text:
Galaxy S2 Not Booting After Editing build.prop
I'm really far from "rooting Android devices" . I had root my device . SuperSU and CWM installed.
But today i did a mistake and decided to try Facebook Home. So install it from an .apk and then edit build.prop file, changed ro.product.model from GT-I9100 to GT-I9300 . (Also i did a backup BEFORE doing this) . Now i'm trying to boot my phone but it's not booting. Just there is Galaxy S2 booting screen. It's like this :

I have searched it and found a few solutions, but i couldn't follow them because i didn't understand them exactly. For example , in one of this solutions they said "install cm9 mod" but in this page : http://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/I9100_Info there is'a warning about superbrick it's scared my.
I have tried booting with CWM (power button + sound up button + home button) and factory reset but i'm getting **Error mounting /sdcard/.android_secure error.I'm trying to mount it from mounts and storage but it's giving error Error mounting /sdcard.
I have really no idea what should i do, i have read a few articles about this but i couldn't understand ANYTHING .
And i really need this phone this evening, i'm going to a travel.
These are some posts about my problem :
http://www.transformerforums.com/forum/transformer-pad-300-development/27254-solved-help-can-t-pass-through-asus-tegra-logo-screen-did-i-brick-2.html
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1948094
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1903407
NOTE : I'M USING MACBOOK

You don't need to mount your SDCard to revert your changes. If you can boot into recovery, and access the device via adb shell, you can do so and replace your edited build.prop file with the backup copy you've created (using the cp command), thus restoring the state of before your edit.

@Izzy i'm getting device not found error. Should i boot phone in download mode or CWM mode for 'adb shell' ?

recovery-mode = CWM in your case, yes. In download mode, adb will not be able to detect the device, as no ADB daemon is running there.

@Izzy i just reach shell and replace my backed up (original) build.prob with other one. But nothing changed.

You always call it build.prob with a "b" in the end. I hope you didn't name it such? "prop" stands for "properties", not "probabilities" :) If you put it right, maybe that app you've installed is blocking something. You could try removing it with adb shell pm uninstall <package_name>.

Make sure the permissions are properly set as well. chmod 644 /system/build.prop

@Izzy it's just a typo , i meant .prop :) I installed Facebook Home , before edit build.prop.

@Izzy and bassmadrigal , i uninstalled 'com.facebook.home' and changed chmod . Now my phone booting :) But as i said, i have tried factory reset (it failed!) but my phone resetted. My all apps gone. Is it possible to revert them?

@Eray I just summed up everything and made it an answer. As the combination of the above solved your issue, please accept it so others see there is a solution (comments already got quite long). Your apps and data are gone for good, sorry. Though it might be possible to restore them at least partially using forensic methods, I doubt the trouble involved is worth it. If you're still interested in details, check the data-revocery tag wiki and top questions.

@Izzy , sure, i'll accept it :) I want to do a fresh factory reset because other one not completed successfully and maybe it didn't reset (delete) some old files. I will start from zero :) Now should i do this factory reset from recovery screen (power+volume up+home)?

As you wish: either from recovery, or from your system settings. BTW: What I still don't understand is, when you did a factory-reset, how did FB home survive that? Did you make it a system app? If so: Anything else you've changed in /system? Because that won't be cleaned up by a factory reset.

@Izzy , good question. I have no idea. But i couldn't do a perfect factory reset. It's failed while trying to reach sd-card . But it's resetted 'data' section.

/data is where all user data (and apps) usually go to. But yeah, the SDCard... App2SD could be involved here, that might explain it. Forgot about that...

Summing up the solution from above comments:
Fixing up the possibly broken build.prop file
You don't need to mount your SDCard to revert your changes. If you can boot into recovery, and access the device via adb shell, you can do so and replace your edited build.prop file with the backup copy you've created (using the cp command), thus restoring the state of before your edit. Example, assuming you've named your backup build.prop.bak and placed it in the same place as the original:
# re-mount /system read/write
adb remount
# copy back the original file
cp /system/build.prop.bak /system/build.prop
# as bassmadrigal pointed out: let's make sure the file permissions are fine
chmod 644 /system/build.prop
# reboot the device
adb reboot

Keep in mind the file ends with "prop", which is short-hand for "properties" -- not "prob" as short-hand for "probabilities :)
If it still not boots: uninstall the last app installed
As the first part didn't solve the problem here, it might be the app installed (facebook home in our case) is causing trouble on the device it was not intended for. So let's kick it out. Boot into recovery again, get your ADB ready, and
# uninstall the app
# adb shell pm uninstall <package_name>
adb shell pm uninstall com.facebook.home
# reboot the device
adb reboot

This finally solved it.
As a factory-reset was done, how was the app able to survive that?
This was an after-thought to the entire issue. A possible explanation lies in the fact that the factory-reset complained about the SDCard not being able to mount. So if parts of the app got installed to the card, they might have survived there. Unlikely as this is (after all, apps on SDCard should not be able to cause boot issues, as the card is mounted only after boot_completed), I see no other explanation (comments welcome, I can include them here if wished for).
This lead to another question:
Should I remove the external SD card to protect it from factory reset?
Normally, a factory reset should not touch the external SDCard. But "better safe than sorry": if it should not be touched normally, it shouldn't matter whether it's in the device or not, so it shouldn't hurt to remove it before the factory reset. However: if you use(d) app2sd, there's a special directory called .android_secure on the SDCard holding the (encrypted) parts of the "moved apps". After a factory reset. the system does not know of them -- so when re-installing such an app, it might lead to problems. Thus when removing the card before doing a factory reset, make sure to remove the .android_secure directory from the card (using a card reader and your computer) before re-inserting it again.

(with your last edit) now it's a perfect answer ! thank you. (OFFTOPIC : Should i really remove my external SD card for protect it from factory reset ? )

Not really Off-topic. Answer: It shouldn't hurt. But if you use App2SD, you then should manually remove the .android_secure folder from it while have it attached to your PC, or you might run into problems when installing an app which had parts there. I will include that with the answer as well, as it is an important point in this context.

I'm not using App2SD application but I'm using Galaxy S2, there is an option for moving a app to SD card.

Yes. And guess what that is? Hint: it moves the APP 2 SD... :) Native in Android since Froyo (Android 2.2). For details, we have a nice app2sd tag wiki :D


text:
data/log folder causes "internal storage has run out of space" message
So all of a sudden I'm seeing the dreaded "storage space running out" message. I'm running the nightlies of cyanogemod 10 on galaxy s2.
I looked into the storage manager and the numbers didn't add up.
Couldn't find any app that shows you content of internal storage (they all work on the SD), so I used the terminal emulator to view the files myself (requires super user permissions).
I found out that there is a directory data/log that takes a lot of memory, about 1 GB. From viewing the files in it it appears to have a lot of log files with names such as dumpstate_RESET_BY_CP_SILENTRESET...
What is this? Can I delete everything there?
EDIT:
found this http://forum.cyanogenmod.org/topic/71465-log-directory-full-of-dumpstate-files/

I just deleted it... it seems to be a bug with cyanogenmod. Will update if there are any problems.
Deletion was done through the terminal app. You type su to give it super user permissions, then you go to the path and use a linux command to delete the files.

On the forum, I suggested for them to post a bug report on https://jira.cyanongenmod.org, but as far as I know, this hasn't been done yet. If the developers aren't aware of the problem, they can't fix it (they don't frequent the forums).

You can use ES file explorer to delete these file also.

so it seems safe to delete /data/log completely to free up internal memory of my galaxy Y? I wonder if there is an application to automatically do that? I wonder if link2sd could link that folder to sdcard...

I believe you need root permissions for that.

in my fairphone, it was /data/log_other_mode but same thing otherwise

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


text:
MMS not working on CM9 ROM
I have an LG Optimus V (Virgin Mobile) running CyanogenMod 9.  The ROM I am using is located here: https://sites.google.com/site/bobzhomeroms/vm670ics
According to his ChangeLog, MMS should be working, but in reality it's not.
Some Google searching told me that my APN might be the problem.  I dumped the APN XML file from my phone, and it looks like this:
<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8' standalone='yes' ?>
<apns count="1">
  <apn
    name="Virgin Mobile"
    numeric="31000"
    mcc="310"
    mnc="00"
    apn="0"
    user="null"
    server="null"
    password="null"
    proxy="null"
    port=""
    mmsproxy="205.239.233.136"
    mmsport="81"
    mmsprotocol="null"
    mmsc="http://mmsc.vmobl.com:8088/mms?"
    type="mms"
  />
</apns>

I also checked my build.prop file, and found these 2 lines:
ro.cdma.home.operator.numeric=311490
ro.cdma.home.operator.alpha=Virgin_Mobile

All of my research shows that these settings should be correct, but I still cannot send or download MMS messages.  What else could be wrong?  I've heard people having luck with replacing the mms.apk on their phones, but I don't know which to use, or even where to find a replacement.
EDIT: I looked in my logcat and I don't think I found anything useful, here's what I found (I tried to only paste certain lines that might be useful):
04-17 12:38:38.250 I/ActivityManager(  636): START {cmp=com.android.mms/.ui.MessagingPreferenceActivity} from pid 6064
04-17 12:38:38.599 I/ActivityManager(  636): Displayed com.android.mms/.ui.MessagingPreferenceActivity: +311ms
04-17 12:39:04.539 D/GmsClient( 6089): service broker connected, binder: android.os.BinderProxy@40f28008
04-17 12:39:04.539 D/GmsClient( 6089): bound to service broker
04-17 12:39:04.539 I/GmsClient( 6089): connect: bindService returned true for Intent { act=com.google.android.gms.icing.INDEX_SERVICE }
04-17 12:39:05.469 I/DownloadManager( 5698): Initiating request for download 515
04-17 12:39:05.569 I/Icing   ( 5644): Not enough disk space for indexing
04-17 12:39:05.579 E/Icing   ( 5644): Aborting indexing of corpus 7EC1A9FF78F92A3B7EEEA09B5843349A422D4442
04-17 12:39:07.149 I/DownloadManager( 5698): deleting /data/data/com.android.providers.downloads/cache/downloadfile.jpeg
04-17 12:39:37.029 D/WAP PUSH(  940): wpman processMsg 4:application/vnd.wap.mms-message
04-17 12:39:37.069 W/WAP PUSH(  940): no receiver app found for 4:application/vnd.wap.mms-message
04-17 12:39:37.319 D/MmsSmsProvider(  806): getSingleAddressId: insert new canonical_address for xxxxxx, _id=161
04-17 12:39:37.319 D/MmsSmsProvider(  806): getThreadId: create new thread_id for recipients xxxxxxxx
04-17 12:39:37.339 D/MmsSmsProvider(  806): insertThread: created new thread_id 170 for recipientIds xxxxxxx
04-17 12:39:37.409 W/Mms/cache( 6064): RecipientId 161 not in cache!
04-17 12:39:38.009 V/TransactionSettings( 6064): APN setting: MMSC: null looked for: null
04-17 12:39:38.049 D/ConnectivityService(  636): startUsingNetworkFeature reconnecting to 0: enableMMS
04-17 12:39:51.069 I/ActivityManager(  636): START {dat=content://mms-sms/conversations/170 cmp=com.android.mms/.ui.ComposeMessageActivity} from pid 6064
04-17 12:39:51.419 D/Mms/compose( 6064): [1] [initialize] savedInstanceState = null intent = Intent { dat=content://mms-sms/conversations/170 cmp=com.android.mms/.ui.ComposeMessageActivity } mConversation = [MyEmail@address.com] (tid 170)
04-17 12:39:51.469 D/MMS Input Type( 6064): 64
04-17 12:39:52.229 D/Mms     ( 6064): [586] markAsRead: update read/seen for thread uri: content://mms-sms/conversations/170
04-17 12:39:53.579 V/TransactionSettings( 6064): APN setting: MMSC: null looked for: null
04-17 12:40:53.719 D/ConnectivityService(  636): stopUsingNetworkFeature: teardown net 0: enableMMS
04-17 12:41:16.459 I/ActivityManager(  636): START {dat=content://mms-sms/conversations/170 cmp=com.android.mms/.ui.ComposeMessageActivity} from pid 6064
04-17 12:41:16.649 D/Mms/compose( 6064): [1] [initialize] savedInstanceState = null intent = Intent { dat=content://mms-sms/conversations/170 cmp=com.android.mms/.ui.ComposeMessageActivity } mConversation = [MyEmail@address.com] (tid 170)
04-17 12:41:16.699 D/MMS Input Type( 6064): 64
04-17 12:41:17.329 I/ActivityManager(  636): Displayed com.android.mms/.ui.ComposeMessageActivity: +758ms
04-17 12:41:20.159 I/ActivityManager(  636): Start proc com.google.android.apps.googlevoice for service com.google.android.apps.googlevoice/.CallLogService: pid=6734 uid=10065 gids={3003, 1015}
04-17 12:41:22.029 W/ActivityManager(  636): Duplicate finish request for ActivityRecord{414d86a8 com.android.mms/.ui.ComposeMessageActivity}
04-17 12:41:22.059 D/Mms/compose( 6064): [1] [onQueryComplete] onQueryComplete: msg history query result is for threadId 170, but mConversation has threadId 0 starting a new query
04-17 12:41:22.059 D/Mms/compose( 6064): [1] [startMsgListQuery] ##### startMsgListQuery: conversationUri is null, bail!
04-17 12:41:26.829 W/Mms/cache( 6064): RecipientId 79 not in cache!
04-17 12:41:26.839 W/Mms/cache( 6064): RecipientId 79 has empty number!

Comments are not for extended discussion; this conversation has been moved to chat.

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


text:
How to use an USB 3G modem data connection with an Android phone (Galaxy Nexus)?
I own a Galaxy Nexus phone and i'd like to know if there is a way i can use an USB dongle to provide it with an Internet connection.
I imagine I will need some kind of adapter (and some Google searches suggested an USB OTG cable).
I'd like to know if the stock OS supports this (i have Android 4.2.2 currently) and if I'd need root or a customer kernel. Also, if it is possible, could you please provide a guide on how to do this?

OTG cable is correct. And yes, that should work. To be sure, you might try it in a shop. Setup sometimes depends on the dongle -- but as soon as that and the SIM it it is recognized, the corresponding menus should get visible in the device settings.

Officially: This is not possible, except for certain (older?) Archos tablets.
Inofficially: There's the Autopatcher project . It includes patches to enable 3G modems on wifi-only tablets (it may be possible to use those on phones too, but YMMV).
Autopatcher supports these Android firmware flavours:

some 3rd party firmwares (CyanogenMod, AOKP, ParanoidAndroid, PACman)
AOSP 2.3- > 4.3 (e.g., Google's Nexus line)
...and others

Not supported are original HTC, Samsung and other branded firmwares.


text:
Text messages sent from Outlook do not show in my Android's messaging folder
I can send and receive text messages with my Outlook 2010 on an Exchange 2010 server.  Received text messages appear both on the phone and Outlook but sent text messages only appear on the device that sent it. (Outlook or the phone but not both)
I would like to see text message replies that are sent with Outlook in my phones messaging app with the original message that was received.  Can this be done?  I have a Samsung Galaxy S2.

Are you using the default messaging app?

Yes and would like to continue to if possible.

Text messages from Outlook? I'm confused, can you explain how you're doing that? Or do you mean emails?

Outlook 2010 with Exchange 2010 can send a text message (SMS) from the Outlook client or OWA when you have phone associated with the email account using Active Sync and you enabled the sync of SMS messages on the phone.

Better explanation can be found here.  http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook-help/send-and-receive-text-messages-sms-HA101823438.aspx

I'm pretty sure this isn't possible as you have an Android phone. If you were on Windows mobile it might work to have your sent messages sync, but the default app will not do what you want it to do with Outlook.

Disappointing.  It is a nice feature to be able to send and receive text messages from the Outlook interface but if half of the conversation is missing when I go mobile and only have the phone with me then the benefits quickly diminish.
I did find repeated references to Windows phones but was hoping the Android’s Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync feature was up to the task.  Anyone else have a suggestion or know a secret to get it to work?


text:
Backup and restore MMS
Is it possible to backup AND restore MMS messages? It seems all the apps I've found on the app store that backup SMS and/or MMS cannot actually restore MMS messages (and similar comments on answers to other questions). Is there a limitation to android which would prevent this?

The Sms/MMS is rather undocumented, yes you can back up Sms alright through some hacks involved read: Google does not support the programming interface for this and is likely anytime to drop it!

It should also be possible using e.g. adb backup (see: Full Backup of non-rooted devices). You just need to pick the right package name to back up (i.e. the provider responsible for it).

There are multiple apps that will do this as well.

If your Android is not root, you can try another pc program called Backuptans Android SMS + MMS Transfer. Connected your phone to computer via usb or wifi and then click the backup button to save messages on computer. And yes, MMS restoring from computer to Android is supported. Tested with my Galaxy S3.
PS: It also can work for an Android phone with broken screen. Just make sure your have enabled usb debugging on device first.

Titanium Backup should be able to backup and restore both SMS and MMS messages (requires root). Launch it and select the "Messages" item from the Backup/Restore menu:

good to know, though the phone I'd like to back up is not rooted and has a broken screen so I may have to find a non-root solution for this time.


text:
Flashing ROMs: Am I "Doing it Wrong?"
I'm a software developer and systems administrator, so my technological knowledge is moderately high. I'll just leave that here as a preface.
I've ran custom Android mods since my very first Android phone, the Nexus One. From the beginning, it seemed like the idea of changing/upgrading ROMs involves the following process:

Backup. Backup. Backup.

Titanium Backup the phone from inside the operating system.
Nandroid the phone from the bootloader.

If it's a significant difference between the source ROM and the destination ROM, a factory reset is necessary.
Flash the ROM.
Wipe the cache and Dalvik Cache.
Boot and restore from Titanium Backup.

However, when changing between ROMs, things take me a ridiculously long time to do. I generally have to put aside at least 3 hours to a day when changing my phone's ROM.
Here's what my actual process looks like:

Backup.
Factory reset.
Sometimes wipe the system partition too. (Should I be doing this? I only do it from paranoia.)
Flash the ROM and the Gapps.
Clear the cache and Dalvik cache.
Boot into the OS.
Get through the setup as quickly as possible.
Titanium Backup: Your phone ID has changed, want to restore it?
Me: Yes. *reboot*
Titanium Backup: Restore all the apps.
Setup my Google Account.
Shoot, Dropbox isn't working, manually have to login again.
Shoot, Evernote isn't working, manually have to login again.
...etc.
(15 hours later) Cool, done.

Am I doing this wrong? I really feel that it shouldn't take this much time to switch ROMs. What can I do to speed up this process? Am I restoring from TB improperly? I'd love to be able to restore all apps, their settings, my Dropbox and Evernote accounts, my home screen, etc. without having to go through this painstaking process.

Restoring with TB between different ROMs might get a bit risky when it comes to system apps. Also, have you checked TBs "migration" option (specifically for that, restoring between different ROMs)? As your question does not indicate any related probs, this seems not to be an issue to you (but just in case ;) I don't see anything wrong with your procedure; maybe I'd set up the GoogleAccount before doing the TB restore, in case some apps require it.

If your phone supports it (ICS 4.0+ based ROM, non-Motorola device,) I would try Carbon as the preferred backup/restore solution instead of TB.  Carbon uses Android's built-in backup mechanisms, so it avoids issues from file system level permissions.  It has limitations, such as not backing up any system apps, and currently supports very few system settings (messaging store, Wi-Fi, and user dictionary,) but is much safer to use when switching between incompatible ROMs.

You should be careful when restoring apps from titanium. That software not only backups the apk itself. It backups the data of the app too. That's all it does. If the app you backup is programmed to run different accordingly to Android version and you change it with another rom and then in your new version you restore the app initialized to work with previous version, wel... errors will popup. For the rest, I do exactly the same as you except for the titanium backup. I only backup the Wi-Fi saved networks and their passwords. Not even Whatsapp databases because they're saved into SD card and the factory reset (and the dalvik cache and data format) doesn't erase it, so when I reinstall Whatsapp then the app finds magically those databases. I also backup saved words of Swype and messages (but not the messages app and its data like titanium does! ) But those things are for commodity. The rest I just delete all! New rom means new air. I ever loose little things, but saving contacts and notes in the cloud its far enough.


text:
Xperia X8 flashtool error: ERR_DYNAMIC="SIN header verification failed"
this is the log from flashtool v0.6.8.0:
17/016/2013 20:16:47 - INFO - <- This level is successfully initialized
17/016/2013 20:16:47 - INFO - Flashtool Version 0.6.8.0 built on 2012-02-26 19:26:25
17/016/2013 20:16:47 - INFO - You can drag and drop ftf files here to start flashing them
17/016/2013 20:16:52 - INFO - Device disconnected
17/016/2013 20:16:55 - INFO - Selected E15_nAa-13_2.6.29.6-nAa-13.ftf
17/016/2013 20:16:55 - INFO - Preparing files for flashing
17/016/2013 20:16:55 - INFO - Please connect your device into flashmode.
17/017/2013 20:17:06 - INFO - Device connected in flash mode
17/017/2013 20:17:06 - INFO - Opening device for R/W
17/017/2013 20:17:07 - INFO - Reading device information
17/017/2013 20:17:07 - INFO - Phone ready for flashmode operations.
17/017/2013 20:17:07 - INFO - Start Flashing
17/017/2013 20:17:07 - INFO - Flashing loader
17/017/2013 20:17:07 - ERROR - ERR_SEVERITY="MAJOR";ERR_CLASS="SECURITY_CLASS";ER R_DYNAMIC="SIN header verification failed"
17/017/2013 20:17:07 - ERROR - Error flashing. Aborted
17/017/2013 20:17:07 - INFO - Device connected in flash mode
17/017/2013 20:17:08 - INFO - Device disconnected
17/017/2013 20:17:11 - INFO - Device connected in flash mode
17/017/2013 20:17:12 - INFO - Device disconnected

I get this from S1TOOL:
Welcome to S1 tool.

TO CONNECT NEXT PHONES
X10 Xperia,E10 Xperia Mini,E15 Xperia X8,U20 Xperia Mini Pro
LT15 Xperia ARC,MT15 Xperia NEO,R800 Xperia PLAY
PRESS AND HOLD "BACK" BUTTON...

PLEASE ATTACH TURNED OFF PHONE NOW

RUNNING S1_EROM VER "R8A029"
SOFTWARE AID: 0001
LOADER AID: 0001
FLASH ID: "0020/00BC"
LOADER VERSION: "R4A045"

MODEL (from GDFS): E15i
SOFTWARE VERSION: 1236-9291_2.1.1.A.0.6
CUSTOM VERSION: 1242-6780_R5B
FILESYSTEM VERSION: WORLD-1-2-5_2.0.1.A.0.47
SERIAL NO: BX902AVHMC

SEMC SIMLOCK CERTIFICATE
Elapsed:10 secs.

Why can't I flash my Xperia X8? How can I fix it?

FlashTool has been updated and is hovering near the 1.0 milestone, dated 5th June 2013, presumably its updated.
That aside, the .ftf image is either corrupted or the incorrect SIN header was accidentally linked in, intending for another Xperia device.


text:
How can I get backup the files from my semi-broken android before shipping it in?
I broke my Samsung Galaxy SIII (Red) last week, got a replacement in the mail, and I'm trying to back up my files (contacts, photos, etc.) onto my computer before I send the broken one in. The only problem is that when I plug it in it doesn't show up anywhere as a device. On my old Samsung it used to be that I would have to go to USB options in my phone before it showed up as a device, but being unable to do that now is my main problem. Is there any way around this? I went to my provider's store and they said they wouldn't do it for some reason or other. Also, I tried backing up my contacts at least through Gmail, but apparently that didn't work either.

Which Android version? Custom or stock recovery? And yes, you'd need to enable USB Debugging for the device itself being recognized (and not just the "drive" with the "shared storage", which doesn't help for this issue). You might want to check the best questions tagged data-recovery, especially How do I backup data (SMS/contacts) from a device with a broken screen?


text:
Why does TI backup say there's still unnecessary cache?
I noticed that the newer version of Titanium Backup says I still have unneeded Dalvik Cache to clean up, even after I reboot and wipe dalvik cache in Clockworkmod. Where are these extra cache files, and why aren't they in /data/dalvik-cache? Or, is this a bug in TI-backup?

Could it be you confuse "cache" (/cache, which you cleaned via CWM) and Dalvik-Cache (/data/dalvik-cache, which you also should be able to clean via CWM)?

Thanks, but I only have two empty folders in /cache.

OK, but that's not what TiBu complains about. Again: TiBu talks about Dalvik cache. You talk about app cache. Please read my previous comment again for clarification :)

Sorry, that's what I meant - see edited question

Oh -- in that case it rather looks like TiBu got a little confused. I'd say contact Joël (the dev) and ask him directly (give him some details on your device/ROM etc, so he gets something to play with).


text:
Batch download web links on Android?
I have plenty of web links to some images and I want to download all of them on my Android device in queue.
I have searched words download manager on Play Store but those applications seem to support adding single link only; rather than importing multiple links from a file or clipboard.
I also tried to install Firefox and its extension DownThemAll! But no matter what version of Firefox for Android I installed, the application always show "extension is not compatible"
Can anybody tell me is there any way for me to batch download web links on my Android device?

For the Firefox "extension is not compatible" problem, see Firefox version 21 installed easily but greasemonkey won't install

Wget should work, and can be installed to Android if it's not already there.
http://www.gnu.org/software/wget/manual/wget.html
Just use it in a terminal emulator.

Good idea, NoBugs! Maybe you should include how "Batch mode" is supposed to work with it -- especially for people not used to the shell :)

Can you give me an example of this or an usage instruction please?


text:
Is there a way to restore my Samsung Galaxy S3 (SCH-i747)?
I have a Samsung Galaxy S3 (SCH-I747) that I tried to root using this video
Somehow something went horribly, horrible wrong and now I think I have hard bricked it.
My symptoms:

Phone does not turn on when you hold down the power button
Cannot get into boot loader / download mode (screen is always black)
My phone is now named "QHSUSB_DLOAD" in my explorer window

I obviously used odin to try to flash it and it didn't work. Will a JIG get me into download screen? At this point I just want to be able to restore the original build.
Is there anyway (besides sending it in and paying $60) to fix my phone? I have the file I need to flash a build, can someone please help me get back into boot loader / download mode?

I'm in the same boat man..all my research has led me to needing to jtag.  I ordered the download jig, new battery and charger.  Tried on several systems including xp to no avail.  I'll be sending it into Mobiletechrepairs on account of I'm sending in an old phone to cover the cost so I might be out of pocket for shipping.  Wish I was able to find someone local but most phone repair shops don't know what jtag is!  I'll let you know the turn around time and what condition my phone gets returned in.  Good luck.

Please note: This is not a discussion forum. If you're not offering a solution to the original question, don't use the Answer space. I suggest you check out our [about] page and [FAQ] to learn how this site is different than others you may be used to.

If you bricked it with a simple bad bootloader/modem flash you can use the method outlined here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2660566 and see if it works for you, I've had it work on a bunch of phones that I've recommended its use on.
Download the image that corresponds to your phone from here:  https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/0B612qYHFMILfWUlMTTEwdUstcXM?usp=sharing
then use a disk imager to "burn" the image to a 16 or 32gb class 10 sd card. Remove the battery on the phone, put the sd card in and then reinsert the battery. Press the power button until you feel vibration (this may take upwards of 15 seconds) and then either it will boot normally, or you will need to boot into odin mode and flash a stock image

Link-only answers are discouraged on this site, if the link goes dead, your answer is worthless. Please, at least outline the method in your answer.

My apologies, I will gather the links necessary, the ones I uploaded to google drive for that link and post them along with the full guide


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Where do APN come from?
When running a fresh ROM, the APN settings are defined by the SIM card inserted, downloaded from the network via some handshake protocol or are they predefined in the rom for each network ?

They are included in Android. The correct settings are determined by your SIM MCC and MNC (Mobile Country Code and Mobile Network Code). If you want, you can view the list of preset APNs by looking at the source code, for example at android-source-browsing.
The file name in this case is /etc/apns-full-conf.xml, but apparently it varies.

On my latest "upgrade" (a new device), I've got 3 "Service SMS" from my provider immediately when the device was turned on. Do those have any effect, or is it really restricted to what's in the sources?

Some carriers send the configuration settings when they detect a new IMEI or ICCID+IMEI combination, but usually these are the same settings that come with the device. If the carrier is uncommon, then the settings that come from your carrier may be more up to date. I suggest trial and error.

settings that come from your carrier may be more up to date Yepp, that's clear. My question was rather if they have any "effect" (i.e. are applied to Android settings), as one hears different things toward that. Support often says they don't do -- but others report they do. I was not able to check back then, as the content was not displayed, and I had not looked up the "previous settings".

IIRC, on vanilla Android they work. But on carrier/user/manufacturer modded ROMs mostly not. I had to install them once on a CM7 device, but otherwise I've had no use for them.

Thank you, onik! Maybe you want to edit that into your question directly, as I find this an important point. If you can find a source for that, all the better. Meanwhile +1 from me :)

PS: Just googled a little. T-Mobile in Germany has a configurator. I selected an SGS3 as device, and was offered to put in my number to receive APN configuration per SMS. Simyo writes that's not possible for Android and iOS, and you need to enter the settings manually. Base (same provider as Simyo) again offers the service SMS. Very confusing...

Next to the pre-configured settings from /etc/apns-full-conf.xml as described in onik's answer, some providers offer to send you so-called "service SMS" for an automated configuration. Opinions on those are quite confusing: Some say those do not work on Android or iOS devices, and you'd have to enter APN data manually (e.g. Simyo in Germany), while others even let you select your device in advance to send you a tailored service SMS (e.g. T-Mobile Gernamy, where I selected an SGS3 and then was asked to enter my phone number to receive the SMS; or Base Germany, which is the same provider/network as Simyo; one might say that's due to the fact that Simyo is a discounter brand).
I'm with mentioned provider named Base (belonging to the E-Plus group). When I got my new Optimus 4X, inserted the SIM, and started it, I immediately got 3 Service-SMS, which were "executed" on my device. I unfortunately did not check the configuration before, so I cannot say what effect they had (if any) -- but at least I've got no error messages, and everything was working fine.
Edit: Comments from onik (on his answer) and Compro01 (here, see below) indicate: whether those "service SMS" do work or not, might well depend on the (device and) ROM used.

On all Android devices I've tried it on, on my provider (Sasktel), I get an SMS shortly after inserting the card that my device cannot be automatically configured with a url to go to to get the proper APN settings.

Thanks for the hint, Compro. I included a note with my answer. I never got the SMS you mentioned; instead I've got those "service SMS" two times on a new device (LG Optimus 4X and Samsung Galaxy Ace 2, both stock-ROM), where they were processed without any error message.


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Xperia V touchscreen doesn't respond
I ordered this brand new xperia V a few days ago and recieved it today. everything's working fine (the power key, volume buttons) the phone starts up good but the phone doesn't respond to touch inputs.
I've talked to the vendor and they asked me to send it to them for replacement but i really don't want to wait another week (maybe more) to use this device
Can it be a software related problem? If yes, What should i try? sony update or something else?

Since you said the phone is brand new there is nothing wrong with the software. It is most probably a defect with the screen. Get it replaced and use a proper phone.


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Remote Access/Editing files from Android without rooting on any other remote platform
I have a Nexus 7 Tablet and a Samsung Galaxy Ace Phone. I wish to use WiFi only. The phone does not have a 3G tariff.
As the Nexus 7 Tablet does not have an SD card slot of any type, I wish to find a way to connect the Nexus 7 Tablet to other devices including the Samsung Galaxy ACE phone or any other form of inexpensive external storage while mobile, and Windows/Linux PC's when at home.
More specifically I wish to access files stored remotely, to edit the files, and save them remotely, without writing the file to the Nexus 7 local storage at any point from opening to saving and closing, and using any application on the Nexus 7, such as a Word Processor/Spreadsheet.
I wish to accomplish this without rooting either the Tablet or the Phone. I am concerned that rooting will compromise what little security is built into Android. My concern stems from the fact that there is little guarantee that some applications will not accidentally or deliberately take advantage of the device once rooted.
I am aware of applications such as ES File Explorer, and would choose to use such an app, if I could connect it to another Android Device, perhaps if there were a Samba/CIFS server which could use custom ports (>1024) as long as I could also use the same ports on ES File Explorer (or similar app) either through the config of the apps themselves or by some mechanism to reroute ports as may be found in a Home Firewall Router.
I would also be open to using SSH as a means of facilitating a connection if necessary.
I do not wish to use Cloud Services as I do not trust that the Operator will not copy, use, or lose any data I upload.

"My concern stems from the fact that there is little guarantee that some applications will not accidentally or deliberately take advantage of the device once rooted." Rooting the device doesn't mean that every app has root: it means you can choose. Only an app you choose to give root access has the opportunity to exploit it.

if I could connect it to another Android Device, perhaps if there were a Samba/CIFS server which could use custom ports (>1024) Have you checked the play store for those? Most Samba servers will require root, but if you can live with the "custom ports", there's e.g. Samba Server not requiring root.

Would FTP be acceptable solution?  It does mean writing the file locally though, but seems like the easiest direction without rooting.

I guess the part rendering solutions close to imposible is without writing the file to the Nexus 7 local storage at any point from opening to saving and closing. If that should also exclude automatically created temp files, you're very much out of luck.
Additionally: and using any application on the Nexus 7 Yo. That means either all apps have to support Samba/CIFS/whatever network protocol to be used – or you need to mount that network drive locally. This brings it down to apps like CifsManager (last release: 4/2011) or Mount Manager (requires root; I would wonder if that doesn't apply to CifsManager as well). Moreover, on your remote device you will need the counterpart providing the network drive, of course. No problem on the PC, where it comes with the OS. For your other Android device, as pointed out in my comment on your question, that could e.g. be Samba Server.

You may use software like FTPServer to let someone read and write your files on your device remotely via FTP, and ES or similar software to access to. Note though that you'll still need to download the file, in order to modify it.
The simpliest solution may be to run an SSH server on your target device and then accessing it via a terminal emulator: in this way, you'll be able to edit your text files without the need of downloading it (using nano or similar software, installed on the target device).


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Voice command when switching pages on home screen
On the main home screen when I slide between the different pages, a voice says "page 1 of 2" "page 2 of 2" etc. This also happens when my phone is on silent mode and out of driving mode. How can I get rid of it, or at least make it silent while my phone is on the silent mode?
Very much appreciated!

Check to see if TalkBack is enabled under accessibility in the settings menu.

I can't post an answer yet even though I have a rep of 101. Anyway, I was having the same issue on my S2 - I found it was because I had LastPass installed and turned on under Services. Maybe if any Service (TalkBack, LasPass) is On the S2 talks when you turn pages. Turning both services to off on my S2 stopped the voice prompt.

A bit late I know, but I've just been having a similar problem with a Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini.
This is how I got rid of it. I tried other ways, but found that if I turned the phone on and off again, the speech would come alive again. This was the only way I could kill it off for good.
Go to Settings -> Accessibility -> Text to Speech and there will be a list of current text to speech providers (I had 2, Google and Samsung)

Go to Application Manager -> All
Find Google Text to Speech and disable it
If there is no disable button, you will have to click Uninstall All Updates first, then go back, and the button should now read Disable

You'll want to do the above step for each Text to Speech option you had in your list. I had 2, so I did it again for Samsung TTS.
Now if you go back to Settings -> Accessibility -> Text to Speech there should be nothing left in the list and your home screen will finally be silent. Hooray!
I also have driving mode and TalkBack disabled. I already had them turned off, but they didn't help.
Hope this helps.

Go to Settings>Voice input and output>Text-to-speech settings and check "Driving mode".


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Can I install Google Play and run Android apps on my iPhone or iPad?
I have an iPod Touch 4G (this is where you all start screaming at me). But I like the apps on Google Play. So if I downloaded a Google Play app on my computer and sent it to my iPod, would it work?

Nope. Sorry. The best bet for you is to find the app which you like contact the app developer/website to know whether a iDevice app is available and then use it.

iOS and Android are two different systems. The only way to run Android Apps on iOS would be with an emulator.
There exists a project called iphodroid. It has a Google Code project page. The last update from the homepage is from May 2011 and given the rapid development regarding Android and iOS I doubt that this is still functional. You can try it, but at your own risk! I have never tested it.

See also: Installing Android on iPhone 3G; (how) can I install android on an iphone 4?; Can Android run on an iPad?


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Decrypting TitaniumBackup files
I have TitaniumBackup encrypting backup copies of app settings before uploading to Google Drive. In order to verify/restore applications I need to type my password.
I need to extract a backup outside of TB. The problem is that Linux won't read the encrypted .tar.gz file. AFAIK TB uses asymmetric cryptography, which I don't know being supported by Linux file managers (or Ark application).
The question is: how do I extract an encrypted Titanium backup in Linux?


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Chrome shows black screen when playing video, but performs well when full screen
I have a tablet and an Android TV stick. Both are on Android 4.1 JB.
I have an MP4 video file. On my tablet, the MP4 plays well inside the Chrome browser. But on my Android TV stick, it shows a blank black screen! I could only view the video when it's in fullscreen mode.
I suspect that it's the size of the video or the display. Perhaps it was too small to see in normal mode.
Does anybody have a clue how to deal with it?

What is the resoultion and the format and encoding of the video and the resolution of the tv stick screen?Is it a 4K resolution video format? Try playing another video of same resolution in android tv stick.

If every video behaves this way, it could be a bug in the display driver for your TV stick. When a video plays full-screen, the video decoder writes the decoded video directly into the framebuffer, a special part of memory that holds the image being displayed. When a video is played inside another window, it instead uses an overlay, which is a way of combining the video output and the rest of the screen.
If playing videos works fullscreen but not inside another window, this could be a symptom of a error in the part of the display driver that handles overlays. You could check with the manufacturer to see if an updated ROM fixes the error.

It has to do with the resolution you are trying to play is too high to play in normal mode and hence the blank screen.
Anyways rather than using Google Chrome for videos I'd recommend MX Player which is a very capable media player and supports most videos.

thank you so much for your response!
but I'm actually doing some Android app programming which needs a webview (plus the webchromeclient), thus I have to ensure that the video is working on chrome.......Any work arounds?? thanks!!!


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Google play downloads app and then tells me cannot load as no devices
I have an android tablet and finally got it to connect and stay connected to wifi however the google play store will take its time and download to tablet but it never shows in my download file and after all the time downloading then google displays the you have "no devices" message. How can I get my downloaded apps to show anywhere on my tablet please?

More information is needed.  Which tablet do you have?  Did the tablet come with the Play Store app pre-installed, or are you trying to download the app to your tablet via the web Play Store?

Go to Menu>
Settings>Apps>All>
Google Framework Services>Clear Data
Again do the same thing with the Play Store App.
Reboot your Tablet and check it.
See if you can click the install button on PC and if the apps are pushed onto the tablet.


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Cloning an application with its full data store between devices
Given a generic application I would like to transfer it, full with its own data, to another device or to the emulator.
After restoring the application and its /data/data/com.app directory it should be supposed to work as normal, provided that its business logic doesn't take into account that the device ID has changed or other facilities (like accounts) are missing.
Copying /data/data/com.app brutally may result in data corruption when app is active.
How do I do that, with or without root?

Solution one: TitaniumBackup
Both devices must be rooted and use TitaniumBackup application. I have found that Titanium doesn't start on Emulator 2.1
Solution two: use adb backup options
Use adb backup and adb restore properly. This would mean to restrict the backup to the single app to be cloned, including its data, but nothing else. This is important as adb restore <file.ab> is an all-or-nothing, no selective restore possible. Full syntax for adb backup is:
adb backup [-f <file>] [-apk|-noapk] [-shared|-noshared] [-all] [-system|nosystem] [<packages...>]

So to only have our "Foobar" app included, we need to connect the device and:
adb backup -f MyBackup.ab -apk com.foobar.app

This done, and adb connected to the emulator, the generated backup file MyBackup.ab then can be restored using
adb restore MyBackup.ab

It gives a 1KB file! With the content of: ANDROID BACKUP
1
1
none
xÚc£ŒT


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No common file attachments using Android 4.2.2
I can't seem to attach a simple Word or Excel file using Gmail, Hotmail or a local email client. This is when using the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox and Dolphin browser. Being in China for half a year the only way I can send these files is by attaching them to an email as all webdrive services are blocked in China. Is this a bug or an unwelcome policy of the developers? If it's a bug, is there a way around it? An app or something?
Thank you very much for your responses!

Have you tried using the GMail or Hotmail apps, rather than the web pages?


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On system restore, will I lose my software updates?
I have a Samsung Galaxy S3 and have it updated to 4.1.2 from ICS.
If I restore my phone to factory settings (either by going to settings or by rooting), will I lose my updates?
If so, is there any other way to restore without having the above setbacks?

Yes, you'll lose your updates, along with any other installed app that didn't come with stock. But you will be able to re-update the apps via Google Play, and you won't lose any purchases you made (they are stored forever on the Google cloud).
I'm not sure why you're concerned about it, though. I can understand not wanting to lose your settings and data, but the only downside to losing app updates is the time and bandwidth required to re-update them afterwards.
Edit: You are probably asking about OS updates. Your phone does not keep an original OS image. Thus, once you update your OS (either by OTA updates or by installing a custom Rom), you will not be able to revert to the older Android version. Doing a factory reset should just reset the phone to a clean slate of the current Android version.

I think he meant OS level updates.

Ah, that makes more sense. I'll update my comment.

That's correct: The term "factory reset" is a bit misleading. It does not refer to "the factory state of the device", but "the factory settings of the current ROM". So if there was an OS update (= ROM), this will stay. But all user data and user-installed apps will be gone.

Performing a factory reset on an Android device does not remove OS upgrades, it simply removes all user data.  This includes the following:

Apps downloaded from Google Play Store, or otherwise side-loaded onto the device (even if you moved them to external storage.)
Preferences and data for all apps, downloaded or pre-loaded on the device. This includes call/SMS/MMS logs, contacts, save games, etc.
Personalized system settings (e.g. saved Wi-Fi networks and passwords, etc.)
Any Google accounts you've added, along with saved credentials.

The factory restore does not touch the following:

Contents of "external" storage (micro-SD Card, or for devices without it a part of internal memory that is set aside for this purpose) such as web downloads, photos and videos you've taken with the device, music you've copied over from your PC, documents, and other media.  Exception is the apps that were moved to "external" storage.
Core components such as system apps* (along with apps pre-loaded by your carrier and/or manufacturer into the system partition,) Android kernel, and bootloader. These core components are what defines the Operating System version.
Network unlock status.

* Keep in mind that if you've updated any system apps via Play Store, those updates will be lost, and the apps will revert to the version that ships with the OS.

Not only did a factory reset delete my note 4 from 6.0.1 back to 4.4.4 it also took it from an un-locked phone and relocked it......o/o    not sure HTF that happened but I can guarantee you that the answer isn't always a definite no.

Definitely, you'll lose all your data but OS upgrades will still remain.
All the installed apps except system apps and their data including contacts, SMS etc. will be temoved, so you will lose your security pin, contacts, browser history and so on but not the system updates.
Your external SD card will not be erased so data present in it will remain.

This post requires editing. Please flag this comment as "no longer needed" if you think the editing is well done.


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Should I keep my Android tablets' power off or leave them on standby mode?
I have two tablets: Allwinner A10 single-core 10 inches (old one) and Allwinner A31 quad-core 9.7 inches (new one).
I notice that sometimes when not using the tablet's standby mode, the battery drain is 20 to 30 percent, there's also a little heat near the battery on the back of the tablet, and it sometimes becomes slow so I have to restart anyway. (I install lots of programs, software, browsers, readers, games, movie/music players. Recently the tablets are filled with Android applications.)
A couple of questions:

Should I keep my Android tablets power off or leave them on standby mode? Which option is better?
Will turning the tablet off at night when not using it increase the tablet's life?
Will it increase the battery life in terms of charge/discharge cycles if the tablet is left off when not used? So it increases battery longevity for years?
Will it also increase the life of the memory card and flash memory (as they are dependent on read/write cycles)? Something might be getting written to them by some background programs if the tablet is on standby?
Will it also increase the MTBF (mean time between failure) and longevity of the ARM processor and other electronic chip components, etc., of the tablets?

Turning the tablet off at night will most likely extend its life, but this defeats the purpose of having a tablet, since a key feature of the tablet is instant power-on from standby.
Generally, there are two things that drain the battery of any device: the display (when it's turned on), and any wireless communications (3G, WiFi, etc).  If you really want to conserve power at night time, turn off the tablet's WiFi and 3G (airplane mode).
The power draw of the CPU and RAM is negligible compared to the power consumption of the display and wireless comms.  And it's normal to feel a little heat near the CPU, the wireless antenna, and the battery when charging.
I wouldn't worry about battery life, in terms of charge-discharge cycles, unless you plan on keeping your tablet for 20 years. The same goes for the MTBF of the physical components.
The flash memory will not go bad if the tablet is left on. In fact, the tablet probably reads and writes to flash more when booting up than when it's idle.
Generally, I would suggest enjoying the tablet the way it's meant to be used!  If it breaks because of normal use, then it wasn't worth having anyway!

Hmm good then i guess it would be better leaving tablet on then turning it off

Also see this: http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/25319/complete-guide-to-maximizing-your-android-phones-battery-life/

I also found this TaskKiller free apk application to kill  unknown unwanted apps that are running in background which also drains battery.  And for reading ebooks at nights on tablet with Moon Reader apk with low light i found this ScreenDim Full application for dimming screen its good saves battery too during reading ebooks.

@Decoder Most "app killers" consumes much more energy for themselves, than they really "free" up. Read more about this subject, as it is very well documented and discussed in the Internet. In most cases, using this kind of apps is not suggested as a good idea. Internal device solutions (software + hardware) does better for this purpose, in general.

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


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Android, typing Czech-specific characters on Samsung Galaxy Tab 2
I have a problem with some characters on Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (GT-P5100). When I set language to "čeština" and type ě (Latin small letter E with caron) as result Android returns ĕ (Latin small letter E with breve) but when I use handwrite typing everything works fine. This behavior causes some search results to not be visible in my Android app. What can I do with it? I wouldn't like to prompt users to install another keyboards.

Not sure what you mean by "handwrite typing". Is that an app? How are you typing in the characters in the first place? Is it possible that they keyboard is getting them wrong? Or the way they're displayed is not distinctive enough? (Honestly, at a quick glance, I can't tell the difference between the characters.) Is one valid for Czech and the other isn't? (That would mean that the developer for the keyboard got it wrong.)

I don't have access to device now but @Al-Everett look at this picture, please. I get first character by long press 'e' using standard samsung keyboard link Second character I get by paint it on something like this: link. These two characters are very similar visually but have another unicode point Correct is char with caron.


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How to gain access to the SPI port on any Android phone
I am a hardware developer and want to connect my hardware board by hacking into the SPI port of a form factor Android Phone.  My objective is to connect my board using jumper wires to a Smartphone to create a near form factor demo. (my board size is about 2" x 3")
My questions are as follows

Do any of you know an easy way to gain access to the SPI bus on any Android Phone?
Can these Android phones be re-flashed after making the required changes to the Kernel to support my board?

Just as an FYI, hardware hacking questions are pretty far outside the ken of this site. While not explicitly off-topic (I don't think, anyway) I don't know that the people you're trying to reach hang out here. We're more about helping people use their Android device as is.

I think you might have more luck with this kind of questions over at [electronics.se].


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Can I get root access on my Nexus 4 without installing custom bootloader, recovery or ROM?
I own a Nexus 4 device and I want to just get root access on my phone so that I can install applications such as AdBlock etc.
I was able to find tutorials online guiding how to root the Nexus phone. But in all those they flash a custom recovery and have to install a custom ROM.
I don't want to install any custom recovery or ROM.
Is it possible to just root my phone without doing those?

I just added your question (device) to our rooting index. You can browse there for possible methods until somebody posts a solution here. With some luck, one of the available methods listed there proves helpful. Good luck meanwhile!

The Nexus Root Toolkit is the way to go, tho note that to unlock the bootloader, you will have to wipe your device.  However, you'll only have to do this once, so when Google's next update removes your root priveleges, you can just run the Root utility in the toolkit.  If the toolkit can't reboot your Nexus 4 into the bootloader, you can do it manually with adb:
adb reboot-bootloader

in cmd and then run the toolkit's Root. If it just reboots normally, try again and it should eventually boot into a recovery tool.  Choose the reboot into system option and it will prompt to fix the su binary permissions and you'll be rooted again.

Although I can't understand the point of why you would want to do what the OP is asking for as you can get everything back to normal essentially by re-locking the bootloader, I guess this is how you would do it, so +1

XDA will be your friend here. BUT here is a tool kit that will root without flashing recovery as long as you dont check the box. MAKE SURE TO BACKUP YOUR STUFF!!!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2015469
Basically it involves downloading the Nexus root kit from http://www.wugfresh.com/nrt/, which will not only lead you through the rooting process, but includes a lot of maintenance tools. A video demo can be found at youtube. Screenshots are included with the thread.
I personally suggest to flash recovery and unlock the bootloader but it is your decision.
Good luck!


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Unable to access the "mmcblk0p6" file, on Samsung S5300 Mini Pocket
I have rooted my Samsung S5300 Mini Pocket Galaxy, and I have entrie SDK installed on my Windows 7 laptop.
Now via Command Prompt I am able to:
adb shell
$ su
#  <--- and get root access

However, if I do something like this:
cat /dev/block/mmcblk0p6

The output in my CMD prompt is BLANK, and it's like the file is empty.
I've been instaling the busybox with all other commands to help me complete this, but I have not accomplished nothing.
Any advices, tips how can I stream into the contents of this particular file?
BTW - I've been trying with Android Commander, but no success either. It says that the file is "empty" => 0 KB.
Thanks all.

That "particular file" is a block device, not an ordinary file. I don't know what you expect in there (I'm not familiar with the device), but it might be some partition. So maybe additionally to what you just tried, you tell us what the problem behind it is? What for do you need/want to "stream into the contents"?

As I've read elsewhere, supposedly the variable "UN_lock_code" is hidden in that file, which calculated with IMEI can give out the Sim Unlocking Code for these divices. That's why I'm trying to access the file.

/dev/block/mmcblk0p6 is not a real file, it is a virtual file representing a block device (that is why it's in /dev/block). 'mmcblk0p6' denotes that it's the sixth partition of the first MMC card. I am not really sure why you want to cat that file.

please read my comment on my question, I've explained all there. thanks


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Can I make a Wi-Fi VoIP call on Google Voice without third party applications?
I can't seem to make pure Wi-Fi VoIP calls on Google Voice without a third party application such as GrooVe IP. Is this the case?

We are not in a position to answer why a certain app was coded by Google in one way or another.  You'll have to request this feature from Google directly.

@Chahk - So first question?

There used to be a way, but Google disabled it after too many people found out about it :(  Details in an answer.

Unfortunately currently there is no way to make a pure VoIP outbound call via Google Voice on Android.
Previously, you could initiate a free call from Gmail on your PC, then press the * key on the keypad which would transfer the call to all other numbers connected to your GV account, and then you'd pick up the "call" on your cell phone and continue the conversation on your mobile which was still VoIP.  Once Google wised up to this feature being used too widely, they changed this functionality to only allow this transfer for incoming calls only.

Thanks for the summary. I can only guess that the service was using too much bandwidth to offer for free?

Either that, out Google didn't want to get the carriers mad... Not yet anyway :)


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Jellybean on Motorola Defy
What is the procedure to install Android 4.1 or 4.2 on a Motorola Defy (MB525)? My phone is currently rooted and running Cyanogenmod 9.

A candidate for How do I update the OS on my device? :) As you're running CM9: check whether CM10 is available for your device, which comes with JB 4.1 (CM10) or 4.2 (CM10.1).

Go to quarx2k.ru, and select one of the 2nd-boot folders. These work for both MB525 and MB526. Simply download and flash, making sure to wipe the system, data, and cache first. If you want google apps, go to goo.im and select 4.2 or 4.1, depending on what version works.
If you want a really stable version, select 4.0 or 4.1.
4.2 was not developed on very much, but 4.3 works, I use it daily.
It's not completely stable, but certainly usable.
4.4 works, but I really don't recommend it as of yet.
Hope this helps, message me if you want more information.

For people who may consider flagging this answer, the site listed does appear to be legit. See https://github.com/Quarx2k

Yeah, Quarx2k is the main developer of unofficial CM versions for Motorola Defy and Defy+. Check out his posts on xda.com, they help explain his ROMs and whatnot.


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I can't send a picture attachment within a text message - using NET10 (Motorola ATRIX 2)
I can't send a picture attachment within a text message - using NET10 (Motorola ATRIX 2) - have only had the service for a month and this is the first time I've tried sending a picture

Why can't you? What have you tried? What were you missing / were did you get stuck? Is an APN for MMS set up on your device? SMS themselves cannot handle pictures -- they are text-only and limited to 160 chars.

For some reason Net10 is famous for this issue - happened to me too. I ended up using a free third party messaging app (Handcent works for me) and I can send and receive picture messages now with no problems. Download one of these messaging apps, and you will not really tell that it is not the messaging app that came with the phone originally; they work and integrate that well.

I also recommend a third party app, but I'd recommend hello bc in addition to sending photos, it handles group text messages the best, another big issue with android text messaging in my opinion.


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Emulate touch scrolling by rotating device - tilt to scroll
Does anyone know of an app that emulates a swipe touch or slow scrolling action  by simply rotating the device? presumably by using the accelerometer sensor. This could be used for example in a pdf reader app, to precisely control the speed of an automatic scrolling page by slightly tilting the device. Any suggestions for how to acheive this?


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How to detect filesystem type of un-mounted partition?
These commands won't work:
fdisk -l      #outputs nothing...
su; fdisk -l  #nothing..
sudo fdisk -l #sudo not found...
parted -l     #parted not found...

Is there any app that shows that easly?
EDIT:
For now I had to attach the sdcard to PC and let Linux mount it, I found the partition was ext3 and not ext2 that I thought! All I read says partition must be mounted to know its type. I think we must create a path and mount it with automatic detection and see mount output to know the partition type.

Related: How do I find what type of file system is of an attached USB or SD card?

Have you got the file command available? This question on SuperUser says that's the way to go.

very interesting, on my PC, this command: sudo file -Ls /dev/sda4; shows, without mounting, that the filesystem is ext4! but file command isnt available on my android :(, I have busybox, but no file command was found :(

mmm, seems we can have the file command: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=25264786, I just dont know if it will work on my android kernel

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


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Vibrate function on my Samsung Galaxy S3 doesn't work though it is turned on. What is the cause?
I have had this phone for a few months and only now did I try to start using the vibrate function.  When I choose "Vibrate" from the drop-down bar it never vibrates when I receive texts though sometimes it works when I use the Facebook messenger app.  I went into settings and enabled everything that has the word "Vibrate" in it.  Also, my phone is on power-saving mode; does that have any impact?
The vibrate function is supposed to notify you of incoming notifications but by vibrate, yes?
Is it a hardware problem?
OS: 4.1.1
Model: SGH-l747M

Power saving mode (by default) turns off some vibration, but it should only turn off the "haptic feedback" vibration (vibration when you touch certain UI controls). You can change that by going to Settings, Power saving mode, and unchecking "Turn off haptic feedback". That's the mode I run my SGS3 in all the time.
To get vibration working for text messages, you also need to enable vibration in the settings of the Messaging app itself (I'm not sure which settings you were referring to when you said that you "went into settings and enabled everything that has the word "Vibrate" in it"). To do that, go to the conversation list in the Messaging app (not an individual conversation), hit the menu button, then select Settings. Look for the "Notification Settings" section and check "Vibrate".
To get vibration working for incoming calls, there is a similar setting in the Phone app. Launch the Phone app, make sure you're on the Keypad, Logs, or Favorites tab, tap the menu button, select Call settings. Then select Ringtones and keypad tones and select Incoming call vibration. The Device vibration will let you modify the vibration pattern used (so you can tell an incoming call from a text message / email).
To get to the Phone and Messaging apps: Press the "home" button at the bottom of the phone (the physical button in the middle). That brings you to your home screen. The touch the "Apps" button (it looks like 9 square white dots, and is usually on the lower right of the home screen). That will bring up a list of all applications installed on the phone. Scroll through looking for an app named Messaging (or Phone). The icon for the Messaging app looks like a white envelope with a yellow piece of paper coming out of it. The icon for the Phone app looks like a green square with a white phone receiver on it. Tap the app icon, then follow the instructions for each app above to activate vibration for text messaging and incoming calls.

My haptic mode has always been off.  I was using Facebook as an example to show that the vibrate function works sometimes but my actual concern is getting notified of incoming calls and texts when my phone is in vibrate-only mode.

I went into my phone "Settings" to make sure all options that have to do with the vibration mode was on.

It's good that you've enabled vibration in the "Settings" app. But it's not enough. You also have to enable it in both the Messaging app and the Phone app. See my answer for instructions, if you need them.

What exactly is the Messaging app?  I'm not interested in getting notifications from Facebook but the text messages I receive directly on my phone. I'm lost.

I can't find my Phone app. Where is it and what does it look like?

What about text messages?  How can I get that working?

Apologies for the delayed response. I'm at work and had to wait until lunch time to respond. I've edited my answer again with instructions on how to get to the Phone (the app that handles making and receiving calls) and Messaging (the apps that handles sending and receiving text messages) apps.

Awesome , found the text one.  Under Ringtones in the phone app vibrate is already enabled.  Let me try it out.

You can try it in other modes than power saving. To make you phone in Vibrate only mode, hit the volume keys till the volume bars come down and shows the vibrate mode.
Yes when on vibrate mode all notification via WhatsApp or FB messenger will be via vibration only.

I was having the same problem with the vibration for my phone even when vibration was turned on for calls/texts/etc  until I realized  it was because the vibration intensity was turned all the way down.  Go  to Settings,  click on Sound,  then  click on  Vibration Intensity  and make sure it's turned up.


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Recent Apps shows app contents even though when its locked
I am trying to figure out how to hide an app from being seen when you hit the recent apps button.
I use ZDBox's app lock to hide my apps and files when needed but noticed that when I hit the recent apps button the app is perfectly visible in its last viewed state (resulting in not so much privacy).
Has anyone found a solution for this?
Update : Still haven't found any solution for this yet :( Below are some discussions I bumped into while searching for it on the web
Is there a way to hide an application permanently from Recent apps history in ICS?

We've encountered this problem on a previous project I was on, a big banking application.
For added security we made the app to automatically log-out after five minutes of inactivity. We found it disturbing for the user that Android OS would still show your personal account info in the Recent Apps overview. This would be visible until you really closed the app, rebooted your Android or returned to the app and exited it on a screen without any banking info.
After quite some research we found out that Android (since ICS, so Android 4.0 and up) is using the internal screenshot feature to capture the screen for use in Recent Apps. There seemed to be no user option available to prevent this, only the developer of an app can restrict this.
You can ask the devs of ZDbox to include this feature in their app or options by contacting them at service@zdworks.com
Just a heads-up: If a dev does this, then the screenshot goes full black. We decided to offer a placeholder image instead, so it doesn't look bugged to the average user, see bottom app in screenshot below.
Hope this info is still usefull to you! :)

You could use audio manager (actually a app hider) to lock apps, I have had no issues with it, it closes apps when you navigate out of them (press home or recents)

A link to the app you're recommending would be helpful, especially if it has a non-descriptive name.

Just search audio manager in the play store (top result, called 'hide it pro' now), I agree, links are useful, but when guaranteed search terms are more useful, either way link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.smartanuj.hideitpro


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Can I send Ctrl+C to Android terminal from Windows Powershell?
Adb shell should let me Ctrl+C to exit a command like top. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to work in Windows. Is there a workaround?

any solution about it?

What doesn't let you use Ctrl+C? Powershell? cmd.exe?


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how to lower boot up time? (many apps 122, rooted device)

[old subject: link2sd not mounting second partition, "quick restart"
  fails too]
[IMPORTANT: boot time took 20 minutes, see at the end...]
My phone suddenly reboot (while I was sleeping), and from that on,
  link2sd fails to mount the 2nd partition that was working flawlessly
  for a long time.
Now, everytime I boot, it freezes on black screen, until I unplug the
  sdcard, then it shakes and continues booting. After plug the sdcard
  back it seems to create this device: /dev/block/mmcblk1p2 (instead of
  mmcblk0p2).
After I re-insert the sdcard, link2sd fails to mount again, I recreate
  the scripts, do a "quick reboot" but it fails again. (I guess it was
  expecting mmcblk1p2 but sdcard was now back at mmcblk0p2).
I plug the sdcard on pc and the 2nd partition data is there, it is
  ext3, all seems ok there.
This
  Partitioned sdcard not working with link2sd,
  does not work for me :(
I changed the script at
  /data/data/com.buak.Link2SD/files/init-link2sd.sh that was created
  with mmcblk1p2 to mmcblk0p2. After that, a "quick reboot" wont work
  despite I got /data/sdext2 mounted (manually with terminal).
A normal reboot sends me back to the black screen, my guess is I have
  "created a linked app" that may have widget but I dont know which one.
  I tried a few I remembered but didnt work, still same problem...
I am still fighting with this... I will try more tricks and report
  later...
Any tips (tricks) ?
EDIT: I used adb logcat (found good tutorial here:
  http://www.howtogeek.com/125769/how-to-install-and-use-abd-the-android-debug-bridge-utility/)
  and the last log message was:
D/dalvikvm( 1506): GC_FOR_MALLOC freed 830K, 37% free 6859K/10759K, external 1429K/1581K, paused 77ms

After that it froze, I started it again and it brought more log than
  before...
After 20 minutes, the phone finally completely boot up! thats too much
  time... now it seems to be working ok... At this point my question
  changes to "how to lower boot up time?" is it ok to change the
  subject?

subject: how to lower boot up time?
So scanPackage took too much time and I am uninstalling not needed packages... I guess it is good to keep the other research info I did so people can come here and understand they just need to wait a long time if they have too many apps installed on a not so fast device.

Of course it is OK to change the subject if it turns out it doesn't really fit -- I'd say this is such a case. Even more, I'd suggest you do so :) As to your problem: if you have another SDCard to play with, it might be worth to try and see if the problem occurs with that as well. Could be some trouble with the card -- not the first I've heard of.

thx! I have 122 installed apps, 18 are frozen with link2sd, I will uninstall them... the logcat has this line "I/PackageManager( 1506): Time to scan packages: 949.159 seconds" that is 15 minutes only to scan packages!

btw, another bkp app tells me I have 219 apps installed...

Time to cleanup. Do you really need that many apps? Are you really using them? Cannot imagine that :)

I took a look, I use 90% of them, I did remove the biggest ones (mostly games) about 13, and the "Time to scan packages" improved only to 14min, not that good... I am researching on how to fix that packages scanner, most apps are on sdext2 (may be if the scan could happen before it is mounted, but I understand it can be messy, just an idea..), anyway my root is kernel 2.6.35, I am thinking on getting version 4, my guess they may have improved it? anyway why I research on it? if I need the phone on emergency and need to reboot, I need to unplug the sdcard to boot, and will miss most apps...

Aren't you mixing up kernel version with Android version now? I didn't know that any Android version already came with a kernel version 4.x (AFAIK there is not even such a kernel now). According to Wikipedia, Jelly Bean (Android 4.1/4.2) ships with kernel 3.0.31. And most likely it's not your root, but your system coming with a kernel ;)

@AquariusPower: Please do not put your solution in the body of your question. Please answer your own question with the solution.

@Izzy android is 2.3.6, kernel 2.6.35.7 :). @ Al Everett I will as soon I can actually improve the boot time lowering it; currently I went from 15min to 14min, so I didnt solve it yet..

just for info, my boot just took 40 minutes... it seems to scanPackage 2 times them all... that's insane... I think I will give up and try the new android 4 (they released one for galaxy y duos, I just need to find the rooted one)


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*#7284# not launching phoneutil
My tablet is not getting connected through USB.
It's showing me the error" "USB device not recognised"
On one forum I read to dial *#7284# and it will launch Phoneutil.
But in my case it's not working.

Please edit your question to include the device you're having trouble with.

It seems that the code is specific for Samsung devices. Therefore, if your device is made by another manufacturer, it doesn't work (if the manufacturer hasn't added it specifically).

My device is of Ployer. So, is there any other way.?

Not that I'm aware of. Seems that PhoneUtil is a Samsung-only thing.


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How to mute on Galaxy s2 on android 4.1.2
Have just updated software to android 4.1.2 and whereas before one went to settings - sound - and had options mute vibrate so you could mute the phone this new version does not offer that.  How do I mute the phone now?

Just hit the volume buttons in the main screen and you should be able to move to silent mode.

Thanks for the prompt reply.  Initially I had no idea what you were referring to - being a bit dim, but if one touches the top of the screen and 'slides' down it displays settings which include 'Mute'.  So, many, many, thanks - this OAP got there in the end!!


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XXDMC3 update for Galaxy Note 2
What exactly does it fix? By googling I got to know that it fixes some bug related to the lock screen. Do any one know of that bug. Got to know regarding this as I got a notification regarding software update in the device.

The update is just a bug fix update, no new features. The lock screen bug that you mentioned allowed bypassing the lock screen for a short amount of time, details can be found for example on TheVerge or AndroidCentral.


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selecting a chime in Caynax Hourly Chime
In Caynax Hourly Chime when I select chime option a dialog with a Search button appears. But while I have some sound file in my SD it do not show them. How can I choose chime file in this app?

You need to place your audio files in the correct directory structure, as I explained in this answer:
There are special directories you can use to store your custom "noises". The "starting point" (root-of-noises-dir) may be different between devices (so this is rather a generic answer, as I do not own all of them) -- pick one and check if it works, if not, pick the next:
/sdcard/media/audio
/sdcard/media
/sdcard

In there, put the directories for the specific events:
┌───────────────┬───────────────────────┐
| directory     | description           |
├───────────────┼───────────────────────┤
| alarms        | for your alarm clock  |
| notifications | for... notifications? |
| ringtones     | for incoming calls    |
| ui            | keyboard click etc.   |
└───────────────┴───────────────────────┘

Then place your sound files into the appropriate directories. Done. Now you should be able to pick them in your configuration(s).
Alternatively, for an easy, non-techy way, you might want to take a look at the Ringdroid app (a Howto can be found e.g. at MakeTechEasier).

Thanks, In my device such folders are in /sdcard/*. Also I have some mp3 files in them, unfortunately yet the app do not show the mp3 files.

I don't know the Caynax, so I cannot tell for sure. Have you tried all 3 variants? Which one finally works might be differently implemented by the vendors' custumizations. For an easy, non-techy way, you might want to take a look at the Ringdroid app (Howto).

free app version lists all sounds up to 30 sec. You don't need to place them in specific folder. To refresh list that app uses you can unmount sdcard and place it again and then start app. if you have really lots of sound files it might take awhile to load.


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Custom keyboard shortcuts for Android
I am trying to create some custom shortcuts for often-used words/phrases using the built in dictionary, but have run into a roadblock.
I'm trying to follow the instructions in this blog post, specifically:

Tap Settings, Language & Input, then “Personal dictionary.” (Note: the exact settings may differ depending on the make and model of your Android phone.)
Tap the “+” sign in the top-right corner of the screen, then enter the word or phrase (like “on my way”) you’d like to make a shortcut for.
Next, type a brief shortcut that’s easy to remember; for example, “omw” for “on my way.”
Tap the Back key, and you’ll see an entry for the shortcut you just added. Want to add more shortcuts? Tap the “+” sign again.
Now, go to the Messaging app, compose a new message, and tap one of your new shortcuts—and when you do, the phrase you entered will appear in the row of auto-correct options just above the keyboard. Tap the phrase to add it to your message.

However, I'm not able to find these settings on my Galaxy Note 2. How can I do this?
In the first step itself I am stuck. Didn't find any option for 'Personal Dictionary' sort of thing.
Tap Settings, Language & Input, then “Personal dictionary.”

Are you talking about auto-correct or are you looking for a text expander you can customize? Did you search for "text expander" on the Play Store? Which of those apps have you tried and why won't they work for you?

@AlEverett, I have seen the text expander but did not try. Am looking from the default OS itself.
Have seen this
http://heresthethingblog.com/2012/12/04/androidiphone-tip-create-custom/
But couldn't find it in Galaxy Note 2.

Not every device has this feature. I tested on my samsung-galaxy-s-3, and it doesn't have this option either, but the nexus-7 and nexus-10 do. I'm not sure whether the feature was only added in 4.2-jelly-bean, or if it's just missing from Samsung ROMs. Either way, you probably want a third-party text expander app as others have suggested.

For what it's worth, I can do it on my Galaxy Nexus.

What version is it on? That would provide a minimum bound on what stock Android versions have it.

4.2.2. Now that Verizon has finally joined the club I think all GNex's should be up to that.

OK, so that just tells us it's available on stock 4.2, which we already knew.

I can do it on Xperia SP (stock) running 4.1. I dont know on which version it appeared but I use the Google keyboard app from the play store, so it must be available to anyone who can install it ( 4.0+?)

For what its worth...
On my galaxy note 2, I found the "Personal Dictionary" option by tapping the gear icon next to "Google Keyboard". I didn't find "Personal Dictionary" under any other keyboard option though, so it may be limited to the Google Keyboard.

On my Galaxy S4, I discovered that when you hold your finger down to bring up the menu ("copy, paste, select all, ..."), one of the items is "clipboard" and it contains the last up-to-20 things you copied to the clipboard.  While your clipboard is open, you can delete stuff that you no longer want on the clipboard.
You can also "lock" stuff to the clipboard, which stops it from "scrolling off" once you copy twenty more items.  When you lock an item to the clipboard, it gets a little overlay icon of a lock.  However, when I was testing this and copied twenty more items, the content displayed in the 20th item was incorrect.  I thought I had lost the text I locked, but when I exited and got back in later, the correct text was there.  That's a very minor bug and probably only happens when you open the clipboard and mess with it until an item you locked would otherwise scroll off - not something that would ever normally happen.
Unfortunately, overloading clipboard functionality with memorized-phrases functionality is NOT sufficient when there are only 20 slots (only ten can be locked at one time).  However, it will serve me almost as well at least until I have 10 items locked in there. Then I'll look for the "text-expander" app that @Al E. mentioned.


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Android stock mail app does not retrieve IMAP mails
Last week my native Android mail client stopped retrieving mail.  It can still send mail.  An identically configured K-9 mail app does retrieve email.  The server is a dovecot mail server, both clients use the IMAP protocol.
When the Android native client connects, it sends:
239 SELECT "INBOX"
240 UID SEARCH 44:68 NOT DELETED
241 NOOP
242 NOOP
243 CAPABILITY
244 LIST "" "INBOX.*"

The server's reply to the UID SEARCH:
* SEARCH 11201 11202 11203 11204 11205 11206 11207 11208 11209 11210 11211 11212 11213 11214 11215 11216 11217 11218 11219 11220 11221 11222 11223 11224 11225
240 OK Search completed (0.000 secs).

These results look exactly like the results the K-9 app gets.  Any idea why the native client does not pickup the mail?  It doesn't show any mail at all.

Have you tried removing the account in the stock email app and readding it?

@ZnewmaN: Yes. Before I removed it it still showed last weeks mail, after that the inbox was entirely empty.


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Galaxy Nexus always rotates a picture - portrait instead of landscape and vice versa
A pal of mine says his Galaxy Nexus always rotates a picture - takes it portrait instead of landscape and landscape when set to portrait. Any ideas why does it happen and how to fix it?

I have not faced such a issue with my GNex yet(running stock Android 4.2.2)
The orientation of the settings also depend on the orientation is set. Suppose he wants to take a photo in portrait, ask him to take the phone in portrait mode and then make the setting as portrait mode.


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changing the lock screen time and date display lg l5
How do i change the design and look of the time and date display on my lock screen?  Where is the option that lets you change the design/way the time and date is displayed?

You can customize these clock and date styles only if the screen lock is Swipe.
Even you can choose between Analog and Digital clocks and much more.
If screen lock option is Pattern/Password, this clock/date styles can not be changed.

I figured out you can't have your screen lock security as a pattern. It can only be swiped to change the clock.


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Do I need to wipe anything before restoring a full nandroid backup?
I'm used to wiping everything when installing a new ROM, but I would like to know if a nandroid restore automatically wipes out the partitions it is recovering.
When I run a restore, I see some messages saying it is "formatting cache" and "erasing boot before restore", but the rest of my partitions (system, data, .android_secure, etc) don't have any accompanying messages about them being cleared first.
Does a nandroid restore overwrite partitions, or does it merge the files with the current structure?
And in the interest of making this applicable to a wider audience, is the process different for different phones (some have extra partitions) or different versions of clockworkmod? Or is the process the same for everyone?

I tested this, and your concern is valid.
I added a dummy file to /system and then did a nandroid restore.  The dummy file survived.  Repeated the same test on /data with same result.  So I don't know why CWM doesn't wipe those partitions first.
The CWM author probably made an assumption it doesn't matter or there may be a valid reason they don't get wiped.

Or perhaps it's a bug in CWM.  And if it is a CWM bug, it wouldn't be the first.  :)

For certain devices, such as the Nexus 7, that is not possible because the stock ROM unifies /data and what would normally be used as an SD card with FUSE mounts. If the restore program erased the /data partition, it would wipe out the backup because it's stored within /data.
For example, with TWRP it'd be at /data/media/0/TWRP/BACKUPS/(deviceSerial)/ in a subdirectory of one's choosing, but by default is composed of YYYY-MM-DD-HH-MM-SS (buildID) when the backup was started, for example "2013-12-28-14-12-18 KOT49H".
What I think TWRP will attempt to do on a restore is to recursively unlink(2)/rmdir(2) everything EXCEPT the TWRP directory tree. When I did a restore, it printed a message about wiping /data.
It very well could depend on which recovery you use too. TWRP might have a different way than CWM, which may be different from COT and so on.  It might also depend on whether the device has an SD card slot or not (a Nexus 7 does not).

Usually a NAND restore will overwrite the partitions it restores completely. Everything currently on the partition will be overwritten, and the exact same state from the backup will be restored. So wiping before restoring is not really necessary, as it will be completely overwritten anyway.
Instead it is usually recommended to wipe cache partitions (including dalvik cache) after the NAND backup is restored to make sure that the restored state can be recovered correctly (and is not affected by cache issues).

Your answer is what I had originally thought. However, could you provide a link or resource that shows this answer to be accurate? The overall purpose of the question is so that I could know definitively what happens (or is supposed to happen), and not just what I think should happen.

Unfortunately no, I don’t have any source to back this answer up. The only thing would be experience, as restoring a backup never leaves anything that has happened since the backup was created (which is its purpose; to restore exactly to the point when the backup was made).


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Is there some app that allows me to answer phone calls with my computer?
Is there an app that allows me to answer phone calls with my computer? Sometimes it's uncomfortable to receive phone calls with the headset of my smartphone, it would be nice to talk when receiving a phone call through my computer headset which is way more comfortable.
Note: No, there isn't a comfortable headset in the near markets.

Is Google Voice available in your area? (That's what I use to answer phone calls on my computer.)

There is at least one. See this post on XDA developers for the Play store link and some extra tweaks the post author needed to perform.

Yes. But I want to use my cellphone service for the call.


text:
How to save Facebook and Skype information to Google contacts?
I've looked around this site and in spite of what I read I can't figure out the following:
How do I save my merged contact information into a Google contact?
For instance, I have a friend F who has a phone number Fp a mail address Fm, a Skype username Fs and and Facebook username Ff. Although these data are merged into a single F contact on android, I cannot see Fs and Ff in F's Google contact.
How can I really merge the data so it all shows into Google accounts?

Yes you can, as far as Facebook you need to use an external agent. Here is what I mean:
Because Facebook does not work with Google very well you have to sign up for Yahoo! Mail.
In the contacts option you will be able to import your contacts from Facebook. Once you do that you can then export them as a spreadsheet and then once again import them into Google Contacts using the import feature.
Skype would be different as you would have to class their Skype username as a note rather than a phone number or email, you would have to do that manually.

Thanks. It seems though the answer should be "No you can't but there is a workaround..."   Do I understand you well saying the issue is a kind of embargo on Facebook and Skype by Google? If so are there alternate, third-party, contact databases I could use, which would collect all contact information?

Yeah sorry about that. I did some more research and it turns out that although not listed, Google Contacts would let you add your friends skype name under the "Internet Call" category. Interestingly you are also able to create your own category which you could name "Skype" if you wish. These can be found once you click the "Add" button on your contact. You will still however have to add your Skype details manually. Hope this helps :)

No, Google doesn't have an embargo, facebook has an embargo, and makes it nearly impossible to extract friend's data. (Same with skype, but I think that's just poor desgin on skype's part).  The data that can be extracted, yahoo makes it easier than any other service.


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Nexus 7 , Android Ver. 4.2.2, Locking icons down on home screen
We have a set of 30 Nexus 7's that are checked out by students who constantly delete/move/add icons on the home screen.  We would like to lock the home screen icons so that they cannot be deleted/moved or added to.  Is this possible?

Not without changing the launcher, I suspect.

Have a play with SureLock in the Play store. It is pretty good at locking the home screen down.