text:
Uninstalled apps still show up on "Apps installed on" in Google Play Store
I already uninstalled the unwanted applications from my device, but they still show up  on "Apps installed on"  in my Google Play account.
Does it mean that the apps I got rid of are still stored in my phone?

It can take a little time for the web-based Play Store to see what is and isn't installed on your device. You can facilitate that by running the Play Store app on your device. That should kickstart the sync process between your device and the web.

In the Play store there is a 'installed' tab which as the name implies is of currently installed applications. The 'all' tab shows apps which have ever been installed on the device.
If you don't want a application to show up in this list, then from the phone open Play store, go into your My Apps and on the All tab you can click the circular remove icon to the right of the app will remove it from your Play account.
This is what it should look like:

One note about this: if you accidentally select more than one app, the X will be greyed out (or possibly missing).  This can inadvertently happen if you highlight one app, then try to remove a different one, IIRC.

I removed the app and it still says I have the app installed...

I have a Motorola Moto G, with Android 4.4.4 installed on it, so your version might be slightly different.
On your device go to 'Google Play', and go to the 'Menu' (the 3 horizontal bars on the top left of the screen), the Menu should pop-up from the left side of the screen. Select 'My Apps' and a new screen should pop-up, the 'My Apps' screen.
On the top you will see two choices, 'installed' & 'all'.  The first option is pretty self explanatory; the second choice lists ALL of the applications you have ever installed or uninstalled on your device.  If you go down the list you will see that the apps are listed and neatly separated by little rectangles. Notice that the uninstalled apps have a little 'x' in the top right corner of the rectangle. Tap it and the device will ask you if you want to remove it from the list.
That is how you remove it from the device. It'll be removed from the Googe Play site when the phone syncs with Google's servers.

This method works on my Samsung Galaxy sIII, too.

Sometimes it takes a while until the Play Store syncs with what's installed and what's not. You just have to wait and I haven't any method of making it sync faster.

You'll be waiting a while. I had uninstalled apps sitting in my acct for over a year.

Deleting cache and data of the Play store app solved the problem for me.

Go to Settings > Accounts > Google, and click the "Sync all" button at the bottom.

Try moving the app to the SD Card and uninstall it, if persist move it again to the phone and uninstall it, it works in my LG G3 when that happens

That will do nothing except waste time. Uninstalling a program is not supposed to remove it from the Play Store history.


text:
Can't see Macbook WiFi access point on Android smartphone
I'd like to connect my Android phone (Samsung Galaxy Nexus running Stock JellyBean) to my Macbook Pro (early-2012, running OSX Lion) via an access point created by my Macbook Pro.
Sadly I can't even see the access point on my Android phone.
Does anyone know a possible solution to this problem?
Additional information: A nearby Windows-PC and iPhone can connect to the AdHoc-network of the Macbook. The android phone can connect to all other wifi.

Can you see it from any other devices?   Can you phone see other WiFi networks?

Yes, my Windows-PC can connect to it. My phone sees all other WiFi networks.

Are you creating an Ad-hoc WiFi network? Android devices currently can't connect to ad-hoc wifi networks.

Yes I do. So that is the solution. What else could I possibly do?

The general solution would be to create a WiFi hotspot. Windows has http://www.connectify.me which can create a WiFi hotspot. You need a similar application for Mac OS. Also have a look at http://stackoverflow.com/questions/5100928/how-to-connect-android-wifi-to-adhoc-wifi

In Snow Leopard (sorry, I don't have a Lion to try this with):
In System Preferences > Sharing,

Enable 'Internet Sharing'
Enable 'To computers using AirPort'
Click the 'Airport Options' button and set up hotspot's network name and encryption. The AirPort will have to be off for this button to be active.
'Ok' to back out to the Sharing pref pane.

On the Network Preference Pane, or on the menu bar,

Turn on the AirPort.

Your device should see your Mac as a WiFi access point.

I am going to expand on the previous answer:
The stock Android OS doesn't see Ad-Hoc wifi points - this has been programmed in. Why Google decided this, I have no idea.
The wifi access point, as you said, is an Ad-Hoc network, as such Android doesn't see it.
The previous answer tells you how to turn the Ad-Hoc network into a wifi access point - like the ones routers use.
Most custom ROMs allow you to connect to Ad-Hoc networks as if they were normal wifi hotspots.

I assume the logic is to (slightly) raise the barrier necessary to mess with people at starbucks or something and sniff everyone's phone traffic by making an ad-hoc mimicking a commonly trusted network.

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


text:
Cannot upgrade Galaxy Y GT-S5360 with new firmware using Kies
Whenever I try to click "upgrade", my phone suddenly disconnects from Kies but the download prompt still runs. After the download process completes, Kies suddenly closes and there are no changes with my phone.

Try putting you phone in Download Mode and try again.

There are quite a few [tag:samsung-kies] questions here, and many of them have to do with update issues. Have you checked to see if any of them are similar to your issue?

Are you running the latest version ok kies?

If the answer to my comment is No, then update Kies, and try again.
If the answer to my comment is yes, then try the following:

Place your phone manually into download mode, and attempt the update again.
Kill all Kies processes using the task manager, and then open the program again.
Ensure your USB cable and USB port are working properly (sometimes a weak connection can cause issues)
Erase all the data on your android (do a factory reset) and try again (I put this last, as you lose all your data, so should only be tried AFTER you have tried everything else you can think of).

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


text:
Handwrite / draw on a text document
Is there an Android app that enables hand-writing / drawing on a word document? I want to draw and write on the text. I don't want to edit the document, but write on the top of it. Instead of typing the letters using the keyboard, I want to draw on the text. Just like writing / drawing on a picture, I would like to draw on a word document.
I have been looking for this everywhere, can anyone suggest me a good app that can do this?
Thanks.

I think what you're looking for is usually called "freehand drawing". I can't find any app that supports free hand drawing on Word document. However, Adobe Reader for Android supports freehand drawing annotation on PDF document. You can convert your word documents to PDF and use Adobe Reader to make your annotations.
Freehand annotation on an editable document like Word generally makes little sense anyway, because it's not always obvious where the annotation should move to when the text is edited.

Polaris Office can open and edit word documents, and you can draw directly on the documents.

Not even a link to the app? And please don't "sign" your posts.

A new version of Microsoft's OneNote is out on Android (tablets only I'm afraid), which I think you can do exactly what you want. Type a text and handwrite over it. Here's a blog post describing the features.
I think that the best results are obtain with a Note tablet though, with an actual pressure sensitive electronic pen.


text:
Different wallpaper for each homescreen?
I'd like to be able to have a different wallpaper for each homescreen. I found a live wallpaper that lets you do this.
Is there a more efficient/less cumbersome way?

The homescreen pages aren't separate desktops.  I don't think there's anything you can do, plus I don't think it should be particularly inefficient or cumbersome to use a live wallpaper.

AFAIK the default Android launcher does NOT allow you to do this. However, there are some launchers available on Play Store which let you do this. Regina 3D Launcher is one of them.
The other option I see is what you are already doing, using a live wallpaper like MultiPicture Live Wallpaper.
(I have mentioned some popular apps to do this, there are alternatives available, you can search on Play store.)


text:
Why is the SD-card mounted to "/sdcard/external_sd" instead of "/sdcard" (or "/mnt/sdcard")?
I recently upgraded my phone to an LG Motion 4G (Android 4 ICS). I see that the sdcard is mounted at /sdcard/external_sd. I also noticed that this appears to be the same with some other newer models. Apps expect the sdcard to be at /sdcard. I assume the manufacturers want to include a lot of internal storage, but why mount internal storage at /sdcard? Shouldn't this be against some form of Android specification standard?

As to the "specification standard", this should rise no problems: As you can read in the developers documentation on External Storage, apps should determine the location/availibility using API calls (here: getExternalStorageState()), not using hard-coded paths.

Good point Izzy, but apparently some manufacturers are wrongfully redirecting apps to the internal space via getExternalStorageDirectory(). http://stackoverflow.com/questions/11281010/how-can-i-get-external-sd-card-path-for-android-4-0

Ah, good point as well -- as a non-developer I was not aware of that. But I see Flow provided a very good explanation -- again with points I was not aware of...

The reason is the history of Android: The first generation of Android devices only had a small amount of internal storage (around 100-400MiB) which was mounted under /data.
Next, devices with a, at that time external, SD-card came out. The SD card was mounted under /mnt/sdcard.
After that, devices with large internal storage came on the market. This storage was portioned, because /mnt/sdcard had become the default place for big data chunks from apps, pictures and such. So the Android environment had to have a /data and /mnt/sdcard directory. Therefore one partition was for /data, the other for /mnt/sdcard. This is the reason why you storage space could become low (the /data partition) even if there is plenty of space on /mnt/sdcard.
This situation was improved with Android 3.0: /data and /mnt/sdcard are now pointing to the same partition. Good job Google, that could have been done versions ago. Which is also the reason why app2sd is no more needed on Android 3.0 or higher: You would only move the data within the same volume.
Now we come to the answer if your question: Since /mnt/sdcard is already mounted on the internal storage, an external SD-card has to use a different mount point. And this mount point is not specified by Google. It could be

/mnt/sdcard/ext_sd
/mnt/external
/mnt/extSdCard
/mnt/sdcard/external_sd
etc.

The API call getExternalStorageDirectory() usually points to the internal storage directory. This behavior is documented. There are open source projects that provide tools to find the external SD-card directory in a canonical way.

Does that mean there is no "transparent way" for apps to determine the SD card? Of course, there's isExternalStorageRemovable() to see if the "external" storage is removable, plus one could determine the mount points (using the mount command) and check for mount flags etc. But if I'm not taken wrong here, this still means each developer needs to figure out for his app himself, and there's no simple API call to do that for him?

That's correct. There are the libraries that I linked that try to add that feature, but there is no official API call to do so.

If both the external storage and the /data partition are merged, how could I safely mount/unmount my SD card to plug it, say, in my PC? It seems to me that having separate partitions is logical and I don't see why all that had to happen.

It's not the external storage, it's the, so called, "internal SD" and the /data partition that get's merged.

This situation was improved with Android 3.0: /data and /mnt/sdcard are now pointing to the same parition. Just FYI, that's NOT true on at least one phone running Android 4.0 (Pantech Burst), where /data is a 1GB ext4 partition and /mnt/sdcard is a 12GB FAT32 partition.

All statements are with vanilla Android in mind. Manufacturers are free to leave the path Google has set.

Shame on Google for not providing an API call to unambiguously detect the mount point, or at the very least specify a "recommended" mount point (rather than leaving manufacturers to each invent their own). The Environment2 project on GitHub (thanks for linking to it) does ease the pain, but too bad the (extensive) documentation in the code is all in German.

Just as an example, I'm using Android 6.0.1 and my external SD card is mounted at /storage/{random numbers, e.g. 3430-3234}, which Astro renames to /storage/SD card.

Forcing external SD mount away from /mnt/sdcard has no technical merit, it is Google's way of helping hardware vendors to create a differentiation point for phones with more internal memory.
There is no reason why applications have to find a way to locate the external card when /mnt/sdcard was clearly the place the sdcard should have been and Google's undefined way of loading external SD card is another less than consumer friendly plot to make external SD card less useful in newer Android devices. There is NO reason why /data and /mnt/sdcard had to be merged into the same partition on newer version of Android except for manufacturer to differentiate phones with larger internal memory from lower cost units with less internal memory. Even if the merge had to be done, Google could have clearly defined a STANDARD new mounting point for the external SD cards instead of leaving it completely vague. This is completely working against preventing further "segmentation" of the Android eco-system by a clumsy design to help vendor differentiation of higher end phones against lower cost units with less built-in memory.
Android app binaries are tiny, phones with 1-2 Gigs of internal memory should have way more than enough space for hundreds of apps, and all the large data could be safely tucked way on an external SD card. But then vendors realized they had to have a way to differentiate their higher end product, and claiming a higher internal memory become part of that scheme and crippling the usefulness of external memory is the other integrated part this scheme required for this to work fully hence the less helpful API to find external sd cards and the unstandardized mounting points.
So: No, mounting SD card at a place other than /mnt/sdcard is nothing but a business strategy for selling higher priced new phones under newer version of Android, nothing more than that. Just imagine, if the Nexus 4 8GB and Nexus 16GB can both use 64GB of external sd card for application and media, is there a reason for anyone to buy the 16 GB version? That extra 8 GB of NAND memory is not surely not worth $50 price difference if external SD cards are involved.  Since most components in a smart phone pretty much has to be the same (RAM, processor, radios), the only area left for more profit margin is the internal memory space, and hence the weird external memry mounting point.
Also has everyone also noticed the absence of external SD support from current crop of "Google" branded android devices? This trend will keep expanding in "top tier" Android devices. External SD card support was a key differentiation for Android devices to overtake iPhone's dominance in mobile market. Now with Android ruling supreme in the numbers game, there's little need for this profit sapping practice to be up kept for much longer.
I won't be surprised by Android 5.0, the external SD card support would be a thing of the past. Because if it's hard to apps to find externals SD card, then most program will just simply use the known /data and /mnt/sdcard locations, with most apps use more and more stored data for its operation, a vibrant product mark up strategy is created out of "thin air" simply by not mount external SD card at /mnt/sdcard.

Now, that is what I call a wall of text. Seems also a bit ranty. Please add some paragraphs to your answer. Also I don't get why there is "no reason to merge /data and  /mnt/sdcard", as I clearly see a reason: Avoiding the fragmentation of the internal storage.

That was definitely a rant, Deecee, but regardless, I appreciate your input. Cheers

And there's one thing more to it: with devices placing the xternal SD card inside the internal one (e.g. /sdcard/external_sd on the LG P880), backing up "shared storage" includes both, and creates a huge archive. No way to backup the internal SD only in an easy approach. Which doesn't make much sense, as there are much easier ways to backup the external card. A fact which makes me crazy, as I have the mentioned device...

You should be aware (if rooted) you can go into /system/etc/vold.fstab and swap the mount points for /sdcard and /mnt/external_sd....this will allow your sdcard to be on /sdcard as you expect and the remaining "internal storage" will be mounted on /mnt/external_sd or if you prefer /sdcard/external_sd/

This works with some models of phones, but not all. It doesn't work for my LG Motion 4G, Android 4.0.4. Thx


text:
Data Network mode doesn't get activated on gingerbread 2.3.4
This happened all of a sudden. I could not start the 3g on my phone.
The Data Network mode is always deactivated now.
Although, when I go to Settings > Wireless and network settings > Mobile network settings,
the Use packet data option is checked.
Unchecking this option and checking again doesn't work.
Installing the internet settings again from the service provider also didn't help.
Restarting the phone didn't help.
Restoring factory settings didn't help.
Any idea what's going wrong?

Do not know if you got it sorted but I had the same problem and did this:

Tap Settings > Wireless and Networks > Mobile networks > Access Point Names
Then tap on one of the relevant APN's pertaining to your provider, such as, for example O2 Mobile Web (Pre-pay or contract)
Set the APN Type to 'internet,mms'
Tap on Menu, tap on 'Save'.

Back out of the Access Point Names screen, back out to Mobile networks, then:

Tap on Packet data (In some ROMs this could be labeled as Data Enabled), and also, Data roaming to turn them off.
Turn those two options back on

And voila its working again!

Are you sure, that APN Type is set to 'internet,mms', what about 'default,supl,mms'?

"Access point names" is greyed out if you aren't on GSM/UMTS...

Try to put another sim in the handset and see, you will get it.

Edit the APN entry (see mel's answer) and delete the SUPL and MMS fields.  Select default for the type and  then your data will work.

I fixed it, but -1 because I'm pretty sure this won't work -- you don't know what carrier the OP has or if these entries even exist.


text:
ZTE StarTrail : Android Update 2.2 to 2.3.3 or an other version
I'm new android user. I just buy un android phone: ZTE StarTrail. The current version is android 2.2 (Froyo). I would like update my system to 2.3.3 or an other version. i saw there is version each for device (HTC, Samsung ....). I don't found a version for my device. Where can I found android a version that is specifically designed for ZTE StarTrail ?
Thanks

I couldn't find "StarTrail" on ZTE's official site.  Does this phone also go by a different name?  Do you maybe have a model number?

Ok thanks. I visited  ZTE's official site before post my question here. My carrier no longer sells this device. Therefore, here isn't support for this device.

Have you seen: http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/13510/how-do-i-update-the-os-on-my-device If there's not an official update for your device, and if no one has made a custom ROM for it, you're out of luck.

You should check with the manufacturer of your device if they have an official upgrade available.  If so, they will either provide the download (with installation instructions) themselves, or forward you to your carrier's support.
If there is no official upgrade, your only option is to find out if there are any 3rd-party ROMs available from Android community developers.  Best places to look for such ROMs are xda-developers forums or RootzWiki, for example.  Keep in mind that installing custom ROMs usually involves modifications to your phone that will void your warranty with the carrier and/or manufacturer.


text:
Missing backtick from soft keypad
I have a HTC One S with Android version 4.0.3. On the short keypad I can't find a way to do a backtick. Am I just missing it, or is there a way to enable additional characters? (Or maybe a better soft keypad to download?)

There are plenty of 3rd party keyboards available, e.g. SlideIt, SwiftKey, Swype or Hacker's Keyboard

@ce4 From your list at least SwiftKey doesn't have backticks.

On my Galaxy Nexus with the default Android keyboard I see the backtick (aka grave) on the secondary symbol screen. ?123 then =\< and ` is the second key in the top row.
I normally use SwiftKey 3, however, and I find it as one of the options on a long-press of ' on the secondary keyboard (accessed by pressing the 123 key).

For HTC keyboards long-pressing the C key brings up a list of characters to choose from including the backtick character.

On the standard Jelly Bean keyboard, which is the next sub-version after ICS (I class a sub-version as a version in which only the number after the decimal point is incremented), you access the backtick (`) by pressing the ?123 button, the =\< button and then the ` button is the second on the top row, from the left.
However, you may need to enable an extended or QWERTY keyboard - this can usually be done from the keyboard settings, which can be accessed at:
System Settings --> Language and Input --> Press the little setting icon next to your input method/keyboard.


text:
How to automatically add a task to Astrid?
I would like to automatically add tasks to Astrid. For example, a task to chare the tablet when battery is low or a task for an epsiode the just runs according to EpisodeCalendar.
I am using Tasker and I have the Locale Astrid plugin, but I cannot find any option to actually add a task.
I found the solution to send a mail to tasks@astrid.com, but as my phone is in airplane mode at night, I am missing a lot of tasks when internet connection is required. Any ideas?

This is not a really satisfying solution, but it is still better than nothing (really disappointed by Astrid, BTW):
According to the author, the App "Locale SendSilentMail Plug-In" by Stafan Dörr maintains a queue, so Mails are not lost if there is no connection to the mail server. This is sufficient for my cause, though not very elegant.


text:
Why does my tablet reset every time I reboot?
I bought a tablet a few days ago.
I was playing around with a wireless mouse and a USB OTG cable and decided to restart the tablet for some reason (I don't remember why). After that, when the device booted I saw the setup wizard that started when the tablet was turned on for the first time.
The device now resets whenever I reboot, and I can't download & install apps from Play (error says that theres no memory), and I cannot enter recovery mode.
Device: Prestigio PMP3270B
Android: 4.0.3

All problems from busybox bad installation path..
Solution from here http://tabletrepublic.com/forum/teclast-a10t/factory-reset-after-every-restart-shutdown-1533-2.html
If device isn't root you should root it .Used Unlock Root and Tasselhof Market.
Also downloaded & copied Root Explorer to microSD.
Install and run it.
Go to /system/xbin and find busybox.
Move it to /system/bin
reboot & profit
All download links are on that forum


text:
How to select Wi-Fi access point?
I am at the hotel trying to get my stuff connected. Had no problems with phone and laptop, but when I'm connecting with the tablet internet is unavailable.
As far as I can see, it's connecting to some other access point and is being put to other subnetwork (see screenshots, the phone and the tablet). I tried different places, different floors - it's all the same - WiFi level is OK, different subnetwork, no internet.
Is there any way I can fix it by myself, while waiting for hotel staff to "call the programmer to reboot it"? (other than installing Connectify, which I've already done).

If nothing else works you can try native Bluetooth tethering (ICS+) or Mirko's Bluetooth DUN apps (client and server. The server phone must have a working WiFi connection.

First remove the network from known list. Then when you're adding that Wi-Fi network on your tablet use manual DHCP and enter the details from your phone...
This should work without issues..


text:
Quitting eBay application
Is there any way to quit the eBay app, so that I stop receiving all these event notifications? I like notifications, but only when I decide to run the eBay application...

Do it in the app directly:

eBay app (home screen) -> settings (below WOW list entry) -> notifications -> none

Since Jelly Bean (Android 4.1), it's possible to disable notifications for individual apps. Long-press on the notification and go to App Info or go to Settings -> Apps and then choose the eBay app. Uncheck the Show Notifications checkbox (detailed description with video here).
Notifications are most useful if an app needs your attention but is currently not in your focus. So i don't think there is a system setting that allows to stop notifications when the app is closed and to reactivate them if the app is started.
Maybe you can send a feature request if that setting would make sense for this individual app. You can contact their mobile support team, find out how on google play.


text:
Incoming SMS filtered into a specified user
My work uses a system that pages me with SMS messages. Cool? Awesome? Of course... the issue (otherwise I wouldn't be here) is that the messages come in without a phone number. So I'll get:
1410000001 admin@work.com Sbj: This is a... MSG: This is a message
1410000002 admin@work.com Sbj: This is a... MSG: This is a message
1410000003 admin@work.com Sbj: This is a... MSG: This is a message
1410000004 admin@work.com Sbj: This is a... MSG: This is a message
1410000005 admin@work.com Sbj: This is a... MSG: This is a message
...
1410000756 admin@work.com Sbj: This is a... MSG: This is a message

Each message comes across as a new user. The numbers do seem to reset periodically but I've always just deleted them.
I'd like to create a contact, and "push" these messages to that user. I wouldn't mind being able to "clean" up some of the static fluff in the message as well (Getting rid of the "header" crap and just saving what's after the "MSG: " part.
I'm a baby programmer, so I may have to break down and make this myself... but is there something out there already taht might do what I'm looking for already?

Is it possible to ask your IT department to put the phone number into the sms system? That maybe the easiest solution.

I haven't looked into that side of if, and it may be a solution... but it's a pretty rinkdink program, and I don't have faith in how customize-able it is.

I deal will a few of them before. You don't even need to put a real number, anything within 10 digits go. It is like putting in the local fax number of your fax machine.

Do they always start with admin@work.com? If so, I might have a solution.

The layout of all of them is the same. Haven't seen anything customization in the sending program, so I was tinkering with the SDK to build a custom app to regex->user them. Just haven't gotten far at all lol


text:
Forcing apps to install/download on SD
I have a HTC Desire, which has a limited space in the phone. Therefore I want to make all apps install to the SD card by default.
However, I can't make it work. I have tried the pm set-install-location 2 command, and I can also confirm that it is set to 2, but I still can't download apps that takes more space than available.
I have it rooted, and installed 4.1.2 on it.

What apps are you trying to install on SD card?

You need to install data2sd or similar. If you're using sandvold's or evervolv's ROM then in terminal type su, after that,  a2sd install, give answer y,n,y to the questions that follow.

@roxan I am actually using Evervolv's ROM. When I do that, it just states that /sd-ext is not mounted properly, yada yada, Did you partition your sdcard correctly? - I havent partitioned it at all.

You need to partition your SD card, check Google on how to partition SD card for data2sd.

Since you have Evervolv's rom I assume you have a custom recovery. Backup all the files on your sd card. Boot to recovery and partition your sd card. I would suggest at 1GB for sd ext.

This will only allow you to install apps automatically onto the SD card if:

They have set the app to install onto the SD card 'Auto'
They allow you to install onto the SD card

Most likely, the app(s) you are trying to download does not have an auto setting for SD card install, and it cannot be installed onto the SD card.


text:
How to monitor signal strength?
I own a Samsung Nexus S 4G on Sprint, and I am having terrible but intermittent problems with my signal quality on my phone. I have reasonably high certainty that this is a hardware issue (my wife has the same phone on the same plan and her phone usually works where mine does not), but due to the fact that the problem is intermittent I have not been able to duplicate it in the Sprint store.
What I am looking for is a way (perhaps an app) that will periodically poll and record the signal strength on my phone, as well as recording when my phone fails to connect on a call (during the periods when my phone is acting up this will sometimes occur 10-15 times in a row). Are there any apps that provide this functionality, or would have anyone have any advice on developing this app on my own (I am a decent programmer, but I have never developed an Android app).

There are a some apps available which would answer your question. The probably best ones include...
NoSignalAlert, which not only alerts you when you lost the signal, but also provides a log1 of those events, and lets you even browse those "dead zones" on a map and display the collected log information along2

OpenSignalMaps, offering similar features, and giving you the ability to show nearby cells3 (so if your signal is low, and you want to have a conversation, you can move in the right direction4 for a stronger signal)

If you are primarily interested in mapping signal quality, Antennas might be worth a look as well5. It can export collected data to KML, so you can display it in Google Maps / Google Earth on your computer as well.

Then there also is already mentioned RF Signal Tracker, again rather interesting for mapping6, which additionally tracks Wifi signal

Last but not least: G-NetTrack is also good for mapping8 of daily routes and the like.

What might be of even more interest to you is how to automatically react on a weak signal in order to save some juice. If so, I recommend you taking a look at the question What is Cell standby and how can I keep it from eating my battery? (and of course its answer).

I suggest you Better Battery Stats, it's what you are looking for.

While being a very good app to determine where your juice went to, it does not log the times when your signal was low. And I don't see the OP asking for battery consumption to monitor, but rather for the cell signal.

Check RF Signal Tracker
Also Open Signal Maps


text:
How can I get a LogCat?
Sometimes I get asked for a LogCat.
What is this?
What is it supposed to do?
How can I get it?

Hmm. Possible. I searched for it, but don't found something similar. ;)

What is a LogCat?
A "LogCat" is for debugging applications / Android system. When applications / Android crash the output the "explanation" for the crash, the Exception Stacktrace, to a Log. This log can be saved and help developers to fix the crash.
What is it supposed to do?
It will help to solve your questions, if your asked for a LogCat it is always useful.
How can I get a LogCat?
This isn't hard.
Prerequisites:
Linux, Windows or Mac
USB cable for your device
Android Device
Instructions:

Install your device driver for using adb. Everything you need will you find here
Download adb executable for your OS (Download: Windows | Linux | Mac). Paste it somewhere.
Connect your android device.
Verify if "Settings > Developer options > USB debugging" is checked, if not, simply check it.
Open a command promt (windows) or terminal (linux / mac). How to do it: On Windows: windows + r > enter "cmd" (without quotes) > click enter | On Linux: You don't know how to open a terminal? LOL | On Mac: Type Terminal into Spotlight and open it
CD to the directory where the adb executable is located. On Windows: Go to the directory where you downloaded the adb executable, Shift+Right Click and select "Open Console" (or similar) | On Linux / Mac: Rightclick in the directory and select "Open Terminal here" (or simply CD into the directory)
Type in your cmd/terminal: adb devices to verify your device is properly connected.
If your device is properly selected, type in adb logcat to show the mighty and magic logcat aka stacktrace.
Reproduce your error (or whatever) on your device.
Right after, paste the whole cmd / terminal window into a paste-service like http://pastebin.com/ and send it to us.

Or you could just use an app like aLogCat and easily share the resultant log file via email, messenger, upload to dropbox etc.

Nope, not possible with JellyBean. The API changed, you only can read the LogCat from your own app.

aLogCat is being updated. An alternative called CatLog also works but it needs root access for JB devices.

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


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How to manually disable or hide the system bar (menu bar) at the bottom of the screen?
I am using an ASUS Transformer TF300 with Android 4.1.1, and there is an app that shows the playing cards at the bottom of the screen, and show the "Continue" button when the card game is finished.
But the playing cards are half hidden by the system bar, and this "Continue" button is hidden by the system bar mostly, except about 2mm is showing, so it is kind of difficult to press the button.
Is there a way to tell the system bar / menu bar to hide itself?  I also went to the settings and set the "System bar lock" to off, but somehow the bar is still showing.

Its a bug in the application, it should know the difference between the "soft" height and the physical height.  (Or in Android, if you want to blame the platform for making bugs in applications like this possible).  Sometimes rotating your device may work better (the layout bug may be less noticable, etc).

this system bar is part of Android, and is used when the device doesn't have any hardware buttons to press.
As such, it cannot be hidden.
It shouldn't, however, impact upon gameplay - this is an issue with the app, and you should contact the app developer to have it fixed.

hm... I wonder... it seems like a popular game and it looks high resolution to be a 10 inch tablet game... and the TF300 is fairly standard 1280 x 800... so I wonder why the game is designed such a way...

I also wonder would it make sense if Android somehow let the double click (or even single short click) of the Power button let the system bar slide out, and slide away after 5 or 10 seconds...

Some Custom Rom's have a feature which will disable Navigation Bar and Status Bar, one well-known is ParanoidAndroid with it's feature "Expanded Desktop".
Apart from that I don't know about any other ways to hide the navigation bar.
New CyanogenMod-Versions will also contain this functionality: https://plus.google.com/u/0/117962666888533781522/posts/dYSseZeQ8Sf


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Android applications privacy and security concerns
If a user wants to install some applications from play store, is it sole responsibility of the user to decide whether the apps may harm or not? Should the user be worries regarding permissions? For example, if an application asks permission to read contacts, can user be assured that it does not misuse that permission (like, sending to third party)? How google regulates applications and prevent malicious applications? Are all play store applications safe?

Good question, but hard to answer.

Agree to blogger. The Play Store apps aren't safe, because Google can't scan apps to determine if they send your contact "home", but if you download often used apps you are safe. Normally the Android community find this out and downrate the apps.

@Leandros: Nix 'safe', and replace with 'probably safer'.

@david6 Sure, your're. WhatsApp is the living evidence. ;)

In short: You can't be assured that an app won't phone home without further steps. Not on Android nor on iOS, period. If you want to minimise your risk, only install official Play Apps through the store itself, see their permission grants upon install and stick only to popular/high volume apps or to big publishers.
Google's Play store is less curated than Apple's one. Additionally, Android allows to access much more APIs than iOS does (e.g. replacing the keyboard or stock SMS app and so on). Also Google allows you to install apps from other sources in contrast to Apple. Most people see this as more freedom (not meant cynically) while it has its drawbacks.

In early 2012, Google announced its Bouncer, an internal Google Play malware scanner service that all submitted apps have to pass before they get published.
Starting with Android 4.2 Google also announced an option to have all installed apps remotely checked for malware by Google (regardless if from Google's Play store or not).
While I personally don't like them (for their bloat and battery sucking), you can install AntiVirus software like Avast. For improved battery, switch off everything realtime and only have it scan newly installed apps.

If you're rooted you can do more:

Install an outbound per-app internet firewall (DroidWall)
Control/withdraw permissions (LBE, Privacy Blocker, PDroid, Permissions denied)
Install an ad blocker (AdAway)

Nice answer... There can't be better answer than this.

Possible duplicate: http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/7079/are-the-apps-safe-how-can-i-make-my-android-more-secure/19110#19110

It might be worth noting that there have been proof-of-concept attempts to circumvent Google's Bouncer to get malicious apps into the Play Store.  How much of a risk this presents is another question.

I know. See Jon Oberheide's blog entry on duosecurity

Answer, no. Not all play store applications are safe.
The reason behind this is that Google does not screen apps entered to the Google Play store - they just appear, with no verification process.
It is the responsibility of the user to judge whether or not an app is safe to install - and the permissions help you with that.
If you have an app that is a calculator, you would be wise to be suspicious if it asked for the read sms permission.
So, there isn't a way to tell if it misuses the permission or not - and those are the risks.
Google does delete apps from Google Play from time to time, however it is never publicized when they do, and it is normally because they are:

Viruses
Go against their terms
Hacking tools

So the only thing you can do is use your common sense.


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make website offline available and browse later without 3G connection
I have a Nexus 7 (wireless only) and no smart phone. How to make a web site offline (mirror) available that I later can read it without internet connection?

example site http://www.tagesanzeiger.ch

I don't wish articles, I wish full web site with all articles. Tried several apps from Play Store, but they crashes when feeding with my URL.

Just one page or the entire site with all sub-pages?

@RichardBorcsik He said "Website" which is a collection of webpages...

I don't think this is possible, even in theory: if the site that you want to mirror does anything dynamic -- that is, if the pages it displays are computed rather than simply static, how would your phone do that computation?
An example of the sort of dynamic computation I'm talking about: google.  Even if you somehow "mirrored" google onto your tablet, if you then went to the (mirrored) google home page, and entered a search term, how on Earth could your tablet possibly give you the correct result?
I suspect that most web sites are enough like Google that mirroring them would be pointless.

You seriously want the full web site? Looking at it, it could be huge (in the several gigabyte range). @offby1 Well the site he linked to seems to do all rendering on the server side, so it should be as "easy" as downloading every page and the images, stylesheets than rewriting all urls. On the desktop there are software that do this. In fact it could be as simple as a few dozen LOC.

I'm not aware of any app for Android that can mirror an entire website. However there are plenty available for computers. I don't have experience with any of them, so I can'T give you recommendations. A Google search revealed a few candidates that could do the job. [1] [2] [3]
These should download the individual pages and the necessary resources like stylesheets, images and javascript files.
After you've downloaded the site copy it to your SD card and use web server app to serve it locally. Just open up your browser and point it to the web server's address.


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Wifi error after Motorola XOOM tablet Android 4.0.4 update
I have a Motorola XOOM type tablet.
Three days ago I updated my tablet to Android 4.0.4.
But after that I can't connect to my wi-fi modem.
I was successfully connecting before this update. I also tried with my desktop computer and ipad, they can connect.
I resetted modem. Checked for firware update- no update. Changed password. Restarted several types but they didn't help.
How can I fix this WI-FI issue?

Get alogcat and see the logs for incriminating output. Post findings here.

It is affecting every Xoom.  It appears there is an error with the update, it basically bricks your xoom.  My has the same issue and now the Xoom is useless.


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Why does my Samsung Galaxy S2 have duplicate calendar events?
Why does my Samsung Galaxy S2 have duplicate calendar events?  I am using Outlook calendar and have downloaded the Google calendar to allow it to sync.  When I use the Samsung Kies Program to sync the Samsung Galaxy S2 I end up with multiply duplicates of some of the events and not others.

By duplicate events, do you mean duplicate notifications of the same event? If so, this is just a matter of turning off notifications on one of the calendar apps.


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Media on external sd card can be browsed but not seen by other apps (including settings>storage). Not part of the .nomedia file fiasco!
As the title says, if I fire up a file browser I can access all the files on the sd-card without a problem. I can even view the pictures with the gallery and the music app plays my music files alright, if I select the file from the browser and then use the corresponding program to deal with it.
If I just use the gallery or the music app or songbird or any other media player, they all report an empty media library. Media on the phone's internal memory can be scanned by these apps and included to their library without a problem.
Here is a screenshot of the settings>storage screen. As you can see it does not even try to index the contents of the sd-card, which are ~6gb of music and a few photos:

After lots of searching around on the web, I found that most people that had this problem, managed to solve it by deleting some stray .nomedia files that were in their sd-cards.
So, I searched my sd card for those files (I know they are hidden), both through the phone's file-browser and by connecting it to my computer, and I failed to find anything. For good measure I backed all my data up, formatted the card, restored the data, cleared the media storage data and restarted my phone, all to no avail. I know that the sd-rescan apps are irrelevant here but I tried one of them anyways. It didn't help...
I should note that I have not tampered with the phone in any way (not rooted, no unlocked bootloader or anything else of that kind).
If someone has any idea about what the problem might be, I'd love to hear from them.
Thank you in advance.

I tried formatting the card again, this time on my computer, using gparted and it worked. I cleared the data of the media storage app and restarted the phone and now all media is visible to all apps again!

Did you format it into FAT32? Or other filesystem? Seems like I'm having a problem similar to yours, except that the mp3 files fail to play even if I navigate to them in a file manager.

@Cyril : Sorry for the necromancy. I have no idea how I missed this comment. I used FAT32.

Load your SD Card on Windows and go for a check disk using command prompt as follows
Chkdsk E: /r
Here E: is the drive the SD card is loaded on

How would that help given that the files are all intact?


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App to count my daytime minutes
I'm looking for an app that can count my daytime minutes usage.  I only get 200 free airtime minutes between 7am to 7pm Mondays to Fridays until the 24th of each month.  (After 7pm my plan has unlimited minutes.)
Preferably, I want to be alerted by the app when I'm going over, i.e., by the 28th it alerts me if I've exceeded 26 minutes.

Phone Usage is a great app that can monitor usage and do all of the following! (description on app page)
Monitor your phone call, text and network data usage.
★★★★★ "Loads of similar apps on the market, but this one beats them hands down."
★ Set limits on daily, weekly and monthly usage.
★ Alerts when you break your usage limits.
★ Widgets for calls, texts and data.
★ See which apps are using the most data.
★ See who you call the most.
★ See usage per hour, day, week and month.

You might want to take a look at DroidStats:

(Screenshots from the Playstore). It also offers you to define free numbers (which you are not charged for), to exclude them from your calculation. As the screenshot2 shows, you have widgets giving you a view at a glance without invoking the app itself. In fact, I only do so if I want to browse statistics: Whom I called most, with whom I talked for the most time, and the like.
As for notifications: The donation version at least allows you to place the widgets inside the notification bar. I think you got a warning when reaching your limits, but I'm not sure as I rarely happen to do so ;)


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Why does my app crash when I download it through 3G?
I have developed an application and published it on the Play Store.
My problem is that when I download it from the Play Sore via 3G, the application crashes. However, when I download it via wifi it runs without problem.
Also, after downloading (via wifi), if I disable wifi and enable 3G, the application can be launched and works fine without crash/problem.
Any suggestion would be appreciated.

This seems like something you're going to need to debug on your own, at least to some extent. You should be able to "report" the problem to the Play Store when the application crashes - that will give you a stack trace and other useful information. Otherwise I don't think there's enough information to go on. You could also try using logcat at the time of the crash (and also note that this could very well be a programming issue, which would really be off topic for this site, although I guess that's not immediately evident at this point).

Thanks eldarerathis, I thought its not related to programming. That's why asked it here rather than Stack-overflow. I'll check it in log of eclipse .

Bad network connection causing corruption?  Very weird behavior.


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How do I turn off speech search in Jelly Bean?
I have a rooted Samsung Galaxy S 2, and last night I updated it to Jelly Bean in hopes that it might solve a few small bugs.
Most everything seems to be working as hoped. However, one new inconvenience has popped up. Before the upgrade, I controlled my MP3 player, Poweramp, by pressing the button attached to the wire of my headphones. One short press to stop and start songs, one long press to advance forward.
After upgrading, whenever I press the button, the phone goes into voice search mode. That is, it turns on the microphone and is waiting for me to say something to search for using the Google search app.
I have tried to look in system settings, and also in the settings for the Google search widget that's on the top of every screen. However, I can't find any way of turning this off.
I want to give priority to Poweramp so that I can control music playback. How do I get voice search to stop getting in the way?

I do not know of a way to disable Google Now intercepting media button presess unless you have a rooted phone, as you did not specify that you did, I am going to assume you don't.
The easiest way to do this would be to disable the Google Voice search app.
Go to your Apps settings menu (System Settings --> Apps).
Slide to the left until you get to the 'All' list, scroll down until you find the app named 'Google Voice Search', click it and click the disable button - now reboot your device.
Edit:
As you have a rooted phone, you could install the Auto starts app from Google play, and use it to disable the 'Media Button Pressed' entry under Google Voice Search.
This is a paid app.
Google Voice Search will not act as if it is not installed onto your device.

I downloaded and installed Autostarts, and there is a "Media Button Pressed" entry, but I have discovered that it is not clicking the button once that activates Google Voice Search, it is holding down the button. Holding down the button should cause PowerAMP to advance forward one song. Unfortunately I can't find any entry for long presses on the headset button.

Did you disable that entry? It is the same call.

There is no Google Search entry under the "Media Button Pressed" Category in Autostarts.

OK. In this case, the Google apps is directly intercepting the call, which shouldn't be allowed to happen. I suggest you disable the app.

Disable which app, exactly?

Same problem, I have found a solution:

Go to Settings > ApplicationManager
Slide right to all apps, then find the application called Google Search.

If you have two separate applications installed (in my case), with this name just tap the one with the Google logo (mine was blue.) Then tap uninstall updates and then hit disable. When you now hold the button nothing appears.

In order for this to work for me on Android 4.3.1, I needed to actually Disable the Google Search feature. I know this breaks other things but until there is an option to turn this bug off - and it is a bug if you ask me and in no way a feature, where you are required to do MORE to enact a simple thing that should be accessible out of the box, so to speak - then I will live without this.
Uninstalling the update and reverting back to factory did not prevent the headphone button from going to Google Now. But disabling the Google Search feature, gives me back control over the headphone buttons.

MIGHT BE THE ANSWER:
This Google Voice Search pop up appears to be a bug in the Huawei Ascend Y300 model. From This thread on Android Forums that you are not alone with the issue but there is no resolution in the thread.

Thanks for all the helpful attempts to answer. This problem ended up being solved by updating to Android 5.0. Or at least, at some point up to or after upgrading this problem went away, so it could have also been an update to the Google App.


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Bluetooth PAN issue
I have to setup the bluetooth PAN on my development board. On my device most of the functions working fine -- but PAN is having problem.
I am tring to set up Static IP for my board , which will be a client. My master is set up on the Ubuntu 12.04 PC.
I can make the connection via pand:
pand -c <bt address of the ubuntu PC>

[my master is working in GM mode]
To bring up the bnep interface below are my commands:
netcfg bnep0 up
ifconfig bnep0 172.22.22.10 netmask 255.255.255.0

but still I can not ping the master and client from master.
Do i need to do any other setting?
Thanks
Robin


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Bluetooth headset changing pairing mode into "media audio" only
I've got a Plantronics bluetooth headset which when I pair to my phone (AT&T GS3 4.0.4) works very well at first, with the headset appearing as "Connected to phone and media audio." In this mode I can e.g. listen to music and automatically transition to talking on incoming/outgoing calls.
However, recently the pairing changes, within seconds after ending a phone call, to just "Connected to media audio." In this mode I can still listen to music but not talk on the phone via the headset... In order to return to the "phone and media audio" mode, I have to disconnect and then reconnect the headset.
This is extremely annoying. Any ideas what may have started causing this and for any remedies?

I have the same issue with my Plantronics, however in my case I can't seem to get the media audio back.


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Display media volume in the status bar
I have a Samsung Galaxy SII running CM9.
Currently I have an app that displays my media volume by using a persistent notification.
However I have 2 problems with this.

Since media volume is a system thing, I feel that it shouldn't belong on the left hand side of the status bar.
This takes up a notification slot when I pull down the notification bar.

Is there a way that I can display the media volume on the right hand side in the status bar next to the battery level, clock, reception meter, etc?

For this, you'll have to modify/replace stock status bar...

As far as I know there's currently no way to add functionality like that without changing the source code of the stock status bar, your best bet may be a custom Status bar like Omega(http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1825283) or Super(http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1265106)

You can install a widget known as Volume Ace. It gives access to all the volume levels in the system. You get 1X1  menu sizes as you prefer.

Please read the question. It clearly states right in the status bar. Not a widget or shortcut to volume settings.


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Samsung Galaxy S3 not connecting via USB
Since about a week, my S3 doesn't connect anymore via usb to any computer.
I don't think it's driver related as it was working before and I didn't change anything on the computers.
It now runs Jelly Bean but it didn't happen right after the update (only after a week or so it stopped working).
The S3 doesn't even show the notification with the usb icon nor the possibility to switch between PTP & MTP...

I tested with 3 different usb cables, on vista, win 7 and mac os x.
Tried to activate / deactivate usb debugging, restart the phone and event done a hard reset, it's still not working.
Phone is not rooted

Maybe it's hardware, but the phone didn't fell or anything like that...
Do you have an idea ?

That seems like an issue for Samsung tech support, as I'm guessing it's hardware. You've already done what I think is sufficient testing to make a software cause unlikely.

I only have this problem on my Mac, it's fine with my other computer running Windows 7 (after installing some drivers - done automatically by Windows). Please update your question if it only applies to Mac

No, it applies to Windows to (as said in my questions, first bullet point)

I just had the same problem tonight.  All of a sudden my pc wouldn't recognize my S3 when I connected via the USB.  I tried the USB debugging first and restarting...didn't work.  I popped the battery out and restarted, and the USB icon showed up. Hope that helps.
Thanks for all the helpful troubleshooting ;)

Here's what worked for me.  I don't know what caused it, but I suspected an Exchange server policy triggered it.  I deleted those accounts just in case.  Then I rebooted into recovery mode (volume up + home held down at boot).  From the recovery menu, I wiped the cache partition.  When it came back up, it saw the USB connection just fine again.

Hello, Thank you for your solution. I've just tried now, unfortunately for me it didn't work.
I think that the only way will be to send it to the samsung tech support...

I've had the same problem with my S3 ever since the update to JB 4.1.  My PC would not recognize my s3 and the phone would not go into the usb debug mode only charging indicator when I plug the usb into the phone.
I've solved mine by erasing all cache for apps.  Not sure which app it was but right after I cleared all  my cache I plug it into the pc and it started working again.  Kies works and usb debugging works.

I had this problem after updating as well. I can only presume it was from updating; I had no issues earlier.
My problem was the USB ports on my keyboard and the front panel of my PC would not recognize my S3. So, I plugged it into the back, and it reinstalled the drivers.
It works fine now; not sure how or why but who am I to argue.

You can transfer music to your device using Windows Media Player on Windows 7 and Windows Vista.

Connect your device to your PC using the supplied USB cable.
On your Galaxy S3, Go to Settings > Developer Options > USB debugging.
Open Windows Media Player and click the Sync tab on the right. Your device should be shown in the sync screen.
Drag the music tracks you want to sync to your device to the sync list on the right. When you have added all of the tracks, click the Start sync option at the top of the screen.

When the synchronization is complete, you can disconnect the cable from either your computer or your device.
Source.

Have you checked permissions on your machine? I have had problems accessing my device over usb because of permissions when I connected a device over usb to a linux box.

Testing on 3 different platforms probably rules this out, but good idea else.

I'll check again, but as I already tested on two platforms...
And the usb icon is not showing in the notification bar.

If you pull down the context menu from the top, and select the notification that it's plugged in with the USB device, you should be presented with different options for how you want the phone to treat your USB connection.
Select the Media device (MTP) option and you should now be able to browse the files on your phone just like you would any other usb data device.

If you read the question it states "The S3 doesn't even show the notification with the usb icon nor the possibility to switch between PTP & MTP..."

I had the same issue and removing my battery and power cycling the phone allowed the computer to recognize it again.

As said in another answer :
Unfortunately, in my case it didn't solved the issue.
But thanks anyway

A few days after I got the Android 4.1.1 OTA update and rooted it my Galaxy S3 failed to recognize the USB connection.
Removing and then reinstalling the battery allowed my Galaxuy S3 to recognize the USB connection. The Android File Transfer still didn't work until I uninstalled Kies. Now it is working.
I appreciate the posts.

Unfortunately, in my case it didn't solved the issue.
Thanks for the answer

What seems to work for me is ticking the USB Debugging box in the Developer Options.
I've been trying all sorts of tricks (including some of the above, and more), but nothing helped.
This one does!
Hope this will solve your problem...

From within JB, unplug cable from handset and follow this:

Go into Settings > About Phone
Scroll down to the bottom
Now tap on the Build number 7 times, to activate the Developers Options.

Now the Developer's options is activated (it is deliberately hidden from Settings), back out of that screen, Developers Options should be present, then tap that, look for Debugging, tap on USB Debugging to put a check-mark on that.
Then try plugging in the USB cable to handset... :)
Addendum:
Even if the USB Debugging is selected, un-select it and re-select it.  This worked for me.

This won't help the OP, but may help others. I had the same problem, no help with battery removal/power cycling or developer mode USB debugging, etc.  Finally realized I was using a third-party USB cable (freebie from costco). When I used the Samsung cable from the box, it started working again. Costco cable still doesn't work.

I had a cable which worked well (charge and data transfer) until the upgrade to Jelly Bean 4.1.2. Since the upgrade it won't work and I have to change the cable to labelled DATA TRANSFER ONLY, so I suggest trying a different cable.

Aren't USB cables all the same?

Not for devices, some will only charge your device and some will allow you to transfer files,...
The best is to keep your original cable when you buy a smartphone.

I had the same problem with the phone not being recognised by PC. I tried EVERYTHING (uninstalling, USB cable, debugging, Kies etc, etc).
It finally worked after turning off phone and taking out battery! Couldn't believe it (but happy now).

I tried a different USB cable and it all came together and started working.

Are you the OP using a different username? If not, I doubt this answers the question.

If you haven't figured it out by now.  The easiest way to fix this is to power your phone down, remove the battery, wait about 30-60 seconds, then put the battery back into the phone.  I have had a similar issue and this has fixed it just about every time.


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Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (GT - P5100), shortcut button to close/exit from any app/game
I am a new user of Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (GT - P5100).

Is there any shortcut button to close/exit from any app/game?
Or, any other mechanism?

No, there is no common shortcut to close/exit any program.  The "android way" is to let the OS decide when to actually close/exit an application.  Just hit the "Home" button or the "Recent apps" buttons to switch to another application when you're done with the current application, or tap the physical power button to turn off the screen.
The OS will take responsibility for deciding when to suspend and when to terminate a background application.  It generally does a good job of this, but some people cannot stand this behavior and so install task manager applications to explicitly terminate background applications.


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Zoom in/out via external keyboard
In there a way to get the effect of (zoom out/pinch put)/in with external mouse and or/keyboard?
For games like angry birds or using google earth.

Hold the key Ctrl and  ↓  on your keyboard. Two little opaque circles will appear near your mouse. Hold down the left button of your mouse  and move those little circles. It will zoom in-and-out just using two fingers.

This works with Andy by the way.

If you have an external mouse with a scroll wheel, try rolling the wheel while holding down Ctrl on the keyboard.
This works on countless office-type apps (Word, Excel, Outlook, web browsers, image editors etc). Might work on some games and the like?

I know that in the browser you could do:
CTRL+I = Zoom-in on page.
CTRL+O = zoom-out on page.

I wonder if this works in some other applications. Have you tried the + and - keys? How about CTRL++ or CTRL+-?

Yes there is for Google Maps:
Double click mouse and hold the button down on second click, now to zoom in move cursor up, zoom out move cursor down. After zooming is done release the button. Same thing works in phones and tabs with your finger.

No, sorry.
The only way to use pinch zoom is to pinch zoom - using multitouch.

There is no way just for zoom event on specific point of something? no pinching.
Maybe edit the Generic.kcm?

http://source.android.com/tech/input/keyboard-devices.html
I can see in the table that there is a "AC Zoom In/out".
Do you think it possible to map a regular button for that?

I found out in settings that your can find in settings there is an enable button for zoomin and out. Is directly the DISPLAY settings.

Hold the control key down on the external keyboard, then use the + and - signs (near the backspace key) to zoom in and zoom out respectively.

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


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How to start browser in incognito mode by default?
I have a samsung galaxy tab 2 10" running Android 4.0.4. Is there a way for the default browser to automatically start up in incognito mode? Or, is there an alternative browser that can do it?

Don't even try Firefox for Android for this, it cannot start in private mode and no extensions or special URLs can enable it (also not about:privatebrowsing). But the feature is being worked on, see here and here.

I don't know about the default browser being able to -- but searching the Playstore for incognito browser yielded a bunch of promising results:

InBrowser promises to be a fully featured incognito/private browsing experience for Android 1.6 and upwards including Honeycomb and Ice Cream Sandwich. Looks like it knows nothing else than "incognito browsing" (i.e. no other mode). Rated 4.3 stars with 2000+ votes, it sounds very promising.
INCOgnito Private Browser seems to be comparable. Again a 4.3 star rating, but not yet 100 votes (too new, I guess)
Frost Lite - Private Browser is a third example I want to mention here: rated 4.4 stars at about 1,500 votes it seems to be more feature-rich than aforementioned browsers (e.g. offers tabbed browsing).

For more details, just follow the links. For more examples, use the first link to my Playstore search results.
I would like very much to offer you a solution for the pre-installed browser as well -- but unfortunately, I a) do not know any, and b) I think it unlikely. Of course I love to learn better -- so anybody, please correct me if I'm wrong with my assumption :)

You might want as well to set an incognito tab as homepage, so that everytime you will open your default android browser, an incognito tab will open.
Here' how:

Open stock/android's default browser.
Open a new incognito tab
Goto settings > General
Set home page > Current page.

Now you have an incognito page as your default page (and it will autonatically open, when you open your browser).

To clarify, this applies only to the default browser shipped with Android 4.0 on a Galaxy Tab 2 10", whatever that is. If you install for example Firefox and make it the default browser, there will not be the required setting …

TL;DR - Naked Browser is the only browser for Android you can trust as truly private with each new browsing session.
Setting the Android Browser home page to the current page on an incognito browser does not actually start incognito mode. It just opens the static page that launches with incognito mode. You can tell because when you switch to the address bar, there is no incognito man logo. Same when you open the tabs view.
As per private browsing, none of those browsers give the authentic incognito mode features. Test by doing a Google search then exit the browser. Relaunch and navigate back to Google. When you focus on the search bar, if your previous search appears in purple in a drop down list, then obviously not all information is being destroyed between browsing sessions.
My method:
Although not advertised as a private browser, Naked Browser has advanced privacy features that essentially allow you to start in incognito mode. This is the only browser I tried (I spent hours testing different "private" browsers) that actually started each session from scratch when the delete history on exit option was selected. You can also use a custom URL for searching from the address bar, so by default all inquiries in my set up go through https://encrypted.google.com.
Bonuses:
You can disable JavaScript and cookies as well. If you buy the pro version you can whitelist individual sites to allow cookies/JavaScript (it's like a simplified NoScript extension!). There are also other detailed settings like custom actions for long pressing links that can be combined with gestures. For example, in my settings, long pressed links open in new tabs in the background, but if I follow through with a side swipe gesture, I will switch to the tab. I can also double tap and swipe up/down to reach the bottom/top of the page (useful!). A two finger swipe down will open a new tab and swiping left/right at the bottom will switch through background tabs.
Anyway! All the basic privacy options are there in the free version, but I'm so blown away (still, almost a year later) that I'm gushing about how great Naked Browser (Pro) is. Not the prettiest browser but far and away the best (and fastest?)!


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Is it possible to dual-boot my TF201 with Windows RT?
I'm really liking the look of Windows 8 / Windows RT, and I'd like to try ditching my PC entirely by getting Windows onto my Transformer Prime. I'm aware that there are a few issues around things like not having the windows key, but I can't find much conclusive information around the dual-booting situation. Most of what I've found is a from much earlier this year, and a lot of the information seems to be based on supposition rather than "I've tried this and it did / didn't work".
Is it, or is it not, actually possible to get Windows RT running well on the TF201?
As a follow-up, will Windows recognise the keyboard, or will it be ignored because it's not the Touch Cover?

Asking for Windows 8 RT support is slightly out of scope here. (See also the FAQ)

It's not so much WinRT support - I just want to know what the device is capable of. Looking at the FAQ, my "problem" is mainly a question of Specs.
There seem to be plenty of questions regarding how to get Android onto to other hardware, so I'm just looking at this from the other direction.
I don't really see anything in the FAQ that disqualifies this (not being indignant - I genuinely don't see anything that clearly counts this out). Still, if it's not right for this community, then I'll close this and look elsewhere.

Windows RT is based on entirely different system altogether - right from the bootloader up to user interface.
Also, Windows RT is proprietary so there is a fat chance that the code would be available to make it work.
What about:

booting mechanism
kernel
drivers for the chip-set support

There's far too many to mention, and quite possibly would require a re-write for it to adapt to the Asus TF02! :)
This is equivalent to asking if Apple iOS can be loaded on a Android handset and vice versa, in plain simple word, the answer is No - nigh on impossible and there would be so much hackery to get it to work, let alone boot.

no, it is not. A Windows RT bootloader would have to be leaked and customised for the TF201, would like to see it as well though ;-)


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Block all connections except a single host server ? (block by server not by app)
My mobile company offers a free package for facebook with unlimited bandwidth , however when I open my 3G connection the mobile automatically connects to unknown servers (maybe google) and the mobile company charges me for that connection.
The question in simple words:
How can I make all connections blocked (even google) except facebook.com?

Funny, I allow all except facebook.com

If you're rooted, you can configure Firewall rules to block all except Facebook, but I don't think your problem is that complex:

when I open my 3G connection the mobile automatically connects to unknown servers.

Unable to understand what that mean as I can't OPEN my 3G connection. Seems to me, either you are talking about opening web browser or Background Data is screwing you. In the first case, make your homepage Facebook. In the second case, turn off Background Data from Settings ~> Accounts and Sync. Done!

If you want to do it with Firewall way, open Terminal Emulator. Switch to root by su command (your device must be rooted for that). Now, execute following commands in sequence:
iptables -A OUTPUT -p tcp -d facebook.com -j ALLOW
iptables -A OUTPUT -p tcp -d * -j DROP
(Do it on your own risk after proper backups. Some devices become unstable after it.)


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Once installed, how do I activate Firebug in Mobile Firefox?
I went to the getfirebug.com web site, where I was able to install Firebug under Firefox 1.10.6 (the Beta version of Firefox from the Play store).  It said the install was successful.  Now what?  How do I activate Firebug?  There are no new icons that I can click on like there are on the desktop version, and long-clicking on the page isn't doing anything either.  I see no new menu options either.  In the add-ons menu I see Firebug, but it only offers the choice to disable or uninstall, so I know it's there and installed.


text:
Using an android display with HDMI/RCA inputs?
I am currently trying to use the Raspberry Pi to build a small device. Part of this project involves using a screen of some sort, and it needs to be small.  Since Android displays are the right size, it seems like they might have HDMI or RCA inputs because they're commonly used. Is it true these displays have these inputs?

HDMI is a very 'high-level' connection. It doesn't just include a video stream, but also audio, packet data (to allow the TV to control other connected devices), and sometimes even ethernet. It allows screen size, colour, and refresh rate negotiation. The display end of the HDMI connection needs a lot of logic to negotiate the protocol, and understand the video data. All of this is unnecessary overhead for a screen that can only display one format and can only be replaced by an identical screen.
For this reason, the internal connection inside most portable devices (including Android phones, tablets, development boards, etc.) is a much lower-level connection, often DSI. Important hardware such as the framebuffer controller is on the system side of the DSI interface, not the screen side. It would be a lot of work to allow a Pi to speak on a DSI interface, and the work would be specific to the particular screen you use. You'd basically be making all of a computer monitor except the screen.

Do you mean the actual display panels on Android devices? Due to the low form factor, it wouldn't be reasonable to use large connectors, so flex cables are used instead of the connectors you've mentioned. You can see the solutions used on Youtube, just search for "[phone model] screen replacement" or similar. Here's an example of Samsung Galaxy S 3.


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Nexus 4 And Vodafone india

Possible Duplicate:
Can I use my device on a different carrier?

I am buying the Nexus 4 from US google play store and my colleague is sending it over via his relative. My question is even though google has mentioned that the unlocked version being sold on play store is supported by 200 carriers worldwide - will there be any issues with Vodafone India or is there any carrier that i need to purchase Sim from. Please reply immediately as i am kind of worried here.
Thanks in advance
Sameer

There shouldn't be a problem per se. You will need to use a smaller size SIM card than the standard, so consult your local Vodafone shop to see if they have it in that size.

Rather than answering your question directly, I will point some things to you on which you should read and research yourself, and find out the answer.
OK, First of all, head over to gsmarena.com and check out the 2G and 3G network specs for your phone.It will have several frequencies listed. Now check which frequenc(y/ies) Vodafone India uses for its 2G and 3G network.(You might have to do quite a bit of googling for this) If any one (or maybe more) frequencies are same in both cases then your phone will definitely work over Vodafone India's network.

You pointed me in the right direction. I found below two links and that answers my questions.
http://www.gsmarena.com/lg_nexus_4_e960-5048.php
http://cellsignalboosters.in/vodafone.html
THanks guys!!!

Glad I could help. :)


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Black screen during outgoing call on Galaxy S3
I made software update for my Galaxy S3 to 4.1.1 and now after outgoing call the screen remains black and doesn't cancel the call or does anything till call stop. I did factory reset but it doesn't resolve my problem. Can anyone help me with that thxon advice

I resolve it by this:  Call settings ~> Auto screen off/on during calls.


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Can I use my android as a wifi bridge via USB?
I have a broadband connection to my computer, but no wireless router. I would like to know if I can connect my android as a wifi bridge; using my broadband connection instead of my mobile internet connection.
I am thinking of turning off mobile network, connecting my phone to my computer with a usb cable, selecting internet pass through, then turning on wifi hotspot.
Does this work, or will the phone default to the mobile internet connection instead?
I have icecream sandwich on an htc one x

Setup the phone as a modem. Still most android phones can be setup as a WiFi hotspot.
Following URLs may help you

http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=658&Itemid=38
http://blogs.computerworld.com/smartphones/20726/android-wifi-hotspot


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Samsung GT-i9300, JellyBean, Headset button changing sound profile
I'm running Android 4.1.1 stock firmware (JellyBean) on my Samsung GT-i9300.
After updating, I'm having some issues with headset controls. I am using the official Samsung headset which came with my phone.
The issue with long press opening Google Now is annoying, but it doesn't seem to have a solution that I can find. However, when I press the pause/play button on my headset, it changes my sound profile to Normal - this is really annoying as I tend to listen to music in work, and need to keep manually changing my profile to vibrate after EVERY time I play/pause/skip a track.
I've tried using the Jays Headset Controls app to no avail... does anyone have any idea on what I could do to fix this issue?


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i5500 update from 2.2 to 2.2.2?
I have got a Samsung Galaxy GT-I5500. Actually there is Froyo 2.2 running on it. I read that with 2.2.2 there got a bunch of bugfixes released. Even though i know Froyo is quite old I never ever read about someone who upraded to Version 2.2.2 though. Everybody seems to stay with 2.2 (or switches to 2.3,...)
That's why I would like to ask if there is a way to switch to 2.2.2 even though my carrier doesn't provide it through kies???
--> I already found this page
Official ROMs for i5500
but I don't really know about the JPJ/JQ3...-Codes. Even though it says that these ROMs should be 2.2.2 I am not really sure about that, because the Codes listed differ quite a lot.
My actual SW-Version: PDA XWJQ3 / PHONE NEJPS / CSC REJP2

The codes JPJ/JQ3 are related to the base-band version used, which varies from region to region. XDA does not host official ROM's, in fact, go to samfirmware that is the nearest to being official, all XDA does is mirror them from samfirmware.

you can go UN-OFFICIAL , CM7 works great on it... a GB AOSP rom
more info HERE

CM7 is broken on that, causes sleep of death! :) Try madteam as that is where psyke83 does a lot of work on the Samsung Europa.


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Samsung S screen turns off while calling
during a call, the screen turns off and I become not able to click(touch) any button on the screen. PLEASE help if there is any solution cause it makes me crazy. Thanks.

This is normally face detection that turns the screen off so that you cannot press buttons with your cheek.  If moving the phone away from your face does not turn it on, then you should be able to turn it on with the power button.


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TeamViewer 8.0.772 crashes on Sony Xperia running ICS 4.0.4
I am trying to use Teamviewer 8.0.772 to remotely access my computer. However the app is crashing in no time once it is started.
System Info:

Sony Ericsson xperia Neo V
ICS 4.0.4

I have re-installed it but nothing works.

Have you cleared the app data and/or cache?

Please try and clear the app data and cache - this fixed the same issue for me.


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Samsung Galaxy Tab, charging technique through USB Cable
From Galaxy Tab is not being charged through USB Cable
@Chris Stratton

Tablets have larger batteries than phones and may be unable to
  sufficiently charge from the half amp limit of a USB port, especially
  while they are fully on (screen on and full speed processor clock).
Some will barely charge if the screen is off but come with high
  current 5v "usb-like" wall chargers, others use a higher voltage
  charger on a custom connector - typically something round. Sometimes
  the "usb-like" ones are actually special cables with extra pins that
  tell the tablet that a special high-current charger is being used.

@NobbZ

The Samsung Galaxy Tab has a loading current of 2 A, but the
  USB-Specificication only allows 500 mA for the whole bus.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Serial_Bus
@USB 3.0

Battery Charging Specification 1.2 released in December 2010. Several
  changes and increasing limits including allowing 1.5 A on charging
  ports for unconfigured devices, allowing High Speed communication
  while supplying a current up to 1.5 A, and allowing a maximum current
  of 5 A

So, What kind of USB Cable should be used to Charge Samsung Galaxy Tablets, for example Samsung Galaxy Tablet 2 (GT - P5100)

See my answer at http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/21144/how-much-power-does-a-galaxy-tab-10-1-charger-need-to-supply

I don't think the cable is particularly important.  Its the jack that the cable plugs into that makes a difference.

Basically, if the tablet can tell that its plugged into a special (high amp) jack, then the tablet will charge more quickly (at 2A), otherwise the tablet will assume its plugged into a standard USB port and charge at the specification limit (500 mA).  The best way to get an adapter that the tablet can identify is to use the official wall adapter.  I believe there is no "standard" way of doing this, so different manufacturers may do different things (e.g., using an Apple USB charger may not work).
You should be able to see what your tablet is doing based on the battery icon in the system tray (assuming its similar to the older Galaxy Tab that I have).  On my tablet the icon will have a small red "X" if its being charged through a "normal" connection, and should have no such "X" if its being charged through a high-amp connection.
See How much power does a Galaxy Tab 10.1 charger need to supply?
And Do Samsung tablets have the same USB connector as Apple's iPad?
And Why is charging from computer using USB slower than using an outlet?

Actually, BOTH the cable and charger are important.  I just ran tests using a tool to report the charging current, and I got values of .6A, .5A, and .2A using a Samsung charger, and values of .460A, .5A, .460A, using the same cables and a different charger. Yes, the longest cable was .2A on the Samsung charger and .460A on the other - no single charger was best. I have ordered some "charge only" cables to test.

Samsung tablets are impossible to charge without the right charger.  The charger was given to you with your tablet and if you lose it you have to buy a new one that will fit because there are many chargers that are wide but don't fit into Samsung Galaxy Tabs. So if you don't have a charger you have to buy one or else your tablet will not be charged until you do so.

Can you provide a source for that? As the industry went for a common external power supply, I cannot believe in such an "impossibility". See also this answer which proves other chargers (even NoName) work as well.


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for htc desire s: how to know your phone's region?
i'd like to update my software from gingerbread to ICS, just want to make sure to get the right update for my phone.

You must have been confused by seeing too many files for the update. Actually there is only one file to update to ICS and hence it is the right file. The file is RUU, i.e. ROM Update Utility.
So from, http://www.htcdev.com/devcenter/downloads
Download

Desire S  HTC  WWE  RUU  N/A  v4.0  404.0 MB  14.01.401.2

And yes the region is WWE for this case.

WWE being "WorldWidE" apparently.

@Broam - in HTCese, WWE means "WorldWide English".  It indicates that English is the base language, and that all other languages included are translated from the English, rather than being written directly in that language and that it's intended as a generic update for all carriers.  Some phones also offer an ARA RUU, which is much the same as WWE, except that the base language is Arabic.


text:
Why does HTC Incredible S turn Wi-Fi on by itself?
Sometime after latest official update to Android 4.0 phone began to switch Wi-Fi on by itself when being in sleep mode (or maybe at other times).
Reproduction: turn off the Wi-Fi, leave it in a Wi-Fi enabled area (there are open networks, but no which I would like to use), and next time I look at phone it shows this notification "There are open networks" and has the Wi-Fi enabled.
The reason I'd like to disable this behavior is phone likes to connect to some saved public Wi-Fi's when I'm on the move and browsing via 3G, thus disrupting the loading of pages. So I usually turn Wi-Fi on and off manually.

I don't have a Incredible S but the steps should be similar:
Go to Settings->Wifi->Overflow Menu Button->Advanced->Keep Wifi on during sleep->Never.

It's strange. I'd like it would be off in sleep if it was off and on in sleep if it was on. How do I do that?

@Constantius You probably want "Never" then. I've updated the answer to reflect.

Unfortunately, it makes Wi-Fi switch off in sleep independently of it's state before sleeping.


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Can the on-board ADB Server find the device itself?
I know that Android devices have an on-board adb server.  I am able to start the server through the terminal emulator and run adb commands, but the device itself does not show up in the device list.  The ultimate goal is to capture a logcat and store it locally, as I am having crashing issues that don't occur when it's plugged in, so I need to capture the logcat without plugging into USB.
I want to ultimately be able to run $ adb logcat -v time > /sdcard/logcat.txt and have it create the logcat text file that I can retrieve and view the next time the device crashes.
I'm running Jelly Bean 4.1.2
EDIT
I managed to track down a solution to my specific problem:
Locally, adb is not required to gather a logcat.  From within the terminal emulator, you can simply execute logcat > /sdcard/logcat.txt to gather a logcat.  However, I'll leave the question up in case someone figures a way to get adb to recognize itself, as it might be useful in the future.

Add this solution to your answer so we all know :)

I don't think you can access the device directly from ADB on the device. but you can access the logcat if you need to in /dev/log/.
Just about anything you would need to access via adb should be accessible directly on the device, one way or another.
For example, adb gets screenshots from reading /dev/graphics/fb0

I have tried multiple times, and have never found a way for the build in adb client to recognise itself.
I think it is due to the fact that it checks it on USB etc - I could be wrong however.
It is safe to say though that there is no way for the ADB client in Android to recognise it's server self - sorry!

Might be best to attempt download of aLogCat from the Google Play Store.
There is an option in there under Menu > Preferences > Periodic Save from within the same application, that can be set, which activates the frequency of periodic saving, which gets saved to the SDCard.
That should make things easier somewhat to get the log without having to plug it in via USB.


text:
Can you use the Nexus 4 without a SIM card?
I currently have an iPod Touch, I want to buy the Nexus 4, but don't want to get a plan (SIM Card) for a while. Will the device work like an iPod Touch/ Wifi capable, but no access to data away from Wifi/Call/Text.

Why not a Nexus 7 then?

Yes - all android devices will work without a SIM card, and can be connected to wifi for an internet connection.
EDIT: Just so people know, there is a setting in the build.prop file that determines whether or the not the device can be used without a SIM or not.
Most of the time this is set to allow it, however in rare cases it may be disallowed.

Yes, I was about to do that. I had to wait a few minutes, and then I forgot.

Not to worry ;) I shouldn't have posted that comment!

I've been using mine for 3 days now without a SIM as I wait for one to come in the mail, confirming specifically for the N4.

Yep. I can now confirm, I got mine, works great without a SIM card.

Some Android devices, mostly older ones, and CDMA2000 devices, will attempt to let you not use them without activation.
Usually the 'provision' application has a secret code that can bypass the 'mandatory' activation - e.g., on the Motorola Droid 2 Global it's upper left corner, upper right corner, lower right corner, lower left corner (the lower corners being ABOVE the software buttons, not the absolute corner of the screen) - do that and you can use the phone unactivated (for battery life considerations, put the phone in Airplane mode).
Newer devices, including the N4, should just let you skip the activation altogether; a lot of the Google applications will continually beg for Google Credentials, however, if you don't log in.

Thanks for your comment as well. Very interesting. Anyway, I watched an unboxing and saw the guy skip the SIM card insert, and it was working, so I now know that it does work. I just didn't have time to check, as the Nexus 4 sold out VERY quickly.


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Can I disable the default calendar app notifications?
This strikes me as a bug since the behaviour is incredibly consistent, but perhaps someone here can help me.
I want to use the google developed calendar app as my main calendar app. My phone (a Galaxy S2) came with a samsung developed calendar app (both very conveniently named "Calendar"). At this point, I simply want to disable the samsung calendar app from displaying any sort of notifications (since the google app also displays notifications and I want to use that app).
I have been able to do this by going to settings->Notifications in the samsung app and toggling to "Off".
However, as soon as I restart the device, the notifications are back on their original settings. Anyone else experience this? Anyone know how to make the settings stick?
EDIT: I notice the notification settings of the google developed app (sound, default reminder time, popup) are also not sticking after reboot. Is my device broken? It seems to only be for calendar. Gmail and other apps hold their settings fine.
EDIT 2: Ok, so disabling the samsung app allows my google app calendar settings to stick after reboot. So looks like that is what I will be doing. Anyone know how I can change the vcs file association to this app now?

I don't know how to make the setting stick, but if you are using ICS you can easily disable the Samsung calendar app - so it will act as if it is uninstalled.
You can disable it by clicking the Disable button on the App settings page - just above the disable notifications checkbox.
Once this is done, reboot your device and it will act as if that app is no longer installed!

Ya, I've done that, and it works, but then for some reason, I cannot set the google developed app to work with appointment files (vcs) which the samsung app handles. It's nit-picky, but if apps just did what they claimed to do, none of this would be an issue :(

I've same issue on my S2.
The problem is a conflict between Google Calendar & Samsung stock calendar.
The second one overwrite settings of Google Calendar.
Only solution is disable it and use Google Calendar.


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How to make cell phone using GPRS/3G a WiFi-Hotspot

Possible Duplicate:
How to share internet among 2 android devices?
Can we use an Android phone as a Wi-Fi repeater?

I have an android cell phone (Samsung Galaxy S Advance) running on Android 2.3.6. I am interested in converting my cell phone to a WiFi-Hotspot so that I can use the GPPRS/3G from my phone to access internet on other WiFi-enabled devices. Any android applications that might help to do this?

Have you looked at the questions in the wifi-hotspot and wifi-tethering tags at all? Did you do a search? This has been covered in a lot of forms for a lot of devices. If you can provide some context of what you have tried then it would be helpful.

Potential duplicates: Is there a way to enable WiFi-tethering without root access?, Wireless tethering between two Android devices, How to share internet among 2 android devices?, How do I share my wifi with my ipod or netbook


text:
Sync mp3s between 2 android devices?
I've a galaxy and a Samsung tablet. I download many mp3s on the tablet and I'd like to be able to sync them with the phone and vice versa. Any app for this?
I am talking about lots of files, so Dropbox and Google drive are not what I have in mind. The I'd like something that works over wifi

I recommend Google Music if it's available in your country. It allows you to sync 20.000 music files for free. Or even more if you pay.

Google music doesn't let me upload music straight from device!

Any file syncing service like Google Drive or Dropbox should do the trick, I believe.
Install the apps on both devices and move the music files to a folder from within the apps.

That could do. The problem is that they won't sync straight away, but only when I try to open the file. This is bad for data plan reasons and because I use the tube a lot.

Do you prefer that they sync right away but ONLY on WiFi? Google Drive has an option to auto-update ONLY on WiFi. That should suffice.

Also see - http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/6961/is-there-a-way-to-copy-files-directly-between-two-android-devices-on-the-same-wi

Also, WiFi Direct might be a good idea if your devices support it - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.smarterdroid.wififiletransfer


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Can't sync appointments from server to phone
Verizon HTC Rezound, ICS 4.0.3.
This seems to be a common problem, especially with ICS, but I have yet to find a definitive solution that works for me.
I just got my new phone, and have gone through the basic setup including syncing the phone to my workplace Exchange account. Mail's fine (up and down), contacts are fine (down at least, not sure about up), and events created on my phone are pushed up to the server and then to my office desktop, but events already on the server do not sync down to the phone.
I found one potential solution for another HTC ICS device; delete all Calendar-based data and then remove and reinstall the Exchange account. Did that, still not working. My last phone was relatively ancient (Sony XPeria X10, Android Eclair), used TouchDown for its mail program, and had a number of problems, but appointment synchronization wasn't one of them. What's the deal?

As a quick fix that got the meetings I have now onto my phone, I pulled up all forthcoming meetings and appointments that hadn't synced using Outlook, forwarded them to myself, and then pulled up the e-mails on my phone and accepted each invite. This worked and didn't create any dupes on either the phone or Outlook.
That works for now, and it seems that appointments I have created in Outlook since I set up the phone to sync are syncing correctly, if a bit delayed. We'll see about meeting invites I accept from others.
Now, this solution only works because most of my schedule is regular recurring meetings, so I only had to resend a few invites. If there is a solution that doesn't require re-accepting every invite for every meeting for the foreseeable future, I'm sure it would be helpful to those of us that have a fuller, more free-form appointment schedule.


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Can I install a micro-SD card into my Note 2 after I've enabled device encryption?
I recently got a Note 2 and enabled device encryption. I want to put a micro-SD in it now to expand my storage capacity, but when I go to settings, it won't let me mount the card. Is it because of the device encryption? Is there a way to add this drive without decrypting and re-encrypting?

A good question! It's possible (technically). Do a backup of your old data first! You might succeed to re-format the new sd-card using your Note2. If that doesn't work, the only way I can think of is rather hackish and involves some basic Linux skills: Raw-copy over all the encrypted data from the old SD card to the new one and try accessing it (it should have the old size still), if you can then reformat it, it might grow to the new size. If you succeeded, restore the data to the new crypted SD card. PS: I'm curious if it works, let me know! If this is to vague just ask or chat

ce4's approach sounds good. You might want to contact Samsung too.


text:
Camera button reassign function
So my power button broke on my droid 1 (yes old phone). Until I can get a new phone soon, I need a better way to lock and unlock my screen. Sliding up and down the keyboard slows down everything.
Is there an app or a way that lets me re-assign my physical camera button to do this?

Yes, there is. The first one coming to mind (forgive me, it looks like this is one of my standard answers here meanwhile) is Tasker, the most complete automation tool for Android. It lets you define actions based on events; so for your case, you could let the event Hardware -> Camera button pressed trigger the action "Display off".
You want to turn it on again the same way -- so simply make it two "profiles", and combine two events: "Camera button pressed" & "State -> Display: On" (with the "task" to turn the display off), and with "Display: Off" the other way round.
Remark: There's a 7 day trial version available on the developers website, so you don't need to buy Tasker straight away without being able to test it. As soon as you've got everything configured, export your configuration. So if after those 7 days you still cannot decide whether to buy, simply uninstall Tasker, install it again, and import your configuration. Before you hit me: That's what the developer himself wrote, so nothing illegal.

You are very welcome -- glad I could help!

You could try Camera Touch-Free.

Description
Solution for touch phones that did not have hardware camera button..
Making shots on touch phone without touches
Just use hardware buttons "Volume Up" or headset..
Use "Volume Down" hardware button for exit from application..

This isn't what I was asking. I was asking for an app that would let me reassign my hardware camera button to be a lock/unlock button. I solved it before, and not only that this was on an old device i had in 2012