text:
External USB Bluetooth does not work in Android 4.0.4 kernel 3.0.8+
I have inserted an external USB Bluetooth dongle into a Tablet via the USB port and try to turn on the Bluetooth in the Android but fail.
So, how does one know if the USB Bluetooth dongle can be supported for a tablet that has a USB port? (Given that the USB Bluetooth dongle has been tested to work fine in a desktop PC and there is no further information on the tablet manual on which Bluetooth dongle is supported for the tablet.)
This is the problem with all tablets which do not have in-built Bluetooth support.
Is there any application that can compile/root/install Bluetooth device driver to my Android tablet so that I can use it for headphones/file transfer, etc?

I don't think that Android supports external Bluetooth adapters. From this Google+ post, it seems like CyanogenMod is adding support for it soon. Depending on what device you have, you may be able to root and install this.
If this is not an option, then you would need to provide more details on what device you are trying to use the dongle with.


text:
Moving Robinson game files/user profile from one android to another
http://www.forumforpages.com/facebook/robinson-mobile/useful-tips/798367174/0
I tried the above but cannot find the below mentioned file which sound like what one needs to continue on playing the game at the level achieved on the old phone.  I so do not want to lose the levels and enjoyment and hard work put in on this!! :)
"UserProfile.json"
The file path suggested is there, but the Userprofile.json file is not there!

Related: How does one copy all the data AND apps from one Asus tablet to another? / Cloning an application with its full data store between devices. There were some more similar questions, but I currently cannot find them... For a more specific answer: is your device rooted?

I have just done a quick read of device rooted and probably not..I have not much understanding of this and don't know how to go about it!  Maybe that's why I can't see the file, is it a hidden one??

Yes it does exist on the SD card! as mentioned in the edited version of the question now!!

My idea:
If you don't see the file, try to use another File manager which has the option to show hidden files. (sometimes it is impossible without root privilege)
And save the App to the SD Card rather than the phone memory, then try to copy everything. After moving, try to re-copy everything.
(server sync not exists? game support doesn't recommend anything for you?)

ES File Manager is such a tool that allows to show hidden files.

Could you just clarify for me, do I install this to the phone or to my computer as a file manager and do the copying and transferring via the computer??

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


text:
Can apps modify the system-level "Display->Auto-rotation" setting?
I've noticed in the last couple weeks that my Nexus 4 (stock rooted, with franco.Kernel) will seemingly at random lose the ability to auto-rotate the display. If I go into the Display settings and check the box, it works again, but that setting is invariably disabled again through no action of my own (or even a reboot) within a day or two.
Can apps, either in the foreground or the background, modify this setting? If so, I'll have to start keeping really good track of what I open to try and track down the culprit so I can complain to its developer.

According to this StackOverflow question, YES.
Excerpt:
public static void setAutoOrientationEnabled(ContentResolver resolver, boolean enabled)
{
   Settings.System.putInt(resolver, Settings.System.ACCELEROMETER_ROTATION, enabled ? 1 : 0);
}

@DanHulme The link I provided has the full answer. :)

@DanHulme Updated.

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


text:
Install Cyanogenmod on HTC One X+
I want to install Cyanogenmod on my HTC One x+. In the Official Website there is no official release for HTC One X+. Can I install from the HTC One X Version or the HTC One XL Version ?? and there is an Unofficial release for HTC One X+ Cyanogenmod or should I install this version ?? Is there any particular reason or defect why Cyanogen didn't release one officially for HTC One X+ ??
Can you please give me the way to Install Cyanogenmod on my Phone ?? I'm a Newbie

Similar question here: Can I install Google Edition Android on an HTC One X+? ("Google Edition" refers to the HTC One X without the +). Besides, same author: Krishna, this is a general rule. So you don't need to re-ask it for each other ROM you might find. It's different hardware, so the answer is always "No".

The HTC One X version won't work on the HTC One X+, so if you want to install Cyanogenmod, it'll have to be the unofficial build you link to.


text:
Searching for WiFi toggle
How do I get the WiFi toggle to show up in the notifications area on the Samsung Galaxy S4 - Verizon - 4.2.2 - Build VRUAME7?

When I click on the pencil icon to edit it takes me here which doesn't scroll or allow me to edit the notifications except move the order around:

You can customise the toggles by clicking the pencil icon in the top right. You should then be able to add a wifi toggle icon.
Edit: Ok. It seems like Verizon have removed that toggle. If you're rooted you can add it back though. See link here (contains screenshots).

You need to download and install SQLite Editor - you need to download and install SQLite Editor

Open up SQLite Editor - Select the Apps tab on top and scroll down until you see Settings Storage and click it.

Click on Settings.db

Click on system

Click on the search icon on top right

Type in the word notification in the Filter Value field and click ok

Once the results load up, tap on notification_panel_active_app_list (should be the bottom result) and click on the pencil icon on top to
edit

In the Value field, you'll see all your toggles listed. All you have to do is add the word Wifi <-- just like that with a semi colon
right after. Make sure there's no space after the semi colon like in
the screenshot below. Once you add Wifi, click the save button.

Close SQLite editor and reboot your phone. Once your phone boots back up, you should now have the Wifi toggle in quick settings!

Doesn't work for me. Already tried it, sorry I should have put that.

Ok. It seems like Verizon have removed that toggle. If you're rooted you can add it back though. See link

Ohh, that's unfortunate. And I can't root yet, I have the new Build version that doesn't have root available yet. I will keep this in mind though. Thanks!

Would you mind to include an excerpt from what's to be found behind the link? If the link dies, the URL does not help :)


text:
Disable the lock screen when specific apps are active?
I'm looking for a way to disable the lock screen when specified apps are active. It's annoying when the screen times out and I have to swipe the lock screen to start a new pomodoro or use the calculator.
I don't want to disable the lock screen entirely because I don't want my phone to activate when it's in my pocket. And I don't want to disable screen timeout, because I want to conserve the battery. I tried replacing the lock screen with PocketLock, which uses the proximity sensor to turn off the phone when it's in my pocket, but I found its behavior too inconsistent.
My phone is a Samsung Transform Ultra with Android 2.3.3.

This can e.g. be realized using Tasker (in fact, I'm even using it that way for "prolonged screen timeout" with reading apps):

Condition: App (opens a popup to select one ore multiple apps, chose the ones you want to act upon)
Task:

Keyguard (disable)
Display -> Timeout (optionally increase display timeout)

The tasks would be executed as soon as one of the selected apps is running in foreground, and reverted to what it was before as soon as the condition no longer is met.
Note: I know that Tasker doesn't come cheap (~5 bucks), but it's worth every cent. To "try before buy", visit its homepage, where you can download a 7-day-trial.


text:
Can I use two different messaging applications?
When you have a new phone, before setting preferences, actions that have more than one application capable to fulfil that request, present you a popup with those applications for you to choose; for instance, if you receive an sms with a link and you tap on that link, a popup may appear with chrome and firefox for you to choose which application is going to open it and show the associated web page. That is an example of non set preferences.
I want to send messages to different people with different applications.
For instance, if I open contacts, choose person A and tap the envelop icon besides the phone icon, I'd like the system to show me popup with options of application to send the message with.
Or, I want to set a preference that program A handles messages to contact A and program B handles messages to person B.
Is that possible?
My phone is a Samsung Galaxy S4
Android version is 4.2.2

I don't see the reason for a downvote, a request to improve or change the question is much better.

Sorry when I rewrote the question I forgot to leave that part. I already updated the question again

I know that it's possible to use two messaging programs in same time (like two browsers), but i don't think it's possible to one program handles messages from one person and other program handles for other person.

Well having a popup window each time will work for me. But I don't have any preference set and still when I try to send a message, there is no popup asking which application should handle it. Seems so far that the system only considers the default messaging application and not Gibberbot.


text:
Broken Google Play on cm 10.1.2
I've updated cm from 10.0.0 to 10.1.2, and after updating the gapps too, several things are broken, including Gmail and Drive.
Now, Google Play lists them at "updatable", but it is broken and refuses to update any app, reporting Error retrieving information from server. [RPC:S-5:AEC-0].
Some google services apparently work (Contacts, Calendar), so I guess it's no login problem.
I've tried wiping data of a few related apps, but it didn't help.

The error [RPC:S-5:AEC-0] is down to having to remove your google account and re-add it again.
If your account is primary google account, the only way you can remove it is to factory reset and re-install everything! That is the only known cure and quoted by Google themselves! Do not think they are taking it seriously enough. It broke on a previous update to Google Play Store about two months ago.
I get that too, if keep trying over a few minutes, it will eventually update, not successfully though.
I do think its more of an issue on the Google system itself in conjunction with Play store app.
It's not just confined to AOSP JB/ICS or CyanogenMod, I get in on Gingerbread too.
PS: As matter of curiousity - do you have Google 2-step account verification active on your account?

Yes I do have 2-step verification active.

BTW no, even switching account still gives the same error.

I wiped and re-installed, couldn't be bothered to keep waiting for magic.

You seem to have found your answer on your other forum:

You need to flash the Android 4.2 gapps from http://goo.im/gapps
reinstall all apps that are having problems

from: http://forum.cyanogenmod.com/topic/75232-upgrade-to-1012-messed-up-many-things/

Didn't work, sorry.


text:
How can I access my photos/videos from my HTC Sensation XL default on 'charge only' and with unresponsive touch screen?
My HTC was dropped in water and now has unresponsive touch screen. The screen is not the problem, as I've replaced it and it still have the same problem. I can't send it off for repairs because it will be factory resetted. This phone has 2 years worth of important photos and videos, hence I really need to access the phone. I don't mind about the phone, it just have a lot of sentimental value. So can anyone help me with this?

The phone is recognised when connected to computer
Android 4
Can see the screen, but not responsive to touch
Default on 'charge only' upon connecting to computer

Is USB debugging enabled?

USB debugging is not enabled, I'm afraid..

You can simply use an app like WiFi File Transfer as explained in this answer. You can use a USB OTG cable and connect a mouse to use your phone for your data recovery process.
You may have to hurry as the water that is already inside the device can harm the hardware in your device. Keep the device turned off and remove battery. Try to give it a little bit of sunlight. do not expose it to direct strong sunlight.

Thanks for the answer, Sid, but I cannot use the screen at all. It simply does not respond to touch; I cannot download any apps. Yes, may be my fault because I put it straight in my conservatory (30+ degrees Celcius). There must be a way of accessing my data with nowadays technology - hence I've resorted to you Android Enthusiasts!

Did you read the part You can use a USB OTG cable and connet a mouse to use your phone for your data recovery process. ?

"Adding sunlight" might not be the best idea for a water-damaged device. Rather put it in a back together with rice (which draws out the water). Those "salt-bags" found with many leather things one buys might even be a little faster. Leave it for at least 24h (better 3 days).

@Izzy Well, I also have heard about rice, Was not not sure whether it's true or not. Good to know.

@Sid I never tried it myself (I mean, to dip my device in water), so I had no chance to confirm (which is why I added the "salt-bags" thingy). But I read it quite a lot on the net, not only on blogs, but also in forum discussions. Didn't look like fake to me. And as rice (and even more salt) draws water, it sounds convincing: Put rice and water into a pot, close it (to rule out vaporization), and see for yourself what happens :)

@Izzy Good idea!! Shall I add some salt as well? :D :D

@Sid Yeah, but no peppers or curcuma, as they have the side-effect of making your cover looking different (either reddish or yellowish) #D // Honestly: You know what kind of "salt bags" I was referring to I hope? Those little rectangle pads, mostly in white, which shops/manufacturers put into e.g. leather bags to keep them dry?

Wow! Haven't thought about connecting a mouse! Part ordered and I'll let you know if it works by Tuesday! Thanks a for the input, Sid and Izzy :)

@Izzy, Err.. you mean Silica gel packets like these?

Looks like the ones I had in mind, yes – and the Wikipedia description fits. Only difference is the pic looks like "plastic bags", and the ones I saw up to now rather used some kind of paper or cotton.


text:
Set Google Chrome default font
As of this morning, Google Chrome Beta has suddenly begun using a silly font (HYTravel) as the default in web pages. (See screenshot below.) Setting the Android default application font (a feature offered on my LG Viper 4G LTE) is not involved—I’ve set that and unset it, with no effect on Chrome’s behavior.
Does anyone have any ideas on how to get rid of this setting?

It seems to be only affecting LG phones. My Lucid is doing the same thing and there is a conversation here about it. All LG.

Looks normal on my Galaxy Nexus.

It's an LG bug exposed by a recent Google Chrome change: http://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/chrome/-nS44H44Aqs%5B1-25-true%5D


text:
Parental control for kid's tablet
I have just bought a samsung galaxy tablet 2 (7.0) for my 6 year old son. He loves it but I am extremely worried that he may inadvertently access the wrong websites.
The tablet is a wi-fi version and I can switch off the internet connection but many educational games recommended by his school require a wi-fi connection.
What are some key things that I can do to ensure adequate parental control when he is using the tablet?
The android version is 4.0.1. I am unsure if this can be upgraded but when I run the software update, it says that the tablet has the latest version.

Welcome to the Android Enthusiasts! Please note that recommendations like Is there an app for X are off-topic here (see the FAQ for details). You might wish to consult Where can I ask questions that aren't Android Enthusiast questions? to find a fitting place for your question. Also helpful: Search for "parental" on our site.

Both of the questions as solid, requesting worthy recommendations. However, this doesn't conform to the FAQ. Also, the questions are distinctly different from one another and are best separated into distinct posts.

You forgot the title :) I've fixed that flaw and nominated your question for re-opening.

Android 4.3 which has been just announced comes with Multi-User With Restricted Profiles feature which

allows the tablet owner to have granular control over the other user
  accounts on the device.

and

You can also control other aspects of the device: mature content filtering, access to games and user-generated content, and even specific applications


text:
Any way to find a Wi-Fi connected (unactivated) phone?
I'm ALWAYS losing my phone at home, in various obscure places (on a shelf in the basement, under the coffee filters, behind the toilet, etc.,) and I was wondering if there's any way to find it.
The thing is, I have no cell package at all. None. No call, no text, no data. It doesn't even have a number.
I do have Google Voice, and GrooVe IP, but the likelihood that a call will actually ring the phone is.. unreliable, at best. I've given up on it as a method of locating the phone.
So what I need is a way to "ring" the phone over Wi-Fi. I've set up a static local IP, and I set it not to ever disable Wi-Fi during the daytime, but I need some way to contact the phone.
The phone is a Rooted Droid X with Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread. I am fairly tech-competent, and enjoy tinkering with electronics, so if the solution is difficult or complicated, don't knock it immediately.
The phone is lost extremely often while at home, but never while out, so it's perfectly OK if the solution requires a Wi-Fi connection.
P.S., this is not a duplicate of Question 2603, that concerned phones with the ability to recieve Calls/SMS/Data, and as such, all its answers are irrelevant to this question.

There are plenty of apps on Play supporting that already. The first coming to my mind is PAW Server, which allows that and many more things (basically, you can remote-administrate your device via WiFi with this app). Other, similar apps might offer the remote-ring as well. Several anti-theft apps for example.

Bingo! PAW Server seems to be what I'm looking for! Everything else I could find needed a data connection, but thin works over Wi-Fi and is free. Accept goes to you.

Cheers for that mate! Was about to plot up a coding session.... :D

:) I may add that the dev is quite active and responsive, so it's a double recommendation. And it's not his only good app. He might not be a "graphic designer", but he makes a pretty good technician I'd say.

Hmmm.... Suggestion:

Create a simple android app that is listening for a broadcast on socket - over UDP broadcast? Once it receives the broadcast, start playing a loud tune a la "ring"
From your workstation, make a simple python app to execute by transmitting a simple broadcast packet destined for your said device
Profit \o/

Edit
Fairly recently Google rolled out Android Device Manager, which it gets downloaded stealthily and sneakily, not confined to just JellyBean, it applies to all versions of Android going back to Eclair (2.1).
This can be found in:

Settings > Location & Security > Device Administrators (for Gingerbread)
Settings > Security > Device Administrators (for JellyBean)

Using this device manager and even if its not activated yet, go to the web interface https://google.com/android/devicemanager one can actually instigate:

ringing the handset by way of the website contacting your handset provided the handset meets the criteria:

Signed into your google account
Geo Location is activated
Handset registered with Google Play

If location is activated, the web front end will actually locate the device for you on the map right down to the GPS coordinates.

Your answer was very creative, I haven't started developing APKs yet, so it won't work just yet, but you get an upvote for creativity and originality!

@JamesTheAwesomeDude cheers mate, glad it helped you and gave you a "spark" :D

For your purpose you can use Android Lost.
EDIT: as with many others, with this app you can force the phone to ring at max-volume even when it is in silent mode. HOWEVER...
...the main difference of my recommended app compared with the Device Manager (suggested by other user) is that here you can select the ring duration, and what's more, if the WiFi mechanism fails for some reason (phone sleeping) your command will be queued until wakeup... and you can send as many as you wish (by using google API).
Additionally, even it does not apply to your case, you also have other alternatives as a desperate failover (sms, etc), and location is not only GPS but also network location. This is just a bonus for other users of the community.
Please, if you find my answer better than others, vote up!

Can you expand on that? How, exactly, will this solve the problem?

Their web site uses the google push API (it's a google app), to send the information to your phone (through your gmail account), and it will ring even in silent mode (it's an android app).

Comments are impermanent. Please [edit] your answer.


text:
Where in my files can I find the stock browser's Favourites stored?
Where on the storage of my phone can I find the stock browser's Favourites?  I want to backup that folder.
OS: 4.1.1
S3

All the data for the S3's stock browser are stored in /data/data/com.android.browser/, but just like any app's private data directory, you can only access that if your phone is rooted.
Rather than try to find app data to back up and manage that process yourself, I strongly recommend you to use one of the many existing backup apps out there, or to use adb backup.

When you use a backup app does it save Favourites from all the browsers you have installed?

Or just Chrome or something?

It backs up all data for the apps you choose. See Titanium Backup for instance.


text:
how can i connect the usb cable from my lg p350g into my computer to transfer its stuff?
i have done it before but the notification does not appear its charges my phone but cannot connect the phones internal SD to my computer. Please help

If you go to Settings and follow the More item in the Network section, do you find an entry like USB connection mode? Or, when you connect your device, do those settings not pop-up asking you to connect?

When you connect your phone to your computer, You get a pop-up showing a green android with one hand being a USB.
There, click on Mount SD card or an option similar to that.
You should be able to use the SD card as a flash drive.


text:
Is there a way to find the 'the last factory reset time'?
Is there a way to find the 'the last factory reset time' ? any logs or any other stuff like that? Please reply.

Yes, it seems there is a way to find out about the last factory reset -- provided it was followed by a Google account initialization:

Go to the Google Dashboard, login with your Google account.
Scroll to the section labeled "Android" and expand it (by clicking its title / the LGM [little green man])
Check for the device in question

Associated, you will find a date of registry. That doesn't reflect the first time a device was added, but the last time the Google account was activated on the device. So if you activate your Google account following a factory-reset, this field is updated and thus reflects this point-in-time.

@Firelord As I was not especially interested, I didn't check any further. But I'm pretty sure there's some way via ADB – with root, e.g. find the earliest creation-time of a directory below /data/data: pick any system app should suffice, as their app-directories would be created at the first boot following a factory-reset.


text:
Galaxy S4 "sound and shot" feature - extract sound
The Galaxy S4 has a neat feature called "sound and shot" (maybe "sound & shot"?). It will let you record up to 9 seconds of sound with a picture.
However, I want just the sound out of a picture I took, and I cannot find how to do that. There is no intuitive way to do this in the current version of Android or the gallery app. I know they must be storing the sound file somewhere, but apparently it is not next to the picture.
This article explains that it is not possible to listen to the sound on anything but an S4. Seems kinda short-sighted to me.
My guesses are they implemented by either:

storing the sound hidden within the .jpeg itself or
they have a separate hidden place they put a .wav or .3gp file or something.

I have searched the phone for the latter, and cannot find it. Given that the file size is almost double a normal photo sitting right net to it, I am inclined to think it is buried in the .jpeg file.
Any guesses as to how to get that out? and what the file format is?

Why don't you use normal audio recording app if you only want sound?

That's the obvious solution... but I recorded this on the other side of the world and now realized there is no way to get it out!

Then play the photo on your phone and record with another phone or computer.

Good work-around option. I got what I needed, but this question is more about my fascination on how they "hid" the audio file. I have a few theories, including what I mentioned in the post. The other idea was Alternate Data Streams, or something like it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fork_(file_system)

When using "Sound & shot" mode with the Samsung Galaxy S4 camera, the audio is stored as a WAV file that is embedded into a metadata tag within the JPEG. Here is how to extract the audio using ExifTool on a computer (not android). ExifTool can run on Unix platforms, Macintosh OS X, and Windows. If you are running linux, it might be available through your package repositories.
1) Install ExifTool on your computer.
2) Transfer the file of interest to your computer for extraction. (I'll leave that part up to you)
3) Now extract it. In my example, we assume the filename is called '20160520_061539.jpg', and the operating system is linux. You might have to  make adjustments to the process for other operating systems. In my case, the name of the tag which stores the audio is 'EmbeddedAudioFile'. To extract it, open a terminal and do:

exiftool -b -EmbeddedAudioFile 20160520_061539.jpg > 20160520_061539.wav

You should now have a WAV audio file called 20160520_061539.wav in the present directory.

Brilliant answer - this removes the need to have a Android S4 to decode old files with missing audio!

It is inside the JPG and you may extract it with an app, such as SGS4 Audio Extractor by Accalio.

A complementary utility for Samsung Galaxy S4 users
Samsung has introduced the Sound&shot feature which we use at Accalio when taking whiteboard notes.
As we haven't found a software to extract sound files from the JPG files taken by Samsung phone, we've decided to create a small utility for this task.
Feel free to use and redistribute the app. Please note, that there is no warranty provided and the app may not extract files correctly or rewrite outputs.
Download SGS4audiojpg.zip (563 232kB)
The WAV files can be played back with VLC player only. Windows Media player is unable to play it at this moment and we will consider a new version if requested...
( More about the feature : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDAPEFmbjZU )

Hope it helps.

Cool! how do I know this isn't loaded with a virus?

Just use antivirus if you are afraid. Don't worry, I can assure you that the file is clean. It is hosted on a official web of Accalio. You can check the company and its references...

The file is 100% clean. Nice job on the development side!

There is another way to obtain the audio that works perfectly on my Samsung Galaxy S4.
Brief Version
Tell the phone to convert the Sound and Shot files into  .mp4 video files, then copy them off using a USB cable.
(optional) Detailed Version

On your phone, go into Gallery and long press on an album to select it. A green tick mark will appear on the top right of the album.
Click on the Share icon (top right).
It will ask you if you want to share the Sound and Shot files as (a) jpegs or (b) video

(if you have no Sound and Shot files, this question will not appear).
Select (b) video.

It will now say Processing, and it will go through the DCIM directory on your phone and convert the Sound and Shot .jpg files into .mp4 files. Essentially, what its doing at this point is extracting the sound from the jpg, and creating an .mp4 video file out of it with one frame, and up to 9 seconds of audio.
When it gets to the page Share via, do not go any further, but:

Connect your phone via USB.
Browse to Computer\<Phone>\Phone\DCIM
Copy all of the new .mp4 files from your phone to your PC.

The converted files will have the same name as the .jpg files, but will have extension .mp4.
You can play the video files using VLC Media Player.
You can now use any 3rd party program to extract the audio from the .mp4 files, if you really want to (but I don't see why you would).
Update
You can use this method to extra audio from old Sound and Shot files on your PC that you thought you had lost the audio for! As the sound is always embedded in the .jpg files, you can:

Connect your Android to the PC using USB;
Copy the old .jpg files to the DCIM folder on your phone;
Repeat the steps above.
Copy the new .mp4 files back to your PC.

Note that if the files do not appear in the gallery after you have copied them from PC to phone, kill the gallery app, plug/remove/plug the USB cable to force a refresh, or just restart the phone.
Update
I am running the latest version of Android OS as of May 2015.


text:
Can I jump updates / versions in CyanogenMod like from 10.0.0 to 10.1.2?
When I'm installing updates through the built-in app in CyanogenMod, do I need to install all the previous (stable) versions before installing the last one? Or does the last package contain everything between the running version and the last one? ( I'm only interested in stable releases. Say I'm running CM 10.0.0. If I want to install 10.1.2, do I have to install 10.1.0 and 10.1.1 beforehand?)
Thanks in advance.

No, You don't need to do that.
You can go ahead and install only the latest version.
Pro tip: to manage CyanogenMod updates, you can use an app called GooManager.

CyanogenMod has a built in updater now so GooManager is not needed. (Nothing stopping you from using it though)

@bmdixon True, But I have always found that kind of buggy on my nexus 4. The download speed is also pretty bad on it compared to Goomanager.
That's why I use it instead.


text:
Headphones controls not working with xperia ray
I have Marshall minor headphones with microphone and control buttons for music.
I am using these with my Sony Ericsson Ray but I am unable to use the microphone on the headphones.
When I plug the headphones into my phone it comes up with accessory not supported.
So I have to use an adaptor/converter but this only allows me to listen to my headphones, not use the controls on them? How can I fix this?

You might like to read http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/24559/headphone-music-controls-not-working-correctly from the 'related questions' list.

The Ray's 3.5mm jack only supports sound. It isn't a microphone jack.


text:
Why does Android drop files I transfer to SDCard while in recovery mode?
Here's my situation:
I have a Sprint Samsung Nexus S 4g.  It is rooted, unlocked, and loaded with CyanogenMod 10.1.
I am attaching it to a Windows 8 machine via USB cable.
Recently, the phone went into a boot loop, and thus I can only do anything with it in recovery mode.
I'm trying to transfer the stock ROM to the phone for loading.  I follow these steps

I boot into Recovery mode
I go to Mounts and Storage
I mount the USB card
In Windows, I open up the phone in explorer, and copy the update.zip file to the root of what is now the G: Drive on my phone.
I  try to load the ZIP file for processing.  Recovery says "Can't open file /sdcard/update.zip"
I reboot into recovery again to 'refresh' things.

At this point, the file that I loaded is gone!  It's not on the SD Card anymore.  I can't find it via Recovery mode, and if I remount the USB disk, it's not visible in Windows either.  Weird, huh?
One other thing to note:  I've wiped and reformatted everything I can via Recovery (Cache, system, data, Dalvik, everything) and yet when the phone occasionally manages to boot all the way to the OS, I can still see my wall paper.
How can I get the files I copy over to actually stay on the phone?  Any ideas on what is going on?
I just want to wipe this phone and start over, but I can't seem to make that happen.
Thanks.
More:
Okay, I formatted and wiped everything that I could.  And now the phone only boots to fastboot mode.  I mount the USB card, move a ZIP over, and double check it in Windows.  I can open the file on the phone.  But when I unmount the USB card (I have no choice), the ZIP is there, but the phone won't read it.  It says "Can't open  (bad)".  This is trying with CM9.1 and I'm 100% sure it is the right version for my phone (crespo4G)

which recovery do you use on your phone?

Wait a second: You wiped system and data, and the phone still boots up? That's impossible if the wipe really worked, as there is no system to boot. The only logical explanation to that is a misbehavior of the controller in your FLASH chip, which does no longer obeys write commands (including wipe). If that's the case, there's nothing you can do; you'll have to turn it in for service, which will either replace the FLASH chip or (cheaper for them) the device. And most likely make you pay for it (if you're living outside the EU), as you voided your warranty :(

When you say stock ROM, it will not work just by dropping it into your SDCard and use the recovery to handle it - you either need the appropriate software for your device or if its compatible with ODIN for flashing. Another aspect, consider this - you say you've wiped and reformatted everything the phone cannot physically boot, unless recovery is "mis-leading you" @Izzy pointed out that it could well be the NAND Flash chip is misbehaving, thus recovery, did not really wipe it. Best to hunt for the original stock firmware that is Odin compatible and use that instead...

@izzy --- yes, that is correct.  I wiped everything, and the phone still boots.

Alok -- I have ClockworkMod Recovery v5.0.2.0

@NickHodges in that case, it really looks like a case for the service center. After having wiped everything (as you wrote) except recovery and boot, you should not be able to boot into "normal mode". There's something terribly wrong. Either on the hardware side, or your CWM is nuts (never heard it was). Maybe you could use fastboot or adb sideload to boot a different recovery (e.g. TWRP), and give it another try? I never tried that, so step-by-step advice I must leave to somebody else.

Try downloading the update.zip again to ensure it's not a bad download.
Try updating your version of ClockworkMod Recovery, i think the latest version for your phone is 6.0.3.1. Get into fastboot mode and ensure you have the drivers installed. You can flash this by downloading the relevant file and running the command
fastboot flash recovery <recoveryfile>
(replace  with the filename of the recovery you downloaded (eg recovery-clockwork-touch-6.0.3.1-crespo4g.img)

If that fails you could try flashing the factory image again. Download the factory image from here and unzip. There should be a flash-all.bat which will restore your phone to stock. Note that this operation deletes all user data by default. (although i guess you've already wiped so nothing left to delete!)

How do I run flash recovery?  adb doesn't ever see the phone.


text:
Filter contacts by account
I have a number of mail accounts on my Samsung Tablet. Contacts stored online are synced with the local tablet contacts and visible in the stock Android Contact app.
As different accounts are connected with different task/activities, I would like to filter contacts by account.
Is there a way in the stock contact app to display only contacts for a given account?
If not, is it possible to achieve this with a different app?
My Android version is 3.2.

Which Samsung tablet? Which version of the OS? The People app for each might be different.

@AlEverett: My Android version is 3.2.

Unless munged by Samsung, while in the People app you should be able to go to menu → Contacts to display and then choose the account for which you want to see contacts. There's even a "Customize" option which allows one to, for instance, only display contacts from certain of an account's contact groups.

probably not in Android3.2

Yeah, sorry. Can't help you there. I never had a device with 3.x.


text:
Android Facebook Version 3.4 - Sort News Feed
My Samsung Galaxy S 3 just updated to Android Facebook Version 3.4.
I cannot figure out how to sort News Feed by most recent?

Tap the "hamburger" menu in the upper left. (Looks like three short horizontal lines.) That opens a menu.

Next to "News Feed" is a gear icon. Tap that.

Your two choices are "Top Stories" and "Most Recent". A checkmark will indicate the current setting. Tap the one you want.

The new version 4.3 doesnt have that icon any more

@MattBlymire You mean 3.4? And it does for me... What do you see?

@Matt: Which icon? I double-checked that my version of the Facebook app is 3.4. Perhaps you should add to your question exactly what device and version of the app you have.

Sorry, 3.4 is correct.  I have Samsung Glaxy S3.

Along the bottom is now 4 buttons: News Feed, Message, Notifications and Book Marks

Ummmm...what? That makes no sense. Note, also, that comments are impermanent. You should [edit] your question to include important information or clarifications.

A screen shot, in this case, would be useful.

It seems facebook is testing a new UI, but it's not rolled out to all users yet. I've not found any way to sort the news feed yet (i don't have the new UI).


text:
How can I turn a stock HTC One into a Google Experience one?
I'm considering buying an HTC One soon. Sadly, the Google Experience one isn't available in my country in the Play store. Either way, I would get the new phone from my carrier anyway.
So I'm wondering, can I turn my phone into a proper Google Experience version? If so, how?

This how-to meticulously explains how to flash a ROM taken from the Google Play edition of the One. To summarize:

Backup your data
Root your One
Download the ROM
Boot into TWRP, wipe the old ROM and install the new one

I would recommend the MoDaCo.SWITCH project, which allows you to dual-boot both HTC One Sense, and the Google Experience. You can share app data between the two, so you don't have to maintain 2 sets of apps in either environment, and you can switch back and forth anytime.
If you like the Google Experience better, then you can just stick with it. You'll supposedly get all the regular updates from Google.
It's still in Beta, but it's been under active development, and has come pretty far.
Installation instructions are at the link above, but it's basically the same process as installing a regular ROM, which can be a bit tricky if you're not technically-minded.
Hope that helps.


text:
How can I Have Separate Alerts for Email and SMS?
I am using a Samsung Galaxy S4 running Android 4.2.2. Currently both SMS and Email notifications have the same sound. Before I was on this phone I was on an iPhone and this was easy to change. I cannot find a way to distinguish between alerts.
In browsing this site for an answer I came across this question which had this answer:

You can customize the Notification settings for both Gmail and Messaging in each of the apps separately.
In Gmail press menu and go to More->Settings and look at the Notification settings section.
In Messaging press menu then Settings and look at the Notification settings section.

I assume this answer is out-of-date because it doesn't work on the Galaxy S4.
I am using the Stock Gmail App for email and I use GO SMS PRO for messaging.
How do I change to separate alerts?

In order to change the notification sound on the GMail app you can do the following:

Open the GMail app and press the menu button (the one to the left of the Home button)
Press Settings and then choose the email address (not general settings)
Touch the word "Inbox sound & vibrate"
Click "Sound"
Then there is a popup for the choice of notification sound you want for your email.

For GO SMS PRO:

Press the same menu button
Settings
Advanced
Notification settings
Default notification settings
Select ringtone

With this app you can set up a different notification sound for each app on your phone.
Launch it. Add "Messages" (com.android.mms) in apps list and set up sound for sms notification. Then add "Gmail" (com.google.android.gm) in apps list and set up sound for email notifications.

Settings -> Apps -> (Select App you'd like to change notification for) -> Notifications -> Other -> Sound

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


text:
New e-mail notifications and user-side filters
Does the built-in email application create a new e-mail notification if the e-mail is moved to another folder by a filter?
In particular, imagine the following scenario:

E-mail arrives at an Exchange server
The e-mail is pulled by an Android device.
The e-mail is pulled at the same time by a laptop running Outlook.
A program on the laptop magically moves the e-mail to a spam folder.

Imagine that steps 3 and 4 take almost no time. Also consider that step 2 may happen after steps 3 and 4.
Will the Android device create a new e-mail notification even though the e-mail is not in the Inbox?
Device Details:

Samsung Galaxy Nexus for Verizon Wireless
Model number SCH-I515
SKU SCHI515MSB
Obtained directly from Google
ClockworkMod 6.0.3.3 recovery
Rooted and unlocked
Android version 4.2.2
Baseband version I515.10 V.EK05 / I515.EK02
Kernel version 3.0.31-cyanogenmod-ge14e5fe build03@cyanogenmod #1 Thu Jul 11 20:37:31 PDT 2013
CPU ARMv7 Processor rev 10 (v7)
Memory 693 MB
CyanogenMod version 10.1.2-toro
Build date Thu Jul 11 20:3159 PDT 2013
Build number cm_toro-userdebug 4.2.2 JDQ39E eng.jenkins.20130711.203112 test-keys

Email program:

Name: "Email"
Version: 4.1

Exchange services:

Name: "Exchange Services"
version 5.0

Gmail:

Version 4.5.2-714156

I hope this is enough information; I have leaned towards providing more rather than less because I can always edit out things later.

Android will create no alerts at all for your email. The mail app might do, however. Sorry for the hair-splitting, but the reason is: That depends very much on the mail app used, as different mail apps might handle this differently.

I've clarified that I'm referring to the default Email application.

A little better, yes -- but still not specific enough, as you don't name your device. Manufacturers tend to use their own specific apps, so there's no such thing like the default email app per se.


text:
Can I use Adblock Plus for Android and still see per-app data use?
I have a rooted device and I'm interested in installing Adblock Plus for Android. The app, that is, not the Firefox extension. The FAQ says:

To filter ads, all traffic has to pass through Adblock Plus. Android considers this to be the traffic caused by the app, while it is in reality the sum of all traffic.

Does this mean that the usage won't show against the app that really is responsible, or that it's double-counted (i.e. it shows against the originating app as well as AdBlock Plus)? If the former, is there a way I can still see each app's real data use?

Using AdBlock Plus would reduce traffic because it blocks ads. So it's no longer "real" data use. That aside, I have no idea how to check each app's real data use.

From my tests, data usage still show normal usage. E.g. using Firefox, firefox data usage increase, using Google+, Google+ data usage increase, etc... Also, it is not double counted for Adblock Plus. (I used ~15MB total, and Data usage report 340KB for Adblock Plus).
Tested on Android 4.1.2.

Ah, good -- so they fixed that "double counter issue"! Or maybe that was dependent on the Android version used (so maybe you could add on which Android version your test is based, just to make sure).

Short answer: no I don't know how to see per-app data usage when using ABP.
Long answer:
I'm running rooted 4.1.2 on a Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 (GT-I8160) and I've deleted or frozen most of the bloatware with Titanium Backup and configured auto-update off and syncing off for everything that's left. So I can run a browser test with ABP on and off without other apps chewing up background data and invalidating the results. The Android OS used about 10KB of data on each test run and Google Services used about 1KB; all other data usage was either ABP or the stock Android browser 'Internet'.
Test procedure:

Wi-fi off.
Open browser, load about:blank, clear cache & history & cookies, exit browser.
Take first set of data usage readings. (Settings - Data Usage)
Open browser, load www.theregister.co.uk from bookmark. Wait for full page load.
Back button to about:blank, clear cache & history & cookies, exit via Home button.
Take second set of data usage readings.
Toggle ABP filtering on or off and repeat from step 4.

I did 8 tests, alternating bewtween ABP on and off each time. Here are the results:
ABP on

Browser used  40KB and ABP used 350KB. Total 390KB.
Browser used  40KB and ABP used 380KB. Total 420KB.
Browser used  50KB and ABP used 360KB. Total 410KB.
Browser used  40KB and ABP used 350KB. Total 390KB.

ABP off

Browser used 620KB and ABP used none.  Total 620KB.
Browser used 530KB and ABP used none.  Total 530KB.
Browser used 490KB and ABP used none.  Total 490KB.
Browser used 520KB and ABP used none.  Total 520KB.

I don't know what the 40 to 50KB browser data usage when ABP is on represents. It cannot be the actual volume of data flowing from ABP to the browser. The Register's home page is 53KB of HTML source; that's ignoring all the linked images, scripts, CSS, etc. The true size of the page with all that stuff in is much larger; the web archive my desktop browser generates when I save that page is 681KB. Note that I am running ABP in my desktop browser.
I can only assume that the browser is managing to bypass ABP for some small number of its data requests; perhaps for those on non-standard port numbers. I'm definitely not seeing the real data usage of the browser; that should be around the same size as ABP's data usage during my test runs.
ABP needs a stats facility that reports the data usage of each app that is using it. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to have one. On the plus side, it is reducing total data usage according to my tests. Page loading was quicker too.


text:
How to re install rom on blank htc desire?
I have installed rom in the memory card of my htc desire bt unfortunately i have lost my memory card. Now my ph is not working; everytime it just shows "HTC" and then restart. Can anyone please suggest me stable rom with proper configurations?
I am using HTC Desire A8181.

You can follow This Link depending on your HTC, your phone model is HTC Bravo you can download your roms here your
Edit: Official RUU 3.14 Desire Gingerbread---[v1.2/1st/August/2012] this is best rom it also give you more then 100mb free space. i used it for my device too

"This Link" is broken

You can download a ROM from TechTuple, copy it to your HTC Desire A8181, and flash it via CWM recovery.


text:
Android: "wipe data/factory reset" won't delete all directories in '/sdcard'
I'm trying to reinstall my Asus Transformer TF101 with Cyanogenmod, I select the "wipe data/factory reset" option in the ClockworkMod Recovery menu, but after installing it I find that the original directories remain in '/sdcard' (I expected them to be removed).
Is it safety if I delete this whole directory just by "rm -rf /sdcard" in the shell?
Thank you very much.

/sdcard is part of the Android file system structure. This is where it mounts your external drives, the SD card. You shouldn't delete this partition. But you can delete the content of the directory either using an app or using rm -fr /sdcard/*

Some ROM's do have the option offering to wipe the SDCard - a reformat if you like from the same setting, its in Gingerbread alright. Meaning its optional, coming from AOSP, its there, some drop it, others don't, its up to the maker of the ROM :)

If you've already backed up whatever might be important on the SD card (images, video, any special files and such), then you are fine to go ahead and manually delete the contents.

But not the directory itself, as it's a mount point.


text:
Adding a self-signed certificate to the trusted list?
I have my own self-signed SSL certificate for a website I need to keep relatively secure. I've been able to install my client SSL certificate just fine, but I can't seem to install the server's certificate to the Android trusted list, so I always get a warning when trying to access my site in Chrome from the device.
How do I install a PEM or CRT file for a self-signed server certificate?

Have a look at my answer to this question.

Related: How do you import CA certificates onto an Android phone? / self-signed certificate install claims success, but android acts as if cert isn't there


text:
Android Tablet Restored, Can't Reinstall Same Apps
My Android tablet 'broke'.  Sent it in to the OEM and they fixed it under warranty and shipped it back.  Now, when I go to re-install certain apps, they won't install to my tablet because Google Play says they're "already installed".  But the OS was reloaded and they are no longer installed.  How do I re-install my apps without repaying?

Have you tried installing from the web version of the Play Store?

You could try factory resetting you tablet. Not sure if it might help. It's worth a try.

It was ‘‘factory reset'' when I got it back from ASUS.


text:
recovery mode works but cant select option galaxy i9000
I am trying to update my rom and install carbon-rom. i have put the zip on the sdcard rebooted into recovery mode by pressing vol up +home +power.
I can enter recovery mode. when i do i see for options but can not select any of them. At the bottom of the screen in yellow writing it says "manual mode".
I have looked into it and thinking that the recovery is locked? Or am i just not pressing the right button to select the option?
I do not have odin or cwm installed, is this required? my phone is uk bought when first released and never updated.


text:
What might cause my phone to spontaneously stop booting into its custom ROM and only reboot into recovery mode?
My phone is a Samsung Vibrant running CyanogenMod 10.0 (Android 4.1.2).  I rebooted my phone, as I do every few days, and instead of starting up CyanogenMod as usual, it dumped me into the ClockworkMod recovery.  No matter how many times I select the option to reboot, the phone always just dumps me back into recovery.
There seems to be something suspect about the /system partition.

Looking at the log under the advanced menu, it says can't mount /system.
Going to the mounts and storage menu and trying to mount /system, I get the error failed to mount /dev/lvpool/system: invalid argument.

The problem was that the ext3/ext4 filesystem on /dev/lvpool/system, normally mounted at /system, had a corrupt superblock.  The fix was to connect to the phone with adb and run e2fsck manually, like so:
# ./adb shell
# e2fsck /dev/lvpool/system
e2fsck 1.41.11 (14-Mar-2010)
e2fsck: Superblock invalid, trying backup blocks...
Backing up journal inode block information.

/dev/lvpool/system: clean, 11/25600 files, 3310/102400 blocks
# exit

After doing this, the reboot option in ClockwordMod recovery brought CyanogenMod back up with no issues.
A large amount of googling provided no guidance in this direction, so I'm posting this Q&A in the hopes that it saves someone else the chore of digging through forums and/or reinstalling their recovery and/or ROM in vain.


text:
Phone starts ringing for caller long before phone starts ringing, why?
When I call my wife's phone from my phone, I hear three or four rings through my handset before her ringtone starts.  Is there a way to reduce or eliminate this delay?  (Yes I have checked the audio file.  The sound starts instantly in the file.)

I expect this is more about your carrier's network than anything that can be done locally on your handset. In my experience, it has been ever thus. Anyone I call I will hear two or three rings (or more) before my recipient's phone starts to chime.

There's quite a bit that goes into placing a call to a mobile phone. Here's an excerpt from the Wikipedia article on GSM services, slightly edited for clarity, which does a good job explaining some of what happens when a call is placed to a GSM cellular phone.

When someone places a call to a mobile phone they dial the telephone
  number associated with the phone user and the
  call is routed to the mobile phone operator's Gateway Mobile Switching
  Centre (MSC). The first job of the Gateway MSC is to determine the current
  location of the mobile phone in order to connect the call. It does
  this by consulting the Home Location Register (HLR).
When the HLR
  receives this query message, it determines whether the call should be
  routed to another number (called a divert), or if it is to be routed
  directly to the mobile. If the Home Location Register knows that the phone is    roaming in a particular Visited Location Register area, then it will
  request a temporary number (called an MSRN) from that VLR. This
  number is relayed back to the Gateway MSC, and then used to route the
  call to the MSC where the called phone is roaming.
When the call arrives at the Visiting MSC, the MSRN is used to
  determine which of the phones in this area is being called.
  The MSC pages all the mobile phone masts in the area in order to
  inform the destination handset that there is an incoming call for it. If the
  subscriber answers, a speech path is created through the Visiting MSC
  and Gateway MSC back to the network of the person making the call, and
  a normal telephone call follows.

All of this and more (depending on the origin of the call, the carriers involved, and how smoothly things are running on that particular day) happens in fractions of seconds. When taken altogether, though, it can create a noticeable delay. That's why it takes so long for your wife's phone to start ringing and that's also why there's not much you can do about it. It's all pretty cool if you think about it.

That answers why it takes the call a period of time to connect, but why does the ring sound begin at the callers end five to fifteen seconds before the receiving phone begins it's incoming call notification?

For the same reason. While the system is trying to process the call request and then identify, locate, and notify the subscriber called, the caller is given a sound to let them know the process is working. That's the rings you hear when you dial someone. With landline phones there has also always been a delay between when the caller hears rings and when the phone called rings, but a) landlines connect much quicker and b) you're not normally in the same room as the landline you're calling.

If you use TrueCaller, the phone has to do a query on the internet connection, download the caller details, and then start ringing. That would take a few seconds on a weak mobile internet connection.


text:
How to configure Dropbox to ONLY upload camera pictures, and NOT download all folders in the cloud?
Samsung Galaxy S4, installed dropbox to upload photos. However, S4 has 9 gig free, and my dropbox had 50 gig on it, so the first time, it bombed trying to download everything. deleted sync file (~4 gig) on S4, but now my device is deleting files from Dropbox on it's own! Had to shut it down and uninstall.
Any idea how to NOT sync anything but camera uploads? It's really messing with my dropbox folder sync between my home computer and laptop, randomly deleting files and folders.
Thanks!

I have found the Quickpic Gallery app.
You can set which folder from phone to upload into any folder on Dropbox. Uploading only while changing and on Wi-Fi.
You can as well browse the whole Dropbox - browse, not download.
(Click image to enlarge)

You could use a different sync tool, where you can configure which folders to be synced and which not. An example of such is FolderSync, which also supports Dropbox:

FolderSync (Source: Google Play; click images for larger variants)
The first screenshot shows you some of the cloud services FolderSync supports. Entry #4 on the second reveals you can configure "Folderpairs", that is, which folder on your device should be synchronized with which folder in the cloud. This way you could simply let your /sdcard/DCIM folder (which is where your photos go) including its subdirectories synchronize, leaving everything else out.

I guess he is asking only to upload not syncing.

@ashwinkumar he's explicitely asking how to NOT sync anything but camera uploads, i.e. limit sync to specified directories (here: camera). Which is what FolderSync provides.

The images are resting in peace.


text:
How to force YouTube videos to open in streaming media player instead of default YouTube app?
I am using HTC Explorer phone, running Android 2.3.5. I use Opera mini and Opera mobile to browse. Whenever I click any YouTube video in the browser to play, automatically the YouTube app opens and starts loading the video but I have a slow connection so I want videos to be played in streaming media player. For any other websites RTSP links it asks me for the app to use.
Earlier it used to ask me for YouTube videos also but now I don't know what settings I have changed. It does not ask now and opens YouTube app. How can I fix this?

YouTube uses Flash and/or HTML5, not RTSP.  They don't want you accessing videos except through the official website (including embedded videos) or app.

The best way to accomplish this is to use the mobile browser to browse YouTube then when you click on video and it prompts which app to use, click on the browser rather than YouTube app.
[Also this assumes that you have cleared all of the defaults for YouTube and browser.]
As said above, you could always just disable the YouTube app.

Go into Settings -> Applications
Search for Youtube
Scroll to the Launch by default section
Tap on Clear defaults

Their are no defaults set for the youtube app.The option "clear defaults" is grayed out.

Follow the same path and go to youtube and click clear defaults.Or else you just clear your youTubda data by "clear data" button.Try it may but it will helpful.

First Download UC Browser
Go to YouTube video you want to play via UC browser
Since UC Browser have its own Built in Video Player it wont redirect you to youtube app
Now if you want to play it with another video player there is option for that on top right corner called 'Play With'
Select Video Player and Enjoy :)

you should try resetting defaults for your browser app from application manager.
go to settings > application manager > click your browser app from app list (which ever browser u r using) > you are in app info now > clear defaults. this might help u.


text:
File Explorer for HTC Desire X - too many permissions asked for?
I have a HTC Desire X running Android 4.0.4 (not rooted)
I am looking for a file explorer mainly for 2 things
- Just browsing around the file system
- Copying an apk from my PC and executing it.
I went to Play Store to install ES File Explorer. It asks for the following permissions

Storage
Phone Calls
Network Communication
System Tools
Hardware Contols

I have no idea why a file explorer needs so much permissions.
Are there any decent file explorers which make do with a minimum set of permissions?

ES Datei Explorer is more than just a simple file explorer. It offers a bunch of additional features, which explain most of the permissions you've listed. I'm using this app for years already and can assure you: it never abused any of the permissions (especially I never saw it making "phone calls", and yes, I supervise such things).
But for the things you list:

Storage: What do you thing where your files are, um, stored? All file managers access the "storage". Otherwise they couldn't write there, so you could not copy/move files.
Phone Calls: This is a Permission Group, not the permission COST_CALL itself. The only permission from that group which ES File accesses is read phone status and identity. So it can detect whether there is an incoming/outgoing/ongoing call (and see the remote number), as well as check your device's ID (IMSI). Not sure what for the app needs this, though.
Network Communication: This app can also access the network (feature list: Remote File Manager). So you can e.g. use it to copy files from/to your computer, e.g. using Windows Shares (also known as Samba, SMB, CIFS). A feature I really enjoy quite often. So nothing bad about this!
System Tools: Again a permission group. Here the app requests: modify system settings, connect and disconnect from Wi-Fi, set wallpaper, install shortcuts, uninstall shortcuts, access Bluetooth settings, prevent phone from sleeping. All mentioned permissions are explainable from the app's feature list, though the "modify system settings* is a little unclear.
Hardware Controls: Once more a permission group. Only used permission here is control vibration. So no danger from that, either.

So the point is to look behind those "Permission Groups" what permissions are really requested by an app, and cross-check that with its features. If something's unclear: ask, as you did :) "Better save than sorry" is a good attitude!
If you're still concerned, and rather want a more minimalistic solution (as you don't need all those features), there are plenty alternatives. But I personally can warmly recommend you this app, from my own experience: It's easy to use, and never let me down in years. No "permission abuse" either.


text:
Viewing File System through a Windows Laptop
I have a HTC Desire X running Android 4.0.4 (not rooted).
When I connect my phone to my Win7 Laptop, from my laptop, this is the filesystem I see

LOST.DIR (Empty)
Android\data\com.htc.album.thumbnails\

00,01,02,03,04,05,06,07,08,09,11,12,12_720,carmode

\DCIM\100MEDIA (Empty)
.data\mail\attachthumb (Empty)

Where is the rest of my file system? The OS, the programs etc?
Is there a way to view it from my laptop?

If your phone is not rooted, then you can't access the "OS" or the "programms". When you plug your phone, you can only browse its internal and/or external storage in a file explorer.
If you are not rooted, you can use adb to browse the "OS", but you can only view it and you can not access /data folder.
If you are rooted, you can access and write all to the internal parts of the system, but it's dangerous if you don't know what you are doing.
In every case, you can't see it through Windows Explorer.

As Shywim wrote, direct access from your Windows PC is limited to certain directories – by default. But there are some helpers available to give you more details. Some examples include:

DavDrive Lite – make the local file system available via WebDAV. This would require another 3rd party tool on your Windows PC (some WebDAV client)
FTPServer – a small and lightweight FTP server. I'm not sure how much of your internal storage can be exposed with this without root.
AirDroid – access your files (and much more) via your web browser on the PC. AirDroid is a feature-loaded remote maintenance tool for your Android device, and does much more than just let you copy/paste files.
As you're using Windows: MyPhoneExplorer Client might be worth a look as well. It requires a PC companion (available for free on their website), and offers you a lot of additional features to maintain your Android device remotely.

Of course, there would be other means. Also already mentioned was ADB. For this, you might want to take a look at QtADB as graphical frontend – and at Is there a minimal installation of ADB? for how to get ADB set up without too much overhead.


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closed ports wifi problem
I have these following issues :
1) wifi connects but the signal bars stay grey
2) I can open and search apps in market but when I try to download them , it says "waiting for network"
3) facebook does not sync, and the app says "no network"
after some googling I found that google syncs through ports 5228-5230, which are closed in my router. I have no idea how to open these ports. Is there an on-phone solution to this ?
my system is Micromax A116, NaturewizHD rom, jellybean 4.2.1 ( or 4.2.2 ? )

As those ports are closed on your router, there is no "on-phone solution", only "on-router solutions". You will have to open those ports on the router, use a different WiFi AP, or switch to your mobile data connection.
If you want to go for the "open ports on router" solution, this is beyond the scope of our site. But you're certainly welcome with that question on Super User, which (amongst others) covers personal and home computer networking according to their help center.

The curious thing is that this has started only recently. I have been using the same phone with the same rom and the same router for last few months. I guess this has something to do with the recent google play update.

No idea: I don't have this issue with any of my devices in any network. But I also don't remember having ports closed from the inside.


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How can I root my General Mobile e-Tab 7b tablet?
How can I root the General Mobile e-Tab 7b tablet? It's currently running Android 4.1.1, kernel version 3.0.8.

Can you provide a few more details on your device? I never heard of that. Maybe there's a link to its specs you can give? At least the Android version running would be helpful. Is it this one, running Android 2.3? // You might also want to take a look at the rooting tag-wiki for some general ideas.

If you want easy root access and Developer support, It would be a good idea to get a well known android device from the likes of Samsung/HTC/Sony, etc.
I don't think there is good support for niche and low volume tablets.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
EDIT:
You can do something like this:
Look up the ODM of your Tablet. It probably is some Chinese no-label company.
See other tablets which are based on it and check if you could root them.

How can I know ODM of my Tablet

Alok, "buy another device" is not quite an answer on how to root an existing device ;)

@forsubhi, I would have suggested Google. I tried that myself and found out that This question was the link at the top, so the chances of finding anything important there are slim.
It could help if you could specify some details about it, say the processor(I need the specific processor OEM and model number eg: Exynos 4410 or AllWinner A13, etc.) and the OS it is running. Maybe We could figure something out.

@Izzy, true. Should Have thought about that earlier. Sorry :). I'm kinda new here.

model number g08refem667

android system = android 4.1.1

kernal version = 3.0.8


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Alert Screen after power on Xperia Z
I powered off my xperia z and powered on again. A progress bar with an alert icon has appeared on screen and didn't disappear until now(about 20 min). What's that?
If I need to flash the phone, can I somehow create a backup from files in internal memory?

Do you mean that it appeared but is now gone and the phone is working fine? Please clarify what your actual question is.

No. It is still showing this screen. what does this icon mean at all?

Is the progress bar moving? Could be an OTA update?

If it hasn't disappeared now, I'd say it is a rom problem...

On the photo, there's not much to see. Could you provide a clearer shot with more details (and less mirror effects)?

@Izzy Please see this http://dl.xda-developers.com/attachdl/4828ec2048c38575181a3fa4e953ff39/51ead254/2/0/0/4/7/7/4/xperia_z.jpg (in this topic: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2302976)

Sorry: the first link is "gone", and the image in that XDA thread doesn't reveal more (maybe there isn't more to be revealed? Is the triangle and the progress bar all that's shown, no additional text, nothing?)


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Can I connect a pen drive to my Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini using USB OTG?
I am using Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini. Can I connect my phone with a pen drive using an on-the-go (OTG) USB cable?

I would assume, YES.
Currently, my Samsung Galaxy S4 (using the latest stock ROM) supports USB OTG.
Before that, I had a Samsung Galaxy S2. Using the stock ROM, I could not use USB OTG. So, I installed USB OTG Helper, which requires your phone to have root. When I changed to CyanogenMod (CM) ROM 10.1, I did not need USB OTG Helper; it had USB OTG support.

Maybe.  Chainfire's USB host diagnostics reports shows some instances of the Galaxy S3 Mini (model GT-i8190) as working with USB OTG on the stock ROM, but also about as many reports of it not working.  It looks like just about all instances of the successful OTG tests are on rooted devices.
About the only way you'll find out for sure is to try it for yourself.  Worst case, you're out the couple dollars the cable cost you.

I have found Samsung Galaxy S III mini use USB-OTG with Total Commander video on YouTube.
There video author shows how to enable USB-OTG in Samsung Galaxy S III mini using USB-OTG cable with power support (micro-USB male, micro-USB female for power or USB male for power, USB female) -- supposedly all you need is reboot the phone while providing power via USB-OTG cable.
The same solution is described in [HOW-TO][TRICK]USB OTG ON S3Mini post on XDA-Developers forum -- this recommends USB OTG cable (which you need anyway to connect pendrive) and USB male to USB male cable to connect power via USB OTG.
Phone will show charging indicator (but actually not charging) while USB OTG is active.

Advantages of this method:

Doesn't need root
No need to install additional apps like USB OTG Helper (Samsung Galaxy S3 mini (GT-i1890) is on the list of USB OTG MSC confirmed devices), or switching to CyanogenMod ROM.

Disadvantages of this method:

Needs reboot, extra hardware and access to charging to turn on
Phone cannot be charged while USB OTG is active ('till reboot)
Battery drain
Restarting / rebooting turn it off

Not tested myself, as I don't have any such cable myself at this time.

Since this product exists, I assume that you can connect memory devices (such as a thumbdrive/pendrive) to your phone with just a USB connection, the OTG cable that you mention is just an adapter for two different kinds of connectors of what is essentially the same type of connection (USB).
YMMV, but it should technically be possible to connect memory devices to your phone this way. Which ones work and which ones don't probably depends on many factors, such as the ROM running on your phone, the thumbdrive/SD card reader used and so on.

Note that the S3 and S3 mini are entirely different devices.  It uses an entirely different SoC than any version of the regular S3.


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How do I configure ADB for the Huawei U8650 on Windows?
I have an Huawei U8650 smartphone. And, as I understand, I need system device drivers for it to be able to develop and debug applications for it using Windows.
On Linux this is as simple as just typing an identifier number in a few places and I'm able to run and debug applications. However I can't seem to find the appropriate drivers to be able to do this on Windows.
Does anyone have any idea how to set it up on a Windows machine?

Take a look at the Universal Android USB Driver, or check the Huawei website for specific drivers. That's the corresonding thing to setting up UDEV on Linux ;)

It looks ok so far, need to get my environment up and running now and I'll let you know if this worked

OK, I made it an answer you then can accept if it works out. Good luck. // A hint: As development questions are off-topic here (see our help center for details), your question will be "put on hold" soon. Please keep that in mind for subsequent questions: this one most likely could be re-phrased to be on-topic again, real development questions are better fit on Stack Overflow. See also: Where can I ask questions that aren't Android Enthusiast questions?

To VCers: ADB driver issues for windows and development are just a coincidence here, power users also may have the same issue, hence: Not off topic.

As pendant to the UDEV setup you describe in your question, Windows needs a special driver. Until recently that meant the manufacturer had to provide one matching to the device; but luckily we now have the Universal Android USB Driver, which should work for most devices. If that doesn't work for yours, you need to check with Huawei for a specific driver.

Glad to read – enjoy :)


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Using luks manager app for creating file based containers for encryption, is there any chance that unencrypted data appears in crash dumps etc?
My PC is fully encrypted and protected with TrueCrypt using. I don't use TrueCrypt encrypted file based containers as they are not safe from the OS itself. The official TrueCrypt site states that file based container encryption is insufficient because the operating system stores fragments of files and other metadata in various places in clear unencrypted form(hiberfil.sys, pagefile, crash dumps etc):

System encryption provides the highest level of security and privacy,
  because all files, including any temporary files that Windows and
  applications create on the system partition (typically, without your
  knowledge or consent), hibernation files, swap files, etc., are always
  permanently encrypted (even when power supply is suddenly
  interrupted). Windows also records large amounts of potentially
  sensitive data, such as the names and locations of files you open,
  applications you run, etc. All such log files and registry entries are
  always permanently encrypted too.

My question is that is this a problem with android too? I have encrypted containers created with the "luks manager". One of them contains highly sensitive data, making me paranoid enough to think that the android device might also be storing file fragments and other details like windows does.
Does android have temp files, crash dumps etc?
although full device encryption is possible since honeycomb 3.0 it does not allow plausible deniability or hidden android OS etc(of course, its not useful for almost all who use Android)

With full device encryption, unencrypted fragments should be available in volatile RAM only – which means an attacker needs physical access to the running system. There's no such thing as 100% security, but I'd say that's as close as you can get, when combining it with a good lock mechanism (best encryption is useless if you don't lock your device and an attacker can get physical access).
Als for LUKS, I'd recommend checking with their project site, which contains a bunch of information. A raw scan (I don't use LUKS myself) even revealed information on how to use LUKS to fully encrypt partitions on the Android device. The LUKS team will also be the best address for technical details.

Feel welcome to answer your own question if you collected the details! :)


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Screen resolution on Nexus 4 and Nexus 7
If I understand this answer correctly, then the Nexus 7 (7" screen at 1280x800) should show more of a given webpage (or of anything else) than the Nexus 4 (4.7" screen at 1280x768). This means that a Nexus 7 will not simply look like an enlarged Nexus 4? It will appear to have a higher resolution, because of the "dp" value mentioned in that post?
I have a handset similar to the Nexus 4 and am considering a Nexus 7. However, if the Nexus 7 will appear as a larger version of my current handset (that is, what I see on screen at the moment will still appear on a full screen on the Nexus 7), then the purchase may not be worth it.

The Nexus 4 has a 4.7 inch 1280768 screen, not 1280720.

Thanks. I had that, but edited it because I thought it was incorrect. I'll fix it.

How the webpage is displayed depends on your choice of brower and your settings. Chrome on my devices by default displays webpages by width in desktop mode, so I see the same content horizontally on my phone and Nexus 7. But I'd say the web browsing experience on Nexus 7 is much better than on a phone due to the large screen, you can definitely see more on the Nexus 7 (vertically).
Source: I have an original Note (larger screen than Nexus 4) and Nexus 7.

If you see the same content horizontally on both devices, then the only difference is the actual physical size. You're not getting more screen space on the Nexus 7.

I know webpage rendering depends on the browser and settings, etc. I was using it as an example to compare the same display content between the two devices.

How can you see more vertically when the pixel dimensions of the two devices are almost the same?


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How many apps available for android which have option for setting up a proxy authentication
I am running Android 2.3.5 on my HTC Explorer phone.And I always connect to internet through my college's wifi which is behind a proxy server and requires basic authentication.Till now i can only connect my browser to the internet,By setting up the proxy server in wifi settings.
I want to know are their other apps available,other than web browsers which have options for proxy settings.Like some online music app,mail checking,some online video viewing app etc.
I dont want to root.

There are many, the prominent ones being Hotspot Shield and Hideman VPN. Hotspot shield works really well so I never tried using any other VPN.


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Disabling long press on empty area of home screen
I have a HTC Desire X running Android 4.0.4 (not rooted).
If I long press in an empty area on my home screen, it automatically opens the widget which allows me to add/remove apps/widgets on the home screen. This is very inconvenient because I accidentally long press on the home screen few times a day & then without realizing the add/remove widget is on, I accidentally click on an icon or two which adds something I don't want to my home screen. Is it possible to either disable the long press on the home screen action or at least make it less sensitive?
I am not sure if this is a general Android thing or HTC Specific behaviour.

That is depending on the Launcher used. Are you using HTC's own ROM?

@t0mm13b - I haven't changed anything since I got the phone - so I assume I am using whatever ROM the phone came with.

More than likely related to the launcher used on HTC. Try an alternative launcher, there's a few on the Play Store.

@t0mm13b - I googled a bit but it's not yet clear to me what exactly is a 'Launcher'? Does it have settings I can change?

The launcher is your home screen - that is where you see the widgets and shortcuts, it also manages the app drawer, where you can see different apps installed. It might help to get a screenshot of it for those more familiar and in the know with HTC devices...

This answer lists some launchers which have the “Lock Desktop” option. Launchers preinstalled in stock ROMs in most cases do not provide it.


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MHL only works for a few minutes on Galaxy S4
I picked up an HML-to-HDMI adapter, and an adapter to get it working on my Galaxy S4.  When I first plug it into a TV, everything is great!  I can get a picture and sound on my TV in the expected resolutions.
After a few minutes, TV reports "no signal".  If I unplug the cable from either the TV end or the phone end, the phone reports the HDMI cable disconnected.  Plugging it back in on both ends, the phone reports that the HDMI cable is connected.  However, I still don't see anything on the TV.
Rebooting the phone (via holding the power button and choosing restart) does not resolve the issue.  If I plug the phone into a power source or USB port, and then switch back to the MHL adapter, it starts to work again.
This problem has occurred with multiple TVs.
I have a couple theories:

Some sort of power management shuts off the video output after a few minutes.  (Note that I can be playing video and the phone screen stays on while TV reports no signal.)
An error condition with the interface that requires it to reset.

Any thoughts on how to fix this?  Am I the only one with this problem?  If so, I suppose I could have a funky adapter.

I purchased 3 cheap MHL cables, same problem than you.  This is the red one.  2 cables disconnect all the time, one works perfectly.  The problem is the crappy cable.

Got a link to the cable that worked for you?

I have used the Rocket Fish MHL-to-HDMI without issue in the past on a Note 4.  Your MHL adapter should have come with an additional input port in USB Micro formfactor.  Try plugging this into a power source as an auxilary power supplement, and see if the issue persists.  If you need to output to multiple displays, you may need to daisy chain another adapter onto the current one to supply adequate power to the peripherals.


text:
Is it possible to browse files on a powered-off Android devices from a PC?
My Sony Xperia Z doesn't boot, so I may need to flash it, but I want to have a backup from files on internal storage before flashing.
Is it possible to connect (Android) phone to a PC while it's powered off and browse files on the phone?

If it's turned off, it's turned off -- so you can connect the cable fine, but nothing will happen.

No, while the phone's powered off you can't read the files on it. If your bootloader is already unlocked, you might be able to find a custom recovery that just lets you mount as a USB drive. In that case, booting into the recovery would be sufficient even if the main OS doesn't boot. Of course, if your bootloader isn't unlocked, unlocking it to flash a custom recovery would wipe the storage anyway.

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


text:
Can I install sudo/su with the signed apk exploit?
The BlueBox Security Scanner says that my Nexus 4 is still vulnerable to two signature exploits.
As far as I understood the exploit can circumvent the apk-signature-check so that any apk posing as an update for a system-apk will be installed as system app.
Is there a known way to install sudo/su with this exploit?
I would like to do so before my Nexus gets patched...
Update 2013-07-22:
What I am looking for is a step by step guide along these lines:

get sudo-apk
choose one unused system-app
remove updates for this system-app
download latest update for this system-app
integrate sudo-apk with system-app-update-apk
install
have joy

As you correctly wrote: any apk posing as an update for a system-apk will be installed as system app. But an update requires something to be already there which it can update -- otherwise it's simply a fresh install. I might be wrong, but to me that means a clear "No".

@Izzy how about that "Google Korean keyboard" that I deactivated? This is a firmware-app with pending updates.

Try it and tell us. That might do, but I'm not sure what your SuperUser app is named then :) And being an update, it would replace that keyboard (or whatever system app you would "update"), so be careful and beware side-effects.

@Izzy I would love to try it - but I need a step by step installation. The name of the apk should be correct - if I undestood what BlueBox wrote about this.

For that I'm out: cannot give you that "step-by-step" guide.

Anyway, the app will still require root to touch to /system and so to install the su binary. What I mean is that system app doesn't have more root access than a "normal" app. You'll still have to found a root exploit to gain temporary privilege.

That's exactly the point: For su to work, it must be in the $PATH. To modify that accordingly, /system must be mounted r/w -- and that doesn't happen even when a system app is updated.

The Exploit (& Fix) Android "Master Key" article describes the process of using the “Master Key” exploit to get elevated privileges with lots of technical details. The main point is that the exploit by itself does not give root privileges — only arbitrary code execution as the system user, and another privilege elevation exploit is needed to get root privileges (one well-known example shown in the article is writing ro.kernel.qemu=1 to /data/local.prop, but this attack is blocked in most Android 4.1 and later versions).
The article also provides download links for the Cydia Impactor tool which automates the “Master Key” exploit (currently only up to getting the system user rights, not all the way to root). There are versions for Windows and Mac OS X.

The exploit is patched into AOSP, currently in CyanogenMod, its a matter of time before the update gets pushed out. It does not give you root privilege per se, rather it circumvents the signed key used to sign the ROM so that an apk can pose as a system app, in which the installation of the apk bypasses the said signed key.
As you have a Nexus 4, it will be a matter of time before Google pushes that out.
As for others, best to check with your manufacturer, not your carrier.


text:
Text message contacts on Galaxy S4
When I create a new text message and enter into my contacts, it loads my gmail contacts, as opposed to just my contacts that have phone numbers which is what I really want.  I've played around in the settings menus, but nothing I do seems to work.  Any ideas?


text:
Is "Disabling" apps with Android 4 similar to "Freezing" in Titanium backup?
I just saw that I can "disable" an app in the app editing menu on my new HTC Droid DNA (stock Android 4.1 w/Sense).
The main effect I can see is that the app disappears from app drawer.
How is this "disabling" different from Titanium Backup's "freezing"? (as far as full effects)

Related but NOT duplicate: http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/29976/how-do-you-disable-system-apps-in-android-4-x-x-and-up

Yes, they achieve the same thing. Not only the app would not be available in the app drawer but the app cannot be launched using am start too. The only difference is that default mechanism allows you to disable specific pre-installed apps while Titanium Backup would allow you to disable any app.
For Android version like 4.2.1, when you disable a pre-installed app from Android "Settings", this line would show up in /data/system/users/0/package-restrictions.xml:
<pkg name="PKG_NAME" enabled="3" />

For Android 4.4 or 5.x, it would be:
<pkg name="PKG_NAME" enabled="3" enabledCaller="com.android.settings" />

where PKG_NAME → package name of an app, such as for Calculator it is com.android.calculator2.
However, when you disable aka freeze an app using Titanium Backup, the enabledCaller gets the value shell:0, i.e.:
<pkg name="PKG_NAME" enabled="3" enabledCaller="shell:0" />

In both the cases, if the app is a pre-installed app then it would only show "Enable" option under Settings → Apps → your_app.
If it is a user installed app then Android would not show "Enable" option but the app would still be labelled "Disabled".
(Click image to enlarge)

pm is different
pm disable PKG_NAME also disables an app but the app then wouldn't be visible even under Settings → Apps.
Also, when you disable an app using pm disable a different value for enabled is recorded.
For Android 4.2.1:
<pkg name="PKG_NAME" enabled="2" />

For Android 4.4 and 5.x:
<pkg name="PKG_NAME" enabled="2" enabledCaller="shell:0" />

You can disable any app using pm provided that you've root access.


text:
What is the voltage range for GALAXY Tab 2 10.1
I bought GALAXY Tab 2 10.1 from USA and going to use in Asia where I have 220V power. I am not sure if I can connect the power adapter that comes with the tab. There are no power specification mentioned there on the adapter or on the user manual.

What about in the adapter itself?

Nothing mentioned there.


text:
How do I prevent the media volume from changing when a headphone is plugged in?
Device: Samsung Galaxy S4
Android: Stock 4.2.2
When I listen to music with a headphone using PowerAmp, I usually set the Media volume to the max setting. I am hard of hearing. When I'm done, I just close PowerAmp and unplug the headphone. Then when I want to  play music again, I plug-in the headset again. At this point, I assumme the media volume setting is still at max. However, it's not. Instead, the volume has been reduced to nearly half (or at least, not max anymore).
The same behavior seems to happen even with the stock Music player.
How do I prevent the media volume from changing when a headphone is plugged in?

Thought of using Tasker? I use it the other way. When ever I plugin my headphones, all volumes should come down irrespective of what ever value it was before.
I use Tasker to detect inserting the head phones and used an entry task to being down the volumes. I couldn't succeed sorting the volume levels before bringing it down so that I can restore them back in an exit task. Hence I restore them to a predetermined levels in the exit task.

I don't necessarily want it to be set to max. I want it to retain previous volume level. But I suppose setting it to max all the time might suffice. Will test with Tasker later.


text:
How to record all calls and auto-sync to Dropbox?
I just installed Automatic Call Recorder, which almost does as I ask - it can auto-record all calls. But it stores them to an "inbox" on the device, and deletes old items when the inbox is filled.
I'd like to auto-record any call and then auto-sync every call to Dropbox. How can I achieve this? I would also like to know the disk space it takes.

You can do this from the app you are currently using. Go to the settings and click the dropbox link which can be found under Cloud. Make sure you have installed Dropbox and you're connected to the internet.

Image: Google Play. Click here for a larger variant.
There are other options such as Call Recorder with DropBox as well.

I don't think it does that. I did enable Dropbox integration, but uploading a recording to Dropbox is manual, I can't simply tell it to upload all recordings to Dropbox.

@ripper234 Did you try the other alternative I have mentioned?

Not yet, haven't had the time.

Use any application you want for recording your calls!
Use an app like DropSpace to set up sync lists, mark your recording directory and voila you are done and set to go like a BOSS :D

I know this comes way late, but try Dropsync, which syncs to Dropbox automatically - rather more the way Dropbox' desktop app works than its mobile app does. It can sync on a schedule or continuously watch files for changes and sync on any change. I use the pro version and can recommend it as having been reliable and trouble free.


text:
Upgrading HTC Wildfire S to Jelly Bean
How can I upgrade my wildfire s to jellybean? Help anyone?
What are the risks? I tried to look up on google but couldn't find anything usefull..HELP!

HTC has dropped upgrade support for the Wildfire S. If you want to have Jelly Bean you have to :
 1. Unlock the bootloader
This is done by going to the htcdev website and select your device on the dropdown to the  right. All the procedure is described on the site, but be warned that by doing this, you void your device's garranty. (though it can be relocked, but a relocked device is easily identified by a "** RELOCKED **" mention on the bootloader).
 2. Root your device
A user on xda-developers forum has developed a "One click root" program. You can download it on the original thread, run it and follow the instructions.
 3. Install a custom rom
There are many different CyanogenMod 10.1 rom (the Wildfire S community seems pretty fragmented to me...), but one I recommend is the one by the Owl Project. Simply download the zip file, put it in the root of your sdcard. Power off your device, power it on while holding the volume down button, choose install zip from sdcard and pick the downloaded zip file. If you are not satisfied, you can choose another one from the Wildfire S development section
BUT ! Be warned that all of these procedure may or may not harm your device and nobody could be held responsible for this. (though if you follow the instructions, there is a very minimal chance of bricking your device)


text:
Set proxy autoconfigure in chrome
To access some of my work web pages from my desktop firefox I use proxy autoconfigure . I just enter http://wwwcache.xxx.xx.xxx/autoconfig into the settings. How can I do the same thing in chrome in android?


text:
How to change the interface or positions of the home and back buttons after updating a Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 tablet?
My Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 downloaded an update.
Now, the buttons (home, back) on the bar are in the middle. Previously, they were postioned left. It's really uncomfortable. It seems that I received the "mobile user interface" instead of the tablet interface.
How to do I change this?

On my Nexus 7 (now dead), the position of the home button was also in the middle. Position was the same regardless of orientation (portrait / landscape). I think this is the position for the latest vanilla Android.

Google migrated to using the mobile interface for tablets in android 4.2
You will not be able to change to the previous button arrangement on your stock ROM.
You could root your phone and install a custom ROM such as paranoid android to get back your old button arrangement.
Hope this helps.

You can root your phone and install a custom ROM. Also, there is an app called Full!Screen for rooted phones I believe. It let's you remove the buttons and then reposition them. Not sure if it's the right app. Otherwise.. Just search the Play Store for root apps related to buttons


text:
How to update my moded Nexus 4 to Android 4.3?
I'm going to want to update to android 4.3 when it comes out. I have rooted my Nexus 4, flashed Paranoid Android and Franco Kernel. Can I just use Root Keeper to temporarily un-root, then install update from settings>about phone>system updates, and turn on root in Root Keeper? Ultimately I want to have the latest android and paranoid android version and keep all my data.

No, if you're running Paranoid Android you will need to wait for them to update to Android 4.3 when it's released by Google. You need to be on the stock rom to be able to install the update from "settings>about phone>system updates".

Then what do I have to do to get back to the stock rom?

You would need to get a zip of the stock rom or flash the factory image (which by default completely wipes your device). Take a look at this http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2010312 thread for details.

I also use Franco's kernel and run PAC, based largely on ParanoidAndroid. Unfortunately you won't be able to do an OTA update because it's not the root that breaks it, but the fact that you're really running a different kernel and OS. (In the case of PA, it actually automatically disables the OTA update feature to keep stuff from breaking).
That said, you can easily flash the 4.3 image using FastBoot when it's released - but remember, you'll lose all your PA and Franco goodness!
ParanoidAndroid will be updated to 4.3 when the devs get to it, which shouldn't take too long. I'm just gonna wait for them personally.
EDIT: Also remember that your kernel is compiled for 4.2, and probably won't work with 4.3. You may have to wait for Franco to update as well, or switch to another kernel.


text:
How to disable builtin email app
On my new tablet I installed the gmail app and also configured the builtin app. Now I get two notifications for each email. How can I get rid of the builtin email app which does not seem as good as the gmail app?

If you have root access, you can use an application like Titanium Backup which is capable of removing system level applications.

Ok. If you don't have root what should you do to sensibly use the gmail app without this duplication?

If you have root you can do as suggested and use Titanium Backup to remove the stock email app.
If you aren't rooted you can remove the duplicate notification by going into the stock email app, settings, and then delete your email account from the app.
If you want to keep your account you can also go into your phone settings and find the application manager, swipe over to the all apps tab, find the stock email app and uncheck show notifications (if your android version is jelly bean).

In 5.0 you can also directly "deactivate" the app via application manager after deleting all mail accounts associated with it via android settings > accounts.

Try this way:

Connect device via ADB
Go to ADB shell
adb shell

Remove app like this
pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.google.android.email