text:
How is the market divided between Android CPU architectures?
There is a very similar question on this site but it is outdated and contains no/outdated statistical sources.
I want to know how is the market divided between arm64-v7a, arm64-v8a, armeabi (I know it's deprecated now), x86, etc...
The best answer would be if there is some statistic made that shows the percentages of each type.
The reason I am asking is because I am a mobile developer and I want to know if I make an app that runs on 64-bit processors only, then what percentage of people won't be able to use the app.

Tlherke is no arm64-v7a architecture, only arm-v7 (32 bit). And armeabi is an alias for arm-v7a. x86 is effectively dead and is only relevant for emulators (and may be Android on Chromebooks? Not sure how many x86 Chromebooks exist). For new Android phones and tablets my guess would be 99% arm64-v8a (some may use armv9a but that is effectively just an extension to arm-v8a).

@Robert pardon my ignorance, thanks for the info, so you're saying if I build an android app that supports only 64 bit processors it will run on the vast majority (your guess is >99%) of the devices? (Do know somewhere we can see usage statistics?)

No I did not say that the market share is 99% of arm64 devices, I said that today are, except may be from some special Android devices, all phones supporting arm64-v8a and for the last few years this is also true. But if you consider older devices sold may be 5 years ago an older than you may still find arm-v7a only devices.

that answers my question, thanks, you can post an answer as well if you have some percentages

You also need to consider that OS and that hardware is used by others, i.e. I can run the Android OS on my PC via virtualbox/vmware player, Windows and Linux can also run on Arm CPU devices

Based on researching the update to the Unity Stats from Khemraj Sharma's answer, apparently there was an update to the Unity Analytics called Market Insights that also shows the CPU distribution.
From Where's the Unity stats page gone?, trucn, a Unity Technology staff posted (2018),

Good news! We've brought back some of the data from the old hwstats page in the Operate Dashboard. We have plans to expand our offering in the future and offer more detailed breakdowns and metrics, but this isn't on the near near horizon yet.
If you go to the Unity Dashboard Operate Tab and navigate into any project, it's under Analytics > Market Insights (I know, not super intuitive and don't ask why it's living here :p)
View attachment 293142
The URL path is:
https://operate.dashboard.unity3d.com/organizations/<YOUR ORG ID HERE>/projects/<YOUR PROJECT ID HERE>/hwstats

As of Q3 2022, the reported distribution for Android is:

CPU
Percentage (%)

ARM64
63.63%

ARMv7
19.09%

x86 SSE3 SSE4.1 SSE4.2 AVX AVX2
0.07%

x86-64 SSE3 SSE4.1 SSE4.2 AVX
0.03%

x86-64 SSE3 SSE4.1 SSE4.2 AVX AVX2
0.03%

x86-64
0.02%

Intel Pentium
<0.01%

Others
17.14%

(Note that the current URL for Market Insight is https://dashboard.unity3d.com/organizations/<YOUR ORG ID HERE>/projects/<YOUR PROJECT ID HERE>/analytics/hwstats and it's not linked to the new Gaming Service dashboard)

are these stats dependent on the unity account?

@Haidar no, the Market Insight is global. I just created a developer account without having any working projects.

Do you know what the 17% "Others" actually consists of? I'm sure it isn't MIPS[64], the only other Android hardware platforms that have existed.

@JohnDallman unfortunately I don't have a clue either, and for some reason, I currently have difficulty in accessing that page again with my account.

@AndrewT. Taking another look at that graph, I'm pretty sure it's an a reporting error. There hasn't been a new Android platform that grew from 0% in 3Q21 to 17% in 3Q22. However, that's rather similar to the growth of Android 12 market share for the same period; if Unity was failing to recognise Android 12 hardware for some reason, that would fit. Another possibility would be a failure to recognise ARMv9, but the dates don't line up.


text:
New "Open PDF" App
I have a POCO F3 Xiaomi phone not rooted.
Recently when I try to open a PDF file from the WhatsApp, in the list of apps able to open it (Drive, Dropbox PDF viewer, Word, ... are the choices), there is a new app called Open PDF. I never installed it and I can't find it in the settings. So I cannot uninstall it.
I'm worrying.
Is it a virus? How to uninstall it?
Note: As @Robert asked in comment, I have a System apps Updater, I think from Xiaomi. This updater appears to modify my default settings and installs apps against my will.
Now I am almost sure that this app is from CamScanner.

Have you installed a system update recently?

@Robert yes, I think from Xiaomi

Than congratulate yourself. You have a new bloatware from your OEM to enjoy. If you want to know when this app was installed and where this is a system app you can use App Manager app to find those details.

@Firelord you recommend to remove it?   I have bitdefender and I see no alert

I suggest that you investigate whether its installation/update time coincides with the time you updated your device or system apps. Once you identify the source of this app (that is to say -- what installed it in your device), you can decide whether to keep it or remove/disable it. // Antivirus apps are mostly useless in Android against the kind of threat this app may pose (if it decides to go rogue). You can't rely on these antivirus apps in Android.

@Firelord I checked, this app is not in the updates. But a fue weeks ago, some documents, texts or PDF were possible to open only with Xiaomi apps and I uninstalled them, links also were opened only by mi browser. I uninstalled the mi browser and the problem disappeared.

Hi, looks like you've found the solution by yourself, which is great! Consider posting it as a proper answer since self-answering is not only allowed, but even encouraged. Thanks!

Use Netguard firewall, apart from being a firewall it also lists down all the apps (both system and installed) on your phone, find that pdf app you are concerned about , copy the package name (it looks something like com.blah.bla.openpdf), then, go to your pc, install platform tools from google, enable developer options on your phone, enable usb debugging, connect your phone to pc using usb cable, open command prompt in the platform tools folder you downloaded (extract the zip after downloading), write adb devices , this will prompt you to allow usb debugging on your phone, allow it, then write adb uninstall <package name>  and then you should see “success”. The app will then be gone, do this for all the bloatware apps that you don’t like. Just make sure that you don’t remove certain xiaomi apps such as the security app, it will break your phone.

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


text:
How to recover data on a phone stuck in boot?
I know it is a common question.
But I have been browsing the internet for the past 2 days and I can't find the answer to my specific case.
So, I have a Redmi Note 5 pro Indian model. But for the past 2 days, It has been stuck on booting up.
I can enter Fastboot( Vol down+Power button), But I can't enter Recovery mode.
The phone is stuck on Mi logo. Even when I enter the Fastboot, It is stuck on the Fastboot logo.
I have tried all the key combos.I have also let the phone discharge completely (The screen turns off and notification light blinks) and charge a bit before trying to boot it up. I also have ADB in my laptop. I have USB DEBUGGING ENABLED on the phone, But bootloader is locked(Never played with flashing and all).
I tried connecting the phone to the laptop too, But ADB doesn't recognize the device. I believe for the device to be recognized, It has to boot up atleast?
Anyway, I really want to recover my data from the internal storage of the phone. Is there anyway I can do this? Please help.

Hello. What are you hoping to achieve by booting into recovery mode? Stock Recovery doesn't provide access to Internal storage through adb. And a custom recovery cannot be booted into unless bootloader is unlocked. Is the data you are after not synced to your Google account (Contacts and Photos especially)?

@Firelord Hey, I had read that I could try clearing the cache and try to reboot. The photos and contacts are synced. However, I have been writing and maintaining a personal diary for the past 3 years. It has some precious memories,entries along with some photos. This is NOT Synced. This is the only data that I really don't want to lose. Is there any way of like maybe reinstalling the OS or something(Similar to what we do on Windows) without losing the app data?

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


text:
Change default print settings
I'm printing from my Samsung Galaxy Note10+ to a Xerox VersaLink C405 and the default print settings are not what I want:

(Ignore the number of pages; this is just to serve as an example.)
I want to use Letter paper and double-sided printing as default. But changes to the settings here are not retained for future jobs. I could not find anything in the system settings or the "More options" dialog that would let me set the defaults. I can otherwise print without issues.
The phone is running One UI 4.1 (Android 12) and has the Xerox print service plugin installed. Is there some way to change the default print settings?


text:
Export opened Chrome tabs to a document, or bookmark them all
Using Android phone, how can I create a list of all my opened Chrome tabs to an Excel or Word file; or save them all in a new Bookmark Folder so I can close them all, but view them later?

Hi Heidi, sounds like you are might be looking for a session manager that allows you to save all the open tabs in a browser session and give the session a label. Then reopen it or another one at a later time by selecting it in the session manager.  Maybe use that to search for or a mobile browser that supports that functionality.

Don't know how from Android.
But from a PC it's easy, with adb (Install the platform-tools package if adb from your terminal doesn't work):
adb forward tcp:9222 localabstract:chrome_devtools_remote
wget -O tabs.json http://localhost:9222/json/list

Look out for the popup on your phone when you run adb, and allow debugging. See the page at the platform tools above on how to do that, it's a menu setting on your phone.
Converting from it to Excel, you can do it online, or you can install Python and do it on your PC. Create a convert.py file with the following:
import pandas
pandas.read_json("tabs.json").to_excel("tabs.xlsx")

And run it:
python3 convert.py


text:
Endless loop after account password change
I recently changed my Google account password, logging myself out of my Android tablet. It shows an alert of "account action required". Tapping the alert brings me to a page with "Verify that it's you. You were signed out of your Google Account. Sign in again to continue.". Tapping next brings me to the password prompt, but before I have the chance to input my password (even pasting from clipboard) the input loses focus and a loading spinner appears for a few seconds and I'm redirected to the "Verify that it's you" page.
I couldn't remove the account, probably because it's the only account on the device.
What can I do to get my account signed in again?

How old is the used Android device (which Android version is running)? Android can be used without any accounts installed, so that you can't remove the account may indicate that the phone has other problems.


text:
How can I find and remove forbidden characters in a filename?
In Windows, I often use copying a piece of text into notepad as a way of removing special characters that can cause trouble. This became a much more urgent problem in Android six months or so ago, when Android started rejecting any effort to rename a file that contained one or more forbidden printing or non-printing characters such as a colon or a carriage return. This change was not accompanied by any change to indicate what or where the problem character is.
Since I often try to rename PDF files with the real name of the document, copied from within the document, this has been a huge inconvenience. Is there any android text editing spp that removes or renders visible illegal characters as notepad does? Or has anyone found a good solution to this problem?

Use mv / sed or detox or convmv on any terminal emulator app. Btw a file cannot exist with "forbidden" characters in its name. They should be just "bad" characters; difficult to handle with common filesystem utilities or difficult to perceive.

I learnt to do it with SED years ago, I vaguely recall doing it with macro's


text:
Open embedded audio and video in Word documents
How can I open embedded audio or video files in Word documents? I can play their audio/video files on my computer when I open the document with Microsoft Office, but on my phone, I can just see the text on the files.

On your computer are these audio and video files opened/played in an another program (such as Windows Media Player/ VLC) or are they played within MS Word?

@Firelord: They are opened in VLC.

Embedding video in a HTML document should allow anyone viewing the document to watch/play the video.  @Firelord people should not have to install apps to view videos in his document.

I'm asserting that Microsoft Corporation has not ported this feature to their MS Office and Word apps. Why they have not implemented this feature since so long so is not something I would delve into. My assertion is based on the following arguments I'm providing.
The "technical limitations"  mentioned in a thread on Microsoft Answers forum has not been explained or discussed. AFAIK, no such limitation exist. Much like how MS Word operates on the Desktop by downloading the embedded media and playing it in an external app/program, MS Word for Android can do the same. In Android, MS Word has to download the media in a location where third-party apps can access it. Download or Document folder under Internal Storage (/sdcard) can be used for this. MS Word can then fire an intent so that relevant apps which can open the downloaded media can play it, or alternatively, show up as options to the user to choose from to play the media with.
If the privacy or confidentiality of embedded media is a concern for not allowing third-party apps to access embedded media, and hence, dropping the feature altogether, than MS Word can create a proprietary or FOSS -- to reduce development costs -- audio and video player and ask the user to install it. This extension app coming from Microsoft can be programmed to have access to private data of MS Word app. This way, privacy and confidentiality concerns would be alleviated since the player would be Microsoft owned and verified.
I'm not an Android developer but I do think that porting this feature is possible. This is a matter of "when this feature would be ported", and not "whether this can be ported or not".

Doesn't seem to be possible for Word and PDF files due to imposed limitations of the OS and creators of that software, but however does seem to work for html5
Audio
Video

What do you mean by "imposed limitations"? What prevents MS Word on Android from saving the embedded audio/video in an accessible location (to other apps) in /sdcard and than broadcasting an intent so that relevant apps can show up in "Open with this app" dialog? Could it not be just that this feature has not been ported to MS Word app for Android so far and that feature can actually work if it is ported?

You can use links to other programs, but the files themselves do not play in word.  You can create a document in HTML and play the audio/video without the need for 3rd party apps, per say.  I thought that was what the Opening Poster wanted to do.

@Firelord Adobe doesn't seem to support Android for multimedia - https://community.adobe.com/t5/acrobat-discussions/play-embedded-media-in-android-mobile/td-p/11925477

@Archerbob re: HTML, while it may be valid as an alternative solution, this is assuming that the OP is also the creator of the document, not a recipient.


text:
Fingerprint will not open
My passwords are kept in passwords.google.com. When I am on my Samsung 52 and I need one of my passwords, and I go to Google Password Manager to get it, Android asks me to "verify it's [me]." I understand that I need to get past "use [my] screen lock" so Google knows it's me. I want to use my fingerprint to authenticate, but when I click on the "Continue" button, it says "Screenlock didn't work." I can click on the "Try Again" button, but screen lock doesn't work again, and I get caught in an endless loop of being denied. (There is login with password option, but my password is long and very random and very slow and tedious to type.) This is very frustrating and keeps me from getting my passwords stored by Google on my Google phone. What is the solution/fix for this?

I assume fingerprint unlocking on regular lock screen works without problems, only within Google Password Manager it makes problems?

Yes my fingerprint works everywhere else

Could you clarify on how you access the Google Password Manager? Did you mean from the link https://passwords.google.com/? Or from Settings - Google - Autofill - Autofill with Google - Passwords?


text:
How to turn on the wi-fi hotspot using command line with root?
I've read a lot posts about it like How to turn on the wi-fi hotspot using ADB? but all of them based on "click emulations", but I have root and it doesn't solve my problem.
I've tried VPN Hotspot app and it work perfectly even without root permissions (using only "WRITE_SETTINGS" perm.)
I need to enable it using command line even when phone is locked, something like:
adb shell su -c service call connectivity 24 i32 0 i32 0 i32 0 s16 random

but for Wi-Fi tethering.
I've Android 11 rooted device.
Update
I found that it is possible to do this through a similar command:
service call tethering 4 null s16 random

void startTethering(in TetheringRequestParcel request, String callerPkg, String callingAttributionTag, IIntResultListener receiver);

But first argument null is wrong because here must be this interface:
parcelable TetheringRequestParcel {
    int tetheringType;
    LinkAddress localIPv4Address;
    LinkAddress staticClientAddress;
    boolean exemptFromEntitlementCheck;
    boolean showProvisioningUi;
    int connectivityScope;
}

How to put it instead of null?

connectivity service does not have a method to start Wi-Fi hotspot. tethering service indirectly calls wifi service which you can call directly.
startSoftAp and startTetheredHotspot methods start the hotspot, and stopSoftAp stops, as the names suggest.
For Android 11, the order of three methods is 47, 48 and 49 respectively. So to start:
~# service call wifi 47

And to stop:
~# service call wifi 49

No configuration argument is required. Android automatically picks the saved AP configuration.
If a package name is required as argument, try to provide an empty string or null or android or com.android.shell.
Check the method number for your Android version in the service interface file: android.net.wifi.IWifiManager.aidl linked above.
All three methods require android.permission.NETWORK_STACK which has a protection level: signature, so won't work without root.

Related:

How to configure and Enable WiFi Hotspot through terminal without ROOT
How to create a WiFi hotspot from the terminal?

Thanks! It works! But I want to know for the feauture, what I should do when I want to call throw service call method where some argument is object like in my case parcelable TetheringRequestParcel. Is it possible to call some methods like it or only simple like wifi?

@mixalbl4 you can only pass basic data types from shell like integers or strings. See service -h. Parcel is a Java object, so you need to write Java code.


text:
Why would 5G be significantly slower than 4G?
I have a 5g enabled Pixel 4a phone and am using it in an area with excellent T-mobile 5G coverage. For some reason when network preferences are set to 5g, the data rate is a small fraction of the speed that can be achieved when 4g is used in the same location at the same time. Could this be caused by a device defect or is there some other explanation?

Cellular networks are a shared media, so if too many users with high bandwidth demand use the same 5G cell tower segment the speed goes down. May be 4G is only used by older phones and users that don't use so much network and in the end more data transmission is left for you.

@Robert That case can be ruled out because I have another 5g device nearby that is able to get constant superfast 5g speeds.

Are you equipped to be ruling things out? 5G isn't one flavor even in the same coverage area on the same network.  Pixel 4a (non-Verizon) supports the slowest version.  What does your super-fast phone support?  You should determine the frequencies your 4a & test phones are running on for each test and record numbers to describe speeds.  John was running very fast when a very slow car smoked him from behind

@blindSpots yes I figured the explanation was something like that, just wanted to see if there might be some other explanation or fix. someone here knew about


text:
How to pull non-debuggable app user data on a non-rooted device (with a broken screen!)
I recently broke my Pixel 3a's screen and I've bought a replacement. Almost everything's ported over, except for some key app data that I want if at all possible. The Google backup didn't work, ADB backup creates 0 byte files.
I have access to the phone via USB Debugging. It's running Android 12. I think I'll need to root it, but while accounting for 1. the broken screen meaning I can only tell what I'm doing while USB debugging's working; and 2. that I don't want to trigger a factory reset during the root process.
Any thoughts? Thank you guys in advance!

You cannot get that app data without root access. What app is that? If USB Debugging is working you may get scrcpy working, in which case you can mirror your device's screen on your PC and interact with it. Which also means you can open the app and export/backup the data if your app offers such setting. Plus, depending upon the data you may be able to copy-paste it elsewhere. It would be tedious but that's all you can do anyway. Rooting process would factory reset the device. Don't follow it.

I have got scrcpy working, the app doesn't have any export/backup settings. I checked the phone's data folder and I can't access it publicly. I've got no way of accessing it without rooting the device. Could a soft root potentially work?

By soft root I suppose you mean using those rooting apps out there. No, they don't work. They rely on vulnerabilities in your device. You may try them just for the sake of trying.

How would I go about that with a broken screen? I wouldn't be able to use scrcpy while setting it up, right?


text:
redirect audio output to audio input
Is there a way to redirect audio output (sound coming out of the speakers) to audio input (like I'm speaking to the phone's microphone)?
Either by using an app or programmatically.


text:
How to set background image without fitting/expanding to fit screen?
When choosing a background/wallpaper image that has a very different size ratio than that of my screen, Android will choose to expand my picture until its height matches that of the screen. In the process, the width gets expanded too, even beyond the screen width if necessary. That means that much of the image is missing (left and right of the center part, by default - but the portion that is visible can be changed). How can I prevent this from happening, or otherwise choose the zoom factor with which my image gets set ?
Thanks.
PS. Android 11 on Samsung Galaxy A40

A solution, annoying but works : Go to Gallery, open the image you want as wallpaper, zoom and pan until it positioned as you wish, then take a screenshot.
The resulting image will have exactly the right proportions (that of your screen), so that when setting as wallpaper Android will not force-expand it to fit some arbitrary criteria at all.
Gallery on my phone allows to zoom and pan at will, except for the fact that it will keep the image vertically centered on the screen as long as the image (even if zoomed) is smaller than the screen height (and similarly, it will keep it horizontally centered as long as the image, even if zoomed, is still narrower than the screen width).
Of course, this creates a second image, which wastes precious memory. But I don't know a better solution right now.
Also, the background of the screen in the areas not covered by the image will always be black. It would be nice of a potential solution would offer to apply any color instead (typically, I would choose one that integrates nicely with my image).


text:
Error Installing Zip AND unzip error?
Hardware details:
poco x3 NFC
Issue:
I'm trying to install some external modules.  Getting errors from Magisk and TWRP.
I've verified the integrity of the modules after having re-downloaded them: looked at them on a PC and everything is intact and as-expected.  But when I try to install via TWRP, I get the error seen in the image below: "error installing zip".
So, am I missing a step to installing a magisk module?  Should I reinstall my OS and install the modules simultaneously?  Somehow, I would like to get a lot of Magisk modules onto my phone.

I get the error above in TWRP.
"unzip error" from Magisck.

Try with Fox manager. This is the preferred way since some modules don't play well with TWRP from what others say. I don't have TWRP for my device and never had an issue with Fox manager//You can easily search for modules too // You can report this to the developer of TWRP

Fox's Magisk Module Manager does not work on Poco X3 NFC.  Tried the latest 3 versions.

I made an error.  The 2nd to last version worked properly.  I somehow skipped over it while installing old versions.  Feel free to post as an answer--

Thanks. Could you please self-answer? Problems you faced and how it was overcome are best known to you and these details may help someone else!


text:
SELinux denials after migrating application data between devices
I'm trying to migrate application data between devices. The application was installed to the work profile using Shelter The steps I did were:

On source phone, tar cvf appdata.tar.gz /data/user/10/com.appname
Copy the tarball from the source phone to the target phone
On the target phone, install the applications to the work profile. Note the username of the /data/user/10/com.appname on the target phone, which is of the form u10_aXXX
On the target phone, chown -R u10_aXXX:u10_aXXX /data/user/10/com.appname

When I'm trying to use the app, it receives a lot of SELinux AVC denials and ends up crashing because it's unable to open /data/user/10/com.appname/databases/database.db:
10-18 16:23:28.485  4120  4120 W SharedPreferenc: type=1400 audit(0.0:889): avc: denied { search } for name="shared_prefs" dev="dm-0" ino=860652 scontext=u:r:untrusted_app:s0:c522,c768 tcontext=u:object_r:app_data_file:s0 tclass=dir permissive=0

What am I missing? Application works after setting SELinux to permissive.

Run restorecon -R /data/user/10/com.appname.

worked for me, thanks!

On newer Android versions the process mentioned in the question and comment is not sufficient. In my experience on LineageOS 20 (that is Android 13), the following changes were needed:

The cache and code_cache directories must be owned by uX_aYYY_cache
restorecon requires the -D parameter to touch files in /data/data

So the full process would be as follows:

Unpack the files to /data/somewhere/com.appname. somewhere depends on the system profile, the default is simply /data/data
chown -R uX_aYYY:uX_aYYY com.appname
chown -R uX_aYYY:uX_aYYY_cache com.appname/cache
chown -R uX_aYYY:uX_aYYY_cache com.appname/code_cache
restorecon -DR com.appname

You missed uX_aYYY_cache in steps 2,3. Would it be enough to just delete the cache dirs?

Thanks, I've corrected it now. I haven't tried deleting the directories, but my guess would be that something would break. They are created during app installation and survive the "remove app data" operation, so it would be reasonable to assume that they exist all the time and won't be created on-demand.


text:
How to automatically block camera access after closing camera
Ever since Android added the camera and mic access shortcuts and the quick access menu, I've often found myself forgetting to click the 'block camera access' shortcut after I'm done taking a picture or video. How might one set this feature so that it blocks access immediately after closing the camera app, or after a certain period of inactivity?


text:
Skype Lite on Android: The Never-Disappearing Notifications Problem
I am having a problem with my Skype Lite notifications on Android 11 and would like to know if this is a common problem with Skype Lite on Xiaomi phones.
The notifications on the phone don't disappear even after I tap and go inside the app, and even when I have replied to the messages.
Is there a way to solve this problem? Thank you!


text:
How can you change the plug state of an HDMI port without plugging in a cable?
I want to change the state of HDMI to hw.plugged in software without actually plugging in a cable. It’s Android 2.3.2. I’m working on a kernel for a device and I want to see if HDMI broadcast is working, the plug state doesn’t seem to be working. So I want to spoof the plug state to bypass that issue.

I think you should be looking for a "dummy dongle"...

A dummy just does the same thing as a plug. I want to change the state in software from unplugged to plugged


text:
How can I remove my emails from the Gmail app?
On an Android phone, Gmail app is showing emails from my Gmail account despite that I have never authorised that app to access the account.
This started when [EDIT:] I logged-in to Google Play Store [], and then got a new email notification from a Gmail app installed on the same device but never accessed by me. Accessing it shows it has emails of mine.
I tried removing the Google account from the device and disabling the Gmail app following the instruction on Google Support - Sign out of Gmail, but when reenabled it, it still shows my emails.
How can I remove my emails from the Gmail app?

All Google apps use the same Google account registered in Android settings. If you are logged in into a Google app all the other installed Google apps als have access to the account. The only way to avoid that is not install the corresponding app. So in your case you can only uninstall Gmail (or remove the Google account from your device).

Continuation from OP's question on WebApps.SE: How does Android Chrome manage to leak a Google Account log-in to the Gmail app?

"The only way to avoid that is not install the corresponding app." I didn't install it. It was pre-installed. So I take it "The only way to avoid that is not have the corresponding app."

Gmail syncs emails on the device for users' convenience (e.g. offline viewing). To clear synced emails from the device, try clearing the app data from its app info:

Navigate to Android Settings - Apps - See all N apps - Gmail
Select "Storage & cache"
Tap "Clear storage" and "Clear cache"

Based on Pixel 3a, Android 12. Menu might be different on other devices.


text:
Text messages didn't deliver but show as sent on Messages but not in Messages+
I had two text messages not get delivered to someone even though they show as sent in the Samsung Messages app (on Galaxy S21).  I went to the Verizon Messages+ app and they don't show there at all.  What might have caused this / is there some way to prevent or investigate it?

@Robert normally both apps can see all messages by the other app, and same goes if I install Android Messages by Google. I think they write to local storage.

I think that Samsung used to have background services that "shared" data to similar products like Messages/Messages+ . This was before strict application sandboxing, isolating apps from doing this as a security measure. I think this is why users are questioned to make a "default" message app choice when it appears a second is trying to take over. It will use your choice to import the data to the permitted one. Google may be getting around this because its Google Framework interlinks all the Google-faced apps, or, most likely, it violates its own rules when expedient.

@wbogacz not sure what the OP did, but I use Truecaller on Samsung as the default SMS app, and Google Messages wouldn't show any messages if it's not set as the default SMS app. However, Samsung Messages could still see all messages without being set as the default SMS app, probably a privilege as a system app.

@AndrewT. One last guess as to how Google Message got into the mix. Maybe the OP enabled his laptop to act as a texting device, too, and never disabled that? I remember doing that for all of maybe a day, until I had to turn it off!

Ah yes @wbogacz I think I used the "Phone Link" app on Windows to send at least one and maybe both of those messages. Good call.


text:
How to read web page aloud on Android 13
In earlier versions of Android, I could open a web page in Chrome and ask, "Hey Google, read this aloud" and it would read the web page aloud. It would read the entire web page (doing a reasonably good job of filtering out navigation) but not the user interface for Chrome or Android (stuff like the status bar and the URL0. I found this very useful and used it regularly. My Pixel 4a recently updated from Android 12 to Android 13 and it works in a different, less useful way. Now it reads everything on the screen and only what's on the screen. It reads user interface elements, starting with the status bar, then the Chrome URL. Then it reads the web page text, including navigation, and stops at the end of the screen, no matter how much more text the page has.
How can I have the web page read aloud, similar to how it worked for me in the past? Can Google Assistant still do the job, but I need to coax it differently?

I think there's something peculiar with how Google Assistant's "Read aloud" work, but I still can't reproduce this on Chrome. On Pixel 3a, Android 12: 1) Chrome: Google Assistant only read the content as expected on some websites, including scrolling the page (e.g. this SE page) 2) Chrome: Google Assistant refused to read anything on some non-textual websites (e.g. DeviantArt), 3) Other non-textual apps: Google Assistant read the status bar and any text that can be parsed on the screen only (e.g. a multi-payment app).

I don't use Google assistant, but out of curiosity, long-pressed the home button to invoke Google assistant on Pixel 4a, Android 13. On the pop-up dialog, tap “read" or say "read" and it does read out as you'd expect it to (only the page contents minus other elements).

It works fine as tested on this web page.

I tried this on Pixel 3a Android 12 by voice command, and it also behaved the same as this answer.

That is so weird. It's now working as expected and desired. I did reboot in the meanwhile; perhaps it got in a weird state. A good reminder that when in doubt, try rebooting.


text:
Default usb configuration is reset after tablet reboot
I'm working with Lenovo M10 table model number TB-X5605LC. Android version 9
From Developer options, I am setting up the default USB configuration to be USB tethering but after every time the tablet reboots, the default USB configuration is set back to No data transfer
How do I prevent this from happening?

This is a bug. This should not happen. Only your OEM can fix that. Or, with root access (or adb) you could try to edit the settings. You can also try an automation app to enable USB tethering once USB is plugged in (search this site for solutions) as a workaround.


text:
How to share android 4g internet connection by LAN?
I have IP camera and printer that is accessible via internet. They can be connected via wifi or LAN (both have this rj45 port). I wonder if it's possible to share my 4g android connection through LAN?
I have tried using the following setup

OTG (microusb to usb) - usb to LAN port - LAN cable

But it doesnt seem to work ("USB tethering" option remain disabled)
Any suggestion?

USB tethering usually makes the phone simulate an Ethernet adapter via USB to a connected PC, so I don't think it can work via OTG and a connected Ethernet USB adapter.

OTG (microusb to usb) - usb to LAN port - LAN cable No, this can't possibly work unless for some weird reason your Android supports an USB Ethernet adapter (the wrongly called "usb to LAN port" here) and if it does then "USB tethering" has nothing to do with it. This feature is the phone's internal Ethernet over USB and you tied to add ANOTHER Ethernet device that, assuming the best case scenario (device recognized) it can only be used for the phone to get internet, never to share it.

And for what purpose you want to do this? It's unlikely that your mobile ISP allows access to the devices from outside your LAN anyway due to CG-NAT and other mobile-only quirks. If however you only need the devices to access the internet, as opposed to be accessed from, then just enable WiFi tethering and connect them with WiFi.

@Robert i used to share my 4g connection smoothly to my laptop when working in rural areas with USB tethering. So i am doing this under assumption if sharing internet to PC is possible, then why wouldnt in another LAN supported peripherals. I always prefer wired over wifi for security and performance reason

@ChanganAuto so are you suggesting there is no way to share internet from android to LAN supported devices?

No, I never suggested that, merely hinted that 1. your idea seems weird and (and you still haven't told us what's your goal) 2. even if doable - it isn't - it probably won't work if the purpose is accessing the aforementioned devices from outside your LAN. If it's for the devices to access the internet (e.g. obtain firmware updates) sure it works but then WHY not use WiFi? So, again, what's the purpose of connecting the devices (so far you only mentioned peripherals) to the internet? Are there more devices and some must be connected via Ethernet? If so you need a ROUTER with Ethernet ports  ..

(...) Most domestic routers have multi-purpose USB ports that support internet access via USB modems -and- tethered phones (note: ISP provided ones might not if they blocked that feature in the firmware). No need for the USB Ethernet adapter. Your misunderstanding probably stems from bridged connections in desktop computers for which such USB adapter is at the end of the day an Ethernet port like any other. But you CAN'T do this in a phone. Phones, by default, only do Internet to "USB emulated Ethernet" or WiFi (AP), not the other way around. Your setup seems nonsensical, unless you clarify.

To be clear: There's nothing technically speaking that prevents a smartphone from 1. supporting an USB Ethernet and 2. configuring a bridged network connection. The former is a matter of drivers and the latter software. It's just that such usage is so unusual that people don't even think about it. Don't reinvent the wheel by making it square, Mythbusters already did it and concluded that square wheels are rubbish and an health hazard.

appreciate your brief answer. however the goal is rather simple - connect the device (i.e IP camera) to internet provided by 4g phone. as for why not using wifi, i already mentioned that i ALWAYS prefer wired over wireless. so here in SE asking for possibility. Wifi works fine if you ask me. but again, just wondering if there's any workaround how to make it possible share 4g internet to IP-device with ethernet port

There is and I already commented about it: Use a ROUTER with Ethernet ports and at least one USB port where you'll then connect the phone or any dedicated USB 4G/5G modem. End of story.

I see. So the setup would be: 4g phone, data cable (microusb to usb), router (with usb port), ethernet cable from router to device- correct? Also since i need to share phone internet to router (and not the other way around) i would need to enable "USB tethering" option? really thank you for the help!

Yes, exactly as described.


text:
Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro shows Samsung logo on boot
I just noticed that my Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro shows the Samsung logo while booting.

The phone also shows the Samsung logo in the About Phone section.

Does anyone have any clue why is this?

Are you sure the phone is genuine (may be the phone is forged and the original phone is a Samsung phone)? From the hardware specs of the Xiaomi mi 10T Pro I don't see a point why there should be any Samsung logo.

@Robert I've got the phone directly from slovak branch of https://www.telekom.com/en. Btw i also stumbled across this video on youtube /shorts/ft0YJpmYS80 but that's the only notice of something like this i've found on the internet

It seems you have installed the One UI 3.0 theme.
"Samsung" and the Samsung logo are part of its design because it tries to imitate the Samsung's UI.


text:
How does Android Chrome manage to leak a Gmail.com log-in to the Gmail app?
Using Android 12 and Chrome, when I logged in to gmail.com, I got a new email notification from a Gmail app installed on the same device but never accessed by me.
How did supposedly secure Chrome leak my login to this Gmail app?
(And I can't remove the emails captured by the Gmail app from it. Despite removing the Google account from the device and disabling the Gmail app, when enabled it still shows my emails.)
UPDATE: This report is incomplete, omitting to mention that immediately prior, I'd logged-in to the Google Play Store app (to get Chrome). See my own answer below.

Are you logged into Google Play Store app or any other Google app on that device?

OP's follow-up question: How can I remove my emails from the Gmail app?

Asker here. Answer: It did not.
Further testing showed the culprit was not Chrome but Google Play Store (initially omitted from the report), and no log-ins to Gmail on Chrome are showing this leak.


text:
Downgrade from Android 11 to Android 10
I upgraded my phone to Android 11 but now I have a lot of problems with it. The screenshot isn't working, and my phone is slow (on Android 10, it booted in < 30 seconds, but after the upgrade, it takes more than 2 minutes), sometimes when I open an app, it just shows a white screen and nothing is happening.
I want to switch back to Android 10 because I think it will be easier than fixing all these problems.
Is it possible? If it's possible, is there a way to downgrade through Android update or something like that, like when you want to update your OS, you just press download and install, and then it does everything automatically?

On regular phone (non-rooted botloader locked) Android version downgrade should not be possible.

Just do a clean install / recovery with a current firmware. Consult the phones manual or contact the manufacturer for the exact procedure.

Related regarding downgrade protection: Explain "Don't Downgrade!" warnings when flashing stock firmware

Although it is possible to downgrade Android 11 to 10, it could be risky and difficult. However, you didn't mention the phone model because different models have different processes. Similar problems have been discussed in xda-forum for Moto G phones.


text:
ADB/PM command to disable data and wifi access for Apps
Is there a way via adb shell to disable an apps access to WiFi and Data? I'd like to turn off internet for all apps and then selectively turn it on for required apps.
I know the manual way by going to App Info, that is not what I'm looking for. Nor for a firewall style third party app.  I'm specifically looking for a way I can script this.


text:
How to detect user have select GPS-provided time as their source of automatic time
I need to identify whether the device use GPS-provided time. I have went though documentation on Settings.Global. My question is how to get to know whether the user select network-provided time or GPS-provided time as their source of time. Can I differentiate the two sources from AUTO_TIME parameter?
Sample code below will return true if user choose network-provided time.
(Settings.Global.getInt(this.applicationContext.getContentResolver(), Settings.Global.AUTO_TIME, 0) == 1)

Welcome to Android Enthusiasts Stack Exchange, a Q&A focusing on Android end-users solving their issues. Considering the scope of this site, the community may provide answers to achieve this either by ADB/shell command or apps, or by technical explanation, but please note that the coding solution is out of scope here.


text:
How do I uninstall toybox (a busybox alternative)?
In my /system/bin/ I have a executable named toybox, and various other directory entries in that directory symlinked to the toybox, eg basename and [.
How do I uninstall toybox?
Context: I believe it's messing with advanced root detection of Citi banking (my Revolut app is working just fine with Magisk's SafetyNet Fix)

Related: Where should I install Toybox?

What have you tried? mount -o rw,remount /system/bin; rm /system/bin/toybox. Find all applets: find /system/bin/ -type l -exec ls -l '{}' ';' | grep toybox and delete them as well if you want. Also you can have another toybox in /vendor/bin/. Repeat the same for that too. But I won't advise this. Your device may get into bootloop because some core functions (including init services) depend on commands provided by toybox. Or at least put some alternative like busybox on $PATH. Also I'm not sure why you think it's messing with root detection.

And mind that toybox is not an uninstallable package. So you are  forcefully deleting it, not uninstalling.

I believe it's messing with advanced root detection of Citi banking -- what is the basis of your belief? The Android builds/devices certified by Google (that is to say, can be trusted for Google's own apps, banking, financial apps and so on) comes with toybox installed. If toybox was ever a factor in deciding whether an Android build is safe (not tampered with, nor rooted, etc.) than no banking or financial app would have continued to be offered on Play Store (their developers would have packed up and moved on).


text:
Most of the pages show "insecure connection" in Opera
I have changed some security settings in my Android yesterday (I don't remember which one). Today most of the pages show "insecure connection" in Opera. I cannot even go to youtubel.com
Everything opens as normal in Firefox.
I've reinstalled Opera, but the problem remains.
How can I undo this?

If Firefox works and Opera shows errors then the date of the device seems to be correct. May be you have changed the DNS configuration?

Would it be in Opera settings or in the phone settings? Does not seem like an Opera setting (I've reinstalled Opera, but the problem remains). How to check it?

You wrote in your first line that you changed Android settings so guess what settings could be changed...

You must have disabled "Trusted credentials" in Security settings. Firefox works because it doesn't use Android's SSL certificates but has its own database. All apps relying on Android's CA database for HTTPS connections will stop working.

@IrfanLatif Make your comment an answer, so that I can accept it.

I've fiddled with the problem for a couple of days.
My working solution was to backup my files, reset to factory defaults, reinstall apps (took 1-2 hours).

Update: @Irfan Latif is correct. These were indeed the security -> trusted credentials. That comment should have being the accepted answer.

I'd say the reason re-installing Opera didn't fix it is because your probably still using the same profile.  Let me put it this way, when you re-installed you still had all your bookmarks still without having to import them again... ergo same profile.
Did you try going into Settings, Advanced and then click on Reset Settings (which restore settings to their original defaults)?
If you don't have that option or that doesn't work for you, do a backup of your bookmarks, et cetera and then create a new profile. Try entering opera:about in the url bar and then see if it tells you where your profile is located, close Opera, navigate to that location and delete everything.  Upon re-opening Opera it should create a new profile.
I assume this is regular Opera and not Opera GX, you may want to have a look at this if switching between profiles sounds good to you.


text:
Multiple users without resetting Android settings?
I got a new device and have the opportunity to start from scratch. For privacy reasons I want to adopt the multi-user paradigm in which I would isolate certain apps from other apps using the multiple user feature from Android. This way I can keep social media apps away from financial, etc.
Creating a new user shew me that I literally have to start from scratch on the new profile. All my previous settings are gone. I really wish non-sensible things like display settings or quick buttons above the notifications would be transferred over. Honestly, everything from the settings, but Wifi, Bluetooth and account settings.
I don't care how (template profile, copying setting data?), I don't care if I have to fire up the adb shell for that, is there any way to take the pain from creating a new user account profile?
I'd like to be able to quickly get a comfortable new user profile to install new stuff into it without worrying too much. If setting up with a new profile involves many minutes (which it would right now), I would be too lazy and keep using a standard set of profiles which is less ideal for privacy reasons.


text:
Messengers don't show incoming call when they are not active
Samsung A10 with Android 11. Nor Viber, nor Telegram shows incoming call when they are not active. I mean, that if the messenger is open (in memory) and it is currently being used (focused) then incoming call is shown. However, if another application is used (but messenger is still open) then incoming call is not shown.
I think, the problem is that when messenger is not active it loses internet connection, because when Telegram becomes active (user switched to Telegram) it shows in the title "Connecting". Viber also shows something similar.
This is my mother's phone. It worked well before, but something happened. Either she changed some settings or the problem in updates.
Could anyone help to fix this problem?

Samsung devices are known for their aggressive battery saving. My guess is that you are "victim" of the problem this site is dedicated to: https://dontkillmyapp.com

I found how to fix it. Settings > Apps > (⁝) menu > Special Access. Here you will find something like Data usage with traffic economy (my translation). Find your application and enable it.

This is what happened to me as well. However, it wasn't with Messenger, but with another app. Go to settings>apps and find the messenger. Then click the app and go to Notifications and turn on Allow notifications. Here you will find call notifications also then turn on also.


text:
Possible "moisture detected in the charging port" error on Samsung Galaxy S10+
A few weeks ago an error message popped up on my phone:

Warning: Do not use charging/USB port We've detected moisture or
foreign material in your charging/USB port.  Check your charging/USB
port for any foreign material such as dust and debris. To prevent
damage to your phone, don't plug anything until charging port is
clean, the moisture is gone, and the notification is cleared.

The issue is that the phone was laying on my desk when the notification first occurred. There was no water near the phone and it never got wet. I used a can of air to clear out any possible dust but there was none that I could see. I have tried to restart my phone but the notification has not cleared even after a reboot. I do not want to poke around in the charging port with a pair of needle nose tweezers.
The only way the phone will charge is wirelessly which is inconvenient, especially in the car. I believe that this is some type of bug in the script considering it popped up out of nowhere. I do not want to factory reset, is there a process that could clear this manually through the operating system?

Hello. Do you want to just hide the notification or you wanna figure out what actually led the system (whatever app/service that is) to conclude that the charging port has moisture or debris in contact? For the former case, do you not get an option to hide the notification if you long-press on it? If you get one you can follow it into Settings app and hide that particular notification. If you don't get the relevant option than you can use MacroDroid to remove the notification automatically.

...See example at: How to block specific notifications from an app?.

It does not allow me to hide the notification as it originates from the Android System. It only allows me to silence it for at most an hour. I am interested in the MacroDroid solution though. Could you possibly create that as an answer?

I was hoping you could tell me what worked or did not work there for you so that I could update my answer. I have an old Android version (v10) and a non-Samsung device, and I cannot update my MacroDroid (because it would check for license verification with Google Play Services which I have deliberately botched) :) Try the linked post (has my own answer there). If that doesn't work I'll try something else.

It worked. I was able to clear the notification. Update away :)


text:
How can I close the surplus of tabs that prevents me from closing them
I have so many tabs open in Chrome that I have been literally unable to close them, and my browser has been rendered largely useless.   HELP!
The central problem is that the focus bounces from tab to tab so fast that I can not stay on any one tab long enough to close it. In addition the "three dots" menu in the upper right, which I believe is supposed to have a "close all tabs" button, does only on rare occasions. I do not know what determines if this button is present or how to get it back when it is not. I'd accept an answer to any one of these questions), except: not 1) if there is no way to navigate to the "close all tabs" button.

Is there a map somewhere that shows which Chrome controls are available under what circumstances, so I can navigate
to the "close all tabs" button?
Is there a way to freeze tabs in place, so that the focus changes only when I select a different tab? This is what I want most, because I would like to be able to open a tab and look at it, and sometimes save some info., before deciding if I want to close it.
Is there a way to make the "close all tabs" button appear when it is not on the three dots menu?
If there is no easy way to solve this with native Chrome, is there an app that would let me do so? If it does not provide a way to freeze the tabs in place, it has to work even though the focus is bouncing rapidly from tab to tab.
I'm on a Moto G with Stylus 5G running Android 12, with security updates to August 2022

Thanks! I look forward to hearing from you.
}
--andrewH

How about just killing all the tabs via adb using the command:
adb shell am force-stop com.android.chrome

Use adb by plugging the tablet/phone into a PC and using CMD.EXE (Windows PC) to issue the command from the folder you unzipped the Android SDK Platform Tools to.  Hopefully you have USB debugging enabled on your device, you may get a prompt upon plugging your phone into your PC that you may use to enable USB Debugging. To make sure adb is running issue the command:
adb devices

Which will show your device, if not you may need your phone/tablet' drivers and install them through device manager.
The use of adb shell allows you to run the specified shell command on your device, am is activity manager, force-stop is the command and that's followed by the app you want to stop

Use Tasker and create a task using AutoInput that will perform the tab closing for you.
The task could be configured to close all tabs, close the current tab, close  x tabs, etc.  You could trigger it from an icon, or even using your voice once you were familiar with the tools.
Please note there may be very  small costs for these apps but they are entirely worth it.
Tasker
Tasker is an application for Android which performs tasks (sets of actions) based on contexts (application, time, date, location, event, gesture) in user-defined profiles or in clickable or timer home screen widgets.
AutoInput
AutoInput enables you to interact with any Android app automatically.
UI Query
Feature of AutoInput that allows you to query another app's screen for whatever it's showing, (buttons, text fields etc).


text:
Stuck in recovery mode, power button broken
My Samsung galaxy j5 (2015) is stuck in recovery mode, If I pull and put back the battery it boots in recovery, if I let the battery run out and then charge again it still boots automatically in recovery mode.
No custom recovery, no custom rom, it is rooted, I can't remember if usb debugging was on.
On the bottom it says:
No Support SINGLE-SKU
Supported API: 3
dm-verity verification failed...

One day I accidentally restarted it on recovery because the power button is broken and I use an app to turn it off, it has remained like this since, it was fine before.
I tried using adb but I don't know why my pc can't see the device.
I really don't want to lose my data.
Can someone help me?
(Btw, why when I press a button the selected option becomes green?)

dm-verity verification failed means that the system partition was altered. This could be cause by malware or the flash memory is simply dying. If you could make the phone to enter download mode you could try to reflash the latest system firmware using a  connected PC and Samsung PC software. That is the only way I see to get access to your data.

@Robert that might be because I used an app to extend to system partition to sd, but that sd was removed a while ago and the phone kept working fine. I think I just need to find out how to reboot the phone normally. Would flashing the firmware get it out of recovery? Would I lose my data? Would it boot back to how I left it?


text:
What are country based features on Phone, controlled by?
There are features in the phone such as Samsung, that are only available in certain countries.  Are these controlled by

Country of manufacture of phone
Target country for phone when it is manufactured
First Country it is used in
The Country of Telecom company you are connected to
The Country of your Google Account
The Country you are in

As an example, I have been waiting for many many years for Samsung to enable the ECG feature on the Watch (and support feature on the Phone) in New Zealand. We purchased the then latest watches almost 4 years ago, having been told it was imminent.  Earlier this year Samsung were advertising ECG in NZ.  Since it still did not work on the existing watch, we purchased the latest watch.  It did not work.
A support page on Samsung said that this was based on the country you purchased your phone in.  This is a ridiculous concept.  So, I have a feature in UK, I shift to Australia and it stops working !!!  In fact, all 6 of the above would be ridiculous.
So, what decides when the feature is available in a country?
VPN to Australia and with an Australian Google Account does not work.  I am hoping that if I travel to Australia, buy the watch there, the feature will become enabled AND will stay enabled when I come back to New Zealand.

It is not ridiculous at all, your phone is bound the whichever countries regulation it used just like you. There may be infrastructure at UK but not in NZ, there may be a law prohibits that non medical devices to perform such precise scans. There is countless reason to not let everybody to use every feature. I am sorry if it's not available at NZ you shouldn't bought the device without proper research.

Thats not my question. My question is HOW

As you can see I didn't offered you a solution with an ANSWER, I merely COMMENted my though about your question. Comments doesn't have to include solutions.

@Vivus you shouldn't bought the device without proper research.  The fact that Samsung said it was imminent the first time and the fact that they advertised in NZ the 2nd time - IS NOT research !!!!

Background
Medical related features are regulated by the country it is operating in.
It was easier to search for the ECG feature on Apple Watch but the rules/thought process apply to Samsung devices.
From an Apple forum with the subject "ECG abroad"

If you purchased your Apple Watch in a country that has given government approval for ECG, and you have it all setup in that country, then when you travel to another country that has given government approval for ECG, your Apple Watch should work.
If you travel to a country that has not approved ECG, it should stop working until you travel to a country that has given approval.
The rules are:
Country where purchased must give government approval (manufacturing knows where the Apple Watch will be shipped for sale and initializes the software accordingly)
Country where used must give government approval (Apple Watch has a GPS and know where it is when you try to take an ECG).

Other related Apple ECG question: How is the Apple Watch ECG disabled in certain countries?
So am I stuck?
You may want to look at the efforts to circumvent such restriction and appears to require root (which has complications if you want to use apps that need Knox/security like banking apps).
See: https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/restrictions-removed-samsung-health-monitor-wearos-1-1-1-209-root-age-country-device-restriction-removed-18th-sept-2022.4322527/
From XDA thread:

[Original Samsung Health Monitor] SHM has device detection, country restriction and spoof location detection, the following countries were listed in the country restriction checking, I believe if you live in those countries, SHM should Work, otherwise, it wouldn't, SHM checks your GeoLocation, Sim Card, and Device CSC (if no sim or location provided)

What Countries are supported?
Apple has a page which lists supported countries for various features: https://www.apple.com/watchos/feature-availability/#branded-ecg
From the Samsung Health app page: https://www.samsung.com/ca/apps/samsung-health-monitor/ and switching to the ECG tab footnote in small print at the bottom (the Blood Pressure footnote has 63 countries).
Quote taken on 2022-10-21 from ECG footnote section:

A Galaxy Watch (Galaxy Watch 4 and later released models)* and Samsung Galaxy smartphone (Android N OS version or higher) are required to use Samsung Health Monitor app. Due to country restrictions in obtaining approval/registration as a medical device, Samsung Health Monitor app only works on watches and smartphones purchased in the countries where the service is currently available. However, service may be restricted/unavailable when users travel to non-service countries and do a factory reset of the phone or delete and re-install the Samsung Health Monitor app.
* Service is available on Galaxy Watch Active 2 and Watch 3 only in select countries. Check list below.- Samsung Health Monitor ECG app is available in 64 countries/regions** (as of the end of August, 2022)

Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, HongKong, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, US, UK and UAE – available with Galaxy Watch Active2, Galaxy Watch3, Galaxy Watch4 and later released models (excl. Galaxy Fit)
Bolivia, Canada, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Costa Rica, Christmas Island, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Nicaragua, Norfolk Island, Panama, Peru, Réunion, South Africa, Taiwan, Türkiye, Ukraine, Venezuela and Vietnam - available with Galaxy Watch4 and later released models (excl. Galaxy Fit)

** Service unavailable in other/overseas territories or regions unless specified next to the respective country.

+1. Also the reason why Pixel Soli face unlock technology is NOT permitted in India (frequency allocation issues)

Except maybe for the last paragraph (the quote) this answer isn't really an answer. Wording like "if you travel to a country" is exactly what the question is asking to be clarified. Is it based on GPS, SIM country code, cell tower country code or something else? The wording suggests it checks your emails for a flight ticket to find out if you actually traveled but I'm pretty sure that's not it.

The crazy part is that you can buy Chinese watches with ECG online. My wife needed it desperately. so I  purchased one 3 years ago. She puts it on once a day to check.

I think that using the device CSC would violate " Parallel Importing Laws". But using the Geolocation and SIM should work. But it would still annoy me extremely if such features worked sporadically as I travelled. Do Apple and Samsung have these disclaimers on their warranties?

@RohitGupta Updated answer with links to supported countries. Apple was easy to find. Samsung Health app Canadian page was more useful than the US page.


text:
error when making a kernel My toolchain always says "no such file or directory"
So I am trying to make an old kernel on the newest Unbuntu. Set up build essentials libncurses5-dev bzip2 cant get kernel-package says its unavailable? Haven't found an alternate source. Ive gotten all the sources an set up Unbuntu im following this guide: https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/ultimate-guide-noob-friendly-compile-your-own-android-kernel-from-source.2871276/
When I export
export CROSS_COMPILE=~/android/kernel/arm-eabi-4.4.3/bin/arm-eabi-
No problem  when I can set up my defconfig I can do that and I can enter menuconfig, but when I go to compile I get
make: /home/c/android/kernel/arm-eabi-4.4.3/bin/arm-eabi-gcc: No such file or directory
/home/c/kernel/scripts/gcc-version.sh: line 25: /home/c/android/kernel/arm-eabi-4.4.3/bin/arm-eabi-gcc: No such file or directory
/home/c/kernel/scripts/gcc-version.sh: line 26: /home/c/android/kernel/arm-eabi-4.4.3/bin/arm-eabi-gcc: No such file or directory
Im using this kernel source https://github.com/DooMLoRD/Xperia-2011-Kernel-2.6.32.9/tree/master/kernel
Is there something I need to modify in the source to get it to find the toolchain? I've copy pasted the location of the toolchain when I export to make sure there is no error so that cant be the issue. Then I copy pasted the path from the error and ls and its definitely there. So I'm very confused.

This site is for users of Android, which means that questions about development/programming are off-topic here (see the What topics can I ask about here?). Development questions are on-topic on our sister site Stack Overflow. You might also wish to consult Where can I ask questions that aren't Android Enthusiast questions? for a fitting place to your question.

@Izzy So your telling me as and android “enthusiast user” you’ve never used Roms or compiled kernels ? Interesting so this is for users of the system is it for people who flash Roms as well? Just no compiling questions ?

Right. It's for users (including "power users") – but questions concerning development (including compilation issues) are off-topic. Just follow the links for details. As you quote XDA as the source of your guide: that would be the place I'd recommend you direct your question to, as those are the folks who should know best.

@izzy thankyou but that device generation is no longer monitored by anyone who would know I thought of using the normal stack exchange but they seem to get pissed about android linux questions unless its app development. I did eventually get it sorted on my own though.

Glad to read you got it solved! And be welcome here with (user-focused) questions on Android :)


text:
How to automate clearing Firefox (Fenix) browsing data?
On desktop this is considerably easy: enable the setting to "delete cookies and website data when closing Firefox" in about:preferences#privacy and (optionally) schedule a task to kill the browser process whenever desired. Firefox has a similar setting on Android, but one must always manually select 'quit' from the main menu (after enabling the said option):

I haven't been able to come up with a solution aside from automating touch input (no experience, and I'm already using cron in Termux... or fully clearing the app data with ADB (adb shell pm clear com.package.name). Wiping the user data directory in Termux may also be an option, but this requires root rights (last I tried, I apparently bungled up  permissions to some degree).

Worth noting that Termux can run graphical desktop applications, but I can't say how viable this is with Firefox on most devices.


text:
Google play store automatically install apps after login to google account
Hello my problem is after login in my google account the google play store automatically install google apps like google assistant,google maps , etc and i don't know how to stop it even opening google play store they are not listed while installing

Depending on your phone some of these apps may be part of the base install.  When you don't have a Google account installed they won't work for you but onece you login to your account they come to life.  If that is the case the best you can do is disable them.  If you let us know the make and model of phone we can confirm.

And most of the times it isn't installing, just updating, because they're part of the base install, i.e. already installed

And if you do manage to uninstall them, they will come back.  If you stop automatic updating, it will complain regularly.


text:
Change Unlock method after device restart via ADB
My Android 11 device is asking for a password after I reboot in addition to the fingerprint auth. I forgot the password. Is there a way to change the default unlock screen to pattern unlock?
Note developer mode is enabled and I can access the device via adb, however, the device is not rooted.
Erasing the device will be the last resort.

The password is necessary to enable decryption of your user data by the Android integrated gatekeeper system. You can not change the lock screen password or type without performing a factory reset.

Even erasing the device 'might not' help since these days OEMs store your device password in specific partitions which doesnt wipe when you 'reset' from recovery mode. So if your device asks you the password even after factory reset and you see no options to reset it e.g., using Google Account, the last resort will be flashing stock ROM overwriting every partition except the ones that store IMEI. I'm sorry cant help with a specific guide since (1) You didnt mention your phone OEM and model (2) I might not be able to write one even you did (thanks to OEM defragmentation)

I think you are mixing up the device password with the Google password. The latter is the one that is saved for the Factory Reset Protection (FRP). FRP requires you to enter the Google password after a factory reset of a locked device.

Nope im not mixing it. These days, our "lockscreen password" is also stored in some other partition on your device which doesnt wipe off even after a factory reset.


text:
Google Pixel 7/7 Pro : Spontaneous Pictures \ Quick Shutter Mode Experience
I was curious to know about the shutter speed and how quickly one can jump into camera mode from lock screen/from-doing-something to capture those spontaneous moments.
Usually what I have noticed on android is that if some large\heavy app\many apps are open it tends to lag and slows you going into camera mode, and get the UI up and capture the picture, by that time that moment passes by.
Also do you know any lags started to creep in when quickly and frequently switching between camera modes (pic\video\portrait\etc) ?
Please share your experience on this for Google Pixel 7 and 7 Pro.
Please also share any YouTube reviews\articles where the experience of taking photos\videos is covered, not the end result
Note: Please share this based on a phone you have bought and have been using it as your daily use phone, don't want reviews of demo phones where usually nothing is loaded and its fairly Out-of-box phone.


text:
Decrypt data in recovery after bootloop
I’ve made a little mistake.
This year, I’ve installed LineageOS for MicroG on my Fairphone3. It provides OTA updates but with the last one, it is said I must follow the official instructions on LineageOS website. It was not a prioritiy, so I didn’t do it. At the begining of the month, I’ve open the web page and read the instructions. There are simple, so i’ve done it.
But, I’ve forgotten that my version was MicroG. I’ve installed the “normal” version (lineage-19.1-20220926). Now, my FP3 is in a bootloop . May be due to the absence of MicroG). I’ve tried to install a newer version of LineageOS for MicroG, without success.
My problems are :

I would like to retrieve data
Data directory is encrypted
I’ve locked my phone with a pattern

I’ve found a solution to try a decrypt with Santoku Linux. The script needs a header and a footer. I have found the header but not the footer.
Do you know where to find it ? It seems these files are different accordind to the manufacturer.

Update, just in case someone has an answer. If not, I'll delete ^^

No need to delete any good question!


text:
How to copy paste rich-text in Android 9?
I'm using Android 9 on Cherry Mobile Flare S8 Pro, and it seems I'm unable to paste rich text on an online rich text editor.
For example, I'm copying a header and bold text within rich text format then when I paste it in any Online Rich Text Editor, but it only pastes plain text without the header and bold formatting.
The problem is, this kind of workaround actually works in my Windows 10 laptop but not on my Android 9 smartphone.
I have tried downloading some copy-paste apps in playstore and using them to copy paste the formatted rich text but it doesn't work either and gives the same result.
Is there any way to deal with this without rooting my phone?

This can also depend on the used JavaScript based online rich text editor component. I have seen really dumb and badly working versions (e.g. sourceforge.net forumns is a really bad example...).


text:
MacOS - Unable to transfer files with Android File Transfer as 2 popups conflicts with each other
When I connect my phone to my Macbook, I see a popup saying I need to allow permissions on my phone (see screenshot).

So I click 'Allow' on my phone. Now the error popup still stays while the main window shows the content of my phone. But I am unable to click on the main window because the error popup is still open.
When I click OK on the error popup, both the error popup and the main window closes together and the error popup opens again with the 'Allow' confirmation on my phone. If I click 'Allow', it all repeats over.

See the GIF for what I'm talking about.
Model - Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Android version - 12
One UI version - 4.1
Mac OS version - 12.6
Android File Transfer - I think it's latest but can't find the version as the popup blocks me from checking the About menu.

Is this a bug with the Android File Transfer? Is there an another free app that I can use to transfer files?

In my opinion this is more a MacOS question than an Android question.


text:
Why can I access a local webserver on iphone, but not my Android phone?
I have an ESP32 Cam connected to my local wifi. As I understand it, the ESP32 Cam connects to the wifi and runs a webserver which serves up video controls and a video stream.
I can access this on my Linux PC, and my daughter's iphone, simply by typing http://192.168.1.132 into the web browser, but my Samsung Android phone does not let me see the device.
Strangely, the very first time I tried to access the ESP32 on my Android phone, I saw the camera image appear briefly.  Subsequently I get ERR_ADDRESS_UNREACHABLE.
Any idea what is going on, and how I can fix it ?

May the IP implementation of the ESP32 is a bit buggy or incompatible with the IP stack of Android. Make sure you are using the latest version of the used ESP32 libraries.


text:
How to disable com.facebook.appmanager?
I have no facebook account, and I'm not using the facebook app; I can't even find any facebook app any more.
Still Android's log is flooded by messages from com.facebook.appmanager:
java.lang.SecurityException: Caller com.facebook.appmanager needs to hold android.permission.SCHEDULE_EXACT_ALARM to set exact alarms.
    at android.os.Parcel.createExceptionOrNull(Parcel.java:2471)
    at android.os.Parcel.createException(Parcel.java:2455)
    at android.os.Parcel.readException(Parcel.java:2438)
    at android.os.Parcel.readException(Parcel.java:2380)
    at android.app.IAlarmManager$Stub$Proxy.set(IAlarmManager.java:377)
    at android.app.AlarmManager.setImpl(AlarmManager.java:957)
    at android.app.AlarmManager.setImpl(AlarmManager.java:917)
    at android.app.AlarmManager.setExactAndAllowWhileIdle(AlarmManager.java:1185)
    at com.facebook.analytics2.logger.dl.a(UploadSchedulerNoDelayHack.java:160)
    at com.facebook.analytics2.logger.dl.a(UploadSchedulerNoDelayHack.java:152)
...

However I don't find any active app to disable or stop.
How can I get rid of that process?

Any app that allows FB login can potentially do it.

OK, so if I cannot disable the process, can I fix the problem (flooding the log with errors) at least?

Possibly related on XDA: [GUIDE] How to remove Facebook Services and other bloatware WITHOUT Root, [REF][REMOVAL] Facebook bloatware found on many devices + removal script [ROOT]

If you want to uninstall the app, you could do that via the adb shell, as described here
Essentially:

connect phone to a computer with adb installed, and check connectivity with adb devices in a terminal
Once it finds a device, start an adb shell by entering adb shell
Search package with pm list packages | grep 'facebook'
Remove: pm uninstall -k --user 0 <pkg found above>

hth!


text:
Samsung Galaxy A13 developer mode breaks flashlight
I was using my Samsung Galaxy A13 phone like normal. I could take pictures, run apps, etc. I turned on developer mode on my Samsung A13 unlocked phone and I noticed that, while running my phone in developer mode, I could no longer use the flashlight. I turned off developer mode, tried to turn on the flashlight, and it still wouldn't turn on. I went to the retail outlet that sold me the phone and they could not get it working. I exchanged the phone for another one. I noticed that, at the end of the data transfer process, the flashlight on the original device started working!
My question is, what do I have to do to get my flashlight back? I tried a factory reset of the device and the flashlight still does not work. What other options are there? I tried doing a settings reset on all applications and that did not work.


text:
Is it possible put Waze in a movable tile window, the same way Google Maps can?
Is it possible put Waze in a movable tile window, the same way Google Maps can as shown below?

Not without any dev work on Waze's side

This is picture-in-picture (PiP) mode, and Waze has not supported it yet.
Google Maps v9.60 added support for PiP mode in August 2018. Also, as per the official Android Developers documentation,

Your app controls when the current activity enters PiP mode. Here are some examples:

An activity can enter PiP mode when the user taps the home button or swipes up to home. This is how Google Maps continues to display directions while the user runs another activity at the same time.
[...]

The support of this feature can be seen on the Google Maps' app info where it shows "Picture-in-picture" under the "Advanced" section, whereas Waze only has "Display over other apps".

Left/Top: Google Maps | Right/Bottom: Waze
As explained in the documentation, supporting PiP needs additional development on the app side, thus it is not something that can be enabled by the end user.
This feature has been suggested to Waze on November 2018, Activate "picture in picture" (PIP).. However, the latest status is "Not right now" since August 2022.

On the other hand, some vendors have their own customization, like Samsung's pop-up view that may be acceptable as an alternative.


text:
How to capture intent on stock launcher shortcut without root
My device is running MIUI on top of Android 12. I'm using the dual apps feature baked into the rom and there are two shortcut for each of the apps (main and dual apps).

When I'm using stock launcher, the shortcut works as intended, where main WhatsApp shortcut (without the yellow icon in the bottom-left) launches the main WhatsApp and vice versa. However, when using third-party launcher, both of those shortcuts have the same behaviour:

without clear way of choosing a default.
I have searched the dual apps setting in my rom to no avail.
I tried to create a shortcut with Shortcut Maker, using this setting

that shortcut can launch the main WhatsApp without throwing a prompt so I'm guessing there is a way to specify which WhatsApp I want to launch using the settings provided in the Shortcut Maker.
What I'm asking is a way to capture or know the setting of the shortcut in stock launcher that directly launches the dual WhatsApp so I can implement that in Shortcut Maker.

For reference, I'm using Niagara launcher and Shortcut Maker.
Clone Whatsapp and Shortcut Maker, then create shortcut for each apps from Shortcut Maker respectively (for main, create from main Shortcut Maker). Add the shortcut to home page.
Shortcut created from main Shortcut Maker will launch Whatsapp (main) and shortcut created from dual Shortcut Maker will launch Whatsapp (dual).


text:
Getting ModemServiceMode with adb
On Samsung devices, how to get the ModemServiceMode page (*#0011#) with ADB commands?

Use ADB (dumpsy activity/dumpsys window) to find the activity name for that activity in your screenshot. Than use it to try launching the activity. Make sure to remove the activity from recent screen or set an appropriate flag in your intent to start activity from scratch. // Which Android device and Android version are you using?

@Firelord Thank you, my device is SM-A720F and android version is 8.0.0

I just tried this on Samsung Galaxy M21, Android 12 and got com.sec.android.RilServiceModeApp/com.sec.android.RilServiceModeApp.ServiceModeApp as the activity name. However, running am start -n com.sec.android.RilServiceModeApp/com.sec.android.RilServiceModeApp.ServiceModeApp returned java.lang.SecurityException: Permission Denial: starting Intent { flg=0x10000000 cmp=com.sec.android.RilServiceModeApp/.ServiceModeApp } from null (pid=18865, uid=2000) not exported from uid 1001

@Andrew I also encountered this error.


text:
How to install an custom ROM for android car head unit?
I'm trying to install a custom rom on my Lenovo D1 head unit but since it doesn't have physical buttons i'm struggling to get my device in to recovery mode.
The reason I'm trying this is my device is very slow sometime so i thought i should try a lightweight ROM, no specific one yet but im gonna try multiple ones.
Anyone know how can i achieve this?
Thanks


text:
If an app has the permission "Draw over other apps", can the app see the content present on my screen?
So I recently installed an app called XSCamera which can basically record with the phone camera in the background. It requires the "Draw over other apps" permission to display a mini-preview of the viewfinder at the bottom of the screen. But can the app also see the content which is present on my screen with this permission? I have documents in my phone which have my passwords and other personal information. If I use this app and then open those documents, can the app see my passwords?


text:
Can I use my BLU M8L Plus tablet to make calls using my SIM minutes?
I currently have to use my BLU M8L Plus (4G) tablet as my phone but am unable to use my minutes to make phone calls. When I use WiFi or data to make calls, it sounds horrible and also not easy to get verification codes. I prefer using my minutes.
What hacks or apps can I use to call using mins? Any ideas?


text:
'fastboot devices' returns ??? (question marks) and device reboots
I came across this weird issue and wanted to share my findings somewhere.
At some point in the installation process of Magisk, I was required to use fastboot on Windows 10 21H2. I proceeded and downloaded the adb plattform-tools + adb drivers. Previously ADB-related things of the instruction (like adb-shell) worked flawlessly.
However during the usage of fastboot I encountered these issues:

I tried different USB-cables, -ports and -drivers.. When I ran fastboot devices (or any other fastboot-command, it returned ???????????? (or an error) and the device restarted..
I was pretty certain that the device itself was fine, as well as the installation of ADB tools and driver. Nothing seemed to work and I only read about solutions like using a different PC, which was no option in my opinion.

Thanks to this hint from cychau, I used a USB 2.0 hub, which showed me that it's a >USB 2.0 related issue. Another suggestion (from bitbox in #7) was to restrict the system to only use USB 2.0 through BIOS settings.
Hope this helps someone in the future :)


text:
Required Img files for heimdall root
Folks, I'm trying to root a phone with Heimdall (on Linux).
Completed steps so far:

Downloaded Factory Firmware
patched it with Magisk
setup heimdall
downloaded PIT from phone
backed up phone with adb backup -apk -shared -all -f <filepath>/backup.ab
installed twrp recovery

So now I would go on and flash the patched images.
From the magisk patch and the firmware, i get those files:
boot.img
cache.img
cm.bin
hidden.img
modem.bin
param.bin
recovery.img
sboot.bin
system.img
userdata.img

Comparing this with the contents of my PIT, I am missing these files:
md5.img
efs.img
cpefs.img
m9kefs1.bin
m9kefs2.bin
m9kefs3.bin
carrier.img
tombstones.img
dnt.ssw
steady.bin
modem_debug.bin
nad_refer.bin

Some people only use recovery.img and cache.img, others use all of them, so now I'm confused. Hence my questions:

What is the minimum set of files required to flash in order to root the phone?
I.e. are the ones I have enough, respectively
are the missing ones required?

Thank you big time!


text:
Restore chat history on WhatsApp - different number
I made the mistake of doing this in the following order:

Backing up my WhatsApp data
Changing number
Changing phone

Because the data is associated with my previous number (which I don't have a SIM for) - I can't restore it on my new phone. Can anyone help? Do you think the data can be restored to a different number on the same phone (and same account)? I know some people have suggested moving the CRYPT14 database...

You should have followed the official instructions: https://faq.whatsapp.com/2959230197442405/?locale=en_US


text:
Any android devices on the market with a perfectly square display?
Are there any android based devices on the market with a perfectly square display? If not is there any particular reason why not and would it create any problems when switching between portrait and landscape modes?

Screens are created by a few large manufacturers and the common display glasses they provide are not square. The closest what you can get is a 4:3 screen.

Welcome to SR! Please note that hHardware/shopping questions are off-topic here, see e.g. Are questions about what hardware is available on topic? and Can I ask questions regarding suggesting Android phones with specifications that I mention?


text:
How does one backup a Fire HD's entire system as is (like a PC "image", and after having been modded with Fire Toolbox) and restore it?
My parents play slot machine games, but they continually lose their play money and require me to factory reset their tablets to reset the default amount of money. Clearly, this takes a while to do every time.
I would like to factory reset, mod with Fire Toolbox, setup all their games/apps/settings and then create a backup image of this setup, which I can then restore much faster than having do it all that setup again every time.
Is there a method for this? Amazon's cloud feature is not an option.

Instead of doing a factory reset, have you tried clearing their app data instead?

@AndrewT. Clearing app data/cache does not reset the money amounts. They are pay-real-money-to-win games and I'm guessing that the devs have imbedded their settings into the "root", which unrooted players cannot access. Maybe rooting/deleting files would work? I haven't tried, but there's no guides on the net.


text:
Google Play Store not starting after latest updates
I have a Blackview A55 phone with Android 11 and after the latest updates the store won't start.

If you already rebooted and the problem persists you may try a reset.

Short of re-victimizing the victim with a factory reset, we may suggest just 'Disable' Google Play Store, to uninstall the updates back to factory supplied, getting the opportunity to start the app again, then Play Store will take the opportunity to update, possibly correctly, after.

Thanks.  This is why I feel like waiting a few days because I feel like someone could be working on this problem right now.

Restarting the phone fixed it.


text:
Custom boot image
I have a smartphone (Xiaomi mido) with a corrupted eMMC, but it seems I can load a boot image into it and run it. I would like to experiment with low-level programming in Rust, such as the display and camera. I found the source code for mido, but I don't understand it at all. Tons of code I don't understand. Googling without success. So that the question can be answered objectively, you can answer that what I'm doing is impossible or stupid. Can I at least run Hello World on my smartphone hardware?

Related reading: Bootloader/BIOS, flashing ROM and correlated risks. Why Android devices are more brickable than PCs?, and Why are there not generic phone OS installers?


text:
Can I send start command to my android phone in linux using serial command
I can't use my phone's start button, it's non-functional and in shutdown state.similar problem but can't access battery
Can I send start command using Linux USB serial communication for this?
If it's probable, which port should I use to send that start command.
Here difference in my port list.

Connected
No Connection

bsg
------------------------

cdrom
------------------------

sr0
------------------------

That is hardware specific. The only devices I know that have an active USB port when device is off are those with a Mediatek CPU/SoC.


text:
Full bridge mode to pass mobile data IP to USB tethered device?
I am using an old Samasung Galaxy S6 as an LTE modem, connected to a router (GL-MT1300) by USB tether. As is known, mobile data is NAT'ed on the phone and a local DHCP address is handed to the tethered device(s), resulting in double NAT on my network.
My question is, if I root the S7, is it possible to configure it as a full bridge, so that it simply passes the mobile data IP directly to the connected router? (I'm aware it will likely be a CG-NAT address and not a true public IP, this doesn't matter.)
I have seen a post regarding half-bridge mode/IP passthrough, with the assumption that the Android device still needs it's own internet connectivity, but that is not the case here. I don't need the S7 to have connectivity itself, I just want it to act like a full bridge and provide connectivity for the connected router. I would like it to work specifically over USB tether rather than wifi.

Replace the Wi-Fi interface with Ethernet interface. The rest is same as I explained: How to assign Mobile Data's public IP to host connected on hotspot?


text:
Android not showing Whatsapp and Telegram suggestions for a contact
I have tried to search this I swear. on my S20, if you clicked on a contact it would suggest/show you if a contact has whatsapp or telegram. It was a shortcut even. my S22, it doesnt show anything but the number below the name and history. Contacts are synced via whatsapp, I believe it is some setting on my droid, not the other communication apps. any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I'd assume both are about Samsung's built-in Contacts app, but just to be sure, are both the same Contacts app and the same version?


text:
am start of Chrome: Activity class does not exist
I've downloaded Chrome 106.0.5249.79-524907934 from APKMirror and installed it (along with the corresponding Trichrome package) on a Pixel 5a via
$ unzip com.android.chrome_106.0.5249.79-524907934_8lang_11feat_..._apkmirror.com.apkm
$ adb install-multiple -r -d *.apk

So far, so good.  However, when I try to start the app via
$ adb shell am start -n com.android.chrome/com.google.android.apps.chrome.Main -a android.intent.action.VIEW

I get
Error type 3
Error: Activity class {com.android.chrome/com.google.android.apps.chrome.Main} does not exist.

Running adb logcat at the same time shows
W PackageManager: Intent does not match component's intent filter: Intent { act=android.intent.action.VIEW flg=0x10000000 cmp=com.android.chrome/com.google.android.apps.chrome.Main }
W PackageManager: Access blocked: ComponentInfo{com.android.chrome/com.google.android.apps.chrome.Main}

I just tried the command on Pixel 3a, Android 12 and it succeed. Could you open Chrome manually? Otherwise, check if Chrome is disabled or not, because it returned the same error when I disabled it.

I can load it manually.


text:
Is the code that detects phantom button presses part of Android
On one of my Samsung Tablets this morning, after signing in, the device would go to the lock screen after a second or so.  If I was quick, I could then press and hold the power button (intending to restart it).  Again, it would go back to the lock screen.  Sometimes I would see the Power Off / Restart buttons, but I was not fast enough to press them.
When I Googled I found this

If you know the tablet is charged and it still won’t turn on, the standard method for resetting Samsung Tablets is to hold down the Power button and the Volume Down button until the boot cycle starts (about 10–15 seconds). Then release the buttons.

How Do You Reset Your Samsung Tablet If It Won’t Turn On?
Question - Is this amazing code that detects phantom button presses a feature of Android?  Or is it a Samsung artifact ?
EDIT
It does not appear to be hardware, here is another link from 2017 Complete Guide to Fix Samsung Tablet Problems.  There are many more, and only in one case was it the hardware (digitizer).

I am sorry but your last sentence about phantom button presses doesn't fit to the rest of your question. If the power button doesn't work correctly the chance is high this is caused by a defect button.

If it was a defective button, the above sequence would not work.  And these solutions have been out there for years.  It is definitely a software issue.

It's unclear what is the relation between phantom button press with the quoted paragraph. The quoted paragraph didn't mention about the behavior that you described. Holding power + volume down will just force restart (not reset) the phone, if the buttons are working (I just tried it on Samsung Galaxy M21). Have you tried it?

On the other hand, to detect phantom/ghost touch on digitizer, turning on "Show taps" on "Developer options" will show the symptom.


text:
Replacing a Galaxy S10 internal storage
I have an old Samsung Galaxy S10 that's completely smashed up. I've been trying to recover the data for some time now. The issue I'm having is when I charge it up and power it on, it sounds like it's just continuously boot looping which is stopping it from detecting any files on the device.
I'm kind of out of options on how to solve this issue.
Would it be possible to buy another S10 device and install the flash drive from my old device onto the new one? I've been searching on Google and struggling to find any answers.

What you call " flash drive" is a flash chip soldered onto the phone's mainboard. Usually such chips use ball grid connection which makes (de)soldering them very complicated and even may required special tools. Another problem is that the data on the chip is encrypted. I don't know if the decryption key is bound to the other hardware or not. If it is bound then all the soldering would be useless because on a new mainboard the data could not be decrypted.

would installing the whole motherboard into the new device be viable maybe? not sure what damage has been done on the inside tbf, dont suppose you know of any other way to salvage the storage?

Possible but I don't have any experience on this. You should better visit a smartphone repair shop, they have the experience to tell you what is possible and what not. Especially they can look at the damage.


text:
Why does my phone report "network unavailable" every time I return home?
At home I have a router with several devices wired and over wifi. Everything works fine, including my Android LG cellphone, which connects to cell over wifi.  I'm in a rural area with no direct cell service, so it's wifi only for internet and calls.
When I go somewhere and come back, I can't receive phone calls or texts.  The web browser still works. The wifi settings shows the router, and puts on appearances of being okay.  But attempts to call out fail with "network unavailable".  By powering off and rebooting, everything goes back to normal.
If it's relevant: when I go out, it's mostly through areas with no service of any kind at all. (AM broadcast radio, barely.)  In town, I have regular cell and everything's fine.
My main question is: why?  What is a permanent fix?
Being absent-minded, I often forget to do the power cycle every time I return home. So a secondary question, if the first can't be answered, is if there's a way to automate the power cycle every time I'm out of range and return to within range of my home router? Or at least have a beep, popup or something to remind me?

Power cycling is the same as putting the device on aeroplane mode for a few seconds and disabling it. Both reset the network connections// You can use MacroDroid to automate either (power or aeroplane mode cycling but the latter requires root) // You can try this for reboot

For a warning see this which can be adjusted for your needs