text:
How can I quickly delete ALL texts on an unrooted phone?
On a rooted phone, I merely delete /data/data/com.android.providers.telephony/databases/mmssms.db and then reboot.
Is there anything similarly quick that can be done on an unrooted phone?
I have a phone that has upwards of 50k texts and every app is hanging when trying to delete a single conversation.
(Android 6.0.1)

Not near as quick, but SMS Backup & Restore app and other SMS management apps can do this, also many SMS messenger apps can do this as well, but without root you cannot do it manually.

Unfortunately, that seems to use the same method that the texting apps use, which is to say, it never does anything, even over night.

@Trel Odd... I just did a backup and tried it with about 5000 SMS messages, it took 2-3 seconds on my unrooted Moto X Pure Edition on Android 6.0 to delete all SMS and call logs. What device are you using?

Nexus 5 with 6.0.1.  You said you have 5000 messages, but that's just the problem.  I have at least ten conversations with 5000 a piece.  None of the text apps I use (stock or Chomp) support pruning.

Can you go to Settings - Apps and find Message Storage and clear cache and data?

You doesn't need root to done this, You can simply go to Settings, Apps and find message service then click Clear cache and storage.

"find message service" ?!?!? there is not

@Zibri It may be balled Message Storage, and you need to "Show System" using the 3-dot menu in the upper right corner.

nevermind I didi it trhough adb with pm clear

I'm not sure is this a useful answer to this question.
My problem was, I need to delete all the conversation from my messages app on my phone.
Since I'm a stock Android user from the past 5 years, all the messages from 5 years still exist in my new android phone (now I'm using pixe2).
Why? , because google will sync all conversations with google account.
There is no option in default messages app to delete all conversation.
I tried to clear app data, but not worked. Because Google will sync all the conversation back again to my phone.
I tried to install other SMS apps but it not showing old conversations on my google account.
Finally, I found an app from Microsoft in the Google play store
"SMS Organizer - Clean, Reminders, Offers & Backup"
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.microsoft.android.smsorganizer
It will sync conversations from google account and it has the option to delete all conversations. It worked..


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Unfortunately google play store has stopped

I installed Android 6.0 on my one plus x phone last week. Now I see these errors pop up, "unfortunately google play store has stopped" & "unfortunately google play services has stopped". I searched so many websites but no use.  How can I fix this?

We need more information, how did you install the Google Play Services app? Was it flashed with a GAPPS archive or did it came pre-installed with the device? Tried to clear the data/cache of the Google Play Service and Google Play application?

Unfortunately a long time ago I had this issue. I'm sure there is an easier method of fixing it but I had to do a full factory reset before I could get it working again; hopefully you don't get to that point, but if you do give a factory reset a try :)

go to apps, and disable Google+.  Reboot and it will work again

Mind to give some background? What has that specific app to do with it? Why should disabling it making the other app stable again?

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


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How can I stop an application from updating itself?
Not to be confused with applications auto updates.
I have this application as an APK file, once I install the application and choose open it starts working perfectly yet it starts downloading a newest version of itself which I dont want to for a certain reason.

The application is a full screen IPTV application. It runs on an Android box. It can be rooted as it's version 4.2.2. The application has no menus or option, it's not available on the store nor it has a specific name.
Disabling the "Uknown Sources" is not a good solution as I would have the "install blocked" message popping up every two minutes or less since the application does NOT give up on trying to update itself.

Obviously disabling the Internet access is not a solution.
Is there any solution that does not require modifying the APK file itself? I know nothing about Java development and it is impossible for me to modify the source code unless it can be modified to achieve my goal using a for-dummies software like APK Editor

Turn off ye interwebs, then open the app and see if auto-updates can be turned off.

@DanBrown would you care to explain a little bit more? Thanks

Turn off WiFi and mobile data (or just enable airplane mode.) Then open the app. find the apps settings menu (wherever that is) and look for an option along the lines of 'Automatic updates'

@DanBrown thanks for your suggestion but I believe you have not read my question carefully

I have - What app is it? (so i can have a look around)

@DanBrown it's not available in the store

@Ulkoma, the Dan Brown suggestion seems legit to me. Doesn't the app have a settings menu? Try find something about update

@Ulkoma I can look online. what app is it?

@esQmo I should mentioned in the question that the app have no menu at all, it's poorly developed for sure otherwise it wouldn't try to update itself in this crazy way

@Ulkoma, I would like to point out that sometimes these "updates" that we don't like as users are necessary for the app to continue contacting the necessary server database and back-end stuff. Also, DanBrown is suggesting that you try isolating the app from the source of its update by turning off your internet/WiFi/Cellular connections. During this time, see if there are options WITHIN THE APP (not within the app store) to disable auto-updates.

Just so you know, you can even disable the Install Blocked dialogs. See http://android.stackexchange.com/q/132951/96277

@Firelord I'll check that later on, this might solve my problem, if it's the case then I'll ask you to put it as answer so I can grant you the bounty

Maybe you can use an app such as Network Connections which has live capture capabilities to find the IP of the update server your app is accessing.
You can then add an entry to iptables to drop the connections to that IP.
For the changes to persist across reboots you'd need a kernel with init support. So you'd have to check that out as well and instal custom one if needed.
PS: I want to make clear that I have no real experience with actually trying any of it and that my answer is just put together from answers I found on other questions on Android Enthusiasts Stack Exchange. In particular, this one and this one.

Killing the connection stops the main function of the app, it's a live TV app

you'd need root for that

I have 2 methods which I suggest you try out:

Change time and date settings either ahead or behind and see if that could trick the application into not updating itself. Some apps can be auto updating depending on time and date.
Go to phone settings, and open Data usage. Check if the controversial app is listed there. If it's listed then click on menu and Restrict background data.

Now that you have done any of the methods above open the app and try to check its settings to see if has an option to prevent auto updating.

METHOD 1
You can disable auto-updates for every application that is installed on the device you're using via the Play Store. Visit the app's store page and at the top there is a 3 dot button that says Auto-Update. This feature is enabled by default and you can disable for each individual app.
But unfortunately, you can't edit or modify the APK itself using a APK editor program because auto-update is made by the device itself.
METHOD 2
In the Play Store, touch the menu button in the upper-left corner of the screen.

Touch “Settings” on the menu.

The “Auto-update apps” option is in the “General” section of the “Settings” screen. If it says “Auto-update apps at any time. Data charges may apply,” then your apps will be automatically updated. To turn this option off, touch “Auto-update apps.”
]
On the “Auto-update apps” dialog box, touch “Do not auto-update apps.”
The dialog box closes and the “Auto-update apps” option is updated with the “Do not auto-update apps” setting. Touch the Play Store icon in the upper-left corner of the screen to go back to the main Play Store screen. You can also touch the Back button on your device.
Hope this helps!

The app has not been installed via Play Store, also I have mentioned that it's not auto update, the app is designed to request a newer copy of itself

@Ulkoma So, you cannot do anything about it. Because it's integrated inside the app. You can't also edit the APK as I've mentioned. But you can try to edit. I don't have much experience about editing APK's but you can only try. And a question, is this app has a bigger size that you don't want it to update itself?

never say never, maybe someone will come up with a way to disable the system notifications or a firewall to block the download. No idea about the size

@Ulkoma maybe... :D

Its depend on your Android version. If you carrying least lollipop, you will get an option in setting. Or you can simply visit to play store by searching your app. There just disable the auto update option.

The app is not in the store and it has no options, it simply requests a new version of itself and invokes the installer, any idea how to defeat that?

Use this App Mobiwol
Which,

can make enable/disable each/all app to connect/disconnect the Mobile data/Wi-fi/both.
Block background app activity

To do this, just Slide the firewall to enable

(Click image to enlarge)

The Blue highlighted one in Fig. 2 shows the App is allowed to connect.

Note: No root is required & works from version 4.0

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


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Apps not updating
No matter what I do, my apps due for update are going on downloading. The Notification bar shows paused. I have factory reset my play store, it worked the last time, but not now.

So this may be a silly response, but have you tried turning off and back on your phone? It usually kicks things like that into shape, in addition you could try turning on and off airplane mode.

Things that could cause this:

Time/date not correct on your phone
You have changed the password of the email address associated with your Play Store
You are out of space on your phone
Your Google Apps framework needs to be updated


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Moved mp3's from internal storage to sdcard with su privileges - music apps don't see them now
In order to free up space on internal storage I opened a terminal and su removed some uneeded files.  While still su root, I also moved my mp3 collection out of internal storage onto the external sdcard.
When I go back to Terminal, the files still show in /storage/sdcard1/, but my music player no longer sees them.
Is this a permissions issue? If so how do I relax permissions so that my music apps can see and open the files?

Have you already restarted the device? Background: the media-scanner needs to run to update the internal database. See the linked tag-wiki for details, including alternatives to a reboot.

Most music players I know of only look in directories with specific names.  /storage/sdcard1/ may not be one of them.  Have you checked that the directory has the same name on the SD card that it had on the internal memory?

@Chenmunka Both Eleven and Apollo are able to see music files from anywhere in the device, provided that the directory where they reside doesn't have a .nomedia file inside.

I've rebooted twice, still no luck.

@DeathMaskSalesman do you mean JoeApollo? I installed but there isn't a way to specify external storage.  None of the files on my external storage are seen.


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How to add sound in custom created boot animation?
I successfully created a boot animation but I want to add sound to it. How do I do it?
Unfortunately

"PowerOn.ogg" in /system/media/ui

did not work.
Any help is appreciated.
                                   ##  Thank you! ##

Did your device have a boot sound by default?

@DanBrown yes I did on my previous rom.  Stock rom for moto g 2014.

If it's still the stock ROM, just make sure the file has the right permission set (I think it's 0440). If the ROM is custom, They've probably removed that 'feature' or moved it elsewhere.

@DanBrown I'm on a custom rom now. If they removed it then is there any way I can tweak it to get it back working? Thanks!


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Android password after Rebooting the device
I have not set up any lock screen password, but any time I reboot it asks for the password, saying, 'To start Android, Enter your password.'
A week ago I experimented with the 'Lost your Phone' feature in Android Device Manager on my phone. I've set a password for that, and from then onward, whenever I rebooted, it asks for a password even I've set up. When I rebooted the last time I entered the password I've set up for ADM and luckily it worked. But this time it did not.
I've tried my Google password as well. How do I unlock my phone?

You unlock the phone with the password you defined in ADM, if that doesn't work, you may have to log back in ADM and change the passcode again and wait 15-20 minutes (this is different than the 1-3 days if you change your Google account password), once you have access to the device, you must turn off the password on the device in the Settings - Security - Screen Lock area (may vary slightly by device or Android version) before it will stop prompting you for the password, you cannot clear the password from ADM.


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Windows 10 and fastboot driver | Nexus 5X
I can not use fastboot on my pc with Windows 10 to flash something on my Nexus 5X.
I've installed Ubuntu and adb/fastbook works correctly.
With Ubuntu I've installed TWRP and SuperSU.
On Windows 10:
- Adb works.
- I've Android Studio with the latest platform-tools.
- I've tried with 15 seconds ADB Installer v1.4.3.
- I've tried with this answer.
- I've already removed all usb-driver (as Nexus Root Toolkit suggest) and retry all.
What can I do?

What does device manager show while you boot in fastboot mode?

An "Android Bootloader Interface"

Did you try the drivers form the Android developer site? https://developer.android.com/studio/run/win-usb.html

I'm pretty sure there are some 3rd party fastboot installers for Windows that might work in your scenario.  The XDA Developer's website had a few handy installers for Windows 10 fastboot you might want to check out.
Fastboot and ADB Installer for Windows 10

I've already seen that topic (3° point - 15 seconds ADB Installer)

I see (again) the second video and, I don't know why, now it works. Thanks.


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How to Sync Screenshots to Google Photos automatically?
I would like to sync my screenshots to Google Photos.
OS: OxygenOS 3.1
Phone: OnePlus 2

Go to Google Photos > Albums > Click Screenshots, Whats... and click the cloud symbol with arrow.


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Need entire Google suite on cyanogen to install play store apps?
I've installed cyanogenmod on a Moto E.
But I need to use an app that is only available from the play store.
I can successfully install open Gapps and then the play store.
But this also bundles all the Google apps (music, games, docs, desktop search etc) that I was trying to avoid by using cyanogenmod.
Is there any way of installing apps directly from the play store website or am I completely misunderstanding the point of cyanogenmod?

The OpenGapps Project might help. DO a clean install of CM, and flash the nano package.

The bare minimum required to install applications from the Play Store is the Google Package Installer and Google Play Services. Google and Android are two separate entities, and although CM is based on Android it does not tie in the Google services, but it is compatible with them. You do not need Google to use CM, and there are alternatives, but to use the Play Store you MUST install the minimal services listed previously.
OpenGapps has the smallest package available to be able to access the Play Store and it contains only the absolute minimum required to access and install apps from the Play Store called a "pico" package.
Of course, free apps could be found in a reputable APK mirror site, like APKMirror, but this is not a valid location to find paid apps. Be aware that some features of apps distributed via the Play Store require Google Play services in order to function, so in some cases without it installed some feature may not work, and it is possible that entire apps would not function, although I do not know of any examples at the moment.
Other potential sources for apps would include the Amazon App Store, GetJar, MoboGenie, SlideMe, and F-Droid, which are all safe, viable alternatives to the Google Play Store.
MakeUseOf did a respectable article earlier this year entitled "Here’s How You Can Use Android But Ditch Google", a read through this article may help your understanding of getting along without Google.

You might want to quote the microG open source variant as well.


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Some but not all music is showing in my phone's media player
I have a Galaxy S7 Edge, and am using the 64GB SD card they gave with the phone when it first came out at BestBuy's. I've put music on my phone already and have had it stored on the SD card and have never had an issue changing up what I have on there until yesterday. I re did my playlist and put different music on and synced my phone only to get to work and find out certain songs do not show up in the default media player (even though they are songs I've had on my SD card before). So today I decide to re sync it and after it is done I went through Windows Media Player and it said all the music was "Already On Device". Go to the default media player on my phone to a specific artist, and only HALF of their albums are on there... And when I say half I mean, it basically skipped every other song on every album. So half the album is on and the other is not... But when I search files on my phone all the music shows up.
I know there were other people with similar issues that I saw but none were resolved, and none were having issues only with partial music not showing up. All my artists show up, but it's only putting HALF the songs they have from each album into the player...

This may not be your issue, but I've had a problem like this for years, and just figured it out today. I wanted to get it written somewhere.
I buy CDs (yes, I'm the one), and then rip them to .ogg files for playback from my phone. What I was finding was that the newer CD's often wouldn't show up at all on any Android media player. However, the files were definitely there. If I connected to my PC with a USB cable I could play them just fine on the PC.
Hat tip to Metrov in this AndroidCentral thread. The problem appears to be that Android media players are very persnickety about music files having their tag information properly filled out. I installed Florian Heidenreich's Mp3tag, ran it against the problem children, and sure enough, they didn't have their tag info filled out properly. I'm guessing its been more of a problem for me with new music, as newer stuff is less likely to have good tag info about it uploaded to freedb.
This also allowed me to fix another problem I had where one album was showing up twice (inconsistent artist and Album Artist) tags.
In your particular case, I'd suggest hooking your phone up to a computer with a USB cable, then running Mp3tag or a similar tag editor and comparing the tag info in the files that are showing up on Android to the ones that aren't.


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What is ROM porting?
This might be the silly question but am bit new to Android world so I wanna know what does porting of rom means?wanna know in detail

Porting a ROM is basically having the features of one devices to another devices. By using a Custom ROM you can add software capabilities your device doesn't have provided your phone's hardware supports it.
For example, if your phone manufacturer ships your phone with KitKat and doesn't offer upgrade, you can use Custom ROM and upgrade your phone to Lollipop, MarshMallow etc. However, if your phone doesn't have an OTG hardware, you can have ROMS that support OTG but since your hardware doesn't support it you cannot have it enabled.
Making the ROM from scratch is difficult but Porting isn't too difficult.

 Rare. That's what it is
ROM porting is the process of adapting one ROM to use on another device. For example, porting a Samsung galaxy S4 ROM to the S5. however, it is a long tedious process that takes wayyyy too long.

it is a long tedious process that takes wayyyy too long Lol, Porting is wayyyy too easy than compiling a ROM from source, and can be done in minutes..

@GokulNC you'd have to reconfigure the kernel, a good chunk of system, and probably more to port at ROM


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Memory Release After Custom ROM Flash
I flashed custom rom on my device,and while doing so by recovery,there were some steps,viz.
1.wipe data
2.wipe cache partition
3.install zip.
My question is what does wipe data actually do? I know that it takes back my phone to factory version. But does wiping data,or wiping cache partition means that all of my device's internal memory is released, i.e is my device's default o.s is also gone ??

Like what you said, wiping /data is equivalent to factory reset - you will lose installed apps, system settings, etc. - basically all you've done to the phone since the last reset - BUT minus internal storage contents (i.e. music, video, whatever you can see when you connect your phone to the computer). Unless the recovery explicitly states "wipe /data/media", it should never wipe internal storage.
Also, wiping /data will not touch /system, therefore the OS is preserved. You can choose to manually format it should the need comes up. However, when you flash a new custom ROM, /system will be altered. The default behaviour in older custom ROMs is adding what's in the custom ROM package to /system (stuff from the prior ROM will remain), but as of now the norm is just fully overwriting /system with the new package, which is faster and saves you a step of wiping /system.

That means the default o.s is preserved in falshing a custom rom..

Is it possible to wipe the default o.s??? If possible wiping,then is it possible to recover the o.s if a nandroid backup is previously done??

No it's not. Did you read the 2nd paragraph carefully? "...when you flash a new custom ROM, /system will be altered." Depending on which of the 2 situation I described you're in, there might be bits of the original OS remaining, but you will nonetheless boot into the new one you flashed.

Just wiping /system will get rid of it. As long as your nandroid backup covers /system (CWM covers it by default, while TWRP lets you choose whether it's included) and your partition table is compatible (usually you don't need to worry about this), you can restore it to go back to that OS.


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Difference between ADB drivers and MTK drivers?
Flashing a ROM in an android through PC requires  drivers along with softwares in order to make the process success ,in case of drivers which drivers are needed and when ,what is relation between ADB drivers and MTK drivers are they same and if not how are they different .I appreciate the answer in detail

Firstly it's not ABD driver it's Adb driver.Adb means Android Debug Bridge.ADB is a command-line utility included with Google's Android SDK. ADB can control your device over USB from a computer, copy files back and forth, install and uninstall apps, run shell commands, and more.When your device is in Fastboot/Download mode you can access your phone only through Adb.
For example if something goes wrong while flashing a rom and your phone is softbricked.Only way to access a bricked phone is through Adb.Adb mainly not used for flashing rom, It's used for flashing recovery/bootloader.

Thanks,but what are MTK drivers ,are adb drivers and MTK drivers same and if not how are they different .which drivers are required when etc

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


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Transfer apps, data, and settings from Marshmallow to Lollipop
I've been using a Moto E 2nd generation that I bought in Europe, but I've now returned to the US and am replacing it with the US version (XT1527) of the same phone because the European one (XT1524) doesn't get LTE service with my carrier, AT&T.
The old phone is running Android 6.0, but the new one only has Android 5.1, and offered me no options whatsoever to transfer anything over when I set it up.
I'm no Android expert, so forgive me if the answer should be obvious, but…what's the best way for me to get my apps, app data, and settings transferred across to the new phone?
I sort of thought Android was supposed to offer to do this for me at setup, but maybe it doesn't work when moving to an older version of the OS?
Thanks so much!

Related and strongly recommended to check: Transfer everything to new phone? and Is it possible to migrate apps and their data from one unrooted Android phone to another? Both predate Marshmallow and thus should apply. Also see: our backup tag-wiki, especially for adb backups. Full Backup of non-rooted devices is worth a look, too.

If you have a pc and patience you can transfer all things from your old Android smartphone to new one.
For contacts
Transfer your contacts from phone to your gmail ID(add a account then press sync contact in account section..Google it if u don't know)
For photos
Normally photos are stored in

Internal/DCIM
  Copy it into your pc

For apps
Download a app called App Backup Restore - transfer
And backup all your apps and transfer it to your pc
For game/app data
Its usually stored at internal /Android
Here you will find 2 folders one is data and other one is obb
Data contain all the data's of apps and small games
Obb contain files of large games
Or
You can use Xender or ShareIt to transfer all files from old Android to your new Android phone.
Hope I help you


text:
Connecting Android to itself
How can I connect my Android to itself?
On a PC you use localhost or 127.0.0.1
I have two apps that are supposed to live on different devices. One talks to the other after you put in its counterpart's IP address.
I want these two apps to coexist on one device. I thought it would be easy, since on a PC you just use localhost:port and everything just works through the loopback interface.
Well, this isn't working on Android. Is there an equivalent?
Googling just shows up web devs wanting to point Android to thier local PC dev environment which is not what I want.

Since apps "talk" to an IP address on a specific port, could you check if those two apps use the same port when listening? Is one supposed to talk and the other to listen? Are they able to do both things?


text:
Connect Xiaomi Mi Box to Hotel Wi-fi
I need to connect my Xioami Mi Box (Android TV) to my hotel wi-fi. The hotel wi-fi requires you to open a browser and sign in to an agreement page before it will connect a device. How can I get the mi box to do this? I have a fresh Mi Box and I need to perform initial setup.

I had the same issue. I was able to solve it by the help of multiple tools.
Here is how I solved it
What you need.

A mobile with active data connection.
A USB mouse (may be Bluetooth or WiFi mouse will also work)
A USB to transfer browser apk file to Mi Box(if you are running ES File explorer in your mobile or if your phone is detected as USB mass storage in Mi box, you don't need another USB.)

Here are the steps. During all these steps you can connect USB mouse and make use of it if needed and supported.

Connect Mi Box on your android mobile hotspot to access internet through your data connection. First create a hotspot on your mobile and then in Mi Box, go to "Settings => WiFi => Select your hotspot name and enter password to connect"
Select Google play store in Mi Box and download ES File explorer app. Mi Box is not having any file explorer(we need this to install a browser apk in Mi box). I think there is no alternative to this step.
Download any browser apk in your PC/mobile. I used MIUI 7 browser(find link provided at end).
Search in google for browser apk file(chrome apk, firefox apk etc. somehow firefox didn't install, may be a bad download)
Transfer downloaded browser apk to Mi Box (if you can access and install from downloaded storage, you need not to copy it to Mi Box. Make use of ES file explorer both on mobile and Mi Box).

You may need a USB to transfer it(Copy to USB from PC/mobile, connect it on Mi Box, use installed ES file explorer to copy it on Mi box.
If you are running ES file explorer in your mobile, you can make use of options under Network tab of ES file explorer(LAN, FTP, and may be the best is Sender).

Open ES file explorer in Mi Box, Explore and Select copied browser APK file and chose install option. For this you should enable "Unknown sources to On" in Mi box.
To enable Unknown sources = On, Go to "Settings => Security & restrictions => Unknown sources"
Now we will switch back to hotel WiFi from hotspot. In Mi Box Go to "Settings => WiFi => connect to your hotel WiFi( select your hotel WiFi name). You can turn off your hotspot in mobile if needed.
After installing open the browser. The browser is not designed for Android TV so it will not be displayed in home screen.
Find the browser under "Settings => Apps => Downloaded apps"
Make use of your USB mouse and to select address bar. Once you select the address bar, On screen keyboard will be displayed. Enter the url or some search keywords to connect to your Hotel Wifi. Rest of the procedure is depending on your connection method.

Now your Mi Box is connected to internet and enjoy the shows.
Install Kodi and add addons for more shows.
If you are using MIUI browser apk, It may show some Chinese. Don't worry the language of app is in English. I always prefer desktop mode for MIUI browser. To set for desktop mode - Click on options button on extreme top right corner, select "Settings" from drop down menus, Scroll down and find "Advanced" menu, Scroll down and select "User agent string" to "Desktop".For all these you need a mouse.
MIUI 7 Browser

Follow these steps:

connect your  mouse  USB to the MI BOX

make sure it's connected and working i.e. move around your mouse where you can se that in the TV screen

connect to the hotel WIFI page, and enter the username and the password

move the mouse curser to the box where indicate to agree and T&C . Click yes , assuming you agree to them.

login, and you are all set

Your answer could be improved with additional supporting information. Please [edit] to add further details, such as citations or documentation, so that others can confirm that your answer is correct. You can find more information on how to write good answers in the help center.

I used zank remote. First downloaded it with my own hotspot, after installation used with the wifi from hotel, they will find eachother before registration is done

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


text:
Sync Telegram Contact with Phone Contact
I have Nexus 5x with android 7 and recently my telegram contacts are not sync with my phone contacts, and my sync option for telegram is on. what should I do to aync my telegram contacts with my phone contacts

I had the same issue on my Nexus 6P with Android 7.1, while it worked perfectly fine on another Nexus 6 with Android 7.0. Here's what helped:

reinstall the app (do not open yet)
go into Android Settings > Accounts > Telegram and enabled Contact sync
open the app and check Contacts

After this my contacts were synced as expected. No sure why the sync was off for me by default.


text:
What is Hevar Android and why is it written on my phone?
My S6 Edge phone's lock screen shows me the date, and below that two light bulb emojis surrounding "Hevar Android"
What is this? A Google search showed me that hevar is a Texas IT company, but nothing about Hevar Android.

That looks like an appointment reminder. Can you check your calendar whether there's some entry? Not that I mean you've added it, but some app might have.

Can't seem to find any entries for that...

OK, was worth a try. As it's on the lock screen, another place to look for are the corresponding settings. Also worth checking: Any apps you've installed that have access to the lockscreen.

Found it! It was the owner information. Must be the name of the store owner or something.

Cool! May I suggest you answer your own question then, and mark the answer "accepted"? Makes it easier for other people coming with a similar issue. Thanks!

Enter the settings app and click lock screen and security, then info and app shortcuts, and it's the owner information section.


text:
Google play services stopped Error
Google play services stopped Error popping continuously, tried with downgrading google play service and renaming the folder in "Android/data/com.google.android.gms-1.apk" but still this error popping. please help

Its continuous crashing, apps close automatically

If you have installed a non-stock ROM, you probably need to install a different version of play store apk.
Try this guide http://spinyourfire.com/fire-phone-tips-and-tricks/turn-fire-phone-into-android-phone/
or try to reset your device.

have  you tried to update the device? This might Solve Your Problem.

i tried install new apk form playstore. reset my device when i install old version of play services its work fine but when play store update the play service to new update of play service release date 10 November it started this error

this issue is causing due to latest update of google play services. first you have to disable  automatic updates method is given following.
You can stop apps being auto updating in the following way.
Go to Google Play Store app.
Click the menu button and click settings
Select Auto-update apps Under General
Choose Do-not auto update apps
now dont update google play service at any cost if you did you have to face this issue again. now un install your current google play services app and download and install older version which is 7.0.99 apk. it will work better with this.
i also faced same issue in my phone, but after did above method my phone works good..


text:
Terminal on Android device itself
I'm trying to follow this advice on checking USB connectivity status which suggests using ADB, "or from a shell on the phone" where I should execute:
cat /sys/class/typec/typec_device/current_detect

The latter seems great. But I can't find out how to start a shell on my Nexus 6P with Android 6 (not rooted). Basically, I'm asking a variant of the question: "terminal on real android device from PC", but again: I'd prefer not having to use ADB.
Is this possible? Or does this require an app and/or my device to be rooted?

It requires one of many Terminal Emulator apps. App suggestions are off-topic, though.

Oh, I'm not looking for app suggestions. I know I could go to [SoftwareRecs.SE] for that, or just search the store using plain common sense. My question was whether you needed apps at all, or whether Android has this built in somewhere. If the answer is "requires an app", so be it.

The answer rather is "maybe". Stock Android IMHO doesn't ship with a terminal app, but e.g. CyanogenMod does. If you really need to go for an app, ask at SR (as you already know). I'd have some nice recommendations then :)

@Izzy Allright, let's hear them :-)

The answer to the question seems to be: no, there seems to be no built-in terminal, at least not in the stock Android that comes with the Nexus 6P. You'll have to install an app for that. (I've asked on our SoftwareRecs.SE sister site which got at least one great recommendation.)


text:
New files 'do not stay' on SD card after it is unplugged
I insert my SD card used in Android phone to computer and copy or create new files there. It seems that everything is ok but when I unplug it and plug it back in the files are not there - also they cannot be seen from Android of course. What can be the problem ?

What Android version are you using and is the card encrypted or set as part of the internal storage?

Probably your SD card is damaged. Do you have data stored in it?


text:
How to redirect all web requests from hosts connected to hotspot to a local web server?
I literally have the same question as found in this post: How to redirect complete outgoing phone's traffic to a proxy server?
I have an Android phone acting as a hotspot server (using KWS). I am able to connect another device and access my little webpage by typing 192.168.43.1:8080 into the URL search of my browser, so no problem there.
However, I would like for all requests by connected devices to be redirected to my webpage.
The answer in the linked question suggests running two DNS servers using the Server's Ultimate app. My only hesitation is that it is not free, and the 'free' version is a 7 day trial.
I have tried another app called "Set DNS," which seems promising, but it will not recognize my hotspot as a network; it keeps waiting for me to connect to something.
QUESTIONS:

Can I simply change the /system/etc/hosts file as mentioned in the linked post?
Would I add a line such as: 192.168.43.1:8080    *?
If not, must I purchase Server's Ultimate, or is there another alternative?

PS: This is for an advertisement. The webpage is to be static and informative (no malicious activity).

NOTE: Solution suggested here requires root access.

I would like for all requests by connected devices to be redirected to my webpage

When you create hotspot, Android runs dnsmasq as DHCP/DNS server (up to Android 9). We can use this DNS server to resolve every domain to your desired IP address. Create file /system/etc/dnsmasq.conf and add the following option:
address=/#/192.168.43.1

See details in manpage. Start hotspot and test. Similarly you can use other DNS servers on your Android device e.g. dnscrypt-proxy.
You need to make sure that the connected hosts don't use some public DNS like 1.1.1.1, instead must use DNS provided by DHCP i.e. IP address of Android device. Or redirect all DNS traffic to local DNS server:
~# iptables -t nat -I PREROUTING -p UDP --dport 53 -j REDIRECT --to 53

NOTE:
For http://example.com request goes to 192.168.43.1:80 and for https://example.com it goes to 192.168.43.1:443. However if you type http://example.com/test.html it requests page 192.168.43.1:80/test.html which should exist, otherwise an error will be returned. An easy way is to configure your advertisement webpage as index page and default error page. For instance index-file.names and server.error-handler options on lighttpd.

Can I simply change the /system/etc/hosts file as mentioned in the linked post?
Would I add a line such as: 192.168.43.1:8080    *?

hosts file is used by DNS resolvers which are usually part of main C library of OS. As far as I know the built-in resolvers on Android/Linux/Windows don't support wildcards, so the * trick won't work. Secondly, domain names are resolved to IP address (192.168.43.1) not ports (:8080). See below links for details on DNS.
Web browsers by default use port 80 for http requests. If you are running server on some other port, you have to mention the port on web browser. Or redirect all newly generated TCP traffic from port 80 to 8080:
~# iptables -t nat -I PREROUTING -m conntrack ! --ctstate RELATED,ESTABLISHED -p tcp --dport 80 -j REDIRECT --to 8080

RELATED:

How DNS works on Android?
How name resolutions works?

I made an app uses similar solution mentioned by irfan.
It has very minimal UI and requires root permission. Check here: https://forum.xda-developers.com/android/general/guide-setup-fake-captive-portal-android-t4011689


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Google account remove
So I found a phone and I can't use it because I don't have or know the Google account that us linked in with the phone. How do I go about removing the account. I've factory reset it and everything. Any solutions???

Sounds suspicious...

There is no linked account after factory reset.

Go into your Gmail app. Top left has 3 dots for menu, brings up folders and such. By the current login name there is an arrow which will open up an accounts option. Open it up, click on existing account, press the menu dots for it and click "remove account"


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Root Access After Custom ROM Flash
I have flashed Custom ROM on my S3 Neo using CWM recovery.
Now after flashing the rom,I want to get the root access,so I tapped on the build number several times and activated the developer options,where I get an option of enabling root access.I enabled it for Apps and ADB.Naturally I expected root access after this,but unfortunately while checking by root checker(several best root checkers in play store) whether I got root access or not,it says no su found,and no root access.
What should I do now?Am I to Root the device again? Is it safe??

You don't need to flash the whole ROM again.You can just flash the superuser.zip from the recovery.(It's completely safe,just make sure that it's for your device). Good luck!
Here is the direct download link for updated supersu.zip from XDA Developers. Hope this helps!

Sorry,the link you provided is blank..

here try this! http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s3-neo/development/root-samsung-galaxy-s3-neo-t2907189

Sorry to say that this didn't work..

Is it possible to get root access on a phone run by cyanogenmod by the rooting application kingo root??
Actually root access is denied,even after the update of super su.

Well I had S3, a year ago and tried the flash of supersu.zip which worked fine for me. You can always one click root methods. Hope works! If not you can find the rom with pre-root access and flash that. Your recovery does the flashing stuff so rooting is not required (As of my case in my current phone - Moto g 2014).


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Can I update rooted sgh-i537 to marshmallow?
I use an AT&T Galaxy S4 Active (SGH-I537) as my current phone, but I just rom'd my husband's old Note 2 to 5.0.2 and am loving it (mostly because no Google play/Samsung crap/AT&T bloatware). My Active is 5.0.1 right now and I naturally cannot update due to root. I also intend to acquire a new phone by Christmastime (yay Christmas money!), and I have the Note if I brick/fubar this one.
I'm wanting to update to Marshmallow, but I'm getting overwhelmed by all the "tutorials" and stuff online. Most will remove my root, the rest seem to be for Lollipop. Nothing for Marshmallow.
Can anyone point me to a rom I can flash with, or another way to update and not lose root -- or at least, not have a huge pita to go through to re-root? (Would Kingo root work for it? I believe I used towelroot, but it's been almost two years now.)

You cant update to Android 6 conventionally, nor us a custom rom as the SGH i537 has a locked bootloader. I too am using said phone with the stock rooted Lollipop 5.01.  Im opting for a newer phone with unlocked bootloader though I love my old SG4 Active.


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Should the Data Saver Icon Look like Plus or a Pause?
According to this page, the data saver icon should look like a pause button.
However, on my nexus 6P (using android nougat), I get a plus icon instead whenever I turn on data saver.

What does that mean? Am I understanding something wrong? Also, if I keep it on, does the data saver option (no background download, and limited app connectivity) when I am on an unmetered Wi-Fi?

They might have changed it. The linked article ends with "it's worth remembering that Data Saver may change (or even disappear entirely) between now and the final release."

It looks like Google changed it. According to a video on this page it should look like a plus sign.

Thanks. One more question. When I turn on the data saver, does it also affect the traffic with unmetered wi-fi, such as no background update, no automatic loading of images etc.?

On the same page it says "cell data" so I expect that all background Wi-Fi data  will be unaffected by data saver. (If you use your device as a Wi-Fi hotspot while connected only by cell data, other devices connecting through your phone will be affected)


text:
unblock device with voice control command
I'm curious if is possible to unblock the device with voice commands. I know about the "Ok, Google" but unfortunately doesn't work with display blocked.
I'm looking for the name of an app which can be used by persons with movement disabilities (paralyzed). Can you give me some names?

Yeah you can do it it's Known as trusted voice, it can unlock a phone simply by hearing its owner say 'OK, Google'.
'A warning advises that trusted voice unlocking is less secure than other options, but just a couple taps and you'll be able to unlock and execute commands on your secured device by simply uttering 'OK Google.''

Source

unfortunately doesn't work. Can you recommend another app which can do this job?


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Android messages deleting themselves/ Not showing up!
All my messages were working fine until a few weeks ago when i could message everyone and receive messages.
Now one of my contacts can receive messages from me and can send messages successfully to me, on my phone the message shows up in notifications but whenever i go into the app they aren't there also, when i message my contact they receive the text fine but i can't see it on my phone.
The only odd thing i have seen is that the time stamp is the 8th Nov 2016, today is the 7th.
How can i fix this so i can see inbound and outbound messages?

Well, it is 8th November in parts of the world, right now, as we speak, (so to speak). It is all dependent on the relevant timezone to dictate that. Have you checked that? Also, have you changed from automatic time, automatic date, and automatic timezone to self-settting? Do you have the settings correct?

@wbogacz I am in the GMT zone so it is 6:15 over here and the time is set to Network provided date and time.

You might need to clear the data/storage for SMS.  Do you have much free space on your device?

@MatthewRead yes i have plenty free space. By clearing the database i take it you mean "Clear data" under settings?

The problem was that the "date" i had sent it on was in the future.
I must have been getting coins in a game or something, so the messages where, according to android, in the future so i could not receive messages from that contact until the 8th.
To fix this problem if you have it either:

Wait for the date to arrive
Delete the messages from the "future" (Not tested)
Set the time on your phone to past the time stamp on the messages

Side note - You can still receive messages in the notifications bar, just not in messages.
You can also send messages, they just don't show up.


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How can I make Android Disa work with Windows Whatsapp?
I have the app Disa which has all the messaging services, including SMS and Whatsapp, nicely integrated into one application.
However, I want to get my messages on windows as well. If you use the official Windows client for Whatsapp, you have to verify it using the official Android Whatsapp on your phone.
You can't use Disa and official Whatsapp for the same number at the same time, and if you switch from the official app to Disa, Windows Whatsapp will stop working.
How can I fix it so Whatsapp windows will work, and Whatsapp will still be activated for Disa?
Coming at this from another angle, if you know a Windows client that will gel with Disa, let me know here.

Been looking for the same feature for a while, but seems the developers haven't gotten their hands onto that feature as well. Perhaps in the near future, there will a "disa version" of WhatsApp web. If there is something new be welcome to answer your own question :)

Probably you were looking for a "Disa Web" feature like Whatsapp Web. Unfortunately as of now the feature is not yet availble.
According to Disa Unified Messenger Community forums (moderator);

This feature is not yet available . The third party plugin developer
  hasn't added this feature yet. But the Disa team has plans for making
  a web version in the future. This will work with every plugin.

Currently the developers are working full time on telegram plugin and bug fixes.
So as of now you'll have to stick either Disa whatsapp plugin or Official whatsapp client (with web version) - you can't mix them both.

This is what I found, I am just checking it out.  Give it a try!
https://www.bluestacks.com/download.html?utm_campaign=homepage-dl-button-en
In order to run Disa on your computer or laptop you will need to download and install BlueStacks Android Emulator by clicking here.
Credits:
https://www.techforpc.com/disa-for-pc-windows-7-8-10-mac-laptop-free-download/
while you are there do check out the email integrator from Disa for PC from
http://disa.im/faq.html
Click on send an email and add all your email accounts from different service providers and you should be able to have one common inbox or 'combined mailbox'


text:
Nexus 5 overheating problem
I saw a video on YouTube, where there's a guy who puts thermal paste between the CPU and a metal plate he installed on his Nexus 5. He says that reduced his CPU temperature.
I was wondering if it would be a nice idea to try it on my phone as well.
I would like anyone out there to please help me explain the good and bad for the process.
Here's the link to the video
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hZDNpp--E0Y

Thermal paste is, as you probably already know from the video, is a glue-like substance that conducts heat fantastically well. It is used to dissipate heat from processors into heat sinks as well as other heat generating objects to their heat sinks.
What the person in the video did (at least what I got from quickly scrolling through and your description) is he added some metal to the phone and used thermal paste between it and the phone's processor. This will lower the temperature of the processor and make it run a little bit better.
In my opinion, in a phone, this isn't a good idea. In PCs where there is a dedicated heatsink already with a cooling system on it, there is room for this to be effective and for the heat sink to dissipate the heat. In a phone, the heat will not have any more room to dissipate than it previously did. There is no method of cooling the heat sink. I'd actually be concerned that areas of the phone that were not designed to experience such heat could become problematic when the makeshift heat sink becomes hot, such as the plastic coated ribbon cables that likely have low melting temperatures. In addition, phones are not designed to be tampered with like this. You are far more likely to damage the phone than help it.
That's my 2 cents.

I am very much concerned with my phone's heating problem and thought this would suffice it, but from your answer it doesn't seem to be a good idea. Thanks man.


text:
Remove Screen Record and Screen Shot from Quick Settings
On a Chinese Tablet running on Kitkat 4.4.2 there's 2 options "Screen Shot" and "Screen Record" on the Quick Settings Swipe Down. I'm struggling to find a way so I can disable or remove those functions.
I've attached an image to further explain what I'm looking for.

If you can root the device and successfully install Xposed Framework, then GravityBox[KK] can help you out precisely. See http://android.stackexchange.com/a/114019/96277

@Firelord thank you for the update, I'll give it a try. Does that work the same for Settings if for example I wanna disable or hide certain packages e.g. Backup & Restore, Developer Options, Accounts Section?

That feature is something I've not found in that app.

Great to hear that i'm working on it. Thanks I'll update you if any :)

Excuse again can I add a shortcut for LockScreen package to directly access it and set either PIN, Password or Pattern?

Oh no. I recognizes this device. Does it say 'alldaymall' on the back?

GravityBox allows adding app shortcuts to Quick Settings Menu.


text:
Data is being used with Mobile Data off
I recently bought a new Galaxy S5 (SM-G900T), updated it to Marshmallow, and have service through Pure TalkUSA on a barebones plan that only comes with 50MB of data. Because of that, I only ever turn it on when I have a MMS that I need to download; I use wifi for everything else.
A few days into using this phone, I noticed something strange happening when I wasn't connected to a wifi network. Even after unchecking the "Mobile Data" box in "Mobile Networks", the Gmail app can still check for new mail, use the internet browser, receive WhatsApp messages/pictures, etc.
The only way I receive a "Not connected" messages in any of these apps is if I turn on airplane mode, which of course means I can't receive any phone calls or text messages.
The only similar post I've found here mentioned data might being used when a call switches from 4G to 3G, however it is supposedly minimal. My full 50MB is used up usually by the second day in my billing cycle, whether I use it or not.
I called my carrier's "tech support" line but they just told me to make sure "Mobile Data" is turned off. When I told them it was, they said it is an issue with a phone and couldn't help me any further.
Anyone know why this is happening? I can't imagine I would be able to do any of these things if I wasn't using data, but I don't know why the phone seems to be ignoring the setting. If it helps, here is the summary of my data usage for this billing cycle (all of the data was used by the second day):

Any help would be extremely appreciated.
EDIT
My current APN Settings are (all others were left blank):
APN:          att.mvno
Proxy:        proxy.mvno.telrite.com
Port:         80
MMSC:         http://mmsc.cingular.com
MM proxy:     proxy.mvno.telrite.com
MM port:      80
MCC:          310
MNC:          410
APN protocol: IPv4
APN roaming
protocol:     IPv4

You could create a APN that is identical to what you are actively using, but only includes APN Type MMS and no other type of connection (especially default and fota), and delete all other APN entries. In theory, you should also be able to leave mobile data on all the time as well too. If you can append your current APN to your current posting, I should be able to create an effective answer. I suspect fota or hipri in the APN type is the real culprit though, they can bypass the mobile data switch in some devices.

@acejavelin added my APN settings. Thanks for the offer to help.

Is APN Type not defined, or can you not edit it?

APN Type was not defined. Your comment actually made me double-check my APN settings with what was given on my provider's website and after making some changes, it looks like the "Mobile Data" checkbox is now working as it should be. Thanks for the help.

Check your GPS on the device. Whether it is turned on or off. Sometimes GPS uses a combination of WiFi and Mobile network to determine your exact location. Disable your GPS in order to solve the problem.

I disabled all the location services since I got the phone, thanks for the suggestion though.

Normally it is not the GPS, it is the option to locate the position by known mobile and Wifi antenae. The GPS, on the contrary, does not use Internet. But, of course, phone producers can invent anything.


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Outlook.com ActiveSync no longer working, even after recreation
My Outlook.com ActiveSync for contacts and calendar simply stopped working a few days ago. The locally added contacts and calendar entries are there, but nothing is synced with MS.
In the hope of fixing the issue, I deleted the activesync account (beware: now lost all contacts and calendar entries on device!!) and recreated it.
The account is correctly set up, and the email part (that I don't use) seems to work, but no contacts or calendar entries are synced down from outlook.com / live.com.
Several delete+add and phone reboots didn't help.

Related: http://android.stackexchange.com/q/140078/6480

Related: http://android.stackexchange.com/q/88061/6480

After messing around, I finally noticed that, after creating the fresh ActiveSync account on my android phone, the eas account's EMail showed a kind of "welcome mail" from MS, that read in the subject "ACTION REQUIRED ..." (paraphrased).
I took a closer look at this Email, and it asked me to set up the Outlook App. And if I didn't wish to set up the Outlook App, I should follow a link to continue syncing with the built-in apps. I didn't notice this the first few times, because normally I don't use outlook.com mail and normally I just ignore Welcome Mails.
After I clicked this MS link, the sync started to work again for both contacts and calendar.
Let's just not start a rant on how MS wasted dunno how many hours of my time through this ... sigh


text:
rooting Sony Xperia z3+
I have this device.  I couln't find any solution of rooting this device and installing xposed framework onto it. Can someone please a link to some working guide(xda maybe) on how to root this device?

Care to do a bit more research? Xperia phones are easily rootable by unlocking the bootloader first, then flashing a kernel with custom recovery, then flashing SuperSU within it. Dig XDA for stuff.

I did searched. There's this thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/xperia-z5/development/root-automatic-repack-stock-kernel-dm-t3301605
But not sure if these works

I am afraid if it gets my device bricked

That's for Z5; although some steps mentioned are indeed useful, you'd better stick to something made for your device specifically.

If you download KingoRoot from the Google Play Store or App Store it should automatically root your device. For more help see here:
https://www.kingoapp.com
https://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-easily-root-an-android-device/

If you would have searched thoroughly then there's this link - https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hZDNpp--E0Y
, which would help you in rooting your device.
Also I would like to suggest you to mention the model no., android version, and the build no. of your device before asking for help, which makes helping or suggesting things easier.
And as you said about risk of getting the device bricked, well it could happen even when you follow a tutorial which helped someone but in your case couldn't. You can run into problems during several things like flashing custom ROM, changing kernel, and so on. So its your call on whether you want to get the best out of your device and root your phone or else use it the way it is.


text:
How can I unbrick my Droid Bionic?
The problem:
My Droid Bionic boots to a black screen
How I got here:

Successfully rooted the phone with SuperUser and SafeStrap.
Used SafeStrap to install CM11 into Rom-Slot-1.
Used CM Updater on the phone to install the latest snapshot of CM13 (for targa).
Used SafeStrap to install CM13 on to stock rom
Voila!  Boots to black screen.

Solutions I've tried so far:
I still have access to fastboot, and my PC recognizes the phone when it's booted into fastboot.
Can't find any CyanogenMod images to fastboot with, so I started looking for Droid Bionic stock images to flash with fastboot.
I found some and downloaded them.  My research shows that RSD Lite is the way to go here, so I've installed RSD Lite v6.2.4.  Unfortunately, it does not recognize my phone when I boot it up into fastboot (but fastboot devices still sees my phone).
So I tried manually flashing back to stock using Moto Fastboot as described in this thread:
http://androidforums.com/threads/droid-bionic-fastboot-fxz-files.540725/
Most of those steps worked, but some of them (most notably flashing boot.img) gave me "pre-flash validation" errors.
I tried rebooting the phone anyway and was greeted with a picture of the green android, and blue loading bar.  Then the phone rebooted itself and made some sounds (it sounded like the sound effects accompanying the Droid splash screen), but it still shows me a black screen.
I can still boot to fastboot, and my PC still sees the phone when fastbooted.
Any ideas?  I'm up for anything at this point.
EDIT:
I have also tried running RSD Lite as Administrator to no avail.

I fixed it.  Here's how:

Download moto-fastboot
Download the images for stock Motorola Bionic into the same folder you downloaded moto-fastboot to
Open a Command Prompt to that folder and run the following commands:

moto-fastboot flash mbm allow-mbmloader-flashing-mbm.bin
moto-fastboot reboot-bootloader
moto-fastboot flash mbmloader mbmloader.bin
moto-fastboot flash mbm mbm.bin
moto-fastboot reboot-bootloader
moto-fastboot flash cdt.bin cdt.bin
moto-fastboot erase cache
moto-fastboot erase userdata
moto-fastboot flash lbl lbl
moto-fastboot flash ebr ebr
moto-fastboot flash mbr mbr
moto-fastboot flash devtree device_tree.bin
moto-fastboot flash system system.img
moto-fastboot flash boot boot.img
moto-fastboot flash recovery recovery.img
moto-fastboot flash cdrom cdrom
moto-fastboot flash preinstall preinstall.img
moto-fastboot flash radio radio.img
moto-fastboot reboot

My problem was that I downloaded the wrong stock images for my Bionic.  I initially downloaded VRZ_XT875_6.7.246.XT875.Verizon.en.US_CFC_01.xml.zip but those image files gave me "preflash validation failure" messages.  6.7.246.XT875 was the previous stock version my phone was on.  But prior to rooting, I had upgraded to 98.72.22.XT875, which was not backward-compatible with the previous version.  As such, once you upgrade to the latest version, you can never go back to the previous stock version.
The stock images I should have downloaded were cdma_targa_9.8.2O-72_VZW-22_1ff.xml.zip  Once I downloaded these images, I was able to run the moto-fastboot commands successfully.
My phone is now running the latest stock version.  I don't have root anymore, but that can change :)


text:
How can I change my dialer setting conditionally
I use my google voice number for almost anything but things that won't accept a VoIP number for registration and account recovery and I give it to them, for a good reason.
So, my default dialer setting is "Ask me every time I place a call". I am mostly happy with the setting since an extra click on the screen is not that big of a deal. Except when I am in my car and trying to dial a number using voice dialing. At which time I have fumble with the phone to click the right position on the screen to place my call.
What I want is, as soon as my phone enters the PAN (personal area network) of my car's audio system (i.e. connects to car stereo using bluetooth) I want my dialer to default to google voice. And revert this setting back when I leave the car and disconnect from the stereo system.
How can I accomplish this ?
EDIT: If need be
OS: Android Nougat
Phone : Motorola Nexus 6

I am vaguely familiar with Google Voice but let me see if I can help...
I dont believe that there is a way to change that setting when you hook up to certain devices. It also depends on what software (like Android Auto) you are using. Maybe through there it will let you change that but otherwise I am afraid that the answer in no.
Hope that helps!

I am not using any "auto" app. If any of them have this setting enabled, I might consider using it just for this feature but currently I am not using any and I just want to change the setting using something like Tasker or IFTTT.


text:
Samsung Galaxy Tab A Keyboard Going Haywire
Whenever I write on Word with this tablet, the keyboard always malfunctions, and as I type, the keyboard will often capitalize the letters randomly without me telling it to, or it will finish my words for me. For example if I typed board, and hit space, it would go back and continue my word to say boardgames. Very annoying. Where does this problem come from and how do I solve it?
Thankyou

Clear the data from Google keyboard. Go to settings, apps, Google keyboard, clear data.


text:
What is an Android dock? When is a phone considered "docked"?
In Android's "daydream" settings, you can set "When to daydream" to "While docked" or "While charging." What does "Docked" mean? The only products I've seen that are sold as android "docks" are just stands that are shaped to prop up the phone at an aesthetically pleasing angle while charging - the phone doesn't know if it's in such a stand, though. I haven't found an Android equivalent of the music-playing docks that the iPhone can connect to.
The developer documentation describes 4 types of docks: Car, Desk, Low-End (Analog), and High-End (Digital). (The documentation implies that #3 and #4 are subtypes of #2.)
So, what is a dock? How does the phone decide if it's plugged into one, and which kind it is? What can docks do - play music? Can they do other things? Is there some sort of open standard defining how an Android phone talks to a dock (if that's even possible)? Can anyone point to example products representing each type of dock?

Something like this and this? Functional docks connect through USB or pogo pins (rarely seen now) and may transmit audio/video alongside charging.

Hmm, interesting... so how does the phone know if it's in a dock? Also - my understanding is that Android doesn't officially support audio over USB - are all docks specific to certain brands of phones, and up to the whims of the manufacturer to add features?

The pogo-pin docks certainly are phone-specific. I bet there are chips inside them that, when connected with the phone, communicate through some of the pins. But since I never had the chance to own a phone with that kind of dock back then I couldn't verify...

Preface: I am not an expert in the kernel and hardware driver-related topics. This answer is based only on finding and my limited understanding. I possibly use many wrong terms since I am not really familiar with them.

What is a dock?

A docking station is a device that is capable to communicate with the Android kernel to fire docking-related events and/or modify the docking file state.

How does the phone decide if it's plugged into one, and which kind it is?

The Android system is observing the docking-related events and the docking file state. When a device is docked, the kernel driver fires an event or modifies the file state, which make the Android system notice it, then it will broadcast the event to the apps system-wide.
The docking mode may depend on how the kernel is programmed, for example:

Using a single state file with multiple values (e.g. 0: undocked, 1: desk, 2: car)
Using multiple state files (e.g. /whisper/state for car dock, /smartdock/state for multimedia dock)

What can docks do - play music? Can they do other things?

A docking station can make the system and apps do anything that is programmed. One example is showing a different layout on docked state. It may also open a music player app and play music automatically on desk mode if it is programmed as such, or open a map/navigation app on car mode, etc.

Is there some sort of open standard defining how an Android phone talks to a dock (if that's even possible)?

The standard is mostly based on Linux kernel driver using uevent (event-based) and state file (polling) as previously mentioned. However, the responsible kernel and Android code can be customized, also as previously mentioned.

To put simply:
[Docking station -> microcontroller] -> USB -> [device driver -> kernel -> event/state file -> dock observer -> apps]

Additional references:

Kernel source code for a dock driver

Another kernel source code for hardware consumer? (HWC)

GitHub - slayher/CM7_Mecha_issue - Does not switch to desktop dock mode

Unix & Linux Stack Exchange - What is the difference between kernel drivers and kernel modules?


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Network not changing
Whenever I am trying to change my mobile data from SIM 2 to SIM 1 its not working, it says data subscription change in progress but it never change actually.
Settings - Sim cards - preferred sim for mobile data. Moto G2 - 6.0
I tried all the scenarios changed SIM card disable enable all scenarios but no luck.
Can someone please provide me some guidance on the same so that i can switch data to other network.
Thank You.


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How do I send this explicit intent from Tasker?
This adb command from documentation causes a CAPTCHA to succeed in my favorite alarm clock app:
adb shell am start -n com.urbandroid.sleep/.alarmclock.AlarmAlertFullScreen --ez captcha_result_success true

I tested this command, and it has the expected result. However, I am having trouble achieving the same result from Tasker.
I use the "Send Intent" action with the following settings:

Action -> blank
  Extra -> captcha_result_success:true
  Package -> com.urbandroid.sleep.alarmclock
  Class -> AlarmAlertFullScreen
  Target -> Activity

Unfortunately, this doesn't do the same thing as the adb command above. The CAPTCHA screen opens, but it doesn't get dismissed. I'm not sure what is wrong. The Tasker documentation says that the colon syntax is how extra boolean variables are passed.
I've tried a couple of variations, but nothing has given the same result as the adb command.
The adb command is documented here: http://sleep.urbandroid.org/cs/documentation/developer-api/captcha-api/

Here is how I fixed it.

Package -> com.urbandroid.sleep
Class -> com.urbandroid.sleep.alarmclock.AlarmAlertFullScreen

You must fully qualify the class and use the part of the package before the slash.


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Can not upload folder
I'm trying to add folder in Degoo app for backup, but it is neither showing my sd card nor phone memory. It shows 'Recent' but in it nothing is there. How do I fix it.
This problem is not only with Degoo but I've faced it many times among various apps.
Device :: Lenovo K4 Vibe
Android :: 5.1 Lollipop

Screenshot (click image to enlarge)

Try the app picker classic app mentioned here  all the best

App picker is not working. Nothing happened after installing.

Surprised. Did you reset the defaults? You can try the other app mentioned there also

The other app semi-fixed my problem, I can not select sd card but at least now I can select phone storage

It's not easy to say that the issue is related with the application or the phone, but it's obvious that Degoo servers are challenging with upload problems and receiving files which make many users to think it's a prank; also you should know that Degoo is a fully beta backup service with many bugs in coding, even without a web file manager.
I would stop using it as a serious backup cloud storage for my important files, instead there are many tested storage services like Google Drive to be used; it's a fact that quality is not cheap or a speedy object.
If Degoo solves issues faster and prove itself as a huge cloud storage (not 100GB but more than 1TB for free) during next years it can be a successful innovation, but time matters.


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remapping volume up to power button on nexus 5
my power button is half broken. I have rooted my phone and installed xposed framework and xposed additions. I have successfully remapped my volume-up so that when the phone is on I can switch it off or unlock it with volume-up. But I don't manage to switch on my phone. Can anyone point out the correct configuration of xposed that allows this? or suggest an alternative route?


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change UI dynamically according to location
I want to know how in Uber app, type of cab availability options are changed dynamically according to user's location? e.g. 'airport to city' option in airport location.

See Location-based Services

Create the usual splash screen as specified in the below tutorial then you can do a background process which checks on the location then change the imageView dynamically.[http://www.androidhive.info/2013/07/how-to-implement-android-splash-screen-2/]


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Nexus 7 2013 not playing nice with Windows 10
I did something to my Nexus 7 and need to transfer files via USB in recovery so I can reinstall my Android OS.
Unfortunately every time I plug it into the USB I get an error. In Device Manager I see my Nexus as "Unknown USB Device. Device Descriptor Request Failed." I try to manually install the drivers but they do not work.
I have searched the web and it seems like a compatibility issue between my newer USB 3 ports and the USB 2 standard of the Nexus 7. No matter how I try I can not get it working with the PC.
I have tried using a Kingwin USB hub and connecting the Nexus 7 through there without luck. I tried connecting to other Windows 10 machines (all ASUS) and have gotten the same error.
I tried entering ADB mode without luck. I tried getting the device to read a USB stick via OTG without success.
I can't find a Windows 7 machine to try and connect it to. I think that would work but I don't have one.
Is there a solution for this?

I can see the tablet in This PC and can "access" it, but what is shown is not the actual tablet contents but rather a generic set of empty folders which of course cannot be interacted with.

What driver did you try installing?  Try installing the Google USB Driver which is in the Android SDK as outlined here.  I am assuming you've got the Android SDK installed and setup on your computer?

This does not work.

Try the Google USB Driver

Extract
Doubleclick the file with .inf extension
Restart PC, Laptop or Tablet

Note: I can't guarantee the compatibility between the Nexus 7 and the Google USB Driver, since its made for these devices:

ADP1 / T-Mobile G1*
ADP2 / Google Ion / T-Mobile myTouch 3G*
Verizon Droid*
Nexus One and Nexus S

This driver has no more success than the default one.


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Viewing an encrypted emacs org text file on android
I use a gpg encrypted .org text file to store sensitive data, passwords etc. in a dropbox folder
I use this all the time on my various laptops
Having just purchased an android smartphone, I am wondering whether there is an efficient way for me to view that file on the phone?
I have installed dropbox app no prob and that works fine.
The unencrypting and viewing of the .org.gpg file however has not been so straightforward.
I have managed to decrypt the file on the phone with APG app, but it leaves a tmp unencrypted file in an obscure place which I'm not too thrilled about - and I can't see any way of sensibly viewing a .org file in android. I have seen/played with .org mode app but it doesn't really work very well.
Maybe I need to think laterally - could there be another way of sharing my sensitive data across laptop/phone that is secure, but also easy to use?

I don't know what you use to read/edit those files on Android, but concerning de- and encryption it might be worth trying OpenKeychain (also available on F-Droid), which claims to interact fine with other apps. For alternatives, also be welcome to consult my app listing on file encryption.

well a .org file is just a text file at heart, so I guess a text editor that could work in conjunction with a decrypt app would suffice. I am thinking that I maybe hoping for too much for an app to be able to manipulate the .org file like emacs can?

May I suggest to ask at our sister site for specific app-combinations (see: Where to ask for app recommendations?) SR is specialized on that part. Here at Android.SE we rather deal with "How to…" – which again doesn't fit over there :) The "How-to" part is basically the "Crypting app" invoking an app suitable for the content – which is what OpenKeychain does. See here for a list of apps reported to work with it. Basically, any app using the OpenPGP API or OpenKeychain Intents should cooperate.

I am actually making good progress with termux/emacs at the moment - all installed, need to hook up to dropbox and see if the built in emacs decrypt works. If so, my problem is solved. Thanks for the input Izzy

Glad to read! Be welcome to answer your own question then if solved :)

well I can decrypt .gpg files under termux now, i.e. I have apt-get'd gnupg ok - I can also view .org files in termux emacs no problem. But can I decrypt a .gpg file from within emacs? No I can't - I have taken the discussion on to https://plus.google.com/107409986037813400431/posts/jctjzQanAzS. If/when solved I'll post the answer..


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SIM card no longer recognised
I own a Sony Xperia Z5 dual SIM phone. Phone is unlocked and running Android 5.1.1
I always used it with the same SIM card (3 Network) and it always worked well. Yesterday I tried to add a new SIM card (Vodafone) in hope of using both SIM cards in my dual SIM phone. Unfortunately the experience resulted in only the Vodafone SIM working. 3 Network SIM stopped working and now even after removing Vodafone SIM it still doesn't work. When I say "doesn't work" I mean that I can see "emergency calls only" displayed on my screen.
What I tried:
-Reboot and hard reboot (yellow button near SIM slot)
-3 card still works in another handset
-Vodafone card works in this and in another handset
Clearly SIM card slot is not damaged seeing that Vodafone card works and 3 SIM card must be fine as well because I tried it in another phone. Phone cannot be SIM locked because I used 3 SIM card there for months or could it got locked somehow?
What should I do to make my phone work with my old 3 SIM card again?

What's your question?

I would like to know what should I do to make my phone work with my old 3 SIM card again?


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Where does Android store fingerprint data?
I am looking for the files that correspond to the recorded fingerprints on my Nexus 6P and a way to "reset" the fingerprint system. Something similar to how Android stores lock screen settings (pattern etc.) under /data/system/locksettings.db*, and you can remove the lock screen by deleting these files (if you have root access).
The reason I am asking is because after a TWRP restore on a new Nexus 6P, my fingerprint hardware is not working anymore. The error message is Fingerprint hardware not available. Also see this question: "Fingerprint hardware not available" after TWRP restore
All five previously recorded fingerprints show up on the settings UI, but I am not able to delete them by clicking "Delete".

try removing these files also
/data/system/users/0/fpdata/user.db
/data/system/users/0/settings_fingerprint.xml

Instead of removing files, appending the filenames with some random extension would be better. So, if anything goes wrong we can revert the changes.
eg: user.db -> user.db.xyz or xyx_user.db
I faced the same error too and this worked for me.

That's one step closer! Thanks @lazykiller. Removing the files got rid of the "Fingerprint hardware not available" error message. However, when I try to set up new fingerprints in Settings now, I am getting this error "Enrollment was not completed". In logcat I'm seeing fpc_tac_send_cmd failed with retval: -3, do_enroll failed -5, and onError(1) from fingerprintd. Any ideas? Thanks.

This worked for me (after messing with the other files in /data/system)

Secure location
Capturing and recognizing your fingerprint must happen in a secure part of the hardware known as a Trusted Execution Environment (TEE).
Hardware access must be limited to the TEE and protected by an SELinux policy.
Fingerprint data must be secured within sensor hardware or trusted memory so that images of your fingerprint aren't accessible.
Source: https://support.google.com/nexus/answer/6300638?hl=en
Click on Fingerprint hardware security requirements to get to the information, it's the last bullet point

That's useful information. Thank you. But then the real question is: My backed up and restored ROM shows the fingerprints on the UI. Where does the Android system get this information from and why does it still think 5 fingerprints are stored? Obviously the real fingerprint data is locked inside my old, bricked 6P. I just need a way to reset the fingerprints on my new phone.


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Disable email syncing on public wifi
I have a Samsung Galaxy S4 mini.
I have enabled active email syncing every 15 mintues cause it's obviously useful. However, I would like my password to remain safe when logged in to a public wifi that I may require temporarily when in a restaurant or airport. In other words, to suspend automatic syncing when using such unsafe networks ; sync only on trusted networks or when on roaming. Is there any way to configure that ?

Are you on public wifi a lot?  I would recommend using a VPN service, so turn that on when on public wifi then you won't have to worry about this.  As far as I know, there isn't a way to make the app only sync when connected to trusted wifi networks, unless there is an option for it in the app's Settings...?

No such option in the settings as far as I can see. As far as I know, VPN changes your IP and location. I assume from what you say that it also encrypts data, is that correct ?

It will create a secure encrypted connection between your device and the server you are connected to, and send all network traffic in this protected manner.  Your IP and location will change based on the VPN service you use/where you are connecting.  I use ExpressVPN personally, but there are many other services out there.


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Entering a pattern using the keyboard
I am using a keyboard with my android phone (connected via a usb otg cable)
I have noted that hitting SPC or RET when the phone is locked takes me to the unlock screen where i have to enter a pattern.
Is there a keyboard shortcut means for entering a pattern?
If not plan B is to switch to a PIN - but I quite like the pattern, hence the question..

Can you not use a mouse?

yes you could do that - but in this particular scenario, i.e. a wired usb keyboard using up the only usb otg connection, I can't do that. I am also interested to know if it is possible. I do have a wireless keyboard/mouse combo and that does work with the dongle plugged into the otg cable, however on that keyboard all the keycaps are moved around as I am a colemak fiend. a little complicated i know..


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No sound on right ear on Motorola G4
I was having an issue this morning with my Moto G4 and thought there could be more victims.
I could only hear the sound from the left speaker of my headphones.
So what was causing it?

I figured out a solution.
At first I wanted to try and fix it physically with the help of this tutorial and as I was building a thing out of cupboard I went to search the internet again.
And then I stumbled about this where someone said, restarting the phone made it work again for him.
This fixed my issue so I came to the conclusion that this is a software issue/bug.
I hope this helps somebody else.
For me it was very annoying because I only have this phone for two weeks.
So restart your phone every once in a while or you won't hear anything soon ;)


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Stuck inside twrp, can't get out
Help!
Last question I asked was a software issue. Anyway I am stuck in twrp.
I just formatted my phone this time in twrp and it was successful. I then installed my stock/custom rom and it was successful again. Then when I rebooted it to system, it booted back into twrp. I formatted it again. But this one time after the first formatted it said install supersu, so I did it.

Did you try flashing a custom rom again? If not please do. The recovery mode might some how removed your system (my guess). Try flashing some other roms.
Good Luck!

Can you insert an SD card in your device? If yes then take a screen shot about what is it about. Sorry but I forgot the button combination. Try power with volume up or down.

Power+Volume Down has always worked for me

This happened with me too. Just flash twrp from Fastboot.

I fixed it 2 weeks ago. I just locked the bootloader in fastboot and then fatboot oem unlock did not work. I was worried but never gave up, then I saw a new wat to unlock bootloader in fastboot. It was fastboot oem unlock-go


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Accessibility menu keeps appearing
On my Moto G4 the Accessibility settings menu keeps popping up, and I can't make it go away. The only thing that works temporarily is to put the phone on standby, then reopen and the phone works normally for about 30 secs before the menu pops up again. I've tried turning off the phone and it still keeps happening. Any ideas?

This is happening on a friend's Nexus 7 (on Android 6). I'm mystified.

I'm having the same issue with my galaxy s7. I've uninstalled apps and reset all my setting back to default to see if that worked. The only time it stops is shortly after I turn my phone on in the morning for about a minute

Look at the list of accessibility services that look disabled in that menu. A rogue app could be trying to trick you into enabling its accessibility service.


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How can I remove a System App from my rooted phone?
I have rooted my device, and removed several System apps successfully, including this one. However, I then accidentally restored this particular app and now I seem to be stuck with it.
I've also tried deleting it's file through a few File Management apps, but to no avail.
The problem is, I think, that when it was restored, it was restored as a System App for the root, rather than as the regular system app that could be removed, that it was originally. If this is the case, is it worth trying to unroot my phone?
This app that I'm trying to remove is YouTube, by the way.
Any ideas?

Likely it's because the application your trying to remove is refusing to let it's services die gracefully. The trick I use involves ROM Toolbox and works for most applications including the last time I had to uninstall YouTube. I'm using the paid version so some features described my not be available in the free version.
If using ROM Toolbox, then click the applications manager within it and select Freeze before selecting uninstall and the application will be forced to quit and not able to start again. However, do be sure to make a full backup of your whole phone either though custom recovery or ADB because if you freeze some applications (other than YouTube) it'll cause your phone to barf or bootloop until restored.
Additionally some applications will still have some hooks still running after uninstall so reboot to have that flushed from memory.
Lastly don't go using this freeze ray trick on system applications because that'll often cause bootlooping and other issues. If you do freeze system applications and the device still operates then don't uninstall the frozen system app because this can also cause bootlooping when system integrated apps try to access the uninstalled app.
Apps I know cause issues (some more than others) when frozen are; stock messaging, play store & service, phone application (even on tablets), clock and system; don't ever freeze the system or UI app unless you like restoring from backup.

Have you tried rebooting the device? Also you can try removing the app with Purify if you rooted your device with KingRoot

Tried both, but no go, unfortunately.  I originally used the Titanium app to back it up, and then uninstall it. I restored it using that backup.

and Titanium cant uninstall it?

That´s what´s so strange - I had no problem uninstalling it before, but after restoring it, I can´t seem to uninstall it again with Titanium, or any other such app.

Is there a Youtube apk in your data/app folder? if yes try deleting it

More like /system/app, but yes you should be able to manually remove the APK.

@Matthew Read, ShulkerHD, I've tried that too, with read/write access.

Try using the bloatware removal function hidden somewhere in the settings or so. It might solve the problem.
EDIT: Titanium Backup -> Main menu -> Preferences -> Bloatware Melter

Would you be more specific on the the detail you wish to give as a solution? If the funtion is hidden "somewhere" then how can the asker find it? Be sure of what you saying else its better off as a comment or at least spam.

I've never heard of any built-in "bloatware removal function", hidden or not. So I'd very much appreciate some details on where exactly to find and how to use it. Especially if it's hidden, your post crucially needs to be updated with those details to make the post an "useful answer" – as otherwise we beard can't reach that honey ;) Thanks in advance!

Each phone is different. On one phone a certain "bloatware" can easily be removed. On another it will cause a bootloop. A good starting point is to google "remove bloatware " and you should get some lists of apps which people have "safely" removed. Can never be sure about those lists though, so make sure to have Complete Backup, so you can always go back to previous state and continue experimenting.

there is an app called System app remover(ROOT) on the play  store , which enables you to remove any system app. also it gives you backup to restore it anytime. don't forget to restart android after uninstalling app since , it requires restart to take effects. i am providing you the link:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jumobile.manager.systemapp&hl=en

I'm fairly sure there are no apps out there that can give an option to restore any System app. This is because removing some system apps make it impossible to return to the OS again or run the app. So the only option is to use Recovery. So make sure to do complete backup from your custom recovery (TWRP etc) before you remove/disable any system app.


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Can't log into Google Play, gmail, or other apps on new Samsung 7
I have changed my Google password in an attempt to be able to log into gmail, Play Store and other apps on my new phone. However, the Play Store app is not recognizing the password change. I cannot get into other apps that I downloaded via the Play Store. Can someone help?

you should try clear the data of google play store and google play services by going into app settings, if it doesn't work,  you can follow Google Accounts Help Center


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How to increase the size of Android 6's personal dictionary?
When adding new words to the dictionary, old words keep getting forgotten. It feels like I can only add about 1000 words (might be off, but that's the order of magnitude). Words disappear in the order they were added in (FIFO), so often basic and commonly used words are removed. Note that this holds for the personal dictionary, the selected language's dictionary is static and remains. So, I keep adding the same words over and over, and sometimes even in the same message, words can get a red underline when adding other words. It seriously feels like the Nokia 3510's dictionary is the same size as my modern Android (and every other Android I ever had), and I'm not even kidding.
How can I increase the dictionary's size? Or alternatively, how can I make android predict more words than it currently does?
My use case is that I use 2 languages interchangeably within sentences; English and dutch slang + dutch dialect. All words I have added are under 'English' in settings. I have several reasons for not switching dictionary languages mid-sentence, but it's mostly convenience. If I did use the dutch dictionary, I would still have the same problem. While dutch may align with dutch slang for ~85%, only ~5% of the words match with my dutch dialect. So basically I'm trying to fit 2 extra languages within my personal dictionary and it doesn't fit.
Any solution may be far fetched or require rooting, I don't care. This issue has been haunting me since my first Nokia phone. My current phone has the storage space for more than a billion words (60 Gb free space, 15 character words in UTF-8), so surely technology has advanced enough to allow more than a thousand words. Any help would greatly be appreciated!
Specs:

Android 6.0.1
Cyanogen OS 13.1.2


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Will a HTC hard reset also reset the firmware?
I am about to buy a second-hand HTC One S for development mucking around. The seller says it needs to have its firmware reset, but won't say why.
I intend to hard reset it anyway and wipe everything. Will doing this also reset the firmware, or is the firmware "lower level" than the factory default settings?

Well, a factory reset only removes/wipes user data. The system should be left untouched. With the recent addition of seamless updates, it might be possible to revert one update (speculating a bit, I may not be up to date with the latest news about this one).

From this post:

System updates overwrite /system. Factory reset wipes /data and /cache but doesn't touch /system. Simple as that.

The seller likely is just trying to eliminate personal data to prevent you from getting hold of any.
And in extreme cases where /system does get reset/cleared, there's always RUUs (HTC's factory firmware) which you can use to recover. In fact, even if the phone works just fine when it arrives, you might still need it to update the phone to the latest version available (OTA updates might've been discontinued by HTC).


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Permission denied in /data
My phone is getting out of storage space warnings and most of this is due to log files in /data that I cannot get to.
I'm using CyanogenMod and use Terminal to gain shell access.  Issue su in the root filesystem,  cd data, then ls.   That's when I get permission denied.

Screenshot (click for larger variant)
What do I need to do to gain permission to clear out these large, inaccessible log files?

If you'll add as an answer I'll green check you.

You're not even operating as root - the symbol before each command is still $ instead of #. Double check the root-related options in Developer options - allow root for shell.


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How to remove device access allows from installing Exchange Account
I allowed access to manage my Android device (Galaxy S7) when adding my Exchange account.
I've removed that mail account but I would like to make sure that the Exchange account or organization has zero ability to manage my personal device any longer.  Is there anyway to ensure this is true?

Open settings go to Security, then Device administrators. Now you have a list of all apps that can manage your device. If your email app is listed you can click on it and select "deactivate this device administrator" to disable it.
If your email app is not in this list, your organization has no longer any access to your device.

Thanks for heads up although small note the steps to get there were incorrect on latest Android though i found it.

Glad you found it. Every manufacturer does it slightly different (I only have stock android or htc sense to compare, no samsung device). Also if it's the right answer please accept it as correct answer. thx

if you have removed or deleted the account, it's already ensured that no one else can access your device or manage account.

Any reference material?  Any way to see of device has been accessed since deleting?

You should be able to remove your ActiveSync devices by logging into Outlook Web App via web browser (I am not sure what version of Exchange you have, we use Office 365).  You can remove by going to Settings icon - Mail - under General select Mobile Devices - highlight the device you wish to remove and click on the "-" icon to remove it.


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Android Kitkat OS for Lenovo Vibe K5 (lollipop) Device?
I have Lenovo vibe K5 device and its running on Lollipop 5.1, for some reasons i want to downgrade it into Kitkat, So is it safe to downgrade higher end device into lower version of android if yes, i need compatible Kitkat OS for this device?

While asking us to find what you need us off-topic, it's generally safe to downgrade, should you find an appropriate, tested firmware.

Unless in very, very rare cases, it's impossible to go below a phone's initial factory firmware version, even with custom ROMs.


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j5 cant open after updating to marshemallow
j5 cant open after updating to marshemallow and it display the word (samsung) in the screen for 20 hours without opening
tried restarting and removed the battery and the same happens

its the ROM from samsung they asked me to update an i did it .. i cant even do it myself

Did you try clearing the cache memory by booting to recovery? I have the same phone and had not issue when I upgr to Marshmallow.

It mostly happens when an incompatible ROM or KERNEL is installed on the phone. It is known as boot-loop, the phone never leaves the booting screen. To fix this issue in most cases, you have to change to a different ROM or KERNEL.
In your case it is the problem with the ROM as you mentioned that you updated to Marshmallow. It happens mostly when you try to update it yourself and not from OTA updates, if you really did update it yourself just flash a different ROM insuring that ROM is compatible with your device model.

its the ROM from samsung they asked me to update an i did it .. i cant even do it myself

You could try wiping cache and delvik cache, if still not solved then flash a previous ROM for that model.

This is the known issue with Samsung Marshmallow update. I too had the same problem a couple of months ago.
The easiest way to get it done is to reach Samsung Care asap. They will hardly take your five minutes to fix it.
One of my friend tried installing stock Marshmallow ROM with ODIN and ended up with a bricked device.
So the easiest and safest way possible is to visit Samsung Care asap.


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How to find a specific picture in Android's gallery app?
I have some 1,500 photos on my smartphone taken over the course of more than a year.
In the Android default gallery app, the most recent pictures are shown on top, in a two-column layout.
How can I directly jump to the oldest pictures, or to any of the pictures in between, without having to swipe some 30 times?
Concrete issue: I am trying to select a photo, and the gallery app is launched in selection mode. Every once in a while (about once in 5 to 10 attempted swipes), when trying to swipe, I accidentally select a picture. I cannot undo that and return to the gallery app; instead I can only cancel the selection, re-open the gallery app, and start swiping from scratch.

@beeshyams: Indeed, default name. I only sort and rename photos after copying them to the desktop computer.

@beeshyams: Well, the photos are on the SD card. Tapping the two lines that indicate the total and available storage on the SD card has no effect.

@beeshyams: It shows up, but tapping it does not do anything. I can open the gallery via "internal storage" as you described (although that looks like it is just a more complicated way to open the gallery exactly the same way as from the applications menu), but in there, I do not see any sorting options.

@beeshyams: Sorry, it's Android 5.0.1 - added the appropriate tag.

@beeshyams: An alternative file explorer doesn't help me when a 3rd party app wants me to select a photo via the default gallery app.

Your problem statement is not clear, for instance this aspect did not figure . Anyway, you can install app picker classic to choose file explorer as option to select a photo. See this answer

With that app you can bypass default selection of your gallery app and instead choose a file explorer to be used by third party app