard and setup the keyboar again

Hope this will help save you time, as it took me several weeks to figure this out.


text:
Why wasn't contents visible on SD card? Is there a write buffer?
I am using a SMS backup app that stores a local copy in /sdcard/sms_backup/. After running the app and making a backup, I connected the phone to the computer, by a USB cable, and nothing was there. I verified using File Manager, that on the phone the folder did have the backup files. I found restarting the phone fixed the issue, and I was able to view them on the computer.
Is there some sort of bufferthat makes it so contents don't get written to the sd card immediately?

It's not a buffer, it's more like the file index used for MTP to sort out hidden files and other things didn't discover those files yet.


text:
How to increase internal storage?
I'm using CyanogenMod 13 and rooted. I'm over with my internal storage which was 1GB. Also, all my files are going to internal rather than external.
How to increase the internal storage to install new apps and for other functions?

It's really too low for internal memory. But if you have SD Card, you can move some apps on it and then free more space on your internal storage. Check your camera config whether you're able to save pictures on SD Card. You can also manually move some files (downloads, for example) to the external storage.

How to move apps?i used link2sd bt didn't worked..unable to do partition with custom recovery..


text:
How to move contacts from SIM to phone - need simple "private" local storage app
I've read like these posts:
How to move contacts from SIM to phone?
However, my Alcatel Android 4.4 phone does not have contacts app as purchased, only some People app that can display and group contacts, no other actions as I see.
Please advice on simple app to copy/move contacts from/to SIM that is not trying to ask for permissions I don't see it needs, like internet, sms, calls, etc. Ads ok (don't think ads work w/out internet though) :-)
Thanks a lot!
P.S. I've tried to extract Contacts app from other phone, but PC app that extracted some apk-s failed to do that, as I see it, when functionality is part of initial install package, there is no apk file on device.


text:
How do I verify my firmware is legitimate?
I just bought a "new" Galaxy S7, but the box was already open when it arrived.
Condition of the phone was perfect, so I don't mind if it's used/refurbished. What I worry about is whether the device has a keylogger installed or some other malware.
It successfully accepted an over-the-air update. This gives it some credibility (I don't know how indicative this is, but I believe OTA updates are only offered to stock firmware).
Samsung KNOX is enabled, and hasn't complained yet.
I've rebooted into recovery, and see the following text:
Android Recovery
MMB29K.G930FXXU1BPHJ
samsung/heroltexx/herolte
6.0.1/MMB29K/G930FXXU1BPHJ
user/release-keys

Those are real build numbers for stock firmware I have been able to find online.
I've rebooted into ODIN mode, and see the following text:
ODIN MODE
Download speed: fast
Product name: SM-G930F
Current binary: Samsung official
System status: official
FAP lock: ON
Secure download: enabled
Warranty void: 0 (0x0000)
RP SWREV: B:1 K:0 S:0

The KNOX counter (warranty void) is still set to 0. This suggests further that it has not been tampered with.
Are the checks that I have performed already sufficient? There are some further checks I would like to know how to do:
I expect anybody can just type a build number in. I would like to compare the checksum of the firmware with the real build. I also would like to check if it has been signed with a Samsung certificate.
There are no custom User certificates in its security section. But I would appreciate some way to compare my System certificates to confirm they are genuine.

IMO, your firmware is original, because it

Received OTA - most clinching reason ( see edit for details)
Knox isn't tripped
Firmware number matches

For Samsung phones, there is a handy app that provides a lot of information about the phone, including Refurbishment Check. It also shows if the device is original. It is Phone INFO Samsung. App developer thread on XDA here
This question shows you to verify the checksum of OS. You could try that with the checksum available on OEM site or SamMobile Is there a way to verify stock ROMs?
Edit
Starting from Android 5.0 Block based OTA, in which the device can get an OTA when the entire /system partition matches with that does on their servers. Concerns of OP in comments are addressed here- if the system is modified OTA would fail

....File OTA tolerates some changes to the partition, such as the addition of files that are not part of the source or target build. However, block OTA does not tolerate additions to the partition, so users will need to install a full OTA overwriting any system partition modifications) or flash a new system image to enable future OTAs

(Emphasis supplied)

Thanks; that gives me a bit more confidence. Is it possible for other parts of the phone's preloaded software to be malicious? When I first used it, it opened to a first-time setup wizard. But maybe this was just a malicious app rather than the real wizard.

Thanks for providing a link to where I could lookup a legitimate checksum. But to compare it, I need to know also how to find the checksum of what's installed on my phone. I have the build number but I don't know the hash of its contents.

Pre loaded software implies part of system- if the system is modified, then you won't get an OTA or have Knox intact 2. Why do you suspect first time setup wizard ? - it's normal for phones to have that 3. IMO, there isn't a way to verify the checksum on your phone, simply because the checksum corresponds to a file format like tar/ zip which is a compressed format and on your device it is unpacked and installed

The reason I am wary of the first-time setup wizard, is: the merchant could get the phone with stock firmware, complete first-time setup, install an app which is a fake first-time setup, open it to enable all its privileges, and then sell the phone. There is a question though of "where would the app come from?"; you couldn't put it on the app store, so developer mode and "unknown sources" would need to be enabled (they weren't when I received the phone). Additionally, making a perfect fake would be hard. I suspect the Android SDK privileges it requires would not be available to developers.

I am not a developer so can't comment on developer privileges. The moment you install a fake system app, wouldn't the system change? It would and OTA would fail. So I don't think that's a concern


text:
Is it possible to move an Andriod App and Account to iOS
This link, makes it sound possible.
So briefly why I am asking.  I am a Note 7 owner still, I have tried 6 times now to exchange, return and even unwind my phone.  The problem is I brought from a third-party seller Diamond Wireless and not Version directly.  In talking to a friend he was like just switch the Iphone already.  My argument was my love for the Android OS and all my accounts (and games) are purchased through the Play Store, I thought I would have to re-buy all the apps but the link above hints that you may not have to.  Am I reading that correctly?

Free apps will migrate if they are found in both Google Play and the App Store.  Read below, taken from your link.  Paid apps you will have to purchase on iOS:

Here's what gets transferred: contacts, message history, camera photos
  and videos, web bookmarks, mail accounts, and calendars. Some of your
  free apps will transfer if they're available on both Google Play and
  the App Store. After the transfer completes, you can download any free
  apps that were matched from the App Store. Any matched paid apps will
  appear in your iTunes Wishlist.


text:
phone as router, no internet needed.
So I have a droid RAZR Maxx HD xt926 and I currently use it without a Verizon sim or plan. I use it in airplane mode with wifi turned ON, so I can do Google voice calling and texting.
I would like to use the phones wifi networking capabilities to be a router for my friends and I when we are away so that we can do LAN parties. However when I install apps like HOTSPOT CONTROL and that Fifi one it just fails saying I have to have a data plan. I DONT NEED the internet access. All I want is a basic wireless switch/router.
I have also searched everywhere I can think for an app that will do this.
Phone is NOT ROOTED as many of you probably know this particular phone cannot be rooted or the bootloader unlocked because some genius at Motorola decided I can't do that.
Does anyone have an idea of something that will work?

So you're on firmware 18x.46 .15? As far as I know, anything below that can be unlocked and rooted easily, including .10 which is also KitKat.

Here is a screenie: https://goo.gl/photos/NnKkFt5nwKCVmEih8

Check this out - it's for RAZR M, but the two are nearly identical, they both got .15 that patched BL unlocking.

@AndyYan Phone is rooted! the link you posted, after a few hours of searching, led me to a different method that worked! Now back to the app thing: any apps I should try?

Also is there a way for this to be configured via command line? I am very familiar with the command line and scripting on Linux. I have been playing around on the terminal since I've had the root and it seems pretty familiar! I miss some of my utilities cough nano cough but I think I'm ready to take on the command line approach (if there is one.)

Also, the phone on the new firmware is like 100 times faster. No Joke. Where do I find changelogs for Motorola firmware? I would like to see what dope they did.

I don't have a clue to any of those... I've been using 3rd-party ROMs and their built-in hotspot never required data, so I've never used other apps for that purpose. You're now rooted but bootloader is still locked so no go on that.


text:
Block "Mobile Data Turned Off" Notification
I keep getting this one notification from Call Services on an AT&T LG G5 that says "Mobile Data Turned Off." Indeed, mobile data is turned off when I switch from cellular data to a wi-fi connection, but I don't need this notification. How can I stop this notification from appearing?
My one thought would be to have an app that blocks notifications that contain that certain text, but I haven't been able to find an app that does this. Notifications from Call Services can't be blocked in Notifications settings.

If the device is rooted, then you can try Xposed module NotifyClean.

@Firelord Thanks, but not rooted! Any other ideas?

Is it a sticky/permanent notification or can you swipe it out when it occurs? In the latter case, you can setup MacroDroid to detect the notification and automatically and immediately swipe/cancel it out for you.

@Firelord I can't swipe it away, sadly. It never happened on phones with Lollipop, only now on Marshmallow.


text:
Why am I unable to connect to certain WiFi networks?
We have a UniFi WiFi access point at our office, which has both a 2.4 GHz and a 5 GHz network.
I am unable to connect to either network, even though I have no problem connecting to any other WiFi network and other devices can also connect just fine to the UniFi networks.
Why is this and how can I fix it?

To be able to connect to the UniFi networks you need to change your Wi-Fi frequency band from Automatic to either 5 GHz or 2.4 GHz.
As long as the mode is set to automatic, you will not be able to connect to either network. Why that is, is unclear to me. However other users reported similar problems.

That's a) Super weird, and also b) Qualifies as a driver/wireless stack bug. Note also c) Many android manufacturers have hidden the 2.4/5Ghz menu


text:
Preventing android OS from screenshot taking
The task is: Prevent the ability to take screenshots on an 6.0.x android OS globally. What I mean by "globally" is to exclude that function and block it completely so that even if the device is to be infected with a screenshot-taking malware it should not be able to do so. I am interested in screenshot-prevention in all apps and even when no apps are running, everywhere.
Thanks in advance!
upd. I am really sorry if that question is not stated clearly but I thought I could find some help here at least some points in the direction I should look for. I think this question will be useful for others too if answered.

As long as the malware/app has not root access, the command wm screen-capture 0 false would do the job on Android 6.0.x.

Thanks. Where should I execute that? In the console?

I have a rooted device and still in the console it says "java.lang.SecurityException: Only system can call ScreenCaptureDisabled."

Do su 1000 -c 'wm screen-capture 0 false'.

Big thanks! One more question please: In order to reverse that command an attacker needs root access? And in case I have an Xposed module that sets permission for each and every new app manually this is less likely to happen?

No. You only need system level permissions (can be gained, albeit extremely hard, by exploiting a vulnerability) to reverse that command. Did you notice 1000 in that command? It implies execute the following command as User 1000 (System user). As for the Xposed module such as XPrivacy, yes you can decrease the attack vector considerably.

Then that is all I wanted to know. The only thing I could do is to prevent the ability to use that "exploit" you mentioned if that is possible but if that requires a lot of your time to explain and is extremely complex to do then I just don't have a right to bother you anymore. Again, thanks for your answer that problem really worried me for weeks now and now I was able to finally breath a sigh of relief.

It would be good if you accepted the answer provided by @Firelord, as that seems to meet your needs fully. You can do that by clicking the green Arrow below the up/down votes on the left of answer. Acceptance indicates that it helped you and would show the same for future visitors with same problem

If the Android is rooted and is version 6.0 or above, then using console or adb, execute:
su 1000 -c 'wm screen-capture 0 false'

where:

su 1000 -c - switch to user with ID 1000 (System user) and execute the following command
0 - user ID of the primary user of the device.

Now, whenever you or any app would attempt to capture the screenshot using the standard means in Android, a notification with title Couldn't capture screenshot would show up.
However, as long has the malware/app can gain root access or system level privilege or becomes a member of the user group graphics  (through an exploit or other means), all restrictions would be in vain since the malware/app can access framebuffer. For details, follow: Why do we need a rooted phone to capture screenshots on older versions of Android?

Thanks. It worked perfectly but I have another related question: I've executed that command but right after the phone restart it doesn't work anymore and I have to type it in again. Is there a way to execute it at OS startup?

You can use an automation app, such as Tasker to do that for you. And thanks for mentioning that issue. I wasn't aware of it.

Yeah I just realised how serious is that problem when I witnessed a court case where such screenshots were brought as evidence against a man that used a secure chat and message trimmering.