text:
CM 12.1 will no longer boot on Samsung Galaxy S3 (d2spr)
I have been running a nightly build of Cyanogen Mod 12.1 on my Galaxy S3 without issues for some time now. I never bothered to update it because it is a development phone and the version I was on (can't remember which) was working fine.
This morning I powered on the phone and the launcher would not launch. All I saw was a blank screen with my background image and no status bar. Using adb logcat I was able to see that there was activity on the device.
I was also able to access the device via adb shell. Running top I could see that system_server was the only thing really consuming CPU, ~30% or so.
Pushing one of my applications from Android Studio resulted in the appropriate log data but none of the UI ever displayed. I ended up booting into recovery and clearing the cache and dalvik which only made things worse.
After rebooting to the system I was presented with the "Optimizing apps" dialog which seemed to go at a normal pace but then it got to "Finishing boot" and the progress bar just spun for over 30 minutes. Eventually the device rebooted itself and hung at the boot animation (flashing CM head). I waited for over an hour before deciding I needed to try something else.
So far everything I have done to re-install CM 12.1 results in a very long "Finishing boot" dialog followed by a reboot and then a never ending boot animation.
I'm not sure what changed today to get me into this situation and why a reinstall isn't helping. I've used both TWRP and Cyanogenmod Recover to perform factory resets and have tried several versions of CM 12.1 with no luck:
cm-12.1-20160121-NIGHTLY-d2spr.zip
cm-12.1-20151117-SNAPSHOT-YOG7DAO1K7-d2spr.zip
One other prior to the release that I can't recall now
The device appears to be functional because I can install CM 11 (cm-11-20150831-SNAPSHOT-XNG3CAO3FN-d2lte.zip) without any issues.
Any ideas as to why CM 12.1 no longer works on my Galaxy S3 or what I should try next?


text:
Which Stock Firmware for Galaxy S3
I'm in a situation where the Galaxy S3 I have is not connecting to Wifi (bug from Android 4.1). I would like to flash a new firmware. I am  just confused on which one to use. Can I use any stock firmware as long as it has been made for the GT-I9300 or should I find one which is specific to the region of my phone?
If so, how can I detect the region of the phone?
Phone is unlocked and International version.

Related where can i find a stock or custom ROM for my Android device?

Not marked as duplicate since OP is seeking region clarification , which is specific to Samsung devices

You should use the latest firmware pertaining to your region and model only
Authentic source for all Samsung firmware is Sammobile. You will need to register(free) to download. If you want a faster download, there is a paid option. Make sure you select the right region
For detailed information on Samsung devices (including region as asked) Phone Info Samsung is highly recommended. Developer of this app has an active thread at XDA

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


text:
Problem With Phone Camera
When I take a picture it says couldn't find file and when someone sends a picture on WhatsApp it says file doesn't exist on the sd card. I have to turn the phone off and back on and they have to send it again. I have ESfile explorer. I know my cousin moved some stuff. I don't know what to do please help.
I have the LG g stylo Android version 5.1.1. I have tried changing where my picture saves and erase es file explorer but nothing.

Your question is missing some pretty important parts.

@SarpSTA: but if you don't tell OP what they're missing they might not come to know. If you need something, try to say it clearly in your first attempt, since otherwise 4 comments will be used just to take care of only your clarification and that would be a highly inefficient way for seeking clarification. :)

The important parts is the punctuation. Stream of consciousness is not the way to go here. Run-on Big Block of Text (BBoT) helps nobody, especially yourself, since it encourages others to ignore the question.

This is a pretty vague question (if you could modify to explain other details it would help, such as locations where images are working, how long after reboot does it stop working, etc) but it just sounds like an issue with Androids tmp folder used for "caching" images for quicker viewing.
This can be caused by deleting tmp, or by system IO errors on the dom, or a load of other possibilities. Without a more precise question I suggest you try reinstalling affected apps. If that doesn't work try backing up your important stuff (images, whatsapp, etc), wiping your phone, then restoring. If you have to do this DONT use system backup, that also points to the tmp IO handlers, which is probably what you're having an issue with.
Hope this helps

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


text:
"no command" after OTA update of a Wiko Rainbow 4G
My son has a Wiko Rainbow 4G (a French company) which underwent an OTA update. It runs by default Kitkat 4.4. The phone was not rooted not modified in any way.
After the OTA the phone rebooted but is now stuck in a "no command" ("pas de commande" in French) state - the image is of the green Android character laying on the ground with its "front panel" open and an exclamation mark.
I tried to reinstall the stock ROM but the phone is not recognized by the update program (despite having correct drivers installed it turns out I was wrong, see my answer below).
I have access to recovery mode and could attempt to flash a ROM but the flashable version (a zip) is not available. I tried to do a factory restet from the recovery mode - it worked but the problem is the same.
Is there something else I should try?

It turned out that the drivers which were installed on my Windows machine were not good enough for flashing. They were OK for normal connection when the phone was working.
I found the correct drivers on the GSM USB DRIVER site. I installed the VCOM version by going into Device Manager, clicking on the computer (upper-most entry) and selecting Action -> Add legacy software.
The installation failed. So that it goes though the PC needs to be restarted in a mode which allows for non-signed drivers. This is explained in a good video, the steps are to reboot your PC by shift clicking the reboot entry, then Troubleshoot, Advanced options, Startup settings, Disable signed drivers enforcement. After the automatic reboot the installation above will succeed, and then the flashing does so as well.
All credit goes to Android MTK for the tutorials and GSM USB DRIVER for the drivers.


text:
Is it possible to update the backup android application file from playstore?
Is it possible to update android apk files saved on sdcard but are not installed. any application or any method if it is possible.
Edit
I just want upgrade the version of these files because in playstore only installed files can be upgraded.

"Is it possible to update android apk files saved on sdcard but are not installed" -- what are you attempting to update if the app is not installed? Are you talking about modding? What is your final goal?

possible duplicate of Is it possible or not?. I  find the current question beyond salvation so I recommend this be deleted than be marked as duplicate.

An .apk file already contains a certain version of an application. You can't update it since updating already means installation of a higher version .apk.


text:
Gain (remote) control of Samsung Galaxy S3 with broken display
I have physically broken my SGS3's (i9300) display, and thought the phone was now just trash. But as I came home with it in my pocket, to my surprise, it connected to my Wifi, synced my files with my desktop, connected to WhatsApp web, and even rang when someone called. In short, it seems to be in working order other than the display not working at all (not accepting any touch inputs either).
Now, replacing the display is not economically feasible, but it would be nice if I could use the working phone for something - I was thinking microserver, IP camera, Wifi repeater, there are all kinds of things I could think of.
If only I could find a way to remotely control it.
Here is what I have, exactly:

Samsung Galaxy SIII i9300
Running CyanogenMod version 11
TWRP probably around version 2.7
Root is enabled
USB debugging is enabled (but not root via USB)
3rd party apps are enabled
Tasker is installed and running

I also have an SD card I could put in the phone and a working USB cable connecting it to my PC.
Can anyone think of a way to McGuyver together a way for me to gain control over the phone ?

You can try the solution  here and then tell us using an answer or an [edit] what worked or did not work for you. Your device supports OTG so you can use a mouse with an OTG cable for installation and setup of particular apps, if they are required.

It seems you linked to a search, not any particular post. I have no OTG cable around, but I'll try to pick one up when I head to the city later today. In the meantime I have updated my post; I managed to enable ADB access (I found the RSA keyfiles from an older, authorized Windows install). Unfortunately, root via USB is disabled, but this still seems like a huge step forward.

I faced the same situation and solved it: I got another i9300 and used the touchscreen of the good one to install whatever needed -  I rooted the broken phone, installed kodi to use it as a media player and connected the phone to my TV screen via hdmi. I also installed a ssh server and now have everything my raspberry pi has but have a more powerful device. Th second i9300 is not needed any more and will be given to my cousin :-)


text:
Can I feed SwiftKey (or other keyboard) with a large body of text to train it?
I find SwiftKey to be not that great in terms of prediction regarding technical language, both in English and Polish (which seems to be trained on news articles, so double useless). Is there an easy way to train SwiftKey with a large (order of megabytes) body of text to improve its prediction accuracy? If not, are there any keyboards out there that allow it?
Theoretically one could either emulate a physical keyboard and leave it overnight or dump the text into messages so SwiftKey could read it. No idea how practical that would be.


text:
Is it possible or not?
My question goes like this.
As we know playstore has great no. of applications and we need to use many of them. but if we install many apps at a time phone becomes too slow. so we install apps only when required and later remove them but we store all backups on sdcard.
now for eg. i have backup of an app say mx player and its version is 8.4.32 but in playstore current version is 9... and other backups also have higher versions in playstore. is there any app or way to update all the backup file  to current version available in playstore.

Set Play Store to auto update your apps, install Titanium Backup Pro and configure it to schedule backup of those apps after a certain interval.

but playstore only upgrades installed files. I am asking about update of offline backup files.

Didn't I say Titanium Backup Pro to backup the currently installed apps? It should make an updated backup of app with  versions currently available in Play Store. // If your only concern is to take backup of APK files of currently installed and well updated apps, then you can use my answer here. Use it with the intent android.intent.action.PACKAGE_REPLACED. I've my device setup to automatically copy APK file of an app whenever an app is installed or updated.

@Firelord Guess you've missed the point of OP's question. Wanted solution is: 1) backup, 2) uninstall, 3) have the backup updated whenever an update becomes available – but without the app being actually installed.

@UmeshNB your app would be updated as soon as you re-install it. AFAIK there's no way to have those backups updated without the app being installed.


text:
How to Store BTsync Data Files in SD Card?
The new BTsync 2.3 advertises that it has the feature of storing in the SD card of your Android >=5.0.
However, I cannot find such a setting in Settings of the application.
There are two options which to do when having the card in CyanogenMod 13 when first time having SD card in the phone: use it as portable SD card or internally.
I chose using as a portable SD card.
However, I cannot now see any files in the portable SD card when looking the files with PC.
How can you store BTsync data files in SD card?

Answer from the BTsync support

Did you disable 'Simple mode" in Sync settings -> advanced? If yes, then after scanning a QR code from another peer, to which you want to connect, Sync will ask you to pick folder location, and it's here where you'll be able to pick SD card. Please see detailed guide here.
Else, you can start sharing from the mobile - tap on "=" icon -> add folder and pick a folder from the SD card, share it with other peers. Detailed guide is here.

where disabling the Simple mode is the trigger to solve my case.
Then Settings > Default folder location and you are able to change to SD card.


text:
Boot-loop after flashing custom ROM. What went wrong in procedure?
I tried to flash a custom ROM on my old  Samsung GT-I8190N. It's the first time so I need some advice. The steps I followed are as follows:

I downloaded the ROM zip file Jellybean 4.1.2 (CyanogenMod 10) 20130727
I installed Heimdall on my Ubuntu 14.04 machine
I turned on the device on Development mode with Volume Down + Home + Start Button
I connected the device to my Ubuntu machine
I ran in terminal heimdall detect and got back the message 'Device detected'
I ran the command heimdall print-pit and I got the list of ROM partitions
I extracted the files included in the ROM zip file and got the following files and folders:

folder 'META-INF`
folder 'system'
file boot.img

As I did not know how to flash the ROM I checked some tutorials. I then checked the PIT file and noticed that there was a file called boot.img in the partition called kernel. So I decided to flash the ROM in that partition.
I navigated to the folder where I unzipped the ROM zip file ran the command heimdall flash --Kernel boot.img
the device rebooted but went into a boot loop

I know I did something wrong and I would like to know if I can still fix the problem. In particular I would like to know in what partition I should flash the boot.img file that I get from the ROM zip file.
When I start the device in Development mode I now get the following info:

ODIN MODE
Product Name: GT-I8190N
Custom Binary Download: Yes (2 counts)
Current Binary: Custom
System Status: Official

When I run the command heimdall print-pit I get the following output:

Heimdall v1.4.0
[removed irrelevant info]
Initialising connection...
Detecting device...
Claiming interface...
Attempt failed. Detaching driver...
Claiming interface again...
Setting up interface...

Initialising protocol...
Protocol initialisation successful.

Beginning session...

Some devices may take up to 2 minutes to respond.
Please be patient!

Session begun.

Downloading device's PIT file...
PIT file download successful.

Entry Count: 25
Unknown 1: 1598902083
Unknown 2: 844251476
Unknown 3: 28519
Unknown 4: 25708
Unknown 5: 28261
Unknown 6: 0
Unknown 7: 0
Unknown 8: 0

--- Entry #0 ---
Binary Type: 0 (AP)
Device Type: 2 (MMC)
Identifier: 1
Attributes: 2 (STL Read-Only)
Update Attributes: 1 (FOTA)
Partition Block Size/Offset: 0
Partition Block Count: 256
File Offset (Obsolete): 0
File Size (Obsolete): 0
Partition Name: MBR,GPT
Flash Filename:
FOTA Filename:

--- Entry #1 ---
Binary Type: 0 (AP)
Device Type: 2 (MMC)
Identifier: 2
Attributes: 2 (STL Read-Only)
Update Attributes: 1 (FOTA)
Partition Block Size/Offset: 256
Partition Block Count: 768
File Offset (Obsolete): 0
File Size (Obsolete): 0
Partition Name: MasterTOC
Flash Filename: STE_boot.bin
FOTA Filename:

--- Entry #2 ---
Binary Type: 0 (AP)
Device Type: 2 (MMC)
Identifier: 70
Attributes: 5 (Read/Write)
Update Attributes: 1 (FOTA)
Partition Block Size/Offset: 1024
Partition Block Count: 2048
File Offset (Obsolete): 0
File Size (Obsolete): 0
Partition Name: PIT
Flash Filename: goldenxx.pit
FOTA Filename:

--- Entry #3 ---
Binary Type: 0 (AP)
Device Type: 2 (MMC)
Identifier: 71
Attributes: 5 (Read/Write)
Update Attributes: 1 (FOTA)
Partition Block Size/Offset: 6144
Partition Block Count: 2048
File Offset (Obsolete): 0
File Size (Obsolete): 0
Partition Name: MD5HDR
Flash Filename: md5.img
FOTA Filename:

--- Entry #4 ---
Binary Type: 0 (AP)
Device Type: 2 (MMC)
Identifier: 3
Attributes: 2 (STL Read-Only)
Update Attributes: 1 (FOTA)
Partition Block Size/Offset: 8192
Partition Block Count: 1024
File Offset (Obsolete): 0
File Size (Obsolete): 0
Partition Name: STEboot1
Flash Filename: STE_boot1.img
FOTA Filename:

--- Entry #5 ---
Binary Type: 0 (AP)
Device Type: 2 (MMC)
Identifier: 4
Attributes: 2 (STL Read-Only)
Update Attributes: 1 (FOTA)
Partition Block Size/Offset: 9216
Partition Block Count: 1024
File Offset (Obsolete): 0
File Size (Obsolete): 0
Partition Name: STEboot2
Flash Filename: STE_boot2.img
FOTA Filename:

--- Entry #6 ---
Binary Type: 0 (AP)
Device Type: 2 (MMC)
Identifier: 5
Attributes: 2 (STL Read-Only)
Update Attributes: 1 (FOTA)
Partition Block Size/Offset: 10240
Partition Block Count: 1024
File Offset (Obsolete): 0
File Size (Obsolete): 0
Partition Name: Dnt
Flash Filename: dnt.ssw
FOTA Filename:

--- Entry #7 ---
Binary Type: 0 (AP)
Device Type: 2 (MMC)
Identifier: 6
Attributes: 2 (STL Read-Only)
Update Attributes: 1 (FOTA)
Partition Block Size/Offset: 11264
Partition Block Count: 1024
File Offset (Obsolete): 0
File Size (Obsolete): 0
Partition Name: reserved
Flash Filename:
FOTA Filename:

--- Entry #8 ---
Binary Type: 0 (AP)
Device Type: 2 (MMC)
Identifier: 7
Attributes: 5 (Read/Write)
Update Attributes: 1 (FOTA)
Partition Block Size/Offset: 16384
Partition Block Count: 2048
File Offset (Obsolete): 0
File Size (Obsolete): 0
Partition Name: CSPSAFS
Flash Filename: cspsa.img
FOTA Filename:

--- Entry #9 ---
Binary Type: 0 (AP)
Device Type: 2 (MMC)
Identifier: 8
Attributes: 5 (Read/Write)
Update Attributes: 1 (FOTA)
Partition Block Size/Offset: 18432
Partition Block Count: 2048
File Offset (Obsolete): 0
File Size (Obsolete): 0
Partition Name: CSPSAFS2
Flash Filename: cspsa2.img
FOTA Filename:

--- Entry #10 ---
Binary Type: 0 (AP)
Device Type: 2 (MMC)
Identifier: 9
Attributes: 5 (Read/Write)
Update Attributes: 5 (FOTA)
Partition Block Size/Offset: 20480
Partition Block Count: 32768
File Offset (Obsolete): 0
File Size (Obsolete): 0
Partition Name: EFS
Flash Filename: EFS.img
FOTA Filename:

--- Entry #11 ---
Binary Type: 0 (AP)
Device Type: 2 (MMC)
Identifier: 10
Attributes: 5 (Read/Write)
Update Attributes: 5 (FOTA)
Partition Block Size/Offset: 53248
Partition Block Count: 32768
File Offset (Obsolete): 0
File Size (Obsolete): 0
Partition Name: ModemFS
Flash Filename: modemfs.img
FOTA Filename:

--- Entry #12 ---
Binary Type: 0 (AP)
Device Type: 2 (MMC)
Identifier: 11
Attributes: 5 (Read/Write)
Update Attributes: 5 (FOTA)
Partition Block Size/Offset: 86016
Partition Block Count: 32768
File Offset (Obsolete): 0
File Size (Obsolete): 0
Partition Name: ModemFS2
Flash Filename: modemfs2.img
FOTA Filename:

--- Entry #13 ---
Binary Type: 0 (AP)
Device Type: 2 (MMC)
Identifier: 12
Attributes: 5 (Read/Write)
Update Attributes: 1 (FOTA)
Partition Block Size/Offset: 118784
Partition Block Count: 102400
File Offset (Obsolete): 0
File Size (Obsolete): 0
Partition Name: Fota
Flash Filename: ssgtest.img
FOTA Filename:

--- Entry #14 ---
Binary Type: 0 (AP)
Device Type: 2 (MMC)
Identifier: 13
Attributes: 5 (Read/Write)
Update Attributes: 1 (FOTA)
Partition Block Size/Offset: 380928
Partition Block Count: 128
File Offset (Obsolete): 0
File Size (Obsolete): 0
Partition Name: IPL Modem
Flash Filename: ipl.bin
FOTA Filename:

--- Entry #15 ---
Binary Type: 0 (AP)
Device Type: 2 (MMC)
Identifier: 14
Attributes: 5 (Read/Write)
Update Attributes: 1 (FOTA)
Partition Block Size/Offset: 385024
Partition Block Count: 28672
File Offset (Obsolete): 0
File Size (Obsolete): 0
Partition Name: Modem
Flash Filename: modem.bin
FOTA Filename:

--- Entry #16 ---
Binary Type: 0 (AP)
Device Type: 2 (MMC)
Identifier: 15
Attributes: 2 (STL Read-Only)
Update Attributes: 1 (FOTA)
Partition Block Size/Offset: 417792
Partition Block Count: 4096
File Offset (Obsolete): 0
File Size (Obsolete): 0
Partition Name: Loke4
Flash Filename: normal.bin
FOTA Filename:

--- Entry #17 ---
Binary Type: 0 (AP)
Device Type: 2 (MMC)
Identifier: 16
Attributes: 2 (STL Read-Only)
Update Attributes: 1 (FOTA)
Partition Block Size/Offset: 421888
Partition Block Count: 4096
File Offset (Obsolete): 0
File Size (Obsolete): 0
Partition Name: 2ndLoke4
Flash Filename: normal2.bin
FOTA Filename:

--- Entry #18 ---
Binary Type: 0 (AP)
Device Type: 2 (MMC)
Identifier: 17
Attributes: 5 (Read/Write)
Update Attributes: 1 (FOTA)
Partition Block Size/Offset: 425984
Partition Block Count: 32768
File Offset (Obsolete): 0
File Size (Obsolete): 0
Partition Name: PARAM
Flash Filename: param.lfs
FOTA Filename:

--- Entry #19 ---
Binary Type: 0 (AP)
Device Type: 2 (MMC)
Identifier: 18
Attributes: 5 (Read/Write)
Update Attributes: 1 (FOTA)
Partition Block Size/Offset: 458752
Partition Block Count: 32768
File Offset (Obsolete): 0
File Size (Obsolete): 0
Partition Name: Kernel
Flash Filename: boot.img
FOTA Filename:

--- Entry #20 ---
Binary Type: 0 (AP)
Device Type: 2 (MMC)
Identifier: 19
Attributes: 5 (Read/Write)
Update Attributes: 1 (FOTA)
Partition Block Size/Offset: 491520
Partition Block Count: 32768
File Offset (Obsolete): 0
File Size (Obsolete): 0
Partition Name: Kernel2
Flash Filename: recovery.img
FOTA Filename:

--- Entry #21 ---
Binary Type: 0 (AP)
Device Type: 2 (MMC)
Identifier: 20
Attributes: 5 (Read/Write)
Update Attributes: 5 (FOTA)
Partition Block Size/Offset: 524288
Partition Block Count: 2457600
File Offset (Obsolete): 0
File Size (Obsolete): 0
Partition Name: SYSTEM
Flash Filename: system.img
FOTA Filename:

--- Entry #22 ---
Binary Type: 0 (AP)
Device Type: 2 (MMC)
Identifier: 21
Attributes: 5 (Read/Write)
Update Attributes: 5 (FOTA)
Partition Block Size/Offset: 2981888
Partition Block Count: 1720320
File Offset (Obsolete): 0
File Size (Obsolete): 0
Partition Name: CACHEFS
Flash Filename: cache.img
FOTA Filename:

--- Entry #23 ---
Binary Type: 0 (AP)
Device Type: 2 (MMC)
Identifier: 22
Attributes: 5 (Read/Write)
Update Attributes: 5 (FOTA)
Partition Block Size/Offset: 4702208
Partition Block Count: 655360
File Offset (Obsolete): 0
File Size (Obsolete): 0
Partition Name: HIDDEN
Flash Filename: hidden.img
FOTA Filename:

--- Entry #24 ---
Binary Type: 0 (AP)
Device Type: 2 (MMC)
Identifier: 23
Attributes: 5 (Read/Write)
Update Attributes: 5 (FOTA)
Partition Block Size/Offset: 5357568
Partition Block Count: 0
File Offset (Obsolete): 0
File Size (Obsolete): 0
Partition Name: DATAFS
Flash Filename: userdata.img
FOTA Filename: remained

Ending session...
Releasing device interface...
Re-attaching kernel driver...


text:
How to use an older version of an application?
I was using an application. Then the multiplayer mode stopped working, so I decided to reinstall it. After I uninstalled the app, I realised that an update had been made and my Android version is too old to use the new version of the application.
Is there anything I can do to be able to use the application again (except for buying a phone with a newer version of android)?
I checked, there are no updates of the system for my phone.
I downloaded the appplication via Google Play Store.

You could try finding an older version that's compatible with your Android version. E.g. ask the dev to provide it (then side-load it). Also see our alternative-markets tag-wiki for other sources.

How can I ask my device to provide an older version of the application?

You can't ask your device for that. You can ask the app's developer, he might have kept copies or at least links to them.

There's a possibility that using the older version won't make multiplayer work again if the developer add version checking on their code. So, you can still try to do that, but don't have too much hope.

Clearly, the app's developer has changed the minimum API level for that particular app. So the latest version won't work on your version of Android.
You can side-load the APK file of an earlier version onto your device to get it working again.
You may request the app's developer for an older APK or you can download from other sites that provide APKs. APKMirror is a trusted repository, for example.


text:
Wifi on when phone is off?
See this pic

Is this normal or a bug or something?
It states wifi is active though The device is turned off...
Android 5 moto g2.
Ive disabled "find my phone" via moto and google (at least I  think I have)
Thanks for ur time

It looks like it just persisted the state that Wi-Fi was in when the device was shut off.  Given zero power consumption in that period, there's no reason to believe that the device was actually on and transmitting data over Wi-Fi.


text:
How to Check if a Bootloader Allows SD Card Booting?
Would like to make bootable mSD cards for my Android devices.
How do I Check if Android Bootloader Allows SD Card Booting?

Given that we first understand that there is not a such a thing as the

Android Bootloader

and that all device producers actually can freely decide how to get the system to boot the Android OS's linux kernel it is hard to suggest a way that will allow you to test that for all devices.
Instead the way to go would be to use the information you have about the device (i.e. its name, model number etc etc.) and search the web.
Often the Bootloader is guessable by the used CPU Manufactorer. For example the Allwinner CPUs are mostly using U-Boot as the bootloader and to my understanding also have hardware dongled support to load from SD card (http://linux-sunxi.org/U-Boot)
Observe that I was hinting on CPU Manufactorer, i.e. to make understand that the bootloader pecularities of Android devices (that most often run on an ARM architecture) depends highly on them. That is that with Qualcom, Texas Instruments, Samsung etc... even though ending up with a comparable CPU (in terms of instruction set i.e. ARM v7) many things i.e. like the bootloader type/code can be quite different.
To answer you question I hence suggest you and all other people that face the same question to become aware that the Bootloader is the CPU and Device producer thing, not a standardized Android thing.
In other words, the Bootloader is not like "windows" (on a PC), not even like the NTLDR (on a PC), but rather it is like the BIOS/EFI on a PC. And as with the BIOS/EFI it is not the OS-guys (i.e that would be Microsoft, Redhead, GNU on a PC) but the Mainboard-Hardware-guys that provide for the BIOS.


text:
Is there a more efficient way to turn mobile hotspot on / off?
I'd like to reduce the number of steps needed to turn mobile hotspot on or off. Currently it's unlock, then five taps.
Galaxy Note 4, Android 5.0.1 Lollipop.
I did find this question, but it's from 2012 and a lot has changed since then probably.

You could still install Cyanogenmod and the widget mentioned is still aviable in playstore. The fifth answer is still valid too.

The fifth answer is still valid as well, just create a shortcut no need of third party apps.

Please don't re-ask a question based on assuming that the answers are now invalid without even checking.

Apart from that, current one-liner solution: Quick Settings (built-in to Android). Open the notification bar from its right corner, tap the hotspot icon, done. Might need to put it there first, though :)

I figured out a solution. Drag down from the top edge to reveal the "Notification Panel." Within the customization options for the Notification Panel there's a mobile hotspot shortcut (on my phone).
You can make that shortcut more prominent by adjusting the Notification Panel configuration.


text:
I flashed recoveries with Odin, why doesn't my phone boot bow?
Samsung S3 Android phone, not rooted, stock firmware.
In chronological order:
I turned on USB debugging, although could not use fastboot.
I used Odin to flash multiple recoveries, but I don't think I was successful, I believe the phone must have been rooted first. I downloaded some recoveries as .tar.md5 but I also downloaded .img and I tried to turn it into a .gz
- at that stage my phone still did boot Android, but normal recovery stopped working (Volume Up + Home + Power)
- Then I went to settings and chose Factory reset. Now all I've got is Odin mode.
It reads:
Custom binary: Custom
System Status: Custom
Did I soft brick my phone ?
I din't loose data but I'd like to know in what state my phone is.
Although I didnt intend to have an Android phone, now that I have one I will also try to mess up and change the bootloader if possible.
Thank you for taking the time and answer.

Since the phone can still boot into Odin mode the best thing to do here is to flash a stock firmware and start all over again. You could have flashed a wrong recovery hence the boot failure; it happens. Just get and flash a full stock firmware in Odin. Make sure the firmware is for your device model and network/region. Samsung phones  have a tendency to require you flash the exact same firmware for your region/ network.

Indeed I did flash a stock rom, and I was surprised to find out that it was considered an update, so my data is still there.

That is not the case. Since you've flashed a wrong recovery, the recovery changes the kernel of the phone which makes it non bootable. flash your stock rom and everything will be alright.
You can't convert a ".img" file to ".gz" and flash it. If you want to flash a custom recovery edit the ".tar.md5" file by opening it with any zip extractor such as WinRAR and put the recovery you want to flash.
You won't be able to boot into the phone system but you should be able to boot into the recovery mode.


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How to safely root Samsung Galaxy Core Prime?
In a nut shell I would like to safely root my Samsung Galaxy Core Prime or install another capable custom OS, because I really am unimpressed to the point I may return to T-mobile for the $30 LG Leon.
Last time I tried, I bricked it and had to swap for new one but they run like crap without root access.
I have rooted a few I am also trying to learn about coding and building Android apps... but I really just need help figuring out how to fix a soft bricked Android and/or how to save my info to SD  before I root so that I can get it back.

I suggest you search on Google on how to safely root your device.  You should choose the one that is appropriate for your device (it should have the same model number).
Also, install a Custom Recovery (CWM or TWRP) and please do a NANDROID Backup first, so you can easily restore your phone if something bad happens ...

UPDATE:

Disclaimer:  I am not responsible for rooting your Android device in any way.  Before performing any of these steps make sure you back up your Android device completely ...
Please proceed at your own risk!

There are a number of ways on how to root a specific device, so you should know your Model Number, because they vary on the Model Number.
Model Number
To find your model number, (I'm assuming that your device is Android 4.4-kitkat):

Open Settings, scroll down and tap on About Phone.
The Model Number should be there.

Custom Recovery
Your phone must be rooted, in order to install a Custom Recovery.
To install a Custom Recovery:

Enable USB Debugging on your phone:

Open Settings, scroll down, and tap on About Phone.
Tap on the Build Number 7 times.
Go back to the Main Settings Screen, and tap on Developer Options.
Scroll down, and find USB Debugging.  Enable it.

Download the recovery you want for your device (CWM or TWRP)

The recovery that you will download should be compatible with your device.

Download and install Odin on your computer, as well as USB Drivers.
Extract the downloaded recovery file.
On your Android device, go to Download Mode.

I suggest that you search on Google on how to boot into Download Mode on your specific device, but usually, the combination is this:

Power off your phone.
Hold Volume Down, Home, and Power buttons at the same time.
Press Volume Up to continue.

Connect your device to your computer, and make sure it detects your device.
On Odin, tap AP and locate the extracted recovery file.
Click Start.
Just wait a minute or less, and the Custom Recovery should be installed on your device.
NOTE: To check if the Custom Recovery is successfully installed, go to Recovery Mode:

Power off your phone.
Hold Volume Up, Home, and Power Buttons at the same time.
Release your fingers on the buttons when the Manufacturer Logo (the first screen that appears during boot, usually Samsung ...) appears.

NANDROID Backup
To perform a nandroid Backup of your phone, you must have a Custom Recovery installed on your phone (which you have done earlier).

Boot into Recovery Mode.
Go to Backup and Restore for CWM, or Backup for TWRP.
Follow the instructions on how to make a NANDROID Backup of your phone.

Usually, you only need to backup System, Data, and Boot.  But, it's up to you if you want to backup all partitions, as long as you have enough Storage Space.

I believe it would be better if you listed down an appropriate method of rooting the device rather than just telling the user 'I suggest you search on google'. That's like someone asking how to take screenshot without buttons and you telling them search on google...

Also offer a brief build up of the link attached as links can expire or change over time for users who'll visit this question in the future.

I'm sorry, if my answer only includes links that may change anytime.

I already updated my answer ...

To down voters:  How can I improve my answer? ...

Actually I think whoever down voted did so before your answer was updated. I'd always include a brief summary of what you're attaching in a link next time.


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Is there any way that I can see what is on a phone that has a cracked screen
My son was in a wreck and his phone was crushed is there any way I can find out what was on the phone if I connect it to my computer

The answer lies in the tag you used in your question. Please search it thoroughly.

Assuming the phone has no security lock enabled, you should be able to see the media it contains if connected to a computer. If it has a memory card, you can try and use it on another device.
Assuming the phone is synced to an online account, its contacts, messages, etc. may be accessed by visiting the account online through a computer, preferably.
The only other choice I see is to repair it.


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Android System problem - Unable to share files, do factory reset
I am using a Micromax P362 tablet with Android 4.1 Jelly bean (rooted). This problem occurred a month ago. The app named "Android System" appeared in the 'Downloaded' section of apps. Yet it is not seen in any other app managers (such as Link2SD). When I press in uninstall updates, the app just disappears and all apps hang periodically until I restart tablet. Now the problem is that 'Share via' option is not working and even factory reset option is not working. So, how to make Android system app function normally?
Any help is appreciated
Edit: Another problem is that app permissions are not normally displayed. Eg: Instead of "Internet access", it displays "android.permission.ACCESS_INTERNET"

If the app is visible under Downloaded apps tab then it shouldn't be showing 'Uninstall updates' but 'Uninstall' only. Can you share the screenshot of that Android System's app info page?

@Firelord I have uploaded the image

Apps that can't be uninstalled are apps that come hardwired in the ROM of your Android device. These are typically vendor specific apps or the Google apps.
"Android System" is pretty crucial to your device, so it's weird it's even possible to uninstall it's updates. Every Android device as this, but normally it's not listed. You can see it pop up in your battery usage statistics however, which is totally normal.
To fix your problem you probably need those updates to be installed again, but I doubt that will be possible using the Google Play Store app update system.
You can check, but I doubt it'll be there.
Another possibility is by checking for system updates for your device.
How you can do that depends on the tablet/os version etc, so I can't help there.
On my phone it's in the settings under "About my phone", which has an update check option.

Unluckily, there is no software update for my device. And I wonder if a factory reset fix the problem? If so, are there any alternatives to make a factory reset?

I'm not sure if the factory reset will fix this. AFAIK the reset doesn't reinstall the OS. It just clears all settings and data (OS data, not your data on the SD card) so it's back to it's initial factory state.
But if some files are damaged, I'm not sure if they will be fixed.
If all else fails, I think this is your last option though. That or install a custom ROM on your machine, but that's a completely different story.

A factory reset fixed my problem (using adb)

adb shell
wipe data

Thanks for all the help.


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Sending SIP text messages
I have a Galaxy S3 mini (running 4.4.2).  I configured my SIP account in the corresponding part of the settings, I told Android to accept incoming calls over SIP, it is properly registered.  I then told Android to use SIP calls (it calls it "Internet calls", apparently) whenever I have a wifi connection.
This seems to work OK: if I'm connected over wifi I can make phone calls even without a SIM card.
But now "Messages" doesn't seem to obey those settings: if I don't have a SIM card, and I try to send a text message, it just tells me "No signal found for mobile networks".  How can I tell "Messages" to use SIP when I'm connected over wifi?
Alternatively, I see in contacts that I can add an IM address, so I figured maybe I could add SIP address in there (would be less convenient since I'd have to remember whether to send over SMS or over SIP), but SIP does not appear among the supported protocols in that field (it does include many protocols, tho, including Skype, Jabber, Hangouts, AIM, Yahoo, ICQ, and then some).  How can I add a SIP address in there?


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Connect usb cable and waiting for device problem in bootloader
I wanted to unlock the bootloader for my motorola moto g 3rd gen.
I get to the step where I put my phone into fastboot mode. On the bottom of my screen in fastboot mode, it says 'connect usb data cable' – when my usb is already connected.
I tried adb kill-server and adb start-server but it never helped. I also tried changing ports, cables and even tried adb devices command every ten seconds. None of these worked.
On the PC in Device Manager I can see my device as adb. I have tried many things, but am out of ideas now. Please, can someone help me with this?

Just a note: in bootloader, there's no such thing as ADB – so adb devices won't find anything, and adb kill-server won't have any effect. Only fastboot commands will do here, e.g. fastboot devices should find your Moto.

I'm not entirely sure if it matters in fast boot but to use Aden services normally you need to enable USB debugging in developer options, start the server, then in another terminal type adb usb. This listens to USB ports and checks for any open connections. Also, some phones don't like it but my nexus requires unmounting before I use adb.
Hope this helps.

I don't think that helps: See my comment on the question itself. There's no such thing as ADB when in fastboot / bootloader mode, and the "USB Debugging" settings won't have effect either as Android isn't even loaded. As the name "bootloader" suggests, it comes before the OS is loaded; it's rather comparable to your PC's BIOS. So I'm afraid your answer is completely unrelated.

Ah ok thanks I'm an iOS developer primarily so I know more iOS than Android xD

I took that as trigger to update our bootloader tag-wiki ;) Also check Wikipedia, which explains the bootloader aka SPL (Secondary Program Loader).


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Find a malicious app
I have a Google Nexus 5.
Recently i had a problem about WI-FI, it just could not be turned on. I've found many suggestions how to fix that. None of them but turning on in safe mode solved the problem.
As i know, safe mode disables third party apps, which potentially can cause a problem.
I wonder how can i detect exactly which app caused wifi problem ?
What i think now is brute force approach, that is, to delete all the apps one by one and see what happens.

Can I ask how are you sure that WiFi problem is related to an app?

@SarpSTA I'm not sure. It is related to Safe Mode and as safe mode disables apps, i thought that it was related to app

You can begin with listing out all the apps which have the permission android.permission.CHANGE_WIFI_STATE. You may  use Izzy's answer to list those app in fewer steps or my command-line based answer.

Do a brute force approach, but not by uninstalling apps one by one. Do it  in the  permission control. First go to settings, then go to permission control, then go to wifi and then uncheck app one by one . This may be woks


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Can an app installed from Play Store being dropped support due to changing requirement in Android version?
Can an app installed from Play Store being dropped support due to changing requirement in Android version?
If a very low percentage of app users still uses a very old Android version, and the developer decides to drop support for this old version, does the Play Store offer an option to refund the payment?

Besides, when you've bought the app "back then" for the price less than a portion of popcorn, nobody promised you life-time upgrades (neither for the app, nor for the refill of your popcorn bag). You've bought that version specifically, with the option of being able to use any future versions if there are any, if they are compatible with your then device, and if the dev decides to publish them as updates. Considering the low price and the high amount of work required from the dev, that's only fair.

Can an app installed from Play Store being dropped support due to changing requirement in Android version?

App developer (free/paid app) is at complete liberty to support/not support later Android versions, with or without continuing support for earlier versions. You will find many apps not supporting Lollipop or Marshmallow, and on other hand supporting/not supporting earlier versions.
Developers have two choices (nothing is binding), as cited Support Lower Versions of Android as an example, relating to autoback up feature of Marshmallow:

Updating an existing app to support auto backup.
Giving your new app support for lower versions of Android

Google Play Store policy doesn't discuss this, so only inference is that the app will be on Play Store:

As long as it complies to Play Store policy
As long as developer wishes

developer decides to drop support for this old version, does the Play store offer an option to refund the payment?

No refund is possible. See this answer for details and also read the comments, which relate to your question If a paid app stops working, can I get my money back?
Edit: An important point of compatibility pointed out by Izzy. I have a paid call recorder app bought 4 years ago, which worked fine but is not compatible with  current Huawei phone and developer can't fix it since information about chip set (Kirin ) is not made public by OEM. I can't obviously ask for a refund

There is a term called "Buyer Beware". The same way old phones or old operating systems are stopped being supported, the apps can also share the same fate. Especially when considering the fact that apps evolve much faster than phones or OSes.
Technically when you buy something, a contract is made between two sides that both sides are obligated to abide. If they specifically don't promise such a support, than neither Google Play nor Dev don't have to pay you back.


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How do I undo a close of a tab?
I upgraded from Galaxy Mega to Galaxy S6 Edge +.
There seems to be no undo button. In Galaxy Mega, when I use Chrome, I can undo close tabs. However, in S6E+, each tab opened in chrome is part of the list of running apps as seen when pressing the Recent button on the lower left.
How can I undo a close of of a tab in chrome?
Can I undo a close of an app?

I have a workaround that leads to a solution but not a direct solution:
If you have Chrome tabs as separate entities in the Overview (Recent Apps) section, then undoing the closure of a tab is not possible. However, if you open Chrome and tap on the three-dotted menu in the right-hand corner and then tap Settings and navigate to Merge tabs and apps and move the slider to off then your tabs will appear under a seperate tab switcher inside Chrome (this is, I suspect, how your previous phone handled tabs). When you now close tabs, the option to undo the closure is visible.


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Xperia SP boot loop into flash mode
I have an Xperia SP, and it's stuck in a boot loop after some faulty manipulation. I only see Sony's logo, and plugging the phone to my laptop sets it to flash mode automatically for around 20 seconds, before restarting to connect again straight into flash mode.
How can I fix my phone?

On SE sites, it's perfectly fine to answer your own question, even our help center states so – but answers should be posted as answers, not as part of the question-post (and answers will be "accepted" here instead of prefixing the title with "FIXED" – we're not a forum). Mind [edit]ing that out of your question, and move it to a separate answer? Thanks in advance!

Fix this in a minute

Great, thanks! Just hoping you pick the right minute (not one too far into the future ;) // Btw, as pointed out: consider "accepting" your answer then (clicking the check-mark next to it), so it shows up as "working solution".

To solve this boot loop issue, start by flashing this kernel via FlashTool, switching your phone into fastboot mode. The best is to follow the original guide I guess.
Then, you can follow this tutorial to install a custom .zip file ROM again, allowing your phone to boot again. You might need to upload the .zip file directly onto your SD card.
I hope this helps.


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Lg volt freezing on home screen
Recently my LG Volt has started to freeze on my home page when I turn my phone back on.  Will not open when I swipe or tap.  I have to do a power off-restart in order to get it to work, and sometimes I have to do this several times before the swipe function will respond. I've tried removing the battery but even this only helps for a short time.  Any suggestions on a fix or has anyone else experienced this?

Is this freezing on the lock screen or the launcher? It is a bit unclear.

I think it is the launcher.  I will be using the phone and close my home screen. Several minutes later, or longer I click my home button to wake up my phone, the launch page opens, but will not respond to tapping or swiping.

Since you confirmed it's the launcher, this isn't too bad of a fix.
Open settings, go to apps, then swipe to all. Scroll until you find an app called Laucher. This is actually your home screen.
WARNING! This will erase your home screen. Take screenshots if you want to put it back to the way it was!
Clear the cache and data of the app.
Restart your phone. If this fixes it, congrats! Otherwise, you can try downloading a new launcher from the Google Play Store or factory reset the device.

My suggestion? Flash a custom ROM.
I have an enemity with stock ROMs I've not managed to attribute to a definite cause myself; but I can surely tell you this much: I'm using Lineage OS and I love it.
I wouldn't know if the hardware limitations of your device will create a problem with third party ROMs. But  Lineage OS is the lightest of operating systems as shown by benchmarks. It has a great community, vast technical support and dependibility.
So go for a custom ROM and flash it at the earliest if you can. Quit having to put up with buggy firmware.

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


text:
How do I drag apps from one home page to another?
I upgraded from Galaxy Mega to Galaxy S6 Edge +.
In Mega, I can drag one app from one home page to another without going through the ones in between.
In S6E+, it seems that I have to go through each page. I use folders, but it's still a hassle.
Must I really go through each page? If no, how can I go drag to another page?

What you can do is remove the icon, open application manager and drag the icon to the screen you want it at.
You can also leave the icon on the first screen and then remove it after creating a shortcut on the other screen since apps usually don't care how many shortcuts you have.


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System UI constantly crashes after installing incompatible theme on CM13
I installed a theme on CyanogenMod 13 that is incompatible. Now my System UI keeps crashing.
I can't find it with the file manager. How can I delete the theme?
Is there any way I could fix this without reinstalling or factory resetting?

This XDA thread suggests removing the 'theme' folder from /data/system if you have a custom recovery installed. I haven't tested this.

Delete the folder in /data/app/incompatible_theme/ and /data/data/incompatible_theme/ mentioned here. CM Stock theme will be restored after a reboot.

Although I'm still on CM12.1, I can relate to you.
Reboot to Safe Mode.
Go to Settings > Apps > (Your Theme).
Uninstall it.
Hope this answers your question.


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HTC One M8, Marshmallow: apps list not working (Playstore install error: 505)
HTC Recently pushed Android 6.0 to my HTC One M8. (NL)
The update installed without any problems, but I'm now experiencing a few bugs.

I can not access the APPS list, it gives me the 'please wait' icon. (Settings -> Apps)
A lot of apps can't be installed since the update. (Playstore error: 505)

I've tried to clear the cache of the Play store and rebooted the device.
I've re-added my google account
But still persists.

What I've done after the update is.. I formatted the external SD to internal storage and rebooted the device.

The device is running a stock rom, official rom from HTC.
The device never has been rebooted.
The device has nothing third party flashed on it.

-- Sincerely Jordy.

I have the same problem. I found leaving the app list in the play store open it loads after a min or two. But that only allows you to one app at a time

A factory reset might resolve this, but then you lose all your data (that isn't backed up/synced).


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Has device [storage] browsing through Bluetooth been disabled on Android?
My mobile phone is a Motorola Moto G with Android 5.1 and I've just discovered I could no longer browse my phone storage through Bluetooth. I only use that feature infrequently yet I find it extremely practical. I usually connect to my phone from Linux Mint — which I love precisely for the hassle-free usage when it comes to such manipulations. The software I use is BlueMan Bluetooth Manager.
Today I uploaded a spreadsheet file to my phone, which I wanted to use as a temporary storage. As a side note, it refused the ODS extension (WTF?)... well, saved it as .xlsx (sighs) and my phone accepted it. As there's no [stock] application that allows me to browse my phone storage locally — hadn't needed any so far — I thought about retrieving the file on the other computer with Blueman «Browse device...» feature. I got an error such as this one:

Oops, something went wrong. Service not available on the remote device.

I then removed my phone from Blueman's list, refreshed the list and added my phone to Blueman again.
Surprise: «Browse device...» is now grayed. I tried on another computer and it's the same issue.
The only way I could retrieve the file on a computer was to install Asus ZenUI File Manager on my phone, browse locally to find the file in question and send (share through bluetooth) it to the computer...
I wouldn't call this a hassle-free experience, especially given that remote browsing was possible some time ago.
So did Google actually remove Bluetooth Remote Browsing?

Have you considered flashing custom kernels? Lollipop kernels are pretty locked down when stock.

@aaron-gillion : I suppose that implies rooting my phone?

Yeah pretty much... There is a downgrade to Kitkat guide available for the Moto G, that will definitely fix the problem immediately. Just for info, Google is not responsible at all for Bluetooth Remote Browsing. That's all implemented by BlueMan. Contact the dev there, they should've rolled out an update for Lollipop by now...

I'd less reluctantly root my phone if it was a testing device so that's no option to me yet. You know, given that Google is no stranger to removing features (such as silent or vibrate modes) I had to ask. But thanks for the info, I'll check a fairly recent Blueman stack and see if it helps.

Did you upgrade the software on your device?  I don't see the connection to Google here.

Yes, I always apply updates and upgrades to my Android phone when there are. The last upgrade was a long time before I posted this message. There's been a lot of updates since then though. About my computer, it's been a long time there's been no updates applied. And isn't Google the company behind [the product named] Android? You know, like Microsoft is behind [the product named] Windows, right?


text:
How to disable Google Now Cards?
I find Google Now Cards annoying. How may I disable them?

Open Google app.
Go to Settings > Now Cards
Disable both Show all cards and Notifications.
This should solve the problem.


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Get around an app that won't work on rooted device
My bank's app has stopped working after an update. Trying to open the app gets the error "The device is rooted. For security reasons the application cannot be run from a rooted device". Then the app immediately closes.
I'm not really sure how there's security issues from being rooted. Especially compared to accessing the regular website from a desktop computer, which has no such kind of check. However, I don't really care. It's my device. So how can I get around this restriction (without unrooting my phone)?

A rooted Android guarantees that any rogue app (with root privilege) can peek into the data directory (contains critical info) of that banking app of yours. What Android version and device are you using? Have you tried RootCloak?

@Firelord, mostly I'm banking on rarely using rooted applications and trusting those. Just like how I trust software I install on my computer not to spy on me (as if they did so, they could just as easily steal my banking information). This is with Android 5.1.1 on a Sony Xperia Z2. I have not tried RootCloak as I was unaware of it.

I have successfully used RootCloak. You need to install Xposed framework first.

had a problem with 2 banking apps, but never rooted the device! solution was simply removing a few of latest apps... not sure which one caused the stupid banking app to think i rooted the device. skit app helped to figure out which apps to remove by ordering them over installation date!

UPDATE 2 - 6/21/2017: Most all of the below methods no longer work, especially on devices with Lollipop or higher Android. Currently the only effective method of hiding root access is using Magisk to root the device and use Magisk Manager to enable the Magisk Hide module and hide root from the app in question. Since this is an old question and I am just updating an answer, here is an article describing how to do it and below is a pretty rough guide to doing it.
Summary of steps:

Remove old root method complete, this may mean you need to restore
stock or reflash your ROM. Some ROMs have root built in, so check
with your ROM maintainer/developer.
Flash the Magisk installer ZIP using TWRP or other custom recovery
Download and install Magisk Manager
Swipe from left and go to Settings and enable Magisk Hide
Press Back and select Magisk Hide
Scroll through the Magisk Hide menu and select the applications you
wish to hide root from

Your app should no longer detect that you have root.

Old answer - May still be applicable to devices with KitKat and previous Android versions
UPDATE - 9/2016: Most of the methods below will now fail since Google has updates SafetyNet API in how it detects root and modifications to a device. The SafetyNet API is a mandatory part of Google Play Services that auto updates itself regardless of your settings, and many apps are now using this to detect root or modified systems. In fact, in Android 7.x devices, an otherwise stock device with merely an unlocked bootloader can fail the SafetyNet check. More information on SafetyNet API can be found here.
RootCloak will work with most applications to hide root, it is an Xposed module, or RootCloak Plus which is a stand-alone app.
The reason banking and other financial apps don't work on a rooted device is for the potential of private information being obtained by other apps or users with root permissions. Like it or not, there is no denying that having a rooted devices can potentially have security and privacy concerns, even if only in theory. Suhide by Chainfire is another great solution.

And BTW, this is your financial institution being paranoid... many don't have this restriction including Wells Fargo, CitiBank, Capital One, US Bank, and most credit unions (most use a common service for this).

Sadly, RootCloak Plus doesn't seem to work on this app (and RootCloak's dependency doesn't want to install on my phone).

I'm especially confused because I was under the impression that my phone wasn't rooted anymore. My backup program stopped working and SuperSU doesn't detect root. In fact, no other app considers the device rooted. I gave up on that ages ago.

@Mike sound like you need to flash factory firmware image, your device is in an unknown state

Try an alternative Root Hider then, there are several available. As you didn't name "your banks app", it's hard to say whether there's one specific to it (that list only has a few apps being that specific).

Rootcloak hasn't worked for ages now.

An alternative would be using Magisk (with the Magisk Hide feature)


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Force-stopping, disabling and even factory reset failed to stop recurring app crash error message
My friend sold a TeXet 9768HD to somebody. Now the customer returned it with a weird problem. When the tablet boots up and loads OS (Jellybean.rus.texet 4.2.2), it shows:

Unfortunately fingerprint unlock has stopped working.

It shows this error nonstop. Every time I tap on "OK" it comes back in a blink, with lots of pain! I went to Settings → Apps and saw this "FingerPrint Unlock" there, but like system apps it doesn't have "Remove/Uninstall" option. I can't install anything on it, because this error message is on the screen all the time. So I tried to use both "Force Stop" and "Disable" options, but regardless of that the error still comes up.
I've no idea what to do. My friend asked me to flash it, but since (obviously) TeXet no longer is active, there's no support.
"Wipe/factory reset" and "Clear cache" in recovery didn't solve the problem too.
When I plugged it to PC, it wasn't recognized, but after installing "Rockchip Tool" not Flashing tools seems to show it.
So, what's causing the issue and what do you suggest me to solve the issue?

Disabling the app should work.


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'Can't open microphone' in Google app, can't make calls s5
The problem
I factory reset my s5 to sell, but now, after a week or so, I cannot make calls, use the Google app (pictured) or hear any sound from the speakers other than a very light static. When trying to make a call, pressing the call button clears the text field and nothing further happens.
What I've tried
I've restarted the phone, reset the phone, changed the Google voice settings, and wiped the cache.
Device information
Samsung G900V galaxy s5
Android version 5.0
Anker nfc battery

Click to enlarge image

It may be difficult to pinpoint the solution as the problem is not reproducible. Since there is an update available, to Marshmallow, why not update the phone to see if it fixes the problem. In any case, you are planning to sell the phone so updation- won't hurt

I think something went wrong when you factory reseted your device and messed up your phone's drivers. You should make a clean install -> flash an official ROM (get one from SamFirmare) with Odin/Heimdall. Android 6 also available to your device, give it a try.

This has a bunch of reasons  that you can try to fix amongst different phones with same problem. Free common things 1. Disable S voice, it doesn't seem to get along with Google 2. Turn off accessibility for all apps restart device, if that didn't work, turn on ( sounds contrary, but it worked both ways) 3.Reset again and do not install updates for Google app ( turn off auto update).. It's confusing, I agree but a specific solution didn't seem to work for all. Cheers

1.) Go to Settings-->Apps-->Google App
2.) Go to Permission manager
3.) Provide 'accept' option for 'Record audio'
from here also try disabling S voice// check if the problem repeats while in safe mode- if it does you will have to go through all apps that have microphone access and disable or deny that


text:
How does Samsung's "quick charge" work?
How do the batteries work?
Will those batteries have a shorter lifespan? Will the "quick charge quality" get worse over a period of time? And why aren't there other companies using this technology?

This question has already been flagged for being "off topic" and is liable to be closed on that account. To understand why , see this for What topics can I ask about here?. You may like to reword the question

Related How does fast charging work?

As seen on Android Police

You've probably heard of quick charging, turbo charging, adaptive fast charging, rapid charging, and Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 before - or at least one or two of these things. What you may not know is that all of them are actually basically the same thing, based on the same licensed technology from Qualcomm known as Quick Charge.

How does Quick Charge work?
How do the batteries work? Will they have a shorter life span?
Will the Quick Charge quality get worse over a period of time?
It's already explained in depth by @beeshyams. It basically works by drawing more power, safely.

To summarise, normal charging is done at 0.5 to 0.8 C (C is charge rate) and fast charging done at 1 to 3 C. Please note that the exact or indicative charging rate is not revealed in any OEM documentation despite extensive search and it is unlikely that OEMs will reveal such details, deeming it "proprietary"

It affects the battery in two ways:

A common feature while using fast chargers is raise in temperature of battery (since more current is being pumped in and power (read heat) is proportional to square of current) and this is inimical to good health of battery, which is extensively  covered here.

Short Term (Battery capacity after charging) Battery is not really fully charged as it does not undergo charging spending enough time in all stages, compared to conventional charging. In simple words battery may deliver typically 85% of performance compared to regular charging. Details on this are available here
Long Term (Battery life span) Battery life is specified in Cycles or discharge cycles. OEMs/ Battery resellers may specify this number, for example, it is 550 Cycles for Samsung Note 2

Quoting from BU-501: Basics About Discharging

Why aren't there companies using this technology?
There are several smartphone OEMs including ASUS, BlackBerry, Fujitsu, Samsung, HTC, Panasonic, Motorola that borrows this technology from Qualcomm.
What about Apple?
Here's a list of features Apple left out even in their latest iPhone 6S. They don't support Quick Charge yet.
--
See also:
Qualcomm Quick Charge FAQ
,
Samsung Fast Charge FAQ

Unfortunately that's the part I already knew.. but I don't understand why companies like apple aren't taking advantage of that technology.. and why wasn't it used before, because the idea seems pretty simple. There has to be something about it

@LewPérez Compatible batteries are most likely to be the issue here. It's more expensive to use more capable, feature rich batteries than using cheap old simple batteries.

FYI. You may like to see Quick Charging 3.0 explanation here http://android.stackexchange.com/a/138678/131553

Samsung arent the only ones using Quick charge other companies have a similar technology but it goes by a different name. My phone has Flash charging my 4000mAh battery gets fully charged in less than an hour. I used a phone with this for like an year and the battery life never deteriorated. I upgraded and my phone has the same technology.... Its even faster.


text:
Facebook contact sync, third party or otherwise
Would I be right in gathering that there is now no way to sync Facebook contacts into the Android contact system?
Apps such as Hax seem to have dissapeared or stopped working due to Facebook's API changes, so has Facebook come up with an alternative, or are we just stuck with manualy copying email addresses to to Gmail?

As of now, there is no official way to see your Facebook friends on your phone's contacts app.
There might be some hacks to get it done though, with some risky apps, which I strongly discourage using.
Facebook has developed an app called Facebook Hello as an alternative contacts app. Download it from Google Play Store or APK Mirror. It is actually country-restricted in Play Store, but works if you side-load the APK file. It appears to not have been updated in a very long time and the program is officially "deprecated".
Another option is to use Facebook Messenger. It will show all facebook contacts within itself.

This app is not available everywhere (at least not here in Germany). You can import all your local contacts to Facebook and keep them auto-synced - which of course is exactly what Facebook wanted you to do when they disabled the sync to local contacts.

@wortwart New link added. Try APK Mirror to get APK and side-load it.


text:
Disabled Google play services
On android tablet I seemed to  have disabled my Google play services  some how. I'm wondering, can any one simple  explain how one fixes this. I'm hoping that it's fixable and that didn't  mess things up to bad someone. Help please, Thank you.

Can you not enable it from the same location you disabled it?

Down voter, care to explain?

Go to Settings → App manager → All apps → Google play service → Enable it.


text:
Sharing emails / open in browser from Inbox/Gmail apps?
Is it possible to share emails from the GMail or Inbox apps?  The content of the intent isn't incredibly important.  It could be the full content of the email or be limited to the subject line or even just be a HTTP link to that email on gmail.com.
Alternatively:
Is it possible to open an email in the browser from GMail / Inbox?  There are numerous possibilities in that case.

Resend the mail?

I'm not sure what you mean by 'resend'

You know...you can resend emails since forever.

"Forwarding" or re-composing emails creates a new email (and does not create an implicit intent which is what this question is asking for).

You want to open it in the browser, from the gmail or inbox app? Sorry I didn't understand. Just tried it in gmail and couldn't find anything.

Yes; like some form of 'share' button you commonly find in Android apps to share a URL or picture.  What exactly it shares of the stored email isn't important; only that some reference of this email (like it's sender + subject line as plain text) is available to another application.

I'm sure there's no feature as such. But there are ways you can "share".
Text: Click and hold to select text.
Images and similar attachments: Click to preview/Download.
Then you can use the Share menu to send it to other apps or Copy to Clipboard.
Then there's the Screenshot option. Depending on your phone model, the key combination to take a shot may vary.
--
Some emails contain a text logically written as Open in browser. That's rare, though.


text:
Having an issue with my contacts on my Blackberry Priv
I just got a Blackberry Priv, coming from a Blackberry Classic, both on AT&T. They imported my contacts from the old phone and they seemed to have moved onto my Google account. But for some reason the majority of my contacts don't have any information associated with them, just the names. When I go into my contacts list I see all the names, but most of them don't have any numbers. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to which came over with numbers and which didn't.
What is really weird is that when a contact that doesn't have a number associated with it texts/calls me I still see the correct name come up. For example, I don't have Kevin's number listed in my contacts, but when Kevin texts me it shows up as Kevin just fine. And even weirder yet, when I click on the "People and options" selection in the text thread it brings up a contact card with Kevin and his number.
Any idea's what the issue could be? How can I get my contacts with their numbers back?
Thanks for any help!

I don't have the answer but suggest you ask at http://supportforums.blackberry.com. The PRIV also comes with 12 months of complimentary support as per https://supportforums.blackberry.com/t5/PRIV/Need-PRIV-Support-Call-us/td-p/3167154. Call 1-866-533-8067 (Canada & United States), or 0800-141-3330 (United Kingdom) Hope this helps!

I had the same issue. The solution that worked for me was to open contacts and choose all contacts (top left 3 bars - Action Overflow brings up a menu where you can choose which list of contacts to use). My Priv was only using a subset of the contacts.


text:
Locked out of Tablet
I have been locked out of my tablet by someone who is asking for money to unlock it.  I was given 3 days to do this.  I know it is a scam.  How do I unlock my tablet?

What kind of lock is that? Is it a screen lock or something else? If screen lock, then do a factory reset. The malware must be a device administrator if it has locked the screen.

We need more information, such as what device, what type of lock, etc.

The likelihood of you being locked out of your tablet again after entering is very high if it is a virus, you can take your important data such as photos off with a computer.
If you have root, adb and USB debugging you can reset the lock by typing this into adb;

adb shell
su
rm/data/system/locksettings.db
rm/data/system/locksettings.db-wal
rm/data/system/locksettings.db-shm
REBOOT

As a last resort you can re-download the system image and flash using something like twrp and then install apps again from the play store. Google now saves app data for some apps so you won't lose everything and some data is synced to your account.

mksh (the default shell in Android) isn't case-insensitive, so your command REBOOT would not work.

No, reboot can simply be achieved by holding the power button down. My apologies for not stating this before. If you require it to be done through adb then the command is "reboot -p"


text:
How to launch an app immediately after another app is closed using Tasker
I need help creating a Tasker profile that will open Aldiko Sync ONLY after I have ended the main Aldiko Premium app.
So with this profile, Aldiko Sync automatically launches and does its thing immediately after I close Aldiko Premium reader.

You can setup an exit task. An exit task is assigned from the Profiles tab. Expand the entry of your profile, long-press the assigned task there and choose Add Exit Task.
(Click image to enlarge)

Instructions:

Profile: Application → your app (Aldiko Premium in this case)
Task: (Actions): do anything you want
Exit task: (Actions): App → your another app (Aldiko Sync in this case)

Note: It is not mandatory to have an enter task in order to assign an exit task to a profile.
If you don't want an enter task i.e. don't want a task to be run when the profile is triggered, you can choose to create a task (supposed to be used as an exit task) under Tasks tab, assign it as an enter task to a profile and make it an exit task using Move to Exit (see screenshot).


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Offline initial setup from previous phone
What's the best way to copy everything (apps and their data, contacts, sms, phone settings if possible...) from a nexus 5 to nexus 5x, both using android 6.x, in offline mode, ie without using any google account or similar ?

Do you have root on these devices?

There won't be an easy way covering everything, but the best approach most likely is:

using adb backup / adb restore to cover 95% of the stuff (see Full Backup of non-rooted devices for details)
catching the remains (SMS, probably also contacts) with a specialised app (as for contacts, you can also use the contacts app itself: Menu › Export/Import allows to export to/import from SD card)

Alternatively, you could also take a look at Titanium Backup. This would also be a good idea for later "daily use", to always have an up-to-date backup ready just in case. To use it reasonably on a daily base (and unleash its full power), you'd have to buy the license, though – which is a few bucks, but definitely worth it (this one one of the first Android apps I've obtained, and I'm still using it happily). But in this case, be careful with restoring "system stuff" to a different device/ROM (make sure at least you've activated migration mode), or you might mess up things (which I did once when restoring SMS, as the database structure had changed).


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Can't sideload some apps on some kernels (idlekernel, Cyanogenmod kernel)
I always wanted to use idlekernel but once I install it, the apps would disappear (also happened on Cyanogenmod kernel). Usually the apps that it doesn't want me to sideload are the ones that gets installed on /mnt/apsec. Even apps that comes from the Play Store and/or Amazon are not allowed to install.
I know I can just move the apps from /mnt/asec to the phone storage to access them again but installing apps that require to have their data on /mnt/asec will again not be installed.
Why are there kernels that don't allow me to sideload "some" apps? Is there a workaround here?


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samsung galaxy a3: block all notifications except email and sms
Device: Samsung Duos (SM_A300H) Android version 5.0.2

I want something very basic: that my samsung galaxy a3 works like a phone and makes sound only for call, sms and alarm. No more FB nor email nor whatever notifications.
I googled and found some answers that doesn't suit my device. They say: Go to Settings -> Device -> Sound -> Default Notification Sound -> Silent. Next, set your text message sound to whatever you want.
I have Settings -> Sounds and Notifications, and there I can silent notifications, but there is zero options for message.
Smartphones are so smart that they aren't phone anymore :(

This is what I see when I press sound button + options:

For most phones with Android Lollipop: on any home screen (while music is off), press the phone's volume down button, then select Priority.
(Click image to enlarge)

NOTE: If you choose None, then you will not be notified of any call, message, reminder or even alarm.
If the volume button shortcut doesn't work, try going to Settings → Sounds → Interruptions. There will be an option to select Allow only priority interruptions. The wording may be slightly different though.

For some Samsung devices, this FAQ  will be helpful.
See also:

Android Lollipop has killed Silent Mode: here's how to use Priority Mode
How to Set Up Android’s Priority Mode (and Get Back Silent Mode)
Set up 'Priority' mode on Android 5.0 Lollipop

I wish it was simple but it is just not simple and that is the problem. When I press the phone's volume down button there is no priority, only the 4 regular choices (Ringtone, Media, Notifications, System)

Image uploaded. I don't have Settings>Sounds>Interruptions. I have Settings > Sounds and Notifications  But I have Do not disturb and set Allow exceptions Alarms+Calls+Messages really hope this will work coz so much energy lost on this!

Thanks very much, I have good hope [Do not disturb and set Allow exceptions Alarms+Calls+Messages] will make the trick

There's a "blocking mode" in Samsung phones, in which you can select the apps you want to get notifications from.
You can select the apps you want.

it just don't work, apps continue to ring, only the Do not disturb mode works so far


text:
Android OS with VR in future
I've heard a rumor that Facebook has been working on VR and have successfully launched one product, Oculus Rift. Have any VR projects been released or announced for Android?

There are already two VR projects running on Android.
Google Cardboard (google-cardboard) provides a cheap way of strapping your phone to your face and a software platform for app authors to add VR capability to their apps. In its original form, it's a template that you make out of cardboard and add a couple of cheap lenses to, but several manufacturers have started shipping low-cost "VR headsets" based on this design.
Samsung Gear VR is a Samsung project developed with Oculus VR. It uses the screen from any of this year's high-end Samsung phones, along with extra sensors provided by the headset device, to provide a mobile VR platform offering more immersion and presence than Google Cardboard. It's a product you can buy in shops now.
Facebook hasn't launched a VR device. Their investment in VR has been to buy pioneers Oculus VR, which is responsible for developing the Gear VR for Samsung, as well as the Oculus Rift, their PC-based VR product.


text:
Why does my phone on 6.0.1 download the entire app all over again when updating?
I have 2 devices, my Cherry mobile One G1 running 6.0.1 (an Android One device) and my old Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 tablet running Jellybean 4.2.2.
When installing updates on my tablet, only the a small part of the update is downloaded this discussion said they're called "delta". But when on my phone, it downloads the entire app all over again. It's fine for small apps, but some games have well over 100mb of data sometimes and it hurts my data allowance to update them.
Is it a feature of MM 6.0.1 or is it a bug on my phone?

Not an answer but a hint: If you're on a limited data plan you might want to download app-updates only over WiFi. You can set this behaviour in the Google Play Store -> Settings.

Have you observed this behavior on your phone for all apps? Not all apps support delta update, and usually it's the case for apps/games with expansion files (apps/games that exceed 100MB limit).

@AndrewT. Thanks, I didn't know about expansion files

@AndrewT. Yes, it happens for all the apps on my phone. It's strange because on my tablet, only the delta gets downloaded for the same app. As mentioned below, one example is 9th Dawn II.

Google Play Store's App Updates vary by device's Android version. It's highly likely that the new updates being installed on your Android 6 device has huge changes in it to support latest Android APIs.
If you're downloading big games, there will be some extra size
 to be downloaded initially.
But if you're updating the app, it usually requires much less data.

I don't think that's it because I update the same apps on my tablet and on my phone. My tablet only downloads the delta while my phone downloads the entire thing. One recent example I can remember is 9th Dawn II.

I assumed you download/update the same apps on both devices. Am I wrong?

Sorry, I misread your post. Yes, I'm updating the same app on different devices. Your, theory about API support likely the case. Is there a way to confirm this?

@beeshyams your thoughts? :)


text:
How to Select All Pop3 Messages in Gmail?
I am using Gmail application in Android 6.0. I have > 777 messages in my inbox. I would like to Select All and Delete them from the pop3 account.

How can you Select All Pop3 messages in Gmail Android Application?

This is older, but I actually don't know that anything has changed: Is there “select all” functionality in the GMail app? It has a few suggestions for workarounds but they mostly involve changing your whole email workflow. Bit of a bummer, really.

@eldarerathis I made this thread duplicate. I opened a bounty in the older thread. I opened a thread in the official Gmail forum here https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/gmail/vUYFtgPU6Ug;context-place=forum/gmail I hope we can understand why the feature is still missing from the application.


text:
Locked out of Galaxy S Duos - Failed lock pattern
I have Samsung Galaxy S Duos S7562 which is now locked with too many failed pattern attempts. I don't remember the pin for it.
I've changed my password for Google account from laptop and I wanted to login from the locked out phone but it says wrong password/username.
But I can log in on laptop. I'm using mobile data connection to sign in to google account.
Please someone help me as I don't want to hard reset, I have important data on it.

You mean you've forgotten the lock screen pattern as well as the Google account password?

no the pattrn atempts are done by small kids i remmber pattern but it is not working...yes i forgot the google password but i reset it from laptop and tried again to login but it didn't work

any other way??

This link may be useful. Check that out. :)

Have you tried setting a temporary password using the android device manager?

Can you pull down the notification bar from your lockscreen? If so, this app will get all your files off the device without root: Play Store Just install from website, insert an SD card or USB with "copy-here.txt", click "app installed" notification from lock screen, and profit.

Try all the methods in a similar question on here: Izzy's Answer on Unlocking Android Devices via Google, ADB, and Recovery - Android Enthusiasts
There are almost 10 angles to work from running 3 pages long, it is too much to quote here and all credit goes to Izzy for spending a lot of time working up that answer.
If none of those work, please revise your answer to include any errors you encountered and whether your device is rooted, knowledge of installed Android version, build number, etc.
Hope this helps,

This is a comment unnecessarily posted as an answer.  If you think the linked  answer fits the question then see if the current  question is a duplicate of the question behind the link. In any case, if you intend to keep this as an answer please quote the relevant parts here. Thanks!

Thanks! The link you provided seems helpful =)

You can unlock your Android device by using the ADB. Run the Commands given below:
USB Debugging should be enabled to use the steps mentioned below
Adb shell
Rm /data/system/gesture/key
After that reboot your android device and run the following commands
Adb shell
cd /data/data/com.android.providers.setting¬s/databases
sqlite3 settings.db
update system set value=0 where name='lock_pattern_autolock';
update system set value=0 where name='lockscreen.lockedoutpermanently';
.quit
You can take help from this article while performing the above steps:
http://www.what-is.in/howto/reset-android-pattern-after-too-many-wrong-attempts.html

The developer(s) of that linked site seems to be careful. They didn't mention the date of publishing of an article anywhere on a page, neither the author's name is mentioned. This makes it bit hard to verify for us whether the answer containing a link for such website is genuine or an attempt to spam (that is, to draw traffic to the site). // Are you affiliated to the linked site?

I am not associated with the website anyway. I just use the same instructions as shown this blog and found them helpful. That's why I recommended the same here.


text:
how could I know if my phone's been hacked
Someone is telling me every single item of information that I sent via whatsapp
how could I know if it is my phone or only the whatsapp account has been hacked
I use Samsong Galaxy S4 Gt-I9500
android 5.0.1

Interesting. Is that someone your friend, pulling a prank or is this serious?

Is your Wi-Fi network secure? Phone rooted? Whatsapp from Play Store?

Is that someone spying on you in real-time or gets your messages later?

no it is serious

he is spying on me in real time and I downloaded whatsapp from the official site for whatsapp. and I don not know whether my wi-fi network is secure or not

Check for the whatsapp web feature , from menu select "whatsapp web" , probably they got it authorized in your absence . And they can continue to access unless you log out or cookies are cleared.
you can logout from mobile app itself. choose "log out from all computers"
from home screen of whatsapp , click on the "more" menu "(three dots)" in the top right corner of screen. The drop down menu appears, there select "whatsapp web",
then there is list of sessions running, just choose "logout from all computers" under that list.

Can you please provide clear menu directions for logging out?

I did log out..

unfortunately nothing seemed to be work

he is still getting the messages from you? then apparently you need to check your mobile for spyware apps.

is there any antispy app you recomend?

somebody advise me to change the imei for my mobile.. he is a tecknician. but I don't know if that would really work!?

i don't think spy apps as such exists but, why not just factory reset your phone? it will flush out everything out of your phone. and changing imei is not recommended , it may leave your phone unusable with any cellular networks.


text:
Nova Launcher -Google problem
I have  a problem with Nova Launcher. When I go to Google and press "home" , it always asks me to choose between launchers. This  happens only when I use Google, it's really annoying.
Model: Alcatel one touch pop c2
OS: Andorid 4.2.2 jellybean
Nova Launcher version: Nova Launcher Prime 4.2.2
Root access: yes
Launchers: Launcher, Nova Launcher
Here is video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICJSZB0SEso
Screenshot:

@beeshyams yes, nova launcher is already default launcher but when i start google and press "home" button it just asks me to choose between launchers, there is no any defaults for "Launcher".

Default launcher resets every time i use the google now mentions a similar problem and using Launcher Switcher seems to have worked. Give it a try

@beeshyams thank you so much, i found one app acting like a launcher called "MMITest", i will remove that now.

Fixed, thanks to XDA thread-Default launcher resets every time i use the google now pointed out beeshyams.
As recommended in that thread, I installed an app called Launcher Switcher and I found one app acting like launcher (in addition to Nova and default launcher), in my case that was "MMITest", I just removed that app with System app remover (ROOT)

Edited, now please "accept" the answer to indicate a solution to others who have a similar problem in future

This would help you What does it mean when an answer is "accepted"?


text:
Root without usb?
I searched for something similar to this question already but I'm wondering if it's possible to root an android device without the usb connection. The port itself is damaged so I must use Bluetooth or network connection.
Device: Galaxy Centura SCH-S738C(GP)
Android 4.0.4

There are certain apps that allow rooting from the phone itself, but I can't cite a source here.

If anyone knows any apps or another solution that would be great if not I'll try and search for them online in the mean time thank you

Please add device and OS details by editing your question

Look up towel root. May or may not be compatible with your device/software version

Look for 'one-click root' apps on web.

Usually "one-click root" solutions still require a computer. It would be better to direct the OP to search for SCH-S738C root without pc.

I did a quick Google search and found this: How To Root Most Qualcomm phones without pc on XDA. The SAMSUNG GALAXY CENTURA - SCH-S738C is on the list of tested devices. Here are some details from the XDA post I am referencing:

1) Download and Install poot.apk.
2) Now open the poot app then it will require you to install Ministro
  II, Simply follow the link to Google play store.
3) Then you will be required to update ministro library, please update
  it.
4) Once you updated the Ministro Library then you will be faced with
  two options;
  1. “Press here to Poot”.
  2. “Built in root check”.
5) Click on the first option which is “Press here to Poot” and after a
  while, You are going to face with three options:
  1. Get Superuser.
  2. Get root-checker.
  3. In-built rootchecker.
6) Press Get superuser and download superuser app.
7) And finally do a reboot to take effect.
Tested Devices:MICROMAX A54MICROMAX A56MICROMAX
  A57MICROMAX A87KARBON A21Huawei U8860 HonorHUAWEI
  ASCEND YSAMSUNG GALAXY MINI 2 S6500SAMSUNG GALAXY CENTURA -
  SCH-S738CSAMSUNG GALAXY DISCOVER - S730MSamsung Galaxy S Duos
  S7562Samsung Galaxy ACE 2XLG Optimus Sol E730Alcatel
  OT-908Gygabyte GSmart G1345Sony Ericsson WT19i Live with
  WalkmanSony Xperia Tipo (Single/Dual)Sony Ericsson Xperia
  RayHTC Desire ZZTE V790Ninetology Pearl Mini
  i5350Kyocera Hydro C5170And still counting...

Please note that I did not write these steps nor have I tested this process. I take no responsibility for what this does to your device or for the grammar in the quote above. All credit goes to dhinesh77 on XDA.


text:
Protecting Android Phone
Is there a way like how Apple has icloud but for Android where if you lose your phone someone is not able to wipe it and then resell/reuse it?
And does Android also have builtin tracking like how iCloud does too?

Possible duplicate of "Find my iPhone" for Android

Android does have similar tracking/security features that you can access remotely if you lose your phone. They call it Android Device Manager. I do not know which Android phones have this built in. If it is not built in to your phone, you can download the app.
To locate your phone, simply visit this link and log into your Google account.
I know that the application supports:

Locate Android devices associated with your Google account
Reset/Enable your device's screen lock PIN
Erase all data on the phone
Ring the phone for 5 minutes if you've misplaced it

I'm fairly sure that Android Device Manager is built into almost every newer (jellybean and up) android phone.


text:
What does the Eye icon mean on LG phones?
I see an eye icon at the top of my screen, but without the phone around it, what does the eye icon mean, just the eye icon.

People who are trying to watch you surreptitiously do not generally alert you to that fact by putting relevant symbols into your notification bar.

Could you please provide a screenshot to make sure that it's "without the phone"?

I see that you are using an LG device and it looks like you have "Smart screen" enabled.
Here is a YouTube video about smart screen that might help you understand what is going on. The icon on the top of the screen is not someone hacking you (not saying no one is possibly watching, but this icon does not mean someone is)
Hope this helps.


text:
Undo app updates?
How to undo app updates? I was on terraria while it was updating, after that I lost my character and my world! It says the save file of my character was created with a newer version and could not be loaded, help!

Duplicate of http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/34757/is-there-a-simple-way-to-undo-an-app-update?rq=1

Nerd explanation: Look for the APK of the old version on a site like Apkmirror.com
If you didn't understand that here's the long version.

Go to settings->security and check "Allow installation from unknown sources"
Go to settings->apps->terraria
Look for the version and write it down/remember it
Go to Apkmirror.com and search for the app.
Download the file with the version number below the one you wrote down.
press on the confirmed download and click install

Note: This will only work with free apps.
Disclaimer: Installing APK files from the internet can be dangerous. Only install APKs from reputable sites.


text:
I am unable to send out Whatsapp messages
I am not able to send out any more messages while using Whatsapp. I found that there wasn't anything wrong with my phone, just the app alone was not working. What is wrong with the application?

Please read the "how to ask a good question" section of Android Enthusiasts and edit your question to bring them up to its guidelines. http://android.stackexchange.com/help/how-to-ask

Can you send WhatsApp message on different WiFi/mobile data?

On 25-26 January 2016, WhatsApp had a problem with their server.
From Africanews - WhatsApp faces brief technical problems,

Messaging application, WhatsApp, has been facing intermittent technical disruptions worldwide since Monday, January 25.
...
The first set of technical problems were recorded in countries including Japan, India, Malaysia, Colombia and the United States which began around 0200 GMT.

From MalaysianDigest - Whatsapp Was Down And There Was Chaos,

Popular social messaging app, WhatsApp went down this morning, leaving users worldwide frustrated.
...
The server, which is used by more than 900 million users worldwide reportedly, went down at around (26 January) 10.00am local (Malaysia) time.
Malaysians were not spared by the outage as seen by the flood of complaints seen on social media, Facebook and Twitter.

Lastly, my friend also had the same problem at the time you posted this question.


text:
OTG storage devices stopped working
I have a Samsung I9305 running rooted stock Android 4.4.4 with Xposed framework.
I used to be able to use USB OTG Storage devices flawlessly.
However, recently, none of them mount. I've tried third party root drivers such as Paragon, but it didn't help. I've tried drives formated in FAT32, exFAT, ext4, NTFS and HFS+ (for the latter I tried using the Paragon driver.) None of them work now.
OTG mice and keyboards still work, so that leads me to think that this may be a software problem.
Is there anything, short of a full firmware restore, that I can try to make this work?

Try the app USB Device Info  it might assist with debugging USB issues.

This application will provide information about almost all currently
  plugged-in USB device (see below for more info about the 'almost').
Information includes: •The Device class •The USB device path •The
  Vendor ID (VID) and the Product ID (PID). •A List of all interfaces
  and their endpoints.
If you download the accompanying databases, the application will also
  be able to provide you with additional info such as the Vendor of the
  device (which is not necessarily the brand!), the vendor's logo and
  the product name.
This application uses two different methods to collect information:

Android mode will use the native android USB API.
Linux mode will parse /sys/bus/usb/devices/.

Hi, welcome to Stack Exchange. Thanks for your answer. Unfortunately, I no longer have access to the device that had the problem, so I'm unable to try your suggestion.

Please link the app from Play Store and explain why you think it would help (from the app description)


text:
Samsung S4 mini - Android is optimizing app
I have Galaxy S4 mini and it showed a message that the Android is optimizing apps, then it hanged at second app, later the phone is not able to boot/Start. Nothing gets displayed on the screen, it just shows a blank black screen. I tried the Volume up + Power + Home button but nothing happened except that the phone vibrated. I need to reset the phone, how do I do it?
I think the cache/RAM is overloaded.

If want to Hard Reset your phone Keep in mind that you will lost all your Installed Apps, Accounts and Messages.

Power off your phone by holding the Power key or taking the Battery out.
Then press and hold together buttons Volume Up + Home button + Power button, and release this when you see logo Samsung.
Choose using Volume buttons option "wipe data/factory reset", and confirm that using Power key.
Next confirm "yes" previous operation using Volume keys and Power key.
When this operation is completed, select option "reboot".


text:
Nexus dialer default number
When using the default dialer on Nexus, you can search contact with the T9 dialpad.
However, I can't seem to find a way to set the defaults for the numbers that come up for each contact. It doesn't look like the default number for the contact is being used. It ends up being very annoying to have to search for the contact and then click the contact avatar bubble and choose the right number.
Anyone know how does the dialer chooses the number to show?
I tried changing the number I want it to show as the "Main" number for that contact, but it still chooses a different number from the numbers list (one that I never use)
Edit
To be more clear, I am talking about this number:

If the contact has multiple numbers, I can't choose what will end up in the dialer

I don't have a nexus. But I can set default by first visiting the contact in the app. Press and hold the number and select set default. I have the same dialer on CM12.1 I suppose.

Like I wrote, it's a different default and it doesn't fix it

Which nexus device, and which version of Android?

@mix3d Nexus 5 / 5X / 6 / 6P, latest Android

@Michael i think only way is using the search contacts above the favorite/speed dial instead of T9


text:
Remove Linkedin info from contacts
I've recently purchased a Samsung Galaxy S6 and I've noticed that in the contacts there is a section with information taken from Linkedin, even though I haven't let the Linkedin app sync its contacts or download contacts.

It doesn't bother me much to have someone's company and position listed there, but with some contacts I get a list of empty boxes, that keeps growing with time (I guess it has to do with those people's privacy setting in Linkedin):

So, is there any way to remove this info, other than uninstalling the Linkedin app?

I've tried deleting the account from the phone, which seemd to work, but it gets added again when I open the Linkedin app, and the info appears again.

It also remove the LinkedIn links from any contact details if you uninstall the LinkedIn app and then you can reinstall it again.
Also I have seen such a link like in your picture....but I'm not sure how this was added since it was pointing to a different person. Do you have any ideea how that links are inserted to contacts? 10x

Try going into your contacts,
under settings -- > contacts --> contacts to display
and select your google account instead of All Contacts. You can even setup a custom list of contacts to display that doesn't include LinkedIn.

Thanks, but I already have selected a custom list, and linkedin is not selected. Also, supposedly linkedin contacts are not synced.